Chapter 10 - Light Guild

Cornelio couldn't help but sigh. Taking the rest of the day to guide the boy could be a good thing; he just hoped nothing went wrong. "So, where would you like to go first?"

Edward stretched his arms as he gazed at the Light Guild. There were even more people entering and exiting it compared to the store. "Let's take a look at that guild first," Edward said as he gave Whitey a head rub. Sooner than later, the small rabbit would have to fight, so he wanted to know how strong the people in the Entry Level Challenge were.

"Oh? Are you interested in taking a challenge?" Cornelio looked at the rabbit in the man's arms. It was clear that the young boy was still on the Iron Rank, so this was his only pet. "I recommend that you get a good pet first, maybe think about challenging them after reaching the Bronze Rank."

"Do you already have the Entry Level Badge?" Edward looked at the man with curiosity. He didn't seem that old, but from how he spoke, he seemed to have plenty of experience.

"I just got my first intermediary badge from the Poison Guild." Cornelio was brimming with pride as he paraded around a purple brooch shaped like two crossed bones. "I want to visit the Fire Guild the next weekend."

Edward was surprised to find that Cornelio already had one intermediary badge. He didn't seem much older than himself, so he must be quite the talented tamer. "Was it hard?"

"Well, with enough training and preparation, you will also be able," Cornelio replied, looking at the crowd in front of the guild and smiling. "Looks like we came at a good time. It appears that someone is challenging the guild."

They entered the guild and followed the crowd into one of the stadiums. The battleground was an enormous open platform covered in white marble with an open ceiling, and there were even a few stands where people could watch.

The atmosphere was tense and exciting as everyone was eagerly waiting for the challenger to appear.

"Let's find a good spot to watch the action," Cornelio whispered to Edward, surprised to see so many people watching.

Edward followed Cornelio, but his attention was focused on a boy on the right side of the stadium. By the boy's side stood two monsters: a bull with three shining horns and a small plant-like creature.

At first, Edward was impressed by the monsters' strength, but he soon realized that they were not that powerful. Some of their stats were high, while others were low, especially compared to Whitey, whose stats were mostly above forty.

[Info Window]

Name: Shinning Horn Bull | Realm: Soldier | Level: 3 | Bloodline: Middle-Grade Uncommon | Elemental Affinity: Light | Talent Rating: 6/10 | Tamer: ????? ????? (Subjugation Bond)

Physical Attributes: Dexterity: 39 | Strength: 56 | Agility: 42 | Endurance: 59 | Mental Attributes: Intelligence: 29 | Awareness: 32 | Spiritual Power: 39 | Spiritual Energy: 35

Evolution: Light Charged Bull (Peak Grade Uncommon Bloodline)

Hidden Evolutions: There are no lost or hidden evolution paths.

[Info Window]

Name: Flickering Rose | Realm: Soldier | Level: 1 | Bloodline: Low-Grade Uncommon Bloodline | Elemental Affinity: Light, Nature | Talent Rating: 8/10 | Tamer: ????? ????? (Subjugation Bond)

Physical Attributes: Dexterity: 12 | Strength: 28 | Agility: 15 | Endurance: 49 | Mental Attributes: Intelligence: 45 | Awareness: 29 | Spiritual Power: 59 | Spiritual Energy: 54

Evolution: Illuminated RoseFlower (Low-Grade Rare Bloodline)

Hidden Evolutions: There are no lost or hidden evolution paths.

[Info Window]

"They don't seem very strong," Edward shook his head. It seemed that the power of a rare bloodline was nothing to scoff at.

"Uh? Weak? What are you talking about? That Flickering Rose hasn't even reached maturity yet, and it's already in the Soldier Realm!" Cornelio gave Edward an annoyed look and continued, "As soon as it finishes the growth stage, it can evolve into an Illuminated Roseflower, a monster with a rare bloodline! Do you know what this means?"

"Well, it's just a low-grade rare bloodline, but even so, that doesn't change the fact that they appear to be quite weak right now," Edward didn't understand why Cornelio suddenly became so upset.

"A low... rare bloodline?" Cornelio almost puked blood as he heard Edward's words. "If they are so weak, why don't you go and challenge them?"

Edward gave Cornelio a side glance and then closed his eyes. He wasn't willing to battle at first, but since entering the stadium, Whitey began to pester him to participate. "Well, I was thinking about participating, just not sure if the time is right." Edward was still against battling since Whitey had no combat experience, but Whitey himself was asking for the chance.

"Oh? If you decide to sign up, I can assist you." Cornelio laughed, eager to see what Edward might do with such a helpless rabbit.

It didn't take long for the challenger to go up on stage, a young man of similar age to Edward. He summoned his two pets: a big snake with purple spots all over its body and a monkey the size of an adult human.

Edward wasted no time summoning the two monsters' information index, only to discover that the two pets were weaker than the opponent's Shining Horn Bull.

[Info Window]

Name: Purple Spotted Rattlesnake | Realm: Soldier | Level: 1 | Bloodline: Middle Grade Uncommon | Elemental Affinity: Thunder, Poison | Talent Rating: 5/10 | Tamer: ????? ????? (Subjugation Bond)

Physical Attributes: Dexterity: 50 | Strength: 38 | Agility: 53 | Endurance: 42 | Mental Attributes: Intelligence: 39 | Awareness: 42 | Spiritual Power: 32 | Spiritual Energy: 29

Evolution: Thundering Scales Rattlesnake.

Hidden Evolutions: There are no lost or hidden evolution paths.

[Info Window]

Name: Scorching Paw Monkey | Realm: Soldier | Level: 2 | Bloodline: Low-Grade Uncommon Bloodline | Elemental Affinity: Fire | Talent Rating: 7/10 | Tamer: ????? ????? (Subjugation Bond)

Physical Attributes: Dexterity: 42 | Strength: 53 | Agility: 54 | Endurance: 45 | Mental Attributes: Intelligence: 42 | Awareness: 27 | Spiritual Power: 42 | Spiritual Energy: 22

Evolution: Burning Paw Monkey

Hidden Evolutions: There are no lost or hidden evolution paths.

[Info Window]

Following their greetings, the two men on the battlefield each sent their first pets. The Guild examiner dispatched the Shinning Horn Bull, as expected, but the challenger dispatched the Purple Spotted Rattlesnake first.

The bull showed no fear and charged head-on at the big snake, its eyes glowing with rage.

"Just try to stall it!" The challenger gritted his teeth as the battle started. He knew that as soon as he sent the Purple Spotted Rattlesnake first, his strategy would be uncovered. "Use Electric Currents! I want to see if he dares to touch you!"

As soon as the man gave the order, the large snake glowed purple, and small electric arcs appeared from its body. The bull let out a humph and continued charging, the ground below-trembling thanks to its heavy weight.

"Do you believe this small amount of electricity can paralyze my partner?" The Guild examiner laughed as he pointed at the Purple Spotted Rattlesnake. "Light Charge!" The bull howled, its body flickering with white light, and its speed visibly increasing.

The challenger's face contorted in rage, but he had no choice but to endure. Although the Scorching Hand Monkey could fight the Shinning Horn Bull head-on, the guild examiner still had a second pet of the same level. "Use Rapid Lunge and Venomous Bite now! Make sure to at least poison him!"

The snake froze in fear for a fraction of a second. If it truly lunged at the bull, it would be its end, yet there was nothing that it could do as the tamer bond forced it to accept the order.

The body of the snake flashed once again with purple light, and using its tail as a springboard, the Purple Spotted Rattlesnake flew in the direction of the bull.

The guild examiner let out a smirk as he saw the Purple Spotted Rattlesnake flying in the direction of the Shinning Horn Bull. "Light Armor!" he softly commanded.

The bull's horn shone once again, and even more, light gathered on its body, forming a solid layer of light around the bull's whole body.

The crowd grew into an uproar as they saw the light armor, and Cornelio was no different.

"Damn! That Shinning Horn Bull knows Light Armor!" Cornelio's face was filled with glee as he watched the battle. "The Light Guild found a truly talented pupil."

"Oh? Is that skill rare?" Edward found the battle engaging, but he still didn't know what all the fuss was about.

"Rare? Are you truly that oblivious? Light Armor is an Elite Realm Skill!" Cornelio didn't dwell much on Edward's comment, choosing to focus on the battle.

It was too late for the snake to back down, and when it hit the solid light armor, it was instantly thrown back, smashing into the floor. The challenger looked at the dazed Purple Spotted Rattlesnake with a terrible expression. "Useless snake! Get up!" He quickly tried to force the snake to move.

"What a terrible tamer..." The guild examiner shook his head and gave his bull the command to attack once again. "Let's finish this now! Small Light Bomb!"

The bull growled as a small light ball began to form in the intersection of its three horns. The small light ball grew brighter and bigger, and when it reached the size of a hand, the Shinning Horn Bull released it with a powerful thrust toward its opponent, hoping to end the fight once and for all.

The crowd erupted in shock as the small light bomb exploded, leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake. The challenger knew that he had underestimated the power of the Shinning Horn Bull and that he had lost all chances to win the battle.

The Shinning Horn Bull was still in peak condition, and the guild examiner still had a second pet left. "I give up..." As soon as the smoke cleared, the challenger rushed to the Purple Spotted Rattlesnake, relieved that it wasn't severely wounded. He quickly sent a stream of spiritual energy to the snake to help it heal and recalled it to his spiritual space.

"Good fight..." The Guild Examiner cast a disapproving glance at the challenger and exited the battleground.

Cornelio, who was still bewildered by the fight, turned to Edward with a smile on his face. "So, what do you think? Do you still want to challenge him?"

"If that's possible, yes." Edward let out a sigh as he looked at Whitey in his arms. The small rabbit had watched the whole fight and kept pestering him, insisting that they too would fight. "It looks like Whitey wants to show off a little..."