Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord
Chapter 129: Enhanced Strength

Chapter 129: Enhanced Strength

Jayden moved like a specter of death, his poison-laced claws carving emerald trails through the air. The D-Rank Earth Smasher roared weakly, its massive arms swinging in sluggish arcs—each movement slower than the last as venom coursed through its veins.

Jayden ducked beneath a punch, his claws raking across the beast’s exposed side. The wounds weren’t deep.. but they were just enough for the poison to seep in. The Smasher’s thick hide blackened instantly around the cuts, veins bulging grotesquely as necrosis spread.

Jayden saw that the Earth Smasher was already giving in to the poison flooding it’s system. It’s breathing was ragged and it’s eyes were dimming.

A smirk grew on his face as he decided to use that opportunity to finish it.

He blurred behind the earth smasher, claws slashing twin gashes across its broad back. The beast grunted, its muscles locking as the toxins attacked its nervous system. One clawed swipe to its other knee, and the colossal creature collapsed fully, its massive frame shaking as it hit the dirt on both kneecaps.

The watching horde of Earth Smashers erupted into furious bellows, pounding their chests from the cliffside. But none could intervene.. this was their leader’s fight. And their leader was losing.

Jayden became a whirlwind of slashes—stomach, shoulders, arms, chest—each strike precise, each cut deliberate. His claws painted emerald streaks across the Smasher’s body, leaving behind a grotesque tapestry of infected wounds. The beast could only groan, its once-mighty frame now trembling violently, its crimson eyes dimming.

Finally, Jayden stopped.

He stood before the broken titan, breathing heavily, his own battered body protesting every movement. The Smasher barely lifted its head, its breath coming in wet, ragged gasps.

"Wow," Jayden chuckled, wiping blood from his split lip. "I can’t believe you’re still alive." He flexed his claws, watching the poison mist dance around the tips. "Your defenses are even more impressive than I thought."

The beast managed one last weak growl—not of defiance, but of grim acknowledgment.

Jayden’s eyes hardened. "Guess all it took to awaken the ability..." he said, raising his claws, "...Was the determination to kill you."

Then, in one fluid motion...

SWISH.

He brought the claws down on the Smasher’s neck, and it’s head tumbled to the ground with a heavy thud.

[+40 EXP Received]

[[Requirements has been met]

[Analysing compatibility...]

[Host is compatible with available beast energy]

[Would you like to absorb the D-Rank Earth Smasher’s energy?]

[Yes] [No]

The system notifications flashed, but Jayden barely registered them. Behind him, the cliffside erupted in an uproar—dozens of Earth Smashers plunging into the river, their roars shaking the trees as they swam furiously toward him.

Their leader had been killed. And they wanted vengeance.

[Jayden] Luna’s voice was urgent. [You can’t take this many beasts at once. Not in your condition. I think you should leave the area quickly]

Jayden glanced at hands, at the blood pooling beneath his feet. His body was still recovering from the fatal injuries he’d received earlier.

Then he sighed. Lunw was right, he couldn’t fight them all. With a swift motion, he stored the D-Rank Earth Smasher’s corpse in his inventory.

The first Smasher was already dragging itself onto shore, its eyes burning with vengeance.

Jayden smirked. "Till next time."

Then he turned, and vanished into the trees, the enraged bellows of the horde echoing behind him.

....

The taxi hummed through Emerald City’s neon-lit streets, its autonomous systems navigating the late-night traffic with mechanical precision. Jayden leaned against the window, his breath fogging the glass as he watched the city blur past. His body ached.. a deep, bone-weary exhaustion that seeped into every muscle—but his mind was alive, crackling with the aftermath of battle. He was victorious. And he got his retribution.

The system interface glowed before him, its holographic display painting his face.

* Name: Jayden Starrk

*Race: Werewolf

*Level: 9

*Exp: 352/1000

*Hp: 460/460

*Ep: 200/200

*Strength: 116

*Speed: 116

*Agility: 86

*Stamina: 113

*Perception: 68

*Defense: 68

*Charm: 48

*Mastery: 5

[The Mastery stat governs efficiency, control, and evolution of abilities. Higher mastery reduces ability-learning, enhances potency, and unlocks advanced application of ability]

Stat points: 0

[Heart Rate: 45 Bpm]

<Skills>

*Health Regeneration [Passive]

*Beastlord Aura [Passive/Active]

*Beast Gene Integration [Active]

*Partial Transformation [Active]

*Dragon Eye [Active]

*Lunar Empowerment [Passive]

<Abilities>

*Beast Energy Acquisition

*Telekinetic Force

*Poison Secretion:

[Type: Biological Secretion

*Description:

Poison Secretion grants the user the ability to generate and exude a potent neurotoxin from specialized glands in their body. This venom can be delivered through physical contact, piercing attacks, or, at higher levels, aerosolized mist. The toxin disrupts nervous system functions, leading to paralysis, hallucinations, or even fatal organ failure in extreme doses.

*Effects & Capabilities:

Basic Toxin Production:

- Secretes a fast-acting neurotoxin through claws, fangs, or skin contact.

- Causes immediate localized effects (numbness, weakness, muscle spasms) upon contact with toxin.

Delivery Methods:

- Claws/Fangs: Toxin is injected via slashing or biting attacks.

- Blood/Sweat: Contact with skin causes irritation or burns.

- Mist Form: Host can emit a paralytic gas (From whole body) within a short range.

Neurotoxic Effects:

- Low Dose: Temporary paralysis

- Moderate Dose: Weakness, disorientation and hallucinations.

- Lethal Dose: Respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, organ decay, immune system disorder and eventually, death

*Note: Other variations of Ability are available at higher ranks]

*Invisibility

<Titles>

*Regent Alpha

Jayden exhaled slowly, flexing his fingers. The memory of green mist coiling around his claws... of venom seeping into the Earth Smasher’s veins, sent a thrill down his spine. He had earned this.

But it was the first info that truly held his attention. Mastery.

He had activated the telekinesis ability through focus, and the poison secretion through determination. But the Mastery stat was the true determinant of how fast he mastered an ability.

The higher his mastery stat, the faster he is able to master and begin using an ability.

His lips twitched. "Now, I would be able to learn abilities more faster. I just need to increase the Mastery stat"

Just then, the taxi rolled to a stop outside his house. Jayden paid the required amount of credits and stepped out into the sunny afternoon.

The house was empty, silent. Perfect.

Jayden moved through the space with practiced ease. He bypassed the living room, heading straight for the reinforced steel platform in the kitchen—his makeshift altar for moments like this.

With a mental command, his inventory disgorged the Earth Smasher’s corpse. The massive body hit the platform with a thud, its fur still matted with blood and dirt.

The system reacted instantly.

[Would you like to absorb the D-Rank Earth Smasher’s energy?]

[Yes] [No]

Jayden didn’t hesitate, he placed his right hand on the corpse immediately. "Yes." he muttered.

At first, nothing happened.

Then... the air shimmered, warping like heat haze over asphalt. Sapphire energy erupted from the Smasher’s corpse, swirling in a vortex of liquid light before lashing toward Jayden like a living thing. The first tendril made contact with his chest... and the world exploded.

[Energy Acquisition commencing...]

[Beast Energy Acquisition in progress]

[Beast type: Earth Smasher (D-Rank)]

[Beast Gene Absorption: 20%]

[Beast Ability Assimilation: 40%]

The system displayed several notifications but Jayden was lost in the process.

A warm pulse raced through his veins, soothing and continuous. His breathing softened, his muscles twitching in excitement as the Earth Smasher’s essence rewrote parts of him.

[Beast Gene Absorption: 55%]

[Beast Ability Assimilation: 85%]

The system notified Jayden of the whole process, as the blue vortex kept pouring into his chest. Then after a while.. it ended.

[Beast Gene Absorption... 100%]

(Absorption Complete)

[Beast Ability Assimilation... 100%]

(Assimilation Complete]

[Energy Acquisition was successful]

Jayden exhaled, as the last of the energy settled into his body. The Smasher’s corpse still lingered on the platform, waiting to be turned into nothing more than meat.

[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired the gene of an Earth Smasher (D-Rank)]

[You have acquired the Ability: Enhanced Strength]

Jayden stared at his hands. They looked the same—but they weren’t He could feel it. The potential coiled in every tendon, the weight behind every twitch of muscle.

A slow, feral grin spread across his face.

"I can’t wait to master this ability." he muttered to himself, putting the corpse back in his inventory before heading to his room to freshen up and take a nap.

Later in the evening, Jayden went out to complete his daily quest before returning home for dinner. He put all the ten stat points he got into mastery, in the hopes of mastering both Invisibility and Strength in time. He needed them for his next great hunt.

Jayden was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, and lost in thought. He was thinking about how he could see Miss Kate again, there were lots of questions he still needed to ask her.

But suddenly...

Ding!

The system screen appeared with a notification.

*New Random Quest Available:

[You have proven yourself a Beastlord by defeating the beast that stepped on your pride. But the forest still has a leader, and your abilities are still little:

Find the true leader of Jade city Forest and acquire their energy for yourself]

*Reward: 1000,000 Shop Points

*Note: This Quest is compulsory, and you have thirty days to complete it]

Jayden blinked. "What the hell are shop points?" he asked in bewilderment. "And... who the hell is the leader of the forest?"