"What? Noctifelis? Why the hell am I a Noctifelis now?!"
Claire's thoughts spiraled in a mix of panic, disbelief, and pure dread, as she now stuck in her new body of a Noctifelis, a creature that looked like a Maine coon cat with midnight black fur and purple eyes.
I mean, sure, I wouldn't mind becoming a magical beast. That could've been cool! But this? This is literally the worst possible outcome!
Because in Arventia Online, out of the thousands of different magical beasts available, Noctifelis ranked dead last!
These magical cats were so fragile that players joked a stiff breeze could knock them out, even a level 1 slime would win against them.
They were so pathetic that new players weren't even allowed to choose them as starter pets. That's how useless they were.
Yes, they were cute. Incredibly cute.
But in terms of power? Even a regular house cat was tougher.
Some players even claimed real-world kittens were stronger than a Noctifelis. At least those didn't need rare, overpriced magical food just to stay alive for a single day!
And don't even get started on evolution.
Raising a Noctifelis to its first evolution point was a nightmare. The amount of patience, time, resources, and sheer masochism, required was legendary. Almost no one bothered. And the few who did, Claire included, were left traumatized. None of them ever considered pushing it to the next stage.
There were only two kinds of players who ever kept a Noctifelis:
One – hardcore cat lovers who didn't care about stats and just wanted something fluffy and mysterious to follow them around.
And two – obsessive collectors who needed every beast in the game, no matter how useless.
___________________________
"What? How can this be?!" Alexander and Marco shouted in unison.
The room gasped.
Everyone stared, their eyes wide, jaws slack, as the creature emerged from the summoning circle was totally unexpected.
Not a dragon.
Not a phoenix.
Not even something remotely intimidating.
But just… a tiny black cat.
Small, fluffy, and harmless-looking.
Its fur shimmered like smoke, and its glowing purple eyes blinked slowly, as if just waking up from a nap.
Meanwhile, Emilia stood frozen in place.
As a beast tamer who always scored top of her class on magical beast identification, of course she recognized the creature instantly.
Her arms hung at her sides, trembling slightly. Her fingers twitched. Her eyes were wide, unblinking, refusing to accept what they were seeing.
She had poured weeks into preparing for this moment. She'd memorized every summoning chant, practiced every rune. The magic circle had even flared gold at one point—gold! That meant Legendary beast was coming!
And yet…
Only a Common-Rank beast appeared.
And it was the weakest one in the entire bestiary at that.
It couldn't even fight. It couldn't even cast a proper spell. It was more like a magical plush toy than a real summon.
Lady Ariana rushed in.
"Emilia!" she called, grabbing her hands. "What happened? What's going on?"
"I… I don't know…" Emilia could only whisper in response, then suddenly, she broke down in tears.
Below her, the Noctifelis startled and fumbled around, wide-eyed and confused just as her.
Suddenly—
Flame blazed.
The summoning circle erupted in a violent flare of heat and fire!
And then he appeared.
Draco Silvervein—the Clan Head. Towering. Imposing. Wreathed in smoke and fury.
He had teleported straight onto the summoning platform, the force of his arrival cracking the marble beneath his boots.
Emilia jolted, eyes wide. The air was blistering. The sudden heat seared her skin, her heart hammering in her chest.
She had never—never—seen her father like this.
His red hair billowed with magical wind. His coat whipped around him like the wings of a dragon. And his eyes now burned with rage.
Pure, explosive rage.
And then, step by step, he began to advance.
Each footfall left behind scorched, molten footprints.
The elegant floor of the summoning chamber turned to glowing liquid magma beneath him, veins of fire cracking outward.
"Draco!" Ariana rushed in, throwing herself in front of Emilia, her arms spread wide to shield the girl.
"Brother!" Elmandir leapt from the balcony, landing hard. He ran forward and grabbed Draco by the shoulder. "Stop! She's your daughter!"
But Draco didn't listen.
He swatted Elmandir's hand away, and the moment their skin met—
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded outward.
Elmandir was hurled backward, landing in a heap. He grunted, clutching his hand, smoke rising from his scorched skin.
Draco kept walking.
Unstoppable.
Ariana's fingers sparked with white light, a protective spell forming at her palm. She was totally ready to fight him if she had to.
But then, Draco didn't attack.
He didn't even look at Emilia.
He just passed her, walked to the other edge of the summoning circle, and dropped to one knee.
His hand reached out, trembling slightly, as he touched the circle.
His fingertips brushed the lines.
They smeared.
His eyes widened.
"Albinite Shard Dust…" he whispered, every syllable dripping with shock and terror. His whole body trembled with a renewed, focused fury.
He turned to look at his wife dead in the eyes.
"Ariana… what is the meaning of this?"
"What?" Ariana blinked, stunned. "Albinite Shard? That's impossible! What are you talking about?"
She hurried forward and knelt beside him.
And then, she saw it too.
Amid the white chalk runes, barely visible… but there: a thin section drawn not in chalk at all, but in another kind of crystalline powder that at first glance, no look different than chalk.
Albinite Shard Dust.
"No…" Ariana breathed, horrified.