In the dim-lit corridors of the Valefar Pact’s underground hideout, Aether held the fresh talismans in his hands, eyes gleaming as he turned them over one by one. The Monbeasticores—each carved in careful strokes, pulsating with a quiet, latent power—looked like any other amulet, but Aether knew better. He’d poured days into these talismans, each one bound to a creature that could turn the tide in a serious fight. And after all his tests, he’d found a truth that even he hadn’t expected.
“These things take up your mana, right?” he muttered to himself, eyebrows scrunched, voice low. “Bonding’s like letting ‘em in your soul. Ain’t no one walking around with more than six without feelin’ a pinch in their pool.”
Except… he glanced at the stack Celesse had tested. *Girl’s a beast,* he thought, eyes widening. She bonded with twenty-five, and she was still only half-full.
Aether couldn’t hold back a smirk as he thought of how wild it was. The dungeon core’s capacity was through the roof—it could produce up to two hundred Monbeasticores a day. More than enough to change things. Especially with the rule he’d discovered: have one Monbeasticore fight another, and the victor could consume the loser’s abilities, destroying the talisman but gaining its power. After three fights, some of the Monbeasticores would plateau, but the stronger breeds could handle up to five before maxing out.
Most folks could barely manage three fights before their mana’d be tapped, though. So, if they were gonna keep battling, they'd need every ounce of control, strategy, and grit. And as Aether traced the last line of symbols on the final talisman, an idea sparked.
*Time to put these out there and see who’s really up for the challenge. The rest of the campus needs to know what Valefar Pact can do.*
Later that night, word spread fast: Aether was sharing the Monbeasticores with the other pacts. By morning, the courtyard buzzed with faces from every corner of the campus. Xyra, Adrian, and Selene stood in a line, each with a different reaction as Aether laid out the talismans.
Xyra stepped up first, her eyes flashing with interest. “Yo, Aether. This some real generosity comin' from Valefar,” she said, her voice carrying a subtle respect.
Aether shrugged, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Just thought it’s about time y’all get a taste of what’s good,” he replied, flicking one talisman toward her. “They powerful, but don’t be thinkin’ they’ll make things easy.”
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“Don’t worry,” she said, a playful glint in her eye as she tucked the talisman into her chain, “I’ll put it to good use.”
Selene glanced from Xyra’s smirk back to Aether. “I owe you one for this. Gonna build you and Celesse a D-MECH each, full armor, all the specs,” she said. Her tone was quiet but fierce, her promise spoken with all the seriousness of a pact.
Aether’s smile slipped, just for a second, showing the raw pride in his eyes. “I’d wear that D-MECH like a crown, girl.”
Adrian stepped up, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed. “This some big play, huh? Bet it’s why Celesse wanted to borrow my summoning device,” he muttered. His voice was low, dismissive, though his eyes flickered with a hint of intrigue he tried to keep hidden.
Aether leaned back, the picture of calm. “Think what you want, Adrian. Just know, when you watch your Monbeasticore in the ring, you’ll see what power tastes like.”
From the back, a sharp, high-pitched voice cut through the conversation. Little Nyxara, her face lighting up as Aether handed her a talisman, held it aloft like a trophy. “Aether gave me one!” she announced to the entire yard, her grin pure mischief. “Who’s tryna go first?”
Laughter and whispers broke out, but no one was laughing harder than Charm, who leaned over, nudging Frostie as her eyes sparkled. “Yo, she just threw down on all of ‘em. Bet this kicks off some chaos, huh?”
“Pfft, people gonna be throwin’ bets all week,” Frostie replied, nodding at Little Nyxara, who was already pacing, eyes searching for her first challenger. “Everyone gonna wanna know who’s packin’ the toughest Monbeasticore.”
And just like that, the campus went from simmer to full-on boil. Within a day, students were lining up to place bets, to watch the fights, to see who’d come out on top. Everyone had an opinion—who was strong enough to control their Monbeasticore, who’d tap out, who’d survive the destruction and the mana toll.
As the sun set, Aether found Celesse, off to the side, watching the chaos unfold with a knowing smile.
“This was your idea, wasn’t it?” she asked, her tone both curious and accusing. “You knew this would spark a firestorm.”
Aether shrugged, his gaze focused on the Monbeasticores as they clashed, their powers lighting up the yard. “Gotta give ‘em a reason to pay attention, yeah? Power speaks, even louder when it’s wild like this. But I ain’t about to let anyone think we’re easy to top.”
Celesse chuckled, crossing her arms as she looked over the scene. “Well, when Adrian finally steps up, you gonna handle him?”
Aether turned to her, his eyes sharp. “No one’s gonna step to us without feelin’ the weight of what we bring, Celesse. Not him, not anyone. We let our Monbeasticores talk for us. Let ‘em know they’re walkin’ into our world now.”
She nodded, watching as the crowd’s cheers grew louder, fists raised, the Monbeasticores clashing under the pale moonlight. The Valefar Pact had brought something new, something powerful, and it wouldn’t take long for every pact on campus to feel it.
For Aether, it was just the beginning.