Rose Villa District, NY City.
This was one of the top luxury neighborhoods in NY City, nestled by mountains and rivers, with custom environments suited for nearly every type of beast. Many mid to high-level Beast Masters called this place home.
Ivy had just arrived at the entrance when her best friend June came running out, followed closely by a small red fox that chirped happily behind her.
"Ivy, you're finally here!" June exclaimed, throwing her arms around Ivy, her bright voice chattering excitedly in her ear.
The little red fox eagerly leaped into Ivy's arms too.
Ivy chuckled, hugging the soft little creature as she took June's hand.
"I've already heard about what your parents did. Seriously! How can people like that exist?" June scoffed, pulling Ivy along as they headed inside. "Forget them. Come live with me—I guarantee they won't dare to bother you here. You're way too nice."
"If they weren't your parents, would they even have the nerve to pull something like that on a Pre-licensed Beast Master?"
It was a fair point. Beast Masters were given a certain level of protection by law.
But aside from that, conflicts between Beast Masters and ordinary people were inevitable.
If a Beast Master was the aggressor, they faced strict punishment to set an example. But if the Beast Master was the victim, the offender faced even harsher consequences.
Not to mention, Ivy was an underage Pre-licensed Beast Master.
Her parents' actions against her contracted beast already broke the law.
As Ivy's closest friend, June knew all too well about the mess with her family.
The way her parents treated her was something June could never stand.
They thought of their child as a tool, throwing her away when it suited them and picking her back up when they pleased.
June only had two words for that if that happened to her, 'Keep dreaming!'
Before long, they arrived at June's family home.
It was, quite literally, a castle straight out of the medieval era, towering majestically in front of Ivy.
But neither June nor Ivy batted an eye—they were used to it.
June was focused on something else.
She glanced at Ivy cautiously, biting her lip before quietly asking, "Is Nene… okay?"
Ivy nodded. "She's more than okay."
If anything, Ivy wasn't quite sure how to explain the changes in Nene to June.
"Oh, thank goodness," June breathed a sigh of relief, misinterpreting Ivy's hesitation as concern over Nene's condition after losing her honey sac.
"Still…" June gently held Ivy's hand, her tone sincere and careful. "I know how much Nene means to you, and I respect that you contracted her to help her grow."
"I never said anything before, but… now that Nene's lost her honey sac, she's practically just an ordinary creature. I'm worried that you might…"
June wanted to persuade Ivy not to sacrifice her future for Nene.
But she didn't want to hurt her friend, either.
To her surprise, Ivy didn't look sad or distressed—instead, she flashed a bright smile.
"Thank you for caring, June," Ivy said happily. How could she not feel grateful for her friend's concern?
"Nene is perfectly fine. In fact… she actually went through an amazing change."
June's head was filled with huge question marks.
'A change?'
'What kind of change could Nene go through?'
"Let me show you." Ivy said.
Professor Iris and President Robb had asked her to keep Nene's evolution under wraps, but they hadn't forbidden her from telling anyone. And Ivy had no intention of hiding it from June.
Grabbing her friend's hand, Ivy closed her eyes.
Within her spiritual sea, she called out to Nene.
June's eyes widened in shock.
What was this…?
Sparkling, pink starlight surrounded Ivy's body, forming an ethereal aura.
Then, a butterfly over half a meter tall, with delicate, translucent wings tinged in pink, blue, and purple, descended beside her.
It was stunning.
Dreamlike.
Something not of this world.
Opening her eyes with a smile, Ivy introduced the newly evolved Nene to June. "Look, Yueyue! Nene evolved!"
June blinked at the Fairy Butterfly before her, then closed her eyes briefly.
Her mind flashed back to the chubby pink caterpillar she had seen so many times before.
Opening her eyes once more, she stared at the butterfly.
She wasn't dreaming, right?
"Am I really not dreaming?!" June pointed at the Fairy Butterfly, her finger trembling.
This was beyond belief!
"Nope, you're wide awake. After Nene lost her honey sac, she evolved! This is her new form—the Fairy Butterfly. Isn't that name fitting?" Ivy smiled.
June nodded, her gaze filled with awe as she took in the Fairy Butterfly. "Fitting indeed. She looks just like a fairy… so beautiful and unreal."
"But the idea of a honeybug evolving…" June glanced at the Fairy Butterfly. Even if she struggled to believe it, the reality was right before her.
There was no denying it.
"Tell me everything! I feel like I've missed a whole year of your life, not just a half-month summer break! How could I miss something as insane as a honeybug evolving?!"
Ivy didn't hold back, recounting everything that had happened.
With every word, June's eyes shone brighter.
"This… even the wildest rumors online wouldn't go this far! If it weren't you telling me, I'd swear you were making it up!"
An idea suddenly struck June, and her eyes sparkled even more. "How about a battle? Aren't you curious about Nene's new powers?"
Ivy hesitated but eventually nodded.
Before, Nene had been just a honeybug, a creature entirely unsuited for battle.
Ivy's savings barely covered the costs of contracting a regular beast, let alone the resources and treasures required to raise it properly.
She hadn't wanted to shortchange Nene, so contracting a second beast had never crossed her mind.
Now, though…
Nene had evolved into a Fairy Butterfly, with her rank and strength shooting up in a flash.
For the first time, Ivy felt a hint of excitement at the prospect of a real battle.
She couldn't help but wonder—how would Nene fare against June's low-tier fire fox?
"All right, let's give it a try," Ivy said gently.
June's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Don't worry, Weiwei! Since it's your and Nene's first fight, I'll go easy on you with Little Fox."
As if hearing her name, the red fox jumped out of Ivy's arms, standing protectively in front of June.
Its large, fiery tail rose high in the air, and its eyes sparkled with fierce determination.
"Yip yip!"
Little Fox's paws dug into the ground, her large, expressive eyes fixed intently on the Fairy Butterfly fluttering above.
"Nene, just do your best," Ivy encouraged gently.
"Yip!"
The Fairy Butterfly let out a sound similar to Little Fox's, a high-pitched trill.
Little Fox's gaze darkened in an instant, the friendliness vanishing.
Some things could be tolerated.
But not this!
Only her cries were allowed to be this cute!
No other pet would steal that from her!
Today!
This was the day she would defeat this… this mimic!
A small spark flared at the edge of Little Fox's mouth, her excitement plain to see.
"Mind if I go first?" June asked, seeing that both Ivy and the Fairy Butterfly were ready. Without waiting for a response, she raised her arm.
"Little Fox, Fire Attack!"
"Yip yip—YIP!"
With a powerful leap, Little Fox sprang forward, a stream of orange-red flames bursting from her mouth and shooting straight toward the Fairy Butterfly!
Ivy was startled, momentarily frozen.
She watched as tiny flames danced perilously close to the Fairy Butterfly's delicate wings.
Thankfully, Nene reacted quickly, rising higher into the air just in time to avoid serious harm.
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