Kael Ashborne groaned. His muscles screamed, his arms ached, and his legs felt like overcooked noodles. He'd survived the first Survival Trial—technically—but the cost was monumental.
His uniform was blackened with soot. His hair was sticking up in spikes from static. And his summon… his "thing"—the blob—was sitting next to him, wobbly and slightly smelly, its gray form smudged with dust and scorch marks. It looked almost… proud.
Kael glared at it. "Proud? After nearly getting us killed?"
The blob gurgled. Maybe a nod. Maybe a mock. Kael wasn't sure. But he sighed anyway. "Fine. We're alive. That's… step one, I guess."
The courtyard was still a mess from yesterday. Scorched earth, puddles from Luna's water-beast, and a few exploded dummies littered the stone paths. Students were quietly regrouping. Some laughed nervously at their own mistakes; others looked like they had spent the night crying over their scorched, injured, or humiliated beasts.
Kael's gaze swept the field. Cassian Vire was standing tall, griffin perched proudly on his arm. His perfectly coiffed hair hadn't moved a millimeter. Not fair.
"You're still here, Ashborne," Cassian said, voice sharp and mocking. "I almost feel sorry for you. Almost."
Kael's teeth clenched. "I'll make you eat those words… eventually."
Before he could launch a comeback, Luna appeared beside him, walking gracefully over. Her presence had a calm, magnetic energy—like a storm just waiting to happen.
"Your… thing survived," she said, her voice polite, but laced with curiosity. "That's impressive. Most F-Ranks would have been gone in the first five minutes."
Kael blinked, startled. "Yeah… it survived. Barely. And it's a lump of… gray mush."
Luna smiled faintly. "Barely?" Her eyes narrowed playfully. "I'd call that miraculous."
Kael's cheeks flushed. "Miraculous, huh? Yeah… sure. Miraculous, mush, whatever. Don't get used to me saying nice things."
Luna chuckled softly. "I'm not counting on it."
Kael crouched next to his blob, speaking softly as if it could understand more than usual.
"Okay… listen. Yesterday was lucky, but today? We're training, surviving, and maybe… maybe we evolve. Maybe."
A faint shimmer suddenly flickered across the blob's body, almost imperceptible. Kael's eyes widened.
"What… is that?"
The System voice, calm and unyielding, rang in his mind:
["F-Rank Beast has survived Trial Day 1. Adaptive evolution threshold approaching. Hidden potential detected. Micro-evolution possible: ???."]
Kael's stomach twisted. "Micro-evolution? Hidden potential? Are you serious? What does that even mean?"
The blob wobbled forward, and Kael noticed a tiny change—its surface seemed slightly firmer, like it had gained… texture. Not much. Just a fraction of structure. But it was a start.
"You're… changing," he muttered, a mixture of awe and disbelief.
Iris Thorn stormed across the courtyard, her fiery hair tied back in a practical braid. Her salamander-like beast leapt at her command, flames flicking across the ground with each movement.
"Ashborne!" she shouted, smirking. "That thing you call a summon… I bet it won't last a day!"
Kael's jaw twitched. "And you are?"
"Iris Thorn. You're welcome." She struck a dramatic pose, her beast roaring in agreement.
Kael groaned. "Great… another one who thinks they're perfect."
"Don't worry," Luna whispered, walking past him gracefully. "You'll be fine… if you survive."
Kael blinked. "Thanks… I think?"
Professor Veldar, the tall woman with dragon-scale earrings, clapped her hands. "Today, you will navigate the Obstacle Gauntlet. Hazards will include fire, water, wind, mechanical constructs, and randomized survival challenges. Your beasts must survive to the end. Points are given for completion, creativity, and adaptation. F-Rank tamers, pay special attention: survival alone may unlock hidden growth."
Kael's stomach dropped. He could already imagine the disaster. And yet… a small spark of excitement flickered. He clenched his fists. "We survive. We adapt. We'll see who's laughing later."
The gauntlet was chaos incarnate. Mechanical beasts leapt out at random. Fire jets shot from the walls. Wind turbines tried to knock the students off the platforms. And hidden pits? Oh yes. Hidden pits were everywhere.
Cassian's griffin soared ahead like it owned the place, tearing through mechanical threats effortlessly. Luna's water-beast danced gracefully, deflecting hazards. Rowen Greycliff's wolf-sized bear-beast barreled forward like a living tank.
And Kael? He crouched low, whispering to his blob.
"We're going to make it. We're going to crawl through this. We're going to survive every stupid obstacle and… maybe… evolve a little."
The blob made a gurgling noise, stretching itself into a sort of rough cone shape. Kael blinked. "What… are you doing?"
["Adaptive maneuvering,"] the System's voice intoned. ["Survival strategy detected. Effectiveness: 40%. Threshold for micro-evolution: 50%."]
Kael rolled his eyes. "40%? We need better than 40%! Get it together!"
The blob quivered, then launched itself over a small flame jet. It smudged, oozed, and somehow landed intact on the other side. Kael let out a whoop.
"YES! That's it! I'm proud of you, mush! Proud!"
Nearby students stared. Luna raised an eyebrow. Cassian's jaw tightened. Even Iris looked surprised.
The blob continued through the gauntlet, adapting in strange, unpredictable ways. Each hazard seemed to trigger something new:
Flame exposure hardened parts of its surface, forming a faint crust of gray scales.
Mechanical spikes caused its body to stretch, elongating like elastic.
Water doused it partially, and the surface shimmered with a faint wet-gloss layer.
Kael's eyes widened.
"You're… evolving? Micro-evolution? You little…"
The System's voice chimed, more insistent this time:
["F-Rank Beast micro-evolution complete. Adaptive growth recorded. Hidden evolution path confirmed. Name registered: Proto-Form."]
Kael froze. "Proto-Form? That's… that's real?"
["Yes, Ashborne,"] the System replied. ["You are officially on a unique evolutionary trajectory. Survival advantage: increasing. Long-term potential: unknown."]
Kael couldn't stop smiling. Partly from relief. Partly from disbelief. Partly because the blob had somehow survived the impossible gauntlet.
Just when Kael thought they were in the clear, the blob tripped—again. It rolled into a puddle of water, flopped, and slid down a small slope. Students gasped. Cassian muttered, "What a disaster."
Kael groaned. "You're supposed to survive… not turn this into a comedy show!"
The blob popped back up, slightly puffed, as if embarrassed. Kael stared. "I… I don't know if I should be angry or proud."
Luna walked by again, giving Kael a soft smile.
"Seems your… creature is more adaptable than anyone expected," she said. "Interesting."
Kael blinked. "Interesting…? That's the best you've got?"
"It's not a compliment," she said lightly, and walked off, leaving Kael sputtering.
By the end of the gauntlet, most students had completed it with grace or spectacle. Cassian's griffin had destroyed more targets than anyone else. Luna's water-dragon had navigated elegantly. Iris's fire-beast had scorched a small portion of the arena.
Kael? He had survived. Barely. Covered in soot, smudges, and scratches. But more importantly… the blob had changed. Its gray surface had hints of firm texture, a strange resilience, and a tiny quivering glint of something like determination.
The System recorded it as Proto-Form, a rare micro-evolutional milestone, something that would normally take months or years for even C-Rank beasts.
Kael collapsed to his knees, laughing and groaning simultaneously.
"We survived… and we evolved. Barely, but still… we did it."
Luna glanced back at him one last time, her expression unreadable. "Interesting… and annoying," she muttered softly.
Cassian, fuming silently, muttered under his breath: "That thing… can't… be real."
Kael's heart raced. His chest burned with frustration, excitement, and something more—hope. He knew the road ahead would be long. Humiliating. Painful. And absolutely hilarious at times.
But for the first time, he believed… they might just make it.
"This is only the beginning," Kael muttered, staring at the blob. "And you… you're going to be a dragon someday. Somehow."