The Shamed Bastard Son Who Tamed a Forbidden Angel

Chapter 7: The Power Awakens

The shabby inn squatted in the poorest district of the city, wedged between a butcher shop and an abandoned warehouse. Paint peeled from its walls like dead skin, and the wooden sign reading "Miller's Rest" hung crooked on a single rusted nail. But it was cheap—only two denars per night—and that was all Harry could afford.

The room was barely large enough for a narrow bed and a cracked washbasin. Mold bloomed in the corners, and the single window overlooked a filth-strewn alley. But after eighteen years sleeping on a cellar floor, it felt almost luxurious.

Rose stood in the center of the room, her small frame seeming even tinier in the cramped space. She clutched the pouch of Holy Light Grass to her chest, her violet eyes wide with uncertainty.

"Are you sure about this, Master?" she whispered. "What if... what if it doesn't work? What if I'm too broken to fix?"

Harry knelt before her, meeting her gaze steadily. "It will work. Trust the system. Trust me."

She nodded slowly, then reached into the pouch with trembling fingers. The Holy Light Grass glowed softly in her palm, pulsing with gentle warmth. She brought a strand to her lips and bit down.

Light exploded through her body.

Rose gasped, her eyes flying wide. Golden radiance burst from her skin, flooding the dingy room with brilliance. Harry shielded his eyes as the light intensified, washing away the shadows like sunrise banishing night.

Rose's body lifted off the ground, suspended in the air by invisible forces. Her small frame trembled as power surged through her. Harry could see it—dark energy and light energy, swirling together like oil and water, beginning to merge, to balance, to harmonize.

[System Alert: Light/Dark ratio stabilizing...]

[Current ratio: 30% Light / 70% Dark]

[40% Light / 60% Dark]

[50% Light / 50% Dark]

[BALANCE ACHIEVED]

The light dimmed gradually, settling into a soft glow that emanated from Rose's skin. Her feet touched the floor gently, and she swayed. Harry caught her, steadying her shoulders.

"Rose?" he asked urgently. "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him, and Harry's breath caught. Her eyes—they were different now. The pale violet had deepened, becoming luminous, almost otherworldly. Power radiated from her small frame like heat from a forge.

"I feel..." she whispered, flexing her fingers in wonder. "I feel strong. Master, I feel—"

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST!]

[First Task Completed: Beast Awakening]

[Reward Unlocked: Exclusive Weapon - Upper Realm Warhammer]

[Item transferred to System Storage. Would you like to retrieve it? YES/NO]

Harry's eyes widened. A weapon? For Rose? He mentally selected YES.

A golden portal opened in the air before him, swirling with ethereal energy. Something massive began to emerge—a handle, then a shaft, then an enormous hammer head that seemed to defy the laws of physics with its sheer size.

The weapon materialized fully and dropped.

The floor shook with the impact. Dust exploded outward. The entire building groaned in protest.

Harry stared in disbelief. The warhammer was colossal—easily six feet long with a head the size of a wine barrel. Intricate runes covered its surface, glowing with divine light and abyssal darkness in equal measure. The weapon radiated such intense power that the air around it seemed to warp.

"You've got to be kidding me," Harry muttered, looking from the massive hammer to the tiny girl beside him. "This thing is twice your size, Rose. How are you supposed to—"

Rose walked forward calmly and wrapped her small hands around the handle.

She lifted it.

Effortlessly.

The enormous hammer rose as if it weighed nothing, balanced perfectly in her grip. She gave it an experimental swing, and the air whistled with the movement. Power thrummed through the weapon, resonating with her newly balanced energies.

"It's perfect," Rose said softly, her voice filled with wonder. "Master, this is the weapon meant for me. I can feel it—like it's part of my soul."

Harry's jaw hung open. "But... how? That thing must weigh hundreds of pounds!"

"The system wouldn't give me something I couldn't use," Rose said simply, resting the hammer on her shoulder. Despite its size, she looked completely natural holding it—like a warrior born.

Harry's hands trembled as he mentally commanded the system to display Rose's full status panel.

[BEAST STATUS PANEL]

Name: Rose

Current Level: 1

Rank: Immortal (Unsealed - Base Form)

Attributes (Average Level 1 Beast = 5):

Strength: 15

Agility: 14

Spirit: 11

Constitution: 20

Intelligence: 12

Skills:

[Hammer of Judgment] - Throws the Upper Realm Warhammer at enemies, creating a devastating area-of-effect impact. Cooldown: 30 seconds. (Note: AOE attacks are typically unavailable before Level 20)

[Divine Bloodline - Dual Activation]

Lord of Light Mode: Ignites the bloodline of the Lord of Light, granting complete invulnerability for 1 minute. No damage can harm the user during this period.

God of Night Mode: Ignites the bloodline of the God of Night, increasing ALL attributes by 500% for 1 minute. (Example: Strength 15 becomes 75)

[Limitation:] After either bloodline activation ends, internal energy becomes unstable. Light/Dark balance must be restored before combat can resume.

Harry read the panel three times, certain he was misreading something. But the numbers didn't change.

Strength of 15 at Level 1? That was triple the average. Constitution of 20? That was four times what normal beasts possessed. And those skills—

"Invulnerability," Harry breathed. "Complete invulnerability for a full minute. Or a 500% attribute boost. Rose, do you understand what this means?"

Rose tilted her head, the massive hammer still resting casually on her shoulder. "That I'm useful, Master?"

"Useful?" Harry laughed, the sound almost hysterical. "You're a monster. You're stronger at Level 1 than most beasts are at Level 5. With these abilities, we could—"

He cut himself off, his mind racing. The academy exam. Tomorrow. Suddenly, it didn't seem impossible anymore. It seemed...

Easy.

Morning light filtered through the grimy window, painting streaks across the worn floorboards. Harry had barely slept, too excited and nervous to rest. Now he stood before the Selection Altar with Rose beside him, surrounded by hundreds of other candidates.

The altar itself was ancient—a massive stone structure covered in glowing runes that pulsed with mysterious energy. This was the gateway to the Secret Realm, the testing ground where new tamers would prove their worth.

The plaza buzzed with activity. Groups of candidates clustered together, forming teams and discussing strategies. Laughter and excited chatter filled the air.

Harry stood alone.

"Hey, isn't that the Klein bastard?"

"The one who got kicked out? What's he doing here?"

"Probably too stupid to realize he doesn't belong."

Whispers followed Harry like shadows. Several groups he approached scattered before he could speak, as if his presence contaminated them.

"Sorry, our team's full," one boy said quickly, not meeting Harry's eyes.