Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord

Jayden blinked as he read the quest's description, it came at a rather calculated timing. "This system sure knows how to deliver humor," he sighed

"But when did it start giving me mandatory quests? Luna, this better be another glitch," he groaned

[It's not] Luna replied. [You have exactly two weeks to become the leader of that pack... or receive punishment]

Jayden frowned. "What kind of punishment?"

[A decrease in stats... or the permanent deactivation of a skill] Luna replied casually

Jayden exhaled, the punishment were too cruel. He'd had a taste of power... raw, exhilarating power. He wasn't about to let it go.

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll do the dumb quest, but only when I'm stronger,"

[Not like you have a choice] Luna giggled

Jayden ignored her and opened the status interface to see his progress.

*Name: Jayden Starrk

*Race: ???

*Level: 3

*Exp: 70/80

*Hp: 200/200

*Ep: 35/60

*Strength: 52

*Speed: 42

*Agility: 24

*Stamina: 43

*Perception: 34

*Defense: 34

*Charm: 14

Stat points: 0

[Heart Rate: 45 Bpm]

*Health Regeneration [Passive]

*Beastlord Aura [Passive/Active]

*Beast Energy Acquisition:

*Telekinetic Force:

Jayden smirked. "Good, just a little more Exp to reach level 4," he muttered, checking out his stats.

Then his gaze landed on his available energy points. "Hm, looks like the Aura was in effect for 5 minutes before I deactivated it. So how long will it take for the Ep to get refilled?" he asked

[One energy point would be replenished every minute] Luna replied

"Hmm, that's fair. So 25 minutes then," Jayden speculated and began walking towards a tall tree. He approached the tree and took a deep breath. "For now, I'll just finish my daily quest,"

He scanned the tree, eyes locking onto a thick branch about fifty feet up. Then without hesitation, he jumped.

One leap... That was all it took for Jayden to move from the ground to the tree branch. He landed like a phantom on the branch, then vaulted to another, higher one.

And as he feet touch the second branch, the system screen appeared.

*Daily Quest (3/3):

[Climb to a height of 20m] (Complete)

[+10 stat points received]

[+10 Exp received]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up]

"Huh?" Jayden muttered in confusion. "How is the daily tasks suddenly complete? I don't remember lifting anything,"

"Unless..." he muttered in realization. "The wolves I had lifted during the fight, they must weigh about a hundred kilogram each,"

Jayden sighed. "I was probably too distracted to see the notification of the task being completed," he muttered and continued reading the system's messages.

[Congratulations, you have leveled up]

[+2 stat points has been added to all stats]

[Ep: 60 >> 80]

[Hp: 200 >> 250]

Jayden grinned, he had leveled up twice in one morning. It was all too exciting. "You know, this has been a very fruitful adventure, Luna,"

[No doubt] Luna agreed. [But this is only just the beginning, just wait until you start acquiring beast energy]

Jayden eye's widened at a sudden realization. "Crap! The E-Rank Howler's energy I wanted to absorb... and I would have if I wasn't interrupted by the Alpha and it's fucking pack," he sighed

[Don't worry] Luna assured. [There's plenty other beasts around, you'll just have to find them]

Jayden exhaled and began walking out of the forest. "Yeah, but not this morning anymore. The beasts would have already gone into their respective hiding spots by now," he muttered

"And I don't have the time to be searching for these spots," he added. "I'll be back tomorrow,"

Then Jayden began sprinting through the forest, testing out his new speed. And within seconds, he was almost out of the forest.

The trees thinned ahead, revealing the edge of the forest. Jayden was close to the city now. His sprint slowed to a jog, then a walk. He needed to act normal, no need to look suspicious just because he spent his morning fighting wolves.

The city streets were already bustling with early risers. Jayden blended into the crowd effortlessly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he moved through the sidewalks.

[So what now?] Luna asked. [You skipping school again?]

Jayden yawned. "Well, I guess I could attend classes today," he muttered, heading back to the house. "Or I'll just take the rest of the day off."

Jayden got home and freshened up, Jacob and the girls had already left before he arrived. So it was only him and Harleen in the house. But even she was already heading out

"Jayden, honey," Harleen called to Jayden who was busy stuffing his face with breakfast.. A meal of pancakes and orange juice.

"Mm.. hmm?" he replied with a full mouth, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk.

Harleen chuckled at the sight of Jayden's full mouth, it was like watching a child eat. "Do you need anything else?" she asked

Jayden swallowed the food in his mouth. "No, thanks. I'm good," he replied,

Harleen smiled. "Okay then, I'm leaving now," she said and approached the door. But then she paused and turned back to him

"Are you sure don't want to change your mind about going to school? I can still drop you off if you want," she said

Jayden smiled. "I'm sure, Harleen. Don't worry about me," he muttered

"Okay, If you say so," Harleen sighed and opened the door. "Bye, Jayden. Be a good boy,"

Jayden nodded. "I will," he said. "Have a nice day,"

Harleen chuckled and walked out of the house, she went into her vehicle and drove away.

Jayden sighed as Harleen left, he now had the whole house to himself. "So," he mumbled. "Now what?"

[Are you asking me?] Luna scoffed. [Do whatever it is slackers do, I guess]

"I'm not slacking off, Luna," Jayden defended. "I'm just... strategically conserving energy."

[That's exactly what a slacker would say] Luna retorted

Jayden sighed and cleared his plate. "I'm not arguing with you again, not today,"

[Good, cause I'm clocking out for a bit.] Luna's voice softened. [I've got to process all the beast data I've gathered. It's a lot.]

"Great, the Ai wants a nap. How hilarious," Jayden jeered. But he got no reply from Luna, she had entered sleep mode already.

Jayden sighed and went back to his room, he laid on the bed and decided to get some shut eye as well. He hadn't slept much the previous night.

"But first, let's distribute the stat points," he muttered, opening the system's interface.

Jayden analysed his stats for a while, deciding how to distribute the points. "If I add all the stat points to speed, it'll be on the same level as strength," he muttered

"And all my stats are above 30 already... except for Agility and Charm," he sighed.

After a while of contemplation, he made his decision. "Add 4 stat points to charm and 6 to Agility," he ordered

[+4 Stat points added to Charm]

[+6 Stat points added to Agility]

______

*Strength: 54

*Speed: 44

*Agility: 32

*Stamina: 45

*Perception: 36

*Defense: 36

*Charm: 20

Stat points: 0

______

Jayden sighed in satisfaction. " Now I can be rest assured that Agility is on a fair side, and I think 20 is good enough for Charm," he muttered, before closing his eyes and drifting away into his mid-morning nap.

*******

Inside a large forest, a surrounding that was.. Quieter. Wild, but peaceful.

Jayden could be seen in the forest surrounding, but he was only six years old. Just a little tangle-haired boy with wide eyes and scraped knees, crouched low beside a woman who radiated a quiet, terrifying power. His mother. Cyllene Starrk.

They were deep in the forest, moonlight dripping through the leaves in pale silver streams. The air was humid, thick with the scent of mud and moss. In the distance, water trickled from a slow-moving stream, but it wasn't the stream that had Jayden's attention.

It was the monster basking in its depths. An alligator, or so it looked like.

This one was bigger than a car... at least 25 feet long, with black-emerald scales that shimmered like obsidian glass. Its back rippled with ridges, and its eyes glowed faintly gold, pulsing like twin suns under thick armored lids.

It didn't just exist. It loomed about the terrain. A beast. A real one.

"Keep your body low," Cyllene whispered beside him, voice like velvet steel. "Don't make a sound."

Jayden gulped and nodded, his little fingers clutching the hem of her long coat. "Mom... what is that?"

Cyllene's eyes never left the creature. "That, Jayden, is a Tremor Gator. C-Rank. Not from this world."

Jayden's eyes widened. "Not from...?"

"Shh," she placed a gentle hand over his mouth, not unkindly. "Just watch. Observe its movements. See how it breathes slow? That means it's relaxed. But the moment its nostrils flare twice in succession... that's when it's about to strike."

Jayden nodded again, heart hammering with a cocktail of fear and awe. But he was learning

"Now," Cyllene continued, a glint in her eye. "What do you do when facing something stronger than you?"

Jayden blinked. "Run?"

She smirked. "Wrong."

She stood up.

"No," Jayden gasped, grabbing her arm. "Mom, what are you doing?!"

She turned to him, crouching to his level, her tone soft but unwavering. "You watch. You learn. But most importantly, you face."

Then she stood again, her coat falling from her shoulders like a shadow peeling away. Beneath it, she wore a tight black tank top and combat pants. Her arms were wrapped in leather bindings, runes faintly glowing underneath.

Jayden's eyes widened, his mother was about to fight that thing... that monster. He was excited, but at the same time, scared.

"Mum," he called. "Aren't you going to use your weapon?"

Cyllene smiled. "Jayden, a true hunter doesn't require weapons," she said. "They utilise whatever nature has provided for them,"

Jayden blinked, he could only understand a bit of what she had said but he got the idea. "Okay. But can I help? I have a plan that might work,"

Cyllene chuckled at the sight of her six year old child fighting a beast, she walked to him and rubbed his head gently. "Don't worry Jayden, someday you get to help me. But for now, just watch," she muttered and began walking away

"And as a hunter, you don't plan," She added. "You adapt to the fight, using only your primal instinct, just like the beast. To hunt a beast, you have to think like one,"

With that Cyllene cracked her knuckles, and then she walked into the clearing.

Jayden couldn't breathe. He watched his mother strode over to the beast with confidence.

The Tremor Gator shifted, one golden eye rolling toward the approaching human. A guttural growl rolled from its throat.

Cyllene didn't flinch. She grinned.

And then she ran. Straight at it.

In a blur of movement, the gator lunged... it's massive jaws splitting open like a cave, jagged teeth glistening. But Cyllene dove to the side, rolled, and punched its jaw mid-roll, slamming it shut with a crack that echoed through the trees.

Jayden's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Whoa!"

Cyllene moved like a force of nature.. fluid, primal, relentless. She ducked under a sweeping tail, leapt over a crushing lunge, and slammed her fist straight into the beast's eye socket.

The Tremor Gator roared, shaking the earth beneath them.

But Cyllene didn't stop.

She grappled with it. Wrestled the damn thing like she was made of iron and fury.

Every strike she delivered was calculated. Controlled. Efficient.

She wasn't just fighting, it was like she was dancing.

Jayden's heart pounded, blood roaring in his ears. He wanted to help. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry.

But he also wanted to be just like her.

His mother. A woman who didn't back down. Who faced monsters not with weapons, but with will.

The Tremor Gator thrashed wildly now, its thick tail cleaving trees like matchsticks, its roars sending birds scattering from the canopy in a panic. But Cyllene was laughing.

Not the laughter of a madwoman. But the wild, untamed joy of a beast challenged. Like a predator hunting down its prey with style.

She darted under a heavy swipe of the creature's claws, flipping herself off the bark of a nearby tree to land square on its armored back. Her fingers elongated, forming claws as she gripped its ridges and held on.

The gator bucked like a bronco, roaring furiously. Its muscles rippled like stone grinding against stone.

But Cyllene gritted her teeth and slammed her elbow down onto its spine with the full force of her weight.

CRACK!

The creature let out a guttural screech of pain, tail spasming as she struck a sensitive pressure point.

Still, it wasn't done. It rolled.

Jayden gasped. "Mum!!"

The gator twisted its massive body, launching itself into a violent barrel roll to crush her beneath it.

But she was faster.

She leapt... like a blur of motion, and landed on its snout mid-roll, crouching like a queen on her throne. Her golden eyes glowed now, primal and divine.

"Not bad," she muttered, staring down at the beast. "But you've got too many tells."

The Tremor Gator lunged upward, jaws snapping. This time it was desperate.

But Cyllene planted both hands on its jaws... one on the top, one on the bottom, and held them open.

Jayden's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. It was like watching a scene straight out of an action movie.

Veins bulged in her arms as she gritted her teeth, pouring raw strength into her grip. The gator thrashed beneath her like a mountain come to life, but Cyllene didn't budge.

"Jayden," she called out mid-wrestle, her voice calm as if she wasn't fighting a supernatural apex predator. "Lesson two."

Jayden sat up straighter, eyes locked.

"When brute strength fails," she grunted, her muscles flexing with dangerous elegance, "find the rhythm."

And with one clean motion, she spun, letting go just long enough to twist behind the gator's head, locking its jaws shut with her arm coiled tightly around its throat.

Then she drove her palm straight into the beast's eye again.

The creature howled, but this time it was weaker. Dizzy. Dazed.

She wasn't just fighting the beast. She was taming it.

With a final, thunderous slam, her elbow drove down like lightning onto the creature's skull.

BAM!

The forest went still.

The Tremor Gator collapsed, unmoving. A deep rumble escaped its throat as it passed out cold, the golden glow fading from its eyes.

Jayden's mouth was open. His hands were trembling. But not from fear... from awe.

She stood atop the beast like a warrior goddess, breathing hard, chest heaving with exertion... but victorious.

Cyllene turned toward him, her smile soft now. "You okay, baby?"

Jayden just nodded, starstruck.

She hopped down and ruffled his hair. "Good. Then you're ready for the next lesson."

He blinked up at her. "What's that?"

Cyllene winked. "How to ride a beast without getting eaten."

********