The rhythmic clang of metal echoed through Greystone's ancient training hall. Morning sunlight filtered in through cracked stained-glass windows, casting broken shards of light on Lucas Carter's sweat-drenched form. His breathing was steady, his strikes precise.
He was alone—just him and the training dummy, which was now little more than shredded wood and splinters.
Lucas exhaled slowly, lowering the dulled practice blade. The room still smelled of oil, dust, and faint bloodstains from battles long past.
"Status," he muttered.
A familiar chime rang.
…
DING!
[Status Panel]
Name: Lucas Carter
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
Class: Beast Emperor
Level: 7
Stats:
Strength: 15
Agility: 17
Vitality: 14
Beast Affinity: 20
Leadership: 22
Territory Influence: 10
Bonded Beasts: 2 (Umbra, Zephyra)
Titles: Reincarnated One, Heir of Greystone, Lionheart
Skills: Beast Fusion (locked), Tactical Insight (Passive), Commanding Presence (Passive), Leadership Aura (Passive)
Territory Panel: Unlocked
Quests: [Main Quest: Rebuild and Restore Greystone]
System Energy: 84/100
New Interface:[Territory Management – Active]
[Greystone Status: Rebuilding]
Walls: 70% 2/3 | Civilian Morale: Rising | Population: 82
…
"Not bad for a week..." Lucas whispered.
He'd spent the last seven days training, leading, and watching the skeletal ruins of his barony slowly knit themselves back together. Stone by stone, wound by wound.
The salve recipe granted from the previous quest had worked wonders. The injured citizens were walking again. Smiles returned. The walls—once crumbled and moss-ridden—now stood taller, reinforced with salvaged stone and wooden scaffolding.
Greystone was breathing again.
{Your people are healing. Your presence inspires them.}
The Angel's voice—soft and feminine, now fondly familiar- spoke as if proud.
{But a lord does not only protect. A true ruler provides.}
DING!
[New Quest: Seeds of Stability]
Objective: Explore the surrounding forest to secure sustainable sources of food, herbs, or tradeable resources.
Bonus Objective: Establish a permanent outpost or safe zone.
Reward: Territory Upgrade – Agricultural Hub (Tier I) + Unlock Beast Companion Synchronicity
Hint: Follow the river's bend.
Lucas grabbed his cloak and called out, "Umbra, Zephyra—let's move."
…
The Whispering Woods just beyond Greystone's eastern rise were dense, tangled with old growth and thorned underbrush. The deeper they ventured, the more the air shifted—wild, alive, and saturated with beast energy.
Lucas moved quietly, leading his beast companions. Umbra padded beside him, his black-gold fur dimmed in the shade, while Zephyra flitted overhead in short aerial bursts.
"Still no game trails... odd," Lucas muttered.
Zephyra chirped nervously.
Then—a scream.
High, feminine, laced with pain.
Lucas bolted, his training kicking in, beast companions following in perfect harmony.
They burst into a clearing and froze.
A group of snarling Razorbeak Wolves, four in total, circled a figure with a drawn bow. Her body was bruised, one arm bloody. She was shielding a smaller beast—sleek, silver-furred with glowing teal eyes. A Wind Lynx.
The woman's ears were long, tapering upward. Her features are sharp, beautiful, and cold despite the blood.
"An elf?" Lucas whispered.
The woman shoots an arrow, piercing a wolf's eye. But she stumbled. Her knees buckled.
Lucas didn't hesitate.
"Umbra—Shock Roar!"
The Nemean lion charged, unleashing a thunderous roar that cracked branches and sent the wolves skidding.
"Zephyra—Wind Bind!"
The baby dragon dove, swirling gales erupting from her wings to trap two more in a twisting vortex of leaves and wind.
Lucas drew his training blade. "Let's finish this."
In less than a minute, the remaining beasts fell—one pinned under Umbra's claw, another slammed by Zephyra's tail wind.
Silence returned.
Lucas knelt beside the elven woman. Her bow still trembled in her hand.
"I'm not your enemy," he said gently. "You're safe."
Her eyes flicked to his. Green as emeralds.
"You... you're not a bandit?" she whispered, breath shallow.
"No. I'm the Lord of this land. Lucas Carter."
She blinked once, then twice.
Her Wind Lynx snarled weakly but collapsed into her arms.
Lucas knelt, placing a salve vial in her hand. "Here. This will help you and your partner."
She hesitated, then accepted it.
DING!
Leveled up: 8
"Status," murmured Lucas.
[Status Panel]
Name: Lucas Carter
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
Class: Beast Emperor
Level: 8
Stats:
Strength: 15
Agility: 17
Vitality: 14
Beast Affinity: 20
Leadership: 22
Territory Influence: 10
Skill Points: 5
Bonded Beasts: 2 (Umbra, Zephyra)
Titles: Reincarnated One, Heir of Greystone, Lionheart
Skills: Beast Fusion (locked), Tactical Insight (Passive), Commanding Presence (Passive), Leadership Aura (Passive)
…
They returned to Greystone at dusk.
Elira Windshade—the name she finally gave—remained quiet most of the way. She refused to speak of how she got here, but Lucas suspected she'd escaped from slavers or worse. The Wind Lynx never left her side, ever-watchful.
As they entered the town gates, heads turned.
"A High Elf?" someone whispered.
"And look at her beast..."
Lucas made sure to speak clearly.
"She is under my protection. See that she's given rest and safety."
Elira looked at him strangely—something between caution and reluctant gratitude.
As she was taken to the infirmary, the system chimed once again.
DING!
[Quest Update: Seeds of Stability – Partial Completion]
Food Source: Not yet secured
Herbs: Located – High-Grade Windleaf Grove Identified (Marked on Map)
Survivors Rescued: 1 (Bonus XP Gained)
Temporary Companion: Elira Windshade
Bond Status: Cautious
Beast Partner: Wind Lynx (Luna) – Female
Skill: Wind Prowl, Gale Shot
…
Lucas returned to his chambers that night, mind buzzing.
He'd scouted the forest, rescued a stranger, and earned the trust of a legendary race. Yet, the most curious thing wasn't Elira's presence.
It was the way the Wind Lynx looked at Zephyra.
Not with aggression, but with familiarity. Connection.
As if the forest had begun weaving their fates long before they met.
{Well done, my Beast Emperor,} came the Angel's voice.
{One seed planted. Many more to sow.}