Zayn barely had time to react.
The black wolf snarled, its massive claws slashing through the air.
He tried to move — he really did — but his body felt too slow, too human.
The next thing he knew, pain exploded in his chest.
A guttural cry tore from his throat as he was launched backward, his body slamming against the dungeon wall with a sickening crack.
Blood and saliva shot from his mouth, the force of the impact knocking the wind out of him.
For a second, everything blurred. His ears rang, his body screamed in agony, and his vision darkened at the edges.
"It hurts — !"
He had never felt pain like this before. His mind screamed for him to move, to get up, to do something, but his limbs felt like lead.
His chest burned where the wolf's claws had torn through his clothes, hot blood soaking into the fabric.
And then, suddenly — warmth.
A soft golden light wrapped around him, sinking into his skin.
The unbearable pain dulled into something distant, and he gasped, inhaling sharply as his wounds began to close.
His eyes flickered upward.
Elisse.
The nun stood a few feet away, her busty figure illuminated by the gentle glow of divine energy. Her silver staff pulsed with light, her expression calm but focused.
"Don't die," she said simply, as if she wasn't literally bringing him back from the brink.
Zayn let out a breathless laugh. "I'll try not to."
Before he could say anything else, the wolf let out another ear-splitting roar.
The ground trembled, shadows rippling across the chamber. And then, as if summoned by the beast's rage, monsters erupted from the darkness.
They came from everywhere.
The walls. The ceiling. The very floor beneath them.
Goblins with jagged blades. Nightmarish creatures with too many limbs and gaping mouths lined with razor-sharp teeth.
They poured out in droves, their monstrous forms twisting in the dim light of the dungeon.
"Of course," Zayn muttered, dragging himself up. "Because this fight wasn't hard enough already."
A goblin lunged at him.
His body still ached, but his instincts took over. He moved.
Slamming his foot into the ground, he twisted his torso and swung his sword in a clean, practiced arc.
The goblin didn't stand a chance.
His blade sliced through flesh and bone, cutting the monster clean in half. Its body split apart, collapsing to the ground in a heap.
And then —
A tab appeared in his vision.
[Would you like to Devour the 'Goblin'?]
Zayn froze.
"What?"
His heart pounded. He had seen system windows before — during his era of reading webnovels and shit like that. But this...
This was different.
"Devour?"
Something about the word felt strange. Instinctual. Primal. As if it resonated with something deep inside him.
The moment stretched on.
And then, as if acting on impulse, he whispered:
"Yes."
The instant he spoke, a green aura zipped through the air, tendrils of light unraveling from the goblin's corpse and merging into his body.
The moment it touched him, heat exploded in his veins.
Zayn gasped, eyes widening as energy flooded his muscles. His skin tingled, his body suddenly lighter, faster.
It was subtle — but it was real.
[You have obtained E-Rank Skill: Agility]
[Soulforge is active – Goblin Soul has been claimed]
His breath hitched.
A skill.
Not from training. Not from leveling up. From devouring a monster.
Zayn stared down at his hands, flexing his fingers.
'I absorbed it... I actually absorbed it.'
This changed everything.
A sudden movement in the corner of his eye snapped him back to reality.
Another goblin was charging him, jagged dagger raised high —
But this time, Zayn moved without thinking.
He dodged.
His body responded faster than before, his reflexes sharper.
He sidestepped at the last possible second, feeling the wind of the goblin's blade barely graze his shoulder.
And then he struck.
His sword flashed through the air, carving straight through the creature's skull.
The goblin didn't even get to scream.
It collapsed, lifeless.
And once again, the tab appeared.
[Would you like to Devour the 'Goblin'?]
Zayn's pulse pounded in his ears.
He didn't hesitate this time.
"Yes."
Another rush of energy. Another surge of power.
[Soulforge is active – Goblin Soul has been claimed]
This time, he didn't even need to see the notification to know that he was getting stronger.
His body felt different.
Faster. Sharper. Hungry.
Zayn exhaled, tightening his grip on his sword.
This was his edge.
'I can steal the strength of monsters,'
And in a world like this, that meant one thing —
"I can survive."
Another goblin rushed at him. This time, Zayn grinned.
"Let's test this out properly."
He moved.
Faster than before. Faster than he should have been able to.
Another goblin's axe came down, but Zayn had already stepped past it.
The creature barely had time to react before his sword pierced straight through its heart.
[Would you like to Devour the 'Goblin'?]
"Yes."
[Soulforge is active – Goblin Soul has been claimed]