Upon returning with the Heart of the Thousand-Year Oak, Eddie found Inan and Sophia chattering away, their laughter like ringing bells.
Grey Wolf reacted fastest, rushing up to greet Eddie with a loyal, watchdog-like demeanor, wagging its tail and circling around his legs.
Eddie gave it a kick, which strangely delighted the wolf, its face expressing enjoyment and satisfaction.
Perhaps its body was discomforted by demonic energy, and Eddie's kick had come as a relieving comfort.
Inan and Sophia were thrilled to see Eddie return.
Sophia, excited, ran towards him as if to throw herself into his embrace, then hesitated and stopped.
When Eddie gently patted her head and handed her the brocade box containing the "Branch of Rejuvenation" from the Tree of Life, Sophia could no longer hold back and rushed into her brother's arms, tears falling like broken pearls.
She had always longed for a strong brother who could protect their warm home, a wish that seemed unattainable until she saw Eddie at the Heaven-Reaching Tower, now the pillar of their family.
The feeling of having a protective brother was wonderful.
Inan stepped forward to console her.
Sophia, usually strong-willed, wiped away her tears and smiled at Eddie, her face brightening like sunshine after rain.
Now, in Eddie's presence, she no longer wore the black veil over her face, understanding that her brother would never despise her, even if her fate was unfavorable and she was an unwed widow.
She was always his cherished sister.
Inan, however, was more observant of the Bloody Queen in silver armor following Eddie. At first,
she felt uneasy and even reluctant to greet him, harboring a hint of unspoken bitterness.
If not for Sophia's presence, Inan might have lashed out in a fit of temper and left in a huff, seeking a solitary place to cry.
She had been waiting for him, and he had returned with another woman.
However, upon closer inspection, Inan noticed the contract rune on the Bloody Queen's forehead, typical of a battle beast.
"You, you, you... Are you a humanoid battle beast?" Inan had seen humanoid battle beasts before, but never one as seductive and enchanting as the Bloody Queen.
"A Gold-level humanoid battle beast!" Sophia exclaimed, feeling almost faint.
"Where did she come from?" Inan knew that on the first floor, it was impossible to find a Gold-level battle beast available for contract.
Where had this seductive, Gold-level humanoid battle beast come from?
"Actually, this is how it happened.
Today, Lord Laura needed a scout, and she hired me on her way to the third floor because she wanted to find the Enchantress Charm Flower in the aerial pavilion.
Unfortunately, we ran into a demon leader named Marion and several demon generals who were attacking the Bloody Queen.
She was on the brink of death and contracted with me voluntarily when she saw me approaching.
Then, I returned," Eddie explained casually.
"The Bloody Queen?" Sophia almost jumped in excitement. "Does that mean she's not only a Gold-level battle beast but also a Gold King Beast?"
"The third floor? Attacked by a demon leader and several demon generals?" Inan was taken aback.
"It seems there were also over a hundred evil spirits, but Lord Laura dealt with them in an instant!" Eddie tried to shift the credit to Laura.
"Where is Lord Laura now?" Inan couldn't help but ask.
"She got the seeds of the Enchantress Charm Flower and went back to plant them," Eddie subtly implied that his encounter with Laura was just a fleeting meeting and they were not very close.
"And what about that demon leader Marion?" Inan wondered how Eddie could return unharmed after encountering a demon leader and generals.
"Marion was severely injured and fled when he saw us coming," Eddie omitted the crucial part that Marion's severe injuries were caused by his own "Ashen Demon Blade."
This led the two women to believe that Marion and the Bloody Queen had fought to a mutual defeat and fled upon seeing Laura arrive, without any actual combat.
"Lucky you, then. It's rare for a dying Gold King Beast to contract with someone voluntarily!" Inan thought Eddie was the luckiest person in the world.
It was already enviable enough that a Bronze level five Grey Wolf insisted on following him without a contract.
Now, a humanoid Gold King Beast had voluntarily contracted with him.
"How can anyone be this lucky?" Inan wondered if it was even fair to others.
She could imagine Marion's frustration, having severely wounded the Bloody Queen only to see Eddie contract with her.
Marion would probably be spitting blood for days from sheer annoyance.
Sophia, on the other hand, felt overjoyed. Having a brother with a Bronze level five Grey Wolf was already impressive enough to make their family members envious.
Now, bringing a Gold King Beast home, especially a humanoid one with intelligence, would surely stun them all.
And who knows, the Bloody Queen might even evolve further to Platinum or Diamond level someday!
Sophia couldn't imagine the faces of her family members when they saw the Gold King Beast, the Bloody Queen, appear before them. The expressions would certainly be priceless.
Grey Wolf seemed indifferent to the Bloody Queen, as she was neither a competitor nor a rival it could compete with.
After all, it had seen powerful humanoid battle beasts before, like the Diamond-level serpent demon Roha.
So, a Gold King Beast wasn't too surprising. Grey Wolf wagged its tail, mainly seeking Eddie's approval.
Sophia and Inan were both cheering for this fortunate contract, overwhelmed with joy.
Not only did Sophia shed tears of happiness, but even Inan couldn't help but secretly wipe the corners of her eyes.
Owning a Bronze-level battle beast already qualified one for distinction, but having a Gold King Beast as a battle beast signified a future so bright it was hard to keep low-profile.
Not to mention a humanoid Gold King Beast with intelligence – how many princes or even kings of small nations possessed a Gold-level battle beast?
As a Gold King Beast, the Bloody Queen was humanoid, intelligent, and likely rated at least seven stars, possibly even eight.
It seemed that Eddie, once considered the useless third son of the Yew Family, was destined for greatness, impossible to remain a failure.
"Seven, summon your War Treant. The Wisdom Fruit is gone, but the Branch of Rejuvenation should be able to level it up," Eddie said.
His real goal in using the Branch of Rejuvenation wasn't just to upgrade the War Treant; he planned to use his insight to uncover its hidden attributes and guide Sophia in enhancing her combat abilities.
Sophia: "I succeeded in my trial and my War Treant has leveled up to Bronze level four! But compared to Brother, I still have a long way to go."
After all, leveling up her War Treant was proof of her hard work and worth boasting about to her brother.
"Well done, Seven. You've done great in this trial," Eddie praised, making Sophia beam with happiness.
He also complimented Inan on her successful training of the little silver pegasus, which pleased her.
The only thing that slightly annoyed Inan was Eddie referring to her as "Brother Inan," which she found quite unsatisfactory, thinking, "What kind of eyes does this fool have?"
Eddie noticed her expression and secretly chuckled to himself, pretending not to see.
Eddie focused his Qi, preparing to uncover the true nature of the War Treant summoned by Sophia.
Holding the Branch of Rejuvenation in one hand and transmitting a small amount of Qi to the War Treant with the other, he probed its energy response.
As Eddie handed over the shimmering Branch of Rejuvenation, the War Treant eagerly devoured it.
Eddie used his Qi to sense and used his insight to perceive the truth.
When the ancient thousand-year-old oak tree War Treant swallowed the Branch of Rejuvenation, its energy concentrated and a shower of pale green light descended, bathing Eddie, Inan, and Sophia in its glow, with the War Treant absorbing the most.
After consuming the Branch of Rejuvenation, the War Treant's limbs and head sprouted numerous green leaves and branches.
Tender new shoots rapidly extended, visibly growing and thickening, eventually forming lush foliage. A brilliant green light sparkled magnificently.
The transformation was a spectacular sight.
The War Treant, under the influence of the Branch of Rejuvenation, seemed to have undergone a significant evolution, gaining new vitality and strength.
Eddie, with his keen insight, could tell that this upgrade would greatly enhance the War Treant's combat abilities, making
it a formidable ally for Sophia in future battles.
The experience was not just a testament to Sophia's growing skills as a warrior but also an exciting development for her battle beast.
As the green light faded, the War Treant stood taller and more robust, its appearance now more majestic and powerful.
Eddie, Inan, and Sophia stood in awe of the transformation, realizing the immense potential that lay within this seemingly ordinary battle beast.
This moment marked a significant step forward in their journey, reinforcing the bond between them and their battle beasts, and setting the stage for greater challenges and adventures ahead.
Eddie, with his new powerful allies and the mysterious Bloody Queen by his side, was now better prepared to face whatever the future held.
The War Treant initially curled its entire body into a ball, with branches and leaves intertwining, rapidly growing and transforming in the midst of the green light.
When it finally stood up, bursting forth from the foliage, it had morphed from a three-meter-tall War Treant into a five-meter-tall Centennial Treant Guardian, its level elevated from Bronze Four to Bronze Five.
Now, its body was dark and as hard as iron, with lush green leaves sprouting around its waist, shoulders, and head.
Its trunk and head had become more humanoid, though it was still far from a true humanoid battle beast.
However, it was clearly evolving in that direction. The future upgrade path for the Centennial Treant Guardian included becoming a Millennial Treant Warrior and potentially even the legendary Ancient Tree King of a thousand years.
"My War Treant has upgraded to Bronze level five, Brother!" Sophia was overjoyed, feeling like all the happiness of her life had converged on this day.
"And it has morphed into a Centennial Treant Guardian. With more Branches of Rejuvenation and Wisdom Fruits, it could even evolve into a Silver-level Millennial Treant Warrior or a Gold-level Ancient Tree King!" Inan shared Sophia's happiness.
Sophia's future seemed limitless, especially with such a caring brother who had gone to great lengths to obtain the Branch of Rejuvenation for her. With a brother like that, how could her battle beast not level up?
Inan felt a twinge of envy.
Unlike Sophia, she didn't have such a protective brother.
How wonderful it would be to have a brother who cared for her growth as much as Eddie cared for Sophia.
She looked at Sophia with eyes filled with envy, then at Eddie, feeling a special warmth towards him that wasn't there before.
Despite his roguish demeanor, he was incredibly caring and protective of his sister and family. At least, he was a commendable brother.
"Seven, do you remember that I have a hidden talent?" Eddie decided to share the knowledge he gained from using his insight on the Centennial Treant Guardian with Sophia.
He wouldn't tell Sophia about using living beings to cultivate thorn flowers, but he would spare no effort in nurturing her life guardian battle beast.
Sophia was a true genius, merely lacking proper attention and guidance. If he could light her path and lend a gentle hand, her potential and growth would be boundless.
"Brother, what hidden abilities did you see in the Centennial Treant Guardian?" Sophia was so happy she felt like singing. It was indeed a super lucky day, full of joyful events.
"Hmm?" Although Inan had heard about some of Eddie's feats from Sophia, she was still curious.
Could this supposedly useless third son of the Yew Family actually have such skills?