Bastards Ascension: A Playground of Gods
Chapter 81: Tina sorry ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

Chapter 81: Tina sorry ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

’Damn it, Alexa! I didn’t say go announce to the entire realm that we had a little scuffle!’ Kieran shouted internally, eyes twitching as he watched the flaming display fade.

It had been spectacular—

Yes.

But completely unnecessary.

She’d practically lit a signal fire in the sky for every possible enemy to see.

Kieran had been trying his best to keep things low-key.

Well... so much for that.

All thanks to a certain someone.

"Relax," Alexa said casually, admiring the lingering sparks of flame as they fizzled like fireworks in the air.

"We’ll be gone soon. I just want Castan to know he still couldn’t get me the second time... hehehe."

Kieran sighed in defeat.

’I’m convinced—living a thousand years doesn’t make you any smarter.’

Sometimes he wondered how he ended up with a first summon like Alexa.

Powerful?

Absolutely.

Unpredictable?

Always.

She was like a ticking time bomb—one that smiled while waiting for the perfect moment to blow something up.

Still... he couldn’t deny the result.

Kieran turned back toward the battlefield, silently sheathing the glowing blade. A crisp clang echoed as it latched onto the magnetic holster at his back.

The air sizzled with leftover heat. Smoke rose from the scorched earth.

And the aftermath of Alexa’s attack?

It was nothing short of breathtaking.

The earth had caved in, a massive crater several meters deep, scorched and unrecognizable.

The ground was charred black—

As if the very stone had been reduced to ash and charcoal.

At the center of the devastation, a black mass lay still.

Shapeless. Formless.

Its edges flickered like wisps of smoke, curling upward and dissolving into the air.

Within that shifting shadow, something glinted.

A dark jade crystal—gleaming faintly beneath the moonlight.

’A beast core?’

Kieran’s eyes widened.

’An Alpha-ranked beast core!’

He felt a strange pull—like something was calling out to him.

Without hesitation, he leapt down into the crater, his boots crunching softly against the brittle, blackened ground as he made his way toward the core.

Then, a notification flashed across his vision.

{Ding!}

{Shadow Beast Essence Obtained}

{+10 Aetheris}

{+100 EXP}

’Tch.’ Kieran clicked his tongue.

’If I had landed the final blow myself, I’d have gotten the full rewards.’

This—

This was exactly why he preferred not to let his summoned beasts do the finishing.

Unless he absolutely had to.

And this time...

He hadn’t had a choice.

His Aetheris had been dropping at an alarming rate—far too fast to drag the battle out any longer.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a sting of regret as he reached for the gleaming core.

{Ding!}

{Beast Core Technique Unlocked: Rebirth}

{A unique ability of the Shadow Clan... From the shadows they were birthed, and from the shadows they can undergo rebirth!}

{Does host wish to use this skill?}

{Aetheris Cost: 10}

’What the heck? I barely have any Aetheris left, and the system drops another option that needs more of it?’ Kieran stared at the glowing prompt helplessly.

’C’mon, can’t I get a free trial at least? Just one test run?’

He sighed, shifting his eyes back toward the remains of the battle.

He had witnessed Amaya’s strength firsthand—

And for a brief moment, he had barely survived her onslaught.

If it hadn’t been for the blade...

He would’ve been dead the first time she got serious.

And when she’d tapped into her true power—

Her control over shadows had gone beyond anything he had expected.

Warping space and time... slipping between dimensions like smoke.

It was terrifying and incredible.

Having a companion with that kind of power?

That was a game-changer.

∆ Name: Kieran Marcoth

∆ EXP: 100 / 1000

∆ Level: 2

∆ Strength: 35

∆ Stamina: 25

∆ Agility: 25

∆ Constitution Control: 19%

∆ Stat Points: —

∆ Aetheris: 40

∆ Mana: 100 / 100

’I’ve still got a bit of Aetheris left. As long as I don’t drop below twenty, I should be fine,’ Kieran calculated.

’But... doesn’t this mean the beast gets reborn completely? Like, back to cub form?’

He paused, staring again at the notification.

’That would mean training her all over again from scratch... right?’

It wasn’t a decision to take lightly.

He wasn’t sure if he could handle it—

But Amaya’s powers were just too tempting.

Far too tempting to let go.

He could already imagine having access to even half her abilities—

Let alone all of them.

His stats would skyrocket.

It would be a massive leap in strength—

Especially with the unknown threats that lay ahead.

Her stealth-based techniques alone were worth the risk.

An assassin’s precision cloaked in shadow...

That kind of power could be a turning point.

’I’ll take the risk,’ Kieran decided, selecting the prompt without hesitation.

{Beast Reformation in Progress!}

{Shadow Cub}

{Potential: Uncharted}

{Level: 1}

∆ Abilities

Passive Ability:

(Fade) – Anything within a 10-meter radius of the beast becomes undetectable by normal senses.

Active Abilities:

(Shadow Warp) – Allows travel through shadows within a 100-meter radius. [Upgradeable]

(Shadowkinesis) – Grants control over any shadow the beast makes contact with.

(Shadow Cage) – Allows the beast to trap targets within their own shadows upon contact.

’Damn... these skills are insane,’ Kieran thought, eyes wide.

’Now all I have to do is keep the little cub safe... until she’s strong enough to stand on her own.’

He looked down at his hands.

The reformation was nearly complete.

The shadows swirled softly... and then—

The shape finalized.

A small, black, shadowy figure sat curled up in his palm.

Silent. Still. Watching.

It looked like a kitten—small, with sharp blue eyes that glowed faintly as it sat in the center of Kieran’s palm, licking its shadowy body.

Its movements were slow and adorable.

Kieran couldn’t deny it.

’For such a dangerous beast, you’ve got a really cute face,’ he thought with a smile, watching the little creature curiously.

The cub nestled deeper into his hand, staring up at him with its bright blue eyes.

"Mwueew!" it mewed, rolling onto its back and wriggling as if expecting something from him.

’What does it want?’ Kieran wondered, clearly confused.

"Transfer your energy into her," Alexa’s voice chimed in, slightly amused. "She needs to mark you as her master and complete the bonding process. It’s similar to the contract I made with you... though you were unconscious when I did it."

"Oh, I see," Kieran said, nodding slightly.

He gently placed his hand over the cub’s belly.

For a creature made entirely of shadows, her body felt surprisingly real—

Soft, like a cushion of dense mist.

His fingers sank slightly into the plush surface, and the little beast responded with a faint, delighted giggle.

Kieran paused.

His hand rested in place, but for a moment, he hesitated.

He wasn’t exactly sure what to do next.

But with his enhanced senses, he noticed something—just below the cub’s belly, a soft blue glow pulsed faintly.

’What’s this?’ Kieran wondered.

"It’s the Dantian, where energy converges in the body," Alexa explained quickly, clearing his confusion. "You’re supposed to channel some of your mana into it."

Kieran nodded in understanding and gently pressed his thumb over the glowing spot again. The beast squealed in delight, wriggling slightly, as if tickled by the sensation.

Slowly and carefully, Kieran began channeling his mana into the beast.

He focused.

As he did, he could see the flow of energy—

The blue glow shifted into a deep crimson, swirling slowly around the Dantian.

{Ding!}

{Soul contract complete!}

The system chimed in.

Kieran slowly withdrew his hand and stared at the small creature resting on his palm.

"The only issue now is... how do I hide you from the others?" he asked, tilting his head.

The cub blinked up at him, blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

Almost as if it understood his concern, its form broke apart into thin, dark wisps—fragments of shadow that swirled up and sank into Kieran’s forearm.

A black spiral tattoo appeared where the beast had vanished.

"Cool... So now I have two tattoos?" Kieran muttered, raising his hand to inspect it.

On his palm was the golden phoenix-shaped mark, and now just above it, a swirling black spiral.

"Yes—but mine is obviously better, right?" Alexa cut in proudly, her voice practically beaming as she awaited praise.

Kieran let out a long, exhausted sigh.

’Not now...’ he groaned inwardly.

"Right?" Alexa asked again after a beat of silence.

Kieran had no energy to argue.

"Yes, yours is better," he answered flatly.

’But aside from looks, it doesn’t really do anything...’ he added in his thoughts, shifting his focus back to the new tattoo.

’But the cub’s... now that one’s actually doing something.’

He could feel a subtle shield cast around him—

A quiet veil that masked his energy completely.

Even Alexa’s wild aura was no longer detectable from the outside.

’It must be one of the cub’s passive abilities,’ Kieran realized with a small smile.

’At least now, I don’t have to worry about anyone sensing me.’

He glanced at the tattoo once more.

Inside his consciousness, he could see the tiny beast curled up, fast asleep.

’A solid investment,’ he thought as he turned to take in the scene around him.

The fight was over.

Everything had settled—except for the massive crater and destruction left behind by Alexa’s chaotic display.

"I guess that’s all," he muttered with a final glance toward the ruins. "We should meet up with the others now."