Echoes of the Wild: Tales of a Beast Tamer

Verlon High School, Greenside City

"Students, right before you is what decides your future as a Beast Tamer. Every student here would have a chance to use the Ancient Tablet, which would awaken their talents. Once they are determined, you will be given access to the Alliance's Beastiary, where you can contract your first pet".

"After awakening, you can leave and go directly to the Beastiary in the city. You have to show them your school ID card in order to get entrance to the Beastiary. As a student, you would get a free pet, but the ranks of them would be not high".

"If your parents have already brought a pet for you, then you can go home and make a contract with them. Remember, at your stage, you only have one slot for a pet. So choose wisely when you do so. That pet would stay with you for life unless you break your contract with it, which I advise against".

"Now, let's start the Talent Awakening process. Come to the platform as your name is called."

---

The headmaster stopped his speech and the teachers were ready to call the students onto the platform in order to awaken their talents.

The students who were assembled at the school grounds were nervous about their awakening and among them, there stood a boy, Chris, who was the most nervous of all but still put a calm face.

Christopher Argent is an eighteen-year-old just like the students here but what differentiated him was that he remembered his past life. He was from a world known as Earth, where he read many novels where Beast Tamers are the guardians of the world and people who are not Beast Tamers are forgotten by the world.

There are other ways to strengthen oneself and have a good life but that was not easy to achieve as the entire world looks up to only the Beast Tamers. This is why everyone would like to become a Beast Tamer.

"Chris, what talent grade do you think that you would awaken?" William asked him.

William was Chris's benchmate for six years in the school and also his best friend. Unlike Chris who was good at studies, William was mediocre and fat.

When Chris got acquainted with a new student who would become his best friend later on, he started to wonder if he had reincarnated in one of those Chinese novels. As time went on, he couldn't tell whether he was in a novel or in a real world.

Even if it is a real world, to Chris, this appeared more like a novel with how his life went on all these years.

"As long as I awaken a talent, I will be content, no matter the grade", Chris replied.

In this world, not everyone is equal. Beast Tamers are considered Elite and top of the world. Even among the tamers, there are divisions and the main factor that decides the division is the Talent Grade.

Every Beast Tamer would have a talent but the grade of those talents differ. The grades decide the growth and prowess of a Beast Tamer. The better the grade, the higher the strength of the Beast Tamer and the faster their growth would be.

There are ways to improve even with a lower grade but that's only for the families that are rich in background. Poor families can never afford that but even awakening a talent is more than enough to bring the poor family out of that status.

This is where the difference appeared in Chris's life.

In those Chinese novels, the MC would be from a poor family while his friend would be from a middle-class family, who would help out MC whenever he could.

The difference here was that Chris was not from a poor family, nor did he belong to a loaded family. His family can be considered as middle class.

Both of his parents are Beast Tamers and so were his grandparents from his father's side. His maternal grandparents were Beast Tamers as well but they died before he was born.

Chris didn't even know how they looked. His mother told him that there was an attack on their home, and her parents died in that attack. Everything that was theirs was destroyed in that. Only she was lucky to survive as she was away when that happened.

With almost all of his family being Beast Tamers, they earned a lot when compared to the families that have no Beast Tamers. The only issue was that most of the highest grade that their family has was C grade, except for his mother.

Though they were not low among Beast Tamers, that doesn't mean that they are at the top either, especially in a city, no matter how small it was. If they were in a small town, then they could be among top families but that was not the case here.

They decided to settle in the city because they felt that would be the best for the children's growth.

---

"James Adams", the teacher called the first student onto the platform.

James walked onto the platform.

The teacher spoke, "Place your hand on the tablet and make sure that you don't fight".

James nodded and did what the teacher told him to do.

A moment later he started to glow, before dimming again.

Another teacher beside him who was observing a display device attached to the awakening tablet announced, "Fire Talent, B-Grade".

Students clapped congratulating James. Though it was just a B-grade, which by grade should be considered above average, is one of the best in the city.

Though Greenside is considered a city, it is not among the top cities. The highest ever grade was S, but that happened only thrice in its history and the last one was more than a decade ago.

In usual times, an A-grade would be considered as the top grade. So having a B-grade in such a city is not bad. They can settle in a good position, after the academy.

"Next, Violet Allen"

...

"Next, Susan Andreson"

...

"Next, ..."

---

"Next, Christopher Argent", the teacher called out.