Overcoming The Beast

Corrupted Flame City was a Royal city. That had been ruled ruled by the Corrupted Flame Clan. A few years ago when the last Grandmaster Summoner of the Clan died the rank of the Clan dropped. The death of the Grnadmaster was spread wide and taken advantage off. An uprising was instigated by hotter clans and the royal city's control was lost from the Clan.

The Council of Fire had come to clear things up. But when they saw that most of the population wanted to be freed from the rule they decided to divide the city into two. One part was controlled by the Corrupted Flame Clan, the other became a democracy.

The Democratic part was still in its infancy and could barely function. Then because of high tensions between the two parts of the city, it is at the edge of war. Fights break out everyday and the law is barely enforced. It became the home of thieves and criminals.

Leon and Pace jumped and unsummoned their beasts as they landed outside the city gate. Leon also summoned the Dragon which appeared around his neck.

Pace and Leon walked in to the city. The gates were unguarded. They went and had no idea where Anastasia would be.

"She should be at one of the Inns." Leon started the obvious.

"But which one, we saw four just walking down this street! I'll see if she has the communication talisman I gave her in our last mission as a training team." Pace took out the talisman and focussed on it.

After a while he seemed to have changes in facial expression as if he was communicating with someone. He finally sighed and said, "She did have the talisman. I told her we were here and wanted to know where she was. She gave me a quick no and told me she was fine alone. She then ended the transmission."

"So we'll have to find her the hard way?" Leon said, he knew that Pace wasn't leaving.

"We will, let's start with that Inn. This Cory can only have so many. We should be able to find the inn she booked into soon." Pace optimistically added.

The two went door to door to all the Inns in the city asking if Anastasia was stating there. It was around the tenth Inn, called the Black Sky Inn, where they found her.

"That took a while, Its already sunset." Leon said. They had arrived to the city in the morning.

"It wouldn't have taken so long if we hadn't waited for that other Anastasia!" Pace said annoyed. Earlier at an Inn they thought they had found Anastasia but she wasn't at the inn. So the two had waited for her to return. It wasn't until later when the last returned they found out it was a thirty year old woman with the same name.

They both prayed it was her theirs time. Soon a girl with black hair and eyes walked in our from the inn to see them.

Pace had the brightest smile imaginable.

"Anastasia, its seems you are well, So how about it can we finally join you?" Pace had an expression change from a handsome smile to a pleading puppy.

Anastasia saw the two and wasn't surprised seeing Pace but was a little disgusted seeing Leon with him. She still didn't like Leon that much. Although he did save her from Cesar, she thought she could have handled it herself.

"Pace you shouldn't have come, I told you I would fine. But seems like your already here and plan on following me anyway you might as well come." Anastasia said reluctantly.

"I'd still be worried. As the Junior Clan Head your safety falls on my hands. So it would be better that we come with you." Pace then softly whispers, "Plus, except for Eos you are the other most likely person to reach the finals so it would be best you got all the help you can get."

Anastasia sighed and agreed. Pace celebrated his victory.

"So what is the potential of your beasts?" Pace asked.

Leon stood behind and didn't talk much. It was obvious Anastasia didn't like him and he didn't feeling about her. So he didn't really care. He just felt the same as Pace, Anastasia

would be the person to make it farthest in that competition compared to the rest. The clan head couldn't help her much so they should do it instead.

"My Midnight Caterpillar is a four voidstar beast. I recently caught a Black Tear Bat, which is at Four voidstars. A dark Fire Fariy which is also at Four voidstars." Anastasia said.

"Do you know how you want to evolve them?" Pace asked.

Thinking of evolution paths was great but it was hard to stay on a path. Summoners would end up feeding their beasts any of the Materials they find or let it absorb some other type of energy that would change the evolution. It needed strict and careful control to evolve the beast into the beast they wanted it.

"No, I just plan on strengthening their Dark and poison element." Anastasia said. Although she mainly cultivated poison, Midnight Caterpillar had a dark sub type as well.

Leon was happy with the beasts Anastasia she had contracted. The Midnight Caterpillar was still the same but the Fiery Fairy had evolved to a dark Fire Fairy. It now had a dark type added to it. The Black Tear Bat was what got Leon's attention, it wasntr a rare beast but you really had to work hard to find. It was a water and dark element.

Leon already saw that Anastasia was moving more towards the Dark element then she was towards the poison. The Dark and poison elelment were connected But Leon started to understand a little of what Anastasia was doing.

"She should be hiding the fact that she wants to be a dark cultivator as they are looked down at by the cultivators in the Fire Continent." Leon thought. Anastasia always called herself a poison cultivator. He always felt that whenever she stated that she was hiding something.

The Dark continent was an enemy to the Light continent. The Light Continent was a fried of the Fire Continent. Although the hatred isn't intense people of the Fire Continent formed a bias against dark cultivators.

Poison beast and dark beast were a gray area, it went into the Black when Summoners started cultivating dark arts. It then meant that they would soon have to go to the Dark continent to continue cultivation. At first the Fire Continent had been neutral but when spies were found it caused stricter rules for dark cultivators and then through slight propaganda from that light continent everyone was convinced they weren't good.

Seeing Anastasia try to hide this Leon sympathized with her. But sadly unlike her he was hidding slaughter qi. It didn't matter who found out he would hunted and killed for being a demon. Leon felt his mood worsen thinking about it.

He decided he would help her out a bit.

"I think you already know how to evolve the Midnight Caterpillar, it just needs to go through metamorphosis to evolve into a Midnight Butterfly which is a six voidstar beadt. As for the Dark Fire Fairy, you can evolving to a Corrupted Fire Fairy or a Venomous Fallen Fairy, both are six voidstar beast. Finally the Black Tear Bat, this shouldi be evolved into a Sobbing Blind Bat also a six voidstar beast."

Pace and Anastasia were surprised by what Leon had said. They wondered how Leon knew all of this.

"Any one can name beast, do you know how to evolve my beast to those beast?" Anastasia said with arrogance. She knew Leon probably knew how to, he wouldn't have spoken if he didn't.

"I do, it's simple, let's focus on your Midnight Butterfly first. Let's go to the Sunset Auction."

The Sunset Auction was in all cities across the Fire Continent. It was run by the Sunset Family and was the best in the business. Even in such a city it was perfectly intact.

The auction had guards at its door, the three entered and found the room Showcasing everything put up for auction. It had crystal plaques to show the highest bids and the buyout price.

Leon walked around the room. He saw almost everything here was a poison or dark material. He found things that would help Anastasia grow stronger.

Leon listed the things for her to buy, "You'll need to buy that Pure Darkness fruit and Nightshade flower, The Dark Fire Fairy will need the Black Corrupted mud, and the Black Tear bat will need the tears of Beasts to evolve. So you'll need to buy as many tears of Beasts as you can."

Anastasia looked at Leon wondering if she should listen to him. There were other stuff she could buy.

"Buy the things I told you, The Midnight Caterpillar needs Posion and Dark material to evolve. The Dark Fire Fairy needs to evolve into a Poisonous Fire Fairy first, then you can evolve to the Corrupted Fire Fairy or the Venomous Fallen Fairy. The Black Tear bat needs to be evolved into a Crying River Bat first, then a Sobbing Blind Bat." Leon said, he had authority and confidence as he spoke.

"Fine, Pace you have to make sure I get my money back if everything Leon said was fake." Anastasia said.

Pace went to Leon and whispered, "Are you sure of everything you said?"

"I am." Leon said.

"I'll trust you then." Pace said. " Sure Anastasia I'll make Leon pay for everything if everything he said was false."

Anastasia was happy, She bought everything and they left.

They then left the town to find a place to evolve Anastasia's beast.

As they walked out Anastasia took out a map. She held it and looked at to find an isolated place.

Leon saw the map and was surprised. He grabbed the map from Anastasia's hand and started at it.

"Wow, I thought pace was lucky." He thought. "Where did you get this map from?"

Anastasia was already annoyed from Leon snatching the map. "I bought in the City from an old man selling maps when I arrived." She said while grinding her teeth.

Pace was getting a bit worried Anastasia might attack them. "Leon what's wrong with the Map?"

"Nothing, rather it's this." Leon's hand caught on fire and the whole map burned to ashes. Anastasia started chanting to summon her beast for attacking.

The man's ashes rose and joined to form a different Map. Now with a cross on it.

Anastasia stoped chanting and was stunned. So was Pace.

"This map leads to somewhere, it should be the inheritance of a grandmaster cultivator. You really are lucky for it to just fall into your hands."

Anastasia stole it from Leon's hand and stared at it. Leon was right. There was basic runic language written on it that said that.

"Let's go the cross should be in the Fire Flowers Field." Leon said. He summoned the Griffin and started heading there. The other two also summoned their beast and followed.