The sky above the Gate shifted again. What once looked like a ruined wasteland was now changing. The crimson fog thickened, pulsing as if it had a heartbeat.
Riven clenched his fists. His body still ached, but the hunger inside Devour grew sharper. The mark on his hand pulsed like a living flame.
[Origin Gate Status: Phase Two – Awakening Path Initiated.]
The words had burned into his vision at dawn. And now, the Gate was answering.
The ground rumbled. From the mist emerged a new kind of monster. Taller, faster, and covered in jagged bone-like armor. Its glowing eyes locked on Riven instantly.
The others — the so-called "gifted" survivors who had awakened flashy fireballs, lightning strikes, and blades of wind — stepped back. Cowards. Always eager to talk big, but the moment danger grew real, they shoved people like him forward.
"Trash," one of them sneered. "Go feed it, Devourer."
Riven's cold gaze slid to the man. His lips curled into a smile that was anything but warm. "I'll remember your face."
And then he stepped forward.
The monster charged, its movements so fast the ground cracked beneath it. Riven barely dodged, rolling across the broken stones. His knife flashed, striking bone — useless. The blade snapped.
"Damn it."
The creature lunged again, jaws wide. Riven threw himself forward instead of back. His hand slammed onto its armored hide. Devour.
Agony ripped through his arm. His veins burned, his muscles locked, and his body screamed in rebellion. The mark pulsed violently, sucking the creature's essence.
And then — silence.
The monster collapsed, dissolving into fragments. The shards surged into him, flooding his body with raw energy.
Riven staggered, sweat dripping, chest heaving. His vision blurred… and then cleared. His body felt stronger. His movements sharper. His veins no longer burned, they glowed faintly with new life.
[Devour Progress: Stage One Completed. New Path Unlocked – Elemental Spark.]
His breath caught. Elemental Spark…?
And then he felt it. A faint flicker in his chest — heat and cold, lightning and stone, all at once. The beginning of something far greater.
The survivors stared, wide-eyed. Some in awe. Others in fear.
"That… that trash just killed it?"
"He devoured it… he really ate its power."
"Monster. He's a monster himself."
Riven ignored them all. His eyes were locked on the fog, where a familiar silver glow shimmered faintly.
Her.
The girl from before. The one who moved like dusk and dawn combined. She stood at a distance, watching. Her amethyst eyes fixed on him, unreadable.
This time, she didn't vanish. She stepped closer, the fog parting around her as if it dared not touch her.
Every man present froze. Their jaws slackened. She was too beautiful, too unreal. Her curves, the way her battle armor hugged her hourglass figure, the way her silver hair cascaded down like liquid moonlight. She looked like a goddess who had stepped down from a temple just to mock mortal men.
Riven forced his eyes to meet hers. Not her lips, not her curves, not her body — her eyes. Cold. Respectful. Determined.
She raised a brow, almost amused by his restraint.
"You… are not what they call you." Her voice was soft, melodic, but every word carried weight.
Riven smirked faintly. "And what do they call me?"
"Trash. Bait. Devourer." Her eyes lingered on his mark. "They are wrong. You are something else. Something dangerous."
Her words sent a shiver through the group. Some men clenched their fists, envious. Others looked ready to worship her.
But she wasn't talking to them. Only him.
"Who are you?" Riven asked, his tone cold but steady.
Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "For now… just a shadow in the dusk. If you live, you'll know my name."
And with that, she turned, walking away. Every motion deliberate, sensual, powerful.
The others stared shamelessly, eyes glued to the sway of her hips, the curve of her figure, the silver glow of her hair.
Riven? He just clenched his fists harder.
If I want answers… if I want her to say my name… I need to survive.
The Gate pulsed again, louder, heavier, as if mocking him.
Phase Two had only begun. And Riven Kael, the so-called trash Devourer, stepped forward into the fog.
For the first time, not just with hunger — but with resolve.