Renard's consciousness drifted back to him like he was swimming up from the bottom of a deep, dark lake. The world felt hazy and distant, but slowly, warmth and light began to seep through.
He raised his hand instinctively, squinting against the bright sunlight streaming through tall windows. When his eyes finally adjusted, the first thing he noticed was the ceiling above him—completely unfamiliar. Intricate woodwork covered every inch, carved with detailed beast motifs that seed to shift and dance in the flickering light.
"Where am I?" he mumbled, his voice hoarse.
This definitely wasn't his usual room, nor was it his personal quarters back at his grandfather's mansion. He blinked slowly, his mind still foggy. It felt like he just had a good dream but he couldn't rember any details.
Moreover, in his drowsy state, he couldn't bring himself to care much about it.
But then full awareness crashed over him like a cold wave.
The Genesis Pillar. The two clashing Blood Crests fighting inside him. That mysterious light that had sohow saved him from being torn apart by the opposing forces.
Renard sucked in a sharp breath as everything ca flooding back.
"So much happened..." he whispered, pressing a palm against his forehead.
He'd been prepared for the awakening ceremony to be challenging—everyone knew it could be dangerous. But what he'd experienced had gone way beyond anything he'd expected. Just thinking about all the chaos he'd caused made his head pound.
"Let's not think about that right now," he muttered to himself.
He sat up carefully, bracing for the sharp pain he expected after everything his body had been through during the ceremony. The awakening process was notorious for leaving participants weak and aching for days not to ntion how much he had suffered.
But instead of pain, he felt... incredible.
His body felt light as air, practically humming with energy he hadn't possessed since his regression. It was like every muscle, every bone, every cell had been rebuilt and strengthened. He flexed his fingers experintally, marveling at the subtle but unmistakable power flowing through them.
'What the hell happened to ?' he thought, staring at his hands in amazent.
Sothing fundantal had changed.
Curiosity burning inside him, Renard focused inward and called up the Providence ssages he'd glimpsed before losing consciousness. The familiar blue text appeared in his mind.
[You have awakened a new Blood Crest - Wild Heart (Royal)]
Even though he'd seen this ssage before, it still brought a smile to his face. But he kept reading, eager to see what else had changed.
[You have obtained new crest ability - Pact of the Wild]
[You have obtained new crest ability - Guardian Beast Sigil]
Now his smile beca genuine—the first truly happy expression he'd worn since he had seen his sister.
These two abilities had been the foundation of his power in his previous life. He knew exactly what they could do, how to use them, and just how devastating they could be in the right hands.
His excitent grew as he continued reading.
[Essence paths have been constructed throughout the body]
That explained the energy flowing through him—essence channels had been carved into his very being during the awakening.
[You have broken through to the Essence Zone!]
"Wait, what?" Renard's eyes widened. "I broke through while I was unconscious? That's... that's incredible!"
He couldn't stop grinning. Breaking through to the Essence Zone was supposed to take months of careful cultivation after awakening. To have it happen automatically was almost unheard of.
But his smile died instantly when he read the next ssage.
[The Devourer's Chains have loosened]
A chill ran down his spine despite the warm sunlight filling the room. Sothing about those words felt deeply ominous, like a warning his newly awakened instincts couldn't ignore.
During the ceremony, he'd heard that voice—ancient and serpentine, calling him a "Child of Misfortune." The Eternal Hunger had felt different too. More active and more... aware.
'What exactly is this Devourer?' The question still gnawed at him. 'And why is it talking like it's so kind of living being?'
Providence ssages were never random or aningless. Every word carried weight and truth. If Providence was talking about the Devourer as a being held back by chains, then that's exactly what it was. But that raised even more disturbing questions.
Why were those chains loosening now? And what did that an for him, the so-called Devourer's Heir?
He rubbed his temples, trying to think it through.
'And what about that Holy Wolf? What were those divine flas it ntioned?'
Even after raising his Wild Heart crest from Legendary to Royal rank in his previous life, he'd never once encountered the Holy Wolf.
He hadn't even known it was connected to his crest. But it had appeared during the ceremony, which made him question everything he thought he knew.
'Maybe it's because my crest was mutated instead of properly evolved in my previous life...'
That could be it. In his past life, when his crest reached Royal rank, Providence had changed its na entirely—from Wild Heart to Beast Sovereign. Maybe that transformation had cut him off from the Holy Wolf sohow. But even that explanation felt incomplete.
There were too many questions and too many mysteries. He felt like his head might explode from trying to piece it all together.
'The Heavenly Archives,' he decided after a long mont of hard thinking. 'If answers exist anywhere, they'll be there. I need to find a way to visit them soon.'
But that was a problem for later. Right now, he needed to understand his current situation.
Renard took a deep breath and opened his full Providence State, eager to see all the changes:
[Providence State]
[Na: Renard Grim]
[Age: 14]
[Gender: Male]
[Zone: Essence Zone]
[Title: Devourer's Heir]
[Blood Crest: Eternal Hunger (Primordial - Partially Awakened) | Wild Heart (Royal)]
[Crest Abilities: Devour (F) | Prajna (F) | Pact of the Wild (F) | Guardian Beast Sigil (F)]
[Stolen Abilities (0/2):]
[Devoured Abilities (2/2): Beast Mimicry (F) | Night Vision (F)]
[Sealed Abilities: Devourer's Rage (F)]
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