The world no longer needed more signs to prove it had changed forever.It was enough to look at the cracked skies or the deformed creatures prowling the forests to understand.
At the bastion, Rob organized the first official expedition.It wasn't a mission driven by the need for food—it was something far more important.
During the recent battles, they had discovered that the corpses of beasts left behind luminous crystals, similar to finely cut gems. After some testing, these crystals proved to be an incredibly dense energy source: perfect for powering generators, strengthening defenses, and eventually building new technologies.
Moreover, the beasts' bodies—their bones, hides, and tendons—were much more resistant than any traditional metal or fiber.
Hunting mutated beasts had become a strategic necessity.
—"We're not hunting for sport,"—Rob said during the pre-mission briefing—"We're hunting to survive. To grow."
The initial team would consist of:
-Rob
-Alan
-Marlon
-Matthew (under direct supervision)
-Two other trusted members, all with activated abilities.
The objective was clear: explore a five-kilometer radius around the bastion, collect crystals, and gauge the strength of local creatures.
The expedition advanced cautiously.
The nearby forest, once a peaceful place, was now a labyrinth of shadows and strange whispers. Trees with pulsing roots. Plants that seemed to watch them.
Rob led the way, his perception sharpened by his ability.Every step was a battle against the instinct to flee.
Suddenly, the silence broke.
—"Movement at three o'clock!"—Alan shouted.
From among the trees, a monster emerged.
It wasn't like the F-level beasts they had repelled before.This creature stood over three meters tall, its skin black and glossy like obsidian, its mouth overflowing with jagged fangs.
An E+ level monster.
Rob knew it instantly.The pressure it emanated was different.Denser.Deadlier.
—"Defensive formation!"—he commanded.
The monster charged like a runaway train.
Rob dodged at the last moment, feeling the ground tremble under the impact.Marlon used his Shield ability to protect Matthew, who nimbly used his Swift Steps to evade danger.
Alan tried to distract the beast by hastily erecting small barricades with his Construction ability.
But the monster was brutal.With a single swipe, it shredded a tree like it was paper.
Rob knew a direct confrontation would be suicide.They had to wear it down.
—"Attack its legs! Bring it down!"—Rob roared.
Together, they managed to destabilize the creature.
That was when Rob struck.
He lunged at the monster, placing both hands against its deformed torso.
He activated Energy Absorption.
A wild torrent of power surged into him.Painful, searing... but vitalizing.
The monster roared in agony, visibly weakening.
Rob gritted his teeth and continued absorbing until, with a final, desperate groan, the creature collapsed, dead.
As soon as the body stopped moving, a crystal the size of a human head emerged from its chest.
But Rob barely noticed.
Inside his mind, something shattered.
[Survival System: Level Up][New Level: E]
A surge of power coursed through his body.
His muscles tightened, his vision sharpened, his awareness expanded.
Rob fell to his knees, gasping for air.
—"Are you okay?"—Alan asked, rushing over.
Rob nodded slowly.
—"I leveled up..."—he whispered, almost disbelieving.
Alan and the others stared at him in astonishment.
Rob was the first of the bastion—and probably one of the first in the world—to achieve a real evolution in such a short time.
Later that night, sitting alone in a clearing near the bastion, Rob gazed at the cracked sky.
He felt the energy surging through his body like never before.Stronger, faster, more perceptive.
And yet... he also felt the burden.
Every step he took forward widened the distance between him and the others.
He remembered the family he had lost in his past life.He remembered his promise.
He would not become a tyrant.He would not become a monster.
He would be the shield that protected his people from the horror to come.
He clenched his fists, staring at the broken stars.
—"I'll do whatever it takes,"—he whispered—"For them. For all of them."
He stood up.
The World Devourer had taken its first real step.
As Rob returned to the bastion, the internet was still barely functioning.
The news was a parade of tragedies:
-Paris: fallen.
-Moscow: invaded.
-Tokyo: annihilated by a titanic monster from the ocean.
The images were unbearable: entire cities turned into smoldering ruins.
The old world was dying.
And a new, merciless world was being born amidst flames and blood.
Rob stared at the screen one last time before shutting it off.
He knew his true enemy had not yet shown its face.
But when it did...
Rob would be ready.