The days passed in a steady rhythm. Sam trained relentlessly, honing his new powers.
In the courtyard, he conjured Lightning Spears, feeling the crackle of energy surge through his veins. Each throw left thunderclaps echoing across the manor walls, spears exploding into arcs of paralysis and light. He laughed once, raising the weapon skyward, mimicking Thor as lightning danced around him.
When his arms grew tired, he shifted to the Eyes of Horus, testing its vision on random objects and people. He could see the weak points in armor, the hidden cracks in stone, even the subtle fatigue in a villager's gait. The skill revealed truths invisible to ordinary eyes, sharpening his instincts as a commander.
By the fifth day, Sam felt the surge of a breakthrough. His body thrummed with power.
[You have reached Tier 3.]
---
That morning, he summoned his free troops. Ten Lunar Lizard Knights appeared, their scales gleaming brighter, their discipline sharper.
[Troop Summoned: 10 Lunar Lizard Knights, Tier 2.]
Then he used the three troop tokens he had saved. Radiance flared, and thirty Solar Warriors stepped forth, rose‑gold armor gleaming, sabers and shields ready.
[Troop Summoned: 30 Solar Warriors, Tier 2.]
Sam recalled all hunting and patrol troops. The villagers gasped as soldiers poured back into the courtyard — Lunar Lizard Knights hissing, Solar Warriors gleaming, Shade Assassins melting into shadow.
He counted.
• 90 Solar Warriors
• 60 Lunar Lizard Knights
• 10 Shade Assassins
160 troops in total. The bulk were already Tier 3, hardened by days of hunting. His army was no longer a fledgling force. It was a legion.
Sam smiled faintly, unaware that in the shadows beyond the shield, a Tier 6 goblin scout watched silently. Its eyes gleamed with malice as it measured his strength, waiting in the shadows gathering information.
---
Far away, on Zero Mountain, a frost‑blue castle loomed against the sky. Inside, Lilly the Ice Queen sat upon a throne of ice, listening to reports from her soldiers — giant white bears clad in silver‑blue armor, axes and hammers in their paws.
"Another troll sighted," one bear rumbled.
Lilly turned to her Frost Dragon, her Beast Bond named Gem. "Kill the blue troll for me."
Gem's eyes gleamed. With a roar, the dragon shot into the sky, wings scattering snow as it vanished into the clouds.
Lilly leaned back, gazing at the System Hub feed. Her lips curved into a faint smile. "The Twilight Lord… does he have a dragon, I wonder?"
---
Back in Sam's domain, he prepared to use the Daily Gift Roulette for the first time in three days. The wheel shimmered before him, but he noticed something different. The number of basic items had been reduced, replaced with higher‑grade treasures.
He spun.
The courtyard darkened. Clouds gathered overhead, thunder rumbling. Lightning split the sky as the wheel slowed, symbols flashing. Finally, it clicked into place.
[Reward: Beast Egg.]
A black and blue egg appeared, half a meter tall, crackling with lightning. Sparks danced across its shell, humming with raw power.
The System's voice echoed:
[Infuse your energy into the egg to complete the bond. This gift is from the System, not from the Beast Bond skill.]
Sam placed his hands on the egg. Energy drained from him in waves, his body trembling as the bond formed. Finally, the egg pulsed, stabilizing.
[Bond complete. The egg will hatch in 24 hours.]
Sam collapsed into a chair, sweat dripping down his face. The egg glowed faintly beside him, alive with stormlight.
---
With nothing left to do, Sam began planning. He needed more Beast Lord Cores to upgrade his domain further. He turned to the Shade Assassins.
"Report," he commanded.
The assassins knelt, voices whispering like smoke. "Four locations discovered. A wolf den with a Tier 5 alpha. A goblin rider tribe led by a Tier 5 Goblin Chief. An orc tribe ruled by a pig‑headed Orc Lord of Tier 5. And another wolf den, smaller, with a Tier 4 alpha."
Sam opened the System Hub, checking the requirements for his next upgrade.
---
[Domain Upgrade Requirement: 5 Beast Lord Cores.]
---
Sam exhaled sharply. He had already used the goblin shaman's core to reach Tier 2. That meant he still needed five more cores to advance. His domain would not rise to Tier 3 without them.
He clenched his fists. "Then we hunt."
---
He walked among his troops, observing their ranks. Solar Warriors gleamed in rose‑gold armor, shields polished, sabers sharp. Lunar Lizard Knights hissed, their scales glinting, spears ready. Shade Assassins melted into shadow, red eyes glowing faintly.
160 soldiers stood at his command. His army was no longer a handful of fighters. It was a legion.
Sam raised his voice, steady and commanding.
"We march first for the wolf dens. We will strike the Tier 4 alpha, then the Tier 5. Once the wolves are broken, we will turn to the goblin riders. And when they fall, we will finish the orcs."
The knights hissed in unison. The Solar Warriors slammed their shields against their sabers. The Shade Assassins vanished into shadow, awaiting the command.
Above, Helios still slept, flames dimmed as the Sun Fruit's power coursed through its body. Sam glanced at the Phoenix, knowing it would rise to Tier 6 in time. But for now, the war would be fought without its fire.
---
Sam tightened his grip on the Sun Blade, lightning sparking faintly across his fingers as he conjured a spear of stormlight. The weapon hummed, alive with power.
"Tonight," he whispered, "we begin."
The gates of the manor opened. The army marched into the Forest of Torment, silver and rose‑gold armor gleaming, shadows stretching, lightning crackling above.
The hunt for five Beast Lord cores had begun.