And then—the System activated.
A voice echoed through the ruins of the boy's mind. Feminine. Ancient. Merciless.
"Now release."
With that single command, chaos spread across the planet.
The decaying body of the Fallen One had birthed monsters—creatures of the abyss, known as Nephlite Demons. These grotesque beings, forged from void and hatred, swept across the land like a plague of nightmares. They overwhelmed humanity, devouring half the planet in mere months.
The world shattered.
Humanity fractured.
Children were forced to grow teeth before they learned to walk. At the tender age of five, survival became their only game. The rich adapted quickly—hoarding resources and dividing society into brutal layers: the inner nobility, the fortified middle, and the forgotten outskirts.
The poor? They were pushed to the edges of the cities, clinging to ruins and shadows, where hope went to die. Food became sacred. Parents, desperate, sometimes chose which child to feed… and which to eat. Children learned to flee their own blood, for even love could turn monstrous when stomachs growled.
Fights broke out daily. Corpses piled higher. Even rats became rare delicacies—if one was lucky enough to catch one and not be slaughtered for it. Those who were caught with a full belly were often murdered, their bodies devoured to feed the hunger of many.
But that… that was just the beginning.
From the outer zones, something worse came: the Abyss Energy.
Those too weak, too far from protection, began to lose their minds. Without powers, without resistance, they went insane—turning into twisted beasts or empty shells. Only the noble zones had protection, guarded by the First Generation of Awakeners, heroes who had survived the first demon onslaught. They had killed many—but not without wounds.
Yet from those very demon corpses, humans found power.
Beast cores to absorb. Skin and bones to forge into weapons. Strength, bought in blood.
Even the demons learned.
By consuming humans—nobles or commoners alike—they evolved. Flesh fed their hunger. Cores fed their darkness.
Among the forsaken outskirts, a boy ran for his life.
Barefoot. Bleeding. Starving.
He had begged his parents—emaciated, bone-thin, broken things—for food.
Their reply?
"Go fend for yourself," his father had laughed cruelly. "We're not responsible for you now, are we?"
He and his brother had always been told the same. "Survive or die."
But this time… something changed.
As hunger and despair tore at his mind, his vision shifted. Everything dimmed—then pulsed. His eyes burned. A black screen appeared before him.
{Skill Unlocked: Eyes of Holiness}
Pain exploded in his skull. His eyes bled. He screamed.
His elder brother rushed over, alarmed. "What's happening to your eyes?!"
The moment he looked into them, he froze. His face contorted.
Then—he screamed. Blood erupted from his mouth.
"AHH! STOP IT! PLEASE—STOP IT!!"
"I—I don't know how to!!" the boy cried.
In panic, he turned his gaze away and looked back at the screen.
[Fazing Eyes]: Your eyes can pass through most physical barriers. Few things can hide from your gaze.[Soul Damage]: Due to your awakened bloodline, your eyes slightly harm the soul of anyone who meets them.
Realizing what he had done, the boy clenched his eyes shut.
His brother collapsed, gasping for breath. "W-What did you do… to me?" he whispered, grabbing the boy's collar with trembling hands.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just awakened my ability"
Silence.
The boy thought his brother would praise him—for awakening a power. For surviving.
Instead, his brother looked at him with horror.
Then—he pissed himself.
And ran.
Ran as if the boy were a demon.
Ran screaming for help.
The boy stood there, heart breaking as the last person he trusted fled from him.
His knees gave out.
He cried. Alone.
He wandered for hours.
Until he found the cliff.
He looked down.
The wind whispered promises of peace.
He stepped forward.
"Maybe... maybe it's better to die."
He was just six.
He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks.
But as he turned to walk away—something pushed him.
His eyes widened in shock.
He looked up.
There—smiling down with madness in his eyes—was his brother.
Laughing.
Like a lunatic.
"N-no…"
The wind roared as he fell.
The world spun.
Pain seared his mind—his eyes flaring to life again.
But he was too far. The ability couldn't reach his traitor.
All he could do... was think.
Why? Why did I trust him?
Tears fell, carried away by the air.
His hair fluttered in the wind—black and white, with a hint of gold. His eyes, too sharp, too striking for a child.
He looked like a mirror of the Fallen One.
But beauty didn't matter.
Not when the ground was so close.
"So this is how I die... huh?"
"No one will cry even if i die here any ways."
"But if I had the time… just a little more time… I swear—I'd kill my brother."
"I'd even give up my cycle of reincarnation… for that one thing."