Elion sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the small puppy who had curled up in the corner, whining pitifully. Its large, round eyes were fixed on him as if begging for something more than the bits of meat and vegetables he'd already tried offering.
"I've given you meat and vegetables, but you didn't want any of it," Elion sighed, rubbing his temples. "And yet you keep saying you're hungry. What do you want?"
The puppy's ears perked up as it lifted its head. "Mom, food. I'm hungry."
[Why don't you try giving him a beast core?]
Valen suggested.
[I've heard some legendary beasts only eat beast cores or mana stones. They absorb the mana to nourish themselves.]
Elion's brow furrowed. "A beast core?" He reached into his space inventory, pulling out a small, glowing core from one of the wolves they'd slain earlier in the day. He held it up, eyeing the pup skeptically. "You really want this?"
The puppy's eyes lit up, and it jumped to its feet with sudden excitement, tail wagging furiously. Elion chuckled at its enthusiasm and, with a cautious hand, extended the core toward it.
Without hesitation, the puppy lunged forward, grabbing the beast core in its tiny jaws. The core glowed brighter as the mana within it was rapidly absorbed, pulsing with energy. Elion watched, eyes wide in amazement, as the core gradually dimmed until it was completely consumed. The puppy licked its lips, satisfied, and then looked up at Elion with a contented expression.
"Wow… you really did just eat that whole thing," Elion muttered in disbelief.
[Well, seems like your new friend has expensive tastes, hahaha. You better stock up on beast cores.]
Elion sighed, looking at the now happily dozing pup. "Great. A high-maintenance pet. Just what I needed…"
Elion sat back against the headboard of his bed, staring at the now-sleeping puppy curled up in his lap. He absentmindedly stroked its soft fur, feeling the rise and fall of its tiny body as it breathed peacefully.
"Alright, Valen," Elion whispered. "I think it's time we give this little guy a name."
[Hmm, a name, that sounds right.]
Elion chuckled softly. "Yeah, can't keep calling him 'puppy' forever. Any suggestions?"
Valen was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
[How about something that reflects his nature? He's clearly not an ordinary beast. Something ancient, perhaps.]
"Ancient, huh?" Elion mused. He looked down at the puppy, now snoring lightly in his lap. "He did break out of an egg pulsing with mana. Maybe something strong and dignified. Like… Fenrir?"
[Fenrir?]
Valen sounded intrigued.
[The legendary wolf said to swallow the sun? It has a nice ring to it, but he looks more like a dog than a wolf.]
Elion smirked. "True, but he'll grow up. Maybe he'll become as fearsome and wolf-like as the stories say."
[Well, you are his mother, you decide.]
Elion ran his fingers through the pup's fur, feeling the spark of connection they shared.
"Alright, Fenrir it is."
The puppy stirred at the sound of his new name, yawning and stretching before settling back into Elion's lap. A faint pulse of mana shimmered around him, almost as if he recognized the name.
Elion grinned. "Looks like he likes it."
[Well, I'll be hoping this little Fenrir grows into a true legend.]
Valen's voice echoed with amusement.
Elion leaned back, resting his hands behind his head as he glanced down at the puppy. "Eating so many beast cores... there's no way this little guy is just an ordinary magical beast. At this rate, he might surpass me soon."
[Given that you're stuck at the peak of the Third Realm.]
Valen's voice chimed in with a hint of sarcasm.
[it wouldn't take much for him to catch up. Honestly, anyone could surpass you at this point.]
Elion groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Ugh, don't remind me. I'm trying not to think about it."
[Then you should go train, don't you think?]
Elion shot a playful glare at the air, though Valen's teasing made him grin. "Alright, alright, no more rubbing it in. I'll figure out my breakthrough... eventually."
The puppy let out a small snore, completely oblivious to the conversation about its potential greatness, which only made Elion chuckle.
[So, what's your plan, kid?]
Valen's voice echoed in Elion's mind, carrying a weight of curiosity and expectation.
Elion sighed, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers. "Honestly? I don't know. It feels like if I try to break through now, it'll just fail again. But it's not because my soul is weak or anything. It's more like... something's missing, something I can't quite put my finger on."
[Hmph. A vague feeling isn't much to go on.]
Valen replied, his voice skeptical but not dismissive.
[Still, that kind of intuition often means you're closer to the answer than you think.]
Elion nodded, though frustration gnawed at him. "It's strange, like I'm stuck on the verge of something important, but no matter how hard I push, I can't get through. It's not just about power... there's something else. Some piece I need to unlock before I can move forward."
[Sometimes strength alone isn't enough. Maybe what you're missing isn't more power, but a revelation. Keep searching, kid. The answer might not be what you expect.]
"I think it's time for a trip," Elion mused aloud, pacing his room. "Maybe I'll find the answer I need by traveling and learning more about this world. I've been stuck in Skywood for 12 years... it's about time to explore Alastor."
[So, where do you plan to go?]
"Hmm," Elion murmured, scrolling through the map of Alastor on his phone. "Let's head north. I've heard that's where the demon battles are the fiercest. If there's any place to find answers—or get stronger—it's there."
[It doesn't sound like a plan, but why not? Go ahead, kid.]
"Big cities usually have portals for faster transportation," Elion said, standing up with a determined look. "We should head to the city hall. There's one here, and I checked online, it's only 50 silver coins to use it."
With that decision, Elion packed up his things and headed for Elandor's city hall, a grand, imposing structure at the heart of the city. The hall buzzed with activity, adventurers, traders, and officials moving about.
At the center of the grand entrance stood the shimmering portal, the gateway to other regions of Alastor.
A clerk at the portal station greeted him.
"Destination?" the clerk asked.
"Varzinhein," Elion replied, referring to the largest city in the northern region, known for its strategic importance in the demon wars.
The clerk nodded and gestured toward a payment terminal. Elion took out 50 silver coins from his pouch, handing them over without hesitation. After a quick inspection, the clerk activated the portal, and it began to hum with energy.
Elion took a deep breath, stepping through the swirling gateway, instantly enveloped by the cold rush of magic. Moments later, he emerged in Varzinhein, the biggest city in the northern reaches of Alastor, where the smell of battle and tension lingered in the air.