My father leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table as he considered the grimoire’s golden pages. His expression was thoughtful, but not worried.

“Well,” he said finally, “I suppose this makes things simpler.”

I frowned. “Simpler?”

He smirked. “Because I already know where we can get your first contracted beast.”

I blinked. “Wait—you already had something planned?”

“Not exactly planned,” he admitted, “but I do know a man who specializes in physical-type beasts. He owes me a favor.”

My mother, still standing close by, let out a small sigh of relief. “That’s good. We wouldn’t want to waste too much time searching for a compatible creature.”

My father nodded. “He runs a small cultivation enclosure on the outskirts of town. Unlike our golden-hand monkeys, his beasts are bred specifically for physical-type summoners.”

I leaned forward, interested. “What kind of beasts?”

“Golden Body Monkeys.”

I paused. “That sounds… familiar.”

Father grinned. “They’re similar to the golden-hand monkeys we breed, but smaller, sturdier, and built purely for combat. They don’t have elemental abilities, but they possess a unique trait—”

“They can double their physical strength and speed for short bursts of time,” my mother finished, nodding.

That caught my attention.

“…Double?”

“That’s right.” My father’s grin widened. “They may not have elemental magic, but they make up for it in pure, raw strength. When properly trained, a golden body monkey can outmatch most beasts of its rank.”

I sat back, considering. “Then why aren’t they popular?”

My mother sighed. “Because they’re lazy.”

I blinked. “Lazy?”

“Very,” she emphasized. “Golden body monkeys are notorious for spending most of their time either sleeping or eating. They don’t like training, and if you don’t push them, they’ll grow fat and sluggish.”

I frowned. “…So, they’re strong, but only if you can actually get them to work?”

“Exactly.” My father chuckled. “Most summoners don’t have the patience to train them properly. But if you can…” He smirked. “Their ability to double their power makes them terrifying opponents. Especially in the early stages of development.”

I processed that information.

A lazy but incredibly strong beast…

It honestly didn’t sound too different from some of the golden-hand monkeys I worked with.

And that meant…

I could handle it.

“So,” I said slowly, “you’re saying… if I train it properly, I’ll have a beast that’s way stronger than most others at my level?”

My father’s smirk deepened. “Now you’re thinking like a summoner.”

My mother crossed her arms. “It won’t be easy, Akul.”

I met her gaze, then nodded. “I know.”

“…But you’re willing to try?”

I took a deep breath. Then I smiled.

“Yeah. I am.”

For a moment, my mother just looked at me. Then, slowly, she smiled back.

Father clapped his hands together. “Good. We’ll visit my friend’s enclosure soon. But before that—” He tapped the grimoire.

“We need to see what trait you’ve unlocked.”

“Traits are just as important as affinities,” my father explained. “If affinity determines what kind of beasts you can contract, then your trait determines how well you can raise them.”

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He gestured to the grimoire. “Open the next page. That’s where we’ll find it.”

I hesitated. “What kind of traits exist?”

“Many,” he said. “But they usually fall into one of three categories.”

He lifted a finger. “First—Development Traits. These enhance your ability to train and strengthen your beasts. They make raising creatures easier, help them evolve faster, and sometimes even allow you to influence their growth paths.”

A second finger. “Second—Battle Traits. These allow summoners to enhance their beasts in combat. Some directly boost power or speed, others grant additional skills, and the strongest ones even allow summoners to fight alongside their creatures.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Fight alongside?”

“There are traits that let summoners temporarily merge with their beasts during battle,” my father confirmed. “Or traits that give you a beast’s physical capabilities while in their presence.”

That… sounded insane.

He lifted a third finger. “And lastly—Defensive Traits. These focus on protection, healing, or support. Some allow you to shield your beasts. Others increase endurance, or even heal both you and your summons during battle.”

“So,” I summarized, “a development trait makes it easier to train beasts. A battle trait makes them stronger in combat. And a defensive trait helps with survivability?”

“Exactly.” My father nodded. “Each has its own advantages, but some are more suited to specific affinities.”

I glanced at my mother. “What do you think I’ll get?”

She hesitated. “I… don’t know.”

Her expression was careful. “Physical-type summoners usually develop battle or development traits. But your grimoire is… different. I wouldn’t be surprised if yours is unique.”

I swallowed. That wasn’t exactly reassuring.

“Enough talking,” my father said. “Let’s see it.”

I took a breath, then turned the page.

And the moment I did—

A pulse of mana exploded from the grimoire.

The air in the room shifted—no, compressed, as if space itself was reacting.

My mother took a step back. My father’s eyes widened.

And on the dark, bottomless page, golden letters began to etch themselves into existence.

━━━ ◇ ━━━

Trait: ██████████

━━━ ◇ ━━━

The golden text flickered violently.

The letters blurred—unstable, shifting, changing.

"Then, before I could read it… Snap. The grimoire slammed shut on its own.

The golden runes on the cover flashed brighter, then manifested in the air, locking my artifact in place and sealing the book's contents.

Silence.

Then—

“What… just happened?” I whispered.

My father exhaled slowly.

“…I don’t know.”

My mother’s face was pale. “It sealed itself.”

Grimoires didn’t do that.

Traits were supposed to be revealed immediately.

But mine… Mine resisted.

I swallowed.

Something was different.

And whatever my trait was…

It wasn’t normal.

I frowned, staring at the sealed pages of my grimoire. The trait section had locked itself away before I could read it, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence in the room.

The grimoire is still usable, but the trait page is completely sealed.

“…So, how do traits usually work?” I asked, breaking the tension.

My father leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, considering my question.

“They’re ranked,” he said. “From F to SSS.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That extreme?”

He smirked. “It’s a simple system. F is the weakest, SSS is the strongest. Most summoners awaken a trait somewhere between C and B. A-grade traits are rare. S and above? You might see one in a generation.”

I nodded slowly. “So, higher ranks mean better traits?”

“Not just better,” he corrected. “Higher-ranked traits are more efficient, powerful, and adaptable. A C-grade battle trait might boost your beast’s speed for a few seconds, while an S-grade version of the same trait might make them twice as fast for an entire fight.”

That made sense.

“…And the grimoire said that traits can grow?”

He nodded. “It’s rare, but yes. Some traits can develop through training, battle experience, or sheer luck. A B-grade trait can become A-grade over time. But that depends on the summoner.”

I exhaled, tapping my fingers against the book. “Alright… but what about EX traits?”

Father’s expression shifted slightly.

“EX traits,” he murmured. “Those are… different.”

I noticed the hesitation in his voice. “How different?”

He glanced at my mother, then back at me. “An EX trait is locked. It has already reached its maximum potential from the moment you awaken it.”

I frowned. “So, no growth?”

“Exactly,” he confirmed. “If a trait is B-rank EX, it will never become A-rank. If it’s F-rank EX, it stays F forever.”

I processed that. “So, it’s a double-edged sword?”

Father nodded. “You gain the full power of the trait immediately, making it the strongest skill at his rank, but you will never be able to evolve it further.”

“…And what about Unique traits?”

He grinned. “Those? Those are one of a kind.”

I leaned forward. “No one else in the world has them?”

“No one,” he confirmed. “Most summoners awaken common traits, ones that other people share in different ranks. But Unique traits? Those are entirely new. Tailor-made for the person who awakens them.”

I swallowed. That was… huge.

“So, the ultimate combination would be a high-rank Unique EX trait?”

Father chuckled. “In theory, yes. But there’s no guarantee that an EX trait will be high-ranked. There have been summoners who awakened F-rank EX traits—completely useless, and they were stuck with them forever.”

I winced. “That’s brutal.”

He smirked. “The world of summoners isn’t fair, Akul. You get what you get.”

A thought struck me.

“…What trait do you have?”

He lifted an eyebrow. Then, without a word, he extended his hand. A faint golden glow flickered around him, almost invisible until he focused it into his palm.

“A-rank Defensive Trait,” he said proudly. “Guardian’s Will.”

I felt a pulse of mana ripple from him.

I could feel it. A quiet, unshakable force.

“What does it do?” I asked.

Father smirked. “Simple. The stronger my will, the stronger my defense. It enhances my body’s durability and lets me take attacks that would normally kill me.”

I blinked. “Wait… so it’s like a passive shield?”

“Exactly,” he confirmed. “The tougher the situation, the stronger it becomes. It’s saved my life more times than I can count.”

I exhaled. An A-rank defensive trait. That was… incredible.

And yet, here I was—staring at a grimoire that had just sealed itself.

I looked back down at my book, a strange unease settling in my chest.

If traits were ranked from F to SSS…

And if EX traits were locked in power forever…

Then what had my grimoire just hidden from me, or why?