Ruthless Capitalism

With whispered breath, the god began, 

A daring act to shape the night, 

Tearing their flesh with a cosmic plan, 

Unveiling worlds with sacred light.

Sinew unraveled, stars were born, 

Veins poured forth the galaxy's streams, 

Organs became lands to adorn, 

Blood flowed through celestial dreams. 

(True Genesis - Verse 2)

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"Ugh, my head... I shouldn't have drank that much wine yesterday..." Felix groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow. "How long did I sleep?" he wondered aloud. He stretched his limbs, his body stiff and aching from sleeping on the couch.

Looking at the clock with his half-opened eyes and saw it. It was ... 7:48 am.

"... Not again!" He exclaimed, jumping up from his couch and rushing to his bedroom.

He hastily grabbed a shirt and trousers from the floor, not bothering to check if they were clean or not. He threw them on, buttoned the shirt, and tied the tie in a sloppy knot like yesterday.

Then, he rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face hastily. After that, he tried to tame his wild hair into some sort of order, but to no avail. Giving up, he grabbed his bag and coat and ran out the door.

He didn't forget to lock the door this time.

The colorful streets were crowded with people hurrying to their jobs, cars, and buses honking loudly, and the constant buzz of traffic filling the air. Felix dodged through the crowds, apologizing to those he bumped into. He ran as fast as he could, hoping to reach the office building in time.

He had nearly arrived when he realized he had forgotten to buy a coffee at the local cafe. However, he did not want to waste time stopping and risk being late again, so he pushed forward, determined to make it in time.

With a burst of speed, Felix raced through the crowd and into the lobby of the building, nearly colliding with the security guard.

"Hey! Watch it!" the guard yelled as Felix zipped by, leaving only an apologetic wave in his wake. He darted into the elevator, repeatedly hitting the button for his floor as the doors closed.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator began to move, his heart pounding from the mad dash to work. The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open, revealing his colleagues already sitting at their desks, working away.

"Good morning, everyone!" he said cheerfully as he walked in.

The other workers gave him their usual amused glances, and he responded with his trademark goofy grin.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Felix sat down at his desk and started his computer. He opened his emails and began reading the reports from the previous night. However, when Felix saw the latest report, his expression changed.

His face suddenly changed from a warm smile to a cold one. It was a smile that would be impossible for the happy-go-lucky Felix to ever make.

"...Oh my," he muttered, reading the report. "Well, well... Look what we have here."

It was a grim crime scene report of murders committed in the slums, where most of the victims were homeless people and drug addicts. The number of victims is still unclear, but all of them had something in common. They all had their limbs torn off, and their bodies were beyond recognition.

The report said it was the work of some fanatic. It was unclear whether the culprit had been enhanced by a "celestial shard," but police seemed reluctant to investigate further as there were chances a superhuman was involved.

It was not worth risking losing officers for some hobos who did not even pay taxes. Things would have been different if it had happened in the rich parts of the city.

'Celestial shards... Although it sounds fancy, it is just a term for meat fragments that give superpowers if successfully digested. Certainly, Celestial Shards are not all equal and have a lot of rules about them. But that monologue is for later.' Felix thought, sneering.

Obviously, Felix knew exactly how it happened since he was still connected to the void shard he had released. Although he did not have all the details, it was still enough.

"It seems like the lucky one who found and devoured my flesh had developed a rudimentary power, probably enhanced strength or something like that, but it can't be helped. That part of me was only rank 9 after all." Felix thought as he skimmed through the report.

Focusing on the word "Celestial shard", he couldn't help but smile.

"Lucky him, my flesh differs greatly from those pesky Celestial shards. Usually, absorbing and digesting a Celestial Shard requires quite a lot of preparation and effort, but with my 'Void Shards,' there is not much to do. One only needs to eat it to gain an incredible power immediately." He then stopped and smirked

"...Well, it is at the price of the consumer's sanity, but eh, nothing is free, so let's call it a fair trade?" he mused as he turned his attention to his computer.

Felix typed furiously, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he composed an article about the murders. He wrote about the victims, the methods used, and the possible motives behind the crimes.

With his piece done, Felix submitted the article to his editor. He then sat back and stretched, his shoulders aching from the tension.

The article was approved quickly. His editor had probably not read it carefully. He sighed and stood up to stretch his legs and take a break from the desk work.

Felix walked around the office, greeting his co-workers and joking with them. Yet, internally, he was thinking about what he should do next.

'The shard should have been fully digested by now... Shall we go and reap our harvest...?' he thought with a sly smirk. Looking at the clock, Felix realized it was... only 11 am.

"...Capitalism is ruthless," he grumbled. "Even a creature from the void, who's been around forever, thinks a workday feels like an eternity."

He sighed, adding, "... Guess we'll tackle this after the shift."