Location: Rudra's Mansion, Mumbai
Date & Time: January 1, 2025 | 01:12 PM
After tearing down the heavy iron gate outside, the heavy footsteps of the three looters were now advancing toward the main door. Standing inside, Rudra gripped the heavy bronze baseball bat tightly with both hands. His hands were trembling violently from the overwhelming fever and raw fear. He hadn't eaten properly in a month, and the intense heat inside him felt like it was burning him alive. Lifting that heavy bat felt like trying to push a mountain.
"Break it down!" roared the heavy voice of the Awakened thug from outside.
CRASH! The massive teakwood front door of the mansion splintered down the middle with a single, explosive kick. Shards of wood and dust exploded into the air. The newly Awakened thug stepped inside with a demonic, greedy smile, his veins bulging with unnatural rage and power. Close behind him were his two ordinary accomplices. The thug's bloodshot eyes locked onto a trembling Rudra. To him, this isolated, fragile-looking eighteen-year-old boy was the easiest prey imaginable.
But the very second the thug took his first step toward Rudra, something deep inside the boy shifted.
The brain that was burning with fever just a second ago suddenly descended into an icy, terrifying silence. His body had fully processed the internal fire. [Primal Adaptation] had been triggered. Suddenly, his hands completely stopped shaking. The bronze bat, which had felt like it weighed a ton just moments ago, now rested in his palms as light as a toy. His slouched back snapped straight. His senses sharpened to such an extreme degree that he could hear the crunch of the glass shards under the thug's boots, and even the rapid beating of the man's heart.
"You're going to stop me, kid?" the thug laughed, lunging at Rudra in a sudden, explosive pounce. His speed was impossible for a normal human. He had already raised a massive fist high in the air, aiming to snap Rudra's neck clean off.
Seeing death approaching so intimately, the fear inside Rudra hit its absolute peak. And then... the world simply stopped.
[Chrono Perception] was activated.
The splinters of wood flying through the air froze exactly where they were. The thug's deadly punch, which had been hurtling forward with the speed of a bullet, was now inching toward Rudra in excruciatingly slow motion. Rudra's vision was so crystal clear it felt as though time had halted its wheels just for him. Without a shred of panic, he effortlessly took a single step back, casually dodging the fatal blow.
The instant he dodged, time violently snapped back to its horrifying, normal speed. The thug's punch tore through the empty air, throwing him completely off balance.
This was the moment. Fuelled by the surging new strength of his Primal Adaptation, Rudra swung the heavy bronze bat with absolute, devastating force.
CRACK! The bat slammed directly into the thug's ribs. The sickening sound of shattering bones echoed loudly through the vast hall. The thug was just about to scream in agony when, suddenly... Rudra's own body froze entirely.
He completely lost control over his own hands, his own flesh. The bat slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the floor. Rudra's eyes, which a moment ago were filled with fear and a desperate will to live, suddenly shifted into a deep, terrifying Blood Red. He wasn't doing this. The hunger inside him had awakened.
His hands shot forward entirely on their own, violently grabbing the chest of the agonizing thug.
The moment his fingers touched the man, the 'Blue and Red Flames' mark on Rudra's neck flared up like a raging inferno. [Gluttony] had begun.
A horrifying, monstrous suction force erupted. The thug's eyes widened in sheer, unimaginable terror. He tried to scream, but not a single sound escaped his throat. His newly awakened energy, his life force, every single drop of his existence was being violently ripped from his pores and dragged straight into Rudra's body through his hands. The sight was so deeply horrifying that the two ordinary looters standing behind collapsed onto their knees in pure dread.
In a matter of mere seconds, right before their eyes, the towering, muscular Awakened thug... vanished into thin air like dust. There was no blood left behind, no bones, no corpse. Rudra had completely 'devoured' him.
The moment the absorption was complete, control over his mind and body slammed back into Rudra. His Blood Red eyes snapped back to their normal, hollow black.
Panting heavily, he stared down at his own hands. The tattoo on his neck was now glowing much brighter than before. The intense fever inside him was entirely gone, replaced by a strange, settling calm—a terrifying feeling of being completely 'full'.
"Did I... did I just eat him?" the words barely escaped Rudra's trembling lips. A violent storm of fear and sickening guilt began to tear his mind apart. He hadn't just taken someone's life; he had erased a human being's entire existence from reality. This wasn't a power. This was a curse.
"M-Monster! Run!" the two remaining looters at the door screamed in absolute horror. Having witnessed this demonic nightmare, they scrambled to their feet and sprinted out of the compound, running for their lives toward the street.
Rudra fell to his knees right there, amidst the ruins of his broken door, entirely alone. His breathing was heavy and ragged. He was no longer just terrified of this changing world... right now, he was terrified of himself the most.
Chapter Summary
Location & Time: Rudra's Mansion, Mumbai | January 1, 2025, 01:12 PM to 01:16 PM.
Protagonist Status: Rudra (18 years old). Sole survivor standing in the wreckage of his home.
Mental State: Extreme trauma and guilt. After claiming his first victim (and erasing them entirely from existence), he views himself as a monster. His own power has become his greatest fear.
The Incident: Three looters (including one Awakened) break into the mansion. To survive, Rudra fights back, causing his dormant skills to manifest for the very first time.
The Aftermath: The Awakened thug is completely absorbed by Rudra's 'Gluttony', leaving absolutely no trace behind. The thug's power and life force merge into Rudra's tattoo, which now glows brightly. The two remaining looters flee in terror.
Skills Unlocked / Used:
Primal Adaptation (Passive Boost): Rudra's heavy fever dissipates. His physical strength, grip, and senses momentarily amplify far beyond normal human limits, allowing him to wield the heavy bronze bat effortlessly.
Chrono Perception (Active - Vision): Triggered by absolute fear, it dramatically slows down his perception of time, allowing him to easily dodge a fatal, high-speed attack.
Gluttony (Passive/Involuntary Devour): Rudra loses bodily control. His eyes turn Blood Red as he absorbs (devours) the entire physical and awakened energy of the thug, erasing him from existence. He currently has no conscious control over this terrifying skill.