For a month, I lived off Rank-E herb-gathering quests—leaves, roots, moss. My herb lore grew. My level didn't. I was stuck at Level 400 with zero stats… until the sky darkened.
Aisha, my loyal Blood Howler partner, had already surpassed me. She now stood at Level 344—stronger, faster, deadlier.
One evening, as we returned from yet another questless day, the air suddenly shifted. A shadow passed over us.
From above, a flock of Rock Birds dive-bombed without warning. Aisha hadn't noticed them yet—too focused on the path ahead. I felt a searing heat on my chest—a brand, alive and pulsing.
[Hellfire and Blood Magic acquired.]
I had no mana. I wasn't supposed to cast spells at all… yet black-and-crimson fire erupted from my hand, roaring without burning me. Instinct took over—I thrust my palm upward, and the Rock Birds shrieked as their wings turned to ash.
I froze, staring at my burning hand.
Did I just use Aisha's magic?
Back home, I asked my mother about it.
She took a slow breath, her eyes softening.
"It seems your bond with Aisha has deepened," she explained. "No Tamer I've ever known could share magic like this. It's… unique."
"Magic sharing?" I asked.
"A rare ability," she said, her voice filled with both pride and caution.
"Aisha—do you hear that? We've bonded!" My voice cracked with excitement, and I didn't care. She spun in circles, tail whipping, howling to the sky.
I opened my Monster Grimoire. Only three entries were written—Black Wolf, Hell Howler, and Blood Howler. At the bottom of Aisha's page, a line caught my eye:
Dungeon Monster.
So Aisha was a dungeon monster… That explained why I could never tame anything else.
Mother decided to test me outside. Though she raised me alone, she wasn't just any parent—Amanda Meledric, the Flame Princess, Rank-S Pyromancer. When I showed her my burning hand, she gave a knowing smile.
"That's a Magic Aura. It reflects your mana points—and the stronger the glow, the more mana you have. But it's not armor; it's the essence of your magic."
Curious, I opened my status window. For the first time in my life… the numbers had changed.
---
Ares Meledric
Level: 400
Rank: E
Title: None
Strength: 1
Mana: 1
Vitality: 1
Dexterity: 1
Intelligence: 1
Agility: 1
Race: Half-human, Half-fae
Class: Tamer
Magic: Hellfire, Blood
Ability: Tame – 100% Taming Chance
---
I was stunned—but still couldn't cast Hellfire like a mage.
That's when Aunt Testia appeared, grinning like she'd been waiting for this.
"Maybe not a direct spell," she teased, "but what about traps?"
Mother's eyes lit up. "Of course! They cost almost nothing to maintain."
They taught me how to visualize a magic sigil, fuse it with mana, and set it in place. To my surprise, I succeeded—Hellfire traps, Blood traps, even some hybrids.
"You also have Blood Magic," Mother noted quietly.
"Is that… bad?" I asked.
"Think of Blood Magic like Water Magic—control its flow, shape it, direct its pressure. But unlike water, it's alive, Ares. And it listens to you." Her eyes hardened, the warmth fading. "That's why you must be careful. More careful than you think."
---
The next morning, I went to the guild as usual—but the Rank-E board was empty. Confused, I asked Aula, the elf receptionist. She gave me a small, sympathetic smile.
"You've completed every Rank-E quest already," she whispered, leaning in. "So… take this. Rank-D. Just keep it quiet." Her eyes darted to the guildmaster's office, then back to me.
My heart leapt. A step forward at last.
The quest: guard a shepherd's livestock in Uruste Village from nighttime predators.
---
When I arrived, the shepherd looked me over skeptically.
"You're the one they sent?"
"Y-Yes," I replied.
He showed me the grazing fields, the livestock, and the breach where wolves often came through. That night, I planted my traps—Hellfire mines, sigils hidden in the grass, and a few… improvised Blood Boil runes.
Aisha stood watch, her crimson eyes glowing in the dark. I reminded her not to touch the traps.
Then…
BOOM!
A chain of explosions lit the night. A pack of Cunning Wolves, Rank-D predators, had entered.
Aisha lunged, fangs flashing. Wolves were engulfed in fire, their blood searing under my sigils. The improvised Blood Boil spell was devastating—overheating the target's own blood until they collapsed in agony.
But then… the Alpha arrived.
A Rank-C Cunning Wolf, massive and snarling. Aisha tore through the pack while I distracted the Alpha, luring it into every trap I had placed. But the fight dragged on, and the pack began swarming her from all sides.
She bled, but fought harder.
A glow flared around her—crimson numbers flashing in my vision: 350.
Hellfire and Blood Aura erupted around her. In the glow, her form shifted. The Blood Howler's form shimmered, bones shifting beneath fur. Light flared, and when it faded, she stood on two legs—tanned skin gleaming with sweat, jet-black hair whipping in the wind, crimson eyes burning like molten glass. Wolf ears twitched atop her head, and a midnight tail swayed behind her.
"Aisha…?" My voice trembled.
The wolf I'd raised now stood as a warrior—blazing with fury. With her new form, she struck harder, faster—claws wreathed in magic. Then, her status window suddenly appeared.
Aisha
Race: Wolf-Kin (Blood Howler)
Rank: E
Class: Berserker
Magic: Hellfire, Blood
Level: 350
Class Ability: Berserker Rage – Increases strength by 100% when enraged.
Berserker? Then, I unslung and tossed her the Axe of Suzaku, my mother's artifact.
"Aisha! Use this!"
Catching it mid-leap, she unleashed a whirlwind of flaming strikes, cleaving through the Alpha's steel-like hide. Suddenly, the Alpha's fangs closed on Aisha's shoulder, blood spraying in the firelight.
Something in me snapped.
My vision bled crimson. The sound of my heartbeat drowned out the world.
[Berserker Class Acquired]
[Class Ability: Berserker Rage – Power +100% when enraged.]
I roared with her—our voices one—and slammed my palm to the ground. Blood and Hellfire surged together, ripping up through the Alpha's belly. Aisha came down with the axe at the same time.
One heartbeat.
One strike.
"DRENCHING DISASTER!!!" we roared together.
Blood and Hellfire tore the Alpha apart. One kill.
---
When the dust settled, the field was scorched and silent. I collapsed against the Alpha's side, chest heaving.
"So this is what being an adventurer feels like…" I muttered.
"…Fun."
The battlefield still smoked… My heartbeat slowed, though my head still spun from adrenaline. Then I turned—and froze.
A naked girl lay beside me, breathing softly. My brain short-circuited. My mouth opened. Nothing came out but, "Cloak. Now. Please."
"M-Master?" she asked.
"A-Aisha?!" I shouted.
She nodded again, burning red–realising it.
"Master!" Aisha called.
She tried returning the axe, but I shook my head, "It's yours now."
"One left," Aisha said.
"Yours," I panted.
"Gladly."
The wind caught Aisha's cloak as she dashed forward. In one swift motion, she swung her axe in the last predator's throat. The fight was over. The quest was complete.
I had finally leveled up—Level 401. Berserker unlocked. Aisha's final evolution achieved.
---
And in that moment, with a beautiful girl calling me Master, the battlefield smoldering around us… I realized this was only the first page of my legend.