ChrisLingayo

Lumberling, a 42-year-old civil engineer, grew numb to the monotonous rhythm of modern life. Hoping to rekindle his sense of wonder, he set out on a solitary nature trip, only to stumble upon an ancient, forgotten pyramid. A strange red light burst forth, killing him instantly… and binding itself to his soul.

Cast adrift in the void, his soul found no rest, until he awoke in the body of a young foot soldier, bleeding and broken on a war-torn battlefield in a world not his own.

Determined not to die again, Lumberling fights to survive in this brutal new realm where knights clash with monsters, kingdoms rise and fall, and mysterious powers shape the fate of nations.

Armed with a strange ability to devour the essence of those he slays, he begins to carve out a new path, one forged by blood, strength, and sheer will.

But power alone may not be enough. In a world where danger lurks in every shadow, and ancient forces stir in the dark, can a lost soul rise above fate… or will he be consumed by the very essence he seeks to control?

The Devouring Knight

The sun had begun its slow descent, casting the land in a slanted gold as Lumberling and Skitz emerged from the tree line, the battered scent of war still clinging to them, ash, blood, and smoke trailing in their wake.

They stepped into the clearing that marked the edge of the battlefield's perimeter, and stopped.

A ripple of aura hit Lumberling like a shift in the wind. Not dangerous. But heavy. Alive. New.

"What the…" Skitz muttered beside him, eyes narrowing.

Ahead, near the base camp's perimeter fires, stood Aren.

The hobgoblin youth had grown taller, by at least half a head. His shoulders had broadened, his muscle mass thickened and defined. Gone was the gangly, quick-footed figure of before. What now stood there was a war-born shape, hardened by scars and sharpened by battle.

Chapter 98: The First Step, The Final Rites