For the next three days, the students of Sunleaf Village dedicated themselves to mastering the skill of Adapt Level 1. Each day after class, they cultivated tirelessly, striving to forge a deeper connection with their Spirit Beasts. During the day, the Instructor imparted knowledge about the different types of Spirit Beasts.
"Spirit Beasts are categorized into five types," the Instructor explained, "Prime Beast, Arcane Beast, Infernal Beast, Ancient Beast, and Mythical Beast. The Mythical Beast is the strongest, as demonstrated by Liam's Chimera. However, do not underestimate the Prime Beast. Though initially the weakest, it has the potential to surpass even a Mythical Beast with enough experience and growth."
On the afternoon of the second day, the Instructor led the students back to the field. They resumed their cultivation, the air thick with determination and the energy of their efforts. Suddenly, a massive surge of energy gathered around Liam. His long white hair turned a majestic golden-yellow, resembling a lion's mane. His thin frame grew muscular, his ears became pointed, and a long snake tail formed. A pair of white eagle wings sprouted from his back, and he ascended into the sky.
The students watched in awe as Liam's transformation unfolded. "As expected, Liam was the first to Adapt," the Instructor thought, pride and satisfaction evident in his expression.
Later that day, Kane also achieved his Adapt form. His wild black hair turned snowy white, his height increased to seven feet, and dark blue, purple, and silver feathers adorned his expansive wings. As Kane soared into the sky, dark clouds began to gather, and a loud thunderclap reverberated, followed by flashes of lightning.
.....
At nightfall, Eldon headed to the mountain behind the house again, determined to master the Adapt skill. Sitting cross-legged, he began cultivating, but despite his efforts, he was unable to use the skill. Frustration gnawed at him as he couldn't figure out why. Suddenly, the white screen appeared before him again, labeled:
"ACCEPT QUEST TO ADVANCE."
Eldon clicked to accept it, and a quest appeared: "Communicate with your Spirit Beast."
Eldon felt a pang of confusion—how was he supposed to communicate with a rat? Deciding to summon it, he called upon his Spirit Beast. The rat materialized, and Eldon tried speaking to it by squeaking, but each time the rat squeaked, it became clearer, as if Eldon could understand it.
"Let go of me, you brat!" the rat said, its voice sharp and indignant.
Eldon was taken aback. A rat had just called him a brat. "I'm your master," Eldon replied, his voice firm.
The rat vibrated with fury and bit Eldon, causing him to yelp and release it. "Why'd you bite me?" Eldon demanded, but the rat ignored him and tried to run. Eldon quickly blocked its path. "If you run, I'll put you back in there," Eldon threatened, his voice angry.
The rat chuckled darkly. "Put me, the Lord of the World Below, back in there? I'd like to see you try."
Eldon, frustrated, commanded, "Return," and the rat disappeared. After a few moments, he summoned the rat again, but this time it looked at him with fear. Eldon sighed, realizing he needed a different approach.
"If you do what I say, you can stay out," Eldon proposed, trying a more conciliatory tone.
The rat eyed him warily but seemed to consider his offer. "What do you need from the Lord of the World Below?" it asked, still holding onto its grandiose self-title.
Eldon, confused but deciding not to challenge the rat's delusions of grandeur, replied, "I need to master Adapt. Can you help me with that?"
The rat seemed to relax slightly. "Fine. But remember, I am not just any rat."
Just then, the white screen appeared again, labeled "Acquired Skill: Adapt."
Eldon called out, "Adapt." His body began to transform. His thin frame turned muscular, his garment ripping off. His ears became pointy, and his black hair grew long, flowing down his back like a dark river. The system appeared once more, a white screen materializing in front of him, displaying information in clear, concise text.
Name: Eldon Grey
Spirit Beast: Rat
Level: Prime Beast
Stats:
Strength: 5++
Stamina: 8++
Agility: 15+++
Intelligence: 25-
Awareness: 15++
Next to the stats, a "Skill Tree" tab beckoned him. It listed several skills:
1. Snatch
2. Summon
3. Adapt Level 1
4. Locked
5. Locked
6. Locked
7. Locked
Eldon started testing out his newfound abilities. He was fast—his footsteps made no sound at all. He could jump high, hear the smallest footsteps, and his sense of smell increased. His vision was thermal; he could spot the smallest creatures. Then, he heard a voice in his head.
"Remember your promise. I'm not going back in there."
Eldon thought, Is this the rat speaking?
"I can hear you," the rat replied.
"Of course you can. We merge," it continued.
Eldon asked cautiously, "Is this the first time you've been someone's Spirit Beast?"
The rat replied cryptically, "No," but refused to answer any more of Eldon's questions.
.....
In the classroom, all eyes were on Eldon as he summoned his Spirit Beast. The students erupted into laughter at the sight of the rat.
"Those little brats," the rat scoffed at Eldon, who couldn't help but chuckle at his Spirit Beast's mockery.
Amidst the amusement, the instructor announced the test results. "Someone in this class scored 100 out of 100 on the exam," he declared.
The students immediately assumed it was Liam, but to their astonishment, the instructor called out, "Eldon, you got the perfect score, and second place is Liam."
The class was stunned. Even Liam looked back at Eldon with a bewildered expression, while Kane observed with a blank stare. Derek, however, glared at Eldon with resentment, convinced that he must have cheated.
"How did that trash do that? He had to have cheated," Derek seethed with jealousy.
Continuing, the instructor announced, "Since Eldon got first place, he will accompany me along with the top five to the competition."
On the field, the students divided into two groups. Those who could use Adapt Level 1 gathered on one side, while the rest hesitated. With the instructor's encouragement, they transformed one by one, each revealing their newfound abilities.
The tension crackled in the air as the instructor laid down the challenge: a one-on-one fight for those who could wield Adapt. Only the top four victors would earn the coveted spots to accompany him to the competition.