In the chaotic and lifeless Beast Familiar Space, the little black goat glanced around, confused at first. However, it quickly widened its eyes and took a deep breath of the dense black mist, its face displaying an oddly human-like expression of enjoyment.
Soon, it sprinted across the cracked black soil, heading toward a black river. Lowering its head, it drank a few gulps of the dark water.
Seeing this, Ethan finally let out a breath of relief.
His earlier guess had been right—there was no way a creature acknowledged by his talent would be rejected by the Beast Familiar Space.
Without hesitation, Ethan activated his Beast Familiar talent, using [Divine Blessing] on the black goat cub.
The goal was to completely transform the goat into a Divine Beast, unlocking its mysterious evolution chain and revealing its special evolution path.
The black goat cub was soon enveloped by a writhing black mist, suspended in mid-air by an invisible force.
The little goat didn't resist or struggle. It quietly closed its eyes, as though willingly accepting this strange ritual.
The black mist in the sky roiled and swirled, wrapping itself tightly around the goat, devouring its form. Within the writhing mass of darkness, the goat's shape twisted and changed.
This transformation lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, the goat—encased in black mist—descended slowly to the cracked ground below.
As the mist dissipated, Ethan could finally see the creature's new form.
The once-ordinary black goat cub had undergone a terrifying transformation. It was no longer an ordinary creature but resembled the infamous Black Goat of the Woods from Cthulhu mythology—a grotesque, tree-like entity.
Its lower body consisted of two black hooves that seemed adapted for upright walking. Its torso, now bulbous and round, was covered in dense, unblinking red eyes. Tentacles wriggled madly from where its head once was.
Its previously calm demeanor was gone. Those scarlet eyes now radiated madness.
If any ordinary person saw such a creature, their scalp would tingle in horror, and nightmares would surely follow for days. But Ethan felt little fear. Perhaps his talent had bolstered his mental fortitude.
The black goat cub was no longer a typical extraordinary creature.
It lifted its grotesque form upward, its scarlet eyes gazing at the void above, filled with an expression of frenzy.
Moments later, it knelt, lowering its head to the cracked ground in what seemed to be a gesture of gratitude.
Ethan couldn't contain his excitement as he activated his Beast Familiar talent, bringing up the creature's information panel to check its changes:
[Race]: Divine Black Goat (Earth) (Strength) (Spirit) (Life) (Mystery)
[Level]: E+ Rank
[Talent]: Mother of Life (SSS), Heart of the Earth (SS), Mental Chaos (S)
[Bloodline]: Unknown
[Skills]: Damage Absorption, Tentacle Attack, Mind Control
Ethan gasped.
"A E+ Rank! A mythical-grade talent, an epic-grade talent, and a top-tier talent!"
The black goat's strength had surged, directly jumping to E-Rank!
Its bloodline was marked as unknown, meaning there were no inherent restrictions—its potential was limitless.
The original Mental Chaos skill had evolved into the more powerful Mind Control, and the creature's abilities now covered offense, defense, and control.
Its potential was astonishing.
Ethan quickly activated his talent again, this time inspecting the cryptic evolution chain of the Divine Black Goat.
[Unlocking the Mysterious Evolution Chain]
[ First Evolution: Mutates into a "Deformed Meat Mountain. ]
[ Second Evolution: Becomes Creeping Chaos. ]
[ Final Evolution: Ascends into the Mother Goddess. ]
Ethan's eyes lit up. As expected, this creature's evolution chain aligned perfectly with the legends of Cthulhu mythology.
The final form—the "Mother Goddess"—was a being of immense power.
Known by many names such as the "Goddess of Darkness and Plenty" and the "Black Goat of the Forest' this entity symbolized the earth itself.
She was the mother of all life, the wife of the ineffable, and a deity of unparalleled reproductive power. Many restoration and healing spells were said to trace their origins back to her influence.
These terrifying talents fit the characteristics of the Black Goat of the Forest perfectly.
Ethan's heart raced at the thought. If his Beast Familiar truly evolved into such a godlike existence, even the title of Mythical Beast Tamer would be within his reach.
Ethan calmed himself after some time, focusing on his next steps.
With the contract successfully formed, and the black goat's combat power established, he could now move on to exploring the Blackstone Secret Realm, as planned.
Secret realms were rich with rare materials. Even if he didn't need them immediately, they could be exchanged for cultivation resources—something he desperately needed to sustain both himself and the goat.
The Divine Black Goat would require an immense amount of resources to unlock its potential fully.
Additionally, Ethan needed to repay Mr. Hariss for the loan of Mana Stones.
The Blackstone gate, a small realm dominated by Awakening-level creatures, seemed like the perfect choice for his first venture. Stronger beasts like King-Level creatures only appeared in larger gates.
Not only would this be excellent combat practice, but it would also help develop the goat's skills further.
However, entering a gate required official approval. Ethan needed to register as a Beast Tamer at the association and pay the required fees.
Fortunately, he had prepared for this during school and only needed to contact Mr. Hariss to finalize his registration and receive his apprentice badge.
As Ethan considered these plans, a strange sensation suddenly washed over him.
A peculiar energy seeped out from the Beast Familiar Space, coursing through his body. Black threads spread across his chest, and when he raised his hand, he saw the veins in his arm darken.
This wasn't poison—Ethan could feel the energy strengthening his body.
A thought struck him.
"Could this be some kind of hidden bonus from my talent?"