Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

With a crisp cracking sound, the beast trap landed squarely on the Sky-Shattering Twin-Winged Tiger.

"Roar!"

The once-slumbering tiger opened its eyes with a thunderous roar, unleashing a wave of immense power. The trap, unable to withstand such force, shattered instantly.

"Did it fail?"

Corvin frowned. It seemed that his dream of taming an Eighth-Grade beast had been a far-fetched fantasy after all.

However, Corvin hadn't noticed the faint, shimmering glow enveloping the Sky-Shattering Twin-Winged Tiger.

Suddenly, the tiger's gaze locked onto Corvin and his group, and in the next moment, it transformed into a streak of light, charging toward them.

"Not good! It spotted us! Run!"

Mueller's face paled as he quickly turned to flee with Corvin and Teddy. With the power of the Sky-Shattering Twin-Winged Tiger, even he would be no match.

But the tiger had no intention of letting them escape so easily. Its massive wings flapped, conjuring two hurricanes that blocked their path.

"Master, take the young master and flee. I'll hold it off!"

Mueller gritted his teeth, his body pausing as he prepared to confront the beast. A magic staff materialized in his hands.

"Wind Spell—Polar Storm!"

A fierce gust of wind, bathed in a cyan glow, shot from Mueller's staff, rushing toward the advancing tiger.

"We need to go, now!"

Teddy grabbed Corvin, taking flight as the storm raged behind them.

But before they could get far, the sound of tearing filled the air.

The tiger had torn through the storm and appeared before them, its eyes blazing with fury.

"Master, this tiger is a wind-elemental Eighth-Grade beast. My wind magic is useless against it!"

Mueller's face paled in fear. While he too wielded wind magic, his control over it was nothing compared to that of the tiger.

"If it comes to it, I'll die fighting to get Corvin out of here!"

Teddy's voice was filled with determination. If he perished, so be it—but he wouldn't let his only son die.

"Father, maybe we don't have to run anymore."

Still in his father's arms, Corvin's eyes gleamed as he stared at the approaching tiger.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Are you..."

Teddy began, only to be struck with shock as he glanced at the tiger.

"Roar!"

The tiger, once radiating killing intent, now let out a long howl, its body suddenly enveloped in a strange energy.

The fierce aura dissipated within seconds, replaced by a look of serene pleasure on the tiger's face.

"Humm..."

In the next moment, the Sky-Shattering Twin-Winged Tiger's gaze locked onto Corvin, and before the stunned eyes of Mueller and Teddy, a blood-red rune emerged from the tiger's forehead.

A **Blood Sacrifice Contract**!

Both Mueller and Teddy gasped audibly, unable to believe their eyes.

What was going on?

Corvin was only a Three-Star Apprentice Knight. The difference in power between him and the Eighth-Grade tiger was vast—an insurmountable gulf. The tiger could kill Corvin with a single swipe, yet it had willingly submitted to him.

Not only that, but the tiger had even formed a **Blood Sacrifice Contract**, a bond that expressed the utmost loyalty.

Had they gone mad, or was the world changing faster than they could understand?

Despite their disbelief, the blood-red rune was now fully etched onto Corvin's body, linking his spirit with the tiger's.

A surge of joy overwhelmed Corvin as he realized the magnitude of what had just happened.

"That shopkeeper is a genius! That trap he gave me just captured an Eighth-Grade beast!"

Corvin knew without a doubt that the only reason he had managed to tame such a powerful beast was due to the trap Sylvus had given him. His respect and admiration for the shopkeeper soared.

"Father, we can head home now."

Corvin said with a wide grin as he stood beside the now-tamed Sky-Shattering Twin-Winged Tiger.

...

Meanwhile, back at Sylvus' shop:

"Another boring day. Meylan, let's close up shop."

Sylvus yawned, stretching as he turned to head upstairs.

The day had been slow, with no customers coming by. But he didn't mind—this wasn't the first time his shop had been empty.

Once upstairs, Sylvus swallowed another elixir and began his meditation. He was still only at the One-Star Magus level, which wasn't nearly enough in this world.

By the time he finished his cultivation early the next morning, his strength had already risen to the Three-Star Magus level—a rapid progression by anyone's standards.

"Ding ding dong dong…"

Suddenly, a cacophony of drums and gongs echoed from outside the shop. The sound grew louder as it approached.

"Boss, the young master of the Stanway family, Corvin, is outside with a large group,"

Meylan's voice called from the door.

"Corvin?" Sylvus paused, then smiled. It seemed the trap he'd given the boy had proven useful after all, or else he wouldn't have returned in such grand fashion.

"Let's go see what all the commotion is about."