Beast Taming: Start With A Dragon Legion

Chapter 8: The Bet

Crane gestured toward a large circular platform at the center of the courtyard. Runes glowed faintly across its surface, pulsing with a steady rhythm.

"The final stage will test Command Response Under Pressure," she announced. "Each candidate will guide their beast through basic commands while the pressure array attempts to disturb the bond. The test is not dangerous, but it will expose unstable bonds and beasts that cannot obey under stress."

She looked across the candidates.

"Step onto the platform when called. Your beast must follow four commands: sit, stay, turn, and return. Simple tasks. If your bond is stable, your beast will obey. If not, you will fail."

The crowd murmured nervously.

Crane flipped open her notepad. "First candidate, Marcus Varen."

Marcus stepped onto the platform with confidence, his Stonejaw Wolf beside him. The wolf growled low and shook its rocky plating.

The runes beneath them flared bright, and a faint pressure rippled through the air. Knox could feel it even from the back of the courtyard—a subtle weight pressing down on the bond between summoner and beast.

Marcus gestured sharply. "Sit."

The wolf hesitated for a second, its ears flattening under the pressure, then sat.

"Stay."

The wolf remained still.

"Turn."

The wolf turned in place, its movements slower than before but controlled.

"Return."

The wolf walked back to Marcus's side and sat again.

The pressure array dimmed, and the examiners marked their notes.

"Command response: acceptable," one examiner said. "Bond stability under pressure: moderate."

Marcus smirked and looked toward Knox as he stepped down.

Knox felt irritation flare in his chest. What the hell did this guy even want from him? They had never met before the awakening ceremony, never spoken, never had any conflict. Yet Marcus kept picking on him like Knox had personally wronged him.

Knox did not understand it, and that made it even more annoying.

More candidates were called. Most passed without issue, though a few struggled when their beasts panicked under the array's pressure. One candidate's beast refused to return at all, and the examiners removed him from consideration.

Then Crane called Noah.

"Noah Aston."

Noah stepped onto the platform, and his Frost Wyvern manifested beside him. The beast settled onto all fours, its wings folded neatly against its back, its pale blue eyes calm.

The pressure array activated.

"Sit," Noah said quietly.

The Wyvern sat immediately, without hesitation.

"Stay."

The beast remained perfectly still, its gaze fixed on Noah.

"Turn."

The Wyvern turned smoothly, its movements elegant despite the pressure weighing down on the bond.

"Return."

The beast walked back to Noah's side and sat again, its posture flawless.

The pressure dimmed.

"Command response: excellent," the examiner said. "Bond stability under pressure: exceptional."

The crowd applauded, and Noah's name rose even higher on the temporary ranking board.

Knox watched from the back, Ignis still perched on his shoulder.

Crane looked down at her notepad.

"Knox..." she paused, her eyes flicking to the correction she had made earlier. "Morales."

The crowd's attention shifted toward him, some snickering, others watching with interest to see if he would embarrass himself again.

Knox ignored them and walked onto the platform. Ignis remained on his shoulder, his claws gripping tightly.

Crane said to him calmly. "Guide your summon through the commands."

Knox nodded and placed Ignis on the ground in front of him. The small drake looked up at him with those ember-orange eyes, waiting.

The pressure array activated.

The weight slammed down on Knox like a physical force. It pressed against the bond, trying to disrupt the connection between him and Ignis. Knox felt the pressure squeeze his chest, and through the bond, he felt Ignis stiffen.

It's heavy, Ignis said, his voice small and frightened. I don't like it.

Knox focused on the bond and sent calm through it, a steady pulse of reassurance that spread from his mind to Ignis's.

It's fine, Knox thought back. Just listen to me. I've got you.

Ignis's fear faded slightly, and his body relaxed.

Knox spoke clearly. "Sit."

Ignis sat immediately, his tail curling around his body.

"Stay."

Ignis remained perfectly still, his eyes locked on Knox.

"Turn."

Ignis turned in place, his movements slow but precise.

"Return."

Ignis walked back to Knox and sat at his feet, looking up at him expectantly.

The pressure array dimmed.

Knox reached down and scratched Ignis under the chin. The drake made a soft sound, almost like a purr.

The examiners marked their notes.

"Command response: excellent," one examiner said, sounding surprised. "Bond stability under pressure: high."

The crowd went quiet for a moment.

Then someone sniggered. "Of course it obeyed. The thing's small enough to be a house pet."

The crowd laughed.

Knox felt irritation flare in his chest, but he swallowed it and kept his expression calm.

But Crane's pen paused over her notepad.

She had been watching carefully. Ignis had responded to Knox's commands before he fully finished speaking. The drake had started sitting the moment Knox said "si," started turning before "turn" was complete.

That level of synchronization was unusual for a newly bonded pair.

Crane made another small mark beside Knox's name but said nothing.

The temporary ranking board updated.

Marcus Varen's command response score appeared: 72/100.

Knox Morales's command response score appeared: 89/100.

Marcus's face went red.

The crowd noticed immediately.

"Wait, the failure scored higher than Marcus?"

Marcus clenched his fists and glared at Knox, but before he could say anything, the full rankings updated.

Knox's low manifestation score and unclear output dragged his total ranking down to near the bottom again. Marcus sat comfortably above average in the final placement.

The crowd laughed.

"Oh, that makes sense. He only won one category."

"Command response won't help him in the beast zones."

Marcus's confidence returned, and he smirked at Knox again.

Knox looked at the board and felt frustration burn in his chest. He had proven something, but it did not matter. The academy's overall scoring still labeled him weak.

Crane looked across the courtyard.

"Final provisional rankings are now displayed," she announced. "All candidates shown on the board are accepted as provisional academy students."

Knox's name appeared on the list, barely above the bottom group.

He had passed.

But the victory felt hollow.

Crane continued. "Provisional status does not guarantee enrollment. You have one month to pay tuition or secure a sponsor. If you cannot, you will be removed from the academy regardless of your test result."

Knox's jaw tightened.

One month.

He had no Aston support. No sponsor. No money.

The academy had only given him time, not safety.

The crowd began dispersing, candidates gathering with their families or discussing sponsor opportunities. Knox stood alone at the back, Ignis perched on his shoulder again.

He walked toward the platform where Crane was collecting her notes.

"Professor," Knox said.

Crane looked up, her expression cold and indifferent. "What is it?"

"Are there ways to earn tuition without family sponsorship?"

Crane's gaze flicked over him briefly, then returned to her notepad. "Your current rank is too low to attract guild sponsorship or private investors. Most students in your position either rely on family support or leave the academy."

"That's not an answer," Knox said.

Crane's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then here is your answer: focus on reality, not ambition. A student at the bottom should consider whether the academy is truly the right place for them."

Her tone was not cruel, but it was dismissive. She expected him to disappear within a month.

Knox stepped forward.

"I'll enter the Top 300 of the first-year rankings within one month," he said clearly, loud enough for the nearby students to hear.

The courtyard went quiet.

Students turned to stare.

Then someone laughed.

"Did he just say Top 300?"

Marcus grinned widely. "This keeps getting better."

Crane's expression did not change, but her pen stopped moving. She looked at Knox with cold calculation.

"And if you fail?" she asked.

"I won't," Knox said.

"Confidence without foundation is just arrogance," Crane said flatly.

Knox stepped just close enough to Crane that only she could hear him, then lowered his voice.

"If I win," he said quietly, "you pay my tuition and….a date."

Crane's eyes widened in surprise. "What—"

Knox stepped back before she could finish and spoke louder, for the crowd. "If I reach the Top 300 within one month, Professor Crane will pay my tuition."

The crowd went quiet, waiting.

Crane felt her irritation spike. What arrogance! Trying to scam a lady into paying for him like some—

She caught herself.

Wait. She was older than him. A professor. Why was she reacting like they were age mates, or worse, like he was older than her?

She forced her expression back to cold indifference and spoke clearly. "Fine. If you reach the Top 300 within one month, I will pay your tuition."

The crowd erupted in murmurs at this.

Knox met her gaze calmly. "One month, Professor. I'll see you at the rankings board."

He turned and walked away, Ignis still perched on his shoulder.

Crane stood motionless, her pen gripping tightly in her hand. Her jaw tightened as she stared at Knox's back disappearing into the crowd.

That arrogant, insufferable boy had just manipulated her into agreeing to pay for a bottom-ranked student. And worse, he had whispered about a date like it was already decided.

She forced herself to breathe slowly and returned to her notes.

He would fail. Obviously. Bottom-ranked students did not jump 200 ranks in a month.

But the irritation remained.

Knox walked through the courtyard, ignoring the laughter and whispers around him.

He stopped once he was far enough from the crowd and stared at the words still floating before his eyes.

[Emergency Keeper Mission Generated]

Mission: Prove Your Worth

Objective: Reach First-Year Rank 300 or higher within 30 days

Current Rank: 487

Time Limit: 30 Days

Reward:

Dragon Points +50

Mana Capacity +10

Gravity Control Training Path Unlocked

Failure:???

This was why he had made the bet.

The system had appeared the moment he stood alone at the back of the courtyard, staring at his name near the bottom of the rankings. One month to pay tuition. No money. No sponsor and no family support.

Then the mission had appeared, and Knox's mind had worked quickly.

He could grind for money doing odd jobs or hunting low-level beasts in safe zones, but that would waste time and delay his growth. Or he could get stronger, climb the rankings, and secure both money and attention in one move.

The mission gave him Dragon Points and unlocked Gravity Control training. The bet gave him tuition and forced Crane to notice him.

One goal. Multiple rewards.

This was why he had been bold enough to approach Crane. This was why he had demanded the date. The system had given him a path forward, and he had decided to make the best of it.

Knox dismissed the notification and kept walking.

What now? Ignis asked through the bond.

"Now we figure out how to climb 200 ranks in a month," Knox muttered.

Is that possible?

"It has to be."

Knox walked out of the courtyard, his mind already planning his next move.

One month.

He would make it count.