Chapter 2: Removal and Evolution

Asher closed the capsule door and activated the pet beast life-support machine. A red light blinked on, and a faint, milky-white mist filled the capsule.

"Is… is that all it takes?" Ivy asked softly from the side.

She'd only ever heard of this machine's name. Seeing it in action was a first.

Asher, his eyes fixed intently on Nene in the capsule, responded gently, "Just this alone won't be enough."

"The life-support machine only eases the physical trauma caused by Nene's Sacrifice Strike."

"If we want Nene to fully recover, we'll need to remove her ruptured honey sac."

Sacrifice Strike—a skill that sounded like a desperate last attack, but it wasn't exactly so.

In reality, Sacrifice Strike allowed a pet beast to draw power from a vital organ, exchanging it for a momentary burst of strength within ten seconds. The power of this strike varied depending on the pet beast's level and abilities.

Once Sacrifice Strike was used, the pet beast wouldn't die immediately. As long as the Beast Master acted quickly and the pet had a strong enough life force, it could be saved with modern medical techniques.

But a creature like Nene...

From her low-grade status alone, it was clear she didn't even qualify as a truly extraordinary creature.

No effective combat skills.

Even with Sacrifice Strike, it was barely better than nothing.

Her lifespan was only slightly longer than that of a common insect, usually lasting about ten to fifteen years. In contrast, true beasts had lifespans that started at a hundred years.

For a honeybee-type pet beast like Nene, the honey sac occupied nearly two-thirds of her body.

When the honey sac was ruptured, it was often deemed fatal.

Even if it could be saved, as Asher had said, most honeybugs would become so depressed over their inability to produce honey that they'd end up taking their own lives.

Hearing once more that Nene's honey sac would need to be removed, Ivy's expression dimmed. She lowered her head, her long, dark hair falling gently by her ears as she sank into sadness.

"It's… all my fault…" Ivy murmured softly, her voice tinged with a hint of sobbing.

"Nene did it to protect me…"

As Nene's breathing began to stabilize, Ivy finally felt herself relax. Watching Nene in the capsule and with Asher by her side, Ivy, for the first time in a long while, felt a sense of warmth.

The urge to confide surged within her.

Asher didn't interrupt her.

Through Ivy's broken narration, he pieced together the story. Nene was a gift from her grandfather, who had left her this small companion as a keepsake. After his passing, with her relationship with her parents strained, Ivy began to see Nene as her family.

She cherished Nene, giving her boundless love and even a special name, "Nene." She didn't care that Nene was weak or had a short life span, nor did she mind if Nene's presence might hinder her path as a full-fledged Beast Master.

But her parents cared.

Their daughter, who had the potential to become a Beast Master, had chosen to bond with one of the weakest pet beasts.

As parents often do, they imposed their own ideals, claiming it was all for her own good.

They had even chased her to the countryside, hoping to correct her choices.

…This was what led to the incident where Nene had to use Sacrifice Strike to protect her Beast Master.

"Nene will be fine. Medical technology is very advanced these days."

When it came to family and parental matters, even Asher hesitated. He didn't have parents himself, but he'd heard of parents whose behavior could feel suffocating.

All he could think was… different world, different society, but some things never change.

In a soft tone, he guided her thoughts away. "Alright, Nene's vital signs are stable now. Next is the removal of her honey sac."

At these words, Ivy snapped out of her gloom, her gaze quickly shifting to Nene.

Opening the capsule, Asher put on a pair of special latex gloves, carefully lifting Nene and transferring her onto a cold, silvery metal instrument beside him.

Several needles, almost as long as Nene herself, were positioned around her.

Ivy watched with tightly clenched fists, her fear and anxiety plain as day.

"Nene… My Nene."

'Are those needles really not going to hurt her?', She could barely bear to watch.

"Don't worry. All the equipment and medical devices in the service center are provided by the Beast Master Alliance."

"The treatment quality is no different from that of the pet beast service centers in the city."

Asher's words eased Ivy's nerves.

If it's provided by the Alliance… it must be reliable, right?

When Asher first saw the equipment, he had been equally surprised. A village's pet beast service center—yet so well-equipped?

But after learning that no healing-type extraordinary creatures had ever been discovered, the nation had begun pushing scientific medical research forward with great urgency.

Over eight hundred years of effort had led to this world's advanced scientific medical technology, outpacing every other field.

This ensured that, from cities to rural towns, every place had easy access to comprehensive medical equipment. So no matter where a certified Beast Master was, their pet beasts could receive the best care and treatment.

The staff at service centers and clinics rarely operated the machines themselves. Their main role was to calm the Beast Masters who brought in their pets.

After all, skilled Beast Masters… tended to have rather… interesting personalities. Ahem!

"Ivy, you can try encouraging Nene a bit more."

"Removing the honey sac will be a bit painful."

Asher's words made Ivy's heart jump again.

"Nene! Hang in there!"

"If you get better, I'll buy you your favorite Baling Flower Honey, alright?"

She spoke with nervousness, but tried to keep her voice soft and encouraging.

Asher raised an eyebrow.

'Baling Flower Honey? Isn't that honey infused with extraordinary power, the one that cost a fortune—six hundred alliance coins per gram?'

Suddenly, he understood why this honeybee's will to live was so strong.

Because Ivy had given her pet the love it needed.

The honey sac removal was simple.

With the machine's operation, it didn't even count as surgery.

A needle entered Nene's body, breaking down the ruptured honey sac into liquid, which was then drawn out through another needle.

The entire process lasted less than ten minutes, and Nene's honey sac was completely removed.

Her breathing was steady, with no signs of depression.

Nene's once-rounded abdomen slightly flattened, and the honey outlet slowly faded—a sign she was losing her former powers.

Ivy didn't mind at all.

A smile, as radiant as spring sunshine, spread across her face.

"It's alright even if she can't make honey anymore. As long as Nene's okay."

"Wuuu~"

Hearing Ivy's words, Nene struggled and, for the first time, let out a soft, squeaky sound.

Ivy's eyes widened in surprise.

'Nene… Nene, she…'

A dazzling pink light burst forth from Nene, lying on the metal instrument, radiating in all directions.

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