Chapter 39: Choosing a Beast II

Beasts have different rankings of power from rank 1 weakest to Rank 10 Strongest. *** The beasts stirred as his projection swept over them like a silent tide, instinctively reacting to the presence pressing into their essence. Lines of light shimmered before his vision, forming spiritual sigils above each creature. Data flowed. Appraisal readouts manifested as if the very world was responding to his soul’s gaze. [Glazed Crystal Wyvern] Potential Rank: 7 A majestic, sapphire-scaled wyvern lounged behind an enchanted warding stone, crystalline patterns glittering across its wings. Its current aura was imposing—but not fully awakened. Beneath its sleek form, Fenric could feel the limitations. It had talent, but the ceiling wasn’t infinite. "Not bad... but it’s already plateauing. A safe pick. Not a great one." He moved on. More names, more readouts: [Duskhowl Fenrir Cub] Potential Rank: 6 [Ashen Skydrake] Potential Rank: 8 (Fire Affinity) [Stormjaw Basilisk] Potential Rank: 7.5 (Electric Variant) Each one powerful in its own right. Each one filled with promise. But promise wasn’t enough. Fenric wanted depth. He wanted something that could evolve with him—like his mana sea: vast, relentless, and terrifying in its boundless potential. An hour passed. His gaze drifted across beast after beast, until he found himself drawn to a different part of the courtyard. It was quieter here, dimly lit, shielded by several layered wards. A pen filled with... eggs. Smooth, scaled, furred, cracked, glowing—dozens of them. Each was different, some pulsing faintly with latent mana, others as still as stone. Eldrun stepped up beside him, his voice low and measured. "Ah, the prince’s curiosity leads him to the Nursery... These are all unhatched. Collected from wild nests, some salvaged during border hunts. Untouched by appraisal." Fenric tilted his head. "No way to identify what’s inside?" "Not without binding them," Eldrun replied. "There’s always risk. You could get a mythic creature—or a glorified lizard. Unhatched eggs are mystery incarnate. Most nobles don’t dare." "I’ll still examine them," Fenric said without hesitation. Eldrun studied him for a moment, then simply nodded. "Very well. This way." He led Fenric into a reinforced structure hidden beneath an arched gate—a low, domed chamber lined with glowing moss and enchanted runes. The temperature was warm, humid. Dozens of caretakers worked quietly, tending to the eggs with surgical precision. Rotating them gently. Monitoring cracks. Infusing mana. "The Nursery," Eldrun said softly. "Every egg here is turned thrice a day. Tended with spirit-thread cloth. Bathed in harmonized mana. All to ensure the hatchlings come out without deformities... or worse, fatal flaws." Fenric stepped forward, letting his soul projection drift gently into the room—his golden appraisal threads barely visible, weaving through the space like divine silk. Fenric moved slowly through the Nursery, his soul projection gliding across each egg like golden silk threads tracing unseen paths. The golden pulse of Appraisal gleamed in his irises as he began inspecting them one by one. Dozens of eggs. Each time he focused, a translucent window shimmered in his sight: [ Azure Feather Serpent Egg ] Potential Rank: 4 – Agile flier, weak elemental base. ✦ Incompatible – Light affinity too weak. Next. [ Obsidian Molehound Egg ] Potential Rank: 3 – Excellent burrower. Mundane class. ✦ Rejected – No synergy. And again. [ Cloudscale Phoenixlet Egg ] Potential Rank: 5 – Strong healing potential. ✦ Possible – Spirit affinity, low growth ceiling. Hour after hour passed. Roman leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, watching as the prince tirelessly analyzed each one, sweat on his brow but his eyes sharp and resolute. Even Eldrun, initially skeptical, now watched with a measure of respect. Then— A pulse. Golden light surged from Fenric’s projection. His breath caught as a resonance—deeper, older, stronger—hit back like a pressure wave in his soul. [ Volcanic Wyvern Egg ] Potential Rank: 8— Fire-Earth Dual Affinity— Mutated Core: Draconic Heart-Scale Variant— Class: Pseudo-Dragonkin— Status: Dormant... but Awakening Fenric blinked. A heartbeat echoed faintly from the egg’s shell. Ba-dum. The runes around the obsidian-red shell pulsed hot—almost like lava veins—before dimming into a dull glow. Eldrun, noticing the flicker, stepped closer. "Does Your Highness favor this one? It’s a Volcanic Wyvern—our best of its kind capped at peak Rank 6. A fine pet for someone of your... station." Fenric nodded, lips tight to mask what he truly knew. "Mutated core, draconic bloodline... It just needs a few drops of the right catalyst, and it will evolve—no, ascend—into something far beyond a simple wyvern," he thought, eyes locked on the egg. "Yes," he said aloud, calm and resolved. "I’ll be taking it." Eldrun gave a satisfied smile and gestured with one hand. "Then follow me, young prince. We’ll begin the binding ceremony. But you’ll need to choose the nature of your contract." As they walked through a rune-etched corridor into a low-lit chamber lined with elemental crystals, Eldrun explained further. "There are two standard types of pacts—Master and Equal. If you choose a Master bond, the beast will obey every command without resistance. But if your will falters, or if the beast is mistreated, the pain can rebound onto you. Equal bonds, on the other hand, offer no command authority—you must earn respect. But it offers greater long-term growth." Fenric paused. "What about an Equal Bond?" Eldrun raised an eyebrow, then gave a slow nod. "A solid choice. In an Equal Bond, the beast isn’t forced to obey—it acts alongside you, not beneath you. It can grow stronger that way... but only if you earn its respect." Fenric nodded. "That’s the one I want." Eldrun smiled faintly. "A perfect choice, Prince Fenric." He raised his hand, and the crystal-lit chamber shimmered. A binding circle appeared beneath the volcanic wyvern egg, glowing with golden runes that spun slowly like a sunwheel of fate. "Place your hand on the shell," Eldrun instructed. "Offer your mana and speak your intent." Fenric stepped forward, knelt, and pressed his palm gently to the warm, pulsing surface of the egg. "I am Fenric Vaelthorn Vareldis," he said softly. "I’m not here to command... only to walk forward with you. As partners." The runes flared in response. The egg gave a slow, heavy pulse—almost like a heartbeat. And in that moment, the bond was formed.