The days following his encounter with the mysterious woman weighed heavily on Raine. His usual confidence was slightly shaken, but his determination to uncover the truth and push forward only grew. The woman's cryptic words echoed in his mind: "You are a key to something much larger." What was he supposed to unlock? What did the academy—and the shadows—have in store for him?
His training continued, but it was as if a veil had been pulled back, and the academy's halls now seemed to whisper secrets. The strange unease he had felt before had only intensified. Raine noticed small things—students who spoke in hushed tones, teachers who glanced nervously over their shoulders. The academy was hiding something, and he was determined to find out what.
The Hidden Library
One afternoon, as Raine made his way to the Beast Taming Tower for his daily training session, he caught sight of something that piqued his interest. It was a door he had never noticed before, tucked away at the far end of a corridor that no one seemed to walk down. The wood was dark and old, its hinges covered in rust. The door itself was unremarkable, but something about it called to Raine. He paused, looking around to see if anyone was watching. The hallway was empty.
With a deep breath, he approached the door, his fingers brushing against the cold wood. As he turned the handle, a soft click echoed through the air, and the door creaked open. What lay beyond it was nothing like he had expected.
The room was vast, its stone walls lined with shelves of ancient books and scrolls. The air was thick with dust and age. Yet, despite its neglected appearance, there was an undeniable sense of reverence in the air. This was no ordinary library.
Raine stepped in, careful not to disturb the silence. He could feel the weight of centuries pressing down on him. His eyes scanned the shelves, but it was the table in the center of the room that caught his attention. There, in the middle of the table, lay a large, open tome—a book that shimmered faintly with a magical aura.
As he walked closer, the words on the page seemed to rearrange themselves, as if the book was reacting to his presence. Raine's heart raced as he reached out to touch it, but before his fingers made contact, the air in the room shifted. A voice—soft, but commanding—whispered from the shadows.
"Do not touch that."
Raine's hand froze in midair. He turned slowly, his pulse quickening, only to find himself face-to-face with a familiar figure: Professor Malgrith, the academy's headmaster and one of the most powerful individuals Raine had ever encountered. The man's piercing gaze locked onto Raine's, and for a moment, the weight of his stare was enough to freeze him in place.
"I see you've discovered the Hidden Library," Professor Malgrith said, his voice smooth but laced with an undercurrent of caution. "A place few are meant to enter."
Raine didn't speak immediately. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. Had the headmaster known all along? Or was this a test?
"You should leave," Malgrith continued, his tone darkening. "That book is not for your eyes, Raine. Some knowledge is too dangerous to seek."
Despite the warning, Raine felt his curiosity flare. "Why is it hidden? What's so dangerous about it?"
The professor's lips tightened. "Some things are best left untouched. If you value your future, you'll forget what you've seen here."
The room seemed to close in around him. Raine knew this was no ordinary library, nor was the book on the table any regular tome. It was powerful, ancient, and shrouded in mystery. But the professor's warning gave him pause.
Without saying another word, Professor Malgrith turned and left the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he disappeared. Raine stood there for a moment, caught between his desire to know more and the realization that there were forces in this academy far beyond his understanding.
A New Trial
The following day, Raine found himself once again in the Beast Taming Tower, trying to push past his previous limits. The encounter with the Hidden Library still weighed on his mind, but his focus remained on one thing—his training.
It had become clear that his Beast Taming magic was growing at a steady pace. Flame Sprout, Soul Weaver, and Azure Solfox had all responded to his commands with greater ease, their bonds growing stronger by the day. But something more was required. He had to push himself, to break through the barriers he had encountered in the past few weeks. The key to his progress lay in his attributes.
He knew that upgrading them would be no easy feat. The process had already proven difficult—each point in Agility or Luck had taken hours of strenuous effort. But the real challenge, the one that made his pulse quicken with anticipation, was the Focus attribute. The ability to concentrate and push his limits would be his greatest asset as a Beast Tamer, especially if he hoped to tame the high-level mystical creatures that awaited him.
As he focused intently on Soul Weaver, the shadow beast, Raine pushed his mind to the edge. He was already familiar with the connection he had with the creature, but this time, he needed more. Much more.
The beast appeared before him, a dark silhouette in the swirling shadows of the tower. Raine's mind locked onto it, and slowly, the bond between them began to deepen. But it wasn't enough. The energy in the room shifted again, something new awakening in the air. Raine's heart beat faster, his focus narrowing to a single point.
Focus Progress: 10/10 -> 10.5/10 (Focus Improvement: 15%)
Suddenly, the air crackled with energy. Raine's vision blurred, and his head spun as if the very fabric of reality were warping around him. He gasped, struggling to maintain control as the surge of power rushed through him.
"Focus, Raine!" he muttered to himself, clenching his fists. His mind snapped back into place, and with a final push, he felt the bond with Soul Weaver solidify.
The creature's shadowy form shimmered and shifted, gaining a new layer of depth. For a moment, Raine saw the creature's full potential—its connection to the depths of the shadow world—and the power it could unlock if properly tamed.
But as quickly as the vision came, it vanished, leaving Raine gasping for air. He stumbled back, feeling the weight of the experience. He had caught a glimpse of what lay beyond, and it both thrilled and terrified him.
Status Update:
Agility: 9.9/10 -> 10/10 (Training progress: 65%)Focus: 10.5/10 -> 11/10 (Focus improvement: 15%)Luck: 7.5/10 -> 7.6/10 (Luck improvement: 5%)Beast Taming: Advanced -> Expert (Training progress: 90%)Mystical Creature Bonding: 15/100 (Unlocking deeper connections)
New Information:
Hidden Library: An ancient and forbidden library within the academy, holding knowledge that could change the world. Dangerous forces seek to keep it hidden.Beast Taming Progress: Raine's Focus has reached new heights, unlocking deeper connections with his mystical creatures. A deeper understanding of his creatures could lead to unprecedented strength.
As Raine stepped out of the Beast Taming Tower, a sense of clarity washed over him. His path had just become far more complicated—and far more dangerous. Whatever lay beyond the walls of the academy, he was ready to face it. The deeper he went, the more he realized that the academy, the beasts, the shadows—they were all part of a much larger game.
And Raine was about to become its most dangerous player.