The Greed
Rest in the Cave and the Bitter Truth
After the battle, the three took shelter in a nearby cave. The scent of roasting green and white rabbit meat filled the entire space.
Aarav sat silently by the fire, his eyes lost in the flickering flames. His mind was stuck on the same question—
"What would have happened if I hadn't reacted in time?"
"If Rudra and Vihaan weren't with me, would I have survived?"
Fear and helplessness swirled within him.
Just then, Vihaan snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Snap out of it!"
Vihaan's voice was firm, but there was something else in his eyes—a glimpse of truth.
"I know this was tough for you," he said, "but get a grip on yourself. No one in this world cares about anyone else—everyone only thinks about themselves. If you truly want to survive, never trust anyone... not even your friends."
Vihaan's harsh words struck Aarav like an arrow.
He realized that this world was not kind. No one would come to save him. He had to become stronger—both physically and mentally.
Aarav made a silent vow—
"I must become stronger… the strongest."
"I won't be a burden to anyone anymore!"
His fists clenched, and a new fire ignited in his eyes.
---
The Fun Battle Over Meat
Rudra, who was already starving, said, "If you don't want to eat, then don't!"
With that, he pounced on the roasted rabbit meat.
Vihaan scolded him, "Not like that, Rudra! You fool!"
Aarav took a deep breath and said, "I want to eat too!"
And with that, all three of them lunged at the meat.
They tore at the hot, juicy meat with their bare hands as if it were another battle.
Rudra grabbed a burnt bone and declared, "This one's mine!"
Vihaan glared at him. "Idiot! That's just a bone!"
Aarav laughed, "You two are fighting like kids!"
But the moment they took their first bite…
---
The Shocking Notification
All three of their eyes widened at once.
"What?!"
Rudra quickly checked his system. His stats were changing!
Vihaan lowered his head and muttered, "So this is the real rule of this world..."
Rudra shouted with joy, "Amazing! I'm going to eat more!"
---
The Rule of This World
In this new world, consuming the meat of any creature granted players special attributes (Stats).
The trait categories were—
Ordinary
Rare
Legendary
Mythic
Supreme
The more traits they acquired, the stronger they became—in every aspect.
Aarav, Rudra, and Vihaan had now understood—
"If we want to survive in this world, we have to become stronger."
They looked at each other and grinned—
"From now on, every piece of meat will make us stronger!"
---
The Mystery of the Night and the Birth of Greed
Understanding the world's rule, Rudra exclaimed, "If that's the case, we can become as strong as that wolf monster!"
Vihaan scratched his head, "I didn't know a rabbit could be 'Rare' grade."
After finishing their meal, they noticed that their total gene points had increased by three each.
Then, they set off toward the cave they had discovered earlier in the day.
On the way, Aarav looked around and said, "It's really dark here."
Vihaan replied calmly, "Don't worry. We'll light a fire soon."
But then, Aarav's eyes fell on a narrow, dark tunnel inside the cave.
"Where does that lead?" he wondered.
Vihaan glanced at it and warned, "I don't think we should go there. Exploring unknown places at night is dangerous."
Rudra nodded in agreement, "Yeah, let's rest first."
Although curiosity gnawed at Aarav, he listened to them and followed along.
---
The Mysterious Arrival at Midnight
It was now midnight.
Vihaan and Rudra were fast asleep, but Aarav still couldn't sleep.
His thoughts still haunted him— "If I don't become stronger, I won't survive next time."
Just then, glowing blue butterflies suddenly appeared in the cave.
"These butterflies…?" Aarav whispered, his eyes widening in surprise.
They fluttered gently, heading toward the same dark tunnel he had noticed earlier.
"Are they leading me there?"
Aarav's heart pounded. His curiosity compelled him to follow.
Silently, without waking the others, he got up and started following the butterflies into the narrow tunnel.
---
The Secret Chamber and the Temptation of Power
At the end of the tunnel was a massive, mysterious chamber.
Aarav looked up—there were not just thousands, but millions of glowing butterflies, illuminating the entire space with a deep blue radiance.
"This place… it's so mysterious!"
But then, his eyes landed on three strange chests at the center of the chamber.
His heart started racing.
"What are these chests?"
A strange uneasiness and greed stirred within him.
"What if something valuable is inside?"
With slight hesitation, he opened the first chest.
The moment it opened, a mystical aura surged out and merged into his body!
Aarav's eyes widened in shock.
> Necromancer (Master of the Dead):
A forbidden and dangerous art that allows the user to summon the souls of the dead and command them.
This skill will activate only when the player accumulates enough 'Legendary Points.'
Aarav's heart pounded.
"If I use this properly… I could command an undead army!"
But then, another notification appeared—
> Necromancy skill will only activate after collecting 'Legendary Points.'
His lips went dry.
"Legendary Points?"
That meant he needed to consume even more creatures—and not just any creatures, but the rarest and most powerful ones!
Now, his eyes no longer reflected fear but hunger.
He turned toward the remaining chests—
"If the first chest gave me such a powerful ability… what's inside the others?"
Unable to resist his greed, he reached out for the second chest…
---
The Final Chest and the Wrath of the Dead Warrior
As soon as he opened the third chest—
"Click!"
A magical seal activated!
"What?!"
The cave was suddenly filled with a chilling wind.
Dark mist erupted from the chest and hit the cave ceiling.
"What is happening?!" Aarav stepped back in fear.
Before he could react—
"Crack!"
The ground split apart, and a massive skeleton warrior emerged!
It had glowing red eyes and held a cursed greatsword.
The undead warrior slowly locked eyes with Aarav.
A deafening roar shook the cave—
> ⚠ WARNING: You have awakened the Cursed Warlord!
Power Level: ???
Aarav's blood ran cold.
The skeletal warrior's eyes burned with rage.
"Damn it! What do I do now?!"
Just then, he remembered—
"My new powers..."
A grin formed on Aarav's face.
"Let's see who survives this battle!"
Will Aarav be able to defeat the Cursed Warlord with his new powers? Or will this monstrous enemy be the end of him?
Find out in the next chapter of The God's Playground!