the devouring sovereign

Seeing that all eyes were on him, Ash felt a wave of nervousness. His father's gaze alone was enough to make even seasoned

warriors falter. But Ash quickly suppressed his unease. He had made his decision.

This was his second chance-a rare opportunity to rewrite his mistakes. If he faltered now, even with his new talent, achieving his goals would become far more

difficult. He couldn't afford to waste this moment.

Ash straightened his posture, his

voice steady as he addressed the

room.

"I apologize for my earlier behavior. I was lost in my thoughts, trying to find the right

words to explain myself without sounding disrespectful," he began, his tone composed but resolute.

He paused, glancing at his father, the patriarch. His father's opinion was the only one that truly mattered. If he had his father's

support, the others' disapproval would be irrelevant.

"You may have heard rumors that I'm here to beg for my mission to be canceled. That's incorrect," Ash said, his voice gaining strength.

"Im here to request something else entirely. I want my mission to be on the frontlines of our toughest battlefields. Addition ally, I request increased resources over the next two months to prepare myself properly."

The room fell silent. No one expected such words from him even his uncle , his strongest ally.

Ash braced himself, expecting at least some reaction of surprise from his father. But Augustus, the patriarch, merely smiled-a slight, amused expression that conveyed nothing.

After a moment, the smile faded, replaced by a more serious demeanor. When Augustus finally spoke, his voice carried no trace of oppression, only quiet authority that was enough to put everyone in the room on their best behavior especially Ash

"Are you sure about this decision? Once I agree, nothing will change my mind. I'll give you time to reconsider if needed' Augustus

offered.

Ash didn't hesitate. "Thank you, Patriarch, for your consideration, but l've already made my decision. It was not made lightly."

Augustus studied him for a moment before nodding. "Very well, that's the behavior that the heir of our family should have. I see no reason to deny your request. You will be provided with sufficient resources for your

preparation over the next two months. However, don't expect anything rare or extraordinary. Anything within reason will be

yours," Augustus declared.

The patriarch's decision was final, and no one dared to challenge it openly. But Ash could feel the silent resentment in the room. It was clear that many were unhappy with his request. However, they wisely chose to remain silent, avoiding any direct opposition as they wanted to keep their heads on their shoulders .

" Thank you, Patriarch. May I take my leave now?" Ash asked.

Augustus nodded. "Yes. All younger generation members are dismissed. Only the core elders shall remain for the rest of this meeting."

As the crowd began to disperse, Ash noticed Zach waiting for him outside. His cousin's expression was already twisted with fury. The moment Ash stepped through

the doors, Zach stormed up to him, grabbing his collar and shoving him against the wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you piece of trash?" Zach snarled, his face inches from Ash's rage visible in his eyes.

"Do you think a talentless bastard like you can survive the hardest battlefield? You can't even survive in the backlines of the easiest battlefield. Is this your way of throwing a tantrum before you lose your title? Listen carefully: you'll go back in there

and beg for mercy. Give up your title, or I'll make your life a living hell."

Ash stared at him, unflinching. His voice was cold and steady. "Put me down, or you'll face the consequences."

Zach laughed mockingly.

"Consequences? From you? You're nothing. Did you forget last year's competition? Should I remind you how I destroyed you right here and right now ?"

Ash didn't reply. Instead, he feigned as though he was about to speak, drawing Zach's attention- and then he struck.

A sharp kick to the balls sent Zach crumpling to his knees with a strangled cry. Before Zach could recover, Ash followed up with a punch to the nose, a sickening crunch echoing .

Ash didn't stop there. Grabbing

Zach by the hair, as if he was repeating something that happened to him, he pulled him forward and slammed his knee into Zach's already broken nose, ensuring the injury was beyond repair.

Zach fell unconscious, collapsing in a heap on the ground. Ash stepped back, breathing heavily but otherwise calm. He gave Zach's crumpled form a final glance before turning and walking away.

The people around them wateched as the fight unfolded, they couldn't believe that Ash won but no one dared to say anything as they made room for Ash to leave

As Ash returned to his room, his mind replayed the events of the day. From the attack that had destroyed his family in his

previous life to the moment he crushed Zach minutes ago, everything felt surreal.

Is this a dream? No-a nightmare. But it's too real to be an illusion.

Then, he remembered something. When his talent first manifested, he'd learned it came with a system to help him utilize it. He decided to test it.

"The Great Devourer System," Ash called out in his mind.

A faint, blueish panel materialized before him.

[SYSTEM PANEL]

Name : Ash

Age : 14 years, 7 months

Race : Human

Cultivation Level : Third Level of Qi

Gathering

Talent: Devouring (EX)

Devoured Talents: 0/2

NOTES:

• Talent slots increase with each

cultivation level.

• You can only devour D-rank

talents. Higher-rank talents

become available as your

cultivation level increase.

• To successfully devour a talent, you must maintain physical contact with a fresh corps that haven't passed ten minutes mark and

Command, "Devour."

Ash stared at the screen, taking in the information. By the time he finished reading, his jaw hung open.

"This talent... it's so broken,'" Ash muttered, a mix of disbelief and excitemnent in his voice.