The Outcast God System: Rise of the Cursed Heir

Eat or Be Eaten

The monster's jaw snapped shut right on his shoulder, tearing through his tattered clothes and sinking its fangs deep into his flesh. A sharp pain exploded, sending danger signals through every nerve. However, instead of screaming in terror, he felt a strange surge of power.

Warning: Muscle tissue damage detected. Activating Pain Conversion Engine. +50 EXP... +50 EXP...

"Is that all?" he growled. He could feel warm blood flowing down his arm, but at the same time, the pulse of purple energy inside his body grew even stronger. "Come on, bite harder! Give me more!"

The Bone Wolf looked confused. The creature was used to seeing its prey shriek and beg for mercy, not defy death with fiery eyes. It pulled its head back, ripping away a chunk of his shoulder, then leaped back to prepare for another pounce.

"System, what should I do now?" he whispered while clutching his bleeding shoulder.

Suggestion: Use the 'Void Absorption' technique to turn the tide. The host requires additional energy to stabilize the Void Meridian.

"Void Absorption? How do I activate it?" he asked quickly, watching the wolf's movements.

Compress your hatred into a focal point. Imagine the darkness within you as a bottomless pit that hungers for everything.

The wolf let out a long howl, then lunged at him again. Its speed far exceeded that of an ordinary human. Under normal conditions, he would have been dead in seconds. But now, everything felt like it was slowing down. He could see the muscles in the monster's legs tighten before it jumped.

"Hate..." He closed his eyes for a moment. The image of Kael’s face, smiling as he killed his mother, flashed through his mind. The faces of the elders who turned away. The pain in his shoulder. He gathered it all into a single black mass in his chest. "I hate... I hate this world!"

Void Absorption: Activated.

Just as the wolf lunged at his chest, he thrust his hand forward. His palm met the monster's hard skull. Suddenly, the black lines that had been hiding beneath his skin exploded outward, forming a terrifying vortex of dark energy.

"Eat this, you bastard!" he screamed.

Zruuup!

The sound was like air being sucked into a vacuum. The Bone Wolf let out a high-pitched shriek. Its voice was full of terror. He could see the pale blue energy that formed its life essence being forcibly pulled from its eyes, its mouth, and even from the gaps in its protruding ribs. Absorbing Life Essence... +200 EXP... +300 EXP...

The wolf's body shriveled rapidly. Its fur fell out, and its flesh dried up as if it had been dead for years in just a matter of seconds. Finally, the monster fell to the ground as a pile of brittle bones.

He collapsed into a sitting position, panting heavily. It felt as if he had just run dozens of miles. His hands were shaking, but the pain in his shoulder began to subside as his skin tissue started to forcibly close on its own. "I... I did it?" he muttered in disbelief.

Congratulations. The first use of Void Absorption was successful. Level Up! Host Status: Spirit Gathering Stage - Level 4.

However, the victory did not last long. As soon as the adrenaline began to drop, a new sensation hit him. His stomach felt as if it were being twisted by a giant hand. A hunger so intense it made him want to bite his own hand.

"Ugh... so hungry..." he groaned, clutching his stomach. "System, is this also part of the suffering? "Correct. The Void Meridian requires dense nutritional intake to maintain cellular evolution. The host is advised to consume the energy core of the creature just killed.

He stared at the pile of bones in front of him. In the middle of the shattered ribs, there was a small, dull green orb pulsing faintly. It was a monster core the purest part of their energy.

"I have to... eat that?" He felt nauseous. It smelled like rotting meat and ammonia. If you do not eat, your body will begin to consume its own internal organs to meet its energy needs. Time remaining before permanent damage: 10 minutes.

"Damn it!" He crawled toward the pile of bones. He picked up the slimy green orb with trembling hands. "Kael... because of you, I have to become a monster like this."

Without thinking any longer, he shoved the core into his mouth. It tasted horrific bitter, salty, and slimy. He coughed, trying to swallow it while fighting the urge to vomit. As soon as the core slid down his throat, an explosion of heat spread from his stomach to every nerve ending.

"AAAAAARGH!"

He rolled around on the dusty ground. It felt like swallowing glowing embers. But, along with that pain, the energy that had been empty was now being refilled very quickly.

Initializing energy cleansing... Success. Level Up! Spirit Gathering Stage - Level 5. Time passed without him realizing it. A day had gone by in this eternal darkness. He no longer felt like a weak noble teenager. His clothes were reduced to just a few shreds of fabric covering his vitals, while his body was covered in lines of newly dried scars.

He walked down the narrow passage at the bottom of the ravine. Each of his steps was now steadier. He was no longer hiding. Instead, he was searching. The smell of death that used to terrify him now felt like a guide.

"System, how many more monsters are around here?" he asked in a voice that now sounded heavier and colder. A pack of Bone Wolves detected within a 50-meter radius. Count: 12. Do you wish to avoid them?

He stopped walking. He stared into the darkness ahead, where pairs of red eyes began to appear one by one from behind the mist. He no longer felt fear. All he felt was the urge to destroy.

"Avoid?" He smirked, showing teeth slightly stained with dried blood. "Why avoid them when they are food that comes to me?"

He clenched his fist, letting the Void energy envelop it until it made a terrifying creaking sound.

"Come," he whispered to the darkness. "Give me greater pain. Give me the strength to crawl back to the top." Suddenly, a growl much louder than any wolf's echoed from the depths of the cave to his right. The vibration made the ravine walls shake, knocking a few small stones toward him.

Warning: High energy detected. Alpha Bone Wolf approaching. Threat level: High.

He did not retreat. Instead, he stepped forward, letting the wounds on his body pulse again, ready to be transformed into a deadly killing weapon.

"Good," he growled. "The bigger the opponent, the sweeter it tastes when I crush them."