"Teacher, today I bought a rare alchemy material at the Seven Kingdoms Merchant Association. I'm not sure if you need it." Charles said, pulling the Stone Ape Heart from his jet ring.
Colton examined it carefully and said with some regret, "What a pity, this isn't what I was looking for. For such a rare alchemy material, you must have spent quite a bit of money, right?"
Charles shook his head, indicating that he didn't spend much.
Colton didn't believe him at all. He said, "As your teacher, it's my duty to help you. Charles, don't feel too pressured. I do need some materials at the moment, so let's talk about it again once you reach the fourth level of Beast Master."
Charles's eyes lit up at those words. He truly felt grateful towards Colton, who not only taught him advanced alchemy knowledge but also helped him without hesitation whenever he was in need.
Charles hadn't expressed his gratitude much, but he always kept Colton in mind. Otherwise, he would have sold the Stone Ape Heart long ago.
"Teacher, I am now a fourth-level Beast Master. If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know." Charles said directly.
Colton's eyes widened as he stared at Charles, unable to believe it. He asked, "I thought you just contracted that emerald-quality mystical beast? How did you reach fourth-level Beast Master so quickly?"
Charles scratched his head and replied, "The high-level auxiliary training miracle drug you gave me has really helped, which is why I was able to advance so fast."
"That still doesn't make sense. Even with the miracle drug, your speed is astonishing." Colton said, his shock undiminished. He was very familiar with the effects of the high-level auxiliary training miracle drug.
It was precisely because he understood that he was so amazed by Charles's progress in Beast Mastery!
"It's not that impressive. I've been stuck at the third-level Beast Master for quite a while." Charles said truthfully. He hadn't been training in Beast Mastery for long, so his time spent at the third-level was indeed considered quite lengthy.
Colton didn't say anything further. He felt that Charles's speed had surpassed what talent alone could achieve, and he now fully agreed with the title of "monster" that Cyber Academy had given Charles.
"If you're a fourth-level Beast Master, there is indeed something I need your help with, but it carries a significant risk." Colton said after a moment of contemplation.
He hesitated because what he needed Charles to do was incredibly difficult, with only a slim chance of success.
"Teacher, please just tell me directly." Charles urged.
Colton sighed and explained, "I need a specific alchemy material that's nearly impossible to find anywhere else in the Abyssal Depths. It's only available in Genosha Calivia."
"There's only one in the entire Abyssal Depths?" Charles was curious, that seemed exceedingly rare. The Abyssal Depths contained seven nations, each roughly the size of Genosha.
In such a vast area, there was only one alchemy material to be found?
Colton nodded and continued, "Exactly. I originally intended to trade for it, but that person refused. We have some bad blood between us from our youth, and it hasn't improved over the years."
At this point, Colton sighed again, as if remembering something,
His demeanor became somewhat melancholic, his face reflecting a hint of nostalgia.
Charles listened quietly, expecting Colton to share some stories from his youth. Instead, Colton bluntly stated:
"I need you to participate in the underground octagonal cage fights in Genosha. You must defeat seven opponents in seven days to earn the reward, which includes what I need."
"Underground octagonal cage fights in Genosha?" Charles repeated, never having heard of such a thing.
Through Colton's explanation, Charles learned a lot about the underground octagonal cage fights in Genosha.
In simple terms, they were unofficial, blood-soaked, and violent battles,
where summoning any mystical beasts, wearing any equipment, or using any skills was strictly prohibited.
Fighters had to rely entirely on their physical attributes, combat experience, and skills—using only their martial prowess!
What Colton needed Charles to participate in was even more daunting, being known as the "Reaper's Scythe." a challenge that hadn't been completed by anyone in twenty years!
Defeating seven top-tier fighters from the underground octagonal cage in just seven days is no small feat. Those who are considered top fighters are seasoned veterans.
Any one of them could easily take down a Beast Master of the same level or even engage in battles beyond their class!
To win against seven such opponents in a row is incredibly difficult, especially since no failures are allowed.
With only a day between each battle, it means that any serious injury would put you at a severe disadvantage in the next fight!
"Ugh, the difficulty is just too high. Even Hale, over a decade ago, only managed to defeat the fourth-ranked fighter before having to stop due to severe injuries." Colton sighed again.
He desperately needed that alchemy material, without it, his plans would lose a ten percent chance of success.
Don't underestimate that ten percent, if luck goes slightly awry, all efforts could go to waste, including the training of Charles, the emerald-quality mystical beast, and the diamond-quality mystical beast egg.
Most importantly, after all these years of preparation, if he failed, Colton would never get a second chance and would have to live with that regret, waiting for death to come. S~eaʀᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Teacher Hale actually participated in such fights?" Charles raised his head slightly, surprised.
Hale had always seemed gentle and kind to Charles, with a very stable demeanor, not at all like someone who had engaged in such bloody and violent battles.
"There's a lot you don't know. Hale was once celebrated as the Son of the Wind. It's just... what a pity." Colton paused, not revealing Hale's story.
This piqued Charles's curiosity, Hale had always cared for him like a guardian and conversed with him like a friend.
Charles knew that Hale possessed a legendary-quality mystical beast, originally a legendary-quality eight-winged cracked beast, but it had been cursed, reducing it to a platinum-quality six-winged cracked beast.
Clearly, there were untold stories behind this, and Charles wanted to understand more, hoping he could help Hale lift the curse in the future.
"Teacher, can you tell me exactly what happened?" Charles asked.
To his surprise, Colton replied, "Some things are better asked of the person involved. After all this time, Hale should come out and see the world outside."
Charles understood Colton's intention, he wanted him to personally inquire about Hale and see if he could help Hale change his mindset and escape his predicament.
"Charles, I can give you the diamond-quality mystical beast egg in advance, allowing you to contract your fourth mystical beast, but..." Colton hesitated once again.
He was worried about Charles's safety and knew that the chances of completing the "Reaper's Scythe" challenge were very slim.
However, Charles didn't care, upon hearing Colton's words, he felt a surge of excitement, his eyes shining brightly.
Before Colton could make a decision, Charles quickly spoke up, "It's okay, teacher. It's just about defeating seven enemies, right? I can handle it!"
"It's not as simple as you think, Charles. Let me think it over a bit more." Colton replied, still grappling with his decision.
Seeing Colton's indecision, Charles felt an urgency within him. Even at the seven-nation auction, it would be impossible to purchase a diamond-quality mystical beast egg!
If he could contract a diamond-quality mystical beast as a fourth-level Beast Master, his strength would increase significantly!
Whether it was the exchange competition among the three major academies, the battles between Genosha and Kingston, or the assessments at the Cyber Academy headquarters, Charles would have a great deal of confidence.
With this in mind, Charles decided to give Colton a bit more of a shock. He said, "Teacher, if I can create my own martial skill, relying on my physical attributes, I could have a great chance of completing the underground octagonal cage challenge!"
Colton was suddenly interrupted by Charles's words. He turned to stare at Charles, confusion written all over his face, and asked:
"What did you just say? Create your own martial skill? Really? That's something even your combat teacher Ethan and Dean Jamie can't achieve."
Charles knew that in the face of Colton's hesitation, he had to appear extremely confident.
"I've already done things they couldn't. In the Trial Tower, I..." Charles proceeded to tell Colton everything that had happened in the Trial Tower.
Colton's eyes began to brighten, if what Charles said was true, there might actually be a chance to complete the "Reaper's Scythe" challenge!
"Teacher, I feel like I can give it a try. Maybe I really can!" Charles said again.
Colton was evidently moved. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "If you're going to participate, I have one request."
Charles quickly asked, "What's the request, teacher? Please tell me."
"After each battle, you must let me personally check you. If your injuries affect the next challenge, I will call it off." Colton said with a serious expression.
Charles felt a warm sensation in his heart, he could sense Colton's concern for him.
At the same time, he could also perceive Colton's desire for that alchemy material, which must be something very important.
"Absolutely no problem, teacher!" Charles nodded firmly.
Colton fell silent, turning to enter the secret chamber. Soon, he emerged, holding a mystical beast egg in his hands,
and it was the diamond-quality mystical beast egg that Charles had been longing for!