The Psychopathic Beast Emperor

Chapter 257: Monster!

[STATUS WINDOW]

Name: Bahamut

Age: 17

Race: Chimera (Fang)

Class: Tier 2 (Circle of Element)/ ???

Rank: Blessed

Titles: Psychopath (Titled), Ruthless Killer (Titled), Unknown, The BEAST (Titled), The Evolving Hunter (Titled)

Super Title: The First of His Kind

─

HP: 7000 / 7000

MP: 5000/ 5000

Level: 35

EXP: 0 / 3250

─

Attributes (Super-Ranked):

Strength: 31+19=50

Speed: 31+19=50

Agility: 31+19=50

Endurance: 32+20=52

Perception: 205

Willpower: 210

Luck: 4

Charm: 12

─

Element(s):

- Fire

- Water

- Wind

- Earth

- Light

- Darkness

─

Skills:

• Pain Immunity (Lv. 7)

• Super Reflexes (Lv. 12)

• Super Senses (Lv. 15)

• Self Healing (Lv. 13)

• Death Intent (Passive – Locked)

• Beast Trait Manifestation (MAX)

• Spear Mastery (Lv. 3)

• Sword Mastery (Lv. 3)

─

Special Traits:

• Fragmented Soul (Effect Unknown)

• Past Lives Memory (Partial Dormancy)

• Madness Bloom (Dormant)

• Apex Shepherd’s Law

• Storage

• Predatory Assimilation (New!)

• Beast Master (New!)

─

Followers:

• Ren (Chaos Bunny)

• Alana Nyx (Cow Beast-kin)

• Nagini (Solar Wyrm)

• Syrith (Solar Wyrm)

PATH OF THE BEAST

B - Brutality of the BEAST (81% Complete!)

E - Elemental Beast (30% Complete!)

.....

Bahamut stared at his current status in shock. All he could think of was, "Monster!" Because that was what he was: A Monster. Those stats were crazy, and he could tell that they were the actual measure of his current strength. He could feel it inside. He was now powerful. Even without elements, he was a force to be reckoned with, just his physical capabilities, and the system skills, not forgetting his chimera traits.

Talking about that, he had noticed the change in his appearance. He was becoming more beast than man physically. He could feel bumps under his hair, which might be horns. He was changing quickly and drastically, and he loved it.

The realization made him grin widely. He looked completely insane.

"I’M GETTING HORNS!"

The excited shout echoed through the ruined room. Outside, several disciples froze. Ren slowly closed the door and sighed.

"He’s gone."

"He’s becoming a dragon."

"No."

"Then what’s wrong with him?"

"I think he’s just weird."

"Fair."

Inside the room, Bahamut ignored all of them. His attention had shifted toward the new additions in his status. Predatory Assimilation and Beast Master. The names alone sounded terrifying.

"System."

Immediately, red screens appeared.

[Predatory Assimilation]

Rank: Unique

Description: The Chimera Fang gains the ability to permanently absorb minor traits from defeated creatures. Traits absorbed depend on compatibility. Incompatible traits are discarded. Compatible traits are stored and may strengthen existing abilities.

Current Assimilation Capacity: 0 / 10 Traits

Bahamut blinked.

"What?" His eyes widened.

"Wait."

"WAIT."

"You’re telling me I can eat monsters and gain abilities? Don’t I do that already? How different is it from what I already do?"

[Correction.]

[Host does not necessarily need to consume targets.]

[Predatory Assimilation extracts suitable biological and spiritual traits.]

Bahamut immediately stood up, and his heart began racing. This was broken. Absolutely broken. A Chimera was already a creature made from multiple beasts. Now he could continuously improve those beast traits.

A dragon’s scales, a wolf’s senses, a bear’s strength, an eagle’s eyesight, a serpent’s flexibility, all of them could potentially become part of him. Suddenly, he understood why the race was called Chimera. He wasn’t evolving like normal creatures; he was collecting pieces of evolution itself. His gaze immediately moved toward the next trait.

[Beast Master]

Rank: Mythical

Description: The authority of the Apex Shepherd has evolved. Your presence naturally attracts beast-type creatures. Loyal followers experience accelerated growth. Contracted beasts gain enhanced affinity toward their master. Fear-based domination becomes easier against weaker beasts.

Current Bonus:

+25% Growth Rate for Followers

+15% Affinity Synchronization

Minor Beast Intimidation Aura

...

Bahamut’s eyes widened.

"What?"

He read it again for four consecutive times.

"Nagini..."

"+25%."

"Syrith..."

"+25%."

He slowly turned toward the corner of the room where the egg from the Pharaoh’s Vault rested. The system had specifically chosen it. Now he was beginning to understand why. The trait wasn’t strengthening him alone; It was strengthening his entire faction. Every beast under him would become stronger quickly, more loyal, and more dangerous. For a moment, Bahamut became silent.

Then another notification appeared.

[Apex Shepherd’s Law Updated]

Current Beast Capacity: 5 / 10

Maximum Simultaneous Contracts Increased.

"..."

Bahamut turned silent for a few seconds...

"Hahahahaha!"

He burst into laughter. He laughed so hard he nearly fell over. The sect, the kingdoms, the races, the geniuses, the prodigies, heroes: they were all working hard to become stronger individually.

Meanwhile, he was accidentally building an army. An army of monsters. His laughter slowly faded as his grey eyes lowered toward the status screen once more. Then his gaze landed on something else. The experience bar.

Level 35, 0 / 3250.

His smile disappeared, and a dangerous expression appeared, because one thought had entered his mind. If becoming a Chimera Fang had increased his strength this much, then what would happen when he became a Chimera Claw? Or Chimera Lord? Or whatever came after?

The room suddenly felt too small. For the first time since obtaining the system, Bahamut felt genuine anticipation. And this wasn’t for a battle, or for a mission, not even for revenge, but for evolution. And somewhere deep within his soul, something ancient stirred, as if it, too, was waiting for the next evolution.

The door exploded open, making Bahamut nearly jump.

"What now?!"

Before he could even turn around properly, a blur of golden hair launched itself across the room.

"Oof!" Bahamut found himself knocked backward onto the bed with a pair of arms wrapped around his neck. A familiar scent filled his senses, and then he heard sniffling.

"Exildra?"

The elf girl buried her face into his chest, her shoulders trembling. For a moment, Bahamut genuinely thought she was hurt. Then she spoke.

"You’ve been neglecting me."

"What?" Bahamut blinked.

"You’ve been neglecting me."

The accusation came again, this time louder. Exildra finally looked up. Her golden eye was red around the edge from frustration. The kind that had been building for days. Her beautiful face twisted into a pout.

"You spend all your time with Lily."

Bahamut opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. No words came out, because she wasn’t exactly wrong. Exildra immediately noticed his silence.

"You see!"

"I can explain-"

"You can’t."

"I can."

"You can’t."

"I really can."

"You can’t."

Bahamut sighed. Exildra looked away dramatically.

"I was first."

The room became quiet.

"I was first," she repeated quietly. Her voice had lost its earlier irritation; now it sounded vulnerable.

"I met you first."

"I trusted you first."

"I kissed you first."

A blush slowly appeared on her cheeks.

"And then Lily comes along, and suddenly she’s attached to you twenty-four hours a day."

Bahamut winced. That was... also true. Exildra finally looked back at him.

"I know she loves you." Her expression softened. "And I’m happy she’s happy."

She poked his forehead. "But that doesn’t mean you get to forget about me."

Bahamut rubbed his forehead.

"You sound jealous."

"I am jealous," Exildra folded her arms. "I’m very jealous."

Bahamut couldn’t help laughing.

"Don’t laugh!" The elf immediately grabbed his cheeks.

"I’m trying not to."

"Bahamut!"

"I’m sorry!"

"You should be."

Her cheeks puffed slightly. Bahamut made the mistake of smiling.

Exildra’s eyes narrowed.

"You think I’m cute."

"Maybe."

"You definitely think I’m cute."

"Maybe."

The elf girl huffed, then, without warning, she climbed onto the bed beside him and leaned against his shoulder. Neither spoke for a while. The room became peaceful.

Outside, the sect bustled with activity. Inside, there was only silence. Eventually, Exildra spoke again.

"You scared me."

Bahamut’s smile faded. Exildra tightened her grip on his arm.

"When we got separated." Her voice trembled slightly. "I couldn’t find you."

Bahamut looked at her, and he realized something. Everyone kept worrying about him. Lily, Exildra, Ren, Alana, even Sel. Meanwhile, he kept throwing himself into dangerous situations because he could resurrect, because he had the system. Because he was confident, but most of them didn’t know that. To them, every battle looked real, every risk looked fatal, every injury looked terrifying.

Bahamut slowly placed a hand on top of hers, and Exildra froze.

"I’ll be more careful."

The elf looked up.

"You promise?"

"No."

Her eyes narrowed, and Bahamut laughed quickly.

"I promise I’ll try." The narrowed eyes remained, but she sighed in resignation.

"That’s probably the best answer I’ll get."

"It is."

"I hate that."

"I know."

Another few moments passed, and Exildra smiled, and it was very genuine. The kind only Bahamut got to see.

"Good." She leaned against him again. "Then I’m staying here."

"What?"

"I’m staying here."

"Why?"

"Because Lily got a whole night."

Bahamut immediately sensed danger. Exildra’s smile became dazzling and terrifying.

"Fair is fair."

Somewhere outside the room, Ren suddenly sneezed.

"Uh oh."

He didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt very sorry for Bahamut.