Half an hour later, Leon emerged from the mine.
After enduring more than ten days of scorching heat, Leon had transformed from a refined gentleman into a rugged African miner.
Yet, he still walked with a swagger that brooked no argument.
Behind him, Titan followed closely, its head emitting steam.
Now, Leon was officially a Beast master, even if only a knockoff version.
But who cares? It worked just the same!
As he relished the sense of accomplishment from assembling Titan, Leon began making his way to the outskirts of the Tianqiong Mountain Range.
Along the way, he encountered numerous spirit beasts.
They must have seen him capturing his beast earlier, as many of them eyed him with hostility. But after glancing at the massive metal figure behind him and then at their own juvenile forms, they scurried off in embarrassment.
Leon looked at Titan's steel body and felt a surge of security.
Big and tough—that's the way to go!
Now, all he needed to do was head down the mountain and register. Then, he'd regain a temporary semblance of freedom.
"Temporary" because, as a Beast master, he was required to complete missions for the Beast master Bureau. These missions could either be self-chosen or assigned.
By completing missions, he would accumulate contribution points. Depending on the severity of his crime, he needed a specific number of points to offset his offense. Only when his points fully compensated for his crime would he regain complete freedom.
Leon's offense wasn't particularly severe or trivial. His father's failure on the battlefield had caused significant losses to the Yan army, but Leon's father had already been executed by the Northern Frontier General. Leon was implicated as collateral damage.
A few missions would be enough for him to turn the tide and reclaim his life.
Why not escape, you ask?
The Tianqiong Mountain Range spans dozens of miles, with overseers stationed at the foot of nearly every peak. While these overseers weren't exceptionally strong Beast masters, taking down someone like Leon—a criminal yet to become a proper Beast master—was as easy as squashing an ant.
Over the years, countless criminals had been sent here by the Beast master Bureau, and not a single one had escaped before becoming a Beast master. Trying to flee under the watchful eyes of spirit beasts with extraordinary abilities was a fool's errand. Leon might as well use his wrench to give himself a swift end.
"Looks like everyone else has already gone down. I might be the last one…"
Since it was the final day, the other prospective Beast masters had likely descended the mountain already. Along the way, Leon saw no one except for some spirit beasts and wild animals.
This made Leon quicken his pace, and soon he arrived at the foot of the Tianqiong Mountain Range.
From a distance, he could see a stern-looking overseer sitting at a table, waiting.
Behind the overseer, perched on a massive boulder, stood a black hawk as tall as a person. Its sharp, searchlight-like eyes scanned the surroundings constantly.
That was another reason Leon didn't choose to flee.
Hawks were already apex predators in the sky. According to the memories in his mind, hawks that evolved into spirit beasts became rulers of the skies. Their extraordinarily sharp vision allowed them to lock onto prey even from high altitudes, making them ideal for patrolling and hunting.
"That's probably a fourth-grade spirit beast. Just its presence makes my legs feel weak…"
As Leon drew closer, he could feel the black hawk's terrifying aura more keenly.
Its feathers gleamed like blades, and its talons gripped the boulder so tightly that they had left deep holes.
On either side of the boulder, two starkly different groups stood.
On the left were about a dozen people, beaming with joy, each accompanied by a juvenile spirit beast. They were excitedly discussing something among themselves.
On the right were four or five people, their faces downcast, looking utterly defeated.
They had failed to bond with a spirit beast and become Beast masters.
This meant their fate was to serve at the Beast master Bureau—cleaning up after spirit beasts during the day and sleeping in dark, damp cells at night until the day they died.
Leon had originally been destined for the same fate, but now...
"Overseer, I'm here to register!" Leon walked confidently to the table, his voice full of energy, startling the overseer from his nap.
"You actually bonded with a spirit beast?"
The overseer rubbed his eyes and looked at Leon, slightly surprised.
If he remembered correctly, Leon had the worst aptitude in this batch. Could a spirit beast really have bonded with him?
The overseer glanced at the large metal figure behind Leon and immediately understood.
It made sense if it was a metal spirit.
Metal spirits and stone spirits, which evolved from inanimate objects, had very clear strengths and weaknesses.
Their original forms being metal or stone gave them a natural advantage in physical durability, making them strong in melee combat among low-grade spirit beasts.
However, nature is balanced. While they had high starting points, their potential was relatively limited.
Apart from their toughness and strength, metal and stone spirits had low intelligence. Even with the bond enhancing their comprehension, they might still struggle to understand a Beast master's commands. Their bloodline potential was also low, meaning they might never break past the third grade in their lifetime. Thus, they were easy to bond with.
However, most Beast masters with ambitions for their future wouldn't choose to bond with metal or stone spirits.
"Looks like this kid has given up on his future just to clear his name."
The overseer shook his head slightly, unsure if Leon's choice was wise.
But the spirit beast looked rather peculiar—it even had a row of holes on its head emitting white steam.
"Grade, species, name, bloodline level, and ability…" the overseer asked solemnly, pen in hand.
"First-grade metal spirit, name: Titan, bloodline level: Common, ability…"
Leon answered the first few questions fluently, but he hesitated at the last one.
If he were a trainee from the Beast master Bureau, he could choose not to disclose this information. But as a convict, he was required to report every detail about his spirit beast for the records.
Leon had already made up most of the answers on his way down the mountain. Bloodline and species could be faked since metal spirits came in all shapes and sizes. But he had forgotten a crucial detail—its ability!
Every spirit beast had a unique ability, like the high-temperature flames of the Earthfire Lizard. If it was a spirit beast, it had to possess some special skill.
Leon glanced back at Titan and gritted his teeth.
He'd forgotten to come up with one!
How could he explain Titan's ability?
Hard as iron?
That's just stating the obvious—it's made of metal!
"Ability!" the overseer repeated firmly, his voice growing sterner.
"Uh… how about… you take a guess?" Leon forced an awkward smile.
"Do you think this is a joke?"
The overseer's glare made it clear that Leon was treading on thin ice.
Leon swallowed hard.
He had to make something up!
But what kind of ability could a basic robot have?
Fearlessness?
Feeling the mounting pressure under the overseer's gaze, Leon racked his brain but came up empty.
"Wait a second!"
Suddenly, Leon's eyes lit up as he noticed the steam rising from Titan's head.
This could work!
"Ability—Steam Burst!" Leon declared confidently.