C20 Animalization Potion!

The Animalization Potion, by definition, is a concoction that can transform humans into beasts. It's crafted from orc blood, harvested from pet relics, and combined with various pet materials.

This potion has only been around for thirty years. Once ingested, it endows the user with the physique of a half-orc, granting them the strength to battle against black iron level battle pets without being outmatched.

However, the potion is strictly regulated by the authorities due to its significant side effects. Overuse can lead to a loss of rationality, turning the user into a true half-beast. Even after recovering from the potion's effects, the body undergoes a period of rejection, leaving the individual weakened for at least a month.

In his current predicament, Rimid found himself with no other options. He hadn't anticipated Symas to be such a formidable opponent, capable of detecting his presence and laying a trap in advance. The black iron level fire-type dragon pet was not something he could defeat quickly.

The only viable solution was to consume the Animalization Potion and harness the power of the orcs to subdue his foe.

"Charmander," Rimid commanded, now fully transformed into his beastly form inside the room.

With a boom, a red glow emanated from his mouth as he unleashed a small fireball, the size of an adult's head, straight at Rimid. The fiery projectile struck his beastly form once again.

But this time, Rimid nimbly dodged, with only his chest armor singed slightly. The damage was minimal.

"This time, you won't survive," Rimid bellowed with fury, charging through the broken doorway like a ravenous wolf from the jungle, his hands morphing into lethal wolf claws that glinted with a chilling light.

"Corey is moving too slowly," Symas thought to himself, watching Rimid burst into the room. The entire sequence, from Rimid's forced entry to their clash, spanned a mere six breaths.

"Charmander, attack—bite him!"

Symas swiftly directed his Charmander into action.

"Dragon's Roar!"

"Roar!"

The Charmander drew in a deep breath, its belly slightly expanding before unleashing a resounding dragon's roar. The sonic blast left Rimid's head spinning, albeit briefly.

Yet, it was enough to make Rimid's three battle pets sense the dragon's might, causing them to cower inside their pockets, bodies coiled tightly.

Outside, in the Valengor Residence, lights flickered on as families took notice of the commotion on the sixth floor. Many promptly phoned the City Guards, reporting a beast tamer's battle in progress.

Such battles were rare and against regulations within the base city.

Down below, curious onlookers from various floors peered out, witnessing the bursts of flame emanating from above. Among them were numerous beast tamers, who initially wanted to investigate but hesitated, wary of the disturbance.

Moments later, the sound of a dragon's roar reverberated, prompting many black iron level beast tamers to withdraw their eager battle pets back into the safety of their homes, intimidated by the Charmander's presence.

...

"Fire Wing Slash!"

Realizing the dragon's roar had little effect, Charmander's sickle dragon wings blazed to life. Supercharged with flames, it hurtled toward Rimid.

Symas joined the fray, charging alongside his dragon, flanking Rimid from both sides.

"Heh."

"A fledgling dragon barely at black iron level and a middle schooler who's just bonded with a dragon pet."

A smirk flickered in Rimid's eyes.

Perfect.

He was ready to eliminate them both.

To Rimid, the fire type Charmander posed the greatest threat. Its fiery assault was formidable, and a dragon pet's combat prowess was unmatched among its peers.

In the heat of battle.

It would take a black iron or six-star battle pet skilled in melee to even stand a chance against Charmander, which already exhibited the poise of a seasoned fighter.

Rimid and Charmander clashed.

Bang!

A dull thump echoed through the space.

The entire floor shook as the Charmander's fiery wing slash set the walls ablaze, charring one side completely black.

Rimid, in his wolf-humanoid form, dug his sharp claws into the Charmander's fiery wings, his face contorted with effort.

He gritted his teeth.

The physical prowess of this fire-type dragon pet was astonishing; his animalized form could easily dispatch any battle pet below the black iron five-star level.

But he was only slightly better than his adversary.

The Charmander, in its charge, had unleashed another ability—triple speed.

At that moment,

Symas swiftly maneuvered himself in front of Rimid.

Rimid braced himself to withstand Symas's strike, scoffing at the thought of a middle schooler's feeble punch doing any real harm. His priority was to shred the Charmander's fiery wings.

As he forcefully punctured several bloody holes into the Charmander's wings,

Puff—

In a flash,

Rimid was caught off guard.

A stabbing pain erupted from his back, and to his shock, a segment of a white bone blade protruded from his chest. Symas's right hand now bore a half-meter-long bone blade.

With his past life's wealth of combat experience, he had accurately pierced Rimid's left heart and twisted the blade, causing catastrophic damage.

"How can this be...?"

"When did he arm himself?"

Rimid's mind raced with questions.

He had clearly seen Symas approach unarmed, which had reassured him that even a few punches from the seemingly weak boy would be inconsequential.

But he hadn't anticipated this.

Puff!

As the pain in his chest surged,

The Charmander, wracked with agony from its wounded wings, snapped open its savage maw. With a powerful flap, it broke free, its front claws tearing into Rimid's chest as it leaped up and clamped down on his neck, pinning him to the ground.

A heavy crash resounded.

Silence fell, punctuated only by the panting of Symas and the Charmander, and the crackling of the flames on the dragon's wings.

After Rimid was dispatched,

The fire on the Charmander's wings died out, revealing several bloody punctures. Yet, thanks to its remarkable healing ability, the wounds scabbed over within moments.

Just outside Valengor Residence, three hundred meters to the north, Corey, with a pair of azure wings unfurled behind him, had barely reached the vicinity when a resonant dragon's roar echoed from within the complex. Along with it, he sensed the distinct presence of an animalization potion.

Under his psychic detection, the potion's aura was like a swirling mass of black mist, brimming with malevolence and impossible to miss. This was no ordinary concoction—it was derived from the blood of half-beastmen found in the pet relics, a force hailing from an entirely different dimensional space.

"Crap," Corey muttered, his face clouding over with concern.

He hadn't anticipated that the Dark Order would make their move so swiftly.