The Lupine System-Chapter 134: Explanation (Sort Of)

Explanation (Sort Of)

’System.’ Mike growled. He was NOT in the mood for its bullshit right now.

[The Host lacks the authority to know the details of what occurred.] The system replied coolly.

"Bullshit!" He shouted, his aura unconsciously leaking out. Perhaps it was due to the approaching full moon, but being denied something like this was grating heavily on his nerves.

"You can’t just do that! Why are you withholding information for something so important!" Mike yelled.

[The system did nothing.] The construction answered simply. [What occurred was an unforeseen result of your instincts doing everything to ensure your survival. You were NOT meant to make use of what you did at this point in time, and new restrictions have been put in place to ensure that it will not happen again until you are deemed prepared.] Hearing this, Mike’s expression tightened, but he slowly unclenched his fists.

’Why do you decide what I can and cannot use at what time?’ He scoffed and folded his arms, almost sounding petulant.

[Certain things are simply beyond your level, and the consequences for accessing said things can be cruel or mild, depending on the extent to which you went to use them. You may have noticed that the skill Primal Authority was severely weakened during your battle. That is because you made use of something you shouldn’t have been able to, and the skill suffered as a result.] Mike’s expression relaxed a little.

’If it’s so bad, how was I able to use it in the first place?’ He asked, a touch of curiosity now entering his gaze.

[Instincts, especially yours, prioritize survival, often at any cost. Even if it means causing short-term harm to ensure your long-term survival. The instincts normal creatures possess follow a similar premise, however, because you are you, the extent to which your instincts are willing to go as well as the things they can do are far beyond what normal creatures and Lupines can accomplish.] This caught Mike’s attention.

’Wait? You mean other Lupines’ instincts can’t do what mine can do? Why? What makes me so different?’ He asked with confusion and intrigue, but to his dismay, the system simply said.

[That also falls under the category of confidential information.]

’Tch.’ Mike clicked his tongue, but he wasn’t too discouraged. Even if it wasn’t much, he at least understood one thing.

He wasn’t a normal Lupine by any means.

Actually, he should have realized it sooner. After all, he doubted other Lupines had systems like him. But he wouldn’t really know, he’d never met another one, after all.

He rubbed his temples. Well, he tried to, but he accidentally dug his claws into his scalp, making him wince.

"Ow." He stared at his gauntlets for a few seconds, then he frowned.

’... Hold on.’ He put them into his spatial storage, and his expression changed.

’Didn’t I undo my partial transformation? Why are my claws still visible?’ He thought, confused, which is when he noticed something else.

He looked behind him, then he touched his ears.

"... Fuuuuck." He cursed and rubbed his eyes.

His ears and tail were still there.

That wasn’t good.

He wanted to question why, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out why this was the case.

Ferocity: 48% (unstable)

Mike grimaced. He was really cutting it close now.

’If I go back now...’ He sighed. As reluctant as he was, he knew the truth.

Theresa and Kris would figure it out sooner or later. In fact, Mike guessed that they were already suspicious of him. Still, that didn’t make it any better.

Then again, him worrying didn’t make much of a difference. He already told them to be on guard for when the full moon arrived. They’d figure it out for sure then, so whether or not they knew now made no difference.

’I could always just tell them that my aura is simply an aspect of my true ability, which is the Lupine stuff. That should be enough, right?’ He mused, and technically speaking, he wasn’t wrong.

After all, he only acquired his aura after he became a Lupine, so it wasn’t a full lie, but it also wasn’t the complete truth, since being a Lupine wasn’t an ability, it was simply what he was.

’Argh. Whatever.’ He huffed and decided to pull up his stats to make himself feel better.

STATS

[Name]: Mike

[Age]: 17

[Race]: Lupine

[Level]: 32

---

STATS

Strength: 185.4

Agility: 170.4

Endurance: 220.2

Vitality: 230.4

Perception: 211.2

Allocatable Stat Points: 54

Ferocity: 48% (unstable)

(Minus boost from gauntlets)

---

SKILLS

> (Active Skills)

•Haven Ring (Level 3) – Creates a protective ring of aura around the user, defending them from all sorts of damage. The Host may also alter the form and behavior of Haven Ring. The ring can actively attract incoming attacks and reshape itself into bladed or segmented configurations. Moreover, the Host may route outgoing attacks through Haven Ring, amplifying force, cohesion, and penetration. Effectiveness of Haven Ring depends on the density of aura infused.

• Primal Rend (Level 1) – When the Predator brandishes its claws, the prey can only cower in fear and hope it passes over them... or the rending ends swiftly. The skill allows the Host to rend a target with his Primal Dominion, dealing devastating damage while suppressing any energy and ability in the way of the attack, increasing the damage significantly while resisting different forms of defenses.

•Primal Authority – A skill born from the will of the apex and the evolution of the predator’s instinct into dominion itself.

No longer does the Host merely evoke fear, he enforces it.

By channeling his aura as an extension of his will, the Host asserts absolute supremacy over the surrounding world. Within this field, all energy, will, and emotion are bent beneath his presence. Weaker wills collapse instantly, and even those who resist find their power distorted and subdued as their bodies remember what it means to kneel.

When activated, Primal Authority assaults the psyche directly, forcing the target to perceive the Host as an undeniable truth, an apex before which resistance is meaningless. Those with fragile minds may fall into instinctive despair, their souls surrendering before their bodies do.

At its peak, words spoken under Primal Authority carry weight. They become laws that imprint upon the target’s spirit, capable of compelling obedience or death itself, provided the disparity in will and power is sufficient.

The field of suppression now transcends aura alone, extending its influence to all forms of energy, devouring and silencing hostile flows that dare oppose the Host’s will.

The world does not move unless the predator allows it to.

Scales with: Willpower, Ferocity, and Aura Output.

Secondary Effects: Dramatic suppression of hostile energy within the field. Mental debilitation (Fear, Despair, Obedience) based on difference in Willpower. Words spoken under the skill may manifest as Commands of Instinct.

•Crimson Ladder (First Step) – A combat style devised by Masha and adapted by the Host. Built upon compounding momentum, each motion fuels the next in a relentless chain. Though simple in structure, it demands an exceptionally durable and powerful physique. First Step represents the initial master and grants access to its core movements and flow.

•Partial Transformation (Stable Variant) – Lupines are creatures of both control and wildness. This Stable Variant allows the Host to partially assume his true form without surrendering to instinct. Grants heightened strength, agility, natural weapons (claws, fur, tail), and improved balance, while maintaining mental clarity.

•Overclocking (Level 1) – By forcefully accelerating energy pathways, the Host can dramatically boost physical performance. Comes at the cost of rapid energy depletion and severe bodily strain. Prolonged use risks exhaustion and internal damage.

• Primal Awareness (Level 3) – The Host can precisely direct his instincts to warn of danger, incoming attacks, or nefarious intent. Moreover, the Host can get an idea of the possible moves an opponent can make and narrow down his consequent decisions. In addition, the Host can now feel the ’flow’ of an opponent’s energy, allowing anticipation of when and where they will move before they do.

• Predator’s Foresight (Level 3) – It’s only natural for a predator to excel at hunting, and to excel at hunting, the predator must know how to read their prey. Allows the host to see an outline of their target that alludes to how the target will move after, while also analyzing the flow of their movements and rhythm, allowing the Host to better memorize the way they move, and the Host’s mind can unconsciously memorize these patterns to be repeated precisely. The Host’s vision can also penetrate flesh and perceive the internal flow of energy, muscle tension, nerve signals, and so on, revealing openings and weak points in real time. Effectiveness of Predator’s Foresight scales with energy output and mental energy expended. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

• Primal Tracking (Level 1) – Sometimes, the prey of a predator isn’t always readily available. As such, the predator must use its senses and skills to track prey to hunt.

With Primal Tracking, the user fuses their instincts and aura to form a hunting sense beyond the physical, allowing them to perceive and follow the lingering imprint of movement, emotion, or energy.

The more familiar the prey, the deeper the connection, enabling pursuit across distance and concealment alike.

•

Primal Conduction (Level 1) – By forcing aura through an opponent’s point of contact, the Host can transmit destructive energy through weapons, armor, or limbs used to clash. This bypasses external defenses and directly disrupts muscles, nerves, and internal structures involved in exertion. Effectiveness scales with aura density, contact duration, and control.

> (Passive Skills)

• Bestial Adaptation – Physical stats (strength, reflexes, stamina, and senses) are heightened even in human form.

• High-Speed Regeneration – Natural regeneration is enhanced to incredible speeds, allowing the Host to recover from injuries, both big and small, at record speeds, as well as recover from physical and mental fatigue significantly faster as well as recover lost energy quicker.

• Aura Modulation – Through disciplined control, Host can regulate the intensity and spread of his aura at will, reducing waste and maintaining longer active periods without strain.

• Hunter’s Banquet – The Host gains permanent stat points from consuming defeated prey. Stats gained depend on the strength and inclination of the prey.

•Hunter’s Resurgence – A predator does not falter before stronger prey, it adapts. Hunter’s Resurgence is an instinctive survival mechanism born from the Host’s endless pursuit of greater challenges. When facing an opponent stronger than himself, the Host’s body responds by forcibly optimizing its performance to bridge the gap.

The greater the difference in strength between predator and prey, the stronger the adaptation. Grants percentage-based boosts to Strength, Agility, Endurance, and Perception up to a fixed limit.

Effectiveness and growth scale with the Host’s fighting spirit, resilience, and the ferocity of the prey being faced. The ability fades gradually once the threat subsides.

•Unseen Hunter – Predators aren’t always noisy. Some wait. Some watch. Some learn. With Unseen Hunter, the user can suppress their presence. Every breath, sound, and intent, allowing them to fade out of notice even when standing in the open.

While hidden, the user builds up ’Drive’. A silent pressure born from observation. The longer the user observes a target, the more Drive gathers. Drive fuels the opening strike, amplifying it’s force, speed, and precision. Moreover, the first strike the user initiates while in the Unseen Hunter state is always incredibly difficult to detect, making it so that the first strike always lands. If the user chooses not to engage or loses focus, Drive fades over time

---

ABILITIES

• Primal Dominion [A]

A combat-type aura ability that embodies the will of the Heart of the Lupine. Enhances physical performance beyond natural limits, reinforces every strike, and can be shaped into devastating bursts or protective barriers.

Due to the Heart of the Lupine refusing to accept such defiance, this ability now exerts an instinctive authority over energy and lifeforms within range, suppressing rebellious or hostile flows and foes and forcing them into obedience. When activated in full, it projects the intent of a true predator, demanding respect from all who sense it.

• Vitalis Core [B+ → A (Evolving)]

A recovery-type ability that drastically increases the Vitality of the user. Through this ability, the user can heal from small injuries to recovering from serious injuries as well as being able to regenerate lost limbs. Speed of regeneration, as well as the seriousness of the wound, determines how much energy is consumed to recover.

Currently undergoing structural evolution due to the absorption of refined vitality-based energy.

Effects remain unchanged until evolution completes.

--

EQUIPMENT

White-steel Gauntlets: Special Gauntlets made using White-steel and Moonlit Jade. While the gauntlets are equipped, the user gains +10 in strength and +15 in endurance.

---

EVOLUTION

Locked

> Requirement: Unknown

Mike stared at his stats with a blank expression, then he took a breath.

’I feel like every time I improve rapidly in a short amount of time and see my stats, I act weird. So I won’t do that... but damn this is awesome.’ He ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the stats