The town of Graymere wasn't much. Its streets were narrow, its houses crooked, and its market square smelled faintly of rotting fish and burned bread. But to Kael Vire, it was the center of the universe—if your universe consisted of constant bullying, being underestimated, and the occasional burning embarrassment.
Kael crouched behind a stack of crates, watching yet another "beast-summoning ceremony" unfold. His classmates were out there in the sun, raising their hands with dramatic flair, calling forth creatures of all shapes and sizes. Eagles with eyes like molten gold. Salamanders with scales glinting under the morning sun. Troll dogs that barked fire.
And Kael? He had… well, he didn't really know.
He'd gotten his summon a week ago, a tiny, wriggling little creature that hissed more than it roared, smelled worse than the fish market, and looked like a cross between a lizard and… dirt.
"Kael Vire!" shouted Master Harlen, the instructor, his long gray beard flapping in the wind. "Step forward. Let us see what beast fate has granted you."
Kael swallowed. The pile of papers in his satchel confirmed it:
[System Notice: Beast Summon Complete.]
[Creature: Fluffmire Salamander.]
[Tier: D.]
[Survival Probability: Low.]
He sighed. Not even a B-tier. Not even a C-tier. Just… D. And for the first time in his life, Kael felt the world's weight pressing against his tiny, miserable shoulders.
He stepped into the sunlight, the other students snickering behind him. Some of them carried beasts taller than him; one even had a mini dragon that puffed smoke rings from its nostrils.
Kael's Fluffmire Salamander wriggled in his hands, letting out a pathetic squeak.
"Ah… yes," Master Harlen said slowly, his voice dripping with… something that might have been pity. "A Fluffmire. Remarkable. Truly… unique."
Kael tried to look confident. "Thanks," he muttered.
"Unique," repeated Harlen, "because… it's almost impossible to train. Almost no one has ever… successfully summoned one. It will… challenge you, Kael."
The crowd snickered.
Kael's cheeks burned. "Challenge me?" he whispered under his breath. "You mean it's garbage."
Fluffmire let out a squeaky hiss as if agreeing. Kael glared.
[System Notice: Creature Assessment.]
[Fluffmire Salamander – Tier D.]
[Abilities: Slimy camouflage, low-level mud manipulation.]
[Potential: Very low.]
[Kael Vire – Bond Compatibility: Moderate.]
"Moderate?" Kael muttered. "Moderate? Are you kidding me?"
He had seen the other students. Each of them had monsters that could smash walls, breathe fire, fly, or burrow underground. And here he was, holding a squirming, muddy little blob that looked like it would be eaten by a puddle.
The first lesson in Kael's life as "the weakest" was obvious: people were already laughing at you before you even moved.
"Kael, demonstrate a simple command," Harlen said, his beard twitching like a living thing. "Move it forward. Jump. Attack."
Kael cleared his throat. "Uh… okay."
He pointed at the practice dummy—a wooden post with a painted face. "Go."
The Fluffmire twitched. Then it… rolled onto its back, kicking its tiny legs in the air. Mud splattered everywhere.
The crowd erupted.
"Look at it!" someone shouted. "It's… it's doing a belly flop!"
Kael growled. "Get up!"
Fluffmire ignored him, squeaking angrily as if mocking him personally.
Harlen rubbed his temples. "Yes… well… clearly, this will require… patience."
Kael wanted to shout. "Patience?! I need a beast that can actually survive, not… this blob of shame!"
But instead, he muttered, "Fine. Whatever. I'll make it work. You'll see."
As Kael grumbled, a small, invisible voice spoke in his mind.
[System Activated: Kael Vire.]
[Beast Detected: Fluffmire Salamander.]
[Tier: D.]
[Potential: Low.]
[Suggested Action: Suppression training recommended.]
"Ugh," Kael muttered. "You really don't sugarcoat anything, do you?"
[Kael Vire – Motivation Detected: High.]
[Potential Growth – Unknown.]
[Warning: Current beast appears worthless.]
Kael ignored the warning. He wasn't giving up. Not now. Not ever.
He clenched his fists. "Alright, Fluffmire," he whispered, "we're going to survive. And if anyone laughs, I'll… I'll show them. You and me. We'll climb from dirt to dragons. Just wait."
By the end of the ceremony, Kael's classmates had left, their beasts preening, roaring, and showing off. Kael and Fluffmire were left in the dust. Literally. Mud everywhere.
He squatted beside his beast. "Okay, first things first. Let's learn how to not die."
[System Notice: Training Mode Activated.]
[Kael Vire – Options: Manual suppression, environmental adaptation, forced evolution.]
Kael blinked. "Manual suppression… huh?"
He flexed his fingers. "Fine. Let's see what happens."
Fluffmire twitched. Kael focused. He pushed… not outward, but inward. Concentrating on his own presence. Slowly, painfully… he felt it—the slightest ripple in the air.
[Suppression Successful – Level 1.]
[Fluffmire Salamander – Reaction: Alert, adaptive.]
Kael's eyes widened. "Wait… that worked?"
Fluffmire tilted its head, mud dripping from its tiny claws. "Squeak!"
Kael laughed. "Okay, that's a start. That's a start!"
As the sun began to set over Graymere, Kael walked home, Fluffmire wobbling beside him. His parents' small home was warm and messy, but safe. His mother's arms were always open, his father's eyes proud despite everything. They had given him everything for this chance.
Kael clenched his fists. "I won't let them down. I won't let anyone laugh at me forever. One day, Fluffmire… we'll make them eat their words. We'll grow. We'll evolve. And dragons? They won't just follow us—they'll fight for us."
Fluffmire squeaked as if agreeing, leaving muddy footprints across the floor.
Kael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah… just don't die before chapter two."
And somewhere, deep in the skies, dragons stirred. Perhaps they had felt the faintest ripple of potential. Perhaps they had not yet decided whether to take notice.
But Kael Vire, the weakest dragon tamer, had just taken his first step. And sometimes, the smallest step is the one that changes everything.