Strengthening the Gloom Wolf Beast (Part Two)

The Ascension Phase was serious business. Mo Fan went straight to Teacher Qiu Yuhua for guidance, hoping he could lend a hand.

"When it comes to ascending, the more preparation you put in, the higher your chances of success — plain and simple. Let me put it this way: if your Gloom Wolf Beast attempts to ascend entirely on its own without any outside help, the success rate is roughly 20%. If it fails, the beast reverts completely, becoming nothing more than an ordinary Servant-class Gloom Wolf Beast." Teacher Qiu Yuhua had grown fonder of Mo Fan with every passing encounter, and he responded to his questions with genuine enthusiasm.

"20%? That's the success rate? Even a scratch card has better odds than that." Mo Fan was completely deflated.

"Your Gloom Wolf Beast is already on the more determined side, for what it's worth. For other Demon-Beasts in the Ascension Phase, we're talking 10%." Teacher Qiu Yuhua said.

"So what can we do to raise the odds?" Mo Fan asked.

"You really never pay attention in class, do you? Even if you were born with three elements, you're still enrolled as a Summoning Element student..." Teacher Qiu Yuhua gave Mo Fan a thorough scolding before continuing at an unhurried pace. "Now, you mentioned you have a Battle Commander Soul. That's an excellent supplementary material — it should boost your success rate by around 20% or so."

"Right... but that still only gets us to 40%. I'm not much of a gambler." Mo Fan said.

Even if he happened to be the most dashingly handsome protagonist any story could ask for, Mo Fan had no illusions that his narrative luck would somehow transform that 40% into 100%.

If he gambled and lost, the Gloom Wolf Beast's strength would take a massive step backward — and who knew when it would ever claw its way back to the Ascension Phase.

"There are ways, of course. They just aren't cheap." Teacher Qiu Yuhua continued. "Generally speaking, a Demon-Beast's rank manifests through a few key factors..."

"First is bloodline. The higher the bloodline, the greater the Demon-Beast's chances of advancing to a higher tier."

"Second is the soul. The more powerful the soul, the greater the latent potential it harbors."

"Third is the body. Physical strength is typically built through relentless combat, and reaching sufficient physical conditioning is the most fundamental requirement for any Demon-Beast to ascend."

Bloodline. Soul. Body.

Mo Fan quietly committed those three pillars to memory.

"The Battle Commander Soul you obtained strengthens the soul. With a more powerful soul, the Demon-Beast's ascension success rate increases — by roughly 20%, as I said. Naturally, the exact boost varies by the quality of the Battle Commander Soul; the one you have gives you that 20%."

"Teacher, are you saying I should look for supplementary methods in the bloodline and body departments as well, to raise the Gloom Wolf Beast's ascension odds even further?" Mo Fan pressed immediately.

Teacher Qiu Yuhua smiled and nodded, then straightened his expression. "Which is exactly why I say — you'd better have money. Battle Commander Bloodline doesn't come cheap. Body-strengthening materials come in all shapes and sizes, but the ones that actually make a difference aren't cheap either. With a decent bloodline, you can raise your odds by another 30%. Body strengthening is cumulative — there's no fixed ceiling — but it definitely helps."

It was clear that one Battle Commander Soul alone wouldn't guarantee a successful ascension. He'd need to track down a Battle Commander Bloodline as well.

With just over ten million in savings, Mo Fan made his way to the Imperial Capital's Magic Association in search of the Battle Commander Bloodline he needed.

The Magic Association in the Imperial Capital had formidable reserves. A wolf-clan Battle Commander Bloodline would take half a month to source in a smaller city, but here in the Imperial Capital, items worth tens of millions were available off the shelf. Pricier, certainly — but Mo Fan didn't have the luxury of waiting.

A single bottle of Battle Commander-grade bloodline supplement ran close to ten million. Mo Fan gritted his teeth and paid up, then picked up two body-strengthening materials alongside it — bone powder and a heart, each priced at around a million. By the time the shopping was done, he had less than a million left to his name. It felt like going from fortune to poverty overnight.

"Little wolf, don't let me down — whatever you do, don't fail the ascension." Watching his bank balance plummet from a glorious eight-digit number to a measly five digits, Mo Fan could barely stop himself from lighting incense and burning prayers for his Gloom Wolf Beast.

The Battle Commander Soul: a 20% boost to the odds. The Battle Commander Bloodline: another 30%. The Gloom Wolf Beast had already tempered its body through combat to a meaningful degree: another 20%.

That put the baseline success rate at a solid 70%. And he still had the Wolf Commander Bone Powder and the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf heart on hand — both could push the odds a little further.

"Your Gloom Wolf Beast hasn't undergone any Marrow Cleansing for its body yet, so the bone powder and heart should contribute quite a bit — bringing the estimated probability to around 75%. On top of that, you're an Intermediate-Level Mage yourself, and the energy your Star Nebula can provide adds roughly another 10%. That means the ascension success rate could reach as high as 85%." Professor Qiu Yuhua laid out his precise assessment.

"85%! That's already fantastic!" Mo Fan exclaimed.

"It really is. Who would've thought you had such deep pockets, kid? All those strengthening resources together — that's thirteen or fourteen million at the very least." Professor Qiu Yuhua broke into a laugh and clapped him on the shoulder encouragingly. "Go for it. Plenty of Summoning Element Mages attempt the ascension at below 30% odds. At 85%, your beast is practically already Battle-General-class."

Mo Fan gave a firm nod. With those words from Professor Qiu Yuhua, he felt far more grounded.

The Imperial Capital Magic Academy had a number of sealed training grounds. Mo Fan paid to rent one with an absolute guarantee of privacy.

The spacious training ground held no one but Mo Fan. He traced his Star Trail, and a Moonlit Rift split open in the air — and moments later, the Gloom Wolf Beast stepped through to stand before him.

**"Awuuuu~~~~"**

The Gloom Wolf Beast let out a low howl. The great wolf carried itself with an unusual solemnity, as though it too understood that today was an exceptionally important day.

"Here's the Battle Commander Soul, here's the wolf-clan Battle Commander Bloodline, and here's a heart and a bottle of bone powder. All of it will help you succeed in ascending. Don't be nervous, and don't feel pressured — smooth, painless, completely safe, zero side effects. You'll be back on your feet the same day!" Mo Fan reassured his little wolf with a cheerful grin.

**"Errr-wuuu~~~~"**

For once, the Gloom Wolf Beast let out a sound almost like an obedient husky. Something shimmered deep in those wolf eyes.

It lowered its massive head and pressed it gently against Mo Fan.

"Still being shy with me? This little bit is nothing. One day, when I track down that Wing-Azure Wolf, I'll claim its soul and refine its blood — its marrow, its heart, its flesh? Every last scrap goes to you as snacks. You're my Summoned Beast — Mo Fan's Summoned Beast. How can you not carry the bone-chilling presence to make every wolf you face tremble before you?"

Mo Fan laughed as he stroked the Gloom Wolf Beast's fur.