The morning sun illuminated the hills surrounding the city as Rob gazed out the window of his apartment. The blue sky, dotted with small white clouds, seemed to promise a peaceful day.
"Dad, can you help me with math?" asked Matthew, his eleven-year-old son, frowning as he held a notebook in his hand.
Rob smiled and walked over, sitting beside him at the dining table. As he explained basic algebra concepts, Victoria moved skillfully around the kitchen, preparing breakfast with Amélie secured to her chest in a baby carrier.
It was a normal morning, just like so many others. Rob, a civil engineer, had a workday planned at a construction site in the expanding city. Victoria, a nurse, would soon leave for her shift at the local hospital. An ordinary family, an ordinary day... until everything changed.
A sudden vibration swept through the air. The dishes on the table rattled. Rob immediately stood up, instinctively seeking to protect his family. That was when the voice echoed across the world.
—Well, your planet has finally reached Life Level 1. It's time to prove your worth! Fight or die, there are no other options! Hahaha, this is going to be interesting, at least for me! Hahaha, good luck!—
The sound was overwhelming, as if the sky itself were speaking. Matthew dropped his notebook. Victoria clutched Amélie tightly. Rob felt as if the world—his world—had just shattered.
Minutes later, the disasters began. Earthquakes of unprecedented magnitude shook the land. Tsunamis devoured entire coastlines. Volcanoes, dormant for centuries, erupted, spewing fire and ash. Nature itself turned against humanity. Plants that were once harmless mutated into monstrous creatures. Animals, from the smallest to the largest, transformed into nightmare beasts, driven by an uncontrollable urge to destroy.
Rob reacted quickly. Using his engineering knowledge, he reinforced their home as best he could. Victoria treated the wounded in their neighborhood until they could no longer stay in the city. When the attacks became unbearable, they fled to the mountains. There began the hardest years of their lives.
Ten years passed. Humanity, once proud and numerous, now barely represented one percent of its former population. Over those years, Rob lost everything.
His parents, Jhon and Carmen, died in the early months of chaos. A mutated carnivorous plant collapsed on their home as they tried to escape. His siblings, Arturo, Pully, and Marcelo, fought alongside him for a time but fell one by one, devoured by beasts or swept away by avalanches.
His best friends, Alan, Marlon, Daniela, and Camila, had been part of his first resistance squad. They laughed, bled, and survived together... until they no longer could. Alan was killed by a winged creature during a rescue mission. Marlon sacrificed himself by detonating an explosive charge to stop a horde. Daniela and Camila died embracing each other, shielding one another from a swarm of mutants.
Even his faithful pets, Apolo and Maya, accompanied him through the early years. Apolo, his German Shepherd, died protecting Amélie from a forest creature. Maya, the family's cat, disappeared during an attack and was never seen again.
Initially, Rob had not awakened any significant ability. Eventually, however, he unleashed the power of his soul: "World Devourer", an SSS-ranked skill capable of absorbing the strength of fallen enemies. He became the strongest human on Earth—the final guardian. But even that wasn't enough.
The last bastion of humanity, an improvised fortress amid the ruins of what was once Santiago, Chile, came under attack. Leading the charge was the "Puma of the Andes," a mutated SS-grade creature.
The battle was brutal. Rob fought like a titan, his body covered in wounds, his meteorite-forged axe glowing with accumulated power. But in a brief moment of distraction, the unthinkable happened.The Puma of the Andes, in a brutal charge, broke through the defenses and reached the safe zone where Victoria was protecting the children. Rob screamed. He ran. But it was too late.
Before his eyes, the monster tore Victoria apart. Matthew tried to shield his little sister, but both were crushed by the beast's fury.
Something inside Rob shattered.
A beastly, inhuman roar burst from his throat. A black and gold aura exploded around him. Even the sky itself seemed to crack from his presence. For the first time, his ability showed its true form.Rob devoured the souls of his surroundings—the very energy of the air and earth. Every step he took left the ground smoking. The Puma attacked, but this time Rob outmatched it in speed and strength.
—Open up!—he roared, as his axe crackled with the essence of thousands of fallen enemies.—YOU took everything from me! I WON'T forgive you!—
With one final, colossal blow, Rob split the Puma of the Andes in two. The released energy created a crater in the battlefield. The beast fell. Rob collapsed as well.
His vision blurred as blood poured from his wounds. He felt an absolute loneliness. There was nothing left to protect.
"If only…" he thought as darkness engulfed him, "If only I had awakened sooner…"Then, a voice echoed in his mind.
—You are the only human who, despite the death sentence I gave your planet, never gave up. Hahaha! It was fun watching you fight. It would be a shame to let you end like this. Very well, I'll give you another chance. Show me if you can save your world... and maybe even reach higher stages. Hahaha! Good luck... and entertain me.
A moment of absolute silence...
Rob opened his eyes.
The morning light filtered through the window of his home. Matthew sat across from him, his math notebook open. Victoria laughed softly in the kitchen while cradling Amélie.
A torrent of emotions overwhelmed him. Confusion, disbelief... and finally, desperation.
He rushed toward them, embracing them tightly. His body trembled, and tears flowed uncontrollably. He wept like a child—a father who had seen his family die and now had them back."They're alive... They're here..." he sobbed.
Matthew and Victoria looked at him in confusion but returned his embrace.
Rob lifted his gaze, his swollen eyes burning with a fierce resolve.
—This time… I swear I'll change the future! Nothing and no one will take you from me again!And thus, began Rob's true battle—the rise of the future World Devourer.