My Muscles Adapt 10,000 Times Faster

Chapter 160 Better

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Archie woke up feeling as though the world had just flipped over and set him down in a new life. For a moment, he lay on a narrow bed, trying to understand where he was. It was a small room, walls of rough wood, a thin blanket covering him. A single window let in crisp morning air. He blinked, raising a hand to his face—these were not his old hands. He remembered dying. He was sure he'd died back in his own mundane world. Yet here he was, alive, breathing, and undeniably younger than he had been. Outside, he heard faint bleats and the low hum of a distant village starting its day.

He pushed himself up, wincing as unfamiliar muscles stretched. He wore simple clothes: a linen shirt, worn trousers. His feet were bare against the creaking floorboards. As he approached the window, he caught sight of a small courtyard, a dusty yard with a few chickens pecking at feed and stacks of hay leaning lazily against a fence. Beyond them lay a stretch of fields, dotted with white shapes. Sheep. Dozens of them.

Something tugged at his memory. He knew this place now, as if his mind had downloaded a life's worth of memories overnight. Archie realized he had been reborn into a small farming family on the outskirts of a frontier town. This was his family's farm. His father—Marus—raised sheep, which they sold for wool, meat, and trade. His mother—Elna—tended the garden and made cheese and butter. His older sister, Lily, worked in the town's bakery, saving up money to eventually open a small place of her own. And Archie… he was expected to help around the farm, herd the sheep, and one day find his own path in the world.

But this world was not the one he knew before. Memories filtered in: stories of beast tamers who bonded with creatures of various elemental natures, of adventurers who ventured into mystical forests and returned with monstrous companions, of kingdoms whose armies were led not just by armored knights but by monstrous warbeasts that could raze a fortress in hours. The concept of beasts and taming them wasn't just some fantasy; it was a way of life, an entire economy, and a route to power.

Archie pressed a hand against the window's wooden frame. He remembered dying in a car accident—just another face in a crowded modern world. But now, he had a fresh start, and if those fragments of memory told the truth, this was a world where destiny could be forged by one's own hands. He'd always dreamed of a life more exciting than the mundane routine he'd left behind.

Turning from the window, he checked around the room. It looked as though he'd just recovered from a fever. A bucket of fresh water sat by his bedside, a damp cloth draped over its rim. They'd been caring for him. He owed his family an explanation, but what could he say? Even in this world, reincarnation probably wasn't a casual dinner topic.

With a deep breath, Archie stepped outside. The sky was a pale blue, the morning sun warm on his cheeks. Chickens scattered at his approach, and the scent of hay and earth filled his lungs. He could hear the distant bleating of sheep, the constant soundtrack of this farm. He caught sight of his father, a broad-shouldered man with kind eyes and a neatly trimmed beard, hefting a bale of hay from the barn. Marus paused mid-lift, noticing Archie.

"Ah, you're up, lad," his father said, relief softening his voice. "You gave us quite a scare yesterday when you fainted in the field."

"Sorry about that," Archie replied. He tried to sound normal. "I'm feeling much better now. Thought I should help out."

Marus nodded. "Why don't you go check on the flock? We've got a good number of sheep grazing beyond the orchard. Make sure the fences are intact and the flock's all there."

Archie nodded, his heart strangely heavy and excited at the same time. This would be a good chance to gather his thoughts. He walked along the narrow dirt path leading around the house, passing rows of apple trees whose fruit was just starting to ripen. On the other side of the orchard, he saw them: nearly a hundred sheep, their wool white and fluffy, dotting the gentle slope. A gentle breeze carried their scent and low bleats.

As he approached, he felt a strange shiver in the air. Something flickered in the corner of his vision. He thought it was a trick of the light at first, but then a window—like a holographic game interface—materialized before him, transparent and luminous. [System Activated] it read, in neat, glowing letters. His eyes widened. A system? Like those in the novels he once read—granted, that was a past life, but he remembered stories of protagonists granted cheat-like abilities.

He focused on the floating words, and new text scrolled into view: [Beast Fusion System Online]. Beast Fusion System? Archie's heart hammered. Did this mean he had some special power related to beast taming? The system continued, as if sensing his curiosity:

[Initial Task: Fuse Similar Creatures to Form a Higher-Grade Beast]

Number of Creatures Required: 97 Sheep (Common Grade) ? Fuse ? ?

Ninety-seven sheep? Archie's gaze traveled over the flock. He mentally counted, recalling his family had around a hundred sheep. The system's prompt was unnerving and unbelievable. Fuse them together? How? He had no idea what would happen, but the possibility of creating a higher-grade beast from these mundane sheep was too enticing to ignore.

He reached out mentally, trying to will the system to show him more. The words remained still, as if waiting for his command. The only thing he could think of was to attempt the action it described. With a gulp, he whispered under his breath, "Fuse the 97 sheep."

At once, he felt a strange pulling sensation. The air around him crackled with unseen energy. The sheep, previously content to graze, suddenly stirred, their heads lifting in unison. It was as if an invisible force had seized them. Archie's heart pounded. He watched, transfixed, as the sheep began to move toward one another, slowly at first, then faster, forming a tight cluster. Their bleating rose in pitch, a confused and eerie chorus.

Light swirled around them, shimmering threads of silver and white dancing between the woolly bodies. Archie took a step back, shielding his eyes with one arm. The sheep became indistinct, merging into one another like hot wax. Their distinct shapes blurred, and the scent of raw mana filled the air, like ozone after lightning.

When the brilliance subsided, Archie cautiously lowered his arm. Where the flock had stood, there now loomed a single creature. It stood taller than a horse, its body covered in thick, lustrous wool that shimmered like silver thread. Two curved horns jutted from its head, each inscribed with faint runes. Its eyes glowed softly with a gentle, steady light. The aura around it felt calm yet undeniably powerful.

A new system prompt appeared: [Fusion Complete: 97 Common Sheep ? Silver-Grade Spirit Ram].

Silver-grade? Archie's mind raced. In the stories he remembered, beasts were ranked from common to bronze, silver, gold, and beyond, with silver being far above the normal farm animal. A silver-grade beast could provide mana-rich wool, could serve as a formidable mount or even help channel elemental energies. The ramifications were huge. His family's humble sheep herd had just become something extraordinary.

The Spirit Ram stared at him, huffing quietly as if curious. Archie felt an odd connection to it, as though they shared some bond forged in that moment of fusion. His heart soared with excitement and fear. He had power now, something incredible and otherworldly. But what would his father say when he discovered all the sheep were gone, replaced by this single towering beast?

He tried to take a step forward, and the Ram dipped its head politely, allowing Archie to rest a hand on its wool. It was soft, warm, and carried a faint magical hum, like a chord struck on a mystical harp.

Just then, he heard footsteps approaching from behind the orchard. He could imagine his father's face, the surprise, maybe even terror, at seeing their entire flock transformed. Archie clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply. There would be questions he couldn't easily answer. But this world was not his old one. This world needed tamers, people who could rise above the ordinary and forge their own destinies. Maybe this was how it began for him.

Archie gently patted the Ram's flank and turned to face his family. One chapter of his old life had closed, and now, a new story was truly beginning.

Just then, he heard footsteps approaching from behind the orchard. He could imagine his father's face, the surprise, maybe even terror, at seeing their entire flock transformed. Archie clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply. There would be questions he couldn't easily answer. But this world was not his old one. This world needed tamers, people who could rise above the ordinary and forge their own destinies. Maybe this was how it began for him.

Archie gently patted the Ram's flank and turned to face his family. One chapter of his old life had closed, and now, a new story was truly beginning.