This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

He stopped before a cluster of what looked like long-extinct dragonkin—more humanoid than beast. They looked a lot like kobolds yet with wings and a quiet, noble sorrow—rather than the typical bootlicking manner of the kobolds Kain was accustomed to—perhaps an ancestor?

Their eyes, frozen in crystal, seemed almost aware—like statues waiting for a bell that would never ring.

'No… not quite Noah's Ark,' he amended his earlier thought. 'There's no ship. But the intent is the same. A sanctuary. A preservation. And coincidentally all of these are creatures that do not currently exist or have been seen on the continent in centuries. Even rare creatures, like the True Red Dragons, were not seen here. Did they predict that their own extinction was at risk?'

At the center of the room was the only truly dead creature, a massive dried-out husk of a tree that had long since petrified, with a glowing violet orb in its crumbling center.

Kain could sense the Source energy coming off of the orb, and admittedly he still craved it, but more than that he realized that it had a more important identity—it was the core of this relic…and their ticket out of there.

Zareth walked over and stood beneath the tree's arching branches, then he reached in and pried the core out of the dead tree with little resistance.

The violet orb pulsed once, then again, in a steady rhythm with his spiritual output as he began to saturate it with his own spiritual power to gain control of it. Once he did they would be free.

Sweat beaded on his brow, but his expression remained composed like usual—steady, as though he were simply completing an everyday task.

The others fanned out, knowing that there was nothing they could do to support him, their footsteps lost amidst the chamber's silence. Even Pete, previously on the verge of collapsing, wandered toward a cluster of feathered foxes with gossamer tails—his eyes wide with wonder, fatigue is momentarily forgotten.

Lina and Serena discussed the possibility of the crystals being like stasis pods—an advanced kind of suspended animation that the Empire had been supposedly researching.

Serena theorized that the Sanctuary had been built with the intent of surviving some great disaster—likely related to the Abyss.

Serena pointed out faint runes on the floor, possibly a ritual circle, now dulled with time and unreadable.

Malzahir crouched beside a floating crystal containing a mermaid-like figure with hair like liquid silver. Considering he'd been raised in the desert and had never seen the ocean or any aquatic creatures, he seemed especially curious about the people that looked to be half human and half fish. He pressed his fingers to the surface in wonder and curiosity but recoiled at the faint thrum beneath—like touching a heart encased in glass.

All of them eventually tried the same thing: bringing the massive crystals into their storage rings, only for nothing to happen. This further supported the theory that those encased in crystals are likely still alive—and thus, unable to be brought into the space rings.

But Kain didn't have that limitation.

Kain stood quietly in the shadow of one of the biggest crystals, out of sight of the others, his eyes skimming over the faces preserved in the nearby crystals. So many species. So much history. Lost. Hidden. Frozen.

And ripe for the taking.

The thought didn't just tempt him. It practically consumed him. Every molecule of his being with an interest in scientific research couldn't resist the combination of ancient with the futuristic alien technology provided by the System.

Thousands of rare or extinct species—each one potentially powerful, unique, or valuable beyond reckoning. A priceless library of genetics. Any researcher, any organization, would kill for the right to control even one of these creatures. And he could have them all.

'The System could easily scan them, categorize them, hold them without any strain… but how to do it without alerting the others...'

He looked down at his palm. All it would take was a touch. One thought. The System could siphon the entire Sanctuary into the Storage Hall in minutes.

But…

He frowned.

Was it truly the right thing to do? After all, they were creatures of this world, and he essentially wanted to take them away to fulfill his scientific curiosity about each of them…

These creatures weren't just specimens or assets. They were people. Possibly families. Pairs deliberately preserved. Each crystal held a cultural history, a bloodline, a story.

Kain clenched his fist.

The pragmatic part of him argued. 'What if someone else gets here? What if another group finds this place after us and before the Empire can send more people and take them? At least I have a reason to keep them safe. I can study them. Protect them.'

He exhaled slowly but suddenly a System notification stopped his internal debate.

Ding

*Alert: A large amount of genetic material suitable for the Cradle is detected*

*Source Energy originally directed to restore the Training Arena can be redirected to instead unlock the Cradle*

*Would you like to unlock the Cradle?*

>Yes

Kain's heart skipped a beat at the timely notification from the System, and, although he missed the Training Arena, knew what his best option was. However, he couldn't resist making one last snarky comment: 'What's the point of even asking when you're only giving one option?' Kain thought with a roll of his eyes, about to click the button.

But before he could select 'yes' the System window disappeared and his heart skipped a beat wondering if he'd blown the opportunity.

Ding

*Alert: A large amount of genetic material suitable for the Cradle is detected*

*Source Energy originally directed to restore the Training Arena can be redirected to instead unlock the Cradle*

*Would you like to unlock the Cradle?*

>'Yes. Although I am an idiot, I know that much'

>'Yes. I'm only mostly incompetent, not entirely.'

>'Yes. Thank you, oh wise System, for showing mercy to this feeble-minded moron.'

Kain: "…"