In a world where strength is measured by the beasts you command, only a few ever reach the peak — and even fewer survive the journey beyond it.

Aether was just an orphan in a forgotten city, someone with no family, no background, and no future. During the Beast Contract Ceremony, everyone expected him to fail… or at best obtain a weak creature.

Instead, he formed a contract with what appeared to be the most useless beast of all — a Fire Pup.

But what no one knows is that Aether possesses a power that should not exist.

His beasts can evolve without limit.

While others struggle for years and risk their lives to gather rare materials, Aether’s beasts grow stronger simply by fighting beside him. As he rises through factions, battles powerful enemies, and unlocks ancient evolutions, the truth about his mysterious origin slowly begins to surface.

Hidden bloodlines.
A sister imprisoned by the rulers of evolution.
And a secret tied to the legendary Ascension Gates that connect three universes.

What begins as the journey of a forgotten orphan soon becomes something far greater.

Because the Fire Pup that everyone mocked…

Was destined to become a Hell Cerberus.

And Aether was never meant to be ordinary.

He was meant to become the Beast Monarch.

---

The Foundation Festival continued beneath clear autumn skies, its bright energy showing no sign of waning as the day wore toward evening. Music echoed across the Seven Halls in overlapping waves of celebration, each Hall contributing its own distinct rhythm to the greater harmony filling the academy. Disciples laughed together in loose clusters between exhibitions, while Hall Masters exchanged formal greetings with visiting dignitaries, their measured courtesy softened by the festive atmosphere surrounding them. Visitors from distant kingdoms wandered admiringly between displays that celebrated the academy's thousand-year history, marveling at feats of cultivation and craft they had only ever encountered in secondhand stories.


Chapter 299 - Chapter 297: The Reader's Trial (Part 1)