The anticipation in the chamber boiled hotter with every passing breath. A beautiful woman with only a few wrinkles on her otherwise youthful face stepped out from the crowd. If not for the fact that she had appeared so openly before everyone, many would have mistaken her for just another student.
"Please thank our beloved Dean, Master Flameborn, for his epic speech." Her voice carried across the chamber, loud yet gentle, as she stepped beside the old man and shook his hand.
"From here, Vice Dean Golden Touch will take over. She is a highly skilled summoner and tutor, so please obey and follow her instructions when your name is called to the platform." Master Flameborn stomped his foot against the ground, and golden light spilled outward like liquid fire.
Wild and Celestria raised their arms to shield their faces as a soft wave swept through them and the rest of the crowd. Yet the moment the light vanished, Wild was stunned to see that the old man was gone, as though he had never stood there in the first place. His heart pounded wildly at the thought of one day becoming that strong.
"Mister Ronan of the Celdrake family, please step forward."
Light cheers followed as a young man who did not stand out much from the crowd made his way toward the platform. He stepped onto the golden light with obvious caution, as though he feared his foot would sink through it and send him falling into nothingness. The moment everyone realized it was solid, a quiet wave of relief spread through those who had been thinking the same thing.
Wild watched him carefully from the back, his eyes narrowing, unwilling to miss a single detail that might help him when his own turn came.
"What level of beast do you think he will summon?" Celestria tugged lightly at his sleeve, the books she had carried now resting neatly stacked at her side.
Wild shot her an annoyed glance, but after a small sigh, he answered in a gentler voice.
"I've never heard of him before, but I studied his family. Most of them summon rare beasts, as if it runs in their blood. I expect nothing more from him, but I still hope he summons something higher." His voice was firm.
Celestria's eyes widened at the realization that he held no disdain or jealousy toward nobles. How can he say things like that? Even I want them to fail... Her gaze lingered on his face, studying him more carefully than before. I wonder if one day I can think like him as well. But her heart still burned with anger toward nobles. Because of her family history, she hated them all, even the lowest houses.
She wanted to say something, but the words died in her throat the moment blue light spilled across the area as the young man placed his hand on the egg.
"SHRRAAAAAAASHHHHH!"
A piercing cry ripped through the chamber as a long serpent of azure scales burst from the blue light, its small graceful wings spreading wide while mist and water curled around its body like living silk.
"Azure Wing Serpent! An epic-tier beast! Congratulations to Mister Ronan!" The woman applauded softly for the young man, and the crowd soon joined her, their eyes gleaming at the sight of such a magnificent beast.
"Wow, he actually summoned an epic beast. Does that mean his family curse is broken?" Celestria laughed from the side, nudging Wild, but he did not respond. His face had lit up with a wild, curious smile, and his eyes moved across the beast with hungry focus, as if he were already dissecting every detail in his mind.
He's weird... But at least he's not as hateful as the others here. A faint, genuine smile tugged at Celestria's lips as she watched him.
Soon, the crowd stirred again. One after another, beasts shook the air with their arrivals. Some descended on beating wings, others landed with heavy force upon the ground, each one grand in its own way.
Yet most of the summons stayed within the ranks of rare and epic, until one young woman stepped forward.
Her name was Elowen Evercrest, a daughter of one of the top hundred families in the city. The moment her hand pressed against the egg, the atmosphere shifted, and even the Vice Dean narrowed her eyes with sudden seriousness.
"KRRRRAAAASHHHH—SKREEEEEE!"
A magnificent crimson explosion tore through the chamber, and from within it stepped a beast the size of a grown man.
It bore the shape of a rabbit, yet there was nothing small or harmless about it. Its ember-red fur blazed like living fire, while threads of violet lightning slithered across its body in violent bursts. Long ears rose like sharpened spears, and its crimson eyes looked down upon the crowd with a fierce, almost royal cruelty.
"Scarlet Thunderfang Rabbit!" The crowd roared this time, instantly recognizing the summon. The entire chamber trembled beneath their cheers, and Elowen's lips slowly curled into a proud, smug smile.
"A legendary beast... I can't believe I got to see one so early!" Even Celestria felt her breathing quicken, her shining eyes filling with hope. She too wished for at least a legendary beast, but the one most shaken by the sight was Wild. His body trembled with raw excitement, though those around him only laughed from the side, mistaking his reaction for fear of the creature.
After the crowd finally calmed down, the people who followed drew little to no cheers, their summons too disappointing to leave any real impression. That changed the moment one man was called.
"Sir Alaric Evercrest, please step forward." The crowd drew in a sharp, cold breath the instant the Vice Dean spoke his name with the utmost respect, even bowing her head low. Celestria's fists clenched so tightly her nails bit into her skin, fury and hatred written plainly across her face.
"Top five! Top five families!" someone shattered the silence, and the cheers exploded like a tidal wave through the chamber.
The young man stepped toward the egg, his long golden hair tied back in a neat man bun while a few loose strands slipped down before his face, only adding to the handsome image that made the female students stare. His golden eyes were striking, and the aura around him alone screamed nobleman of the highest caliber.
KRAAAAAA-BOOOOOOMMM!
Thunder exploded through the chamber with such force that several students nearly lost their footing. Golden light flooded the platform like a raging sea, while bolts of lightning tore across the air in wild arcs, forcing the crowd to shield their eyes. A monstrous pressure crashed down on everyone, so heavy it felt as though a divine beast had stepped straight into the mortal world.
"SKRRRREEEEEEE!"
The cry that followed was sharp, ancient, and filled with royal wrath. Then the storm of golden light split apart, revealing a kirin standing at its center like a king born from thunder itself.
Its body shone with radiant golden scales, every inch of it wrapped in crackling lightning. Its antlers rose high like branches forged from the fury of the sky, and every breath that left its nostrils carried sparks and rolling thunder.
"Imperial Sky Kirin! What a magnificent mythical beast for the Evercrest family!" the Vice Dean shouted with excitement, her eyes shining with the honor of witnessing such a myth.
For one brief moment, nobody in the chamber dared to breathe.
Several more students followed after, a few of them summoning legendary beasts, yet after the spectacle brought by the mythical kirin, their summons barely left an impression.
What everyone now waited for was the appearance of the remaining members of the top five families, but the next name the Vice Dean called out made snickers spread across the chamber, the sound biting into Celestria's skin.
"Next, Wild, please come up to the stage!" The Vice Dean tried to sound sincere, but even her voice carried a faint edge of disrespect. In her heart, she expected nothing from someone who did not even have a family name.
Wild's fingernails dug into his palms until they drew blood. Soon, very soon, it will be my turn. Soon I will shock them too!