This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

“Hmmm…” Kain frowned and got lost in thought, pondering his next move.

‘Serena and I would both prefer for Soreia not to obtain any inheritance…To do that, I should get rid of one of the others…’

Unfortunately, while he was lost in thought he just so happened to be staring at Bai Lian…who became progressively more and more nervous with each passing second, he was ‘glaring’ at her.

Just when she was about to reach her breaking point, Kain finally snapped back into focus and looked away, gazing between the two entrances.

“One of the Holy Son or Cassian will have to return. Most people would go to the trial that they had some information on…” Kain said while glancing at Bai Lian and then the third trial with thorny vines growing out of it.

“After all, at least you could have some preparation for what you might face compared to a complete unknown…” He continues while then glancing at the fourth entrance (or exit, depending on how one looked at it), which just looked like a plain stone archway.

“If Serena isn’t able to beat Soreia, she would have the best chance at success through the third trial too… Yeah, I shouldn’t choose that one.”

Kain then looked at the fourth entryway and headed toward it.

“Wait! You’re headed in there? I could give you information about the last trial Serena and I did, if you’re worried about a lack of info.”

But hearing her voice, Kain just waved his hand nonchalantly and continued walking away. “Whoever exits, just give them information for that trial, I’m certain they’d prefer to go in there than a complete unknown. Of course, I’d prefer if you didn’t tell Soreia anything too important if she asks…or mention my ‘resurrection'”

If he’s lucky, Serena will take away the Thar’Ameth inheritance. After all, the changes to his body may be related to it and it would be easier to research his changes if Serena had the corresponding inheritance.

Moreover, if Soreia fails, then she’d have to choose another relic and have to compete against either Cassian or the Holy Son in that trial…and hopefully lose.

Resigned to do his part and eliminate one of the inheritance options that could be obtained, Kain stepped through the entryway under the nervous gaze of Bai Lian.

…And stumbled.

While trying to balance himself, his foot struck something brittle—thin, dry, and fragile as parchment. It cracked with a sound that echoed too loudly.

He looked down.

Paper. No… it was more akin to ash in the shape of paper, because it was so blackened and decayed that the second Kain’s foot brushed against it, it crumbled into powder.

The wind stirred. Cold and strangely clean. Not the air of a jungle or a swamp or even a battlefield. It was empty. Sterile. Dead.

When he looked up again, his breath caught.

Skyscrapers.

Or the skeletal remains of them.

Blackened steel frames stretched into the smog-filled sky like the fingers of steel giants. The skyline was jagged and broken, glassless towers tilted at impossible angles, some leaning on their neighbours as though too tired to keep standing. Others had fallen entirely, taking out a whole region of what looked like a city in the process.

A subway tunnel entrance was beside him, its mouth clogged with rubble and the rusted bones of trains that seemed to have gone off their rails and slammed into the stairs of the tunnel.

Vines—sickly, black and purple-veined things—coiled out from it, curling up the walls like they were trying to devour the dead city and return it to nature.

One twisted metal post still bore the warped remains of a street sign:

5TH AVE

His heart gave a dull, painful thump. His gaze followed the ruins onward—past collapsed buildings, burned, half-melted cars fused with cracked pavement, and the eerie, unnatural silence of a place that should have been buzzing with life—at least based on his memories.

And then, in the distance—partially collapsed but unmistakable—was a humanoid statue. Half of what looked like a crown was gone. Her torch was missing. And one side of her face blackened as if by fire. But he could still recognize her:

The Statue of Liberty.

Kain swallowed.

“…No way.”

————–

“Fuck!”

It seemed like Kain’s plan to indirectly eliminate Soreia by getting rid of all feasible inheritance options was working.

Because just an hour after Kain disappeared, Cassian exited the second doorway while spewing curses uncharacteristic of his normally noble demeanour.

However, the moment he made eye contact with a pair of large brown eyes staring at him in shock, he went silent in embarrassment.

“Why are you still here?!” He yelled at her to cover up his shame at being caught acting in an unbecoming manner.

“I-I-I am-“

“Never mind! Don’t talk!”

Silence.

“Say something!” Finally, Prince Cassian couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere and blew up at her again.

‘But you told me not to talk…’ Fortunately, Bai Lian knew better than to say this out loud. She figured that the prince was embarrassed from not getting his first choice of inheritance.

Also, judging by how the golden glow coming from the doorway was fading, how the entrance took on the appearance of an ancient archway that could crumble at any time, and how the Holy Son was nowhere to be found, she assumed that this meant that the inheritance inside was claimed by the other entrant.

But Bai Lian didn’t ask any questions to confirm this assumption or the Holy Son’s status, rightfully assuming that the prince was likely a sore loser who would take out his frustration from losing upon her should she dare to bring up ‘he who shall not be named’.

“Tsk” Prince Cassian clicked his tongue in annoyance, another mannerism unbecoming of royalty. However, realizing that ranting won’t keep him from dying due to having no inheritance, he softened his tone and looked to Bai Lian. He finally realized that she was the only person with information that could benefit him. “You entered the trial related to that inheritance, correct? How about you tell me about it?” He asked while flashing what he thought of as his most charming smile.

Bai Lian wasn’t too impressed by the blinding smile, but she had every intention of sharing what she knew with him anyways…

Bai Lian gave him a wary once-over, but nodded.

“Yes. Serena and I entered the trial for Verdara.”

Cassian frowned. “Verdara?” He let the unfamiliar word roll across his tongue.

“It seemed to be a planet once ruled by sentient plant-life. No humans or beasts. Just plants with intelligence. Even the ‘cities’ were composed of petrified plant material.”

Cassian raised an eyebrow. “So… only plants?”

Bai Lian nodded “And the plants’ consciousnesses are all connected and controlled by something called Verdara’s ‘Overgrowth’—a world-spanning root consciousness. Kind of like the hivemind of a bee colony”

Cassian nodded slowly, but there was already disappointment in his eyes.

“I see. And during the trial, did you have access to your spiritual energy?” This was important. Cassian felt that if he wasn’t without spiritual power and his contracts, there was no way that he would have lost. He didn’t want to go through such a hard time in the next inheritance trial.

“Yes. Full use of spiritual power and even our contracts,” Bai Lian said. “That’s why we even survived. Without Serena’s contracts, particularly her Elemental Guardian, we’d have been torn apart by the ecosystem within minutes.”

Cassian’s eyes lit up—just briefly—but then deflated just as quickly. Although it was great news that after so long he could finally use his contracts in the relic, he was also disappointed because an inheritance related to plants wasn’t that suitable for him…He didn’t even have a single plant-like contract.

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall with a tired sigh.

“Doesn’t matter. My affinity is with dragons. Not flowers. Not grass. Not vines.” His voice was dry. “Even if I had my full team with me, I doubt I’d be compatible with a legacy like that.”

She opened her mouth. Then paused. Her brow furrowed.

“Well… there was something strange during the trial,” she admitted slowly. “there was a hollowed out husk—like from a dead tree. But shaped like a dragon. Or maybe it was a dragon that had somehow managed to be born and got absorbed by the Overgrowth. The roots were still tangled through its ribs, like they’d been fused together. It was massive. Covered in moss and vines, with antler-like horns made of bark.”

Cassian’s breath stuttered briefly at her intriguing description.

“That could be interesting…”

Bai Lian watched him with caution. “So… you’re going to go in?”

Cassian’s smile returned—this time, filled with ambition. “Of course.”

He turned toward the third archway and stopped only briefly to glance over his shoulder.

“Thanks for the info.”

Then, without hesitation, he stepped into the thorn-wreathed archway of Verdara.

Bai Lian sat down again and released a long, quiet sigh in exhaustion.

“…Why are the strange and scary ones also the handsome ones?” she muttered.

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