Chapter 4: The Sound of Shattered Pride
The Academy Training Grounds were buzzing. It was the "Free Sparring" hour, a time when students could test their newly contracted beasts under the supervision of automated drones.
Leo sat on a stone bench, feeding Grim a handful of high-grade Iron-Oak nuts. The snail's shell now had a polished, metallic sheen, and the violet runes pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
"There he is! The 'Snail Prince'!"
The voice belonged to Marcus, who swaggered toward them. Behind him paced a magnificent Flame-Mane Lion. The beast stood four feet tall, its fur literally smoldering with embers, leaving charred paw prints on the grass.
[Target: Marcus Valerius] [Target Beast: Flame-Mane Lion (Silver-Tier)] [Level: 12] [Skill: Incinerating Roar (A-Rank destructive power)] [Weakness: Water-attributed impact; Lower belly vulnerability during the pounce.]
"Leo, move that pebble before my Leo—yes, I named him after you, since he's going to be your master—accidentally steps on it," Marcus laughed. A crowd of students began to gather, sensing blood in the water.
Leo didn't look up. He was busy using Skill Mimicry. His eyes locked onto the way the Lion moved—the way it channeled mana into its hind legs.
[Skill Mimicry Activated...] [Analyzing: 'Flame-Dash'...] [Success! Skill 'Internal Mana Acceleration' copied. (Transferring to Grim...)]
"Marcus," Leo said, finally standing up. "A Lion is a noble beast. It's a shame it's paired with someone who talks more than they train."
The crowd gasped. Marcus's face turned a shade of purple that almost matched Grim's runes. "You want to go, Heart? Right here. Right now. First to yield loses 100 Spirit Stones."
"Make it 500," Leo replied coolly. "And you apologize to Jud for calling his beast a 'fat rat' yesterday."
Jud, standing behind Leo, looked like he wanted to vanish into the earth. "Leo, man, don't! That's a Silver-tier predator!"
The training drone buzzed into position. "Combatants ready? Begin!"
"Leo! Use Incinerating Roar! Turn that slime into steam!" Marcus screamed.
The Flame-Mane Lion opened its maw, a swirl of intense orange fire gathering in its throat. A blast of pure heat erupted, a cone of flame that scorched the air and blinded the spectators.
BOOM!
The fire engulfed Grim. Marcus started to cheer, but the cheer died in his throat.
Through the smoke, the violet runes on Grim's shell weren't just glowing—they were screaming. The snail hadn't moved an inch.
[Kinetic Redirection: 100% Charged] [Mana Acceleration: Active]
"My turn," Leo whispered. "Grim, Thunder-Burst."
The snail didn't crawl. Using the Internal Mana Acceleration Leo had just copied from the Lion, Grim's body vibrated at a frequency so high it blurred. The snail launched itself off the ground like a cannonball.
It was a grey-and-violet streak. The Lion, mid-roar, didn't have time to react.
CRACK!
Grim slammed into the Lion's chest. All the thermal energy from the fire and the kinetic energy of the impact was released in a single, localized explosion of violet electricity.
The 400-pound Lion was sent flying backward, its mane extinguished and its fur standing on end. It hit a reinforced wall and slumped down, unconscious.
Silence. Total, suffocating silence.
Leo walked over to the crater where the Lion lay. Grim was slowly "sliding" back toward him, looking perfectly content.
"500 Spirit Stones, Marcus," Leo said, his voice echoing in the quiet field. "And the apology. Now."
Marcus was trembling, his eyes wide with disbelief. "That... that's impossible. A Snail can't move that fast. It's an F-rank!"
"Ranks are just opinions," Leo said, picking up Grim and placing him back in his terrarium. "I told you. You're blind to their potential."
Leo turned and walked away, Jud jogging beside him with his jaw hanging open.
[DING!] [Mission Accomplished: First Victory.] [Reward: 'Ancient Breeder's Manual - Volume 1' unlocked in Encyclopedia.] [System Note: Host's fame is rising. Local Guilds are taking notice.]
As they left the grounds, Leo noticed a figure watching from the balcony of the Faculty building. It was Master Thorne, the scarred instructor. He wasn't scowling anymore. He was taking notes.
"Leo," Jud finally stammered. "What... what did you do to that snail?"
"I didn't do much," Leo lied with a wink. "I just fed him his vitamins."