[Spirit Beast: Verdalune Moss Lemur]

  [Type: Bestial]

  [Attribute: Wood]

  [Genus: Lemur]

  [Rank: 1-star]

  [Potential: 7-star]

  [Description: A spirit beast covered in moss. This beast can climb trees and high-vantage places to scout the area. Its coloration camouflages itself when it latches into a tree. At night, it glows like a verdant moon, attracting insects as its meal.]

  [Skills:]

  [Canopy Step: Leaps rapidly from one place to another, boosted if leaping between elevated surfaces like trees and ledges, moving nearly silently and increased movement speed.]

  [Next skill will be unlocked at 3-star]

  [Passive Skills:]

  [Verdant Film: When clinging to natural terrain, the Verdalune Moss Lemur blends seamlessly with its environment. This reduces the chance of detection and increases evasion against ranged attacks. During periods of inactivity, this effect strengthens over time.]

  [Innate Skills:]

  [Lattice Sync: Allows the spirit beast to synchronize with the natural lattice of trees, briefly sharing its senses with all trees within a small radius. Grants the spirit tamer a mental map of nearby movement, presence, and threats. Usable only in forested or semi-forested environments.]

  [Next skill will be unlocked at 5-star]

  —

  Aston, amazed by what he read, acknowledged the young man. “Yes, I’m participating in the 1PM test.”

  The man laughed and reached out his hand, the one without the lemur on his arm, and said to Aston. “Me too! The name is Rowan Delle. Nice to meet you.”

  “Aston.”

  “So you’re the quiet type, huh. I respect that,” Rowan teased Aston.

  Rowan kept the conversation flowing effortlessly, seemingly unbothered by Aston’s short replies. He leaned casually against the post near the tent entrance, his moss-colored lemur shifting on his arm and peeking at Aston with curious eyes.

  “So, Aston,” Rowan began, his tone light and friendly, “did you study for this thing? I mean, I tried, but half the time I got distracted reading about weird spirit beast trivia. Did you know there’s a frog out there that can vanish into tree bark like a ghost?”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Aston gave a small nod, offering a faint smile.

  Rowan continued, undeterred. “I’m hoping they won’t ask too many history questions. I can remember every single trait of thirty different moss types, but ask me who signed the Second Accord of Allied Beasts and my brain turns off. I mean, what even is an accord? Is it like a handshake with more steps?”

  Aston chuckled softly under his breath. Rowan grinned wider at the reaction, encouraged.

  “Honestly, I’m just glad I’m not the only one with a spirit beast that looks like it belongs in a hammock. This little guy, Verdy, naps more than he scouts. But when he’s up there, I swear he sees everything. It’s kinda freaky. I’m thinking of giving him a pair of little goggles or something.

  Verdy chirped softly and blinked his large eyes at Aston, then curled his tail slightly tighter around Rowan’s wrist as if agreeing with his assessment.

  “My Gray is the same. He’s more of a spirit pet than a spirit beast. Mirage, on the other hand…”

  Gray meowed in annoyance of what Aston just said. It brandished its cute claws, seemingly saying that it can scratch anything. Mirage just tilted its head and hooted lightly.

  “Oh, so this is Gray and Mirage, nice meeting you.”

  As Rowan kept talking, Aston found himself feeling more at ease. He didn’t speak much, mostly nodding or raising an eyebrow when Rowan said something particularly odd or funny. There was something calming about Rowan’s constant chatter. Like a breeze that kept the nerves from settling too deep. Aston felt oddly grateful for Rowan’s presence. It kept the creeping anxiety at bay.

  Eventually, a loud beeping noise sounded from the crystal above the tent.

  An attendant went outside the tent wearing a dark green robe, announcing to the waiting participants. With him, a group of fifty participants who had just taken the test followed him out. The looks of confusion, defeat, and dread filled the faces of the test-takers.

  Rowan’s eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of the group exiting the tent. He nudged Aston with his elbow and leaned in, whispering.

  “Yikes... you see those faces? It’s like they just got told they failed life itself.”

  The participants exiting the tent wore expressions ranging from blank shock to visible despair. Some clutched their heads, others stared at the ground as though it had all the answers. One picked up his phone and typed something, looking for answers. One girl near the back looked on the verge of tears.

  Rowan watched them pass, then looked back toward Aston. “You think it was that hard? Maybe it was all history questions after all…”

  Aston didn’t reply, but his silence was telling. He straightened his posture, eyes flicking toward the entrance as the green-robed attendant stepped forward.

  The man raised a hand for silence, his voice calm and steady. “Next group for the 1PM batch, written knowledge assessment, scouting division. Please prepare your identification codes and follow me inside the tent. Seats are arranged by the number on your assignment slip.”

  Rowan exhaled dramatically. “Welp, that’s us.” He flashed Aston a grin, clearly masking his nerves with humor. “Let’s go get academically destroyed.”

  Aston adjusted his posture and followed the line as the group of examinees, including Rowan and himself, moved toward the tent entrance. The flap parted, revealing rows of neatly arranged desks and tablets that waited slightly atop each one.

  The desks were divided into nine columns marked with a letter and six rows marked with a number. Aston’s seat, 5B, was located at the fifth row, second column.

  When everyone already sat down, Aston looked around. He saw Rowan seated at 2F. On his right was an empty seat. He also noticed, aside from Rowan's right-hand seat, there are other three empty seats.

  There are fifty of us, yet there are four empty seats…

  A few seconds after Aston had this thought, four youths came from the side and took the empty seats. The youths exude confidence, in contrast to the participants' dreadful faces.