Chapter 3 — The Bunker That Breathes
Darkness did not welcome Draven.
It obeyed him.
The moment his eyes opened, the underground bunker felt… alive. Not warm. Not safe.
Alive like a beast that had recognized its master.
A low crimson glow pulsed through the stone walls — veins of dark energy crawling like roots beneath the surface. Symbols he had never learned flickered faintly… yet he understood them instinctively.
Because they were not written for humans.
They were written for vessels.
Draven slowly sat up from the cold stone bed.
His body screamed.
Forced reincarnation had consequences.
His veins burned as if molten iron flowed through them. His muscles trembled, rejecting the new world's mana density. Black cracks briefly surfaced across his skin… then faded.
A curse stabilizing itself.
He exhaled slowly.
And says that being tch he reincarnated me as his own vessel in this world.
"First… status."
A translucent obsidian panel manifested before him — not blue like common systems… but deep black, like staring into an abyss.
GOD MANIPULATOR SYSTEM — VESSEL INTERFACE
Host: Draven
Title: Vessel of the Calamity God
Condition: Cursed Reincarnation — Stabilizing (32%)
Authority Level: 1 — Embryonic Manipulator
Core Authorities Unlocked
1. Manipulation Authority — Fragment I
Allows influence over:
Fear
Pain
Weak-willed minds
Lesser creatures
2. Sacrificial Conversion
Convert living beings into:
Power fragments
Ability shards
Artifact materials
3. Familiar Imprint
Bind cursed lifeforms as extensions of your will.
4. Bunker Nexus Control
Absolute control over this underground domain.
Draven stared silently.
Then he laughed.
A low… cracked laugh.
"So this is what you left me…"
He placed a hand on his chest, feeling the faint pulse of the insignia carved into his back — the evil god's mark.
Not a blessing.
A brand.
And yet…
He could feel it feeding him power drop by drop… like poison that made you stronger instead of killing you.
FAMILIAR SECTION — INITIAL OPTIONS
The system expanded.
A swarm of silhouettes appeared — insects, birds, crawling things… all warped by curse energy.
Available Starter Familiars
1. Cursed Heart Centipede
Implantation familiar
Enters target body through mouth, ear, or eye
Coils around the heart
Enforces absolute loyalty
Betrayal Trigger → Heart Devour Execution
Limit: 3 active hosts
2. Abyss Crows
Aerial surveillance
Share vision & sound
Can peck eyes, carry toxins
Operate day & night
Limit: 12
3. Veil Spiders
Indoor surveillance
Mana-thread webbing detects movement
Can inject paralysis venom
Limit: Colony-based
4. Rot Leeches
Drain vitality
Heal host
Can sabotage enemies slowly
5. Whisper Moths (Locked)
Emotion manipulation through pheromone dust.
Draven smirked.
"Insects… fitting."
He stood up slowly, stabilizing his breathing.
"Let's test loyalty."
First Sacrifice
He walked toward the First Door.
The sacrificial chamber.
The moment he opened it — the air changed.
The room was circular… walls lined with black hooks, chains, ritual carvings.
At the center stood a stone altar with a blood channel system carved into the floor — all leading to a core sigil beneath.
But what caught his attention…
Was the cage.
Inside it — a creature.
Half-dead.
A surface scavenger beast — dragged into the bunker automatically when he awakened.
System resource.
It growled weakly.
Draven stepped closer.
No hesitation.
He placed his palm on its skull.
"Sacrifice."
The sigil ignited.
Black tendrils erupted from the altar — piercing the creature silently.
No scream escaped.
Its body dissolved into ash… sucked into the sigil.
Sacrificial Results
Power Fragment +2
Ability Shard Obtained: Predator Instinct
Biomass Stored
Draven felt it instantly.
His senses sharpened.
Heartbeat detection… smell tracking… movement prediction.
He exhaled slowly.
"This world runs on hunting…"
His smile widened.
"Good."
Blood Spring Chamber
He entered the Second Door.
The temperature dropped.
At the chamber's center lay a small crimson spring — glowing faintly.
Blood… but pure.
Not rotting.
Alchemy tables surrounded it — filled with empty vials, bone grinders, herb racks.
System text appeared.
Blood Spring Functions:
Accelerated healing
Curse stabilization
Blood potion crafting
Familiar mutation catalyst
Draven dipped his fingers into the spring.
The blood crawled up his veins… repairing the internal damage from reincarnation.
His curse stabilization rose to 41%.
He flexed his hand.
"Useful."
Armoury
Third door.
Still minimal.
One longbow.
Iron-tipped arrows.
A curved dagger.
Leather armor.
Basic… but clean.
Maintained by the bunker itself.
He equipped them calmly.
No rush.
Because predators that rush… die first.
Storage Room
Fourth door.
A bizarre contrast to the dark bunker.
Snacks from Earth.
Cola cans.
Chocolate bars.
Jerky packets.
Chips.
He picked up a cola… stared at it silently.
A relic of a dead world.
He cracked it open.
The fizz echoed loudly in the underground silence.
He took a sip.
"…Still good."
For a moment…
His expression went blank.
Then cold again.
Sentimentality had no survival value.
Sewer Exit
Fifth door.
The smell hit first.
Rot. Filth. Civilization.
A narrow tunnel sloped upward — faint torchlight visible far away.
System map activated automatically.
Nearby Location: Virelith City
A border Trade City.
Population: ~48,000+
Control: Merchant Council
Military Presence: Moderate
Hidden Factions Detected:
Church of Radiant Gods
Veiled Black Market
Bloodfang Assassin Guild
Inquisition Outpost
Draven's eyes narrowed.
"Inquisition…"
So they were already here.
Hunting vessels like me.
He smiled faintly.
"Then I'll hunt them first."
Forest Exit
Sixth door.
He stepped outside.
The air was cold… mist-filled.
A no-man's land forest stretched endlessly — twisted trees, pale fog, silence broken only by distant beasts.
Border territory.
Perfect hiding ground.
Perfect hunting ground.
He raised his hand.
"Familiar imprint."
Dark mana leaked from his palm into the soil.
Moments later…
The ground wriggled.
Centipedes crawled out — black, armored, fist-length.
Spiders followed.
Crows descended from branches… eyes glowing faint crimson.
They gathered before him like soldiers awaiting command.
Familiar Bond Established
Active Units:
Cursed Centipedes × 7
Veil Spiders × 43
Abyss Crows × 5
Vision flooded his mind.
Multiple perspectives at once.
Sky view.
Tree view.
Ground vibrations.
Sewer tunnels.
He staggered slightly — then stabilized.
"Too many feeds…"
System adjusted automatically — filtering inputs.
Now he could switch views at will.
He tested control.
A crow flew toward the city walls.
Through its eyes…
He saw Virelith.
Virelith City — The Border Jewel
Massive stone walls.
Trade caravans entering.
Beast hunters displaying corpses.
Priests preaching near the gates.
Banners of merchant houses fluttering.
But what interested him most…
Were the symbols hidden beneath.
Through spider surveillance in sewer vents… he saw secret meetings.
Black market auctions.
Slave trades.
Assassin negotiations.
And deeper still…
A cathedral glowing with divine barrier energy.
The Church.
Enemy territory.
Draven withdrew the crow.
He leaned against a tree… thinking.
"This city is rotten."
Perfect.
Rot spreads best from inside.
First Manipulation Target
He needed a foothold.
Not nobles.
Not priests.
Low risk first.
Through sewer surveillance…
He found one.
A corrupt guard.
Extorting coin from slum dwellers.
Weak mind.
Greedy.
Alone at night patrol.
Draven moved silently through the sewer path… emerging behind a broken alley grate.
The guard never saw him.
Until a hand covered his face.
And something crawled inside.
The man convulsed.
Centipede implantation complete.
It coiled around his heart… locking its fangs.
Draven whispered in his ear:
"Betrayal equals death."
The guard dropped to his knees instantly.
Eyes hollow.
Voice obedient.
"Command me… master…"
First Controlled Host Acquired
Name: Rell Karth
Position: Outer Wall Guard
Loyalty: Absolute (Heart Bound)
Draven smiled faintly.
"One door opened."
Through Rell… he now had:
Gate schedules
Patrol routes
Entry permissions
A foothold inside the city.
Chapter Closing Scene
Back in the bunker…
Draven sat before the sacrificial altar.
Crows perched above.
Spiders wove surveillance webs across the ceiling.
Centipedes coiled near his boots.
The bunker no longer felt empty.
It felt like a throne room in incubation.
System notification appeared:
Manipulation Authority Progress Increased
New Ability Unlockable Soon:
→ Emotion Suppression
→ Fear Amplification
→ Memory Distortion
Draven leaned back… eyes glowing faint abyssal red.
"So this is how gods play…"
He looked toward the surface.
Toward the cathedral.
Toward the world that would hunt him.
His smile was calm.
Cold.
Certain.
"Let them come."
"Because this time…"
"I'm not the one being hunted."
The bunker lights dimmed…
…as the Manipulator began his rise.
TO BE CONTINUED.....