The All Powerful Mutt Tamer

Chapter 5

The laughter stopped instantly. The silence that followed was heavy and cold. Kael’s face turned an ugly, dark purple, the veins in his neck bulging like snakes.

"What did you say to me?" Kael hissed. The Flame Lion sensed its master’s rage and let out a low, bone-shaking growl. The air around the beast began to shimmer with heat.

"I said you’re a servant in fancy clothes," Alex said, stepping closer. He dropped the rag into the dust. "If you want your beast cleaned, do it yourself. I’m busy."

Kael’s eyes went wide with fury. "You’re dead. You think because you awakened a stray dog that you’re a tamer? I’ll have my lion rip your throat out and the teachers will call it an 'accident during training'."

Kael pointed a finger at Alex. "Lion! Teach this beggar his place! Bite off his hand!"

The Flame Lion roared, a sound that made the weaker students cover their ears. It lunged forward, its flaming claws extended, aiming directly for Alex’s head.

"You've got hands, Julian," Alex said, his voice flat and bored. "If the cat is dirty, wash it yourself. Or are you worried the water might ruin your expensive manicure?" He blurted out the words again with forced care.

The crowd went ghost-white, their faces peeling over with layers of shock.

Over the years, everyone had made a silent decision not to crosss the paths of any of the elites, especially for the middle class students. 

But today, someone like Alex who wasnt even worthy to brush the dirt off from their servants had dared to cross that line.

A girl in the back whispered, "Is he suicidal? That’s an A-rank beast!"

“Does he think that his little mutt would magically become a mutt and save him!”

“Well, he won't blame anyone for his death eventually, he literally forced it upon himself!” Another member of the crowd muttered. 

Julian’s eyes bulged, a vein in his forehead throbbing like a trapped worm. 

"You... you worthless piece of filth. You really think because the Law let you in, you’re safe? I’ll have my lion rip your tongue out, and the Academy will thank me for cleaning up the waste."

Julian snapped his fingers. 

The Flame Lion, a massive beast with a mane of swirling orange fire, stepped forward. It let out a low, guttural growl that made the breathe of everyon in the room tremble but Alex only let out one that spoke of utter irritation. 

The heat coming off the creature was intense, singeing the air and making the nearby students scramble backward to avoid the singe.

"Lion! Kill!" Julian screamed, his voice cracking with pure, unadulterated rage.

The beast didn't hesitate. It lunged, a mountain of flame and muscle aiming directly for Alex’s throat. The crowd screamed. Elara turned her head away, not wanting to see the blood. Alex stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the fire.

Ding!

The sound rang in his mind.

[Threat Detected: A-Rank Flame Lion.]

[Activating System Skill: Glacial Stare.]

[Cost: 10 Soul Points. Executing...]

In that split second, the Shadow Stalker, which had been nothing more than a dark patch at Alex's heels, surged upward, from the shadows, barely noticeable to the eyes.

It didn't grow in size, but its presence expanded until it felt like a void was opening in the center of the training ground.

Everyone gasped at the reality of this new presence that surrounded them, fear and confusion digging deep into their faces.

The Shadow Stalker opened its mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, a wave of violet, freezing energy erupted from its glowing eyes.

The Flame Lion froze mid-air. The fire on its mane turned from a vibrant orange to a dull, frozen blue before shattering like glass. 

The massive beast hit the ground with a heavy thud, its limbs locked in place, a layer of frost quickly coating its golden fur.

The silence that followed was deafening. 

The sight before them almost impossible to believe. 

The mighty beast of the Julian clan had being reduced to nothing in a split of seconds.

Eyes popped out widely from their sockets.

“How's… how's this even possible.” The dark girl muttered, shivering with fright and confusion. 

Julian stood frozen, his mouth hanging open, his finger still pointed at where Alex had been supposed to die.

"What... what did you do?" Julian stammered, his voice trembling.

The Shadow Stalker stepped forward, its violet eyes fixed on the lion. The frozen predator let out a pathetic, high-pitched whimper—a sound no lion should ever make. 

As the frost began to melt, revealing the defeated beast.

It scrambled backward on its belly, its tail tucked between its legs, looking less like a king of the forest and more like a stray cat that had just seen a ghost.

The "Sovereign" beast turned and bolted, disappearing into the shadows of the nearby stables with its head down.

And then their gazes shifted towards Alex and they shrunk backwards.