On Ethan's side,
Leo, the shopping assistant, was on the phone with Ethan, and something about his voice made Leo feel like they'd known each other for a long time.
Thankfully, Ethan had managed to get the money he needed.
But in doing so, he had to cash in a favor—a serious one.
He hadn't discussed the price beforehand, and yet the other person sent him 3 million without hesitation. It wasn't a small matter.
Leo felt guilty and said over the phone, "It's my fault. I should've confirmed the price with you first. To make up for it, I've applied for a 20% discount on this transaction. I hope you won't hold it against me."
In the end, Ethan only had to pay 1.76 million for the gold-ranked summoned beast egg.
Seeing him leave the store with a satisfied expression, Leo finally let out a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Whew~
This is the gap between professionals and ordinary people. A simple favor could be worth millions.
Just then, the manager of Darunhua walked by and noticed Leo's stress. "What's going on, Leo? You're sweating buckets."
Leo explained everything that had just happened.
Surprisingly, the manager didn't scold him. Instead, he smiled and said, "You did well. Just be more careful in the future. As for the discount, report it normally—I'll inform accounting."
Leo was stunned.
He had mentally prepared himself to cover the discount with his own salary. Losing a few hundred thousand was worth it if it meant gaining favor with a promising professional. But now the manager's words had saved him from that cost.
He suddenly understood how serious the higher-ups at Darunhua were about befriending professionals like Ethan.
Thankfully, Ethan had a better temper than Leo had expected.
---
Back at home, Ethan excitedly examined his new prize—the summoned beast egg.
Taming a summoned beast egg required a special process.
Humm~
Following the correct steps, Ethan activated his "Taming" ability. A glowing formation wrapped around the egg, shimmering with mystic energy.
Then, he cut his index finger and allowed a drop of blood to fall onto the shell.
Crack!
The eggshell began to break.
Suddenly, a khaki-colored praying mantis, roughly the size of a small dog, emerged. Its razor-sharp forelimbs resembled scythes, and it looked like a giant version of a dead-leaf mantis.
Though it had just been born, its presence was already intimidating—even more so than Anti-Bone Boy before his transformation.
But Ethan wasn't interested in checking stats just yet.
Instead, he activated his alienation talent.
He placed the newly summoned Big Sword Mantis on the left, and on the right, he placed the Gold-Grade Magic Mirror Fragment, which had remained unused until now.
Back when he left the dungeon, he had disassembled the mirror piece in a hurry and didn't get a chance to study it. Still, he had kept it around, knowing it wasn't compatible with his other creatures like Anti-Bone Boy or Queen Ant.
He also added another item to the right: the Gold-Class Mantis Blade he had bought earlier.
A screen appeared in front of him:
> "Reminder: Infinite Alienation process initiated... Please select a result."
a. Strengthen forelimbs, gain skill "Split (Blue)"
b. Strengthen hidden ability, gain skill "Mirror Flower and Water Moon (Blue)"
c. Gain water attributes and enhance all basic skills
It resembled the options he had faced when he first used alienation.
Option A was clearly powered by the Mantis Blade—boosting direct combat potential.
Option B seemed linked to the Magic Mirror, possibly granting duplication or stealth.
Option C, while improving general skills with a water attribute, didn't suit a Zerg-type beast like the mantis.
Ethan already had a plan.
The praying mantis is a legendary insect predator—patient, fast, and deadly. Its claws snap shut with terrifying speed, and he'd even seen videos where mantises caught and devoured birds.
If Anti-Bone Boy was his bruiser and tank...
Then the Mantis would be his assassin—a silent killer.
Option A was tempting but leaned toward face-to-face combat, which Ethan didn't want to double up on.
Option B, with a name like "Mirror Flower and Water Moon," reminded him of the deceptive clone powers used by a gold-level dungeon boss he once fought.
Stealth and illusion? That sounded perfect for an assassin.
He selected option B.
> "Alienation successful!"
Strength +120
Constitution +80
Agility +1600
Spirit +60
Gained skills:
Stealth (Green)
Stealth (Blue)
Mirror Flower and Water Moon (Blue)
Additional Skill Unlocked from Growth Phase:
Clamp (Blue)
Descriptions:
Stealth (Blue): Can blend into surroundings, reducing visibility and becoming nearly undetectable when stationary.
Mirror Flower and Water Moon (Blue): Creates a clone with 80% of the user's stats for 30 seconds.
Clamp (Blue): Once it grabs an enemy, anyone weaker than 50% of its strength can't escape.
So "stealth" wasn't just a natural ability—it was a skill.
Though not as explosive as "Invisibility," its growth potential was much higher.
Perfect.
And now that it had entered its growth phase, the summoned beast gained Clamp, a terrifying ability. Just what he needed.
Ethan checked its full stats:
---
🛡️ Summoned Beast: Gold-ranked Sword Mantis
Level: Growth Stage
Remaining Lifespan: 12 years
Strength: 620 (+620)
Constitution: 550 (+550)
Agility: 1930 (+1930)
Spirit: 140 (+140)
Skills:
Gnawing (Green)
Stealth (Blue)
Clamp (Blue)
Mirror Flower and Water Moon (Blue)
Combat Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ (154 Stars)
---
And this was only its growth phase.
It hadn't even hit maturity, yet it was already rivaling the Queen Ant in strength.
This was the kind of apex predator he had dreamed of—quiet, deadly, and terrifying.
Ethan placed the Sword Mantis into his Beast Master Space to accelerate its growth.
---
The next morning came quickly.
It was time to announce the individual competition results.
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