Lsengard’s Beast Master Guild, Vice President’s Office.
Charles knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man, busy with paperwork at his desk, slowly raised his head. After a brief moment of surprise, he abruptly stood up, astonished:
“Charles? You little rascal! In just three months, you’ve jumped from a first-tier Beast Master to a third-tier Beast Master. I really underestimated you back then!” Fletcher, clearly excited, walked over to Charles, giving him a heavy pat on the shoulder. He motioned for his secretary to bring Charles a cup of tea and chuckled, “So, what brings you to see me today?
Do you need the Beast Master Guild’s help with something?”
Charles nodded, getting straight to the point.
“The Fenton family pharmaceuticals have aligned themselves with Sly and Kevin, openly selling painkillers with morphine levels exceeding 120 times the limit. I assume Vice President Fletcher is aware of this?”
At that, the smile vanished from Fletcher’s face. He didn’t respond immediately but gestured for Charles to continue.
“The Taylor family and the Draven family have been causing trouble in Lsengard for years. Compared to their past crimes, this public drug trafficking almost seems like a ‘minor’ offense.”
“Take just three months ago, for example. Robert, in order to win first place in the ferocious beast mountain trials, went as far as to kill a fellow student. If it hadn’t been for Daniel’s luck, he’d probably be dead in the ferocious beast mountains too.”
“And then there’s Bradley and Felix, father and son, who betrayed Lsengard. They were only able to run wild in the ferocious beast mountains because of the Taylor family’s supply of resources. Their collusion has been an open secret for over a decade.”
“And this time, their drug trafficking through healing potions isn’t just about making a profit. I suspect there’s a much bigger conspiracy at play.”
“That’s why I’m hoping the Beast Master Guild can issue a ban, preventing any Beast Master in Lsengard from doing business with them.”
After speaking at length, Charles felt his mouth go dry. He took a sip of tea, his eyes never leaving Fletcher, who sat across from him.
There was only half a month left before Charles was set to leave for Cyber Academy. He didn’t have any grand ambition to “eradicate the poison in Lsengard,” but leaving these two threats unchecked would certainly make it hard to sleep peacefully in the wilds later on.
When Charles finished, Fletcher glanced out of his office at the Beast Masters moving back and forth outside, his voice turning cold. “Charles, the purpose of the Beast Master Guild is to serve all Beast Masters across Genosha, providing them with convenience. Like the Misubi Auction House, we maintain a position of neutrality.
Whether you see them as good or evil, we don’t take sides or intervene without cause.”
After speaking, Fletcher gave Charles a quick blink, a subtle signal.
Charles was momentarily confused but quickly grasped the meaning behind Fletcher’s gesture. He stood up and took his leave. “Alright, since that’s your stance, I won’t trouble you any further today.”
Though somewhat unsure of what had just happened, Charles left the Beast Master Guild. After crossing a few streets, he suddenly received an anonymous message.
The message read:
“As much as I’d like to help, this kind of decision needs approval from the top! To be honest, I’m not a fan of Sly and Kevin either! Just a heads up—the old man recently got back from the front lines, and his most prized mystical beast was injured. If you can heal that precious creature of his, there’s a good chance he’ll green-light this for you! (P.S. Don’t say I told you this!)”
Click!
After putting away his phone, Charles felt a warm sensation in his chest.
This Beast Mastery World could be as harsh and cold as a heartless machine, much like Vice President Fletcher’s name and the cold, detached expression on his face.
But even the coldest heart has its soft moments—just like when Fletcher stood in front of the students in the ferocious beast mountains to protect them, and now, when he discreetly extended a helping hand beyond his official duties.
…
The next day, Charles followed the address Fletcher had provided and arrived at an old, rundown cabin on the outskirts of Lsengard.
An elderly man with graying hair was in the yard, tending to the wounds of an equally worn-out-looking wooden bear. Dark blood trickled down the towel he was using, staining the ground beneath them.
The bear appeared to have been savagely attacked by something terrifying. One of its hind legs was cleanly broken, with part of the bone visible through the wound.
As Charles looked at the creature, several system prompts flashed before his eyes.
—[Wooden Bear]—
[Element]: Wood
[Level]: 39 [In Progress…] [Click to view upgrade materials]
[Quality]: Silver
[Emotion]: Fear
[Health]: Critically weak [Severe internal and external injuries, wounds infected] [Click to view treatment methods]
Poisoned [Neurotoxin] [Click to view treatment methods]
Disabled [Hind leg amputation] [Click to view treatment methods]
“Weakness, paralysis, poisoning, disability… this is way too much!” Charles couldn’t help but be shocked. It was the first time he had seen a mystical beast in such a dire condition.
From the brief lines of health information, Charles could sense just how brutal the battle must have been.
Genosha was a land embroiled in constant warfare. To the east, the serpent people of the Atacama Desert; to the west, the merfolk of the Infinity Isles; and both Avaloria to the north and the Stellar Empire to the south watched with predatory intent.
Ever since the fall of the war god Ares centuries ago, Genosha had become a coveted prize for its neighbors. With its plains and lack of natural defenses, it was easy pickings. Every year, countless Beast Masters perished defending the nation’s borders.
Judging by the state of the wooden bear, Charles guessed it had likely sustained its injuries in a battle against the forces from the Infinity Isles.
“Leave. I don’t get involved in Lsengard’s internal affairs.”
Before Charles could say a word, the old man’s cold voice cut through the air, carrying the harsh authority and lethal intent of someone who had spent too much time on the frontlines.
“Uh…” Charles hadn’t even opened his mouth before Guild Master Perceval had already issued his dismissal. Given the man’s position as the head of the Beast Master Guild, Charles wasn’t surprised by the level of intelligence he possessed. MVLeMpYr-the-story-platform
But Charles didn’t let the old man’s words deter him. Instead, he calmly sat down beside the wooden bear.
“Roar!——”
The wooden bear let out a roar, but thanks to his [Mind Communication] ability, Charles could tell it wasn’t out of anger—it was from pain and fear.
“Guild Master, if I can heal the wooden bear’s wounds and remove the poison from its body, could you, while maintaining neutrality, refrain from offering any assistance to Sly and his people? Things like ferocious beast materials and miracle drug supplies.”
The old man rinsed the towel in a shallow red basin, wringing it out before continuing to clean the bear’s wounds. He gave Charles a doubtful look, his voice still cold: “I’ve already told you, the Beast Master Guild is a neutral organization. We do not take sides in conflicts between Beast Masters. This isn’t about whether you can heal my beast or not. You should leave.”
“The wooden bear’s hind leg may be broken, but since it’s a wood-element mystical beast, I have a way to regenerate its missing limb,” Charles replied, his voice calm.
The old man’s hand paused in midair as he cleaned the bear’s wounds. He stared at Charles, visibly stunned.
This wooden bear had been with him since his youth, now well into his later years. It meant more to him than even family. If there was a way to fully restore its health, he would be willing to give up his position as Guild Master.
But as long as he still held his title, he had to uphold the principles of the Beast Master Guild…
“Guild Master, this wooden bear has been stuck at Level 39 for quite some time, hasn’t it? Who knows, maybe if I take a look, it might finally break through.”
Splat!
The old man tossed the towel into the basin and rushed over to Charles. In his excitement, he didn’t notice as his hands left bloody prints on Charles’ sleeves. His voice shook with emotion:
“You really think you can heal my wooden bear and help it break through to Level 40?”
Perceval stared in disbelief at the young man before him, unable to hide the joy on his face. His wooden bear had been stuck at Level 39 for 20 long years, ever since he became a fourth-tier Beast Master at the age of 48.
If the bear could break through, as its contracted master, Perceval himself would likely advance to a fifth-tier Beast Master!
Seeing the confident expression on Charles’ face, Perceval quickly let go of him and, realizing the blood on his hands, awkwardly wiped Charles’ sleeves. “Forgive me,” he said, leading Charles into the house with renewed hope.
…
Three hours later, as Perceval watched his wooden bear, now full of energy and vitality, he couldn’t help but embrace the creature. Tears welled up in his cloudy eyes, streaming down his face.
“Hey, old friend, I thought I was going to lose you forever… sobbing…”
Noticing his emotional outburst, Perceval quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and smiled at Charles. “Don’t worry. The Beast Master Guild will no longer supply ferocious beast materials or alchemy ingredients to Fenton Pharmaceuticals.
And I’ll issue a decree in my capacity as Guild Master: any Beast Master registered with the Lsengard Beast Master Guild who is caught purchasing healing potions from Fenton Pharmaceuticals will have their salary suspended for six months!”
“I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Guild Master Perceval!” Charles smiled slightly as he prepared to leave. Before departing, he handed Perceval a list of materials. “These are the materials required for the wooden bear’s breakthrough. Gather them within 20 days. If you keep your word, I’ll ensure it completes its breakthrough before I leave Lsengard.”
Perceval took the list from Charles, his heart filled with curiosity. He had heard many rumors about the young man even before returning to Lsengard.
But what surprised him was that, besides his Beast Mastery talents, this kid seemed to have knowledge of alchemy and even some medical skills?
The abilities Charles had displayed left Perceval astonished. As he watched Charles’ figure disappear into the distance, the old man smiled wryly. “Is this what they call abusing power for personal gain?”
Gently patting the old companion that had been by his side through countless battles, Perceval made up his mind to prepare it a feast of ferocious beast meat that night.
“The frontlines are in dire straits, and Sly, Kevin, and those bastards have turned Lsengard into a cesspool. It’s about time someone stepped in!” Perceval muttered to himself, as if trying to justify his actions.