Levi accepted the hundred beast containment pouches, then turned to leave Beast Treasure Hall.
His funds were now completely spent. Remaining here served no purpose—better to return and make his final preparations for tomorrow's trial.
If all went according to plan, not only would he be able to purchase the Galehorn Bull's Wings, but he might even acquire other rare magical beast materials.
But just as he stepped over the threshold, a sharp female voice cut through the air, halting his stride.
Approaching from the opposite direction was Willard—a fellow apprentice who had awakened the Venomous Insect Affinity talent.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of Levi, but the next moment her lips curved upward, her gaze laced with a faint, frosty mockery.
"Well, well… isn't this the 'legendary apprentice' with the Dragonblood Affinity?"
"What are you doing in a place like this? They don't sell dragons here, you know."
In her eyes, Levi was nothing more than a penniless joke—a man blessed with the rarest of talents, yet with no means to put it to use.
Originally, they had no personal grudges. But on the day of the Awakening Ceremony, every gaze in the hall had been drawn to Levi. Her own talent—one that should have dazzled the crowd—was utterly overshadowed.
The sting to her vanity had been deep. And to her, vanity outweighed friendship, courtesy, or anything else.
Though not as exalted as Dragonblood Affinity, Venomous Insect Affinity was still a talent to be feared. If mastered to its pinnacle, it was said to have the power to turn an entire city into a graveyard in a single night.
Levi's brows drew together, his gaze turning cold as it locked onto her.
"Willard, is it? Are you trying to provoke me? I don't recall ever having wronged you."
She only smirked, raising her voice deliberately so that every customer nearby could hear:
"Provoke you? Oh, I wouldn't dare. You're the proud holder of the almighty Dragonblood Affinity, after all."
The moment those four words—Dragonblood Affinity—left her mouth, the atmosphere in the hall shifted. All eyes turned toward Levi, even Truman, the attendant who had served him earlier, froze in astonishment.
From within the crowd, murmurs rippled one after another:
"Dragonblood Affinity… that's the pinnacle of all bloodline talents."
"Too bad it's useless—out of a hundred people with Dragonblood Affinity, not even one manages to contract a true dragon."
"Strongest? More like the most worthless talent."
Hearing the whispers, Willard pressed the attack.
"Exactly. That's why someone like me, with nothing more than a humble Venomous Insect Affinity, would never dare offend such an exalted figure."
She skillfully steered the conversation, and soon the astonished stares shifted toward her instead.
"Venomous Insect Affinity? That's still a rare bloodline!"
"Yeah, and far more practical than taming a dragon. There are a lot more venomous insects than dragons in this world."
"This girl's bound to go far in the future."
Soaking in their praise, Willard's expression grew ever more self-satisfied—this attention, this admiration, was what she believed should have been hers from the very start.
Levi had already seen through her intentions. She was trying to step on him to make herself shine brighter.
His voice dropped low, cold as steel.
"Very well, Willard. You will pay for your words today."
With that, he turned and strode out of Beast Treasure Hall, not sparing her another glance.
Willard, however, dismissed his warning entirely. Instead, she sauntered over to Truman.
"Hey, was that guy here to buy a dragon?"
Truman shook his head.
"No. He only bought a hundred containment pouches and left two million gold shields as a deposit to reserve a certain material."
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"Honestly, that two million's as good as ours. Raising over ten million gold shields in five days? Even a renowned beast hunter would struggle, let alone a fresh apprentice."
Willard scoffed.
"A hundred containment pouches? What an idiot. That's just laughable."
…
After leaving the market, Levi returned home to find the black dragon awake, darting playfully through the room in pursuit of Eloise. To his surprise, the two hatchlings seemed to be getting along quite well.
Levi settled into the chair by the fireplace, studying the workings of the beast containment pouches.
Each pouch could store a single magical beast, its quality determining the strength of the creature it could contain.
The ones Levi had purchased were inexpensive—fit only for low-tier beasts—and could only work if the target offered no resistance when sealed.
After confirming their function, he stored the pouches within the space of his contract sigil. Spending a short while playing with the two dragons, he then turned in early for the night.
…
The next morning, Levi set out for the Academy, carrying the contract sigils of both dragons with him. His expression was calm and composed as he walked.
By the time he arrived, the Academy's main square was already roaring with voices. A quick glance told him there were at least three hundred apprentices gathered.
On every face was an irrepressible excitement—they all knew that today, they would step into the first true trial of their lives.