Yue and Alexia watched as Aamon silently calculated. After a moment, he stepped forward.
"I'll take three of each variant."
The assistant blinked. "Three of each, sir?"
"Yes."
"Understood." She offered a shallow bow, then signaled to a nearby handler.
The transaction was smooth. Aamon counted out 630 copper coins from their earnings—leaving them with just enough for basic upkeep. Soon, cages were wheeled out, each containing the twitching forms of Desert, Forest, and Spiritual Horned Rabbits.
As the beasts were loaded onto a cart for delivery, Aamon turned to Yue and Alexia.
"This is just the start," he said. "I have an idea."
Alexia tilted her head. "You plan to raise them?"
"Not for battle," Aamon replied, a faint smile forming. "For development. If we're going to grow our territory, we'll need food, resources… sustainability. These rabbits are the first step."
Yue nodded slowly. "A foundation, not a front line."
"Exactly," Aamon said. "Let's build something that lasts."
Night draped the sky in silence as Aamon and his team returned to their territory through the portal, the horned rabbits trailing behind in crates and cages. Once inside the safety of their realm, they released the beasts into the prepared enclosure, letting them explore the unfamiliar environment under the watchful gaze of the stars.
For a while, the three of them simply rested. The day had been long, the encounters tense, and the emotions heavy.
Aamon sat apart, silent, eyes fixed on the flickering flame of their campfire.
He had worn a mask of confidence inside the slave market—speaking calmly, making decisions with clarity—but now that the noise and motion were behind him, the weight of what he had seen pressed heavily on his mind.
The blank stares of the slaves, the coldness in the merchant's tone, the way life was priced and sold with the indifference of coin counting—it gnawed at something inside him.
He clenched his fists.
This world… was merciless. Life didn't hold value here. Only strength did. Power was the only currency that truly mattered. Without it, one was nothing—just a number waiting to be bought, used, or discarded.
"I can't afford to stay weak," he muttered to himself.
The encounter had shaken him, yes—but it had also awakened him. If he wanted to protect anything—his territory, Yue, Alexia, even himself—he needed to grow stronger. Quickly. No more hesitation.
But even more than strength, he needed understanding. There was still so much he didn't know about this world. Its systems. Its people. Its history. Its dangers.
This world had revealed its cruelty—but Aamon was ready to respond.
Not with fear.
With resolve.
He glanced over at Yue and Alexia—resting under the starlight, faces softened in rare peace.
This territory was just the beginning.
He would build something real here. But first…
He had to survive what was coming.
And to do that, he needed power—and knowledge.
Aamon stood, his cloak rustling softly in the night breeze.
Now wasn't the time for reflection. Not yet.
There was work to do.
His eyes turned to the enclosure where the horned rabbits rested—some still timid, others already nibbling at tufts of grass. The three variants lay side by side: desert, forest, and the rarer spiritual horned rabbits. It was these last ones that truly mattered.
His plan was simple—but bold.
He wasn't raising an army. He was cultivating the future of his territory.
Spiritual beasts were rare and valuable not for their power, but for their presence. Where they lived, the land itself responded—blessing the soil, thickening the ambient vital energy, improving fertility, hastening growth. They were catalysts of natural prosperity.
And now, he had them.
"I won't waste this chance," Aamon murmured.
He stepped into the enclosure, the rabbits watching him with twitching ears and wary eyes. Carefully, he knelt beside the smallest of the spiritual horned rabbits, placing a hand gently on its back.
His system responded at once.
The familiar interface flickered before his vision. He focused his intent, activating two of his most critical abilities in tandem.
[Awakening Skill] — Active.
[Evolution] — Active.
A surge of energy pulsed through him—subtle yet powerful. Not a violent force, but a shaping one. His will channeled through the legacy that pulsed within his veins, converging on the rabbit beneath his hand.
The creature trembled slightly—not in fear, but in response.
Its fur shimmered faintly, the horn at its brow pulsing with dim blue light. A strange hush fell over the land around them, as if the territory itself were holding its breath.
Aamon's gaze remained steady.
"I will turn this realm into a sanctuary. And you… you'll be the first step."
The night deepened—but within the heart of Aamon's territory, something ancient stirred.
Change had begun.
Loud, echoing squeaks filled the air as the rabbit's small form began to change. Its body elongated gracefully, muscles tightening with newfound strength, and a faint silver glow rippled across its fur. The tiny horn on its head sharpened and curved slightly, catching the moonlight like polished crystal. The atmosphere around it grew dense with spiritual energy, the grass beneath its feet trembling from the pressure.
Aamon watched in silent awe, his heart pounding. This was not just evolution—it was rebirth.
He took a step forward, his voice steady and resonant as he raised his hand toward the glowing creature.
"You shall be called Nythera from now on…" he declared, the name carrying weight and promise as it echoed through the quiet territory.
The newly-born Nythera let out a soft, melodic cry—almost like a whisper from the moon itself—its eyes meeting Aamon's with newfound intelligence and unspoken loyalty.
Something had changed. Not just in the rabbit, but in the world around them.
Aamon's eyes narrowed as he felt it—subtle at first, like a shift in the wind, then unmistakable.
The vital energy around them stirred, flowing in unseen currents. It gathered like a tide, converging toward the small, silver-furred creature that now stood poised with quiet strength. The earth beneath their feet pulsed faintly, the very air growing warmer, richer.
This wasn't just evolution. It was recognition.
A soft chime rang in Aamon's mind as his system interface flickered open.
[Nythera has been declared as the First Guardian of the Territory.]