Before I could say something, my watch vibrated. It was a warning.
“Oh no! I’ll be too late for my appointment.” I yelped, leaping to my feet. After a quick goodbye, I spun around, ready to rush off when a sudden pressure descended. It bore down on my shoulders first and seeped into my body, forcefully halting any movement.
“Stop!” The old man said, but something about his voice had changed. He no longer sounded kind and generous. Instead, there was an edge to it – steely, commanding, allowing no disobedience.
I barely managed to turn, eyes widened and locked on the old man, who just closed a screen that must have popped up at some point.
“I apologize for my tone.” He cleared his throat, smiling with a mirthless expression. “Old habits die hard, you know?”
I didn’t, but that was beyond the point.
“Anyway,” the old man waved dismissively. “Are you Adam Savier by chance?”
“How do you know?” I blurted aloud, noticing only now that the heavy pressure had vanished.
“You have an appointment with me.”
“Oh.” I had many questions, but I kept them in the back of my mind for another time. Instead, I shook the old man’s hand with a proper smile. “I am Adam Savier, and I feel like I have to apologize for being a little late.”
“No need to apologize. You were on time, or you would have been if I hadn’t stopped you.” The old man smiled, but it didn’t quite reach me. Not after that display of pressure. That had been terrifying; it almost felt like someone had stomped on my shoulder, nearly forcing me to my knees.
“If I understand correctly, you want to work for the Beastarium?” he asked, eyes swiveling to the Aceraspis, which nudged my hand again, and then back at me. It was not hard to imagine how much of a massacre a fully grown Aceraspis could cause; Even the young one emitted the aloof presence of an apex predator, who hunted for the thrill of the hunt and the rush of blood gushing from its prey rather than survival. Even now as the Aceraspis nudged me cutely, I always felt like I was a second away from being gutted.
As a matter of fact, it looked like someone thought exactly that.
“Be careful!!” A new, high-pitched voice rang out from behind, yet all I heard were hollering footsteps before something rocketed into my side, yanking me to the ground. All I saw was a mess of blonde hair disrupting my sight, which was quickly followed by an outburst of Aureus. Even the Aceraspis seemed surprised and ready to engage in battle, but I just stared at the woman who’d just hurled me to the ground.
She was on top of me, letting out a soft groan as she lifted her head. Only centimeters separated our heads, and my heart failed me for a moment as her vibrant eyes met mine. They glimmered like polished emeralds – if an emerald could look worried and distressed at the same time.
“You fine?” she squeaked, pressing her palms against the ground to push upward. Too stunned to say anything, I nodded slowly, my heart racing all of a sudden. Unconvinced, the young Blessed – she couldn’t be much older than I was – scanned me from head to toe. She inspected me so thoroughly, heat rose to my cheeks.
“Thank the Rulers.” She patted her chest, genuine relief flooding her bright features. “Acer was just about to ram his claws into you, and I–...Well, nothing happened, so that’s a good thing, right?”
Aureus pulled me away from the girl, staring at her like she was seconds away from death. However, the Aceraspis was faster. It stepped in-between me and the girl and snarled at her. The girl, too baffled to utter a single sound, just listened as the Aceraspis continued snarling. Confusion replaced her initial worry, which only increased when she noticed the old man, who joined her side, grimacing at the turn of events.
“What…What is going on here, Mr. Briggs?” She asked, eyes flicking from the Aceraspis to the old man “Did I miss something? Why is Acer behaving like that, and where’s his blood lust? Did you actually manage to tame him!? You should have told me!!”
So….that’s Sophie?
Annoying.
I raised my eyebrow at Aureus, who had yet to stop growling at the Aceraspis’ Blessed. Clearly, she just misunderstood the situation. She wanted to help me.
The Earthheart didn’t believe that for a moment. He continued to glare at Sophie, our bond flooded with distrust, tinged with anger. The distrust was squashed by various thoughts, which may or may not include how cute Sophie looked when the misunderstanding cleared up. She listened to the Aceraspis and she threw a quick glance in my direction before her cheeks turned beet-red. But she did not look angry. If anything, Sophie looked…embarassed? A soft curse escaped Sophie’s lips and she quickly hid behind her cascading hair
Her cheeks were beet red, and it looked increasingly like she was trying to hide behind her cascading hair.
Albeit disheveled, her hair still looked beautiful. It was long, blonde, and highlighted her cute appearance well. Her facial features were sharp, her emerald eyes bright, and I was certain I had seen someone similar on one of the billboards in the main sector back home. She was tall, only half a head shorter than I was, and very slim. Her clothes fit perfectly to her figure, which looked more alluring the longer I stared at her.
Creepy.
Aureus’ voice thundered in my head. Various creepy images followed, and I turned away at once.
Something is definitely wrong with me.
Young. Foolish.
“That’s funny hearing from you, Aureus. You’re not even a year old!” I accidentally grumbled out loud.
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The old man, Mr. Briggs, barely glanced at me. “Didn’t I tell you to call me Nathan? Or, if that’s too much, Nathaniel, Madame Sophie Gardener?”
The flush in her face receded, and she no longer looked as abashed as before, yet she still didn’t look my way.
“Regardless, Acer is—was—not tamed until this morning. I did not know anything about this either, Sophie,” Nathaniel Briggs said, finally looking my way. “I am pretty sure that young fella did all the work.”
“I did?” I asked, my voice cracking. “But I didn’t do anything—I think.”
The way Nathaniel Briggs looked at me suggested that I had done something great, but I had no idea what it was—
Is he talking about my World?
My World hummed excitedly when I cradled the Aceraspis, but it was not like that was anything special. It always hummed when I played with Soulkins, be it my parents’ Black-bellied Gibbons, Coco, Aureus, or even the Zerogs’ companions. If not for the old man staring at me like that, I would never have recalled it. After all, my World was always like that. It was not an oddity. For me, at least.
Sophie looked at me for the first time since the misunderstanding was cleared up, and I got a clear view of the envy in her eyes. But there was also something else. She inched closer with newfound seriousness, her hand holding mine.
“I need your help! I don’t know what you did with Acer or how you tamed him, but you have to help me!” she pleaded.
I wasn’t even allowed a few seconds to ponder before Sophie’s grip around my hands tightened. “I’ll give you coins. Just… just help me get closer to Acer.”
She was going to pay me as long as I helped her get to know her own Soulkin? That sounded ridiculous, yet I couldn’t see anything but raw sincerity when I looked at her. Sophie wasn’t playing any games. She was desperate—hopeful maybe, even.
Before I could accept the offer, the old man stepped forward. “Are you affiliated with the Beast Temple?
“Have you been to the Pagoda before?” He licked his lips, emitting the same intense curiosity as a toddler who had found something interesting. “Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? About your World and your bonds? Your bond with…” Nathaniel Briggs looked over to Aureus, eyebrows raised slightly. “That is your Soulkin, isn’t it? Your bond is very strong. I can feel the resonance—strong and still growing. What did you say earlier? He is not even one year old? That is curious. Very curious!”
“What exactly am I looking at, though? I don’t think I have seen this species before.”
I didn’t even know where to start. Was I supposed to keep some information to myself, to deal out some aces if the Beastarium was interested in hiring me? If so, I might as well secure a chance at negotiating my salary and conditions.
“I’m sorry for asking this.” I rubbed my nose, slightly hesitant. “But what about the aptitude test? Are you just curious about me, or is this part of the test?”
Nathaniel Briggs snorted and waved dismissively. “Forget that ol’ test. Consider this more of a job interview.”
He hesitated only for a moment before adding, “And you should know that you have the upper hand. If you can work with beasts as troublesome as him”—Nathaniel pointed at Acer—“you shouldn’t have any issues working not only in the Beastarium but also the Beast Temple in the Grand Camp.
“As long as you perform well, of course.” He winked.
I… have the upper hand?
It was nice to hear that I wouldn’t have to complete the aptitude test, but the rest was still confusing, even if it shouldn’t be. I could connect the dots easily, and I understood what was being said; however, it felt like the head on my shoulders wasn’t mine. It was muddled and wouldn’t quite work the way it was supposed to.
“So, you want me to work in the Beastarium,” I inquired slowly.
“You have to join the Beastarium,” Nathaniel said exaggeratedly. “It seems like you don’t understand, and that is totally fine. Just know that you fit perfectly to the Beastarium. You belong here!”
“Okay.” I blinked, sorting my thoughts. “I like working with beasts. Spending time with Aureus and other Soulkins is always fun. I could probably learn a lot about beasts in here as well.” Nathaniel’s expression brightened up, but I was far from done. “However, I need more than that. I joined the Camp to grow stronger. Spending most of the day in the Beastarium without – how do I put it best? – certain benefits, I will only be pushed back to the bottom of the ranks.”
If Nathaniel was disappointed by my words, he didn’t show it. Rather, he nodded understandingly, his eyes drifting back to Aureus, if only for a moment.
“I think I recall you. You are the kid from the retinue exam, aren’t you? Unique world, strong bond, Novice who broke through when his mutant Soilback finished evolving to an unknown species during the combat exam.” The old man’s eyes lit up. “I received about a dozen requests asking about your little companion’s species, but I couldn’t answer any of them. That reminds me, there was a discovery report from a young Beaster. What was his name again? Bjorn? Sebastian? Ba–...”
“Bert.” I helped out with a wry smile. It didn’t sit well with me that Aureus and I had been the talk of the Bastion, yet it didn’t feel too bad to be recognized. It was refreshing in a way.
“Exactly! Beaster Bert and his discovery report of a species called…Earthheart, I think it was.” Nathaniel looked at me for confirmation, which I did with a subtle nod. “So your little friend is a first of a kind. Wonderful! Truly wonderful!”
He stepped closer, his hand cradling mine. I preferred Sophie’s hands. They were much softer, and she didn’t put as much strength into her grip.
“I – no, we – want you! Obviously, you will receive proper compensation for your astounding work.” His expression soured for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with a forced smile. “Playing favorites is forbidden, so we cannot give you too much. You have to be recognized for your talent first. However, I can offer you…let’s say 15 coins an hour, alongside a commission bonus if you perform well. Plus you can keep the money you earn on the side by helping other Blessed.”
The last part was directed at Sophia, indirectly allowing her to hire me for her purposes with Acer.
Anyway, Nathaniel’s offer was great. The monetary compensation was already a lot more than I had been hoping for. 15 coins a month alone was already more than enough to agree, but I would be a fool to interrupt the old man as he went on.
“I can also promise you to raise your pay as long as your performance exceeds the standards set by the Grand Camp. If I’m not wrong in my assumption – and I most definitely am not – you will have no problem with that. As long as you perform decently, I will forward your feats to the Grand Camp and request for you to work in the Beast Temple now and then.”
The last bit hit the nail on the coffin.
To enter the Grand Camp and gain access to mankind's best equipment, resources, and the superior classes held in the main district, cadets needed special permission. Daniel was struggling to get hold of a permission slip, and so were Scott and my other roommates. They were so special, so powerful, and influential, yet none of them was even close to getting one of those permission slips. But I might receive one as long as I worked hard doing… What exactly was I supposed to do?
Be you.
Aureus said, speaking properly, which surprised me just as much as the shower of memories and emotions that impacted simultaneously, revealing all the time I’d spent with my Soulkin and others.
You want me to be myself? I can do that much.