Era of Pet Monsters: I Can See Their Evolution Routes!

In Lushwood City, the clock hit 10:00 AM, and the school grounds were full of excitement. Why? Well, today was kind of a big deal – the day when students from Lush Academy finally got the chance to use the Catalyst Stone.

This stone was no ordinary rock. It had a special power to help people awaken their hidden talents. But, as with any power, it required a pre-existing talent. If you had none to begin with, the stone will remain dormant, revealing nothing.

Lots of students had already touched the mysterious stone, but so far, no one had made their hidden talent show up yet. It wasn't surprising because it's a pretty rare thing. Only one person out of a thousand could do it.

And even when someone did manage to awaken their talent, the revealed ability often fell short of being extraordinary. More often than not, these talents were on the weaker side or lacked practical usefulness, leaving people feeling like they hadn't gained much at all.

As the clock kept ticking, students quietly hoped in their hearts. They wished that maybe, just maybe, the Catalyst Stone would help them discover an amazing talent hidden inside them. Not just any talent, they wanted something incredible that could make them stand out.

"Yves Morningstar, 18 years old. Owning a single pet monster. A Softstep Tanuki with a Black Iron-order grade. Confirming, is this you?" The male instructor, wearing glasses, read out the holographic data in front of him.

"Yes, that's correct, sir. It's me." Yves, his slightly long hair framing his handsome face, answered with a nod.

"Alright, got it. All recorded. You can now go ahead and lay your fingers on the Catalyst Stone."

"Also, be aware that there's a chance you might experience a headache during or after the interaction with the stone, but you don't have to worry about it because it's quite normal. Any discomfort will likely disappear within a few minutes." the instructor reassured.

"Understood, sir. Thank you for the reminder." Yves replied.

Yves glanced at the Catalyst Stone. At first, it looked like a plain rock, but when he took a closer look, he noticed detailed carvings on its surface resembling an ancient language.

Taking a deep breath, Yves thought, "Here goes nothing", and carefully reached for the stone.

He was expecting to get nothing, but some part of himself still held hope that he might receive something useful.

Yves was just an ordinary tamer with dreams of rising up and making life good, not only for himself but also for his little brother. Tragically, their parents had fallen to monsters a long time ago, leaving Yves to look after his little brother all by himself.

He wasn't hoping for some big, flashy skill. Just something practical would do, something to make life a bit easier and help him and his brother live better than they did now.

As Yves' hands met the stone, a gentle warmth spread through him. The carvings on the stone began to glow, one by one, like tiny stars lighting up. This phenomenon meant one thing: Yves was in the process of awakening his hidden talent.

The instructor, observing the Catalyst Stone, couldn't help but notice the radiant glow.

"Oh, finally. Looks like someone's awakening."

With a subtle grin, the instructor thought. "I wonder what talent will this student present. It's always interesting to see what the Catalyst Stone brings out in people."

Meanwhile, Yves felt the warmth getting stronger, spreading across every inch of his body. His eyes closed on their own, and he felt like his mind was going somewhere else. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, and it was like stepping into a strange world.

In front of him, there was this massive eyeball, way bigger than him – like 100 times or more. The background looked like a broken galaxy, all messed up. It was kind of scary, making Yves feel really small in this huge space. And the eyeball? It was looking right at him, giving him this uneasy feeling, like it could see everything about him. 

Out of nowhere, bright crimson words formed before him, diverting his attention from the gigantic eye. Yves read the words.

⊂ Almighty All-Seeing Divine Eye ⊃

Soon after, the text slowly faded away, replaced by another set of words.

⊂ Talent Grade: Red Diamond-tier ⊃

Similar to earlier, the words disappeared, and Yves' attention returned to the terrifying eyeball. All of a sudden, the gigantic eye gradually shut. As it closed, Yves felt his consciousness gently returning to reality. The galaxy-like background grew faint, and he found himself facing the Catalyst stone once more.

Blinking in confusion, Yves couldn't help but think, "What the heck just happened?"

He knew that in the process of awakening, he was supposed to see the name of the talent and its grade, but there shouldn't be a big eyeball involved. It was all a bit too much for Yves to understand.

Abruptly, the instructor spoke, interrupting Yves' train of thought.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Morningstar? Are you okay?"

The question snapped Yves back to reality. He looked around and noticed his fellow students and the instructor staring at him. Calming himself, he met the instructor's gaze and replied. "Yes, all good, sir. Just lost in thought for a moment, but I'm perfectly fine now."

The instructor nodded understandingly and then responded. "That's good to hear. Now, Mr. Morningstar, would you mind sharing the talent you've awakened? It's a necessary piece of information for our records."

As Yves thought about how to respond, questions flooded his mind. Should he mention the name of the talent and its grade? The whole experience didn't make sense, and the grade of his talent was still kind of unknown.

Adding to the confusion, Yves lacked any knowledge about the Red Diamond-tier talent grade. Throughout his history class, there was never a mention of this specific tier. In fact, the highest grade they covered was the White Platinum-tier, and there was no hint of the Red Diamond-tier in any of their discussions.

Deep in thought, Yves's eyes landed on the owl monster perched on the instructor's shoulder. The owl had a mix of light blue and golden feathers with delicate ice particles on its wings.

Staring at the owl, a glowing screen popped up in front of Yves, showing some words and information.

⋖ ⸻ +++:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+++ ⸻ ⋗

⊂ Glacial Barn Owl ⊃

Grade: Blue Silver-order

Realm: ★★

Species: Tyto Glacialis/Alba

Special Trait: Frost Blitz

Affinity: Ice

Ability: Frost Glide, Ice Field, Icy Claw Swipe, Glacial Whirlwind, Glacial Bullets

Evolution Route: Arctic Barn Owl, Glacial Tempest Barn Owl

⋖ ⸻ +++:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+++ ⸻ ⋗

Yves' eyes widened as he read the information on the screen. Collecting himself, Yves felt the need to provide an answer.

"I think I awakened some insight talent related to pet monsters."

The instructor's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Wow, that's a fantastic talent. What do you see or sense, so I can determine the grade of your talent?"

Yves responded thoughtfully. "I can see the name of the pet monster and its current grade."

"Is that the extent of your talent? Is there anything else?" the instructor replied.

Yves nodded and assured. "Nothing, sir. That's all I could see."

In truth, Yves was aware that his talent went beyond the ordinary. He knew that insight talent is common to awaken among people, but the level of detail he could perceive was far from typical.

Because of that, he decided to withhold certain information. Yves chose to downplay the extent of his abilities, wanting to avoid unnecessary attention and potential trouble.

"This is better. I know there's more to my talent, but experimenting privately is safer for now. I need to understand it fully before sharing anything. Keeping it low-profile is just common sense." Yves thought.

After a brief pause, the instructor entered the details into the holographic system. "Alright, all recorded."

Glancing at Yves, the instructor continued. "It appears you've awakened an insight talent, graded as Green Bronze-tier. While it might not be at the very top, it's still a useful ability compared to many others. Congratulations, Mr. Morningstar. You're good to go."

Yves smiled in response to the instructor's words, expressing his gratitude with a simple. "Alright, thank you, sir." Bowing respectfully, he turned and proceeded towards the exit of the school grounds.

As Yves walked, he couldn't shake off the lingering thought in his mind. "Green Bronze-tier, huh?"

"That's what they've officially recorded. but what I saw was different. My talent's grade is Red Diamond-tier, no doubt about it."

He couldn't wait to get back home and give his talent another go. Yves knew there was more to it than meets the eye, and he was dead set on discovering what it could really offer.

Leaving the school grounds, he made his way towards the parking lot. Spotting his black road bike, he retrieved the key from his pocket and unlocked it. Taking a relaxed seat on the saddle, he pushed the pedal, propelling himself forward.

"Time to head back home."