Global Beast Mastery: Only I Can See the Hints

The first layer was slashed through by the [black gold knife glow]!

The second layer saw the [black gold knife glow] and the [wind shield] locked in a stalemate, but ultimately the blade\'s radiance prevailed, slicing through!

By the third layer, the knife\'s glow had nearly been depleted, dissipating silently.

"With two layers of [wind shield], Charles, your strike easily cuts through a level four Beast Master!" Hale remarked, retracting the [blue fox]. "If you were to launch a surprise attack, you could even injure a level five Beast Master!"

Even Catherine couldn\'t help but feel excited. On one hand, she was happy about Charles\'s growing strength; on the other, she was eager to spar with him.

Charles, too, felt that the dual-attribute [black gold knife glow] was incredibly powerful, but the energy consumption was substantial. After a careful assessment, he estimated that in actual combat, he could use it about three times before it ran out.

Charles had yet to test the dark attribute energy of [mousie] and suppressed the urge to do so, knowing that combining all three attributes with the [black gold knife glow] would surely amplify its power. However, he also recognized that his current physical condition and attribute energy might not suffice for such a drain.

With their departure for the capital tomorrow, it was best to stay in top shape.

Additionally, while he had experience infusing ice and fire energies, he hadn\'t yet tried incorporating the dark attribute, which could lead to unforeseen consequences. "Teacher Hale, if I were to use the [black gold knife glow] with all three attributes, could I kill a level five Beast Master?" he couldn\'t help but ask.

Hale\'s expression turned serious. "Charles, even after you tame the third mystical beast, don\'t attempt to merge all three attributes lightly."

"Is it really that dangerous?" Charles speculated.

Hale nodded, explaining, "If merging two attributes has a difficulty of 1, then three attributes would be 6, and four would be 24... This is just a rough estimate; the actual risks could be even greater. You might end up injuring yourself before you even strike your opponent!"

Charles tucked away his thoughts, deciding against trying the [black gold knife glow] with three attributes for now.

"It\'s getting late; we should head back and rest. We\'re leaving tonight," Hale suddenly announced on their way back.

Catherine and Charles stopped in surprise. Charles asked, "Aren\'t we leaving tomorrow morning?"

Hale sighed. "Things have been a bit unstable lately. Just today, a recruitment teacher and a student were assassinated."

"Assassinated?" Charles felt puzzled. "How could anyone dare to assassinate teachers and students from Cyber Academy?"

"It\'s not just Cyber Academy. There have been casualties at Aredale Academy and Nova Academy as well," Hale replied, not holding back. He was always cautious; the official announcement was that they\'d leave on the morning train, but the real departure was tonight.

Neither of the Azureville students were aware of this. Hale only shared the information with Charles and Catherine.

"Could it be Kingston\'s doing?" Charles knew that the feud between Genosha and the Cang Kingdom had lasted for over a century, with multiple wars breaking out in between. It was very likely that Cang Kingdom would target the students from Genosha\'s three major academies.

"No, it\'s probably not them. The Cang Kingdom doesn\'t have the guts to attack Cyber Academy. We\'re currently investigating the specifics," Hale stated directly. The strength of Cyber Academy was not something a single nation could provoke, even if it was a branch of Genosha!

"I\'m only responsible for getting you safely to the capital; everything else will be handled by others. Get some sleep," Hale said as he dropped Charles and Catherine off at their room before turning to leave.

Back in his room, Charles didn\'t sleep. Instead, he summoned [mousie]. "I need you to keep an eye out tonight. Let me know immediately if anything seems off."

"Of course, master! Mousie is the most reliable. You can sleep easy," it replied.

Until midnight, nothing unusual occurred. Hale was waiting at the door with a sleepy Jace and Sadie.

Without any delay, the five of them piled into an off-road vehicle and left Azureville.

"Teacher Hale, I thought we were taking the train tomorrow morning? Why are we leaving in the middle of the night?" Jace rubbed his eyes and asked softly.

"Plans changed," Hale replied casually.

Catherine sat in the passenger seat, while Charles was in the middle of the back row. To his right, Sadie had fallen asleep against the window.

The road chosen by Hale was rough, with frequent bumps that made it uncomfortable for anyone, let alone for sleeping.

"Charles, you still haven\'t told me about the quality of your mystical beasts. They\'re not all Silver, right? Don\'t worry, I won\'t laugh," Jace asked, turning his head curiously.

"Not Silver," Charles replied coolly.

Jace\'s eyes widened in surprise. "It\'s not Bronze Division, is it? If it were Gold, you would\'ve said so already. Can Bronze even enter a branch of Cyber Academy?"

"Two Platinum," Charles stated truthfully.

"Oh, two Bronze Division—wait, what did you just say? Platinum!" Jace instantly woke up, no longer tired. He turned to face Charles, eyes wide. "Platinum? You can\'t be serious! Platinum beasts are practically eligible for Cyber Academy\'s main campus!"

Charles nodded. "That\'s exactly why I\'m aiming for the main campus."

"The main campus? Charles, you really have some bold aspirations. Do you know who gets in there? Just in Genosha, there are imperial princesses, sons of grand generals, and the daughter of the top Beast Master, Nathaniel, who\'s an eighth-level Beast Master! Those are true geniuses!"

Jace seemed well-informed, aware that there were only five spots in the main campus for all of the Abyssal Depths and knowing about the talents at Cyber Academy\'s Genosha branch.

Charles didn\'t want to elaborate further and calmly said, "Real geniuses have already gone directly to the main campus."

After a moment, Jace understood. Before turning 20, reaching level five Beast Master guaranteed entry to the main campus, meaning those at Genosha\'s branch weren\'t true geniuses.

"But wait, what about those under 20 who reach level three or four Beast Master? Don\'t they count as geniuses?" Jace asked.

Charles sighed, not wanting to dampen anyone\'s spirits. He pointed to Catherine in the passenger seat. "She\'s 19, a level four Beast Master, close to level five, with four mystical beasts, all of Platinum quality."

"Charles, you must be joking. This is way too far-fetched," Jace said, skeptical.

Charles chose not to say more; some people would cling to their doubts even when faced with the truth.

The vehicle fell silent, and after an unknown period, the first light of dawn illuminated the earth.

Suddenly, Hale slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching as they skidded across the ground.

Charles, Catherine, Jace, and Sadie followed Hale\'s gaze.

In the early morning sun, a figure stood quietly on a nearby tree branch.

"Ha, clever enough to spread false information and trick me into going to the station," the cloaked figure said, their face obscured, voice oddly mechanical and age-indeterminate.

"Get out of the car!" Hale\'s expression was grave. The implication of the figure\'s words indicated they had indeed been to the station, discovered the ruse, and were now pursuing them. This speed suggested at least a level six Beast Master!

The vehicle wouldn\'t be faster; getting out was the best option.

"Teacher Hale, wh-what\'s going on?" Jace asked, confused. The atmosphere was thick with danger.

"Do you not fear the wrath of Cyber Academy?" Hale demanded loudly.

Charles picked up on the implication in Hale\'s words—he was addressing "you all." Were there others involved? He glanced back at the cloaked figure.

[Name]: ???

[Age]: ???

[Height]: 178

[Beast Master Level]: 6

"Clap, clap, clap." The cloaked figure applauded mockingly. "Mr. Hale, your perception is quite impressive! Let me guess, it\'s the breeze that whispered it to you. Truly worthy of being the former prodigy of the wind!"

At those words, Hale\'s pupils narrowed, his fists clenched tightly, radiating a stormy intensity that instinctively made Jace and Sadie take a couple of steps back.

Charles and Catherine remained still.

Behind the cloaked figure, three more masked Beast Masters appeared, accompanied by a chameleon the size of a car.

—[Vine Armor Chameleon]—

[Attribute]: Wood

[Level]: 43

[Quality]: Gold

mvle|mp-yr chapter

[Skills]: Environmental Mimicry, Tongue-out Attack, Mucus Ejection, Firm Scales

[Weakness]: Fire

...

[Name]: ???

[Age]: 28

[Height]: 172

[Beast Master Level]: 5

...

[Name]: ???

[Age]: 29

[Height]: 180

[Beast Master Level]: 5

...

[Name]: ???

[Age]: 32

[Height]: 181

[Beast Master Level]: 5

...

There were three level five Beast Masters!

One level six Beast Master, three level five Beast Masters.

Charles kept a straight face as he gripped the [black gold long knife] tightly, his expression serious. They had one level six Beast Master on their side, one level four, and three level threes.

How were they supposed to fight this?