Chapter 32: A Taste of Power

The cave was silent. Not the peaceful kind of silence, but the eerie, unnatural stillness that followed a kill. The kind that sent a chill down your spine and made you realize—something had changed.

I stood over the Hobgoblin Captain's corpse, my foot still pressed against his chest. His once-mighty form now lay broken, the light in his eyes gone.

I had won.

But why did I feel like I had lost something else in the process?

[System Notification!]

[Hobgoblin Captain Defeated!][EXP Gained: 420][Level Up: 5 → 6][Temporary Power Absorption Fading…]

The stolen power began to fade from my body. My muscles, which had felt dense and powerful just moments ago, were returning to normal.

And yet… something remained.

A part of his strength. His essence.

I clenched my fist. Devourer's Grasp had taken more than just power. It had taken… something deeper.

Was it my imagination, or did I still feel a faint trace of the Hobgoblin's rage lingering inside me?

A Silver Gaze

"Leon."

Rhia's voice cut through my thoughts.

I turned to her. She was standing a few feet away, her silver eyes locked onto me, unreadable.

"That power…" she said, stepping closer. "That wasn't normal, was it?"

I hesitated. She saw it too.

The way my body moved. The unnatural shadowy tendrils that had wrapped around the Captain's leg. The way I had… drained him.

I took a slow breath. "No. It wasn't."

She didn't look surprised. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful.

"Are you afraid of it?" she asked.

The question caught me off guard.

Afraid?

I looked down at my hands.

I had just stolen the strength of a monster stronger than me. I had killed him without hesitation.

And the worst part?

It felt good.

I should have been horrified.

But instead, my body craved more.

"…No," I said quietly. "I'm not afraid."

Rhia watched me carefully, then gave a small, knowing smile. "Good."

I frowned. "Good?"

She nodded. "Fear gets people killed." She turned away, stretching her arms. "You're different, Leon. I don't know if that's a good thing yet, but…" She met my gaze. "I like different."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

The Aftermath

With the battle over, we finally took a moment to catch our breath.

The goblin raiders were dead. The only survivor—a lone goblin archer—had fled into the tunnels.

I should have chased him. Should have finished the job.

But my body was still adjusting to the aftereffects of my ability.

I could feel something shifting inside me, as if my body was still trying to process what had just happened.

My system screen flickered in my vision.

[New Title Acquired – First Predator]

[Effect: You gain an additional 5% Strength boost when fighting weakened enemies.]

I blinked. A title?

So, the system had recognized what I did.

Not just as a skill, but as a part of who I was.

Rhia peeked over my shoulder. "What is it?"

I hesitated. Then, I showed her the system screen.

She read it quickly, then looked up at me with an amused expression.

"First Predator, huh?" She smirked. "I like it."

I let out a dry chuckle. "You would."

She laughed, then stretched her arms. "Come on, let's loot what we can and get out of here. The smell of blood will attract something worse."

She was right.

We weren't safe yet.

And for the first time, I was eager to test this power again.

Because something told me…

I was just getting started.