Jayden launched forward like a bullet shot from a railgun.
The ground cracked under his feet as his beast-enhanced legs propelled him into the clearing. Wind howled past his ears. His hybrid muscles flexed, claws gleaming like blades dipped in moonlight.
The Greater Wolverine Stalker roared... not just a sound, but a detonation of primal fury that shook the trees. It lunged in return, claws out, its bulky frame moving with terrifying speed.
They collided.
CLAAANG!
Claws met claws. The air rippled with force. Jayden's arm twisted under the impact, nearly snapping from the beast's raw power, but he held his ground, digging his feet into the soil, fangs clenched, eyes wild.
SLASH!
The Wolverine's claw caught Jayden's side, blood exploding in a crimson arc.
"Gahhh!" Jayden roared, but he didn't stop. He twisted with the pain, letting momentum carry his body into a full spin, and...
WHAM!
He delivered a savage roundhouse kick to the beast's ribs, the crack of impact echoing like thunder. The Wolverine staggered back, but only for a second. It quickly recovered
Jayden's instincts flared...
duck!
And he dropped just as the beast's claw swept overhead like a guillotine. Branches behind him were shredded into mulch.
He rolled, grabbing a thick branch the size of a javelin.
"Let's see you heal from this," he snarled.
Jayden surged up and plunged the branch into the Wolverine's right thigh. The beast let out a blood-curdling scream, its regeneration flaring up already. But the branch, It stayed lodged in. Right where it couldn't reach with its claws.
"Stay broken," Jayden hissed.
But the beast was far from finished.
With a terrifying growl, it rammed into Jayden, full-body, like a tank with fur. He was sent flying.. crashing into a tree so hard the bark shattered like glass. Jayden crumpled to the ground, coughing blood, bones groaning under pressure.
[-40 Hp]
[Hp: 90/210]
He growled, crawling to his feet. His vision blurred, but his instincts were razor sharp. The beast had begun limping, snarling, swiping at the branch jammed in its thigh, but it was stuck, anchored deep.
Jayden saw his chance.
With a burst of energy, he charged in again.. low, wild, unpredictable. The Wolverine lashed out... but Jayden ducked, slid, and leapt onto its back, slashing wildly.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
His claws tore into its shoulder blades, blood spraying in hot jets. But the beast buckled and threw him off with a violent roll.
Jayden hit the dirt hard, groaning. His breathing ragged. His claws bloody.
Neither of them could stand straight anymore.
Both were bleeding, panting, broken.
Jayden dragged himself under a rock outcrop, barely able to move. The Wolverine Stalker, twitching with rage, was circling the area, eyes scanning, breath thick with blood and fury. But its steps were heavier now. Slower.
Still, its aura began to shimmer again.
Healing.
[Jayden... it's regenerating. Fast.]
"Damn it..." he whispered, his heartbeat slowing. His body trembled, but something in his eyes still burned.
This fight wasn't over. It was just getting started.
The forest trembled like it knew what was coming.
The Greater Wolverine Stalker stood tall, blood dripping from its now healed wounds, the broken branch still stuck in its thigh—but slowly, slowly, that wound was knitting itself shut. Veins pulsed around it like worms under the skin.
Its claws clicked together—sharp, surgical, eager.
Jayden, half-slumped against the rock, blinked slowly. His vision was still fogged, but he could feel the surge—his own body recovering at a steady pace, thanks to both the hybrid form and his natural regeneration.
[Hp: 130/210]
"Alright," he muttered. "Time for round 2."
Jayden's back straightened, claws flexing, bloodied and gleaming. He rose slowly, muscles twitching, bones still aching.. but rage pushing him beyond limits. His crimson eyes locked on the beast.
The Wolverine growled, and Jayden growled back. Then... they moved.
Claws met claws. Steel screamed against bone.
Jayden ducked under a swipe and returned a slash across the creature's ribs.. flesh tore, blood sprayed. But the Wolverine lunged forward, biting into Jayden's shoulder with a crunch.
"Aghhh!!" Jayden roared in pain, his blood sprayed across the grass... but he didn't retreat. He wrapped his arm around the beast's head and plunged his claws into its exposed throat.
The beast reeled back, snarling, foam and blood dripping from its jaws.
Jayden staggered, chest heaving, half his vision red. But the beast had already recovered from the throat wound.
BOOM!
The Wolverine slammed into him like a truck, throwing him back-first into a boulder. And it didn't give Jayden time to recover as it immediately charged again.
But Jayden rolled away at the last second and kicked out its injured leg. The joint snapped sideways with a sickening crack.
The beast went down to one knee.. but it didn't fall.
Jayden pounced, leaping onto its back again, claws raised for a killing blow.
But the beast thrashed, throwing him forward, he tumbled across the ground and landed hard.
[-30 Hp]
His transformation flickered, warning him of his depleting stamina. He was already getting tired.
But Jayden gritted his teeth and turned back to face it. He couldn't give up now, he would keep fighting.
The Wolverine was bleeding again, more than before.. but it wasn't slowing down.
Then It charged. And so did Jayden.
The clash was brutal.
Jayden ducked low and slashed its torso. The Wolverine responded with an uppercut-like swipe, launching him into the air.
But Jayden quickly recovered from the blow, a smirk playing on his lips.
He twisted midair, grabbed a tree branch.. and slingshotted himself downward, coming down on the beast with both claws and drove them deep into its shoulder.
The beast screamed, rearing up, Jayden clung to it like a predator, biting down on its neck, becoming the savage.
It rolled and slammed Jayden into the ground, but he dragged the beast with him. They both hit the earth hard, leaves exploding around them.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then... both figures rose slowly. Staggering. Bleeding.
But still alive. Still fighting. Both beasts who refused to accept defeat.
But then something happened, Jayden's body flickered... He fell to his knees. Exhausted. Vision darkening.
His eyes widened as he felt a wave of extreme fatigue hit him. His entire body aching and screaming from strain.
He could feel it now.
The cost.
His stamina was draining fast. Every second in this form was like sprinting through fire. His heart thudded like a war drum, his breath came short and sharp, and his vision wavered at the edges.
Still... he stood up again. He wasn't going to back down now. Not when he was close to victory.
Across from him, the C-Rank Greater Wolverine Stalker circled slowly, licking its wounds. It had finally managed to remove the branch lodged in its thigh, Jayden's claws had ripped deep through its shoulder... but the beast's regeneration was fighting back. Muscles were knitting. Blood clotted. Bones were clicking into place.
Jayden knew what that meant.
"If I let it recover..." he muttered. "It's over."
He didn't wait. He summoned every last stamina in his body and moved.
With a snarl, Jayden lunged, tearing across the clearing. The Wolverine reacted fast... its claws lashed out, but Jayden ducked low, felt the wind scrape his back, and slammed his shoulder into the beast's ribs.
WHAM!
The impact was thunderous. The Wolverine stumbled back.. but didn't fall.
It roared and retaliated, its claw slashing across Jayden's chest. Blood exploded. Jayden grunted, but countered immediately, raking his claws across the creature's face. Flesh tore. One eye went blind in a splash of red.
The beast shrieked.
Jayden spun behind it and kicked its injured leg out. The beast buckled. Jayden mounted its back, slamming his claws again and again into its spine.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Jayden didn't stop, he kept hitting with a primal fury.
But then... his limbs twitched.
His muscles trembled. He was... slowing down. Sweat dripping from his body, mixing with blood.
[Warning! Stamina Critical]
[Host is advised to rest and recover from physical strain]
Luna's voice rang in his head, sharper now.
[Jayden, you've pushed too far. Your body's shutting down!]
"Not yet," Jayden growled, forcing himself up. He jumped back just as the beast thrashed and bucked him off.
He landed clumsily, knees dipping. Breathing heavy. Arms like concrete. Heart pounding erratically. His claws were still out, dripping with blood.. but his grip was shaking.
The beast rose... bloodily injured, one eye gone, one leg limping.. but it was standing. It was a C-Rank beast. It wouldn't fall so easily.
It roared again, a low, war-splitting growl that sent birds scattering from miles around.
Jayden coughed. His legs threatened to give. But his eyes... still burned.
The Wolverine charged.
Jayden charged too.
They clashed mid-air like titans, claws flying, jaws snapping. Jayden ducked a swipe, slammed his elbow into the beast's throat. The beast grabbed him mid-move and threw him into a tree.
CRACK!
Pain lit up Jayden's back. His vision blinked.
[-20 Hp]
His stamina was fading. He could feel the transformation starting to crack. Muscles reverting. Claws trembling.
But he didn't give up. Not now. Not yet
Jayden sprinted forward, grabbed a jagged chunk of bark, and rammed it into the still-open wound in the Wolverine's thigh.
The beast screamed.. and Jayden followed up with a leap, claws slashing deeply across its chest in an 'X'.
The beast dropped to its knees. It's vision fading.
Jayden collapsed, barely holding onto his form, chest rising and falling like a dying star.
He was bleeding. Exhausted. Nearly unconscious. But he wouldn't give in to passing out, not yet. He had to see the beast completely dead.
Jayden's chest heaved, every breath a battle, his claws twitching weakly as he stared at the beast crumpled before him.
It wasn't moving. Not growling. Not breathing heavy. It was silent.
For a second.. just one fragile second, Jayden thought it was over. And it should have been
But then...
Crimson light pulsed from the beast's chest like a reborn heartbeat.
Muscles rippled. Flesh rewove itself in horrifying detail. Bones snapped back into place. It was healing... even faster than normal.
Jayden's bloodshot eyes widened. His fingers clenched into the soil.
"...Shit!" he muttered bitterly. "Why can't it just stay dead?"
He tried to move. His muscles screamed. His body refused.
But still, Jayden pushed his body further, he forced himself to his feet, legs shaking, teeth grit like he wanted to bite the world itself. His vision blurred at the edges, but the glow of the Wolverine's healing made it clear.. it was still recovering.
Which meant it was still vulnerable. And Jayden saw this as an opportunity, to finish it off before it recovered completely.
"This... this is it," Jayden hissed. "One more hit... just one more..."
He pushed forward. Every step was agony, but he made it. He gathered every ounce of what was left inside of him and charged..
But then...
He froze, with a bewildered expression. The beast... was gone.
"What?" Jayden blinked through the sweat and blood dripping into his eyes. "Where...?"
Then it hit him. Invisibility. The beast had cloaked itself like when it first attacked Jayden.
The Wolverine had underestimated Jayden after it evolved into a C-Rank beast, which was why it felt it didn't need to cloak itself to fight. But now, it seemed to be wary of Jayden.
Knowing that it could die if it made a single mistake. It couldn't take any chances. And as soon as its body healed, it became Invisible.
Panic slammed into Jayden's chest harder than any claw. He spun wildly, trying to sense it. His perception was sharp, even in this state.. but not enough. The beast was a C-Rank.
Then he also realized he was wide open. Exposed.
"I have get out of..."
SHLKKKKK!
Before he could Complete his words, a sharp pain suddenly burst through his stomach.. and ribs.
Agony erupted through his abdomen. His body lurched forward, mouth wide in a silent scream. His eyes widened and blood trickled out of his mouth.
He looked down.. eyes trembling. Six deep, symmetrical punctures were carved clean through his torso. But blood didn't flow out of the holes.
Whatever had stabbed him was still there, lodged in his stomach. It was as if someone had shoved spears straight through him and left them lodged in
But this weren't spears. They were claws, invisible claws. And they were still lodged inside him.
His head was shaking, teeth chattering, body convulsing from the sheer shock.
Then.. the air shimmered. And the Wolverine Stalker revealed itself in front of Jayden, turning off it's invisibility.
It's crimson eyes flared with feral satisfaction, its monstrous, extended knuckle claws piercing Jayden like a human-shaped shish kebab. Its breath was hot and damp on Jayden's face.
A low rumble rolled out of the beast's chest. Then a roar. A victory cry.
It lifted Jayden off the ground with ease, claws still embedded in his flesh. Jayden dangled there, gasping, blood trailing from his mouth, dripping from his fingers, his Hybrid form finally collapsing around him.
[Partial Transformation (Hybrid form) deactivated]
[Temporary stats boost Deactivated]
[-60 Hp]
[Hp: 20/210]
[Host's condition is critical]
Jayden's body shrank back to its human state, smaller, weaker, defenseless. His head lolled slightly, eyes half-lidded, barely conscious.
"I... had you," he whispered. "I had you..."
His body was limp. Cold. Defeated.
Darkness clawed at the edge of his mind. His fingers twitched.. once, twice.
And then the black void began to swallow him whole.
But somewhere.. deep inside, something growled.
Not Jayden. Something else.
....
Jayden's head hung limp, blood dripping from his chin, soaking into the claws impaled through his torso. His arms dangled, lifeless. His vision flickered, teetering on the edge of black.
He was fading. it was over.
His thoughts blurred as pain gave way to numbness. He could feel his body slipping, not just from the beast's claws, but from reality itself.
"This is how it ends...?" he began to have thoughts. Dark ones. Familiar ones.
"I was never supposed to be here. I should've died from that lightening strike.
But I didn't. Instead I received a system
I got power... and I still FAILED?!
How pathetic. I'm pathetic..."
Then on the outside... his body flickered. His brow twitched.
"It isn't the system's fault I'm dying.. it's mine. This is the price to pay for being weak.
But.. what about the EVA? The ones who took everything from me. They're at fault too,"
He clenched his fist and the system chimed faintly.
[Heart Rate: 110 Bpm]
"I still haven't made them pay for what they did. I still haven't avenged my mother!"
[112 Bpm...]
[115 Bpm...]
Rage bloomed in his gut like wildfire.
"No! I can't die here. I won't die here,"
[Heart Rate: 120 Bpm]
Jayden's fingertips sharpened.. claws erupted, shorter but far more refined than before, glinting like miniature blades. But his body was still unmoving. He was still lost in thought
"The EVA must pay... I will make them pay!"
Then another notification appeared
[130 Bpm]
[140 Bpm...]
Just like on the day he sparred with Carl, Jayden exceeded the 120 Bpm system limit. But this time it didn't stop there, his heart rate keep increasing rapidly.
Then a strange notification appeared
[150 Bpm...]
[Alert! Unauthorised Modification Detected]
[All Sealed stats have been unsealed temporarily]
[Stat Boost: +100%]
[Alert! Unauthorised Morphing Detected]
[Partial Transformation (Unknown) has begun]