A flash of light appeared, and four option boxes and a countdown timer materialized before Charles's eyes.
[A. Ordinary Evolution]: Quality upgrades to Platinum, learns a new skill, 90% success rate. If evolution fails, quality remains Gold.
[B. Random Evolution]: Quality upgrades to Platinum, enhances a random skill, boosts a random attribute, 95% success rate. If evolution fails, quality remains Gold.
[C. Designated Evolution]: Quality upgrades to Platinum, evolves into an ice and fire demon wolf, 100% success rate. Requirements: 2 Ice Attribute Beast Cores, 2 Fire Attribute Beast Cores, 1 Ice Mountain Lotus Seed, 1 Inferno Core.
[D. Critical Evolution]: Quality upgrades to Platinum, evolves into ancient mythical beasts, 75% success rate. If evolution fails, quality remains Gold.
"With so many evolution routes, which one should I choose?"
Charles felt his decision-making anxiety kick in, especially since almost all evolution routes had a chance of failure!
Designated Evolution had a 100% success rate, but unfortunately, Charles couldn't gather the required materials at the moment. Random Evolution had a high success rate, but the process was too unpredictable, and Charles didn't dare to gamble.
"It's already triggered Critical Evolution, what am I hesitating for? Let's go for it! After all, there's nothing to lose if the evolution fails." Seeing the countdown nearing its end, Charles decisively chose [D. Critical Evolution]!
A white light enveloped Max, gradually transforming into a cocoon that tightly encased him!
While waiting for Max to evolve, Charles glanced at his phone's group chat. Fletcher and the others seemed to be in danger and were calling for help from anyone nearby. But with Max in an immobile state due to the evolution, leaving Charles's protection would mean getting devoured by the surrounding ferocious beasts...
Crack—
A fissure appeared on the cocoon, with bright light shining through. The entire cocoon shattered with a burst, and when Max reappeared before Charles, his demeanor had completely transformed.
——[Nine-Tailed Demon Wolf]——
[Name]: Max
[Attributes]: Ice, Fire
[Level]: Lv12
[Quality]: Platinum
[Description]: Max successfully evolved, and his skills have been enhanced. Currently, he has only three tails. Once he grows nine tails, the ancient mythical beasts will truly manifest.
Charles looked at the newly evolved Max.
Max appeared to have grown significantly, now the size of an adult. His water-blue eyes were even more clear and bright, and the three fluffy large tails behind him were particularly striking...
"Master! Max feels a bit different now!"
Max seemed very excited, rushing over to try and leap into Charles's arms, but ended up knocking him to the ground.
"Max, you've grown so big that I don't think I can hold you anymore!" Charles laughed, standing up from the ground and brushing off the dust.
Today was truly a joyous day. Not only had he gained a new combat partner, the shadow flying squirrel, but Max had also advanced to level 12 and even triggered Critical Evolution! The ice and fire supreme spear was now in its complete form!
Charles's strength had seen a tremendous boost! Now, not to mention Felix, even if all the nearby tomb raiders teamed up, Charles would be able to put up a fight!
After taking another glance at the group messages, Charles put away his phone and said, "Let's go, it's time to take revenge on that bastard Felix!"
With one man, one wolf, and a tiny figure in the air, the three silhouettes quickly disappeared into the forest.
...
"What? You're telling me that kid Charlie is still alive and even killed four of our brothers?"
At the camp near the bloody pool, hearing his subordinate's report, Felix's veins bulged with anger, and he crushed the teacup in his hand.
He had personally locked Charles in the tomb, intending to feed him to the monsters inside. Who would have thought that kid would escape and now come looking for him?
Seeing the second-in-command in a rage, the surrounding tomb raiders were too scared to make a sound.
Behind Felix, a middle-aged man in a black trench coat sighed, "I told you before, you should have finished the job thoroughly. Now our enemy has come knocking at our door, hasn't he?"
"What does it matter? Do you really think he can be a match for me?" Felix glanced at the wounds on his body. His anger had caused the wounds to reopen, and blood was seeping through again.
Bearing the pain, Felix looked at the subordinate who had just reported to him. "You said you saw his mystical beast evolve?"
"Absolutely!" The subordinate nodded vigorously.
"Damn it!" Felix found it hard to believe.
Mystical beasts with evolution paths were extremely rare. When they triggered evolution, not only did their attributes improve, but their quality could also be enhanced! How could that kid Charlie be so lucky?
Felix was already considered a prodigy among the younger generation in Lsengard, but Charles's display of Beast Master talent truly shocked him.
The kid's talent was terrifyingly exceptional. No matter what, he had to kill him. Otherwise, Felix would never have peace in the future!
"You all, go in greater numbers and keep a close eye on his movements. Report any updates to me immediately!" Felix gritted his teeth. Then, putting on his battle armor, he said to the middle-aged man beside him, "Dad, there's a second-level Beast Master with the seventh squad. I'll handle it. You take care of things here."
The middle-aged man nodded. He had confidence in Felix's abilities. "We're planning to reopen the secret passage to the bloody pool ancient tomb today. Hundreds of people from other tomb raiding groups are eager to make a move. I have to keep an eye on them and can't leave. Be quick!"
Felix smiled slightly. "Don't worry. Just a bunch of high school seniors and that recently promoted vice president of the Beast Master Guild—do you really think I can't handle them?"
...
In a pocket-shaped valley, wide in the middle and narrow on both ends, both exits were already blocked.
Fletcher glanced at the dozens of bandits surrounding them, gritting his teeth as he shielded the students behind him. Blood was dripping from his arm.
"We will give you all our ferocious beast materials and valuable items. Just don't harm my students." Fletcher used his longsword to support himself, preventing himself from collapsing.
He had heard cries for help in the valley and led his training team to rescue, only to fall into a trap.
Faced with the bandits' assault, several students had already perished, and his mystical beast, the greenwood wolf, had also fallen in battle.
"Valuables? The most valuable thing you have right now is your lives!" A voice came from outside the valley, and the surrounding bandits parted to make way.
"Second boss, why waste words with him? Let's just get to it!"
"Those girl students look so tender. Let's have some fun with them before we kill them!"
A burly young man came to the front of the group, accompanied by two tigers—one blue and one red.
"Felix!" Seeing the young man, Fletcher was filled with rage and shouted, "How did the president of the Beast Master Guild raise you? You beast!"
Far from being angered by Fletcher's insults, Felix just smiled indifferently. "Vice President, calm down. After leaving Lsengard, I had no intention of dealing with the Beast Master Guild anymore. But someone has paid for your lives. Should I kill you or not?"
The blue and red tigers let out a thunderous roar, causing the surrounding students to tremble with fear.
Several students had already been killed. Looking at the corpses nearby, a few timid girls were quietly sobbing.
The cloud leopard roared and blocked Felix's path. Fletcher looked disdainful, "I once thought you were a once-in-a-century genius of Lsengard. Who would have thought you'd turn into a bandit in the ferocious beast mountains? Like father, like son..."
Before Fletcher could finish, Felix's veins bulged in anger, "Old man, go to hell!"
"Roar!!!"
Felix gave the command to attack, and the two tigers charged at the cloud leopard.
Both were melee ferocious beasts, and the fight was brutally fierce. Amidst the roars, Fletcher's cloud leopard had chunks of flesh torn off, and its body was covered in bloody gashes from the tigers' claws.
Against two opponents, the cloud leopard stood no chance and was quickly defeated, collapsing on the ground, barely breathing.
"It's over, Fletcher. Someone paid for your lives, you can't blame me!" Felix sneered coldly, standing before Fletcher. He held a dagger in one hand and grabbed Fletcher's hair with the other.
Fletcher's face turned pale. A Beast Master without his mystical beast was no different from a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
He finally understood why the first squad had lost contact. They must have been killed by Felix, likely in this very same place.
But even until his death, he couldn't understand who would be so ruthless to target the Lsengard training team.
"I know you're confused right now. Take those questions with you to hell!" Felix raised his knife, and a flash of white light cut through the air.
"No!"
"Teacher Fletcher!"
"You beast!"
The remaining students, who were still alive, had been subdued by the bandits. Seeing Fletcher about to be killed, their eyes were filled with despair.
Clang!
The long knife struck Fletcher's neck, producing a crisp metallic sound. Everyone was puzzled by how hard Fletcher's neck seemed to be, but then they saw that Felix's knife had hit a ghostly blue supreme spear.
"The one who should die is you, Felix." A voice came from above as a figure leaped down from a nearby ridge.
A handsome young man, accompanied by a three-tailed demon fox and a small flying squirrel hovering overhead, appeared.
Reaching out, the supreme spear returned to his hand. Charles looked at Felix with a cold expression:
"Felix, take a good look at who I am! Since you want to kill us, you and these dozens of accomplices around you will be exterminated, not one will be left alive!"
"Felix, go to hell!"