I stumbled back on the sudden appearance of a translucent board infront of me. It looked very unordinary, so i took retreat but it followed me anyways. I can't afford to make a noise or i'd be surely caught. 

After a minute of monkeying around i finally settled that this thing is a part of me. Whatever it was, it is something out of this world.

It called itself the System. Although it doesn't speak much other than just it's name and commands, it is only heard by me. Unfortunately, it looks like im not capable of determining what or where is it from. 

The system answers telepathecally and replies in manners that i can't comprehend. For example, if i ask what is the System; it replies showing the same translucent box over and over again. 

It's content is somewhat in the same language as ours but it's design was somewhat ancient with unknown runes written in the corners of the box.

The gist of the System reads as following:

It is a tool gifted by an entity called [Altum]. 

It serves as my main tool in acquiring powers.

It is a key for something.

I am a chosen.

Any other information is blocked. There is nothing i can do unless i achieve a "Level". It is similar to a breakthrough in ranks. The ranks serve as a measure for a mage's powers or their capability. It is composed of Base, Super, Hybrid, Ultra, Uber and lastly Edict. There are subranks in which consist also of 1 to 5. In example, my current rank is Base-7. Currently, my level on the System is 0 but it said that everytime i breakthrough a rank, i achieve a level.

Same applies to name ranks or titles. In which mine is just Base Mage. Jin Mages are peak Super rank. Greater Mages are peak Hybrid rank. High Mages are peak Ultra and so on. It takes about a year accumulated Mana to breakthrough a sub-rank.

But for mine it just reads as, [0/100 XP]. It seems that every Mana accumulated equals to [1 XP] to the System and every quests completion equald to [15 XP]. In any case, it requires quite the amount of time to accumulate a bar of Mana. So that is completely out of my choices now that i acquired a powerful tool.

Though, the transparent box from before is still not gone.

[System: You have [01:34] time remaining.]

[System: [Quest] ongoing. Penalty will incur if failure to complete.]

My quest was to kill the thing that is consuming villagers. They are still in the process of their ritual so i planned for a bit.

The only threat aside from the thing is the tall guy. He had a weapon in which was really dangerous for a weak mage like me. Plus he is in the middle, i don't wanna incite the other villagers or else i'd be really fucked. 

...

"G-God! Please cleanse me from the dirt of this world!"

One of the villagers shouted.

The thing was twitching alot, and its tentacles were not stopping from grabbing villagers one by one to it's mouth. 

Suddenly, thick stalactices started raining from above.

Crash!

Boom!

"Auughh!"

The crowd panicked while countless sharp rocks rained onto them, although they don't get skewered it was enough to create a stampede. The people started heading into the exit hole in which it got swarmed. One of the huge stalactite fell on the group of people and they immediately got crushed by it.

I was on top of the exit hole hidden in the dark casting vibration skills on the ceiling. I was safe from the rock rain but i couldn't hide that long infront of the countless people. And i need to hurry and kill the thing before the rain stops.

Even rocks weren't enough to cause damage to the thing. It was just enjoying the remaining villagers that were left behind.

"F-Forgive us, God!"

"W-What have w-we done to you, oh forgive us our great God."

The remaining people left behind was consisting of 4 people including the tall man. Most of the villagers are already outside the small cave, it was my time to execute the next objective.

I lift my hand and pointed at them, i then casted the spell Armis. A spell capable of disarming any enemy that is holding a tome or a weapon.

A blue orb the size of my fist appeared and shot off to the tall man. 

Boom!

When the orb reached the target, it made a small harmless explosion and the tall man flew into the slit of the thing and his big longsword flew off his grasp, ultimately claiming his life and eating him.

The other people remained motionless as if they didn't hear the tall man being chewed on. I dashed and grab the sword. The other people then saw me and flinched.

"I-Intruder!"

"You! You've angered our great God!"

One of the villager let a low shriek and rushed into me.

I held the sword and performed a light slash. It was accurate considering i trained a bit in the royal army. 

The sword was sharp as it went through and sliced the villagers lower half. Blood splattered everywhere but it didn't let me stop from advancing.

Another villager jumped to me but i just took a step back and performed a light thrust to his neck ultimately leading to his death.

When i was close to the monster, i performed a lomg jump powered with mana. I stood on top of it, any monsters should have a brain right?

I mustered all of my strength and thrusted into it's 'head'. The monster let out an ear-piercing shriek that echoed across the place. 

Yes! It felt pain.

I inwardly celebrated but it didn't stop me there. I thrust deep and then tried to break open it's head. 

Krantsss!

Sounds of flesh being torn apart could be heard. One of it's tentacles headed toward me and i held my other hand to cast Armis once again.

Boom!

The tentacle was deflected and thrown away.

I thrust repeteadly in various places in it's head till it grew weak and was no longer able to move it's tentacles.

After 5 minutes of hacking and thrusting, the thing died.

[System: Congratulations for completing the [Coming of Javantulm]. Awarding [15 XP] and [Consume] skill.]

[System: [Assimilate] quest activated.]

[System: Consume the infant [Javantulm]]

...

It was quite tiring, i spent almost all my Mana. How many time has passed since i laid on the floor. It seems like the villagers didn't came back. I wonder what happened.

I stood up and threw the used sword. I suddenly feel like i mastered mana for a bit. Is this what it feels like to gain a level from the System?

I threw a glance at my surroundings and it was messy, there were crushed corpses, huge stones and especially the ball of flesh.

The System tasked me to eat the thing. It isn't quite as disgusting as it used to be but it still was kind of disturbing seeing as how the System wants me to perform cannibalism. Who knows, maybe this flesh is made from those of a human. Not like i haven't ate one yet.

As i stood near it, i could feel a faint sense of familiar warmth that i could not explain. Suddenly, i remembered i acquired a skill? is it a skill or a spell? That i could not remember except for the name.

I held my hand and pointed it at the ball of flesh and thought of the name. 

[System: [Consume] activated.]

I was then filled with the desire to eat the whole thing.

Fuck! It was not a spell!

I pounced the corpse and started tearing huge chunks of flesh from it and chomped it down.

...

"Madam, it's been a complete 24 hours since the young master went missing. Shall we declare him as dead?" An old guy wearing a butler uniform spoke softly.

There was a middle-aged lady, she was beautiful. She wore a calm expression, she was none other than Lady Marah, Juno's mother.

"...Wait for another day." Marah replied calmly, wearing an indifferent face while staring at the fireplace.

Where are you, Juno?

"Understood, shall i prepare the chamber?" The butler replied.

"...Yes."

Lady Marah then stood up and went outside the room.

...

[System: Congratulations for completing the [Assimilate] quest. Awarding [15 XP] and [Assimilate] skill.]

Juno's hair stared turning dark as he knelt there and felt the surging Mana in his body.

"This is a different Mana..."

Suddenly, he screamed and grabbed his head. Veins started appearing in his skin, his pores excreting a yellow liquid while his skin started getting red. He vomited blood.

His consciousness was sucked into something and he woke up in a different place.

"...How rude of you!"

A voice spoke.

I turned my head around and found myself in a place where there is just endless water spread across the place. I was standinf above the water, or an ocean. 

There was a huge figure stretching across the sky, it was made from the flesh earlier but took a humanoid figure. Most importantly, a female humanoid. It was the same height a 20th floor could accomplish. 

"Hahaha! A child of Altum was the one who consumed ME." when it spoke the last word i felt a power surging in my body once again.

"...Who are you?" I asked.

"You do not need to know except the fact that i am now part of you." It was covered in a white ghastly mist. I could hardly make of it's features except the color of it's skin and height.

"...I was merely just wanting to meet the God i am now serving. You are quite weak right now but i shall aid you. If you accept me, i will grant you the power over theft!" The voice proudly spoke.

Suddenly, the System popped up.

[System: Accept the (Lineage)? You will be given a time limit of 10 seconds.]

Lineage? Like an another type of ability?

I pondered as the System started it's countdown.

[System: You have [00:09] time remaining.]

I then accepted the following ability. 

[System: Acquired [Assimilation] skill complete.]

"Use us as you please, Child of Altum."

In the next moment i felt my consciousness drawn back again.

[Juno Furantor] (16)

[Mage]

[Money: (0)]

[Abilities:

(Martial Arts [Lesser]) - An incomplete form of Ethan's martial arts.

(Consume) - Call forth the God of Famine and exclusively eat anything the target is in front of. Only ends when the caster is seemingly full.

(Assimilation) - Must cast (Consume) first. Acquire traits, abilities and memories of the cannibalized.

]

[Spells:

(Velo) - Summon a fairy orb that follows you and illuminates surroundings.

(Armis) - Shoot out a blue orb that flings and disarms anything it hits. (Does not work on soulbound equipments)

(Viritom) - Creates vibrations on any earthlike surface.

]