My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 442: Journey of the beast master

Ethan awoke, fixing his gaze on his teacher with a grin.

That cheeky grin he aimed at Teacher Griffin went beyond simple teenage antics. It served as a subtle probe. He'd grazed the 9th Sky, a level no one thought possible. Letting that slip would mark him for danger, a bullseye visible to the strongest clans spanning the whole continent.

"Teacher, I believe I've already sealed a contract," Ethan declared, his tone firm.

Teacher Griffin halted, his gaze sharpening through his glasses. Forming a contract held sacred importance and typically needed the teacher's help to secure the mental connection.

"What? You've sealed a contract already? Perhaps you've mistaken the selection by a beast soul for completing a contract?"

Ethan gave a soft, embarrassed chuckle, acting the role of the puzzled yet fortunate pupil.

"Is that the case? I sensed a bond, and suddenly I was back. I figured it meant a contract."

Griffin exhaled, his shoulders easing. He gave Ethan's shoulder a reassuring pat.

"The Astral Realm can confuse anyone, Ethan. It's normal for a powerful mental echo to mimic a full bond. Yet a real contract demands the beast's physical appearance and the blood seal."

Ethan nodded in compliance.

Within, his thoughts churned wildly. He sensed their presence—the Emperor Slime and the nine-tailed fox—resting in his soul space like dormant deities.

His gut urged him to conceal the fox no matter what for the moment. A slime seemed lowly enough to dismiss, but something akin to a divine beast from the upper skies would summon the realm's rulers to his door in mere moments.

"Very well. Start now!" Griffin bellowed, his words resounding in the hall. "Focus on the beast's mark and call it to appear in the real world."

The hall burst into a dazzling display of lights. This marked the pivotal instant.

Those students unable to touch even the 1st Sky had already slipped out, chins low in defeat, leaving just the victors and a handful of watchful onlookers.

To one side, Reyna Grimlock drew every eye.

A vivid, blazing yellow radiance exploded from her chest, lighting up the room's shadowed spots. The hue signaled the 3rd Sky.

"Check that out!" a voice murmured. "A 3rd Sky beast right away? The Grimlock clan has birthed a true prodigy."

With a sizzle of warmth, a lion stepped forth from the glow.

This wasn't any common lion; its mane consisted of writhing, fiery tendrils that danced in the air, while its eyes glowed like liquid gold.

It unleashed a roar mighty enough to shake the windows.

Reyna held her stance proudly, head high, soaking in the jealousy from her classmates.

Next, the rest followed suit.

Kael, from a trader's lineage, called up a 2nd Sky Frost Wolf, its coat sparkling with frost shards.

Lina, the reserved girl from the rear, brought forth a 1st Sky Eagle.

The chamber swirled with hues of red, orange, and yellow.

Yet as time ticked on, attention shifted fully to Ethan.

He lingered in a pool of shadow. No radiance shone. No energy throbbed. He resembled an empty space amid a starry expanse.

"Did he fabricate it?" Griffin voiced his doubt, regret clear in his tone. "Maybe he never hit the 1st Sky."

Ethan tuned out the whispers.

Shutting his eyes, he murmured inwardly, "Emperor Slime, reveal yourself."

In an instant, devoid of any flash or breeze, a tiny, shadowy lump dropped to the ground before him.

It was a slime.

Deep violet, nearly black, it appeared as harmless as a soggy berry.

"A slime?" One student erupted in laughter. "He ventured to the Astral Realm and returned with a glob of muck!"

Teacher Griffin approached, peering closely.

"What's this? Why no light show? It's definitely a slime... though the absence of elemental energy feels odd. Maybe it's so basic that the world skips announcing it."

Ethan brushed off the mockery.

This slime transcended a mere lump; it hid a ravenous void posing as a companion.

"Now, all of you, drip your blood onto your beast's head," Griffin ordered. "That will bind the contract."

The hall fell still as students nicked their fingers. This sealed the union of their vital essences.

When the blood touched the beasts, the shining auras dimmed, drawing into their owners' forms.

Ethan dabbed a drop of his blood on the slime's chilled, see-through skin.

The slime quivered.

For a fleeting moment, Ethan glimpsed golden symbols flickering in the creature's depths, vanishing before others could spot them.

"Hey, check him out!" a lad yelled from the stands. "He's a 'Master' at last! Beware, or his slime could ooze onto your boots!"

The jeers cut deep, yet Ethan scooped up the slime and set it atop his head like an odd, quivering cap.

He sensed the being's satisfaction.

He grasped the reality: unlike their beasts, bound by type and sky rank, his slime faced no limits. It could devour, transform, and expand until it engulfed the heavens.

"Head home and recover," Griffin proclaimed, though his stare fixed on Ethan. "Tomorrow, you step into the Sanctuary of Gods. That's where your beasts will build their power. Ethan, visit my office."

As the youthful Ethan traversed the academy corridors, his primary self remained in the chilly quiet of the advanced starship.

He observed the events via a psychic bond crossing realms.

"Why stop at the 9th Sky?" the core Ethan inquired.

[Master, the 9th Sky stands as a firm barrier in this era's cycle. To climb further, the avatar needs to forge his own progenitor route. Right now, he's bound by the 'Rules of the Game.']

Ethan's brow furrowed.

"Growth at this pace would drag on forever. When can I unite with him to regain my might?"

[Master, I propose something superior,] Yumiko interjected.

[Skip the merger. Free this fragment of yourself completely. Allow him to ignite as a separate flame. Moreover, consider dispatching three additional avatars to the trial realms of the remaining Great Races.]

Ethan reclined in his control seat.

"Why proceed that way?"

[By embodying all five Great Races at once, you'll link every domain. The Higher Realm proves far more intricate than anticipated. The God-Race holds great power, yet relying solely on one is a tactical flaw. Joining all five renders you invincible.]

"That risks leaving me divided," Ethan countered. "My soul would splinter. How then do I advance to greater power?"

[As a God-Race entity already, Master, you've established your Law. Your journey shifts from realm breakthroughs to expanding your reach. Shedding a soul sliver won't diminish your present might; instead, it grants you vantage points across the divine expanse ahead.]

Ethan fell quiet, pondering the dangers.

At length, he agreed with a nod.

"How do I locate those realms?"

[Coordinates are ready. But first, bolster your power here. Surpass the Absolute Continuum threshold to shatter the 'cage.' Meanwhile, target the Land of the Ancients. Work wonders. Earn their reverence. Rally them to your cause. That'll surge your strength immensely.]

Ethan shifted his attention to Prince Ryogu, stationed close by for instructions.

"How many of your people remain?"

"About 10 million survivors, brother," Ryogu answered steadily.

Back in the beast masters' realm, the junior Ethan exited Teacher Griffin's office.

The talk had dragged, mainly Griffin extending "pity" for his weak beast and hinting at jobs in refuse handling, where slimes proved handy.

Ethan shrugged it off.

He headed for the academy entrance, the shadowy slime wobbling faintly on his crown.

He perceived the Emperor Slime's craving, a subtle pulse in his thoughts.

"Refuse handling?" Ethan murmured to himself, a sharp glint in his gaze. "They haven't a clue. This tiny thing ranks as a deity among beasts."

"I'll conquer the whole world and honor my master," he added under his breath.

Afterward, Ethan headed straight home. His master—a clone of Ethan's core self—waited there for him.

"Master, I succeeded!" Ethan bounced excitedly.

"Excellent. Now, come closer. Let's plan your actions in the sanctuary starting tomorrow."

"Yes, Master, tell me," Ethan urged, full of anticipation.

"The Sanctuary of Gods brims with monsters. Beast masters venture inside to slay those beasts and sustain their own companions."