The sun had barely risen over Azure Sky Academy when Ethan Cross stepped into the sprawling training grounds. The air was crisp and carried the scent of freshly raked earth and morning dew. Today marked the beginning of practical training with their newly contracted beasts—a chance for each student to synchronize with their companions and prove their worth.
Even in the early morning, a crowd of students had gathered, buzzing with chatter and laughter. Among them, the heirs of powerful families flaunted their superior beasts: silver wolves with shimmering furs, bronze lions exuding raw strength, and even a rare platinum-scaled serpent that glided like liquid metal across the stones.
Ethan, in stark contrast, carried a small fox nestled lightly in his arms. Its bronze fur appeared dull beside the sparkling beasts around him. Its black eyes, though deep, held an unassuming aura—almost like it knew its place in the hierarchy, or perhaps it understood far more than anyone realized.
From the corner, the snickers began immediately.
"Haha! Look at that!" a student called. "Ethan Cross with that pathetic little Bronze fox. Are you serious?""B-rank talent, bronze fox. Might as well bring a rock and fight," another chimed in.
Lucas Greystone stood nearby, towering over the crowd with his Steel-Armored Wolf at his side. Its claws scraped against the stone floor, leaving sparks in their wake. The wolf's muscles tensed as if it sensed the "weak prey" nearby.
"You really think that fox can survive, Cross?" Lucas sneered. "You're just embarrassing yourself."
Ethan didn't respond. He only knelt to stroke the fox's head. The small beast trembled slightly but leaned into his touch. A subtle thread of warmth ran from the fox to him—a connection so immediate it surprised even Ethan, though he quickly masked his astonishment.
[Beast Info – Visible only to Ethan via Eye of All Things]
Name: Flame Fox
Bloodline: Bronze
Level: Black Iron 1
Hidden Evolution: Mythical – Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox
Potential: Infinite (Mystical Evolution Detected)
Evolution Path: Black Iron → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond → King → Supreme → Mythical
Notes: Each evolution increases abilities exponentially; hidden tail power awakens gradually.
Ethan exhaled softly. This fox may appear ordinary, but he knew it was anything but ordinary.
"Alright, students," Instructor Raymond barked. His tall frame cut through the murmurs, and the crowd quickly quieted. "Today's session will test synchronization and control. Talent rank is important, but a true Beast Master's strength comes from trust with their beast."
Students released their companions into the arena. The display was dazzling:
Silver Falcons soared above, their wings glinting in sunlight.
Bronze Lions roared, their claws digging deep grooves in the stone.
A Gold Serpent slithered silently, its scales shimmering with a faint inner light.
Then Ethan gently set the fox down. It padded cautiously forward, sniffing the ground, its small paws making almost no sound. Beside him, Lucas' wolf bared its fangs and growled low. The crowd snickered again.
"Perfect," Lucas said, smirking. "Let's see if that little mutt can even dodge once."
Ethan crouched low. "Stay calm. Watch my movements, trust me."
The fox's tail twitched faintly—a barely visible flicker of light that no one else could see.
The First Sparring Match
"Lucas Greystone versus Ethan Cross," Instructor Raymond announced. "Prepare yourselves."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Everyone expected the match to be over before it even began. Lucas' wolf was far superior on the surface, a beast that could crush almost any Bronze-level creature.
Lucas smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You should just forfeit, Cross. Save yourself the embarrassment."
Ethan only nodded slightly. "Fox, stay with me."
The match began. Lucas' wolf lunged forward at terrifying speed, claws extended. Dust erupted where it hit the ground, and the fox froze, instinctively bracing itself.
For an instant, Ethan's hidden Fusion Talent flickered. He connected with the fox's heartbeat, sensing its fear and hesitation, then infused it with calm resolve. The fox's eyes sharpened, its small body moving with unnatural precision.
At the last second, the fox darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the wolf's crushing blow.
The crowd gasped.
"That… that fox actually dodged it?" someone whispered.
"Lucky," another student muttered.
A faint flame flickered on the fox's tail, barely perceptible, yet it felt like a spark of divine authority. Ethan's Eye of All Things confirmed the hidden evolution had responded to danger—the fox's dormant potential beginning to awaken.
Lucas bared his teeth. "Do it again!" he commanded. His wolf's claws slashed down.
This time, Ethan didn't hesitate. He moved in perfect sync with the fox, sidestepping, pivoting, and urging it to leap. The fox countered, lunging at the wolf's leg. Its bite barely left a mark, but it caused the wolf to stumble slightly.
Instructor Raymond's eyebrows shot up. "Interesting. This fox isn't ordinary. Its reflexes are far beyond what a Black Iron 1 should have."
Lucas' face darkened. "Scratch my wolf again, and you'll regret it!"
The fox swished its tail. A tiny flame curled, the faintest shimmer of gold.
Ethan whispered, "You can do it… trust me."
With that, the fox launched a coordinated attack, dodging each strike with a precision that left the crowd murmuring. By the end of the sparring session, Lucas' wolf was unscathed but noticeably off-balance, its attacks miscalculated due to the fox's unpredictability.
Synchronization and Bond
After the session, students were ordered to practice coordination exercises. Many struggled to match their beasts' pace, their abilities clashing rather than complementing one another.
Ethan knelt beside the fox, placing his hands lightly on its shoulders. Fusion Talent activated subtly, not merging fully yet, but enough to enhance the fox's reflexes, speed, and perception. Every movement felt natural, every leap synchronized.
The fox, though still small and Bronze-level, moved with the confidence of a much higher beast. Even Lucas shot Ethan a glare, noticing the fox's unusual precision.
"Black Iron 1, huh?" Lucas muttered. "You're lucky that wolf's training wasn't serious yet."
Ethan's lips curved slightly. "Luck? This is just the beginning."
By midday, other students were exhausted, their beasts panting heavily. Ethan and the fox, however, showed minimal signs of fatigue. Each dodge, each leap, each minor strike from the fox displayed latent potential far beyond its apparent level.
Even the instructors whispered among themselves. "That fox… it's responding too quickly for its bloodline and level," one said.
Another nodded. "And the master… he doesn't even seem phased. There's more here than meets the eye."
Evening – The Hidden Flame Awakens
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ethan returned to the dormitory courtyard. The fox curled beside him, tail swishing gently. Under the soft moonlight, the faint glow of gold shimmered from its tail tip.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He could feel the fox's potential stirring.
"Today, you dodged, countered, and struck," he whispered. "Tomorrow… we grow stronger. Each battle will awaken more of your hidden power."
A sudden flicker of light traced the fox's fur, like a spark igniting from within. The first tail of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox had subtly awakened—a precursor to the immense strength to come.
Ethan gently stroked its fur. "No one can see your strength yet. No one can know. Our rise begins in silence… but soon, the world will bow to us."
The fox pressed closer to him, tail flicking faintly again, as if acknowledging the vow.
For Ethan, the B-rank talent was a mask. His true power lay dormant, hidden behind three Mythical Talents that no one could perceive.
And with that, the journey of the Hidden Beast Emperor had truly begun.
✨ End of Chapter 2 ✨