Beast Taming: Start With A Dragon Legion

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 defensive win against Venn, but most students still saw him as the underdog. Some whispered as he passed while others pointed at Ignis and smirked.

The arena board displayed the matchup in glowing letters.

Knox Morales — Rank 487

vs

Tobin Marr — Rank 472

The comparison made Tobin look stronger on paper. Better rank. Rare-rank beast. Level 3 summoner level. Several recorded matches. Registered defensive combat style. While Knox's public profile still looked empty by comparison. Unclassified beast. Level one.

No registered traits and unlisted combat style.

The pressure felt heavier because Knox was not only fighting Tobin. He was fighting what the academy record said he was.

Knox stepped through the arena entrance and onto the stone platform. Tobin was already inside, standing near the center with his short spear resting lightly in his right hand.

He was average height, lean build, with short brown hair and a plain face that held no expression. He did not mock Knox or make a show of confidence. He simply waited. His calmness made him feel more dangerous than Venn because there was no anger for Knox to exploit.

His Hooktail Lizard crouched low beside him. Its body was compact, built close to the ground with thick limbs. Its claws gripped the arena floor firmly, and its tail ended in a curved hook that dragged lightly across the stone. The beast was not flashy, but it looked built for sudden turns, low sweeps, and punishing bad footwork.

Knox also noticed Tobin's short spear. It reminded him of Venn's weapon, but the difference was clear immediately. Venn had held his spear like someone looking for a reason to swing. Tobin held his like someone who had practiced the same movements countless times. The grip was natural and the stance balanced.

Knox realized short spears were probably common among lower-ranked students because they were affordable, easy to maintain, and useful without expensive beast-linked materials. He noted that he might need one later if he kept fighting opponents with better reach. But for now, he only had Ignis, and timing.

The assistant instructor raised his hand. "The rules are clear. Match ends when one side yields, leaves the arena, or cannot continue. Begin!"

When the match began, neither side rushed. Knox circled carefully while Ignis stayed low and alert through the bond. Tobin kept his spear between himself and Knox, the point angled slightly downward. The Hooktail Lizard stayed off to the side, mirroring Ignis's position.

The setup was already annoying right off the bat.

If Knox stepped forward too quickly, Tobin's spear would meet him. If Ignis burst in too directly, the lizard's hook-tail could cut across his path. Tobin was not attacking first. He was shaping the arena and waiting for Knox to make the first mistake.

Knox realized the fight had already started even though neither side had truly attacked.

Knox made a small forward feint to test Tobin's reaction. He shifted his weight like he was about to close the distance. Tobin did not overreact. He only shifted his spear point enough to close the path, then settled back into position. The Hooktail Lizard mirrored Ignis's angle and kept its hooked tail near the floor, ready to sweep.

This told Knox something important. Tobin was not waiting because he was afraid. Waiting was Tobin's weapon. A reckless opponent would have chased the feint or tried to punish immediately. Tobin only adjusted. That made him harder to bait and more frustrating to fight.

Knox understood that he could not rely on the same openings that worked against Venn.

Knox sent a quick thought through the bond. Angle. Short burst.

Ignis crouched lower, his claws scraping lightly against the stone. A faint shimmer flickered around his legs as he activated Burst Step and shot forward, aiming for the Hooktail Lizard's side instead of charging straight.

[Burst Step Activated]

Primary Cost: Ignis Stamina

Bond Mana Drain: 3

Knox Mana: 56/60 → 53/60

Ignis almost reached the side, his claws extended. But the Hooktail Lizard turned faster than expected. Its body pivoted smoothly, and its hooked tail swept low across the ground. The tail cut through the air with a sharp whip-like sound. Ignis avoided being fully caught, but the tail clipped his front leg mid-step and his attack collapsed. He stumbled forward and barely recovered his balance before the lizard could follow up.

Tobin did not chase the failed exchange. He simply reset his spear and kept the same calm distance.

A few students near the barrier laughed.

"He rushed straight into it."

"That summon only knows how to jump."

Knox heard them, but he did not look away from Tobin. Ignis had not failed for nothing. Now Knox knew how fast the Hooktail Lizard could turn. The beast was not just built for sudden movements. It was trained for them.

A flash of irritation came through the bond from Ignis, sharp and embarrassed. Knox pushed calm back through the bond. Not yet.

The failed exchange had given him information, but it had also cost him mana and position.

After the first exchange, Tobin started advancing. He did not rush or swing wildly. He moved one step at a time, using the spear to control Knox's front while the Hooktail Lizard controlled the side angle. His steps were measured. His spear point stayed between them like a wall.

Knox was forced backward step by step. Tobin's style was defensive, but it was not passive. He was shrinking Knox's space and forcing him toward a bad angle. Knox understood the danger quickly. If he kept retreating, Tobin would corner him. If he burst forward, Tobin would punish him. And if he used Echo Step too early, Tobin might simply make him spend mana without gaining anything.

The fight was no longer about who moved first. It was about who could afford to keep moving.

Tobin used a small spear feint, angling the point toward Knox's ribs. Knox reacted instinctively and activated Echo Step. His body blurred one meter to the side.

[Echo Step Activated]

Mana: 53/60 → 47/60

The movement saved him from the spear line. Knox's feet hit the ground cleanly, but before he could turn the movement into an attack, Tobin had already adjusted. He turned smoothly, and the Hooktail Lizard shifted with him, cutting off Knox's next path before he could capitalize.

Tobin's eyes followed him without surprise. He seemed to have been waiting for that movement.

Echo Step worked, but it did not solve the fight. Knox realized Tobin had either watched his fight with Venn or understood enough from Knox's public record to prepare for sudden movement. Tobin might not know the skill name, but he knew Knox had some kind of short displacement trick. And that was enough.

The laughter faded into murmurs.

"He reacted to it."

"Tobin saw that movement coming."

Knox's jaw tightened slightly. They were not completely wrong. Echo Step had saved him, but it had not created an opening.

Knox began to understand why Tobin had accepted the challenge so quickly.

Tobin's plan was simple. Stay calm. Punish direct movement. Force Knox to spend mana and wait until he ran out of options.

This made the fight dangerous in a different way. Tobin was not stronger in a flashy way. He was patient enough to let Knox defeat himself.

Knox stopped trying to force an opening through speed. He slowed down and started using ordinary footwork instead of another Echo Step. He also kept Ignis close instead of sending him forward again. This changed the rhythm slightly. Tobin continued to advance, but now he had to step farther in to keep the pressure.

Knox stopped watching the spear tip and started watching Tobin's spear hand instead. The hand moved before the spear point did. Tobin's wrist gave the first sign of every thrust and guard shift. Knox began aiming for Tobin's rhythm instead of Tobin's body. This was the first hint that he was starting to find a path, but he had not solved the fight yet.

Tobin suddenly shifted from slow pressure into a quick spear thrust. At the same time, the Hooktail Lizard swept its hook-tail toward Knox's ankle. Knox could not avoid both cleanly. He twisted away from the hook-tail, but the spear forced him into a narrow angle. He used Echo Step again to avoid being pinned.

[Echo Step Activated]

Mana Cost: 6

Knox Mana: 47/60 → 41/60

The movement saved him, but Tobin adjusted immediately. He closed the space before Knox could fully reset. The Hooktail Lizard slid into position near Knox's escape route, and the spear point remained steady in front of him. Tobin's expression did not change. That annoyed Knox more than a smile would have.

For the first time, Tobin had Knox where he wanted him.

Knox tried to shift out with normal footwork, but Tobin gave him no room. The spear blocked the forward path. The Hooktail Lizard threatened the side. And the arena boundary was behind him. Ignis tensed through the bond, but Knox knew a reckless Burst Step would only get him caught again. Tobin had not rushed once. He had not wasted a single movement. He had slowly turned the arena into a cage.

Knox realized Tobin's true strength was not only the Rare-rank beast or the spear. It was how Tobin and the Hooktail Lizard controlled space together.

Knox's heel touched the arena boundary line. The spear point remained steady in front of him, while the Hooktail Lizard crouched low to his side with its hooked tail ready to sweep again. There was no clean path forward, no clean path sideways, and no safe room for Echo Step. Ignis was ready through the bond, but Knox kept him restrained because one wrong burst would end the match.

The crowd grew louder as Knox's heel neared the boundary line.

"He is boxed in."

"There is nowhere left to move."

"Tobin is picking him apart."

This time, the words did not sound like mockery. They sounded like a verdict.

Then Knox understood the truth. Tobin had not given him a mistake, so Knox had to create one.