CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57 : STRUGGLE

Fifteen capsules were lined in perfect rows. The lids were open, revealing cushioned interiors that looked more like luxury beds than gaming equipment.

Jax walked toward his assigned capsule slowly, hands in his pockets. His mind was already racing through strategies but his face stayed calm.

Around him, the other participants were settling in.

Kai was bouncing on his feet near his capsule, grinning like an idiot. "Mother! Buddy! Thalia! Let’s crush this thing!"

Beatrix smiled gently at her son. "Try not to get eliminated in the first five minutes, dear."

Kai laughed. "No promises!"

Thalia sighed, elegant as always. "Please don’t embarrass us, brother."

"I won’t! Probably!"

Jax glanced at them, then at his own team.

Paige stood near her capsule, arms crossed, face unreadable. She looked calm, but her eyes were sharp and focused.

Kiera was adjusting her dress, her expression cold. She caught Jax staring and glared. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Good."

Across the room, Nyx and Azara stood together. Nyx’s face was twisted with barely controlled rage, her hands clenched into fists.

And beside them stood Emma.

The human girl helping different race.

She scanned the room slowly, methodically, like she was already planning her moves.

And then her gaze landed on Jax.

She stared.

Not hostile. Not friendly. Just staring.

Jax’s eye twitched. ’First Granny wants to marry me. Now this girl is staring like she’s planning my funeral. What the fuck is happening today?’

Emma’s lips curved into a faint smile. Not warm. Not cruel. Just confident.

Jax looked away quickly.

Jennifer’s voice echoed through the room. "Everyone, please enter your capsules. The game will begin in five minutes."

One by one, participants climbed into their capsules.

Jax stepped into his. The lid closed above him with a soft hiss, sealing him inside.

Darkness.

Then light.

A warm, pulsing glow filled the capsule. He felt a strange tingling sensation across his skin, like static electricity crawling over him.

And then the world shifted.

Jax’s eyes opened.

He stood in the middle of a forest.

But not just any forest.

The trees stretched impossibly high, their trunks thick

The grass beneath his feet was soft, vibrant green, almost glowing.

The sky above was a mix of deep blue and purple, streaked with faint lines of golden light.

Birds chirped somewhere in the distance. Water flowed nearby, a gentle bubbling sound.

’This...’ Jax thought, turning slowly. ’This feels too real.’

He reached out and touched a tree. The bark was rough under his fingers. He could feel every groove, every texture.

’Jennifer wasn’t kidding. This world is insane.’

He looked down at himself.

He was still wearing the same suit from the queen’s ballthe dark suit, white shirt, silver tie.

’So we are here just as we were outside. Interesting.’

Then he remembered Jennifer’s words. "The Vision Link is a recording device attached to the helmet."

Jax frowned. ’But I’m not wearing a helmet.’

He reached up to touch his head.

His fingers brushed against something.

Not a helmet. Not fabric.

Something small. Smooth. Metallic.

He pressed gently, feeling the edges. It was embedded into his skull just barely. A small bulge, almost unnoticeable unless you were looking for it.

’What the hell?’

He traced the shape carefully. It was thin, about the size of a coin, sitting in his scalp.

’This world’s tech is on another level. They didn’t just strap a helmet on us. They integrated it directly into the player’s head.’

He exhaled slowly, impressed despite himself.

’Jenny really outdid herself.’

A soft chime echoed in his ears.

A glowing interface appeared in front of him, floating in midair like a hologram.

[TUTORIAL: NAVIGATION SYSTEM]

[To access your interface, close your fist with one hand. Then open fingers based on what you need:]

[1 Finger = Player Stats]

[2 Fingers = Beast Stats]

[3 Fingers = Opponent Stats (if visible)]

[4 Fingers = Opponent Beast Stats (if visible)]

[Tutorial Complete. Skip when ready.]

Jax tested it. He closed his fist, then opened one finger.

Another screen appeared.

[PLAYER: JAX RAYNE]

[HP: 100/100]

[Beasts Bonded: 0/3]

He closed the screen and opened two fingers.

Nothing appeared. Made sense, he had no beasts yet.

’Simple. Clean. Efficient.’

He tapped the "Skip" button mentally.

The tutorial vanished, replaced by a new screen.

[RANK HIERARCHY]

A chart appeared, listing beast ranks from lowest to highest.

[E - Common] Low-tier wildlife or basic elementals. Good for scouting or early support. Bonding Difficulty: Very Easy.

[D - Uncommon] Stronger, semi-sentient beasts that require simple respect. Bonding Difficulty: Easy.

[C - Rare] Intelligent, specialized beasts with abilities like flight or camouflage. Bonding Difficulty: Moderate.

[B - Elite] Beasts that test moral or emotional strength. Often symbolic. Bonding Difficulty: Difficult.

[A - Epic] Unique, sentient entities with multiple abilities or emotional depth. Bonding Difficulty: Hard.

[S - Mythic] Legendary-level beings tied to Aeroria’s lore. Intelligent, proud. Bonding Difficulty: Very Hard.

[SS - Transcendent] Singular anomalies, usually hidden or awakened via emotional resonance. Bonding Difficulty: Nearly Impossible.

Jax read through it slowly, absorbing every detail.

He skipped the screen.

Another notification popped up.

[Player HP regenerates over time.]

[Beasts can level up by winning fights with bonded beasts or killing other beasts in the forest other than bonded ones.]

[Killing bonded beasts gives 3x EXP.]

Jax’s eyes narrowed. ’So targeting other players’ beasts is a valid strategy. Got it.’

He skipped again.

The interface vanished completely.

No "good luck" message. No countdown. Just silence.

Jax stood alone in the glowing forest.

He exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. "Alright. Time to get to work."

Jax walked through the forest carefully, his eyes scanning every shadow, every movement.

The sounds around him were crisp birdsong, rustling leaves, distant water. Everything felt alive.

He spotted movement ahead.

A small herd of deer-like creatures grazed peacefully in a clearing.

’Perfect. Let’s start simple.’

Jax stepped forward confidently. "Hey! You! Come here!"

The deer’s head snapped up.

Its eyes locked onto him.

Then it bolted disappearing into the trees.

Jax blinked. "What the"

He tried again.

A wolf-beast prowled near a rocky outcrop. Its fur was dark, sleek and its eyes glowed faintly yellow.

Jax approached quickly, trying to look intimidating. "Listen up! I’m your new master! Get over here!"

The wolf growled low.

Then it turned and ran.

"Are you kidding me?!"

Jax clenched his fists, frustration bubbling. ’What am I doing wrong? In every game I’ve played, I win by outshooting, out-slashing, out-thinking. Why isn’t it working now?’

His hands trembled just a bit.

’Am I... underestimating this?’

A loud screech tore through the air.

Jax looked up.

A gryphon massive, wings spread wide descended from the sky. It dove toward one of the fleeing deer, talons extended.

Jax’s instincts kicked in. ’I can scare it off. Show dominance.’

He charged forward, shouting. "Back off!"

The gryphon ignored him completely. But a rookery of birds nearby didn’t.

They swarmed.

Dozens of small, glowing birds dive-bombed him, pecking, scratching, flapping wildly.

Jax stumbled backward, swatting them away. "Shit! Okay! Bad idea!"

He ducked behind a tree, breathing hard.

’Brute force doesn’t work here. Aggression doesn’t work. Dont they like dominating master, So what does?’

The forest around him felt suddenly heavier. The sky darkened momentarily, clouds rolling in unnaturally fast.

Jax froze. ’What was that?’

The tremor faded. The sky lightened again.

’A glitch? Or something else?’

He shook it off. ’Focus. Figure this out.’

’Think. Jennifer said it wasn’t about strength. It’s about emotion. Similarity. Respect.’

He replayed her words in his mind.

’The beasts choose you. Not the other way around.’

He opened his eyes slowly. ’So I need to stop trying to dominate them. I need to show them something they respect. Something they connect with.’

He listened.

Birds chirped in rhythmic patterns, almost like data signals. The rustling leaves sounded deliberate, coded.

’This is still a VR world. It has logic. Patterns.’

His eyes landed on a glowing vine hanging from a nearby tree.

’Let’s try something different.’

He plucked the vine carefully and stretched it across the ground, tying it between two trees like a tripwire.

Then he waited.

Minutes passed.

A fox-like creature appeared dashing. Its fur shimmered with faint blue and silver patterns, almost cyber-like.

It approached the vine.

Tripped.

Yelped.

Jax stood quickly, hands raised. "Wait! I’m not going to hurt you!"

The fox scrambled to its feet, staring at him warily.

Jax crouched slowly, lowering himself to its level. "I could’ve killed you. But I didn’t. See?"

He reached down and untied the vine, freeing the fox completely.

The fox tilted its head.

Then it circled back.

Jax stayed still, palm extended.

’Come on. Trust me.’

The fox stepped closer. Its glowing eyes studied him carefully.

Then it nuzzled his hand.

Soft particles of light swirled around them, like fireflies dancing in the air.

A gentle chime echoed.

[BOND FORMED]

[Verity Fox - C-Rank / Psychic]

[Ability: Illusion Veil - Creates false images to confuse enemies.]

Jax exhaled, relief washing over him. ’Finally.’

He looked at the fox. ’C-Rank fool who felt for his stupid trap. Not the strongest. But it’s a start. And with the right strategy, even weak pieces can shine.’

The fox sat beside him, tail swishing.

Jax stood, smiling faintly. ’One down. Two to go.’

Jax moved deeper into the forest, the Verity Fox trotting beside him.

A river stretched before him, wide and glowing faintly blue. The water moved smoothly, almost unnaturally clean.

And near the bank, struggling violently, was a massive creature.

It looked like a hybrid an otter’s sleek body mixed with a bear’s bulk. Its paw was caught in a holographic snare trap, crackling faintly with red energy.

Small water sprites swam frantically around it, chirping in distress.

Jax approached slowly, hands raised. ’If I help it, maybe it’ll respect me.’

The creature growled low, warning him to stay back.

Jax ignored the warning. He knelt beside the snare, examining it closely.

’This is digital. Code-based. I can solve this.’

’Lock mechanism. Three rotating codes. If I align them...’

His fingers moved quickly, adjusting the sequences.

The snare flickered.

Then vanished.

The creature’s paw was free.

It stood slowly, water dripping from its fur. It turned to face Jax, eyes serious.

A beam of sunlight pierced through the trees, illuminating them both.

The creature lowered its head.

A second chime echoed.

[BOND FORMED]

[Hydroglider Bear - B-Rank / Elemental (Water-Earth Hybrid)]

[Ability: Aegis Stream - Creates liquid armor to deflect attacks.]

Jax grinned. ’B-Rank. Now we’re talking.’

The bear stood beside him, massive and calm.

Jax looked at his two beasts. ’Two down. One more to go.’

The atmosphere shifted.

The sky darkened suddenly, clouds rolling in fast. The temperature dropped.

A deep, echoing roar reverberated from somewhere beyond the mountains.

Jax froze.

The river’s flow reversed for a moment, water flowing backward before snapping back to normal.

Holographic petals swirled upward in a sudden vortex.

Both his beasts turned toward the source of the disturbance, tense.

Jax’s chest tightened. ’Something big is out there.’

His interface flickered.

[ALPHA PRESENCE DETECTED]

’The third beast. The strongest one.’

He clenched his fists. ’I am coming for you.’

A voice echoed from behind him.

"Impressive. You’ve bonded two already."

Jax spun around.

A figure emerged from the holographic cliffside path.

Professor Olivia.

And beside her stood three beasts.

Jax opened his interface quickly, checking their stats.

[Thunder Panther - B-Rank / Elemental-Lightning]

[Ability: Static Blitz - Chain lightning strikes multiple enemies.]

[Stone Golem - B-Rank / Primal-Earth]

[Ability: Boulder Guard - Shields an ally beast.]

[Wraith Viper - A-Rank / Ethereal-Poison]

[Ability: Phantom Coil - Drains life through intangibility.]

Jax’s throat went dry.

’Three beasts. All stronger than mine. And she’s a professor. She knows what she’s doing.’

Olivia smiled faintly. "You’re clever. But cleverness won’t save you here."

Jax looked at his own beasts a C-Rank fox and a B-Rank bear.

’Weak. Compared to hers, they’re nothing.’

But then he smirked.

’There’s no such thing as weak in my dictionary. Sometimes, the underdog is the one who shines brightest.’

He stepped forward, eyes sharp.

"Let’s see about that."