Kael discovered the next morning that the word candidate had been doing considerably more work than he had expected.
He entered Greenriver Academy with the metal token Rowan had given him hanging from his belt.
Finn was waiting near the training grounds with an identical token held proudly between two fingers, while Thunder sat beside him looking considerably less impressed.
“We’re going treasure hunting.” “We’re going somewhere,” Kael said.
Mira Fen walked past them.
“We’re taking a supervised educational expedition.” Finn nodded seriously.
“That’s what I said.” “No, it wasn’t.” “Treasure hunting is educational.” Before Mira could answer, Instructor Hale stepped onto the raised platform.
“Twenty-four candidates.
Twelve positions.” Finn’s smile disappeared.
“What?” Kael looked at his token.
Hale continued as if he hadn’t just personally betrayed Finn.
“The tokens grant qualification eligibility.
They do not guarantee expedition placement.” Finn leaned toward Kael.
“They put an exam between me and treasure.” “Apparently.” “Monsters.” Thunder sneezed.
Finn pointed at him.
“Not you.” The twenty-four candidates gathered around the platform.
Damian stood near the front, calm as usual.
Lucian was several places away, his expression unreadable.
Ronan Kest looked confident enough for three people.
Hale waited for everyone to quiet.
“Your destination, should you qualify, is Greenmist Hollow.” A projection appeared behind him.
An enormous forest filled the image.
Trees several times normal size disappeared into green mist while vines hung from branches thick enough to support a person.
“Greenmist Hollow is an F-Rank Secret Realm.
Forest environment.
High concentrations of insect, reptilian and plant-type beasts.
Several freshwater zones and multiple documented low-grade resource sites.” Finn’s smile returned.
“Treasure.” “Resources,” Mira corrected.
“Treasure with paperwork.” Hale’s eyes moved toward them.
Finn immediately became silent.
“Secret Realms are spatially isolated environments connected to our world through stabilized gates.
Their ecosystems can differ significantly from anything outside.
Plants, minerals, beasts, ruins and even atmospheric conditions may be unique.” Kael listened carefully.
The Infinite World Tree immediately came to mind.
But Secret Realms were different.
They weren’t worlds belonging only to him.
They were part of normal Beast Master civilization.
Anyone sufficiently qualified could enter.
“F-Rank is the lowest stable classification,” Hale continued.
“If any of you interpret that as safe, withdraw now.” Nobody moved.
“Upper F-Rank beasts are common in deeper sections.
Greenmist Hollow has also produced occasional E-Rank individuals.” Finn raised his hand.
“Yes, Arlow?” “You mentioned the E-Rank part suspiciously late.” A few students laughed.
Hale didn’t.
“The beasts won’t announce themselves earlier either.” Finn lowered his hand.
“Fair.” The qualification consisted of three sections.
The first almost killed Finn.
Not physically.
Academically.
He sat beside Kael staring at two illustrated berries.
“They’re identical.” “They aren’t.” “They’re both red.” “One has different leaves.” Finn counted.
“Five.” Kael counted the second.
“…Also five.” Finn slowly turned.
“Excellent assistance.” Mira sat one desk ahead.
Without looking back, she whispered, “Serrated edges.” Finn frowned.
“What does serrated mean?” Mira slowly lowered her forehead onto the desk.
Kael covered his mouth.
The questions became harder.
Poisonous moss.
Territorial markings.
Tracks.
Medicinal plants.
Three nearly identical wolf-type footprints appeared on Kael’s sheet.
He studied them carefully.
Chose Frostfang Wolf.
Wrong.
Later, when Hale reviewed the answers, Kael learned the deeper heel impression indicated an Ironback Prowler.
Kael wrote it down.
He didn’t know everything about his own world’s beasts.
Nyx couldn’t teach him which berries were poisonous.
Rexia couldn’t identify evolution herbs.
If he wanted to call himself a Beast Master, he needed to learn more than how to command monsters.
Finn somehow passed the section.
Barely.
He celebrated as though he’d defeated an army.
Then came coordination.
“One beast only,” Hale announced.
Several students looked toward Kael.
Everyone expected Nyx.
Kael turned toward Rexia.
“You’re with me.” Rexia immediately stood.
Finn blinked.
“You’re not using Nyx?” “No.” “But Nyx is better at this.” “Exactly.” Finn thought about it.
“Oh.” Nyx and Kael already possessed excellent coordination.
Rexia needed experience.
The course wasn’t simply about speed.
It contained narrow paths, unstable terrain, scent distractions, artificial predators and several decision points.
Rexia entered enthusiastically.
Too enthusiastically.
The first section went well.
The second did too.
Then she smelled meat.
Rexia stopped.
Kael stopped.
A large piece of raw meat sat beside the trail.
“Leave it.” Rexia looked at the meat.
Then Kael.
Food.
“Yes.” Mine.
“Technically academy property.” Rexia looked at the meat again.
Eat.
“No.” A long silence followed.
Finally, Rexia walked away.
Kael smiled.
“Good.” Three seconds later, her tail stretched backward.
It hooked the meat.
Kael stared.
“Rexia.” She froze.
The examiner covered his mouth.
“Drop it.” Rexia released the meat with immense reluctance.
They continued.
The final obstacle was more interesting.
The direct path crossed a simulated landslide.
Loose stones covered an unstable slope.
Several candidates before Kael had simply ordered their beasts across.
Fast.
Risky.
Kael crouched.
Rexia sniffed the stones.
One shifted beneath her claw.
She pulled back.
Kael looked toward the longer route.
Safe, but slow.
Then Rexia began moving stones.
Kael blinked.
She pushed one aside.
Tested another.
Moved it.
Kael understood.
“Alright.” He joined her.
Together they cleared unstable debris and created a narrow path through the safest portion.
It took nearly twice as long as forcing their way across.
But neither received a simulated injury penalty.
When Kael finished, Hale wrote something on his board.
“Speed isn’t always survival.” Kael nodded.
Rexia looked proud.
The third test was stranger.
Emergency judgment.
One candidate at a time entered an illusion chamber.
When Kael’s turn came, the world changed.
Forest.
Rain.
Broken trees.
Then— “Kael!” Finn.
Kael turned.
His best friend was trapped beneath fallen debris.
A glowing egg rested perhaps thirty meters away.
Rare.
Beautiful.
The simulation helpfully displayed an estimated value.
30,000 crowns.
A large beast prowled nearby.
Kael stared at the egg.
Then Finn.
Then the egg.
“Really?” The beast roared.
Kael ran toward Finn.
He struck a tree with his spear.
“HEY!” The beast turned.
Kael moved away from Finn.
The creature followed.
Kael circled around a rock formation, climbed, jumped down the opposite side and doubled back.
He reached Finn.
Lifted the debris.
“Move.” They retreated.
The rare egg remained behind.
The illusion vanished.
Hale stood outside.
“Why abandon the egg?” Kael looked at him.
“Because Finn was under a rock.” “The egg’s simulated value was approximately thirty thousand crowns.” Kael considered this.
“Then Finn owes me thirty thousand crowns.” From beyond the observation window came an outraged voice.
“I HEARD THAT!” Kael smiled.
Hale almost did too.
Almost.
Lucian’s test drew more controversy.
His scenario forced him to choose between rescuing an injured contracted beast and completing an objective that would protect several expedition members.
Lucian completed the objective.
The beast was lost.
Some students muttered afterward.
Kael didn’t.
Finn noticed.
“You agree with him?” Kael shook his head.
“I don’t know.” “You’d save your beast.” “Yes.” “Then?” Kael looked toward Lucian.
“He saved five people.” That didn’t make Lucian cruel.
It made the decision difficult.
Kael disliked Lucian’s belief in absolute authority.
But that didn’t mean every decision Lucian made was wrong.
Finn’s test came next.
Kael expected chaos.
Instead, Finn surprised everyone.
His simulation placed an injured Thunder beside him while a large monster approached.
Finn prepared to fight.
Then stopped.
He looked around.
Broken shells.
Tracks.
A depression beneath a nearby tree.
A nest.
Finn carefully dragged Thunder away from it.
The monster followed.
Finn changed direction.
Away from the nest.
The creature stopped pursuing.
Simulation over.
Mira stared at him when he emerged.
“You noticed that?” Finn straightened.
“I’m very observant.” Kael looked at the door Finn had walked into that morning.
Finn followed his gaze.
“Doors are unpredictable.” Several hours later, the final rankings appeared.
Twenty-four names.
Twelve highlighted.
Damian Cross.
Lucian Veyr.
Kael Ashborne.
Mira Fen.
Finn Arlow.
Ronan Kest.
And six others.
Finn stared.
Then pointed.
“My name.” “Yes.” “I’m going.” “Yes.” “Treasure hunting.” Mira sighed.
“Expedition.” “Treasure expedition.” She gave up.
Hale immediately ruined the celebration with rules.
Maximum two contracted beasts per student.
All discoveries registered.
Standard resources divided under academy expedition regulations.
Rare eggs and artifacts evaluated before ownership decisions.
No unnecessary beast killing.
No leaving supervised zones.
No entering undocumented ruins.
Finn raised his hand.
“What if the ruin looks extremely interesting?” “No.” “What if—” “Expulsion.” Finn lowered his hand.
“Understood.” That evening, Kael told his family.
His mother immediately frowned.
“How dangerous?” “F-Rank.” “That doesn’t answer my question.” Rowan laughed quietly.
“It means dangerous enough to respect, not dangerous enough for the academy to send first-years without supervision.” That didn’t completely satisfy her.
Lily had a different concern.
“Are there dinosaurs?” Kael looked toward Rexia.
“Probably not.” Lily looked disappointed.
Rexia looked offended.
“Bring me something.” “What?” Lily thought very seriously.
“A pretty rock.” Kael blinked.
“That’s surprisingly reasonable.” “And a dragon egg.” “There it is.” The night before departure, Finn arrived carrying a backpack large enough to suggest permanent relocation.
Kael opened it.
Food.
Food.
More food.
Emergency food.
Thunder’s food.
A frying pan.
Two shirts.
Almost nothing medical.
Kael slowly looked up.
“Are you entering a Secret Realm or opening a restaurant?” “Survival requires priorities.” Rowan appeared behind him.
Ten minutes later, half the food had been replaced with bandages, antidotes, rope, water-purification tablets and emergency supplies.
Finn watched in horror.
“My provisions.” “You had enough food for twelve people.” “What if eleven people became hungry?” Thunder quietly stole a ration.
Finn pointed.
“See?” Nyx approached Kael’s equipment differently.
It smelled every bag.
Checked the straps.
Then moved toward the window and studied the darkness outside.
Unknown territory meant caution.
Rexia understood things differently.
New place.
“Yes.” New creatures.
“Yes.” Explore.
Kael looked at her.
Unknown territory.
Stay with pack.
Rexia considered this.
Explore with pack.
Kael paused.
“…I’ll accept that.” Before sleeping, Kael briefly entered the Infinite World Tree.
The Predator silhouette remained unchanged.
No further opening.
No weapon.
No egg.
Nothing.
Kael didn’t feel disappointed.
Some things needed time.
He stood before the third leaf.
“Wait for me.” For several seconds there was silence.
Then— Click-click.
Kael smiled and left.
Before sunrise, the twelve selected students gathered outside Greenriver Academy.
Supply wagons waited.
Instructors checked equipment.
Families crowded near the gate.
Finn looked half dead.
Thunder looked ready to conquer a continent.
Damian was fully prepared.
Lucian somehow looked as if waking before sunrise were a personal talent.
Rexia attempted to inspect three different backpacks.
Kael stopped her from opening two.
Nyx stayed close.
Lily ran toward Kael.
“Wait!” She held out a tiny cloth pouch.
Kael crouched.
“What’s this?” “For my rock.” Kael laughed.
He tied it to his belt.
“One pretty rock.” “And dragon egg.” “No promises.” Lily hugged him.
Then Rexia.
Rexia froze.
She still hadn’t fully figured out what to do when Lily did that.
Eventually, one claw carefully rested against the girl’s back.
Kael’s mother reminded him to be careful approximately seven times.
Rowan only gripped his shoulder.
“Watch the environment before the enemy.” Kael nodded.
Then the caravan departed.
Greenriver slowly disappeared behind them.
For several hours, Kael watched the world pass.
Farms protected by domesticated beasts.
Merchant caravans pulled by enormous six-legged animals.
Small settlements surrounded by wooden walls.
Patrol Beast Masters moving along the roads.
Mountains stretched across the distant horizon.
Kael suddenly realized something.
He spent so much time thinking about the Infinite World Tree and the worlds hidden within its leaves that he’d almost forgotten how little of his own world he’d seen.
His Tree might contain countless worlds.
But this one was already enormous.
Eventually, the caravan left the main road.
Trees thickened.
Then stone walls appeared ahead.
A fortified outpost.
Guards stood along towers with contracted beasts beside them.
And beyond the final defensive wall— A massive stone arch.
Kael stopped walking.
Green light filled its center.
Not light exactly.
Something deeper.
Swirling.
Moving.
Like mist suspended inside vertical water.
Every beast reacted.
Thunder growled.
Damian’s Griffon spread its wings.
Lucian’s Bloodsteel Mantis shifted its blades.
Nyx lowered its body.
Rexia became completely still.
Instructor Hale stood before the portal.
“Beyond this gate, academy rules still apply.” His gaze hardened.
“Nature doesn’t care.” Something roared from the other side.
Deep.
Distant.
Powerful.
Rexia’s pupils narrowed.
Excitement slammed through Kael’s contract.
Hunt.
Kael placed his hand against her head.
Nyx stood on his other side.
Finn approached with Thunder.
“Still think this is educational?” Mira asked from behind them.
Finn stared into the swirling green portal.
“Absolutely.” Kael smiled.
Beyond that gate waited an entire ecosystem he had never seen.
Native monsters.
Unknown plants.
Resources.
Danger.
No cinematic knowledge.
No convenient memories.
No idea what was waiting around the first tree.
For once, Kael Ashborne would enter the unknown exactly like every other Beast Master.
He tightened the strap on his pack.
“Let’s see what’s in there.” Then the portal rippled.
And Greenmist Hollow waited on the other side.
End Chapter 21