As the team dispersed, Savannah approached Sokram once more. "Do you have a mount? If not, I can show you the best place to get one."

Sokram politely declined, offering her a sincere smile. "No, thank you, big sis. I don't have a mount, but I know where to get the best ones. I'll meet you by the south gates."

Leaving the meeting room, Sokram went to speak with Private Damis at the reception to borrow a mount.

It didn’t take long, as the soldier had anticipated this and already made the necessary arrangements, eager to be helpful.

Of course, Sokram saw through the private’s motives. Damis was clearly trying to curry favor with Karini by assisting Sokram, but Sokram didn’t mind.

In fact, he made a mental note to sing the private’s praises to Karini later, after all, a little goodwill never hurt.

With the mount token in hand, Sokram headed straight for the stable near the south gate.

When he arrived, he noticed the selection of mounts was limited but still impressive. Horses, dire wolves, war bears, and elemental Pekos filled the large stable.

Looking around, Sokram spotted a man who appeared to be the stable manager: a human with gray hair and stubble, about the same height as him, dressed in a dusty shirt and worn-out pants.

His energy flow revealed he was a Tier 3, and the small metallic plate on his chest labeled him as the manager.

Seeing the man triggered a set of memories for Sokram, and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

Approaching the manager, Sokram handed over his token.

“Do you have any Pekos that are lightning-oriented?” Sokram asked, knowing their speed and agility would suit his upcoming mission perfectly.

The manager looked at Sokram skeptically.

Despite Sokram’s tall stature for his age, he still appeared too young to be Awakened.

If it weren’t for the token’s authenticity, the manager might have thought it was a prank.

“Yes, we do have a few,” the manager replied hesitantly, “but their kind is wild. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Sokram nodded in acknowledgment but persisted. “That’s fine. Can you show me one of them?”

“Sure,” the manager said, though somewhat begrudgingly. “But if you get hurt, it’s on you.”

At the pen, Sokram’s eyes fell on a Thunder Peko.

The large, flightless bird was covered in white plumage accented by natural black and purple patterns that resembled tribal markings.

Its short wings hinted it couldn’t fly, but its long, powerful legs marked it as a runner. Its beak resembled a toucan’s, and most striking of all were its eyes, which sparkled with lightning.

Sokram glanced at the manager with a silent question, and the man shrugged as if to say, Your funeral.

Sokram grinned and stepped forward carefully, ensuring not to startle the bird, which already seemed skittish.

To calm the creature, Sokram used Elemental Assimilation, summoning a streak of lightning that crackled across his body.

The bird froze in confusion, its trembling replaced by a curious tilt of its head. Sokram seized the moment, stepping closer with deliberate calm.

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Keeping his right hand raised, Sokram allowed the lightning to crackle freely around him.

The bird, clearly intrigued, cautiously approached, as if mesmerized by the magic. It tried to peck his hand, but Sokram dodged with a playful, “Nun-uh!”

The bird seemed to understand, attempting again.

This time, much slower.

When its beak was within reach, Sokram placed his hand under it, gently stroking the creature while letting the electric current flow between them.

The feedback loop between their energies created a harmonious link.

“Good boy,” Sokram smiled softly. “I’ll call you Periklis.”

The bird responded with an enthusiastic, “Peko!”

The manager, still watching from the door, was stunned.

He’d never seen a taming method like this before.

His mind raced with possibilities, particularly with three more untamed Thunder Pekos in the stable.

After a moment of deliberation, an idea struck him.

“Hey, boy,” the manager called out, “the bird seems to like you. How about you keep it?”

Sokram almost let a greedy grin slip, but quickly put on a look of disappointment. “I’d love to, mister, but I don’t have the money to buy him. Too bad...”

The manager’s grin turned predatory. “Well, tell you what. If you teach me what you just did, I’ll let you keep it.”

Sokram feigned surprise, his face lighting up with excitement. “Really? But aren’t these birds, like, super expensive?”

By now, the manager’s greedy grin had morphed into a more ‘sincere’ smile. “True, they are. But seeing how quickly you two became friends, it wouldn’t feel right to separate you now. Besides,” he added, voice dipping with fake sorrow, “his siblings are just as wild. Nobody wants them...”

Sokram’s eyes gleamed with excitement before dimming theatrically. “I’d love to have him, mister, but my mom told me never to share this secret technique without proper compensation.”

He let a mischievous grin slip, which the manager immediately caught,

“You greedy little bastard...”

Sokram dropped the innocent act, grinning. “Heh, old man, are you sure you want to insult a customer who could make you rich?”

The manager took a deep breath, regaining his composure. “I apologize. Your... shift in personality threw me off. But tell me, what do you want in return?”

“Well,” Sokram began, his tone thoughtful, “Since you have three more Thunder Pekos, I assume you know how to track their nests and mating seasons.”

Sokram turned thoughtful, carefully planting the idea.

“If I teach you this taming technique, your profits could multiply. Imagine the demand for tame Thunder… No, for any Elemental Pekos, it’s practically a gold mine. After all, these birds are rarely sold; they’re almost impossible to tame. Unless, of course,” he added with a sly grin, “you’re three levels of existence above them or... if you know my technique.”

The bird, enjoying the electric current flowing through Sokram, rubbed its beak affectionately against his shoulder.

The manager sighed in defeat. “How much do you want?”

Sokram considered for a moment, memories from his past timeline flashing before him.

Finally, he answered, “Here’s the deal: I’ll give you the taming technique in exchange for Periklis, and you won’t charge me stable fees for five years, including his food.”

The manager raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more.

Sokram continued, “But this deal only applies to Thunder Pekos. If you want techniques for taming other elemental Pekos or Mystical Beasts, it’ll cost you ten thousand gold.”

The manager blinked, surprised. “That’s it?”

Sokram smirked. “What? Did you want to pay me more?”

“NO! I mean... no, of course not. Well... sigh. Alright, I’d love to do business with you, but first, may I know your name, young dragon?”

Sokram looked at him with a smile, and another set of vivid memories flashed through his mind, a time in his previous timeline after the first war had ended.

His grandmother, Brunhild, had been mortally wounded, and his mother, Hilda, had lost her right leg.

At that time, only he and his sister could bring food to the table, but he wasn’t even Awakened yet.

Desperate for a job, Sokram searched everywhere, yet only a few kind souls extended their hand to him.

Among them was Mr. Oliver, the kind-hearted stable manager. In that timeline, Oliver had been one of the few to extend a hand to Sokram’s family when they were at their lowest.

But before Sokram could repay him, the second war tore Eversnow apart, erasing the old man and countless others Sokram held dear from existence.

Coming out of a daze, Sokram extended his hand to Oliver with a sincere smile, “I’m Sokram. Nice to meet you.”

The manager took his hand firmly. “I’m Oliver. Pleasure doing business with you. Come, let’s prepare the contracts.”

But Sokram held up a hand. “Actually, I’m heading out on a mission and only came to borrow a mount. Here.”

Sokram pulled a scroll from his Void Glove and handed it to Oliver. “This is for Periklis. We’ll finalize the contracts when I return.”

Oliver read the scroll, his expression shifting from suspicion to astonishment. Finally, he said, “Kid, I don’t know your game, but you’re too generous for your own good. What’s your angle?”

Sokram chuckled. “Old man, you’re smart enough to know I’ll make a proposition later. As they say, ‘First show the good, so the bad doesn’t seem so bad.’ Now, can I go?”

Oliver hesitated, then nodded. “Fine, but we’ll talk when you return.”

“Deal,” Sokram flashed a sly grin, mounting Periklis. “Until then, let’s call this the first investment in a future and very profitable partnership.”