Chapter 1: Aaron

Year 2100 of the New Era

Blue Dawn City

"Ahh, what a long day... I feel like a whole day passed when it's only afternoon," one of the city guards sighed deeply, his fingers whitening as he scraped the white brick blocks with his nails.

He leaned against the wall structure, staring lazily at the distant horizon, his only entertainment being the white sand he created from scraping the wall.

"I know, right? It's also scorching hot," a voice came from the side, his buddy leisurely fanning himself with his light-blue military uniform, desperate for a waft of a gentle breeze to combat the heat.

"We should be thankful that they at least approved the change of uniforms. Standing on the wall under the burning sun while wearing full black would be a nightmare," the man continued, finally opening his deep-set brown eyes, squinting them immediately after being stung by the light.

As city guards who worked on the city wall, their job involved endless lookout for any movement at the edge of the wilderness. They were an important part of the first defense against the terrifying beasts.

But naturally, the job wasn't interesting. Observing distant trees all day long could be tiring after a while.

"Sigh..." The bored guard stopped digging into the wall as he let out a second deep breath. "If only the world hadn't turned into such a mess, we would still be living in bliss..."

"Haha!" His friend burst out into a genial laughter. "You're always like this. Brooding about the past. Who would have thought that a new era of magic would begin after the invasion of the Demonic Races? We should be happy that humanity survived."

In his opinion, everyone should be proud of how their race fought back against unwelcome guests and remained a notable force despite starting from a disadvantaged position. It was a tough battle, but thanks to many sacrifices, their generation could now live relatively safely.

"But what's good in such a life?" The city guard gestured with an open palm at the numerous buildings in front of him. "Always hiding inside cities, behind giant walls... What about adventures? Traveling? So far, we've never left our home since we were born..."

He only received a grin in response, which was followed by a simple solution that many had already taken into consideration, choosing it as their careers and life plans.

"Why don't you become a hunter, then? You'll be able to travel anywhere you want. I fully support you," his buddy taunted him, displaying a set of glistening teeth.

Such a proposal immediately shut the complainer down. He knew joining this group of people was basically suicide for a person like him. He had a hard time killing a fly, let alone the bloodthirsty beasts.

"No, thank you," he quickly shook his head in denial. "Now that you mention it, our job isn't that bad, right? Fresh air and the relaxing warmth of the sun. Yeah, I think I'm good."

Imagining himself surrounded by beasts, the whining city guard changed his attitude by one hundred and eighty degrees. He would think twice before deciding to leave his cushy job.

Ignoring the laughter of his partner, he returned to his previous activity, casually glancing at the distant horizon just to check the situation of the usually still forest. His eyes momentarily squinted.

Thick, milky mist gushed out from the forest in the form of abundant clouds, looking from the height of the wall like a herd of sheep trying to escape from danger.

A resounding howl snapped everyone into focus. The snowy mist expanded tens of meters out of the lush forest as huge black shadows began appearing, growing as they approached.

"Beasts! They're coming!" The complaining city guard cried out at the top of his lungs, forgetting everyone could also hear the spine-chilling sounds.

Beast horde.

The only situation where no matter how brave one was, they still felt pressure and feared the unknown.

An alarm reverberated throughout the city, informing about an emergency closure of the gates as well as a possible attack, urging everyone to distance themselves from the city wall. The reinforcements coming from other parts of the city needed space for their operations.

All city guards entered full alert, dashing towards their crossbows with pupils as big as old-fashioned coins. One stumbled, another knocked into someone, and the next one forgot where he placed his weapon.

No one was fully prepared for such a rare event, happening only once every few years.

Lord Hamilton, the leading expert on the wall, appeared with hurried footsteps, his anxious gaze instantly aimed at the distant horizon where the wilderness began.

"Be ready to contact the academy," Lord Hamilton ordered without averting his eyes. "I think we'll need help."

He was powerful himself, but he wasn't invincible. In the event of a massive beast horde, he would need assistance from other powerhouses in the city.

"Yes, Lord!" His direct subordinate saluted, joining everyone else in observing the spreading sea of mist while gripping the handles of their crossbows.

"I can see them!" A panicked cry reached everyone's ears.

One by one, the shadows in the mist became clearer and more distinct, allowing them to discern their features. Wolves and deer were not a combination they expected.

On one side, a pack of black mutated wolves was orderly moving forward, with their alpha directing the pace. Together with the group of deer on the other side, they walked like a trained army, stable and cautious, forming a small horde.

Lord Hamilton was more tense seeing such an attack compared to madly charging beasts that were predictable.

"Three Kings..." he whispered, recognizing the power of the three leading beasts.

Having the size of a small truck, both the alpha wolf and the leader of the deer were easy to spot, but their giant figures were not what caught Lord Hamilton's attention. It was the emerald pair of eyes that both shared.

It was the sign of stepping into the ranks of Kings, a rank giving them up to five unique abilities and, at the same time, five more reasons to fear them. The third beast, leading the whole troop, also had them.

A snow-white fox.

Five long tails flying in all directions as it walked forward in a steady motion. Its size rivaled the other two, but they couldn't compare in the intelligence of its gaze.

A green hue surrounded its eyes as each step brought it closer to the city wall, increasing the amount of sweat streaming down the city guards' foreheads. They didn't exactly know what to expect, seeing such an attack for the first time.

Lord Hamilton didn't need to say anything when his subordinate already dashed towards the watchtower. He had to use one of the signal stations inside to contact the academy.

Being the leader of the Northern City Wall, Lord Hamilton called out to his men. "Check your ammunition! When the beasts walk into your range, fire! Aim at the weaker minions, leave the Kings for last," his orders were short and straight to the point.

Having the practice already engraved in their minds, everyone was standing by the edge with their double-handed crossbows, ready to shoot.

Their modern military uniforms didn't match the old concept of their weapon, but if one inspected, they would notice a slight modification in the crossbows' build.

A shiny-looking orange crystal was surrounded by six round translucent stones that had a cyan tint to them. Some latecomers were checking their placement upon hearing their Lord's order.

There were no bolts inside, but they tightened their strings and aimed at the incoming army. Although they were high above and the city walls were thick, the city guards knew just this much couldn't guarantee them a successful defense.

In the New Era, everything was possible.

"Focus on the deer! Their abilities might help them cross the wall. Once we kill them, the following battle will be plain sailing," Lord Hamilton continued with his orders, pulling out his weapon.

A long and flashy blade, with twinkling lights caused by the sun. It spun in an arc above Lord Hamilton's head, glaring at everyone with a crimson crystal implanted at its base. Many couldn't help but avert their eyes from the beasts, admiring it for a second.

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He killed many with this blade. His men thought before returning to duty, their spirits lifted, and courage multiplied.

Thirty steps... Twenty steps... Ten steps...

The warriors gave their last look at the pretty crystals set in the sockets before hugging the triggers of their weapons.

No one questioned why the beasts walked so slowly, focusing on their aim and firing when the mutated animals crossed the well-known line of their range.

"Fire!" Their thoughts were confirmed with one shout.

Each crossbow was the same; one of the six cyan stones dimmed, but orange crystals lit up, coming out as if giving birth to something unusual.

Bolts they hadn't seen before began appearing out of nowhere, latched onto tightened strings. With a second movement of the trigger, they launched them into the bright sky. They left a barely noticeable orange trail as they flew on the desired arc, heading straight toward the beasts.

"Huh?" A surprised expression crossed Lord Hamilton's face as he met the fox's gaze. "Did it just smile at me?"

He could swear that the fox's eyes met his own and the corners of its mouth lifted. Before the bolts landed, the fox halted, and the other beasts followed suit, taking ten steps back. When the bolts finally fell, they lodged into the ground while completely missing their targets.

"I think they're playing with us…" One of the city guards muttered, lowering his crossbow while expecting the same reaction from everyone else, but he only received glares. His words were too obvious, annoying the rest.

Lord Hamilton contemplated his further actions, realizing their enemies were too smart when a sudden puff of wind disturbed his thoughts.

Green light flashed above his head, braking and suspending in front of the city wall. Fabulous wings fluttered in constant motion, allowing their owner to defy the laws of gravity. There was only one person in the whole city capable of displaying such ability.

Principal Morgan.

"What's the situation?" Vested in dark green scale armor that matched her translucent wings, the female hunter flipped her sword as she asked for a report. Though, it didn't sound like a question but an order.

A look of envy filled Lord Hamilton's face as he stared at her wings, but he extinguished his feelings before anyone saw them. He gathered his thoughts to provide a report when they suddenly heard a yipping bark coming from the fox and saw both Kings on its side bow their heads, ceasing any movement.

Her eyebrows rose when the fox looked at her from a distance and began walking toward the city wall with no entourage, its five tails calmly waving from left to right.

"Hmm, interesting," Principal Morgan muttered to herself, tilting her chest forward while folding her wings. Her body immediately caught gravity, and she began falling with a grin on her face.

She loved flying. If only it didn't come at such a large cost, she would fly every day. Each time she created her wings, her power disappeared quickly.

Spreading them, she fluttered a few times to balance her weight and landed gracefully on the ground, only a few tens of meters separating her from the five-tailed fox. She didn't revert her wings just in case anything happened, requiring an instant response.

The fox didn't stop its approach, and the city guards aimed their crossbows once again, but Lord Hamilton stopped them, slapping the closest one across the head.

"Idiots, do you want to shoot the Principal?! Hold fire!" He scolded, resuming his observation right after.

Staring at the fox's green eyes, Principal Morgan met with the beast halfway, stopping ten meters apart from each other. Having the same rank, both were unafraid of the other, ready for a battle. It had been a while since the Principal got to stretch her bones, so she didn't mind the opportunity that presented itself to her.

There was something magical about the giant fox in front of her. It had an aura of nobility around it, and with the snow-white fur and a short but soft-looking nose, it was just too pretty to kill. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to spare it.

The Principal tightened her grip on her sword, preparing to launch an attack when her expression changed, losing her grasp of the situation. The fox turned its head away, ignoring her and focused on its back.

To the Principal's surprise, its tails reached and pulled a cream-colored basket from its back, passing it to its mouth. The five-tailed fox placed the basket on the ground before pushing it towards the human whose race was its enemy.

"You want me to take it?" Principal Morgan asked, bewildered, only realizing afterward that she was trying to talk to a fox. What was even more bizarre, the fox nodded gently, sliding the basket even closer to her.

Her curiosity overcame her rationality. "Walk back, I will look inside," Principal Morgan ordered as she lifted her sword, aiming the tip at the fox's nose. The fox didn't seem to mind, taking a few steps back.

Adjusting the strand of her coal-black hair, she slowly approached and crouched next to the basket while keeping an eye on the fox. She made sure it wasn’t doing anything suspicious and carefully peeked inside by sliding the cloth on top.

"What...?" She couldn't help but question if she saw correctly. There was no need to dig deep into the basket to see a baby wearing white clothes, sleeping soundlessly as if the travels on a giant beast's back didn't bother it.

"Did you find it and decide to bring it here?" The first question she thought of left her mouth.

She expected the fox to answer with a yes or no, but it just stared at her, making her think she overestimated the fox's intelligence.

The baby boy shared her hair color, looking to be about six months old with healthy, rosy cheeks. It seemed there was nothing wrong with him, aside from being a child brought by beasts, which would lower the chances of a successful adoption to zero. Who would want a baby of unknown origin, found under such frightening circumstances?

Even though she knew that, her kind heart couldn't leave the baby with the beasts.

"Okay, we will take him, but you have to take your buddies and leave, got it?" Principal Morgan covered the baby and glanced at the distant beasts which acted as backup for the fox.

The communication barrier could have troubled them again, but it went smoothly. The fox nodded as if it understood and turned around, sending a high-pitched bark at its companions.

All the wolves howled and scattered back to the forest, much faster compared to their initial approach. Deer calmly followed them, leaving only the fox standing still.

"What about you?" Principal Morgan asked as she stood up, never imagining she would have such a lengthy conversation with a beast.

The fox only glanced at her and slowly walked toward her, forcing the Principal to take a few steps back. In the next moment, the unthinkable happened.

The fox leaned over, bending down to reach the baby and touched its chest with its nose. Principal Morgan didn't notice at first, but the fox's fur began glowing, gradually turning its body into a statue of blinding light.

The light enveloped the whole basket, only to shrink until a tiny ball of whiteness lay motionless on top of the baby boy's body.

A baby fox.

She was knowledgeable about various beast’s abilities, but that was the first time she saw such interaction.

The fox mimicked the boy, sleeping soundly while wrapping itself with a single tail, a sign of a decrease in power. Principal Morgan could no longer sense any of its previous strength, as though it had sacrificed all its energy to perform this transformation.

It didn't take her long to discover some clues.

When she tried to check if the boy was alright, she noticed a moon-shaped birthmark on his chest, still glowing similarly to the fox before.

"Did you exchange your power for a connection with this child?" The Principal questioned as she patted the fox's head, no longer afraid of it, but she didn't receive an answer.

The longer she stared at the boy, the more she wanted to keep him for herself, her maternal instincts surging forward.

At only twenty-five, she was at the peak of her career, but thoughts of starting a family had always occupied her mind.

Without hesitation, Principal Morgan picked up the basket with both the baby and the fox inside, deciding to re-enter the city, carrying two new citizens with her. Bringing a beast into the city was a controversial topic, but considering the bond the two shared, it would be a shame to separate them.

Lord Hamilton had witnessed almost everything that transpired, except for the actual contents of the basket. In his view, the beast had surrendered, presenting gifts to the academy's principal and transforming into a cub for her to tame.

Anger.

If only he hadn't called for her, waiting longer, he would be the one to receive the gifts.

"You can't take a wild beast inside the city! It's against the rules!" Lord Hamilton protested as Lady Morgan flew across the city wall, ignoring him completely.

She stopped, hovering in the air, and turned to look at him with an expression as serene as water.

"Did you say something?" Her previously gentle voice now stung Lord Hamilton's ears, turning cold and hostile.

The Winged Slayer, Lady Morgan's hunter nickname, revealed its true nature to everyone. She brandished the sword that had cut down high-ranked beasts with weekly frequency, blinding their eyes with the reflected sunrays.

They swallowed their saliva in unison, Lord Hamilton being no exception. After a moment of silence, they were fortunate to be disregarded once more, as the Winged Slayer flew away to the nearby academy.

She was the only one with a mansion within the academy grounds, being the first principal to ever request one.

Upon entering the mansion, she placed the basket on the kitchen table, and without changing back into her normal attire, she immediately checked on the baby boy.

"Oh! You're awake!" Lady Morgan exclaimed in surprise, seeing two bright blue eyes staring at her, curious about the woman in front of him.

The boy remained calm, more curious than panicked, while she felt quite the opposite. Her cheeks flushed and her chest warmed up.

She didn't know how to take care of a baby!

Being the youngest in her family, she had never had contact with babies. Lady Morgan found it easy when the boy was asleep, but with him awake, the difficulty increased, and her mind went blank.

At least he doesn't cry… She thought to herself, extending her hand to the boy.

"Ma~" The boy let out a sound of joy as he grasped her finger firmly. His comforting smile helped her relax, and she played with him for a moment.

"Sigh… what am I going to do with you?" Principal Morgan asked after exhaling deeply. It was more of a question to herself since she didn't expect an answer.

"Do you want me to be your mama?" She murmured in a childish voice, but all she got was her finger being sucked on.

Gosh, what am I even saying…? I guess I should give him a name first…

"They call me Principal Morgan, but you can call me Alice. I guess we need to name you somehow. How about Mike?" Alice thought of a boy's name, but it seemed it wouldn't be that easy.

The snow-white fox, which had slept the whole time next to the baby, growled without moving its body, only slapping Alice's arm with its tail.

"Hmm," Alice pondered once again. "Then maybe Zack?"

She received the same reaction.

Alice couldn't help but roll her eyes and stare at the boy, trying to think of a name that would suit him.

"I know, Aaron!" She exclaimed with one more attempt, and thankfully, the fox remained quiet this time. She celebrated her success with a dazzling smile and caressed the boy's round cheek.

"Then it's settled," she announced. "From today onward, your name is Aaron Morgan. You are my son."