"Good. Good," the Sect Leader nodded approvingly, his gaze sharp and assessing.
"What is your name, boy?" he asked.
Still bowing deeply before the Sect Leader, Dave replied respectfully, "My name is Dave, Master Sect Leader."
Not having a surname was common here. Slaves and commoners often lacked them, so no one raised an eyebrow at Dave's response.
"From this day forth, your name shall be Dave Shan," the Sect Leader declared grandly. "Like a mountain, you shall stand tall and unyielding, growing ever stronger."
The hall murmured its approval.
"A great name," one elder commented.
"Fitting for our sect's future," another elder chimed in.
"The Sect Leader has remarkable naming sense," someone whispered admiringly.
"Haha… As long as he doesn't name anyone like his bastard daughter Bao Bao Xia, we're safe," came a sly remark that earned chuckles from a few corners.
The Sect Leader pretended not to hear. Raising his voice, he announced, "Elder Hong, take Dave to select his companion beast."
Dave, still bowing, expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Sect Leader."
With a slight gesture from Elder Hong, Dave straightened and followed him out of the hall.
As they walked, Elder Hong spoke. "Dave, we're headed to the Beast Hall. This is a new discipline we've adopted from the beast-taming civilizations of the Far East. Here, you can select any beast you want—so long as the beast acknowledges you as its master."
After a walking for nearly half an hour, they arrived at a large hill with a simple wooden sign swaying in the wind. The letters painted on it read: Beast Hall. There were no visible structures, only the open, untamed hill.
Seeing Dave's confusion, Elder Hong cleared his throat and explained, "Ah-hem. The Beast Hall is newly established. Since beasts prefer open space, this natural environment is better suited to cultivating their strength."
Dave nodded thoughtfully. Even in the Pokémon world, most Pokémon lived freely in the wild. Only powerful organizations like Dr. Oak had the resources to house them properly.
"This disciple understands, Elder," Dave replied respectfully.
"Good," Elder Hong continued. "Now, remember: do not act aggressively. We have a pact with the beasts here, but they will retaliate fiercely if provoked. The innermost sections house stronger beasts and are protected by illusionary arrays and traps as trials. Do your best to reach those areas. This is where your true journey begins."
With a slight nod of encouragement, Elder Hong gestured for Dave to proceed.
There was a very powerful illusion casted over the entire beast hall hill, as soon as he walked in Dave felt the atmosphere shift dramatically. The modest hill outside transformed into a massive, towering mountain that stretched high into the skies. Is it a powerful illusion casted by Genger??
The base of the hill was densely forested, the trees thick and impossibly tall. Sunlight barely penetrated the canopy, leaving the forest floor dim and shadowy. It was quite eerie.
Dave just moved further inside without minding anything, what did he have to worry about? He was a god here anyway.
As he ventured deeper, he encountered simple creatures at the forest's edge—bug-like beasts nibbling on leaves, bees lazily dancing around flowers, and rodents scurrying through the underbrush. All these beasts weaker and have lower potential unless it was the boss of some evil organization, no one will choose them.
These weaker creatures didn't interest him, so he moved further inward.
He walked for a long time, at least he felt like he walked for a long time. Finally the scenery changed.
The dense forest eventually gave way to an expansive grassland. Fire horses galloped majestically, their flaming manes flickering with every step. Iron bulls grazed on the lush vegetation, their metallic bodies shimmering under the sun light. Oversized sheep napped under trees, their wool catching the breeze.
"Spark," Dave muttered, "Is it truly, ok? Didn't you say something about copyright violation?"
[Host need not worry. As long as names remain unspecific, there will be no legal implications,] Spark assured him.
Reassured, Dave admired the variety of beasts around him. This small sect possessed a staggering array of creatures. This small sect has so many beasts? Wow..
Passing by the lake, Dave observed schools of vibrant fish darting through crystal-clear water. The serenity of the scenery gave him peace. This tranquil environment was almost hypnotic, calming the chaos of his mind. He felt truly comfortable here. I love this place,
For a moment, he felt a pang of yearning. If only he could stay here—a temple of peace in the storm of life. No matter how atheistic or logical a person might be, there was solace in places like this, where doubt and insecurity melted away. Yet, he knew this wasn't his home.
This wasn't where he belonged.
Dave pushed the thoughts aside and kept walking like an observer who didn't truly belong here.
Passing by he saw beasts fighting over territory, preying on each other, living in peace, nurturing their young, and thriving in balance.
"This world… Is it really something I created?" he wondered, awestruck. His creation felt alive in a way he hadn't expected.
Eventually, his path brought him to the base of a large, active volcano. Smoke and heat waves distorted the air as sulfur gas seeped through cracks in the rock. Yes, there was a volcano here too.
"Well, since I'm here," Dave muttered, "might as well take a look."
Climbing the volcano, he noticed the terrain was populated by fire beasts.
The beasts completely ignored this bizarre looking creature and went about their way, partly because they were warned by the overlords and partly because this human felt something else..
At the summit, the air was scorching, and the heat was oppressive. Pools of lava glowed beneath thick clouds of toxic gas.
There he saw dinosaurs, like the fire dinosaur that had gone into hiding all those years ago to escape extinction under the command of Spark.
Their orange bodies gleamed in the molten light; wings stretched from their spines, flames danced on their tails, and their canine-like teeth added a ferocious touch.
"Damn...Spark, are you absolutely sure I won't get into trouble for this?" Dave asked hesitantly.
[Host need not overthink. Just enjoy the adventure,] Spark reassured.
Dave decided to trust Spark, like he always did. Ok. Let's not think too much about these things.
Dave walked toward the largest dragon beast in the tribe—a colossal, powerful creature exuding raw heat and power. Other beasts eyed him curiously but didn't interfere. Even the dragonlings stopped their playful antics to observe.
Dave kept walking confidently towards the tribe leader, if Elder Hong had seen this he surely would have been scared to death. Not even the sect leader Hao had the courage to face this beast.
But who was Dave? He didn't have to worry about anything here.
Standing before the leader, he felt the overwhelming heat but didn't flinch. Addressing the massive creature, Dave spoke clearly.
"Esteemed Leader, I seek to form a pact with your tribe."
He left it at that. No excess words were needed—only conviction.