The booth itself buzzed with activity, surrounded by eager students and their tamed creatures.
Jaylen's senses were immediately overwhelmed by the vibrant cacophony of sounds: the melodic chirping of exotic birds, the low growls of small but formidable beasts, and the enthusiastic chatter of students.
The air was rich with the earthy scent of animals mingled with the faint, sweet aroma of the food used to tame them.
Rika gestured to a series of enclosures and perches where various magical creatures resided. "Here, we have a variety of tamed beasts, each with unique abilities and characteristics. This little guy,"
She pointed to the small parrot-like creature, "Is a Glorix."
Jaylen leaned in, captivated by the bird's vibrant plumage.
"Hmm, I see. The name of the species is derived from 'glory,' meaning great beauty or splendor, and 'ix' from Phoenix. Suggesting it's a bird of magnificent, radiant beauty. On par with that of the sun."
Rika's eyes widened with surprise before she nodded. "That's right, junior. Let's see if you know any more."
Leading him to the next enclosure, Rika pointed towards a four-legged, bear-like creature with spiky brown fur. As they got closer, it noticed them and stood up on its hind legs, opening its front arms wide as if asking for a hug.
"Sorry, this big guy really likes hugs," Rika said, walking closer to give it an affectionate embrace.
Jaylen studied the creature more closely and noticed that its fur didn't cover its legs, which were instead covered in thick, protective scales.
While hugging it, Rika added, "This guy is known as an Embragor."
Hearing its name, Jaylen repeated it in his head before answering, "The name of this species contains 'embrace,' meaning to hug, and 'gor,' a suffix probably due to its large size or strength, similar to a goliath."
"Correct!" Rika said excitedly, rushing over to another enclosure.
Standing in front of the next enclosure, Jaylen immediately sensed the shift in the atmosphere.
The air felt twisted and warped, tainted by a foul stench that seemed to cling to the very particles around them. A sinister aura radiated from the cage, sending shivers down his spine.
The enclosure was completely sealed off, preventing any light from penetrating its dark confines. Heavy coverings obscured any view of the creature lurking within.
"This is the next one. Its name is–"
Before Rika could reveal the creature's name, Jaylen interrupted her.
"You don't have to say its name. It has long forsaken its original identity." His eyes were locked onto the cage, filled with undisguised scorn and disgust.
Rika, not surprised by his reaction or his words, responded casually. "Very perceptive of you, junior. You're right; it has indeed long since abandoned any name it once had."
She, too, gazed at the cage with a mixture of scorn and pity, the latter flickering in the depths of her blue eyes.
Jaylen, unwilling to dwell on the abhorrent creature any longer, turned his attention back to Rika. "Why bother keeping such a thing around?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
Scratching her cheek with a nervous laugh, Rika gave Jaylen a sidelong glance. "Well, someone managed to tame it."
To say Jaylen was shocked would be an understatement. The mere thought of someone taming one of those creatures was unfathomable.
"How did they manage to tame a corrupt one?" he asked, still reeling from the revelation.
It was widely known that every planet in the universe had some form of defect that inhibited life, and on Yonus, this was corrupt beings.
These beings, the bane of Yonus, originated from mana yet were not composed of it. They possessed the innate ability to mimic the mana signature of any creature on Yonus, allowing them to assume that form.
It was commonly agreed that any corrupt being found mimicking one of the main races—such as dragons, elves, humans, dwarves, and others—should be killed on sight.
Rika wore a weary smile. "They got lucky."
Jaylen nodded, understanding the implications. "Makes sense. After all, not only are they incredibly difficult to fight, but they're also absurdly strong. So, what type is this one?"
As Jaylen reached out, curiosity compelling him to peer inside the ominous cage, he disregarded the sinister aura enveloping it.
"Wait, junior!" Rika exclaimed, stopping his hand just in time.
Jaylen looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"It's mimicking a Night Stalker," she explained.
Night Stalkers were elusive creatures from the Shadowfell Domain, notorious for their aversion to light and their nocturnal hunting.
They were naturally aggressive, attacking anything that ventured too close. Their appearance was largely unknown, concealed beneath a perpetual, shadowy cloak.
Realization dawned on Jaylen's face as he backed away from the cage. "How did they manage to get a Night Stalker here? And why didn't they inform one of the noble families from Shadowfell?"
"The tamer kept it calm throughout the journey by transporting it in this cage," Rika explained. "As for the noble issue, the club adviser is a noble from Shadowfell, specifically from one of the minor true-royal houses."
She indicated for Jaylen to follow her, effectively changing the subject.
"So, Junior, you seem to know a lot about magical beasts. By any chance, are you a beast tamer?"
There was a hopeful gleam in her eyes as she asked, which struck Jaylen as peculiar. Why would a student so devoted to magical beasts look so eager for his answer?
"No, I'm not," he replied.
The hopeful gleam in her eyes dimmed slightly, but Jaylen continued, "When I was younger, I wasn't sure what profession mark would appear on my sapling, so I studied everything I could to prepare, just in case."
As memories of the past surfaced, a fleeting melancholy settled over him, but it quickly dissipated. "Though I don't officially have the mark of a beast tamer, I do have the mark of the Paragon. If I wished, I could become a beast tamer."
"Really? That's amazing!" Rika exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she grabbed hold of Jaylen's hands.
Her eyes shone brightly as she stared into his. "I've never met anyone who was a Paragon. I heard they're incredibly rare, usually one born every thousand years."
Jaylen looked down at their hands, then back at her face, slightly stunned by her enthusiasm.
Noticing their joined hands, Rika's expression shifted from excitement to embarrassment. Her face turned a deep shade of red, and she jumped back with a yelp.
"Yelp!"
Stuttering out an apology, Rika's face remained beet red. "S-S-Sorry, Junior. I-I-I didn't mean to grab your hand. I just got too excited."
Jaylen chuckled softly, trying to ease her embarrassment. "It's alright, Senior. But if you don't mind me asking, why do you get so excited by the mention of beast taming?"
As he asked this, any trace of embarrassment seemed to evaporate from her face, replaced by a somber look.
"Well, I am a Beast Tamer, which is great. I've always been fond of animals, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to tame anything, no matter how hard I try.
Everyone tells me I should just give up and become a Rejector, but I don't want to give up and live my life being defended by everyone."
"Hm, I see," Jaylen nodded, a look of understanding crossing his features. Inwardly he thought, 'A Rejector, huh? That's not the best course of action; it's better to die than do that.'
It made sense to him. Rejectors were people who erased the carving on their crystal sapling, meaning they had no profession to give them an extra boost, making them even weaker than the Classless who could do any profession within certain limits.
They were the lowest rungs of society.
"Senior, may I ask what type of Beast Tamer you are, and what do you specialize in?"
"Um, I'm a Mythic Beast Tamer and specialize in wolves," she replied.
Certain professions had many grades and specializations, setting one person apart from the next in how they used their profession.
Beast Tamer was one of these, with many different specializations for various types of magical beasts as well as different grades showing what level of magical beast one could tame and how many. Most Beast Tamers would know their specialization by looking under their Beast Tamer mark on their crystal sapling.
Though it's common knowledge you should never tell anyone your specialization or profession type, it's usually okay in some settings.
"That's great, Senior. I definitely would not listen to what everyone else is saying. I believe that if you remain patient and keep trying, you'll definitely succeed."
Smiling brightly at Jaylen's encouragement, she tightly clenched her fist, her eyes burning with passion. "Really, you think so? Then I'll have to do my best as your Senior, to not let you down and become the best Beast Tamer."
"Yeah, that's the spirit, Senior," he continued to encourage her.
He knew that though it seemed like he was just saying words, he understood better than anyone how much that small amount of encouragement could mean to someone.
If she needed encouragement, he would give her as much as possible, just as it had once been done for him.
"Well, let's not waste any more time, Junior. You probably have more booths to visit, so let's go talk to the people who were there when they tamed the Corrupt one," she said, leading the way toward the front of the booth where a senior was bragging about taming the Corrupt being.
As they got closer, Jaylen was able to hear some of the senior's words over the loud noises in the surroundings.
"Yeah, I hope I can find a Corrupt Dragon so that I can become a dragon rider. How cool would that be?"
Hearing those words, it seemed as if a switch flipped in Jaylen's mind. His cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by his usual emotionless expression.
He then marched over to the senior, unaware of the approaching chaos coming his way.