Blood & Hunger

Soren lay hidden in the undergrowth, barely daring to breathe as he peeked at the clash unfolding before him.

Then, he saw it.

Essence gathered in both of the monsters' hands, twisting the air around them as they lunged forward, locking into a brutal struggle. Their massive limbs strained against each other, muscles rippling with effort, but—

Their hands weren't touching.

Soren's eyes narrowed. He focused, watching intently.

The space between them hummed, distorted, like the air itself was pushing back. Wind essence.

They were forcing each other back without even making contact.

A deep, guttural shriek echoed through the forest as the monsters fought for dominance, their raw strength evenly matched. The one that had chased Soren earlier was beginning to falter, its hooves skidding slightly against the dirt.

Then—without warning—it snapped its head forward, ramming into its opponent with sheer brute force.

The other monster staggered back violently, nearly collapsing—but with a rapid lurch, one of its four muscular arms slammed against the ground, catching itself before impact.

It didn't hesitate.

The monster reared up, lifting its massive front body and swinging a devastating kick into the first creature's chest.

CRACK.

The impact sent the beast hurtling backward, crashing through the underbrush in a blur of limbs and splintering wood.

Soren barely processed what he was seeing. His thoughts came slow, sluggish—his mind struggling to rationalize the sheer power before him.

"How… how could I even fight them…?"

"I'd just die."

Aeternis huffed in amusement.

"You could do that too… if you weren't so weak. Hmph."

Soren's stunned trance snapped into irritation.

But before he could respond, the battle shifted again.

The monster that had been kicked away was already rising to its feet, its deep-set eyes burning with fury.

Then—an invisible blade of wind tore through the air.

The wounded monster barely twisted in time, dodging just enough for the attack to miss its core.

But not completely.

A thin gash split across its ribs, dark blood spraying into the wind.

Had it reacted a second too late…

It would've been dead.

Soren remained hidden in the undergrowth, waiting patiently. He wasn't in a rush—if anything, he was hoping the fight would drag out, leaving the victor too wounded to pose much of a threat.

If they weren't weakened enough, dealing with them would be a problem.

The monsters clashed again, their massive bodies colliding with bone-rattling force. The wounded one, still bleeding from its side, lunged forward and slammed into its opponent, sending both crashing to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs.

Then—teeth tore into flesh.

The creature on top plunged its head downward, sinking its fangs deep into the other's shoulder before ripping away a ragged chunk of meat.

A piercing shriek echoed through the forest.

But before the attacker could tear into its prey again, the monster below heaved upward, lifting it barely a meter into the air.

Then—

*BOOM. BOOM.*

Two devastating punches landed in rapid succession, one to the ribs, the other to the gut, launching the beast off its opponent. It crashed to the side, rolling violently before coming to a halt.

Both creatures were injured—blood staining their thick skin, their movements slower, heavier—but neither was close to death.

And yet—neither backed down.

A deafening shriek tore through the air again as they lunged at each other once more.

Then—Soren saw it.

Just as their bodies met, their essence surged, a final burst of raw energy fueling their attacks.

*WHOOSH.*

A powerful gust of wind erupted outward, whistling through the bushes where Soren lay hidden.

For a split second, his breath caught. If he had been any closer…

But the monsters hadn't noticed him.

It was clear now—both of them had gone all in, attempting a final, killing blow—but neither had overpowered the other. Their elements clashed, cancelling out their attacks in a chaotic burst of wind essence.

What followed was nothing short of savagery.

Punches flew at an astonishing speed. Flesh caved. Bones cracked. Every hit was met with another.

Neither side slowed down. Neither cared for defense.

Blow after blow, their bodies tore into each other, wounds multiplying, blood splattering across the dirt. One was beginning to lose. The difference was small, but Soren could see it—the other monster was landing more hits, its attacks drawing more blood.

The brutality of it was horrifying.

Yet Soren remained unmoved.

He analyzed every motion, every attack.

There was no strategy in this fight. No calculation, no hesitation.

It was pure, relentless bloodlust.

And soon, there would only be one left standing.

Both monsters were covered in blood, deep gashes lining their bodies. But it didn't matter.

They didn't stop.

One of them, its breath ragged and uneven, gripped its opponent's arm with a vice-like hold. With a guttural roar, it swung a devastating punch straight into the joint—

*CRACK.*

The arm snapped, flesh tearing as the limb was ripped away from the socket.

The wounded monster howled in agony, but its instincts overpowered its pain.

With pure desperation, it immediately lunged forward, sinking its jagged teeth into the upper arm of its attacker, trying to tear it apart.

Its jaw locked down tight.

The other monster roared in fury, smashing its fists repeatedly against its enemy's back and ribs, trying to pry it off.

It didn't matter.

With one final, brutal wrench, the beast tore the limb away—flesh, bone, and muscle ripping apart in a sickening tear.

Both monsters now stood on unsteady feet, missing an arm, their bodies drenched in blood. They should have already been dead.

But their fight wasn't about survival anymore.

It was about killing.

One of the monsters suddenly surged forward, using the last of its strength to slam its opponent into the ground.

Before the fallen beast could react, its attacker shoved its hand into its mouth, pinning its head down, while its remaining arms rained down blow after blow.

*BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.*

Each punch smashed into its skull, the force jolting its entire body.

A final struggle. A last, twitching defiance.

But it was no use.

*BOOM. BOOM.*

Until, finally—

Silence.

The light in its core flickered—then vanished completely.

Soren's breath steadied.

This was his moment.

With smooth, silent steps, Soren advanced. The surviving monster knelt over its kill, its body still heaving with exhaustion.

Aeternis hummed, its voice laced with amusement.

"Don't miss."

Soren's fingers tightened around the dagger's hilt.

With a quick, controlled burst of speed, he rushed forward. His feet pushed off the ground, sending him into a low, forceful leap.

The dagger gleamed in the evening light.

He plunged it downward—straight into the back of the monster's skull.

No struggle.

No resistance.

The blade sank deep.

The monster's body seized up, its final breath trapped in its throat. Then—

Nothing.

"You have slain a Tier 1 Awakened, Harbinger. Your soul strengthens."

The voice whispered in Soren's ear.

He exhaled slowly.

The fight was over.

Soren exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling in slow, controlled breaths.

His fingers tightened around Aeternis' hilt as he yanked the dagger free from the monster's skull. Blood dripped from the blade, soaking into the dirt beneath him.

If the beast had sensed him—if it had even twitched—he wasn't sure he would have survived. Even injured, even near death, it would've been a nightmare to fight head-on.

That was why he didn't wait.

He had to end it himself.

And because he did, the system rewarded him.

Soren glanced at his status. Last he checked, it had displayed [51/1000].

Now, it was [52/1000].

A single number. One step closer.

It made sense to him now. The higher one climbed, the fewer there were who could follow.

Because to ascend, you had to kill monsters like these.

Or worse.

Aeternis hummed in what could only be disgusted amusement as Soren crouched beside the carcass.

"A pathetic excuse for a hunter… Allow me to educate you."

The sword, despite its clear distaste, guided him through the proper way to cut the flesh, pointing out the most edible portions.

Soren followed the instructions precisely, his hands steady, his movements efficient.

After separating the meat, he used a stream of clean water to rinse away the stench of blood, hoping it would mask the scent enough to avoid attracting more predators.

Then, with the cuts wrapped in cloth, he made his way back to the hollow tree where he had spent the previous night.

The suns weren't down yet.

Good.

He had time.

Maybe… he could try to make a fire.

But…

No matter how many times he tried, the flames refused to ignite.

Soren sat before the lifeless pile of wood, his hands hovering over it, his brows furrowed. He focused, channeling essence, attempting to force a spark—

Nothing.

He stared at the raw, uncooked meat in front of him.

His stomach twisted.

Aeternis let out a mocking sigh.

"You truly are a mongrel… You do not have the right to wield me."

Soren didn't even react.

He knew.

He knew exactly what he was about to do.

He just hoped the meat wasn't contaminated.

Slowly, mechanically, he lifted the dagger and sliced a smaller piece, tender and still warm.

It was unsettling—how fresh it felt, how it still held the body's heat.

Soren closed his eyes.

And bit down.

The texture was chewy, squishy, almost unnaturally soft. He had to grind the meat between his teeth to break it apart.

It didn't taste rotten.

It didn't taste good either.

It just… was.

But taste wasn't the problem.

The problem was swallowing.

Soren's jaw moved slowly, his teeth grinding the chewy, squishy flesh between them.

His stomach twisted.

His throat locked up, every instinct screaming at him to spit it out.

But he forced himself to swallow.

It slid down his throat like a stone.

The taste didn't matter.

Survival did.

Aeternis scoffed.

"Mongrel."