Kael stared at the crystal in his hand.
It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
Warm.
Alive.
For a moment, he simply stood there in the quiet forest, the corpse of the wolf at his feet and the strange message still lingering in his mind.
[Material detected.]
[Compatible with Ascension.]
[Consume?]
"…Yeah," Kael said under his breath. "That is definitely not normal."
He turned the crystal over in his fingers. It was smooth, almost perfectly shaped, with a dark core swirling slowly inside like smoke trapped in glass.
The armor inside him stirred again.
Not physically, but unmistakably.
It was like hunger.
Not his hunger.
It's hunger.
Kael hesitated.
"This is the part where I make a bad decision, isn't it?"
No answer came.
Just that quiet, insistent pull.
He exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he said. "Let's see what you do."
He focused on the message in his mind.
"Consume."
The reaction was immediate.
The crystal dissolved in his hand, breaking apart into threads of light that sank into his skin.
Kael stiffened.
A sharp sensation spread through his chest, not quite pain this time, but intense. Like something was unfolding inside him.
Then the voice returned.
[Material absorbed.]
[Analyzing composition.]
[Low-grade beast core detected.]
[Initiating Ascension.]
Kael's eyes widened.
"Oh, that sounds important."
Heat surged through his body.
The faint outline of the armor appeared again, shimmering over his skin. This time it did not fade.
It solidified.
Dark metal formed across his chest, locking into place with a soft, echoing click. Lines of dim red light traced along its surface, brighter than before.
Kael gasped as the sensation intensified.
It felt like something was being built inside him. Reinforced. Strengthened.
Not just the armor.
Him.
[Ascension complete.]
The heat vanished.
Kael stood there, breathing heavily.
For a moment, he did nothing.
Then he looked down.
The armor was visible now.
A sleek chestplate of dark metal hugged his torso, its surface smooth but marked with faint glowing lines that pulsed slowly, like a living thing.
"…Whoa."
He reached out and touched it.
Solid.
Real.
And yet, he could feel it as if it were part of his own body.
"What changed?" he muttered.
As if answering him, the voice returned.
[Infinite Ascension Armor]
[Level 1]
[Durability: Increased]
[Minor Physical Enhancement Acquired]
[Core Trait Unlocked: Absorption Efficiency I]
Kael blinked.
"…Okay, now we are talking."
He flexed his fingers.
Something felt different.
Stronger.
Not by a huge amount, but noticeable. His body felt tighter, more responsive, like he had just finished a workout and gained something from it.
"So this is what leveling feels like."
He looked at the wolf's body again.
"Low-grade, huh?"
That matched what the voice had said.
Low-grade material. Low-grade result.
Still, it had done something.
Kael crouched beside the corpse, studying it more carefully this time.
"If that thing had a core," he murmured, "then other monsters probably do too."
Which meant…
"…I just need to hunt."
The thought should have been terrifying.
Instead, it felt clear.
Simple.
Fight. Gather materials. Feed the armor. Grow stronger.
Kael stood up slowly.
"Alright," he said. "Step three. Get stronger before something stronger finds me."
He adjusted his stance, still gripping the rock.
Then paused.
"…Actually, this is kind of pathetic."
A rock was not going to cut it for long.
He glanced around and spotted a fallen branch nearby. It was thick enough to act as a crude club.
Kael picked it up and gave it a test swing.
Better.
Not good, but better.
"Temporary solution," he said.
The armor pulsed faintly, as if in agreement.
Or anticipation.
Kael turned toward the forest.
"Let's see what else is out here."
It did not take long.
The forest was not as peaceful as it had first seemed.
Within minutes, Kael heard movement again.
This time, he did not freeze.
He crouched slightly, gripping the branch tighter.
A second wolf emerged from the underbrush.
Same glowing eyes.
Same unnatural lines across its body.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"Okay," he whispered. "Round two."
The wolf growled.
Kael moved first.
He rushed forward, swinging the branch.
The wolf dodged easily and lunged.
Its claws scraped across his chest.
A sharp impact, but not pain.
The armor absorbed most of it.
Kael grinned.
"Yeah, that is definitely useful."
He stepped in again, more confident this time.
The fight was still messy.
He got hit.
More than once.
But each time, the armor took the brunt of it.
And each time, Kael adapted.
Faster.
Sharper.
Stronger.
The branch connected with the wolf's head again and again until, finally, it collapsed.
Kael stood over it, breathing hard.
"…Okay," he said. "That was better."
Already, he could feel it.
The difference.
Small, but real.
He crouched and searched the body.
Another crystal.
This one slightly brighter than the first.
Kael picked it up.
The armor stirred immediately.
Hungry.
Waiting.
Kael smiled.
"Let's try again."
"Consume."
The crystal dissolved.
The energy flowed into him.
This time, the process felt smoother.
Familiar.
[Material absorbed.]
[Analyzing composition.]
[Low-grade beast core detected.]
[Material quality slightly improved.]
[Initiating Ascension.]
The armor reacted more violently.
The glowing lines brightened.
The metal shifted subtly, tightening along his frame, refining its shape.
Kael clenched his fists as power surged through him.
It was still not overwhelming.
But it was growing.
That was the important part.
[Ascension complete.]
[Level 2]
[Durability: Increased]
[Physical Enhancement: Increased]
[Trait Improved: Absorption Efficiency I → Absorption Efficiency II]
Kael let out a breath.
"Level two already."
He looked down at the armor again.
The design had changed slightly.
Sharper edges.
More defined lines.
It looked… better.
Stronger.
Like it was evolving, not just improving.
"…So it is not just numbers," he said. "It actually changes."
That was huge.
That meant future upgrades could do more than just increase stats.
They could unlock abilities.
Forms.
Something deeper.
Kael's grin widened.
"Alright," he said. "Now this is getting interesting."
The forest no longer felt quiet.
It felt full of opportunity.
Every monster was not just a threat.
It was progress.
Fuel.
Kael tightened his grip on the branch and started walking.
"Let's see how far this can go."
Deep within him, the armor pulsed again.
Hungry.
Endless.
Waiting to grow.