Little Devourer
Seravelle Continent, Lust Domain, Tutorial Point, March 6, 2028
A selection.
In Seravellian terms, it usually means the event where new blood from Esperra gets recruited and passed through the tutorial phase to eventually be recruited by the several Seravellian factions.
Each year, two selections occur, and they are more often than not filled with bloodshed and backstabbing.
During the first phase, one gets to witness how far a human can go in desperation for survival, and during the second phase, it shows how low their morals can sink when order is stripped away.
But for the first selection of the year 2028, this unbreakable routine… broke.
It was all thanks to one Lapis Hart. Unlike her unlucky brother, she thrived.
Where he was isolated and underestimated by the other recruits who dismissed him as useless, by showing her masterclass fencing skills, she gained their recognition.
That recognition led to admiration and then subordination. When survival was the utmost priority, following the strongest had always been the most obvious choice, and that was how Lapis gained her first group of followers.
By following her, they were rewarded with their desired survival while she used them to make the testing forest her hunting ground.
Jenna was invaluable to her dominance; she identified monster weaknesses, their hunting grounds, what made them move, and how to counter it all.
Her mind worked in ways Lapis found incomprehensible more often than not, but she did not care about how her brain was configured as long as she was this competent.
And just like that… the selection with the least deaths to ever be recorded was born at the hands of Lapis Hart.
***
"Ah, so boring…" a whiny voice echoed in the room.
Jenna's soft features twitched for a brief moment before she buried her face back in her book. Though she did not ignore her roommate's childish complaints.
"Tomorrow will be the day we integrate with the system, so it's going to get more interesting from now on, Lapis."
"I know… but besides beating those horny dogs into a pulp, and attending classes, nothing much is going on right now… I feel like I'm wasting the time I should probably be using to search for my bro."
"..."
"...and your father, of course!"
"Sure…"
"Don't pout. Lucia already said that he was doing great. He's even friends with Ash. We will find them eventually."
"I don't know how that came to be in the first place when they are generations apart."
"...me neither."
Lapis turned over the covers over her head, "Alright! I'm going to sleep the rest of the day off so that tomorrow comes faster. G'night!"
Jenna glanced at the caterpillar woman then shook her head with a soft sigh, "Good night…"
***
"Jenna!"
A happy-looking Lapis burst through the door of the calmer woman's apartment. "Why did you not wait for me, you traitor!"
"We were going to converge here anyhow, so I went first, stop being dramatic," she calmly answered.
"You and your weird antics… friends wait for each other, y'know."
"Is that so?" she tilted her head, "then I will wait for you from here on."
"Thanks!" Lapis bounced over to Jenna's position on the bed before she tackled her over. "Now let's compare status! I can't wait to show you mine, haha."
"...is that also something that friends do?"
"Probably not…? But we are best friends, so I don't mind!" Lapis looked curiously, "Do you?"
"...No."
"Then let's do it~"
She flicked her finger, "I'll go fi~rst."
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[1. General information]
Name/Arrival date: Lapis Hart – 2028/02/11
Sex/Age: Female/23
Height/Weight: 170 cm / 59 kg
Current condition: Healthy
Pathway: VI Step: Little Devourer
Thema: Tomē
Affiliation: Solmara (Temp)
Title: None
[2. Traits]
—Sword Prodigy
—Bro-Con
—Adaptive Temperament
[3. Physical Level]:
Strength: F+ | Endurance: F+ | Agility: E-
Perception: F+ | Stamina: F+ | Mana: E
[4. Abilities]
- Innate Powers: —None.
- Path Skills: —Darkness Coating (Entry-)
—Feast (Entry-)
- Other Abilities: —Fencing (Skilled-)
—Katana art (Skilled)
—Crude Mana Control (Basic)
—Basic mana breathing (Basic+)
—Cleanse (Entry+)
—Excited / Headstrong / devotionary spirit
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"Your traits… are unique. And your skills… their names… let's say they are also unique."
"Hey! What's wrong with my traits? They are perfectly normal, y'know." Lapis shot her a confused look. "I'm a genius with the sword, I love my brother, and I have an adaptable personality!"
"All good, right?" With a wink, she showed their description, "Here, it says so clearly here, hehe."
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Sword Progidy
You possess an exceptional natural talent for the sword, close to the highest a human can have. You grasp techniques almost immediately, refine them faster than others, and instinctively understand timing, spacing, and movement. Even without extensive experience, your potential is obvious; given time and practice, you can reach a level most people could never attain.
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Bro-Con
You have an intense, possessive attachment to your brother. You trust him completely and place him above everyone else. He is your emotional anchor, and any threat to your relationship with him triggers an immediate protective response. Your instinct is not to hesitate, but to remove whatever stands in the way.
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Adaptive Temperament
Your personality shifts to match what the situation demands. When despair threatens to drag you down, you become cheerful to push back against it. When pain tries to break you, you laugh it off. When fury rises, calm takes over instead. Your mind does not stay fixed in one state; it bends, counters, and adapts to keep you steady.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from NovelFire; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
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"See? Perfectly normal."
"Right…" Jenna's lips twitched. "You already chose your Sin and Thema on the way? You should've given it more thought, no?"
"Thinking about it too much is a waste of time," Lapis waved her off, "Gluttony had the most compatibility with me, so I chose it. As for my Thema, it literally translates to 'cut', so I also went with it."
"My brother says that I'm most suited for the katana, and what a katana does best…?"
"It's to cut," she stuck her tongue mischievously.
"Hmm. As long as you are satisfied." Jenna's face softened when she realised that her friend had put some thought into her choice and didn't just wing it.
"Alright, I'll show you my path skills next. I want you to consider them when planning our missions and monster hunts, so pay attention!"
"Yes…yes.."
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Darkness Coating
You cast a layer of darkness over yourself or an object, making it harder to perceive, track, or clearly focus on.
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Feast
Anything that comes into contact with the darkness you cast is slowly consumed. The absorbed matter restores your physical stamina, and if it contains mana, it is converted into your own.
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"Oh… this is really good." Jenna nodded in amazement. Though the extent of her reaction was a slight widening of her eyes.
"Right?!" Lapis grinned in triumph.
"With Feast, you can embody your epithet without actually having to devour things with your mouth, and Darkness Coating gives the best medium for your darkness."
"Uh huh, uh huh…"
Jenna wasn't sure she understood what she was getting to, so she spelled it out for her. "You can coat your sword with darkness and use the Feast with each cut, making your strikes not only hurt, but also eat the enemy."
"That's a good combination!"
"Hm." Jenna agreed. "It seems that the skills given by the system on each step are fundamentally engineered to aid the embodiment of our epithet. That's reassuring."
"Sure is sure is… now show me yours!"
With a helpless smile, Jenna watched as the young woman moved to side hug her with enthusiasm.
"Mine is not as exciting as yours, so don't get your hopes up."
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[1. General information]
Name/Arrival date: Jenna Slate – 2028/02/11
Sex/Age: Female/23
Height/Weight: 166 cm / 54 kg
Current condition: Healthy
Pathway: VI Step: The Knowing Eye
Thema: Esōmathēs
Affiliation: Solmara (Temp)
Title: None
[2. Traits]
—Introvert
—Observant
[3. Physical Level]:
Strength: F | Endurance: F- | Agility: F+
Perception: F+ | Stamina: F | Mana: E
[4. Abilities]
- Innate Powers: —None.
- Path Skills: —Secrets Touched (Entry-)
—Weakness Study (Entry-)
- Other Abilities: —Hacking (Skilled-)
—Observation (Skilled)
—Crude Mana Control (Basic)
—Basic mana breathing (Basic+)
—Cleanse (Entry+)
—Excited / Circumspection / Withdrawn
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.
.
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Secrets Touched
You gather information from others by reading surface thoughts, hidden intent, and concealed facts through brief contact or close presence.
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Weakness Study
You observe a target, object, or technique long enough to uncover its flaws, patterns, and weak points, allowing you to exploit them with increasing precision.
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"In case it's not already obvious from the skills, the Sin I chose is Envy. As for my thema," Jenna explained patiently. "esō means 'inside' basically, and mathēs translates as 'to learn'."
She faintly smiled, inwardly happy that her previously useless knowledge about Greek words had come in handy. "It carries the idea of 'one who learns inwardly' or 'inner learner.'"
"That's cool!" Lapis smiled happily for her friend, "This suits you so well, Jen, and the skills complement your natural ability nicely, now I'm kinda scared for whoever gets on your bad side…"
"They can probably forget about the concept of privacy, ha!"
"Hmm." Jenna only made a nasal sound, but her lips couldn't stop the involuntary curve.
"You shy girl~" Lapis of course caught her secret smile and immediately moved to tease her.
"S-stop it…"
"Hehe… 'cmon tell me you're happy with the praise."
Poke poke.
"Lapis… I- I will get m-mad…!"
"You mean you will get cuter? Tsk tsk…"
"..."
That day, Jenna understood that her friend's terror didn't need a sword to manifest itself.
And yet… the light, almost giddy feeling in her chest refused to fade throughout it all.
***
Seravelle Continent, Lust Domain, Tutorial Point, August 8, 2028
"How curious…"
At the highest building of the tutorial city, the overseer of the current selection resided.
Within its walls stood what could only be described as the fairest, most enchanting, most exquisite woman on the planet.
The voice that had just echoed was undoubtedly hers; after all, only someone of such radiance could give birth to something so close to a divine melody.
The only one fortunate enough to have their ears graced with it was the bishopess Mary, who had been her direct aid for the past six months of managing this territory.
"Your holiness, did your domain catch any anomaly?"
"Anomaly? You may call it so, if it pleases you." She answered with quiet amusement.
"While others struggle against wild Beasts, she slaughters Gorefiends."
"While others drown in their sins, she dominates hers."
"What is more… she draws others into her orbit with magnificent charisma, guiding them toward virtue despite this cesspool of corruption."
"Fortune also graces her with all the support she requires to realise her visions freely," the Mistress of Lust's eyes deepened as her Domain homed in on the quiet woman always shadowing that monstrous genius.
"She is like a hurricane. I daresay not even her brother was this wild in his time. An anomaly… yes, it is a fitting word."
"Her brother?"
"Ashen Hart."
"The Hero of the Wrath domain…" Mary's eyes widened, "Does he know that his sister is here?"
"Not so. He has been absent for quite some time now, alongside our dear saintess. I find myself wondering how their honeymoon fares~?" The Lust Lord sighed dreamily, putting a hand on her cheek.
Mary did not share her carefreeness, her expression turning painful at the mention of the missing saintess. She had opposed Seraphine's deployment to the newly reclaimed region from the start; it was clearly a dangerous endeavor, one that they shouldn't be risking their symbol over, but when the Lust Mistress spoke, they had to obey.
And she had given Seraphine free rein. A rein that the blonde didn't hesitate to use to permanently station herself beside her lover.
The ethereal figure had not missed Mary's distressed expression behind her foggy veil, so she spoke with great compassion, "You look as though you have encountered something incomprehensible."
She faintly smiled, but the bishopess failed to see it. "Taking into consideration your impressive work these past months, I do not mind indulging you. Ask away."
“Then… Mistress, how can someone of your standing remain so carefree when our saintess has been missing for months now?”
"Simply because I know that even there, the chance of harm coming upon her is small."
"How…?"
"Ashen Hart was under my care for a while, when he was injured during the last Narkal invasion." Her voice turned reminiscent. "When I tended to his wounds, I felt something terrifying within him… I did not dare probe deeper, but that it could unsettle me at all is proof enough of its might."
Mary listened with an unbelieving expression, but she did not dare interrupt.
"Though Lust is my primary Sin, I confess I am rather proficient with Love as well. And the Love I sensed from that man… that dormant obsession… it was nearly as terrifying as the hidden monster sleeping within him."
“So it’s plain enough, from where I stand, that our lovely hero would not permit a single hair of his saintess to be harmed—and he has the power to make it so. Do you understand, hmm~?”
"Yes…" It was clear that the bishopess was still struggling with the new revelations, but the words she would hear next would plunge her into even deeper turmoil.
The Lust Lord crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in her chair. Mary would have recognized it as the posture of someone who had completely given up if she could pierce through the fog.
"Of course, the true reason I allow that little girl such freedom is simply that I have no wish to earn his ire~"
"Haah…?"
The Popess who stood at the top of the main faith of this continent, the Lord of the largest domain, the pathwalker who had reached the very summit of her path… fretting over earning the resentment of someone…?
Mary couldn't begin to wrap her head around it.
The woman in question paid her bewildered expression no mind; if anything, it seemed she faintly enjoyed provoking it.
"After all… what would become of me if he were to resent me for standing between them~?" Her generous chest trembled with a bell-like laughter. "I am but a helpless woman… I could hardly bear it if he decided to visit some punishment upon me, ah~"
"Mistress… even as a joke, that is going too far." Mary couldn't handle it anymore and mumbled in resignation.
"Why would I jest about something so serious, Mary?" she asked with innocent confusion, not giving the other a chance to retort. "Either way, let us look after his sister until she departs. It is a shame she will be joining the territorial regiment of the army—I will not be able to keep an eye on her then."
"At least she won't join the Bloodwall," Mary, who had finally gathered her wits, said in relief.
"That is so," she replied. "Otherwise, I would not look forward to the reckoning he would bring when he learns his sister was thrown straight into the meatgrinder upon his return…"