"Do we really need to ride this?" Oliver stepped back when he found out they would be going to the center of town riding Bovaryn, a monster tamed by his father.
Oliver still remembered the first time he saw that cow-shaped monster and was nearly impaled by its long horns.
"It is alright, son. Bovaryn does not eat humans." Arnulf lifted Oliver and placed him behind the cow. Oliver immediately held tightly onto the waist of the maid, Tamera, who was already holding the rope tied to Bovaryn's neck. Arnulf and Irmine rode another Bovaryn as they moved toward the town proper.
Ashville Town was one of the dozens of towns located within the Barony of Delpech. It was considered moderate in size and population compared to others. Its main economy was based on agriculture as well as dungeon mining.
Along the way, Oliver stared at the beautiful and calm landscape of nature. The sky was blue, and the air was fresh. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the air fill every alveolus of his lungs. Even though he had seen this scene many times, it was still never enough for him.
It was a complete contrast to the gloomy, grim, and dark life he had lived before.
"You really love this view, Oliver," Tamera said to him with a smile. For Oliver, although she had served as the family's maid since he was a baby, Tamera was like a sister to him, as their age difference was only eight years. He had spent a lot of time with her, learning about this world.
"Yes. This is my favorite view." Oliver smiled widely.
After a quarter of an hour, they finally reached the center of the town. It was moderately packed with people. The roads were lined with markets selling goods like fruits, vegetables, and meat.
They then passed a group of adolescents playing with their monsters. Some were fighting against each other's monsters, while others were petting them and dressing them in cute attire.
"Be patient, dear. After today, you can play with your own one." Irmine said as she noticed Oliver looking at the group of kids intently.
"We have finally arrived." Arnulf stepped down from Bovaryn and lifted Oliver down. "Please take care of the Bovaryn," Arnulf said to Tamera.
"Yes, sir. Good luck, Oliver." Tamera waved at him.
They finally arrived at the Taming Guild, a place every town and city had. It was where tamers gathered to pick up and deliver quests, share information about monsters, or, in larger guilds, even sell monsters. This was not Oliver's first time here, as he had often followed his parents on their visits.
Today, it was not as packed as usual. The reason they came was to initiate Oliver's taming ritual. It was done every time a child reached the age of ten, where they would summon their first starter monster.
"I cannot wait to get my first monster." Oliver's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Hey, Arnulf. Finally brought Oliver for the Taming Ritual, huh? I've been waiting a long time for this kid." Josh, the ritual master, played with Oliver's hair.
'Ouch, that hurts, old man! How many times are you going to do that? Do you want to crush my head?' Oliver stared at Josh, but the man ignored him.
"Hey, Arnulf, I want to tell you something."
Josh leaned closer to Arnulf's ear. Oliver tried to move closer to hear their whispering.
"They said the Mooncrest Dungeon is already active. And they are planning to raid it soon. It will only be open for a short window this time. Maybe only one week."
"Hmm. Interesting. Let me know when you guys are going."
Josh gave a thumbs-up.
'Mooncrest Dungeon? I think Tamera told me about it. It is the dungeon that only opens every five years when the moon in the sky turns red. They must want to enter it to take the valuable red jewels.' Oliver thought.
"Alright. Enough talking. Let's initiate the ritual for young Overheart. Hahaha." Josh led them to the ritual room. It was a large room with blue candles surrounding a large array on the floor at the center.
"Go stand in the middle there, Oliver," Josh said.
Arnulf and Irmine escorted Oliver. Both of them then kissed him.
"All the best, Oliver. Take it slowly, alright? This will be the most important moment of your life," Irmine said.
Oliver nodded. The ritual was the most important turning point in someone's life. It was like an exam. If you failed, you were doomed in a world where most people controlled monsters of their own.
"Why does it feel like the Gaokao examination?"
Arnulf and Irmine then stood near the wall while Josh walked closer to Oliver. He then gave Oliver a small knife.
"Cut a little bit of your blood and let it drop onto the symbol."
Oliver nodded. He made a small cut on his palm and pressed it. Drops of blood fell onto the ground, and the magical array below began to shine.
"Please! Let it be a Dragon-type monster. Or at least a wyvern. Yes! A wyvern is good enough." Oliver frowned, his eyes filled with expectation.
Arnulf and Irmine were the same, they prayed hard. The light from the array filled the room before it slowly faded away.
The family all opened their eyes at the same time, hoping to see the creature that would become Oliver's first partner. But their hope was shattered. No monster appeared. Nothing, not even a speck of dust.
"What happened? Did I fail?" Oliver said as he looked at his parents. His parents then looked at Josh, who was also shocked.
"It looks... like little Oliver failed to summon a monster." Josh shook his head.
Arnulf could not believe it, and he grabbed Josh by the collar. "No, it can't be! There must be some mistake. Please do it one more time!"
Josh then repeated the same ritual. And it failed again. They repeated the process five times before they finally stopped.
"Don't tell me... I actually cannot tame a monster?" Oliver finally realized. His body was shaking in frustration.
"I am sorry, kid. But it seems like that."
The truth hurt the entire Overheart family like a knife.