Resurgence: eternal evolution

Kael stood outside the portal, drenched in sweat, his body aching from the brutal fight. The raid leader, Victor, approached him with a faint smile, holding out a small pouch.

"You did good in there, rookie. This is your share," Victor said, tossing the pouch into Kael's hands.

Kael opened it, his eyes widening at the sight of 70 glowing monster cores. His heart raced—this was far more than he had expected.

"Seventy cores?" Kael whispered in disbelief.

Victor smirked. "You earned it. You pulled your weight, and honestly, we ended up with more loot than usual. Consider it a bonus for not dying."

Kael nodded, clutching the pouch tightly. "Thank you. I'll make good use of this."

As the group dispersed, Kael lingered near the portal. He couldn't wait any longer. He needed to absorb these cores now.Kael staggered to the quiet alley, his body trembling as he carefully took out the E-rank monster cores. His fingers brushed against the cool surface of each core, feeling the latent power waiting to be unleashed. He'd absorbed cores before, but never like this—never so many at once.

"Let's see if I can handle this," he muttered to himself.

One by one, he absorbed the cores, the familiar rush of energy coursing through him. But this time, Kael didn't stop after a few. He pushed through the pain, absorbing one core after another.

System Notification:

Cores Absorbed: 2/50

Cores Absorbed: 10/50

Cores Absorbed: 20/50

The energy building inside him felt like a tidal wave crashing against his body. But he didn't stop. Not yet.

System Notification:

Cores Absorbed: 30/50

Cores Absorbed: 40/50

Pain began to seize Kael's body as the mana swelled within him. His muscles stretched and burned, and his blood felt like it was on fire. But he was determined to finish what he'd started. His vision swam as the final cores were absorbed.

System Notification:

Cores Absorbed: 50/50 - Quest Complete!

A surge of power flooded his senses, the pain so intense he couldn't breathe. His body trembled as the mana rushed through his veins, every muscle screaming in protest. It felt as if his very cells were rebelling against the sudden power.

Kael's vision blackened as his body gave in to the overwhelming strain. He collapsed to the ground, the last thing he heard was his heartbeat pounding in his ears before everything went black.

Time Passed...

Kael slowly came to, his head pounding and his body aching. The hunger hit him first—an insatiable hunger that made him feel like he hadn't eaten in days. He groaned, sitting up, his muscles sore from the absorption.

His body still felt heavy, but he could feel a strange new energy inside him, like something was waiting to be unlocked. He stumbled to his feet, and after a few shaky steps, he made his way home.

When he entered the house, his mom was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She looked up when she heard the door open. "Kael? Are you alright? You look exhausted."

Kael gave her a weak smile. "I'm fine, just hungry."

His mom's face softened, and she quickly served him a heaping plate of food. As Kael sat down at the table, his sister Ah-In walked in and immediately raised an eyebrow.

"You're eating again? Didn't you just eat this morning?" she teased, her tone amused.

Kael, too weak to care, grabbed the bowl with both hands. "I'm starving," he muttered through a mouthful of food.

His sister shook her head, but her smile was warm. "You're going to eat us out of house and home."

Kael managed a laugh, but the hunger didn't stop. He ate until every bowl was empty. His mother watched with a pleased expression, happy to see him eating again.

System Notification:

Quest Complete: E-rank Monster Core Collection.

Reward: Customized Training Unlocked.

Customized Training:

Increase all stats to 50 before unlocking further training possibilities.

Kael blinked, surprised by the reward. "Customized training? What does that mean?"

But before he could dwell on it, the system's notification disappeared, leaving him with more questions than answers.

His mom watched him, concerned but relieved to see him eating. "You look better now. How did the raid go?"

Kael paused. His muscles still ached, but the power coursing through him felt different now—stronger. "I think it went well. I might have overdone it a bit, though. But I'm fine. Just... need more food."

His mother chuckled. "Well, you've certainly earned it."

Later that night, Kael lay in bed, his thoughts swirling. The system had given him a reward, but it didn't make much sense yet. He had a new power, but he didn't fully understand how to use it.

"Customized training," he murmured to himself. "Guess I'll have to figure out what that means tomorrow."

But for now, he let himself drift into sleep, his body still adjusting to the overwhelming surge of mana inside him.

The morning light crept through the curtains, and Keal awoke with a groan. His body felt heavy, the weight of the monster cores he had absorbed still pulsing through his muscles. He hadn't realized just how much energy those cores contained until the aftermath—the burning pain in his limbs, the deep hunger gnawing at him. His stomach growled louder than he could ignore.

Keal stumbled out of bed, his body sore and stiff. He dragged himself to the kitchen, where he found his mother, Yura, busy preparing breakfast. The smell of food filled the air, making his stomach rumble even more insistently.

"Good morning, Kael," Yura smiled, noticing him walking in. She slid a bowl of steaming porridge in front of him. "Eat up. You've been sleeping all night. You must be hungry."

He didn't even reply—he just dug into the food, eating more than he ever had before. After all, he needed the energy to sustain the surge of mana in his body. Eight bowls later, Keal leaned back, a satisfied grin plastered on his face.

"Keal," Ah-In, his younger sister, suddenly appeared, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "You're eating too much again! There's not enough food at home. Don't you think you should manage?"

Keal paused, the spoon still in his hand, and glanced at his sister. He could feel the weight of her words. His stomach had already been filled to the brim, but Ah-In's concern about their dwindling resources made him feel guilty.

Yura chimed in with a reassuring smile. "Let him eat, Ah-In. He needs the energy. We can manage."

Ah-In sighed but didn't argue further. "Just... don't eat everything, okay?"

Keal nodded, his expression softening.''I promise."

Once he finished his meal, Keal thanked his mom and stood up, preparing to leave. The hunger had subsided, but his body still felt off. He needed to do something productive. He checked his phone, searching for any available dungeon raids that would allow him to make some money.

Most of the listings were for E-rank dungeons, but Keal's eyes landed on one that caught his attention: D-rank Dungeon Raid - No Requirements.

It seemed risky, but he was desperate. They needed money, and the food supply wasn't going to last forever. Keal's gaze hardened with determination. He knew he was still weak, but there wasn't time to wait for a better opportunity.

"I'll do it," Keal muttered to himself, tapping the "Join Raid" button. The screen flashed with confirmation. The registration was complete.

Soon, Keal was standing in front of the portal, his heart racing with anticipation. The air was thick with the smell of danger, but Keal steeled himself. The raid was small—only ten participants, with him included. The moment he stepped through the portal, he recognized familiar faces: Victor, the guild leader, and Maia, one of the few other hunters from his past E-rank dungeon raids.

"Keal, you made it," Victor greeted him with a half-smile. "You sure about this? D-rank dungeons are no joke."

"I'll be fine," Keal said, though his voice betrayed a hint of uncertainty. "I need the money."

The group nodded in understanding. Victor gave a brief introduction of the raid members, and they got to work, walking toward the dungeon's entrance.

The dungeon was eerie and filled with low-level monsters. It wasn't long before they encountered the first few. Keal drew his sword—his weapon was in poor condition, rusted and chipped from all the use, but it was all he had. He lunged at the first monster, a Fang Wolf, swinging his blade with as much force as he could muster.

The monster dodged easily, its fangs bared as it lunged for Keal. He blocked the attack, but the force sent him stumbling back, almost losing his balance.

"Damn it," Keal grunted, narrowly avoiding another strike. He was still too slow, still too weak.

"Keal! Focus!" Victor shouted, slashing the Fang Wolf down with a swift movement of his blade. "You're too tense. Relax and think."

Keal nodded, gritting his teeth. He couldn't afford to waste any more time. His weapon was barely holding up, but he couldn't just back down now. With a deep breath, he steadied himself, channeling the surge of mana within him. He swung his sword again, this time with more precision, cutting through the monster's side.

The beast let out a howl of pain before collapsing to the ground, defeated. Keal wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily.

"Nice job," Maia praised him as she effortlessly took down another monster, a Cave Lizard, with a precise strike. "You're getting better."

The group continued deeper into the dungeon, clearing out waves of low-level monsters. Keal had never been in a D-rank dungeon before, and the monsters here were far stronger than the ones in the E-rank dungeon he'd previously visited. His sword kept breaking, forcing him to rely on his fists more than anything.

By the time they reached the boss room, Keal's body was sore and exhausted, but he pushed forward. The boss, a towering Stone Golem, loomed ahead, its rocky body covered in jagged armor and glowing with an eerie red light.

Victor gestured for everyone to get into position. "This is it. Stay sharp."

The battle was fierce. The Stone Golem swung its massive fists, sending shockwaves through the ground. Keal dodged one of the swings, rolling to the side and coming up behind the monster. His sword broke in half as it collided with the Golem's rocky exterior, but he didn't hesitate.

"Focus! Hit the weak points!" Victor ordered.

Keal nodded, launching himself at the Golem's back, where the stone was cracked. He aimed for the weak spot, striking as hard as he could. The impact sent shockwaves of pain through his body, but the Golem staggered, its armor cracking.

"Finish it!" Maia shouted.

With one final strike from Victor and the rest of the guild member, the Golem crumbled to the ground, defeated. The party let out a collective sigh of relief. The raid was over.

"We did it," Keal muttered, barely able to stand, but a sense of accomplishment filled him. He had made it through, despite his weakness.

The group began to gather their spoils, and Victor handed out the monster cores. "Keal, here. You did well, luck is seriously on your side."