my beast change system

A voice echoed in the darkness, calm yet firm.

"You will be transported to a new world filled with magic. You will be given powers."

The words struck me like lightning. My mind spun in confusion.

"Wait, what?" I stammered, trying to make sense of it all.

The voice ignored my question, speaking as if it had no time to explain.

"Go forth and live a new life, young boy…"

Before I could respond, a blinding light engulfed me, and I felt my entire body being pulled into the unknown.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the cold, damp ground. The scent of earth and moss filled my nose, and a strange hum of wildlife echoed around me. I sat up slowly, taking in my surroundings. I was in the middle of a dense forest, surrounded by tall trees with leaves that glowed faintly in the shadows.

Animals circled me. Lions, cheetahs, wolves, even a few birds perched in the branches. Their eyes were locked on me, but none of them attacked. It was as if they were waiting for something.

"Where… am I?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the rustling leaves.

As I tried to make sense of it all, a glowing screen appeared in front of me. It hovered in the air, faintly shimmering with golden light.

System

Name:

Last Name:

Age:

Gender:

I stared at the screen, completely baffled. Was this some sort of dream? A game? The words blinked, waiting for input.

After a moment of hesitation, I spoke. "Nate Williams. Age 18. Male."

The screen responded immediately, my words appearing as text before me. Then, two new options flashed on the screen.

System

"Confirm Info"

Yes / No

I nodded instinctively, unsure if the system could read my movements. The screen blinked again, and I felt something shift within me. My body grew light as if gravity had stopped working. I began to float a few inches above the ground.

Golden light surrounded me, wrapping itself around my arms and legs. My clothes started to dissolve into glowing ash, and a new outfit began to form—leather armor that looked sleek and modern. It hugged my body like it was made for me.

"What's happening to me?" I muttered, staring at the transformation.

The animals around me lowered themselves to the ground, bowing as though a king stood before them. Even the birds descended, their heads low.

My vision flickered for a moment, the world turning to strange negative colors before shifting back to normal. When it was over, I landed softly on the ground.

I reached behind my head and pulled a lock of my hair into view. It was no longer the bright blue I was used to. It had turned a shining silver. My skin looked lighter, almost pale, as if I had undergone some kind of rebirth.

The system appeared again, its calm words explaining everything.

System

"You have gained a hero class: Beast Change. (Level 1)"

"Beast Change?" I muttered.

The system explained that I could transform into beasts I had defeated or forged contracts with. Each transformation would last 30 seconds, with a cooldown of two minutes. It sounded useful, but the time limit was definitely a downside.

I looked at the animals around me. There were fewer than before. I frowned. Where had they gone?

The system answered without me asking.

System

"95% of the beasts were used to complete your update."

"Update?" I murmured, glancing at the armor now covering my body. "So, they became this…"

The system flashed again, showing me an inventory.

Inventory

Eagle's Crest Helmet

Wolf's Fang Gauntlets

Alligator's Blade

Each item looked like it belonged to some kind of wild-themed warrior. The armor didn't feel heavy, and everything matched perfectly.

The system wasn't done yet.

System

"Title Unlocked: King of the Jungle."

"King of the Jungle?" I laughed, though it felt strange to say it out loud. Was I really this strong already? According to the title, I could command the remaining beasts around me. Best of all, I'd gain 50% of the experience they earned in battle.

The system flashed again.

System

"Would you like to see the names and levels of your beasts?"

Yes / No

"Yes," I replied, curious.

Bars appeared above the heads of the animals. The lion, which looked normal at first glance, was labeled Flame Lion (Level 2). The cheetah bore the name Lightning Cheetah (Level 2), while a black panther was called Shadow Panther (Level 2). Lastly, a large crow perched on a branch was labeled Cursed Crow (Level 4).

"They're all below Level 5," I noted. "Not bad, though. A small team to start with. I can work with this."

This world was already starting to feel like an adventure.

Emily – Age 19

I walked cautiously through the forest with my team of adventurers. This was supposed to be an easy mission—an E-rank task to hunt down five goblins. It was our first goblin hunt, and we'd been told it wouldn't be hard.

"So far, we haven't seen a single goblin," the knight in heavy armor muttered, scanning the area.

"You're right. It's strange to walk this far without being attacked," said the archer, her bow resting on her shoulder.

"Do you think it's a trap?" asked the mage, gripping his staff tightly.

"Possibly," the knight replied. "What do you think, Emily?"

I hesitated, gripping the staff in my hands. "Maybe… it's just because we're new to E-rank missions. We don't know what to expect yet."

They nodded, though none of us were convinced. We continued deeper into the forest.

Nate

For the past thirty minutes, I'd been training with my beasts. We'd taken down several goblins, and I was covered in dirt and sweat. I sat under the shade of a tree, catching my breath.

The system showed our progress. My beasts had all reached Level 9, except for the Cursed Crow, which was now Level 13. I'd climbed to Level 12, and my Beast Change ability could now last 30 minutes, with only a 3-second cooldown.

As I reviewed the stats, I heard a scream.

"Help!"

I froze. Maybe it was just my imagination.

"Help!" the voice came again, louder and more desperate.

I sighed and stood up. Someone needed help, and I couldn't just ignore it.

Emily

This was a nightmare. We were surrounded by an army of goblins, at least a hundred of them. Behind them stood a massive goblin general, its sharp teeth glinting in the dim light.

Our team fought as hard as we could, but it wasn't enough. I raised my staff to cast a healing spell when a goblin leapt toward me, its blade gleaming.

I couldn't move. It was too fast.

In that moment, I thought, This is how I die