In just two hours, it was impossible to nurture any type of battle beast from infancy, let alone from an unhatched egg like Eddie had. Initially, Eddie mentioned it offhandedly without any real intention of nurturing the Grim Reaper Mantis egg into a battle-ready beast within two hours.
However, after Jean's challenge, he became intrigued to try. In the notes of Mother Grace, there were mentions of five main directions for nurturing battle beasts, including several unique methods specifically for insect-type beasts.
These methods were highly specialized, only effective for specific beasts under certain conditions, and outcomes varied greatly from one individual to another.
Some could nurture a sacred beast using these methods, while others might end up with a useless creature.
The Grim Reaper Mantis met the special criteria for insect-type beasts, and Eddie, considering himself a suitable owner, decided to give it a try.
Originally, Eddie planned to allow Sophia to contract the beast officially in front of the family and then publicly gift her the Grim Reaper Mantis.
Upon realizing the egg had absorbed his blood and essentially become his, he had to abandon the idea of gifting it.
Observing the egg for months and occasionally infusing it with innate qi, Eddie hoped for its evolution before hatching.
The egg, nourished by the energy of numerous siblings and Eddie's innate qi, changed daily. Had Eddie paid it more attention, it likely would have hatched sooner.
"Alright, let's show them what I'm capable of!" Eddie drew a small cut on his finger with a ritual dagger and drew a contract formation with his blood.
Although the mantis was already bonded to him, the nurturing method required an official contract. This acted as a double assurance.
As he completed the contract, the egg shone brilliantly, like a miniature sun.
Typically, this would be enough for an ordinary warrior, but the method required continued energy infusion and at least a cup of fresh blood for feeding.
Eddie used his innate qi, continuously infusing energy into the egg until it shone brightly for a full minute, much longer than the usual three to ten seconds of contract light.
Jean and the others watched in amazement, starting to believe Eddie might actually manage to nurture a battle beast in two hours.
When the light ceased, the egg cracked, and the mantis was born. Tiny and translucent like white jade, it immediately sought Eddie upon hatching.
Ordinarily, a newly hatched battle beast would be fed something, preferably a magic crystal of the same attribute. The quality of the magic crystal consumed during infancy would significantly impact its future growth.
"Drinking blood?" Jean was taken aback as Eddie fed the mantis his blood, feeling sympathy for his determination.
She thought Eddie took the bet too seriously; she wouldn't have actually made him streak if he lost. It was just to tease him.
What a fool…
Jean wanted to punch Eddie, but knowing it was a critical moment, she dared not disturb him and just watched with her fists clenched.
Everyone could clearly see that after the Grim Reaper Mantis absorbed Eddie's blood, the blood seemed to circulate around its body like fine threads, as if forming a rune array or opening up a circulatory pathway.
Eventually, the blood threads thickened into bands, and the mantis turned pink and then bright red. After becoming completely red, a burst of golden light shone…
Under the nourishment of Eddie's blood and innate qi, the mantis's body grew rapidly, visibly increasing in size.
Ten minutes later, the once finger-sized mantis had grown to the size of a baby's arm. Eddie fed it blood again, supplemented with innate qi.
"Are you still going?" Jean wondered if Eddie was disregarding his own life. Having already lost a significant amount of blood, he was now feeding the mantis with his blood again. Was winning the bet that important to him?
"Brother?" Sophia was also worried about Eddie.
"It's okay!" Eddie reassured her with a smile.
After three blood feedings and the nourishment of innate qi, Eddie stopped, looking a bit weary.
He took out a golden dragon magic crystal from his ring and gave it to the mantis.
Seeing this, everyone was astounded.
A golden level 7 dragon magic crystal just to feed a battle beast infant? Only Eddie would use such a precious item for nurturing a Grim Reaper Mantis.
If the mantis couldn't surpass golden level 7, that would be a huge loss!
Jean was so annoyed she wanted to bite Eddie to death. For the sake of a bet, he even used a golden dragon magic crystal. Wasn't that cheating?
Laura had a different mindset, focusing more on the outcome, hoping the mantis would impress them, ideally mutating into platinum level, or jumping several levels to become a golden level 5 powerful battle beast.
Of course, she knew it was just wishful thinking. Realistically, such a transformation was unlikely to happen within two hours. Nearly half an hour had passed.
The Grim Reaper Mantis, originally the size of a finger, had grown to the size of a man's arm and nearly one meter in length after three blood feedings. Now red in color and still juvenile, it exuded an invisible pressure.
Eddie yawned, returned to his room for another hour of sleep, and by the time he came out, the mantis had grown to two meters in length, as thick as a human leg, with its scythes taking on a more terrifying appearance.
Eddie continued to feed it more dragon magic crystals, aiming to nurture the best possible outcome.
As the mantis finished eating, twenty more minutes passed, leaving only ten minutes until the two-hour deadline. Jean knew the bet had lost its meaning, but she still didn't want to admit defeat.
"There's not much time left, and your Grim Reaper Mantis is still a juvenile!" Jean didn't want to remind him, but everyone was watching, and she couldn't just concede.
"No choice but to use my trump card." Eddie rolled up his sleeves and drew a series of ancient runes on the mantis with his blood.
An awe-inspiring aura emanated from the mantis, knocking Yehken and Hessian to the ground. A burst of purplish-black light soared, then returned to the mantis's body.
The mantis's body turned from red to purple-black, with a blood-red and a dark gold stripe appearing on its body.
Despite being an intellect-lacking insect, its eyes glowed with a unique intelligence. The mantis continued to grow, slowly maturing, but the process was very slow.
Ten minutes passed without the maturation completing, meaning Eddie technically lost the bet.
However, in terms of nurturing a juvenile into a battle beast within two hours, Eddie had achieved a significant victory.
Everyone could see that only because the Grim Reaper Mantis was a golden-level beast with a longer evolution process did it not finish in time. If it were a bronze or silver-level beast, Eddie could have succeeded.
Jean didn't speak. She didn't want to bring it up and risk upsetting Eddie. The bet was just for fun, not to be taken too seriously.
"Let's head out for the afternoon competition, or we'll forfeit again!" Jean said, trying to change the subject.
"Of course, we're going to compete. But first, I have to do the grand streaking!" Eddie began undressing.
"You dare? Who said you could streak in public!" Jean quickly grabbed his hand, preventing him from unbuckling his belt.
The last thing she wanted was for Eddie to streak behind her. That would turn her into a laughingstock, making people think she had a weird fetish for naked men following her in public.
Jean quickly pulled Eddie's hand away, buckled his belt back, and helped him put his shirt back.
Eddie chuckled mischievously, wrapping his arm around Jean's shoulder, "Buddy, whenever you want to watch, just say the word, I'll honor the bet!"
Jean was speechless at his words, which sounded as if she had made the bet because she wanted to see his...
Laura couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of Jean's flustered and speechless demeanor, her laughter making her shake like a blooming flower branch.
Even Rue and Sophia snickered in amusement. It seemed no one could handle Jean quite like Eddie, her destined nemesis.
Meanwhile, outside the arena for the secondary elimination match, the Old Fox was pacing back and forth, pulling at his hair in frustration.
Why was Eddie late again?
It was one thing not to participate, but to sign up and not show up was maddening! With only a few minutes left, if Eddie didn't appear, he would become the first contestant in history to forfeit a match out of cowardice...
The Old Fox wished he could compete in Eddie's place, confident in his own ability to win.
"Your elite champion is going to forfeit again, huh? What a record to set, unprecedented and probably unbeatable!" a few of the Old Fox's friends teased, laughing and poking fun at him.
The Old Fox was speechless, thinking to himself that if Eddie did show up, his innate strength would have them crying over their prized disciples.
Just as he was about to leave in a huff, he spotted Eddie calmly walking over with Sophia, Yehken, and Hessian. The Old Fox was overjoyed. Finally, it was Valiant-Advocating Camp's turn to shine!
As the Valiant-Advocating Camp's representative, Sophia barely made it to the stage in time, jumping from the VIP box just as the countdown reached one.
Her arrival was just in time, but it left her flustered and panting, her heart racing from the rush.
Upon reaching the stage, she quickly bowed to the referee and apologized for the delay, "Referee, I... I'm Sophia Yew."
The referee, initially stern, softened upon seeing the brave yet tardy contestant was a charming young girl.
He surmised Sophia might have lost her way to the arena, not seeming like the type to be deliberately late. "Get ready, then let's start the match!" he said, his voice unexpectedly gentler than usual. If Sophia had been a male contestant, the referee might not have been so lenient.
Sophia, always respectful towards her elders and instructors, bowed again in acknowledgment. Her opponent, a tall and lean man, smirked upon seeing his challenger, confident in an easy win.
The referee explained the rules: the Comprehensive Challenge allowed the use of battle skills, beasts, or any tactics, provided a battle beast participated.
The match would be decided over three rounds, with victory awarded for knocking the opponent out of the ring, incapacitating them, or securing their surrender.
Yehken rushed to inform the referee that Sophia had just arrived and requested a minute for her to catch her breath.
The referee, visibly annoyed by the request, began a rapid countdown.
Sophia, realizing she wouldn't make it to the contestant area in time, leaped from the VIP box onto the stage, arriving just as the countdown ended.
Despite the referee's initial irritation, the sight of the boldly late Sophia, a delightful young girl, softened his heart.
He figured she might have been lost, not typical of a deliberately tardy person. "Ready? Let's begin the match!" he announced, his tone softer than before, showing leniency he might not have extended to another male contestant.
Sophia's opponent, underestimating her due to her gender and youth, was confident of victory.
However, the match's outcome would not be as straightforward as he anticipated.
The encouragement from Sophia's friends, Yehken and Hessian, contrasted with the rude remarks from the opponent's supporters, igniting a determination in Sophia to prove her worth and fight not just for victory but also for respect.
Despite Hessian's restraint, his temper wasn't easily cooled.
He pointed at the opposing group of students and shouted, "Trash, remember this, if I see you on the platform, I'll beat you so hard you'll be searching for your teeth!"
The opposing group, emboldened by their numbers, sneered back.
The leader among them, arrogantly laughed, "Pig, you should feel lucky we're here. If we were outside, we'd have turned you into roast pork by now... Remember this, pig, if you dare, meet me in the top 100 matches!" Before Hessian could retort, the referees intervened, reminding them that any fight among supporters would disqualify their contestant.
Despite the taunts, especially the derogatory comment about "flat-chested girls," Yehken and Hessian were furious but didn't engage further, knowing any conflict could jeopardize Sophia's chance in the competition.
Eddie, having just settled down, was ready to confront those mocking his sister, but Jean and Laura quickly dissuaded him, focusing on the importance of victory over retaliation.
As the match began, Sophia's opponent summoned a Bronze Level 3 Black Bear, showcasing formidable strength.
The referee, concerned for Sophia's safety against such a powerful beast, discreetly offered her a chance to forfeit.
Undeterred, Sophia, now a far cry from her former self after battling alongside Eddie and evolving significantly, accepted the challenge confidently. Her experiences in the Heaven-Reaching Tower had honed her skills and resolve, making the Bronze Level 3 Black Bear seem trivial in comparison.
As the match commenced, Sophia's opponent took advantage of her respectful salute to launch a sneak attack.
The crowd was appalled by his dishonor, especially against a young girl.
However, Sophia, quick and agile, evaded the bear's attack and counterattacked, landing a powerful kick on her opponent's head, knocking him out of the ring.
This unexpected turn of events left the audience in shock, showcasing Sophia's strength and skill, a testament to her growth and determination to prove herself in the Valiant-Advocating Camp's elite competition.
Even Yehken and Hessian were unaware that Sophia had grown so powerful.
Under Eddie's guidance, they knew she had become stronger, but they hadn't realized her combat skills had soared to the point where she could instantly defeat her opponent.
Eddie laughed proudly, knowing well the transformation Sophia had undergone.
His special training for Sophia focused on immediate reaction and counterattack, ensuring she could protect herself against sneak attacks or deception due to her kind and trusting nature.
Despite Sophia not fully mastering the "strike before the enemy" technique, her ability to defend against surprise attacks had significantly improved.
Sophia's greatest strength was her willingness to listen and apply what Eddie taught her to real-life situations.
While Eddie might not consider himself an ideal teacher, Sophia was undoubtedly an exemplary student.
The outcome of the match, with Sophia knocking out her opponent with a single kick, didn't surprise Eddie at all; he expected nothing less.
The referee, momentarily stunned, quickly declared Sophia the winner.
However, the opponent's supporters couldn't accept the defeat, accusing Sophia of a sneak attack.
As the situation escalated with the opponent's Bronze Level 3 Black Bear launching an unexpected attack on Sophia, she skillfully dodged and retaliated with a series of powerful kicks, eventually knocking the bear out of the arena and onto her fallen opponent.
The audience, the referee, and even Sophia's friends were astonished by her display of strength and agility. Sophia, slightly out of breath but victorious, had proven her remarkable growth and determination to excel in the Valiant-Advocating Camp's elite competition.
This match was not just a victory for Sophia but a statement of her progress and a tribute to Eddie's effective mentorship.