Zane navigated the chaotic beast market, the air thick with the stench of exotic creatures and desperation. Hours blurred as he trudged from stall to stall, peering into cages that held everything from skittering, multi-legged insects to hulking, chained behemoths. But with the meager sum of a single basic crystal clutched in his pocket, every promising option remained tantalizingly out of reach. Vendors, their faces etched with cynicism and greed, scoffed at his inquiries, waving him away with dismissive gestures the moment he mentioned his limited funds.
"Come back when you've got real currency, whelp," one gruff voice barked, the vendor slamming a rusty cage door shut with a clang that echoed through the crowded aisle.
Most beasts were either exorbitant in price, reserved for those with established contracts and overflowing coffers, or deemed too dangerous for an unproven Awakened. The remaining creatures, confined to dimly lit cages, appeared barely alive, their fur matted, their eyes listless. Discouragement gnawed at Zane. He began to question whether the crystal in his pocket would be better spent on a few days' worth of meager rations than squandered on a hopeless gamble.
Just as despair threatened to engulf him, he saw it.
Tucked away in a dark, forgotten corner behind a leaning stall, almost hidden from view, was a small cage. Inside, curled into a tight ball, lay a creature – a Komodo dragon mutant, barely over a meter long. Its sides rose and fell with shallow, labored breaths, hinting at its fragile state. Red scales, chipped and marred with old blood, shimmered faintly under the harsh market lights, hinting at a resilience that defied its apparent weakness. Despite its injuries, its eyes, half-lidded, still glowed with a low, stubborn fury, a spark of untamed spirit that caught Zane's attention.
"Injured," the vendor grunted, a wiry man with a tobacco-stained beard, noticing Zane's lingering interest. "Not worth much. Won't last long at this rate. But… make me an offer." He eyed Zane up and down, assessing his poverty with practiced ease.
Zane narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the wounded creature. "One basic crystal."
The man laughed, a dry, raspy sound, and spat a stream of brown phlegm onto the dusty ground. "You joking? That's barely enough for a rat, let alone a scaled beast like that."
Zane didn't flinch, his expression unwavering. He shifted his gaze between the suffering Komodo and the callous vendor, his voice firm despite the tremor of hope in his chest. "It's dying. You'll get nothing if it keels over tonight. I'm offering you the only chance to get something for it."
A tense silence hung in the air, punctuated only by the whimpering of nearby creatures. The vendor weighed his options, his eyes darting between Zane and the Komodo, calculating the potential loss. After a few more terse exchanges, laced with curses and grumbling, the vendor relented, his face twisting in barely veiled contempt as he snatched the crystal from Zane's hand. "You'll regret it, kid. That thing is nothing but trouble." He shoved the cage toward Zane, eager to be rid of the burden.
Zane didn't answer, his focus solely on the cage. He carefully hitched the small cage to a rusted, rickety cart he'd scavenged earlier that day and began to wheel it through the narrow, winding alleys of Shelter 17, ignoring the curious and often derisive stares of passersby. Some laughed, pointing fingers and whispering amongst themselves. Others just looked away, unwilling to acknowledge the desperation that clung to the air like dust.
Back in his cramped, sparsely furnished room, Zane gently placed the cage on the floor. The Komodo stirred weakly, a low growl rumbling in its chest. The air hung heavy with the smell of blood and stale fear.
Zane knelt before the cage, his heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing pulse. "Alright. Let's see if this works."
He closed his eyes, focusing his will. After a moment of intense concentration, the translucent cube materialized before him with a soft hum, floating silently between him and the cage, radiating a faint, ethereal light. As if sensing the crucial moment, the Komodo lifted its head slightly, its half-lidded eyes fixating on the cube, baring its teeth in a silent threat.
A voice, cold and sterile, echoed in his mind, a direct neural interface bypassing his conscious thought.
[Initiate Contract....
No energy required....
Development support will require energy moving forward.
Limit: One Beast for 1-Star Level.]
"Yes," Zane whispered, his voice barely audible. "Do it."
The cube pulsed with renewed intensity. Threads of radiant energy, shimmering like liquid starlight, slipped from its form, weaving around the Komodo's wounded body like glowing bandages. The creature tensed, a guttural snarl escaping its throat, its muscles coiling in anticipation of pain. Then, abruptly, it stilled, its body relaxing as the energy seeped into its wounds.
A bright light surged from the Komodo's body, flowing into the cube.
Then, with a force that nearly overwhelmed him, the energy surged into Zane himself.
His breath caught in his throat, his vision blurring as a wave of raw power flooded his core, rushing through his limbs like a raging storm. His muscles clenched involuntarily, his bones creaked and groaned under the pressure, and a sudden, searing jolt of pain shot down his spine. He cried out, stumbling backward, his vision whiting out for a disorienting second as the room spun around him.
When his vision cleared, he gasped, his lungs burning with the effort of breathing.
He looked at his hands, turning them over in disbelief – stronger, leaner, the skin now subtly tougher. He pushed himself to his feet, surprised to find himself taller than before. His ragged shirt stretched slightly across his chest and shoulders, straining against newly formed muscle. The boy who had walked into that stall hours ago, a boy filled with doubt and desperation, was gone, replaced by someone… more.
He had awakened.
1-Star Awakened
Physical Strength: 2
Speed: 1.5
Strength: 1.5
Spirit: 3
Talent: Earth/Rock Control
He staggered forward, his movements still unsteady, and instinctively raised his hand, his mind racing with the implications of his newfound abilities.
The floor shifted beneath his feet.
Tiny rocks on the ground quivered, then lifted into the air, suspended as if by an invisible force. He gasped, a surge of excitement coursing through him, as a chunk of dirt cracked from the floor and hovered in front of him, responding to his will. He felt a connection to the earth, a subtle awareness of the minerals and particles that composed it.
"Within five meters," he murmured, testing the limits of his control. "I can control any rock or soil within range."
He dropped the stone to the floor, the connection broken, and turned back to the Komodo.
It was awake, breathing steadily, its eyes clear, its wounds sealed and visibly healing. It stared at him, no longer with the feral, untamed gaze of a wild animal, but with a calm, intelligent curiosity – connected.
Its body had visibly grown larger, now about three meters in length, its red scales gleaming like polished armor.
He slowly raised his hand and placed it on the lizard's head, stroking the rough scales. The lizard didn't fight back, but instead rubbed its head against his hand, a gesture of acceptance and nascent affection.
A bond had been formed, forged in pain and desperation, but now shimmering with the promise of something more.
Zane smiled, a genuine smile that reached his eyes for the first time in a long time. "From now on, your name will be Rex."
The lizard roared at him, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to acknowledge its new name, a primal agreement echoing in the small room.
He sat back down, exhaustion tugging at him, and summoned the cube again. This time, a different message appeared, scrolling across its surface.
[Beast Evolution Requirements:]
• Ordinary → Basic Tier: 10 Basic Crystals
• Basic → Mid Tier: 30 Basic OR 1 Mid Crystal
• Mid Tier → High Tier: 100 Basic OR 3 Mid OR 1 High Crystal
Zane's brows furrowed. He didn't have anything close to what was needed to nurture Rex and unlock his full potential. Obtaining even ten basic crystals seemed like a monumental task. But it didn't matter. The lack of resources didn't deter him – it fueled him.
He had something now.
A beast.A bond.A talent.
And the unwavering will to change his fate, to carve a future out of the harsh reality of Shelter 17.
He looked at the cage, then at his hands, now hardened with newfound strength, feeling the subtle tremor of untapped power within him.
"I'm going hunting."