Cursed Devourer

Malik was falling.

Not in the way a body would plummet toward the earth, dragged by gravity's pull—this was different. This was endless.

He was weightless, suspended in a void that was neither dark nor light, but something in between—a vast cosmic expanse that twisted, shimmered, and warped around him.

Colours he had never seen bloomed and dissolved, time lost meaning, and for a moment, Malik felt as though he was unmade and remade over and over again, shifting between existence and something… more.

Then, pain.

It was brief, a single, excruciating moment as his soul crashed into reality.

Malik's consciousness snapped back into existence. His eyes flickered open.

He had no time to process—his senses exploded with new information, overwhelming in their clarity.

The air roared against his skin, rich and heavy with the scent of earth, pine, and something wilder. The temperature was perfect, neither cold nor hot, a comfortable warmth settling over him. He could feel every shift in the wind, every rustle of leaves, every vibration in the ground as life pulsed around him.

Malik inhaled, his senses immediately overwhelmed.

The air was thicker, filled with something alive, something that buzzed and pulsed with unseen energy. It seeped into his skin, into his bones, like the very air itself was teeming with raw power.

He was in a forest—dense, towering trees stretching toward the sky, their canopies so vast they nearly blocked out the sun. The trunks were gnarled, ancient, wrapped in vines that pulsed with an ethereal blue glow. The leaves, too, shimmered faintly, catching the sunlight in an unnatural way. It was nothing like the forests of his old world.

Malik stood still, his senses drinking in everything. The scent of damp earth, of freshly fallen leaves, the distant trickle of water. And then—something else.

Movement.

His gaze flicked toward a clearing, where a group of deer-like creatures grazed near a small pond. At first, they looked like normal animals, their bodies sleek, their movements graceful. But then Malik saw it.

A faint glow.

Something unseen yet felt—a subtle aura of power clinging to their forms. It wasn't physical, but it was there—an energy Malik instinctively recognized yet couldn't quite name.

Until the word came to him.

Mana.

"Ah, you're noticing it now," came a voice, smooth and amused.

Malik's head snapped to the side.

A small dragon lay sprawled in the grass beside him, its obsidian-scaled body coiled lazily, its golden eyes gleaming with mischief.

"…You can talk," Malik said, more a statement than a question.

"Of course I can talk," the dragon stretched, claws flexing, tail whipping against the ground. "What, did you think I'd just chirp and flap around like a common beast?"

Malik exhaled, still adjusting to the reality of it all.

"You're my companion, then."

"Soulbound," the dragon corrected, blowing smoke through its nostrils. "Which means I'm stuck with you, and you're stuck with me."

Malik's lips twitched. "And you have a name?"

The dragon paused, then gave a small, almost reluctant huff.

"Kairo."

Malik nodded, accepting it.

Kairo stretched his wings lazily. "Before you ask, no one else can see me like this. I exist in a state where only you can perceive me unless I choose to reveal myself."

Interesting. That meant he had an advantage—people would see him alone, but in reality, he would always have another set of eyes.

Malik turned his attention to himself next.

For the first time since arriving, Malik took stock of his own body.

He grinned.

He was completely nude, but that wasn't what caught his attention.

He was… different.

Stronger. Sharper. Every inch of his form felt refined, perfected, as if sculpted by the divine. His muscles were lean yet powerful, built with the precision of an elite warrior, not a brute.

His hair was black, yet streaked through with flickering shades of white, grey, and gold, shifting faintly as if alive.

And his eyes…They were impossible, shifting through every colour imaginable, swirling with an otherworldly radiance.

"You look ridiculous," Kairo snickered. "I mean, sure, impressive, but also impossibly perfect. I'd be annoyed if I weren't stuck with you."

Malik laughed. "I like it."

Kairo scoffed. "Well, maybe get some clothes before we meet people. Unless you plan on intimidating them with your-" He glanced downward. "-assets."

Malik smirked. "I'd say it's working already."

The dragon groaned. "Great. Bonded to an idiot."

Malik ignored his snarky reply and flexed his fingers, testing his control.

A new surge of strength bubbled beneath his skin, pulsing through his veins like a river of power. It was then that he felt it.

A deep instinct, something beneath the surface of his mind—his ability to shift.

Malik focused, reaching inward.

For a moment, nothing happened—then his body responded.

His bones shifted, his muscles twisted, a deep, primal power awakening within him. And then—his arms were no longer human.

Thick black scales covered them, his fingers elongating into razor-sharp talons. His breath quickened, and before he could even process it further, Kairo chuckled knowingly.

"Ah, there it is. Took you long enough."

Malik flexed his new claws, feeling their strength. "Explain."

"Because of me," Kairo said smugly, "you meet the requirements to deeply understand and analyse my race. Meaning…"

Malik's mind clicked. "Meaning I can take on the traits of a dragon."

"Bingo."

Malik's smirk returned.

'I didn't even pick it but I can still use everything that a draconian would've given me?! This is going to be fun.'

Suddenly- a thought popped into his head.

"System." He called out, the status window shortly following.

-------------------------------------

Name: Malik Thana

Age: 19

Race: Primordial Shifter

Level: 1

Stats(NEW!)=

Vitality - 60

Strength - 50

Agility - 50

Endurance - 50

Intelligence - 60

Mana - 50

Perception - 50

Charm - 100

Soul - 50

Titles:

- Seeker of the Forbidden = +5 Intelligence per level +5 Base Intelligence

-------------------------------------

Missions: 

[Explore.]

-------------------------------------

Scanning through the status window, Malik noticed quite a few things.

His stats had completely changed, no longer temporary and instead reflecting his new body and state. Yet, he was unsure how relative they were as he felt stronger in his current self– more so than when he had the temporary boosts, but he boiled that down to the fact that these stats were actually his own.

He had finally managed to level up- although only to level 1- it was better than the 0 he had been stuck at previously. He would figure out how to advance further.

The title given to him at the end of the second quest stayed with him, still in effect. This told him that titles were something to look out for in the future and they must've been tied to the soul itself.

'Though, they are gone.' He thought, looking at the empty space where the abilities he absorbed from Goliath, Katya and Leo had once been. This wasn't completely unexpected, but still unfortunate. Malik greatly valued the power each of those abilities could output and it was a shame to let them go.

Finally and most importantly-

"Explore?" Malik questioned aloud.

The mission section was pretty much blank. The only information it gave him was to 'explore'. He wanted to find out more, but realised he still needed to familiarise himself with this world anyway, and he was sure that eventually he would receive some guidance from the system.

'Whatever, I'll figure it out later.' Malik pushed the thought aside, focusing his attention on Kairo.

"Ready?" The dragon purred.

"Yeah, lets do some 'exploring.'"

...

Malik moved through the forest, his footsteps eerily silent. He and Kairo had been traversing the wilderness unhurried, primarily because Malik was interested in what the wildlife of this world was like.

Aside from the deer he'd seen earlier, Malik had spotted boars, birds, insects, and a whole plethora of other types of creatures. All of the animals he came across contained some form of mana, mostly attuned to nature or what they closely related to. However the species of creatures were strangely similar looks wise compared to his previous world.

A few hours had passed.

When things were starting to get a bit too boring-

Something caught their attention.

The air shifted.

Malik picked up a new scent—smoke, blood, sweat, steel. The unmistakable stench of battle.

"Finally! Something fun." He savoured the smell that felt so familiar.

Then, the sounds reached him.

Metal clashing. Screams of pain. The heavy thud of bodies hitting the dirt.

Malik's senses sharpened, his eyes flickering toward the direction of the noise. A battle wasn't far.

"Oh? You're interested?" Kairo's voice hummed in his mind, playful. "Should've figured you'd sniff out blood like a predator."

Malik ignored the comment, pushing forward. As he reached a break in the tree line, he leapt atop a thick branch and observed the chaos unfolding below.

A large encampment spread across the clearing, makeshift wooden barricades half-collapsed, tents burning. The bodies of the dead—some humanoid, others monstrous—littered the field.

At first, Malik focused on the attackers.

There were humans, elves, and other humanoid warriors—each one bearing armour and weapons of varying quality. Some were clad in fine plate and enchanted gear, likely elites, while others looked like scrappy mercenaries, hired muscle for the conflict.

Then, he turned his gaze to the defenders.

And his interest piqued.

Orcs and goblins.

They were visibly different from the humans—not just in form, but in presence. The orcs were massive, standing between six and eight feet tall, their skin shades of green, grey, and even reddish-brown. Some wore primitive yet effective armour, while others fought bare-chested, their muscles rippling with raw power.

The goblins were smaller, no taller than a child, but their speed and numbers made up for their lack of size. Clever, tricky little creatures, using bows, poison, and even crude explosives to fight back against the attackers.

"Never seen them before, huh?" Kairo mused.

Malik kept watching. "No."

"Well, let me educate you."

Kairo settled himself comfortably within Malik's mind, his voice smooth with amusement.

"Orcs—big, strong, durable. They're natural warriors, built for battle. Some are smarter than others, but most? They thrive on strength. The strongest lead, the weak follow. They respect power above all else."

Malik's gaze flickered over them, noting how the orcs didn't back down—even as their numbers thinned, they fought hard, relying on brute force and sheer endurance.

"Now goblins," Kairo continued, "are the opposite. Small, cunning, adaptable. Dirty fighters. They won't fight fair, and they love setting traps. Give them time, and they'll turn any battlefield into a death trap. But they're also cowards—if they think they'll die, they run."

Malik's gaze shifted back to the attackers.

Among them, the elves stood out.

Their features were sharper, more beautiful, their movements fluid, their weapons elegant. They fought with a level of grace and precision that put them a tier above the human mercenaries.

"Elves," Kairo muttered, his voice edged with mild disdain.

"Long-lived, magically gifted, and annoyingly arrogant. Their bodies are naturally faster, more agile, and they have sharper senses than humans. Most of them practice magic, but even their warriors can use mana instinctively."

Malik watched an elven archer fire an arrow that curved mid-flight, impaling a goblin between the eyes.

"Tch. Showoffs," Kairo grumbled.

Malik's lips twitched into a small smirk. "Jealous?"

"Please," Kairo scoffed. "I could snap one in half with my tail."

Malik watched as the battle raged on.

The humans and elves pushed forward, pressing the orcs and goblins back. The camp was on the verge of falling.

And yet, Malik's interest wasn't in who would win.

It was in what he could gain.

"Before you jump in, let me explain something," Kairo said, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious. "You've become quite strong since your rebirth, but do you actually understand where you stand in terms of power?"

Malik arched a brow. "I know I'm stronger than most, I think? That's all that matters, isn't it?"

Kairo shook his head. "Strength isn't just about raw power—it's about the density of your mana core. That's how ranks are determined."

Malik frowned. "Mana core?"

Kairo smirked. "You really don't know anything, huh? Mana is the energy that fuels life itself. It exists in everything, but not everyone can use it. Magic is just an application of mana, shaping it into spells. Some use it to enhance their bodies, others for ranged destruction. Some races don't have access to it at all."

Malik processed that, eyes narrowing. "So where do I stand?"

Kairo crossed his arms. "By mana density alone, you'd be classified as Intermediate. But with your system leveling, combat instincts, and the fact that you're not even human but a Primordial Shifter, you're far above your 'rank.' Titles like Grandmaster exist, but that's nowhere near the top. There are much stronger classifications, but that's not relevant for now."

Malik absorbed the information in silence before smirking. "So, in simple terms—I'm built different?"

Kairo rolled his eyes. "Sure, let's go with that."

"Anyway," Malik looked at him curiously, "how do you know all this?"

Kairo shrugged in response. "Ah, that's because it's the same as my previous world. I'm pretty sure that all worlds use it, yours being a special case."

Malik nodded in understanding, choosing not to comment. He assumed Kairo was also a rebirth like him, a dragon from a different world, but he understood that when the time was right he would tell him.

"So," Kairo purred, "you going to just sit there and enjoy the show, or are you actually thinking about stepping in?"

Malik rested his arms over his knees, considering.

This wasn't his problem. He had no ties to either side.

But…

This was an opportunity.

If he got involved, he could gather information. Figure out who mattered in this world, what power structures existed.

And most importantly—make an impression.

"Oh, I like that look in your eyes," Kairo laughed. "You're going to do something stupid, aren't you?"

Malik stood, rolling his shoulders.

"Time to introduce myself."

Kairo snorted. "Fine, but… are you seriously going in naked?"

Malik blinked.

He looked down at himself.

Oh.

Right.

He was still completely nude.

Malik shrugged. "Not my problem."

"Oh, but it's going to be everyone else's problem," Kairo cackled. "I approve. If you're going to join, at least make it entertaining."

Malik's lips curled into a smirk.

Then, he stepped forward into the battlefield.