At the exact moment the trial ended, the leaderboard was published on the official website of the Lsengard Beast Master Guild, instantly attracting tens of thousands of viewers.
“26,752 points! As expected of the city lord’s daughter, Grace. She’s absolutely terrifying!”
“Thomas did great too, with 19,655 points, ranking third on the leaderboard. No wonder he’s considered the top genius at our Beast Mastery Second High!”
“Wait a minute… where’s Robert? I’ve gone through the entire leaderboard and I don’t see his name anywhere!”
The most talked-about topics, naturally, revolved around the top six on the leaderboard, all of whom were seen as potential candidates for admission to the three major academies in the imperial capital.
Beyond that, people were also comparing the list of the 1,050 participants who started the trial two months ago with the current leaderboard, speculating about those who were missing and whether they might have met with some misfortune.
“I heard that Charles’s points only started skyrocketing in the last few days. Aren’t you guys curious about that?”
This message, sent by one of the students who participated in the trial, quickly pushed Charles into the spotlight.
Soon, several of Charles’s former classmates began openly expressing doubts about his points.
“I was in the same elementary class as Charles. His Beast Master talent was terrible, and his mystical beast was nothing but a useless frost wolf. If he really earned those points on his own, I’ll do a handstand and—well, let’s just say it’s impossible!”
“Yeah, exactly! How could he tie with Grace? She’s universally recognized as a once-in-a-century prodigy in Lsengard! I’m not buying it…”
“Could it be that Charles is actually a hidden genius, and we just never noticed before?”
Awakening as a Beast Master was already a rare and remarkable feat. But the battle talent Charles displayed had completely stunned Lsengard’s online community.
Most people were just jumping on the bandwagon for fun, stirring the pot, until one particularly eye-catching comment floated to the top of the leaderboard discussion thread.
“Wait, are you saying that Charles might have cheated to get such a high score?”
A short, pointed comment like that stood out sharply among the many messages discussing the trial results.
“Cheated? Are you suggesting he hired a ferocious beast hunter to follow him around, have the hunter take down the beasts, and then Charles just swooped in for the final blow?”
“Hiring someone to cheat? What’s the point? The people in charge of admissions aren’t stupid—they’ll definitely recheck everything during the enrollment ceremony!”
“But that’s the only explanation that makes sense. Think about it: even someone as strong as Grace took the full two months to reach 26,752 points, yet Charles barely gained any points in the first month and suddenly caught up in just half a month? Something doesn’t add up…”
“Looks like Charles is desperate to get into one of the three imperial capital academies!”
“I thought Charles was some dark horse who came out of nowhere, but now it seems he used such underhanded tactics. Just wait until the enrollment ceremony—he’s going to get beaten up for sure!”
“What a disgrace to our Beast Mastery First High…”
The forum erupted with debates over whether Charles had cheated.
Meanwhile, in the “Trial Group Chat,” the discussion took an even darker turn.
“I heard that if you kill a fellow trial participant, you can take their accumulated points. Is that true?”
“No wonder so many people died in this trial. One of my friends has been missing, and I’m really worried…”
“That bastard Charles, he’d even kill his classmates! Just wait until the enrollment ceremony—I’m going to gut him myself!”
“Count me in!”
…
Charles glanced at the chat messages. Some people thought he cheated, some believed he gained points by killing others, and there were even rumors that he hacked the system and cracked the chip…
“These people sure have vivid imaginations. It’s a shame they’re not writing novels,” Charles sneered, not taking the accusations seriously.
When he arrived back at the small cabin, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Through the crack, he could see Aria inside, asleep with her head resting on the table, surrounded by a feast of food.
Hearing him at the door, Aria lifted her head. When she saw Charles, her eyes sparkled with warmth. “You’re back? I made some dinner for us. Let’s eat together.”
Charles glanced at the dishes on the table. They looked untouched, some even slightly cooled, which tugged at his heartstrings. Aria must have been waiting for him for quite a while.
Sitting down beside her, Charles served himself a small piece of meat and took a bite.
The moment the meat touched his tongue, it melted, bursting with flavor. The familiar taste evoked a sense of nostalgia, like meeting an old friend in a foreign land. Charles’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Aria—
Masaman Curry!
This was a dish from Earth, one that, as far as he knew, didn’t exist in the world of Beast Mastery!
Noticing Charles’s gaze, Aria blushed slightly and quickly looked away, her voice tinged with disappointment. “What’s wrong? Does it taste bad? You made it for me once in the ancient tomb, and I tried to recreate it from memory… but I guess it’s still not quite right.”
“No, it’s delicious!” Charles waved his hands, feeling a wave of relief. For a moment, he almost thought Aria might be another transmigrant like him. So she had learned it by watching him back then?
A flash of admiration crossed Charles’s eyes. Without being told the ingredients or cooking methods, Aria had managed to recreate the dish with over ninety percent accuracy based solely on taste. Her intelligence was truly remarkable!
“I wanted to ask you to teach me more dishes, but tomorrow…” Aria’s voice trailed off, and her beautiful golden eyes dimmed slightly with sadness.
Taking another bite and sensing the silence settling between them, Charles suddenly asked, “I heard from Joshua that you’ll be leaving in a few days as well. Where are you planning to go?”
“After leaving here, I might head to the Atacama Desert… or perhaps to the Stellar Empire,” Aria replied softly, her head slightly lowered, revealing her uncertainty.
“Atacama…”
Charles felt a pang in his heart. The Stellar Empire and Atacama were enemies, and the factions within Atacama likely dreamed of eliminating Aria.
A fallen princess on the run, with only a single loyal bodyguard remaining by her side… Putting himself in her shoes, Charles felt a heaviness that made it hard to breathe. He could see that Aria was forcing a smile, but he didn’t know how to comfort her.
“Why the long face? Is something bothering you?” Aria asked, standing in front of Charles before he even realized she had moved. Without waiting for an answer, she gently tugged on his arm. “How about… I take you somewhere to clear your mind?”
Feeling the smooth touch of her hand on his arm, Charles hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the half-eaten Masaman Curry before looking up at Aria. “Where are we going?”
Aria smiled softly. “You’ll see when we get there.”
…
After leaving the small cabin, Aria transformed into her serpentine form and led the way. Charles followed behind her for what felt like an eternity, his breath growing heavier as he struggled to keep up.
He had to take a [Miraculous Speed Pill] just to maintain the pace, and they continued ascending the mountain until they finally reached the summit. To his surprise, the top of the mountain was a flat meadow. The warm summer breeze rustled through the grass, creating waves in the sea of green that stretched out before them, a breathtaking sight.
Aria was already lying on the soft grass near the edge of the cliff, gazing up at the starry sky with a look of contentment.
Charles lay down a short distance away, inhaling the mixed scents of fresh grass and the delicate fragrance of the girl beside him. He felt his spirits lift instantly.
“So, do you feel better now?” Aria’s clear voice drifted over from beside him. He turned his head to see a butterfly resting on her fingertip, but his eyes were drawn to a strange black mark on her pale hand.
“Yeah, this is a great spot,” Charles replied, lifting his gaze to the sky, where fireflies danced among the stars, their greenish glow blending with the starlight.
The vast expanse of the night sky did wonders for his mood.
As Charles was lost in thought, Aria suddenly sat down next to him, holding a jade-green pendant in front of his eyes. “You gave me a gift yesterday, so this is my return gift to you.”
“Heh, didn’t you say that jade pendants are a symbol of love among snake people? Are you saying you’ve fallen for me?” Charles teased, unable to resist as he admired Aria’s flawless, porcelain-like face.
Aria’s cheeks flushed red, and she gave him a light glare. “You’re so full of yourself. This is a [Fragment of Jade Tablet]. It contains three remnants of Joshua’s will that can protect you in times of danger.”
Hearing this, Charles sat up abruptly, taking the pendant from Aria’s hand as his eyes lit up with excitement.
[Fragment of Jade Tablet] [Orange Quality]: Can be activated by infusing any attribute energy. Although it contains only remnants of Joshua’s will, it possesses the combat power equivalent to a Level 5 Beast Master. Usable three times (3/3).
Charles was astonished as he read the description—this was an incredibly powerful artifact!
Gently rubbing the jade pendant in his hand, still warm from Aria’s touch, Charles felt a wave of gratitude. “This was meant to protect you, a gift from Joshua. How can I accept it?”
Aria stood up and playfully stuck out her tongue at him. “I’ll just tell him I lost it. Then, in a few days, I’ll ask him to make another one!”
After a moment of hesitation, Charles decided to accept the [Fragment of Jade Tablet]. With the news of Robert’s death eventually reaching Sly, Charles knew he would need something to protect himself.
But Charles wasn’t one to take things from others, especially from a girl, without giving something in return. Reaching into his pocket, a flash of golden light appeared.
“What’s this…?” Aria looked surprised as she accepted the two golden scales and the two crystalline sacred bones that Charles handed her.
“These are materials dropped by the Davouring Serpent. I used most of them to forge some equipment, but these were left over. I thought you might have a use for them,” Charles said, scratching his head awkwardly.
Most of the materials had been used to craft the [Nine Netherworld Armband], and although there were only two golden scales and two sacred bones left, they were the most valuable items he had to offer.
Noticing the small quantity, Aria bit her lip and stomped her foot in mock frustration. “Oh, so after we chased it for so long, you’re the one who ended up with the spoils!”
“The Davouring Serpent didn’t have your name on it! First come, first served! Haha, first come, first served!” Charles teased, glancing at Aria, who had transformed back into her serpentine form. He bolted, laughing as he ran.
Aria chased him from the mountain top to the foot of the hill and back again. By the time it was late into the night, Charles finally gave up, lying on the grass like a defeated fish.
Seeing his exhausted state, Aria lost her desire to chase him. She gently lay down beside him on the grass, gazing up at the stars.
The cool night breeze swept across the hillside, carrying a hint of chill.
A strand of Aria’s hair brushed against Charles’s face, and he turned his head slightly. At some point, Aria had fallen asleep beside him, a faint smile on her lips. The silver moonlight cascaded down from the sky, draping her in a soft, ethereal glow.
As if afraid to wake her, Charles even slowed his breathing. Aria’s sleeping face under the moonlight was breathtaking, like a masterpiece carefully crafted by the Creator, perfect in every detail, with no flaw to be found.
Unable to resist, Charles took out his phone and discreetly snapped a photo to keep as a memory.
—