Rewritten Prologue
The rain had stopped only a short while ago, leaving the slopes of Green Mountain Base wrapped in a cool mist that clung to the old walls of Wudang High School.
Inside the Grade 3(1) classroom, windows rattled softly as a mountain breeze slipped through the cracks. Desks were stacked with beast-care manuals, energy-stone guides, and training logs—each book worn down by months of anxious flipping.
This was the season every senior dreaded: the approach of the college entrance examination. Two months left. Two months until fate closed its fist.
Homeroom teacher Zheng Chulan stood before the class with the same stiff posture he used whenever he was trying to hide panic. His knuckles tapped once, twice, then slammed the lectern with a sharp crack that cut through the morning chatter. "Two months," he said, voice tight. "Two months left. If your magical beasts aren't black-iron level by then, don't even think about university."
His gaze swept the room, heavy and judging, until it landed on the corner desk where Ren Tianyu sat. For a moment, the whole class seemed to follow that stare, their smirks half hidden behind textbooks.
Ren Tianyu straightened automatically, though his shoulders still sagged beneath the weight of it all. He gave the teacher a small nod.
He was the only student in Grade 3(1) whose beast hadn't reached black-iron level.
One out of forty.
A lone failure in a room full of progress charts and rising statistics. And what made it sting even more was the memory he carried—the knowledge that he wasn't originally from this world.
He had come from another version of Earth, one where wolves were just wolves and mountains were just mountains. Yet here, magical beasts roamed the land, and humanity trembled.
Five hundred years ago, a divine light had split the sky, and the world twisted into something new. Every creature except humans transformed—scaled, fanged, armored, enraged.
At first, guns and missiles could keep them at bay. But the beasts grew stronger, faster, stranger. A point came when even bullets flattened against their hides like raindrops, and nuclear weapons could barely scorch the stronger ones. Cities fell in the night. mankind fell in centuries.
It was only through desperation that people found a path forward. They learned to tame magical beasts, to grow with them, to fuse their strength with human-made armor. A new era began—an era where every child was trained from birth to partner with a beast. And at sixteen, they formed their life-long contract.
For Ren Tianyu, that partner was a Silver Wolf—small, scruffy, and embarrassingly harmless.
Right now, curled inside the faint glow of his beast mark, it whimpered softly as if sensing his frustration. It had a proud face, but in truth, its steel-grey fur and bright eyes were the only impressive things about it. Strength-wise… even ornamental beasts could bully it.
Two years together, and still no breakthrough.
Hard work didn't help either. When school ended, Ren Tianyu didn't go home to rest or train—he worked at his father's slaughterhouse, knee-deep in blood and poultry feathers.
By the time he dragged himself home each night, he barely had the energy to feed himself, let alone his beast. The thought of failing the exam—of being stuck outside the university system, losing the golden years for growth—made his stomach churn.
Then Fan Wei, the class monitor, stood up with an exaggerated grunt, his round stomach wobbling as he puffed out his chest. "Mr. Zheng," he declared with fake righteousness, "don't worry. I'll ask my dad's slaughterhouse to help. We'll make sure Ren Tianyu's Silver Dog—" he paused, savoring the laughter, "—breaks through soon."
The class erupted.
"Silver Dog! That's a good one!"
"He should train it to guard eggs instead."
"Maybe try letting it fight the chickens back at the factory!"
Another crack echoed as Zheng Chulan slammed the lectern again. "Quiet! The class monitor is helping. You should learn from him!" he barked, though everyone could see the small twitch in his eyebrow—the man knew mockery when he heard it. He turned his stern look toward Ren Tianyu. "Make use of this chance. Magical beasts grow through experience. Remember that."
Ren Tianyu rose slowly, hearing the invisible weight behind the words. "I understand, Mr. Zheng," he said, though his voice was small.
If killing chickens could make his wolf evolve, they would've been black-iron years ago.
When the dismissal bell finally rang, the other students packed up quickly, laughing as they walked out in groups. Ren Tianyu slipped out alone, the empty hallway stretching before him like a long, silent road.
The Silver Wolf inside his beast mark let out a soft, loyal howl—trying to comfort him, even though it too didn't know how.
Outside, the mountain air was cool. The path home was long.
*
The Fan family slaughterhouse sat at the edge of Green Mountain Base like a steel-walled beast of its own—loud, smoky, and always hungry.
From dawn to dusk, the place roared with clattering metal belts, screeching crates, and the low rumble of containment engines that kept the mutated livestock subdued.
Every day, tons of meat passed through its doors, feeding most of the base. It was one of the biggest industries in the region… and all of it belonged to the Fan family. Fan Wei, with his smug grin and inherited authority, wore the title of class monitor like it was his birthright rather than something earned.
Ren Tianyu stepped inside the main hall, the sharp scent of blood and disinfectant rushing into his lungs. Workers moved around him with practiced speed, their boots splashing through thin streams of water and red foam that curled along the drains.
Before he could settle in, Supervisor Feng marched over—chin raised, oily mustache quivering with importance.
"Ren Tianyu, you're here? Young Master has given new orders." He didn't even pause to meet Tianyu's eyes. "Starting today, your workload is doubled. And the rest of you..." he shouted to the nearby workers, "whenever you can, pass the live ones to him. Let him handle them!"
A few workers shot sympathetic glances his way. Most didn't bother. This was the Fan family's territory; nobody wanted trouble. Ren Tianyu swallowed his exhaustion and nodded. "Got it," he said quietly.
The chicken sheds were at the far end of the slaughterhouse, separated by a narrow corridor where the dust and feathers never really settled. Warm bodies, frantic clucking, and the earthy smell of packed feed greeted him the moment he opened the gate.
After the divine revival centuries ago, livestock had adapted just like everything else. Meat animals grew unnaturally fast now—huge in days, ready to eat within a week. Raising them wasn't the issue. Catching them without losing an arm was.
And that was why the workers used magical beasts.
Ren Tianyu pulled on a heavy apron and rolled up his sleeves. As he inhaled, his beast mark shimmered faintly on his forearm. When he flicked his arm outward, silver light burst from the mark like spilled moonlight.
A sharp howl tore through the air.
In an instant, a silver-furred wolf—barely chest-high to a grown man—materialized beside him, fur ruffled, eyes bright. Before Tianyu could react, Silver Wolf leapt at him, tackling him to the ground with an affectionate enthusiasm that knocked the wind out of him. Its cold nose bumped against his cheek, followed by warm licks that made him laugh despite everything.
"Alright, alright, Xiao Hui, I'm fine," he said, rubbing both hands through its soft fur. All the frustration he'd carried since school melted away under the wolf's touch. For a few seconds, the world felt quiet again.
When he stood, Silver Wolf stood too—tail lifted proudly.
"Today's going to be tough," Ren Tianyu said, patting its head. "Sorry, Xiao Hui. Let's just get through it."
The little wolf threw its head back and howled sharply before launching itself into the chicken shed. Feathers erupted like white fireworks, the scattered evening light catching each one as they drifted in the air.
Ren Tianyu leaned against the wooden fence, watching the scene unfold. His shadow stretched long across the dirt, thin and worn-out.
Is this really my life?
Working under Fan Wei, crushed by pressure, barely earning enough to survive… then eventually marrying, having children, and pushing them into the same system that had already crushed him. A cycle of silent struggle that stretched beyond him.
"Am I really willing to live like this?" he whispered.
His gaze flicked to Silver Wolf—Xiao Hui—still fighting, still trying even though it was weak, even though every hit left another streak of blood in its fur. The shed was nearly emptied because of the doubled workload.
Xiao Hui's paws slipped occasionally from exhaustion, but it kept getting up, kept charging forward.
Seeing that small body work so desperately made Ren Tianyu's chest tighten with guilt. This wasn't the future he wanted—not for himself, and definitely not for Xiao Hui.
Then—
A chime echoed inside his mind.
[ Ding, energy has been filled. Evolution system activating… ]
[ Ding, activation successful. ]
[ Ding, killed one rooster. Experience +10. (Every 100,000 chickens killed grants 1 evolution point.) ]
[ Ding… Ding… ]
[ Experience full. Upgrade Silver Wolf? ]
Ren Tianyu froze.
A system?
Paying him?
He didn't even hesitate. "Yes!"
The moment the word left his mouth, Silver Wolf stopped mid-step. Its entire body shuddered, then burst with blinding white light. The radiance poured across the entire shed like a wave-tide, swallowing feathers, chickens, shadows—everything.
The animals fell silent.
Then they fell still.
One by one, they collapsed to the ground, stunned or unconscious. Ren Tianyu shielded his eyes until the harsh glow faded, revealing a wolf crouched in the center of the coop… but not the same one he knew.
This Silver Wolf was bigger—much bigger. Its muscles rippled under sleek silver fur that gleamed like polished steel. Its stature now stood level with Ren Tianyu's chest. Its claws dug deep into the dirt, and when it lifted its head—
"ROAR!"
The howl shook the entire shed. The walls rattled. Ren Tianyu staggered back, hands on his ears as the deep vibration buzzed through his bones.
Chickens dropped like stones, foaming, twitching, overwhelmed just by the sound.
But when the beast turned, when its pale eyes softened, he knew instantly:
It was still Xiao Hui.
"Xiao Hui?" he said carefully.
In a blink, the wolf became a streak of silver. It slammed into him and knocked him into the straw. Its huge tongue lapped at his cheek again, warm and affectionate as always.
Ren Tianyu laughed breathlessly, hugging its massive head. "You scared me half to death…"
Another chime sounded.
[ Ding, upgrade successful. Current level: Black Iron (low-grade). ]
[ Generating magical beast panel… ]
[ Ding, generated. Skill unlocked: Silver Claw (black iron). ]
A small transparent panel appeared in front of him.
Magical Beast: Silver Wolf
Level: Black Iron (Low-grade)
Rarity: Normal
Talent: Wolf Nature (Normal) – Pack instincts enhance battle strength
Skill: Silver Claw (Black Iron) – Claws carry silver energy, boosting attack power
Ren Tianyu stared at the glowing letters for a long time.
Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face.
For the first time in years… something had gone right.