Chapter 29: When The Familiar Turned Against The Master (part 1)
The match started the moment Professor Dylan sent the signal.
Both teams emanated strong mana, the arena vibrating with their presence.
The first to rush forward was Jake, his Red-eye Gecko bounding beside him.
Jake's target was obvious
Fate.
"You're done for, Fate Kindspring!" Jake shouted across the arena, his voice echoing.
But before he could even get close to Fate and Soo-ah, Isabelle and Heracles blocked his path.
BAM!
Heracles struck the arena floor with immense force, knocking Jake backward.
As Jake stumbled, Kyle surged forward, riding his Shadow Tiger, Scar.
He called out sharply to Fate and Isabelle.
"The formation—now!"
Fate and Isabelle nodded to each other and moved into their pre-planned positions.
Kyle and Scar took the front line.
Isabelle, with Heracles, protected Fate and Soo-ah.
Fate and Soo-ah held the rear, ready to provide support.
Fate gave a calm but firm order to Soo-ah.
"Soo-ah, use your Body Size Manipulation Skill. Extend your tentacles and create a line for Jake and his team."
Soo-ah immediately understood.
Its body began to expand, and with a powerful slam of its tentacles into the ground, it divided the arena.
On the right: Jake and his Red-eye Gecko faced Kyle and Scar.
On the left: Thomas and Andrew with their familiars.
Jake noticed their formation and muttered under his breath.
"So that's your plan..."
Then finally—
Jake's familiar, Red-eye Gecko, activated Stealth.
Stealth
Rarity: Rare
– Allows user to avoid detection by moving silently, hiding in shadows, and concealing their presence.
A malicious grin spread across Jake's face as he looked at Kyle.
"What are you going to do now that you can't see your enemy, huh?"
Kyle didn't flinch. He only smiled and calmly said.
"Now, Isabelle..."
On the left, Isabelle commanded with urgency.
"Heracles, use your Skill Vibration Detection."
Heracles crouched low, arms pressed against the arena floor, and activated Vibration Detection.
It pinpointed Jake's Red-eye Gecko and raised its right arm.
Stone-like projectiles shot from Heracles and struck the Red-eye Gecko, canceling its Stealth skill.
Jake clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Tsk…!"
Kyle observed the Red-eye Gecko and issued a precise command to Scar.
"Scar! Go get that reptile!"
Scar dashed forward using Shadow Step.
The Red-eye Gecko responded with Paralyzing Gaze.
Paralyzing Gaze
Rarity: rare
– A piercing gaze that can lock someone in place depending on how strong the target is.
Scar froze mid-attack, completely paralyzed.
Kyle thought to himself.
(I knew it… As its name implies, Red-eye can use Paralyzing Gaze…)
Meanwhile, the battle on the other side was no less intense.
Isabelle and Heracles took the brunt of Thomas's Steel Ram and Andrew's Wild Boar, shielding Fate and Soo-ah, who retaliated with precise attacks.
Soo-ah stealthily extended its Paralyzing Venom tentacles toward Andrew and his Wild Boar, paralyzing them instantly.
Andrew shouted desperately.
"Hey! Get up! Get out of there!"
But Soo-ah had already pinned them down.
The only ones left for Fate's team to face were Thomas and his Steel Ram.
Steel Ram lunged forward, activating Iron Horns, attempting to push Fate and Soo-ah back.
Iron Horns
Rarity: common
– Hardens the user's horns as strong and durable as iron.
– Horns grow slightly larger and transform into iron with the use of mana.
Heracles took the blow head-on, sliding back only slightly.
It lifted the Steel Ram by the horns and slammed it to the ground, knocking both familiar and master unconscious.
Now, only Jake and his Red-eye Gecko remained.
Soo-ah reverted to its smaller form, retracting the tentacle barrier that had divided the arena.
Jake saw the situation and began to move backward, cornered as Fate and his team advanced.
The watching students held their breath, tense with anticipation.
Then—
Jake secretly fed something to his familiar.
He handed it a crimson crystal.
"Eat this..."
The Red-eye Gecko consumed it and immediately began shaking violently.
Isabelle noticed and started to warn.
"Hey, what was tha—!"
But she was cut off by the Red-eye Gecko's loud, fearsome roar.
The Red-eye Gecko began to grow, its body expanding grotesquely.
Jake's grin was malicious.
"Yes… Go. Eliminate all who oppose me..."
When its roar subsided, the Red-eye Gecko had grown immensely, its single red eye blazing with fury.
Professor Dylan noticed the abnormal transformation and shouted.
"Hey! What did you do to your familiar?!"
Jake ignored him, pointing at Fate with cold malice.
"You're going to die here toda—"
CRUNCH!
Jake froze.
His Red-eye Gecko had bitten his right arm.
Blood dripped from its jaws.
"W–what…?" Jake stammered in shock.
Suddenly—
The Red-eye Gecko tore off Jake's arm completely.
"ARGHHHH! MY ARM! MY ARM!"
Blood splattered across the arena. The crowd screamed in horror.
The Red-eye Gecko devoured the arm, then turned to its master, menacing and terrifying.
Jake crawled back, terror-stricken.
"Help…! Anyone!"
Fate, Isabelle, and even Kyle could only watch.
Fear had frozen them in place.
The Red-eye Gecko stalked Jake.
Jake tried to run with desperation.
"No! No! No! Please—no!" he screamed.
But the Red-eye Gecko caught up to Jake quickly.
It seized him by the leg with its bloody jaws, flung him into the air, and devoured him entirely.
Professor Dylan acted quickly, leaping into the arena and striking the barrier.
"Hold on, students!"
The Red-eye Gecko now searched for its next prey.
The still unconscious Andrew and Thomas.
It charged toward them.
Isabelle reacted immediately.
"Heracles! Go and protect those two!"
Heracles obeyed, activating it's skill Iron Fortress.
But with Isabelle unguarded, the Red-eye Gecko changed direction—targeting her.
She ran, but the beast was faster.
Kyle noticed Isabelle in danger and activated his Unique Skill: Authority Of The Formless Blade.
Authority Of The Formless Blade
– Allows the user to freely manipulate and create formless swords.
Two core abilities:
– Sword Control
Grants Kyle Ashensteel full control over the formless swords he creates.
– Sword Manifestation
Creates transparent, glass-like swords from pure condensed mana in any shape desired.
Kyle shouted while manifesting four massive formless greatswords.
"Isabelle!"
Before the Red-eye Gecko could reach her, it was trapped inside the cage of formless swords.
Isabelle had a brief moment to catch her breath.
The others did too.
But the Red-eye Gecko roared violently, shaking the sword cage.
With a final headbutt, the cage shattered.
The beast continued its rampage.
Isabelle ran again, but the Red-eye Gecko was relentless.
WHOOSH!
A figure run pass from Kyle's back, swift as the wind itself, intercepting Isabelle.
Snow-white hair. Eyes as blue as the sky. Majestic crystal horns atop its head.
Fate Kindspring.
He activated Barrier Creation, forming ten layers of physical barriers.
Before him, the Red-eye Gecko no longer resembled a familiar—it was a bloodthirsty monster.
The beast smashed through each barrier, one by one.
Fate shouted.
"Isabelle! Get out! Now!"
She obeyed, retreating.
Fate braced himself with Gluttonous Aegis.
Professor Dylan, with Princess Caelira Dawncrown, Kara Westhallow, and other students, finally broke the arena barrier.
But it was too late—
Fate's final barrier shattered.
The Red-eye Gecko swung its massive tail.
Fate shielded himself with Gluttonous Aegis, but the force was too great.
BANG!
He crashed through Isabelle, slamming into the arena's stands, unconscious.
Professor Dylan shouted to the students.
"All of you, get out of the arena! Some of you help Fate Kindspring!"
Students fled, leaving Kyle, Isabelle, Lisa, Chloe, and others to attend to Fate.
His body was soaked in blood.
Chloe activated his healing skill.
(Sacred Sunlight)
Sacred Sunlight
Rank: Legendary
– A holy light descends from above, bathing allies in warm, radiant sunlight.
– The light rapidly restores vitality and cleanses negative effects such as curses, poison, or dark energy.
– The longer a target remains within the light, the stronger the regeneration becomes.
Chloe called his familiar, Snow, and together they used their healing skill.
Lisa, seeing Fate's critical condition, joined in.
(Healing Rain Circle!)
Healing Rain Circle
Rank: Legendary
– The caster creates a circular field where gentle rain continuously falls.
– Every raindrop carries restorative mana that heals wounds, reduces fatigue, and soothes the mind.
– Allies inside the circle recover steadily while maintaining mobility.
Fate's injuries slowly healed under the combined power of the two legendary skills, though he remained unconscious.
Meanwhile, Professor Dylan faced the bloodthirsty Red-eye Gecko with the aid of his Wood Golem familiar.
Chapter 29 End