Ascension Gates: Rise of the Beast Monarch-Chapter 6: The Stone Guardian’s Awakening

The moment the light from the trial gate faded, Aether realized that this place was far different from anything he had experienced before. The world around him was vast, ancient, and strangely quiet, as if time itself had slowed within the ruins. Broken pillars stretched into the sky, and enormous statues of unknown tamers stood across the battlefield, their faces eroded by centuries of wind and dust.

Aether stood still for a few seconds, observing everything carefully.

The Fire Pup beside him sniffed the ground, its small flames flickering slightly as if reacting to the unfamiliar energy of this place.

"This doesn’t feel like a simple illusion," Aether murmured.

The pup gave a soft bark.

In the distance, the ground trembled faintly.

Aether narrowed his eyes.

Then the source of the disturbance appeared.

From behind a shattered monument, a massive stone creature slowly emerged. Its body looked as if it had been carved from ancient rock, yet glowing cracks of energy pulsed across its surface. Each step it took caused dust and debris to fall from its body.

Aether tilted his head slightly as he observed the creature.

"So this is the trial."

The Fire Pup stepped forward, growling softly.

The stone creature’s eyes ignited with a cold blue light. It let out a deep roar that echoed across the entire ruin.

For most new tamers, such a scene would have been terrifying. A beast this large and powerful clearly exceeded what a beginner should face.

But Aether simply watched it calmly.

Inside his mind, the faint reddish-golden glow stirred once again.

The strange power that had awakened during the Beast Contract Ceremony responded to the presence of the enemy.

The Fire Pup’s flames burned a little brighter.

Aether smiled faintly.

"Looks like you’re excited."

The pup barked confidently.

At the same time, outside the trial gate, the elders of the Skygate Faction were watching closely.

The crystal surface of the gate displayed everything happening inside.

Several faction members were standing nearby, observing silently.

One of the younger tamers frowned slightly.

"Isn’t that trial a bit too difficult for someone who just formed a contract?"

Another tamer nodded.

"That’s a Stone Guardian simulation. Even experienced tamers struggle against it."

Liora crossed her arms while watching the projection.

"Let’s see what he does."

The silver-haired elder spoke calmly.

"If he truly has unusual potential, he will show it now."

Inside the trial, the Stone Guardian raised one of its massive arms and slammed it into the ground.

The entire battlefield shook violently.

Cracks spread across the earth, sending pieces of rock flying toward Aether.

Aether didn’t move immediately.

Instead, he spoke quietly.

"Go."

The Fire Pup dashed forward instantly.

Its small body moved far faster than before, flames trailing behind it like a comet. The Stone Guardian swung its arm downward, attempting to crush the tiny beast, but the pup leaped aside with surprising agility.

Aether watched carefully.

He wasn’t worried.

Not because the Fire Pup was already strong enough to defeat such a monster, but because he could feel something deeper happening inside the bond between them.

The power within him responded again.

And this time, it was stronger.

Aether could feel the Fire Pup evolving in real time.

The flames around the pup’s body intensified, becoming darker and hotter. A faint second tail of fire began to form behind it, flickering like a shadow of what was to come.

The Stone Guardian roared and swung again.

But the Fire Pup was no longer the same as before.

It dashed across the battlefield and struck the giant’s leg with a burst of flame.

The impact shocked the massive creature.

Outside the gate, the observing elders immediately noticed the change.

One of them leaned forward.

"That... is evolution energy."

Another elder frowned.

"Impossible. No materials were used."

The silver-haired elder’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"Watch carefully."

Inside the trial world, Aether remained calm as he studied the battlefield. He could sense the structure of the simulation, the movements of the Stone Guardian, and the flow of power within his beast.

Everything felt clear to him.

Almost too clear.

The Stone Guardian slammed both fists down toward the Fire Pup.

Aether spoke softly.

"Left."

The pup immediately moved.

The massive fists crashed into the ground, missing their target by inches.

Aether walked forward slowly, completely unafraid of the giant monster.

"This trial gate probably measures potential through combat stress," he said quietly. "But it seems it doesn’t understand something."

The Fire Pup looked back at him.

Aether smiled.

"We don’t grow under stress."

The pup barked.

"We grow because we can."

At that moment, the reddish-golden glow inside Aether surged again.

The bond between him and the Fire Pup expanded.

Flames erupted around the small beast, forming the faint image of something far larger behind it — a shadow of a future form.

For a brief moment, it looked like a three-headed hellhound made of fire.

Outside the trial gate, the elders froze.

Liora’s eyes widened slightly.

"Did you see that?"

One of the elders whispered.

"That was a lineage projection."

The silver-haired elder spoke in a low voice.

"A hell-beast lineage... appearing this early?"

Inside the trial world, the Fire Pup leaped into the air.

Its flames condensed into a blazing strike that hit the Stone Guardian’s chest.

The giant staggered backward.

Cracks spread across its entire body.

Aether watched calmly.

"Good."

The Stone Guardian roared again, now clearly angry. Energy gathered around its body as it prepared a powerful attack.

Aether looked at it thoughtfully.

"So you’re adapting too."

The Fire Pup landed beside him.

For a brief moment, everything went quiet.

Then the Stone Guardian charged forward, its entire body glowing with destructive energy.

Most tamers would have panicked.

But Aether simply sighed softly.

"Let’s finish this."

The pup stepped forward.

The flames around it surged dramatically.

The next moment, it moved faster than before — almost like a streak of fire.

It struck the Stone Guardian directly in the center of its chest.

The battlefield exploded with light.

Outside the gate, everyone watched silently.

When the light faded, the massive Stone Guardian collapsed into fragments of rock.

The trial world began to dissolve.

Inside the fading ruins, Aether stood calmly while the Fire Pup returned to his side.

The pup wagged its tail proudly.

Aether reached down and patted its head.

"Nice work."

The world shattered into light.

A moment later, Aether stepped out of the trial gate back into the Skygate training ground.

Everyone present was staring at him.

Some with shock.

Some with curiosity.

And some with excitement.

The silver-haired elder walked forward slowly.

"You passed the trial."

Aether nodded slightly.

"That’s good."

But the elder continued speaking.

"However... what we just witnessed was not normal."

Aether looked at him calmly.

"That’s probably true."

The Fire Pup sat beside him proudly, its flames glowing brighter than before. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Liora walked closer and studied him carefully.

"You’re full of surprises."

Aether smiled slightly.

"I get that a lot."

But deep inside his mind, the reddish-golden glow pulsed again — stronger than ever.

And somewhere far beyond this world, something ancient had begun to notice him.