2026-09-29 05:04:50Ash disappeared from Ethan's sight.
The captain's eyes widened.
Too fast.
He immediately raised his spear.
CLANG!
Ash's claws slammed against the weapon.
The force of the impact pushed the captain backward.
His boots dragged across the floor.
“Impossible!”
He gritted his teeth and twisted his spear.
A burst of energy exploded from the weapon.
Ash was thrown sideways.
“Ash!”
The wolf landed on its feet.
It shook its body and immediately charged again.
The captain thrust his spear forward.
“Piercing Strike!”
WHOOSH!
The spear shot toward Ash's chest.
At the last second, Ash twisted his body.
The spear grazed his side.
A thin cut appeared across his fur.
Ash growled.
Then his claws began glowing with a faint metallic light.
“Ironclaw!”
SLASH!
The captain barely blocked.
His spear shook violently.
He was forced back several meters.
The men behind him stared in disbelief.
“Captain is being pushed back by an E-Rank beast?”
“How is that possible?”
Ethan watched carefully.
The system had given him more than a powerful beast.
It had given him a chance.
But Ash was still only Level 5.
The captain was clearly more experienced.
If this battle continued, Ash could get injured.
“System.”
[Ding!]
[Host has 200 Evolution Energy.]
[Would you like to use Evolution Energy to strengthen the contracted beast?]
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
“How much?”
[10 Evolution Energy can temporarily increase a beast's attributes by 10%.]
Ethan smiled.
“Do it.”
[Confirmed.]
A faint glow surrounded Ash.
Its movements became faster.
The captain's expression changed.
“What happened?”
Ash lunged.
The captain thrust his spear.
But this time, Ash dodged before the attack was even completed.
He appeared beside the captain.
SLASH!
The captain's armor split open.
He stumbled.
Ash didn't give him time to recover.
It attacked again.
CLANG!
The spear flew from the captain's hand.
His face turned pale.
Ash placed one claw against his chest.
The captain froze.
One movement.
That was all it would take.
“Stop!”
One of the men shouted.
Ethan raised his hand.
“Ash.”
The wolf looked at him.
“Don't kill him.”
Ash slowly lowered its claw.
The captain fell to one knee.
His breathing was heavy.
He stared at Ethan with disbelief.
“You…”
Ethan walked closer.
“You attacked me first.”
The captain clenched his jaw.
He had been defeated.
By a newly awakened Beast Master.
And by a beast that had supposedly been on the verge of death.
“What exactly are you?”
Ethan smiled faintly.
“Someone who got lucky.”
The captain didn't believe him.
But before he could say anything—
[Ding!]
[Quest completed.]
[Host has defeated an opponent stronger than the contracted beast.]
[Reward: 200 Evolution Energy.]
[Additional reward granted.]
[Skill: Beast Insight.]
Ethan's eyes widened.
“Beast Insight?”
[Beast Insight allows the host to see hidden information about beasts.]
[Skill level: Beginner.]
Ethan immediately looked at Ash.
A new screen appeared.
[Beast Insight activated.]
[Name: Ash]
[Species: Ironclaw Wolf]
[Rank: E-Rank]
[Level: 5]
[Bloodline: Unknown]
[Potential: ???]
[Evolution Path: Unavailable]
Ethan frowned.
“Unknown?”
The system had identified Ash's bloodline as unusual before.
But now even it couldn't determine what Ash truly was.
That only made Ethan more curious.
Suddenly, the captain spoke.
“You need to leave.”
Ethan looked at him.
“What?”
The captain struggled to stand.
“Those noises will attract other beasts.”
He glanced toward the broken entrance.
“And if the authorities arrive, they'll start asking questions.”
Ethan understood.
His battle with the captain had caused too much damage.
Staying here was dangerous.
He turned toward Ash.
“Let's go.”
Ash followed him.
But just before Ethan reached the door—
“Wait.”
The captain called out.
Ethan turned.
The captain reached into his pocket and tossed something toward him.
Ethan caught it.
It was a small black card.
“A temporary wilderness pass.”
Ethan looked at him in surprise.
“Why give me this?”
The captain looked away.
“Because if you're really a Beast Master…”
He paused.
“Then the wilderness will decide whether your strength is real.”
Ethan stared at the card.
The wilderness.
That was exactly where he wanted to go.
He slipped the card into his pocket.
“Thanks.”
Then he walked out.
---
Night had fallen by the time Ethan returned home.
The small apartment was quiet.
His mother was already asleep.
Ethan carefully entered his room and closed the door.
He sat on his bed.
The events of the day replayed in his mind.
His awakening.
The F-Rank talent.
The system.
Ash.
The battle.
Everything had happened too quickly.
He looked at the sleeping wolf beside his bed.
Ash was exhausted.
Ethan opened the system.
[Host: Ethan Vale]
[Talent: Beast Evolution]
[Talent Rank: F]
[Evolution Energy: 200]
[Contracted Beast: Ash]
[System Functions:]
[Beast Status]
[Beast Insight]
[Beast Evolution]
[Shop — Locked]
[Skill Fusion — Locked]
[Bloodline Awakening — Locked]
Ethan stared at the locked functions.
“How do I unlock them?”
[Ding!]
[Increase host level.]
[Complete system quests.]
[Discover evolution paths.]
Ethan nodded.
So the stronger he became, the more of the system he could access.
He looked at the Evolution option.
[Beast Evolution]
[Current beast: Ash]
[Required Evolution Energy: 500]
Ethan's smile disappeared.
“Five hundred?”
He only had two hundred.
He needed three hundred more.
“How do I get Evolution Energy?”
[Ding!]
[Evolution Energy can be obtained through defeating beasts, completing quests, discovering rare resources, and achieving system objectives.]
Ethan's eyes lit up.
The answer was simple.
He needed to fight.
He needed to hunt.
And there was only one place where he could do that.
The wilderness.
Ethan stood and looked out the window.
Beyond the distant city walls, countless monsters roamed beneath the moonlight.
Tomorrow…
He would enter the wilderness.
Not as the useless F-Rank student everyone laughed at.
But as a Beast Master.
A Beast Master with a system.
A Beast Master whose weakest beast had already evolved once.
Ethan clenched his fist.
“One day…”
He looked at Ash.
“We'll reach the top.”
Ash opened one golden eye.
Its tail moved slightly.
Then it closed its eyes again.
Ethan laughed quietly.
He didn't know it yet, but the moment he stepped into the wilderness, his peaceful life would end.
Because deep within the forest…
Something had already sensed Ash's presence.
And it was coming for them.
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Chapter 20 — The Enemy Beyond Evolution
Darkness.Complete, suffocating darkness.Ethan couldn't see his hands. He couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet. Even the sound of his own breathing had disappeared.“Ash?”No answer.“Mira?”Silence.He tried to move, but his body seemed to have vanished.Then a familiar notification appeared in the darkness.[System Reboot Complete.][Host: Ethan Vale.][Current Location: Unknown.][Contracted Beast: Ash.][Connection Status: Severely Weakened.]Ethan's heart tightened.“Where is Ash? What happened to everyone?”[Unable to determine.]“Then find out!”[Insufficient authority.]Ethan clenched his fists.“I'm tired of hearing that!”A faint golden light appeared in the distance.He ran toward it.With every step, the darkness grew thinner until he found himself standing in a vast field beneath a blood-red sky.The battlefield from his inheritance trial was gone.In its place stood an endless ocean of black water.At the center of the ocean floated a golden throne.And beside it l
Chapter 19 — Kill Your Former Self
"Now, kill me.”Ethan stared at the man sitting on the golden throne.The resemblance was impossible to ignore.The same face. The same dark hair. The same eyes.But the man looked older, perhaps in his late twenties, and wore black-and-gold armor covered in cracks. A long sword rested across his knees, its blade stained with something that looked disturbingly like blood.Ethan slowly rose to his feet.“Who are you?”The man smiled.“You really have forgotten everything.”“I'm getting tired of people saying that.”“Then perhaps you should start remembering.”Ethan clenched his fists.“I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'm not killing anyone just because you tell me to.”The man leaned forward.“Even if I'm the reason you're alive?”Ethan fell silent.Behind him, Mira was helping her teammates stand. Ash remained close to Ethan, his golden eyes fixed on the stranger.The Bloodmoon Wolf growled.Something about the man frightened it.The stranger noticed.“Ah. The Ancie
Chapter 18 — The Evolution That Demanded a Life
"ASH!”Ethan's scream echoed through the chamber.Golden light swallowed the wolf completely. The markings on Ash's body spread like burning veins, while the floor beneath his paws fractured under the pressure of his awakening.The system's warning continued flashing.[Critical Warning!][Contracted Beast: Ash.][Evolution Status: Forced Completion.][Required Sacrifice: The Beast's Life Force.][Estimated Survival Probability: 3%.]Ethan's blood ran cold.Three percent.That wasn't evolution.It was a death sentence.“Cancel it!” Ethan shouted. “System, cancel the evolution!”[Unable to cancel.][The beast has initiated the process willingly.]“Then override it!”[Authority insufficient.]Ethan slammed his fist against the floor.“YOU'RE MY SYSTEM! FIND A WAY!”For the first time since its restoration, the system remained silent.Across the chamber, Lord Veyron watched the golden light with growing alarm.“So the Ancient Wolf King bloodline has finally reached twenty percent.”His ex
Chapter 17 — The Man Who Killed the King
"My king.”The two words echoed through the chamber.Ethan stared at the man standing in the doorway.He appeared to be in his early thirties, with silver hair, pale skin, and eyes so dark they seemed to swallow the light around them. He wore a long black coat decorated with silver symbols.Unlike General Kael Voss, he carried no visible weapon.Yet the moment he entered, the entire chamber trembled.The little golden creature immediately hid behind Ethan's neck.“Don't move,” it whispered.Ethan swallowed.“Who is he?”The creature's voice shook.“Lord Veyron.”The stranger smiled.“It's been a long time, little guardian.”“You shouldn't be alive!” the creature snapped.“Neither should he.”Veyron's gaze settled on Ethan.“And yet, here we are.”General Kael stepped aside, lowering his head respectfully.“Lord Veyron, the target has been confirmed. The Ancient Wolf King bloodline has also awakened.”Veyron barely acknowledged him.His attention remained fixed on Ethan.“Tell me, boy.
Chapter 16 — The Succession Trial
The tunnel seemed endless.Ethan walked at the front, one hand pressed against his injured shoulder while Mira supported him from the side. Behind them, the Bloodmoon Wolf carried Ash on its back.Nobody spoke for several minutes.They had survived General Kael Voss.But Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that the real danger had only begun.Finally, Mira broke the silence.“Ethan, what exactly did that message mean?”He glanced at her. “Which one?”“The succession trial. And that message about the system choosing a new master.”Ethan hesitated.“I don't know.”It was the truth.He barely understood his own system, and now powerful people seemed to know more about it than he did.Mira studied him.“You're hiding something.”“I'm hiding several things. Most of them, I don't understand myself.”“That isn't reassuring.”“I'm not trying to reassure you.”She gave him an annoyed look.Even in their current situation, Ethan almost smiled.Then Ash groaned behind them.Ethan immediately turned
Chapter 15 — The General Who Feared No Beast
The moment General Kael Voss raised his spear, the entire chamber seemed to shrink.A suffocating pressure descended upon everyone.Mira's knees nearly buckled. One of her teammates dropped his weapon, while another stumbled backward and grabbed the wall to keep himself standing.Even the Bloodmoon Wolf lowered its head.Ethan felt the pressure pressing against his chest.His instincts screamed at him to run.But he couldn't.Ash was standing beside him, still recovering from his incomplete bloodline awakening.And the general was looking at them as though he had already decided their fate.“So,” Kael said calmly, “you are Ethan Vale.”Ethan forced himself to stand straight.“And you're the man who sent that masked coward after us?”A faint smile crossed the general's face.“Commander Riven was acting under my authority.”Riven.So that was the masked commander's name.Ethan filed the information away.Kael continued, “You have caused considerable trouble. You destroyed one of our res
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