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The old rookery was a crumbling dome near the edge of campus, closed for years due to structural decay and aggressive nesting beasts. It was rarely spoken of, but Zephyr had seen it once. It was half-swallowed by vines, its stained-glass windows shattered, the metal cages rusted shut.
When the sun had nearly vanished, he slipped away from the dorms, past the rear gardens, across the abandoned aqueduct. The rookery stood quiet and broken beneath the gathering twilight.
He didn't know what drew him there. But something in the seal, the ouroboros dragon, pulled at his chest like a forgotten name.
He stepped inside. There he finds out dust has coated everything. Cracked bones littered the floor. The cages had long since been warped open. Feathers and straw still clung to the rafters, despite the years.
At the center of the rookery, beneath the largest broken dome, stood a hooded figure in gray robes. "You came," the figure said.
Zephyr tensed. "Who are you?"
The figure raised a hand. A small light ignited between their fingers, casting golden ripples across the ground. "You don't know what you carry, Zephyr Valorian. But others do."
Zephyr stepped forward. "What do I carry?"
The figure said nothing. Instead, he threw a sealed scroll to the floor. "When the mark returns to your body, you will need this. Do not open it until the system chooses you."
Zephyr picked up the scroll. "What mark? What system? What hell are you talking about?"
The figure was already walking away. "You have already begun your true awakening. Your blood remembers what the world has forgotten. When the time comes… the bond will choose."
Then he vanished, deeper into the rookery's shadows. Zephyr stood there alone, scroll in hand, heartbeat thundering.
He didn't understand the words. But he felt the truth in them. Something strange was stirring inside his body. Although he couldn't pinpoint what it was. But he felt some strange changes on his body.
The next day began like any other day. The early morning mist covered the academy grounds as Zephyr made his way to Infirmary Wing Two, the scroll from the rookery hidden safely beneath the folds of his cloak. Each step he took was heavier than the last. Not from the exhaustion, but from the lingering weight of last night.
He had not dared to open the scroll yet. He hadn't even dared to dream what the hooded figure's words meant, "Your blood remembers what the world has forgotten."
Inside the infirmary, the day passed in a blur of work with the beasts. He applied salves to wounded beast paws, fed sedated beasts, and measured fever temperatures of molting creatures. Wren watched him closely, but said little. Only the occasional nod of approval or small corrections.
Yet all day, Zephyr felt something..A heat inside his chest. A faint pulse beneath his skin. As if something was waiting for his response.
By evening, the world grew quieter. The caretakers retired to their dorms. The instructors gathered for their nightly reports. The low sun bled across the courtyard like molten gold, casting long shadows across the academy's worn stones.
Zephyr sat alone in his narrow room, the scroll was laid out on his bed. For a long time… he simply stared at it.
The seal on the scroll was different now. The ouroboros dragon symbol, which was previously a faint imprint of wax, had begun to glow.Soft golden tendrils of light pulsed from it, like veins of living fire.
His hands trembled slightly as he touched the scroll. The wax crumbled away at his touch.
The parchment unfurled on its own, revealing a series of ancient runes etched in ink that shimmered like starlight. The letters were foreign yet familiar, as if written into his very blood.
A deep vibration filled the room. And then… A voice spoke directly into his mind.
[Ding! Initializing System... Trying to verify the bloodline. Bloodline Authentication: Verified.
Welcome, Zephyr Valorian.
You have been chosen by the Lost Tamer's Legacy.
Activating the Bound Beast System…]
Zephyr gasped, clutching his chest. "What's going on?" His entire body lit from within. Like veins of molten gold searing through him. He fell to his knees as power, ancient and raw, surged into his bones, his blood, his soul.
A vision flashed before his eyes. Dragons soaring over shattered cities. Tamers in armor forged from living mana. Beasts the size of mountains bowing before a single boy with silver eyes.
And then, silence. The scroll disintegrated into dust. The glowing screen appeared before him, ethereal and clean.
[Ding! Bound Beast System successfully Initialized. You are now a System-Linked Tamer. Through this system, you may strengthen yourself and your bonded beasts beyond natural limits. Tasks, quests, evolution options, and hidden bloodline powers will be unlocked as you grow. Good luck!]
Zephyr collapsed backward onto the bed, gasping. For a moment, he simply lay there, staring at the ceiling,his heart was thundering.
Then the system spoke again.
[First-Time Bonus Unlocked: Beginner's Insight.
Would you like to review the current world Rank Structure?]
He swallowed thickly. "Yes." he was so confused that he didn't question anything.
[World Beast Tamer Rank Structure]
SSS-Rank: God-tier. Tamers capable of commanding world-shattering beasts. Only a handful exist across the world.
SS-Rank: Mythical-tier. Can command multiple Sovereign-class beasts. Rare and often noble-only.
S-Rank: Supreme-tier. Respected in any kingdom. Can tame ultra-rare creatures and create new taming legacies.
AAA-Rank: Legendary-tier. Skilled enough to participate in regional tournaments. Top military and guild members.
AA-Rank: Epic-tier. Strong combat tamers in cities and military corps.
A-Rank: Advance-tier. Skilled tamers with strong specialized affinities.
B-Rank: Intermediate-tier. Experienced tamers. Common among middle-class guilds.
C-Rank: Novice-tier. Basic combat tamers with a singular beast specialization.
D-Rank: Beginner-tier. Can handle simple beasts. Minor city guild members.
E-Rank: Trainee-tier. Still learning basic bonding and beast control.
F-Rank: Awakening-tier. Most citizens. Weak beast affinity, often mocked and forgotten.