Beast Taming: Start With A Dragon Legion

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 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.