Chapter 2: Mutation; The Iron-Jaw Beetle, The Testing Ground
The shards of the metallic cocoon didn't fall to the ground. They dissolved into particles of light that were immediately sucked back into the creature emerging from within!
Jace held his breath.
Where the Gray Dust Mite had once sat, a monstrosity now crouched!
It was no longer the size of a dinner plate. It was the size of a large dog!
Its body was encased in thick, overlapping plates of chitin that shone with a dark, gunmetal luster. Two curved mandibles, serrated like saw blades, protruded from its mouth.
"Clack-clack!"
They snapped open and closed with a menacing sound!
Its eyes were no longer simple black beads. They were compound, faceted gems glowing with a faint, crimson light!
"Ding!"
[Evolution Complete.]
— [Evolution Stats] —
[Species: Iron-Jaw Beetle]
↳ Rank: D (Low)
↳ Level: Awakened Realm Level 1
↳ Potential: B-Rank
↳ Skills: Bite (Level 1), Harden (Passive)
"D-Rank..." Jace whispered. His voice cracked!
In the hierarchy of beasts, the jump from F-Rank to D-Rank was skipping an entire tier!
Most students at Northwood Academy started with an E-Rank beast. The wealthy ones, like Kaelen Thorne, bought D-Rank beasts.
Jace's trash mite had just caught up to the elites in five seconds!
The Beetle looked at Jace. Through their soul bond, Jace felt a wave of emotion from the creature.
It wasn't the simple hunger of the mite. It was confidence! Strength! And a profound loyalty!
"You're heavy." Jace muttered, realizing the creature was pressing his leg into the dirt.
He stood up, and the Beetle skittered back, moving with terrifying speed for something so armored.
"System!" Jace said, testing the command. "Is this permanent?"
[Affirmative. The host's beast has undergone a mutation evolution due to energy saturation.]
Jace clenched his fist.
A grin, wild and unpracticed, spread across his face. He wasn't going to be expelled! He wasn't going to be a civilian casualty!
"I need to test this." Jace said as he looked at the setting sun. "But not here. If Horgen sees this now, he'll ask too many questions!"
He looked at the Beetle. "Can you keep up?"
The Beetle clicked its mandibles! A sound like a pistol being cocked!
Jace took off running toward the north side of the campus!
The Academy backed onto a dense forest known as the "Wild Woods." It was a restricted area meant for senior students to train, but the perimeter fence had a hole Jace knew about.
He slipped through the rusted chain-link fence, the Beetle flowing behind him like a dark tank.
Once they were deep enough into the woods, surrounded by towering oaks and gray boulders, Jace stopped.
He found a clearing that contained an old, weathered stone training dummy. It was made of Granite-Rock, designed to withstand attacks from E-Rank beasts.
"Alright." Jace said as he pointed at the dummy. "Let's see what you can do. Use [Bite]!"
The Iron-Jaw Beetle didn't hesitate!
It lunged!
To Jace, it was a blur! One moment the beetle was by his side. The next, it was clamped onto the granite dummy!
"CRUNCH!"
The sound was sickeningly loud! It sounded like a car crash!
Jace watched in disbelief as the beetle's mandibles didn't just scratch the stone. They sheared right through it!
The granite torso of the dummy shattered, sending chunks of rock flying into the underbrush! The top half of the dummy toppled over with a heavy thud!
"Ding!"
[Skill 'Bite' used.]
[10,000x Proficiency gained.]
[Skill 'Bite' has reached Max Level.]
[Skill Evolution Triggered: 'Bite' -> 'Crushing Mandible']
Jace gasped. "It leveled up the skill in one hit?"
Usually, a beast had to use a skill thousands of times to master it! It took months of repetitive training! Jace had done it in a single second!
The Beetle released the remains of the dummy, shaking its head as if shaking off dust. The mandibles seemed to grow slightly larger, the serrated edges glowing with a faint energy coating.
— [Skill Information] —
[Skill: Crushing Mandible (Level 1)]
↳ Description: Concentrates force to ignore 30% of target's defense. Capable of crushing steel.
"Ignore defense..." Jace muttered. That was a combat skill! A real killer move!
He looked at his beast. His heart swelled with pride.
"You're not Dusty anymore." He said. "You're a tank. I'm going to call you Tank!"
The Beetle, Tank, chirped happily! The sound was deeper and more resonant than before.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit Jace!
He stumbled, grabbing a nearby tree for support. His vision swam, black spots dancing in front of his eyes!
[Warning: Host Stamina Depleted.]
[The 10,000x System utilizes Host's stamina to fuel the accelerated growth processes.]
"Oh." Jace groaned as he slid down the trunk of the tree to sit on the roots. "There's the catch."
It made sense! Energy couldn't be created from nothing! The System multiplied the efficiency, but the raw fuel had to come from somewhere. The Nutrient Pill had fueled the evolution, but the Skill proficiency? That came from Jace!
"I need... food." Jace mumbled.
Tank scuttled over, nudging Jace's hand with its smooth, cold head.
"I'm okay, buddy." Jace breathed, closing his eyes for a moment. "Just... give me a minute."
He checked his pocket. He had nothing! No more pills! No food!
He needed resources!
The System was a Ferrari engine, but Jace was running on fumes! If he wanted to keep evolving Tank, if he wanted to reach the top, he needed money! He needed high-grade cores! He needed rare herbs!
"Tomorrow." Jace whispered, forcing himself to stay awake. "The assessment. If I pass, I get the monthly stipend! I get access to the mission board!"
He looked at the shattered stone dummy.
"We're going to crush that assessment!"
But first, he needed to recover. He closed his eyes, intending to rest for just ten minutes.
The exhaustion was deeper than he thought.
The mental strain of the System awakening and the physical drain of the skill evolution pulled him into a deep, dreamless sleep right there on the forest floor!