The sparse rays of sunlight slipped into Auron''s room, tugging him out of sleep. He groaned, "Ugh, it''s morning already?" Reluctantly, he dragged himself out of bed. Though his body protested, his eyes sparkled with something he hadn''t felt in a long time—excitement.


    But he couldn''t afford to raise suspicions. This world worshipped beast tamers. Their contracted beasts weren''t just fighting partners; they were living, breathing power-ups. As beasts grew stronger, their tamers'' physical capabilities enhanced to superhuman levels. Why bother struggling through the grueling, injury-ridden journey of martial arts when you could just let your overpowered pet handle the dirty work?


    To everyone else, martial arts was a desperate path reserved for those who failed to contract beasts. Pathetic weaklings trying to gain power through unorthodox means. People like him.


    But unlike them, he had the Primordial Assimilation System. And that changed everything. Of course, if anyone found out he had a system that allowed him to devour the essence of beasts and convert it into power, he''d probably end up dissected for research.


    No, he needed a cover. Martial arts would be his excuse when his strength inevitably skyrocketed. After all, no one paid attention to the struggles of a failure.


    Slipping into his academy uniform, Auron left his room and made his way through the bustling halls of Glaivemire Beast Tamer Academy. The lush greenery surrounding the academy looked like a paradise. To him, it was just a cage—one the Raventor family had tossed him into after he failed to contract even iron-ranked beasts.


    Approaching the grand library entrance, Auron spotted the librarian, a young woman with sleek black hair and a stunning figure, lounging casually behind the front desk.


    "Uh, hi. I''m looking for scriptures related to martial arts... Are there any?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.


    The woman looked up, surprise flashing in her strikingly beautiful eyes. She arched a delicate eyebrow, her lips curling into a playful smirk. "Now that''s something you don''t hear every day. Are you sure you''re ready to walk the path of martial arts? After all, it''s a road paved with danger and poor life choices."


    Her mild and gentle tone threw him off. He was so used to mockery that simple kindness at this point felt like a trick.


    "Danger and poor life choices?" he chuckled. "Sounds like I''m right where I belong."


    The librarian''s smile widened, amusement flickering in her gaze. "Well, I suppose that makes you a perfect fit. Follow me. The martial arts scriptures are buried deep in the ''why-would-anyone-waste-their-time-here'' section."


    "Fitting."


    She led him through rows of towering shelves, their wooden frames creaking like they were groaning at the absurdity of anyone actually visiting this forgotten section. Dust coated everything, the air thick with the scent of old scriptures and dead ambition.


    "These are the ones," she said, gesturing to the neglected scrolls and worn-out tomes. "Most of it''s just beginner stuff, but who knows? Maybe you''ll find a hidden gem in all this mess."


    "Thanks." Auron gave a genuine smile.


    "Don''t mention it. And hey, if you start coughing up blood from some ridiculous training technique, don''t come crying to me," she added with a wink before sauntering off.


    ***


    As Auron flipped through a dusty tome, a loud, stupid laugh echoed through the library.


    "Wait, ain''t this the trash of Glaivemire Academy."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Auron glanced up. Marcus and his two bootlickers were leaning against a nearby shelf, their smug grins practically begging for a punch.


    Of course. His reputation must''ve put out a beacon for idiots.


    "Finally realized the path of beast taming isn''t for losers, huh?" Marcus sneered, arms crossed like he expected applause for his originality. "What''s wrong? Couldn''t handle a real beast, so you decided to settle for pretending to train like some lowlife martial artist?"


    His lackeys burst into laughter like it was the funniest thing they''d ever heard.


    Auron raised an eyebrow, his voice calm and lazy. "You''re right, Marcus. Beast taming isn''t for losers." He let the words hang, then added, "Which is why you''re still struggling to get your stupid iron wolf cub to listen to basic commands, huh?"


    The lackeys'' laughter choked into awkward coughs.


    Marcus''s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "You''ve got a sharp tongue for someone who can''t even form a contract. Better watch yourself, trash. One wrong step, and you''ll end up regretting it."


    "Regret?" Auron tilted his head, smirking. "That''s something I''d feel if I spent all day bullying someone just to make myself feel better. But hey, whatever helps you sleep at night. You''re probably exhausted from all that puppy training."


    Marcus''s face turned crimson, his fists clenching. But instead of throwing a punch, he just spat out a final, "Watch your back." and stormed off with his goons.


    Auron shook his head. "What a motivational speech," he muttered before turning back to the scrolls. His fingers continued flipping through the ancient texts, his focus sharpening.


    But as he continued reading, he realized something. A few months ago, he probably would’ve just stayed silent, let Marcus have his fun. Now? He was pushing back.


    Maybe I’m already channg.


    ***


    Looking closely now Auron realized the library was more than just a sanctuary of knowledge; it was a monument to humanity''s obsession with beasts.


    Ancient records of mythic creatures in battle, or what Glaivemire beast tamer academy regarded as mythical creatures, adorned the walls, and bronze statues of legendary beast tamers stood like silent guardians.


    Yet, the martial arts section was shoved into a dusty corner treated like a weird uncle nobody wanted to acknowledge.


    Auron skimmed through a scroll titled "The Art of Flowing Qi: Basics for Beginners." Its contents were vague, filled with passages like "The body is the river, the Qi the water. Let it flow or drown in stagnation."


    "Right, because that clears things up," Auron muttered, rolling the scroll up and shoving it aside.


    He was about to grab another tome when a deep voice interrupted his search.


    "Didn''t expect to see someone actually here."


    Auron looked up to see a young man about his age, thick brows and broad shoulders giving him a rugged look. His uniform was wrinkled, but his gaze was sharp.


    "Name''s Roderick. What''s yours?"


    "Auron."


    "Never heard of you."


    "Can''t say I''m surprised."


    Roderick chuckled. "Heh. Fair enough. You actually looking for martial arts stuff, or just trying to escape the noise?"


    "A bit of both, I guess."


    "Smart move." Roderick sat on a nearby stool, folding his arms. "Most people see martial arts as a joke. But I''ve always been curious. Figured if I can''t form a contract, might as well learn how to punch something real good."


    "Sounds like a solid plan," Auron replied, lips twitching into a smirk. "Though I hear most martial arts manuals are just vague philosophies. You know, ''Feel the Qi,'' ''Become one with nature,'' all that nonsense."


    "Yeah, that''s why it''s fun. Trying to turn nonsense into something useful."


    For once, Auron felt like he''d met someone who actually made sense. And Roderick''s words stuck with him—turning nonsense into something useful. Just like what he was trying to do with the system.


    "Anyway," Roderick continued, "I''ll leave you to your weird scroll-hunting. But if you ever wanna spar or compare notes, look me up."


    Auron nodded, genuinely appreciative of the offer. Maybe not everyone at this academy was a jerk.


    As Roderick wandered off, Auron returned to his search. Just then, his eyes caught a worn-out book shoved behind a row of thick, dusty tomes. Its cover was faded, but the title was barely legible: "Blood and bones: Fundamentals of Body Tempering."


    He flipped it open and started reading. Unlike the other manuals, this one actually seemed practical. Descriptions of breathing techniques, muscle conditioning, and something called Iron Vein Training—a method to refine viscera toughen the body through repeated exposure to strain etc. It wasn''t the magical beast-taming way of growing stronger, but it was something.


    And it made sense. All of it.


    "Find something good?"


    Auron glanced up to see the librarian from earlier, her eyebrow raised in mild interest.


    "Yeah. This one actually explains things instead of just throwing poetic riddles at me."


    She laughed softly. "Well, good luck. The only people who''ve ever read that book were either desperate or insane. Or both."


    "Guess I''m the lucky third option."


    "Well, if you say so. By the way, I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name''s Lyra."


    "Auron," he replied, even though she probably already knew.


    "I know. Everyone knows." Her lips twitched, a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "But good to see you''re not moping around like most people in your situation. You''ve got some fight in you."


    "More than you think," Auron said, rolling up the book with a smirk.


    "Try not to break yourself, though," she called after him as he made his way toward the exit.


    Leaving the library, he felt genuinely optimistic.


    Before he could continue, a loud argument broke out nearby. Two students were wrestling over a beast egg, each accusing the other of trying to cheat them out of a contract.


    Auron rolled his eyes. Yet another reminder of how ridiculous the academy could be.


    But as the argument continued, something caught his eye. One of the students dropped a crystal, its surface shimmering with faint inscriptions. A beast core.


    And not just any beast core—Auron''s system reacted to it. He could feel it in his bones, like a magnet pulling him closer.


    "Oh, crap," the student muttered, patting his pockets in a panic.


    Before anyone could notice, Auron''s hand shot out and snatched the crystal,in a swift motion as if he''d done it a thousand times.


    "Well," Auron thought as he slipped the core into his pocket. "Maybe luck really is on my side."


    However he didn''t lag, rushing back to his room, because the moment his hand made contact with the beast core crystal a notification screen had popped up in his line of vision


    (Do you wish to absorb a skill from the beast core crystal?)


    <<Yes>> <<No>>