Grrrrrr—!
The beast's roar shook the ground again, scattering dust and dead leaves into the air.
Rosswell's boots skidded across the dirt, his body leaning just enough to dodge another claw swipe that could've torn him in two.
"Haa..."
Rosswell's breathing was steady, sharp, deliberate.
His eyes tracked every twitch of its muscles, memorizing rhythm, intent, anger.
Too aggressive.
Predictable pattern.
Strong upper swing, weak side stability.
He pivoted, deflecting a blow that sent tremors through the ground.
Sparks of qi scattered around him, resonating with the air.
"Nya~ Rosswell! Its core is exposed!"
Yang Yi shouted, voice carrying through the wind.
"I see it,"
He replied calmly, his tone clipped but clear.
He adjusted his stance, feet digging into the cracked soil.
The energy under his skin pulsed, echoing faintly with the beast's own.
Rang Rang, already circling wide, called out,
"Don't overdo it, you're bleeding!"
Rosswell smirked faintly.
"I have a famialrity with this feeling that it's not the first time and won't be the last time as well."
He dashed forward, his movement sharp, clean, a fluid mixture of instinct and calculation.
The beast lunged again, claws raking the air.
Rosswell slid under its arm, thrusting his palm against its chest.
A pulse of qi flared outward, wrapping both of them in a web of raw resonance.
"Synchronize,"
He whispered.
The world shuddered.
Light flared between man and beast, violent, unstable and alive.
In that brief connection, images flooded Rosswell's mind, memories that weren't his: stormy skies, hunger, survival, loss.
His teeth clenched.
He could feel its desperation, its will to exist.
"...So that's what you are,"
He murmured.
"Not malice. Just… instinct."
A sound, soft, firm, cut through the storm.
"That's enough Rosswell"
Rosswell looked up.
Mei Mei was standing a few meters away, her coat fluttering in the wind, eyes glinting gold with restrained power.
Her presence calmed the entire field.
Husk Field itself seemed to breathe differently, as if it recognized her.
She raised one hand, her voice steady.
"If you overextend the link, you'll burn both your cores. End it, now."
Rosswell hesitated only a heartbeat, then pushed the resonance one last time, turning it inward.
Grrrrr—!
The beast convulsed, letting out a final echoing roar before collapsing.
Energy burst outward like dust in sunlight.
The light dimmed.
Silence descended.
Mei Mei lowered her hand.
The faint shimmer in her eyes faded.
"You're calm yet reckless,"
She said quietly, walking toward him.
"Haaa..."
Rosswell exhaled, his chest still rising and falling.
"So I've been told."
Yang Yi landed beside him, panting, sweat streaking her forehead.
"We… we did it."
Rang Rang fell to the ground dramatically.
"Nya~ Finally! I thought that thing was gonna eat us alive."
Rosswell tilted his head slightly, deadpan.
We did it, huh? While I was getting my spine almost shattered and punching that lava-breathing abomination, you three were standing around cheering. Fantastic teamwork.
"Haa..."
He let out a long breath, shaking his head faintly.
"Next time, maybe someone else can play bait."
Rang Rang blinked.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Mei Mei stopped in front of him, eyes scanning his arm where faint qi burns glowed.
"I know you have amnesia and you're not a Solarian but what really are you and where really are you from?"
"...."
Rosswell met her gaze, silent for a beat.
"Like i said… I don't remember."
Her expression softened briefly, only briefly.
"Learn quickly. This land doesn't forgive ignorance."
She turned away, her coat rippling in the fading light.
"You linked with the Husk Beast, didn't you? The energy you absorbed will eventually stabilize. That's how we create companions here, beasts that respond to your resonance."
Yang Yi stepped closer, nodding.
"Every Solarian learns it. You can absorb a beast's essence and bind it as your own. It's basic survival. But… for someone who doesn't even remember his past, you adapted fast."
He looked down at his hand, faint light still flickering beneath the skin.
"Instinct, maybe."
Mei Mei turned her head slightly, her voice calm but firm.
"Instinct is good. But instinct without reason becomes chaos."
Rosswell's gaze followed the motes of light rising from the beast's corpse.
The silence stretched.
Then came the faintest hint of thought, a quiet, detached reflection that felt more like a memory than a musing.
The thing is… power isn't what people think it is. It's not a gift. It's debt, borrowed from the world, repaid with pain. The more you take, the more you owe. In this world, no strength comes free.
Beasts, men, gods, everyone's fighting to survive. The only difference is the shape of the hunger.
He clenched his fist slowly.
"Maybe… I just want to understand what this hunger is."
The wind picked up again, carrying the faint scent of burnt qi.
Yang Yi broke the silence with a faint grin.
"Well, philosopher, next time try not to get eaten during your understanding."
Rang Rang laughed.
"Nya~ Yeah, seriously, you looked like a chew toy out there!"
"Haaa..."
Rosswell exhaled, tone dry.
"Glad my near-death experience was entertaining."
And then...
A soft chime.
A thread of blue light blinked faintly at the corner of his vision.
Husk Field seemed to hum in response, as though the entire world paused to listen.
Rosswell frowned, blinking.
"Hmm? What… is this?"
———「System」———
◆ Name: Rosswell
◆ Level: 1
◆ Exp: 0/100
◆ Qi Capacity: 565/??
∟ Can be increased through completing system quests or through breathing training.
◆ Class: Half-Solarian / Human
◆ Profession: Swordsman
∟ Profession can be changed based on your skills, abilities, and stats.
◆ Passive
∟ Hardened Physique
◆ Skills
∟ Qi Discharge
◆ Stats:
∟ STR: A
∟ QP: A
∟ DEF: B
∟ AGI: B
∟ INT: S
∟ CHARM: SS
◆ System Shop
◆ System Inventory
◆ System Coins: 0
◆ Quests Available: 0
————————————