His class—Voidwalker—wasn’t just an upgrade. It was a fundamental shift in how he fought.
He pulled up his status screen.
Name: Axel Ravensworth
Level: 6 (+1)
Class: Voidwalker (Rank C)
Stats:
- Strength: 10 (+1)
- Agility: 13 (+2) (Phantom Cloak bonus applied)
- Intelligence: 12 (+1)
- Endurance: 11 (+1)
- Luck: 1
Skills:
- [Hunter’s Domain] (Rank D) – Detects threats within 200 meters. 5% chance to predict enemy movements.
- [Void Resonance] (Rank C) – Absorb a trait from a defeated enemy. Usable once per kill.
- [Shadow Veil] (Rank D) – Partial invisibility for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute.
Axel clenched his fists, feeling raw power thrumming through his veins.
Hunter’s Domain let him sense everything around him.
Shadow Veil gave him stealth at will.
And Void Resonance…
He glanced at the scattered remains of the Hollowborn he had killed.
Every battle would make him stronger.
This wasn’t just about leveling up anymore.
He was evolving.
Axel took his first steps down the empty street, scanning his surroundings.
- The sky remained dark, even though the sun had risen.
- The buildings flickered, like pieces of a glitching simulation.
- The blue mist hadn’t fully disappeared. Instead, it had condensed, forming floating shards of translucent energy.
Axel narrowed his eyes.
This wasn’t normal.
His gaze flicked to one of the floating energy shards.
Analyze.
[Object Detected: System Fragment]
- A residual shard left behind from the Evolutionary Shift.
- Can be absorbed to enhance system integration.
Axel exhaled.
So the system itself was changing the world.
And these fragments… they were a part of it.
He reached out and touched the nearest shard.
[Absorbing System Fragment…]
- System Integration: 30% → 32%
- Minor stat boost received.
A wave of energy pulsed through him, subtle but noticeable.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
His fingers twitched.
So he could absorb these to grow stronger, too?
A slow grin spread across his face.
Good.
Axel moved quickly, using Hunter’s Domain to scan the city.
He felt it immediately—a new presence.
And it was watching him.
He turned his head sharply, locking onto a rooftop in the distance.
There, crouched in the shadows, was a figure.
Not a monster.
A human.
No—not human.
His Predator’s Instinct screamed a warning.
[Analyzing Target...]
Axel’s heart pounded.
Altered Human?
That meant he wasn’t the only one who had changed.
And if this guy was ranked C, he was just as strong as Axel—or stronger.
The figure finally stood, stepping into the morning light.
He was tall and lean, his body wrapped in a black combat suit. His eyes glowed violet, and strange, shifting markings ran down his arms.
And when he spoke, his voice was amused.
“So, you’re the other one.”
Axel tensed.
“Other one?”
The man tilted his head. “The other Survivor. The System chose you, too.”
Axel’s mind raced.
He wasn’t the only one with a system?
Before he could respond, the man vanished.
Not ran. Vanished.
Axel’s instincts screamed at him—
MOVE!
He jumped back just as a blade sliced through the space where he had been standing.
The man reappeared behind him, smirking.
Fast. Too fast.
Axel skidded to a stop, gripping his knife. “So that’s how it is?”
The man chuckled. “I need to see what you’re worth.”
Then he attacked again.
The man moved like a ghost, phasing in and out of visibility.
Axel barely dodged the next strike, twisting mid-air and activating Shadow Veil.
For a brief moment, he vanished.
The man’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh? You have something like that too?”
Axel reappeared behind him, slashing with his knife.
The man parried effortlessly, knocking Axel’s weapon aside.
Then he counterattacked, aiming a kick at Axel’s ribs.
Axel barely blocked, skidding across the pavement.
His arms ached.
This guy wasn’t just strong—he was precise.
Axel needed to turn the fight in his favor.
Axel activated Hunter’s Domain.
The instant the man moved, Axel felt it.
A fraction of a second warning.
Axel dodged left just as a strike came from behind.
The man’s expression shifted. “Interesting.”
Axel grinned.
“Yeah? Try this.”
He lunged forward, feinting with his knife—then switched weapons mid-motion, grabbing his Steel Pipe.
The man miscalculated.
The Steel Pipe slammed into his ribs.
For the first time, the man stumbled.
Axel pressed the advantage, swinging again.
But before the blow could land, the man vanished.
Then—
A cold blade pressed against Axel’s throat.
Axel froze.
The man stood behind him, his knife barely touching Axel’s skin.
“…Well done,” the man murmured.
Then he lowered his weapon.
“You’re not bad.”
Axel let out a slow breath, stepping back. The fight was over.
For now.
The man sheathed his blade. “The name’s Kael.”
Axel studied him cautiously. “You have a system too?”
Kael smirked. “Not quite like yours, but close enough.”
Axel’s mind whirled.
So the system wasn’t just evolving monsters—it was changing people too.
Kael’s violet eyes glowed. “This world is breaking, Axel. And only the strongest will survive.”
Axel exhaled sharply.
He had felt that truth from the beginning.
And now, he had proof.
Kael tilted his head. “I’ll be watching you. Let’s see if you’re worthy of keeping up.”
Then, he vanished.
Axel stared at the empty space where Kael had stood.
His knuckles tightened.
He wasn’t alone in this anymore.
And that meant one thing.
The real battle was only beginning.