A violent burst of white light shot skyward.
The resulting shockwave spread outward, knocking even those watching from dozens of meters away off balance.
In the eyes of the elder in the white robe, that blazing white light rapidly expanded, finally causing a shift in his expression.
This was the first time, since presiding over the Brunstadt family's coming-of-age ceremony, that he had been so visibly moved by a participant.
He even disregarded the rule of non-interference during the assessment, rapidly transmitting a series of commands through his contract link.
At the very center of the fiery explosion, the majestic Silver Spirit let out a roar.
Halo after halo of light rippled outward from its body, and in an instant, its pure silver form began to turn ethereal.
"Elementalization."
A fundamental racial ability possessed by most elemental-type pet beasts.
When activated, their bodies enter an elemental state, losing offensive capabilities while drastically reducing incoming damage.
But mere milliseconds after this transformation—
Another burst of white light surged forth, swallowing it once more.
—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted in quick succession.
For a brief moment, the sheer destructive power left the entire audience in stunned silence.
"Explosive Clay... Is this one of those alchemical demolition materials?"
"No, if it were just that, it wouldn't reach this level of devastation."
The assessment elder's pupils shrank slightly.
His spiritual power surged, creating an oppressive aura that even those nearby could feel—clearly, his emotions were far from calm.
"I've seen similar alchemical substances on the frontier. The military often uses them in siege warfare to destroy enemy fortifications and defenses."
"However— the amount used by your pet beast shouldn't have been enough to cause this level of destruction..."
The elder's spiritual power swept across the battlefield.
After a long pause, a thought emerged in his mind—One that surprised him even more than the explosion itself.
"You didn't simply detonate those alchemical explosives all at once... You deliberately staggered them."
"By precisely calculating and controlling the detonation sequence, you synchronized the shockwaves—"
"Stacking them at the center of the blast to maximize the explosion's power?"
"Correct."
Xaya nodded calmly.
"A technique that amplifies an explosion's impact by overlapping its shockwaves at the focal point."
"Where I come from, this concept might be called 'phased array detonation.'"
"Of course, I only applied a fraction of its principles—nowhere near the level of using a nuclear bomb array to blow up the moon. That would require detonation timing precise to the microsecond."
A flash of yellow.
A small golden-furred monkey nimbly leapt onto Xaya's head.
Proudly, it shook its back, revealing the two bold characters—'Justice'—etched into its fur.
Xaya promptly grabbed the little creature and pulled it down.
A pet beast daring to sit on its Beastmaster's head? Was it trying to overturn the heavens?
Yet, his focus remained locked onto the battlefield.
Far ahead—
The mighty quasi-king-tier Silver Spirit stood at the epicenter of the blast.
A few moments later—
The explosions faded.
Dust settled.
The scene within the battlefield finally became clear.
The once-majestic Silver Spirit was now battered and scarred.
Its previously mirror-like metallic body was now riddled with craters, and even its limbs bore signs of damage.
For most ordinary beast-type pet beasts, such injuries would be fatal.
However—
Silvery halos spread from its body.
The liquid metal composing the Silver Spirit's form rapidly flowed, seamlessly repairing the craters and missing pieces.
Another racial ability of elemental-type pet beasts—
"Rapid Regeneration."
For creatures whose entire bodies were composed of elemental energy, injuries that would cripple a normal beast were far from irreversible.
Even so, after restoring itself, the Silver Spirit's aura had visibly weakened.
Its majestic presence was no more.
The assessment elder waved a hand, recalling the Silver Spirit into his Soul Pact Space.
Xaya nodded slightly.
"Using Blink and Throwing to deploy explosive clay on the enemy's body, then leveraging phased array detonation..."
"This resulted in moderate injuries to a quasi-king-tier pet beast."
"And that was against an elemental-type opponent, which naturally has high durability."
"If it had been a standard pet beast species, that explosion should have been enough to heavily injure a quasi-king-tier beast, possibly rendering it incapable of battle."
"And this was achieved using only 60% of my available explosive clay..."
"Not bad. The results are quite satisfactory."
This was merely an experiment for Xaya's new skill set, and since the elder bore no hostility toward him, there was naturally no need to go all out.
Overall, Xaya was fairly satisfied with the results of this test.
After fully digesting the rewards from his previous novice mission, both Silver and Shiny had significantly improved. While their overall abilities still fell short of a true king-tier pet beast, they now possessed techniques capable of threatening one.
"Esteemed Elder, according to the rules you set, I should have passed this assessment, correct?"
Xaya turned toward the assessment elder, who still seemed slightly dazed by what had just transpired.
At the same time, Xaya had gained valuable insight into the Silver Spirit species through this battle.
Its combat strength was only secondary—what truly stood out was the potential it possessed, far exceeding that of other pet beast species.
Unlike many pet beasts that followed fixed evolutionary paths, the Silver Spirit had a highly flexible growth trajectory with limitless possibilities.
For an ordinary Beast Master, this might not mean much—most would train their beasts in conventional ways.
But for Xaya?
This trait was perfect for maximizing the effectiveness of his ability to allocate skill points.
"Of course."
The assessment elder finally snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. The protective magic array flickered, creating a narrow opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.
"Though they are all Silver Spirits, individual differences in temperament, specialization, and growth potential can vary greatly."
"With your talent as a Beastmaster, it would be a shame if you ended up contracting an average one."
The elder gave Xaya a long, meaningful look.
A fast cultivation speed and the ability to contract a rare pet beast could be attributed to talent or luck—after all, not everyone was born equal. Some people simply started at a higher level than others.
Even if the explosion earlier had been nothing more than an alchemical bomb detonation, it wouldn't have left such a strong impression on him.
After all, relying on external tools was just a trick, only effective as a surprise move. He had seen plenty of such tactics throughout his long career as a Beast Master.
But—
That phased array detonation…
It wasn't just an external trick—it was a precisely controlled technique executed entirely by Xaya himself.
That changed everything.
This meant that Xaya's achievements were not simply due to luck—they were entirely a product of his own skill and intelligence.
—
On the other hand, Xaya had no idea what was running through the elder's mind.
Or rather, even if he could guess, he would have just scoffed at the elder's thoughts.
Who wouldn't prefer to get stronger just by relying on luck instead of struggling to defy fate?
Everyone complains about the lucky few, but deep down, everyone wants to be one of them.
With that thought, he stepped into the gap in the magic array.
Silently, he activated Tsukuyomi on himself.
"I am not an unlucky soul. I am the Supreme Luck Emperor."
"I am the Supreme Luck Emperor."
His self-hypnosis began to take effect, reinforcing his conviction.
"That's right! I AM the Supreme Luck Emperor!"
"Bless me, O God of Gacha! Let my third Soul Pact summon an SSR!"