In a world where everyone had a Rank, being Rank F meant one thing—
You were useless.
Kai was Rank F.
At the Awakening Ceremony, golden screens floated above every student's head.
"A Rank!"
"B Rank!"
"S Rank!"
Cheers filled the sky.
Then Kai's screen appeared.
Rank: F
Skill: Weak Body
Potential: 0%
Laughter spread like wildfire.
"Even monsters are stronger than him."
"He won't survive a dungeon."
Kai lowered his head and said nothing.
Because only he could hear the whisper.
Not from the screen.
From inside the darkness.
That night, when everyone slept, Kai couldn't.
A shadow moved across his wall.
Cold air filled the room.
A voice echoed in his mind.
Do you want power?
Kai's heart pounded.
"Yes," he whispered.
The room went completely dark.
Then a new screen appeared—black and cracked.
Hidden Class Unlocked
Class: Devourer of Ruins
Ability: Absorb power from defeated enemies
Warning: The more you devour, the less human you become.
Kai stared at the last line.
But he didn't hesitate.
The first dungeon raid came a week later.
Rank A students entered confidently.
Kai was only there as a porter—someone to carry bags.
Then the unexpected happened.
A Gate Malfunction.
Monsters far stronger than expected appeared.
Screams echoed.
Even Rank A students fell.
Kai was cornered by a massive Shadow Beast.
Its claws slashed across his chest.
Blood spilled.
Pain burned.
And something inside him broke.
Or awakened.
Devour Activated.
The Shadow Beast froze.
Dark energy wrapped around it.
And within seconds—
It dissolved into black mist.
Flowing into Kai.
His wounds closed instantly.
Strength +10
Agility +8
Shadow Resistance +20%
The surviving students stared in horror.
"What… are you?"
Kai looked at his trembling hands.
Power pulsed through his veins.
But he felt something else too.
Colder.
Heavier.
Hungrier.
News spread fast.
"An F Rank killed a Shadow Beast."
Impossible.
The government began investigating.
Guilds offered him contracts.
But deep inside the System Network—
An ancient entity opened its eyes.
The Devourer has returned.
Kai stood alone on a rooftop that night.
He could feel monsters now.
Hear their whispers.
Smell their fear.
And for the first time—
They were afraid of him.
Not because he was strong.
But because he was becoming something worse than a monsters.