Chapter 2: The Spirit-Tailed Raccoon and the Violet Orchid, Awakening

In a corner of the eastern outskirts of Lumenhold stood Vale’s Beast Feed.

It was an ordinary-looking shop, white-walled on all four sides, but neatly arranged. Cans, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, vines and grasses, and liquids and nectars of different colors and thicknesses gave the place a lively, colorful feel.

A red raccoon about seventy centimeters tall stood upright, wearing an apron, sorting items on the shelves. A faint red glow shimmered along its tail, and under that light, the fresh beast feed seemed even more vibrant.

Adrian glanced at its panel out of habit.

[Spirit-Tailed Raccoon]

[Attribute: Spirit]

[Quality: Exceptional—Lower]

[Sex: Female]

[Level: Exceptional 3]

[Traits: Keen Mind, Spirit Tail]

[Personality: Hardworking, worry-prone, organized]

[Status: Very happy because today’s sales were good.]

[Evolution Path] (Gray)

Vale’s Beast Feed had been run by Adrian’s parents before they died. Now it belonged to him.

The Spirit-Tailed Raccoon, an Exceptional-quality beast companion, was the most precious creature in the shop.

Sensing movement, it glanced toward the door. When it saw Adrian, its eyes curved into happy slits, but it quickly returned its attention to the shelves.

Behind the counter, an old man with graying hair was checking the accounts.

His name was Arthur Boone. He had worked at this beast feed shop for eight years.

“Grandpa Arthur, business looks good today. The raccoon seems really happy,” Adrian said, setting down his schoolbag. “You should head home and rest early. I can watch the shop from here.”

“Adrian, you’re back.” Arthur looked up from the ledger, his face breaking into a smile. “You have the Awakening Ceremony tomorrow. I heard about it. Don’t work tonight. Get some rest.”

“Dinner’s already made.”

“But Violet seems off today. She’s closest to you. Go check on her later.”

“Thanks, Grandpa Arthur. I’ll leave things to you today, then.” Adrian didn’t waste time arguing.

The day before the Awakening Ceremony, there really was a lot to do.

Upstairs, the main room was filled with fresh flowers and plants. Most numerous were vines with purple stripes.

These were Purple Starvines, the main product sold by Vale’s Beast Feed.

Such vines could only grow around a plant-type beast companion known as a Violet Orchid.

Violet, the one Arthur had mentioned, was exactly that: a Violet Orchid.

It was also a precious beast companion left behind by Adrian’s parents.

Adrian pushed open the side door. In a small plant room about five square meters, an orchid with two blooming flowers stood gracefully in a pot.

Beside the pot was a basin holding the flower dew that had dripped from the orchid.

The air in the plant room was fresh and fragrant.

But it was obvious that the Violet Orchid’s petals were a little droopy. Every so often, a few drops of dew fell into the basin, as if the flower were shedding tears.

When it sensed Adrian’s arrival, it straightened slightly.

Adrian looked at its panel.

[Violet Orchid]

[Attribute: Nature]

[Quality: Common—Upper]

[Sex: Female]

[Level: Common 10]

[Traits: Violet Dew]

[Personality: Homebound, Devoted, Sensitive]

[Status: Today is her former master’s birthday. Missing her makes her especially sad.]

[Evolution Path] (Gray)

Adrian had already guessed why Violet was feeling down.

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This was a beast companion his mother had once contracted. It had been there for as long as Adrian could remember.

In a way, it had helped raise him.

Vale’s Beast Feed had become successful largely because of it.

Plant-type pets with production or support traits were valuable. Even a common-quality one could be more precious than some ordinary Exceptional-quality flesh-and-blood beasts.

“From the hills I came, with a flower in hand. Three times a day I look, hoping it will bloom…”

Adrian hummed the song his mother used to sing in front of Violet.

Whenever Violet was unhappy, that song could always lift its spirits a little.

As he hummed, his thoughts drifted.

For as long as he could remember, both his parents had been in poor health.

His father could not stand heat. His mother could not stand cold.

Two years ago, they had died within a week of each other.

Devastated, Adrian had fallen unconscious for two days. When he woke, he had awakened memories from a past life as a university lecturer in botany and zoology.

The memories were incomplete, but his knowledge of plant classification and animal behavior was unusually clear.

And those nearly thirty extra years of life experience had helped him survive the hardest period.

After that, he discovered something incredible: he could see beast panels.

These panels showed not only basic information, quality, and level, but also personality and status.

That gave him an edge in information others did not have.

Curious by nature, he had kept searching for the reason the [Evolution Path] on those panels was always gray.

‘Tomorrow… maybe I’ll finally learn why.’

Violet was still low. That was simply its nature.

All Adrian could do was cheer it up a little.

He stroked its petals. “Violet, I’m still here.”

“When Mom and Dad were alive, they only wanted me to live healthily. They didn’t want me to be at the mercy of heat and cold.”

“They also wanted me to become a beast tamer. The higher a tamer’s star rank, the stronger they are. They can resist more environmental changes and live longer.”

“Tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony. I hope the talent I awaken won’t let all that hope down.”

Violet understood.

Its petals stretched downward, pointing toward the flower dew in the basin.

It seemed to be telling Adrian to drink some.

That dew was produced by Violet’s Violet Dew trait. It could restore stamina and heal wounds. It was also the most precious product in the shop.

“Thank you, but those dew drops are already reserved by customers. I can’t just drink them.”

“Today, one of my teachers gave me a Soulcalm Fruit. That will help me a lot too!”

As usual, Adrian shared everything that had happened at school with Violet.

Hearing that, Violet’s mood seemed to rise. Its body straightened again.

Purple light flickered, and the air seemed to grow even fresher.

To Violet, its former master was gone. Adrian, the child it had watched grow up, was now the young master it had to protect and devote itself to.

Good things happening to Adrian often lifted its mood as well.

Its petals trembled slightly, as if saying “keep going” to Adrian.

Then it flicked its petals, and a drop of dew landed precisely at the corner of Adrian’s mouth, as if forcing him to drink it.

Adrian licked it.

So sweet…

Following Mr. Caldwell’s instructions, Adrian had memorized the steps and cautions for taking the Soulcalm Fruit.

He bit into the last piece of the fruit. Drowsiness and an extreme inner calm settled over him, and he quickly fell asleep in bed.

A dreamless night.

The Soulcalm Fruit’s calming effect was even better than expected. He did not even turn over once.

The next day.

At the Awakening Ceremony.

The entire Grade 10 student body—twenty classes, twelve hundred students—gathered in the school’s grandest ceremonial hall.

They were tested class by class.

Even when Class 9’s turn came, they still had hours to wait.

Fortunately, the first eight classes were almost finished.

Among the nearly five hundred students already tested, one S-rank talent had appeared: Blazing Heart, ranked ninety-ninth.

There were also sixteen A-rank talents.

The results were not shocking.

Westbrook Beast-Taming Academy was the best high school in Lumenhold. When students were admitted, they had already undergone preliminary screening.

Everyone who got in could awaken a talent.

Every year, S-rank talents appeared.

The Kingdom of Draconis currently had 106 recorded S-rank talents and 394 A-rank talents. Official evaluations ranked them from one to five hundred.

If a top-fifty or even top-twenty S-rank talent appeared, there might be a real sensation.

“Class 9, Julian Hart.”

“Go, class president!”

The Awakening Ceremony was simple.

The student entered an iridescent ritual circle. In under ten seconds, their talent would be drawn out by the energy, and a corresponding manifestation would appear.

Julian took a deep breath and stepped quickly into the circle.

In less than ten seconds, a brilliant scene appeared.

A towering tree rose from the ground. Around it, hundreds of grasses and plants grew, all thriving.

“S-rank talent, Verdant Bloom, 68th on the Global Talent Rankings!”

The moment the words fell, a wave of excitement swept through the hall. This was the second S-rank talent to appear, and the highest-ranked so far.

“Wow! As expected of Julian. Amazing!”

Class 9 felt proud. Their first student had set a good tone, and the others were less nervous now.

Adrian looked at Julian and felt happy for him.

But the Soulcalm Fruit’s calming effect kept his heart steady. Everything inside him remained peaceful.

“Next, Class 9, Adrian Vale.”

When Adrian heard his name, he walked calmly toward the ritual circle.

“After one big shot, here comes the real monster!” Class 9 grew excited.

“Do you think Adrian will awaken a top-ten S-rank talent? With how ridiculous he usually is?”

“Maybe. But talent is unpredictable. Still, with Adrian, even his worst should be an A.”

Adrian’s reputation clearly went beyond Class 9.

When his name was called, the eyes of the entire grade gathered on him.

At that moment, as the ritual circle called to him, he completely lost awareness of his surroundings.

The energy of the circle poured into him like a clear spring from above.

He seemed to feel the wonder of life, the rhythm of growth in every plant and animal. He could hear their joy. He could touch the traces within their hearts.

Then the manifestation appeared.

A blurred figure surrounded by countless living creatures. They seemed to open their hearts and share the joy of their lives.

“A-rank talent, Living Affinity, 112th on the Global Talent Rankings!”

Rank 112. That was top ten among A-rank talents.

But somehow, it did not quite match everyone’s expectations.

For Adrian… not awakening an S-rank talent almost seemed unreasonable.

Still, such cases happened. Every year, there were top students and academic stars who awakened D-rank talents.

At least Adrian had awakened an excellent A-rank talent.

He was more than qualified for the Ember Class.

Yet for some reason, the word “pity” flashed through many people’s minds.

Even Julian, who had just awakened an S-rank talent, felt it.

When Mr. Caldwell saw that Adrian had an A-rank talent, a smile had just touched his lips, but inwardly he thought Adrian deserved better.

No one knew that after that vision, another scene had replaced it before Adrian’s eyes.

This time, no countless creatures surrounded him.

He seemed to gaze from a distant vantage at the vast sea of all living things…