As Il Ji rolled up off the cold, hard ground of the training floor, he felt his body align itself. While he had been healed before, this time felt more… exhausting.
"Thank you." He mumbled, trying to stand a little too quickly. Reaching his arm out for balance, he found himself caught by… someone familiar.
"Sebastian?" He asked groggily.
"Yes, Il Ji, it's me. I've brought you a chair. Sit down for a minute."
As Il Ji sat down, he reached for one of the nutrient drinks. Gulping it down, his symptoms seemed to improve.
Sebastian looked at him curiously. He was indeed a mongrel, albeit a principled one.
"Leave us." He commanded the staff. "Alfredo, please wait outside the door."
"Yes, sir."
Pulling up another chair, Sebastian sat down next to the now-awakened Il Ji. Then, he asked the preeminent question that had been on his mind for the last half-hour.
"Il Ji, why did you stop Brad from taking this at that party in high school?"
His head still hurting, Il Ji spoke plainly in truth. "He was bragging about how it was the only thing that belonged to your Great Grandmother- and what he was going to do with it, so I grabbed the arm holding it, popped him in the jaw, bowled him over with my knee, took the watch from his unconscious body, and placed it back in the house."
"Mementos of those that have passed are sacred- no one should have to deal with that kind of a situation themselves. They'll hit too hard and cause a lawsuit."
Sebastian smiled and changed the conversation. "I fused the new skill, like you mentioned. After a single sparring session, Lily now totes herself around the house as the Queen of all [Copper] beasts. Nice work."
Il Ji gave him a thumbs up.
"While I truly am interested to know how you do it," Sebastian began, "First, I'd like to know what you're up to, and what's happened since high school."
"Mm." Il Ji replied. "Well," he slowly started, "When my parents died… I began taking care of Laila myself. Luckily, they left enough money to make the family shop sustainable."
"As such, I don't need any extra income to take care of the two of us. Sadly, though, we only make a little in our day-to-day. I've been saving up so that my sister can have a decent bloodline, but something happened."
"With the advent of my awakening a dormant [Legend] bloodline beast, my Tamer Talent surfaced. When I took my pet to the Association, a researcher pulled me aside and offered me a choice."
"As of now, we're gambling on the outcome of my Creation Master test. If I pass the test, I'll receive an [Archaic] bloodline beast. However, if I lose, I have to give him something else of mine."
"I figured out a way to pass the test using my new talent, but it requires me to source specific beasts for a small period of time after which they're useless."
Sebastian looked at him, aghast. His new beast, Lily, was his first [Diamond] bloodline- and she was his fifth beast!
Collecting himself, he gave a slight cough. "Il Ji, I have a proposal… I have been planning on forming a Tamer Team for Lawful Technologies, Incorporated."
"I would like you to join. If everything is as you say, I can 'borrow' the beasts on your behalf if, in return, you join the team to compete in the Chrono Cup."
"In fact, I'll let you lead it and pick the team. But, you'll have to pass your test. Only someone with an exorbitant knowledge of skills and strategy can take the forward role."
"Hmmmm." Il Ji frowned. He needed to make the best of his time. That being said, the Chrono Cup woukd only take a few weeks of his time…
Since nothing was set in stone, there was nothing to stop him from saying yes- yet. But the prize for first place was always glamorous. He might as well say yes- he still had a full year to reach the top of [Gold].
Since the Chrono Cup was made for the entire country, it was split into three divisions. [Gold], [Emerald], and [Diamond]. Only tamers with a tamer rank at or below the cup's rank could participate.
As long as Il Ji participated in the [Gold] Cup, he had a much larger chance of winning. That is, if he found the right teammates. Pushing out his hand, he responded to the man in front of him.
"It's a deal."