Later that day, after a proper rest to fully recover his energy, Onyx was on the western side of Mister Rolf's farm. He was memorising the layout of the land he would be guarding for the next several days, accompanied by his newly tamed beast, Hatchet.
The two walked together along the edges of the fields, mapping out important locations to keep watch over in the future and noting any possible blind spots. Once Onyx had charted his patrol course, he turned to Hatchet and said, "Alright. First things first, let's see what you're capable of."
Hatchet tilted his head in confusion.
Onyx then brought up his status screen, went to the beast entry, and focused on Hatchet's name. The beast's status appeared:
IRON BEAK QUAIL
SUB TYPE: Metal
GROWTH LEVEL: [ 46% ]
SOUL LOAD: 5
FLUX: 7
TRAITS: [ BLADED BEAK ]
---
[ BLADED BEAK ]: This beast's beak is as tough and sharp as a steel blade.
---
ABILITIES: [ CLEAVE ] [ CHICKEN FEET ]
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[ CLEAVE ]: Harnesses its muscle strength to deliver a powerful cleave with its beak.
[ CHICKEN FEET ]: Can dash in a single direction in an instant. The distance of the dash is short, but the acceleration is high.
---
EMPOWERMENT: None
SPECIAL MOVES: None
Onyx analyzed Hatchet's status. "Let's see... two straightforward abilities and a single, even more straightforward trait," he remarked.
Hatchet's simple status made Onyx confident in learning his tool kit. It would just take some practice. However, the most interesting thing to note about Hatchet wasn't his abilities—it was his type. Or, more accurately, his sub-type.
There was an important distinction between a Type and a Sub-Type, something Onyx knew thanks to his academy education.
The reason went back to the way people categorized Catalyst Beasts. In the early days of beast taming, Beasts were sorted into a limited number of Types, mainly: Pyro, Aqua, Terra, Corpus, Flora, Ventus, and several others.
Each Type had its own unique characteristics. For example, Pyro-type beasts are usually energetic and have an innate resistance to flame and heat. Flora-types have a high affinity with nature, and could even draw energy and substance from Thier environment like regular plants. Terra-types were particularly tanky and defensive, with an uncanny sense for the structural integrity of their surroundings.
These first-established Types were the cornerstone for defining every beast and the scope of their abilities. However, as studies continued, researchers began to observe instances of beasts displaying qualities and abilities quite distinct from—but still somewhat related to—the Types they were classified under.
After further study, the concept of Sub-Types was established to allow for more accurate categorization. Sub-Types were basically specialized variants of a broader Type. For example, the Metal sub-type, belonging to the broader Terra Type, shared Terra's defensive nature but leaned more toward defending against status effects rather than raw physical damage.
With the addition of Sub-Types, the classification chart utilized by Catalysers became much larger, with most Types gaining one or two Sub-Types. Pyro now encompassed Electricity and Light. Aqua encompassed Frost and Cloud. Terra encompassed Metal and Geode. Corpus encompassed Blood and Bone. And many more.
It was worth noting, however, that when a beast possesses a Sub-Type, it couldn't possess the related origin Type as a secondary Type at the same time, nor acquire it later on. As They were technically already a part of it. This meant a beast couldn't be, for example, both Terra and Metal simultaneously.
Sub-Type beasts were a little less common than regular Types, and that rarity increased depending on the specific Sub-Type. Hatchet, as a Metal sub-type, was a slightly more unusual find than a plain Terra-type beast.
However, Onyx didn't let this notion fill him with misplaced excitement. Even though Hatchet's typing was unique, he still belonged to a humble species of beasts, ranked low within the echelons of the myriad beasts. At least, that's what Mister Rolf had told him. He kept that note in mind so as not to push his expectations beyond what was reasonable.
Onyx turned to Hatchet and muttered, "Let's give you a test run," before leading them both away from the fields.
He moved toward the edges of a nearby forest. The western side of the farm was relatively close to the wilderness, so it only took a couple of minutes to reach the tree line. Once there, Onyx didn't make the foolish mistake of venturing inside to look for something to train on—he wasn't ready for that. But no matter . The trees at the forest's edge would suffice.
He scoured the perimeter for a few seconds until he found a suitable tree with a thick trunk. Once he did, he gave Hatchet the command to get ready.
The bird lazily took position, clearly wanting none of this training. But under Onyx's control, he had no choice but to obey—at least he had the solace of knowing he could ask for more roka seeds later.
Onyx sighed, observing Hatchet's lazy antics. His behavior was something they'd have to work on, he noted to himself.
Once everything was set, Onyx issued the command for Hatchet to use [Cleave] on the tree. The bird responded by approaching his target, ruffling his feathers in an aggressive stance, and lifting his head, poised to strike. At that moment, Hatchet's Flux began to stir—Onyx could feel it through their connection.
A second later, a portion of that Flux was directed and expanded, enhancing specific muscles in Hatchet's body. This led to an immediate reaction . his head shot down in a swift, powerful strike.
The tree shook with a loud thud as Hatchet's axe-beak embedded itself deep into the trunk.
Onyx then asked Hatchet to retreat. The large bird obliged, first freeing his beak from the tree's bark and shaking his head afterward.
Onyx went to inspect the wound. "Completely penetrated the bark and sunk a couple of inches deep," he remarked. "Considering the toughness of the wood, the force of this attack can be considered decent at best—not outstanding, but still several times stronger than a regular human swinging an axe with all their might."
One demonstration wasn't enough, however. He had Hatchet repeat the attack a few more times, each with a slight variation. By the end of the test, Onyx had developed a proper understanding of the attack's overall power, Flux consumption rate, and many of its possible applications in battle.
He also noted that if Hatchet connected with this attack more than three times in a row, the beast would get dazed from the consecutive impact force—something very important to keep in mind.
Once done with that ability, Onyx gave Hatchet a quick break before moving on to testing the next.
Upon activating [Chicken Feet], Hatchet displayed a rapid burst of speed that lasted for about eight meters before slowing to normal. The distance was short, but the speed and acceleration were satisfactory. In terms of Flux consumption, this ability was a bit more demanding, requiring about 30% more Flux than [Cleave] with each use, while also consuming stamina.
Listing and combining all this data, Onyx now had a rough understanding of how Hatchet would behave in a fight, and even a few strategies for using his abilities effectively. The most obvious was using [Chicken Feet] to suddenly close the distance before immediately following up with a [Cleave]. Of course, any strategy Onyx planned to use would rely on his ability to control Hatchet—precision and timing would be crucial.
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And so, Onyx moved on to control. He first had Hatchet perform a couple of movements and maneuvers, such as executing specific actions and navigating around nearby trees—all good tests.
The results, however, were not so good.
Onyx found a delay between his commands and Hatchet's response, as well as a level of incoordination and some deviation from the original commands.
Onyx was annoyed but not surprised. After all, Hatchet wasn't like Tusk, his Totem beast. He didn't have the natural coordination and seamless understanding that Onyx and Tusk shared, so it was only natural they'd face some difficulties working together.
But that was okay. Just because they weren't in sync now didn't mean they couldn't change. That was what Onyx was here to do anyway.
And so, Onyx began training Hatchet right from the start, building up their coordination while also getting accustomed to each other's rhythms.
They kept at it until dusk colored the horizon. That was when Onyx decided to call it a day, sending Hatchet into his soul sea to rest as he made his way back to his room in the station.
A little while later, Onyx was back at his place. As he closed the door behind him, he called out, "Hey, Tusk, I'm home."
Soon after, from a particular basin placed in the corner of the room, Tusk poked his little head out and gave a low chitter, clearly greeting Onyx back.
Onyx walked up to his companion and petted his head as usual. Since they'd finished sowing the seeds, Onyx had been leaving Tusk at home to continue nurturing within the Earth Womb soil. Tusk never had much to do back at the farm anyway, so Onyx thought it better to leave the little grub here to continue developing.
And speaking of development, lately, the increase in Tusk's Growth Level had been becoming slower and less efficient with each passing day. Onyx now needed a considerably larger amount of their provisions each time just to achieve a single 1% increase.
This, however, was no surprise. It was known that as a beast increased in Growth Level, it became harder for it to keep progressing—especially when using the same Catalyst for a prolonged period of time . Over time, Catalysts began to lose their effect on a beast once it had used them extensively. This forced Beast Catalysers to continually pursue more potent and diverse Catalysts to maintain their beasts' development.
It was something Onyx should start doing as well. However, his first paycheck had yet to arrive, and he was tight on cash, so he couldn't really afford new Catalysts at the moment. For now, Tusk would have to make do with what he had, squeezing what little benefit he could still get from their current stock until his master could get him something else.
---
After greeting and checking on Tusk, Onyx reached into the basin, grabbed his companion, and lifted him out. He strained a little to do so. Tusk had put on a serious couple of pounds in the last month. The little grub was about half again as big in size and nearly twice as hefty, his body plumper and fuller.
Holding his Totem in his arms, Onyx said, “Tusk, meet our new partner in crime,” before reaching into his soul sea and bringing out Hatchet.
With a shimmer of air, Hatchet came forth, now standing in the room with them. The moment he appeared, the large bird turned his head, absorbing his new surroundings, before finally registering Onyx and Tusk.
Onyx lifted Tusk up toward Hatchet. “Tusk, Hatchet. Hatchet, Tusk. You two get along now,” he said with a cheerful tone, introducing his two beasts to one another. But where he saw a wholesome moment, Hatchet saw something else.
The large bird’s eyes widened as he gazed upon Tusk. Such ripeness. Such fullness. To Hatchet, Tusk looked like the juiciest worm he had ever seen in his life. Furthermore, the way Onyx held that “worm” up towards him gave the large bird the impression that he was presenting it as an offering—which he was, but not in the way Hatchet was thinking.
Believing this must be a reward for all that tiresome training, Hatchet gave a happy coot and began stepping forward to claim his prize. He much preferred seeds, but he wouldn’t mind a nice worm from time to time.
Onyx was initially happy to see Hatchet quickly approaching Tusk. A little too quickly, in fact. He figured out Hatchet’s true intentions just as the beast was about to take a nibble right out of Tusk.
“Whoa!” Onyx shouted, moving Tusk away at the last second. However, Hatchet didn’t stop, trying once again to take Tusk from his arms. Onyx had to constantly dodge, moving Tusk away from danger while pushing Hatchet back with his leg, blocking the beast’s persistent pursuit.
“Stop! Stop! Not food! Not food!” Onyx yelled. But the beast’s appetite was too big and his discipline too little to listen right away. Only after several frantic repetitions did the command finally get through.
By the time order was restored, most of the room was a mess. Hatchet stood in one corner, his face filled with disappointment. On the other side of the room, Tusk—safely back in his basin—poked his little head out and threw knives at Hatchet with his eyes, his chitters searing with rage. He was clearly not happy to be seen as food.
Between the two stood Onyx, staring at the surrounding mess. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and sighed. “Well,” he said sarcastically, “aren’t we off to a great start.”
---
After that rough start, Onyx spent the next three days practicing with Hatchet while trying to work on his behavior, all the while leaving Tusk at home as usual to continue nurturing. In the span of three days, Onyx managed to make a decent amount of progress. Hatchet’s response to commands and overall discipline increased considerably. Of course, none of that came without a not-so-insignificant amount of hard work, perseverance, patience, and most importantly, roka seeds.
The duo was also lucky not to run into any wild beasts just yet. Well, until the noon of the fourth day, that is.
As Onyx was patrolling the edges of the western fields, he suddenly noticed a rustle in a patch of the herbs some distance ahead. This immediately put him on high alert. He first had Hatchet take the front before approaching the source of the noise carefully.
Once within close enough proximity, the source became clear. It was a squirrel-like beast with velvet-red fur striped with white and black on its back. The beast was as big as a dog, and right now it was nibbling on one of the plants at the field’s edge.
“A Velvet Squirrel,” Onyx remarked in his head, recalling the species from his education. Low-threat beast. Corpus type… But before he could continue his analysis, the squirrel noticed them. It immediately turned and gave an aggressive hiss.
Onyx was startled, and Hatchet tensed up where he stood. By the look in that beast’s eyes, a confrontation was imminent.
Realizing this, Onyx’s heart began to accelerate. “Oh! Ok, ok, we got this,” he tried to encourage and calm himself. However, standing here right now, facing a wild beast for the first time, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. Prepared as one might think themselves to be, a man’s first step into anything is always the hardest. Onyx knew what he had to do and how to do it, but under the weight of this first step, hesitation was primed to blossom.
Through Onyx’s hesitation, the opposing beast found itself an opportunity. It sprang to action.
Quickly moving around, it found a stone and tossed it into its mouth. It then turned its head, took aim directly at Hatchet, puffed its cheeks, and spat out the rock with great strength and speed.
The large bird gave a loud coot, sensing the immediate danger. Luckily, its call snapped Onyx from his daze just in time to react.
Onyx, in a panic, ordered Hatchet to use [Chicken Feet]. The beast did, dashing to the side and avoiding the projectile—but this left Onyx defenseless in its path.
“Shii—” Onyx cursed as he watched the stone speeding toward him. Only by a hair’s breadth did he manage to duck. The speeding stone flew past him and hit a nearby boulder with a sharp crack, shattering both rock and projectile to pieces.
Sweat formed on Onyx’s forehead as he watched. Seeing this ordinary stone launched with the speed of a bullet was a stern reminder that even the weakest of beasts were still more than capable of killing you if you weren’t careful.
The squirrel hissed again, this time aiming at Onyx, who was still in front of it. Sensing danger, Onyx ordered Hatchet to use [Chicken Feet] to come between them again, blocking the squirrel’s line of sight.
He soon came to regret this decision. Damnit, I should have ordered Hatchet to close the distance and attack the squirrel instead of just blocking its sight of me. Now we’re back at square one, he chewed himself out mentally.
But then he smacked himself on the face. Focus, Onyx. You can’t keep fumbling around like this.
At that moment, Onyx’s mind entered a flow state, pushing aside all unnecessary thoughts and emotions and focusing solely on the task at hand. He keenly observed Hatchet and the enemy, keeping in mind the distance between them, what he had learned from the beast’s previous attack, and how much Flux Hatchet had left.
Putting all these variables together, a plan soon took form.
Under his command, Hatchet started running toward the enemy with all his might, startling the opposing beast, which frantically began preparing another stone projectile. By the time Hatchet was halfway there, the squirrel launched its attack in a panic.
However, Hatchet used [Chicken Feet] once more, cleanly dodging the attack. Onyx, who was paying attention to his positioning this time, preemptively dodged to the opposite side, also safely evading.
Hatchet, after dodging, didn’t pause. Instead, shifting on his heels, he used [Chicken Feet] again, closing the final distance. The squirrel, caught off guard, was unable to react in time. Hatchet, now upon it, immediately followed with a [Cleave], slashing at the beast diagonally.
The momentum from [Chicken Feet] was added to the force of [Cleave], making the attack several times stronger. When the strike connected, it sheared clean through the squirrel’s neck. Its head landed on the earth with a dull thud, while its body convulsed, spraying blood before finally growing still.
He did it. Onyx instinctively realized it. One of the hardest first steps for a Catalyser—his first battle. And even though he’d had a stumbling start, he had ended up with victory.
This was a monumental moment for any Catalyser, usually met with deep, reverent silence.
Onyx, however, did not take his victory in silence. He lifted his arms high in the air and yelled, “I AM THE FREAKING BEST!”
A bit overactive, but he had the right to celebrate.
---
After that intense first encounter, Onyx and Hatchet were lucky enough not to meet any other beasts. By dusk, their guard shift was over. Mister Rolf had previously informed Onyx that they didn’t need to worry about the fields at night because very few beasts in this area were nocturnal.
But before heading home, Onyx first met up with Mister Rolf, bringing the body of his first slain beast with him.
Upon seeing the corpse and the happy expression on Onyx’s face, the old man immediately understood. “Well, well. Someone has just become a real Beast Catalyser. So, lad, how was it?” he asked, his tone both curious and congratulatory.
“Not bad,” Onyx replied, rubbing his nose, his smile not leaving him. “There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement, but overall, not bad.”
Mister Rolf nodded happily and gave Onyx a strong, earned pat on the back.
Once congratulations were over, Onyx returned to the important matter at hand. “You two ran into anything?”
“Aye,” Mister Rolf replied. “A couple of vermin here and there, but not to worry. One warning from Helda was enough to send them running.”
“I see,” said Onyx.
“Lad, now that pests are starting to show up, they ain’t going to stop anytime soon. So be on high alert from now on. But more importantly, be careful.”
Onyx nodded, understanding the warning. But before he left for the night, he said, “One last thing,” and pointed to the beast’s body. “What should I do with this?”
Mister Rolf scoffed and answered nonchalantly, “I have no need for the carcasses of pests, so you can have it if you want, lad. Consider it a bonus. You could take this back to the station and sell it to some butcher. It won’t get you much, but it’s easy money. But if that doesn’t suit you… see what else you could do with it.”
Hearing this, Onyx looked at the carcass and thought for a bit. Soon, he had an idea.
---
The next days came one after another, during which Onyx and Hatchet had run-ins with several other wild beasts.
Some were once again Velvet Squirrels, which they dispatched in a similar manner as before. The only difficulty came from having to deal with multiple at the same time, yet they still managed.
Other than those, they also faced some Armoured Raccoons—a Steel sub-type beast that resembled a regular raccoon but with darker fur, a greater stature, and, most importantly, their namesake: armor consisting of metallic scales that covered their heads and backs. When attacked, these beasts would lay flat on the ground and tank the assault. Hatchet got dazed several times trying to break through their defense to no avail. Luckily, they claimed victory with a simple change of strategy: first kicking the raccoons onto their backs before attacking their soft underbellies.
One day, Onyx and Hatchet finally met an opponent they couldn’t fight: Swift Breeze Finches. A Ventus-type species that resembled finches with delicate white markings on their feathers. These beasts were as small as regular finches and as swift and agile as gusts of wind, making it virtually impossible for Hatchet to hit them. One couldn’t even get a proper look at the patterns on their feathers before they were already high in the air. Luckily, however, they were skittish. Onyx and Hatchet could easily scare them away—it was just very annoying having to do that all day. Once the finches registered their constant presence, they became wary of approaching the fields, so playing scarecrow paid off in the end.
However, Onyx and Hatchet didn’t face their hardest challenge until the accursed invasion of the Abominable Sap Slug.
A Corpus-type beast that resembled a slug the size of a hand with a yellow-brown color and a sticky, elastic body, these beasts came like a wave one day, crawling from the forest toward the fields in numbers no less than a hundreds. As slow as regular slugs, Onyx didn’t think much of them at first—but he would soon be sorry.
Those slugs might have been slow, but they were relentless. Onyx tried to cut, slash, bash, and even crush them, but nothing seemed to work. Their elastic bodies simply negated any physical damage. What was worse, they secreted a sticky slime that worked like a super glue. Onyx couldn’t touch or remove any from the plants without risking damage to the herbs themselves, or worse, having them stick to his body.
Many Medica Mystica herbs were severely damaged by the time Onyx found a solution. Using some nearby stones as flint and Hatchet’s beak as steel, he set fire to a branch wrapped in fern he got from the nearby forest, making a crude torch. His hypothesis—if physical damage doesn’t work, try elemental—soon proved correct. When seared by fire, the slugs writhed in pain and died soon after.
With a solution at hand, Onyx worked frantically to save the nearby herbs before dealing with the remaining slugs. By the end of this “beast wave,” he had buckets full of dead slugs.
In the end, after many more days of toil and facing many more beasts, the day they had all been waiting for finally arrived.
