Long story short, I accepted the old man’s offer and started work in the Beastarium the very same day.
Nathaniel—he demanded I either call him that or Nathan—was fine with me starting later, but I needed the money, and Sophie required help. Although unsure what to do, I felt oddly at ease.
“Can you show me what you’ve been doing up until now?”
Sophie did as requested. She went through some sort of training program she’d been told would bring her closer to her Soulkins. Apparently, Nathaniel approved of her technique, saying it was one of the best training programs that had been created to befriend most Arthropod beasts. The technique was also used for difficult Soulkins of similar nature, including the Aceraspis.
“The Shakar household, which you probably know is famous for their Insect Worlds, is the only family with Blessed strong enough to control mature Aceraspis. They offered Sophie an improved version of the regular training program for Arthropod Soulkins, so that she can form a strong bond with Acer,” Nathaniel explained, standing beside me.
He watched Sophie as well, but I felt his gaze drift to me on more than one occasion.
“I heard about those training programs from my friend, but I never bothered with them. My Soulkins, both Aureus and the egg I received as a ‘welcome gift,’ resonated with my World. I also managed to tame—I still think that word’s unfitting—my parents’ Soulkins, but that is something different. I rescued them from a predator and tended to their wounds,” I said, rubbing my nose, trying to ignore the cocked eyebrow aimed my way. “What I did there is different from what you want me to do in the Beastarium.”
Of course, working in the Beastarium wouldn’t make me filthy rich. My hourly rate was nowhere near what Ethericians, Beasters, and the like could earn, but the additional benefits were far more valuable than a few more coins. Not that I’d be able to find a job that would pay me better from the get-go. Still, I wanted this to work out. Working with a myriad of unique beasts sounded great, and so did the prospect of earning favors from powerful cadets with troubled Soulkins.
If I could help them, that’d be like striking multiple targets with one stone.
“Your World resonated with both your Soulkins? And you said you never trained the Earthheart? For the records, I am not talking about regular training but the official methods shared by the Rulers, the households, and organizations,” Nathaniel asked, intrigue lacing every question. “Tell me more about your World. What is it about? How big was your World when you were young? When do you feel the most connected to other beasts, be they the Soulkins you tamed for your parents or other Blessed’s Soulkins?”
First things first, I corrected the old man, clarifying that my World did not only resonate with Aureus and the beast egg I’d selected, but that the World’s resonance had been there for all three eggs I was offered to pick from. Then there were the Blackbellied Gibbons; I felt a resonance at that time as well.
“I think I feel the most connected to them when I first touch them. It feels almost like a bond, even if it is incredibly weak and short-lived. The connection never really disappears, but it grows weaker over time until it is barely noticeable,” I added, when Nathaniel stared at me wide-eyed.
Since he didn’t say anything, I went on and talked about my World, how insignificant it had been when I was young and that it took me the better part of a decade to bind a weak beast egg.
Not weak!
Aureus made great use of his rapidly improving communication skill to complain.
“Of course you are not weak.” I snickered, bending down to cradle the young Earthheart.
“That is truly fascinating. Malleable Worlds are a fickle thing. Most malleable Worlds never grow to be as large as yours. The why is relatively simple; Worlds are often compared to muscles, but they are not the same. Refining your World is akin to a workout that strengthens the muscle and it gains mass. However, there is a limit. Like a muscle’s growth, Worlds have a limit as well.”
I knew that much already, which was also why I wanted to gain as much growth from my Soulkins as possible. A Soulkin’s soulshare altered a World’s limit as it provided the World with a portion of the beast’s soul energy. Therefore, my bonds were invaluable for my future growth.
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“In the same instance, neglecting the muscle leads to muscle atrophy. The same happens to Worlds. If you do not pay attention to them, your World will enter a state of atrophy and revert back to the state it was created in. Worse even—have you ever heard the term World Stasis?”
I shook my head slowly, not quite sure what Nathaniel wanted from me.
“World Stasis is the term we use for Worlds that can no longer grow. Worlds are fragile, far more so than our muscles, and they cannot take the strain of atrophy very well. They are also creatures of habit, if you will. Almost every member of a family of Blessed knows that, but if you make it a habit to refine your World daily, which it certainly is in your case, your World won’t look kindly upon you if you change your habit suddenly,” Nathaniel explained, his tone scholarly.
“In the same instance, you will receive a lot in return. Following the habit you’ve established after a decade allows you to squeeze out the most benefits from the refining process. After all, as creatures of habit, Worlds don’t like it when four refinement sessions a week are suddenly increased to seven. Four sessions, those following the habit’s pattern, are rewarded regularly, whereas the additional refinement sessions yield diminishing returns. That said, you should continue to refine your World daily. Doing more results in greatly diminished returns, whereas doing less quickly turns into a game of pain you definitely don’t want to join.”
I nodded slowly, my expression souring the more I listened. First of all, I’d only refined my World this desperately to survive. To bind a beast and gain access to ether. Second, my habit was not merely the World Refinement. I could refine my World without the pre-workout, but I’d noticed in the flying ship that the results were not nearly as good.
Working myself to the bone before refining my World had become a habit, and my World wanted nothing less.
“Well, fuck that,” I cursed, feeling the rising panic as it settled deep in my heart. At some point, I’d be out in the woods and unable to push my body to the brink of exhaustion—not if I wanted to survive against potential threats in the wild. On such days, I’d be unable to follow the habit I’d established for a year…or has it been longer?
Does that really matter? No, it doesn’t! Now, calm down, you idiot! There’s no need to panic. Missing one day now and then won’t be a problem. In the worst case, I can always refine my World without a pre-workout. The results may be lower, but that’s still better than atrophying my World or that Stasis or whatever they call it. Gains are gains, even if diminished.
Nathaniel Briggs was about to say something else, but I raised my hand to stop him.
“I…I didn’t know about the World Stasis and how fragile Worlds are,” I blurted, my head spinning. “But how exactly does that concern me? I mean, it does, and it is important to know, but right now? Weren’t we trying to figure out how I could be of use to the Beastarium and troubled Blessed?”
The old man stopped. His lips were still parted, but his steady flow of words had ceased.
“Hm? Oh, right…there was that.” He rubbed the back of his head and let out a light chuckle. “I think I got carried away a little. Anyway, keep what I’ve said in mind and make sure you stay on path with your habit, especially with that malleable World of yours.”
He turned back to Sophie, who’d stopped playing with Acer—if one could call it that. To me, it looked more like Sophie was forcing her will on Acer, who complied unwillingly.
“You said your World creates a connection with other beasts when you touch them, right?” Nathaniel returned to the main topic, nodding toward the odd duo. “Sophie wasn’t able to do this yesterday. It looks odd, like a mess, but this is a massive step forward. The connection your World formed with Acer helped Sophie complete the bond.”
Uncertainty gleamed in his eyes as he continued. “We have records of Tamers, people with the ability to help others understand and grow closer to their Soulkin, but they are exceedingly rare here. I have only had the honor of meeting three, two of whom are renowned authorities in the Pagoda of the Beast Temple. As for the third…” He looked at me. “I don’t know what your World does to beasts, but Acer’s bloodlust has been suppressed and the bond is in full effect. Sophie worked on both since she bound the Aceraspis two weeks ago, and I worked with her over the last 96 hours with little to no success.”
He stared me straight in the eyes. “I don’t know much about you, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the 256 years I’ve been on Razarn, it’s that you can help us—whether Blessed or beast.”
“You can be more confident in yourself. You made it into the Grand Camp as a new Blessed among cadets who’ve been trained their whole lives for this opportunity,” Nathaniel declared, his voice reverberating in my mind. “Know your worth, don’t belittle your achievements, and try your best to help others. For yourself, your beloved, and for mankind’s survival.”
The words struck hard. They fueled me, but not nearly as much as Sophie’s excited exclamation when Acer looked her straight in the eyes without a trace of malice. His claws reached toward her, and she grasped them, a tear rolling down her cheek.
But as exciting as the thought of being responsible for this was, I could only think about something else Nathaniel said.
“You are 256 years old? What in the Rulers’ names have they been feeding you to live that long?”