My heartbeat was still hammering from that distant, monstrous howl when the next shock hit me:
The world didn't fade out.
The system didn't reset.
Nothing pulled me back to a menu.
No—
I was still here in this world.
Still in this heavy, muscular wolf body…
still feeling the cold grass under my paws…
still hearing the fading echo of whatever had screamed across the continent.
I swallowed hard—well, tried. Wolves don't swallow so much as grunt awkwardly.
"…Okay, Sai Ji. Calm down. Deep breaths. Or… deep growls?"
I stared at my claws—at the dried blood stuck between them.
Not pixelated. Not low-res.
Warm. Sticky. Too real.
This wasn't how AI-VR felt.
This wasn't how any VR game felt.
This wasn't how anything was supposed to feel.
Aetheria Online wasn't supposed to simulate pain, temperature, scent—
Scent.
A rush of smells slammed into my skull so violently I staggered.
Earth. Moss. Bark. Something dead. Something moving.
And the metallic taste of my own aura.
It was like my nose unlocked cheat codes to reality.
Then—
A voice behind me:
"My King… your blood stirs."
I turned.
Fen and Lura—my two NPC bodyguards—knelt again, heads bowed, weapons pressed to the ground.
But their tone this time…
Less scripted.
More reverent.
More afraid.
The taller one lifted his head, golden eyes narrowing.
"Do you feel it, Your Majesty?"
Feel what?
Heat pulsed along my spine. My muscles vibrated like a beast pacing under my skin.
A new notification blinked open.
[RACIAL AWAKENING — Stage 1 Activated]
Your instincts stir. Your senses sharpen. Your lineage remembers.
+30% Sensory Range
+10% Physical Output
New Instinct Thread: "Hunger" (Dormant)
…Lineage remembers?
"I really didn't like that last part," I muttered.
"Remembers what?"
Neither bodyguard answered. They just exchanged a glance—like I'd asked something forbidden.
The shorter guard stepped forward, voice low and cautious.
"This world does not lie to kings. The body you wear… was never meant to sleep."
Another window appeared.
[Skill Unlocked: Predator's Sense]
Rank: Racial — Beast King Line
• Detect fear, blood, mana, and deception within 50 meters.
• Accuracy increases with heartbeat proximity.
• Warning: Skill cannot be disabled.
"Smell lies?" I whispered. "That's not a game mechanic."
The taller guard rose slightly.
"You are not merely playing."
His pupils contracted with a frightening intelligence—one I'd never seen in an NPC.
He stared straight into me. No script. No glitch. Just raw intent.
"Aetheria remembers you. Even if you do not."
My fur rose.
Was this still a game?
A dream?
Or something else?
A second howl rolled across the horizon. It didn't answer anything.
It only made everything worse.
My body burned—not like fire, but something deeper. Something old.
BLACKOUT
The world snapped off like someone unplugged reality's power cable.
When I came to, Fen and Lura stood a few steps away—silhouettes framed by twisted branches and drifting fog. They watched me like I was a bomb that hadn't decided whether to explode or evolve.
My throat felt shredded.
"…How long was I out?"
Fen said, "Eight minutes."
Lura said, "Twenty-three seconds."
They glared at each other. Fen shrugged. Lura hissed.
Great. My bodyguards can't even agree on time.
I pushed myself up, expecting dizziness or wobbling legs.
Instead, everything moved smooth. Silent. Predatory.
Too natural.
A soft chime appeared.
[WARNING: Physiological Sync Over Threshold — 67%]
Beast Instinct Integration Accelerating
Human override decreasing…
Current Identity Dominance:
• Human: 54%
• Beast King: 46%
"What does that mean?" I whispered.
Lura's eyes darkened. "It means the king's instincts are choosing you."
"Choosing me for what?"
Silence.
Perfect. Totally reassuring.
I shook dirt and bark from my fur—
and immediately regretted how natural and… sensual it felt.
Not intentional—just the way the muscles rippled, the way heat pulsed under my skin.
"What's wrong with me?" I whispered.
Fen crossed his arms. "Everything."
Lura elbowed him. "He means… everything is awakening."
Then something inside me pulsed—
A hunger.
Feral. Rising.
Pulling.
My breath came out hotter than before.
"Okay," I muttered. "Before my instincts eat me alive, let's try something simple."
I pulled up the menu.
Or tried.
A translucent box flickered in and out like a dying firefly.
[LOG OUT — ERROR]
Body Sync Exceeds Safe Limit (52%)
Separation Impossible
Please stabilize your biological state before attempting logout.
My heart stopped.
"…I can't log out."
The forest froze.
Fen bowed his head as if stating the weather. "Of course not."
"'Of course not'?!"
Lura stepped closer, hands raised calmingly. "Your body sync is too deep. The system cannot separate you yet."
Cannot separate me.
Not won't.
Can't.
My breath hitched.
This wasn't just VR anymore.
It felt like wearing a real body ,or being worn by one.
I stepped back, shaking my head. "No. No, this is supposed to be virtual. A simulation. A game."
Fen tilted his head. "Is it?"
And gods help me…
I didn't know.
Before I could spiral further, a strange scent drifted toward us.
Warm. Sweet. Electric.
Wolves smell emotions—but this wasn't emotion.
This was bodies.
There were many moving. Dancing and
Sweating.
What the hell—
My claws flexed involuntarily. My body leaned toward the scent like a magnet.
Fen noticed instantly. "Your senses are broadening."
"No…" Lura whispered. "It's worse than that."
She stepped close—too close—and inhaled me.
Lightning shot down my spine.
Her eyes widened. "His aura is rising."
Fen's ears shot up. "Impossible. He cannot be entering pre—"
Lura slapped her hand over his mouth before he finished.
Which, honestly, freaked me out more.
"What?" I demanded. "Pre-what? Start talking."
Lura hesitated, then finally whispered:
"…Your kind enters cycles when awakening. Hunger. Heat. Instinct. Call it what you like."
Heat.
Oh hell no.
My stomach dropped. "You mean like—"
"We should move," she cut in. "Now."
She grabbed my wrist—the contact sent a shock through me. Intense. Too intense.
Fen moved behind us protectively. "The king must not linger in the wild while unstable."
"I'm not unstable—"
A tree nearby cracked from the force of my voice.
Okay. Maybe unstable.
We moved—fast. Silent. Predatory.
The forest thinned. Torches flickered through fog—warm, pulsing light.
Warm…
Exactly like the scent dragging at my mind.
"What is this place?" I asked.
Fen grunted. "Lower borough. Old player hub. Many desires gather here."
Lura shot him a glare, but didn't deny it.
Desires.
Perfect.
Just what a barely controlled werewolf king needed.
Music thumped faintly through the earth—bass vibrations like a heartbeat.
Lights glowed between cracked stone walls.
A sign flickered above a half-buried tunnel:
✦ THE DEN BELOW — ALL SPECIES WELCOME ✦
My stomach twisted.
This scent… this heat… this rhythm…
It was pulling me.
Hard.
Lura stepped in front of me, cheeks flushed. "My king… you must not enter lightly. This place is… overwhelming."
Fen muttered, "Dangerous. Distracting. Full of mortals unable to resist your aura."
"Mortals?" I repeated.
"Players," he corrected.
Great. Even better.
I rubbed my temples, trying to steady the storm in my blood.
"Then why bring me here?"
Lura answered softly:
"Because if you don't release that rising hunger somewhere…"
"…you will lose control."
And suddenly, everything clicked:
This hunger wasn't desire.
It was survival.
If I didn't release it… I wouldn't stay myself.
Music shook my bones
Heat pulsed through my veins.
Fen and Lura flanked me.
"My king," Lura whispered, "choose."
I stepped into the tunnel,light flared while the bass roared and the beast inside me stirred—
And I descended into The Den Below.