The hunt that would change everything began at dawn.
Kaelen, Ryker, Lira, and Fenrir stood at the breach in the wall, staring out at the wasteland. The young wolf had grown noticeably over the past few days—now the size of a large mastiff, with silver-white fur that crackled occasionally with blue sparks.
"You sure about this?" Ryker asked, checking his knife. "That zone you want to explore... it's deeper than we've ever gone."
"I'm sure," Kaelen said. He'd been tracking mutated creature patterns through Divine Sense, and he'd identified a area about three kilometers northeast where higher-level beasts congregated. Dangerous. But exactly what he needed.
[Level 8: 1050 / 1200 XP]
One hundred and fifty experience. That was all that stood between him and Level 10.
"Excited, little god?" Crust asked.
"Nervous."
"Good. Overconfidence kills. But you're ready for this. Trust your power. Trust your companions. And trust me."
"I trust two of those things."
Crust laughed. "Fair enough."
"Let's move," Kaelen said aloud.
They ventured into the wasteland.
The deeper they went, the more hostile the environment became.
The smog was thicker here, making it hard to breathe. The ruins were more collapsed, more treacherous. And the mutated creatures were larger, more aggressive.
Fenrir stayed close to Kaelen's side, his ears constantly swiveling, alert for danger.
"Master. Smell something. Many creatures. Ahead."
Kaelen activated Divine Sense.
"He's right," Crust confirmed. "Large concentration of hostiles. Two hundred meters northeast. At least seven or eight creatures. Levels 4 through 6."
Kaelen stopped and turned to his friends. "There's a group ahead. Multiple targets. This is going to be our biggest fight yet."
"What kind of creatures?" Lira asked, gripping her pipe.
"Unknown. But they're strong."
Ryker cracked his knuckles. "Good. I was getting bored."
"Stay focused. Stay together. And if I say retreat, we retreat. No arguments."
They both nodded.
Kaelen led them forward, moving carefully through the ruins until finally they saw it.
A nest.
Mutated creatures—some kind of reptilian beasts, like lizards but wrong, twisted—had made a den in the collapsed remains of a building. They were huge, each one easily six feet long, with armored scales and mouths full of jagged teeth.
[Mutated Razorscale Lizard - Level 5]
[Mutated Razorscale Lizard - Level 4]
[Mutated Razorscale Alpha - Level 6]
Eight of them total. The alpha was nearly twice the size of the others, its scales black instead of mottled green.
"That's a lot of lizards," Ryker muttered.
"We can take them," Kaelen said, though his heart was pounding. "Fenrir and I will draw their attention. Ryker, you flank from the left. Lira, stay back and pick off any that break through. Ready?"
"Ready."
"Fenrir?"
The young wolf's eyes gleamed. "Ready, master. Fenrir will fight."
"Good boy. Let's go."
Kaelen stepped into the open and raised his hand.
"Divine Burst!"
Golden light exploded from his palm, slamming into the nearest lizard and sending it tumbling. The other creatures hissed and turned toward him, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger.
The alpha roared—a sound that echoed across the wasteland—and charged.
"Here we go!" Kaelen shouted.
The battle was chaos.
Kaelen dodged and weaved between attacks, using Divine Burst to knock back lizards that got too close. Fenrir fought beside him, his jaws crackling with blue electricity as he bit and tore at the creatures.
[Fenrir has learned: Thunder Fang (Rank F)]
The young wolf's bite now carried a shocking charge that made the lizards convulse and scream.
Ryker was a whirlwind on the left flank, his knife flashing as he exploited weak points in the lizards' armor. He was bleeding from a gash on his arm, but he didn't slow down.
Lira hung back, using her pipe to crush skulls whenever a lizard got too close.
But the alpha was the real problem.
It was fast, armored, and smart. It avoided Kaelen's attacks and coordinated the other lizards, using them as distractions while it circled for killing blows.
"Kaelen, watch out!" Ryker screamed.
The alpha lunged from behind—
Kaelen spun and raised his hand.
"Divine Shield!"
The golden barrier materialized just in time. The alpha's jaws slammed into it with bone-jarring force, but the shield held.
Kaelen pushed back, channeling power into the shield, and shoved.
The alpha flew backward, crashing into a pile of rubble.
"Fenrir! Now!"
The young wolf didn't hesitate. He charged, lightning crackling around his body, and leaped onto the alpha's back.
[Thunder Fang]
Fenrir's jaws clamped down on the alpha's neck, and electricity surged through its body. The creature thrashed and screamed, trying to throw him off—
But Kaelen was already moving.
He sprinted forward and drove his glowing fist into the alpha's skull.
[Critical Hit!]
The alpha's skull cracked. Its movements slowed.
And then, with one final, shuddering breath...
It died.
[You have slain: Mutated Razorscale Alpha - Level 6]
[Experience Gained: 180 XP]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 9!]
[Level 9: 30 / 1500 XP]
Kaelen collapsed to his knees, panting. Around him, the remaining lizards were retreating, hissing and scrambling back into their nest.
"We did it," Ryker wheezed, clutching his bleeding arm. "We actually did it."
"Is everyone okay?" Kaelen asked.
"I'm fine," Lira said, though she looked pale.
"I'll live," Ryker grunted. "Just a scratch."
Fenrir limped over to Kaelen, his fur singed in places but his tail wagging.
"Victory! Pack strong!"
Kaelen smiled and scratched behind the wolf's ears. "Yeah. We're strong."
He checked his status.
[Level 9: 30 / 1500 XP]
One thousand four hundred and seventy experience to go.
One more level.
"You're so close now," Crust said. "Can you taste it? The power waiting for you?"
"Yeah. I can."
"Then don't stop. Not until you reach it."
They spent the next week hunting relentlessly.
Kaelen pushed himself and his team harder than ever before. Every day, they ventured deeper into the wasteland. Every day, they fought tougher creatures.
Fenrir grew stronger too, reaching Level 5 and unlocking a second ability.
[Fenrir has learned: Static Field (Rank F) - Creates an area of electrical interference that slows and damages enemies]
Ryker and Lira improved as well, their combat instincts sharpening with each battle. They weren't leveling like Kaelen—they didn't have a system—but they were learning. Adapting. Surviving.
And slowly, steadily, Kaelen's experience bar climbed.
1200 XP.
1300 XP.
1400 XP.
1450 XP.
One final hunt, Kaelen thought as they prepared to leave the shelter on the seventh day. One more fight, and I'll reach Level 10.
"You've been quieter than usual," Ryker observed as they walked through the wasteland. "What's on your mind?"
"Just thinking about what comes next."
"After Level 10?"
"Yeah." Kaelen glanced at him. "Something big is going to happen when I hit that level. I can feel it. The system has been building toward this."
"What do you think it'll be?"
"I don't know. But whatever it is... I think it's going to change everything."
"Smart boy," Crust said. "The class selection alone will reshape your power. But there's more. I can feel it too. The system has been preparing something special for you."
"Like what?"
"You'll see soon enough."
They found their final target in the ruins of what had once been a factory.
A massive mutated bear—easily ten feet tall, covered in matted fur and exposed muscle, with glowing red eyes and claws like swords.
[Mutated Berserker Bear - Level 7]
"That's a big bear," Lira said quietly.
"Yeah," Kaelen agreed. "But it's alone. We can do this."
"Kaelen..." Ryker looked nervous. "That thing could kill us. All of us. Are you sure—"
"I'm sure. Trust me."
Kaelen stepped forward, and the bear noticed him immediately. It roared—a sound that shook the ground—and charged.
"Spread out!" Kaelen shouted.
They scattered. The bear went straight for Kaelen, who activated Divine Shield just in time.
The bear's claws slammed into the barrier, cracks spider-webbing across its surface.
It's stronger than the alpha, Kaelen realized. Much stronger.
He dropped the shield and rolled to the side, barely avoiding the bear's follow-up attack. Its claws gouged deep trenches in the concrete where he'd been standing.
"Fenrir! Hit it with Static Field!"
The wolf howled, and electricity crackled outward in a twenty-foot radius. The bear stumbled, its movements slowing slightly as the field interfered with its nervous system.
Ryker darted in and slashed at the bear's hind leg. His knife barely penetrated the thick hide, but it drew blood.
The bear roared and swung a massive paw—
Ryker dove backward, narrowly avoiding being decapitated.
"This isn't working!" he shouted. "We need more firepower!"
Kaelen gritted his teeth. Ryker was right. The bear was too strong, too durable.
He needed to end this quickly.
"Use everything you have," Crust said. "Don't hold back. Show this beast what divine power truly means."
Kaelen took a deep breath.
And then he let loose.
"Divine Burst!"
He fired blast after blast, golden light slamming into the bear from multiple angles. The creature roared in pain and fury, its fur smoking, its skin blistering.
But it didn't go down.
It charged again, faster this time, ignoring the pain—
Kaelen raised both hands.
"Divine Shield! Maximum output!"
The barrier appeared, larger and brighter than ever before. The bear slammed into it with all its weight—
And the shield held.
For three seconds.
Then it shattered.
The backlash sent Kaelen flying. He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from his lungs.
The bear loomed over him, raising one massive paw for the killing blow—
Fenrir appeared out of nowhere.
The young wolf leaped onto the bear's back, his jaws glowing with crackling blue energy, and bit down on the creature's spine.
[Thunder Fang - Critical Hit!]
Electricity surged through the bear's body. It convulsed, screaming, trying to shake Fenrir off—
But the wolf held on.
Kaelen scrambled to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth, and focused every last bit of power he had into his hand.
This has to work.
"DIVINE BURST! FULL POWER!"
The blast that erupted from his palm was blinding. Pure golden light, concentrated into a single devastating beam.
It struck the bear square in the chest.
And burned straight through.
The creature's scream cut off. Its body went rigid.
And then it collapsed.
[You have slain: Mutated Berserker Bear - Level 7]
[Experience Gained: 250 XP]
[LEVEL UP! YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 10!]
The notification exploded across Kaelen's vision, larger and brighter than any before.
And then everything stopped.
Kaelen found himself standing in a vast white void.
He was alone. No Ryker. No Lira. No Fenrir.
Just him and endless white light.
"Congratulations, Kaelen," a voice said—but it wasn't Crust.
It was deeper. More ancient. More... divine.
"You have reached Level 10. The first major threshold. From this point forward, your path diverges. You must choose what you will become."
Three figures materialized in front of him—shadows at first, then solidifying into distinct forms.
[CLASS SELECTION AVAILABLE]
The first figure was a warrior clad in golden armor, holding a sword that blazed with holy light.
[DIVINE PALADIN]
"Walk the path of righteousness. Become a shield for the weak and a sword against evil. Specialize in protection, healing, and overwhelming force. Those who follow this path become unbreakable."
The second figure was robed, surrounded by swirling magical energy—golden light mixed with dark shadows.
[ARCANE SOVEREIGN]
"Walk the path of knowledge. Master all forms of divine and arcane magic. Specialize in devastating spells, tactical control, and reality manipulation. Those who follow this path reshape the world itself."
The third figure was neither warrior nor mage, but something in between—dressed simply, with three beasts at its side: a wolf, a serpent, and a dragon.
[BEAST SOVEREIGN]
"Walk the path of harmony. Command legendary creatures and channel their power as your own. Specialize in summoning, beast enhancement, and fusion techniques. Those who follow this path become one with nature's fury."
Kaelen stared at the three options.
"Choose wisely," the voice said. "This decision cannot be undone."
Kaelen looked at each figure carefully.
The Paladin was tempting—protection and power. But it felt too rigid. Too limiting.
The Arcane Sovereign offered incredible magical potential. But Kaelen had never been much of a scholar. And something about it felt... cold.
The Beast Sovereign...
He thought of Fenrir. Of the bond they shared. Of the two other legendary beasts waiting for him at Level 20 and 30.
This is who I'm meant to be, he realized.
"I choose Beast Sovereign," he said firmly.
The third figure stepped forward and placed a hand on Kaelen's chest.
Light exploded through him.
[CLASS SELECTED: BEAST SOVEREIGN]
[New Passive Skills Unlocked:]
Beast Bond (Rank A): All tamed beasts gain +50% stats
Shared Senses (Rank B): Experience what your beasts experience
Pack Leader (Rank A): All beasts within 100 meters receive buffs
[New Active Skills Unlocked:]
Beast Fusion (Rank S): Temporarily merge with a tamed beast to gain their abilities
Summon Pack (Rank A): Instantly summon all tamed beasts to your location
[BONUS REWARD FOR REACHING LEVEL 10:]
[Special Skill Unlocked: Storage Void (Rank S)]
"A pocket dimension exists within your soul. Store anything—objects, weapons, supplies, even living creatures. Space is unlimited. Time does not pass for living beings stored within. Recall anything instantly."
Kaelen gasped as the knowledge flooded into him.
A storage space. Unlimited. He could store Fenrir. Store supplies. Store loot. And summon them instantly whenever needed.
"This is incredible," he breathed.
"You've earned it, little god," Crust said, his voice returning. "Now go. Show the world what you've become."
Kaelen snapped back to reality.
He was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by his friends. Ryker was shaking his shoulder. Lira was checking his pulse. Fenrir was whining, pressing his nose against Kaelen's face.
"Kaelen! Are you okay?!" Ryker shouted.
Kaelen blinked. "How long was I out?"
"Like two seconds! You leveled up and then just froze!"
"I'm fine." Kaelen stood slowly, feeling the new power thrumming through his body. "Better than fine. I'm... different."
He looked down at his hands. They still glowed with golden light, but now there was something else. A connection. He could feel Fenrir's presence more clearly than ever—not just nearby, but inside him. Part of him.
"Fenrir," Kaelen said. "Come here."
The wolf trotted over, tail wagging.
Kaelen placed a hand on Fenrir's head and focused on his new skill.
[Storage Void]
The wolf vanished.
Ryker and Lira screamed.
"Kaelen! What did you do?!" Lira shouted.
"Relax." Kaelen focused again. [Summon: Fenrir]
Golden light flared, and Fenrir reappeared, looking confused but unharmed.
"Master? Where did Fenrir go?"
"Somewhere safe. A place where you can rest." Kaelen smiled. "I can store you now. Keep you protected. And summon you instantly whenever I need you."
"Magic! Master has strong magic!"
"Yeah. I guess I do."
Kaelen turned to his friends. "I'm a Beast Sovereign now. That's my class. And I just unlocked a storage ability that's going to make our lives a lot easier."
Ryker stared at him. "You can just... store things? Like a video game inventory?"
"Exactly like that."
"That's the coolest thing I've ever heard."
Kaelen laughed—genuinely laughed for the first time in weeks.
He was Level 10.
He had a class.
He had legendary skills.
And he was just getting started.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Kaelen
Age: 4
Level: 10
Class: Beast Sovereign
Experience: 280 / 2000
Stats:
Strength: 25
Agility: 28
Endurance: 22
Intelligence: 30
Divine Power: 45
Skills:
Divine Burst (Rank F)
Divine Shield (Rank F)
Divine Sense (Rank F)
Beast Bond (Rank A)
Shared Senses (Rank B)
Pack Leader (Rank A)
Beast Fusion (Rank S)
Summon Pack (Rank A)
Storage Void (Rank S)
Tamed Beasts:
Fenrir, Thunder Wolf Cub (Level 5)
Title: Reincarnated God (Hidden), Beast Sovereign
Kaelen looked out at the wasteland, at the ruins of the world he'd destroyed, and felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
"Level 20 next," he said quietly. "And then Typhon."
"The serpent king," Crust confirmed. "He'll be harder to tame than Fenrir. More prideful. More dangerous."
"I'll be ready."
"I believe you will."