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The golden morning sun cast long shadows over the Shrek Academy Training Plaza. At the center of the courtyard, the Trial Ranking Monolith pulsed with shifting light, its runes glowing and reforming every few seconds.
And at the very top:
> #1 – Squad 7
Leader: Kiyanotoka Ash | Clear Time: 2 hours | Casualties: 0 | Boss Defeated: 1 (B-Rank)
Gasps spread like wildfire.
> "No way that guy topped the list…"
"He's that weird one with white hair, right?"
"Didn't he get ranked with no apparent skill?"
"It's gotta be his dragon. Some S-Rank flame type, right?"
Kiyanotoka stood quietly off to the side, Thamuz curled by his leg like a shadow of fire. He felt the attention, the shifting eyes, the whispers—but let them pass over him like mist.
> [ SYSTEM: Trial Complete. Hidden Evaluation: Excellent. ]
[ Tamer's Command (LV 2) → Progress: 71% ]
[ Passive Unlocked: Squad Synergy Node I ]
The screen hovered silently in his field of view—visible only to him.
No one in this world understood what a "system" was. Not even the most advanced spirit masters or beast researchers. That knowledge belonged to him alone, and he intended to keep it that way.
> Let them think I'm just talented. That's safer.
---
🧊 Nearby – Fuyue Lin's Silence
Standing with her arms crossed, Fuyue Lin watched the ranking and the boy at its peak. Her Ice Phoenix sat still behind her, mist rising gently from its wings.
She narrowed her eyes.
> He's too precise. Too calm.
She remembered their battle against the Molten Horned Lizard. How Kiyanotoka had read the battlefield like a map he'd memorized.
No aura outbursts. No command glyphs. Just natural coordination—like the beasts responded to something only he could project.
> "What are you hiding?" she murmured, not realizing she had spoken aloud.
---
🏛️ Inner Library – Restricted Wing
Later that day, Kiyanotoka walked alone into the Inner Library, the hidden sanctuary of Shrek's elite. The guards gave him a respectful nod—his Trial Rank allowed access now.
He moved past shelves lined with floating books and beast fossils, heading deeper into the Elemental Bonding Hall. A crystal pedestal pulsed at its center, holding a strange orb that flickered with twin energies: blue frost and golden flame.
> This is it...
> [ SYSTEM: Artifact Resonance Detected. ]
Elemental Synergy Boost: +5% to Dual-Type Bonding Probability
Optional Quest Unlocked: "Two Paths, One Master"
Objective: Form bond with second compatible beast
Reward: Hidden Trait – Commander's Domain (Locked)
> I can bond with a second beast? Already?
In the academy, first-years were only permitted one beast. Additional contracts were considered near-impossible without unlocking advanced training crests—years of study, experience.
But the system changed everything.
> Another edge they'll never see coming.
He reached out and let his hand hover above the orb. A pulse of warmth passed into his chest.
> [ Sync Surge Stored. Tracking optimal bond candidates… ]
---
⚔️ Combat Class Arena
Kiyanotoka's feet crunched on white sand as he stepped into the sparring circle. Instructor Veran stood off to the side, watching closely.
His opponent: Haruo Senzan, a spear-wielding brute from Class Three, known for his aggression and A-Rank Rock Serpent.
"You're the dragon boy, huh?" Haruo sneered. "Let's see if your pet can keep up."
Kiyanotoka said nothing. Thamuz's tail thumped once, flames leaking from its maw.
> [ SYSTEM: Target Weak Points Calculated. Recommend aim: belly segments and jaw hinge. ]
> "Begin!" Veran called.
The Rock Serpent charged, churning through sand with surprising speed.
> "Jump, short arc left!" Kiyanotoka called.
Thamuz obeyed instantly, leaping clean over the first strike. The serpent spun to lash its tail—but too late.
> "Ignition Pulse—focused!"
A tight flame burst erupted from Thamuz's chest, hammering the serpent's underbelly.
The crowd gasped as the serpent shrieked and coiled back.
Haruo's eyes widened. "What the—?"
He lunged with his spear, but Kiyanotoka sidestepped calmly and gave one sharp word.
> "Claw flare. Now."
Thamuz's claws ignited with fire as it dove forward, slashing across the serpent's head. It collapsed, writhing.
> "Match concluded!" Veran called out, clearly surprised. "Kiyanotoka Ash—victor."
The crowd was silent for a moment… then broke into murmurs.
> "He didn't even get touched…"
"How did he know exactly where to strike?"
"That's not talent. That's something else…"
But no one dared say the word that didn't exist in their world.
---
🌙 East Campus – Silver Lake
That evening, under a sky filled with stars, Kiyanotoka followed the system's subtle guidance to the Silver Lake, a hidden crescent-shaped spring tucked behind a collapsed ridge.
The surface shimmered like glass, the moon reflected perfectly in its center.
> [ Clue Resolved: "Seek the moon under water." ]
Compatible beast signature detected: 18 meters below surface.
He knelt by the water's edge. As he waited, something broke the surface with a faint ripple.
A Lunar Sylph-Hare, glowing white fur, long ears trailing moonlight, and calm violet eyes.
> [ Potential Bond Detected: Lunar Sylph-Hare – C-Rank (Evolvable) ]
Support / Stealth / Illusion Affinity – 94% Soul Compatibility
Proceed with bonding?
Kiyanotoka extended his hand, saying nothing. The hare slowly stepped onto the surface, walking across the water toward him like it was solid ground.
Their palms met.
> [ Bond Formed. ]
Spirit Beast Acquired: Lunar Sylph-Hare
Hidden Evolution Route: "Moonveil Warden" – Available upon trust rank increase.
Kiyanotoka felt something… different. Unlike the fire of Thamuz, this was a gentle coolness, like snowflakes settling on skin.
Balanced.
Complete.
> "Welcome," he whispered. "Stay hidden for now. Let's surprise them later."
The hare blinked once and vanished into thin air, its body turning invisible before his eyes.
> [ Passive Skill: Phase Cloak Acquired ]
He smiled.
> And they still think I'm normal.
---
📘 End of Chapter 7
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