Hospital Room — System Check
The room was silent.
Wei Jin's eyes locked onto the translucent blue panel hovering before him. His heartbeat slowly steadied as the words came into focus.
The last memory before he blacked out surfaced clearly now—
his claw tearing through the same wound Li Yuan had opened…
the roar that shook the night…
and the confirmation prompt.
He swallowed.
"So it counted…"
The panel flickered.
[ Devour Successful — Target: Thunderlord Varkhaz ]
Gene Experience Gained: 100
Affinity Update:
• Lightning — Upgraded
Skills Acquired:
• [ Thunder Emperor's Roar ] — Unique (Upgradable)
• [ Cataclysm Overdrive ] — Unique (Upgradable)
Jin stared.
His breath caught slightly.
"…One hundred?"
That wasn't just high.
That was absurd.
He had only delivered the final blow. His gene quality was still low. By every known rule, this should have given him scraps—if anything at all.
And yet—
Two Unique skills.
Not one.
Two.
A slow heat spread through his chest, equal parts disbelief and realization.
"So as long as I'm recognized as the killer…" he murmured, "…the system doesn't care about contribution. Only results."
His fingers curled slightly.
That changes everything.
In his past life, hunters gambled their lives for skill crystals that might never drop. Even after killing dozens of monsters, many awakened nothing.
But devouring…
"It bypasses chance entirely," Jin whispered.
No lottery.
No compatibility tests.
No rejection.
Kill. Devour. Grow.
A dangerous path—but a clear one.
His gaze sharpened.
"If this is possible even with low gene quality… then upgrading it is only a matter of time."
I just need monsters.
And this time…
He clenched his fist beneath the blanket.
"I won't miss the NCECE."
The panel shifted again.
[ Status Interface ]
Name: Wei Jin
Star Level: ★★ (2 Stars)
Gene Quality: Grade 3 — Low Purity (Upgraded)
Progress: 14 / 250
(Includes residual absorption from fallen monsters)
Elemental Affinity:
• Lightning — High
Skills Acquired:
• [ Devour ] — ( ? )
• [ Sensory Enhancement ] — (Epic) (Upgradable)
• [ Thunder Emperor's Roar ] — Unique (Upgradable)
• [ Cataclysm Overdrive ] — Unique (Upgradable)
• [ Lightning Claw ] — Unique (Upgraded from Rare+)
Jin's eyes moved instinctively to the skill descriptions.
[ Thunder Emperor's Roar ]
Rank: Unique
Type: Active / Domain-Pressure Skill
Description:
Unleash a roar infused with dominion-grade lightning energy, suppressing enemies within range.
Targets experience fear, neural interference, and momentary loss of motor coordination.
Effects:
• Reduces enemy reaction speed
• Interrupts skill activation
• Strong suppression against beast-type and lightning-aligned monsters
Note:
Effectiveness scales with gene quality and lightning affinity.
At higher mastery, the roar may manifest as a true Emperor-class intimidation field.
Jin's pupils contracted slightly.
"…That roar wasn't just intimidation," he realized.
"It was dominance."
He moved on.
[ Cataclysm Overdrive ]
Rank: Unique
Type: Active / Self-Enhancement
Description:
Temporarily forces the body beyond safe operational limits by converting lightning affinity into raw physical output.
Effects:
• Massive increase to speed, strength, and reaction time
• Lightning reinforces muscles and nervous system
• Ignores pain and minor physical damage during activation
Side Effects due to low gene quality:
• physical backlash after deactivation
• Mental fatigue proportional to duration
Warning:
Current gene quality limits safe usage.
Jin let out a slow breath.
He wasn't reckless enough to feel joy at that power—not yet.
But he understood its value.
"A trump card," he murmured. "One that could kill me if I misuse it."
Finally, his gaze fell to the last skill.
[ Lightning Claw ]
Rank: Unique
Type: Active / Close-Combat
Description:
Condenses lightning affinity into the user's hands, forming destructive claws capable of tearing through reinforced hides and energy defenses.
Current Effects:
• Increased penetration against armored targets
• Enhanced damage at structural weak points
• Synergizes with sensory perception and instinct-based targeting
Evolution Path:
Skill grows through repeated lethal engagements and successful devours.
Jin's lips curved faintly.
"So that instinct… those weak-point markers…"
It wasn't luck.
It was the skill beginning to awaken.
He closed the interface slowly.
Power had found him earlier than expected.
But power alone wasn't enough.
"This time," Jin thought calmly, "I'll be ready."
Wei Jin was discharged on the third night.
The doctor removed the monitoring pads from his arm, his expression professional rather than reassuring. "Physically, you're stable. No internal bleeding, no organ damage. But your neural readings were fluctuating. Due to Excessive strain. If you experience headaches, dizziness, or disorientation, report to me immediately."
Jin nodded.
Outside the ward, Wei Ling walked beside him, holding his bag, glancing over every few steps. "Don't do anything stupid," she said, trying—and failing—to sound casual.
Jin smiled faintly. "I won't."
She scoffed. "i know your trying to do one, it's written all over your face."
Their parents were waiting near the exit. Wei lan's eyes were tired, shadows lingering beneath them, but she still reached out to straighten Jin's collar. Wei Zhen placed a firm hand on his shoulder, solid and warm.
"Rest well," his father said. "School can wait."
Jin nodded. He didn't argue. They reached home.
That night, the house was quiet.
Wei Ling had gone to bed early. His parents' room was dark. The living room clock ticked steadily, each second clear in the silence.
Jin sat on the sofa, elbows resting on his knees, fingers loosely clasped.
All of them survived.
That single fact settled deep in his chest. His parents were safe. His sister was safe. Li Yuan was alive. The house still stood. No loss.
The outcome had changed.
The tightness in his chest finally eased, just a little.
Then reality pressed back in.
NCEE.
The word surfaced naturally, heavy with meaning.
Strength came from monsters.
Growth came from combat.
But access… access was controlled.
Official dungeons belonged to the Gene Association and national colleges. Without registration and authorization, entry was impossible. Colleges maintained training dungeons—but only for enrolled students.
He was still an school student.
No ID.
No clearance.
No legal dungeon access.
Jin leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
Waiting wasn't an option anymore.
There was only one remaining path.
The hunting grounds outside of outer district.
Beyond monitored zones and patrol routes, roaming monsters still appeared there—strays that slipped through unstable rifts or escaped containment. No safety guaranteed and Dangerous.
Jin stood and walked to the window. In the distance, faint lights marked the edge of the city, where order thinned and danger began.
If he wanted to grow before the NCEE…
If he wanted to stand on that stage without being crushed…
If he wanted to ma
ke sure his family never faced another rift unprotected…
Then there was no choice.
"Tomorrow," Jin said quietly, eyes steady, "I will start preparing."