Morning arrived slowly over the Main City.
Sunlight spilled over the towering buildings, reflecting off glass windows and marble structures. The Aurora Beast Academy, standing proudly near the heart of the city, looked as majestic as ever. Its towering gates were carved with ancient beast runes, while statues of legendary spirit beasts guarded the entrance like silent sentinels.
For most people, stepping into this academy meant glory.
For Felix, it meant the end of a chapter.
Felix stood outside the dormitory building, stretching slightly as he breathed in the morning air. Compared to yesterday, his expression looked calmer.
Last night, after returning to his room, he had spent the entire night studying the System.
More specifically—
His Golden Finger.
When Felix first saw the name, he almost laughed out loud.
Compared to others who awakened legendary beasts or powerful bloodlines, his golden finger sounded rediculously ordinary.
Farming.
Seriously?
But after studying the System carefully, Felix realized something important.
This talent… was far from ordinary.
The System allowed him to cultivate special resources, nurture beast materials, and even accelerate the growth of spiritual plants.
In other words—
If others relied on talent and background to grow stronger…
Felix could farm his own resources.
Spirit fruits.
Beast feeds.
Even rare evolution materials.
The potential was terrifying.
Of course, all of this required one thing.
Time.
Felix exhaled slowly.
"Looks like the System wants me to take the long route."
But that was fine.
Felix had never been someone who relied on shortcuts.
After cleaning the room and putting everything in order, Felix packed his belongings and left the dormitory early along with King, aka Dirt Muncher.
He decided to give it a name because calling it a hamster or Dirt Muncher doesn't sound right. And King was his final decision after a long deliberate self-discussion.
There was one final thing he needed to do before leaving the academy.
Get his transfer paper.
——————
As Felix walked through the academy campus, with King on his shoulder, several students noticed him.
The whisper started immediately.
"Hey… look."
"Isn't that Felix?"
"The guy who awakened trash?"
A group of students standing near the pathway began laughing.
One of them crossed his arms and smirked.
"Man, that was embarassing yesterday."
"Everyone awakened powerful beasts… and then he awakened garbage."
"Seriously. I almost felt secondhand embarassment."
Another student added mockingly.
"And Amelia dumped him in public too."
"Hahaha! That was brutal."
A girl nearby nodded.
"She made the right decision though."
"Imagine being tied to someone with a useless beast."
Felix walked past them without stopping.
Their words floated into his ears, but he didn't react.
Yesterday, those comments would have hurt.
But now?
Felix simply felt… distant.
Because he already knew something they didn't.
They believed his future was ruined.
But they had no idea that his real cheat had just begun.
As Felix approached the administration building, the mocking voices gradually faded behind him.
Inside the office, the process was quick.
The academy staff didn't try to stop him.
In fact, they looked slightly relieved.
A student with a useless beast leaving the academy was not something they considered a loss.
Within ten minutes, Felix received the document.
Transfer Approval — Dawn Academy.
Felix glanced at the paper for a moment before folding it and putting it away.
"Alright," he murmured.
"Time to leave."
Felix had just stepped out of the administrative building of Aurora Beast Academy, the transfer document was floded neatly inside his bag.
He planned to leave quietly.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
"Felix."
A familiar voice called out.
Felix stopped walking.
When he turned around, four figures were approaching him.
At the front stood Amelia, who was glaring at King like she was about to devour it. King seemingly noticed her cold gaze and retreated to hide at the back of his neck.
Beside her was Harold, and behind them were two other students who were clearly part of their circle.
He remembered those two. They also awakened strong spirit beasts that were only a rank lower than Phoenix and Cerberus.
Felix immediately understood.
Trouble.
Harold crossed his arms and looked at Felix with a smug expression.
"Well, well. If it isn't the academy's most famous trash."
Felix remained calm.
"What do you want?"
Harold smirked even wider.
"I just wanted to inform you of something important."
He casually placed his arm around Amelia's shoulder.
"Starting today, Amelia has officially joined my team."
His tone was full of pride.
Around them, a few passing students slowed down, curious about the situation.
Felix looked at Amelia for a moment.
Her expression was slightly complicated, but she didn'r t refute Harold's words.
Felix nodded lightly.
"…Good for you."
Then he turned around as if he was about to leave.
Harold frowned immediately.
"Wait."
Felix stopped again.
"What?"
One of their companions stepped forward with an annoyed expression.
"You used to be friends with Amelia."
"Why are you acting like a stranger?"
Felix stared at him for a moment before speaking calmly.
"A friend who can easily threw away a friend…"
"…is not a real friend."
And don't forget she already cut ties with me. But Felix didn't voice it out because for him it's unneccessary. They probably heard it yesterday. Amelia's declaration was loud and clear at that time.
The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
Their other companion scoffed.
"Hah. No wonder you awakened a trash spirit beast."
He sneered.
"Looks like your personality is just as trash."
Felix honestly didn't know what to think of these people.
Amazing logic.
But before he could respond, Amelia suddenly stepped forward.
She took out a small pouch from her pocket.
Inside it were coins.
"You're transferring to Dawn Academy," she said quietly.
Her voice wasn't as cold as yesterday.
"If you're starting over somewhere else… you might need this."
She held the pouch out to him.
"There are 50 gold coins inside."
"Take it."
"For old time' sake."
The people around them gasped softly.
50 gold coins were not a small amount for students.
Their companions immediately nodded in approval.
"See?"
"Amelia is too kind."
"Even after everything, she's still helping you."
Felix stared at the pouch for a few seconds.
Then—
Slap.
He pushed Amelia's hand away.
The pouch almost fell, but she caught it just in time.
The group froze.
Harold and their companion immediately exploded.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"You're so ungrateful!"
Another added angrily,
"Amelia is just being kind because she pities you!"
"But yout trash ego can't even accept sympathy!"
Felix listened to their accusations quietly.
Then suddenly—
He chuckled.
The sound surprised everyone.
Felix shook his head slowly.
"You're wrong."
He looked directly at Amelia.
"That's not sympathy."
His eyes were calm.
She's just getting rid of her guilt.
Felix didn't say it aloud. He didn't want to embarrass her despite her humiliating him in public yesterday. She probably also knew why he refused it.
Nevertheless, if she didn't want him as friend anymore, then there's nothing he could do about it.
It was her choice as a person and Felix respected that.
"And even if it is sympathy as you called it, I don't need it, especially coming from the same person who publictly abandoned me. I can stand on my own feet."
Silence fell over the group.
Felix adjusted the strap of his bag and walked past them.
This time—
No one stopped him.
Amelia was silent but deep inside she wondered something about Felix. He used to be a timid and obedient person. Why did he seem different today?
Anyway, it's good that Felix finally left. Him staying in the Aurora Beast Academy is not good for him, especially to the future activities the academy will take.
This was her honest thoughts and the reason why she cut ties with him.
With a twist of her shoulder, Amelia shrugged off Harold's arm on her shoulder.
Harold looked displeased but he couldn't refute. He knew Amelia was just acting about hating Felix. Deep inside, Felix was still her most beloved childhood friend.
It doesn't matter. Now that Felix was no longer in the picture, he had more than enough time to tame her.
——————-
The journey to Border Town took several days.
The further Felix traveled away from the Main City, the quieter the surroundings became.
The wide stone roads gradually turned into dusty pathways.
Towering buildings were replaced by smaller houses and simple shops.
Eventually, Felix arrived at his destination the second day.
Border Town.
The name alone sounded rough.
And the place… lived up to it.
Felix stood at the town entrance and looked around.
Compared to the Main City, this place felt completely different.
The streets were quiet.
Not many people walked around.
The buildings were simple and somewhat worn down by time.
There were no luxurious stores or crowded markets.
Instead, most of the shops looked practical.
Weapon repair shops.
Beast feed store.
Potion stalls.
A faint smell of iron and herbs lingered in the air.
At first glanced, the town seemed dull and lifeless.
But Felix quickly noticed something unusual.
Even though the streets were quiet…
The people here looked alert.
Hunters wearing beast armor passed by ocassionally.
Some carried massive weapons.
Others had spirit beasts walking beside them.
Everyone moved with purposed.
Felix soon realized the reason.
Border Town sat right beside the Danger Zone.
Beyond the distant forest line outside the town…
Wild beasts roamed freely.
Powerful spirit beasts lived there.
Beast tides could occur at any moment.
This place wasn't lively like the Main City.
But it was far from peaceful.
It was the frontline.
A place where hunters, beast masters, and adventurers gathered to challenge danger.
Felix adjusted the strap of his bag and continued walking.
Soon, a large stone wall appeared ahead.
Behind the wall stood a group of buildings.
Above the gate, a large metal sign hung proudly.
Dawn Academy.
Felix stopped.
"So this is it…"
Compared to Aurora Beast Academy, this place definitely looked less impressive.
The walls were older.
The buildings inside were simpler.
There were no majestic statues or luxurious decorations.
But…
It didn't look bad either.
In fact, it looked decent.
Clean.
Organized.
And practical.
Instead of focusing on appearance, the academy looked like it focused on functionality.
Felix nodded slightly.
"Not as bad as they made it sound."
It still too early to judge, no?
However—
Something felt strange.
Felix looked at the large academy gate.
"…Why is there no guard?"
Normally, academies had security at the entrance.
Especially one located near a danger zone.
But the gate here was completely empty.
No guards.
No receptionist.
Nothing.
Felix scratched his head.
Funny enough, the little fella on his shoulder, aka King, mimicked his gesture.
"Do they just… let anyone walk in?"
He stepped closer to the gate and peeked inside.
The campus looked fairly quiet.
A few buildings stood neatly arrange around a training field.
But from where Felix stood, he couldn't see anyone.
Just as he was about to step forward—
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Don't move."
Felix froze.
The voice was calm…
But sharp.
It carried a clear warning.
Felix slowly raised his hands.
"Uh… okay?"
He turned around carefully.
Standing behind him was a girl.
She looked about the same age as him.
Her black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her eyes were sharp like a hawk's. She wore a simple academy uniform, but a short sword hung at her waist.
Her posture was tense.
Ready to attack at any moment.
She stared directly at Felix.
"Who are you?"
Her tone was cold.
Felix blinked.
"Uh…"
Before he could answer, the girl narrowed her eyes.
"What are you doing outside the academy gate?"
She took a step closer.
"Are you scouting the place?"
Felix looked confused.
"Scouting?"
The girl's hand slowly rested on the sword hilt.
"Don't play dumb."
Her gaze became even sharper.
"You've been standing here for several minutes."
"You were observing the academy. That's suspicious."
Felix finally realized what was happening.
"…Wait."
"Do you think I'm a spy?"
The girl didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Felix almost choked.
"A spy?"
He pointed to himself.
"Me?"
The girl looked completely serious.
"Border Town is near the Danger Zone."
"Enemy hunters and rogue beast masters sometimes infiltrate academies."
Her eyes locked onto Felix.
"So answer carefully."
"Who are you?"
Felix sighed helplessly.
This was definitely not the welcome he expected.
He slowly reached into his bag.
The girl instantly drew half of her sword.
"Don't move!"
Felix froze again.
"Wait! Wait! Relax!"
He quickly pulled out a document.
"I'm not a spy!"
"I'm a transfer student!"
Felix held up the paper like a shield.
"See?"
The girl hesitated slightly.
Her eyes moved to the document.
Felix slowly stepped forward and handed it to her.
After a moment, she carefully took it.
Her eyes scanned the paper.
The words were clear.
Transfer Approval — Dawn Academy
Her brows slowly furrowed.
"…Felix?"
She glanced up at him.
"You're the student transferring from Aurora Beast Academy?"
Felix nodded immediately.
"Yes!"
The girl stared at him for a few seconds longer.
Then…
She slowly pushed her sword back into its sheath.
"…My mistake."
Felix lowered his shoulders in relief.
"Thank goodness."
"I thought I was about to get stabbed on my first day."
The girl ignored his complaint and returned the document.
"I'm Elena."
She spoke calmly.
"A second-year student of Dawn Academy."
Felix blinked.
"So… you're my senior?"
Elena nodded slightly.
Then she glanced toward the empty gate.
"You came at a bad time."
Felix tilted his head.
"Why?"
Elena sighed.
"The guards are out."
"Out?"
She looked toward the distant forest.
"Beast activity near the border increased last night."
"So most of the academy staff were sent to assist the hunters."
Felix's eyes widened slightly.
"Seriously?"
Elena nodded.
"Welcome to Border Town."
She then turned and began walking toward the academy gate.
"Come on."
Felix followed behind her.
"Where are we going?"
Elena didn't look back.
"To the office."
"You still need to register."
Felix smiled faintly as he walked through the academy gate.
His new life…
Had officially begun.
And his first meeting with the girl named Elena… was definitely memorable.
"Before that… is that thing on your shoulder your spirit beast?" Elena pointed at the King.
Felix nodded.
"Yes. His name is King."
"I see. Please hide it before we enter the chairman's office."
"Okay."
Instantly, King turned into a wasp of light energy and disappeared.