The bear was supposed to be dead.
Jin remembered it clearly—stuffed, dusty, and permanently mid-roar in the corner of the Cedar Valley Natural History Museum. A relic from the 1920s, its glass eyes dulled by decades of school field trips and bored security guards. Now, though, it was very much *alive*. Nine feet of matted fur, muscles coiled like steel cables, and claws that crackled with arcs of blue lightning. Its new System-given title floated above its head like a taunt: [Beast Core: Stormclaw Bear – Rank 1].
Jin tightened his grip on the fire axe. His .45 was empty, but he kept it holstered anyway. Old habits died hard, even when the world itself had just died harder.
The System's interface flickered at the edge of his vision, translucent screens glitching like a corrupted video file:
[Main Quest: Survive the First Night.]
[Sub-Quest: Slay the Stormclaw Bear.]
[Reward: 50 Qi Points. Basic Cultivation Manual.]
He ignored it. The System had lied before.
The bear lunged.
Jin dove sideways, axe swinging in a wild arc. The blade sparked against the beast's lightning-wreathed paw, sending a jolt up his arm. He rolled, shoulder slamming into a shattered display case. Glass shards bit into his skin, but he barely felt it. Three years hunting wendigos in the Rockies had taught him one thing: panic was a luxury you couldn't afford.
The bear pivoted, unnaturally fast for something its size. Jin gritted his teeth. *Hunt smarter, not harder.* His mentor's voice, sharp and unyielding, cut through the chaos in his head.
A notification flashed, this one tinged with red static:
[Skill Detected: Thunderclaw Swipe (Rank 1).]
[Steal? Y/N]
Jin froze. *Steal?*
The bear's claw grazed his ribs, tearing through his jacket. Pain flared, hot and bright. He smashed [Y].
The world stuttered.
Heat flooded his veins—a wildfire of knowledge. How to channel lightning through bone. How to carve flesh from sinew. How to *kill*. His stolen muscles remembered motions his body had never learned.
[SYSTEM ERROR.]
[Skill: Thunderclaw Swipe (Corrupted).]
[Karma Fracture Detected: Right Palm.]
His hand burned. Jin glanced down. A jagged black line split his palm open, oozing smoke instead of blood. The bear roared again, but Jin was already moving. He lunged, the corrupted skill igniting in his fractured hand.
Violet lightning erupted—a sickly, bruise-colored mimicry of the bear's blue. The axe shattered on impact, but the blast tore through the beast's chest. It collapsed, dissolving into ash and a floating [Beast Core].
[Sub-Quest Complete.]
[Reward: Qi Points withheld due to… irregular acquisition.]
"Cheap bastard," Jin hissed, cradling his smoking hand. The fracture had spread to his wrist, the skin around it blackened and brittle.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
He spun, reaching for the empty gun—
"Don't move, demon."
The woman stood in the shattered doorway, her robes singed and sword gleaming with frost. Her System tag flickered weakly: [Murim Disciple: Xue Li – Frostblade Sect.]
Jin's glitched interface pulsed.
[Skill Detected: Frozen Moon Slash (Rank 2).]
[Steal? Y/N]
He swallowed. "Look, lady—I'm not your enemy."
"Liar." Her blade hummed, the air around it shimmering with cold. "Only a Heavenly Demon could corrupt qi like that."
[Warning: Hostile intent detected.]
[Propose alliance? Y/N]
Jin blinked. *Negotiation prompts?* Since when?
He slammed [Y].
The woman staggered, her sword arm jerking against her will. "What—what did you *do*?"
[Alliance Forged: Xue Li (Temporary).]
[Penalty: If broken, lose 1 memory (random).]
Jin grinned, all teeth. "Partners?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Rot in hell."
But her sword stayed lowered.
---
**Next Chapter Teaser:**
- Xue Li's frostblade hides a secret: it's bonded to her soul, and Jin's corruption is poisoning it.
- The museum isn't empty—a child hides in the ruins, clutching a relic that calls to Jin's fractures.
- The System's voice returns, this time pleading: [Destroy her. Now.]