The sun rose over Azure Sky Academy, casting golden rays across its sprawling training grounds. Hundreds of youths had gathered today, each poised for the most important day of their lives—the Awakening Ceremony.
At eighteen, every student would awaken their Beast Master Talent, a force that would determine their destiny in the empire.
The air buzzed with whispers.
"Did you hear? Someone already awakened an S-rank last year!""I heard the highest talent this year might reach SSS. Imagine the power…""Ha! With your background? Don't dream. At best, you'll get a C-rank."
Among the crowd stood Ethan Cross, his black hair gleaming under the morning sun. Orphaned and alone, he had grown up with no wealth and no family, surviving purely on determination. Yet he stood tall, calm, exuding a quiet confidence that belied the whispers around him.
Nearby, Lucas Greystone, heir of the powerful Greystone family, sneered. "Cross, do you even think you'll awaken anything above D? Hah! You're an orphan—you'll never tame a proper beast."
The Awakening Stone stood at the center of the training grounds, a towering crystal sphere etched with ancient runes. Every youth would place their hand on it to reveal the rank of their Beast Master Talent.
"Silence!" boomed Elder Rowan, the academy principal, from the platform. "The Awakening Ceremony is sacred. Step forward in order and show respect to your destiny!"
One by one, students approached the stone. Their hands touched its surface, beams of light flaring and illuminating their talent rank.
A-rank. Cheers erupted.
C-rank. Groans followed.
S-rank. Gasps and admiration.
And then, it was Lucas Greystone's turn. His hand pressed against the stone, and S-rank appeared. The crowd erupted, and Lucas basked in their praise, his gaze sweeping arrogantly toward Ethan. "See, Cross? That's real talent. You? You'll crawl in the dirt."
Finally, Ethan's name was called. A hush fell over the crowd.
He walked calmly forward, ignoring the whispers and sneers. Placing his hand on the Awakening Stone, the light surged. After a tense moment, the verdict was revealed:
B-rank Beast Master Talent.
The crowd erupted with laughter. "B-rank? Hahaha!"Lucas smirked. "Pathetic. Ethan, stick to caring for weak beasts."
Ethan's expression remained calm. No one could see the truth.
Beneath the surface, hidden in the depths of his soul, three Mythical Talents pulsed with immense power:
Eye of All Things – He could see the full details of any beast.
Evolution – He could accelerate a beast's bloodline to its limit, even to Mythical.
Fusion – He could merge with his beast to gain all its abilities.
No Awakening Stone, no smartwatch, no scholar, could detect this. The world only saw a mediocre B-rank orphan.
The Beast Chamber
After the ceremony, students were led to the Beast Chamber, a massive hall lined with cages of every size. Wealthy students had access to high-bloodline beasts—Bronze Lions, Silver Wolves, Gold Panthers. The poor could only choose from the academy's free section.
The free section was filled with seemingly ordinary creatures—gray wolves, stone lizards, horned rabbits. All appeared weak, with little potential.
Then Ethan's eyes caught a small, unassuming fox, curled quietly in the corner of a cage.
Bloodline: Bronze
Level: Black Iron 1
Its fur was dull bronze, and its eyes were calm yet piercing, as if hiding a secret.
The other students passed it by. "A useless fox," someone muttered.
Ethan's hidden Eye of All Things flickered. A golden glow traced the fox, revealing a secret no one else could see:
Hidden Evolution: Mythical Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox
Potential: Infinite growth
Evolution Path: Black Iron → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond → King → Supreme → Mythical
Ethan smiled faintly. "This one," he said softly.
The instructor frowned. "Are you sure? That fox is low-grade. I can recommend something stronger."
"No," Ethan replied. "This one is enough."
A faint golden light formed between his hand and the cage. The contract was sealed.
The Beginning
Holding the fox, Ethan ignored the laughter. "B-rank talent with a Bronze fox," they mocked. "His future's over."
But deep down, Ethan knew the truth. This fox wasn't trash. It was destined to become a god.
The fox nuzzled his hand, and for the first time, its tail flickered faintly—the first sign of its hidden power.
Ethan's heart tightened. The world mocked him, but soon, all would see.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered.
With the fox at his side, Ethan Cross's rise as the Hidden Beast Emperor had begun.
✨ End of Chapter 1 ✨