Chapter 7 – The First Hunt

The weight of the revelation still pressed against Raizen's chest.

The Law of Predation.

A system that did not care for morality, legacy, or ambition. It existed beyond kings and emperors, beyond the gods themselves. And now, it had become a part of him.

The world had always told him power belonged to those who were born into it—to those who trained, schemed, or inherited their way to the top.

But the truth was much simpler.

Power belonged to those who took it.

And tonight, Raizen would take his first step.

Raizen emerged from the Forbidden Archives beneath the city, his golden eyes gleaming faintly in the dim moonlight. The streets were quiet, the distant hum of the capital's nightlife echoing through the alleys.

He clenched his fist. The power inside him had changed.

It wasn't just raw strength—it was instinct. A refined, sharpened edge lurking beneath his skin. He could feel the abilities of those he had taken, merging with his own.

But instinct was not enough.

He needed to push his limits.

A slow breath left his lips. His eyes flickered toward the slums—a district crawling with predators. Criminals, mercenaries, low-ranking enforcers of the corrupt noble houses.

He had once avoided them.

Now, he sought them out.

A group of men stood gathered beneath a flickering streetlamp. Their voices were hushed, their movements wary. They were discussing business—money, stolen goods, a noble's bribe for silence.

Raizen's steps were silent as he approached.

"Two years ago, I wouldn't have stood a chance."

Back then, he was just another nameless survivor, scraping by in a world that had already decided his worth.

"Now, let's see how much I've changed."

The moment they sensed his presence, the men turned. Five of them. Weapons tucked beneath their coats. Their gazes sharp.

"Who the hell are you?" one of them growled.

Raizen didn't answer.

He moved.

Faster than he ever had before.

One moment he was standing at the edge of the alley—the next, he was already in front of them.

A fist struck the first man's jaw before he could react. Bone cracked, his body twisting mid-air before slamming into the wall.

The second barely had time to draw his knife.

Raizen caught his wrist—twisted—then felt it.

The moment of predation.

As the man's strength was siphoned, a rush of knowledge flooded into Raizen's mind. The way the man held his knife, the way he moved—it wasn't just technique.

It was experience.

And now it belonged to him.

The third lunged.

Raizen turned smoothly, his body moving as if he had trained for years.

Except he hadn't.

He had simply taken it.

The strike was precise. A single blow to the ribs, snapping them inward. The man crumpled, gasping for air.

The last two hesitated.

For the first time, they realized what they were dealing with.

"You… you're not normal," one of them stammered, stepping back.

Raizen tilted his head.

"Neither are you."

Because he could feel it now.

A faint hum beneath the man's skin. A presence different from the others.

An awakened.

Raizen's fingers twitched.

The man realized his mistake and turned to run—but it was too late.

Raizen moved like a phantom, his body propelled by instincts that were not entirely his own. His hand closed around the back of the man's neck, slamming him into the pavement.

The moment their skin made contact, Raizen felt it.

The power inside the man was… strange.

Unlike the stolen abilities from before, this one felt structured. Controlled.

A system.

The man's body convulsed. "Wait—wait, please! You don't know what you're doing!"

Raizen's grip tightened.

He wanted to know.

The hunger surged again, pulling him deeper into the man's essence. It wasn't just physical strength—it was something deeper.

A different set of rules.

The man screamed.

Raizen's mind was suddenly flooded with images.

—A dark chamber, torches burning against stone walls—

—Men in robes, whispering forbidden words—

—A sigil, carved into skin—

—And a voice. Cold. Absolute.** "The Cycle is Absolute."**

Raizen's eyes snapped open.

His breath was ragged.

The man beneath him had stopped moving.

A new weight settled in Raizen's chest.

This power…

It wasn't just about taking strength.

It was about taking knowledge.

And now, he understood.

Raizen wiped the blood from his hands, his heart still pounding.

There were others like him.

People who had awakened to the Law of Predation.

Some had stumbled upon it like he had.

Others… had been chosen.

A secret society operating in the shadows, bound by laws older than the kingdom itself.

The Cycle is Absolute.

Raizen exhaled, his lips curling into a slow smirk.

This just got interesting.

TO BE CONTINUED...