Devouring Destiny: Beastmen Evolution

Training grounds(1)

Ren and Luke walked in silence, the hum of Erutrus’ bustling city gradually fading as they approached the outskirts. The streets gave way to open spaces, and soon they entered a vast, sprawling arena enclosed by towering walls of reinforced metal. The air was heavy with the scent of sweat, dust, and something electric—mana, raw and untamed, coursing through the grounds like a living force.

Luke’s gaze swept across the area, taking in the sheer scale of it. Rats of all shapes and sizes sparred in organized sections. Some wielded crackling weapons infused with mana, while others hurled fire or controlled the very earth beneath their feet. Massive golems constructed from stone and metal lumbered across one corner, while smaller, more agile fighters danced between them, striking at weak points with precision.

“This…” Luke whispered, his voice caught between awe and fear. “This is where you train?”

Ren smirked, hands on his hips. “This is where we forge soldiers, not train. You’ll either survive this or break. No middle ground.” He gestured toward the center of the arena, where several sparring matches were taking place. “And that’s where you’ll figure out what you’re worth.”

Luke swallowed hard. “What if I don’t… find anything? What if I have no mana?”

Ren snorted. “Everyone has mana, Luke. Some just take longer to find it. Trust me, it’ll come when your life depends on it.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “And here, it will depend on it.”

They stepped onto the rough, dirt-covered ground of the training arena. The noise intensified—grunts, yells, and the sharp clang of weapons striking against each other. Ren led Luke toward a group of recruits who were sparring under the watchful eye of an older rat, a veteran with a mechanical arm crackling with purple energy. His eyes gleamed with authority and impatience.

“Ren,” the veteran barked, his voice rough. “Another recruit?”

Ren nodded, jerking a thumb toward Luke. “Yeah, fresh out of the human world. He needs to find his mana.”

The veteran sneered, eyeing Luke up and down. “This one looks soft. You sure he’s worth the trouble?”

Luke bristled but held his tongue, feeling the weight of every stare in the arena. He hated how small he felt here, how out of place.

Ren chuckled. “That’s what we’re here to find out, Goro. If he’s useless, I’ll throw him in the mines myself.”

Goro grunted. “Fine. Let’s see if this human’s got anything worth saving.”

Ren turned to Luke, his expression serious. “First thing’s first—combat. You won’t find your mana sitting around. You’ll need to fight, push yourself to the edge. That’s the only way it’ll awaken.”

Luke’s ears flattened, and he shifted nervously. “Fight? Against who?”

Ren’s smirk widened. “Against everyone.”

Goro whistled sharply, and the recruits stopped their sparring, turning to face Luke. “Alright, listen up!” Goro barked. “We’ve got fresh meat! Let’s see if he’s worth the dirt under our feet. Who wants to be first?”

A wiry rat with jagged scars across his face stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. His eyes glowed faintly with a blue light, and the air around him chilled. “I’ll do it,” he growled, grinning wickedly. “Let’s see if the human can handle a little frost.”

Luke’s stomach clenched. “Wait, I’m not ready—”

Ren shoved him forward, his voice cold. “You’ll never be ready. Fight, or die.”

The arena erupted in cheers and jeers as Luke stumbled into the ring, the icy rat circling him like a predator. The ground beneath his paws felt slick with dust, and he struggled to stay upright, his mind racing.

“I’m going to freeze you solid, human,” the rat sneered, raising a hand that glowed with a pale blue aura. “Better hope you find that mana fast.”

Luke clenched his fists, panic surging through him. He had no weapon, no magic, nothing but sheer will—and that felt like it wasn’t enough.

The rat lunged, frost spreading from his hands like a deadly wave.

And Luke could do nothing but run.

Luke darted to the side, his heart pounding as the wave of frost exploded where he’d just stood, ice crackling across the ground. His breath misted in the cold air, and the jeers from the crowd intensified.

“Run, little human!” someone shouted, laughter echoing around him.

He gritted his teeth, dodging another icy blast. His paws felt numb, the cold gnawing at him. He needed to do something—anything—but his body refused to cooperate. He wasn’t a fighter. He’d never been one. He was just a slacker who barely survived in the human world.

The rat with the frost magic—Sato, they called him—grinned viciously. “What’s the matter? No mana? No guts?” He lashed out again, a jagged spear of ice shooting toward Luke’s chest.

Luke stumbled, falling hard onto the frozen ground, the icy spear narrowly missing him. He gasped, the chill biting through his fur, and for a moment, despair clawed at him.

Is this it?

“Get up!” Ren’s voice cut through the din, sharp and unforgiving. “You think life will stop for you to figure it out? Get on your feet, or die like the rest!”

Luke forced himself to stand, wobbling on shaky legs. His body trembled, not just from the cold but from fear. But something about Ren’s words stirred a flicker of anger deep inside him.

“I’m trying!” he snapped, more to himself than anyone else.

Sato laughed, raising both hands now, twin orbs of icy blue light forming in his palms. “You’re not even worth the effort,” he sneered. “But let’s end this anyway.”

The orbs shot toward Luke, faster than the last attacks. His instinct screamed to dodge, but something else whispered beneath the panic, a voice low and insistent.

Stop running.

Luke clenched his fists, bracing himself. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t run anymore. Not from this, not from himself. The icy projectiles hurtled closer, and in that split second, he felt it—a strange warmth, deep in his core, as if something had finally cracked open.

The frost hit—but it didn’t freeze him.

A shimmer of translucent light erupted around him, a barrier that absorbed the impact of the ice, shattering it into harmless shards. The air rippled with energy, and Luke’s breath hitched.

The arena fell silent.

“What…?” Sato stumbled back, eyes wide with disbelief. “How did you…?”

Ren’s smirk was triumphant. “Well, look at that. He does have something.”

Luke stared at his hands, the faint, shimmering glow slowly fading. He didn’t understand what had just happened, but the warmth still thrummed faintly in his chest. He wasn’t frozen. He wasn’t dead. He was… alive.

Sato’s shock turned to fury. “Lucky shot! Let’s see if you can do it again!”