Alex, on the other hand, just stared at the glowing text, stunned. "Eternal Gold Flame…?" he muttered. "That's way too flashy."
Sophia, sitting nearby, blinked. "Alex, what was that? That's not normal fire."
Max whistled low. "Bro, your flame looks like liquid gold, not just fire. Is your Fire Chicken secretly royalty or something?"
Alex scratched his neck awkwardly, trying to play it off. "Ha… maybe it's just the color. Probably just… you know, an advanced mutant variant or something."
The phoenix gave him a deadpan stare, as if saying, 'Advanced variant? Really?'
In truth, Alex wanted to keep it a secret. Although no one could steal this Phoenix from him, they could certainly kill him out of jealousy—or for other reasons. And he had just arrived here; dying early was not part of his plan.
"Let's keep that between us," he murmured softly, and the phoenix chirped once in agreement.
As the instructor moved on to assess others, Alex exhaled, letting the golden flames fade into faint embers before whispering to himself with a smirk, "I'll call it Golden Flames."
The phoenix squawked indignantly, flapping its wings in protest, as nearby students snickered at the sight.
"Golden Flames?" Max nodded. "Yep, that suits it, man."
"Yeah, yeah," Alex muttered, smirking as the laughter eased the tension. "Just wait until this 'chicken' burns through a dungeon or two."
And deep within his chest, the Eternal Gold Flame pulsed—quietly, but with the promise of something far greater waiting to awaken.
"What are your abilities?" Alex asked his friends as they settled beside him.
"My ability is the standard Crimson Flames one gets from a Salamander," Sophia replied, her hands glowing with bright crimson fire that curled and danced over her palms.
Max, meanwhile, stretched his arms and flexed his body, which now shimmered faintly as if made of steel. "Mine's called Steel Body," he said proudly. "It's perfect for close combat warrior, like mine," he added with a grin. His body moved naturally, but the metallic sheen hinted at enhanced durability without restricting his movements.
Alex nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "So… we all got offensive abilities." He glanced at his friends. "Seems fitting. Offensive skills are pretty much a must for a Seeker—without them, you're just… well, not really ready."
Sophia gave a short nod. "Yeah. Those with support or defensive skills can still be Seekers, but their growth path starts differently. The right side of the field is for those whose first ability is offensive; it helps orient their training and placement in the Academy's trials."
Alex flexed his fingers as he glanced down at the tiny phoenix in his hands. "Looks like we're all set, then. Offensive, ready to fight, and ready to grow."
The three friends exchanged a confident look, as they stood on the right side.
By the time the instructor finished explaining, the right side of the field was full—thirty-one students whose bonds had granted offensive abilities. The air crackled with barely contained energy as they were led toward a large training tent at the edge of the plaza.
Inside the tent rows of training dummies stood in tiers, each one built to simulate a different threat level. The dummies were arranged from weakest to strongest: practice models at the front, sturdy combat dummies in the middle, and heavier automated constructs toward the back. Runes on their frames flickered, indicating their defensive rating and how much damage they could absorb.
"Listen carefully," the instructor barked as the students filed in. "Seeker certification isn't handed out lightly. Today's test will determine whether you earn your Seeker Apprentice Certificate, and how you place for future assignments. The rules are simple:
• You must damage at least one dummy to prove you can fight.
• The stronger the dummy you injure, the higher your evaluation will be.
• Damage to the mid- and high-tier dummies will earn you better placement and more favorable recommendations to Seeker groups."
He swept an arm toward the targets. "Think of it like this: injuring a low-tier dummy proves basic competence. Injure a high-tier construct, and you've shown skill, control, and the potential to survive fieldwork. Do well, and the Academy will fast-track your opportunities. Fail, and you'll be reassigned to auxiliary training until you're ready."
A hush fell over the group. The weight of the test suddenly felt real.
Alex looked at Sophia and Max. Sophia's eyes flashed with determination; Max cracked his knuckles and grinned. The phoenix in Alex's palm shifted, letting out a tiny, encouraging chirp. Around them, other students flexed fingers, steadied breaths, and prepared their mana.
"Begin!" the instructor called.
Sophia, being the first ranked student, stepped forward. Her crimson flames danced in her hands as she directed them toward the front-tier F-rank dummy. The flames leapt and struck the target cleanly, and then burning it to ashes, scoring her first successful hit.
The Seeker ranking system was unlike that of Mystic Beasts. While beasts were ranked from Common to Supreme, Seekers were evaluated based on their professional aptitude rather than innate power. Ranks started at F, equivalent to an apprentice, and progressed all the way to A, then S, representing the pinnacle of Seeker rank. These ranks reflected skill, control, and practical experience—not just raw strength.
However, this is only a professional rank. The power ranks start from Private to Specialist, Corporal, Sergeant, Master Sergeant, and so on. Each stage is further divided into Low, Mild, Advanced, and Peak tiers.
Monsters are also assigned ranks following the same system.
When Alex first heard this, he was genuinely surprised. It reminded him of military rankings from his previous world, though here it was not a career rank but rather a measure of power—similar to cultivation stages in wuxia novels.
All of the newly awakened students were currently at the Low Private stage.
Sophia, on the other hand, was able to defeat upto the D-rank dummy with ease. The instructor smiled and muttered, "As expected of a rare-rank Mystic Bond."
As she stepped aside, the next second-ranker approached—it was Lloyd, a quiet student who had bonded with a Water-type Mystic Beast resembling a jellyfish. He focused, and tiny water bullets shot out like projectiles, striking the F- and E-rank dummies.
Although his attacks were effective, they barely dented the D-rank dummy. Still, his uncommon-rank Mystic Bond clearly showed promise, and the instructors nodded in approval as he stepped back others came to show thier might.