Hours later, Raze's eyes began to flutter open as he began to wake up. His vision was blurry, his head was pounding like a hammer had been driven straight into his skull.
"What… happened…?" he groaned. As his vision began to clear, he realized he was on the floor, slumped near the front door.
"That man… who was he? And that voice in my head…?"
The door was closed now, as if nothing had happened. Raze pushed himself up slowly, gripping his temples, trying to remember what had happened before he passed out.
Then it came back to him. That voice.
"The… God Slayer System. Was that it?"
The moment the words left his mouth, a glowing status screen flickered to life before his eyes.
[User: Raze Zaden]
[Race: Half-ling]
[Level: 1]
[Exp: 0/100]
[HP: 100/100]
[Strength: 15]
[Agility: 15]
[Endurance: 15]
[Stamina: 15]
He stared at the screen in shock. "This… this can't be real." he mumbled.
His eyes darted across the glowing panel and he thought about the [Skills] tab, the interface shifted instantly.
[Skills]
[0 Skill Points Available]
[Skill Locked]
[Skill Locked]
Before he could question things further, a new message appeared.
[To the user of the God Slayer System. You must keep both this system and your Half-ling status hidden. This is my first and final creation. Your path will be full of struggles. Make allies. They will be vital to your journey. Know this: there are beings who despise what we are. They hunt us, devour us, and may be the reason planets are dying. Something is searching for us, Raze. You will learn more soon. Farewell.]
As Raze read through the system message, his mind started to question many things.
"Keep it hidden…? Beings that devour us…?"
He clenched his fists, his mind spinning.
"Why me…? This can't be a dream… can it?" Raze paused, as an idea came up into his head. Couldn't he just ask the system for more information.
"System, can you tell me more information?" Raze asked.
Seconds passed but there was no answer. It seems like the system didn't plan on giving him any answers. As Raze stood there, the silence of the house felt like the world itself was holding its breath. Then the living room TV blared to life. Raze groaned.
"First the system, then the message, and now this?!"
He immediately ran into the living room and his eyes locked right onto the TV screen. On the screen stood a middle-aged man in a military uniform. He was a tall, muscular man, and his uniform and posture clearly excludes an aura of a leader.
"I am Gilbert Nightwing, the head of the military. This is an emergency broadcast. We have detected hundreds of unknown beings moving across multiple planets. They are confirmed to be the cause of planetary deaths. Some claim the Xin have returned but reports suggest that these are not the Xin, humanity defeated decades ago."
"From this moment on, mandatory military school will begin for everyone sixteen and older. Humanity must prepare and be able to defend the planets we inhabit and own. The military and UX Space Corporation are calculating how long we have left. I repeat, mandatory training is effective immediately."
Then the screen went black.
Raze stood frozen, completely shocked about what was currently happening.
"Mandatory… military school?" he whispered. "Is this really happening?"
His thoughts were a complete mess. So first, Theodore, the system, Half-ling, devourers, and now new enemies threatening humanity itself. One thing after the other just keeps happening. It was getting to Raze and he was starting to become emotionally exhausted.
Raze took a few steps back and collapsed onto the couch, his eyes locked on the black screen. He looked down at his hands. They were trembling.
"Why now? Why me?"
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "System… What is a Half-ling?"
[A Half-ling is a transitional state between Human and God Slayer. This is the first stage of evolution. Your body is enhanced beyond human limits. Further evolution unlocks exclusive abilities. Warning: evolution is painful and irreversible.]
Raze's eyes widened. "Irreversible…? This thing isn't just giving me power. It's changing what I am."
He stood up from the couch and began pacing, trembling but unable to stop the surge of adrenaline in his veins.
"But if it's real… maybe I can finally become someone."
He looked around the living room and his eyes landed on a clock.
"Eleven p.m.? How long was I out?"
With a heavy sigh, he trudged upstairs. The lights blinked off automatically behind him, but the high-tech comforts only made the house feel emptier. His parents' absence clung to every corner.
Inside his room, the scanner clicked open with a soft hum. Raze stepped in, staring at the ceiling as he whispered to himself.
"With this system… I can finally be someone. But how do I hide it? Military school's probably starting in days."
He flexed his hand, feeling a strength that wasn't there before.
"System, what are my capabilities as a Half-ling?" he asked.
Almost instantly the system responded to his question.
[Enhanced Strength. Enhanced Agility. Enhanced Stamina. Enhanced Endurance. Heightened recovery, reflexes, perception, adaptability. Increased pain resistance. Transformation will continue as levels rise.]
Raze stood there for a moment. "Should I test out my strength a bit?" he asked himself.
He walked up to a wall and decided to press his palm against the wall, testing it. With barely any effort, the surface cracked.
Raze's eyes widened in surprise.
"…That's not normal."
He flexed his hand again. "If this is just the beginning… What the hell is a full God Slayer?"
He backed up, pacing faster now. His mind raced with equal parts fear and wonder.
Finally, he collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Everything's happening too fast… I wonder what the future has for me."
After a long silence...Raze finally went to sleep.