Server-First

Kael stared at it for a few seconds before opening the post.

MERCER EXPOSED: The Real Reason Ironclad Cut Their "Captain"

He already knew what he was going to find. He clicked anyway.

By the time he reached the second paragraph, a quiet laugh escaped him. Not because anything was funny. Because the lies were almost impressive.

According to the post, Kael Mercer had spent the last few years abusing his position inside Ironclad. Ignored guild activities.

Took valuable drops from weaker teammates. Refused to cooperate unless everyone followed his orders.

Then came the uglier accusations. Sexually abusing female staff. Bullying other players. Using his reputation to intimidate everyone around him.

And finally, the perfect ending to their little story. The night before Ascension launched, Kael had supposedly demanded an absurd salary increase.

Ironclad, unable to tolerate his behavior any longer, had been "forced" to terminate his contract.

Kael leaned back. "Creative."

The comments were even worse. Thousands of players had already gathered beneath the post. Some believed every word.

Others simply wanted someone to hate. Insults filled the screen. So did demands for Ironclad to expose more of his supposed misconduct.

Kael scrolled through them without expression.He didn't need evidence to identify the person behind it.

Cynthia Miles.

She couldn't stop him from leaving. She couldn't take his money. She couldn't force him to stay. So she had chosen the easiest weapon available.

His reputation.

Kael closed the forum. Fine.

Keep telling your story. I'll come back for you.

Then he pushed the matter from his mind. There was something far more important to deal with.

The Ravenous Husk was still hungry.

Another Thornback Hare disappeared between its jaws.

[Devour activated.]

[Target eliminated.]

[+5 EXP.]

[Maximum HP permanently increased by 10.]

The Husk swallowed. A faint pulse ran through its body.

Kael noticed the change immediately. It wasn't dramatic. Not yet.

But the creature was getting heavier. Its shoulders had become broader, and the muscles beneath its dark purple hide were beginning to show more clearly.

Its health bar had also stretched farther than before.Kael watched the numbers for a moment. Then another hare appeared. The Husk charged.

The forest had become a feeding ground. One hare. Then another. Then another.

Kael didn't bother searching for stronger monsters. He didn't need them.

Every Thornback Hare was another permanent increase to the Husk's health. That was far more valuable to him than a few extra levels.

Thirty minutes passed. Then the evolution counter finally changed.

[Current Evolution Points: 5]

Kael stopped. "Finally."

He opened the companion panel.

[Devour]

E-Rank

Upgrade available.

Kael selected it.

[5 Evolution Points will be consumed. Proceed?]

"Yes."

The five points vanished. A familiar system chime sounded.

[Skill upgraded.]

[Devour has evolved from E-Rank to D-Rank.]

Kael immediately opened the new description.

[Devour]

The Ravenous Husk tears into its target with its powerful jaws, dealing 130% of its Attack as damage.

35-40% of damage dealt is converted into HP.

If Feast kills the target, permanently increases Maximum HP by 10.

The Ravenous Husk grows larger after accumulating enough additional HP.

Mana Cost: None

Cooldown: 36 seconds

Next Upgrade: 25 Evolution Points

Kael stared at the final line. "Twenty-five?"

He checked the previous skill cost. One point. Then five. Now twenty-five.

His eyes narrowed. So it really is multiplying.

He couldn't confirm the exact rule yet. But if the pattern continued, every upgrade would become dramatically more expensive.

Fortunately, Devour had just become much better. Five extra maximum HP per kill had already been useful. Ten was another matter entirely.

Kael looked at the endless forest ahead. A smile slowly appeared.

"Keep eating."

The Husk turned toward him.

"Don't stop until every rabbit here knows your name."

A low growl answered him. Then it disappeared into the trees.

Another hour passed. The system notifications became almost routine.

[Thornback Hare eliminated.] [+5 EXP.] [+10 Maximum HP.]

[Thornback Hare eliminated.] [+5 EXP.] [+10 Maximum HP.]

[Thornback Hare eliminated.]

Kael stopped paying attention to the individual messages. He focused on the changes happening to his companion.

The Ravenous Husk reached Level 3. Then Level 4. And finally...

[Your companion, Ravenous Husk, has reached Level 5.]

The creature stopped moving.

Kael looked up. Something was happening.

The Husk's body suddenly tightened. Its back arched as its bones shifted beneath its hide.

Cracks of dull purple light appeared between its muscles. The creature released a deep, guttural roar.

Its frame expanded. The shoulders rose. The arms thickened. The claws lengthened until they dug grooves into the soil beneath its feet.

Even the bone spurs running along its back had changed they were no longer small protrusions but now looked like jagged blades growing directly from its body.

The purple hide covering its frame had become rough and uneven, almost like hardened stone.

Kael watched as the creature slowly straightened. What had once barely reached his waist now stood close to his shoulder. Its mouth opened. Rows of teeth filled the widened jaw.

The Husk looked nothing like the weak Iron-grade monster most players would dismiss after seeing its rank.

It looked hungry. And dangerous.

Kael checked its health.

Over 2,200 HP.

He nodded. "That's more like it."

The Husk turned its head. Then both of them heard it.

Crash!

The bushes ahead shook violently. Kael's hand moved toward the rusty sword hanging at his side.

Another crash. Something was coming.

A huge shape burst through the vegetation. For a moment, Kael thought a horse had charged into the clearing. Then he saw the ears.

A hare. But there was nothing ordinary about it.Its body was nearly the size of a wolf. Its fur was dirty and matted. Old scars crossed its face.

One of its ears was torn near the tip. Most importantly, a crimson health bar appeared above its head.

[THORNBACK ALPHA]

Level 5 Iron-Tier Boss

Kael's eyes lit up. "There you are."

He had been waiting for this. The Alpha was one of the strongest monsters he could encounter in this part of the forest at his current level. It was also exactly what he needed.

Kael drew his sword. The weapon looked pathetic compared with the monster a rusty sword, two extra points of Attack, nothing flashy. But it was enough.

Ascension didn't completely restrict equipment by class. A Warrior could wear a mage's robe. A mage could equip heavy armor.

The problem was efficiency. Most equipment was designed around specific attributes and skills, so using something meant for another class usually gave terrible results.

For Kael, none of that mattered. He only needed to deal enough damage to help his companion maintain control of the fight.

The Alpha suddenly lowered its head. Its hind legs compressed. Then it exploded forward.

"Go."

The Husk met it head-on.

BOOM! The collision shook the clearing. The Alpha's claws tore into the Husk's hide, but the creature barely moved.

The Husk's jaws snapped shut around the Alpha's shoulder.

[Critical hit!]

Blood sprayed across the grass. The Alpha screamed and kicked violently. The Husk was thrown several meters away.

It landed on all fours. Immediately, it charged again. Kael followed. He slipped around the Alpha's flank and drove the rusty sword into its side.

[15 Damage]

He pulled it free. Another strike.

[7 Damage]

It wasn't much. Kael didn't care. His job wasn't to kill the boss. It was to keep the pressure on.

The Husk did the rest. Claws ripped through fur. The Alpha's massive body slammed into trees. The ground trembled every time they collided.

The battle continued for several minutes. The Alpha was powerful. Against ordinary players, it would have been a nightmare.

But the Husk had spent more than an hour turning itself into a walking mountain of HP. The boss couldn't bring it down quickly enough.

Finally, the Alpha staggered. Its health bar dropped into the red.

Kael saw the opening. "Husk!"

The creature lunged. Its jaws opened wider than they should have been able to.

[Devour]

The Alpha disappeared. One bite. One swallow.Silence returned to the forest.

Kael stared at the empty patch of grass. Then the system appeared.

[Your companion, Ravenous Husk, has defeated Thornback Alpha.]

Level: 5 Rank: Iron-Tier Boss

[+500 EXP] [+10 Maximum HP] [+2 Evolution Points]

Kael hadn't even finished reading when another notification appeared. This one was different. The text carried a faint golden glow.

[Achievement Condition Fulfilled.]

[You have obtained the first server-wide kill of an Iron-Tier Boss.]

[Would you like to display your gamertag in the announcement?]

Kael stared at the final prompt. His thumb hovered over the confirmation button.

He could hide it. No one would know who had taken the first boss kill. That would be the sensible choice.

Kael almost laughed. Sensible?

He had already abandoned Ironclad, spent twenty million dollars to walk away from his old life, chosen a hidden class, and raised an Iron-grade monster into something capable of crushing a Level 5 boss.

Playing it safe had never been the point.

His gaze shifted toward the Ravenous Husk. The creature was still licking blood from its claws.

Kael's eyes narrowed. Let's see what happens. He knew what came next. The first players would start searching for the name.

Then guilds would notice. Some would want to recruit him. Others would want to find out how he had gotten so strong this early.

And sooner or later, someone would decide that killing him was easier than competing with him.

That was exactly what Kael wanted to know.

Not whether people would come after him. He was almost certain they would.

He wanted to know how fast.

How much attention would one announcement create? How quickly would the future begin changing around him?

There was only one way to find out.

Kael smiled. "Let's see who bites."

He pressed Yes.

For one, nothing happened. Then every player in Ascension received the same notification.

The system chime echoed through every village. Every hunting ground. Every beginner zone. Every player's HUD.