Chapter 9 - The Raven Sage
Kai's body tensed.
The room was silent.
Only the gentle breathing of the Crimson Flame Fox could be heard.
The elderly voice spoke again.
"Relax."
"If I wished to harm you..."
"You would never have noticed my arrival."
A shadow descended from the roof.
An old man in weathered grey robes landed lightly outside the dormitory window, as graceful as a falling leaf.
Perched on his shoulder was a massive black raven with intelligent crimson eyes.
Kai recognized him immediately.
"The man from the forest..."
The old man smiled.
"So you noticed."
"Good."
"Most Beast Masters wouldn't."
Kai instinctively stepped in front of his fox.
"I don't know who you are."
"And I don't know what you're talking about."
The old man chuckled.
"A wise answer."
"Never reveal your secrets to strangers."
With a wave of his hand, an invisible barrier surrounded the room.
The sounds of the academy vanished.
Even the wind became silent.
"I've merely ensured no one can overhear us."
The raven tilted its head.
Then, to Kai's astonishment, it spoke in a deep voice.
"Master... he's frightened."
Kai's eyes widened.
"A talking beast?"
The old man gently stroked the raven's feathers.
"This is Noctis."
"He has lived for over four hundred years."
Kai stared in disbelief.
A beast capable of human speech was something only legends possessed.
The old man sat on the windowsill.
"My name is Orion."
"Long ago..."
"I served as one of the Twelve Beast Guardians."
Kai had never heard of such a title.
The academy's history books mentioned only the Seven Beast Sovereigns.
As if reading his thoughts, Orion sighed.
"History remembers only the victors."
"The Guardians were erased."
Kai remained silent.
Something about the old man's eyes carried an immense sadness.
Finally, Orion looked at the fox.
"May I?"
Kai hesitated before nodding.
The old man extended a trembling hand.
The tiny fox walked forward on its own.
Instead of fear...
It rubbed its head against Orion's palm.
Orion smiled.
"You truly are his descendant."
Kai frowned.
"Descendant?"
Orion nodded.
"Not yours."
"The fox's."
"The blood flowing through your little companion once belonged to the greatest Beast King ever born."
Kai's heart raced.
"The Beast King..."
"The First Beast Sovereign never tamed ordinary beasts."
"He befriended the rulers of all beastkind."
"The fox before you carries a fragment of that ancient royal bloodline."
Kai instinctively looked at the Book of Infinite Beasts resting inside his soul.
"So the Book..."
Orion's expression immediately became serious.
"I never mentioned any book."
Kai froze.
He hadn't spoken those words aloud.
The old man smiled knowingly.
"Good."
"It means you still understand caution."
He continued,
"Whatever inheritance you've received..."
"Hide it."
"If the Divine Temple discovers it..."
"They will hunt you."
Kai frowned.
"Who are they?"
For the first time, fear appeared in Orion's eyes.
"They call themselves guardians of humanity."
"But for ten thousand years..."
"They have slaughtered every Beast Sovereign before their power reached its peak."
The room fell silent.
Kai felt a chill run down his spine.
"So I'm not the first?"
Orion slowly shook his head.
"No."
"You are the ninth."
"And the previous eight..."
"...all died."
The fox growled softly.
Orion looked at it with sympathy.
"They died because they believed strength alone could change the world."
He then turned back to Kai.
"You must become stronger."
"But never reveal your true strength too early."
Kai nodded.
"I understand."
Orion reached into his robe and produced a worn leather pouch.
Inside were three crimson crystals that pulsed with gentle warmth.
"Low-grade Fire Beast Crystals."
"They're useless to me."
"But priceless to your companion."
Kai hesitated.
"I can't accept something so valuable."
Orion smiled.
"Think of it as an investment."
"One day..."
"You'll repay the world."
Before Kai could answer, the academy bell rang loudly.
DONG!
DONG!
A voice echoed across the campus.
"Attention all first-year students!"
"The annual Freshman Ranking Tournament begins tomorrow morning!"
"Attendance is mandatory!"
Orion stood.
"So soon..."
He looked at Kai with a faint smile.
"The academy believes you're the weakest student."
"Let them."
"Sometimes..."
"The greatest hunter is the one everyone mistakes for prey."
A flock of black feathers suddenly surrounded Orion and Noctis.
Within seconds...
Both had vanished.
Only a single raven feather drifted to the floor.
Kai picked it up.
The feather glowed faintly before dissolving into particles of light.
The Book of Infinite Beasts appeared one final time that night.
A new mission materialized.
---
Main Quest
Enter the Freshman Ranking Tournament
Objective: Reach the Top 10 without exposing your true strength.
Reward: Beast Skill Selection Token
Failure: Unknown
---
Kai looked at the sleeping fox and smiled.
"Our next battle begins tomorrow."
Outside, hidden in the darkness beyond the academy walls, a pair of cold crimson eyes watched Kai's dormitory.
A hooded figure whispered,
"So..."
"The Ninth Beast Sovereign has finally appeared."
"The Divine Temple must be informed."