?The familiar warmth of Xander's comfortable living room took shape around him, the sterile, infinite white of the Lobby instantly vanishing. He was already seated in his favorite chair, the stark contrast highlighting the bizarre, split reality of his existence. He let his head fall back against the worn leather, his mind still analyzing the battle he just won.

  ?While the Crimson Sovereigns were capable of power nearing Zenith, they had become predictable, reliant only on sheer, concentrated force. They had lost their edge. They were creatures of status and command, not primal survival. They fought with the structured rage of high-rank Incarnates, not the chaotic desperation of true beasts.

  ?Dawn won’t last a month out there if she fights like a stiff Incarnate, he thought, drumming his fingers on his knee. He needed to eliminate her dependence on structure and expose her to pure, chaotic survival. He concluded that her next task must focus entirely on creatures and building her instincts—the raw, unfiltered response that saved a life when conscious thought failed. He needed to see if she could embrace the savagery of the system.

  ?

  ?Meanwhile, Dawn was navigating the crowded aisles of the nearest mall. Her basket filled with the most mundane of items—a new lamp, a a fluffy comforter, and basic essentials for everyday life. She spent nearly an hour comparing toothbrushes, finding a strange comfort in the triviality of it all.

  ?How has my life gotten so crazy so quick? she thought, pausing to stare at a rack of brightly colored shirts. Just a week ago, she was worried about paying bills like everyone else; now she was a reality-hopping legend with blood on her hands and a six-figure bank account. The irony of using money earned from mass destruction to buy mundane comfort wasn’t lost on her.

  ?She internally debated the morality of her role. Was she meant for Intervention situations—violently eliminating blatant threats like the King? Or perhaps Restoration missions—quietly healing broken lands and settlements? She realized she was still desperately struggling to define the "hero" she was supposed to be, a struggle made heavier by the recent memory of her dragon form’s pure, mindless rage. With a final shake of her head, she checked out, the brief outing providing a necessary, if momentary, return to some semblance of normal before the inevitable next mission.

  ?

  ?A few hours later, Xander remained in his chair, still tapping away on his phone. His mind focused on every detail of how to make Dawn powerful, his fingers working through training protocols.

  ?The front door opened, and Dawn walked in, loaded down with bags. She offered a quick, awkward nod in his direction before retreating to her room, leaving a temporary trail of rustling bags as she began to unpack. When she finally emerged, she was visibly nervous but determined to engage him.

  ?She settled onto the couch, clearing her throat. "So... you've been sitting there for hours. What exactly are you working on?"

  ?Xander slowly lowered his device. "Figuring out the best course of action for your training," he replied, his gaze intense.

  ?"And what is the next step?" Dawn asked, already anticipating a daunting challenge.

  ?"The next step is simple: you need to learn from things that are better at survival than humans," Xander said. "You're too reliant on conscious thought. We need to build your instincts."

  ?He stood up and began pacing slowly. "Creatures are the best teachers for fundamental survival. They can offer lessons we can’t."

  ?He focused on two primary reasons for the shift:

  ?"First, you need to understand the beast hierarchy and their specific patterns of aggression. This is crucial for better threat assessment—knowing instinctively which creature is worth fighting and which one to run from."

  ?He tapped a finger to his temple. "Second, beasts fight better than most humans because they trust and utilize their instincts. This primal connection is what makes their reaction time and control over their abilities so strong. You need to shed your modern human caution to fully tap into your potential."

  ?He then clarified the progression she’d noticed. "The Staging Process starts similar to humans. The first three Stages—Child, Teenager, and Adult—are about survival and natural growth. You will progress through them automatically simply by surviving and living long enough in the mission environment. True mastery, and where it becomes different, is only after Stage 3."

  ?He outlined the new task. "Your next situation will be one I’ve set with Cosmo with a Beast Modifier enabled. This will focus solely on creatures, removing all civilized structures and military opponents."

  ?He looked directly at her. "The goal is only one: survive and grow to Stage 3 before you recall. Instinct and growth are the only metrics that matter for this curriculum. Since you will be a beast, you won't have a crystal. When you want to recall, you must repeatedly think the simple sentence, 'exit current situation.' Eventually, Cosmo will then ask if you're sure you want to leave."

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  ?Dawn, remembering the terrifying experience of the Draconic Transmutation, nervously asked, "But what if I lose control?"

  ?Xander sat back in his chair. "This will be different. You will be doing this by yourself, and the situation will have lower-ranked creatures that you should be able to control easily. Also, be on the lookout for other beasts you run into. Some might be friendly to whatever creature you pick, but remember, sometimes you might pick something that is the perfect food source for something else."

  ?Dawn looked down as she thought, unsure of committing to being a creature again, even if the first time it was a temporary Transmutation and not an actual chosen form. Thoughts of all the fantasy stories she’d absorbed through her life flashed through her mind.

  ?Xander snapped her out of her thoughts. "Rest until the morning. Think it through. You will have to eat, sleep, and live as a beast until it reaches adulthood. Think about all aspects of life. Does the creature you pick live in packs? Maybe it’s a solitary survivor? What does it eat, what are its threats? How long is its lifespan? All this and much more are things to consider."

  ?Dawn nodded, understanding this went deeper than she originally thought. She then got up and told Xander, "I’ll consider what you have said and will let you know when I have finished your challenge." Xander smiled as he watched Dawn retreat to her room. As soon as he heard the door close, he returned to tapping away on his phone.

  ?Dawn, alone in her room, felt the weight of Xander’s words pressing down on her. She flopped down on the bed unceremoniously. I have to eat, sleep, and live as a beast until it reaches adulthood. It was one thing to briefly manifest a monstrous form; it was another to commit to that existence, possibly losing her human senses to primal instinct.

  ?There was no book, no digital library of creatures that could be choices. Her only resource was her own imagination—the fantasy novels, movies, and folklore she’d absorbed throughout her life. She curled up on her bed, pulling the new, fluffy cover around her, and began to think.

  ?I need a creature that helps me survive, not one that forces me to be a killer, she determined. She immediately rejected the idea of being a solitary hunter—something like a giant spider, a hulking bear, or a venomous snake—anything that relied on pure, solitary aggression. She feared choosing something that might have stronger control than her own weak will.

  ?Instead, she began to gravitate toward creatures that embodied community and peace. If she was entering a chaotic new ecosystem, perhaps a pack mentality wouldn't be a distraction but a crucial defense. Living in a peaceful pack or herd could be incredibly beneficial for survival in an unknown environment, allowing her to learn the rhythms of the land without the crushing pressure of constant, solitary hunting. She could observe, grow, and focus on the natural progression to Stage three. She thought of noble creatures: wise deer, groups of elephants, and soaring birds. She let the imagery settle, focusing on the freedom of the sky and the safety of the earth. She knew the choice she would make would be directly related to the difficulty for the challenge. She just needed to have a clear plan in her mind when the time came.

  ?The hour was late. The house was silent except for the occasional hum of the central air. Xander finally stood, stretching. The fatigue wasn't physical; it was the mental exhaustion of pushing himself as Agent X. He walked over to his workstation, a high-end laptop that had a direct connection to Cosmo.

  ?He pulled up the Enforcer Interface—a dark, obsidian overlay only he could see. He typed a short command.

  ?"Cosmo, confirm alert protocol for profile: Dawn."

  ?Cosmo's neutral voice resonated through his mind. "Alert protocol confirmed. Notification will be issued immediately upon subject's entry into their selected situation."

  ?"Good," Xander murmured, looking out the dark window at the quiet cityscape.

  ?He rubbed his forehead again. He wasn't simply training a hero; he was testing a theory about the future of true incarnate power. He had given Dawn the necessary task and the freedom to do it her way. If she does as I require, her strength will rapidly grow to overcome those of even higher ranks than her, creating a new Incarnate that might be able to stand with me, he confirmed to himself. If she fails, then the system should still achieve another strong Incarnate. He quickly dismissed the thought of her quitting. I just hope she doesn't lose her motivation now that she has some money. Others become consumed with greed and quit doing their work.

  ?He set the spectate function to auto-launch upon her entry. He would be able to view and analyze her growth in real-time without her ever knowing she was being watched. He wouldn't risk interfering, but he could observe the evolution of his new curriculum in action.

  ?With his preparations complete, Xander walked into his bedroom, the door clicking softly behind him. The silent house waited for the morning, and for Dawn's decision.

  ?The moonlight shined through the window.

  ?Dawn was submerged in a suffocating crimson haze. She wasn’t watching the previous mission; she was reliving lost memories. She felt the thick, ridged scales of her forearm, the raw, burning fury fueling every muscle fiber. The dragon’s mind was a torrent of simple, destructive wants, and she was trapped in its passenger seat. The creature moved with horrifying speed, its arm surging toward the King. There was no sound, only the visceral, silent thud of the dragon’s fist sinking into the King’s back. Her hand—no, its hand—retracted, slick with heat and blood, clutching a pulsing, ruined organ. A triumphant, soundless roar of bestial satisfaction echoed in the dark space where her mind used to be. The feeling of absolute, unrestrained power was more terrifying than the violence itself.

  ?She awoke with a gasp, adrenaline flooding her veins. Her new sheets were soaked with sweat, and the image of the King’s face—not frightened, but merely a pale smear—was burned behind her eyelids.

  ?This won't stop until I figure it out, she realized, her voice trembling. I can't outrun the anxiety. I have to learn how to understand foreign instincts.

  ?The anxiety over the task ahead vanished, replaced by a cold, hard resolve. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table, the screen lighting up her face in the dark room. Her finger hovered over the Cosmo App. F Rank Intervention with the Beast Modifier.

  Xander, who had been resting in his room, felt the faint, high-frequency ping through his Cosmo link. The Alert Protocol had been activated.

  ?He was teleported into a sleeker version of the spectator room. It was darker with a more comfortable chair. Attacted to the chair was a keyboard for Xander to interact with the situation. Xander swiveled the keyboard around and pulled up the Enforcer Interface. Dawn had initiated the launch just seconds after waking up from her nightmare. No hesitation, no delay.