Everyone Tames Beasts, So Why Are You Taming Goddesses? - Chapter 35

The dream beneath the night sky.

Su Yu had never experienced such clarity within a dream, fully aware that he was dreaming.

He stood in a barren wasteland of silence, a blood-soaked castle looming before him.

Atop the ancient fortress, a woman clad in black armor, her wings of shadow stretched wide, fought ferociously against invading enemies like a war goddess on the battlefield. She seemed as fragile as a small boat in a storm but stood firm, unyielding like a true ruler. Her crimson hair flowed like liquid fire down her back, and with a wave of her hand, she summoned hundreds of blood knights, forged from the essence of blood, to battle alongside her.

An ancient hymn echoed amidst the chaos, causing her enemies to waver and defect. Even as she stood alone, she held her ground, unyielding.

The enemies were many—beasts, magical plants, a kaleidoscope of species—as though the entire encyclopedia of the myriad races had come to life. However, within this memory, they passed through Su Yu like incorporeal phantoms.

Drawn forward, Su Yu walked closer.

The face of the woman was strikingly familiar.

She looked almost identical to Alia.

But her visage carried a maturity, her beauty seasoned with the weight of years and the frost of hardships past.

Su Yu recalled the fragments of Alia’s diary—her scattered, mundane entries rarely touched upon the tale of her past.

If he pieced together those vague writings, could this elegant, resilient face belong to… Alia’s mother?

The woman cradled a small vampire tenderly, her tone gentle:

“Alia.”

“From now on, Mommy won’t be able to stay by your side anymore. The future of our bloodline… it’s too heavy for you to bear.”

“All I wish is for you to live a happy life.”

“Run, run as far as you can!”

“Leave the forbidden zones and go to the place of beginnings. That is where everything lies.”

As her voice faded, the dream began to collapse. The sky, stained red by a bloody moon, echoed with the cries of roaring dragons and the anguished screams of flying beasts. In the final scene, Alia’s mother seemed to notice Su Yu.

Smiling gently at him, she pushed Alia toward his direction and nodded softly.

“I leave her in your care.”

—

Su Yu jolted awake.

Beside him, Alia slept soundly, her delicate lips lightly suckling her finger as she murmured in her sleep.

Was this her past?

The thought ran through Su Yu’s mind.

The progenitor of the bloodline was immortal, but when nearing death, they would enter a state of deathly slumber.

Alia’s mother’s whereabouts were unknown. And those enemies—what were they?

And what was the “place of beginnings”?

Why had her mother seen him? Was this some remnant of her abilities?

This world was boundless and brimming with secrets.

Su Yu stroked Alia’s crimson hair tenderly. “Don’t worry, ma’am—I’ll take good care of her.”

“One day, Alia and I will find you.”

The longing etched into Alia’s diaries was deep. As her partner and her man, it was only right for him to fulfill this responsibility.

As sunlight spilled through the windows, lighting up her face, the sleeping beauty began to stir.

Rubbing her eyes and stretching lazily, she called out:

“Little one.”

“Hmm?”

“I think I had a dream.”

“Funny, so did I. And I made a promise to someone in it.”

Alia tilted her head, her face filled with confusion.

“In my dream, I promised a woman. It seemed as though she passed through a nightmare and glimpsed the reality beyond it.”

Alia’s deep purple eyes suddenly widened, as if struck by a realization.

“You—”

“Yes.”

A tear slid silently from the corner of Alia’s eye as she looked momentarily lost.

Su Yu pulled her into his arms.

“Alia… let’s search for her together.”

“We’ll grow stronger, uncover those behind the attack, and one day, I swear, we’ll find her.”

“Hmm. Let’s go, little one. Today, this queen is at her peak performance!”

—

Su Yu glanced into his mental space, his gaze falling on the ancient contract.

—

【Pet Beast: Alia Tepes】
【Rank: Second-Rank Transcendence Realm (2999/3000)】

—

After Su Yu’s relentless perseverance in offering himself as sustenance, he even managed to reach this step just in time for the exchange tournament!

Only one final step remained.

The ancestral awakening triggered by the Crown of Blood had not yet activated. Su Yu suspected it would occur during the breakthrough in her rank.

If it could wait until after the battle, Su Yu wouldn’t mind delaying the advancement to avoid attention.

But if it couldn’t…

Well, then.

—

The two of them rose and headed to the meeting room.

Shangguan Ling came prepared with the schedule for the tournament’s first round.

The eight first-year participants in the individual competition sat around in a circle, attentively reviewing their handbooks. Shangguan Ling addressed them:

“Everyone, the organizers and Imperial Capital University have just announced the details for the first competition round.”

“The venue will be Imperial Capital University’s Demonic Lair Simulation Field. There, the 72 participants in the individual competition will compete under a point-based system. The top eight scorers will advance to the elimination stage.”

“Here’s how it works: Inside the simulation field, you will face various challenges. Each stage cleared by the simulation will award points automatically. Additionally, defeating a competitor will also grant points.”

The group exchanged glances.

This was clearly designed to encourage confrontation between students from different universities.

Su Yu’s eyes flickered with understanding.

The rules said the top eight scorers would advance.

But that also meant…

What if he eliminated everyone else?

Shangguan Ling spoke again, her tone soft but clear. “While this is an individual competition, we all understand what this tournament represents.”

Chen Fei, an S-rank Magic Plant Department student, nodded. “Yes, Professor, we understand.”

“I propose that Su Yu act as our temporary captain until the elimination round. Let’s cooperate as much as possible. What do you think?”

Shangguan Ling nodded in approval.

No one voiced any objections.

Su Yu’s performance in the individual matches had already proven his worth.

Only Yuan Lang from the Combat Department seemed slightly uncomfortable but begrudgingly went along with the group decision, not wanting to go against the collective will.

Shangguan Ling said, “Alright, then I look forward to all of your performances.”

“Let’s head to the teleportation array.”

—

Today, Imperial Capital University was bustling with people, many of whom had gathered specifically for the Nine-School Alliance Tournament.

Even several well-known overseas Beastmaster universities had sent students and faculty to observe.

Beastmasters had become the backbone of every nation.

Although humanity had achieved temporary consensus to jointly combat the demonic lairs, conflict among individuals and nations persisted.

And these student competitions served as a subtle stage for international rivalries.

—

Imperial Capital University’s expansive Rose Plaza accommodated over 70,000 spectators.

Meanwhile, the number of live-stream viewers—both domestic and overseas—continued to soar. The event hadn’t even started yet, and the viewer count had already reached tens of millions.

Among the chatter:

“I bet the upperclassmen’s battles won’t differ much from prior years, but who do you think will take first place among the freshmen?”

“Kong Huanyuan, obviously! Imperial Capital University has an insanely strong lineup this year.”

“Magic City isn’t weak, but their strongest contender, Li Mu, was already knocked out by Su Yu.”

“Su Yu has a shot, though! His teamwork with Alia is flawless.”

“Naïve! This might be an individual competition, but the first round is a free-for-all. If I were from Imperial Capital, I’d just gang up on Su Yu right away!”

“Shi Shaolong from Jianghe also has a chance. His talent is terrifying.”

“True. Jianghe University could snag first this year. Their talents are so unique that even Magic City and Imperial Capital might struggle against them.”