Naming and the Storm Tree

After talking with the Alpha, Kael understood the importance of naming—especially in beast races. Many of them never got to have a name, while others simply received one due to their position or rank.

Naming could be done in mainly three ways. The first was what Draven had done with Kael, which was to give a name on equal terms. It didn't consume anything, nor did it give anything in return.

This method was no different from a parent naming their child, and it was something the majority of humans used.

The second one was the Master-Subordinate naming, which was done by a being with a higher mana pool. They could then name someone else, and the act would consume their Mana depending on the strength of the recipient.

It was a risky method, as it could potentially kill the namer in the process—but that only happened when the namer had a smaller mana pool than required.

Kael was extremely confident in his mana pool, so he wasn't worried about the side effects at all.

He wanted to use this method because it was very beneficial, both to him and to the beasts he would name. After all, since it consumed mana, it also caused changes in the receiving person or beast.

Sometimes, it could even lead to an evolution or at the very least, it would grant a minor boost in their physical capabilities and a major boost in their intelligence, depending on the mana consumed in the process.

They would also be then connected to their namer and would feel a sense of reverence towards them. This was also one of the main reasons Kael didn't want this type of bond with Draven.

The third method was much simpler to explain, as it was basically naming through the masses. Once a large majority of people began to believe in something, it would happen—or at least, that was what everyone believed.

It worked the same in naming. If a large mass believed Kael was the Legendary Beast Tamer, then he would receive it as a name.

'The world truly is bizarre!' Kael thought.

The lion stopped in his tracks and looked back at him. Kael wondered if he would suspect his claims, but the lion just lowered his head and spoke in a soft, respectful voice.

"I am happy. But need to seek her first."

'So, he needs to ask his leader first, huh.' Kael nodded. "Alright, we can check it later then."

The two of them then walked through the dark forest, with only the occasional moonlight slipping through the thick canopies of the trees. Insects and bugs were on their hunt too, so their noises were scattered all over the place.

Fortunately, no beast attacked them, so they safely reached their destination.

'Well, I'll be damned!' Kael sighed in exasperation upon seeing the spot the lion had brought him to.

It was the same Great Tree he was staying at, but on the opposite side. He had checked everywhere except the place he was already staying.

'Should have expected this.'

The high-density mana area around the tree would perfectly mask the lion's presence, making it the best location to hide. The tree was also massive enough to hide anything, so there couldn't have been a better choice.

"Be alert!" the lion growled. "Lightning comes on tree."

'Is this a Storm Tree or what?' Kael wondered. "Sure."

Just when they were about to take a step forward, the sky above them darkened, and thick bolts of lightning dropped straight down onto the Great Tree.

Kael watched in shock as the giant tree absorbed every bolt of purple lightning and began to glow—as if recharged by the lightning energy.

It continued for a few seconds, as the Great Tree lit up in a dim purple glow, with its roots glowing in all seven colors of the rainbow.

It was a beautiful yet harrowing scene, as every single bolt of lightning could have turned even that Flameclaw Lion into a charred crisp.

'No wonder everyone stays away from this area. Who wants to become a glowing stick while sleeping?'

When he looked down, he found the lion lowering himself in fear, just staring at the glowing tree with a trembling body.

"Is the Tree famous around here?" Kael asked.

"You do not know?" the lion slowly gathered up courage as he saw the clouds dissipating.

Then, he began to walk forward while explaining, "The Tree is dangerous. It killed many. It attracts lightning."

'That lightning isn't normal,' Kael narrowed his eyes. 'But I need to find a solution for this if I want to make my capital here. This is a big problem.'

Seeing that the lion had walked quite a bit ahead, Kael tossed aside his planning for a moment and caught up to him.

He took him to the underside of a giant root and shifted a boulder to open up a small entrance to a hidden cave.

The lion nudged him to follow and entered the cave. Kael followed him and also placed the boulder back to cover up the entrance.

'Alpha, be on lookout for any enemies.'

He kept his senses on alert and also activated [Beast Sense], as he didn't completely trust the lion. Although they were known to despise cowardice, desperation could change any heart.

As they were walking down the narrow cave carved through the roots of the Great Tree, his [Beast Sense] alerted him to a hidden presence a few meters ahead.

However, he pretended as if he hadn't noticed and continued to walk obliviously.

In the very next second, something lunged at him from the darkness—but he could see it clearly. It was a lion similar to the previous one, as if they were twins.

But before the new lion could reach him, the previous one intercepted him as he tackled the attacker and growled, "Wait! Do not attack!"

"How you mean!?" the second lion roared, swiping away the first and glaring at Kael in fury. Before it could pounce again, the first lion once again jumped in between them.

He stared at his brother and said, "He no human!"

"He fooled you!" the second lion stomped the ground, growling in disbelief.

"Alright, I can't keep watching you two butcher the language, so why don't we just go inside and talk?" Kael sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Shit human!"

"You mean 'shut up, human'?"

"No. Shit human!"

"Alright, that's it buddy. You crossed the lion

...I mean, the line!"