"I've gotta find a chance to catch that thing!"
Cole made the call instantly.
But things didn't go quite as he expected.
After the two phantom beasts tore into each other, the Fire-Spray Rat ended up sprawled on the ground, its neck torn open. It wasn't breathing anymore.
The Glimmer Beetle, on the other hand, was covered in wounds. Its belly shell was cracked, green blood everywhere, legs twitching weakly, tail light flickering like a dying candle… but it was still clinging to life.
Cole hesitated for a second, then stepped out of the bushes.
His shoes squelched in the wet mud as he cautiously approached the battlefield. The air smelled faintly of burnt.
"Didn't see that coming… the trash beetle actually won?"
He crouched down and examined the half-dead little guy, emotions all over the place.
According to every textbook and forum post ever, Glimmer Beetle was absolute garbage, while Fire-Spray Rat had real potential. Yet here we were—the "garbage" had outlasted the promising one thanks to sheer stubbornness and raw survivability.
Should he contract this thing or not?
After a brief internal debate, Cole decided to go for it.
Simple reason: he couldn't count on running into another pair of low-tier beasts fighting each other to the death.
Right now he wasn't safe. This swamp felt like something huge and nasty was watching from the shadows.
He needed combat power ASAP.
Plus… Glimmer Beetle actually had one hidden perk that might be perfect for him.
Everyone knew Glimmer Beetle as one of the three infamous "trash starters." Besides the glowing butt and basic biting, it had basically zero skills.
But it did have one thing going for it—it leveled up stupidly fast.
Seriously, this thing needed almost no EXP or materials compared to anything else.
The trade-off? Even when it leveled or evolved, it just got… slightly bigger. No skills, no fancy moves.
That's why nobody wanted it.
But Cole had Divine Resonance.
Trash beetle? Maybe not for him.
"Maybe this little dude is exactly what I need right now."
Decision made. Cole reached out and gently placed his palm on the beetle's cold, cracked shell. Mental energy flowed from his hand—gentle, firm, carrying the thought: "Live. Be my partner."
The beetle was so weak its resistance was basically nonexistent.
In the darkness of near-death, Cole's mental power was the only light it could see.
Its fading consciousness instinctively latched on, accepting the contract.
A faint, almost invisible flash of light flickered between them. The beetle vanished, sucked into Cole's Beast Space.
Success!
Cole looked inward. Inside his Beast Space floated one very beat-up beetle, slowly recovering.
[Contract Successful]
[You have obtained phantom beast: Glimmer Beetle]
[Glimmer Beetle]
[Tier: 1]
[Level: 6 (EXP 35/80)]
[Attribute: Wind]
[Species: Insect]
[Status: Critically Injured]
[Skills: None]
[Description: One of the most common phantom beasts. Famous for terrible growth potential and pathetic combat strength.]
Cole glanced at the cheap "Pip-Boy" wrist device the school had handed out. Same info popped up there.
[Newbie Tip: Your beast is heavily injured. You may consume phantom beast crystals to heal it.]
Phantom beast crystal…
Right in front of him lay a freshly dead Fire-Spray Rat with a crystal still inside its head.
Trying not to gag, Cole pulled out his pocket knife, cracked the skull, and dug out an almond-sized red crystal that radiated faint heat.
"Heal."
He gripped the crystal, focused his mind, and guided the energy toward the beetle in his Beast Space.
The red crystal dimmed visibly, crumbling into gray ash that slipped through his fingers.
At the same time, a warm, pure stream of energy flooded into the beetle.
[Consumed Fire-Spray Rat Crystal (Tier 1) ×1]
[Healing in progress…]
[Glimmer Beetle status: Critically Injured → Lightly Injured]
[Vital signs stable. Recovery ongoing…]
Cole could feel the beetle's pain easing in real time. Cracked shell knitting itself back together right before his mind's eye.
"Beast Space + crystals = straight-up magic."
A moment later, the leftover energy from the crystal finished absorbing.
[Ding! Your phantom beast Glimmer Beetle gained 1030 EXP!]
[Glimmer Beetle leveled up to Lv7!]
[Lv8!]
[Lv9!]
[Lv10!]
Cole froze—then pure joy exploded across his face.
Four whole levels from one crystal?!
The very next second, a massive surge of power rushed out of the Beast Space and slammed into every corner of his body.
It felt like a burning river tearing through his skinny frame, forcibly ripping muscle fibers apart and rebuilding them stronger, denser, better.
An indescribable wave of pleasure-pain made him groan.
When it passed, he flexed his hands in disbelief.
He hadn't turned into a bodybuilder overnight, but he looked lean, wiry, and absolutely packed with explosive strength. Endless energy buzzed under his skin. Even his eyesight felt sharper—he could make out individual reeds dozens of meters away.
Divine Resonance had triggered.
"Holy crap… is this what leveling up feels like? It was only a few levels and I feel reborn!"
Cole stared at his palms like they belonged to someone else. Right now he was pretty sure he could punch a dent in a steel plate with one punch.
If humans got rated the same way beasts did, he'd put himself at roughly Tier 1 Lv5 physically, with actual combat power closer to Lv7 or higher.
All that from a single Tier-1 crystal and a couple of levels on a trash beetle.
He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if one of his beasts actually evolved.
(Quick reminder for readers: leveling ≠ evolution.
Leveling = basic stat growth, bigger body, maybe a skill if you're lucky.
Evolution = bloodline breakthrough, completely new species tier, massive power spike.)
Glimmer Beetle was an insect-type. Rumor says every insect lineage can theoretically reach mythic tier dragon someday…
Yeah, no one's ever seen a Glimmer Beetle turn into a dragon, though.
Cole checked the updated panel:
[Phantom Beast: Glimmer Beetle]
[Tier: 1]
[Level: 10 (EXP 175/200)]
[Attribute: Wind]
[Species: Insect]
[Status: Healthy]
[Skills: None]
[Note: Slightly larger after leveling. Basic stats improved.]
…Yeah, still looks exactly the same. No skills, as expected.
Cole wasn't even mad. He knew the deal.
But he was stronger now. That was what mattered.
Normal newbies could contract three beasts max at the start.
Cole? His mental strength would keep growing every time his beasts leveled.
Four beasts… five… maybe more someday.
"Alright buddy, let's roll."
He summoned the beetle. The now-head-sized Glimmer Beetle buzzed out happily, circling Cole with affectionate little loops, tail glowing softly.
Even though its IQ wasn't high, the Beast Space link let Cole issue simple commands—more than enough for combat.
Feeling like an absolute unit, Cole moved cautiously along the swamp's edge with his new scout, heading toward higher, drier ground.
Goal #1: farm materials → level the beetle → level himself → contract something actually scary.
He'd started with the trashiest possible beast. The next one was going to be a monster.
A few minutes later they pushed through a patch of giant glowing mushrooms and stepped into an open area of black rock. A small pond sat in the center.
And lounging beside the pond was a freaking monster.
Cole's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
"Croc-Armored Tiger?!"
Three meters of pure muscle, saber-like fangs, body covered in deep-cyan metallic scales that looked like crocodile hide.
This thing was at least Tier 2 bloodline—and judging by its size, well over Lv20.
A Lv1 Croc-Armored Tiger is the size of a house cat.
This one could swallow a car.
Absolute apex predator of the zone.
Cole's heart hammered. He immediately backed away, dragging the buzzing beetle with him.
Luckily, to a beast this strong, Cole and his beetle were literally lower on the food chain than ants. The tiger didn't even twitch an eyelid—probably full and napping.
Cole only relaxed once they were a safe distance away.
"No way the newbie trial is supposed to have Lv20+ elites chilling around. Something went seriously wrong with this instance."
But after the fear came greed.
If… if he could somehow contract that Croc-Armored Tiger while it was still in the trial…
His strength would skyrocket.
Cole clenched his fists so hard his knuckles popped, eyes blazing.
"Time to grind. Let's go farm small fry, pump this beetle to the level cap, then we come back for the big one."
He fashioned a makeshift spiked club from a thick branch and the long nails in his supply box. In his new hands it felt like a feather, but it turned him into a walking blender—combat power probably pushing Tier 1 Lv10.
Human + weapon > human without weapon. Simple math.
With Glimmer Beetle scouting from the air and giving early warnings, Cole started actively hunting along the safer edges of the swamp.
It didn't take long before he spotted his first pack of prey.