Dan returned to his dormitory to find it empty—Tae had already left for Beast Evolution Theory class.
Good. Dan needed privacy for this.
He set the wooden box on his desk and carefully opened it. Inside, nestled in silk padding, rested a crystal the size of his thumb. It glowed with soft amber light, pulsing gently like a heartbeat.
Dan could feel the power radiating from it—concentrated essence, pure magical energy waiting to be absorbed.
He summoned his spore cloud and sat cross-legged on his bed, holding the crystal between his palms.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's see what you can do."
Following the Headmaster's instructions, Dan closed his eyes and focused on his bond with the spore. He could feel it now—that thin thread of connection linking them, weak but present.
Slowly, he willed the crystal's energy to flow through that thread.
At first, nothing happened.
Then warmth spread through his palms, traveling up his arms. The spore cloud began to glow brighter, its gray color shifting subtly—not quite silver, but less dingy than before.
The luminescent mushrooms manifested in Dan's hair, growing larger, their soft light intensifying.
Energy flooded the bond, and Dan gasped as sensations overwhelmed him—not painful, but intense. He could feel his spore's presence more clearly now, sense its simple thoughts and instincts.
Hungry. Grow. Feed. Expand.
The crystal's light dimmed as the spore absorbed its energy, the process taking nearly an hour before the glow finally faded completely.
When Dan opened his eyes, the crystal had turned gray and lifeless—its energy fully depleted.
But his spore cloud had changed.
It was larger now, roughly twice its original size. The mushrooms in Dan's hair had grown to the size of copper coins, glowing with steady bioluminescence. And when he checked his reflection in the small mirror on his desk, Dan noticed something else:
His eyes looked sharper. More alert. The physical exhaustion from yesterday's fight had faded completely.
He called up his status instinctively, the way Riu's manual had taught him:
Summoner: Dan of Woodhelm
Resonance Grade: 1.3
Beast: Mycelium Spore (Iron-rank, Level 1)
Bond Strength: Weak → Moderate
Abilities:
- Physical Strength +10% → +15%
- Poison Resistance (Passive)
- Life Force Extension (Passive)
- Spore Absorption (Active)
- Spore Dispersal (Active)
- [NEW] Fungal Growth (Active)
Dan's eyes widened. A new ability?
He focused on Fungal Growth, and information flooded his mind:
Fungal Growth: Deploy spore threads into organic material, accelerating decomposition and nutrient absorption. Can create temporary mushroom clusters for environmental manipulation.
"This is..." Dan stared at his spore cloud, which pulsed happily. "You learned something new."
The implications hit him immediately. If he could deploy fungal threads into the ground, he could create traps—mushroom clusters that could obstruct movement, absorb energy, maybe even weaken opponents who stepped on them.
It wasn't flashy like fire breath or lightning claws. But it was versatile.
Tactical.
Exactly the kind of ability Dan needed.
A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Dan? You in there?"
Riu's voice.
Dan quickly dismissed his spore, the mushrooms vanishing from his hair. He opened the door to find Riu standing there, her Celestial Wyvern coiled behind her like a living storm cloud.
"How did the meeting go?" she asked without preamble.
"How did you—"
"The entire Academy knows the Headmaster summoned you. Gossip travels fast here." Riu's golden eyes studied him. "So? Are you expelled? Punished? Rewarded?"
"Rewarded, I think." Dan showed her the depleted crystal. "She gave me this. Said the Academy is 'investing' in me."
Riu's eyebrows rose. "A Minor Essence Crystal. Those are usually reserved for Elite students." She smiled slightly. "Seems you impressed her."
"Or she wants to see if I'm worth the trouble."
"Probably both." Riu glanced past him into the room. "May I come in?"
Dan stepped aside, and Riu entered, her wyvern remaining in the hallway—too large to fit inside.
She examined the depleted crystal with professional interest. "You used it already? Smart. The sooner your spore grows, the better." She set it down. "Did you gain any new abilities?"
"One. Fungal Growth. I can deploy spore threads and create mushroom clusters."
Riu's expression turned thoughtful. "Interesting. That's an environmental control ability. Rare for Iron-rank beasts." She looked at him directly. "Dan, I need to warn you about something."
"What?"
"Kael has an older brother. Jae Stonefist. Third-year student. Elite Resonance 5.8, nearly High. His beast is an Iron-Scaled Armadillo—Bronze-rank, level 3, with fire elemental affinity."
Dan's stomach sank. "Let me guess. He's not happy about what I did to his little brother."
"Correct. And unlike Kael, Jae is experienced. Ruthless. He won't challenge you openly—that would damage his reputation. But he'll find other ways to make you suffer."
"Great."
"I'm telling you this because you need to be careful. Watch your back. Don't go anywhere alone if you can help it." Riu moved toward the door. "And Dan? Keep training. That crystal bought you some time, but you're still far weaker than most students here."
"I know."
Riu paused at the threshold, glancing back. "For what it's worth... I'm glad the Headmaster recognized your potential. Most wouldn't have."
Then she was gone, her wyvern's footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Dan sat heavily on his bed, the weight of everything pressing down on him.
He had a target on his back now. Kael's older brother. The Academy's expectations. His own desperate need to prove himself worthy of his father's legacy.
But he also had new abilities. A stronger bond with his spore. And allies—few, but real.
Tae returned an hour later, bursting through the door with wide eyes.
"Did you hear?!" he gasped. "They posted the combat rankings!"
"Already?"
"Yes! And you're not going to believe where you placed!"
Dan followed Tae to the main hall, where a massive board displayed the rankings for all Low Resonance students. Names glowed in golden script, organized by combat performance.
Dan found his name quickly.
#7 out of 30
Seventh place. In a single match, he'd jumped from unranked to the top quarter of Low Resonance students.
Around him, other Low Resonance students stared at the board with mixed expressions—some impressed, some resentful, some simply shocked.
"The mushroom boy is ranked seventh," someone whispered.
"How is that possible?"
"He beat Kael Stonefist..."
Dan ignored the whispers, focusing on the names above his:
#1: Mira Stoneheart (2.9 Resonance)
#2: Joon Ironwood (3.2 Resonance)
#3: Hana Swiftbrook (3.4 Resonance)
#4: Tae Greenwood (2.8 Resonance)
Wait.
Dan turned to Tae. "You're ranked fourth?!"
Tae grinned sheepishly. "I won my second match. Barely. But it counted."
"That's amazing!"
"Not compared to you jumping to seventh with one fight." Tae's expression turned serious. "But Dan... look who's ranked right above you."
Dan followed his gaze to the sixth position:
#6: Serin Blackwood (3.3 Resonance)
"Who's that?"
"Serin is Jae Stonefist's girlfriend," Tae said quietly. "And she's your next opponent. It's already posted for the match in three days."
Dan's blood ran cold.
Of course. Jae couldn't challenge Dan directly without looking petty. But he could arrange for his girlfriend to face Dan in an official match—perfectly legal, perfectly brutal.
"She has a Shadow Cat," Tae continued. "Bronze-rank, level 2. Specializes in speed and stealth attacks. It's a terrible matchup for your spore."
Dan stared at the ranking board, his jaw tightening.
Three days.
Three days to prepare for an opponent specifically chosen to counter his abilities, backed by a third-year's tactical knowledge, fighting with personal motivation beyond just winning points.
"Dan?" Tae's voice was worried. "Are you okay?"
Dan thought of the depleted crystal. His new Fungal Growth ability. Riu's warning. The Headmaster's investment.
His father's words echoed again: The man makes the beast.
"I'm fine," Dan said quietly. "Just planning."
Because if they thought a Shadow Cat would be enough to crush him, they were about to learn the same lesson Kael had:
Underestimating Dan of Woodhelm was a mistake.
And he was done being underestimated.
---
To be continued...