Eclipsed Realms: The Tamer's Path

The river wasn't calm, nor was it particularly wide, but it had a restless energy that mirrored the world around me. Standing at the edge of the flowing water, I studied its surface. The fish within weren't ordinary; their massive, spike-lined bodies glided just below the surface, their jagged fins breaking through like miniature saw blades. They were predators, every part of their form a testament to survival in this hostile world.

I crouched low, scanning their movements. Their large, needle-sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight, and I had no doubt they could bite clean through wood, maybe even bone. For a moment, I hesitated. Fishing wasn't exactly my forte. Back on Earth, I'd never needed to hunt for my food; convenience stores were always just a walk away.

But here, survival wasn't a matter of convenience.

"Asura, they're too fast for me to catch barehanded," I muttered. My partner stood beside me, his waxy form flexing slightly, the flames in his head flickering faintly under his protective covering. Asura didn't bleed, and that gave me an idea.

"Alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "I'll draw them out. You handle the rest."

With that, I took a small, sharp rock and made a shallow cut on my palm. Blood welled up instantly, and the sting reminded me just how real this all was. I leaned over the water, plunging my hand in.

The reaction was immediate.

Ripples broke the surface as the fish lunged upward, their bodies a blur of spikes and snapping jaws. I yanked my hand out just in time as Asura moved with precision. His wax blades extended from his forearms like deadly scythes, impaling two of the fish mid-air. He flung them onto the riverbank, where they writhed and snapped in their final moments.

The third fish came too close for comfort. Its jaw was a gaping maw of teeth, inches from my face. I barely managed to activate my barrier in time, sending it bouncing back into the water with a dull thud.

"We're done here," I said quickly, glancing at the water. The surface churned ominously, as though something larger was stirring beneath. I didn't want to wait around to find out what.

Asura and I retreated a safe distance into the forest, dragging the fish behind us. Just as I thought we'd avoided further trouble, the ground began to rumble.

From the riverbank emerged three small, seal-like creatures. They weren't more than a meter tall, their bodies round and covered in slick green scales. A vibrant red fin ran along their backs, twitching erratically. They moved with surprising agility on their stubby flippers, their beady eyes locked onto us.

Before I could react, the air crackled with static, and arcs of electricity leapt from the creatures' fins. The charge hit the river, stunning the remaining fish, which scattered in terror. But these three didn't care about the fish. Their attention was solely on us.

"Electricity?" I muttered. "Great, just what we needed."

The creatures advanced, their small size belying their ferocity. One of them opened its mouth, a high-pitched screech cutting through the air as it shot a bullet-like stream of water toward Asura. He leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. I felt my heart skip a beat. Water was Asura's weakness—it could extinguish his flames entirely if he wasn't careful.

"Asura, cover up your flames!" I shouted. He immediately adjusted, reinforcing the wax around his head and arms to shield his core. With a burst of energy, he teleported to the side of one of the creatures, his wax blade slicing through its flank.

The creature let out a gurgling cry and collapsed. The second one lunged toward him, but Asura was quicker, impaling it on his blade in one smooth motion.

The third one hesitated, its red fin quivering as if sensing its imminent doom.

"Wait," I called out. Asura stopped mid-strike, looking back at me. "Don't kill it. Imprison it."

Without hesitation, Asura extended his arm, forming a net of wax that ensnared the small creature. It writhed and hissed, sending weak sparks through the wax, but it couldn't break free.

Dragging the captured creature and the fish, we retreated further into the forest. I glanced back at the river. The water was calm again, but the memory of those electric shocks and the eerie stillness afterward made my skin crawl.

I knelt beside the fish and began the messy work of cleaning them. It wasn't pretty. I tried to recall how butchers had done it back home—cutting along the belly, removing the guts, and scraping away scales. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

Asura started gathering wood for a fire, his movements efficient and tireless. Soon, we had a small blaze going, its heat radiating in the cool forest air.

I looked at the captured creature, now silent but watchful within its wax prison. "You might just be our ticket out of here," I murmured, thinking of its potential evolution. If it truly carried the blood of the sea dragon, it could be an invaluable ally.

For now, though, survival was all that mattered. The smell of roasting fish filled the air as I turned the skewers over the fire, my stomach growling in anticipation.

As I sat down by the makeshift fire, gnawing on the fish that tasted like burnt rubber and sadness, I could feel my body rebelling. Every muscle screamed, every joint ached, and the pounding in my skull felt like someone was using it as a drum. The battle earlier had drained me, and I was dangerously close to blacking out. But I couldn't afford to rest—not completely.

Asura stood vigilant, his glowing amber eyes locked onto the Shockfin, a creature that resembled a cross between a seal and an eel, its green, slick skin glistening under the flickering firelight. It growled, or at least attempted to, but Asura's mere presence kept it in check. Occasionally, Asura would flick small wax spikes toward its tail, a warning that made the little creature whimper and retreat a step. Despite its defiance, I saw a glint of fear in its crimson eyes. This wasn't a lone predator—it was a team player, a creature that thrived on the support of others. Alone, it was subdued.

Once I finished the fish, which filled my stomach if not my taste buds, I stood up and dusted my hands on my already tattered pants. The Shockfin glared at me, baring its sharp little teeth, its fins crackling faintly with residual electricity. It was no bigger than a toddler, but it carried itself like a king—or at least a very angry prince.

I approached it cautiously. This creature wasn't just any random monster—it carried the bloodline of the Aqueous Dracos, a legendary water dragon species. Evolution was a possibility for this little guy, though the chances were slim. I couldn't let that potential go to waste. If I could guide it, nurture it, maybe one day it could rival even the king of the river.

But first, I had to tame it.

"Listen here, you little shock ball," I said, crouching to its level. "You can grow stronger with me. You want to stay a glorified pond bully, or do you want to be a king?"

The creature hissed, its fin sparking as if to warn me off. I ignored it.

There were several ways to tame a monster, but with this one, I didn't have the luxury of negotiation or offering treats. It had to be forced into submission or swayed through sheer will. Either way, I had to prove I was worth following.

I tried a different tactic. Drawing from fragmented knowledge in my head, I spoke words in the Draconic tongue, a language associated with dragonkind and creatures of their lineage. To my surprise, the words flowed naturally.

The Shockfin's eyes widened. It stopped growling, its body stiffening. When it finally spoke—its voice was high-pitched but crackling like static—I nearly fell over.

"How can a human speak the language of the dragons?"

"That's not your concern," I replied, standing up straighter. "I want you to follow me. If you do, I'll help you evolve into something greater."

The creature glared skeptically, glancing at Asura, who stood behind me like an imposing sentinel. Its gaze softened for a moment, but then its fin sparked again.

"How can I trust your words? What do you know about our king?" it asked, defiance lacing its voice.

"I know enough. And even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to verify it," I shot back. I needed to keep its attention on me, to overpower its doubts with confidence. "What I can tell you is about you. That fin on your back? It's the core of your power, the source of your electricity. But your belly? That's your strongest point—your most protected part."

That did the trick. The Shockfin blinked in surprise, its sparks dimming. It seemed impressed—or at least curious. But it still hesitated.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Don't make me say it again. Follow me, or I'll make you regret it."

The threat worked. The Shockfin finally bowed its head, defeated. I felt a surge of energy ripple through me as the bond formed. My tamer space, a unique dimension that housed my bonded creatures, opened to the creature. It vanished in a flash of light, entering the space.

The moment the connection solidified, I felt stronger. Taming a creature like the Shockfin, even as a beginner Iron Rank, had pushed me further. The energy from earlier kills filled the gap, and I felt the unmistakable surge of leveling up.

My body tingled as my strength and speed increased. I clenched my fists, marveling at the newfound power coursing through me. My physical strength was now on par with an elephant, and my speed rivaled a cheetah. Asura, too, had grown. His wax body expanded, and the golden armor that had previously covered his chest now formed a protective helmet over his head.

This wasn't just growth—it was evolution. Asura's new form felt sturdier, his flames burned hotter, and his wax was denser. The golden armor was likely influenced by the energy we absorbed from the creatures with hardened exteriors, like the Ironfang Crawlers and Royal Dreadscarabs.

But I couldn't bask in the progress for long. The Shockfin, despite being tamed, was still an infant in terms of power. For it to reach its potential, I needed the blood of a water dragon. That was an impossible task—for now. But if I could find weaker creatures with traces of the same bloodline, like other Shockfins or aquatic monsters, I could give it a fighting chance.

The path to evolution was fraught with challenges, but as I looked at Asura, his golden helmet glinting in the firelight, and felt the tug of the Shockfin's bond in my soul, I knew I was ready for whatever came next.