"I... I will kill you!" Sarah shrieked, her face contorted with rage.
Before Sarah could lunge at Leyla, her friend grabbed her arm, restraining her. "What are you doing?!" she hissed. "One word from her, and you'll be fired... How will you get Master Christopher then?"
Sarah paused, her eyes flashing with a mix of fury and realization. She nodded, acknowledging the wisdom of her friend's words. "She is a slut, but her power in this estate is strong. Come on, when I become the eldest daughter-in-law of the Valhalla, she will know what terror is! I won't forget this!" she hissed, her voice laced with venom.
BOOOOM!!
"....."
At that precise moment, the entire house estate trembled violently, the two girls thrown off balance by the sudden, violent shaking. They fell to the ground, their eyes wide with horror.
"What's happening?! Is this an earthquake?!" the friend yelled in shock, her voice trembling.
_
Ethan, who had been sitting in the sitting room, calmly sipping his tea, was jolted to his feet, the teacup shattering on the floor. His eyes widened in shock. "This?!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief.
_
Amara and the maids in the kitchen clung onto something, their faces pale with fear as the violent shaking continued. Leyla, who had just reached the kitchen door, frowned, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
After ten seconds of intense shaking, everything abruptly ceased, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
_
Adonis and Katherine, who had been standing at the door, exchanged shocked glances. They looked down at the two guards, who were sprawled on the ground, their faces pale.
"What caused that?" Adonis asked, his voice laced with mild confusion.
Whoosh!!!
The two looked up, their eyes widening as they saw a pillar of light shooting into the sky above the villa. The light shattered into countless particles, which descended upon them like a shower of shimmering dust.
"This?" Katherine's eyes glowed green for a fleeting moment before returning to their normal blue. "This... My powers?" she murmured, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Increased a whole stage?!" Adonis exclaimed, his voice laced with astonishment. "Does that mean we're both... Expert Level Tamers?!"
Even the two guards were stunned, feeling the sudden surge in their powers. Not only them, but the entire estate, as long as one was a tamer, experienced a significant increase in power. Christopher had effectively enhanced the strength of his entire family's forces.
The ten siblings brought out their badges, and before their eyes, the color and emblem changed to that of Elite Tamer, a vibrant purple.
"We really leveled up... Do you think it was Brother?" Katherine asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Let's check his room!" Adonis said, rushing into the house.
_
BAM!
Ethan, still reeling from the shock of his sudden ascension to a peak-stage Legendary Tamer, turned his head towards the door. He saw his two children running past him, heading towards the stairs. "Where are they going?" he muttered, his voice laced with confusion.
He quickly followed behind them, his footsteps echoing through the house. Leyla, sensing something amiss, also followed, her movements silent and swift. All of them were heading towards Christopher's room.
_
Christopher opened his eyes, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Finally, back to my peak. Uh?" he murmured, his eyes widening in surprise.
With a clench of his hand, a one-meter tall shield, formed from pure life force, materialized in his palm. "This? My skill is back. I thought it only activated when resurrecting my beasts?" he said, examining the shield with a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction.
The shield shattered into motes of light, which flowed into his body. Christopher closed his eyes and opened them again, his perception of time shifting, everything around him moving fifty times slower. "I gained my other skills! What about the remaining ones..." he muttered, his voice trailing off.
Before he could delve further into his newfound abilities, he heard footsteps, multiple footsteps, approaching his room. "Oh, it seems they felt the energy... Well, time to go," he said, his voice laced with amusement.
He rubbed his ring, recalling the three beasts inside. Christopher quickly returned the cauldron to its hiding place, switched off the light, and walked towards the window. "Hmm..." he murmured, his voice laced with anticipation.
With a swift movement, he flew out through the window, disappearing into the night.
The door burst open, and Katherine, Adonis, and Ethan rushed inside, followed by Leyla, who remained at the door, her eyes scanning the dark room.
'He is gone. Is he responsible for my increase in strength?' she thought, her eyes fixed on her hand. 'Now a peak Expert Level Tamer.'
"Where is the switch?" Katherine asked, her eyes darting around the room.
CLICK!
The light flickered on, illuminating the room. The three turned to Leyla and offered a silent nod of thanks.
"There's no one here, and where is your brother?" Ethan asked, his eyes scanning the room.
"Well... We thought he was in the room," Katherine muttered, her voice laced with confusion.
"What do you mean by that? Christopher hasn't returned yet," Ethan said, staring at his two confused children.
"Uh? He asked us to go, that he'd be waiting for us in the house," Adonis said, his voice laced with mild confusion.
"Well, he's not here... And it's already past 7 PM... Your mother will start again if he doesn't show up," Ethan said, pausing thoughtfully. "Do you suspect the energy we gained was from this room?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
Katherine and Adonis nodded in unison. "Father, don't you know what happened?" Katherine asked.
Ethan was lost in thought, his mind racing. 'It can't be. Only when someone enters the Supreme Level can everyone around them gain an increase in strength... But no one in this house is a Master, let alone a Supreme Level Tamer... Could Christopher really be hiding something?'
"Dad?" Katherine prompted, her voice laced with concern.
"Yes?" Ethan replied, his eyes snapping back to his children. He nodded. "Don't worry, I'll look into it," he said, his voice laced with determination.
"Why is everyone in my room?" a voice asked from the doorway.
The four figures snapped their heads towards the door, seeing Christopher standing there, Reaper perched on his shoulder. Both were staring at the group with raised eyebrows.
"You're back, Brother!" Adonis exclaimed, his voice laced with relief. "We thought..." He sighed. "Forget it... Let's go, I think Mum is already waiting for us."
"Yes, she's downstairs," Christopher nodded, adding, "I want to freshen up, so..."
"Right!!" The group nodded, turning to leave the room.
Ethan stopped in front of Christopher, placing his hand on his right shoulder. "The Tamer competition is coming up... I know you'll be selected to participate, so be prepared," he said, his voice laced with a rare warmth.
"I'm always prepared, Dad," Christopher replied, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Ethan nodded, offering a rare smile, and walked away.
"I know it was you... Don't worry, I won't say anything, Mr. Supreme Level," Leyla said, a rare teasing smile gracing her lips, and walked away, her footsteps light.
"Why does she sound different?" Christopher thought, his brow furrowed in confusion. He walked into his room, closing and locking the door behind him.