Chapter 1: Chapter 0: Can’t Even Sit On A Rock

Carl was sitting on a rock, legs crossed, examining something he had just found. Despite the fact his stats were incredibly low for an eighth-year student, his abilities for a level one were extraordinary.

In terms of stats they were all above average and to increase them even further he used every natural development there was relentlessly.

His body was trained and defined, balanced between strength and agility. At six-foot tall and with the appearance and build of someone who had spent years honing himself, he made for quite the intimidating individual visually.

Unfortunately being level one meant that was basically wasted on him, he practiced martial arts just as religiously to bridge the gap as much as possible, but it was truly insurmountable.

Ultimately he would never be more than he was, unless that is, he could figure out how the system that had been the bane of his existence worked. If he could level up even once, at the usual 1.1x growth rate, his multipliers would make that game half in size.

That was why he cradled the item like a holy relic.

His beast, a creature he made when he was ten using one of his skills, was the only success he had ever had with his system.

Systems came in many different builds and whilst some were rare very few were new these days, Carl was one of those unlucky few. It was obvious that his build had enormous potential, all SSS-Ranked skills and the fact it let him make Squidge is proof enough of that in his eyes.

The problem is that SSS-Rank merely identifies that it is a rare ability, it doesn’t guarantee that all of his abilities are off the charts and because no one had ever had the build before he was having to figure it out from scratch and it offered no help.

No tool-tips, no tutorial, nothing beyond telling him when Squidge was ready to cultivate and even that he had to figure out himself…. Well, he wasn’t entirely alone in it.

He had two amazing mums, a friend of his mum’s called Lydia and until recently a very loving girlfriend and even her mother was super supportive.

Carl Reaga, a realm gate orphan, adopted as a baby and raised by the half-banshee Alisha. He met Lydia the day he got his system, she sent him to live with Leanna (his second mum). Before he had a chance to meet Leanna though, Klaire appeared.

Klaire was a half-banshee too and her mum, Danielle, went to school with both Lydia and Leanna. Unfortunately back then humans treated half-breeds like them as second-class citizens and they were not fans of that, not that anyone would be, but these three were the last anyone should have tried treating like that.

Carl wasn’t overly sure on the exact details, but even though they one, they were severely punished and Leanna and Lydia were now essentially slaves of the Human Governance Committee. They could only work in Committee approved roles, couldn’t earn enough to facilitate a rebellion and none of them could lead a faction, household or lineage.

The most crucial point of their punishment though, was they weren’t allowed to interfere in human affairs.

So why take in Carl, a full-blooded human? Because humans are dumb and those women are treasures as far as Carl and most who actually know them are concerned. For a long-time Carl had thought it was because of his plus, but eventually when he and Klaire got together in their second year and their only issue was a public display of affection and a destroyed classroom, he realised they didn’t care about that at all.

Not to say they hadn’t all routinely tried helping him achieve the potential they all knew he possessed. That was what had eventually led to the break-up though, Carl got in his own head and after listening to the wrong people he couldn’t help but see they were right and she was too good for him.

The break up wasn’t as messy as you’d think though, there was an aggressive spat in the moment, she was hot-tempered at the best of times so he was expecting as much. After that though, she simply refused to accept the break up was even real, let alone permanent, especially after her ancestor told her someone had caused it.

All of that though, all of that is why he had to get over this wall he had been stuck at for eight years. In all that time, he had begged and pleaded with his system, tried every material he could get his hands on, pushed himself to the point of breaking, kept going and when he finally broke, he would drag him a few inches further.

So when the time came for the material-acquisition course final, he had high hopes. He had tried everything, but what a student can get their hands on is limited, especially when the three adults closest to him are all highly restricted in what they can do if they don’t want some old bigot on the committee getting uppity.

Still though, what he held was beyond his wildest dream and as soon as he finished admiring it, he put it in his storage armlet. He couldn’t risk a cultivation attempt in the open and with only Squidge to guard him, most lose consciousness during the process, then the subsequent notifications from the system can cause migraines themselves if they aren’t muted.

No, he would play it safe, this world wasn’t enough to put him on death’s door at every corner, but he was definitely not cocky enough to leave himself vulnerable, that said he was aching and needed to rest after climbing half a mountain to get his prize.

He stood, stretched, ran his strong, scarred-hands through his ginger hair, then sat back down. “Squidge, I’m really sorry bud, but I’m gonna have to get Klaire to cook when we meet back up. If you don’t wanna suffer with me, you’re free to go hunt while I rest up a bit.”

Carl had turned to face his oldest friend, the sole member of a species the one skill he had been able to activate produced by merging several beasts. When he had started talking, Squidge was the size of a large dog and the length of a decently sized snake.

By the time he had stopped talking however, he was already preparing to hunt, which meant growing to a more suitable size, he grew in every dimension, his gelatinous body bubbling and undulating as it expanded rapidly.

The final touch though was the one that came with the last cultivation he underwent, where the species earned the right to be named after the hydras from the legends of Greece, already old by the times known as the “Pre-System Era”, where people were just normal people. That touch being the additional head that grew from the widened front torso.

When he had fully grown, he nuzzled Carl for permission to head out, then did so… Leaving Carl to rest alone, sitting on his rock as he wondered about what else he might find over the course of the next week.

When he had finished wondering, his thoughts turned to what came after, he had final year exams and closing ceremonies and then he was due to start the option two year program where he would establish a settlement and govern it, something he was due to do alongside Klaire when they first applied for the programme.

He groaned, he still felt awful and worthless, his thoughts turned back to his prize and everything a successful cultivation would mean. He didn’t even have EXP option like everyone else, including Squidge had, for levelling up and growing stronger. No new skills either, which was completely unheard of.

Everyone earned at least one skill in the academy, the sheer volume of courses, situations and experiences were litterally designed to force them to manifest. In fact, at one stage early in his attendance, the director at the time nearly expelled him for lack of growth and in the end Lydia had to save him by forcing them to see he was a human with a plus, the first.

That single, seemingly insignificant fact, not only saved him and cost the director his position, but it was also a self-sacrifice that Carl had to quickly stop thinking about before he grew too angry.

“Where are you Squide?” He asked himself after an hour had passed, knowing full well that Squidge embodied the name Carl had given the new species perfectly, that being “Gluttonous-Slimedra”.

“Missing your friend already, Carl?” An arrogant voice sounded out, catching Carl unawares as making him realise his stupidity in dropping his guard so completely in his current surroundings.

“Gillian, boys, what can I do for you fellas?” Carl asked, knowing he was not going to like the answer.

“Unfortunately mate, we saw what you found, we knew your pet would be hungry before long and we knew we had to give him time to get out of sensory range, which is a pretty long time for that guy.” He laughed menacingly.

“Sorry, that’s a no. Final answer, no need to ask further.” Carl said as he stood and got ready to enact the plan forming in his head. He was looking at the three lads in front of him.

One short, stocky and tough, one lanky, skinny and pale and Gillian. The best of both and almost exactly the same as Carl, except his body came with the advantages of being a half-lycan.

He was the same height and build as Carl, but his muscles were denser, his bones thicker his senses sharper. His white hair represented the biggest problem though, the white hair meant he was a future alpha and when they get too stressed they lose their senses to the beast half and go feral.

Carl had to try and avoid that happening, Carl had faced him many times and only when when stats were restrained and when he couldn’t transform.

“Really you’re gonna fight? Tell you what, won’t even go beast-mode, how’s that for sportsmanship?”

“You’re a real gent.”

“This guy is funny, boys…” Gillian said as he channelled mana through his body, which then coalesced into a white tiger. “…I won’t, but my friend he-” As he was speaking Carl suddenly sprinted away into the direction of the woods.

The three boys and the tiger simply watched in shock as he fled…

“Shit, Gillian, we can’t let him get too far in case that pet of his picks up scents or even hears us.” That was enough of a signal for the white tiger to take off in pursuit. It sniffed the air to keep the trail, but the tiger was fast and escaping it would be difficult.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep