Sunny didn't waste a second mourning the fat bastard. In this dog-eat-dog world, mourning was a luxury for the rich and the stupid. He was neither.
He crouched over Bolton's twitching corpse, his hands moving fast.
He felt like a gamer looting a mob after a hard grind.
"Give me something good,," Sunny muttered.
He patted down the blood-soaked vest. Coins.
Sunny ripped a small leather pouch from Bolton's belt. He spilled the contents into his palm.
[Ding!]
[Item Obtained: 15 Silver Coins, 40 Copper Coins.]
"Fifteen silver? That's three months of wages for a servant," Sunny whistled. "This guy was skimming off the top. Nice."
He pocketed the money. But that wasn't the real prize. His eyes landed on a dull, grey ring on Bolton's pinky finger. It looked like trash, but Sunny could feel a faint hum of mana coming from it.
He yanked it off.
[Item: Low-Tier Beast Ring]
Capacity: 1 Slot (Small Beast only).
Description: A garbage ring used by low-level tamers to store their pets.
"Bingo."
Sunny grinned. He looked at the Armored Black Beetle sitting on his shoulder, clicking its mandibles menacingly.
"Get in there, buddy."
He channeled a tiny bit of his pathetic mana into the ring. A grey light shot out, enveloping the beetle.
The insect vanished, sucked into the dimensional space of the ring.
[Beast Stored.]
"Perfect. Now I look like a regular, empty-handed servant. No one suspects the guy with no weapons."
He stood up, wiping the blood from his hands onto Bolton's clothes. He didn't bother hiding the body. By the time they found this fat tub of lard, Sunny would be long gone.
He kicked the door open and stepped out into the blinding sunlight.
The Ironblood Clan grounds, usually quiet except for the sound of training, were in chaos.
"Move it! Move it!"
"The Royal Convoy is arriving!"
"If anyone messes this up, the Patriarch will have your heads!"
Sunny blended into the shadows of the stable, his eyes narrowing.
Royal Convoy?
He crept towards the main courtyard, hugging the walls. His Agility stat was only 4, but his small frame and years of being invisible to these arrogant pricks made him a natural sneaker.
He peeked around the corner of the armory. His jaw dropped slightly.
In the center of the vast stone courtyard, a massive convoy had stopped. These weren't normal carriages. They were pulled by Thunder-Horned Rhinos—massive, grey skinned beasts with crackling blue lightning arching between their horns. Just one of those beasts could flatten the entire stable he lived in.
And in the center was a carriage made of white gold, floating slightly off the ground using magi-tech levitation.
The emblem of the Royal Family was painted on the side.
"The Third Prince..." Sunny whispered, recalling the memories.
"Prince Valerian."
A young man stepped out of the floating carriage. He looked to be about eighteen, wearing robes that probably cost more than Sunny's entire bloodline. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and an expression that said he smelled something bad.
Standing next to the Prince was the Ironblood Clan's Patriarch and... Cain. The bastard who had killed the original Sunny.
Cain was bowing so low his nose almost touched the floor.
"Your Highness," the Patriarch boomed, his voice shaking with excitement. "It is an honor that you chose to stop here on your way to the Starfall Academy."
The Prince waved his hand dismissively. "Save the pleasantries. I'm only here because the Oracle said a 'Star of Destiny' might be found in this region. I assume it's one of you?"
Cain stepped forward, puffing out his chest.
"It must be me, Your Highness! I have an A-Rank affinity!"
Sunny scoffed from the shadows. A-Rank? Don't make me laugh. I have a System.
"We are heading to the Academy Entrance Exam immediately," the Prince announced, looking bored.
"The trials begin tomorrow at dawn. If you want to prove yourself, get in the rear carriages. I don't wait for trash."
Sunny's eyes lit up. The Academy. Starfall Academy. The place where the strongest Beast Tamers in the continent were forged. It was a place of endless resources, high-tier monsters, and opportunities.
"That's where the loot is," Sunny muttered. "And that's where I can get strong enough to crush this whole damn clan."
But there was a problem. The Academy was five hundred miles away. Walking would take weeks. The entrance exam started tomorrow.
He looked at the convoy. Specifically, at the massive cargo wagons at the back, pulled by Earth Oxen. They were piled high with supplies for the Prince's entourage.
"Uber has arrived," Sunny smirked.
The drums beat. The horn sounded.
"Depart!" a knight shouted.
The Thunder-Horned Rhinos roared, the sound vibrating in Sunny's chest. The convoy lurched forward. Dust kicked up into the air, creating a massive cloud.
"Now!"
Sunny didn't hesitate. He sprinted.
His legs pumped furiously. The [Fusion] of the beetle had given him a level up, and his body felt slightly more responsive, but he was still weak.
Guards were lining the path, but they were all looking at the Prince, cheering like idiots. No one looked at the dirty stable boy dashing through the dust cloud towards the rear wagons.
"Come on, come on!"
The last wagon was picking up speed. It was a heavy transport, covered in a thick canvas tarp.
Sunny reached out, his fingers brushing the wooden tailgate.
Missed!
"Fuck!"
He pushed harder, his lungs burning. He channeled every ounce of strength he had.
He leaped, his fingers hooking onto the iron rim of the wagon. His feet dragged on the ground for a terrifying second, kicking up gravel.
"Hup!"
With a grunt of exertion, he hauled himself up and rolled over the tailgate, tumbling into the dark interior of the wagon.
He lay there for a second, panting, listening.
Did anyone see?
...
Nothing but the rumble of wheels and the distant cheers of the crowd.
"Too easy," Sunny whispered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Stealth level: Expert."
He sat up and looked around. It was dark, smelling of herbs and leather.
He was sitting on crates. Lots of crates.
"System, scan area."
[Scan Complete.]
[Detected biological materials.]
Sunny's eyes adjusted. He popped the lid off the nearest crate.
Inside, resting on velvet cushions, were rows of glowing blue grass.
[Item: Spirit Bluegrass (Common)]
Description: A basic herb used to recover mana. Contains trace amounts of pure energy.
Quantity: 50 Stalks.
"Jackpot."
Sunny grabbed a handful. "The Prince won't miss a few snacks, right?"
He held two stalks of the glowing grass.
"System, Fusion."
[Target: Spirit Bluegrass + Spirit Bluegrass]
[Compatibility: 100%]
[Fusion Initiated...]
The two stalks twisted together, dissolving into light, and reformed into a single, thicker stalk that pulsed with a deeper blue rhythm.
[Ding!]
[Success! Created: Concentrated Spirit Stalk (Uncommon)]
[Effect: Consuming this permanently increases Mana Capacity by 1.]
Sunny's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"Permanently? Holy shit."
Usually, these herbs just refilled mana. But by fusing them, he concentrated the essence into a stat-boosting item?
He looked at the crate. There were forty-eight stalks left.
"Let's get cooking."
His hands became a blur.
[Ding!]
[Fusion Successful.]
[Fusion Successful.]
He fused two stalks. Then he took the result and fused it with another result.
[Target: Concentrated Spirit Stalk + Concentrated Spirit Stalk]
[Compatibility: 90%]
[Fusion Initiated...]
The light was brighter this time.
[Ding!]
[Critical Success!]
[Item Created: Radiant Mana Pill (Rare)]
[Effect: Permanently increases Mana Capacity by 5. Refines Mana Channels.]
A small, pearl-like pill sat in his hand. It glowed like a miniature star.
Sunny didn't wait. He popped it into his mouth and swallowed.
Heat exploded in his stomach. It felt like liquid lightning rushing through his veins, clearing out the sludge that had blocked his mana channels for his entire life.
[Ding!]
[Mana Capacity Increased: +5]
[Mana Channels Cleansed: 10%]
[EXP + 100]
[Ding!]
[Level Up!]
[You are now Level 3!]
[All Stats +1]
[Free Attribute Points: 2]
Sunny clenched his fists. Blue sparks danced across his knuckles. He felt power. Real power. Not the borrowed strength of a beetle, but his own magic.
"Status," he commanded.
[Status Window]
Name: Sunny
Level: 3
Mana: 12/12 (F Rank -> F+ Rank)
Strength: 5
Agility: 6
Endurance: 4
Free Points: 4
"I'm still weak compared to a Knight," Sunny analyzed, a dark grin playing on his lips. "But I'm growing fast."
He looked at the rest of the crates in the wagon.
There were boxes labeled 'Iron Ore', 'Beast Leather', and 'Potions'.
"It's a long ride to the Academy," Sunny cracked his neck. "And I have a lot of fusing to do."
He grabbed two chunks of iron ore and a leather strap.
"Let's see if I can make some armor."