Chapter 2: The First Harvest
The silence that followed the Scavenger's death was heavier than the explosions outside. Pillow stood in the center of his ruined kitchen, his breath coming in ragged hitches. The monster was gone, reduced to a pile of fine, grey ash that smelled of ozone and burnt sulfur.
[Level 2 Reached] [Current Essence Saturation: 12%] [Warning: Essence decay will begin if the Host does not maintain a steady intake.]
"Essence decay?" Pillow wiped a smudge of ash from his cheek. He knew exactly what this was. He had seen it in a dozen "System" mangas. This wasn't just a power-up; it was a curse. If he didn't keep killing, his own soul would eventually wither away. He was no longer just a dropout; he was a shark that had to keep swimming to breathe.
A piercing scream echoed through the hallway—it was Mrs. Gable, his elderly neighbor. For a split second, the old Pillow wanted to run to her aid. But his "Monster Worker" brain calculated the sound: the heavy thud of a chitinous limb and a high-pitched, wet hiss.
That's a Stalker, he thought. If I go out there without a weapon, I'm just a second course.
Pillow looked at the broken half of his iron wrench. It was useless as a physical weapon, but he knew the tropes. In every "Awakening" story, the first skill is usually a buff. He focused his intent on the metal.
[Trait Detected: Essence Infusion] "Expend 5 Essence to temporarily reinforce this object?"
"Do it," he whispered.
The black-and-gold light flowed from his palm into the rusted iron. The wrench didn't just fix itself; it grew, turning into a jagged, obsidian-colored spike that hummed with a dark vibration. He didn't check on Mrs. Gable to save her—he checked on her to see if the monster was worth the "XP."
He kicked open his door. The hallway was a scene of carnage. The Stalker was pinned to the ceiling, its needle-like arms dripping with blood. It sensed him instantly, pivoting its eyeless head toward the vibration of his footsteps.
Pillow didn't panic. He actually smiled. "I know your heart isn't in your chest," he muttered, recalling a specific chapter from his favorite beast-encyclopedia manga. "Stalkers keep their core in the base of their throat."
The monster lunged, a blur of purple-black speed. Pillow used his Beast-Sense to track the mana gathering in its joints. He stepped to the side—a "perfect dodge" he'd practiced a thousand times in his head while playing games—and thrust the obsidian spike upward.
The reinforced iron bypassed the monster's hide like a hot knife through butter. He slammed his left hand onto the creature's neck.
"Siphon!"
The corridor filled with that terrifying radiance. Pillow felt the monster's speed and agility pouring into his own muscles. He didn't feel guilty. He didn't feel sad. He felt powerful.
[Essence Absorbed: +12 Agility] [Skill Unlocked: Shadow-Step (Active)] [Item Obtained: Stalker's Chitin Shard x1]
He looked at the dead-end hallway and then toward the stairs. There were more screams, more hisses, and more opportunities. He ignored the crying survivors hiding behind their locked doors. They were waiting for a government that wasn't coming. Pillow, however, was going to "clear the floor."
"This isn't an apocalypse," Pillow said, gripping the chitin shard, which felt more natural in his hand than any pen or wrench ever had. "This is a tutorial."
He stepped into the shadows, disappearing before the next monster could even detect his scent.
To be continued.....