Awakening Of The Devourer

“Arise!”

A loud, tacky ringtone suddenly pierced the air, drawing the attention of every one standby in the hallway.

He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out an old phone, ignoring the look of annoyance and irritation settling on their faces. 

The phone's screen was cracked, and its keypad was worn out. It looked like it had been carried around for a long time, but he couldn't care less.

Swiping the receive option to the right, he plopped the phone against his ear instinctively.

“Hello.” He said casually into the phone, his tone extremely cold and emotionless.

“Hey, Nuel, you little prick!” A tacky voice blared from the other end of the phone. “How long do I have to wait before you give a report on a successful mission?” 

The wind howled through the opened window, gently tossing Nuel's coat off balance and his hair floated across his face, revealing his azure eyes with dull glints.

“It's only been fifteen hours since I got assigned to this task, Mr Tanaka.” Nuel said.

“I know, I know…” Mr Tanaka heaved uneasily, rubbing his temple as he tried to calm himself down. “I just can't let go of this uneasiness. The Don is up my throat already and… and—”

Nuel, knowing fully well what Mr Tanaka was about to say, cut him short abruptly, bowing his head a little to express his unseen disappointment.

“Have I ever failed you or ruined any mission?”

“You're my best man, Nuel. You're our family's best hunter— you are Nuel.” Mr Tanaka replied, his uneasiness slowly dawning.

“What's all the fuss about then?” Nuel asked again, raising his head. “Pipe up a cigar— before you take your last puff, your happy ending will be on its way.” 

He said then hung up before he could let the old creep breathe another word into the phone.

Nuel pushed the phone back into his pocket and walked towards the nearest door. He took a slight peep through the glass compartment of the door and a dry sigh escaped his lips.

Lying on the hospital's bed was his foster aunt, almost drained of the little life left in her as she laid wearily and still. 

The continuous beep of the IV fluid dripping through the cannula slowly unlocked a faint memory of the past.

“Nuel… it's not your fault, child? I will be okay…” His foster aunt—Zixuan said to him with a smile, holding his face as she slowly succumbed to the cold hands of death.

Help came in due time, but Zixuan has never seen the light of day since the incident happened fourteen years ago.

As his memories played dramatically in his head, Nuel clenched his fists hard, the realization of how useless he was at that moment gnawing on him again.

With his teeth seething hard as the helpless look on his aunt's face, he banged his fist into the door, not minding the impact it made on his fisted palm.

“Damn magic users! I will drag you all to hell!” He vowed.

Magic had upturned his entire life, throwing him and his only family into a pandemonium of eternal sadness and to get even with this, he had to eradicate magic and its affiliates.

That was what he built his resolution on, granting him an entrance to become a hunter of dark magic users for the Philikio family.

He was one step closer to annihilating magic users by going under the guise of clean up. He wasn't going to be the hero of the world by preserving magic, but rather destroy its very essence.

“You should give up on her now.” A cranky old man's voice peered at Nuel from behind.

The oldman was leaning on an IV fluid rack. His face was bartered, but his eyes told stories of his youthful days.

“What right do you have to say that to me?” Nuel growled, turning to face the man.

“You are tired. You should let her go. Your aunt wouldn't want you to waste your youthful age fending for her your entire life— she has had hers.”

Hearing these words only fueled Nuel's anger. He tried to contain his emotions as he clenched his fists again and turned away to leave.

He paused before he could walk past the oldman and said,

“My grandfather died because he stuck his nose in other people's business— you should mind yours. I won't abandon her just like your children did to you.”

The oldman chuckled as he watched Nuel raged off.

'I will never give up on you, aunt.’ Nuel declared in his thoughts. ‘...even if it kills me!’

Nuel emerged from the hospital, greeted by the hustle and bustle of the city. He walked into the throngs of people rushing by. 

After walking for about five minutes, he finally hailed a taxi as he rounded a street corner.

“Where to sir?” The taxi driver asked.

“Take me to 1313 Misty Wynd Manor.” Nuel replied.

“That would be 3,000 Union coins.” The man announced before pulling out of the park lane into the bustling traffic.

The ride to his apartment took roughly about twenty six minutes and soon, Nuel was standing in front of his door.

An average looking condominium with hundreds of other similar looking doors stretched in rows and columns around him.

Since his aunt had gone bedridden, nowhere had felt like home to Nuel and the thought of coming back to his apartment never gave him any closure he wanted.

Nuel pressed the key card against the door and its usual ‘welcome home' tune played.

As he stepped through the doorway, the smell of sizzling beef broth whiffed into his nose. It was a delicious and savory smell, taking him by surprise as he almost declared that moment as a homely feeling.

He stepped out of his boots and slowly walked into his apartment, not sure what would jump on him or who was making a meal.

Nuel let his guard down as the sweet humming of a song filled his ears, accompanied by the savory smell of the beef broth.

'She is here.’ He said to himself as he walked towards the kitchenette.

He watched her move from the stove to the sink, clattering utensils as she moved about with her soft behinds jiggling in the transparent linen gown she was wearing. 

Fueled by a rushing adrenaline, Nuel grabbed her from behind hastily, unsure if it was the savory broth drawing him closer or his deadbeat desire to claim her at once.

“Nuel!” She giggled in surprise as held her close, pressing his hard strength against her soft tone. 

Nuel gave her no livid response as he sniffed her neck, drowning himself in her natural scent.

“Did you spray perfume?” He asked.

She broke out of his hold, leading him away from the stove with her back still pinned against the kitchenette rails.

“No. Why?”

“You smell good every time I get close to you. You're so soft and enticing… every time… every moment, it makes me want you.”

A faint blush wafted across her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck, almost touching his lips with her soft plum lips.

She bit her lips seductively, wanting him to make the first move while she teased him.

The bubbling from the beef broth continued to sing, but they had both brushed it aside.

“You can have me now.” She giggled as Nuel began to nibble on her neck with his soft kisses trailing over it.

“I swear I won't stop until your legs are shaking and the neighbors know my name.” Nuel dragged, giving her neck a light bite.

“Uhm~” She moaned, recoiling at his touch.

She could feel him tickle her thigh with an object, slowly trailing the cold metal surface against her warm skin.

“Neul~”

The trailing continued, till she felt a touch under her chin— that was it and the next she heard was a gentle click and then…

…a piercing BANG!

Her eyes spiraled into dots as her brain tried to process what had happened. The wall behind her was stained with her blood in an instant and her jagged flesh tore open through her skull, leaving her mouth hanging in dismay.

Nuel stepped back from her, cocking out the empty magic bullet shaft from his gun as he watched her wobbly legs give in to a fall.

“Bitch!” He spat.

He turned to switch the stove off but his view suddenly got flooded with floating letters.

“The hell?” He grunted, assuming it was a visual defect, but they appeared again.

DING!

[Congratulations, Nuel]

[You have successfully eliminated the princess of the Blood-Moon sect, earning:

•10,000 Union Coins

•500 EXP

•Status

“What the hell is…”

As if being pulled into a storm, Nuel lost total control of himself and his body gave in, failing him as he got plunged into darkness. He dropped to the ground— perhaps dead.