Zuriel currently wore a luxurious midnight blue velvet coat adorned with gold embroidery. Underneath the coat was a white shirt with a high collar, and below were trousers matching the colour of his coat, held together by a wide ornate belt and a black pair of boots.
He had several attires like this and others within his storage ring to match his current status.
Even his hair was shaved off into a buzz, with only a tiny amount of hair left on the head, making it hard for individuals to claim that he was Zuriel Zahara Household from the Salt Rock Shelter. Unless they had met him personally or had been shown a detailed portrait of him, it was difficult for anyone to know that it was him.
Soon, they arrived at the brig.
The crewman guarding the brig swiftly greeted them respectfully and pulled the door open for them to enter, his gaze constantly shifting to Zuriel.
Zuriel noticed that, unlike previous, where his gaze and demeanour were filled with indifference and fear from being a sea slave whose life could be taken away at any moment, this time, they were filled with genuine reverence and fear. Still, Zuriel simply nodded and walked in.
......
Malik had been abandoned as a child at the Salt Rock Shelter, a powerful and respected city that thrived on the dangerous shores of the Azure Dominion Sea. He never knew the love of a parental figure but always yearned for it.
Fortunately, the Shelter's leader took him in as his stepson, raising him and fulfilling a strange desire he had once known. Yet, his stepfather raised him secretly for reasons he couldn't understand. No one knew he was his stepson, and he was forbidden from revealing it.
Despite being adopted, Malik grew up living like an orphan.
The Shelter's leader taught him everything—how to speak, how to write, the ways of the sea, the art of beastmastery, the complexities of magical beasts, and diplomacy. Even when others bullied Malik, he taught him how to defend himself.
Yet, despite all this, Malik never genuinely felt like his son. Sometimes, he was stern, distant, and cold, with a tinge of fear in his eyes when he looked at him. Other times, he was kind and affectionate.
Despite the bizarre upbringing, Malik excelled at everything he was taught. By turning eighteen, he was ready for the Awakening ceremony, where he would become a full-fledged beastmaster. However, that day shattered his world. Malik awakened an F-ranked talent, meaning his potential as a beastmaster was severely limited, and he could only open a 1-star beast space.
His stepfather revealed the truth about his origins on the same day. Several years ago, Malik's parents had fled into the Azure Dominion Sea, pursued by a powerful unknown enemy. There, they encountered his stepfather, who was still vying with a rival for the Salt Rock Shelter's leader position.
Recognizing the strength of Malik's parents and understanding their plight, he made a deal with them. If they helped him secure the leader position, he would take care of their child and raise him to become a capable beastmaster who could one day search for them. Both parties accepted, and the agreement was executed.
However, the enemies chasing Malik's parents were too powerful to fear a small shelter like the Salt Rock Shelter. Thus, Malik was placed in an orphanage and grew up unaware of his true heritage.
At first, Malik thought this was just a fabricated story his stepfather had invented to make him feel better about his life. But after seeing the seriousness in stepfather's eyes, he realized it was the truth. Still, Malik found it hard to believe such formidable parents were his.
Malik was confused and hopeless, awakening an F-ranked talent, knowing it meant a lifetime of limited potential. But a burning desire ignited within him to uncover the truth about his parents and find out where they were.
It was then that his worldview shattered once again. Malik awakened a second talent—an SSS-ranked beastmaster talent. It was an unprecedented event that had never been heard of before.
It was called the 'Beastmaster Skill Index.'
The talent functioned much like a beastmaster's status sheet but with an incredible twist, allowing Malik to copy any beast's abilities and place them onto his own beast. At first, Malik thought he was imagining it. But after testing it on his beast and granting it the ability to control magical beasts, he realized the talent was real and immensely powerful.
Realizing the danger of such an ability being exposed, Malik decided to keep it a secret.
Since he had not yet formed his beast space, he opened one, hoping his second talent would aid him in awakening something greater than a 1-star beast space. To his astonishment, it worked; he awakened an unranked beastmaster's space. It was an incredible beastspace that was only heard of from legends.
With this system, Malik finally felt ready to venture beyond the Salt Rock Shelter into the distant seas to uncover the truth about his parents. But just as he was preparing to set out, disaster struck.
The orphanage he once knew, his friends, the people he had spoken to in passing, all of them had perished before his very eyes. The Salt Rock Shelter, once a thriving stronghold, had been obliterated by a magical beast horde.
And the ones responsible for this catastrophe were the Zahara Household.
Malik knew of their plans. The plan had been straightforward: use gangs of criminals alongside the Zahara's Household sacred magic tool, the Death Flag Banner, to weaken the major clans, cripple the Salt Rock Shelter, and subjugate its people before taking complete control. Once the criminals had served their purpose, they would be eliminated.
He had been the one to inform his stepfather of them in the first place, believing that he could handle the situation. As the enemy was far too powerful for him alone. It should have worked. It should have been a flawless manoeuvre.
But he had miscalculated.
Not only had his stepfather failed to capture the criminals responsible for the destruction, but they had also failed to reclaim the Zahara's Household sacred magic tool. Despite all the intelligence they had gathered beforehand, the result was a... total disaster.
He was furious.
Even his stepfather could no longer hold back. In a desperate act, he released a report to every clan within the Salt Rock Shelter, revealing the Zahara Household's role in the tragedy. The truth spread like wildfire.
The auctioning of a fake artefact—an attempt to make it seem like the Zahara Household had never possessed the Death Flag Banner—was quickly exposed. The people unravelled the deception, and rage ignited in their hearts.
Together, they attacked the Zahara Household, determined to bring upon them the same fate they had once plotted for the Shelter.
Meanwhile, Malik seized the opportunity. He copied more skills, exploiting his system's power to grow stronger. He plotted his revenge to repay the Zahara Household in blood, inflicting upon them the same horrors he had endured during the beast horde's rampage.
His chance came when he uncovered another of their schemes.
They planned to send Zuriel Zahara, the third son of the Zahara Household's Head, to the Tower of Extinct Beasts. A spoiled brat with no regard for the lives of those around him. Arrogant. Disrespectful. A fool whose only backing was the formidable household that shielded him. The Zahara Household intended for Zuriel to reach his lost siblings in the tower, ensuring their legacy survived even if their clan fell.
Malik would not let that happen. He informed his stepfather again, but he insisted on participating this time. The plan unfolded smoothly. Using one of the many beast skills he had copied, he concealed himself deep within the ship's hold, hidden among the provisions.
He remained undetected for three days. But his luck ran out. On the third day, curiosity got the better of him. He left his hiding place to survey the ship and was caught by a crewman hanging around in the hold.
With no other option, he used another of his beast skills to alert his stepfather of his current location.
Then, he allowed himself to be captured and dragged before Zuriel. He initiated a battle against Zuriel, and just as he had expected, he was weak, unable to stand a few moves from his magical beast.
Malik overpowered him with ease. He knew the genuine reason for his overwhelming strength was his system. But it was still his talent, and as such, it was a part of his strength.
He knew he would be safe once he revealed his identity and the Salt Rock Shelter's forces were en route to their location. However, something unexpected happened.
During their battle, Zuriel lost his memories, and his entire personality seemed to change. It was as though he had been possessed. But as Malik observed him, he realized that wasn't the case. Even without his memories, Zuriel retained his arrogant demeanour and entitled air.
He hadn't become a better person, just an amnesiac fool.
.....
Author's Note: The book has already taken sail; please support this novel.