[Murphy's Office]
Christopher surveyed the office, then walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the small neighborhood below.
"How are you, Murph?" he asked, turning to Murphy, who was seated at her desk.
"The only person who ever called me Murph was Conifer." she replied, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "He's—"
"—Me." Christopher finished, walking over and sitting in the chair opposite her. "I'm the one who gave you that nickname."
Murphy's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait… If what you're saying is true…" She stood up, circling her desk to stand beside him. "Are you… Conifer?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes." he confirmed. "But Conifer is dead. This is… The new me."
Murphy's eyes widened. "That explains how you knew the password." She muttered.
"Of course." Christopher said, and added: "I designed the security system myself, remember?"
The realization dawned on Murphy. The young man before her wasn't Christopher Valhalla; it was her childhood friend, Conifer, the Supreme Tamer.
"I thought I'd lost you." she breathed, a mixture of relief and disbelief in her voice.
"But… How? Electra told everyone you were killed by enraged Divine Beasts! And… How did you become a Valhalla?"
"That's a long story," Christopher said, holding some information.
"Suffice it to say, Electra and the other four Masters betrayed and killed me for my position. I… reincarnated."
Murphy's face flushed with anger. "Those bastards! Especially Electra! That—" She cut herself off, then added, a little worried:
"Leon is a Supreme Tamer now. One of his Beasts has even reached the Divine stage. Level 10 combat strength."
"Let me guess." Christopher interjected. "The Twenty-Tailed Golden Fox, right?"
"Yes!" Murphy exclaimed. "That Beast could probably rival your Azure Dragon!" A shadow of sadness crossed her face. "I miss them," she admitted quietly.
"That feeling won't last long." Christopher said, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
"What do you mean?" Murphy asked, puzzled.
"I'm here for two things, Murphy." Christopher continued. "First, I need three Perfect-stage Beasts. Second, I need a small cauldron, about the size of a kettle."
"Three Perfect-stage Beasts? And a cauldron?" Murphy echoed his words, her confusion deepening.
"You'll understand soon enough," Christopher said.
"The Beasts don't need to be bonded to me. They'll remain loyal to you. I just need them to obey my commands." He added.
Murphy's confusion deepened, but she nodded. "Is that all?"
"Yes," Christopher confirmed.
Murphy returned to her desk, sat down and tapped a button on the intercom:
"I need a cauldron, kettle-sized, delivered within five minutes. No excuses." She cut off the other party before they could respond and gently rubbed her wrist.
Three glowing blue runes appeared on her bracelet, and three Beasts materialized in the office: a sleek, purple feline with a diamond-shaped ruby embedded in its forehead. A two-horned, sapphire-blue rhinoceros, and a crimson centipede with glistening armor.
'Impressive, Murphy always go with the best, these guys might just be Perfect-stage beasts, but with their looks and combat levels, they can handle themselves in battle.' Christopher thought, a smile on bis lips.
"I wasn't expecting you so soon," Murphy said, a hint of apology in her voice. "I mean… I thought you were…" She trailed off, then gestured toward the Beasts. "Will these do?"
Christopher studied the Beasts again. "Perfect stage, level 3 combat strength… And non-combat forms," he observed. "Impressive. But what about your "strongest" Beast?"
"Legendary stage, level 8," Murphy replied proudly.
Christopher stood and walked toward the Beasts. "Don't forget," he murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"I'm the one who found, and tamed her for you."
Murphy smiled and touched her bracelet again. A surge of red light erupted, and a five-meter-long Queen Cobra materialized in the office.
The three Perfect-stage Beasts scurried under the desk, terrified. The moment the cobra set eyes on Christopher, it lunged at him, its fangs bared.
"What are you doing?! He's—" Murphy began, but her words died in her throat as she saw Christopher calmly stroking the cobra's head.
"She remembers me," Christopher said softly, a smile gracing his lips. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I can't take you with me. I only need Perfect-stage Beasts for this experiment."
He glanced at Murphy. "Your Beasts will perish during the experiment. Are you sure about this?"
Murphy glanced at the three trembling Beasts under the desk and smiled. "Is this… What are you planning exactly?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Christopher replied. "And I'll be starting the Academy next week."
"The renowned Supreme Tamer going back to school?" Murphy teased. "I'm impressed."
Christopher rolled his eyes. He looked at the cobra. "Take her inside," he instructed Murphy. "Someone with a weak constitution or life force might have a heart attack just looking at her."
"Oh, hush now." Murphy said, but a smile played on her lips. She touched her bracelet, and the cobra vanished in a flash of red light.
She then looked under the desk. "You three," she said sternly. "You will obey Master Christopher's orders, no matter what. Is that clear?"
The three Beasts nodded quickly, their eyes wide.
"Good," Murphy said. She opened a drawer and tossed a gold ring to Christopher.
"What's this?" he asked, examining the ring.
"It's the only thing that survived," Murphy said. "I had to pull a lot of strings to get it back from Leon. He was adamant about keeping your life ring."
Christopher turned the ring over in his hands, a flicker of emotion crossing his face. "Thank you," he said. "But if a Tamer sees me with this, they'll become suspicious. Conifer is dead. I'm Christopher now. I want to start over."
"Hmm," Murphy mused. "Paint it black. Black is a common color. No one will suspect a thing."
"Good idea." Christopher agreed.
BEEP!
They both turned toward the door. "Who is it?" Murphy asked.
"Madam." a voice came through the intercom. "Your cauldron has arrived. Shall I bring it in?"
Murphy glanced at Christopher, who pocketed the ring and nodded.
"Yes, come in."