Caressing a bunch of overly excited furballs was oddly therapeutic. My fingers disappeared in the cubs’ soft fur, which only seemed to make the little foxes happier. They squealed and rolled onto their backs without regard for their position or siblings. One nearly fell from my arms and would have hit its head if I hadn’t caught it in time.

  As chaotic as it was, the fox cubs demonstrated a sense of beauty I didn’t believe possible in the wild; they showed me how magical and beautiful life in the wilderness could be. However, the wild was not without its dangers. Yesterday’s events made that fairly obvious.

  After a good night of rest, my condition had improved, though I was still far from fine. Countless thoughts and doubts squirmed through my mind, and all they did was worsen my mental state. So what if I was worried about the other cadets and my friends? Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t help them.

  The Elemental Phoenix was back, Volix’s voice ringing in my head occasionally, but the weave was still damaged. The same applied to the soulshares–except for the Ferronox Mantis’, which had fully restored Nox’s bond.

  Resh woke from his slumber, the damaged bond pulsing with hunger.

  “Right, you’re a glutton.” I snickered, discarding as many dark thoughts as possible when I summoned the Mirage Serpent.

  Resh looked the same as ever. His scales shifted in a palette of all known and unknown colors, making his body invisible at times. Some scales turned into vibrant lights that illuminated the entire cavern, attracting the cubs’ attention. Dealing with a handful of them was easy, but there were dozens in the cavern, so I did the only thing I could think of.

  I retrieved several strips of meat as well as a bunch of smaller bones. They belonged to the pile of beast parts Ruler Kazriel had kept in his onyx ring, and I understood why the instant I took them out. The bones pulsed with immense power. It was hard to believe small bones could emit such terrifying pressure, but the fox cubs seemed to love them.

  As unsure as I was about their origin, I wasn’t going to take them away from the cubs. Hurling the bones to the other side of the cavern, I watched an army of foxes rush toward them. They used their elemental aspects, and a fight to claim the bones ensued.

  “Sorry about that.” My eyes shifted to a small head popping from a tunnel. It was the fox mother, but she didn’t even look my way. She was locked onto the beast bones.

  “Do you want one?” I asked, retrieving another small bone from my shrinking stockpile.

  The fox mother’s head yanked toward me, her eyes lingering on the Mirage Serpent momentarily. She snatched the bone and retreated to join the other mature foxes on the other side of the tunnel.

  It was obvious that a single Elemental Fox couldn’t give birth to dozens of cubs. Foxes were on the upper end when it came to mammals giving birth to larger litters, but it looked more like the cubs came from a community of half a dozen fox couples.

  Resh nudged me with his head, his rough scales scraping across my cheek.

  “Right, you’re hungry. Looks like I’m really bad at keeping promises.” I grunted to myself, retrieving a fingertip-sized strip of Monarch Jerky.

  The Mirage Serpent’s head rushed forward and swallowed the jerky before its greedy eyes locked onto me.

  “Wait a second. Digest that piece first.” A chuckle escaped my lips. “I don’t want you to explode in a gory mess.”

  Resh did not seem to agree, but I remained unmoving. The bond overflowed with hunger and erupted in frustration. However, neither lasted long as the Monarch Jerky unraveled within the Mirage Serpent’s stomach. An explosion of ether and nutrients of the highest quality ruptured through the Mirage Serpent, spreading through his whole body, swallowing frustration and hunger immediately.

  Like before, the ether was sucked into his core while the nutrients seeped into his body. Minutes of utter silence passed as Resh digested it all, only for him to return to me, his hunger resurfacing.

  “Seriously?” That was not normal.

  Aureus and Nox would have feasted on the strip for a week and felt bloated the entire time. How was it that Resh was still hungry?

  “You really are a glutton.” I retrieved a second strip with a smile.

  Next, I joined the Mirage Serpent, and so did Nox. But while Nox was given Guardian beast meat, I had to rely on ordinary dishes to keep me full. Lacking Soulfusion to consume the jerky, I could only take a step back for the time being.

  Resh returned to the inner World to sleep voluntarily, whereas the Ferronox Mantis had to be forced back once lunch was over. Nox wanted to stay, but his bloodthirsty presence scared the cubs too much.

  Once I was alone again, I double-checked the fox den. This time, my senses spread outward, Earthen Aspect channeled. Being careful with the traits and the weave’s channels, I began to work on the fox den. Several spots were crumbled, posing a serious threat to everyone’s safety. I didn’t doubt for a second that the damages were my fault. Squeezing through the narrow entrance must have destroyed a lot more than I’d liked. Hence, it was high time to repair and fortify the den as thanks.

  There wasn’t much space to move around, so I expanded the cavern, compressing the soil around me. Support pillars were added with a wave of my hand, and in the blink of an eye–several hours later–the fox den was several times harder to destroy than before.

  All this while, phoenix fire coursed through my body; however, it was not Soulfusion that made this possible. A portion of the Elemental Phoenix had manifested outside my body, and I took control of it with the Major Fire Aspect. At the same time, I used the Aspect to form tendrils that connected the core and weave. The Blazing Gates, to be precise.

  The Gates formed by the sacred beast were superior to the normal batch because their special characteristics bent several rules. With that in mind, I focused on a quick recovery. Alas, restoring the weave when half a dozen spots were isolated due to severe damage was a hassle.

  I pushed minuscule amounts of ether into several damaged spots, circulating them through the paper-thin threads, but the sensation I got was not only a little too painful, it was also too hot for me. The scare I got when a cub jumped into me, fierce orange fur pressed against my chest, nearly crippled the weave. It was more luck than skill that I’d finished circulating ether and phoenix fire through the damaged section a split second before the fox cub was upon me, my concentration failing.

  The beast was pressed against my steaming chest. That was when I noticed my body was not only warm but also clearly showing Volca’s Mark again. Resh may have been awake–his hunger ever so present–but the Mirage Serpent’s bond was the most severely damaged. It’d probably take a week or two to restore it naturally. It’d be great if I could use the remaining traits until then, but even using the elemental Aspects had been draining. Everything I did with the traits took several times longer, and it strained the bonds further. Still, it was a necessity. I had to recover, and phoenix fire would accelerate the process.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  I glared at the beast nuzzling against my chest, but a genuine smile soon bloomed when eyes that looked like buttons turned up at me, demanding attention and caresses.

  “You’re a little troubleshooter, aren’t you?” I snickered, leaning back as my hand moved through the beast’s fiery orange fur.

  As far as I was concerned, the fox den was perfect. Sure, rent was a little high with all the meat and bones I distributed like they weren’t parts of powerful beasts, but the cubs were cute and the den was relatively safe.

  I definitely felt drawn to staying in the cave for a while. A few days to calm down, digest what happened, and recover would be widely appreciated. But could I really stay here that long? No. Unfortunately, that wasn’t feasible.

  If there was one thing I knew about humans, it was that we had a hard time staying too long in one place. Doing so in the Bastions was fine, but the wilderness brought too many dangers. The Grand Camp may have worked, but inner Worlds that stayed too long in one place imprinted themselves on the surroundings. The specifics were unclear to me, but it was apparent that staying too long in the fox den would endanger not only myself but the Elemental Foxes as well.

  “Two days–” I paused as I glanced down to see more cubs coiled up on my lap and legs, while others rested against me. “Maybe three days. Yeah, three days will be fine. That’s enough time to recover a little and research a little.”

  Nodding to myself, I lost myself in the bliss of cuddling and taking care of dozens of fox cubs.

  It was a pleasant change of tune.

  ***

  The sun rose beyond the horizon, casting its beauty onto the wilderness surrounding me. It was early in the morning, and I still had no idea where I was.

  ‘In the middle of nowhere’ rang true in my mind, which did little to alleviate my issues. The third day since I fell from the sky was just beginning, but I didn’t want to move. I’d much rather stay with the Elemental Foxes to rest a little longer. Maybe I would have if not for the shift in atmosphere.

  Since the night before, I had to block several binding attempts. Curious fox cubs nestled by my side, their souls opening to my World. The resonance had always been present, and after a few days together the beasts were willing to bind themselves to me. I couldn’t see it, but I knew they sensed my World more with each day passing–and they liked what they felt.

  Coming in contact with me, they could even see my inner World–could reach out to it. That they did. Several foxes tried to bind themselves to me, their instincts pushing them toward me. Preventing the bond from forming was simple. The Elemental Phoenix may have bent a few laws and circumvented parts that required my acknowledgment and permission to bind himself to me; however, that was not something the Elemental Fox cubs could do.

  As easily as blocking them out had been, avoiding the mother foxes that came to visit the night before had not been as pleasant. The glacial-furred mother came crashing into the cubs’ cavern alongside a trio of Elemental Foxes, their elemental Aspects active as she tore through them.

  She didn’t kill anyone and merely wounded them badly enough to force them into retreat, but the bloodlust hanging in the air was strong enough to make the conclusion clear: I had to leave.

  That, or I would have to kill or subdue the other Elemental Fox mothers.

  The answer was simple. I had to leave.

  But before I departed, I refined my World, properly executing the Blastor Refinery’s 6th Volume. The refinement process was smooth, the gains extensive, and my mind calmer than before.

  Stuffing a few scrolls depicting landscapes and official records revolving around Razarn, its regions, and many things I had yet to grasp, I walked away from the fox den. Sad yelps rang out behind me, rising over my footsteps as several cubs followed into the thicket. They didn’t make it far; the glacial-furred fox mother caught up to them, picked them up by their necks, and conjured ice walls to stop the others.

  I glanced back once and regretted it instantly. Seeing the beasts with tears welling in their eyes, squealing as if in physical pain, felt like a spear rammed into my chest. It twisted deep in my heart and tore me apart.

  My steps slowed, but they never halted. Instead, I zig-zagged off the path, ether circulating in my eyes as I took a small detour and began harvesting a few ether herbs.

  I wouldn’t touch that one. It’ll cover you in spores that attract beasts for days.

  Volix commented a split second before my fingers brushed a purple flower. It didn’t look special, but it contained enough ether to be an Evolved plant. Taking a closer look, I caught several specks of liquefied ether along its stem.

  “You know plants?” I recoiled, eyeing my finger, unsure if I had grazed the stem.

  Living long lives comes with perks and burdens. Spending time on new hobbies was fun. There was a time I dipped into alchemy. Your kind would probably call them ‘Beasters,’ even if they are not.

  “You’re a Beaster?” That was all I heard.

  Please listen more carefully, Adam. We are not Beasters.

  Volix snapped, irritated. It took him a moment to calm down.

  Although all Alchemists are Beasters, the Beasters I met cannot be considered Alchemists. Your kind is too crude. Learn from the Fire Caldera or the Nature Caldera if you want to know more about Alchemists. As brutal as they can be, their kind is surprisingly delicate at times.

  I listened intently, curious what else I could get out of him. Searching Volix’s memories–failing as miserably as always–a small vial containing a yellowish serum appeared in my hands.

  Your friend’s serum. A vial containing the essence of a spell structure. Crude and lackluster, yet it works.

  Volix commented, and it rang in my head as high praise.

  “So you mean that if Daniel improves the Accelerated Regeneration serum, he could become an Alchemist? Or is he already the equivalent of one?” My heart raced for my friend’s sake, but the Elemental Phoenix dashed my hopes.

  A fledgling. That is what your friend is. He has unfitting powers and will never become an Alchemist. Although, I have to agree that his idea to infuse that young girl’s spell into a serum worked out. It is as efficient as someone at his level can manage.

  I felt like cursing Volix for being mean, but I found myself agreeing. Partially.

  Daniel was more of a brute. He was lightning-fast and could regulate his speed with surprising delicacy, but he was a bulldozer. He’d much rather charge through walls, impaling all problems with his horns, than work thoroughly on the issues at hand.

  Also, lightning was not necessarily the best element for concocting. My Fire Aspect was much better suited to regulating a concoction’s temperature delicately.

  Nonetheless, Daniel was the most promising Beaster I knew. He had the mind of a Beaster as well as the experimental spirit of a mad scientist. Those characteristics combined would help him make it big. I was sure of that!

  Bind a few more beasts with suitable traits, and I promise you will become a powerful Alchemist. Or Runesmith. I can also help you with ranching.

  Volix offered, sounding oddly excited at the prospect.

  “Are you really that bored? Is that why you bound yourself to me?” I chuckled–but the smile faded when the Elemental Phoenix didn’t answer.

  “Seriously? You were bored, and you probably didn’t want to wait centuries to be reborn again, so you picked the next best target?”

  Next best target is an understatement. You underestimate yourself too much. Not only is the synergy of your World and constitution excellent; your mental strength is something you can be proud of as well. However, I like your spirit and discipline the most.

  Volix’s voice echoed in my mind, dripping with sincerity and a touch of pride.

  If anyone else were bound to me, they wouldn’t think twice about creating as much soul energy as possible to feed me. To push me back to my prime and enjoy the benefits the bond provides. You, on the other hand, have yet to feed me more soul energy. I only fed on the flame, consuming it.

  Listening to Volix, I sensed his hunger. The Elemental Phoenix was hungry–starving even–and I… well, I had completely forgotten about that.

  “Phoenixes need to eat,” I murmured, as if reminding myself of the obvious.

  “…Do you want some soul energy?… Is that enough to feed you, or do you need beast meat as well?” I cleared my throat, trying to sound nonchalant.

  The silence hung heavily in my mind, but it did not take long before the Elemental Phoenix returned.

  Give me as much as you can bear. And no, I don’t need beast meat. Volix half-hissed, half-sighed in resignation.

  But I can. And since someone starved me for quite a while, I would like to eat a few strips of the Monarch meat.

  That, I could do. Feed the bird.