Your existence is mine

Tivaris Mountain is a treacherous haven for vicious monsters, with each higher elevation revealing even more formidable beasts lurking within. The higher you ascend, the greater the danger becomes.

Luckily for Edward, he doesn't need to scale the mountain; his path lies through it's base.

Even so, Edward moves swiftly, determined not to spend a single night within the perilous confines of the mountain.

With caution and sharp focus, Edward navigates the wilderness of the mountain, carefully stepping around dangers. Every now and then, he picks and eats any edible fruits or berries he comes across to sustain himself.

"The forest may have no shortage of food, but right now I need water."

After hours of nonstop walking, it was only natural for Edward to feel thirsty. His existence sense, still limited in range and only capable of detecting living creatures, wouldn't help him here. He'd have to find a clean water source on his own.

Searching for water while sticking to his path proved fruitless. He couldn't find a single drop. Yet, he refused to give up. After some time, the sound of water crashing from a height reached his ears, a promising sign.

Following the sound, Edward finally stumbled upon a waterfall, and a wave of joy washed over him. The stream's shallow waters seemed safe from any large monsters, so without hesitation, he jumped in. He drank greedily, savoring the refreshing liquid, and took the opportunity to wash himself after who knows how many days.

Yet, he is still remains on alert for any potential danger.

However, it seemed Edward had overlooked one crucial detail. If this waterfall was the only water source in the area, it was only natural that every creature would come here to drink, making it a potential hotspot for danger.

As Edward relaxed, a sudden disturbance rippled through his senses. Something had entered his range—something far stronger than any creature he had encountered so far.

"Twenty meters isn't much... I better get out of here," his body tensing as he prepared to move.

As Edward scrambled out of the water and broke into a run, he quickly realized he wasn't the only one who had noticed. The creature had sensed him as well—and it was now in pursuit, closing the distance with alarming speed.

"Shit."

Edward cursed under his breath and abruptly stopped in his tracks. There was no way he could outrun this creature; all he'd do was exhaust himself and become an easy target. Instead, he chose to face it head-on. Heightening his senses to their peak, he braced himself, waiting for the creature to reveal itself.

From the direction Edward had fled, a massive tiger burst through the thick underbrush, it's powerful frame towering at six feet tall.

It's bulky body was covered in short, white fur adorned with striking blue stripes, giving it an almost ethereal appearance. Its massive fangs and claws gleamed with a crystalline sheen, as though they were carved from solid ice, radiating an ominous chill.

"It's a Frost Fang, damn it!" Edward cursed, his mind racing.

Frost Fang—one of the strongest C-rank monsters. Yesterday, he had barely managed to survive against an F-rank monster. How in the world was he supposed to stand a chance against something like this?

But right now, he had no choice but to fight. Drawing the one-handed sword from his waist, Edward assumed a fighting stance he had once seen in an anime. Of course, he had never used a sword before.

Both Edward and the Frost Fang assessed each other, sizing up the situation. Then, without warning, the beast charged. Its massive paw, brimming with deadly claws, swung toward Edward with terrifying speed, intent on ripping him to pieces.

Edward managed to block the strike with his sword, but the sheer force of the attack bent his knees, sending a jolt of pain through his body as he was pushed back a few steps.

Right before his eyes, Edward saw the part of his blade that was touching the Frost Fang's claws begin to freeze. It was the creature's passive ability—Freeze. The Frost Fang, with it's elemental essence rooted in water, could wield the ice attribute without any blessings. This was a rare feat, one that required immense training, yet somehow, the ancestors of this species had managed to achieve it.

The passive ability Freeze granted the Frost Fang the power to freeze anything it touched with every strike—a simple yet incredibly annoying trait.

Before the ice could fully engulf his sword, Edward gathered every ounce of his strength and shoved the Frost Fang away, creating some much-needed distance. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged at the beast, determined to suppress it. His sword slashed through the air, but the strike landed only shallowly against the creature's tough hide.

Losing his momentum, Edward quickly activated Existential Manipulation, cloaking his presence and blending into the surroundings. He moved silently, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again.

The Frost Fang didn't panic as Edward disappeared from view. Instead, it let out a deafening roar, and in response, a fierce burst of cold wind erupted around it, sweeping through the area with an icy ferocity. The wind howled, carrying with it a deadly chill that seemed to freeze the very air itself, making it clear that the creature wasn't about to let its prey escape so easily.

Though Edward remained hidden, the freezing wind still had its effects. His feet slowly began to freeze to the ground, trapping him in place. If he couldn't move, it was only a matter of time before the creature track his scent. His presence had faded, but the Frost Fang could still pick up on the lingering trail of his scent.

The Frost Fang began to sniff the air, its keen senses homing in on Edward's scent. Edward struggled desperately to free his feet from the ice, but it was no use—he was stuck. His options were running out, and in that moment, he realized he had only one choice left.

Morph plain rover.

Sandy brown smoke began to emanate from Edward's body, quickly engulfing him in a swirling mist. The smoke clung to him like a second skin, altering his form. His eyes glowed with an ember-like intensity, his fingers transformed into sharp, clawed paws, and a pair of cat-like ears sprouted from his head. Long quills shot up along his spine, each one radiating with newfound power.

[Morphing complete. Temporary Beast Essence speed has been acquired. The effects of Existential Manipulation are fading.]

The system flashed multiple notifications, but Edward couldn't focus on them. His senses were heightened beyond anything he had experienced before, a primal power coursing through his veins. His mind was consumed by an overwhelming instinct—kill. All thoughts of strategy, of caution, vanished. The only thing that mattered now was the beast in front of him. The Frost Fang was no longer a threat; it was a prey. And Edward was ready to hunt it down.

Gripping the sword tightly, Edward closed his eyes for a brief moment, recalling the instinctive connection he had felt with the essence earlier. His heart beat faster as he reached out with his mind, tapping into his new Beast Essence. The surge of power was immediate and raw—wild, untamed energy flooded his body, heightening his senses even further. His muscles tensed, ready to unleash the full force of his newfound strength.

Sprint slash.

Hush!

Edward charged forward at an unimaginable speed, his body a blur as he closed the distance between himself and the Frost Fang in an instant.

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. Before the Frost Fang could even react, sensing the return of Edward's presence, it was struck suddenly by the sword.

This time, the strike was deeper, the blade cutting through the Frost Fang's icy hide with greater force, but it still wasn't enough to bring the beast down. It wasn't a peak C-rank monster for nothing.

The creature let out a furious growl, its claws swinging toward Edward with terrifying force. With reflexes heightened by the Beast Essence, Edward easily backstepped, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. But the Frost Fang wasn't done. The icy wind it emitted began to freeze the very air around them, turning into sharp icicles that shot toward Edward like a hailstorm of frozen death.

Edward quickly turned around and activated Quill Burst, sending a barrage of sharp quills in all directions, shattering the incoming icicles mid-air. With barely a moment to spare, he immediately followed up with another Sprint Slash, aiming directly at the Frost Fang's exposed side. However, the beast was ready this time. It swiftly raised its massive claws to block the blade, and in a swift, vicious move, it lunged toward Edward, aiming to bite his head off with its razor-sharp fangs.

Edward reacted instantly, back-jumping to avoid the Frost Fang's lethal bite. As his feet hit the ground, he activated Existential Manipulation, vanishing once again from the creature's sight. Using his newfound speed, he circled the beast with blinding agility, moving faster than the Frost Fang could track.

Despite his best efforts to remain hidden, Edward's bloodlust, fueled by his primal instincts, radiated outwards like a beacon. The Frost Fang's keen senses, especially its heightened awareness of danger, picked up on the murderous intent surrounding Edward. Even in his Existential Manipulation stealth mode, the beast could feel the bloodlust in the air, preventing Edward from landing a clean strike. Every time he closed in for an attack, the creature instinctively shifted, anticipating his move.

Frustrated by Edward's speed, the Frost Fang let out a furious roar and unleashed its Chilling Wave once again. A blast of freezing air shot out in all directions, rapidly lowering the temperature and freezing everything in its path. The ground, trees, and even the air around it were coated in a layer of ice, creating an impenetrable wall of cold.

Edward already anticipated the Chilling Wave and swiftly leapt outside its range, landing on a tree. This was his moment—an opening to end the fight while the Frost Fang's gaurds are momentarily lowered. On top of that, the strain of the morph was becoming unbearable. Each passing second, he could feel his control slipping as the primal instincts surged stronger within him, threatening to overwhelm his mind. He had to finish this now.

'Faster, i have to move faster.'

As Edward connected deeper with his beast essence to draw out more power, a notification suddenly flashed before his eyes.

[Congratulations, the connection with the beast essence speed has increased. A new ability, "Blink," has been acquired.]

Using the tree as his foothold, Edward activated Blink and dashed forward. The tree cracked under the force, and in the blink of an eye, he was already right in front of the Frost Fang, too fast for it to react.

Using his speed to fuel the attack, Edward thrust his sword forward with all his might. The blade pierced through the Frost Fang's body, creating a massive hole. The creature let out a painful roar before collapsing, lifeless.

Edward immediately canceled his morph, and as the beast essence faded, he collapsed to the ground. His body was drenched in exhaustion, every muscle aching with pain from the strain. He lay there, struggling to catch his breath, knowing he had barely managed to survive the encounter.

"Let's finish things up here and get going."

Edward muttered, his voice strained. After catching his breath, he reached out his hand, activating the Blessing of Shifter to consume this frost fang's existence.

That was his biggest mistake so far. Just because there was no drawback from consuming the plain rover, Edward forgot the warning given by the Shifter.

Thump!

The moment the white orb entered his body, an agonizing pain spread through him. Edward clutched his chest, his heart feeling like it was being torn apart, and collapsed to the ground once again.

"Ugh! Ahhhh!"

He screamed in pain, feeling as though a fierce battle was raging within him, a struggle for dominance. Something was trying to seize control of his body, and he could feel its force growing stronger with each passing moment.

"Fuck, it seems I am still too weak to have another existence within my body," Edward gritted through the pain, his mind fighting to maintain control as the foreign presence tried to overwhelm him.