Chapter 14: The Road North
Recap: Fang Yuan defeated Tie Shan and earned his third badge. The Tie Clan leader warned him about the Dead Lands—a place where the earth bleeds black and a door made of the same metal as his mysterious sphere waits.
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The road north was a scar across the earth.
Fang Yuan walked it alone, his grey robes dusted with ash, his face turned toward the mountains that grew larger with each passing day. Behind him, the Tie Clan territory had faded into memory. Ahead, the Northern Plains stretched to the horizon—a vast expanse of grassland where the wind never stopped and the sky was always gray.
He had been walking for three days.
His Subjects were healing. The Lotus Gu's petals had regrown, its golden light steady. The White Boar Gu's wounds had closed. The Magnemite Gu's cracks had sealed. Only the Rock Skin Gu and the Water Flea Gu remained dark—empty spheres that he kept in his pocket as reminders.
Two Subjects lost. Seven remain. I need more.
He opened his Status screen as he walked.
TRAINER: Fang Yuan
Rank: 1 (Mortal)
Badges: 3/8
Primeval Stones: 211
Immortal Essence Stones: 0
Active Subjects: 7/24
Total Captures: 11
Subjects: Moonlight Gu, Vine Gu, White Boar Gu, Wind Bird Gu, Fire Cricket Gu, Magnemite Gu, Stone Dragon Gu.
Lost: Rock Skin Gu, Water Flea Gu x3, Lotus Gu (recovering)
Fusion Partner: ?? (Recovering – 1 day remaining)
One more day until fusion recovers. Then I have my ace back.
He reached into his pocket and touched the black-and-gold sphere. It was cold, as always, but the presence inside was stirring. The fragment. The other piece of whatever creature had merged with him.
You found the other fragment, it had said. The other fragment.
He didn't understand what that meant. But he understood that the sphere was a key—to power, to the Dead Lands, to something the system was trying to keep sealed.
Four badges left. Then I go north. Then I find the door.
---
By midday, the grassland had given way to something else.
The earth was darker here, the grass sparse, the air thick with the smell of ash. In the distance, Fang Yuan could see the first signs of civilization—a cluster of tents, a herd of beasts, the smoke of cooking fires.
The Northern Plains were not like the southern territories. There were no cities here, no walls, no clans with ancient lineages. The people of the plains were nomads, moving with the herds, living in tents made of beast hide, their Gu as wild as the land they roamed.
He approached the camp slowly, his hands visible, his face calm. The nomads noticed him immediately—a boy alone, walking across the plain, his robes foreign, his purpose unknown.
A man rode out to meet him. He was tall, his skin weathered, his hair braided with bones. His Gu was a Wind Bird, larger than Fang Yuan's, its wingspan wide, its eyes sharp.
"You're far from home, southerner," the man said. His voice was rough,但他的 eyes were curious.
"I'm looking for the Beast King," Fang Yuan said.
The man's expression changed. The curiosity faded, replaced by something harder.
"The Beast King doesn't see outsiders. Especially not children."
"I've come to challenge him."
The man laughed—a short, surprised sound. "Challenge him? With what? You have no Gu. No clan. No army."
Fang Yuan reached into his robe and pulled out a Pokeball. He released the Stone Dragon Gu.
The creature materialized in a whirlwind of grey scales and golden fire. Its body coiled, its wings spread, its roar echoed across the plain. The man's Wind Bird shrieked and fled, its rider barely holding on.
The camp erupted. Warriors rushed from their tents, their Gu forming around them—Wind Birds, Rock Beasts, Fire Wolves. But when they saw the Stone Dragon, they stopped.
The man on the ground stared up at the creature, his face pale. "Where did you get that?"
"In the south," Fang Yuan said. "From a cave no one had cleared in five years."
He recalled the Stone Dragon Gu. The plain fell silent.
"Take me to your king."
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The Beast King's tent was the largest in the camp—a structure of beast hide and bone, its entrance flanked by two Fire Wolves, their eyes burning, their teeth bared.
Fang Yuan walked through the entrance without looking at them. Inside, the tent was dark, lit only by a single flame that flickered in a bronze brazier. And in the center, sitting on a throne of stacked bones, was the Beast King.
He was old. Older than Tie Shan, older than Gu Yue Bo, older than anyone Fang Yuan had ever seen. His skin was like leather, his hair white as snow, his eyes the color of old blood. Around him, Gu swarmed—not one or two, but dozens. Wind Birds perched on the tent poles. Fire Wolves lay at his feet. Rock Beasts crouched in the shadows. And coiled around his shoulders, its scales gleaming in the firelight, was a Sand Serpent Gu—Rank 3, its body thick as a tree, its eyes gold.
This is the fourth Gym Leader. The system designated him. A Beast King who commands a herd of Subjects.
The Beast King's eyes fixed on Fang Yuan. "You have a Stone Dragon."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"From the south. From Tie Shan's cave."
"Yes."
The Beast King smiled. His teeth were yellow, worn down by years of grinding. "I tried to capture that creature once. Thirty years ago. It nearly killed me." He leaned forward. "How did you do it?"
Fang Yuan pulled out the black-and-gold sphere. The Beast King's eyes widened.
"That's—"
"A key," Fang Yuan said. "To something I'm trying to reach."
The Beast King stared at the sphere for a long moment. Then he sat back, his expression unreadable.
"You want to challenge me. For the badge."
"Yes."
The Beast King laughed—a low, rumbling sound that shook the tent. "You're a strange one, southerner. You come to my camp alone, with a creature I couldn't capture, carrying a relic from the Dead Lands, and you ask to challenge me." He shook his head. "Why should I accept?"
Fang Yuan met his gaze. "Because if you don't, I'll capture your Sand Serpent while you sleep."
The tent went silent. The Fire Wolves growled. The Wind Birds stirred. But the Beast King... the Beast King laughed again, louder this time.
"You've got spine. I'll give you that." He stood, his Sand Serpent uncoiling from his shoulders. "Very well. You want to challenge me? Then you'll face the trial of the plains. Three challenges. Three days. If you survive them all, you'll have your chance to face me."
He gestured, and a warrior stepped forward, holding a scroll of beast hide.
"The first challenge: capture a Wildfire Stallion. Rank 2. Fire type. It runs faster than any Gu you've faced. It burns hotter than anything you've seen. Catch it, and you move to the second challenge."
Fang Yuan took the scroll. "Where do I find it?"
The Beast King smiled. "You don't. It finds you."
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Fang Yuan left the tent and walked to the edge of the camp.
The plain stretched before him, dark and empty, the sky above it gray. Somewhere out there, a Wildfire Stallion was waiting. Rank 2. Fire type. Faster than anything he had faced.
I need speed. I need restraint. I need a plan.
He released his Wind Bird Gu. The creature perched on his shoulder, its feathers ruffled, its eyes scanning the horizon.
"Find it," Fang Yuan said. "Find the fire."
The Wind Bird Gu launched into the air, its wings beating, and Fang Yuan followed.
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The chase lasted three hours.
The Wildfire Stallion was a blur of orange and red, its mane a torrent of flame, its hooves leaving scorch marks on the plain. It was beautiful, terrible, and it moved like nothing Fang Yuan had ever seen.
His Wind Bird Gu was fast, but the Stallion was faster. Every time the bird got close, the Stallion would veer, its flames lashing out, driving the bird back.
I can't catch it with speed. I need to trap it.
He recalled the Wind Bird Gu and released his Vine Gu. Its tendrils shot out, but the Stallion was already gone, a streak of fire across the plain.
Too slow.
He released his White Boar Gu. The beast charged, its tusks lowered, but the Stallion danced around it, its flames scorching the White Boar's hide.
Too predictable.
He stood in the middle of the plain, his Subjects exhausted, his mind racing. The Stallion circled him, its flames casting long shadows, its eyes gleaming.
It's playing with me. Testing me. Seeing what I can do.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the black-and-gold sphere.
One more day until fusion recovers. I can't use it. Not yet.
But he had something else. Something the Stallion had never seen.
He released his Stone Dragon Gu.
The creature materialized with a roar that shook the plain. The Wildfire Stallion froze, its flames flickering. It had never faced a dragon. It didn't know what to do.
"Grab it," Fang Yuan said.
The Stone Dragon Gu's tail swept across the plain, wrapping around the Stallion's body. The Stallion screamed, its flames blazing, but the dragon's scales were stone. Fire couldn't burn them.
The Stallion struggled, but the dragon's grip was iron. Slowly, its flames dimmed. Its struggles weakened. And finally, it went still.
Fang Yuan pulled out a Pokeball and threw.
The sphere struck the Stallion's chest and opened. Red light swallowed the creature, and the ball wobbled once, twice, three times—
Click.
[Capture Successful!]
Wildfire Stallion added to Storage.
Type: Fire
Rank: 2
Moves: Flame Charge, Ember, Wildfire
Reward: 20 Primeval Stones
Fang Yuan retrieved the sphere and walked back to the camp.
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The Beast King was waiting for him at the tent entrance. His eyes were narrow, his expression unreadable.
"You caught it."
"Yes."
"In three hours."
"Yes."
The Beast King studied him for a long moment. Then he smiled.
"Tomorrow, the second challenge. A fight against three of my warriors. Each with a Rank 2 Gu. If you win..." He gestured toward the tent. "Then we'll see if you're worthy of facing me."
Fang Yuan nodded and walked toward the tent they had given him.
Inside, he released his Subjects. The Wildfire Stallion's sphere was warm in his hand, pulsing with power. A Rank 2 Fire type. Fast. Strong. A perfect addition to his team.
Nine Subjects now. Nine Subjects and one fusion. Tomorrow, I fight three warriors. And the day after...
He looked at the cracked stone in his pocket. It was warm, pulsing, and he could feel the creature stirring.
Tomorrow, I show them what a demon can do.
He lay back and closed his eyes.
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End of Chapter 14