The sun filtered through the morning mist as the students of the beast school gathered at the Monster Arena—an underground colosseum built beneath the Foxy village. Today was the day their real training would begin.
Aura walked quietly among the beastkin students—Foxy, Tigerlins, Goblins, and others—all of them whispering nervously about the assignment. They had heard of this place. Here, students fought caged monsters to test their strength and grow in power.
Gorrak, their Orc-Wolflin homeroom teacher, stood tall in front of the group, arms folded across his broad chest.
"This arena has been set up with Level 1 and Level 2 monsters," Gorrak announced. "Your task is simple: kill fifty Level 1 monsters. Do this, and you'll reach Level 1."
Some students gasped. Fifty?
"You may form groups if you wish," Gorrak continued. "But remember—experience is shared. If you fight solo, the rewards are yours alone. Those who choose to go alone must sign the life-and-death waiver. If you're injured, no one will come save you."
A heavy silence fell. Many students started whispering, forming quick alliances. Aura stood still, watching.
Then the [System] spoke up in his mind:
[Quest Available – Choose Your Path]
• Reject everyone and go solo — Reward: 2× EXP gain for two hours.
• Join a group — Reward: Heart Echo +10.
Aura glanced around. He didn't want distractions. He needed strength—and fast.
"I'll go solo," he said aloud.
Several students turned in surprise.
Gorrak blinked. "You're sure?"
Aura nodded.
"Then sign here."
Aura signed the waiver with calm confidence. No fear. Just focus.
[EXP gain boosted ×2 for 2 hours.]
He entered the corridor leading to the solo combat chambers. At the far end, a door creaked open, revealing a small arena. Scarred walls, claw marks, and the lingering scent of blood. At the other end, a large iron cage rattled.
CLANK!
The cage burst open. Red-scaled rat monsters—Level 1 creatures—rushed out, eyes glowing with mindless hunger.
Aura didn't flinch.
Dragonpunch Sutra.
His fists moved like a blur, striking with precision and force. One rat went flying. Then another. Then two at once.
[+2 XP — 2/50]
[+2 XP — 4/50]
[+2 XP — 6/50]
The notifications became distracting.
"System, can you disable the XP popups for now?"
[Notifications muted.]
With his mind clear, Aura pushed forward. He dodged and struck, his body moving with ease through the monster pack. Each punch dropped another rat, and the tempo of battle became a rhythm of breathing, movement, impact.
Minutes passed. His knuckles were bloodied, his breathing heavy—but his eyes burned with determination.
Suddenly, golden light enveloped his body.
[Level Up – Level 2 achieved.]
[New Skill Acquired: Supernova Flame]
[Type: Active | Grade: High | Status: Non-upgradable]
[Effect: Releases an intense flame imbued with primordial dragon power. Extremely lethal.]
[Mana Consumption: 6 Mana/second during activation.]
Aura paused. His chest rose and fell as he stared at the remaining monsters. He wasn't done yet.
"Let's keep going."
He struck again. And again. Flames danced in his hands as he experimented with the new power—but only for a moment. The cost was high.
[System Warning: Mana depleting rapidly.]
He deactivated the flame quickly and returned to melee. After about twenty minutes, the last of the monsters fell.
[Quest Completed.]
[Rewards calculated.]
Aura exhaled, wiping sweat from his forehead.
[Status Update – Level 2]
XP: 50/200
HP: 160
Attack: 19 → (+6 bonus)
Defense: 30 → (+10 bonus)
Mana: 46 → (+10 bonus)
AP: +8
SP: +2
Skills:
– Primordial Aura (Upgradable) [Upgrade Cost: 20 SP]
– Imaginary World (Upgradable) [Upgrade Cost: 20 SP]
– Humanization (Not upgradable)
– Supernova Flame (Not upgradable) [Mana Cost: 6/second]
Martial Art: Dragonpunch Sutra
"I want to apply all AP to Attack," Aura said, panting.
[Confirmed. New Stats:]
HP: 160
Attack: 33
Defense: 40
Mana: 56
AP: 0
SP: 2
Aura rolled his shoulders. He felt different. Stronger. More alive.
And most of all, he felt one step closer to facing what lay ahead—the looming war with the Goblins.
As he exited the chamber, the hallway outside was eerily quiet. Only Gorrak and a human man stood waiting.
The man was tall, his dark robes bearing the insignia of the Southern Royal Academy. His eyes glinted with interest as Aura approached.
[System Notification: New Identity Detected.]
[Name: Arven Dros | Age: 32 | Race: Human]
[Position: Vice President, Beast Department – Southern Royal Academy]
"You're finished already?" Gorrak asked, looking baffled.
Aura nodded simply. "Yes."
Arven tilted his head. "You don't look hurt."
"I'm not."
Gorrak blinked in disbelief.
Arven stepped forward. "Name?"
"Aura."
"Follow me," the man said. Aura glanced at Gorrak, who only gave a silent nod. He followed the man into the corridor, wondering what this was about.
As they walked, the [System] buzzed again.
[Reminder: "Supernova Flame" consumes 6 Mana per second. Consider managing usage in long battles.]
Aura frowned slightly. "Yeah… I noticed."
[Suggestion: Search for a "Mana Recovery Skill Scroll." It may allow you to recover Mana during combat or over time.]
Aura's mind sharpened.
A way to restore mana… that'll let me use my flame longer.
It was a good lead—and he would find that scroll. Somehow.
But first, he had to find out why the Academy had sent one of its top men to meet him.
The world was watching now. And Aura had no intention of backing down.