The system did not explain itself immediately.
Joshua learned its laws by claw and tooth, by pain and death. Only after several kills—after he'd fed, adapted, evolved—did the system begin to whisper truths. Some of it through pop-up text. Some through instinct encoded into his blood.
Here is what he knows.
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[I. Core System Structure]
The Devourer's System is passive, embedded into his soul. It exists to track growth, calculate limits, and reward consumption. It has no shop, no quests, no guiding voice. Only the cold math of evolution through devouring.
Basic Stats:
Strength – Raw power and muscle mass. Increases physical damage, lifting capability, and bone density.
Endurance – Resilience to damage, pain resistance, organ toughness.
Speed – Movement velocity, reflexes, and muscle twitch response.
Adaptability – How fast the body learns, evolves, or gains traits from absorbed biomass.
> Stats grow slowly. Levels offer boosts, but most growth comes from devouring. Even one powerful enemy can raise a stat by 5–10 points if fully absorbed.
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[II. Levels & Power Tiers]
Joshua's level increases with major milestones—absorbing significant essence, adapting new core traits, or unlocking mutations.
Levels are not tied to experience points but rather evolutionary thresholds.
Power Tiers (Observed so far):
Level 1–5: Whelp
Newly spawned, weak-bodied. Equivalent to Earth's apex predators.
Level 6–15: Hunter
Adaptive creatures with dangerous instincts. Capable of taking down groups.
Level 16–30: Tyrant
Region-dominating threats. Control territory. Often mutate rapidly.
Level 31–50: Primeform
Capable of inter-species domination. Radiate elemental or psychic force.
Level 51–100: Apex-Class (rumored)
Creatures that warp environments. Some are worshiped as gods by lesser beings.
??? – ???: World-Eater (hypothetical)
No examples yet. Joshua suspects it may be the end goal.
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[III. Evolution Nodes]
At certain milestones, Joshua unlocks Evolution Nodes—genetic divergence points where he chooses a new form trait or core mutation.
> [EVOLUTION NODE UNLOCKED – Choose One:]
• Exo-Bone Carapace (+Physical Defense, +Weight)
• Abyssal Tendrils (+Range, Grapple, Sensory Field)
• Pyrocore Glands (Unstable Fire Breath, Thermoregulation)
Each node fundamentally alters his physiology.
They are rare, appearing every 3–5 major kills or stat plateaus. Once chosen, their effects are permanent.
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[IV. Skills and Abilities]
Joshua doesn't "learn" skills like a swordsman. He absorbs them through essence—muscle memory, instinct, and organ-based knowledge.
Examples:
Predator's Instinct – Temporarily boosts reaction speed in combat. (From Hra'zhal Hunter)
Shock Lure Pulse – Emits electrical pulses to stun prey. (From Abyss-Eel Leviathan)
Stonehide Mutation – Hardens skin like armor. (From Crystalback Colossus)
Skills evolve if used frequently.
Some mutate into Active Abilities, gaining cooldowns, charges, or area effects.
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[V. Creature Classifications (Y'grahal)]
This world is ancient, predatory, and without peace. Life forms are categorized loosely by threat level and ecological function.
Classification Example:
Class 0 – Ambient Fauna
Harmless biomass: moss that bleeds, crawling rocks, acid mist worms.
Class 1 – Basic Beasts
Dog-sized predators. Easily killed, but dangerous in packs.
Class 2 – Regional Predators
Size of trucks or small buildings. Fast, cunning, tiered intelligence.
Class 3 – Bio-Titans
Multi-story giants. Immune to conventional damage. Require strategy to consume.
Class 4 – Domain Lords (Joshua hasn't met one yet)
Intelligent. May control smaller species. Possess advanced abilities.
Class 5+ – Eldritch-Class (Rumored)
Entities that do not conform to physics. Some may be planet-scale or older than the stars.
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[VI. Devourer Limitations]
Joshua can't absorb endlessly. Each digestion requires time.
Powerful enemies need multiple feeding sessions to be fully integrated.
If he consumes without restraint, he risks mutation instability—random unwanted traits, uncontrollable growth, mental fragmentation.
He cannot revive the dead, absorb from ashes, or gain from already-decayed creatures.
Efficiency matters.
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[VII. The Hidden Galaxy]
Joshua doesn't yet know this…
But Y'grahal is one of the smallest true planets in its galaxy.
Beyond it lie titanic worlds—gas leviathans made of flesh, black-hole-sized ecosystems, and creatures whose bones are used to anchor moons.
The System only tracks his stats for now.
But someday… it may start tracking galaxies.