The moment Alex stepped forward with resolve in his heart, a strange force rippled through the [Shadow Pet Space].
Alphox, still reclining lazily, perked up, his glowing eyes narrowing as the space around Alex started to shimmer unnaturally.
“What’s happening?” Alex asked, a sharp edge of panic in his voice.
Alphox tilted his head, then smirked.
“It seems your time here has run out, human. My connection to you can only sustain you in here for so long. You’ll be ejected momentarily.”
“Wait, what?!” Alex exclaimed, the ground beneath him trembling.
Before Alphox could respond, the shadows swallowed Alex whole, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself standing back in the vibrant, tranquil landscape of the Fox Tribe Village.
The stark contrast between the dark, oppressive energy of Alphox’s domain and the soft hues of the village made Alex dizzy for a moment.
Alex glanced around.
The foxes in the village were busy with their daily routines, their fur glinting under the sunlight.
A few of them glanced at him curiously but returned to their tasks without question as they knew Alex already.
“Alera,” he muttered under his breath. If there was anyone he needed to talk to right now, it was her.
He navigated through the winding paths of the village until he spotted Alera by the central shrine, her silver-tipped ears flicking back and forth as she arranged offerings.
She looked as poised and elegant as always, but Alex noticed the faint weariness in her eyes.
“Alera!” Alex called, jogging up to her.
She turned, startled, her violet eyes widening in surprise.
“Alex! You’re back.” Her voice softened, a mix of relief and curiosity evident. “What happened? You were gone for a while.”
“I was with Alphox,” Alex replied quickly. “Long story. But right now, I need your help.”
“My help?” she asked, her expression shifting to concern. “What is it?”
“I want to join your race,” Alex said, his tone firm.
Alera froze, her hands stilling on the offering she was holding.
Her ears twitched, and a faint blush crept up her cheeks.
“W-What?” she stammered, her usual composure cracking.
“I want to join the Beast race,” Alex clarified, stepping closer. “Specifically, your kind, the Fox Tribe.”
Alera blinked at him, clearly caught off guard.
“Alex… that’s- no! You shouldn’t. Our race is weak compared to the others, even among the [Beast] one. Why would you want to do that?””
“That’s exactly why I want to,” Alex said firmly. “Your tribe is the only one able to do that.”
“Do what?”
“I want to become the king,” he grinned, “That’s the only way for me to move forward.”
As said before, the [Primordial Dragons], even if you did incredible in the [Dragon Bloodline Trial] could reject you for having no authority within your original race.
But on the other hand, what would happen if you were the king?
Surely it would be an advantage.
Alera’s tail swished nervously, her cheeks still tinged with pink.
Experience more tales on empire
“But there are other races far more powerful, dragons, demons, angels!”
“Because you’ve helped me before,” Alex said simply, meeting her gaze. “And who says foxes can’t be powerful? I think you’re all pretty incredible.”
Alera’s ears flattened against her head, and she looked away, clearly flustered.
“Y-You’re reckless, Alex. Do you even understand what you’re asking? Joining another race isn’t easy, it’s a lifelong commitment.”
“I’ve faced worse.”
She sighed, crossing her arms.
“Fine. If you’re serious about this, I’ll guide you. But don’t blame me if you regret it later.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Alex replied, his grin widening.
Alex didn’t know why, but Alera seemed much more reluctant than he believed her to be even though they spent all this time together.
“…” In the end, he simply shrugged it off.
Alera led Alex to the heart of the village, where an ancient altar stood surrounded by glowing runes etched into the ground.
The air was thick with an otherworldly energy, and Alex could feel the weight of centuries of history pressing down on him.
“What the hell?” Alex backed away, “How did I never see that thing?”
“This is the Ritual Altar,” Alera explained, her tone more serious now. “It only appears once I command it to, sorry, but we’ve never accepted anyone in our race, much less a man…”
“It’s fine, you trust me, right?” Alex smiled warmly.
Alera studied him for a moment before sighing.
“Yes, I do. The process involves binding your soul to the essence of the Fox Tribe. But to prove you’re worthy, you’ll need to pass a test.”
“What kind of test?” Alex asked, his hands instinctively tightening into fists.
“The altar will summon a guardian spirit,” Alera said. “You’ll have to defeat it in combat. Only then will the altar grant you our essence, it’s not that difficult.”
“Sounds straightforward enough,” Alex said, stepping up to the altar.
“It’s not,” Alera warned, “The guardian represents the spirit of our ancestors. It’s strong and relentless. You can’t hold back.”
“I wasn’t planning to,” Alex said, a confident smirk on his face, ‘Well, the Dragon Bloodline Trial will be a thousand times harder anyway…’
Alera hesitated for a moment, then placed a hand on his arm.
“Be careful,” she said softly, her eyes filled with concern.
Alex gave her a reassuring nod. “I’ll be fine.”
As Alex placed his hand on the altar, the runes around it flared to life, glowing with a fiery orange light.
[You have been authorized to participate in the Fox Bloodline Trial!]
[Difficulty has been set to Max!]
The ground trembled, and a swirling vortex of energy formed in front of him.
From the vortex emerged a massive fox-like creature, its fur shimmering with golden light and its eyes blazing with an intense fire.
[Fox Guardian Spirit]
[Level: 500]
[HP: 80,000,000]
The Guardian Spirit let out a thunderous roar, and the energy in the air became almost suffocating.
Alex drew his dagger and staff, his grip firm as he faced the towering beast.
“So, this is my test,” he muttered, “Well… it’s going to be easy.”
That thing was level 500, how could they even think he would struggle?
Once he looked at Alera, he saw her smiling, her expression saying that even though she told him to be careful, she knew he would still dominate.
The guardian lunged at him with blinding speed, its claws slashing through the air.
Alex saw it coming from a mile away, rolling to the side and countering with a swift slash of dagger.
-45,000!
The blade struck true, but the creature’s shimmering fur seemed to absorb most of the impact.
“Figures,” Alex muttered, gritting his teeth. “Guess I’ll have to hit with something else.”
[This is a spirit, so physical and magical damage is mostly negated.]
He already knew that though, and so he simply slashed his own palm.
The only other thing that could make it easier was… his [Blood Art]!
He activated [Blood Blades], summoning several crimson weapons that hovered around him.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent them hurtling toward the guardian.
The blades struck its body, leaving deep gashes that oozed golden light.
-8,736,849! -7,372,959! -8,853,172!
The damage was incredible, and after a single attack, the fox spirit was already on the verge of falling.
The guardian roared in pain and retaliated with a blast of fiery energy from its mouth.
Alex raised his staff, channeling his mana into his [Impenetrable Fortress].
The force of the blast pushed him back, but he held his ground.
“Not bad,” Alex said, smirking. “But I’ve fought worse.”
He stabbed himself several times afterward simply to activate [Giant Blood Blade], summoning a massive crimson sword that dwarfed him in size.
With a mighty swing, he brought the blade down on the guardian, cleaving through its defenses and sending it crashing to the ground.
-28,371,904!
The guardian let out a final roar before dissolving into golden particles that swirled around Alex, enveloping him in a warm, radiant light.
As the light faded, Alex felt a surge of energy coursing through his body.
His senses sharpened, and he became acutely aware of his surroundings, the rustle of leaves, the faint hum of the runes, and even Alera’s steady heartbeat.
“You did it,” Alera said, stepping forward, her voice filled with both awe and relief, “The altar has accepted you.”
A golden panel appeared before Alex.
[Congratulations! You have successfully joined the Beast race: Fox Tribe.]
[Race Perks Unlocked:]
[Enhanced Agility: Movement speed and reflexes increased by 20%.]
[Beast Bond: Increased affinity with Beast-type creatures.]
[Mythical “Fire Fox Summons” Skill: Unlocks the ability to summon two ethereal fox flames summons for combat and utility.]
Alex grinned as he read the panel. “Looks like I’m officially one of you now.”
Alera smiled softly, her blush returning. “Welcome to the tribe, Alex.”
“Thanks,” he said, his grin widening.