That not so important character turned out to be important

The golden rays of the afternoon sun trickled through the thick canopy above, painting dappled patterns on the forest floor. Shaun wandered deeper into the wilderness of the Aeternus Silva, his boots crunching softly against a carpet of moss, fallen leaves, and ancient roots. As he moved, the forest seemed alive in a way that defied logic: giant trees towered like watchful guardians, their branches stretching skyward, while tiny, luminescent plants blinked faintly like stars scattered across the ground.

Here and there, strange magical creatures flitted about—ethereal birds with shimmering feathers, a deer-like animal whose horns glowed faintly with embedded runes, and tiny insect-like beings that left trails of light as they danced around flowers. Shaun paused occasionally to marvel at the odd beauty of it all, despite the faint hum of mana that flickered ahead—a sign of something more powerful waiting deeper within.

"Man," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, "if this place were in my world, it'd be overrun with noisy tourists. Families setting up picnic blankets, school buses full of yelling kids, and... ugh, lovers sneaking off into the bushes." He wrinkled his nose in mock disgust, then smirked. "Maybe it's a good thing this place isn't in my world. It's my first time being in absolute wilderness."

He stepped over a fallen log covered in vibrant green moss, letting his gaze wander across the sprawling landscape. "Technically, I did visit Cradle Mountain in Australia once," he mused aloud, "but I wonder if that even counts. This place? It's something else entirely. Not bad at all."

He stopped for a moment and leaned against a tree. "Huh? You're asking me if I'm here just to walk around and sightsee? Ha! Of course not. What do you take me for?" He let out a chuckle. "Okay, try to guess. Why would I come all the way out here, walking like a protagonist in a trashy novel? Yep, you got it—training montage!"

He struck a mock-heroic pose, one hand on his hip and the other pointing dramatically toward the sky. "I'll meditate under a waterfall, climb mountains, wrestle bears, and survive by eating nothing but air. Classic stuff, right?"

After a beat, he relaxed, shaking his head with a smirk. "Alright, alright. Bad joke. But seriously, while I'm here, I do plan to train a little. I mean, who'd miss the chance to train in a place like this? But that's not the main reason I'm here."

He pushed off from the tree and resumed walking, his tone growing more thoughtful. "As you know, I'm preparing for something. That nuisance Count Heron needs to be dealt with, and I need a strategy that works both in the short and long term. Sure, power is important—I'll get as strong as I can—but brute strength isn't the only solution. After all, I can't solve every problem myself. I still have to live in society. Making too many open moves will only paint a bigger target on my back. The solution?"

Shaun stopped and gestured grandly to the forest around him. "Henchmen! Every smart villain, hero, or antihero needs henchmen to handle the dirty work." He laughed. "But not just any henchmen. Humans—or humanoids in general—are unreliable. They're manipulable, prone to betrayal, and always scheming for their own gain. Basically, they're more trouble than they're worth."

He crouched down, inspecting a peculiar plant whose petals glowed faintly blue. "That's why I'm not looking for people. Instead, I'm here to create something perfect—loyal, efficient, and utterly incapable of betrayal." He plucked the plant gently, tucking it into a pouch. "Thanks to Jim , I've got a decent idea of how to pull it off. I'm taking what i did to him to next level it to the next level."

" Jim... "

The name surfaced in his mind like a whisper, bringing with it a flood of memories and calculations. Shaun smirked, his hand brushing against the hilt of his dagger as he stepped over a tangle of roots.

"Back then, he thought he could intimidate me—what a fool. Look at him now. He's a hollow shell of what he once was, not that he ever amounted to much in the first place. But thanks to me, he's become something far more useful. A weapon of mass destruction."

"The process wasn't easy," Shaun muttered, his voice carrying a mix of pride and something darker. "Implanting my aura into him... it nearly killed him. Not that it mattered. Death would've been kinder compared to what he was before—weak, pathetic. Awakening his mana circuits and aura nodes was just the beginning."

He let out a slow breath, his gaze distant, as though replaying every excruciating step. "And then there was his mind. Breaking it wasn't enough. I had to remake it entirely. Strip away hesitation, amplify his hostility, and carve instincts into his soul that weren't there before. I molded him into a predator. A few subtle tweaks to his memory, a handful of gifted 'experiences,' and suddenly Jim was a killer. Funny, really—he'd never even held a blade before."

Shaun tilted his head back, peering at the stars faintly visible through the canopy above, their light distorted and distant.

"But the real transformation…" His lips curved into a satisfied smirk. "That came when he stopped being human. When the aura I implanted consumed him, corrupted him, until he became a spirit of pure malice. That was the moment I knew—he was ready. Ready to become a weapon. Ready to grow."

"Decomposition"

"That ability... it's terrifying when you really think about it," Shaun said, his tone a mix of fascination and satisfaction. "Jim can reduce almost anything to its base essence—flesh, magic, even constructs. It's not just destruction; it's consumption in its purest form. I pushed him hard to test its limits. Metals, barriers, beasts... every one of them fed him, made him stronger."

He crouched by a tree and plucked a glowing mushroom from its roots. Turning it over in his hand, he examined its before tossing it aside like a discarded thought.

"It's not just about breaking things down," he mused. "It's about how he uses what he consumes. That's where the real magic lies."

"Absorption and Evolution"

Shaun rose to his feet, brushing dirt from his hands as he continued deeper into the shadowy forest.

"Every time he devours something, he doesn't just get stronger—he adapts. Changes. A griffin's claws, a mage's aura, even the unique properties of something as simple as a mana-infused plant. He takes them in, makes them his own. And the best part? While he's not limitless or unbeatable, the strength of his abilities is tied to his growth... and how effectively he wields them. That's why he still needs to grow—so I can forge a contract with him and finally free him from his misery."

Shaun chuckled softly, the sound cold and sharp in the still air, his breath a faint mist against the chill.

"All that potential, all that power... I wonder if he'll ever reach the heights I envision for him. Not that it truly matters. Whether he succeeds or fails, my experiments and tests have already given me what I needed. And with that knowledge..." Shaun's smirk deepened as his eyes glimmered with ambition. "I'll achieve exactly what I desire here."

Standing, Shaun gazed deeper into the forest, where the flickering mana signature grew stronger. "My targets are spirits, magical beasts, and mythical creatures. With them, I'll craft the ultimate battle companion—a creature that doesn't just follow me out of loyalty or some flimsy contract, but one that's designed to obey. In this world's terms, you might call it a familiar."

He clenched his fist, eyes glinting with determination. "But I'm not forming a contract with an existing creature. No. I'm building one from the ground up, combining the traits I want and eliminating the flaws. A battle beast that's entirely mine."

The air seemed to grow heavier as Shaun's steps quickened, his senses locked onto the source of the flickering mana ahead. "Time to see if this forest can give me what I need," he murmured, a sly smile creeping across his face. "Let's find my first piece."

The faint hum of mana grew sharper as Shaun wandered deeper into the forest, his steps slowing when he caught sight of a bush trembling slightly ahead. The flickering source of mana was close now, radiating a weak, unstable energy.

Curious, he approached, parting the branches carefully. Beneath the bush, a small creature cowered—a bipedal, baby dragon without any wings, clearly malnourished and abandoned. Its stubby limbs trembled, and its oversized mouth full of sharp teeth looked more comical than menacing. Despite its frailty, the dragon hissed ferociously, baring its teeth like a wild animal.

It lunged into a defensive stance, its tiny claws digging into the dirt, eyes glaring with an intensity that belied its pitiable condition.

Shaun raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "What are you, a cat pretending to be a tiger?" he said mockingly. "Acting all high and mighty even though it's clear who's stronger here. Still..."

His gaze lingered on the dragon, its chest heaving with shallow breaths as it refused to back down. "The first creature to catch my attention is a dragon—or some kind of reptile. Not a bad start. But should I even bother with this one? Let's see…"

He crouched slightly, eyeing the tiny beast. "It's weak. Hurt. And worst of all, it's a baby. God only knows how long it'll take for you to grow into anything useful."

As Shaun reached out, the baby dragon lashed out, snapping its jaws with surprising force. Shaun dodged effortlessly, his smirk widening as he stood back. "Whoa there. That bite of yours packs more power than I expected."

The dragon, though clearly in pain, staggered back into its defensive stance, growling with all the ferocity it could muster. Its body trembled from exhaustion, its weak mana flickering like a dying ember, but its eyes burned with an unyielding will.

Shaun crossed his arms, his amusement growing. "You're barely hanging on, huh? But that desire to survive... it's impressive."

He extended his hand toward the dragon, a faint glow of his aura seeping into the air. The pressure around them shifted as Shaun unleashed a lethal burst of spiritual energy, his aura oppressive and suffocating. The baby dragon froze, its pale gray scales seeming to grow even duller under the weight of Shaun's power.

Still, it refused to yield. It clenched its tiny jaws, trembling violently, and tried to summon a roar of flame. The spark fizzled before it could form, but the effort was there.

Shaun's smirk transformed into a wide grin. "You pass," he declared, his voice tinged with satisfaction. "That kind of resolve? That's the foundation of a strong beast. Even if you're weak now, that's not an issue. Potential, when harnessed, can create something extraordinary."

Without hesitation, Shaun stepped forward and scooped the dragon into his arms. The tiny creature thrashed, its sharp teeth sinking into his arm in a desperate attempt to fight back. Shaun didn't flinch, his free hand glowing faintly as he cast an enhanced version of a healing spell he had seen that old lady using infused with his aura.

The soothing light washed over the baby dragon, mending its wounds and restoring some of its vitality. Its frantic resistance slowed, and its small, battered body finally relaxed.

As the dragon drifted into a deep, exhausted sleep, Shaun chuckled softly, holding it securely. "Sweet dreams, little one," he murmured.

With the dragon cradled in his arms, he turned back toward the forest path, his grin returning. "Looks like I've found my first piece. Let's see how its goes."