What just happened…? Where did this ability codex come from?
Kael Ardyn's thoughts were all over the place as a rush of new information poured into his head.
The information took the form of vivid images and clear words that were surprisingly easy to grasp.
Kael froze, stunned.
He instinctively understood how some parts of this index worked just by looking at the stone tablet-like image in his mind.
And honestly, the ability it described felt pretty overpowered.
It was called the ability codex. Apparently, he could copy the extraordinary abilities of powerful creatures and store them inside this index. Not only that, but it looked like he could also pass on these copied skills to other extraordinary creatures—though not to humans.
These creatures were strong precisely because they'd learned all sorts of rare and powerful techniques. Still, being able to copy and teach those skills? That didn't sound like something that should even be possible…
Could the abilities of myth-level beasts really be duplicated and taught to even regular pets?
According to the information from the ability codex, three rules had to be followed to successfully copy a creature's skill:
You had to watch the creature use the ability in person.
You had to physically touch the creature.
You had to do both within one hour.
Those were the requirements for copying and recording a skill.
If you wanted to transfer that skill to another creature, there were more rules to follow.
How much stamina it cost to teach the skill depended on how advanced the skill was.
Also, the pet being taught had to be somewhat compatible with the ability.
Yeah, there were a lot of restrictions—but still, Kael Ardyn couldn't help but fall deep into thought. Even though he wasn't officially a Beast Tamer yet, he could already tell that this power to copy, store, and teach abilities was something any Beast Tamer would kill to have.
A Beast Tamer's strength didn't just depend on their pet—it came down to three major factors.
First was their Beast Taming Talent and how far they had developed it.
For example, a tamer with flameborn aptitude could boost the strength of their pet's fire-based moves. But how much of a boost? That depended on how far they'd developed that talent.
Second was the ability manual.
Most pets could only unlock the basic skills of their species. These "bloodline skills" played a huge part in determining how strong a pet species could become. The stronger a pet's skills, the stronger the pet overall.
But learning skills from outside their race? That was incredibly rare.
It was like asking a second grader to learn how to pilot a fighter jet. Still, with the right methods, there was a chance pets could learn moves from other species.
These training methods were like scrolls of the ancient marital arts from a fantasy novel. They were super valuable and could boost a pet's power quickly.
If a Beast Tamer could teach a powerful skill to their pet using these methods, their pet could even take down enemies from stronger races or higher levels.
The third major factor was evolution.
Most pets had the ability to evolve, but how to trigger those evolutions was often a closely guarded secret.
If a Beast Tamer could figure out an evolution method, their pet would reach a higher life stage and unlock even more powerful race-based skills.
So, the first factor was about developing the tamer's own abilities.
The second and third were about gathering knowledge and experience as a Beast Tamer.
And Kael Ardyn's ability codex? It was basically like carrying a massive library of advanced skill scrolls.
Ability codex…
Was this his "system"? Or was it a second Beast Taming Talent?
Rather than some mysterious system, Kael Ardyn was more inclined to believe this was another innate talent.
But wasn't his Beast Taming Talent supposed to be telepathy?
Besides, he'd never heard of anything this broken before.
And he'd definitely never heard of someone having two different Beast Taming Talents…
Kael's emotions were all over the place.
In just a single moment, hundreds of crazy thoughts ran through his head.
But… if it were him, maybe it wasn't so strange?
After all, he was a soulshifter. A regular guy he was not.
Sure, the original Kael Ardyn had telepathy. But what did that have to do with the current Kael Ardyn? Even if this version of Kael Ardyn had a bonus ability to copy skills, it still kind of made sense.
"Alright, first things first… Calm down."
No matter how he looked at it, this was great news. It felt like his golden cheat in this new world—his ace in the hole.
From panic to relief, Kael Ardyn finally took a deep breath.
Since realizing he had transmigrated, something had always felt off. But now, he finally felt at ease. This was the kind of joy a soulshifter was supposed to feel—simple, but real.
"Crap, it's already so late."
He had been so lost in the flood of information about his new ability that he hadn't realized how much time had passed.
Quickly getting dressed, Kael Ardyn got ready to head out for work. He didn't even think about breakfast. Honestly, he didn't care about his job right now—he just wanted to test if his new ability was the real deal.
With excitement building, Kael Ardyn left the dorm and headed out.
…
The beast nurturing grounds in Frostveil Haven was massive. It had lakes, grassy plains, forests, and even snow-covered mountains—each designed for different pet species to live in.
With so many pets to take care of, the staff was equally numerous. The area nearby was filled with workers, and everything from food processing to transportation was done on-site.
Inside the feed factory, a bunch of breeders were busy with their tasks. Most of them were too occupied to socialize much.
When Kael arrived, he went straight to the feed he was supposed to move. He knew exactly what he needed. But once he saw the feed, he was taken aback.
As he carried two heavy boxes filled with food, he muttered to himself, No wonder being a Beast Tamer is expensive… These pets eat better than we do.
Inside the storage box were layers of fresh beast meat—at least seven or eight kinds. It looked like a well-balanced, nutritious meal plan.
There was more food where that came from—it was breakfast for the Frost Wolves.
"Hey Kael Ardyn, feeding the Frost Wolves today?"
As Kael was moving the meat, someone saw what kind of food he was carrying and called out, half-jokingly, "Those guys aren't exactly cuddly. Be careful."
"But hey, if you do get bit, the infirmary here's top-notch," the person added with a smirk.
"Don't listen to him," someone else said, reassuringly. "As long as the Wolf King's around, you'll be fine."
"Just kidding, man," the first guy said again. "Need a hand with the crates?"
Kael looked at the two of them awkwardly. He didn't remember them at all. So he just gave a polite smile and said, "Thanks, but I'm almost done."
They didn't push the conversation further—everyone had work to do.
Once they left, Kael recalled that the old version of him had been the quiet type. He'd stayed to himself, partly because of some family issues. That explained why he hadn't made many friends or gotten close to any work cliques. He mostly kept to himself, which meant he had little to no social connections here.
No wonder he didn't remember anyone's name. But he did remember a lot about the pets at the base.
Kael shook his head. For now, this wasn't a bad thing. He'd just keep things that way a while longer. Still, it was a bit ironic—having telepathy, yet being so socially distant.
Anyway, the main thing now was to slowly get used to this world. Socializing could wait.
Finally, after pushing a cart full of meat feed, Kael Ardyn got into the delivery vehicle and drove alone to the snowy mountain area—the Frost Wolves' territory.
Once he arrived, he parked the cart and got out to unload the meat. Without delay, he got to work.
Just then, a flash of white on the far-off mountain caught his eye. Dozens of massive wolves came into view.
"Awooooo!!!!"
"Awooooo!!!!"
Their howls echoed across the mountain, chilling to the bone. The snow-white wolves rushed over. At first, they sprinted, but as they got closer, they slowed to a walk.
Even walking, they gave off serious pressure.
"Awooooo!!!!"
Each of these wolves was around two meters long and nearly a meter tall. And they were just pups.
Their bodies were covered in thick, snowy fur, with blue-tinted hair on their tails, backs, and limbs.
As they neared, their icy blue eyes locked onto Kael Ardyn. They bared their teeth, breathing frosty air.
[Species]: Snow Wolf
[Element]: Ice
[Race Level]: Elderborne
[Skills]: Frostbite Fang, Glacier Talon, Veil of Frost, Hailfire Breath
A beast-type transcendent species that evolved in snowy mountain habitats. With sharp frozen fangs and claws, they could shred steel. Masters of stealth and hunting in blizzards.
Kael Ardyn's knowledge came in handy—this data popped up in his mind automatically. The pet's element, its race level (low, medium, or high), and the rare skills it had were exactly what he wanted to copy using his second talent…
"Awooooo!!!!"
"Awooooo!!!!"
At that moment, the wolves stared at Kael Ardyn, their mouths practically watering.
So I really can understand them, Kael Ardyn thought.
Despite knowing they were just hungry, Kael Ardyn couldn't help but find it all fascinating.
That feeling of understanding what they were trying to communicate brought him comfort… and a little fear.
Comfort because they were on the same page. Fear because one of them wanted to eat him.
Seriously, what kind of job was this? Was he a pet caretaker—or a walking emergency meal?
"Where's the Wolf King?"
Kael Ardyn did his best to ignore the unsettling thoughts and scanned the area, looking for the Snow Wolf King that was supposed to keep the others in line.
"ROAR!!!!!!"
The wolves instantly stopped moving and lined up. They weren't being polite—they were waiting.
A much louder, more dominant roar rang out, and the wolves parted.
Out walked a massive Snow Wolf, over three meters long and nearly 1.7 meters tall.
"ROAR!!!!!!"
The Snow Wolf King approached, its eyes fixed on Kael Ardyn.
The other wolves watched with fear and awe.
Frost Wolves lived in packs, and the Wolf King ruled them all.
Some Wolf Kings even awakened a rare skill—Dominion Roar—that gave off a powerful aura, letting them command the whole pack.
It wasn't one of their regular bloodline skills. It was a high-level move with strict activation requirements.
With this skill, the Snow Wolf King kept the pack in perfect order.
Thanks to it, even a newbie like Kael Ardyn could safely feed them. It had nothing to do with telepathy—everything came down to the Wolf King's control.
This Snow Wolf King belonged to a Beast Tamer at the base. It helped manage the pack.
Kael Ardyn guessed the owner might be secretly watching him, grading his performance.
But that person probably had a high position. If the Wolf King was just one of his pets, he probably wasn't bored enough to babysit an intern.
Still… was this wolf his test examiner?
Kael Ardyn made a weird face at the thought.
The Wolf King slowly stepped closer.
Kael Ardyn's heartbeat quickened. There was something about this wolf—something way beyond the others.
Just one glance from it made his whole body tense.
It didn't eat immediately. Instead, surrounded by icy air, it brushed past Kael Ardyn and touched him.
According to custom, the leader would leave its scent on new breeders, marking them with its aura. That way, the pack would behave better around them.
As the cold fur passed by, Kael Ardyn realized he had been officially "marked" by the Wolf King.
Well, this was definitely more civilized than being peed on.
Just as he was thinking that, the ability codex lit up.
Because the Wolf King had used Dominion Roar and touched him…
The whole process had gone so smoothly that Kael Ardyn almost couldn't believe it.
He'd been wondering how to get close enough to copy a skill—and it just happened like that?
And not just any skill, but the Wolf King's advanced skill?
He turned to the first page in his index and saw the Snow Wolf King's image.
Underneath it were the details:
[Skill]: Dominion Roar
[Skill Level]: Advanced
A spirit-type ability. The user radiates a dominating presence that can overwhelm or command other beings. It can even cause weaker creatures to faint. It's considered a mark of "sovereign's command."
[Status]: No Target Set