SSS Rank: Strongest Beast Master

Jonah's life at the Academy settled into a strange kind of rhythm – fast, focused, and intense. His whole world narrowed down to just two places: the strict, punishing training field… and the quiet, wild magic of his Vivarium. He was a state secret, a hidden weapon, which apparently meant he got his own personal boot camp.

Sergeant Seraph read off his new schedule like it was a death sentence but with a smile.

"Mornings are for the body," she announced, like it was law, the second they arrived at the training field. "Synthesis wears you down. That's why your body needs to be just as strong as your mind," she said. "You'll run until your legs give out. Then you'll drop and do push-ups until you can't move. Then the real training begins."

And she wasn't kidding. Every morning, she pushed him to his absolute physical limits. By the time he got back to his room, his whole body felt wrecked – feeling like he'd been run over by a cargo hauler.

But the afternoons… the afternoons were for his craft.

"Afternoons are for your power," Seraph explained, handing him a thick, empty, leather-bound journal. "The Essence Archive showed you what's possible. Your Vivarium is where you will learn your ABCs. Your assignment is to build your own personal Essence Library."

Her instructions were simple. He was to systematically catalogue every single creature in his dorm room zoo. He had to watch and take notes on every creature in his Vivarium – what they did, how they moved, what made them strong… and what didn't. Then, he had to acquire their essence and record its properties. its elemental alignment, its core concept, and his own ideas for how it could be used in a synthesis.

"This isn't about making monsters," she told him, her gray eyes sharp. "This is about understanding your materials. A master blacksmith doesn't just hammer on any piece of metal. He knows the difference between iron and steel, how each one bends, how each one holds an edge. You will learn to do the same with life itself."

And so, the Vivarium Project began.

Jonah, who'd spent years focused on survival, threw himself into the work with serious determination. He wasn't just some student trying to get by anymore – he was a builder, an artist collecting the colors he'd one day paint power with.

He started with the most plentiful creatures: the Moss-Shelled Turtles. He spent hours just watching them, noting how they'd retreat into their shells at the slightest sign of danger, how their shells seemed to draw strength from the mossy rocks they lived on.

He learned to defeat them quickly and cleanly, with a sad but necessary efficiency. Each time, he would feel that familiar pull as the green, earthy essence flowed into him. In his journal, he wrote:

Moss-Shelled Turtle Essence.

Attributes: Earth, Defense.

Concept: Passive, stubborn resilience. Potential use: Fortifying a Progeny's hide or shell.

Next were the Singing Crickets. Their legs could produce a surprisingly loud, chirping sound that was disorienting up close. After acquiring their essence – a light, airy energy that seemed to vibrate, he wrote:

Singing Cricket Essence.

Attributes: Sound, Distraction.

Concept: Auditory disruption.

Potential use: A non-lethal sonic attack or a diversionary ability.

Day after day, he worked his way through the room's inhabitants. He didn't perform any new synthesis. Seraph had forbidden it for now. This wasn't the time to create, it was time to gather. It was slow, repetitive, and honestly… kind of amazing. For once, Jonah wasn't just trying to survive. He was learning. Growing. Laying the groundwork for something bigger.

He wasn't entirely alone in his work. His Grade-2 Progeny, the Glimmer-Wing Striker, was his constant companion. He had started calling it Nyx, after the ancient word for night, because of its shadowy feathers and silent movements.

Nyx was the perfect sidekick. Whenever Jonah had to catch a speedy beetle or a twitchy Glimmermoth, Nyx was right there, fast and focused. With a silent command from Jonah, Nyx would use its Shadow Strike, teleporting in a puff of disorienting dust to block a creature's escape route. Their teamwork was flawless.

A strange thing began to happen as they spent more time together. The Essence Link between them, the telepathic bond they shared, seemed to deepen. Nyx, living in the magically-charged atmosphere of the Vivarium, was growing stronger. Its feathers took on a healthier sheen, its movements became quicker, more assured.

And as Nyx grew stronger, Jonah began to see changes in himself. It was subtle, but undeniable. His own senses felt sharper. He noticed the faint hum of the Vivarium's vent, the scent of damp earth and blooming moon-petals.

When he was out on the training field, he noticed he could track Seraph's movements with his edged vision a little better, anticipate her instructions a fraction of a second sooner. It felt like Nyx's growth was rubbing off on him – like some of its sharp instincts were slipping into his own body. The bond wasn't just one-way. They were growing together.

One afternoon, Jonah was sketching the wing pattern of a Lumina Beetle in his journal. Nyx rested on his shoulder, silent and steady, watching him draw. And for once, Jonah felt something rare peace. Not just safety, but belonging. Something Cinderfall had never given him.

His muscles still ached from the morning grind, but it was the good kind – the kind that meant progress. His head felt clear, his journal was starting to fill up, and his little Essence library was finally starting to look real.

He had a really long way to go. The essences he was collecting were nothing special. Just simple, low-grade. They were the cheap paints, the soft woods. But they were his. Each journal entry, each tiny mote added to his inner workshop, was like another puzzle piece falling into place. The thing he was meant to build... it was still far off, but he could almost see the shape of it now.