# Chapter 0: Awakening - The Apex Predator

PATNA

12 /06/ 2019

IN DUNGEON

Akhil clenched his fists, the coarse gravel of the alleyway digging into his palms. The stench of garbage and decay assaulted his nostrils, a fitting backdrop for the gnawing hunger that clawed at his insides. It wasn't the usual kind of hunger, a primal urge that transcended the need for food. It was a deeper yearning, a call for something...more.

He hadn't always been this way. A week ago, Akhil was just another cog in the machine of Patna, a city teeming with millions. He worked a dead-end job, his days a monotonous blur of paperwork and fluorescent lights. Then, the Gate appeared.

A swirling vortex of inky blackness ripped open the sky, spewing forth grotesque creatures unlike anything Akhil had ever seen. Panic erupted as the monsters rampaged through the city, their screeches echoing off the concrete canyons.

Akhil found himself separated from the crowd, trapped in this fetid alleyway as a hulking monstrosity lumbered towards him. Fear, primal and cold, gripped him. He braced himself for the inevitable, but it never came.

A blinding light erupted from within him, banishing the alley's gloom. When his vision cleared, he saw the creature, a once-mighty beast, now a withered husk, its life force seemingly drained. Akhil stared at his hands, a faint luminescence clinging to them. A strange sense of satisfaction bloomed within him, a predatory instinct awakening.

The following days were a blur of experimentation. Akhil discovered he could not only absorb the life force of these creatures, but also something more. He devoured the fallen monster's essence, and with it, a surge of power coursed through him. His senses sharpened, his body felt lighter, stronger. He yearned for more.

His city lay in ruins, a monument to humanity's fragility. But amidst the wreckage, whispers spread of others like him - the Awakened. Some wielded fantastical abilities, others possessed an inhuman strength. Akhil wasn't interested in their company. He was a lone wolf, an apex predator in a world gone mad.

His hunger wasn't satiated by mere monsters. He craved something more potent, something legendary. Legends spoke of Dungeons, hidden labyrinths teeming with unimaginable treasures and guardians. And within these Dungeons, the rumors whispered of items unlike any other - Devourable Items.

These were not mere weapons or armor. They were fragments of power, remnants of a bygone era. Legends claimed those who devoured them could unlock abilities beyond human comprehension. Akhil craved that power, a hunger that burned brighter than any fire.

With a predatory glint in his eyes, Akhil surveyed the ruins of Patna. This was no longer his city. It was his hunting ground. The whispers spoke of a Dungeon at the city's edge, a place untouched by the initial onslaught. It was time to claim his prize.

As Akhil stalked towards the crumbling horizon, the city skyline, once a symbol of human achievement, now stood as a testament to their folly. A cruel smile played on his lips. This world may be broken, but for Akhil, the only thing broken were the chains that had held him back. He was the apex predator, and the hunt had just begun.