The Mythic Defect

CHAPTER 2 The Beast Beneath the Altar

The first scream came from the priests. One moment, the Grand Summoning Plaza remained frozen beneath a suffocating wave of disbelief. Next, panic erupted across the arena as the shattered altar continued splitting apart beneath Drake’s feet. Ancient stone groaned violently.

Golden runes flickered across the fractured platform before collapsing into darkness one after another, as though some unseen force was extinguishing them from within. Black smoke poured upward through the widening cracks, twisting through the air like living shadows.

Several children near the front rows began crying. The crowd stumbled backwards in confusion while nobles shouted conflicting orders across the viewing platforms.“What is happening?” “The altar is unstable!” “Protect the heirs!”

The tension spread rapidly through the plaza, but Drake barely heard any of it. His eyes remained fixed on the darkness below. Those golden eyes were still there. Watching him. Even from several meters away, Drake could feel the creature’s presence pressing against his mind like an enormous invisible weight. It did not feel like an ordinary spirit beast. Every instinct in his body screamed that something beneath the altar was profoundly wrong.

The air itself felt heavier.Older.As though the creature carried the scent of an ancient grave buried beneath centuries of forgotten history.“Step away from the altar immediately!”

The elderly priest’s voice trembled as he raised his staff toward Drake. Fear had replaced the man’s earlier boredom, and several temple guards rushed forward with weapons drawn. Drake finally took a step backwards. The instant he moved, the creature beneath the arena moved as well. A deafening roar exploded from the abyss below.

The entire plaza shook violently. Stone pillars cracked. Dust rained from above. Some spectators lost their footing entirely as terror swept through the crowd. Then a massive black chain burst upward from beneath the altar. The chain whipped through the air with terrifying force before embedding itself into one of the surrounding pillars. Ancient symbols burned across its surface in crimson light, glowing like molten blood.

Gasps erupted across the arena.“That’s a Seal Chain…” “No… impossible…”

Several high-ranking priests turned pale. Drake noticed their expressions immediately. They recognised this thing. That realisation sent another chill through his chest. Before anyone could react further, another chain exploded upward from the darkness below. Then another.And another. Each chain carried glowing inscriptions unlike anything Drake had ever seen before. The symbols twisted unnaturally across the metal, shifting like living creatures beneath the surface.

The ground continued trembling beneath everyone’s feet. At the centre of the chaos, Lucien Ashthorn slowly stood from his seat above the arena. For the first time since Drake had known him, genuine uncertainty appeared in the noble heir’s expression.“What did that bastard summon?” Lucien muttered.

“No,” replied an older man beside him grimly. “The better question is… what was sealed beneath this city?”Those words sent unease spreading through the noble platform. Meanwhile, Drake remained frozen before the broken altar. The golden eyes below had not moved once.

Then a voice entered his mind.“...Finally.”Drake’s entire body stiffened. The voice sounded ancient beyond comprehension, as though countless echoes spoke at once from the depths of eternity itself.“You hear me,” the voice continued.

Drake’s breathing became uneven. Nobody else reacted. Nobody else had heard it.“What are you?” Drake whispered internally.

The creature laughed softly. The sound resembled chains dragging across graves.“A question humans have asked for a very long time.”Suddenly, agony exploded through Drake’s chest. He nearly collapsed as burning pain surged through his veins. It felt as though molten fire was being forced directly into his heart. Dark markings briefly appeared across his arm before vanishing beneath his skin again.

Several nearby priests immediately noticed.“The resonance has begun!”That boy formed a pact!But with what?!”

Fear spread rapidly among the temple officials. One of the older priests suddenly stepped forward in visible panic. “Kill it now!” he shouted. “Before the seal fully breaks!”The crowd erupted into terrified confusion. Temple guards rushed toward the altar. At the same moment, the black smoke exploded upward once more.

A small figure emerged slowly from the darkness. At first glance, the creature looked pitiful. It was barely larger than a house cat. Black scales covered its thin body, many of them cracked or broken with age. Several rusted chains remained embedded directly into its flesh, disappearing beneath scarred skin. Its breathing sounded weak, almost painful.

Yet the creature’s eyes…Those eyes did not belong to something weak. Two golden irises stared across the arena with an intelligence so ancient that even hardened warriors unconsciously stepped backwards beneath its gaze. The plaza fell into horrified silence. Drake stared at the creature in disbelief.

This was the thing hidden beneath the altar? It looked half dead. But the moment one temple guard approached it, the creature lifted its head slightly. An invisible pressure exploded outward. The guard crashed violently across the arena before slamming into a stone pillar hard enough to crack it. Blood sprayed across the floor.

The entire plaza froze. Nobody understood what had just happened. The beast itself had not physically moved. Drake’s heartbeat thundered inside his chest. The creature slowly turned toward him. Then, before tens of thousands of witnesses, it lowered its head.

The movement was subtle.Respectful.Like a king acknowledging another king. Whispers spread through the crowd instantly.“Did it just bow?” “No… impossible…”

“Spirit beasts only kneel to their contractors after bonding…  But the pact ritual never finished!”Drake himself looked stunned.

The creature’s voice echoed inside his mind again.“You carry the scent of ruin,” it murmured. “Interesting.”Before Drake could respond, a new voice thundered across the plaza. “Contain the beast immediately!”

A powerful pressure descended over the arena. Everyone looked upward. An elderly man wearing crimson-and-gold robes stood atop the highest platform overlooking the city. His silver hair moved sharply in the wind while six glowing beast crests floated behind him. Grand Elder Varis.One of the strongest Beast Tamers in the Ashveil Kingdom.

The crowd immediately bowed their heads. Even the nobles became tense. Varis’s cold eyes locked directly onto the black-scaled creature. For the first time since emerging from beneath the altar, the creature’s golden gaze sharpened slightly.Recognition.Drake noticed it immediately.

The elder noticed too. A dangerous silence stretched between them. Then Varis spoke one sentence that changed everything.“That beast should not exist.”

The atmosphere instantly became suffocating. Drake narrowed his eyes.“What does that mean?” he demanded. Varis ignored him completely.“Temple guards,” the elder commanded coldly, “seize the boy.”The crowd erupted. Lyra’s expression paled immediately. “What?!” Two dozen armoured guards rushed toward the altar without hesitation.

Drake’s pulse spiked. Every instinct screamed danger. He looked toward the chained creature beside him.“What’s happening?” he asked internally.

The beast’s golden eyes narrowed.“They are afraid,” it replied calmly. “Of me?”“No,” the creature said. Its voice deepened. “They are afraid of what they buried.”

Before Drake could process those words, the guards attacked. Spirit energy exploded across the arena as summoned beasts materialised beside them. Iron wolves.Stone-armoured boars.Flame serpents. The creatures charged toward Drake simultaneously. The crowd gasped. Some spectators even looked excited. It no longer felt like a ceremony. It felt like a public execution. Drake clenched his fists instinctively, but before he could move, the chained beast opened its mouth slightly.

A pulse of golden light spread outward. Every summoned beast in the arena froze instantly. Then something impossible happened. The beasts lowered themselves to the ground. One after another. Dozens of spirit creatures bowed their heads in absolute submission.

The plaza descended into stunned silence. Even the noble heirs looked horrified now. Spirit beasts obeyed hierarchy instinctively. Predators submitted to stronger predators.But this…This was different. The creatures were not merely intimidated.

They were terrified. Grand Elder Varis’s expression darkened for the first time.“That pressure…” he muttered. Lucien Ashthorn stared at Drake with disbelief burning in his eyes.“No…” he whispered. “That trash summoned a superior bloodline?”

Drake barely heard any of them. His attention remained on the black-scaled creature. The beast looked exhausted now, as though simply releasing that aura had drained what little strength remained inside its body.

The chains embedded in its flesh glowed faintly. Then Drake noticed something horrifying. The chains were tightening. The creature trembled slightly. Pain flashed across its golden eyes.“They’re killing you,” Drake realised.

The beast said nothing for several seconds. Then: “The seal was never meant to weaken slowly,” it replied quietly. “It was designed to consume me forever.”Something twisted painfully inside Drake’s chest. For his entire life, he had known what it meant to be hated for existing. To be treated like something filthy.Worthless.Disposable.And now, staring at the wounded creature before him, he recognised that same loneliness.

The realisation unsettled him deeply. Another command echoed from above.“Destroy the beast!”This time, several elite tamers stepped forward.

The pressure flooding the arena intensified instantly. Unlike the ordinary guards, these people carried genuine killing intent. Lyra looked toward Drake desperately. “Run!”But Drake remained still. His mind raced rapidly. If he fled now, the entire kingdom would hunt him.

If he stayed, they would kill the creature immediately. The black-scaled beast slowly lifted its head again.“You should leave me,” it said quietly inside his mind. Drake frowned.“What?”

“You are weak,” the creature continued bluntly. “You cannot protect me. Forming a pact with me will destroy your life.”Drake almost laughed bitterly at that. Destroy his life? What life? The nobles already despised him. The city already mocked him.

He had spent years surviving like a stray animal while powerful people crushed anyone beneath them without consequence. And now those same people wanted this creature dead simply because it existed. Something cold hardened inside Drake.

Slowly, he stepped forward. The entire plaza watched in confusion. Then Drake placed his hand against the beast’s scarred head. The chains immediately reacted. Golden light exploded between them. Grand Elder Varis’s eyes widened.“No!” he roared.

But it was too late. A massive ancient symbol ignited beneath Drake’s feet. The Pact Formation Circle. The creature’s golden eyes locked onto Drake one final time. Then it spoke a name.“Azhareth.”The world shook violently.And high above Ashveil City…The heavens cracked open.