He narrowed his eyes again at the system window, his mind recalling what he knew about beasts.
The boar's health was listed clearly, but its mana tab was grayed out. He clicked his tongue again.
Of course. The explanation was simple.
This beast had no mana. Not yet. Beasts below D-rank rarely did. Only at C-rank did it become a certainty, and even then, some exceptional D-rank monsters awakened their mana earlier than expected.
That was the real danger—the ones capable of wielding mana weren't limited to brute force; they could develop innate skills.
Natural abilities tied to their bloodlines, skills they could awaken and use instinctively in battle.
Damien shook the thought from his mind and took another measured glance at the beast.
The black boar stood with its body angled low, its hooves scraping the dirt beneath it, as though preparing to launch itself forward at any second.
