As the last remnants of the beast disappeared into nothingness, I exhaled sharply, feeling the fatigue settle into my bones.
My limbs felt heavier, but the strange satisfaction running through my veins at consuming the creature’s very essence made my stomach churn with a bubbling kind of heat.
What the hell was that?
Grandma Sylvie grabbed my wrist before I could think more of it, urgency flashed in her sharp, black eyes. "Noah, we can’t stay here. More might come, and we’re already pushing our luck."
I nodded, pushing down the unease. She was right—we had to move.
Watching Ma from the behind, I realised just how much she had tried to protect and take care of me.
Grandma has done everything she can to keep the smile on my face for the past
And I? I was gonna make sure she stays alive.
Not to disobey the fate my so-called God has given me.
It was because I loved her.
As we started walking deeper into the forest, the system’s voice slithered into my mind again, smug as ever.
"Well, well, well, colour me impressed! You sure took your sweet time, but hey, first kill in this new era of villainy! How does it feel?"
I didn’t answer. Instead, I focused on the crunch of twigs beneath my boots, the damp smell of earth filling my lungs.
"Aw, c’mon, don’t ignore me. That thing didn’t just die, you know? You ate it.
Your little fancy ’Gluttony’ just did something I’ve never seen before. And I’ve seen a lot of questionable shit."
"…Not now," I muttered under my breath.
"Oh, so there is a time when I can bother you? Noted. Also, just to clarify—you do realize you didn’t just kill that thing, right? You consumed it."
I faltered slightly in my step.
Sylvie turned once again, frowning. "Noah? You alright?"
I forced a small nod. "Yeah… just tired."
She studied me for a second before sighing. "We need to find a shelter. Keep up."
As we trudged deeper into the woods, the system kept talking.
"I gotta say, though, this whole situation? Wild. One moment I’m chilling in the void, and the next, bam! I’m shoved into your head like some cosmic joke."
I rubbed my temple. "You don’t even know why you’re here?"
"Nope. But whoever did this? Had a plan. I don’t just get sent places. I’m not your typical System, buddy. I don’t just hand out quests and level-up stats. I make villains."
I stiffened slightly, but before I could respond, Grandma Sylvie stopped abruptly, scanning the trees.
"There," she pointed toward a barely visible rock formation, half-covered in moss and vines.
I nearly sighed in relief.
"Looks like we’ve got our home for the night," she murmured. "Let’s check if it’s safe."
As we approached, I felt something.
A prickle at the back of my neck.
I froze, my eyes narrowing. The cave was too quiet. No insects, no distant animal noises.
The system hummed in my head.
"…Smart. You feel it, huh?"
I didn’t answer. Instead, I focused, trying to sense if something was lurking inside.
Sylvie stepped forward. "I’ll check first—"
"No," I said quickly. "Let me."
She frowned, about to argue, but I was already moving.
The entrance was dark, swallowing any light from the moon above. I took slow steps, feeling the damp air on my skin.
A rush of air, a shift in the shadows—
My body reacted before my mind did. I twisted to the side, barely dodging as claws raked against the stone.
A beast—smaller than the one before but just as vicious.
Before I could counterattack, the system’s voice practically cackled in my head.
"Oh-ho! Time for Round Two! But lemme give you a little tip—tilt your weight left and go for the jaw."
I hesitated—then followed its advice.
As the beast lunged again, I shifted left, avoiding its teeth, and swung my fist upward. My knuckles connected with its jaw with a sickening crack.
The beast was knocked down.
I didn’t hesitate, using Gluttony again, watching as the pale blue tendrils swallowed its body whole.
It was over in seconds.
I stood there, breathing hard, before stepping back outside.
Sylvie’s eyes flickered to the blood on my knuckles. "You handled it?"
I nodded. "It’s safe."
She looked at me for a moment, then sighed; not asking what she had in her mind. "Alright. Let’s set up camp."
As she walked inside, I felt the system smirking in my head.
"…So? You gonna admit it?"
I frowned. "Admit what?"
"That I just saved your ass."
I scoffed, but deep down, I knew it was right.
Then again, what was this weird feeling I had? This instinct thingy has never happened to me before.
I was always the type to headbutt my problems outright.
The system hummed in my mind, clearly amused.
"Oh-ho. You noticed, huh? Thought you’d take a little longer to put two and two together."
I narrowed my eyes. "What… is it?"
"You mean to ask what’s happening to you?" It let out a smug chuckle. "Well, my dear host, congratulations.
Every time you ’consume’ something with Gluttony, you gain a little trait from the thing that you consume.
You could get stronger. A little faster. A little more than what you were before.
Anything and everything is possible with this heaven-defying power of yours.
The first beast you consumed granted you greater insight, increasing your instincts.
That was the sole reason you could feel that something was off and that there was a beast inside."
It seemed so-called System had a lot of information I could squeeze from.
I was still not sure how this ’anomaly’ which had according to it been bonded with my soul come to be.
Especially when there was no mention of it in the Book of Sin.
It did not seem that I was going to get my answers anytime soon.
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