[Twenty minutes earlier...]

Theo stood atop a sprawling mountain ridge. Below him, the river cascaded from a neighboring peak, tracing a long arc across the mountain range before plunging down in a majestic waterfall. The group of students had gathered around a makeshift campfire near the river, the warm glow of the flames illuminating their faces. Positioned near the abundant flow of the waterfall, they had naturally resolved their water supply issue.

In front of the campfire, nine students lounged carelessly. It seemed Julian had not left many at the base to protect their kings. Theo could easily identify the sovereign emblem holders among them: a Canorian guy, a black-haired girl, and a familiar figure he had met before—the grandson of Count Eldwin, Lucas Ironfist.

Lucas had mentioned his intention to join the academy, but this was the first time Theo had seen him since the start of the year. It seemed likely that Lucas had been placed in a different section of the first year. Alongside these three designated ‘kings’, there were six other students whose role was clearly to protect them. However, they all appeared quite relaxed, seemingly confident in their natural geographical advantage which they assumed protected them from any potential attacks.

The students' conversation floated through the air, mingling with the crackle of the fire.

"Today, that overly proud class 1-A will lose the expedition. Teacher was saying only the most talented were assigned to that section, and they haven’t lost an expedition in the last hundred years…"

"Isn’t that the section with the elven royalty and Violet Thunderheart?"

“Yeah, but if it’s for the most talented, then why didn’t Prince Julian get assigned to this class?”

“Don’t you know? His highness wanted to create history by breaking their record, so he intentionally asked to be admitted into Section B.”

“If it wasn’t for the funds his highness promised us for the Territory of Feralon, we wouldn’t have joined.”

"At least we will be part of this moment, how we defeated Section A... and who knows? Maybe our sections will win after we split up and continue the expedition as we've decided…"

As their discussion about their desire to see class 1-A lose continued, Theo’s attention was pulled away from the distant figures to his immediate surroundings.

He opened a portal to his farm, from which the Abyssal Eternal Bloom emerged. The creature appeared almost frail, her gaze locking onto Theo with deep hunger, as if she hadn’t eaten for a year.

“Food…” she muttered in a hoarse whisper, her pleading eyes fixed on Theo with a hint of despair.

“No food for now,” Theo responded firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. “Let me see what you can do first.” He was planning to assess the capabilities of his guardian beast rather than approaching the group of students by the fire. Despite having her by his side for some time now, Theo had not yet witnessed her in action, as he had been absent from combat since forming their contract.

The Abyssal Eternal Bloom turned her gaze towards the camp, her voice filled with longing. “Food?”

“No, they are not food,” Theo corrected with a sigh. “The whole continent would start a hunt to the world’s end for us if you just swallowed their future warriors as snacks… Just get me those ribbons they are wearing. If you manage that successfully, I’ll consider giving you food once we return to the academy.”

A flicker of understanding seemed to light up the guardian beast’s eyes at Theo's reasoning. Her expression brightened momentarily, and she gave a robotic nod, seemingly grasping the task at hand. With a resolute look, she began to descend from the mountain ridge.

Her descent was eerily graceful; she moved down the steep as if she were a spider, unaffected by gravity. The stony mountain did not betray her as she walked on the nearly vertical slope as though it were flat ground. Stealthily, the creature made her way towards the students, her focus now entirely on the ribbons that symbolized her ticket to her most cherished reward for now.

Lucas was warming himself by the fire when sudden instinct made him leap up, instinctively pulling a classmate to safety with him. However, the other seven, caught unawares, weren't as quick to react. Just beside them, the ground split violently open, and thick vines, as thick as their wrists, burst forth, entangling their limbs and bodies almost instantly.

"What the hell…" Lucas shouted, his eyes wide as he watched the vines ensnare his companions in a matter of seconds.

"Who is doing this?" one student cried out in confusion.

"We are under attack!" another screamed.

"Save me…" came a desperate plea from among the entangled.

As cries of panic echoed across the mountain range, the space around the ensnared students began to tear apart. One by one, through a forming portal, each student vanished, disqualified from the expedition.

Lucas, still free, watched in horror as the vines not only restrained his friends but also deftly stripped them of their ribbons, including those bearing the Sovereign emblem. The freed vines that had released the now-disqualified students slithered ominously towards him.

The young man beside him pointed frantically towards the mountain. "Look, there she is..."

Lucas turned his gaze in the indicated direction, only to glimpse a feminine figure descending the mountain slope with an eerie, ghostlike gait. But he had no time to ponder her identity, as dozens of vines surged toward him and his classmate.

In mere seconds, Lucas and his friend found themselves hopelessly entangled by the vines. Lucas struggled fiercely, his face contorted with effort and panic. But his struggles were in vain; as the holder of the Sovereign emblem, his mana was restrained, rendering him powerless against the constricting vines. Helplessly, he watched as the ribbons were pulled away from him, and just as quickly as they had been ensnared, he and his friend were sucked into the portal, disappearing from the scene without a trace.

This rapid series of events, which led to the instant disqualification of Julian’s entire team, was unforeseen by all, including the teachers overseeing the expedition.

From a distance, Zoe observed the scene unfold with astonished expression. She watched as the Abyssal Eternal Bloom, having successfully retrieved all nine ribbons including the king’s, returned to Theo with the prizes.

Theo accepted the ribbons, attaching his own to absorb the Sovereign Emblem. As he did so, the emblem began to expand, growing larger with the collective energy of the captured ribbons.

Once the task was complete, the Abyssal Eternal Bloom slipped back into the portal, vanishing from sight.

Zoe, still watching from afar, gasped in surprise at the creature’s disappearance. Then, to her further surprise, the white-cyan-haired boy also vanished into thin air. She swept her gaze around, trying to locate where he had gone, but it was too late; she had lost track of him.

Just then she heard a sigh behind her. Spinning around, she found herself looking into those chillingly familiar eyes.

Despite knowing she was stronger than him, Zoe couldn't suppress a shiver that ran through her at his icy gaze.

However, soon Theo's gaze softened as he extended his hand, offering something to Zoe. "Here…"

Zoe eyed the ribbon in his hand, which held the Sovereign emblem, her demeanor calming as she remembered her role as his teacher.

With a stern tone, she questioned him, "Underhanded actions are now permitted in the expedition? You realize you could get disqualified for such tactics…"

“Is there a rule against using a pet?” Theo asked calmly.

Zoe, unable to contain her curiosity, blurted out, “That monster was a pet?”

Theo nodded. “I made a contract with that beast, so it’s considered my pet.” As he spoke, he opened a dark void beside him, and the Abyssal Eternal Bloom stepped out of it.

She stood next to Theo, her demeanor that of a well-mannered girl listening to her elders. Her adorable yet captivating appearance momentarily entranced Zoe.

“How in the world did she become your pet? I have never seen anything like this before,” Zoe inquired in awe.

Theo was unsure how much to divulge but opted for a simple truth. "She evolved into a gold-grade beast... That's all I know about her," he explained.

“Gold-grade beast?” Zoe muttered to herself, a concept clearly foreign and baffling to her.

Despite her puzzled reaction, Theo offered her the ribbon with the Sovereign emblem.

As Zoe’s attention shifted back to her duties, she replied, “For now, I will take this Sovereign emblem back to the academy and report this incident to the elders since I have never heard of any beast like this one. They will decide the outcome. As for you, you can stay here with your ribbon and complete the thirty days of the expedition as per the rules.”

With a flick of her hand, the Sovereign emblem etched on Theo's ribbon detached, its form shifting as it spread wings and flew towards her. She caught it carefully and stored it away.

Zoe gave Theo a final look, noting his nonchalant demeanor, then took out a blue stone and ground it between her fingers. A portal opened, and without another word, she stepped into it, disappearing from the site, leaving Theo alone with the Abyssal Eternal Bloom.

Theo was unperturbed by Zoe's concerns. To him, the Abyssal Eternal Bloom truly was a pet, and he knew that beast tamers, though rare, did exist in this world. This wasn't something he intended to hide. Unlike the secrets of his demonic farm, he was open about the Abyssal Eternal Bloom’s role because there were times he needed to bring her out to feed, especially when suitable prey presented itself.

With the Sovereign emblems from the other sections confiscated and their subsequent disqualification announced, Theo felt it was time to return to his farm. The revelations about how to awaken Lilith had only deepened his resolve. Eager and impatient, he longed to see Lilith's warm eyes open once again and to hear her voice—a voice he had missed profoundly during her slumber.

Without waiting another moment, Theo opened a portal back to his farm, stepping through with the Abyssal Eternal Bloom following closely behind.