Back in his dorm room.
Markus sat in front of his egg.
It was floating above the prayer cushion, pulsing in anticipation.
The final drop of blood to complete the bonding of beast and man.
"Plop"
Markus's blood landed on the cold surface of the shell.
A primordial heartbeat resonated throughout the planet.
Ancient beasts living in hibernation for decades woke up feeling a primal fear from a bloodline suppression.
"BADUMP"
"BADUMP"
"BADUMP"
Crack, Crack.
----------------------------------------------------------
[Jörmungandr]
[Age: 1]
[Element: Space]
[Level: 1]
[Health: 30,000]
[Mana: ∞]
[Strength: 100]
[Agility: 100]
[Constitution: 100]
[Intelligence: 100]
[Law of Space: 100%]
----------------------------------------------------------
The newly hatched Jörmungandr feasted on its eggshells.
Created with primordial energy, it was a rich source of nutrients for the primordial beast.
The newborn snake coiled around the warmth of Markus's neck.
It sensed a familiar primordial source within him.
"Nagini, that shall be your name," Markus stroked its pristine black scales, slithering around his neck, chasing its own tail.
"What a silly little serpent," Markus held it in his hand, as it slithered back to his neck, the warmest spot it could find.
After spending some time around Markus's neck, it decided to perch itself on his hair.
Born with a complete mastery of space, it slipped into its personal space domain atop Markus's lush hair, hidden from view.
By hiding in a separate spatial layer atop Markus's hair, Nagini is the ultimate hidden trump card.
Even high-tier sensor types won't see her until she chooses to manifest.
(My spatial domain layers itself onto reality; its spatial domain is separate from the construct of reality.)
[Law of Space: 20%]
A 2% jump, it seems as if I've touched a deeper concept of space.
This little beast is a bringer of good fortune, Markus smiled as he got ready to meet the girls at the Royal Central Underground Metro.
**
At the Royal Central Underground Metro, Markus dined at a specialty steakhouse called Campeón.
It was a Spanish immigrant restaurant before the apocalypse with a Michelin star.
After the apocalypse, they remained in New York, now the Valerian Empire as naturalized citizens.
For starters, they served a beef tartare, prepared table-side, shallots, mustard, egg, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, olive oil, Maldon salt, parsley, and finally the main ingredient, tier 3 free-roam beef tenderloin.
It was paired with fresh garlic butter and three warm slices of toasted baguette.
The combination offers the perfect texture contrast to the soft meat without overpowering its delicate flavor.
The next dish, they served sliders stacked with 16-hour smoked Texas-style brisket.
It was layered with barbecue sauce and Roquefort blue cheese, extremely decadent, an experience he had never had from the Academy's dining hall or Isolde's homemade meals.
Last, but not least, the meal was finished off with a thick-cut Prime bone-in Tier 2 grass-fed beef, seared to a perfect medium, yielding a deep, caramelized crust and an incredibly juicy, tender interior.
It was served sizzling with their signature garlic butter, accompanied by triple-cooked chips topped with black truffles.
Markus did not forget to take pictures of the extremely luxurious three-course meal and sent them to NOVUS, making Grandpa Sloane jealous.
(Wow, this is the most luxurious meal I've had so far. I should bring Grandpa, Grandma, and Rosanne here for a nice dinner in the future.)
Markus headed to the front desk and paid using his Student Badge.
[Set Meal: 110 CP]
[Student Discount 20%]
[Service Charge: 10%]
[Contribution Points: 150 (246-96)]
(Wow, this meal would've cost me 121 CP if I weren't a Valerian Royal Academy student.)
(I guess that's why the other diners were giving me weird looks; this meal alone could pay for a tier 2 task in the academy.)
**
Markus sat on a bench in the waiting area for the group to arrive, drinking a cup of Blue Mountain coffee, harvested from a portal region at high altitudes.
It was an exceptionally smooth coffee, with an almost complete lack of bitterness.
"BIG BROTHER MARKUS!!" Rosanne pranced over, grabbing the cup of coffee and chugging down what remained.
"This is some nice coffee, big bro! Where did you get it?" Rosanne threw the disposable cup into a bin nearby.
Markus lazily pointed at a café on his right, "There, it's called Blue Mountain Coffee."
Rosanne dragged the girls to get a cup of coffee for the trip to the Jersey Municipality.
"Alright, girls, let's head into the platform. The train is leaving in 15 minutes," Markus led the way, tapping his student badge at the digital gantry.
The girls followed closely behind, a coffee in hand, mimicking Markus's actions.
This was their first external academic task.
[Platform 9 ¾ Bound for Jersey Municipality]
[Departing in 10 minutes]
…
…
…
[Last Call, Departing in 5 minutes]
Nagini, noticing the change in environment, opened its eyes and slithered down Markus's hair.
"WHAT IS THAT BIG BRO?" Rosanne jumped, frightened by the little serpent around Markus's neck.
"Oh, meet Nagini, my beast companion. She hatched a couple of hours ago," Markus held Nagini gently in his hands, reaching out to Rosanne.
"Oh my god, she's a beauty," Mika exclaimed, "Her pristine black scales shine in the darkness."
"Can I hold her?" Mika pleaded.
"If it lets you, sure," Markus handed Nagini over, as it slithered up Mika's arm and around her chest.
The girls took turns playing with the gentle serpent before she was handed back to Markus.
The train decoupled at an intersection, heading southwest towards Jersey Municipality.
[Jersey Municipality in 1 minute]
[Passengers, be ready to alight]
[Thank you for riding with RCUM]
[We wish to see you again]
**
The Jersey Municipality was a city that thrived on its fishing industry; several awakeners could be seen selling fresh seafood harvested from the ocean.
"FRESH MAINE LOBSTERS! FRESH KING CRABS! FRESH GIANT TIGER PRAWNS!"
Streetside fishmongers hollered loudly to attract roadside customers.
He could feel the vibrations of the ocean a mile away and the nervous pulse of the fishmongers in the square.
Rosanne seafood fanatic, ran over to a popular store and bought several fresh seafood.
[King Crab]
Level 20 x5
[Maine Lobster]
Level 20 x5
[Giant Tiger Prawns]
Level 20 x5
She spent a total of 50 credits, her mouth salivating, thinking about Grandaunt Isolde's culinary skills.
"BIG BRO! Let's have a seafood feast at home this weekend!"
Rosanne's face lit up the sky; her fondness for seafood is second to none in this Empire.