Kael staggered away from the lord's study, his mind reeling with the echo of that impossible voice. He barely noticed the servants who glared or laughed as he passed. His only thought was to reach the safety of his tiny room, to make sense of what had just happened.
He darted down the winding halls, nearly tripping over a loose flagstone in his haste. Once inside the cramped chamber, he slammed the door shut and pressed his back against it, breathing hard. His heart thudded in his chest, but not with fear—something closer to exhilaration.
A system.
He grinned, a wild, shaky thing. "No way. This isn't just some fever dream, is it?" he muttered aloud. "A real system?"
It wasn't as if he hadn't imagined this before. Countless nights, hunched over his phone, he'd devoured webnovels about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary worlds—always with some mystical system guiding their ascent. He'd daydreamed about what he would do with such power. Now, standing in this unfamiliar body, he felt a surge of hope, raw and electrifying.
The voice returned, crisp and faintly amused:
[Host consciousness stabilized. Glutton Devour System ready to assist. Would you like an overview of system functions?]
"Yes!" Kael said a little too eagerly, then coughed and tried to sound more composed. "I mean—yeah, please. Give me the rundown."
[Acknowledged. The Glutton Devour System enables the host to devour any material, energy, or concept not exceeding the host's current threshold. Devouring can be performed directly—via oral ingestion—or indirectly through system extraction. Direct consumption yields a greater assimilation rate and potential attribute gain.]
Kael's eyes sparkled. "So, if I eat something myself, I get more out of it than if you just… absorb it for me?"
[Correct. Direct ingestion: 100% yield. System extraction: 60% yield. The host's current devour threshold is limited to objects or entities no more than ten times the host's physical and energetic strength.]
Kael's grin widened. "And you keep track of calories, attributes, skills… all that?"
[Affirmative. Host status, calories, attributes, and devoured abilities are all accessible via the Status command.]
His hands trembled, not with fear, but with anticipation. "Show me my status."
A glowing blue panel unfurled before his eyes, translucent yet vivid:
---
**[Status: Kael]**
Age: 17
Race: Human (Variant)
Rank: None
Calories: 0
Attributes:
- Strength: 3
- Agility: 4
- Endurance: 3
- Intelligence: 6
- Magic Affinity: 1
Skills: None
Devoured: None
---
Kael whistled softly. "So I'm… even weaker than I was on Earth. Fantastic."
[Host's potential is limited only by what you can devour.]
"Right. So, I can eat anything, so long as it's not ten times stronger than me. What happens if I try to eat something more powerful?"
[Immediate failure. Host may experience adverse effects ranging from indigestion to death. Caution is advised.]
He snorted. "Got it. Don't try to eat the lord. Yet."
He paced the tiny room, mind racing. What should he devour first? His gaze swept the chamber, landing on a crust of stale bread. His stomach rumbled, but he hesitated. Bread was too… mundane.
Then his eyes fell on the battered book lying on his rickety table. Its cover was faded, the title barely legible: "Basic Sword Postures and Movements—Beginner's Edition." He picked it up, thumbing through the yellowed pages. The original Kael must have tried to learn, probably in some desperate bid to impress his father or protect himself from bullying siblings.
A crazy thought flickered through his mind.
He looked down at the book, then at his hands, then back at the shimmering status panel.
"System, if I eat this book, what will happen?"
[The host will assimilate the information contained within the object. Skill acquisition and attribute enhancement are possible, depending on content quality and host compatibility.]
Kael's lips curled in a wicked smile. "You know, in every story, the MC hesitates. I'm not making that mistake."
He sat on the edge of the bed, held the book to his mouth, and, with a shrug, tore off a corner of the cover. The paper was dry, fibrous, and tasted faintly of dust and ink. He chewed and swallowed, then ripped off another chunk and stuffed it into his mouth. As he chewed, the system spoke again:
[Devouring process initiated. Assimilating content: "Basic Sword Postures and Movements."]
A tingling sensation shot through his jaw, down his throat, and into his core. The taste grew sweeter, richer, with every bite. Kael consumed the entire book in minutes, ignoring the mess of shredded paper and ink-stained lips.
As he swallowed the last page, a pulse of heat radiated from his chest. His mind exploded with images—men and women in flowing tunics practicing stances, the feel of a sword's hilt in his palm, the subtle shift of balance from foot to foot. He could see the postures, feel the weight of an imaginary blade, taste the rhythm of practiced movement.
A new panel flashed before his eyes:
---
**[Skill Acquired: Basic Swordsmanship – Beginner]**
You have assimilated the fundamentals of sword handling, posture, and movement.
Strength +1, Agility +1.
---
Kael leapt to his feet, giddy. He mimed drawing a sword, his body flowing through the stances as if he'd practiced them for years. His balance was steadier, his movements more precise.
"This… this is insane," he said, breathless with excitement. "I just leveled up from eating a book!"
[Host's progress is limited only by appetite and imagination.]
He grinned, a thousand plans forming in his mind. If he could eat a sword manual, what about a spellbook? A magic crystal? A monster's fang? The possibilities were endless.
Kael laughed, the sound wild and free for the first time in years. "Let's see what this world tastes like."