2026-05-20 05:33:35Ignis 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 meters Control: UnstableStability: Improving Primary Cost: Ignis Stamina Bond Mana Drain: 3 Knox Mana: 54/60 → 51/60 Knox 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 pushed mana through his legs in a burst of movement but Tremor Palm forced mana into his wrist and palm, then shaped it into an internal vibration. The problem was that Knox’s body was not strong enough to handle the rebound yet. The skill was incomplete, and his wrist had already suffered backlash once. If he forced the vibration now, he might damage the same hand he needed to hold his dagger. So Knox only pushed a thin thread of mana toward the pattern. The moment the vibration tried to form, pain flared through his wrist. Knox stopped immediately. [Tremor Palm — Partial Channel Attempt Detected] Mana Cost: 2 Activation: Cancelled Reason: Right Wrist Backlash Knox Mana: 51/60 → 49/60 [Warning] Right Wrist Backlash — Fading Repeated Tremor Palm activation may reopen injury. Possible Consequences: Grip weakness Mana-channel irritation Wrist backlash Temporary loss of palm control Knox pulled his hand back and flexed his fingers slowly. Even a partial attempt had cost him mana. That told him enough. Tremor Palm was usable, but only barely. If he used it at the wrong time, he would not just waste mana. He could ruin his hand in the middle of the fight. So he made the limit clear in his mind. Once. Not twice and not recklessly. If Tremor Palm had to be used, it would be for one opening only. Knox checked his full condition. [Status Check] Name: Knox Morales Mana: 49/60 Condition: Lower Body Fatigue — Cleared Right Wrist Backlash — Fading Mana Channels — Stable Combat Readiness — Stable Skills: Echo Step — Usable Tremor Palm — Incomplete Warning: Repeated Tremor Palm activation may reopen wrist backlash. Knox dismissed the window and looked at Ignis. [Bonded Beast Status] Name: Ignis Species: Wingless Drake Level: 1 Attribute: Gravity Condition: Stamina — Full → Slightly Reduced Burst Step — Usable Bond Response — Stable Trait: Burst Step Note: Burst Step control remains unstable during repeated use. Unstable activation causes minor mana drain through the bond. Knox was no longer at full mana, but that did not bother him. This was better than walking into a challenge blind. Now he knew the numbers. Echo Step cost six mana. Ignis’s Burst Step pulled three mana through the bond. Even touching the edge of Tremor Palm cost two mana and threatened his wrist. His body was stable, his mana pool had expanded, and his skills were usable, but none of them were cheap. If he wasted movement, he would lose. If he dragged the fight out, he would drain himself. And if he forced Tremor Palm carelessly, his own hand might fail before his opponent did. Knox tightened the wrist wrap around his right hand and walked out of the training grounds, still thinking through the numbers. He was not perfect or overpowered. But for his current level, this was the best condition he could reach without injuring himself before the challenge. Knox paused in front of the challenge board, scrolling through until he found a name that interested him. Tobin Marr Rank: 472 Beast: Hooktail Lizard Knox tapped Tobin’s name. More details appeared. Name: Tobin Marr Rank: 472 Class Access: C Beast: Hooktail Lizard Registered Beast Rank: Rare Registered Beast Level: 3 Challenge Record: Wins: 3 Losses: 2 Registered Combat Style: Defensive counterfighter Short spear user Public Beast Traits:Strong tail grip Sharp close-range turning Challenge Status:Available Knox stared at the information for a moment. He had not expected the ranking board to show this much. During the challenge hall explanation, he had only focused on ranks, challenge rules, and match windows. He did not realize the board also kept basic public records on students who had fought official matches. And it was just the kind of information any opponent could learn by watching enough matches. Still, it was useful. Tobin was a defensive fighter. He used a short spear, while his Hooktail Lizard punished anyone who rushed in carelessly. That meant Knox could not charge blindly. If he overcommitted, Tobin would only have to wait and counter. The fight was not easy. But it was readable. But then Knox paused. If Tobin’s public record was there, his own should be there too. His finger moved to his name. Knox Morales. Rank 487. He tapped it. Name: Knox Morales Rank: 487 Class Access: C Beast: Drake Registered Beast Rank: Unclassified Registered Beast Level: 1 Challenge Record: Wins: 1 Losses: 0 Registered Combat Style: Unlisted Public Beast Traits: None Registered Challenge Status:Available Knox stared at the profile. His mouth tightened. That was almost worse than an insult. Unclassified beast rank. Level 1. No public traits registered. Combat style unlisted. Anyone looking at this would think he was barely worth studying. Even his win against Venn had not been enough to make the board recognize a proper style or trait. Knox almost cursed out loud. Almost. Instead, he forced himself to breathe. The board did not know about Echo Step. It had not properly registered Burst Step. It definitely did not know about Tremor Palm. That was good. Tobin would only see an empty profile. Let him think Knox had nothing worth preparing for. Knox took a deep breath and pressed his academy sigil against the ranking board and selected Tobin Marr’s name. The board flashed. [Offensive Challenge Issued] Challenger:Knox Morales — Rank 487 Target:Tobin Marr — Rank 472 Beast:Hooktail Lizard Challenge Status: Accepted Match Window: Today — Afternoon Challenge Session Knox blinked. Accepted? That was fast. Knox walked away from the board, but his thoughts stayed on the speed of the acceptance. The immediate acceptance bothered him more than the challenge itself. Tobin Marr had a Rare-rank Hooktail Lizard, a better registered beast, a higher rank, and more official match experience. Yet he had accepted Knox’s challenge almost the moment it appeared. That was not nervousness. That was confidence. Maybe Tobin saw Knox’s empty profile and thought the fight was already decided. Maybe he believed a Drake with no registered traits could not threaten him. Or maybe he was used to lower-ranked students making desperate climbs and getting punished for it. Either way, Tobin had accepted too fast. Knox did not like that. The afternoon challenge session was still two hours away. That gave him time to eat, rest, and prepare.
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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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