A New Breed of Monster

Axel blinked, staring at the glowing text hovering in front of him.

"Wait, the system just responded?"

It was a shocker. This system had always been a simple yet complex control panel, a tool to help manage one's Ability. It was supposed to be demure, functional, and utterly silent. The idea that it had actually responded? That it had done so in reaction to his thoughts? That was something entirely new.

He felt a jolt of surprise but quickly steadied himself. Composure was key.

"System," he began, his voice firm but questioning, "what are you? What is your origin?"

It was the age-old question, one that anyone who'd dabbled even a little in philosophy would have wanted to ask. The ultimate inquiry. But Axel wasn't holding his breath.

"...."

Of course, no response came. The system was silent, as it was supposed to be. In fact, if not for the single reply still visible on the screen, he might have dismissed the whole incident as a hallucination, a trick of a tired mind.

"Because I became a player?" he muttered to himself, rereading the text.

It made sense. The system had mentioned before that his status as a "player" had fundamentally changed his relationship with it. To the system, he was no longer just another user; he was something different, something unique.

Axel chose not to dwell on it further. Answers could wait. Instead, he returned his attention to the system menu. His stats were displayed prominently, along with his Ability: Contract Bind.

Not knowing where to start, he tapped on the rank listed in the Ability section. Nothing happened. He frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, he tried again, this time pressing and holding his finger on the rank.

The display shifted instantly. The rank text bubbled up, and a small slider appeared beside it, pointing downward. Understanding the new feature, Axel clicked the slider a few times, adjusting it.

"Hmm… this should be okay," he muttered.

Satisfied, he pressed and held the Ability section once more, and the interface reverted to its previous layout. He glanced over the updated information:

[Ability: Contract Bind]

Type: Utility

Rank: S

Description: Form a contract with one willing human. Bound subject gains enhanced physical and magical attributes. User gains 50% of bound subject's stat increases.

Axel reread the description, nodding to himself. Lowering the rank to S had been the right move. The original rank, one unknown to humanity's classification system, would have drawn far too much attention.

Now, S rank wasn't particularly rare. Its quirks, like being limited to contracting only with humans, fit neatly into the typical conditions associated with Abilities of that level. Everything looked normal, perfectly mundane.

But there was still a lingering problem. His rapid growth.

Axel sighed, leaning back. He'd advanced from E rank to C rank in less than a month. That kind of progress was extraordinary, almost unheard of. For most, such potential would be a cause for celebration. But for him? It meant scrutiny, the kind he couldn't afford.

The association's investigators would surely notice. If they realized his growth rate suggested he might one day reach S rank…

"It can't be helped," he muttered, shrugging.

He sprawled out on the sofa, stretching his legs lazily and letting out a loud burp from the drink he'd just downed. The tension in his mind didn't fully ease, though. His gaze drifted to another part of the system menu, one he hadn't touched in over a week.

[Summoning]

His tired eyes lingered there. He hadn't checked it since regaining consciousness. Not that he wasn't curious about the progress he'd made in that form—he was dying to know. But caution held him back.

Activating the form would surely cause the system to alert, and by extension, the whole neighborhood, that a monster was loose. That would be a disaster.

He shook his head, exhaling sharply. Drawing attention was the last thing he wanted.

But still, he couldn't help the gnawing feeling eating away at him. He was itching, scratching, dying… to check the stats of his monster form. He wanted to know how much he had progressed after defeating the Mutated twin-horned Alpha. He'd managed to hold back for a week now, but his patience was wearing thin.

"I'll just take a peek… it wouldn't hurt," Axel muttered, steeling his mind.

With that, he summoned the system window. He had already resolved to keep the summoning active for no more than a minute. That should be enough time to check whatever he needed to see.

The moment he activated the summoning, the system window transformed. The familiar interface morphed into something jagged and crimson, a monstrous design he now recognized all too well.

Immediately, system notifications flared across his vision, stacking rapidly:

[You have evolved.]

[You have become a more defined existence. You have an identity.]

[Monster → Demon.]

[You have completed: First evolution. Innate Demon Body unlocked.]

Axel's eyes widened as he scanned the notifications. Of course, he'd expected some growth, he'd used his monster form throughout the dungeon raid, even defeating the boss monster. But this?

"I evolved?" he murmured, his voice tinged with disbelief.

There was no time to linger on the thought. He'd set a strict time limit, and he wasn't about to break it now. Quickly, he navigated to the system menu, his eyes locking onto his updated stats.

[Status Updated.]

Name: Axel Cross

Rank: Demon (C)

Strength: 56 → 122

Agility: 41 → 99

Endurance: 44 → 94

Mana: 50 → 146

Authority: System Authority (Level 1)

Title: Player X24K-881

Skills: Razor Swipe, Predator's Instinct, Rend, Soul Crush.

Axel's breath quickened as he read through the updates, his hands clenching the arms of the sofa. Those numbers—they had practically doubled. His eyes were glued to the stat window. Strength had surged to a monstrous 122, with the other attributes growing at similarly terrifying rates.

"This… this is insane," he muttered, a grin tugging at his lips, almost involuntarily. The itch in his chest intensified. His pulse hammered against his skin, and his body trembled as if his very muscles were anticipating the unleashed power.

It felt like his body was screaming to transform. With time ticking down, he stopped hesitating and let the surging energy within him run wild.

Instantly, the room seemed to shrink as a strange heat built up inside him. It started at his chest, a molten burn spreading like wildfire through his veins. Axel's back arched involuntarily, his hand snapping to his throat as he choked on a sudden rush of energy.

[Demon Form Activated.]

The notification hit like a thunderclap, and then it began.

His skin prickled violently as crimson veins surfaced, glowing beneath his flesh. A sharp crack split the air as bones shifted beneath his skin, stretching and reshaping. Axel grunted, baring his teeth as his arms grew heavy, muscles swelling with a strength that felt both foreign and exhilarating.

His fingernails elongated into obsidian claws, and deep crimson armor, no, it was flesh, began to form across his body, sculpting itself like molten steel cooling into something unnatural. Axel couldn't hold back a yell as his spine elongated, a searing pain erupting from his lower back as a sinuous tail emerged, lashing the air with violent force.

His aura transformed, one blood red, now more thicker and condensed, and cackled, bearing traces and semblances as lightning. The light in the room dimmed as if in reaction to the raw power.

His once dark hair changed, turning silver-white as it fanned out, growing longer as it danced wildly around him. Red horns burst from his forehead in jagged arcs, and his pupils narrowed to thin, predatory slits.

His vision sharpened, he could see every crack in the walls, every grain of dust suspended in the air as though time had slowed.

Finally, his transformation completed.

Axel rose from the sofa, his breath ragged as he glanced down at his form, his demon body, for the first time.

He now stood one and a half times taller. The crimson and bone-like armor melded perfectly with his body, as though it were alive. Muscles coiled beneath the monstrous exterior, every inch of him screaming raw, uncontained power. His tail curled behind him, a natural extension of his new self, ready to strike.

He extended his clawed hand, flexing his fingers. The air felt different now, lighter, yet he felt heavy, as though the world itself bent slightly to his presence.

A dark chuckle escaped his lips, unbidden. His voice carried a depth it hadn't before, laced with a reverberating, otherworldly tone.

"This… this is me now?"

Just as he took a step forward, a notification chimed.

[Innate Demon Body of the Red-Finned Demon Race. Your demon form has gained a new ability.]

"Ability?"

Axel's voice barely registered over the pounding in his chest. The system window transformed and updated in real time. His eyes scanned the display, and there it was, a new addition to his stats.

[Ability: Predatory Covenant]

Type: Hybrid (Utility/Active)

Rank: SS

Description: A twin ability linked to Contract Bind. Allows the user to plunder the innate ability of any creature killed while monster instincts are fully active. Plundered abilities are transformed into skills unique to the user. Utilization of this ability strengthens the bond between Contract Bind and the demon form, enhancing synchronization and efficiency.

Axel froze. He was at a loss for words as he read the information.

"D-double ability?" His voice cracked slightly. He now had double abilities, for both his human and monster forms?

Such a thing—it wasn't possible. At least, it hadn't been before. Since the history of this world's system, no one had recorded anything like it. Yet here it was, undeniable, spelled out clearly before him. But considering how things had been going lately… perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised.

Contract Bind wasn't an active ability; it had always been a utility, a cornerstone of his rapid evolution. It had allowed him to become his own summoned monster, to gain this demon form. And now, it had given rise to Predatory Covenant, an ability that enabled him to plunder the innate abilities of creatures he killed.

Not just any creatures, though—the kills had to occur when his monster instincts were in full control. Even with that, it was still a cheat that wasn't supposed to exist.

Just as Axel tried to wrap his mind around this revelation, another system notification chimed.

[You have met the requirements for Predatory Covenant by slaying a Mutated Twin-Horned Alpha.]

[New ability plundered: Reaper's Mark (S-Rank). Due to the nature of Predatory Covenant, this ability has been converted into a unique skill.]

Axel's breath hitched. His thoughts reeled back to the dungeon raid a week ago. He had taken down that monstrous creature, the Mutated Twin-Horned Alpha, while fully consumed by his monster instincts. It had been a blur of rage and destruction, his human consciousness submerged beneath the raw, primal force of his other form.

And now, it seemed, that battle had unlocked something terrifyingly powerful.

The skill glowed ominously in the system window, its description pulling his attention:

[Reaper's Mark]

Type: Active

Description: Mark your enemies with a cursed mark through physical strikes. Each mark drains vitality over time, weakening the target while empowering the user. Marked targets are more vulnerable to subsequent attacks, amplifying their damage. The absorbed vitality fuels the user's next strike, creating a cascading effect of destruction. (Cooldown: 10mins)

Axel's eyes lingered on the description, his mind racing. He remembered how the Mutated Twin-Horned Alpha had used this very ability.

With every swipe of its claws, it had marked its enemies, draining their strength and turning it into fuel for devastating attacks. He could still picture the glowing red marks that had sapped the life from the false ranker. Now, that power was his.

A question popped up at the bottom of the display:

[Would you like to unlock this skill?]

___

Dear readers,

Thank you for joining me on this journey so far. I'm incredibly grateful for your support and for taking the time to read my work.

I'm excited to announce that I have a new book available now for WSA: (The Hero's Party Betrayed Me, So I Became a Dungeon Master)

It is a story I've poured my heart and soul into, and I truly believe you'll enjoy it.

Please click on my profile to find it and I promise it will be a worthwhile read.

—Monarchofink.

___