The teacher didn't say a word.
He simply cut his finger, letting a single drop of blood fall… and land on the dog.
Just one drop. Only one drop — yet the mad dog's eyes suddenly gleamed with intelligence. A shell of swirling spiritual energy wrapped around his body, glowing like an egg of pure light. Cracks spiderwebbed across it, and with a sharp crack, the shell shattered. Power burst outward, and the dog's cultivation leapt to the Third Stage — Spiritual Evolution.
When the light faded, his form had changed. He now stood upright on two legs, steady and proud.
---
Inside the dog's mind:
What the—?! Where am I? Who am I?
…Why do I have hands? Human hands?! And why am I standing like some furless monkey?!
Inside the teacher's mind:
??? — HEY, SON! You told me you'd never use your own blood again — so what are you doing, feeding it to a dog?
Teacher — Don't worry. I'm not helping him out of pity. I just like his talent.
??? — Don't lie to me. You're doing this because of that [Loyalty] talent.
Teacher — …Fine, yes. One of my own hurt him. I felt sorry for the dog. Besides, I'm keeping him — so it's not "wasting," it's "investing."
??? — Ohhh, keep your excuses. Just don't do it again.
---
Maswerte's fur bristled.
"You lying master! You told me I'd have to absorb spiritual energy for five years just to reach the First Stage — Spiritual Body! And now you're helping that half-dead mutt jump straight to the Third Stage — Spiritual Evolution? And what's with this werewolf look?!"
From the side, Night Parrot and Shoebill squawked in unison,
"This isn't fair! Not fair at all! We want your blood too! Give us your blood! Give us your blood!"
Menono and the three brothers screamed together.
"Ahhhhhhh! The cat and the birds can talk!"
"Ahhh! They're talking animals!"
"Enough, you four!" the teacher barked.
"But Teacher," Menono stammered, "that lazy cat and those two birds just talked!"
"Yes," the teacher said calmly. "They can talk. Some animals are special kinds — capable of speaking like humans. There's no need to fear them."
He turned to the group.
"The dog was barely alive — that's why my blood worked. If I gave it to you now, you'd explode because you're perfectly healthy. So, if anyone here really wants my blood, they'll have to take two kicks and two punches from Intaba first."
Immediately, they all shouted together,
"Who wants your blood?! We don't even drink blood!"
The commotion faded. The dog was still standing.
Intaba let out a deep, quiet breath of relief.
But the three brothers still hid behind him — they knew this whole mess had started because of them. Menono felt a pang of guilt for not stopping them earlier.
The teacher called them forward. He didn't scold — just smiled gently.
"Don't do it again."
Then his gaze froze on Zeno.
"Zeno… why do you have a talent?"
Menono blinked. "Sir, isn't it normal to have a talent at five?"
"Yes," the teacher replied. "But Zeno and you aren't five yet — you're both still one day away. That means your talent core will awaken tomorrow."
Menono's eyes lit up. "Really?! So my talent core isn't awakened yet because I'm not fully five years old — and tomorrow it will awaken?"
The teacher nodded. "Yes. Now, Zeno, come here."
He placed his hand on Zeno's head, smiling. "You're a lucky boy."
Lumo frowned. "Why is my brother lucky?"
The teacher explained,
"When he was very young, he accidentally ate a talent core. Normally, only a Fourth Stage cultivator can eat one safely to gain a second talent. Anyone else would die — their soul core can't handle it. But your brother survived. That's why I called him lucky."
Lumo tilted his head. "But you just said a soul core can hold two talent cores — and my brother doesn't have any yet, so isn't that obvious?"
The teacher chuckled. "You're wrong. Every creature is born with a talent core. For animals, it awakens at birth. For humans, it stays dormant until the age of five.
Now, the four of you should head home — it's getting late. When you come back tomorrow, I'll teach you how to cultivate, because everyone in your class will finally be five."
They all grinned from ear to ear. "Really, sir? You'll teach us to cultivate?"
"Yes," the teacher said with a calm smile.
"Intaba, escort them home safely."
"Yes, master," Intaba replied.
And so, they left — excitement bubbling inside them.
Tomorrow, their dream would begin.
After Menono and the three brothers left, the teacher looked down at the dog.
"You've awakened your wisdom," the teacher said calmly. "You can speak now."
The dog's eyes went wide. "I… I can speak? Hey— I can speak now!"
Maswerte flicked his tail and scoffed. "Hah! You dumb mutt. Now that you can talk, show some respect to your senior. What's your name?"
"My previous owner never gave me a name," the dog replied. "But people around here call me Mad Dog. And I like it—because when people hear my name, they're afraid of me."
Maswerte snorted. "You idiot—people aren't scared because you're strong. They're scared because 'mad dog' means you're a crazy, unruly beast. Now, forget the name. Tell me… what's your talent?"
Mad Dog tilted his head. "Talent? What's that supposed to be?"
Maswerte rolled his eyes. "It's your superpower—your special ability. So, what's yours?"
The teacher sighed. "Enough, Maswerte. Mad Dog's case is different. He has a unique talent—so unique that he doesn't even realize it himself. Most talents grow stronger over time, but unique talents are fixed. They can't be upgraded. Instead, they grant the user a permanent, powerful boost."
Night Parrot tilted his head. "So… what's his unique talent?"
Shoebill puffed out his chest. "Hmph! No unique talent could ever match mine—[Sonic Blast]!"
The teacher continued, "His talent is called [Loyalty]. If the user has an owner—or forms a blood contract—they will be absolutely loyal. If their master commands them to die, they will die without hesitation. If told to kill their own kind to protect their master, they will obey without question. That is the essence of this talent."
Maswerte's eyes widened. "Master, master! If a talent can't evolve, doesn't that mean he can't reach higher cultivation levels?"
The teacher shook his head. "Not exactly. Unique talent users can handle more than one talent core. That's their special advantage. Because of this, whether human or animal, those with a unique talent are often highly valued."
He turned to the dog. "Now go. From this day forward, Mad Dog, your duty is guarding the gate."