C9 Jaylee!

Moments later, Symas managed to contain his excitement. Even if he could contract more than a dozen pets, the real challenge was whether he could afford to care for them. The priority now was to focus on training his Charmander to level up quickly to reach overlord status. If not, in three years, the horde of terrifying overlord-level magical creatures lurking beneath Littlewell would emerge from the level SS relic and plunge the base city into chaos.

He had less than six hundred thousand federal coins remaining. Symas glanced at his account balance and let out a wry smile. Just yesterday, he had two million. Tomorrow, he planned to take the pet breeder exam. With that certification, he could open a breeder store and start earning money. Moreover, with the breeder certification, his admission to Imperial College was almost guaranteed. At his age, becoming a certified pet breeder was exceedingly rare.

"Buzz buzz!" As Symas was making plans, his communication phone vibrated. Jaylee was calling him via video. Despite the wilderness being overrun with magical creatures, the Trintis Dukedom had ensured reliable communication within its borders. A century ago, the dukedom had invested heavily in establishing a network of elite pets, known as Satellite Insects, between each base city to facilitate communication. These pets functioned like miniature satellites, enabling signal exchange. Each Satellite Insect was guarded by a Void Jellyfish capable of cloaking in the void, detectable only by specialized scouting pets. Thanks to these auxiliary pets, technological advancement had surged ahead, outpacing the era of the Star Pet Chronicle.

Jaylee's icon popped up on the official Trintis Dukedom communication software, 'FeiXin', her image shaking as the phone vibrated. Symas answered the call. On the screen appeared a beautiful girl with sparkling eyes and a radiant smile, her silky black hair cascading over her shoulders.

"Symas, have you finished with the Summoning Ceremony?" Her voice was soft and melodic.

"Yes, it's finished. I ended up with a three-star Witchwood," Symas replied.

"Uncle Callahan still doesn't know; he's yet to return from outside the base city."

Symas remarked, "Three-star aptitude, that's pretty good!"

"Have you thought about which Tamer University you'd like to attend?" Jaylee inquired.

Symas and his parents became close friends with Uncle Callahan because Symas's father had once risked his life, even facing the danger of a broken arm, to save Uncle Callahan and his daughter from peril. They were afflicted by a demonic poison, which left them with chronic ailments.

Symas's parents had fallen in battle within the city. Uncle Callahan harbored guilt, suspecting that the hidden illness from Symas's father's heroic act contributed to their sacrifice.

After the loss of Symas's parents, Jaylee and Uncle Callahan took him under their wing, helping him navigate through his sorrow.

Back in middle school in the base city, when Symas was picked on by some local thugs, Jaylee didn't hesitate to grab a baseball bat and give them a thrashing they wouldn't forget. Everyone at Third High School knew that Symas was under Jaylee's protection.

From that point on, no one dared to trouble him, especially after Jaylee enrolled at Imperial College. Her presence alone became a powerful deterrent.

Graduates from Imperial College were destined to become at least elite tamers, with mentors who were overlord-level tamers. In Littlewell, there were only two such esteemed tamers. The mere reputation was enough to keep many at bay.

A flicker of reminiscence crossed Symas's eyes before he snapped back to the present. "Yes, Imperial College!"

"Sis, you don't need to worry about me. I've also contracted with a six-star black iron support pet, Featherweed. It all started when I offhandedly mentioned something seemed off about Idod's household butler. Turns out, he was actually a member of the Dark Order..."

Symas then shared the cover story he had prepared, briefly explaining the pet store gift card that Baegla had given him.

"Dark Order..." Symas took note.

When he brought up the Dark Order, there was a sudden shift in Jaylee's eyes. For a moment, she transformed from a charming kitten into a fierce white lion, her aura changing dramatically. But it was over in an instant.

Symas was acutely aware that as a student of Imperial College, they would all be prime targets for the Dark Order's hit list, and the bounties were substantial.

Jaylee had previously survived an assassination attempt. Despite the steep price she paid, she managed to eliminate the assailant and even collected a substantial bounty for her troubles.

"It's far too risky. The Dark Order's agents are pervasive, and the Mckinney family might have additional spies lurking. While they may not target you directly, there's still a significant risk," she warned.

"The City Guards patrol this area daily. Dark Order spies wouldn't risk their necks for a small fry like me. It's simply not worth it," Symas replied, displaying a pragmatic outlook. He was speaking the truth.

"Still, you've got to admit, you're pretty fortunate."

"Fortunate? Please. I figured this out through analysis; it's all about intelligence," Symas said with a chuckle.

"Even though this will be your second pet, and the bonding might not be as strong as with the first, it's not an issue. You've met the threshold," Jaylee remarked, a smile playing on her lips.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm off to become a Pet Breeder tomorrow. Soon, everyone at Imperial College will be clamoring for me," she boasted.

"Dream on. I've got other matters to attend to. Just be careful out there," Symas cautioned.

"Let me know when my dad gets back to the base city," Jaylee requested.

In that moment, back at the dorms of Imperial College, Jaylee's demeanor shifted from warm to cool as she ended the call. She promptly reached out to a junior member of the City Guards stationed in Littlewell.

"Hey, Wenonah, I could use your help," she said upon connecting.

The call was received by Wenonah, a statuesque woman clad in black armor, stationed at the City Guards camp. She and Jaylee were contemporaries at Imperial College, both hailing from Littlewell. They had formed a close bond, especially after Jaylee had saved Wenonah during a perilous mission to a pet relic site.

Wenonah was in Littlewell with her academy team, seeking to acquire Kobold Gold Skulls from a level D pet forest. These skulls, rich in metal attributes, were key in enhancing black iron-level pets.

"Could you pass a message to the City Guards? We need an extra patrol near Valengor Residence. Symas has had some dealings with the Dark Order," Jaylee explained.

"The Dark Order?" Wenonah echoed, concern lacing her voice.

"Yes, I'm aware. Leave it to me; you can count on it," Wenonah assured her.

After exchanging a few words, she ended the call.

Wenonah, the deputy commander of the City Guards, found it a trivial task to dispatch a patrol team to reinforce the security of a neighborhood.

Patrol teams were already tasked with monitoring certain areas periodically.

The adjustment simply involved redirecting patrols from areas where the Dark Order had gone undetected, a change that would have minimal impact.