The morning fog clung to the dense canopy of the Beast Forest, tendrils of mist weaving around ancient trees and jagged stones. The air was thick with anticipation. Today, the academy would launch the Platinum-Level Survival Challenge, a test reserved for students who had survived the Diamond-Level Trial and proved themselves capable of handling beasts far beyond standard academy training.
Word had spread quickly: Ethan Cross and his Flame Fox had survived a High Silver Black Iron 9, activating eight tails. The whispers were everywhere. Some students were awestruck, others enraged. Many wealthy heirs had suffered defeat against even Silver Apex Beasts, yet this orphan—this B-rank—had not only survived but dominated.
Lucas Greystone's jaw tightened. His wolf had been recovering since the previous trial, but even now, he could not hide the mixture of envy and fury in his gaze.
"This time," he muttered under his breath, "I will show him what real power is. No luck, no tricks—just skill."
Ethan, meanwhile, sat quietly in the training grounds, Flame Fox curled beside him. Its eight tails flickered gently, embers faint but alive. The ninth tail remained dormant, a secret yet untapped.
"Today," Ethan whispered softly, his fingers brushing the fox's fur, "we face Platinum. We push harder. Every battle, every evolution… brings us closer."
Flame Fox's eyes glimmered. It understood. Every movement it had made, every fight it had endured, had been leading to this moment.
The Challenge Begins
Instructor Raymond's voice boomed across the grounds. "Students who passed the Diamond-Level Trial, gather! Today's survival challenge will pit you against Platinum-level beasts. These creatures possess intelligence, strength, and abilities that rival experienced Beast Masters. Only your skill, bond, and strategy can ensure survival."
The forest beyond the training grounds rustled as the gates opened, releasing creatures of unimaginable power. Wolves with fur like molten silver, lynxes with claws of pure diamond sheen, and serpentine drakes with scales that glimmered platinum. Each beast's bloodline and level were clearly displayed above them through scanning runes.
[Beast Scan – Platinum Challenge]
Species: Shadowfang Lynx
Bloodline: High Silver
Level: Black Iron 9 → Platinum 1
Notes: Extremely cunning, packs coordination, high attack speed.
Species: Celestial Drake
Bloodline: High Silver
Level: Black Iron 9 → Platinum 2
Notes: Elemental breath attacks, superior agility, capable of flanking multiple targets.
Species: Ironfang Alpha Wolf
Bloodline: High Silver
Level: Black Iron 9 → Platinum 1
Notes: Tactical intelligence, previous Diamond-level apex, now evolved.
Ethan activated Eye of All Things, and his vision became a cascade of data, flowing in front of his eyes. Bloodlines, levels, evolution paths, combat patterns, elemental affinities, weak points—all details illuminated. He absorbed it instantly, mentally calculating the best approach.
[Flame Fox – Status]
Bloodline: Bronze
Level: Black Iron 5
Tails: 8/9 (Eighth tail fully active)
Fusion: Active with Ethan; abilities shared
Evolution Potential: Accelerated toward Platinum
The bond pulsed as Ethan whispered, "Focus. Platinum-level combat requires more than strength. Timing, precision, and prediction. Let's show them what we can do."
First Encounter
The first creature to strike was a Shadowfang Lynx. Its silver fur shimmered like liquid metal, and it moved with unnatural speed, its claws extended to tear through armor. Most students froze, unprepared for the beast's sudden appearance.
Ethan shifted his stance. "Flame Fox, fusion: deepen."
The fox's eight tails ignited, a blazing aura surrounding both master and beast. Fusion deepened further, linking reflexes, instincts, and elemental energy. Ethan felt strength flowing into him—not just the fox's power, but the awareness of its heightened senses, every calculated movement.
The Lynx lunged. Its claws struck like lightning. The fusion bond allowed Ethan to move as one with the fox. He twisted midair, letting the Lynx's strike swipe past, and countered with a tail-infused flame that scorched the creature's flank.
The Lynx snarled, recalculating. "Interesting… it is coordinated. Not random." Its intelligence was formidable, yet it could not anticipate Ethan's precise timing. Each strike, each dodge, was pre-calculated by the fusion of man and beast.
[Flame Fox – Evolution Check]
Adaptive Reflexes: +50%
Tail Energy: Eight fully active, ninth flickering faintly
Bloodline Surge: Minor acceleration activated, nearing Platinum evolution
Lucas Intervenes
Lucas and his wolf appeared, attempting to flank Ethan. "Try surviving this!" Lucas roared, his wolf striking with a coordinated attack. But Ethan had already analyzed the threat.
"Flame Fox, intercept!"
The fox's body blurred, tails trailing blazing arcs of fire. It intercepted Lucas's wolf with precision strikes, forcing it to retreat momentarily. Ethan's body moved in perfect sync with the fox. With the fusion deepened, he could sense every intention of the enemy.
The crowd watched in awe as a B-rank orphan with a Bronze fox controlled combat against Platinum threats. Every student gasped. Even high-ranking A and S-rank students took a step back.
Lucas snarled, frustration boiling. "How is this possible… a Bronze fox controlling a Platinum-level apex?!"
Ethan's eyes remained calm. "Because it's not just a fox. It's a partner. And we evolve together."
The Evolution Surge
As the battle intensified, the Ironfang Alpha Wolf charged, attempting to overwhelm Ethan with raw strength. The fox flickered—ninth tail almost awakened.
Ethan whispered, activating Evolution Talent. "Accelerate. Push to Platinum."
The fox's body shimmered, fur glowing bronze-white. Flames licked higher, tails flicking rapidly as its bloodline surged forward. The Platinum evolution completed.
[Flame Fox – Status Post-Evolution]
Bloodline: Mythical Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox
Level: Black Iron 6 → Platinum 1
Tails: 9/9 fully manifested
Fusion: Active; all abilities shared with Ethan
Notes: Combat efficiency +200%, elemental control heightened, reflexes unmatched
The fusion bond intensified. Ethan felt every sinew, every muscle, every spike of energy in the fox's body as if it were his own. He moved like a hurricane, faster than any Platinum beast could anticipate.
The Ironfang Alpha Wolf struck again—but this time, it was met with coordinated strikes from all nine tails. Flames erupted, spinning in deadly arcs, each tail attacking a critical weak point. The wolf staggered, retreating under the assault.
Instructor Raymond's jaw dropped. "The fox… nine tails… it's… a full Mythical evolution. And yet B-rank?"
Ethan ignored the murmurs. He crouched, observing. "Every Platinum creature has weaknesses. Observe, exploit, and survive."
The Hunt Strategy
The remaining Platinum beasts began hunting in packs, testing all the surviving students. Most fell quickly, unable to withstand coordinated attacks or outmaneuver the predators.
Ethan and Flame Fox moved with unmatched synchronization. Using fusion, Ethan projected his presence into the fox's awareness, guiding attacks, predicting movement, and controlling elemental surges.
A Celestial Drake tried to ambush from above. Its elemental breath burned trees and rocks alike. Ethan leapt, the fusion bond projecting agility, speed, and flame bursts. The fox countered midair, biting the Drake's wing and scorching it with a tail strike. The creature roared in frustration, unable to anticipate the precise synchronization.
By midday, Ethan had faced and bested multiple Platinum-level foes. His fox now fully manifested all nine tails, each emitting controlled flames. Every strike, every dodge, every counter was calculated with precision. He had become a storm of fire, reflex, and strategy.
Recognition
At the end of the challenge, Ethan and Flame Fox returned to the academy grounds. The other students, exhausted and defeated, stared in awe. Even Lucas approached cautiously, his wolf growling.
"This… can't be," Lucas muttered. "Every move… every evolution… it's… impossible. How does a Bronze fox… evolve to Mythical and control Platinum beasts?"
Instructor Raymond's eyes gleamed with respect. "Ethan Cross… Flame Fox… you have not only survived but dominated Platinum-level survival. Your fusion bond, evolution control, and combat strategy are extraordinary. You have exceeded even the expectations of S-rank students. Truly… a Hidden Beast Emperor in the making."
Ethan nodded quietly. He crouched beside Flame Fox, gently stroking its fur. The nine tails flickered faintly in the afternoon sun.
[Flame Fox – Status]
Bloodline: Mythical Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox
Level: Platinum 1
Tails: 9/9 fully active
Fusion: Complete
Evolution Potential: Infinite
Notes: Combat mastery achieved; survival against multiple Platinum foes; intelligence and strategy enhanced.
The whispers of the academy students were unanimous. Ethan Cross, a B-rank orphan, had become untouchable in Platinum-level combat. The hidden storm within him and his fox had begun to awaken the world to a power unseen in generations.
Ethan whispered softly, "Every evolution, every battle… the world has yet to see the full Nine-Tails. Soon… the Hidden Beast Emperor will rise."
The fox flicked its tails, embers drifting like shooting stars against the dusk. A new era had begun.
✨ End of Chapter 13 ✨