# Chapter 18: Feeding the Codex
The ruins were alive with the aftermath of destruction, smoke curling around fractured buildings and dust settling on shattered streets. Kael stood over the wounded beast, crimson eyes blazing as the Codex pulsed violently within him, hungry for more. Each heartbeat of the creature echoed through him, a torrent of energy begging to be absorbed.
Lyra approached cautiously, staff raised but her gaze fixed on Kael. "This isn't just power—it's… life force. You can't just take it without consequence."
Kael's grin was sharp, predatory. "Consequences are for the weak. The strong take what they need to rise. The Codex demands it. And I intend to feed it." He stepped closer, the steel pipe gripped tightly, though it barely seemed necessary now. The energy in the air was thick, almost tangible, vibrating with anticipation.
The beast stirred, green eyes blazing with fury and pain. It lunged with desperation, claws swiping through the air, but Kael was faster. The Codex guided his movements, every motion fluid, precise, and devastating. With a calculated strike to the side, he disrupted the creature's balance, sending it sprawling onto the cracked asphalt.
The Codex pulsed, a living entity within him, and Kael could feel its hunger entwined with his own. The energy of the beast—the raw chaos, the untamed strength—flowed into him as he pressed his advantage. Muscles surged, reflexes sharpened, and senses heightened beyond normal human limits. Every heartbeat, every breath, every spike of pain from the creature fed the growing power within Kael.
Lyra watched in awe, unable to hide her shock. "I've never seen it… the way the Codex absorbs everything. Strength, energy… even the will of the creature itself."
Kael's crimson eyes scanned the battlefield. "It's not just absorption. It's growth. Every opponent, every challenge, every ounce of chaos strengthens me. The ruins exist to be mastered, to be claimed. And the Codex… ensures nothing is wasted."
The beast, sensing its diminishing strength, roared in defiance. Its voice echoed through the broken city, a mixture of rage and fear. Yet Kael advanced relentlessly, the Codex feeding on its defiance as much as its energy. With one final strike, he delivered a precise blow to its chest, not fatal, but enough to force it to submit.
A surge of energy coursed through Kael, the Codex roaring with satisfaction as it consumed the final vestiges of the beast's power. His muscles tensed and released, his senses sharper, his reflexes nearly preternatural. He felt an overwhelming surge of control and power, the culmination of the encounter elevating him to a level far beyond where he had been before.
*Skill Progress: Devour Debris — Level 12*
*Skill Unlocked: Essence Assimilation — Absorb raw energy from living opponents to enhance strength, reflexes, and vitality.*
Lyra stepped forward, her eyes wide with both awe and caution. "Kael… you've gone beyond anything I imagined. The Codex… it's changing you."
Kael's grin was almost serene, crimson eyes glowing with unrestrained power. "Change is the path to dominance. Every force I encounter is fuel, every battle a lesson, every opponent a teacher. The God of Ruin doesn't simply survive… he rises above all."
The creature lay still, subdued but alive, a testament to Kael's growing control. The ruins themselves seemed to respond, shadows stretching and twisting, as if acknowledging the rise of a new force within their fractured domain.
Kael turned to Lyra, his expression both fierce and confident. "The night is far from over. There are greater forces waiting, stronger challenges, and more power to claim. The Codex is hungry… and I intend to feed it."
With that, he stepped forward, ready to plunge deeper into the chaos of the ruins, every step resonating with the promise of growth, dominance, and the rele
ntless rise of the God of Ruin.