Apocalypse System: I Evolve by Devouring Everything

Devouring a God

Jonathan’s world collapsed in silence.

His body couldn't move. Even breathing felt like inhaling broken glass into his lungs.

Something was being pulled out of his chest—not blood, not energy… but his very existence.

Purple light drifted from his body, floating up toward the winged figure in the sky.

His system was being hijacked.

"Damn it! Stop... stop pulling my power out!" Jonathan screamed, his voice hoarse from holding back excruciating pain. His body arched, veins on his neck bulging as if ready to burst.

"Jon! What’s happening to you?! Jon!" Emma ran closer, her face pale as she watched the purple light seeping out of Jonathan’s pores.

"Don't get close, Emma! Back off! I said back off!"

[WARNING! Synchronization Dropping Sharply: 38%... 32%... 27%...]

[Illegal Authority Detected. Initiating Deletion Protocol...]

"Deletion? You think I’m just trash you can throw away after I gained all this?" Jonathan spat blood, his eyes glowing purple as he glared at the winged figure.

"Return what doesn't belong to you, Lowly Human." The voice didn't come from his ears but echoed directly inside Jonathan’s bone marrow. It was heavy, oppressive enough to crack the asphalt beneath his feet.

"Yours? I’m the one bleeding out here! I’m the one who almost died!" Jonathan tried to stand tall, though his legs trembled violently. "System! You hear me, right? I’m your Host! Help me, you bastard!"

[Analyzing Request...]

[Authority Conflict Detected: Original Owner vs. Temporary Host.]

[Condition to Retain System: Show Absolute Dominance or Die.]

"Dominance? Easy!" Jonathan grinned wildly through the pain. He turned toward the giant monster, The Devourer, which was still crawling despite missing a leg. "Hey, you giant lizard! Get over here! I need your energy to kick that fake 'God's' ass up there!"

"J-Jonathan? Have you lost your mind?" Reymond mumbled from a distance, still cowering behind a wrecked car. "You want to fight that thing again? Run, you idiot! It’s crippled!"

"Shut up, you rich loser! Watch closely how the man you trampled on conquers the world!" Jonathan charged. His speed had dropped compared to the 85% synchronization, but his rage made his movements even more brutal.

SCREEECH!

The monster roared, trying to snap at Jonathan with its slime-covered jaws. Jonathan leaped onto the monster's head, his fist wrapped in residual black energy, and smashed it right into its massive eye socket.

BOOM!

"Eat this! Die! Give me your energy!"

[Target Critically Injured. Initiating Forced Absorption...]

[Warning: Host Body Unstable. Explosion Risk: 65%!]

"I don't care! Drain it all! DRAIN IT!"

Pitch-black light sucked the fluids from the monster's body like a whirlpool. The giant beast withered in seconds, turning into ash blown away by the apocalyptic wind.

[Evolution Points Gained: +50.]

[Synchronization Increased: 27% → 45%... 52%!]

[Genetic Stability: Critical.]

"Hah... hah... how about that? Still want to take this system from me?" Jonathan looked up at the sky, challenging the winged figure who now looked slightly surprised.

"How dare you steal energy from our dimension to fight us," the figure raised a hand. A spear of light formed in its grip. "You are just a flea who stumbled upon a giant’s sword. You are unworthy!"

"Worthy or not, that's my business!" Jonathan shouted back.

"Jon, please... take me with you!" Sienna suddenly crawled closer, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks. "I was wrong, Jon! Reymond is a coward! You... you’re the strong one! Save me, please!"

Jonathan glanced at Sienna with a look that froze her blood. "Save you? For what? So you can betray me again when someone stronger shows up?"

"No, Jon! I promise! I’ll do anything for you!"

"Anything? Then stay there and shut up. You’re ruining my view." Jonathan refocused on the threat in the sky.

"Reymond! Are you just going to stand there?!" Sienna screamed at Reymond, who was still trembling. "Your man is being insulted! Do something!"

"Are you crazy?! Look at the sky! Look at Jonathan! He’s not human anymore, Sienna! Let's escape through the back alley!" Reymond tried to pull Sienna’s hand, but she slapped him away.

"Escape where, you idiot? The whole city is doomed! Only Jonathan has power!" Sienna looked at Jonathan with a gaze full of ambition, despite her fear. "Jon! Kill him! Kill that fake angel!"

"You guys are so damn noisy!" Jonathan stomped his foot. A black shockwave blasted out, knocking Reymond and Sienna back several meters. "Emma, stay back! This is gonna get messy!"

"But Jon, your body... your skin is cracking!" Emma screamed, tears flowing uncontrollably.

It was true. Glowing red lines appeared on Jonathan’s arms, as if his skin couldn't handle the pressure of the energy he just absorbed.

"Small price to pay for power, Em," Jonathan muttered.

[WARNING! High-Level Enemy Locking Target.]

[Initiating Extermination Attack...]

The spear of light in the sky shot down. Faster than sound.

BOOOM!

The explosion tore up the street, creating a crater three meters deep. Dust billowed out, blinding everyone nearby.

"Jonathan!" Emma screamed hysterically.

"Dead... he must be dead," Reymond laughed bitterly, bordering on insanity. "Good. Let everyone just die!"

"You hoping I’m dead, Rey?"

The voice came from inside the dust. Cold. Calm.

As the dust settled, Jonathan stood in the center of the crater. He wasn't destroyed. Instead, a cracking, dark purple transparent shield stood in front of him.

[Alpha Domain: Active (Trial Version - Duration: 30 Seconds).]

[Synchronization: 60%.]

[System Authority Temporarily Locked from External Intervention.]

"Trial? Only thirty seconds?" Jonathan smirked. "Enough to drag you down from the sky, you little pigeon!"

Jonathan leaped. This time, he didn't fall. His feet seemed to step on the air itself, creating small explosions with every stride toward the sky. He shot straight at the winged figure.

"What?! You can use Alpha Domain at this low level?!" the figure panicked, trying to create another light spear.

"I don't use levels, I use rage!" Jonathan struck. His black energy sword extended two meters long. "Get over here!"

CLANG!

The collision of two massive powers created a flash that lit up the darkened city. Jonathan kept slashing, blindly and brutally, ignoring the system warnings screaming about internal organ damage.

"Argh! You... you are merely a vessel! Stop fighting your fate!" the figure shouted while blocking Jonathan’s sword with a light shield.

"My fate is to be a King, not your toy vessel!" Jonathan spun his sword, then kicked the figure's chest with full force.

CRACK!

The figure's light armor shattered. It was thrown back, crashing into the dimensional gate behind it.

"System! Give me a final attack! Anything!"

[Activating Protocol: 'Alpha Strike'.]

[Risk: 90% Chance of Instant Host Death.]

[Proceed?]

"Just do it, damn it! I’m done being a loser!"

The black light on Jonathan’s sword suddenly concentrated into a tiny, blinding point at the tip of the blade. The atmosphere around them was sucked in, creating a momentary void.

"No! If you release that, you’ll be destroyed too!" the winged figure screamed, its eyes now full of genuine fear.

"Then we break together!"

Jonathan swung his blade.

VREEEEEEEEEEEEE—BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!

The energy explosion was far massive than before. The entire sky turned pitch black for a few seconds before a blinding white light swallowed everything.

The remaining buildings around the crater were flattened. Emma, Reymond, and Sienna were blown away and knocked unconscious by the shockwave.

Minutes later. 

Silence fell. The dimensional gate in the sky slowly closed, as if forced shut by the explosion. The winged figure was gone—either destroyed or retreated to its dimension.

In the middle of the ruins, Jonathan lay flat. His body was covered in burns. Black blood flowed from his nose, ears, and eyes. He couldn't even move his little finger.

[Emergency Mission Complete.]

[Reward: Genetic Evolution Stage 1 Successfully Installed.]

[Status: Host Critical. Entering Hibernation Mode...]

[Permanent Synchronization: 25%.]

[Warning: New Presence Detected within 10 Meter Radius.]

Suddenly, footsteps approached. Calm. Rhythmic. Amidst the apocalyptic chaos, the steps sounded too tidy.

Not Emma. Not Reymond.

A shiny, spotless black loafer landed right on Jonathan’s charred chest.

CRACK!

"ARGHHH!" Jonathan tried to scream, but only a clot of blood spilled from his mouth. His ribs, which had just started healing, cracked again under the pressure of the man's heel.

A man in a black suit stood over him, holding a black umbrella even though there was no rain, looking down at Jonathan like a scientist observing a failed lab rat.

"Interesting," the man muttered flatly. He pressed his heel harder, twisting the tip of his shoe right into Jonathan’s open wound. "Reports said a vessel like you should have exploded during forced synchronization. But you... you ate it instead."

Jonathan groaned, his eyes bulging in pain. 'Who... who is this bastard?' his mind screamed.

The man crouched down without lifting his foot. He reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a silver syringe with a cruel-looking needle, pulsing with neon blue liquid.

Without warning, he jammed the needle straight into Jonathan’s neck.

STAB!

"Hhhkkk...!" Jonathan’s body convulsed violently. It felt like liquid ice was being injected directly into his spinal cord.

"Stay still. I’m taking a sample," the man said coldly. He pulled the plunger, sucking out Jonathan’s black blood mixed with Alpha energy particles.

Once the tube was full, he yanked it out roughly, spraying blood onto Jonathan’s own face.

But the man wasn't done. He took out a small, jagged metal chip from another pocket. With a casual yet brutal motion, he pressed the chip into the needle hole in Jonathan’s neck—forcing it under the skin without anesthesia.

"What... are... you..." Jonathan trembled, tears of pain leaking from the corners of his eyes.

The man leaned in close. His gaze was empty, pupil-less, just swirling darkness.

"That’s a tracker, kid. So we don't lose valuable assets."

The man patted Jonathan’s cheek gently—a demeaning gesture, like praising a pet dog.

"Listen closely. You think that system is a gift? You’re wrong." The man smiled terrifyingly, revealing teeth that were too perfect. "This is a farm. And you... are just the cattle we’re fattening up."

He stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his suit.

"Eat well, Jonathan. Evolve. Because when you reach 100% synchronization..." The man turned, walking away. "...We will come to harvest your soul."

"Wait... you bastard...!" Jonathan tried to reach for the man's leg, but his body was totally paralyzed.

The man vanished into the smog without looking back, leaving Jonathan with fresh pain in his neck and his pride trampled into the dirt.

[System Initiating Reboot Procedure...]

[Time Until Reboot: 04:59...]

[Current Location: Unsafe.]

[New Threat Detected: Armed Human Group Approaching.]

"There it is! Look at the crater! There must be something valuable there!" a rough voice shouted from a distance.

"Take the weapons! Anyone still alive, kill 'em or enslave 'em!"

The sound of guns cocking got closer. Jonathan lay helpless, system dead, bleeding from the mystery man's work, and now a pack of armed hyenas was coming to finish him off.

A long-barrel rifle emerged from the smoke, aimed right at Jonathan’s forehead.

A finger began to squeeze the trigger—

While the reboot countdown on Jonathan’s retina still showed a painful number:

[04:12...]