Ren Akuro's face burned.
"Level 1, again?" the professor sneered, scanning the classroom. "Honestly, how are people like you even allowed here?"
Laughter erupted. Rich, powerful students smirking, whispering, pointing. Every eye felt like fire.
Ren clenched his fists under the desk. His palms were sweaty, but he didn't dare move. Any protest would make him a bigger target. Level 1 meant invisibility… except when they wanted to humiliate him.
The bell rang. And end to another humiliating day.
He grabbed his bag and fled before anyone could say more.
Outside, the neon streets of Shinkai City glowed like mocking fire. Rain slicked pavement reflected the endless signs of wealth. People passed without noticing him. No one ever did.
Level 1.
He thought about the hierarchy. About how much richer, faster, smarter people could trample him at will.
If I could level up…
He believes getting university education might help him level up, but it seemed to only humiliate and frustrate him more.
Ren imagined walking back into that classroom to the same smug faces, this time staring at him with fear, shock and disbelief.
Humiliation returned to sender.
The thought made his chest tighten.
Then it happened.
A voice, impossibly cold and smooth, echoed in his mind.
"Ren Akuro."
He spun around. No one. Only rain, neon lights, shadows stretching across the streets.
"Who's there?" he muttered.
A ripple of darkness twisted the alley ahead. Red eyes glowed from within smoke like molten fire trapped in shadows.
"I can give you what the world refuses," the voice said. "Power. Influence. Skill. Ability. All of it… if you are willing to pay the price."
Ren froze. He's head about to explode with questions, what is going on.
A figure stepped out. Towering, shrouded in black smoke, crimson eyes fixed on him. A presence that devoured light itself.
"Who… what are you?" he whispered.
"I am Kuroshin," the figure said. "The world has no place for the weak. But I do. Accept my contract, harvest the wicked, and ascend."
A glowing orb appeared in the darkness, pulsing with red light.
Ren's pulse slammed in his ears. Harvest the wicked… ascend…what the hell is this.
The system awakened. A floating interface appeared before his eyes, glowing bright red:
Id="v8w9lm"
Copy code
SYSTEM ONLINE
USER: REN AKURO
LEVEL: 1
CLASS: NOVICE HUNTER
HP: 100/100
STRENGTH: 5
AGILITY: 5
INTELLIGENCE: 5
SPECIAL SKILL: NONE
MISSION: ACCEPT CONTRACT
REWARD: POWER, WEALTH, INFLUENCE,
SKILL POINTS, LEVEL-UP
Another line appeared:
Id="v8w9lm"
Copy code
NOTE: Each wicked soul harvested grants EXP, Skill Points, Status Boosts, and ascension in the Kizuna Hierarchy.
Ren stared. Not just money. Not just strength. He could level up, gain abilities, and customize himself. A system like this… it was unfair. Glorious. Dangerous.
"Was this how people leveled up?" He thought.
A target appeared in the distance, highlighted in crimson: a man skulking in a back alley. Corruption radiated from him, visible only to Ren.
Step forward… harvest… rise.
The system whispered.
Ren's hands shook. His heart hammered. He had never killed anyone before.
But the target exuded a wicked aura, a presence that made the world feel poisonous.
He clenched his fists, feeling the red orb pulse. Fear and exhilaration crashed together.
"I could be stronger than them… smarter… untouchable.
All I need to do is kill the wicked. It's not all that bad." He convinced himself.
A small screen blinked:
Id="v8w9lm"
Copy code
POTENTIAL GAIN: +1 Level, +5 Strength, +5 Agility, +5 Intelligence, 1 Skill Point
WARNING: Moral Corruption Risk: 12%
Moral corruption? Ren didn't care. The humiliation, the endless nights of being nothing… that ended now. His leveling begins now.
He took a step forward.
And the world turned red.