FIRST BLOOD
The rain had stopped, but the alley still smelled of wet asphalt and iron. Kairo Vale's heart pounded as the interface of his newly awakened Atomic Shadow Core hovered in front of him.
Level 1. Rank F. Core: Atomic Shadow.
Three abilities glowed faintly:
⚫ Shadow Shift – Lv.1
⚫ Absorb – Locked
⚫ Atomic Pulse – Locked
He had no idea how to control them… yet.
A faint rustle echoed behind the dumpsters. Kairo froze.
Then it came — a small, malformed creature, its body twisted and shadowy, eyes glowing faintly red.
[Threat Detected — Survival Probability: 12%]
Kairo swallowed. His Core pulsed. He felt… something. Energy surging inside him, unfamiliar, electric, alive.
The creature lunged.
Instinct took over. Kairo pressed forward into the shadows.
⚫ Shadow Shift – Activated
In an instant, he vanished from the alley.
He reappeared behind the creature, his heart hammering in his chest. Without thinking, he raised his hand and felt the dark energy coil around his arm.
⚫ Atomic Pulse – Unlocked
A surge of white-hot shadow energy erupted from his fist. The creature screeched, then disintegrated into a cloud of black mist.
Kairo staggered back, panting.
The interface updated:
Level 2. Rank E. Shadow Absorption: 5%
A message appeared:
[Congratulations. Shadow Core evolving. Absorb enemy traits to unlock new powers.]
Then, a new alert flashed across his vision:
[High-level energy detected nearby — Hunter team incoming.]
Kairo's stomach twisted.
He was no longer just a kid with a mysterious system…
He was now a target.
And the real hunt was about to begin.
🔥END OF CHAPTER 2 🔥