The Allen Continent, a vast and ancient land, has been divided since time immemorial by merciless abyss rifts. These rifts, like unhealing scars, stretch between sky and earth, swallowing any creature daring to approach. Legends say they are remnants of a cataclysmic war between ancient gods, and on full moon nights, the rifts writhe like living things, spewing countless horrific monsters. These creatures feed on flesh and revel in destruction, shrouding the continent in eternal fear. The people of Allen have fought them for generations but can never eradicate this dark force. Villages on the rift's edge are the most perilous, where residents live in constant dread yet forge unyielding wills.
On the Ashen Plains north of the rift lies Mistveil Village, a small settlement nestled in sparse pine forests, shrouded year-round in pale gray mist, as if cut off from the world. With only three hundred souls, its homes are built from massive stones and weathered timber, roofs thick with moss to withstand the rift's occasional corrosive gases. Villagers survive by hunting beasts and gathering wild fruits, their lives humble but peaceful. Less than three miles from the Black Obsidian Rift, every villager walks on thin ice, yet they know its secrets well.
Lin Yuan, an ordinary sixteen-year-old, is one of them. Slight of build, his skin darkened by sun and wind, a mop of unruly hair hides sharp, profound eyes that seem to pierce the mist. From childhood, he was different, hearing faint whispers in the dead of night, as if an ancient power called to him. He never spoke of it, fearing he'd be branded an outcast. His father, Harren, the village's finest hunter, is a burly middle-aged man skilled with bow and traps, his face etched with scars from battles with abyss monsters. His mother, Maria, a gentle herbalist, crafts salves from wildflowers and roots to heal grave wounds. Her warm smile, with dimples at the corners, is Lin Yuan's safest haven.
This morning, the mist is thicker than ever. Lin Yuan rises early, slinging a worn bamboo basket over his shoulder to gather silverleaf herbs for his mother, essential for her salves to stop bleeding and regenerate tissue. Maria stands at the door, apron tied, softly warning, "Yuan'er, don't go far today. The rift's been restless—I heard it growling last night." Her voice carries worry, but her eyes brim with love. Lin Yuan nods, smiling, "Don't worry, Ma, I'll be back soon." Harren sharpens his hunting knife in the yard, its blade glinting coldly in the dawn. He looks up, clapping Lin Yuan's shoulder, "Kid, pay attention. One day, you'll have to protect this family. Hunting's not about brute force—use your head." His gruff words overflow with a father's hope. Lin Yuan tightens his grip on the basket and sets off down the misty path.
By the village's central bonfire, Elder Augustus regales children with tales of his adventures. The white-haired elder, slightly hunched like a weathered hill, has eyes that sparkle with life. Once a famed adventurer, he's said to have delved three hundred meters into a rift, returning with an ancient god's relic. "Children, the abyss isn't just an enemy—it's a crucible of trials. Only souls forged in its fire rise as true warriors." His hoarse voice carries weight, his gnarled staff etched with mysterious runes, whispering secrets of antiquity. Lin Yuan, squeezed among the crowd, listens entranced, dreaming of plunging into the abyss like Augustus to uncover the rifts' truths.
By noon, sunlight barely pierces the fog, casting a dim glow over the village. Lin Yuan and his friends chase and laugh at the forest's edge, their voices echoing in the mist. Suddenly, a deafening boom shatters the sky, as if the world itself is torn asunder. From the rift's direction, dark clouds churn, a massive black seam splitting the heavens, its edges flickering with crimson lightning. Black mist surges like a tide, accompanied by thunderous roars. "Giants! Run!" someone screams at the village gate. Panic erupts—villagers scatter, doors and windows slam open, women and children clutch their young, men grab weapons to resist.
The invaders are the abyss's vanguard—Rockskin Giants. Over ten meters tall, their granite-like skin is rough and unyielding, eyes blood-red, mouths spewing sulfurous flames. Their steps shake the earth, crushing anything in their path. Homes collapse like paper under their feet, flames soar skyward, and screams, cries, and the crash of falling buildings blend into an apocalyptic symphony. Lin Yuan's heart sinks to a frozen abyss. Dropping his basket, he sprints home. On the way, he sees Old Zhang, a neighbor, snatched by a giant and stuffed into its maw, blood spraying everywhere. Zhang's wife collapses, wailing her son's name, only to be consumed by another giant's flames. The air reeks of charred flesh, heat waves sting Lin Yuan's smoke-burned eyes, and tears stream unbidden.
"Yuan'er, run!" Maria's voice rings out. She bursts from the house, shoving Lin Yuan aside, but a massive palm from the sky slams into her. Her body flies like a rag doll, crashing against a wall, blood gushing from her mouth, staining the ground. Lin Yuan's eyes split with rage, lunging for her, "Ma!" He cradles her, her eyes still open, a bloodied smile on her lips, "Live… live on…" Her light fades before the words end. Tears flood Lin Yuan's face—he's never felt such helplessness. His chest heaves as if crushed by stone, breathing labored.
Harren charges out, hunting knife in hand, roaring as he leaps at the nearest giant, "Die, beast!" His blade sparks uselessly against its rockskin, like a mosquito's bite. The giant backhands him, sending Harren crashing through a pine tree, blood spraying from his mouth. Struggling to rise, he locks eyes with Lin Yuan, "Kid… run… protect yourself…" Another palm descends—Harren can't dodge. His body is pulped into a bloody smear. Lin Yuan's hands tremble, nails digging into the soil, blood seeping from his fingers. His world collapses, sounds distant, only his heartbeat thundering like war drums.
The village burns, villagers fleeing like ants. Elder Augustus stands at the gate, staff raised, chanting ancient incantations. A translucent barrier rises, briefly halting the giants. "Children, flee east! Fortress City lies there! Go!" The barrier trembles under the giants' assault, cracks spiderwebbing until it shatters. Augustus is seized and devoured, the crunch of bones chilling. His staff falls, rolling to Lin Yuan's feet. Memories of his parents flood back—Maria's gentle smile, Harren's rugged lessons. Rage erupts like a volcano, drowning reason. The whispers within explode into a storm.
As a giant reaches for him, a strange power surges from within—the secret bloodline he's hidden since childhood, a gift of the ancient gods. His body swells, bones cracking painfully, skin splitting to reveal stone-like patterns, blood flowing like lava. His eyes turn crimson, muscles bulge, and he grows to five meters. Pain gnaws like a thousand ants, but he grits his teeth, roaring like a beast, "Raaargh!"
Lin Yuan pounces on the nearest giant, hands like iron clamps seizing its arm, jaws opening wide to bite down. Its rockskin crumbles under the Power of Devouring, fissures spreading, blood gushing. Power floods Lin Yuan, his height surging further, skin hardening into stone-like armor, muscles like forged steel. "Die!" His fist rips through the air with a shrill whistle, shattering the giant's skull like a melon, brain matter and bone spraying, hot blood splashing his face, salty and metallic. Other giants roar, surrounding him, flames spewing, heat waves kicking up dust and debris. Lin Yuan, a awakened beast, dodges a massive palm, the ground cratering beneath it. He leaps, tearing another giant's arm, muscle fibers snapping audibly, blood fountaining. Its agonized roar deafens him.
Each devoured giant strengthens him. The third giant swings—Lin Yuan sidesteps, the fist's wind stinging his skin. He claws into its chest, ribs cracking like firecrackers, viscera spilling like sludge. Devouring its essence, memory fragments flood his mind: endless darkness, eternal hunger, the abyss's whispers. They split his skull with pain but steel his resolve for vengeance. The fourth giant's flames scorch his rockskin black, pain like fire, but he laughs, "Come on!" Charging into the inferno, he twists its neck, vertebrae snapping sharply. The fifth tries to flee—Lin Yuan shadow-teleports, punching through its back, heart pulsing in his palm before he crushes it, blood raining down.
In the village ruins, he single-handedly slays five Rockskin Giants, his roars shaking the heavens, flames and blood mist painting an apocalyptic tableau. The ground is littered with giant limbs, the air thick with blood and char. Lin Yuan's hands drip with viscous gore, each breath metallic. His body trembles, the thrill of devouring coursing like electricity, making him feel he could rend the heavens—yet a faint fear lingers: will this power consume his soul?
As the battle wanes, a silver figure leaps from the ruins. Dual blades in hand, silver hair dancing in the firelight, a scar runs from her left eye to her mouth, exuding resilience and wear. She severs a lingering shadow wolf with a clean stroke, the blade's whistle sharp. "Kid, you've got ancient god blood?" She glances at Lin Yuan, curiosity and wariness in her eyes, "Follow me—I'll take you to Fortress City." She's Ayla, a passing ranger from Fortress City's scout family. Her parents perished in an abyss tide ten years ago, leaving her to wander, seeking vengeance. The scar came from battling a Shadow King; she knows ancient god bloodlines well, her ancestors having served them.
Lin Yuan, panting, nods. Staring at the burning village, tears mix with blood, "My home… it's gone." Ayla claps his shoulder, "Kid, the abyss takes more than homes. Let's go—Fortress City has hunter bands. They might help." They flee the ruins under cover of night, the sky behind them red with fire. En route, they encounter shadow wolves—fast, blending into darkness, claws venom-tipped. Ayla's blades weave a net, slaying two, blood spraying, corpses thudding to the ground. Lin Yuan, using Devouring, consumes one, his form briefly blurring, gaining a nascent "Shadow Step" to dodge a fatal claw and tear apart the pack. Ayla's left arm is slashed, blood soaking her sleeve. Lin Yuan presses the wound, Devouring's warmth healing it visibly, skin writhing closed. Ayla, stunned, smiles rarely, "You're more reliable than I thought. Ancient god blood's no joke."
That night, in the wilderness, they light a campfire, sharing stories. Ayla reveals Fortress City's dark side: corrupt, lavish nobles; suffering poor; hunter bands strong but used as cannon fodder; abyss monsters not mindless but controlled by ancient god will. Lin Yuan listens silently, vengeance burning, "Not just monsters—human parasites must be purged too." He dreams of his parents, waking in tears. Ayla hands him a waterskin, "Pain fuels strength. Cry enough, then stand. We live to avenge the dead."
At dawn, they cross barren hills to Ironwall City. Its walls loom like mountains, guards strict, the gate inscribed with ancient words: "Humanity Endures." Lin Yuan gazes at the city's glowing lights, eyes blazing with hope and killing intent, "This will be my battlefield." The village is gone, but Lin Yuan is reborn. He vows to devour all giants and raze the abyss!
Ironwall's guards scrutinize Augustus's staff and Ayla's blades before letting them pass. The city's streets are wide, shops bustling, but the wealth gap is stark—opulent rich districts versus filthy slums. Ayla leads Lin Yuan to a hunter tavern, "Allies are here." Inside, hunters drink heartily, boasting of abyss exploits. Lin Yuan sits in a corner, clutching the staff, the village's tragedy echoing in his mind. He knows this is just the beginning—the abyss's shadow looms large.
In the tavern, they meet an old hunter recounting the Giant King's legend: "That beast rules the abyss, with countless clones. It's said to be awakening soon." Lin Yuan's heart sinks—the path of vengeance is long and perilous. But he's no longer that frail boy; Devouring gives him hope. Ayla whispers, "Kid, rest. Tomorrow, we find a hunter band." Lin Yuan nods, eyes resolute.
That night, alone in an inn, Lin Yuan trains. Activating Devouring, his body heats, power surging like a tide. Recalling the battle, each devour strengthens him, but the bloodline's hunger grows, craving more. Outside, the rift's glow flickers faintly. Lin Yuan clenches his fist, "Mother, Father, they'll pay."
Next morning, Ayla takes him to the mercenary guild. The hall buzzes, task boards plastered with bounties. Lin Yuan's eyes lock on a giant-hunting mission, battle lust rising. The guild boss, a one-eyed brute, glances at him, "Newbie? Ancient god blood? Interesting." Thus, Lin Yuan's adventure officially begins.
But in the guild, rumors swirl: city nobles collude with the abyss. Lin Yuan grows wary—his vengeance now targets more than monsters. Ayla warns, "One step at a time. Survive first." Lin Yuan nods, stepping into his new journey.