The Royal Training Grounds were less "gymnasium" and more "gladiator arena."
It was a massive circular pit dug into the earth, surrounded by high stone walls. The ground was scorched black, likely from fireballs, lightning strikes, or just general demon anger.
A crowd had already gathered.
Word traveled fast in the Demon Castle. The Pig Prince is training? That was the funniest joke of the year. Soldiers, servants, and even a few minor nobles were lining the upper walls, leaning over the railings.
I could hear their whispers.
"Is he serious?"
"I bet he faints after swinging a sword once."
"Five gold coins says the monster eats him."
I ignored them. I was too busy staring at the creature in the center of the arena.
It was a Dire Wolf.
But this wasn't a normal wolf. It was the size of a minivan. Its fur was like steel wire, and its eyes glowed a furious yellow. It was chained to a massive iron post, snapping its jaws at anyone who got too close.
Status Check, I thought.
[Race: Iron-Hide Dire Wolf]
[Rank: 2-Star Beast]
[State: Hungry / Enraged]
"2-Star," I muttered. "That means it's stronger than an average soldier."
And my stats were... well, I was basically a potato with a crown. If that thing broke loose and my power didn't work, I was dead meat. Literally.
"Your Highness!" The lizardman servant from earlier, whose name I learned was Rax, scurried up to me. He was holding a beautiful obsidian sword. "Here is your weapon!"
I looked at the sword. It looked heavy.
"I don't need it," I said.
The crowd gasped.
"No weapon?"
"Is he suicidal?"
"Maybe he plans to bore the wolf to death with a speech?"
I walked into the arena. The heavy iron gate slammed shut behind me.
It was just me and the wolf now.
The beast stopped snapping at its chains. It turned its massive head toward me. It sniffed the air. It didn't smell fear (mostly because I was too focused to be scared yet), but it definitely smelled prey.
Growl...
The sound vibrated in my chest.
"Okay, Valerius," I whispered to myself. "Don't embarrass yourself. Just touch it and say the cool line."
I raised my hand. "Release it."
Rax looked from the safety of the control booth. "Are... are you sure?"
"Do it."
Clank.
The chains fell away.
For a second, the wolf didn't move. It seemed confused that its dinner was just standing there, offering itself up.
Then, it lunged.
It moved faster than I expected. One second it was twenty feet away, the next it was a blur of gray fur and white teeth flying at my throat.
My body was too slow to dodge. I saw the drool flying from its jaws. I saw the death coming.
But my mind was calm.
Authority: Activate.
I didn't shout a spell name. I just pulled on that dark knot in my stomach.
[Gluttony of the Monarch responding.]
The world seemed to hiccup.
I didn't see exactly what happened first. I just felt... something... leak out of my shadow.
It wasn't a beam of magic. It was fluid.
My shadow, which had been stretching out behind me on the sunny sand, suddenly boiled. It surged forward like a tidal wave of black tar, moving faster than the wolf.
The wolf was mid-air. It couldn't change course.
The shadow rose up and caught it.
SPLAT.
It didn't sound like magic hitting flesh. It sounded like a fly hitting a windshield.
The black substance wrapped around the massive beast instantly. The wolf yelped—a high, panicked sound—before the darkness swallowed it whole.
But it wasn't done.
From the black sludge, shapes began to form. Jagged, uneven mouths. Dozens of them. They didn't have lips, just rows of white, square teeth that gnashed together with a wet, sickening sound.
CRUNCH. SQUELCH. SNAP.
"Whoa," I took a step back. "That's... ew."
The wolf was thrashing inside the bubble of darkness, but the mouths were tearing it apart. Not physically—it was like they were eating its very existence. The wolf's howl was cut short as the shadow compressed.
The crowd on the walls was dead silent. No one was laughing anymore.
In three seconds, it was over.
The shadow receded, slithering back to my feet like a loyal pet.
Where the wolf had been, there was... nothing. No blood. No bones. No fur. Just a clean patch of dirt.
[Consumed: Iron-Hide Dire Wolf]
[Assimilation Complete.]
[Strength +2]
[Agility +3]
[Passive Skill Acquired: 'Iron Skin (Low)']
A rush of warmth flooded my body. My muscles felt tighter. My eyesight sharpened. I felt like I had just chugged three energy drinks.
"Cool," I said, flexing my hand. "It works."
I looked up at the crowd.
They were staring at me with expressions of pure horror. Rax, the lizardman, was clutching the railing, his face pale green.
Oops, I thought. Was that too much? I probably shouldn't look so casual after erasing a living creature from reality.
I decided to play it off.
I dusted off my silk pajamas, even though there wasn't a speck of dust on them. I looked up at the silent, terrified spectators and gave a bored yawn.
"Tough meat," I complained loud enough for them to hear. "Next time, bring me something with more flavor."
I turned around and walked toward the exit.
Behind me, the silence broke.
"Did... did you see that?"
"He didn't even use a spell."
"It just... vanished."
"The Pig Prince? No... that's a monster."
I suppressed a grin.
Step One: Complete.
Now, nobody would dare call me a stepping stone.
But as I walked into the dark tunnel leading back to the castle, my smile faded.
That felt... good, I realized. Too good.
When the shadow ate the wolf, I didn't feel disgust. I felt satisfaction. Like scratching an itch I didn't know I had.
I looked at my own shadow. In the dim torchlight, it seemed to wriggle slightly, waiting for the next meal.
"Down, boy," I whispered to the floor. "We're on a diet."