The sun streamed through the tall classroom windows, casting shadows over the worn wooden desks of Red Lake City Academy in the Kingdom of Roland. Sigurd Nott, ten years old in body but with the sharp mind of an adult, drummed his fingers on the desk, maintaining a calmness that contrasted with the excited chatter around him. The first-year combat class—fifty children between the ages of ten and eleven—was buzzing with anticipation, their eyes shining with excitement he understood but did not fully share. After all, today was the day they would receive their starter beasts. For them, it was a childhood dream. For Sigurd, a calculated step.
He observed Torin, to his left, a boy with a soul talent of level 4—the minimum required to enter the class. Torin gestured with exaggerated pride, repeating his favorite story.
"My grandfather and the elders captured it in the northern mountains," he said, his voice too loud. "A young beast of Superior Green Copper class, almost Blue Silver. They even fought Dark Gold-class beasts to catch it. It'll reach Rank 3 easily, just like the Silvers that the scholarship students get."
Sigurd kept his expression neutral. He talks as if he's already a Soul King, he thought, suppressing a sigh. It wasn't envy—just the exhaustion of someone who had seen too much boasting in another life.
His mind drifted to a rumor he had overheard at his family's tavern: "They say the founder of Red Lake City had a level 8 talent and received a Dark Gold-class beast as his starter." Unlikely, but fascinating. Sigurd wasn't one to get lost in daydreams, but the idea of starting with such power made him calculate where he himself could reach.
He scanned the classroom, analyzing the few scholarship students with level 6 talent. Three of them—two boys and a girl—laughed near the window, their excitement overflowing with almost childish enthusiasm. They came from remote villages around Red Lake, places without proper academies, and now played among themselves—one spinning a green copper coin, another tracing shapes in the air. They're too happy, Sigurd thought. He murmured under his breath, his voice low:
"It's not worth getting carried away by this. Raising a Blue Silver is expensive—food, attribute items, everything gets pricier with racial potential. I'm not a child to get deluded."
Still, a part of him—the part that couldn't ignore the weight of being so ahead—felt a slight warmth of anticipation. In his large, commerce-focused family, the strongest beast was the Bush Monster, Rank 2-9, Superior Green Copper class, a relic nearly a hundred years old with plant/earth attributes. Specialized in support, it increased leaf harvests but had never seen combat. A Blue Silver was a leap beyond that, even for someone like him, who already carried secrets.
The combat class accepted any child in the kingdom with a soul talent of level 4 or higher. Level 4 guaranteed a Medium Green Copper-class beast or a discount for a Superior Green Copper one (potential Rank 3). Level 5, like Sigurd, opened doors to a Superior Green Copper or a Lower Blue Silver. Above level 6, the academy offered Lower or Advanced Blue Silvers, or discounts for something greater in the capital. But scarcity complicated everything. Not all Silvers came from breeding farms. Many were eggs or wild cubs, captured in secret realms or expeditions, their potential estimated but uncertain. Lineages varied—leaders produced Superior Silvers, while common members might be only Inferior. Mutations? A gamble.
Red Lake, a small city, received the leftovers. The best batches go to the capital's families, Sigurd knew. We, the country folk, get what remains.
The door opened, cutting through the chatter. The teacher, a lean man with a short beard, entered with the headmaster, an imposing figure with scars on his neck. The room fell silent.
"Today is the day," the headmaster said, his voice firm. "You will receive your starter beasts. Follow us."
The fifty students stood up, following them to the beast storage building, a reinforced stone structure.
Inside, the group split up. The teacher took 80% of the class—the ones getting Green Copper-class beasts—to a simple wing. The headmaster led the remaining students, including Sigurd and the level 6 scholarship students, to a secured area surrounded by walls of hard crystal, Rank 2-9 defense. Sigurd looked around. This resists Rank 4 Inferior beasts, he thought. Cubs and eggs are worth more than captured adults. Wild beasts destroy their young before getting caught. These here cost several dark gold coins.
Before him, seven cubs and eight eggs, each distinct, resting in crystal cases or supports. They've been examined a thousand times already, he reflected. Nothing surprising remains. Yet, he analyzed them with the rigor of someone who had studied every tome in the library.
The classifications are simple, he thought, reviewing mentally. Black Iron class is the foundation, as common as weeds. Green Copper comes next, nature's warriors, strong enough to fight. Blue Silver is rare, elite in both power and cost. Above that, Dark Gold, Mithril, and Diamond—legends that few ever see. The rarer it is, the more it costs to maintain.
The cubs:
Ironbone Mastiff: Long brown fur, sharp canines, earth/beast, defensive/offensive, Lower Blue Silver class (Rank 1-7). Standard military breed, evolves into Stellmane Mastiff (Superior Silver) with restricted resources.
Armored Horned Beast: Dark-skinned rhino-pig, beast/earth, defensive, Lower Blue Silver class (Rank 1-7). Common military breed.
Greenish Peacock: Small bird, slightly older, wind/beast, special wind attacks, slow, Blue Silver Unknown class (Rank 1-8?). Could develop a mental attribute (telekinesis, illusion), but expensive.
Ebony Wolf: Dark-furred wolf, pure beast (or wind?), Lower Blue Silver class (Rank 1-7). Common, no surprises.
Fire Wolf: Orange-furred wolf, fire/beast, high attack, Lower Blue Silver class (Rank 1-7). Flashy, fragile, expensive.
Crystal Porcupine: Solid beast, area attacks, Lower Blue Silver class (Rank 1-7). No major weaknesses, but inaccurate.
The military ones are out, Sigurd decided. Ironbone and Armored Horned are cheap for the kingdom, but the military controls their evolutions. Bond with one of these, and you're tied to their leash—resources only through service. Not for me.
The eggs had less data:
Two military types: Storm Falcon (lightning/beast, Lower Blue Silver, Rank 1-7) and another standard one.
Wild ones: Armored Lizard, Giant Eagle, Giant Venomous Snake, Turtle.
One strange egg: "Protected by a giant bat with claws and tail, Advanced Blue Silver grade, ice abilities." Collected near a Dark Gold (Commander) dungeon that opened every two months, nearly a year ago. Potential Lower Blue Silver. But bats don't lay eggs, and the description seemed wrong. Hunter error? Or mutant?
Sigurd was second to choose, thanks to his top grades. The first, a level 6 talent boy, took the Fire Wolf without hesitation. The cub howled, turned into a soul image, and entered his space. Predictable, Sigurd thought.
He read the egg plaques. The Storm Falcon was real but weak due to the lack of lightning energy in its nest. The others were uncertain—Turtle too slow, Snake too risky. Then he returned to the "bat" egg. White, textured, larger than his hands but smaller than his head. Almost a year unhatched. It's ready.
He extended his hand, feeling the egg's warmth, and formed the bond. Soul power flowed, confirming life within. Second bond, he thought, remembering the Parasite Vines in secret.
A month later, the egg cracked. A white-gray furry creature emerged—large ears, long arms fused into wings, a thick-furred tail. Rank 1-3, still a cub. But in academy tests, its claws left visible marks on defensive beasts' Rank 1-4 shields.
Unknown White Beast, Sigurd decided. Lower Blue Silver class—with something more. He smiled slightly.
"Let's find out what you are."