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Fowad stretched his arms, leaning back against the rough bark of the tree as he relaxed in his new shelter.
The sun had set, casting the Sapling Forest in hues of deep purple and amber.
He sighed, a rare feeling of calm settling over him.
Weeks of constant training, battling beasts, and honing his instincts had forged him into a stronger version of himself, but this was the first real rest he'd had in days.
Beside him, his loyal fox beast, whom he'd affectionately named Foxy, lay curled up, her small, fluffy body radiating warmth in the cooling air.
Foxy had been his stalwart companion through thick and thin, and their connection felt deeper than ever, strengthened by their shared battles and the silent, unspoken bond that only grew with each fight.
Now, finally, they had time to rest and reflect.
As Fowad settled in the nest, his gaze fell on a bundle of old, from the shiny and gorgeous bag.
Curious, he reached for them, dusting off the covers. The bindings were worn and faded, but there was a mysterious allure to these forgotten pages.
He opened the first book, its pages filled with handwritten notes in a sprawling, intricate script.
The book's title was barely legible, but as he read the first few lines, his eyes widened.
It was a guide on beast taming a treasure trove of knowledge that delved into the ranks of beasts, from the lowly creatures he had been facing to the legendary beings of immense power.
According to the book, beasts were ranked in levels, each representing their strength and rarity. Fowad read eagerly, soaking up every detail.
Before that Fowad only knew about the ranks name from his father. Not much details about anything.
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The levels, as described in the book, were as follows:
Normal: The most common beasts, often less intelligent and easier to tame.
Basic: Creatures of this rank were stronger and more challenging, with better instincts and combat abilities.
Advanced: Rare and powerful, these beasts were capable of using their unique traits to manipulate their surroundings, making them formidable opponents.
General: Beasts of this rank were exceedingly rare, intelligent, and known to command respect and even loyalty from lower-ranking beasts.
King: Legendary creatures, rulers of entire territories, powerful enough to rival multiple tamers. Taming a King beast was an achievement few ever reached.
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Fowad paused, marveling at the descriptions. He had faced both Normal and Basic beasts before, and he knew firsthand how challenging those battles could be.
He could only imagine the difficulty of confronting an Advanced beast, let alone a General or King.
He continued reading, his fingers tracing the faded words. The book went on to explain that each beast from normal level contained a core a concentrated essence of its strength and spirit.
Beast cores were highly coveted, as they could be used by tamers to enhance their own strength or by other beasts to evolve and grow stronger.
Beast cores, it seemed, were the key to unlocking higher levels of power within a beast tamer's circle technique.
By absorbing a beast core, tamers could strengthen their spirit and progress through the ranks of the Taming Circle technique.
Fowad finds out the strange ball which fell from the dark crow was a beast core. The crow was at least a normal level beast.
He fell proud that the defeat a normal level beast.
Fowad's mind buzzed with possibilities. He glanced at Foxy, who had been eyeing his bag curiously from the moment he'd brought out the dark crow's core.
A small smile played on Fowad's lips. It seemed his companion had been waiting patiently for him to notice her interest.
"All right, Foxy," he said, pulling the dark crow's core from his bag.
The core was small and smooth, glowing faintly with a dark, shadowy energy.
It pulsed in his palm, and Fowad could feel its latent power energy that had once belonged to the dark crow that fiercely guarded its territory.
Foxy perked up, her eyes fixed on the core, a spark of hunger gleaming in her gaze.
She let out a soft whine, inching closer, her gaze pleading.
"Go on," Fowad murmured, holding out the core. Foxy wasted no time. She lunged forward, snatching the core in her jaws and swallowing it whole, her body shivering as the energy began to flow through her.
For a moment, Foxy's form glowed faintly, an aura of energy swirling around her.
Her eyes closed as her body seemed to pulse with newfound strength, her fur shining with an otherworldly sheen.
Fowad watched, mesmerized as Foxy's form flickered, and then suddenly she curled up, transforming into a glowing, orb-like state a form he had only read about in tales.
The "energy egg" form, as the book described it, was a rare state that some beasts entered when they absorbed a powerful core.
The egg protected the beast while its body absorbed and integrated the core's power, a process that could take days or even weeks.
But to Fowad's surprise, he felt the energy transferring from Foxy to himself, flowing through their spirit connection like a river of warmth and light.
The sensation was overwhelming, filling him with a vibrant, pulsing power that seemed to expand his very being.
His heartbeat quickened, his breathing grew shallow as the energy spread through him, filling every fiber of his body.
He closed his eyes, feeling the ancient power within him stir, guided by the residual energy of the ancient egg's power.
It felt like a doorway had opened within his spirit, allowing him to tap into a deeper level of his family's Taming Circle technique.
He had been at the peak of the first circle from the ancient egg energy, and now, with Foxy's energy flowing through him, he felt himself breaking through to the second circle.
Fowad's body began to glow faintly, mirroring the energy pulsing from Foxy's energy egg.
The energy surged through him, pushing him to the brink, testing his limits as he focused, allowing the power to reshape his spirit.
He felt his connection to Foxy deepen, their bond becoming more refined, more attuned, as though they were becoming a single, unified force.
After what felt like an eternity, the energy settled, and Fowad opened his eyes, feeling a newfound clarity, a heightened awareness that made his senses sharper, his spirit stronger.
He had done it he had broken through to the second circle of his family's technique, a level that few tamers can reached at such a young age.
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