The Animagus: From Hunter to Monster-Chapter 99: Shackles of Fate

The torches flickered violently, casting monstrous shadows across the stone walls. The air carried the weight of something ancient, something sinister.

Buji's chest rose and fell steadily, his fingers still tingling from the force of the chains. He wasn't sure what had awakened inside him—but it was keeping him alive.

Across the hall, the figure stood unmoved. The chains had vanished into the darkness, but Buji knew it wasn't over.

Not even close.

Then—

The ground trembled.

A deep, guttural sound rumbled beneath him, like a beast stirring from slumber.

Buji's instincts screamed at him to move.

He leaped.

Just in time.

BOOM!

The very spot where he had stood erupted, massive obsidian spikes shooting out of the ground.

Buji twisted mid-air, his body barely avoiding the jagged edges. He landed in a crouch, his muscles coiled like a spring.

But the moment his feet touched the ground—

The spikes shifted.

A grotesque grinding sound filled the hall as the spikes began to bend.

No. Not just bending—they were growing.

Like living creatures, the spikes twisted toward him, their tips elongating with deadly intent.

Buji barely had time to react. He dodged left—another spike shot up. He dashed right—the floor cracked apart beneath him.

They weren't just obstacles. They were weapons.

And the figure was controlling them.

Buji grit his teeth. I need to get closer.

He pushed off the ground, surging forward. The spikes shot toward him in waves, but he didn't slow down. He couldn't afford to.

One came from the left—he spun over it.

Another from below—he flipped mid-air, landing on its edge before launching off it.

Faster. Stronger. More precise.

His body was adapting. The power inside him—it was growing.

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Then, finally—

He was within striking distance.

Buji lunged—his fist pulled back, ready to strike—

But the moment he got close—

Chains exploded from the figure's body.

They shot out like vipers, wrapping around Buji's wrists and ankles.

"Tch—!"

Before he could react, he was yanked backward, his momentum shattered.

The chains twisted, spinning him mid-air before slamming him into the ground.

CRACK!

A sharp pain shot through his ribs. The taste of iron filled his mouth.

But he wasn't given a moment to recover.

The chains pulled again—slamming him into the opposite wall.

Then the floor.

Then the ceiling.

Over and over—like a ragdoll caught in a violent storm.

His vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges.

But just as the next impact came—

He moved.

His body twisted in the air, grabbing onto one of the chains.

The moment his fingers wrapped around it—

A surge of energy rushed through him.

It wasn't just a chain. It was connected to something.

And whatever it was—

It had a pulse.

Buji's eyes snapped open.

His body stopped resisting. Instead—

He pulled.

The figure's glowing eyes flickered.

For the first time, it staggered.

A realization struck Buji like lightning.

These chains… they're not just for restraining.

They were part of a system. A construct. A connection to something deeper.

If he could pull on them—if he could disrupt their flow—

He could break them.

The figure raised its hand, summoning more chains. But this time, Buji was ready.

The moment the first chain shot toward him—

He grabbed it.

A violent shudder rippled through the hall.

Buji grit his teeth. I won't just escape. I'll turn this against you.

With all the strength he could muster—

He yanked.

The chain vibrated, the energy inside it unstable.

Then—

SNAP!

One of the links shattered, bursting into shards of dark energy.

The figure lurched backward, its body twitching.

Buji didn't waste a second.

He grabbed another chain—another pull—another snap.

Then another.

And another.

Each broken chain sent a tremor through the figure's form. Its glowing eyes dimmed, flickering like dying embers.

Buji's breath was ragged, his muscles screaming in protest. But he didn't stop.

Break them.

All of them.

One final pull—

The last chain shattered.

The hall went silent.

The figure's body convulsed, its form distorting. The very air around it cracked.

Then—

BOOM!

A massive shockwave erupted from the figure, sending Buji flying backward.

He crashed into the far wall, debris raining down around him.

For a moment, he couldn't move. His body felt heavy, his mind teetering on the edge of consciousness.

But through the dust and rubble—

He saw it.

The figure was kneeling.

Its once-imposing presence weakened.

The chains were gone. The spikes had vanished.

And then—

For the first time—

The figure spoke.

"You… are not like the others."

Buji's fingers twitched. His breath was ragged, but his lips curled into a smirk.

"Damn right I'm not."

The figure lifted its head, its glowing eyes narrowing.

Then, a sound echoed through the hall.

A distant roar.

Deep. Powerful. Ancient.

Buji's heart pounded.

Something was awakening.

Something far worse than what he had just faced.

The battle wasn't over.

Not even close.

---

The hall was eerily silent.

Buji lay motionless, his body aching from the brutal battle. His limbs felt like they were made of lead, his breath shallow. Every part of him screamed in pain. But he had won.

The chains were gone. The figure that had tormented him was kneeling, its once-overpowering presence now weakened.

Yet, as he caught his breath—

A new presence stirred.

Deep. Ancient. Overwhelming.

A roar—not from any beast he had ever encountered—rumbled through the chamber. It didn't come from a throat but from the very air itself. The walls trembled. The ground pulsed beneath him.

Then—

Ding!

A sharp, unnatural sound echoed inside his mind.

Buji's eyes widened. His body seized as a rush of information flooded his brain, his vision darkening momentarily before a screen flickered into existence before him.

[SYSTEM INITIATED]

[Recompiling Host Data…]

[Evaluating Combat Proficiency…]

[Processing Mana Affinity…]

[Resonance Detected – Incomplete Soul Link Found]

The words hovered in front of him, glowing faintly, like inscriptions carved from pure energy.

Buji's breath caught. What the hell was this?

He tried to move, but his body refused to respond. Instead, a wave of searing pain shot through his skull as another screen appeared.

[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE SURVIVED THE FIRST TRIAL]

[SYSTEM BINDING PROCESS: 80% COMPLETE]

A tidal wave of energy rushed through him, setting every nerve ablaze. It felt as if his body was being rewritten, reforged from the inside out.

His muscles twitched. His mind buzzed.

Then—

A voice spoke.

It wasn't external. It was inside him, resonating through his very soul.

[Welcome, User. You have been chosen as the sole inheritor of the Necro-Resonance System.]

Necro-Resonance System?

Buji's fingers curled into the dirt beneath him. He had heard stories of warriors blessed with divine artifacts, ancient relics that granted power beyond human comprehension. But this—this was different.

Something primal. Something forbidden.

More text appeared.

[As the first inheritor, you are granted the ability to harness the power of the fallen. Through battle, you shall claim strength. Through death, you shall rise anew.]

A cold shiver ran down Buji's spine.

He had felt something changing within him during the fight, but he hadn't understood it. Now, it all made sense.

The chains… The pulse within them… They weren't just weapons. They were remnants of something else. Something connected to him.

Before he could fully process it, the screen flickered again.

[First Ability Unlocked: SOUL REAVER]

→ Absorb the essence of fallen enemies to restore strength, enhance abilities, and unlock hidden potential.

Buji's breathing became ragged. Absorb the essence of fallen enemies?

He clenched his fists. His fingers tingled with an eerie warmth, a presence curling around his skin like invisible tendrils.

Then, he felt it.

A heartbeat.

Not his own.

But from the kneeling figure before him.

Buji's gaze snapped toward it. The being was fading—its form breaking apart like dust caught in the wind.

It was dying.

And his system was reacting.

A final set of words appeared before his eyes.

[Do you wish to claim the lingering essence of the Fallen Guardian?]

[Y/N]

A choice.

Buji hesitated. He had never taken power from another. Never stolen life.

But something inside him—something ancient, something instinctual—whispered:

"Take it. Absorb it. Become stronger."

The figure lifted its head slightly, its glowing eyes dim. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, it spoke:

"The chains that bound me… they now belong to you. Accept them… or be devoured by what comes next."

The moment the words left its lips—

Buji's decision was made.

He reached out.

The instant his fingers touched the fading figure, a surge of raw energy flooded his body.

[ESSENCE ABSORPTION ACTIVATED]

The chamber darkened. A vortex of swirling shadows wrapped around Buji, siphoning the remnants of the Guardian's power into him.

His muscles tensed. His wounds knit together. His mind expanded.

Then—BOOM!

A shockwave erupted from his body, hurling debris across the chamber. The torches flickered wildly before extinguishing altogether.

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence.

Then—

Buji's eyes snapped open.

The exhaustion that had weighed him down moments ago was gone. His body felt lighter, stronger, alive.

And in his mind—

A chain now resided, invisible yet ever-present.