Crimson light swallowed the clinic.
For a heartbeat the world became nothing but red—thick, burning red that smelled of iron and ancient smoke. The lantern above the counter shattered, glass raining across the floor as a pressure like invisible hands pushed against every wall.
Kian fell backward. "What is happening—?!"
The stray dog howled.
It wasn't a normal howl.
It was deeper, older, as if something buried beneath centuries of silence had finally found a voice.
The wounds along its side closed first. Flesh knitted together beneath glowing threads of scarlet. Mud and rainwater steamed off its fur, revealing a coat darker than night. Beneath the skin, faint scale-like patterns surfaced and vanished, like embers breathing under ash.
Milo hissed and jumped onto a shelf.
> [Awakening in Progress – 12%]
The dog's body grew.
Bones cracked and reformed. Its thin legs thickened with muscle, claws lengthening into curved hooks that scraped the wooden floor. The cloudy eye turned clear, then ignited into molten gold.
Kian could only stare.
"This isn't… just healing…"
> [Awakening in Progress – 47%]
A wave of heat rolled outward. Bottles exploded. Cages rattled as the other beasts cried out in fear, bowing their heads instinctively toward the rising presence.
The dog—no, the creature—turned to him.
For a terrifying second Kian wondered if he had just created a monster that would kill him first.
Then a gentle feeling brushed his mind.
Gratitude.
Loyalty.
> [Awakening Complete]
→ Incomplete Dragon Hound
Grade: F+
Potential: ???
Skills: [Ember Fang – Lv1]
The light faded.
What stood before him was no longer a pitiful stray.
The dog was larger now, chest broad, fur streaked with faint crimson lines that pulsed like slow flames. Its golden eye shone with intelligence far beyond an ordinary beast.
It lowered its head and pressed it against Kian's palm.
His hands trembled.
"You're… incredible."
---
The First Skill
Before he could process anything else, footsteps thundered from the stairs.
"Kian! What in the saints' names are you breaking down there?!"
Old Mara burst into the room with a lantern—and froze.
Her gaze landed on the transformed beast.
"That… that is not a normal dog."
Kian laughed weakly. "I figured that part out."
The Dragon Hound suddenly turned toward the door, ears rising. A low growl vibrated through its chest.
Outside, shadows moved in the rain.
Three figures stepped into the doorway—men in dark leather coats bearing the crest of the Black Chain Kennels, the most ruthless beast traders in Greywall.
One of them whistled. "Now that's a rare scent. Felt it all the way down the street."
His eyes locked onto the hound.
"Boy, that creature belongs to us."
Kian slowly stood in front of his new companion. "He walked in here alone."
The man smiled without warmth. "Everything without a master belongs to the Chains."
The leader snapped his fingers. A massive Iron-Jawed Mastiff pushed past him, teeth gleaming.
"Take it."
The mastiff lunged.
Kian shouted, "Watch out!"
But the Dragon Hound moved first.
> Skill Activated: Ember Fang
Flames coiled around its jaws as it met the larger beast head-on. The impact shook the clinic—wood splintered, air exploded with heat.
The mastiff was thrown across the room like a broken toy.
Silence.
The three men stared in disbelief.
Kian stared too—at the trembling fire fading from the hound's mouth.
Power.
Real power.
The leader's expression slowly turned greedy.
"Change of plans," he whispered. "Kill the boy. Take the beast."