For the first ti, I discovered the good part of being a legacy beast.
More than nightmares, grudges, and an aggressive attempt to awaken talents — I had two spirits inhabiting a single body at the sa ti.
Many remnants of the tigress still lingered within , but without a doubt, it was more than her now.
Therefore, even if I lost consciousness, a second one would take over, and when that one grew tired, I could resu as the primary.
An endless loop that allowed to always be ready to enter combat.
It was strange...
I sighed.
I was supposed to be exhausted, but sohow it felt like only now I had truly awakened — and therefore I felt energized.
However, as soon as I inspected my body, I noticed I would need more than just a few days of rest and peace.
Not even the mad king would make fight in these conditions.
’How am I even standing?’ I wondered as I saw more and more pieces of my own flesh scattered across the floor.
My own paws were held together by only a thin strand of ligants that were about to snap at any mont.
My insides were clearly a ss.
Even one of my eyes was blind — hopefully only temporarily — and my ear had been torn off.
I had earned dozens, if not hundreds of scars that would follow for the rest of my life.
Even so...
It felt bearable.
After spending ti in a hell that hurt constantly without pause or rcy, the pain of having to endure only my current wounds — and not gain any new ones — was refreshing.
"So it’s over..." Agnes’ voice echoed, muffled, into my nearly deaf ears, making instinctively look toward her as she slowly walked down the hallway.
I imagine she had heard screams for endless days up until this very mont.
I’m sure she hoped this would end soon — and I also suspected she was rooting for the wolves.
She approached with a heavy expression.
Poor girl, I won!
I laughed internally.
The young girl, looking like a pure and disappointed saint, walking amidst piles and piles of filthy corpses.
Soon she reached and stopped by my side.
[ I would love to talk to you, my dear princess. But now is not a good ti, so of them escaped and are lurking around. ]
I warned her as I stretched my body, preparing to resu the hunt.
Maybe being a legacy beast encouraged hatred toward humans.
But now, nothing compared to the hatred I felt toward the wolves — and even more toward the mutants.
I would never see them the sa way again.
"No, it’s already over." she said, kneeling beside with tear-filled eyes.
Her face twisted as she tried to hold back the tears, her lips trembling.
’I guess the shock of seeing win hit hard, huh...’
However... my thoughts froze halfway, my mind’s gears locking.
It was at that mont that I saw my reflection in her eyes.
It was anything but pleasant to look at.
The place where my eye should have been was now just a dark blotch of blood, and everything else...
I looked awful.
From a graceful and cute beast to basically a bunch of scraps glued together with blood.
Not even the most miserable stray dog looked as terrible as I did.
’She... feels sorry for ? Doesn’t matter, I still have things to do.’
Even so, I knew I could keep going.
I can still fight.
I don’t need pity — when the strong fight, they won’t pity .
When the skies fall, those on the ground can only lant — unless they are strong enough to move the heavens.
I will be strong.
"Why do you still want to fight?" she asked weakly.
[ To beco stronger. ]
"Then there’s no reason to fight," she said, shaking her head. "They haven’t given you anything for many days. Your growth has stagnated."
[ What? ]
Her words resonated deeply within , demanding verification.
’Status!’
Level: 25
Rank: Wild
Exp: 0/31.250
Aura: 100/100
Domain: —
Skills: Stealth (Lv.3), Bite (Lv.6), Strike (Lv.6), Tracking (Lv.1), Enhanced Senses (Lv.2), Pain Tolerance (Lv.4), Fainting Tolerance (Lv.5),Circulation Technique (Lv.5), Resistance to ntal Attacks (Lv.1), Aura Control (Lv.1)
Mutations: 2/5
Available Mutations: Muscles, Claws, Fangs
[ But what? Why? I was supposed to be at least two or three tis stronger than this! ]
How many of them had I killed?
A myriad!
That’s not enough experience?!
"It’s simple. Your aura won’t increase until you evolve again, and you won’t gain experience by fighting soone who isn’t even a challenge to you."
[ What the hell are you talking about! They weren’t a challenge?! There were thousands of them! I thought I would die at every mont! ]
"You killed thousands of them alone... They needed thousands just to have a chance against you, and even then, they lost."
She pressed her lips together before continuing.
"Everyone knew that either you would die in the first horde, or you wouldn’t die no matter how many ca. That’s one of the reasons the king sent even more thousands. Soon it beca clear — your victory was only a matter of ti. After all, that’s what is expected of such a talented beast."
[...]
My heart beat harder, much harder.
My veins thickened and began to bulge.
’What the hell do they know about talent? What the hell do they an by certain victory?!’
’All my effort, all my fear, all my despair... was worth nothing?’
For the first ti in a long while, my blood didn’t feel red — but black, stained with hatred for humanity.
I took a deep breath, as deep as I could.
I wasn’t going to explode here and now.
[ I would have lost if they hadn’t turned into a legacy beast. Even being one, I thought I would lose every ti. I saw no hope. ]
[ I wasn’t fighting to win anymore, only to die in a more dignified way. You really overestimate . ]
We stared at each other in silence for a few monts.
"In any case, we need to heal you." She suddenly pulled a talisman from her pocket.
She then whispered in a mysterious language, the talisman glowing brighter as she murmured.
When it finally dissolved, it bathed in light. My wounds quickly shrank while my bleeding stopped.
I admired it for a few monts — even part of my ear had grown back.
However, Agnes sighed deeply.
"You know, one of these is normally enough to bring soone back from death’s doorstep and even regenerate lost limbs."
My face froze in shock. Was dicine in this world really that advanced? How expensive was this?
[ I’m sorry... I didn’t want you to waste sothing so precious on ... ]
"That’s not the problem, and these things are cheap. Any idiot walks around with one or two as a guarantee."
[ What? ]
Again, I was stunned — regenerating whole limbs was easy?
"The problem is that as a beast in the second stage — and a very special one — your body is abnormal and needs more of these than a normal person."
She quickly grabbed more talismans, guiding energy with her hands as she tried to reshape my more severe wounds.
In little ti, my eyes were seeing perfectly and my limbs had the sa youthful strength as always.
Even my fur was still fluffy and soft, despite being filthy to say the least.
The only difference was that I had grown — a lot.
Until now, I had looked like an oversized cub, but this ti I finally seed like an adolescent in the early stages.
I quickly asked Agnes about this.
"It’s a very rare phenonon among beasts — even praised — but well-known. Simply put, you put yourself in constant danger, which made your body accelerate physical maturation to cope with the threats."
[ So I’m going to die earlier? ]
I asked sadly, already imagining the answer.
"No, it ans a prolonged adolescence — everything good arrives earlier and sotis lasts even longer. In fact, you increased your life expectancy."
[ Then that’s good... very good. ]
I sighed deeply.
I hated it, but I was now even stronger thanks to the mad king — and already ready for my next mutation.
However, I truly didn’t want to go through that yet.
Even with two consciousnesses, overwhelming willpower, and skills that improved my pain tolerance...
I had a limit.
I t it today.
If I tried to et it again so soon, the result would be terrible.
My next mutation would kill .
[ I need a vacation... ]
Agnes once again looked at with pity and just nodded softly.
"Rest is part of developnt — a fundantal part. Don’t push yourself so hard."
I nodded outwardly, but inside, I felt ashad.
Because the truth was... I simply didn’t want to feel pain again.
"I already had so plans before our journey... I an, I’m sure you’ll enjoy eting others like you."
[ Like ? ]
I didn’t even know what the hell I truly was.
"Yes, other earthly demons. Beings who challenged nature in pursuit of ascension to the heavens."
Reviews
All reviews (0)