Chapter 10: The Birth of a Monster

Chapter 10 - The Birth of a MonsterChapter 10

The courtyard fell into complete silence.

Dozens of disciples — and even the old elder himself — stared at Han, who stood calmly amidst the crumbled remains of a once-mighty boulder. His expression was as casual as a clear day when he said:

"That's actually easy."

Those words nearly made the elder faint on the spot.

Six months. It had taken him six whole months to comprehend the Tenth Jungle Art — and he had been hailed as a genius! If that was genius... then what in the world was Han?

No. There was only one conclusion:

Freak.

Everyone there silently agreed in their hearts.

Meanwhile, Han simply mused, This Analyzer Eye skill is more useful than I thought.

His gaze swept over the shattered boulder, and without effort, its every property, every composition, every secret was laid bare in his mind.



Flashback

Han had just returned from another exhausting day of quests and training.

Collapsing onto his bed, he summoned his CP (Creation Points) window at Navi's prompt.

Current CP: 350

> [CP Efficiency Guide] based on current CP.

E and D Rank: 100% Efficiency

C Rank: 90% Efficiency

B Rank: 75% Efficiency

A Rank: 35% Efficiency

S Rank: 5% Efficiency

Other ranks: Currently Unavailable.

Han furrowed his brow in confusion.

Wasn't S-rank supposed to be the highest tier?

Apparently, that was the common knowledge.


Still, he didn't dwell on it for too long. Creating an S-rank skill with only 5% efficiency was suicidal—and an A-rank wasn't much better. For safety, he decided to aim for a B-rank skill.

The moment he confirmed, a clean, glowing line appeared before him:

> [Please input the name of your desired skill.]

Han leaned back, mind racing through every insane superpower he had ever read about—flight, light control, dimensional warping, and more.

The system immediately reacted:

> [Error: Unable to pinpoint host's true intention.]

Navi's calm voice followed soon after.

"A solution has been concluded. Selecting from host's fragmented thoughts."

Suddenly, glowing letters appeared one by one, forming a word:

> A...n...a...l...y...z...e...r.

> [Skill Created: Analyzer]

Rank: B-Rank.

Han blinked in surprise.

At first, he was excited—until he checked the skill description:

> [Analyzer: Grants the ability to obtain detailed information about objects, creatures, skills, and phenomena. Clarifies complex systems into understandable data.]

Han's face twitched.

"...Did I just become some kind of reporter?"

But there was no going back—created skills couldn't be undone.

Deciding to test it out, Han scanned the room for a target.

His eyes fell on the weapon he had found weeks ago: the White Blade.

Activating his new skill, the world seemed to shimmer for a moment.

Lines of text materialized over the sword:

> [Item: White Fang]

Forged from the core of a White Tiger beast.

Effect: +13 Strength, +8 Speed.

Active Skill: Tiger Dash — Boosts speed by 15% for 2 minutes.

Cooldown: 30 mins.

Item Rank: B-Rank.

Han was stunned.

When he had first saw the blade, he knew it was powerful—but this was beyond his expectations.

B-rank weapons were rare treasures, usually reserved for few elite heroes of Class B and above.

And yet, here it was, in his possession.

No wonder I was able to kill that monster so easily back then, Han thought, realization sinking in.

In this world, power weapons were ranked from D to S, their strength determined by the beast core they were forged with.

Unlike monsters, which dropped artifacts and treasures upon death, beasts left behind these precious cores—essential for weapon creation.

And the White Fang even had an active skill he hadn't been aware of!

With Tiger Dash combined with his Cheetah Stride, his speed would be terrifying.

Still, despite the Analyzer's usefulness, Han didn't think much of it at the time.

At least, not until earlier today—

When he instinctively activated Analyzer while watching the old man demonstrate the Tenth Jungle Art: Falcon Dive.

And in that instant, it was as if the entire technique was broken down into thousands of crystal-clear fragments and injected straight into his mind.

Every stance, every movement, every hidden force—it was all laid bare before him, in excruciating detail.

Because of that, he grasped the technique in record time.

A small, satisfied smile crossed Han's face.

Maybe... Analyzer wasn't such a useless skill after all.

Back to the Present

Han turned to the old elder, who was still panting heavily, and asked,



"Could you show me the Eleventh Jungle Art?"

The elder's eyebrow twitched.

He shook his head. "I can't even perform basic breathing exercises in my current state, let alone Jungle Arts. I'll need to rest."

Han simply nodded.

"Alright. Rest up. We'll continue later."

---

A Few Days Later

BOOM!

The earth shook violently. Dust filled the courtyard as an old man cried out:

"He did it! He really did it!"

There, standing at the center of a massive crater, his black-and-white hair fluttering in the wind, was Han — breathing slowly, calmly.

He had just mastered the Fourteenth Jungle Art: Tiger Punch.

The ground was torn apart. Boulder after boulder had been obliterated during his training. Han had to aim the Tiger Punch directly at the earth to avoid accidentally shattering the surrounding buildings.

Among the disciples, there was no longer even a thought of competing with Han.

While the so-called "geniuses" struggled with Wolf Clutch, the very first Jungle Art, Han had already grasped fourteen.

Trying to compare ourselves to him is just suicide, they thought bitterly.

The elder, finally composed, gave Han a deep, acknowledging nod.

Meanwhile, a certain disciple — Ron — was clapping awkwardly, forcing a smile.

If I don't move to another continent soon, I'm dead, he thought, already calculating travel expenses in his head.

---

Later that evening, Han sat with the old man, sipping fragrant green tea.

"You've truly become a monster ever since awakening your skill," the elder said, his voice half-proud, half-fearful. "Is it related to your ability to create power weapons?"

Han shrugged.

"You could say that," he replied vaguely.

Explaining his Creation Skill — something that defied all common sense — was no easy task.

The old man narrowed his sharp eyes.

"You're hiding something," he said bluntly, leaning in.

Cold sweat formed on Han's back.

Why does he look like he's about to interrogate me? he thought nervously.

Just as Han prepared to spill the beans (and probably give the old man a heart attack), the elder leaned back and said with a chuckle:

"Never mind. I'm just glad to see such talent. I wonder... if Troy had really wanted to, could he have mastered it as fast as you?"

Han's hand paused.

Hearing about his father, a sudden question popped into his head.

"Old pal," he asked, "with my current strength... what are my chances of beating my father?"

"Zero," the elder replied immediately without hesitation.

Han's face twitched uncontrollably.

He crushed my dreams without mercy...

The old man looked up at the sky, a glint in his eye.

"Troy didn't learn the Jungle Arts not because he can't, but because he didn't need to."

Here we go again, Han thought, rolling his eyes internally.

Every time the elder talked about Troy, he became like an obsessed fanboy.

Snapping him back to reality, Han asked,

"And the final Jungle Art? What's it like?"

The elder paused, considering.

"...To be honest?" he said finally.

"Even I don't fully understand what the last Jungle Art does."

"What? But you said you could perform all fifteen Jungle Arts!" Han said, a rare edge of irritation slipping into his voice. He had truly believed that mastering the final technique would awaken something deeper within him—something tied to his evolving abilities. Yet now, his only teacher was admitting he couldn't even demonstrate it.

The old man let out a dry chuckle, his face a mixture of embarrassment and helplessness.

"Well, the truth is... the final Jungle Art is called Lion Roar. Not even my master knew how it worked—or what it was truly meant to do."

Han clenched his fists silently, holding back his frustration.

Unlike the previous techniques, which were straightforward in their brutal application—tiger punches, falcon dives—Lion Roar sounded different, almost abstract. It didn't sound like an attack at all. There had to be something more to it.

Right then, the familiar mechanical chime of the system echoed in his mind.

> Congratulations, Hero!

You have successfully mastered 14 out of 15 Jungle Arts.

Learn the final Jungle Art to awaken a Unique Skill!

Last Jungle Art: Lion Roar (Locked).

Han stared at the notification.

Locked.

No requirements, no CP cost, no hints—simply locked away from his grasp.

He sighed deeply, pushing down his frustration.

"Fine. I'll figure it out eventually," he muttered under his breath.

---



A few hours later...

Han sat perched atop the tallest tree in Serenya, the cool breeze rustling his white and black hair as he gazed down at the city sprawling beneath him.

Though large compared to many others, Serenya was underdeveloped, lacking in wealth, opportunity, and even hope.

A faint, bittersweet smile tugged at the corner of Han's lips as he pulled up his status screen, noting how much stronger he had become.

"Mother... Father... I'm strong now," he whispered into the wind, voice steady yet filled with an unspoken vow.

"I'll fulfill all your dreams. I'll rebuild Serenya. I'll make it a place you would be proud of."

But dreams needed foundations.

And foundations needed resources.

And Han knew exactly where to start.

He stood up, the dying sun casting his long shadow across the treetops. His blue eyes, calm and unshakable, glinted with resolve.

"Time to clear some portals."

To be continued...