Afterward, Igaris dismissed Evernight and Mountain King into his inner world, leaving only the Fire Elemental Wyvern, Serynthia.
Sitting on her back and holding onto her neck spines for stability, he scanned the horizon with his special eyes, searching for landmarks that matched the meeting point where the novice group was supposed to gather and depart, as planned.
Serynthia had undergone a significant transformation, now resembling a true Dragon-kind. Her wing membranes had become tougher, and her red scales gleamed with a raw, hardened luster.
She had reached the level of a Master -7 powerhouse—strong enough to deter an advanced Summoner and force even a Greater Summoner to take her seriously.
"Serynthia, can you talk?" he asked verbally.
He needed to confirm the phenomenon he suspected—that subjects he acquired gradually gained sentience, especially after witnessing Malthius speak.
"Yes, Master. I can, and it’s all thanks to your Divine Blessing," she replied in a smooth, childish tone.
"I see... So it’s true then."
Igaris nodded, accepting the reality.
"Maybe there are still things I don’t know about Infinite Acquisition... things I have yet to uncover."
"Where did it come from? Do I even deserve to wield this kind of power?"
He had asked himself that question more times than he could count.
"No matter. For the sake of my goals, I will use it. I will use everything."
His mind swirled with unanswered questions and quiet determination until he arrived at the destination.
A crowd was gathered on an open platform beside a massive mountain.
As soon as they saw the irregular Fire-Class Wyvern, murmurs began to spread:
"Look up, Instructor! Someone’s approaching!"
"Hmm... Could it be another Lord Rank Summoner?
"You’re delusional! What would a Lord Summoners do here amongst newbies? He is definitely the child of some higher officials."
"Instructor, isn’t that a Fire-Class Wyvern? But why does it look so different?"
"Huh? Who’s this young master now? How come he gets his own Wyvern to ride, while we don’t? So unfair... man."
The advanced-level Summoners acting as instructors for the novice group raised their brows, equally unable to identify the creature at first glance.
But as it descended smoothly and landed before them, its features became crystal clear.
"Those tough scales... that wingspan... this is no ordinary Wyvern," one instructor guessed.
"Yes. That’s an Infernal Wyvern on the evolutionary path to becoming a Fire Dragon," said another, a sharp-eyed man with a firm tone.
"Ohh... but who could tame such a beast?"
They got their answer when Igaris leapt down from the creature’s back.
His fluttering black hair, sharp gaze, and unyielding demeanor immediately drew attention, especially from a few familiar faces in the crowd.
Nina, Barefoot, Nagi, and Osamama were among them.
As Igaris approached, murmurs quickly spread like wildfire through the crowd of beginner summoners of hundreds.
"That’s him! The one they call Darkfire!"
"The Dark Summoner with triple affinity? That’s incredible!"
"Yeah, I heard he tamed an Infernal Wyvern and even has Space Affinity, besides Darkness and Fire!"
"If that’s true, doesn’t that mean he has more potential than even the pampered elites from the High Council?"
"Maybe... but don’t forget, there are still a few monsters out there who could match him. Still, this guy’s no joke."
Among all the noise, it was Nina who stepped forward first, her silver hair dancing in the wind, a bright smile on her face.
"Welcome back, Darkfire. Seems you’ve made quite the impression with that flashy entrance," she said with a chuckle, extending her hand.
Igaris took it with a polite nod, the handshake brief but warm. Her palm was soft, yet her grip carried power.
Watching them from Acquisition Space, Evernight couldn’t help but feel a strange twinge of jealousy, though even she couldn’t quite place why.
Barefoot and Nagi watched the reunion, unable to step forward due to hesitation.
Meanwhile, Osama stood still like a pathetic loser. He hadn’t contracted a single spirit beast yet. There were some weak Earth Worms available, but he would never waste his opportunity by choosing a worm as his companion.
"Alright... it’s time to depart. Whoever gets left behind is none of our concern," one of the instructors announced after a while, signaling the beginning of the return journey to the hideout.
Everyone boarded their wyverns in groups, while Igaris and Nina climbed onto their own.
Some of the others tried to tag along with Igaris, but Serynthia, the proud wyvern, screeched violently, resisting the touch of any human other than her master.
Igaris politely declined their requests, but a few took offense and began acting disrespectfully.
In response, he simply ordered Serynthia to fly behind Nina, ignoring their petty attitudes. He never wanted to be an idol—especially not for people like them.
What followed was a few hours of relentless flight beneath the blazing sun and against the howling wind.
By evening, they finally reached the underground facility known as the Unground City.
Upon arrival, each novice reported the beasts they had contracted with.
When it was Igaris’s turn, he calmly stated that his contracted beast was an Infernal Wyvern.
His words raised a few eyebrows in disbelief. Typically, a triple-affinity summoner could handle two beasts with ease or even three, if they pushed themselves, but doing so required significant resources and effort for each creature’s growth.
They couldn’t force him, could they? So they let him slide for now.
From there, Igaris headed straight to his room. As usual, he checked for any prying eyes or irregularities, but found nothing.
Relaxing slightly, he slumped onto the soft bed to get some rest. More importantly, he hadn’t eaten in hours. Still, for some reason, he didn’t feel hungry. Perhaps it was a result of his evolved body.
"My Liege, I have something to say to you. May I come out?"
Evernight’s voice echoed suddenly from within.
"Alright," Igaris sighed and allowed her to emerge from his inner world.
Her figure appeared, as beautiful and hot as ever, but this time her expression was unusually serious.
"What’s the matter?" he asked.