Beast Evolution Forge

He walked towards the snake and instead of attacking, it stared at him, as if assessing his threat level with the stick. He was wobbling, finally showing signs of being tired but somehow, the air around him was different that even the snake slithered backwards.

He swung the short in short intervals with his right hand, his veins flickering with each swing. His looked like they were staring off somewhere else, as if not acknowledge the snake anymore.

'hahh, how long has it been since i swung a sword? I wonder if those brats are doing ok.' His swing stopped mid way and the stick began to grow, mana spread across its surface, veins of purple light creeping like roots of a tree, as if the mana was rewriting the object's very essence.

The air grew heavier and even the snake seemed to sense that something was wrong here, a feeling telling it to run.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes half lidded as he traced the stick's length with his gaze. "Hey big guy, do you know the funny thing about weapons," he began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of experience. "They're not about sharp edges or heavy steel. They're about the hand that wields them."

"Anyone can pick up a stick," he said, his eyes now locked on the serpent. "Anyone can swing a blade. But cutting? Truly cutting? That's a different game entirely."

It hissed, coiling tighter, preparing to strike, but he continued, his grip firm but effortless. "It's not about the weapon. A sword's just steel. A stick's just wood. What matters is what _you_ make of it. What matters is if you know how to wield 'yourself'."

He took a single powerful step forward, his body loose, relaxed, almost nonchalant. The snake recoiled slightly, its instincts screaming caution. He gave it a faint smirk, the stick in his hand glowing brighter but also cracking, it was reaching its limit.

His raised the wood in a vertical pose, holding it tightly with one hand, the ground beneath him began to shake and the stick stick pulsed even stronger.

'It been so long since i did this, i wonder is Kana has mastered this move yet, she was my best student..... well, not really, she was the worst.'

He exhaled, and the next moment, everything changed.

He swung.

It was a single, clean motion, a swing that seemed both slow and instantaneous, paradoxical in its perfection. The air around him howled, not from the swing itself, but from the sheer power tearing through it. A crescent of violet energy shot forward, an arc so sharp and refined it seemed to slice through the very fabric of reality.

The serpent froze mid-hiss, its coiled body held in perfect stillness as the arc of mana passed through its head.

The light faded, the weapon in his hand shattering into harmless splinters and he stood motionless, his breathing steady, as if the feat had cost him nothing.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The serpent's body remained for a moment longer, unbroken but utterly still. Then, as though an invisible thread had been pulled, it collapsed into two precise halves, severed so cleanly that even its blood hesitated before spilling onto the ground.

The night was quiet once more.

He turned his back on the corpse, his steps slow and unhurried. "Sharp edges don't matter," he muttered to no one, his voice carrying in the silence. "You just have to know where to cu-"

Blood came gashing out if his mouth and his vision began to blur. He stumbled forward, clutching at his chest in pain as the purple veins that had glowed so fiercely now dimmed, their light flickering erratically. His knees gave out and he fell to the ground, his hands shaking on the ground.

The toll of using that much mana, especially this unfamiliar one, was undeniable now.

"Haha...that's to be expected, i am going to be vulnerable for a while."

[you are doing risky things as always master.]

"Yeah but there was no other choice, any longer and that thing would have ate me. Anyways, let's go claim our price."

He pulled himself up and walked over to where he hid the slimes. Part of him expected them to have ran away but they were still there, their soft bodies squishing together. When they saw him, they slowly approached him, hesitant at first but seconds later they were bouncing their bodies off him.

"Guess you guys took a liking to me for saving you, even beasts know how to appreciate kindness...."

His softy squished their bodies, bouncing off, which brought a smile to his face.

[master, are you sure about taming a slime? it seems like a waste of a slot?]

"I am not just taming one, I am going to tame both of them."

[WHAT! Master, please rethink this, i have always seen you as a smart player, one who knows the good from the bad so why are you doing this, i am sure you know slimes are usele-]

"Shut the hell up, don't talk shit about my kids, understand?" His voice was sharp, showing this was the end of the discussion.

[yes master.]

The system screen for taming showed up.

[Do you wish to tame these beasts? Y/N]

He clicked yes and the connection between them began. Thin purple strings extended from his chest and connected to each slime, they quivered slightly at first, their forms rippling as if unsure of what was happening but as the connection got stronger, they understood and accepted him as their master.

**[Taming Successful!]**

You have tamed: [Twin Shadow Slimes – Unnamed]

Rank: FFF

[slots remaining: 3/3]

"There, all done. Welcome to the family."

The slimes bounced excitedly, their forms jiggling as they playfully nudged against him. He chuckled, wincing slightly as the effort sent a jolt of pain through his battered body.

[Master, I cannot believe this. Two slimes. TWO! You had the chance to tame beast-]

" I thought i told you to shut up. Your way of thinking is flawed, they're not just beasts. They've got potential, i saw it myself and even if they didn't…" He reached out, letting his hand sink into one of the slime's cool, squishy forms. "They're mine now. That's reason enough."

[Very well, Master. It is your choice. However, I must remind you that you wasted to precious slots and you can only get more by becoming stronger and reaching higher ranks.]

"If i can get more then why are you bitching so much?"

The system was silent for a beat, the faint hum of its presence in his mind growing colder, almost petulant.

[...As you say, Master.]

"That's what I thought," he muttered, giving a wry smirk as he pushed himself upright. His legs trembled, but the presence of the slimes, happily bouncing around his feet, gave him an odd sense of reassurance.

"Besides, who says I'm not already thinking ahead?"

One of the slimes leapt onto his shoulder, its gelatinous body wobbling but somehow staying balanced. The other circled around his legs, almost as if guarding him from unseen dangers.

It was cute

[Thinking ahead? You've chosen creatures that are universally regarded as cannon fodder. Their potential is negligible, and their growth is—]

"Growth takes effort," he cut in sharply, his tone brooking no argument. He gazed down at the smaller slime, watching its form shimmer faintly in the night.

"Just because they're underestimated doesn't mean they're worthless. I was underestimated once, too, along time ago but look where that got me."

The system hesitated. [I will trust you, Master. Then Shall I analyze their current state and potential abilities?]

"Now you're talking."

[Analyzing…]