The air was thick with an unnatural chill as Athena walked toward Nate and Owen, her presence commanding and cold. Every step she took left a delicate frost on the ground, a silent testament to the power that had just awakened within her.
Owen, still shaken from the battle, stared at her in disbelief. His voice wavered as he whispered, "W-What happened to you?"
Nate smirked, his sharp eyes fixed on Athena. "What you're looking at is the first form of control—the Ice Queen."
Athena met their gazes, noting the stark contrast in their reactions. Nate watched with amusement, as if this was exactly what he had been waiting for, while Owen remained frozen, unsure whether to feel relieved or terrified.
"So, Owen," Athena teased with a grin, her tone light but laced with pride. "Looks like my powers are under control now."
"Don't scare me like that, Athena," Owen breathed out, but before he could say more, his exhaustion overtook him. His body gave in, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Athena quickly knelt beside him, cradling his head on her lap as she examined the bruises and cuts across his body.
"He's going to need time to recover," Nate commented, already turning away. "I'll go find some herbs to help him out."
Athena didn't look up. "Thank you."
Nate scoffed. "All I did was help you control a fraction of your power. Nothing else."
Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared into the woods, his silhouette blending with the fading golden hues of sunset. Athena, however, found herself lost in thought. That figure she had seen in the darkness—who was he? And why did his name feel just beyond her reach?
---
Nate moved through the dense forest, plucking herbs as he went. His focus remained on the task until his beasts emerged from the shadows, unsummoned.
"What is it?" he asked, barely glancing at them.
Without warning, the Ignil Lion sank its teeth into his leg.
"OW! What the hell was that for?" he hissed, yanking his leg back. His beasts, however, stood before him with fury burning in their eyes.
He sighed, already understanding their frustration. "You're pissed that I didn't summon you during the fight, aren't you?"
Their silence was answer enough. Worse still, they knew he had missed a perfect opportunity to raise their ranks by fighting the serpent together.
"Look, it'll all happen in time," he muttered. "The princess and her idiot will be gone soon."
The bite marks on his leg faded as his natural healing kicked in, but his beasts remained unmoved. Their gazes bore into him with unwavering intensity.
"What now?" he asked, exasperated.
The goblin gestured with his hands, and Nate immediately understood—they wanted to meet Athena and Owen.
He groaned. "Seriously? I've been hiding you from them for a reason."
But as he scanned their expressions, he knew he had no choice. With a deep sigh, he rubbed his temples.
"Fine. But let's do this before the sun fully sets."
---
By the time Nate returned, the sky had darkened into a deep twilight. In his hands, he carried a small, handwoven grass bowl filled with herbs.
"Still asleep?" he asked, glancing at Owen.
"Yeah," Athena replied, adjusting his position. "Fighting that serpent took a toll on him."
"It was foolish of him to take it on alone," Nate muttered, leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree.
"Maybe if you had decided to help, none of this would've happened," Athena shot back, her voice sharper than she intended.
Nate chuckled, though there was a cold edge to his amusement. "And you would've remained a weakling with a mountain of mana and no way to control it."
Athena flinched. He wasn't wrong.
Taking a steady breath, she pushed past her frustration. "...But how did you know how to use such a spell?" she asked, her curiosity overtaking her irritation. "The magic you used—I've read about it in the lost Mythical Magic records."
Nate's expression darkened. "Why should I answer that?"
"You don't have to," she admitted, turning her gaze toward the horizon. The last remnants of sunlight had disappeared, leaving only darkness.
Then, a warm light flickered in the sky—not too high, just enough to illuminate the clearing. Standing beneath it, Nate watched her, his golden eyes glowing in the dim light.
"Nate… what are you?" Athena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
His expression turned 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."
Athena froze. "That power was supposed to be extinct… How do you possess it?"
The Beast Change ability was something she had only read about in ancient texts—a lost power from a forgotten age.
"If I show you," Nate said, stepping back, "will you believe me?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I will."
His lips curled into a smirk. "Then this stays between us."
With that, he closed his eyes, steadying his breath. And then—
The transformation began.
A golden glow radiated from his body as his limbs stretched, muscles shifting, bones reforming. His skin darkened, replaced by a thick, fiery mane. His fingers elongated into sharp claws, his stance lowering as a primal aura exploded outward.
In the blink of an eye, Nate was gone.
Standing in his place was an Ignil Lion, its blazing fur casting flickering shadows against the trees.
Athena's breath hitched.
And then, from the darkness, more beasts emerged. Their glowing eyes watched her from the tree line.
"Believe me now?" His voice was deeper, laced with a lion's growl.
Athena could barely process what she was seeing. This had to be a dream.
---
Far from their camp, in another part of the forest, Emily sat near a dying campfire, unable to sleep.
Anthony, the knight on watch, noticed her restlessness. "It's not your turn to keep watch."
"I know. I just… couldn't sleep," she admitted.
Anthony eyed her for a moment before sighing. "Thinking about him?"
Emily hesitated, then nodded.
"I've been thinking about him too," Anthony admitted.
Emily's hands tightened into fists. "I never knew such a power existed in this world…"
"It doesn't," Anthony said, his voice firm. "And if humanity were to learn about it, it would shake the balance of power."
Emily looked up, confused. "You mean…?"
"The knowledge of him turning into a beast should remain between us," Anthony warned. "Now I understand why he didn't mention it to the guild."
With that, he stood and walked away, leaving Emily alone with her thoughts.
---
Back at camp, Athena remained frozen as she stared at the massive lion before her.
"So… that's really you, right?" she whispered, pointing a shaky finger at him.
The Ignil Lion nodded.
"But how? Just… explain how."
"Stay calm. I'll explain everything," Nate reassured her, his body beginning to shift back.
In mere seconds, he stood before her again, completely unscathed.
"But first," he said, crossing his arms, "you have to promise that this stays between the three of us… and, of course, that idiot who's still sleeping."
Athena, still dazed, nodded.
Nate exhaled, running a hand through his hair. His beasts were really unreasonable about this whole introduction thing… but fine. It was done now.
"First," he muttered, lifting his hand, "we need to make the herbs into something edible without, you know, poisoning him."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Beast Summon… Chef Ogre."
A magic circle flared to life, and in a burst of light, an ogre materialized—dressed in a full chef's uniform and apron.
Athena's eyes widened in disbelief.
Nate smirked. He already knew what she was thinking.
"Who is this man…?"