Tamer Selvaria (POV)
Selvaria sat beside her Seal monster named Galatea inside the Cold storage room where soft drinks and alcohol used to be stored. From her phone, she played the videos coming in from a Tamer called Travis, who was recording the battle occurring outside the stadium between the Icebugs and the Evac team sent by the UGP.
Even with the support of the Black Phoenix Tamer, who rained down fireballs from the sky in numbers that caused everyone to be awed, the battle did not seem to show any sign of dying down.
A small army of ten-foot-tall Ants made of Earth and Wood supported the UGP Tamers with long-range attacks from the top of a twenty-foot tall fortress made of compacted Earth. This fortress steadily increased in size ever since it first showed up on the battlefield. A giant born from the union of the Hulk and one of those Ants squished all the Icebugs that the Humans couldn't handle. The twelve Marines who came to escort the Evac of survivors had gathered around this structure's entry points and fought like berserkers in their weird fantasy-like equipment to stop the Icebugs from overwhelming them.
Selvaria unconsciously strokes her Infant monster partner as she overhears Bison arguing with the other Tamers about the need to help those who came to rescue them. Unfortunately, too few Tamers volunteered to join Bison since they do not believe the Evac team will wipe out the Icebugs that have come out of their hive to destroy them. The hesitant survivors plead that going outside right now would result in all their deaths and that the Evac team is destined to die very soon. Bison calls them all cowards and storms off to the entrance with two other combat Tamers who agree with him that doing nothing is a sin.
Selvaria did not say anything during this encounter, but she silently supported Bison's views and actions. If only her Monster had evolved sooner, she would have walked outside with him. Instead, all she could do was get her monster partner to complete the first evolution as quickly as possible and join the fight. Galatea is a baby Harp Seal with fluffy white fur and a chubby body that has demanded belly rubs ever since it was born three days ago. The Seal is meditating inside an Icecream freezer that her Tamer repurposed into a chilled mini pool to relax in. There were roughly fifteen minutes left before the four-hour meditation to evolve was completed, but every minute seemed to be dragging out longer due to the sense of urgency that had filled Selvaria's mind.
Selvaria had arrived at Dallas Airport just before D-day to personally attend the exhibition of the Genetically modified Rabbits created with human-like intelligence or at least that of a five-year-old one. The project had taken over five years to complete, but finally, Rabbit owners everywhere would be able to carry around bunnies that could obey the orders of a human who raised them. Selvaria had been a backer who was promised two of these Bunnies as a reward for her support.
Genetically modified animals were a sensitive topic, even though laws that prevented genetic modifications were lifted long ago. There was a movement by PETA to eradicate these creatures and destroy the organizations that were trying to create intelligent pets as they viewed them as being unnatural. Selvaria couldn't stand politics that rejected the advancement from primitive creatures into beings that explore the universe without being confined to purist views. She was determined to bring a breeding pair back to the Moon Base, where they and their progeny would be safe from PETA.
The Moon was Selvaria's true home now, though she fondly recalled her childhood on Earth under the care of her loving parents. Selvaria has German and Japanese genes inside her, making her a beauty even at thirty. Most junior officers always found it hard to believe she was not the same age as them and had their minds blown when they learned she was the Admiral of the Archimedes Base branch of the VSDF (Vector Self Defense Forces). This project began over four decades ago after the last cold war reshaped the balance of power on Earth.
All the nations that had achieved space flight on their own had colonized different regions on the dark side of the Moon. Over time their bases cut ties to the parent nations and began to link up to establish a new independent government on the Moon known as 'Vector.' They accepted and recruited talented scientists of every field imaginable, no matter which country or political affiliation they belonged. The bases on the Moon soon became self-sustainable around a decade ago and hardly visited Earth for anything other than picking up colonists who registered with their embassies on Earth.
Even though the Moon bases cut ties with the parent nations, they still received trade requests for the minerals found on the Moon and access to the technology developed there. As a result, the Moon became the prime destination for Earth's elite to vacation and purchase illegal tech. In addition, the population on the Moon grew to around fifty thousand people so far, and the agricultural farms built there were sufficient to allow a population expansion. But lately, people desired pets like Dogs, Cats, Otters, Foxes, Parrots, and Monkeys more than they wanted human kids. Thus those animals were next on the list of creatures that had to be created by the Bio-Tech company, which produced the genetically enhanced Bunnies for Selvaria.
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After the Apocalypse began on Earth, all forms of communication were nullified, including those connected Earth with the Moon. Stranded, Selvaria found refuge in the stadium when she noticed Bison running around saving people from the Icebugs hunting down the survivors. She requested asylum in his shelter and has stayed here ever since that day. Selvaria was tight-lipped about her background and rarely interacted with anyone to avoid being pulled into their internal politics about the plight of Tamers and the non-Tamers. The two genetically enhanced Bunnies that were supposed to be brought back to the Moon had ended up bonding with Selvaria. They would seat themselves on her shoulders and rub against her neck and face when required attention.
Selvaria learned about creating the UGP through Bison during her time in the stadium. She understood that they are now the only force who could help her find a way back to the Moon, so she agreed to Bison's request to sign up for the Tamer Police he planned to establish when they get to the UGP headquarters in Alaska. She needed time to figure out who she could trust with her identity as the Admiral of the MSDF. Relations between the Nations of Earth and the Moon had been strained. Earth didn't like the fact that the Vector was building a combat fleet meant to counter any attempts by Earth to reclaim the Moon for themselves.
Selvaria wasn't moon-born, so she could blend in with the people of Earth. Instead, she used her vacation days to tag along with wealthy Tourists when they returned to Earth in their private space shuttles. She had made over a dozen visits like this since she was a teenager, as the beautiful forests and animals on Earth weren't something she could find on the Moon other than through recreational VR.
Each time she would travel to a different part of the world to study wild creatures. She fell in love with the Arctic and the animals that lived there, especially the Seals, whose pups had a special place in her heart. So when Selvaria hatched her monster egg and discovered her partner was a cute Seal. It made her happy beyond anything else she experienced in life. The little one wasn't content to be just a regular Seal. It constantly tried to jump into the air as if it wanted to fly.
Just when she was about to lose herself in memories of the Seals she had come in contact with during her Arctic trips, Galatea opened her eyes and let out a happy growl.
[Would User Selvaria like to proceed with the monster evolution request?]
"Yes!"
[Choose One Combat Style: Monster-User Fusion, Equipment Transformation or Skill Transfer]
"I choose the combat style, Monster-User Fusion."
[Combat style has been selected and bonded to the User's account]
[Detecting Monster Type: Mind, Sea, Beast, Mana, Ice]
[Users who select Mind over Body must choose one of the following to master]
[Enhanced Mana Regeneration, Enhanced Elemental Damage or Extra skill slot]
"Extra skill slot."
[Extra skill slot Mastery has been selected and bonded to the User's acMonster[Monster will now evolve into the Second form]
Galatea's body is enveloped in a white shining sphere that then shatters and reveals a Full Grown pure white Leopard Seal. Two horns made of Ice sprout out and curve back on its head. Around its body, some kind of Ice armor resembling draconic scales appears. Selvaria studied the changes to her monster partner and compared them to the message she received from the monster app.
[Monster: Frigid Dragon Seal (Galatea)
Type: Mind, Sea, Beast, Mana, Ice
Mastery: Extra skill slot
Combat Style: Monster Fusion
Skills: Cryokinetic constructs (Beginner), Kuraokami's Traits (Beginner), Unmeltable Ice (Beginner), Kuraokami's Blessing (Beginner), Kuraokami's Rage (Beginner)
Skill Features:
Cryokinetic constructs - When this skill is activated, the Monster can create any weapons and armor as long it has memorized its blueprint and has the Mana to make it.
Kuraokami's Traits - When this skill is activated, the Monster can create wings, tail, and claws made of ice. Requires constant Mana to sustain.
Unmeltable Ice - When this skill is activated, the Ice constructs or any skill related to Ice manipulation will be unmeltable to conventional flames. Requires constant Mana to sustain.
Kuraokami's Blessing - The Deity of Rain and Snow has blessed this Monster with the ability to breathe and move freely underwater and be immune to the damaging effects of sub-zero temperature. The beast can only gain Mana by submerging itself in cold water or below-freezing environments.
Kuraokami's Rage - When this skill is activated, the Monster can shoot out a beam from its mouth that will freeze all its targets. This skill requires Mana to activate]
Selvaria stared in disbelief at the skills which somehow resonated with her existing capabilities. Though the condition of gathering Mana is challenging for her in the current location, it wasn't impossible. She knew of a Tamer among the survivors in the stadium who specialized in gathering and transferring Mana to others. If she could get his support, she would be able to participate in the battle.