my beast change system

Nate

I watch as Athena walks toward us, her presence cold and commanding. Owen, still shaken, stares at her in disbelief.

"W-What happened to you?" he murmurs, barely above a whisper.

I smirk, my gaze fixed on Athena. "What you're looking at is the first form of control—the Ice Queen."

Each step she takes leaves a delicate trail of frost on the ground, the air around her tinged with an unnatural chill.

Athena

I reach them, noting the contrast in their reactions—Nate, smiling like this was exactly what he had been waiting for, and Owen, still unsure whether to feel relieved or terrified.

"So, Owen," I tease with a grin, mocking his earlier concern. "Looks like my powers are under control now."

"Don't scare me like that, Athena," he breathes out before his strength finally gives in. He collapses to the ground, unconscious.

I kneel beside him, gently placing his head on my lap, studying the bruises and cuts across his body.

"He's going to need time to recover," Nate comments, already turning away. "I'll go find some herbs to help him out."

I don't look up. "Thank you."

He scoffs. "All I did was help you control a fraction of your power. Nothing else."

With that, he disappears into the woods, the golden hues of sunset casting long shadows over our makeshift camp. But my mind is elsewhere. Who was it I saw in that darkness? And what was his name…?

---

Nate

I move through the forest, collecting herbs when suddenly my beasts emerge from the shadows without being summoned.

"What is it?" I ask, still focused on the plants.

Without warning, the Ignil Lion bites my leg.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" I hiss, turning to glare at them. Their expressions are filled with fury.

I sigh, already guessing the reason. "You're pissed that I didn't summon you during the fight, aren't you?"

Their silence is answer enough. Worse, they know I missed a perfect opportunity to raise their ranks by defeating the serpent together.

"Look, it'll all happen in time. The princess and her idiot will be gone soon."

The bite marks on my leg vanish, healing instantly, but my beasts remain unmoved, staring at me with unwavering intensity.

"What now?"

The goblin gestures with his hands, and I immediately understand—they want to meet Athena and Owen.

I groan. "Seriously? I've been hiding you from them for a reason."

But judging by their expressions, I have no choice. I sigh, rubbing my temples.

"Fine. But let's do this before the sun fully sets."

---

Athena

Nate returns, carrying a small, handwoven grass bowl filled with herbs.

"Still asleep?" he asks as he passes by.

"Yeah," I reply, glancing at Owen. "Fighting that serpent took a toll on him."

"It was foolish of him to try and take it on alone," Nate mutters, leaning against the tree shade.

"Maybe if you had decided to help, none of this would've happened." My voice is sharper than I intended.

He chuckles, but there's a coldness to it. "And you would've remained a weakling with a mountain of mana and no way to control it."

I flinch. He's right.

"...But how did you know how to use such a spell?" I ask, curiosity replacing my anger. "The magic you used—I've read about it in the lost Mythical Magic records."

"Why should I answer that?" His tone is unreadable.

"You don't have to," I admit, turning my gaze to the horizon. The sun has fully set, and darkness blankets the forest.

Moments later, a warm light flickers in the sky—not too high, just enough to illuminate the area. Standing beneath it is Nate, his golden eyes reflecting the glow as he looks at me.

"Nate… what are you?"

His expression turns serious. "I'm a man who can turn into the beasts I've contracted with—or those I've defeated, if they are high-ranked or boss monsters."

I freeze. "That power was supposed to be extinct… How do you possess it?"

Confusion floods my mind. The Beast Change ability was recorded only in ancient texts, a power long lost to time.

"If I show you," Nate says, stepping back, "will you believe me?"

I hesitate but nod. "Yeah. I will."

His lips curl into a smirk. "Then this stays between us."

He closes his eyes, his breathing steady. Then—

The transformation begins.

A deep golden glow radiates from his body as his limbs stretch, muscles shifting, bones reforming. His skin darkens, replaced by a thick, fiery mane. His fingers elongate into powerful claws, his stance lowering as a primal aura explodes outward.

In the blink of an eye, Nate is gone.

Standing before me is an Ignil Lion, its blazing fur casting flickering shadows against the trees.

My breath catches in my throat.

As if that wasn't shocking enough, more beasts emerge from the darkness, their glowing eyes watching us from the tree line.

"Believe me now?" His voice is deeper, laced with a lion's growl.

I can barely process what I'm seeing. This has to be a dream.

---

Emily

Our camp is silent, deep within an F-rank forest. Anthony, the knight, keeps watch while the rest of us sleep.

I, however, cannot.

Sitting up, I glance at the flames of our small campfire, my mind drifting back to Nate—the Beast Changer—and his creatures.

"It's not your turn to keep watch," Anthony says, inspecting his sword.

"I know. I just… couldn't sleep."

He looks at me for a brief moment before sighing. "Thinking about him?"

I pause, then nod.

Anthony shifts uncomfortably, his expression unreadable. "I've been thinking about him too."

"I never knew such a power existed in this world…" I murmur.

He exhales sharply. "It doesn't. And if humanity were to learn about it, it would shake the balance of power."

I frown. "You mean…?"

"The knowledge of him turning into a beast should remain between us," he says, getting up. "Now I understand why he didn't mention it to the guild."

He walks away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

---

Athena

I'm still staring at Nate, my mind struggling to comprehend what I just witnessed.

"So… that's really you, right?" I whisper, pointing a shaky finger at the massive lion in front of me.

He—or rather, it—nods.

"But how? Just… explain how."

"Stay calm. I'll explain everything," he reassures me, his body slowly shrinking back to human form.

Within seconds, Nate stands before me again, completely unscathed.

"But first," he says, crossing his arms, "you have to promise that this stays between the three of us… and, of course, that idiot who's still sleeping."

I nod, still dazed.

Nate

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. These beasts were really unreasonable about this whole introduction thing… but fine. It's done now.

"First, we need to make the herbs into something the guy can eat without, you know, dying from the poisonous parts," I say, lifting my hand and closing my eyes.

"Beast Summon…" I pause, inhaling deeply.

"Chef Ogre."

A magic circle appears, and in a burst of light, an ogre wearing a full chef's uniform and an apron materializes before us.

Athena's eyes widen, her jaw dropping.

I already know what she's thinking.

"Who is this man…?"