My name is Rael Leger. There isn't much to know about me other than I worked hard. Real damn hard. I had no sisters, no brothers, a long dead mother and a father that was overprotective of me, a grown ass man. Always judging the friends I made, the women I dated, the actions I took.

  But I did as I pleased, because I was meant for more. I was a chick in an egg, waiting for the right temperature to crack the egg, to be free of my prison. To get the glory I deserved. To have my name known and respected by all.

  And this incident presented the perfect opportunity for me.

  I pulled my mark-stone from my [personal space], watching as the holographic interface lifted off the screen. A list of recorded files from the stealth recorders appeared before me.

  I stood among three other Vanquishers. The two men wore silver pants and simple, thigh-length red trousers, with matching red head coverings. The woman wore the same colors—her red dress complemented by a silver sari. But all of us bore the same distinguishing mark: a small silver chain around our necks, holding a red sphere depicting a cracked ground.

  We were Terrafall-born humans.

  "Anyone found the doctor? Cocksucker must know something," Tesla muttered, leaning against what was left of a building—well, half of one.

  My best friend turned to my fiancé. "Someone did. Found him in the stomach of one of those creatures." He shifted his weight before adding, "Speaking of, what's their designated name? 'Cause they sure as hell ain't just monsters."

  We all knew why—monsters had EPOs. These things didn't.

  William, who had barely spoken since his father's execution, finally broke his silence. "HQ's calling 'em 'Unknown Man-Eaters.' UME for short."

  I scoffed at the laziness of the name, but before I could say anything, something in one of the recordings caught my eye. One of the UMEs was chasing a brown-haired girl.

  It was speaking to her.

  That alone should’ve been insignificant—these things were called man-eaters for a reason. But then the stealth recorder, a small cylindrical device, was knocked to the ground when the building it was attached to collapsed.

  The footage turned into a mess of static and debris. Just a waste of time—until I saw something.

  At the very edge of the holographic display, a girl with brown hair flickered into view. Her hands glowed red.

  I frowned. A recording glitch? Maybe. But I strained my eyes, tracking the red as it followed her hands. Then she was gone, slipping out of the recorder’s vision.

  I opened another file.

  This time, it was him. The red-and-yellow-haired boy. The rising legend, Ferzan. He was helping her, going out of his way to save her.

  Who the hell was she?

  Red hands. A UME speaking to her. Ferzan going out of his way for her.

  She was important.

  I had to find out why. Was she involved? Did she know something?

  And, more importantly, if she was, I could use this.

  A damn promotion.

  Tesla's arms suddenly wrapped around my chest, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  "What is it? What got you so damn distracted?" she purred.

  I already knew what was coming. A chill ran down my spine.

  "Damn it. Don’t—"

  Too late.

  She laughed, grinding her hips against me at an obnoxiously fast pace. "Take that! And that! Now you're pregnant!"

  We were both twenty-eight, but the way she acted, you’d think we were still in high school. I knew her since then. We dated, broke up, and repeat... and repeat.

  I didn’t care what she did at the moment. Not when I might’ve just stumbled across a treasure chest.

  Hell, I might even earn the King's acknowledgment. The King of all people... The King who rarely showed himself in public. I had never seen him, most people didn't.

  There existed rumors.

  That there wasn't actually any King.

  That the King was horribly sick.

  But I didn't believe in them. I didn't want to. If I did... then my greatest goal would be pointless.

  Everyone knew the old King, King Olerath Rerown. A man who kept throwing us into wars and conflicts both on the continent and across the sea. A man who always talked to himself, mumbling words like no one else could hear him. Holvious created rumors about him that stuck like glue. One that had no damn evidence or story to stand on.

  The quote was unforgettable:

  'You come bringing war to our doorsteps, crying glory to your country. Glory to your King. No king that fucks his own daughter and son's in the ass shall rule our lands.'

  The rumor spread across the entire world like wildfire. They knew it wasn't true, they didn't care. So many nations boosted those rumors, claiming it was true. And eventually, our citizens believed it. If Falsker was alive during that time, he would have list in his PEACE IS HEARTLESS book. Perhaps adding it to the many reasons why he thought killing all humans is a just thing.

  I took in a deep breath and pushed away all these negative thoughts. Thinking about the possible rewards.

  I worked for this. I was born for this.

  The thought sent a thrill through me. I powered off my mark-stone, cutting the hologram mid-screen. I was keeping this to myself for as long as possible. I wanted the praise, the glory, all for myself.

  Looking up, I stared at the moon against the star crowded sky, clouds drifting lazily across its surface. Tesla followed my gaze, her expression unreadable. Slowly, she began swaying us side to side. "Tonight is your turn to cook."

  I replied, "I know. What'd you want for dinner?"

  "Not sure yet. Whatever you cook I guess."

  I smiled. "Like usual."

  "Exactly."

  All around us, other Vanquishers—groups of four, five, ten—moved through the ruins, searching for evidence, picking up slabs of UME flesh and blood. They sealed the remains in flat glass containers before storing them in their [personal space].

  I clenched my fists.

  Brown-haired girl… I’m coming for you.

  Four hours later.

  I ran.

  The thick green and brown foliage blurred past me, my heartbeat hammering against my ribs, begging for escape.

  Then came the howls.

  Three of them.

  The trees shuddered in fear.

  A damn three-headed wolf was on my tail.

  Wet paws slapped against the earth, the sound unmistakable. I glimpsed the beast through Forwing’s eyes—my bird soared above me, giving me an aerial view.

  Two of the wolf’s necks were badly wounded, deep cuts slicing through its black, water-like fur.

  It didn’t slow down.

  Then, suddenly, all three heads stretched forward, twining together like writhing snakes. Their snarling faces aligned—

  A black, finger-thin beam of water shot toward me.

  I barely ducked in time. Pain flared in my ribs.

  Fucking fuck!

  Ahead, a massive boulder loomed in my path. The water beam reached it first.

  The rock split.

  One clean slice, right down the middle. The left half slid down with a heavy thud.

  I swallowed hard. Whatever plan I had was dead.

  "Forwing! Feather Dance! Now!"

  The bird spun mid-air, shedding white and red feathers in a rapid cascade.

  The feathers multiplied, swelling into a dense, swirling cloud that engulfed us.

  A sudden, piercing sound shot past my leg, then above my head. I wasn’t always lucky—one of them grazed my shoulder. It felt like a bullet had skimmed my skin.

  But that was the worst of it. Thanks to Forwing’s immunity to its own feather dance, we could both see through the storm of feathers with ease.

  I veered sharply to the right, forced by the dense trees forming a natural wall ahead of me. Behind me, there was a loud bang—the sound of trees shattering. That three-headed wolf had definitely crashed into the nest.

  Lucky bastard. God… I would've captured it. When I spoke with Ferzan in private, I actually handed him one of my monsters to make space for myself. He seemed to only keep one or two monsters on him. Even when he fought that Julioes slave, he used the same creepy giant bird.

  Forwing turned back. The wolf was snarling, confused, its three heads twisting in different directions. Nostrils flared and deflated as it desperately tried to lock onto my scent.

  My heart pounded again. I thought I’d been given salvation—only to remember, of course, that a damn dog-like monster had powerful senses.

  Then, all six ears perked and curved toward me.

  What to do… what to do?

  The three-headed beast grinned, its yellowed fangs dripping with hunger. It believed it would finally be rewarded after all this chasing.

  Its body began to glow. I recognized that move—Forwing and Crusbull emitted the same glow whenever they activated some kind of attribute-less dash skill.

  I was about to be torn apart.

  Then, an idea struck me—one so simple, so obvious, even a damn child would’ve thought of it.

  The wolf lunged, soaring through the air.

  Get me out of here, now!

  Forwing’s talons dug into my back, gripping me tightly as it took off. But it wasn’t fast enough. The wolf’s teeth were inches from my head.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Deep dive into the distance!

  Forwing glowed… and just like that, a sudden rush of air slammed against my body. I felt as if I were being yanked backward at high speed. Then—an abrupt stop. The bird released its talons from my back.

  I collapsed to my knees on the soft grass. Eventually, I leaned to the side, my back pressing against the rough bark of a tall tree.

  I lay there for a while, my chest rising and falling. But after a moment, pain set in. I wasn’t sure why—until I felt my chest.

  Blood. A lot of it.

  A deep, jagged cut stretched down to just above my stomach.

  Great… my chest was nearly split open, and I hadn’t even realized it.

  I flexed my fingers, activating my healing aura. It flickered in and out, worse than ever before. Seconds would pass where it vanished entirely, only to flare up for a brief moment.

  And that wasn’t even the worst of it. My mind throbbed, and the barrier between my thoughts and Forwing’s was breaking down—badly.

  I tried to ignore it… but the voices grew louder.

  Kill… kill… kill!

  Return to me now…

  Forwing hesitated, glancing at me before reluctantly flying toward my left hand. The moment it touched my palm, it was sucked inside.

  I exhaled sharply.

  With powers like these, who needed enemies?

  I hated it all—myself, these abilities, whatever I was connected to. Everything.

  I tilted my head back, gazing at the endless stars above. Their beauty, their eternal glow…

  Immortal stars.

  …

  I don’t like hating myself.

  Even if these powers are evil, cursed—even if I’m a blighted existence that brought ruin to my family—these powers are mine.

  When I gained control over them, they helped me survive. They accelerated my recovery.

  And quite frankly, I needed them.

  Even if they hated me as much as I hated them, they had no choice but to obey. When I wanted, how I wanted. Because they belonged to me. They were part of me.

  I did this before—back in that village. I bent them to my will.

  And I’ll do it again.

  No matter how much they fight back.

  I glared at my hands, watching the red healing aura flicker in and out. On, off, on, off.

  My head throbbed as I forced it back every time it tried to fade. It felt like hammering my ether reserves into submission.

  The pain worsened, but the aura grew stronger… richer in red. And then—

  The flickering stabilized?

  No… it was nearly impossible to see, but it still shut off and on. It was just doing so rapidly that it looked stable. And it would function the same.

  I gasped.

  The brightness, the sheer intensity—it was like a damn flashlight in my hands.

  Which meant…

  I pressed my palm over my chest wound.

  Flesh knitted itself back together. Within seconds, the gash had disappeared completely.

  I ran my hands over the rest of my body, erasing every last trace of damage.

  Haha…

  It was powerful. Really powerful.

  But damn—the energy drain was massive. Far worse than before.

  With healing like this… I could be nearly immortal.

  My hands fell to my sides as the aura faded, taking its light with it. Darkness rushed in to fill the void.

  That three-headed wolf I was running from? Level 15.

  And when I ventured deeper into the forest, I found something even more interesting.

  Another dome—another barrier.

  The energy inside was thicker, and I was absorbing ether at a much faster rate. The monsters within were stronger.

  I had officially left my comfort zone.

  Most of my fights so far had been hit-and-run battles.

  And I was still only level 19.

  My hands slid down my thighs, feeling the clumps of dirt that clung to them. My fingers gripped my knees. I massaged them for no particular reason.

  I could feel my ether nearly completely recovered—and… the light of a moving campfire? It flickered in the distance, beyond multiple tall bushes.

  I took a deep breath. I needed more time for my brain to recover. Or did I?

  I stood up, exhausted, then grabbed my head with a certain viciousness, as if seizing ownership of it. My fingers glowed red, and a thick coat of light surged from them.

  The solution was simple. I would heal my brain.

  The walking campfire came to an abrupt halt. It must have spotted me. Good.

  My mind was feeling less sluggish now. Then the bushes between me and the mysterious creature began smoking. The edges of the leaves blackened until, finally, they burst into flames.

  Shooting out of the bush was a horned monkey made entirely of fire—except for its legs. Those were composed of smooth, blue marbles, trembling with each movement. Water swayed inside them, and that water came rushing for my neck, forming a blade as the monkey swung its leg at me.

  I ducked. The swoosh of the water blade sliced the air above me. Then came the sound of the tree I had been resting on—along with many behind it—being cut down in a single slash.

  The flame monkey grabbed its thighs and violently yanked the marbles free. Steam hissed from them as it swung them at me. At the same time, the cut trees crashed to the ground.

  I swung my left hand forward, sending Crusbull out.

  A heated marble pierced through my stomach like a bullet. It exploded against the boulder behind me, releasing scalding hot water that splashed onto my back.

  Pain and shock arched through my body. Crusbull took form—but too late. The rest of the six marbles tore through my stomach like paper.

  I staggered back. I think one hit my spine too. If my bones were any stronger, the marbles would have exploded inside me.

  Ha… hahah. This was… insane.

  Was I worried? A little bit.

  I grabbed my stomach with both hands, pressing my palms against the front and back. Healing energy surged through me. I remained in agony for a few seconds… then, just like that, it faded away.

  I was brand new again.

  The monkey monster tilted its head in confusion, eyes flickering with disbelief. It must have been wondering—how the hell was I not dead?

  I smiled at it, mocking. Then I mouthed the words: W-E-A-K.

  Its eyes twitched. A deep anger rose from its chest. I doubted it understood what I had said, but even a cat could read body language—and mine was obvious.

  I gave Crusbull a command, and rocks began covering my body, forming powerful armor. My favorite skill so far. Although, Feather Dance was climbing the ranks.

  I [inspected] the creature’s level.

  16.

  Huh.

  The monkey dashed at Crusbull, one arm drawn back for a powerful punch. I grabbed Crusbull and pulled it back into my palm, leaving the monkey to strike thin air.

  As it fell toward the ground, I seized its leg and swung it down with all my strength, trying to smother its flames. But it didn’t work.

  Its legs kicked wildly, forcing me to release it. I sent out… a snake. A serpent made of water.

  The monkey flipped onto its feet and lunged for my face, its fiery fangs snapping toward my throat.

  But too bad for it—my earth armor held strong. Its fangs failed to pierce through.

  My water snake suddenly lashed out and coiled around the monkey’s legs.

  It screamed, clawing at the snake with its burning hands. I grabbed one of its arms and pinned it down with my arms and legs. It almost felt like a judo(Or was it... It was some martial art) move—something my ex-boyfriend from Earth had once shown me on his phone.

  The creature easily resisted my weight and strength, thrashing me back and forth. But at least I had limited its attacking potential.

  Now to finish it.

  [Snakes of Water.]

  The serpent answered my command. Suddenly, the ground beneath us turned into a pond.

  The monkey panicked as its back hit the water. A fire-and-water creature still being vulnerable to water. Talk about tragic.

  Then came the next phase.

  More water snakes erupted from the pond, striking with furious bites. Their fangs dug deep into the monkey’s flames, steam rising as the fire flickered. One by one, they coiled around its body, constricting it despite its desperate kicks and screams.

  I released my grip on its arm and got the hell out of the attack zone. The water wasn’t deep—I sank knee-deep before finding solid ground and climbing out.

  From a safe distance, I watched the monkey fight for its life.

  Then… something changed.

  Its fury grew. Its chest heaved. Its head snapped from side to side.

  The flames that had been dying suddenly roared back to life, and the pond began to steam.

  Oh boy.

  To me, now!

  The water snake instantly uncoiled from the monkey’s legs and dashed toward me. I absorbed it into my hand—

  —And ran.

  The flames grew larger and more jagged, igniting the grass around them. The monkey screamed in defiance, like it wanted everyone to look at it. To fear it.

  Then, in an explosion of fire and stone, the monkey was gone.

  The blast expanded outward like a burning sphere, slamming into me and washing over me like a tidal wave. Heat. Intense, searing heat. Then came the sledgehammer blows—pain erupting across my body, each strike punctuated by deafening bangs.

  Shards of rock shot toward me like bullets, splintering my armor and breaking off chunks in rapid succession. I dropped to the ground, shielding my head with my arms. A stone struck my forearm with a sickening crunch. Then my jaw. Then my legs. And then… nothing.

  Except this.

  Personal Level: 20.

  [Choose a Life Buff:]

  ...

  I had wanted to capture that monster. Now all I had was a single decent one. Oh well. And—pain.

  I was in agony. Too much pain. So much. But what was pain to me? Nothing.

  I moved my arm, suppressing the urge to scream. Then I placed a hand on the other and healed it. I repeated the process across my body until the pain was gone.

  Pushing myself up, I noticed my white dress had been scorched black. Only the right shoulder and a small portion on my side remained, barely held together by loose threads.

  In other words… my body had been severely burned before I healed myself. My clothes had probably melted into my skin, too. Thankfully, I didn’t have to see that.

  I ignored my exposed state and held my hands in front of me, staring at them. I had mixed feelings toward these hands. They were powerful. That was good—but only for me.

  I just wished… they weren’t so selfish. I didn’t want to think about Ulah, but I couldn’t help it. I wished my power didn’t harm others.

  Slowly, I touched my face, feeling the rough texture of my skin. My fingers slid upward until they met my oily hair, threading through it with little resistance until my hands collided. Then I started again, moving from different points on my scalp.

  I didn’t hate these hands. I saw their potential. I knew they could do more. But sometimes, walls couldn’t be broken. You—I—had to understand that. And even if I could never love them, I was grateful they protected me.

  I brought my hands back into view and activated my healing aura. Bigger. Stronger.

  The aura flared to life, burning brighter and thicker than before. With my level-up, I could pour even more ether into it. Probably over fifty percent more.

  I didn’t look at the power with joy or sorrow. If only you could heal others.

  Sighing, I let the aura fade and allowed darkness to return. I was exhausted. I needed sleep.

  I sent out Forwing, watching as it soared high into the sky, guiding me toward the exit. My shoes had burned away, forcing me to walk barefoot on scorched earth that had been lush green just minutes ago.

  Damn monkey.

  Oh, right—I had forgotten something. I asked the system about the available life buffs.

  The knowledge flooded into my mind instantly.

  [Personal Space] – Store anything in your personal dimension, as long as it lacks a will opposing storage.

  [+100% to Mental Focus]

  There was something new.

  [Tier up Inspect to Inspect I – Grants the ability to see levels up to three times your own.]

  Mental Focus was most likely tied to the Mind stat. But Personal Space—that one was a no-brainer. Almost every Vlandos had it. Why wouldn’t they? It made life so much easier.

  But… they all fought with just one monster. That doctor back at the estate, however, easily controlled two at once. She had explained why—she had built her mind for it.

  I wanted to control multiple monsters at once. My fighting style revolved around speed and overwhelming the enemy with attacks. Imagine how much deadlier I’d be if I could command multiple creatures at the same time.

  But without [Personal Space], I’d be severely limited in what I could carry. With it, I could travel freely without worrying about supplies—food, water, even a bed.

  But, it simply made life easier. I wanted more creativity in my fights. More freedoms. An advantage.

  I clicked my tongue as I stepped around a fallen log, still trailing Forwing, careful to avoid any lurking monsters.

  I think I already knew my choice.

  I selected [Mental Focus]. Immediately, my mind sharpened—clearer, faster, cleaner. Better.

  I could do more. Allocate 15 mod points to Mind. 3 to Speed. 2 to Defense.

  This felt amazing...

  Information on the changes flooded my mind, and I smiled. By the time I woke up tomorrow, I would be different.

  Time passed. An hour, maybe more. I finally neared the first dome. Calling Forwing back to my seal, I summoned Crusbull.

  It mooed as its body materialized. A shell of cracked rock formed around me, shielding my exposed skin. Normally, I would’ve rushed to do that—being seen naked was one of my greatest fears. But at that moment, I didn’t think of that.

  My mind was on my hands... like it was my first time seeing them. Really thinking about them, and that everything else didn't matter.