RISE OF THE VOID SYSTEM

Chapter Two – Devour or Die

Ten Seconds

The words floated in the air before Kael, pale and cold, yet sharper than any blade.

[Devour or Die]

[Countdown: 10… 9… 8…]

For a heartbeat, he thought he’d finally lost it. Maybe the blows to the head had scrambled his brain and this was just some hallucination before death.

Then his knees buckled. The chain’s ghostly ache still lingered on his neck, and his lungs felt like they were filling with molten lead. Around him, the jeering crowd blurred into streaks of motion and noise.

[5… 4…]

His vision darkened at the edges. Instinct screamed at him not to think, not to question.

Yes.

He didn’t speak the word aloud, but the System reacted as if he had shouted it.

The First Feed

The world exploded into black fire.

Tendrils of pure darkness erupted from Kael’s forearms, writhing like serpents. They shot forward and plunged into Rusk’s chest. The man screamed a raw, animal sound that tore from his throat as his body convulsed.

Kael felt it all. The burn of Rusk’s muscles, the shiver of his fear, the final frantic beat of his heart. And then… something else. Like drinking molten iron and lightning at the same time. Strength surged into his limbs, alien yet intoxicating.

[Void Assimilation: 12% complete.]

[Skill Fragment Acquired: Steelbind – Grade F]

The tendrils retracted, leaving Rusk a withered husk that crumpled to the bloodstained floor. Gasps and curses rippled through the crowd. No one stepped closer.

Kael stood there, chest heaving, staring at his own hands. The tendrils were gone, but faint trails of black smoke curled from his fingertips.

The Warden’s Eyes

High above, a shadow moved in a balcony slit.

The Pit’s warden, Jarek Voss, leaned forward in his chair, cybernetic eye whirring as it focused on Kael. Voss was a thick, barrel chested man with skin like cracked leather and a cruel smile that never reached his eyes.

“Interesting,” Voss murmured to the guard beside him. “Keep an eye on that one. He’s going to make me a lot of money.”

The guard hesitated. “Sir, that… thing he did”

“is exactly what the crowd will pay to see,” Voss cut in. “Get him patched just enough to survive the night. He fights again tomorrow.”

New Cell, New Rules

They threw Kael into a cell barely big enough for two bodies. The stench hit first old sweat, rust, and something sweet that made his stomach churn.

In the corner, a wiry old man sat cross-legged, eyes half closed. One of them was milky white, the other sharp and alert.

“You’ve got the look,” the man rasped without opening both eyes.

Kael leaned against the wall, still catching his breath. “The look?”

“The new blood look. Like you’re thinking you’ll last longer than the others. You won’t… unless you learn fast.”

Kael stayed silent.

The old man chuckled. “Name’s Brakk. I’ve been in The Pit ten years. Want advice?”

Kael gave a slight nod.

Brakk pointed a crooked finger. “Rule one: the only way out is through the arena. Rule two: every fight is to the death unless the Warden says otherwise. Rule three…” His grin widened, showing yellow teeth. “Make the first kill fast. Let ‘em know you’re not prey.”

Night Whispers

That night, Kael couldn’t sleep. His body still buzzed with the stolen strength from Rusk. But worse was the memory not his memory, but flashes from Rusk’s life. The sound of chains rattling, the taste of cheap whiskey, the echo of someone begging for mercy in a dark alley.

It was as if pieces of Rusk’s soul were tangled in his own.

[Daily Quest Available]

Defeat one opponent. Reward: +1 Stat Point

The text hung in the air, faint and pulsing. Kael reached out and his fingers passed through it.

So it wasn’t just a hallucination. This thing… the Void… was real.

Morning Call

The cell door clanged open at dawn.

“Ardan!” a guard barked. “You’re up.”

Brakk’s good eye widened. “Already? Must’ve caught the Warden’s eye.”

Kael didn’t answer. He stepped into the corridor, flanked by two guards with shock batons. The air grew hotter as they led him toward the central arena a sunken pit of cracked stone surrounded by steel bleachers.

And waiting in the center was Raze.

Seven feet tall, skin like iron, and cybernetic arms ending in clawed gauntlets. His face was a map of scars, his eyes flat and lifeless.

“That’s Raze,” one guard muttered with a smirk. “Undefeated for three years.”

The Champion

The announcer’s voice boomed from hidden speakers.

“Today’s entertainment: New blood against our reigning champion! Let’s see how long the rat lasts!”

The crowd roared, stamping their feet and chanting Raze’s name. Kael’s heart pounded, but his mind was cold, clear. The Void whispered again, low and hungry.

“Feed me.”

The gong sounded.

Raze moved first impossibly fast for his size. One cybernetic claw came for Kael’s head, the other for his ribs. Kael ducked, rolled, felt the claws slice the air where his neck had been.

The tendrils stirred beneath his skin.

Raze lunged again, claws aimed straight for Kael’s heart. Kael didn’t retreat this time.

He stepped into the attack.

The Void surged.

[Assimilation Ready]

Black tendrils burst from his arms as the crowd screamed.