Stoneheart Unleashed

The forest trembled.

A massive ogre stomped through the trees, saliva dripping from its tusks. It raised its club, each step cracking branches underfoot.

But before it could swing—

A flash of white darted in.

Shirayuki. Small. Barehanded. Silent.

She didn't dodge. She stepped in. One palm pressed against the ogre's chest.

A light thump—like patting a pillow.

The ogre's pupils shrank. Its body launched backward like a ragdoll, slamming through bark and brush before exploding into shimmering essence mid-air.

It vanished in a burst of light.

Nearby, sitting on a fallen log, Cian was doing slow, steady push-ups, shirtless and sweaty.

"Eighty-nine... ninety..."

Solaira perched on a tree stump beside him, her little claw raised in rhythm, tail tapping the wood. "Chii... chiii... chi-chi!"

> [System: ...Why are you exercising during a deadly battle?]

Cian didn't miss a beat.

"Because if she can handle a raging ogre with a pat, I need to catch up—or get left behind."

He transitioned into sit-ups, glancing at the fading essence.

Shirayuki stood where the ogre once was, brushing dirt from her hands with innocent eyes. Her soft white hair swayed in the wind, not a scratch on her.

> [System: Ogre converted into Beast Essence. "Stonehide Class" added to Bestiary.]

Solaira gave a chirpy squeak, bouncing once. Cian exhaled.

"Good job, Shirayuki," he muttered with a grin. "Now it's my turn."

As Cian cracked his knuckles, the trees rustled behind them.

Steel flashed. Shadows moved.

A dozen mercenaries stepped out from the underbrush, forming a half-circle around them. Their armor was worn, blades jagged, eyes full of greed and malice.

One of them, tall and greasy-haired, whistled low as his eyes raked over Shirayuki's form.

"Well, well... Looks like today's our lucky day," he sneered.

"Pretty girl like that? Might fetch a price—or give us a good time first."

Another mercenary chuckled darkly.

"Dibs on the quiet one. Bet she makes the cutest sounds when she cries."

Crack.

Cian's fist slammed into the dirt beside him. The earth split beneath the impact. His head was lowered, eyes shadowed by his messy bangs.

> [System: Heart rate spiking. Emotional surge detected.]

> [Warning: Class Shift threshold nearing.]

Solaira bared her fangs, tail bristling. She instinctively stepped in front of Shirayuki—though the hedgehog girl hadn't moved a muscle, her bare feet rooted to the ground, hands clenched at her sides.

Cian slowly stood.

"I'll take care of this," he said quietly.

The mercenary leader laughed. "Oh? You? What's a little twig like you gonna do—whimper?"

Cian lifted his head.

And smirked.

"Me? I'll become their nightmare."

> [System: Class Shift — STONEHIDE — initializing.]

A pulse of raw energy rippled outward.

The air cracked. Dirt burst from beneath his feet. His body shimmered—skin hardening, veins glowing with faint golden light. Stone-like texture spread across his arms and shoulders, his muscles tightening with inhuman strength.

His eyes gleamed red-orange, like burning coals.

The ground trembled softly beneath him.

One mercenary stumbled back. "What... what is he...?"

Cian took a step forward, slow and steady.

"I'll give you one warning."

He raised his hand—fingers flexing like a predator ready to strike.

"Blink… and the next thing you'll hear is your bones breaking."

> [System: Whew. That was cold. You've officially entered "terrifying hot guy" territory.]

As soon as one of the mercenaries blinked—

CRACK!

Cian disappeared from sight.

A sharp shockwave rippled through the trees as he reappeared mid-spin, his palm slamming clean into the man's chest.

SNAP!

Bones shattered with a sickening crunch as the mercenary was launched backward like a missile, limbs flailing before he crashed into a tree, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Cian didn't pause.

He grabbed the nearest thug by the vest and hurled him overhead, slamming him face-first into the earth with a brutal thud that left the ground cracked beneath him.

The others hesitated—just for a second.

And that was all it took.

Shirayuki moved.

Silent, swift, adorable and deadly.

She dropped low to the ground, her fur bristling with energy. With a whip-like flick of her small wrist, a barrage of gleaming quills erupted from her body, slicing through the air and pinning weapons and limbs to nearby trees. One bandit screamed as his sword was ripped from his grasp, pinned to a tree beside his head.

"Pew!"

A tiny flame burst through the chaos.

Solaira had puffed up like a sparkler, cheeks glowing, and she launched another fiery shot at the feet of a bandit who'd tried to sneak from the side. His pants lit up instantly, and he flailed away, screaming and hopping like a deranged chicken.

One bandit lunged at Shirayuki—big mistake.

Cian was already behind him.

He spun on his heel, elbow crashing into the man's jaw with a solid CRACK. The thug crumpled, twitching.

Cian stood over him, body glowing faintly with Stonehide's awakened strength. His expression was sharp, calm, deadly.

"You really thought this would end well?" he muttered.

> [System: Casual brutality detected. Your passive intimidation aura has now reached "kiss-your-ass-goodbye" levels.]

Shirayuki stepped beside him, tail flicking proudly. Solaira sat smugly on a rock, letting out a satisfied "pew" as another small flame poofed into the air.

They didn't wait for orders.

They just fought—with him.

And together?

They made the forest their battleground.

"How dare you!!" the mercenary leader roared, his voice booming through the forest like thunder. A thick scar ran down his temple, and his massive greatsword crackled with dark aura. "You little shits think you can mess with me?! I'm worth a hundred of you!"

He lunged forward, sword raised to cleave Cian in half.

But Cian didn't flinch.

Instead, he stepped forward, eyes glowing with Stonehide's raw energy.

"No," he muttered coldly, his voice like steel.

"You're just the warm-up."

The sword came down.

Cian sidestepped with precision, then slammed his hardened fist straight into the leader's ribs. The air echoed with a booming shockwave, sending the man stumbling to the side.

Before the leader could recover—

Shirayuki darted in.

Graceful and silent, she sprang from the treetops above, spinning midair like a bullet of fluff and fury. With a flick, her quills shot out in a perfect arc, slashing across the man's back and arms, cutting through armor like paper. The mercenary screamed, swinging wildly, but Shirayuki twisted out of reach—smirking.

"Pew!"

A sudden burst of flame exploded beneath the leader's feet as Solaira, all puffed up with mischief, blasted a concentrated shot right at his legs. The explosion knocked him off-balance, making him drop to one knee.

Cian didn't hesitate.

He surged forward and slammed his knee into the man's jaw, sending him flying upward into the air—just enough.

Shirayuki was already above him, spinning once, twice, and then—WHAM!—she landed heel-first onto the leader's chest, flipping off him just as he crashed to the ground.

His body bounced with a sickening thud.

"Pew," Solaira added helpfully, shooting a little flame in celebration.

But it wasn't over.

The mercenary leader growled and tried to rise—bloody, shaking, but furious.

Cian stepped up, his shadow falling over the man.

Shirayuki stood to his left, calm but wild.

Solaira perched on Cian's shoulder, her eyes glowing like embers.

Cian raised his fist.

"Stay. Down."

The final blow struck like thunder—Cian's Stonehide punch dropped the man like a crumbling tree.

He didn't get up again.

Just as Cian tore his fist from the ground, the forest trembled—

SHHHK!

A razor-like wave struck him from behind.

"Kuh—!"

He flew forward, slamming into the earth with a grunt, dirt and leaves spraying around him.

Before Shirayuki could react, a dark blur stepped into the light, silent as a shadow. An old man with calm eyes and a sharp blade—already mid-slash.

SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!

Shirayuki darted back—but she didn't retreat.

She spun forward.

Her quills ignited with an eerie light.

Spine Dancer.

Her small figure twisted with deadly grace, turning into a glowing cyclone. Quills tore through the air, creating rings of sparks as she struck from every angle.

But the old man—

He moved like a phantom.

CLANG! SHNK! TING!

His sword flickered faster than sight, deflecting every strike with minimal motion. One swipe knocked aside three quills at once. His feet slid smoothly, never once losing balance.

Shirayuki landed hard, panting, quills retracting.

The old man hadn't taken a single scratch.

He simply stared at her.

Unbothered.

From the treeline, that smug noble emerged, slow claps echoing in mockery. His eyes never left Shirayuki's figure.

"What a little firecracker... but she'll behave soon enough."

He licked his lips.

"Tell me, boy—how much for the hedgehog?"

Cian pushed himself up slowly, blood dripping from his lip. He didn't look at the noble.

Yet.

The noble kept going.

"She's got the ears, the tail, and the silence. Perfect plaything, don't you think?"

Snap.

Cian's neck cracked as he tilted his head.

Now he looked.

At the noble.

His eyes were glowing—not with fury, but something darker. A controlled, sharp-edged wrath.

"Say that again."

The noble blinked, hesitating.

"Wh-What?"

Cian stepped forward.

"Say it again, and I'll peel your soul off your bones."

A pulse of essence exploded around him. The ground cracked as his transformation began—skin graying into stone, muscles coiling like a beast about to be unleashed.

The old man's eyes narrowed, finally recognizing danger.

Solaira, wide-eyed, waddled back, puffing a worried stream of smoke.

"You looked at her like she was something to own."

Cian clenched his stone fist, voice like thunder muffled by hate.

"That was your first mistake."

He grinned, slow and terrifying.

"Your last will be breathing in front of me."