"Stop!" A voice shouted, making Zeke pause before carrying out his attack. Maximilian sat on the ground, his eyes shaking with fear from what he had just seen.
'What was that...' He thought.
"Young master! Are you alright!?" Samantha rushed to his side.
"Is that.." His voice said it all, he knew what it was, but experiencing it's overwhelming grip on him, twice, was another sensation entirely.
"Beast energy, it's the unique power every tamer awakens after contracting their beasts. Naturally all nobles and royalty has the highest concentration of beast energy in the four kingdoms."
His father beast energy was entirely different from Zeke's, that was because, his father only had the intention of intimidating him. Zeke on the other hand, wanted to kill him.
'Beast energy... From what I remember it's the unique powers every tamer awakens after contracting their beasts like Samantha said, in the game every beast tamers energy is highly dependent on the kind of beast they tame.'
The man who stopped Zeke in his tracks was no other than Sir Livinus, a general that served under the king.
"What is this Zeke?" Sir Livinus demanded answers for the actions he displayed.
"Forgive me, but someone had to put this disgrace of a noble in his place. He dared to open his mouth and claimed he'd pass the tamer's exam regardless of the weapon he uses. It was an insult to all we hold sacred!" Zeke replied, not willing to hide any of his intentions.
"Pass? The Tamer's exams?" Sir Livinus spoke as he walked toward Maximilian, who was still sitting on the ground with his maid beside him. He let out a small laugh, then reached out his right hand to help him up.
"What are you doing!?" Zeke exclaimed with astonishment.
Maximilian perplexed simply accepted his aid and got pulled up to his feet by Sir Livinus.
"You're that kid from the Montclair family who contracted an E-rank beast isn't that right? I am the 3rd seat Beast Knight of the Ronowa's empire court guard."
"If you, an E-rank tamer, are confident that you can pass the tamer's exams then I have no need to stop you." Sir Livinus spoke as he walked away from the shop.
Zeke felt insulted, the fact that a Knight general supported weakness, most especially from one of the most weakest noble families was insulting .
"What makes you so confident that this trash will even get past the first stage huh!?" Zeke, said questioning Livinus motives.
Livinus stopped, dismissing Zeke's ignorance with a sigh. He was not one who gave attention to one's status in the kingdom, whether you're of royal blood, a noble or a commoner if one possessed good qualities as a warrior he is automatically in his good books.
"Strength and power are not determined by ranks boy, it's in his eyes, something I never thought I'd see since my first battle for the kingdom. The desire to transcend beyond what your body is capable of and shattering those limiters, that's what makes a true beast tamer."
Maximilian got to his feet, the words of Livinus was encouraging enough to understand what laid in store for him ahead.
Now or never, he was more determined to get stronger, if he wanted to change his fate, that was his only option, and it all started with the tamer's entrance exam.
"What's your name kid?" Livinus threw a question at him.
"Maximilian, Maximilian Montclair." His reply was bold and clear.
"Maximilian huh, good luck." Livinus responded.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded as he took his katana prepared to head off.
"Thanks sir!"
"I ask again Sir Livinus, what makes you so confident in that E-rank tamer ability?"
Zeke asked with curiosity as to why a high ranking general would assume someone like Maximilian can make it past the tamer's exams, especially when it was clear that the ranks of a contracted beast matters the most.
"You can't tell?"
"Tell what?"
"Despite his rank, that boy is no ordinary tamer, I can sense it, a great potential from that kid. Even his name strikes a mysterious allure. Maximilian... Hm it'll be quite a pleasure to witness what he can do."
Livinus replied once more before walking away from the shop to resume his duties.
"Are you sure you're okay young master?"
"Of course I am, I was a bit frightened but asides that I'm alright."
"That's not what I meant, you've been acting strange ever since you woke up this morning. You spoke to your father without him summoning you, an atrocity you knew never to commit, then you smiled after getting beat up by your brother."
As she spoke, he became anxious, was she really this observant all this while?
"Worst of all, you decided to take the tamer's entrance exams. I thought you were joking so your father wouldn't kill you, but it seems it wasn't just a bluff."
He gulped.
'Playing the part of a noble is harder than I thought, was she always this suspicious?'
"I've supported you every step of the way young master, but this, this I cannot support, let's head back."
"What?" He was shocked, from his knowledge of the game Samantha was just another side character who was heavily loyal to Maximilian Montclair.
She had never rejected his request, even that one time he was injured and he requested she bathed with him.
Things were changing, and it wasn't hard to notice anymore, but that was when he realized it.
The original Montclair would have never dreamed of taking the tamer's entrance exam, by changing his fate, he inexplicably changed the storyline of the game gradually.
"What happened to through thick and thin Samantha?"
"I promise to be by your side, but not like this, not when you gradually push yourself to be killed, I won't say it again, let's head back."
"Killed? What makes you so sure that I won't be able to survive the exams?"
For a moment, she remained silent, her conscience refused to let her answer.
"What makes you so sure?" He asked again.
"Because you're weak!" Tears rolled down her cheeks as she couldn't take it anymore, it was difficult for her to admit but at this point she couldn't handle it anymore.
"Because you're weak... You contracted an E-rank beast, what kind of victory were you expecting to attain with your level of strength... If you continue down this path, you'll get both of us killed! So let's head back!"
"Both of us?"
Samantha covered her mouth quickly, realizing she blurted out words she shouldn't have.
"I see, you're not worried about my safety, you're worried about yours. Now it all makes sense." He chuckled lightly, in the game Samantha still served as the maid of the Montclair even after his death.
She wasn't loyal to Maximilian, no, she was loyal to the money she made off him after being personally assigned to him.
Now that he thought about it, her initial question made sense even more, is he okay?
"No young master! I didn't mean it that way!"
"Enough, It doesn't matter anymore, so even the closest to him betrayed him at the very end, well it can't be helped, I guess this is it Samantha."
He turned his back and walked away.
"Young master!"
"Walk away Samantha, I don't need your support anymore, this is where we part ways."
Her eyes widened in shock for a moment, he really didn't need her anymore. But this didn't leave her sad and in tears, it made her angry.
'Walk away? That brat had the nerves to dismiss me after all the insults and hardship I endured because of his weakness?' She thought.
Her eyes flared with rage, and she rushed at him, refusing to be insulted anymore longer.
"You think you can cut me off after all I've been through caring for your useless ass!?"
As he turned to face Samantha, his eyes turned cold and sharp. A dark blue glow spread over the left side of his face, making him look even more frightening.
His stare alone made her knees buckle and she dropped to her feet. Trembling with fear and unable to look away from that chilling gaze.
"Shut your mouth, you backstabbing piece of shit. After all you've been through? Don't make me laugh."
Trails of shadows surrounded his body instantly, and he exuded an aura that almost choked her.
"W-what is this.." She trembled, whatever surrounded his body didn't feel like beast energy, it was something much more sinister, more darker.
[Crafting: 15%...]