Chapter 12 · Tamer of the Ash Wilds - Chapter 12: Red-Code Debut

The pit announcer was still talking when Lin spotted the needle spines.

Crunch saw them too. His ears flattened, grey fur bristling along his spine as the thing across the sand shifted its weight. Six legs. Plated head. And those spines, translucent green, beading liquid at the tips.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's challenger bout—Zone Three finals—features our rising dark horse and his... well, his something." Laughter rippled through the crowd. "Facing off against Kelvar's Sting, a proven Grade-C venom specialist with fourteen consecutive kills."

Lin's throat went dry. Grade C. Crunch had torn through two D-ranks and a low C, but those had been brute-force brawlers. This was different.

The registry board behind him still glowed red. 97% match. Subject A-09 confirmed alive.

Half the crowd was staring at it. The other half was staring at him.

"You gonna forfeit, biologist?" Kelvar called from across the sand. Heavyset guy, arms crossed, grinning like he'd already won. "Save yourself the cleanup fee?"

Lin ignored him. He crouched next to Crunch, fingers brushing the soft fur behind his ears. The little guy—not so little anymore, nearly up to Lin's knee now—