Jayden stopped in his tracks, his breath hitching as the silver interfaced screen flickered before his eyes.
[Congratulations, you have taken the first step to becoming a Beastlord: Show dominance and make your enemies cower at your presence.]
[You have received the skill: Beastlord Aura]
A chill ran down his spine. The words felt heavier than the usual system prompts, it was like a declaration.
[Skill Acquired: Beastlord Aura
–Type: Passive/Active
*Passive effect:
[Your natural presence exerts dominance over lesser beings, causing weaker creatures and individuals with lower willpower to instinctively submit or hesitate in your presence]
*Active effect:
[When activated, your aura intensifies, inducing fear in enemies, suppressing weaker beings, and enhancing your authority over beasts. Stronger opponents may resist but will still feel pressure from your presence]
(10 Ep to activate - Costs 5 Ep per minute)
*Additional Perks:
[Lesser Beasts Obedience: Low-intelligence creatures instinctively recognize you as an alpha and are more likely to obey commands]
[Evolutionary Growth: This skill will evolve as your power increases]
*Remarks: [Get stronger, young Beastlord. And one day, even a dragon would cower in your presence]
Jayden exhaled sharply, gripping his fists. "This... this is real," he whispered
Jayden closed his eyes, trying to suppress the rush of exhilaration surging through him. If he had this kind of power now, what would happen when he fully unlocked his potential?
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to get interesting.
.....
The air in the training hall was different after recess, it was thick, tense, and uncertain. The students had gathered back in formation, but there was hesitation in their movements. The reason was clear.
Master Jin stood at the front, his arms folded, his sharp gaze scanning the students. "For the rest of today's class, we'll be having light sparring exercises," he announced.
A few murmurs rippled through the crowd.
One student raised his hand. "Sir, are we allowed to use our abilities?"
Master Jin shook his head. "No abilities. No weapons. This is about raw skill. I want to see how well you all fight when stripped of your unnatural advantages,"
The response was immediate, with groans, sighs, and uneasy glances.
"I knew it," a boy muttered to his friend.
"Without abilities, we're practically just flailing our arms."
"Man, this is dumb. My whole fighting style revolves around my lightning reflexes," another whispered.
Jayden, standing at the back, watched them in silence. Pathetic.
These were supposed to be warriors. Future hunters, soldiers, and galactic explorers. Yet, without their flashy abilities, they were just a bunch of overconfident brats afraid of a real fight.
But Jayden had no problem at all. If anything, he preferred it this way. His body still carried the muscle memory of several years of martial arts training, drilled into him by his mother before her death, and later honed in the rehab center.
This was practically his domain. But he didn't volunteer. He didn't care.
Carl, however, was watching him.
He hadn't forgotten the cafeteria incident. That moment of humiliation, the way the students had looked at him, not as the dominant fighter, but as a loser. The sting of Jayden's words still echoed in his mind.
"You're still weak."
Carl clenched his jaw. "You'll pay for that, Starrk!" he stated inwardly
A cruel smirk curled on his lips as an idea formed in his head. He hadn't fought Jayden in martial arts before so he didn't want to be overconfident. He knew Jayden might even be better than him.
So if he couldn't beat Jayden fairly, he'd wear him down first.
Master Jin glanced at the class. "Alright, who wants to go first?"
Silence.
The students exchanged glances, but none stepped forward. They were too reliant on their abilities, without them, they felt vulnerable.
Carl took his chance.
"Jayden." he called out
The room went still. All eyes turned toward the back, where Jayden stood with his hands in his pockets. He didn't react.
Carl smirked. "Why don't you show us what you've got? I mean, you seem to 'better' at this than us. So give us an actual demonstration of your skills, and not just poses," he urged, causing the other students to cheer and make chanting noises.
Jayden sighed. He already saw what Carl was doing. But he didn't take the bait, he wasn't stupid.
Then one of Carl's lackeys, Brandon, stepped forward. He was tall, built like a tank, and clearly trained in some level of combat.
"Yo, Beast Boy. Come on!" Brandon sneered. "Or are you too scared to fight without a leash?"
Laughter echoed.
Jayden didn't even blink.
Brandon cracked his knuckles. "C'mon, therapy boy. Let's see if they beat the crazy out of you."
Jessica tensed. "They're trying to goad him."
Tasha frowned. "Jayden won't fall for that."
Jayden exhaled through his nose. These guys were idiots. But fine. If they wanted a fight, he'd give them one.
"Alright," he said calmly
Jayden stepped forward, stretching his neck as he entered the sparring ring.
Master Jin raised an eyebrow. "So, you'll be sparring with Brandon?"
Jayden nodded. "Yeah. It won't take long," he muttered in a cool tone.
Brandon grinned, stepping into the ring with the confidence of a man who believed himself invincible.
"I'm gonna enjoy this," he muttered.
Master Jin stood between them, raising his hand. "The rules are simple. No abilities. No dirty tricks. Fight until one of you is pinned or knocked down for more than three seconds,"
He glanced at both fighters. "Ready?"
Jayden's face remained blank. "Yeah."
Brandon smirked. "Let's go,"
Then master Jin waved his hand in approval. "Begin!"
Brandon lunged forward immediately, using his size to try and overpower Jayden. He threw a massive right hook, aiming for a knockout punch.
Jayden sidestepped effortlessly. "Too slow," he muttered
Brandon stumbled forward slightly, regaining his balance, and threw a low kick... fast, but predictable. Jayden shifted his weight and countered, trapping Brandon's leg and twisting it just enough to throw him off balance.
Brandon grunted, barely managing to stay on his feet. His frustration grew. "Quit running!"
He threw another wild punch.
Jayden caught it mid-air, his expression unwavering.
The entire class gasped.
In one fluid motion, Jayden pulled Brandon forward and drove his knee into his stomach.
WHAM!
Brandon choked, his breath leaving his lungs in an instant. His eyes bulged as his body collapsed onto the ground, unable to move.
The fight was over in less than 45 seconds.
The class went silent.
Master Jin raised his hand. "Winner—Jayden Starrk."
Jayden didn't even celebrate. He simply walked away, hands in his pockets.
Carl, however, smirked. "Perfect," he muttered to himself. Things were going according to plan
Carl motioned toward another one of his goons, Derek, a shorter but skilled fighter.
"Damn, Brandon. You lost already?" Derek taunted as he entered the ring. "Guess it's my turn to make up for your failure."
"Wait, Starrk," he called out to Jayden. "Let's have a go, shall we?"
Jayden stopped in his tracks, he turned to look at Derek, who was smiling widely.
Master Jin sighed. "Are you agreeing to a second match, Jayden?"
Jayden rolled his shoulders. He knew what Carl was trying to do.
But he wasn't one to back down. And besides, this was a great way to warm up for the tournament and other battles to come.
"Yeah," he replied
Master Jin waved his hands once again and the match began instantly.
Derek was faster than Brandon. He danced around the ring, trying to hit Jayden with quick jabs and leg sweeps.
Jayden dodged everything effortlessly, toying with Derek. He wanted to make the fight last longer than the first, so he wouldn't look like a show off.
Then, when Derek lunged for a strike, Jayden shifted inside his guard and elbowed him in the ribs.
A sickening crack filled the air. Those ribs were goners.
Derek collapsed instantly. He was out cold.
Silence.
"Winner—Jayden Starrk." Master Jin announced again, his face filled with delight.
Jayden exhaled slowly. His heart rate was steady, but he was getting a bit tired. He was really starting to regret forgetting about adding points to his stamina attribute.
He sighed and cursed inwardly, before composing himself
Carl, however, grinned. He saw the expression on Jayden's face. It was only for a slight moment, but he saw it. Fatigue.
This was his chance.
Jayden glanced around, he saw that no one else came up to get their ass kicked. So he began to walk away. But before Jayden could fully step out of the ring, Carl clapped his hands.
"Well, well. Look at you, Mr. Martial Artist." His smirk widened. "I guess you're not as weak as I thought."
Jayden didn't answer. He merely sighed and turned to face him. He was already wondering when Carl would finally step into the ring. He wanted to get it over with quickly, there were other important things to do.
Carl took a step forward. "But if you're really that good…" He cracked his knuckles. "How about you fight someone real?"
The class murmured.
-"Crap! It's really gonna happen, they're gonna fight,"
-"I don't think Carl's going to win this one, he's got skills with his abilities. But Jayden is a monster with skills,"
-"Nah, I doubt Carl would lose. He's perfect in everything. Including martial arts,"
The students all contemplated, it was hard to predict who would win. Carl was known to be strong and skilled while Jayden had just displayed martial arts prowess.
But one thing was certain, this fight would determine a lot of things, including their perspectives on who was better.
Master Jin sighed, but he didn't intervene. If Jayden wanted to refuse, he had every right to.
Carl smirked. "What's wrong? Tired already?"
Jayden remained still.
Carl's voice dropped to a whisper. "Or maybe you're just scared, Beast Boy."
Tasha tensed. "He's still trying to goad him? Now, that's just sad," she clicked in annoyance
Jessica scoffed. "He's so predictable." she muttered. But even she wanted to see who would win between them.
Jayden finally exhaled. His piercing gaze met Carl's, and for a split second, something flickered in them... something dangerous.
The tension was thick, everybody was anticipating what Jayden's response would be.
Then, finally, he spoke. "Fine,"
Carl's smirk widened.
The trap had been set. And Jayden had walked right into it.