Chapter 7 — The Cost of Survival
Pain returned before consciousness.
Ayaan woke to a burning sensation spreading through his entire body. His muscles refused to move, and every breath felt like broken glass tearing through his chest.
For several moments, he could not even open his eyes.
Only darkness.
Only pain.
[Warning — Energy Overload Detected]Body Damage: SevereRegeneration Efficiency ReducedHumanity Stability: 64%
The System's cold messages floated before him.
Ayaan slowly forced his eyes open.
The ruined street looked different now — silent, empty, almost lifeless. The massive battle with the Void Devourer had left the entire area destroyed. Buildings had collapsed into piles of debris, and deep cracks spread across the ground like scars.
His body lay at the center of it all.
He tried to move.
Agony shot through his nerves.
A broken laugh escaped his lips.
"So this is the price…"
Memories of the battle returned — the overwhelming power, the hunger, the voice of the Abyss whispering in his mind. Even now, he could feel it inside him.
Waiting.
Watching.
He slowly pushed himself up, his body trembling violently. The regeneration that once healed him quickly now worked sluggishly, struggling to repair the damage caused by forced evolution.
Each movement drained his strength.
For the first time since gaining power, he felt weak.
Truly weak.
Nearby, the survivors he had saved earlier were beginning to regain consciousness. They stared at him from a distance, their expressions filled not with gratitude — but fear.
One woman whispered, her voice shaking.
"He… he ate the monster…"
Another stepped back.
"That's not human."
The words struck harder than any attack.
Ayaan looked down at his hands. Faint dark markings still remained beneath his skin, pulsing like living shadows.
They weren't wrong.
He was changing.
He turned away from them silently.
There was no place for him among normal survivors anymore.
As he walked through the ruined city, he noticed new changes everywhere. Groups of humans had begun forming small factions. Some controlled territories. Others hunted monsters for resources.
Strength created hierarchy.
Power created authority.
The new world was organizing itself.
But without rules.
Without mercy.
Ayaan's body suddenly weakened again. His vision spun, and he collapsed against a wall, breathing heavily.
[Devour Side Effect — Energy Instability]Excess absorbed energy causing internal conflict.
His heart pounded uncontrollably.
Dark whispers filled his mind.
Images of violence.
Endless hunger.
The desire to destroy everything nearby.
"Stop…" he muttered, gripping his head.
The struggle lasted several minutes before the sensation slowly faded.
When it ended, cold sweat covered his body.
The Abyss was not just giving power.
It was trying to consume him.
Night approached.
The city grew more dangerous in darkness. Strange roars echoed through the distance, and powerful presences moved freely under the shadows.
Ayaan found temporary shelter inside a half-destroyed building. His injured body needed rest.
But sleep did not come easily.
As he closed his eyes, he found himself standing in an endless void.
A familiar darkness surrounded him — vast and infinite.
A presence emerged.
Formless.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
"You resist," the voice echoed.
Ayaan stood silently.
"What are you?"
"You seek power. I grant evolution."
"I didn't ask for this."
The darkness pulsed.
"All who survive choose power."
Countless distorted shapes appeared within the void — beings that had lost themselves completely, consumed by endless evolution.
A warning.
Or a promise.
Ayaan's eyes opened suddenly.
He was back in the ruined building, breathing heavily.
It had not been a dream.
Morning arrived slowly.
His injuries had partially healed, but his body remained unstable. The System displayed a new message.
[Evolution Progress Locked at 78%]Further growth requires stabilization.Excess evolution may result in mutation.
So even the System had limits.
Power could destroy him if he rushed.
As he stepped outside, he sensed something strange.
He was being watched.
From the shadows of nearby buildings, several armed humans observed him cautiously. Unlike the survivors from before, these individuals carried organized equipment and moved with discipline.
A structured group.
A faction.
One of them stepped forward.
A tall man with cold eyes.
"We saw what you did yesterday," he said calmly. "A person like you is dangerous… but useful."
Ayaan remained silent.
The man continued.
"Join us. We hunt monsters. We control territory. With your power, you could rise quickly."
Power.
Authority.
Control.
Everything the new world valued.
But Ayaan felt the Abyss inside him stir at the idea — not with acceptance, but rejection.
He was not meant to follow others.
His path was different.
Dangerous.
Lonely.
"I refuse," Ayaan answered quietly.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
The man's expression hardened.
"Then stay out of our territory."
A silent threat.
As they left, Ayaan looked toward the distant horizon where more pillars of light continued to rise across the world.
More trials.
More power.
More danger.
His body still trembled.
His mind remained unstable.
His humanity continued fading.
Yet the path forward demanded only one thing.
Survival.
Ayaan began walking again through the broken world — not as a hero, not as a human, but as a being struggling to hold onto what remained of himself.
The hunger of the Abyss followed silently behind him.
Waiting for the moment he would finally surrender.
Pain returned before consciousness.
Ayaan woke to a burning sensation spreading through his entire body. His muscles refused to move, and every breath felt like broken glass tearing through his chest.
For several moments, he could not even open his eyes.
Only darkness.
Only pain.
[Warning — Energy Overload Detected]Body Damage: SevereRegeneration Efficiency ReducedHumanity Stability: 64%
The System's cold messages floated before him.
Ayaan slowly forced his eyes open.
The ruined street looked different now — silent, empty, almost lifeless. The massive battle with the Void Devourer had left the entire area destroyed. Buildings had collapsed into piles of debris, and deep cracks spread across the ground like scars.
His body lay at the center of it all.
He tried to move.
Agony shot through his nerves.
A broken laugh escaped his lips.
"So this is the price…"
Memories of the battle returned — the overwhelming power, the hunger, the voice of the Abyss whispering in his mind. Even now, he could feel it inside him.
Waiting.
Watching.
He slowly pushed himself up, his body trembling violently. The regeneration that once healed him quickly now worked sluggishly, struggling to repair the damage caused by forced evolution.
Each movement drained his strength.
For the first time since gaining power, he felt weak.
Truly weak.
Nearby, the survivors he had saved earlier were beginning to regain consciousness. They stared at him from a distance, their expressions filled not with gratitude — but fear.
One woman whispered, her voice shaking.
"He… he ate the monster…"
Another stepped back.
"That's not human."
The words struck harder than any attack.
Ayaan looked down at his hands. Faint dark markings still remained beneath his skin, pulsing like living shadows.
They weren't wrong.
He was changing.
He turned away from them silently.
There was no place for him among normal survivors anymore.
As he walked through the ruined city, he noticed new changes everywhere. Groups of humans had begun forming small factions. Some controlled territories. Others hunted monsters for resources.
Strength created hierarchy.
Power created authority.
The new world was organizing itself.
But without rules.
Without mercy.
Ayaan's body suddenly weakened again. His vision spun, and he collapsed against a wall, breathing heavily.
[Devour Side Effect — Energy Instability]Excess absorbed energy causing internal conflict.
His heart pounded uncontrollably.
Dark whispers filled his mind.
Images of violence.
Endless hunger.
The desire to destroy everything nearby.
"Stop…" he muttered, gripping his head.
The struggle lasted several minutes before the sensation slowly faded.
When it ended, cold sweat covered his body.
The Abyss was not just giving power.
It was trying to consume him.
Night approached.
The city grew more dangerous in darkness. Strange roars echoed through the distance, and powerful presences moved freely under the shadows.
Ayaan found temporary shelter inside a half-destroyed building. His injured body needed rest.
But sleep did not come easily.
As he closed his eyes, he found himself standing in an endless void.
A familiar darkness surrounded him — vast and infinite.
A presence emerged.
Formless.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
"You resist," the voice echoed.
Ayaan stood silently.
"What are you?"
"You seek power. I grant evolution."
"I didn't ask for this."
The darkness pulsed.
"All who survive choose power."
Countless distorted shapes appeared within the void — beings that had lost themselves completely, consumed by endless evolution.
A warning.
Or a promise.
Ayaan's eyes opened suddenly.
He was back in the ruined building, breathing heavily.
It had not been a dream.
Morning arrived slowly.
His injuries had partially healed, but his body remained unstable. The System displayed a new message.
[Evolution Progress Locked at 78%]Further growth requires stabilization.Excess evolution may result in mutation.
So even the System had limits.
Power could destroy him if he rushed.
As he stepped outside, he sensed something strange.
He was being watched.
From the shadows of nearby buildings, several armed humans observed him cautiously. Unlike the survivors from before, these individuals carried organized equipment and moved with discipline.
A structured group.
A faction.
One of them stepped forward.
A tall man with cold eyes.
"We saw what you did yesterday," he said calmly. "A person like you is dangerous… but useful."
Ayaan remained silent.
The man continued.
"Join us. We hunt monsters. We control territory. With your power, you could rise quickly."
Power.
Authority.
Control.
Everything the new world valued.
But Ayaan felt the Abyss inside him stir at the idea — not with acceptance, but rejection.
He was not meant to follow others.
His path was different.
Dangerous.
Lonely.
"I refuse," Ayaan answered quietly.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
The man's expression hardened.
"Then stay out of our territory."
A silent threat.
As they left, Ayaan looked toward the distant horizon where more pillars of light continued to rise across the world.
More trials.
More power.
More danger.
His body still trembled.
His mind remained unstable.
His humanity continued fading.
Yet the path forward demanded only one thing.
Survival.
Ayaan began walking again through the broken world — not as a hero, not as a human, but as a being struggling to hold onto what remained of himself.
The hunger of the Abyss followed silently behind him.
Waiting for the moment he would finally surrender.