Orion was surprised to see that the beast he had just defeated was only a D-tier beast. He had assumed that it was much stronger than that, given its size and ferocity in battle. But now he realized that his own power was much greater than he had initially thought.
He turned to the system and asked, "Beasts also have tiers, huh, system? Can you explain more to me about it?"
[Yes, host. Beasts are categorized based on their potential and strength, and they are divided into different tiers. The lowest tier is D-tier, followed by C-tier, B-tier, A-tier, S-tier, and the highest tier, X-tier.]
Orion was intrigued by this new information. He had never considered the idea of beasts being classified based on their potential.
[The tiers of beasts are the same as talent's tier]
Orion nodded in understanding. He knew that his own talent was an X-tier talent, which meant that he needed to contract a high-tier beast. He then asked the system a follow-up question, "System, if someone's talent is only C-tier, can they contract with a higher-tier beast?"
[Yes, host, they can. In fact, many cultivators that awakened with D-tier and C-tier talents used this kind of contract.]
Orion nodded again and asked, "Is there any side effect?"
[Yes, host. Even though they contract a higher-tier beast, they could only contract one of these beasts.]
Orion was intrigued by this. He had never heard of such a thing before. He wondered what kind of effect it would have on the cultivator's abilities and how it would affect their combat potential. He made a mental note to research this topic more thoroughly in the future.
As Orion was still processing the information provided by the system, he heard Aurora calling out to him. "Orion, what are you doing? Let's hide a little. There are people around," she said, looking at him with a serious expression.
Orion quickly turned his attention to Aurora and followed her as she hid behind a nearby tree. He peeked through the branches, trying to see if he could spot anyone.
Orion was taken aback by Aurora's statement. He had always believed that humans were better than beasts, but her words made him reconsider. He realized that she had a point – humans were capable of terrible things, much worse than any beast could do.
"Why do we need to hide?" Orion asked, his curiosity piqued. He wondered why Aurora told him to hide. The people were probably the same participants as them.
"Sometimes, humans can be worse than beasts," Aurora replied, her expression serious. "We need to be careful around them, especially since we don't know their intentions."
Orion nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation. He knew that Aurora was right, and he trusted her instincts. Together, they quickly found a hiding spot behind a large boulder and watched as a group of people approached.
As the group got closer, Orion recognized them as some of the other participants in the test. He had seen them earlier during the instructions, but he had never spoken to them. They were all dressed in similar attire, indicating that they were from the same clan or group.
Orion listened closely as the group began to talk amongst themselves. One person asked, "What do you think we need to do? This test was too hard?"
Another participant responded, "Relax, we only needed to travel around and look at other participants. After they weaken the beast, we'll steal it."
Orion was shocked and disgusted by what he had just heard. He couldn't believe that someone would stoop so low as to steal a beast that someone else had worked hard to obtain. It was against the rules of the test, and it showed a complete lack of honour and respect.
Orion felt a surge of anger as he watched the group of participants plan their deceitful tactics. He couldn't believe that they were willing to cheat and steal from their fellow participants.
Without hesitation, Orion stepped out from behind the boulder and confronted the group. "How dare you want to cheat like that?" he said, his voice filled with disgust.
The group turned to face him, surprised to see someone approach them so boldly. One of them spoke up, "What's it to you? This doesn't concern you."
Orion's eyes blazed with anger. "It concerns me because I am also a participant in this test, and so are the other people you are planning to steal from. Cheating and stealing are not the way to win this test. It's about using our skills and talents to overcome the challenges ahead."
"What do you know? We only need to do what the test tells us to do. It is said that we need to contract a beast, but there is not any rule about stealing other people's beasts," the group of participants replied defensively.
Orion took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. He knew that getting angry wouldn't solve anything, but he couldn't just let them get away with their dishonest behavior.
"Actually, stealing is against the rules of this test. It's also a despicable act that shows your lack of honor and respect for your fellow participants," Orion stated firmly.
The group of participants scoffed at Orion's words, clearly unimpressed. They didn't seem to care about the consequences of their actions.
"Who cares about rules? This is the real world, kid. It's every man for himself," one of them said with a sneer.
Orion shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe that some people could be so selfish and immoral.
"I refuse to believe that. We're all here to become stronger and hone our talents. Cheating and stealing from each other will only hinder our progress," Orion argued, his voice unwavering.
Aurora heard what Orion said and touched his shoulder and spoke up. "Orion, don't waste your time on them," she said, her voice calm but firm. "There are many people like them in the world, and sometimes we need to use force to bring justice."
Orion took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He knew that Aurora was right. There would always be people who would try to cheat and take shortcuts in life, and it was up to people like him and Aurora to stand up for what was right.