–RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUIMBLE! –
Along with the rumble, the very stones beneath their feet started vibrating. Then, a golden glow erupted from the Plaza, creating a pathway that reminded one of a "Rainbow Road" all the way to the ginormous building that was merely an entry gate.
The thing seemed larger than the Great Wall of China of old, purple-colored enchantments covering it entirely. But that's when they suddenly lit up, the entire building shaking like crazy until...
[A Sub-Realm Has Opened Nearby!]
That's also when HE appeared. As soon as he did, they felt it... POWER!
A man riding on a ginormous golden lion came out of the gate, his bald head as shiny as the golden creature he rode. Heck, even his eyes shared the same glow, beaming gold light at the new generation gathered in the plaza.
The duo of Master and Pet was enough to send the youngsters' blood pumping through the roof. This was the Academy's Headmaster and his Amberbeast. In this part of the world, they were LEGENDS!
"Hehe. It seems like quite the turnout this year..."
He waved, the entire plaza shivering in elation. If eyes of admiration could kill, the man would have long been buried alive. How many assembled dreamed of being an "invincible" Tamer just like him? Perhaps all but Damon!
The man chuckled, raising a hand as if the cheesiest of CEOs. "Say, are you happy to be here?" He had barely uttered those words when all hell broke loose, the entire city seemingly echoing with cheers.
– CHEERS! CHEERS! CHEERS! –
In this world, power was everything, it had always been.
Ever since the wilderness had become too deadly for humans, ever since dungeons had appeared, ever since the Nightmare's madness... Awakened, and Tamers with power had long become the new superstars.
“Hehe. If you guys are ready, then simply follow me… and GRASP YOUR FUTURE!”
Great speech? There was no need. The Headmaster and Amberbeast chuckled, turning tail as they entered the Gates and disappeared amidst their golden glow. But they had barely gone away that the crowd went wild:
“FOLLOW THEM!”
“That was the Headmaster?! Amazing!”
“Quick! I heard the first ones to get in get prizes!”
Instantly, the place became chaotic, and the whole thing suddenly became a race! The sea of youngsters rushed forward, eager to get a position, jumping into the Gates.
– Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! –
They all rushed in… or almost. Damon wasn’t hurrying in the slightest, peacefully dismantling his stand. But just as he thought he’d be the only exception, he noticed a shaking Green-Eyed man heading over.
The latter stopped right next to him, even as his entire body shook with trepidation. He seemed to hesitate for an instant before ignoring his pride... “Tips. Do you have any?”
Damon stopped for a second, sizing him up before smiling.
“Don’t try to hide anything. Go WILD!”
The man’s gait suddenly became steadier, a renewed flame in his eyes. He had long debated whether to use his Berserk Ability in the test, and Damon had just given him the answer he had been looking for.
He bowed deeply before disappearing inside the gate, and it didn’t take long for Damon to follow in his footsteps. But before crossing, he couldn’t help but glance at his valiant pet one last time.
“Remember. You’re a mighty Magical Beast now. Act like it. Got it?”
“MIAOW!” (Yes, Master! UNDERSTOOD!)
They entered the Golden Glow…
– Ripple! Ripple! –
.
.
.
.
A sea of Amber…
The whole world turned to Amber- the sky, the earth, and even the air. With every breath, the amber wriggled inside their body, filling it wholly. A certain cat instantly panicked:
“M-Miaow?!” (M-Master, we're getting attacked?!)
It swung its paws all over as its body turned a golden color, one that didn’t augur well. What should it do? Was this thing poisonous? More importantly, it was messing up with its beautiful glossy fur!!!
“It seems you’re turning into a shiny!” Damon joked while touching the air as if savoring it. How long had it been since he had seen a boundary that wasn’t full of miasma? One so friendly too…
[Ding! Entered Amber Boundary! Cross it as Fast as Possible!]
He turned to his pet, which still had its eyes wide with fear at the “shiny” mention.
“What did I tell you? Remember, you’re a Magical Beast. Act like it. Did that Amber Energy ask for your permission before invading your body? No? Then expel it. It’s that easy. Don’t overthink it.”
The cat instantly got to work, death-glaring at mid-air. After a little while, its fur returned to its regular black color. Then as if having received an epiphany, it pounced at the ground, slapping it.
Golden → Regular Ornated Pavement!
The regular world peaked for merely an instant before the golden glow returned, but it had been enough. This golden foe could be defeated!
“Miaow!” (Bring it on, I’ll hunt you down!)
As they kept progressing in the boundary, the cat kept at its silly antics, hunting the golden glows as if a laser pointer. But just as it was getting more and more proficient, something odd happened.
For some reason, the cat seemed…. slow?!
Every of its dash was made in slow motion, even its eyes rolling to the back of its head in utter disbelief. It was as if its body was possessed?! But then it realized what was happening by itself, tail raising with fury.
“Miaow!” (Yooooouuuuu! DIE!)
As it shook its body like a wet kitten, the area very air around it exploded violently. It was as if its mere presence was causing sonic booms in the area, the golden glow retreating in dread.
“Miaow!” (Take this, golden light! You're no match for this Lord!)
“Is that so? That seems unnecessary if you ask me.”
Only then did the cat look at its master.
H-How?! Damon wasn’t struggling in the least. Slow-motion? Nope! He was casually strolling, not a worry in the world. Feeling the cat’s gaze, he even winked, taking a single step and– WOOSHHHH!!!!
Damon flew 50 meters forward, stunning the poor cat.
“‘M-Miaow?!” (H-How is this possible?! Master, teach me, teach me!)
“Should I? It’s pretty complicated…” Damon joked, the little one about to go insane as it kept miaowing in supplication. Then he made a grasping motion toward the air, bending it to his will.
– Twinkle! Twinkle! Twinkle! –
As if an obedient little firefly, the Golden Lights gathered in his hand. Under the cat’s shell-shocked gaze, they all stacked on top of one another and formed…. a warhammer?!
“This golden glow, you can fight it, or you can use it, just like… SO!” Damon gave a shout, slamming his creation downward. It was MASSIVE, as if he was bringing Heaven itself down!
– Tremble! Tremble! Tremble! –
The entire boundary trembled…. or that’s what it felt like. It was simply that the space here was more malleable than in the real world and easier to bend to one’s power. Seeing this, a certain cat cried out:
“Miaow!” (Holy Shit! G-Golden glow, I was wrong, let’s be friends!)
Damon couldn’t help but chuckle: It had even learned to apologize! Ah, this sure was peaceful... As for the test? What test? Compared to escaping the Abyss back then, threading a friendly boundary was easy as pie. He even took the time to teach:
“You’re trying too hard. Boundaries are like chicks; play it cool.”
“Less power or you’ll faceplant– BAM! Never mind…”
“Go with a shape you’re familiar with instead…”
It didn’t long for a certain cat to be moonwalking all over the boundary, literally farting stars of light everywhere it went. It was both very amateurish and incredibly impressive.
But just as it did such a jump– Ripple! Ripple! –
It seemed they had cleared the boundary. Adjusting his hoody, Damon happily followed: it was just in time. According to his calculations, they’d score in the top 20%, enough to be noticed without raising suspicion.
[Congratulations! You’re the First to Clear the Boundary!]
“This is officially the start of…WHAT THE FUCK?!”
.
.
.
Munch Munch
“Can you stop eating for a goddamn second?!”
At the Academy’s Entrance, two individuals awaited. While one seemed to take her duties very seriously, the other had actually been munching on goddamn Pet Crackers this whole time!
Hearing her complaint, the easy-going and surprisingly thin guy giggled.
“Relax. Relax. Let me tell you something. This year, the Headmaster’s gone out of his way to add a new challenge. The Amber Boundary? It is now a TEST!” He proudly showcased his peerlessly white fangs.
“W-What… really?! What changed and why?” The bespectacled beauty’s anger was instantly replaced with curiosity. One had to know that their examination had been the exact same for decades.
“Dunno why. It came from the top brass. Something big must have happened 'cause every school’s been told to increase the difficulty by a shit-ton. As for the test, it’s…” He imitated swimming in slow motion.
“A test of Spirit Attunement?! Isn’t that bad?! There was already some fainting in the previous years, but now there'll be a LOT! Now I finally know why you volunteered for this instead of the Medic Squad as usual.”
“Aren’t I a genius? Now, we can chill and snack. I reckon we won’t have to do anything for a couple of hours. You know how the Headmaster tends to go overboard with new spells.”
“Hey, we still have a job to do! I’m not a slacker like you! We gotta get ready.”
“Scoff. I bet my left nut no one will show up before 3 hours. I’m telling you it’s imposs–”
That’s when it happened…
– Ripple! Ripple! –
Out of the Golden Boundary erupted a cat. It didn’t just come out; it utterly flew out with its paws flailing all over, with so much momentum that gravity couldn’t seem to grasp hold of it.
“Miaoooooooowwwwww!!!” (Heeelp! Masteeeeeeerrrrrr!)
At this moment, the two bystanders couldn’t help but rub their eyes. This… what the heck was that?! “W-Was that a flying cat?” “N-no way, right, right?” But then they heard a pained miaow in the distance.
Then a minute later, a scared-silly cat came crawling back, its entire body still shaking with fright. Had it not been for its new Demonic Beast’s status, it would have 100% surrendered its life right there and then!
But as it approached the Golden Boundary, it realized that it wasn’t the only one shaken.
“C-cat?! Where did you come from? Do you want Crackers?”
“Dumbass! Can’t you see this is a Magical Beast! Little one, where's your master?”
It didn’t take long for the two humans to gather around it, curiosity oozing out of them. Hearing them, the cat answered all their questions at once as it pointed toward the Boundary… and munched on a Cracker!
The two seemingly calmed down, but then the weird four-eyed lady suddenly turned a chilling gaze toward her companion. “Remind me, what was that about 3 hours?” She asked, her words as if daggers.
“T-That, it doesn’t count! It’s a cat, not someone! Actually, I’m sure its master saw how hard it was to clear the boundary and launched his pet ahead to secure a position… that has to be it! Think about it, it’s the only explanat–”
He suddenly turned white, feeling bad, as he saw his colleague’s O face. She was glancing at a spot behind him, and sure enough, as he turned around, his fears were founded.
A young man, casually strolling through, not a sign of exhaustion on his face.
No, it got worse. No dust, no pain, no sweat; the guy glowed as if he had just come back from a day at the spa. Then there was the cat’s reaction as it miaowed with happiness.
Throwing a cat out of desperation? Nope. If that was the sight of desperation, then everyone in the world was long past a point of no return. All his clever hypotheses? Down the fucking drain.
Seeing this…
“Brother, do you want a cracker!”
The man’s exclamation couldn’t help but startle his partner.
“Cracker?! This guy’s first! Are you really offering him a Pet Cracker? Have you lost your goddamn mind?!” She tried to karate chop his face, only to falter, feeling like the entire world had gone crazy.
A cat, a victorious applicant, a lazy senior, all eating Pet Crackers.
[Ding! Eating Pet Crackers…What Kind of Awakened Are You?!]
[Satiety Increased By 20%!... No effect on humans…]
Ignoring the System, Damon was inwardly rejoicing. He got hella lucky on that one! With such a lazy examiner, there wouldn’t be too many questions about his unnaturally fast record-clearing time.
He had even managed to glance a bit of information from overhearing their conversation. No wonder that he had miscalculated if the test had become way harder all thanks to these new directives.
Thus he proceeded to royally bullshit them, blaming it all on his cat!
“Ah! So that’s how it is! You copied your Cat’s movements and somehow managed to clear it! You sure got lucky, but it’s alright. Luck is a skill, for sure! It’s all good.”
“Is it all good though?... I remember someone confidently making a bet earlier…”
The man seemed heartbroken as he meaningfully slipped a hand in his pants and – CRUNCH! – Took out a Macadaemian Nut from his left pocket before sorrowfully handing it to his partner. “Here… take care of it.”
Never had Damon seen such a pretty lady make such a disgusted face as of now. Such banter was so nostalgic. Back in his mercenary days, only banter like such had kept them alive. Well, before the Empire had taken over, of course…
“Miaow!” (T-There’s no more?!)
Unknowingly, the trio had already finished the Pet Crackers, leaving them licking their lips in regret. That’s when Damon’s pet turned a pleading gaze his way.
“Miaow!” (Master, can I go back in there to play?)
Instead of Damon, it was the other guy that answered. “Well, technically, there is no rule that says one can’t go back. Ah, but you can’t help other applicants if you do encounter them; that’s the only rule!”
Damon shrugged, giving it the go, seeing as they’d probably be here for a while. He took the time to sit down, pondering what could have possibly warranted the increase in the test difficulty.
Was it because of the foolish Oracles? Or perhaps because of the Annoying Institute? Or was it the Awakened Union Itself pushing for change? It certainly wasn’t the useless governement for sure…
But while pondered, a certain cat went on a journey…
– Ripple! Ripple! –
“Meow!” (This time, I’ll do it! This time, I’ll make a hammer like Master!)
It was actually going back in there to train! It wanted to become more proficient with the Boundary, at least not to embarrass its master the next time they went out. Even now it still remembered one key fact.
Master had only walked all the time they had been in there…. and yet he had easily kept up. Wouldn’t this mean that he’d be able to go super fast if he actually ran?! It had to work harder and move faster!
The cat turned serious, running in all directions as it trained...
Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, and even going back and forth! It could feel its muscles straining, but instead of pushing itself, it shook its tiny head despondently. No, this wasn’t it.
“Miaow” (Boundaries are like chicks, Master said. W-what does that even mean?!)
What did a young bird have to do with this? How did one even attract chicks? Seeds, right? Or was it about being gentle? There had been something about going with the flow, too, right?
As its thoughts spiraled out of control, the cat kept jumping, not minding its surroundings. A ripple later, it suddenly had a shock as it raised its head.
“Miaow?” (You, who are you? What are you doing?)
An applicant stood before him. No, he was giving it too much credit. The guy’s back arched so much that he seemed to be carrying the world’s weight on his shoulders.
The youngster had been holding on with the last shred of his will…but as he suddenly saw a kitten appear in a golden glow out of freaking nowhere, he froze.
– CRACK! –
That was the sound of his back.
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at D23!]
It wasn’t just a personnel message, it was a Global System Message. Instantly, many faces wrinkled with unease. Eliminated?! Did that mean that there were dangers greater than the Golden Light?! Stress++
Realizing that it had fucked up, a certain cat didn’t wait, running for its dear life, feeling peeved about the whole thing. Why did that guy have to fail right before it? What if people thought it was its doing?!
Luckily, a few dashes and ripples later, it was already gone from the crime scene, not encountering anyone on the way. Releasing a sigh of relief, it went on with its training. “Miaow…” (Like Chicks, fluffy perhaps?)
But it didn’t take long for a similar scene to play itself as if déjà-vu.
“You can do it, Robert. One more step! You don’t have to beat the test; you just have to beat the other contestants. You can do it! Those weak of heart will be giving up.. Just gotta push a little… WTF?!”
He had been encouraging himself when something appeared. Was that… a cat?! He almost lost focus, the Amber light almost crushing him, the keyword almost.
“It’s a trick! Merely an illusion! Begone, foul beast! This Lord’s mind is an impenetrable fortress!”
The cat had initially been planning to just go on its merry way and ignore the human, yet at that moment, it couldn’t resist turning around. Acting high and mighty before a Pride Demon? Bitch, please!
“Miaow!” (A Lord wouldn’t be stuck here. Are you an idiot?)
That’s when it turned tail, giving the human such a derisive sneer. Compared to Master, this guy was TRASH! Heck, he didn’t even arrive at the heel of a tiny cat like itself, talk about a joke!
That look was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
– SPURT! –
That was the youngster’s coughing blood.
That cat was freaking looking down on him! Fuck this puny creature! He’d beat it up and– but just as those thoughts reached his mind, so did the pressure on his body. As for what happened next…
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at E71]
The announcement resounded in the entire realm again. Wasn’t this a little too close to the previous one? What had suddenly happened to cause two casualties at once? Was it mere coincidence or…
“Miaow!” (Y-You! I knew you were lying! Lord this, Lord that, would a Lord falter that easily? No!)
Once more, it ran, escaping as fast as its tiny limbs could carry it. Shy was it that every time it was trying to train another human would interrupt its pondering with their suicidal tendencies?
Thus it kept going…
~ “So Cute! Let me hug y– Oh fuck, nooooo!”
~ “WHHATTT?! Something just landed on my head, I swear! Whaaaaa–”
~ That black shadow’s suspicious AF! Better retreat before I get seriously hurt!
~ Y-You, you’re that sausage guy’s pet, aren’t you?! What in the bloody hell are you doing here?!”
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at A03]
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at G17]
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at F31]
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at H49]
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at X06]
One after the other more and more contestants were getting eliminated. In a situation where they were already pushing themselves to their limits, the slightest distraction (good or bad) was enough to crush them.
Totally by accident and half lost in its thoughts, a certain cat had become the #1 Elimination Cause in the Boundary Challenge. What had once been a challenging PvE test had suddenly turned PVP!
But the participants weren’t the only ones to suffer atrociously, despairing medics could be seen running everywhere like headless chickens, barely managing to put out a fire before another appeared.
“What the hell is up with their states?! Those people are all madmen!”
“I’ve never seen applicants push themselves that much, it’s insane!”
“My white Medic outfit’s all bloody, safe exam my ass!”
A Medic had just complained about his clothes, that a patient clasped the hem of his shirt, staining it with even more blood. “It’s all the cat’s fault. It’s that damn cat.” The poor guy’s eyes glowed with madness.
“Sigh. Encountering a Boundary was already challenging for some, now it’s even worse. Not surprising that they’re all losing their minds.” An empathic medic remarked, the words instantly buried a second later.
[Ding! Contestant Eliminated, Medic Squad Required at E71]
“Fuck, it seems we have more work to do….”
As for the one single-handedly traumatizing the medic squad, it was still zooming all around the Boundary like a comet, getting faster and faster. “Miaow!” (Not enough This isn’t enough. Master walked faster!)
– ZOOM! ZOOM! ZOOM! –
For most, that zooming was the greatest calamity, but there also appeared to be some exceptions. A cat?! Here?! No, more importantly, what was the technique that it was using?!
A certain pink-haired girl stared shell shocked.
“T-This cat, it’s not struggling at all. Is it actually harnessing this place’s power?! That’s it! No wonder this test was so hard. I was wrong all along! The Headmaster probably sent this cat as a hint… that’s it!”
A certain Green-Eyed agitated… werewolf sniffed loudly.
“PREY! Devour! Eviscerate! DESTROY!” The youngster had followed Damon’s tip and gone all out! Yet, even transformed, it had been struggling, but now that it smelled prey…
Its muscles bulged, and its eyes turned brighter than twin lighthouses on a stormy night. The Golden Glow? What fucking golden glow? Green overflowed from its body, shattering it all crazily.
“ROAR!!!!!!”
“MIAOW!!” (I’m out! See you later, loser!)
Yet, the cat disappearing wouldn’t necessarily mean the rampage would end just yet. Its crazy self was still on the hunt, unknowingly making its way toward the Boundary’s Exit.
A certain pointy hat-wearing youngster…
“I’m doomed! What’s an alchemist like me supposed to do here?! No potion of mine can help. My Magical Beast would get squashed like a pancake instantly… Don’t tell me I’ll have to give up? That’s the worst–”
“MIAOW!” (FASTER! FASTER! FASTER!)
But just as the kid was reluctantly about to retreat, a miracle happened. “Was that a… cat? Was it even real? It came and went… wait, is that hair?! I can use this! If I craft the right potion, it will work for sure!”
Meanwhile, the one who had been mistaken for a Magical Beast hailing from this realm was lying face down, panting for dear life. It was so tiring! How did Master make it look so easy? It was insane!
“Y-You… THIEF!”
Raising its head lazily, the cat saw a familiar face. There stood a young guy, his jaw almost reaching the ground from the surprise and excitement. It was the kid it had baited in an alley in another life.
“Miaow.” (It’s you. What do you want? Also, isn’t this the entrance? Are you that slow?)
“T-That, yes, it is the entrance; I arrived late in the first place. My train was delayed something about Specters showing up at the Amber station. Crazy, right?! T-That and I’ve also been playing it safe…”
He mumbled the last part, red with embarrassment. But he immediately cheered up, realizing what the cat's presence meant. His savior had to be here! Ah, but before that, he had to know something…
“Say, how were you able to fly earlier? That was amazing! Can you teach me? Please, pretty please!” The youngster didn’t hesitate one bit to lower his entire body as he gazed at the tiny cat.
“MIAOW!” (Pfft– As if! We’re not allowed to help other contestants!)
It instantly refused, even as it glowed with Pride. But before the man could despair, the cat started “talking to itself”, training. As for what bystanders heard, that was none of its business, right?
It barely repeated a few times what it had learned before bolting away. It was already dying to go back to its Master, physically feeling the distance. It was uncomfortable.
Whether that had helped the youngster or not didn’t concern it! On that note, it didn’t take long to return to the welcoming area; what had once been empty was now filled with people.
Still, TONS had been eliminated. At least 90% of the applicants hadn’t made it, the atmosphere looking a bit desolate. But as the cat appeared, all eyes turned toward it. They all recognized it.
“C-CAT?!”
