Jayden stood in the clearing, twenty-five pairs of beastly eyes glimmering with hatred around him. The dead Tremor Gator still sat slumped at his feet like a stage prop, its body stiff, its blood long dried.

For a moment, Jayden didn't move. He inhaled deeply, the cold night air sliding down his throat, the moon's pale glow making his breath fog up like smoke from a furnace.

He was about to make his first move when he suddenly paused, a thought forming. His claws, hung at his side… then slowly retracted back into his knuckles with a soft click. His chest rose and fell as if bracing for something greater.

"Alright," he muttered under his breath, his voice almost swallowed by the night. "Let's try something new."

His golden eyes flickered. His lips curved in a grin. With a shrug, he reached up, gripped his shirt and jacket, and peeled them off, tossing the fabric aside, his bare chest gleaming under the moonlight.

Then the words left him, low and dangerous:

"Activate Hybrid Transformation," he muttered under his breath. "…Earth Smasher."

Almost instantly… the system responded.

[-10 Ep]

[Hybrid Transformation Activated - Earth Smasher (D-Rank)]

Then, the transformation begun.

His body convulsed, muscles bulging, veins surging like molten steel beneath his skin. His arms thickened, swelling until the muscles strained to their absolute limit, tendons screaming under the pressure. His chest ballooned outward with every breath he took.

His legs shortened slightly but thickened into heavy, rooted pillars of strength, each step he took leaving cracks spidering through the soil beneath. Black hair sprouted across his jawline, spilling up his cheeks and forehead, his face sharpening but still unmistakably human.

His upper body radiated raw power…a beast's might bound in human form.

The system chimed in softly with a notification.

[Hybrid Transformation Complete]

[Temporary stat boost is in effect:

+50 Strength

+20 Agility

+30 Defense

+30 Stamina]

Jayden let out an exhale and glanced down at himself. His brow furrowed.

"…I'm shorter." His voice carried annoyance, almost comical against the monstrous aura radiating from him. "That's not right. Let's fix that."

Then he activated another reserved power of his… an ability he'd been itching to try.

Size Manipulation.

With a single thought, Jayden's body swelled further, bones creaking, muscles expanding like living stone slabs. His height shot upward… seven feet, eight, nine, ten… until he towered over the clearing like some ancient titan, every inhale sounding like a growl, every exhale shaking the air.

His fists clenched, each larger than a beast's skull, veins bulging thick like ropes under his skin. He was a living mountain now, the earth groaning beneath his weight.

It was like a live version of the hulk… but even larger and more ferocious.

The beasts froze for a heartbeat, their instincts screaming at them. They knew they were already fucked.

Still… it was better to die trying.

They roared as one and surged forward, claws scraping the dirt, fangs bared, muscles coiling like springs.

Jayden grinned, his enlarged teeth glinting in the moonlight.

"Come on, then."

And then he charged.

The ground exploded under his first step, cracks radiating outward. The tremor of his movement alone knocked branches free from the trees. His second step was faster, heavier, the sheer weight of his stride hurling dirt and stone into the air.

The first Tremor Gator lunged low, its maw snapping open to bite his leg. Jayden didn't even slow down. He swung his fist down like a wrecking ball, and when it connected, the beast's skull caved in with a wet crunch. Blood splattered in an arc as the gator's body skidded across the clearing, crashing into a Razorback and snapping its tusk.

Another gator lunged from his side. Jayden pivoted, his massive frame surprisingly agile, and caught its jaws mid-bite.

His fingers dug into the top and bottom of its maw. The beast thrashed, tail whipping, claws scraping, but Jayden's grin widened as he slowly pulled its mouth open… wider, and wider, until with a sickening pop the jaws tore apart. Blood fountained across his chest as he let the limp body collapse.

A howl cut through the night. One of the Howlers leapt onto his back, claws sinking into his flesh, fangs sinking deep into his shoulder.

"Arggh!"

Jayden growled, more annoyed than hurt, and reached over his shoulder with one massive hand. He gripped the wolf-like beast by its scruff, yanked it free… flesh ripping from his own back, and swung it down like a hammer. The beast hit the earth so hard the ground dented, its body breaking into a heap of twitching limbs.

Another Howler came for his throat. Jayden slammed his forehead forward, skull meeting skull with an echoing crack. The Howler dropped like a stone, whimpering before it stilled.

But the Razorbacks were coming. Three of them, tusks gleaming, massive boar-like bodies barreling through the clearing. The ground shook under their charge, dust pluming with every strike of their hooves.

Jayden squared his stance. His chest rose, then he lunged forward.

He met the first Razorback head-on, slamming his enlarged shoulder into it. The impact was like a car crash… bones shattered, the beast flipped backward mid-air, tusks snapping as it hit the dirt, but it wasn't dead.

The second one tried to gore him from the side. Jayden grabbed its tusks mid-charge, muscles swelling as he stopped its momentum dead. With a growl, he twisted, snapping its neck in one clean motion, then hurled the carcass into a cluster of Tremor Gators rushing toward him.

The third Razorback managed to get under him, tusks grazing his thigh and drawing blood. Jayden's golden eyes snapped down, burning with rage. He lifted his massive foot and stomped, hard. The Razorback's spine crumpled under his weight, blood spurting from its snout as its squeals cut short.

The forest shook with every movement now. Branches rattled, birds scattered, the ground quaked like an earthquake was tearing through the clearing.

And still, the beasts came.

The two Serpenthis struck next… twin serpents, their bodies glistening with toxic slime, fangs dripping venom. They slithered fast, striking from two sides at once.

Jayden smirked. He'd been waiting for them.

The first lunged, its jaws snapping. Jayden caught it midair by the throat. It writhed, venom dripping down his arm, sizzling against his skin. He snarled at the burn, then slammed the serpent against the ground so hard its spine snapped in half.

The beast died instantly, but Jayden didn't stop, he swung the body like a whip, using its corpse to smash another charging Howler clean off its feet.

The second serpent darted low, aiming for his leg. It coiled around his calf, fangs sinking deep into his flesh.

Jayden roared, the venom burned like fire in his veins. His muscles bulged in defiance as he grabbed the serpent's body and tore it free, ripping scales and skin apart until the beast split in half, blood raining across the dirt.

He staggered slightly, feeling the venom pulse through him. But his regeneration kicked in, veins glowing faintly as the toxins burned out of his blood. His breaths were heavier now, chest rising and falling like a furnace.

And still, the circle of beasts tightened.

The five Wolverine Stalkers circled him, their yellow eyes gleaming with hunger and hatred. They were faster, smarter, deadlier… darting in and out with razor claws, slashing across his arms and chest, leaving bloody trails.

Jayden growled, blood dripping down his torso. For the first time, he looked pushed.

But he already knew this would happen. Afterall, big opponents were easier targets. But they were also deadly hitters.

All Jayden had to do was hold his own and endure until he'd managed to annihilate every last one of them.

He grinned, his teeth glinting.

"Alright," he whispered, wiping blood from his lip. "Let's make this quick."

The Wolverine Stalkers fanned out, circling like shadows. Their bodies were sleek with muscle, their shoulders rolling low as their claws dug lines into the dirt. Each step was precise, their glowing eyes never leaving Jayden. Their growls overlapped, a low rumble that vibrated through the clearing.

Jayden wiped blood from his chest with the back of his enlarged hand, his grin feral. "Come on, I won't bite."

The first Stalker darted in, lightning fast, aiming to rake across his thigh where the Serpenthis venom had burned him earlier. Jayden anticipated it, but instead of swinging, he stomped his massive foot down.

BOOM.

The earth cracked… the sudden shockwave jolted the Stalker mid-lunge, slowing its step just enough for Jayden's fist to came down like a meteor.

Crunch.

The Stalker's skull flattened against the dirt, blood spraying in a fan under the weight of his strike.

But the others were already on him.

One leapt onto his back, claws raking down his shoulders, while another slashed across his chest, leaving deep lines that oozed crimson. Jayden bellowed, swinging his massive arms back, but the Stalker clinging to him bit down hard on his trapezius, teeth sinking into muscle.

Pain flared across Jayden's arm, sharp, electric.

He snarled, then dropped low. With a burst of raw power, he hurled himself backward, slamming his full weight into the ground.

SLAM!!

The earth shook as he landed on his back, crushing the Stalker beneath him. Bones snapped like brittle twigs, hot blood gushing up his side. Jayden rolled and pushed himself back to his feet, chest heaving.

The pack shifted, growling more cautiously now. Three left.

One circled wide, snapping its jaws in feints, while another crept low, almost belly-flat, stalking his blindside. The third crouched, muscles coiled, its gaze locked on his throat. They were coordinated, patient.. predators testing prey.

Jayden chuckled darkly. Then he dragged his fist along the dirt, scooping up a chunk of earth and stone. His massive hand clenched, compressing it until it cracked apart.

When the crouched Stalker sprang, aiming for his throat, Jayden swung the fistful of stone up into its jaw.

BAM!

The impact was devastating. Its lower jaw shattered, teeth scattering like broken glass. Jayden followed through, grabbing its head with both hands and twisting violently. A wet pop echoed as its neck snapped. The body crumpled, twitching.

Two wolverines left.

They lunged together, one for his legs, the other for his arm. Jayden couldn't stop both. The first clamped down on his thigh, fangs tearing into muscle, while the other dug claws into his forearm, dragging deep trenches of blood.

He roared, veins bulging as blood poured down his leg. For a heartbeat, the pack had him pinned, their snarls triumphant.

Then Jayden bent his knees, muscles flexing, and jumped.

The ground cracked apart, a crater forming where he'd stood. He soared upward with both beasts clinging to him, their eyes wide with sudden fear. At the peak of his jump, Jayden twisted mid-air, slamming his arm into one Stalker's ribs with the force of a battering ram. The beast was ripped free, bones splintering, before it plummeted to the ground below, smashing into a tree with a sickening thud.

The other still clung to his thigh, its jaws locked, refusing to let go. Jayden gritted his teeth, his face twisting with rage. He landed hard, knees bending, the impact rattling the forest. His hand shot down, gripping the Stalker by the scruff.

He yanked the beast up, swung it overhead, and slammed it down into the ground with such force that the earth split. Blood sprayed across his legs as the creature went limp, its head nothing but pulp pressed into the dirt.

Silence.

Jayden stood tall, chest heaving, his body dripping with blood… his and theirs. His golden eyes blazed in the moonlight. All the Wolverine Stalkers were now nothing but carcasses scattered across the clearing.

He cracked his knuckles. "Alright, who's next."

The remaining beasts… 4 gators, 5 Howlers, and the last Razorback that was still dragging itself upright.. hesitated. Their snarls wavered, doubt flickering in their eyes.

Jayden licked blood from his lip, his grin wide, terrifying. "Come on," he growled, pounding his chest once like a drum. The sound echoed across the forest, primal and commanding. "Don't stop now. You wanted the Alpha position?"

His voice rose, a bellow that shook the treetops.

"COME TAKE IT!"

The beasts roared in defiance and surged forward, all at once.