On a child's tenth birthday, they will receive a blessing from the stars above the chaotic space. This is the natural law of the world.
And so, on his tenth birthday, Raki gained the blessing of the stars.
"Gonggg!!!"
"Gonggg!!!"
Several youths stepped up onto a stage amidst the beating of war drums. As the loud echoes stopped, the air was filled with a solemn air.
Each youth sat down in a meditating position, closing their eyes. As they did so, a bright light shone onto them, causing the spectators to cover their eyes.
"Let the trials...BEGIN!"
The war drums resumed their beating, the echoes and battlecries of warriors long gone beginning to resound through time and space.
Meanwhile...
As the bright light faded, the youths found themselves in a lush forest. A golden string of words suddenly manifested before them.
[ Welcome to the realm of Stars. ]
As the string of words faded, a loud voice resounded through the air.
"Do your best to survive for a year. The stars are always watching, and may the guiding light help you on your journey."
After speaking, the world returned to silence. The youths bowed in the direction of the voice, before forming groups and leaving.
However, one youth stood alone. His cold blue eyes emanated a faint chill as he watched the others leave. A single wooden token hung from his neck engraved with his name.
"Raki"
His silver-blue hair swayed in the wind as he stood alone in a forest, surrounded by lush vegetation.
A faint cloud of frost surrounded him as a tail covered in blue fur emerged from his back, as his teeth grew slightly sharper.
"Awooooo!!!"
He raised his head to the sky, letting out a howl, causing the chilly air around him to thicken.
As the howl faded, Raki's nose twitched. A faint scent of deer wafted into his nose, causing his ears to perk up.
"That way."
Confirming the direction of the smell, Raki approached the area slowly, his eyes narrowing.
As he continued forwards, the vegetation gave way to a large clearing, where a herd of deer was resting. A large male stood in the center, observing its surroundings cautiously.
The herd of deer had bright white skin that shimmered under the sun, with horns that were made of a clear, crystal like substance.
"Tch...how troublesome..."
Raki whispered. His eyes turned cold as the chilly air around him intensified. As if sensing something, the large deer turned its head in Raki's direction.
"Tsk."
Raki rolled out of the bushes as a white beam blasted through the area where he was crouching. The herd of deer quickly formed into a circle, with the females and young in the middle.
A large wolf with white fur manifested behind Raki, before howling up at the sky, causing a blizzard to blow through the clearing, shredding the herd of deer into pieces, leaving only a few scraps of flesh and blood.
"Ngh..."
Raki fell to one knee as the large wolf behind him dissipated into blue specks of light. His vision blurred as he gasped for air, pulling himself up as he stumbled towards a tree and leaning on it.
As his breathing slowed, he could feel himself fading in and out of consciousness, until his vision went dark. Before his eyes closed, a string of words appeared in his mind.
[ You have gained the recognition of a star. Your bloodline has been unshackled. Commencing evolution... ]
When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a sea of stars that shimmered in a rainbow of colors that gave off their own unique aura.
[ The star Kuraokami would like to bind with you. ]
[ Accept or reject? ]
A star slowly floated in front of him as the stars gave way to it in reverence. Raki's eyes widened as he felt a familiar aura envelope him.
"I accept."
As those words resounded throughout space, a flash of light brought Raki away.
Meanwhile...
Several elders sat on raised seats above the platform, waiting patiently as the drums stopped beating.
A blinding brightness engulfed the stage as a boy slowly walked out.
"To think it was him..."
"Bring the appraisal crystal."
"Right away, grand elder."
As the crowd around the stage stopped their clamoring, a man quickly brought a purple crystal up onto the stage, holding it out for Raki to touch.
He slowly reached out his hand and-
Ka-chak!
An overwhelming aura of frost caused several cracks to appear on the crystal before it shattered completely.
A second, stronger crystal was brought over, but with the same result.
The elders eyes brightened as they reappraised the boy in front of them. His cold gaze eventually landed on them, quickly shifting to the audience watching him.
Several more flashes of light caused the elders to narrow their eyes as several youths appeared on the platform next to Raki.
They quickly got tested, none of them managing to even damage the crystal ball. As the testing slowly finished, the elders came up to announce the results.
"Jonas, Star Grade: A"
"Lily, Star Grade: S"
The list continued until they reached Raki.
"Raki, Star Grade: Unknown"
A hush went over the crowd as the results were announced. The other youths looked curiously at Raki. Some of them showed disgust and jealousy, while the others merely observed him.
"Tch...so it's that wolf bastard..."
"To think that it would be him, how interesting..."
Raki ignored them as he observed what changes bonding with Kuraokami had brought him.
"Status."
_____________________________
Title: [ None ]
Class: [ None ]
Level: [ 0 ] (0/100)
Ascensions: [ 0 ]
Bloodline Upgrade (Unavailable)
Evolution (Unavailable)
Name: Raki
Race: Arctic Wolf
Skills:
Innate Skills:
_____________________________
As Raki exited his status, the elders began to present the youths with their rewards. He was presented with the Ice element mana core of a Level 10 Beast.
[ Absorbing mana core... ]
[ 1000 Exp gained ]
[ Leveled up to Level 4 ]
[ New Skill: Frozen Chains gained ]
[ 8 Skill Points gained ]
Raki let out a deep breath as the notifications faded, his face showing a small hint of satisfaction as he walked off of the platform.
When he came home, he laid down on his bed and reopened his status.
_____________________________
Skills:
Innate Skills:
_____________________________
Raki quickly put all of his skill points into
_____________________________
New Effect: Upgrade Bloodline through devouring other Ice element animals.
New Effect: Evolve by gathering corresponding ingredients.
Bloodline Unlocked
Evolution Unlocked
_____________________________
Raki selected Evolution, scanning through the list of options.
_____________________________
Evolution Paths (Requires 1 Ascension.)
1. Arctic Wolf (2*)
2. Frost Heaven Wolf
3. Moon Devouring Wolf
4. Deathfrost Wolf
_____________________________
"Remember, the more stars your base stat has, the stronger your next evolution options will be."
Raki sighed as he thought about his mother's advice, selecting the first option.
_____________________________
Arctic Wolf (2*)
Evolution Requirements:
1. Level 10 (4/10)
2. Ice element core of a Level 10 beast (0/1)
3. 5 Frost Flowers (0/5)
_____________________________
"Time to hunt..."
Raki left his house, looking around the village he lived in. The houses were made of stone, with straw roofing, with multiple gravel paths winding around the village.
He quickly followed the path leading to the forest, his ears perking up and listening for sounds, while his body scanned through the different scents that came into his nose.
"There."
He turned and dashed towards an area where the scent of Frost flowers were coming from.
The bushes opened up to a lake covered in blue flowers that glowed a soft, faint blue. Wisps of chilly air wafted up from the flowers, causing the temperature of the surrounding area to lower.
As Raki looked at the scene, a sorrowful smile appeared on his face as he became immersed in his memories.
"Onii-chan~? Promise me you'll take me to see the frost flower lake okay~?"
"Mhm...I promise..."
A single tear fell from the boy's face as he stared out at the lake covered in a beautiful sheen of blue.