"Riven."
A feminine voice called out softly.
"Riven… Riven…"
The voice grew louder, sharper—until it echoed like a command.
"RIVEN!!"
The black-and-green-haired boy jolted awake, shooting upright where he lay. His breath came fast as he stood, eyes darting around in search of the voice—but there was no woman in sight.
Instead, he saw four boys still lying unconscious across the cave floor.
At the cave's entrance, a blue-haired boy sat cross-legged, staring outward with a vigilant expression.
Keeping his guard up, Riven walked toward the entrance and sat beside him.
It was still blazing daylight outside.
"What time is it?" Riven asked, squinting up at the sun.
"Don't worry," Harkel replied calmly. "It's actually 1 a.m. on Earth."
Riven blinked. "Then why does it still look like noon?"
"This planet has two suns," Harkel explained. "There's a constant daylight cycle."
Riven let out a relieved breath. "Whew… that's one concern gone."
But another thought lingered.
"So… what now?" he asked, turning to Harkel.
The blue-haired boy seemed lost in thought before shaking himself out of it.
"Sorry," Harkel said. "Right now, we wait for the others to wake up. After that, we leave and head back to the academy. With a Level Four gemstone, we should be ahead of most students."
He paused, glancing deeper into the cave.
"But we still have a problem."
"Our injuries," Riven said immediately.
"Yeah."
"Jordan and I can heal everyone if we have to—"
Riven stopped mid-sentence when Harkel lifted his undershirt.
The wounds across his torso were fading.
"H-How…?" Riven stammered.
"It's an effect of awakening," Harkel said, lowering his shirt.
"Awakening…"
Riven had seen it before—first Joey, then Jordan, now Harkel. He himself felt it too: a subtle but undeniable growth in strength.
If awakenings continued like this, leveling might become unnecessary altogether.
"Yes," Harkel said. "You, Jordan, and Joey awakened earlier. Now I've joined you."
He clenched his fist.
⸻
[SYSTEM: LOCK ON]
Name: Harkel Voss
Evolved Ability: Air
Awakening: Stage 1
⸻
Now Riven understood the blue aura he'd seen before—the same aura that surrounded the assassin.
"That glow…" Riven muttered.
"A side effect of awakening is accelerated healing," Harkel continued. "So Jordan, Joey, and I should recover naturally."
"What about Leo and Luka?" Riven asked, concern creeping into his voice.
"Leo will be fine," Harkel said. "He just needs an external energy source."
His gaze drifted toward the assassin's corpse lying nearby, dust swirling faintly around it.
Riven's stomach twisted.
He knew what that meant.
Leo would have to consume the body to heal—and that wasn't something anyone their age should have to endure.
"…And Luka?" Riven asked.
Harkel didn't answer.
"You don't know," Riven said quietly.
"I don't," Harkel admitted. "He didn't take as much damage as some of us, but unlike everyone else, he has no way to heal."
He turned to Riven. "Can't you heal others? Maybe you can—"
Riven was already moving.
A green aura flared from his hand as he knelt beside Luka.
Slowly, painfully slowly, Luka's wounds began to close—but the healing stalled.
Riven's energy drained rapidly.
"…Shit," Riven muttered as the aura vanished.
He stood and returned to Harkel.
"Whatever that beast did," Riven said grimly, "it's interfering with my healing—and it's affecting Luka too."
He clenched his fists. "Maybe if I—"
"No," Harkel said firmly.
He knew what Riven was thinking—absorbing life from the surrounding environment.
"You're already exhausted," Harkel continued. "That would kill you."
Riven exhaled sharply.
"Check the system," Harkel added. "There might be something there."
Riven nodded and opened it.
⸻
[SYSTEM: You have experienced a life-or-death event with multiple users.]
[Would you like to form a Bound Party with these individuals?]
Yes.
He didn't hesitate.
⸻
[SYSTEM: Harkel Voss]
Level: 12
Awakening: Stage 1
Race: Human
Evolved Ability: Air
XP: 0 / 1690
Strength: 28
Speed: 20
Durability: 19
Energy: 26 / 29
Health: 29 / 29
⸻
[SYSTEM: Leo Ashvale]
Level: 15
XP: 0 / 2000
Race: Human (Transformable)
Strength: 20 (-20)
Speed: 20 (-20)
Durability: 20 (-20)
Energy: 5 / 30
Health: 40 / 50
⸻
[SYSTEM: Luka Thomas (Vladryne)]
Level: 5
XP: 0 / 700
Race: Human
Strength: 14
Speed: 14
Durability: 10
Energy: 9 / 15
Health: 5 / 20
⸻
Riven barely glanced at the stats.
He pulled up a different interface—the one they'd received when first arriving.
⸻
[SYSTEM: You have defeated the equivalent of 15 beasts.]
[Claim rewards? Y / N]
Yes.
The reward description confused him.
Choice.
Not a stat.
Not a skill.
Not an evolution.
Before he could question it—
⸻
[SYSTEM: First group hunt completed.]
[System error detected.]
"Error?" Riven muttered irritably.
"That happened before?" Harkel asked.
"Once. Maybe twice," Riven shrugged.
⸻
[SYSTEM NOTE: A reward has been added that should not exist.]
[Cause: A fate has been altered.]
[The universe is impressed by this change.]
[A great reward will be granted to the individual]
The message vanished.
"…What?" Riven and Harkel said in unison.
Before either could speak again, six cards slid into the air before them.
Each card displayed a face, a name, and a reward.
⸻
[Riven Harlow — Evolution Reward]
[Jordan Harlow — Evolution Reward]
[Leo Ashvale — Evolution Reward]
[Harkel Voss — Awakening Reward]
[Joey Cross — Awakening Reward]
[Luka Thomas / Vladryne — Awakened Reward]
Harkel's breath hitched.
"Luka…" he whispered.
They both saw it.
Every other card glowed blue.
Luka's was crimson red—dark, almost blood-colored.
There was no doubt.
The individual the system referred to—
Was Luka.
Back at the academy, a boy stood at the window of his dorm while his other roommates slept soundly behind him. He had positioned himself at a very specific angle—one of the camera blind spots.
In his hand was a flip phone.
An object that shouldn't have existed within the academy at all. Any device capable of contacting the outside world was confiscated on entry, no exceptions.
"Hopefully Dad doesn't mind me using that ten thousand… and four hundred thousand units," the boy muttered, waving the thought away. "No, it'll be fine. If he knew what I was using it for, he'd understand."
His phone vibrated.
A single message appeared.
It's done.
"Best units I've ever spent," Jay said, closing the phone with a satisfied smile. "This will teach them why no one crosses me."
⸻
Back at the cave, Riven and Harkel were still staring at the system card when a low grunt echoed behind them.
They both turned.
A tall, dark-skinned boy stood a short distance away. At first glance, it was Leo—but something was wrong.
"Shit," Harkel muttered, drawing his sword and stepping forward.
"What are you doing?" Riven shouted, grabbing Harkel's shoulder.
"Leo burned too much energy in that fight," Harkel said grimly. "He's hungry. Really hungry."
Riven looked into Leo's eyes.
They were completely red.
"Leo," Riven said, raising his hand.
Leo dropped to all fours.
His mouth began to shift—teeth elongating, jaw stretching unnaturally. Harkel moved instantly, placing himself in front of Riven as Leo lunged. Steel clashed against fangs, sparks flashing as Harkel barely held the strike.
"C'mon… c'mon…" Harkel repeated under his breath.
Riven was about to jump in when Leo suddenly froze.
His nose twitched.
"See?" Riven said quickly, pointing. "He's alright."
"No," Harkel said, sheathing his sword as he stepped aside. "He just found easier prey."
Leo rushed past them.
Only then did Riven realize something—he and Harkel weren't the only ones awake outside the cave.
There was another presence.
Not alive.
Leo reached the body of the assassin.
Riven watched in horror as Leo's form shifted again. He grabbed the corpse, lifting it with disturbing ease. Riven looked away instantly, but it didn't stop the sounds.
Bones cracking.
Flesh tearing.
The sickening crunch of teeth forcing through something far too large to chew—like biting through chicken bones that refused to break.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Riven muttered, covering his mouth.
"He can't help it," Harkel said quietly. "When they're deprived for too long—especially when exhausted—the instincts take over."
The sounds stopped.
Riven hesitantly looked back.
Leo was walking toward them, blood dripping from his mouth and staining the upper half of his uniform. When he reached the cave entrance, he sat down heavily, staring at the dirt beneath his feet.
The look on his face wasn't feral.
It was broken.
Riven pulled out a pack of evolved tissues and handed them to him. Leo wiped his mouth, then tried to clean his shirt, only managing to smear the stains further.
"So," Leo said at last, his eyes never lifting from the ground, "what did I miss while I was out?"
Harkel quietly filled him in.
"Hm," Leo murmured.
Riven watched the two of them in silence.
This isn't good, he thought. One person's down… and two people are lost in their own heads.
Someone needed to take control of the situation.
And it won't be me.
Riven sat beside them, staring straight ahead, waiting for the system to respond.
⸻
[System: User has defeated a Level 4 Mantid Beast.]
[2000 EXP has been gained.]
[system: Riven Harlow
Level: 13
Awakening: two
Evolved Ability: Lightning
XP: 1038 / 1800
Race: Feymir
Strength: 36
Speed: 37
Durability: 37
Energy: 37 / 37
Health: 38 / 38
Unassigned Stat Points: 1]
⸻
[system: Joey Cross
Level: 17
XP: 600 / 2800
Race: Human
Awakening: 3
Evolved Ability: Light
Strength: 40 (-20)
Speed: 40 (-20)
Durability: 40 (-20)
Energy: 20 / 40
Health: 29 / 40
Unassigned Stat Points: 1]
⸻
[System Status: Jordan Harlow]
Level: 10
XP: 1216 / 1300
Race: Human
Awakening: One
Evolved Ability: Ink
Strength: 11
Speed: 12
Durability: 16
Health: 23 / 23
Energy: 22 / 22
Unassigned Stat Points: 1
⸻
[SYSTEM: Harkel Voss]
Level: 13
Awakening: Stage 1
Race: Human
Evolved Ability: Air
XP: 310 / 1800
Strength: 28
Speed: 20
Durability: 19
Energy: 26 / 29
Health: 29 / 29
Unassigned Stat Points: 1
⸻
[SYSTEM: Leo Ashvale]
Level: 16
XP: 0 / 2400
Race: Human (Transformable)
Strength: 29 (-20)
Speed: 30 (-20)
Durability: 20 (-20)
Energy: 5 / 30
Health: 40 / 50
Unassigned Stat Points: 1
⸻
[SYSTEM: Luka Thomas (Vladryne)]
Level: 7
XP: 450 / 1000
Race: Human
Strength: 14
Speed: 14
Durability: 10
Energy: 9 / 15
Health: 5 / 20
Unassigned Stat Points: 2
"Does Luka have two last names?"
Riven realized he hadn't even thought about it before. He hadn't really looked at it at all.
The boy also noted how Leo's stats had increased—a side effect of what happens when a werewolf consumes another
⸻
[System: Reward Granted]
Reward Type: System Anomaly
This reward is granted when the system detects unexpected user behavior or encounters variables outside predicted parameters. This reward enhances system functionality.
New Tab Unlocked — Shop Tab
⸻
"Shop, huh…"
The tab sounded promising. It might even solve one of their biggest problems—Units.
They had to turn in their seventeen Beast Gemstones if they wanted a good score on the first beast hunt, but they still needed Units. They wouldn't be getting support from anyone else, and the only way to earn Units was by selling beast gear.
If the Shop Tab worked the way he thought it did, then this problem could finally be solved.
Riven glanced at his two pseudo-leaders. They still looked completely out of it.
"Great… I gotta think," Riven muttered.
He opened the Shop Tab.
Almost everything inside was locked or labeled with a Craft button. Still, it gave him a clear view of how the tab worked.
"So it's more like a crafting tab…" Riven murmured. "I can only get this stuff if I actually have the materials."
He noticed a small counter labeled SP, currently sitting at 0.
Riven wasn't a game expert, but he had enough insight to understand what that probably meant.
He tapped on Potions.
The Shop Tab split into two sub-tabs: Weapons and Potions. When he selected a potion, a recipe appeared—along with an SP cost.
⸻
System: Health Potion
Requires:
• 1× Level Two Gemstone
• 2× Vitalbloom
• 5× Clamsox Claws
Cost: 100 SP / 1000
⸻
Riven frowned.
He didn't know what the "/1000" meant, but he formed a theory quickly.
"Most likely… it means I can use SP to craft it without collecting the ingredients," he muttered. "But something that normally costs 100 now costs 1000 instead."
He shook his head.
"Yeah. I'm not doing that anytime soon."
⸻
Then Riven got an idea.
He stood up and walked over to the dead Mantid Beast lying on the ground. Kneeling beside it, he carefully removed one of the small, sharp setae from beneath its claw.
Two system prompts appeared instantly.
⸻
[System: Would you like to designate this creature as a Deva Beast?]
Note: Doing so will consume the Beast Gemstone.
Y / N
⸻
Riven immediately selected No.
Harkel didn't want them wasting Beast Gemstones right now. They had a limited supply, and they couldn't afford to lose any—especially not before the Academy's outing.
Besides, Riven could always make his own Deva Beast later.
⸻
[System: Would you like to convert this item into System Points?]
⸻
"Huh… so that's what SP means," Riven sighed.
He tapped Yes.
The SP counter jumped from 0 to 20.
"Twenty?" Riven almost yelled, startling himself. "For a Level Four beast? That should be at least a hundred!"
Then he paused.
"…Unless it's not scaling off the beast's strength," he muttered, "but off the item itself."
With that realization, Riven began harvesting more setae.
⸻
[SP: 100]
⸻
Riven exhaled in relief.
"Great. I can make a potion now," he said quietly, before frowning. "But I still need the ingredients, so that was useless."
He switched to the Weapons sub-tab.
A single message appeared across the screen.
⸻
Beast Gemstone Required
⸻
Riven hesitated.
They already had enough Beast Gemstones—including a Level Four—so it should be fine. This was just an experiment.
He pulled one gemstone from his system storage. The system opened like a small, glowing gate, and Riven pushed the gemstone inside.
When he withdrew his hand, a list appeared.
⸻
[These are all weapons that the beast known as a Rataclawin can be made into:]
• Rataclawin Sword
• Rataclawin Gauntlets
• Rataclawin Longbow
Cost: 10 SP each
⸻
Riven didn't hesitate.
He selected the Rataclawin Gauntlets.
They weren't pretty—dark-toned, rough, and partially covered in hardened material—but looks didn't matter.
Stats did.
⸻
[System: Beast Weapon Acquired — Rataclawin Gauntlets]
Strength: +7
Speed: +0
Durability: +3
Special Trait: None
⸻
The stats were similar to his Rift Claw Gauntlets, which were currently sitting in his inventory—but those were nearly broken.
These, on the other hand, were in perfect condition.
The lack of a speed bonus didn't bother him. His speed was already high, but still…
The more, the merrier.
An idea began forming in Riven's mind.
But when he looked back at his two companions, they were still completely out of it.
Riven huffed and closed the system cards.
"If we can't do my plan now," he thought, "then we need to wake up and help Luka."
His finger pressed down on the blood-colored card.