The morning mist hung low over the Spirit Beast Forest. Yesterday had been Tang San's day, and he was still testing his new skill, occasionally flicking Blue Silver Grass at Ayan just to see if he could catch him off guard. Spoiler: he couldn't.
Master stood in front of the two boys, arms crossed.
"Today, we find a suitable spirit ring for you, Ayan."
Ayan stretched his shoulders, smirk forming.
"Finally. I was starting to feel like the world's most overqualified cheerleader yesterday."
Tang San smirked faintly. "Overqualified? You barely helped."
"I strategically assisted," Ayan corrected, tapping his temple. "You do the punching, I do the thinking."
Master's expression twitched, but he didn't take the bait. "Given your martial soul and your preference for sealing and tactical control, we need something agile, intelligent, and with a special ability you can integrate into your fighting style."
"And preferably," Ayan added, "something that doesn't have ten cousins waiting to avenge it."
They moved deeper into the forest, eyes scanning the shadows. After an hour of trekking, Tang San froze, pointing to claw marks etched high into a tree trunk. The gouges were deep, precise — like the work of something that hunted in silence.
A low, guttural growl rolled through the underbrush. Then it emerged — a sleek, black-furred beast with glowing yellow eyes, its movements smooth and almost too quiet.
"Shadow Panther," Master said, voice low. "Close to three hundred years old. Fast, deadly, and perfect for an assassin-type fighter… if you can catch it."
"Catch it? Please," Ayan murmured, unrolling a set of talismans from inside his robe. "It's the panther that needs to catch me."
The panther darted forward, body melting into the shadows, vanishing from sight. Tang San tensed, scanning for movement. Ayan, however, just stood there, eyes half-lidded.
A faint rustle to his right — the talisman in his hand flared, releasing a shimmering barrier of light. The panther slammed into it mid-leap, thrown back with a snarl.
"Rule number one of fighting predators," Ayan said casually, "make them feel hunted."
The panther roared and darted again, zigzagging through the trees. Ayan didn't try to match its speed — he laid seal papers on the ground as he moved, each glowing faintly. The beast crossed one, and a sudden burst of force flung it sideways.
Tang San finally stepped in, vines lashing out to bind its hind legs. Ayan appeared at the panther's flank in that same moment, a sealing talisman pressed to its fur. The glow spread, locking its movements just long enough for him to deliver the finishing blow with a sharp strike of spirit energy.
The body stilled, a faint purplish-yellow ring rising.
Master nodded in approval. "A near-perfect match. Absorb it carefully."
Ayan sat cross-legged, the ring floating down into him. His smirk faded into concentration. The energy coursed through him — dark, fluid, and sharp-edged. When his eyes snapped open, they glinted faintly gold.
Tang San tilted his head. "So? What did you get?"
Ayan stood, brushing off dirt. "A little trick I'm calling Shadow Bind. Works best on things that think they're faster than me."
"Which," Tang San said dryly, "is almost everyone."
"Exactly," Ayan replied, grinning.
They left the forest with two new spirit rings and the quiet feeling that their team had just become a lot more dangerous.