The meat sizzled over the makeshift fire, its scent unlike anything from the old world. Arya bit into the Ravager steak, the flavor explosive—metallic and rich, with an underlying sweetness that normal meat never had. It tasted of power, of evolution. Each bite sent warmth through her body, her cores humming as they processed the refined energy within the flesh.
Monster meat was dangerous for the unawakened, fatal even. But for someone at her level, it was the finest delicacy.
Her tent flap rustled.
"May I enter?"
"Come in, Captain."
Captain Stark stepped inside, his weathered face showing new scars from recent battles. Star Core level, one of the few who'd reached it in the first year of the invasion. His presence made the air feel heavier, denser with power.
"Hell of a fight today, Arya. That Star beast..." He shook his head with something between admiration and disbelief. "Not many at Ninth Core could have taken it down."
"It slipped through again." Her voice was neutral, but her eyes showed concern.
"Third time this month." Stark sat on a supply crate, his expression grim. "These Star level beasts... they're getting bolder. Testing our defenses."
"Or they're being pushed forward by something stronger."
Silence hung between them. They both knew what that meant. If Star level beasts were being pushed forward from the real front lines, what was doing the pushing?
"Your ice wall held, though. Saved the entire eastern flank. We've actually managed to reclaim some ground today thanks to you."
Arya took another bite of meat, saying nothing.
He stood to leave, then paused at the tent entrance.
"I'll be counting on you again tomorrow, Arya." He smiled, genuine warmth breaking through his usual stern demeanor.
"Yes, Captain."
When he left, Arya set down her meal, her appetite gone. Her hands clenched involuntarily.
*Rael.*
Her little brother would have turned eighteen by now. Was he okay? Had he awakened?
She pulled out her communication device, finger hovering over his contact. She'd sent money every month but no messages. Too afraid of the answer. What if he hadn't awakened? What if he was just another vulnerable human in a world of monsters?
What if something had happened and she didn't know?
*I should be there with him.*
But she couldn't leave. Not with Star beasts breaking through. Not when every Ninth Core fighter was the difference between holding and falling.
She sighed, putting the device away without sending anything.
*Stay safe, little brother.*
---
Room 47, Awakened Training Center
Rael faced the two containment boxes, body still aching from the previous three fights. But the ache was good—it meant growth. His Core Density had jumped from 10 to 16 after three beasts.
*Two at once. The last two of the five I paid for.*
"AI, release two Dregs simultaneously."
*"Warning: Multiple beast release detected. Confirm?"*
"Confirmed."
Both boxes hissed open.
The Dregs emerged in perfect sync, as if coordinated. Each had around twenty eyes scattered across their skulls, their Core Density probably 18 to 20 each. They immediately took flanking positions—one left, one right.
*Basic pack hunting instincts.*
Their eyes scanned him, all forty-plus eyes tracking his stance, his breathing, the purple energy beginning to gather around his fists.
They jumped.
One second of difference between them—the left one first, the right following. Corrupt silver energy gathered around their claws, making the air shimmer with wrongness.
Rael's body responded instantly. The increased Core Density wasn't just numbers—his muscles fired faster, his reflexes sharper. The connection between thought and action had shortened to almost nothing.
Purple energy crackled around his fists, reality beginning to tear. The sound was heavier now, deeper, like thunder trapped in glass.
He moved right, toward the first Dreg. His body shifted at the last second, spine bending at an angle that would have been impossible two hours ago. The second Dreg's claws whistled past his ribs.
His fist drove forward into the first beast.
The hole that appeared was massive—from head to mid-body, reality simply ceased to exist in that space. The corrupt energy around the Dreg's claws seemed to offer no defense against his Reality Bending. If anything, it made the creature more vulnerable, as if corruption and reality-breaking were natural enemies.
BOOM!
The beast's body hit the ground, instantly dead.
Second round.
The surviving Dreg had failed its coordinated attack. Now it tried to be clever, shifting left and right, using those wrongly-jointed legs to move unpredictably.
But in Rael's eyes, he could see its trajectory clearly. Not quite like a parent watching a child's obvious movements, but close. The pattern was there, readable, predictable.
The beast roared, frustration and rage mixing.
It lunged.
Rael didn't even move his feet. His fist came up in a perfect arc, purple energy flaring. The hole appeared through the creature's chest, heart and lungs simply gone.
The fight was over in less than a minute.
He sighed, looking at the two corpses. Almost too easy now. His body was adapting at an incredible rate.
Silver essence rose from both bodies. He breathed it in, his core greedily pulling the corrupt energy inside. The refinement process was becoming second nature—crush, purify, absorb, grow.
[Energy Purity: 91%]
His panel flickered, numbers climbing.
[Core Density: 19
Particle Refinement: First Core - 8%]
*From 10 to 19 in thirty minutes. But the growth is slowing—same level beasts don't give as much anymore.*
He analyzed his progression. At this rate, he'd hit First Core 100% in maybe a week of training. Then Second Core would begin, and the real growth would start.
The clock on the wall showed 2 AM.
*Should get some sleep. Continue tomorrow.*
He looked at his hands, purple energy still faintly flickering around them. Two hours ago, he was a nobody with no abilities. Now he could punch holes through reality itself.
Normal awakened might train for days to kill their first Dreg. Some never managed it, staying at First Core forever. But him?
*This ability... it's incredible.*
The power was intoxicating. The growth addictive. Every fight made him stronger, faster, better.
*Maybe I can actually do it.*
Maybe he could grow strong enough to face what was coming. That hand that would crush the world—maybe it could be stopped.
But he needed to be faster. Much faster.
The fragment in his core pulsed, as if agreeing.
*Whatever you are, thank you.*
Tomorrow, he'd push even harder. Because somewhere out there, Arya was fighting Star level beasts. And somewhere beyond the stars, something was coming to devour everything.
Time was not on their side.