I whisper, "I'm sorry," and something inside snaps awake. My vision flares red. My canines sharpen. The animal inside me answers.
I see Julius standing behind the others with a knife. One of the bullies lunges.
I step back. I strike his hand. Clang—the knife clatters to the floor. He goes to fight, but I'm faster. A punch to the face, then Wolf Strike to the head. I barely feel it, just the motion. The man collapses.
A system ping, cold in my ear. eliminated: 1/3. Well done, Wolf.
The second attacker slashes my back. Blood. HP drops. 100. I react, kick the knife away, grab him and throw him against the wall. The wall crumbles; the man is dead.
2/3 bullys defeated.
Julius screams, "What the hell is wrong with you? What are you??"
Lightning-fast, I close the distance and bite. First the arm, then the neck. He goes down. Silence. Three bodies on the floor.
A voice in my head, clinical and placid: Bullys killed. 3/3. Well done, Wolf. You have grown stronger.
I run from the hall and lock myself in the bathroom. Five minutes until we must report to the cafeteria. My hands shake, sticky with blood. I've just committed triple murder.
Still, I press yes on the reward screen.
You have leveled up to Level 6 and thus become a Pup.
Note: Transformation begins in 3 minutes.
I stare. A pup? My head buzzes. I open my stats and there are twenty points waiting. I dump them all into strength.
Strength +20 assigned.
Inventory check: 1/20. Portal Opening Key of Grade A in slot one. Use? No. Not yet.
Three minutes. The system warns: Transformation begins.
Pain like knives tears through every muscle. I black out.
When I come to, I'm in a forest. The system greets me.
Hello, Pup.
This is your safe place. Using it costs 50 HP and 10 Magic, and you can stay here for 10 minutes.
Another message appears.
Hey pup, you look pretty worn out. The shop unlocks at level 10.
I stand in the clearing, blood still on my hands in memory. A portal shimmers nearby—probably the way back. I haven't stepped through it yet. The system interface opens again, patient and indifferent.
I step through the portal and land back in the bathroom. Nothing has changed; no time passed. Time in that forest must stand still.
I change quickly, then run to the assembly. The hall is already full. Ten crates sit at the front, each with a crystal inside.
Glus nods and says, "Hello and welcome to your ranking. Good luck. I will walk around now."
Before he can finish, Master Healer Ilius steps forward and announces, "A triple murder has occurred." Glus's face hardens. "Whoever did it, we will find them," he says.
I stand beside Lasa and try to act normal even though my stomach is all knots. "Hey," I whisper. "What rank are you?"
She laughs, "I'm Rank B."
"Rank B?" I repeat, surprised and relieved. She's so happy she nearly jumps on me, and I can't help but grin. For a moment the panic eases.
Now it's my turn. I take a crystal, fit it into the machine, and press the button. The usual system window appears.
1 New Message
Someone is trying to measure your powers.
Measurement blocked.
Do you want to fake it and appear as Sal-1?
So the system can fake my reading. I have no choice. "Yes," I tell it.
The machine hums. The screen flickers.
Rank measurement in progress…
Rank: Sal-1
A wave of relief hits me. It hides my real rank. Giel and Kad will be suspicious, but what else can I do?
Kad leans over, frowning. "Sal-1? That's not what I expected. You're way stronger than that. I saw you fight."
Giel steps forward, worried. "The machine must be broken. You can't be that weak. You're a fighter. This doesn't add up." He looks at me like he wants to argue the result.
Before I can answer, the screen glitches.
System has detected Sal-1 is unnecessary. Recalculating…
Error. Measurement restarting…
Rank: Sal-2
Congratulations.
Kad exhales. "Yes. I knew it. That's more like it."
Giel laughs. "Then you must be great. Come on, that's not just Sal-1."
I force a breath and say, "Okay. Deep breath, everyone." Then I nudge the two of them, "Your turns."
Kad's measurement shows Sal-1. She shrugs as if she expected it. "Still weak," she teases. Giel's result reads Sal-2 with a note: You are stronger than an ordinary Sal-2. He beams with pride.
The commandants are murmuring. Glus says, "I need to leave for a moment. Wait here for a commandant. Do not leave the cafeteria."
Whispers ripple: "Why? What happened?" I sit there, heart thudding. Nobody knows the half of it.
Commandant Zoio steps into the hall and asks for silence. Her expression is grave. "A murder has been committed," she says. The room tightens.
Around the hall kids trade excited shouts and embarrassed complaints — rank this, rank that. Someone screams, "He's rank A!" A boy named Has is receiving cheers. I walk over.
"Hi, Has. That's your name, right?"
"Has Has Dusu," he says with a proud grin. "And you?"
"Mike, Mike Tyl."
"What's your rank, Mike?" he asks.
I hesitate. Say Sal-2 and move on. "Rank 2," I answer.
"Perfect," he says. "That's enough for me."
He asks about abilities, and I think about how to explain mine without revealing too much.
Quick rundown:
Mike — System. People assume it means strength.
Giel — Heavy power magic.
Kad — Fast and agile.
Lasa — Healing magic, always calm and steady.
Has: "My magic is light. Yours, Mike?"
"Strength," I say. "Some kind of superhuman strength." He nods like he gets it.
Back at our table, Giel and Kad tease me, but there's an undercurrent of unease. Zoio's voice cuts through again. "This is not a drill. You are in danger. We do not know the cause. Several students have been killed. The culprit may still be among you. The facility is on full lockdown. No one leaves without express permission. You are not just students anymore. You are targets. Stay alert. Watch each other's backs."
The room goes quiet. Evening settles. Then Glus returns, face drawn. "It's been confirmed," he says. "It was an animal."
Gasps. "An animal?" someone cries. "A shapeshifter?" Another replies, "We don't know anyone like that."
Glus raises his hand. "Most likely a wild animal. We have searched the area." The commandants discuss possible causes in low tones. One suggests a bear. Ilius shakes his head. "The bite is too small, too precise. I can't identify it."
I listen from across the room, a knot of relief and guilt twisting inside me. What else could I have done?
Back in the dorm that night, the silence is thick. Eventually Kad whispers, "Crazy, huh? Something like this right away." We lie there, all of us exhausted. Sleep comes slow.
The next morning Giel bursts in, all energy. "Day three! Training starts today, and in three days we go on our first mission. Isn't that fast?"
I blink awake. "Probably a simple mission," I mumble. Then the system chimes.
The pup is learning. Each day your strength grows. You are ready.
Reward received: ? ? ?
Two question marks flash. I frown. What kind of reward is this? A choice appears.
Accept? Decline?
I hesitate, then whisper, "Accept." I head to the bathroom, lock the door, and the system begins to teleport me.
Teleportation in progress… 3… 2… 1…
A flash of light — then I'm gone.
When I open my eyes I'm in a dense forest. A small stream cuts through a clearing. For a second it's almost peaceful. Then the system pings.
NEW QUEST: Defeat the trolls to receive your reward.
Reward 1: One level up
Reward 2: Revealed after completion
(Side quest unlocked — details shown after the main quest.)
Dark shapes spill out of a cave. Trolls—huge, snarling, armed with heavy clubs.
Objective: Defeat the trolls
Progress: 0/5 defeated
One of them charges me first.
Troll HP: 200
It swings a club. I dodge to the side.
"Wolf Strike!" I shout.
The hit connects. The troll stumbles, but another one slams me from behind and sends me skidding across the dirt.
"Agh!" My chest burns.
HP: 120
My stamina's low. Magic's almost gone. I've only two moves left that matter: Pack Bite (uses Magic + Endurance) or Wolf Strike (uses Endurance).
"Pack Bite!" I roar.
Two spectral wolves explode into being at my side.
"Go, boys!" I command.
One wolf pins the wounded troll and finishes it off before fading. The second lunges for the troll that hit me—it bites the club clean from its hands.
Opportunity.
I scramble up, leap, and drive a fist into the troll's face with everything I've got.
BOOM. It hits hard.
2/5 trolls defeated.
The remaining three rush me together. One clubs me into the ground, the second joins in—pain everywhere. The third winds up to crush me.
Something in me snaps. Fury lights my veins. I move faster than thought.
CRACK! One clean, brutal punch. The third troll crumples.
3/5 trolls defeated.
I stagger back. Blood and sweat. I glance at my status.
HP: 50
Status: Wounded
Breathe. Focus.
I sprint, drive a low kick into a troll's gut. It convulses—paralyzed.
Troll HP: 45
Status: Paralyzed
I follow through. Fist to face. Crunch.
4/5 trolls defeated.
The last troll roars and barrels in. This time I plant my feet and hold ground. It swings—BOOM—but I manage to block.
Endurance: 10
One last move left. I jab, stun it, then launch upward.
"WOLF STRIKE!"
CRACK. Down it goes.
5/5 trolls defeated.
Reward 1 claimed!
Congratulations!
You reached Level 7!
+30 stat points to distribute.
Reward 2 unlocked:
• Fully healed.
• All stats restored.
The system reappears.
New Message
Hello, Pup. Was that enough? Or… do you want more?
Side Quest Available
Accept Side Quest?
My stats flash, full and green. I inhale. "Yeah… let's do it," I say, and tap YES.
Side Quest Activated:
TROLL KING
Objective: Defeat the Troll King
Status: 0/1
Difficulty: Hard
A low rumble answers me from the cave. The real fight begins.