A few hours later.
The room was quiet.
Then, slowly, my eyes opened.
I felt no pain or tiredness.
Just sheer focus.
My heart beat steadily, each thump echoing loudly inside my chest as I sat up and got out of bed.
Crack.
The concrete floor beneath my feet caved in slightly as I took a step, causing spiderweb-like cracks to spread outward from where I stood.
I blinked, confused.
"…Huh."
I stepped forward again, causing another piece of concrete to break under my foot as dust particles began to rise into the air.
I flexed my left arm—the movement now felt too smooth, too strong—like I wasn't using muscle, but something harder under my skin.
Every step I took felt heavy.
Strong.
It took a moment for me to finally adjust and control my strength as I walked toward the bathroom.
Pushing its creaking door open, I felt the overhead light flickering and buzzing above me.
Then I looked into the mirror.
I stopped.
The man staring back wasn't me.
He was taller—much taller. I had to tilt my head down just to meet my own reflection. My body was huge, easily over two meters tall. Wide shoulders, big chest, narrow waist. Muscles sharp and clearly defined, but still moved naturally. Veins ran down my arms like lines on a map.
And the face…
Strong jaw. High cheekbones. Cold eyes. My messy black hair, which used to look sloppy, now looked wild—but in a good way.
No scars.
No bruises.
No burns, cuts, or marks.
Just skin so smooth that it seemed to glow under the cheap bathroom light.
I leaned in, grabbing the sink with both hands.
The ceramic cracked under my grip.
"…This is me?"
I turned my arm, watching the muscle shift and tighten like something alive under my skin.
Everything I was before—every scar, every bit of damage, weakness, or ugliness—was gone.
This body wasn't just healed.
It was changed. Upgraded.
Stronger.
I laughed a little. A deep, steady laugh that echoed off the apartment walls.
"I don't even look human anymore."
But I liked it.
For the first time in my life… I didn't look like someone you could push around.
I looked like someone people would run from.
I looked like a predator.
I leaned back, cracked my neck, and stared at the guy in the mirror.
"You're mine now," I said. "This body. This power. All of it."
I clenched my fist, watching the muscle tighten like a cable under pressure.
"No one's going to stop me now," I said, as I looked at the faint blue screen floating in front of my eyes.
---
◆ Health Points: 15 (100%)
◆ Mana Points: 15 (100%)
◆ Age: 20
◆ Race: Human (Mutant)
◆ Abilities: Devour (Unique), Fated Villain (Unique)
◆ Strength: (+)1.5
◆ Dexterity: (+)1.5
◆ Constitution: (+)1.5
◆ Spirit: (+)1.5
◆ Luck: (-)10
---
I narrowed my eyes.
"…What?"
I blinked, focusing on the "Age" line again.
Age: 20.
That couldn't be right.
I was thirty-five.
I knew it. My memories weren't foggy—if anything, they were clearer than ever now.
But the system didn't lie to me. I looked at my hands again, then back to the mirror. My face had lost all signs of age. Not a wrinkle. Not a blemish. Youthful, but not immature. Sharp, but not old.
"…So I got younger."
My voice was quiet, steady. But inside, my thoughts spun like a storm.
"And what the hell is this 'Mutant' tag?"
I tapped the screen, not that it did anything. "System," I muttered aloud, "explain the following: age regression, race change to 'Mutant,' and the meaning of these current stats. Now."
---
[Processing request… Formulating response...]
[Using the genes that you originally possessed and the ones you devoured, the system took the best qualities from each one and fused them together. As a result, your body has evolved past its human limitations and into something superior to a normal human.]
[Your age regression was merely a side effect of this process, as every cell in your body was reconstructed and rebuilt from the ground up.]
[You don't have to worry about activating Devour on yourself again and going through the same process. Now that your body has been reborn, the system will automatically use Devour every night while you sleep to repair any bodily damage or problems you might encounter without waking you up. Also, if you devour a supernatural race, the system can now seamlessly integrate their power into your body while keeping your humanoid appearance intact.]
---
I stared at the screen floating in front of me for a long time.
A small, satisfied smile curled at the corners of my lips.
Suddenly, I let out a soft, low laugh—quiet but full of relief and anticipation.
This body… this power… it was mine.
I turned away from the mirror and reached for the clothes I'd worn before, which were thrown on the wall.
Sliding them on felt different now. They were extremely tight, like they would almost burst apart if I flexed my muscles, but at least they fit me nicely.
I glanced back at my reflection one last time, my smile lingering.
No matter what came next, I was ready.