Chapter 2 - The Lowest Rank
The laughter did not stop.
It spread across the Awakening Plaza like wildfire.
"A fox?"
"I've seen stronger pets!"
"So this is the son of the Dragonbane couple?"
"What a disgrace."
Kai stood silently while whispers stabbed deeper than any blade.
Beside him, the tiny silver fox lowered its ears and hid behind his neck. Its golden eyes darted nervously across the sea of mocking faces.
For the first time since meeting the little creature, Kai realized something.
It understood every insult.
He gently stroked its soft fur.
"It's alright," he whispered.
"I'm here."
The fox looked up at him, its frightened eyes slowly calming.
---
"Silence!"
Headmaster Aldric's commanding voice echoed through the academy.
The crowd quieted immediately.
"The awakening ceremony is over. All students will now proceed to the Combat Assessment Hall."
Every awakened beast would be evaluated for:
- Beast Rank
- Mana Capacity
- Physical Strength
- Affinity
- Growth Potential
Kai followed the crowd through enormous stone corridors decorated with statues of legendary Beast Sovereigns.
Every statue held magnificent dragons, phoenixes, or giant wolves.
Not a single fox.
---
Inside the Combat Hall, dozens of crystal platforms glowed with magical inscriptions.
The first student summoned his Storm Eagle.
Blue lightning crackled through the arena.
"Mana Capacity: 87."
"Strength Rating: A."
"Potential: Rare."
Thunderous applause erupted.
One by one, students displayed impressive beasts.
Stone Bears shattered iron targets.
Fire Wolves melted steel shields.
Wind Hawks sliced wooden pillars apart.
The instructors nodded with satisfaction.
Finally...
"Kai Dragonbane."
The room became unusually quiet.
Kai stepped onto the platform.
His tiny fox appeared beside him.
It barely reached his knee.
An instructor sighed.
"Begin."
The fox looked around in confusion.
It had never fought before.
Kai smiled encouragingly.
"Do your best."
The fox gathered every ounce of courage...
...and charged toward the iron training dummy.
Bonk.
The tiny paw gently tapped the dummy.
Nothing happened.
The dummy remained perfectly still.
A long silence followed.
Then—
The hall exploded with laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Was that an attack?"
"My little sister hits harder!"
Someone shouted from the back.
"Maybe the dummy felt pity!"
Even a few instructors struggled to hide their smiles.
The fox lowered its head.
Its ears drooped.
Kai clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
The instructor checked the crystal monitor.
"Mana Capacity: 4."
"Might: F."
"Speed: F."
"Growth Potential..."
The crystal flickered.
It displayed only one word.
Unknown.
The instructor frowned.
"The system cannot identify its bloodline."
Another instructor shrugged.
"It doesn't matter."
"Unknown usually means worthless."
With a loud stamp, a red mark appeared on Kai's academy file.
Class F.
The lowest class.
Students assigned to Class F rarely graduated.
Most became labourers, servants, or low-level beast handlers.
Kai folded the document without saying a word.
---
As he left the hall, several students blocked his path.
Leading them was a tall young man with neatly combed silver hair and an expensive academy uniform.
Lucien Ashcroft.
The son of one of the Empire's wealthiest Beast Master families.
His contracted beast—a Rare-grade Storm Eagle—rested proudly on his shoulder.
Lucien smiled mockingly.
"So..."
"The famous Dragonbane heir."
"I expected a dragon."
He glanced at the fox.
"Instead, you awakened dinner."
His followers burst into laughter.
Kai calmly tried to walk past.
Lucien stepped in front of him again.
"Tell me something."
"When your fox evolves..."
"...does it become a slightly bigger fox?"
More laughter.
One student deliberately bumped Kai's shoulder.
Another flicked a pebble toward the fox.
The tiny fox flinched.
Its injured paw slipped.
It tumbled onto the stone floor.
The laughter grew louder.
Kai's expression finally changed.
His calm eyes turned ice cold.
He knelt, carefully lifting the trembling fox into his arms.
"It's okay."
The fox buried its face against his chest.
Lucien smirked.
"What are you going to do?"
"Fight me?"
"With that thing?"
Kai met his eyes.
"No."
"But remember this day."
Lucien laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.
"I'll remember."
"I'll remember the day the academy welcomed the weakest Beast Tamer in history."
Kai said nothing more.
He walked away with the fox cradled gently in his arms.
None of them noticed the faint golden glow hidden deep within the fox's pupils.
---
That night, while the academy slept...
Kai sat alone in the abandoned training yard beneath the moonlight.
The fox rested quietly beside him.
"I'm sorry," Kai said softly.
"I couldn't protect you today."
The little fox licked his hand as if saying, We'll get stronger together.
At that exact moment...
A brilliant golden light erupted from Kai's chest.
The mysterious black tome from the ancient ruins materialized before him, floating silently in the air.
Its weathered pages turned by themselves.
On the first page, glowing words slowly appeared:
"Compatible Beast Detected."
"Hidden Evolution Path Available."
Kai's eyes widened.
The impossible had just become possible.