The Parasite Tamer : I Steal Talents From Beast

Burning fire contact

The arena fell into a heavy hush as the proctor’s hand dropped.

“Begin!”

Seraphina moved like a flame given form. She didn’t shout orders, she simply pointed, and her Crimson Flame Fox exploded forward in a streak of living fire. The fox’s paws left scorched prints on the dirt, heat warping the air around it.

“Show him what real talent looks like, Ember!” she called, voice sharp and confident.

Kael didn’t waste breath on trash talk. He sent a single command through the bond.

Fenrir met the charge head-on.

The two beasts collided in a roar of shadow and flame. Ember’s jaws snapped, coated in blazing fire. Fenrir twisted with Gale Wing Slash, wind pushing it just enough to rake iron-scaled claws across the fox’s side. Sparks flew where scale met flame. The fox yelped but spun instantly, tail whipping a crescent of fire that forced Fenrir to leap back.

Seraphina laughed, short and mocking. “That’s it? Your mutt’s all bark and borrowed tricks.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed. He could feel the heat radiating off Ember even from his position. That fox wasn’t just strong,  its talent ran deep.

He activated Parasitic Bond.

The invisible link shot across the arena, latching onto the Crimson Flame Fox. Resistance hit him like a wall of fire,  hot, pushing back hard. His head throbbed, but he held for two full seconds.

Talent copied: Crimson Flame Burst (Mid Grade)

A rush of searing power flooded his veins. It felt like swallowing liquid fire, wild and alive. He didn’t hesitate — he channeled every drop straight into Fenrir through the Nexus.

Fenrir howled as the mutation took hold.

Its fur ignited in patches, flames licking along its back and shoulders without burning the wolf itself. The new horn-like protrusions glowed red-hot at the tips. Shadow energy mixed with fire, creating flickering black-red embers that danced in the air around it. Its single eye burned brighter, the iron scales gaining a molten edge.

The crowd gasped.

Ember faltered mid-attack, sensing the sudden change in its opponent. Seraphina’s golden eyes widened for a split second before narrowing in fury.

“You dare copy my fox’s talent?” she snarled. “In my academy?”

She thrust her hand forward. Ember responded instantly, unleashing a full Crimson Flame Burst. A roaring wave of fire surged toward Fenrir, hot enough to melt stone.

Fenrir didn’t dodge this time. It charged straight through, new flames coating its body like armor. The fire met fire, and Fenrir’s version, boosted by the fresh copy and Nexus synergy, pushed back. Black-red embers clashed with pure crimson, forcing the wave to split around the wolf.

Fenrir slammed into Ember with Horned Charge, the impact enhanced by Thick Hide Reinforcement. The fox tumbled across the dirt, rolling to its feet with singed fur and a furious snarl.

Seraphina’s face flushed with anger. “Impossible. That parasite talent shouldn’t work on mid-grade beasts this cleanly!”

Kael allowed himself a small laughter. “It works better than you think, princess. Want to feel it yourself?”

He shifted the target.

Parasitic Bond snapped onto Seraphina directly.

The link hit harder than any beast so far,  her will was iron, backed by years of elite training. Pain lanced through Kael’s skull like burning needles, but he pushed through for three long heartbeats.

Talent copied: Eternal Phoenix Rebirth (Rare Grade)

The rush was different this time. Not just heat,  pure, regenerative fire that promised to burn away wounds and rise again. It felt endless, like life itself coiled in his chest. The power was so intense his hands trembled for a moment.

He dumped it into Fenrir immediately.

The wolf’s body convulsed violently. Bones cracked and reformed. Flames erupted across its entire frame, turning its fur into a living inferno of black and crimson. Phoenix-like patterns etched themselves into the iron scales. A faint aura of rebirth flickered around it, minor wounds from the fight closing instantly, singed patches healing before the crowd’s eyes.

Fenrir looked like a nightmare born from hellfire. Larger now, shoulders broader, flames licking higher. The chimeric traits were starting to show: shadow, wind, iron, flame, and now the spark of phoenix rebirth.

The entire arena erupted.

“What the hell just happened to that wolf?!”

“It mutated again… mid-fight!”

“Seraphina’s own talent… he stole it!”

Seraphina staggered back a step, one hand pressed to her chest where the parasitic link had touched her. Her breathing came faster, cheeks flushed deeper than the anger alone could explain. A strange warmth lingered in her body, spreading from the point of contact like liquid pleasure mixed with power. Her golden eyes locked onto Kael, furious but also… unsettled.

“You…” she started, voice catching for a fraction of a second. “You filthy parasite. How dare you touch my talent with that disgusting ability!”

But her fox, Ember, was already slowing. The copied talent had weakened the original just enough. Fenrir pressed the advantage, flames and shadow fangs tearing into the fox’s defenses. Ember fought back valiantly, but the gap had widened.

Kael kept the pressure on, dodging when Seraphina tried to close the distance herself with a personal flame strike. He wasn’t stupid enough to trade blows directly with a prodigy yet. Not when his beast was doing the real work.

In the end, the proctor had to step in.

“Enough! Match to Kael Draven!”

The words hung in the suddenly quiet arena.

Seraphina stood there, chest heaving, staring at Kael like she wanted to burn him alive. But beneath the rage, was a mix of shock, reluctant heat, and the lingering echo of the bond that refused to fade immediately.

Fenrir trotted back to Kael’s side, flames slowly dying down to a low smolder, looking stronger than ever.

Kael met Seraphina’s glare with his usual lazy smirk.

“Nice fox,” he said casually. “We should spar again sometime. Maybe privately.”

She didn’t answer. Just turned on her heel and stormed off the arena, Ember limping behind her. But Kael noticed the way her steps faltered once, that telltale warmth still coursing through her from the link.

The whispers in the bleachers turned into a roar.