Eddie, battling the dizziness and weakness from overexertion, managed to stand up. He gently held Little Wenli in his arms, whose large eyes were filled with exhaustion.
Slowly closing her eyes, she clung to Eddie, eventually transforming into a radiant rainbow light that merged into his body.
Although Little Wenli was still in her formative stages and not fully capable of confronting a fearsome demon, the fact that she had managed to sever the demon's arm in unison with Eddie was a testament to her emerging strength.
"Rest now," Eddie whispered, a sense of relief washing over him as he felt Little Wenli enter a restful sleep.
Despite being his invincible Life Guardian Beast, Eddie's heart saw her more as a cherished 'daughter'. The thought of her in harm's way was unbearable. Fortunately, she was just fatigued from the battle and needed time to recuperate.
Returning to the protective sphere of the Bronze Grimoire, Eddie found the disguised young woman thief still unconscious. Remarkably, she remained untouched by the chaos of the battle, thanks to the grimoire's protective light.
Eddie considered unveiling her identity several times but eventually decided against it.
He recognized the allure of some mysteries remaining unsolved. He had already determined she was a woman and was astounded to learn of her possession of a Silver Grimoire and her status as a Level 4 Hero.
Such a background suggested a lineage of significant power and resources, far from the ordinary thief she presented.
With a soft sigh, Eddie acknowledged the potential complications of getting too close to her. Given her likely ties to Butterfly Valley and its complex relationships with royal families, he understood that such an association could draw him into unwanted political intrigues. For the sake of maintaining a low profile, he resolved to keep a prudent distance.
After retracting the Blood Tongue Thorny Flower back into his grimoire, Eddie opened his newly upgraded Intermediate Bronze Grimoire. He realized that to earn battle points, he needed to actively engage in combat through the grimoire.
Eddie, feeling the weight of his recent exertions, carefully scanned the first page of his upgraded Bronze Grimoire. Intriguing lines of text revealed his astonishing accomplishments:
"In this battle, as a mere novice apprentice, you achieved the unthinkable: a flawless victory over a Level 3 high-tier hero and his formidable beasts, earning you a four-star 'Exceptional' rating and 16 battle points. "
"Additionally, your triumph over a Level 5 junior master warranted a five-star 'Perfect' rating, accompanied by 25 points."
" For your success in safeguarding your ally, you're rewarded an additional 5 points. "
"In a climactic showdown, you vanquished a Level 8 Hell Demon, an act so miraculous it earned a seven-star 'Miraculous' rating and 49 points, plus 7 more for protecting your companion amidst the chaos. "
"With a total of 102 points, your Bronze Grimoire has ascended from novice to intermediate, revealing a new page. "
"This marks you as the first human warrior to defeat a Level 8 Hell Demon at the novice apprentice level. The ancient laws have acknowledged your feat, bestowing a unique divine ability upon your beast."
Turning to the grimoire's second page, Eddie discovered a new ability granted to his Life Guardian Beast, Phantom: 'Possession'.
This power allowed Phantom to take over another beast's body, albeit with stringent conditions: the target must be of the opposite gender and alive, with the success hinging on the target's strength and willpower.
"This 'Possession' skill is quite perplexing," Eddie mumbled, slightly overwhelmed by its limitations. It seemed an arduous task to find a suitable, strong, female beast that was still alive and amenable to possession.
"Quite a challenge," he thought, recognizing the skill's potential complexity but accepting it with a certain degree of resignation.
Just then, his attention was drawn outside the protective sphere by the Bronze Grimoire.
Against all odds, the Bronze Wild Bull, despite suffering severe beatings, was still standing.
Its remarkable resilience and unwavering will to live were not just surprising but also deeply impressive to Eddie.
Eddie, struck by a sudden idea, considered whether the Bronze Wild Bull, which appeared to be female, could be a suitable target for possession.
Upon closer inspection, he confirmed its gender. With a mix of apology and curiosity, he approached the formidable beast.
"Excuse me, I happen to need a female bull at the moment. May I borrow your body for a bit?"
The bull's response was an angry charge, its head lowered menacingly. If not for its injured hind legs, it would have surely attempted to gore and trample the audacious human.
Phantom, Eddie's shadow, materialized and embraced the Bronze Wild Bull. The animal immediately began to thrash and bellow in agony, its massive body bouncing and rolling on the ground in distress.
Eddie could only watch helplessly as the struggle between Phantom and the bull unfolded. The outcome of this possession attempt was uncertain, and he hadn't fully considered what would happen if it succeeded.
To him, the Bronze Wild Bull was merely a test subject to determine the practicality of the 'Possession' ability.
Soon, the bull's suffering escalated, blood oozing from its nostrils and mouth, presenting a ghastly and pitiful sight.
The Bronze Wild Bull's will finally crumbled under Phantom's relentless assault. Its soul vanished, and its body succumbed to the shadow's possession.
In front of a stunned Eddie, the massive form of the bull began to twist and morph, transforming into a three-meter-tall female giant.
An armor of peculiarly patterned cowhide adorned her torso, and her front hooves turned into large, human-like hands. The rear legs and hooves remained largely unchanged, now standing upright.
The two horns, including the one previously broken by Eddie, adorned the top of her head, adding to her fierce and combative aura.
Her long tail was also retained. Eddie stared in disbelief at this mostly human, partly bovine female giant.
"An Avatar?" He couldn't help but draw parallels to the figures from the movie, although this being was far more robust and imposing.
Flipping to the second page of the Bronze Grimoire, Eddie noticed a new addition to Phantom's image: a distinct shadow representing the Minotaur.
Minotaur Shadow: Humanoid special class, Bronze Level 3, semi-corporeal, life guardian beast, tough hide, special abilities 'Trample' and 'Death Gaze'.
Eddie's jaw dropped in astonishment, "My goodness, what have I done?"
He couldn't believe the transformation and the newfound abilities of his guardian beast.