As Swain took the first bite, a surge of powerful and wild energy flooded through his body, unlike anything he'd ever felt. It wasn't the mild, warm sensation he'd experienced during other awakening-day meals—this was something raw and untamed, almost… beastly. His senses sharpened, and the world around him seemed to intensify, as if he were seeing it all through new eyes.
He gripped the edge of the table, his pulse racing. The energy flowed through him, not just filling him but resonating with something deeper that felt alive within him. His hand burned, and he glanced down at the mark in his palm, now glowing with a fierce light that pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
[System notification: Beast Essence detected. New function unlocked: Beast Editor.]
The words appeared in his mind, clear and calm, despite the storm of energy coursing through him. Swain's eyes widened. Beast Editor? The term was foreign, yet something about it felt right, as though a part of him had been waiting for this moment all along.
A faint, holographic menu appeared in his vision, shimmering with symbols and text he didn't fully understand. He blinked, half convinced he was imagining things, but the menu remained steady and inviting.
He focused on the first line of text, and to his amazement, it responded to his gaze, expanding to reveal more details.
[Beast Editor — Essence Infusion Module]
Swain's mind raced. He didn't know exactly how it worked, but the options seemed to imply that he could absorb traits from the beast essence—traits he could use to create something entirely new.
His fingers twitched, and he felt the energy shift within him like a spark ready to ignite. The Beast Editor's interface began highlighting traits from the pork chop he had just consumed: strength, durability, primal instinct. Each trait pulsed before him as if waiting for him to choose.
Swain's breathing grew shallow. Could this be my power? He hesitated, uncertain, but a part of him urged him forward. He reached out, mentally selecting the traits and feeling them integrate into his energy.
Another notification flashed.
[Beast Editor activated. First template unlocked.]
Swain felt a new sense of control over the essence within him, as though he could mold it into a form of his choosing. His mind raced with possibilities. He could create beasts—his beasts—not just bond with them but design them from the ground up.
The excitement quickly mixed with uncertainty. He was no longer just a Beast Tamer. This was something else entirely.
As the energy settled, Den's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Swain? You good, man?" Den looked at him with concern, noticing Swain's dazed expression and the strange light fading from his hand.
Swain nodded, still reeling from the revelation. "Yeah… yeah, I think so. Just… feels like that pork was stronger than I expected."
Den laughed, not noticing the change. "Told you! It's monster meat, man. Gives you a little kick." He dug back into his food, none the wiser to what had happened.
Swain took a deep breath, steadying himself. The Beast Editor hovered faintly in his mind, waiting for his next move. Whatever this power was, it was his. And he was about to discover what it meant to be a Beast Crafter.
The rest of the school day flew by quickly, and it wasn't long before Swain was waving his friends off before heading home. The thrill of his discovery thrummed in his veins, and he could hardly contain his excitement. The Beast Editor waited in the back of his mind, a quiet, powerful presence that seemed to grow with his anticipation.
"Finally, I can get home and check out whatever this Beast Editor thing is," he muttered under his breath, practically sprinting down the street.
When he reached his front door, he burst inside, barely acknowledging his surroundings. His mom called from the kitchen, "Swain! How did it go today? Did you get your beast?"
Swain froze, suddenly unsure of how to answer. "Um, yeah! It was… different, actually," he managed to say, keeping his tone light. He didn't know how to explain what had happened, and he wasn't even sure he understood it himself.
"Well, I'm proud of you, honey! We'll talk more at dinner," she called back, clearly satisfied with his response.
"Love you, Mom!" he replied, already halfway up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Once in his room, he locked the door and dove onto his bed, his heart pounding with anticipation. He closed his eyes and summoned the system interface, feeling it respond immediately.
[System Status]
[Name] Swain Hector
[Species] Human
[Class] Beast Crafter
[Strength] 5
[Dexterity] 7
[Intelligence] 6
[Luck] 10
[Features] Beast Editor
The information glowed faintly in his vision, confirming what he had begun to suspect—he wasn't just a normal tamer. His class was unique: Beast Crafter.
He focused on the [Beast Editor] feature, and a new menu unfurled before him, displaying two options.
[Beast Editor Suite]
[Trait Library]
[Beast Designer]
Swain's heart skipped a beat. Trait Library? Beast Designer? His fingers twitched with anticipation. He selected [Trait Library] first, curious to see what he had at his disposal.
Instantly, another menu opened, listing the traits he had absorbed from the pork chop earlier.
[Trait Library]
Strength (Copper I)
Durability (Copper I)
Primal Instinct (Swine Variant)
Swain examined each trait, feeling a strange sense of ownership. He could pull these from the essence of monsters, collecting and combining them like a library of abilities. The potential was staggering. He could gather traits from countless creatures, each one adding a new layer to his own creations.
With a breath of excitement, he moved back and selected [Beast Designer].
The [Beast Designer] interface was more straightforward than he expected but just as thrilling. It presented an empty template, waiting for him to fill it with traits from his library. In his mind's eye, he could already picture a creature—a small, sturdy companion with the resilience of the stone-skinned boar, something that could stand by his side and grow stronger with him.
Swain reached out mentally, selecting Strength and Durability traits and watching as they combined into the template. An image of a creature began to take shape in his mind: short, muscular, covered in a layer of tough hide-like armor, but its eyes were dull, like they were missing something. Then he began to focus on Primal Instinct, and all the traits started to click together like a jigsaw puzzle.
This… this is my beast, he thought, a sense of wonder filling him. Not a creature bound to him by a bond, but a beast born from him, crafted from his energy and essence.
Another notification flashed.
[Template created. Save and confirm?]
Swain hesitated, his heart pounding. If he saved this, he would truly begin his journey as a Beast Crafter. He took a deep breath and mentally pressed Confirm.
The interface pulsed, and he felt a rush of energy as if something within him had awakened and taken root. System notifications rang like faint chimes in the back of his mind, but Swain tuned them out,
As the glow faded, a faint shimmer appeared at the foot of his bed. Swain watched in awe as his first creation materialized—a small, sturdy boar with stone-like skin, looking up at him with fierce loyalty and intelligence. Although it looked no bigger than a piglet, it radiated a sense of strength, its hide textured like rough-hewn rock, and its eyes glinting with awareness.
Swain's lips curved into a grin. He had done it. This wasn't a bond—it was something far greater.
But as he took in the sight of his creation, a wave of exhaustion crashed over him, sharp and unexpected. His limbs grew heavy like weights were pulling him into his bed. His vision blurred at the edges, and the room swayed as if he were drifting underwater.
Swain tried to steady himself, but his muscles refused to respond. A dull ache throbbed in his temples, and he could feel his heartbeat slowing, each beat like a distant drum. The excitement that had fueled him drained away, leaving him hollow and spent.
The little boar nudged his hand with its rough snout, but even lifting his arm felt impossible. He managed a weak smile, resting his fingers against the creature's stone-like hide. The touch was grounding and solid, a reminder that this creature was real, that he had crafted it from nothing.
Guess... that took more out of me than I thought... he mused, his thoughts sluggish and foggy.
His eyelids grew impossibly heavy, and he felt himself sinking deeper into the mattress, his body surrendering to exhaustion. As he drifted off, he caught one last glimpse of his creation, watching him with unwavering loyalty and standing guard beside him as he slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.