The city was busy like ants when a boot shadow passed by. Traffic was still. Drivers left their cars to stare at the sky, their faces lit by a red glow. It was a mystery to them. To me, it was like a blade ready to fall.
4.2 kilometers.
In my past life, I could have run that easily. Now, my lungs hurt. My heart raced like a trapped bird. This weak body, used to office snacks and comfy chairs, felt like a cage.
"Move," I said, pushing through a crowd of teens filming the sky.
One dropped his expensive phone. He cursed but stopped when he saw my eyes. He sensed something dark in me. I avoided the main roads and took shortcuts through the city. I knew these back alleys better than the builders did because I had spent years hiding there.
[Warning: Your body is at 12% efficiency.] [You should use 'The First Sovereign' core before your heart fails.]
The screen in my view flickered. I ignored it. I didn't need a system to know I was out of shape.
As I turned near the subway, chaos began. A bus swerved to miss a distracted person and crashed into a store. The sound of breaking glass was like a starting gun. A woman was trapped under the bus, her legs crushed. She wasn't screaming yet—just staring at her broken legs in shock.
"Help! Someone!" a man yelled, grabbing my arm as I ran by. "Help me lift this!"
I didn't stop. I pulled my arm away hard.
"Let go," I said, my voice flat.
"You monster! She's dying!" he shouted at me.
I didn't look back. In thirty days, that woman would be one of the lucky ones. At least she'd die with people around. Soon, no one would care if a child was in danger.
Rule Number One: Mercy is for those who aren't trying to survive.
I reached the Museum of National History in eleven minutes. The stone building looked strong, but it was guarded by men who thought their badges meant power. Police blocked the entrance, gripping their guns as they stared at the red numbers in the sky.
"Step back! The area is closed!" a cop shouted, blocking my way.
I didn't stop. I looked at the heavy doors behind him. Inside was the 'Sword of the Founding Emperor.' To the public, it was just an old relic. To the System, it was a source of power.
[Ding! You have reached your target location.] [Starting First Sign-In...]
"I said stay back, kid!" The cop reached for his handcuffs.
I didn't have my full strength, but I had years of "Killing Intent." I looked him in the eyes without saying a word, letting my dark side show. The cop froze. His face went pale. He felt a deep fear, like a rabbit realizing a wolf was near. He didn't move. He couldn't.
[Sign-In Complete!] [Processing Rewards...] [You have received the World's First 'SSS-Rank' Mystery Box.]
The world didn't light up. Instead, the air felt heavy, like being at the bottom of the ocean. A chest made of dark matter with glowing gold lines appeared in my mind. I opened it.
[Ding! You have acquired: The 'Heaven-Devouring' Cultivation Technique.] [Effect: Kill to Grow. Absorb the soul essence of the fallen to increase your Attributes. No limits.]
[Ding! You have acquired: 1x 'Body Reconstruction' Pill.] [Effect: Resets your physical body to the 'Perfect Origin' state.]
I tightened my grip. The "Systems" from the invaders in my past life were unfair. They gave us "classes" with limits. We were being prepared for slaughter. But this? This was a dangerous system.
I reached into the air. To others, I was grabbing nothing. To me, I was pulling a glowing black pill from the void. I swallowed it.
For a moment, I only heard my shallow breathing. Then, my world became a furnace. My bones didn't just hurt—they melted. I felt my ribcage snap and reform. My muscles tore from the bone and came back together strong like steel cables. Black filth seeped from my skin, smelling terrible.
The pain was extreme. It was the kind of pain that makes people wish for death. I didn't make a sound. I stood there, eyes open, watching the countdown.
I've felt worse, I thought. I've been eaten alive. This is nothing.
When the heat finally faded, the world looked different. Sharper. I could hear the cop's heart beating from five feet away. I could see the dust dancing in the red light of the sky.
I looked at my hands. The extra weight was gone. My arms were lean and strong. I felt a cold, violent energy burning in my stomach. The cop was staring at me, his mouth open.
"You... you were bleeding black... your eyes..."
I touched my face. My eyes weren't brown anymore. They were a bright silver, reflecting the red timer in the sky.
I looked at the clock.
[29:23:28:12]
The SSS-Rank Mystery Box was gone, replaced by a weight in my hand. A hilt. The Sovereign's Shadow-Slaying Blade. It was invisible to the world, a ghost weapon that would only taste blood when I wanted it to.
I had my weapon. I had my body.
Now, I needed to get off the streets. The first "Pre-Descent" monster wouldn't appear for another six hours, but I knew exactly where it would show up. A "Hidden Dungeon" in the basement of a local hospital. Everyone thought it was just a gas leak. It wasn't.
"The harvest has started," I whispered.
I turned and walked away from the museum. I didn't run. Every step felt like I was crushing the earth beneath me.