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As Seth made his way toward the Wicked Forest, he ran a hand over his potion pouch, the fletching of his arrows, and his hunting knife—double-checking that everything was where it should be. He'd read enough from his father's encyclopedia to know that the outskirts weren't too dangerous, and as long as he didn't wander too deep, he shouldn't encounter wolves or any of the stronger arcane beasts like the Cerberus from last night.
Even so, his heart raced a little. He had avoided this place for years, ever since that desperate afternoon when he tried to find valuable herbs to pay for his mother's treatment. He hadn't even made it deep enough to find anything before a bird had swooped down, unleashing a torrent of flame with a single flap of its wings. He had escaped with severe burns and a vow never to return.
But fear was a luxury he couldn't afford anymore.
That's the only way to have a real chance, he told himself. I have to do this.
Arthuri was nearly a day's walk away, and with the selection starting Saturday morning, he only had two days to get stronger. Quickening his pace, he shoved aside the last doubts in his mind, when he suddenly froze, his breath catching and mouth falling open in awe.
The border of the Wicked Forest loomed just a few feet ahead, and the sight was breathtaking. The trees stood tall and mighty, dark brown bark looking as solid as steel. Their large branches stretched toward the sky while their dense green leaves shielded everything below from the sun. They weren't just bigger—they were more alive, more vibrant than any trees he had seen before.
He cast Identify on one of them.
Oaktree
Resource
Tier: Copper
Grade: Common
So imposing and yet still Common, Seth thought before pulling his jacket's hood over his head. There was too much on his to-do-list for him to stand there and admire nature's beauty.
With a deep breath, he stepped over the invisible boundary of the Wicked Forest; almost instantly a gentle warmth flooded into him, as if the forest itself was welcoming him, embracing him like an old friend.
Dropping into a crouch, he slunk forward among the bushes, his hands pushing branches aside while trying to avoid making any sound. He inched forward, his senses attuned to the surroundings, his gaze sweeping the shadows for any signs of danger. Every few steps, he paused, his ears straining to pick up any sound that could hint the presence of a beast—arcane or not.
But each time the forest remained entirely silent, without even a single chirp or growl. For nearly half an hour, the only sound around was the muted crunch of dry leaves beneath his boot and the soft rustle of the bushes' branches as he passed by.
Should I go deeper? Seth wondered as he approached a broad clearing. Resting on his haunches, he was weighing the pros and the cons when a soft purr made his pulse spike.
Seth's hand quickly reached for his bow, and at the same time he slid behind a massive tree, going through all the felines he had seen in the encyclopedia.
The moment he stuck his head out to scan the area, a silver-furred creature emerged from the undergrowth on the far side of the clearing. It was a wildcat—an unnaturally large and intimidating wildcat. It stood about two feet tall and had upper canines stretching down like twin daggers, sharp enough to easily pierce through his flesh.
Seth filled Identify's grooves with aether, and channeled the spell.
The beast suddenly paused, and its eyes seemed to move toward him. Seth's heart skipped a beat as he quickly spun behind the tree to hide.
Damn it! Of course they can feel that!
At least the feline's information was still in the corner of his vision.
Silver Wildcat
Potential: Copper Tier
Rank: 3 (Low-Copper)
Affinity: -
Strength: 6
Arcane Power: 2
Toughness: 2
Well Capacity: 1
Agility: 13
Regeneration: 4
All its attributes were quite low except the Agility—but he couldn't afford to underestimate it. The wildcat hadn't been listed in his father's encyclopedia, so he had no way to know the spells it might possess and how they would alter the fight.
I'll run if they're too powerful.
Seth snagged an arrow from the quiver and nocked it onto his bowstring as he slowly peeked from behind the tree. The wildcat was still in the same spot, lying in the shadow of a bush, its sleek silver fur shimmering in the filtered sunlight. The sight brought back memories of his encounter with the hare—and how disastrously that had turned out.
This time will be different, Seth thought while infusing a thin stream of aether into his arm's muscles. I'm stronger, and this beast is weaker.
Eyes on the target, he drew his bowstring back in a smooth, silent motion that had become second nature over the years of hunting. The feline stretched out its neck, its ear perking up as if it sensed something amiss on instinct.
Too late.
Seth's arrow left his bow with a sharp twang, slicing through the air with tremendous speed and striking the wildcat right between its ears. The beast jerked, then crumpled backwards, the arrow half buried in its skull—its death was instant.
His heart hammering, Seth cautiously approached the fallen feline, doubts swirling in his mind. If hunting here was that simple, the Wicked Forest would be overrun with hunters—Wielders or non-Wielders—all vying to make a fortune. But as he neared the wildcat's corpse, the crimson puddle beneath and the wooden shaft lodged firmly in its head dispelled all uncertainty.
I killed an arcane beast.
Drawing his knife, Seth smiled and sliced through the feline's fur from the neck to belly.
He recalled Sericar's warning about trying to salvage the hide for makeshift armor. The Wandering Merchant had explained that the creature's supernatural durability wasn't inherent to the flesh itself. It was anchored by a crystal of condensed aether in the chest—the beaststone. Without that thing, the residual aether in the fur, hide, and claws faded within hours of death, rendering the carcass no better than one of a normal prey.
Which also explained why the beaststone was the true hunting prize.
In any other nation, the high value of these stones would likely spawn a massive hunting industry. But not in Kastal. Here, the king and the noble Houses actively discouraged commoners and nobles alike from hunting arcane beasts, to avoid losing future workforce.
Seth peeled back the layer of muscles and cracked the ribs apart to expose its inner chest. Scrutinizing the inside, he spotted a tiny gem nestled amidst the blood vessels near to the beast's heart. It glinted softly like a pearl and its gray hue stood out from the surrounding flesh.
The grin on Seth's face widened as he carefully plucked the precious stone out and cast Identify—he had done it.
Beaststone (Silver Wildcat)
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Resource
Tier: Copper
Rank: 3
Affinity: -
Seth slipped the stone into his potion pouch, already thinking about the coins it would earn him. I'll see what it sells for at Arthuri this—
A faint rustling abruptly cut his thoughts short. As he snapped his head up, a chill of dread slithered down his spine.
Three sets of yellow eyes glowed in the shadow, staring at him from within the thin bushes. The beasts hadn't yet emerged from behind the leaves, but he could easily see them. They had matching gray fur and sharp, menacing claws jolting out from their paws. Drool dripped from their maws as they bared their large teeth.
Boreal wolves.
Seth whirled around and burst into a sprint; he weaved through the trees, leapt over roots and ducked under low-hanging branches while trying to recall everything he had read about them. Hunt in packs. High Agility and Strength. Most can use Crippling Fear and Wind Dash. Best to keep them at a distance. None of that information was useful right now.
Movement flashed in his peripheral vision. He glanced left.
With a snarl, one of the wolves pounced at him, jaws wide open and ready to tear his head off. Seth dove to the ground, and the beast's maw snapped shut inches above him. As he scrambled to his feet, his hand instinctively reached for his potion pouch—but stopped.
No! Not for some wolves! Seth gritted his teeth and whipped out his knife instead. I don't need to take down all three of them. One should be enough. The others will get scared and flee... hopefully.
The wolf behind him growled, slowly circling him. Seth's heart pounded in his ears, but he forced himself to focus. He had faced ordinary gray wolves before, and he knew this dance well. They tested for weakness. They distracted the prey. Then they struck.
He looked left and right, searching for the others. They were nowhere to be seen. Yet.
The beast now in front of him kept its distance, staring at him with a hungry gleam in its eyes.
"Where are your friends hiding—"
Suddenly, another Boreal Wolf sprang out from the underbrush to his left and charged with blinding speed—speed that gave him no time to think, only to move.
As the beast leapt for his neck, Seth's body came alive. Something warm and feral exploded from in his chest and pushed aether violently into the barely carved grooves in his legs, flooding both his muscles and his nerves. In a flash, he then spun out of the way and drove his knife into the beast's side, ripping it open.
The wolf tumbled to the ground with a yelp of pain. Without hesitation, Seth poured aether into his arm and pounced atop it, repeatedly stabbing the beast's neck. Blood spurted with each thrust, and in seconds the fierce yowls died off while the wolf fell motionless to the ground.
Panting, Seth pushed himself up while glancing around.
Before he could spot the other wolves, a bone-chilling wave washed over him, raising every hair of his body and freezing him in place. His knife slipped from his grip, the blade clattering to the ground a second later.
An overwhelming sense of danger—no, of certain death—paralyzed him from head to toe. The dread was so intense and so powerful, it felt unnatural, as if it was forced upon him.
Leaves rustled behind Seth, and he summoned all his strength to break free from grasping fear, screaming at his muscles to move. Finally, he managed to turn his head—just enough to see what was coming at him.
A wide-open maw.
He froze in panic, certain he was about to die, when suddenly, time seemed to stop. An intense heat erupted again in his chest, but this time he realized what it was. His core. The small orb beside his Well pulsed like a second heart, sending torrents of fierce and mysterious energy storming through his body. It filled him, instantly freed his mind from Crippling Fear, and left only one thing in control: pure instinct.
Without any hesitation, Seth rammed his arm deep into the wolf's mouth, wedging his leather bracer between the beast's jaws to keep them from snapping shut like he did with the Cerberus. Gritting his teeth against the pressure threatening to crush his arm, he quickly snatched an arrow from his quiver and drove it straight into the wolf's yellow eye.
The beast yelped in pain and released his arm while staggering back. Leaving it no time to catch its breath, Seth snatched his bow and nocked another arrow—aether surged into his arm. But the moment he pulled the bowstring, his core's instincts screamed again.
Right.
The third wolf rushed out from behind a tree with abnormal speed, leaves nearby swirling around its large body as if an invisible force was pulling them. Seth immediately switched his aim and loosed his arrow toward the new threat. But the beast easily sidestepped without altering his path thanks to its spell.
Seth's body responded on its own and nocked a second arrow as he dashed toward the wolf, aether furiously sliding through his leg's grooves to reach the muscles and nerves. The moment the Boreal Wolf pounced, jaws aimed at his throat, Seth jumped to the side, twisted mid-air, and released his arrow. The projectile struck true and embedded itself deep in the beast's upper leg.
The moment he hit the ground, Seth snatched another arrow and let it fly again while grinning; he didn't understand what was happening, and he didn't need to. Everything was so easy. He felt stronger, faster—and alive. As if for the first time in his life, he was finally tracing his Path.
Howling in rage, the wolf jerked its head to the side and dodged the arrow. Then, with a loud snarl, it charged and pounced, ready to tear through Seth's shoulder.
But Seth had already seen it coming. Before the fangs could reach flesh, Seth pivoted and slammed his aether-infused fist into the wolf's muzzle, sending the beast stumbling backward. He then followed through with a swift kick to the head, bones cracking under the force of the blow. As the wolf slumped to the ground, Seth stepped on its throat and pinned it down before raising his arm up, an arrow clenched in his palm.
Ready to drive it into the beast's heart, Seth abruptly stopped at the sensation of his core throbbing again. He tried to turn, but this time it was too late. An intense pain seared through his left arm—the other wolf, the arrow still lodged in its eye, had sunk its large teeth in his bicep and was now trying to rip it apart.
"Argh! Fucking hell!"
Seth swung his arrow down toward the beast's head, but the wooden shaft snapped when it hit the bone. Gritting his teeth, he whisked another one from his quiver and this time rammed it into the wolf's neck. The beast yelped, but held on, grinding its teeth deeper into his flesh.
Driven by the extreme pain, Seth nearly emptied his Well and forced most of his remaining aether into his arm. With a wild, ear-splitting scream, he then grabbed another arrow and drove it straight into the beast's skull. The tip only penetrated a few inches, but it was enough to reach the wolf's brain and end its life, the beast instantly collapsing to the ground.
Panting, Seth turned back his attention to the remaining wolf under his boot. It was still writhing, but its attempts to escape were now sluggish and lacking real effort—probably due to the blood loss… or the resigned acceptance of its fate. Regardless, Seth wasted no time and thrust an arrow into the beast's head from underneath, killing it on the spot.
Swaying from the aether-deprived dizziness, Seth quickly pushed himself up and tore a strip of the white shirt under his leather jacket. He then wrapped it around the gushing wound on his arm, tightening it until it hurt. The wolf had missed the major blood vessels, but the wound was still pretty bad. I don't think it's going to close on its own.
For a moment, his gaze flicked back and forth between the track he had come from and the lifeless bodies of the Boreal Wolves. He had nearly died in that fight. Could he really leave without claiming his well-deserved rewards?
Fuck it, he cursed inwardly, picking up his hunting knife a few steps aways.
As he crouched and sliced open the chest of the two closest corpses, every movement sent a sharp pain jolting through his arm. But the promising coins from the beaststones made it bearable. After plucking out the two grey crystals, he turned toward the last corpse—then froze as a low growl and the sound of footsteps echoed from ahead.
Shit!
Seth grabbed his bow and nocked an arrow, quickly inspecting his Well. Sixty percent. He frowned. For some reason, he was regenerating aether faster than he'd grown used to—but now wasn't the time to think about that.
The thuds were getting closer.
The moment Seth pulled his bowstring and channeled aether, a searing pain lanced through his left arm, like dozens of needles piercing his flesh. Clenching his jaw, he kept drawing the string back even as blood oozed through his makeshift bandage. With his injury, he would only have one shot. He couldn't afford to miss.
The dense underbrush across the clearing rustled and two beasts burst out—one chasing the other. Seth immediately recognized the pursuer, another Boreal Wolf, then his eyes narrowed while moving on the tiny creature running at the front.
Its black fur was thick and glossy, covering its body in a sleek coat that seemed to swallow the light around it. Despite its small size, its disproportionately large head and muzzle gave it a fierce, almost menacing appearance. It was a juvenile version of an arcane beast he had seen in his father's encyclopedia: a direwolf pup.
Let's take out the greater threat, Seth thought, wincing as he aimed at the Boreal Wolf. The bowstring creaked from the excessive tension, and his vision began to blur the moment he approached his Well's bottom.
Taking a deep breath, he released the arrow.
The projectile soared across the clearing just as the Boreal wolf lunged forward to bite the pup, and plunged into the pursuer' open maw, striking the back of its throat. The gray-and-white-furred beast collapsed, crashing to the ground, the arrowhead jutting out from its skull.
Seth's legs buckled, and he staggered toward the nearest tree as the black direwolf pup fled and disappeared into the dense vegetation.
You're welcome, Seth thought, letting himself fall behind the large trunk while trying to hide himself among the bushes.
The pain, pulsing in sync with his heartbeat, would make it impossible to hold his knife or cut properly. There was no way he could retrieve the beaststones from the first wolf he had killed or the most recent one. They would have to wait.
With slow and steady breaths, Seth reached into his potion pouch and pulled out one of the red vials. After uncorking it, he downed its content in one gulp, feeling the warm liquid slide down his throat. He then looked down at his trembling hand while waiting for the potion to take effect and cast Identify.
Seth
Class: Primalist
Rank: 5 (Low-Copper)
Subclass: -
Core: Feral Instinct
Strength: 11
Arcane Power: 5
Toughness: 8
Well Capacity: 6
Agility: 11
Regeneration: 9
Spells:
- Link [???〜??? (???)]
- Identify [Copper〜Common (Refined)]
- Quick Step [Copper〜Common (Crude)]
An enormous weight was instantly lifted off Seth's shoulders as he went through the numbers in the corner of his vision. Every single one of his attributes had jumped by one or two points—all of that in less than two hours.
Seth's focus then moved to the third spell on his list. Quick Step. Examining his legs and Well, he found out that the grooves he had been slowly carving had somehow deepened drastically—enough for Identify to now recognize them as a spell. It was a Crude-graded one, sure, but still a spell.
But how? It doesn't make any—
Seth's thoughts abruptly paused as he recalled the surge of energy from his core violently pushing aether through the grooves when facing the pack of wolves. It was certainly the reason behind the impressive deepening of the furrows—on top of everything else.
The ability to react without conscious thought, to feel the flow and heat of the battle, to fight with enhanced instincts like a wild beast. For the first time ever outside of his fight with the Cerberus, he had felt truly alive, finally carving out his own Path in this world.
That core was far too complex, and powerful, to just serve as a tool for Link. The mysterious energy it had released felt like a distant part of himself he had never known existed—a part that had awoken when he had nearly died during the trial. And now, it wanted him to push beyond his limits. To get stronger.
A tired smile spread on Seth's face as he closed his eyes, completely worn out.
Seth jolted awake in panic among the dense bushes where he had hidden behind a large tree.
"Oh shit," he muttered, his gaze frantically scanning the sky to gauge how long he'd slept. The sun was still high, its light filtering through the fluttering leaves. Max two or three hours.
Luckily nothing attacked me during—Seth froze, realizing that something was on his thighs. It was heavy, warm and… breathing.
Slowly, he looked down.
Two long, gray-clawed paws and a large, wedged head rested on top of him. The direwolf pup?
Its black fur—short and wispy around its muzzle while thick and glossy around its neck—rippled gently with each passing breeze. A flicker of relief washed over Seth as he saw the beast's closed eyes.
An easy kill, he thought, quietly drawing his knife. One single thrust to its throat and he would gain another stone—one likely more valuable given the rarity of direwolves compared to other beasts. But just as he tightened his grip, ready to strike, he paused and took a closer look. The pup was curled up in a protective posture, as if it had been keeping watch over him while he slept.
Why?
Sure, he had saved it earlier, but that hadn't been his intention. If he hadn't been injured, he would've killed it too. After a long moment, Seth sighed and slid back his blade into its sheath.
Keeping his hand on the hilt—just in case it wasn't as friendly as he thought—he pushed aether into Identify's grooves. About five seconds later, the familiar tingling sensation rose in his right eye. To Seth's surprise, the pup remained asleep, blowing out soft breaths through its nostrils while lines of texts shimmered to life in the corner of his vision.
Tenebrous Direwolf Pup
Potential: Silver Tier
Rank: 2 (Low-Copper)
Affinity: Darkness
Strength: 4
Arcane Power: 5
Toughness: 2
Well Capacity: 2
Agility: 6
Regeneration: 1
Silver potential!
Seth stared at the young beast in disbelief. According to the encyclopedia, arcane beasts would progress quicker in Ranks until they reached their potential—in the pup's case, it would mean Rank 61, the end of the Iron Tier and the beginning of Silver.
But why is such a powerful creature near the forest's edge?
According to the encyclopedia, direwolves were supposed to reside much deeper inside, where the aether density was significantly higher. There were many subtypes, just like any other beast, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, but Seth couldn't quite recall what were those of the tenebrous variant.
An idea sparked in Seth's mind. What if I could tame it?
Having a fully grown direwolf as a hunting companion would allow him to take down much stronger beasts—and rake in more coins. Sure, he had never heard of anyone turning an arcane beast into a pet, but what did he have to lose trying? Worst-case scenario he would just kill it.
Seth glanced down at the pup sprawled across his lap and smiled. Time to give it a shot.
"Wake up," he said, his hand tightening around the hilt of his knife. He then shook his legs and lifted the beast's head as his weight shifted back, ready to dodge if it lunged for his throat.
The pup immediately straightened up, and its eyes shot open. Seth tensed, muscles coiled, expecting the creature to snap.
"Easy," Seth murmured with a soft and soothing voice, trying to be reassuring while preparing for violence.
The direwolf's head snapped toward him, and the beast stared at him with its dark-crimson eyes. At first, the slit pupils and the colorful irises reminded Seth of demons he'd heard about in bedtime stories, but upon closer look, he quickly realized they were nothing alike—the pup's gaze had no malice in it, simply pure innocence.
Slowly, the young beast stood up and shuffled back a few steps, as if it didn't like to be stared at.
"You looked after me while I slept?" Seth said, rising to his feet. The pup tilted its head to the side, both ears perking up. "First, let's verify something. If you understand me, step forward."
The wolf didn't move and remained still as a statue.
Seth sighed. Yeah, didn't think it'd be that easy.
Switching to his backup plan, he reached into his pocket and pulled out some jerky he had packed earlier. Holding it out, he watched as the beast sniffed the dried meat—only to turn its head away, like a child rejecting vegetables.
Well, that's a no.
Seth rubbed his temples, closing his eyes for a brief instant, but opened them again when the pup began rubbing his muzzle against him.
"What do you want?" he asked with a frown, looking down at the pup. The beast's tongue lolled out of its mouth as it continued to nuzzle him, outright licking his pants a few seconds later.
That's odd. I don't have food in that—wait, the wolves' beaststones!
Seth took one of the coin-sized gray crystals out of his pocket and Identified it.
Beaststone (Boreal Wolf)
Resource
Tier: Copper
Rank: 5
Affinity: -
The encyclopedia had detailed various ways arcane beasts could progress in Ranks and increase their attributes, much like humans—using aether to perform specific tasks, honing their bodies through rigorous training, engaging in fierce battles, and more. But there was one method exclusive to beasts: the consumption of beaststones.
While they still relied on ordinary meat or plants for basic sustenance, devouring these crystallized shards of aether acted as a potent catalyst.
Seth gazed at the thick, ropey strands of drool dripping from the pup's jaws. "You want this, huh?"
The hunger in its red eyes made the answer obvious, but Seth still hesitated.
He had risked his life to obtain those beaststones, and now he was about to lose one of them forever. What if the pup just ate it and ran away? Maybe it would be best to wait a little before investing in the beast.
Oh, fuck it.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
With a resigned sigh, Seth brushed aside his doubts and tossed the crystal into the air. The direwolf immediately sprang up and snapped its jaws shut on the beaststone, swallowing it whole.
Goodbye, hard-won loot.
Seth watched for a moment, still uncertain whether or not he'd made a mistake, when something began to happen to the pup. Its small body twisted and jerked, its legs kicking wildly as if some invisible force was trying to seize them. The strange dance of spasms dragged on for several seconds before ceasing as abruptly as it had started.
The pup stood still, its red eyes shining with obvious joy, causing Seth to cast Identify immediately.
Tenebrous Direwolf Pup
Potential: Silver Tier
Rank: 3 (Low-Copper)
Affinity: Darkness
Strength: 5
Arcane Power: 5
Toughness: 3
Well Capacity: 2
Agility: 6
Regeneration: 1
One point in Strength and one in Toughness! You've gotta be kidding me. That easily?
While Seth had to fight and risk his life in that damn forest to grow stronger, the arcane beast had gained two attributes by swallowing a single stone. Life is so unfair.
The direwolf stuck out its tongue, its tail wagging as it looked up at him, clearly hoping for another.
"Nope," Seth said, ruffling the beast's head. "Maybe later."
The pup's mouth shut, as if it understood the meaning behind his words.
Stretching his arms, Seth caught sight of the blood-stained strip of cloth around his bicep. He carefully peeled it back, and his golden eyes widened in surprise. The wound was almost completely healed—the torn flesh had somehow knitted itself back together while he had been sleeping.
This is way better than I expected, he thought, a sly grin spreading across his face. Guess I'll have to thank that grumpy old man again.
After stuffing the piece of fabric into his pocket, Seth glanced around and scanned his surroundings. Staying in the Wicked Forest with the pup without having trained it a little would be a dangerous gamble. It'd be best to head out for now, but there was still one last thing he had to care of before doing so.
"We need to give you a name," Seth said, looking down at the pup. Ideas flitted through his mind, though none of them seemed right. It had to command respect, something that would make people bow to him. Nothing cute like Darko or Wolfy. No, it had to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies—"Nightmare."
The little direwolf continued wagging its tail with enthusiasm, completely oblivious that it now had a name.
Seth's smile widened. It—no, he—was now Seth's new partner. From now on, they would progress and grow stronger together as a team—a badass duo that would make many envious, and for good reason. After all, who hadn't dreamt of having a powerful beast as a companion when they were a child?
"Alright, let's get out of here," Seth said, crouching and gesturing at the pup to also drop down. "Do as I do, Nightmare."
But the direwolf remained still and showed no intention of lowering himself. Seth kept trying for nearly a minute before stopping the pointless gesticulation and pushing himself up with a sigh. "Fine, I get it. A powerful beast like you shouldn't have to hide. We'll do it your way, then."
The moment Seth stepped out from behind the tree, his heart skipped a beat. The two Boreal wolf corpses he hadn't harvested were strewn about all over the clearing, their rib cages torn apart.
Goosebumps spread along his legs. Whatever had devoured their beaststones could have easily killed him while he had been sleeping.
Time to leave. Now.
Seth began walking cautiously westward, trying to recall where he had come from as he pushed aside the undergrowth with his legs.
After a few steps, he paused and strained his ears to hear if his new friend was following. Complete silence.
With an exasperated sigh, he turned around to call the pup, "Nightmare, come—" but stopped halfway through.
The pup was right behind him, muzzle just inches away from his knees. Tilting his head, the little direwolf looked up at Seth, a mocking gleam shining in his red eyes.
Well, at least that'll make things easier.
Seth resumed walking and advanced through the bushes while making sure to keep himself and the direwolf away from any open fields. Every so often, he glanced over his shoulder like a father checking on his mischievous child. But each time, Nightmare was right there, calmly following.
After what felt like an hour, Seth spotted a massive, moss-covered boulder with a small stream running beside it. He remembered passing by there earlier in the morning, just minutes after entering the Wicked Forest.
After taking a seat on the stone, Seth looked at the direwolf. "Good job, buddy. We're almost—"
Before he could finish, a shadow sprang from the stream. Seth's core ignited in his chest while Nightmare lunged forward to intercept the attack. A yelp of pain pierced through the clearing.
A long, slimy green tail coiled around the pup's small body, strangling him as he thrashed and rolled on the ground, desperately trying to free himself.
Seth whipped out his hunting knife and rushed over to help. Within a second, he located the head of the assailant, a snake, near Nightmare's neck, its fangs deep into the direwolf's flesh. Swiftly, he grabbed the writhing reptile and slashed it behind its eyes—but his knife barely left a scratch on its green scales.
Shit!
Gritting his teeth, Seth pushed as much aether as possible into his arm, only stopping when the burning pain began shooting through his flesh. That should—no, that has to be enough.
With a roar, he swung his knife again. Time seemed to slow down as the blade bit into the scales and dug into the snake's flesh.
"Fuck off!" Seth screamed, forcing even more aether out of his Well.
The knife sank deeper and deeper, relentless and absolute on its path. Inch by inch, it sliced through the flesh, until it hit the scales on the other side, severing the reptile's head without harming Nightmare beneath.
Wasting no time, Seth unwound the limp tail from the direwolf's body and took the snake's fangs out of the pup's neck before tossing the head aside. But even after doing so, the direwolf still seemed to be suffocating, his abdomen quickly raising and falling with every labored breath.
What the hell is happening?
Seth's gaze snapped to the snake's head, and a similar drawing in his father's encyclopedia sprung in his mind—the Green Robber. A deadly snake that drained its prey's aether once its venom entered their bloodstream. If one had the bad luck of running out of aether before the toxin's effect wore off, they would die in agony.
Damn it! I can't let that happen to Nightmare!
Heart pounding, Seth placed his hands on the pup's trembling body and tried to push his own aether within, yet just as with his knife, the energy vanished the moment it exited his palms.
Seth then reached for the pouch at his belt, his fingers brushing against the cold glass of the red vials. The healing potions.
No. He pulled his hand back—those were for closing wounds, for knitting flesh back together. Nightmare wasn't bleeding out: his body was starving for aether, and a healing potion wouldn't provide that fuel. It would be useless.
Seth needed a way to pour energy directly into the pup. Then, it struck him: Link.
His mind raced back to the instructions. It required the target to consent and willingly accept the bond. Could a beast do that? It seemed unlikely, but he had nothing to lose.
"Please work," he whispered, hoping the pup was smart enough to understand that this was the only way to survive.
Seth pushed his consciousness deep into his chest, reaching his core nestled between his heart and his Well. He then drew out some of its mysterious energy and shaped it into a long, shimmering thread, following the steps from the piece of parchment to establish Link's bond.
"Nightmare, I need you to accept this," Seth murmured, putting his hand upon the pup's head.
The moment Seth began to move the mysterious energy into the direwolf, a blinding flash erupted. It was so bright and intense that he had no choice but to shut his eyes. Almost immediately, he then felt the thread being vigorously pulled out of him. Confused, he cracked his eyes open and was met with a breathtaking sight.
Nightmare was translucent. All his body—fur, bones, organs, and blood vessels—was now made up of countless shimmering particles. The pup was nothing more than millions of tiny stars held together by some unseen force. Inside the direwolf's chest, the energy of Seth's core slowly drifted closer to the largest and shiniest light. Just as Seth focused on it, another flash of light burst out, forcing him to close his eyes once again.
Then, a strange discomfort rose in his stomach. It was dull and faint, like the kind of pain that might keep one awake at night but would still let them enjoy the day. It was oddly distant, almost as if it belonged to someone else rather than him. Nightmare!
As Seth opened his eyes, the direwolf was still in the same terrible state, barely breathing.
"Hold on, buddy!"
Hands on the pup's belly, Seth pushed aether toward him, expecting the same resistance as before—but this time was different. What once felt like battling against a raging river that swept away everything, now was more like running across a wide, sturdy bridge.
His aether flowed easily into the direwolf, and in no time his own Well reached the ten-percent mark. Despite the dizziness, Seth kept going, carefully matching the amount of aether he gave with his regeneration rate, so he would stay conscious.
Gradually, Nightmare's breathing turned smoother and less shallow, yet Seth continued, sensing his aether still being devoured by the venom inside the direwolf's body. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the energy finally stopped vanishing and began filling the tiny Well of the pup.
With a weary smile, Seth collapsed to the side, his gaze locked on the small direwolf while he cast Identify.
Nightmare (Tenebrous Direwolf Pup)
Potential: Silver Tier
Rank: 3 (Low-Copper)
Affinity: Darkness
Bonded to [Seth]
Strength: 5
Arcane Power: 5
Toughness: 4
Well Capacity: 2
Agility: 6
Regeneration: 1
Spells:
- Illusionary Emptiness [Silver〜Epic (Crude)]
- Danger Sense [Silver〜Rare (Decent)]
Seth's tired mind struggled to process everything. Does that really say Epic?
The benefits of Link made his eyes widened even through the exhaustion. The ability to see Nightmare's spells, along with their grade and quality would certainly be helpful for their future training.
I'll have to ask Marcus or Sericar about the difference between Crude and Decent, Seth thought.
He knew the terms referred to the grooves' quality, but beyond that, he was clueless. How much difference did it make? How many other qualities were there? Could he improve them? All questions, and no answers.
As Nightmare slowly opened his red eyes, Seth's smile broadened. "How're you feeling, buddy?"
Just as he sat down with a grunt, a childish voice echoed in his head.
'Than—nk you.'
Seth's golden eyes widened as he stared at Nightmare. The pup had talked to him… through his mind.
'I… I can hear you,' Seth thought, delving into the strange connection that stirred and pulsed between them. He could feel Nightmare's excitement and gratitude flooding through the bond they now shared.
'I too!' the direwolf replied, his thoughts a chaotic jumble of emotions surging into Seth's mind.
The pup's voice sounded like a toddler's, yet what Seth heard weren't actual words. Rather, it was the senses and the meaning behind them, conveyed through emotions and desires—as if they were sharing each other's thoughts. Nightmare being a part of him, and him being a part of the pup.
'I'm not sure how to explain it,' Seth said through their bond. 'It's like if we're speaking in our own language through Link.'
Nightmare tilted his head to the side. 'What's Link?'
Seth shared his memory of casting the spell, showing the pup images of what he had seen back then. "The spell that binds us together."
Nightmare's response was a surge of joy and eagerness, his emotions bubbling over like an excited child discovering a new game. Seth could feel the direwolf's overwhelming desire to explore the world together—with him. His new friend.
As Seth smiled at the pup, a thought crossed his mind. Could Link even be cast on another human? The spell was tailored for Primalists, and the more he mulled it over, the more obvious it became: it was designed to bond with arcane beasts.
Seth turned to the snake's lifeless body and picked up both severed halves to examine them closely. The emerald scales shimmered softly in the sunlight filtering through the trees' leaves. He could sense remnants of aether that had once coursed through its body gradually fading away.
Green Robber
Potential: Copper Tier
Rank: 7 (Mid-Copper)
Affinity: Earth
Strength: 4
Arcane Power: 21
Toughness: 16
Well Capacity: 8
Agility: 12
Regeneration: 7
That's some serious Arcane Power and Toughness, Seth thought after he'd read through the attributes. No wonder it was so damn hard to slice through its scales.
He hoisted the snake's body over his shoulder, keeping its head in his hand. He wasn't sure where the beaststone was located and had no intention of staying in the Wicked Forest any longer to find out.
'Let's get out of here,' Seth said, glancing at Nightmare.
As they made their way out, the pup's tongue hung down from his mouth, drool dripping on both sides. His red eyes remained locked on the snake's body swinging on Seth's shoulder, and his nostrils twitched whenever it came close. With a low growl, the small direwolf nudged Seth's leg, his tail wagging and slapping the surrounding bushes.
Seth smiled and ruffled the fur on the pup's head. He could sense the beast's stomach grumbling through their bond. 'Hold on, buddy. Two minutes and I'll give it to you.'
Confusion rippled back through Link. And Seth quickly realized his mistake. To a direwolf, minutes were abstract nonsense. There was only hunting, eating, or sleeping.
Seth tried to project the concept through their connection. He pushed a feeling of restraint into the bond, a mental image of walking just a few hundred more steps, followed by the warm, heavy satisfaction of a full belly. A little wait. Then a feast.
'Eat snake,' the pup answered as he licked his chops, clearly ignoring the 'wait' part and focusing entirely on the 'feast'.
Seth chuckled, pushing a branch aside. 'Close enough.'
They continued walking, with Nightmare eagerly following behind, trying to snap at the limbless reptile every few seconds. Soon, the tall, sturdy trees began to thin out, and the familiar landscape of the forest Seth had grown up in came into view. Once they reached a clearing near the edge, Seth set the snake down on a tree stump and drew out his hunting knife. He then channeled aether into his arm, wincing as his injured arm throbbed in protest.
Gritting his teeth, he carefully cut through the beast's tough scale. After slicing about a foot, he felt the low-aether nausea begin to churn into his stomach, forcing him to halt for a moment before continuing.
Seth then plunged his hand inside the snake's flesh and, with some luck, found the walnut-sized beaststone just beneath where the head had been. Plucking it out, he examined it briefly and turned to Nightmare.
'This is a beaststone,' he explained to the pup, holding the brown crystal out for the pup to see. 'You can have them for now, but I'll need some of them later for coins—uh, for things to get me better fangs.'
Nightmare sniffed the stone then gobbled it up just as Seth was about to continue.
'Oh, come on, Nightmare,' Seth groaned. 'I was going to give it to you anyway. You could've waited.'
Through their bond, Seth couldn't feel an ounce of regret—just pure excitement as the pup cracked the crystal in his jaw and released the aether stored inside. The energy flooded through the young direwolf's body, causing his legs to jerk violently for a few seconds just like last time.
Nightmare's head snapped toward Seth, and his red eyes seemed to glow. 'I stronger!'
Seth sighed, filling Identify's grooves to confirm it. There was no point in being upset over something trivial like that. 'Let's see. Give me a second.'
Nightmare (Tenebrous Direwolf Pup)
Potential: Silver Tier
Rank: 3 (Low-Copper)
Affinity: Darkness
Bonded to [Seth]
Strength: 5
Arcane Power: 7
Toughness: 5
Well Capacity: 2
Agility: 7
Regeneration: 1
Spells:
- Illusionary Emptiness [Silver〜Epic (Crude)]
- Danger Sense [Silver〜Rare (Decent)]
'Two points in Arcane Power and one point in Agility and Toughness!' Seth exclaimed, doing his best to convey what it meant to the pup through images and emotions. 'That's amazing, Night! You'll become strong in no time.'
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'Stronger than brown wolves?' the small direwolf asked, jumping around him eagerly.
'Way stronger,' Seth answered with a smile, as he cast Identify on himself.
Seth
Class: Primalist
Rank: 6 (Low-Copper)
Subclass: -
Core: Feral Instinct
Strength: 12 (+1)
Arcane Power: 5 (+1)
Toughness: 8 (+1)
Well Capacity: 6 (+0)
Agility: 11 (+1)
Regeneration: 10 (+0)
Spells:
- Link [???〜??? (???)]
- Identify [Copper〜Common (Refined)]
- Quick Step [Copper〜Common (Crude)]
Seth grinned, looking at his own attributes. Nightmare was currently giving him one point for each attribute he had five or above. Did that mean the ratio was one for five? Or perhaps one for ten, and they were just rounded up? Well, either way, he wouldn't complain. Giving those beaststones to the direwolf was definitely worth it.
The stronger he gets, the more attributes I gain, Seth thought before pulling out the last beaststone from the Boreal Wolves and holding it out to Nightmare. 'Here's another one.'
To his surprise, the direwolf pup merely sniffed the thing before turning his head away. 'No.'
Having expected him to devour it, Seth frowned. 'What's wrong, buddy?'
'Full,' Nightmare replied, sitting down.
Seth's golden eyes widened as he sensed what Nightmare was feeling through their bond—the pup's aether channels were throbbing and aching as if they were on the verge of breaking apart. Another beaststone would bring nothing good. That was for sure.
'When do you think you'll be able to eat another one?' Seth asked, kneeling down to rub the pup behind the ears.
'When empty,' Nightmare answered, his eyes closing and his tongue lolling a little as he enjoyed the scratch.
I'll figure it out on my own I guess, Seth thought with a sigh before glancing at the sun halfway down before the leaves. 'How about we hunt small prey until sunset?'
Nightmare sprang on his paw and yipped. 'Yes!'
Pleased by the pup's enthusiasm, Seth smiled, then crouched down and led the way. This will be a great opportunity to learn to hunt together, he thought, taking a peek at the small direwolf trailing close behind.
He almost told the pup to not just rely on his eyes, but stopped himself. He's a direwolf, Seth thought, watching Nightmare's nose twitching furiously as he analyzed the scent. He knows how to track better than I do.
Nightmare crept forward, but then suddenly halted, burying his snout into a pile of leaves. He recoiled instantly, shaking his head with a sneeze.
Seth suppressed a laugh and kept moving. After a few minutes, a soft rustling of leaves nearby caught his attention. Signaling Nightmare to stay put, he inched toward the sound. As he got closer, he immediately spotted a small cottontail rabbit nibbling on some greenery; its brown fur rippled in the breeze and its short tail trembled.
Seth quietly unsheathed his hunting knife—there was no way he'd waste an arrow on such a small catch. Taking a deep breath, he closed in on the cottontail, using the trees and foliage for cover. Once within striking range, he lunged forward.
But just as his knife was about to reach the rabbit's neck, a sharp pain shot through his injured arm, causing him to miss. Shit!
The tiny cottontail jumped away from the blade in panic and bolted to the right. It bounded over roots and weaved between the trees, racing toward the safety of the distant undergrowth.
But just as it was about to escape, Nightmare suddenly pounced out of nowhere, his jaws snapping shut onto the rabbit. The small animal squeaked and jerked, trying to pull itself free, until the direwolf finally crushed its neck.
Seth watched the scene in awe. Even if the pup was an arcane beast, the stealth of his ambush was far more impressive than Seth had expected. It was as if Nightmare had been invisible until the very last second. Yet there was no way he could have pulled off something like that without… a spell.
'Hey, buddy,' Seth said as the direwolf approached, the cottontail still locked in his jaws. 'How'd you become so stealthy?'
'Focus,' Nightmare answered, sitting next to Seth and dropping the lifeless rabbit on the opposite side, almost as if he wanted to make sure no one could steal it. 'Then disappear.'
Curious, Seth quickly scanned the pup's Well through Link—fifty percent of the aether was missing. The direwolf only possessed two spells at the moment, Danger Sense and Illusionary Emptiness, and judging by their names, it was likely the latter that had allowed him to vanish. It hadn't made him invisible, but instead turned him into a vague blur, hiding him behind a shimmering distortion of air—like a heat haze on the horizon—that made his outline nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.
'How long did you disappear?'
Instead of answering with emotions and words, the pup showed him through their bond the entire scene—from Seth drawing his knife, then slowly creeping through the bushes and circling around to flank the rabbit, right up to the moment the direwolf's maw clamped down on the prey.
So, about four minutes, Seth noted mentally. Not bad for half his Well.
With a sigh, he then shifted his attention to his freshly carved spell, Quick Step. He had completely forgotten to use it earlier. As he examined the grooves, he noticed that some sections were quite rough, especially when compared to Identify.
It was as if the one who made them had been unsure where to go—which was kind of true—and certainly explained why it held a Crude quality. His core had somehow helped deepen those grooves, though now it was up to him to refine and polish them.
Closing his eyes, Seth drew aether from his Well and channeled it inside. Focusing on precision, he guided the energy through the network of routes until it plunged into his legs a dozen seconds later.
Unlike before, Seth could feel how the aether stayed inside his muscles and nerves even after he cut the supply. Without wasting a beat, he began counting in his head—almost immediately Nightmare gave him a confused look.
'What you doing?'
'Counting.'
'Why?'
'To know the duration of my spell.'
'Why?'
'To be better prepared.'
'Why?'
'So, we beat the brown wolves.'
'Wh—brown wolves! Are we going back to nice forest!?'
'Let's practice a bit more here first,' Seth answered, trying to not lose his count.
'Okay, practice!' Nightmare jumped around before dashing into the undergrowth. 'Go! Now!'
'Just wait a—' Seth began, but was forced to stop as the aether in his legs vanished. Twenty seconds. That was far longer than he had expected. 'Alright, Nightmare, I'm coming!'
Bursting into a sprint, Seth quickly caught up with the young direwolf.
For the next several hours, they continued hunting together, focusing on building their teamwork. It wasn't long before Nightmare's sensory skills became extremely helpful; the pup could pick up unusual sounds and track footprints in the mud almost like a seasoned hunter. More importantly, they learned to move as one, using their bond to communicate seamlessly through words and shared emotions.
Together, they developed several hunting techniques that utilized the direwolf's strengths. One of their favorites, which they named 'flush and pounce', involved moving silently through the underbrush, and once they spotted a small animal, Nightmare would sneak to the opposite side with Illusionary Emptiness to prepare for an ambush. Seth would then flush their prey out by making noise or tossing a rock, driving it straight into the direwolf's waiting jaws.
If that tactic didn't work, they would then switch to 'chase and shoot'. Nightmare would chase after their prey and guide it toward a clearing, or any open area with fewer trees, giving Seth a clear shot to take it down with an arrow.
The evening passed in a blur as they honed their teamwork through small hunts. Yet despite their progress, something kept Seth from being truly pleased: attributes. Neither of them had gained a single one that entire evening. It seemed like arcane beasts and a Primalist were more alike than he had thought. Neither of them could grow stronger in the normal forest.
As they returned to his campsite, Seth gathered twigs and branches to set up a fire for the night.
'Do you remember your pack?' he asked the pup, stacking the larger pieces of wood at the bottom of his firepit and crisscrossing the smaller sticks on top. They were bound for life, so learning more about the direwolf wasn't a bad idea.
'Never pack,' Nightmare mumbled, his voice barely audible in Seth's mind. 'Only mother. But dead.'
Seth paused. The complexity of the answer startled him. At first, the pup had communicated in raw urges of hunger, fear, warmth, while now, he was expressing concepts of family, loss, and the past. And the changes had happened in half a day.
Is it because of the Link? Seth wondered, staring at the pup. The spell allowed them to share senses, emotions, and perceptions. Was it doing more than just connecting them? Was it bleeding his own humanity into the beast, accelerating his mental growth far beyond what a normal direwolf should be capable of?
'I'm sorry,' Seth said, placing a comforting hand on the pup's head before lighting the fire with the help of dead leaves and two rocks.
He certainly understood the grief and pain of losing a parent, but he couldn't fully relate to Nightmare's situation. Through Link, he could see and feel that the small direwolf had only left his mother's den two days ago after waiting weeks for her return and had been hiding ever since. At least when Seth's own mother had passed, he had been old enough to be self-sufficient and fend for himself.
'Become strong. And revenge,' Nightmare added, staring into the crackling flames, red eyes gleaming.
Through Link, Seth sensed the truth; the pup had no real idea who or what had actually killed her. But in that moment, as the firelight danced before them, Seth felt the vague sorrow of the orphan harden into the cold resolve of a predator.
'We will,' Seth promised, sitting down beside the pup and leaning against his shelter.
Tomorrow would be his last day before leaving for the academy's selections, so he couldn't afford to waste it. If he wanted to maximize his chances, they would have to go back into the Wicked Forest.
'Tomorrow, we'll get stronger.'
Seth woke to birds chirping and the warm weight of something on his legs. Groggy, he sat up and rubbed his face to shake off the sleepiness. When his eyes finally opened, he found Nightmare curled up next to him, his large head resting atop Seth's legs.
The pup's eyes were still closed, but his nose twitched as if he were already awake. Seth smiled and gently stroked the direwolf's black fur, marveling at its softness. 'Morning, Nightmare. It's time to go hunting.'
Slowly, Nightmare opened his crimson eyes, blinking a few times before finally shaking his head and getting on his paws.
'Beaststone.'
Taken aback, Seth used their bond to feel the direwolf's aether channels. To his surprise, they were almost back to normal. Judging by the sun's rising rays, it had been a little more than half a day since the direwolf had consumed his last one.
So, one every twelve hours. Or two a day.
He pulled out his last Boreal Wolf's beaststone and tossed it into the air. 'There you go.'
With a swift leap, the pup snapped up the grey crystal mid-air, then let out a soft growl when he bit it down. Almost instantly, his body began twitching and aether surged through his channels, flooding his muscles, bones, and organs.
Seth could feel the pup's excitement as he sat back to eat some leftover meat from the previous night. Once Nightmare stopped shaking, Seth activated Identify.
'Stronger?' the pup asked, his eyes shining with joy.
'One in Strength and one in Well Capacity,' Seth answered, ruffling the direwolf's head. 'Now, let me eat so we can get going.'
But Nightmare clearly had other plans. Ignoring Seth's suggestion, the pup started running circles around him, jumping on him every few seconds. 'Go now! Eat later!'
With a sigh, Seth decided to go, ignoring the growls of his stomach.
Seth and Nightmare slowly moved through the dense underbrush of the Wicked Forest, searching for easy prey. The sun had just risen above the treetops, illuminating the leaves with its soft light. Every now and then, a beam of light pierced through the thick foliage, casting bright spots onto the dark forest floor beneath.
Despite the possibility of being attacked, Seth couldn't feel even an ounce of fear in Nightmare—the pup belonged here. Being surrounded by arcane beasts and aether was nothing special for him.
As they continued inching through the silent woods, there was absolutely no sound apart from their own footsteps. Without warning, Nightmare froze, his ears twitching.
'Bird!' the pup said, pointing his muzzle toward a hidden oriole perched among the branches.
Its vibrant orange-and-black feathers stood out against the surrounding green leaves. Both its beak and claws appeared thicker and sharper than those of all the other orioles Seth had seen before. Although it wasn't listed in his father's encyclopedia, he had no doubt it was an arcane beast.
'I'll get it,' Seth said through their bond as he silently drew out his bow before nocking an arrow. Infusing aether into his arm, he pulled the bowstring and prepared to shoot, but paused when memories of the Tempest Hare surged in his mind and cast Identify.
Black-Winged Oriole
Potential: Copper Tier
Rank: 2 (Low-Copper)
Affinity: -
Strength: 2
Arcane Power: 4
Toughness: 2
Well Capacity: 1
Agility: 7
Regeneration: 2
As the bird turned toward them, sensing the spell, Seth had already released his arrow; the projectile pierced the beast straight through its chest, killing it on the spot. The lifeless body dropped from the tree, and Nightmare quickly darted forward, snatched it up with his maw and brought it back to Seth.
Without wasting a second, Seth cut a line down the oriole's corpse and harvested the green beaststone inside. 'Let's keep going—'
Before he could finish his sentence, Nightmare nervously snapped his head to the right and screamed in Seth's mind. 'Hide! Up tree!'
Without thinking twice, Seth scrambled up the nearest oak, climbing as fast as he could until he reached its highest branches. Nightmare's fear spread through Link, grasping Seth's heart with a firm grip while sharp, cold tingles rushed across his skin.
Almost simultaneously, his core began to throb within his chest, releasing some of its mysterious energy. At the ground, Nightmare slipped under the oak's large roots, ready to use Illusionary Emptiness if needed.
From his vantage point, Seth could see what was causing all that fear: in the distance, a massive boar the size of a wagon was lumbering through the forest, pushing aside bushes and trees. The two enormous, curved tusks that jutted out from both sides of its head shone like they were made of metal, each larger than Seth's legs.
Even when sharp branches struck its ebony hide, none of them left a scratch on its surface. The whole forest seemed to rustle from the sheer presence of that behemoth. A Dark Colossus Boar—a beast with an Iron potential.
Seth instantly discarded any thought of Identifying it. That thing could certainly unroot the tree he was on without any effort. He and Nightmare remained perfectly still for several long minutes, not moving an inch even after the boar had disappeared from sight.
'Boar gone,' the pup said, cautiously stepping out of his hidden spot.
'How did you know it was—' Seth started, then paused as he remembered the direwolf's second spell. 'Danger Sense… When did you cast it?'
Nightmare tilted his head. 'No cast. Just there.'
Seth dropped out of the tree, scanned the pup's Well and found it completely full, not missing even a drop of aether. A spell always active in the back of one's mind that triggered automatically in the presence of danger—it sounded almost too good to be true.
Given that Nightmare, who had lived alone in his mother's den, possessed a spell to sense danger and another to turn nearly invisible, it seemed logical to assume that arcane beasts could learn spells through their actions, much like humans.
But does their Path play a role too? Seth wondered. If I were to train Nightmare to hunt differently than other Tenebrous Direwolves, could he develop spells he isn't supposed to have? Would his actions and behavior override the nature of his species?
Shaking his head, Seth set those questions aside and crouched in the underbrush. 'Let's continue, buddy.'
'Yes!' the pup exclaimed, following him.
Over the next two hours, they managed to find two more weak catches: a red-furred squirrel and a brown rabbit, both Rank 1. Those beaststones joined the wildcat's and the oriole's in Seth's potion pouch. Even if they didn't seem particularly rare and probably wouldn't sell for a lot, Seth was confident he could still get at least two or three common coins for each. This meant if they kept the same pace, he would earn half a copper coin in a single day—a sum practically equivalent to a year's income before his awakening.
And it was all thanks to Nightmare's Danger Sense.
Without the pup's spell, they would've run into three powerful arcane beasts by now—the Dark Colossus Boar, an enormous brown-and-black python which wasn't in Seth's encyclopedia, and a deer covered by some sort of wind cloak. Any of them would have slaughtered the duo without even blinking.
From those three encounters, and all the others, it was now clear to Seth that Nightmare's spell efficacy depended on the level of danger—the greater the threat, the wider the range of detection.
'Let's take a break,' Seth said, leaning against a tree after a few hours of hunting. But just as he was about to sit down, a deep, menacing growl made his heart skip a beat.
Nightmare's ears perked up, and his body tensed. 'Danger!'
Seth scanned the area, searching for the source of the sound while pulling out his bow. Almost immediately, his gaze landed on a badger that was emerging from a hole beneath a sequoia several dozen feet away. It stood just a few inches taller than Nightmare and had dark amber fur with red eyes that slightly shimmered.
The beast growled again, its claws digging into the ground while its muscles bulged and rippled. Seth slowly filled Identify's grooves while reaching for an arrow. We cannot hide this time.
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Two-Tailed Badger
Potential: Copper Tier
Rank: 8 (Mid-Copper)
Affinity: Earth
Strength: 9
Arcane Power: 12
Toughness: 13
Well Capacity: 12
Agility: 13
Regeneration: 12
'We'll fight that one,' Seth said to Nightmare.
The direwolf pup nodded, eyes locked on the beast as Seth moved to the side, nocked his arrow, and drew his bowstring.
Sensing the threat, the badger immediately darted forward. Seth quickly aimed and fired before dashing away to keep his distance. The arrow flew with great speed, yet before it could hit, a wall of dirt erupted from the ground, blocking its path.
Mud Wall, Seth thought, recalling the spells listed beneath the beast's drawing in the encyclopedia. The two others he could remember were Ripping Claws and Aether Blast—two offensive spells he had seen countless times across the book.
Seth grabbed a second arrow and shot again, but the badger dodged with surprising agility this time. With the beast closing in fast, he tossed his bow aside and drew his knife, peering into his chest for any sign of his core's fierce energy. To his disappointment, the thing remained asleep.
I'm gonna do this without you, then.
Infusing aether in his arm, Seth lunged forward, knife flashing in the sunlight. The badger evaded the blade and pounced at his face, but Seth ducked under the attack just in time. In one fluid motion, he spun around, using the momentum to whip his knife. Yet it ended up only cutting through empty air, the beast having leapt out of the way.
Snarling, the Two-Tailed Badger charged again. Seth tried to step back to dodge, but the beast was too quick—its gleaming claws came straight toward his throat.
'Coming.'
Just as Seth braced for the impact, Nightmare phased out of Illusionary Emptiness and pounced at the badger, intercepting it mid-air and knocking it off course. The pup sank his teeth into the badger's leg, and black smoke poured from his maw, corroding everything it touched. The beast's brown fur fell in clumps, exposing the beige skin underneath that rapidly turned purple and black before sloughing and dripping onto the forest floor.
The beast howled in agony and kicked Nightmare away. After glancing at its festering wound, the badger glared at the pup and opened his mouth. Blue particles began gathering inside, forming a dense, blue orb the size of a fist.
Aether Blast.
Without thinking, Seth forced aether into his legs and charged forward, delivering a powerful kick into the beast's flank, which sent it flying a dozen feet and interrupting its spell.
The moment the badger crashed to the ground, Nightmare seized the opportunity and struck again, pouncing at its throat. Seth immediately joined him and charged, his knife in hand. As he emptied half his Well in a flash, he swung his arm down and buried the blade hilt-deep into the beast's neck. With a brief shudder, the creature collapsed lifeless to the forest's floor.
Sighing in relief, Seth wiped sweat off his brows. The scent of blood would undoubtedly attract other predators; they should get on the move as soon as possible. Crouching down, he cut open the beast's chest and dug his hand in, easily finding the cold stone next to the heart.
He pulled it out and turned to Nightmare. 'I'll give it to you when—'
'Mine,' the pup interrupted, his gaze fixed on the green crystal.
Seth rolled his eyes, tucking the stone away into his pouch. 'Yeah, yeah. I'll give it to you when your channels are ready.'
The direwolf began jumping around him before pointing with his muzzle at the badger's leg. Nearly half of the limb was now black like charcoal, slowly melting as if it was being eaten away by some kind of acid. 'See I do?'
'Yeah,' Seth laughed, Identifying the pup to confirm his suspicion that Nightmare had learned a new spell.
Nightmare (Tenebrous Direwolf Pup)
Potential: Silver Tier
Rank: 4 (Low-Copper)
Affinity: Darkness
Bonded to [Seth]
Strength: 7
Arcane Power: 7
Toughness: 5
Well Capacity: 3
Agility: 7
Regeneration: 2
Spells:
- Illusionary Emptiness [Silver〜Epic (Crude)]
- Danger Sense [Silver〜Rare (Decent)]
- Shadow Bite [Iron〜Rare (Crude)]
Seth recalled reading about that spell in the encyclopedia. Shadow Bite—a spell that allowed its owner to infuse aether with a darkness affinity into its bite to corrode its target's defense.
Two Rare spells and one Epic, he thought.
For a brief moment, a pang of jealousy stirred within his chest—the direwolf had effortlessly learned an Iron spell without practicing it even once. But then the feeling vanished and a smile spread across Seth's face. Nightmare's strength was also his strength, and the pup's offensive power had just taken an enormous leap forward.
Nightmare's ears perked up as he sensed Seth's emotion through Link. 'I use air-force. Bite stronger now!'
Seth chuckled and patted the pup's head. 'You did great, buddy! Let's find other prey for you to practice on.'
The rest of the day went smoothly, with Seth and Nightmare securing four more beaststones. One had come from a multicolored blue jay adorned with striking feathers, and the other three from Horned Salamanders, green lizard-like creatures with long, protruding horns. And they managed to do so without even using Marcus' potions once.
As evening bled across the sky, staining the clouds in shades of amber and bruised violet, they returned to the campsite just outside the Wicked Forest and Seth sparked a fire to life before settling down beside the crackling flames. For a moment, he simply watched Nightmare gnaw on a piece of roasted meat, the direwolf softly growling at his side.
Three days.
That's how long he'd be gone for the Trogan Academy selections—not too long, all things considered. At first, he'd thought about bringing the pup along, maybe hiding him in a patch of forest near Arthuri for the afternoon. But with the higher population density around the city, the odds of someone spotting him were far too high—and who knew how people would react if they did?
He's practically as strong as a grown man with his current attributes. He can handle himself for a weekend... It's safer this way.
As he sat there, staring at the direwolf pup, Seth couldn't shake the weight of everything Sericar had said. He needed the academy for the knowledge.
In Kastal, true understanding of the aether and its art was hoarded like gold. Libraries containing anything beyond basic history were strictly accessible only to nobles. Any commoner found possessing books or guides that went in depth into spell crafting faced immediate arrest.
This monopoly meant the military academy as Trogan's was the only place a commoner could legally learn the essentials. From what he'd heard, the Adventurer's Guild used to offer classes on such things to independent Wielders, but the king had outlawed the practice years ago to tighten his grip on the populace.
Right now, Seth was navigating in the dark. He had no idea how his core had managed to craft Quick Step in the first place, how to improve the quality of its grooves, or why some spells like Danger Sense didn't need aether to be activated. Aether manipulation, sensing, Path alignment, combat techniques—he was fumbling in the dark, relying on instinct.
And instinct alone wouldn't be enough forever if he wanted to become strong enough to never be pushed around ever again. Freedom required power.
'I'll need to leave for three days,' Seth told Nightmare with a sigh, trying his best to convey the importance of getting into the academy and how it would help them become stronger. 'But I can't bring you. I want you to stay here and hunt outside the Wicked Forest so you can stay safe until I come back.'
'I can hide,' the pup stated, his ears sagging on the side.
Seth tousled the small direwolf's fur. 'It's too dangerous, buddy. When you're stronger, I'll take you everywhere with me, I promise!'
Nightmare reluctantly agreed, so Seth headed into his shelter to clean his gear for the next day while glancing down at his hand.
Seth
Class: Primalist
Rank: 6 (Low-Copper)
Subclass: -
Core: Feral Instinct
Strength: 13 (+1)
Arcane Power: 6 (+1)
Toughness: 8 (+1)
Well Capacity: 7 (+0)
Agility: 12 (+1)
Regeneration: 10 (+0)
Spells:
- Link [???〜??? (???)]
- Identify [Copper〜Common (Refined)]
- Quick Step [Copper〜Common (Crude)]
Although Nightmare had gained four more attributes, Seth didn't receive any additional bonus due to the one-for-ten ratio.
The letter that had accompanied Link had highlighted something critical: the specific breakdown of those bonus attributes was visible only to him. Everyone else would see nothing beyond his base stats. And his Rank wouldn't be affected by the bonus ones.
And since spells couldn't be viewed by others as well, he didn't have to worry about exposing his secret for now.
But later, that might be a different story. Once Nightmare grew stronger and began giving massive amounts of attributes, people would eventually find it odd that Seth was physically stronger or faster than his Strength or Agility should allow.
Well, Seth thought, dismissing the worry. That will be a problem for another day.