"Ding! A domesticable creature has been detected. Would you like to tame it?"
The mechanical voice of the Trainer System echoed softly in Luciel's mind.
He looked at the tiny chameleon lizard struggling in his hand and couldn't help but grin.
A color-changing ability, huh? That might come in handy.
Besides, his taming points had already refreshed for the day—he could now tame a second beast.
After midnight each day, the system automatically restored 10 taming points.
Luciel gave his command decisively.
"Tame the chameleon lizard."
> "Ding! Level 0 lifeform—Chameleon Lizard detected. Commencing domestication…"
"Ding! Taming successful. 10 taming points consumed."
A faint white light shone from the little creature. It stopped struggling and blinked up at Luciel with docile eyes, its claws twitching gently as if stretching after a long rest.
Within moments, its body shrank down slightly—becoming palm-sized. Its scales shimmered faintly in green, red, and blue hues.
> "Ding! Inheritable Talent detected: Mimicry – Color Shift. Would you like to inherit?"
Luciel nodded without hesitation. "Inherit."
> "Ding! Improving… Adapting… Inheritance complete."
A soothing warmth spread through Luciel's veins, followed by a cool tingle across his skin.
"System, open my status window," he ordered.
---
Trainer: Luciel
Physical Strength: 6.2
Speed: 4.5
Strength: 5.1
Spirit: 9.0
Lifespan: 24 / 110 years
Taming Points: 0 (Refreshed daily; accumulative)
Evolution Points: 0
Abilities:
Earth Rock Spike (Lv. 1)
Mimicry – Color Shift (Lv. 1)
Domesticated Beasts:
Rock Tortoise — Talent: Earth Rock Spike (Lv. 1)
Tricolor Lizard — Talent: Mimicry – Color Shift (Lv. 1)
---
"The stats only increased a little," Luciel murmured. "Guess the chameleon's bonuses are more about stealth than strength."
Curious, he activated the new ability.
A cool sensation rippled across his skin, and the colors around him began to bend and shift.
Within a heartbeat, his body had taken on the same earthy hues as the rocks nearby—browns, tans, and dusty yellows. Even his clothes seemed to melt into the environment.
Ten seconds passed. A minute. Ten minutes. Half an hour.
He hadn't moved an inch. The camouflage held perfectly.
"So there's no time limit," Luciel whispered, impressed.
Then he deliberately shifted his stance. The instant he moved, the illusion broke, and his normal appearance returned.
"I see…" He smiled faintly. "It's not true invisibility—it's refraction of light. Once I move, the camouflage collapses."
Even so, it was a powerful ability.
Perfect for assassinations, scouting, or ambush.
"An ability like this… is a killer's dream," Luciel muttered, amused by the thought.
He placed the tricolor lizard down on the ground.
"Go. Stay nearby and keep watch."
The small creature blinked, chirped softly, then scurried up a nearby rock and vanished—perfectly blending into the terrain.
"Good," Luciel said with satisfaction. "Maybe one day, you'll become my little Assassin Creed Lizard."
He sheathed his knife, pocketed the slain small lizard, and resumed searching for prey.
Two hours passed.
By then, his spoils were meager—just a few small lizards, a couple of scorpions, and some weird insects.
He grimaced. "These aren't worth eating unless I'm starving."
He continued up a rocky slope, finding several burrows along the way. The footprints near them were small and clustered.
"Mouse tunnels," he murmured. "Perfect."
He crouched to plan his next move. "If I drive the mice out, the tricolor lizard can ambush from inside…"
Then—
Da-da-da—
Footsteps. Quick, scattered, and getting closer.
Luciel's sharpened senses picked them up instantly. Years of special forces training kicked in. He pressed his back against a rock wall and activated Mimicry – Color Shift.
Within seconds, he melted into the background.
A few breaths later, figures appeared in his line of sight.
At first, he thought it was someone else—but then his eyes widened slightly.
It was Mino.
Except… this Mino had a pair of long, blue rabbit ears standing upright on her head.
And behind her—four men armed with bone knives and wooden spears were in hot pursuit.
"Don't let her get away!"
"She dared to steal our prey—she's dead!"
"When we catch you, girl, I'll tear your ears off myself!"
The men's cruel voices echoed through the barren hills.
Mino glared over her shoulder, panting but defiant.
"You shameless bastards! Since when did the prey caught in my trap belong to you?"
Even while running, her voice carried a fierce energy.
Luciel stayed motionless, waiting for the right moment.
He let Mino pass him first, then the first three pursuers.
When the fourth man ran by—
Luciel moved.
His hand shot out like a viper, gripping the man's jaw and slamming his head into the ground with brutal precision.
Crack.
The man died instantly—his neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
Not a sound escaped him.
Luciel didn't stop. He moved like a shadow, catching up to the third man.
Another silent takedown. Another body dropped.
The remaining two finally noticed something was wrong. They stopped abruptly and looked behind them, panic spreading over their faces.
"Who—who the hell are you?!"
"What did you do to them?!"
Luciel stood four meters away, silent and still.
Up ahead, Mino slowed down and turned, her wide blue eyes landing on him.
"Luciel??" she gasped. "Why are you—"
He gave a faint, reassuring nod.
"Luciel, run!" she shouted, mistaking the situation.
The two surviving men relaxed slightly when they heard her call his name.
"So, you're her accomplice," one sneered. "That makes it easy."
"Kill him first!"
The one with the wooden spear lunged forward, aiming straight for Luciel's chest.
Luciel sidestepped smoothly, caught the man's momentum, and drove his elbow hard into his ribs.
Crack.
The man flew backward, coughing blood as he hit the dirt.
Luciel's physical stats were over three times that of an average human, and his body had been further strengthened by the Rock Tortoise's evolution.
Against someone like him, ordinary people were no match.
"You… you're a Strengthened One…" the last man stammered, gripping his bone knife with shaking hands.
He stood frozen—too terrified to attack, too scared to run.
"Luciel, don't—!" Mino's voice came again as she rushed over, kicking the bone-knife man square in the chest.
Thud!
He fell to the ground, eyes wide with shock.
"You can't kill me!" he shrieked desperately. "I'm one of Blood Beard's men!"