BEAST CODE: System of the Eternal Sovereign ‎

Shraaahhh...

The beast that emerged from the mist didn't roar—it exhaled, like a dying god breathing smoke through shattered lungs.

Its six legs clicked against the stone, a mixture of bone and ash-fused metal. Fire and wind coiled around its spines. Three heads. Six eyes. And not one of them looked alive.

[Beast Detected: Ashwind Cerberant – Rank: Unknown]

Attributes: Flame / Wind / Undead Hybrid

Known Skills: Ember Rift, Spectral Lunge, Cyclone Pulse

Status: Hostile

Estimated Combat Power: EX Rank (Unmeasurable)

Ren's breath hitched. Even Nyx flinched, fur rising along his spine.

But the System offered no way out.

[Emergency Trial: Survival Mode Initiated]

Objective: Survive for 180 seconds

Bonus Reward: Evolution Key Fragment

Penalty for Failure: Beast Link Instability (Risk of Sync Loss)

Ren's mind snapped into focus.

"Don't engage directly. Nyx—run shadow loops. Focus on evasion, not damage!"

Nyx didn't hesitate. He blinked into the darkness, circling wide and vanishing between flickers of fog.

The Ashwind Cerberant growled, one of its heads twisting unnaturally toward Ren, while another tracked Nyx by scent. The third—

Boom!

—unleashed a blast of windfire, turning the ground behind Ren into molten rock.

[Attack Logged: Cyclone Pulse – Area Rupture]

Effect: Knockback + Burn (Tier 3)

Cooldown: 12 seconds

Ren barely rolled aside, heat licking at his skin.

[Time Remaining: 174 seconds]

He gritted his teeth. "System, give me danger arcs. Real-time prediction overlay!"

[Tactical Interface Overlay – Enabled]

Predictive Pathing: ACTIVE

Risk Zones: Marked in red

On the battlefield, translucent red arcs blinked into view—danger zones traced with paths of projected movement.

One second, the Cerberant lunged.

The next, Nyx dashed through its blind spot—only for the beast's second head to intercept.

[Warning: Dual Tracking Active – Beast has asynchronous targeting]

Nyx was fast, but not fast enough to dodge two minds at once.

Unless—

"Trigger Shadow Howl! Focus pulse! Now!"

[Skill Activated: Shadow Howl – Sonic Disruption Field]

A blast of void-sound tore through the fog. The spectral energy howled back like a chorus of wolves, echoing in distorted patterns.

The Cerberant staggered slightly—its rear legs locked in place as its undead nerve structure struggled to adapt.

[Debuff Success: -15% Reaction Speed (4s)]

[Beast Status: Distracted – Opportunity Window: 3.2 seconds]

[Time Remaining: 160 seconds]

Ren clenched his fists. "We don't have to win—we just have to survive."

Then the masked figure watching from the tree line raised a single hand.

"Interesting adaptation. Let's raise the stakes."

[Phase Shift Initiated – Beast enters Overload Mode for 30 seconds]

Status: Power Amplified x2

Warning: Arena Unstable

The Cerberant's body burned brighter. Wind screeched. Flames spiraled like a mini-storm.

And then—

Everything exploded.

The beast vanished from the ground, reappeared midair, and slammed down in a radius explosion.

BOOM!

Nyx barely escaped the impact zone, claws scraping molten stone.

Ren flew backward, hitting the arena wall. Blood filled his mouth.

[HP: 84 → 46]

Minor Fracture Detected – Healing unavailable during emergency event

His vision blurred.

Nyx limped, panting hard, one leg dragging behind.

[Time Remaining: 122 seconds]

Too long.

Ren's thoughts raced.

No skills could overpower this monster. But maybe—just maybe—they could outplay it.

He focused. Hard.

"System—open Codex Editor. Force-initiate Prototype Merge Core."

[WARNING: Prototype Mode unstable]

Beast Sync exceeds safe limits.

Mental Strain Predicted: 71%

Proceed?

→ Y/N

"…Y."

[Confirmed. Merging Partial Traits: Shadowstep + Phantom Claw → New Skill Unlocked]

Shadow Veil: Phase Mirage Clone (One Use)

Effect: Create an afterimage clone to absorb one attack. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Ren groaned as code symbols shimmered in his vision.

"Nyx! Shadow Veil—use it to bait the firehead!"

Nyx growled, then moved like ink in water—splitting into two.

The real Nyx vanished behind a crumbled column.

The clone—almost identical—stood exposed in plain sight.

The Cerberant took the bait.

CRASH.

Fire breath engulfed the clone.

Nothing.

[Skill Success – Redirected Critical Attack]

Time Remaining: 68 seconds

Ren forced himself upright.

"Keep dancing," he muttered. "Just a little longer."

Outside the Arena – Observation Platform

Sela and Vayne stood side-by-side, staring down at the battle.

"That's no academy beast," Vayne muttered. "That's a Soulburn-class rogue summon. Illegal."

Sela didn't blink. "This isn't a test. It's a message."

"From who?"

"I don't know."

Back in the Field

The beast reared up for one final lunge.

Its body began to unravel—unstable, burning out from its overload phase.

Ren couldn't move anymore.

But Nyx—bloody, limping, but unbroken—stood between him and death.

The Cerberant struck—

—right as the sky flared.

DING!

[Time Limit Reached – Trial Complete]

Beast Terminated: Dissolving Summon

Reward: Evolution Key Fragment (1/5)

Beast Instability: Avoided

Bond Level: Deepened

Hidden Stat Gained: Soul Resilience +3

Codex Insight: Partial Unlock – Fragment "Eternal Code" (Alpha 01)

The beast collapsed into embers, its form burning away like ash in a storm.

The masked figure turned and disappeared, no sound, no warning.

Just gone.

Minutes Later – Infirmary Quarters, Starroot Core

Ren lay on a stone bed, bandaged and barely conscious.

Nyx lay beside him, curled up in sleep. The room was quiet.

Until a message pinged inside Ren's mind.

[Codex Fragment Alpha 01 Unlocked]

Title Revealed: "Bearer of the Eternal Sovereign Code"

Your path is no longer bound to this world alone.

Ren's eyes opened, barely.

"…What the hell did I just survive?"

End of Chapter 12