For the first time, I discovered the good part of being a legacy beast.
More than nightmares, grudges, and an aggressive attempt to awaken talents — I had two spirits inhabiting a single body at the same time.
Many remnants of the tigress still lingered within me, but without a doubt, it was more me than her now.
Therefore, even if I lost consciousness, a second one would take over, and when that one grew tired, I could resume as the primary.
An endless loop that allowed me to always be ready to enter combat.
It was strange…
I sighed.
I was supposed to be exhausted, but somehow it felt like only now I had truly awakened — and therefore I felt energized.
However, as soon as I inspected my body, I noticed I would need more than just a few days of rest and peace.
Not even the mad king would make me fight in these conditions.
'How am I even standing?' I wondered as I saw more and more pieces of my own flesh scattered across the floor.
My own paws were held together by only a thin strand of ligaments that were about to snap at any moment.
My insides were clearly a mess.
Even one of my eyes was blind — hopefully only temporarily — and my ear had been torn off.
I had earned dozens, if not hundreds of scars that would follow me for the rest of my life.
Even so…
It felt bearable.
After spending time in a hell that hurt me constantly without pause or mercy, the pain of having to endure only my current wounds — and not gain any new ones — was refreshing.
"So it's over…" Agnes' voice echoed, muffled, into my nearly deaf ears, making me instinctively look toward her as she slowly walked down the hallway.
I imagine she had heard screams for endless days up until this very moment.
I'm sure she hoped this would end soon — and I also suspected she was rooting for the wolves.
She approached with a heavy expression.
Poor girl, I won!
I laughed internally.
The young girl, looking like a pure and disappointed saint, walking amidst piles and piles of filthy corpses.
Soon she reached me and stopped by my side.
[ I would love to talk to you, my dear princess. But now is not a good time, some of them escaped and are lurking around. ]
I warned her as I stretched my body, preparing to resume the hunt.
Maybe being a legacy beast encouraged hatred toward humans.
But now, nothing compared to the hatred I felt toward the wolves — and even more toward the mutants.
I would never see them the same way again.
"No, it's already over." she said, kneeling beside me with tear-filled eyes.
Her face twisted as she tried to hold back the tears, her lips trembling.
'I guess the shock of seeing me win hit hard, huh…'
However… my thoughts froze halfway, my mind's gears locking.
It was at that moment that I saw my reflection in her eyes.
It was anything but pleasant to look at.
The place where my eye should have been was now just a dark blotch of blood, and everything else…
I looked awful.
From a graceful and cute beast to basically a bunch of scraps glued together with blood.
Not even the most miserable stray dog looked as terrible as I did.
'She… feels sorry for me? Doesn't matter, I still have things to do.'
Even so, I knew I could keep going.
I can still fight.
I don't need pity — when the strong fight, they won't pity me.
When the skies fall, those on the ground can only lament — unless they are strong enough to move the heavens.
I will be strong.
"Why do you still want to fight?" she asked me weakly.
[ To become stronger. ]
"Then there's no reason to fight," she said, shaking her head. "They haven't given you anything for many days. Your growth has stagnated."
[ What? ]
Her words resonated deeply within me, demanding verification.
'Status!'
Level: 25
Rank: Wild
Exp: 0/31.250
Aura: 100/100
Domain: —
Skills: Stealth (Lv.3), Bite (Lv.6), Strike (Lv.6), Tracking (Lv.1), Enhanced Senses (Lv.2), Pain Tolerance (Lv.4), Fainting Tolerance (Lv.5),Circulation Technique (Lv.3), Resistance to Mental Attacks (Lv.1), Aura Control (Lv.1)
Mutations: 2/5
Available Mutations: Muscles, Claws, Fangs
[ But what? Why? I was supposed to be at least two or three times stronger than this! ]
How many of them had I killed?
A myriad!
That's not enough experience?!
"It's simple. Your aura won't increase until you evolve again, and you won't gain experience by fighting someone who isn't even a challenge to you."
[ What the hell are you talking about! They weren't a challenge?! There were thousands of them! I thought I would die at every moment! ]
"You killed thousands of them alone… They needed thousands just to have a chance against you, and even then, they lost."
She pressed her lips together before continuing.
"Everyone knew that either you would die in the first horde, or you wouldn't die no matter how many came. That's one of the reasons the king sent even more thousands. Soon it became clear — your victory was only a matter of time. After all, that's what is expected of such a talented beast."
[...]
My heart beat harder, much harder.
My veins thickened and began to bulge.
'What the hell do they know about talent? What the hell do they mean by certain victory?!'
'All my effort, all my fear, all my despair… was worth nothing?'
For the first time in a long while, my blood didn't feel red — but black, stained with hatred for humanity.
I took a deep breath, as deep as I could.
I wasn't going to explode here and now.
[ I would have lost if they hadn't turned me into a legacy beast. Even being one, I thought I would lose every time. I saw no hope. ]
[ I wasn't fighting to win anymore, only to die in a more dignified way. You really overestimate me. ]
We stared at each other in silence for a few moments.
"In any case, we need to heal you." She suddenly pulled a talisman from her pocket.
She then whispered in a mysterious language, the talisman glowing brighter as she murmured.
When it finally dissolved, it bathed me in light. My wounds quickly shrank while my bleeding stopped.
I admired it for a few moments — even part of my ear had grown back.
However, Agnes sighed deeply.
"You know, one of these is normally enough to bring someone back from death's doorstep and even regenerate lost limbs."
My face froze in shock. Was medicine in this world really that advanced? How expensive was this?
[ I'm sorry… I didn't want you to waste something so precious on me… ]
"That's not the problem, and these things are cheap. Any idiot walks around with one or two as a guarantee."
[ What? ]
Again, I was stunned — regenerating whole limbs was easy?
"The problem is that as a beast in the second stage — and a very special one — your body is abnormal and needs more of these than a normal person."
She quickly grabbed more talismans, guiding energy with her hands as she tried to reshape my more severe wounds.
In little time, my eyes were seeing perfectly and my limbs had the same youthful strength as always.
Even my fur was still fluffy and soft, despite being filthy to say the least.
The only difference was that I had grown — a lot.
Until now, I had looked like an oversized cub, but this time I finally seemed like an adolescent in the early stages.
I quickly asked Agnes about this.
"It's a very rare phenomenon among beasts — even praised — but well-known. Simply put, you put yourself in constant danger, which made your body accelerate physical maturation to cope with the threats."
[ So I'm going to die earlier? ]
I asked sadly, already imagining the answer.
"No, it means a prolonged adolescence — everything good arrives earlier and sometimes lasts even longer. In fact, you increased your life expectancy."
[ Then that's good… very good. ]
I sighed deeply.
I hated it, but I was now even stronger thanks to the mad king — and already ready for my next mutation.
However, I truly didn't want to go through that yet.
Even with two consciousnesses, overwhelming willpower, and skills that improved my pain tolerance…
I had a limit.
I met it today.
If I tried to meet it again so soon, the result would be terrible.
My next mutation would kill me.
[ I need a vacation… ]
Agnes once again looked at me with pity and just nodded softly.
"Rest is part of development — a fundamental part. Don't push yourself so hard."
I nodded outwardly, but inside, I felt ashamed.
Because the truth was… I simply didn't want to feel pain again.
"I already had some plans before our journey… I mean, I'm sure you'll enjoy meeting others like you."
[ Like me? ]
I didn't even know what the hell I truly was.
"Yes, other earthly demons. Beings who challenged nature in pursuit of ascension to the heavens."