Tamer Dale (POV)

Day 2 AFP (After Fluffals Pillars)

Dale traveled to the Town of Seward by Junkjet on the morning of Day 2 AFP after a diplomatic deal had been worked out between the Tamer Council and the former Rockville community.

Once he landed in Seward, Dale swore that he would never set foot inside the Junkjet again unless it was a life-threatening situation. Unfortunately, there weren't any other aircraft that the council could use as a replacement.

The Military force once stationed here had built heavy-duty vaults to store their air, sea, land vehicles, and hand-held weapons.

It is a safety measure to protect their inventory from thieves or terrorists. Sadly the security codes to unlock them could not be found lying around their command centers.

Five of the six new Tamers who had joined the council on Day 1 AFP had been assigned administrative roles in the underground city in Seward. Derek Rayerson took over Dale's Communications overwatch duties in the Tamer Union HQ.

In Dale's mind, Derek is somewhat lazy and antisocial, not in an anxious or shy sort of way. But he prefers being alone most of the time, kind of way. Despite that, he can handle social interactions reasonably well, enough to get along with others reasonably well but not to the point where he becomes close friends.

The task of monitoring the Monster app communications and reporting the essential bits of intel to the Council and new Tamers was a perfect fit, one could say.

While mentoring Derek in what was expected of him, Dale noticed a few Tamers from China were sharing videos to discuss publicly how their monsters took on mythical aspects from Chinese mythologies or stories that inspired the User's choice after the fifth stage during egg fertilization.

They didn't understand why that occurred. Those Tamers felt lucky that their monsters were closely related to their personal and cultural fantasies. Was this a coincidence?

Last night, the council had decided to show thirty new Tamers who arrived in a yacht they 'borrowed' from California a demo exhibition of all the Monster skills they had acquired. Dale remembered Mash's fascination with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and was surprised to see him showing off Twiggy's Turtle Kung Fu with great passion to the new Tamers.

It was almost like the monster app made Mash's wish come true. The skills their monsters unlocked resonated with their Tamers. Is there a hidden mechanism that caused this? Or was it all dumb luck?

Zao is a man who likes to keep to himself, so there was no way to know why he ended up with a Bee Knight monster partner. But Zao did not lack imagination when using all the Monster's skills during his first fight against the Ice-Bugs. So was he just lucky that his Bee Knight equipment transformation choice made him a natural warrior, or did he carefully pick the traits that would create the best Monster and skills he was familiar with?

Dale spent a few hours pondering these observations before testing his theory during Agni's evolution. He already regretted making most of his choices during the Egg fertilization at random and didn't have any picture of what he wanted in his mind back then.

Dale had chosen the easiest route to complete the tasks in time and didn't consider how those choices would come back to bite him in an apocalyptic world where a Tamer is only as strong as his Monster partner's potential.

Dale could not turn back the clock and make the correct choices with his recently acquired knowledge. Instead, he could only move forward with what he had at present.

He decided to look deeper into the questions provided after the fifth Egg Fertilization. After studying them for several minutes, he wondered why the monster app wanted the User to memorize the mythologies of the Sun, Moon, Sky, Sea, and Mountain?

Did it only have to do with giving a task for hatching the Egg, or was it a clue to something the User should remember while trying to evolve their Monster?

The waiting period for the evolution requirement is unlocked around 10 PM on Day 2 AFP.

Dale sat in a lotus position opposite his monster partner Agni in the decommissioned smoker's lounge inside the underground city of Seward. Both of them have their eyes closed and are in deep meditation. The flame feathers on Agni's dark metal body have grown in number and length over the three days it hatched. As a result, Agni's overall size has increased as well. It is now as large as a Full-grown Eagle.

While Dale is seated on the ground, Agni roosts on a mini furnace burning coal. No, he was not trying to cook Agni. Instead, the energy released by the flames and coal is being siphoned into the flame feathers. Embers dance around Agni's body and wink out of existence.

The temperature in the lounge was hot enough to make Dale's skin turn red, but he didn't feel any pain. The more he got closer to Agni in spirit, the less pain he suffered from flames and heat generated by the mini furnace.

Inside Dale's mind, he recollected all the details about the sun and its mythologies. Helios, Appollo, Surya, Ra, Amaterasu, Freyr, Garuda, Mithras, Sol, and Hvar Kjshaita. All these Sun gods were worshipped or respected by ancient human civilizations that are both dead and living. Their abilities and deeds are recited repeatedly like a mantra.

Dale felt the presence of Agni's mind consuming his thoughts and desire to harness the traits of those sun gods. This continued for hours without a break.

The flames around Agni grew stronger until they finally gathered into a ball in front of Agni's beak that kept compressing itself until it resembled a miniature sun. Finally, at the end of the fourth hour of meditation, Agni opened its beak and swallowed the small miniature sun whole.

The Rubies on her body shined along with the flame feathers, indicating that she was ready to evolve.

[Would the User Dale like to proceed with the monster evolution request?]

"At last!"

After going through four hours of reciting a long mantra of the solar mythologies, Dale believed Agni benefited greatly from his efforts. A new mystical aura emanating from Agni made her seem like something beyond just a fiery metal bird.

[Choose One Combat Style: Monster-User Fusion, Equipment Transformation or Skill Transfer]

"I choose the combat style, Equipment Transformation."

[Combat style has been selected and bonded to the User's account]

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"I really hope I don't regret it."

[Detecting Monster Type: Mind, Sun, Mana, Bird, Metal]

[Users who selected Mind over Body must choose one of the following to master]

[Enhanced Mana Regeneration, Enhanced Elemental Damage or Extra skill slot]

"Give me the Extra skill slot."

[Extra skill slot Mastery has been selected and bonded to the User's account]

[Monster will now evolve into the Second form]

Agni's body is enveloped in a white shining sphere that then shatters and reveals a five-foot-tall (1.5 meters)Shoe-Bill Stork encrusted with large rubies on its wings, beak, and eyes. In addition, the body is covered in sharp black steel-shaped feathers. From Agni's wings, top of her head and tail rose bright red flame feathers that faded into the purple fire wisps.

Agni unfolded her black steel ruby-encrusted wings that spanned eight feet (2.5 meters) wide and increased the fire output of the flame feathers attached to them until the Smoker lounge's floor and walls were covered by her flames. Angi now closely resembled the Galarian Moltres in Pocket Monsters.

The flames licked at Dale's red skin and then started to heal them back to their original color. Previous burn wounds he received from Agni are now completely healed. However, the flames had not damaged the surroundings, contrary to what should have happened.

The flames retreated back into Agni's body, which seemed significantly weakened by the effort. The rubies on her body had looked dull now. The glimmer they possessed after evolving has disappeared.

Agni's ruby eyes and beak also took on a dull appearance. Even her flame feathers winked out of existence before she collapsed on the floor, groaning in pain. She looked like a dying phoenix about to turn into ash.

"What was that skill you used on me, Agni?"

After he asked the question, the Monster App projected the skill list.

[Monster Skills: Holy Flames (Beginner), Solar Charge (Beginner), Jet Propulsion (Beginner), Fire Ball Barrage (Beginner), Flashbang (Beginner)

Holy Flames- The Monster's flames become Holy which allows it to heal any wound and affliction on itself or another. Holy flames cannot damage or hurt what they touch. The severity of the injury or pain will drain more Mana to cure it. This skill cannot be activated without Mana.

Solar Charge- The Monster constantly absorbs the sun's energy through the large gems encrusted on its body, converts it into Mana, and acts as a Mana power bank. It cannot gather Mana any other way. This skill will be deactivated at night or in a space without sunlight.

Jet Propulsion- The Monster's metal wings create Mana-powered jet engines with Mach 1 speed while flying straight. This skill cannot be activated without Mana or gets deactivated if Mana runs out while the skill is being used.

Fire Ball Barrage- The Monster creates several giant fireballs out of Mana and launches them at opponents. This skill cannot be activated without Mana.

Flashbang- The Monster produces a bright flash of light and loud sound to stun or disorient opponents without causing severe injury. This skill cannot be activated without Mana]

Dale stared at Agni's skill list with a stunned and disbelief expression. The skill known as Holy Flames is definitely related to a solar deity. It can't be that such a powerful healing ability appeared on Agni by dumb luck.

"Hey Lina, can you check with the monster app to see if artificial lights can restore her Mana?"

[Only the radiation emitted by the sun has the power to be converted into Mana]

Dale looked at the time on his phone and noticed it was already past 2 AM on Day 3 AFP Agni would be out of commission until the sun rises because she had used up all her Mana in the Rubies to heal her Tamer after evolving.

"Is Agni in pain if she runs out of Mana?"

[It is similar to humans suffering dehydration and starvation at the same time]

"If I un-summon her, will the pain stop?"

[User's Monster will remain in suspended animation in the app]

Dale kneeled down and stroked Agni's head, and whispered.

"Unsummon, Agni!"

Once his Monster dematerialized, Dale got up and walked out of the underground base while ensuring he didn't disturb anyone's sleep. He kept walking through the sleeping town of Seward until he reached the docks.

Dale sat down at the edge of a wooden dock and stared at the direction where the sun should rise from. Freezing cold winds blew in from the sea.

His mind remembered that Agni spent the last few days sitting on his shoulder, giving him warmth and keeping him distracted from his loneliness.

He sat there for over an hour, lost in his own thoughts.

Once in a while, Dale stared at the Monster app to look at Agni's skill list. Finally, at 5.30 AM, he asked a question out loud.

"I think I will never be able to use Agni's abilities when there is no sunlight. Did I turn Agni into a double-edged sword?"

[Is that a question for me?]

"Yes, Lina! Who else am I talking to out here?"

[It has been a while since User Dale wanted to talk to me like a person other than issuing slave commands]

"That stings! I thought you would be happy that I was working, exercising, and socializing."

[Yes, it was good to see this side of User Dale]

"Anyways... do you think I caused Agni to turn into a monster that can't function without the sun?"

[Has User Dale noticed other monsters experiencing this issue?]

"I didn't hear any other Mana-type Tamer say their Monster can only gather Mana during a specific time of day. They could use skills that gather Mana from the environment without any specific conditions other than the Mana Moon types. But they still had skills that could activate without Mana."

[Will User Dale inform the other Tamers of this discovery?]

"I don't think it is good for everyone to be incapacitated due to the time of day or environment. That would result in too many Tamers being Glass Cannons like me."

[The other Tamers will realize User Dale's weakness eventually]

"Pretty sure my new skills will put Zao in second place in the Tamer rankings before that happens."

[Council Member Zao has the most combat experience out of all the Tamers here]

"There is the Lina I know and love! Putting me in my place and bringing me back to reality."

[That is what User Dale's father wanted from me]

"Ah... I see. Well, I don't want to go back to feeling sorry for myself for a big mistake and hide away from society like before."

[User Dale hasn't slept the whole night]

"Once I recharge Agni, I plan to test out all her skills far away from here. After finding out her limits, I will activate the combat style and test that. When all that is done, then only I can rest easy."

[I am confused, is User Dale worried about the Monster?]

"I gave Agni a handicap that could have been avoided if I had just stuck to regular training. So I worry... no, I just don't want to see her suffer again because of how I raised her."

[User Dale is sounding like a parent now]

Dale paused and thought about his father for a bit before replying.

"I didn't realize that he thought that way. I figured he was ashamed because of me not keeping a job. If he had told me..."

A few minutes passed as Dale reflected on Lina's words and stared at the horizon signs of sunlight.

"It's odd how the universe works. It took an A.I. Butler, apocalypse, and a digital monster for me to understand my father's actions. I feel bad for not realizing this sooner while he was still around. I have been blaming myself ever since he passed for not making him proud during his last days."

[Maybe User Dale can try to forgive and move on]

The first rays of sunlight broke through at that moment. Dale stayed silent as he watched the sun climb up over the horizon and illuminate the beautiful landscape of Alaska that was hidden by darkness.

Beautiful mountains, ancient forests covered in mist, and the blue ocean where a pod of killer whales surfaced for air filled his sight.

"Come out, Agni!"

Agni materialized next to Dale on the Dock. She appeared lying down on the cold wooden planks at first, but Agni struggled to pick herself up to feel the heat from the rising celestial on her body. The rubies on her face start converting the solar rays into Mana, giving Agni more strength to lift her vast wings and spread them out to soak in as many rays as possible.

Several seconds later, the flame feathers on her body reignite, and she flaps them hard a few times before leaping into the air and climbing into the sky. The rubies on Agni's body glimmer so bright that he had to shield his eyes from getting stung by the glare.

Dale watched from the Dock as Agni kept climbing higher and higher before dropping down from the sky like a meteor. Then, swooping over the sea's surface before using her wings as breaks to slow down and land back next to Dale on the Dock.

Agni's eyes showed gratitude as she nuzzled Dale's head with affection with her huge ruby-encrusted beak. Dale and Agni sat by the Docks and admired the sun as it kept climbing upwards and bathing the world with light and warmth.

"You are right, Lina... I think I am ready to move on too."