The act itself was a blur of desperate, instinctual violence overlaid with a profound, soul-tearing self-loathing. Kai didn't remember the specifics of the confrontation with the three gaunt scavengers around the fire barrel, only the overwhelming surge of the Dragon System's hunger imperative, a force that had seemed to move his limbs for him. There had been brief, terrified shouts, the clumsy thud of bodies falling, and then the sickeningly sweet, coppery taste again, stronger this time, accompanied by a surge of raw, alien energy coursing through him, pushing back the encroaching weakness, the dizziness, the systemic dread.
He came back to himself kneeling in the dirt, the fire barrel casting flickering, accusatory shadows on the scene. The three scavengers lay still, their forms subtly… diminished, like the thugs at the loading platform, though less dramatically so. The Dragon System, it seemed, had been more efficient, or perhaps less explosively desperate, in its assimilation this time.
[VITAL ESSENCE ASSIMILATED (3x Low-Grade Humanoid – Malnourished/Weakened).] [Draconic Energy Reserves: 85% (Restored to Operational Level).] [Minor Attribute Enhancements (Permanent – Low Quality Essence):]
+1 Agility (Permanent)
+1 Perception (Permanent) [SYSTEM ADVISORY: Assimilation of weakened Vital Essence provides minimal evolutionary benefit and suboptimal energy conversion. Host should prioritize healthier, more potent sources for sustained growth and System stability. Current energy reserves will deplete within 48 standard hours under normal exertion levels without further sustenance.] [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: EXPERIENCE POINTS (EXP) GAINED: 15. CURRENT LEVEL: 1 (15/100 EXP TO LEVEL 2).]
More permanent stat boosts. And something new: Experience Points. EXP. Like in Leo's games. The absurdity of it, the grotesque gamification of what he had just done, made Kai want to scream. He had taken three lives – desperate, wretched lives, perhaps, but lives nonetheless – and this… this thing inside him had rewarded him with points, like he'd completed a tutorial level.
He scrambled away from the scene, vomiting violently into the dust, his body wracked with shudders that had nothing to do with the pre-dawn chill. The physical hunger was sated, replaced by an even deeper, more corrosive hunger in his soul – a hunger for absolution, for an escape he knew was impossible.
The journey back to his apartment was made in a haze of guilt and fear. The System's azure navigation line was a mocking guide, leading him through the awakening streets of District 7. He looked like himself again, the System having apparently retracted any overt physical manifestations of its power once its energy reserves were replenished. But he felt irrevocably tainted, a monster hidden beneath a familiar skin.
He managed to slip into the apartment just as his mother was preparing to leave for her shift. She looked tired, her face etched with worry lines that seemed deeper than usual. "Kai! You're back so early!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of relief and concern. "That courier job… was it alright? You look… pale, son. Are you eating properly?" She reached out to touch his forehead, her calloused hand surprisingly gentle.
Kai flinched almost imperceptibly from her touch, terrified that she might somehow sense the alien coldness within him, the taint of what he'd done. "Fine, Ma," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "Just… a long night. Rough route. I'm okay. Just need some sleep." The lies came easily, too easily, and each one felt like another betrayal.
Elara, his younger sister, emerged from their shared sleeping space, rubbing her eyes. "Kai! Did you bring me anything?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep. He usually tried to save a few credits from his runs to buy her a small treat – a synth-fruit bar, a cheap data-chip with a children's story. Today, he had nothing but blood on his conscience and the System's cold tally of EXP in his mind. "Not this time, squirt," he said, his voice rougher than he intended. "Maybe next time." He saw the flicker of disappointment in her eyes and it felt like another stab to his already shredded heart.
He retreated to his alcove, feigning exhaustion, and collapsed onto his mattress, the curtain drawn tight, shutting out the meager light and the worried gazes of his family. He couldn't face them. Not now. Not while the System's interface still glowed in his vision, a constant reminder of his monstrous bargain.
Alone in the suffocating darkness, he forced himself to confront it, to try and understand the rules of this horrifying new game he was trapped in. 'System,' he thought, his mental voice trembling. 'Explain EXP. Explain leveling. How… how do I get stronger? How do I control this… this Draconic Power Source?'
The System responded instantly, its text cool and precise: [EXPERIENCE POINTS (EXP): Acquired through successful completion of designated objectives, assimilation of potent Vital Essence, and effective utilization of Draconic abilities in challenging scenarios. EXP is crucial for increasing Host Level.] [HOST LEVEL: Represents the overall integration and development of the Draconic Power Source within the Host. Each level increase unlocks: 1. Permanent enhancements to Core Attributes (STR, VIT, AGI, PER, COG, DRA). 2. Access to new tiers of Draconic Abilities & Arts. 3. Increased Draconic Energy Reserve capacity. 4. Potential for new System functions and evolutionary pathways.] [CONTROL PROTOCOL: Enhanced control over Draconic Power Source and its manifestations is primarily achieved through: 1. Increased Draconic Affinity (DRA) attribute. 2. Acquisition and mastery of specific Draconic Arts related to Anima/Energy regulation. 3. Successful completion of System-designated 'Control & Integration' Quests (to be issued at appropriate evolutionary junctures).]
So, getting stronger, gaining control, it all came back to the same horrifying cycle: confronting "challenging scenarios" (which likely meant more violence), assimilating "potent Vital Essence" (more killing, more feeding), and completing whatever "quests" this alien intelligence decided to issue.
As if on cue, a new notification appeared: [NEW OBJECTIVE ISSUED (TUTORIAL – OBSERVATION PROTOCOL):] QUEST: The Lay of the Land Objective 1: Observe and identify three distinct local power structures (e.g., street crews, black market nodes, enforcer patrols) within District 7 residential/commercial zones (0/3). Objective 2: Analyze primary modus operandi and perceived threat level of each identified structure (0/3). Objective 3: Report findings to System via mental log within 24 standard hours.Rewards for Completion: +50 EXP, +1 Basic Info-Broker Contact (Low-Level). Failure Penalty: Minor temporary debuff to Perception attribute (24 hours). Accept Quest? [Y/N]
A quest. A "tutorial." It wanted him to scout the local gangs. To analyze them. Was it preparing him for future conflicts? Or future meals? The "Basic Info-Broker Contact" reward was a tangible, if minor, benefit in his old life. Now, it just felt like another hook, another way for the System to integrate him into its horrifying agenda.
He stared at the "Accept?" prompt, a wave of utter despair washing over him. He was trapped. Every path to survival, to control, to understanding this thing inside him, seemed to lead through a landscape of violence, predation, and moral compromise. He was a courier who had dreamed of being a hero like Leon, the district's lone MOD. Now, he was something else entirely, something that fed on the desperate, something that was being groomed by an alien System for an unknown, terrifying purpose.
The price of survival was proving to be far greater than he could ever have imagined. And this, he knew with a chilling certainty, was only the beginning.