This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Kain hovered above Aurem's territory in silence, his gaze locked onto the vibrant assortment of rare metals Aurem had hoarded due to the diligent collecting of his underlings.

The golden dragon's eyes narrowed slightly as Kain approached. The other creatures, unable to sense Kain unless he wished, lowered their heads in servitude after seeing the dragon's changed expression..

Without hesitation, Kain extended his hand, and with a flex of his will, five distinct samples of different metals separated from the pile, floating toward him in a slow, controlled motion. Each shimmered with an unnatural brilliance and looked extraordinary at a glance.

'These would be excellent souvenirs.'

Holding them, information about each metal appeared in his mind:

Solarite, Kain decided to name it, was the luminous golden metal streaked with deep crimson veins, constantly exuding warmth that Aurem had just eaten. It is capable of absorbing sunlight to enhance its durability and the energy it contains.

Nocturnium, a deep obsidian-black metal with faint violet specks that resemble a starry night sky. It absorbs light instead of reflecting it, has an eerie coldness to the touch and dampens sound vibrations.

Aetherium, a translucent, almost ethereal metal that shifts between colours depending on the observer's angle. It was far lighter than any known metal Kain had come across before but incredibly durable and extremely resistant to all forms of elemental energy.

Umbrasteel, a smoky-gray metal with shifting, ink-like shadows swirling just beneath its surface. It felt extremely smooth to the touch and had a perpetual hum of energy. It was capable of phasing through physical matter for brief moments when injected with spiritual power.

And finally, a metal that Kain coined as Dragonscale Ore. It was a rugged, crimson-metal with overlapping patterns resembling dragon scales. It becomes harder upon physical impact, dispersing kinetic force evenly to prevent fractures. It also naturally repairs itself over time when exposed to high temperatures.

Kain already had some ideas about the potential uses of each one, but figured he should take these samples to a blacksmith to get more detailed information on the potential uses of each metal.

Seeing Kain lift up 5 treasures from his precious collection, Aurem was immediately displeased.

The golden dragon let out a low rumble, his annoyance barely concealed. Almost in time with his growling, the underlings below began to tremble violently. One pitiful large creature resembling a brown bear was even unable to control himself and released a yellow rivulet of urine that trailed down its furry hind legs.

The dragon's tail twitched, golden eyes flashing with discontent, but he made no move to stop Kain's actions. A silent battle of authority waged between them, yet Kain did not react beyond the faintest smirk.

"These will do," Kain murmured to himself, studying the metals as they settled into his grasp. The way they reacted to his touch—some resisting, others almost pulsing in recognition—was even more proof that they were far from ordinary.

Aurem exhaled sharply through his nose, clearly displeased but unwilling to escalate the matter over something so minor. So he didn't stop Kain.

'Because even Aurem knows I'm still his master', Kain thought, though the statement felt tenuous at best.

Kain turned on his heel, the shimmering samples vanishing as he willed them into his personal storage space as he prepared to depart.

'Sigh…there's not much room left…' Kain thought despondently. Kain had gotten accustomed to just using a storage ring for show since he had the System Laboratory—meaning that the space ring he had was not the largest on the market.

But now Kain was locked out of the System Laboratory and, consequently, cut-off from a large proportion of his emergency resources.

With a final glance toward the dragon, Kain's consciousness withdrew from Pangea.

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Kain's consciousness snapped back to the cavern with a jolt, his body stiff from prolonged stillness. He blinked rapidly, adjusting to the dim torchlight after the vibrant colours of Pangea.

The air here felt stale in comparison—thin, lifeless, devoid of the thrumming energy that Pangea now had.

Kain stood up to stretch his stiff limbs when a shuffling sound drew his attention.

Malzahir stood several paces away, his back pressed against the cavern wall as if ready to bolt. The tribesman's dark eyes tracked Kain's every movement with the wary intensity of a prey animal cornered by a predator. His fingers twitched near the knife at his belt—not quite drawing it, but not dismissing the option either.

Kain offered a small, tired smile. "Relax. I'm not going to—"

Malzahir flinched.

The reaction was subtle, barely more than a tightening of his shoulders, but it sent a sharp pang through Kain's chest. He exhaled slowly, letting the smile fade.

'This is worse than I thought.'

His gaze shifted to Serena, who sat cross-legged near the dwindling fire. She wasn't watching him—not directly—but the tension in her posture betrayed her awareness and she had a dagger Kain had never seen before resting lightly on her thigh, ready for battle at a moment's notice.

The message was clear: I'm not afraid of you. But I'm ready.

The air between them was thick with unspoken accusations.

Kain clenched his jaw, then forced himself to relax. He couldn't blame them. Not after what they'd seen. Not after what he'd nearly done.

But this couldn't continue.

"Serena. Malzahir." His voice was calm, measured. "We need to talk."

Malzahir's throat worked as he swallowed hard. Serena, after a beat, turned her head just enough to meet his gaze. Her blue eyes were like ice—not hostile, but not yielding either.

"I know you don't trust me right now," he began, keeping his hands visible. "And you have every reason not to. But I can reassure you both that it won't happen again. Now—"

"Now what?" Serena cut in. "You expect us to believe you have it under control? After what we saw?"

"No." Kain's fingers curled into fists. "Which is why I will stop absorbing more of that energy for now—"

Serena cut him off again, "For now? I thought, given how dangerous it was, you would stop forever."

Kain's silence was answer enough.

Serena's lips thinned. "Then nothing's really changed."

"Of course it has! I will be far more careful, and won't attempt to absorb it again until I get stronger, or while alone."

Kain felt quite guilty as he made this statement with his fingers crossed out of view of the other two. He knew that, at least until the System's functions were fully activated again he had no plans of stopping.