However, before hatching, as the director had advised, Bastion needed to make some preparations. The hatching skill for a Beast Summoner wasn't guaranteed to succeed; failure would lead to the egg cracking, killing the creature inside.
Fortunately, a special hatching potion created by an alchemist could prevent this. It significantly increased the success rate of hatching, and even if it failed, the egg wouldn't be destroyed, making it nearly foolproof.
Bastion opened the United Federation's official trading site, known for its verified, trustworthy listings at fair prices. After navigating to the potion section, he quickly found what he needed.
The hatching potion was priced at thirty thousand credits! For newly-classed students, there was an option for interest-free installments, or he could pay in full. After transferring his inheritance from his parents to his account, Bastion opted for a one-time payment.
"Phew! Well, sometimes you gotta spend money to make money. Besides, other professions need to buy weapons and armor right away, which isn't cheap either. But as a Beast Summoner, I can rely on my summon at the beginning, so I'll hold off on gear for now."
The delivery speed from the official marketplace was impressive; within minutes, a courier had arrived with the potion at the orphanage.
Inside the package was a small vial of green liquid.
[Hatching Potion: Pour over the pet egg to significantly increase hatching success rate and prevent egg breakage.]
Bastion carefully opened the vial, letting a few drops of the green liquid fall onto the egg. It was instantly absorbed, and the egg trembled slightly as if the creature inside knew it was finally about to hatch and couldn't wait to see the world.
"Hatching skill!"
Bastion placed his right hand on the egg, and a soft white light spread from his palm, enveloping the egg.
"Come on, work on the first try! These potions are too expensive to mess around with."
The egg shook, and a faint crack appeared on its shell.
Bastion's heart leaped as he watched a tiny, fur-covered paw push through the crack, still wet with egg fluid.
The hatching was a success!
[Soul bond established. Current summon space: 1/1.]
At early levels, a Beast Summoner could only have one summoned creature. Once he reached Level 10, he would unlock a second slot.
The little creature quickly finished breaking through the shell, licking the remaining egg fluid from its fur. Then, it looked up at Bastion with big, bright eyes.
The creature had gorgeous, reddish-brown fur, a fluffy tail, and a delicate, petite body.
Bastion's mind immediately went to the creatures described in his textbooks.
It's a fire fox, he thought, a creature commonly found in the wild. Usually low-level, it didn't have strong combat abilities, but it was cute enough that some people kept it as a pet.
But this fox… it was supposed to have a divine bloodline?
Am I getting scammed by my talent?
"Summon's stats panel."
When Bastion saw the information displayed, he was stunned.
[Unnamed]
[Species: Fire Fox (Divine Bloodline Can Be Activated)]
[Gender: Female]
[Level: 1 (Same as Summoner)]
[Strength: 8]
[Mental Power: 20]
[Agility: 20]
[Endurance: 15]
[Innate Skill: Innocent Charm]
[Combat Skills: Claw Slash (Lv1, Bronze), Flame Storm (Lv1, Gold)]
Bastion examined the skills in detail.
[Innocent Charm: Innate Skill. Adopts a pitiful appearance that lowers other creatures' guard to the minimum.]
[Claw Slash (Lv1): Bronze-tier skill. Deals slicing damage with sharp claws, inflicting a bleeding effect on enemies.]
[Flame Storm (Lv1): Gold-tier skill. Harnesses powerful fire elements to create a flaming storm, inflicting massive damage on enemies!]
"Huh—" Bastion sucked in a breath. This Level 1 fire fox had an innate skill and two combat skills?
And one of them was a Gold-tier combat skill!
In this world, skills had both levels and ranks, which were classified as Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and King. Even max-level skills were affected by their rank, with higher-ranked skills having greater power and priority.
In close combat, a Silver-tier skill for removing debuffs might barely shorten the effect of a Gold-tier control skill, or fail to work altogether!
Most creatures at Level 1 had only one skill, if any, but this fire fox had been born with multiple abilities. So, this is the power of a divine bloodline?
Even with its divine bloodline yet to be activated, this fox could already outmatch creatures of the same level!
The fire fox nuzzled against Bastion's leg, letting out a contented chirp, as if it had already accepted him as family.
Through his mental connection with the fox, Bastion could hear its youthful, innocent thoughts.
"Sniff sniff… Master smells so nice… wanna snuggle…"
"Good girl." Bastion smiled, gently patting her head. He noticed a notification on his panel.
[Divine Bloodline Activation Quest]
[Required Materials: 1. Fifty units of fire fox blood, 2. One heart from a Level 20 two-tailed fox]
[Reward upon Completion: Activates the fire fox's divine bloodline]
[Quest Failure Penalty: None]
Bastion's breath quickened. Even his normally calm demeanor couldn't hide his excitement.
Without hesitation, he logged back into the United Federation's official trading site, searching for the required materials.
Each unit of fire fox blood cost 200 credits, so fifty units would be 10,000. A two-tailed fox's heart cost 50,000.
Total: 60,000 credits.
He placed the order without a second thought, using his parents' inheritance to pay. Seeing the transaction go through, Bastion couldn't help feeling the pinch; his funds had dwindled to only 10,000.
But it was money well spent—his power would grow in tandem with his fire fox.
As he gently stroked the fox's head, it closed its eyes and started purring like a cat.
Not long after, he received a call to pick up his order from downstairs.
Bastion collected the neatly packed materials with satisfaction. A message appeared on his panel indicating the quest was complete.
He chose to claim the reward.
The materials on the table vanished, and a bright white light enveloped the fire fox, who let out a joyful cry.
"Yay! So warm and cozy! I love it!"
"I love Master so much!"
When the light faded, the fire fox stood before Bastion once more. Her appearance was largely the same, but her fur had become smoother and shinier, with mysterious, flame-like patterns flickering across it. Her intelligent eyes were locked onto Bastion with joy and trust.
In one fluid motion, the fox leaped from the ground, her body transforming into a fiery blur as she landed gracefully on his shoulder. Her bushy tail brushed against his face as she curled herself around his neck like a warm, fluffy scarf.
The action was so smooth it was as if she'd done it countless times before.
Bastion petted the fox's head while bringing up her updated stats panel.