The arena of the Ashvale Tamer Academy had seen countless matches over the years, but most of them followed a predictable pattern. Strong beasts defeated weaker ones quickly, talented heirs proved their superiority, and ordinary tamers were quietly pushed aside.
This fight was supposed to be one of those predictable matches.
At least, that was what everyone believed.
Aether stood calmly in the center of the arena while his Fire Pup faced the Storm Wolf across from them. Around them, students and instructors watched with interest, many already assuming how the battle would end.
Riven, the tamer of the Storm Wolf, looked confident. His beast was clearly stronger, and everyone in the academy knew that beasts like Storm Wolves had far greater combat potential than a basic Fire Pup.
"Last chance to surrender," Riven said with a smirk. "You can still walk away without embarrassing yourself."
Aether looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
"We just started."
Riven scoffed and raised his hand, signaling his beast.
The Storm Wolf growled deeply, electricity crackling along its fur as it prepared to attack again. The air around it vibrated with energy, and even the ground beneath its paws showed faint scorch marks.
The crowd leaned forward.
Everyone expected the Fire Pup to be overwhelmed this time.
But Aether remained relaxed.
He glanced at the small creature beside him, and the Fire Pup seemed to understand immediately. Its flames flickered brighter, but it did not charge recklessly forward.
Instead, it waited.
Riven frowned slightly. "What are you doing?"
Aether shrugged lightly. "Watching."
That simple response made Riven's expression darken.
"Storm Wolf, attack!"
The beast lunged forward again, faster than before. Lightning burst across the arena as it moved, its claws aimed directly at the Fire Pup.
Gasps rose from the spectators.
This time, the Storm Wolf's speed was much greater than earlier.
Yet something unexpected happened again.
Just before the attack landed, the Fire Pup moved with incredible precision, slipping past the Storm Wolf's strike and leaving a faint trail of flames behind.
The Storm Wolf skidded across the arena floor, missing its target completely.
A brief silence fell over the crowd.
Someone whispered, "How did it dodge that?"
Riven's eyes narrowed.
"That wasn't luck."
Across the arena, Liora watched carefully, her gaze fixed on the Fire Pup.
She had already noticed the faint reddish golden glow around the creature earlier. It was extremely subtle, but someone with her experience could sense unusual energy when it appeared.
"This is interesting," she murmured.
The instructor standing beside her crossed his arms.
"Too interesting."
Back in the arena, the Storm Wolf turned quickly and growled again, clearly frustrated. Its lightning aura grew stronger, sparks jumping across the ground.
Riven's voice was sharp this time.
"Stop playing around. Use Thunder Strike."
The Storm Wolf howled, and a surge of electricity burst outward as it prepared a powerful attack.
Several students stepped back slightly as the energy gathered. This was no longer a casual evaluation match. If the attack landed directly, the Fire Pup would likely be knocked out instantly.
Aether watched the charging beast quietly.
Then he spoke softly.
"Alright. Let's try something new."
The Fire Pup's flames flared slightly in response.
Inside Aether's mind, the reddish golden light stirred again. The Perfect Evolution Talent was reacting to the situation, strengthening the connection between him and his beast.
For a brief moment, Aether felt a strange understanding flow through him.
It wasn't words.
It was instinct.
The Fire Pup wasn't just dodging randomly.
It was adapting.
The Storm Wolf launched its attack.
A bolt of lightning shot forward, striking the ground and sending cracks across the arena floor. Dust and sparks exploded into the air as the attack closed in on the small fiery creature.
Many in the crowd assumed it was over.
But then the Fire Pup leaped.
Not backward.
Forward.
The move surprised almost everyone watching.
The small beast passed directly through the edge of the lightning strike, its flames briefly clashing with the electricity. For a split second, the arena was filled with flashing red and blue light.
Then the Fire Pup appeared on the other side of the attack completely unharmed.
The spectators were stunned.
"That… shouldn't be possible."
Riven clenched his fists.
"How is a Fire Pup doing this?"
Aether simply smiled faintly.
"Good question."
The Fire Pup landed lightly on the ground and released a burst of flames that forced the Storm Wolf to step back again.
This time, the flames were stronger than before.
Much stronger.
Liora noticed immediately.
"It's evolving."
The instructor beside her looked surprised.
"That's impossible. Evolution requires preparation, resources—"
"Not always," Liora said quietly.
The instructor stared at the arena again, now paying closer attention.
The Storm Wolf growled angrily and prepared to attack once more, but its movements were no longer as confident as before.
Something had changed.
The Fire Pup's presence felt different now.
Not overwhelming.
But noticeable.
Aether observed the situation calmly. He wasn't trying to end the fight quickly. In fact, he seemed more interested in understanding what was happening to his beast.
He spoke softly again.
"Let's push a little further."
The Fire Pup's flames brightened.
For a brief moment, a faint outline appeared behind it.
Three shadows.
It lasted less than a second, but Liora saw it clearly.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"A three-headed silhouette…"
The instructor looked confused. "What?"
But by the time he looked again, the image was gone.
The Storm Wolf attacked once more, charging forward with a powerful roar.
This time, however, the Fire Pup didn't dodge immediately.
Instead, it stood its ground.
The flames around its body suddenly expanded.
The heat in the arena rose noticeably.
Students near the edge stepped back in surprise.
Riven shouted, "Storm Wolf, break through!"
The Storm Wolf lunged forward with all its strength.
Then the two beasts clashed.
For a brief moment, flames and lightning collided in the center of the arena, creating a shockwave that spread across the ground.
Dust rose into the air.
When it cleared, the result shocked everyone.
The Storm Wolf had been pushed back.
Not defeated.
But forced to retreat.
The Fire Pup stood where it had been, its flames burning steadily.
Silence fell over the arena.
Riven stared in disbelief.
"That's not possible."
Aether looked at the Fire Pup thoughtfully.
"You're stronger already."
The small beast wagged its tail proudly.
The instructor raised his hand after a moment.
"That's enough."
Both tamers stopped.
The match was over.
Students around the arena began whispering excitedly.
"Did you see that?"
"A Fire Pup pushed back a Storm Wolf."
"That shouldn't happen."
Riven looked frustrated but didn't argue with the decision. He called his beast back and walked away without saying anything.
Meanwhile, Aether gently picked up the Fire Pup.
"You did well," he said quietly.
The creature yipped happily.
Liora walked into the arena slowly, her expression thoughtful.
"You passed the evaluation," she said.
Aether tilted his head slightly. "That was fast."
She smiled faintly.
"You're not what we expected."
He glanced at the Fire Pup.
"Most people say that."
Liora looked at the small beast again, then back at Aether.
"I think you'll fit well in the Skygate Faction."
Aether didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked up at the sky above the academy.
Somewhere beyond that sky were the Ascension Gates that led to higher worlds.
And deep inside him, the reddish golden glow pulsed quietly again.
His journey had only just begun.
But already, the world was starting to notice.