By the time Aion reached home, the sun had already dipped low, painting the sky in hues of gold and violet. From tomorrow, his shop would finally open, and that meant he had to leave his current job. With a small sigh, he pulled out his communicator and called his boss, Sabrina.
Sabrina was no ordinary woman—she was a Rank 5 Beast Tamer and an Advanced Breeder, someone respected throughout the town. When she picked up, her voice carried a calm strength.
"Why the sudden call, Aion?"
Aion hesitated only for a moment before explaining that he would be resigning—his destiny now lay in opening a pet shop of his own.
To his surprise, Sabrina didn't scold or even question him. She merely gave a thoughtful nod, her lips curving into the faintest smile.
"If you're short of funds, I can loan you some. And if you plan on selling fox-spirits, you can always purchase them from my breeding base."
Her generosity warmed him. Aion quickly thanked her, his heart a little lighter, and ended the call.
That night, excitement bubbled within him. He relaxed his mind, and in a breath, his figure vanished from the room—stepping into the ethereal Origin Pet Shop Plane.
The counters gleamed with a soft otherworldly glow. Moving with care, Aion placed a mysterious egg into the nurturing chamber.
A crisp mechanical voice rang out:
> Apet beast egg of Umbriss detected (Hatching – 70% complete).
Shadow energy required for 1 day to hatch successfully.
Cost: 100 Origin Points.
Glancing at his remaining balance, Aion found he had 240 origin points. With a soft chime, 100 points were deducted, and the chamber hummed to life.
But he wasn't done yet. Aion's eyes flickered with curiosity as he took out two radiant eggs he hadn't been able to identify until now—one glowing blue, the other pink—and placed them inside the spirit nurturing chamber.
The chamber scanned them, but instead of data, a row of words appeared:
> Insufficient level. Raise Spirit Nurturing Chamber to Level 5 to begin hatching process.
Aion froze. Level 5? He rubbed his temples. His luck was truly outrageous, yet so frustrating—he could only gaze at the treasure in his hands, powerless for now.
"System," he called, and the calm voice answered:
> The life level of both eggs is too high for your current shop to nurture. You may use the Evolution Chamber to view their details.
With no hesitation, Aion placed the eggs inside. Light swirled, and rows of data unfolded before him:
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Pet Beast Egg (Blue)
Species: Astherion (Star Beast)
Condition: Dormant (0%)
Affinity: Space
Potential: Emperor Rank
Description: A lithe, graceful beast cloaked in silver-blue fur. Constellations glimmer faintly upon its body, shifting as though it carries the heavens within. Its eyes shine like tranquil sapphire orbs.
Pet Beast Egg (Pink)
Species: Nyxen (Star Beast)
Condition: Dormant (0%)
Affinity: Void
Potential: Emperor Rank
Description: Slender and elegant, with rose-pink fur tinged in violet streaks. Rather than darkness consuming it, a divine shimmer radiates outward, as if the void itself had chosen to be beautiful. Its amethyst eyes glow with eternal mystery.
But then came the bitter truth.
(Both eggs are sealed by world power. To hatch them healthily, a minimum of 100,000 Origin Points each is required, along with Spirit Nurturing Chamber at Level 5.)
Aion's mouth twitched. One hundred thousand points… per egg! He nearly choked just thinking about it. This wasn't something he could achieve in days or even weeks.
Resigned, he gently placed the eggs inside a display chamber for now, their glow adding beauty to the empty shop. But as he read the details again, one phrase stood out: world power.
He immediately asked the system, and the calm, ever-knowing voice replied:
These eggs are sealed by the very power of the world itself—higher than even Emperor Rank. The seal exists to preserve them, to prevent their death across countless ages. Such Star Beasts cannot be found in a low-level world like this. Within the hidden vault of your shop, you can discover more such eggs, but their price… is beyond what you can afford for now. Work hard, Host, and spread the shop's influence and raise its rank.
So there are higher level than Emperor rank Aion taught and asked the system then Aion leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing at the gentle mocking tone of the system.
( "You are now just Elite Rank. Knowing more without power is a waste.")
The voice seemed almost to sneer at him, and Aion's mouth twitched. He muttered under his breath, swearing sarcastically, "One day… one day I'll stand at the very top."
He glanced at his Origin Insight panel. Level 35. A long way from the fabled Emperor Rank. Still, progress was progress—his talent had advanced, and in just two days, he had already gained two levels. Not bad for a start.
But he knew better than to grow complacent. He still had two contract slots free. One was already for Umbriss newly acquired spirit beast egg which he planned to officially sign tomorrow after it hatch. The other? He had yet to find a worthy beast.
Sighing, he stepped out of the shop plane and returned to his room. Tonight was the full moon, and the garden awaited. The five stalks of Lunaris Herb he had planted had grown splendidly, their leaves trembling in the gentle moonlight. As the full moon's silver rays bathed them, each stalk shimmered, turning almost translucent, like liquid moonlight itself.
Curious, Aion activated Origin Insight on one of the stalks.
Name: Lunacrest Bloom
Rank: 3
Effect: When consumed, helps beasts learn the Dewdrop Mending skill (Rank C) and enhances their comprehension, allowing faster skill mastery.
Aion blinked. He had never imagined a spirit plant could advance . He realized instantly that a plant which could help beasts learn skills was far more valuable than any ordinary herb of the same rank.
"This… this could help me reach Intermediate Beast Tamer," he murmured, excitement in his voice. But he knew he had to be methodical. He needed to record the process and effectiveness, to prove he had discovered it himself.
For that, he needed healing-type spirit beasts to test the effectiveness.He already purchased one today , but five stalks of Lunacrest Bloom meant he could work with more. Aion decided to bring in four additional healing-type cubs—choosing some at Soldier Rank to keep costs reasonable while ensuring quality.
Logging into the Spirit Web, he made his purchases:
1 Springtail – a squirrel-like spirit beast , nimble and small
1 Verdicrawler – a curious caterpillar-type spirit beast
& 2 BunnyLeafbeast – rabbit-like spirit beast , soft and lively.
The total cost is Only 80,000 Star Coins.
Aion stood in the moonlit garden, watching the Lunacrest Bloom stalks glow softly. Everything was falling into place. Tomorrow, he would officially start nurturing his beasts, testing his herbs, and carefully recording every detail and open his pet shop in the city.
Six days remained until the next opening of the Origin Pet Shop. Plenty of time for preparation, plenty of time for progress… and plenty of time to let his dreams begin to take root.