[Unnamed]
[Species: Divine Fire Fox (Purity 10%)]
[Gender: Female]
[Strength: 80]
[Mental Power: 200]
[Agility: 200]
[Endurance: 150]
Bastion's breath caught. After activating her Divine Bloodline, even with only 10% purity, all of Pyra's attributes had increased tenfold. With these stats, she could easily take on ten of him without breaking a sweat.
He also noticed an additional message on the panel:
[Divine Bloodline activated. Current purity: 10%. Next level-up requirement: Level 10.]
If she's already this powerful with only 10% purity… Bastion could hardly suppress a grin. He couldn't help but imagine what she'd be like at 100%—maybe those terrifying shadows he'd seen were glimpses of her future form at full strength!
"Looks like I haven't given you a name yet. How about… Lulu?"
Pyra's tail instantly bristled, the fur standing on end.
[No, no, no! That sounds awful!]
"Not a fan, huh?" Bastion chuckled. "Okay, what about CoCo?"
Before she could respond, he shook his head. "No, that doesn't sound right either." Thinking back to her quick, agile movements, Bastion's eyes lit up. "How about Pyra?"
He was met with an enthusiastic purring sound.
[Yes! I love it!]
"Alright then, Pyra it is!"
After curling up on Bastion's lap for a while, Pyra jumped down and started carefully munching on her broken eggshell, licking up every last bit. When she finished, she looked up at him with pleading eyes.
[Master… I'm hungry… I want food…]
Realizing he'd forgotten to prepare her food, Bastion quickly looked up suitable options for summoned creatures.
Three options appeared:
1. Basic Fox Chow: Designed for pet Fire Foxes, it's affordable and lasts about two weeks for only 500 credits.
2. Burrowing Rat Meat: Wild Fire Foxes' favorite meal, this meat costs 5,000 credits for a two-week supply, more nutritious than the chow.
3. Specialized Summoned Beast Nutritional Feed: Created by professional beast nutritionists, this food is packed with nutrients, enhancing the creature's vitality and recovery rate. However, it's expensive—prices range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands per meal depending on the nutritionist's rank.
After a moment's hesitation, Bastion chose the second option. His account balance dropped to just over 5,000 credits.
"Money goes fast…"
Before long, the burrowing rat meat arrived. As he opened the package, the smell instantly captured Pyra's attention.
Taking out a meat strip, he dangled it in front of her. Pyra eagerly rubbed against his leg.
[Please, Master, can I eat it?]
"Who knew you were such a little foodie." He held the strip out, and Pyra opened her mouth, releasing a small burst of flame to roast the meat. Once cooked to her liking, she devoured it with delighted chirps.
"Keep eating like that, and you'll have to work hard in the dungeon tomorrow to level up! The stronger we get, the sooner you'll be able to enjoy gourmet meals every day."
Hearing this, Pyra nodded vigorously as she chomped down the meat.
[Don't worry, Master! Pyra will work super hard!]
With her belly full, Pyra settled down contentedly. As it grew late, Bastion washed up and was about to recall Pyra to the summoning space when he sensed her reluctance.
[I don't want to go back in there… it's cold and lonely. I want to stay with Master.]
Before he could respond, she leapt onto his bed, curling up against him and giving a contented snore.
"Well, aren't you cozy." Bastion chuckled, pulling up the blanket. "Alright, you can sleep here for tonight. Tomorrow's Initiation Dungeon is your time to shine!"
---
The next morning, Bastion boarded the shuttle to Initiation Dungeon. As soon as he sat down, Pyra, perched adorably on his shoulder, became the center of attention.
"Oh my gosh, that Fire Fox is gorgeous!"
"Awww, she's so cute! Why isn't my Fire Fox this adorable?"
"Excuse me, could I take a picture with your Fire Fox?"
Watching Pyra charm everyone on board, Bastion shrugged. She really did have universal appeal—she even refused to stay in the summoning space, insisting on sticking close to him. But since she was so well-behaved, he didn't mind.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance to Initiation Dungeon.
Initiation Dungeon was a special trial designated by the United Federation for newcomers. Though relatively safe, it required a minimum level of 1 and capped out at level 8. Once inside, whether you completed it or not, there was a 24-hour cooldown before re-entry, forcing a mandatory day of rest.
For students with only one month until the final exams, each day was precious, so most opted for a team of four to six people. While experience points would be divided, a larger team allowed them to clear more monsters, increasing overall gains.
For Bastion, however, soloing the dungeon would be the smarter choice.
As he neared the entrance, he heard the calls of students forming teams.
"Bastion! Over here!" called a familiar voice.
Billy ran over, brandishing a shield and panting. "I found us a team! With you, we'll have five people."
Three others trailed behind him—two of whom Bastion knew well. They were Elena and Ryan.
Ryan's face twisted slightly as he asked, "Billy, the friend you mentioned is Bastion?"
Glancing at Pyra on Bastion's shoulder, Ryan stifled a laugh.
"So, a Fire Fox? That's your summon?" Ryan smirked and shook his head. "Billy, it's not that we're being unreasonable here…"
"We've already got two hidden damage dealers and a support. You're a tank, which we're letting slide. You said you had a friend for extra DPS, but a Level 1 Fire Fox? That's not exactly going to cut it, is it?"
Ryan's voice wasn't quiet, and his reputation from the class change ceremony had already drawn attention. His remarks quickly attracted a crowd.
"Isn't that Bastion? And his summon is… a Fire Fox?"
"Yeah, Beast Summoners are pretty niche for teams. With a Fire Fox, he'll need a sugar mama just to make ends meet."
"But it is cute, though. I want to cuddle it!"
"Cute isn't enough if it can't fight."