Kael glanced at her, baffled yet amused.
She’s so cheerful today… like she didn’t stare death in the face back in the hunting ground.
Anya turned to him mid-skip.
“So! What are we doing first?”
Kael answered, adjusting the straps of his academy jacket.
“I have to register Kawa at the Registry Office. After that, we head to the smithing course to upgrade my gear.”
Anya slowed her steps, clasping her hands behind her back.
With big, round eyes she asked, “Oh… can I come?”
Kael nearly choked on his own breath.
The way she tilted her head, the way her voice softened, she looked like a cute puppy begging for a treat.
He coughed lightly.
“…Yeah. Of course you can.”
Her face lit up immediately, and she resumed skipping.
Soon, they stood in front of the Registry Office, a sleek white building humming with spirit-energy sensors.
Before stepping inside, Kael tapped his belt.
Two lights flashed from the spirit card slots.
Kylon emerged first, taking on his designated “lower form,” a small golden-white salamander with gentle, glowing eyes an evolution to its older form a mere gecko. He climbed onto Kael’s left shoulder.
Kawa followed, materializing as a bright red macaw with ember-like feathers. He perched arrogantly on Kael’s right shoulder.
Anya leaned close and whispered,
“Kael… what if they detect Kawa as a rainbow-tier spirit? Won’t that expose everything?”
Kael whispered back,
“The registry only measures the spirit itself, not the color of the card. I already told Kawa to lower his output like Kylon did before.”
Kawa puffed up indignantly.
“It is beneath a Prime Spirit to suppress its aura. I am no ordinary spirit—”
Before he could finish, Kylon smacked the back of his feathery head with his tail.
“Stop being prideful,” Kylon scolded.
“You’ll expose Holder’s secret. Act responsibly.”
Kawa whipped around, glaring.
“How dare you strike me, lizard—”
Another tail-smack.
“Behave.”
The two prime spirits bickered in tiny forms, snapping at each other like children. Kawa clicked his beak dramatically, but eventually lowered his aura with a reluctant huff.
Although not hearing what the spirit creatures are saying, she understood base on their actions, Anya tried, she really tried, not to laugh. But a giggle slipped out.
“Kael… they’re like your kids. Kylon’s the responsible big brother, and Kawa’s the prideful younger one.”
Kael sighed helplessly.
“Don’t remind me.”
A soft shimmer glowed beside Anya.
Her own spirit creature, Mischka, materialized from her card and perched on her shoulder, an elegant sky hawk, with star-flecked eyes.
Mischka bowed lightly.
“Miss Anya… though they are Prime Spirit Creatures, they unquestionably act like children.”
Anya nodded with a sympathetic smile.
“Yeah… I can see that now.”
Kael placed a hand on the door handle.
“Alright. Let’s get Kawa registered.”
And with his tiny, quarrelling Prime Spirits perched on each shoulder, and Anya by his side, Kael stepped into the Registry Office.
Kael finished filling out the forms. A moment later, the evaluator walked in and immediately recognized him.
“Oh, Mr. Santos, it’s you,” the evaluator said with a surprised smile. Then looks at the salamander perching on his left shoulder. “I see your spirit creature has evolved.”
Kael forced a nervous laugh. “Ah… yeah.”
The evaluator’s eyes then drifted to Kael’s right shoulder. “And it looks like another spirit creature has bonded with you.”
Kawa proudly puffed out his chest, spreading his brilliant red feathers as if presenting himself on stage. Kylon, already tired of Kawa’s endless pride, slapped the back of his head with his salamander tail.
Kael sighed, rubbing his temples. “Both of you, behave. Act mature for once.”
Anya giggled behind him, and Mischka, perched on her shoulder, chimed in with a soft snicker of her own.
The evaluator led Kawa into the power scaling room. A few minutes later, they returned.
“The evaluation is done,” the evaluator announced. “Kawa’s tier is Red, and he’s officially registered. You can now legally equip him for Spirit Drive.”
Kael bowed slightly in gratitude. “Thank you.”
They left the registry office and headed toward the academy. As they walked, Kylon suddenly perked up, sniffing the air.
“Dear holder,” he said politely, “I smell freshly baked bread. Can… can we eat some?”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Kawa burst into laughter, looking down on Kylon with mocking pride. “A Prime Spirit craving human food?”
Kylon immediately snapped back. “Human food is amazing, and you shouldn’t laugh when you’ve never even tried it!”
Kael groaned. “Fine, fine, stop arguing. We’ll get food.”
He turned to Anya. “Want to have lunch? My treat, for keeping my secret and helping me train.”
Anya’s eyes lit up with a shy, happy smile. “Really? Then… yes!”
They found a small restaurant with outdoor seating. Kael and Anya ordered their meals, along with extra food for their spirit creatures. Kylon vibrated with excitement, Kawa tried to pretend he wasn’t curious, and Mischka sat elegantly, already acting like she owned the place.
After a bountiful meal, Kael, Anya, and their spirit creatures continued their walk toward the academy. Eventually, they reached the entrance of the Smithing Course Workshop.
Kael cracked the door open—
BOOM!
The door blasted off its hinges, knocking Kael, Kylon, and Kawa flat on their backs. Anya and Mischka froze in place, stunned speechless.
A furious voice bellowed from inside:
“WHO THE HELL THREW MY EXPERIMENTAL GRENADES AT THE DOOR!?”
Inside, dozens of students tinkering with gadgets and metal parts immediately lowered their heads in shame.
“You all better sell those devices you’re making to pay for my broken door and my experimental grenade!” the woman shouted.
“Yes, ma’am!” the entire class replied in unison.
The adult woman marched toward the fallen door, lifted it with one hand, and tossed it aside like scrap metal. Only then did she notice Kael and his spirit creatures lying unconscious underneath it.
“Pray this kid isn’t gravely injured!” she yelled at her students. “Otherwise, you’re all paying for the medical bill!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The woman crouched down, gently shaking Kael awake.
Kael groaned and opened his eyes—
and a familiar digital chime echoed in his ears.
[SYSTEM SCAN: SUBJECT – Mia Winslow]
?? Initiating Full Spirit Scan…
… …
Scan Complete. Displaying Data.
[SUBJECT PROFILE]
Name: Mia Winslow
Rank: Spirit User – Mentor
Affiliation: Aurora Academy
[COMBAT READINGS]
Level: 40
EXP: 720 / 1080
HP: 1500 / 1500
Spirit Energy: 1490 / 1520
Status: Stable
Mia dusted Kael off and gave him a warm, apologetic smile.
“Sorry about the… explosive welcome,” she said. “If you’re here to buy or upgrade equipment, I’ll give you a discount for all the trouble my students caused.”
Kael blinked at the scan results, still dazed. She’s a professor…?
Before he could speak, Anya stepped forward.
“U-Um… who exactly are you?” she asked.
Mia flipped her braid over her shoulder and grinned proudly.
“I’m Mia Winslow, coordinator and chief engineer of the Smithing Course.”
Kawa and Kylon slowly regained consciousness, pushing themselves up from the floor. Kawa spotted Kylon covered in dust and debris and immediately burst into laughter.
“Hah! Look at you, Kylon! You’re filthy!”
Kylon, irritated, shot him a glare.
“You should look in a mirror before you laugh.”
Kawa tilted his head. “Why? Is it because of my prideful beauty?”
“No,” Kylon deadpanned. “It’s because you look even shittier than I do.”
Kawa froze. Then panic hit him instantly.
“W–WHAT!? WHERE!? HOW DIRTY!? CLEAN ME, NOW! I REFUSE TO BE SEEN LIKE THIS!”
He spun in place, frantically looking for water, a towel, anything.
Kael sighed, grabbed both Kawa and Kylon by the scruffs, and said to Mia and Anya, “I’ll… uh… take them to the bathroom. Kawa really doesn’t like being dirty.”
Mia crossed her arms and smirked.
“Well, that is one prideful spirit creature.”
Kael nodded wearily and headed toward the nearest washroom, carrying two bickering spirit creatures under his arms like troublesome toddlers.
Once Kael was gone, Mia turned to Anya.
“So, who’s that kid?”
Anya perked up a bit. “Ah, his name is Kael Santos. He’s from the Battle Course.”
Mia’s eyes widened instantly.
“Wait, Kael Santos? The Kael Santos? The one who fought an evolving Beast-type Abberant alone!?”
Anya blinked in shock. “W–What? That rumor already spread!?”
Mia didn’t answer. Her expression sharpened as she turned to face her workshop.
In the back, her students were busily inventing, forging, and tinkering, until Mia clapped her hands loudly.
“Oi! You lot! Make sure you craft something GOOD. The kid you just blew up with my door was Kael Santos himself!”
Every student froze.
Then—
whispers everywhere
“Wait, HE’S the one who fought that evolving abberant?”
“No way, alone?”
“I heard he saved half his class—”
“Is he actually alive after the grenade door!?”
Mia stomped her foot.
“When he comes back, ALL OF YOU are going to apologize for doing that to him!”
“Yes, ma’am!” the entire class shouted in unison.
Anya stood there, stiff and overwhelmed.
She glanced around at the chaotic workshop, the shouting, the intensity, the frantic scrambling of panicked engineering students.
She swallowed.
“…The Smithing Course feels scarier than the Battle Course,” she whispered to herself.
Meanwhile in the washroom, Kael filled a bowl with clean water.
He gently grabbed Kawa first, wiping away the dust stuck between his feathers. Kawa let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, like a noble prince freed from torment.
Then Kael cleaned Kylon, who sat patiently.
After a few minutes, Kylon gave a small respectful bow.
“Thank you, Dear holder. Truly.”
Kael smiled and washed his hands.
But then—
The door slammed open.
A group of three teenage boys barged in, laughing loudly as they shared stories of their “bullying achievements.”
“He cried! I swear, actually cried!”
“Bro, you’re crazy!”
“Next time I’ll make him—”
They stopped mid-sentence.
Their eyes landed on Kael.
Kael’s face tightened.
He recognized the boy in front instantly, the one who threw a Spirit Orb at him a month ago.
Right on cue, the system chimed.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Scanning nearby spirit users…
Displaying basic information.
The one in front:
[James Rui – Combat Type | Spirit Tier: Red | Spirit Creature: Azure Wolf, Silver Shark]
The fat one to the right:
[Jonathan Rui – Tank Type | Spirit Tier: Red | Spirit Creature: Emerald Rhino]
The tall one behind them:
[Justin Rui – Long Range Type | Spirit Tier: Red | Spirit Creature: Red Buzzard]
James’ expression twisted with fury.
In his mind, it was Kael’s fault he and his brothers had been stuck in detention for a month.
Justin nudged him nervously.
“James… don’t. He has spirit creatures now. Don’t act stupid.”
Jonathan agreed. “And those rumors? They said he took down an evolving beast-type abberant alone—”
James snapped.
“SHUT UP! We are the heirs of the Rui Family we don’t back down… not to peasants.”
He stepped forward, glaring at Kael.
“You think you’re special now? Those abberants must’ve been weak as hell to die to those pathetic spirit creatures.”
Kawa’s feathers puffed up, ready to explode with rage.
but Kael held up his hand, stopping him.
“Calm down,” he said. “I’ll handle this.”
James sneered.
“And the Battle Course… what a joke. They rejected me to accept you? What are they thinking?”
Kael met his eyes, calm, collected, but burning inside.
“If you’re so full of yourself,” Kael said steadily, “then have a duel with me.”
James blinked.
“What?”
“In ten days,” Kael continued, “we fight. If I lose, I leave the Battle Course and you can have my position.”
Kawa and Kylon froze.
Even the three bullies went silent.
“But if I win,” Kael said, voice firm, “you never show your face in Aurora Academy ever again.”
The washroom felt like it dropped ten degrees. The system then chimed on Kael’s mind.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
?? DUEL PROTOCOL INITIATED ??
A formal duel challenge has been issued by Kael Santos to James Rui.
DUEL PARAMETERS:
- Combat Type: One-on-One, Standard Spirit Drive Engagement
- Environment: Training Ground Ring
VICTORY REWARDS (If Kael Wins):
- ? +50 EXP
- ? +50 Spirit Energy
- ?? System Scan: Level 2 Unlocked (Advanced Analysis Feature)
CONSEQUENCES (If Kael Loses):
- ? Immediate Removal from Battle Course
- ? James Rui will take Kael’s place in the program
STATUS: Duel pending confirmation from both parties.
James clenched his jaw, then smirked sharply.
“You really got guts to fight an heir of one of the most powerful family in the world. Fine. Ten days. The ring inside the training grounds. Don’t chicken out.”
He shoved past Kael and stormed out, Jonathan and Justin scrambling after him.
The door closed.
The system then chimed again.
[SYSTEM CONFIRMATION]
? DUEL ACCEPTED BY BOTH PARTIES
Duel between Kael Santos and James Rui is now formally recognized.
DUEL STATUS:
- Participants: Kael Santos vs James Rui
- Arena: Training Ground Ring
- Time: 10 days
- Oversight: Full System Monitoring Enabled
Penalties & Rewards Locked In
Kael exhaled slowly.
Kawa hissed, “Let me fight that insolent—”
“No.” Kael cut him off. “If we fight him, we do it properly. In the duel. Honorably.”
Kylon nodded. “A wise choice, Dear holder.”
With that, Kael stepped out of the washroom, Kylon perched on his right shoulder, Kawa on his left—both now clean, alert, and ready.
The duel was set.
And the next ten days would change everything.
Kael returned to the smithing course with Kylon and Kawa perched calmly this time, only to freeze the moment he stepped inside.
The entire room erupted.
Dozens of smithing students stood in straight formation and bowed deeply.
“WELCOME, KAEL SANTOS!” they roared in unison.
“And we sincerely apologize for blowing your face with the door earlier!”
Kael blinked.
Then blinked again.
“…huh?”
He turned to Anya helplessly.
“Anya… what is happening?”
Anya shrugged with equal confusion.
“I—I don’t know! I thought they were just fans of yours?”
Mischka perching on her shoulder tilted her head at the crowd, equally baffled.
Mia popped out from behind the line of students with a bright, apologetic grin.
“Come in, come in! Sorry for the commotion, my students are just terrified of breaking another door… especially if the great Kael Santos is behind it.”
The students collectively tensed.
Kael laughed weakly.
Mia escorted Kael and Anya into her office. The room looked like a storm of creativity, tables buried under blueprints, half-built gadgets, weapon frames, armor plating, and glowing spirit metal. In the corner, a large stone-and-steel golem scrubbed the floor with surprising gentleness.
Mia pointed at it proudly.
“Don’t mind him, that’s my Spirit Creature.
Antearion. A Gear Golem. Very useful for cleaning and lifting.”
Antearion waved politely with a metal hand.
Anya waved back, amazed.
Mia sat on her desk, leaning forward.
“So! What brings the two of you to the smithing course?”
Kael answered first.
“I want upgrades. Something that boosts my power but doesn’t slow my speed, especially when using my Light-type weapon. And for my armor, something durable but still light enough for mobility.”
Anya raised her hand shyly.
“Um… for me, instead of a bow… is it possible to get something faster? Stronger?
And for armor, same as Kael. Lightweight but sturdy.”
Mia clasped her hands together, excited.
“Alright! For that, I need to check your wristband synchro first.”
Kael and Anya handed them over.
As Mia inspected them, Anya nervously asked, “Um… how much will this cost exactly?”
Mia smiled warmly.
“Normally? A fortune.”
Anya paled.
“But!” Mia added quickly, “since my students nearly killed you with an exploding door, you get a 50% discount.”
Kael’s relief was visible.
Mia continued:
“For Kael:
- Weapon upgrade → 2 Beast-type Cores
- Armor upgrade → 3 Critter-type Cores
- Fee: 500 credits
For Anya:
- Weapon replacement → 1 Flying Beast-type Core
- Armor upgrade → 3 Critter-type Cores
- Fee: 500 credits”
Kael and Anya nodded and handed over their materials along with the credits.
Mia stood up and cracked her knuckles dramatically.
“Perfect. Now just wait a couple of hours outside my office. I’ll call you when your upgraded gear is ready.”
Kael and Anya stepped out.
The smithing students immediately straightened into a bow again.
Kael sighed.
“This place is scarier than the battle course…”
Anya quietly agreed.