2026-05-20 05:28:03As the first Tremor Mole went still inside the suppression sack, Knox felt the tremor pattern linger faintly in his palm. The system flickered.
[Compatibility Detected] [Progress: 1/?] Knox stared at the notification and waited. With the Swift-Horn Rabbits, Ignis had felt hunger the moment he pinned the first one. His instincts pulled him toward the essence. That hunger led to the Swift-Step Foundation and Burst Step. Knox expected the same reaction now. But Ignis only shifted his claws uncomfortably and looked away from the suppression sack. No hunger or pull. Knox frowned. If Ignis did not want the Tremor Mole, then what was the system reacting to? "Are you going to stand there all day?" Knox looked up. Serena stood near the next Moonroot bed with her arms crossed. Her expression was calm and unreadable, but her tone carried faint exasperation. "Whatever it was, you were waiting for, to happen," she continued. Her gaze flicked to the suppression sack, then back to Knox. "It did not." Knox said nothing and thankfully, Serena did not press, but her eyes stayed on him a moment longer before she returned to her work. The greenhouse supervisor approached. "One mole is not enough. There are still four left." He gestured toward the damaged beds. "The sooner you finish, the sooner I can clear the section." Knox nodded and dismissed the system notification. If he wanted the answer, he needed to catch more of the moles. The second Tremor Mole hid inside the natural hum of the greenhouse mana lines and Serena's Light Spirit Fox padded forward and lowered its head. The greenhouse light bent across the soil like a thin illusionary lens until the refraction revealed faint distortions. A ripple where the mole moved. A bent shimmer near a damaged mana line and a spreading ring where a tremor pulse was building beneath the surface. Knox watched the distortion instead of rushing. Ignis crouched near the ripple, his muscles tensing. Wait, Knox thought through the bond. Short burst. Do not overshoot. Ignis waited. The distortion shifted and immediately Ignis moved. He used a shorter Burst Step instead of a full burst. A faint mana shimmer flickered around his legs, and he shot forward. The landing was still rough, but he did not overshoot as badly as before. The Tremor Mole released a pulse. WHUMP. The vibration traveled through the soil. Knox knelt and in that split second decided to let part of it pass through his palm. The shock ran into his hand and wrist and his fingers immediately went numb. His mana flow stuttered for a second. He felt something there, but he was not sure what yet. Ignis pinned the mole and Knox placed it in the suppression sack. Still no hunger. Ignis stepped back without looking at the sack. The system flickered. [Compatibility Detected] [Progress: 2/?] Knox's suspicion grew. The system was not recording Ignis's hunger. It was recording something Knox was beginning to understand. Ignis's next short burst was weaker. His landing was better, but his legs trembled afterward. Knox realized control was improving, but stamina was dropping. Two Tremor Moles moved at once beneath different Moonroot beds. One released a pulse to distract Ignis while the other headed toward a damaged mana line. Knox could not chase both. He chose to protect the Moonroot bed instead of chasing the easiest capture. Serena's fox strengthened the refraction field to reveal both movement patterns. Its pale fur shimmered harder. The illusionary lens trembled, and Serena's breathing slowed with controlled effort. Knox noticed. Her help had a cost too. One mole's pulse made a cracked mana line swell. The supervisor shouted that if it burst, the whole Moonroot bed would be ruined. Knox clicked his tongue and sent Ignis left instead of forward. Ignis stumbled on the landing, claws carving a shallow line through the soil, but the movement forced the nearest mole away from the swelling mana line. Knox waited for the spreading ring to form beneath the soil, then sent Ignis in the instant before the pulse released. Ignis used short Burst Steps to cut off the moles' paths. His movement was rough but improving. He caught the third mole near the edge of a bed. Then he stopped the fourth from escaping deeper under the greenhouse foundation. The system flickered after the captures. [Compatibility Detected] [Progress: 3/?] [Compatibility Detected] [Progress: 4/?] [Burst Step Proficiency Increased] [Short-distance control improved] Knox dismissed the notifications and looked at his hand. His palm was numb. His wrist ached. But the tremor pattern was becoming clearer. While Serena secured a damaged Moonroot bed, Knox knelt and placed his palm against the soil. This time, he did not only receive the pulse. He tried to copy it. He moved his mana in the same rhythm as the tremor. It failed. The mana rebounded into his wrist and pain shot through his forearm. His aura flickered, and for a second, his breathing broke. Serena noticed immediately. "Forcing rhythm through unstable mana channels can damage you," she said without looking at him. Knox exhaled slowly and steadied himself. He knew she was right. But the pain told him something important. He was onto something. He just forced it like a blast instead of letting it pulse. His theory was not wrong. The tremor was not something to eat or absorb. It was something to understand. The fifth Tremor Mole was slightly older and more cautious. It hid near a cracked mana line where Ignis could not attack recklessly. If Ignis missed, the mana line might burst and ruin the Moonroot bed. Serena's fox revealed distortion patterns, but the mole used small pulses to disguise its real position. Knox realized speed would not solve this. He had to understand the rhythm clearly enough to interrupt it. The mole released a stronger pulse and Knox knelt and let it enter through his palm. The shock traveled through his hand, wrist, arm, and into his chest. His breath caught and his mana stuttered. For one moment, the bond with Ignis flickered. Ignis panicked through the bond. Knox! Knox forced himself to stay calm as he understood now. The tremor was not power smashing into the body. It was rhythm interrupting rhythm. Knox tried again. This time, he did not force mana outward like an attack. He let his mana pulse once in the same rhythm the mole used. It was weak. Almost nothing. But the soil under his palm trembled. The fifth Tremor Mole froze for half a second and that half-second was enough. Ignis used one last short Burst Step and pinned it. The system flickered. [Compatibility Detected] [Progress: Complete] The supervisor confirmed all five Tremor Moles had been removed from the damaged Moonroot section. The Moonroot damage was limited, so Knox earned the full mission reward. Serena also preserved enough Moonroot herbs for her own mission. The supervisor looked over the Moonroot beds, then at Knox. His expression shifted from impatience to reluctant approval. He handed Knox a payment pouch. Mission Rewards: 50 silver coins 3 low-grade mana core fragments Bonus pay for limited Moonroot damage Knox barely focused on the silver. His palm was numb. His wrist ached. His mana was low. His legs were still sore. Ignis was exhausted from repeated short Burst Step and he knew the real reward was not the mission pay. The system appeared just as the thought crossed his mind. [Compatibility Progress Complete] [Resonance Pattern Recorded] [Incomplete Technique Generated] Skill Acquired: Tremor Palm — Incomplete Then the details appeared. Skill: Tremor Palm — Incomplete Effect: Sends a weak internal vibration through direct palm contact. Current Use: Can briefly disturb balance, breathing rhythm, or mana flow. Limitations: Requires physical contact High mana cost Weak against armor or thick hides Backlash damages Knox's wrist and forearm if used carelessly Physical Strain: Current body cannot safely channel repeated internal vibration After one use: palm numbness and wrist pain occur After two uses: grip strength may weaken Excess use may cause mana-channel backlash Current Proficiency: 1% Knox stared at the description. It was not a finishing move, nor a killing technique, but It was an opening-maker and a disruption. Used badly, it hurt him. Used correctly, it could make an enemy hesitate for one breath. And one breath could decide a fight. Serena saw Knox's hand trembling. She saw the way he stared at his palm after the mission. She knew something had changed but not know what. Still she ultimately decided not to ask. Knox noticed the silence. He was still suspicious of her, but he also realized she could have pressed him and chose not to. Serena stood and recalled her Light Spirit Fox. "The mission is finished. I will see you in class." She walked toward the greenhouse exit without another word. Knox watched her leave, then looked at Ignis. Ignis stared at Knox's trembling hand. He could feel the pain through the bond. "That hurt," Ignis said through the bond. Knox stared at his trembling palm. "Yes," he replied. "Hurts like hell."
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Chapter 20: The Hooktail Challenge
Knox arrived near the challenge arena for the afternoon session with Ignis on his shoulder. His body was stable after the mana pill and light training, but he was not fully fresh. The earlier tests had already dropped his mana, though it had recovered slightly to around 56/60. His wrist was wrapped, but the faint ache beneath the cloth told him it was not completely healed.He kept thinking about how fast Tobin had accepted the challenge. Tobin had a Rare-rank Hooktail Lizard, a higher rank, and more official match experience, yet he accepted instantly. That meant confidence. Knox understood this fight would not be like Venn. Venn had rushed because he was angry but Tobin had accepted because he believed he already understood how to beat Knox.The weekend challenge session had drawn students who wanted to watch fights. The crowd was not huge, but enough people pressed against the arena barriers to make the match feel public. Knox's name had started attracting attention after his defen
Chapter 19: Tobin Marr
Ignis crouched low, his claws scraping lightly against the ground. A faint shimmer of mana gathered around his legs before he shot forward two meters. The movement was fast, but the landing was still rough. Ignis stumbled once before steadying himself.[Burst Step Activated]Range: 2 metersControl: UnstableStability: ImprovingPrimary Cost: Ignis StaminaBond Mana Drain: 3Knox Mana: 54/60 → 51/60Knox felt the small tug through the bond and clicked his tongue. Ignis’s Burst Step did not use Knox’s mana the same way Echo Step did, but because the trait was still unstable, every forced activation pulled a little mana through their bond. That meant Ignis could not spam Burst Step freely either. If Ignis pushed too hard, Knox would feel the cost too.After that, Knox walked to one of the wooden training posts and placed his palm lightly against it. He did not try to activate Tremor Palm fully as that would be mana waste and stupid. Tremor Palm was different from Echo Step.Echo Step pu
Chapter 18: Names Above Him
Knox woke up late in the common dorm. Sunlight streamed through the window at an angle that told him it was already past morning. The other beds were empty. Most students were already outside enjoying the weekend. There were no classes today, no Professor Crane lesson, and no academy drills.Knox sat up slowly. His wrist still ached faintly, but the sharp pain from yesterday was gone. He flexed his fingers. Stiff, but functional. He checked his recovery status.[Recovery Status]Mana: 55/55Physical Strain:Lower Body Fatigue — ClearedRight Wrist Backlash — FadingMana Channels — StableRecommendation:Light activity permitted.Avoid repeated Tremor Palm activation.Knox dismissed the notification and looked at Ignis. The drake was still curled up near his pillow, breathing steadily. His legs twitched once, like he was trying to use Burst Step in his sleep. Knox did not wake him.Instead, Knox counted his silver. He pulled out the pouch from under his mattress and spread the coins on the
Chapter 17: The Wrong Kind Of Attention
Knox woke up alone in the common dorm with his wrist still aching from Tremor Palm. His palm felt numb, his fingers were slow to close, and his legs were still sore from the recent fights and mission. He checked his condition.[Recovery Status]Mana: 34/55Physical Strain: Lower Body Fatigue — MildRight Wrist Backlash — ActiveMana Channels — Slightly IrritatedRecommendation: Avoid repeated skill activation.Ignis was still sleeping close to him, his legs twitching once like he was trying to use Burst Step in his sleep. Knox did not wake him. He understood they were both tired and that challenging anyone today would be stupid. He decided today was for rest, food, and recovery.Ignis woke up minutes later, hungry. Knox pulled out a beast feed pellet from his pouch and handed it to him. Ignis sniffed it suspiciously and made a disgusted face through the bond.“The rabbit tasted better,” Ignis complained.Knox was annoyed because the feed cost him silver. “Then make your own money and
Chapter 16: When The Pulse Answers
As the first Tremor Mole went still inside the suppression sack, Knox felt the tremor pattern linger faintly in his palm. The system flickered.[Compatibility Detected][Progress: 1/?]Knox stared at the notification and waited. With the Swift-Horn Rabbits, Ignis had felt hunger the moment he pinned the first one. His instincts pulled him toward the essence. That hunger led to the Swift-Step Foundation and Burst Step. Knox expected the same reaction now. But Ignis only shifted his claws uncomfortably and looked away from the suppression sack. No hunger or pull.Knox frowned. If Ignis did not want the Tremor Mole, then what was the system reacting to?"Are you going to stand there all day?" Knox looked up. Serena stood near the next Moonroot bed with her arms crossed. Her expression was calm and unreadable, but her tone carried faint exasperation. "Whatever it was, you were waiting for, to happen," she continued. Her gaze flicked to the suppression sack, then back to Knox. "It did not.
Chapter 15: Beneath the Warmstone Greenhouse
Knox arrived at the Warmstone Greenhouse with Ignis perched on his shoulder.The building sat on the eastern edge of the academy grounds, half-buried into a slope to keep the temperature stable. Heat rolled out from the entrance, thick and damp. Inside, rows of herb beds stretched beneath curved glass panels that caught the afternoon sun.Moonroot beds lined the center section. The plants had pale silver-white roots that glowed faintly under the soil. Thin mana lines ran beneath them, feeding the roots with steady energy.Knox wiped sweat from his neck as he walked deeper into the greenhouse. The mission still looked like dirty pest work, but the system had reacted differently.When he accepted it, only one message appeared.[Compatibility Detected]Nothing else.No explanation or reward preview.Knox did not know what the compatibility meant, but he could not ignore it.A middle-aged man in work robes approached. His sleeves were rolled up, and soil stained his hands. He looked Knox
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