The fire had long died out. Kael sat among the ruins of his village, wind howling through broken wood and scattered ash. His hands trembled as he clutched a bloodied scythe—once used to harvest wheat, now dripping with the lifeblood of monsters. He didn't remember grabbing it. He only remembered the screaming. The villagers. His mother. The flash of red eyes in the smoke. Then nothing—until now. And then it came. A sharp pain in his head, like a spike being driven through his thoughts. His vision darkened. And then…
<< SYSTEM ACTIVATING... >>
<< Soulbound Reaper Interface booting... >>
<< Syncing soul: 99% >>
A glowing interface bloomed before him, ethereal and wrong. His heart raced. "What… is this?" he whispered.
Welcome, Kael Ardyn.
Class: [Reaper] assigned.
Objective: Harvest souls to survive.
Starting Ability: [Soul Sense] unlocked.
From the smoldering ruin, a low growl echoed. A monstrous beast—horned, scaled, dragging a blade-stuck leg—limped toward him. A lesser demon. Kael stood, the scythe now humming with dark energy. He didn't feel scared. He felt something else —like the weapon was part of him now. The system flashed again.
<< New Quest: Slay the Demon >>
Reward: 20 Soul Fragments + Skill: Soul Rend
Failure: Death
The demon lunged. Kael moved on instinct. He ducked beneath its claws, spun, and the scythe whistled through the air. It didn't cut flesh. It tore through soul. The demon collapsed before it realized it was dead. Kael staggered back, panting.
<< Quest Complete >>
+20 Soul Fragments
Skill unlocked: Soul Rend
As the wind blew away the ash, Kael looked toward the horizon—toward the capital city of Loria, and beyond it, the unknown. He didn't know why this was happening to him. But something deep inside told him: the world would hate what he was becoming. And he would show them why they were right to fear it.