Secondary occupation

Maurice left.

Since the White Demon Ape had been knocked unconscious by Titan's overwhelming hammer blow, Maurice couldn't summon it back into his pocket dimension. Reluctantly, he turned to Bernal for help, requesting a cart to transport the ape back to Liu Village for recovery.

As the chief of Mo Village, Bernal demonstrated a spirit of humanitarianism. Despite Maurice's provocations, Bernal held no grudge. Instead, he cheerfully lent Maurice a… wheelbarrow. To top it off, he generously told Maurice, "Keep it. No need to return it."

Leon would never forget the look on Maurice's face at that moment—like he'd just swallowed a mouthful of mud.

Maurice seemed caught between fury and humiliation.

In the end, he used his frail body to heave the bulky White Demon Ape onto the wheelbarrow. Struggling to balance its weight, he pushed it with great effort, wobbling down the path back to Liu Village.

As boastful as his arrival had been, his departure was equally pitiful.

A frail figure, hauling a robust beast—Maurice had to stop every few dozen meters to catch his breath.

Watching his retreating silhouette, the villagers of Mo Village, with their simple and straightforward nature, took the opportunity to offer words of "comfort" (read: mockery) until Maurice's figure vanished from sight.

As the hero of the battle, Leon was given a hero's welcome. Villagers crowded around him like stars surrounding the moon, escorting him all the way to his home.

The women of the village took it upon themselves to clean Leon's house, which had been neglected for two years, leaving it spotless. They even brought over extra grain and meat, filling his cellar to the brim.

Meanwhile, Titan drew a crowd of curious villagers. They marveled at the clunky machine, tentatively touching it, then pulling their hands back quickly before daring to touch it again.

The Black Tiger Spirit Beast, in contrast, remained aloof and intimidating. Except for Bernal, it showed little tolerance for others, and its fierce appearance kept the villagers at a respectful distance.

But Titan's dull and harmless demeanor fascinated them.

If Bernal hadn't intervened, insisting Leon needed rest, Leon might have spent the whole night entertaining their endless questions.

Once everyone left, Bernal placed a reassuring hand on Leon's shoulder. "I haven't told anyone about your father… You need to let it go. You're a Beast master now. I'm sure your father would be proud of you."

"I understand, Uncle Mo," Leon replied with a nod.

As a transmigrator, Leon felt no emotional connection to his "father's" death.

Leon's father had died—what did that have to do with him?

Still, to keep up appearances, Leon put on a suitably sorrowful expression.

"Good lad. From now on, Mo Village is your home, and its people are your family. If you ever face difficulties, come to me!"

"Don't feel disheartened about contracting a metal spirit. Lingzhou has many powerful Beast masters whose metal spirits broke through their bloodline limits. I believe you'll do the same—you've been clever since you were a child."

"If you need anything, just let me know. Our village may not have much, but we can still afford a few spirit stones for your beast's combat skills…"

For the first time, Leon realized that being cared for could be quite exhausting.

But Bernal's kindness left no room for frustration. Leon had no choice but to patiently listen to his long-winded advice until midnight.

Finally, after seeing Bernal out, Leon shut the door and let out a long sigh. "Peace at last…"

Now, he turned his attention to his home.

From his memories, he recalled that his father, after becoming successful, often helped the village. His mother's house had been expanded, resulting in a spacious courtyard with a main house and two side rooms—perfect for setting up a workshop.

After taking a sip of water, Leon opened Titan's panel. Its energy level now read 465/500.

Compared to before activation, a new status bar had appeared, marked "Normal."

"Maurice is just a small-time Beast master. Even with a spirit-class White Demon Ape, defeating him doesn't mean much," Leon mused.

He remained clear-headed despite his victory.

There were vast differences between Beast masters. Even if they contracted the same beast, the outcome would vary greatly depending on their methods of training and resources.

Maurice's White Demon Ape, for example, only knew how to brawl and use its innate Battle Roar. Both skills were ineffective against Titan, leading to Maurice's swift defeat.

But if that same White Demon Ape were under the care of a noble Beast master from Yan City, the outcome could be entirely different.

Combat skills, as Bernal had mentioned, played a key role.

Leon remembered that combat skills for beasts were sold in places like Yan City, typically as scrolls or jade talismans. These skills were etched by other Beast masters, encapsulating their contracted beasts' innate or awakened abilities. Most beasts, barring major conflicts in attributes or excessive power disparity, could learn these skills through an infusion process.

Of course, higher-tier combat skills required stronger beasts.

A first-rank beast could never handle a divine-tier skill—attempting to infuse one would lead to catastrophic failure, destroying both body and soul.

This was one of the advantages of high-bloodline beasts—they could learn powerful skills much earlier.

Maurice's White Demon Ape, for example, might already have learned three or four combat skills if trained by a noble Beast master, making it far more formidable than its current state.

The pressure was on.

Having transmigrated with a system panel, Leon wasn't content with mediocrity.

In this highly competitive world, a fake Beast master like him had to strive for innovation and progress, or risk being crushed by the competition.

"Titan is a robot, not a true beast. I can't infuse it with skills, but… I have my own methods!"

Leon's gaze shifted to the newly obtained blueprint.

[Damaged Extendable Mechanical Arm (Broken)]

[Note: Every cart has its load, and every lame donkey its grindstone.]

…

Leon suspected that this note was deliberately mocking him.

He'd been in a good mood all day—until now.

"One mechanical arm won't cut it. Against heavily armored opponents, a single strike might not just fail to inflict damage but even help the enemy escape!"

Shaking his head, Leon ignored the ridiculous note and focused on how to enhance Titan's combat capabilities.

Clearly, he needed more blueprints.

In his previous life, blueprints in the game Mech Wars could be acquired through four methods: purchasing from NPCs, unlocking achievements, completing quests, or designing them through the secondary profession of a mechanic.

With no NPCs selling blueprints in Lingzhou and achievements being unreliable, Leon could only rely on the latter two methods.

Time to get to work!

Leon rummaged through his house for paper and a wooden board to use as a ruler, then began sketching.

If the system recognized his drawings as mechanical blueprints, he could unlock the mechanic profession.

Having piloted mechs in his past life, drawing blueprints should be a piece of cake, right?

Leon smirked, brimming with confidence.