Emily’s face lit up with excitement. “It must be the leopard waking up!” she exclaimed.
Chris froze at the sound of the roar. It was all too familiar-wasn’t it Stripes’ voice? Ever since Stripes had fallen off the cliff with Ethan Stone to save him, Chris had been carrying a heavy sense of guilt. He and Lindsay Windson had searched for Stripes, but there’d been no trace of him. Unexpectedly, they encountered him here.
In a side hall, Chris finally saw Stripes. The leopard lay on the ground, eyes closed, emanating a powerful aura.
Lindsay Windson, visibly tense, asked, “Mr. Shelby, what’s happening to Stripes?”
Chris replied, “Stripes is evolving, breaking through to a higher level of magical beast.”
Like humans, magical beasts have to undergo a transformative process to reach higher levels.
Emily, curious, asked, “Mr. Shelby, do you know this leopard?”
With a faint smile, Chris explained, “This leopard is my spirit companion. I call him Stripes. Before, I encountered Ethan Stone, and Stripes sacrificed himself to save me, falling off a cliff alongside Ethan. I never thought I’d find him here.”
Chris gazed at Stripes, his expression complex. Magical beasts had a much harder time breaking through than humans. In Aethelgard, most beasts were born with predetermined levels. Only a rare few could evolve further, and the process was fraught with danger.
Stripes’ closed eyes and the chaotic energy emanating from him heightened the tension in the room. Lindsay looked at Chris, alarmed. “Mr. Shelby, what’s going on?”
Chris frowned. “Stripes is struggling. He doesn’t have enough energy to complete the breakthrough.”
For both humans and magical beasts, sufficient internal energy was critical for breaking through to the next level. Without it, the process became perilous. Stripes was now in that very predicament.
Without hesitation, Chris took several Monster Stones from his storage ring. He had acquired these in Fort Dragon after slaying a Titan Beast. Though unsure if they’d help Stripes, he decided to try.
He tossed the Monster Stones into Stripes’ mouth. The leopard swallowed them, and Chris let out a sigh of relief.
Next, Chris produced Skyclaw Tiger’s blood-a seventh-tier peak magical beast with blood rich in spiritual energy-and poured it into Stripes’ mouth. After consuming the blood, Stripes’ chaotic energy began to stabilize.
Days turned into weeks. Nearly half a month passed, and Stripes underwent dramatic changes. He became encased in a white cocoon. Stripes would remain inside until his breakthrough was complete, though Chris wasn’t sure how long the process would take. However, he was certain of one thing-when Stripes emerged, he’d be far stronger.
Chris had been at the Artisans’ Guild for over two weeks, but Emily’s master remained elusive. Chris’s thoughts shifted to Oriana.
Oriana had left a note, saying she was heading to the Artisans’ Guild to find Emily. Now that Chris had found Emily but not Oriana, he grew deeply concerned.
Looking at Emily, Chris asked, “Emily, your sister Oriana came to Aethelgard to find you. She said she’d head to the Artisans’ Guild but then left alone. Have you seen her?”
Emily shook her head. “No, I’ve been here the entire time and haven’t seen my sister.”
Chris’s expression darkened. If Oriana hadn’t found Emily, had she run into trouble?
Unable to sit idle, Chris decided to search for Oriana. He couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her after they’d entered Aethelgard together.
Turning to Emily, Chris said, “I’m going to look for your sister.”
Emily stood up immediately. “Mr. Shelby, I’m coming with you!”
The thought of her sister going missing while searching for her left Emily anxious.
Chris shook his head. “Emily, you need to stay here. Stripes could wake up at any time. Stay here and wait for him.”
He handed her a bottle of spirit water. “When Stripes wakes up, give him this to drink.”
The spirit water had been obtained by Chris from beneath a spirit tree. It was also the reason Stripes had formed a spirit companion bond with him.
Emily took the spirit water, her face full of worry. “Mr. Shelby, please find my sister!”
Chris nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll find her.”
With those words, Chris and Lindsay left the Artisans’ Guild.
Chris estimated that Stripes’ breakthrough would take at least several months-time he couldn’t afford to wait. Together, he and Lindsay set off to search for Oriana.
Hours later, they arrived at a wide river. Chris pointed at it and said, “Lindsay, once we cross this river, we’ll reach Sunnyvale. It’s said to be a lawless and chaotic place.”
Chris had initially wanted to send Lindsay back to the Jefferson family. However, the distance to Jefferson territory was too great, and the journey would be fraught with danger, especially with Great Lyria cultivators hunting them. After much consideration, he decided to bring Lindsay along to Sunnyvale to search for Oriana.
Sunnyvale was the largest region in Aethelgard and home to the most Aetherbinding cultivators. It was a coastal area, surrounded by vast seas teeming with powerful sea beasts. Sea beasts were far more vicious than magical beasts.
Because Sunnyvale lacked a governing nation, it was a brutal, survival-of-the-fittest land.
After crossing the river, Chris and Lindsay arrived in Sunnyvale. The scenery changed immediately. Unlike the harsh, cold environment of Great Lyria, Sunnyvale greeted them with warm sea breezes.
Curious, Lindsay asked, “Great Lyria has such harsh conditions. Why doesn’t it invade Sunnyvale instead of Amerosia?”