Hawk was cursing furiously inside his own mind.
This was insane.
A mere Universe-level first-tier beast had dragged them into a prolonged battle that lasted a full seven hours.
Seven hours.
Worse still, during those seven hours, the beast had grown steadily stronger.
Far beyond his original estimates.
What truly unsettled Hawk was something else entirely.
Earlier, he had discreetly diverted a sliver of his consciousness to connect to the Virtual Universe and check on his subordinates.
There was no response.
Every single life signal had vanished.
There was no need to guess.
They were all dead.
The realization sent a chill through Hawk's spine.
If someone could silently wipe out all of his men, then their strength was anything but ordinary. Those subordinates, paired with the giant beasts under their control, should have been able to escape even if they lost against a Universe-level opponent.
Yet not a single distress signal had been sent.
Which meant only one thing.
That man had been hiding his true strength all along.
"I'm done fighting. Damn it, this was a losing deal from the start!"
Hawk's stamina had dropped sharply, and with the situation spiraling out of control, he knew staying any longer would be suicide.
As long as one lived, there would always be another chance.
Losses were nothing unusual for cosmic pirates. Knowing when to advance and when to retreat was how one survived in the universe.
Just as Hawk prepared to retreat with his Devourer Beast, the void ahead suddenly twisted.
In the next instant, countless colossal vines stretched across space, forming a suffocating net nearly three hundred kilometers wide that sealed the entire region.
Hawk's heart sank.
This was bad. Very bad.
"Universe-level second-tier Devil Cloud Vine?!"
His face drained of color as endless vines descended from all directions, enclosing him completely.
A figure slowly emerged from between the writhing tendrils.
Rowan.
He hovered calmly, a faint mocking smile on his face as he looked down at Hawk.
"You… you bastard…"
Only now did Hawk realize the truth.
From the moment they left Dragon Star, to the ambush, the encirclement, the slaughter, and now this final trap, everything had been orchestrated.
Every step.
He had hidden a Devil Cloud Vine all along.
Damn him.
"Now I'll give you two choices," Rowan said coldly. "Die. Or submit to me and become my slave."
Savage light flickered in Rowan's eyes. Around him, the seventy-two main vines of the Devil Cloud Vine stirred, radiating lethal intent.
Like a judge presiding over life and death, it awaited Rowan's command.
Hawk knew there was no escape.
Against a Universe-level second-tier Devil Cloud Vine, resistance was meaningless.
And he did not want to die.
In the end, Hawk knelt in the void.
Rowan placed a soul imprint upon him without hesitation.
As the spiritual mark burned into his consciousness, Hawk's eyes changed.
He lowered his head completely and spoke with absolute loyalty.
"Master."
Naturally, the octopus-like cosmic beast known as Devourer followed suit and became Rowan's subordinate as well.
"Good," Rowan said. "You will return with me to Dragon Star."
He briefly inventoried the Stellar-level loot from earlier.
Less than one hundred thousand universe credits.
At this point, such an amount was insignificant to him.
"How large is your beast control ring?" Rowan asked.
He had originally believed the ring he purchased would be enough for the Eastern Sea Azure Dragon for a long time.
Yet after using a bloodline evolution agent, the beast had advanced to Universe-level far faster than expected.
Its length had already reached ten kilometers.
"My ring can store creatures up to one hundred kilometers long," Hawk replied respectfully. "It is a Domain Lord–grade beast control ring. I acquired it through chance."
Rowan's eyes lit up.
Different grades meant different prices.
A one-hundred-kilometer ring was worth at least two hundred thousand universe credits.
He had wanted one back then, but the marketplace had been out of stock, forcing him to settle for a basic ten-kilometer version.
Naturally, Rowan exchanged rings with Hawk.
The Devourer Beast, though its tentacles stretched over ten kilometers, had a core body of roughly eight kilometers when compacted.
The ten-kilometer ring was more than sufficient for now.
Once they returned to Dragon Star, acquiring higher-grade rings would not be a problem.
Hawk acknowledged the exchange, stored his beast, and followed Rowan back to Dragon Star.
After returning, Rowan visited various marketplaces, selecting items that would benefit the Eastern Sea Azure Dragon.
Babata also had extensive plans for training cosmic beasts. She knew that unless Rowan cultivated the Azure Dragon further, leaving Dragon Star anytime soon would be impossible.
Left with no choice, she introduced multiple enhancement strategies tailored specifically to the Azure Dragon's growth.
At the moment, they were inside a cosmic beast weapons and equipment mall, browsing suitable gear.
The interior was bustling.
Thousands of people moved through the space, with over three thousand staff members alone.
Small beasts were permitted inside, while larger ones remained stored in control rings.
As they wandered, Rowan noticed five Universe-level individuals among the crowd.
The strongest was only at Universe-level seventh tier.
"Master," Hawk said cautiously, "the Eastern Sea Azure Dragon is extremely powerful, but during our earlier battle I noticed its combat techniques were crude. Still, its learning speed was frightening. It adapted mid-fight and gradually began matching us."
"It would be ideal to send it to an arena for combat training."
Rowan frowned slightly.
An arena?
Babata immediately explained.
"The Beast Arena is operated by the Beastfolk race. It is a training ground for cosmic beasts, but also a place where life and death are decided."
"Each side sends a beast to fight. The victor claims the opponent's wager, and spectators earn a one-percent commission."
"Battles are strictly tiered. Planetary against Planetary. Stellar against Stellar. Universe against Universe. Domain Lord against Domain Lord."
"Win ten consecutive matches, and the beast earns the title of Beast King. From then on, it receives twenty percent of all wagers placed on its matches."
Rowan's eyes gleamed.
This truly was an excellent place.
The Azure Dragon's combat skill had only barely reached the subtlety stage. That was nothing in the vast universe.
It needed refinement.
"Then let's go," Rowan said decisively. "Show me the way."
Inside the control ring, the Eastern Sea Azure Dragon was visibly excited. The previous battle had not been enough to satisfy it.
Hawk led them immediately toward the northern Beast Arena of Dragon Star.
Even by spacecraft, the journey took a full three hours.
Dragon Star was more than ten times larger than Earth.
The distance alone was immense.
When they finally arrived, Rowan gazed out through the ship's viewport and froze.
"Stop leaning out. Sync the internal and external visuals," Babata said, activating the system.
The interior display shifted instantly.
Rowan stared ahead in awe.
A colossal arena stretched thousands of kilometers across.
Massive structures rose like mountain ranges, their exteriors adorned with countless beast statues scaled down from unimaginable originals.
Stellar-level Falcon Beasts circled endlessly, patrolling the skies.
Below, endless streams of people moved across the ground, while the air and surrounding space teemed with beasts of every conceivable type.
Gigantic channels hundreds of kilometers wide extended outward, designed for the largest creatures.
Despite their size, the passages were not crowded.
Stellar-level ninth-tier guards maintained order everywhere.
Planetary, Stellar, and Universe-level beings were everywhere.
Universe-level experts, rare within an entire star region, were here as common as street vendors.
Beyond the arena stood towering buildings housing markets, restaurants, lounges, and entertainment facilities.
Even cosmic beast slaves were openly sold.
The arena alone spanned an area comparable to Earth itself.
The scale was overwhelming.
Even Rowan felt his heart tremble.
"Well, this is rare," Babata teased, floating beside him. "First time I've seen that look on your face."
Rowan snorted softly and ignored her.
Babata felt oddly satisfied.
Back on Earth, no matter how much cosmic knowledge she explained, Rowan had remained unshaken.
Seeing him genuinely stunned felt gratifying.
Rowan coughed lightly.
Truth be told, outside the original storyline, his knowledge of the broader universe was limited.
The Beastfolk race and beast controllers were barely mentioned in what he remembered.
Yet here, their strength was undeniable.
"Babata," Rowan asked, changing the subject, "if beast controllers are so strong, why are they rarely mentioned in the wider universe?"
She answered calmly.
"Because humans do not trust beasts. Cosmic beasts are essentially a branch of the Demon race. Those living in human territory are controlled through technology."
"Once a powerful beast breaks free, it immediately flees to the Demon race."
"And between captivity and freedom, which do you think they choose?"
"Would humanity willingly allow such beings to reach Immortal or higher?"
The explanation clicked instantly.
Cosmic beasts occupied an awkward position.
Among demons, bloodline purity mattered. Most human-territory beasts were unworthy.
Among humans, they were never fully trusted.
"Only the Beastfolk truly excel at cooperation with beasts," Babata continued. "Others see it as inefficient. The resources required to raise a beast are astronomical."
"Most cosmic beasts peak at Domain Lord level. Pushing them to Immortal consumes absurd resources."
"Even with their advantages, once a master reaches Immortal, the beast falls behind."
"They cannot keep up."
She looked at Rowan. "Knowing this, do you still want to cultivate the Eastern Sea Azure Dragon?"
Rowan was silent for a moment.
Then he spoke calmly.
"The path of the strong is never smooth. On Earth, we started as nothing. Step by step, through blood and fire, we came this far."
"You are right," he said quietly. "But I refuse to bow to fate."