The ride out felt shorter than it should have.
No one said anything important. A few people talked, mostly about what they were aiming for—wolves, raptors, anything that sounded strong enough to matter. Arthur tuned most of it out and kept his eyes on the window.
The city disappeared faster than he expected. One moment the walls were right there, solid and reassuring, and the next they were just a thin line cutting across the horizon.
Beyond that, it was just land.
Open. Quiet. Wrong in a way he couldn't explain.
The testing zone wasn't wild, not fully, but it didn't feel safe either.
There were boundaries—faint glowing lines marking where they could go—but it felt more like a suggestion than protection. Once Arthur stepped past it, something shifted. Not dramatic, just enough to notice.
Less control. More… space.
He didn't rush.
No point chasing something blindly.
A few minutes in, he spotted his first beast.
Small thing, crouched low near a rock. Its body looked half-formed, like it hadn't decided what it was supposed to be yet. It froze when it saw him, eyes locked in a way that felt too aware for something that size.
Arthur crouched and reached out.
The moment his fingers made contact—
Something clicked.
Not pain. Not even discomfort. Just a sudden clarity, like another layer had been added to his vision.
Then the text came in.
[System Initializing…][Compatibility Confirmed][Super Beast Tamer System Activated]
Arthur blinked once.
It didn't go away.
[Function Unlocked: Scan]
He looked at the creature again.
This time, it wasn't just guessing.
Name: Unclassified Burrow LizardRank: RookieBloodline: NonePotential: LowTaming Probability: 82%
Arthur let out a quiet breath.
"…that's new."
The creature was still there, still watching him, but it didn't feel like a mystery anymore. Just numbers. Limits.
Not worth it.
He stood up and stepped back. It didn't chase, didn't react much at all, just slipped into the ground and disappeared like it had never been there.
Arthur stayed still for a second, then looked around again.
"Scan."
A bird perched above him.
Name: Grey Spine CrowRank: RookieBloodline: Trace WindPotential: Low-Mid
Something moved through the grass.
Name: Sandback HareRank: RookieBloodline: NonePotential: Low
Arthur kept walking.
Each time he focused, the same thing happened. Clean, immediate information. No delay, no guessing. It didn't take long to realize what this meant.
Most of the beasts here were the same.
Rookie rank. Average at best. Maybe a trace of something better, but nothing that stood out.
Which meant this place wasn't meant to give you something rare.
It was meant to see what you'd settle for.
A new line appeared as he moved deeper.
[Planetary Power System Identified][Data Incomplete]
Ranks Detected:Rookie → Silver → Gold → Diamond
Beyond:Astral Rankings — Insufficient Data
Arthur frowned slightly.
Astral.
The system didn't explain it. Just left it there, like something unfinished.
He didn't dwell on it.
Didn't matter right now.
The deeper he went, the quieter it got.
Fewer beasts, but the ones that remained felt… different. Less reactive. More deliberate.
Arthur slowed down without really thinking about it.
Then he saw it.
It was sitting under a tree, half in the shade, like it had been there long before he arrived. Grey and white fur, clean, calm posture.
A husky.
It didn't move when he noticed it.
Just looked at him.
Arthur focused.
Name: Unnamed VariantRank: RookieBloodline: Fenrir (Dormant)Potential: ???Taming Probability: Unknown
Arthur stopped.
For the first time since the system activated, there was no clear answer.
No percentage.
No limit.
Just blanks.
Fenrir.
The word stuck more than anything else.
The husky didn't react, didn't shift, didn't show any sign of aggression. But it wasn't passive either.
It was watching him.
Like it understood exactly what he was doing.
Arthur took a step closer.
Nothing changed.
No warning. No update.
Just that same quiet stare.
"…you don't look like much," he muttered.
The husky didn't move.
Didn't need to.
Everything else felt distant for a moment.
All the other options. All the safe choices.
This one didn't come with answers.
Arthur exhaled slowly and stepped forward.
Close enough now to see the small details—the way its fur moved with the wind, the steady rise and fall of its chest, the way its eyes didn't waver even once.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Arthur reached out.