stood at the back of the Awakening Hall, my heart hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat. The air was thick with the scent of burning incense and polished stone, mixed with the nervous sweat of every eighteen-year-old in Eldridge Village. Sunlight poured through the tall arched windows, painting the mosaic floor in bright colors that showed legendary tamers riding majestic dragons, soaring phoenixes, and thunderous storm wolves. Those images had always filled me with awe as a kid. Today, they felt like they were laughing at me.
My name is Elarion Voss. Most people just call me Eli. I'm the boy who spent years cleaning beast stables because that was the only work someone like me could get. My clothes were patched and faded, my boots caked with dried mud from the morning chores. While other kids trained with wooden practice weapons or helped their parents groom powerful contracted beasts, I shoveled manure and carried water buckets. My parents had delayed my Awakening twice, scraping together every spare coin for "extra preparation." It hadn't changed anything.
One by one, the village youths stepped onto the raised dais and pressed their right palm to the massive Crystal of Bonds. The crystal was ancient, said to have been a gift from the gods themselves. It would reveal your Tamer Rank and your elemental affinity. In this world, that single moment decided everything — whether you'd live as a respected warrior, a respected merchant with guard beasts, or someone who spent their life in the shadows doing menial labor.
"Mira Kane!" the Elder's voice boomed across the hall.
Mira stepped forward confidently, her red hair catching the light like flames. She placed her hand on the crystal. A brilliant glow erupted, and runes danced in the air.
"Silver-rank Tamer! Affinity: Flame!" the Elder announced. "Eligible for Ember Lynx or higher-tier flame beasts!"
The hall erupted in cheers. Mira pumped her fist, a small tongue of fire flickering above her palm as the bond preview manifested. Her family clapped loudly from the benches, pride radiating from them.
Next was Torren Hale, the blacksmith's burly son. "Gold-rank Tamer! Affinity: Thunder! Eligible for Stormhawk or Lightning Serpent!"
More thunderous applause. Torren grinned like he'd already conquered the regional tournaments. I watched as a crackle of electricity danced around his fingers. Strong. Impressive. Everything I wasn't.
My turn came far too soon. "Elarion Voss," the Elder called, his tone already carrying a note of resignation.
I walked forward on legs that felt like lead. Whispers chased me like buzzing flies.
"Look, it's the orphan kid."
"His parents wasted so much money on him."
"Bet he gets Scrap-rank again."
I kept my eyes on the floor, cheeks already burning. I placed my callused, work-worn palm flat against the cool surface of the Crystal of Bonds. A faint hum vibrated through my bones. For one brief, hopeful heartbeat, something inside me stirred — a tiny, warm spark, gentle like a small animal seeking shelter.
Then… nothing.
The crystal flickered weakly once, twice, and died completely.
The Elder leaned in, squinting at the faint runes that appeared. His bushy eyebrows rose, then crashed down in clear disappointment.
"Elarion Voss… F-rank Tamer. Affinity: Vermin."
The hall went silent for half a second.
Then laughter exploded like a dam breaking.
"Vermin? What in the gods' names is that?"
"He can tame rats and cockroaches?"
"At least the grain stores will be safe from pests! Hah!"
I stood there, frozen, as the mockery washed over me. My face felt like it was on fire. I wanted to sink into the stone floor and disappear. F-rank. The absolute lowest. Vermin affinity. Creatures so worthless that no respectable tamer would even glance at them. Fleas, slugs, diseased pigeons, half-starved rats — things people stepped on without thinking twice.
The Elder cleared his throat awkwardly. "The crystal has spoken. F-rank grants you one basic contract token. You may attempt to bond with any creature of Vermin classification before sunset. After that, the token expires. Good… luck, boy."
No cheers for me. Just pitying murmurs and snickers as I stepped down from the dais and walked out of the hall, head lowered. I could feel my parents' eyes on me from the back row. My mother forced a weak smile, mouthing "It's okay, son." My father stared at the floor, shoulders slumped. They had sacrificed so much — extra food rations gone, late nights mending clothes for neighbors just to afford the delay. All for this.
Outside, the afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on the dirt paths of Eldridge Village. We were a modest settlement nestled at the edge of the Whispering Forest, a place of wooden homes, sturdy beast pens, and open training fields where stronger tamers showed off their partners. I saw a girl riding a sleek Wind Panther through the streets, its fur rippling like grass in the breeze. A boy directed two Rock Golems to haul heavy logs for new construction. Their beasts moved with power and grace. Mine… well, I didn't have one yet.
I avoided the main square where the celebrations were already starting and headed straight for the outskirts. The contract token in my pocket felt like a lead weight, pulsing faintly with mocking light. Vermin. The word echoed in my head with every step.
Why even bother? I thought bitterly. Most F-rank tamers ended up as pest controllers or stable hands for life. No glory, no respect, no future beyond scraping by. But giving up wasn't an option. Not after everything my parents had done. Not after the hope I'd seen in their eyes every time they talked about "one day you'll surprise them all."
I searched the edges of the village for hours. Rotten logs, overturned buckets, compost piles, the trash heaps behind the old mill. I poked through mud and debris, looking for anything that might qualify as a vermin creature. Most scattered at the sight of me. A few sickly slugs left slime trails but showed no interest in bonding. A half-plucked pigeon with missing feathers fluttered away weakly when I approached.
The sun dipped lower, painting the sky in oranges and reds. Time was running out. The token would expire at sunset, and I'd be left with nothing — not even the pathetic chance at a vermin partner.
My feet carried me to the back of the old mill, where discarded kitchen waste and muddy straw formed a small hill of filth. That's when I heard it: a faint, desperate scrabbling sound.
I crouched down slowly.
There it was.
A rat.
Not a healthy one. This creature was the picture of misery. Smaller than average, its gray-brown fur patchy and matted with dirt and old blood. One eye was swollen nearly shut from some old injury or infection. Its left hind leg dragged uselessly behind it, twisted at an unnatural angle. The rat shivered violently in the cooling evening air, trying — and failing — to drag a crust of moldy bread toward a narrow crack in the stone wall. Every movement looked painful.
Any other villager would have crushed it under their boot without a second thought or simply walked away. It was worthless. Weak. Dying.
I hesitated, then reached into my pocket and pulled out the last scrap of bread from my own lunch. I broke off a tiny piece and placed it carefully on the ground, closer to the rat but not too close. I didn't want to scare it.
"Hey… little one," I whispered, keeping my voice soft and calm. "You look like you're having an even worse day than I am."
The rat froze, its nose twitching rapidly. Its one good eye fixed on me with surprising wariness mixed with raw hunger and exhaustion. There was intelligence there — or at least the sharp survival instinct of something that had fought every day just to stay alive.
I stayed perfectly still, sitting in the dirt with my hands open and empty except for the bread crumb. Minutes stretched. The rat's whiskers quivered. Slowly, painfully, it limped forward on its three good legs, snatched the crumb, and retreated a few inches to chew frantically.
A small smile tugged at my lips — the first genuine one I'd managed since the ceremony.
"You're tough, aren't you?" I murmured. "Fighting even when the whole world seems against you. I know how that feels."
I pulled out the contract token. It glowed softly in my palm, waiting for my will to activate it. In normal contracts, tamers used force or dominance. The crystal's power made the initial bond one-sided — master over servant. But something deep inside me rebelled at the idea. This rat wasn't a tool or a weapon to be commanded. It was just trying to survive, the same as me.
I held the token loosely and spoke from the heart, without grand commands or displays of power.
"I don't have much to offer," I said quietly. "No fancy stable, no special herbs or meats, no glory or protection from the strong tamers. But if you come with me, I promise I won't hurt you. I'll share whatever I have. I'll try to keep you safe from anyone who wants to step on you. We could be partners… if you want."
The rat stopped chewing. It looked up at me for a long, searching moment. Its good eye seemed to study my face, as if weighing my words against a lifetime of cruelty from humans.
Then it took one shaky step closer.
Another.
The token flared with sudden bright light. A thin thread of mana stretched between us — fragile, flickering like a candle in the wind, laughably weak compared to the brilliant, powerful bonds I'd seen in the hall earlier. But it held.
The contract formed.
A gentle surge of warmth flowed into me through the bond. The rat's violent shivering eased slightly. In return, I felt flashes of its emotions and sensations: sharp pain from the twisted leg, a hunger that gnawed constantly at its belly, deep fear of larger creatures and boots that came crashing down, and — underneath it all — a tiny, cautious spark of trust.
For the first time since the laughter had erupted in the Awakening Hall, the heavy knot in my chest loosened.
I reached out very slowly and scooped the rat into my cupped hands. It didn't bite or struggle. Up close, I could see the old scars crisscrossing its body and how painfully thin it was beneath the filthy fur. Its heart beat rapidly against my palm.
"Let's get you cleaned up," I whispered. "And find something better than moldy trash to eat. You're not alone anymore."
I stood carefully, cradling the small creature against my chest inside my tunic to keep it warm, and began the long walk back toward home as the sun dipped below the treeline.
The village square was alive with celebration. Torren and Mira were showing off their new preview bonds to a crowd of admirers. Laughter and music filled the air. As I passed the edge of the gathering, a group of older youths spotted me.
"Hey, look! It's the Vermin Tamer!" one shouted.
"He actually found something! Is that a king rat?" another laughed.
"Careful, Eli! Don't let it bite you — you might catch whatever disease it's carrying!"
More laughter rang out. Someone threw a small pebble that bounced near my feet. I kept walking, head slightly higher than before, the rat's warmth a quiet comfort against my skin.
Let them laugh, I thought to myself. Today they see a pathetic rat. One day… they'll see something else entirely.
I didn't know how right I was.
When I reached our small, weathered home on the outskirts, my parents were waiting. The door creaked open before I could knock. My mother's eyes were red-rimmed, but she pulled me into a tight hug the moment I stepped inside.
"Oh, Eli," she whispered. "We're so sorry. F-rank… it's not fair."
My father stood behind her, strong hands clenched at his sides. "We'll make do, son. There's always work in the stables. You can help me with the horses and the guard dogs. It's honest work."
I nodded, not trusting my voice at first. Then I gently pulled the rat from inside my tunic and showed them.
"I… I did it," I said. "I contracted a vermin beast. A rat."
They stared at the pitiful creature in my hands. My mother's expression softened with pity. My father sighed but forced a smile.
"Well… it's something," he said. "At least you're not completely unbound. What's its name?"
I hadn't thought of that yet. I looked down at the rat, still cradled carefully. "I don't know. Maybe… Scruff? Or… something better later."
We ate a quiet dinner of thin stew and stale bread. I shared tiny pieces with the rat, soaking them in broth to make them softer. It ate eagerly but slowly, its injured leg making every movement difficult. Through the bond, I could feel its gratitude mixing with lingering pain.
After dinner, I took the rat to the small corner of the room that served as my sleeping space. I cleaned it as gently as I could with a damp cloth, removing layers of dirt and revealing more scars. I fashioned a soft nest from old rags and placed it inside a small wooden box I'd used for tools.
As night fell and my parents went to bed, I sat beside the box, watching the rat sleep. Its breathing had steadied. The bond between us felt like a thin silver thread — delicate but real.
That's when I noticed something strange.
On the rat's back, hidden beneath the freshly cleaned fur near its spine, a single tiny golden rune had appeared. It was so small I almost missed it. It pulsed once with soft light, then faded completely, as if it had never been there.
I blinked, rubbing my eyes. Had I imagined it? The bond didn't show any new information. No status, no abilities, nothing beyond the basic "Vermin Rat – Injured – Level 1" that the token had provided.
"Maybe I'm just tired," I muttered to myself.
But deep down, a small spark of curiosity — and hope — flickered to life.
I lay down on my thin straw mattress, staring at the thatched roof. The sounds of the village celebration drifted faintly through the walls. Laughter, music, the roars and calls of powerful beasts showing off.
Tomorrow would bring more mockery. More chores. More reminders of how low I stood in the eyes of everyone.
But tonight, for the first time, I wasn't completely alone.
I had a partner. A weak, injured, pathetic one… but mine.
And somehow, that felt like the beginning of something.
Little did I know, that tiny golden rune was the first sign of a hidden evolution path no one in our world had ever seen. A path that would turn vermin into legends, weakness into overwhelming strength, and a ridiculed boy into something the entire continent would one day fear and respect.
My journey as the Weak Beast Tamer had just begun.