Chapter 90
“I don’t know why you came all the way here, but you’re out of luck. You’re going to die here. Heh—”
The beastmaster sneered and raised his hand.
At that moment, Leo released the spell he’d prepared internally.
“Lightning Storm!”
The most powerful lightning-type spell Leo could currently use crashed over the lake’s surface.
Flash! Crackle—!
A golden current raged wildly.
“Such a crude attack.”
Crack—!
Tentacles extended from the beastmaster’s sleeve, wrapping around his body as if to shield him.
Crackle-crackle-crackle—!
The storm of electricity engulfed the beastmaster.
Crack—!
Emerging from the tentacles that had shielded him, the beastmaster curled his lips into a smile.
“I’ll return the favor.”
Crackle—!
Lightning Storm shot out from the tips of the tentacles.
Leo, seeing this, urgently leapt aside.
‘Not only does it have excellent magic resistance, but it absorbs, stores, and releases attacks? Was there ever a beast like this?’
As his expression hardened, the beastmaster reached for Leo.
Crack-crack-crack-crack—!
The tentacles stretched and struck at Leo.
Leo twisted his body out of the way.
The tentacles, cutting through the air, smashed into the massive tree behind Leo.
Crash! Crack! Crunch—!
“I’ll crush you just like this.”
With a cold smile, the beastmaster uprooted the tree with the tentacles.
Whoosh—!
Just as the giant tree approached, Aura flared around Leo’s body.
Crash!
Leo reduced the tree to ashes and tried to counterattack.
But before he could, a tentacle burst from the ground and wrapped around his ankle.
‘He hid his beasts underground? I didn’t sense a thing. And this feeling…!’
The tentacle around his ankle lifted Leo and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
Protected by Aura Armor, Leo unleashed his full Aura throughout his body.
Crash!
The explosive surge of Aura tore the tentacled beast to shreds.
Barely escaping, Leo put some distance between them.
Squelch—!
The tentacled beast’s flesh regenerated and returned to its original state.
‘Its regenerative ability is incredible.’
“I’ll kill you right here.”
As the beastmaster spoke, Leo gathered Spirit Power.
“Sorry, but I’m not the type to just take a beating.”
Fwoosh—!
Fiora’s entire body erupted in flames as she returned to her true form.
Flap—!
Her wings spread, and her body grew larger.
Leo had drawn out her latent power with his Spirit Power.
Roar—!
As Fiora charged, the beastmaster’s tentacled beast wrapped around him like armor.
Crash!
When Fiora slammed into the beastmaster, a massive flame erupted, sending the beastmaster flying at tremendous speed into the lakeshore.
Boom!
Water shot high into the air.
As Fiora neared the lake, the water boiled and steam billowed up.
With elegant wingbeats, Fiora returned to Leo and opened her beak.
“Peep.”
[Heh, back to peeping like a chick once you return to your real form. You really are a chick—gah?!]
Fiora pecked Kirran on the head with her beak as he teased her.
“As expected of the Phoenix’s contractor! On a whole other level compared to the other first-years!”
Roar—!
The beastmaster, who’d been submerged, rose from the water.
His body radiated a terrifying darkness.
‘This isn’t good.’
Leo winced at the pain in his right side from the recent blow.
He then recalled something while watching the beastmaster’s creature.
“Earth Snake?”
“Sharp, aren’t you? Yes, this is my own chimera beast.”
Chimera beast.
A man-made beast, combining the strengths of monsters and beasts to create something even more powerful.
‘That way it hid underground just like an Earth Snake—I suspected as much… This bastard. He made a chimera out of familiars!’
As Leo glared at him, the beastmaster reached out his hand.
“What are you doing to my precious junior, beastmaster?”
A graceful voice rang out from above.
Rumble! Boom—
Thunder roared in a clear sky.
Flash!
Crash!
A powerful bolt of lightning struck the beastmaster.
The beastmaster’s creature tried to shield him, but the lightning mercilessly tore through the tentacled armor.
“To think my beast armor would be ripped apart like this.”
The beastmaster looked up.
“As expected of Lumene’s top summoning student.”
[What’s with that winged foal?]
“Pegasus.”
Leo answered Kirran’s mutter.
“She’s a familiar on your level.”
The beastmaster dipped his hand into the lake.
Bubble— bubble— bubble—
The clear lake water began to boil, filling the air with a strong poison and stench.
Buzz—!
“Come forth, Death Slime.”
Crash!
The contaminated lake water surged.
A huge, dark gray slime shot out of the lake.
It was said to be the strongest of all slime-type beasts.
“Peep! Peep!”
[It stinks!]
Kirran and Fiora both panicked.
Even as the most lethal Death Slime, capable of killing with its mere presence, was summoned, Ulta remained calm.
“Demonic Beasts are never lovely to behold. Eiria, let’s get rid of that pitiful monster.”
Rumble! Boom! Flash!
At Ulta’s words, lightning struck from the sky.
The bolt landed on the horn of Ulta’s Pegasus.
Crackle—!
Pegasus’s body shone golden.
‘As expected…’
Leo was impressed.
‘That’s a monster.’
The reason for such overwhelming power was not just because Pegasus was one of the strongest familiars.
It was because of Ulta’s bottomless Spirit Power.
Flash! Crash!
A storm of lightning raged.
With a single attack, the Death Slime was erased without a trace.
The beastmaster quickly retreated to the water’s edge to avoid Ulta’s attack.
“Interesting! Then how about this!”
“You think you’ll still be having fun after you’re dead?”
At that moment, Yura appeared beside Leo and spoke with a deadly voice.
“You dare make a chimera out of familiars?”
Whoosh—!
As Yura gathered Spirit Power, a giant summoning circle formed on the ground.
Seeing the enormous circle spread across the area, the beastmaster quickly summoned another beast.
“Come forth, Cyclops.”
Gwooooh!
A massive, one-eyed beast appeared.
Standing nearly four meters tall, the monstrous giant was known as one of the most fearsome beasts on the frontlines of Tartarus.
“Hahaha! No matter what you summon, my Cyclops won’t be easy to deal with, Professor Yura! What familiar did you summon?”
Sizzle.
A single rat poked its head out of the summoning circle.
[Did she really draw such a huge circle just to summon a rat?]
Kirran looked dumbfounded, but Leo recognized the rat immediately.
“Devourer Rat.”
It was the most ferocious familiar Leo knew.
“Oh? As expected of the star summoner! You recognized it right away?”
“I’m not actually in the summoning department.”
“You brat!”
Yura put Leo in a headlock.
Sizzle— sizzle— squeak squeak squeak squeak—!
An enormous number of Devourer Rats began to swarm forth at an incredible speed.
“Devour everything—leave nothing but the bones!”
At Yura’s command, the Devourer Rats charged the Cyclops.
Gwooooh!
Even the terrifying Cyclops, one of the most monstrous beasts, howled in agony.
The Devourer Rats viciously tore into its flesh.
“Ugh!”
The swarm finally climbed up the Cyclops’ body and lunged for the beastmaster.
Panicked, the beastmaster pulled out a teleport scroll.
“You’re not getting away.”
Ulta took a throwing stance.
Crackle—!
Lightning from Pegasus swirled in his hand.
Whoosh—!
“Argh!”
The spear of lightning pierced the beastmaster.
Even as he screamed, the beastmaster barely managed to rip the scroll.
“Did he get away?”
Ulta clicked his tongue and flew toward Leo and Yura.
The Cyclops vanished as the summon was canceled, and the Devourer Rats returned to their original place at Yura’s command.
“Now then.”
Yura glared at Leo.
“You brat! Why did you go into a restricted area?”
Anywhere on the island was fine, but the restricted zone was strictly off-limits.
“It was because of Fiora.”
“Fiora?”
Yura glared at the Phoenix sitting on Leo’s head.
“Peep.”
“How can something so small and gallant be so cute! All right! If Fiora wanted it, I’ll let it slide this time!”
Ulta, however, now spoke with a much colder tone.
“Professor Yura. Are you really going to overlook a student breaking the rules just for that?”
Ulta looked at Leo with cold eyes.
“Trying to get out of trouble by using your familiar? You should be ashamed, Leo Plov.”
For the first time, Ulta showed real authority as a fifth-year.
“Tell the truth. Why did you really break the rules?”
Leo let out a sigh and lied.
“Fiora insisted on eating the magic stones.”
“You broke the rules just for that?”
“Yes.”
Fiora really did eat all the stones over two days.
Ulta placed a dignified hand on Leo’s shoulder and said,
“Leo, you truly care for your familiars. This senior is moved. Rules mean nothing compared to your love for your familiar. I’ll let it slide this once.”
Giving a thumbs up as he forgave Leo, Ulta made Leo laugh dryly.
[Leo.]
‘What.’
[Are all Lumene summoners idiots?]
Recalling the summoning students, Leo put on a sympathetic expression.
‘They’re still the most respected professor and senior, though.’
“Well, enough jokes.”
Yura crossed his arms.
“Leo. What was the beastmaster doing here?”
As the mood shifted, Leo answered seriously.
“He was after the magic stones.”
“Magic stones? You’re saying he infiltrated Lumene just for that?”
Magic stones were valuable, but infiltrating Lumene just to steal them was foolish.
Leo spoke seriously.
“Maybe he wanted to contaminate them.”
“Contaminate the magic stones?”
“Yes. Expecting the familiars to eat them.”
“…!”
Yura’s face hardened at Leo’s words.
“Now that I think about it, he was making chimeras out of familiars.”
Familiars that ate magic stones tainted with black magic would either die or become demonic beasts.
“This is more serious than I thought.”
If the familiars in the Familiar Forest ate contaminated magic stones, it could be disastrous.
This was also where the familiars of Lumene summoners resided.
A major loss was possible.
“I need to go see the headmaster. Ulta! Watch the kids until I get back!”
Yura summoned her Black Wyvern and flew off at high speed.
Leo narrowed his eyes, looking at where the beastmaster had been.
‘There really was a traitor among Lumene’s leadership.’
He had made his move right when Phirina was away.
That could never be a coincidence.
“By the way, Leo. I didn’t know you were the Phoenix’s contractor. And…”
Ulta looked up at the air.
There was nothing there, but Kirran was hiding.
“So that’s how it is.”
Ulta smiled, having sensed the fairy’s presence, but asked no further.
Just then, Pegasus approached Ulta.
Compared to during the battle, its body was smaller.
‘Not an adult form.’
The Pegasus’s previous form had been its potential drawn out by Ulta.
The pure-white Pegasus hid behind Ulta, peeking at Leo.
“Is that your Pegasus, Senior?”
“Yes! Eiria! Why don’t you introduce yourself to Leo?”
But Eiria just watched Leo quietly.
After a while, Eiria cautiously stepped up to Leo.
“I’m Eiria. Nice to meet you, contractor of the Phoenix.”
‘Pegasus.’
The very familiar Leo had contracted with in his past life as Kyle.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Leo Plov.”
Leo smiled and stroked Eiria’s mane.
At his touch, Eiria flinched.
“Leo. Pegasus hates being touched by strangers, so you shouldn’t… huh?”
Eiria, who was about to recoil, instead relaxed and let Leo stroke her.
She even rubbed her neck against his hand, as if wanting more.
“Huh? Leo, have you handled Pegasus before?”
“No.”
Leo replied with a smile, stroking all the places Pegasus liked.
‘This brings back memories.’
Smiling at the memory of his past contractor, Leo recalled old times.
“Eiria is normally very shy, but she’s warmed up to you quickly! Still, Leo…”
Ulta’s satisfied smile faded.
“I know you’re strong—far above first-year level. But this is too big for you to handle alone.”
Ulta patted Leo’s shoulder.
“I know you’re concerned, but leave this to the professors.”
“Yes.”
“Now, let’s head back east.”
Leo followed Ulta, glancing at the lakeshore.
‘If there really is a traitor within Lumene…’
Thinking of the beastmaster’s skills, Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘It’s more likely to be a professor than a student.’