Charles stretched out his hand in surprise, the ice crystals on his body faintly cracked, refracting dazzling colors in the sunlight.
“The defensive power of these two barriers is unbelievably strong, isn’t it?” Seeing the bloodthirsty rhino collapsed nearby, Charles couldn’t help but marvel.
He knew Mousie had been worried about his safety and hadn’t used full power, yet the shadow summoned by Mousie still possessed the strength of a level 19 combatant. Its attack had only managed to break through his barrier and had caused no physical damage. In this clash of spear against shield, the shield had undoubtedly triumphed!
Although the duration of the barrier was brief, it was fortunate that it didn’t consume much energy. Max could activate it whenever needed, unlike the energy bomb, which could leave him weakened after use.
Comforting him, Charles gently cradled Mousie in his palm, just as several system notifications flickered before his eyes.
[Ding! Your mystical beast Max Lv. 20 has defeated a bloodthirsty rhino Lv. 19, experience gained +10!]
[Ding! Your mystical beast Mousie Lv. 19 has grown from combat training, experience gained +10 (total stored 210)!]
“This…”
“Can experience also be gained this way?” Charles, visibly surprised, watched the fleeting notifications.
In his understanding, mystical beasts could only gain experience through defeating ferocious beasts.
Could it be that defeating a ferocious beast projected by Mousie also counts?
Charles fed Mousie a bottle of regenerating potion and two spirit-replenishing pills. The previously dazed Mousie gradually came to.
As it opened its eyes, Charles looked at it with a mischievous grin: “Mousie, can you do that move you attacked me with again?”
“Again?” Though stunned, Mousie projected a steel-spiked hedgehog and engaged in combat with Charles and Max.
Predictably, the steel-spiked hedgehog was quickly defeated.
[Ding! Your mystical beast Max Lv. 20 has defeated a steel-spiked hedgehog Lv. 19, experience gained +8!]
[Ding! Your mystical beast Mousie Lv. 19 has grown from combat training, experience gained +8 (total stored 218)!]
“Good heavens! It really works!”
Charles’s smile was unstoppable, as if he’d discovered an incredible ‘bug.’
By defeating ferocious beasts projected by Mousie, Max could gain equal amounts of experience, and Mousie could also improve through this repeated ‘death’ training.
From now on, Charles could use this training method anytime, anywhere to increase his mystical beasts’ experience—an inexhaustible source of experience!
Having tasted success twice, Charles was now unstoppable, continually having Mousie summon phantoms for Max to battle. He lay back leisurely in a chair nearby, overseeing the ‘battle,’ feeding them miracle drugs to recover whenever they got injured or tired.
Through repeated defeats and ‘deaths,’ Max and Mousie gradually noticed changes in their bodies and began to understand Charles’s intentions.
From day to night and back to day again, Charles spent his time in the expansive grounds of Lily’s estate, overseeing the battles between Max and Mousie on a spacious lawn.
A week passed this way.
The sun seemed less scorching, and the intense heat of midsummer gradually gave way to a hint of coolness.
…
On the expansive grass of the estate, two identical silver-white creatures with three large tails wrestled and bit at each other.
Beside them, a young man lay in a chair, enjoying grilled meat and red wine, occasionally shouting combat commands:
“Mousie! Use ice pick attack on Max!”
“Max! Use bone-achingly cold to defeat the phantom projected by Mousie!”
The two silver-white figures intertwined briefly in combat, after which one of them retreated, transforming into a phantom that vanished. A small, brown creature fell to the ground with a ‘plop’ from where the phantom had disappeared.
“No, I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to turn into a dried rat at this rate!” Mousie protested from where it lay panting heavily at Charles’s feet, decrying what it considered to be almost abusive training: “I’m going to the Beast Master Guild to file a complaint about you abusing a mystical beast!”
Seeing Mousie’s dazed expression, Max sat down gently on the grass, chuckling lightly: “Although it’s indeed tiring, this training method really is effective! Max feels like it’s almost there!”
Charles gently rubbed Max’s head, then fed them grilled meat and nuts.
Since discovering this extraordinary training method, he had made Max and Mousie fight continuously for a week, not even sparing their sleep time. Despite Mousie’s constant complaints, Charles did not dare relax his demanding training regimen.
Compared to losing their lives in battles with ferocious beasts, what was a little hardship? Having witnessed hundreds of his peers disappear before his eyes in the Ferocious Beast Mountains, Charles understood all too well how crucial strength was in this dog-eat-dog world.
While Max and Mousie battled, Charles also kept busy with his own speed and strength training.
This nearly brutal training regime yielded significant progress: Max advanced to Lv21, and Mousie had accumulated over 3000 experience points!
A week’s time, from Lv20 to Lv21—the rate of leveling up would surely drive the Beast Masters in Isengard mad if they ever heard of it.
It’s important to know that from Lv1 to Lv99, the experience required for each level-up of a mystical beast grows exponentially. Initially, a few hundred experience points could advance a level, but after reaching Lv20, Max needed over 5000 experience points per level.
This rate of leveling up is truly staggering!
…
After eating and drinking their fill, Max and Mousie resumed their battles. Despite his constant complaints, Mousie was quite satisfied with his rapid progress.
Meanwhile, Charles, adeptly setting up his [alchemy lab], simultaneously directed the battle between Max and Mousie while concocting miracle drugs.
This method of rapid progress was incredibly costly, necessitating a steady intake of miracle drugs to restore energy or heal wounds.
Charles glanced at the [storage space], noticing his [alchemy ingredients] were almost depleted, and couldn’t help but grimace:
“Damn, this training method is fast, but it’s also incredibly expensive!”
The money left over from purchasing Max’s advancement materials had almost entirely been turned into miracle drugs, consumed by the two mystical beasts.
A flash of white light shone on the alchemy lab, and after using the last bit of ingredients, Charles crafted 30 spirit-replenishing pills.
Under such intense training, his alchemy skills became ever more proficient. The white pills now showed faint traces of green, a sign that the miracle drugs were nearing green quality.
“Phew, all done!” Taking a deep breath, Charles checked the time on his phone—it was 10 AM: “I’ll go to the Beast Master Guild later, sell the last of the ferocious beast materials to buy more ingredients. It’s about time Mousie and Max took a proper rest…”
After returning Max and Mousie to the Beast Mastery space, Charles put on a mask and cautiously surveyed his surroundings before leaving Lily’s house.
On his way to the Beast Master Guild, Charles could distinctly feel the streets growing more crowded. Most were young students, not yet mature, accompanied by their parents.
In less than a week, it would be the annual enrollment ceremony of Genosha.
As a major city in the southern part of Genosha, Lsengard sees all its high school seniors participate in a ceremony that could determine the course of their lives. Even if they don’t secure admission to a university, being noticed by prestigious families at the ceremony can offer an extraordinary opportunity for social mobility for some commoners.
In the heart of Lsengard, near the Beast Master Guild, it’s especially crowded. Some are here to register, while others are looking to select suitable materials.
At the martial arts field in front of the Beast Master Guild, the sounds of combat can be heard—apparently, a sparring match is taking place, with the onlookers occasionally applauding and cheering, creating a vibrant scene.
However, Charles is here to sell materials today and isn’t particularly interested in the spectacle. After much effort, he finally makes his way through the crowd to the guild’s entrance.
At the entrance, a guild attendant in a sash robe is startled upon seeing Charles’s insignia and respectfully bows: “Sir, please follow me!”
Several staff members from the Beast Master Guild quickly arrive to lead the way for Charles, taking him to the VIP entrance.
This preferential treatment sparks discontent among other Beast Masters waiting in line.
Access to the VIP corridor of the Beast Master Guild is granted to Beast Masters of level three and above, although it’s also accessible to those who are wealthy enough. However, given Charles’s age, it’s improbable that he’s a level three Beast Master, and his modest attire hardly suggests he is wealthy.
“Why the special treatment? Aren’t we all Beast Masters here?”
“I’m a level two Beast Master, why can’t I use the VIP entrance? Don’t tell me this kid looking like a student is a level three Beast Master?”
“Exactly, we all pay the annual fees, why do we have to wait in such a long line?”
…
Ignoring the surrounding dissent, Charles reaches the VIP entrance and unexpectedly bumps into a pretty young girl.
It’s Aurora, whom he hasn’t seen in a long time. She’s dressed in a breezy summer outfit, looking somewhat puzzled as she sizes up Charles. Her sparkling eyes curve into beautiful crescents: “Charles, what a coincidence seeing you here at the guild! What’s with your outfit today…”
As soon as Aurora speaks, the previously noisy crowd quickly falls silent.
“Charles?”
“Where’s Charles?”
In the span of a week, the name Charles had become a household word in every corner of Lsengard, discussed by young and old alike over tea and meals as the tale of the talented young man spread.
Charles was not of noble birth, and this fact inspired many of his peers, making him a role model for the youth in Lsengard.
Hearing the name ‘Charles’ was like throwing a boulder into a pond—the ripples were immense!