Arthur Thorne stood there, his mouth agape.
They were currently on a wide, flat path between two mountains. According to local legends, this area was once a battlefield between ancient Beast Tamers and their massive creatures.
The wind in front of them carried a faint scent of wildflowers. Kael Stormwind swayed gently on the back of a horse, holding the reins awkwardly. The horse beneath him was a Spirit Water Horse, known for its docile nature. Its mane flowed like liquid crystal, and its hooves barely made a sound on the stone path.
With each bump, Kael Stormwind's body jolted, and he couldn't help but grin wryly. This was his first time riding a horse in either life—modern or ancient.
The Spirit Water Horse wasn't particularly fast, but it was steady. Even though Kael Stormwind lacked riding experience, he managed to stay on its back without too much difficulty.
"I should count myself lucky it's a Spirit Water Horse," he thought. "If it were a Fiery Sun Horse, I would've been thrown off long ago."
After adjusting to the rhythm of the horse's gait, Kael Stormwind finally felt comfortable enough to sit up straight. That's when he noticed a System notification about the Spirit Water Horse in the corner of his mind. He silently called up the detailed information, and a panel appeared before his eyes.
[Name]: Spirit Water Horse
[Quality]: Mortal Grade Low
[Realm]: First Order Monster
[Evolution Path]: Cloud Water Horse (Mortal Grade Medium)
[Evaluation]: A low-grade horse species with a gentle temperament—perfect for transportation.
These horses were all raised by the Stormwind Clan. Currently, most of the monsters Kael Stormwind had seen were Mortal Grade Low. More powerful creatures could only be encountered during the Bonding Ceremony.
The Bonding Ceremony had two stages. The first stage allowed participants to choose monsters from their own family's collection. The second stage involved projecting one's consciousness into a special space to find the most compatible monster and summon it.
It sounded mystical, but Kael Stormwind knew the rules: only the first bonded beast could be obtained from the Bonding Space. All subsequent beasts would have to be found through other means.
Kael Stormwind sighed. He had entered the Bonding Space twice before in his predecessor's memories, both times returning empty-handed.
"Poor old man," he thought of the original Kael Stormwind's father. "He must have endured a lot of mockery because of his son's lack of talent."
Only Elara Stormwind had brought honor to the family with her impressive Beast Taming abilities.
Bonding with higher-level monsters wasn't just about finding one—it required matching one's own talent, mental strength, and other factors.
The System's current information was limited. It hadn't mentioned how to make monsters evolve, but Kael Stormwind suspected it would require some special opportunity, as was typical in novels.
After all, he hadn't spent all those years reading novels for nothing.
Lost in thought, Kael Stormwind barely noticed when they arrived at Jade Butterfly City. The city bore a striking resemblance to ancient Chinese cities from his past life. Pedestrians bustled about, many carrying a small cloth bag—these were the legendary Beast Pockets used to store bonded creatures. Kael Stormwind didn't understand how they worked, but he didn't need one yet anyway.
The guards at the city gate recognized Kael Stormwind immediately. They went through the motions of checking his identification before waving him through with a respectful nod.
YOU ARE READING
Trash Heir: My System is Different
FantasyThey called him trash. The system called him different. Kael Stormwind was born with everything-wealth, status, a legendary family name. Everything except talent. While his cousins awaken dragons and phoenixes, he is bonded to a docile Water Steed...
