CHAPTER 149: MATTER ABSORPTION

The Winter Wolf and the Chthonix clashed in a storm of ice and fire, their battle shaking the forest. The air itself seemed to fracture under the weight of their power... frost met magma, steam erupting in great hissing plumes. The Wolf moved with lethal grace, her claws leaving trails of frozen death in their wake, while the Chthonix fought with desperate, earth-shaking fury, its molten blood sizzling against the ice that sought to entomb it.

Jayden watched, his newly transformed body thrumming with raw energy. His muscles coiled, his claws flexed, his breath curling in the frigid air. The Winter Wolf had made it clear... she didn’t want his help.

But he didn’t care. He lunged into the battle anyways.

The Chthonix, sensing his approach, whipped its massive tail toward him. Jayden twisted midair, flipping over the strike and landing in a crouch. The Winter Wolf shot him a glare, her piercing blue eyes flashing with irritation.

Jayden smirked, his fangs glinting. "What? You think I’m just gonna sit this one out?"

The Wolf snarled, but before she could react, the Chthonix roared, slamming its fists into the ground. The earth ruptured, jagged spikes of stone erupting toward them. The Wolf leapt, her body a blur of white, while Jayden dashed sideways, narrowly avoiding being impaled.

The Chthonix wasn’t done. It inhaled deeply, its chest swelling—

"Oh, crap!" Jayden barked.

A torrent of superheated rock spewed from the beast’s maw, a molten river surging toward them. The Winter Wolf howled, slashing her claws downward. A wall of ice erupted from the ground, intercepting the lava flow in a deafening explosion of steam and debris.

Jayden didn’t wait. He bolted through the smoke, his claws raking across the Chthonix’s side before it could react. The beast bellowed, swinging a massive fist, but Jayden was already gone... flipping backward as the Wolf slammed into the Chthonix from the opposite side, her fangs sinking into its shoulder.

The beast thrashed, trying to shake her off, but Jayden was already moving again. He sprinted up its back, claws digging into its rocky hide, and stabbed downward into its spine.

RAAAAAAA!

The Chthonix screamed.

It bucked violently, throwing Jayden off. He hit the ground and rolled, coming up just in time to see the Winter Wolf ripping her claws across its face, leaving deep, freezing gashes that seemed to spread across it’s body. The Chthonix staggered, its movements growing sluggish.. its body was freezing over, its molten blood cooling under the Wolf’s relentless assault.

But it wasn’t finished yet.

With a desperate roar, the Chthonix slammed its feet into the earth. The ground liquefied, turning to quicksand beneath the Wolf’s paws. She sank, her legs trapped instantly.

Jayden’s eyes widened. "Shit."

The Chthonix reared back, its fist glowing red-hot, ready to crush her skull.

Jayden moved.

He blurred forward, his body a streak of black and gold. He tackled the Wolf out of the way just as the Chthonix’s fist smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave of molten rock flying.

The Winter Wolf snarled, scrambling to her feet. She turned to Jayden, her eyes burning with something unreadable... Perhaps anger or gratitude?

Jayden simply grinned. "You’re welcome."

She huffed.

The Chthonix didn’t wait for them to sort it out—it lunged, jaws wide, lava dripping from its maw like fiery drool. Jayden and the Wolf moved at the same time, a beat of silence passing between them that somehow aligned their instincts.

Then chaos.

The Chthonix struck down like a meteor, but Jayden slid beneath the blow, claws raking across its exposed underbelly. Sparks and molten ichor flew. Simultaneously, the Wolf spun left, frost trailing in a spiraling arc as she leapt, landing atop the Chthonix’s shoulder. Her claws drove deep into its neck, releasing a pulse of cold so intense it flash-froze an entire chunk of the beast’s shoulder.

The Chthonix howled in pain. Real, unrestrained pain.

It whipped around, trying to slam her off, but Jayden leapt high, twisting mid-air, and slammed both feet into the back of the creature’s skull. His boots cracked scales with the impact.

The beast stumbled forward, dazed.. but not beaten.

It roared, body glowing brighter, and slammed both forearms into the ground, triggering another eruption of magma spikes from below. Jayden barely backflipped away as one erupted where he stood, but the Wolf wasn’t so lucky. One pierced her flank.

She snarled in agony but didn’t fall.

Jayden growled and charged again, his movements feral, sharp. He slammed into the beast’s hind leg with full force, his claws digging through flesh and bone. The Chthonix turned but the Wolf was already on its face again, icy mist pouring from her maw. She howled... and a nova of frost exploded outward, freezing half the Chthonix’s skull.

Jayden saw the opening. The Chthonix was weakening, its movements sluggish, its body half-frozen.

This was his chance to end the fight. He felt it... and the Winter Wolf agreed with him

"Let’s finish this!"

He sprinted, leapt from a boulder, and the Wolf launched him with her back like a living springboard. Jayden soared like a black arrow, claws first, spinning midair.

WHAM.

His claws drove into the weakened frost-covered skull of the beast.

CRACK!

The Chthonix shrieked.

It writhed violently, its tail smashing trees, boulders, trying to dislodge Jayden. Its body flared with unstable heat, desperate, angry, dying. Lava poured from its wounds like open furnaces.

But the Winter Wolf charged again. Her eyes glowed blinding blue as she summoned everything. Her breath swirled in a storm of rime, freezing the magma in midair. She jumped, landing on the Chthonix’s chest, and then with a soul-chilling growl, she opened her jaws and bit through its chest, directly into it’s core.

BOOM!

A pulse of glacial energy exploded outward, freezing every single part of the beast... both internal and external.

Jayden didn’t hesitate. His claws ripped the beast’s skull in half at the same moment.

CRACK—CRUNCH—BOOM!

The Chthonix screamed one last time.

And then... silence.

Its molten core dimmed. Its body cracked... and collapsed, frozen solid from the inside out. Steam rose like ghosts into the sky. The forest trembled... and then stilled.

[D-Rank Chthonix Defeated]

[+40 exp received]

Jayden panted, his lupine form receding. The Winter Wolf stood across from him, her chest rising and falling steadily.

Their eyes met.

Jayden smirked, wiping blood from his face. "Not bad... partner."

The Wolf chuffed... almost a laugh, before turning away. Her job there was done. She had proved her point and taken down a potential threat to her reign. Even Jayden knew she didn’t interfere to save his life. She just wanted to express her pride as Alpha.

But as she vanished into the trees, her tail gave a single, acknowledging flick. As if saying. "We’re even now"

Jayden chuckled and approached the Chthonix corpse. His excitement was off the charts. He hadn’t just managed to kill one but two Chthonix in one day. And luckily for him, one of them already had two abilities along with a true form. His day couldn’t get any better.

As he placed his hands on the D-Rank Chthonix corpse. The system notification appeared immediately.

[Requirements has been met]

[Analysing compatibility...]

[Host is compatible with available beast energy]

[Would you like to absorb the D-Rank Chthonix’s energy?]

[Yes] [No]

Jayden smiled. "Yes."

[Energy Acquisition commencing...]

[Beast Energy Acquisition in progress]

[Beast type: Chthonix (D-Rank)]

[Beast Gene Absorption: 1%]

[Beast Ability Assimilation: Error]

Jayden blinked, he didn’t understand what the system meant by that. Afterall, the Chthonix had an ability. Infact it had two. But then more prompts followed up.

[Alert! Chthonix Beast Crystal Undetected]

[Beast Gene Absorption: Error]

[Beast Ability Assimilation: Error]

[Beast Energy Acquisition Failed]

Jayden was stunned. "What?! How does the corpse not have a crystal?" he pondered. But then realization hit him... The Winter wolf.

She had bitten into the Chthonix core... where the crystal was located. And when she froze it’s chest, she had used that opportunity to take the crystal.

Jayden fist’s clenched. "That conniving little thief." he bellowed. "I swear the next time I get my hands on her... I won’t be so forgiving."

[Hey! How dare you speak about laying your hands on a woman?] Luna chimed.

Jayden frowned. "The Winter wolf is not a woman. She’s a beast. A beast I’m going to kill with my bare hands." he muttered in a vold tone as he rose up, turning to the direction where the Winter wolf had gone.

[And what did she do exactly?] Luna asked.

"She stole my crystal."

Luna scoffed. [I believe you mean ’her’ crystal]

Jayden arched a brow. "What are you talking about?" he asked impatiently.

[You both took down the Chthonix together, which means you’re both entitled to it’s body... both Corpse and Crystal] Luna explained. [But she took the crystal first and left you the corpse. That’s fair game to me]

Jayden was at a loss of words. "Wh... what?!"

[I’m saying she called dibs first. How’s that stealing?] Luna said. [Besides, if it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t have been able to kill the Chthonix]

[And let’s not forget, even if you get the crystal. You can’t acquire the energy anymore. It’s useless] she added.

Jayden paused in his tracks. Luna was right, the deed had been done. But he still didn’t want to let go, he had worked hard for this.

Sighing deeply, Jayden turned his head to the end of the clearing, where the corpse of the E-Rank Chthonix laid. He grudgingly walked towards it and crouched.

Almost instantly, the system screen appeared.

[Requirements has been met]

[Analysing compatibility...]

[Host is compatible with available beast energy]

[Would you like to absorb the E-Rank Chthonix’s energy?]

[Yes] [No]

Jayden exhaled and placed his hand on the corpse. "Yes." he muttered.

[Contact Established]

[Energy Acquisition commencing...]

The familiar pulse of bright blue energy surged from the beast’s chest and began floating into Jayden’s body, swirling and merging with his being.

[Beast Energy Acquisition in progress]

[Beast type: Chthonix (E-Rank)]

[Beast Gene Absorption: 25%]

[Beast Ability Assimilation: 20%]

Jayden stared at the notification on the screen, he was fine with this, afterall he still had ten Chthonix crystals in storage he could use to upgrade to the next rank. But what bothering him was the Winter wolf.

"Why would she need beast crystals?" he pondered inwardly. But his thoughts were soon interrupted by the system notifications.

The acquisition was complete.

[Beast Gene Absorption... 100%]

(Absorption Complete)

[Beast Ability Assimilation... 100%]

(Assimilation Complete]

[Energy Acquisition was successful]

[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired the gene of a Chthonix (E-Rank)]

[You have acquired the ability: Matter Absorption]

Jayden smirked. "Finally."