Meanwhile, about 30 kilometers away from the blast center, a figure in a cyan cloak was moving swiftly through the forest.
As the azure butterfly flitted around her, a blue-green whirlwind slammed into a second-tier mystical beast fox—
Lightning Demon Ape!!!
The deafening explosion echoed through the woods, and Grace’s eyes widened in surprise. Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion. “When did my wind blade get so powerful?”
It was only then that she realized the sound wasn’t coming from her attack. It was from somewhere far off, seemingly in the direction of the bloody pool, where a fiery mushroom cloud was rising into the sky!
Grace stared at the towering ‘mushroom’ in shock, and an image of a familiar face flashed through her mind.
Last time, someone in the trial group chat had shared a photo, showing the aftermath of one of Charles’s mystical beast, the frost wolf’s, skills.
“How is that possible? A Level 2 Beast Master shouldn’t have this kind of destructive power! And when I saw it last time in the group, it wasn’t nearly this strong!” Grace shook her head, trying to dismiss the strange thoughts, but they persisted.
She checked the points leaderboard again, seeing that Charles was still far behind her. A smug smile spread across her face as she let out a cold chuckle. “Charles, I’m ahead of you by over 10,000 points, and there are only six days left. Even if you hunt ferocious beasts non-stop, you’ll never catch up to me.”
“I, Grace, will make sure to crush you underfoot at the trial ceremony, and wash away the shame of that day!”
…
At this moment, nearly all the students participating in the trials on the outskirts of the ferocious beast mountain range could see the massive mushroom cloud rising into the sky.
Some students, who were closer to the site, even began live-streaming around the enormous crater left behind by the explosion.
Messages and comments flooded in like a snowstorm:
“I’m deep in Kentish Mountain and didn’t see the mushroom cloud. Can someone tell me what happened?”
“Do you see that hundred-meter-wide crater? I’m betting my money that Charles is behind this!”
“I can confirm that! I’m from Squad 7, and I’ve seen Charles use this exact skill before. It’s definitely him!”
“This explosion is so massive—even a Level 6 ferocious beast, like a Charizard, couldn’t have caused this much damage with its fireball attack!”
“I can’t believe it! In just a month, Charles went from the bottom of the leaderboard to the top 10. He’s the biggest dark horse of this entire trial! Who else could have caused this explosion?”
“Does anyone know if Charles needs another teammate? There are only six days left—maybe I can tag along and earn some points…”
“Charles is absolutely amazing!”
“Does anyone have Charles’s contact info? Is Charles single right now?”
“…”
The discussions about the battle continued well into the night.
And as if the news had wings, it quickly spread through the internet, all the way back to Lsengard.
When people learned that Bradley and his son Felix, the two notorious traitors of Lsengard, were dead, everyone was elated. But when they found out that it was Charles from Lsengard Beast Mastery High School who had taken them down, that elation turned to shock!
A high school senior, who had only recently graduated and was still just a Level 2 Beast Master, managed to single-handedly defeat a Level 3 Beast Master who had taken a ‘Strengthening Pill’—and did so without a scratch? It sounded like nothing short of a miracle.
The news of Charles’s victory spread through the Misubi Auction House, Beast Mastery Plaza, and the Beast Master Guild, echoing through every corner of Lsengard.
The news also circulated within the ferocious beast mountain range. Those hunter teams who had suffered under the oppression of the grave robbers cheered upon hearing of Bradley and Felix’s deaths.
Those once-arrogant bandits, robbers, and grave robbers couldn’t help but shudder whenever they recalled the fiery mushroom cloud that lit up the sky that evening. Many of them dismantled their hideouts and fled deeper into the ferocious beast mountain range.
…
Charles had no idea about the sensation he had caused on the internet. At that moment, he was racing through the forest on the back of his cloud leopard.
Every time the cloud leopard slowed down slightly, the soft sensation he felt behind him sent a shiver through his heart.
Thanks to the cloud leopard’s incredible speed, Charles reached the border between the Atacama Desert and the ferocious beast mountain range, arriving at an oasis at the foot of the mountains in less than half a day.
This place was still some distance from the desert and was filled with low shrubs. From afar, Charles could see a large number of ferocious beasts gathering at the base of the mountain, and a smile spread across his face.
“We’ve arrived. This is the only water source within a hundred-mile radius. All the nearby ferocious beasts and animals come here to drink. You wanted a place where ferocious beasts gather—I couldn’t think of a better spot,” Aria said as she gently dismounted from the cloud leopard. Recalling their earlier accidental closeness, she turned her gaze away.
“Yes, this place is perfect. In less than five days, I should be able to climb to the top of the leaderboard,” Charles nodded in agreement.
He quickly surveyed the surroundings, which were mostly populated by first- and second-tier mystical beasts—ideal for him to gain strength.
The more popular areas of the ferocious beast mountain range were crowded with people, and places like the southern bank of the Nine Hell River were often frequented by third- and fourth-tier ferocious beasts, which were still too challenging for Charles at his current level. This oasis, on the other hand, was like a hidden gem.
Seeing Charles agree, Aria’s face lit up with joy. She pointed to a small, slightly dilapidated wooden cabin nearby. “This used to be an outpost on the Atacama border. Why don’t we stay here for now? I can also train in the area.”
“That sounds great. I’d be more than happy to have such a lovely companion,” Charles replied, admiring the young girl before him. Once again, he couldn’t help but think that in her human form, Aria was the most adorable girl in the world.
Noticing Charles’s gaze, Aria playfully raised her small fist and huffed, “Don’t get any ideas about laying a hand on me. I’m not weak, and don’t forget—you still have my original serpent venom in your system.”
“Uh, right, I almost forgot about that. Aria, can you remove this venom?” Charles asked, a bit concerned.
But Aria only stuck out her tongue at him and then hummed a little tune as she walked toward a nearby pond.
After sweating so much on the way, it was clear Aria was headed to take a bath. Having witnessed Aria’s terrifying side, Charles quickly quashed any thoughts of sneaking a peek.
Though Aria had injected him with some unknown serpent venom, she didn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward him. After all, she had risked her own weakness to kill Bradley for him.
Charles glanced at the points leaderboard once again.
—
[Ferocious Beast Mountain Range Training Points Leaderboard]
1st: Grace [23,551 points]
2nd: Thomas [15,204 points]
3rd: Emily [13,598 points]
…
8th: Charles [13,029 points]
…
—
Seeing that Grace had pulled ahead by over 12,000 points, Charles couldn’t help but curse her under his breath for being such a maniac. He then got up and headed toward a valley on the other side of the pond.
The nearby ferocious beasts all came to this oasis to drink, and that valley was a crucial passage leading to the water source.
All Charles needed to do was set up traps in the valley and he could pick off the injured ferocious beasts, racking up points in the process.
“There are only five days left in the ferocious beast mountain range trial. While points are important, I need to focus on increasing my strength during this time.”
“Moreover, that mysterious academy known as the ‘Monster Academy’ has surprisingly come to Lsengard to recruit this year. I need to see if it’s a good fit for me.”
“And as for you, Grace—you’re eager to defeat me, aren’t you? Let’s see who’s really stronger!”
In a world where power reigns supreme, Charles was becoming acutely aware of this reality. Over the past two months in the ferocious beast mountain range, he had narrowly escaped death countless times.
Without formidable strength, not only would he struggle to find his parents, but even his own survival would be in jeopardy.
Drawing the Ice and Fire Supreme Spear from his storage space, Charles looked toward the approaching beast horde on the other side of the valley, his expression resolute:
“Let the storm come, and let it be fierce!”
…
At the border between the forest and the desert, a young man was moving swiftly through the valley. For the past two days, Charles had been fighting the waves of beasts heading toward the oasis, day and night, while Aria rested near the small wooden cabin. The two kept to themselves, not disturbing each other.
“Mousie, there’s a second-tier green insect over there! Go get it!”
“Max! A group of red-eyed rabbits is trying to cross the valley to drink water. Get ready for battle!”
[Ding! You have defeated the ferocious beast [Green Insect] (Lv21 · Silver Quality)!]
[Mystical Beast Mousie (Lv.17) Loyalty +0! Experience Points +400!]
[Ding! You have defeated the ferocious beast [Red-Eyed Rabbit] (Lv19 · Bronze Quality)!]
[Mystical Beast Max (Lv.17) Loyalty +0! Experience Points +300!]
…
[Ding! You have defeated the ferocious beast [Armored Rhino] (Lv18 · Gold Quality)!]
…
[Ding! You have defeated the ferocious beast [Desert Spider] (Lv22 · Silver Quality)!]
[Your mystical beast Max has leveled up. Current Level: Lv.18!]
[Your mystical beast Mousie has leveled up. Current Level: Lv.18!]
…
The constant system notifications ringing in Charles’s ears were starting to become second nature to him.
These past few days, whenever a beast horde came rushing through, Charles would summon Max and Mousie to engage in battle.
When he got injured, he used Hemostatic Powder to heal himself; when he grew tired, he drank a bottle of Regenerating Potion to shake off the fatigue. In this relentless, almost hellish combat, his strength was increasing at an incredible pace, and his muscles were visibly becoming more defined and stronger.
As his mystical beasts leveled up, Charles’s personal attributes and elemental control improved as well. He began to feel that the once-distant goal of becoming a Level 3 Beast Master was now within reach.
However, Charles was not one to let pride cloud his judgment.
As mystical beasts level up, the amount of experience required doubles with each level. The energy needed to go from Lv18 to Lv20 is greater than the total needed from Lv10 to Lv18 combined. Charles knew he couldn’t expect to achieve a breakthrough in just a few days—patience was key.
In the spare moments between battles, Charles often found himself organizing his storage space. At this moment, he was staring blankly at a few golden scales and a semi-transparent beast bone in his hand.
“The devouring serpent was a tough one. Emma really went all out to defeat it. These items aren’t ordinary at all—what could they be used for?”