The morning sky was dull, painted in shades of ash and blue. A hush had fallen over the tribe, as if the world held its breath in anticipation.
This was it.
Today, I would choose the monster that would shape my evolution.
The Tenth.
My final unique core.
Varon stood beside me in front of the Council's altar, where five massive stones were arranged in a crescent. The air shimmered faintly with enchantment—ancient runes and forgotten magicks woven into the stone by our ancestors.
"Kael'thas," one of the elder council members said, his voice echoing through the sacred grounds, "you have passed the Trial of Nine. You stand before us to choose your Tenth Fang. Choose carefully, for your path forward, your future strength, and your very survival may depend on it."
I stepped forward. My heart pounded.
Three glowing crystal tablets were presented before me. Each one pulsed with a different aura—dark, furious, and cold.
A guardian beast stood beside each. Not to protect me, but to ensure that once I chose, there would be no turning back.
[System Notification]
Special Trial Triggered: Evolution Core Selection – Final Unique Monster Core Required to Progress.
Warning: The monsters presented are beyond current strength level. Survival rate is below 37%.
Proceeding will lock selection.
Estimated Gains: Bloodline Awakening, Species Evolution, New Trait Unlock.
Proceed with caution.
I took a breath and approached the first.
---
1. Dreadmaw Basilisk
A massive serpent-beast with obsidian scales and six blood-red eyes that paralyze prey with gaze alone. Said to burrow through the earth like water and release clouds of acidic breath that melt stone. Its core grants high poison resistance and petrification skill branches.
> Varon's voice rang beside me: "Once petrified, even elders needed weeks to recover. Not wise for close-quarters."
I moved to the second.
---
2. Skyrazor Roc-Kin
A predator of the skies, said to nest on the fourth level of the Labyrinth. Feathers like spears, eyes like thunderclouds. It dives at speeds that rupture eardrums and attacks with wind-infused sonic bursts. Core rumored to grant aerial mobility and sound-based skill trees.
> "Taming the skies sounds grand," Varon muttered, "but surviving it... that's another matter."
I nodded. And then stepped before the third.
The moment I looked at it, I knew.
---
3. Gavrlok, the Moonflame Predator
Bound in three enchanted chains, the creature stood tall even while hunched. A quadruped only in shape, but unlike any wolf or beast I had ever seen. Its fur was a gleaming silver marred by scorched, blackened patches that steamed with heat. Fire pulsed beneath its skin, leaking out through cracks in its flesh like volcanic veins. Its eyes were molten gold, but empty—as if it had burned away even the memory of sanity.
[System Warning]
Species: Apex Variant – Unknown Subclass (Demonic Influence Suspected).
Classification: "Moonflame Predator"
Estimated Threat Level: Red Class (Out of Tier).
Special Traits Detected:
Adaptive Flame Mutation
Night-Phase Berserk Mode
Lunar Mana Regeneration
Partial Demonic Corruption
Risk Level: Extremely High
Devour Compatibility: Acceptable (Bloodline Reaction Trigger: Confirmed)
Outcome of Victory: Rare Trait Unlock + Core Evolution Possible
> Varon's face was grave. "We scouted this one three years ago and never dared hunt it. The flames it breathes don't burn... they corrode, Kael. Like they eat away at the soul."
But I didn't need more time.
I had seen it before.
In a vision.
Or perhaps a warning.
I turned, my eyes locking with the elders. "I choose Gavrlok."
A tense silence followed. Even the wind seemed to stop.
Varon blinked. "You're sure?"
"Yes." My voice didn't shake. "He's the one."
A pause. Then a slow exhale from the Chief. "So be it."
Tarya Bloodhide—my aunt and today's appointed guardian—stepped forward.
Her crimson war cloak flowed behind her like a trail of dried blood. Her expression was unreadable, though I could sense a flicker of pride behind the hardened mask she wore.
She approached me and dropped a charm into my palm—a black tooth bound in wire. "You only have to survive. I'll step in if it gets past what you can endure. But this... this is your battle."
I nodded. "I understand."
---
Later, at the Labyrinth's third sublevel…
Our steps echoed as we descended through the crystal-lined tunnels. Pale light shimmered across walls that pulsed with faint mana. The deeper we went, the thicker the air became—heavier, almost suffocating.
Tarya walked ahead, her massive greatsword strapped across her back. I could see the edge of old burn scars across her shoulders. Proof of the last time she had ventured this deep.
"Don't hesitate when you see it," she said without turning. "The fear will try to root you. It always does."
I nodded, jaw clenched.
System notifications were silent now. But I could still feel them watching. The ancient spirits behind the system. The unknown force that had tied my soul to this beastly body.
We arrived.
The chamber was vast—an ancient crater of sorts, formed of cracked obsidian and jagged stone. Pools of silver-blue liquid shimmered around the edges. The air reeked of ash and death.
And there, at the far end of the arena… it stood.
Chained to the ground by three pillars covered in runes, Gavrlok stirred.
Even bound, it radiated power like a second sun.
The silver fur across its body pulsed faintly. Its head lifted—and those molten eyes met mine.
And suddenly, I wasn't breathing.
A low growl rippled from its throat, and flames began leaking from between its fangs.
The chains groaned.
Tarya stepped beside me. "Now's the time. Say the word, and I'll break the seal."
I swallowed.
Not out of fear.
But because everything in me—the human I once was, the monster I now am—told me this moment would decide everything.
The tenth core.
The final trial before my evolution.
And perhaps... the beginning of something far more dangerous.
The scent of ash and cold metal hung in the air. Tarya stood by the seal pillar, blade drawn and eyes sharp—not as a wolf, but in her human form.
She looked tall and regal in the moonlight, her black hair braided tightly against the burn-scarred side of her face. Clad in armor shaped from volcanic steel and beast hide, she carried a presence that silenced the restless murmurs from the observing guardians perched high above.
It was rare to see our people in human form.
Most remained in wolf state for daily life, preferring the raw instincts and physical power. But this—this was a formal trial, a moment of legacy and judgment. So she stood like this, not just as my guardian, but as the Iron Fang of the Elder Circle.
"Kael," she said. "Are you ready?"
My breath caught in my throat.
No.
But I nodded anyway.
Because hesitation now would only disgrace both of us.
She turned without another word and raised her blade. With a practiced strike, she shattered the final rune sealing the pillar.
A pulse of power cracked the air.
Then silence.
And then—
Gavrlok woke.
---
It exploded from the pillar like a beast reborn, silver hide glowing with faint blue flame. Its body was massive—nearly three times my size—with curved, jagged horns and a mane of flickering plasma.
[System Alert: Tenth Core Target Engaged – "Gavrlok, the Moonflame Predator"]
Class: Apex Variant – Demonic-Touched
Danger Level: Lethal
Unique Trait: Lunar Combustion (burns both physical and magical resistance over time)
Warning: Host Combat Capabilities Severely Outmatched
The system's warning almost didn't register.
Gavrlok moved—and the world blurred.
Its charge split the earth, fire trailing from its paws.
I dodged—barely—rolling through the ash, claws digging into charred stone.
It roared again, a deafening howl of fury and challenge that shook the labyrinth walls. This was no ordinary monster. This was a relic of death and destruction from a forgotten war.
I responded with claws outstretched, lunging low for its exposed tendon.
[Predator's Step] – Evade]
[Feral Surge – Minor Strength Boost]
Sparks flew as my claws met its armored limb, but did no more than scratch.
It snarled—grinned, even—and twisted mid-movement.
Its tail struck me across the face.
I flew.
Cracked against the far stone wall.
My ribs burned. Blood filled my mouth.
[Injury Detected – Fractured Rib. Internal Bleeding (Minor)]
It was fast.
Too fast.
It exhaled a stream of lunar fire—silver-blue flame that hissed like molten acid. I threw myself aside, but the heat still scorched my fur, skin blistering.
[Status: Severe Burn – Recovery Inhibited]
Everything was pain.
I tried again—another lunge, another dodge. Useless.
Gavrlok was reading my movements now.
Tarya watched from above, her human form tense, hand hovering near the second blade on her back—but not interfering. Not yet.
This was still my fight.
---
I fought like a beast.
Slashing, dodging, biting, burning.
And I lost—again and again.
Until I collapsed to one knee, blood trailing from my jaw, vision fading.
Gavrlok stood above me, maw glowing with another charge of moonflame.
I was going to die.
And then… the world paused.
---
A chill. A shadow.
And then he was there again.
The Reaper.
His silhouette formed from nothing, a tall figure cloaked in void, scythe gleaming with ethereal frost. No face. Only hollow sockets. And presence.
I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
His voice didn't echo.
It settled in my bones.
"Will you break… or become?"
And with that word—"become"—my soul cracked open.
Pain—searing, absolute—rushed in like a flood. The system screamed.
---
[SYSTEM WARNING – UNIDENTIFIED TRAIT DETECTED]
Analyzing…
Bloodline Surge In Progress…
[Hidden Trait Awakened: "Soulbrand – Mark of the Reaper"]
Trait Effect: Host may access dormant bloodline power in exchange for soul burn.
Temporary Evolution: "Reaper's Feral Form" Initiated
Warning: Vital Strain Detected – Use With Caution
---
I stood.
Changed.
My limbs pulsed with power. My claws lengthened, tipped in obsidian. A glowing half-crescent mark burned over my heart, veins pulsing black and silver.
Gavrlok—hesitated.
And for the first time…
It feared me.
I smiled—mouth full of new fangs.
"My turn."
The world trembled.
Kael'thas stood at the edge of life and death, Gavrlok's monstrous form seething with flame and rage before him. The Reaper's Mark on his chest flared, responding to the fury that flooded his veins. Bones snapped, fur bristled, and his breath caught as a voice whispered deep within:
"Let it awaken. The soul has endured. The soul shall rise."
A howl ripped from his throat as his body erupted into shadowed flame. His silhouette twisted, and his feral form transformed before Tarya's wide, shocked eyes.
Black and silver fur glistened under the moonlit ruin. His claws sharpened into obsidian razors. Ghostly wisps flickered around him like echoes of something long buried. His eyes blazed bright blue, slit like a predator born of dusk and death.
> [New Skill Unlocked: Phantom Step] Phase through space briefly, evading physical attacks or repositioning instantly.
> [New Passive: Reaper's Instinct] Grants heightened senses and combat foresight in life-threatening moments.
> [New Ability: Soul Sever] A devastating strike that targets the spiritual essence of enemies. High energy cost.
Tarya's voice was nearly a whisper. "He's no ordinary Ferawyn… That aura… it's ancient."
---
Kael moved like shadow incarnate.
Gavrlok lunged, the ground scorched under his charge. Kael vanished—a flicker of motion. He reappeared behind the beast, claws slicing a deep gouge down its flank.
The beast roared in fury, turning with unnatural speed, jaws ablaze with moonfire.
Kael ducked under the bite, twisted mid-air, and slammed both palms into Gavrlok's back. Soul Sever activated.
The monster shrieked. A flash of ethereal light erupted where Kael struck.
But Gavrlok wasn't done.
It reared back and unleashed a breath of Lunar Combustion, engulfing the ruined temple in white-hot fire. Kael skidded behind a broken pillar, heat licking at his fur.
His stamina was nearly drained. Phantom Step was fast—but costly. Soul Sever ate at his essence like flame on oil.
Think. Move. Now.
He baited Gavrlok toward the ceiling—jagged stalactites looming overhead. With a well-timed leap, he landed atop a crumbled statue and launched a stone with all his strength.
CRACK.
The ceiling collapsed.
Dust. Stone. Pain.
Gavrlok roared under the weight, but the attack only enraged him more. He emerged, bloodied but unbroken.
The beast began to glow. Flames condensed around its limbs. Its breathing slowed.
Tarya gasped. "He's charging his core…! He's going to use Lunar Desolation!"
Kael felt it. The ground pulsed. Air warped.
He had one chance.
He centered himself, blood running from countless wounds.
One more strike. Pour everything in.
> [Soul Sever – Final Arc] Unleash all stored energy in a single, reality-tearing strike. Usable only once per awakening.
Kael sprinted forward.
Gavrlok opened its maw.
Light met shadow.
With a scream that echoed across the labyrinth, Kael drove his claws into the beast's chest.
A flash.
Then silence.
Gavrlok collapsed. Its monstrous body cracked and steamed. The flames died.
Kael stood over it, one leg barely working, his right arm limp, chest heaving.
> [Core Absorbed: Gavrlok, Moonflame Juggernaut] Core Rank: Unique. Type: Fire/Lunar. System compatibility: 100%.
> [10th Unique Core Acquired.] Evolution Sequence: Pending Stabilization.
He dropped to his knees.
Tarya descended in a blur. In her full humanoid form—tall, muscular, armored in moonlight-silver furs—she knelt beside him.
"You did it," she murmured, voice trembling.
He fainted in her arms.