overwhelmed by the sudden rush of power, Auron glanced at the system interface before him again.
SYSTEM INTERFACE
Name: Auron Raventor
Title: (Initial Iron Rank Hunter.)
Race: Human
Class: None (yet)
Beast Contracts: 0
Attributes:
Strength: 5 + 2 ➔ 7 (Strong enough to lift... your hopes.)
Agility: 6 ➔ 26 (+20) (Are you fast enough to outrun your problems now? Let's see.)
Intelligence: 6 + 2 ➔ 8 (Knowledge is within you, though often overshadowed by a tendency to forget where you put it.)
Charisma: 2 + 2 ➔ 4 (Who needs friends, right?)
Endurance: 4 + 2 ➔ 6 (Your stamina is a whisper of a dying ember.)
Luck: 8 + 2 ➔ 10 (The threads of fate are twisted in your favor.)
Unallocated Attribute Points: 0
Skills:
Stone Skin: Progress (1.0%)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Damn.
Auron clenched his fists, feeling the subtle shift in his body. It wasn't overwhelming—he wasn't like suddenly a god among men—but it was there, creeping beneath his skin, waiting to be fully unleashed.
His veins pulsed, his muscles felt denser, and his perception sharpened.
The world itself seemed to slow down just a fraction, his reflexes finally catching up to the instincts that had always been just a step ahead of his capabilities.
This power... it was almost addictive.
No—it was fucking damn right addictive!
With this , wasn't he about to ascend like a rocket, straight to the top?
His lips curled into a grin, wild and full of a manic thrill.
But then, reality hit him like a slap to the face.
Sure, he was no longer completely useless. But what about those guys in the academy?
Most of them had formed beast contracts at a young age, their paths to strength laid out before them like a carefully paved road. Even the weakest of them in his class had at least advanced to the Bronze Realm, their beasts acting as extensions of their will, enhancing their abilities.
And the geniuses?
People like Elora Greyson and Lyra Ashford were already leagues ahead. Their beasts had ascended to the Silver Realm, forming terrifying bonds of strength, speed, and elemental mastery. Some of them could flatten small armies with their contracted beasts alone.
And here he was, still groveling, fighting Iron-ranked beasts in the dead of night like a damn scavenger.
Auron exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching. No. That was about to change.
The Primordial Beast Assimilation System—this cheat-like, broken system—was his path forward. He wouldn't follow the rules of this world. He wouldn't be shackled by the academy's rigid system of beast taming.
He was about to advance through an unconventional means, a path no one in this world had ever walked before.
A path that didn't require contracts.
A path where he would be the beast.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, something dark and exhilarating took root in his chest. A slow, creeping laugh built up from his throat, then erupted into a full-blown chuckle.
"Hahahaha hahahaha hahahaha!"
A villainous grin stretched across his face.
"Interesting..." he muttered, his voice dripping with anticipation.
He raised a hand, flexing his fingers. His Stone Skin skill had barely begun its progression, but if this system worked as he thought it did, then he could accelerate its growth. He just needed to keep using it—keep pushing himself.
Auron's mind raced, contemplating on what he was about to do next.
Yes, his agility had skyrocketed. Yes, he was now faster than before.
But speed alone didn't make him strong.
He looked at his stats again, the excitement in his veins cooling.
Strength: 7.
Endurance: 6.
He scoffed. That's it. That's all I have.
If he fought an actual experienced Iron-ranked beast or a well-trained tamer, this speed wouldn't mean shit if he couldn't even take a hit.
He thought back to the fight just now. The only reason he won was because the wild cat was reckless. If it had played defensively, if it had dragged the fight out, if it had landed multiple clean hits…
Would I have survived?
Auron clenched his jaw. The answer was obvious.
No.
His heart pounded with frustration. He was still weak. A single bad matchup, a single mistake, and all this power would mean nothing.
Auron sucked in a slow breath. Alright. Calm down.
This wasn't a loss.
He had gained a something, but he still needed to sharpen it. If he learned to control his speed—if he trained his instincts, his reaction time, his ability to use this agility properly—then he'd truly become dangerous.
For now?
He was just a faster punching bag.
His fingers curled into a fist. Not for long.
Auron turned his gaze back toward the academy, his mind already shifting gears.
It was time to train.
Perhaps... more Iron-ranked beasts?
His grin widened.
The safe zones around Glaivemire Academy kept most beasts at bay, meaning he'd have to walk away far from the perimeter he had already advanced, to find stronger iron beasts . It was more risky, sure. But he had already defied the academy's norms by refusing to rely on a beast contract. He had already broken the first rule of this world.
Why stop now?
The night air felt electric, charged with the possibilities ahead. Auron took a deep breath, the lingering scent of dirt, damp stone, and distant trees filling his lungs. This was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.
Power was no longer just a dream.
It was his reality.
And it was only the beginning.
With one last glance at his system interface, Auron exhaled and took a step forward.
And immediately regretted it.
His body blurred. The simple act of shifting his weight sent him forward way faster than expected. The next second, he was several feet ahead of where he'd intended to move.
"What the fu—!"
Auron tripped. His leg jerked out awkwardly, and he barely managed to catch himself before face-planting into the dirt.
He gritted his teeth. Damn it. This is going to take getting used to.