StarR1ser

In Nyxterra, strength is law, and the weak are nothing but stepping stones for the strong. Dante Varros learned this truth the hard way.

Born an orphan, he clawed his way into Arcadia Academy, the world’s strongest institution, only to be crushed beneath the heels of noble heirs who saw him as nothing more than entertainment. Beaten, humiliated, and left to rot.

Fifteen years of suffering. Fifteen years of helplessness.

Then came his fifteenth birthday—and with it, his awakening.

Hunter. A power that feeds on death. Anything he kills, he can plunder—abilities, talents, skills, even lifespan.

His first prey? The noble heir who had spent years making his life hell.

He struck without mercy. No hesitation. No regret. He watched the light fade from their eyes and took what was rightfully his.

Now, Dante moves in the shadows and the light, hunting the strong, stealing their power, and carving his name into a world ruled by monsters in human skin.

War looms. Factions rise and fall. The gods of this world feast on the weak.

But Dante is no one’s prey.

He is the predator.

And he will slaughter his way to the top.

Dominion of the Slain

The morning of graduation arrived with the weight of expectation suffocating the academy halls. Students adorned in their ceremonial robes stood in formation, noble heirs preening, lesser-born students standing stiff with quiet pride or simmering resentment.

For Dante, it was simply another step forward.

The massive Skyward Atrium, the heart of Arcadia Academy, stood as the venue for the ceremony. A place where the strongest of the new generation were recognized and unleashed upon the world.

Towering crystalline banners shimmered under the floating luminescent orbs overhead. The Academy's highest officials stood on the grand stage, presided over by Orion Vaelthorne, SSS-Rank Headmaster, his presence alone a suffocating force pressing down on all. Even the most arrogant heirs held their tongues under his gaze.

Dante stood among the faceless crowd, his cold eyes scanning the sea of graduates, but his focus narrowed to Jared and Meren.

They stood tall, basking in the prestige of their lineage, unaware of the fate that awaited them beyond these walls.

The ceremony began with pompous speeches, empty words of unity and responsibility. The academy prided itself on churning out the elites of Nyxterra, warriors, leaders, and pioneers. But Dante knew the truth—this was a breeding ground for power and ambition, a battlefield masked as an institution.

And today, he was stepping off that battlefield, no longer prey, but a predator.

His name echoed through the vast hall, a footnote among the grand declarations of future legends. An orphan. A nobody. A ghost in the records of Arcadia Academy. He stepped forward, accepting his insignia—a small crystalline emblem denoting his graduation.

He felt the sneers even without looking.

A powerless commoner had survived Arcadia? He was an anomaly that should have been crushed under noble boots.

They would all regret it soon enough.

The moment the ceremony ended, the graduates dispersed, some forming new allegiances, others already rushing to leave for their respective families and factions.

Jared and Meren were leaving together. Their arrogance assured them they had nothing to fear.

He followed from a distance, the bustling academy halls thinning out as they approached the outer gates. Beyond those gates, the city awaited, and beyond that, freedom.

He moved, weaving through the thinning crowds.

The Chains of Weakness