Auron stared at the shimmering number on his system interface like a gambler on the verge of hitting the jackpot.


    [Skill Progress Increased: Iron Skin (99.9%)]


    He let out a short villainous laugh that probably would''ve concerned his roommates if he had any. "Oh, sweet, glorious, cheap progress! Just a little more, and I''ll be one nigh indestructible bastard."


    He''d lost count of how many times he''d jumped onto the bed, activated Iron Skin, and let his body endure the slow, brutal grind of progress. The soreness from lying still for hours was almost insane. Every muscle ached, his joints creaked, and his mattress... was his only true companion .


    But all of it was worth it. At least, that''s what he kept telling himself.


    He was Coming soon to dropping his title of a desperate loser ."


    He pushed himself off the bed, groaning as his limbs protested. The aches were still there, but it was all just noise compared to the anticipation surging at his mind. He knew he was on the brink of something big.


    "Now then. Let''s get this over with."


    He activated Iron Skin again, feeling the familiar sensation of his skin hardening like iron. And then he collapsed onto his bed, letting himself drift off into unconsciousness.


    The sleep was restless, his dreams a series of twisted, nonsense. Rats, training, beast cores he couldn''t afford, Dante''s annoying grin, and Lyra''s scowl all swirled together in a chaotic mess.


    And then he woke up to the sound of the system''s voice.


    [Skill Progress Increased: Iron Skin (100%)]


    [Skill Evolution Possible. Would you like to proceed? Yes / No]


    Auron''s eyes snapped open, the grogginess from his sleep vanished, followed a rush of excitement. "Evolution? Now we''re talking!"


    He slammed the mental ''Yes'' button like it owed him money, cause it damn did for all that sore grinding, it was time he cashed in.


    The sensation that followed was... unpleasant. His skin turned and twisted, like a thousand invisible needles were stabbed into his skin, twisting, reshaping and reforging him into something entirely different. His muscles spasmed, his jaw locking so tight his teeth threatened to crack. His eyelids fluttered uncontrollably, his body fighting against the change."


    But the pain only made him grin. This was progress. Real, undeniable progress. And nothing thrilled him more.


    [Skill Evolved: Iron Skin → Stone skin (0.0%)]


    [Description: Your skin has been tempered into something far more resilient. Provides enhanced durability and partial resistance to physical damage. Progress can now be increased through combat or prolonged activation.]


    Auron let out a strained laugh, his voice sounding like gravel. "Stone skin huh? That''s got a nice ring to it. And now I can boost it through combat, too. Which means..."


    "It''s time to go hunting."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Iron-ranked beasts. Real prey. The kind that wouldn''t die from a single stone flick but would make him work for every shred of strength he could scrape off them.


    "Alright, System, show me my status panel" Auron muttered, a twisted grin stretching across his face. "Let''s see how far this madness can go."


    SYSTEM INTERFACE


    Name: Auron Raventor


    Title : (Certified Rat Slayer)


    Race: Human


    Class: None (yet)


    Beast Contracts: 0


    Attributes:


    Strength: 5 (Below average but better than nothing.)


    Agility: 4 (A journey you''ll never start unless you actually try. But hey, who needs agility when you have..... whatever it is you have.)


    Intelligence: 6 (Knowledge is within you, though often overshadowed by a tendency to forget where you put it.)


    Charisma: 2 (Who needs friends, right?)


    Endurance: 4(Your stamina is a whisper of a dying ember.)


    Luck: 8 (The threads of fate are twisted in your favour.)


    Unallocated attribute points (0)


    Although he had been focused on his legendary training of grinding in his sleep, didn''t mean he had forgotten to exploit the hell out of his system which so far had resulted in a fair upgrade to his stats cause he was damn sure he''d need them for his next part of the plan.


    ***


    Meanwhile, as Auron walked out of his room, Lyra Ashford and Dante watched from a distance. Dante couldn''t help but voice his concern. "You sure about this, Lyra? I don''t think stalking Auron is a good idea. With the end-of-year tournament coming up, shouldn''t we be practicing—"


    "Oh, come on!" Lyra cut him off with a smirk, barely hiding the curiosity sparkling in her emerald eyes. "Auron''s changed a lot since he failed to form a contract. Call it a woman''s intuition."


    Dante stared at her flat chest, about to say ''girl''s intuition'' instead, but the glare Lyra shot him made him swallow his words.


    "Yeah, sure. But remind me again how stalking is supposed to help. Everyone has their secrets, you know."


    "Quit messing around, Dante," Lyra snapped impatiently. "Besides, I wasn''t asking for your help. Even if you didn''t agree, I''d beat you until you tagged along."


    Dante sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Ugh. Women. If only my Steelback Boar wasn''t weaker than your Frost Wolf."


    They continued to trail behind Auron, determined to uncover his "big bad secret." But Dante''s irritation morphed into curiosity when he saw where Auron was heading.


    "Wait… isn''t that the Academy''s exit?" Dante asked, his brows furrowing. "Why is Auron leaving the academy?"


    Auron, meanwhile, was too lost in his thoughts to notice Dante and Lyra tailing him. The allure of his new skill occupied his mind, driving him forward.


    As he approached the academy''s outer edge, he encountered a shimmering barrier—an invisible wall meant to protect the academy from the wilderness. Beyond it, a wasteland stretched out , a brutal contrast to the pristine paradise of Glaivemire Academy. It was as if his entire life here had been a sheltered illusion.


    But those thoughts were irrelevant. Gritting his teeth, Auron crossed the barrier with steeled resolve.


    "This… is the outer area where most Iron-ranked beasts live," he muttered to himself.


    Back at the barrier, Dante''s voice trembled. "What the hell is he doing? Did he just give up on life and decide to finish himself off? We need to drag his ass back here before he gets eaten!"


    "Wait!" Lyra hissed, grabbing Dante''s arm. "Something feels off. Auron doesn''t seem like he''s here to commit suicide. The Auron I knew wouldn''t just give up like that."


    "But he hasn''t formed a contract with any beast," Dante said, glancing at her in disbelief. "He''s basically served himself up as a snack to the wild Iron-ranked beasts out there!"


    Their comical argument faded into the background as Auron marched further away from the barrier. After walking a fair distance, he finally spotted his first beast.


    A wild cat. But given its massive, two-meter frame packed with pure muscle, it looked more like a bear.


    A grin crept onto Auron''s face. "Activate Stone Skin."


    His skin darkened to a bronze luster, a sensation of unyielding strength flooding his senses. His body felt solid—like steel forged by the world''s most brutal blacksmith.


    "Alright, kitty-kitty," Auron voiced out. "Let''s dance."


    The wild cat growled, its muscles coiling before it lunged at him with speed that blurred in his vision.


    "Damn… The system wasn''t joking when it said my agility was crap," Auron grunted as the beast''s jaws clamped down on his forearm. Only, instead of tearing through flesh, its teeth met something far more unyielding.


    Auron stared, wide-eyed. The wild cat looked just as confused as he did. Its iron-sharp teeth were biting into what felt like a solid slab of stone.


    The absurdity of the moment made Auron burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! You thought your baby teeth could pierce this daddy''s armor?"


    Before the beast could react, Auron raised his arm and slammed it down on the wild cat''s head. Over and over, he bashed the creature with merciless strikes until it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.


    Then, the notification came.


    You have slain a initial Iron-ranked beast!


    Gained 2 Attribute Points in Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Charisma, Endurance, and Luck.


    Auron''s grin widened to the point of madness. His laughter echoed through the barren landscape, sounding more like the maniacal cackle of a third rate villain who had just stumbled upon his golden ticket.


    "Well, well, well. It looks like this bug in the system is my lucky break," Auron whispered, his voice trembling with excitement, he could already feel his body becoming stronger as a warm sensation flooded his body after he acquired the attribute points.


    Meanwhile, back at the barrier, Lyra and Dante watched in utter disbelief.


    "T-This… How…?" Dante stammered, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.


    Lyra''s expression was similarly dumbfounded, but she quickly tried to rationalize the madness she''d just witnessed. "Wait… did he— Could he be some sort of prodigy? One of those freaks who just gets stronger from sleep or sheer luck?"


    Her theory fell flat as the image of Auron''s shit-eating grin came to mind. No prodigy looked that smug. Whatever was happening to him… It was definitely something else....