Oliver, Edgar, and Barid finally arrived back at the inn. However, the moment they entered the area, they were greeted by an unexpected sight.

Numerous armored soldiers were roaming around the inn, and several tents had been erected along the city pathways, making the already narrow streets even more crowded.

"Where did all these soldiers come from?" Oliver asked as he noticed the black-and-red crest on their chests, completely different from the yellow emblem of House Labre.

"There’s no way! That’s the crest of House Severin! Why are they here?" Edgar said in shock.

"House Severin? You mean the house that has never lost a battle since its foundation?" Barid asked excitedly.

’What’s with all this "never lost" stuff? Even Auron used to proudly claim he had never been defeated before meeting me. Is this the kind of thing nobles are really proud of?’ Oliver thought inwardly.

Medical personnel quickly rushed over to attend to Barid and Edgar.

Meanwhile, Oliver sat down at a nearby spot before drinking a cup of water to quench his thirst. It was currently summertime, so even during the night, the air still felt warm.

Suddenly, he noticed Raeburn, the knight who had accompanied Aria earlier. The knight looked slightly worried.

"Excuse me, sir. Err...has Lady Aria already returned?" Oliver asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. She arrived around fifteen minutes ago. She’s currently having a...discussion inside the tent."

"Hmmm... discussion?" Oliver narrowed his eyes curiously.

"With whom?"

"With Lord Vincent. Sorry, but I need to go now." Raeburn quickly left afterward, leaving Oliver confused about who exactly this Lord Vincent was. Of course, Oliver had never heard of him before.

’Well, I guess they’re probably discussing the next course of action. I should just wait until they’re finished.’ Oliver thought for a moment before a grin slowly appeared on his face.

"Right now, I should find a slightly secluded place. Hehehe." Oliver rubbed his hands excitedly. The reason was simple.

[You have successfully completed the mission: Slayer I]

[Obtained these rewards: 1500 Tamer Coins]

"Finally... after five years of waiting, this is my moment of truth. The moment to unseal a pack!" Oliver clenched his fist dramatically.

"You look way too excited."

Oliver nearly jumped out of his skin as Husk suddenly appeared behind him. He immediately grabbed his chest.

"How many times have I told you not to suddenly appear like that? Do you want to shorten my lifespan?" Oliver complained.

"Just hurry up and open the pack already. Stop wasting time," Husk replied.

Even Husk looked slightly excited to see what kind of new cards Oliver would pull this time. He only hoped the new cards would help Oliver become even stronger in the future.

Oliver then opened the Emporium and entered the [Single Pack] section. After looking through all the available packs, he stopped and fell into deep thought.

"What are you thinking about, kid?" Husk asked while rolling beside Oliver in his smaller form.

"I was thinking... you’re the frontline fighter, Nyx is a hybrid between a marksman and a tank, while Queen, I’m not really sure about her role. She’s more like a finisher type, or maybe an eater type." Oliver let out a weak smile.

"What I really need right now is a support monster. Sigh...if only I could’ve tamed Oculbane." He still regretted losing the opportunity to tame Oculbane, a mage-support type monster. From what he had witnessed during the attack on Ashville Town, its abilities were extremely powerful.

"There’s no point dwelling on the past. I should focus on what I can obtain now." Oliver refocused himself.

Suddenly, an idea appeared in his mind.

"System, can you tell me which of these packs has the highest chance of containing support-type monsters?"

[Yes. The system can provide an analysis of the cards contained within each pack for a reasonable fee of 100 Tamer Coins.]

"I need to pay for that too?" Oliver looked annoyed.

[Yes]

"Fine. It’s still better than relying purely on luck."

After paying 100 Tamer Coins, the system began loading for a few moments before a notification sound echoed.

Ding!

[Analysis process completed.]

[Below are the top three Single Packs with the highest percentage of Support-type Monsters]

[VERDANT WISH: 57.45%]

[RISE OF TAMER: 35.99%]

[NEW DAWN: 24.01%]

"Alright! I choose Verdant Wish!" Oliver did not hesitate any longer. 1200 Tamer Coins instantly burned away as he purchased the pack.

Immediately, a green-colored pack materialized in his hand.

<Pack Image>

"Are you ready, Husk?"

Oliver slowly unsealed the pack before revealing the first card. It was a green card.

---

[Mark of Loyalty]

Rarity: Uncommon (Green Card Frame)

Type: Passive Skill

Effect:

Increase the overall stats of the user based on the Familiarity with active monsters.

Max stat boost: 50%

---

"A great start!" Oliver exclaimed excitedly. Passive skills might seem less flashy compared to active ones, but in reality, they were incredibly overpowered.

First, they did not require activation, meaning there was no cost or cooldown. Second, the boost itself was extremely valuable, directly increasing Oliver’s strength. It felt as though every time he opened a pack, he became noticeably stronger.

Oliver smiled in satisfaction before reaching for the next card.

This time, it was a blue card.

---

[Bloomvine Bracelet]

Rarity: Rare [Blue Card Frame]

Type: Accessory

Archetype: Bloomvine

Stats:

WILL: +80

Effect:

If a Bloomvine monster is active, double this item’s stats and increase healing effects by 30%.

---

"The stats and effect are pretty good. But what exactly is an archetype?" Oliver scratched his head in confusion.

[Archetype refers to a set of cards sharing the same name theme and synergy with one another. Almost 90% of all cards within the system are based on archetypes. There are decillions of archetypes in existence, each possessing unique effects and internal synergies.]

"I see... so that means if I collect multiple cards from the same archetype, their effects can become even stronger." Oliver’s eyes lit up with interest.

Oliver then looked at the next card and his eyes instantly widened in shock.

"Ack!"

He accidentally let out a small shout, causing several nearby people to glance toward him strangely. Even Husk looked stunned. The reason was simple. The card in Oliver’s hand had a golden frame.

A Super Rare Monster card.