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Chapter 15 - Midnight Howls

The Nerulians slept in uneasy silence.

The ruins creaked under the weight of the night. Smoke still clung to the air, faint and bitter. My body should've been exhausted, but my new stats buzzed in my veins like an overcharged battery.

I couldn't stop staring at my status.

[ Status ]

Name: Yuto (Reincarnated Human-Form Spirit)

Level: 6

HP: 180/180

MP: 320/320

Strength: 32

Agility: 28

Endurance: 26

Intelligence: 27

Skills:

- Absorption (Enhanced)

- Analyze (Lv.2)

- Mana Shaping (Lv.2)

- Cleansing Light (Lv.1)

- Regeneration (Basic)

Unique Trait: Shared Growth (All allies linked to you gain partial stat growth)

[Body Evolution Pending… Progress: 11%]

Every time I blinked, my stats seemed to mock me. Yesterday, I was a squishy noob. Now? I could probably punch through a brick wall.

…Actually, that sounded fun.

I glanced at a ruined wall nearby. No one will notice, right?

I balled my fist, pulled back, and...

WHAM!

The wall exploded. Dust and bricks showered across the camp.

"YUTO!" Elira snapped awake, blades in hand.

"Ahhh! false alarm! I was just, uh, stretching."

The Nerulians groaned, coughing in the dust cloud. One muttered something in their tongue that probably meant idiot.

"…Great. The Protector is also a demolition hazard."

---

I tried to behave after that. Key word: tried.

At one point, Lyra twisted her ankle. I rushed to help, determined to test Regeneration again.

"Don't worry, I've got this!"

I grabbed her leg, let the skill flow, and her shoe disintegrated.

"…Eh?"

She yelped, face red as the glow surged, fixing the injury but also shredding the rest of her sock.

Everyone stared.

"I SWEAR I didn't mean to strip her foot!"

[Observation: Ecchi Flag #6 achieved.]

"ADVISOR SHUT UP !!"

---

Just when I thought the night couldn't get worse, it did.

A howl tore through the ruins. Low. Echoing. And not alone.

Dozens followed.

The Nerulians scrambled, grabbing weapons. Bran's face turned pale. "Corrupted wolves… a whole pack!"

The shadows moved. Dozens of glowing red eyes blinked in the darkness.

I stood, heart hammering, but my body felt… different. Faster. Stronger. Like the air itself wanted to obey me.

Elira stepped forward. "Protector, this is beyond us. We must retreat."

But I didn't move. My fists clenched.

The wolves burst from the dark.

And I was already there.

Agility 46 blurred me across the field. My fist slammed into the first wolf, launching it like a ragdoll. I pivoted, my blade glowing with mana, cleaving another down.

Blood hissed against corrupted ground.

"Holy...he's faster than me now," Elira muttered in disbelief.

I spun, grinning despite myself. "Guess I leveled up, huh?"

A wolf lunged, fangs sinking into my shoulder. I felt the crunch then nothing. Regeneration flared, knitting the wound shut instantly.

I laughed. "You're gonna have to do better than that."

The wolves hesitated. Their snarls faltered.

For the first time… monsters were afraid of me.

---

But then the largest wolf stepped forward. Twice the size of the others. Its body pulsed with corruption, crystal spines jutting from its back.

Lyra gasped. "That's… an Alpha. If we don't kill it, the pack won't scatter!"

The Alpha's eyes locked onto me.

A dark presence coiled in its chest. Not just a beast something else was inside.

I raised my blade, heart racing with a mix of fear and excitement.

"Alright then… let's see what this evolution thing is really about."

The Alpha roared, and the battle truly began.

---

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