Nox blinked and found himself standing in a vast, green forest. The air was warm and filled with life. All around him prowled and perched monsters of all kinds.
They watched him silently with knowing eyes. This was the Pantheon of Beast Taming, and it was his third ti here.
As he stepped forward, the carpet of grass glowed faintly under his feet. He rembered this place vividly; the last two tis he’d been here were during monts of great change in his life.
Suddenly, a gentle voice echoed. "Welco back, Nox."
A figure erged from between two ancient oak trees. She was tall and graceful, with flowing white hair that shimred like moonlight. Cat-like ears crowned her head, and her eyes were a deep erald green. A toga clung to her body, accentuating her curves.
"T-Tera...!" he called out. It had been so long since he last saw the Beast Goddess in person.
Her lips curved into a soft, warm smile. "Rise, Nox. You’ve done well." Her voice was calm but urgent underneath, as if ti pressed heavily upon even a goddess.
He stood, a million questions swirling in his mind. The last thing he rembered was collapsing after the battle in Vermilion’s capital. "I take it the war is over... we won?" he asked carefully.
"Yes. Thanks to you, the demonic threat that invaded our kingdom has been vanquished. You have saved countless lives." Pride shone in her eyes as she nodded.
All around, the beasts roared and cried out in agreent. He realized they were cheering for him. A flush of humility and honor crossed his face.
Then he noticed sothing else—the creatures here were far more nurous than on his previous visits.
"The population here... it’s grown so much," he observed. Even the divine aura of the place felt denser.
"Indeed. And it is because of you," she replied as they strolled through the glowing city. "Every ti you ta a beast or strengthen your bond, you supply this realm with Divine Essence, which nourishes the pantheon."
"Right, you did ntion sothing like this before," he recalled.
Suddenly, her smile faded, replaced by urgency. "Nox, as wonderful as this growth is, we are running out of ti."
Her tone made his stomach tighten.
"Running out of ti? What do you an?" he asked.
"I can’t keep you here for long, otherwise I would explain in detail... but right now, you must build statues of around Eos and start gathering the next generation of Beast Tars. They will all be needed very soon."
"Is it another demon threat? Or sothing else?" he pressed, not liking the weight in her voice. He had just finished one war—what could be worse than a Demon Prince?
The Demon King?
Or...
The gods?
Before he could question further, the goddess spread her arms.
Glowing lights floated toward him, orbiting slowly like tiny stars.
Nox peered at them, and within each light he saw images: a young boy gently taming a wolf pup, a girl calling a falcon to her arm, and an old man soothing a rampaging bear. Visions of potential Beast Tars.
"These are glimpses of futures that could be," she explained. "Futures in which the Beast Tar class is not confined to one person, but shared among many worthy souls."
She closed her hands, and the lights rged into a single brilliant orb that hovered between them. "I summoned you here today, Nox, because you must spread the Beast Tar class. And you must begin now!"
The word now echoed through the pantheon like a roar. Birds took flight in a burst of feathers; beasts howled and stamped.
He steadied himself, eting her gaze. "I... I’ll do it. I’ll teach others. But the statues—how will I find all of them? I have only one in my inventory, and that wouldn’t be enough to spread the class throughout the world."
She smiled and retrieved what appeared to be a map, offering it to him. "Take this. It will guide you to where all the statues are hidden."
He swept his gaze across the map and saw several dotted spots. It spanned across many kingdoms, including non-human realms like the Elven Kingdom.
"With that," she continued, "you will be able to awaken the Beast Tar class in others."
He nodded firmly, absorbing her words. "Understood." His mind already turned to people he knew: stable boys kind to horses, hunters who prayed for the spirits of animals they killed, children who nursed injured birds back to health. There were potential Beast Tars out there, just waiting to be awakened.
Her eyes softened at his determined expression. "Rember, this is not just about giving power. You must guide them. A Beast Tar’s strength lies in the heart as much as the skill. If soone with malice tas beasts, they could beco a tyrant... or worse."
He recalled the Flaming Rose organization, who enslaved and twisted humans—and likely would do the sa to beasts if given the chance. A shiver of anger ran through him.
The city began to waver and blur. His vision of the pantheon shimred—his ti here was ending.
The goddess quickly stepped forward and wrapped him in a gentle embrace. He stiffened, then relaxed. Her hair slled of wildflowers and rain. "You carry a heavy burden, Nox," she whispered. "But you are never alone. The pantheon of mythical beasts is always with you."
His throat tightened with emotion. He returned the embrace briefly. "Thank you, Tera. I won’t let you down."
She stepped back, giving him a rare grin and a wink. "Oh, and one more thing..."
The pantheon rumbled suddenly. Cracks of light splintered the sky, and he felt himself being pulled away. "W-what is it?" he called, weightless.
"Congratulations on your victory!" she shouted, her lodious voice echoing as her form faded into brightness. "Now go—your friends are waiting!"
***
Thanks to all those that support supre BeastTar with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones! I really appreciate
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