The night was quiet, too quiet for Snow Water City. A thick mist rolled through the narrow streets, shrouding the city in an eerie silence broken only by the faint cries of distant beasts and the occasional rustle of leaves in the chilly wind. At the far end of the city, where the homes of the wealthy loomed large and imposing, a single, small figure stood outside the gates of the Xiǎo family estate.
Xiǎo Hǎiyáng's heart felt like a stone sinking deeper with each passing moment. In one hand, he clutched a modest bag containing all he had left in the world. In the other, he gripped a small wooden token—a gift from his late father, Xiǎo Chéng, who had once been hailed as a hero of the kingdom.
"Take this boy out of here," barked Xiǎo Lóng, the head of the family, his voice cold and resolute. "The Xiǎo family has no place for useless trash like you. An XF tamer? Disgraceful."
The words stung like the lash of a whip. Hǎiyáng had always known he was unwanted, but hearing it spoken aloud, in front of the very servants who had once bowed to his family, made the rejection cut deeper.
He turned to face the man who now stood at the head of the family. "Grandfather… please. I can prove myself. Just give me a chance!"
Xiǎo Lóng's expression didn't waver. "You've had enough chances. If you truly wanted to honor your parents, you would've shown even a sliver of their strength by now. Get out. And don't you dare call yourself a Xiǎo again."
The gates creaked shut behind him, leaving him alone under the dark sky. His chest tightened, tears burning his eyes. His parents—his brave, heroic parents—had given their lives for the kingdom, and now their son was cast out as a failure.
Somewhere deep inside, anger began to stir. "Fine," he muttered under his breath, his fists clenched. "I'll prove it to all of you. I'll make you regret this."
As he walked away from the estate, his shadow stretching long under the moonlight, Hǎiyáng vowed that he wouldn't let this define him.
The night was cold, but as he looked up at the sky, he saw the faint twinkle of stars piercing through the clouds. Somewhere out there, he believed, his parents were watching. And he silently promised them that he would not let their legacy end like this.
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of glowing eyes watched from the shadows—a sleek, humanoid Doberman beast, BǎoBǎo, who would soon become his closest ally.
And so, the journey of the abandoned beastmaster began.