Catherine spent the entire morning in her room, unsure of what to do. After breakfast, Charles dedicated the morning to transferring all the materials and herbs from his storage space to David, asking him to help sell them. He did this because there wasn’t much time left before their departure for Cyber Academy, and he would need a substantial amount of money once they arrived.
Additionally, Charles visited every general store and the Beast Mastery shop in town, hoping to find a Gold-quality mystical beast egg. It had been a while since he became a Level 3 Beast Master, and he still hadn’t had any luck finding a third mystical beast.
Lsengard was just a small border town of Genosha, and Silver-quality mystical beast eggs were already considered rare here, let alone Gold-quality ones.
As for capturing ferocious beasts outside the city, Charles had no interest; he didn’t think much of the ferocious beasts near Lsengard. He was looking for a wind-type mystical beast, preferably one that could fight in the sky. While Mousie could fly for short periods, its natural form wasn’t suited for direct combat.
He was also considering finding a Gold-type mystical beast, similar to a Steel Warhorse, which could enhance physical attributes and defensive capabilities. With Mousie’s Darkness Draw ability, he could drain energy from enemies to replenish his stamina or boost his attack power. In that state, Charles, under the effects of Beast Mastery, could battle against foes all day long!
Unfortunately, after several days of searching, he had no leads. He did, however, hear rumors that a grand auction would take place in the capital of Genosha in a month, featuring Gold and even Platinum-quality mystical beast eggs. The prices were exorbitant; a Gold-quality mystical beast egg was expected to cost around sixty gold coins, and a Platinum-quality egg would surely be even higher!
In just a week, Ezra would be taking him and Catherine to the capital of Genosha, where they would board a flying beast to the headquarters of Cyber Academy, located beyond the Abyssal Depths. With such a tight timeline, there would be no chance to attend the auction.
” sigh,” Charles muttered. He still had a Silver-quality mystical beast egg in his storage space, but if he couldn’t find something suitable, he might have to settle for it. Each evolution of a mystical beast was challenging, and the requirements only grew stricter over time. A Gold-quality mystical beast could achieve much more than a Silver one!
Just then, his phone pinged with a text message from Ezra: [Plans have changed. In three days, you and Catherine will head to Azureville to meet with two other students before proceeding to the capital of Genosha.] Charles furrowed his brow; this was different from what he’d been told. [Weren’t we going to the Cyber Academy headquarters beyond the Abyssal Depths?]
After a moment, Ezra replied: [There was an unexpected issue. The number of spots to enter the headquarters from the Abyssal Depths has been reduced. Now there are only five slots available, and only the top five from the half-year assessment will qualify to go to the headquarters.]
Only five spots for the entire Abyssal Depths? Charles was astonished. The Abyssal Depths encompassed seven nations, and Genosha was expected to enroll around fifty students! That meant nearly 350 new students in the Abyssal Depths alone!
These 350 individuals were all geniuses who had reached Level 3 Beast Master before the age of twenty. Competing for a spot in the top five among them would be no easy feat. Before Charles could ask more, Ezra explained, [This year, the rules suddenly changed.
Those who reach Level 3 Beast Master before twenty will enter the branch school; those who reach Level 5 before twenty will enter the main academy.]
Level 5 before twenty? That was truly exceptional! Charles was just over eighteen; in a year and a half, he would be twenty. Given that time, he was confident he could meet the requirements. However, he realized he had only six months until the assessment. Achieving Level 4 Beast Master and securing a top-five position in that time frame was still within his reach!
[Teacher, when will you be able to tell me about my parents?] Charles asked, recalling that Ezra had said before it wasn’t the right time. Silence followed; it seemed Ezra hadn’t seen the message.
It wasn’t until Charles returned to the villa and informed Catherine about the changes in the main academy’s admission rules that his phone pinged again. Ezra: [There’s not much I can say. Your parents are currently safe.]
Charles quickly responded, [Where are they now?]
[Outside the Ethereal Grove.]
Looking at Ezra’s message, Charles felt a storm of emotions. What did it mean that his parents were outside the Ethereal Grove?
Charles was puzzled. His parents were merely long-distance transporters, and their farthest routes were within Genosha. How could they possibly have crossed the Abyssal Depths to be outside the Ethereal Grove?
He quickly pressed Ezra for more information, but all he received were a few details about the admission officer in Azureville and a reminder about the promised weapon, both of which were also in Azureville. After that, there was no further response from Ezra.
Frustrated by Ezra’s reluctance to provide answers, Charles couldn’t help but wonder whether Ezra was unaware of the reasons behind his parents’ situation or if he knew but couldn’t say. Regardless, even though Ezra mentioned that his parents were temporarily safe, it was still just that—temporary!
Taking a deep breath, the urge to grow stronger persisted in his mind. Since he would be in the capital of Genosha for half a year, he needed to set some short-term goals:
First, within a month, he had to find a suitable mystical beast, preferably of Gold quality or higher. If he couldn’t find one elsewhere, he would need to save enough gold coins to buy one at the auction.
Secondly, he wanted to see if he could gather the last piece of the map fragment and the formula for the Super Miracle Drug. Both could significantly enhance his strength!
Finally, after acquiring his third mystical beast, Charles aimed to elevate his skills to Level 4 Beast Master as quickly as possible and secure a top-five position in the assessment to enter the headquarters of Cyber Academy! He clenched his fists, knowing that in this Beast Mastery world, only the strong held all the power.
He needed to grow stronger to protect himself, his family, and everyone he cared about.
“Charles, you seem a bit different,” Catherine remarked, sensing an unusual aura emanating from him. It felt somewhat familiar yet distinct.
“It’s nothing. We’re leaving in three days. If you have time, could you spar with me again?” Charles asked.
“Spar?” Catherine was eager to train with him but felt her heart race at the thought of their previous encounters, where she felt exposed. She tried to act casual and nodded, “Sure, no problem.” freeωebnovēl.c૦m
For the next three days, whenever he had the chance, Charles sparred with Catherine. Each session enriched his practical experience, and even Max and Mousie benefited from it. While their levels didn’t increase, his combat instincts and techniques grew significantly stronger.
At the Lsengard station, pedestrians gawked at the luxury cars parked at the entrance, gasping in awe.
“Isn’t that the Rolls Royce exclusive to the lord of the city?”
“Not just that; the heads of the Stokes family, Smith family, and Blackwood family are all here!”
“Who is it that has such a presence?”
“I don’t know, but I envy them! If I could have a scene like this, I’d be willing to live to a hundred and then die!”
“Look, that young man seems to be an important figure; everyone is so enthusiastic towards him!”
“Let me see; he’s so handsome!”
…
Charles ignored the chatter around him and focused on the familiar faces of Daniel, Lily, Aurora, Raj, Matthew, and David who had come to see him off. He felt a wave of emotion swell within him.
“You guys should head back; I’m not gone for good,” Charles said, trying to ease their worries.
“I know, but just wait a little longer. I want to see you,” Lily replied, her eyes slightly red. The thought of Charles leaving felt like a sharp pain in her heart.
Daniel, with his shoulders slumped and a lost look in his eyes, spoke in a low voice, “Take care of yourself over there. If anyone bullies you, tell me, and I’ll make sure they regret it!”
Hearing Daniel’s words made Charles suppress a laugh. “Sure, what if a Level 5 Beast Master picks a fight?”
“Forget Level 5; I’d take on a Level 6 if I had to!” Daniel said, raising his head and looking earnestly at Charles.
Charles chuckled and patted his shoulder. “Alright, I get it. Time’s running out, and I need to leave.”
“Wait, I have something for you to take. Inside this bag, there’s a box that Aurora asked me to give you,” Daniel said, handing over a large bag to Charles.
Charles accepted it, glancing around for Aurora, but he didn’t see her anywhere.
As the departure time approached, Charles bid farewell to his friends. He took one last glance back; besides Lily, who was weeping quietly, he caught a fleeting glimpse of Aurora’s silhouette in the distant corner tower.
Waving goodbye, he joined Catherine on the train heading to Azureville.
Inside the luxurious carriage, Catherine was resting with her eyes closed, while Charles stared at the bag on the table, lost in thought. He opened it to find three small boxes inside.
One was from Daniel, containing a note that simply read, “Take care,” along with 500 silver coins.
The second was from Lily. When he opened it, he quickly closed it again, glancing at Catherine to ensure she was still asleep. Inside was a sexy outfit that Lily had worn before, complete with a lip print on the inside and 800 silver coins.
The last box was from Aurora, containing a small pack of cookies and 1 gold coin along with 230 silver coins.
Carefully, Charles took out a cookie and popped it into his mouth, watching the scenery outside rush by as the train sped along.
Familiar faces and places receded further behind him.
“This cookie is a bit bitter,” Charles murmured.