Feeding the Beast

The Thornback Hare froze.

Its red eyes locked onto the creature standing across from it.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then the Ravenous Husk vanished forward.

-31!

The damage number flashed above the hare.

Kael's eyes narrowed behind his mask.

Twenty-nine at level one.

That was already enough to confirm what he suspected. The Husk's base Strength was four stars, and Beastlord's passive had boosted its basic attributes by fifty percent.

For a starter companion, its physical power was ridiculous.The Thornback Hare wasn't built to take heavy attack either. It was fast. Aggressive. But fragile.

The hare sprang sideways and slashed at the Husk's chest.

-9.

The claws scraped across its purple hide. The Husk barely reacted.

Kael smiled. Hardened Hide is doing its job.

The hare attacked again. Another slash.

-8.

This time, the damage barely moved the Husk's health bar. The creature responded with a vicious bite.

-33!

The hare stumbled backward. Kael didn't give it time to recover. He grabbed the thick branch he had been carrying and rushed in.

"Stay focused."

He swung.

-9! The branch slammed into the hare's side. It turned toward Kael for half a second.

That was enough for the Husk to snap at its throat. The hare immediately turned back.

Kael noticed the difference.

The Husk was doing almost four times his damage. That meant the monster's attention naturally stayed on the stronger threat.

Perfect.

Kael moved around its blind side and struck again.

-6.

He wasn't trying to steal the kill. He wasn't even trying to deal meaningful damage. He was supporting the Husk while keeping himself out of danger.

Two attackers. One target.

That was one of the reasons Beastmaster-type classes could become terrifying once properly developed. Most players focused entirely on their own damage.

Kael understood something they didn't. The companion didn't need to be a sidekick. It could be the center of his entire combat system.

The Thornback Hare was already staggering. Its health dropped below forty.

The Husk's eyes suddenly became bloodshot. Its jaws opened. Far wider than they should have.

Kael stepped back. "Do it."

The Husk lunged. Its mouth closed around the hare.

Crunch.The entire creature disappeared between its jaws. The Husk chewed slowly. Then swallowed.

A notification appeared before Kael.

[Ravenous Husk used Devour.]

[Thornback Hare defeated.]

[+5 EXP.]

[Permanent Max HP +5.]

Kael stared at the Husk. For a few seconds, nothing seemed different. Then he noticed it. The creature was slightly larger. Not by much. A few centimeters at most. But the change was real.

Kael's smile widened. "So that's how it works."

He had expected the skill to be good. Seeing the effect himself was different.

Every kill added permanent health. No duration. No reset. No diminishing return. The Husk could keep growing for as long as it kept eating. And Kael knew exactly how valuable that would become.

There was another mechanic he needed to settle immediately.

Experience.

Ascension normally distributed kill EXP according to contribution. The more damage a player dealt, the larger their share.

That system created a problem for Beastmasters. A companion needed EXP to grow. So did its owner. And the stronger the Beastmaster became, the more companions they could eventually control.

More companions meant more combat power. But it also meant more creatures competing for the same experience.

A weak Beastmaster could end up with five companions that were all mediocre instead of one powerful companion capable of carrying the entire team.

Kael had no intention of making that mistake.

He opened the EXP distribution panel. Two options appeared.

[Beastmaster: 0%]

[Companion: 100%]

Kael selected the second option.

Confirm. Done. Every point of EXP would go to the Husk. Normally, that would slow his own progression. But Beastlord had already solved that problem.

[Rapid Growth]

Bonded companions require 50% less EXP to level.

Kael had no reason to split anything. The faster the Husk grew, the easier future fights became. The easier the fights became, the faster Kael could level afterward.

Build the weapon first.Then use it to build everything else.Kael raised his head. "Come on."

The Husk followed.

The next ten minutes became almost mechanical.

A white shape moved through the bushes. The Husk attacked. Kael assisted. The hare fought back. The Husk ignored the damage. Then came the bite.

[Devour activated.]

Another hare disappeared. Then another. And another.

The forest had far more Thornback Hares than most players realized. That was exactly why Kael had chosen this area.

They were weak enough to kill quickly. Common enough to find constantly. And most importantly...

They were perfect targets for Devour.

A faint golden glow suddenly covered the Husk. Kael stopped.

A faint golden glow suddenly gathered around the Husk.

Kael's attention snapped toward it.

The creature had just swallowed another Thornback Hare, but this time, something was different.

The purple hide covering its body began to ripple.

Muscles shifted beneath it, tightening and thickening as though invisible hands were reshaping its entire frame.

The bone spurs along its shoulders pushed outward with a quiet crack, growing sharper and more pronounced.

Its hunched posture slowly straightened.

Its limbs became thicker.Even its claws seemed longer.

For a few seconds, golden light wrapped around the creature from head to toe, illuminating the dark forest around them.

Then the light erupted.

[Ravenous Husk has reached Level 2.]

Kael's eyes widened.

"Already?"

The change wasn't massive, but it was impossible to miss.

The Husk stood taller now, its body noticeably denser than before. Its breathing had become deeper, heavier. Every movement carried more weight.

It lowered its head and stared at its claws.

Then it looked at Kael. A low growl rumbled from its throat.Kael couldn't help smiling.

"Feels different, doesn't it?" The Husk answered with another growl.Kael opened the companion panel. Then another notification appeared.

[Evolution Point acquired.]

His expression became serious. That was the resource he had been waiting for.

Kael opened the skill menu.

[Husk Ward]

Rank: F

Upgrade Cost: 1 Evolution Point

He selected it.

[Upgrade Husk Ward?]

"Confirm."

[1 Evolution Point consumed.]

[Husk Ward has evolved from F-rank to E-rank.]

The description changed.

[Husk Ward]

Permanent dual-resistance: +2 per level → +4 per level.

Kael nodded. A single point had doubled the skill's scaling. That wasn't something he could afford to ignore.

The Husk had already been difficult for the Thornback Hares to hurt. Now? They might as well have been scratching a wall.

Kael looked deeper into the forest. For a moment, he considered moving toward stronger monsters. Then he shook his head.

No. Not yet.

He wasn't here to race to the highest level possible. He had another objective.

Devour.

The skill rewarded kills with permanent health. The stronger the Husk became, the more safely it could hunt. And Thornback Hares were everywhere. That made them perfect.

A stronger monster might give more EXP. But it wouldn't necessarily give more permanent health. Kael preferred the resource nobody else was paying attention to.

He pointed toward another patch of bushes. "Find them."

The Husk sniffed the air. Its ears twitched. Then it disappeared into the trees.

A moment later, Kael heard a familiar scream.

He followed.

Another hare. Another kill. Another five HP.

Eventually, Kael stopped fighting altogether.

The Husk no longer needed him.

It tore through the Thornback Hares alone. Kael simply followed behind. Whenever a copper coin appeared, he picked it up.

One. Two. Three.

A small pile rolled beneath a tree root. Kael crouched and retrieved every piece.

To another player, it would have been pointless. A few copper coins weren't worth bending down for.

Kael knew better.

Gold would become one of the most important resources in Ascension. Not just for equipment.

Not just for potions and consumables. After the game began affecting the real world, extracting abilities and items from Ascension would require enormous amounts of money.

Players who ignored small profits in the beginning would regret it later.

Kael pocketed another copper coin. Nothing is worthless if you collect enough of it.

The Husk returned with blood dripping from its mouth.

Kael glanced at it. "Again?"

The creature growled.

Kael almost laughed. "You really are hungry."

The Husk turned toward the forest. Another hare was already moving between the trees.

Kael followed.

Time passed. The forest gradually became quieter as the players near the settlement spread deeper into Ashwood.

Kael sat against a tree while the Husk hunted nearby. He opened the forum. There wasn't much else to do while waiting for the next kill.

The homepage loaded. Kael expected the usual beginner questions. Instead, one headline dominated the entire front page. Huge red letters stretched across the screen.