Chapter 3 The weight of new power

Seo Jun-Ho moved through the ruined streets of Hongdae with steady steps while Kage stayed close by his side. The cooked meat from the Crystal Alpha Wolf had changed his body in noticeable ways. Every movement felt lighter and stronger at the same time. His senses had sharpened, allowing him to pick up distant sounds and smells that would have been impossible before. The black tattoos across his arms and chest continued to pulse with a steady rhythm, as if they had become a living part of him.

He checked his status window as he walked.

[Name: Seo Jun-Ho] 

[Class: Beast Sovereign (Mythic)] 

[Level: 8] 

[Strength: 47] 

[Agility: 39]

[Vitality: 35] 

[Endurance: 32] 

[Essence: 890] 

The numbers showed clear growth from the battles and the meal he had prepared. His Primordial Palate trait also gave him detailed information about the meat he had consumed. It explained that repeated consumption of the same monster type would eventually reduce the benefits, which meant he needed variety to keep growing stronger. The system also revealed that cooking with higher quality ingredients and proper techniques would unlock even better effects in the future.

A loud crash echoed from a nearby intersection. Jun-Ho turned toward the sound and saw a group of five survivors fighting against a pack of smaller wolf-like creatures. The humans were armed with whatever they could find — broken pipes, kitchen knives, and metal bats. They fought desperately, but they lacked coordination. One man went down screaming as two wolves dragged him away.

Jun-Ho watched for a moment. He had no obligation to help them, but he also understood that surviving alone would become harder as time passed. He gripped his reinforced metal pipe and moved forward. Kage followed without hesitation, his small body already showing signs of growth from the shared meal.

As Jun-Ho approached, three fresh wolves broke away from the main pack and charged toward him. These ones were faster than the ones he had faced earlier. The first leaped straight at his throat. Jun-Ho shifted his weight and swung the pipe in a wide arc, striking the creature solidly in the side. The impact sent it flying into a parked car with a loud crunch.

The second wolf tried to flank him. Jun-Ho spun and kicked it hard in the ribs, feeling his enhanced strength lift the creature off the ground. Before it could recover, he brought the pipe down on its skull. Kage darted in and bit the third wolf’s leg, holding it in place long enough for Jun-Ho to finish it with a precise thrust through the neck.

The survivors stared at him with wide eyes. A young woman holding a bloody baseball bat shouted, “Who are you? Are you with the military?”

“I was,” Jun-Ho answered calmly. “Not anymore.”

He did not wait for more conversation. Another wave of monsters appeared from a glowing rift that had opened near a collapsed café. This time the creatures were different, larger lizards with sharp ridges along their backs and glowing green venom dripping from their fangs. There were six of them.

Jun-Ho moved toward the new threat without hesitation. His body responded perfectly to his will. He charged the closest lizard and smashed its head before it could react. Venom sprayed across the ground where he had stood a second earlier. Two more lizards attacked together. Jun-Ho dodged the first and used the second as a stepping point, jumping onto its back and driving his pipe into the base of its skull.

Kage had grown bolder. The pup leaped onto one of the lizards and tore into its neck with surprising ferocity. The bond between them allowed Kage to share a small portion of Jun-Ho’s increased stats, making the young wolf much more effective in combat.

The fight grew more intense. One lizard managed to slash Jun-Ho across the back with its claws. The wound burned from the venom, but his new regeneration skill closed it faster than expected. He grabbed the creature by the tail, swung it around, and slammed it into the others. The impact broke bones and created an opening. He finished the remaining lizards one by one with heavy, decisive strikes.

When the last creature fell, Jun-Ho stood in the middle of the street surrounded by monster corpses. His breathing remained controlled despite the exertion. The survivors approached him carefully. There were four of them left — three men and one woman. They looked exhausted and scared.

“Thank you,” the woman said. “We thought we were dead.”

Jun-Ho nodded once. He began processing the lizard corpses quickly, cutting out the best meat and the venom glands. His Primordial Palate immediately provided new information.

[Venom Ridge Lizard meat detected.] 

[Possible dishes: Grilled Lizard Tail (Agility + Poison Resistance boost), Venom Broth (Temporary enhanced senses)]

One of the men stepped closer. “Hey, you seem to know what you’re doing. How about we team up? Safety in numbers, right?”

Jun-Ho looked at the man directly. “I work alone for now. But if you want to follow and contribute, you may come. If you slow me down or cause problems, I will leave you behind.”

The group exchanged glances but agreed. They helped him gather usable materials from the dead monsters while Jun-Ho built another small fire inside a nearby abandoned restaurant. He prepared a quick meal using the lizard tails and some seasoning he found inside. The smell attracted no new threats for the moment.

When he ate the first portion, fresh power flowed into him.

[You have consumed Venom Ridge Lizard Tail (Basic Enhancement)] 

[Agility +9] 

[You have gained the passive skill: Minor Venom Resistance (Level 1)]

He shared smaller portions with Kage and offered some to the survivors. They ate gratefully, though their gains were much smaller than his. Still, any improvement helped them.

As they ate, Jun-Ho felt the full weight of his new reality settle in. The Primordial Palate was not just a cooking skill. It was a path to dominance. Every monster in this world represented potential power if prepared correctly. His Beast Sovereign class would allow him to tame and command stronger beasts as he grew. The Towers standing in the distance were clearly the main source of greater power and danger.

Night had deepened around them. More rifts continued to open across the city, releasing stronger creatures. Jun-Ho stood up after the meal and looked toward the massive black tower near the Han River. Its presence dominated the skyline, pulsing with dark energy.

“We move toward that tower,” he said. “Staying in the open streets will only get harder. We need information and better resources.”

The survivors nodded, clearly relieved to have someone decisive leading them. Kage walked beside Jun-Ho with steady steps, his crystalline fur now slightly thicker and darker after the recent battles and meals.

Jun-Ho felt no fear. Only a clear sense of purpose. The old world had ended, but this new one offered him a chance to rise far beyond what he had been before. He would climb the towers, tame the strongest beasts, and cook power into his own body one meal at a time.

With his group behind him and Kage at his side, Seo Jun-Ho continued forward into the transformed city, ready for the challenges that waited ahead.