The wagon rumbled along, and George, the driver, leaned back, a curious expression on his face. "You don't really know about pets?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief. "Where have you been living all this time?"Tyler shifted uncomfortably on the bench. "I... I had some memory loss the other day," he stammered, "so I'm trying to remember everything now."George raised a skeptical eyebrow, clearly not buying the explanation, but he continued anyway."Well, you see, tamers are highly skilled in this world," George said, his voice dropping slightly as if sharing a secret. "They're the people who have the skill to turn demon god spawn into pets. It's a sort of binding, you see, binding the creature to the person with the skill. Or they can bind it to someone else. But tamers are rare. I actually got this one from my cousin. He's a tamer. Because he's a tamer, they're always needed in the military or to serve the kingdom."Tyler then said, "What do you mean by 'binding'?"George expl

Grone stood, stretching. "I'd like to teach you more about mana, but that's all for today. Trying to teach you everything at once would likely just confuse you. So, it's time to go home."Tyler stood as well. "Okay, then." He picked up the bag of stones, emptied the stones into his pocket, and then took the empty bag with him. They both then headed towards the main road.As they walked, Tyler said, "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something."Grone glanced at Tyler as they continued walking. "What is it?""It's about pets," Tyler continued. "When I was training here alone, I went to the main road and climbed onto George's wagon. He had a blue craven with him. He said it was his pet and told me about tamers and how people can have pets. Is all of that true?"Grone said, "If he told you that tamers are rare and pets are rare as well, then it's true. Tamers can tame demon God's spawns and make them do as they command. They can also bind the pet to another person. It's not really a pet,

Tyler continued to stare at the girl's face, his gaze almost clinical, as if scanning her features. "Sir?" she prompted, tilting her head slightly. He blinked, snapping out of his scrutiny. "Oh, um, I don't have any money," he mumbled, then a thought struck him. He remembered Hector mentioning a recent theft of daggers from his shop, the culprits described as orphans living on the streets. "You didn't happen to steal this, right?" he asked cautiously. The girl's eyes widened, and she quickly moved the dagger away, a nervous tremor in her hand. "Um, no," she whispered."Can I see the dagger, then?" Tyler asked. At his words, the girl turned and fled, running swiftly away. Tyler hesitated, taking a step forward as if to give chase, then stopped. The exhaustion from his training and the fight with the Elin weighed heavily on him; he was too tired to pursue her. He watched her go, seeing her quickly distance herself. His system automatically assessed her level as she ran: Emily Shred: Lev

Tyler had always felt weak against any significant advantage. One of the bad traits that he knew about himself was that he didn't believe he could win or successfully come out on top when things weren't in his favor. Life, up to this point, had proven that to be true. He held the bashing hammer, his hands trembling slightly. He gritted his teeth, his grip tightening. "I'm not going to die today," he thought, the words a mantra against the rising tide of fear. "Not until I repay him."The crimson wolf exploded into motion. With a guttural snarl, it launched itself forward. Tyler swung the hammer with all his strength, a desperate, full-bodied movement born of instinct and training. The blow missed, the hammerhead passing within inches of the wolf's head, the wind from the swing ruffling the crimson fur.The system notification flashed: Crimson Wolf used skill: Claw.The wolf's massive claws connected with Tyler's abdomen with skin- tearing force. A searing pain ripped through him as th

As Tyler walked beside Grone, a Level 23 Slither erupted from the bushes. Longer and thicker than any they'd encountered before, its elongated teeth practically obscured its head. With terrifying speed, it slithered towards them.Tyler reacted instantly, two copper daggers materializing in his hands. With practiced ease, he hurled them. The first dagger found its mark in the Slither's tail. The creature reared its head, emitting a high-pitched shriek of pain. Before it could fully react, the second dagger struck its head, and the creature collapsed, lifeless."Good job," Grone said, calmly walking past the fallen beast. The daggers vanished back into Tyler's inventory. He followed Grone, who now crouched down, carefully examining the forest floor. Grone pointed to a series of hoof prints imprinted in the earth. "Just as I thought," he said, standing up. "We're in their territory.""Why do you say that?" Tyler asked."You can always tell by the hoof prints," Grone explained, gesturing