Ethan jolted awake with a strangled gasp, his body slick with cold sweat, his heart hammering like it was trying to claw its way out of his chest.
For a split second, he couldn't breathe.
He could still feel it: teeth tearing into flesh, claws pinning his limbs, the slow, deliberate agony of being devoured.
Bolting upright, he froze and took in his surroundings.
From the low ceiling, the cracked concrete walls, and the smell of dust and damp, it became clear where he was. He had never been so glad to wake up in this shitty basement.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to calm himself after literally being eaten alive.
"…I'm alive?"
His hands flew over his body, frantic, fingers digging into skin as he checked himself again and again.
There were no missing limbs, shredded flesh, or exposed bones.
Nothing.
Aside from a dull headache, the familiar aftershock of last night's drinking, he felt… fine. Better than fine, actually. The hangover that should've been crushing him felt oddly muted, like it had been turned down a notch.
'No way. That couldn't have been a dream.'
It had been too real, though he couldn't recall all the details.
His mind felt fuzzy and his memories hazy, almost as if trying to forget what had happened. It was normal not to remember what occurred in a dream, but this was different...
He could still smell the blood, feel the pain, and hear the sounds of his own screaming.
Meanwhile, his head throbbed, not physically, but deeper.
It was as if his mind itself were aching, as if it had lived through something impossible while his body slept. Yet his body was completely fine, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out what felt like it was missing.
"Fuck, man…" he muttered hoarsely. "I really must be going crazy."
He was baffled, but more than anything felt grimy, his clothes drenched in sweat.
With a shaky breath, Ethan headed for the shower beneath the stairs. He took his time; it wasn't like he had anywhere to be.
No job, no obligations, no prospects.
He was the definition of living for the sake of it and thought that was finally about to change. With a Title, not only would he not have to worry about money, but he would have a new purpose and...
'There's no point dwelling on it.'
Slowly, he steadied his breath while looking at himself in the mirror.
'See?' he told himself. 'It must have just been a nightmare - a really fucked-up one.'
He was used to those and reached down and pulled off his shirt, but that's when his heart stopped.
"What… the fuck?!"
The first thing he noticed was that he seemed to be in better shape than usual.
His growing beer belly had vanished, and his abdomen was a bit more defined. But that he could attribute to not eating much the day prior, and maybe teaching those thugs a lesson had burned off an abnormal amount of calories.
What was unmistakable, however, was the tattoo on his left pectoral.
It wasn't small or subtle, nor was it something Mark would prank him with in his sleep.
There was a wolf's face, inked in dark, sharp lines, its expression feral and domineering. The details were insane: every strand of fur, every crease of muscle.
It almost looked alive.
Ethan stumbled back, nearly tripping in the tiny bathroom as he stared down at his chest.
"I've never- I don't-"
He'd never got a tattoo, or even considered it.
Ethan hated needles, and there wasn't a single thing in his life he cared about enough to ink permanently onto his body.
Yet there it was...
The wolf didn't move, but its eyes felt real. They weren't glowing or shifting, but they almost seemed to be watching, as if there was something behind them.
That's when it hit him.
'Maybe it isn't a wolf, but an... Ulfen!'
A chill crawled up his spine, and everything suddenly came rushing back, as if he had broken through a mental barrier. He wasn't sure if it was one he put up or was one imposed on him, but with it gone, his mind was assaulted with what had happened in his sleep.
'The tower, the trial, the forest, the beasts, the system...'
A familiar translucent screen snapped into existence before his eyes, hovering in the air just like it had within the tower.
'It was all real!'
Four tabs lined the top: Status, Objectives, Beasts, and Skills.
At the centre of the screen, glowing softly:
{Congratulations on completing the initiation and officially becoming Lord Of Beasts!}
Ethan laughed, clearly confused.
"What?!" he then said aloud.
If it truly had been real, it still didn't make sense...
"No, no way. I failed. I definitely failed."
He could still feel phantom pain where wolves had gnawed into him, his nerves screaming in remembered agony.
"So what," he muttered, bitterness creeping into his voice, "you're just gonna pretend that didn't happen?"
The screen shifted.
{You failed the initiation, which was designed to identify an individual with all the required qualities.}
He scoffed. "Yeah, thought so. But what qualities are you looking for, a fucking invincible human?!"
The system continued without acknowledging his comment.
{However, you were the final remaining candidate. You were also the only candidate to survive longer than three hours.}
Ethan blinked.
"So, basically, you cut your losses," he said slowly, piecing it together. "Realised the initiation was completely over the top, and just… handed me the title anyway?"
{That is correct.}
He stared at the words for a long moment.
He didn't know whether to feel angry, relieved, or insulted.
The only reason he was still alive was... sheer luck.
It was a troubling thought, but in the end, he smiled.
"Either way," he said quietly, "I'll take it."
His heart thudded as he raised a hand and hesitantly reached toward the interface. His finger passed through empty air and then stopped, touching something solid.
Immediately, he let out a sigh of relief.
'I was starting to think I was losing it.'
It didn't appear in the mirror, which only made the whole thing feel more unreal, but the sensation was undeniable.
Swallowing, Ethan tapped the first tab.
{Current Status}
{Name: Ethan Crowe
Title: Lord of Beasts
Titled Rank: E
Strength: 9.5
Speed: 11
Stamina: 9
MP: 11/11
Beasts: 1/2
Skills: Beast Assimilation (D), Beast Summoning (S)}
His eyes skimmed the numbers.
'Strength and stamina up by another 0.5, and MP by 1.'
It was small gains, but it was incredible to think about and made him wonder just what the limit was.
That's when his brain finally caught up.
"…Wait."
His eyes locked onto the bottom of his status.
"An S Rank skill?!"
His pulse spiked.
S Rank - the rank of Titled who bordered on transcendent and were so few and powerful that most people knew them all by name. They are beings that shook nations just by existing.
Ethan forced himself to breathe.
'Stay calm, I'm far from it as I am now.'
With trembling fingers, he switched to the Skills tab, and the familiar skill tree unfolded before him.
Three core branches - one was still greyed out, locked and unknown.
But there were now two that were unlocked: Beast Assimilation and Beast Summoning...