This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

The man's breathing steadied, his chest rising and falling in a slow, rhythmic pattern as the healers continued their work.

The green and white energy from their contracts wrapped around his body, knitting together torn flesh and purging infection from his wounds. His cracked lips regained some color, and the sunken in hollows in his cheeks seemed less pronounced, although he still looked as though he hadn't eaten in days it was a massive improvement.

Yet, despite the physical healing, his mind remained closed off, his consciousness buried deep beneath layers of exhaustion and trauma.

As the healers finished their work, the man's eyelids fluttered, and a low groan escaped his lips. His eyes opened slowly, squinting against the harsh sunlight. For a moment, he seemed disoriented, his gaze darting around the group of strangers surrounding him. Then, his expression hardened, and he tried to sit up, his movements sluggish but determined to leave.

"Easy," Idrias said, his voice calm but firm. "You're safe. We found you in the desert. You were in bad shape."

The man's eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking from Idrias to the others. He said nothing, his lips pressed into a thin line, and it was hard to tell whether it was only due to wariness or if he didn't know the common language of the Empire.

Idrias had Zareth and a few of the other Starchasers attempt to communicate in the local tongue. Unlike Pathfinders that were typically skilled in multiple old and dead languages that would be more often seen in relics, Starchasers are usually more adept at navigating modern dialects and languages due to the far off places their travels may take them.

Unfortunately, Zareth and the other Starchasers' attempts were useless. Kain could see the wariness in his eyes, the way his body tensed as if preparing for a fight. This man was no fool—he knew better than to trust strangers in the desert. Especially not after he'd ended up in his current pitiful state after being betrayed by his own tribesmen…

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"*We're travelers. We're heading south. Do you remember what happened to you?*" Serena added in the local language, her tone unusually soft.

'I guess they decided to try the beauty trap route,' Kain thought somewhat cynically after seeing how adamant their colleagues were that Serena take over the task of communication after they all proved unsuccessful.

The man's eyes locked onto Serena for a long while, and for a moment, Kain thought he might respond. But then he shook his head, his expression unreadable. He remained silent, his gaze shifting to the horizon as if searching for something—or someone.

Kain exchanged a glance with the other member of their group who had a mental attribute contract. The man, a 6-star Pathfinder named Eli, nodded subtly. It was time to try the less gentle approach—forcefully extracting answers.

Eli stepped forward with his contract. His contract resembled a metal intricate bell that seemed to have the face of an old man carved into its side, but this face was capable of moving and changing its expression.

As Eli and his contract stepped forward, he kept his movements calm and non-threatening. "We don't mean you any harm," he said, his voice took on an almost otherworldly quality that seemed to echo with several voices overlaying his while his contract began to emit rhythmic tolls of its bell. "But we need to know if there's anything out there that could threaten us. Can you tell us what happened to you?"

Elias's contract was designed to gently nudge the mind into a suggestible state. It was less invasive than Bea's control, but it required the target to be at least somewhat willing—or at least not actively resisting—but Elias' gift helped greatly with that restriction. As Elias's aura from his gift enveloped the man, Kain could see the tension in the man's body increase. His eyes widened, and he tried to pull away, but the healers held him steady.

"Relax," Elias said, his voice low and hypnotic. "You're safe. We just want to help you. Tell us what happened."

For a moment, it seemed to work. The man's body relaxed slightly, and his gaze softened. But then, just as Elias began to probe deeper, the man's eyes snapped back into focus, and he let out a low growl. His resistance was fierce, his mind slamming shut like a steel trap. Elias stumbled back, his aura flickering and fading as the man's willpower overwhelmed the combined efforts of his contract's skill and his gift.

"Damn it," Elias muttered, rubbing his temples. "His willpower is too strong."

Kain's eyes narrowed. He had expected this. The man's aura had already hinted at his strength, and now it was clear that he was no ordinary beast-tamer. If Elias's gentle approach had failed, it was time for Bea.

Kain stepped forward, his expression calm but determined. "Let me try," he said, his voice steady. He glanced at Idrias, who gave a curt nod. The group backed away, giving Kain space to work while gazing at him curiously. Kain and Serena were the lowest ranked in their group. And even among all order members they were probably the lowest in level since most recruits were at least 5-star beast-tamers. But both Kain and Serena were still 4-star beast-tamers, although they were both likely on the verge of advancing.

However, despite the importance of this mission and their low rank they had both been personally selected by the higher-ups in the Order for this mission. Therefore, everyone was curious about the abilities of these two.

They had already proven their capabilities by managing to secure one half of the antidote needed, but nobody was around them at that time to see how they did it. Now some of their questions about their strength may be answered.

The man's eyes locked onto Kain, and for the first time, Kain saw a flicker of apprehension in his gaze. He knew that what followed the previous hypnosis attempt could only be worse on him.

Kain summoned Bea, the familiar presence of his contract settling into his mind like a second consciousness.

Kain hesitated for a moment, his gaze meeting the man's. There was a quiet dignity in the man's eyes, a resilience that Kain couldn't help but respect. But they didn't have time for respect—they needed information.

"I'm sorry," Kain said softly, though he wasn't sure if the man could understand him. "But we need to see what you know."

With that, Kain unleashed Bea's power while also using his spiritual skill to provide her with a much needed boost. Her presence surged forward, a tidal wave of mental energy crashing into the man's mind. The man's body stiffened, his eyes widening as he felt the invasion. He let out a guttural cry, his hands clawing at the sand as he tried to resist.