Capítulo 16: Chapter 14

Kaden leaned back against the tree, letting out a contented sigh. A faint grin played on his lips as he gazed up at the patches of sky visible through the thick canopy. He'd finished the beginner course of the system, and honestly, it felt too good to be true—almost impossible.

His mind drifted back to the AI's explanation about the origin of his newfound abilities. The flower that granted him this power had grown from the blood of a demon—a revelation that should be impossible, flowers are only known to grow from the blood of the Lords, not the demons, but he got one grown from the blood of the demon, which still sat uncomfortably with him. Demons didn't exactly have the best reputation, to say the least.

They were the ones who had betrayed the Lords, plunging the world into chaos and destruction. Their war with the Lords had been the stuff of legends, a battle so fierce it had led to the deaths of both sides. If the demon's blood could still create flowers capable of granting power, it raised unsettling questions about what other remnants of their existence might remain.

Still, skepticism gnawed at him. The AI's words were clear, but the idea of carrying something so sinister within him made his stomach churn. And yet, here he was—alive, stronger, and capable of feats he could never have imagined.

The system itself was fascinating. It felt almost like a game. Quests were assigned, rewards were given, and progress was tracked. He recalled how, during the beast's attack, the system had issued him a quest to kill the creature. He hadn't even realized it at the time, but when he managed to kill the beast, the system had rewarded him with a level-up.

Curiosity piqued, Kaden remembered what the AI had told him earlier about commands. There was one in particular that lingered in his memory. With a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, he thought the words the AI had instructed him to use.

"Status."

A translucent screen appeared before him, floating mid-air, glowing faintly with red and black hues.

---

Name: Kaden Rossi

Level: 1

Rank: ?? (Reach level ten to unlock rank)

Health Points (HP): 102/102

Strength: 3

Agility: 2

Endurance: 3

Intelligence: 0.001

Demon Blood: 1

Abilities: Demon Blood Manipulation

Current Quests: None.

---

William's eyebrows rose as he studied the screen. "No way," he muttered, his grin widening. "It really is like a game."

The stats were straightforward enough, but the abilities were what caught his attention. He'd expected something related to strength seeing the strength he used to rip the beast mouth apart, but Demon Blood Manipulation? He remembered the AI mentioning the black veins in his hand was demon blood. He glanced down at his hands and flexed his fingers. "Can I really move the blood to other parts of my body?"

The system gave him a boost in all his stats when he leveled up, but it made him wonder. "Was my strength really that low before?" His eyes flicked back to the screen. "And what the heck is wrong with my intelligence stat?"

His gaze lingered on the Demon Blood line, slight fear creeping into his heart. "What would happen when the demon blood completely filled his body? Would he still be human, or would he turn into a demon?' The thought made his skin crawl.

"I definitely don't want to look as ugly as a demon."

Then, as if his own mind couldn't resist a jab, another thought whispered back. "Even as a human, you're already as ugly as a demon."

He let out a dry chuckle, brushing the thought aside. His attention turned to the other stats. The HP seemed to increase by two with each level, and the locked rank intrigued him. "What rank will I gain once I reach level ten?" But then another question arose: "How do I even level up?"

It wasn't as if hordes of beasts roamed freely on Earth. Beast portals weren't common; he'd only encountered them twice in his lifetime. His only option would be to wait for another tier-one portal to open.

Kaden closed the screen with a thought, the interface vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Leaning back against the tree again, he exhaled deeply. His mind raced with possibilities.

If this system truly worked like a game, then every quest, every fight, every victory, and every level-up would bring him closer to something greater. But it also brought risks—risks tied to the very essence of what he was becoming.

His stomach grumbled loudly, pulling him out of his thoughts. Hunger gnawed at him, but panic didn't set in this time. He still had the beast he'd killed. A bittersweet pang shot through his chest. If only Lila were alive, he thought, I'd be able to feed her, too.

Shaking off the melancholy, Kaden pushed himself to his feet. His legs felt a little unsteady, but he ignored it as he made his way toward the beast. The creature lay lifeless on the ground, its grotesque form a reminder of the world's harsh reality.

Kaden stared at it, his hands clenching into fists. The only way to survive in this world is to get stronger, he thought. The Lords had abandoned him and countless others. If they wouldn't help him, then he'd find his own path.

His eyes narrowed as resolve hardened in his heart. "So what if the Lords have forsaken me?" he thought. "I'll strike a deal with the demons if I have to."