The cave was quiet, save for the low crackle of the fire Jorin had built. The flames licked at the dry wood, casting jagged shadows across the rough stone walls. Kael sat slumped against the rock, his chest rising with slow, uneven breaths. Every strike, every blow from the beast still echoed through his body, leaving his muscles stiff and bruised.
And yet—something inside him burned brighter than the pain.
His arm tingled where the tattoo spiraled upward, glowing faintly as if alive. Now and then, a spark of pale-blue lightning snapped across his fingertips before fading into the dark. Kael stared at his hand, unease twisting in his stomach.
Then the system chimed.
[System Reward Activated.]
[Beast Core Acquired – Type 4.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
The air in front of him shimmered, numbers and messages rippling across his vision. His body felt warmer, stronger, but it was the next message that made him freeze.
[Shadow Collection Available.]
Nathan's voice followed, calm but deliberate.
[Kael, the system is offering you a choice. Do you want me to store this core within the inventory, or do you want the shadow to consume it?]
Kael frowned. "Consume it? What does that even mean?"
[When a shadow collects a core, it doesn't just store it—it feeds on it. Absorbing the essence. That essence fuses with you. Your shadow evolves as you evolve. The stronger the core, the greater the growth. But once collected, it is gone. No weapon can be forged from it later. It becomes part of you.]
Kael stared at the faint red crystal pulsing in his hand—the remains of the beast that had nearly killed him. His breath caught, not from fear but from the weight of the choice.
"What happens if I say yes?"
[You grow. Faster. Stronger. More dangerous. But every step brings you closer to becoming something no one else has ever been.]
Kael tightened his grip, then whispered: "Shadow collection."
The core vibrated. Dark mist poured from the tattoo around his arm, curling down over his palm like living smoke. It wrapped the crystal, pulling it inward until the glow flickered, broke, and vanished. The shadows sank into his skin.
The system roared to life.
[Core absorbed.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
Kael's body trembled as raw power surged through him. His vision blurred, sparks of shadow and lightning flashing at the edges of his sight. He gritted his teeth, gripping the stone floor to steady himself.
The messages didn't stop.
[Level 20 Achieved.]
[Warning: Evolution in Progress.]
The final words pulsed brighter than any before, before fading slowly into nothing.
Kael slumped back against the wall, chest heaving. His veins still burned, his tattoo now glowing faintly like embers hidden beneath the skin. He felt stronger, sharper—but also heavier, as though something deep inside had shifted.
Across the fire, Jorin hadn't moved. He kept his gaze locked on Kael, eyes narrowing slightly. "You're different," he muttered under his breath.
Inside his mind, Nathan chuckled softly.
[Different is only the beginning.]