Ascension of the Primalist [A Tamer Class, LitRPG]

Seth jolted awake in panic.

"Oh shit," he muttered, his gaze frantically scanning the sky to gauge how long he'd slept. The sun was still high, its light filtering through the fluttering leaves. Max two or three hours.

Luckily nothing attacked me during—Seth froze, realizing that something was on his thighs. It was heavy, warm and… breathing.

Slowly, he looked down.

Two long, gray-clawed paws and a large, wedged head rested on top of him. The direwolf pup?

Its black fur—short and wispy around its muzzle while thick and glossy around its neck—rippled gently with each passing breeze. A flicker of relief washed over Seth as he saw the beast's closed eyes.

An easy kill, he thought, quietly drawing his knife. One single thrust to its throat and he would gain another stone—one likely more valuable given the rarity of direwolves compared to other beasts. But just as he tightened his grip, ready to strike, he paused and took a closer look. The pup was curled up in a protective posture, as if it had been keeping watch over him while he slept.

Why?

Sure, he had saved it earlier, but that hadn't been his intention. If he hadn't been injured, he would've killed it too. After a long moment, Seth sighed and slid back his blade into its sheath.

Keeping his hand on the hilt—just in case it wasn't as friendly as he thought—he pushed aether into Identify's grooves. About five seconds later, the familiar tingling sensation rose in his right eye. To Seth's surprise, the pup remained asleep, blowing out soft breaths through its nostrils while lines of texts shimmered to life in the corner of his vision.

Silver potential!

Seth stared at the young beast in disbelief. According to the encyclopedia, arcane beasts would progress quicker in Ranks until they reached their potential—in the pup's case, it would mean Rank 61, the end of the Iron Tier and the beginning of Silver.

But why is such a powerful creature near the forest's edge?

According to the encyclopedia, direwolves were supposed to reside much deeper inside, where the aether density was significantly higher. There were many subtypes, just like any other beast, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, but Seth couldn't quite recall what were those of the tenebrous variant.

An idea sparked in Seth's mind. What if I could tame it?

Having a fully grown direwolf as a hunting companion would allow him to take down much stronger beasts—and rake in more coins. Sure, he had never heard of anyone turning an arcane beast into a pet, but what did he have to lose trying? Worst-case scenario he would just kill it.

Seth glanced down at the pup sprawled across his lap and smiled. Time to give it a shot.

"Wake up, buddy," he said, shaking his legs and lifting the beast's head. The pup immediately straightened up, and its eyes shot open.

"It's okay. It's just me," Seth added with a soft and soothing voice, trying to be reassuring.

The direwolf's head snapped toward him, and the beast stared at him with its dark-crimson eyes. At first, the slit pupils and the colorful irises reminded Seth of demons he'd heard about in bedtime stories, but upon closer look, he quickly realized they were nothing alike—the pup's gaze had no malice in it, simply pure innocence.

Slowly, the young beast stood up and shuffled back a few steps, as if it didn't like to be stared at.

"So, you looked after me while I slept?" Seth said, rising to his feet. The pup tilted its head to the side, both ears perking up. "First, let's verify something. If you understand me, step forward."

The wolf didn't move and remained still as a statue.

Seth sighed. Yeah, didn't think it'd be that easy.

Switching to his backup plan, he reached into his pocket and pulled out some jerky he had packed earlier. Holding it out, he watched as the beast sniffed the dried meat—only to turn its head away, like a child rejecting vegetables.

Well, that's a no.

Seth rubbed his temples, closing his eyes for a brief instant, but opened them again when the pup began rubbing his muzzle against him.

"What do you want?" he asked with a frown, looking down at the pup. The beast's tongue lolled out of its mouth as it continued to nuzzle him, outright licking his pants a few seconds later.

That's odd. I don't have food in that—wait, the wolves' beaststones!

Seth took one of the coin-sized gray crystals out of his pocket and Identified it.

The encyclopedia had detailed various ways arcane beasts could progress in Ranks and increase their attributes, much like humans—using aether to perform specific tasks, honing their bodies through rigorous training, engaging in fierce battles, and more. But there was one method exclusive to beasts: the consumption of beaststones.

Seth gazed at the thick, ropey strands of drool dripping from the pup's jaws. "You want this, huh?"

The hunger in its red eyes made the answer obvious, but Seth still hesitated.

He had risked his life to obtain those beaststones, and now he was about to lose one of them forever. What if the pup just ate it and ran away? Maybe it would be best to wait a little before investing in the beast.

Oh, fuck it.

With a resigned sigh, Seth brushed aside his doubts and tossed the crystal into the air. The direwolf immediately sprang up and snapped its jaws shut on the beaststone, swallowing it whole.

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Goodbye, hard-won loot.

Seth watched for a moment, still uncertain whether or not he'd made a mistake, when something began to happen to the pup. Its small body twisted and jerked, its legs kicking wildly as if some invisible force was trying to seize them. The strange dance of spasms dragged on for several seconds before ceasing as abruptly as it had started.

The pup stood still, its red eyes shining with obvious joy, causing Seth to cast Identify immediately.

One point in Strength and one in Toughness! You've gotta be kidding me. That easily?

While Seth had to fight and risk his life in that damn forest to grow stronger, the arcane beast had gained two attributes by swallowing a single stone. Life is so unfair.

The direwolf stuck out its tongue, its tail wagging as it looked up at him, clearly hoping for another.

"Nope," Seth said, ruffling the beast's head. "Maybe later."

The pup's mouth shut, as if it understood the meaning behind his words.

Stretching his arms, Seth caught sight of the blood-stained strip of cloth around his bicep. He carefully peeled it back, and his golden eyes widened in surprise. The wound was almost completely healed—the torn flesh had somehow knitted itself back together while he had been sleeping.

This is way better than I expected, he thought, a sly grin spreading across his face. Guess I'll have to thank that old prick again.

After stuffing the piece of fabric into his pocket, Seth glanced around and scanned his surroundings. Staying in the Wicked Forest with the pup without having trained it a little would be a dangerous gamble. It'd be best to head out for now, but there was still one last thing he had to care of before doing so.

"We need to give you a name," Seth said, looking down at the pup. Ideas flitted through his mind, though none of them seemed right. It had to command respect, something that would make people bow to him. Nothing cute like Darko or Wolfy. No, it had to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies—"Nightmare."

The little direwolf continued wagging its tail with enthusiasm, completely oblivious that it now had a name.

Seth's smile widened. It—no, he—was now Seth's new partner. From now on, they would progress and grow stronger together as a team—a badass duo that would make many envious, and for good reason. After all, who hadn't dreamt of having a powerful beast as a companion when they were a child?

"Alright, let's get out of here," Seth said, crouching and gesturing at the pup to also drop down. "Do as I do, Nightmare."

But the direwolf remained still and showed no intention of lowering himself. Seth kept trying for nearly a minute before stopping the pointless gesticulation and pushing himself up with a sigh. "Fine, I get it. A powerful beast like you shouldn't have to hide. We'll do it your way, then."

The moment Seth stepped out from behind the tree, his heart skipped a beat. The two Boreal wolf corpses he hadn't harvested were strewn about all over the clearing, their rib cages torn apart.

Goosebumps spread along his legs. Whatever had devoured their beaststones could have easily killed him while he had been sleeping.

Time to leave. Now.

Seth began walking cautiously westward, trying to recall where he had come from as he pushed aside the undergrowth with his legs.

After a few steps, he paused and strained his ears to hear if his new friend was following. Complete silence.

With an exasperated sigh, he turned around to call the pup, "Nightmare, come—" but stopped halfway through.

The pup was right behind him, muzzle just inches away from his knees. Tilting his head, the little direwolf looked up at Seth, a mocking gleam shining in his red eyes.

Well, at least that'll make things easier.

Seth resumed walking and advanced through the bushes while making sure to keep himself and the direwolf away from any open fields. Every so often, he glanced over his shoulder like a father checking on his mischievous child. But each time, Nightmare was right there, calmly following.

After what felt like an hour, Seth spotted a massive, moss-covered boulder with a small stream running beside it. He remembered passing by there earlier in the morning, just minutes after entering the Wicked Forest.

After taking a seat on the stone, Seth looked at the direwolf. "Good job, buddy. We're almost—"

Before he could finish, a shadow sprang from the stream. Seth's core ignited in his chest while Nightmare lunged forward to intercept the attack. A yelp of pain pierced through the clearing.

A long, slimy green tail coiled around the pup's small body, strangling him as he thrashed and rolled on the ground, desperately trying to free himself.

Seth whipped out his hunting knife and rushed over to help. Within a second, he located the head of the assailant, a snake, near Nightmare's neck, its fangs deep into the direwolf's flesh. Swiftly, he grabbed the writhing reptile and slashed it behind its eyes—but his knife barely left a scratch on its green scales.

Shit!

Gritting his teeth, Seth pushed as much aether as possible into his arm, only stopping when the burning pain began shooting through his flesh. That should—no, that has to be enough.

With a roar, he swung his knife again. Time seemed to slow down as the blade bit into the scales and dug into the snake's flesh.

"Fuck off!" Seth screamed, forcing even more aether out of his Well.

The knife sank deeper and deeper, relentless and absolute on its path. Inch by inch, it sliced through the flesh, until it hit the scales on the other side, severing the reptile's head without harming Nightmare beneath.

Wasting no time, Seth unwound the limp tail from the direwolf's body and took the snake's fangs out of the pup's neck before tossing the head aside. But even after doing so, the direwolf still seemed to be suffocating, his abdomen quickly raising and falling with every labored breath.

What the hell is happening?

Seth's gaze snapped to the snake's head, and a similar drawing in his father's encyclopedia sprung in his mind—the Green Robber. A deadly snake that drained its prey's aether once its venom entered their bloodstream. If one had the bad luck of running out of aether before the toxin's effect wore off, they would die in agony.

Damn it! I can't let that happen to Nightmare!

Heart pounding, Seth placed his hands on the pup's trembling body and tried to push his own aether within, yet just as with his knife, the energy vanished the moment it exited his palms.

Seth's chest tightened as Nightmare writhed in pain, high-pitched whimpers escaping the pup's throat. There had to be a way to save him. He couldn't let his new partner die—not like this, not on the very first day.

Then, it struck him: his new partner.

The instructions' word choice, his father insisting on keeping it secret—it all makes sense if it's a beast!

Seth pushed his consciousness deep into his chest, reaching his core nestled between his heart and his Well. He then drew out some of its mysterious energy and shaped it into a long, shimmering thread, following the steps from the piece of parchment to establish Link's bond.

"Nightmare, I need you to accept this," Seth murmured, putting his hand upon the pup's head.

The moment Seth began to move the mysterious energy into the direwolf, a blinding flash erupted. It was so bright and intense that he had no choice but to shut his eyes. Almost immediately, he then felt the thread being vigorously pulled out of him. Confused, he cracked his eyes open and was met with a breathtaking sight.

Nightmare was translucent. All his body—fur, bones, organs, and blood vessels—was now made up of countless shimmering particles. The pup was nothing more than millions of tiny stars held together by some unseen force. Inside the direwolf's chest, the energy of Seth's core slowly drifted closer to the largest and shiniest light. Just as Seth focused on it, another flash of light burst out, forcing him to close his eyes once again.

Then, a strange discomfort rose in his stomach. It was dull and faint, like the kind of pain that might keep one awake at night but would still let them enjoy the day. It was oddly distant, almost as if it belonged to someone else rather than him. Nightmare!

As Seth opened his eyes, the direwolf was still in the same terrible state, barely breathing.

"Hold on, buddy!"

Hands on the pup's belly, Seth pushed aether toward him, expecting the same resistance as before—but this time was different. What once felt like battling against a raging river that swept away everything, now was more like running across a wide, sturdy bridge.

His aether flowed easily into the direwolf, and in no time his own Well reached the ten-percent mark. Despite the dizziness, Seth kept going, carefully matching the amount of aether he gave with his regeneration rate, so he would stay conscious.

Gradually, Nightmare's breathing turned smoother and less shallow, yet Seth continued, sensing his aether still being devoured by the venom inside the direwolf's body. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the energy finally stopped vanishing and began filling the tiny Well of the pup.

With a weary smile, Seth collapsed to the side, his gaze locked on the small direwolf while he cast Identify.

Seth's tired mind struggled to process everything. Does that really say Epic?

The benefits of Link made his eyes widened even through the exhaustion. The ability to see Nightmare's spells, along with their grade and quality would certainly be helpful for their future training.

I'll have to ask Marcus or Sericar about the difference between Crude and Decent, Seth thought.

He knew the terms referred to the grooves' quality, but beyond that, he was clueless. How much difference did it make? How many other qualities were there? Could he improve them? All questions, and no answers.

As Nightmare slowly opened his red eyes, Seth's smile broadened. "How're you feeling, buddy?"

Just as he sat down with a grunt, a childish voice echoed in his head.

'Than—nk you.'