Darkness slowly gave way to light.
Drake’s eyelids fluttered as consciousness gradually returned.
Every muscle in his body ached as though he had been beaten relentlessly for days.
His head throbbed with a dull pain, and his thoughts felt sluggish, wrapped in an unnatural haze.
“…Where…” His voice echoed weakly through the enormous underground chamber.
The ceiling stretched hundreds of meters overhead, illuminated by countless pale-blue crystals embedded within the stone.
Rivers of glowing mana flowed silently through intricate channels carved into the black floor, bathing the chamber in an eerie light.
For several moments, Drake simply lay there, staring upward.
Nothing felt familiar.
He slowly sat up, supporting himself with one hand as dizziness washed over him.
His entire body protested the movement, but strangely, he couldn’t find any serious injuries.
His clothes were torn, stained with dried blood, yet the cuts and bruises he remembered suffering during his escape were nowhere to be found.
His brow furrowed.
“…Didn’t I…” He closed his eyes, trying to remember.
The forest.
The hunters.
Young Master Leon.
Running.
After that…
Nothing.
It was as though someone had torn the final pages from his memories.
Drake let out a slow breath.
“I must’ve hit my head…” It was the only explanation that made sense.
His gaze drifted toward the massive black tomb standing at the center of the chamber.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, his heart skipped a beat.
An indescribable sense of unease settled over him the instant he looked at it.
It wasn’t fear exactly.
It felt more like instinct, a silent warning whispered by every fiber of his being.
Don’t go near it.
Drake looked away.
Whatever had happened here didn’t matter.
His sister did.
Luna was still waiting for him.
That thought alone pushed him to his feet.
“I have to get out.” — Time lost all meaning beneath the Dead Ruins.
Drake wandered through endless corridors of ancient black stone, searching desperately for an exit.
Every hallway seemed to lead to another maze of towering pillars and forgotten chambers.
Strange symbols covered the walls, glowing faintly whenever he passed, but he no longer stopped to examine them.
Hours slipped by.
His legs grew heavier with every step.
Hunger gnawed at his stomach.
Thirst burned his throat.
Several passages had collapsed completely, forcing him to retrace his steps.
Others ended before gigantic stone doors that refused to budge no matter how much force he used.
“This place…” He leaned against a pillar, breathing heavily.
“…It’s like it doesn’t want anyone to leave.” Silence answered him.
Not even the sound of dripping water remained.
The underground city felt abandoned by time itself.
As Drake pushed himself away from the pillar, a strange sensation suddenly spread across the back of his right hand.
He stopped.
“…Again?” It wasn’t painful.
Just…
Warm.
Like tiny sparks dancing beneath his skin.
The feeling disappeared almost instantly.
Drake frowned and turned his hand over.
Nothing.
No wound.
No mark.
No scar.
He rubbed it absentmindedly before continuing onward.
“I really did hit my head…” — Another hour passed.
Or perhaps two.
Drake no longer knew.
The underground passages eventually widened into a vast cavern unlike anything he had seen before.
Towering rock formations rose toward the ceiling while ancient ruins lay scattered across the valley floor below.
He crouched behind a broken stone wall, studying the landscape.
Then— A roar shook the cavern.
The sound struck like thunder.
The ground trembled violently beneath Drake’s feet.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
His heart nearly stopped.
Another roar answered the first.
This one deeper.
More savage.
Two monstrous cries collided, echoing throughout the underground valley with enough force to shake loose fragments of ancient stone.
Drake slowly crawled toward the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley.
His eyes widened.
Two enormous creatures were locked in battle.
Each beast stood nearly four meters tall, their bodies covered in pale armor that resembled weathered bone.
Rows of jagged spikes ran along their backs while crimson eyes burned with primal fury.
Their claws carved deep trenches into solid stone.
Every collision sent cracks racing across the battlefield.
Drake had never seen monsters like these before.
Each movement carried terrifying strength.
Yet despite their size…
There was something graceful about them.
Every dodge.
Every bite.
Every slash.
It wasn’t random.
It was instinct perfected through countless generations of survival.
The two monsters circled each other before colliding once again.
Their jaws snapped together with enough force to shatter stone.
One drove its claws into the other’s shoulder.
The second answered by tearing open its rival’s side.
Blood sprayed across the ruins.
Neither beast retreated.
Minutes passed.
The battle grew increasingly brutal.
Eventually, one of the monsters began slowing.
Its breathing became ragged.
One foreleg buckled beneath its own weight.
The other saw the weakness instantly.
With terrifying speed, it lunged forward.
Its massive jaws clamped around its rival’s neck.
CRACK!
The sound echoed across the valley.
The defeated monster collapsed.
Its enormous body struck the ground with a thunderous impact.
Silence followed.
The victorious beast stood over its fallen opponent, chest rising and falling heavily as blood dripped from countless wounds.
Drake held his breath.
He expected the winner to finish its rival.
Instead…
The beast released a deep growl before turning away.
Without another glance, it disappeared into the darkness beyond the valley.
“…It left?” Drake blinked in confusion.
Why?
The defeated monster still breathed.
Barely.
Its chest rose weakly.
Blood pooled beneath its broken body.
Minutes passed.
The dying creature didn’t move again.
Drake remained hidden, watching carefully.
Still nothing.
“It must be dead…” His stomach growled loudly.
The sound made him grimace.
Monster materials were worth fortunes.
Even a single claw or fang could pay Luna’s hospital bills for months.
Slowly, he climbed down into the valley.
Every step felt dangerous.
Even lifeless, the monster radiated an overwhelming presence.
When Drake finally stood beside it, he realized just how enormous it truly was.
Its pale hide resembled polished bone.
Its claws were longer than swords.
Its crimson eye remained half-open, staring blankly toward the cavern ceiling.
“…Sorry.” Drake whispered almost apologetically.
“I just need enough to survive.” He reached out.
The instant his fingers touched the creature— The world froze.
An unbearable heat erupted from the back of his right hand.
Drake cried out and stumbled backward.
“What—?!” A crimson symbol blazed into existence across his skin.
Countless beasts intertwined to form a perfect circle.
The mark pulsed once.
The monster’s body dissolved.
Not into ash.
Not into blood.
Into countless crimson particles.
Every fragment of flesh.
Every drop of blood.
Every shard of bone.
Every strand of mana.
Everything.
It all rushed toward Drake’s hand like a crimson river.
“No!” He tried to pull away.
It didn’t matter.
The torrent ignored him.
Within seconds…
The enormous corpse had vanished completely.
Only empty stone remained.
Silence filled the valley.
Then— A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
Cold.
Ancient.
Emotionless.
Biological sample acquired.
Drake’s body froze.
The voice continued.
Species identified…
Bonefang Ravager.
Alpha Variant.
Bloodline Purity: 86.91%.
Memories exploded inside his mind.
The underground tomb.
The crimson eyes.
The living organism.
The unbearable pain.
Everything returned at once.
Drake staggered backward, clutching his head.
“It…” “It wasn’t a dream…” The relic continued its report.
Scanning skeletal structure…
Scanning muscular density…
Scanning cellular matrix…
Scanning nervous system…
Scanning mana circulation…
Scanning instinctive combat behavior…
Images flooded Drake’s consciousness.
The Bonefang Ravager stalking prey beneath moonlight.
Fighting rival Alphas.
Protecting its territory.
Tracking wounded monsters across impossible distances.
Hunting.
Killing.
Surviving.
Every instinct.
Every habit.
Every weakness.
Every strength.
It was as though the creature’s entire existence had been copied into his mind.
Drake collapsed to one knee.
His breathing became uneven.
“What…” “What are you doing to me…?” The relic ignored the question.
Scanning evolutionary memory…
Bloodline Archive Complete.
A brief silence followed.
Then the final report echoed through his consciousness.
First Morph Pattern Generated.
Drake stared silently at his trembling hand.
He had no idea what those words truly meant.
But somehow…
Deep within his soul…
He knew his life had just changed forever.