Ascension System: Evolution Through Bond

The clearing where the Corrupted Stalker had fallen felt heavy with silence, as if the Wildlands itself were holding its breath. Ryn knelt beside the carcass, his hands trembling as he cleaned his bloodied knife against his already dirt-streaked trousers. The adrenaline of the fight still coursed through his veins, leaving him restless and hyperaware of every sound around him.

The Spirit Fox sat nearby, its glowing tail curling lightly around its paws. It seemed relaxed, almost unfazed by the battle, though its ears twitched now and then at distant sounds.

"Not bad for our second fight," Ryn muttered, glancing at the fox. His voice was low, more to himself than to the creature. "But that thing… it wasn't normal."

The Stalker's corpse was different from anything Ryn had seen before. Its fur, which had been matted and filthy in life, now seemed to glisten faintly under the sun. A faint green aura still clung to its body, like a sickly mist that refused to dissipate.

Ryn reached out cautiously, his fingers brushing against the beast's fur. A wave of cold surged through him, and he jerked his hand back, cursing under his breath.

"What the hell…?" he muttered, shaking off the lingering chill.

The Spirit Fox chirped softly, drawing his attention. It had moved closer, sniffing at the Stalker's neck where the bond-light had burned brightest during the fight. When it looked up at Ryn, its glowing blue eyes seemed sharper, more focused.

"Yeah, I feel it too," Ryn said, gripping the hilt of his knife tightly. "This thing wasn't just a predator. It was corrupted."

He had heard the stories before—tales of beasts twisted by the Abyssal Rift's influence, their natural instincts warped into pure malice. Corrupted beasts were stronger, faster, and deadlier than their untainted counterparts, but they were also unstable. And this one, a low-tier predator like the Bloodfang, shouldn't have been here.

It meant one of two things: the corruption was spreading, or something was pushing these creatures further into the Wildlands.

Ryn shook the thought away and turned his attention to the campsite. The scattered remnants of a fire pit and the tattered scraps of a tent suggested that whoever had been here had left—or worse, been forced to leave.

The Spirit Fox darted toward the collapsed tent, its small body disappearing briefly into the folds of rotting fabric. Moments later, it reemerged, dragging something in its teeth.

Ryn frowned and stepped closer, crouching to inspect the object. It was a leather-bound journal, its cover cracked and weathered with age. The Spirit Fox dropped it at his feet, chirping proudly before sitting back on its haunches.

"Good find," Ryn said, giving the fox a quick pat on the head. He opened the journal carefully, the pages crackling as they parted.

The handwriting inside was messy, hurried, and spattered with what Ryn hoped was just dirt. As he flipped through, snippets of text caught his eye:

"Third day in the Wildlands…"

"…found tracks leading west. Possibly a pack of low-tier beasts…"

"…no sign of corruption here yet, but I have a bad feeling about this…"

"…something is wrong. The Codex isn't responding properly…"

Ryn's fingers paused on that line, his breath catching slightly. "The Codex?" he murmured aloud, glancing at the Spirit Fox.

The fox tilted its head, its glowing eyes watching him intently.

Ryn skimmed further, his pulse quickening as he read the final, hastily scrawled entries:

"…attacked last night. Barely escaped…"

"…the corruption is worse than we thought. It's not just the beasts—it's the Codex itself…"

"…if anyone finds this, do not trust the system. It's changing us. Changing everything…"

The final page was torn, as if whoever had written it hadn't lived long enough to finish their thought. Ryn closed the journal slowly, his mind racing.

The Codex. The system that governed every tamer, every bond, and every beast in the world. It was supposed to be infallible—a guiding force that ensured balance and growth. But if this journal was to be believed, something was very, very wrong.

"Great," Ryn muttered, tucking the journal into his pack. "As if we didn't have enough problems already."

The Spirit Fox chirped again, trotting to his side and nudging his leg. Its glow seemed a little brighter now, as if the fight with the Corrupted Stalker had somehow strengthened it.

Ryn knelt down, resting a hand on the fox's head. The bond between them pulsed faintly, that same warmth he had felt the night before spreading through his chest. He closed his eyes, focusing on the connection.

Images flickered in his mind—fragments of light and shadow, blurred shapes that he couldn't fully understand. But beneath it all, he felt a steady rhythm, like a heartbeat. Their heartbeat.

The bond pulsed again, and this time, faint words appeared in the darkness of his thoughts:

Tamer Level: 2

Beast Growth: +2%

New Skill Unlocked: Radiant Step

Ryn's eyes snapped open, and he stared at the Spirit Fox in shock. The small creature blinked up at him, its glowing eyes reflecting the faintest hint of curiosity.

"You… leveled up?" Ryn asked, his voice low. He hadn't even known that was possible. The Codex didn't grant tamers levels—at least, not in the traditional sense. The system tracked bond strength and beast evolution, but actual level progression was unheard of.

And yet, here it was, as clear as day.

The Spirit Fox stood, shaking itself lightly before bounding a short distance away. Its movements were faster now, more fluid, as if the fight and the bond had sharpened its reflexes.

"Radiant Step," Ryn muttered, recalling the words that had appeared in his mind. "What does that mean?"

The fox answered by demonstrating. In a single, swift movement, it leapt forward, its glowing body blurring for a split second before reappearing several feet away. The air shimmered faintly where it had been, like a ripple in a pond.

Ryn stared, his mouth falling open slightly. "That's… new."

The fox trotted back to him, its tail swishing proudly.

Ryn couldn't help but laugh, a mix of disbelief and excitement bubbling up inside him. "Alright," he said, standing. "I don't know how you did that, but I'm not complaining. Let's see what else you've got."

The Spirit Fox chirped, its glow brightening in response.

For the first time since stepping into the Wildlands, Ryn felt something other than fear or uncertainty. He felt possibility.

The Codex might have been failing, the corruption might have been spreading, and the road ahead might have been full of danger, but he wasn't alone.

He had the fox. And together, they were just getting started.