The forest air still reeked of blood and smoke. Leaves drifted down, carried by the cold night wind.
Steve jolted awake with a ragged scream, his body trembling as if he'd just broken free from a nightmare. His breath came in shallow gasps, eyes darting wildly. "Hhh… I'm… still alive?"
Not far away, Luxe sat quietly, watching him. "Yes. You survived."
Silence hung for a few seconds until Steve turned, confusion twisting his face. "Chase… where's Chase?!"
Luxe only tilted his chin, pointing to the side. Chase's body lay sprawled lifeless on the ground, blood already blackened. "There."
Steve froze, eyes wide. He stared, then quickly turned again. "And… Lessy?!"
"She ran. I don't know where," Luxe answered flatly.
Steve buried his face in his hands, struggling to process it all. Then another memory broke through—his voice lowered to a whisper. "That shield… I remember a shield protecting me. What was that…?"
Luxe lowered his gaze, his tone calm but firm. "One of my skills. That's all you need to know."
Steve stayed silent for a long time, eyes narrowing—not with suspicion, but as if realizing Luxe was hiding something on purpose. Finally, he exhaled heavily. "Alright. I get it. Not every secret needs to be revealed."
His shoulders eased a little, some of the tension fading into relief. "Either way… I still owe you my life, Luxe."
He met Luxe's eyes, voice steady. "About Chase… let me say I killed him. You don't need to be involved. I'll handle the report to the Association."
Luxe almost protested, but Steve weakly tapped his shoulder. "Think of it as my repayment. You saved me."
Luxe lowered his head, sighing. "Thanks… for covering it."
At last, Luxe rose and pulled something from inside his clothes. The Tigrix Core Vessel glimmered faintly in his grip, its black-and-gold aura still pulsing strong. He tossed it lightly toward Steve.
"It no longer has a master. You're the one who should tame it. Take it."
Steve froze, hands trembling as he caught the vessel as though it might shatter. His voice cracked. "Luxe… I… thank you. I'll never forget this."
With the last of his strength, he pressed the Core Vessel against the ground. Crimson-gold light flared, flooding the forest. The wild essence of Tigrix Rex raged, fighting against the binding. Steve clenched his teeth, forcing his own aura into the circle to seal it.
"Graaaaagh!" Tigrix's roar rattled the earth, his body flaring with one last wave of power.
Then—
BOOM! The contract circle closed, light collapsing. From within, Tigrix Rex emerged.
But what stepped out wasn't the towering humanoid tiger that had shaken the woods earlier. Instead, a tiny figure stumbled forward—a small cub, like a two-legged tiger kit, its golden-black fur ruffled. It crawled weakly, then sat down, eyes blinking.
Luxe stared in shock. "What… why like this?"
Steve chuckled faintly, though pale. "First time seeing it? A beast that's just been tamed usually reverts to its base—baby form. That's normal. Its strength also depends on the Beast User's tier, not Slayer rank."
Luxe's gaze lingered on the tiny Tigrix yawning innocently. Then Prism Ward… should've been born as a baby too? But he appeared already as a knight… shrunk a lot from Duke size, sure, but nowhere near this far. Something isn't right…
Steve bent down, cradling the baby Tigrix with trembling arms, his face softening. "At last… I have a Lord Beast as my pet. And it's all thanks to you, Luxe."
Pulling out his phone, his fingers shook as he tapped the screen. Moments later, Luxe's device chimed. [+100,000 Zen transferred]
Luxe gaped. "O-one hundred thousand?! Why that much?!"
"As a thank you," Steve said sincerely. "I can earn money again. But life… can't be replaced."
Luxe bowed his head, unable to argue. "Then… thank you."
Both of them slowly stood. Steve held Luxe's gaze, smiling faintly. "I need to return to the city. Maybe I'll even run into Lessy on the way—she still owes me! Hahaha. And… I need to register Tigrix with the Association, recover myself and my new pet. What about you, Luxe?"
"I'll keep hunting for a while," Luxe replied quietly.
Steve nodded. "Alright. Tomorrow, I'll contact you again. My gratitude doesn't end here."
Luxe only nodded, giving a faint smile. "Fine."
They parted at a forest crossroads. Steve staggered toward the city, baby Tigrix toddling behind him, while Luxe slipped deeper into the woods, his thoughts still fixed on that mysterious aurora he'd glimpsed.
A quick step, and Luxe vanished upward—Shadow Blink propelling him into the branches of a massive tree. He crouched, eyes glowing gold. Weakpoint Trace lit the forest in threads of light, revealing beasts nearby. Most were normal ferals… except one.
About thirty meters ahead, an aura shimmered—radiant, multicolored, pulsing like an aurora.
"gotcha!"
Luxe leapt down, summoning Prism Ward. The black-and-white knight materialized at his side, his oppressive aura weighing on the trees. Together they advanced toward the glow.
When they arrived, Luxe froze.
A small dragon hatchling stood before him, scales refracting rainbow light, eyes wide and playful. It stared at him as if it had been waiting all along. And then… it smiled.
Prism Ward stepped forward, but Luxe raised a hand.
"Wait. If you strike, I might lose the chance to tame it."
Prism Ward halted, dissolving back into Luxe's shadow.
Shadow Chains burst from Luxe's hand, snaking toward the hatchling.
SWISH!
But the little dragon dodged easily—then laughed. A light, bell-like giggle that made Luxe's brow furrow.
"Did… it just laugh at me?"
He tried again. Again the dragon skipped away, darting circles around him, even sticking out its tongue before bolting.
"Damn it…" Luxe panted as he gave chase. "You're playing with me, huh?"
The chase dragged on until the dragon suddenly stopped. Its body shimmered, aurora blazing.
Then—its form swelled, twisting, reshaping into something massive. In seconds, Luxe found himself facing a towering figure: Tigrix Rex.
The same golden-black beast, claws gleaming, but with one eerie difference—its face stretched into a mocking smile.
Luxe stumbled back, sweat cold on his neck. "No way… Tigrix Rex again?! Don't tell me… this beast… it can shapeshift?!"
The false Tigrix lowered its head, eyes locked on him. One claw rose, gleaming, and it slashed downward slowly—not to strike, but like an invitation.
Its smile widened, less threat than taunt.
Luxe's breath caught. His grip tightened on his black scythe.
"What the hell… is this thing?"
His golden eyes flared, locking onto the monster.
"Is it… challenging me to a fight?!"