Chapter 16: The Beast King
Recap: Fang Yuan defeated three warriors to pass the second trial. Now, on the morning of the third day, he faces the Beast King himself—a Rank 3 Sand Serpent and a hundred years of battle experience.
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Dawn broke over the plain like a wound.
Fang Yuan stood at the center of the camp, his grey robes still, his face empty. Around him, the nomads had gathered in a circle larger than yesterday. Warriors, hunters, elders, children—all of them had come to watch. The air was thick with anticipation.
The Beast King emerged from his tent.
He was dressed for battle now—leather armor studded with bone, his white hair loose around his shoulders, his eyes the color of old blood. His Sand Serpent coiled at his feet, its scales gleaming, its golden eyes fixed on Fang Yuan with the patience of a predator that had waited a hundred years for this moment.
"You've come far, southerner," the Beast King said. His voice was quiet, but it carried across the camp. "Farther than anyone expected. But this is where your journey ends."
Fang Yuan reached into his robe and pulled out a Pokeball. "We'll see."
The Beast King smiled. "Yes. We will."
He raised his hand. The match began.
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The Sand Serpent moved before Fang Yuan could react.
It was a blur of scales and sand, its body uncoiling, its mouth opening, a stream of grit already forming. Fang Yuan dove to the side, the sand tearing through the air where he had been standing, carving a trench in the earth.
He released his White Boar Gu. "Charge!"
The White Boar Gu lunged, its tusks lowered, its hooves shaking the ground. The Sand Serpent didn't dodge. It took the charge head-on, its scales grinding against the tusks, sparks flying.
The White Boar Gu skidded back, its tusks cracked, its head shaking. The Sand Serpent hadn't moved.
Its scales are too thick. Physical attacks won't work.
Fang Yuan recalled the White Boar Gu and released his Magnemite Gu. "Thunder Shock!"
The bolt of lightning arced across the clearing. The Sand Serpent's scales sparked, but the creature didn't flinch. Ground type. Immune to electric.
Of course. Ground type. Immune to electric. Resistant to physical. Weak to grass and water.
He released his Lotus Gu. The flower materialized in a burst of golden light, its petals open, its core blazing.
"Petal Dance!"
The golden light scattered across the Sand Serpent's scales. The creature hissed, its body writhing, the light burning into its skin. Grass type. Super effective.
But the Sand Serpent was old. It had faced grass Gu before. It knew how to fight back.
Its tail swept across the clearing, striking the Lotus Gu before it could dodge. The flower's petals shredded, its light flickered, and it fell.
Fang Yuan recalled it. The Lotus Gu was still alive, but it couldn't fight anymore.
Two Subjects down. Seven left. I need to change tactics.
He released his Wildfire Stallion. The creature materialized in a blaze of orange and red, its mane a torrent of flame, its hooves pawing the ground.
The Sand Serpent hissed. Fire. Weak against ground. But the Stallion wasn't attacking. It was circling, its flames leaving scorch marks on the earth, its eyes fixed on the serpent.
"Flame Charge," Fang Yuan said.
The Wildfire Stallion lunged, its body becoming a streak of fire. The Sand Serpent opened its mouth, a stream of sand already forming—
Fang Yuan released his Wind Bird Gu. "Gust!"
The vortex of air caught the sand, scattering it, blinding the serpent. The Wildfire Stallion's flame struck the serpent's side, and the creature screamed, its scales cracking, its body writhing.
The Beast King's eyes narrowed. "Clever. Using the bird to disrupt my serpent's attack." He raised his hand. "But not clever enough."
The Sand Serpent dove into the earth.
Fang Yuan's eyes widened. It was burrowing. Ground type. It could move through the earth like water, unseen, unstoppable.
He recalled the Wildfire Stallion and the Wind Bird Gu, his hand already reaching for another Pokeball. But the Sand Serpent was faster.
It burst from the ground beneath his feet.
Fang Yuan leaped, but the serpent's tail caught his legs, sending him sprawling. His Pokeballs scattered across the earth. The Sand Serpent's jaws opened, its fangs dripping with venom, its golden eyes burning.
The crowd gasped. The Beast King smiled.
And Fang Yuan reached into his pocket and pulled out the cracked stone.
"Fusion."
The creature inside him erupted.
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It was different this time.
The first fusion had been desperate, uncontrolled, the creature forcing its way into his body. This time, Fang Yuan invited it. He opened himself to the darkness, let it flow through his veins, his bones, his soul.
His eyes became silver mirrors. His skin became cold. And when he raised his hand, the shadows around him rose.
The Sand Serpent froze. Its golden eyes widened, and for the first time, Fang Yuan saw fear in them. Not fear of him. Fear of what he carried.
The shadows wrapped around the serpent's body, its scales, its fangs. The creature struggled, but the darkness held it, squeezed it, crushed it.
"Yield," Fang Yuan said.
His voice was not his own. It was the creature's voice, old and cold and vast.
The Beast King stared at him, his face pale, his hands trembling. "What are you?"
Fang Yuan didn't answer. He raised his hand higher, and the shadows tightened.
The Sand Serpent screamed—a high, piercing sound that cut through the crowd's silence. Its scales cracked. Its body convulsed. It was dying.
"Yield!" the Beast King shouted. "I yield!"
Fang Yuan lowered his hand. The shadows receded. The Sand Serpent collapsed, its body limp, its breath ragged.
The crowd was silent. The Beast King stood frozen, his hands at his sides, his face a mask of shock.
Fang Yuan walked toward him. His steps were steady, his eyes still silver, his skin still cold.
"The badge," he said.
The Beast King reached into his armor and pulled out a token of gold and bone—a fang, carved with symbols, gleaming in the morning light. He held it out.
Fang Yuan took it. The system flared.
[Gym Badge Acquired: Beast Badge]
[4/8 Badges Obtained]
[Unlocked: Ranch System – now available]
[Unlocked: Increased capture limit to 30 total Subjects]
[Fourth Badge Bonus: 200 Primeval Stones]
His status updated: Primeval Stones: 431.
He pocketed the badge and turned to leave.
"Wait." The Beast King's voice was hoarse. "What was that? At the end. What did you become?"
Fang Yuan looked back at him. His eyes were his own again—dark, cold, patient.
"A demon," he said.
He walked out of the camp and didn't look back.
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He walked until the camp was a smudge on the plain, until the sun was high, until his legs gave out.
He collapsed on the grass, his chest heaving, his hands shaking. The fusion had drained him again, but not as much as before. He was getting used to it. Or the creature was getting used to him.
He pulled out the cracked stone. It was warm, pulsing, and the creature's presence was there, quiet but awake.
Four badges, it whispered. Four more to go.
Fang Yuan closed his eyes. "Where's the next one?"
The south. Beyond the mountains. The Wu Clan. A man who commands the dead.
Fang Yuan opened his eyes. "Ghost type?"
Yes. Rank 4. His Gu are spirits, shadows, things that should not exist. He will be your hardest challenge yet.
Fang Yuan sat up. "Then I'll need more Subjects. Stronger Subjects."
Yes. And you'll need to evolve the ones you have. The Ranch System is unlocked now. You can breed them, train them, make them stronger.
Fang Yuan opened his Status screen. A new option had appeared: Ranch.
He selected it.
[Ranch System]
Current Capacity: 10 Subjects
Current Residents: 0/10
Available Upgrades: None
Features:
· Breeding: Combine two compatible Subjects to produce an egg.
· Training: Subjects left in the Ranch gain experience over time.
· Feeding: Auto-feeding extends to Ranch Subjects.
· Storage: Subjects in the Ranch do not count toward active party limit.
I can breed them. Train them. Make them stronger without fighting.
He looked at his Subjects. Nine spheres, each containing a creature that had fought beside him, bled beside him. The Moonlight Gu, his first capture. The Vine Gu, his control. The White Boar Gu, his hammer. The Wind Bird Gu, his speed. The Fire Cricket Gu, his flame. The Magnemite Gu, his shock. The Stone Dragon Gu, his dragon. The Wildfire Stallion, his fire. The Lotus Gu, his light.
They're not enough. Not for what's coming.
He stood and started walking south.
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End of Chapter 16