It was supposed to be a secret. Teacher Kira warned be the previous day. No one must know that I possess the Royal Euphenic Blood.
"The knowledge of your unique constitution will only draw unnecessary complications, which may bring you lots of problem. Don't tell anyone... don't ever forget this!"
Remembering those very words, my heart thumped a bit.
'Dorothy mustn't suspect anything at all,' I said to myself.
There in the beautiful, colourful garden, Dorothy and I were still contemplating our own thoughts.
In a crystal ball floating in the air, there was a little, gaseous being hiding within.
As I looked at Dorothy about to speak on her final conjecture of what she thought to be the reason for whatever was within the crystal ball to be so scared, I quickly came in-between her words.
"Let's just look at what it is."
Dorothy shook her head.
"According to what I learnt in the Preparatory School of the Thaumaturgists, that should be the Mystical Beast of Illusions."
My eyes widened.
"Mystical Beast of Illusions? What sort of beast it that?"
As far as I could remember, from all the books I've read in the Beast Collection Vault, there has never been any account on mystical beasts. Everything I'd read of were just savage beasts.
Dorothy began to explain.
"In this world, there are different types of tribes within the animals: Beast tribe, Phoenix tribe and the Dragon tribe.
"The Beast tribe is the tribe from which the normal, cultivating beasts we have around us originate. They're divided into two: savage beasts and spirit beasts. The latter is a powerful mutation undergone by savage beasts. If their cultivation is strong, and they have solid cultivation foundations, they can become spirit beasts and extend their longitude.
"The Phoenix tribe are divided into two, as well: inferno-phoenix and glacier-phoenix. The types of phoenixes are determined at the phoenix's birth. If the yin energy is heavy in the blood of the phoenix, then it means that it's a glacier-phoenix. But if the yang energy is heavier, it's obviously the inferno-phoenix. Those of the Phoenix tribe are very known for their pride and they're impossible to tame.
"The Dragon tribe are as they are. Humongous, aerial reptiles capable of scorching anything their way with a breath."
I quickly made mental notes of all of these.
"But where does the mystical beast fall in?"
Dorothy looked at the crystal ball, then looked back at me before explaining.
"It is said that in every beast tribe, when a particular clan gets extinct, and their names are forgotten, they become 'mystical'. Some of us who are capable of thaumaturgy are able to create our first mystical beasts through the crystal ball you see above."
I went deep in thoughts. Despite how easy the explanation appeared, in truth, I really didn't understand any of these.
'Well, since it's a living being, I'll just have to see it my self.'
I walked to the crystal ball and tried to peer in.
"AHHHH!"
A scream as before came ringing in my ears.
I felt a burning sensation from my arerat symbol, and looked at it, only to see the part of the tattoo with beast prints glowing.
"Hmm... that's weird. Why does it glow? Is there something about this mystical beast?"
I stretched out my right hand (the hand with the symbol) and...
'Vwoosh!'
I fell to the floor.
"Noooo!" came the cry of Dorothy as she ran to meet me with concerns in her eyes.
"Don't worry, I'm okay," I muttered as I tried to pull myself up.
"Who's worried about you? You just stole my first mystical beast!" she screamed.
"Huhn?"
I was dumbfounded.
I immediately looked down on my arm where there were prints of tiny claws on.
The symbols seemed to have extended.
In Arerat, the tattoo was a butterfly in my palm and claw prints under it, down to below my wrist. But right now, it was extended down to the back of my elbow, just below my upper arm.
The last pair of claw prints that lay in-between the upper arm and the lower arm began to glow warmly.
I could feel a soul connection with it. It's the exact feeling I got when Little Wolfy gave me its blood essence from it's glabella to join the contract of beast and beast tamer. It was as if I just...
"How did you manage to tame my mystical beast? Is that even possible? Just what exactly is your gift? Wh-ha-hai!"
She fell to the ground on both knees with her fingers crooked and her eyes wide in disbelief.
"I... umm..."
* * *
Closing my eyes as I sat on the ground, inside my room, I began to analyse my internal structures, and the various changes my body was undergoing.
Feeling the immense power coming from the pair of claws that glowed after the mystical beast got absorbed, I finally came to understand fully well what had happened.
When I stretched forth my hand, the mystical beast got captured and tamed, automatically, by my arerat symbol. Therefore, it shouldn't be wrong to say that the two claw prints that glowed after, were from the beast.
"If I've truly tamed it, shouldn't I be able to communicate with it, telepathically? Let me give it a try."
Still with my eyes closed, I focused my spirit concentration towards the mystical beast.
"Can you hear me?"
No response.
"I'm Stephanie, and I'm really nice. I already have two other beasts, so you can be sure that I won't do you any harm."
After saying that, I heard a thick, animal voice in my head.
"Don't talk, Young Mistress, absorb."
Immediately, a heavy surge of energy began flowing inside my body, cleansing my spiritual essence to the point that they were as clear as water, and indiscernible. If I willed it, not even the Acorn Master would be able to sense my animal aura.
My strength began to grow, once more, and my cultivation refined at an astronomical speed, such that I felt the mountain-like bottleneck of my Transient Mortal realm expert loosening.
'Gugu Gugu!'
Sound of boiling water kept on echoing in my ears, and...
"Break!"
A wonderful sensation enveloped me and my eyes finally opened with a sharp lightening-like glint.
"I got into the Transcendent Mortal realm so easily?
"Cultivation Deciphering realm was attained at the Channel of Ancient Reality, Transient Mortal realm was attained the day after, and now (a day after too!) Transcendent Mortal realm?! Wasn't that too easy?"
I reined in my cultivation, then stood up.
With the immense power, a smile crept upon my face.