CHAPTER 25-NOTIFICATIONS(edited)
A sharp chime rang in my ears, cutting through the fog of exhaustion clouding my mind.
Ding!
A translucent screen materialized before my unfocused eyes, its glowing text barely registering as my body lay sprawled on the cold, bloodstained ground.
[System Notifications]
Ding! WARNING! Player health critically low!
Another notification appeared, flashing red. Then another. And another. My blurred vision was flooded with system messages, each one more urgent than the last.
Ding! Player must consume a Health Potion immediately!
Ding! Player MP is depleted. Low Regeneration and all recovery abilities are temporarily suspended!
Ding! WARNING: Player will die in 10 seconds!
My breath came in ragged gasps, each inhalation a struggle against the crushing weight pressing down on my chest. Every fiber of my being screamed in agony—torn muscles, fractured bones, the lingering burn of overused mana.
My limbs refused to obey. Even the simple act of blinking felt like a monumental effort.
10… 9… 8…
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. My vision darkened at the edges.
3… 2… 1…
Ding! ERROR! ERROR!
A piercing ring exploded in my skull, sending a shockwave through my consciousness. My body convulsed involuntarily, an unseen force surging within me.
Ding! ERROR! UNKNOWN ENERGY UNLEASHED FROM PLAYER'S BODY!
DETECTING… ERROR! ERROR!
A sudden, unnatural silence blanketed the battlefield.
[Ding! UNIDENTIFIED ENERGY DETECTED!]
[PLAYER BLOODLINE IS AWAKENING!]
[WARNING: BLOODLINE POTENTIAL EXCEEDS SYSTEM LIMITS!]
[WORLD WILL INTERVENTION REQUIRED—DETECTING BLOODLINE…]
[DETECTION SUCCESSFUL!]
[ONLY THE NAME HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED—RANK EXCEEDS SYSTEM CAPABILITIES!]
[BLOODLINE: ORIGIN DEVOURER PHYSIQUE (???) ]
A deep, resonant hum vibrated through my bones. My body, moments away from death, suddenly felt… alive. More than alive.
It was as if something ancient had stirred within me, shedding its dormant state.
Ding! Bloodline Activation: Origin Devourer Physique (First Stage)
— Unconscious state detected.
— Passive ability activated: Devour Physical Matter.
— Absorbing residual life force, monster cores, and lingering soul fragments…
— Recovering the body…
Ding! Recovery successful!
A wave of vitality slammed into me, a force so potent it felt as though my very cells were reconstructed from scratch.
My shredded muscles knitted together, my shattered bones mended, and the searing pain that had chained me in agony… vanished.
But it wasn't just physical.
Something deeper, more primal, stirred within me—an insatiable hunger, an instinct to consume, to assimilate, to grow.
Ding! ERROR! Bloodline passively unleashing itself!
[Soul Absorption (A) Activated.]
— High-density soul energy detected from slain Mutants and Boss-class entities.
— Extracting…
— Successfully absorbed +36.5 Soul Points.
— Soul Progress: 12.3 → 48.8 Soul Points.
The moment my soul absorbed the residual essence of the fallen monsters, I felt… denser.
As if my very existence had solidified, grown heavier, like an unshakable pillar that no force could topple.
But the process wasn't over.
[Mana Absorption Process Initiated.]
— Absorbing unstable energy from corpses…
— Refining into pure mana…
[+10 MP]
[+100 MP]
[+10 MP]
…
— Total MP Gained: +1,925 MP
— MP Progress: 800 → 2,725 / 2,725
Unlike before, when mana would flood my body in chaotic, uncontrolled bursts, this time… it was different.
There was no rejection, no backlash.
Instead, the energy flowed seamlessly, naturally, as if my body had finally embraced its true nature.
[EXP Absorption Process Completed.]
— Devouring latent energy from monsters…
[+106,450 EXP Gained]
— EXP Progress: 12,300 → 118,750 / 200,000
Then, the final notification appeared.
[Bloodline Evolution in Progress…]
— Reinforcing skeletal density, muscle fibers, and energy pathways…
— Further refinements locked until the next threshold is reached.
A deep calm settled over me.
My mind was sharper, more focused than ever before.
I could sense everything.
The subtle shift in the air. The faintest vibrations beneath the ground. The lingering traces of killing intent from corpses that had yet to fade.
As if the world itself was whispering its secrets directly into my mind.
And my soul…
It felt heavy, dense, and yet completely in my control.
I flexed my fingers, my body responding with eerie precision, as if I had been reforged into something beyond human.
A sigh escaped my lips.
This bloodline… what the hell is it?
Who were my parents?
And why does my very existence defy the system itself?
My gaze drifted to the lingering notifications.
[Title Acquired: Irregular]
— You have been classified as an anomaly by the system.
— Your existence no longer follows conventional system growth.
— Some system restrictions have been lifted.
— Further details available in the Titles section.
An anomaly?
"Status," I muttered, and a familiar window materialized before me. I tapped on my new title.
[Title: Irregular]
Effect:
A rare anomaly within the system. Unlike typical users, their growth does not follow a set path, and their abilities evolve in unpredictable ways. While not immune to the system's influence, they operate outside its conventional structure, making them difficult to analyze or control.
Benefits:
— Hidden Presence: System entities cannot fully analyze or track the user's potential and growth trajectory.
— Unlocked Shop Access: The user can now access all items in the System Shop, including previously restricted ones.
My fingers clenched into a fist.
This title… it's beyond broken.
My growth is unpredictable even to the system?
And more importantly…
There are system users.
This is going to be troublesome
That means…
The system exists for everyone. But some people have unique versions of it, tailored specifically for them.
That explains a lot…
Sigh…
Is this what that woman's voice meant when she told me not to trust anyone, not even the system?
For now, I'll keep that in mind. There's too much I don't know yet.
Next… Hidden Presence.
The system can't fully analyze me anymore. That's a huge advantage.
I don't know how powerful the system is—or who controls it—but if even it struggles to track me, that means I have something no one else does.
Now, the Shop Access…
I can access everything now?
Before, I was restricted to low-tier items based on my level. But now…
There are no limitations.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my excitement down.
No—calm down. Breathe.
I need to process all of this carefully. Too much has happened at once.
First, I'll digest my gains. Then, I'll decide my next move.