As the system notifications continued to flash, Raze ignored them. The raw hunger still twisted inside him, overpowering everything else.
When it finally faded, his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the forest floor, chest rising and falling as his hands trembled uncontrollably.
He stared at his blood-stained palms, breath uneven.
"Sorry," he whispered. "It was either my life… or yours."
The words lingered in the cool night air. The lifeless body at his feet, the dark stains splattered across his uniform, made his chest feel tight.
He hadn't wanted this. He didn't want to kill anything. But the hunger had stripped everything away. Thought. Restraint. Morals. Until only instinct remained.
Now that reason was returning, worry crept in.
He glanced down at himself. His sleeves, his collar, even parts of his face were smeared with blood. If anyone saw him like this, there would be questions he couldn't answer.
Raze tilted his head upward. The sun was gone, the forest bathed in silver moonlight.
"Damn it," he muttered. "I've been out here for over an hour."
He drew a slow breath, forcing his heartbeat to calm. The taste of iron still clung to his tongue. Pushing the feeling aside, he called out to the system.
"Status screen."
[User: Raze Zaden]
[Race: Half-ling]
[Level: 4]
[EXP: 0 / 800]
[HP: 100 / 100]
[Strength: 16]
[Agility: 19]
[Stamina: 16]
[Endurance: 15]
[New Skill Unlocked: Flesh Bank]
Raze stared at the numbers for a moment. His health was fully restored, and he could feel it. His body no longer screamed in protest.
His eyes shifted to the new skill.
[Flesh Bank Lv.1]
[Stores up to 10 kg of flesh to restore HP or stamina.]
[Auto-activates in emergencies when HP falls below 10.]
[Flesh Bank is currently full.]
"Stores flesh…" Raze muttered, his expression tightening. "That's messed up."
Still, a part of him understood its purpose.
The memory of nearly collapsing from hunger sent a chill through him. He didn't want to experience that again.
He closed the system screen and looked at the deer one last time.
"No point thinking about it now," he whispered.
Raze exhaled slowly and glanced down at his uniform again.
"Great," he muttered. "Now I look like a murderer."
He moved toward the sound of running water nearby. When he reached the stream, he crouched and dipped his hands into the cold water. The chill helped steady him. He washed the blood from his arms, his face, then scrubbed at his uniform as best he could. The stains faded, but the scent still lingered.
After a while, he stared at his reflection rippling in the water.
The boy looking back didn't feel like the same one who had walked out of the academy earlier.
His eyes looked sharper. Colder.
"I didn't even hesitate," he murmured. "Is this what I'm becoming?"
He closed his eyes, forcing the thought away.
When he finally stood, the forest had grown darker. Moonlight filtered through the branches, guiding his path as he headed back toward the academy. He moved quickly, alert. Every rustle made him pause, scanning the shadows before continuing.
By the time the academy walls came into view, dorm lights glowed in the distance. He checked the time on his wristwatch.
8:40 PM.
Just in time.
He slipped through a side entrance students often used when they were late. After winding through the quiet halls, he reached his dorm.
Inside, Felix sat on the edge of his bed. Liam was already asleep. Beatrix lay staring at the ceiling.
Felix looked up. "Where were you, Raze? We were looking for you after the combined training. Thought you'd be in the nurse room."
"I was," Raze said after a moment. "She let me go. I just needed some air."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "For hours?"
Raze forced a small laugh. "Lost track of time. Guess I needed it after getting tossed around all day."
Beatrix turned her head slightly. "That was reckless. If a soldier caught you wandering, you'd be running laps until sunrise."
"Yeah, I know," Raze said, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't go far."
Felix leaned back, studying him. "You sure you're okay? I saw part of your fight. You took a brutal hit before that comeback."
Raze met his gaze briefly, then looked away. "I'm fine. Guess I got lucky."
Felix hummed. "Lucky, huh."
Beatrix yawned and rolled onto her side. "At least you're back. Try not to disappear again. This week's been enough."
"Yeah," Raze said quietly. "Got it."
He headed to the bathroom, washing away the remaining sweat and faint traces of blood hidden beneath his sleeves. After changing into fresh clothes, he lay down on his bed.
The room was quiet.
But sleep didn't come easily.