'Partner…'
Hearing that, Jin's heart suddenly tensed, but then it softened when he realized it came from the Serperance.
Feeling surprised, he looked at the white snake, almost as large as his arm, cooing up to him like some adorable pet. Coupled with its elegant beauty and gentle gestures, the snake suddenly felt less scary.
No, to be precise, he didn't feel any fear toward it anymore.
How could he? This was his partner now.
'Partner. What is my name, partner?'
The Serperance slithered around his neck, making him feel slightly ticklish.
"Your name…"
Jin thought for a moment.
"Alpas."
The snake paused, its lips curling upward. 'Alpas…'
'A beautiful name. Thank you, partner.'
'It is.'
Pleased, Jin raised his other hand and gently patted Alpas' head.
Clap! Clap!
"What a beautiful scene. No matter how many times I see it, it never gets old."
The researcher applauded with a large smile on his face.
"You're one step closer to becoming a professional Mira Trainer. Congratulations."
Jin nodded slightly, thanking the man sincerely. "Thank you for helping me."
"It's my job. I'm Alexander, by the way." Alexander smiled, introducing himself for the first time. He reached out his hand toward Jin. "Where do you study?"
"I study at Hope Elite University…" Jin answered, surprised. He looked at the extended hand before raising his gaze to Alexander. He shook the man's hand. "Jin Holmes. Thank you for helping me again, Mr. Alexander."
"Hope Elite… that brings back some memories," Alexander said with nostalgia. He shook his head. "When do you plan to take your Mira Trainer certificate?"
"Not for the moment." Jin thought for a moment. "But it'll probably be when Alpas is ready. Why?"
"Call me." Alexander took out a business card from his pocket. "Here's my card. When you get your certificate, you can call me. I know someone who can help you out."
Jin found it strange but didn't question it for now. He accepted the card and slipped it into his pocket.
"Alright, I'll do so. But can I ask why you're doing this?"
Alexander thought for a moment, then smiled. "Hmm… You could say I see the birth of a champion in you."
***
Jin walked out of City Hall with a small smile.
Champion…
Alexander's words crossed his mind.
Besides exploring secret realms, Mira Trainers also fought against each other.
This custom was referred to as the "Clash of Hope."
Originally, it started because two Mira Trainers were unable to settle a dispute in court, so they decided to resolve it through a "Clash of Hope," where they brought their Miras and settled it in the most primitive way, fighting.
The winner would prove to be superior and resolve the dispute in any way they wanted, while the loser would accept whatever conditions the former imposed.
But as the echoes of war slowly faded, this custom disappeared along with them.
However, it didn't vanish entirely, it simply evolved into something more acceptable: sports entertainment.
To further integrate Miras into society, entire competitions and tournaments were established to provide an official platform for Mira Trainers to compete, and among them, the most popular was the Champions' League.
It was the league where the strongest and smartest Mira Trainers gathered to compete and prove themselves. The one who won it all became the World Champion.
The title of World Champion was one of the highest honors in existence, something every Mira Trainer once dreamed of achieving.
"That guy, Alexander… he knew how to joke around."
Jin smirked, shaking his head. A Champion? He hadn't even become an official Mira Trainer yet.
'Is a Champion very strong, partner?'
From the depths of his mind, Alpas asked curiously.
'The strongest,' Jin replied with certainty.
Currently, Alpas was staying inside his Mindspace.
One of the core abilities of a Mira Trainer was their Mindspace, an unexplainable phenomenon brought about by the soul-connecting ritual.
It was an infinite, imaginative space where Mira Trainers could store their Miras.
'Then I'll help you become the Champion, partner,' Alpas said innocently.
Jin was surprised and paused for a moment. He asked, 'But why?'
'The strongest…' Alpas muttered. 'So you'll become the strongest, and no one will eat us.'
At that moment, Jin suddenly stopped in his tracks.
It was said that some animals began to develop their consciousness as early as when they were still inside their eggs.
Living in that closed shell, they could neither see nor move. Stuck in a motionless state, feeling their own weakness while hearing the relentless chaos of the primitive world outside. Their fates were left to the breaths of the monsters that surrounded them.
Through the process of hatching, they learned, understood, and adapted, nurturing the instincts of survival long before they were born.
Alpas was probably—no, surely the same.
No secret realm was truly safe, and the Southern Ecnologia Primitive Realm was even more dangerous.
How long had Alpas stayed there?
"Don't worry, Alpas…" Jin said as he continued walking. "No one is going to eat us. I promise you that."
Alpas stayed quiet for a while.
'...Then, I'm relieved, partner.'
Jin nodded and smiled when he felt Alpas' heart soften.
At that moment, he felt a buzz in his pocket.
He took out his phone and saw a new notification.
[MIRA NURTURING DEPT. sent 100,000 Emira to ACC NUMBER: 0172845xxx…]
"That fast?"
Jin was surprised. He had expected it to arrive in one or two business days, as government processes could be extremely tedious.
He opened his phone and checked his balance.
[Balance: 105,017.12]
Change of plans, then. He was already on his way home, but since Alpas' money had arrived, he would buy the things for Alpas' training plan along the way.
Fiddling with his phone, he opened Maps and searched for the nearest store for Mira food and items.
"There's one in Honeyside Mall… Perfect."
Without wasting any more time, Jin was more than ready to train Alpas!