I became an orphan very early in my life, thanks to a tragic accident that tore my world apart.
I was barely seven years old. At an age where most kids would run to their parents for comfort or guidance, I ended up in an orphanage because no relative wanted me.
The orphanage director wasn't cruel, not exactly, but neither was he someone you'd point to as a shining example of kindness. He just… existed. That was enough to survive.
Wanting out as soon as possible, I found work right after finishing elementary school. I was tall for my age but thin as a stick, which made it surprisingly easy to lie about my age and get jobs meant for older teens. Of course, on that one unlucky day my lie was exposed, and I was kicked out without pay, but that was expected. Life didn't hand out free lessons.
So I kept working nights and sleeping in the middle school during the day. That became my routine. I stopped using the orphanage bed entirely. Honestly, it was more comfortable to sleep in the school infirmary, or among the wary stares of the homeless in the subway stations.
Maybe my height stalled after sixth grade because of this chaotic lifestyle, or maybe it was genetics. Either way, by the time I turned eighteen, I was fully independent.
Four more years of back-breaking labor earned me about $8,750, a small fortune for someone like me, and finally allowed me to rent a single room of my own.
It wasn't much, but it was mine. It was safe. It was comfortable. And in that tiny, private corner of the world, I dared to dream of something better.
…Until the Trait came.
[Innate Trait Progression: 100% Complete]
System activated.
– Species changed due to host's Innate Trait Progression: Human → Monster
[Name: Ethan Walker]
[Age: 22]
[Height: 5'8" / Weight: 143 lbs]
► Status
[Physical Strength 13]
[Endurance 12]
[Agility 16]
[Energy Manipulation 6]
[Mana Affinity 1]
[Magic Strength 1]
[Luck 3]
► Trait: ⸢Monster⸥
[Rank: Rare]
[Trait Level: 1]
– Species changed from Human to Monster. Once per 24 hours, the host can maintain Human Form for 60 minutes (calculated from [Energy Manipulation] stat).
– Stats of the Monster Forms are reduced during Human Form.
– Currently maintaining the Brown Wolf Form.
Currently available Monster Forms: Orc, Wolf, Goblin.
[*Brown Wolf: Strength +3, Defense +3, Agility +6. Effects reduced by ⅓ in Human Form.]
…And just like that, my life as I knew it ended.
I was no longer Ethan Walker, the struggling orphan-turned-independent young man. I was now a Monster, a creature of claws, fur, and raw instincts.
And this was only the beginning.