The Hellborn System

Pain.

It was the first thing Draven felt as he slowly regained consciousness. His body ached as if every muscle had been torn apart and stitched back together. His head throbbed, his skin burned, and his throat was dry as sand.

He opened his eyes.

A red interface floated before him, glowing with an eerie light.

> [SYSTEM INTEGRATION COMPLETE]

[WELCOME, DRAVEN XYROS, TO THE HELLBORN SYSTEM]

Draven blinked, trying to process what he was seeing.

A system? Like the ones ability users had?

But something about this felt… different. Wrong.

A sudden wave of information flooded his mind, forcing him to grit his teeth. Memories—no, not memories—knowledge of something ancient and forbidden.

The Hellborn System wasn't like the ones used by humans. It wasn't part of Earth's ability registry.

It was something else entirely.

> [STATUS]

A new window appeared before him.

[Name]: Draven Xyros

[Race]: Human (?)

[Rank]: Unawakened

[Level]: 1

[EXP]: 0/100

[Abilities]: None

[Skills]: None

[System Features Unlocked]: Basic Interface, Status, Inventory, Quests, System Log

[Locked Features]: Abilities, Skills, Store, Upgrades, ???

Draven's mind raced.

This wasn't just an ability—it was something bigger.

Most ability users had one power, maybe two if they were gifted. But this system… it had multiple locked features, including a store, upgrades, and even a mysterious option.

What had he just awakened?

> [NEW QUEST: FIRST BLOOD]

Objective: Kill your first enemy

Reward: Unlock 'Skills' Tab

Failure: System remains locked

Draven felt a chill run down his spine.

Kill?

He had never taken a life before. He was just a high school student, powerless until a few minutes ago. But now, this system was telling him he had to kill to progress?

Before he could process further, a low growl echoed through the darkness.

Draven turned sharply.

Something was watching him.

The shadows shifted, and from the depths of the alley, a beast emerged.

It was unlike anything Draven had seen before—twisted, unnatural. Its skin was black and oozed a dark mist, its red eyes glowing with hunger. It had the shape of a hound, but its limbs were too long, its mouth stretching wider than any normal creature's should.

Draven's heart pounded.

He recognized this monster from history lessons.

A Stray Voidbeast.

Creatures like these roamed the outer colonies, attacking soldiers sent on resource missions. But this was Earth. Why was it here?

The beast snarled. It didn't matter.

It was hungry.

Draven instinctively stepped back, his body tense.

> [SYSTEM ALERT: IMMEDIATE THREAT DETECTED]

[RECOMMENDATION: FIGHT OR DIE]

His fists clenched.

This was insane. He had no weapon, no ability—nothing. How was he supposed to fight this thing?

But then…

A sharp, agonizing pain tore through his body.

Draven gasped, falling to his knees as something inside him changed. His blood burned, his veins pulsed, and for a moment, he swore he could hear whispers—dark, ancient voices murmuring in a language he didn't understand.

Then, something unlocked.

> [BLOODLINE AWAKENED: HELLBORN HERITAGE]

[Demonic Energy Detected. Generating Initial Ability…]

A new notification appeared.

> [ABILITY UNLOCKED: SIN ABSORPTION (LV.1)]

Description: Absorbs negative emotions from enemies, temporarily strengthening the user. More emotions = more power.

Draven's breath hitched.

He could feel it—the hunger of the ability, pulling at the beast's rage and hunger. A dark warmth filled his chest, and suddenly, his body didn't feel as weak anymore.

The beast lunged.

Draven moved.

Faster than he should have been able to. He barely dodged the attack, rolling to the side as the creature's claws scraped against the pavement.

Something inside him clicked.

The system had given him a power—a way to fight.

He wasn't going to die here.

Draven clenched his fists. His body still felt weak, but the more the beast snarled and raged, the stronger he felt.

Then, a memory from earlier flashed in his mind.

> Kill your first enemy.

His eyes locked onto the Voidbeast.

He knew what he had to do.

The battle was brutal.

Draven wasn't a fighter—not yet. He took hits, his body screaming in pain as claws tore into his arm. But with each wound, his anger grew. His fear turned into something else.

And the more emotions he absorbed, the stronger he became.

A final opening appeared. The Voidbeast lunged again—too predictable this time.

Draven didn't hesitate.

With a roar, he grabbed a nearby metal pipe and swung it with everything he had.

The impact cracked the beast's skull.

It stumbled. Draven didn't stop. He swung again—again—again—again.

Until the Voidbeast stopped moving.

Until blood pooled at his feet.

> [FIRST BLOOD ACHIEVED]

[REWARD: 'SKILLS' TAB UNLOCKED]

Draven fell to his knees, panting. His hands were shaking, covered in blood—his own and the beast's.

He had done it.

He had killed.

And something deep inside him… felt satisfied.

> [NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: HELLBORN REGENERATION (LV.1)]

Description: Passively heals minor wounds over time. Stronger healing requires upgrades.

Draven let out a shaky breath. His wounds were already closing, his pain fading.

This power…

It was terrifying. It was dangerous.

And yet… it was his.

He wasn't weak anymore.

As he slowly stood up, he noticed something strange—the Voidbeast's corpse was disintegrating into dark mist. Within seconds, it was gone, as if it had never existed.

Draven's eyes narrowed.

Something was very wrong.

Why was there a Voidbeast in the city? Why did this system feel so different from the ones humans used?

And why did he feel like… he was no longer just human?

He clenched his fists.

Tomorrow was the ability awakening test.

The world had abandoned him before. But now?

Now, he had power.

And he was going to make sure everyone knew it.