I set the weights down and looked towards Aspen. He had grown. Both in size and ability.
Aspen
Rank- Middle Bronze ☆☆☆☆
Potential- White-Gold ☆☆☆
Bloodline- Kitsune (11%), Ice Kitsune (12%), Forest Kitsune (1%)
Nature- Stand Offish
Skills- Poison Claw (D-), Pounce (A-), Detect (B-), Bite (A), Cultivate Growth (D+), Frost Aura (B+), Icing (D+), Water Kiss (E), Vine Whip (D), Ice Breath (D-), Snowy Winds (E-)
He had turned more white over the last month. His fur now held a chill even when he wasn't actively using an ability. The green color had died down as his Ice bloodline enhanced. It was only yesterday that his Forset bloodline had awakened. I had been doing research between his training and me own. Not that I had much time with three other beasts to oversee.
He opened an eye to glance at me from where he sun bathed. Thanks to my skill he got to laze around most days. Lazy bones. Not that he was a slacker. We had done a couple of mock battles since he has reached the growth stage. "You ready for this?" Dad asked me from the door.
He tossed me a shirt and I shrugged it own. "As ready as I can be," I told him. Aspen stood up and stretched. In just a month he had almost tripled in size. Now his head came up to my hip.
"Soon you'll have to keep him in the Domain!" Mom laughed. She looked the two of us over. She looked me over as she took my face in her hands. "You do your best today but make sure you two don't get hurt."
I put a hand over hers and smiled. "We'll be fine Mom. Aspen has grown well and my Domain is already 42 square meters." Dad's eyes widened and Mom gasped. Yeah I had grown. My intal Domain size had been above average but it wasn't unheard of. My Domain size had almost doubled. Which was almost unheard of. However, I had not one but two talents. I was not too worried about it since I now knew what talents could do.
Those who awakened a talent tended to grow faster. Domain. Beasts. Skills. All of it was enhanced by talents. Some talents did more than others. Mine had enhanced my body in ways I had to work to hide from everyone at school. We had to get me looser fit clothes. Well we didn't have to but it made me feel better. It was bad enough that people had started to stare when they heard I was in the Elite class.
We ran to school. Jackson joined us with his Nikkit Wolf. Her fur was pitch black. Judging by her size she would go the Assain route. Since hatching she had not grown more than a few inches but her rank had increased. As had her skills. They ran to school with us everyday since her hatching. The Snow Worm stayed in his Domain.
I found it odd how many Ice element eggs had been among this year's picks but apparently a spacial tear was closed nearby. Inside had been a winter wonderland. My egg had come from a water tear. No one else had really thought to question it.
At school we split up. Jackson went to his class and I went to mine. Today was the day. We were being tested. The top three would receive another egg for free from the school. No one else needed this but I did. Most of them already had a second beast. Their parents gave them beasts as their Domins grew. A couple even had three. No doubt their beast Domain was a bit cramped. It was recommended that for every beasts you have 12 square meters. Granted some beasts were smaller. Others were larger. So it was better to use your discretion. One also had to keep in mind the expected size of the evolved beast.
As walked into class I saw that everyone else was already here. Of course they were. They had cars and beast mounts that had been transporting them for years. DarkShore stood and clapped his hands. "Good! Now then several of you have multiple beasts. If you do now wish to participate you are, of course, free to go about your day."
A few people stood and walked from the room. The smaller nobles stayed though. Beast eggs weren't cheap. A single egg appraised to be Bronze could easily go for 250,000 credits or more. White and Copper really only existed for the food chain or small Beast Tamers. Most people could never afford to pass up this opportunity. If they didn't have the space to claim the egg as their own, they would sell it off to support the family.
"Alright then," he clapped his hands together. "Up first, Kendra NightFlower."
Kendra was closer to me on the pay scale than most of the nobles in class. It made sense for her to be here. Her family had been supporting her by pulling funds. "29 square meters," he noted down on his computer. "Your Domain has grown from 22 square meters. Very good."
She had her beast place its paw on the tester next. Or rather vine. The Thorn Flower beast, was a favorite of women. It had decent attack power and was recommended as a basic starter beast. Women liked it because of its looks though. As it's name suggested the beast was a plant. When newly hatched they were nothing of note but within a week they started gaining their thorns. As long as they were being cared for, that is. Those thorns grew in a flower like design that resembled petals. In short girls saw them as accessories.
"Five star copper, good." Kendra beamed as she walked away with her beast. One of her friends started talking to her while the next person went up.
"So you tried the supplements then?" I heard one ask. I focused in on the conversation. The nobles had knowledge and resources I did not even think about.
"The Domain ones? Yeah! My Domain has grown by a half a square meter a day for the last week."
"I told you!"
"Totally worth the price!"
"I'll have to convince Dad that it's in our best interest to invest in some."
"They are total worth it!" Kendra said. "A bit expensive but there's no way I would be ready for a second beast without them. I had to beg my parents since funds have been tight with Vivi's food. After today there is no chance they will complain about continuing to buy them."
Supplements? To grow your Domain? Seriously? Was there nothing money could not achieve. Aspen had been surviving off extra fruits and vegetables he had grown as well as what meat we could afford with the extra income.
I had been saving my training income to get some beast meat and spiritual plant seeds. Once I got those Aspen would be able to grow properly. I had been picking up the occasional feeder/ cooking class. I would need to feed Aspen a mix of as many elements as possible. "Aldric Shepherd." The sound of my name made my attention shift. I stood up and moved to the front. Aspen followed along behind me. I placed my hand on the tester. It looked exactly like the one from Healing class.
DarkShore's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I guess it's true what they say about talents! Aldric will be receiving a second egg."
Cries of outrage sounded behind me.
"Seriously!"
"The commoner!"
"You have not even tested his beast!"
I sighed and moved aside. Aspen had to go up to his hind legs to reach but he managed.
"Aldric's Domain space has surpassed 30 square meters. His beast is four star Bronze. He is first rank in this class."
"May I head to my class now?" I asked. He waved me off while the rest of class gapped at me.
"Go," he said, "The selected students will be called after lunch break to go pick their eggs."
I nodded at him in acknowledgment before leaving the room. I had to run to make it to the next feeder class.
"Ah! Aldric! There you are," Mable cried. "I thought you wouldn't make it." Mable cute enough but something about her set me on edge. Her brow hair was short and fell in loose curls around her chin. She was my partner for class. Mable wanted to be a beast chef. It was an option but one very rarely chosen since they normally worked under a trainer or breeder.
"Today is the test for the second egg," I reminded her.
She sighed, "My Domain is still too small. I only have 24 square meters." Just how weak is she? Her beast was a Ying Yang Worm. They had a few known evolution trees. I had no idea which one she was aiming for. In its current form, the Worm's power could not exceed Bronze three star. Or at least that was the strongest reported.
"That should be enough for a second beast. As far as I know, none of the Ying Yang Worm's evolutions require more than seven square meters."
"I want to find a new evolution tree. Ying Yang Worms have the most evolutionary forms of any beast recorded to date." Maybe she wanted to be a researcher.