The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting golden patterns on the old wooden floor of the shrine. Yor sat in the open courtyard, his eyes closed, his mind still lingering in the memory of the mind realm. The bond he had felt with Elovking was unlike anything he'd ever known. It wasn't just power—it was connection, as if a missing part of him had finally returned.
The mark on his hand still glowed faintly, warm and alive.
Pice approached with two cups of tea. "You look… different this morning."
"I am," Yor replied, his voice calm. "I saw Elovking. Inside my mind."
Pice nearly dropped the cups. "Already?! That shouldn't be possible… even with the Yin bloodline. Not this fast."
"I didn't force it," Yor said. "It just happened. Like he was waiting for me."
Pice sat beside him, slowly. "Then it's begun. Your path."
Yor didn't respond. His eyes were locked on the distant trees. The wind whispered like it carried secrets meant only for him.
Pice leaned forward, voice serious now. "There's something else I must tell you. Something I didn't say yesterday."
Yor looked at him.
"The reason this shrine is hidden… the reason my family's been guarding the egg… is because your bloodline is cursed."
Yor raised an eyebrow.
"Not cursed in the usual sense," Pice clarified quickly. "But… hunted."
"Hunted?"
Pice nodded. "The ancient monster clans—those that still survive deep in the forbidden zones—they know of the Yin bloodline. Your ancestor's power was too great. He didn't just tame monsters. He ruled over them. Some called him a tyrant. Others… a savior."
"But monsters don't forget. Especially those that hate. They passed the stories to their descendants. The day your bloodline awakens again… they'll come. One by one. To kill you before you reach his level."
Yor stood up slowly, the wind brushing his black hair. "Let them come," he said. "If fear could stop me, I'd never have survived this far."
Pice smiled a little. "Spoken like a Yin."
Yor turned to him. "Train me. From today onward… I want to master everything. Swordsmanship. Mana. Taming. Even monster communication. I won't wait for power to come to me."
Pice nodded, impressed by Yor's resolve. "Then let's begin."
---
Three Days Later.
The training ground outside the shrine had changed. Sword marks scarred the rocks. Trees had fallen. The air itself seemed denser.
Yor stood shirtless, covered in sweat and dirt, swinging Pok again and again. His form was improving. Sharper. Faster. Each swing cracked the air.
Pice sat nearby, watching silently.
Elovking hadn't shown up again since the mind realm visit, but Yor could feel him. Sometimes during battle, a pulse of strength would surge through his body—too quick to explain, but unmistakable.
And Pok…
The sword had begun vibrating slightly every time Yor entered battle mode, as if eager. As if alive.
Late into the evening, Pice called for a break.
Yor dropped the sword, chest rising and falling heavily.
"You've grown quickly," Pice said, tossing him a water flask. "Your strikes… they're reaching the level of trained tamers now."
Yor drank and wiped his mouth. "Not fast enough."
Pice chuckled. "You're your ancestor's heir, alright. Never satisfied."
Yor suddenly turned his head, eyes narrowing.
In the forest… something was watching them.
"Don't move," Yor whispered.
Even Pice felt it now. A dark pressure, like cold air wrapping around their skin.
From the shadows of the trees, a figure stepped out.
It wasn't human.
Its body was humanoid, but its skin was pitch black with sharp silver veins. Two red eyes gleamed beneath a bone-white mask. Its presence was suffocating.
Pice's face turned pale. "A Shadow Beast… here?!"
The creature didn't attack. It simply stared at Yor.
And then… it bowed.
Both Yor and Pice froze.
The creature placed one hand on its chest and spoke in a low, echoing voice. "Descendant of Yin. I am Nocthar, servant of your bloodline. I have waited for hundred years… for your birth."
Yor's hand clenched around Pok.
"Waited… for me?"
Nocthar nodded. "I was once tamed by your ancestor. Before he vanished, he gave me an order: 'When my heir is born, find him. And protect him.' I have been hiding… waiting for your aura to awaken."
He stepped forward and knelt. "Command me, my master."
Pice whispered in awe, "This… this is unreal. Shadow Beasts never kneel. They're wild monsters born from darkness itself…"
Yor approached carefully. "Stand."
Nocthar rose, towering over him.
"You're strong. I can feel it."
Nocthar remained still. "I am weakened. My core is damaged. But under your command, I will recover. And I will kill those who threaten your rise."
Yor stared at him, unsure whether to trust him completely. But one thing was clear—this wasn't coincidence. This was fate.
Another mark lit up—this time on his left shoulder.
It was different from Elovking's. Sharper. Darker. Like a claw.
Yor breathed deeply.
"I'll accept you," he said. "But earn your place."
Nocthar nodded once. "As you wish."
---
Midnight.
Yor sat alone again on the rooftop.
He looked at the two marks on his body—one glowing with soft blue light, the other pulsing with deep black.
Two monsters.
Two beginnings.
And he knew… this was just the start.
The war that ended generations ago… was about to return.
And this time…
He wouldn't run from it.
He would rule it.
As the last Yin.