Draven threw his pouch in front of the bolts, causing two of them to go off and erasing the item. He used the gap created to dodge the remaining volley and readied himself to meet Ray’s charge. Ray thrust his short sword at Daven, but he easily caught the attack by grasping hold of Horde Breaker. Spike ripped through his hand, and mana flooded into Ray as his arm transformed.

  Draven let out a cry of pain and tried to pull his hand away, but the top of the spikes formed a metal ceiling. With no way to let go, he grasped the limb tighter, using it to keep Ray in place as a stamina empowered punch headed for his face. Ray let the limb detach without missing a beat and fell back, drawing his crossbow.

  “What the hell?” Draven exclaimed as he looked at the detached arm hanging from his hand.

  It began to bubble and change once again as several snake-like heads exploded from it and bit down on Draven. He let out another cry of pain as his mana began pouring out of him in droves. Ray let loose a nearly fully charged power shot. Seconds before it impacted his chest, Draven caught it with his free hand, but did not realize the danger within as lightning arced through his body.

  “Enough!” He yelled, dropping the arrow.

  His eyes turned red with the flames of rage. With a swift motion, he slammed his trapped arm into the ground. Horde Breaker released its grasp, jumping away from Draven and taking on its humanoid form.

  “Where the hell did you get that thing?”

  Ray threw his crossbow on his back and pulled out his dagger. “I made it!” he shouted as the blade shot out.

  The attack caught Draven entirely off guard. He let out a scream of equal parts rage and pain. He panted for a few moments, grasping the stump where his right arm had once been.

  “You!” he shouted, his voice trembling with rage.

  He stared at the burnt limb for another moment before focusing on Ray. He let out a primal growl and lunged with surprising speed. Ray tried to hit him with the blade extension again, but he was ready for it this time, easily dodging the blade. He had nearly closed the distinct when a faint buzzing noise hit his ears. Unfortunately for him, he was consumed by his anger, and he never saw the violet energy gathering beneath his feet.

  Violet shackles manifested around his feet, attempting to pull him to the ground. He pushed forward, seeming not to notice the interference, and swung wildly at Ray. The shackles shattered, unable to stand the strain. Ray’s eyes widened as a kick shot towards his side, far faster than he could react. Ray’s arm buckled as the kick impacted him, sending him flying into a nearby tree. He coughed up a spurt of blood and tried to push himself back to his feet, but a mind-numbing pain shot through his arm. He looked down to see his arm with a compound fracture.

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  “Shit!” he shouted with a cry of pain.

  Horde Breaker was the first to catch up with him, swiftly turning back into an arm. Mana pumped through his body, and his bone slowly mended itself, and the wound knitted back together. The primal screech of a starved animal echoed through their link.

  “I'm sorry I made you use that much mana,” he said, pushing himself back to his feet.

  Draven slowly approached Ray, fury still burning in his eyes. ”Impressive. To think you were tossed aside so freely just because your father had a spat with that old fool.”

  “You're no better tossing your family aside just because they were beaten.” Ray spat.

  “You're wrong. The last clan elder would have never tossed his family or pride aside. That’s why he never accomplished his goal.” Draven launched forward.

  Ray blocked with his short sword, but the blade was no match for Draven’s strength as it shattered on impact. Ray gasped for air as the fist continued slamming into his chest. He felt a crack, followed by an agonizing pain. He swung his dagger wildly, infusing any mana he had left into the weapon. It had little effect, only leaving a few shallow cuts where Draven had deflected it before giving in to the strain.

  The hungry howls worsened as Horde Breaker poured more mana into his wounds. Ray attempted to draw his crossbow, but with a flick of his wrist, Draven sent the weapon flying. He drove an uppercut into Ray’s gut, sending him flying through the tree and several feet back. Ray’s vision blurred, and his consciousness threatened to fade. Soon he found himself floating within a gray void.

  “He will go the way of his father and mother soon.” A voice echoed through the space.

  Ray looked around for the source, but it was still the same gray color no matter which direction he turned.

  “Why do they even keep him around? It's not like he will ever amount to anything.”

  “Sorry, kid, but investing in someone that will mostly serve as fodder when the next horde comes is not worth the resources.”

  Voices came from all directions, echoing through the space.

  “Shut up!” Ray yelled.

  “Just give up. Your dream will never come true, at least not with you being the cause.”

  “You're wrong!” he shouted.

  “Waste of space!”

  “You will never succeed!”

  “Inferior!”

  “Shut up!” he screamed.

  His anger boiled over as he hungered to prove the voices wrong—to prove everyone who ever doubted him wrong. The space shook as a violet crack came into existence. Feelings flooded into him.

  The want for power.

  The want for recognition.

  The want for success.

  The hunger for something greater.

  A feeling that he would never be satiated.

  The voices slowly faded, replaced by a new chorus. One screaming to be fed.

  “Awakening achieved. Congratulations! A new title has been granted, Famished; Skill upgraded, Void Affinity has become Gluttony Mastery.”

  375 followers - Bonus chapter -

  ?????????? 97%

  100 favorites - Bonus chapter

  ?????????? 100%