"Hey, what are you doing wandering around so late? Haven't you seen the recent news?" A burly man in armor shouted at Charles.
It turned out to be a member of the defense squad, causing Charles to sigh in relief.
Charles lowered his guard and curiously approached the man. "Excuse me, sir, can you tell me what's happening in the north of the city?"
The man looked at Charles, paused for a moment, and then waved his hand impatiently. "Some things are classified, and I can't divulge them to you. Just know that staying inside the city doesn't guarantee your safety."
The man bowed his head slightly, looking a bit ashamed, but soon flashed a bright smile. "But don't worry, the defense squad is here to protect Lsengard. Even if it costs me my life, I will ensure everyone's safety."
"Go home and get some sleep!"
Waving goodbye to Charles, the defense squad member quickly moved on to patrol the next block.
Charles didn't rush home. Instead, he opened a social media app on his phone and searched for news about Lsengard.
As expected, ferocious beast attacks were becoming more frequent. There had been several fatal incidents today alone, including two of his classmates who had just attended the awakening ceremony with him!
According to witnesses, a newly awakened Beast Master and his pet were devoured by a completely green large wolf, and another person was bitten in half, dying a horrible death.
There were even rumors that ferocious beasts had blocked the main highway connecting Lsengard to the outside world, leading to an imminent shortage of supplies in the city.
The information online, mixed with truth and falsehood, served as a reminder to Charles: the danger in this world might far exceed his expectations!
Here, humans were no longer at the top of the food chain but could become prey to ferocious beasts at any moment.
Moreover, Lsengard's defense squad couldn't guarantee the city's absolute safety.
Seeing the devastation in the news, Charles put away his phone and sighed lightly:
"Whether for long-term planning or just to survive right now, I need to quickly improve the combat abilities of both Max and myself!"
Before Charles could react, a man in a gray robe fell from the sky, crashing through a tree on the sidewalk and hitting the ground heavily, blood constantly flowing from the corners of his mouth.
The sudden turn of events jolted Charles.
Max jumped out of his arms and assumed a battle stance.
A spectral wolf, about three meters tall and entirely green, burst through the window of a nearby residential building, its gaping maw dripping with blood, and reeking of a pungent, bloody scent.
[Quality]: Black Iron
[Skills]: Death Dive, Poisoned Claws
[Health]: Minor injuries
[Weakness]: Back/fire attribute
"The spectral wolf, isn't this the type of ferocious beast that devoured Fatima's mother?"
As soon as the ferocious beast appeared, the system's light screen provided all the information about it!
Facing a dangerous ferocious beast for the first time, especially one as towering and ruthless as the three-meter-tall spectral wolf, it was impossible for Charles not to feel any fear.
However, he knew very well that with the spectral wolf's terrifying speed, running away was not an option. It was either defeat it or be eaten!
Seeing Charles, the spectral wolf became extremely agitated, and with a swoosh of wind, it lunged at Charles.
This was the spectral wolf's skill, Death Dive!
Holding Max, Charles swiftly dodged the spectral wolf's attack by a hair's breadth.
Turning back, he saw the spot where he had just been standing. A tree as thick as a bowl had been cleanly severed by the spectral wolf and was now crashing onto the road with a series of loud cracks.
Seeing the smooth, mirror-like cut, Charles swallowed hard. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been sliced in half by the spectral wolf's claws.
"Strange... How did my reflexes get so fast?"
Charles was puzzled. Could it be that after bonding with his pet, his own attributes had also improved?
Frustrated that its powerful attack had been easily dodged by Charles, the spectral wolf let out a series of angry howls. Black energy gathered at its front paws, causing its claws to extend until they were 30 centimeters long!
The steel-like claws emitted a faint black mist, and the light screen kept warning Charles that they were poisoned! The spectral wolf was using its second skill, Poisoned Claws!
While Charles was thinking about how to counter the attack, Max had already stepped in front of him. Despite the huge size difference between it and the spectral wolf, Max showed no fear.
Charles was worried about Max's injuries, but then he remembered that Max was a level 5 Gold-quality tamer! Even injured, it should be able to handle this level 3 Black Iron-quality spectral wolf.
Besides, the situation was dire, and as a Beast Master, he knew he couldn't defeat this ferocious beast on his own!
Blocked by the small figure, the spectral wolf grew even more furious, its eyes flashing with malice as it lunged forward, claws bared.
"Max! Activate skill "ice pick throwing" and engage in battle with the spectral wolf!"
A cold flash streaked through the air, and a clear sound of impact echoed throughout the street.
When the spectral wolf was ten meters away from Charles, Max launched its Ice Pick Throwing skill. An ice spear shot towards the spectral wolf, intercepting its attack!
"Swish! Swish! Swish!" More ice spears formed in the air, then flew towards the spectral wolf. Although it dodged the first one, the sky soon filled with countless ice spears, raining down like a torrential storm!
"Roar! Roar! Roar!!!!" The spectral wolf roared furiously as ice spears pierced its skin. It continually tried to fend off the spears with its claws, but under the relentless assault, it quickly began to falter.
The heat in the air dissipated, and the sun-baked ground rapidly became covered in a layer of frost.
Unable to withstand Max's relentless ice spear attacks, the spectral wolf started to lose its defense. Max seized upon a critical mistake, launching an ice spear from the wolf's blind spot towards its back.
"Whoosh!" The sound of the spear cutting through the air was followed by a sharp, fleshy impact. The ice spear pierced through the spectral wolf's heart, and then a barrage of ice spears rained down, turning it into a porcupine.
After confirming that the spectral wolf was dead, Max relaxed its battle stance. The surrounding frost dissipated instantly, leaving the spectral wolf's perforated body in a pool of blood.
At that moment, Max leapt into Charles's arms, its large tail brushing against his chest, looking up at him expectantly for praise, a stark contrast to its previous ferocity.
Ding! You have defeated the ferocious beast [Spectral Wolf] (Lv3·Bronze Division quality). Your bond with your pet has increased!
"Well done, Max! You defeated such a strong spectral wolf!" Charles smiled, gently stroking Max's head.
Max was not only powerful but also incredibly smart. Without any prompting, it had identified the spectral wolf's weakness.
This was Charles's first victory against a ferocious beast, and it was a towering three-meter-tall wolf. He was ecstatic. Carefully, he approached the spectral wolf's body.
The body of a ferocious beast was a treasure trove! The spectral wolf's claws, teeth, and fur were all valuable materials that could fetch a good price. Additionally, the meat of ferocious beasts could enhance the strength of pets and Beast Masters alike.
Charles pulled out a small knife and began to carefully skin the wolf, then separated the usable materials, storing them in his system's storage space.
Obtained spectral wolf pelt (damaged) x1!
Obtained spectral wolf canines x4!
Obtained spectral wolf steel claws x6!
Obtained beast core (poison attribute) x1!
Obtained wolf meat x100kg!
Seeing the system's [Items] tab filled to the brim with spoils, Charles smiled contentedly. Tomorrow, he could sell them at the Beast Master Guild, which would temporarily solve his financial crisis!
What surprised him even more was that there was a beast core inside the spectral wolf's body!
Beast cores are extremely rare materials. When embedded in weapons or equipment, they provide corresponding enhancements. Not only that, but they are also indispensable for pet evolution.
A high-grade beast core is invaluable and sometimes cannot be bought even with money.
Although this one was the lowest grade, with no ranking at all, it was still worth thousands of copper coins!
As Charles was pondering how to sell these materials, he suddenly remembered there was someone waiting for him to save!
He picked up the man in gray robes and carried him home. First, he treated the man's external injuries, then brewed some herbal medicine for him.
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
After a few sips of the medicine, the man coughed violently, spat out a mouthful of black blood, and slowly opened his eyes. "Ugh, what is this bitter stuff? What did you make me drink?"
Charles felt a bit displeased.
So what if it's bitter? It saved your life. If you can't handle the taste, don't drink it.
The man wiped the dirty blood from his mouth, then took another small sip from the bowl, shaking his head with a sigh. "Such good spirit root, what a waste of materials!"
"Fine! Since you saved my life, I'll teach you something."
Struggling to his feet, the man conjured a small pot with a 30-centimeter diameter from his bag, made of grade bronze, adorned with some inscriptions that Charles couldn't quite understand.
Charles scratched his head. "Your bronze pot looks quite unique. Are you going to teach me how to cook?"
Hearing this, the man almost spat out another mouthful of blood, his eyebrows shooting up in anger. "What do you mean bronze pot? This is my alchemy lab!"
Hearing this word, Charles's interest was instantly piqued.