The night sky draped over Sunleaf Village, casting an ethereal glow on the quiet hamlet. Eldon slipped out of bed, making not a sound as he moved. He glanced at Liam, who slept soundly, unaware of Eldon's departure. With a practiced silence, Eldon left the room and headed outside.
Garrett stood near the entrance, his expression unfazed. It was clear this wasn't the first time he had caught Eldon sneaking out. "Where are you going at this hour, Eldon?" Garrett's voice was curious but not accusatory.
Eldon, scrambling for an excuse, replied, "Just wanted to see the night sky, that's all." Garrett seemed to accept this, though his eyes hinted at more questions.
"Don't stay out too long," Garrett advised, turning back towards the house.
As Eldon walked away, he wondered, "How did he notice me? I made sure not to make a sound." Shaking off the thought, he headed towards the mountain behind their house. Upon reaching a secluded spot, he sat down and began cultivating. Shadow energy began to form around him, flickering like flames.
The Shadow energy surrounding Eldon began to coalesce, taking the form of a rat. As the energy solidified, a bright white screen materialized in front of him, displaying information in clear, concise text.
Name: Eldon Grey
Spirit Beast: Rat
Level: Prime Beast
Below this information, a tab labeled "Stats" caught Eldon's attention. He read through the stats listed:
Strength: 1
Stamina: 0.5
Agility: 0.5++
Intelligence: 30+
Awareness: 10+
Next to the stats, a "Skill Tree" tab beckoned him. It listed several skills:
1. Snatch
2. Summon
3. Locked
4. Locked
5. Locked
6. Locked
7. Locked
Eldon wasn't particularly surprised by this display. In his previous life, they had something similar called the System, although this seemed different. His intelligence and awareness, honed from his previous life as an assassin, seemed to have carried over into this new existence.
Curious to test his abilities, Eldon focused on one of the skills he discovered: Summon.
"Summon," he commanded, and the rat that had caused chaos in class materialized before him. It darted away, but Eldon quickly seized it.
"So even in this life, I'm trash," Eldon muttered, acknowledging the disappointing nature of his spirit beast. Despite his disdain for the other students' mockery, their assessment rang true—a rat was hardly an impressive companion. With a resigned sigh, Eldon commanded, "Return," and the rat vanished.
As Eldon contemplated his situation, he recalled the Instructor mentioning a skill called "Adapt" during class. Searching through his skill tree, however, he found no trace of it. Instead, he stumbled upon another page labeled "Pouch."
Intrigued, Eldon spoke the word aloud. "Pouch."
Instantly, the pouch he had retrieved from the vault materialized before him.
Curious, he reached inside, expecting to feel the bottom. To his surprise, it seemed to stretch endlessly. There was no discernible end to the pouch—it was as if it contained an infinite space within.
"Maybe having a rat as a spirit beast wasn't so bad after all," Eldon mused, a glimmer of optimism breaking through his frustration.
...
The next morning, Sunleaf Village was bathed in the golden light of dawn as the students gathered at the entrance of the grand edifice of pure gold. They waited anxiously, knowing that today would determine their fate. Just like before, the gates creaked open, and the hobbit with stark white hair and pallid skin—their Instructor—beckoned them inside.
Each student found their seat, a piece of paper, and a writing tool awaiting them. The Instructor stood before the class, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "Your test will begin in a moment," he announced. "Remember, if you cheat, you will be expelled from this class. As I mentioned yesterday, the highest scorer on this test will be guaranteed a spot among the five who will accompany me to the competition next week. You may begin."
"Yes, Instructor," the students replied in unison.
The room fell silent as the students picked up their writing tools and began the test. Minutes ticked by, and the strain of concentration was evident on many faces. Some students fidgeted nervously, while others stared blankly at their papers, unable to recall the knowledge they needed.
The Instructor rose from his seat and began pacing the rows, his eyes scanning each student's work. When he reached Eldon's desk, he paused, peering down at the answers with a look of surprise. "Astonishing," the Instructor thought. "Every answer is correct." He continued to his seat, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Time passed, and Eldon stood up, walking confidently to the Instructor's desk. He placed his completed paper down with a calm, "I'm done." The other students glanced up, confusion and disbelief etched on their faces.
"Impossible," they whispered among themselves. "How can that trash finish so fast? He must have given up."
Liam and Kane rose simultaneously, striding to the Instructor's desk and dropping their papers with an air of confidence. The pressure in the room intensified as the remaining students struggled to complete their tests.
The Instructor stood once more, moving to collect the papers. Those still working felt a wave of confusion and panic—why was the test ending when they weren't finished? Yet no one dared to voice their concerns. They accepted their fate in silence, acknowledging their failure.
...
The test concluded, and the students followed the Instructor to a nearby field. It was time to learn a skill crucial for any Beaster's survival in combat. The Instructor began his demonstration, his voice booming across the field, "Summon!"
In an instant, a beautiful fairy appeared, clad in leaves with nearly invisible wings that fluttered delicately. A gust of wind swirled around the students, emanating from the fairy. "This," the Instructor explained, "is a Grade 2 Spirit Beast known as a Sylph, an Arcane Beast with control over elements. Her element is wind, allowing me to harness its power."
With a clap of his hands, reminiscent of the powerful gust that had welcomed them to the edifice, the Instructor unleashed a wind strong enough to nearly blow the students off their feet once more. "But this is not what I wanted to show you today."
The Instructor's expression turned serious. "Today, we will focus on a fundamental skill every Beaster needs: Adapt." He called out, "Adapt!" His ears grew pointed, wings sprouted from his back, and he took to the air, demonstrating the Adapt skill in full glory.
"This is what the Level 1 Adapt form looks like," he explained, hovering mid-air. "There are five levels to master, but I am giving you three days to achieve Level 1."
The Instructor landed gracefully and began instructing the students on how to achieve this skill. "To communicate with your Spirit Beast and unlock Adapt, you must enter a meditative state."
The students sat down on the field, closing their eyes and focusing inward. After a few moments, different colored lights began to form above them, taking the shapes of their Spirit Beasts. Liam's Chimera glowed this negative dark energy, Kane's thunderbird shimmered in yellow, Derek's Ifrit blazed with red flames, and Eldon's rat emitted a Dusky Grey.
The Instructor walked among them, offering guidance. "Feel the essence of your Spirit Beast," he encouraged. "Draw its power into yourself. Adapt is not merely a skill; it's a symbiosis, a merging of your strength with that of your Spirit Beast."
...
"Remember," the Instructor concluded, "this is only the beginning. You have three days to refine and perfect your Adapt form. Train hard, and do not underestimate the bond with your Spirit Beast."