2026-09-29 05:10:37Ethan barely slept that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the Bloodmoon Wolf.
Those enormous red eyes.
The crushing pressure.
And the strange way it had reacted to Ash.
It hadn't attacked Ash like ordinary prey.
It had recognized something.
Something Ethan didn't understand.
He sat beside the small campfire, staring at the unconscious wolf.
Ash's breathing had become steady after Mira's healing potion, but it still hadn't awakened.
Ethan opened the system.
[Beast Status]
Name: Ash
Species: Ironclaw Wolf
Rank: E-Rank
Level: 5
Health: 46%
Strength: 31
Agility: 36
Defense: 24
Vitality: 29
Bloodline: Unknown
Bloodline Awakening: 1%
Evolution Energy: 315
Ethan stared at the last few lines.
“Bloodline Awakening…”
He tapped the option.
[Bloodline information is currently restricted.]
[Requirements for further analysis have not been met.]
“What requirements?”
[Host must increase Beast Insight.]
Ethan frowned.
“So I need to level up Beast Insight?”
[Correct.]
“How?”
[Repeated use of Beast Insight will increase proficiency.]
Ethan nodded.
That meant there was no shortcut.
He needed to keep using the skill.
He looked at Ash.
“Looks like we've got a lot of work to do.”
Ash's ears suddenly twitched.
Ethan looked up.
The wolf slowly opened its eyes.
“Ash?”
The wolf lifted its head.
Its golden eyes met Ethan's.
“You're awake.”
Ash attempted to stand.
Its legs shook.
Ethan quickly supported it.
“Easy.”
The wolf gave a low growl.
Ethan smiled.
“I know. You're hungry.”
Ash's ears perked up.
Ethan laughed.
“Of course that's what you care about.”
He reached into his bag and pulled out some dried meat.
Ash immediately swallowed it.
Then another piece.
Then another.
Ethan stared.
“Slow down!”
Ash ignored him.
Within seconds, the food was gone.
Ethan shook his head.
“You weren't this greedy yesterday.”
Ash looked at him innocently.
Ethan sighed.
“Fine. I'll get more.”
A voice suddenly came from behind.
“You two seem to be getting along.”
Ethan turned.
Mira was standing a few meters away.
She was holding a small metal cup.
“Morning.”
Ethan nodded.
“Morning.”
Mira looked at Ash.
“He recovered faster than I expected.”
“Is that good?”
“Very.”
She crouched beside the wolf.
“An ordinary Ironclaw Wolf shouldn't recover this quickly.”
Ethan's expression tightened.
He quickly changed the subject.
“Where are you heading?”
Mira looked toward the forest.
“We're going to the northern ruins.”
“Ruins?”
“There used to be an old research facility there.”
Ethan became interested.
“What kind of research?”
Mira hesitated.
“Beast evolution.”
Ethan's eyes widened.
His heart suddenly began beating faster.
“Beast evolution?”
Mira nodded.
“Years ago, scientists tried to artificially evolve beasts. The project failed, and the facility was abandoned.”
Ethan glanced at Ash.
“Do you know what happened there?”
“Not exactly.”
Mira lowered her voice.
“Some people say the researchers discovered something they weren't supposed to.”
“What?”
“A way to awaken ancient bloodlines.”
Ethan froze.
Ancient bloodlines.
His mind immediately went to Ash.
Unknown bloodline.
One percent awakened.
The Bloodmoon Wolf.
Everything suddenly seemed connected.
“Can I come with you?”
Mira looked surprised.
“You?”
Ethan nodded.
“I need to find something there.”
She studied him for several seconds.
“You know that the ruins are dangerous, right?”
“Yes.”
“You could die.”
“I know.”
Mira sighed.
“Fine.”
One of the men behind her immediately protested.
“Mira, seriously?”
She ignored him.
“We'll leave in thirty minutes.”
Ethan nodded.
“Thanks.”
The group traveled through the forest.
Mira's team moved efficiently.
They clearly had experience.
Ethan stayed near Ash.
Every few minutes, he activated Beast Insight.
The skill had become easier to use.
At first, it had taken several seconds to scan a beast.
Now it happened almost instantly.
[Ding!]
[Beast Insight proficiency increased.]
[Beast Insight: Level 2.]
Ethan smiled.
“Finally.”
He opened the skill information.
[Beast Insight Level 2]
[Can detect basic bloodline characteristics.]
Ethan immediately looked at Ash.
[Scanning...]
[Species: Ironclaw Wolf]
[Rank: E-Rank]
[Level: 5]
[Bloodline: Unknown]
[Bloodline Characteristics: Ancient wolf lineage detected.]
Ethan's heart skipped.
Ancient wolf lineage.
So it was real.
Before he could investigate further, Ash suddenly stopped.
Ethan noticed immediately.
“What is it?”
The wolf stared toward the trees.
Mira also stopped.
“What happened?”
Ethan raised his hand.
“Something is there.”
The other Beast Masters immediately drew their weapons.
Silence.
Then—
Rustle.
A group of small beasts emerged from the bushes.
Mira frowned.
“F-Rank Razor Rats.”
There were dozens of them.
Their red eyes glowed as they surrounded the group.
One of the men cursed.
“That's too many.”
Mira raised her weapon.
“Get ready.”
The Razor Rats attacked.
The forest erupted into chaos.
Ash charged.
Its claws flashed.
SLASH!
One rat fell.
Another.
Then another.
Ethan watched carefully.
Instead of attacking randomly, Ash moved through the swarm with incredible precision.
Every strike was calculated.
Every movement conserved energy.
Ethan smiled.
“That’s my boy.”
A Razor Rat suddenly lunged toward Ethan.
He raised his weapon.
CLANG!
Ash appeared in front of him.
Its jaws closed around the creature.
The rat fell.
[Ding!]
[Beast defeated.]
[+5 Evolution Energy.]
Another attacked.
Ash killed it.
[+5 Evolution Energy.]
Another.
[+5 Evolution Energy.]
Ethan's eyes lit up.
“This is perfect.”
The battle continued for several minutes.
When the last Razor Rat fell, Ethan opened his system.
[Current Evolution Energy: 415.]
His eyes widened.
Only 85 more.
He looked at Ash.
“We're almost there.”
But before he could celebrate—
BOOM!
A massive explosion shook the forest.
Everyone turned.
A pillar of black smoke rose in the distance.
Mira's expression changed.
“The ruins…”
Ethan stared.
“What happened?”
Mira tightened her grip on her weapon.
“That wasn't supposed to happen.”
Another explosion followed.
BOOM!
Birds fled from the trees.
The ground trembled.
Then the system appeared.
[Ding!]
[Emergency Quest activated.]
[Ancient Beast Energy detected.]
[Source: Northern Research Facility.]
[Warning.]
[The energy signature matches the unknown bloodline within the host's contracted beast.]
Ethan's eyes widened.
The system continued.
[Quest objective updated.]
[Reach the Northern Research Facility.]
[Discover the origin of Ash's bloodline.]
[Reward: Bloodline Awakening opportunity.]
Ethan stared at the screen.
For the first time, he understood.
Ash hadn't been chosen by accident.
The dying wolf he'd found in that abandoned shelter…
The Bloodmoon Wolf…
The ancient research facility…
They were connected.
Ethan looked at Ash.
The wolf stared toward the smoke rising above the trees.
Its golden eyes began glowing faintly.
Mira noticed.
“Ethan…”
“What?”
“Your wolf…”
Ash suddenly howled.
A deep, powerful howl echoed through the wilderness.
And from somewhere far beyond the ruins—
Another howl answered.
But this one was much deeper.
Much older.
Ethan's expression became serious.
Whatever waited inside the research facility…
It was waiting for Ash.
Previous Chapter
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Chapter 21 — The Secret Beneath the King's Grave
"Don't trust Aurelion.”The voice disappeared.Ethan stood motionless, staring into the darkness beyond the statue.He had heard that voice before.It was his own.Not the voice of the man who had appeared on the golden throne. Not the voice of his previous self during the inheritance trial.This voice sounded exactly like the Ethan Vale who had awakened with an F-Rank talent and been laughed at by everyone around him.His present self.“How is that possible?” he whispered.Mira moved closer.“What did you hear?”Ethan hesitated.“Someone told me not to trust Aurelion.”The little golden creature, which had finally recovered enough to flutter around his head, suddenly stopped moving.“You heard that voice too?”Ethan turned sharply.“You know something?”The creature avoided his eyes.“Not enough.”“That isn't an answer.”“It's the only one I have.”Ash stepped forward, placing himself between Ethan and the statue.“I don't like this place.”“That's becoming your opinion of every plac
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
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