The Evolution of the Weakest Ghoul

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Herd , Evolving

Clang!

The commander’s sword fell to the ground as time seemed to pause.

Then the Ghoul pulled back its arm, revealing the commander’s ripped-open chest. His armor had been torn into scraps.

The commander slowly knelt on the ground, his gaze lifting toward the sky as he spat out blood.

That was the end of him...

And the end of his town.

Levit waved his hand, and the Ghouls immediately received the command to feast.

”This is my chance,” Ronan thought instantly as he pushed his way through the Ghoul horde.

The reason the Vampires allowed them to devour the commander was simple.

Ghouls evolved through consuming flesh.

The stronger the creature’s flesh, the stronger the Ghouls that consumed it became.

So, they used the corpse of this Transcendent Realm commander as nourishment for the horde.

As for themselves, they were already in the Sovereign Realm.

Drinking the blood of a mere Transcendent commander was nothing more than enjoying a glass of wine.

It wouldn’t make them any stronger.

As for Ronan , he was the weakest there.

So even though he struggled desperately, he still arrived last.

”Please don’t be dead...”

”Hold on, damn it... you’re a commander...”

Ronan thought as he unconsciously pushed forward, not even noticing how much he had changed.

He was watching a man being eaten alive...

Yet all he cared about was landing the final blow.

By the time Ronan reached him, the commander had become completely unrecognizable.

His face had been eaten away.

His limbs were gone.

At this point, he should have already been dead.

Yet when Ronan saw the man’s heart still beating inside his torn-open chest, his eyes widened.

It seemed Transcendent beings were no longer truly mortal.

The fact that he was still alive proved it.

But Ronan only lost his concentration for a second.

The next moment, he rushed forward and targeted the heart.

He reached out and grabbed the still-beating organ as the dense mass of Ghouls squeezed against him from every direction.

Although Ronan couldn’t feel pain, he could still hear the cracks echoing from his own body.

After all, everyone else possessed a Transcendent Realm body.

His was only Mortal.

It was like placing a cherry beneath a mountain of steel.

Sooner or later...

It would burst.

But Ronan’s expression suddenly changed.

He had grabbed the still-beating heart.

He could feel his entire body vibrate with every heartbeat.

The problem was...

When he squeezed it, it felt like he was squeezing a block of wood.

”No... no... you fucking bastard! Just fucking explode!”

Ronan brought his other hand over and gripped the heart with both hands, squeezing with everything he had.

Yet the heart—an organ that would have been fragile in a mortal—now felt as hard as ironwood.

How was he supposed to crush something like this?

But after coming this far...

Would he give up?

Hell no.

Ronan was a man who had already died twice.

His greatest fear was dying again.

But more than that...

As someone who had spent his entire life at the bottom of society...

What he desired most was to stand at the top.

Only those at the top could truly appreciate the beauty of the world.

How could anyone claim to have lived without ever seeing the world from the peak of Mount Everest?

”Just pop... please pop...”

”No... I’ll make you pop!”

”I can’t fucking die again!”

”I can’t stay at the bottom of life again!”

”I’m a fucking transmigrator, you bitch-ass heart!”

”I have a cheat!”

”I’ll reach the top!”

”Ahhhh!”

Ronan roared hysterically.

Yet amidst the growling Ghouls, he didn’t sound out of place at all.

Just then, another Ghoul reached for the heart.

Pop!

It exploded.

At the same instant, Ronan’s hands were crushed by the impact as the ghoul began devouring the heart.

The surrounding Ghouls sensed it as well and rushed forward.

Ronan was instantly shoved to the back.

He couldn’t help but freeze.

Hadn’t he always been at the back?

The only thing he had ever seen throughout his life was the backs of others.

He had always been on the bad side of society, hearing stories about the good side...

But never getting to experience it himself.

He gritted his teeth.

Thankfully, he couldn’t feel pain.

Otherwise, he would have been screaming his lungs out from his broken hands and ribs.

”It is over...”

Ronan muttered.

If Ghouls could cry...

There would have been one crying right then.

He couldn’t help but think about all the effort he had put into trying to destroy that heart.

He had tried harder than anyone else there...

Yet he couldn’t even crush a single heart.

”Scam...”

Ronan spat in disgust.

But just then...

[Ding! Host has gained 22 Essence.]

[Ding! Host has killed his first Transcendent Realm being and gained the title: Little Killer.]

[Ding! Essence requirement met. Host has begun evolving.]

”Why did you reply so late, you bitch?!”

”I almost had a heart attack!”

”Do you want to kill me, you fraud system?!”

Ronan couldn’t help but curse.

System: ”...”

Suddenly, Ronan felt warmth spread through his lower body as a comfortable surge of energy swirled around him.

He couldn’t help but moan in pleasure as his broken hands and cracked ribs rapidly healed.

Ronan could feel himself growing stronger.

At this moment, he truly believed everything had been worth it.

He could even bet that one day...

He would become addicted to this feeling.

The transformation continued for several more minutes.

By the time it ended, the Ghouls had already finished devouring the commander, leaving behind nothing but scattered bones and a pool of blood.

”Herd the remaining humans here. You are prohibited from killing them unless necessary.”

Levit calmly issued another command.

The dull eyes of the Ghouls lit up.

Like a disciplined army, they all stood up at once.

On cue, Ronan also rose to his feet, mimicking the others as he walked alongside the horde.

”System Daddy, show my stats.”

Host: Ronan

Race: Ghoul

Realm: Mortal • Three Star

Trait: Blood Sucking Lv.0

Essence: 22.02/22.02 (22/30 needed to reach the next star.)

Effect:

Minor body enhancement.

Low-level regeneration.

Stronger senses.

Abilities: None

Inventory: Evolution Card ×1

---

”Now this is what I’m talking about. I love you, System,” Ronan said cheekily as he couldn’t help but remember that comfortable feeling when he evolved.

It was like eating the finest delicacy or having a long, relaxing massage as every pore in his body opened up.

He had completely forgotten that he had been cursing the System just moments ago.

”So... now... we should herd the humans?” Ronan thought.

Of course, he had heard his master’s order, and he couldn’t help but feel curious.

People herded animals.

He had seen that many times.

But...

How exactly do you herd humans?

Soon, Ronan found out.

Goosebumps spread across his body.

A large number of humans were already waiting in the town square, all looking toward the gate, expecting to see their town leaders and soldiers return.

But...

Various figures slowly emerged from the darkness.

As they drew closer, the torchlight finally revealed them.

For the first time, Ronan witnessed hope being sucked out of people.

He watched the children cling tightly to their mothers, their eyes turning lifeless.

He watched adults collapse onto the ground in despair.

The entire atmosphere felt like a funeral.

Ronan felt a tug at his heart, especially when he looked at the children.

Then he watched as the mindless Ghouls surrounded the humans, divided them into several long lines, and soon the more than two thousand humans began marching toward the gate like slaves bound by invisible chains.

”This is... this is... what am I doing?” Ronan couldn’t help but mutter as he followed behind, watching the lifeless humans walk forward.

They hadn’t gone far before one of the little girls stumbled and fell.

The instant she hit the ground, the Ghoul beside her turned and swung its arm downward.

To it, falling meant weakness.

And its master didn’t want weak or unhealthy food.

It was no different from how humans preferred to raise only healthy livestock.

Slash!

Blood splattered as Ronan gritted his teeth.

A terrifying force slammed into him, causing his legs to sink several inches into the ground.

Thankfully, he was now a Three Star Mortal Ghoul.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived.

The attacking Ghoul turned its head in confusion, wondering why one of its own had been struck.

Thinking it had simply made a mistake, it turned around and continued marching with the crowd.

At the back, Ronan opened his arms and looked down at the little girl.

She couldn’t have been more than five years old.

Curled up in his arms, her eyelids fluttered open as she looked at him.

”Are you okay?” Ronan asked.

But the little girl only became even more frightened.

Her eyes widened in terror.

Only then did Ronan realize something.

Yeah...

Maybe he thought he was speaking.

But to everyone else, all that came out of his mouth were low growls.

After all, Ghouls lacked the organs needed for human speech.

They could only roar and growl.

Then...

He watched as blood slowly flowed from the girl’s eyes, nose, and ears.

Her eyes rolled back.

A moment later...

She died.

Although Ronan had blocked the attack...

The force behind it had simply been too great for such a small child.

A portion of that impact, though only a tiny fraction, had passed through Ronan’s body into hers.

And that tiny fraction...

Was enough to kill her.

Ronan felt his heart grow heavy.

For a long moment...

He simply looked up at the dark sky in silence.