Chapter 1 – "The First Pet Beast"
Dawn had barely touched the horizon when Lin Xuan arrived at the academy gates, the morning light stretching across the sprawling campus like molten gold. The grounds were enormous, a labyrinth of cobblestone courtyards, ornate spires, and carefully manicured gardens that seemed to shimmer even under the first rays of the sun. The air was alive with sound: distant roars, flaps of wings, the clatter of hooves, and the low hum of magical resonance that seemed to drift from the pavilion grounds.
Lin adjusted the strap of his simple satchel and surveyed the scene. Unlike many students arriving in carriages pulled by exotic beasts, or riding on creatures that glimmered with elemental auras, he had nothing flashy to show. His clothes were plain, his boots worn, his pockets empty. The more extravagant central pavilions were beyond his reach—the admission fees and upkeep for those creatures were far beyond what he could afford. For him, these areas were off-limits.
Instead, he made his way to the quieter edge of the pavilion grounds, where simpler habitats had been constructed. These enclosures were far less glamorous but mimicked the natural habitats of their residents with surprising accuracy. Small forests, rocky plains, and muddy swamps were recreated on a miniature scale, each echoing the environments the creatures had evolved to survive in.
Lin's thoughts drifted briefly to the days before he left the orphanage. Nights spent reading old beast-taming manuals by candlelight, dreaming of creatures no one else seemed to notice, had prepared him for this moment. If I can't compete with wealth, I can compete with knowledge and understanding, he reminded himself.
As he walked, a sudden pulse erupted in his mind. The Codex—a translucent, ethereal interface—awakened for the first time. It floated silently in his perception, flickering softly as though curious to see the world.
Scan environment?
Lin focused, and a soft ripple of energy spread through his senses. The Codex highlighted every beast in the nearby enclosures, overlaying stats, potential, and basic traits. Strength, Defense, Speed, Intelligence, and Evolution Potential appeared beside each creature. Most of the beasts had straightforward paths—common, rare, or elite evolution branches, all documented and predictable. He could see why wealthier tamers preferred the flashy creatures; their potential was obvious, their power visible even from a distance.
Then, near the edge of the pavilion grounds, he noticed something different. A small movement, subtle but deliberate, caught his eye. A squat, metallic creature nibbled on a rusted fragment of iron, sparks flying faintly from each bite. Its dark, unremarkable body blended with the rocky enclosure, almost invisible to the casual observer.
The Codex pulsed faintly as it scanned the creature. Most nearby beasts had clear, documented evolution paths, but this one's interface reacted differently. The display blinked with multiple branching lines, faint and shimmering, marked: Hidden / Uncharted.
Lin's eyes widened. His pulse quickened. According to every tamer's manual, Iron-Eating Beasts were considered stubborn and incapable of evolving beyond their base form. Most tamers ignored them entirely. Yet here it was, displaying possibilities no one had ever recorded.
The creature looked up, its small eyes intelligent and alert. Sparks clinked from its teeth as it bit another fragment of rusted metal. Lin crouched slightly, careful not to startle it.
"Iron-Eating Beast," he murmured softly. He had read the old texts—how the species was overlooked, mocked even, and considered a dead end for ambitious tamers. But the Codex told a different story. This creature was unique, a hidden gem among the common species.
He extended a hand slowly. The Iron-Eating Beast tilted its head, clinking its teeth softly against another fragment of iron, as if acknowledging his presence. Lin knelt fully now, brushing his fingers over the rough, metallic fur along its back.
"We'll grow together," he said softly. "Step by step. I think there's more to you than anyone realizes, and I intend to find out."
The Codex pulsed faintly, almost as if acknowledging his focus. In its interface, faint lines suggested branching evolution paths—some emphasizing defense, some attack, and even a few strange combinations that seemed to merge both. The paths were subtle but unmistakable: this creature's potential was far more complex than any tamer had recorded. Someday, Lin thought, he would study them in detail and document what no one else had noticed.
For a long moment, they simply observed one another. The Iron-Eating Beast moved with deliberate care, tilting its head and shifting its weight in a subtle display of awareness. Lin felt the first stirrings of something deeper, something the textbooks had only hinted at: the beginning of a bond, one that could influence not only the creature's growth but his own understanding of tamers' abilities.
Around them, the rest of the pavilion grounds buzzed with life—students and beasts alike—but for Lin and the Iron-Eating Beast, the world had narrowed to this rocky enclosure, to sparks clinking against iron, and to a sense of potential waiting to be unlocked.
He whispered again, more to himself than the creature: "No one else can see it yet… but we will."
And so, in that quiet, overlooked pavilion at the edge of the academy, the first bond was formed. Not chosen, not picked, but discovered—mutual, tentative, and brimming with possibilities. The Iron-Eating Beast was no longer a dead-end species in Lin's eyes; it was the beginning of something extraordinary.
Lin stood slowly, surveying the other enclosures with a new understanding. He couldn't afford the flashy beasts, but he didn't need them. With the Codex and this creature, he had what mattered most: insight, patience, and a secret that no one else would see.
The journey had begun.