Cybernetic Beast Taming In A Game-like World

Quietly, Jethro slipped down from his sleeping pod. The dorm room’s silence, broken only by the soft snores of his roommates and the purrs of their mechbeasts, made the space feel thick and watchful.

Jethro paused once his feet touched the floor, checking if anyone had woken up or had stopped snoring. Thankfully nothing but the soft cadence of sleep.

Cogsworth, Kekius’s Brain Turtle, lifted its head from the circuit board it was tinkering with. Its green, glassy eyes fixed on Jethro, unblinking and keen.

Sizing him up for a few seconds, it simply lost interest and returned to its meticulous wiring. Jethro couldn’t afford to sigh, but he was relieved.

He was still dressed in the same clothes from earlier, knowing full well that volcanic caverns and flame forests would likely ruin anything clean for tomorrow.

Once he was certain that no one was awake, Jethro carefully scooped up Scorch from his pillow, the red glint in the lizard’s bulby eyes fixed on Jethro, a low thrum vibrating in his chest.

Balancing Scorch on his shoulder, Jethro tiptoed to the door and eased it open.

Unlike what one would expect, the dorm room doors were not locked. Beastcorp understood some students would like to train in the dormitory facilities late at night, and so allowed open access to that. Anything to produce stronger tamers.

Slipping through the door like a shadow, Jethro paused. Down the dim corridor, near a junction, a small group of students huddled, their whispered conversation carrying just enough to confirm they were breaking the rules of lights-out.

Late night cliques and gatherings were not allowed.

’Idiots,’ Jethro thought, ’but useful idiots right now.’ Their noise masked his own passage. He didn’t want them to see him, and he didn’t want the more quiet ones who were likely heading to the training facilities or just unable to sleep, to see him either.

So, tiptoeing and lowering his head, he ghosted past them, hugging the wall. Scorch watched from his shoulder, like a kid in a scary ride, yet having a twisted form of childish fun.