Fed up with Zyric's constant whining and endless ranting about being stuck below Classic Level 4, Fat Insect completely lost his patience. A flash of irritation crossed his face as he abruptly cut Zyric off mid-sentence, his voice sharp and laced with frustration.
"No, I'll get the liquid that comes from Velociraptor now!" Fat Insect snapped.
"Hey, no, that's not what I meant. If I use Velociraptor's liquid now, I'll have to use it at least four to five times before my level increases. Back then, I was weak, and Velociraptor was much stronger than me, so it worked in just one go. But this time, it'll take five to six uses, which means five to six days, for my power to increase. I don't like the idea of waiting five to ten days. How long am I supposed to keep coming to school and getting bored like this?"
Zyric was thinking about all this when...
"Is that really all you're worried about? Zyric, you probably don't know this, but ancient beasts like me are different from modern beasts. If a beast from this era is at Fuzan Level Four and I'm also at Level Four, that beast will be nothing compared to me because I'm an ancient beast. An ancient beast at Classic Level Four can even rival modern beasts at Level Six," Velociraptor explained again.
"But how is that possible? Ancient beasts and modern beasts should have the same levels, shouldn't they?" Zyric asked in confusion.
"No, the levels are the same, but ancient beasts have much purer blood. The beasts I've encountered along the way have no purity left in their blood. Over time, blood purity has gradually disappeared from the bodies of beasts in this era. You'll understand all this as you learn more. But if you've used my liquid and reached Classic Level Three, you can easily take on beasts at Classic Level Four here," Velociraptor explained to Zyric.
"Oh, okay. I get it now," Zyric said before heading toward the forest.
As he moved forward, he noticed several Monster Tamers standing there. They were quite powerful and were essentially acting as guards at the entrance.
Zyric walked a little closer and carefully observed the guards. There were about four of them standing there.
After looking at them, Zyric tied a black cloth over his face. He also covered his hands and feet with black cloth so that no one could guess his age just by looking at him.
At that moment, all the guards were standing around a punching machine and observing it.
"Yes, thank God! They're checking everyone's strength by making them punch the machine."
Zyric sighed in relief after realizing this.
He then joined the line and waited for his turn, just like everyone else.
"So, friends, you're probably wondering why we've installed this punching machine system here, right? Well, we've done this because the testing machine at the Fuzan Vault is outdated. Previously, people with Level Four would simply show their level and enter the forest. However, without any actual battle experience, they would end up getting killed. That's why things are different now. Unless you possess the actual strength required to enter the forest, you won't be allowed to go in anymore," the guards explained to everyone.
After hearing their explanation, everyone understood the reason behind the new system.
Zyric understood it as well. In this world, rich people could simply buy Fuzan Vault liquid without fighting any beasts themselves and use it to increase their power. They could then enter the forest easily, but because they lacked actual battle experience, they often ended up losing their lives. If they didn't even understand the power of their own Fuzan Vault, how could they possibly develop their abilities properly? Zyric thought to himself.
Suddenly, Zyric remembered Prince Ralph.
"Ah, so that's why I was able to fight Prince Ralph like that, even though our levels weren't even equal. His level was one higher than mine, yet I was still able to match him. He got his liquid from his father instead of earning it through his own efforts," Zyric thought to himself.
"By the way, there's one more thing you all need to understand. Even if your level is higher than that of the beast standing in front of you, you must never underestimate it. For example, let's say you're at Classic Level Nine and the beast you're facing is only at Classic Level Eight. If you don't have enough knowledge or battle experience, you won't be able to fight it properly, even though your level is higher. That's exactly what I want you all to understand."
After finishing their explanation, the four guards each punched the machine to demonstrate their strength before entering the forest.
Now, it was Zyric's turn.
"Look, boy, even if your Fuzan Vault is at Level Two or Level Three, you can still enter the forest if the machine shows that your strength is at Level Four. What matters here is your actual strength, got it?" one of the guards explained again when he noticed Zyric hesitating.
Zyric was wearing rather unusual clothes, but the guard didn't seem to find anything particularly strange about his appearance. Many people came dressed like this to hide their scent from the beasts, so it wasn't unusual for someone to cover their body.
Then Zyric stepped forward and punched the machine with all his strength.
The machine displayed Classic Level Five.
Zyric was shocked when he saw the result, but the guard didn't seem surprised at all.
"All right, you can go in now," the guard said to Zyric.
Since Zyric's face and body were completely covered, the guard couldn't guess his age. His appearance didn't seem particularly unusual, so the guard allowed him to enter without asking any further questions.
Once inside the forest, Zyric summoned Velociraptor.
"Wow, I really have this much power? I had no idea! I'm only at Classic Level Three, yet I can take down beasts at Classic Level Five? That's amazing!" Zyric exclaimed to Velociraptor.
"That's exactly what I've been trying to tell you. You increased your strength by using my liquid. And because my bloodline was extremely pure even in ancient times, while the beasts here no longer possess such pure blood, there's a huge difference between their Fuzan Vault liquid and mine. Take me, for example. I possess an ancient bloodline, so I can even fight beasts at Level Six in this era," Velociraptor explained to Zyric.
Zyric looked at him with amazement.
"Incredible!" Zyric exclaimed before taking off his clothes and placing them inside Velociraptor's mouth.
"What are you doing...?" Velociraptor asked Zyric in confusion.
Instead of answering, Zyric put Velociraptor back into the Fuzan Vault. Once inside, Velociraptor spat out the clothes he had been holding in his mouth.
By doing this, Zyric had managed to store his clothes inside his Fuzan Vault, meaning he no longer needed to carry them around with him.
"I understand the bloodline thing now. That means beasts with purer bloodlines possess greater power, and their Fuzan Vault liquid provides more strength. If I use the Fuzan Vault liquid of ancient beasts, I can easily fight stronger beasts in this world," Zyric said with a smile.
"No, Zyric, there's one more thing you need to understand: Extracting Powers. Since you've used my Fuzan Vault liquid, and my blood is at least five to six percent pure, your Extracting Powers have also become five to six percent pure. So, basically, even if you use the Fuzan Vault liquid of beasts from this world, you'll receive the same benefits you got from using mine," Velociraptor explained to Zyric.
However, Zyric simply ignored him.
"Look, all of this is going over my head right now, so please be quiet for a while. Let's just move forward. You guys ready?" Zyric asked Fat Insect.
"Yeah, yeah! I'll eat anyone!" Fat Insect replied eagerly.
Hearing that, Zyric smacked it on the head.
"Quiet! No eating anyone. We're here to tame beasts, remember? We're here to find you some new friends," Zyric told Fat Insect.
"By the way, Velociraptor, no one here knows who you or Fat Insect are. Fat Insect can easily hide or escape if someone notices him. But if someone recognizes you, they'll catch you and operate on you. So, make sure you stay safe," Zyric warned Velociraptor, basically telling him not to come out where anyone could see him.
Zyric already knew what happened to ancient creatures when they were discovered by people in this world.
With that in mind, Zyric was coming up with a rather strange plan.
Then, all of a sudden...
"Oh, you guys are so boring! Come on, hurry up!" a voice called out from Zyric's Fuzan Vault again.
It was the girl's voice.
"Hey, man..." Zyric muttered before immediately going over to peek inside his Fuzan Vault and entering it.