# Chapter 2: Hunger of the Codex
The ruins stretched endlessly before Kael, a maze of broken towers and skeletal highways swallowed by dust. The Codex inside him pulsed like a second heartbeat, each throb sending waves of strange warmth through his body. It whispered without words, urging him forward. He could almost feel its hunger—an emptiness that mirrored his own.
Kael gripped the rusted pipe tighter and took a step into the shadows of a crumbling mall. Glass crunched beneath his boots, and the smell of mildew and rust filled his nose. This place had been picked clean years ago by scavengers, but the Codex wasn't urging him toward supplies. It was urging him toward prey.
A low growl echoed from deeper within the building. Kael froze, his senses sharpening in a way they never had before. The Codex flared, highlighting the sound in his mind as if mapping it out for him. His pulse quickened—not in fear, but in anticipation.
The growl grew louder. From behind a collapsed wall, a creature emerged. Its body was twisted, fur patchy, bones jutting out at odd angles. Once, it might have been a wolf. Now it was a mutant, eyes glowing faintly in the dark, jaws lined with jagged teeth.
Kael's breath caught. A week ago, he would have run. A day ago, he would have begged the others to handle it while he hid. But tonight was different. The Codex stirred, and Kael felt the air tighten around him.
The beast lunged.
Kael swung the pipe. The impact rang through his arms, knocking him back a step, but the creature staggered too, its head snapping to the side. The Codex flared inside him, feeding on the collision, threads of energy running through his veins. Kael roared and swung again, this time with a strength that startled even him. The pipe connected with the creature's jaw, sending it crashing into the rubble.
The Codex whispered again. *Feed me.*
Kael moved without thinking. He leapt onto the downed beast, driving the pipe down again and again until it stopped moving. The whispers grew louder, clearer, as if the Codex was devouring the remnants of the monster's strength. Crimson light flickered briefly in the air before sinking into Kael's body.
Breathless, he stumbled back, staring at his hands. They trembled not from fear, but from exhilaration. His muscles felt stronger, his wounds lighter, his senses sharper. He could feel the Codex integrating something new into him, as if a page had been filled.
A word appeared in his mind: **[Skill Unlocked: Devour Debris]**
Kael blinked. "Devour… debris?"
Instinct guided him. He touched a chunk of concrete lying nearby, concentrating. The stone glowed faintly red before disintegrating into dust, streams of energy flowing into him. The Codex hummed in satisfaction, and Kael felt his strength grow once again.
He laughed—an unsteady, disbelieving sound. Hours ago, he had been left to die, bleeding and broken. Now, every breath he took was filled with power. Every step felt heavier, more certain. He wasn't prey anymore.
But his laughter died quickly. The memory of betrayal returned. Darric's blade, Rina's spit, the jeers of the others as they abandoned him. Rage simmered beneath his skin, hot and raw.
"I'll find them," Kael whispered, his eyes glowing faintly in the gloom. "I'll make them regret leaving me alive."
The Codex pulsed in agreement, its hunger entwined with his fury. For the first time, Kael understood: it didn't just want to feed on monsters or ruins. It wanted him to grow, to tear down everything in his path, until nothing remained but ruin.
And Kael intended to obey.
He stepped out of the mall, the pipe resting on his shoulder. The sky above was still gray, still broken, but it no longer felt like a ceiling pressing down on him. It felt like a stage waiting to be claimed.
From the alleys ahead, more growls echoed. Kael's grip tightened on the pipe, and a grim smile crossed his face.
The Codex was hungry. So was he.
The
night was young, and the ruins were endless.