I like this side of you.
The ground swallowed him.
Instinct had taken over before Hex could even process the pain searing through his flesh. His fingers dug into the scorched earth with unnatural speed, his body burrowing downward like some wretched, undead mole.
Darkness embraced him, damp soil pressing in from all sides. He lay there, motionless, shallow breaths heaving through his lungs.
The system flickered before his eyes.
> Welcome back, Host.
Status: Barely alive.
"Yeah, no shit," Hex muttered, his voice hoarse.
He willed himself to stay calm, but panic twisted through his veins. His body ached like he'd been crushed, set on fire, then drowned for good measure. He felt—no, knew—that he had suffered terribly, yet his mind refused to recall why.
The silence underground was oppressive, but the system didn't seem to care.
> Would you like a summary of your pathetic existence?
Hex groaned. "Pass."
> Too bad.
A new screen replaced the first, glowing faintly in the pitch-black dirt cocoon.
[STATUS SCREEN]
Character Name: Hex
Level: 1
Class: Revenant Slave
Title: Cursed Soul
Race: Undead
[Stats]
Exp: 30/50( Unable to fill such a tiny requirement?)
HP: 3 / 7( Pathetic)
Mana: 20 / 45( Still useless)
Stamina: 1 / 5(Ah! Tragic)
Strength: 3( Embarrassing)
Agility: 4
Endurance: 2( What are you, a twig?)
Intelligence: 12
Dark Affinity: 16
Corruption: 3% (Higher corruption unlocks darker powers but weakens humanity)
[Resources]
Soul Fragments: 3 / 3000
Bloody Points: 75
[Quests]
1. "Reclaim Your Soul" (Main Quest)
2. "The Witch's Pact" – Collect 12 cursed artifacts (Side Quest)
3. "Blood Debt" – Eliminate the rogue Dark Lord (Bounty)
[Afflictions]
Undead Curse: HP regenerates only through Soul Drain or potions.
Haunted: Random whispers and visions appear, affecting focus.
Hex clenched his jaw. He'd expected some kind of badass resurrection. Maybe return as an all-powerful undead warlord? But no—he was weaker than a dog.
> Congratulations! You are officially weaker than a dying rat.
Hex resisted the urge to scream.
> Would you like a tutorial on how to be less useless?
[Yes] [Hell No]
He pressed [Hell No].
> Great choice! Now stay underground like the miserable worm you are.
Hex shut his eyes and tried to ignore the system's sadistic personality. His only comfort was the realization that, for now, he was safe.
> The sun sets. It is safe to step outside.
Hex exhaled in relief. He clawed his way up, emerging into the twilight like something out of a horror movie. The cool night air kissed his ruined skin as he shook off the ash clinging to him.
Then, the system hit him with another alert.
> Your hunger grows. Instability may kick in if you do not feed.
Hex went rigid. His insides twisted with a sickening, clawing emptiness. His hunger wasn't just hunger. It was something else—something darker, more primal.
A whisper slithered through his skull.
Feed.
He staggered forward, his body trembling. He needed food. Shelter. Fast.
Hex stumbled through the city ruins, searching for anything that might provide shelter from the next sunrise. That's when he saw a church, standing tall among the destruction.
It wasn't abandoned. Its walls were intact, its stained-glass windows gleaming in the moonlight. It even smelled clean.
He pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside. The air was cool, and despite the darkness, his undead eyes adjusted immediately.
Then he saw a woman, sitting on a wooden pew, breastfeeding an infant.
His hunger sharpened into something unbearable.
> You need to feed to replenish your anger and grow stronger.
Hex stiffened. His breath hitched. No.
The woman lifted her head. Their eyes met.
She screamed.
A shrill, ear-piercing shriek of pure horror.
" Monster"
" Help!!"
Hex's lips curled. "And to think I was about to let myself starve to save you."
The system struck him with another brutal notification.
> Your hunger has reached extreme levels.
Stability: 1%
You will lose control.
A searing pain exploded in his gut. His vision darkened.
Then, the last quest appeared.
> FEED.
Hex's body moved before his mind could resist.
His hands shot forward, fingers curling around the infant's fragile body. The woman's screams warped into a distant hum. He heard his own inhuman grunt as he sank his teeth into the baby's chest, tearing out its heart.
Hot blood spilled over his lips. The warmth of it. The life of it.
He swallowed, and his body sang.
The child's head lolled back in his grip. He sank his teeth into its neck, drinking every last drop of blood.
> Hunger replenished.
100 Exp gained.
LEVEL UP!
His body pulsed with newfound strength. His rotting flesh knit itself together, smoothing into something almost human.
Then, the guilt hit.
Hex looked at the blood on his hands. The baby's corpse in his grip.
"Oh… fuck."
> Brutality Bonus: 1000 Bloody Points.
Congratulations! You are now officially a baby-eating abomination.
The screen opened.
[STATUS SCREEN]
Character Name: Hex
Level: 2
Class: Revenant Slave
Title: Cursed Soul
Race: Undead
[Stats]
Exp: 80/200
HP: 11/ 11
Mana: 60 / 60
Stamina: 8
Strength: 5
Agility: 7
Endurance: 4
Intelligence: 16
Dark Affinity: 21
Hex was overjoyed at seeing his stats increase.
He checked his resources
[ Resources]
Soul fragments: 3/3000
Bloody points: 1075
The system's voice was practically gleeful.
> Come on, admit it—you enjoyed it.
Hex felt his stomach twist. "Shut the fuck up."
> Oh, don't be shy. You have a rather brutal way of feeding. So… amusing.
Hex clenched his fists. "I swear to whatever gods exist, if you don't shut up—"
> Speaking of shutting up… you might want to silence the mother.
Hex's blood ran cold.
The woman.
She was gone.
His head snapped toward the open doors. Her terrified wails echoed through the night as she ran.
She's going to tell everyone.
For a split second, he hesitated.
Then, he muttered, "Screw it. She'd have done the same thing in my place."
He bolted after her.
He chased her. She fought like hell. But she was only human.
The woman was fast, but she had no magic—no real way to fight back.
The struggle was bloody. Messy. He had to rip her apart with sheer brutality.
His hunger flared again. He drank her.
More Bloody Points. More Exp.
The system purred.
[STATUS SCREEN]
Character Name: Hex
Level: 2
Class: Revenant Slave
Title: Cursed Soul
Race: Undead
[Stats]
Exp: 180/200
HP: 15/ 15
Mana: 75 / 75
Stamina: 11
Strength: 8
Agility: 10
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 16
Dark Affinity: 30
Hex couldn't help but smile. Wait! His intelligence had not increased.
He asked his system about it.
> Well that's because you didn't use your to take care of the woman.
Silence.
> Oh, I like this side of you.
Hex wiped his mouth, glaring. "You're fucking sick."
> And you're out of time.
A cold horror settled in his chest.
The sun.
A final alert slammed into his vision.
> The sun rises soon.
Hex cursed. He grabbed the woman's corpse, hauling it back toward the church. He couldn't just leave her body here—someone would find it.
Heart racing, he stumbled through the doors, dragging the bloodied corpse behind him.
The system beeped one last time.
> Congratulations, Hex. You survived another night.
Hex shut his eyes.
This was his life now.