Chapter 68
On the other hand, Lucas had returned from the battle and was now relaxing in a chair, reading a book.
He was studying something about the different realms that summoned beasts originate from, which was quite interesting.
The book described locations that had been documented but never reached again.
The text also mentioned dangerous places and monster-filled realms, all connected to this world.
This meant there were many entry points, but entering them was impossible without first being bound to a creature inside.
This could be done by using a reverse summoning spell, which would summon the caster into an unknown realm.
Some realms were more dangerous than others, and some were completely unlivable.
Lucas found this intriguing, but he wasn't planning on attempting anything like that for a long time.
His strength couldn't compare to the powerful beasts that even the Kings of the hidden cities feared.
Those rulers didn't worry about them only because the creatures were trapped in their own realms and could only leave if someone summoned them to this world.
The possibility of that happening was slim, as they were mere killing machines—unless they were to become intelligent.
The strongest beings were said to be driven solely by a hunger for battle.
That's why it was advised that anyone attempting a reverse summoning should do so with someone who could summon them back if something went wrong.
Additionally, that person would need the power to summon such powerful beings—a feat said to be beyond even Saint Class individuals.
This was interesting to Lucas.
He already knew there was a stage higher than Platinum, as demonstrated by the leader of the Abyssal Moon, and a stage even higher than that, shown by the Hidden Elder and the Great Sage.
Both were immensely powerful, and Lucas knew he couldn't risk traveling to those realms until he could defeat such individuals—or unless he had no other choice.
So, he decided to learn the spell just in case.
As he was pondering this, a knock came at his study door.
After he replied, Tracy entered. She looked at him and said, "I want to take you up on your offer."
"What offer?" Lucas questioned, confused for a moment before remembering. "Oh, so you changed your mind, huh."
"Yeah," Tracy nodded, her expression serious.
The offer she referred to was Lucas's proposal to give her power—not as a gift, but by helping her achieve it herself.
She had never fully accepted before.
While she had agreed to let Lucas help her break her Mana Core and physical limits, she had never chosen which side to stand on.
Now she had chosen.
After spending time with Lucas, she had come to see him as a little brother and someone she could trust to some extent.
What she wanted was the power to protect her daughter, herself, Nora, and Lucas as well.
If joining him was the way to achieve that, then so be it.
Lucas sighed. "Helping you train is going to be troublesome because soon I won't be here. I may become busy with missions or research, but I promise I will find time for you and your daughter. I'm free now, so we can start if you want."
"That would be great. But knowing you, you'd leave her alone during physical training," Tracy said with a smile.
Lucas chuckled. "What did I do?"
"I'll remind you when you're training me," Tracy replied, and the two began joking around as they left the room.
At the Dark Forest
Ezra and Aris had awakened from their slumber feeling stronger than before—or so they felt, though little had visibly changed aside from their improved talent, which would allow them both to reach the Platinum stage.
Aris was standing beside the large White Tiger, petting it even as it wore an annoyed expression.
"So, that's all?" Aris asked.
"Yes. You should return to Hidden Sky City and stay in Lucas's territory. As for Ezra, he should go south in search of a secret place where a tribe has been hiding for some years," the White Tiger spoke.
Ezra stretched as he looked ahead. "So my mission is to find that tribe. But from what you said, it seems nearly impossible to locate. Why tell me at all? You could have just said, 'Go south and find something.' That would have been easier."
"Sorry, little human. I only relay what my master said," the White Tiger replied.
"If I could, I'd beat that stupid Lucas myself," Ezra grumbled.
"You aren't the only one," the White Tiger agreed, but both remembered Lucas's strength and simply shook their heads in resignation.
"Can you both stop whining? Anyway, leaving Ezra alone would only get him killed or lost, so I'll go with him," Aris said, stretching. Being in a tub for so long had left him stiff.
"Hey, who are you calling weak? You're the weakest one here! You should go to Lucas so he can fix your physical strength instead of bothering me," Ezra retorted, annoyed.
"True, but you can't go alone," Aris insisted.
"I don't need a babysitter. I'm strong enough on my own, so forget it," Ezra said, starting to walk toward the exit of the Dark Forest.
"Hmm… Your weak friend has a point. And I don't want to die by Lucas's hand for letting one of you perish. So here's what we'll do," the White Tiger said.
A shining light emanated from all directions as he cast a spell:
[Transformation Spell: Transform]
The shimmering light coalesced into solid form, and from its heart, a young man emerged.
He stood completely naked, his form a study of powerful, classical anatomy.
Every muscle was defined, not with the bulk of a laborer, but with the sleek, potent grace of a river god or a marble hero newly stepped from his pedestal.
His skin seemed to glow with a faint, golden warmth, untouched by sun or hardship.
But it was his visage that commanded awe.
A wild, chaotic mane of hair, the color of a raging sunset or molten copper, framed a face of startling beauty.
His eyes, blazing with the same untamed orange hue, held a primal, unsettling light.
He was arrestingly handsome, with the kind of perfectly sculpted features and magnetic presence that Ezra had only ever associated with Lucas—a fact that twisted something sharp and unpleasant in his gut.
Standing there in unselfconscious perfection, the figure was the very essence of masculinity realized.
Even Ezra, who prided himself on his own rugged bearing, felt a pang of bitter jealousy.
The stranger wasn't just a man; he was an archetype, and his effortless perfection made Ezra feel strangely constructed in comparison.
The sheer, galling handsomeness, so reminiscent of Lucas, was the final insult, fueling his annoyance into a slow, simmering resentment as he stared.
"How about this? With me around, your friend won't have to go alone. And to some extent, I know the place Lucas is looking for," the White Tiger—now in human form—said.
Both men were shocked. Aris, in a nervous voice, asked, "Can all beasts do that?"
"Not really, but there must be some who can. In my life, I've only met one other," he replied.
"So, what should we call you like this, then? Tiger?" Ezra questioned.
"Hmm…" He closed his eyes in thought before opening them. "Myles. How about that?"
"Myles, huh?" Ezra looked away. "As long as it lets me do what I want, it's fine. Anyway, in this form, it'll be fun to fight you."
"Is that all you ever think about?" Aris asked, shaking his head before realizing something. "Wait, how am I supposed to get home?