Chapter 15: Return

The newcomer was clad in a white apothecary robe embroidered with golden patterns.

His mount, a majestic eagle, stood at an imposing height of three to four meters, its broad back more than capable of carrying a rider with ease. The great eagle's plumage shimmered in a golden-brown hue, its piercing gaze exuding an air of authority and grandeur.

"I am Sheng Jiang, a steward of the Apothecary Guild."

As soon as he dismounted, he swiftly recalled his avian beast outside the maid café.

By then, Xiao Ling, Lu Ran, and the others, drawn by the commotion, had already stepped outside.

Upon seeing them, the steward of the Apothecary Guild introduced himself.

"Magnificent." Though the golden eagle had vanished, Xiao Bailong and the rest had already witnessed its splendor.

Xiao Bailong sighed in admiration—what a fearsome and awe-inspiring creature.

"Indeed." Lu Ran nodded in agreement.

Though he couldn't discern the exact level of the golden eagle, he had no doubt it was beyond Level 10, perhaps even surpassing Level 20.

He couldn't help but wonder—how would it fare against a fighter jet?

This man likely wasn't a fourth-generation Beastmaster like Xiao Bailong, Xiao Ling, or himself, but rather a third-generation Beastmaster who had obtained his title a year prior.

After all, in the Xia Kingdom, ordinary people rarely had the opportunity to tame raptors. It was highly unlikely that this eagle was his initial contracted beast—most likely, it was acquired later.

Hmm… for his second beast, he, too, needed to obtain something beyond the reach of common tamers!

"Welcome to Nekomimi Maid Café—Wind and Rain's Feather." At that moment, Xiao Ling stepped forward and spoke.

Both she and Sheng Jiang appeared to be around university age, which made Lu Ran realize something—since arriving in Infinite City, he had yet to encounter an elderly Beastmaster. Almost all of them seemed to be young adults, ranging from 18 to 40.

"We were in contact earlier. This is the newcomer I mentioned, Lu Renjia," Xiao Ling introduced Lu Ran to the steward but deliberately omitted Xiao Bailong—this matter had nothing to do with him.

"Ah, my friend, you're quite fortunate." Sheng Jiang's tone was warm and welcoming, showing no urgency in discussing business. Instead, he extended an invitation. "You've managed to acquire a Grass-element Awakening Fruit—have you considered joining the Apothecary Guild? Once you pass the probation period, we provide a commercial residence near our base in the real world, making things much more convenient."

The fact that Lu Ran had obtained such a rare resource suggested that his rookie assessment score was at least a D. And in truth, a D-rating was already considered quite promising—after all, the officials and major guilds were well aware that 90% of newcomers only managed to achieve E or F ratings.

Only those who had learned about Infinite City before acquiring their Black Card, had experienced mentors guiding them, or possessed extraordinary Beastmaster talent—perhaps due to frequent interactions with wild beasts in real life—had any real hope of securing higher scores. Excluding such individuals, a C or D rating was already an exceptional feat.

Lu Ran was momentarily taken aback.

Xiao Ling, unsurprised by the offer, knew well that talented individuals were highly sought after in Infinite City.

However, Xiao Bailong's eyes widened in alarm, fearing that his friend might be poached.

Sheng Jiang was shameless!

Fortunately, Lu Ran did not abandon him. His response allowed Xiao Bailong to breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm still a high school student," Lu Ran replied with a conflicted expression, using it as an excuse to decline. "This all happened too suddenly—I need to discuss it with my parents first."

Of course, that was a blatant lie.

"A student, huh?" Sheng Jiang studied him and, seeing his youthful features, gave a resigned shake of his head. Recruiting minors was more trouble than it was worth.

"Well, if you ever reconsider, just let me know. For now, let's proceed with the trade as agreed."

"Give me your Beastmaster ID and serial number. I'll transfer the crystal coins first."

"All right—ID: Lu Renjia, Serial Number: 9528."

"Interesting name." Sheng Jiang chuckled. A true "nameless extra" wouldn't have been able to obtain a Grass-element Awakening Fruit—no, in his eyes, Lu Ran was at least the type of supporting character who could survive a dozen episodes in a drama.

He, on the other hand, deeply regretted choosing the name 'Sheng Jiang.' What had possessed him to make such a foolish decision? And now, changing his ID would cost 10,000 crystal coins—a fee so outrageous that even he, a guild steward, found it hard to stomach. Infinite City was truly merciless when it came to milking money.

Before long, Lu Ran received the funds.

But what occupied his mind the most was still the Wind-element Awakening Fruit. Without hesitation, he retrieved the Grass-element Awakening Fruit from his inventory, ready for the exchange.

The fruit glowed a vibrant green, resembling a pear.

In contrast, the Wind-element Awakening Fruit that Sheng Jiang produced bore the appearance of a white pineapple.

With the trade complete, Sheng Jiang smiled in satisfaction. "A pleasure doing business."

"Much appreciated." Lu Ran was eager to leave—he couldn't wait to awaken his beast's element.

"No need for thanks." Sheng Jiang let out a hearty laugh. "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't linger. Xiao Ling, if you come across more of these trades, don't hesitate to reach out to us. The Apothecary Guild will always buy Grass-element fruits—oh, and…"

"Lu Renjia, if you ever come across rare resources for sale, feel free to contact me directly. I specialize in acquisitions for the guild. If you need to purchase any medicinal supplies, I can assist with that too."

"Understood." Lu Ran and the others nodded in acknowledgment.

With a final nod, Sheng Jiang summoned his eagle once more and departed in a hurry—clearly uninterested in pressing Lu Ran further.

"The Apothecary Guild is more of a trade syndicate than a traditional guild. Their stewards must be incredibly busy," Xiao Ling remarked with a smile before teasing, "Xiao Lu, I noticed you couldn't take your eyes off his bird—wait, that came out wrong—I mean, his eagle. Interested?"

Lu Ran coughed and tucked the pineapple-like fruit into his inventory. "It does look cooler than my own beast… and it seems like an excellent mode of transport."

"Does Infinite City even allow unrestricted flight?"

"You just need a flight license. There's a designated testing area for that. If you fly without one, you might get hunted down by patrol beasts," Xiao Bailong explained. "But your husky is Wind-element, right? Once it develops energy wings, it should be able to fly, too—"

"A husky knight?" Lu Ran scoffed, shaking his head. No way. He needed to contract a proper flying beast.

Riding a husky would be… far too ridiculous.