Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Coercion and Enticement, Contract Successful! Named Big Mimi

The next instant, the manticore transformed into a frozen meteor, hurtling down with a soul-freezing chill and enough kinetic energy to shatter mountains!

BOOOOOM—!!!

It was as if the very heavens were falling and the earth were splitting apart!

The rocky basin beneath Jon’s feet buckled as if struck by a colossal hammer, the massive stone slab trembling violently.

A furious, ring-shaped shockwave—a mixture of intense, freezing air and pulverized rock and Ice Crystals—blasted outward in all directions!

The blinding, ice-blue Energy light clashed violently with the crimson-gold flames erupting from Jon’s body, resulting in annihilation and explosions!

The first to be breached was the Crystal Shield Generator he was carrying!

The eggshell-shaped, spherical Shield, which had activated automatically in response to the threat, held for only a moment before shattering into pieces.

Still, it had absorbed a significant portion of the Impact.

[-866 (Shield shattered!)]

The pressure then fell upon the shield in Jon’s hand, and on Jon himself.

This, of course, was no longer the oak Arm Shield Sutton had given him, but an Excellent-grade Stacked Steel Shield he had also acquired from the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House.

But now, this shield—which, empowered by his Magic Mastery, had effortlessly withstood the manticore’s previous storm of attacks—began to make strange noises.

"CRACK... CREEEAAAK..."

Jon could feel it giving way; its entire structure was starting to visibly warp.

He himself, however, was fine. With the multiple layers of damage reduction from [Sun’s Blessing] and [Dragon Flame Dance], the Impact was powerful but still within his limits.

[-544! (Impact!) -147 (Frost Damage!)]

"COUGH!"

’Just coughed up a bit of blood, that’s all!’

’No big deal!’

The biting chill was quickly driven away by his surging vitality—aroused by the impact—and the power of the [Dragon Flame Dance] coiling around his body.

In fact, thanks to [Sun’s Blessing], Jon could feel his condition rapidly improving.

’You have no idea how insane a 200% Life Value regeneration rate is with fully stacked [Blood Scab Coagulation]!’

’It’s the perfect complement to [Sun’s Blessing]!’

After unleashing this ultimate move, the manticore had clearly exhausted its strength. The pair of sharp, ice-blue horns on its head pressed against Jon’s shield, unable to advance another inch.

The white mist that had been coiling around its body vanished, revealing a haggard lion’s face and a body covered in wounds.

Seeing his chance, Jon tossed aside his saber and the utterly warped shield, then sidestepped.

Running on fumes, the manticore lost its purchase and skidded forward, collapsing to the ground.

Its pristine white fur scraped against the ravaged ground, stripped of all its former pride.

Jon stepped forward and reached for the sharp horns on its head. To his surprise, the beast still had enough fight left to twist its neck and try to gore him.

This only amused Jon.

"Heh! The more you struggle, the more I’m going to enjoy this!"

He raised a fist and slammed it down on the manticore’s massive head with a dull THUD!

"Out here in the middle of nowhere, you can scream your lungs out and no one will come to save you!"

"Mrooow..."

"Still got some fight in you?! Have another!"

After three more punches, just as he had with the silver-maned snow leopard before, Jon grabbed the manticore’s ear in a vice-like grip and stared directly into its ice-blue eyes.

"Had enough?"

"Grrrgh..."

A pained whimper rumbled in the manticore’s throat. Its vertical, ice-blue pupils contracted sharply from the agony and humiliation.

It twisted its massive head, trying with all its remaining strength to shake off the detestable hand, but Jon’s grip was like an iron vise, unmoving.

Instead, every struggle only aggravated the wounds all over its body, leaving it even weaker.

"It seems you’re still not convinced."

Jon scoffed and swung his fist again without hesitation.

This time, his fist struck the bridge of the manticore’s nose—one of a feline’s most sensitive spots.

"CRACK!"

The blow didn’t inflict much damage, but the sharp strike to such a sensitive spot made the manticore let out a shriek so shrill it was distorted. Its massive body jerked spasmodically, and the punch nearly knocked it unconscious.

"Ooh... oww..."

As a wild beast, in its hazy understanding of the world, a loser was either killed or exiled. It had never imagined being subjected to such a "humiliating" beating.

Jon looked into the beast’s eyes, which had lost their focus from the pain, leaving only instinctual fear and confusion. He knew it had been tenderized enough.

Still holding the manticore’s ear, he opened his other hand, palm facing up.

A pulse of pure Magic Power began to condense at his fingertips, forming a Contract Rune—the very [Spirit Contract] he had learned from the Spellbook, *Tivira Academy Apprentice Notes*.

"Accept it. Become my mount."

"Otherwise, the next punch won’t be so light."

As the Rune approached, the manticore instinctively sensed the binding power it represented. It was something the beast loathed even more than death: the loss of its freedom!

Its lingering defiance made it jerk its head aside, trying to avoid the Rune while letting out a low, guttural snarl of resistance.

"Hmph!"

A dangerous glint appeared in Jon’s eyes as he swung his fist again without the slightest hesitation.

This time it was a heavy hook that slammed brutally into the side of the manticore’s head, right by its ear.

"THUD!"

Another dull impact was followed by a pitiful wail.

The massive beast was so dazed from the beating that stars swam before its eyes. Its enormous body scraped weakly against the snow.

But just as it was growing dizzy and filled with despair, the human before it let go of its ear. He then turned to the bundle of Wolf King’s Flesh and Blood it had been craving and pulled out a thick piece of tissue.

At this, a glimmer of light instantly appeared in the manticore’s deep blue eyes.

Jon untied the pouch, revealing the Perfect Level [Congealed Blood] within. He held it in one hand while the Contract Rune reappeared on the other.

"Want this?"

He dangled the [Congealed Blood] in front of the manticore’s eyes. Seeing the greedy look in its gaze, as if it were about to pounce, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

"This is mine now. However..."

"If you’re willing to become my mount, and you behave yourself, then I might consider giving this to you..."

The manticore’s flagging spirit suddenly revived!

It wasn’t particularly intelligent, but it instantly understood the simple logic: accept one thing to get the other.

After a brief moment of deliberation, tempted by both power and gain, its desire to survive and grow stronger finally overcame its innate pride.

"Purrrr..."

This rare and exotic beast finally lowered its noble head before Jon.

Jon pressed his palm down, and the Contract Rune smoothly sank into the center of the manticore’s brow. A faint Spirit link formed between them.

[Ding, contract complete.]

[You have signed a master-servant contract with a Rare Level beast.]

[Ding, "Beast Tamer II" unlocked.]

Jon could clearly feel the lingering anger, pain, immense sense of injustice, and a trace of resentment at being forced to submit within the beast’s soul. This meant it would take a great deal of time and training to make the giant beast completely loyal to him.

But for now, the contract was sealed!

’Could a duck already in the pot just fly away?’

He unceremoniously patted the manticore’s massive head.

"From now on, your name is Big Mimi!"

"MROOOW—!"

The manticore was clearly unhappy with this name. But when it saw Jon’s slightly narrowed eyes, his raised fist, and felt the heavy pressure coming from the other end of their Spirit link, it meekly flattened itself on the ground and let out a sullen, low whine.

"Grumble..."

"Good. That’s more like it..."

Jon retracted his fist and pointed at the bundled Wolf King’s Flesh and Blood on the ground.

"From now on, all the heavy lifting is your job."

"But before that, let me patch you up!"

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