The Goblin Who Devoured Fate

The shadows tightened around my ankle, spreading like creeping vines up my leg. A freezing numbness crawled through my body, my vision flickering between reality and something else—a place of endless darkness, where whispers slithered like unseen snakes.

"You are not ready."

The voice echoed inside me, smooth and patient—like it had all the time in the world.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to move. But my limbs felt heavy, like my body wasn't entirely my own anymore.

[Emergency System Override!]

[Warning: External Interference Detected][New Ability (Incomplete) Reacting…][Do you wish to forcibly awaken your power? Y/N]

My hand hovered over the system screen.

This was it.

I could either fight back with a power I didn't understand… or take my chances trying to escape.

But as the shadow tightened, squeezing the air from my lungs, I realized—

I didn't have a choice.

I pressed [Yes].

Unleashing the Unknown

A sudden shockwave blasted outward from my chest. The tendrils of darkness reeled back, writhing as if in pain. The entire chamber shook, cracks splitting across the walls as my vision blurred into red and black.

My system screen glitched, displaying rapid bursts of unreadable text.

Then—

[Ability Partially Awakened!][Title Acquired: He Who Devours Fate][Effect: ???]

I staggered, clutching my head as my senses exploded with new awareness.

The darkness surrounding me wasn't just some random force—it had form, intent, and a name.

And now, I could see it.

A massive figure loomed within the collapsing shrine, shrouded in a swirling black mist. Its body was a shifting mass of tendrils and eyes, pulsing with unnatural hunger.

One glowing crimson eye focused directly on me.

"Interesting…"

The shadows lunged.

I barely had time to react before something clicked inside me—an instinct, a reflex I shouldn't have had.

My body moved on its own.

A New Power—And A New Threat

I twisted, dodging the tendrils as if I had done it a thousand times before. My speed had doubled, my reaction time sharpened. The power inside me was still unstable, but it was responding to my will.

I raised my hand—and the shadows obeyed.

A pulse of black energy erupted from my fingertips, cutting through the approaching tendrils like a blade.

The entity paused, watching. Then it let out a low, amused chuckle.

"So… you've begun to awaken."

The chamber rumbled violently, and the walls began to collapse completely.

Rhia's voice cut through the chaos. "Leon, MOVE!"

I didn't hesitate.

I turned and ran, the shadows still swirling inside me—but I was in control. For now.

Escape… For Now

We barely made it out before the shrine collapsed behind us, sealing whatever was inside back in its prison.

I leaned against the cave wall, my breath ragged. Rhia was staring at me—no, through me—like I had become something she couldn't recognize.

"…Leon. What the hell was that?"

I looked down at my hands, still tingling with the remnants of power.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I think… I just took my first step toward something dangerous."

And something told me…

I wouldn't be able to turn back.