CHAPTER 2: The Birth of Warwick

As Mio pressed "Fusion," he couldn't help but admire how well-designed the screen system was. The sound effects were top-notch—not just the steam hissing out with a crackle, but even the occasional roars coming from inside the culture tank. Well… was that even a roar?

He listened closely for a moment, and his expression darkened.

"Awoo~ Awoo~" — Okay, that should be the dire wolf.

"Beast!!" — That one sounded fierce enough, but… who exactly was being insulted here?

"Mundo thinks you are a bitch!" — Huh? Who was Mundo calling a bitch?

Mio twitched. "You're a bitch! Your whole family is a bitch!" he snapped at the tank without thinking.

What the hell were these voices? The first one was definitely from the dire wolf. The second one… probably the berserker? And the third was unmistakably Dr. Mundo. Before being transported to this world, Mio used to play League of Legends and had a soft spot for Mundo. He especially liked using that voice line to provoke enemies. Now it seemed he was the one being taunted.

The fusion process went by surprisingly fast.

Amid the weird sound effects and the growing cloud of steam, a light gradually appeared in the center of the screen. Then, a prompt box popped up:

[Please choose the training direction: Beast Type? - Human Type?]

"Definitely human type," Mio muttered, selecting the option without hesitation. There was no way he'd raise some feral beast. Besides, thinking ahead—if he ever got the chance to train catgirls or bunny girls, choosing human type now was the obvious choice.

He snickered to himself, imagining it.

But quickly regaining composure, Mio stared intently at the screen.

Once the choice was made, the light dimmed and the steam dispersed.

A brand-new figure stood tall within the culture tank.

"Is that… a werewolf?" Mio asked aloud.

The figure was humanoid, lean yet muscular, covered in coarse gray fur. Its crimson eyes glowed in the tank, and its whole presence gave off an eerie, cold aura. For some reason, it reminded Mio of Warwick from League of Legends.

It looked very similar, but noticeably more refined—handsome, even.

Then came the confirmation messages.

[Training successful!]

[Name: Unnamed]

**[Abilities:

Bloodthirst (Passive: Extremely sensitive to the smell of blood)

Toxic Claws (All its claws are laced with poison)

Warlike Heart (Fearless in battle; its thirst for combat only grows)

Burning (Pain ignites flames on its body to burn enemies)

Last Stand (Greatly enhances healing and endurance for 30 minutes. Cooldown required; overuse leads to weakness)]**

[Overall Combat Power Evaluation: Marine Headquarters Major! (Peak Potential: Marine Headquarters Colonel)]

[Potential not yet fully developed!]

"Judging from these abilities… yeah, that's definitely part Berserker and part Mundo. Not bad. A major's strength is enough for self-defense," Mio nodded thoughtfully.

The fact that its potential wasn't fully unlocked meant this werewolf could still grow stronger. If he could get his hands on a proper Haki training method and teach it to the werewolf, maybe it could even take on a rear admiral someday.

"Hmm… if it reaches full potential, could it take on a vice admiral?" he wondered aloud.

It seemed possible.

But training in Haki wasn't easy. Sure, lots of people used it, but actual training methods were rare. Nine Snake Island had them. Rayleigh might. And maybe some of the older legends out there. But getting close to any of those sources wouldn't be easy—especially considering his current strength… and Warwick's too.

"Still, I've got to get stronger first," Mio told himself with resolve.

Once the training was done, the system allowed him to draw a random ability and gain some stats from the newly created creature.

[Do you want to extract an ability?]

"Of course! GKD!" Mio said excitedly.

[Extraction successful. Congratulations! You've obtained the ability [War Heart] and 10% of the all-around attributes of the creature you just created.]

"War Heart, huh?" Mio's smile twitched. It didn't sound immediately useful, not like the regeneration skill he had been hoping for.

Suddenly, a wave of heat washed over his body.

It felt like being submerged in a hot spring, but at the same time, there was sharp pain radiating from every part of his body. Mio winced and gritted his teeth. "Damn… what the hell is this? This hurts like hell."

Thankfully, the pain subsided quickly. As it faded, he rolled his shoulders and grinned.

"Was that pain from the physical stat boost?" he wondered.

His body felt lighter, and his muscles pulsed with newfound strength. He clenched his fist and gave a quick jab in the air—there was a satisfying whoosh from the speed alone.

"But I don't feel the War Heart ability. Is it passive or something?" he mumbled. Most likely—it probably only kicked in during combat.

With a deep breath, Mio turned back to the screen. A new prompt appeared.

[Do you want to extract the creature?]

"Yes!" he confirmed without hesitation.

The culture tank opened. The werewolf's form disappeared from the tank and reappeared before him in full size.

It was massive—standing at least three meters tall, with a beastly yet muscular frame. Claws, fangs, and a wild mane of gray fur all gave off a brutal energy. As the sea breeze blew in, a faint scent of blood followed the creature.

…Was that body odor?

Well. Whatever.

"It's time to give you a name," Mio muttered, rubbing his chin. Naming things was always such a pain. Might as well keep it simple.

"From now on, your name is Warwick."

The werewolf blinked, then muttered, "Warwick… k…"

Suddenly, it pounded its chest with its fists like an excited gorilla.

"Warwick is very satisfied."

Then, as if channeling Mundo himself, it added cheerfully, "Warwick thinks you are a woman!!"

Mio froze. "???"

…What the actual hell?

"Your damn fusion didn't just take Mundo's power—it took his insanity too, didn't it?!"