The morning after the battle, I apologized to the shepherd for the condition of his field.
"Sorry… about the mess."
But the man only shook his head in disbelief.
"You defeated a Rank-C Alpha? Together?" he said, stunned. "Kid, you saved my whole herd. That field? Worth it."
"I'll pay you back after this, sir," I promised.
"Don't bother, young man. Take the corpse and give it to the guild," the shepherd insisted. "Livestock are safe thanks to you."
After thanking him, I dragged the corpses—the Alpha Cunning Wolf and a few regular Cunning Wolves—back toward Mavela Guild, with Aisha helping carry the load.
She walked beside me, humming quietly.
She looked… different now. No longer the terrifying Blood Howler, but a beautiful wolf-kin girl with jet-black hair, a soft tail, and glowing crimson eyes.
I stared at her, still trying to process it.
"Aisha?" I asked.
Her fluffy ears twitched. "Yes, Master?" she answered sweetly.
"Are you still… the Blood Howler?"
Her tail wagged happily. "Of course! I'm the Blood Howler you raised, remember?"
"Why did you… transform?"
"I think we're bonded, or maybe meant to be," Aisha said. "But I still don't fully understand."
We talked the whole way back to the guild, the mood oddly peaceful after last night's chaos.
But the moment we arrived at the guild gates, silence fell.
Every adventurer nearby stopped what they were doing, eyes widening at the sight of a young man and a beautiful girl dragging the corpses of Cunning Wolves—and one huge Alpha.
And then she stepped forward.
Aula Hermistia, the guild receptionist—the same kind person who gave me the Rank-D quest. She examined the corpses with calm precision… until she saw Aisha.
"Who is this wolf-kin?" Aula asked, her tone neutral but sharp.
"She's Aisha," I said with a smile. "She's my Bloo—"
I froze mid-sentence.
Aula's eyes narrowed. Her presence shifted. I felt a cold pressure in the air—her Magic Aura had flared to life.
The entire guild fell silent.
"You carry Forbidden Magic within you," Aula said, eyes glowing.
Everyone stepped back. No one had ever seen Aula angry—until now.
Aisha sensed the danger but didn't move, waiting for my command.
I raised my hand. "Please, Miss Aula. She's my partner—the one I raised. She just… evolved, maybe. That's all."
I showed her our status window, revealing my magics—Hellfire and Blood. Her expression darkened further.
"Both are categorized as Forbidden Magic," she muttered. "And yet… a young man like you…"
"I also unlocked the Berserker Class—from Aisha," I added.
"That's impossible. Tamers cannot inherit another class! Let alone a Berserker?!" Aula gasped.
She stared at me in silence for a few moments, then finally exhaled, took the corpses, and handed me my reward without another word.
"Better not ask her about my Rank promotion," I whispered to myself.
As I turned to go, I passed someone… and instantly felt it.
A heavy, crushing aura—like walking past a thunderstorm.
A towering, muscular man stood in my path. His hair was wild. His eyes glowed with power. His very presence screamed combat instinct. I could hear other adventurers murmuring.
"Baran Algorit…" they whispered.
"The GuildMaster," someone else added. "Rank-S Brawler—and still an active adventurer."
"Aula, is that the new guy?" Asked Baran.
"Ares? Yes he is currently a Rank-E Tamer" Aula replied
"Tamer?" Baran repeated, frowning. "He… looks like—" He cut himself off, eyes narrowing. "Never mind."
"Who?" Aula asked but Baran was nowhere to be found. "Oi! Don't just leave with all this paperworks" she shouted in frustration.
Baran went out, searching for me and Aisha. He kept asking every passerbys but no one knows. Agitated, he began shouting my names many time.
Meanwhile.
Aisha and I continued on to a nearby clothing shop. I didn't know much about women's fashion, so I just picked something that looked like what female adventurers wore—leather leggings, armored sleeves, and a cloak.
Then I heard shouting outside.
"ARES MELEDRIC!"
Someone was calling my name. I turned sharply.
"That's… my name," I whispered. "IS THERE A PROBLEM, SIR?!"
"So you are the Rank-E Tamer?" Baran stood in the middle of the street, glaring.
"Yes, sir. Why?" I asked.
"Baran's shadow loomed over me. "If it's true you fought an Alpha with Forbidden Magic… you're either a monster or a genius." His aura flared like a burning storm. "I don't let either walk past untested."
He moved before I could reply. "Draconic Uppercut!" His fist was a blur, the air howling around it.
Aisha threw herself in front of me. The impact was like a cannon going off—we hit the ground hard, my ribs screaming.
"This… is Rank-S?" I coughed, tasting iron.
"Master… are you okay?" Her crimson eyes sharpened. "OI!! DON'T DISTURB US!!"
Blood and Hellfire erupted around her as she swung, driving Baran into the ground hard enough to crack the street. His smirk faltered—just long enough for my own Berserker Rage to explode.
Baran coughed, looked up, and laughed—this time not arrogantly, but… impressed.
"Hah… not bad, kid," Baran said.
I walked over and offered my hand. "Sorry for causing a scene. Let's call it a draw?"
He took my hand with a grin. "You're not like other Tamers… That much is clear."
Aisha just huffed and turned away with a "Hmph."
"Anyway, meet me at the guild tomorrow," Baran said. "I've got questions."
---
That moment—when we walked away—was when the rumors began.
Whispers of a Rank-E Tamer standing toe-to-toe with a Rank-S Brawler.
Word spread fast… all the way to the Royal Knights Training Camp, where my old rival, Ion Kalculos, was training to become Rank-A—and one of the Royal Knights, the highest rank a knight could achieve.
And so, the world slowly began to notice the boy with zero stats.
Well… technically one stat.