C5 Beast Tamer Novice Achievement!

Half a day flashed by in an instant.

Out of the three hundred individuals, only fifty-seven possessed the aptitude for a battle pet, which was a slight increase from before.

Moreover, this time there was an elite student among them—a prodigy who could secure a notable rank even within the prestigious Farhaven Academy.

After parting ways with Symas, Idod made his way back to the affluent villa district of Littlewell and headed straight for his father's bedroom.

His father, Baegla, was the president of the Littlewell Battle Pet Black Iron Medicine Company, dealing in various black iron potions. The company also employed several top-ten ranked pet breeders in Littlewell.

Idod relayed to his father the information Symas had shared with him at the summoning ceremony.

"Microexpression psychology? Fascinating. I've read about that too. But surely, if Butler Austin were part of the Dark Order, he wouldn't commit such a basic error as to let his true emotions show, would he?"

"Dad, Symas didn't seem to be joking. He has no reason to slander our butler. There's no bad blood between them, and Symas is just a student. Can Butler Austin really conceal his true nature all the time?"

Idod pressed on.

"Son, your friend Symas means a lot to you, doesn't he? But given your current abilities, it's unlikely you two will have much to do with each other in the future. I've already been contacted by someone from the academy."

"He's very important to me."

"The fact that he shared this news with me says it all."

"Indeed."

"I'll have someone look into this. I just so happen to have a couple of devil attracting drugs that have made their way here from the Farhaven black market."

"If Butler Austin is indeed a member of the Dark Order, he's bound to have left some evidence."

"Son, you just watch."

With that, Baegla summoned Butler Austin to the bedroom.

Dressed in a long black robe and sporting a kindly smile, Butler Austin appeared to be a gentle soul. Now in his sixties, his face was lined with numerous wrinkles.

"Butler Austin, here's a cup of fine tea. You've worked hard serving my son all these years; please, drink up."

Without further ado, Baegla instructed a close attendant to serve the tea.

The tea was a pale black, wafting a subtle yet soothing aroma.

Butler Austin accepted the cup with a smile, though a hint of hesitation flickered across his face. A nagging unease stirred within him; being summoned for tea was unusual, and he suspected there was more to it.

"Drink!" commanded Baegla, eyeing Butler Austin's reluctance. His voice was icy with suspicion.

Should Butler Austin prove to be an agent of the Dark Order, Baegla would not hesitate to eliminate the threat then and there.

"Yes, Master," Butler Austin replied.

As a four-star black iron beast tamer, his abilities were modest, his companion, Feather Grass, merely boosting his speed and physical resilience.

After finishing the tea, a warmth began to spread through Butler Austin's body.

"This is the devil attracting drug," he realized.

"Master, you..."

The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning as the suppressed power within him surged forth, and his expression shifted to one of stark terror.

"Impossible! When was I compromised? After all these years, just as I learn of Baegla's son, Idod, with his astonishing talent, ready to secure a significant achievement, I'm discovered at this critical juncture."

Baegla, normally not an imposing figure at 1.75 meters, began to swell in size. His suit strained at the seams, resembling a tight garment, with parts of his limbs splitting open to reveal needle-like black hairs, and his face sprouted similar dark fur.

A chilling energy emanated from him.

"So, he truly is with the Dark Order," Baegla concluded, his gaze icy.

The man he had trusted was a human traitor aligned with the Dark Order, and his son, Idod, had only recently awakened as an elite.

Baegla had been attending to his son.

If this treachery had continued unchecked, Idod's life would have been in grave peril, especially vulnerable to a Dark Order traitor intent on targeting a youth with a newly awakened battle pet.

The outcome seemed inevitable.

"Dad," whispered Idod, sitting a short distance away, witnessing a scene beyond his wildest imagination. The once warm and affable Butler Austin, now transformed after consuming the tea laced with the devil attracting drug, was a sight to behold.

With just one look at the malevolent intent radiating from Butler Austin, Idod felt a chill spread through his body, his limbs freezing in place.

Although he had witnessed the City Guards slaying members of the Dark Order on TV news reports, it had only stirred a sense of excitement in him.

Now, finding himself in the thick of it, he truly understood the meaning of terror.

Luckily, he had discovered the threat early. Without Symas's warning, the outcome would have been too dreadful to contemplate!

"Idod."

Following that.

The scene that filled Idod with sheer terror was the transformation of Butler Austin into a hulking wolfman. His body sprouted black fur, and he turned, his fingernails having grown into sharp, claw-like weapons, as he began a frenzied charge toward Idod, the wind from his rush hitting Idod's face.

But suddenly.

A streak of white light flashed before Idod, skimming past the transformed Butler Austin.

His head was severed, and his body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thump.

Idod, with a look of panic, clenched his fists and sat frozen in his chair.

After the white light passed, it settled on a nearby sofa. There, a large white cat with a scythe-like tail, half a meter in length, was gracefully grooming its claws.

It was Baegla's elite 8-star pet, the Scythe Flying Cat, easily overpowering the black iron level half-beastman due to the vast disparity in their levels.

Baegla looked at the frightened Idod and spoke, "We have Symas to thank for his timely warning. I owe him a favor and will personally prepare a pet gift to send to his home."

"And that's not all. If Symas agrees, I'll let him select an elite pet from our Mckinney family's Battle Pet Shop," Baegla added.

...

At that moment.

Inside Symas's home, he was attempting to transfer the Fire Vine Demon Wood into the Void Territory.

"Enter."

Symas willed it.

Then, the familiar sensation of spatial pulling enveloped him, and he was drawn into the Void Territory.

In a secluded corner of the modest territory.

Within the small fire type pet hive, the countdown for the fire dragon egg had dwindled to just two hours before hatching.

Upon entering the Void Territory.

The Fire Vine Demon Wood, previously coiled into a vine bracelet, seemed to awaken to some presence. It unfurled energetically, splitting open like a dark red spectral serpent, and darted straight for the small pet hive.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, on acquiring your first Black Iron-level battle pet. You've earned the Novice Beast Tamer achievement. Would you like to claim your achievement?"

"Claim it."

...