Ascension Gates: Rise of the Beast Monarch-Chapter 20: The Aftermath of Victory
The cheers in the arena continued long after the match had ended.
Many students were still trying to process what they had just witnessed. Some were replaying the battle in their minds, analyzing every move Aether had made, while others were simply amazed by the unexpected result.
Defeating Darek and the Stonebreaker Rhino was not something an ordinary student could accomplish.
And the way Aether had done it — calmly, strategically, and with almost perfect control — made the victory even more shocking.
Aether, however, didn’t react much to the applause.
He stood quietly on the battlefield for a moment, letting the noise fade into the background.
The Fire Pup sat beside him, flames slowly calming down after the intense fight.
The instructor walked onto the platform and nodded in approval.
"That was a well-executed battle," he said.
Aether nodded politely.
"Thank you."
The instructor looked at the Fire Pup carefully.
"Your beast has excellent control for its level."
The Fire Pup lifted its head proudly.
Aether replied calmly.
"We’re still learning."
The instructor smiled faintly, then turned to address the audience.
"Students, take note. This battle was not decided by raw power alone, but by observation, adaptability, and battlefield control."
Several students nodded thoughtfully.
But not everyone was impressed.
Across the stands, a few individuals were watching Aether with narrowed eyes.
They were not students from Skygate’s regular classes.
Their uniforms carried different insignias.
Factions.
The kind that observed academy tournaments to recruit or monitor potential talents.
And today, Aether had become someone worth watching.
---
Meanwhile, Liora made her way down toward the battlefield as the crowd slowly began to disperse.
When she reached Aether, she crossed her arms and gave him a long look.
"That was ridiculous."
Aether glanced at her.
"Which part?"
"All of it."
She pointed toward the broken arena.
"You turned the entire battlefield into a trap."
Aether shrugged slightly.
"It worked."
Liora sighed.
"Yes. It worked a little too well."
The Fire Pup barked happily.
Liora looked down at it.
"You’re getting stronger too."
The small beast wagged its tail proudly.
But Aether noticed something else. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
The Fire Pup’s flames had changed slightly.
There was a deeper glow hidden inside them now.
It was subtle.
Most people wouldn’t notice it.
But Aether could.
"That attack pushed it further," he thought.
His beast was evolving again.
Not fully.
But gradually.
Exactly as expected.
---
A few minutes later, Aether and Liora left the arena together and returned toward the academy’s central pathways.
Students passed by them, whispering.
"That’s him."
"The one who beat Darek."
"I heard he’s only been here for a short time."
Rumors were already spreading.
Liora smirked.
"Congratulations. You’re famous now."
Aether didn’t seem concerned.
"Fame attracts attention."
"Yes," Liora replied. "And attention attracts trouble."
Aether glanced at her.
"You sound like you’re speaking from experience."
Liora smiled slightly but didn’t answer.
Instead, she changed the topic.
"By the way, that wasn’t your full strength, was it?"
Aether thought for a moment.
"No."
She laughed quietly.
"I knew it."
---
As they continued walking, Aether suddenly stopped.
That strange pulse inside him returned.
The red-gold energy stirred again.
This time, it was clearer.
A direction.
A distant signal.
Something in the academy.
Or perhaps near it.
The Fire Pup looked up at him.
"You felt it too?" Aether asked quietly.
The small beast nodded.
Liora noticed the change in his expression.
"What is it?"
Aether looked toward the distant training grounds beyond the academy’s main buildings.
"Something interesting."
She raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds dangerous."
"Probably."
Liora sighed.
"Of course it is."
---
Later that evening, inside one of the academy’s study halls, Aether sat alone reviewing information on a large projection screen.
He had not come here to celebrate.
He had come to learn.
The academy’s archives contained valuable knowledge about beasts, evolution paths, and ancient records.
And Aether intended to understand everything he could.
The Fire Pup slept beside him on the table, its flames flickering softly like a warm lantern.
Aether scrolled through several documents.
Beast evolution theories.
World energy structures.
Historical records of ascension gates.
Then he opened another file.
"Unknown Resonance Phenomena."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
This topic was rare.
Very few people had studied it.
But the moment he started reading, something caught his attention.
A diagram appeared on the screen.
It showed a unique energy signature.
Red.
Gold.
Exactly like his.
Aether leaned forward slightly.
"This... shouldn’t be here," he thought.
Because according to the file, this resonance had only appeared a few times in recorded history.
And every time it did...
Major events followed.
Some involved wars.
Others involved the collapse of powerful factions.
But what caught Aether’s attention the most was the final note in the file.
It mentioned a location.
A region outside the academy.
Known as the Ashen Wildlands.
The Fire Pup suddenly woke up and looked at the screen.
Its flames flared slightly.
Aether noticed immediately.
"You feel it too."
The small beast nodded.
Liora’s voice suddenly came from behind him.
"I was wondering where you disappeared to."
Aether turned slightly.
"I was studying."
She looked at the screen and frowned.
"That file is restricted."
Aether shrugged.
"It was available."
Liora sighed.
"Technically, yes. But most students don’t even know it exists."
She read the location mentioned in the file.
"Ashen Wildlands... why are you looking at that place?"
Aether answered honestly.
"Because something there is reacting to me."
Liora stared at him.
"You’re serious."
"Yes."
She looked at the Fire Pup.
The beast’s flames were brighter now.
Which confirmed something important.
Whatever Aether was sensing...
It was real.
Liora crossed her arms and thought for a moment.
"Alright," she said finally.
"If you’re planning to go there, you’re not going alone."
Aether raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because that place is dangerous. And also..."
She smirked slightly.
"I want to see what you’re hiding."
Aether considered that for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Fair."
---
But unknown to them, someone else had also noticed Aether’s performance earlier that day.
Inside one of the academy’s observation towers, Riven stood silently while watching a projection replay of the battle.
Behind him, another student spoke.
"You’re interested in him?"
Riven didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said,
"He’s not normal."
The other student smirked.
"You want to fight him."
Riven’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes."
But then he added something unexpected.
"Not yet."
The other student looked surprised.
"Why?"
Riven turned off the projection.
"Because he’s still hiding something."
He walked toward the exit of the tower.
"And I want to see how far he goes."
---
Meanwhile, outside the academy walls, far beyond the safe training zones...
Something deep within the Ashen Wildlands moved.
A strange energy ripple spread through the forest.
Ancient.
Hidden.
Waiting.
And slowly...
Something began to awaken.
