Simon's aunt and uncle had paid a fortune for his admission ticket. They had leveraged their small bakery, waking up at 3:00 AM every day to knead dough, just to give him this shot.
The contract bond settled into his soul with a sensation that was less like a surge of power and more like a gentle draft in an old hallway.
A blue window flickered in his peripheral vision.
[Bone Density increased by 0.5%]
[Milk consumption efficiency increased by 2%]
For a skinny teenager who dreamed of leading battalions, a 0.5% increase in bone density meant that if he got punched in the face, his jaw might break two milliseconds slower than usual.
Other students were receiving mana circuits that allowed them to breathe fire, skin that repelled steel, or eyes that could see through walls.
Every beast, from the humble Moss Beetle to the mighty Blaze Tiger, granted a "Integration Buff" to its tamer. It was the fundamental law of the Taming World.
Braden, the mayor's son, was up next for his integration check. He stood by his Flame-Mane Lion, grinning like he'd just won the lottery.
"Watch and learn, bone-boy," Braden sneered.
The lion roared, and a surge of mana flooded into Braden. Crimson veins pulsed along his neck. His shoulders broadened visibly, the fabric of his expensive academy uniform straining. His hair, previously a dull brown, ignited at the tips with flickering embers.
The Flame-Mane Lion gave him the [Predator's Physique]. A 30% boost to muscle mass, enhanced dynamic vision, and a passive heat aura that made the air around him ripple.
"Incredible," a nearby instructor muttered, scribbling on a clipboard. "By the time that lion hits Silver Rank, the boy will be able to punch through a brick wall without using mana."
Even a mediocre beast, like the Mud Crab Simon had hoped to avoid, would have granted [Chitin Skin] a solid +15% to physical defense.
But the Skeleton...
"Look at the stats," a student whispered loudly, pointing at the public mana-reader display. "Energy output is practically zero. It's the only beast in the compendium that offers negative charisma."
Simon stood at parade rest, ignoring the chatter. He was busy reading the other text the one only he could see.
[Hidden Trait Detected: The Legion Lives]
[Your Skeleton does not require Mana upkeep.]
[Current Status: Awaiting Orders.]
A soldier that didn't eat, sleep, or complain about the weather? That was the holy grail of warfare.
A girl bonded with a Granite Tortoise, her skin taking on a subtle, diamond-dust sheen. A boy with a Razor Hawk found his eyes turning golden and hawk-like. And then, the VIP ascended the platform.
Sylvia Sterling. Daughter of the General. Her posture was perfect, her expression bored. She approached the Golden Egg she had brought from the capital.
The entire plaza went silent.
A creature of pure storms emerged a Tempest Griffin, its feathers crackling with blue electricity. The integration was immediate.
Arcs of lightning danced between her fingers. The air pressure around her dropped, making everyone's ears pop.
"A Sky-Ruler class!" The Headmaster's voice cracked, losing his composure for the first time. "Limitless potential! She gains [Storm Soul]: 200% speed increase, flight capability, and high-tier lightning manipulation!"
Simon watched Sylvia float back down, the Griffin screeching a challenge to the heavens.
'Aerial superiority,' Simon noted mentally. 'High mobility, high damage output. Weakness: distinctive energy signature. Anti-air flak cannons would be effective.'
"Simon of the Bakery!" The Headmaster called out, checking his list. "Step forward for Integration Display."
Simon sighed. This was the part where he had to show the world what his beast did to his body.
The crowd leaned in, ready for another laugh.
"Maybe he'll turn into a pile of ribs!" Braden shouted.
"Maybe he'll lose weight!" someone else giggled.
Simon activated the bond. He commanded the Skeleton which he had mentally named Unit-01 to sync its mana with him.
The sound of Simon's joints cracking echoed through the silent plaza. His skin turned a shade paler. His eyes developed heavy, dark bags instantly.
He looked like a student who had pulled five consecutive all-nighters fueled by cheap energy drinks.
"He got osteoporosis!"
"Dude looks like he needs a glass of milk and a nap!"
"Is his power 'Extreme Fatigue'?"
The Headmaster cleared his throat, trying to salvage the dignity of the event. "The Skeleton... ah... grants the user [Bone Hardening]. It may not be flashy, but... er... you will be slightly more resistant to fractures."
Everyone knew that "slightly resistant to fractures" was useless in a world where a Bronze Rank bear could bite a car in half.
Some students instinctively took a step back, not out of fear, but out of awkwardness. He looked sickly. Unlucky. The kind of person you didn't want to stand next to, lest the failure rub off.
Sylvia, still floating slightly with her lightning aura, didn't even look at him. He wasn't a blip on her radar. The clicking in Simon's knees stopped.
"Dismissed," the Headmaster announced, eager to end the awkwardness. "In three days, the transport trucks will arrive to take you to the Forward Operating Base Academy. You are conscripts now. Train your beasts. Do not shame the city."
He paused, looking pointedly at Simon.
"And please... keep your beasts close. Bonding is essential."
Simon waited until he had cleared the perimeter of the plaza.
He walked past the groups of celebrating families, past the ice cream vendors selling "Beast-Themed" treats, and down the quiet alleyway that led to the lower district.
Only when he was sure he was out of the line of sight did he relax his posture.
"Unit-01," Simon whispered. "Store."
The skeleton stepped into the shadow as if walking down a staircase, vanishing instantly.
[Unit-01 stored in Shadow Barracks.]
[Mana Cost: 0.]
Simon exhaled, rubbing his pale wrists. The "sickly" look faded slightly once the active bond was severed, though his joints still felt stiff.
To hell with their pity. To hell with the laughing stock.
Thirty years of his aunt and uncle kneading dough. He knew exactly how much flour cost. He knew they hadn't bought new clothes in four years. They thought he was walking home in shame. They thought he was dreading the conversation where he'd have to tell them he got the "booby prize."
He turned a corner, taking the shortcut through the back of the butcher's market. He paused near a garbage bin.
Lying on top of a heap of discarded trimmings was a large, intact femur bone from a cow.
Simon looked left. He looked right. The alley was clear.
"System," he murmured. "Can I process resources?"
[Material Detected: Large Bovine Bone.]
[Skill: Bone Armory available.]
[Convert to weaponry for Unit-01?]
Simon grinned.
"Execute," he whispered.
The cow bone rattled, then dissolved into gray dust. The dust swirled into his shadow.
[Unit-01 Equipped: Bone Club (Common).]
[Attack Power increased by 5.]
He continued walking, his eyes scanning the gutters, the trash, the dark corners of the city.
A dead rat lay near a storm drain, stiff and cold.
[Valid Biological Material Detected!]
[Spell Available: Raise Least Undead.]
[Cost: 5 Mana.]
[Capacity: 1/∞]
"Infinite," Simon tasted the word.
Simon crouched down, extending his hand toward the rodent.
"Welcome to the army, soldier," he whispered. "You're Unit-02. Reconnaissance division."
Black mist leaked from his fingertips. The rat's tiny, dull eyes sparked with a pinprick of blue fire.