Chapter 7 - First fight

Leon furrowed his brows.

According to Earth time, it should be around 11 PM now.

Why was a crowd gathered at the village entrance at such a late hour instead of sleeping?

Curious, Leon employed the "crowded bus technique" he mastered in his previous life, forcing his way from the outer edge of the crowd to the front.

"Village Chief... Old Black, who's that young man over there?"

From his position, Leon could roughly see what was happening at the center of the crowd.

In the clearing stood two men and two beasts.

One was a dark-skinned middle-aged man, with a black tiger standing behind him, nearly as tall as a person. That was Bernal, the village chief of Mo Family Village.

Leon had vivid memories of Bernal.

Perhaps because Leon's father was a beast tamer, Bernal always believed that Leon would follow the same path when he grew up. He liked Leon a lot and often had his contracted beast, the black tiger, carry Leon on its back across the mountains, saying that beast tamers should start young.

This had led to Leon getting lost in the mountains several times.

Opposite Bernal was a young man about the same age as Leon.

The young man had fairer skin compared to Bernal, dressed somewhat like a noble from the city. Behind him stood a powerful-looking white-furred ape with well-defined muscles.

Leon recognized the beast—a White Demon Ape, a spirit-grade beast known for its brute strength in melee combat. Once fully grown, it would undoubtedly reach the fourth grade.

The two men and their beasts stood facing each other in the clearing, exchanging heated words. The tension in the air was palpable.

"What's going on? A duel?" Leon strained his ears, trying to catch what they were saying.

But the crowd was noisy, and he couldn't hear clearly.

Hah!

Nothing can stop me from moving forward!

If I just use a bit of effort…

"Why are you pushing! Do you want me to—wait, Leon? When did you get back?"

Just as Leon was about to push his way closer, a middle-aged woman watching the commotion turned, ready to scold him, but swallowed her words upon recognizing him.

"Aunt Li?" Leon scratched his head, testing the waters by calling out a name.

The original body hadn't returned to the village in two years, and many faces were now a blur in his memory.

"Ah, Leon! You still remember me after being away for over two years. I didn't spoil you for nothing!" Aunt Li beamed.

Leon exhaled in relief. "Aunt Li, what's happening here? Is the chief about to duel another beast tamer?"

"Duel? That kid came to pick a fight... It's a long story. Come with me, I'll take you up front to see."

Without waiting for a response, Aunt Li grabbed Leon's wrist, plowing a path through the crowd with her other hand.

As they squeezed through, she muttered an explanation to Leon.

Though her account wasn't entirely coherent, Leon pieced together the gist of the situation.

About ten miles away from Mo Family Village was another village, Liu Family Village. The two villages had been at odds since their founding, and the villagers never got along.

Generally, the village with the stronger chief would dominate the other for a few years.

Bernal, being a third-grade beast tamer, had been a formidable chief, giving Mo Family Village the upper hand. A year ago, they even seized an iron mine from Liu Family Village.

The wealth from the mine had significantly improved the villagers' lives.

But unexpectedly, the Liu Family Village chief's son awakened as a beast tamer and somehow contracted a spirit-grade beast. He had come to challenge Bernal, aiming to reclaim the mine.

"That White Demon Ape is only second grade; it shouldn't be a match for the chief, right?" Leon observed the ape thoughtfully.

"I'm not a beast tamer, so I don't understand all this grading talk," Aunt Li said, "but I do know Old Black was seriously injured recently."

"Old Black got injured?" Leon shifted his gaze to the black tiger. "How did that happen?"

"During the recent beast tide warning, the chief was sent to help fend it off. Old Black was hurt then."

"And yet the White Demon Ape is unscathed?" Leon frowned.

Old Black was a third-grade beast and had been at that level for years, with formidable strength. It didn't make sense for the black tiger to be injured while the White Demon Ape remained untouched.

"The Liu Family chief's son didn't go to fight the beast tide. His father did."

Leon fell silent.

Mo Family Village had only one beast tamer, their chief, who was sent to protect everyone during the beast tide. Not only did Liu Family Village fail to assist fully, but they also waited for Bernal's beast to be injured to launch their attack?

Hiss—

There are truly such shameless people in the world?

No way. I won't let them take the iron mine—emmmm, I won't let them bully Mo Family Village!

"Chief Mo, I suggest you give up the mine voluntarily. Old Black is already injured, and forcing him to fight could..."

On the other side, Maurice, the Liu Family Village chief's son, spoke confidently to Bernal. But before he could finish, a dust-covered teenager stepped beside Bernal.

Who's this? Does Mo Family Village have someone like him? Never seen him before.

"Hey, Liu! I'll fight you!" Leon declared furiously, his voice cutting through the crowd, drawing everyone's attention.

"Xiao Mo? You... You've become a beast tamer?" Bernal was stunned.

News traveled slowly in the mountains, and only Bernal knew that Leon had been sent to the Beast Taming Bureau. Now, seeing him return unscathed could mean only one thing: he had become a beast tamer.

"That's right, Chief. I just contracted my beast today. Let me take this fight."

Leon gave Bernal a reassuring look and added, "If I lose, you and Old Black can step in!"

Bernal hesitated but interpreted Leon's words as a plan to tire out the White Demon Ape. After a moment's thought, he nodded.

"You think I'll fight two against one?" Maurice scowled. "That's unfair!"

"Because Mo Family Village has two beast tamers. Doesn't Liu Family Village have two as well? Bring your father, and we'll do two-on-two."

"My father's beast is injured!"

"So is our chief's. Yet here you are, shamelessly challenging us."

Maurice: …

Didn't expect this kid to be so sharp-tongued. Within a few sentences, he turned the tables.

"Fine! I'll fight. White Demon Ape can defeat Black Tiger just the same!"

Unable to win the argument, Maurice decided to let his strength do the talking.

He'd overheard Leon earlier. Since Leon had only just contracted his beast, it was likely a first-grade one.

Maurice, on the other hand, had been a beast tamer for six months, carefully training his White Demon Ape. Beating a first-grade beast would be a walk in the park.

A first-grade beast… weak, slow…

Hah!

One move will be enough!

Due to the upcoming battle, Bernal directed the villagers to step back, creating a large open area for the fight.

"Summon your beast!" Maurice demanded arrogantly.

Behind him, the nearly two-meter-tall White Demon Ape stood upright, pounding its chest energetically, ready for battle.

"Alright," Leon replied, activating his spatial domain.

Soon, ripples appeared in the air before him, like stones skipping across a calm lake. Leon's murky domain materialized, and from within, a Titan emerged, steam rising from its head as it lumbered forward.

Its fists, made of solid iron spheres, hung heavily by its sides.

"A metal-type beast? And a short one at that?"

Maurice sneered as he eyed the Titan, which barely reached the White Demon Ape's chest.

Metal beasts were known for their sluggishness and sometimes struggled to follow their tamer's commands. If the White Demon Ape were first grade, there might be some trouble, but now that it had reached the second grade…

Someone tell me, how could I possibly lose this fight?