I tried to think fast, but the only solution I found to my situation was to run, and that’s what I did. I turned around and ran as fast as I could, but before I even made 4 steps I felt the floor tremble and a loud noise coming from behind. The bear had put its paws down and it was probably coming for me. I ran with all my might but before I even got to the entrance I felt something approaching me from the left. I turned slightly my face only to see a giant rocky paw on its way for my ribs with a huge speed.

Once it stroke, I felt all my rib cage fracture and break at the same time I went flying against the wall. I hit my head and almost fell unconscious because of the damage taken. The bear then came near and literally crushed my head…

…then I came back to myself…

[Aaaargh!] – The f*cking bear was eating me! How the hell I was alive I didn’t know, but I felt as he bit my stomach and ripped my arms off as he ate them. Then he looked at my face and saw that I was alive… [Don’t kill me again!]

*Crunch!*

The bear soon realized I was regenerating, and noticed he could keep eating me, so he did. He was hungry from an entire winter without eating, and so I was the perfect prey. Weak but full of meat, as I regenerated one time after the other.

The cycle repeated, although he decided to keep eating me, he tried to kill me every time he saw I was conscious; I guess that’s what mercy is for him. I kept dying and waking up, feeling the pain of my insides being eaten while I was alive. It kept doing that for hours, and I kept regenerating, I was starting to get tired. Khan said I didn’t need to eat, but I guess if I die so many times, not even my soul can keep up with the energy.

My body started saving energy, and although I was alive, I started losing consciousness. After a day, I lost my consciousness completely.

I fell in the most absolute darkness, and I couldn’t feel anything except my life. I noticed my life, fluctuating between death and life, yet not being in any of those. Then I felt something else, like a memory invading my mind, but within the darkness I could only hear their voices.

“Honey, he’s your son, you have to take care of him!” – That sounded like my mother! I wonder who is she talking to, she told me that she didn’t have any boyfriend, that someone had impregnated her after a one night stand, and she decided to keep it.

“Darling, you know how my family is! I can’t do it; if I stay they’ll put you two in danger! We can’t be together now that you delivered him, I have to go, and you know how sad I am to leave you, but it’s for your and our son’s sake.” – The voice sounded deep, deeper than my own voice, which I was told it was very deep, but I could feel the love from his words, and somehow I knew he truly loved us both, and that meant that my mom had me with someone he loved, which in turn meant that, even though she lied to me, she probably loved me a lot more than I thought.

*Sobs* – I heard my mom cry, and I felt a pain deep in my soul.

“I’ll never forget you and I’ll remember your name until the day I die, I love you A…” – As I was wondering the name of my father, I woke up.

I opened my eyes only to see that I was still on the cavern, and the next thing I noticed was that it all smelled to blood. I looked around and I understood why. The entire floor was full of splatters of my own blood and pieces of meat. I shuddered remembering the pain I felt while that beast was eating me…

I stood up and tried to stay still, but I failed and fell to the ground. I cut my arm with a rock and looked astonished as my arm regenerated amazingly faster than before the accident. I hastily sat down and closed my eyes, summoning the System.

Status X-System Status Name: Lyon Ironblood Soul Points: 3000 Mutations: 2 Powers: 2 Mutations Acquired: Wolverine Locked Deadpool Locked Powers: Power origin: Fenrir, the Immortal Wolf G mid tier Wolverine + Deadpool

[Ha! It seemed than this ordeal was not without reward, now my regeneration power was G mid tier.] – I saw the new power, and I immediately opened the table of the power to see what had changed.

Fenrir, the Immortal Wolf G mid tier Progress: ??? (Knowledge insuficient)

Regeneration beyond comparision. It regenerates so fast that is at practical efects, immortal. As long as some part of him is there, be it a hand, a finger, a drop of blood or a mere cell, the user can regenerate. Sharp claws made of bone can surge from between the knuckles. Bones as strong as marble, and better senses than wolves, be it in smell, hearing or eyesight. The holder of this power becomes a born predator.

Upon upgrade: Sharpen claws while strengthening bones. Develop instincts which help the holder to be more effective on the hunt.

Okay, knowing this made things easier, but I had realized something important. Even though I was immortal, that didn’t make me invincible. I could be defeated once, and once defeated they could trap me or keep killing me, I had to develop more powers, something to defend myself, and I had an idea about which power I should develop next.

To do so, I would need quite a few SP, so I had to finish my Aikido training. I immediately explored the cave, and discovered that the rock bear had left the cave, but it seemed that he marked the cave in some way I was not able to see, because all the beasts which were slowly waking up from their slumber avoided the cave. Some of those beasts noticed me but still left without a second look.

I could use this as an advantage and train in here, knowing that no one would disturb me. I was about to start the training as the guide said, but I halted… This training was too slow, after looking at the progress, it seemed that half a month, even with the increases thanks to both the breathing patterns and my high regeneration, had only made my body training go from 7 % to 8 %, this way I would have to work for 3 and a half month before finishing the physical training.

Knowing that now I could regenerate faster, I decided to increase the intensity of the training by some levels. First, instead of a hundred and fifty kilograms rock I searched for a bigger one. I found a one that weighed around three hundred kilograms, and so I started the cycle but this time with this rock. Once it was time to run, I took the hundred and fifty kilograms rock and carried while running, I kept this rhythm in all the cycles, so that I could improve faster.

I kept increasing the intensity during two weeks before I got my physical training done. Even though I regenerated insanely fast I was tremendously exhausted, both physical and mentally.

After I got my physical training done, which got me another SP reward, as I increased my percentage of completion more than 5 %, I started the ability training. This would be the hardest, but also the most rewarding. My physical constitution right now would probably be that of an Olympic athlete that competed on all categories available, but this was not near enough. Though I had a strong physique, this wouldn’t allow me to fight if my enemies were as strong as that bastard of a bear.

I spent two months and a half more to get to the 50 %. After that, and before purchasing my first mutation other than the gifts that Khan gave me, I was decided to try my strength against some beast outside this cave. I waited until morning to get out, as it would be when the less dangerous creatures woke. Between the aikido training I had tried to introduce my claws to my fighting style, and though it was hard at the beginning, I accomplished to introduce it, though it took me quite long. The last half month was mostly spent into introducing my claws onto my fighting style.

When the sun started shining on the sky, I got out of the cave. After the bear had eaten me, I had no more clothes on me, so the only thing I had was some torn pants and some ripped boots. I decided to discard the boots today, as they would disturb me more than they would help, and walking barefoot would help me be more silent.

I spent about half an hour without finding anything until I found out my problem…

[I smell too much!] – I needed to hide my odor or the only thing that would approach me would be something that could kill me. I smelled like dried blood and sweat, so it wasn’t strange than less powerful beast avoided me. I had the smell of a predator. After realizing my problem I searched for some water pond or river, and I found one. It was occupied, some kind of ape was there, and hell it was big. It was 2 meters and a half tall even though he was not standing straight. He had some weird arms, they had 2 elbows.

[Hell, those arms sure give him some leisure at the time to fight; more mobility and range are always welcomed.] – While I was thinking this the wind changed, revealing my position to that let’s call him Double-Elbow Ape, which turned almost instantly.

I got ready to battle as I drew my claws slowly. The ape turned completely around and stood high, showing its teeth to me, and then roaring.

“ROAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!” – Hell he was loud…

It then put its arms on the ground and started running to me. As it was getting close I started running towards him which in turn surprised him, making him hesitate for a second, which was enough to deliver the first hit. I slipped underneath him and sliced with my claws across his chest, making him screech in pain, then getting distanced from him the moment I got past him.

It was a pity that by the time I turned around I already had the arm of that ape upon myself, I barely got time to protect my chest and face with my arms, still getting knocked back around 7 meters. – [F*ck, that hurt!]

I got not to lose balance even though I had been sent flying, sliding across the floor and bending forward to avoid falling. After coming to a halt I observed the beast, which was wincing. I had a gloomy smile on my face, because even though I was fine, I knew that the hit from the beast had broken quite a few of my bones and pierced my lungs, it was just that I was already healed, quite useful, this regeneration.

I got ready to strike again but then something I didn’t expect happened. A shadow appeared over me and faster than my eye could follow something dropped upon the ape then took off with him. The weight of the ape slowed that thing enough so that I could discern something terrifying; it was a Gryphon, a monster half lion half eagle! It was 6 meter long and around 3 meter tall. It was so big that it had grabbed the ape and broke its neck to kill him without effort, and all that without stopping flying.

I was scared shitless, what the hell, I couldn’t fight a flying beast! I looked around, and seeing nothing around, I hurried back to the cave. The hell, that thing would’ve killed me in seconds, true, I would’ve regenerated, but so what? I needed to have a chance to fight it for that to make a difference.

When I got to the cave I immediately opened the system.

That’s it, I already knew which two powers I needed next, even though I couldn’t buy the second one yet, it wouldn’t be long, and then I’d have the ability to fight that Gryphon, and all creatures that are on the same level as those beasts.

After taking the decision, I bought it. The powers of Gambit, kinetic conversion and acceleration, this way he would have enough explosive strength, enough speed and even a ranged way to attack. This would make him strong enough that the ape he had hurt would’ve died by that.

Khan said that the beast in this forest were quite weak, but that doesn’t mean they are weak at all, it’s just that outside this forest, things are stronger. I need to get a lot stronger.

After acquiring Gambit’s powers, I felt an amazing amount of energy pour onto me, and I fell down, but this time I got to stay conscious. I felt my muscles stretch and contract, my cells absorbing energy as if they were hungry wolves and the energy appetizing food. It lasted around an hour, and then I felt full. Before testing my powers, I accessed to the X-System, to see what it was like.

Kinetic conversion and acceleration D low tier Progress: 0 %

Able to transform potential energy inside objects into kinetic energy. Also able to charge objects with kinetic energy from other sources, as himself. Also able to charge himself with kinetic energy at low quantities, improving speed, strength, agility and even endurance. The better the material of the object to charge, and the size of it, the more energy the user is able to charge into it. The more energy it has to charge into an object, the longer it takes him.

Upon upgrade: Improve speed at charge, quantity to charge, and efficiency at it.

Okay, seems like as I know how the powers are supposed to develop, I’m able to see its progress, this way I’ll know if I’m training them right. It explained that the material and size of the object I charged influenced in the quantity and speed of the energy I could charge it with, respectively. I tried to pick a pebble and charge it, it was quite slow, but I guess it’s not weird, knowing where I start. After about ten seconds it got fully charged and I could feel the energy on the pebble vibrate, roaring to be released. I launched with all my strength, which was quite a lot, against a tree near the entrance of the cave.

I saw the pebble fly in a straight lane, caused most probably by the kinetic energy more than by my skill, which I didn’t have in launching pebbles. It looked like a piece of a star was launched, leaving a trail of light across the air; the moment it impacted against the tree, though, I noticed it was more than just looking like a piece of star. The pebble seemed to enter the trunk, as if permeating in the wood, as it cracked around it, but as the pebble got 5 centimeters inside the trunk, a loud noise rumbled.

*Boooooom!*

At the same time I saw the tree exploding at the point where the pebble had impacted the trunk, and leave a hole with a radius of around a 15 cm.

I smiled seeing this, it was slow and not strong enough yet, but if I could train it, even though the beasts were stronger than this trunk, it could become a deadly weapon. I decided to charge some stones and leave them aside.

As I was charging the 7th, I hit lightly one of the already charged stones.

*Boom!*

[Damn! That scared me!] – The stone had released its energy; luckily for me it hadn’t hit any of the other stones. – [I have to be more careful.]

I charged 10 more stones before I decided they were enough, and then I set them apart. I looked at myself and realized I hadn’t bathed due that Gryphon. I took some dirt from the ground and rubbed it on my body, to get myself somewhat clean. It was not too much, but it was an improvement.

I took me some time to wonder if I could charge my claws the same way as the pebbles… I could, but it wasn’t nice. When I got to do it I felt enthusiastic, I could fill them much faster than the pebbles, and it seemed they contained more energy, but when I tried to hit a tree near the entrance, I felt pain. I felt such an acute pain that it surprised me. I smiled, because despite the pain I felt, the tree had pretty much exploded in two halves, but then I looked towards my hand and I knew why I felt such an acute pain…

[I’ve blown my arm!!!] – It wasn’t long until it regenerated, but that ‘not long’ was around 10 seconds, I could pretty much be dead in 10 seconds if I didn’t have my arm to defend myself, so this would be left as a last resort, because even though it was powerful, it was dangerous to me.

I returned to the cave wondering what I should do next. I needed to train this power, but I also needed to train in something else so that I could earn some SP. I had thought that the ape would give me some, but the Gryphon stole it from me, so it was discarded. I decided to look for some training, some that would last me for a while.

I found one that would be perfect for me right now.

Werewolf Fury G mid tier Progress: 0.7 %

A furious way of fighting developed by werewolves. They fight with their lives on the way, because only in such way the tribe survives. A berserker style of fighting which ignores halfly the safety of the fighter so that he may inflict deadly damage to the enemies. Even when hunting it ignores safety, because this way, after devouring the prey, and while healing from their wounds, they adapt to the preys they eat.

This was probably the most similar fighting style to what I required amongst the lower half of the mid tiers, anything higher would be too hard for me to handle right now. And anything lower wouldn’t be as useful.

I felt the rush of information going into my head, or maybe my soul, who knows. During three months I kept training into this new fighting style while at the same time I trained in Aikido and I strengthened Gambit’s power. I got to level up its power to the B low tier, which was pretty impressive, but still lower than in the series.

On the other side, I barely accomplished the F mid power from the Werewolf Fury, which got me 500 SP but that was not even near enough to get my second power.

I had realized the problem with Werewolf Fury; it needed not only actual combat to improve, but also to consume beasts. It would allow my body to strengthen different from the physical training from Aikido or other Earthly techniques, Werewolf Fury was based in a true predator, a dangerous hunter which evolved depending on what it hunted and so ate.

[I bet that eating that rock bear would get my strength and endurance, together with my durability, to a whole new level, it’s a pity that I can’t beat it yet.] – I decided that I needed to go out, it was time for me to hunt, and start growing up.