“That should be it,” Bert said as he finished the report. “Records of an entirely new species have been forwarded to the research department.”
The Beaster looked a little giddy, but nobody was holding that against him. If anything, everything in Beaster Bert’s lab seemed happy—excited, even.
They spent most of the morning examining Aureus and made sure there weren’t any other reports about an ‘Earthheart.’ Bert listed Earthheart as the species name in the report the Council’s researchers would receive.
“I did not add your personal information in the report. Instead, I added my contact information. I hope you don’t mind.” Bert turned to me with a more serious expression.
“That’s probably for the best. I don’t want researchers to bother me.” I shuddered a little as memories of the researchers from the second exam resurfaced. “Although I don’t think Aureus will be hidden for long. He’s hard to hide, nor do I want him to feel like he has to live in hiding.”
Bert deserved all the recognition in the world for his find. He concocted dozens of serums for Aureus, helping the Soulkin to become an Earthheart in the first place. I owed him a lot, and the rewards of discovering and researching a new species didn’t even come close to that. It barely scratched the surface.
“He is physically weaker than I expected. Coco said Aureus is tough,” Daniel said, his attention locked on Bert’s report.
I was also surprised when Bert mentioned that first, but I guess it made sense. Aureus’ physical attributes were given a numerical value of 5—the same as a physical-attributed 5-Star Wild. It was the highest value a Wild beast could receive, meaning the strongest Wild was on par with Aureus. Physically, only.
“Look at the other chart. Brain function and spiritual resonance for one. Mental capacity, Aether control, and Element and Trait Mastery, on the other hand.” Bert responded calmly. “Ah, and his soul energy index.”
Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes narrowed instead. He leaned closer and triple-checked the numbers in the report, all while his frown deepened.
“A soul energy index of 25?” He jerked upright and looked over at me. “How the fuck are you still alive?”
“I worked my ass off to refine my World?” I responded incredulously, but broke into a grimace as I added, “Advancing to Adept strengthened my World—that’s exactly what happened to me. However, my World expanded more than a ‘regular’ World would from an advancement. Then there is my bond with Aureus. We’re closing in on a Stage-2 bond.”
“You are what!?” Daniel roared, his palms crashing into the desk.
“You understood me just right.”
“Of course, I did. That doesn’t mean I can believe it!” Daniel pointed fingers at me, only to deflate after a few seconds. “But you are not someone who would lie about something like that.”He cursed something and checked the report once again.
“Of-fucking-course, Aureus’ combined Mental and Spiritual index is at 35. Didn’t he just evolve? How—no, don’t answer. I…don’t want to know.” He threw a fit and stormed out of the basement, not even glancing in my direction.
Bert and I stared at Daniel’s fleeting figure, then turned to one another.
“Valid breakdown,” I muttered.
“I expected him to react worse,” Bert said. “To be fair, I would probably react worse if my best friend was catching up to me this quickly.” He met my eyes. “Daniel has been a Blessed most of his life, whereas you awakened half a year ago, and you’ve been bulldozing through the obstacles that geniuses like Daniel and his sister struggled with for weeks, even months.”
“If you keep advancing this fast, you will catch up to Daniel by the end of the Camp.” He rubbed his chin as if to reconsider what he’d just said and added, “Actually, if Aureus is as unique as I think he is, you will catch up much faster. Your memories will not be the only mental improvement from your bond with the Earthheart, and it is not like Aureus will remain your only Soulkin for long. You still have some space left in your World, and knowing you, you won’t be slacking off now that you entered the Camp.” He snickered. “As far as I’m concerned, you will be working even harder than you already did. Not that I think that’s possible, but I guess we will see about that.”
Beaster Bert’s words gave me a lot to think about. I knew Daniel’s growth had stagnated since he and his sister had failed to evolve the Thunderhorn Bull for two years, but I thought stagnation was normal. That it would happen to everything at some point. Although, now that I thought about it, I was unsure if the same rules applied to me.
Most were restricted to their Worlds, except for me. My World was malleable, and I could bind any beast as far as I could tell. Daniel, on the other hand…well, he needed one of those Aspects rewarded by the Camp. Or he and his sister would have to find a way to evolve the Thunderhorn Bull.
“I think I have to leave now,” I said in a hurry. “Have to catch up with Daniel before the meeting.”
“Sure thing. Find your friend.” He patted my shoulder on my way out. “And make sure to enjoy your time in the Camp. It’ll be hard, and you’ll have to push yourself even more—but you can’t always work. You need to live a little, too.”
***
I found Daniel back in the estate, but he was quieter than usual. He was still talking to me, but my throat tightened whenever I wanted to talk about earlier. What was I supposed to say in the first place?
‘I am terribly sorry for my fragile World. I am sorry I had to suffer most of my life with a constitution that seemed intent on eating me alive. Sorry that I tried my best to go to the Camp with you. I am terribly sorry for passing the retinue test!’
Not talking about the issue—bottling up our emotions—was definitely the wrong choice. However, I didn’t think it would help either of us to talk about our emotions right now. Daniel needed time to get used to the whole situation, and so did I. It had only been half a year since I awakened as a Blessed, but so many things had changed. Everything was different, and our roles were changing. Daniel and I were still friends—best friends!—yet it was not quite the same. And it would never be the same again.
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My parents hugged me tightly. Mom planted a kiss on my cheek and told me to be careful.
“Don’t worry about us. We will be fine with the Zerogs,” Dad said when they finally released me. “You know I am proud of you, right?”
“I do,” I barely got out before Chloe Zerog reached me. She pulled me into a hug as well, and even Peter went as far as to pat me on the shoulder.
“Keep working hard,” Peter Zerog said, and I could swear I noticed a tinge of emotion in his voice as he added, “It would have been great if we found you earlier.”
I raised an eyebrow at that, but turned to Daniel as he let out an awkward laugh. My parents embraced Daniel tightly, and they said something I didn’t quite catch. He waved his hand dismissively, but Mom embraced him tightly once again.
It took us a few seconds to regain freedom, but the tension between Daniel and me was no more. He slung an arm around my shoulder and chuckled, “You know what? I am pumped to be in this mess with you!”
***
It was already afternoon when we were led to a warehouse on the outskirts of the Bastion. Even stranger, however, was that the warehouse had several levels and that the newly inducted cadets of the Camp were split up, each assigned special spots marked like the retinues in the theory test.
“What is going on here?” I heard a woman around my age mumble, but nobody answered her. Instead, the other cadets looked around, appearing just as confused.
I found Daniel and Scott on their designated spots several rows ahead of me, standing several meters away from the next-closest cadet, and I called upon the Earthen Aspect to sense what was happening underfoot.
Huh? Are those…? Before I could perceive all that was hidden beneath us, the doors leading outside closed. The windows snapped shut, and a glistening light dangling from the ceiling was the only source of light that remained. Several cadets flinched, a few yelped in surprise, but most stared blankly at the floor before them as it opened up automatically.
The smell of wildlife was the first thing I sensed. Then I heard them—beasts. Finally, I saw dozens of beasts emerge from the ground. Some were stored in boxes, others were nestled in small nests made of tiny branches. Then there were beasts standing around, bleating, mooing, and growling like their life depended on it. That was probably what it felt like for the beasts. After all, they were all young—hatchlings and newborns even.
“Welcome to the Camp, cadets.” A hoarse voice echoed through the warehouse. The voice was not loud, yet it rang in my ears like thunder.
“As you may have noticed, this year’s Camp has been a little bit different. Times are changing, and so are our teachings,” the man, whoever he may be, cleared his throat, his voice deeper than before. “The Rulers and the Council have unanimously decided to unite the Camps after years of complications. This will change everything—and it already has.”
“To prepare you for the challenges awaiting you in the Grand Camp, the Rulers have prepared something. You must have seen them already: your future Soulkins. Young beasts, perfect picks for your Worlds, have been prepared for you, young Cadets, and we sincerely hope you will bind them to prepare for the trials awaiting you in the near future.”
The man’s voice continued to echo through the warehouse, but my focus drifted to Daniel. Coco materialized beside him at some point, kicking the ground, puffing air interwoven with electric current upon a much smaller bull. It was a young one and shivered tremendously, yet the bull pushed forward and bobbed Coco’s snout.
Electric currents pressed against the small bull and flowed across its body. Coco lowered his head, seemingly forcing the smaller one into submission, which it did.
My hair stood on end as I watched my friend finally getting his hands on a second Soulkin. Even his parents had been struggling to find a beast like Coco. Binding Coco had only been possible because the Thunderhorn Bull had been very young, and the Zerogs never found anything like Coco. However, the Rulers did. They found a beast that fit perfectly to Daniel.
But why would they do that? If the Camps united to a ‘Grand Camp’, and every cadet was given a young beast to bind, the Rulers had to find 13,000 beasts in the last few months. That… How in the Rulers’ names did they manage?
I wasn’t quite sure what to think about the gifts, but the vast majority was happy. Joyful tears streaked down the faces of close to 100 Blessed, and there were no more than 200 people on this floor. That was… Actually, it was a lot more than I could have fathomed. A few happy tears were normal as the Worlds of some Blessed were massive but too restrictive to use to their fullest.
On the other hand, there was Scott. My gaze flicked to Scott, who was all by himself. There was no young beast, no nothing. Only Destiny was by his side, his expression as hard as stone as he stared at a serum where a beast should have been.
The serum’s presence was distinct. It was so strong I could perceive it from more than 20 meters away. But it was no beast.
Maybe they couldn’t find something suitable for him?
I, on the other hand, was given a box containing three eggs, alongside holographic screens depicting the characteristics of the beasts growing within.
Aureus materialized next to me and approached the eggs carefully. He hissed at them and backed away.
“We talked about this before, Aureus. Our goal is to grow stronger, isn’t it? For that, we need more power,” I pointed at the box of eggs. “And these eggs can help us grow a lot stronger as a team. So, what do you say? Will you help me?”
Aureus glared at me and bombarded me with ill emotions, but he caved in and agreed.
Help.
I lowered myself before the eggs and touched them carefully, trying to feel which one suited me best. As my fingers cradled the eggs gently, I could feel something…but not only with one. Rather, I felt something with all of them. My World rippled, telling me to bind them all.
They were compatible with my World…all of them.
“Did they have to show me three eggs when I can only bind one? Why eggs in the first place?” I ruffled my hair, my eyes tracking the other cadets. I was not the only one with an egg, but there were only two more Blessed with similar options than I did.
“For one, your World is malleable, so we can give you eggs no one else can bind. Second, the Camp does not plan to force anything upon you. If your World is highly restricted, you do not have much of a choice. That is not the case for you. You have options.” A familiar voice rang out behind me, and I spun around to stare at the towering figure of none other than Merlin Zerog.
“What the fuck!?” I blurted aloud.
Merlin cocked an eyebrow but ignored the outburst otherwise. “Furthermore, your World is filled to the brim. You had more than enough soul energy left to bind a young beast during the second test. Then Aureus evolved and your World turned into a mess.”
He waved dismissively and gestured to the box. “Take your time. Since you have a choice, you should make a good one—not that there is a bad option with beast eggs like those.”
Merlin turned away but slowed for a moment, turning his head to me. “Stay cautious, Adam. These eggs are precious. Make sure they don’t break when we leave the Bastion.”
I nodded slowly. There was no reason for me to break those eggs in the first place. Yet, as I registered Merlin Zerog’s words, I froze.
“Wait a moment! What did you just say?”
Merlin didn’t bother answering me. Instead, the same voice as before resounded through the warehouse a few minutes later.
“Stand ready—the ship is about to lift into the sky!”