The once-ordinary flow of daily life seemed on the verge of breaking apart.
A new era was dawning.
Because of the war raging before their eyes, people now understood more clearly than ever: the awakening of supernatural powers had not been the prelude to a bright age for humanity alone, but to an age where all life on Earth would be blessed.
Yet before such an era could truly arrive, sacrifices were inevitable.
Some would perish, unable to withstand the baptism of the new age. Others would fall in the line of duty, protecting ordinary citizens.
And for many, the wait for that brighter future might be longer than their lives could allow.
"The world has changed—completely changed!"
"Damn it, I knew this day would come when powers first awakened, but I didn't think it'd be so sudden! We weren't ready at all."
"If this were a novel, this would be the 'second Spiritual Tide.' The first one was too gentle—this time, the quantity feels normal."
"Those mutant beasts are insane. I saw a rat half the size of my body. Can you believe that? A rat!"
"What's so shocking about that? Didn't the military release footage of mutant rats before? They just weren't that big."
"It's not only the beasts. I feel like my own powers are stronger. Later, I'm going to test myself against a couple of mutants. Staying cooped up at home is useless."
…
In the Imperial Capital, within the headquarters of the Bureau of Spiritual Energy—
Skyler Quinn, who had been deep in the baptism of the tide, suddenly opened his eyes. His once-black pupils had turned into vertical golden slits. Scales covered his entire body, gleaming with a metallic luster, while an aura of majesty radiated from him.
"The Spiritual Tide… my Divine Dragon ability has evolved."
"Now I must choose a direction—Black Dragon, Golden Dragon, Azure Dragon, or Scarlet Dragon."
"If the differences were of race, I'd choose Azure Dragon without hesitation."
The Azure Dragon, one of the Four Divine Beasts, held unquestionable prestige. Skyler would have chosen it instantly. But unfortunately, here the choice only reflected a variance in power, not lineage.
Just then, his communicator buzzed.
"Alert: Mutation detected at the Imperial Capital's Mutant Beast Observation Center. Minister Skyler Quinn, report immediately."
His expression darkened.
The Observation Center housed mutant beasts captured from the capital and nearby cities, those that had stood out during the first Spiritual Tide. They were kept for experimentation and monitoring.
Beast-taming ability users maintained communication with them, while heavily armed personnel ensured suppression if needed.
Ordinarily, Skyler wouldn't have been called in. Clearly, this time was different. The mutations had surpassed expectation.
"Roar!"
Without a second's pause, Skyler became a dragon-shaped phantom and surged toward the Observation Center.
…
At the Observation Center—
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
A massive mutant boar rammed repeatedly against reinforced glass. The material had been forged from specialized compounds—ordinarily, even missiles couldn't pierce it.
Yet this beast's strikes left cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
A black horn had sprouted on its head, glowing with a sinister dark light. Its eyes, blood-red, glared with feral rage as it charged again, the entire facility shaking under its assault.
And it wasn't alone.
Mutant tigers, lions, gorillas—all detained within—were undergoing alarming transformations. Some had exploded under the pressure of spiritual energy, their bodies unable to endure. But the majority had grown even more terrifying.
"Open fire!"
Gunfire rattled.
Bullets slammed into the boar's hide as soldiers opened fire, but they bounced away like pebbles striking iron. Not a single scratch marred its flesh.
"Rumble…"
The boar roared, charging like a cannonball. Wind howled in its wake—
But suddenly, vines and grasses surged up from the ground, glowing faintly with blue light. They coiled around the boar's legs, immobilizing it.
"All personnel evacuate! Don't linger here!"
"We can't hold them much longer—run!"
The stationed ability users strained to restrain the beasts, shouting over the chaos.
They didn't notice the snow-white form crouched in the shadows. A mutant snow leopard watched silently, its frosty eyes gleaming with cruelty.
Boom!
With a sharp crack like a sonic boom, the leopard lunged, tearing through space as it struck at an ability user.
And then—
Bang!
A black-and-white figure blocked its path. The leopard crashed into a soft but unyielding belly and rebounded violently, tumbling away in stunned confusion.
For an instant, the predator's eyes showed only bewilderment.
"Abao?"
The ability user stared in disbelief at the panda standing on two legs before him.
If other beasts could mutate, why not pandas?
Raised mostly in captivity, pandas had never harmed humans. Even after global awakening, their mutations had gone largely unnoticed—apart from their drastically increased appetites.
Abao, the largest eater of them all, had mutated too.
"Wooo-woo."
Though its body had changed and its intelligence sharpened, Abao's attitude toward humans was unchanged. At the sound of its name, it lowered its massive head and affectionately nuzzled the man's neck.
Then it looked up. Its gaze fixed on the horde of mutant beasts breaking free from their enclosures.
"ROAR!"
A thunderous bellow shook the skies.
At once, the other mutants hesitated. Wariness crept into their eyes.
Clearly, Abao's strength was on par with theirs—or perhaps greater.
The revival of spiritual energy had awakened powers buried deep in bloodlines, tied to ancient myths. And pandas, once called iron-eaters, were said to have been the mounts of Chi You himself.
In raw strength, Abao need fear no beast.
Its vast body gleamed like tempered steel as it lunged forward. With one mighty claw, it seized the mutant boar by the throat. Ignoring its furious struggles, Abao lifted it effortlessly and slammed it into the ground.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The earth trembled as the boar was smashed again and again, like a ragdoll in the panda's paws. Its eyes blazed with rage, but its fate could not be changed.
At last, perhaps bored of the game—or simply impatient—Abao extended a claw and pierced straight through the boar's neck.
"ROOOAAAR!!"
A shriek of agony tore from the beast as its body convulsed, blood spilling across the floor.
Moments later, the great carcass collapsed with a final thud.
"ROAR!"
Abao raised its head, its cry echoing like a war drum.
The balance of the battlefield had shifted.
(End of Chapter)