One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

The beast's golden eyes glowed brighter, its chest rising and falling in a slow, menacing rhythm.

I could feel the energy radiating from it now. Not just power—something deeper.

Something ancient.

Shira had pulled herself up, her sword steady in her hands, though I could see her arms trembling from the earlier impact. Smoker stood beside her, his jitte raised, but his usual smirk was gone.

They were waiting.

Waiting for me.

Because whether I liked it or not—

This fight was mine.

The golden mark on my palm burned again.

Selene watched me with an unreadable expression. "Can you feel it?" she murmured. "The pull?"

I clenched my fists.

Yes.

I felt it.

A pulse in my blood. A whisper in my mind. Like something inside me was waking up, clawing its way to the surface.

The beast took a slow step forward, its gaze locked onto me.

"You have the scent," it growled. "You are not complete yet, but soon…"

I didn't let it finish.

I moved.

Faster than before.

I closed the distance in a blink, my fist glowing with an unfamiliar heat. The moment I struck—

Boom!

The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, ripping through the ground beneath us. The beast reeled back, its massive body skidding several feet.

But I barely noticed.

Because in that moment—

I saw it.

A flicker of fire—not real fire, but something deeper—emanating from my hands.

The golden mark on my palm was reacting.

Selene's voice was soft but sharp. "Ah… So that's your power."

The beast roared, its chest flaring with golden energy. It lunged at me, faster than before, its claws aiming straight for my throat.

I moved without thinking.

I ducked, twisted my body—

And countered.

My fist met its chest directly over its glowing mark.

The moment we collided, everything exploded.

A shockwave of golden fire erupted outward, blasting the creature back. The jungle around us shook, trees bending under the sheer force.

I landed on my feet, my breath ragged.

The beast lay motionless for a moment, golden cracks spreading across its body. Its chest heaved as it stared at me, and for the first time—

There was something in its eyes.

Not rage.

Not hunger.

Recognition.

Then, without a sound, its body crumbled into golden embers, vanishing into the wind.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

I could barely stand.

Shira and Smoker stared at me, their eyes wide.

Selene exhaled, smiling slightly. "Now that," she said, "was something worth watching."

I looked down at my hands, still glowing faintly with that golden fire.

What the hell was happening to me?