Auron wiped the smirk out of his face, scowling at his own feet. Speed was great. Speed without control? A death sentence.
He had barely adjusted to his advanced-powered footwork, and here he was, stomping through the outskirts of the academy''s safe zone, hunting for more trouble.
And trouble came slithering.
He wasn''t even sure what hit him. One moment, he was walking through the wastelands . The next—
BOOM.
Something big had rammed into him like a runaway truck. He bounced off a tree , landed on his back before he slowly fell off.
…I think my ribs are now my lungs.
The moment he tried to move, pain flared through his entire body .
Oh yeah. Something had definitely tried to turn him into paste.
His ears rang, his vision blurred, and somewhere in the darkness, a low hissing sound made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Auron slowly, very slowly, turned his head.
That''s when he saw it.
A Procan Python.
Not just any iron ranked Python.
By the size of it looked like a fucking Peak Iron-Rank Procan Python.
Seven meters long, built like a weapon of mass destruction, covered in green scales that glistened in the moonlight. Its head was wide, eyes gleaming like molten gold, and its muscular body coiled slowly, like it was relishing the moment before striking again.
"…Why do I feel like I''m about to be part of the food chain?"
Auron tried to get up.
The python did not like that.
It lunged.
Auron threw himself sideways a second too late.
Jaws clamped down on his shoulder.
Pain exploded through his body as twin fangs sank into his flesh.
His system flickered.
[Stone Skin: Progress 5.4%]
Auron''s first thought wasn''t about survival.
It was, "…Huh. That went up pretty fast."
His second thought was drowned out by screaming agony.
Auron twisted, trying to break free, but the python''s grip tightened.
His left arm went numb.
His feet dangled off the ground.
The python was lifting him, shaking him like a toy, trying to crush his bones.
He thrashed wildly, panic bubbling up.
Then—his system dinged again.
[Stone Skin: Progress 8.2%]
"…Wait. Is this thing training me?"
Another sharp squeeze.
[Stone Skin: Progress 10.4%]
Auron''s brain short-circuited.
For a solid two seconds, he considered letting the snake thrash him around a little more.
…Wouldn''t that mean faster skill progression?
…Wouldn''t that make him tougher?
Then the pain hit him again, and his survival instincts kicked back in.
"Nope. Dumb idea. Very dumb idea."
With his free hand, he swung a Stone Skin-coated fist straight at the python''s eye.
CRACK!
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The beast screeched and loosened its grip just enough.
Auron wrenched himself free, hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, and rolled away, panting.
He barely had a second to breathe before the python lashed out again.
Auron dodged on instinct.
His body, now far faster than he was used to, reacted before his brain did.
Which would''ve been great—if he had control over it.
Instead, his foot caught on a root.
He tripped.
He ate dirt.
The python''s tail slammed down where he''d been standing half a second ago.
Auron coughed, spat out leaves, blood, and disappointment.
"…Cool. So my speed is officially faster than my coordination. That''s great. Just fucking great."
The python, realizing it missed, coiled again.
Auron forced himself upright.
His shoulder throbbed. His legs felt weak. His breath was ragged.
And this monster?
It was looking at him as if he was it''s fucking dinner.
The beast lunged again.
Auron dodged—on purpose this time.
The python''s jaws snapped shut where he had been standing.
But Auron had seen something.
When it attacked, it exposed its throat.
A weakness.
Auron lunged forward.
His Stone Skin-covered fist drove straight into the python''s open mouth, smashing into the soft flesh of its throat.
CRACK.
The beast convulsed.
Auron hit the ground, rolled, ignored the agony in his body, and pushed forward.
His instincts screamed at him.
Now. Kill it now.
He sprinted.
The python, still stunned, didn''t react in time.
Auron''s foot planted on its coiled body.
He launched himself into the air.
His fist crashed down onto the python''s skull.
The impact rattled his bones.
The python jerked, but still it wasn''t enough, but this was where his speed came to play, if one punch wasn''t enough then ten, if ten punches didn''t do the trick then a hundred.
Engulfed with blood, Auron repeatedly bashed the procan pythons skull, his fists were a blur of motion unable to endure any longer the procan python twitched—then went still.
Auron hit the ground hard.
For a moment, he just lay there, chest heaving, body aching, mind processing what just happened.
Then—his system flickered.
[Stone Skin: Progress 25.8%]
He groaned.
"…I actually should''ve let it beat the crap out of me a little longer."
His arms trembled as he pushed himself upright.
His shoulder was a mess.
His legs ached.
And yet—
He felt stronger.
Auron exhaled, then let out a weak, half-mad chuckle.
He was still alive.
He won.
Barely.
He looked at the python''s corpse, then at his bloodied hands.
This was what it took.
This was how he''d get stronger.
His fingers clenched into fists.
***
Before anything else, Auron glanced at the notification screen that popped up after killing the procan Python.
(Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating a Peak Iron-ranked Procan Python. Do you wish to devour its essence and merge with one of its attributes?
<<Yes>> <<No>>)
Procan Python (Peak Iron-Rank Beast) – Stats
Race: Beast (Iron-Rank)
Rank: Peak Iron
Strength: 25 (Enough to crush boulders and snap bones like twigs.)
Agility: 10 (Fast in short bursts, but predictable patterns.)
Intelligence: 2 (It thinks about food and murder. That''s about it.)
Charisma: 1 (A face only a mother python could love.)
Endurance: 18 (Can take a ridiculous amount of damage before dying.)
Luck: 3 (Dumb luck kept it alive. Until now.)
Lying there, staring at the corpse of the Procan Python, Auron took a shaky breath. His whole body ached, his vision swam, but his mind? Sharp as ever.
The system''s devour option hovered in his interface, waiting.
[Devour an Attribute from the Slain Beast? Choose One.]
Strength: 25 (You too can be built like a monster.)
Agility: 10 (You''re already faster than your own balance, do you want to die?)
Intelligence: 2 (Become the smartest rock in the academy.)
Charisma: 1 (Yes, let''s become uglier.)
Endurance: 18 (Good if you enjoy being punched.)
Luck: 3 (A downgrade, you moron.)
Auron rubbed his temple. "Why does my system sound like it actively wants to insult me?"
He glanced at his own stats. He was already fast. His endurance sucked. But his strength?
Right now, he could kill iron ranked beast and win fights. He needed to start breaking bones.
His grin turned sharp. "Yeah. Give me that Strength."
[Strength +25 Applied.]
Auron''s whole body seized up.
***
SYSTEM INTERFACE
Name: Auron Raventor
Title: Initial Iron Rank Hunter
Race: Human
Class: None (Yet)
Beast Contracts: 0
Attributes:
Strength: 7 + 2 (Iron-Rank Bonus) + 25 (Devour) ? 34
(Your fists are now wrecking balls. Try not to punch walls… or people. Or both.)
Agility: 26 + 2 ? 28 (You''re too fast for your own good. Literally.)
Intelligence: 8 + 2 ? 10 (Big brain, but still dumb decisions incoming.)
Charisma: 4 + 2 ? 6 (You''re slightly less terrifying. Slightly.)
Endurance: 6 + 2 ? 8 (You can actually take a hit now. Progress?)
Luck: 10 + 2 ? 12 (At this rate, the universe is actively favoring you.)
Unallocated Attribute Points: (0)
The moment the Strength boost hit him, Auron nearly blacked out.
His muscles cramped violently. It felt like someone had poured molten iron into his veins. His arms twitched uncontrollably, and when he clenched his fists, the ground beneath him cracked slightly.
His breathing was ragged. His own weight felt unfamiliar. Standing up was weird, like his legs were too light, yet too heavy at the same time.
His speed and strength were now wildly imbalanced. Before, he was too fast for his balance. Now? He could break through obstacles but lacked the fine control to stop himself properly.
Auron staggered, took a few deep breaths, and let out a bitter laugh. "I swear, if I punch a door and it explodes, I''m gonna be pissed."
Auron groaned and collapsed onto the dirt. A forced recovery period.
He''d just hit the peak of Iron Rank in Strength.
***
Auron lay on the forest floor, staring at the dark sky above. Every breath felt heavier, but there was an undeniable thrill coursing through him.
He clenched his hand again, watching the dirt beneath his fingers crack. Holy shit.
He''d gone from barely competent to bone-crushing menace in one move.
The system wasn''t lying—his fists really were wrecking balls now. The problem? His brain hadn''t caught up. His body felt both absurdly powerful and ridiculously uncoordinated. If he wasn''t careful, he''d end up launching himself into a tree just by sneezing too hard.
The system chimed again.
[Warning: Your current power far exceeds your body''s natural adaptability. Movement efficiency reduced until full adjustment is complete.]
"Yeah, no kidding," Auron muttered, shifting slightly. His body felt like it belonged to someone twice his size, a walking slab of muscle that didn''t quite know how to maneuver properly yet.
Still, this was good. More than good.
With this level of strength, he could actually fight without running calculations on how much he''d get his ass kicked first.
His thoughts were cut short when a rustling sound reached his ears.
Auron tensed, his instincts kicking in despite the sluggishness of his new power. He forced himself into a crouch, wobbling slightly as he adjusted to the unfamiliar weight distribution.
Shit. Who''s there?
He turned his gaze toward the noise, barely peeking over the underbrush and spotted two academy students with their backs turned, scanning the area.
Elya''s posture was stiff, her hand hovering near a beast summoning token on her belt.
"I swear I heard something," her friend whispered
"You hear things all the time," Elya muttered. "We''ve been standing here for hours, Calla, admitt it we''re really lost, i told you we shouldn''t have sneaked out of the academy at night."
Calla huffed. "Fine. But if something jumps out and mauls us, I''m blaming you."
Auron exhaled slowly. Alright, I need to get out of here before they start actively looking.
He turned, careful not to make any noise—
Snap.
A twig broke beneath his foot.
Auron barely had time to curse before both girls turned sharply.
"Who''s there?!" Elya barked. Her free hand shot to the summoning token. A flicker of energy surged around her fingers.
Auron, not a fan of unwarranted attention did the most logical thing he could think of.
He ran.
Sort of.
Instead of a smooth escape, his new strength sent him rocketing forward at an angle he absolutely did not intend. He swerved too hard, overcorrected, then—
THUNK.
Face-first into a tree.
Silence.
Auron groaned against the bark. "Godsdammit."
Elya and Calla, now sprinting toward him, skidded to a stop.
"What the hell—" Calla started, eyes wide.
Elya, however, was quicker. "Identify yourself!"
Auron turned slowly, trying to regain his composure. He wiped the dirt off his face, squared his shoulders, and adopted the most nonchalant expression he could muster.
"…Evening, ladies."
Silence.
Calla blinked. "Did… did you just run into a tree?"
Auron considered his options. He could lie. He could try to talk his way out of this.
Or he could just commit.
He crossed his arms, standing as straight as he could despite the slight wobble in his legs. "Yes."
More silence.
Then Calla snorted.
Elya, however, wasn''t as amused. Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
Auron sighed. No way out of this now.
"Just a guy out for a stroll," he said casually. "Maybe hunting a bit. You know, normal stuff."
"In the dead of night?" Elya''s hand didn''t leave her summoning token.
Auron shrugged. "I like a challenge."
Elya''s stare turned colder. "You''re a student, aren''t you? What''s your name?"
Before he could answer, Calla''s gaze dropped to the ground behind him—and her expression shifted from amusement to full-blown alarm.
"…Elya." Her voice was tight. "Look."
Auron followed her gaze.
The corpse of the Procan Python still lay there, its massive form twisted and broken, its head caved in.
Elya''s eyes widened. "Holy—"
Auron sighed.
Time to make things more complicated.