Chapter 7 - The Beast Tide
The alarm continued to echo across the academy.
WOOOOOOO!
Students rushed through the corridors in confusion.
"What happened?"
"Is the academy under attack?"
"I heard monsters are coming!"
The instructors wasted no time.
"Everyone to the Grand Assembly Hall!"
"No one leaves the campus!"
Kai held the small silver fox close as he followed the crowd. Although the fox's appearance remained ordinary thanks to Beast Concealment, Kai could feel the powerful aura hidden beneath its disguise.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
---
At the centre of the academy stood the Grand Assembly Hall, capable of holding thousands of students.
Headmaster Aldric stood upon the stage.
Behind him were dozens of Beast Masters, each radiating immense power.
The Headmaster raised his hand.
The hall instantly fell silent.
"An emergency has been declared."
A giant magical map appeared above the stage.
It showed the lands surrounding Drakeheart City.
One section glowed blood red.
"The Forbidden Beast Forest."
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Headmaster Aldric continued.
"Three hours ago, scouts confirmed unusual beast movements."
"Thousands of beasts are abandoning their territories."
"They are moving toward Drakeheart City."
One student stood up.
"Headmaster... what causes a Beast Tide?"
Aldric's expression darkened.
"There are only three known causes."
He raised one finger.
"A Beast King."
A second finger.
"A catastrophic natural disaster."
Then a third.
"Or..."
"...the awakening of an Ancient Beast."
The hall became deathly quiet.
Kai instinctively glanced at his fox.
The fox lowered its ears.
For some reason...
It seemed uneasy.
---
Later that afternoon...
The academy entered lockdown.
Combat classes were suspended.
Instead, every student was ordered to strengthen the city's outer defences.
Kai and Class F were assigned to carry supplies and reinforce barricades.
As they worked, Lucien Ashcroft approached with several Class A students.
"So the academy's weakest tamer gets manual labour."
His followers laughed.
Kai ignored him and continued stacking stone blocks.
Lucien smirked.
"Don't work too hard."
"If the beasts attack, your little fox might become their afternoon snack."
The fox growled softly.
Kai gently rested a hand on its head.
"Not now."
Lucien interpreted Kai's silence as fear.
"That's what I thought."
He walked away laughing.
Kai watched him leave.
"One day," he thought.
"I'll defeat you with the very beast you mocked."
---
That evening...
The academy walls were complete.
Every instructor stood ready.
Contracted beasts filled the battlements.
Storm Eagles circled overhead.
Stone Golems guarded the gates.
Fire Lions prowled the walls.
The city prepared for war.
Suddenly...
The earth trembled.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
A scout riding a Wind Hawk landed before the Headmaster.
His face was pale.
"They're here!"
Everyone looked toward the forest.
At first...
Nothing.
Then...
Thousands of glowing eyes appeared between the trees.
Red.
Blue.
Green.
Yellow.
An endless sea of monsters emerged.
Shadow Wolves.
Iron Fang Boars.
Rock Apes.
Venom Spiders.
Hundreds...
Then thousands.
Students froze.
Some began trembling.
Others could barely breathe.
The sheer number of beasts was overwhelming.
Headmaster Aldric calmly drew his sword.
Its silver blade burst into dragon-shaped lightning.
"All instructors!"
"Battle positions!"
The academy gates slowly opened.
Not for retreat...
But for battle.
---
Kai gripped the wooden practice spear issued to first-year students.
His fox stood beside him, muscles tense.
The Book of Infinite Beasts suddenly appeared.
Its pages turned rapidly.
Then one line appeared in brilliant gold.
---
Emergency Mission
Survive the Beast Tide.
Protect three civilians.
Reward: Hidden Bloodline Fragment.
Failure: Unknown.
---
Kai swallowed hard.
A Hidden Bloodline Fragment...
If the Book considered it valuable...
It could change everything.
Before he could think further—
A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield.
The beasts suddenly stopped advancing.
Even the strongest monsters lowered their heads.
From deep within the forest...
A colossal silhouette slowly emerged.
It was easily thirty metres tall.
Two golden eyes shone like miniature suns.
Each footstep shook the earth.
The pressure alone forced weaker beasts to kneel.
Headmaster Aldric's face lost all colour.
He whispered a name no one expected to hear.
"An... Ancient Behemoth..."
The colossal creature raised its head toward the academy.
Then, instead of roaring...
It looked directly at Kai.
And smiled.