This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Kain didn't immediately leave the Order. For one, he was too exhausted to return to Dark Moon College. His body ached, his mind was foggy, and the thought of traveling through the treacherous forests surrounding the Order's headquarters was enough to make him want to collapse on the spot. Besides, he hadn't yet received the rewards for completing the mission or been reimbursed for his expenses during the mission. Those credits were crucial—not just for his own growth, but for the recovery of his contracts, especially Aegis and Bea, who were in dire need of resources to heal and evolve.

Thankfully, the Order had a reimbursement policy in place to prevent its members from stunting their growth due to the high cost of mission-essential items. A certain portion, around 50%, of the cost of rare items purchased from the Order and used during the completion of a mission could be reimbursed. This policy was a lifeline for members like Kain, who often found themselves spending exorbitant amounts on tools and artifacts necessary for survival.

Kain had used several expensive items during the mission, and he was hopeful that he could get at least half of his credits back. The Cryostasis Nexus, which Benji had taken away for Aura treatment, the Vessel of Purification used to cleanse the Relic Core, and the Space Severing Nail used to extract the Relic Core—all three items had been essential to their success. Their usage was clearly documented, and Kain had made sure to emphasize their importance during the debriefing. He was optimistic that the Order would reimburse him for more than the standard 50%, given the mission's high stakes and their success in neutralizing the abyssal threat.

While waiting for the Order to calculate his rewards, Kain rented a temporary living quarter within the headquarters. The room was simple but functional, with a plain double bed, a desk, a chair, and a window that overlooked the dense forests surrounding the compound. The same forests Kain had traversed to enter the Order for the first time now seemed almost peaceful in the fading light of dusk. He sat by the window for a moment, staring out at the treetops and letting the quiet calm his frayed nerves.

Once he was alone, Kain finally took the time to open the System and check the profiles of his contracts. He needed to assess their conditions and plan for their recovery. The mission had taken a heavy toll on all of them, but Aegis and Bea had borne the brunt of the damage.

Aegis's profile was the first Kain opened. The System provided a detailed overview of his condition, and Kain's heart sank as he read through it. Aegis's entire body had been essentially destroyed, reduced to nothing more than a small piece of rock that could fit in the palm of Kain's hand. This fragment contained Aegis's microscopic core, the essence of his being, but it would take time for him to recover and regain consciousness.

The System confirmed that there was no immediate threat to Aegis's life, but the road to recovery would be long and…expensive. If Kain wanted to speed up the process, he would need to feed Aegis rare minerals that he could use to rebuild himself. Kain had every intention of helping Aegis recover, but it would need to wait until he returned to Dark Moon City to complete the purchases, he had no plans to use his precious Order credits in order to purchase the metals. He had other channels for acquiring rare metals, ores, and minerals in massive quantities, due to his large amount of elite clientele as an Evolutionary Planner, and an ample supply of Celestial Dollars. The Order credits were better saved for items that couldn't be bought with money alone.

Kain made a mental note to reach out to his contacts as soon as he had the chance. For now, though, Aegis was stable, and that was enough. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

Next, Kain opened Bea's profile. Her condition was less dire than Aegis's, but she was still unresponsive, her microscopic form trembling faintly as she rested in the palm of his hand. Kain's chest tightened with worry, but he pushed the feeling aside and focused on the System's update.

Two new abilities had been added to Bea's profile, both related to her newfound connection to the Abyss and her ability to control abyssals. Kain's eyes widened as he read through the descriptions:

SS-Abyssal Subjugation: The Apex Mindshard Amoeba can bypass the mental defenses of Abyssals and corrupted creatures, dulling their connection to the "Great Mother" and redirecting their allegiance to itself. This skill is only effective on Abyssals of equal or lower level.

S-Contagion of Will: The Apex Mindshard Amoeba's splits can now divide and spread like a mental virus, infecting the minds of nearby targets after repeated contact with a creature already possessing one of the splits.

Kain's mind raced as he processed the implications of these new abilities, particularly the fact that she could now spread her influence like a contagious disease, and this wasn't just limited to abyssals, made her an even more formidable force. Normally, Bea's splits needed to come directly from her main body and find an opportunity to infiltrate the target. But now, the splits also developed a kind of ability that allowed them to create their own 'splits.'

Next, Kain opened the profiles of his remaining contracts on the off chance that there were also changes in them that he hadn't yet detected.

Opening, the profile of Eve and her symbiotic host Queen, Kain wasn't surprised to find that there were no changes. Eve/Queen had played mostly a supporting role during the mission, responsible for healing the injured and providing buffs to the Vespid guards when required. Therefore, even if Eve and/or Queen would have had an unusual response to abyssal energy was not able to be determined.

Lastly, Kain opened up the profile for Vauleth with the same expectations, but was pleasantly surprised to see that his most mysterious contract—who even the System couldn't fully see through—also had a change.