"Alright, Commander," Lyra replied with a small grin. "What's our next move?"
Seth chuckled at her newfound enthusiasm. "Hold on a moment. Let me check the requirements for evolving Nightclaws first."
Lyra nodded, and Seth refocused his attention on the interface, mentally commanding the artifact, 'Show me the evolution requirements for Nightclaws.'
The translucent screen materialized before him, displaying the details:
[Nightclaws Evolution Requirements]
[Path of The Shadow Stalker]
Advanced Form: Duskfang Hunter
Specialty: Stealth and Precision
Achieve Bond Level 3
Absorb three Tier D Aether Cores (Shadow type preferred)
Hunt and defeat a 10 Tier D monsters in the ruins.
[Path of The Moonlite Prowler]
Advanced Form: Silverclaw Predator
Specialty: Lunar Afinity and Speed
Achieve Bond Level 4
Infuse with Lunar Essence ( Lunar Essence can be found in a blooming moonlit orchid in the top of a mountain)
Defeat a Tier B Moonlit Predators.
Path of The Venomfang Ravager:
Advanced Form: Nightfang Ravager
Specialty: Venom and Sustained Combat
Achieve Bond Level 3
Infuse with a Tier D Venom Core from a poisonous monster.
Defeat five Tier C venomous monsters in a consecutive battles.
"Hmm, interesting," Seth muttered, analyzing the options. "Each path has unique conditions, and they vary in difficulty. This might take some time."
Lyra, noticing his focused expression, asked, "What do you see? Are the requirements difficult?"
Seth glanced at her, his expression thoughtful. "Well, they're not impossible, but they're definitely a challenge. For example, to evolve into the Path of The Shadow Stalker, you need to defeat 10 Shadowbeasts and obtain three tier D Shadowbeasts core. The other paths have their own unique requirements too."
Lyra tilted her head, curious. "Which path do you think is best for Nightclaws?"
Seth smiled. "That depends on your fighting style and what kind of partner you want Nightclaws to be. Do you want to focus on stealth and precision, agility and with lunar attack, or venomous strike and sustained on battles?"
Lyra crossed her arms, deep in thought. "I've always admired a speed and quick attack ."
Seth nodded. "That's good, but it means we'll need to hunt down a Tier B Moonlit predators and find Lunar Essence from a moonlit orchid in the mountain. It's a longer path, but the results should be worth it."
Lyra smiled confidently. "If that's what it takes to make Nightclaws stronger, I'm willing to do it. Let's work together to make it happen, Commander."
Seth chuckled. "Alright, let's prepare for the hunt. First, we'll need to gather some supplies and train. The road ahead won't be easy, but we'll get there."
"Alright, I'll get ready, and then we can head out to stock up on supplies for our journey," Lyra said enthusiastically.
"Got it. I'll head down first to feed Raynar and Cerbyss," Seth replied with a nod. Lyra acknowledged and made her way to the bathroom.
Seth descended to the room he had rented specifically for Raynar and Cerbyss. As he entered, he greeted his companions cheerfully, "Good morning, my dear friends. Did you miss me?"
Both Raynar and Cerbyss perked up at the sound of his voice, rising to their feet and approaching him. Raynar, ever direct, let out a low growl that unmistakably meant "Food."
"Alright, alright. Here's your breakfast," Seth said, handing over the leftovers he had purchased the night before. The two monsters eagerly dug into their meal, their focus entirely on eating.
"Oh, by the way, I've got some great news for you two," Seth continued, leaning closer to them. "I can now put you in a special storage dimension. It'll be way more comfortable for you, and you'll always be close to me. Cool, right?"
He looked at them expectantly, his face glowing with pride, hoping for an enthusiastic reaction. However, Raynar and Cerbyss didn't even glance his way, too absorbed in devouring their food.
"Tch, you guys are no fun," Seth muttered, turning his head away with a pout, his shoulders slumping in mock disappointment.
After Raynar and Cerbyss finished their meal, Seth decided to test his storage dimension's capabilities.
"Hmm, looks like I can monitor what they're doing from here if I give the command," he muttered to himself. "Next, let's see if they can hear me while inside."
Focusing his thoughts, Seth directed a question toward Raynar. "Hello, Raynar, can you hear me?"
Raynar growled in response, "Hear."
"Looks like it works. Good," Seth said, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, can they see the outside world from in there?"
Once again, Seth focused his thoughts. "Raynar, can you see what's happening here from inside?"
Another low growl came, "See."
"Really? That's incredible," Seth mused. "Is this because of the shared perception ability or just the artifact ridiculously overpowered? Either way, it's a good thing."
He scratched his chin thoughtfully, preparing for another test. "Alright, one last experiment. Can I summon them to a specific location, or are they bound to appear near me? Let's find out."
Scanning the room, he spotted a corner roughly ten meters away. "Perfect. Let's give it a shot."
Focusing his thoughts on the corner, Seth issued a command: "Come forth."
A glowing blue magic circle appeared on the floor, and from it, Cerbyss emerged, his shadowy form prowling the space.
"Excellent," Seth said with a grin. "So, I can summon them within a radius of about ten meters, huh? This could be super useful for surprise attacks."
Satisfied with the results, Seth sent Cerbyss back into the storage dimension and exited the room. As he stepped out of the building, he found Lyra already waiting for him outside, her expression brimming with enthusiasm.
"Are you ready?" Seth asked.
Lyra smiled brightly, her energy contagious. "Ready, Commander!"
With that, the two set off toward the bustling shopping district.
As Seth and Lyra completed their shopping, they bought alot of items, healing potions, stamina potions for their monsters, two portable sleeping sets, and a handful of smoke bombs, they felt well-prepared for their journey.
"Alright, everything's ready. Let's head to the ruins and level up our allies!" Seth said, his excitement palpable.
"Lead the way, Commander," Lyra replied with a smile.
They made their way toward Area A-1, the gathering spot for tamers to strategize and practice their skills. Along the way, they stumbled upon a commotion. The bald man from the group that had abandoned them earlier was in the midst of an altercation with another individual.
"What? Are you saying it's my fault just because you bumped into one of my men while walking?" the bald man sneered.
"Of course! This is a public road, and you and your group were blocking it by walking side by side like you own the place. What do you think this is? Your ancestral property?" the other man shot back, irritation clear in his voice.
"Why you- Everyone, teach this bastard his place!" the bald man ordered. His group began surrounding the lone man.
Lyra clenched her fists. "We have to help him, Commander," she urged, ready to step in.
But Seth held her back, his expression calm. "Not yet. Look into his eyes, he's confident. He's probably taming a high-class monster. Let's watch for now and see what happens."
The man, unfazed by the encroaching group, raised his left arm and calmly commanded, "Come forth."
From the summoning sigil that appeared, a creature emerged—a wolf-like monster resembling a Frostbite Wolf, but smaller and covered in shimmering scales, with an almost adorable pup-like appearance.
The bald man burst into laughter, pointing mockingly at the creature. "What the hell is that? Did this bastard bring a monster to a beauty pageant?" His group roared with laughter.
Seth's eyes narrowed as he focused on the creature, curiosity sparking within him. Suddenly, an interface appeared before his eyes:
[Aetherfang Drake]
Level: 10
Race: Draconids
Rank: Unique
Status: Fear, Sadness.
Seth's eyes widened in surprise as the interface suddenly appeared before him.
"What the...? I can see the details of other monsters too? How dumb of me to not fully explore the abilities of this godly artifact beforehand. Alright, let's take a closer look. Draconids, huh? Is it some kind of dragon descendant or a related species? And what's with these statuses? Is this because my bond level has increased or something? Well, whatever it is, let's see what it says, Fear, sadness, disappointment?. What could have caused this?"
Seth turned his gaze back toward the man.
The man stood silently, enduring the mocking laughter of the bald man and his group.
"You're done now. Come forth, Abyss Howler!" the bald man sneered.
As an Abyss Howler emerged, Seth muttered, "Looks like the remaining four Abyss Howlers were tamed by him and his team."
"Attack, my hunting hound!" the bald man ordered.
The Abyss Howler wasted no time, darting toward the man's drake and landing a powerful claw strike. The drake was thrown against a wall.
"No! Drakey" the man ran towards his monster and hold it in his arm, "Hang in there Drakey, I will take you to the monster Doctor" The man face is full of worry.