ã€ŠSupreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!ã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Pantheon of Mythical Beasts [1]

    "Who in the world are you people?" a bewildered sixteen-year-old boy eximed, gazing up at the grandstand packed with unfamiliar faces.

    His expression was a mix of annoyance and disorientation, as if he''d been abruptly yanked from a peaceful nap. One minute, he was cozy under his nket, masturb-ahm practicing self-care. Then, he found himself floating above the clouds, surrounded by strange beings who seemed to be staring into his soul as if trying to unravel his deepest secrets.

    "Hmmm, this guy looks like he''d break if you sneeze on him. Not a good choice if you ask me."

    "True, the gods wouldn''t even lift a finger. Those dirty demons would get rid of him first."

    "Hmph, if he doesn''t get devoured by a Beast first, I bet at this rate even a weak Monster could get rid of him."

    "Sigh, we should probably kill him and seek another Soul that would be fitting for the role. This one''s clearly a lost cause," one of them said with a voice dripping with scorn and a healthy dose of eye-rolling disdain.

    "Silence!"

    While they were busy discussing among themselves, a powerful voice rang out in all directions and instantly silenced the noisy chatter of people, something the young boy was very grateful for because listening to all these voices at once nearly made him bleed through the ears.

    Raising his head, the boy stared at the ce where the voice hade from, hoping to thank his savior. However, what he saw next made his eyes tremble in shock!

    "A cat girl! What sort of lewd dream is this?" The boy didn''t even know when these words left his mouth.

    "A cat girl, you say? How¡­quaint," the woman murmured, her piercing blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mirth as she lounged on her imposing throne. Her feline ears, sticking out of snowy hair, twitched as she looked at the boy in amusement.

    Just merely standing in the presence of this woman, the boy swayed on his feet because she exuded an air of confidence and power. Her mere presence alone was capable of toppling even the mightiest of nations. What made things more difficult was the revealing attire this woman was wearing.

    She was draped in a toga that hugged her voluptuous curves. The fabric barely concealed her ample bosom, revealing teasing glimpses of her generously soft supple cleavage.

    In fact, had she not been restraining her aura at that moment, the boy would have found himself on his knees like a dog in heat.

    "And who might you be, little human?" the cat woman inquired in a voice that was melodious and filled with mischief.

    "Nox. My name is Nox!" After regaining hisposure, the boy said, but his eyes couldn''t help but wander to the woman''s face as he admired her heavenly beauty. "I must say, I didn''t expect to find a beauty such as yourself in the presence of these annoying old geezers."

    "Mind your mouth, kid! Who are you calling annoying?" A stout rabit-like creature sprang to his feet, his face redder than fiery ale as he red at Nox with a look that could kill.

    "No need to get your beard in a twist, little guy! I was just stating the obvious," the boy smirked as he looked back at the creature with a fearless expression.

    "Insolent brat, speak more and watch me beat you to a pulp!" The rabbit''s face turned an even deeper shade of red, his eyes bulging with rage as he took a step closer to Nox, his fists clenched at his sides.

    "Boy, oh boy, thank your lucky stars that you''re in the presence of the goddesses. If we''d met in different circumstances, I would have definitely circumcised you, you stupid waste of sperm!"

    The boy suddenly felt that his life was in danger as all his hair stood on edge, even his palms became sweaty. It was at that moment that Nox realized that if it weren''t for the white-haired cat woman, the people would have certainly pounced on him like the angry beasts they were and thoroughly beaten him to a pulp.

    ''Welp? Isn''t this a dream? What more can they do? If worsees to worst, I''ll just open my eyes and wake up in the real world.'' A mischievous smile tugged on his lips as the urge to provoke these people welled up in his heart.

    Earlier, he didn''t like the way they were assessing him and talking about killing him off as though a human life was such trivial thing in their eyes. Although Nox believed this entire scenario to be a dream, his petty self couldn''t resist the urge to retaliate and take revenge.

    "Shut up, ugly fuckers! Can''t you see I''m talking to the beautifuldy?" Nox sneered at them, and the eyes of the people bulged in anger, their teeth grinding back and forth.

    If this clueless boy knew about their identity, he wouldn''t be spewing all these words now! If not for their goddess, with a simple snap of their hands, this stupid mortal wouldn''t even know how he found himself in the afterlife. Where was he even getting the confidence to talk so lowly to them? The people couldn''t help but wonder to themselves.

    Not all of them were angry, though. Some of them couldn''t help but admire his confidence. The previous candidates had been very nervous and frightened just by the mere presence of their goddess, but this boy¡­not only did he insult them, he even had the guts to flirt with their powerful goddess.

    "Fufufufufu, I don''t know if he''s being stupid or brave, but I like him already." A fox-like woman chuckled to herself, her nine tails swishing behind her like a mesmerizing whip as she gazed at the boy with a hungry gleam in her eyes.

    "Agreed, it''s such a shame these bored bastards would make him go through a lot of pain if the goddesses don''t choose him." A giant panda replied, its ck eyes staring at the boy who had somehow managed to rile up several powerful beings with just his words.

    "If he somehow gets selected, there would be no peace in Eos." Arge beautiful blue python voiced out, as it imagined a chibi version of Nox being impaled by several swords and spears by powerful experts in the fantastical world of Eos.

    Yup, the python didn''t think this prickly boy would get a good ending with this attitude of his.

    "I like you," the cat goddess said after a while. Seeing this boy''s confidence despite being in the presence of powerful beings made her subconsciously develop a soft spot for the boy. After all, she was looking for someone as confident and fearless as this boy to carry out her goal and to ensure that everyone here continues living. Therefore, she came to a decision in her heart.

    "Thank you, goddess, the feeling is mutual." Nox smiled but thought inwardly, ''Come on, can''t we fast-forward all this formalities and get to the snu snu part!''

    Why was even his dream looking like the unhealthy videos on the inte that would need both parties to engage in dialogues and other drama before getting to the exciting part?

    "Although I''d like to discuss more with an intriguing young man such as yourself, unfortunately, we don''t have the time, so shall we proceed to the next part?"

    ''The phase where you ride me till I lose my mind? Of course!'' Nox nodded earnestly.

    "Have you ever dreamed of being in control of powerful mythical creatures to apany you in battles? Monsters with power so strong that it''d make the gods tremble? An army so formidable that it would cause mortals to shiver at the mere mention of your name?"

    Nox narrowed his eyes when he heard these words. ''This is not how the plot is supposed to go.''

    What the heck does she mean by an army of mythical creatures? the boy wondered in confusion, but little did he know he had been caught in the whirlwind of something much greater than he could have ever imagined.

 Chapter 2: The Pantheon of Mythical Beasts [2]

    "Miss Cat Woman, can you please repeat what you said?" Nox asked, feeling as though he had misheard the ethereal goddess.

    As he waited for her reply, he thought to himself. Controlling powerful creatures to do his bidding was cool as Nox, a full-fledged otaku, had read about such themes many times in his spare time. But, he''d rather spend quality time with the gorgeous woman than mess around with some beasts.

    "Boy, how dare you address the goddesses like that?" The short, rabbit-like creature blew into a fit of rage once more as it red at Nox. "She has a name, you stupid mort-"

    "Enough! Gaunri."

    Before he could continue any more, the goddess silenced him, and he immediately plopped into his seat while staring at the boy with a hateful gaze.

    Just within a couple of minutes, this lowly mortal had made his beloved goddess reprimand him more than once!

    ''Hehehehe, even if you get selected, I''ll make sure to make your life difficult¡­ you dare mess with the god xxxx, let''s see if you get an easy time taming my kind.'' A malicious light shed within Gaunri''s eyes as he looked at the boy.

    ''Hmmmm.'' Feeling the gaze that seemed to bore a hole in his back, Nox briefly looked around; just now, he felt as if his life was in danger¡­ but couldn''t detect the source.

    While he was standing there, the beautiful, robust Cat Woman finally opened her mouth.

    "My name is Terra," the Cat Woman stated, attracting Nox''s full attention¡­ for some reason, he was verypelled to listen to what she was saying. "I''m the goddess of Beast Taming, or was the goddess of Beast Taming." She quickly corrected herself with a bitter chuckle.

    As she said these words, Nox felt a somber aura envelop the grand hall. The lively mood had taken a 180-degree turn. As his gaze scanned the hall, he saw his sworn enemy, the rabbit, clenching his fists along with the other beings.

    With a closer look, he could even see umted tears in the eyes of the women. The older ones struggled to keep the tears back, but as for the younger ones, a stream was already rolling off their cheeks while a few held hands so tight, as if they let go, the other person would disappear.

    What could elicit such a reaction from these powerful-looking beings? Nox wondered as he looked at the Cat Woman again.

    ''Damn, seeing this sight, I''m no longer aroused.'' Now all he wanted was to know the reason for their reaction. For some reason, he didn''t like seeing them all gloomy like this.

    Unbeknownst to him, all the beings present could also feel his empathy, and the ones that loathed him were now looking at him in a new light.

    "It would beughable if I still called myself a goddess with this fickle divinity I have left." Terra waved her hand, making beautiful golden patterns in the air. "Do you want to hear a story?" She asked the boy, who shouldered the fates of everyone present here.

    Nox nodded his head, and the goddess started with a small smile on her lips. "Among all the countless universes, there was no world as beautiful and fantastic as Eos."

    Immediately thest words were spoken, the golden patterns that were swirling around Terra''s hand burst into countless golden fragments like fireworks in the air¡­ those fragments rushed towards Nox, whose survival instincts kicked in to dodge, but it was toote¡­ the golden fragments enveloped him.

    Opening his eyes again, Nox found himself hovering in white space¡­ and the next second, that space morphed into a colorful fantasy city with castles surrounded by imposing walls, cobblestone streets filled with gryphons pulling luxurious carriages, an adventure guild filled with lines of people in magic armors and robes, and a tavern bustling with customers,ughing heartily to themselves.

    "Wow." Nox couldn''t help but open his mouth wide in amazement when he saw (in his bird''s eye perspective) flying beasts mounted by noble-looking armored warriors¡­ a group of adventurers raiding dungeons and ying powerful monsters¡­ then most important of all.

    "A system!" The boy eximed in excitement.

    Yes, Nox saw a ginger-haired adventurer bathed in a golden glow and proceeded to summon her system panel, which disyed her ss, level, and skills.

    "This¡­" The sixteen-year-old was speechless.

    This was the dream world of every weeb out there!

    ''Scratch this, I don''t want to wake up from this dream again.''

    "Beautiful, right?" At that moment, Terra''s melodious voice woke Nox from his salivating state. Because he was invested in the scenery, he had failed to notice the presence of the beautiful goddess who had remained beside him all this while.

    "But like every beautiful thing, even the world of Eos has its dark side."

    The scenery started to change once more, the lively atmosphere gone, now reced by a gloomy atmosphere¡­ Although he was just watching the illusion, everything felt very surreal, and the oppressive aura even weighed down on him.

    "In the world of Eos, where the gods reign supreme, a young man named Gustavo Cromwell inherited a powerful legacy. A legacy that could change the course of history."

    The scene shed, and a tall, mightily built man appeared. He was draped in the hides of beasts, and a fierce scar ran through his left cheek¡ªa medal of war. The warrior-looking man was standing at the forefront of a battlefield.

    His army? It wasposed of colossal dragons, ancient leviathans, and monstrosities he had never seen before. They were regal and prideful¡­ the sheer aura emitted from them could bring an entire to shambles.

    Nox stared at this being with fascination. If the aura emitted from the feline goddess was fierce, then the aura emitted from this man was like a raging me that wanted to devour anything in its path.

    "Powerful, right? The mere mention of Gustavo''s name gives those prideful, arrogant gods nightmares."

    "What made him this powerful?" Nox inquired, his voiceced with curiosity.

    "Beast Taming." Terra smiled as she thought back to the past. "A ss so powerful that it could turn humans and mythical beasts alike into loyal pets. In fact, all of civilization wasn''t safe from its wrath!"

    "Unfortunately, this ss was the reason for his demise." The next moment, the smile disappeared from Terra''s face, and Nox subconsciously braced himself for what he was about to witness next.

 Chapter 3: Pantheon of Mythical Beasts [3]

    Terra''s expression turned somber, and her voice wasced with a hint of sorrow. "Gustavo''s legacy was too powerful, and the gods feared his ability, so they conspired against him, and¡­"

    The scenery shifted, and Nox witnessed a gruesome battle. Gustavo, surrounded by his loyal beasts, fought against an army of gods. The skies were filled with the cries of shing dragons, and the earth shook beneath the feet of the ancient leviathans.

    Nox''s eyes widened as he saw Gustavo, his body battered and scarred yet still standing tall. The warrior''s aura red brighter, and he unleashed a mighty roar that sent the gods stumbling back.

    "The god magic, god of war, god of hunt, or Swords. However you name it, they''re all a bunch of selfish bastards," Terra spat out venomously.

    For the first time in this dream world, Nox felt anger radiating from the beautiful feline goddess; even her face was twisted to a sneer at the mention of the gods.

    ''This feeling¡­it''s very simr to talking about those who murdered your parents or those who took something very important from you,'' Nox noted; this was the only thought that came to his mind as he watched the unfolding battle.

    "After battling for 20 days and nights, those hypocrites finally defeated Gustavo and his loyalpanions."

    "Why do they want to get rid of him so bad?" The boy tilted his head to the goddess. "Of course I know, it''s because the Beast Taming ss is strong, but still¡­"

    Before he could continue rambling any further, Terra interrupted.

    "It was because he tamed the Dragon Goddess, Tiamant."

    Silence!

    Absolute silence fell over this mysterious realm for a long time as Nox sucked in his breath.

    Without Terra exining, he instinctively knew the reason why the gods were so adamant about getting rid of Gustavo¡­

    They were simply insecure!

    With such power, the gods feared that if they allowed Gustavo to continue growing stronger, he would eventually enve them all and reduce them to nothing more than loyal servants, or even worse, turn them into literal dogs, forcing them to obey his everymand.

    And if there was one thing the gods despised most¡­it was serving another god!

    "After defeating my vassal," Terra continued, her fist clenched, "they decided to annihte him along with all the beast tamers on Eos and erased the Beast Taming ss from existence."

    The scenery changed once again, and Nox and Terra found themselves in the grand hall where the rest of the beings with animalistic features were still seated.

    "This brings us to the reason for you being here," Terra, now seated on her grand throne, spoke. "How would you like to continue Gustavo''s legacy and be my new vassal?"

    Nox pondered for a while then looked up at the beautiful goddess. "How about no!"

    Gasp! Gasp!

    Several gasps escaped the lips of the beings as they held each other even tighter.

    "We''re doomed. He''s the 1,000th person who has rejected the offer now."

    "Tsk, she should have just sent him to Eos; why show him Gustavo''s fate? Of course, any sane person would refuse."

    "Mommy, what is the human saying? Are we going to die?"

    "No, we won''t. A worthy vassal will finally appear," a mother said to her child as she muttered in a low voice, ''I hope so.''

    ''I thought he was different; was I wrong?'' Even Terra had a solemn expression. She had high hopes for this one after seeing his fearless personality, but did she judge too early? At this rate, after 1,000 rejections, would they even find a worthy vassal?

    The reason they were so hellbent on finding a vassal was their will to continue living. All the beings here were the gods that made up the pantheon of Beast Taming.

    But for these gods to thrive, they needed Celestial Energy, which was supplied only by followers of their Pantheon¡ªBeast Tamers.

    Because of the annihtion of all the Beast Tamers, the Pantheon of Mythical Beastscked followers. This was the reason Terra had only a little amount of Celestial Energy¡­ording to her estimate, it would be exhausted by the time she summoned one more soul.

    Previously, their numbers were in the millions just like the other Pantheons, but because of thecking Celestial energy required for them to continue living, most of the members had no choice but to sacrifice themselves so that their goddess could summon a vassal, but from the look of things, their sacrifice would be wasted.

    "If we don''t find a worthy Beast Tamer soon, our pantheon will fade into oblivion. We''ll be nothing more than a forgotten myth. All of their sacrifice would be for naught," Terra thought about this as she clenched her fist to the point blood was dripping from her hands.

    She looked at all the members of her Pantheon who were looking at her with hopeful eyes, but how would she tell them that she could only summon one more soul?

    "Ptff!!! Hahahahaha!" While the hall was covered in gloominess, a loudughter burst out from the center of the hall.

    ''So he''s still here?''

    For a moment, the gods had forgotten about Nox''s existence and were deliberating about their fate, but now that they saw himughing manically at their situation, they were suddenly enraged and wanted to torture his soul to death here and there.

    But before they could do anything, Terra''s face suddenly lit up as she gestured for them to remain in their positions.

    "Don''t tell me." A small smile twitched at the corner of her lips. ''I knew I didn''t choose wrong; this little rascal was just pulling our legs all this while.''

    "Of course, I ept!" Nox screamed at the top of his voice. "It would be stupid of me to waste this opportunity! Who wouldn''t want to stand on the shoulders of giants?"

    Although it was a dream, Nox couldn''t help but say this because this was how he felt after witnessing Gustavo''s battle against the gods. With his powerful beastpanions, he was almost invincible!

    Hearing him, every being present on the grandstand erupted into boisterous cheers of joy¡­with renewed hope, they hugged each other while sharing tears of joy and snot.

    Gunri, although he didn''t want to show this cocky human that he was happy, couldn''t stop his hand from trembling in excitement.

    "I, the god of Wolves, grant you the cunning and loyalty of my pack!"

    Out of excitement, one by one the gods began to bestow their good wishes on the one who had rekindled the hope in their hearts.

    "I, the god of Horses, give you the speed and endurance of my galloping herd!"

    "I, the god of Bears, give you the strength and resilience of my mighty kin!"

    "I, the god of Snakes, bestow upon you the agility and stealth of my slitheringpanions!" the beautiful python, who initially thought Nox would disrupt the peace of Eos, hissed with a subtle smile.

    Listening to their good wishes, Nox didn''t think too much, but little did he know that each of the gods'' blessings was strengthening his soul.

    With a radiant smile, Terra silenced everyone and said in a serious voice, "With the blessings of all the gods, you are now ready to begin your journey, but before that, there is onest thing you''ll need to aid you in your mission."

    Following her words, a roulette with names of different talents scribbled on it appeared, but for some reason, all these talents were blurred out.

    "Spin it," Terra beckoned, the beautiful smile still on her face.

    With a nod of his head, Nox spun the roulette, and after what felt like a minute, it came to a stop.

    "A dual talent. Good, it seems evendy luck is on your side. For some reason, the smile on Terra''s face bloomed. The same could be said for the rest of the gods, and they were whispering among themselves in hushed, excited tones.

    It seemed that whatever talent Nox chose was pretty good.

    After instructing Nox on what to do, the feline Goddess spoke. "We will meet again when you unlock your job Profession. For now, you''re dismissed."

    "Sigh, am I finally waking up now?" Nox thought as he felt his body turning into particles before he faded into nothing. As he finally disappeared, his words lingered.

    "This dream took longer unlike the others¡­such a shame I didn''t court the cat woman."

    "Huh?" The gods looked at each other confusedly.

    Cough! Cough!

    Terra coughed lightly, her cheeks turning red. This was the first time someone had dared to say such brazen words to her face.

    And what did he mean by dream?

    The feline goddess decided to stop thinking about it and change the topic. "Shall we see what talent our vassal selected?"

    ""Yes""

    From the angle they could tell it was two powerful talents, but still, they couldn''t stop themselves from looking at it.

    With a wave of the goddess''s hand, the talent Nox selected shone in the grand hall for all the gods and goddesses present.

    ¡­

    Allows the user to mimic the nature of any ability that exists as long as he has seen it ore in contact with the original owner. +1 skill per level.

    Automatically evolves any mimicked skills by 10x its original power, allowing the user to exponentially surpass the original owners'' abilities.

    ¡­

    Example

    The skill "Mimicry" activated! - Target: Cosmic Entity Arkea - Sessfully copied Skill "Gravity Maniption"!

    Description: Gravity Maniption Creates a localized gravity field, slowing enemies within a 5-meter radius by 20% for 5 seconds.

    Description: Gravitational Singrity Creates a singrity that pulls in enemies within a 20-meter radius, dealing 5,000 damage and stunning them for 5 seconds. Allies within the area gain a 30% damage boost for 10 seconds.

    ¡­

    "Holy moly!"

    All the gods simultaneously jumped to their feet when they saw the skills.

    They were all shocked!

    How was something like this even possible!

    "H-he''s an anomaly! He shouldn''t exist!" Gunri pointed out with trembling hands.

    With this talent, Nox was bound to disrupt the universalws and bnce of Eos!

    "Hehehehe, if those bastards thought Gustavo was overpowered, then they should prepare for a rude awakening," Terra tried hard to control her reaction but in the end, she couldn''t help but let out a cold smirk as she looked forward to her vassal''s journey in the world of Eos.

 Chapter 4: The MadDog of the West

    "Wasn''t I supposed to wake up? Why does my bed feel so squishy?" Nox couldn''t help but wonder aloud in confusion.

    After the failed dream in the beast pantheon, he found himself swirling in a dark, gloomy void of nothingness. No matter how much he tried to look around, it was futile; onlyplete darkness met his gaze.

    At first, he thought this was just another dream since it wasn''t the first time he''d had multiple dreams consecutively.

    And he didn''t particrly know how this dream worked, but he just decided to go with the flow. Sooner orter, he would wake up to his boring mundane life.

    While he was still trying to make sense of the dream in this strange space, a bright sh of light suddenly appeared, and he could finally see his surroundings.

    "Hmmm, white snakes?" Nox was puzzled when he saw the scene around him.

    All around him, he could see thick, white-headed, shiny snakes slithering about inside what appeared to be a sea of slimy water.

    Normally, Nox might have felt disgusted by the shiny, slimy creatures, but surprisingly, he felt ustomed to them. Only when he observed himself did he discover the reason for hisck of disgust.

    ''I''m one of them, am I not?'' Nox helplessly sighed, thinking this particr dream was especially wild.

    "Push! Just a little more!"

    At that moment, there was a slight disturbance in the sea of white snakes, and Nox, the short-looking snake, felt his body being squeezed and pushed in a direction with bright light.

    Whether it was instinct or not, nobody knew, but all the shiny snakes began to rush toward the light like a tidal wave. Nox was no different; he had this instinct that if he didn''t reach that white ce, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

    Determined, the short, thick snake used brute force to shove itsrger counterparts aside and finally reached the opening.

    Just as it was about to squeeze through the glorious portal, a second slimy snake came out of nowhere, struck Nox aside, and dove into the opening.

    ''Bitch, that won''t be happening!'' the short snake thought angrily as it quickly bit into the slim snake''s tail. With a pained expression, the slim snake tried shaking Nox off its tail, but it was futile. Thetter clenched with all his might, and in the end, they were both sucked into the bright white opening.

    "Congrattions, Lady Aina, you gave birth to a beautiful set of twins." A pregnant blonde woman with green eyes beamed with a smile as she looked at the exhausted figure of a red-haired woman with piercing eyes of the same color.

    "Where are they?" the red-haired woman whispered weakly. "Let me see my babies."

    Although she appeared exhausted from childbirth, her lean, feminine muscles were still visible, and she exuded an otherworldly aura, like that of a seasoned warrior who had fought many battles and witnessed bloodshed.

    When the blond maidservant, Cam, handed the twins, wrapped in warm cotton clothes, to Aina, warm tears slid down her cheeks, falling on the beautiful pair of twins who both inherited their fathers ck eyes.

    ''My beautiful babies,'' She whispered, controlling her tears as she held the two tiny twins close to her bosom.

    The process of childbirth had been excruciatingly painful, especially for someone of her species. She''d nearly lost her mind, but the only thing that had kept her sane was the thought of seeing and holding her beloved children.

    Even though she had initially expected only one, Aina was still grateful for having two. Looking at her children, Aina clenched her fist as she inwardly swore to protect them with her life¡­

    So that they would not encounter a simr fate to their father.

    With a wide smile on her face, she guided the mouths of the two caterpir-like babies to her breast. The two little ones had zero table manners as they hungrily drank their mother''s milk.

    It reached a point where the eldest of the twins, the girl, weakly brought her hand to smack her brother to let go of their mother''s breast as the distribution of milk wasn''t even.

    In retaliation, thetter only increased the pace at which he sucked, making his sister cry loudly.

    "Hahahahaha, these two will be very troublesome when they grow up." Cam and Aina burst intoughter when they saw this scene. She could already see the Cromwell Mansion turning into a mess due to these two fighting.

    Cam had served the Cromwells for close to a decade, and this was the first time she had seen her mistressugh so happily since that incident. Subconsciously, even she started smiling.

    ''Someone with a good heart like her doesn''t deserve all this misfortune. She should be happy,'' Cam thought.

    "Hmph, did your brother hurt you? Do you want me to spank his butt?" Aina said as she tried to appease her daughter, who felt wronged because of her wicked brother.

    Smack! Smack!

    Aina lightly pped the baby''s bum twice. They''d expected the baby to cry, but to their surprise, there was nothing of the sort, which left them puzzled.

    ''Is this the part where I''m supposed to cry?'' Nox, who had regained his consciousness for a while, thought.

    Seeing the two women looking at him strangely, he decided to give them what they were expecting.

    "Wuwuwuwuuwuwu!"

    When they saw him cry, the two breathed a sigh of relief, but Cam couldn''t help but narrow her eyes. She found the way the baby cried to be very disturbing and unnatural.

    Thinking it was just her imagination, she pushed the thought to the back of her head.

    "Have you thought about a name, Mistress?" Cam asked. She was currently holding the stubborn male twin who had refused to follow his sister''s footsteps and sleep.

    "I have, but let''s wait for Father-inw toe first." Aina smiled as she caressed her daughter. Although her daughter''s face looked chubby like any other newborn, Aina knew she would grow up to be a beautiful youngdy.

    ''The only problem would be her ego,'' she thought, resisting the urge to pinch the cheeks of the newborn who had an extremely proud, arrogant expression while sleeping.

    In the blink of an eye, hours passed, but the mother couldn''t leave the side of her babies even for a second as she watched her children with happiness and sorrow in her gaze.

    Although she was very happy, Aina couldn''t help but feel a pang in her heart because¡­ her children would never experience the love and security of a fatherly figure.

    A bit of timeter, the beautiful woman fell asleep while holding her children close to her bosom protectively.

    As she fell asleep, little did she know a certain fat cat with lustrous white fur was looking at Nox with an evil smirk.

    Somewhere in the western region of the Vermilion Kingdom, Mad n bandit group hideout¡­

    ~BOOM~

    ~BANG~

    Tendrils of violent blue mes snaked through the ground, setting rows of tents aze; the me power was so fierce that it directly exploded the tents into smithereens, raining ashes throughout the peaceful forest.

    The little animals hiding underneath the bushes winced in pain as they scrambled for safety, while looking at the catalyst of this destruction with hateful res.

    "Hehehehehe¡­ so beautiful."

    In the midst of this destruction, an old bag of bones with shiny bald hair was looking at this scene with maniacal glee in his eyes. Although he was skinny, this man, who seemed very close to his sickbed, was packed with muscles and vitality that could even put youths to shame.

    "Dear Sir, please spare us!"

    "We would change our ways!"

    "I have a wife and kids at home. Please, I don''t want my wife to be a widow."

    "Hmmm, these worms are still here?" An annoyed expression appeared on the man''s face as he stared at the bandits who had disturbed his beautiful moment.

    For months, this bunch of lowlifes had been terrorizing the citizens, stealing their goods, kidnapping people, andmitting other heinous crimes that he didn''t even want to think about.

    At first, he had overlooked them, but after their persistent tyrannical nature, he decided to finally make a move.

    And the result was¡­

    The entire bandit encampment was razed to the ground in just two minutes.

    "I should''ve left this region. They warned me about this madman, but I didn''t listen." The leader of the bandit group, a muscr woman, said while trembling in the presence of this powerfully built man that had flickers of me swirling in those fierce eyes of his.

    "What are you willing to pay for your price, scums?" The man sneered, regarding the bandits like insignificant ants. "Your freedom depends on the price you''re willing to offer, so think quickly. My old bones are aching for a sleep."

    ''Damn you! Shameless bastard, we are the bandits, we''re the ones who are meant to be extorting people, not the other way around!''

    Everyone there had the same thought as they looked at the shameless man who exuded the aura of justice.

    With a defeated look in their eyes, they began to retrieve bags of silver coins and other weapons from their spatial storage, and in a couple of seconds, a mountain of weapons and coins formed.

    The old man disyed a shit-eating grin, revealing his white broken teeth when he saw the heap of treasures.

    With a simple wave of his arm, the treasure disappeared, and he looked at the bandits who had extremely furious expressions. That was months'' worth of extortion!

    While the bandits were cursing this man in their hearts, they suddenly felt the shadow of a massive beasting down from the heavens, casting an ominous shadow all around.

    "Shit! What''s that?"

    They became terrified immediately at this sight.

    Above their heads, they could see a massive ck and red-scaled wyvern emitting a menacing aura.

    "Thank you for the offering. This old man really appreciates it. Till next time then!" While they were awestruck, the annoying voice of the old man reached their ears. They looked up in time just to see the bag of bones leaping through the air, seating his bony butt on the saddle of the beast.

    Immediately he was seated, the beast bolted into the sky, disappearing from the bandits'' sight, eliciting a collective sigh of relief from all of them.

    Once they were a considerable distance away, the young boy steering the beast couldn''t hold back the thought he had been suppressing all this while.

    "Master, I''m curious though, why are you sparing the bandits when you could kill them and end their tyranny once and for all?" the boy asked.

    After several expeditions of raiding bandits with this man, the youth couldn''t hold back his curiosity any longer.

    However, the answer he got wasn''t one he was expecting.

    "Hmph, where''s the fun in that?" A sneer appeared on the old man''s face. "If we kill them, how would we extort them in the future? Think, boy¡­ we need to keep the circle going on and on."

    "My Lord, that''s¡­"

    "I know what you''re thinking, but don''t say it¡­" The old man disyed a grin. "Let''s just go visit my grandkids."

 Chapter 5: The Cromwell Family

    Smack! Smack!

    "Why isn''t it crying... but it did the other time."

    "Who dares hit a baby like this!" Nox, who was sleeping peacefully, felt something smack his face quite hard; for someone to do something like this, that person must be heartless!

    Groggily opening his dark, night-like eyes, he found himself face to face with a fat white cat with green eyes; they would have been mesmerizing if not for the cat''s prideful, arrogant expression.

    This was the first time he had seen this cat, but for some reason, he already wanted to beat it up.

    [Hmmmm, so you finally woke up.] The cat stared at Aina and the other twin before returning his gaze to Nox as it adopted a dignified posture as if it was some sort of monarch.

    The sight made Nox clench his tiny fist.

    [The name is Mister Fluffington,] the cat said in a condescending tone. [And from this day onward, you, gentleman, would be my servant... Usually, I''d conduct an interview to gauge your skills in serving noble creatures such as myself, but I''ll make apromise for you... any questions?]

    ~Whistle~ ~Whistle~

    The baby and the fat cat stared at each other in silence for a while.

    Fluffington tilted his head hauntingly to the side as he looked at the baby. [As expected, it seems even you fell for my charm.]

    "What the fuck!" Nox''s remaining self-control shatteredpletely when the cat spoke again.

    ''Who the heck are you?!'' He couldn''t help but ask in his mind.

    The scene felt like something he would only witness if he were on hard drugs. What the actual heck was this? Why was a cat of all thingsmunicating with him, and how was he even understanding the cat?

    Smack!

    [Gentleman, it''s uncultured to speak like that to your elders, or is it that youck portraits of old men in your house?] Fluffington reprimanded as it struck Nox with its paws once more.

    Tears threatened to fall from Nox''s eyes as he looked at the cat with rage. What had he done to deserve such bullying? He was just some hours old, for heaven''s sake!

    ''Sniff, what hurts most is that these stupid baby muscles won''t even move,'' he thought amidst his silent sob.

    However, a mischievous gleam soon appeared in his eyes as he thought of the only way to retaliate.

    "Hmphf, take 1 millimeter you eloquent bastard!" Nox sneered as a fountain of water shot out from his lower region, drenching the cat.

    Smack! Smack! Smack!

    [Moron, how dare you stain me with your filth!]

    But the cat''s retaliation was even more brutal as it started to mercilessly smack the baby. Unable to take it anymore, Nox burst into a loud cry; he cried with all his might to wake his mother to save him from this evil cat.

    "Wuwuwuwuuwuwu!"

    In the middle of the night, Aina was startled awake by the cry of her precious baby.

    A sword materialized in her grasp as panic gripped her heart. The cry reminded her of the battlefield with her sisters, and she looked around warily, not seeing any assants.

    "Huh?" It was only after she felt wetness on the bed that she noticed that her stubborn male child had wet the bed and the presence of the familiar cat, licking and cuddling with the baby like a protective big brother.

    "It seems my little pumpkin finally met Fluffington." A loving smile appeared on her face as she saw this sight. "Fluffington, no matter what, make sure to protect your little brother and sister, alright?"

    ~Meow~ the cat meowed cutely as it rubbed its soft furry head on the baby''s head. Seeing this, Aina nodded her head, thinking the cat was very responsible and reliable.

    Meanwhile...

    ''I''m doomed!'' This was the thought that came to his mind when he realized the nature of this mischievous cat.

    ***

    Five days had passed, and Nox came to realize that his current reality was no dream even though it had been very hard to believe at first.

    As an orphan on Earth, Nox stayed shut in, doing small tasks around the neighborhood to raise money for food and spending the rest on web novels and anime.

    With such a mundane life, he happily epted this new exciting world with an open heart... after all, in this life he had a loving, doting mother.

    ... And this strange bag of bones that was coughing violently, looking like someone that might fall and die any moment from now on.

    Currently, Nox was being held by the bony hand of who he was just told was his grandpa Nathan.

    This shiny-headed man looked at him with a loving gaze, but his broken teeth made Nox a little frightened. The old man looked like those homeless uncles back on Earth who steal candy from little kids.

    "Hahahahaha, he looks just like his father when he was younger!" The man burst into a fit of heartyughter after staring at the boy for a while. "Have you thought of a name for them?"

    Aina, holding the female twin, smiled. "Yes, the female is Nyx and the male is Nox."

    "Hmmmm good cho- Cough! Cough!" Nathaniel was interrupted by a violent fit of coughing, so strong that his entire body was vibrating intensely.

    Worried, Nox patted that shiny bald head while speaking in his baby voice.

    "Eyaaa: Bless you. Don''t die on me, old man!"

    Nox''s words came from the bottom of his heart. Although this man''s features weren''t very pleasing, Nox felt he was a good man and they''d get along just fine. Watching his grandfather''s terrible condition, he felt a pang in his heart.

    Seeing Nox''s adorable action, the man burst into a fit ofughter once more as he hugged the baby. He already loved this naughty grandson of his and would make sure no harm befalls him.

    While he was hugging Nox affectionately, Nyx started crying and stretched her hands towards her grandfather from her mother''s embrace.

    "Hahahahaha, it seems someone is jealous." The old man chuckled as he hugged his two grandkids affectionately. "Anytime you two brats are in trouble, always remember your powerful Gran- Cough! Cough!"

    ''I''m so convinced,'' Nox couldn''t help but roll his eyes, but he grimaced the next moment. ''Damn, old man, your chest bones are poking me.''

 Chapter 6: Awakining The Class [1]

    ''Hmmmm, from what that goddess showed him, all inhabitants of this world should have the System interface...'' Nox thought as he expertly used his baby hands to massage Fluffington, who was lounging on a cushioned throne.

    Five months had passed since Nox came to this world, and he was still very clueless, like a country bumpkin, which wasn''t entirely his fault, as his mother or Aunty Cam always kept constant watch on him.

    He rarely spent time alone, and even then, he was forced to attend to Fluffington as if he were the cat''s personal servant, which irked Nox to the bone. Many times, he fought with Fluffington, but usually got his butt kicked, with the cat winning nine out of ten times.

    In the end, Nox could only resign himself to his fate, biding his time until he grew up, when he would repay all this bullying tenfold.

    One thing to note, though, was that the cat didn''t harbor any evil intent against the baby or any member of the family. When he wasn''t being all haughty and arrogant, he was a good listener to Nox and would even offer his ''world-ss advice,'' as he liked to call it.

    But these moments were very rare. For Nox to get Fluffington to do something for him, he had to meticulously serve and please the cat.

    ''Let''s see... ording to the book, it should be something like this.'' Nox thought as he spoke the magic words. "Status!"

    [Unavable... Go to the temple. Map function avable]

    "The temple, huh?" Nox pondered. From Terra, he came to understand that for the citizens of Eos to awaken a ss, they must first worship the statue belonging to the god of said ss, and he was no different.

    If he wanted to fully unlock and understand the functions of his Status, he needed to locate the goddess of beast taming''s statues.

    Fortunately, there was a map.

    ''But how do I get to that ce? It''s quite far from here,'' the baby pondered. Then an idea struck him as he looked at Fluffington with a mischievous smirk.

    This haughty cat would y a huge role in awakening his ss.

    Just like that, five years passed, and Nox learned more about this world. Although his knowledge wasn''t expansive, he gleaned basic knowledge from the tidbits he heard from his Gramps and his friends who came over to y chess and drink beer.

    During these years, Nox realized that his near-death grandfather held quite a position around here.

    Even though he suspected they were rich because of their tastefully furnished mansion, Nox never thought that his grandfather was a baron and that this barony was named after their family: Cromwell Barony!

    Cromwell Barony was a walled town located in the western region of the Vermilion Kingdom, close to the great Luminary River that flowed from the mountains to the sea. The town was serene, and even the air was pure, free from the industrial pollution of Earth.

    Nox strongly suspected that if people from Earth breathed this air, they would live longer. What other exnation could he give for his grandfather? It was clear the grave was calling that old man, but he was very stubborn. It must be the air!

    The folks in the barony were all peace-loving. They weren''t rich, but you couldn''t call them poor either, as they could afford three square meals a day.

    Since he followed his grandfather everywhere, most of the townsfolk were ustomed to him, and he got along well with the other kids. In fact, he was the leader of the notorious hen thieves, a ndestine organization that targeted chickens that had matured but whose owners refused to butcher them.

    This group did those chickens good by safely guiding them to the afterlife.

    Despite his not-so-good organization, the townspeople loved him because he was a good kid and respectful to his elders. Unlike the other pompous noble kids, finding Nox running around with his little brother, dangling along with the other kids, was amon sight.

    As for Nyx, although she was just five years old, her beauty was already starting to bloom, and the townspeople couldn''t help butpliment her whenever they met her.

    However, unlike her twin brother, Nyx was rather aloof and didn''t y with the other kids that much. The only person she yed with was Serana, Cam''s daughter.

    Her aloof demeanor and beauty made her the unreachable goddess and crush for most of the boys.

    ***

    The Cromwell Manor...

    Behind the Cromwell Mansion, on a lush green field with a mountain casting a beautiful backdrop, a group of old men were seated around a table that was filled with beer.

    "Hmmmm, it seems little Nox will be more troublesome than his father." Arge, muscr, ck-skinned man with dreadlocksmented as he looked at the children and cat in the distance who were ying tag.

    This man was Gordon ir, a druid, husband of Cam, and father of Serana.

    "What do you expect from this bastard''s grandkids?" a bearded man wearing a leather tunic said as he took a swig of his foamy booze. "We''re lucky the girl took after her mother; if not, this town would''ve turned upside down."

    "Elvin, what do you mean by that? Do you have a problem with my grandson?" The aura around Nathanial shifted as he red at the archer. If one looked closely, they could see hot airing out of his nostrils.

    "Your grandson stole my 8-month-old chicken!" Elvin retorted, standing up on his feet as well, making the air crackle with anticipation.

    "Hehehehe, I like this," a short, sturdy old manughed evilly.

    "Calm down, you idiots! To think even after nearing your grave, you fools would still act this childish." A wrinkleddy with grey hair tied to a ponytail massaged her temple as she looked at the old men in disappointment.

    This woman was Lady Celine. She was the healer of the Cromwell Barony and the sense of reason to these chaotic old men who had been her friends since they were children.

    She''d spent half of her life acting like the elder sister to these men. Even at this age, with grandkids, one might think they''d finally have some sense, but no, they were still as troublesome, fighting over insignificant things that weren''t even worth quarreling about."

    "Let''s just wait for Lady Eve to arrive and proceed with this meeting already." Celine sighed. For once in her life, she didn''t want to reprimand these old men.

    "And there goes my fun. Thank you very much, Celine," the short old manined, frustration evident in his voice.

    Despite his height, this man, Hans, was a powerful warrior who had fought through several wars. After retiring from the battlefield, he had been extremely bored. Seeing that a fight was about to erupt, he was very excited!

    Bam!

    "Huh?"

    In the field, Nox, who was running around with the other children, suddenly bumped into someone. This person stood six feet tall and wore a ck, tight-fitting gown that entuated her curvaceous body. Her lustrous dark hair cascaded down to her waist, and her piercing, ruby-like eyes stared intently at Nox as a dark, ominous aura billowed around her.

    The boy was dumbstruck when he saw this woman. She was the second most beautiful woman he had seen in his two lives!

    Second to his mother, of course. No matter how beautiful a woman was, Nox believed she could never surpass his mother.

    "Keep looking, and you won''t have eyes anymore," the woman uttered in a cold, unfriendly voice. It felt as if Nox had wronged her in the past.

    "S-sorry, miss, I didn''t see you." Nox hurriedly apologized as he squatted and picked up the thing the woman had mistakenly dropped. "Here you go."

    "Let me go, you pipsqueak!"

    "Huh?" Nox was suddenly rmed when he heard a tiny voice in his ear. He frantically searched around but couldn''t detect that voice...

    ''Wait, it couldn''t be!'' Then his gaze fell on the thing in his hand, and his eyes widened!

    ''Heok???''

    The boy didn''t even know when the thing flew from his hand to the woman.

    "A fuckin'' skull, my god!"

    Yup, the thing was an eerie skull with glowing green eyes.

    What was she doing with a skull?! Nox would have asked this question if he weren''t trying to get as far away as he could from this mysterious woman giving off the aura of death.

    "Tsk, he looks just like him," the green-eyed skull spoke as it rested on its master''s palms, but it soon felt its head being squeezed. It hurriedly pleaded, forgetting its master didn''t like to be reminded of that person.

    "Finally, you''re here. Let''s kick-start this meeting." Celine sighed in relief when she saw the woman finally arrive.

    "What''s the meeting about?" the woman said. "I was in the middle of something before I came here... so let''s make this snappy."

    Nathan nodded his head seriously. From his expression alone, one could tell the content of the meeting was very important.

    "It''s about that greedy, selfish bastard Felix," he said with a hate-filled tone.

    "What about him?"

    "The King recently promoted him to a duke," Celine said bitterly.

 Chapter 7: Awakening The Class [2]

    The night was cold and peaceful in Cromwell Barony, with darkness only punctuated by the soft glow ofnterns from numerous houses. Windows shuttered open and closed in response to the chill brought by the wind.

    It was midnight, and the entire town was asleep, except for a few who remained awake.

    "Gotcha, checkmate!"

    "You bastard, cheater!"

    "Oi! Cheat? I wouldn''t lower my esteemed self to that level. Cut me some ck, please..."

    "Hmph, says the man who scammed the king!"

    On the towering walls of Cromwell Barony, which were as wide as a road back on earth, Nathan and Elvin were ying chess with booze beside them. The two men reeked of alcohol, and if one looked closely, you''d notice they were wasted.

    Unlike the normal townsfolk, these two and the rest of their friends hardly got any shut-eye because they felt vulnerable whenever they did.

    Although the kids didn''t know it, these men had participated in the great war that marked the Age of Rebirth. They had witnessed bloodshed and massacre and had taken their fair share of lives, both innocent and evil.

    It wouldn''t be a stretch to say these men had seen the worst of humanity. They feared that if they closed their eyes for too long, one of their numerous enemies from the past woulde back to bite them.

    While the two old men were busy on the wall, a five-year-old with ck hair streaked with sparse red and midnight eyes was facing a pristine white fat cat.

    Nox''s immature face was very serious as he looked at the cat lounging on the cushioned couch. The atmosphere was tense, as if they were about to strike a multimillion-dor deal.

    ''Hope this proposition works,'' he thought. He had considered this n throughout the night, including methods to sneak out of the barony to the temple, but all of it hinged on whether this haughty cat would agree.

    But the bombshell dropped much earlier than he anticipated.

    [I decline your offer.] Fluffington licked his paws. [What makes you think I would be interested in such pedestrian offers?]

    ''I expected this. Fortunately, there''s still one card left to y.''

    "You jumped to conclusions too soon, Fluffington," Nox stated. "There are benefits for you if you help me with this."

    [borate more on these benefits you speak about.] There was a look of sudden interest on Fluffington''s face, and Nox couldn''t help but curse the feline bastard in his heart.

    Regardless, he continued, ''You see, I recently found a rare and exotic herb, one that will not only make your fur even more luxurious but also much more shiny.''

    Nox paused and disyed a grin that was very simr to his grandfather''s own. Of course, there was nothing of such! This was a scam in the making!

    "Not only that, if you apany me on this journey, I''ll give you the finest massage with the most exotic bowl of milk!"

    [Hmmmm, this sounds interesting.]

    Fluffington''s tail started to twitch but then suddenly stopped, and he narrowed his eyes. [Why go through the trouble when I can just force you to give me this herb and massage you speak of?]

    ''This bastard'' Nox cursed. If Fluffington wanted to do that, there was nothing he could do. Although he was no longer a little toddler, he was still scared of this bully of a cat who would constantly smack him for the slightest offenses.

    At that moment, Fluffington yawned, revealing his sharp teeth. ''If it were any other time, I''d have you know that I would not hesitate to use my... paws to acquire the herbs and massage you so generously offer. But, for once, I''m curious about what you''re up to.''

    "Before I change my mind, tell me about this ce."

    Nox nodded and proceeded to tell Fluffington about their journey, omitting some important details. He wasn''t worried the fat cat would reveal this information because, in the time he had spent in this world, he had learned that he was the only one who couldmunicate with the cat.

    Nox strongly suspected it had to do with the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts.

    Fluffington looked at the mischievous youth for a while. The cat suspected he was not revealing everything. However, he still chose to follow along.

    His reason was solely because he was curious about what this journey was about and also because he wanted to keep a close eye on the mischievous boy so that he wouldn''t get into trouble.

    Although he didn''t show it, the cat was very fond of Nox, not only because he gave him massages but also because the boy was the only human he couldmunicate with.

    Thanks to the map pre-installed by Terra, Nox knew what direction to take.

    Fluffington was fat and massive, unlike the cats back on earth, so Nox was able to mount him. Although the prideful cat didn''t agree at first, he had no choice because Nox was slow and fragile.

    If he let the boy walk, it would only hinder their journey and risk them being caught.

    Following the road that led to the field at the back of their mansion, Nox, mounted on the cat, suddenly came to a halt when they noticed someone.

    ''Mother,'' the boy thought as he watched the solemn expression on her face.

    Under the nket of darkness, Aina, her beauty illuminated by thentern, the most beautiful woman Nox knew, fixed her gaze northward with a longing gaze.

    ''Why does she sit here every night and look in that particr direction?'' Nox wondered.

    It felt as if she was waiting for someone to return, and he had seen her do this since he was a baby...

    Some days, he and his twin sister would apany her.

    Nox''s little heart ached at the sight. His mother was clearly suffering silently, and he didn''t like it.

    ''I remember asking who she''s waiting for, but she never tells me.''

    The little boy clenched his tiny fist. He knew the reason nobody mentioned his father was because he must have died, so he didn''t even consider that Aina was waiting for her husband.

    From what he saw and heard from the goddesses Terra, the world of Eos was a ce where the strong dictated the lives of the weak. Though they were well off, Nox didn''t consider his family and the barony to be powerful.

    Especially when there was a bag of bones who was very close to his grave as the baron.

    In fact, for some reason, the town was mostly popted by children and women, with few young adults.

    Considering all these facts, the little boy felt even more determined to venture to the temple and awaken his ss. The power he witnessed Gustavo wielding in those illusions¡ªhe wanted it.

    ''Because with such power, I can protect the citizens of the barony, my mother, my stupid sister, this stupid cat beside me, and my grandfather... I just pray he doesn''t die before I return.''

    Steeling his mind, the boy, mounted on the cat''s back, skillfully maneuvered through the fields, carefully evading Aina''s gaze before they disappeared into the distance.

    "I don''t know when you''lle back, but I''ll keep waiting," Aina whispered, tears streaking down her cheeks. "No matter how long it takes."

    She looked utterly heartbroken.

    ***

    ''Phew, that was easy!'' Nox sighed in relief.

    [Hmph, we are not done yet,] Fluffington sneered, interrupting the boy. [We still need to traverse these mighty walls.]

    "Thanks for the reality check, Mister Fluffington," Nox said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, got a n?"

    Fluffington didn''t reply. He simply approached the wall, ced his paw, and it stuck perfectly like a ma.

    A grin spread across Nox''s face as he tightened his grip on the cat. They quickly climbed the wall as if taking a stroll on the ground.

    Nox didn''t know how this was possible, but in this fantasy world,mon logic didn''t always apply.

    Unbeknownst to the cat and the little boy, their location had already been revealed.

    In a dark, ominous room filled with the presence of death, the green eyes of a skull began to glow as ifing to life.

    A split secondter, the skull smiled eerily. "Indeed, you were right, master. The pipsqueak and the descendant of Whiskarus are up to no good."

 Chapter 8: Awakining The Class [3]

    Grrrrrr!

    Nox clenched his teeth as the wind whipped against his face.

    Nox and the white cat were racing down a dirt path at a frightening speed. Nox held the cat tighter, almost digging his nails into its soft fur.

    ''This is really not Earth,'' Nox reminded himself once again. On Earth, cats were fast, but Fluffington was in a different league!

    Its speed wasparable to that of a full-grown cheetah, if not faster!

    Despite the danger, Nox couldn''t help but feel excited! If not for the intense speed they were moving at, he would have screamed at the top of his voice.

    ''If merely riding a beast could be this exciting, I wonder what it would be like to get a flying beast or even a dragon as a mount.'' The boy let his thoughts run wild for a moment, but it was within the realm of possibility... if only he could get his ss!

    "Where is the direction?" Because Fluffingtonmunicated through telepathy, he didn''t have difficulty speaking.

    ''Luminary Forest!'' Nox answered, his gaze fixed on the blinking arrow in his system interface. ''Just keep going.''

    Nox had learned from his grandfather about the Luminary Forest, where the historical Luminary River originated. It was said the forest was popted by various low and high-level beasts that could tear him to shreds.

    Knowing this, some might question Nox''s judgment, but he had two valid reasons why he had to do this now.

    First: The Beast Taming goddess, Terra, specifically instructed him to get his ss at the age of five because it was at this age that parents took their children to awaken a ss by taking them to any of the various temples that were scattered all over the world, and thest thing Nox wanted was to awaken another ss!

    After witnessing the potential of a beast tamer, Nox couldn''t imagine choosing any other path.

    Second: If all the gods refused the prayers of a child, or he didn''t awaken any ss by the age of five, that child would be deemed ssless.

    The third and most important reason...

    ''Terra told me that only a handful of people still know about the existence of the beast-taming ss... I strongly doubt if Mom and Gramps would allow me to awaken any random ss... that''s why I have to do this.'' Nox gritted his teeth hard as Fluffington left a white streak in his wake, closing in on the Luminary Forest.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    In Fluffington''s wake, two figures radiating powerful auras appeared simultaneously.

    "Your grandson is suspicious." One of the figures said in an indifferent voice as they narrowed their eyes.

    "Ah, my eyesight is getting weaker and weaker these days," Nathan imed. "For a moment there, I thought it was an enemy and was ready to disintegrate that person with mighty mes. Although I''m sad about that, it''s good to see you, Eve."

    Eve, the beautiful dark-haired woman who had scared Nox shirtless, didn''t reply. She merely looked in the direction Fluffington and the little tyrant had gone.

    "Why is he heading in that direction?" She voiced out after a moment. Listening to her voice, it was evident that she didn''t care; she was just curious to know what the boy was up to.

    After all, seeing a five-year-old riding a cat into a forest teeming with beasts in the middle of the night wasn''t an everyday urrence.

    "Hmmm, don''t tell me Miss Eve is concerned." Although Nathan knew she didn''t care, he couldn''t help but tease this woman who had a history with his family.

    "Hahaha, funny."

    "Master, please don''tugh..." The green-eyed skull floating beside the mysterious woman vibrated in terror. Thatugh was very unnatural and scary.

    "You and I know the reasons for my actions," Eve said, walking forward. "Thest thing I''d want is for ''those'' people to locate me."

    Nathan nodded. After spending so much time with her, he had learned that the mysterious woman who exuded an aura of death was a brief talker who liked to get straight to the point.

    "Even I don''t know, but I have a hunch," Nathan said with an unsure expression. "Although I forget a lot of things, I can never forget the dusty writing of my great-great-grandfather."

    "If my guess is right, this boy wants to tread the same path as Arthur."

    When Arthur was mentioned, a brief glint shed across Eve''s ruby eyes before it disappeared. Without saying a word, she dashed towards the Luminary Forest.

    The old man shook his head as he followed behind.

    ***

    Step! Step!

    "Mister Fluffington, what do you think those eyes are?" Nox asked bitterly as he saw countless red eyes staring at them from the darkness.

    Those gazes were so intense they seemed to bore holes in him. What made it worse was the sound of lips licking, like someone salivating over a delicious meal.

    [Probably lights used to decorate the forest,] Fluffington replied, its vignt eyes scanning around as it gave all the eyes an intimidating defiant stare.

    GROWL!

    ''Bastard, you''re not helping matters!'' Nox cursed inwardly as he heard the bestial sound.

    Then his eyes contracted the next moment.

    The beasts were starting to make their move.

 Chapter 9: Awakening The Class [4]

    Nox was shivering as he stared at the deadly eyes.

    Back on Earth, he used to yell at characters for shivering in fear during dangerous situations, but now, faced with the same situation...he could rte.

    "Damn! Why can''t I even move a muscle?" Nox thought, staring at the beast looming in front of him.

    The creature was a strange hybrid of a wolf and something sinister. In the moonlight slithering through the trees, the wolf''s mottled grey fur shone, the muscles beneath it rippling with each movement.

    What made this creature even more terrifying was...

    "Its eye!"

    Unlike other beasts, this wolf had a single yellowish eye streaked with pulsing green veins.

    Noting its effect on the intruding human, the demonic wolf revealed its razor-sharp fangs and began to approach the terrified boy and cat, licking its lips.

    The sound of its lips smacking together snapped Nox from his daze.

    "F-Fluffington, run!" Nox shouted at the top of his voice, tightening his hold on the cat''s fur. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, expecting Fluffington to bolt forward with inhuman speed.

    But that was not what happened!

    "You gotta be kidding me," Nox''s eyes widened when he saw the haughty cat wasn''t terrified at all and was actually approaching the demonic beast with its fur standing on end!

    "What are you doing?" Nox silently cursed the cat. Didn''t this bastard value his life? Why was he challenging a behemoth while being a mere ant?

    Fluffington had been sheltered all his life, pampered more than some kids back on Earth. On the other hand, the savage demonic wolf lived and survived in the wilds where the strongest creatures ruled.

    If these two beasts with different backgrounds shed, there could only be one oue: the cat would be torn to shreds!

    "Hey, don''t go any closer! Let''s just run away!" Nox protested with tears in his eyes.

    [Hmph, this filthy creature dares block my path. If I don''t teach it a lesson, it would be a dent in my pride.] Fluffington coldly replied as his walk turned into a charge. He bolted forward with such terrifying speed that a trail of dust followed behind.

    [Hold tighter!] the cat warned with determined eyes.

    "Shit, we''re really doing this!"

    GROWL-!

    At that moment, the demonic wolf also sprang into action, its rows of razor-sharp teeth grinding as it made a decisive sh towards Nox, who was mounted on Fluffington''s back.

    Those intimidating ws sliced the air, inching towards the boy. For a moment, he saw his life sh by. But just then, with a rush of wind, Fluffington disappeared, leaving the demonic wolf in his wake.

    FWOOOSH-!

    The wind rushed past Nox''s face as Fluffington screeched to a stop just before he bumped into a tree. Nox was amazed!

    But he didn''t have time to appreciate the haughty cat because, in the next moment, it was upon the demonic wolf again. The wolf attacked with its ws and razor-like teeth, but it was all for naught as the cat''s body blurred, leaving the wolf striking at empty air.

    But... Fluffington didn''t just dodge.

    Taking advantage of the pitiful demonic beast, a wicked n formed in the cat''s mind as itnded a precise blow on the wolf''s nose. At the same time, its ws extended, digging deep into the sensitive flesh.

    ROOOOAR!

    The demonic beast yelped in pain as the upper half of its nose was peeled off and ck blood gushed out. Now in a state of disorientation, the beast wanted to take revenge and maul the hateful cat, but its injured nose clouded its thoughts.

    The demonic beast didn''t know if it was its eyes ying tricks on it, but it saw the cat smirk as if he had an even more mischievous n. A cold shiver went through the demonic wolf''s spine. All its survival instincts were screaming for it to flee this ce.

    Unfortunately, it was toote.

    A low squelch sound reverberated throughout the forest as Fluffington dug his ws into therge yellow eye of the demonic wolf.

    Following the stab, the demonic wolf''s painful yelps filled the forest.

    "Fluffington, you''re amazing!" Nox couldn''t help but exim... who would have thought this clean freak could be such a savage?

    [Tell me about it!] Fluffington merely snorted with smugness as it ran deeper into the forest.

    "Why didn''t you kill it though?" Nox looked back at the wolf that was bawling its eyes out and rolling on the ground.

    [Annihting that mongrel would be far too merciful,] Fluffington coldly stated. [With its blind eyes and nose, it will wish for death.]

    [But death it shall never have.]

    "Woah, that''s chilling! Did you practice it?"

    [Insolent brat!]

    ***

    After what felt like an hour, the human and cat duo came to a stop before a rushing river. The current of this river was fierce, and it emitted a sound that was very simr to that of a beast''s roar.

    Following Nox''s instructions, Fluffington traced the river''s trail, heading deeper into the forest. This river was a branch of the legendary Luminary River... ording to the map, the Temple was close by.

    Soon the duo came to a sudden halt in front of a dark cavern... The cavern was so gloomy that the boy gulped a mouthful of saliva just at its appearance. It was clear that beasts lurked inside.

    Step! Step!

    Without disying a semnce of fear, Fluffington advanced forward majestically into the darkness... immediately upon their entry, a series of torches lit up on the walls. Following the map, Nox and Fluffington made several turns and descended a flight of stairs before stopping in a wide opening adorned with pointy-shaped rocks protruding from the ceiling.

    "Finally!" Nox eximed, his eyes widening in awe as he gazed upon the majestic stone statue.

    The statue was the very embodiment of Terra, the revered goddess of beast taming; even though he had seen her before, her grandeur and beauty still left him breathless.

    Snapping out of his daze, Nox rushed forward to start the prayer. However, he felt an overwhelming presence watching intently from the sides; the feeling was very simr to that of the demonic wolf.

    However, the only difference was... whatever existence was staring at him was more formidable than the demonic wolf.

    "It''s been a while since someone visited this ce." A momentter, a masculine voice echoed from the deeper part of the cavern, and Nox saw a figure emerging.

    ***

    Meanwhile...

    "Strange, why can''t we get inside?" Nathan, who was standing outside the cavern, asked with confusion. Even the mysterious, indifferent Eve wore a simr expression.

    While they were figuring out a way to get inside the cavern, a piercing scream filled with pain came out from the depths of the cavern.

    "T-that... scream." Nathan shuddered.

 Chapter 10: Title At The End Of Chapter

    BOOOM-!

    A thunderous sound echoed throughout the forest as Nathan mmed his fist on the invisible barrier, restricting him and Eve from essing the cavern. Instead of breaking through, he was sent flying back like a broken kite.

    Thanks to his experience, the old man expertly twirled his footing and came to a stop, his forehead creased with worry.

    "If I were you, I''d stop punching now," Eve said indifferently as she looked at the entrance with curiosity.

    Although Eve didn''t borate, the old man understood her meaning. As a Battle Mage, Nathan''s physical stats were very impressive, even more so than warriors and berserkers. If he continued punching the cavern, the entire cave might copse on his grandson.

    ''I can''t let that happen!'' Nathan clenched his fist, Aina''s face shing before his eyes. ''What kind of father would I be if I can''t even protect my son''s family...''

    ''I was too weak to help him against those people then, but because of that, I improved my skills...yet, a mere cavern is standing between me and my grandson.'' Nathan massaged his temple as he felt a massive headacheing on. "I should''ve stopped him when I had the chance! Why did I put my hope in my grandfather''s dusty writings? Why did I even listen to him?"

    While the old man was ming himself, Eve suddenly spoke in a serious voice as she trailed her hand on the wall of the cave.

    "This is the work of a powerful runesmith," she paused, her ruby eyes shing with a peculiar glint, "and not just any runesmith, a very powerful one at that."

    "Does this mean-" Nathan, who hade over, stuttered.

    Runesmiths were very rare, powerful individuals whom nations would go to war for. They were master craftsmen who wielded the power of runes, ancient symbols of magic and wisdom. They possessed the ability to infuse objects, surfaces, and even the air itself with magical energy, creating powerful spells, charms, and barriers!

    "Yes." Eve didn''t wait for Nathan to finish his words. "The only way for us to ess this ce is for the kid to finish whatever he''s doing."

    Seeing Nathan''s anxious expression, Eve''s mouth twitched. She tried her best to stay silent, but in the end, she couldn''t help it.

    "Even if you don''t have faith in your grandson, remember that the descendant of Whiskarius is with him."

    Nathan''s eyes suddenly lit up. "I almost forgot Fluffington is with him!"

    ***

    At the same time, inside the cavern.

    [Whatever you have to do, hurry up. I''ll keep these visitors busy.] Unaware that he was being talked about, Fluffington warned as he bared his razor-sharp teeth at the unidentified enemy.

    Nox didn''t hesitate, listening to the cat''smand as he hurriedly ran towards the statue with his little legs. Because of his size, he even tumbled and fell embarrassingly a couple of times, but he stood every time, determined to change the story of his family and the entire barony.

    "Impressive, but sadly, my instincts tell me that if I let you do whatever it is you want, I''ll regret itter." The owner of the voice stepped out of the darkness with a smile that revealed its extended teeth.

    For a moment, the beast''s appearance even caused Fluffington to falter a bit, but he quickly regained his confidence.

    The beast was a Cerberagh, and just like the demonic wolf, its appearance was also unsightly. The dark-skinned creature stood at 6ft with a muscr blend of human and canine features. It had three faces, a snarling dog with glowing red eyes and pointy fangs.

    As if its appearance wasn''t terrifying enough, a pair of tattered wings sprouted from its back, and its hands ended in deadly ws.

    The Cerberagh smirked, expecting its prey to tremble before its grandeur; however...

    [All this suspense for an ugly-looking dog.] Fluffington sneered. [And I dislike dogs with a passion!]

    "Huh?"

    Before the Cerberagh could understand what was going on, Fluffington''s body blurred as it disappeared from its spot.

    "Where did it go?" While it was searching for the cat, the Cerberagh soon felt a w dig deeper into its shoulder, and painful yelps escaped its lips with its eyes shing in anger.

    Just a couple of steps away, Fluffington was tauntingly looking at the demonic dog.

    "Bastard, I don''t like cats either!" The Cerberagh exploded forward, its ws poised for a strike, and a full-blown battle erupted. While Fluffington darted from side to side, striking with precision, the demonic beast attacked blindly like a creature that had gone berserk!

    Nox looked at the battle and nodded. He could see Fluffington had the upper hand for now, but the demonic beast had reached a boiling point; it was only a moment away from exploding.

    ''Kneel and dere your fate.'' Nox read the crude ancient writing on the ground as he proceeded to kneel. To connect with Terra, his prayer needed toe from the bottom of his heart.

    He had heard countless stories of people failing to awaken their ss because their prayers didn''te from the heart.

    Nox wouldn''t make this same mistake!

    "Terra, Goddess of Beast Taming, I cry out to you in the darkness!" Nox began in a loud voice, not wanting to be drowned out by the sounds of battle.

    Rumble! Rumble!

    "Enough! ytime is up!" The Cerberagh roared in anger. Because Fluffington looked so ordinary, it had underestimated him at first, thinking he was weak, but in the few exchanges, it had been the one to suffer the most.

    If it continued down this path, then it might die.

    Just then something strange happened. The demonic beast''s middle head opened its mouth wide, and a dark condensed me ball erupted out, heading towards Nox.

    "Let''s see if you can multitask!" The Cerberagh snarled as it watched the dark bolt of me slice through the air like aet!

    [Your tactics are as shady as your appearance!] Fluffington sneered as he disappeared from his spot.

    "My heart races with the thrill of the unknown, my soul trembles with fear. Yet, I implore you, awaken the beast within me, let it roar to life!" Unaware, Nox continued to chant the prayer he had memorized.

    At the same time, the dark fire bolt inched closer and closer to the boy.

    Before it could make an impact, the cat shielded Nox with its body. Following that, a pain-filled moan escaped Fluffington''s mouth.

    His pristine fur had been charred ck.

    ''Fluffington!'' Nox''s eyes moistened when he heard Fluffington''s painful moan, his heart aching. Even though their rtionship was strange, Nox loved the prideful cat with all his heart.

    Although he wouldn''t admit it, Fluffington was a very caring and loving cat; even when someone hurt him, he barely made any noise. For him to moan like that meant the attack was very painful.

    This made Nox''s heart bleed. Although Fluffington was the one who suffered, he felt even more anguish, and his hatred for the demonic dog surged!

    Despite his willingness to rush to aid his best friend, Nox had to close his eyes and pray to Terra.

    "Unshackle my true potential, that I may embrace my destiny." Nox''s voice started to rise like a crescendo.

    As though bolstered, Fluffington rose and charged forward. He didn''t have second thoughts about protecting Nox; the boy was his onlypanion! The only one who understood and cared for him! His personal smacking bag!

    It was safe to say, Fluffington had gotten too attached!

    The demonic dog shot three dark fire bolts from each of its mouths, all of them locked on the wounded cat like missiles programmed on a target.

    Fluffington tried his best to dodge all the dark mes, but one of them stillnded perfectly at the same spot he had been hit before. His gaze turned blurry, the world spinning, and there appeared to be ten demonic beasts.

    Fluffington''s speed slowed. Regret washed over him; there were so many things he wanted to do with his good friend Nox. They had already nned to explore the worlds and travel to different ces, but... but...

    [No, no, I''ll never lose to a dog! A stupid stinking dog!] Fluffington dismissed the thought as he gave onest reckless charge with his ws.

    However, a bolt of dark me sent him crashing to the ground. By now, his pristine white fur was charred, and the scent of burning flesh filled the air. Fluffington''s breaths now came in ragged gasps, as if he was struggling to survive.

    "This win is for all the dogs out there..." The Cerberagh licked its lips as it loomed over the defeated cat.

    [I''m sorry.] Fluffington telepathically whispered to Nox.

    Tears rolled out of Nox''s eyes as he clenched his fists tighter. He didn''t hear any more sounds, which meant that Fluffington had lost the fight. Opening his mouth, Nox shouted at the top of his voice and released his pent-up emotion.

    "By the pulse of the earth, by the rhythm of the wild, I beg of you, Terra, unleash the fury that lies dormant, and bestow upon me the power to trample my enemies!" Nox shouted at the top of his voice, and for a moment the entire cavern seemed to tremble.

    The eyes of Terra lit up, stunning the demonic beast, who faltered just from being in its presence. There was a certain force beckoning it to kneel to the statue as if it were something natural, and the more it resisted, the stronger the pressure grew.

    Meanwhile, Nox felt the shackles on his soul begin to shatter one after the other and a series of messages popped up in his retina.

    [Ding! You''ve Awakened the Beast Tamer ss]

    [Ding! Your Taming Space Has been Unsealed]

    [Ding! Your talent has been unsealed]

    [Target: Cerberagh - Sessfully copied Skill Dark st!]

    [Skill Description: Unleashes a concentrated st of dark energy, dealing massive damage to a single target. Consume 20 mana points per use]

    [10x upgrade detected new skill]

    [Upgrading Dark st x10!]

    [Ding! You have Awakened Shadow Oblivion!]

    [Skill Description: Unleashes an apocalyptic st of dark energy, dealing annihtion damage to all enemies within a massive radius, stunning them for 10 seconds and absorbing their life force! Consume 80 mana point per use]

    [Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to your pet?]

    ***

    Chapter: ss Awakened: Supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 11: First Pet

    Some of the messages were confusing, but Nox didn''t care. He was certain of one thing: he had finally Awakened his ss!

    Unfortunately, this wasn''t the time to celebrate because Fluffington was in a dire condition. Nox needed to seek help fast, but first, he had to deal with the demonic three-faced dog.

    Nox clenched his fist tight when he thought back to Fluffington''s painful moan, and his eyes narrowed.

    When he arrived in this world, Nox promised to always protect his loved ones after experiencing the tender love and care they showered him with.

    "I also promised to get rid of anyone who harms them. I won''t be like those righteous protagonists who forgive... if you hurt anyone close to me, I''ll pay you back tenfold!" A smirk appeared on Nox''s face.

    With his ck hair streaked with red and those midnight eyes, Nox looked quite menacing; even the Cerberagh noticed this and began to step back.

    "Y-you, what happened to you?" The Cerberagh''s survival instincts, honed over the years, screamed at it to flee from this boy or suffer a fate worse than death, but its pride wouldn''t allow it.

    To the Cerberagh, Nox was just a little boy. So what if this unknown goddess''s status was helping him? At the end of the day, he was just a kid who had only recently stopped breastfeeding.

    "Hmph! I nned to take my time mauling you, but it doesn''t matter because I''ve heard from humans that roasted meat tastes more delicious!" The three-faced demonic dog roared as it opened all three mouths to shoot out the dark st.

    However, at that moment, it noticed a familiar sight.

    Seeing the Cerberagh''s action, Nox raised his hands and a swirling vortex of darkness materialized before him. The air started to crackle as if it was struggling to amodate the impending doom.

    The demonic dog''s eyes constricted with each passing second, shock evident on its face. How could it not be shocked when the skill being disyed was very simr to its own...

    Suddenly, even breathing became difficult for the Cerberagh, but it was too stubborn to sumb to a superior power. Filled with pride, the demonic beast roared at the top of its voice and unleashed the dark st at Nox.

    The three beams of condensed dark energy sliced through the air with lightning speed, threatening to engulf Nox entirely. It was clear that this dark st was even more powerful than when it had been used on the cat.

    Fluffington, who was barely alive, wanted to help Nox, but even the slightest movement seemed to open his wounds more and terrifying pain shot through his entire body.

    While he was struggling, Nox looked him in the eyes and mouthed, ''Stay still, it will be over soon.'' Then he red at the demonic beast and eximed:

    "Shadow Oblivion!"

    At that instant, a deafening roar shook the entire cavern. It sent waves of trembling throughout everywhere, and even outside, Nathan couldn''t help but look with a panicked expression while Eve maintained her indifferent look.

    At Nox''smand, the vortex exploded outward, unleashing a catastrophic st of shadowy energy. The wave raced across the cavern floor like a dark tsunami, engulfing everything in its path, including the Cerberagh and its three dark sts, which looked like antspared to the giant st.

    Because Shadow Oblivion, which was meant to annihte several enemies at once, was targeted at one, the Cerberagh wasn''t stunned for 10 seconds; instead, its body directly exploded into several fragments that rained across the cavern.

    [You have killed level 7 wildling, Cerberagh]

    [You have received 70XP]

    [Ding! You have absorbed the life force of Cerberagh, the Demonic Hound]

    After thest message, an otherworldly golden glow bathed Nox, and he could feel his immature bones bing strengthened and even his chubby skin shrinking a little. Nox suddenly felt intoxicated with the power coursing through his veins.

    Ignoring the intoxicating sensation, he rushed towards Fluffington and held him gently. "Are you okay, Fluffington?"

    [Meow... Brat, gentle with me, do you wish to inflict more harm on me?"] Fluffington retorted when Nox touched his injured body.

    Nox was d that his friend could still talk, but he still had to hurry... it was then an idea struck him.

    ''The taming space!''

    During the deluge of messages, he had seen something like that. And as far as Nox knew, the taming space was another dimension where tamed beasts could live and heal faster if they sustained any injury.

    "I''m sorry I have to do this, Fluffington. Before we could return to the barony, I fear you''ll lose too much blood and then... and then."

    ["Proceed with whatever you want to do... I don''t n on perishing any time soon, you still have to give me the promised massage,"] Fluffington stated.

    As Fluffington looked at the boy, he noticed something different about his aura... and the prideful cat felt drawn to him like a sheep to a shepherd. He didn''t know why, but... he liked it.

    Nox nodded and ced his hand on Fluffington. When he Awakened his ss, he''d also awakened skills rted to it, one of which was [Tame].

    A brilliant blue glow slithered from between Nox''s fingers, lighting up the cavern. After a moment, the glow faded, revealing a seal on Fluffington''s fur... the sign of infinity!

    Yes, it was exactly what Nox had hoped for because he never wanted to be separated from Fluffington. Afterward, Fluffington''s body disappeared.

    ***

    "The sound... it has stopped!"

    Nathan, who had been pacing back and forth anxiously while biting his finger, stopped and looked at the entrance of the cavern. He knew that silence meant the fight had ended, but who was victorious?

    Nathan didn''t know if this was a good or bad sign, which only made him more worried.

    Fortunately, at that moment, Eve''s emotionless voice reached his ear.

    "Someone ising."

    Nathan looked deeper and indeed saw the figure of a little boy approaching. Immediately, a tear trailed down his cheek.

    "Nox, you little brat!"

    "Grampa, what''re you doing here-" Nox couldn''t finish his sentence before his grandpa''s bony hands swooped him up and hugged him tightly. "Thank the heavens, you''re okay. I didn''t know what I''d have done if anything happened to you. Please forgive Grampa for not being there when you needed him most."

    Although Nox was confused about how his grandpa had arrived, he pushed those thoughts aside and embraced the old man he loved with all his heart.

    "Master, can you feel it?"

    While the two were hugging each other, the green-eyed skull floating beside Eve spoke, staring at Nox with a shocked expression.

    "Yes, but how... I thought every one of her statues had been destroyed." Eve narrowed her eyes and looked at the boy, her eyes dissecting him as if unraveling all of his deepest secrets.

    "Whatever the reason is, at least he''s an ally," Skully stated, his gaze never leaving the grandfather and grandson duo who were having a shouting match.

    ***

    "What happened here... why is there so much disturbance here?"

    A few hours after Nox, Nathan, and Eve had returned to the Cromwell barony, a figure emerged from the forest and stood before the entrance of the cavern Nox had exited earlier.

    "Did someone find this ce?" said the figure, wearing a dark robe-like overcoat with the symbol of a red rose engulfed in ominous ck mes on its back.

 Chapter 12: Nyx Aegis Cromwell

    The figure scanned the cavern entrance, ensuring no one was nearby before entering unobstructed, as if the runes ced at the entrance had no effect on him.

    "Someone has indeed entered here, but how?" he murmured, surveying the spacious cavern littered with craters and shattered rocks. Stone projectiles had embedded themselves deep in the ground, and limbs of cerbagh were scattered around.

    Oddly, the only intact object was the statue of a beautiful feline woman, someone the figure had no recollection of.

    Though he hadn''t witnessed the events firsthand, the figure was certain that someone had breached the runes and infiltrated the ce.

    "And it appears there was a one-sided battle as well," he remarked, striding deeper into the cavern.

    Some timeter, he paused in another spacious chamber, nearly identical to the first.

    However, in the middle of this caverny a pool of murky water, releasing miasma into the air. This pool was connected to the legendary Luminary River, which flowed through the entire Vermilion Kingdom.

    Seeing this part of the cavern untouched, the man let out an audible sigh of relief.

    "Glory to Hades. For a moment, I thought those country bumpkins had discovered this ce," he said, patting his chest before a calcting glint shed in his eyes.

    "I need to increase our security measures¡­ I can''t afford any slip-ups now that we''vee so far¡­"

    ''Just a little more, and we''ll proceed to the next phase,'' he thought, a grin splitting his face as he watched the murky water flow into the Luminary River. ''The exciting phase.''

    On their way back to Cromwell Manor, Nox couldn''t help but wonder how his grandfather and the unsettling red-eyed woman had tracked him down, though he kept his thoughts to himself amid the silence.

    The quiet was a relief for now; nobody asked him any questions, which struck him as odd given that he had escaped the barony walls and ventured into the Luminary Forest in the dead of night.

    Instead of feeling at ease, Nox felt uneasy. Walking along the dirt road, he nced at Eve and then at his grandfather, squeezing the old man''s hand tighter; it made him feel secure.

    As for the mysterious woman, he still felt ufortable around her. If possible, he would have kept his distance, but his grandfather''s slow pace made that impossible.

    Nox had to be considerate; his grandfather was an old man, and too much stress would exhaust him. Thinking of this, Nox felt a pang of guilt for making the elderly mane all this way just because of him.

    "Little Nox," Nathan said, finally breaking the silence.

    "W-what is it, Grandpa?" Nox replied quickly, a bead of sweat forming on his temple.

    "What happened to Fluffington?"

    "Fluffington is fine! He''s somewhere safe, where no one can harm him," Nox assured, his fist clenched.

    "I see¡­ My grandfather''s dusty scrolls noted that those ces are good for healing."

    Nox furrowed his brows in confusion; his grandfather was mumbling to himself again. This was a habit Nox had seen plenty of times before. What puzzled him more was how readily Nathan believed him without asking for more details.

    Focused on the conversation with his grandfather, Nox didn''t notice Miss Eve staring at him like a hawk¡­ as if she wanted to undress him with her frightening yet mesmerizing ruby eyes.

    It didn''t take long for Nox and Nathan to return to Cromwell Manor. Immediately, a small hand smacked him from behind, sending a dull pain radiating through his back. If not for the boost in strength from absorbing the life force of cerbagh, he might have embarrassingly fallen.

    A feminine voice spoke up soon after.

    "Well, well, if it isn''t my silly little brother," a girl who looked remarkably like Nox, but with longer raven-ck hair streaked with red, scowled at him.

    "What was that for?" Nox frowned when he saw who had smacked him. It was his elder twin sister.

    "How dare you make Mother worry! You kept her up all night," Nyxshed out, her face contorting in anger. "Because of you, I looked like an irresponsible older sister to Mom. I can''t even take care of my little brother!"

    "I didn''t just go outside for nothing. Everything I''m doing is for a reason. It''s for you, Mom, Grandpa, and everyone in this barony," Nox tried to reason. With their grandfather having retreated to his study, there was no one to stop this argument. He often bickered back and forth with his sister, and only their mother or grandfather could separate them.

    "For a reason, you say?" Nyx retorted. "You''re so selfish, Nox. You know it''s only me, you, Mom, and Grandpa, but you only think about yourself¡­ You don''t care about how Mom and I feel."

    Nox felt a sting from Nyx''s words, but he stood his ground. Though he felt guilty for making his mother worry, he knew it was for a just cause. Even if he could rewind time, he would still have gone to that temple.

    Despite her fierce and unyielding personality that scared most boys in the barony, Nyx deeply cared about her mom, grandpa, and her silly brother. Hitting him like this was her way of releasing all her pent-up emotions.

    Just then, a calm and soothing voice intervened. "Nyx, that''s enough."

    Nyx huffed, her face still red with anger, but she backed off and walked away.

    "M-Mom¡ª" Nox stuttered when he saw the beautiful face of his mother, her expression filled with relief as she hugged him tightly, holding him close to her heart.

    "My baby, why do you always like making me worry?" Aina asked as she flicked away a tear from her eyes.

    "I''m sorry, I promise not to do it again."

    "Young man, you''re only five, yet you''ve broken that promise more than a hundred times already. Is this how you''ll treat the lovelydies in your life?" Aina teased, pinching Nox''s chubby cheeks.

    It took some time, but with his grandfather''s help, Nox came up with a story to cate his mother, eventually soothing her worries.

    When he finally had some alone time, he decided to take a look at his system status.

 Chapter 13: System status

    After arriving in the Barony, Nathan hurried to his study, which was cluttered with wooden shelves filled with countless books and scrolls.

    These books mostly covered militaristic strategies, centuries-old histories, and memos written by the ancestors of the Cromwell lineage.

    "Where did I keep it again?" Nathan wondered as he moved from shelf to shelf, scanning the books. His search yielded no results for a while.

    "I thought I left it here the other day¡ªcough, cough!" The old man staggered to the desk in the middle as a violent bout of coughing assailed him. His breathing came in gasps, and his entire body trembled; he looked very pitiful.

    If Nox were here, he would have been heartbroken because his grandpa was inching closer and closer to the grave. It seemed as if his body longed for rest, but he was stubborn and kept pushing himself to the limit.

    After drawing deep breaths to stabilize himself, he was about to continue his search when his eyes caught sight of something.

    It was the scroll he had been searching for all this time. Apparently, it had been lying on the table the entire time.

    "Old age be damned!" Nathan cursed as he sat down and unraveled the contents of the old, tattered scroll that had witnessed the passage of time.

    ...

    My grandfather had always been odd...at least that''s what others called him, but I''d say he was special, very special...

    Someone that could see the future...was definitely special. From him, I learned about the Reincarnation of Gustavo Cromwell, a boy with eyes as dark as night itself.

    The one prophesied to bring back the former glory of the Pantheons of Mythical Beasts.

    ...

    There was more writing, but someone had purposely torn it out. However, the little information remaining was enough for Nathan to know that his grandson was the prophesied one.

    Part of Nathan didn''t want this to be true because of the treacherous path ahead, but the deed was already done. All he could do now was guide his grandson and prepare him for the future. At the end of the day, he couldn''t meddle with fate, as things might get worse.

    "This time, I won''t repeat the same mistake I did with your father," Nathan thought in determination as he started to leave the study room.

    Because he neglected his duty in the past, things had escted to where they were today¡ªa father and son forever separated from their family. But this time, he would right the wrong by ying a crucial part in his grandson''s journey as a...

    ...Beast Tamer.

    ***

    When Nox wished for the system to open up, he was met with a virtual blue screen.

    Name: Nox Aegis Cromwell

    HP: 20/20

    Exp: 70/100

    MP: 100/100

    - Stam: (100/100%)

    - Str: 10

    - Agi: 10

    - Intel: 20

    Talents: Mimicry, 10x upgrade

    ¡ºBeast slot: 1/1 (+1 slot per level up)¡»

    Tame (Active)

    Telepathy (Passive)

    Bestow/Teach (Active)

    Analyze (Passive)

    ¡ºCopied Skills: (1/1)¡»

    Shadow Oblivion (Ultimate Skill): Unleashes an apocalyptic st of dark energy, dealing annihtion damage to all enemies within a massive radius, stunning them for 10 seconds and absorbing their life force. Consumes 80 mana points per use.

    [Shop (Locked)] [Quest]

    Tamedpanions:

    "Descendant of the legendary Whiskarius!

    Rating: Level 5 Wilding

    Progress (0%/100%)

    MP: 180/180

    HP: 60/60

    Stam: (100/100%)

    Str: 29

    Agi: 30

    Intel: 50

    Special Skills: Enhanced Speed (Active), Wallwalker (Active), Monarch Aura (Passive)

    [Ultimate Evolutionary Path 1: Feline God of War (???)]

    Requirements: Reach King Tier, kill a hundred Intermediate Tier beasts, two King Tier beasts, and obtain the golden ws of the World Cat.

    [Feline God of War: A legendary warrior with the power of the gods, unleashing devastating attacks with his ws, able to summon an army of feline warriors. +50 increase in each stat]

    ***

    ''Whiskarius?'' Nox thought when he saw Fluffington''s status, but since the name didn''t ring a bell, he dismissed the thought and exited out of the status because everything was self-exnatory. He then navigated to the Quest Tab.

    Daily Quests:

    Title: Path of Beast Taming

    Quest Description: Train and bond with your tamedpanion for 1 hour.

    Rewards: 10 XP

    ''Since I can''t fight beasts yet, I guess this is the only way.''

    A few minutester, Nox stood on the field at the back of their mansion and attempted to call out Fluffington from his taming space.

    Heeding the call, a blue portal appeared, and the white fat cat emerged. Fluffington looked around with a confused gaze. A moment ago, he was in a formless world, but the atmosphere there was much more pleasant, tailor-made for someone as esteemed as him.

    And the next moment, he was back in the old mundane world with the annoying human. It didn''t take long for Fluffington to locate the culprit.

    [Nox, my boy, Imand you to take me back to that ce!] Fluffington said, his gaze fixed on Nox, as if threatening him that if he refused, he would be smacked ck and blue.

    "I thought you''d be happy to see me." Nox feigned a saddened look, but inwardly he was very happy because the taming space seemed to have healed Fluffington back to his peak condition.

    [Hmph, an esteemed feline such as myself doesn''t lose sleep over children. Now quit wasting my time and take me to that white space.]

    "It seems someone is forgetting something." Nox whistled as he looked away, making Fluffington curious and confused at the same time.

    [Forgetting something?]

    What was he forgetting? He thought hard. The only things he was forgetting to do were his scented milky bath and his twenty-hour nap, but those could wait...wait, WAIT! Speaking of milky baths...

    [The massage! You scoundrel, I hope you''re not nning to go back on your words?] Fluffington licked his lips in a threatening manner.

    "Hmmmm, about that?" Nox smirked. After absorbing Cerbagh''s life force, he was much stronger than before. With this strength, Nox nned to force thezy, authoritative cat to train whether he liked it or not.

    However, before he could carry out his ns, Nox saw...the familiar bony figure of his grandfather approaching.

 Chapter 14: The Truth Revealed

    "Grandpa!" Nox jumped up in fright because he hadn''t sensed his grandfather approaching. It felt as if he had appeared out of thin air, which baffled Nox since his grandfather was usually very weak and slow. Shouldn''t he have sensed him?

    ''Wait, has he been watching all this time? Did he see everything?'' Nox''s eyes widened. He hurriedly turned to his grandfather, already fabricating a story in his head, but Nathan beat him to it.

    "I already know everything, brat. Do you think your little brain could y tricks on me?" Nathan said with a smirk.

    "What are you talking about?" Nox whistled, looking away. Although he appeared calm, he was panicked shitless on the inside. What does this old man mean by "know everything"?

    A heavy sigh escaped Nathan''s mouth, and a sad look appeared in his eyes. "Tell me," he said, looking his grandson straight in the eyes. "Did you think we, your family, would disown you just because you awakened the Beast Tamer ss?"

    Nox''s heart raced. He had heard from the goddess Terra that only a handful of people knew about the Beast Tamer ss. It seemed his grandfather was part of that ''handful.'' The five-year-old opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Indeed, he had been scared of his family''s reaction.

    "I thought so," Nathan shook his head, the disappointment very evident on his face. "Do you even trust us¡ª"

    Before he could finish his words, Nox embraced his grandpa: "I trust you, Mom, my stupid sister, Aunt Cam, and Serana with all my heart, but¡­ but I was foolish. I should''ve told you everything from the start, but I was scared. I really love all of you. I didn''t want to ruin it. Please don''t be angry at me, Grandpa."

    Nathan felt the wetness on his skin and could easily tell it was Nox''s tears. Bringing his hands, he began to stroke the boy''s head. He could feel thetter''s emotions, each of his wordsing right from the bottom of his heart.

    "I''m not angry at you," Nathan said, still stroking Nox''s head. Because thetter had admitted he was wrong, Nathan had forgiven him but warned Nox never to hide anything from them again because they were family.

    When Nathan had asked Nox how he knew about the temple, he had told him that he got the message from Terra, the goddess of beast taming, in his dream. There was no need to tell the old man about his past life because that was it¡­ the past.

    "So this haughty cat is your first tamed creature?" Nathan stared at the cat with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

    [What is this senile mongrel doing here!] Fluffington started to visibly tremble when he saw Nathan''s eyes that held a glint of craziness. Fluffington was brave; he hardly feared anyone, but this old man was one of the few he was terrified of.

    Nox, watching this unspoken reaction, was at a loss for words. The almighty Fluffington was scared? He wasn''t even scared of that demonic dog, yet he was frightened of his near-death grandpa? Because the two souls were now linked, Nox could feel Fluffington''s emotions clearly.

    "Ahem, do you need help with something?" Nathan suddenly voiced out as he turned to Nox. Thetter was about to decline and tell his grandpa to rest and not exert himself, but then a thought struck him.

    "Yes, actually, I want to train Fluffington, but¡­" Nox stated with a smirk on his face.

    [This is how we''re ying now? Kid, if you dare make me exert myself, I swear to cripple you!]

    ''Hmph, do you think we''re in some sort of bullshit cultivation novel?'' Nox sneered with a dismissive attitude. ''I fear no man!''

    [Oh, we''ll see about that tonight!]

    Soon, under his grandpa''s guidance, Nox instructed Fluffington to run in circles at top speed. The prideful cat hesitated. He didn''t like stress one bit; the only time he liked running was when it was necessary.

    But a re from Nathan threw that begrudgingness out of the window, and the cat was running in no time.

    Nox nodded in satisfaction as he watched the cat, even though his eyes could barely keep up with the speed. Watching the cat''s speed now, Nox realized that he had not been moving at his full speed the other day, perhaps scared that Nox might fall off.

    ''Beast Tamers, are they this weird?'' Nathan mused when he saw Nox and Fluffington''s back-and-forth banter. One was meowing, and the other was just moving his mouth, but no words wereing out. "And I thought I was the insane one."

    Bzzzz¡ª!

    Just as he was lost in thought, a slight vibration came from his pocket. Dipping his hand in, he produced amunication crystal, a very expensive product of runesmiths that only a limited number of people had in the Vermilion Kingdom and even the entire Far West, allowing people tomunicate like a telephone.

    Injecting his bluish mana into themunicator, a voice said from the other side.

    [Boss, Doombringer has been shot!] A panicked voice called out. The voice belonged to Nathan''s personal assistant and caretaker of his wyvern that terrorized the evildoers of the western region of the Vermilion Kingdom.

    The wyvern wasn''t with him because it was the guardian of the west. From the reports, it seemed it had been shot down by bandits while on duty.

    "Cough! Cough!" Nathan''s face turned beet red in anger, and he started to cough violently, his entire body trembling. "Those stupid bandits, it seems I''ve been too lenient on them."

    He turned to the two who were arguing among themselves. "Nox, Fluffington, do you guys want to go on a robbery?"

 Chapter 15: Doombringer

    "No, don''t go, Grandpa! They''ll rob you instead!" Nox shouted in a panicked voice. The mere thought of his frail grandfather robbing someone gave him cold feet because the victim would likely knock him out with one blow!

    Besides, why would he want to rob someone? Was this something appropriate to tell a child, or were the inhabitants of this world just weird?

    "Brat, are you looking down on this daddy?" Nathan shouted, flexing his bony muscles. "Although I look like this, trust me, I''m one of the few experts you wouldn''t want to fight in the whole Far West!"

    "The whole Far West? You must be kidding me. Grandpa, it''s not good to tell kids lies, you know?" Nox reminded him. However, Nathan justughed it off with a dismissive attitude.

    From what Nox understood, the Far West was the human continent/domain, the same continent where the Vermilion Kingdom was located. Whatever way you look at it, Nox saw his grandfather''s rambling as mere bluff.

    ''I mean, if he was that strong, why isn''t he a viscount, a count, or even a duke?'' Nox reasoned.

    However, just then a piercing shriek reverberated through the air, attracting everyone''s attention in the Cromwell Barony to the sky.

    "This sight never gets old!"

    A nearby little girl sitting close to Nyx eximed. She was small and delicate with porcin-like mnin skin and beautiful braided dark hair; her mesmerizing chocte eyes sparkled like dark stars as she gazed at the giant shadow approaching the Barony.

    In the entire Barony, most people believed her beauty was only second to Nyx''s, and she had a fair share of future suitors. This girl was Serena ir, the daughter of Gordon and Cam ir. She was Nyx''s only friend in the entire Barony.

    Because of her aloof personality, most girls didn''t approach her. The only one who could was Serena, who had practically grown up with her and Nox. After Aina gave birth, Cam, who had been pregnant, also gave birth shortly after, so their age gap wasn''t huge.

    "What''s that?" Nyx, who rarely showed emotions, got up on her feet and looked at the shadow. She''d been in the Barony for five years, but this was the first time she was seeing this creature, and she was left in awe.

    "You don''t know?" At first, Serena seemed surprised, but that surprise was washed away. Since her father was a druid, she''d only seen the creature in the Luminary Forest with him in his expedition, not in the Barony.

    But from the citizens'' awestruck expressions, it was clear that this wasn''t the first time they''d seen this majestic creature. The creature had not returned to the county in the past four years; it had been away securing the western region, definitely not looking for cashco-bandits.

    However, as the townspeople gazed at the creature, they noticed something strange. A few secondster, they discovered that it was the creature''s flying pattern¡ªonly one of its wings was pping strongly while the other looked stiff.

    Finally, her curiosity got the best of her. "Come, let''s go!" Nyx said from her position.

    They were currently sitting on a nted roof, but with one mighty leap, Nyx, who was yet to awaken her ss,unched herself into the air like a wildcat. Her body soared through the air as she jumped from roof to roof in the Cromwell Barony beforending at the back of their mansion with a low thud

    "Ha, and she''s gone." Serena smiled bitterly as she jumped down from the roof and followed on foot. Unlike Nyx, she wasn''t a monster!

    Although it took a while, she finally arrived, panting heavily. She could see Nox, Nyx, and Nathan looking at the creature.

    "Grandpa, run! We''re getting attacked by a beast!" Nox tugged on his grandpa, trying to get him to run, but the old man remained rooted in the same spot. Nox thought his grandfather was paralyzed with fear and couldn''t move, so he pushed with all his strength.

    But that was when he realized he couldn''t move his fragile grandfather even an inch. As if this wasn''t surprising enough, the old man patted Nox on the head with a light, hearty chuckle and started to approach the ck dragon-like creature with two legs, a muscr build, and a pair of wings. Just standing there, the creature emitted an aggressive and dangerous aura.

    As Nox stared at the creature, a flurry of text appeared in his retina.

    ''K-King Tier?'' Nox stuttered. ''And why is Grandpa stroking the creature''s head?''

    (AN: There are eight beast tiers, each with nine mini levels: Wildling, Intermidiate, King, Emperor, Legendary, Ascended, Demi-God, and Sovereign.)

    The five-year-old was stunned. He had expected the King-Tier wyvern to pounce on his grandfather. Although he wasn''t fleshy, the bones were chewable, but that didn''t happen. Instead, the wyvern was emitting a low growl that meant it liked being stroked.

    "Close your mouth, you look less stupid that way!"

    Just then, Nox heard a familiar voice from his side. Turning around, he saw the indifferent Nyx and Serena.

    "H-Hi, Nox," Serena waved shyly, a red blush tinging her cheeks. "Don''t be scared; Doombringer is Uncle Nathan''s pet."

    "Pet? Grandpa''s pet?" Nox''s eyes shot wide open in surprise. His skinny grandfather actually owned this fearsome creature as his pet?"

    "Yes, my father told me that Uncle Nathan got it from the reward room of a dimensional rift."

    "Hmph, go ahead and praise me," Nathan said as he looked at the awed Nox, radiating an extremely smug aura.

    "In case you die, Grandpa, let''s be clear about something," Nox said with a very serious expression. "I''m inheriting the wyvern!"

    "Hahahahaha, unfortunately, that wouldn''t be happening anytime soon," Nathanughed.

    A whileter, when Nathan and the wyvern rider, Yuan, were discussing, the three kids started to check out the wyvern, running their fingers all over its body.

    Some timeter, Nathan looked at the kids with a smile. "About that robbery, what do you say?"

    Nox looked at his grandfather with a knowing smile. "Say no more!"

    With this powerful creature on their side, the target would find itself in extremely dire circumstances.

    "What robbery?" Nyx and Serena couldn''t help but look at each other, confused

 Chapter 16: The Portal

    Afterpleting his daily quests and earning 10 experience points, Nox boarded Doombringer with Nathan, Nyx, and Serana. Since the wyvern was rtivelyrge, it easily amodated them. As for Fluffington, he had gone back to the beast taming space.

    Due to its injuries, Doombringer''s speed had significantly decreased. Even so, the three children were still impressed. From high in the air, they could see all the buildings within the walled Barony and the magical Luminary River flowing from the Luminary Forest, through the Barony, and further south. It felt dangerous but equally thrilling.

    Nox couldn''t help but clench his fist as he envisioned himself riding on the back of a dragon ¡ª not a wyvern, but the real deal! After all, with his unique ss, it was within the realm of possibility.

    During the flight, Nox asked his grandfather about the system status and learned that his system was unique! Apparently, he was the only one who could receive quests and rewards directly from the system.

    Other citizens of this world could only gain experience by killing monsters and rewards bypleting quests from adventure guilds. Even their skills came from skill books.

    "It seems Terra pulled all her strings to make sure I have an edge over everyone," Nox thought with a pleased smile, recalling the face of the beautiful feline goddess.

    Coming out of his thoughts, he felt the wind on his face as Doombringer suddenly dived. Serana, seated behind him, held tightly onto his waist with her eyes closed. Nyx, on the other hand, folded her arms, unbothered by the raging wind.

    A momentter, Doombringernded in the garden in front of a two-story building. The garden, filled with beautiful flowers, exuded a pleasing scent that filled the air. To the side, there was a mini waterfall featuring floating petals on its surface.

    From the doorway, an old gray-haired woman in a white robe emerged with an annoyed expression.

    "Nathan, you old fool, how many times have I warned you not to bring this creature to my house!" Celine''s brow twitched as she red at the old man who was still mounted on the wyvern.

    As a widow, Celine cherished peace and quiet, which was why she''d built a garden around her house and often spent her time reading. However, this man always managed to disrupt the tranquil silence she tried to cultivate.

    "Ah, my old foggy brain forgot about your..." Nathan looked to the side and saw a portrait of a wyvern with a "No Wyverns Allowed" sign. "But it''s important. Doombringer is injured. Can you get him fixed?"

    "Hmph, let''s get this done already. I want your bony self out of my sight as soon as possible," Celine stated, approaching the beast.

    "Good day, Aunt Celine!" the three children said with adorable smiles.

    "How have you been, my little bumpkins?" Celine''s expression shifted from annoyance to warmth the moment sheid eyes on the beautiful children. Her only daughter was far away at the Vermilion Royal Academy in the capital, but as a healer by profession, she devoted most of her time to the children of the Barony and grew to love all of them, treating them like her own.

    "We have been good!" Nox said. "The question is, how has Lady Celine been? I''m sorry I haven''te up to check on you these past days."

    "Aww, so considerate. You''re growing up to be a real fine gentleman," Celine''s smile widened even more. Despite her love for all the kids, the one she loved most was Nox because the little boy felt she was lonely living in this big house and made sure to check on her every day, even cooking delicious chicken soup for her.

    "The offer for my daughter is still on, just so you know. Even though she''s older than you, age is just a number," Celine winked.

    Nox scratched his head, embarrassed, but a tight pout appeared on Serana''s beautiful face when she heard their conversation.

    "Okay, stop flirting with my grandson, you old hag. I thought you wanted my bony self out of your sight?"

    With a harrumph, Celine proceeded to cast a healing spell on Doombringer''s injured left wing. A brilliant white light engulfed the injured area briefly before disappearing. After bidding the children goodbye, they were high in the air, heading towards the Luminary Forest.

    ***

    "Those are the targets?" Nox asked as he watched the bandit encampment from above. Flying around the forest, he had already seen lots of low-tier monsters nearby. He was seriously considering hunting them instead of robbing bandits.

    After telling his grandpa this, he agreed but with the condition that Nyx and Serana tag along. The reason for this was because Nathan knew that Nyx was physically stronger than most kids and teenagers, which he strongly suspected had to do with her mother''s genes.

    "I don''t mind," Nyx simply shrugged. "But if he annoys me, I''ll beat his ugly face to a bloody pulp."

    With that, Doombringernded in the forest. While Nathan went to deal with the bandits, Nox, Serana, and Nyx headed into the forest.

    ''This is also a good opportunity to tame some more beasts,'' Nox mused in excitement. ''And also level up.''

    Meanwhile, further along the path Nox''s party was heading, the air began to distort with sizzling white sparks. Momentster, a pale silver portal materialized, pulsating with otherworldly power.

 Chapter 17: Shadow Oblivion!

    The Luminary Forest was massive, spanning over a million square meters. One could easily get lost without a map. Even Nox and Fluffington only navigated with the help of the system map. It was safe to say only the elders of the western region were adept at navigating this ancient forest.

    Without the map''s help, Nox and the two girls struggled to locate the ces where they had seen the low-level Demonic Beasts, despite spotting them from the air.

    "Argh! It''s just like looking through airnes," Nox massaged his temple, feeling a massive headacheing on.

    "Airne? What''s that? Did you mean airship?" Serena inquired, scrunching up her beautiful face. It was her first time hearing the term; she only knew about airships.

    "It''s¡­ oh, we are here!" Nox said as they finally arrived at the part of the forest containing the low-level beasts they had seen. It also served as a good distraction from the blunder he almost made.

    Nyx narrowed her eyes. She saw through her brother''s act. If anyone knew this boy inside out, it was undoubtedly her. Nevertheless, she didn''t say anything and focused ahead.

    In front of the three children, arge opening revealed a massiveke, covering over 50% of thend. Inside, one-eyed shark-like fish with sturdy scales were jumping up and down, disturbing the water and creating waves that sshed everywhere.

    Seeing the fish, Nox didn''t hesitate to activate [Analyze]. This skill allowed him to see monster information and their evolution paths.

    "A one-eyed shark with strong jaws that could rip even iron apart."

    Rating: Level 1 wildin

    Progress: 0/100%

    MP: 100/100

    HP: 20/20

    Stam: 100/100

    Strn: 10

    Agi: 9

    Intel: 2

    Special Skills: Gaze Attack (Active), Schooling (Passive), Aquatic Adaptation (Passive).

    [Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Gazelek King]

    Requirements: Reach King Tier. Obtain the scale of Mermaid Royalty.

    [Gazelek King: A majestic sea creature with enhanced strength and agility. Its gaze can petrify opponents, and its schooling ability allows it to summon a swarm of smaller Gazeleks to overwhelm foes]

    "From the aura, all of them are level 1 wildin," Nyx said, stepping in front of Serena and Nox with a fierce expression.

    This sight was nothing new to the two. As the elder sister, responsible for Serena and her foolish brother due to her inhuman physical prowess, this mentality had been drilled into her head by their mother. It was the very reason she had angrily beaten Nox thest time he sneaked out of the house.

    If anything went wrong, it would be her fault. Their mother had showered both her and her brother with nothing but love; she couldn''t afford to disappoint her.

    "Not again!" she thought with a dignified expression. However, at that moment, someone touched her on the shoulder.

    "Chill, it''s just level 1 wildin," Nox stepped forward.

    "You''ve done enough already," he thought. "With this new power, I''ll take the role of the elder brother from here."

    "You fool, what are you doing!" Nyx screamed, watching her good-for-nothing brother approach theke. She knew he wasn''t the brightest person, but to approach death so casually while being careless was a whole realm of stupidity.

    Where did he get that confidence from? Did he even get it?

    "I swear, after this, I''ll really kill you!" she screamed but paused, her eyes narrowing as she noticed her brother raising his hand.

    "What''s that?" Serena was also confused. A dark miasma was coalescing on Nox''s fingertip.

    Things happened so fast she barely had time to keep up with the unfolding event.

    "Shadow Oblivion!" Nox''s cold voice rang out. It wasn''t loud, but everyone heard it clearly as a ck vortex exploded from his fingertip. Dark tendrils mmed into theke viciously. The impact was fierce; the devastation was evident as a huge torrent of water surged up, flying in all directions.

    When the water surge subsided, the sight that appeared was unbelievable and left both Serena and Nyx with their mouths wide open. It seemed no different from a nuclear bomb test site back on Earth.

    There were now deep craters inside the now dried pond, and all the Demonic sharks were nowhere to be found. They were all¡­

    "Obliterated from existence!" Serena and Nyx eximed at once as they shifted their gaze from the destructive sight to Nox, who was bathed in a golden glow.

    Several texts were shing across his retina at that moment. Simultaneously, his physique and appearance were undergoing drastic changes both inside and out due to him using [Shadow Oblivion]]. But perhaps most exciting of all was this.

    [You have leveled up!]

    [Mimicry capacity Increased +1]

    [Taming capacity Increased +1]

    [You''ve Awakened the title Fisherman]

    [Title Effect: Increases damage by 20% when facing off against fish-like creatures.]

    "Nice!" Nox was very pleased with the rewards he got, but his happy moment was disrupted when he saw the two girls looking at him with questioning gazes.

    "Exin?" Nyx stated first, her voice leaving no room for refusal. Nox wasn''t nning to hide it, though. These two were among the few he trusted most.

    "So, you first awakened your ss?" Nyx asked after Nox finished his exnation.

    "Yeah!" Nox nodded.

    "Good, at least you''re not so worthless now." Nyx was truly happy because now she would be less worried. Less because, give a fool an ability, and he wouldn''t be able to utilize it to its full potential, and someone weaker could still beat him.

    The group ventured deeper into the forest, and at one point, Nox had to summon Fluffington to fight a low-level monster. For some reason, Fluffington had agreed easily, which was very strange because he usually had to quarrel and trade with the prideful to get anything done.

    It didn''t take long for the truth to be revealed. When Fluffington encountered a beast, he would swiftly dispose of them by digging his ws into their chests, extracting a glowing blue core, and then¡­ he would eat it.

    At first, Nox was confused¡­ until he checked Fluffington''s status:

    [Progress: 60%/100]

    ''So he can get experience from killing beasts. Absorbing those blue crystal actually Increase his progress¡­ not bad,'' Nox noted to himself.

    If Fluffington continued killing beasts and absorbing these blue crystals, he would break through to the Intermediate tier, and with each breakthrough, his stats would significantly improve. By a stroke of luck, he could even awaken more special Skills.

    Fluffington was just a level five wildin, yet he was able to hold his ground against Cerbagh, who was a whole realm higher than him. Nox wondered how strong he would be if he were to give him a suitable skill.

    The mere thought sent excitement coursing through his body as he anticipated the future.

    Speaking of Fluffington, Nox nced at his system status and noted that he was receiving half of Fluffington''s experience points even without doing anything. Nox honestly didn''t know how to feel about this; it felt like cheating.

    Well¡­ his very existence in this world itself was a cheat, so some things couldn''t be helped.

    While they were heading further, Nyx suddenly signaled for Fluffington to stop his rampage when she spotted something.

 Chapter 18: The Powerfull Hobgoblin Shaman

    "What are those?!" Serena gasped, using her hand to cover her mouth when she saw hideous-looking green creatures wielding sledgehammers and other crude weapons.

    "Hobgoblins," Nyx corrected as she narrowed her eyes at the pack of hobgoblins shing with a giant panda in an open area where all the trees were snapped in half.

    The fight was fierce, and the hobgoblins seemed to have the advantage. But the giant, ck-eyed panda was clearly tough; several hobgoblinsy fallen around it, but it had sustained only minor injuries.

    Nox, paying strict attention to the battle, saw beyond this ¡ª he spotted another panda, badly injured and lying amidst the hobgoblins.

    It wasn''t dead, but it was close.

    At that moment, Nox''s eyes met the panda''s in midair, and he felt as if he could sense its emotions ¡ª the pain it endured and its determination to survive. Despite the female panda''s obvious suffering, the cruel hobgoblins continued to hack at her with their weapons.

    However, for some strange reason, she didn''t move, just lying there, emitting loud, painful screams.

    Watching this sight, Nox sighed. Whether due to his job ss or not, he felt pity for both the panda and presumably her husband.

    Unfortunately, he couldn''t help, because the hobgoblins were all between level 8-9 Intimidate tier monsters.

    Even Nyx, usually fearless, knew better than to engage; theirbined strength far surpassed hers by a considerable margin. Fighting them would be foolish!

    Moreover, Nox also noticed a hobgoblin farrger and more muscr than the rest, wearing broken armor and wielding a terrifying, spiky mace. With a single hit, it could prate even an alloy wall ¡ª that''s how fearsome its weapon looked.

    But that was just the icing on the cake...

    ...

    "A twisted fusion of goblin and octopus, with tentacles as long as ships'' masts and eyes that glow likenterns in the dark. Its roar can summon storms, and its touch can corrupt thend itself."

    Rating: Intermidiate tier Level 1

    Progress: 0/100%

    MP: 300/300

    HP: 100HP/140HP

    Stam: (100/200%)

    Stre: 25

    Agi: 22

    Inte: 28

    Special Skills: Intimidating Roar (Active) Hexing (Active) Tribal Knowledge (Passive) Shamanic Rituals (Passive) Fear Aura (Passive)

    Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Hobgoblin Warlord

    Requirements: Reach King Tier, obtain the Tome of the Ancients, and perform a ritual on the Altar of the Hobgoblin God.

    Hobgoblin Warlord: A powerful and feared leader, with enhanced strength, agility, and intelligence. Its intimidating roar can stun enemies, and its hexing ability can weaken even the strongest foes. +50 increase in each stat.

    ...

    ''The hobgoblin shaman is even stronger than Cybarge. Sure, I can take out a few of them with my Shadow Oblivion, but even then, I''ll at most only wipe out some of the small fries and the panda, which is just useless,'' Nox pondered. ''It''s such a shame; I really wanted to tame this panda.''

    ...

    "A behemoth of a panda, with fur as ck as coal and eyes that glow like embers. Its roar can shake the earth, and its paws can crush steel."

    Rating: Intermidiate tier Level 3

    Progress: 0/100%

    MP: 50/320

    HP: 30HP/180HP

    Stam: (30/100%)

    Stre: 40

    Agi: 35

    Intel: 30

    Special Skills: Bamboo Bite (Active) Cute Factor (Passive) Roll With It (Passive) kungfu (Passive)

    Ultimate Evolution path 1: Legendary Panda Titan

    Requirements: Reach Legendary Tier, kill a hundred Intimidate tier beasts, obtain a Titan''s Heart, and perform a ritual on the temple of Rufus Bamboozeus.

    Legendary Panda Titan: Gains the ability to transform into a gigantic panda, increasing strength and agility exponentially. Summon massive waves of energy to obliterate enemies. Can summon an army of clone pandas with half of the original panda''s power. Master any martial art after witnessing it once.

    ...

    With a final evolution like this, it was bound to be a powerful creature in the future! It would be a walking nuke on any battlefield. Nox''s heart bled at the thought of missing such a powerful, fierce, and determinedpanion!

    Just then, the hobgoblin leader, who had remained in position all this while, finally made his move. He started spinning his spiky mace, each step bringing him closer to the panda, which sent his kind flying with powerful kicks and punches. Some even had their heads exploded from a single hit ¡ª that''s how powerful Kungfu was!

    Ignoring hisrades, the hobgoblin shaman struck the panda with his spiky mace.

    Engrossed in the fight, the panda was oblivious until it was toote. It saw the mace reflect in its big, ck eyes before darkness enveloped it upon impact.

    With a loud thud, the brave panda copsed to the ground, creating a small crater. The hobgoblins jumped on it and started hacking away. When it stopped breathing, they dug into its chest, retrieved a blue glowing crystal, and handed it over to the shaman on one knee.

    "Survival of the fittest... that''s thew of the jungle," Nox muttered from his hiding ce.

    The hobgoblin shaman then approached the other panda, which was still alive. Nox, Serena, and Nyx froze, knowing what would soon happen.

    "Come, let''s leave," Nyx said.

    Reluctantly, Nox turned around to leave. Knowing it wasn''t within his power to interfere was the best course of action; the group thought so until they heard the hooves of hundreds of beasts.

    "Huh?" The three turned back to the battlefield and saw hundreds of beasts rushing out of the forest like a tidal wave, bulldozing everything in their path. Luckily, the group wasn''t in their deadly trajectory.

    The same couldn''t be said for the hobgoblins, however.

    The hobgoblinsmunicated in theirnguage, looking at the female panda with regret. But they knew well enough that their lives were more important, so they decided to flee the scene.

    Once they were gone, Nox jumped out of his hiding ce and started running toward the panda.

    "You fool!" Nyx''s blood boiled as she followed, leaving Serena unsure whether to follow or not. But she was certain that if the monster horde arrived, her two best friends would be crushed under their hooves.

    When Nox reached the panda, he hastily ced his hands on her head, hoping to tame her. But there was no sign of life from her... she was gone. Just when he thought his run had been in vain, he felt movement beneath the massive panda''s stomach.

    Nyx arrived and saw the movement too. Though angry at her foolish brother, she helped him push the panda aside, and lo and behold, it was...

 Chapter 19: The Last Descendant Of The Panda God

    It was a baby panda!

    A tiny cub, barelyrger than a human toddler. Its fur was a mix of its parents'' dark and light patterns, but its eyes were a bright, almost glowing green. The panda''s innocent gaze met Nox''s deep eyes for a while before it raised its paws as if wanting to be carried.

    Nox and Nyx stared at each other for some time. Looking at the little panda, Nox could tell it was just a baby, still unaware of its parents'' deaths.

    For Nox, who also never met his parents, this was genuinely touching. He knew firsthand how difficult it was growing up without them. Without its parents, this panda''s life would be harsh and dangerous. Worse, before it could learn to protect itself, it might be prey for another predator.

    "That will not happen!" Nox screamed in his mind as he picked up the panda and ran back to their hiding spot.

    Just before the beast horde arrived, however, a certain fat cat appeared before the mother panda, thrust his ws into her chest, retrieved the blue crystal, and threw it into his mouth.

    [Your death has not gone for naught. You''re now a part of me... and with this power, I shall protect your offspring!] Fluffington dered solemnly as he fled the scene, thinking no one caught his shameless act.

    "Oh, Fluffington," Nox massaged his temple. The cat made it look so righteous that it nearly convinced Nox.

    Some timeter, the beast horde came and went.

    Luckily, it did not see or smell them. When they passed, Nox checked their stats and was shocked. All the beasts were in the Intimidate Tier and above.

    If these beasts had found them... Nox didn''t even want to think about what would have happened. This made him realize that the Luminary Forest was truly worthy of its reputation.

    When they could finally breathe, Nox shifted his attention to the panda, now asleep and snoring lightly.

    ...

    "A very diciplined and hardworking creature who would one day rule the world."

    Rating: Level 1 Wildling

    Progress: (0/100%)

    MP: 100/100

    HP: 20HP/20HP

    Attribute: Water

    Stam: (100/100%)

    Str: 9

    Agi: 8

    Int: 5

    Special Skills: Roll with it (Passive), Cute Factor (Passive), Iron Teeth (Active)

    Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Legendary Panda Titan.

    Requirements: Reach Legendary Tier, kill a hundred Intimidate Tier beasts, obtain a Titan''s Heart, and perform a ritual at the Temple of Rufus Bamboozeus.

    Legendary Panda Titan: Gains the ability to transform into a gigantic panda, increasing strength and agility exponentially. Summons massive waves of energy to obliterate enemies. Can summon an army of clone pandas with half of the original panda''s power. Masters any martial art after witnessing it once.

    (Check Authors note for Skill descriptions)

    ...

    ''Ah, it seems he and his father had simr evolution paths. But his own seemed even more powerful!'' Nox grinned foolishly.

    Nyx wanted to berate her brother for his reckless run, but she just sighed. After learning about his ss rted to ''taming beasts,'' she figured he must have seen a powerful beast to join his army, hence his recklessness.

    Seeing his stupid smile, she was even more certain of this.

    As for Serena, she was just d that her two friends were safe. When the monster horde passed by, her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest. If possible, she didn''t want to hunt anymore and just go home.

    ***

    In the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts.

    "If I''m not wrong, Rufus, that''s thest of your direct lineage, right?" Terra asked, looking at the massive ck-eyed panda clenching his fist, watching the projector disying the baby panda.

    Thousands of years ago, Rufus had wandered the World of Eos like any other beast. In a time where dominant creatures like lions, tigers, and cheetahs ruled the jungle, Rufus''s life as a panda had been very tough.

    But somehow, he overcame all those odds and became one of the first creatures to reach the Sovereign Tier!

    The highest beast tier in the World of Eos!

    A tier so strong that even powerful entities like gods had to rally an army to face it.

    Finding a Sovereign Tier beast was like finding a single drop of water in the Pacific Ocean! They were that rare!

    After bing a Sovereign, he encountered Terra, the Goddess of Beast Taming. She offered him a ce in the Pantheon in the Celestial Realm. At that time, he was constantly targeted by powerful entities, endangering his tribe and family, so he decided to ascend.

    During Gustavo''s life, his tribe had flourished, but ever since his death, they had been hunted by other beast because of their fragile,zy nature.

    And now there was only one left. The baby panda, sleeping without a care in the world in their vassal''s hand.

    "He''s a good kid," Terra assured. "I''m very certain he and that Whiskarius descendant will keep him safe."

    "Yes, he risked his life by running out. That''s verymendable. The more I watch, the more I''m d we made the right choice," the fox woman, Kitsune, said, her seductive eyes looking intently at the ck-haired boy.

    ***

    "Hmmmm, they''re safe," Nathan said as he looked at the sky where Doombringer was patrolling. Of course, he wasn''t foolish enough to let the kids wander off on their own inside this dangerous forest.

    He had only agreed because Doombringer would be constantly scanning the surroundings. A few moments ago, it had detected the beast horde, but nothing had happened to the kids, so he focused back on the pesky lowlifes lining up in front of him.

    "Now, how would you gentlemen like to die? Explosion? A stab to the chest? Crushing your skulls with my bare hands or feeding you to Doombringer up there?"

    "How about you let us go?" The bandit leader shivered. All of the options were so painful that he didn''t know which to choose if he had to.

    "Did I hear you say explosion?" A wide grin appeared on Nathan''s face.

    "I didn''t say that!" The bandit leader panicked, but it was toote. The next instant, his body exploded into ashes.

    "The next person,e to the front! I don''t have all day"

    ''This bastard, why is he making this look so normal?'' the bandits cursed in their minds.

    ***

    Nox proceeded to tame the little panda. He didn''t know if it was because the panda was sleeping, but the taming process went rather smoothly. After his mark appeared on the panda, he sent it to the Beast Taming space and looked at the others.

    "I wonder what was chasing those beasts. Do you guys want to go take a look?"

    "I mean, if you want to." Although she wanted to return home, Serena didn''t mind.

    Because even Nyx was curious, she didn''t object.

    A few secondster, they found the cause of the beast tide.

    It was a pale, milky portal!

    [Ding! New Quest]

    Quest Description: [Explore the Portal!]

    Rewards:???

 Chapter 20: Explore The Portal

    [Ding! New Quest]

    Quest Description:  [Explore the Portal!]

    Rewards: [ Instant Level up; Plus one random Item.]

    ''Explore the portal?'' Nox mused, his gaze on the flickering screen in front of him. Although he didn''t know whaty on the other side of the portal, he was very tempted to ept the quest because the rewards were just that bountiful.

    "Okay, enough adventuring for today. Let''s return to Grandpa," Nyx spoke, turning her back and ready to leave the vicinity.

    Nox gritted his teeth, pacing back and forth as he wondered, ''Dammit, how do I convince her?''

    He knew how firm Nyx was when she made a decision... it was very difficult to change her mind. But he didn''t want to miss this opportunity. If he did, Nox would certainly cry himself to sleep knowing he had missed a whole level increase!

    Contrary to other sses, a level was very important. Not only did it promise an increase in his taming capacity, but also an additional skill slot!

    Right now, he only had two choices: follow Nyx or dash into the portal... and face the consequencester.

    Nox hesitated, considering his two options... he was about to go with the second option. However, someone beat him to it.

    "Sister!" Serena called out with trembling hands, causing Nyx to wonder what was making her react like that.

    "T-this is a dimensional rif!" Serena stuttered. "Remember Doombringer? Uncle Nathan found it inside one. ording to my papa, these rifts are so important that they could cause nations to go to war over the valuable treasures one can obtain from them."

    Serena began to exin everything she knew about the dimensional rift, leaving Nox stunned; even Nyx''s stoic expression crumbled as she nced at the portal, wondering if everything Serena said was true.

    If it was... a greedy glint shed in her beautiful eyes. If she could get her hands on the treasures inside, she could significantly help her mother, Grandpa, and everyone in the Cromwell Barony.

    After weighing the pros and cons, Nyx was on the fence. What if the monsters on the other side were stronger? She knew very well that there was no free lunch; everything had a price in this world.

    Seeing her thoughtful expression, Nox decided to coax her a little. Even though he was known as the mischievous boy in the Barony, he also had sides that only a few knew:

    ... Maniption.

    He moved closer to her... Nox''s heart ached because he was about to use his sister for his own selfish interests; he was willing to do it regardless. Among everyone, he was the only one that knew firsthand how dangerous this world was. To survive, he needed strength, even if it was at the cost of doing some immoral things.

    "Nyx," he held her hand, staring into her eyes. Nyx frowned; she wanted to swat his hand away but instead listened to what he had to say.

    "I promise you, we''ll be right by your side. We''ll face whatever dangers are in there together. And think of Serena''s words - this could be a chance to change our lives, to make a real difference in the barony. Besides, I''m very strong now. Are you really willing to pass that up?"

    "Is this my stupid brother speaking?" Nyx blurted out her thoughts, looking at Nox as if he had been possessed.

    "What do you mean?" Nox let go of her hand. "Are you trying to say I can''t say something like this?"

    "Yes... you''re very stupid and reckless. Does this have to do with the new ss?"

    "Maybe, maybe not," Nox simply shrugged. "But anyway, what do you say?"

    Nyx looked at Serena and saw that even the scaredy-cat wanted to go, so she finally made her decision.

    "Okay, let''s explore the portal!"

    "That''s my sister!" Nox jumped and was about to hug her, but a voice as cold as ice stopped him.

    "Don''t even think of hugging me with your smelly body."

    "I don''t smell. You''re the one who stinks," Nox retorted. "Serena, do I stink?"

    "No, you smell lovely, like fragrance. It makes me nervous every time youe close to me."

    "Huh?"

    "Come on, let''s just head into the portal now."

    ***

    A few seconds after the three kids had gone through the portal, a man with bushy beards and thin eyes, wearing a suspicious blue robe that was kept in good condition, emerged from the bushes.

    "A dimensional rift!" He eximed in shock. He had been hunting inside the forest when he noticed the strange energy fluctuation.

    Who would have thought it was a goldmine!

    A city could flourish just by having a dimensional portal in its territory!

    "I must report to the Duke. He''ll be so happy and would certainly reward me," the man thought as he dashed towards the opposite direction of the Cromwell Barony... towards the Armstrong Duchy, the Duke of the western region!

    ***

    [You have entered a Dimension Rift]

    This was the message that greeted the three kids immediately as they entered the portal; for a moment, they lost their vision and sense of smell momentarily.

    Nox had initially thought this was the natural state of the dimension until rity returned.

    "I-It''s beautiful," Serena, Nox, and Nyx eximed with amazement as they witnessed the sight in front of them.

    The group had found themselves in a mysterious realm of floating inds numbering in the thousands. The air here was heavy with an otherworldly energy, and the thousands of inds seemed to drift aimlessly, as if suspended by an invisible force.

    Below the inds, there was a thick haze so dense that it made it impossible to see the ground. It gave the impression that the inds were adrift in a sea of clouds.

    Nox narrowed his eyes; he could somehow see that the inds were linked by thick, sturdy chains. The haze made it very difficult to see, however.

    If his guess was correct, they would have to walk on the chains to navigate from ind to ind.

    "We''re not in a hurry, though. Besides, we still have this ind we''re on to explore¡ª"

    "Arg!!!!!!" A piercing scream suddenly interrupted Nox''s inner monologue.

    Nox''s heart sped up when he heard that familiar scream. He quickly turned around, and what he saw left him stunned to the point he couldn''t even breathe.

 Chapter 21: Falling Island

    A giant creature with the body of a massive squid, the wings of a bat, and long tentacles had snatched Serena, wrapping her tightly as it pped its wings and attempted to fly away.

    ''Mmmmmm.'' Serena kept her lips shut, feeling the cold tentacles on her neck. She was afraid that any unnecessary movement would snap her neck. She looked at her friends, who were equally shocked.

    Nox and Nyx remained rooted to the spot, trying toe up with a n. Nyx stayed calm, but Nox''s fingers trembled. Why wouldn''t he be restless? Coming into this dimension had been his idea, after all.

    If anything went wrong here, it would be his fault, and he would me himself for the rest of his life.

    "Do you still have any tricks?" Nyx had a bitter smile on her face, staring at her brother from the side of her eyes.

    For the past few hours, he had been very resourceful, annihting the creatures in theke in one attack and skillfully hunting the beasts they encountered with Mister Fluffington''s help. This was very surprising to the little girl.

    She''d never thought her foolish brother, who never seemed to take life seriously, would one day be this reliable.

    Subconsciously, she was hoping that because of his recent actions, he would also have a solution for this problem.

    ...

    "A massive sea creature that has adapted to the skies."

    Rating: Level 6 Wildin

    Progress: 0/100%

    MP: 200/200

    HP: 70HP/70HP

    Stam: (100/100%)

    Stre: 25

    Agi: 22

    Inte: 15

    Special Skills: Tentacle Swipe (Active) Storm Call (Active) Aquatic Adaptation (Passive) Aerial Dominance (Passive)

    Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Celestial Emperor

    Requirements: Reach King Tier, obtain the Trident of the Skies, and perform a ritual on the Altar of the Sea Gods.

    Celestial Emperor: Enhanced strength, agility, and intelligence, Ability to summon stars and celestial bodies to aid in battle, Tentacles can reach and grab enemies from afar, Storm Call ability bes a powerful lightning storm

    ...

    After using the appraisal skill, Nox finally understood what he was facing.

    "I have a n," he replied to his sister. At the same time, a blue portal formed behind him, and Fluffington stepped through. He would have summoned the panda as well, but right now, it was just an infant and would be more of a nuisance than actual help.

    "I need your help to..."

    [Speak no more,d,] Fluffington interrupted Nox and red at the Sky Kraken.

    In the Barony, Fluffington loved all the kids because they yed with him, but he liked Serena the most. The beautiful ck girl was very kind to him, and he had grown ustomed to seeing her y with Nox and Nyx, his two favorite people.

    Without her, their little circle wouldn''t beplete, and the cat couldn''t stand that happening.

    [Tsk, just a filthy flying bug,] Fluffington sneered as he exploded forward at blinding speed. He quickly got around the Kraken, leaped up with the mighty agility of a cat, covering several distances before nimblynding on the Kraken''s squid body.

    With a sharp ''Shing! Shing!'' Fluffington revealed his razor-sharp ws and began to dig deep into the squid''s body savagely like a barbarian bred for war. Blood flowed like a broken tap from the Kraken''s body as it wiggled, trying to get its assant off its body.

    Seeing that Fluffington''s attack was dealing significant damage to the Kraken, Nox and Nyx didn''t stand idly by and quickly darted forward. Because of the life force he absorbed from countless beasts, Nox''s bones had been reformed, so his speed wasparable to that of a teenager.

    "Sister, go for its left eye!" Nox shouted at Nyx as he darted right while she went left.

    The Sky Kraken was in a dilemma. It didn''t know which of the assants to deal with first. Was it the one digging into its flesh or the two human children? It couldn''t even use its Tentacle Swipe skill because they were currently used to hold down the girl.

    In the end, all it could do was open up its wide maw and begin to shoot out a bolt of lightning at the two attackers, but it missed by a wide margin because it couldn''t keep its aim due to the furious pain radiating from above.

    In the blink of an eye, the two reached the Kraken and simultaneously mmed their fists into its eyes with crushing force.

    Bam! Bam!

    One would have thought they''d stop, but no, the two kids continued to pummel the Kraken as it reeled back in pain. On top, Fluffington''s carnage was in full swing, drawing out liters of blood.

    Due to the loss of blood and the humans attacking its eyes, the Kraken started feeling dizzy and swaying. Since the beast''s flying speed was slow, it was just a few meters above the ground, making it easy for Nox and Nyx to jump andnd a hit.

    Its tentacles weakened, and noticing this, Serena escaped, running far from the battleground.

    "It will fall soon!" Nyx warned.

    Nox barely nodded his head, and the two distanced themselves just before a loud thud echoed as the Kraken copsed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust into the air and creating a massive crater with it at the center.

    When the dust cleared, the children could see the lifeless Kraken, its body deted, and sitting proudly on top was Fluffington. Apart from his bloody ws, his fur was shiny and lustrous as ever as if the blood were scared to taint him.

    Right before their eyes, the Kraken''s body began to dissolve into a white mist, leaving strange items in its wake.

    "Loots!" Nox''s eyes glowed with excitement when he saw this scene, which was verymon in the video games he yed in his past life. However, his expression soon turned grim when he started hearing metal snapping.

    The ind, nearly asrge as a ser field, began to rumble, causing the rocks to shift. The three kids struggled to stay on their feet.

    "Everyone, get off the ind now!" Nox cried out as he felt the ind slowly plunging into the mist that was home to unknown creatures.

 Chapter 22: Lost Panda

    Rumble! Rumble!

    The entire ind shook vigorously as the gangnks connecting it to others snapped off one after the other. Consequently, the ind tilted sharply, making it difficult for the trio to keep their bnce.

    "Serena, Nyx, follow the chains and escape to the other ind!" Nox shouted, dashing towards the loot that was slowly edging towards the ind''s edge.

    Despite the considerable distance, the giant chains enabled Nyx and Serena to swiftly make their way across.

    Although Nyx didn''t want to leave her brother behind, she had to because if they continued staying on the ind, they''d be a hindrance to him. Still, she couldn''t help but curse him in her mind for being so reckless again!

    One step at a time, Serena and Nyx walked on the chain at a moderate pace. If it were just Nyx, she could have even run on the chain effortlessly with her eyes closed, but she had to slow her pace because of Serena, who was finding it hard not to look at the thick haze below her feet.

    Secondster, they reached safety on another ind.

    Meanwhile, on the copsing ind...

    "Got it!" Nox grabbed the loot and instinctively stowed it in his inventory, which had be essible after awakening his ss. Although the space was low because of his low level, anything could be ced there; it was like a separate world of its own.

    After stowing the items, Nox staggered to his feet. Just then, another chain snapped again, throwing him to the ground with a painful thud.

    Due to his small body, an intense headache hit Nox like a tidal wave, and for a moment, he could see his world spinning about, everything in pairs.

    On the other side, he could vaguely make out Nyx and Serena''s lips moving, shouting at him, but he couldn''t hear a single thing.

    Bang! Bang!

    Thest of the chains holding the ind finally snapped at that moment. Just before losing consciousness, Nox saw a blurry white creature picking him up with its mouth, leaping from chain to chain.

    Behind them, a deafening sound rocked the entire dimension as the ind plunged into the abyss below.

    Sometimeter, Nox''s eyes fluttered open. As he tried to sit up, a merciless pain assaulted his head, but a hand held him back.

    Nyx, her hand still on his shoulder, red at her brother with a cold glint in her eyes. "Before I get more angry, you better stay still."

    Nox kept his lips shut and simplyy back on the ground. Just from her tone, it was evident that Nyx was very angry with him... he didn''t want to provoke this lioness because she would beat him to a pulp even in this state.

    Beside him, he saw Serena sleeping, using Fluffington as a pillow. Serena''s forehead was furrowed, her lips paused in a frown. He didn''t need to know; he could tell that she''d been very worried while she was awake.

    Even Fluffington... but that was something the prideful cat would never ept.

    "The air here smells better," Noxmented, taking in the scenery. Unlike the copsed, barren ind, this ind was filled with greenery, trees, and a pond. It felt as if he had stepped into another world, but he could feel they were still in the same dimension.

    "Why did you do that?" Nyx spoke after a moment of silence as she looked her brother in the eyes. "You could have just let them go... but no, you decided to act selfish and reckless again."

    "S-sorry."

    "Shut up, and don''t interrupt me when I''m speaking."

    Gulped! Nox swallowed hard; he could see the madness in Nyx''s eyes. She was very angry with him now.

    Nyx drew a deep breath as if calming her nerves. "Rest a little and let''s look for the gateway Serena talked about and return already."

    "Thank you."

    "Didn''t I tell you to shut up? Are you looking for a beating?"

    After Nyx''s threat, the youth kept his mouth closed and just took in his surroundings. A few secondster, Serena and Fluffington woke up. The beautiful dark-skinned girl didn''t shy away from hugging Nox; she was very happy that he was safe.

    She still felt a pang of guilt because things had escted to the current situation because she was the weakest link of the group and had let the Sky Kraken capture her.

    Deep in her heart, Serena swore to train so hard that she would be the one saving and not always being saved.

    As for Fluffington, he raised one paw and smacked Nox on the head quite hard.

    Smack!

    "Ouch!" Nox held his head in pain as he red at the cat. "Why did you do that for?"

    [For troubling me, this is what you get. We''re even.] Fluffington harrumphed loudly and turned his gaze elsewhere.

    Nox''s angry expression softened into a smile. "Thank you for saving me back there. I know it was you."

    Fluffington didn''t say anything, but he was very pleased. If one looked at his face, they might think he was smiling.

    Just then, a blue portal opened up beside Nox; everyone looked at the portal with curiosity.

    A momentter, a baby panda with a lost expression stepped outside. The panda nced around as if taking in its surroundings before its gazended on a boy with raven hair and eyes so dark that one could get lost in them.

    Upon waking up in the beast taming space, the panda felt restless. It was as if a part of itself was missing.

    It tried to search for this part throughout the beast taming space but couldn''t find it, so it decided toe to the human world.

    Now facing the five-year-old, the panda felt an inexplicable connection with him; it felt secure in this boy''s presence, at peace. Instinctively, the panda knew this was the missing part it was looking for.

 Chapter 23: People Are Already Inside Dimension!

    [Are you my pa?] The panda walked up to Nox and looked at him with those big ck and white eyes. Its adorable expression began to morph into a frown as Nox kept it waiting.

    Resisting the urge to pinch the creature''s cheek, Nox said, "Yes, I''m your papa."

    Because it was still a toddler, the panda had little recollection of its actual family. However, after Nox tamed it, the lingering memories were erased, and now it was like a child meeting its parents for the first time.

    Nox honestly didn''t know if this was a good thing or not, but he preferred it this way. That way, this creature wouldn''t feel the pain of losing its parents.

    "Why is he making those strange sounds?" Serena furrowed her brow as she watched the scene of a human and a panda speaking in an animalnguage filled with "Hoo-hoo-ha" and "bleeat."

    Even Nyx felt weirded out.

    It looked extremely silly, beyond her wildest imagination, but somehow it was happening right in front of them.

    "I guess it''s their way ofmunication," Nyx shrugged. Then she looked at Serena and proceeded to ask her for more information about these dimensional worlds and a way back home.

    If she had her ss, she wouldn''t be in such a hurry to go back and hunt monsters to her heart''s content, but doing that was pretty risky since she didn''t have offensive and defensive skills.

    And the only person who had offensive skills was too reckless.

    Nyx looked at Nox. Sure enough, the raven-haired boy was rolling on the grass with the panda,ughing without a care, as if they weren''t in a dimension infested with beasts and strange flying creatures.

    ...He was too carefree and foolish.

    So the best course of action was to leave this ce and return when they were prepared. From Serena, she had learned that these dimensions would remain as long as the Gatekeeper was not killed. Some cities intentionally preserved the Gatekeeper for continuous hunting while gaining more loot in the process.

    "Now how do I get these two to stop ying?" Nyx felt a headacheing on as she watched the panda and her brother, who seemed to be in their own world already.

    *Growl.*

    Just then, a low grumbling sound came from the panda''s little stomach. It stopped ying and looked at Nox while rubbing its stomach.

    [Panda... hungry!]

    "Hmm... What do pandas love most?" Nox pondered. Fluffington loved milk and meat, but for the baby panda... bamboo! Luckily, his knowledge from Earth came to the rescue, and he jumped to his feet. He informed the group that they would start moving now, something Nyx was very grateful for.

    Along the way, the group saw several tall trees that stretched to the sky, a kaleidoscope of beautiful flowers, ponds reflecting the vibrant sky, and creatures darting among the foliage with iridescent wings.

    "Strange... Did people live here before?" Nox couldn''t help but speak aloud when he saw a dpidated two-story building with two fallen pirs at the front. Shattered wooden windows covered in dust and rubble littered the ground. A broken fountain alongside a statue stood in what once seemed to be a mansion of the past.

    This was the first building they hade across, and clearly, all three could tell it was once inhabited by humans. But how? Wasn''t this dimension supposed to be like fantasy dungeons, infested only with beasts? So what was a building doing inside?

    Subconsciously, Nox looked at Serena. Serena only smiled. She had anticipated this. For once, she was happy to be the one her friends could rely on, so she said:

    "ording to my father, these dimensions are different worlds just like ours, once thriving with civilization." Her face turned grim. "But somewhere along the line, they were invaded by an entity that was too much for them tobat, hence the current state. Don''t take my words to heart though, because this is just a theory schrs came up with."

    The revtion gave Nox a lot to think about. Even though it was just a theory, there was a semnce of truth in every theory. What if this entity they talked about invaded Eos as well?

    Nox shook his head at this thought. "No, that''s not possible. The world of Eos has powerful gods and a pantheon overseeing them. No matter how powerful this entity is, it can''t possibly be stronger than those gods."

    With this thought in mind, Nox and his group moved ahead. They passed by several more ancient buildings, and Nox felt a tug on his cloth. Looking down, he could see the panda staring at him with those big ck eyes.

    [Panda... hungry!]

    As luck would have it, they reached an area popted with lots of bamboo trees, stretching proudly toward the sky.

    "Food... You want food, you''ll get all the food you want!"

    [Food! Yay!] The panda eximed in joy as it started feasting on the bamboo, snapping it and eating the sturdy-looking trees with no care in the world. Its jaws were surprisingly strong, as the bamboo disappeared into its mouth at a rapid rate, leaving Nyx and Serena stunned.

    "Iron teeth!"

    They hadn''t expected the cute little creature to have such strong jaws and eating speed!

    Watching the little panda, Nox felt a sense of satisfaction. Inwardly, he wondered if this was how it felt when parents watched their child eat.

    ---

    A group of three people had arrived at the entrance of the dimensional rift on strong-looking horses. They wore blue uniforms with an emblem of a shield with two swords crossed in the middle. These men were sturdy-built warriors with the aura of soldiers from the Armstrong Duchy, overlords of the west.

    A report had reached the Duke about the appearance of a dimensional rift, and he had dispatched these two. They thought the informant had been bluffing, but looking at the swirling portal, they couldn''t be more certain.

    "Thank you for your service. Here are 10 gold coins for your trouble." The leader of the warriors, a scar-faced middle-aged man named Kron, threw a pouch of coins to the informant.

    The man caught the pouch with a wide smile. Ten gold coins were an amount he could only dream of in his lifetime! The highest amount he had ever received was only one gold coin, which hadsted him almost two years, considering that 100 silver coins were equal to one gold coin, while 100 copper coins were equal to one silver coin.

    ''How am I not sure these soldiers aren''t cheating me? What if the Duke gave them even more? I''m very sure they''ll make millions of gold coins from this rift by selling the resources to the capital.'' The man couldn''t help but feel greedy, but he couldn''t fight these people; that would be pure stupidity.

    As he opened the pouch to take a look, however, a vicious blue snake with a forked tongue attacked him. With wide eyes, the man fell down and died.

    The soldiers didn''t react much to seeing this sight; after all, their Duke had specificallymanded them to get rid of him, for unknown reasons.

    Turning to the portal, Kron narrowed his eyes, a vein bulging in his temple. "This bastard lied! Someone has already entered the dimension!"

 Chapter 24: Micmicry Activated! Oceanic Torrent unleashed!

    The surface of the pale silver portal was rippling. This was a phenomenon that indicated people were still inside the dimensional rift. Most people didn''t know this, like the man; it was knowledge known by veteran Awakened¡ªpeople who had Awaken their ss.

    Kron had entered his fair share of dimensions in the capital. It was one of the reasons the duke had dispatched him, as he was very knowledgeable when it came to things rted to dimensions.

    "What do we do then?" one of the soldiers voiced out in worry. If they returned and reported this news, the duke would be furious. What was worse, they had already killed the man; there was no way to get any more information from him.

    "Returning is out of the question. Who knows what the duke would do to us out of anger? This dimension would certainly fetch him lots of resources in his quest to conquer the west and make all the towns submit to him," the other soldier, with his in-looking face,mented.

    "All of you keep quiet... I''m trying to think," Kron said, his eyelid twitching. He paced in thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with a sudden realization.

    "I have an idea!" he said, unsheathing his sword that gleamed dangerously under the sunlight. "We''ll head inside and get rid of everyone, then we can report back to the Duke!"

    Everyone seemed to agree with the n. They nodded at each other before diving into the portal.

    ---

    Just then, while the panda was devouring the bamboo, a thunderous sound reverberated throughout the ind they were on. All of their heads snapped in that direction, and they saw a devastating sight.

    Trees flew into the air, flying about in all directions, as a massive creature forged a pathway through the thicket of thick branches, snapping them apart as if it was nothing. The creature was a giant centipede with white carapaced skin and milky eyes.

    Nox''s eyes and the centipede''s milky gaze collided, and thetter''s information unfolded before his eyes.

    ...

    "Let the world drown in water!"

    Rating: Intermediate Tier Level 1

    Progress: (90/100%)

    MP: 300/300

    HP: 140/140

    Stam: (100/100%)

    Str: 40

    Agi: 30

    Intel: 20

    Special Skills: Water Ball, Regeneration, Hydrokic Camouge.

    Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Aquatic Sovereign

    Requirements: Reach Emperor Tier, Obtain the Pearl of the Ocean''s Heart, Perform a ritual on the Sunken Temple''s Altar

    Aquatic Sovereign: A powerful and majestic ruler of the ocean, with enhanced strength, agility, and intelligence. Its water maniption abilities be even more refined, allowing it to create massive waves and form structures out of water, capable of destroying entire cities.

    ...

    "Everyone, let''s get off this ind!" Nox shouted at the top of his voice, grabbing the panda that still had bamboo in its mouth. The creature was clearly not something they could deal with right now. Although he could use Shadow Oblivion, he was afraid the ind would copse because these tforms weren''t that strong.

    Suddenly, the centipede opened its mouth and unleashed a condensed ball of water. Though it missed its target, the projectile struck a nearby building, causing it to copse and scatter debris across the groun

    The centipede was powerful, without a doubt! The shockwave from the attack confirmed the fears of the three children.

    ''I was saving this spot for a more powerful skill, but... if I''m dead, there''s nothing worth saving.''

    [Mimicry Activated!]

    [Target: Great Water Centipede - Sessfully copied Skill: Water Ball!]

    [Water Ball: Conjures a sphere of pure water, hurling it at high speed to strike a single target, causing moderate water damage. Consume 10 MP  per use]

    [10x upgrade detected: New Skill]

    [Upgrading Water Ball x10!]

    [Ding! You''ve Awakened Oceanic Torrent!]

    [Oceanic Torrent Description: Unleashes a torrential deluge of water, sweeping away all obstacles and adversaries within its path. Consume 20 MP per use]

    [Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to a pet?]

    "Bestow!" Noxmanded, cing his hand on the little panda''s head. The panda felt something flood its stomach instantly; it suddenly had the urge to puke.

    "Shoot at the wicked monster!" Nox said as he lightly tapped the panda''s stomach. It puked out the remaining bamboo in its mouth and red at the approaching monster. He could feel the disgust his father had for creatures, and naturally, anything his father hated, he hated as well. Therefore, it opened its mouth, following the urge...

    ROOOOAR!

    A loud roar, like the sound of waves shing in the ocean, came from the panda''s stomach, stunning the centipede on its destructive path as it looked at the tiny ck and white creature with a puzzled expression.

    That was the biggest mistake it made.

    The following moment, a massive wave surged forth from the panda''s mouth, a deluge of water unlike anything the centipede or the children had ever seen in their lives.

    When it saw the giant tidal wave, the centipede roared with a mighty force that shook the very ground, sweeping up debris and trees in its path, but it did nothing to stop the oceanic torrent from engulfing itpletely.

    Although the centipede tried to fight the torrent, it was still swept away, helplessly. Its massive form tumbled through the air, carried by the force of the wave until it arrived at the edge of the ind where the group was.

    "Shit! Where did this watere from!" The eyes of the soldiers who had entered the dimensions widened as they watched the shadow heading towards their direction.

    Before their eyes, a giant wave with arge serpentine beast on top!

    Because they were on the edge where the trio werepletely stranded were to go!

    It was at that moment Kron stepped forward. Wielding his sword against the iing wave, he made an elegant but lightning-fast strike, and a white line left his sword heading towards the wave at breakneck speed.

    Judgment sh!

    As the white line mmed into the wave, it cut through effortlessly, separating the body of water into two parts that sshed everywhere. Some trees that were not on the trajectory of the tsunami broke off just from the sheer pressure of the water mming into them.

    As the two behind Kron watched in awe, the giant centipedended before him, and without hesitation, he drove his sword into the beast''s head, exploding it into smithereens.

    Usually, even for a Level 30 warrior, he would have struggled against this creature, but because of its dazed state, killing it had been pretty easy.

    But a frown soon appeared on Kron''s face because the experience he had received was halved, which meant...

    "This tsunami isn''t a natural phenomenon," Kron said as he dug into the centipede and retrieved the Intermediate Tier beast core. "Whoever is inside here is pretty strong... I suggest we wait for them at the gateway. We''ll deal with them there."

    Although he was downying everything, Kron''s entire existence was inwardly trembling. This was the first time he had seen an attack of such magnitude. Even his Judgment sh had prated because the force of the water had already reduced.

    For a moment, he even thought about a certain old bag of bones that stayed close to this forest. Indeeds, it could be argued that the dimensional rift was found in his territory.

    ---

    "And we''re done!" Nathan stretched, the sound of bones snapping reverberating through the forest as he stowed all the loot from the expedition inside his inventory.

    "29 gold coins, not bad," he grinned as he dusted his bony hands. "Now let''s go find those little brats!"

 Chapter 25: A Bunch oF Kids

    "All hail the great panda!" In aical fashion, Nox kowtowed before the little panda, dramatically banging his head on the ground. How could he not? After all, this little panda had swept away the giant centipede, at the Intimidate Tier, with a tsunami of water from its little stomach!

    [Kyaa!] The little panda, hand ced behind its back, blushed as it looked away. The praise was overwhelming, but it liked seeing Nox happy and proud, so it didn''tin.

    Subconsciously, the panda swore to keep making its father proud, even if it meant removing any obstacles in his path.As it considered this, a faint deadly aura leaked from the panda. No one noticed, as it wasn''t directed at anyone present. However, a certain white cat observing everything silently felt that aura.

    Fluffington red at the panda that was taking all the attention of his best friend with contempt.

    [Hmmmm, it appears I''ll have to show this new fellow who''s the boss around here...]

    After seeing what the little harmless panda was capable of, Serena and Nyx had decided to shut their brains and just go with the flow. Of all the scenarios they had expected, none involved a baby panda shooting a flood of water from its mouth. How was that even possible? It was simply unheard of! The power far exceeded what the little creature should be capable of!

    And somehow it had used this power to deal with the Great Centipede!

    Although she didn''t want to admit it, Nyx was starting to see her twin brother in a good light.

    ''Maybe he can really protect himself now.'' Her smile soon morphed into something else as a spark of determination ignited in her eyes. ''I need to Awaken my ss as well... I need to get my hands on powerful skills, if not... if not I''ll be left behind by this scoundrel. Then I''ll be a burden.''

    Although she wasn''t jealous of her brother, Nyx was fiercelypetitive and independent. She was the kind that preferred to carve her own path in life rather than aimlessly follow events like a puppet controlled by a higher being.

    Thinking about this, she couldn''t wait to leave this godforsaken ce and storm to the nearest Temple to awaken her ss.

    As Nyx was deep in her thoughts, Nox received a System message, notifying him about the death of the Centipede.

    ''Half exp, does this mean the attack killed the centipede or was it something else?''

    Nox pondered for a while but didn''t delve deeper since it was just a fleeting thought. Instead, he focused his attention on the panda; he was yet to give the little guy a name.

    "Hmmmm, I''m not really good with names... how about Oogway?"

    The panda vigorously shook its head; it clearly didn''t like that name.

    Nox chuckled at the panda''s reaction. He then looked at Fluffington at the side. "Fluffington, do you mind helping me out here?"

    [Hmmm, I don''t mind rendering my privileged expertise to you,] Fluffington said in a condescending tone as he swaggered over.

    [My name is Lord Fluffington,] he said to the panda with an air of arrogance.

    Nox furrowed his brows when he saw what was about to unfold. "Don''t bully him, Fluffington," he warned.

    [Bully? Tsk, that''s beneath me,] Fluffington casually waved it off. Nox wanted to argue that he was a big bully, but the cat wisely said, [Scram from here now. If you''ll excuse us, I''d like to know about this gentlepanda that reeks of flirtation.]

    The boy narrowed his eyes. ''What is this bastard up to?'' he thought as he excused himself, of course, while keeping an eye on them. He''d be a fool to leave Fluffington alone with the panda.

    [So, you are?] Fluffington spoke as he circled around the panda that was standing stiff in an upright posture while shivering slightly. This was because it was under Fluffington''s monarch aura.

    [P-panda!] Since it didn''t have a name yet, the panda felt it was okay to use this one for now. As it looked at the intimidating cat, it felt a strange connection to it like the way it did with Nox. However, the main difference was that he could sense the hostile vibe the cat was giving off.

    But why? It did nothing to offend him. And why did it have a hard time moving its limbs? This pressure was too overbearing; not even the giant centipede made it feel this way.

    [Panda? Hmmm, funny name. Not the worst I''ve heard though. That stupid Nox once tried to change my name to Pussy,] Fluffington had a reminiscent look before shaking his head and focusing on the main topic at hand. [Although I don''t like you in particr, I feel you should at least have a good name, so how about Thirteen?]

    "Thirteen isn''t particrly bad. The number thirteen signifies positivity and h h, so it''s fine," Nox, eavesdropping on the conversation, chimed in.

    The panda thought for a little before nodding its head. Since his Papa liked the name, he loved it too.

    With the panda''s consent, Nox imputed the name.

    Finished looking at the panda''s stat, the group of three children resumed their search for the gateway that led to the real world.

    The search took longer than Serena anticipated. They traversed ind after ind, each with its own unique terrain and different beasts, yet they still couldn''t find the portal.

    It reached a point where Serena, acting as their pathfinder all this while, began to worry they were lost.

    Fortunately, they then stumbled upon what appeared to be a lighthouse, or at least what used to be one. The 6-story building was located in a sandy in infected by sandworms.

    To get inside, the group had no choice but to battle their way through. With the additional help of Thirteen and Fluffington, it was smooth sailing. Not only did they get rid of the sandworms, but Nox''s experience points bar also shot through the roof.

    Experience: 60/150

    When they finally gained ess to the lighthouse, they found what they were looking for on the sixth floor. A metal ring with shimmering pale silver light in the middle, its surface constantly rippling.

    "If I guess right, this is the gateway?" Nyx asked as she nced at the portal.

    "Yes...Phew." Serena flicked droplets of sweat from her forehead. "For a moment, I thought we''d never find it."

    "Sigh, if I had stayed a little longer, I could have leveled up." Nox said with a bit of mncholy in his voice.

    "Stay longer huh? That shouldn''t be a problem."

    Suddenly, the three kids heard a voice.

    While they were trying to find the owner of that voice, three uniformed men stepped out from behind the gateway.

    "Of all the things, who would''ve thought a bunch of kids would be the first to find this dimension. Kron, with his braided hair, stepped forward, unsheathing his sword. "Well, this is actually a good thing because we can get rid of you brats easily, and no one would know!"

    Kron grinned as he shed his sword.

    "Judgment''s sh!"

 Chapter 26: Fighting A High Level Awakened!

    "It can''t be; these kids couldn''t possibly be responsible for that attack. Why in the world are the panda and cat helping them fight beasts?" Kron thought, his expression extremely puzzled as he watched the unfolding battle.

    A while ago, thanks to his experience, they had quickly found the gateway and decided to wait for their targets to finish them off and im this goldmine.

    For the past few minutes, they had been waiting on the sixth floor when they heard loud noises from below. Looking down, they saw a group of three children, aided by two beasts, taking out sandworm after sandworm.

    Although their fighting style was very crude and unrefined, it did the job. Still, from everything they were seeing, Kron was seriously doubting if the children were the ones responsible for the attack or if there was someone else inside.

    Had they been tricked by that bastard? Was the dimensional rift already days old, and had someone already imed it?

    "Whatever the reason might be, I''m sure these brats weren''t responsible for that tsunami," Kron thought, a dark glint shing in his eyes. "Regardless, we''ll wait for whoever is inside and deal with them... besides, everything in the western region belongs to Lord Felix Armstrong!"

    ***

    "Judgment sh!"

    The arc of light emerged from the sword with a fierce whoosh sound, slicing through the air as it inched closer to the three slow kids. They had not even seen when Kron made the swing! He was that swift and experienced. All they could do was widen their eyes in horror.

    Whatever that attack was, it wouldn''t just graze their skin. Nox knew this because of the sheer killing intent he felt from Kron. He knew he needed to do something before they were sliced in half.

    Before he could act, though, Thirteen, who had remained beside him, jumped to the front, standing in the path of the approaching sh and the three kids. He clenched his fist, feeling the hate his father had for this man through their connection.

    He had promised himself to always deal with any obstacles that stood in his father''s path, and in this moment, he was doing exactly that.

    Opening his mouth, a mighty roar that seemed to shake the heavens was heard, and a tsunami of water exploded out of the panda''s mouth, heading towards the visual sword sh.

    "My god! It''s really them!" Kron''s eyes widened when he saw the familiar deluge of water. The monstrous wave easily swallowed the visual sword sh.

    "Shit, as expected not even Judgment sh could stop it in such close proximity." Kron smiled bitterly, but he would be damned if that was the only skill in his arsenal.

    "sh Step!" he shouted, activating a warrior skill that made his body move on autopilot, escaping the trajectory of the giant wave capable of drowning a small city. He had no choice but to use sh Step to appear in the ceiling and sh the roof open, soaring into the air.

    His other threepanions weren''t that lucky, though.

    "Shit!"

    "We''re doomed... Senior Kron abandoned us!"

    Because they were just normal soldiers for the Duke, they weren''t that experienced and were directly swept away by the wave. Arge part of the wall of the lighthouse had broken off due to the sheer pressure of the water. The water carried the two away from there.

    However, the foundation of the building waspromised. It was already in poor condition, and the flood of water further weakened it. Parts of the building began falling off, crashing beside the children and waking them from their stupor.

    Resisting the urge to pick up the cute panda and shower it with kisses, Nox shouted in a booming voice, "Pass through the porta--"

    Bang!

    But his shout was interrupted by a loud thunderous sound mixed with water sshing on the wall, the remains of the lighthouse wall.

    Nox and everyone''s eyes locked onto the person in front of them, and their hearts beat quickened. With his braid flying about in the winding from the sted portion of the lighthouse, Kron had a serious expression on his face as he looked at the children.

    They were no ordinary children.

    "Beasts are meant to devour humans. This is the first time I have seen one helping a human. And the tsunami... was it the doing of the little panda that seems so fragile and harmless? It seems I''ll have to change my n... the kids will die, but the panda ising back with me to the Duchy!"

    Shing! Shing!

    Kron''s sword shed through the air. If one looked closely, they might even witness tears in the air. If it were not for their current situation, the children would have been amazed by the sword disy, but instead, it only made their hearts pound more fiercely in their chests.

    Suddenly, Kron stopped his unt and looked at the kids, his sword aze with a wild me that seemed eager to devour anything in its path.

    This was another of Kron''s skills! me of Annihtion!

    "I looked down on you kids, which goes against warrior code 5: never look down on your opponent, but I won''t make that mistake any more--"

    "Dammit... I''d be damned if I let this panda take all the spotlight, witness the might of the great Fluffington!"

    Suddenly, the fat white cat, bigger than normal, leaped up with agility that looked impossible for its size and struck the face of the unsuspecting Kron with its ws.

    Fluffington''s ws dug deep across Kron''s face, leaving a mark. Temporarily blinded, Kron swayed on his feet. Using this opportunity, the three kids, along with the panda and cat, bolted through the portal, disappearingpletely. It was a matter of time before Kron regained his bearings. They feared if he did, all hell would break loose and they wouldn''t be this lucky again.

    "Even the cat! This is interesting!" Kron, having regained himself, spat out and dived through the portal, giving mad chase. No matter what, he must get rid of the children and im that panda and the cat for his lord.

    However, immediately upon stepping through the gateway that led outside, his body rammed into a bony structure, and he unceremoniously fell back, sitting on his butt. A grimace appeared on his face. Why did his body hurt so much? Was there a tree in front of the dimensional rift?

    Just then, when he was grimacing, he heard a voice.

    "I was wondering where you little twerps had been... who would have thought you''d be inside a dimensional rift of all ces, and... who is this weird-looking fellow?"

    ***

    AN: This book now supports Golden Tickets; please vote! And starting tomorrow, there will be two chapters daily. Then after going premium, there will be three or even four! But to have four chapters daily, I''ll need your support! So shower me with Power Stones and Golden Tickets!

 Chapter 27: The Kings Seal

    Nathan had been scouting the entire area where Doombringer hadst spotted the kids, but he had failed to find them. He even ventured deeper into the forest, but when he still couldn''t locate them, he started to get worried.

    Fortunately, just then, he chanced upon the pale silver portal, and his eyes shot wide open.

    "A dimensional rift! Heavens, and it''s very close to my territory!" Nathan eximed, shocked.

    Dimensional rifts were random; they could pop up anywhere. Nobody knew how they worked, but they were certain of one thing: if the rift appeared in your territory, as long as you didn''t kill the dimensional boss/Gatekeeper, you''d be golden and filthy rich for decades, if not an entire lifetime, as long as the dimension existed.

    Humans knew of six levels of dimensional rifts, each marked by a different color. Although pale silver was the lowest tier, the resources within could make a small town wealthy overnight.

    "This is also the reason the Royal capital and the Royal family flourish so much. They were fortunate to be blessed with countless of these dimensional rifts, and finally, one appeared in my territory as well."

    Technically, the dimensional rift appeared in the Luminary Forest, which was surrounded by several towns. However, this specific area could be considered part of the Cromwell Barony.

    For a split second, Nathan envisioned the prosperous future awaiting his barony and its people, momentarily forgetting about the kids¡ªsomething he quickly reprimanded himself for before thinking more clearly.

    "If I were the kids, at their age, and stumbled upon this portal, what would I do?" He stroked his chin and then noticed the ripples on the rift''s silver surface.

    There were people inside, and if his guess was correct, it was the kids.

    Before he could enter the rift, he saw them¡ªall safe. A deep sigh of relief escaped his mouth, but looking at their horrified faces, Nathan knew something was wrong.

    Then, something bumped into him a momentter.

    "I was wondering where you little twerps had been... who would have thought you''d be inside a dimensional rift of all ces, and... who is this weird-looking fellow?" Nathan eyed the braided man suspiciously.

    "Grandpa!"

    The three children eximed at once upon seeing the familiar bony figure. They had never been so happy to see him; tears of joy welled in Serena''s eyes. Thirteen was a bit perplexed about the whole situation, but he too felt the love his father had for this bony man, so like the rest, he ran up to hug him.

    "The kids are fine, but why is a panda hugging me too?" Nathan asked, looking down at Thirteen with a strange expression. Despite the creature''s cute and fluffy appearance, it was still a beast.

    As he pondered, things clicked into ce when he remembered Nox''s ss.

    The children didn''t say anything for a full moment and just hugged their grandpa. The braided man had been so intimidating, practically emitting killing intent that screamed he would murder them. Right now, they seemed to forget he was still there because they felt safe in their grandpa''s presence.

    "Shit! Not him. Fuck!" Unlike the kids, Kron didn''t feel safe at all. His entire being trembled as he looked up at the bony man. Why wouldn''t he be scared? This man was Nathan Cromwell, the Mad of the West.

    He was a being well-respected throughout the western region and by the nobles in the capital.

    The reason for the respect? It was because of his strength!

    He was not a warrior, but a mage. During the great war 50 years ago, survivors told tales of how he snapped enemy spines with his bare hands and single-handedly carved through enemy lines like a scythe through wheat, all with a maniacal smile and eyes filled with darkness and mirth.

    To his friends, he was the perfect protector, but to his enemies, he was a pure demon! Human life meant nothing to him.

    Among the high-ranking individuals of the Vermilion Kingdom, there was amon saying: ''May the gods have mercy on your soul, for Nathan Cromwell''s wrath knows no bounds.''

    ''I''m finished, how do I escape from here? I idolize this man because of the war, but that doesn''t mean I like him,'' Kron thought, his eyes widening even more as he realized something.

    ''Did I hear right, or did this kid call him grandpa?''

    "Who is this fellow?" Nathan asked again, his beady eyes sweeping over Kron. Kron swallowed hard, the sound of his gulp audible.

    "He tried to kill us!" Nox didn''t hesitate to spill the beans despite Kron pleading with him using his eyes.

    "He tried to kill my grandkids?" Nathan repeated calmly, but looking into his eyes, one could see flickering orbs of fire. The air grew heavier, reaching a point where it was suffocating for Kron to breathe.

    "How dare you!"

    Facing the full wrath of Nathan''s anger, Kron had a sickening feeling in his stomach. He felt so small and insignificant. With great difficulty, he opened his mouth.

    "You can''t kill me," he stammered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his chest.

    "I can''t kill you? Hahahahaha. Of course, I''ll take you back to my barony and torture you for the rest of your life by shoving a hot rod down your backside and..."

    At this point, Nox, feeling older in this situation, covered Serena and Nyx''s ears. He resisted the urge to scream at his grandpa to end it by having Doombringer eat the man. Why was he wasting time? Was he savoring the anger?

    "But first, let me do this!" Nathan said as he fired a bolt of condensed me from his fingertip.

    "W-wait!" Kron shouted, raising something, but it was toote. The me bolt had already passed through his left shoulder. He grunted in pain, beginning to regret his decision to kill the kids. Luckily, he had something with him.

    "I have the king''s seal with me! If you kill me, you''ll be a traitor!" Kron shouted, holding up the round shield for Nathan to see.

    That seemed to work. The older man paused to analyze it, and indeed, it was the king''s royal seal.

    Nathan clenched his fist, seething with rage. The seal was given only to trusted members of the king''s cab. He wasn''t on good terms with the king already. If he killed this man, the king would use the opportunity to make things difficult in his territory.

    Though he loved the kids and wanted revenge, he had to be pragmatic and see the bigger picture.

    Nox understood this too and clenched his fists. It seemed in this world, just like on Earth, there were those who made the rules and bent them to their favor. Kron should be hanged for attempting to take the children''s lives, but here he was, protected by the so-called king.

    "What is your name?" Nathan asked calmly.

    "Kron Maximus." Kron hid a grin. He felt confident giving his real name because, with the personal seal from the duke, he was practically invincible. That was until he heard what the man said.

    "I have a favor from the king I haven''t cashed in yet... It seems I''ll be cashing it in very soon," Nathan stated. "You''re free to go, but let me warn you, always watch your back... At least that way, you''ll see your killer."

    Struggling to his feet, Kron fled in the opposite direction of Cromwell Barony, but he couldn''t stop thinking about Nathan''s bone-chilling words.

    Finally, he arrived at the barony and rushed to see the duke, a man seated behind a paper door. Kron could see only the outline of his massive figure, not his actual face.

    Standing beside the paper wall was a white-haired boy around 10 to 13 years old. With a face that seemed sculpted by the gods, he was inhumanly beautiful, with cat-like white eyes. He stared into the distance with a stoic expression, not even acknowledging Kron as he entered.

    "My Lord," Kron said, kneeling before the Duke of the Western Region. "The dimensional rift is real... b-but there''s a problem... it''s in that madman''s territory."

    "Hah! Hahahahaha." A cold, mirthless chuckle that was very unpleasant to hear came from the duke. "His territory? Or do you mean my territory? As the Duke of the West, isn''t it natural for all thesends to belong to me? And that includes the Luminary Forest...

    even the Cromwell Barony is no exception."

    "This reminds me," The duke voice turned serious. "Prepare to leave. It''s high time we start showing all these people who is the big fish around here."

    "Finally, it will begin," the white-haired youthmented, a smile appearing on his face.

    ***

    AN: Another Chaptering few hours from now, if we hit 20 Golden Tickets before the months end there would be a bonus Chapter!

 Chapter 28: Dimensional Key???

    Seated on Doombringer''s back, Nox, Serena, Nyx, and Nathan flew back inplete silence. They had been like this for some minutes now, and slowly it was starting to get awkward.

    ''They must be disappointed in me,'' Nathan thought, gripping the wyvern''s reins tightly as a vein pulsed angrily on his forehead. ''I missed my chance to prove I''m a reliable grandfather, all because that stupid king had to ruin it!''

    It wasmon knowledge that kids like bragging about their parents and felt proud of their achievements as if they had earned them themselves. Nathan wanted to be that source of pride for the kids¡ªsomeone they could rely on in times of trouble.

    But from what happened a few moments ago... he was far from reliable.

    ''Shameful. Are they now ashamed of me?''

    "Grandpa."

    While he was lost in his thoughts, Nathan heard Nyx speak. He turned to her, opening his mouth to speak, but the girl beat him to it.

    "We perfectly understand the reason for your actions," she said, looking at him with an adorable frown on her indifferent face. "From your expression, I know you wanted to show us how powerful you are¡ªwe get it."

    "But we''re also happy you didn''t go against the king mindlessly. That would have escted the situation to levels we wouldn''t want to see. So stop sulking; you did the right thing there."

    "Yeah, sister is right. Your old bones wouldn''t havested against that man anyway. Besides, from what I heard, the king is one of the most powerful mages in the kingdom and even the human continent as a whole," Nox chimed in.

    "Yes, Uncle Nathan, Nox and Nyx are right. You did the right thing there," Serena voiced out.

    "This... this..." Nathan was left speechless. When did these country bumpkins be this smart? All this while, he had been sulking for no reason when the children perfectly understood the reason for his actions.

    A smile spread across Nathan''s face without him realizing it. ''Not only do I have a wonderful son and daughter-inw, but I''m also blessed with the most amazing grandchildren.''

    Just as he was basking in his contentment, he sensed an overwhelming wave of killing intent emanating from behind him.

    "Of course, this doesn''t mean we''re letting that scoundrel off the hook," Nox spoke, his dark eyes appearing even darker than usual and his mouth widening into a grin.

    Nathan was a bit taken aback by that dark look on his grandson''s face.

    ''Don''t tell me this kid inherited his father''s personality. If he did...'' Nathan gave an unknowing nce to Nyx as he curled his lips up. "Definitely."

    Indeed, Nathan was right. Nox had inherited his father''s vengeful nature, which was further amplified by the blessing of the Scorpion King in the pantheon of mythical beasts¡ªa lineage notorious for their grudges and thirst for revenge.

    If someone harmed them or their close ones, they''d go to the end of the world to hunt them down.

    That trait was now inherited by Nox.

    ***

    In the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts.

    "Valtor, I have a feeling this blessing of yours will bring more harm than good," Terra absentmindedly said as she spared a nce at the massive scorpion with a hard red carapace and equally terrifying eyes of the same color.

    "Only time will tell," Valtor replied, his voice deep and regal. The scary scorpion then smiled. "Knowing my kind, if I were these puny humans, I''d never provoke him."

    Though pantheon members cannot interfere directly with human lives, they have the ability to observe events in the world by concentrating their attention on specific areas.

    Since the beginning, it was said that thisw was set by the All-Father.

    Yet, the same All-Father had removed the restriction and given permission to the other gods to descend to the lower world and destroy Gustavo.

    ''A bunch of hypocrites,'' Terra couldn''t help but sneer as she thought about that golden-haired man.

    ***

    The Cromwell Manor.

    By the time they reached the walled town, it waste, and many of the residents were already fast asleep. However, Aina, Cam, and Celine, the healer, were still awake, gossiping among themselves.

    Because they knew the kids were with their grandpa Nathan, they were not worried about the kids'' safety, and soon enough, the familiar wyvern appeared above their heads.

    As the children disembarked, they exchanged brief greetings with the three women before rushing to their rooms, leaving Serena to stay behind with her mother.

    Aina and Cam narrowed their eyes, finding the children''s behavior quite strange but didn''tment on it. Little did they know the children had been deliberately told not to say anything by their grandpa Nathan.

    "Ladies, I''d love to chat, but this old man needs his sleep. Goodbye," Nathan said, quickly excusing himself.

    ''Who is he fooling? We all know he doesn''t really sleep.'' Was the unspoken thought shared by all the women.

    Cam then turned to Serena, making the little girl gulp nervously. "Where did you guys go? Why are you all acting so strange?"

    "N-no where," Serena stuttered.

    "Hmmm, you know I was the one who gave birth to you."

    "Yes," Serena replied.

    Cam disyed a smile. "Then you should know that it''s easy for me to know when you''re lying."

    ****

    Inside Nox''s room

    "Phew, you cane out now!" Nox said, and both Thirteen and Fluffington emerged.

    Thirteen looked at him eagerly, barely able to restrain itself from leaping onto him, while Fluffington slowly made his way to the bed and fell asleep with a peaceful expression.

    ''He looks so cute while sleeping,'' Nox thought, gently stroking Thirteen''s head. "Do you want to sleep on the bed as well?"

    The panda bobbed its head up and down. Although the taming space was veryfortable, Thirteen still preferred to sleep close to Nox... he felt secure that way.

    "Suit yourself then. As for me, I still have something to do," Nox thought as a certain message he had put away for quite some time popped out before him.

    [Questpleted]

    [You have leveled up!]

    [Mimicry capacity +1]

    [Taming capacity +1]

    [You have been rewarded Dimensional Key]

    With thatst message, a key appeared in Nox''s grasp.

    The key didn''t have any ornate decorations that might hint at its value, but the description that appeared before Nox nearly made his heart jump out of his chest.

 Chapter 29: Enter The Unknown

    Item: [Dimensional Key(???)]

    Description: [Enter the unknown. Unlock random dimensions teeming with monsters and treasures. Cooldown: 3 days. Note: When used, the user will only be able to exit the dimension after 2 hours.]

    "Does this mean I can enter this dimension at random, without using the portal?" Nox''s eyes widened. The description was sinct yet held possibilities far greater than its few words suggested.

    "From Grandpa, I finally understood the importance of these dimensional rifts. They were the reason Kron was so determined¡ªeven to the point of targeting children. And now, you''re saying I can enter this dimension randomly every three days?"

    ording to Grandpa Nathan, these dimensions were a blessing, filled with unique monsterspared to the ones that roamed outside.

    While the beasts in the dimensions could drop valuable items and skill scrolls like in videogames, those outside only dropped their beast cores upon death, with rare exceptions of skills dropping. Additionally, these dimensions had ruins and tombs from past civilizations, filled with treasures and magical items. Rare natural resources could also be harvested there!

    After learning all this, Nox understood Kron''s actions. The lure of wealth was strong¡ªwho wouldn''t be tempted? But understanding didn''t equate to forgiveness.

    "Good thing Grandpa already imed ownership of the dimensional rift. Now, the Barony won''t rely solely on farming." Nox returned to the present, looking at the key in his hands with excitement swirling in his eyes.

    "However, there are only so many resources in one dimension, and besides, I doubt Grandpa would let me wander into a dimensional rift alone."

    "But this changes everything." Nox was tempted to use it immediately. He pressed his lips together, resisting the urge to rub the key, which would instantly activate it.

    Since his parents wouldn''t let him hunt at his age, this was the next best alternative. Although risky, Nox knew that to grow strong in this world, he had to take risks; he was certain his grandfather understood this too.

    Little did he know, this was why Grandpa Nathan let him venture into the Luminari Forest that night to awaken his ss¡ªhe believed that taking risks was the only path to strength.

    "Still, ''random'' means I could stumble into a high-level dimensional rift. ording to Grandpa, there are six levels of dimensional rifts; the silver-colored one was actually the weakest, which was why we had such an easy time. What if I identally stumble upon the highest level?"

    The answer was simple¡­ he would be shredded to pieces.

    "Well, I''ll just return if the monsters are too strong¡­ but to do that, I''d have to survive two hours."

    With great difficulty, Nox reined in his excitement and stowed the key in his inventory. As he did, he noticed the holographic boxes were filled with something else.

    "Ah, the loot!" Nox''s eyes shot wide open. "I almost forgot about the loot I risked my life for; let''s see."

    There were two items. Nox quickly grabbed the first one, a dagger with an intricate sea serpent design that glowed faintly blue.

    Item: [Kraken''s Fang (Basic Tier)]

    Description: [A good dagger that deals +2 damage and has a 20% chance to poison enemies. Can return to its owner.]

    "This wille in handy; now I won''t have to fight barehanded anymore."

    After making a couple of clumsy show-offs, he stowed the dagger in his inventory and reached for the next item. It was a shield with a simr design to the dagger but without the glow.

    Item: [Kraken''s Shell (Basic Tier)]

    Description: [A shield that provides +5 defense and has a 10% chance to reflect projectiles. Made from the Kraken''s shell, it grants the wielder resistance to bludgeoning damage.]

    "If I were to sell this shield and dagger, I wonder how many gold coins I could get."

    Fortunately, Nox didn''t need money right now, so he put that thought aside. Besides, the items'' descriptions were too good to give them away.

    With the shield and dagger, fighting beasts would be much easier. As time passed, he began to understand why these dimensional rifts were so important and could make anyone rich overnight.

    "The best part is I don''t even need to own this dimension. With the key, I can level up faster and get more cool items." Nox clenched his fist, making ns for his future.

    "Unlike Earth, where I was a follower of the rules and didn''t set my expectations high, in this world, I''ll be the maker of the veryws." An ambitious glint passed through his midnight eyes.

    ...

    ¡ºStatus¡»

    Name: Nox Aegis Cromwell

    Title: Fisherman

    HP: 40/40

    Exp: /225

    MP: 140/140

    Stamina: (100/100%)

    Strength: 14

    Agility: 14

    Intelligence: 24

    Talents: Mimicry, 10x upgrade

    ¡ºBeast Slot: 2/3¡»

    Tame (Active)

    Telepathy (Passive)

    Bestow/Teach (Active)

    Analyze (Passive)

    ¡ºCopied Skills: (2/3)¡»

    Shadow Oblivion (Ultimate Skill): Unleashes an apocalyptic st of dark energy, dealing annihtion damage to all enemies within a massive radius, stunning them for 10 seconds, and absorbing their life force. Consumes 80 mana points per use.

    [Shop (Locked)] [Quest]

    (AN:  level up grants +2 to each stat. Nox has leveled up twice, so that''s +4 to each attribute: Strength, Agility, and Intelligence.)

    Feeling a surge of strength, Nox punched the nearest wall. It resounded with a loud bang and left a small dent.

    "Every single one of those four points really increased my strength."

    Before, Nox couldn''t perform this feat; he would have ended up with a broken hand. But the additional points had increased his strength.

    "If only I could test my agility too... well, I''ll do it tomorrow."

    That night, apanied by his pets, Nox drifted into a peaceful sleep with a smile.

    "Naughty boy, always forgetting to use the nket." Aina entered the room a momentter, gently covering him with the thick cotton nket and nting a kiss on his forehead.

    Before she left, she turned to look at the panda and Fluffington. A few days ago, Nox and Nathan had told her about the beast taming ss, so she wasn''t surprised to see him sleeping with the panda.

    What made her pause, however, was her son''s physique.

    "He''s growing taller and losing his chubbiness¡­ is this because of his new ss?" Aina wondered, unaware it was the effect of using [Shadow Oblivion].

    After using Shadow Oblivion twice, Nox''s physique had developed; his bones were sturdier, his skin firmer, and even his height had slightly increased.

    Of course, many wouldn''t notice these minor changes, but as a mother, she didn''t miss them.

    "Whatever it is, it doesn''t seem harmful," she mused, closing the door behind her.

    Outside, to the north, at her usual spot, she found Nathan staring thoughtfully into the distance.

    "Father-inw, care for some tea?" she asked. She wasn''t feeling sleepy either, so they decided to share a tea while Nathan told her tales of her husband''s embarrassing childhood.

    That night, Aina''s pleasingughter filled the Barony.

    While they slept peacefully, the Luminari River continued to flow through the Vermilion Kingdom with a loud rushing sound. A thirsty stray mountain lion ambled to the river and drank from it.

    As it drank, something peculiar happened. The creature''s ck eyes darkened, and a pale, milky glow pulsed with power, enveloping its body. It writhed in blinding pain and roared through the night, but when it ended...

    A single horn had grown from its head, and its aura had changed drastically.

 Chapter 30: Unwanted Visitors

    As the sun ascended over Cromwell Barony the next morning, its rays illuminated the bustling cobblestone streets. Children yed with joyousughter, merchants loudly advertised their wares, and heavy cartsden with goods moved steadily through the town.

    The grown-ups needed to work, after all, if they wanted to put food on the table.

    While the adults were busy, Nox slept peacefully, a contented smile on his immature face. Only when the sun''s rays slipped through his window, bathing him in light, did he groggily rub his eyes, dispelling thest traces of sleep.

    As he blinked away, a strange sight greeted him.

    [Oof! You can do better. Stop breathing so heavily!] Fluffington scolded.

    "What the heck, are you bullying him?" Nox eximed as he saw the scene in front of him.

    Thirteen was performing push-ups with the fat cat sitting on him. Though his arms trembled and threatened to give out, a spark of determination shone in hisrge ck eyes.

    They looked so fierce that Nox was slightly taken aback; he had never witnessed such fierce determination in anyone before.

    ''This isn''t bullying¡­ is he training?''

    Nox''s suspicion was on point.

    [The little one asked me a favor,] Fluffington said, nonchntly kicking his paws as if he weren''t seated on a creature that was far smaller than himself. [He asked me to train him and make him strong¡­ as strong as me, so I thought for a long time beforeing up with this. Not only would he provide me with the satisfaction of torturing him, he would also get stronger. A win-win for everyone!]

    Nox listened to Fluffington, then gave the panda an ''is it true?'' look.

    Thirteen nodded, confirming Fluffington''s words. In their previous dimension, Fluffington was a menace. Thirteen had seen the cat effortlessly deal with the sandworms and other beasts. He didn''t want to rely solely on his skills; he aspired to be physically strong, like his brother.

    He wanted to be the shield and sword for his father. Realizing he was getting distracted, Thirteen berated himself.

    Focus! He needed to focus.

    Nox opened his mouth to say something. He wanted to tell Fluffington the method was too much when a screen shed in his retina.

    [Thirteen - Strength +2]

    ''It¡­ actually works¡­ their stats can increase like this too? Hmm.'' A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes as he nced at Fluffington.

    Later that day, Nox began training his pets toplete his daily quests.

    While Nox carried out his quest, a guard at the entrance of Cromwell Barony squinted his eyes at the sight of an approaching entourage. Quickly, one of the guards rushed to inform Nathan.

    "Those mounts look well-fed and strong. Who do you think they are?" one guardmented. "And they''ve brought an army¡­ wait, I see clearly now. Aren''t those the banners of the Armstrong Duchy?"

    "It''s them," another remarked with a shocked look. "Why are theying here? Should we sound the battle rm?"

    A voice interrupted their conversation.

    "No, that won''t be necessary," the voice said.

    The guards felt a rush of wind hit their faces. They turned to see a short, sturdy man in tight-fitting armor, wielding a great sword taller and longer than he was.

    It was Hans.

    "Greetings, sir!" one of the guards quickly recognized and greeted him respectfully.

    "Hmm, I hope they''re here for trouble. It''s been too long since I''ve smacked some nobles," Hans mumbled to himself, a wild gleam in his eyes. His body itched for a fight.

    Still, he controlled his urge and appraised the two leading riders.

    [HP: 100%]

    [HP: null]

    ''Hmmmm, the white-haired kid seems to be wearing an artifact that blocks someone from seeing his info.'' Hans noted.

    In Eos, all Awakened could see the name, level, HP, and MP of others if they wished. This was why Nathan and Nox had informed Aina, as there was no way to hide it. The upside was that the ss of other Awakened remained concealed.

    When the entourage reached the entrance, they raised their hands, the universal sign of "wee in peace" in Eos. Hans nodded at the guard to open the gate, allowing only Kron and the white-haired kid to enter while the army waited outside.

    Surprisingly, Kron, the leader, agreed, and the duo entered the town.

    A few minutester.

    Inside arge meeting area, all the prominent members of the Barony had gathered: Nathan, Elvin, Celine, Eve, and even Aina.

    The envoy, Kron, had imed he brought important information from the new duke of the western region. The man, although fearful of Nathan, made sure to emphasize the duke of the western region as if to intimidate thetter.

    Since it was important, Nathan decided it was only sensible to inform his cab.

    Now, with everyone assembled, Kron couldn''t help but gulp hard under their collective gaze. Hendrix, who had apanied him, had left without a word.

    Kron figured he must have gone to look around.

    ''Damn, all of them are powerful, and here I thought Nathan was the only abnormal one. For some reason, I''m more afraid of the red-eyed woman than anyone here,'' Kron thought, his gaze lingering on Eve, but he didn''t look too long. Then he looked at Aina. She was wearing a simple milk-colored gown, but it still didn''t hide her lithe and slightly muscr physique.

    ''And to think I''d find someone of that race here. Now I understand why the duke ces such importance on this Barony.''

    "Are you just going to stare at our faces, or will you start the meeting already?" Celine said with an annoyed expression on her face.

    "Ah, my apologies." Kron coughed and stood as straight as a sword. He had hoped to appear dominant but had failed even before he began. Nevertheless, he proceeded to state the reason for his visit.

    The important message that had drawn the attention of all the key figures in Cromwell Barony.

 Chapter 31: Fighting The White haired Boy!

    "Greetings, members of the Cromwell Barony. I am Kron, an envoy from the great Duke Felix Armstrong. I bring a proposal of great importance, one that could change the fate of your town and the entire region."

    That line piqued everyone''s attention to the point they were able to look past the slight forced arrogance in Kron''s voice.

    "The Duke invites your lord, Baron Cromwell, to participate in the inter-town tournament. As you know, the grand tournament is apetition where the children below 18 of each town willpete, and the winning town will receive 50% of all other towns'' resources for the next five years.

    "The Duke believes that your barony has great potential and would be a valuable addition to this esteemed gathering."

    Kron finished reading and bowed just slightly.

    "I await your response, noble lords anddies¡ª"

    "That bastard! It''s because of the appearance of the dimensional rift, isn''t it? Thatpetition has been forgotten for years. Why bring it up now?" Nathan sneered.

    He could already see through the ns of that snake called Felix. He knew very well that the Cromwell Barony didn''t have lots of promising kids like his own, so he decided to host thepetition just when the dimensional rift had appeared.

    In simple words, he hosted thispetition because he was guaranteed to win.

    Nathan balled his fist. He nced at everyone present; he would like to ept the challenge so bad because even the Armstrong Duchy had a dimensional rift¡­ they could get a lot of resources from there.

    But at the same time, he knew he had to stop being greedy.

    They all looked at each other, and a silent agreement was made.

    Nathan opened his mouth and¡ª

    "We¡­"

    While the meeting was going on, Nox had just finished his quest.

    [You have received +10 XP]

    "It would take a long time before I level up if I want to go this route. Either I need to hunt more monsters or a quest would be good."

    "Nox! Nox!" A kid around the same age as Nox came running to the back field where Nox was currently training Thirteen and Fluffington. Quickly sending Thirteen to the taming space, Nox stared at the boy.

    "Huh? What''s it, Matt? Why are you breathing like this?" he asked. The boy was one of his close friends and a member of the Hen Thiefs.

    "I-it''s Rab, my brother. He''s in trouble."

    "Calm down. What happened?"

    "We were just ying like usual until Rab bumped into this kid. We even apologized, but he still went ahead and hit Rab on the head."

    Nox''s eyes narrowed. "Take me to the ce." Rab was one of his close friends, and Nox didn''t like anyone close to him getting hurt. Since it was probably a fellow town kid, he was hoping to resolve the issue fast before it escted more than it should.

    However, when he arrived, the scene was beyond his expectations.

    Arge crowd of adults and children had gathered in the marketce. The ce was so chaotic and filled with noise that Nox had to push his way through.

    "What''s happening here?" Nox asked a girl. He was still a bit far from the front, and his rtively small height only made matters worse.

    "It''s Rab. He got into a fight with another boy. After injuring Rab, the adults tried to stop him, but¡­ but he beat up everybody. Even Grandma Percy was pushed to the ground."

    Grandma Percy was an old candy seller in the town, and all the kids loved her because of the discounts she gave them.

    "She tried to stop the fight, and this kid pushed her. Who is he?" Nox thought to himself as he pushed through the crowd, and soon he came to the front.

    There, he could see Rab, a bald-headed boy on the ground with a broken nose. He was not the only one on the ground; some adults could also be seen lying, all bloody. The crowd looked fearful at the cause of all this.

    ...A white-haired boy.

    There was a red, oily substance staining his luxurious white clothing.

    "I have never seen him before. Is he new, or is he from somewhere else?" Because he didn''t know about the visitors, Nox had no idea who this boy was.

    ''And how was he so strong to beat up grown-up women¡­ has he somehow awakened his ss?''

    ''Regardless, I need to speak to him.''

    But before he could step forward, a wrinkled old hand held him. He looked up only to see old Grandma Percy with a hunched back and a kind face.

    "Grandma Percy."

    "Little Nox, I think you should call your grandpa to deal with this situation instead¡­ there is something strange about that kid."

    "Wait, let me talk to him." Nox said as he reassured the old woman and began to stride forward.

    "Hey you, stop there!" he shouted, and the white-haired kid stopped and looked at the neer. He had beautiful ck eyes and hair with red streaks.

    "Hmm, and who are you?" The white-haired kid regarded Nox with a gaze as if he was staring at an insect.

    "It was a mistake, and he already apologized. Why go this far? I don''t like others harming those close to me, but because he was in the wrong, I''d let it slide. But if you contin¡ª"

    "If not, what?" The white-haired boy chuckled and kicked Rab in the stomach, lifting him up and mming him to the side, unconscious.

    "I''m doing nothing wrong here¡­ I''m just a master trying to discipline his ves," the boy stated with a derisive smirk that made Nox want to smack it off his face.

    "You bastard, did you just call us your ves?" A big vein throbbed in Nox''s temple, and his eyes bulged as he lunged at the white-haired boy. He had tried the civilized approach, but since that was futile, he would have to use his fists.

    With the increase in strength he had gotten from using Shadow Oblivion, he was pretty confident he could put up a decent fight against the boy.

    ''Beside, I''m also level three now.''

    ''Father told me to test the kids here, and I''m quite disappointed. Not even the adults could face me in a fight, but would this boy be any different?'' Hendrix, The white-haired boy thought as he appraised Nox.

 Chapter 32: Too Strong!

    HP: 100%/100%

    MP: 100%/100%

    ''He''s level three, not bad for a kid. Pretty impressive,'' Hendrix thought as he casually threw the grown-up to the side and rushed towards Nox with a blinding speed that frightened thetter to the core of his bones.

    All he could see was just a blur!

    "Oh no, not little Nox, someone protect him!" The onlookers couldn''t stand it anymore when they saw their beloved Nox rushing to fight the big bully because he had disrespected the citizens of the Barony, and they were touched in their hearts.

    His grandfather, his father, and he were cherished by the town a lot!

    They didn''t want such a good heart and promising future to be brutally crippled, so they threw themselves in the way hoping to stop the white-haired boy. Even the women didn''t ck.

    However, they were all sted away with just one attack from Hendrix. Bodies flew in the marketce, stalls and carts were destroyed, and foodstuffs spilled everywhere.

    At the same time, Hendrix had already grabbed Nox by the head. Because he was older than thetter, he was much taller and bigger. His hand simply covered all of Nox''s face.

    An audible bang resounded as he directly smashed Nox''s face to the cobblestone ground. The impact was fierce, and a slight crater appeared on the cobblestone with Nox''s bloody face buried deep.

    [-30HP]

    ''That hit took three-quarter of my HP,'' Nox thought as he resisted the urge not to cry due to the blinding pain that shot up from his face. ''I thought I got stronger, so why... why... one hit... it was just one hit and I can''t even move. I hate this feeling.''

    ''I hate this feeling!''

    The onlookers who saw this scene were heartbroken at the fact they couldn''t help the young lord. They couldn''t even move a muscle due to the attack from earlier. How strong was this boy? A kid possessing such power was simply unheard of.

    Bang!

    Under their helpless gaze, Hendrix was about to smash Nox''s face into the cobblestone ground once more. However, he soon felt a deadly aura from beside him.

    Looking, he found a white cat staring at him in anger as if he had killed someone very close to him.

    Without hesitation, Fluffington leaped up, his ws poised for a strike. How dare this boy beat up Nox! Seeing Nox like thie hurt him. He didn''t want to see the boy like that. To do that, he needed to get rid of the boy!

    "Fluffi¡ª"

    Nox weakly watched as Hendrix unleashed a barrage of punches specifically targeting all of the cat''s weak spots. The attacks were fast and were done in mid-air in a span of a few seconds. The cat copsed and weakly fell to the ground, blooding out of it''s mouth.

    ''Why, why does this scene feel so simr? Yes, it happened back in the temple, I was helpless just like this.''

    Inside the beast taming space, Thirteen was desperately trying toe out, but Nox kept him in check. Thirteen was only a cub. If Fluffington could be defeated like this, the panda woundnt make any difference and only get itself hurt.

    At that moment, Hendrix felt deadly killing intent from the side again. This time he looked and saw a girl very identical to the boy in his grasp.

    "How dare you!" Nyx was practically seething with rage, seeing Nox''s disfigured face. A teardrop fell from her eyes... She''d only learned of what was happening from Matt and had hurried over. They wanted to report it, but her grandfather and all the important people in the town were in a very important meeting.

    Closing the distance, Nyx kicked Hendrix in the stomach, sending him skidding back ever so slightly.

    "I''m the only one allowed to hit him! Nobody else. How dare youy your filthy hands on my brother?"

    ''Interesting, ssless yet she couldnd a hit on me.'' Hendrix smiled as he stood up straight and started approaching slowly. His walk was calm and leisurely.

    "Since you like your brother so much, why don''t you die close to him!"

    Nyx''s eyeballs constricted. It had happened so fast, one moment he was approaching with a bit of distance, and the next she found her head perfectly wrapped in his hand, approaching the ground at a rapid pace.

    Then¡­

    BANG!

    Her face was smashed to the ground beside Nox.

    Nox eyes went bloodshot when he saw Nyx''s bloody face that was very close to him. He felt a pang seeing his sister like that.

    In front of him, her face was smashed to the ground once again.

    "Don''ty your hands on her!!" Nox shouted. He could see Nyx struggling to catch her breath. He had to admit this boy was just too strong for them. "Don''t hit her!"

    Hendrix only smirked in response. "I''ll pass on that offer¡ª"

    "Enough!"

    Just when all hope was lost, the familiar bony sight of Nathan along with everyone walked into the crowd.

    ---

    Author''s Note:

    [Disimer: It seemed Many people don''t like this chapter because Mc was beaten but there is character development and there is a reason why Hendrix is so overpowered. I won''t spoil you I urge you to read futher...Also I don''t get why some readers want a shut in from earth to suddenly start out op and  defeat  those who has already trained and adapted to life on Eos]

 Chapter 33: A Reason To Join

    "We won''t participate," Nathan delivered the final answer, agreed upon silently by him and the cab, causing Kron to suck in a deep breath.

    ''The duke anticipated this¡­ It seems the only option left is the other route.''

    "But are you sure, Lord Nathan?" Kron asked one more time, hoping to swindle them into agreeing. "I know you know this, but may I remind you that there are ten towns in the western region, including the Armstrong Duchy, and they all have abundant resources. Especially the Duchy.

    If you win the tournament, you''ll have ess to our low-level dimensional rift and even get to keep 50 percent of everything thates from the rift."

    "Even though it''s just a level higher than the one in the Luminary Forest, we all know the big difference between the two. Perhaps you''re too hasty in your decision. Why don''t you take some more time to consider my proposal? Until then, I''ll camp outside the town."

    Gaining the resources of all ten towns in the western region was truly beneficial for the Cromwell Barony. What they currentlycked were resources and Beast Items¡ªthe weapons and essories dropped in dimensional rifts or forged by the cksmith using beast cores and other materials.

    Nathan believed that the appearance of the dimensional rift in his territory would solve this problem.

    However, he couldn''t help but be slightly greedy. No, it wasn''t only him. Naturally, all of them entertained the thought because if they could pull in all the resources from the other towns, the Cromwell Barony would be so powerful that they could be upgraded to a count officially.

    The Armstrong Duchy would just be a mere name; they would be the ones calling the shots in the western region. The other towns wouldn''t have any choice but toply with their every demand. If not, the king himself would be forced to deal with them.

    "Clever," said Elvin, the seasoned archer, considering all this. "But our decision is final."

    They clearly didn''t have any promising children to participate, except for a few who attended the Four Witch Academy in the Royal Capital.

    But those children could only take them so far.

    "It''s not worth it. You know I don''t like you. Seeing your mere face irritates me, so do yourself a favor before I personally kick you out of my territory." Nathan red at Kron, who trembled involuntarily from that single look.

    He knew he had really offended Nathan. The only reason he was still alive was because of the protection of the medal given to him by the duke.

    Bowing his head slightly, he was about to leave when a series of loud knocks suddenly assaulted the door. A momentter, the door burst open, and a man rushed inside.

    "My Lord, there is a problem. Your grandchildren are in danger!"

    "My grandchildren?"

    "Nox and Nyx?" Aina also jumped to her feet.

    ***

    The group rushed over to the marketce, and indeed what the man had reported was true. From what they were seeing, he had somehow downyed everything.

    Here and there, citizens were groaning on the cobblestone streets¡ªwomen, men, and children. In the middle, Nox and Nyx were knocked half-unconscious, their faces bloody and unrecognizable.

    "Enough!" Nathan''s angry voice boomed throughout the entire town; the shock sent Hendrix flying back like a broken kite, and he mmed into a table full of tomatoes and other vegetables.

    "Nox, Nyx!" Aina quickly rushed over and squatted beside the bloody figures of her children. She felt a stinging pain in her chest when she saw their miserable sight. It took all her willpower not to shed a tear.

    In the end, however, one escaped her eyes.

    ''Giving birth had made me soft.''

    "Celine!" Seeing that Aina was too emotional, Nathan shouted.

    "I''m already on it."

    Because among everyone, the twins were the most brutally beaten and were children of the Baron, she first attended to them, casting a healing spell on them. It managed to cover up the wounds, but the blood remained, and they remained unconscious. It would take some hours or even days before they regained consciousness.

    One thing was evident, though.

    The attacker had gone all out as if he wanted to kill them.

    It was a very daring thing to do.

    While Celine attended to the children, Aina had gotten up and started heading toward the ce Hendrix hadnded. She easily grabbed him by the neck and lifted him as if he weighed nothing.

    She clenched the boy''s throat so tight that Hendrix was now struggling to breathe.

    "Stop!" Kron shouted and rushed over. However, Aina''s hand, lightning fast, shot toward his neck, and he was lifted up.

    Kron didn''t even know when she''d grabbed him. Her reflexes were just too good.

    "How dare you hurt my children?" She ignored Kron, who was protesting, kicking the air, and red at the white-haired boy.

    "That''s the son of Duke Felix, Hendrix Armstrong. Lay a finger on him, and I swear you and this shithole would cease to exist," Kron hurriedly said when he noticed the killing intent emitting from Aina''s body. She was dead serious about killing the boy.

    But even after his warning, she showed no sign of stopping soon.

    "We''ll see about that," Aina said, but just then she saw the gaze of her father-inw, who simply shook his head. With an angry expression on her face, she released the two, and they plopped to the ground.

    Aina excused herself from the stunned crowd and followed Celine and Gordon, who were taking the children and Fluffington to the town clinic.

    The citizens were shocked by what they witnessed. They knew there was something unusual about Aina, but because she always behaved like a nobledy, they never considered her to be someone strong¡ªstrong enough to deal with an insanely strong kid who even bested the adults.

    Only a few who knew Aina''s heritage weren''t surprised.

    One such person was Eve. Those beautiful ruby eyes lingered on the departing back of Aina before they returned to Nathan.

    "I think we''ve had enough," he said. "We''ve remained too passive for a long time now. The Cromwell Barony will join the tournament!"

    Nathan knew that the best way to take revenge was through the tournament. Since it was still five years until the fight, he was confident in nurturing all the kids with the resources they''ll get from the dimensional rift so that they''ll be able topete in the tournament and bring glory to the Barony.

    Although he didn''t consult them, everyone present also agreed.

    If they wanted to erase this shame, then they''d have to repay the Armstrong Duchy a thousandfold.

    ''Eve, I hope you can put aside past grudges against my son and help me with this,'' Nathan thought, looking at the red-eyed woman. If there was anyone that could help Nox master his ss, it was without a doubt...Eve.

 Chapter 34: Noxs Father

    Sometimeter, outside the town, the entourage from the Armstrong Duchy was returning. Kron sighed in relief, thankful that things hadn''t escted too much and that the Cromwells still showed somemon sense.

    If they had killed Hendrix, with the support of the King of the Vermilion Kingdom and the numerous guilds associated with the duke, the Cromwell lineage would have been wiped out.

    However, as they continued their journey, Kron noticed something strange. Hendrix had been unusually quiet; he was often silent, but this time it felt different, it felt more unsettling.

    "Young master, are you all right?" he inquired.

    Hendrix didn''t reply and simply touched his throat and shook his head.

    Kron still didn''t understand, confused at his gesture. While he pondered what Hendrix could mean, his eyes shot wide open in shock. "Y-you can''t speak anymore? Your lungs and mana veins have been broken?"

    Hendrix nodded his head, confirming Kron''s thought process, and thetter''s heart skipped a beat. When one awakens their ss, they also awaken mana veins, which help circte mana through the body to cast various skills.

    When a mage depletes their mana, they must meditate to replenish it. The ambient mana flows through the veins, the only receptors, before being stored in the heart, where the mana pool is located.

    ''Doesn''t this mean... that woman essentially crippled Hendrix? This is not good... how can she be so fearless?'' Kron thought.

    With his mana veins damaged, it would be extremely difficult for Hendrix to perform mana-rted skills. Typically, recovering depleted mana took only a few hours, but in this condition, it could take a day.

    ''Damn it, how do I exin this to the duke?''

    The happy moment abruptly turned into dread, and he couldn''t help but shiver when he thought about how the duke would react.

    However, something seemed off... Kron narrowed his eyes.

    Hendrix didn''t seem bothered by this.

    Back in the Cromwell Barony, Nathan and the others were having a meeting about the uing tournament in five years.

    Although five years seemed like a long time, they knew it was crucial to start preparing, training, and screening the children to select the best for thepetition.

    In the end, Hans and Nathan had suggested training the town children. As for Nyx, she would be personally trained by Aina herself.

    For Nox, since he was a unique case, Nathan had already chosen a tutor for him.

    However, before anything else, they needed all the children to awaken their sses!

    "Mom." Nox woke up groggily, opening his eyes to see his mother cleaning his body with a warm cloth.

    "Stay still." Aina sternly reprimanded Nox, who was trying to move his body. Beside him, he saw Nyx with a pout on her face, absently looking at the wall and avoiding his gaze for some reason.

    ''At least she''s in better condition,'' he thought with a smile. But when the scene of Hendrix smashing her face into the cobblestones reyed in his mind, his smile faded, and an intense aura began to emanate from his body.

    ~Meow~

    Fluffington, who was sleeping on the same bed, stretched, jumped down, and walked toward Aina, who picked him up. He looked at her with those adorable cat eyes that would melt all hearts ofdies.

    [Give me milk. I''m famished!]

    "Seems like someone is hungry." Ainamented with a smile. Even though she didn''t understand the cat, she could tell it was hungry.

    During this time, Nox carefully examined Fluffington and noticed that the cat was unharmed.

    The twins stayed in the clinic for a few more days. Fortunately, Serena, Aina, and Celine were always on standby, catering to their every need. Even Grandpa Nathan visited from time to time.

    Nox and the old man often bickered about the slightest of things, making Celine reprimand them on more than one asion because they were disturbing the peace of the clinic.

    ''epting to be Terra Vasal was the best decision I made in my life.'' Touched by the abundant love and care he received, Nox smilled.

    Little did he know that this decision woulde back to bite him in the future.

    A few dayster, Nox and Nyx were finally discharged from the clinic. Without a word, Aina pulled Nyx to another part of the mansion, mentioning they had something important to do and that Grandpa was looking for him.

    Because he didn''t know about the meeting, Nox was confused by this action but didn''tment much. He was about to activate the dimensional key at this moment, but restrained himself.

    Ever since the beating he had received from Hendrix, he had been itching to kill some monsters and increase his strength as fast as he could. At this point, he was almost obsessed with getting stronger to the point his eyes were bloodshot.

    Once he gained this strength, he swore to go to the ends of the world to find that white-haired kid and repay him tenfold for the beating.

    "Sigh, I need to calm down... Grandpa must be summoning me for something very important," Nox thought, massaging his temple.

    "Ugh, just five years and I have to kill two people already... For some reason, I feel it''d be easier to kill Kron than the white-haired kid."

    ***

    When Nox arrived in Nathan''s study, he found the old man sitting across from him with a serious face. A rare urrence for someone who always wore a silly smile.

    "Sit," Nathan gestured to the seat opposite him. Nox obeyed, and the old man locked eyes with him.

    "I know you''ve been curious about your father all these years and wondered why we don''t talk about him much," Nathan said. "Today, I''ll tell you everything about him and why he''s not here."

 Chapter 35: The Strongest Human

    Nox narrowed his eyes. This was a gnawing question that had been in his mind for the past five years. He had wanted to ask his mother about the absence of his father, but he didn''t because he thought it was only right for her to tell him herself.

    After all, there must be a reason no one speaks about him.

    "Initially, I nned to tell you this when you were older, but I think it''s time you know now," Nathan began, capturing Nox''s full attention.

    "Your father''s name is¡­ Arthur Aegis Cromwell¡­ A Beast Tamer."

    "Huh?" Nox''s eyes widened. ''I''m not the only Beast Tamer? Now that I think about it, Terra never said I was the only one.''

    Still, of all the things he imagined about his father, he never thought that man was a Beast Tamer.

    "The younger generation might not know, but the elders remember Arthur. He was known as the strongest human in the world."

    "With his beast, he single-handedly cleared entire dimensional rifts. He was a one-man army, feared by every kingdom in the human domain."

    "And the king of the Vermilion Kingdoms, even though he wasn''t on good terms with our family, used his name to scare off neighboring kingdoms." Nathan smiled, pride shining in his eyes as he reminisced about the past.

    Nox couldn''t me him. Even he was amazed by the tale he was hearing, and he thought he was special.

    But then a thought struck him. If his father was as strong as Grandpa said, why wasn''t he with them? Where was he? Was he¡­ dead?

    Nathan saw the conflict in Nox''s eyes and spoke solemnly, "Everything changed when two unusually tall men visited Arthur. They imed to be from a distant kingdom, but there was something off about them."

    "Their aura was otherworldly and oppressive; their beauty transcended the realm of mortals. I had to force myself from looking away to stop myself from worshipping them. But your father somehow held his ground."

    "You say you''re from the Valrian kingdom?" Arthur, a tall, handsome man with raven-dark hair and eyes, asked. He looked very much like Nox and Nyx, but a much older version.

    "You''re correct," one of the men said. "Like I said before, we were sent by the king to help us in the fight against the Valkyries, and you''ll be rewarded handsomely."

    "All you have to do is follow us through the portable teleporter. We can go right now," the other one chimed in.

    Arthur stayed silent for a moment, making the guests believe he was considering their proposal¡­ until he spoke:

    "You two are funny and stupid. I don''t know if it''s thetter or the former," Arthur chuckled.

    "If I tell you I know someone from Valha, would you believe me? They''re not in a war, and the same goes for the Valerian Kingdom." He leaned forward, his eyes full of darkness.

    The two men exchanged bitter looks. The Valerian Kingdom was on the border of the human domain/continent, while the Valkyries lived in a very distantnd that not anyone could locate.

    It was said that the only way to gain entry was if they epted you, but the Valkyries hardly epted anyone, much less a human, one of their most hated races.

    ''How did he know then?'' they thought collectively. ''Don''t tell me¡­''

    "Yes, I know who you are¡­ Divine Beings¡­ When I prayed to my goddessst, she warned me about your existence and told me about my ancestor Gustavo''s mistake, but it''s toote. I have already disyed too much to hide."

    "What bothers me, however, is how fast you guys found me."

    "We''re gods; it should be easy to find some lowly mortal such as yourself." Since they were exposed, the duo didn''t see any reason to hide anymore.

    "Stupid gods," Arthur corrected. "If not, you wouldn''t have made such a blunder. So much for people called Divine Beings."

    "Their aura was so overwhelming, I could only watch from afar," Nathan continued. "Arthur shed with the divine beings, and even in the Great War, I had never seen anything like it."

    "The two visitors were powerful¡­ but Arthur was a monster. Without even the help of his beastpanions, he dealt with them, seeding in killing them."

    "However, that was not the end. After the demise of the first two, more came. This time they were much stronger. Although the fight took a toll on Arthur, he still came out victorious."

    "The gods knew this, so they tried to take Arthur to the Divine Realm through a portal, where they could fight at full strength."

    "Father, I can''t stay here anymore," Arthur said one night. "If I stay here, I''d only endanger you, Aina, and my unborn babies."

    "I''m sorry I couldn''t help carry this burden with you," Nathan said, clenching his fist. He was strong, butpared to the people Arthur was against, he could as well be an ant.

    "I want you to burn anything that would trace you back to me and relocate to the countryside. Don''t worry; I''ll threaten that king to give yound there. Till then, tell Aina I love her and I will return if I sort everything out," Arthur said, his gaze burning with determination.

    Knowing this might just be thest time he would see his son, the two hugged each other.

    "In this world, the path of Beast Taming is treacherous and dangerous. They might call me an idiot for saying this, but please, in case any of my unborn children be the prophesied one in the scroll in your study, don''t stop them from pursuing this path."

    "I had thought I was the chosen one, but I''m wrong¡­ however, even if I''m not, I''ll make sure to create an easier path for him/her by taking out as many divine bastards as I can."

    With these parting words, Arthur headed north.

    "So h-he''s alive."

    "W-we don''t know because he hasn''t written to me for years now. But I believe¡­" Nathan''s voice grew more solemn. "For past years, Arthur had not known peace. His daily life involved battling gods or running away from them."

    "Time is ticking. I know sooner orter, he will fall¡­ but he keeps pushing himself just because he wants to reduce the enemies of the prophesied one."

    Nathan''s story came to an end.

    Nox remained silent for a long time.

    He looked down, tears falling from his eyes. A father and husband forever separated from his family because¡­ because of strength. Because of those bastard gods. Why didn''t Terra tell him about Arthur? Was he the only one supplying them massive amounts of Celestial Energy to keep them alive?

    If he were strong enough, would the gods have forced him to leave his family?

    Was it the reason Aina always looked north every night? She¡­ she was waiting for her husband to return all this while, not knowing if he was alive or not?

    His thought process was a jumble of chaotic mess¡­ but one thing was clear: he needed to get strong, strong to the point where even the gods would tremble at the mere mention of his name.

    ¡­ Strong so that they won''t do the same thing they did to Gustavo and his father.

    Lifting his head, he looked at Nathan with determined, bloodshot eyes. "H-how can I get this power?" he stammered. "The power to crush my enemies into smithereens."

    Nathan smiled, then nced at the door of the study. Nox followed his gaze.

    There, standing at the door, was the beautiful talldy with ruby gem eyes. It was the same woman who gave off the aura of death.

    "I''ll be your teacher," Eve said coolly. "After all, Beast Tamers and Necromancers are quite simr."

    Meanwhile, somewhere very far, a man with dark hair and eyes of the same color was flying through the air on the back of a giant majestic dragon with red scales and horns.

    His handsome face was filled with slight wrinkles and heavy bags under the eyes due to the sleepless nights he had experienced in the past years.

    His regal armor had dents all over and looked as if it would fall off anytime soon, yet his gaze was fierce and determined as he held the reins of the dragon tighter.

    "Fly faster, Tiamant," he whispered, ncing back.

    Behind him, thousands of divine beings in armor were giving a mad chase!

    "I didn''t want to use this now¡­ but these days have been pushed back and back. I need to stop hiding my cards," the man said as he made a hand movement in the air.

    [Skill Weaver Activated]

    The man smiled cruelly. "Create a lightning bolt that would destroy a thousand enemies in one hit!"

    [Ding! Skill - God of Thunder Wrath created]

    [Description: Deals 15,000 damage to all enemies within a 20-meter radius, stuns them for 10 seconds, and summons a storm of thunderbolts that deal an additional 5,000 damage over 5 seconds.]

    [Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to your pet?]

 Chapter 36: Beast Tamer and a Necromancer

    "Keep your fingers to yourself, if not they might fall off," Eve said indifferently as she sat down on a dark luxurious throne-like chair.

    Nox shuddered and quickly pulled back his hands from the skeleton soldier that stood like a statue close to the grey walls. Although it was motionless, the green light that was ignited in its empty sockets constantly scanned around as if searching for any signs of danger.

    This was not the first strange skeleton-like creature Nox hade across inside thisrge mansion.

    Eve lived in a mansion very deep in the Cromwell Barony with no other buildings in sight.

    In the past, Nox and his friends had once used this mansion for courage tests by standing in front of the door for 60 seconds. They never got in, though, as the wooden door was always shut closed.

    ''Even when we tried to open it, it had been futile, and I''m so d the doors never opened if not the other kids would have fainted in terror.''

    The entire mansion was filled with skeleton soldiers marching to and fro with spears and swords. Scary statues of exoskeletons of powerful-looking beasts were used as a sort of decoration.

    ''Knowing Necromancers, I wouldn''t be surprised if that terrifying exoskeleton jumped out and attacked an intruder.''

    ''Also, who would have thought the skull I picked that day would be a butler?''

    Staring at Nox with a wide toothless smile was none other than the green-eyed skull from the other day, the only difference being that its head was now attached to the body of a skeleton that was wearing some type of suit.

    "Tea?" he said as he served Eve, who took it and sipped elegantly; she had fine table etiquette like a princess.

    "Pipsqueak, you care for tea also?"

    ''Sigh, I can''t believe a skeleton of all things is asking me if I want tea? Ugh, I should just take it if I don''t want to look rude.''

    Nodding, Nox epted the tea. His hands brushed against the skeleton slightly. Then he stared at the content of the tea¡­it was dark, very dark. He suddenly lost interest.

    "No, I''m full. Before I came here, I drank enough water." Nox smiled as he passed the ss of tea back to the skeleton.

    The skeleton, Skully, had an irritated expression on his face. "Did you just refuse my tea? No one has ever refused my tea before. How dare you."

    "No, no, no, I didn''t refuse your tea. It looks delicious, but I''m not really thirsty right now. Maybeter I''ll drink." Nox hurriedly lied through his teeth.

    ''I''m definitely not drinking that thing!''

    "Brat, you just made the biggest mistake of your life; you''ll regret this day." Saying these words, Skully stomped out of the room.

    "Huh, why is he triggered?" Nox looked at Eve, confused.

    "Skully takes pride in his tea¡­ hmmm, this is the first time someone has refused his tea since I brought him back to life." Eve spoke. She didn''t delve too much.

    Nox had already learned of her personality from his grandfather, so he already expected this.

    "That''s that, now let''s talk about the reason you''re here."

    Nox nodded and sat down. He was curious about the kind of training he''d receive from a Necromancer.

    "Before we begin, I''d like you to take an oath." A ck orb materialized on Eve''s porcin palm. "Only a few people know my ss in this world. Most of them have died."

    Gulp! Nox swallowed as saliva passed through his throat noisily.

    ''Why is this woman so dangerous even without trying?''

    "If you don''t want to be among the ''most,'' I''d advise you to take this oath stone and swear never to reveal my ss until you die."

    "Why, if I may ask?" Nox timidly raised his hand like a pupil who was asking questions in ss.

    "I''m not obliged to answer that. What I''d tell you is that unlike your beast tamer ss, mine is well known and feared¡­and anyone who has this ss is immediately crucified."

    ''It''s just like the book. I guess no society would like a ss that messes with life and death, it''s as expected.''

    ''Luckily, the beast tamer ss isn''t like that, and I don''t have to hide it. At most, people would only be curious as to why magical beasts are helping me instead of attacking me. The gods, however, would be a different story entirely.''

    "That wouldn''t be a problem," Eve said.

    "Huh? Can you read my thoughts, or was I that obvious?" Nox furrowed his brows. If his thought process was true, then it would really be troublesome learning under her.

    "No¡­but I can tell from your expression. Take the stone and swear."

    Finding no harm in taking the oath, Nox held the stone and swore to never reveal her ss.

    Before they proceeded, Nox learned about the history of beast taming and necromancy. ording to his master Eve, the two goddesses had been in a close rtionship since the beginning of time. In fact, they were biological sisters.

    Technically, all the gods were rted in some way or another.

    But these two were from the same birth mother and father. As such, their sses were very simr.

    While Necromancers focused on raising the dead to be their sword and shield, Beast Tamers focused on taming beasts who would fight alongside them in battle.

    It was because of this rtionship that Eve even agreed to take the boy under her wings. Because her ss was disliked by most people, she only feltfortable around a Beast Tamer, not afraid of being stabbed in the back anytime soon.

    ''The same reason I got along well with Arthur,'' Eve thought. Nox, who was seated opposite her, thought he saw the indifferent Necromancer show brief emotions in her eyes.

    "Now that we''ve gotten all the formalities out of the way, let''s begin our lesson. Before that, how many beasts have you tamed?"

    "My taming capacity is just three at the moment, and I have tamed two creatures already."

    "Summon them."

    The fat cat and the panda stepped out of a blue portal that led to the taming space. They looked confusedly at where they were, but because Nox was close by, the two weren''t frightened.

    "Hmmmm. These creatures don''t look intimidating at all, unlike dino there," she said and looked at the exoskeleton of a dinosaur-like skeleton.

    The dinosaur gave a loud roar, pleased at the praise it received from its master.

    "But they''ll be enough for what we would do." Eve disyed a smile that could scare even the devil.

    "What are we going to do?" Nox asked, not liking her smile one bit.

 Chapter 37: Beast Taming Training

    Simr to Nox, all the other kids in the Cromwell Barony were now being trained one way or another. The parents of these children didn''tin because of Hendrix''s actions.

    The stakes for the uingpetition were very high for them. Not only would they lose 50 percent of their resources, but their pride was on the line as well. The only way to wash this shame away was for them to win thispetition and beat the kids of the Armstrong Duchy.

    As they were preparing, so were all the other towns.

    Cromwell Barony,

    On a Massive Field¡­

    Sweat and exertion glistened on the faces of the children as they jogged around the massive field. This was their fifthp, and their bones were practically begging them to give up, but they pushed on, a spark of determination shing in their eyes.

    This was the first time they had such responsibility and high expectations ced on them, so they needed to work hard to make the people of their barony proud.

    At the front of the line was Rab, the same boy who had been thoroughly beaten to a pulp by Hendrix.

    "Nox, I''ll make sure to get strong, so strong that I''ll beat that bastard who dares toy his filthy hands on you."

    "How dare he touch our Goddess."

    The thought processes of the other kids varied.

    Most of them wanted to take revenge on Hendrix for almost disfiguring Nyx''s face. Little did Hendrix know he had poked the beehive.

    "I never thought I''d say this, but I think Hendrix''s actions made a positive impact on the kids." From the side, Gordonmented, his gaze lingering on his daughter, Serena.

    She seemed very serious. Serena was serious not only because she wanted to punch the cocky face of Hendrix, but because she believed she was the weakest link among the group.

    "Yes," Elvin said, stroking his beard. "These brats finally decided to get serious with their lives."

    Nathan nodded his head in agreement. Although it was shameful, they had to admit Hendrix''s actions had ignited the spark in the children that would have taken much longer to ignite.

    "Chin up, chest out, stand upright, like a sword ready to be unsheathed."

    Nyx stood as told, with her chin up and her hands balled into fists. Her ck eyes were fierce and intimidating.

    In front of her stood Aina, a long sword drawn. She stared at her daughter with mixed emotions. The art she was about to teach her was something that could only be learned by the people of her race. It was a high sword technique meant for only the high-ranking warriors in the army, but she wanted to teach her.

    After all, it was her own blood; her blood deserved nothing but the best.

    "I just hope Eve puts our past grudges aside and teaches Nox everything he needs to know. Since his ss is simr to Arthur''s, she''s the right person." Exiting her thoughts, she stared at Nyx.

    "In the battlefield, my sisters and I had always gone by one mantra." She spoke as she took a lethal stance with her leg held up, like a vicious cobra ready to spit its venomous saliva.

    "Don''t be the wielder of the sword. Be the sword itself. The essence of battle is murder. In any fight, your goal should be to murder your foes."

    "Murder my foes. Murder my foes. Murder my foes." Nyx repeated after her mother like a broken record as the face of Hendrix involuntarily appeared.

    In her mind, she''d already murdered that bastard several times in the most cruel ways possible, but she didn''t want to only do it in her fantasy; she wanted to do it in the real world as well.

    Subconsciously, a thick, bloody aura started to radiate from her as she drew her de, mirroring the lethal snake stance of her mother.

    Aina nodded her head when she saw the willingness of Nyx, but she couldn''t help but feel slightly guilty in her heart. At this age, a child should be spending time with their family, but here she was telling her about murdering her opponent.

    "Well, it couldn''t be helped. If she was back on the ind, she would have started training the moment she learned to walk." Aina narrowed her eyes. "That''s how all of our childhoods had been."

    "The name of this sword art is called Phantom sh," Aina stated. "It requires you to be swift and calctive¡­ after all, it focuses on eliminating enemies in the fastest possible way. And it''s one of the basics."

    "A true swordsman isn''t one who disys the shiest of skills, but one who can eliminate his opponents unscathed. Always remember this." Aina warned and gestured for Nyx to attack her.

    Since they were using wooden swords, Aina wasn''t scared of mistakenly hurting Nyx. With a spark of determination shining in her, Aina surged forward.

    Because of her inhuman strength and speed, and because she had tinkered with swords in the past, she didn''t look that bad¡­ for mundane folks.

    However, Aina spotted numerous mistakes just from the way Nyx handled the sword. Shaking her head, she exploded forward with blinding speed.

    "She''s even much faster than that boy. I¡­ I need¡­ huh." Nyx suddenly felt the wooden sword on her neck.

    "Your perception needs more work," Aina said as she removed the sword from her neck. "To master the Phantom sh, you''ll first need to work on your speed. Although you''re fastpared to most kids, you still don''t make the cut to learn this skill."

    "For now, practice stamina drills and try to push yourself to the limits."

    "Yes, mother!" Nyx nodded.

    Back in the mansion¡­

    "As a beast tamer, your Summons, or Companion, whatever you call it, they must obey each of yourmands as if it''sw," Eve stated.

    They were in arge coliseum-like arena with towering pirs and an elevated tform inside the mansion. Nox wondered how such a spacious arena could fit inside the mansion and it had left him puzzled for quite a while.

    Eve had casually said that it was the work of a ruinsmith as if it was no big deal.

    "Sometimes this mighte across as too controlling, but keep in mind humans are difficult to control; beasts are even more difficult."

    Nox frowned, "So you mean to say, I should¡­"

 Chapter 38: Making Progress

    "So you mean to say, I should use force on them?" Nox asked.

    "If necessary, and it would get the job done," Eve stated indifferently. "If I can kill my enemies, I don''t mind sacrificing a couple of undead to achieve that goal."

    When she said this, all the undead skeletons standing beside the walls flinched. Clearly, she had used them as cannon fodder in the past to achieve her goal.

    "Wouldn''t that break the bond?" Nox knew very well that hispanions weren''t just mindless puppets; they had their own personalities, just like any human out there.

    He couldn''t stomach the sight of using them as cannon fodder for his own selfish interest. It would feel no different from using his biological children.

    ''Are all Necromancers this heartless or is it just her?'' Nox shuddered.

    "Bonding can be important, yes, but that doesn''t apply to us Necromancers. As long as I have reanimated the dead, they''ll be forever loyal to me and follow each of my orders."

    "The same for Beast Tamers. No matter how much a beast dislikes its master, they''ll never disobey any of their orders."

    "Now I''m not telling you to go about using your beasts as cannon fodder; that would just be in stupid because I can raise the dead over and over again as long as I have sufficient mana, while your beasts would die permanently."

    "Basically, I''m telling you to exercise more of your power while bonding with them at the same time. I can tell you excel at bonding with your tamedpanions already, but you still need to teach them how to properly take instructions."

    "After all, you''ll always fight with yourpanions beside you. Thest thing you''ll want is for them not to be coordinated."

    "Hmmmm." With more thought, Nox realized Eve''s point was very valid and reasonable. ''I''m sure Thirteen would follow all my orders, the same for Fluffington, but thatzy cat would never train; he only likes fighting.''

    "Summon the cat and panda again," Eve ordered.

    Nox summoned Fluffington and Thirteen, and they elevated onto the tform. At the same time, on the ground, several shadow portals opened up, and emerging were five ghostly beasts that looked very simr to the Demonic Wolf.

    The only difference was these ones were dogs and had threerge yellow eyes. Their build was muscr, with spikes protruding from their backs. Two pairs of fangs jutted out of their mouths.

    [ck Fanged Demonic Dog]

    "How effective can youmand your beasts in the heat of battle?" Eve asked.

    "I usually don''tmand them all the time; they¡­ they just fight on their own¡­ Is that a bad thing?"

    "There is nothing wrong with that. However, it''s more effective to give them instructions on what to do¡­ because they''re like an army. You don''t even have to shout it aloud. I''m guessing you also have telepathy?" Eve asked, to which Nox nodded.

    "I want you to focus onmanding your beasts to attack the dogs. You can go all out. On the other hand, I''ll control my summons. Since they''re lower level than your beasts, we should be pretty even."

    "As soon as Skully over there sounds the gong, the fight willmence, so get ready."

    "Alright, pipsqueaks." At that moment, the butler skeleton swaggered into the arena.

    "The rules of this fight will be simple," Skully stated, his green eyes gleaming. "Any beast that falls off the stage will be automatically disqualified. Begin!"

    ''To instruct them, I have to know their strengths and weaknesses. Fluffington is fast and has a savage fighting style, while Thirteen, because of his inherited kung fu, is more refined and elegant.'' Nox massaged his temple when he thought about something. ''Both of them are also offensive-type fighters. If we were to fight, my defense would be practically open.''

    Shing!

    "Fight!"

    Immediately, Skully gave the green light. The five shadowy dogs pounced forward with menacing snarls on their faces.

    ''Go!'' Noxmanded, and both Thirteen and Fluffington lunged forward at the horde of dogs.

    Following Nox''smand, Thirteen curled into a ball, and his speed increased significantly, almost matching Fluffington. He mmed into the first shadow creature. The impact immediately tossed that shadow creature out of the tform.

    Before he could fall off as well, Thirteen expertly changed course and headed for the other dogs.

    ''Fluffington, ws!''

    [Don''t tell me what to do. I was about to do just that.] Fluffington sneered and made a powerful swipe at the first creature''s face. At the nick of time, the creature dodged the sh, but Fluffington had already anticipated this. Fluffington''s sh also changed direction, cutting a gash on the dog''s face, shearing it into two.

    Nox didn''t stand by either; he summoned the dagger and started to hack away at the creatures that had somehow passed Fluffington and Thirteen. It was very difficult for him to split his brain into two ces, but he was slowly getting the hang of it.

    Sometimes, though, he couldn''t help but let the beasts have their way. For Fluffington, he didn''t need to be told what to do, but the only problem was Thirteen.

    Nox reasoned it was because thetter was still just a few months old.

    Even though they were faring well, Nox knew it was because Eve gave the shadow dogs basicmands to just attack; if not, they would have found themselves in dire circumstances.

    After the first battle ended with Noxing out as the winner, Eve increased the difficulty with more summons. Because of the increased difficulty, Nox lost over and over again.

    Days passed. Nox didn''t leave Eve''s gloomy mansion and continued to learn how to split his focus betweenmanding his beasts and fighting at the same time.

    Eve didn''t only depend on her summons to fight for her; she was a capable swordswoman and dark magic wielder, a true menace in any battlefield.

    Under her tutge, he also learned how to wield myriad weapons, and slowly he was making progress.

    At the same time, even Nyx made significant progress because¡­ she was a literal monster when it came to training. Within the span of a few days, she had finally mastered the Phantom sh.

    ''She''s countless times more talented than the other girls back at home,'' Aina realized. But there was a deep frown on her face because this revtion could very well be a double-edged sword.

    "I hope they don''t find out about her," Aina whispered to herself in an extremely low voice.

 Chapter 39: A Powerful Python!

    "What is it, mother? Did I do anything wrong?" Nyx asked with a confused expression. She had thought her mother would be happy since she had quickly mastered Phantom sh, but for some reason, her mother looked more worried than happy.

    "It''s nothing," Aina smiled. "Let''s go again."

    Eve''s Mansions.

    The Colosseum.

    Pulch!

    The dagger in Nox''s grasp shed through the air, slicing the skeleton wolves that were pouncing on him from all sides like wild dogs gone berserk, with only one goal: to tear apart anything in their way.

    Their eyes were bloodshot as the horde continued to surge forward, giving Nox little time to breathe. Sweat and exertion glistened on his face, and he panted heavily, but there was a determined glint in his eyes.

    Beside him, he had his twopanions fighting alongside him, Fluffington and Thirteen, though they looked exhausted as well. Still, they were one of the reasons Nox hadsted this long.

    A month had passed since Eve had simply instructed him to control his two beasts like a general on the battlefield while fighting alongside them.

    Traditional beast tamers were often very weak; if the enemies got past them, all was over. Nox didn''t want to go down this route, so he had meticulously practiced with his dagger.

    He had wielded all other weapons but came to realize that he was most adept with daggers. By coincidence, that was also Eve''s specialty, so the two got along just fine, with her showing the kid a few pointers now and then.

    But she still remained rather aloof, and her words were as brief as ever. Most of the time, they were silent, and quite frankly, Nox liked this silence.

    Pulch! Pulch!

    Finally, Nox dealt with thest skeleton wolf by burying the de of his dagger inside its eyes. Fluffington and Thirteen also finished off their opponents.

    "Huff, huff!" Nox fell on his butt. He had been multitasking the whole time¡ªfighting the undead summoned while givingmands to his beasts for a straight five hours!

    ''Ever since that white-haired kid did what he did, Fluffington seemed to follow each of my orders without asking for anything in return.''

    Thinking for a while, Nox smiled. ''It seems I''m not the only one who wants revenge. After being beaten up like that, it really gave him a rude awakening, huh?''

    "You''re slowly getting the hang of how your ss works. That''s good for a change," Evemented. She had been watching him for the past week and was a little shocked at how disciplined and persistent he was.

    She could see his body was practically begging him to give up and rest, but he still kept on fighting with bloodshot eyes.

    ''And he''s just five years old¡­ I''ve seen my fair share of human children, and one thing I''m very certain of: they''re a bunch ofzy brats, but this kid is different. From the swing of his daggers, you can see he really wants to get stronger.''

    ''Arthur was veryzy, wasn''t he, Aina? Where did he get this personality from?''

    Unknown to Eve, Nox was blessed with the traits of perseverance and hard work of the great Elephant¡­ What she was seeing was simply those traits in effect.

    Yes, Nox was determined to get stronger, but these traits buffed him and made him more serious.

    ''This kid, maybe he isn''t that bad,'' Eve thought. She''d heard about Nox''s mischievous, unserious nature, but after seeing him work so hard this past week, she was starting to get a good impression of the boy.

    ''The son of that man.'' Eve''s ruby-colored eyes darkened for a split second, and the aura around her took a 180-degree turn. However, just then, there was a slight vibration in her Pocket. She stretched her palm out, and themunication crystal appeared.

    "Miss Eve, where are you?" A voice that Nox recognized as Elvin the archer spoke from the other side.

    "I''m busy. What''s the matter?" Eve replied with a frown on her face.

    "An Intimidate Tier Blue Fanged Python has been spotted very close to the walls¡­ If possible, could you lend me a helping hand? For some reason, this bastard¡ªshit! Don''t stop firing! Fall back!"

    "If it''s really serious, why don''t you head over? I''ll remain here and train," Nox suggested. Fluffington and Thirteen were currently resting on their stomachs, but as soon as they heard ''train,'' the two beasts immediately feigned sleeping.

    Eve seemed to think for a while before looking at Nox. "Follow me. Let''s put everything you''ve learned into practice."

    Nox and Eve arrived at the northern side of Cromwell Barony, and what they saw left Nox stunned.

    A giant cobra that was over hundreds of meters in length was in a fierce battle with Elvin and a group of Awakeners from the Cromwell Barony.

    (Awakeners are those who have sessfully Awakened their ss.)

    The colossal snake easily towered over the town walls, its beautiful yet terrifying pale milky eyes and long forked tongue dangling, staring menacingly at the humans who were hacking away at its hard blue carapaced skin.

    ¡­

    [Blue Fanged Python]

    "A venomous serpent with azure scales and fangs that can pierce through solid stone."

    Rating: Intimidate Tier Level 2

    Progress: 98%/100%

    MP: 300/300

    HP: 100/140

    Stam: (70%/100%)

    Str: 50

    Agi: 39

    Int: 40

    Special skills: Venomous Acid (Active), Camouge (Passive), Constriction (Active), Enhanced Strength (Passive)

    Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Azure Serpent Lord

    Requirements: Reach King Tier, obtain the Sapphire Fang of Serpent Kings.

    Azure Serpent Lord: Enhanced strength and agility, scales turn as hard as diamonds, able to split into multiple serpentine forms, each with independent thought and action, overwhelming enemies with coordinated attacks. Canmand sea creatures within a vast radius, bending them to its will and forming an army from the depths.

    ¡­

    ''Powerful! Cerbagh was just a Level 7 wildling, the Sky Kraken was at Intimidate Tier, but this guy¡­ he''s much stronger. I can feel it¡­ and those abilities seem very badass.''

    "What are you thinking? Prepare to join the fight," Eve said indifferently.

    "Nothing, just that this beast seems to possess lots of powerful skills that would be a bit tricky to deal with," Nox voiced his opinion.

    "Skills?" Eve frowned. "You can see the beast''s skills?"

    "Yeah, is there anything wrong? I mean, can''t everybody see them?" Nox asked with an incredulous expression.

    "No, we can only see their Name and HP."

    "Oh," Nox said, realizing. Now that he thought about it, this was one of his Beast Tamer skills he had received after Awakening his ss.

    [Analyzed: Read them like a book¡­ with a nce, know monster''s information and see all possible evolution directions.]

    Eve looked at Nox for a while. She wanted to ask him what more he could do. Usually, people could use special artifacts to see information about beasts, but those were very expensive and only the first-grade guilds could get their hands on them.

    Nathan wasn''t that rich, so Eve knew it was not an item¡­

    ''But something that has to do with his ss. How convenient.''

 Chapter 40: A Beautiful Rock

    At that moment, on the battlefield, the Blue Fanged Snake''s jaws opened, revealing its extremely jagged, razor-sharp fangs. A very disturbing hissing sound reverberated throughout as the snake''s body tensed and coiled into a lethal position, like a cobra ready to attack.

    "It''s going to use one of its skills now!" Nox warned in a booming voice. Due to the heat of battle, his voice went unheard. Seeing this, Nox quickly summoned the shield he had obtained from the dimensional rift.

    Straining his muscles, he threw the shield, and it ricocheted through the air, mming into the jaws of the python with vicious force. Upon impact, the python''s mouth was redirected, and a stream of green substance spat out from its mouth.

    When the green substance touched the ground, it immediately corroded the ground, leaving a deep impression with smoke billowing off.

    "Heavens, if we had been even a secondte," one of the mages there covered their mouth in shock.

    "We would have certainly been done for, but who was that?"

    While the others were trying to understand what was going on, Elvin, who had seen the trajectory the shield hade from, looked and indeed saw Eve and Nox standing on the walls.

    "It''s them," he said with a smile.

    "Hahahaha, of course it''s Miss Eve. With her here, this stupid bastard will be in for a world of pain!"

    Seeing this sight, Nox smiled bitterly. ''It seemed they thought it was her doing.''

    "Come, let''s go help them!" Eve said as she leaped off the wall. Nox knew that jumping from such a height would leave him with a broken leg, so he quickly found another route that didn''t involve jumping from such a high wall.

    However, when he finally arrived at the battlefield, he saw the snake was back on its feet again. It had trapped one of the mages with its tail, coiling around him and, with a little force, crushing the mage.

    Nox looked away just in time before the mage turned into crushed bones and puked out his bowels.

    ''Dammit! It killed him.'' This was the first time he had seen someone killed in real life, so he was shaken, but Nox knew he had to get rid of this weakness.

    "Dying is a daily urrence you have to get used to¡­ Although we''re hurt because Jack was a good husband andrade, that''s just how this world works¡­ And we have to keep pushing on; if not, we might all lose our lives," a man patted Nox on the back before running into battle with a determined expression.

    Shing! Shing!

    Wielding dual daggers, Eve weaved from side to side, perfectly dodging the tail swipes of the enraged snake as she stabbed with her daggers, but they could hardly prate.

    "It''s strong; Intermidiate Tier beasts aren''t this strong," Eve thought as she took a step back. While retreating, she grabbed the dead man and brought him back to where Elvin was firing arrows at a rapid pace.

    But none of the arrows were able to pierce the hard skin of the snake.

    "How did ite so close to the living area?" Eve asked as a bolt of darkness condensed on her fingertip. As a Necromancer, she was also adept at using dark necrotic magic.

    "I don''t know, but recently they''ve beening closer and closer to the walls¡­ and for some reason, they seem much stronger. Dammit," Elvin cursed after another hit. "And I still don''t understand how an Intermediate Tier beast could be this strong. I''ve killed a couple of them in the past, but they weren''t this strong, or is it that I''m getting old?"

    "I don''t think so. This snake is really stronger than normal," Eve spoke as she aimed her hand at the snake, the dark bolt pulsating on the tip of her fingers. "But since we can''t kill it from outside, let''s kill it from the inside."

    Elvin frowned when he heard her. Something that can''t be prated, how would you kill it from the inside?

    "What''s the most fragile part of an animal''s body?" Eve asked, as if sensing his doubt.

    "The eyes, but it''s no use; its eyes are as strong as its body. I have hit it several times, but it seems futile."

    "The eyes, yes," Eve stated as she approached the snake, which was moving toward her with its forked tongue revealed. "But there is also the mouth."

    Its massive body caused the ground to tremble, as if an earthquake was happening. As it closed in, the beast''s body tensed once more as it prepared to use its only offensive skill. It opened its jaws.

    Immediately, a dark bolt flew into its mouth, and the beast had a puzzled expression on its face as it forcibly swallowed back the acid it was about to spit.

    A cold smile appeared on Eve''s face, a smile capable of scaring the living daylights out of anyone.

    Then she spoke:

    "Ignite!"

    Vroooooooom!

    A piercing sound assaulted the ears of everyone. Some were forced to cover them. They could see the massive snake vibrating as if it was having a seizure. Then it stopped vibrating; the sound stopped as well.

    Nox slowly removed his hands from his ears.

    Just like him, the others did the same.

    But it was the wrong move.

    At that moment, a thunderous explosion rang out, and the body of the terrifying snake exploded into smithereens, raining fragments of flesh and blood everywhere.

    Aplete silence descended on the battlefield before the warriors erupted into cheers!

    "Yay!!!!!!"

    "Ahahaha, we did it!"

    "No, she did it, you idiot."

    Nox sighed. Although he was happy the python had died, he couldn''t help but feel regret. "If only it had used its invisible skill once, I could have copied it¡­ well, it''s no use crying over spilt mil¡ª"

    BANG!

    A blue rock suddenly crashed in front of Nox.

    ''It must be from the beast,'' Nox thought, because fragments of the python''s body were still falling like a shower of rain.

    "Did the snake swallow a rock?"

    The oval rock was quiterge and had a shiny, polished surface that seemed to shine under the re of the sun. Nox ran his hands over the stone; he had never seen a stone as shiny as this one in his two lifetimes.

    While he was examining the strange stone, a screen appeared in his retina.

    [Blue Fanged Python Egg]

 Chapter 41: The Amstrong Dutchy Takes Revenge?

    When the battle with the giant python had ended, a meeting had been arranged, and all the important people in Cromwell Barony were seated at a round table.

    Nathan was sitting at the center as usual.

    "An Intermidiate Tier that is almost on par with a King Tier. It''s the first time I''m hearing something like this," Nathan stated. In truth, he had heard about the attack on the northern side of the wall, but he didn''t intervene, thinking that Elvin and his strike team could handle it.

    However, that wasn''t what had happened, and they even lost an Awakened.

    Luckily, Eve had dealt with the beast, so the situation hadn''t escted further. Still, the loss of one life didn''t settle well with Nathan.

    "I think it must be the doing of that bastard Felix," Elvin spat out, a bulging vein in his temple. Because the person who died was a member of his strike team, someone who had gone on several expeditions with him, he was quite shaken.

    "He must''ve experimented on the pythons and lured it to our walls," he added with bloodshot eyes.

    "Is it really him?" Nathan asked with a creased brow. Even though the Duke of the Armstrong Duchy was their rival, he didn''t just want to jump to conclusions and make baseless usations.

    Also, he could tell Elvin was merely speaking out of anger. After all, in a state of anger, most people didn''t tend to think before they speak.

    ''Could it be?'' Aina, who had temporarily suspended her training with Nyx, frowned. ''Could it be he wants to take revenge for what I did to his son? That must be it. No father would let something like that slide, after all. Crushing someone''s lungs is no different than crippling them.''

    "It''s definitely him," Elvin replied to Nathan. "If not for Eve''s timely intervention, most of my strike team would have died¡ª"

    "Actually, it was Nox," Eve interjected, catching Elvin off guard.

    "Huh? Th-that shield... wasn''t it you?" Elvin stammered with an incredulous expression. He knew Eve wasn''t the yful type to joke around. To think it was that unserious, mischievous Nox that saved them from being corroded and turned into nothing.

    "What did little Nox do?" Celine asked the question that had been on the minds of the others.

    After hearing Eve and Elvin''s exnation, they were all stunned and remained quiet for a while.

    "You said my grandson can somehow see the skills of beasts?" Nathan asked just to make sure. "You mean he''s not restricted like us?"

    "That''s exactly what I said, old man. Because of that, he was able to intervene in time. If not, there wouldn''t even be a strike team to save."

    There were several reasons why Awakened were cautious when facing monsters. It was because of their hidden, unpredictable skills. Because of this, countless had lost their lives in the fight against magical beasts.

    It had remained like this for centuries now...

    ''But not anymore. Even those appraising artifacts that are worth a fortune could only see so much information.''

    But this ability, this ability was truly a game changer! With this, he would have a much easier time fighting monsters because he would know each and every one of their hidden cards and stats!

    ''This kid is ying life on easy mode,'' everyone thought collectively.

    From the beginning, Nathan had known his grandson was unique, so he didn''t pry into his personal life too much. As such, he was oblivious to the things he could do. But now that they''ve heard of what he could do, he wanted to sit the boy down and have a long question and answer session.

    While everyone was still trying toe to terms with the realization, Aina spoke up. She was usually quiet and didn''t participate in these meetings until recently. Seeing that she had something to say, everyone gave her rapt attention.

    "No matter what, no one should say a word about Nox''s ability." She narrowed her eyes with a hint of threat in her voice. Her father-inw was close to these people, not her. An outsider, she came from a distant ce, and there were only a handful of people she trusted in this room.

    They were: Celine and her father-inw.

    Thest thing she wanted was for one of them to sell this information and jeopardize Nox''s safety.

    After thinking about it for a while, everyone thought it perfectly made sense, so they nodded their heads and decided to keep it a secret.

    ...A secret they''ll take to their graves.

    ***

    Cromwell Manor

    Inside Nox''s room

    [Blue Fanged Python Egg]

    ''The snake was pregnant? This makes a lot of sense now. Pregnant women could get annoyed very quickly,'' Nox thought as he rubbed the surface of the egg. After seeing the text, he had ced the egg inside his inventory and took it back to his room to take a proper look.

    And he was a bit disappointed when he couldn''t see the stats of the python, its racial skills or evolution path; but he was sure they''ll be simr to that of its mother when the egg hatches because Thirteen also had a simr evolution path to its father.

    "I wonder how long it would take to hatch. If I keep it in the beast taming space, would it be faster?"

    Stopping his train of thought, Nox ced his hand on the egg.

    [Tame Activated]

    From the resources he had consumed back on Earth, Nox knew very well that there wouldn''t always be sess in taming creatures, especially adult creatures who could think and make decisions for themselves, except if the creature really liked the beast tamer.

    However,pared to taming adults, there was more sess rate in taming baby monsters because of their limited intelligence.

    Right now, the egg was not even a thing, but after seeing the destructive nature of its mother, he decided to tame it now that it was harmless.

    After sessfully taming the beast within the egg, Nox ced it inside his beast taming space, which would help nurture the egg. When he was done, he briefly nced at his stats and his progress.

    This past month, because of his constant training with Eve, he hadn''t had time to hunt beasts or focus on his daily quests, which resulted in not making any significant progress.

    But Nox didn''t feel like he wasted those experience points because of the things he learned from Eve, who happened to be a very good teacher; just within 30 days, he could now perfectly split his focus in the heat of battle without any hup.

    Still...

    "I need to level up."

    Before the tournament, he wanted to increase his levels as much as possible.

    "It''s time to use this thing. I wonder which dimension I''ll appear in."

 Chapter 42: Appearing In The Wrong Dimension At The Wrong Time

    "Alright everyone, gather around here, don''t stray far from the line. If not, you would be eaten by monsters," Hans warned.

    "Hey, stop saying jokes like that," Gordon reprimanded his friend as he fixed his gaze on the line of children standing at the entrance of the Cromwell Barony.

    His gaze lingered longer on his daughter, who was standing close to an indifferent Nyx.

    ''I thought she would back down...but to think she''d somehow pull through the physical training.'' Gordon felt proud as he looked at his daughter. ''I guess my little granddaughter has really grown up. I knew it was the right decision for her to get close to Nyx.''

    A month had passed since the children of the town started training seriously. The elders of the town had thought most of them would give up along the way, but they were wrong.

    No one gave up!

    And now they were getting ready to head towards the holy mountain range to awaken their ss. The holy mountain was a ce in the northern side of the Vermilion kingdom. It was home to several statues of the patron god of each ss.

    Every year, parents visited the holy mountain with their children, hoping they would awaken a ss. Thus, the ce was always crowded.

    ''It would get even more crowded.'' Hans looked at the faces of the eager 40 kids who couldn''t wait to awaken their ss. ''I just hope the gods answer all of their prayers.''

    "Wow! What''s that?"

    "How is it flying without wings?"

    Just then, a shadow covered everyone, and looking up, they could see a long flying carriage. But this carriage didn''t have any horses or wings; it was just like a bus back on Earth. The main difference was that there was a shiny crystal embedded in the body.

    These crystals were beast cores. For the likes of Nyx and Serena, who had hunted monsters before, they were very familiar with it. It was these beast cores that were powering the flying carriage.

    (Beast cores are used for crafting weapons and armors. The mana inside could also act as a power source like fuel.)

    "Hmmm, it seems Baron Nathan really went all out this time. To rent these carriages for a day costs dozens of gold coins," a guard said to his friend.

    "Yeah, these things are only used in the capital, and you know almost everybody in the capital is rich...maybe not everybody, but you get my point."

    Under Gordon and Hans'' guidance, the children started to board the flying carriage. Because of the recent activity of beastsing close to the living area, Nathan had decided to stay behind to help out in case of an emergency.

    Although the carriages were small on the outside, the inside was rtivelyrge and could fit hundreds of people. This was due to the use of spatial runes.

    A whileter, the carriage rose to the sky and flew north.

    "And that''s my cue to leave as well," Nox, standing on the walls of the Barony, thought to himself.

    Before heading inside the dimension, Nox wanted to make some preparations.

    ''I need a mask. Grandpa said these dimensions are usually owned by cities orrge organizations. I need to keep my identity a secret if I want to be jumping from dimension to dimension.''

    Nox walked through the cobblestone street. Even though he had been busy training with Eve, he still made sure to train Fluffington and Thirteen sometimes. Hence, his experience points had increased a little.

    [80/225]

    ''It''s still a bit far from leveling me up.''

    In the crowded market district filled with people, Nox finally arrived at a store that was selling weapons, armors, and other equipment crafted for battle. The shelves were filled with myriads of weapons ranging from swords, ives, bows, and arrows. On one side, there were lots of wooden dummies adorned with armor.

    Nox wasn''t interested in any of this; his gaze scanned around.

    Just some minutester, he saw what he was looking for.

    A shelf filled with helmets and masks.

    Quickly, he went to that shelf and started looking. There were different types of masks on the shelf, ranging from in-looking ones to scary, heavy-looking ones.

    Nox contemted for a while and chose one of them. The mask he chose was dark in color with slits for eyes, nose, and mouth. On the mouth, though, fangs jutted out, and a single horn protruded from the top of the head.

    ''It looks a bit demonic and devilish, but if the effect the system says here is true, then it''s the best thing I need.''

    Item: [Mask of the Hound (Legendary Tier)]

    Description: [A mask that allows the wearer to project any desired level, shrouding their true strength in mystery. It emanates an aura of fear, causing unease and dread in onlookers.]

    [Lore: Crafted from an unknown material and etched with ancient symbols, the Mask of the Hound was once worn by a legendary hunter who became a myth. Those who crossed his path were left in perpetual terror, unable to discern his true power. Legends suggest the mask was forged in the Abyss by beings that thrive on fear and deception.]

    ''The fear and mysterious effect would really be useful. People are scared of the unknown. With this mask, people won''t make trouble with me like that...I hope.''

    Nox didn''t think the mask alone would keep him out of trouble. He kept this in mind and tried toe up with ns in his head in case he got into trouble with anyone.

    What shocked him again was the mask''s ability to hide and project whatever level the owner wants others to see.

    Nox subconsciously stopped and looked at the mask and then at the salesman. The man had noticed him and was approaching him.

    ''Should I steal it?'' Nox was really tempted.

    "I was nning on auctioning it too," the man smiled. "But I started having second thoughts. It seems you really like this mask, little Nox?"

    "G-good day, Uncle Damian." Nox greeted politely; after all, this man was Rab''s father, the same boy he had stepped in to save.

    "Good day to you too. Since it''s you, I''ll sell the mask to you at a cheaper price. Though I''m certain I''d have gotten half a fortune from it," Damian said. This was his way of repaying the kid who had stepped up for his son.

    Even though it pained him, Damian had to do it.

    Besides, by now, everyone in the town already knew that Nox, the boy who loves his town with all his heart, had first among his peer group awakened a ss.

    ''Even though I bought it at an expensive price from that hooded man, I know he would make good use of this mask, and knowing this kid, it would definitely benefit the Barony.''

    Nox didn''t act like the typical protagonist who would insist the other person keep it. He readily epted it while thanking Damian.

    After paying for the ridiculously expensive mask from the money he stole¡ªborrowed¡ªfrom his grandfather, Nox left the shop.

    At the same time, a hooded middle-aged man was riding out of the gates of the Cromwell Barony on a strong-looking horse.

    ''That man, I thought there would be lots of treasure in his inventory. For the Union to put such a bounty price on his head, I guess I was wrong. All he had with him was that mask.'' The man thought. When he was very far from the Barony, the hood fell off his face, revealing an Elven man with lustrous white skin.

    "Selling it in this backwater town was the best decision. Since I can''t destroy it, that way those disgusting vermin would never find it."

    ***

    Cromwell Manor.

    Inside Nox''s room.

    After locking his door, Nox retrieved the dimension key from his inventory. As he wished to activate the key, a holographic keyhole appeared before him. Following his instincts, he inserted the key into the hole and spun it.

    Spark! Spark!

    When he did this, several sparks coalesced in the air before a golden double door appeared.

    Taking a couple of deep breaths, Nox pushed the door open and stepped inside.

    When he stepped inside, Nox instinctively knew he was no longer in his room because the scenery had changed. The ground was a mixture of brown and orange as if it had been burnt, the sky was grey, and the atmosphere was noticeably hot. Even the trees here were brown as if they were withering, but they were not dead. In fact, this was the natural state of the nts in this dimension.

    To be safe, he set his level at 100 thanks to the function of the mask.

    ''That would scare lots of people.'' He grinned mischievously.

    Just then, he heard loud chatter in the distance. Looking in that direction, Nox saw a line of people who were pouring beast cores on the counter, and the person on the other side would proceed to count it.

    The people seemed well-coordinated, though there were some loud shouting matches from time to time and a few scuffles, but the process continued unhindered.

    However, looking at them, Nox found something strange about these beings.

    "They look so big, bigger than normal people, or is it because I''m looking from this far?" Nox mused as he approached the crowd of people.

    When he got closer, his eyes squinted.

    He could now see the people clearly.

    "They''re not people?" Nox''s eyes widened in realization. "T-they... they''re... what are they?"

 Chapter 43: Master And Diciple

    "Hmmm, he didn''t show up today."

    "Master, didn''t he mention he was taking a break?" Skully, the skeleton butler, tilted his head in confusion as he watched his mistress, Eve. They were in the training ground.

    "Did he?" Eve responded, walking toward the weapon racks. She picked up a ck dagger and twirled it around her fingers.

    She then added in a neutral tone, "That kid is quite good with the dagger. For an amateur, I''m impressed he could swing it like that."

    "You''re impressed?!" Skully eximed, his skeletal face showing surprise. Despite being reanimated, he had spent enough time with his master to know her personality well.

    ''She rarely gets excited about anything except when she''s about to kill someone, and even then, it''s more like a chilling detachment than true excitement. This is the first time her voice has sounded this normal when talking about someone else.''

    Having stayed close to his mistress for so long, Skully had long be ustomed to her monotonous, emotionless voice. However, today there was a bit of life in her voice because¡­ because of Arthur''s son.

    "How long did he say he''d be gone?" Eve asked, throwing the dagger. It whistled through the air and lodged itself deep into the wall, just inches from a skeleton soldier.

    That fortunate skeleton gulped in relief. It didn''t know if she was targeting it or the wall just now.

    "Is Master perhaps missing that pipsqueak?" Skully inquired, his eyes lighting up as if he''d discovered something crucial.

    "Missing him... not really... do I miss him?" Eve had an incredulous expression. She didn''t miss the boy himself, but she did miss his hardworking and determined spirit.

    Being a Beast Master was mentally taxing and could be draining; most people would quickly give up. However... ''His resilience reminds me of myself.''

    Nox was the type to push himself to the limit, even when his body was hurting. This determination left a good impression on Eve. Additionally, the boy seemed very talented as well.

    ''He was able to perfectly utilize the dagger with just a few pointers from me. Is it because he''s that man''s son or something else? As if he was blessed by the gods?''

    It was a fleeting thought, but little did Eve know that all of Nox''s actions were heavily influenced by the blessing he had received from the pantheon of mythical beasts.

    The beasts had gone all out because¡­ because the boy was their hope!

    "Master, Master, master?"

    "Hmmmm?"

    "I have been calling your name for two minutes now."

    "I was thinking." ''I only asked if she missed him, and she''s already lost in thought?'' Skully pondered as he watched Eve leave the training room.

    "Strange," he muttered.

    ***

    The Holy Mountain had existed since time immemorial, towering as tall as Mount Everest back on Earth. Legends tell that this mountain was once a powerful sovereign-tier magical beast, a guardian that protected humanity from the forces of darkness, crushing them with overwhelming power.

    After millions of years without any serious conflicts, only minor skirmishes between nations and races, the beast entered an eternal slumber, and thus, the mountain came to be.

    Its age surpassed that of the entire human domain, including the far west continent and even the other continents. It stood as one of humanity''s most importantndmarks.

    No one knew the name of this powerful beast, but because it had helped humanity in times of need and always took a just stance, old schrs named the ce The Holy Mountain. Numerous statues of patron gods of each ss were built there as a homage to the creature that had once acted as the supreme guardian of the world.

    Of course, some people didn''t believe this history and thought it was written by a bored schr. How could a beast be so huge and side with humans? Wouldn''t a creature of such power want to conquer the world? Why would it align with humanity?

    "Maybe it didn''t see humans as a threat. It would gain no pleasure from killing them, just as we wouldn''t bother with ants," Nyx stated, staring at the colossal, table-shaped mountain from the window of the flying carriage.

    "What are you talking about?" Serena asked in confusion. They had been admiring the view just like several of the kids when Nyx suddenly said words she didn''t understand.

    "We''ll bending in the next five minutes. Everyone, get ready to disembark," Han warned as the flying carriage began to descend.

    Nyx clenched her fist. ''I hope the goddesses ept my prayers.''

    This sentiment was shared by all the kids. They had been happy, but now they were extremely anxious.

    After all, the gods were very selective when it came to answering prayers, unlike the pantheon of mythical beasts... they didn''tck followers.

    ***

    Amstrong Duchy.

    In the countryside.

    Shing! Shing!

    Huff! Huff!

    "One month now, he''s been training nonstop without even eating. Is he still human or a monster?"

    "I''ve never heard of even experts attempting something like this," an old servant with profound eyes said in amazement.

    "Not even the duke was this strong at this age. He''s as strong as those geniuses in the Capital," another added.

    A group of servants wearing blue attire watched a white-haired boy furiously swing his sword through the air. Each strike seemed to split the very air apart, leaving a gust of wind to directly wash the faces of everyone who was secretly watching him.

    Unlike the time he had visited the Cromwell Barony, there was something strange about the white-haired boy and that was the scorpion-shaped mask on his face. The mask had no slit for the mouth, eyes, or nose. Instead, there were four ck strange tubes connecting from all those ces into the back of his head as if prating his skull.

    The mask looked out of ce as if it was something that didn''t belong to this world.

    In a sense, it was true because this mask was found in a ruin in a high-level Dimensional Rift¨C

    ''I never thought this mask would be this powerful¡­ to think there is something as powerful as this in the mortal realm?''

    Item: [Mask of Reckoning (????)]

    Description: [A sinister mask that rapidly replenishes the wearer''s mana and grants formidable magical power. Each use drains a substantial portion of the wearer''s life force, causing severe and irreversible damage.]

    ''The sacrifice is necessary because without it, I''d be crippled.'' Aina''s fierce face strangling a helpless Hendrix who was dangling in the air shed before him and he held the hilt of his sword tighter, bending the iron with his bare hands.

    ''With this, I''ll take my revenge¡­ not only would I beat your children¡­ I''ll murder them in the tournament,'' Hendrix thought with a cruel smile.

    ***

    Please Remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones and review, that way the could get more publicity. Because of This here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal.

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapter

    Every 100 POwer stones = 1 Chapters

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

 Chapter 44: Caught By The Demons

    In the unknown dimension, Nox had fled into a nearby bush, keeping a watchful eye on the strange demonic-looking beings. There were many of them, each possessing a monstrous appearance. Some had multiple eyes, while others had multiple limbs.

    From any angle, they were clearly not human, yet they weren''t mere beasts either. Theymunicated with each other just like humans, and they were killing monsters and collecting their beast cores, which were then counted by smaller, demonic-looking creatures.

    "They even wield weapons¡­are they demons?" Nox wondered. He kept his emotions in check and decided to observe them further. Jumping out could mean getting hacked to death, so gathering information from the shadows was his safest bet.

    For the past 30 minutes, Nox silently observed. He realized that this was a forest-type dimensional rift¡ªa ce that appeared to be both dying and alive simultaneously.

    Despite being a forest, though, he noticed a couple ofrge, square-shaped buildings that seemed to serve as bases for the demonic-looking creatures.

    Currently, Nox was hiding atop a tree in a clearing, watching a party of four demons battle about twenty hyena-type magical beasts.

    "Analyze!"

    After ncing over the monsters'' statuses, Nox tried to analyze the demonic beings. However, no useful information appeared, only the basic details shown when viewing other Awakened sses.

    [Jogo - Level 20]

    [HP: 100%/100%]

    [MP: 100%/100%]

    ''This isn''t really helpful. It only differentiates a magical beast from a human. Still, at least now I know these guys aren''t monsters.''

    "Hahahahaha!" A humanoid demon with the body of a cheetah and elongated hornsughed, its red eyes gleaming with mirth as it hacked at the hyenas with a double axe.

    The demon viciously mmed its axe into the hyenas'' heads, its barbaric smile widening with each passing second until the heads exploded into bloody fragments.

    As the heads exploded, the demon opened its mouth, and a long tongue stretched out, wrapping around the blue-colored beast cores that were about to fly off with the bloody fragments.

    ''Such speed¡­ is this the strength of a Level 20 Awakened?'' Nox thought, trying to devise ways he could defeat this demon if necessary. ''So, he''s the Jogo, huh?''

    "Hahahahaha, a hundred beast cores in just 60 minutes since the hunt began... At this rate, I might get into the top 200 today!"

    "Dammit, I''m still short of 50 beast cores to enter the top 100." Another demon, dark and resembling arge rocky ball with a single red eye and drill-like hands,mented in disappointment. It had no mouth, but somehow everyone could hear it speak.

    [Gorgart¡ªLv 18]

    [HP: 100%/100%]

    [MP: 100%/100%]

    The third was a slender humanoid figure with a serpent-like body and the head of a cobra. It appeared to be a girl; she swiftly wove through the horde of hyenas, spitting potent poisonous acid that incinerated the creatures instantly, leaving only ashes and shiny beast cores in its wake.

    ''Snakey¡ªLevel 21.''

    "Hmm, 140 beast cores..." She smiled, moving from corpse to corpse, picking up the beast cores and storing them in what Nox assumed to be her inventory.

    All Awakened had one, after all.

    "140 only? Watch as this daddy surpasses you." Thest of the party, a short, sturdy humanoid creature with a crystalline red body filled with thousands of piercing spikes, said. Everyone instinctively distanced themselves from him, wary of the spikes that could mistakenly impale them. The spikes were nearly as long as an adult human.

    ''Viper¡ªLevel 17? He''s the weakest.'' Nox, watching from the tree, wondered how the creature could fight with such a body. However, what it did next made him swallow his words.

    "Oh no! He''s about to do it again!" Jogo shouted, rming everyone as he fled into the bush. Gorgart quickly followed, folding himself like a wrecking ball and rolling away from the clearing.

    When Nox blinked, Snakey had disappeared too.

    When all itsrades were out of sight, something strange happened!

    All the spikes jutting out of the creature''s body shot out in all directions, moving with terrifying speed,parable to arrows fired from a bow.

    With such fierce speed, the remaining hyenas were impaled, the spikes bursting out of the other side of their bodies.

    Nox hurriedly summoned his shield just in time to deflect a spikeing his way. It mmed into the shield with powerful force, but he held his ground.

    "200 beast cores." Viper grinned as he went to retrieve the beast cores from the dead monsters.

    ''Damnit, how do they pair with someone like that?'' Nox muttered under his breath as he put away his shield. ''He''s clearly a double-edged sword.''

    This was the true definition of a double-edged sword!

    "Viper, you need to always warn us when you''re about to do your thing," Snakey said, annoyed, as everyone slowly returned from their hiding ces.

    While they chatted among themselves, Nox thought. From their words and actions, he could tell they were participating in some kind of hunting event.

    ''Judging from the way they act, it must be very important, but that''s not my business. I''m here to level up, after all, not to draw attention.''

    ''But what if they spot me? It''s not like I have a map that can show me which area is most popted by these creatures to avoid¡­hmmm. Although the mask can hide my level, I still look very much like a human, and none of these people look like humans. They''re all hideous and scary.''

    ''Ha, who would have thought I''d want to look hideous to blend in?'' With that thought, Nox decided to find somewhere safe to level up. However, when he turned around, he saw a humanoid creature staring at him, her forked tongue revealed.

    ''H-how did she get here so fast?'' Nox''s eyes widened behind the mask.

    "I never thought I''d see one of your kind here," Snakey said. "What a big surprise."

    ---

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

 Chapter 45: Mass Class Awakening

    The flying carriage descended andnded at the base of the mountain. Hans wished they could fly higher to the second peak where the temples were located, but the holy mountain had sacred rules that had been strictly followed for centuries.

    He didn''t want to break the rules and risk incurring the wrath of the high priest, who was rumored to be one of the strongest Awakened in the human domain.

    Although he was strong and hot-headed, Hans was very intelligent and knew how to choose his fights very well.

    As the flying carriage arrived, casting a shadow over the people below, loud chatter erupted from the visitors who gazed at it with dreamy eyes. Children pointed at it, asking their parents what it was.

    "It seems most of them aren''t from the Royal Capital," Gordonmented.

    "True, this carriage ismon there¡­ I''m guessing most of them are from the neighboring towns," Hans added. "They must be here for the tournament as well."

    "Although it''s expensive, I''m d we used it. If we had taken a normal carriage, we''d still be in the west by now¡­ not to mention dealing with bandits."

    When the expensive carriagended, the people expected noble-looking kids to emerge. However, the kids that stepped out looked just like them.

    A bunch of country bumpkins.

    "Eh? How did they even afford this thing?" a dumb-looking green-haired kid with a carrot in his mouth inquired as he watched the kids of the Cromwell Barony step out one after the other.

    From the way they dressed, everyone instinctively knew they weren''t from the capital, where it was rumored only the rich could stay. People said the roads were golden, and you could even see silver coins on the ground.

    Of course, most of these stories were exaggerations made by people who had never been to the capital but hoped to go there.

    "For them to afford this, they must be doing pretty wellpared to our town, I guess," a taller boy close to the green-haired kid shrugged.

    The green-haired kid chewed the carrot in an unappealing and disturbing way, with pieces sticking to his mouth. However, his eyes lit up when he saw someone step out of the carriage.

    "Uncle!" he shouted at the top of his voice, running over to where the members of the Cromwell Barony were standing.

    They all looked at the kid with green hair and eyes that was running towards them. Hans, who had also looked over, had an excited expression on his face when he saw this boy. He opened his arms and hugged the boy.

    "Jared, my boy, how have you been?" Hans eximed, hugging the green-haired boy tightly.

    "I''ve been good, Uncle Hans!" Jared replied. "I''ve missed you so much! What brings you here?"

    Hans chuckled and ruffled Jared''s hair. "I''m here for the ss awakening, kiddo. But I''m d I got to see you too. How''s your mother doing?"

    Jared was the son of Hans'' sister, who had married in another town and left the Barony some years ago. Hans hadn''t seen the kid since hisst visit two years ago, and a rare smile appeared on his face as he chatted animatedly with the green-haired boy.

    Jared talked about his mother''s carrot and vegetable farm, then about the envoy from the Armstrong Duchy and their reason foring to the Holy Mountain.

    During his story, the others heard him mention the same white-haired boy who had beaten all of them, including the adults. Hans'' expression changed because it seemed what had happened in the Cromwell Barony also urred in the other towns.

    But somehow, they''d all kept it a secret out of fear of being embarrassed.

    ''To think he also beat the kids in Landon Barony¡­ this is a clear show of strength. Is he testing the waters or something?'' Hans was confused by the duke''s aim and the reason for his actions.

    He knew the duke was specifically targeting the Cromwell Barony because of the appearance of the Dimensional Rift, but why do the same to the other towns?

    Some timeter, the other kids introduced themselves to Jared Landon, the son of the Baron in his town. Jared greeted them back politely with a silly smile. Everyone greeted him except the beautiful girl with ck hair streaked with red.

    Seeing her, his heart began to race. She seemed deep in thought, and her thoughtful expression only made her appear more stunning.

    "Who is she?" he asked, noticing she seemed different from the rest and a bit detached.

    "Forget about it, bro!" Rab said, patting Jared on the shoulder. "She''s Nyx Aegis Cromwell, Granddaughter of Baron Nathan, the flower of our town, and twin sister of ourmander Nox Cromwell."

    "You have no chance; she''s unreachable," another added. "Don''t even fantasize about being with her."

    "Granddaughter of a Baron, and her brother is amander," Jared repeated, looking lost.

    ''She seems to be about five years old, and her brother is already amander. I really have no chance with her,'' he thought.

    After a few minutes, Hans nced at the others and nodded. "Alright, kiddo, it''s time for us to get moving. We don''t want to keep the children waiting."

    After saying goodbye, Jared disembarked but couldn''t help staring at the unreachable goddess¡­the only girl who had made his heart race so wildly.

    ''Seems like I have more reason to work harder and win the tournament. If I could, she''ll certainly be impressed.''

    "Longy," he said, looking at the tall boy beside him and adjusting his hair. "Do I look handsome?"

    "Y-yes, you look handsome. If you can stop chewing the carrot like that, you''ll look even less stupid."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    ***

    The Holy Mountain had three peaks: the first peak was the gathering spot, while the second and third peaks were where the statues of the various ss patron gods were built.

    "I heard the third peak is where the statue of the Goddess my mom and sisters worship resides," Nyx said as she climbed the mountain, the blizzard of snow bashing against her face. "That''s where I''ll awaken my ss."

    ---

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

 Chapter 46: A Higher Demon

    ''What should I do? Use Shadow Oblivion or summon Thirteen and Fluffington?'' Nox thought, eyeing the humanoid snake looming over him.

    Everything had happened so quickly. Just moments ago, Nox could have sworn he saw Snakey speaking with her party members. Now, she was right in his face.

    An oppressive silence lingered as Snakey''s green eyes stared into Nox''s mask. As the silence stretched, Nox ced his hand behind his back, and the Fanged Dagger materialized in his grasp. He hoped to drive the dagger into her heart and end it here and now.

    Nox didn''t feel bad about what he was about to do; this being looked no different from any regr beast. However, just as he was about to strike, the intruder spoke.

    "I never thought I''d see one of your kind here," Snakey said. "What a big surprise."

    ''Her voice¡­and her aura don''t seem harmful,'' Nox''s brain was moving at a high rate, allowing him to notice even the slightest details.

    Sensing no murderous or evil intent from the demonic snake, he decided to put the dagger away.

    "I could tell from your appearance that you''re a high-level demon, but I didn''t think you''d be this powerful," Snakey said, her voice tinged with doubt, as she saw Nox''s information.

    But the system never lied.

    [The Hound - Level 100]

    While trying to escape from Viper''s spike, she caught sight of the masked figure watching from a tree. Seeing his human-like build and the extremely dark abyssal eyes through the slit of his terrifying mask, she knew he was a high-level demon.

    Not even normal demons possessed such frightening, lightless eyes.

    ''Demons like this only reside in the upper sectors. What is one doing in a dimensional rift in the lower sector?'' Snakey had initially approached to greet him, but after getting closer and seeing his level, she stopped in her tracks, stunned.

    Even among higher demons, this one was exceptionally powerful! If he wanted to get rid of her, it would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.

    ''There are only a few that could cross the level 50 threshold, and somehow this demon has already reached 100! I approached him wrong; I need to apologize!''

    "Please forgive me for intruding so brazenly!" Snakey said, bowing her head.

    ''Huh? She''s not attacking me?'' Nox was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. He had prepared for a full-on battle with the demonic creature, but nothing of the sort happened.

    Instead, she bowed to him as if he were some powerful senior in a cultivation novel. The situation perplexed Nox; he didn''t know what to do.

    What was he supposed to say? He hadn''t had time to think about this little detail because he had expected a fight to break out as soon as he encountered any of these beings.

    "Snakey, what are you doing there?"

    At that moment, the rest of the party also came into the bush in search of their party member, but upon seeing her bowing to a human-like creature with a demonic mask and lightless eyes, they immediately swallowed their saliva and nervously bowed.

    "A high-level demon, and not just any, a level 100!" Gorgart eximed, looking down, avoiding Nox''s face.

    "Damn, level 100!" Jogo sucked in a sharp breath. ''The aura is equally oppressive¡­ is he going to force us to give up our beast cores?''

    ''What is he doing in the lower sectors?''

    Viper''s body trembled. Higher demons, with their noble lineage and human-like appearance, were much more powerful, smarter, and had longer lifespanspared to lower demons.

    ''And they are known to be tyrannical, always wanting to control lower demons. Although we lower demons don''t like them, we must respect their strength. Even if we ganged up on him, we would still lose.''

    "Please spare us, great demon. We didn''t know you were hunting in this area. If we had known, we''d have left long ago," Snakey managed to say under the intimidating presence of the higher demon.

    By now, Nox was starting to understand the reason for their actions from the tidbits of information he was getting from their conversation, and a wicked smile couldn''t help but appear on his lips.

    Although the smile was hidden, his dark eyes that showed a macabre mirth made the five demons flinch back in terror.

    ''So they think I''m a higher demon, and higher demons look like humans,'' Nox sighed in relief. ''I''ve been worried for nothing.''

    But more importantly, I''m in demon territory, far from the human domain.''

    Naturally, he had asked his grandfather many questions about this world and learned that humans weren''t the only inhabitants. There were elves, dwarfs, mermaids, fairies, vampires, demons, and others.

    ''It would''ve been more convenient if I had appeared in a dimension in the human domain, but I''ll make use of this opportunity and not waste the cooldown.''

    "Please, we could give you 50% of our beast cores¡ªno, all of them if you spare us." Seeing Nox''s prolonged silence, the lower demons pleaded desperately.

    Nox looked at the unappealing creatures and said in a deep, rough voice.

    "I do not care for your beast cores, nor am I interested in taking your lives."

    ''He doesn''t care for our lives or beast cores?'' This was a first, and the demons almost thought it was a trick. Any other demon would have taken their beast cores and still eaten them to increase their strength.

    But¡­ this demon.

    ''This demon is different,'' Snakey looked up at Nox with glowing eyes.

    "What I want is some guidance," Nox added. "And what is this hunting game about? Are there any rewards?"

    ***

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

    Also I want to thank all those Who have been voting for this book! I really appreciate!!

 Chapter 47: Becoming Awakened

    Finally, Nyx reached the third peak of the Holy Mountains. It had been a horrendous climb, but all the stamina training with her mother had paid off. Panting heavily, her forehead glistened with sweat despite the relentless snowstorm.

    She looked around. She was currently standing at the peak of the mountain, a wide stone surface with snow on the ground unfolded before her eyes. At all corners of the surface, there were statues of the most powerful ss patron gods and goddesses.

    Though these statues looked like something crafted by humans, they were not. They were statues that had existed for thousands of years, and no one knew who made them. All they knew was that they could awaken their ss if they prayed to the statue.

    Because the statues were few and scattered around the world, many had tried to replicate them, but when people prayed to those replicas, there were no answers from the gods¡­ hence, they were deemed useless and discarded.

    Therefore, the various countries in Eos tried to monopolize the statues anytime they came across one and gathered them in a secure ce where they would not be stolen or destroyed.

    ''From what I heard, it seems the Holy Mountain is one of the most secure ces in the entire Vermilion Kingdom,'' Nyx thought. ''The priest is one of the peak powerhouses, after all.''

    "Hmmm, it seems I''m the only one who made it her¡ª" Nyx stopped abruptly when she saw the figure of a familiar girl climbing to the top as well.

    "Serena?" Nyx''s eyes widened when she saw the petite, beautiful ck girl who was gasping for air as she copsed to the ground.

    "Huff, huff, I made it! I thought I''d die!" she said, looking at the setting sun in the sky.

    Nyx was at a loss for words. Out of everyone, she hadn''t expected Serena to reach the peak, being the youngest and the weakest in their group.

    ''It had been stressful even for me, so how¡ªhow did Serena? How did she climb this far?'' Nyx knew about her special circumstances and why she seemed to have an edge over everyone else.

    However, Serena was just like any ordinary human.

    Yet, yet¡­

    "My body hurts, I just want to take a nap, ugh!"

    "Hey, why did you do that?" Nyx said with a tight frown on her beautiful face as she helped her friend up. Although there was a frown, she was deeply worried that Serena might have exhausted and pushed herself to the limit.

    "Maybe because I don''t want to be left behind," Serena said, looking to the side. "I also want to protect others like you and Nox, not be the one who always needs protection."

    "I¡­" Nyx paused. She felt the anger in thetter part of Serena''s words and was at a loss for words. She had been paying attention only to herself and had never once asked her friends how they felt.

    "I''m sorry."

    "Sorry for what?" Serena tilted her head in confusion.

    "Sorry for not considering your feelings. I have been so focused on paying that bastard back that I have be selfish. If I''d known your feelings, I''d have trained more with you." Nyx said as she stretched her hand toward Serena.

    "It''s okay. It''s not like you can look into my head and see what I''m thinking." Serena smiled and grabbed the hand, helping herself up.

    The two friends then proceeded to look for the statues of the gods they wanted to pray to. The statues were scattered around the third peak, so the two had a difficult time searching. In the end, they had no choice but to split ways.

    It proved to be the best decision because Serena soon saw the statue she was looking for. It was a statue of a valiant-looking elven man who held a bow and arrow pointed eastward. The man was donned in red armor with a helmet, and the tip of the arrow drawn on the bow glinted with a sharp light under the re of the sun.

    This was Eltharion, the god of Archery.

    ''I thought long and hard before making this decision,'' Serena clenched her fist as she bowed down. ''Since I can''t trade blows like Nox and Nyx, then I''ll watch their back from a distance¡­ I''ll be an archer!''

    Simrly, Nyx had found the statue she was looking for.

    "Aurora," Nyx said with admiration and reverence in her voice. Her eyes were practically glowing as she stared at the noble statue her mother had talked so much about¡­ the goddess all her sisters worshiped.

    The statue depicted a lithe yet curvy woman in golden armor that entuated her form. Her red hair flowed down her back, and she wore a helmet with wings on both sides that did not detract from her beauty.

    Aina had always told Nyx how Aurora, the goddess of Dawn, Light, and Protection, had forged a bond with their race and how she would ride across the skies in her chariot of light, heralding the arrival of each day.

    "Mom had said she was a real beauty," Nyx said aloud. "Her words couldn''t be more true."

    If her statue was this beautiful and radiated such power, how would she look in real life? Nyx wondered in amazement.

    Pushing all the thoughts to the back of her head, she kneeled to dere her fate to the patron of the legendary Pdin ss, a ss that was very hard to get and exclusive only to a particr race.

    "Pretty bold of her to pray to a goddess as selective as Aurora," an old man with white hair and eyes that held profound wisdommented as he watched Nyx from a towering building that was shaped like a spire. It was built further inside the third peak, very close to the edge of the mountains.

    Over the past decade, this man had seen lots of people pray to Aurora''s statue to awaken the legendary Pdin ss, but it had ended in failure. They had no choice but to pray to the other gods. This continued for a long time before it eventually came to light that this ss only favored the powerful women who lived across the oceans far away from civilization.

    The old man shook his head when he saw Nyx praying seriously.

    "Except it''s someone from¡ªhuh." The old man stopped abruptly when he saw the statue radiating intense white light.

    This was a sign, a sign that the goddess had answered the prayer!

    At first, the old man had been shocked, but as he watched the girl more, a sense of realization shone in his deep, profound eyes. "Now that I look closely, she does possess simrities to those brave women and someone else¡­"

    The man stroked his chin, and the face of a certain tall man with eyes as dark as night itself appeared in his mind.

    "Is she perhaps the daughter of Arthur and Aina?"

    ---

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

 Chapter 48: The Hunting Game

    Snakey and the rest of the group were surprised that an upper-rank demon such as Nox was clueless about the hunting game.

    ''Has he been living under a rock or something?'' Jogo couldn''t help but think. ''Since time immemorial, the hunting game has been our way of life; how can''t he know about it?''

    "Hmmmm." Nox cleared his throat, snapping everyone out of their thoughts. His simple action seemed to scare everyone, and they started ming themselves for taking too long to give a reply.

    Even though he was clueless, at the end of the day, he was still a higher demon with level 100 to boot.

    ''Perhaps he could be one of those scouts looking for talents to join his hunting party. Maybe this is some sort of test to see if we can give him the real reason for the hunting game,'' Snakey was a fast thinker and the brain of the party. She was the one who usually made decisions for the group. With the help of her fast brain, she''d easily deduced the reason for the higher demon''s quest.

    Raising her head, she locked eyes with the higher demon.

    "The hunting game has existed since the appearance of the Dimensional Rift and has be an important aspect of the lives of demons," she said. "The hunting game originated from demons''petitive nature and greed for power. Because of this, the legacy Demon ranking was established. To climb the ranking, a demon needs to kill many magical beasts and take their beast cores. As for the rewards,"

    Snakey paused, her eyes glowing with a fierce gleam. Even the rest of the party had the same determined look on their faces. From their expressions, it was clear that the rewards were what forced them to put themselves in harm''s way.

    The reason many of their kind had passed away in the maws of beasts.

    "The reward is the lord of Blight Castle! We don''t aim to be third or even second in the ranking. The ultimate goal is the number one spot."

    Blight Castle was the shelter/stronghold in this dimension where most of the demons stayed. The lord of Blight Castle oversaw the stronghold and everything that happened in the Dimensional Rift.

    Meaning, the Dimensional Rift wasn''t owned by any kingdom or organization; the temporary owner was the one called the lord of Blight Castle. All resources, beast cores, magical items, and skill scrolls would be directly submitted to him as long as he remained the undisputed top ranker in the ranking.

    ''There are lots of loopholes in this ranking,'' Nox thought. ''For one, stronger demons could easily steal monster cores from weaker demons and submit them to be counted, but since they''re demons, there should be nothing wrong with this as well.''

    "This raises the question: What if someone kills the lord of Blight Castle? Does this mean they''ll be the new lord?"

    "Yes, that''s the fastest route but the most dangerous. Many have tried but didn''t evenst 10 seconds before being killed. When this repeated itself, all demons were forced to take the natural route," Snakey replied.

    ''Hmmmm, that means the lord of Blight Castle is very strong.''

    ''I wonder which level of dimension I''m in.''

    Nox wanted to ask this question, but it would raise even more suspicion. How could he enter a dimension without looking at the color that indicated the level?

    After pondering for a while, he decided not to ask and find out by himself. "Good, you passed my test."

    "Test?" Gorgart, Jogo, and Viper looked at Nox with puzzled expressions on their faces.

    ''I knew it!'' Snakey eximed inwardly.

    "Hmpf, so you lower demons really thought I had no idea about the hunting game and the reward," Nox said in a disdainful tone as if he was looking down on the demons. He said this with such a straight face that it was almost rming.

    "Please forgive us for our ignorance!" The demons apologized while sweating bullets.

    Nox simply waved his hand in a dismissive attitude. Now that he had learned a little information about this dimension, he was making some slight changes to his ns.

    In order for him to hunt creatures and level up, he must register in the legacy ranking. From what he learned from Snakey, he would be fined, but Nox doubted something like that would happen with him being a higher demon, a level 100 one at that.

    Some timeter, Nox, in thepany of Snakey and the others, left the clearing and went to Blight Castle¡­ On the way, demons scrambled out of Nox''s way after seeing his high level; some even went further to greet him, to which thetter didn''t even bother answering as he needed to maintain the arrogant, domineering nature of higher demons.

    Even though he didn''t answer their greetings, they were still relieved. After all, a higher demon could kill a lower demon just because thetter was too ugly or because they didn''t greet him. It was one of the reasons they greeted him, while some made sure to keep a very long distance.

    As for Snakey and the others, they felt proud and smug because they were the ones walking with Nox, and every other demon, even the arrogant ones, had no choice but to give way for them.

    Soon they arrived at Blight Castle.

    Just like its name suggested, it was a massive dark castle with over twenty floors. It was built with the demons'' unpredictable size in mind. There were lots of skulls hung as a sort of decoration. At the top of the castle, there was a pointy, triangle-shaped building that was bathed in roaring ck mes.

    It burned with such intensity that it could incinerate a wooden tree in seconds, but for some reason, the pointy building and the rest of the castle still remained intact.

    Seeing Nox''s intense gaze at the castle, Jogo said, "That''s where the lord of Blight Castle lives, and no one is allowed there."

    ---

 Chapter 49: The Baddest Demon

    "Now that you said no one is allowed there, I''m really curious about what''s going on," Nox said, his eyes fixed on the top of the castle.

    "We''re all curious, but that ce is only reserved for the top ranker," Jogo said with dreamy eyes.

    "Don''t forget that a demon was killed because his curiosity got the best of him," Snakey warned, though she was equally as curious as them.

    "Hmmmm." Nodding, the party stepped into the castle, entering a massive, wide reception area crowded with demons bustling to and fro. Nox followed the group to a counter where a feminine-looking demon with two horns and three eyes was seated.

    "Good day, sir. What brings you here?" the demon asked politely upon noticing Nox''s level.

    "I''d like to register for the huntingpetition," Nox said in a deep, authoritative voice.

    "Just a moment, sir." Though curious about the higher demon wanting to participate in the hunting game, she kept her thoughts to herself and swiftly registered Nox''s name under the alias "The Hound."

    "Rank 3000, huh?" Nox muttered, seeing his name at the bottom of the Legacy demon ranking.

    After registering, Nox went into the wild to hunt beasts. Snakey and her group insisted on apanying him, but he refused for obvious reasons.

    If they saw him fight, they''d discover he was a fraud, which was something Nox wanted to avoid. His main goal was to level up and tame more beasts, not attract unnecessary attention.

    After spotting a Giant Ant standing 8 feet tall with a red, crest-like carapace, Nox summoned Thirteen and Fluffington.

    The two beasts appeared, taking in their surroundings. When they saw the ant, they became excited.

    Fluffington: [Finally, we''ll battle real monsters! I was getting tired of those filthy undead.]

    [Panda, fight monsters!] Thirteen also jumped up in excitement. They looked like eager children who couldn''t hold themselves from opening a Christmas present.

    ''In a sense, they are children,'' Nox smiled. He wasn''t sure if he should be happy that his pets were battle maniacs. ''Still, it''s better than those that would hide behind me.''

    With Nox''s consent, the two creatures charged at the giant ant with astonishing speed, leaving Nox impressed. A few weeks ago, they weren''t this fast, but the training with Eve had paid off.

    Ptushhh!

    With lightning speed, Fluffington closed the distance and buried his ws into the ant''s body. A fountain of green blood sshed out like a broken tap.

    The giant ant shrieked, bringing down its mandibles to grasp the hateful cat tormenting it. However, it then saw a small, curled ck-and-white panda m into it like a juggernaut, sending it reeling in pain.

    The giant ant struggled to maintain its footing; its antennae quivered. The two were too fast, and their battlebination was very impressive. It didn''t even see the pandaing, only at the nick of time when it was already toote.

    At this rate, if it went easy on the two, it might lose. When the ant regained its bearings, its red eyes glowed menacingly as it felt something climbing its body, and a blinding pain shot through it.

    Twisting its antennae, the Crimson Scourge Ant''s eyes turned bloodshot.

    It was the hateful cat!

    Staaab!! Stab!!

    [-1HP]

    [-1HP]

    [-1HP]

    Fluffington, climbing the ant''s legs with frightening bnce, continued to use his super-sharp ws to inflict more damage on the ant. Because of his skill: [Wallwalker], running on the ant''s body was no different from walking on the ground.

    The creature''s crested carapace was rendered useless, and more fountains of green blood spilled out, causing the ant''s health to continue decreasing.

    Thirteen wasn''t standing idly either. With his powerful jaws, he chomped on the ant''s legs, hoping to bring down the giant and deal additional damage.

    As Nox watched, he was fascinated. He had not given a singlemand, yet his pets were handling the situation well. He couldn''t believe they were dealing with an Intermediate-rank beast without sustaining any damage.

    In Eos, even a single rank gap was massive. A lower rank would always struggle against higher-ranked beasts. An Intermediate-tier beast had the strength to defeat ten Wildlings on a good day, but today it was struggling against two!

    ''Things are about to get serious,'' Nox warned Fluffington and Thirteen telepathically when he saw the ant''s antennae light up. He drew his trusty dagger.

    Thanks to his [Analyze] skill, he could see that the ant had activated one of its abilities as a desperate attempt before it sumbed to thebined pain it received from its two assants, who were hell-bent on draining its Health points.

    "Wait!" Nox called out to Fluffington and Thirteen. They stared at him in confusion. Why would he stop them just when they were having fun toying with this overgrown ant?

    [Panda, not done yet!] Thirteen protested with an annoyed expression, jaws still mped around the ant''s slim legs.

    Yes, Fluffington and Thirteen could have finished this fight much faster, but they had purposely dyed it because of their sick nature and wanted to toy with the poor ant.

    Even Nox knew this, but he didn''t stop them because he wanted the beast to activate its skill.

    [Call Allies!]

    At that moment, several ant creatures started popping out of thin air. Some had wings and mandibles dripping with toxic green goo that incinerated the ground on contact.

    Loud, piercing buzzes reverberated as the army of insect-type beasts announced their presence. The collective aura of Wildlings and Intermediate-tier beasts burst forth, mming into Nox and forcing him back a step.

    Usually, he would have hesitated to face the horde, but remembering the beating he received from Hendrix and his sister''s swollen face, his dark eyes glowed even darker.

    Then there was the blessing from the lion god.

    [Brave and Fearless!]

    The blessings were like a trait that activated automatically when Nox felt fear, and when activated, all trace of fear would be dismissed, making him fearless and brave like the lion.

    Even Nox was unaware of this, thinking the gods of the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts were just wishing him well, but they were actually strengthening his soul.

    With the collective blessings of all the beasts, Nox was the true honored one.

    "Fluffington, Thirteen, deal with the small flies!" Nox ordered, his eyes locked on the humanoid ant that looked different from the others. The ant was roughly human-sized, notrge like the rest, but she radiated the most terrifying aura of them all.

    She was the one Nox should''ve been most cautious of, yet he was charging forward, his trusty dagger in hand.

    [Crimson Scourge Ant Queen¡ªIntermediate Tier Lv9]

    "How many stabs would it take to drain your Health points? Let''s find out!"

    Meanwhile, in Blight Castle, on the topmost floor shrouded in wild mes, a pair of crimson eyes watched the battle about to unfold.

    Unbeknownst to Nox, he had captured the attention of the baddest and meanest demon living on the top floor of Blight Castle.

    ***

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

    Also thanks to all those who have been reading and supporting this book!

 Chapter 50: Ill Make You My Pet Instead!

    Staaab!

    Keauch!

    Crunch!

    Nox''s muscles rippled as his dagger shed through the air, slicing the ants in his path. The satisfying crunch of their bodies shattering echoed across the battlefield, apanied by their painful shrieks.

    "The dagger training paid off," Nox grinned, locking eyes with the crimson Scourge Ant Queen standing on the opposite side of the battlefield. Sensing his intention, the ants formed a barricade to stop him and his two beasts from reaching their queen.

    "Are they trying to wear me out?" Nox thought. His dagger shed again, and an ant''s mandibles thudded to the ground, green blood sttering.

    "If that''s their n, it''s working. My stamina is gradually decreasing."

    [Stamina: 80/100%]

    ''I need to kill the Queen. From the look of things, she seems to be the one controlling the rest. This makes me wonder: what would happen if she stops givingmands? Would the ants be less coordinated?''

    Swoosh!

    Nox summoned his shield just in time to deflect a beam of green poison. Thanks to the shield''s magical properties, the green liquid barely affected the ground as it incinerated it.

    The giant ant that fired the poison shrieked angrily as its attack was deflected. It brought its mandibles down to snap Nox in half, but he was too nimble.

    The shield mmed into the ant''s mandibles with a low crunch, suggesting a broken jaw and leaving the beast momentarily disoriented.

    [-14HP!]

    [Critical Hit!]

    Nox knew the creature would remain disoriented due to the critical hit, so he didn''t waste a second. He buried the dagger into the beast''s head, causing it to explode into smithereens.

    After dealing with that ant, Nox briefly scanned the battlefield. He saw Fluffington and Thirteen causing carnage. Fluffington used his sharp ws to dismantle the ants, while Thirteen rammed into them in his curled form.

    Although the ants appeared intimidatingpared to normal ants, their bodies were still fragile. Thirteen''s body, as hard as iron when using the [Roll with it] skill, carved a hole through the giant beasts, making him a frightening foe and the ants'' worst enemy.

    The ants were starting to hesitate to engage with the little cute panda because of his extremely savage style of fighting. However, under themand of the crimson Scourge Queen, they had no choice but to fight, even though they were on the losing end.

    "Skills! I need to copy more skills. If only I could bestow more skills to my pets, this battle would be much easier," Noxined as he danced through the ants'' mandibles and limbs. They stared at him with bloodshot eyes while his dagger emitted a ''shing'' sound, dealing damage after damage to the poor creatures.

    The human was like an assassin, too quick and unpredictable!

    Because each level-up required risking his life, Nox disliked wasting his Mimicry spot on useless skills. It was the reason he had only copied two Skills, [Shadow Oblivion] and [Oceanic Torrent], which he bestowed to Thirteen, but he knew he had to discard this mentality.

    After all, with his talents, even a weak skill could be powerful enough to tip the scale in any battle!

    "Let''s see which skill you got!" Nox sneered in his mind as he strained his muscles and hurled the dagger. With lightning speed, the dagger shot out of his hands and stabbed the first creature in its deadly trajectory.

    However, it didn''t just stop there and burst out of that creature, then to another and another and another. When it was about to burst through the next ant, a hand held the dagger, bringing it to aplete halt.

    It was the Ant Scourge Queen. Her yellow eyes glowed with anger and admiration as she stared at the ck-haired boy with deep, menacing eyes, far darker than anything she''d seen.

    She had been busy back in the ant colony in the cave northward of this dimension when she received a cry for help from one of her brethren. Because it was the nature of the ants to always work together and help each other, she had rushed over with an army.

    But now, seeing her army fall one after another, she started to regret her decision. Trying to save one ant had cost them dozens.

    A part of the ant queen wanted to retreat, but she wanted to hurt the one who was most responsible for this. Thinking to this point, the Ant Queen finally made her move!

    With overwhelming murderous intent, she tried to shatter the dagger that had killed so many of her kind, but it suddenly disappeared. She looked around and saw it in Nox''s grasp.

    "That''s not a smart move, Ant Queen," Nox taunted as he twirled the dagger in his hand. When she tried to crush it, he ced it in his inventory and retrieved it again. He didn''t need to touch it; all he had to do was think about it.

    Over the past month, Nox meticulously practiced with the dagger and could now freely manipte it however he wanted.

    Nox wasn''t sure if his ears were ying tricks on him, but he heard the Ant Queen harrumph as she raised her hand and a red spear appeared in her grasp. She started spinning it with such force that a powerful wind current began to revolve around her.

    A momentter, the Scourge Ant Queen exploded forward, leaving a crater at the previous spot she stood.

    ''Such power!'' Nox thought as he summoned his shield in one hand and the dagger in another. "This power, I must have it! Initially, I wanted to kill you to farm experience points, but I''ve changed my mind¡­ I''ll make you my pet!" Nox dered, his eyes glowing.

    ***

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the  monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter1

    Castle = 6 Chapters

    Thanks to all those who support this novel!

 Chapter 51: Poisoned: HP Reducing At A Frigtening Rate!

    Nox''s dagger shed through the air as the Crimson Scourge Ant Queen closed in. Her spear shot forward in a red blur, aiming to impale his heart.

    It was a deadly move, one that would end him very quickly. The ant queen was so fast, almost as fast as Hendrix. He didn''t even see when she closed the gap between them. He had only attacked following his instincts, thus failing to block his chest.

    "Shit! I got too confident!" Nox cursed under his breath, gritting his teeth as he stepped to the side, trying to minimize the damage. The spear tip shed across his chest, spilling blood on the ground.

    [-5HP]

    [Ding! You have been poisoned]

    [For each second, you''ll lose 1 HP. To halt the HP reduction, acquire the antidote from the Ant Queen.]

    [-1HP]

    [-1HP]

    "What the fuck!" Nox''s eyes widened, but he didn''t have time to ponder his predicament as the spear shed through the air again.

    This time, Nox was prepared. He used his shield to parry the spear, a loud ng ringing out. Nox panted heavily as he locked gazes with the ant queen. They stared at each other before red text covered his vision.

    [-1HP]

    The text was a rude awakening, and they resumed their fight. Nox clenched the dagger in his hands. He needed to finish the fight fast.

    What happened when HP hit zero?

    It was death!

    Shing! Shing! Shing!

    Nox''s dagger split the air, shing toward the ant queen. He closed the gap with each sh and used the shield to bash her head when he was close enough.

    However, the ant queen was no pushover. She dodged, parried, and countered every attack Nox threw at her. Her spear shed toward him, giving him mere seconds to react. Her movements were fluid, almost serpentine, as she evaded all of Nox''s attacks.

    [-1HP]

    Coupled with his futile attempts and decreasing HP, Nox''s irritation was slowly building up, and he was getting more annoyed, which made his thought process convoluted.

    "I need to make her give me that antidote. If this continues, I''ll die here!" Nox thought as he thrust his dagger forward, aiming at her exposed chest. But she twisted her body, and his dagger stabbed the air with a low whoosh.

    ''Dammit!''

    The ant queen smiled triumphantly and thrust her spear at Nox''s exposed chest, aiming for the same spot as before. As the spear was about to reach its target, her expression distorted as his shield viciously bashed into her face.

    BANG!

    [-1HP]

    "Got you!"

    As she staggered back, Nox lunged forward, his dagger poised for a strike. In her momentarily stunned state, the de effortlessly wounded her chest, spilling her blood.

    "Did you think you were the only one with a poisoned weapon?" Nox taunted as he savagely bashed the head of the Ant Queen, disregarding that she was a girl. Nox was no gentleman. Regardless of gender, Nox believed in equality!

    He didn''t stop and continued ramming her skull, causing her spear to fly from her hand. Nox caught it and plunged the spear directly into her chest.

    [-20HP]

    [Critical Hit]

    Green blood sttered Nox''s face, but he didn''t mind and raised the spear. If he wanted to tame her, he had to weaken her considerably so she wouldn''t resist. However, as he was about to strike the final blow, something happened¡­

    She vanished!

    "Dammit!" Nox cursed as the spear lodged deep in the ground. But there was no message announcing an HP reduction or a painful moan.

    ''Fuck, she used the invisibility skill,'' Nox thought.

    Earlier, he used [Analyze] on the ant queen, hoping she wouldn''t use this skill.

    ''There is nothing more frustrating than fighting an invisible opponent.''

    Although hecked extensive battle experience, Nox instinctively knew this and kept his guard up, looking around.

    "She''s invisible, not indestructible. If only I could¡ª" Nox''s eyes shot open as a swarm of razor-sharp stingers shed towards him from thin air.

    The attack was so sudden that Nox clenched his teeth and braced himself for the pain.

    "Argh!" Nox felt blinding pain shoot through his body as the stingers stabbed him. As if that wasn''t enough, several red messages shed before his eyes.

    [-10HP]

    [-2HP]

    [-2HP]

    [HP: 10/40]

    Thirteen: [???]

    Fluffington: [Brat???!]

    The two beasts momentarily stopped in their tracks and looked at Nox, who was in pain. Although he didn''t scream loudly, they could feel the internal torture he was passing through at this moment.

    Thirteen''s eyes zed; he was about to run back and deal with the beast causing his papa this pain. Even Fluffington shared the same thought process.

    Sensing their intentions, Nox issued a stern telepathic warning: ''Keep fighting. If you want to help me, spare no ant!''

    [Fight, Fight, FIGHT!!] Thirteen repeated like a broken tape as he rushed into the horde, fighting tooth and nail. His eyes became so fierce and savage that the poor ants cursed whoever had created this war machine.

    Since fighting was the only way to help his father, Thirteen swore to eliminate every single ant.

    Fluffington hesitated, but slowly it also turned and joined the fight.

    Nox nodded and turned his gaze to the empty spot where the stingers hade from.

    "Since you want to be brutally beaten before I tame you, so be it!" Nox''s dark eyes glowed intensely.

    [Mimicry Activated!]

    [Target: Crimson Scourge Ant Queen - Sessfully copied Skill Improved Camouge!]

    [Improved Camouge: user can blend into her surroundings, bing ''nearly'' invisible for 30 seconds. Cost 20 MP to activate, plus -2 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 2 minutes]

    [10x upgrade detected new skill]

    [Upgrading Improved Camouge x10!]

    [Ding! You''ve Awakened Phantom Cloak!]

    [Phantom Cloak Description(Ultimate Skill): The user bes pletely" invisible for up to 5 minutes. While in this state, they gain +10 increase in Agility and can pass through solid objects; also gain the ability to turn any object invisible. MP Cost: 20 MP to activate, plus -5 MP per second Activated. Cooldown: 3 minutes]

    [Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to a pet?]

    ''I barely have ten seconds before my HP hits zero, let''s finish this real quick! Keep it!''

    Immediately after he said it, Nox turned invisible, stunning the ant queen as a cold shudder ran down her spine. In her stunned state, her camouge duration ended, and she became visible.

    Escape! Escape! The ant queen''s instincts screamed at her to escape. Having a simr skill, she knew how helpless her prey felt when she used it. Now that she was the prey, she didn''t want to suffer the same fate.

    Desperately, she started shooting a swarm of stingers from her lower abdomen in all directions, hoping to impale Nox, as even in an invisible state, he could still be hit.

    However, with his increased agility, Nox swiftly evaded all the stingers. Even the ones that managed to reach him were cut down by his trusty, invisible dagger.

    With a burst of speed, he closed in on the panicked ant queen and drove the red spear into her chest.

    [-40HP]

    [Critical Hit]

    SPLAT!

    Green blood sttered his face, some of it touching his lips. When this happened, he received a message that the poison had been neutralized, stopping his HP from decreasing.

    At that exact moment, even Fluffington and Thirteen finished dealing with the rest of the ants.

    [You have leveled up]

    [You have leveled up]

    [Mimicry capacity increased +2]

    [Taming capacity increased +2]

    "Hehehe, this is one of the most exciting parts of being a beast tamer. I can get EXP through my beasts. Even if I start beingzy, my beasts can always farm EXP for me." Nox smiled as he wiped the green blood off his face and looked at the ant queen. He then squatted and ced his hand on her.

    As he began taming the beast, something strange happened.

    ''Huh? Where is this? How did I even get here?'' Nox looked around with a lost expression.

 Chapter 52: Taming The Ant Queen

    The battle with the ant queen was the fiercest Nox had experienced since arriving in this world. While some might im his fight with the white-haired boy was more intense, Nox didn''t include that memory since he hadn''t managed tond a single blow. It was disgraceful!

    Therefore, Nox considered this his finest battle and felt proud of defeating a beast with superior stats and levels. His pride, however, quickly turned to confusion when he suddenly found himself in a grand throne room.

    At the far end of the throne room, an empty golden throne sat atop an elevated tform, with a red carpet stretching all the way to Nox''s feet.

    With a wave of his hand, his fanged dagger materialized in his grasp. He eyed the throne with cautiousness, his mind spinning as he tried to think of a possible way to get out of here. He felt so exposed, as if he had been kidnapped and blindfolded.

    "Is it the queen?" Nox wondered. She was his primary suspect; it couldn''t be anyone else.

    "After I stabbed her, what happened? Is this another of her skills? Did she have a skill like that?" Nox''s thoughts raced.

    Although he could see the information on monsters, Nox could only memorize powerful skills that would be difficult to deal with, as it was too mentally taxing to recall every ability during a battle.

    Still, Nox could swear he hadn''t seen a teleportation skill, which he would have been most cautious of.

    "Be at ease, this is my subconscious," a voice echoed. Nox''s head snapped forward to see the ant queen seated on the throne.

    The same ant queen he had driven the spear into. However, there was no cavity on her chest, blood, or trace of any fighting. She was in the exact state before the fighting had started.

    Just as Nox was having internal crises on how to fight the ant queen all over again, the ant queen spoke in a loud tone.

    "Like I said, this is my subconscious, so everything you''re seeing is not real. I''m still very weak and have only some minutes left to live before I pass away to join the past queens."

    ''I wonder how I''ll face them after failing my duty to guide the colony. I just hope this human agrees to my proposal,'' the ant queen thought.

    "That''s a relief," Nox said, his muscles rxing a little, but he still kept his dagger beside him in case the ant queen made any sudden move.

    He held the queen''s gaze and asked the most important question: "Why am I here?"

    "Because I want to have a talk with you," the queen said with a serious expression. An oppressive silence descended on the great hall for some time before she continued.

    "You could have finished me in one attack. Why did you try to turn me into your ve? I thought you humans could grow stronger by killing our kind after all."

    Nox shrugged. "Because it has something to do with my ss, I guess." Seeing no reason to hide anything, he decided toe clean.

    "You saw the cat and panda helping me back there? They''re my pets; it''s the reason I could swiftly take out your army."

    "If I had to guess, you wanted to make me your pet as well?" The queen''s smile was bitter. "Was that the reason for that strange feeling I felt when you ced your hand on me? If you had seeded, I would''ve been bound to follow all yourmands? From any angle, it feels like very."

    "Indeed, you''re right. But if you had noticed the interaction with Fluffington and Thirteen, you could tell we love each other just like friends would."

    "Just like friends?" the queen repeated. Her mind shed back to the intense murderous intent she had felt from the panda and cat while torturing Nox.

    ''Those killing intents came from the panda and cat. If they were in a master-ve rtionship, that wouldn''t be possible. This human might be telling the truth,'' she reasoned.

    "If you agree to be my ally, I won''t do anything immoral to you. I will only enhance your power so you can aid me in battle."

    "Very well then, I believe you, but I have a condition," the queen stated. "As you might have noticed, I''m the queen of my colony and there are over five hundred of us, including the children. Our colony has existed for a long time with over 9 recorded past queens.

    "We have history and heritage that we would like to continue to preserve. Then there is also my people. I''m afraid if I leave them now they''ll wander into the world and get themselves killed, causing our entire colony to perish."

    "So what are you suggesting?" Nox asked, already having an idea where this conversation was heading.

    "If you want to make me your ally, then you''ll have to agree to my condition. If not, I''ll go with option two, which is killing myself because it''s better than staying alive and watching my brethren perish slowly," the queen said seriously, holding Nox''s gaze.

    "Why is this so difficult? Taming the others was easy, so why...?" Nox felt a splitting headache as he looked at the majestic ant queen. He took a moment to weigh the pros and cons and realized the offer wasn''t too bad.

    ''The ant colony could be my personal army in the future. No matter how I look at it, I''m the one benefiting most,'' Nox thought, and he readily agreed to the queen''s demands.

    The human had promised her increased strength? She would use that strength to advance the colony, pushing them to heights even the past queens hadn''t reached.

    The ant queen had grand dreams. This was a sacrifice for the greater good. If it meant her colony would prosper, she didn''t mind bing the beast tamer''s pet. After all, the second queen had the most prosperous reign because she, too, had been a beast tamer''s pet.

    ''History is repeating itself.'' The ant queen smiled, and Nox instantly found himself in the real world again. Quickly, he ced his hand on the queen and cast the skill [Tame] again.

    Following a burst of brilliant light, the mark of Infinity appeared. The ant queen rose to her feet and bowed to Nox, pledging her loyalty to her liege.

    ...

    Ant Scourge Queen

    "Master of the hive, with razor-sharp mandibles and wings that blur as she darts through the shadows. Her sting can paralyze even the hardiest of foes."

    Rating: Intermediate Tier Level 9

    Progress: 0/100%

    MP: 440/4840

    HP: 220/220

    Stam: (100%/100%)

    Stre: 60

    Agil: 50

    Intel: 40

    Special Skills:

    Improved Camouge, Stinger Swarm, Venomous Sting, Hive Nexus, Chitin Armor, Pheromone Maniption

    Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Hive Empress

    Requirements: Reach Emperor Tier, obtain the Crown of the Ant Monarchs, and perform a ritual in the Royal Chamber of Ants.

    Hive Empress: Enhanced strength, agility, and intelligence. Ability to control vast armies of ants, coordinating them with tactical precision. Venomous sting evolves to induce hallucinations and madness in victims.

    Pheromone maniption bes Hive Mind control, enabling the ant queen to temporarily take control of the minds of lesser creatures, turning them into temporary allies or causing them to turn against their own kind.

    (AN: I''ll exin the skills whenever the ant queen wants to use them)

    ¨C¨C¨C¨C

    "Interesting," a voice said from the top floor of Blight Castle. The owner of the voice had watched the fight from beginning to end. "So the legendary Hound can turn beasts into his ves," the voice continued in amazement and reverence. "No wonder he''s the leader of the False Hope Church."

 Chapter 53: Rumors About The Higher Demon

    After taming the Ant Scourge Queen, Nox ordered Fluffington and Thirteen to harvest the beast cores. He warned them not to eat the cores, as they needed to submit them as proof of participation in thepetition.

    Thirteen bobbed its head seriously. Even Fluffington understood; knowing they were far from home in unfamiliar territory, he decided to stop being haughty and listen to Nox''s orders.

    ''This is new,'' Nox thought as he watched Fluffington and Thirteen start retrieving the cores from the ant carcasses. Then his face contorted in difort as he watched the brutal methods his two pets used to retrieve the cores.

    He instinctively nced at the Ant Queen standing beside him. She seemed stoic and unaffected by the sight of the beasts digging their ws into the ants to retrieve the cores.

    "I hope you don''t mind," Nox said with a bitter smile.

    The Ant Queen merely nodded her head. She didn''t mind because the ants were already dead; she preferred her master extracting their cores over the other demons that hunted in this dimension.

    Her only wish was that he wouldn''t hunt the members of her colony, to which Nox readily agreed.

    As Fluffington and Thirteen brought back all the beast cores they''d extracted from the ant carcasses, Nox frowned.

    There were too few beast cores! Despite there being over a hundred ant carcasses, only 50 cores were recovered. He looked at his two pets.

    The two beasts whistled and looked away suspiciously.

    ''Hmmm,'' Nox narrowed his eyes as a message glimmered before him.

    [Mister Fluffington - Progress: 99/100%]

    [Thirteen - Progress: 99/100%]

    "You little scoundrels! You absorbed the beast cores!" Nox eximed.

    Unbeknownst to Nox, during the fight with the ants, both Fluffington and Thirteen had absorbed their fair share of beast cores, significantly increasing their progression.

    ''I wonder if they''ll also receive an increase in stats when they level up like me,'' Nox mused.

    [Panda, eat?] Thirteen picked up a beast core and brought it close to his mouth. He sensed that absorbing just one more beast core would propel him to Level 2.

    Thirteen didn''t want to pass up this opportunity to get stronger. Only with strength could he aid his papa in battle!

    "Go ahead, even you, Fluffington," Nox said. He didn''t mind giving away a few more beast cores to his pets. Besides, it was for a good purpose.

    Immediately, the two beasts threw the shiny beast cores into their mouths. Although beast cores were hard with polished, gleaming surfaces, the beasts chewed and swallowed them with ease.

    With how hard the beast cores'' surfaces were, Nox doubted he could even bite them without his teeth falling off.

    ''If humans were to consume them too, what would happen? Since the beasts could evolve and get stronger by absorbing these cores, shouldn''t it be simr for humans as well?''

    Suddenly, Nox was jolted out of his thoughts as he saw a brilliant white light emitting from Thirteen and Fluffington.

    Under the glow of the light, Nox watched as Thirteen and Fluffington grew slightly bigger than their original sizes. Previously, Thirteen stood at 3 feet, but now he was 4''1".

    Meanwhile, Fluffington, on the other hand, stood at 5''3" from his previous 5 feet. Just one level up and his height had increased by three inches! With the increase in height, Fluffington appeared more domineering and could act as a better mount.

    Their physical bodies were not the only things that went through changes, however.

    [Mister Fluffington Whiskarious has leveled up!]

    [All attributes Strength, Stamina, and Agility +2!]

    [Your HP and MP capacity has increased.]

    [New skill: Awaken - Humanoid!]

    [Skill Description: When activated, Fluffington can stand on his feet like any human for 2 minutes before reverting back to his normal self.]

    [Thirteen has leveled up!]

    [All attributes Strength, Stamina, and Agility +2!]

    [Your HP and MP capacity has increased.]

    [New skill: Martial Awareness.]

    [Martial Awareness (passive): 30% chance of learning any martial art.]

    [Strong! Panda strong!] Thirteen eximed, balling his fists. He felt the surge of strength running through his body, making him restless and eager to find enemies.

    Fight! He needed to fight someone or something to relieve this feeling, or he might go mad. At that moment, his eyes fell on Fluffington, who was also feeling the surge of strength.

    But unlike Thirteen, the elegant cat maintained hisposure, even though he was very tempted to test out his new skill [Humanoid] right away.

    Thirteen and Fluffington''s gazes met, sharing an unspoken agreement. They walked to the center of a clearing, creating a tense atmosphere.

    ''This... Is Thirteen a battle maniac?'' Nox didn''t know whether tough or cry as he watched Fluffington and Thirteen get ready to fight each other.

    Through his connection, he had felt Thirteen''s strong urge to fight earlier. It was so intense that the panda could lose his mind if the urge wasn''t satiated, which was rming.

    ''Is it because of the sudden boost in strength?'' Nox hoped it was thetter and not an inherent trait.

    For the next thirty minutes, Thirteen and Fluffington went all out! ws flew through the air as the two creatures fought tooth and nail. In the end, however, Thirteen was still brutally beaten down by Fluffington.

    With his new Humanoid skill, the haughty cat became even more arrogant. After all, even if only for a limited time, he could now stand like a human.

    Nox''s face twitched as he saw the humanoid white cat strutting around with a smug expression, just like a human. Standing at over 5''3", Fluffington now appeared quite imposing. Although Nox was taller, it felt strange to see the once-crawling cat now walking upright.

    The Ant Queen watched this sight for a while and concluded that the dynamic between Nox and his pets wasn''t bad. From this short observation, she could tell Nox didn''t mistreat his pets and actually had a good rtionship with them.

    Soon after, Nox summoned all his pets back into the taming space and ventured deeper into the dimension to hunt more creatures.

    Meanwhile, in the Blight Castle, rumors circted about the appearance of a higher demon. Given that higher demons were rare and usually resided in the upper sectors of the Demonic Empire, this news was a hot topic among the lower demons.

    Many female demons were fascinated by the higher demon, praising his looks and hoping to catch his attention. Given the diverse sizes and shapes of demons, they never thought that he was a five-year-old human kid.

    At this moment, in a room near the top floor of Blight Castle, a human-like demon with four arms and pointy horns stared intensely at a group of demons.

    It was none other than Snakey, Gorgath, Viper, and Jogo¡ªthe same group of demons Nox had first encountered when he entered this dimension.

    "I heard you guys were the first to spot the higher demon. Is that true?" the four-armed demon asked, lounging on a seat with two green subus-type demons on hisp.

    "Y-yes," Snakey stuttered, casting a fearful gaze at therge demon ranked No. 2 in the legacy ranking. His name was Goliath, and he was a strong contender for the position of lord in Blight Castle.

    Snakey and her group were just peacefully hunting beasts when they were summoned by this formidable figure. Knowing they couldn''t afford to refuse his invitation, they rushed over in a heartbeat, fearing the wrath of Goliath, who was known for his short temper.

    But the question that loomed above their heads was: Why was Goliath, the rank two demon, looking for the higher demon?

    ***

    Thanks to all those who vote for this book with their Golden tickets!

 Chapter 54: Stalkers In The Dark

    After hunting for a few more hours, Nox was able to increase his experience points significantly.

    Of course, this was all due to the shared experience feature between him and his pets. Besides, Nox wasn''t the only one who made progress; even Fluffington, Thirteen, and the Ant Queen increased their progression a little, so it was a win-win situation for everyone.

    Currently, they were taking a break to refill their depleted mana and stamina beneath a withered tree, its long branches casting a shadow over them.

    The only ones basking under the tree were Nox, Fluffington, and the Ant Queen. As for Thirteen, the panda was off chasing giant bunnies hiding in the bushes.

    "Pandas don''t eat meat, so why is he chasing that bunny?" Nox couldn''t help but mutter to himself. "Is it a form of training?"

    Nox didn''t dispel this thought since it was within the realm of possibilities. Since Thirteen discovered that he could increase his attributes by exerting himself, the panda could often be seen doing different training drills.

    Nox was a bit worried, thinking the panda was overworking himself, and had tried talking to him several times, but it seemed to have no effect. The panda was as hardworking as ever, a trait he had subconsciously inherited because of his ancestry with the great Rufus Bamboozeus.

    As he thought about Thirteen, Nox''s gazended on Fluffington, who was sleeping under the shade, and his face twitched. If only Fluffington could be as hardworking as Thirteen, his stats would have increased significantly, and he would have been more helpful.

    Sometimeter, Thirteen returned while holding two bunnies in each of his hands and handed them to Nox.

    "Why are you giving me these?" Nox asked as he took the bunnies, unsure of what he would do with them.

    [Pa, hungry?] Thirteen said and rubbed Nox''s stomach. Nox was at first confused before he realized what the panda was doing.

    "Thank you. I also have something for you." Nox felt it was only appropriate to give Thirteen something for being so considerate, so he pulled out a couple of bamboo shoots and handed them to the panda.

    Before activating the dimensional key, Nox had made sure to stock his inventory with bamboo shoots and lots of milk because he didn''t want his pets to fight on empty stomachs.

    The panda excitedly took the bamboo shoots, and a loud crunch echoed through the forest as he started munching on them as if they were the most delicious thing in the world.

    ''If I were to eat that, it would certainly be nd. I wonder how Thirteen can eat it with such a pleasant expression¡­''

    Nox then stared at the Ant Queen, who was standing a bit further away from him. This was because he had ordered her to keep guard and inform him in case she spotted anyone.

    The Ant Queen, who was mostly mute, merely nodded her head and did asmanded. Nox had delegated this assignment to her because of her rtively high perception, which he had learned about during the fight.

    Thinking about this, Nox contemted, ''I wonder what foods ants like to eat¡­ I should take notes on all their likes and preferences.''

    Minutes merged into hours, and darkness covered the dimensional sky. Nox set up a bonfire and started to roast the bunnies Thirteen had caught.

    The blue mes reflected in his dark eyes as he stirred the bunnies on the fire. Their oily flesh turned golden brown with some bits exposed. Because he had added some expensive spices he had gotten from the Barony, the scent was mouthwatering, practically filling the air.

    *Rumble~*

    Thirteen looked at the meat with a smitten gaze. Although he was vegetarian, he was really tempted to change preferences now.

    Fluffington also had a simr expression on his face as he eagerly watched the oily meat. After eating this meat with a bowl of milk, the fat cat was certain it would not go hungry for days.

    ''After hunting a little more, I better return to the Barony before everyone notices my absence. However, I first need to resolve issues with the ant colony.''

    What were the chances of Nox returning to this dimension if he left? It was 1/9, as he would be sent to a random location every time he activated the Dimensional Key. Therefore, Nox wanted to meet up with the rest of the ant colony and see if the Ant Queen could still rule them from far away.

    ''I''m very sure she could aid them from time to time whenever they use that "call allies" skill¡­ Hmm, finally it''s done.'' Nox smiled when he saw that the bunnies were well-cooked and ready to be devoured.

    However, just before he could dig in and start eating, he felt several demonic presences all around him. Instinctively, the dagger appeared in his hand, and even the Ant Queen noticed and summoned her red spear.

    Thirteen and Fluffington were also alerted, jumping to their feet.

    "Come outside! I already sensed your weak aura from miles away." Nox spoke in an intimidating tone, hoping to scare off the demons with his status as a higher demon. People around here were very scared of higher demons; Nox hoped whoever it was would be intimidated, just like the rest, if not, he had no choice but to resort to fighting.

    Just then, he watched as three figures came out from all directions. Because it was dark, Nox wasn''t able to see them clearly, which made him heighten his guard, as he was very close to the fire while the enemies were in the dark.

    While he was contemting using invisibility skills, he finally got a clearer look at his stalkers when they came closer to the firece.

    "What are you people doing here?" Nox said in a chilling voice as he looked at the three demons he had first encountered in this dimension.

    "Have you been following me all this time?"

    "We mean no harm!" Snakey hurriedly raised her hand when she felt Nox''s hostile re. "We need your help!"

    ***

    Thanks to all those who supports this novel, I actually take note of all of you

 Chapter 55: Rescue Mission

    "You need my help?" Nox asked with a puzzled expression. After all, the demons were all high-level Awakened, much stronger than him, and should be capable of handling any problem on their own.

    How could he, who was clearly weaker than them, help them with their problem?

    ''Is this a setup? Or is it because of my fake identity?'' Nox wondered. But now that he thought about it, why would this group of low-level demons set him up? It didn''t make sense. He was at level 100, thanks to the mask, and in this world''s power scale, a level 100 Awakened could easily handle hundreds of lower-level Awakened.

    ''Four certainly wouldn''t pose a threat. Wait, four? Weren''t there supposed to be four? Why are there only three?'' Nox narrowed his eyes, noticing that the rocky ball demon named Gorgart was missing from the group.

    The only people he could see were Jogo, Viper, and Snakey.

    "I know you must''ve noticed. The reason we''re asking for your help is because our party member Gorgath is in danger," Snakey said nervously, ying with her long fingers. She then jabbed the others with her elbow, prompting them to speak.

    Nox, while eating his cooked bunny, listened to their story for a while before asking, "Why should I help you? What can a bunch of low-level demons offer me? From what you''re asking of me, it seems I''ll be risking my life. I''m not a saint."

    "Senior, if you help us with this, we promise to give you all of our beast cores," Viper spoke this time.

    Nox fell into deep thought. When he first arrived in this world, he didn''t know the value of the shiny blue crystals called beast cores. But now, he understood their importance: they could be used to increase his pets'' progress and could be sold for gold coins.

    Not only that, if he could get all their beast cores, he could climb higher in the Legacy Demon ranking. But Nox didn''t want to participate in this ranking, even if it would be beneficial to him. The top ranker had over a million points; one beast core was equivalent to one point.

    Which meant that the top ranker had over a million beast cores.

    ''Except I want to spend years here, there would be no way I''ll reach that amount.''

    Despite the enticing rewards, Nox had to be realistic. He decided to stick with his initial n: level up, gather as many beast cores as possible, and then return. Attracting too much attention would only bring trouble.

    "Okay, I''ve decided." Nox stood up and dusted himself off. "I''ll help you with this rescue mission, but I want the payment upfront."

    "Yes, of course!"

    Quickly, they all brought out beast cores from their inventory, pouring them before Nox. From Nox''s perspective, those beast cores were over 200.

    The army of ants was just over a hundred, and it had managed to aid both Fluffington and Thirteen to level up... With this amount of beast cores, Nox was certain that one or two could level up again.

    Reining in his thoughts, Nox ced all the beast cores into his inventory. With this many beast cores, Nox wanted to activate the Dimensional Key and run away, but because he had morals and still had some things to do in this dimension, like sorting out the ant colony matters, he didn''t dwell on these thoughts too much and ordered the three demons to take him to the ce.

    While Nox was looking away, Snakey and the other demons subconsciously sighed in relief and exchanged looks before nodding at each other.

    They thought nobody had seen their actions, but the white cat had noticed everything. Despite hisziness and love for sleep, Fluffington was the most attentive to his surroundings.

    He narrowed his eyes on the two demons, and a suspicious glint momentarily passed through his eyes.

    [Be careful with the demons, Brat,] hemunicated to Nox telepathically.

    ''Of course. I''d be a fool to trust my life with demons,'' Nox replied. ''They''re demons, after all. Why do you think I''m walking in front of them and have you and Thirteen walking behind them? If they act suspiciously, we''ll deal with them.''

    [Hahaha, it seems my brilliance is rubbing off on you, little by little,] Fluffingtonmented like a good teacher who was proud of his students.

    ''You wish, hmph!'' Nox sneered back.

    Thirteen could also listen in on the conversation, but he didn''t really understand what they were saying, so he could only move his gaze between his father and his brother... from another mother.

    Meanwhile, the Ant Scourge Queen remained quiet, her gaze fixed on Snakey''s back. After hearing Fluffington''s warning, she gripped her red spear tightly, ready to thrust it into the snake humanoid''s head at the first sign of suspicious behavior.

    Snakey sensed danger behind her. She turned around, and her gaze met the Ant Queen''s beautiful but intimidating pair. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she asked the question all the three demons had been thinking all this while.

    "The panda, the cat, and the Ant Queen? Aren''t they magical beasts? Why aren''t they attacking us?"

    "I''m not obliged to answer that question. All you need to know is that they won''t attack you unless you do something suspicious."

    Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

    The three gulped collectively. They felt the higher demon was even more mysterious. Not only was he a level 100 Awakened, but also had beasts who were natural enemies of intelligent beings as his subordinates.

    They subconsciously hoped they were doing the right thing by bringing him to this ce. If things go wrong, they might as well sign their death warrant.

    ''How did we even get caught in this mess?'' Snakey thought. ''What''s worse, we couldn''t even pick any side as both of them are all level 100.''

    ***

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

    Also thanks to all those who have been reading and supporting this book!

 Chapter 56: Then We Die

    "Is this the ce?"

    Soon, Nox, Viper, Snakey, and Jogo arrived at the foot of a mountain that stood over 100 meters tall.

    The mountain was one of thergestndmarks in this dimension and could be seen from anywhere as long as one stood and nced upward. In front of this mountain, a dark tunnel that appeared to have been dug by miners stretched inward.

    Why was Nox here? Because Gorgart was apparently stuck inside this cave, which happened to be a ruin of a past civilization that once inhabited this dimension. Snakey and her group had attempted to explore the ruins because such ces were usually filled with lots of treasures.

    There were even rumors that the current lord of Blight Castle had once explored a ruin and found thousands of Beast Cores inside, propelling him to first ce in the legacy Demon rankings.

    Hoping to achieve something simr, Snakey and her group tried exploring the ruins. In the process, they ran into a high-level magical beast. In their rush to escape, they left Gorgart inside along with the terrifying beast.

    But somehow, they knew he was still alive because his name was still on the ranking board; if it disappeared, that meant he was gone. So they asked for the help of a higher Demon to conquer this ruin and save their friend.

    Of course, Nox had only epted this offer because he had a way to deal with the beast. This wasn''t arrogance or anything; it was just confidence.

    "How far does this tunnel go?" Standing in front of the tunnel, Nox asked aloud, his gaze on the small body of water beside the entrance to the cave.

    As he stared at the water, Nox couldn''t help but notice something strange about it¡ªthe color was blood-red. Due to his terrible experiences with caves, Nox turned to the demons for answers.

    A bloody body of water just outside the cavern was far from a good sign; instead, it was a warning for him not to proceed, which meant that he would have to return the over 200 Beast Cores that would help cultivate his pets to be stronger monsters.

    ''I could just be overreacting, and a Level 100 Demon shouldn''t be afraid of mere red water; it could just be dirty water for all I know,'' Nox thought, but then he heard a voice in his head.

    [Sniff sniff, It''s blood] Fluffington, who had sniffed the body of water, reported its finding. Because of beasts'' enhanced senses, they could differentiate between contaminated and bloody water, hence Nox didn''t doubt Fluffington''s words.

    "Where did the bloode from?" Nox felt it was better to be safe than sorry before mindlessly heading into the unknown.

    "It''s the territorial marking of the guardian beast of this ruin," Snakey exined. "The guardian beast is the protector of this ruin; they have a habit of marking their domain with blood to warn trespassers from entering inside."

    "The guardian beast¡ªwhat level was it again?" Nox inquired; it was only appropriate for him to know the level of the beast he was up against so he could proceed with his n or make adjustments.

    "King Tier," Snakey replied, flicking a bit of sweat from her forehead.

    "With my enhanced invisibility, I should be able to get past its senses." This was Nox''s foolproof n. With [Phantom Cloak], he and the Ant Scourge Queen would deal with the King Tier beast in their invisible state, while Fluffington and Thirteen would provide support.

    For Nox, being invisible meant more than just being able to perform sneak attacks; it also meant he could hide his not-so-refined fighting style from the demons.

    Although he had improved through training with Master Eve, his fighting skills were not worthy of a Level 100 status, and any amateur could quickly spot it.

    ''But with the invisibility skill, they''ll not see a thing!''

    ---

    Later on, Nox and the demons ventured into the dark tunnel. Nox had summoned his trusted daggers and paid strict attention to his surroundings. He had also given his pets mentalmands to do the same.

    Since they were about to face a King Tier beast, they needed to be cautious. Without the Phantom Cloak, not even Nox would have been this confident.

    Everyone was tense¡ªthe demons, the Ant Scourge Queen, even the arrogant Fluffington. He knew very well what a King Tier monster signified; it was the same as Doombringer, that annoying Wyvern back at the Barony!

    Although he possessed the Fear-Inducing Skill [Mornach Aura], anytime the cat got close to the half-dragon, it got petrified.

    So why wouldn''t it be anxious when they were going to face a creature of simr rank?

    Perhaps the only level-headed creature was Thirteen, who was currently walking with a hop in its step to catch up with Nox''s brisk pace.

    Thirteen: [Fight! Panda fight!]

    When will we fight?! When will the monsters show up?! Thirteen had an eager expression on its face as it asked.

    Ever since Thirteen heard they were going off to fight beasts, he had been very excited. The panda didn''t feel contented with the fight with Fluffington because it was never a life or death situation.

    The fight could be said to have been controlled to a certain extent, which was true, as Fluffington never went all out.

    "Soon," was the only thing Nox could tell the panda cub. He gently patted Thirteen''s head to calm it down.

    Heavens, this panda''s blood was too hot!

    ''Don''t tell me its lust for battle would increase with each evolution?'' Nox thought, because it wasn''t like this in the past.

    However, ever since the panda leveled up, it had be much more restless than usual.

    Their feet soon carried them to a pair of tunnels that were diagonally cut into the walls, adjacent to each other.

    "From this tunnel, beasts would start appearing," Snakey spoke up. "The left one leads to the gatekeeper''s room, while the right one is where Gorgart is stuck. We''ll take the right to try to rescue Gorgart while you face the guardian, stopping it froming to the aid of its minions."

    Nodding his head, Nox and his pets took the left tunnel. Immediately upon entering, they encountered a massive, overgrown humanoid rodent in their path.

    "Thirteen, you''re up!"

    [Yay!] The panda eximed, curled itself into a ball, and charged forward at the rodent.

    Meanwhile, outside:

    Instead of heading into the left tunnel, the group of demons was actually heading outside.

    "We must escape from this dimension," Viper stated. "If that higher demon finds out we deceived him, he''s going toe for us. Don''t forget, demons can hold grudges for a long time."

    Snakey fell quiet; if she had had a choice, she wouldn''t have tricked the higher demon intoing to this dimension, but she had no choice.

    Goliath was the kind that wouldn''t take no for an answer. If she''d dyed any longer, she and her entire party would have been killed on sight, and Goliath wouldn''t be far behind. Here in the Demon Empire, life was very rough.

    "Let''s not be hasty. As soon as we get news about who the winner is, we''ll make our decision."

    "If we had not made a decision, then we would have been dead."

    Thirteen crashed into the rodent. Due to its body being like iron when using its skill, all the bones in the poor rat were shattered, and all it took was a p to end it.

    The Ant Scourge Queen''s spear shed in the air as it impaled another giant rodent that had tried to execute a sneak attack on Nox.

    Then there was Fluffington, in its humanoid form, the fat cat fought more efficiently with its ws.

    "It''s a gamble. We just have to hope Goliath deals with the higher demon. That way, we could still stay alive," Snakey said to the others as they arrived outside where Gorgart, the rock-ball-like creature, was waiting for them.

    "What if he kills Goliath instead?" Viper nervously asked.

    At the same time, Nox finished dealing with all the creatures in the tunnel and arrived at a double door. He could feel a powerful aura emanating from within those doors. He nodded at the Ant Scourge Queen, and they headed inside.

    Meanwhile, Snakey stared at Viper. "Then we die."

    ****

    Thanks to all those who vote for this book

 Chapter 57: Submitted To A Demon

    Nox had yed his fair share of games in his previous life, and whenever he saw these double doors, he knew he was about to face the final boss. The intimidating aura emanating from the room solidified this thought even more.

    ''Immediately you enter, use your invisibility skill,'' Nox telepathicallymunicated to the ant queen beside him.

    Then, with a head nod, Nox pushed the door open and stepped inside the room, while Fluffington and Thirteen remained inside the taming space for the time being. Nox was nning to call them in when the appropriate time arrived.

    Immediately, both he and the ant queen activated their respective skills, turning invisible.

    The room they''d stepped into had blue marble tiles with simr-colored pirs that stretched skyward. In the middle of this vast room, which seemed to have been built by intelligent beings centuries ago, Nox found a massive mantis over 2 ftying motionless on the ground.

    The mantis''s carapace was blue, simr to the ground and pirs, which made Nox wonder if it was a coincidence or if these decorations had been influenced by the mantis. He couldn''t really tell, but he strongly suspected the former.

    Since this dimension was once inhabited by civilized species, they might have been the ones to build this ce to store all their treasures. The mantis must have wandered in and imed the ce as its territory.

    ''It seems to be sleeping. If I can just finish it in one hit,'' Nox thought as he activated the [Analyze] skill.

    Nox read through all the information carefully because he needed to know all the skills of the beast to formte a n to counter it. Some might argue that he could finish the fight swiftly as it was napping, but the fanged dagger was just a basic-rank equipment; how could it possibly end a King Tier monster in one hit?

    ''Hmmm, everything seems normal¡­ wait.'' A particr section of the monster''s status had caught Nox''s attention. ''Why is the HP zero?''

    If the HP was very low, Nox would have been excited as he wouldn''t need to exert himself too much to kill it, but seeing that the creature was already dead, he became restless instead!

    ''I need to get out of here!'' Nox''s hair stood on end and cold shivers ran through his spine. Why wouldn''t he be scared? Whatever it was that could kill the furious-looking mantis was not to be trifled with. Did he misunderstand the mantis for the guardian beast? Could it be that there was a stronger demon residing in this ce?

    ''But¡­ Snakey said it was King Tier and this is King Tier¡­ except,'' Nox''s eyes narrowed. ''They lied to me?''

    But how? Weren''t they scared of higher demons?

    He needed to escape! Nox was about to call the ant queen into the beast taming space and flee this ce. However, a loud whooshing sound resonated from above!

    Nox didn''t raise his head to look because he was obviously running to the door to save his butt, but he made out the figure of a shadowy figure descending from the ceiling of this room.

    A momentter, a thunderous thud sounded with a gust of breeze that rushed forward in all directions. The figure perfectlynded on the body of the deceased mantis, caving a deep impression into its hard carapace.

    The impact of the figure''snding sent a surge of fierce wind spreading outward in all directions, cutting the blue pirs in half. Several bangs went off as the pirs copsed one after the other.

    Since the [Phantom Cloak] was still activated, Nox didn''t care about the falling pirs as they just passed through him as if he was incorporeal, but the same couldn''t be said for the ant queen.

    She could still get hit!

    Luckily, she was wise and tried to evade the falling pirs.

    Inside the taming space...

    Thirteen and Fluffington were alerted by the sounds and they became restless. Because of their connection, they could feel Nox was in danger yet they couldn''te outside as he had strictly told them to remain inside.

    Outside the ruin...

    Snakey and her group were heading back to the Blight Castle when they heard an ear-splitting noise from behind.

    Snakey halted and looked behind, then looked at her group. "Let us hurry!"

    Previously they were walking, but after themand from their leader, the group of four were about to run when they saw someoneing their way with calm, leisurely steps.

    They immediately stopped in their tracks, watching the man that was walking as if the entire forest belonged to him. Unlike the hideous demon, this man looked just like any other human.

    With blue waist-length hair and a pair of different colored eyes, one blue while the other red, the man was a work of art that might even cause straight men to doubt their sexual preference.

    However, Snakey and the group weren''t smitten by this man''s otherworldly look; instead, they became scared, holding their breath. The aura this man gave off was even more oppressive than the higher demon and Goliathbined.

    This was because¡­this man was the lord of the Blight Castle!

    But why was he here? Why was heing in this direction?

    Finally, the rain of pirs came to a stop. Unfortunately, at the same time, Nox''s Phantom Cloak duration came to an end. The same for the ant queen and they became visible, visible for the figure that had descended from the lightless ceiling of this chamber to see them clearly.

    "For a moment, I thought you wouldn''t show up." The figure, a hulking four-armed human standing over 2 meters,mented as he jumped down from the dead mantis andnded on the ground. "I got so bored that I had to take down this mantis waiting for you."

    [Goliath¡ªLv 101]

    "I was right, those bastards tricked me¡­" Nox realized. ''It was never to hunt a King Tier, they simply submitted me to this demon¡­''

    As the realization dawned on him, Nox wasn''t consumed with anger because he knew the untrustworthy nature of demons. Instead, he tried to think of a way to escape this ce because there was no way he could fight a level hundred demon while being level 5. It was too unrealistic!

    "But it was not wasted effort though." The four-armed man continued and clenched all four arms, feeling the surge of power through his veins. After killing the mantis, he had leveled up, and the increase in stats had boosted his overall strength.

    Now he was one level ahead of the higher demon. It was just what he needed before their sh.

 Chapter 58: Goliath

    "When I heard the rumors of a level 100 Higher Demon wandering in a low-level Dimensional, I knew it was my big break," dered Goliath, a towering figure with eyes zing like hot coals. Two pairs of gleaming silver swords, each over two meters in length, materialized in his grasp.

    Then he brandished both swords together, sending a surge of invisible shockwaves outward.

    ''Warrior type Awakened,'' Nox noted, the shockwave pushing him back slightly. However, Nox felt his back bump into an invisible wall. He touched the air and indeed it seemed the demon had set up an invisible barrier.

    But when?

    "There''s a reason I specifically ordered those demons to bring you here," Goliath pointed his sword at Nox. "I don''t want to share my treasures with anyone else, not even with the one who lives on the top floor of the Blight Castle. Everything will be mine!"

    A puzzled expression appeared on Nox''s face. What treasures was this moron speaking about? Except for the shield, dagger, and the beast cores in his inventory, there were no treasures on him. Even if this demon were to turn him upside down and shake him, there was nothing on him that could interest a level 100 Awakened.

    ''There seems to be a big misunderstanding,'' Nox thought. The reason he was even standing here was because of the barrier that had been set up by Goliath.

    As long as the barrier was up, nothing and no one could escape. Goliath hade prepared; he was determined to eliminate the Higher Demon and take all the treasures with him, then he would devour him. The demons had long discovered that they could gain extra experience points when they devoured lower demons.

    This ability seemed exclusive to their race. Demon society was based on the survival of the fittest, so theizens didn''t frown upon this cannibalistic practice. Besides, demons were known to do things far worse.

    Ever since he learned about the Higher Demon, Goliath had been nning to capture and kill him. When an Awakened died, all their treasures in the inventory would drop as loot.

    Goliath licked his lips when he thought about the loot. For a Higher Demon, he would certainly have thousands of beast cores and magic items. He could even acquire several levels by devouring the Higher Demon.

    ''Then¡­ then I can finally face that man and be the lord of the Blight Castle!'' Goliath had his priorities straight.

    In truth, the top ten demons also had the same n to gang up on the Higher Demon to devour him, but Goliath was a step faster than them. Inside this ruin, no one would interrupt his fight!

    By now even Nox had noticed the demon''s intention, and he couldn''t help but curse himself inwardly. It seemed setting the level at 100 had brought more harm than good.

    ''Sigh, why do I have bad luck? Why can''t I just peacefully increase my strength and go back to the real world?'' Nox thought.

    They said when two hands work together, they could be sessful, but this demon had four arms to boot. Without a doubt, he would be sessful in getting rid of Nox.

    Still, Nox couldn''t help but feel an itch to test himself against a level 100 opponent, wondering how far he could go. This was the first level 100 he had encountered. He suspected that Eve could be at a simr level, but when he tried to view her information, nothing came up, as if he were being blocked.

    The same for his grandfather, his mother, Uncle Elvin, Serena''s father Gordon, Aunt Celine, and even Hans.

    ''If I see it''s too difficult, I''ll just return back,'' Nox thought as he brought out his dagger. Compared to the two-meter dual swords, the dagger was too inferior.

    But from his master Eve, Nox had learned that the size of a weapon didn''t really matter. What really mattered was the way the wielder utilized the sword.

    Seeing that Nox was ready, Goliath made his move. "Let''s not dy any longer. Show me your might!"

    Shing!

    Thud!

    Nox''s eyes shot wide open. He stared at his hand with an inexplicable expression; he couldn''t believe what he was seeing.

    "H-how¡­ how?"

    Right before him, he could see his arm lying on the ground, blood dripping from the stump on his shoulder.

    He didn''t even see Goliath move! He only heard the demon speak iprehensible gibberish, then the next second he saw a sh of light and his arm lying on the ground. It was a strange sight, and Nox felt as if he were immune to pain because he wasn''t feeling any.

    But this was merely because he was too stunned for the pain to register in his head.

    ''Since I couldn''t react, that means he could have gone for my neck and I wouldn''t even know how I died. Fuck it, I need to get out of here¡­'' Nox thought, panicked.

    There was no use fighting an opponent he couldn''t even see.

    "True, I could have gone for your head, but let me tell you this, I hate Higher Demons with a passion. Every demon hates your kind, actually, but I hate you more. As such, I''ll spend a long time with you!"

    "Hmph, as if I''ll let you do that." Because of the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Nox summoned the Dimensional Key in his hands and rubbed it. At the same time, he raised his still intact left hand, pointed a finger at Goliath, and uttered,

    "Shadow Oblivion!"

    A thunderous rumble as a dark apocalyptic st descended on Goliath like a tidal wave. The impact of the st rocked the entire dimension and all the demons were alerted; they could feel the seismic wave on the ground.

    "Are the rank one and two fighting for the top spot?" a demon thought because such a devastating attack that affected the entire dimension could only be caused by those two.

    "It could be. Because the lord of the Blight Castle just left some minutes ago."

    "Arggggghhhhh!" Goliath screamed at the top of his voice, his body convulsing as the dark st ravaged him, sapping out his life force bit by bit, but he was fighting against the invading force.

    How could he die just from one attack? The battle, which had been in favor of him a few moments ago, had suddenly taken a drastic turn. Now he couldn''t even fight and was just trying to fight against the force that was trying to sap away his life force.

    Slowly even the roof of the ruin was copsing one after the other. Luckily, the Dimensional Key was already activated, and Nox had escaped back to the human domain, leaving the demon to bawl its eyes out and reel in pain.

    Nox appeared in his room and roared in pain as the agony he hadn''t felt at first came back tenfold. It felt as if his head were splitting in two and his soul were about to eject from his body.

    "Nox!"

    Aina called from outside and kicked the locked door open with brute force. Despite the pain, Nox ced the mask and daggers into his inventory. He couldn''t afford for his mother to see him like this.

    "Mom, it hurts!" Tears came out of his eyes. "It really hurts."

    "How did this happen?" Aina eximed as she rushed over, horrified by the scene.

    Step!

    Nox then saw a man with waist-length hair and two differently colored eyes step out from the still-open golden door.

    "So this is where the Legendary Hounds dwell¡­ the air here feels so different, so pure," the man said as he looked around.

 Chapter 59: False Hope Church

    Moments before the fight began, Snakey and her group encountered a rarely seen figure. To many new demons, he was more myth than reality, known only by his name at the top of the rankings.

    He was the top ranker and the lord of the Blight Castle.

    "Damn it! Don''t tell me he''s after the higher demon too," the lower demons panicked. As a higher demon himself, it made sense that the lord of the Blight Castle would be searching for the other higher demon.

    Noticing the trembling demons, the lord of the Blight Castle smiled. "Little ones, lead me to the hound, and I promise you a generous reward."

    "H-he''s with Goliath in the ruins," Snakey stuttered, pointing behind her.

    "Thank you," the lord of the Blight Castle said softly, his form flickering as he shot off toward the direction Snakey had indicated.

    As he moved, a powerful gale swept through the forest, creating a crater over twenty meters deep. Within this cratery the lifeless bodies of Snakey and her group.

    When the lord of the Blight Castle arrived, what he saw was a withering Goliath. The ceiling of this once-majestic being had fallen on him, butpared to the pain he was going through because of shadow oblivion, it was several times more painful because his life was being whisked away slowly before his eyes.

    In his torment, Goliath saw his sworn enemy approaching and cursed his luck. His injuries had deactivated the barrier, allowing the lord of the Blight Castle to enter with ease.

    "You fool," the man said with clear disdain upon seeing Goliath''s state. "You dared to oppose the leader of the Church of False Hope. I can''t believe we''re from the same bloodline."

    "C-church of False Hope?" Even in his pain-stricken state, Goliath could clearly remember the Church of False hope. They were an assassination organization thatprised ten seat holders, with each seat holder having subordinates below them.

    They were well-respected across all five continents because of their daring achievements and past assassinations, which included kings and queens of powerful kingdoms. The total members of this organization didn''t exceed a hundred, and there was virtually no way to quit. If you wanted to quit, you had to defeat all the other seat holders in a fight.

    The ten seat holders, known as apostles, were rumored to possess the power to overthrow entire nations single-handedly, without the need for an army.

    Even the proud, arrogant Elven race, who felt they were above every other race, couldn''t deny this fact and shivered at the mere mention of that church''s name as it brought back bad memories.

    The leader''s name and strength were shrouded in mystery, though he was rumored to be one of Eos''s greatest powerhouses. His only known appearance was decades ago, when he eliminated the demon emperor, one of the most formidable beings, due to a feud.

    Since then, he had not been heard from and was regarded as a myth.

    Until today.

    Goliath couldn''t believe he had run into this fearsome being; no wonder he was about to die just from one attack from him.

    ''Did I actually manage tond a hit on him? Was it intentional?'' Goliath wondered. ''But how did he know about this?''

    Goliath lifted his head to face the lord of the Blight Castle, who was also his brother. His eyes were filled with countless questions.

    "Curious about the hound, are you?" the lord of the Blight Castle said. "I''m a member of the Church of False Hope. Haven''t you wondered why I always had the upper hand? Even though I''m not a seat holder, being a subordinate has greatly increased my strength. That''s why I''ve remained undisputed all these years."

    "Even I haven''t seen the supreme leader, but I''ve heard of his mask that can project any level he chooses. He must have deliberately lowered his level to avoid attention, and fools like you and those lower demons fell for it," the lord of the Blight Castle said, moving closer to Goliath.

    "Now that you know my secret and have attempted to harm the supreme leader, I have no choice but to eliminate you."

    "Hmph, don''t pretend to be innocent. Do you think I don''t know you wouldn''t leave me alone in this state?" Goliath sneered, unafraid of death. Before the lord of the Blight Castle could consume him, Goliath activated a self-destruct skill, causing his body to shatter into fragments that scattered everywhere.

    Goliath preferred death over empowering his sworn enemy. Even in death, he would find no peace if that were to happen.

    "Such a pity," the lord of the Blight Castle said, gazing at the loot with regret. He was certain that absorbing Goliath would have allowed him to surpass the bottleneck and reach Level 120.

    "I wanted to greet the supreme leader, but it seems I missed him as well." The man''s eyes shed with disappointment. Yet, as he sulked, he noticed the door was still open¡ªthe same one the legendary hound had used to escape after employing shadow oblivion.

    ''Could it be? Could it be?'' He thought as he started to approach the door, his heart palpitating with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

    Then he stepped through the door, finding himself in a cramped room, his head nearly bumping into the ceiling.

    "So this is where the Legendary Hounds dwell¡­ the air here feels so different, so pure," the man said as he looked around.

    ***

    Please remember to support with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and reviews so the story can gain more publicity. Because of this, here is the monthly Golden Tickets Goal:

    50 Golden Tickets = 2 Chapters

    Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 6 Chapters

    Also I want to thank all those Who have been voting for this book! I really appreciate!! The book is pretty fast paced Which was intended but I''ll like to here your own opinion about some things. Feel free toment under.

 Chapter 60: A Demon in The Human Domain

    For years, Amos, the lord of Blight Castle, had been a devoted member of the False hope Church. He had heard countless tales of the legendary Hound and his achievements. Whether those rumors were true or not, one thing was certain: the Hound was a role model for all members of the False hope Church. He was their mentor, though he might not even know of their existence.

    This was especially true for Amos. Although he was merely a subordinate of one of the ten apostles, Amos knew more about the Hound than any other subordinate, a privilege granted by serving under a powerful apostle.

    Simply knowing more about the Hound wasn''t enough for Amos. Like all demons, there was a spark of greed in his heart¡ªa greed for power. For decades, he had been a mere subordinate, but he yearned for more. He aspired to be an apostle himself.

    To achieve that, he needed to learn from the Hound. Only by following a great being could he be great. This ambition was why he had boldly stepped through the portal.

    What he didn''t expect was finding himself in a small cramped room¡­even the air here felt pure, unlike the tainted miasma-filled air in the Demonic Empire. Instinctively, he could tell he was no longer in the Demon domain.

    As if that wasn''t enough, he saw a human woman with red eyes and striking hair of the same color kneeling before the legendary Hound, covering his features. Upon closer inspection, Amos sensed from her aura that the woman was not human. Instead, he realized she was something much more.

    At that moment, Aina, who was tending to Nox by pouring a healing potion into his mouth, noticed the demon''s presence.

    "A demon!" she eximed, stunned by the towering figure. Although hecked horns or any hideous features, Aina''s extensive experience with demons allowed her to recognize one immediately. It was almost impossible for her to be mistaken.

    However, the reason she was shocked was that demons were prohibited from entering the Human Domain. Moreover, this demon was standing inside her son''s bedroom of all ces. Was he the cause of her son''s serious injury?

    She didn''t know the answer to most of these questions, but she knew she needed to deal with the demon first.

    "You vermin." Aina frowned as she stretched out her hand, and a glorious sword, shrouded in a radiant white glow, appeared in her grasp.

    "Go back to where you came from!" she shouted, executing a horizontal sh at the demon''s neck. The de of the sword shed forward at an rming speed, causing Amos'' eyes to widen.

    "Such strength!" Amos watched the sword inch closer, his eyes wide with shock. He hadn''t expected the human-like woman to possess such power, further confirming his suspicion that she wasn''t human. The entire process¡ªfrom the sword appearing in her grasp to executing the sh¡ªhad taken barely two seconds.

    This was the peak of swordsmanship!

    In a desperate attempt to lessen the sword''s impact, Amos crossed his arms like a shield, blocking the de from striking his vitals. Though he managed to deflect the blow, the fierce power behind the sh sent him flying through the open door.

    As he tumbled through, the dimensional door shut close simultaneously.

    Seeing the dimensional door close, Aina wasted no time and hurriedly rushed Nox to Celine, the town healer. Meanwhile, Nathan, who had heard about the incident, began an investigation. He even contacted friends in the capital, inquiring if they had noticed any strange movements at the border.

    In the end, the information wasn''t particrly helpful, and suspicion fell back on the Armstrong Duchy. Though Nathan had other enemies, they had not acted in a long time.

    His current rival was none other than the duke!

    A dayter, inside the meeting room:

    "For all we know, he might''ve sent an assassin to target little Nox after finding out that he''s already awakened," Elvin stated, and the others nodded. It was amon tactic duringpetitions for opponents to weaken their rivals, ensuring they couldn''t participate at 100 percent.

    Though they all tacitly agreed that the Armstrong Duchy was likely behind the attempt to eliminate one of their keypetitors, Nathan still nned to consult his grandson when he woke up.

    Right now, Nox was one of the most important contestants; they needed him to be in the best state possible. As such, everyone silently prayed for his fast and safe recovery so that he could continue training.

    ''I hope you''re not the one that tried to hurt my grandson, Felix, because if you did, you have crossed the final limit and I won''t remain passive any longer.'' Nathan swore with a clenched fist. He had remained passive all this while because of the king, but that would soon change.

    It was high time he went back to his old ways, to let the king and everyone know why he was called the mad dog in the Great War of Rebirth.

    Three dayster, inside Celine''s clinic:

    A panda watched the face of a ck-haired boy with worry. Naturally, that panda was Thirteen.

    The boy had remained like this for three days straight, and Thirteen and the rest of the pets felt their connection with him severed. Thus, Thirteen and Fluffington decided to leave the taming space to look for their master.

    When they did, Thirteen, despite his fierce personality, quickly burst into tears upon seeing that his master was badly hurt and he hadn''t been there when he was needed most.

    [He''ll be fine, kid.] Fluffington tried coaxing the panda as he was much older. Even older than Nox, he could control his emotions pretty well.

    [Panda failed!] Thirteen repeated, putting his hands on his face. Perhaps if only he hade out of the taming space when Nox was battling, things wouldn''t have escted to this point.

    Ever since Nox threw his life on the line to save Fluffington from the horde of beasts, the panda had a strong connection with him; it was the reason he was mostly hurt because he had no recollection of his parents whatsoever. The only person that filled that gap was currently resting motionless.

    Thirteen held his little heart.

    It hurt!

 Chapter 61: A Guide To Beast Taming

    When Aina saw the sight before her, she smiled and excused herself. The scene was very familiar to her because Arthur often had his beasts around him whenever he got injured. As she stepped out of the clinic, she sensed the familiar, ominous aura of someone approaching.

    "Eve?"

    "I heard my disciple was injured," Eve stated tly, her face expressionless and as cold as ever.

    "Yes, he is," Aina replied, her tone slightly forced. She and Eve rarely spoke and only exchanged greetings when their paths crossed. Eve assumed it would be the same as usual and was about to walk past the red-haired woman when Aina spoke again.

    "Can I have a word with you?"

    Eve paused, perhaps contemting what Aina wanted to discuss, but eventually nodded, and the two women walked outside.

    "Thank you for training Nox, even though he''s my son," Aina said once they were in Celine''s garden, a vibrant ce filled with a kaleidoscope of flowers.

    "It''s nothing," Eve replied, looking straight ahead. Aina fumbled with her hands as they stood side by side. Although they were both six feet tall, Eve appeared taller because she was looking ahead.

    "Is that all?" Eve asked with a bored expression, as if she was already weary of the conversation before it had fully started.

    As expected, Eve was as brief as ever.

    "I know we have our differences," Aina began. "But I hope you''ll look past them and teach Nox everything you know. He and Nyx are all I have. Even if it''s not for me, at least do it for Arthur."

    Eve briefly paused when Arthur''s name, which brought back so many memories, was mentioned, but she resumed her walk a momentter.

    Although she tried to hide it, Aina could tell that Eve still held grudges against her. Over the years, Aina had tried to maintain a cordial rtionship despite their history, but Eve''s heart remained as cold as her demeanor.

    Seeing that the conversation wasn''t progressing, Aina was about to leave when Eve called her back.

    "Take this," Eve said, handing her a book.

    Aina looked at the book with a puzzled expression. "What is this?"

    "It''s something you need to give Nox," Eve said while walking away. "Besides, it''s something that rightfully belongs to you."

    As Eve departed, Aina stood there, holding the book. She flipped it over, and her eyes widened.

    "This...this is  Arthur''s handwriting."

    ...

    Eve checked on Nox and left shortly after. She didn''t waste time, much to Fluffington''s relief. The gloomy woman''s presence meant relentless training sessions, which Fluffington hated. As for Thirteen, Eve was his best friend.

    The panda got along well with anyone who shared his enthusiasm for training! The two were quite different. While Fluffington was azy cat who enjoyed milk, sleep, and massages, the panda was hardworking and disciplined.

    Nox''s greatest wish was for Thirteen''s work ethic to rub off on Fluffington.

    "Ugh!" After a while, Nox woke up to find two furry faces staring at him intently.

    Fluffington: [Finally, you decided to wake up! Such a fragile boy.]

    Thirteen: [Yay!] Before Nox could even speak, the panda hugged him tightly, as if afraid he would fall asleep again and the connection would be lost.

    Nox patted the panda on the back to calm him down and assured him he wouldn''t go anywhere. He then turned to the white cat. "Go ahead, tell me how much you missed me."

    [Hmpf, you wish. The only thing I missed was my daily dose of milk and my massages.] Fluffington huffed and looked away.

    Nox couldn''t help but shake his head. He briefly checked his HP and saw he was back to full strength. Surveying the room, he realized he was in the familiar clinic. His gaze shifted to his missing arm, and a relieved sigh escaped his lips.

    This world was truly magical. Back on Earth, he would have been left armless, but thanks to Celine, his arm seemed to have grown back.

    "Sigh, in five years, I''ve been admitted to this clinic twice," Noxmented, reflecting on his life choices.

    As he was lost in thought, Aina and Nathan entered the clinic. Both were visibly angry and demanded to know how he got injured. Nox couldn''t reveal the truth. He didn''t want to disclose the Dimensional Key to his grandfather and mother, so he twisted the story, saying he was nearly assassinated.

    He couldn''t tell them about the Dimensional Key that allowed him to enter dimensions randomly around the world and had no restrictions on the level of dimensions. They would definitely stop him from using it.

    Dimensions were perilous ces, even for seasoned warriors. It seemed the dimensions Nox had visited were rtively low-level, which exined why he had faced little difficulty. Had he encountered a higher-level dimension, he might have been in serious trouble.

    ''So it''s really an assassin,'' Nathan pondered thoughtfully. He made a mental note to investigate this demonic assassin roaming the human domain. A whileter, he left to start his investigation, leaving Aina alone with Nox.

    Aina pulled out a book and handed it to Nox.

    "What''s this, Mom?" Nox asked, puzzled.

    "It''s your father''s diary," she exined. "It''s one of the few things we didn''t burn. I initially wanted to keep it as a valuable treasure, but I thought it would be more suitable for you."

    It was the truth; after Eve gave it to her, she wanted to treasure Arthur''s handwriting and keep it close to her heart, but after going through the content, the book seemed much more suitable for Nox. Aina suspected it was the reason Eve had given her the book.

    "Alright, I''ll see youter."

    After nting a kiss on Nox''s forehead, Aina left, leaving him with a puzzled expression. A book that would be more suitable for him? He nced at the bold title of the book.

    "A Guide to Beast Taming."

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer! I really appreciate!

 Chapter 62: 8 Evolution Paths

    "Father wrote down everything he knew about beast taming?" Nox''s eyes lit up as he excitedly flipped through the pages. He was seated on a bench inside Eve''s manor.

    After he was discharged, this was the ce he hade to. After all, he still had training with Eve, estimated to take five years. Right now, he was just scratching the surface and still had much to learn.

    Nox knew he was very strong for his age. With his skills, he strongly doubted there was anyone around his age who could fight him. But this was not enough; he wanted more! Until he could easily best those above him, he would not be content.

    Though he wasn''t angry about losing to the Level 100 Demon Goliath like he was with Hendrix, Nox vowed to improve so he could escape unscathed in future precarious situations.

    Fortunately, his mother handed him a book filled with crucial information on beast taming.

    "Initially, I didn''t want to write this, but I don''t want future Beast Tamers to go through what I did... if there are any," Nox read the introduction. "This book contains information on the proper ways to train and cultivate beasts and how to unlock all Eight evolutions/forms. My stupid system never mentioned this; I had to find it out myself."

    Nox paused, thoughtful. "Eight evolution paths? I thought there was only the ultimate path."

    To be sure, he nced at Thirteen, who was sitting nearby.

    Thirteen: "..."

    The panda tilted his head, puzzled by Nox''s stare. He subconsciously touched its face, thinking something was there, then looked back at its master with a bewildered expression.

    [Umu?]

    "No, there''s nothing on your face," Nox said, gently stroking the panda''s fur absent-mindedly. He had stared at the panda for almost a minute, hoping another evolution route would appear, but nothing happened, leaving Thirteen slightly confused.

    "Could this analyze skill be buggy?" Nox wondered, then set the thought aside and resumed reading.

    The first chapter was titled "Understanding Beast Behavior and Their Physiology." As he read, Nox absorbed more and more information.

    "To tame and evolve beasts, one must understand their behavior and psychology. Beasts are driven by instinct, influenced by their environment and social hierarchy. It''s crucial to grasp their instincts,munication methods (bodynguage, vocalizations, etc.), and social structures."

    Nox spent an hour reading the first chapter, noting his father''s meticulous research. When he finished, he suddenly felt enlightened, as if he could understand all beasts like an open book if he came across them.

    It was an eye-opener learning that there were two types of beasts in Eos: Normal Magical Beasts and rare Elemental Type Beasts. Elemental beasts had strong connections to specific elements (air, water, fire, nature, ice, lightning/electricity, shadow) and possessed powerful abilities rted to their elements.

    To identify elemental beasts, one should observe their appearance, which often features physical traits reflecting their elements, such as ming horns, fins, or scales, etc.

    "I have nevere across these elemental beasts; that means they must be really rare... For some reason, this reminds me so much of Pok¨¦mon from Earth," Nox thought as he flipped over.

    The book then discussed the taming space and its limitations. The taming space was tied to his level and beast slot, meaning the taming space increased slightly whenever his beast slot increased.

    The taming space could only expand to fit his beast slots; though, if he tried to tame more than the slots, there would be a fracture in the space, which would result in severe soul damage.

    Also, unlike the beast taming novels he read at home, he didn''t need to meditate to increase his pace; he could do all that with a simple level up. Another crucial bit he found out was that he could improve the quality of his taming space to hasten the healing and nourishing of beasts whenever they were inside.

    "Doing that would require me to meditate and channel my mana into the taming space..."

    However, he put this thought aside and proceeded to read more of the book.

    From a distance, Eve and the skeleton butler were watching Nox.

    "It''s been two hours now, and the pipsqueak has been reading that book you gave to Aina. Although he hates my tea for some reason, I love his discipline. If I may ask, why did you give it to her and not give it to the pipsqueak directly?" Skully asked, working his bony jaws.

    "Then the kid starts wondering how I''m with his father''s diary instead of his mother, his wife? Think, Skully," Eve sneered, walking away from the window. She didn''t want Nox to learn about her history with his father, which is why she had Aina give him the book.

    "Besides," Eve continued, running her hands over a mostly empty weapon rack, "he needs to learn as much as he can because he''ll definitely need it when the timees." Her thoughts shed back to her conversation with Nathan the night after the assassination attempt.

    "So what are you asking me to do, old man?" Eve had asked Nathan, who visited her the previous night.

    "I know you''re already doing a lot by training Nox, but you see..." Nathan coughed violently, causing Eve to narrow her eyes.

    "Old man, you''re very close to the grave."

    "Ah, I know... You don''t have to tell me. I''ve lived a fulfilled life, so I don''t fear dying. What I care about is my family''s safety," Nathan sighed, wiping his mouth with a cloth. "That''s why I want you to intensify Nox''s training. He''s too naive.

    Show him that this world is a ce where the strong prey on the weak. I want him to be a man who can protect his family and everyone in this Barony."

    "We don''t know if Arthur is still alive, and my body feels like it''s ready to rest. Before that, I want to see Nox be a man so I know I''ll leave the Barony and everyone behind in capable hands."

    "In other words, you want me to rid him of his childishness and turn him into someone like his father."

    "Yes," Nathan nodded. If anyone knew about human nature, it was Nathan; after all, he had lived a long life. He wanted Nox to learn this while he was still young.

    ...

    "Although his son hurt me, this old man has done a lot for me, so I''ve decided to help him," Eve said, looking outside.

    Meanwhile, outside, Nox had reached the chapters discussing the evolution paths of beasts.

 Chapter 63: An Assassin?

    Who would have thought there were more Evolution paths for Beasts?

    ''I did think about it, but just didn''t pay attention to it,'' Nox thought as he read the book. It was true he had indeed thought about this several times in the past, but because of the training in preparation for the uing tournament, he didn''t think much about it.

    ording to the book, Magical Beasts had only three final evolution paths with extremely high requirements to reach. Afterpleting the first evolution path, there would be another, which would be even more difficult.

    This cycle would go on until the beast reached the Sovereign Tier.

    The first requirements and materials were already difficult to obtain; what about the other two?

    For elemental beasts, however, the requirements and materials were much easier to acquire, and they also possessed more than three evolution paths. An option for evolution would automatically pop up whenever they reached a new beast rank, meaning they could evolve eight times, ording to the monster tiers, with each tier being more powerful than the previous one!

    And you''ll have to fulfill these requirements and obtain these materials. When fulfilled, they''ll obtain more skills, and even their appearance would go through changes.

    Instead of fulfilling the magical beast requirements, which would take years, Arthur sought a different method¡­. What if he could turn a Magical Beast into an elemental beast, then evolve it gradually before reaching the final evolution path?

    After several failed tries, he finally found the method; all he had to do was feed a normal Magical Beast an Elemental Crystal, a resource that was very rare. It could be found inside the dimensions or harvested upon the death of elemental beasts.

    Then after feeding the beast the Elemental Crystal, he would have to constantly expose the beast to the said elements for the beast to develop stronger affinities and train it in the element, gradually shifting its type.

    "Because of my exceptional brilliance, I finally pulled it off¡­ indeed magical beasts could be turned into elemental beasts, and it also came with many benefits. Although the elemental beast now had a step-by-step evolution path, it still retained simr features to the original ultimate evolution path."

    End of first volume. I''ll write another volumeter; if you don''t see it, it''s probably because I waszy. See youter, future beast masters!

    By the time Nox finished consuming all the materials, it was already night, and he felt very sleepy. Rubbing his eyes to chase the sleep away, Nox turned to the side to see that both Fluffington and Thirteen were already deep in sleep.

    Sighing, he ced them inside the taming space.

    That night, inside the temporary room given to him by Eve, he thought about how he could get his hands on an Elemental Crystal. From what he read, turning a magical beast to an elemental type was the best bet for him as he could gradually progress in power. Looking at Fluffington''s requirements, he didn''t even know when he would get the beast to kill a hundred intermediate-tier monsters!

    It was still just a Level 6 wildin, and to increase his progress took a long time before the beast evolved to an intermediate beast.

    The only time he could be confident of fulfilling these requirements was when he was strong, but for now, that he was weak, the best option was to go through the elemental beast route.

    "So the crystal it is¡­ tomorrow, I''ll ask Master Eve about these Elemental Crystals."

    ¡­

    That same night¡­

    A lone figure, dressed in all ck with a mask, walked out through the gates of the Cromwell Barony. The figure stopped and stared at the Barony and clenched its fist, a fierce fire burning in the depths of its eyes.

    Although there were no spoken words, the emotions in the figure''s eyes were raw; there was a mixture of warmth and guilt in its eyes before it turned around and exploded towards the direction that led to the Armstrong Duchy.

    ''No one is allowed to hurt my grandson!'' the figure muttered, and its eyes became ignited by a blue me. ''Anyone who dares would taste the wrath of my external mes!'' ¡­

    "My friend, although you''re strong, that bastard Felix is also no joke," Elvin thought as he watched the masked figure continue to run through the dirt path. The figure was so fast and swift, leaving an afterimage in its wake.

    "Be careful," Elvin muttered. A few hourster, in the distance, he could see blue mes erupting in the air like fireworks. The distance between Armstrong Duchy and the Cromwell Barony was over 100 miles but Elvin, the archer, could hear the painful screams of soldiers of the Armstrong Duchy.

    ***

    The next morning.

    Amstrong Duchy¡­

    Amstrong Duchy was significantlyrgerpared to other towns in the western region of the Vermilion Kingdom. Their cobblestone streets, filled with carts, were much wider, and finding two or more story buildings with nted roofs on opposite sides wasmon here.

    In Eos, people who could afford two-story buildings were usually merchants or powerful Awakened from the adventure guild. It was a sign of wealth! The Cromwell Barony only had a few, but here in the Amstrong Duchy, there were many.

    At the city square, there was a soft blue-colored portal that was heavily barricaded and guarded by the Awakened. This level two dimensional rift transformed this once poor town, simr to the Cromwell Barony, into a prosperous one. They had two of these rifts, which were among their most important treasures.

    Currently, hushed whispers filled the streets as citizens gossiped about the events that had happenedst night.

    "I heard the sound too, but I didn''t think it was anything serious. Who would have thought it was actually an assassin sent to assassinate the duke?" one passerbymented.

    "Yeah, the sad part is the loss of the soldiers who tried to protect the duke," another chimed in with a pity-filled voice.

    "We''re no longer safe. Just a few days ago, monsters nearly breached the walls. Now an assassin managed to sneak into the duchy," another panicked. "At this rate, I want to relocate to Landon Barony or somewhere else."

    "And go work on the farm? Soothe yourself. If they could sneak into our fortified duchy, how hard would it be for them to sneak into some barony?"

    Although the duke had tried to keep things under wraps because he didn''t want the citizens to panic, there was no way to hide the bloodstains and the guards that perishedst night. Hence, the news quickly spread through the town like wildfire, and every citizen knew about the skirmish that urred.

    Because of the recent attack by a powerful beast that was abnormally strong for its tier and managed to kill, the citizens had varied opinions. Some felt the duke was not capable enough and should be reced, while others decided to give him more time to see if he could redeem himself.

    In an elegant room with wooden flooring¡­

    A meeting was currently going on, and all the key members of the Amstrong Duchy had gathered. They were all looking at the duke, whose face was covered by a thin white wall, reflecting only his shadow. Standing beside him was none other than Hendrix.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer by unlocking, Voting with Golden Tickets and Power Stones!

 Chapter 64: None of them Awakened?

    No one knew the reasons for the Duke''s habit of staying behind the paper, but there were rumors that it was because he had sustained terrible injuries that resulted in his face being permanently disfigured to the point where not even the healers could fix it.

    Right now, all the important Awakened were looking at the Duke, waiting for him to start the meeting.

    "It seems someone has decided to mess with us," the Duke said, and a ck card flew out from the other side and effortlessly pinned itself to the ground.

    "By hiring an assassin from the Silent Whisper Guild."

    "Silent Whisper Guild? Aren''t those guys expensive?" Hushed whispers immediately filled the room. The Silent Whisper assassin guild resided in the Capital and was among the top three assassin guilds in the Vermilion Kingdom. They were notorious for always finishing the job when assigned to them.

    If they didn''t finish it, they''d definitely try again until it was finished, which was the case 99 percent of the time.

    This made the others wonder if the assassin had purposely provoked the monsters to attack their Barony to distract everyone while they attacked.

    "Damn true to their reputation, the Silent Whispers are truly not to be messed with," a high-level Awakened nodded, feeling his scalp go numb. He knew if the assassin hade for him, he would be gone.

    "Since the Silent Whispers would never reveal their clients, our two major suspects are Nathan Cromwell and Mike Landon," the Duke stated. If one looked closely, they''d notice that the Duke was injured in his chest. The assassin had nearly got him; it was thanks to his skills that he was even able to survive.

    ''The assassin was a fierce one¡­too skilled for an assassin from the Silent Whisper Guild.'' Touching his ribs, the shadow groaned slightly. ''He could have killed me and known my secret, the secret I have hidden well all these years¡­but even his fighting style seemed familiar. However, for some reason, I can''t remember it.''

    The shadow paused and clenched his fist. ''Where did I see it? Why is it so hard to remember this body''s memories?''

    The Cromwell Barony, outside the wall.

    Under the anxious eyes of several parents, the flying carriages had returned with the 40-plus kids. The reason for their anxiety was because of the selective nature of the ss patron gods. They were scared that their children would not be able to awaken their ss.

    As they watched the carriage slowly descend, their heartbeats only increased. Standing in front of the adults was Nathan. The baron had personallye out to receive the kids.

    Just like the citizens, Nathan furrowed his brows. ''Even if it''s just twenty, they''ll be able to participate in the tournament¡­''

    Nathan didn''t pray much to his patron god, the god of magic and war, but today he silently offered one, praying that more than twenty children would awaken their ss.

    There were so many stakes in line. Awakening ss not only guaranteed that a child would be able to protect themselves in the future against other Awakened and Magical Beasts, but if they failed to awaken, they''d forever live mundane lives and be overshadowed by the Awakened and their bigger-than-life deeds.

    It was a harsh reality which many people hade to ept.

    Then there was the tournament. They couldn''t possibly allow non-Awakened to participate; not only would they lose, but the children could also be fatally injured.

    Finally, the door of the carriage opened, revealing all the kids who had solemn expressions. Even Hans and Gordon, who had apanied them, had simr expressions on their faces. This made all the adults panic.

    Did they all fail the awakening? Why did all of them look sad? The people who had this thought were the ssless mundane, as for the Awakened like Nathan and Celine, their lips were twitching because they could clearly see that¡­

    [Nyx-Lv0]

    [Serana-Lv0]

    [Rab-Lv0]

    [Matt-LV0]

    "Hurray! All of them awakened!" Nathan roared, his entire bony body shaking with excitement! Not a bright move because momentster he started coughing seriously.

    "Here, take water." Celine handed a bottle of water from her inventory with furrowed brows.

    "Thank you, Celine." Nathan epted the water, not able to conceal the wide smile on his face.

    Even the mundane also jumped in jubtion, while some of them held the ears of the children, berating them for trying to trick them. While the Duchy was in turmoil, the Cromwell Barony was filled with excitement and jubtion!

    "All 40 kids awakening is a really rare situation," Celinemented with a smile.

    "They really deserve it. After all, they have sweat and bled in the past months to get here. Though there is still that childishness, they don''t look that chubby and naive again, a very good development if you ask me," Nathan responded.

    "I don''t know what that Hendix was hoping to achieve by beating everyone, but he should be prepared for a rude awakening," Hans chimed in. Because he had personally trained the children, he knew their strengths and weaknesses. He knew what they were capable of. He knew they had the determination, resilience, and zeal to win this tournament.

    ¡­ though he wouldn''t say that aloud, considering the prodigies in the Duchy. Most of their kids attended the Vermilion Royal Academy in the capital with top-notch instructors, so they were not to be trifled with.

    "This brings us to the next phase of the n," Nathan said. "The tournament requires only five participants from each town." Nathan brushed his beard that was turning grey.

    "This means we''ll have to conduct a mock tournament, then the top five would be the ones to participate in the tournament. What do you think?"

    "I don''t think it''s bad. We could narrow down our focus that way and train them ordingly." Celine nodded her head.

    "It''s decided then." All of them came to an agreement.

    However, before they departed from the entrance of the town, Celine still had something she needed to do. Pulling out her Communication Crystal, she called someone.

    "Mom, how are you?" A feminine voice came from the other side.

    "I''m fine, my darling. I need you toe home. Remember what we discussed about the other time? The second phase has just begun¡­I need you to..."

    There was a moment of silence; eventually, a reply came.

    "Yes, Mom, I''ll be there. I''m also curious to see this Nox you wouldn''t stop telling me about."

 Chapter 65: Mock Tounament [1]

    "Hmmm, I''m d they all Awakened," Nox remarked, watching from the walls. He wanted to jump down and celebrate with his friends, but there were still things he needed to sort out first.

    As he started to leave, his eyes caught sight of Nyx, who was smiling and talking with Grandpa Nathan. It was a rare sight.

    ''It seems even this stupid girl is very happy,'' Nox thought. Nyx didn''t smile much to begin with, but ever since she lost to Hendrix, she''d seemed even more distant.

    Perhaps she was embarrassed because Hendrix had crushed her pride by smashing her head into the ground. She had since distanced herself from everyone, and he could imagine her thoughts turning to self-criticism...

    ''I''m the older sister.''

    By two minutes.

    ''I''m supposed to protect you, but I failed. What will Mother think? That I''m not capable enough?''

    Aina''s thought process had never been like that. Yet, for some reason, Nyx always seemed to feel older than she was, capable of making decisions beyond her years. This struck Nox as odd, given that Nyx was only five years old, while he, mentally, was sixteen.

    Nox felt that Nyx was mentally much older than him. This was the reason his mother and grandpa first told  her about their father''s disappearance, trusting her maturity to handle the news.

    Later that day, Nox returned to Eve''s manor.

    "Hmmm, I know I''m forgetting something," Nox thought with a lost expression after another session of grueling training. Sprawled on the ground was Fluffington, who couldn''t stop cursing Nox. Thirteen was busy looking at Skully, the butler, who was trying to clear the fighting tform.

    The panda stared at the skeleton with a puzzled expression. Is this his next opponent? But why does it look like a human? All this time, Thirteen had been observing the skeleton butler. With eyes filled with curiosity, he gently pulled Skully''s hand and his face morphed into a frown. Skully was indeed not human.

    To be sure, he pulled on the hand again, and Skully''s arm dislocated from its bony joint.

    [Ah!] Thirteen eximed, confirming his suspicion.

    "Hey, bring back my hand!" Skully''s green eyes glowed angrily.

    [Wuw, catch it!] Thirteen smiled mischievously as he hurled the hand to Nox, expecting him to throw it back.

    Nox caught it. Skully sighed and turned to Nox, who handed him back his hand. "Hmpf, keep your pets on leashes, pipsqueak, or I''ll discipline them myself." Sneering, he stormed off.

    "It''s not nice to y with skeleton parts, Thirteen." Nox stroked the panda''s fur.

    [Skeleton parts?] Thirteen tilted his head, seeming to ask why.

    "Because they''re dirty and smelly."

    "Hey, I heard that!"

    From the entrance of the coliseum, Eve walked in. She had left earlier after giving Nox some instructions.

    [Evil woman! How dare she make this monarch train?] The fat cat red hatefully at the red-eyed woman as soon as she walked in. For the past five hours, she had told Nox not to give Fluffington milk or meat if he wanted to discipline the arrogant cat.

    And it actually worked; now that he was stronger than Fluffington, Nox knew how to deal with the cat.

    ''Imagine if she could hear you?'' Nox thought, sending cold shivers through Fluffington, his mind shing back to the time Eve had shattered the python into fragments with one attack.

    [Don''t you dare tell her, brat.]

    "Oh, watch me." Nox smiled mischievously.

    [You mongrel!] Fluffington jumped up, panicked.

    "Master," Nox started, causing the cat''s heart to race. "Have you heard about Elemental Beasts?"

    [Phew!] The cat sighed in relief. A momentter, he said in his cocky tone, [Hmph, I knew you couldn''t.]

    Ignoring the cat speaking in his head, Nox awaited Eve''s reply.

    "I know about them," Eve responded, "but they''re very rare. Why do you ask?"

    "I need their crystals. Is there a way for me to get one?" Nox asked eagerly. Surely, someone as strong as Eve should have elemental crystals, right?

    "I don''t have any."

    Nox''s hopes sank.

    "But I can show you a way to get one," she added after a moment.

    "Where, how?" As expected, Eve was very resourceful!

    "By hunting for one or purchasing it at auction. Because they''re so rare, though, elemental crystals are expensive."

    Nox gulped. If Eve, who lived in this expensive manor adorned with several runes, said they were expensive, they must be really expensive. He didn''t even want to ask the price for fear of being discouraged.

    "Although elemental beasts are much stronger than magical beasts, I still suggest starting with a low-level one. It''ll be a good test for you to put everything you''ve learned into practice," Eve suggested.

    Having him fight elemental beasts would intensify Nox''s training. Eve nned to oversee these battles closely, ready to intervene if Nox''s life was endangered.

    "Alright, where can I find these elemental beasts?"

    "Don''t be hasty. You''ll have to participate in the mock tournament first before we head north."

    Although she won''t admit, Eve liked Nox eagerness to get strong. But she doubted he''ll be so eager again after facing an elemental Beasts, who were known for their powerful Elemental skills.

    ...

    A few dayster, the day of the mock tournament arrived. Smirly, all ten other towns were also gearing up for their own mock tournaments.

    They also share the same believe with Nathan that early identification of five top participants would allow them to concentrate resources on honing them  into elite contenders.

    However, this method was exclusive to smaller towns. The Amstrong Dutchy followed another approach!

    Instead of staging a tournament, the duke dicided to summon his five children from the Prestigious Vermillion Royal Academy... Each boasted levels exceeding 20, the duke was confident that winning this tournament was only a matter of time.

    ....

    AN: 100 Power Stone goal= Hit!

    Golden ticket= remaining 7 to reach 50

    Castle for six Chapters= not hit.

    Like I said, I''m currently out of Town so I''ll not be able to pump out the bonus Chapters now but when I get back I''ll fufill this promise. Imagine me working around town just to find inte connection to upload Chapters, Sigh.

 Chapter 66: Mock Tounament 2

    A makeshift arena with ten elevated tforms had been constructed for the mock tournament, allowing multiple matches to proceed simultaneously and offering the audience a variety of fights to enjoy.

    At the same time, Nathan had instructed Elvin and Eve to keep watch on the walls for beasts or any suspicious individuals that would interrupt the mock tournament.

    Eve was puzzled by Nathan''s unusually cautious demeanor. She nced at Elvin, expecting him to provide insight, but he merely looked away and whistled suspiciously.

    "Skully," she brought out her Communication Crystal and contacted the skeleton butler.

    "Yes, mistress?"

    "Did anything happen recently?" she asked. Skully was not only a butler but also had several undead minions under him who notified him about happenings in the western region and kept an eye on the authorities, who were known to dislike Necromancers with a passion.

    "Yes, a few days ago, an Assassin from the Silent Whisper Guild tried to assassinate the Duke," Skully reported his findings.

    "An assassin? Then that old man starts acting weird," Eve murmured to herself as a sharp glint of suspicion shed through her eyes. She''d stayed in the barony for years now and knew about the beef between Nathan and Duke Felix¡­ thus, it was very easy for Eve to put two and two together and understand the reason for Nathan''s anxiousness.

    ''This old fool, did he try assassinating the duke?'' Eve thought and dashed to the western wall to carry out the assignment, though she doubted anyone would disrupt the fight. Her only regret was that she couldn''t watch her disciple demonstrate his skills in front of everyone.

    "Master, there is the transmission Crystal, remember?" Sensing his master''s distress, Skully suggested.

    The transmission Crystal was like a camera that could transmit live feeds and images to anyone in any ce.

    After ordering Skully to do just that, Eve went to the western wall as instructed. Nathan had specifically instructed Eve to lead the western region because it was in the same direction as the Armstrong Duchy. With her there, Nathan was confident that no one or beast could sneak past the walls.

    Meanwhile, the denizens of Cromwell started to fill the seats. They whispered with excited expressions because it was a rare asion to watch the youngsters of the town battle each other. Some were even specting about which kids would be among the top 5.

    "I say the Baron gives Nox free qualification to enter the top five, what do you think?" one manmented. "After all, he definitely has an edge over the others since he awakened his ss earlier."

    "But that wouldn''t be fair, would it? I think no matter what, he should also participate like the other kids, even if he''s stronger than them."

    "I don''t know, man. I''ve seen some of the other kids training, and they''re pretty strong too," another spectator replied. "I think it''ll be a toughpetition."

    "Hey, look! There''s Wendy, Celine''s daughter. She''s participating too," someone else pointed out.

    "I heard she''s been attending the Vermilion Royal Academy since she was ten¡­ I think if we''re to look out for anyone, it should be her," a woman whispered. "She might be a dark horse in thispetition."

    Looking in that direction, the spectators could indeed see a beautiful white-haired girl of about 14 who had a striking resemnce to the kind town healer. She was wearing a crimson zer with gold trim adorned with the academy crest, a golden phoenix rising from mes, on her left chest.

    This was the standard crest of the Vermilion Royal Family and it was well respected. Just by wearing the uniform, the other kids stayed out of her path out of fear.

    The Vermilion Academy only epted the best of the best in the kingdom, so for her to get in, she was definitely a prodigy.

    Most of the kids were offering silent prayers not to be paired up with her; with all the resources from the academy, they strongly doubted whether they''d evenst a second against her.

    If you were to give them an option to choose between Wendy and Nyx, they would definitely choose thetter.

    "Hey kids, this is your big sister, don''t be afraid of her, okay?" Celine said when she saw the children who clearly felt inferior to Wendy.

    Wendy wasn''t like those snobbish noble brats. Seeing their anxiety, she disyed a smile and said, "Hello everyone, I''m here to have fun and make new friends. Let''s enjoy this tournament together."

    Her warm smile, very simr to Celine''s, put others at ease, and they even started chatting with her, asking questions about the Royal Capital and the academy.

    Of course, Wendy, who had a soft personality like her mother, answered all their questions to the best of her ability, something that put a smile on Celine''s face. She was d her daughter hadn''t inherited her father''s personality.

    Meanwhile, Eve reached the western wall and began to scan the surroundings, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She could hear the distant hum of the crowd and the asional shout of excitement.

    "Skully, can you hear me?" she asked, using the Communication Crystal.

    "Yes, mistress. I''m transmitting the feed from the arena now," Skully replied.

    Eve watched as the images flickered to life on the crystal, showing her the various arenas and the matches that were about to begin. From the crystal, Eve noticed the match officials, Nathan, Hans, and Gordon, predicting the kids that would be in the top five based on their past training.

    The name they were mostly calling was Wendy. Just like everyone, Eve knew Wendy was a first-year student in the Vermilion Royal Academy and was in the top 500 out of over two thousand students; certainly, she wasn''t someone to be trifled with.

    "What about Nox? What are they saying about him?"

    "I didn''t think you were a fangirl, mistress?" Skully said in a teasing tone, but when Skully felt her cold aura, he quickly said.

    "Yeah, after her, he''s the most hyped one," he quickly answered. "But if the two were to face each other, I think Pipsqueak would lose."

    "Would he?" Eve thought. She''d seen Nox''s discipline in the past month and saw him grow in strength gradually. Even if he would lose, the Necromancer was certain Nox would be a tough nut to crack.

    At that moment, the children were beginning to climb the fighting tforms as the matches were about to begin, and the boisterous chant of the parents chanting their children''s names reached an all-time high.

    Although this was merely a mock tournament to select the main fighters that would represent the barony, it made their blood boil with excitement!

    Currently, the announcer, a middle-aged man, had climbed onto one of the tforms. Channeling mana into his throat, he said in a booming voice, "And now,dies and gentlemen, wee to the Cromwell Baron''s Mock Tournament! I''m your announcer, and I''ll be guiding you through the excitement today!

    We have 42 young warriorspeting for the top 5 spots, and it''s going to be a battle for the ages, so fasten your seat belts!"

    "To exin the rules, we...

 Chapter 67: The Dark Horse

    "To exin the rules, we have 10 groups of 4 fighters each, with the winners advancing to the Round of 16. From there, it''s a single-elimination format until we reach our top 5. And, of course, we have 2 wild card spots chosen by the organizers."

    "Let''s meet our first matchups! On tform 1, we have Kaito vs. Serena. And on tform 2, Rab vs. Ken... on tform 3, on tform 4...

    on tform five," the announcer went on to call all.

    "And now, without further ado, let the battles begin! Remember, folks, this is a mock tournament, but the stakes are high, and thepetition is fierce! Who will emerge victorious and represent our barony with pride?"

    The crowd erupted in cheers as the matches began, and the announcer continued to provide y-by-ymentary, analyzing the fighters'' moves and strategies.

    Nyx was among the first fighters, and she had easily dominated her group by defeating all her opponents lightning-fast within five seconds, stunning all the viewers. They knew she was strong, but to deal with two opponents within the span of 5 seconds was very impressive.

    If there had been a slight deviation in time, they wouldn''t have been this shocked, but to do the same thing in both fights.

    Even thementator was stunned. To do something like this, it only meant one thing: she had the fight under control. In fact, the five-second victory seemed to be deliberate. Coughing lightly, he announced her as the winner of her group and advanced her to the next round.

    As she walked down from the stage with an emotionless expression, the crowd finally came out of their stunned state and roared at the top of their voices.

    "Nyx, I love you!!!"

    "Five seconds! This girl is not human!"

    "My future wife!"

    "Bro, aren''t you like 60?"

    Although the crowd was chanting her name, Nyx''s head was full of thoughts.

    ''Five seconds... it''s still slow. The reason I was able to win was because these guysck proper training. The only person that could give me a worthy challenge is her.'' Nyx looked at the spectator seats, spotting Wendy, who waved at her with a carefree smile, unaware she was being scrutinized by Nyx.

    The organizers had made their decision and granted Nox and Wendy the wild card spots. Wendy earned her ce because she was ranked 500th among the school''s students, cing her in the top 500 strongest out of over 2000 students.

    On the other hand, Nox earned it because he had awakened his ss, and his levels surpassed all the others.

    ''Even if I don''t meet her now, we''ll certainly meet in the Round of 16.'' Looking away, Nyx started to leave the arena because it would take a while for the others to finish their fights. She wasn''t upset about the organizers not giving her the wild card; instead, she was d because with each fight, she would improve more and more before reaching the finals.

    Although the aim of the mock tournament was to select the top 5 representatives, Nyx wanted to know how far she could push herself, especially when there was a student from the Vermilion Royal Academy participating.

    "Strange, is she beefing with me?" Wendy turned to her mother, Celine, beside her with a worried look.

    "No," Celine replied. "Nyx has been strange for as long as five years. She''s very mature, responsible, andpetitive. Since you''re the dark horse of this tournament, I think she was checking you out, maybe to know how she''ll fare against someone from the academy."

    "Ah, I see." Wendy nodded her head in realization. "But couldn''t she just wave back? I mean, we can have a healthypetition in case we meet."

    Hearing this question, Celine bitterly smiled. "That''s because unlike her silly, easy-going twin brother who gets along with everyone, Nyx is a bit detached... it''s as if things don''t excite her that much."

    Thepetition proceeded unhindered. Even Serena and Rab, the boy that had bumped into Hendrix, won their respective groups, entering the Round of 16. Although she had struggled to win her two fights, the citizens hadn''t expected her to put on such wonderful performances as she was known to be azy bum.

    "That''s my baby girl!" Cam even flicked a drop of tea; she was really proud of her daughter.

    On the wall, Elvin and Eve were keeping a close eye on their allocated positions, but so far they hadn''t spotted anything unusual to be worried about.

    A few hourster, the group stage came to an end, and the Round of 16 kicked off in full swing. The roars of the audience became much louder, to the point that Nox, who was silently observing the fights, felt even his blood boil with the desire to fight!

    At first, he wasn''t enthusiastic about this tournament because it wasn''t the real thing, but it seemed the crowd''s enthusiasm was beginning to rub off on him.

    Just then, the announcer came up to announce the first participant in the Round of 16.

    "And that''s it for the group stage, folks! Now, we proceed to the Round of 16! The rules are simple: each match will be a one-on-one duel, with a best two out of three wins format. The winners will advance to the Quarterfinals, while the losers will be eliminated," the announcer stated.

    A few minutes ago, the organizers had cleaned up the other fighting tforms, leaving only one because the Round of 16 matches were very important, and they needed to focus on one fight at a time.

    "And now, folks, please put your hands together for the first fighter in the Round of 16, one of the mysterious wild cards... Nox!"

    If not for the appearance of Wendy, Nox would have been the dark horse of thispetition because he was the first kid to awaken; even his level was much higher than the rest. Then there was the recent news of him saving the lives of Elvin''s strike team from being killed by the Blue-Fanged Snake.

    All thisbined got the crowd on the edge of their seats at the mention of his name.

    "Nox!!!!!"

    "Nox!!!!!"

    The entire crowd exploded with cheers; their chant was so loud that even the neighboring towns could hear their voices.

    Thementator had no choice but to wait a little for the crowd to calm down. Nox was loved by the entire barony; somethings couldn''t be helped, so he just let it be.

    When they eventually calmed down, though, he continued. "And now, his opponent for this round... is a fighter who''s been gaining momentum and surprising everyone with their skills... her name is..."

 Chapter 68: I Forfeit

    "Nox." The beautiful, petite, light-skinned girl smiled bitterly as she recognized her opponent; it was none other than Nox himself.

    "Serana?" Nox blurted out. He had known that entering this tournament would eventually mean facing familiar faces to secure his spot as the Barony''s representative, but he hadn''t expected it to happen so soon.

    Serana clenched her fist. Like every other kid, she had dreamed of joining the tournament and pummeling the arrogant brats from the Armstrong Duchy. But with this unexpected turn of events, she strongly doubted her chances.

    ''Why? Why does it have to be him?'' she thought, angry at the organizers for pairing her with her best friend, aware that it wasn''t a deliberate choice but a random one.

    The matches were selected through a random draw, with the names of the participants ced in arge urn and stirred by the Baron himself. The drawing was done before the eyes of everyone, with the participants and spectators watching, so Serana knew it wasn''t their fault... her luck was just too shitty.

    "You know, my mom doesn''t smile at me much, but today she even shed a tear... she was proud of me," Serana said suddenly, breaking the silence.

    Nox didn''t know what she was trying to do, but he felt a pang of guilt in his heart because, no matter what, he wouldn''t step down from this tournament... he needed to smash that Hendrix''s face, and to be honest, Serana wouldn''t be able toplete the job. Even if he had encountered his sister, he still wouldn''t have stepped down.

    "I''m sorry, I''ll make it quick." The rule to win a fight was by knockout or submission. An expensive, invisible rune, which had nearly drained the town''s reserves, surrounded the arena. This rune ensured no child would lose their life; as long as their head wasn''t targeted, the barrier would heal them.

    Nox intended to end the fight swiftly and painlessly, but before he could make a move, Serana turned to Hans, the official referee for the round 16 matches, and dered in a clear voice, "I forfeit!"

    Her voice cut through the crowd, stunning everyone since it was the first time someone had forfeited a match. Murmurs filled the arena; some ridiculed Serana for giving up without a fight, while others praised her decision. Given her struggles in the previous matches, many doubted her chances against one of the tournament''s dark horses.

    "That girl right there made the right call. You old geezers are much dumber than you look... if I were in her shoes, I''d have done the same... after all, I don''t like feeling pain."

    "True, even though the barrier is up, they could still feel pain just like in any real-life situation."

    "I... thank you, I guess." Nox scratched his head because he felt so selfish, but sometimes in life, one needed to be selfish to achieve their goal. Nox was simply being pragmatic.

    "Hmpf, you better beat that Wendy girl and win this thing. If not, I''ll personally beat you up myself." She sneered and walked off the stage. Before she left, though, she nced at Wendy and made a cutthroat gesture.

    Wendy found the little girl''s actions quite adorable and even giggled, something that rubbed Serana the wrong way because she had noticed the white-haired girl staring in Nox''s direction intensely.

    As Serana walked off the stage, Nyx, who was looking at her, wondered if she could do the same if she ever got paired up with Nox... it didn''t take long for her to realize the answer... it was a resounding no!

    Just like that, with Serana forfeiting the match, Nox advanced to the quarterfinals.

    The next person toe up on stage was a kid named Cole. He was one of the few who had impressed the audience. Although he hadn''t finished his fight lightning fast like Nyx, it was still impressive... some believed he was one of the underdogs.

    Cole was a slim, red-haired kid who was filled with vitality and energy. He was none other than Grandma Percy''s biological grandson. Because he had also witnessed what Hendrix had done, a fire had been ignited in his heart to take revenge.

    When his name was called, Cole eagerly jumped onto the stage. He had awakened as a mage with a high affinity for me. Since Nathan was also a fire mage, he had taken Cole under his wing, even teaching him a basic fireball skill obtained from a new level 1 dimensional rift.

    With the skill, Cole spammed fireball after fireball, overwhelming his opponent, a swordsman. The swordsman cursed in his heart as he didn''t even get to use his sword, which was very annoying.

    The round sixteen matches continued unhindered. Nathan, sitting at the officials'' desk, wore an anxious expression as he scanned the area. He expected something to happen at any moment; the fact that nothing had yet urred only made him more worried. He had contacted Eve and Elvin, but both reported that everything was fine on their side.

    ''I should''ve finished that bastard that night,'' Nathan thought, staring at the ongoing match, his mind elsewhere. ''But who would have thought that man had gotten stronger, and what was with that new fighting style? I can clearly remember that Felix''s fighting style wasn''t like that... why did it feel as if I was fighting a different person entirely?''

    During their sh, the Duke had fought with a mask on his face, so Nathan hadn''t seen his face, but since their body shape and height were the same, he could just be overthinking.

    ''I hope the card managed to throw them off my tail,'' Nathan thought and looked at the announcer who called out one of the names the spectators had been itching to hear since the beginning of the tournament.

    "Next match: Wendy vs. Tim!"

    The crowd began to roar when they heard Wendy''s name being called. Because of the hype around her name, everyone was on the edge of their seat.

    With a soft smile, Wendy jumped from the spectator seat beside her mother andnded on the fighting tform. Wendy was a swordswoman, and her opponent also happened to be one. When the referee gave the go, both of them dashed at each other, des nging and shing through the air.

    As expected, Wendy''s opponent was no match for her. She dominated the fight easily, even faster than Nyx. She ced her sword on her opponent''s neck, prompting him to concede and walk off the stage with a smile.

    He didn''t feel discouraged about losing to the prodigy of Vermilion Royal Academy. Round 16 passed in a sh, filled with entertaining fights and dramatic moments. Soon, it was over, and the six winners advanced to the quarterfinals. A random draw was made, and the next fights were determined.

    Nox vs. Rab

    Cole vs. Drake

    Wendy vs. Nyx

 Chapter 69: Quarter finals!

    When the crowd saw the match lineup, their hearts beat wildly in their chests. Of course, the name that had gotten them riled up like this was none other than the Nyx vs. Wendy match.

    "Who are you cing your bet on?" a spectator said at the top of his voice.

    Nyx had finished all three of her matches within seconds¡ªfive seconds for the first two and just four for the third, more impressive than the previous two. Since they hadn''t seen Nox in action yet, the crowd was split on who was the stronger twin and believed the organizers should have given the wild card to Nyx.

    "This fight is going to be tough. I don''t even know who I would bet my money on," a man said. "Nyx seems to improve with each fight. I wouldn''t be surprised if she beats Wendy."

    Another scoffed, "Even if you''re doubting Wendy, put some respect on the Vermilion Royal Academy... Besides, she''s nine years older than Nyx. I say this match won''t evenst a minute."

    "Nathan, what do you think?" Gordon, the druid, asked. He had been spectating the matches ever since he saw Nyx improve with each fight in the tournament; it would be a lie to say he wasn''t impressed by her performance. However, now that she was paired up against Wendy, he was having second thoughts.

    "It''s quite tough, but I''m not worried," Nathan nodded with a confident expression as the match started.

    The first match was Nox vs. Rab.

    "Don''t think I''ll go easy on you just because you''re mymander," Rab said as he took a stance.

    "Hmph, don''t tter yourself. You''ll lose," Nox stated with a cocky grin.

    "Watch me win!" Rab had awakened the Warrior ss and had pretty high strength and agility stats. With the additional agility, he exploded forward, closing the gap between him and Nox in a fraction of a second.

    Because he was merely a fighter, Rab wanted to close the gap with his opponent, hoping to overwhelm Nox. What he didn''t know, however, was that Nox trained mostly with daggers, requiring him to fight in close proximity, which meant he could fight effectively at close range just like warriors.

    As he drew closer, Nox didn''t flinch or move from his spot. A harmless smile adorned his face, yet for some reason, it made Rab feel a shiver run down his spine. The closer Rab got, the wider the harmless smile slowly grew.

    Then Rab noticed something¡ªone of Nox''s legs was pulled back. Rab panicked; the speed he was running at was lightning-fast, too fast for him to stop himself. If he got any closer, he would be kicked in the stomach. The only thing he could do was turn his momentum into an attack.

    However, just as Rab was about to strike, Nox used Phantom Cloak and immediately turned invisible, stunning both the crowd and Rab.

    "Huh, I thought... h-he vanished, but how?" Even the spectators were astonished, standing up from their seats. Before their very eyes, Nox had seemingly disappeared into thin air.

    Rab was very confused; he felt as if he had passed through something just now, but he couldn''t wrap his head around the feeling. It felt as if a spirit had passed through him.

    Just then, he felt a cold hand caress his shiny, bald head. Rab''s scalp went numb, and he stiffly turned around. All he saw was a blur as Nox, who had phased through, delivered a swift fist to Rab''s stomach, followed by a lightning-fast punch to his jaw.

    A loud crack resounded as Rab copsed to the ground with an incredulous expression. He tried to move his limbs, but he couldn''t; the match had ended in two moves, and the crowd rose to their feet, giving a standing ovation.

    Nox helped Rab stand on his feet and bowed to the crowd.

    "Was that second hit necessary?" Rabined as he flexed his jaw.

    "I thought it looked cool," Nox said as he continued to smile at the spectators.

    ***

    The next fight was between Cole and Drake. Drake was fat with plump, chubby cheeks. He had awakened the Tanker ss and held a round shield in his hand. The fight started, and Drake used his shield to bash Cole on the head.

    Although Drake appeared chubby, his stats were much more impressive than Cole''s, making it easier for him tond the first attack.

    "Hmm, I''ve watched all your fights. That fireball won''t save you from my shield," Drake smirked.

    Cole felt disoriented for a split second. Drake took advantage of this opportunity and bashed Cole''s head again. His tactic was pretty simple: bash Cole''s head until he was knocked out.

    However, Cole regained his bearings and distanced himself. Then he started to spam fireballs.

    Drake struggled to deflect the barrage of fireballs with his shield. Initially, it had been easy, but when Cole started spamming multiple fireballs at once, it became annoying.

    "Why don''t youe closer and fight like a man, you twerp!"

    "Mages don''t fight at close range, you dumb skull," Cole retorted as he stretched out his hand.

    "Bring it on!" Drake sneered as he readied his shield, thinking it would be another fireball. But his face soon scrunched up at what he saw the next moment.

    A powerful st of me erupted from Cole''s hand, striking Drake''s shield with incredible force.

    "Oi oi, the kid''s got another trick up his sleeve!" a spectatormented.

    "Yeah, but a skill as powerful as that would certainly take a lot of mana points... Skills like this should be reserved for finishing moves," an old Awakened with experienced eyes pointed out.

    The spectators hadn''t thought much about Cole at the beginning of the tournament, but now they were beginning to take notice of him and thought he was a promising kid.

    Meanwhile, Drake stumbled back, his shield arm trembling from the impact. The shield began to glow with an intense light, radiating searing heat. It was so intense that Drake had no choice but to throw away his only source of protection¡ªa big mistake, as he was now exposed. All Cole had to do was spam fireballs to win the fight, advancing to the semifinals.

    Finally, the main event of the quarterfinals arrived¡ªthe moment the crowd had been waiting for.

    ***

    AN: Power stone and Golden Ticket goal has been hit, so I''m currently owning 3 Chapters which I n to fufil when I return to the city. But the goal still remain for this week.

    100 Golden Tickets = 3 Chapters

    For every 200 Power Stones +1 Chapter

    Castle = 5 Chapters

 Chapter 70: Nyx Vs Wendy: Thirteen Join the fight?

    Nox, like everyone else, was curious about how Nyx would fare against Wendy, a student from the Vermilion Royal Academy. To get a better view, he decided to take a front-row seat.

    The reason for this was that he wanted to study the two fighters'' styles to devise countermeasures in case he faced either of them in the finals.

    [Fight!] Thirteen raised his fists and cheered for Nyx as she ascended the tform. Because of his connection with his master, the panda could feel that Nox cared a lot about his twin sister.

    And for Thirteen, anyone that Nox cared for was an ally worth protecting! The panda had been watching the fight from the taming space; he felt his blood boil and pleaded with Nox to bring him out so that he could view the fight in real life, instead of watching it through Nox''s eyes.

    At first, Nox wanted to resist despite Thirteen''s sad eyes, but in the end, he couldn''t and brought the panda out from the taming space.

    When he did, the spectators became rmed and backed away in fear. Despite the panda''s cute exterior, it was still a magical beast. One Awakened even tried to use a skill on Thirteen, thinking it was a wild beast that had sneaked into the barony. Nox had to do a lot of convincing before they left him alone.

    The story he came up with was that he had awakened a hidden ss that lets himmunicate with beasts and make them do his bidding.

    The only beasts that refused toe out from the taming space were Fluffington and the ant queen. Speaking of the ant queen, Nox suddenly remembered what he had been forgetting for the past few days.

    "Her colony, I was meant to sort out their problem." Nox massaged his temple, clearly frustrated. Because of the whole encounter with Goliath, he had failed to meet up with the colony.

    ''And she didn''t even remind me?''

    In truth, the reason the ant queen hadn''t reminded Nox was because he had been busy since he returned. She had intended to tell him about the colony when the mock tournament was over.

    [Master, you don''t have to worry about that,] the ant queen spoke from the taming space.

    [My skill, Pheromone Maniption, allows me tomunicate with my colonies and even summon them to any location I want. I can even control the life span and longevity of the members of my colony.]

    "Huh, now that I remember, I did read something like that." Nox scratched his head and briefly reviewed the ant scourge''s status information again.

    [Pheromone Maniption Description(Intermediate): The user canmunicate with and control their ant colonies, summoning them to any location. They can also regte the life span and longevity of colony members, and direct their behavior. MP Cost: 15 MP to activate, plus -2 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 2 minutes.]

    "When the tournament is over, we''ll summon all your friends from that dimension." Nox nodded his head when he saw that what the ant queen had said was actually possible.

    [Thank you, Master.]

    "It seems you have a lot of fans," Wendymented as she looked around. Although she was the dark horse, the entire barony was currently cheering for Nyx. She even spotted an odd sight of a panda with pumped fists jumping around making strange animal sounds!

    Although she couldn''t tell what the panda was saying, it had to be cheering for Nyx because this was the first time she was seeing the panda.

    Curious, Wendy asked, "What''s the rtionship between Nox and the panda?" She assumed they were connected because the panda was cheering beside him and he didn''t seem scared like the others.

    This sight made Wendy even more intrigued with the mysterious boy who had eyes as dark as the night itself. She made a mental note to ask her mother more about him once this fight was over.

    Shing!

    Instead of answering Wendy''s question, Nyx pulled out her sword and pointed it at Wendy.

    "Is this a tactic to rile me up before the fight?" Nyx shouted as she charged forward, her sword shing, creating a bright arc of light.

    ng!

    "No, I didn''t mean it like that, I was just curious!" Wendy hurriedly summoned her sword at the nick of time. The two des shed in a shower of sparks. Neither of them stepped back; they were both rooted in the same spot.

    The crowd roared when they saw that both fighters were evenly matched.

    "Woah, this match won''t be as easy as we thought!"

    "Did our little princess just hold her ground against someone from the Vermilion Royal Academy?"

    "Five years, is she really five years?"

    "Oi, old man, did you decrease your granddaughter''s age? Now that I think about it, she doesn''t behave her age," Gordon queried Nathan at the official desk.

    "You dumb skull! Wasn''t your wife the one who gave birth to Nox and Nyx?" Nathan retorted with an annoyed expression, resisting the urge to p the druid silly on the head.

    [Fight! Fight! Fight!] Thirteen felt his blood boiling as he watched the two exchange blows once more. If it was possible, the panda wanted to join the fight.

    Now that he thought about it, since his father didn''t particrly like Wendy, doesn''t that make her an enemy?

    Nox was also impressed with his sister''s disy. He wondered how he would have fared against her if not for his overpowered skill. At that moment he caught sight of a ck and white creature dashing towards the arena with fists clenched.

    The panda had already decided to lend a helping hand to Nyx and thrash the white-haired girl!

    All enemies must be dealt with! Yes, important things must be said twice!

    "Thirteen? What the fuck!" Nox was at a loss for words when he saw this sight.

    ***

    AN: Your support is my motivation to write, so please don''t hessitate to hit me up with those Gifts, Golden Tickets and power Stones...Also reviews would be nice.

 Chapter 71: Who Is The Winner?

    "They''re not really fighting."

    [Huh?]

    "Yes, I know it looked as if they''re fighting, but it''s a tournament."

    Thirteen became even more confused. What was a tournament? Just before reaching the fighting tform, Nox had ced Thirteen in the taming space. Now, he was trying to convince the panda that it was a tournament.

    "I shouldn''t have used ''tournament''... how about this: it''s like a game, and they''repeting to see who is stronger."

    [Stronger?]

    "Yes, to know who is stronger, so we just watch."

    [Nyx? Friend?] The panda pouted. He really wanted to help Nyx in the fight. In Thirteen''s mind, Wendy was no different from the ants back in that dimension.

    In fact, all enemies were like that--they should be crushed! The panda''s eyes glowed. Fluffingtonzily yawned and licked his paws. [This battle maniac is just finding an excuse to join the fight, don''t mind him, brat.]

    [Excuse?] The panda looked away like someone who had been caught stealing. It wasn''t an excuse to join the fight... alright, maybe it was, but he did it out of care for Nyx.

    Nox chuckled and scratched the back of Thirteen''s ear. "I know you want to help, buddy, but in this game, we have to follow the rules. No outside help, okay?"

    [Rule?]

    "You didn''t understand anything I said, did you?" Nox massaged his temple.

    Back in the arena... "Is everyone from that stupid academy this arrogant?" Nyx shouted as the two fighters distanced themselves and shed again, sparks flying like a shower of rain.

    She couldn''t believe the nerve of this girl. How dare she talk about some panda in the middle of their fight? This was humiliating; it was a clear sign that her opponent didn''t see her as a threat.

    ''The one thing I hate most in this world is being underestimated,''

    Nyx charged in again. She unleashed a flurry of strikes, her sword slicing through the air in deadly arcs. Wendy parried each blow with her own sword, then countered with a swift kick aimed at Nyx''s chest. Nyx leapt to the side, avoiding the attack by mere inches. As shended, sheunched a powerful sh at Wendy''s shoulder.

    "I didn''t mean it like that!" Wendy sidestepped, but the sword had already grazed her skin, spilling blood on the fighting tform.

    ''Dammit, this girl is tough. Who the hell is her master?'' Wendy couldn''t believe she was forced back by a five-year-old to a corner. As she watched Nyx''s attack pattern, she noticed a crucial detail.

    The girl was aiming at vitals, hell-bent on finishing the fight as quickly as possible.

    ''She noticed, huh?'' Nyx thought. Wendy was beginning to predict where and when she would attack, making it very difficult tond a hit.

    ''Mom told me something like this would happen...'' Nyx thought. ''But this has been my goal from the beginning... make my fighting style predictable, then change it in the middle of the fight. By the time she figures it out, it will be toote. And if she does, I''ll just have to change it over and over again.''

    Nyx clenched the muscles in her legs.

    ''I will win this fight!''

    She thought back to the Phantom sh technique that she had learned from her mother. It was a technique that required her to deal with her opponent in the fastest way possible by depending on her agility.

    But Nyx had an even better way to use this skill. Like every other kid, she also received a skillpatible with her pdin ss.

    What if... what if she enhanced this technique with a speed-oriented skill?

    "Holy Speed!" she dered, her voice ringing out across the arena.

    As she spoke, Wendy''s eyes widened. Right before her eyes, Nyx''s body began to shimmer.

    Then she burst forward like a whirlwind. Wendy gritted her teeth as she saw Nyx''s sword slice through the air with incredible velocity, leaving trails in her wake.

    ''This girl... I need to take her seriously!'' Wendy managed to parry most of the strikes, but some snuck past her. Her uniform was now soaked in blood. She took a huge step back to stop the barrage of attacks. The spectators were silent when they saw this sight. There was no chant of excitement; they were simply stunned.

    Had they overhyped Wendy, or was she the one going easy on the little girl?

    Perhaps the only one who was cheering was the panda!

    [Woohoo!] The panda pumped his fist and bounced excitedly, cheering. Blood, more blood!

    ***

    ''I.'' Wendy gripped her sword tighter. At first, she hadn''t thought much about this fight, but after sustaining these injuries, she knew she needed to take it seriously. If not, she just might lose. She didn''t care much about losing, but if the news spread to the school, she would be ridiculed by her peers.

    "You... you''re not normal, but this is the end of the road for you," she dered.

    "Confident words for someone who hasn''t evennded a hit?" Nyx smirked. The fight was already in the bag. Now all she had to do was make her opponent lose her mind, then finish her off in her clouded state.

    "You think so?" Wendy chuckled. "If you paid attention, you''d notice I have yet to use a skill!"

    Nyx''s eyes widened in realization. Indeed, Wendy hadn''t used any skill.

    "Now... it''s my turn!" Wendy roared and charged forward, her sword radiating an intense, fiery glow. The air around her seemed to distort with heat as she shouted:

    "Inferno Strike!" Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet cracked and smoldered as she struck, her de slicing through the air with a zing trail.

    "W-what? That attack looks very powerful," a spectator cried out when they saw the zing trail in the air.

    The audience was scared that Nyx would be hurt very badly and wondered why the referee hadn''t interfered yet.

    "As expected of the Vermilion Royal Academy, that is an advanced skill right there!" Advanced skills were very expensive, and not even many adult Awakened had one, but a little girl was casually disying one.

    If they were this shocked, only God knew how they''d feel if they discovered that Nox could actually copy an ability and upgrade it to the ultimate tier.

    (Quick recap: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced skills, Ultimate skills)

    Over a hundred hearts beat wildly in their chests as they watched the two swords sh in mid-air with a deafening bang that almost made everyone bleed from the ears. The impact of their sh caused the tform to crack in two, and dust rose, enveloping everything.

    "W-who is the winner?" a spectator nervously asked the question in the minds of everyone.

 Chapter 72: A New Mission

    (AN: I made a big blunder by pairing Nox with Drake instead of Rab, but I fixed it in the match lineup at the end of the chapter 68.)

    ***

    "I... I lost."

    The smoke eventually cleared, and all the spectators saw the oue of the sh. As they did, they were all stunned speechless by what they saw.

    Nyx, the girl who had disyed overwhelming power just moments ago, nowy on the ground, barely conscious. A frown marred her beautiful face, with two lines of tears streaming from her eyes.

    "Just a little more, and I would''ve won," Nyx thought, staring at Wendy, who was looming over her with the sun shining behind her and her hand outstretched.

    "Y-you''re strong. I still can''t believe you actually forced me to use one of my trump cards," Wendy stated. "For a five-year-old, you''re too strong. I''m sure if you continue at this pace, a few years from now, even I wouldn''t be a match for you. How about we be friends? I can be your big sister when youe to the Academy."

    Nyx stared at Wendy''s outstretched arm withplicated emotions. For some reason, she felt good knowing that she was able to give a ranker from the Vermilion Royal Academy a run for their money, even forcing them to reveal their trump card.

    "She''s right; in a few years, even she won''t be a match for me... I just have to work hard and get more skills." Nyx''s eyes shone with determination as she took Wendy''s outstretched arm, helping herself up.

    The crowd erupted into cheers at this disy of sportsmanship. Initially, they believed Nyx would lose to the dark horse within seconds, but she had proved everyone wrong, even forcing Wendy into a difficult situation.

    It was not the end of the road. With her performance, she already had the organizers and even the general public vote to advance into the semifinals. The people who had advanced to the semifinals were Nox, Cole, and Wendy.

    However, to make it more fair and bnced, the organizers and spectators could vote for a participant with the most outstanding performance to enter the semifinals.

    Nyx had won this vote, thus she still had a shot to win this tournament.

    "If we meet in the semifinals, I won''t go easy on you this time," Nyxmented with a rarely seen smile before walking down. As she did, Aina, spectating the fight, gave her a thumbs up. She was very proud of her daughter.

    ... And one thing Nyx loved most was making her mother proud. She then thought of someone and looked in his direction. Her silly brother gave her a thumbs up with a stupid goofy smile, which for some reason suddenly made her mood sour.

    "Wow, so those are the ones who would represent us," a spectatormented. "But isn''t it uneven? There are only four."

    "I''m guessing the losers of the quarterfinals wouldpete for that spot." Because thepetitors were taking a break, the spectators had time to specte about the uing match.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Elvin kept watch but hadn''t spotted anything. Boredom was setting in, and he began to think Nathan was just being paranoid.

    "I wonder if the tournament has ended already..." Elvin thought when he stopped hearing any chantsing from the arena. Just as he was getting annoyed at the thought of missing the tournament, he sighted something in the far distance. With a closer look, he noticed it was a woman.

    "Someone is approaching, a ck-haired woman... what should I do?" He contacted Eve through themunication crystal.

    "Since she isn''t following the front gate, shoot her down!" Eve replied in an emotionless voice. She was casually talking about shooting down a human as if it was very normal.

    "But, but what if she means no harm?"

    "If she meant no harm, she''d have entered through the front gate."

    "Ah, that makes sense." Elvin didn''t ask further questions, aimed his bow at the mysterious woman, and released an arrow. However, before the arrow could strike its target, the woman suddenly vanished into ck mist.

    "Huh."

    "What, did you miss?"

    "No, I mean yes, but she vanished into ck mist."

    On the other side, Eve paused and pondered with a thoughtful expression. She tried to think about any ss capable of doing something like this.

    "Perhaps an assassin," she pondered. Teleportation and invisibility skills were morepatible with assassin-type awakened. Could it be the duke sent an assassin to take revenge?

    As she was about to contact Nathan to be vignt, a ck-haired woman suddenly appeared before her. A pair of daggers materialized in Eve''s hands, and she was about to stab the intruder in the chest but immediately paused when she took a good look at the woman.

    She had flowing ck hair that reached her waist and beautiful green eyes. With her ck gown and the ominous aura that was billowing off her, Eve instinctively knew who this person was.

    "Don''t panic, Elvin. I know who she is. She''s not an enemy... at least not yet," Eve told Elvin through themunication crystal. He released an audible sigh of relief, but soon his brows furrowed as he thought about something.

    "What does she mean by not yet?" Unfortunately, before he could ask this question, themunication line was disconnected.

    After ending the call, Eve turned to the mysterious woman and spoke in her unfriendly voice, "This is my resting period, why are you here?"

    "You''ve been assigned a new mission, Eve." The mysterious woman made a brief bow; after all, Eve was much stronger and held a high position in their organization.

    "A new mission?" Eve frowned. "I wasn''t expecting any mission so soon. What''s going on?"

    The mysterious woman smiled, her green eyes glinting with amusement. "The queen has deemed this mission to be of utmost importance. It cannot wait."

    Eve raised an eyebrow, intrigued now that she heard it was a direct mission from the queen herself. "What is the mission?" she asked a momentter.

    The woman nodded her head. "It''s concerning the emergence of the new..."

 Chapter 73: Brutal Beatdown

    Nox vs. Nyx

    Wendy vs. Cole

    This was the lineup for the semi-finals.

    Cole gave his best effort but still lost to Wendy. However, he had no regrets; securing his spot in the tournament was enough. He would be content as long as he could pummel the faces of the bastards in the Amstrong Duchy.

    The next match was between Nox and Nyx, another fight that had everyone talking. Nyx''s impressive performance against Wendy, a Royal Academy student, made many believe that the twins possessed simr strength.

    "Hmmm, just because your stamina is low doesn''t mean I''ll take it easy on you," Noxmented as his dagger appeared in his hands.

    "As much as I''d like to p that stupid face of yours, I''ll have to forfeit the match," Nyx spoke with a sigh and started to leave the tform, leaving Nox and the crowd stunned.

    "Wait... why?" Nox hurriedly called out. He didn''t like the fact that Serena had forfeited before; he didn''t want the same thing to happen with Nyx because he wanted to test thetter''s strength.

    One of the main reasons for this tournament was to demonstrate his strength and show the people of his barony that he was someone reliable. But if everyone continued forfeiting, how would he prove that? Some might even think they were doing it out of pity because they didn''t want him to feel sad.

    "Why?" Nyx paused in her track and turned to her brother. "Because I want you to beat that Wendy girl. Even if I fight you and win, I''ll still lose against Wendy. I''m just not ready; I need more training and practice. I''ll probably learn more skills from Mom."

    "But you... You have a good chance of beating her, and I don''t want to ruin that for you. If you want to prove to everyone that you''re strong, then beat Wendy. Show her the might of being a Cromwell," Nyx said and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Nox standing there as he thought about what she''d said.

    Indeed, Nyx was right. She had overwhelmed all her opponents but was ultimately defeated by Wendy, proving Wendy to be the true dark horse of the tournament.

    The only way to remove any doubt from the minds of the spectators was for him to beat Wendy. That way, everyone could see he didn''t get into the finals by luck.

    Hans, the referee, sighed and announced the forfeit, eliciting mixed reactions from the spectators. Though they loved Nox, they disliked the development and preferred he earn his victories rather than have them handed to him on a silver tter.

    Their only hope was that Wendy would not forfeit, because if she did, they''d be more pissed off than they were.

    As for the organizers, they were helpless. They couldn''t force the kids to fight against their will as there was no rule that restricted one from forfeiting.

    As Nyx went to sit beside her mother, Aina checked her stats.

    [Nyx - LV2]

    [MP: 40%/100%]

    [HP: 50%/100%]

    Aina''s eyes widened in concern as she saw Nyx''s stats. "Nyx, your MP and HP are still low from the previous match. You made the right choice there. With MP like this, you wouldn''t be able to use Holy Speed again."

    "I know, Mom. That''s one of the reasons I forfeited. Also, I don''t want to hold him back."

    "Aww, you''re so selfless." Aina smiled and stroked her daughter''s head.

    "Who said I''m selfless?" Nyx''s face morphed into a frown. "A part of me still wants Wendy to smash his stupid face to the groun--ouch." Aina suddenly pinched Nyx''s cheeks, interrupting her.

    "Look, the fight is about to begin. Be like that panda and cheer for your brother."

    The air was filled with anticipation as Nox and Wendy faced off on the tform, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. Nox, his dagger glinting in the light, cracked his neck. Meanwhile, Wendy, her sword at the ready, disyed a warm smile.

    "My mom told me so many things about you," Wendy said to Nox.

    "Good things or bad things?" Nox asked.

    Wendy chuckled. "Good things, actually. I want to thank you for always checking up on my mom and doing the chores for her."

    "That''s not a problem. Aunty Celine heals everyone in the barony for free; it''s the least I can do. Now can we focus on the fight? I hope you won''t go easy on me just because of that."

    "I felt your sister''s strength. I heard you''re even stronger, so I''m not nning to go easy on you."

    The crowd held its collective breath as Hans shouted, "Begin!"

    Immediately, Nox exploded into motion, his dagger shing through the air. Wendy raised her sword to block, but Nox''s speed and power sent her stumbling back a bit.

    "Huh?" Wendy was slightly taken aback. She didn''t expect Nox''s aggressiveness just now. She was level 10 while Nox was 5, yet his speed seemed to surpass hers. With her stats, her agility was definitely higher than his, so how?

    ''Is it a movement technique, or are these twins just monsters? The others weren''t like that.'' Wendy was puzzled as she held her sword tighter, a fierce light shing on the de.

    Unbeknownst to Wendy, Nox''s speed was due to his gic enhancements and the effects of Shadow Oblivion, which had strengthened all his bones.

    ''Honestly, I could finish this fight much quicker if I used Phantom Cloak, but for one, I want to test my dagger skills against a fellow human.''

    He had only fought against beasts seriously; he had never fought seriously with a human.

    "It seems you don''t look like a gentleman," Wendy said after regaining her footing. She held the sword tightly with both hands.

    "I can''t afford to be a gentleman in the middle of a fight, can I?" Nox charged in once again, his dagger slicing through the air with deadly precision.

    Wendy quickly raised her sword and managed to block the strike, but soon saw a round shield materialize in Nox''s grasp. The ck-haired boy didn''t hesitate and mmed the shield into her face.

    BANG!

    "Damnit!" Because she held the sword with both hands, there was no way to deflect the shield. It smashed into her face, sending her stumbling through the arena. She had to stop herself by stabbing her sword into the tform. As she struggled to stand up, Nox was upon her with a crushing punch to the face, causing saliva to fly out of her mouth.

    "This is brutal." This was the thought of all the spectators as they watched the fight. The match had been going on for some minutes now, but Wendy had yet tond even a single hit.

 Chapter 74: End of Finals (1)

    Wendy took a step back to catch her breath. The match had been going on for two grueling minutes, and she hadn''t managed tond a single hit on Nox, her agile and elusive opponent.

    "Argh!" The white-haired girl groaned, looking at her arm that bore a rtively deep cut mark--a result of their previous sh just moments ago.

    "I have to take him more seriously than his sister."

    Despite her depleting HP, Wendy staggered to her feet and gripped the sword tighter.

    "She''s still up! I know this fight won''t end like this," a spectator shouted.

    The crowd watched in stunned silence. They had heard rumors about Nox being a dark horse in thepetition, but his current performance exceeded all expectations. Wendy''s attacks had been effortlessly parried or dodged, leaving her struggling to keep up with Nox''s barrage of attacks.

    Now that she was on her feet, the spectators thought she was about to take the fight seriously. They sat on the edge of their seats, watching intently.

    In the arena, Wendy sprang into action, charging towards Nox with her gleaming de held low. Nox hurled his dagger at her, but this time she was prepared. With a swift motion, she raised her sword, and a sharp metallic ng echoed as she deflected the iing dagger.

    With renewed determination, Wendy sprinted forward, her eyes locked on Nox. In one fluid motion, she leaped into the air, her body twisting gracefully. As she descended, she activated her skill and brought her sword crashing down into the ground.

    [Earth Ripple!]

    The tform''s surface began to ripple like waves in the ocean. Nox was confused at this phenomenon; he tried to jump, his face turning grim as he realized he was stuck to the ground.

    Against his will, Nox felt himself being dragged towards Wendy. The skill she had activated manipted the ground beneath him, creating ripples that locked his feet in ce. As long as his legs touched the ground, he was helplessly pulled towards her, like a puppet on strings.

    It was an intermediate-ranked skill that didn''t require much experience and could only imprison Nox for a limited period of time, but it was all she needed to finish this fight.

    "With his legs stuck, he won''t be able to dodge any of my attacks... This is my chance!" Wendy dered, pulling the sword out from the ground. She felt slightly embarrassed for fighting so seriously against a child, but it couldn''t be helped.

    Nox was unpredictable, like a fish in water. It was very difficult to catch him. Because of this, she decided to make the best use of this opportunity to finish him.

    Wendy lifted her sword, her breath steadying as she prepared to deliver the final blow. But just as she was about to strike, she activated [Warrior''s Focus!]

    Her eyes glowed with a fierce blue light, and she felt a surge of energy coursing through her veins. This skill was her ace in the hole; it allowed her to enter a state of heightened awareness, increasing her uracy and speed. Her sword began to glow with a faint blue aura of mana, and her movements became even more swift and deadly.

    ''Warrior''s Focus consumes a lot of mana for each second it''s activated,'' Wendy thought. She liked using it at the end of a fight to suddenly gain the upper hand. With this skill activated, she could see everything in slow motion.

    However, she soon noticed Nox was smiling.

    "Why is he smiling?" she thought, feeling shivers down her spine.

    "Something is wrong," she thought, looking around, expecting a sneak attack at any moment, but there was nothing.

    Yet... she still felt uneasy.

    "I might just be overthinking--huh, what''s this cold sensation?" Wendy snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the tip of a de pressed against the back of her neck. But how was that possible? She had only one enemy; he should be...

    "Where is he?" Wendy''s eyes widened in horror as she realized Nox was standing behind her, his dagger at her neck.

    "Earth Ripple should still be active, so how did he get out? How?!"

    Wendy''s thoughts raced as she tried toprehend the impossible situation. She had Nox right where she wanted him, stuck to the ground with Earth Ripple, and yet... he was behind her, his de against her neck.

    She tried to move, but her body felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot. Warrior''s Focus was still active, but her heightened senses couldn''t exin how Nox had escaped her trap.

    The crowd was on its feet, shocked. They had just witnessed the most unbelievable turn of events in this tournament!

    "What just happened?!" a seasoned Awakened shouted. "How did he get out of the Earth Ripple?!"

    Earth Ripple was a popr skill, and many had seen it in battle. They knew how difficult it was to escape from.

    Nathan, seated in the officiating seat, leaned forward, his eyes widening. "Did he just teleport?!" he asked, his voice trembling with a mix of confusion and awe.

    As a high Awakened, Nathan could tell Nox had simply used camouge in the fight against Rab. That was why it took longer for him to go around the bald boy, but this time, he had appeared instantly behind Wendy.

    "How is he even getting all these skills?" Nathan wondered, at a loss for words. Skills were very expensive and hard toe by; most Awakened only had a few because of their cost.

    A teleportation skill is even more expensive; it''s a game-changer in any battle. How did his grandson get his hands on one?

    "Eve must have given it to him." It was the only conclusion Nathan coulde to.

    ***

    On the wall...

    "The mission is about--"

    "That can wait."

    "Huh?" The mysterious woman was surprised when she saw Eve''s attention focused on the live feed floating just above the crystal in her hand.

    It was an ongoing fight between two youngsters. But what shocked her was not the fight itself--it wasmon knowledge that Eve was a very boring person, and nothing seemed to excite her. But to think she would suspend an order from the queen just to watch two youngsters fight... Who were these kids?

    She decided to take a closer look, her eyes settling on a boy with eyes as dark as night itself.

    "It''s him!" she suddenly eximed in surprise as her eyesnded on Nox.

 Chapter 75: End

    During Wendy and Nyx''s fight, Nyx had used a skill called [Holy Speed!], which greatly enhanced her agility and made her a formidable opponent. Currently, Nox didn''t possess many skills in his arsenal, only Shadow Oblivion and Phantom Cloak. Both were offensive skills, but Nox needed something toplement his battle style.

    As a close-range fighter, Nox needed to be fast and agile to take out his enemies and escape if they proved too strong. A speed-rted skill would have allowed him to get away unscathed when he encountered Goliath, even increasing his fighting chance slightly.

    Nox hated that he couldn''t keep up with Goliath''s speed. It reminded him of Hendrix, who was also fast. Subconsciously, to eliminate this weakness, he had been searching for a good target with a speed-rted skill.

    Fortunately, during the fight with Wendy, Nyx had used Holy Speed! Nox knew he couldn''t miss this chance to get rid of his weakness.

    [Target: Nyx, Holy Speed - Sessfully copied Skill]

    [Holy Speed (Intermediate): Increases user''s movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds. Cost: 10 MP to activate, plus -1 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 1 minute]

    [10x upgrade detected new skill]

    [Upgrading Holy Speed x10!]

    [Ding! You''ve Awakened Divine Velocity!]

    [Divine Velocity (Ultimate Skill): Increases user''s movement speed by 200% for up to 1 minute. While in this state, they gain a +20 increase in Agility, can move through solid objects, and leave behind a holy trail that deals damage to enemies. MP Cost: 20 MP to activate, plus -10 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 5 minutes]

    [Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to a pet?]

    "I''m sorry, I have to take this one. I promise to give you guys suitable skills in the future," Nox thought. He felt bad for not giving his beasts enough skills but promised to upgrade them in the future and turn them into war machines on any battlefield.

    ***

    Present.

    Since the fighting tform was considered a solid object, Nox easily freed himself from Earth Ripple''s grasp and appeared behind Wendy, cing his dagger, which he had recalled, at her neck.

    His speed was so frightening that even Nathan hadn''t noticed it, making it seem like he had teleported. The only person who had clearly seen what happened was Aina. Like Nathan, she also thought Eve had gifted Nox a powerful skill. A speed skill that could mislead people into thinking it was teleportation was certainly expensive.

    Aina knew Nox didn''t have such money, so her only guess was the Necromancer Eve.

    Still, she found the skill very simr to the Holy Speed that Wendy had used a few moments ago. But because the skill had been upgraded 10 times, this was just a fleeting thought.

    Slowly, the crowd''s shock subsided, and Wendy stiffly raised her hand to surrender. If this had been a real fight, a simple hand movement could have cost her life. Though embarrassing, it was the only thing she could do in this situation.

    The referee shortly announced Nox as the undisputed winner of the mock tournament, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

    "You... how old are you again?" Wendy asked, putting her sword away.

    Nox tilted his head in confusion. Wasn''t his age a known fact? "Five. Why''d you ask?"

    "Nothing. See you around, then," Wendy hurriedly replied as she descended from the fighting tform.

    "Monsters, both of them are monsters. Is it because of their mother''s race?" she muttered to herself. Nox only heard iprehensible gibberish.

    After bowing one final time, Nox stepped down from the tform. With his outstanding performance, every single trace of doubt was cleared from the spectators'' minds. They now had new hope that, with Nox and others'' presence, they had a chance of winning this tournament if he continued at this pace.

    For fifth ce, the losers of the quarter-finals battled, and surprisingly, Rab won, bing the number five representative in the tournament.

    Soon, the official results for the tournament were out.

    "Ladies, gentlemen, and panda!" thementator announced in a booming voice. "And that''s a wrap, folks! The mock tournament hase to a close, and we have our top five representatives! Please give a round of apuse to our winners!"

    "In first ce, the young prodigy, Nox Aegis Cromwell! This five-year-old sensation has left us all speechless with his incredible skills and speed. Will he be the one to lead our team to victory in the real tournament?"

    "In second ce, the skilled Wendy Chai! This talented warrior has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with. And rounding out our top five, we have Chris Cole, Nyx Cromwell, and Rab Damian! These talented kids have shown us what they''re capable of, and we can''t wait to see what they do next."

    Immediately after thementator finished, the five fighters bowed low, and the crowd gave a standing ovation to the outstanding children. They were truly proud of them; their performance had made their blood boil, and they wished they could participate in the tournament themselves.

    There were low and high moments: friends facing each other, surprising underdogs nearly defeating the dark horse of thepetition, but above all, the name that couldn''t leave the spectators'' lips was Nox''s.

    With his disy, the boy would certainly be a powerhouse in the future. The citizens were d they had watched him fight and would tell their children about the legend of Nox Aegis Cromwell... the anomaly.

    ***

    Just like the Cromwell Barony, the other towns had alsopleted their mock tournaments. News about Nox''s performance had already reached everyone''s ears in the western region. It was even rumored that, after Hendrix, he was the second most likely person to win the tournament.

    This made the others double their efforts to prove everyone wrong.

    In Landon Barony, the tournament had just ended, and Jared had imed the top spot for himself. He was all smiles as he clenched his fist.

    "This is my sure ticket to seeing you again... I mean to punching that bastard''s face... totally not to see that Nyx girl," Jared thought, shing an unconvincing smile as he stared at the crowd chanting his name.

    In the Armstrong Duchy...

    "It seems the kid is also working on himself," Hendrix thought, his gaze sweeping over the brutally beaten bodies of his elder siblings groaning on the ground. "But that won''t be enough to catch up with me."

    ***

    Four yearster...

 Chapter 76: When Will You Return My liege?

    In the Demonic Empire... Inside a level two purple-colored dimension.

    Four years ago, a masked higher demon made his appearance in this dimension, and ever since then, things had never been the same. Though the hunting event continued unhindered, the demons felt uneasy and always watched their backs, as if afraid that someone or something would attack them from behind.

    "Dammit, how long will this continue?" A frustrated three-eyed and armed demon kicked the carcass of a crab-like beast to the side.

    "Hey, he''s close by. You might want to keep your mouth shut," another demon warned, looking around fearfully, as if afraid that someone would hear his impulsive partner.

    "But how long will it continue?!" the demon shouted. "Since he came out, it''s getting harder to find beasts, and the dimensional boss hase outside twice now! Two fucking times."

    "I know, it''s frustrating because we can''t climb the rankings, and he''s just hoarding everything for himself. But we just have to endure; maybe when he finally gets bored, everything will return to normal."

    Just like the two demons, all the other demons were silentlyining about theck of monsters.

    "It''s mine! That beast is mine! I saw it first!"

    "Hmpf, until you kill it, it''s not yours!"

    On another side, a group of demons were chasing arge beast with several spikes jutting out of its back. The beast had a single glowing purple eye and would asionally unleash a powerful st. The st tore through the group, killing a good number, but the demons were still relentless.

    "It''s mine!" a demon shouted, eyes glowing with greed. For weeks now, he had not encountered even a single beast; now that he had found this one, he was determined not to let it escape or fall into the hands of others.

    "No, it''s mine!" another sneered.

    In the past, the demons would have worked together to take down the beast, but now they were too busy fighting over the limited resources.

    The beast unleashed another st, killing a few more demons, but they kepting. The demon who had shouted first managed to grab onto the beast''s leg, holding on for dear life as the beast tried to shake him off.

    "Mine!" he shouted again, his eyes glowing with otherworldly energy.

    Just as he was about to deliver the final blow, a figure appeared out of nowhere, striking the demon with a swift kick that sent him flying.

    The figure was that of a towering demon with an imposing presence. He had deep red skin and sharp features entuated by curved horns protruding from his forehead. His eyes were piercing red and gleamed with intensity, while his messy ck hair framed his face.

    "The second ranker!" All the demons hesitated and flinched back when they saw the demon radiating a fierce aura.

    Four years ago, a higher demon had appeared, and the Lord of Blight Castle stepped out; the second ranker, Goliath, had perished. Ever since then, the third-ranked demon had taken his ce.

    Yet, even after four years, he was still far behind the Lord of Blight Castle.

    In the past, the prideful second-ranked demon would never kill or steal from lower-ranked demons. For even someone like him toe out, one could only imagine how terrible the situation was.

    "Leave it," the second ranker said, his voice low and menacing. "This one is mine."

    Knowing better than to cross this demon, the others backed off, disappearing into the forest.

    "When will this end?" the third-ranked demon sighed, looking up at the top of Blight Castle, which was enveloped by eternal mes.

    At the gateway that led to the outside world, a group of demons were searching others and their belongings before letting them in or out. Though the demons were angered because of the invasion of privacy, they couldn''t reallyin, as this was an order passed down by the Lord of Blight Castle himself.

    In a clearing, a giant beast stood over 2 meters tall. It was a giant ape with a massive body covered in thick, scaly skin ranging in color from dark grey to brown. The beast''s eyes glowed with a fierce inner light, and its sharp teeth seemed capable of tearing through steel. Its arms were long and powerful, ending in razor-sharp ws that could tear apart concrete.

    This beast was the boss/Gatekeeper of this dimension and was supposed to be one of the most powerful creatures. Yet currently, it cowered terrified before the demon standing before it.

    The demon was tall and beautiful, with two different eye colors--blue and red.

    Because of the death of the other beasts in the dimension, the giant ape had been triggered and came out to get rid of the threat. But Amos had brutally beaten it both times they shed, leaving it on the verge of death.

    The only reason the demon had not killed the gatekeeper was that he didn''t want the dimension to close down, and even the ape knew this. Hence, it didn''t outrightly attack, even if Amos had his back against it.

    "When will you return, my liege?" Amos muttered with wistfulness in his eyes. He had been waiting for years and had evene out to hunt beasts; maybe by a stroke of luck, he could encounter the legendary hound again.

    But so far, it had been fruitless.

    "That woman... is she his bodyguard?" Amos''s thoughts drifted to the red-haired woman who had sent him flying through the portal with one attack. Although he couldn''t see her level, he felt the power behind her attack and knew she could easily get rid of him if they ever shed.

    Someone with such power could only be the legendary Hound''s bodyguard.

    ''I thought if I hunted beasts, time would pass faster, but even killing these vermin is starting to get boring.'' Amos looked at the ape, and it flinched back. Four years ago, after being mmed through the portal, he had sent a description to his close acquaintance who was also part of the same organization he was from.

    The acquaintance was known for traveling a lot... Amos was hoping he could give him a lead, but even that had yielded no result.

    ''Maybe I''m just wasting my time... Why would he return to a mid-level dimension when someone like him could enter higher dimensional rifts?''

    Just then, a faint rustling sound came from the underbrush. Amos''s head snapped back to attention, his eyes narrowing as he watched a figure emerge from the shadows.

    It was another higher demon, just like Amos.

    But this was no ordinary higher demon; it was Amos''s acquaintance, the one he had been waiting for all these years.

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support this book with their Golden Ticket, I''m back home so I''ll start uploading the bonus Chapters for the power Stone and Golden Ticket from tomorrow.

 Chapter 77: A Break

    "Did you find it?" It was the first question Amon asked, his heart beating in anticipation. This information meant a lot to him, and with each passing minute the higher demon took, he felt his heart squeezing.

    Finally, the demon said, "ording to your description of the surroundings, the Hound seemed to have gone to the human domain... specifically speaking, the Vermilion Kingdom."

    "The human domain. I knew it, the air was too pure." Amon cursed himself for being too dumb. Why hadn''t he thought about it? The size of the room, the furniture, and the air had been clear giveaways, after all.

    "Regardless, this means I have a lead," Amon thought, turned his back, and started to walk away.

    His destination: the Vermilion Kingdom.

    The livelihood of Cromwell Barony had improved significantly in the past four years. Before, their major source of revenue hade from farming, which was only a dozen gold coins and could barely sustain them.

    However, this had changed since the appearance of the level two dimensional rift. The unemployed Awakened who didn''t work for guilds finally had something to do besides hunting monsters in the Luminous Forest.

    The resources and loot were sold to guilds in the Royal Capital and other cities, bringing in a steady stream of gold coins. The barony''s economy was flourishing, and the people were happy. It was the best time of their lives.

    Because of the presence of the dimensional rift, several merchants had moved into the barony, setting up shops and trading goods. The once-small and sleepy town was now bustling with activity.

    Nathan had used the money generated from the dimensional rift to expand the cobblestone roads and repair the walls.

    In the past four years, beasts had beening closer and closer to the walls, apanied by heavy downpours of rain from time to time. The people of the barony had grown uneasy, but with the improved infrastructure and the presence of the Awakened, they felt safer.

    A ck-haired youth standing at 5''6" with lightless eyes was currently gasping for breath as he stared at the high ceilings of the coliseum. Beside him were Panda, a fat cat, and a humanoid ant.

    "Training is over for today; you can take a break tomorrow," Eve said as she descended from the fighting tform after another grueling training session. It was a three-versus-one fight, but Eve had easily bested all three unscathed.

    Nox felt frustrated; no matter how hard he pushed himself, he couldn''tnd a single hit on the necromancer because she could anticipate each of his moves easily.

    "Thank you, Master!" he said as he staggered to his feet. During these four years, he had trained continuously, learned a variety of dagger arts, and even perfected his control of splitting his attention in battle.

    Unlike the other kids, he didn''t take breaks. His daily routine for the past years waspleting his daily quests, training with Eve, andstly, hunting monsters.

    Of course, under the guidance of his grandfather and other Awakened in the barony, almost everyone had learned about how disciplined and hardworking Nox was.

    The only person who trained at the same pace as he did was Nyx... the rest took breaks from time to time, so they were far behind the twins in terms of strength. In fact, this was his first break in four years.

    "You''re wee." When she was further from the fighting tform, Eve murmured to herself with a subtle smile on her face.

    "Please tell me the world isn''ting to an end," Skully eximed when he saw the smile on his Mistress''s face. She''d been smiling more often, and it freaked Skully out whenever he saw her; he wasn''t used to this version of his Mistress!

    ''All this began when she started training that pipsqueak... that kid doesn''t know it, but he is slowly breaking Mistress''s frozen heart,'' Skully thought.

    Skully had long noticed that Eve was very fond of Nox because they shared simr qualities: they were both very hardworking, disciplined, and had goals they were actively working toward. However, for some reason, Eve would never ept these feelings, and Skully knew the reason.

    Eve''s smile faded as quickly as it appeared, reced by her usual cold and calcting demeanor. She turned to Skully, her expression unreadable.

    "What are you talking about, Skully?"

    Skully, taken aback by the sudden change, stuttered, "N-nothing, Mistress. Just... just making conversation."

    "You all have tried; I''m very proud of you guys," Nox said as he flicked an invisible tear from his eyes. He was currently standing before his pets: Thirteen, Fluffington, and the Ant Queen. Just like him, they had also trained seriously in the past four years, improving their attributes significantly.

    [Fight!] Thirteen bounced up and down with his fists clenched. Unlike Fluffington and the Ant Queen, who were exhausted, the little panda seemed full of energy and could still go through another section of training.

    [Since it''s a free day tomorrow, I''m entitled to choose how I spend my day, right?] Fluffington spoke up as hey down on his belly.

    "Yes, all of you can choose what to do," Nox said. "Because after tomorrow, we still have something to do."

    [Good, I want to get enough sleep, a bowl of milk, and oh, a massage. Don''t forget the massage!] Fluffington said.

    "Granted!" Nox didn''t feel the cat was demanding too much, so he readily agreed. Besides, Fluffington deserved it for training tirelessly without a break in the past four years.

    "What about you?" Nox stared at the Ant Scourge Queen.

    [I''ll attend to my colony. That''s all,] the Ant Queen said. With the help of her master, the Ant Queen had set up a nest inside Cromwell Barony for her ant colony, but she hadn''t been attending to them much because of constant training; with the free day, the Ant Queen intended to check on all the ants in her colony and make sure they were doing fine.

    ''So responsible... she''s just like Mother.'' Nox stared at the Ant Queen with admiration before looking at Panda.

    Before he could even say a word, Thirteen spoke up: [Fight! Panda fight!]

    "Ah, what did I expect?" Nox massaged his temples. He needed to find a way to quench this panda''s urge before it was toote.

    ''That reminds me, I haven''t checked their status in a long time.'' Nox thought and  the system interface appeared before him.

 Chapter 78: Ant Nest

    [AN: Read Aux for System status; If I put it here, it would take half of the Chapter]

    Nox grinned with satisfaction at the progress he and his pets had made over the past four years. With the beast cores obtained from Snakey and her group, he had managed to advance Thirteen, Fluffington, and the ant queen significantly.

    However, with each level-up, the number of beast cores required had also increased. For months now, their progress had stagnated.

    Nox rubbed his temples. None of his beasts had awakened new skills in the past years, but he wasn''t worried; he now had enough skill slots to copy and upgrade skills. He intended to bestow many skills upon his pets in the near future.

    Leaving Eve''s mansion, Nox returned to Cromwell Manor. From the window, Eve watched his figure disappear into the distance.

    "So, my new mission is to watch over you," she muttered, recalling the green-eyed woman who had visited her four years ago. She didn''t know why the Lich Court wanted her to keep an eye on the boy, only that they had their own agenda and wanted to use him.

    But what was that goal? She had no idea.

    "The Lich Court has always been secretive, even to its senior members..."

    An association of elite necromancers, the Lich Court was considered ouwed by all human kingdoms. It was founded with the aim of providing security to necromancers pursued by authorities.

    That was why Eve had joined and gradually risen through the ranks. The organization only recruited necromancers, so their sudden interest in Nox left her uneasy.

    Although beast tamers and necromancers got along just fine, it still seemed unusual for them to take an interest in a non-necromancer.

    "Are they looking for an ally? Is that prophecy stuff Arthur always talked about true?" Eve thought, her eyes narrowing.

    After all, it was said that the prophesied one would spread beast taming throughout Eos. Perhaps the Queen knew this, which exined her newfound interest.

    "But why?" Eve''s eyes narrowed, a murderous aura filling the air. "I hope they don''t mean the boy harm... because if they do, they''ll only bring trouble upon themselves."

    Eve wasn''t ungrateful. Nathan had done a lot for her, providing a ce to stay despite Vermilion Kingdom''s disdain for necromancers. Regardless of her history with the Cromwells, she couldn''t stand by if the Lich Court used Nox as a pawn.

    "Besides... I have grown ustomed to that kid. It would be very hard for me to live with myself if anything happened to him... so no matter what, I need to keep him safe."

    ***

    Nox returned to Cromwell Manor, and after a sumptuous meal prepared by his mother, Nox hurried behind the mansion.

    "It''s hard to believe how quickly time flies. Our little Nox has grown up," Aina remarked softly, watching Nox disappear. Despite four years passing, she hadn''t aged a day.

    "True. He even seems more responsible too. Entrusting him to Eve was the best decision we''ve made," Nathan chuckled. "By the way, where''s Nyx? I haven''t seen her in a while."

    "Oh, she''s currently hunting in the dimension with Serna; Hans is with them," Aina responded.

    "She''s been gone three days now. Sometimes, I think she overworks herself... such a stubborn girl," Nathan sighed. "You used to be like that too, I remember. Is it because of her race?"

    "Yes, but I think losing to Wendy in the tournament made her more serious," Aina answered. She wanted to add that Nyx was striving to keep up with her brother but decided against it.

    ***

    Behind the manor, Nox and Thirteen were looking at a man-made cave. With help from the ant queen, he''d built it for the ant colony, where they''d lived for the past four years.

    ''I wonder how the citizens would react if they ever find out about this ce,'' Nox thought as he entered inside. ''They''ll certainly freak out.''

    Because of the ant queen''s control, the ants had been very docile. They didn''t wander out of the cave to attack the citizens. Instead, they focused on developing their tunnels.

    Because of his past visits, Nox had grown ustomed to their presence, and although he hadn''t tamed them, he provided food from time to time and could understand them; all the ants had grown to respect him and would carry out any order of his.

    ''They''re like my personal army... that''s why I have to make sure everything is taken care of before I leave.'' A calctive glint shed across his eyes. Once upon a time, there were only childish gleams, but after staying close to Eve and four years of growth and experience hunting beasts, Nox''s eyes now held a mix of maturity and strategic thinking.

    The cave was made of intricate tunnels, the grounds were a bit uneven, and there were glowing blue beast cores embedded into the walls. ording to the ant queen, these cores nourished the ants and could increase their progression slightly as long as they were inside the cave.

    Nox strolled through the tunnels, marveling at the ants'' engineering skill. The air smelled of damp earth, the colony''s soft hum filled the air. The ants, two meters tall, greeted Nox as they went about their tasks.

    As he made his way deeper into the cave, Nox noticed a peculiar yellow glow emanating from a chamber to his left. Curiosity piqued, he veered off the main path and entered the room.

    Inside, Nox found a group of female ants gathered around a cluster of glowing, iridescent eggs. The ant queen stood at the center, her antennae twitching in aplex manner.

    "Ah, wrong room!" Nox said as he hurriedly rushed out with hot ears, making the other ants giggle.

    "Don''t be embarrassed, master. It''s fine," the ant queen spoke hurriedly with a smile on her face. "These little ones are the future of our colony, and we''re d you''re here to see them. We''ve been working tirelessly to ensure their safety and development."

    Nox''s embarrassment slowly faded as he walked back into the room and ran his hands over the eggs. It reminded him of the blue-fanged egg that was still in his taming space; it had yet to hatch. He wondered if all eggs took this long.

    Curious, he asked, "How long would it take for the eggs to-- huh?"

    Suddenly, dust burst into the air, forming a small whirlwind that pushed Nox and the others back. The wind howled fiercely, stinging their eyes with debris. Nox had no choice but to shield his eyes as he tried to understand what was happening.

    "What''s happening? Is this another dimensional rift?"

    He hadn''t seen a dimension form before, so he was confused about what to do. He looked at the ant queen for answers. However, she had her eyes fixed on the whirlwind with excitement.

    "She doesn''t look scared," Nox realized. "...wait, could it be--"

    At that moment, the whirlwind dissipated as quickly as it had formed, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a humanoid ant with shimmering ck carapace and glowing eyes.

    "Your majesty!" As soon as he appeared, all the ants fell on their knees, their eyes fixed on the ground as if they were scared to meet the eyes of the ant king that radiated with a powerful aura.

    The ck-carapaced ant''s antennae twitched as he let out a puff of air from his mandibles. "Finally, I have returned."

    [King of Scourge Ants, King Tier LV 1]

 Chapter 79: Thirteen Vs Ant King

    ''So he''s the ant king?'' Nox recalled the ant queen mentioning the ant king of times past. ording to her, he had gone away to increase his strength to be more useful to the colony.

    Naturally, the head of the ant colony was the queen. The king was more of a consort and a partner rather than a ruler. The queenid eggs and ensured the survival of the colony, while the king''s role was to support and protect her.

    Thinking of this, Nox looked at the eggs and then back at the ant king. ''Shit, I hope he doesn''t get the wrong idea.''

    The ant king scanned the surroundings, then his gaze settled on Nox. [Human! What are you doing here?] he said in an arrogant authoritative voice. It was capable of making anyone cower in fear, but the human stood lost as if he was checking out the ant king.

    After reaching king tier, the ant king had returned to the nest but had found no one there. The ant king had first been devastated, thinking the colony had been annihted by the demons because the entire nest had been emptied.

    Just when he was about to be consumed by rage, he felt a connection with the ant queen... although it was weak, it was there, which meant she was alive.

    The ant king had tracked that connection for years and nearly got killed by high-leveled Awakened. However, after so much effort, he finally found the ce his queen and the colony had migrated to... only to find her with this hateful human who was hell-bent on killing their kind.

    The ant king''s anger surged as he red at Nox and repeated his question, his voice slightly louder and more intimidating.

    [He''s a friend!] The ant queen stood in front of Nox like a mother protecting her child.

    [A friend? Did you just call a human a friend?] The ant king felt he had heard wrong. Did his wife just call their natural enemy a friend? His eyesnded on the numerous eggs, and a funny thought entered his mind, but he quickly dismissed it because it wasn''t possible.

    ''But no one has tried it before, though.'' The ant king suddenly thought, his anger building up with each passing moment.

    [What''s your rtionship with my wife, human? Have you been consorting with my wife?] the king growled.

    The ant queen hurriedly chimed in, [It''s not what you''re thinking, my-]

    "How ungrateful!" Nox, who had been quiet all this while, finally spoke.

    "I have been the one helping your queen and colony thrive in your absence and no, apart from strict partnerships, I have nothing to do with your wife," Nox''s voice was firm, and his gaze met the ant king that stood over two meters.

    He was pissed off that this insect dared to think he would have an affair with its wife. The humanoid ant and Nox had a standoff for minutes, neither of them taking their eyes off each other.

    [Human, how dare you speak to me like that?] the ant king uttered in a cold tone. At the same time, he kept his guard up because of the unwavering confidence Nox was disying.

    It was rming. The ant king even wondered if he had a hidden weapon with him; it was the reason he had yet to smash the human into oblivion.

    Wait. The ant king realized one crucial detail... how was hemunicating with the human? All this while, he hadn''t thought of this.

    Seeing the confusion on the ant king''s face, the ant queen felt it was the right time to exin everything to him. Nox didn''t interfere. If there was a way to solve this issue without resorting to a fight, he would readily ept it.

    Thest thing he wanted was for this location to be revealed to the public... things would be very messy if that happened.

    A few minutester.

    [So you became a ve of the human?] the ant king said with an unreadable expression on his face. Although his face wasn''t twisted in anger, one could feel the murderous aura emanating from him. It was so intense that the others flinched back a little.

    The air was cracking with anticipation. They knew it was only a moment away from something huge happening, and they didn''t want to be caught in the crossfire.

    The ant queen stepped forward, [My king, please understa-]

    [Silence, my queen] the kingmanded as a fierce light shone in his eyes. [I will not be swayed by your petty feelings. This human has to pay... I''ll get rid of him and free you from this ve bind.]

    [I''m not his ve!] the queen retorted. [I''m just his pet.]

    ''It means the same thing technically.''

    ''Sigh, it seems this king isn''t as reasonable as his wife,'' Nox thought, preparing himself for the inevitable fight. He did regret that things hade to this. If only the king was reasonable, he could have be part of his private ant army.

    As he was sulking, he suddenly had an idea.

    "Ant king, why don''t we make this fight even more fun?" Nox smirked. "If I win, you''ll recognize me as a friend and ally, and if you win, I''ll leave this ce and nevere back."

    The ant king''s expression changed from anger to curiosity. "What kind of fight do you propose, human?"

    "A normal spar," Nox replied, a confident grin spreading across his face. "But I won''t be the one to fight you... he will." Nox said as he looked at Thirteen.

    Thirteen pumped his fist and stepped forward, his eyes shining with a fierce light, [Panda fight!]

    [A panda?] The ant king stared down at the cute panda with amusement. [You think a mere panda can defeat me? This... creature looks like it would be more suited to cuddling than fighting. What makes you think it stands a chance against me?]

    Thirteen felt his ridicule and became angry. The ant king was clearly looking down on him, and he didn''t like that. Thirteen''s face twisted in a fierce snarl, and his eyes zed with determination.

    [Panda show you! Panda strong!] he growled, his tiny fists clenched. The panda swore in his heart to deal with the overgrown ant.

    "You asked me what makes me think this panda stands a chance against you?" Nox smirked as he activated his newly acquired skill, [Beast Sense]. "Because I know your strengths and weaknesses."

    [Hmph, fat lies... in fact, if I don''t get rid of this panda within one minute, I lose!] The ant king felt it was beneath him to fight such low-level creatures, so he decided to make it more fair, not knowing that from the beginning he was already at a disadvantage.

    ****

    Last week Power Stone bonus Chapter woulde in a few hours... Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 80: Ant King In Trouble

    A few months ago, Nox had awakened a ss-rted skill named [Beast Sense]. Like the title implied, it was a skill that allowed him to sense beast feelings, know their likes, dislikes, and weaknesses.

    Though the skill wasn''t as destructive as Shadow Oblivion, or allowed him to phase through attacks like Phantom Cloak, or enhance his speed like Divine Velocity, Nox believed it was one of his best skills.

    The skill was a game-changer, much like ''Analyze.''

    ''Nine out of ten times, half the battle was already won if you knew your opponent''s weakness,'' Nox thought.

    He was currently standing inside what appeared to be a wide pit within a rtivelyrge opening in the ant nest, holding two sticks. Standing beside him was Thirteen, who had a snarl on his face as he looked at the ant king with a hateful re.

    Outside the pit, several ants had gathered to watch the fight unfold. They had heard of the king''s return and were d, but they didn''t like the fact that the king wanted to get rid of their ally.

    In the past years, Nox had yed an important role in their lives, surpassing the king by far. Since they came to this realm, there had been no need for death or fights, all of which was because of their human ally, and quite frankly, the ants liked things just the way they were. So, they silently prayed for the panda to win this fight.

    The ant queen also shared the same thought process. Though she loved her husband, she hoped he would lose. If he won, he would definitely take them back to that demonic dimension, and they would be hunted all over by the demons, something she didn''t want to experience again.

    The ant queen wouldn''t have been this anxious if it were Nox who was fighting against the ant king; after all, he had defeated her four years ago. Certainly, he must''ve improved.

    ''Why does it have to be Thirteen?'' she thought as she rubbed her palm anxiously. ''The panda is strong, but he''s still just a wildling. How could he fight against a king-tier beast?''

    No matter how she looked at it, the panda was just ying a losing game even before it began. But she trusted her master; he wouldn''t propose this if he didn''t have countermeasures.

    "Thirteen¡­ how do you feel?" Nox squatted to the panda''s level and asked.

    [Angry!] Thirteen replied.

    "I understand¡­" Nox sighed and then whispered something in Thirteen''s ear and handed him the pair of sticks. He lit up their edges with matches, and mes erupted out.

    Seeing this sight, the panda nodded vigorously, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. The ant king flinched subconsciously when he saw the ming sticks in the panda''s grasp.

    Even the other ants that were watching had horrified expressions on their faces. Previously, they had been standing very close to the pit, but now they took arge step back.

    The ant queen''s eyes shed with realization. "So this is the reason he epted the fight¡­ I was right, Master already had everything thought out."

    [You! This is not fair!] The ant king growled.

    "What''s not fair?" Nox smirked, and a cluster of information appeared before him.

    [King of Scourge Ant - King Tier Lv1

    Current State: Enraged, fearful

    Likes:

    Sweet substances like sugar and honey, Dark, damp environments, Warm temperatures, Vibrations from footsteps (helps detect prey), Chemical signals from other ants munication)

    Dislikes:

    Bright lights, Cold temperatures, Dry environments, Strong-smelling chemicals (insecticides), Loud, high-frequency sounds (sonic attacks)

    Strengths:

    Close-range fighter, Enhanced strength, Armored exoskeleton, Colony mind

    Weaknesses:

    Vulnerable to fire, Limited range, Insecticide (fatal), Disorientation, Sonic attacks]

    ''Unfortunately, there is no insecticide, so this is the best approach.''

    "Thest time I checked, there was no rule that forbade anyone from using a weapon, and this fire stick here could be considered one¡­ Am I wrong, Your Highness?" Nox looked at the Ant Queen.

    The ant queen shook her head, which deepened the frown on the king''s face. He hadn''t expected the human to use his greatest weakness against him in the fight. It was an unpredictable development, and the ant king was conflicted on what to do. But at the same time, he couldn''t go back on his words.

    Doing that would make all his subordinates lose respect for him; he could tell from the way they looked at the human with admiration. It was only a matter of time before theypletely lost all respect.

    Thest thing he wanted was to hasten the process. With this fight, the king hoped to reim the honor and respect he had lost.

    [Very well then. What did I expect from a lowly human?] The ant king sneered as he took a fighting stance. [Of course, you''ll always use cheap tricks to win a fight.]

    "Cheap tricks, you say." Noxughed at the ant''s mentality. "It doesn''t matter how the fight is won. What matters is the oue."

    Saying this, Nox expertly leaped out of the deep pit, leaving a slight crack where he previously stood. Most of the ants didn''t notice it, but the ant king had.

    "At the count of two, the fight will begin!" Nox shouted at the top of his voice, also acting as the referee in the match.

    "3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Begin!"

    Instantly, Thirteen and the ant king started to walk toward each other. The ant king struggled to keep his fearless exterior as he drew closer to Thirteen. From time to time, his expression would crack, but he would fix it back as soon as possible. The panda giggled and started to juggle the ming stick in the air.

    The distance between them shortened faster and faster, and when they were only an arm''s length apart, Thirteen made the first move. He grabbed the flying ming stick from the air andshed out at the ant king, who tried to parry the attack.

    The ant king sessfully parried the attack and mmed his fist into the panda. However, Thirteen rolled away just in time, and the ant king''s powerful fist mmed into the ground, sending dust and debris through the air.

    The ant king groaned in frustration and quickly jumped toward the panda, and the two shed. Thirteen usually uses his fists too, but he decided against it as the ming stick seemed to cause more damage to the ant king.

    The ant king''s frustration built up more and more because he felt he could easily crush the panda, but the ming sticks made him cautious. Due to his inherent fear, the ant king flinched back from time to time; even his attacks were controlled as he was scared of the zing fire touching his skin.

    It had happened twice now, and the beast''s HP took a dip. Time was running out! Now the ant king regretted his life choices.

    He had thought the human had been stupid to even propose something like this. But after seeing the current situation, he couldn''t help but curse Nox to his 100th generation.

    *****

    Thanks for all those who support this book, I really appriaciate!

 Chapter 81: An Elemental Beast?

    As if the ming torment wasn''t enough, the Ant King saw the panda bringing the fire close to his mouth.

    ''What is this panda up to?'' The Ant King flinched back and stood guard, expecting an attack at any moment.

    Soon it happened.

    The panda opened his jaws wide, and a roaring sound like that of a rushing river with a fierce current was heard. The ants inside panicked, thinking they were being attacked.

    Fortunately for them, before anything could happen, Nox''s voice cut through the air. "Time''s up! Thirteen, stop!"

    [Huh? Already? But I haven''t even started fighting yet!] the Ant King bellowed with frustration evident on his face. Meanwhile, the panda closed his mouth and gulped noisily.

    Nox sighed. If he had been toote, Thirteen would have used Oceanic Torrent, destroying the ant nest. He had strictly instructed the panda to dy the fight for just one minute since there was no reward for continuing beyond that time.

    [Hmph!] Thirteen sneered as he threw away the ming stick. He hadn''t actually nned to use Oceanic Torrent; it was merely to scare the Ant King, and it had worked.

    Although Thirteen wanted to go all out against the Ant King and test how far he would go against a King Tier Beast, he decided against it as it was an order from Father... and Thirteen was very obedient; he wasn''t unruly like a certain fat cat.

    Inside the taming space.

    [Sneeze!]

    Fluffington, who was having avish feast, suddenly felt that someone was talking bad about him.

    [Must be that brat or that stupid panda!]

    [Panda not stupid!] Thirteen retorted, overhearing Fluffington. Was this cat picking a fight with him? Thirteen had tolerated the cat for some time, but now that he was stronger, it was high time he put thezy cat in his ce.

    Though the Ant King was angry because he hadn''t given his best in the fight against the panda, he still reluctantly agreed to Nox''s demand. After sorting out some things with the Ant Queen, Nox and Thirteen left the cave shortly after.

    [My Queen, would the oue of the fight be better if I had gone against the human instead?] the Ant King said to the queen when they were alone in their chamber.

    The Ant Queen remained silent, and the Ant King got his answer. His wife was stronger than him, and even she had lost four years ago; of course, the oue wouldn''t have been any better.

    [But I''m curious, how did you get so strong in four years? Before I left, I remembered you were at the Intermediate Tier.]

    [It was all because of Master.] The Ant Queen smiled and proceeded to tell the Ant King about how Nox had used beast cores to increase her overall strength and everything he had done for the colony.

    ''Maybe... just maybe he isn''t like the others,'' the Ant King thought, but he wouldn''t jump to conclusions so soon. He intended to learn more about Nox''s personality before he made any decisions.

    ***

    "What! An elemental creature has been spotted?" Nox eximed.

    "Didn''t you hear me the first time?" Eve replied with a frown.

    After leaving the ant nest, Nox was informed by Skully that his mistress had summoned him. Though he was confused because she was the one who had given him a break in the first ce, now that he had arrived and heard this news, Nox was d he had quickly rushed over.

    Since learning about the existence of elemental creatures, Nox had been actively searching for one. He needed its beast core to transform his pets into elemental beasts and unlock all evolution paths and benefits.

    With his search yielding no results, Nox had nned to travel beyond the Barony and explore other locations. This was why he decided to check on the ant colony onest time before leaving.

    He didn''t know how long this journey would take, so he wanted to tie up every loose end... he had even instructed the Ant Queen to remain with her colony to watch over them. The only ones that would follow him were Thirteen and Fluffington.

    Initially, he had no leads on where to search and had nned to roam the Vermilion Kingdom aimlessly. However, Eve''s news now provided a clear lead.

    "Where can I find it?" Nox voiced out, unable to contain his excitement.

    "ording to my intel, the beast has been spotted in Snowhelm Kingdom."

    "The Snowhelm Kingdom?" Nox''s excitement dwindled. "Isn''t that the kingdom the one fighting with the Vermilion Kingdom over the level four dimensional rift that appeared on the border?"

    Nox had overheard his grandpa and his friends discussing this dispute and how the two kingdoms that were once close allies had be worst enemies because neither side wanted to give up ownership of the dimensional rift to the other.

    There were even rumors that the Snowhelm and Vermilion Kingdoms had prohibited each other''s citizens from entering their nations. If a citizen of the Vermilion Kingdom was found in Snowhelm, they would be arrested by the authorities or killed.

    Having been in seclusion training, Nox didn''t know much about the ongoing conflict, but he knew the situation was dire, with some people even specting about war.

    With all this going on, how was he supposed to hunt the elemental creatures in their territory? Nox felt an intense headacheing.

    "Master, do you have any genius n?" Nox turned to Eve. "Maybe a way to sneak me in?"

    Eve narrowed her eyes. "I can, but if they find out that you''re not from their kingdom, things might get very difficult for you. Are you sure you want to do it?"

    "Yes," Nox replied in a heartbeat. He didn''t mull over his thoughts because he had been desperately looking for an elemental creature for four freaking years; now that he finally found one, he wouldn''t let some stupid war between nations get in his way.

    ''This war could end much faster if they just shared the resources 50/50,'' Nox thought. His expression changed slightly as he considered their own situation.

    The dimensional rift in the Luminary Forest clearly belonged to them, but the Armstrong Duchy was hellbent on snapping it away from them, even resurrecting a tournament that had long been forgotten.

    Nox thought the same thing could be happening between the two kingdoms.

    Eve sighed. She had expected Nox''s answer, but she''d hoped that warning him about the dangers would make him reconsider. Regardless, she didn''t n to let him wander in enemy territory alone. She already had a n.

    Eve proceeded to exin the n to Nox, and when the next day arrived, Nox prepared to leave for the Snowhelm Kingdom.

    ***

    Thanks Those who support Supreme BeastTamer! I really appreciate!

 Chapter 82: [Bonus Chapter]: The Border

    [Bonuses Chapter for Last week Power stone goal]

    ***

    "Are you really sure about this?" Aina asked as she pinched Nox''s cheeks.

    "Ouch, Mom, stop. I''m sure of my decision. I have thought hard about it for four years," Nox responded as he lightly smacked his mother''s arm away with an annoyed expression on his face. "And I''m no longer a kid."

    "You''re just nine years old, brat," Nathan chimed in.

    "Are you looking for a fight, old man?" Nox red at his Grandfather, and the two had a face-off.

    "Don''t take it like that. We''re just worried about your safety," Aina stepped in between the two just in time. "Wait right here; let me go stock food for you, so you won''t get hungry."

    Aina and Cam rushed into the room, leaving only Nathan standing with his grandson.

    "Oi, brat, what are you up to this time?" Nathan asked. "You know you can talk to me freely; your overprotective mother won''t overhear us." Nox had told everyone he was traveling for sightseeing, but Nathan knew his grandson too well. Nox wasn''t the type to travel just for fun, especially with the challenging path ahead.

    "Sigh, old man, why are you so difficult?" Nox sighed. "But before I tell you, promise me you won''t tell Mom or anyone."

    "I cross my heart!" Nathan coughed. "I won''t tell a single soul."

    Nox observed his grandfather for a while with narrowed eyes before whispering in Nathan''s ear. The old man''s facial expression changed to one of shock.

    But surprisingly, after hearing the content, he didn''t stop Nox.

    A momentter, Aina and Cam arrived with arge bag casually slung over Aina''s shoulder. It was twice her size, yet the red-haired woman carried it effortlessly.

    "Mom, that''s a year''s worth of food! How am I supposed to finish all this in a month?"

    "It''s better for it to be surplus; who knows how long you''ll take," Aina said as she dropped the bag in front of Nox. "Thest thing I want is for my baby to go hungry."

    Sighing, Nox reluctantly ced the food in his system storage. His mother was right; it was better for the food to be surplus than less. After hugging his grandpa and nting a kiss on his mother and Aunt Cam''s cheeks, Nox entered the cart that was waiting for him.

    Inside, Eve was already seated. After a head nod, the coach pulled the reins, and the carriage slowly left the barony.

    Nathan, Aina, and Cam watched the carriage slowly depart from the barony. As they were watching, two beautiful girls walked in. One of them was as tall as Nox, with dark hair and lightless eyes. The other was a dark-skinned beauty with braided hair and mesmerizing chocte eyes.

    Nathan and the others happily weed their prodigal daughter, who had finally remembered they had parents. They''d arrived just before Nox left. As they entered inside, Serena couldn''t help but look at the carriage with wistfulness.

    Inside the moving carriage:

    "Did you tell them where we''re going?" Eve inquired, looking out of the window.

    "Only my grandpa," Nox replied. "I didn''t tell my mother because, despite my strength, she still worries a lot."

    "You made the right choice. Let me give you a quick rundown of what will happen when we reach the border."

    At the same time, the carriage passed through the Cromwell''s gate and was now moving through the dirt path towards the west.

    "I won''t follow you through the border," Eve''s voice rang as the coachman picked up pace. "But I''ll find a way to get you in. Usually, to get into any kingdom, you just have to pay the entrance fee. However, this changed since the appearance of the Dimensional Rift. It has be increasingly difficult to get into Snowhelm Kingdom."

    "But how would they know we are from the Vermilion Kingdom?" Nox asked. This wasn''t like Earth, where everyone had a passport or document indicating their nationality. He was curious about how this world worked.

    "That''s a good question," Eve replied. "In this world, each kingdom has its own unique magical signature, like a fingerprint, embedded in a parchment with the citizen''s name. When you try to enter a kingdom, the border guards check this parchment to determine where you''re from."

    ''So it''s simr to the Earth system,'' Nox noted.

    But a puzzled expression soon showed on his face. He didn''t know there was something like that. Why didn''t his grandpa get him one?

    ording to Eve, this parchment had special signatures and was made with materials that were incredibly difficult to duplicate.

    "Does this mean I don''t belong to any kingdom?" Nox inquired. "Because I don''t have any parchment with me."

    "Yes, which makes it even more difficult for the Snowhelm Kingdom to ept you into their kingdom. Because you don''t have an identification parchment that aligns with any kingdom, it''s like you''re a nk te," Eve exined.

    "But like I said, I have a n, so you don''t have to worry," She assured when she noticed Nox''s contemtive look.

    After that, the two didn''t speak much, and the days gradually flew by. A few beasts blocked their path from time to time, but they weren''t much of a threat and were swiftly dispatched by Thirteen and Fluffington.

    Thirteen eagerly agreed, his body trembling with excitement to battle. Though Fluffington hesitated at first, after hearing that they could keep the beast cores, the cat threw all hesitation aside and jumped out of the taming space, ready for battle.

    Over the next few days, a panda and a catpeted to see who could achieve the highest number of kills. This frightened the natural predators, and news of the duo''s viciousness spread, causing the attacks on the carriage to cease.

    The coachman marveled at what was happening. In his twenty years of experience as a coachman, he had never witnessed anything like this. He had heard about Nox''s beasts but had never seen them in action.

    This was by far his most peaceful journey. The coachman even wondered if the panda and cat could be hired for future trips.

    As the days passed, Nox finally arrived at the border.

    ****

    A big thanks to all Those who supports Supreme BeastTamer; I really appreciate!!!

 Chapter 83: [Bonus Chapter] Illegal Entry!

    [Golden Ticket Bonus Chapter]

    ***

    Soon the carriage arrived at the Vermilion Kingdom border without much of a problem. Eve submitted her parchment and spoke with the captain. Though many didn''t see it, Nox saw the captain''s eyes widen as Eve whispered something in his ear.

    Later, the captain, dressed in a military uniform, walked up to Nox.

    "So you''re his grandson. I''m a big admirer of your grandfather," Captain Nate said with a smile. "All of us are, due to his heroic deeds in the Great War of Rebirth. As his descendant, you''re wee to pass this border freely from now on."

    A momentter, Eve and Nox passed the border.

    ''Is that old man actually someone important?'' Nox wondered. ''What was that man even saying?''

    Because he had never paid much attention to his grandfather, Nox didn''t know a lot about the old man. He only knew that he was a sickly old man with some screws missing in his head and, most importantly, owned a wyvern.

    Yes, a wyvern! ''Tsk, why am I smiling immediately when I think about Doombringer?'' Nox berated himself.

    "Hmmm!" Eve abruptly came to a stop and looked ahead. Nox followed her gaze and saw a rocky outpost surrounded by high walls with a white g billowing in the wind.

    Eve scanned the surroundings with her gaze before resuming her walk. Soon, they drew closer to the base. A long line of people could be seen, but Eve didn''t join this line; instead, she veered to the left.

    Nox was curious but didn''t say anything and simply followed behind her. Soon, they reached an isted spot and saw a rugged-looking man sitting on top of an unusuallyrge rock.

    "Traveler?" Eve said to the man.

    "Traveler," the man replied. It seemed to be a code word. Nox watched intently and took note of their interaction. He watched as Eve handed a pouch of money to the man. Then the man jumped up from the huge boulder; his muscles suddenly grewrger, and he rolled the huge rock aside, revealing a deep, dark tunnel.

    "Unfortunately, this is the end of the road for me," Eve turned to Nox. "Through this tunnel, you''ll enter into the Snowhelm Kingdom."

    ''So this foolproof n was illegal entry.''

    "Thank you, Master, for everything," Nox said from the bottom of his heart. "Thank you for training me and guiding me all these years."

    "You''re a good kid," Eve nodded her head. "At least not an asshole like your father," she muttered in a tone that only she could hear.

    "Nox!" Before Nox entered the tunnel, Eve called out. "Stay safe."

    "I will," he smiled and entered the tunnel. As he did, Nox didn''t know if his eyes were ying a trick, but he saw a smile on the face of his strict, monotonous master. ''It can''t be.''

    Meanwhile, on the outside, Eve suddenly burst into ck mist, scaring the living daylights out of the rough-looking man.

    ---

    Nox stepped into the tunnel, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. The air was damp and musty, filled with the scent of mold and decay. He could hear the sound of dripping water echoing off the walls.

    But he wasn''t alone.

    Because of torches built into the walls, Nox could see dozens of people inside, all moving in one direction. He figured they were all people entering illegally.

    ''Huh.'' Nox''s arm moved on its own and grabbed the hand of someone. "What are you doing?" he growled at the thief who wanted to steal from him. He clenched the person''s hand hard, and the snap of bone was heard.

    "Argh!" It was only when the person screamed in pain that Nox realized it was a kid.

    The undernourished kid pleaded with teary eyes. "Please, I''m sorry, I''m just hungry! Spare me, sir."

    Nox let go of the kid''s hand. He looked to the side and noticed some rough-looking people sitting there. They seemed like beggars on the streets back on Earth.

    ''Sigh.'' Nox put his hand in his pocket and summoned arge wrapped meal from his inventory and handed it to the boy, who was still pleading.

    "Here, take this and share it with your friends... always go for the fat ones; they''re wealthy and can''t run," Nox advised and walked past the boy, leaving him stunned as he realized what had just happened.

    "H-he gave me food," the boy stuttered. "Thank you, sir!" he called out, but Nox was already gone.

    Meanwhile, a boy with ck hair falling across his forehead and a cross-shaped scar below his eyes watched the scene unfold with keen interest. A glint of intrigue shed in his eyes.

    ''So fast.'' A momentter, the scared boy rushed to catch up with Nox.

    Nox suddenly felt someone bump into him from behind, and he crashed into a broad-chested man.

    "Stupidd!" The man bellowed, hot steaming out of his nostrils. "Watch where you''re going!" He raised his hand to p Nox.

    Nox was confused; he hadn''t intentionally bumped into the man; someone had bumped into him from behind. But the man didn''t look reasonable, so he didn''t exin himself. Of course, he didn''t intend to stand by and receive a p.

    However, before he could act, someone stepped in front of him and stopped the hand.

    "It wasn''t the kid''s fault, big man," the tall youth shed a smile.

    The man frowned, clearly enraged. "Get out of my way, you twerp! I must discipline this boy." He tried to move his hand but realized he couldn''t move a muscle. The man''s fierce expression began to turn into a horrified one as he felt his bones crunch, and he pleaded.

    "Hmph, don''t go around hitting kids; that''s child abuse. Now get lost from here," the youth sneered and let go of the broad-chested man''s arm. Knowing the youngster was stronger than him, the man hurriedly rushed forward to the front... something he would regretter.

    "I had everything under control," Nox said when the tall youth turned to him. The tall youth, around 16-17, had a distinct cross-shaped scar just beneath his eyes.

    "You''re wee," the boy said.

    Nox nodded and walked past the boy.

    "By the way, my name is Jack," the boy hurriedly followed. "Is this your first timeing to Snowhelm Kingdom? Hey, what''s your name?"

    "Yes," Nox replied, not nning to continue the conversation; he just wanted to get out of this smelly tunnel.

    "Hey, you didn''t answer my question," Jack continued, walking fast to catch up with Nox.

    "Sigh, if I tell you my name, will you leave me alone?"

    "That would depend on my mood," Jack smiled. "I find you very interesting, so it would be difficult to leave you alone. I just want a friend. Besides, I can show you around since this is your first time here."

    Nox thought for a moment and looked at the handsome boy. "My name is Sully."

    "Sully. Nice to meet you," Jack stretched out his hand, and the two shook hands. Nox didn''t think it would be bad to have a guide but still decided to keep his guard against the entric boy.

    Just like that, the two walked further into the tunnel.

    "You should be very careful in this tunnel; there are lots of hoodlums down here, but since you''re sticking with me, you''ll be safe," Jack imed while puffing out his chest.

    ''Safe...'' Nox thought. ''I was never in danger though... it''s the hoodlums that are not safe.''

    ---

    Sometimeter, Jack noticed Nox staring intently at the walls. "How did this cee to be?" he looked at his ''guide.''

    "Hmph, you asked the right person," Jack smiled. "This ce was said to be built during the War of Rebirth by mages who specialized in earth magic to escape the city. However, after the war... after the war, the tunnel was abandoned due to the devastating aftermath."

    ''This war, I''ve been hearing about this war a lot in the past years. When I return, I''ll definitely learn more about it.''

    Jack continued, "The mages who built it were either dead or had fled, and the survivors didn''t want to remember the horrors they experienced during the war."

    Nox nodded. "But why is it still here? Why hasn''t it been destroyed or sealed off?"

    Jack shrugged. "Some say it''s because the tunnel is protected by powerful magic, while others im it''s because the Snowhelm Kingdom wants to keep it as a secret passage for their own purposes. There are many rumors, but I don''t care. Since we can use it to infiltrate this kingdom, then it''s fine."

    "By the way," Jack said, "what''s your reason foring here¡ª"

    ROOOOAR!

    Suddenly, a thunderous bestial roar tore through the air inside the tunnel, and a hot, putrid gust of breeze that smelled like rotten fish washed over everyone in the tunnel.

    Instantly, everyone''s expressions took a 180-degree turn.

    "By the gods, it can''t be... not here... not now!" A woman paled with widened eyes, yanking her children behind her.

    "Don''t tell me it''s what I''m thinking!" A man nearby stammered as he shook like a leaf, his eyes fixed on something ahead. A puddle of yellow liquid formed at his feet.

    "Ah!" Jack suddenly eximed as a giant odachi with tendrils of violent lightning dancing on it appeared in his grasp. He turned to Nox, the blue sh illuminating his face.

    "I forgot to tell you this; hoodlums aren''t the only problem with this tunnel."

    "I noticed." Nox didn''t panic; instead, his trusty dagger and shield appeared in his grasp.

    ---

    In the Taming Space

    [Panda Fight! Panda fight!] Thirteen roared with excitement when he sensed the presence of a powerful foe nearby.

    Even the usuallyzy Fluffington was now standing on his feet.

    "No!!!! Somebody save me!"

    A piercing scream suddenly attracted Jack''s attention as he turned to the front just in time to see a horrifying scene. A hulking creature had emerged from the other side of the tunnel and had grabbed the broad-chested man. The giant beast threw him into its wide maw filled with razor-sharp teeth, and blood sttered on the faces of everyone.

    Silence! Total silence enveloped everywhere.

    Jack wiped the blood off his face and said with a bitter smile, "There are also beasts... beasts that are unusually powerful."

    ***

    _Current Missions_

    Golden Ticket for 3 Chapters: 60/100

    Power Stones for 1 Chapter: 140/200

    Castle for 5 Chapters: /0

    Another Bonus Chapter woulde tomorrow toplete the two Bonus Chapter as promised.

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 84: A Powerful Spider

    The beast was a giant spider with milky eyes that glowed with an otherworldly light, making it seem even more menacing. Its body was covered in dark brown hair, and it had multiple long, spindly legs ending in sharp ws that looked capable of tearing steel.

    "This is pretty normal," Jackmented as he approached the spider. He wasn''t alone; other people, wielding all sorts of weapons, came to the front.

    With a nce, Nox could tell all of them were Awakened.

    ''Master didn''t tell me about this. Did she forget, or did she want me to find out myself?'' Nox thought as he watched Jack lead the charge, his odachi scraping the ground.

    "Eat this, you overgrown spider!" Jack roared, charging forward with his sword shing with electricity. The spider raised a leg to block the attack, but Jack''s sword sliced through it, severing the limb with a shower of sparks.

    "Everyone spread out and attack from every side to confuse it!" Jack shouted, and for some odd reason, the older Awakened obeyed his order without question.

    ''Something is wrong¡­my attack connected too easily. That''s troubling.'' Jack''s eyes shed with worry as he gripped his odachi and charged in again, joining the Awakened who were now attacking from all sides.

    ''Not bad¡­he''s not that shabby,'' Nox thought, impressed as he watched the fight. ''It seems my help won''t be needed.'' He stepped back, joining the crowd.

    Meanwhile, the giant spider screeched loudly when Jack severed another of its limbs. It became furious and did a wide sweep with its leg, knocking off most of the Awakened. Jack leaped up, dodging the spider''s attack, and struck with his odachi again.

    However, this time the spider scurried back in time, causing the odachi to m into empty space, creating a horizontal sh.

    ''Dammit!'' Jack cursed, pulling out his sword and attacking again. But the spider dodged, and one of its wed hands shot forward, aiming for Jack''s head. He parried with his sword at thest second but was pushed back, his legs digging into the ground.

    Jack frowned, looking at the others. They were all attacking the spider, but it seemed to sense each attack in time, retaliating with devastating moves that sent dozens of Awakened flying.

    ''I knew something was wrong¡­usually, there are two types of beasts in this tunnel: ones with tough skin and weak skills, and ones with weak hides and powerful skills. Since this spider''s skin is easy to prate, does that mean it has a powerful skill topensate for its low defense?''

    ''Spider sense.'' Nox, who could see the spider''s skills, narrowed his eyes. ''This spider has heightened senses that allow it to detect any attack, even from the slightest vibration.''

    He would have warned them, but that was a double-edged sword. It might help them with the beast, but it would surely raise a lot of questions afterward. ''The fight seems to be under control; they should be able to get rid of it without my help.'' Nox decided to just watch.

    The Awakened warriors shed with the spider with determination, but the beast easily dodged their attacks and retaliated. Jack''s odachi nearly bit into the spider''s skin, but it was always faster, making Jack''s frown deepen.

    Thus far, the fight had been proceeding smoothly, even though the Awakened were failing tond a hit. The fact that they hadn''t lost anyone yet made Jack even more worried.

    Suddenly, one of the Awakened felt his hair stand on end. He stiffly raised his gaze to look at the spider''s milky eyes and became paralyzed. He tried his best, but he couldn''t move a muscle. A momentter, the spider opened its jaws and shot a web that wrapped around the stunned Awakened, then dragged him into its open mouth.

    That death spelled doom!

    The onlookers stared in horror. If not for the strict rule, they would have run back and exited the tunnel, but the people in charge of this ce would never allow them to leave, fearing exposure of the location.

    Jack''s expression turned grim; his intuition was right¡­this beast had a powerful skill to make up for its defense.

    Before his eyes, the same scene that happened with the first Awakened repeated itself.

    "Help! Somebody help us!" a woman with kids screamed with tears in her eyes.

    Even the boy who had attempted to steal from Nox was shaking in his boots.

    "No matter what, don''t look at its eyes!" Nox warned Jack. "I think it has some sort of paralyzing effect!" he added, hoping they would think it was a guess.

    Jack, who had a grim expression, ryed the message to the others. While some obeyed, others were skeptical.

    "How does he know about the spider''s skills?" one of the Awakenedmented. "He''s just standing there, watching, and suddenly he''s an expert on the spider''s abilities?"

    A few secondster, one of the skeptical Awakened fell, and the faces of non-Awakened contorted in fear. Three Awakened had died in the span of ten minutes, and the others who were battling the beast were not faring well.

    In fact, the only one to have sessfullynded an attack on the giant spider was the scared boy wielding the lightning odachi, but even he had trouble fighting against the spider''s multiple legs.

    "Bastard!" Jack shouted, leaping up and mming his sword down on the spider''s leg, hoping to sever it. However, before the attack reached its target, the spider swiftly moved its leg out of the way, avoiding Jack''s attack by mere inches.

    ''Shit!'' The force of Jack''s swing sent him stumbling forward, off bnce, and the spider seized the opportunity, striking Jack with a swift swipe of its pedipalp. Jack barely dodged, but the spider''s attack sent him flying like a rag doll through the air.

    Immediately after he was mmed out of the way, another person was killed.

    ***

    AN: A big thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer,I really appreciate!

 Chapter 85: Divine Velocity!

    Immediately after he was mmed out of the way, another person was killed. It was as if Jack had been the shield protecting everyone, and they all realized this, shouting for the boy to stand up!

    ''This one seemed even stronger than the others,'' Jack thought, feeling a ringing sensation in his mind; even his vision was blurry. He could only see people''s mouths moving and could vaguely make out the other Awakened fighting a losing battle against the multiple-legged spider.

    Usually, the beasts that roamed this tunnel weren''t this strong. In fact, they could even be said to be rtively weak, but all this changed four years ago. The once-weak beasts started to disy overwhelming power¡­ as the years went by, it only increased.

    Many had stopped using the tunnel because each journey seemed like a gamble.

    ''But the few of us who can''t get in legally only have this tunnel. Our fate might even be worse if we entered legally.'' Jack struggled to get back to his feet, holding the odachi for dear life. He then looked at Nox, who was quietly observing everything.

    ''Was I wrong about you?'' Jack thought. ''But I''m certain of my judgment¡­ that speed couldn''t be weak, right?''

    ''Should I ask those Awakened to identify him?'' He looked at the fierce battle that was raging on and doubted anyone would answer him.

    ''I guess it all depends on me now¡­ For the first time, it seems I was wrong,'' he sighed, the odachi shing with lightning.

    Sensing its opportunity, the spider turned its attention to the boy wielding the Lightning Odachi.

    "Here we go again!" Jack shouted, charging forward to rejoin the fight.

    "We¡­ we''re all gonna die," the boy beside Nox trembled, tears streaming down his face. Nox wondered how he had not wet himself, but that wasn''t important.

    What was important was the fight. The spider had broken free from the Awakened circle formation and was now attacking all of them. Bodies were flying through the air, and cries of pain filled the tunnel.

    Nox clenched his fists. ''I could just use Phantom Cloak and bypass the spider to continue ahead. Hunting that elemental beast is more important, but¡­ I can''t just leave these people.''

    At first, Nox thought Jack and the others could handle the spider since it was just an intermediate tier level 9 beast on the cusp of breaking into King Tier. But so far, the fight seemed one-sided with the spider dominating.

    ''I didn''t want to join this fight because of what happened in the demon dimension.'' Because he had stood out, Nox was targeted by a level 100-plus demon. If not for the dimensional key, he might''ve died in that dimension.

    After that encounter, during the past years, Nox had used the dimensional key a few more times, and the same thing repeated itself¡­ he stood out and invited trouble. No matter how he tried to reduce his level, he always did, and at this point, he was tired of it.

    SCREECH!

    The giant spider, who had sessfully broken out of the formation, screeched and charged forward at the group of non-Awakened, kicking up dust behind it. In ast-ditch effort, Jack appeared before the spider but was mmed away.

    Everyone was screaming and running back, even though they knew the gate man wouldn''t roll away the boulder. It was better than being eaten alive.

    "Sigh, I guess this would be a new drill."

    However, a ck-haired boy stood out from the group. Instead of running back like the others, he was actually approaching, a dagger in hand.

    Jack saw this, and a light shed across his eyes. Then, before his eyes, he saw something that made him smile.

    "Divine Velocity!" Nox shouted, and his body was suddenly covered by golden tendrils of lightning. Then he vanished¡­ reappearing an instantter behind the spider. The only sign of his movement was a fleeting sh of golden light, like a miniature lightning bolt, and a deep crack on his previous standing ce.

    "Son of a bitch!" One Awakened eximed, stunned. "Did he just teleport?"

    "Hahahahaha, I knew it, my judgment was never wrong! I knew you were fast, but I didn''t think it was this fast!" Jackughed as he saw a beam of golden light zigzagging between the spider''s multiple legs with incredible speed.

    The golden beam was fierce and intense, lighting up the entire tunnel. Its speed was also frightening. When the retreating non-Awakened heard the beast screeching, they halted and looked back, a golden beam weaving around a furious spider reflected in their wide eyes.

    "What¡­ What is happening?" One manmented with wide eyes.

    "Is that golden beam on our side?" Another asked.

    Meanwhile, the spider, caught off guard, didn''t even have time to react as the golden beam struck, Nox''s dagger slicing through its vulnerable underside with ease. The spider let out a deafening screech as it stumbled back and began to thrash about.

    The golden beam left a golden trail that lingered in the air, dealing additional damage to the spider, chipping away more of its HP.

    "It''s getting closer to death, just one fatal attack, and it would be done," Jack said, now standing on his feet. "That dagger seems to be a basic tier super item, he needs something stronger."

    Jack stared at his odachi and then had an idea.

    "Sully!" He shouted and hauled the odachi towards the spider.

    The slim golden beam looked at the odachi and zapped upward. It grabbed the odachi that was shing with electricity, flipped through the air, and struck with incredible force.

    BANG!

    The spider raised a leg to block the attack, but Nox''s sword sliced through the leg, severing it with a shower of sparks, and it reeled back. The beam continued its relentless assault for a few more seconds.

    With one final attack, the unusually strong intermediate tier beast screeched loudly, its eyes filled with hate as it finally copsed with a loud bang.

    [Ding! You have killed an Intermediate Tier Level 9 Arachnos]

    ***

    Golden Tickets, Power Stones and Gifts are appriaciated

 Chapter 86: [Bonus Chapter] Arriving At Snowhelm

    As soon as the beast copsed, the golden beam came to a stop, revealing Nox, whose chest was rising up and down, tendrils of blue and golden lightning lingering on the odachi.

    Everyone stared with wide eyes, mouths agape in disbelief. They couldn''t believe that the powerful spider that had killed all those Awakened was dealt with in a span of 2 minutes!

    "Who is this kid?" This was the thought of everyone.

    "Hmmm, still not enough to level up, huh," Noxmented as he saw the increase in experience points, unaware of the stares. Since he reached level 14, it had been incredibly hard to level up. At this pace, Nox figured it would take months before he could level up again. A momentter, he dug into the spider''s chest, retrieved the beast core, and threw it inside his inventory.

    "He killed it!" one man shouted, snapping the others out of their daze. "He really killed it!"

    "Sniff, sniff." The woman with the kids wiped away a strand of tears. "We''re safe."

    "Woah, I have never heard of a level 14 Awakened moving like that!" one of the Awakened who had listened to Nox''s advice eximed. He was a level 20 Awakened, yet even he couldn''t move like that.

    "Thank you, mister!" The other travelers started to surround Nox and thank him profusely. Nox merely brushed them all off and their offers because it was beginning to be outrageous and lewd.

    "Maybe, if I had intervened earlier, those Awakened might still be alive," Nox sighed.

    Though he hade to realize that death was prettymon in this world, he still felt sour, knowing he could have prevented it.

    "I have to remember that if I was not here¡­ maybe more people would have died." Nox tried to justify his actions and didn''t mull over the thought again when he arrived before Jack.

    "Here, thank you," he said, handing the odachi to the scared youth.

    "You¡­ you were amazing!" Jack eximed as he took back the odachi. "Where did you learn to move like that?! Was that a skill?"

    "That''s a secret," Nox merely replied; he wouldn''t really reveal his secret to a total stranger.

    "Sorry, I might havee across as too intrusive," Jack apologized as the group of travelers resumed their journey.

    "It''s fine."

    "So what are you going to do in Snowhelm?" Jack smiled foolishly as he scratched his head. "Ah, sorry, it seems I''m being intrusive again."

    The group didn''t encounter much trouble; the few beasts they met were easily dealt with by the Awakened. As they faced more of these beasts, Nox realized that the beasts were indeed stronger than normal.

    ''It''s just like the python four years ago,'' Nox mused but was soon jerked out of his thoughts by Jack, who couldn''t keep his mouth shut¡­ he was telling Nox a story about his annoying cousin, a very unnecessary piece of information.

    "Thank the heavens!" Nox suddenly eximed when he saw a bright sh of light shining into the tunnel. He couldn''t continue to listen to Jack''s boring story; if he did, he might just bleed from the ear.

    "Finally, we''re here!"

    "I don''t want to ever use these tunnels again!"

    Upon seeing the light, the travelers began to jump up in excitement and hugged each other.

    "We''re here, it seems." Jack had a bittersweet smile. "I guess we''ll part ways from here. You''re such an interesting fellow; are you sure you don''t want to tell me about what you want to do? I might help you out¡­ like I said before, I''m very familiar with this kingdom."

    "You''re a good person," Nox said, thinking back to what Jack had done in the tunnel. With his strength, thetter was capable of running past the spider and escaping, but he had stayed behind and fought to protect the non-Awakened.

    "However, I don''t need your help for now, maybeter but not now." Nox said and was about to leave, but Jack called out.

    "How are you going to ask for my help?"

    "I don''t know!" Nox replied, walking out of the tunnel. "If fate allows us to meet, then we''ll meet again."

    "If fate allows us to meet, huh," Jack repeated as he watched Nox''s back disappear.

    [Such an interesting fellow, I like him! I hope we meet again.] A voice that didn''t belong to Jack resounded in his head, but he ignored the voice as if he hadn''t heard it in the first ce.

    "Young Master!" One of the Awakened came up to Jack. In fact, all the Awakened that had fought the spider had gathered around him. "Should I follow him?"

    "No¡­ no need," Jack said, his gaze still lingering at the opening. "Like he said, we''ll meet again if fate allows it."

    Then he looked at the Awakened and added, "Let''s just focus on the mission."

    "Yes, sir!"

    "No matter what, we must not allow the others to get to that beast first." Jack clenched his fist. "That Elemental Crystal must be ours!"

    Finally, Nox was out of the tunnel and entered the kingdom of Snowhelm. The first thing he noticed was the freezing atmosphere and the ground covered in ice sheets. He seemed to be in a valley with no sight of civilization.

    Nox was confused about which side he should take to reach the nearest city. Luckily, one of the travelers showed him the direction.

    After thanking the man, Nox set out towards his right. He trudged through a snow-covered path for two hours. He didn''t encounter any beasts or hoodlums; it was a peaceful walk, and he soon arrived at the first city.

    Nox paid the entrance fee, which was a dozen silver coins, and was allowed ess into the city. Shortly after he entered the city, a tall woman standing on top of a valley outside the city smiled.

    "It seems he got in without any problem."

    ***

    New week:

    So I fulfill the bonus chapter for the golden tickets, new goals are as follows:

    200 Power Stones = 1 Chapter

    100 Golden Tickets = 3 Chapters

    1 Dragon = 1 Chapter

    1 Castle = 5 Chapters

    Thanks to all those who support this book. Also, let''s make sure to hit this goal because it motivates me to write more.

 Chapter 87: I formation About The Elemental Beast

    Nox entered the city named Frostburg, and just like the valley, the cobblestone streets were covered by snow and ice sheets. The streets were wide, with people in thick cotton clothes that protected them from the biting cold going about their day.

    Nox sucked in a deep breath, letting out a puff of smoke from his mouth.

    ''So¡­cold.'' Nox shuddered as his gaze scanned around for any hotel, or in this world, inn. Because the Vermilion Kingdom didn''t have such weather, he was only shielded by a rtively thin cloth that did nothing against the cold.

    Fortunately for him, he saw a two-story building with the sign Pleasure Den Inn.

    Though the name sounded suspicious, Nox didn''t dwell on it and hurried inside, fearing he might freeze if he stayed outside any longer.

    "Huff!" As soon as he stepped inside, Nox felt the warmth envelop him. He found himself in the reception area where a smiling receptionist greeted him.

    "Wee to Pleasure Den Inn." The receptionist disyed a smile. "How may I help you?"

    "I need a room," Nox said. If he wanted to look for the Elemental Beast, then he needed somewhere to stay while he investigated more about the Elemental Beast.

    The receptionist''s smile grew wider as she eyed Nox''s thin clothing. "A room, huh? We don''t get many guests from¡­warmer climates."

    Nox nodded; he didn''t falter. It seemed his clothing had given away that he was a foreigner. But there were a total of five kingdoms in the human domain. He could be from any of those kingdoms. If he showed a panicked expression, it might raise a lot of questions and make this reception suspicious.

    "Just a simple room will do," he said with a neutral expression.

    The receptionist''s smile faltered for a moment before she regained herposure. "Well, we have a special deal for¡­foreigners. It''s a bit more expensive, but I''m sure you''ll find it¡­worthwhile."

    ''I don''t like the way she dragged that bit.'' Nox narrowed his eyes. Although the woman looked beautiful, she gave off the same vibes as those shady merchants.

    "How much?"

    "Oh, it''s just 10 golden tickets¡­I mean coins," the woman whispered in a voice that only Nox could hear.

    ''Ten golden coins? This woman¡­is she trying to scam me?'' Nox chuckled, his eyes shing with amusement. "I think you''re trying to take advantage of me. I''ll give you a fair price, and that''s it."

    If it was four years back, he might have given her that amount, but now he was smarter. When he saw a scammer, he could tell, but this was merely spection in his head; he still wasn''t sure.

    He only said this to gauge the woman''s reaction. Besides, he only had ten gold coins with him. If he used all of them for a mere inn room, how would he cover his other expenses?

    ''This¡­it worked for adults. Why is this boy different¡­he''s just a kid.'' The receptionist''s smile froze.

    She persisted. "I¡­I don''t think that''s possible. This is the standard rate for¡­foreigners."

    Nox leaned in, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "I''m willing to bet that''s not true. I''ll give you a chance to correct your mistake. Otherwise, I''ll report you to your manager."

    For some strange reason, many foreigners tended toe to this inn, and she easily took advantage of them. It was very easy, as they were foreigners and thought things were just expensive here.

    After seeing that Nox was just a kid, albeit a wealthy-looking kid, she''d inted the price, even higher than the one she charged the other foreigners.

    However, today didn''t seem to be a good day for her. The receptionist sighed and looked away, her eyes darting to the side. "Fine¡­the normal rate is¡­triple times lower than what I said."

    Nox grinned, his eyes sparkling. "Hmmm¡­I thought so. I''ll take the room." He dropped three coins on the desk and, after being handed the key, walked upstairs, leaving a sulking receptionist behind.

    Nox entered a spacious room that contained only a mattress and a balcony. As soon as he stepped inside, Fluffington leaped out of the taming space andnded on the bed.

    [Oh, so soft!] The fat caty on its stomach and began to roll around on the bed, irritating Nox.

    Fluffington: [Brat, is it possible for you to put one of these inside that weird space?]

    "Hmmm, I can probably, but that would only make youzier, so no." Thest thing he would do was make this fat catfortable.

    [Hmph] Fluffington harrumphed and looked away. He really liked sleeping on a bed as it was soft just like his fur; although the taming space wasfortable, it didn''t elicit the same feeling as sleeping on a bed.

    Nox suddenly had an idea. "But if you want the mattress¡­there is only one thing you have to do."

    [What¡­?] Fluffington asked eagerly. He would do anything to get this mattress inside the taming space.

    "Stop beingzy¡­ Be like Thirteen¡­where is he?" Nox looked around and noticed the panda doing a series of push-ups.

    [Be like the panda that''s obsessed with fighting? I''ll pass¡­]

    [Umu?] Thirteen felt his big brother was trash-talking him again, but he didn''t mind and just focused on getting stronger.

    "Well, your choice." Nox shrugged and walked into the balcony, unaware of the contemtive look in Fluffington''s eyes.

    [Be like Thirteen, huh.] The cat repeated with a dazed expression.

    Later that day, Nox left the inn to explore Frostburg. He wondered how to begin his search for the Elemental Beast without any leads. He couldn''t just ask random people on the street, as revealing the Elemental Beast''s existence might incite greed.

    It was said that the crystal/core from an Elemental Beast was several times more expensive than a magic beast core and could be used to create powerful items that could tip the scale of any battle.

    ''If others know about this, they might get greedy. I have to be careful,'' he thought. ''Let''s see, maybe the drunkard could know something.''

    He came to a stop before a tavern that was bustling with people. Walking into the tavern, a strong scent of alcohol hit Nox as he went to sit down and ordered a drink from the curvy-looking saleswoman.

    It was time to find out information about the Elemental Beast.

    ****

    Thank you for supporting Supreme BeastTamer!!!

 Chapter 88: Wrong Information

    "Whistles! Lad, isn''t she beautiful?" a manmented, his eyes filled with greed as he admired the attractive saleswoman¡ªa deliberate choice by the owner.

    Nox strongly suspected the reason this ce was filled was because of her.

    "Her name is Emily," the man continued. "She''s the owner''s daughter¡­ I''ve been trying my luck with her for months, but she won''t even look at me."

    "Here, drink more," Nox said, pouring more drink for the man from his own bottle.

    "Oh, thank you,d." The man was pleased and gobbled the ss. "Hmm, this drink costs about 10 silver coins. How''d you afford something like this?"

    "I am an Awakened."

    "Oh¡­ that exins it¡­ It''s hard for mundanes like us to identify your kind, you see."

    "I understand. Drink more, the bill is on me."

    "Ah, since you''re Awakened, I''ll not decline your offer. You guys are pretty rich after all," the man said and drank heartily, slowly bing more and more wasted.

    Nox hid a grin.

    "Hmmmm." A ragged old man that looked like a beggar was observing everything that was happening.

    Suddenly, the man stood up from his seat and pointed at Nox.

    ''What is he doing? Isn''t he drunk?'' Nox frowned.

    "Everyone, thisd here is an Awakened! He''s loaded!" He suddenly shouted, making Nox''s face contort.

    This was not how the script was supposed to go!

    He only intended to make this guy drunk then ask him questions. By the time he became sober, he would probably forget everything.

    "Oh well, let''s make everyone drunk."

    "Emily, more drinks!" He shouted, and Emily happily served everyone in the tavern. Everyone was drinking away and gossiping among themselves.

    Once they were sufficiently drunk, Nox started asking them about the Elemental Beast, but their answers were unsatisfactory. Most didn''t even know what an Elemental Beast was, making Nox feel his efforts were in vain.

    Just then, he noticed a ragged man sitting further away from the others. Unlike the others, he seemed sober despite drinking the wine Nox had bought.

    Despite his rugged appearance, Nox sensed a strange aura around this man. His eyes held a profound wisdom.

    Nox approached this man and smiled. "Hi, mister¡­ Do you want another drink?"

    "Shoo,d. I know nothing," the man said, waving his hand dismissively and returning his focus to his drink.

    While Nox searched for clues about the Elemental Beast, several more Awakened entered the borders of the Snowhelm Kingdom. They came from different kingdoms, all with the same purpose as Nox.

    They were after the Elemental Beast. Elemental crystals were rare, so when news of one being spotted in the Snowhelm Kingdom spread, many academies and guilds rushed to join the hunt.

    The allure of an Elemental Crystal was just too strong for them to let go. There were rumors the Snowhelm Kingdom had tried to keep the existence of the Elemental Beast under wraps and sought to use the crystal to strengthen their military to protect against the beasts that were bing more and more difficult tobat.

    But somehow, the news had spread, and powerful Awakened all over the far west were flocking into the Snowhelm Kingdom.

    ----

    In a nearby coastal city...

    A girl with red skin was standing in a tall, abandoned watchtower, the wind tousling her ck hair. Her mesmerizing red eyes were fixed on the frozen sea.

    She was surrounded by a group of fair-skinned girls who were all radiating powerful Awakened energy.

    The beautiful, curvy, red-skinned girl had a great sword farrger than her strapped behind her. Oddly, the sword was wrapped with a cloth covering the de.

    "It seems students of the Vermilion Royal Academy have also arrived," the red-skinned girl said.

    "Does this mean we will change our ns?" asked a girl with a rapier. "We''ve already invested a lot of resources in this mission¡­ the squad leader wouldn''t be pleased."

    "Who said anything about¡­ changing ns?" the red-skinned girl replied, her gaze still fixed on the sea.

    Her eyes gleamed with a wicked light. "We''ll proceed with the original n¡­ we''ll massacre all of them."

    At that moment, the sun, which was rare, shed upon the girl, and a red rose engulfed in mes appeared in her eyes.

    ----

    ''What do I do? It seems none of these people know about the Elemental Beast,'' Nox thought worriedly as he paced outside the tavern. He had left a few minutes ago after realizing no one inside had information about the Elemental Beast.

    He had thought this ce would be the best ce to gather information¡­ because when people were drunk, they tended to spill even the deepest of their secrets.

    ''Sigh, master didn''t give me a clear lead; she only mentioned that it was spotted somewhere in the Snowhelm Kingdom.''

    Was this some sort of training too? During the past four years, Eve didn''t only teach Nox how to fight; she had also thrown Nox into unexpected situations, forcing him to use his wits.

    This reminded him of that situation.

    ''Master is too unpredictable.'' Nox smiled, a chibi version of Eve with her ck hair and mesmerizing ruby eyes shing in his head.

    "Hey, kid," a voice called.

    ''Hmmm.'' Nox suddenly felt the presence of someone behind him. He turned around, only to find the ragged-looking old man that had been staring at him ever since he stepped into the tavern.

    The man scanned his surroundings as if to make sure no one was nearby before he leaned and whispered in Nox''s ear. "You were the one asking about the Elemental Beast, right?"

    "Yes¡­ you know about it?" Nox narrowed his eyes. His gut was right! Nox had thought this man looked suspicious just from the way he had shooed him away.

    "Yes, I do know about the Elemental Beast." The man stated, confirming Nox''s suspicion, but what he said next made the youth''s face turn grim.

    "But this information might cost your life."

    "Might cost my life?" Nox raised an eyebrow. What information was so important that it could cost his life?

    "Ah, I''m just joking." The manughed, revealing broken teeth. "If you give me one golden ticket¡ªI mean coin¡ªI''ll tell you."

    Nox didn''t mind and flipped a golden coin to the man, who caught it with expert reflexes and stored it away in his pocket. Then the man leaned forward and whispered in Nox''s ear.

    Nox thanked him, and they went their separate ways. As Nox walked away, the man pulled out amunication crystal and made a call.

    "It''s as you predicted," the man said to the other person. "Luckily, I gave him the wrong location¡­ he''s going to get himself killed there."

    ****

    The Goal is still On! Thank you for Supporting Supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 89: The Location

    "Hmmm, ording to his description, it seemed he really knows what an elemental crystal is," Nox pondered to himself as he went separate ways with the old man.

    The man had told him that the Elemental beast had been spotted on the south side of Frostburg City. Though Nox was a bit suspicious that the man might have scammed him since he had easily gotten the information, he didn''t think it was too bad to check it out.

    Moreover, the man''s description closely matched what was written in his father''s book,pelling Nox to even listen to his words in the first ce.

    Because he had thick clothes just like the normal folks here, it was very easy for Nox to blend in; he didn''t arouse curious stares like on the first day.

    As he walked through the streets, heading deeper south, Nox noticed the number of people he was seeing was beginning to thin out, giving him time to reflect on his n.

    His n was simple: if the beast truly was in the south side like the man had said, he intended to study its strength before engaging in a fight.

    When Nox had firste to this world, he was very reckless because he was still just a 16-year-old from Earth. However, after a few close calls, witnessing people dying, and observing his master Eve hunt beasts, he had be more cautious and strategic.

    "A nned battle is already half won." Nox didn''t know if he was imagining it, but he heard one of his master''s mantras in his head.

    Slowly, he went further and finally arrived at the ce. From Nox''s point of view, it was an abandoned district with a series of two-story and three-story brick buildings.

    Because it was currently night, the ce looked a bit ominous; kids back on Earth would have thought ghosts lived there, but having stayed with Eve, whose house was literally filled with undead, hardly anything scared Nox anymore.

    ''Let''s see. This seems like a nice ce for the Elemental beast to hide away from the public,'' Nox thought as he walked through the streets, unaware that several ck-clothed individuals were running atop the buildings, keeping their eyes fixed on him.

    As he ventured further, Nox opened his ears to detect the roar of the beast or any sound in general. That was when he heard a series of footsteps.

    ''Huh, I thought there was no one else here,'' Nox frowned. ''Could it be someone else?''

    At that moment, Nox suddenly felt his hair stand on end; his body seemed to move automatically as he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a swift de aimed at his neck.

    Rolling a couple of times, Nox jumped to his feet, only to be met by another sword shing towards him. With no choice, he kicked the ground and did a backflip to distance himself from his attacker.

    With moderate distance between them, Nox could now clearly see his attacker: three figures dressed in ck clothing and masks. Nox tried to see if they were Awakened, but their names didn''t pop up, which meant they were either mundane or hiding their information with an item.

    "Who are you people? Why are you attacking me?" Nox shouted, trying to control the anger within him. He summoned his dagger and red at the three masked individuals who had only slits for mouths and noses. There was no way to recognize them.

    ''Are they also after the Elemental beast?'' was the first thought that came to his mind. ''Or is it a setup by that man... did he sell me out to these people? But why... unless these people know about the Elemental beast and want to get rid of me so that they could have it.''

    "From your expression, I guess you realize who we are," one of the figures said and kicked off the ground, exploding towards Nox like a bolt of lightning. They covered the distance rather quickly, their sword shing forward.

    "Hmph!" Nox sneered, barely parrying the attack with his dagger. A loud ng echoed through the deserted district as metal met metal.

    "Eh?" The figure''s eyes widened. They didn''t expect Nox to react this fast... isn''t he only level 14? Could this kid be like those prodigies who can fight opponents higher than their level?

    Meanwhile, Nox simultaneously counterattacked with a powerful strike, aiming for the figure''s chest. "Thinking in the middle of a fight. You''re not so bright, huh?"

    "Heok!" The figure hastily blocked the attack, and the force of the impact sent them flying backward like a ragdoll, crashing into a nearby wall.

    Nox didn''t have time to catch his breath as the other two pounced on him like hungry lions. A fireball burst forth from one of their palms; Nox zigzagged past the attack, closing the distance to the figure. His dagger shed in the dim night, biting deep into the mage.

    "Damnit, backup!" The mage screamed, jumping backward with blood dripping from her chest. As soon as she called for backup, more masked figures leaped out of the building. It seemed the three were merely gauging Nox''s strength, and now that they knew he was strong, they all came out.

    However, upon seeing Nox, one of the figures that had jumped out froze, their sword hand trembling a bit.

    ''It''s him, what is he doing here?'' the figure thought with a frown.

    Unaware that he had been recognized, Nox opened his eyes and shed an annoying grin. "I guess it''s only natural for me to call for backup as well."

    A blue portal opened up behind him.

    ----

    Within a nearby building, a silver-haired boy observed the fight with his hands sped behind his back.

    "It seems that kid is strong," hemented. He had heard news about this boy searching for the Elemental beast from one of his spies in the city, so he had decided to get rid of him to reduce thepetition.

    But he never thought the kid would be powerful enough to hold his own against an Awakened who was one level higher than him.

    Despite the kid''s prowess, he didn''t panic; after all, he had countermeasures. He always had one.

    A smirk curled up on his face as he looked at the dark-skinned girl who had her eyes closed, as if she was meditating. "Do your thing!"

    "Yes, leader," the girl nodded, her eyes shining with a bright glow.

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support this novel, I keep tab of all of your names!!

 Chapter 90: [Bonus Chapter]Just Who Is This Person?

    More masked figures popped out on the street, filling the surroundings. Some stood on the roofs of abandoned buildings, all ring at the dark-haired youth with strands of red.

    But they weren''t the only ones with backups! Thirteen and Fluffington had also appeared.

    "[Panda fight! Panda strong!]" Thirteen pumped his fist and red at the masked figures, while Fluffington''s fur bristled and his razor-sharp ws gleamed in the dim light.

    As usual, he had been peacefully sleeping before these morons disrupted it.

    The masked figures faltered at this unexpected development. What was a magical beast doing inside the city... but they didn''t have much time to think as the two beasts under Nox''smand charged forward.

    Fluffington''s ws shed as he tore one of the figures apart. Thirteen, in his curled form, mmed into another figure, sending them flying and crashing into a nearby wall, forming a crater-like dent.

    "[Panda strong!]" Thirteen pounded his chest like a gori and engaged two people in a dogfight. Thanks to his skill in martial awareness, which allowed him to learn martial arts faster, Thirteen had picked up a few techniques just by observing others in the barony.

    The two figures'' faces contorted in shock and dismay as they realized the panda was a formidable opponent, effortlessly parrying their attacks with lightning-fast reflexes. The panda''s counterattacks were swift and merciless, leaving the two figures stunned.

    "A beast that knows martial arts? This is unheard of!"

    Meanwhile, activating his skill, [Divine Velocity], Nox transformed into a beam of golden light and bolted forward like a rocket, leaving a golden trail in his wake.

    ''That skill¡­ I remember¡­ it''s really him! Is this fate? But what is he doing here?'' The masked figure thought and dashed towards the golden beam. ''I must warn him... but how? He''s too fast.''

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    The golden beam illuminated the dark night as it cut through the enemies'' defenses. The masked figure was conflicted about what to do; all their attacks were hitting nothing but empty air, as the Golden beam was too fast for their eyes, even the residual trail in the air caused additional damage.

    By the time [Divine Velocity] came to an end, Nox had already taken down over a dozen masked figures. Only a few were left standing, but they became wary and stepped back. However, the panda and cat didn''t give them any breathing space and continued to engage in a deadly brawl.

    ''This is my chance!'' The masked figure thought and charged in, swinging their sword clumsily at Nox.

    ''Are they already tired?'' Nox wondered. He didn''t know if this person was aiming to kill him or not because their attack was too predictable. It looked as if they were an amateur.

    "Run!"

    "Huh?"

    As their des shed, the figure whispered in a hushed voice Nox thought was familiar.

    ''Is the assassin telling me to run? Why?'' Nox wondered if he had misheard; why would someone who was hellbent on killing him suddenly tell him to escape?

    ng! ng!

    A blue light gleamed on the hilt of the sword. Nox frowned. A few seconds ago, this figure looked clumsy like an amateur; why did they suddenly appear so experienced? He didn''t have time to think, as the blue light on the sword hilt intensified, and the assassin''s eyes locked onto something behind Nox.

    A blue energy st struck the ground a mere feet away from Nox, scorching the ground and leaving a smoldering crater. Fragments of rock scattered everywhere.

    ''That was a deliberate attack!'' Nox realized. ''They could have attacked me if they wanted.''

    Soon after, the figure charged in again and whispered, "Pretend as if we''re fighting, they''re watching."

    Nox was bing more perplexed.

    Who was this person?

    ----

    A few seconds ago, inside the building...

    "That''s... an ultimate skill!" The silver-haired boy pointed out, shocked. Ultimate skills were very rare and expensive, obtainable only from high-ranking dimensional rifts or beasts.

    Because the silver-haired youth was experienced, he could recognize an ultimate skill when he saw one. Looking at the golden beam, he could tell it was one.

    The silver-haired boy took a step back, his expression pale. "I''ve only heard of a few people who possess an ultimate skill, and they''re all from wealthy families or guilds. How did... did this kid get his hands on something like that?"

    The silver-haired boy leaned forward and observed the fight. "He''s using it perfectly, too. The speed, the precision... it''s like he''s teleporting across the battlefield."

    But what caught the silver-haired boy''s attention was the beast battling alongside the boy. The boy had never heard of magical beasts assisting humans; they were never meant to coexist. Humans were their natural prey, after all.

    ''Could he be from a powerful family?'' the silver-haired boy thought, but quickly shook his head. If he were from a powerful family, he would not be wandering alone in this city.

    ''If he''s not a young master, then who is he? How did he obtain an ultimate skill...?'' Thinking up to this point, he picked up themunication crystal and gave orders to the masked figures.

    Back on the streets, more figures pounced on Nox once again, and he lost track of that strange figure. His head was filled with questions, but Nox didn''t get distracted, knowing that it could cost him his life.

    Fortunately, Thirteen and Fluffington had his back, so he wasn''t too worried.

    ''Blue attack... who? Just who?'' Nox pondered.

    As he thought, Nox suddenly noticed something... were his eyes ying tricks on him, or were the masked figures multiplying?

    ****

    Bonus Chapter! The Power stone and Golden Ticket goal is still notpleted, but I felt you guys deserve an extra Chapter for the support you have been showing this book. For now I''ll be uploading two chapters daily but if we continue at this rate I might Increase it to three.

    Like always, thank you for supporting Supreme BeastTamer, I really appreciate. It encourage me to write more Chapters.

 Chapter 91: The Person Behind The Mask

    More of the ck-masked people began to pop out of thin air, surrounding Nox and his pets from all sides.

    "This..." Nox frowned; it felt as if the figures were infinite. Every time he took one down, two more seemed to take its ce, and now it appeared that hundreds had suddenly appeared.

    ''That old man, if I ever get out of here, I''ll surely pay that tavern a visit.'' He cursed in his mind.

    The masked figures had yet to attack, which gave Nox a moment to consider his next move. While he pondered, he noticed the mouth of the same ck-masked figure moving again. Nox narrowed his eyes.

    ''Hmmm... I''m not foolish. It''s clear one of them is trying tomunicate something, but what?''

    ''They had an opportunity to deal a fatal attack on me, but they held back. Could it be someone that I know?'' Several faces crossed Nox''s mind, but all were from the Vermilion Kingdom, so he dismissed the thought. ''Besides, this could be a tactic to lower my guard.''

    Though it was difficult to differentiate between the identical ck-masked individuals, Nox always spotted the peculiar figure because they subtly made themselves noticeable.

    As he observed the peculiar figure, Nox''s brain raced with ideas. Soon, he had an idea¡ªan idea that would buy him time to escape these never-ending foes.

    ''Since they just keep oning, I suspect they''re some sort of clone. If I were to use Shadow Oblivion, I would only lose more of my mana pool... besides, I can''t just go spamming Shadow Oblivion; each use costs 100 MP.''

    As Nox''s level had increased over the years, he noticed that the mana consumption for his skills had also risen. He felt as if the system was trying to nerf him, which angered him, but he realized his skills had be more powerful.

    ''It''s like the skill leveled up, though it can''t rank up further as it''s already an ultimate skill.''

    Thest thing Nox wanted was to encounter trouble when his MP was depleted. He would have opted for Divine Velocity again, but the skill was currently on cooldown, which made him contemte using Phantom Cloak... no, that should be ast resort.

    This was why he decided to do this.

    Under the watchful gaze of the masked people, Nox squatted to Thirteen''s height. ''Thirteen? You want to crush all of them, don''t you?''

    [Umu!] Thirteen flung away one of the figures with incredible force, nodding vigorously. He pumped his fist and stepped in front of Nox, causing the masked figures to flinch back slightly. They had all witnessed the might of this ck-and-white creature.

    Their orders were to cease their assault and capture the boy for questioning, as their superior had taken an interest in him. In fact, they were also curious.

    If they''d met under different circumstances, they would have asked how he was able to control these beasts.

    With an rming smirk, Nox telepathicallymanded, ''Then do your thing.''

    Inside the building, the handsome boy with silver hair was watching Nox''s every action with curiosity.

    "What is he up to now?" the boy thought with narrowed eyes.

    The reason he had ordered the figures to stop their assault and bring the boy in was that he intended to ask him questions about which group he was working for, how he got an ultimate skill, and... about the beast that was helping him.

    He suddenly nced at the dark-haired girl standing beside him, her eyes closed in meditation. "Maya, how long can you maintain your clones?"

    The dark-haired girl, her eyes still closed, replied with great difficulty. "J-just 50 more seconds before all my mana runs out."

    "That stupid fool!" The boy gritted his teeth when he remembered the masked figure that had the opportunity to attack Nox. If they hadn''t missed that time, Nox would have been easier to subdue.

    Fighting alongside the boy with unusually dark eyes were clones and other Awakened... Nox didn''t know it, but the masked figure that was trying tomunicate with him was an Awakened.

    The silver-haired boy clenched his fist. "If we get back, I''ll definitely get rid¡ª"

    He never got to finish his sentence.

    ROOOOAR!

    A thunderous roar that seemed to be a mixture of a dragon''s roar and the fierce rushing of a river reverberated throughout the whole vicinity. The ground started to rumble, and even the buildings seemed to tremble.

    "Huh, what''s that?" The silver-haired boy''s expression distorted as he looked outside through the window.

    ...Then his face became as pale as a sheet of paper.

    "Heavens... what''s that!"

    The scene unfolding outside was beyond what the silver-haired boy had ever imagined witnessing, and he was certain no one in Frostburg thought such a thing was possible.

    Outside, a torrent of water,rger than any waves the silver-haired boy had seen, gushed from the small panda cub, just four years old. The devastating force of the water mmed into all the masked figures.

    As the panda spun in circles, none of them were spared from the wrath of the devastating waters. The impact of the water caused the old buildings in this district to crumble one after another to the ground like sandcastles.

    "Move! We have to escape!"

    Shocked into action, the silver-haired boy pulled on Maya, snapping her out of her meditation. Every building was copsing one after another, and theirs would be next. If they dyed a second longer, they''d be buried under the bricks.

    "What about the others?" Maya shouted.

    "We''ll worry about themter," the youth replied as they leaped through a window. A few minutester, their building copsed, sending up a cloud of dust. By now, the entire city was awake, and Awakened from the adventure guilds rushed over.

    Step! Step!

    When the deluge of water finally ceased, Nox patted Thirteen on the head and walked toward one of the masked figures lying on the ground¡ªthe one who had been signaling him all along. Nox noticed some were still alive, groaning beneath the rubble. They were Awakened, and mere bricks couldn''t kill them.

    However, their numbers had noticeably diminished.

    Arriving before the figure, Nox halted. He could see that the figure was still breathing. However, this was not the reason he came to a stop... he came to a stop because he was cautious. What if the figure was waiting for this moment to attack him?

    ''No, it can''t be.'' Nox shook his head to chase the thought away. ''If they wanted to attack me, they could have done it when they had the opportunity.''

    Standing over the figure, he began to remove the mask.

    "Now, let''s see who you are."

    ****

    Thank you for all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their Golden Tickets, unlocking, powerstones and Gifts. I really appriaciate it! We can double this effort though to always have an happy Author!

 Chapter 92: The Masked Figure

    The entire city of Frostburg was almost floodedst night, and several properties were destroyed. The authorities and citizens were still trying to figure out where the deluge of water hade from. All they knew was that the water hade like a broken dam from the Abandoned District, which didn''t make sense.

    Naturally, something like this shouldn''t have been possible since Frostburg was not close to the sea. In fact, the entirety of the Snowhelm Kingdom didn''t have a sea because all their oceans had turned frozen due to the extremely cold atmosphere.

    This made the citizens panic, and they were protesting through the flooded streets, demanding to know what was going on. The city mayor had a bitter smile on his face as he tried to calm his citizens. How was he supposed to tell them that he was as clueless as they were?

    "Buy your daily newspaper!" A skinny boy ran around with a bundle of newspapers that had the bold title *Mysterious Flood Ravages Frostburg*.

    A silver-haired youth dressed in ck clothing stepped on the flooded street, approached the boy, and tossed one silver coin to him, buying one of the newspapers. The silver-haired youth read through the content with narrowed eyes. Beside him was a dark-haired girl.

    "Nothing. It seems he escaped before the authorities arrived," the boy said and threw away the newspaper. He had hoped the content of the news would include information about that mysterious youth with lightless eyes, but it seemed the youth, along with everyone else, had escaped before the authorities arrived on the scene.

    Though hours had passed since the fight, the silver-haired boy could vividly remember the fierce little panda that had turned this city into this state. It made him even more curious to learn more about the boy who seemed to be controlling the panda.

    Fortunately for him, the newspapers weren''t helpful. The reason he was hell-bent on learning more about this boy was because of thetter''s overwhelming power. He needed to know hispetition very well.

    ''That speed and dagger arts... he''s someone who could easily get promoted to the Alpha ss back in the academy... he even looks so young... just who is he? The only students with ultimate skills are the top ten, and they''re all in the special ss.''

    ''No wonder this mission is ranked as an A-ranked mission,'' he thought.

    But with this sudden development, the boy believed this mission should be at least AA.

    At first, he had only been cautious of other factions that were also hunting for the Elemental Beast, but now that Nox had stepped into the picture, he had another worry in his mind.

    Based on what the silver-haired boy witnessed, Nox might actually be the most troublesomepetitor.

    ''Sigh, when I return, I''ll tell the professors to increase this mission to AA, no, triple A!'' The silver-haired boy frowned as he left the stall that was selling the newspaper and said to the dark-haired girl, "Come, let''s go back to the hideout."

    As he walked, the silver-haired boy shivered slightly due to Snowhelm''s freezing atmosphere. Even the water had be chilly, and the citizens who were demanding answers from the mayor had rushed back to their homes out of fear of getting sick.

    ''To think one little panda could force everyone out of their homes and inside...'' He shuddered, but it was not because of the freezing water¡ªit was because of Nox, who had the powerful panda under his control.

    ----

    At the same time, inside a tavern that was just opposite the newspaper stall...

    A youth with dark hair with strands of red was looking at a figure who was seated opposite him.

    "Emily! Bring your most expensive wine!" The dark-haired youth shouted at the top of his voice, and the curvy, beautiful saleswoman served them, shed Nox a smile, and left.

    Though Nox was nine, using Shadow Oblivion had made him grow taller than his peer group. His bones were rigid, and his lithe muscles were firm. He had grown more handsome as the years passed. Now he looked more like a thirteen-year-old than a nine-year-old.

    Nox stared at the figure and took a sip of the wine. "I knew we''d meet again, but I didn''t expect it to be like this." Nox stated, setting the cup on the table. "What brings you to the Snowhelm Kingdom? Are you also after the Elemental Beast?"

    "I should be the one asking you that question... What are you doing here?" the figure retorted with a frown on their face.

    A few hours ago...

    Nox''s heart pounded as he gently removed the mask from the figure''s face. He held his dagger tightly with his other hand, not wanting to be caught off guard. After all, out of all the masked individuals, this one seemed to be the most skilled.

    However, despite still being alive, the figure, strangely enough, remained motionless as if they''d given up on the fight. This was a tactic! Even Nox had used it before¡ªpretending to give up only to strike when the opponent was unsuspecting.

    Kicking the sword a bit further from the figure, Nox finally steeled his mind and took off the mask swiftly, revealing a white-haired beauty.

    He stared at the person, shocked.

    "Y--you!"

    "Yes, me! You and I are going to have a long talk... because you have a lot to exin," the girl retorted with a visible frown on her face.

    Though four years had passed and the white-haired girl seemed to have be more mature and developed, Nox could never forget this face. After all, it was the second ranker in the mock tournament.

    "Wendy."

    ----

    Present...

    "What am I doing here?" Nox asked. "Of course, I''m here because of the Elemental Beast, and I figured you''re here for the same reason."

    "Sigh." Wendy sighed. Deep down, when she had seen Nox, the older sister in her had hoped he wasn''t here for the Elemental Beast because of the powerful groups that were after the beast. Just like her group, the other factions were taking down theirpetitors.

    It was very deadly and was ssified as an A-ranked mission.

    "I guess since you already know the reason for me being here, it won''t hurt if I tell you the rest of the story."

    Wendy took a deep breath, her expression turning serious. "The Academy received a mission from the Vermilion Royal Academy to hunt down an Elemental Beast and bring its crystal back to the academy. Because of the friction between the two nations, it was ssified as an A-ranked mission, but considering the recent developments, I think it should be upgraded to at least AA."

    "At first, I didn''t want to take the mission because of the risks involved, but the principal offered all of us Beta students a promotion to Alpha students and ess to more of the mission if we couldplete it. With an Alpha student¡ªwho is, by the way, an extremely annoying bastard¡ªas our leader, I thought it wouldn''t be a bad idea, so I epted the mission."

    "But now that I think about it, the offer was just too good... it''s as if they knew all this would happen."

    Nox''s grip on the wine cup tightened. "What do you mean?"

    "The beast''s power is immense, and it''s not just us that are after it," Wendy stated. "Other academies and even a Bronze-ranked guild are involved too. Because we are illegally here in the first ce, those guilds would stop at nothing to im the crystal, even if it means killing a bunch of students.

    And to be honest, if there is anyone with a high chance of getting the crystal, it should be them."

 Chapter 93: Return Vermilion Kingdom?

    "Even guilds?" Nox pondered with a thoughtful expression. The schools also hunting for the Elemental beast didn''t surprise him, but he didn''t expect even the guilds to participate in the hunt.

    In Eos, guilds were the backbone of society. They were organizations consisting of skilled, professional Awakened who hadpleted their studies at the academy and were licensed to enter Dimensional Rifts. Not only that, Awakened who were part of guilds were also respected by the public and had perks that normal Awakened didn''t.

    If even such a group was involved, Nox realized it would be even more difficult to get the crystal for himself. After all, they were all probably high-level Awakened with skills and experience.

    But most importantly, they had the numbers advantage. Even Wendy had admitted that the guild had more chances of getting to the Elemental beast because of this.

    "Why does it feel as if the game just increased from hard to very difficult?" Nox massaged his temples, trying toe up with a solution. When he first arrived in Snowhelm, he had thought hunting the Elemental beast would only be slightly difficult but wouldn''t pose a threat to his life.

    However, with this new information, he began to doubt this thought.

    Though he was strong, Nox didn''t think he was capable of taking on all the other groups alone, especially a guild... so he decided to change his ns a little.

    "Nox," Wendy said, snapping Nox from his thoughts. "I think you should pull out and return to the Vermilion Kingdom now that it''s early before it''s toote. I know a way for you to get out¡ªugh, what am I saying? You probably also used the tunnels."

    Nox raised a brow.

    "The others won''t care that you''re a kid; they''ll kill you," Wendy warned. "In fact, they''re willing to sacrifice a small vige to get their hands on this crystal, they''re that greedy... sigh, does Uncle Nathan even know you''re here?"

    Wendy doubted that was the case because she was certain if the old man knew about the dangers, he wouldn''t let his grandson participate in this hunt.

    "Yes, he does," Nox replied with a smirk. "But I doubt he knew about this development."

    Indeed, Nox was right. His grandfather wasn''t aware that the hunt had be thisplicated. He had only allowed him to head out because he trusted that Eve would watch over him.

    If he knew that even guilds were involved, he''d have certainly advised Nox to pull out. Guilds were really not to be trifled with; kill one of their members, and they''d alle for your head.

    Wendy rubbed her hands together and held Nox''s gaze. She didn''t know this boy personally. She had only met him at the mock tournament four years ago, but because her mother seemed to be very fond of him, she didn''t want him to die a stupid death.

    "Well, it doesn''t matter. It''s not toote¡ªyou can still leave, though I know that bastard Ren has seen your face; he wouldn''t be able to hurt you as long as you remain in the Cromwell''s Barony."

    Remain in the Cromwell Barony? Though Nox loved everyone there, he was beginning to get bored and wanted to explore more of this world. If he wanted to copy more powerful skills and get stronger, the first step was to leave hisfort zone. Even his grandfather was aware of this.

    Subconsciously, he became irritated that Wendy wanted him to stay there and hide from this Ren, whoever he was, but he didn''t let the thought surface, knowing that the older girl was just doing it out of concern.

    "I appreciate what you''re trying to do, but I''ve thought about this for four years, even before the tournament began, so I can''t drop out now. If you''ll excuse me, I have an elemental crystal to find." Nox smiled and walked out, leaving Wendy stunned. He didn''t want to be arrogant, but he felt if anyone should be scared for their life, it should be Wendy.

    After all, he hadpletely overwhelmed her four years ago in the tournament. Had she forgotten already?

    "He refused," Wendy thought, feeling a light headacheing. "Why are boys so stubborn? He understood everything I said, right? If I meet him again another time, it would be very difficult to hold back. I already sold the fightst time; I''m very certain Ren won''t forgive me if I do it a second time."

    "Think, think, Wendy, think!" Wendy held her head and tried to think of a way to get Nox to leave, but her mind was nk. As she pondered, her mind couldn''t help but return to the fight in the abandoned streets, and a smile emerged on her face.

    "It seems he has gotten stronger... and he seemed pretty confident too."

    Bzzzz!

    As she was in thought, hermunication crystal rang loudly. Picking it up, she winced when she heard a familiar voice.

    "Stupid bitch, where are you now?"

    "I..." Wendy stuttered.

    At that moment, Emily, the sage''s girl, walked up to Wendy, handing her a parchment. "Miss, your bill."

    "Wait... he didn''t pay?" Wendy panicked, and Emily nodded. Then her face morphed into a frown. "And he had the guts to order such expensive wine! That kid!"

    "Wendy! I repeat, where are you?" The voice from themunication crystal bellowed, his toneced with anger. "Head back to the base; you have a lot of exining to do."

    ***

    Step, step.

    Nox walked through the streets of Frostburg, lost in thought. His initial n had been to search for the Elemental beast, then go all out against it with his pets... it was a pretty simple but effective n.

    Unfortunately, it''s no longer foolproof. It seems I might stay longer in this city, and I need to find the whereabouts of the Elemental beast. I''m very sure the others aren''t cking either.

    It was a race. Nox knew that the first group to get to the beast would likely get the crystal, so he needed to hurry, but how? Unlike the others, it was only him. He didn''t have subordinates to gather informat¡ª

    Wait, I have subordinates! Nox suddenly thought. I could make them gather information. Though Fluffington is usuallyrge, he could still pass as a normal pet, but Thirteen would be a problem.

    Just then, Nox saw Thirteen pop out from the taming space in the middle of the street.

    What? I didn''t call it out! Nox thought as he tried to call the panda back; however, thetter was running towards a building.

    Nox was confused and surprised. Thirteen had never acted like this before; he was always obedient, so what was this strange reaction?

    "Look! A beast!" A few passersby pointed at Thirteen with fear-stricken expressions.

    "Somebody call the guilds; a magical beast has infiltrated the city!"

    Nox ignored all the panicking civilians and followed Thirteen, finallying to a stop before what appeared to be the courtyard of a dojo... in the courtyard, bare-chested people were currently practicing martial arts.

    Seeing these people, Thirteen''s eyes gleamed with intense excitement as it tugged on Nox''s clothes and pointed at the people: [Panda train!]

    "So this is why you ran out?" Nox was at a loss for words, but he couldn''t get angry at the hardworking panda. "Well, let''s check it out, I guess... the problem would be, would they allow a beast to train with them?"

 Chapter 94: [Bonus Chapter] Thirteen Wants To Train

    Not everywhere in Frostburg was flooded. One such ce was this courtyard. There was arge signpost that stated ''Warriors Pride Dojo,'' and it seemed the group of bare-chested people were having training.

    Standing in front of them was a bald man who wore a grey robe that fluttered in the wind. He had a goatee and experienced, profound eyes.

    ''Martial artist,'' Nox thought as he watched them. The martial arts ss was not that popr in Eos, and they mostly lived in sects or dojos. Unlike other sses, their skills depended on Qi.

    This was the first time Nox hade across a martial artist. He had only read about them in cultivation novels in the past. Now that he was seeing them in real life, Nox was very curious about their skills.

    The bald man''s grey robe fluttered as he shifted his weight, his eyes locked onto an invisible opponent. With a swift motion, he raised his hands, and a burst of golden light erupted from his fingertips. The air seemed to ripple as he shouted,

    "Dragon''s w!"

    Standing behind the martial artist, Thirteen watched intently, his eyes wide with excitement.

    The bald man''s hands seemed to transform into razor-sharp ws, leaving behind trails of golden energy as he struck the air. The energy coalesced into a shimmering aura, taking the shape of a dragon''s w. Then the bald man waved his hand, and the aura dissipated.

    "Good, but not perfect," the bald man said, his eyes narrowing as he critiqued his own technique. "Remember, Qi flows through the body like a river. Control the flow, and you control the power."

    The martial artists nodded their heads, their faces filled with determination as they began to practice the technique, but not even a single one of them could execute the technique like the old man.

    Nox watched with a disappointed look on his face. As he continued to watch, Nox felt a strange energy beside him. Turning his head in that direction, Nox saw Thirteen replicating the move the bald man had disyed. However, his w was shimmering blue in color, unlike the golden w of the bald man.

    [Martial Awareness Activated!]

    [Chances of learning skill¡­0000050%]

    "Ah, now that I remember, this skill allows Thirteen to easily learn any skill he sees¡­it''s just like my talent but lower¡­I guess the reason the w is blue is that Thirteen doesn''t have Qi."

    [Martial Awareness (passive): 30% chance of learning any martial art.]

    Suddenly, Nox had an idea. The reason Thirteen hade here in the first ce was to train with these people; what if he asked the teacher to teach Thirteen?

    Though Thirteen could just stand by and watch, the panda wanted to feel the thrill of training together with other people.

    ----

    "You want me to train a panda?" The bald man stared at Nox as if he was looking at a rare specimen.

    Nox nodded his head. "Yes, the panda is under my control, so you don''t have to worry about it attacking anybody." He proceeded tomand Thirteen to perform some moves, convincing the old man that the panda was actually under his control.

    "Does this have to do with your ss? I can see you''re a promising Awakened. Why don''t you join the ss instead¡­of this panda?" The man suggested. How was he supposed to teach a beast martial arts? Was this kid insane?

    "How much for the tuition fee?" Nox asked.

    "Just 1 gold coin for a week''s worth of teaching. I promise you after learning our technique, you''ll never be the same again." The man said, like a businessman who was advertising his business.

    Nox nodded his head, "Here, let the panda join the ss." Nox flipped a coin to the old man, who caught it.

    "I''m sorry, I have to return this. There is no way for me to teach a panda martial arts."

    ''He didn''t see the earlier move, huh,'' Nox thought as a mischievous n formed in his head. He was running short of money because of the spending in the tavern. He barely had three gold coins left.

    "How about we make a bet? If the panda is able to replicate your skill, you''ll let him in?"

    "Hmph, I bet two gold coins! Nothing of the sort is possible!" The man named Parker bellowed. When he heard Nox''s absurd words, he was beginning to think the kid really had mental issues.

    "Stupid brat! I bet 20 silver coins!" The disciples smirked and started betting as well when they heard the content of the conversation. They''d be fools to miss this opportunity to make easy money.

    "Thirteen, do that skill," Noxmanded, and the panda walked forward, evenly shifted his weight, and replicated the same skill as Master Parker, stunning all the disciples and Master Parker himself.

    "Shit, it really did it! The kid wasn''t bluffing at all!"

    "That skill¡­no one was able to replicate it, how did this panda do it?"

    Master Parker''s breathing quickened. How was this possible? He couldn''t believe his eyes and instructed another of his students to demonstrate another skill.

    Just like the Dragon w, the panda replicated that skill easily and waved it off with a dismissive, arrogant expression on his face.

    This irked Master Parker and all the disciples.

    "It can''t be. This panda must be lucky!" Master Parker cursed and called out one of his students to disy a skill. He felt it was beneath him topete with the panda, so he could only send out his students.

    The student performed a leg movement technique, and Thirteen did the same, his movement even more fluid.

    Seeing what was happening, the passersby started to gather around the courtyard, watching the show. It was the first time they had seen a panda performing martial arts, so it drew quite the crowd.

    ''Shit, shit, they are all watching!'' If it were other times, Parker might have been d people wereing to watch his dojo training, but today it was for the wrong reason! His esteemed dojo was being humiliated right before everyone.

    ''This can''t continue, how will I get future customers like this?'' After the panda replicated the tenth skill, Master Parker couldn''t take it anymore.

    "Somebody go get me Brutus!" he shouted, and one of the students rushed into the dojo and came back a momentter with arge student standing over two meters tall.

    ****

    Bonuse chapter: No goal hit yet, But I feel grateful so here is an chapter.

    Limited event for the next three days

    1 Castle = 10 Chapters

 Chapter 95: [Bonus Chapter]Thirteen Lost

    "Hahahahaha, Brutus is here." The students started tough when they saw this student arrive.

    "Finally, someone will put this panda in his ce!"

    "Stupid beast, looking at us arrogantly, does it think we are the same?"

    Following the disciples'' gaze, Nox''s eyes fell on Brutus.

    [Brutus-Lv35]

    ''A high-level Martial Artist,'' Nox noted.

    Brutus was muscr with a square face, and he was bare-chested with a dragon tattoo on his back. His body was dripping with sweat, suggesting that he had been busy before being summoned.

    The human giant was Master Parker''s best student¡­ He had joined the dojo when he was ten years old after awakening his Martial Warrior ss. It was even rumored that Master Parker had taught Brutus the Warriors'' Pride top technique, but none of them thought this rumor was true as they''d never seen Brutus use the technique even once.

    Even though the rumors might be false, the students of the dojo were certain of one thing: Brutus was loaded with powerful techniques personally taught to him by Master Parker himself.

    ''Those techniques are as old as the Warriors'' Pride Dojo, and it took my grandfather decades to perfect them. There is no way this panda could replicate them,'' Master Parker thought with a cruel smile.

    Because of how easily the panda had replicated the attacks of his students, the people who had gathered were beginning to doubt his teaching, and this rubbed him the wrong way.

    "Kid, do you still want to bet?" Master Parker disyed a confident smile¡­ It made Nox cautious, but after a moment, Nox answered.

    "Sure, I have three golden coins with me. I''m betting all of those."

    "I bet 10 golden coins!" Parker smiled and whispered to Brutus in his ear.

    "Master, is this the right thing?" Despite his hulking mass, Brutus''s voice sounded tiny and could be described as a bit feminine, which was very strange.

    "It doesn''t matter if all these people see our top technique. As long as you can put that panda in its ce, it''s fine," Master Parker exined with a dignified expression. "If we allow this panda to win, then these people would stop taking us seriously¡­ So do what you have to do."

    Nodding his head, Brutus stood with his legs apart and closed his eyes as his body started to glow softly. Then he unleashed a fierce punch that was incredibly fast.

    BANG! A loud bang went off as Brutus''s fist seemed to make an impact with the very air itself, leaving a trail of shimmering blue energy. Then he repeated the punch again, this time green and purple energy appeared in the air.

    As Brutus continued to unleash a flurry of punches, each onending with a loud BANG, the air around him began to distort and ripple. The shimmering blue, green, and purple energy trails merged into a swirling vortex, growingrger and more intense with each strike.

    Nox narrowed his eyes¡­ Why was his heart beating so fast? With each punch, Nox could feel the ground trembling, and the sound of the punches was bing a deafening roar, like thunder in the distance. The energy vortex expanded more and more.

    Suddenly, Brutus opened his eyes, and with a final, mighty punch, he unleashed a st of energy that shattered the air itself. The vortex imploded, releasing a shockwave that sent nearby objects flying.

    A dust storm rose into the air, and when the storm cleared, the impact was immense, creating a crater-like depression in the ground where Brutus stood.

    "Dragon Fury!" Master Parker dered, his voice ringing out through the courtyard as he looked at Nox and Thirteen with a smirk. "Let''s see you replicate this skill."

    [Ding! Martial Awareness skill level too high¡­ chances of learning 0.0001%]

    Thirteen: [Umu?] The panda stared at the message in confusion¡­ He couldn''t read, but he was certain the text was a bad omen as, no matter how he tried, he couldn''t replicate the skill he saw the big man perform.

    Nox, seeing the text, also frowned. It seemed this was a pretty high-level technique that was too high for Martial Awareness.

    Brutus smirked as he saw the confusion on the panda''s face. "Someone seems to be having a problem."

    "Whoa, was that the legendary technique? So the rumors were actually true!" A student eximed with a pounding heart. This was the most powerful martial attack all of them had witnessed!

    "Hahahahaha! Of course, he can''t replicate our dojo''s legendary technique!" one student shouted.

    "Yes, at the end of the day, humans are still superior!"

    "Sigh, stupid panda, you have finally been put in your ce!"

    "Stupid panda!"

    The students of the Warriors'' Pride Dojo were beginning to hurl insulting words at Thirteen, and thetter faltered, bringing his hands to cover his face, which was turning red due to embarrassment. He only wanted to enjoy himself and win money for his master, but he failed!

    Unlike humans who did not understand beasts, Thirteen understood every insult they were hurling at him¡­ Unable to take the embarrassment any longer, the panda ran behind his master while covering his face.

    "Lad, it seems you lost the bet." Master Parker chuckled as he swaggered over. Though it was at the cost of revealing their trump card, it was worth it; now the onlookers wouldn''t doubt the credibility of his dojo again.

    ''Sigh, if only this panda was a human, I could have taken him in as an apprentice. Unfortunately, that wouldn''t be possible,'' Master Parker thought in pity. Thest thing he wanted was for this beast to suddenly turn on his disciples one day.

    Master Parker shed a smile that reminded Nox of those shady merchants and his grandfather. "Well, boy, what are you waiting for? Hand over the coins¡­ If you''d not been greedy, you could''ve gone home with big money¡­ If you want to me anyone, me your greed, not the panda."

    Nox merely stood; he didn''t answer the old man who was stretching his hands because his mind was elsewhere. Thirteen was lightly sobbing behind him, wetting his clothes.

    Nox had never seen Thirteen show this side of him as long as he could remember. The panda was always fierce and hardworking¡­ but beneath that fierce exterior, he was just a cub¡­ a child.

    "Who said we''re done?" Nox held the old man''s eyes¡­ His words shocked all the disciples and onlookers.

    Didn''t he see that the panda had clearly given up? Why would it run behind its owner if it could replicate the skills?

    [Umu?] Thirteen lifted his head to look at his father''s face. He too was shocked. They weren''t done?

    ''I won''t let you lose face here, buddy. Why don''t we give them double¡­ I mean ten times what they''re asking for?'' A smirk appeared on Nox''s face as his eyes glowed.

    [Mimicry Activated!]

    [Target: Brutus, Dragons''s Fury - Sessfully copied skill]

    [Dragon''s Fury: Unleashes a flurry of rapid strikes, dealing 50 physical damage. Increases user''s speed and agility by 30% for 8 seconds. Each strike has a 20% chance to critically hit. Cost: 25 MP to activate, plus -2 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 45 seconds.]

    [10x upgrade detected, new skill]

    [Upgrading Dragon ''sFury x10!]

    [Ding! You''ve awakened Dragon''s Requiem!]

    [Dragon''s Requiem, Description (Ultimate Skill): Unleashes a catastrophic st of auroral energy, dealing 100% physical damage within a massive radius. Increases user''s speed and agility by 500% for up to 3 seconds. Each strike has a 50% chance to critically hit. Creates a localized temporal distortion, slowing down time for all enemies within the vortex by 20%.

    MP Cost: 100 MP to activate, plus -50 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 20 minutes.]

    [Do you wish to keep this technique or bestow it to a pet?]

    ****

    Bonus chapter: No goal hit yet, but I feel grateful, so here is a chapter.

    Limited event for the next three days:

    1 Castle = 10 Chapters

 Chapter 96: Five Colors!!

    Somewhere in the coastal city, a red-skinned girl with a wrapped sword stood on the roof of a building, her gaze intensely fixed on a group of unsuspecting individuals who were having a silent conversation among themselves.

    "Young master, are you sure we should do this?" one of the men asked a tall, athletic youth with a cross-shaped scar on his face. This youth was none other than Jack, the same boy Nox had encountered in the tunnels.

    Jack nodded with a serious expression. "I''m very sure of this; if we want to find that Beast, we must find that family."

    Unlike Nox, Jack had a lead on how to find the elemental beast. It was the reason he hade to this city straight after leaving the tunnels¡ªbecause the elemental beast had been spotted here by a family. However, not many people knew this.

    In fact, those who knew about the beast''s location had purposely kept it a secret to send theirpetitors on a wild goose chase while they took their time to search for the beast.

    Unfortunately for them, Jack had caught wind of the information.

    Though they knew the exact location of the beast, it was still very difficult to track it down because this coastal city was humongous, with a total of twenty districts. It was believed to be the secondrgest city after the royal capital.

    The people Jack was looking for were the family that had first spotted the beast; he hoped to bribe them to point out the general direction the beast had gone and its appearance so that he could n his next move.

    "I bet it''d be very difficult for anyone to resist 20 golden coins," Jack thought. Coming from an extremely powerful family, twenty gold coins weren''t significant in his eyes, but he was certain they could feed a family for a very long time if spent wisely.

    \\[Dodge!\\] Suddenly, Jack heard a familiar voice scream in his head. He felt a fierce whooshing sound beneath him, and his hair stood on end.

    Danger!

    Quickly, the youth nimbly dove out of the way. Behind him, the ground exploded with a thunderous sound, sending fragments of ice everywhere. The impact of the explosion also sent the other Awakened who were surrounding Jack flying in all directions.

    Standing in the middle of the crater with bare hands was none other than the red-skinned girl, her sword unsheathed.

    Jack quickly summoned his odachi when he saw the girl. He had not met her before or recognized her as a member of any of the groups in Snowhelm. However, the fact that she attacked him meant she was an enemy¡ªnot just any enemy, but a powerful one at that. The Awakened also rushed over, surrounding the red-skinned girl from all sides, their weapons drawn.

    "Good thinking, speedy," the girl stated. "One secondte and I would''ve been standing on your crushed head... as expected from someone of that family."

    "You know, it''s not nice telling me how you would have crushed my head," Jack sneered as blue electricity snaked through his sword. "Which group are you from?"

    "I''m not obliged to answer that," the red-skinned girl said, kicking the ground as she exploded forward. "...but what you should know is that you or none of the others will leave this city alive!"

    ---

    In the Warrior Pride Dojo,

    "Bestow!" Nox ced his hands and thirteen. The panda was very familiar with this feeling; after all, he had felt it once before in the dimensional rift four years ago.

    The panda remembered that he had gotten an incredible skill after experiencing this feeling. Would he get another powerful skill again? The panda thought, his little heart beating wildly in anticipation.

    "Hahahaha, you''re not done yet?" Master Parkerughed when he heard Nox. "Lad, your panda is very talented, I''ll give you that. But if you continue, you''ll only embarrass yourself and the panda, so I suggest you hand over the coins and go home."

    These words came from the bottom of Master Parker''s heart. The panda was very promising, and even the kid seemed to be talented, as he was already level 14 at such a young age. He didn''t want such a promising duo to suffer further humiliation.

    Nox pulled out his Kasaka Fanged Dagger and Python Shield. "Though they''re just basic items, they should still cost around twenty golden coins. I''m betting these."

    Magic items were very expensive and rare toe by, as not all beasts in the dimension dropped them. Even the lowest tier cost a lot, and seeing two before his eyes, Parker''s eyes glowed with greed.

    "Fine then!" he agreed. "But don''t me me if you lose."

    Thirteen confidently marched to the front before all the onlookers and martial artists who were watching him with ridicule in their eyes.

    "You guys might want to shift back a little," Nox warned the disciples.

    "The arrogance! Even Brutus''s attack didn''t reach all this side! Is he looking down on us?" one disciple frowned with visible anger on his face.

    "Can you believe this? He thinks he can surpass Brutus''s attack?" another disciple sneered. "I''ve never seen anyone as arrogant as this kid and his panda."

    The disciples continued to mock and ridicule Nox and Thirteen, their voices filled with disdain and disbelief. Master Parker, however, remained silent, his eyes fixed on the magic items Nox had ced on the line. He couldn''t afford to lose this bet, not when the reward was so tempting.

    Nox didn''tment any longer. Anything that happened from here on was no longer his fault; after all, he had warned them.

    Thirteen, unaffected by the disciples'' jeers, stood confidently at the front, his eyes shining with fierce determination.

    "Thirteen, show them what you''re capable of," Nox whispered.

    With a nod, Thirteen charged forward, his paws glowing with a fierce blue light. The air around him began to distort, and the ground trembled beneath his feet.

    "What is he doing?" one of the disciples whispered, their expression turning to concern.

    Even Parker and Brutus were rmed.

    "Wasn''t that the first step of the Dragon Fury Technique?" Another disciple whispered. "The only difference is that instead of the entire body glowing, it''s only the panda''s palm...but that doesn''t necessarily mean it''s a different skill."

    Just as Brutus had done, the panda started to strike the air with his paws. No sound came out, but it felt as if he had struck an invisible target, and the air around him erupted in a kaleidoscope of colors¡ªblue, green, purple, and now, golden and crimson energy trails merged into a massive vortex.

    "Five energies! Isn''t it three?" Master Parker''s breath quickened. What made the Dragon Fury Technique powerful was the energy trail in the air; it was what enabled Brutus to unleash such devastating attacks. One color could only cause minor damage, butbining three at once could cause a powerful st.

    Brutus had taken years to sessfully summon all three energies, but this panda... this panda had summoned five! How was this even possible? The technique strictly required three colors.

    Suddenly, Parker understood the reason Nox was telling the others to shift back.

    Brutus''s eyes snapped open, his face filled with shock. Had Master Parker lied to him about the number of energies in the Dragon Fury Technique?

    Thirteen continued his assault, the vortex growingrger and more intense. The ground trembled, and the sound of his punches started to resemble thunder.

    "No... no way! He''s surpassing Brutus''s attack! This is... this is insane!" The disciples widened their eyes as they stepped back.

    However, it was toote.

    They were all sent flying, their bodies crashing into the surrounding buildings as the vortex imploded, releasing a shockwave that shattered windows and sent debris flying everywhere. A huge crater several meters deep razed through the courtyard, and the Warrior''s Pride Dojo, which had stood for years, copsed, raising a dust storm.

    "Shit, Thirteen, let''s get out of here before they kill us!" Nox shouted as he grabbed Thirteen and made a run for it after snatching the money pouch from a devastated Parker.

    As they fled the scene, Parker''s voice reverberated. "My precious dojo! Don''t let them escape! Brat, you better get back here!"

    ***

    A big thank you to everyone who support supreme BeastTamer, I really appriaciate. The limited three days castle=10 Chapter is still on!!

 Chapter 97: News About The Elemental Beast

    After parting from Nox at the tavern, Wendy returned to the temporary base for the students of Vermilion Royal Academy.

    The base was actually a luxurious two-story mansion with marble tiles, smooth polished walls, and two imposing pirs at the front. This mansion belonged to the Mayor of Frostburg, who leased it out to generate extra revenue for the city.

    Due to his wealthy noble background, Ren easily rented this extremely expensive mansion, stating he couldn''t settle for anything less.

    Wendy walked into the mansion and saw her fellow students who had participated in the fightst night; she noticed that none had sustained any serious injuries and were still alive. Those with minor injuries were being attended to by healers.

    ''Had those bricks fallen on ordinary humans, they would surely have perished... Awakened are indeed terrifying beings.''

    As soon as Wendy stepped into the room, all the students, happily chatting among themselves, frowned.

    Walking past them, Wendy heard them ming her for not attacking the boy when she had the chance; they med her for their injuries and everything that happenedst night. Wendy paid them no heed and continued her walk. If she had a second chance, she would still do the same thing.

    Soon, she arrived in front of a wooden door. Inside this room was the annoying noble who was the squad leader of this mission. If it were up to Wendy alone, she wouldn''t havee here because she couldn''t stand the sight of Ren. However, it seemed something important hade up, and he had called all the important members of the squad to a meeting.

    "I wonder what trash he''ll spit out of his mouth this time around," Wendy thought and pushed the door open.

    ---

    Two weeks flew by, and Nox still hadn''t gotten any leads on the Elemental Beast. He had scouted the entire city and asked questions, but none of his findings were satisfactory.

    From all the investigations he conducted, he was starting to suspect that the Beast wasn''t in this city, but he decided to wait a few more days before proceeding to the next city... and there were over ten cities in the Snowhelm Kingdom.

    Searching all these cities would really be a grueling task, but Nox was determined. His only worry was that other factions might beat him to the Elemental Beast.

    "Maybe they already have," Nox thought, but shook his head, dismissing the thought. He had seen an influx of foreigners in Frostburg in recent days; most of them came from the valley, and Nox could tell they were here for the same reason.

    ...Which meant that the hunt was still on.

    "The more time passes, the more people will know about the Elemental Beast," Nox thought.

    He was currently serving Thirteen and Fluffington breakfast while he ate the food his mother had packed for him. The storage space also preserved food and other things, so he wasn''t worried about the food spoiling.

    As Nox ate, his mind couldn''t help but drift back to the Barony. It was the first time in his life that he had traveled away from home, and the feeling was quite strange; it didn''t take Nox long to recognize this feeling.

    He was missing everyone. He missed his grandfather, mother, his master Serena, Aunt Celine, Aunt Cam, and even his annoying twin sister. In fact, he missed the peaceful, quaint Barony with its warm temperatures, not this icy kingdom that forced him to wear thick cotton clothes.

    "They must be worried about me," Nox sighed. "I wish I had thosemunication crystals."

    But those were very expensive; even in the Barony, only the likes of Eve, Aunt Celine, and Nathan had one. If they were cheap, everyone could easily get their hands on one.

    Nox sauntered to the balcony, his gaze fixed on the Warrior''s Pride Dojo and the ongoing construction. With the help of mages with earth affinity, the process was fast, and Nox estimated that it would take just a few more days before the building would bepleted.

    In the past days, he had subtly covered his face and avoided the district where Warrior''s Pride Dojo was located. An angry Master Parker had even instructed all his students to watch out for Nox and report to him personally.

    Nox wasn''t really scared of Master Parker or the students in the dojo; however, the reason he avoided them was that he didn''t want to draw too much attention to himself. After all, he was in an enemy kingdom and was supposed to stay low-key.

    "Sigh, just two weeks, and I almost flooded the entire city and destroyed a dojo that had stood for a hundred years. Am I that chaotic?"

    As he reflected on his actions, Nox''s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. He had expected it to be the receptionist or one of the inn workers, but to his surprise, it was...

    "Wendy?" Nox spoke, surprised.

    "As expected, you didn''t return," Wendy sighed as if she had given up persuading Nox to return to the Barony.

    Nox frowned. "I didn''t tell you where I was staying. How did you find this ce?" rmed, he even looked around, thinking the white-haired girl had been followed. There were people who wanted to get rid of him after all.

    "No one followed me; I''m very sure of that," Wendy brushed her hair back. "Won''t you invite me in?"

    "Ah, sorry. Come in." Nox gestured for her toe in and closed the door behind her.

    As soon as she stepped in, Wendy''s eyes fell on Thirteen and Fluffington, and she shuddered a bit. When she had seen the cat and the panda cheering in the mock tournament, she hadn''t thought much of them, but after witnessing what the two beasts had done two weeks ago, her entire perspective on the cute-looking creatures had crumbled.

    Now, it was safe to say she was slightly frightened of them.

    [Enemy!] Thirteen wasn''t only hardworking; he also had a good memory. As such, when he saw the white-haired girl, he quickly remembered her as the one who fought Nyx and Nox in the tournament.

    "No, she isn''t, Wendy is a friend." Nox patted Thirteen''s soft fur, and the angry panda calmed down, going back to eating bamboo shoots as if he hadn''t been angry a few seconds ago.

    "So, what brings you here?" Nox returned his focus to his visitor.

    Taking her eyes away from the panda, Wendy sighed deeply and said, "At first, I didn''t want to tell you this, but since you''re so stubborn and want to proceed with the hunt, I figured I should tell you."

    "Tell me what?" Nox raised an eyebrow.

    "We have news about the Elemental Beast and where it is."

 Chapter 98: Coastal City

    In the crowded city square of Frostburg, Nox watched as travelers boarded carriages heading towards different parts of the kingdom.

    There were also low-level Awakened who were trying to apply for mercenary jobs to escort the carriages because of the magic beasts that terrorized travelers.

    All the mercenaries had one thing inmon... they all looked suspicious.

    ''They must be here for the same reason,'' Nox thought. Wendy had told him that the Elemental Beast was spotted in a city referred to as the Coastal City.

    After thanking the girl, Nox had rushed here in a hurry. Initially, he thought he could simply board a carriage and head to the distant city. However, Wendy had specifically advised him to apply as a mercenary instead.

    "Why?" he had asked.

    "Because, unlike Frostburg, Coastal City is only second to the Royal Capital in size and wealth. Before letting anyone into their city, the guards usually check for the identification parchment, the one used at the border."

    "And I doubt you have one of those?" Wendy narrowed her eyes. Nox''s silence confirmed her suspicion of him also using the tunnels.

    "Then how would I enter the city?"

    "There is a way... a foolproof way." Wendy smiled and puffed out her chest.

    ''That foolproof way is to be a mercenary,'' Nox thought as he surveyed the bustling city square, teeming with hundreds of people.

    ording to Wendy, the city guards of both Coastal City and the Royal Capital always checked all travelers before letting them in. However, they never did the same with the mercenaries and coachmen, assuming they were citizens.

    The reason for this was because the mercenaries and coachmen were required to register with the city''s Mercenary Guild, which had a strict vetting process. Once registered, they were issued a special identification parchment that allowed them to move freely in and out of the city. This parchment was recognized by the city guards, who would often wave them through without a second nce.

    By bing a mercenary, he would be able to bypass the city guards'' scrutiny and enter Coastal City undetected. It was a clever n, and he couldn''t help but have a good impression of the Vermilion Academy.

    Wendy had handed Nox a fake mercenary identification parchment from the ck market. Because of the high registration fee, many Awakened opted for this method.

    Holding the parchment tightly, he approached a kind-looking coachman and applied to escort the carriage. Because he had only asked for a single silver coin, the coachman happily gave him the job. Besides, the kid was also Level 14; he was sure they wouldn''t encounter any high-level beasts.

    The people Nox was to escort were two men. One was past forty, and the other was a blue-haired youth. The man in his forties looked robust; he was wearing thin clothes¡ªin fact, both men were.

    A nce was all Nox needed to know that they were foreigners. He and the robust man stared at each other for a while before he sat close to the coachman, and the carriage started to head out of Frostburg.

    ----

    "Strange kid... but seemed very promising," the robust manmented. "Not many reach Level 14 at such a young age, you know."

    The blue-haired man simply nodded and looked out from the window.

    As their journey continued, a group of trolls blocked their path. The coachman nced at Nox, who immediately jumped down, dagger in hand.

    He didn''t activate [Divine Velocity], but easily took down the beasts at the Wildling rank and returned to the coachman''s side.

    "If you can deal with all the monsters at this pace, I swear I''ll triple your pay!" the coachman shouted in excitement.

    Inside the carriage, the blue-haired youth, who had looked unimpressed all this while, suddenly had a strange glint in his eyes after witnessing Nox''s battle with the beasts.

    ''Impressive dagger arts. I wonder if I should recruit him,'' the man pondered, a thoughtful expression on his face.

    With the trolls swiftly dispatched, the journey continued without further obstacles.

    "Kid, are you by chance a student of any academy?" the coachman asked as the carriage continued. "I have never seen someone as young as you move like that."

    "I have a good teacher, you could say," Nox merely waved his hand and didn''tment on the matter anymore, hoping the coachman would get the signal and stop asking more questions.

    However, the man didn''t give up.

    "A good teacher?" He pondered with a thoughtful expression, then said, "I have an Awakened daughter your age. Is it possible for you to introduce me to this master?"

    ''What should I say? I thought this conversation was already over.'' An annoyed expression appeared on Nox''s face.

    ''If I tell him it''s Master Eve, he''ll ask more questions, and this whole thing would just get more and moreplicated.''

    As he mulled over his response, an idea struck Nox. "Ehm, my master runs the Warrior''s Pride Dojo. My parents enrolled me at an early age. You should visit there sometime when you return. Master Parker is a great guy."

    "Warrior''s Pride Dojo, huh? I''ve heard about them before, but I didn''t think much about it. But now that I''ve heard your rmendation, I''ll surely ask about them."

    "Yes, do that. Your money won''t go to waste," Nox hid an evil grin. "In fact, you could tell Master Parker that I rmended you."

    ''Hopefully by then, I''ll be far away from this kingdom,'' Nox thought to himself.

    "Thank you,d. I''ll do just that." The coachman thanked Nox heartily, causing him to feel a bit ufortable.

    Nox wasn''t sure if Master Parker''s teachings were actually credible.

    ''I doubt it... or maybe it''s the students who aren''t very talented,'' Nox mused, recalling the time when all the students had failed to replicate the Dragon w technique.

    "Well, whatever. It''s none of my concern."

    "Huh? Did you say something?" the man asked, confused.

    "Nothing," Nox replied, realizing he had spoken his thoughts aloud.

    "By the way, I still don''t know your name."

    "It''s Brutus." Nox smiled.

    ''Maybe this is my way of repaying them for destroying their dojo.''

    ----

    "Students of a dojo and not an actual academy?" Inside the carriage, the man with robust muscles spoke with an incredulous expression.

    The blue-haired youth, who had been absentmindedly staring out the window, shook his head, his mind still upied with Nox''s disy.

    "I doubt it. The kid seems suspicious, but who knows, he could be telling the truth... If I had stayed longer in Frostburg, I would''ve asked about this Master Parker, but unfortunately, that won''t happen."

    "Indeed, the kid looks very suspicious, and he doesn''t seem like a citizen of Frostburg... could it be..."

    Before he could finish, the blue-haired youth interrupted him.

    "He''s also here for the Elemental Beast? I did think about that, but what would someone as young as him do with an elemental crystal? Does he even know about the Elemental Beast? Because not many people do."

    The robust man nodded his head in agreement. "True... he might really be a student of that Master Parker." A momentter, a smile appeared on his face as the carriage entered a massive city, several timesrger than Frostburg.

    "We''re here... Guild Master."

 Chapter 99: Joining A Guild

    The carriage halted at the entrance to Coastal City, where several others were lined up as guards meticulously checked travelers'' belongings and parchments.

    The process went smoothly until one of the guards seized a gruff-looking man''s parchment and approached the captain, a stern figure marked by a single star on his uniform.

    After a brief exchange, something shocking urred.

    The captain unsheathed his sword and strode toward the gruff-looking man.

    "This parchment is fake! You''re not a real mercenary, are you?" the captain bellowed.

    "Damn it!" the gruff man cursed, ready to flee. But the captain closed the distance in a sh, his sword glinting under the sunlight.

    When the light faded, a horrific sight appeared before everyone.

    The gruff man was cleaved in two, dead before he hit the ground. The captain returned to his post with an unbothered look as a group swiftly removed the body.

    Nox was stunned. He nced at the others, including the coachman beside him, but none seemed as shocked as he was.

    "I guess you''re new around here?" the coachman remarked. "It happens all the time. There''s always someone trying to sneak into the city with fake parchments, and when they get caught, they always try to run. But the only ce they escape to is the afterlife."

    ''Shit!'' Nox cried inwardly. The parchment in his hand was also fake.

    Soon, the guards resumed their checks, and eventually, it was Nox''s turn.

    A tense few minutester...

    Phew! Nox exhaled in relief as the carriage rolled into the city. For a moment, he thought the guard had lingered too long on his parchment, and his heart had pounded wildly in his chest.

    Several scenarios of battling the guards to escape had yed in his head, but thankfully, it never came to that.

    ''I guess those other guys'' parchments were super fake,'' Nox thought with augh as he silently took in the vast expanse of Coastal City. The roads were twice as wide as those in Frostburg and ten times wider than those in Cromwell Barony, crowded with luxurious carriages.

    The buildings were alsorger and taller, and the poption seemed to have tripled...

    ''And the cold.'' Nox shuddered, feeling as if someone had cranked the air conditioner to its highest setting.

    The carriage came to a stop momentster in the city square, where several more carriages were parked.

    "Unfortunately, as agreed, I won''t be apanying you back to Frostburg," Nox said as he jumped off the carriage, ready to depart.

    The coachman felt a pang of regret as he watched Nox leave. The young Awakened had made a strong impression, and if possible, he would have liked to hire him for more journeys.

    Unfortunately, the youth seemed like someone who had already made up his mind; the coachman felt no amount of convincing would work.

    ''The fact that he told me to keep the money is even more puzzling,'' the coachman thought, a strange expression on his face. ''I''m the one who hired him, but why do I feel like I''ve been used?''

    The feeling was very strange.

    Nox''s next move was, of course, to find an inn. After all, he still had plenty of money from his bet with Master Parker.

    ''Get an inn, then start searching for the beast,'' Nox thought. Though he could have asked Wendy for clues, he decided against it.

    Wendy had already betrayed her ssmates by revealing the location of the Elemental Beast. Besides, she needed the Elemental Crystal for her exams. Nox wouldn''t quit because of her, but he would stop epting her help. That way, he wouldn''t feel selfish or indebted to her.

    As he walked, shivering slightly, two familiar men suddenly appeared before him.

    ''What are they doing here?'' Nox wondered, frowning. He recognized them as the same travelers who had boarded the carriage¡ªthe robust man standing over two meters tall.

    What did they want? Nox recalled he hadn''t offended them in any way; in fact, he hadn''t even spoken to them, just made brief eye contact.

    Had they discovered his goal ande to kill him? Nox wondered. It wasn''t far-fetched; Wendy had warned him that those seeking the Elemental Crystal would do anything to get it.

    He was ready to summon his dagger, which was bing less and less durable due to all the fighting. The blue-haired youth, noticing this, quickly spoke with a smile.

    "Kid, you''re a mercenary, right?"

    Nox hesitated. Were they not here to kill him?

    "We mean no harm," the man continued, sensing Nox had been ready to summon his weapon. "After seeing your fighting skills, we decided to offer you a very lucrative deal."

    "A very lucrative deal," he added, smiling as he emphasized the word ''lucrative.''

    Nox wanted to decline the deal without even hearing it, but for some reason, he decided to go along. "What deal?"

    "You see, we have an important mission in this city, but we currentlyck the manpower toplete it. We were thinking of hiring a few mercenaries to help us out, and we thought of you," the blue-haired youth said.

    Nox raised an eyebrow. "What kind of mission?"

    He already had an idea about the mission and was trying to calm his wildly beating heart. He needed to confirm it first.

    The blue-haired man leaned in and whispered in Nox''s ear: "Let''s just say it''s a high-risk, high-reward kind of job. We''re willing to pay dozens of gold coins for the right people."

    He then pulled back, his expression turning serious. "I''ll tell you all about it, but first¡­ would you like to be a temporary member of the Mavericks Guild?"

    ---

    **Author''s Note:** I''ve got a serious cold while writing this chapter, so I''ll postpone the Power Stone Bonus Chapter for a bit, but knowing myself, I think I''ll be fine again by tomorrow.

    Thanks to everyone who supports this book with their Golden Tickets, Power Stones, Gifts, and unlocking chapters. I really appreciate it...now I''ll go and sleep.

 Chapter 100: What Class Are You?

    "A Guild?" Nox mused, trying to keep a straight expression. Wendy had told him about guilds a few days earlier.

    ording to her, they were the ones most likely to get their hands on the elemental beast... and now, one of these guilds was offering him a chance to work for them?

    Did this mean he could find the elemental beast much more easily if he joined them?

    "I ept. How much is the pay?" Nox inquired, trying to mislead the other party into thinking he was after money.

    "Good." The blue-haired man smiled. "It''s 50 gold coins, but that''s only if we''re able to hunt the elemental beast."

    "Elemental Beast?" Nox asked, with a lost expression on his face. His acting was so convincing that it even surprised him.

    ''As expected, he doesn''t know,'' the blue-haired man thought as he smiled and proceeded to exin what an elemental beast was to Nox.

    "By the way... I''m Reyes, and this here is Cormach," the blue-haired man introduced himself and the big man beside him.

    "I''m Brutus," Nox responded, shaking their hands. "So, when will we begin hunting this beast?"

    "Hahahahaha, someone looks very eager," Reyesughed.

    "Fifty gold coins would change my family''s life, you know," Nox added.

    ---

    Soon, the three boarded another carriage and stopped in a deserted part of Coastal City.

    Nox found himself staring at an abandoned ship that was partly submerged in what used to be a river but was nowpletely frozen, with ice shards jutting out.

    "Inside this ship, some of our members are waiting. Come on, let''s go," Reyes led the way.

    Nox quietly followed Reyes and Cormach through the abandoned ship. The hallways were unstable, with many broken wooden nks on the floor, and rats with red eyes scurried around, squeaking as they moved.

    Creak!

    Nox stepped on a particr spot, and his eyes widened as the wood broke apart. However, before he could fall, Cormach grabbed him with his huge arm.

    "Be careful; this ship is over 200 years old," the big man remarked with a light smile. "Just follow my footsteps."

    "Thank you," Nox nodded.

    "No need to thank me," Cormach casually waved his hand. "You''re now a temporary member of the Mavericks Guild, and it''s the duty of guild members to watch out for their teammates."

    "Cormach is right. Even though it''s just temporary, you have all the privileges of a permanent member. It''s such a shame we''re far from the Valerian Kingdom; otherwise, you could have used our facilities back at the base," Reyesmented, still looking ahead.

    ''Valerian Kingdom?'' Nox thought. ''No wonder they entered this city so freely. If I remember correctly, the Valerian Kingdom and Snowhelm Kingdom don''t have any bad blood between them.''

    The only kingdom banned from stepping into Snowhelm was the Vermilion Kingdom. Nox had initially thought Cormach and Reyes were from the Vermilion Kingdom and wondered what trickery they had used to bypass the guards at Coastal City''s entrance. But now he knew they were from a distant kingdom that shared a border with the elves.

    As they continued deeper into the abandoned ship, the creaking of the wooden nks and the scurrying of rats with glowing red eyes filled the air.

    The trio didn''t talk anymore, and soon, Reyes abruptly stopped before a door. "We''re here," Reyes whispered with a smile as he pushed the door open.

    Nox hesitated, wondering if all this was a ploy to kidnap him and extract information about the elemental beast. It wasn''t a far-fetched thought because he could imagine himself doing the same.

    ''Well, whatever,'' Nox shook off the thought and entered, finding himself in arge quarter that seemed to be in better conditionpared to other parts of the ship.

    Inside the quarter, Nox noticed five figures seated at a round table, ying a game that looked simr to a card game from Earth.

    "Guild Master!" The five abruptly stood up as soon as the trio stepped inside, one of them quickly pushing the cards aside to prevent Reyes from seeing them.

    A frown quickly appeared on Reyes''s face. "I''d have punished you guys for cking in the middle of an important mission, but since we have a new member, I''ll let it slide," Reyes said, gesturing to Nox.

    "His name is Brutus, and for the duration of this mission, he will be a temporary member. I hope you''ll treat him the same way you''d treat a permanent member."

    "Oh my gosh, he''s cute! Wee, little bro!" One of them, a tall, muscr sister with a sword on her back, eximed excitedly as she came up to shake Nox''s hand.

    "My name is Brenda. I''m a warrior and have always wanted to have a junior brother."

    Brenda was quite touchy, even rubbing Nox''s hair, which made him a bit ufortable. Apart from his mother, this girl was the second person to ruffle his hair like this.

    Yes, he did have an older sister, but that girl would never touch him like this.

    "Would you like to be my junior brother?" Brenda asked with puppy eyes that reminded him a lot of Thirteen.

    "I don''t mind being your little brother," Nox smiled, feeling there was nothing wrong with having a good rtionship with these people, even though he was using them to get to the elemental beast quickly.

    "Yay!" Brenda eximed and hugged Nox, making his cheeks turn beet red. ''So huge and soft,'' he thought.

    The next person to introduce themselves to Nox was another girl. She was a bit shorter and had medium-length silver hair with piercing violet eyes. Her name was Niahm Wong. Her appearance was simr to Asians, and she was a Spectral Archer who carried a bow that fired arrows purely made out of energy.

    ''So many sses,'' Nox thought.

    The next person was a tall boy with blond hair who wore armor that seemed to be made of ice, and his name was Hex, a Cryomancer, a ss that focused on ice-rted skills.

    "Our names are Adin and Adam, and we''re both Tempest Mages," thest two, who were twins with bald heads, introduced themselves as if they were giving a presentation on stage.

    ''Tempest Mages, huh... Grandpa is a Pyromancer and has mostly fire-rted skills... but Tempest Mages¡ªthey can harness storm magic and even summon thunder... out of everyone, these silky-looking baldies might be the most troublesome.''

    "Alright, now that everyone has introduced themselves and their ss, what ss are you, Brutus? Oh, by the way, Cormach here is a Tanker, and I''m a Mage," Reyes said.

    Now that everyone had introduced themselves, it was Nox''s turn.

    Nox took a deep breath and looked everyone in the eyes. "I am a..."

 Chapter 101: Fluffington Feel Jealousy?

    Somewhere in Coastal City...

    "She''s a monster... how is she so strong?" Jack cursed under his breath as he clutched his stomach. Most of his subordinates had died at the hands of that red-skinned girl, and the rest had sacrificed themselves to let their young master escape.

    But Jack knew it was only a matter of time before all of them were dead.

    ''She didn''t even use any skills... or her sword... was she even Awakened?'' he thought, recalling the girl''s speed. She hadpletely overwhelmed everyone using just her bare hands.

    It felt as if they weren''t worthy of her sword.

    As he ran for his life, Jack couldn''t help but shiver when he thought back to that fierce red-skinned girl. If it weren''t for the high-level Awakened skills, even someone like him, who was ''special,'' could have died.

    ---

    "I''m a BeastTamer," Nox stated. As expected, everyone in the room stared at him with a lost expression¡ªit was the first time they had heard of a ss like that.

    Eve had told Nox that it was safe to reveal his ss if asked and assured him not to worry about the divine beings that had targeted his father, saying she and his grandfather had handled it.

    Nox didn''t know what gave her such confidence, but he decided to follow her advice. He figured they must have put some kind of protective item on him, though he wasn''t entirely sure.

    "A BeastTamer? What''s that? Is it a new ss or something?" Hex, the Cryomancer, was the first to speak.

    "It''s the first time I''m hearing about it. Brother, have you heard of it?" Adin asked his twin, who shook his head.

    "Kid, could you exin more? Is this beast taming some kind of hidden ss?" Reyes inquired, raising an eyebrow.

    "Something like that," Nox nodded, trying toe up with a way to make others understand. After a moment of thought, he said, "I canmunicate with beasts and form bonds with them to help me in a fight."

    "Wait, are you serious?" Cormach eximed, question marks practically floating above his head. Even the others were shocked. Turning a beast, a natural enemy of humans, into an ally? Was there really a ss like that?

    Why didn''t they know about it?

    "Kid, show me proof," Reyes stretched his hand out toward Nox. In Eos, there were primarily two ways to check another person''s ss: by holding hands and forming a party to dive into a dimensional rift.

    When one joined a party, their ss would be openly revealed to all party members.

    Taking Reyes''s hand, Nox wished to show him his ss.

    Reyes nodded his head and withdrew his hand. "It''s confirmed, but can you show us proof?"

    Nox nodded and proceeded to summon Fluffington and Thirteen.

    "Those are..." Cormach was at a loss for words. "A panda and a cat?"

    He had expected the kid to summon a rhino or something. Sure, the panda could be ssified as a magic beast, but even among beasts, pandas were notorious for being veryzy.

    [Panda strong!] Thirteen pumped his fist when he noticed the Awakened staring at him with disappointed gazes. The panda hated being looked down on.

    "How are they supposed to help you in a fight?" Wong looked at the beasts, her gaze lingering on the massive catzily lying on its stomach. Except for its size, the cat looked no different from any ordinary feline.

    "But they''re cute, though," Brenda eximed, her eyes sparkling.

    "Yeah, it doesn''t matter if they''re cute or not. I''d honestly prefer an ugly beast that''s useful in battle to cute,zy ones," Hex sneered, his gaze fixed on the fat cat, which acted as if it didn''t notice their disdainful stares.

    "And they''re just at the Wildin rank," Adinmented.

    "Since you guys are doubting me, how about I show you a little demonstration?" Nox suggested, recalling what had happened in Frostburg, and added, "But I''ll need a deserted area."

    ---

    Soon, the members of the Mavericks Guild stood in another part of the frozen river, far from the ship.

    ''Fluffington, show them what you''ve got,'' Nox ordered. The cat arrogantly stepped forward. Since Fluffington didn''t have any offensive skills, Nox had told him to perform stunts and disy his speed, impressing the guild members.

    Next up was Thirteen. The panda used [Dragon Requiem] and shattered the frozen river.

    A catastrophic st rang out, and part of the frozen river exploded into countless fragments floating on the water''s surface. Several more cracks spread through the other parts, reaching up to the ship. Nox had thought the ship wouldn''t be affected, but he had underestimated [Dragon Requiem].

    "Holy shit!" Brenda eximed, her eyes fixed on the cracks in the ground.

    [What the heck?!] Even Cormach, Hex, Wong, and the twins, Adin and Adam, were wide-eyed.

    Reyes stared at the floating ice fragments with aplicated expression, then turned to look at the cause of this devastation. ''Should I just recruit him permanently? He''s too resourceful to let go.''

    "Whoa! This panda is powerful!" Adin and Adam eximed as they emerged from their shock. They''d thought the cat was powerful, but the panda seemed to be on another level entirely.

    [Hehehe,] Thirteen giggled, his cheeks flushed as he basked in the praise of the Awakened.

    "Can I touch him?" Brenda asked, looking at Thirteen with stars in her eyes.

    "Yes," Nox nodded. He could tell Brenda really loved cool things. Weren''t warriors supposed to be stoic and stern? As a weeb, this was the first time Nox had witnessed something like this.

    [Huuuh...] Thirteen let out a satisfied sound as Brenda stroked his soft fur. The feeling was almost diabolical!

    "Alright, I guess your ss isn''t that bad," Reyes said, adding with a smile, "The cat and the panda will be a great help. I know I''ve said this before, but wee to the team. If all goes well, you might even be a permanent member."

    "Thank you. You won''t regret this decision," Nox smiled, though inconspicuously. ''I''m one step closer to finding the elemental beast.''

    [Thirteen this, Thirteen that... I also did pretty well. Why are they only paying attention to that stupid panda?] Fluffington thought from a distance as he watched the Awakened surrounding the panda.

    It had been just him and Nox before this panda came into the picture. Even though their rtionship was pretty strange, the two genuinely cared for each other.

    However, over the past years, Nox seemed to pay most of his attention to the panda. He had even given the beast two skills, while Fluffington had yet to receive even one.

    At first, Thirteen had thought Nox was only doing this to help the little panda feel included andfortable. However, as time passed, Fluffington began to realize that the panda was gradually stealing his ce, and even the bond between him and Nox was straining further and further.

    Little did he know that the reason Nox rewarded the panda and cherished him was because of thetter''s hardworking and disciplined nature.

    [I must do something...] Fluffington thought with a spark of determination. [He''s mine, and he will be mine alone! I won''t let some panda snatch him away from me!]

    As he pondered ways to regain his master''s attention, a strange whisper entered his mind. The cat looked around with a lost expression, but no one was nearby. The whisper didn''t sound human¡ªit was bestial, and itpelled Fluffington to listen against his will and carry out its orders.

    ***

    AN: Would be mass releasing soon for the power Stone and Golden Ticket goal...I know we haven''t hit the goal yet, but I believe in you guys after all it''s just few more Golden tickets left to hit the target.

    Don''t give up me! I need your support to stay motivated!

 Chapter 102: A signal: The Elemental Beast Appears?

    In the western side of Coastal City, a hulking shadow roamed about, its features indiscernible in the darkness. The sheer size and aura of the figure were enough to intimidate even the most seasoned of Awakened. If any had been present, they would have been frozen in terror at the sight of its grandeur.

    The hulking shadow continued its search, prowling through the streets as if in pursuit of something specific. Minutes passed before the figure came to a halt in an open area, scanning the surroundings to ensure it was alone. Satisfied, it carefully ced a blue orb on the ground.

    The orb pulsated with a fierce energy, showing slight cracks as if it contained a power ready to erupt and bring ruin to the world.

    As soon as the hulking figure ced the orb, it vanished into thin air, leaving behind an eerie, gleefulughter that echoed through the empty streets.

    ---

    After Nox''s demonstration, the Maverick Guild members returned inside the abandoned ship to discuss their next course of action.

    "Thest time, it was easy for us to track down the Elemental Beast because of the signal," Reyes began, pacing back and forth as the others listened intently. "But for weeks now, there hasn''t been any signal. This means we have to go about the search the old-fashioned way."

    Nox, who had been hearing the term "signal" repeatedly, raised his hand. "What''s this signal? It''s the first time I''m hearing about it."

    "Oh, since you''re new, I guess you wouldn''t know," Reyes replied before exining. "A few weeks ago, a blue signal shot up into the sky. Curious citizens and Awakened rushed to the spot, only to find the Elemental Beast we''re now hunting."

    Reyes nodded to Cormach, who took over the exnation. "But before any group could take down the beast, it escaped. We''ve been expecting another signal ever since, but nothing has appeared for weeks."

    "Who shot the signal?" Nox asked, his curiosity piqued.

    "We don''t know," Cormach replied with a shrug. "But we suspect it''s a distress signal for help... Honestly, we''re not sure, but all we know is that the beast was spotted¡ª"

    Suddenly, a loud sound reverberated throughout Coastal City, cutting Cormach off mid-sentence. The group rushed to the windows of the abandoned ship to see a blue beam shooting up into the air from the western side of the city.

    Clueless citizens stared at the beam, some recalling a simr event a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, figures with purpose in their eyes began rushing towards the west.

    "The beast has made its appearance again!" Reyes shouted. "Everyone, rush to the west! No matter what, we must be the first to get that beast!"

    Nox was confused by the sudden turn of events. They had just been talking about the signal, and now, here it was. Pushing the thought aside, he joined the members of the Maverick Guild. They leaped out of the abandoned ship and dashed towards the west with astonishing speed, cracks forming beneath their feet with every step.

    The perplexed citizens only caught glimpses of their afterimages, apanied by gusts of dust.

    That day, the citizens of Coastal City noticed groups of people rushing towards the west, wondering what was happening. However, their curiosity wasn''t strong enough topel them to check it out; after all, it could very well be another portal break.

    "Faster, you weaklings!" Ren shouted at the top of his voice. Behind him were the rest of the students from Vermilion Kingdom. The only person keeping pace with him was Wendy, third to Maya.

    ''Tsk, even though she''s not a real noble, this girl is strong. And she''s actually catching up to me, a full-blooded noble?'' Ren clicked his tongue and suddenly dashed forward, leaving everyone else in the dust.

    As a noble, the silver-haired boy couldn''t bear the thought of losing to a ''fake noble.'' Nobles believed thatmoners were beneath them, meant to serve rather than stand on equal footing. This belief fueled Ren''spetitive nature, even in such a critical situation.

    Wendy noticed his increased speed and frowned. She wasn''tpeting with anyone; she just wanted to reach the beast before the others. But it seemed the annoying silver-haired boy had misunderstood her intentions.

    ''Hope you get killed,'' she sneered in her mind, picking up her pace.

    ---

    Outside the walls of Snowhelm, a soldier reported to a middle-aged bald man with an eyepatch, "Captain, the signal has been shot again!"

    "Quickly, dispatch the squad! I''ll go first!" the man known as Captain Bofan ordered. He jumped out of the window of a towering building, his actions looking like an attempt at suicide. However, before he could hit the ground, his body rose into the air, and he zoomed towards the west at supersonic speed!

    ''This is the second time the beam has been shot. I hope I get there faster this time. No matter what, the crystal must belong to our great military!'' Captain Bofan thought, his eyes shing with determination as he sped towards the west.

    ---

    "Dammit! Dammit!" Jack cursed as he rushed towards the west. "Why does this beast have to show up when I''m injured?!"

    Without his guards, Jack knew his chances of obtaining the Elemental Crystal were slim. It wasn''t guaranteed even with them, given how many powerful individuals were after the same thing.

    [You know you still have a chance if you do what is necessary,] a devilish voice whispered in his mind.

    ---

    "Hurry up! This is for desong Academy!" a muscr boy shouted to a group of teenagers behind him. Like the Vermilion Royal Academy, desong Academy also sought the Elemental Crystal. However, unlike Vermilion, they didn''t need it to pass an exam; it was a special request from their principal.

    ---

    On a distant watchtower...

    "So many Awakened. I can feel the power in the air. Sister, why don''t we join the fun as well?" one girl asked the red-skinned woman, whose gaze was fixed on the rushing Awakened. Only one word left her mouth:

    "Fools."

    ---

    ''It seems that beam is some kind of signal to alert everyone,'' Nox noted,gging behind the group. His face contorted into a frown. ''But who gave the signal? Why alert everyone when they could just get the crystal for themselves?''

    Something was wrong, but Nox couldn''t understand what.

    Soon, they arrived at the scene.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BBeastTamer

 Chapter 103: A Good chance to take out some Competition

    Before the Maverick Guild arrived, others had already gathered at the spot where the energy beam had erupted. They seemed to be among the first three groups to arrive, as more people appeared after them.

    "Where is the elemental beast?" Reyes shouted, scanning the frozen area surrounded by clusters of buildings. The blue signal had emanated from this cluster, and some curious onlookers were peering out from nearby windows.

    For a moment, Reyes thought that the first group¡ªa bunch of slim, hungry-looking youths¡ªhad already killed the beast, but there were no signs of battle.

    "Dammit, did Iete again?" a voice called from above as Captain Bofannded gracefully in the midst of everyone. A puzzled expression crossed his face. At first, he assumed the group had already dealt with the beast, but the beam had only been shot a minute ago. This meant that the beast had likely escaped, which was a relief.

    It was better that the beast escaped than for someone else to im it. Momentster, his subordinates also arrived and stood beside their captain, ring at the other factions with hostility.

    "Bunch of slowpokes! You weaklings made mete!" A loud voice cursed as a silver-haired youth skidded to a stop in the middle of the others. The first person his eyes fell upon was none other than Nox.

    "Y-you! You''re here too!" Ren flinched back immediately, recalling how this kid¡ªwho didn''t seem older than thirteen¡ªhad flooded an entire city. He had been trying to gather information about Nox for the past week, so suddenly running into him was shocking.

    Nox stared at the silver-haired youth in confusion, wondering why he was reacting like that. However, at that moment, he spotted a familiar white-haired girl in Ren''s group.

    ''Nox, why is he with them?'' Wendy, who had arrived just a few secondster, wondered. She knew there was a high chance of running into him here, but she didn''t expect to see him with the members of the Maverick Guild, who were also hunting for the elemental beast.

    Despite recognizing the white-haired girl, Nox looked away, pretending as if he hadn''t seen her. He didn''t want to give Ren the impression that they knew each other, as that might cause trouble for Wendy.

    As more people arrived at the scene, the absence of the beast turned their attention to each other, and tension filled the air. Their gazes were intense, and everyone summoned their weapons.

    Nox''s fanged daggers appeared in his grasp. He could tell a fight would erupt at any moment, and due to his childish appearance, he would undoubtedly be among the first targets.

    "Well, well, this seems like a good opportunity to take out some of thepetition." An unusuallyrge youth with muscles that could put the best bodybuilders back on Earth to shame spoke with a smirk on his square face. He wasn''t the only one that looked like this¡ªbehind him stood other students, equally imposing.

    Nox''s gaze lingered on the ground, where he noticed giant footprints that looked like those of a beast in the frozen earth. They weren''t wearing any footwear, which seemed strange to Nox because this entire city was literally freezing.

    The group of slim-looking men raised their weapons in a threatening manner, as if they wanted to sh with therge youth.

    ''They won''t even know how they died,'' Nox thought in amusement at the sight.

    "No fighting in the middle of the city! I''ll tolerate your presence here, but fighting in the city is taking it too far!" Captain Bofan shouted authoritatively.

    "Calm down, old man, we''ll only break a few bones¡ªnot actually kill them."

    "I don''t care if you kill each other; my only stance is that no fight is allowed in the city!" Captain Bofan repeated firmly.

    "Hehehehe, it seems even the Maverick Guild is here," a woman in a blue robemented with a chuckle as her gaze scanned the group. "It seems you''re so desperate that you even recruited a kid¡­ how shameful."

    "At least we didn''t bring our entire guild for a single elemental beast; you guys are the truly desperate ones."

    Nox didn''t know the robed people, but it seemed they had quite the history with the Maverick Guild. As the two groups exchanged words, he took the opportunity to scan the surroundings.

    The first group that piqued Nox''s interest was therge, barefooted youths who were students of desong Academy. They were all imposing and domineering, standing at 6 to 7 feet tall, and their clothing clung tightly to their muscr bodies.

    Looking at them, Nox felt something was off. Their aura was wild and untamed, as if they were bred for war. They looked like the kind of people who would sacrifice themselves to achieve their goal.

    ''A very troublesome bunch.''

    As if sensing Nox''s gaze, one of therge students stared back at Nox with a predatory smile, licked his lips, and then looked away withoutmenting.

    ''Yup, this group will be very troublesome.''

    Next was the military, led by Captain Bofan, an awakened halfway to reaching Level 100. He was surrounded by his soldiers. His grey eyes held a profound glint as if he had witnessed a lot in his lifetime. His expression was stoic, and it seemed he was also scrutinizing everyone just like Nox.

    Though the soldiers weren''t high-level Awakened, the captain¡ªLevel 50¡ªwas enough to carry the team.

    Nox''s eyes wandered to the next group, a cluster of individuals with an otherworldly aura. ording to Brenda beside him, they were mages from the Silvermist Guild. Their robes billowed behind them, and their eyes shone with an ethereal intensity. Nox sensed a deep understanding of the arcane arts emanating from them, as if they had spent centuries studying the intricacies of magic.

    The final group consisted of slim, undernourished people; they were Awakened, outcasts, and misfits who had banded together for survival. They radiated an aura of chaos, with a hint of desperation and hunger in their eyes. Even without asking, Nox could tell this group intended to sell the crystal and divide the profit among themselves.

    Nearby, a lone figure caught Nox''s attention¡ªa hooded person whose presence was like a shadow, dark and unnoticeable until they moved. The aura Nox felt from this figure was very familiar.

    At that moment, the figure nced at Nox, and a shiver ran down his spine; her gaze felt like a promise of death.

    ''Strange.''

    There were still others arriving, but either they werete, or they didn''t know about the signal. After all, Nox would have been clueless too if not for the Maverick Guild.

    Just as he was observing the others, Nox felt someone staring at him. Turning his head, he wasn''t surprised to see it was the same silver-haired boy, Ren, who seemed to be the leader of Wendy''s group.

    Ren didn''t take his eyes off Nox; he felt that looking away would be a sign of weakness.

    ''Who is he? Just where is he from?'' Ren wondered. If not for the tense atmosphere, he would have asked. ''Perhaps he''s from the Valerian Kingdom since he''s with the Maverick Guild.''

    Meanwhile, Wendy briefly exchanged nces with Nox, her mind still upied. She still didn''t understand if Nox and the Maverick Guild were some sort of allies who had signed a truce or if he was their captive. After all, with his powerful beast, everyone would want him on their side.

    ''He doesn''t look like someone who is being held captive,'' she thought.

    "Be warned, the next time we meet, it will be a bloody war!" the leader of desong Academy said in a booming voice before fleeing the area. Soon after, the others began to disperse gradually.

    This left only Captain Bofan and the Maverick Guild at the spot. The reason he had forbidden fighting in the city was to prevent property damage and protect the citizens. But he knew that wouldn''t be the case should they encounter each other again. He cast onest nce at the Maverick Guild before leaving as well.

    "Now that everyone has seen each other, expect assassination attempts," Reyes warned the group in a casual voice. "Especially from desong Academy and the Silvermist Guild."

    While they were speaking, Nox noticed something that all the others had failed to see¡­ an orb.

    ---

    New week guys, Vote don''t give up me!!!!

 Chapter 104: Trouble In The Taming Space

    "I camete!" Jack huffed as he arrived at the west. Due to his injury, getting here had been extremely difficult, but he pushed through regardless.

    However, he was met with an empty spot. At first, he was confused, thinking the Elemental Beast had already been dealt with. After checking around and asking others, he discovered that wasn''t the case.

    A sigh of relief escaped Jack''s lips. As he stood there, hismunication crystal buzzed, and he answered.

    [You have a week to get the crystal, boy.] The voice skipped any formalities and went straight to the point. [If not, consider yourself disowned!]

    Themunication line cut off, leaving Jack with a frown on his face.

    ''Not like I want to be part of your messed-up family. The only reason I''m doing this is for Mother, not you, bastard!'' He sneered and crushed the expensivemunication crystal.

    ''About that offer?'' he asked the voice in his head. ''You said you have a way to get to the Elemental Beast, right? How?''

    [Hehehehe, I thought you''d never ask.]

    ''Well, things change. I need to get the crystal before seven days...so what is it that I have to do?''

    [It''s very simple,] the voiceughed devilishly. [All you have to do is...]

    ---

    The Maverick Guild arrived at their temporary base, and Nox quickly excused himself from the others, heading to the control room.

    Closing the creaking door, he pulled out the blue orb and narrowed his eyes.

    There was still a trace of blue energy, and the youth strongly suspected this orb was the cause of the signal.

    But who had left it? ording to the others, thest signal had also been a blue beam, meaning the person who fired the signal was most likely the same.

    ''Because the others seem so engrossed with hunting the Elemental Beast, they probably didn''t notice,'' Nox thought and suddenly had an idea. ''Fluffington can differentiate smells, right? I mean, he did it once...in that Demon Dimension, right?''

    Recalling how Fluffington had differentiated the water from blood at the entrance of the ruin, Nox summoned the cat.

    "Who do you think it belongs to?" he asked Fluffington as he ced the orb close to the cat''s nose. The cat sniffed it a couple of times and shook his head.

    [It seems whoever left this behind purposely hid their scent to make it difficult for anyone to track it.] Fluffington reported his findings as he licked his paws andzilyy on his stomach.

    "Why do I have this strange feeling that someone is purposely messing with us?" Nox muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the orb. ''Maybe it''s someone else who is after the Elemental Beast. They could just be misleading everyone while they buy time to hunt the beast so that the others won''t be able to join the fight.''

    Nox''s eyes narrowed, and the more he thought about it, the more the theory in his head made sense.

    ''They''ve even gone the extra mile to make sure...no one tracks the beast to them... Should I inform the others about this?''

    Nox was conflicted about what to do. He would have liked to keep this information to himself and watch the others sweat trying to follow the signal while he figured out this mastermind, but he needed guidance, a lead, and resources.

    The only people who could provide him with this were the Maverick Guild, as they were much more knowledgeable about this city and the people who were after the Elemental Beast.

    ''If there is anyone who could find more info about this mastermind, it should be them,'' Nox thought, getting up and dusting off his pants. ''I guess I''ll tell them to keep this a secret...huh?''

    Suddenly, Nox felt something strange in his Taming Space. Even Fluffington beside him stood up as if he could sense that something was wrong.

    This was the first time his Taming Space had reacted like this, and the youth was alerted. He quickly sat and took a meditative state. He was attempting to send his subconscious into the Taming Space. ording to the book his father left behind, this was actually possible, and all he had to do was concentrate on entering the Taming Space.

    As he did that, he could sense his soul departing from his body gradually. The feeling was very strange, as if his soul was trying to escape the mortal realm.

    "Is he sleeping?" Brenda and Hex came into the control room, finding the cute boy in a lotus position.

    "Are you dumb? Who sleeps like that? He''s clearly meditating," Hex sneered.

    "What should we do then?" Brenda asked with a lost expression. "The Guild Master has called for a meeting, and I don''t want to disturb him...he looks so peaceful and cute."

    "Alright, let''s wait for him a bit. If he takes more than 10 minutes, we''ll wake him up."

    ---

    Nox found himself within thick fog. He felt solid ground beneath him but couldn''t see more than two meters ahead, as everywhere was filled with this strange fog. How did his beasts live in such an area...was this the reason they always preferred the real world?

    Even though the Taming Space was nourishing and had its benefits, even Nox wouldn''t like a ce like this.

    Just then, he noticed loud,borious breaths.

    He frowned and walked deeper into the fog...what was going on here?

    Those breaths sounded very familiar.

    As he walked deeper, Nox spotted a lone tree whose branches stretched into the sky. The ce where the tree stood was less foggy. It was the ideal ce for anyone to stay in this foggy world.

    As he got closer, Nox saw it was arge Silver Oak with a thick trunk and twisted branches. The tree seemed to glow slightly, and the air around it felt calm and peaceful.

    Under this tree, Nox saw a familiar white and ck creature doing a series of push-ups with a giant blue rock on his back. His arms were trembling, but his gaze was fierce as he let out deep,borious breaths.

    ''I knew those breaths sounded familiar,'' Nox thought, looking at the panda with a loving gaze. ''He''s hardworking as usual.''

    Just then, Nox''s gaze drifted to the blue rock on Thirteen''s back. He was at first confused, but when he looked closely at the rock, he recognized it...not only that, there was something new as well.

    The egg was now showing signs of cracking.

    Nox''s eyes widened as he stared at the egg with a panicked expression. "Shit, that thing is very delicate! Why is Thirteen ying with something like this so casually?"

    [Umu?] At that moment, Thirteen sensed someone''s presence and looked beside him, finding his master/father staring at him with a panicked expression.

    The panda was startled, thinking something was wrong, and jumped up, causing the egg to fly into the air.

    "Damn it!" Nox cried out when he saw this sight.

 Chapter 105: The One Behind Everything

    There were two likely scenarios if that egg hit the ground.

    Either the unborn python would die because the egg hadn''t fully developed into a baby, or the eggshell would shatter forcefully, giving birth to a premature snake with a very weak physical constitution that would be a burden on the battlefield.

    Nox didn''t think either of these scenarios was favorable, so he activated [Divine Velocity] and charged toward the egg, which was falling in slow motion. It was just inches from touching the ground, but Nox was much faster and grabbed the egg just before it hit.

    However, because he was running at the speed of light and wasn''t paying attention, the youth mmed into the oak tree, causing the egg to fly out of his arms again.

    "Is this egg really hellbent on falling or what?!" Nox was at a loss for words. He was about to make a move again, but someone beat him to it.

    Thirteen, seeing that his master seemed to value the egg for some strange reason, leaped into the air, catching the egg andnding gracefully on his feet. The egg was huge, but due to Thirteen''s strength, he could hold it easily. He handed it to Nox with a mischievous smile, like a kid who had been caught stealing candy.

    "Good job!" Nox praised as he ced the egg on the ground. "Though it was your fault in the first ce."

    He then proceeded to reprimand Thirteen to be careful with the egg because it contained either his future brother or sister. One wrong move and he could have killed them.

    Thirteen listened with a serious expression on his face, wondering what his master would do if he found out that this egg was actually Thirteen''s training partner for thest four years.

    Because Fluffington mostly slept here, the panda didn''t have anyone to train and y with. The egg was his only ymate andpanion.

    He punched, kicked it like a ball, and even mistakenly dropped it from the top of the tree when he was cuddling it at night.

    "Did you understand everything I said?" Nox asked, and the panda nodded with a serious expression.

    He vowed never to y rough with his future brother or sister again.

    ''The egg seems to be hatching, after four long years. It seems the hatching is the reason for the disturbance in my Taming Space.''

    ''Well, I guess I''ll leave for now and check on youter.'' Nox kissed the egg and left. He made a mental note to fix the space and make it more conducive for his future pets.

    When Nox exited the Taming Space, Thirteen rolled several feet away from the egg.

    He wondered what his master''s reaction would be if he found out that the crack was not a natural phenomenon.

    Aftering out of the Taming Space, Nox found someone''s face very close to his¡ªso close that he could feel the person''s breath on his face.

    Pulling his face back a little, Nox realized the person was Brenda, and she had her lips pursed. Earlier, she couldn''t resist Nox''s cuteness and decided to give him a peck on the cheek, but unfortunately, he came out of his meditation and pulled back at that moment.

    Brenda frowned, but that frown soon turned into an awkward smile, her cheeks turning red when she saw that Nox was awake.

    "Great, little bro is finally awake," she stuttered with great difficulty. "I was just about to wake you...well, I guess that isn''t important now. Anyway, I''m here because the Guild Master has called for a meeting. Where is Hex? I thought we decided to wait together. Did he get bored already?"

    "Another meeting." Nox stood up, feeling a bit dizzy. Sending his subconscious inside his Taming Space seemed to have taken a lot of mana points and reduced his stamina.

    "Come, let''s go!" Brenda dragged Nox out of the control room, and the two soon arrived inside the chambers where the meeting was taking ce. Wong, Cormach, Reyes, Adin, Adam, and Hex were all waiting.

    Seeing that everyone was present, Reyes nodded his head.

    "Alright, I think someone is messing with us," Reyes stated, going straight to the important issues at hand. "Someone is deliberately firing these signals to mislead us."

    ''So he finally figured it out too,'' Nox thought. ''I guess there is no need for me to tell them then.'' There had also been a worry in Nox''s mind¡ªhe was concerned that the others wouldn''t believe him before.

    "I had thought about this for a long time, but after Brutus'' question and the blue orb, I confirmed this suspicion." Reyes then looked at Nox. "Do you mind handing the orb over for a minute?"

    ''So he noticed.'' Nox had thought no one had noticed when he took the blue orb, as they were so engrossed in discussing their next course of action. But it seemed Reyes was very mindful of his surroundings.

    Little did Nox know that the reason the Mavericks Guild had stayed behind was because of this blue orb. Reyes was waiting for the right opportunity to take it.

    Because the others were too focused on hunting the Elemental Beast, they''d failed to pay attention to their surroundings.

    "Here, I was just curious, so I picked it up," Nox stated, and the orb appeared in his palm. Finding nothing wrong, Nox tossed the orb to Reyes, who caught it and squinted his eyes. The orb was like an empty shell, but it was still releasing tiny particles of blue energy.

    But this wasn''t what Reyes was looking at. He turned the sphere and looked at it from all angles, seemingly searching for something, but Nox didn''t know what.

    He had also observed the orb, but apart from the remnant energy, nothing seemed wrong with it, which made him frown. Did Reyes have any special method to find out who this orb belonged to?

    After what seemed like two minutes, the blue-haired youth''s eyes lit up. "Found it!"

    "Found what?" Nox was puzzled.

    Reyes simply smiled. "Not many know this, but these things here are made by alchemists."

    Nox''s eyes narrowed. ''Alchemists? The people who make pills and potions?''

    "And every alchemist leaves their trademark on their product, even though sometimes they''re carefully hidden. They''re always there. You just have to pay attention to the product."

    Then Reyes paused and showed everyone an X-shaped mark subtly embedded on the orb. "Unfortunately, this alchemist isn''t that smart, and he even happens to live in this city."

    "Brutus and Hex, you two will head downtown and find out information about this alchemist...I''ve got a strong hunch he''ll lead us to the one responsible for these signals."

    ****

    Thanks to all those who vote and Support Supreme BeastTamer! I really really Appreciate!

 Chapter 106: [Bonus Chapter] Sucspicius Salesman

    [Bonuse Chapter For Hitting PS Goal, Good Job Guys!]

    Next Target: 500 Power Stones!(I wonder if we can hit it)

    ....

    When Nox went to the meeting, he left Fluffington alone in the old control chamber. The massive caty peacefully, missing therge bed back at the barony when suddenly, he started to hear the same whispers he had heard before.

    Fluffington rose to his feet and looked around, hoping to find one of the members of the Mavericks Guild, but there was no one in sight. Yesterday, he hadn''t told Nox about the whispers because he had magically forgotten about them, as if they had been erased from his mind.

    The whispers just now triggered his memory, making him recall what happened.

    Like a puppet, the cat slowly jumped out of the ship, following the whisper that called out to him. Fluffington wanted to resist this unknown whisper, but his bodycked the willpower.

    ---

    Nox and Hex stood in the bustling district, surrounded by several stores and merchants selling their wares. The two were confused about where to go, unsure which store to begin with.

    Just then, Nox noticed an alchemist store and gestured to Hex. The two walked inside. Once there, Nox whispered in Hex''s ear, "Leave everything to me."

    Hex was a bit taken aback, but he decided to take a back seat, curious to see how Nox would handle the situation.

    Meanwhile, Nox''s eyes scanned the shelves of peculiar ingredients and strange equipment. He approached the counter, where a bespectacled man looked up from his work.

    "Wee, customers. How may I assist you today?" The man disyed a business-friendly smile.

    Nox smiled, trying to appear nonchnt. "We''re just browsing, but I did have a question. I''ve been studying the properties of various orbs, and I was wondering if you''ve heard anything about... unusual orbs. Perhaps ones with a distress signal or unique resonant frequencies."

    "Are you an alchemist?" The store owner''s eyes lit up. "I''ve never seen an alchemist as young as you!"

    "What is he up to?" Hex narrowed his eyes from the side.

    "I''m an alchemist in training," Nox lied with such a straight face that it made Hex doubt whether the boy was telling the truth or not.

    "Ah, an alchemist in training, I see," the man nodded with a hint of disappointment. "Well, I do know a few things about distress orbs, but you''ve got to be specific."

    "Here, I''m looking for something like this." Nox pulled out the blue orb and showed it to the man, who adjusted his sses and examined the orb from all sides. A momentter, he shook his head.

    "I don''t know about this...but I do know the alchemist behind this trademark," the man admitted.

    "Where can we find him?" Hex chimed in, hoping to get a location, which would make things much easier.

    Nox face-palmed. ''This idiot, why does he have to be so direct? That would arouse suspicion.''

    Nox had intentionally beaten around the bush to make it seem like he wasn''t too concerned about the orb, but this guy just have to mess everything up.

    Fortunately, the store owner didn''t think much of it and just shrugged. "I don''t know. In fact, not many people in this city know his whereabouts. We just know he''s somewhere in the city."

    After that, the two continued asking around at other stores, but the information they received wasn''t very helpful.

    "At this pace, we might take the whole day¡ªno, a week actually," Hexined. "Hey, why are you so quiet?" He suddenly turned to Nox, whose gaze was scanning the surroundings.

    Instead ofining, Nox focused all his energy on finding leads about the orb. It was very important to him.

    "Because I have nothing to say," Nox replied, then pointed at a store they hadn''t checked yet. "Come on, let''s check that store."

    "Sure, but the results will probably be the same," Hex shrugged. Then he thought of something. "By the way, are you really an alchemist apprentice?"

    "Obviously not."

    ---

    "No! I know nothing of that sort. Please leave my store at once," the store owner shouted at Hex, who had decided to take the lead this time. Since all of Nox''s approaches had been futile, the older youth thought he might have better luck, but that clearly wasn''t the case.

    "I said I don''t know anything about this signal orb! Go away!" The salesman shouted with an annoyed expression, avoiding eye contact with Nox and Hex.

    "He''s hiding something," Hex whispered to Nox, who nodded in agreement. He had noticed it from the beginning¡ªhow the man''s expression had faltered immediately when they asked about the orb and the alchemist.

    ''He wouldn''t react like this unless he''s hiding something,'' Nox thought, analyzing the man. He realized that some people tend to overreact when they''re anxious.

    And why would they be anxious in the first ce?

    ''Because they''re hiding something.''

    Nox wanted to suggest they leave the establishment ande backter, but then he suddenly had an idea. He summoned a pouch of money from his inventory.

    Hex was slightly stunned when he saw the money pouch in Nox''s hands. ''How did he get so much money?'' Hex wondered. It was the first time he had seen someone so young with so much money.

    Nox untied the pouch, retrieved a gold coin, and pushed it toward the man.

    "Depending on how useful your information is, I''ll double the coins...so start speaking," Nox stated, holding the store owner''s gaze. Thetter hesitated for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face as he snatched the gold coin.

    "Fine, I guess I might know something," he said, cing the coin in his pocket. "But you''ll have to wait for me."

    When the man left, Hex scratched his head. "So we could have just bribed him from the start? Why didn''t I think of that?"

    ---

    After entering a room, the store owner locked the door behind him and retrieved amunication crystal.

    "What is it?" amanding voice asked from the other side. "This better be worth it."

    "Boss, there are two Awakened asking about the distress orb...what should I do?" the man said in a low voice, not wanting the two outside to overhear him.

    The voice on the other side remained silent for a moment, as if pondering the news. Then, after a while, the voice uttered coldly and ruthlessly, "Get rid of them...no matter what, you must not allow them to learn about me. Do you understand?"

    "Yes, my liege," the store owner replied as themunication line cut off. His eyes glowed with a milky light, as if a spell had been cast on him.

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 107: Getting Rid of Them

    "He''s taking too long. What do you think he''s doing?" Hex asked impatiently as he tapped his fingers on the counter.

    It had been over a minute since the salesman had gone into the back room, leaving the two alone in the store. They couldn''t hear any sounding from where he was.

    "How could he be this careless? Leaving all this stuff behind, isn''t he afraid we''ll steal something?" Hex asked, touching an item on one of the shelves.

    "I guess it''s probably because he saw the money pouch," Nox shrugged as he walked toward the door, intending to eavesdrop. But before he could get close, the door suddenly flung open, and the man came out.

    "Sorry to keep you guys waiting¡­ something came up," the man said, flicking sweat off his forehead. His glowing milky eyes had returned to their normal brown shade.

    However, the man kept scratching his neck as if something was itching him there, and he nced around nervously as if afraid of something, which Nox immediately noticed.

    "So, what is it? Can you take us to the alchemist?" Hex asked.

    "Yes, I just finished talking with him," the man replied, his leg, carefully hidden from the others, inching close to a formation on the ground. "And he has agreed to meet you!" He smiled.

    Hex and Nox found the man''s smile disturbing, and before they could react, several walls rose from all four corners of the store, causing the ground to tremble.

    "A formation!" Hex shouted, trying to drag Nox to escape. "Come on, let''s get out of here!"

    "Why?" Nox didn''t move from his spot, his gaze fixed on the store owner, who leaped out from behind the counter with surprising agility.

    "Huh? Do you know how dangerous formations are? Inside their formations, Ruinsmiths are like gods. They can deliver a fatal blow with just a thought, they can createws and rules, and you''ll be bound to follow them! If you resist, you die!" Hex eximed, still trying to pull Nox away.

    This was a trap! Ruinsmiths weren''t powerful fighters, but once you were caught in their runes, it would be very difficult to escape. Hex was confident he could beat this store owner any other day, but now¡­ if he stayed here any longer, he would only get himself killed.

    After telling Nox about the danger, he hoped the kid would run away with him, but thetter still stood there.

    "We''ve been searching for this alchemist for hours now. Why should we leave when we''ve finally found someone who knows his whereabouts?" Nox stated.

    ''Four years¡­ that''s how long I''ve been looking for the Elemental Crystal. I''ll grasp every opportunity.''

    "Are you insane? We could alwayse back another time," Hex tried to shout some sense into Nox. Honestly, the only reason he was doing this was because the Guild Master found Nox to be a valuable asset¡­ otherwise, he would have escaped long ago.

    "What are the chances of finding this man again?" Nox asked, and Hex was at a loss for words.

    The kid was right. If they escaped, the store owner would probably go into hiding and inform his masters. Then it''d be very difficult to get their hands on the alchemist, as they''d be aware that someone was looking for them.

    At that moment, the rising walls enclosed the entire shop. Several more formations that had been hidden in the ground also lit up with a blue glow, and the ground trembled.

    Emerging from the ground were huge rock golems with rough, rocky bodies. They were massive, each standing around eight feet tall with club-like fists, perfect for bulldozing. Two of them carriedrge stone hammers, while the other two held long stone spears.

    "Dammit, I guess we''re doing this." Hex stomped on the ground, and ice rose from his feet, spreading across his body. Not long after, his entire body was covered in thick ice armor.

    Outside, the citizens didn''t notice anything wrong. In fact, even if they walked inside the store, they wouldn''t notice anything amiss. The formations the store owner used were high-level, capable of temporarily transferring others into a different realm altogether.

    So when Hex tried calling the Guild Master, themunication line didn''t connect.

    "That''s futile," the store owner said when he saw the frustrated look on the cryomancer''s face. "You should have escaped when you had the chance. Attack!"

    "Ice column!" Hex shouted, and a column of ice shot out from his palm. One of the golems smashed the ice column with its hammer, shattering it into fragments, and charged forward like a bull.

    Hex frowned when he saw this and quickly conjured a spear, hurling it at the golem. While he was engaged with the golem, the other three for some reason had all focused their attention on Nox.

    Nox dashed to the side as quickly as he could, avoiding a spear that whistled through the air, heading towards his chest. Dagger in hand, Nox leaped forward at the golems, who all attacked with their stone weapons. Though made of stone, the edges still glinted with a sharp light.

    These weapons were capable of ripping flesh apart quite easily.

    Yet Nox jumped straight at these sharp weapons with an unfazed expression.

    "What''s he doing?" Rolling and dodging a couple of times, Hex witnessed what seemed like a suicide attempt by Nox. But then he noticed something.

    The youth vanished mid-air, causing the golems'' attacks to only impale empty air. They seemed perplexed.

    "That''s an assassin skill. Didn''t he say he''s a beast tamer? How does he have an assassin-rted skill?" It wasmon knowledge that skills were ss-oriented. No matter how Hex looked at it, he couldn''t understand how a ss that specialized in taming could possess teleportation skills.

    Suddenly, the three golems felt a strange sensation as something passed through them.

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support this story with their Golden Ticket and power Stones, I really appriaciate. It keeps me motivating.

 Chapter 108: Finding The One Behind The Signals

    A momentter, Nox, who had activated Phantom''s Cloak, appeared on the neck of one of the unsuspecting golems and repeatedly thrust his dagger into its neck. The golem thrashed about, but ultimately, its head was decapitated.

    Another golem swung its sword down at the human, hoping to cleave him apart, but Nox was too nimble. Without needing to activate Divine Velocity, he leaped from that golem onto another. However, instead of replicating the same attack, he stalled.

    Filled with rage, the other golem swung its hammer at Nox, not even caring about itsrade.

    Nox had already anticipated this. He twisted his body through the air, avoiding the crushing hammer that shattered the golem''s head.

    "No! No!" The shop owner stared in horror as Nox dealt with his golems so easily. Summoning these creatures from his formation consumed a lot of MP, and keeping them active drained him further. Even maintaining the formation was exhausting.

    In the blink of an eye, all four golems were defeated.

    Before the shopkeeper could summon another batch, Nox appeared in front of him like a ghost from a horror film, grabbed the man''s head, and smashed it into the counter table.

    The man quickly lost consciousness.

    "Huff, huff!" Hex panted as he took down thest golem, the same one that had smashed itsrade. He stared at Nox strangely; he had thought the boy would need help, but Nox had dealt with the golems quite easily.

    In total, they had each killed two golems. Hex knew Nox would have beaten him to three, but he had gone for the shop owner, who was about to summon another batch of golems.

    "Now, how do we take this guy back to the base?" Nox asked as he looked at the knocked-out shop owner. As expected, the man''s strength mostly depended on his golems.

    It reminded Nox a lot of himself. If he hadn''t trained with Eve, he could have ended up just like this.

    "Well, this thing should work now that the dome has been taken down." Hex pulled out hismunication crystal. He called the guild leader, and not long after, everyone arrived at the store.

    "Hmm¡­ he''s the one, huh? Doesn''t look special to me," Reyes muttered as he looked at the shop owner, who was tied to a chair.

    Because the shop owner had lost consciousness, his formations had crumbled, making it easy for the others to get inside the store. The four shattered golems were still lying around, but the store itself seemed to be in pretty good shape. Apart from the stone golems, there was no way one would even suspect a fight had taken ce here.

    "How long has he been out?" Reyes inquired, pping the man''s cheeks to wake him.

    "Like some minutes ago," Nox replied.

    The guild master frowned. "And he''s already this cold. How hard did you guys hit him?"

    After a couple more ps, the salesman finally woke up with a startled cry.

    "Where am I? Who are you guys?" he stammered in a panicked voice. Slowly, he remembered what led to him losing consciousness and began to plead with tears in his eyes.

    "Please don''t kill me! I''ll tell you everything!"

    "Then start speaking," Reyes stated coldly as he showed the man the blue orb. "If you tell us who is responsible for this, we''ll let you go."

    ---

    Meanwhile, just like in Frostburg, Ren had taken on another mission in Coastal City.

    Inside what seemed to be a sturdy room, the silver-haired youth was looking out the window at therge bustling city. He held a ss of wine in his hands.

    Ren hadn''t had any sleep ever since the signal; he had realized that his chances of getting to the elemental beast were very slim. He had been contemting ways to outsmart the others.

    Physically, Ren knew he couldn''tpete with the other factions, which left him with only one choice: to mess with them mentally.

    ''But how?'' While he was pondering what to do, he heard a knock on the door. Maya, the dark-haired girl, walked in with a piece of paper in her hand.

    "What is that?" he asked with furrowed brows.

    "I found it outside the manor... it''s addressed to you," Maya replied as Ren snatched the paper and started to read.

    "If you want to find the elemental beast, meet me downtown first thing tomorrow."

    Ren sneered as he read through the brief content of the paper and threw it away. "Tsk, as if I''ll fall for such a petty trick."

    He was no fool; he knew this could be a trick from the others to lure him somewhere and take him out.

    Yet, he hesitated as he stared at the paper once again. Downtown was a bustling district with lots of people. If the other factions wanted to take him out, why not do it in a much more deserted ce? After all, Captain Bofan had clearly warned everyone not to fight in the city.

    Could it be that this letter was actually genuine? Ren began to have second thoughts, but he knew very well that even though Bofan had warned them, some might still try to sneakily take out theirpetition.

    ''So what should I do?'' A part of Ren wanted to head to the said ce, but another part didn''t want to go. As he was thinking, a certain white-haired girl resurfaced in his head, and a wicked gleam shed through his eyes.

    Since he couldn''t go himself, how about sending someone to represent him? That way, he wouldn''t risk getting killed even if it was a trap.

    ''What better person to do the job than that fake noble?'' Ren grinned.

    ---

    Meanwhile, back at the store, the shop owner had started speaking.

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appreciate it! Also I''ll drop the bonus Chapters for the golden tickets soon, just very busy at the moment.

 Chapter 109: Things Get More Complicated

    "What is the goal of the one you''re working for?" Reyes began the interrogation.

    "I-I don''t know much. They only told me to supply them with empty orb shells, and they didn''t tell me anything else," the man stammered. From the look in his eyes, everyone could tell he was telling the truth.

    To prove his point, the man even directed the group to his storeroom. When they checked, they found loads of empty orbs with no trademark signs on them.

    Reyes proceeded to ask several more questions.

    A few minutester...

    "Now, the final question. If you answer this correctly, we will let you go."

    "Do you promise?" The man asked, still trembling, with snot running from his nose. He looked extremely pitiful. A few years ago, Nox might have felt pity for him. Unfortunately, being around Eve had begun to rub off on him.

    "I promise." Reyes crossed his heart. "Where is the alchemist?"

    This was the most important question everyone in the room had been waiting to hear. Although the other questions were essential to uncovering the mastermind behind the signal, they couldn''t help but grow impatient. Now that the critical question had been asked, everyone looked at the man with eager expressions¡ªNox included.

    However, the man fell silent as soon as the question was asked. Everyone looked at him in confusion. He had been responding to every question without hesitation, genuinely valuing his life.

    So why stop now?

    "Hey, I asked, where is he?" Reyes repeated, thinking the man hadn''t heard him well the first time.

    But the man remained silent, his mouth tightly shut. It was as if he was too afraid to speak, which was strange considering how cooperative he had been.

    "Mmmmmm." The man shook his head, his lips still sealed tight. He seemed to be saying, "Not that question, please not that question."

    Before their very eyes, the man began to appear paler.

    "Hey, is it just me, or is this guy getting slimmer by the second?" Brenda asked, noticing the obvious.

    "Are you alright?" Reyes continued, clueless about why the man was trembling and looking more like a corpse with each passing moment. "Hey, I already promised you we''d let you go if you answered this question. You don''t have to be scared."

    Reyes'' words seemed to work as the man began to calm down. Slowly, life seemed to return to him.

    ''I''m really confused. Does he get slim when he''s scared?'' Nox thought. It was the first time he had witnessed something like this, but it didn''t matter as the man seemed ready to speak.

    The man sucked in a deep breath and opened his mouth: "He stays in the up¡ª"

    BOOM!

    As soon as he opened his mouth, the man''s head exploded in front of everyone, blood sttering on them. Reyes, who was closest to the man, was practically drenched from head to toe, his expression looking extremely annoyed.

    "Shit! A self-destruct spell!" Reyes clenched his fists and kicked the lifeless body. "We were so close! Dammit!"

    "Whoever this person is, he''s frightening and has a lot of resources," Hex stated, wiping his face.

    It was the first time Nox had heard of a self-destruct spell, so he subconsciously looked at Cormach, who began to exin.

    "Self-destruct spells are typically exclusive to those with monster sses, like dark mages, necromancers, and the like. When cast on someone, they bind their soul to the caster''s will, allowing the caster to set specificmands or conditions. When those conditions are met, the bound person sacrifices themselves," Cormach exined with revulsion in his tone.

    "For this guy, it seems the condition was to never reveal the whereabouts of the alchemist who made these orbs... and I''m pretty sure those filthy dark mages are responsible for this."

    From his tone alone, it was clear Cormach had a deep hatred for people with monster sses.

    From what Nox knew, monster sses were those that granted users extraordinary abilities but at a terrible cost. They usually included dark mages, necromancers, demonkin, hollow knights, and others. But he didn''t know if his Beast Tamer ss was also part of this monster ss.

    Thinking about it, he remembered the oath his master Eve had made him take before they began his training.

    "Before we begin, I''d like you to take an oath." A ck orb materialized on Eve''s porcin palm. "Only a few people know my ss in this world. Most of them have died."

    "If you don''t want to be among the ''most,'' I''d advise you to take this oath stone and swear never to reveal my ss until you die."

    ''Damn it, she didn''t cast a self-destruct spell on me, did she?'' In the present, Nox almost trembled at the thought. Eve couldn''t be that heartless, right... RIGHT?!

    "So this guy was merely a pawn?" Noxmented, his face still smeared with blood. He already knew the answer to this question and didn''t need the others to respond.

    Things were beginning to get moreplicated. It seemed like getting to the elemental beast was bing more difficult with each passing second.

    ''Without these guys, it would''ve been even more difficult,'' Nox realized. Joining this guild temporarily was one of the best decisions he had made. How would he have known all these things?

    ''And I actually thought I had the highest chance of getting the elemental crystal... just because I have broken skills and talent.''

    After wiping himself clean, Reyes looked at everyone with a dark expression. "Things have be tooplicated. Let''s get out of here and regroup. We have a lot to discuss and not a lot of time to waste."

    As they turned to leave, Brenda, who had been quiet all this time, called out to the others.

    "Wait. There''s something else!"

    She bent down and retrieved a small piece of parchment from the man''s now limp hand.

    "This was clutched in his hand. It might be a clue," she voiced, bringing the parchment to the others.

    The group gathered around, looking at the parchment. On it was a single symbol, dark and ominous. Nox felt a shiver run down his spine as Reyes'' eyes widened in recognition.

    "What is it?" Nox whispered. A symbol that could make him shiver and cause the stoic guild master to break his calm exterior was no simple thing.

    Reyes'' expression darkened even more. "T-this is the symbol of the Lich Court."

 Chapter 110: Red Skinned

    "I have an important mission for you, and I don''t want you to mess it up like you always do," Ren said in a stern voice, looking at a white-haired girl.

    They were currently inside the study room. After Maya had left, Ren called Wendy in.

    "What''s the mission?" Though she didn''t like Ren''s tone, Wendy didn''t show her anger and asked dutifully.

    "Here, read it yourself." Ren tossed a paper onto the ground. Despite the tant disrespect, Wendy picked it up and read through the contents. Her expression darkened.

    "Isn''t this an ambush?" Wendy stuttered, unable to understand how Ren, who was much older than her, couldn''t see that this could be a ploy by the factions after the Elemental Beast.

    ''Wait!'' Her eyes widened as a realization hit her. She looked at the silver-haired boy, and his next words confirmed her suspicion.

    "I don''t care whether it''s an ambush or not. All I want is for you to meet with this person, and that''s final," Ren said dismissively. "Besides, it''s in downtown, and that ce is always crowded. Do you really think anyone would dare go against Captain Bofan''s rule and attack someone inside the city?"

    "Now scram."

    Wendy clenched the paper, struggling to hold back her rage. She took a few deep breaths and nodded.

    "Yes, leader."

    ---

    As she walked through the hallway with the paper clenched in her hand, Wendy couldn''t help but reflect on her life.

    Wendy Chai... That''s what people at Vermilion Royal Academy called her.

    Though she was a noble, she wasn''t treated with the same respect as the others.

    The reason?

    Wendy let out a mirthless chuckle.

    The reason was that she wasn''t a true noble by birth.

    Her father, obsessed with status, had bought the title from the king several years ago, hoping to be treated as an equal among the other nobles. But they never saw them as one of their own.

    He was still treated like amoner¡ªperhaps slightly higher¡ªbut there wasn''t much of a difference.

    In the Vermilion Kingdom, there were primarily two ways to be a noble: either by birth or by achievement. Those born into noble families held more power and respect, while those who achieved nobility through merit or purchase were often viewed as inferior.

    Then there were those who became nobles by threatening the king of the Vermilion Kingdom... but that wasn''t something spoken of aloud.

    Wendy''s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her own footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. She had always felt like an outcast among the nobles, never truly belonging.

    It was one of the reasons the professors at the academy had relegated her to the beta ss despite her strong performance in the entrance exam.

    As she walked, the paper in her hand seemed to burn with Ren''s dismissive words. "I don''t care whether this is an ambush or not. All I want is for you to meet with this person, and that''s final."

    "I hate him. I wish I could just kill him with my bare hands," she thought, almost screaming. But she calmed herself down and breathed out.

    ''No need to get angry at that scum... let''s just focus on the mission.''

    Wendy arrived at the designated ce. As Ren had said, the area was crowded with people, the streets stretching endlessly. Still, Wendy remained vignt.

    ''Maybe I''m just being too paranoid,'' she thought. But who could me her? Wendy knew about Ren''s disdain formoners... she wouldn''t be surprised if he had actually set up an ambush for her here.

    ''How do I find the person? The letter didn''t specify anything... or could it be the person has a way of finding me?''

    Wendy scanned her surroundings but didn''t notice anything unusual. She even nced at the faces of passersby to catch anything suspicious, but everyone seemed to be minding their own business.

    Suddenly, she noticed someone standing out from the crowd, heading toward her. The person wore a gray cloak that covered their head.

    In Eos, many people had varied dressing styles, so the mundane citizens found nothing unusual about the person''s attire and continued with their day.

    The only reason the person stood out to Wendy was that they were approaching her.

    Wendy raised the paper to the cloaked person''s face. "Are you the on¡ª"

    "Follow me."

    Before Wendy could finish, the cloaked person whispered in a feminine voice.

    "Why should I follow you? Can''t you tell me the location here?" Wendy frowned. She wasn''t a fool. This person could very well be leading her somewhere convenient to ambush her when she least expected it.

    "There are many eyes watching you. If you don''t want the information to leak, you must follow me," the cloaked person whispered.

    "I already checked, and I''m sure no one is watching us."

    "Are you certain about that?" The cloaked figure chuckled. "Look around."

    Wendy frowned and nced to her right.

    Indeed, she spotted two men smiling at her. She nced to her left...

    There were another two there as well.

    ''How?'' She frowned. She hadn''t noticed anyone watching or paying close attention to her before, but suddenly she had spotted more than three, and their expressions didn''t suggest any goodwill.

    ''Were they watching me before, and I just didn''t notice... or is this another trick by this person?'' Wendy mused, narrowing her eyes, leaning more toward thetter theory.

    "You know what? I don''t want to know this information anymore. I''m leaving," Wendy stated. But before she could leave, the cloaked person gripped her hand tightly.

    As a swordswoman, Wendy quickly summoned her sword.

    "Let go of me this instant!" She growled in a threatening voice, her eyes turning bloodshot. If anyone from the barony had seen her now, they wouldn''t think she was the friendly girl who got along with everyone. She looked extremely intimidating¡ªlike a white-haired demon.

    "Hehehehehe." The cloaked person chuckled, showing no fear in their voice. "At first, I only needed your leader, but it seems you''re not that shabby yourself..."

    The figure paused, and Wendy''s eyes fell on the hand gripping her wrist. She noticed a bit of exposed skin.

    The cloaked person had red skin.

 Chapter 111: Following Fluffington

    A fat cat walked through the streets of Coastal City. Apart from a few curious stares at the cat''s abnormal size, the citizens continued about their day, unbothered.

    After all, cats were not considered magical beasts.

    In a daze, Fluffington continued to walk through the streets, its body moving on autopilot, avoiding any obstacles in its path.

    "Hey, that cat looks familiar," one of the nearby youths remarked.

    "Wait, I remember now! That''s the same cat that attacked us with the panda back in Frostburg!" the other eximed, a cold shiver running down his spine as he recalled the one-sided beating they had endured.

    They looked around nervously, expecting Nox and the panda to be nearby, but they found no one.

    "Should we tell Senior Ren?" one of them suggested. "I remember he''s been researching that kid..."

    "You''re right, let''s contact him."

    ---

    "All alone? Are you sure of what you''re saying?" Ren yelled into themunication crystal. He couldn''t believe that the powerful cat was all alone! The same cat that had easily defeated his strike team was wandering aimlessly?

    "What about the panda? Is it with the cat?"

    "No... it''s only the cat, and from the look of things, it seems lost."

    "Good." Ren nodded. "You guys keep an eye on the cat. I''ll be there very soon."

    Ren hung up with a smile on his face. If he could capture that cat, wouldn''t it mean he had another powerful ally at his disposal?

    "The panda would''ve been nice too," Ren muttered to himself. Without a doubt, the panda was several times more powerful than the cat. Even Ren wasn''t sure how well he''d fare against the beast, but he knew that the panda''s strength rivaled that of the top students in the Alpha ss of Vermilion Academy.

    But the cat was still strong enough...

    "It''ll do," Ren grinned. "Besides, the panda is a magical beast and could turn on me whenever it''s hungry, but the cat should be much easier to control."

    A few secondster, the silver-haired youth disappeared from the study, heading out to catch the lost cat.

    Meanwhile, on the streets, the two students continued to trail Fluffington. They decided to stalk it from afar but noticed something unusual. Closing the distance, they realized the cat was still oblivious to their presence.

    "Something''s wrong with this cat," one of them stated. They were clearly walking just a few meters behind it, but the cat still didn''t sense their presence.

    This was vastly different from the cat they remembered from a few weeks ago¡ªthe savage cat that sensed its opponents even before they could make a move.

    While the two students were stalking Fluffington nearby, a red-eyed woman narrowed her gaze and disappeared into a ck mist.

    Soon, Ren arrived. Just as his subordinates had said, the massive cat was all alone, currently walking toward the outskirts of Coastal City... toward a frozen forest.

    At that moment, Ren, who had purchased arge, threw it over the cat. He had expected resistance, but the caught the cat rtively easily.

    ''This... this is too easy... something must be wrong,'' he thought, looking around, expecting Nox to pop out of thin air and attack him with the panda. However, nothing happened.

    "Come, let''s get out of here," Ren called to his subordinates, who were holding the cat. They looked frightened¡ªafraid that at any moment, the cat would snap out of its trance-like state and attack them with its retractable ws. But they couldn''t disobey Ren''s orders.

    BUMP!

    The three turned around and found themselves face-to-face with a woman with dark hair and ruby-like eyes. She was staring at them with a stern expression.

    ''Gulp.'' Ren swallowed noisily as he stared into those red eyes. He tried to step aside, but it seemed his body had be paralyzed in that instant, the woman''s gaze bearing down on him like a tsunami.

    The other two weren''t faring any better; they were visibly trembling. The mad aura bursting out of the red-eyed woman even caused the frozen trees nearby to shake wildly.

    "W-what do you want?" Ren stammered with great difficulty. He had never felt this scared before in his life¡ªnot even the professors and special ss students could make him feel like this.

    "I believe that cat doesn''t belong to you," Eve said with an indifferent expression. "Hand it over and scram, or I''ll gouge your eyes out."

    "Do as she says!" Ren, still trembling, shouted at his subordinates; the two hurriedly did as they were told.

    "Please, this is just a misunderstanding, it''s a mistak¡ª"

    "Scram!" Eve said simply, and the two disappeared from the spot in an instant.

    As they fled, Ren couldn''t help but feel as if he had just escaped a great cmity. Though he was arrogant, he wasn''t foolish enough to fight someone as intimidating as that woman. Though the cat could have been very useful to him, it wasn''t worth risking his life over.

    Eve untangled the cat from the, and it continued its walk toward the forest.

    ''What is it up to?'' she wondered, narrowing her eyes. ''The cat doesn''t seem like its usual self.''

    Though Nox wasn''t aware, his master Eve had also snuck into the Snowhelm Kingdom. She had been keeping a close eye on him from a distance for weeks now.

    Eve hadn''t intended to help her disciple, as she felt it was necessary for him to experience hardship to grow and be stronger. So far, she''d been impressed by his proactiveness.

    However, after noticing Fluffington''s abnormal behavior, she couldn''t sit back and decided to investigate.

    ''Is something calling out to it?'' the necromancer wondered, following the cat through the thicket of frozen trees. She continued to follow the cat for several minutes. It took several detours with a sense of purpose as if it was very familiar with the forest.

    After what felt like an eternity, the cat finally came to a stop in front of a frozen pond. As soon as it reached the pond, the magical whispers that had been controlling Fluffington ceased.

 Chapter 112: Wendys Death

    **Swoosh!**

    Seeing that the other person didn''t have good intentions, Wendy''s sword shed through the air, causing ripples in space as the de inched forward.

    Wendy had expected the girl to unsheathe the sword now on her back as the cloak had fallen off her, but the red-skinned girl simply stepped aside. The de shed past her face, causing a breeze that swept up the girl''s hair.

    Before Wendy could swing her sword again, her opponentnded a kick on her ribs, and a loud crack, suggesting a broken bone, reverberated.

    [-10HP]

    Wendy winced in pain. "I knew the people from that ce were strong, but I didn''t think they were *this* strong."

    Wendy didn''t find the girl''s appearance strange; after all, there were tribes of people who looked like this in the Far West... and they were known to possess strong bodies. Their non-Awakened could easily split a palm tree apart with a punch; they were that strong.

    "I won''t make the same mistake I did with that scarred boy," the red-skinned girl stated and charged forward. Wendy was confused about what she was saying, but she also charged in.

    **BANG! BANG!**

    The two girls traded blows with each other. While one used the sword, the other used bare fists, expertly weaving between the hungry de. She counterattacked with powerful punches and kicks; Wendy managed to parry some. However, even with her sword, she was actually being forced back.

    A blinding pain shot through her body as the red-skinned girl only targeted her vitals, and she didn''t even use her sword.

    Frustrated, Wendy didn''t even know when she shouted, "Why don''t you use your sword? Is it just for show or what?!"

    Perhaps if she used the sword, the fight would be more favorable? Wendy didn''t know, but all she knew was that she was losing miserably.

    "You''re not worthy," the girl sneered.

    "Inferno Strike!" she shouted, activating one of her warrior ss skills. The ground beneath her fist broke apart, flying all around as her de shed towards the girl with a zing trail.

    By now, the citizens had rushed out of the vicinity. Downtown was usually crowded, but this fight had forced everyone to distance themselves.

    Watching the zing trail, the red-skinned girl charged forward; she passed through the fierce trail and burst out unarmed.

    "Unbelievable!" Wendy eximed in shock.

    "Warrior''s Focus!" she shouted, activating another of her skills again, her eyes glowing with a blue light. It was a skill that allowed her to see things in slow motion, but even though the red-skinned girl was slow, all her attacks still made an impact.

    She was unpredictable!

    It reminded her so much of the fight with Nox in the mock tournament.

    [-4HP]

    [-7HP]

    [-9HP]

    [-10 HP]

    Dammit, seeing the rapidly blinking system notifications, the warrior took to her heels and started running.

    ''I can''t beat her; not a single one of my attacks touched her. I need to escape!'' She had only felt helpless a few times like this, one of them being the fight against Nox in the tournament.

    But Nox was an Awakened, so it was understandable.

    ''But... but this girl, is she even an Awakened?'' Wendy strongly doubted.

    Usually, even when Awakened were hiding their information, you could still feel a slight bit of aura from them, which was not the case with this red-skinned girl.

    "Huff, huff!" Wendy gasped for air as she continued to run.

    [Stamina: 40/100%]

    ''Dammit, how is she so fast! At this pace, I don''t think I can keep up any longer,'' the white-haired girl cursed as she took a peek behind, and indeed, the red-skinned girl was hot on her heels. She was running at an incredible pace, easily maneuvering past everyone on the streets.

    There was a confident grin on her face that gave Wendy shudders down her spine. That grin felt... felt like a promise of death... it was as if she was saying, *No matter how long you run, you will not escape from me!*

    Wendy reached for themunication crystal; from the few exchanges, she knew she could not defeat this person, so she had to call for backup... she had to call her squad.

    Themunication line buzzed for some seconds, yet no one answered.

    "Dammit, did this bastard set me up?" Wendy''s expression darkened, the hate she felt for Ren increasing with each passing second.

    She tried several more times, but there was still no answer from the other side. She looked back; the red-skinned girl was inching closer and closer, that confident grin still on her face. She shook her head as if telling Wendy that she was prolonging the inevitable.

    ''I so want to prove her wrong!'' Wendy cursed in her mind. She had used her most powerful cards in this fight, depleting her mana points considerably, yet it had not even injured the girl one bit.

    ''She''s not an Awakened; she''s something more... something much more powerful!''

    But what?

    Wendy had no idea!

    All she knew was that she had to escape from the girl that was within her age group.

    ''The only people that could fare against her are students from the Special ss... Beta students like me stand no chance.''

    At that moment, themunication line eventually connected.

    Sighing in relief, she shouted, "Leader, it was a trap! I need backup! The one after me is very powerful."

    "What level of strength do you think she''s at?" Ren''s voice sounded hoarse as if he was out of breath, which he was, but Wendy ignored it and quickly gave an answer.

    "She''s as strong as the Special ss students!"

    Silence.

    No voice came from the other side. Wendy thought the line was disrupted after calling out to Ren a couple of times. She became more and more anxious... she had initially thought all she would have to do was stall for a bit for the backup to arrive, but... but...

    Just then, Ren''s voice came from the other side.

    "You''re on your own... Besides, the academy won''t care about the death of onemoner."

    The line hung up.

    ''H--he abandoned me... That bastard, if I survive this, I''ll kill him!''

    Though Awakened had very short lifespans because of the constant fighting with beasts and other Awakened, Wendy didn''t want to die just yet; she didn''t want to leave her mother alone in this world.

    Wendy was all she had.

    Celine had long cut off any rtionship with her husband, Chai. Even when thetter had married another woman from a noble family, leaving the mother and daughter duo to fend for themselves.

    ''I can''t die, at least not without punching that bastard in the face.'' Intense emotions welled up within her. But she knew her thoughts were very unlikely.

    The current situation was looking too bleak. Why? Because up ahead, there was a cliff.

    **Swoosh!**

    Unfortunately for her, the red-skinned girl suddenly kicked the ground and exploded forward with a loud bang. Wendy tried to parry the unexpected attack; however, the girl''s fist mmed into her chest with devastating force, blood spurting out from her mouth. Intense pain surged up within her; it felt as if her internal organs were on fire.

    [-24 HP]

    [Critical Hit!]

    Wendy felt disoriented; her HP was blinking red. She looked behind at the girl who was approaching her with measured steps and at the imposing cliff.

    "What faction do you belong to?" she asked, inching closer to the cliff.

    "Why? Are you nning to hunt me from the afterlife?" the girl smiled.

    "You might never know."

    "Well, it shouldn''t be a problem; after all, this is your end," the girl stated. "We''re the Order of the ming Rose, the Forsaken. We don''t care about this Elemental Beast you''re after... our goal is something much grander."

    "Now that you know all this, it''s only natural you die," the girl stated and lunged forward, her fist shooting forward, bursting out of Wendy''s stomach.

    The white-haired girl stared in disbelief as she fell from the cliff.

    At the same time, the red-skinned girl turned around, finding several more girls behind her.

    "We must hasten the mission," she stated. "We must massacre all of them before the Elemental Beast makes its appearance... I can sense it''s close."

 Chapter 113: Bonus Chapter] Fluffington In Trouble

    [Bonuse Chapter For GT, Good Job Guys!!]

    ----

    "What in the heavens happened here?" Captain Bofan eximed when he saw the sight in front of him.

    He was currently inside a store that sold alchemist wares; inside the store, there was a broken golem and the headless body of what he could only assume to be the owner of this store.

    Captain Bofan was a military officer, akin to a sheriff. He worked directly for the city mayor and was in charge of ensuring the city''s peace. He had been informed earlier by someone about what had happened in this store.

    Rushing over, he didn''t expect to witness such a gruesome sight. Someone had blown off the head of an innocent citizen; he needed to get to the bottom of this.

    ''I hope it''s not them...'' the captain thought, considering the factions that hade into Coastal City to hunt for the Elemental Beast.

    One might wonder why he hadn''t chased all the others out of the city and hunted the beast alone with his squad. The reason for this was simple.

    He didn''t have the power to chase them out. Each group was very powerful, almost as powerful as his strike team... hence he let them be.

    As he was deep in thought, a soldier came reporting. "Captain, we have an eyewitness who saw thest people that entered this shop."

    "An eyewitness? Bring them." Captain Bofan ordered, and the soldier escorted a woman inside the store. The woman gulped as Captain Bofan stared at her with narrowed eyes.

    "Tell me everything you know... don''t leave out a single detail," he said in a stern voice. The woman nodded hurriedly and started to narrate everything she knew.

    ----

    The Maverick Guild arrived at the temporary base, the abandoned ship. Ever since they mentioned the Lich Court, nobody said anything again; even the usually talkative Brenda was eerily quiet.

    Their reaction made Nox even more curious to know what this Lich Court was. He wanted to ask questions, but it seemed no one wanted to talk about it. It felt as if this was a taboo topic they didn''t like discussing.

    After arriving on the abandoned ship, Reyes told everyone to rest and that they would discuss thingster.

    Though he was itching to learn about the Lich Court that had instantly changed the mood of everyone, Nox decided to keep his questions to himself and ask at an appropriate time.

    ''Well, since I have nothing to do, I should develop the taming space,'' Nox thought as he sat inside one of the numerous rooms inside the ship. The air was a bit stuffy, and the room was in a very terrible condition, but this was expected because the ship was several years old.

    "First of all, let''s clear the fogs." To improve his taming space, all he had to do was think about the features he wanted the taming space to have, which would consume a lot of mana points.

    However, before he could begin, Nox suddenly thought of something.

    ''Wait... where is Fluffington?'' He got up from his seated position and tried to summon the cat, but it was to no avail.

    ''Where could it be?'' He sent his subconscious into the taming space; however, apart from doing his regr training with arge gap between him and the blue egg, he couldn''t find the cat anywhere.

    ''Damn it, I''ve been so busy these days that I don''t even have time to tend to my pets,'' Noxined. He knew he had not been bonding well with his first pet in recent times, but that was because he was trying to get stronger as fast as he could. After all, his future enemies were very powerful beings.

    ''And I wanted to make Thirteenfortable... I wanted him to experience parental love. Shit, I hope I didn''t overdo it,'' Nox thought as he rushed to the control chambers, which was thest ce he had talked to the cat.

    As he headed to the control chambers, Nox couldn''t help but think of something crucial.

    ...he had bestowed two skills to Thirteen while Fluffington had none, only his special skills.

    ''Damn it, how could I mess up like this!'' Nox massaged his temple. Master Eve had told him that bonding with beasts was very important for a beast tamer.

    Depending on the level of bond and trust, the beast could follow instructions without objections and could even sacrifice its life for its master.

    Though it was very rare for a tamed beast to turn against its master, it could still resist when issued somemands or hate its master if the beast tamer didn''t form a strong bond with them.

    If that bond weakened to a certain level, they could even attack their masters.

    Nox didn''t want something like that to happen with Fluffington. Even though the cat was arrogant and veryzy, he still loved it dearly with all his heart.

    They''d been through so many things together; no matter what, he''d never cast aside the cat.

    Besides, Fluffington was thest gift his father had left behind for him.

    Shortly after, Nox checked the control chambers and still didn''t find the cat. He even asked the members of the Mavericks Guild, but their feedback wasn''t positive.

    ''Stupid cat, where are you!'' Nox called out in his mind. He tried to sense his connection with the cat. Nox had a connection with all his tamed pets; as long as he was within a certain range of them, he couldmunicate with them.

    Sighing, Nox left the abandoned ship and started to search for Fluffington... he searched the entire frozen river where the ship was currently located and even headed to the city, yet his search yielded no results.

    ''Is he angry at me for focusing on only Thirteen?'' Nox didn''t find this thought far-fetched, as any kid would feel the same if their parents focused more on their siblings.

    Though Eve''s cold personality was beginning to rub off on Nox, he was still a big softy when it came to his pets.

    Just then, while he was sulking, Nox heard Fluffington''s voice loud and clear in his head.

    [Brat! Something is wrong with me! I can''t control my body! I need your help!]

    ----

    GT Chapters: 1/3

 Chapter 114: Caught

    Eve watched curiously from a distance, expecting someone to emerge from the frozen forest at any moment¡ªperhaps the one who had summoned the cat here.

    She waited for a while but didn''t see anyone, leading her to think that whoever had called the cat had detected her presence.

    The next moment, her theory was confirmed as the cat started looking confused, as if it didn''t know how it had ended up in the Frozen Forest.

    ''Tsk, I was so close,'' Eve thought as she dissolved into mist and drifted away. She couldn''t afford to be seen by the cat... knowing Nox''s ss, she knew he couldmunicate clearly with his beasts.

    [Where am I? Brat, where are you?!] Fluffington called out, a very perplexed expression on his face. How did he get here? It felt as if there was a ck hole in his head. As he tried to think about this strange phenomenon, his head began to hurt.

    Forced to stop thinking, the cat began to leave the forest, following its footprints that were still visible on the frozen ground. A stinging pain from the cold assaulted him from beneath his paws, yet he kept a stoic expression.

    Eventually, he left the forest and arrived at a wide, winding road, but now there was a new dilemma. Fluffington could no longer see his footprints. There were so many people, and they had probably wiped out all traces of them.

    [I''m lost,] realization dawned on Fluffington as he looked around.

    "Stupid cat, get out of the way!" one manmented as he kicked Fluffington, who was in his path.

    [How dare you, mongrel!] Fluffington sneered, his face contorting into a deep frown. This was the first time someone had assaulted him like this, and the cat was extremely furious. He leaped up, his retractable ws exposed.

    However, the man who had kicked him had long disappeared into the crowd.

    [Thank your stars, stupid human,] Fluffington muttered as he continued his search. He was trying to reestablish his connection with Nox so that he couldmunicate with him, but it was proving very difficult.

    "Fat cat, stop messing around my yard!" A nasty old woman emptied a bucket of hot water on Fluffington. The unsuspecting cat barely escaped the sizzling water that was about to burn his pristine white fur in the nick of time.

    [Sigh, where are you, Nox?] Fluffington thought with a wistful expression. [Well, why am I even bothered? He''s probably discarded me for that cat.]

    [Maybe he doesn''t want me anymore. Maybe I should find someone else to live with.] Though he considered this for some time, he dismissed the thought. Nox and the rest of the Cromwell family were the only people he knew, and he loved them in his own twisted way.

    He couldn''t imagine himself ever being separated from them.

    [Maybe I should talk it out with that brat¡ªI mean Nox... Perhaps if I''m less arrogant andzy, he''d treat me like that panda... but I hate stress.]

    Just then, the cat felt his connection with Nox strengthen a little, and he hurriedly called out.

    [Brat! Something is wrong with me! I can''t control my body! I need your help!]

    Meanwhile, on the other side...

    [Where are you, Fluffington?] Nox called out, urgently, relieved that the cat was safe.

    [I don''t know, but this ce is very dirty, and the people are even nastier.]

    ''You sound like a whining kid, which is very strange,'' Nox chuckled. ''Alright, head in the direction where you feel the connection is stronger. I''ll do the same, and we''ll meet up quickly.''

    [Great idea, I''ll do just that.]

    Following the connection, Nox took several detours and eventually spotted Fluffington, whose pristine fur now looked dirty.

    [Finally!] Fluffington eximed in joy as he rushed over. He had never been so excited to see Nox.

    ''Is my eye ying tricks, or does Fluffington look a bit slimmer?'' Nox narrowed his eyes as Fluffington rushed into his arms. Nox''s nose twitched a little when he caught the stink.

    "It''s just a day, and you already stink so much. This is unlike you."

    [Tell me about it,] Fluffington felt embarrassed. Then he looked up at Nox with his beautiful green eyes and said, [Nox...]

    Nox looked at the cat strangely.

    [Why are you looking at me like that?] Fluffington asked.

    "It''s nothing. It''s just a bit weird hearing you call me by my name... you usually call me brat... did you forget?"

    [I didn''t forget... Is there something you don''t like about me? Why do I feel as if you don''t love me anymore since the panda arrived?]

    Nox massaged his temple. His thoughts were spot on; it seemed Fluffington really felt jealous of the special attention he had been giving to Thirteen, which was his fault.

    "No, I don''t hate you," Nox said as he stroked Fluffington''s head. It was the first time he was having such a peaceful conversation with the cat. "I was only trying to make Thirteen not feel left out... I guess that affected you. I''m very sorry, and I promise I''ll make it up to you."

    [I understand,] Fluffington nodded. [And I promise to stop being arrogant and work hard like the panda. I know it''ll be difficult, but I''ll try.]

    "Hmmm, where did this change of hearte from?" Nox was pleasantly surprised by the development.

    [Nothing, I just realized you''re all I''ve got, and it''s only right for you to be the master in this rtionship... Also, I have to apologize to the panda... he might be angry at me for not ying with him that much.]

    ''Sigh, so all this while I just needed to let you experience life to put you in your ce. Why didn''t I think of that?'' Nox thought with a smile.

    "Is he mad?"

    "Why is he smiling at the cat?"

    Passersbymented as they looked at Nox as if he were a madman.

    "How did you even get here?" Nox frowned. He couldn''t understand how the cat hade all the way out here yet couldn''t recall the way back to the abandoned ship.

    [Like I said, I don''t know what happened!] Fluffington licked his paws clean, irritated at how dirty they were. Then he added, [It felt as if I was sleeping, and when I woke up, I found myself here.]

    Nox narrowed his eyes. Just from their connection, he could tell the cat was being truthful, and it gave him a lot to contemte... was he under some kind of mind control or what?

    "Let''s go. I''ll keep an eye on you from now on," Noxmented as he ced the cat inside the taming space.

    However, as soon as he turned around, he bumped into a group of people dressed in military uniforms very simr to the ones he had seen back at the border. Their leader was even more familiar, as Nox had seen him when all the factions gathered.

    "Kid, can we have a word with you?" Captain Bofan smiled. "We only have a few questions for you, and if you can cooperate, we''ll let you go."

    -----

    Thanks to All Those Who Support Supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 115: Too Fast

    Nox was puzzled. "T-this..." What did they want with him? From Reyes, he had learned that these guys were also after the Elemental Beast, which automatically made them an enemy faction.

    ''So what does an enemy faction want with me?'' A sharp, fierce glint shed across his eyes. ''Are they here to take me out?''

    "I know what you''re thinking, kid, but we''re not like the others. We have morals," Captain Bofan stated, clearly seeing through Nox''s thoughts.

    As if to stress his point, the weapons in his men''s hands vanished into their inventories.

    "So what do you want?" Nox asked in an unfriendly tone. "I don''t recall making any appointments with you guys."

    "Why don''t we go somewhere more appropriate to discuss this?" Captain Bofan suggested, but Nox shook his head.

    "So you can ambush me? I''m not that foolish."

    Though he said this, Nox strongly doubted Bofan''s men could ambush him¡ªhe could easily use Divine Velocity to outrun them. Still, he was curious to hear what the captain wanted to discuss, which was the only reason he was lingering.

    Captain Bofan looked around. Citizens were walking about, and he didn''t want to discuss the murder case here. He had already warned the eyewitnesses to keep their mouths sealed, not to reveal even a single detail about the store owner''s death.

    The reason for this was simple: he didn''t want the news to spread and unsettle the citizens. For now, the only people who knew about it were the Mayor and his strike team, and Bofan intended to keep it that way.

    After a lot of convincing, Nox finally agreed to follow Captain Bofan to a secluded ce, but only Bofan himself was allowed to talk to him.

    Of course, Captain Bofan readily agreed,ughing in his mind. ''I don''t need the others; I''m more than enough to arrest you.''

    "He''s cooked," one of the soldiers couldn''t help butugh at Nox''s foolishness.

    "True. If only he had refused to follow the captain, he might''ve had a chance to escape by taking advantage of the crowd."

    In a nearby alley, Nox crossed his arms. "What do you want to talk about?"

    "Kid, I won''t beat around the bush." Captain Bofan''s face turned extremely serious as he held Nox''s gaze. "What happened in that store?"

    "What store? What are you talking about?" Nox''s heart skipped a beat when he heard the word "store," but he expertly masked his expression. His mind was racing¡ªhow had this man tracked him down so quickly after the event in the store, which had just happened a few hours ago?

    "Nice try, kid, but we already know what you and your squad did," Bofan stated, ramming hisrge fists together. "Now, let''s do each other a favor and make this easy for everyone... Take me to your leader. You can do this the easy way or the hard way."

    ''Phew, I thought he had some sort of tracker on me or something,'' Nox thought as he looked at the Captain. Because of how quickly Bofan had located him, he had feared this world had trackers. Fortunately, Bofan asking meant he had no idea.

    Of course, Nox would never reveal their location.

    "From your expression, I take it you''re choosing the hard route. So be it." Captain Bofan charged forward, a wind current behind him as he shed the air.

    *Swoosh!* *Swoosh!*

    Two wind des split the air, hurtling towards Nox with incredible speed.

    "Hmph." Nox turned his back on Bofan and dashed forward.

    "Run, run¡ªyou''ll never get away from me." Bofan sneered as he bolted after Nox. Being a mage who specialized in wind magic, he was incredibly swift, closing the distance between him and Nox in a split second.

    "This old fool," Nox smirked, feeling an intense urge to mess with the older man welling up inside him.

    Oblivious to Nox''s thoughts, Captain Bofan grinned. He had covered the distance and was now just an arm''s length away from catching the boy. He stretched out a hand to grab him, but a sudden gust of wind mmed into him.

    "Huh, where did he go?" Captain Bofan eximed in surprise as he grabbed empty air. Just a few meters ahead, Nox stood, a mocking smile on his face.

    ''How? He''s just level 14, and I''m level 50. There''s such a huge power difference between us. My stats are certainly higher, so how did he outrun me? It must be a fluke.'' The Captain convinced himself as he closed the distance once more.

    "You got lucky the first time, boy, but tha¡ªhuh." The older man''s eyes widened.

    "What were you saying, Captain?" Nox called out from afar.

    ''Two times... He yed me two times. This can''t be luck... How is he so fast?!'' Captain Bofan''s frown deepened. He made a swipe at the air, and several wind des whistled through it.

    ''Since I can''t catch you, I''ll cut you down instead!'' he sneered in his mind. The level 50 mage had never thought he''d struggle to catch a kid who wasn''t even a teenager yet.

    ''[Divine Velocity!]'' Nox activated the skill for the third time. The first two times, he had used it to distance himself from his pursuer, then deactivated it; otherwise, Captain Bofan, with his far superior stats, would have caught up to him without a shred of doubt.

    This time, Nox used Divine Velocity to weave between the extremely sharp wind des. He jumped, flipped, and ducked in mid-air, purposefully evading over a hundred wind des, leaving Captain Bofan so stunned that he momentarily forgot he was chasing someone.

    Divine Velocity didn''t just increase Nox''s speed; it also heightened his reaction time, enabling him to dodge the wind des effortlessly.

    With a sudden boost in speed, Nox, now a golden blur, disappeared into the city, leaving a level 50 mage in the dust.

    ___

    Thanks to all those who supports Supreme BeastTamer with Their Golden Tickets and Power Stones, I really appreciate it...I''m really busy right Now, hence the dy in the remain two Bonus Chapter for the golden tickets.

 Chapter 116: Another Signal

    Nox deactivated Divine Velocity and nced back. He found himself in a much quieter street, and aside from the sparse number of people walking about, there was no sign of Captain Bofan. "Did I lose him already?" Nox wondered as he began to walk along the street.

    Some of the mundanes stared at him with freaked-out expressions, as if he had popped out of thin air. But, remembering the kind of world they lived in, they quickly continued about their day.

    They assumed the teen was an Awakened¡ªthose superhumans were notorious for possessing a variety of skills.

    "I thought it was a ghost," one manmented.

    "I thought teleportation skills were rare. H-how did someone so young get their hands on one?" another wondered.

    Ignoring the curious looks, Nox was trying to ensure that he wasn''t being followed. Knowing that there could be people with Assassin-type abilities stalking him, he spread his perception to the best of his ability, yet he still didn''t sense any presence.

    ''What am I even doing? Of course, there would only be a handful of people who could catch up to me when I used Divine Velocity.'' With that thought, Nox started to walk with a bit more confidence.

    While Nox headed back to the abandoned ship, Captain Bofan remained rooted in the same spot where Nox had activated Divine Velocity. He had been so close, yet so far at the same time.

    As he stood there, his subordinates rushed over.

    "Captain, are you alright?"

    "Captain!"

    "Sir!"

    The soldiers stared at their captain with perplexed expressions. They had been shouting his name for thest two minutes, yet he hadn''t responded. The only reason they weren''t panicking was because his breathing was steady, meaning he was still alive.

    Finally, Captain Bofan slowly returned to his senses and voiced in a toneced with incredulity, "D-did I just get outrun by a level 14 Awakened?"

    Hearing himself say the words made them sound even more unbelievable, shocking the soldiers who had overheard him.

    "Could it be a movement-type skill?" one soldier suggested.

    "Definitely," another chimed in. "There''s no way a level 14 can outrun a level 50 naturally. The kid must have used a powerful skill."

    Hearing his subordinate''s exnation, the captain pondered for a moment before looking up with fierce, serious eyes. "Get the artist to sketch that boy''s face and ster it all over the city... Anyone who brings him in or finds his hideout will be handsomely rewarded."

    "Yes, sir!" The subordinate saluted and left to carry out the captain''s orders.

    "Kid, you could''ve just handed yourself over peacefully. Now the entire city will be after you." Captain Bofan smirked. "Let''s see how much longer you can stay hidden."

    ___

    By the time Nox returned to the ship, it was already night.

    "Did you find your cat?" Brenda asked as soon as Nox appeared. She was waiting for him along with the other members of the Mavericks guild.

    "Yes, he just wandered off. It''s nothing worry about," Nox replied casually, eliciting a collective sigh of relief from everyone, which perplexed him a bit.

    Seeing his confused expression, Cormach exined, "Kid, it seems you''ve forgotten how important that cat is... Only a few people would overlook a cat that could be humanoid and assist in battle, you know."

    ''Oh, so this was about Fluffington''s resourcefulness.''

    "I have something important to tell you guys," Nox suddenly stated, and when he had everyone''s attention, he exined his encounter with Captain Bofan.

    "Sigh, that old man probably won''t believe us if we told him we had no part in that storekeeper''s death," Reyes sighed. He knew Captain Bofan had a strong sense of justice and would never rest until he got to the bottom of the case.

    ''I should probably meet up with him and clear all misunderstandings,'' Reyes thought, then added as he looked at the symbol of the Lich Court, a skeletal face, ''Luckily, I have something that might help us.''

    "Sigh, we have to hurry up our search, but where do we even start?" After hearing about Nox''s encounter, Reyes wanted to avoid such scenarios again. Their guild was a legal establishment, and if news spread that they had killed an innocent civilian, it could badly affect their reputation.

    Reyes clenched his fist. He needed to get the Elemental Crystal and leave this kingdom as quickly as possible before things got tooplicated.

    Now that their only lead and edge against the other factions¡ªthe storekeeper who had ess to the alchemist¡ªwas dead, they were back to step one. Reyes had never thought finding one beast would be so difficult. The beast was really an expert in hiding.

    ''Still, I can''t help but think that the alchemist has a lead... If only we could find him.'' Reyes thought as he paced back and forth, even contemting whether the Elemental Crystal was worth all this stress. Maybe they should just abandon it and return to Valerian Kingdom.

    Whoooooosh!

    Just then, a loud whistling noise reverberated through the air. The sound was very familiar, and everyone inside the abandoned ship snapped their heads toward the windows.

    ncing outside, they saw it¡ªa pir of blue light shooting into the night sky. Like a beacon, the pir attracted the attention of specific individuals scattered throughout Coastal City.

    These individuals immediately vanished from their posts, heading toward the pir of blue light that was shining brightly. Unlike previous times, the blue pir was much wilder, radiating slight heat.

    ''This... Is there a reason for this? Why is the beacon so strong this time around?'' Nox wondered.

    After seeing the beam again, even though he was very skeptical, Reyes ordered them all to move. Currently, they were heading to the location.

    As they got closer, Nox sensed the presence of a very powerful entity that possessed a vicious aura, one that could devour anything in its path. It seemed he was not the only one who had sensed this aura, as the others also showed hesitant expressions.

    Reyes frowned tightly and muttered in a low voice, "T-this aura doesn''t belong to a King-Tier Beast... It''s much more terrifying. Could it be that the Elemental Beast has really made its appearance this time around?"

 Chapter 117: The elemental Beast Appear!!

    **AN: New Month, New Goals!**

    Hey everyone, it''s a new month, and I''m calling on you to help me climb the golden rankings once more! Your support can help more people discover this book. Let''s make it happen together! Check End of Chapter for details.

    ---

    ~SWOOSH~ ~WHOOSH~

    Several figures rushed toward the far end of the city. For reasons unknown, the signal had shot out from the Frozen Forest¡ªspecifically from the Frozen Lake where Fluffington had been standing just a few hours ago.

    Various factions, all vying for the treasured Elemental Crystal, moved at a rapid pace. They had missed the beast twice and were determined not to let it slip away a third time. This determination only fueled their efforts further.

    Nox was no different. Using [Divine Velocity], he zoomed past the Mavericks Guild, who had been ahead of him.

    "Huh, what was that?" Hex frowned, ncing behind him, but the boy who had been trailing him just seconds ago was nowhere to be seen.

    "No way!" Hex eximed, his eyes widening as he spotted a golden beam speeding through the roads of Coastal City. The beam was especially noticeable in the night sky.

    "Where''s Brutus?" Reyes eximed as he nced back. Moments earlier, he had seen a golden beam shoot past him, thinking it was an enemy attack. He called out to each of his guild members to ensure they were unharmed. Everyone answered¡ªexcept for the kid.

    "I-I think Brutus was the golden beam!" Hex, now just in front of Nox, stammered, struggling to believe his own words.

    "Are you joking with me?" Reyes, usually calm, couldn''t help but lose his cool at Hex''s statement.

    "I''m serious, Guild Leader! I''m very serious!"

    "Godspeed!" Adin and Adam, the twins with the Tempest Mage ss, shouted as electricity snaked through their bodies, bolting forward like literal lightning bolts.

    All the Awakened rushing to the Frozen Forest¡ªknown as Iceborn¡ªsaw a golden beam dash past them, thepressed air sending them and nearby stalls flying.

    A few secondster, Nox arrived just in time to see the pir of blue light disappearing.

    Soon after, the twins caught up with him.

    "Man, you''re fast! This is the first time someone has beaten us in a race," Adinmented, giving Nox a pat on the back.

    ''We were racing?''

    Soon, the Silver Mist Guild arrived, followed by Captain Bofan and his troops. The captain shot Nox a deadly re before turning his attention to the thicket of frozen trees. Behind those trees was where the ominous aura was emanating from.

    The Slim Ouws and several other Awakened, whom Nox hadn''t seen in the previous meeting, also arrived.

    The desong Academy arrived a momentter, wide smiles on their faces as they looked ahead with expectant glints in their eyes. Yup, they were a bunch of thrill-seeking bastards.

    Nox''s eyes caught a glimpse of the cloaked figure again, standing a bit farther away from everyone.

    Just then, the Vermilion Kingdom led by the silver-haired boy, Ren, arrived. Ren nced at Nox and shuddered slightly, the dreadful face of a cold, red-eyed woman shing in his mind. Were they somehow rted, or was she also after the cat because it was powerful?

    Noticing Ren''s gaze, Nox looked at the group, wondering why the silver-haired boy was staring at him so intently, but decided to focus on what was important.

    However, that was when he noticed the absence of a familiar face in the group.

    "Why isn''t Wendy with them?" Nox looked intently at the students from the Vermilion Royal Academy, yet he still couldn''t find the white-haired girl among them.

    This made Nox a bit worried; he didn''t think Wendy would be left behind, as it was only logical for the entire team to be present here since they would need everyone''s assistance in securing the Elemental Crystal for themselves.

    ''Did something happen to her?'' It was possible; after all, the other groups were hunting each other. ''Should I go and ask them?''

    Though he didn''t know Wendy that well, he still wanted to make sure she was safe because she was the only daughter of Mrs. Celine, the town healer. If anything happened to Wendy, the poor woman would be very sad and be even more lonely¡ªsomething he wanted to avoid at all costs.

    Little did he know it was already too...

    Suddenly, everyone present felt a powerful aura burst forth from the forest. The temperature of the air dropped sharply, as if one had been ced in a deep freezer.

    Nox shook his legs, shattering the ice sheets that were slowly crawling up. He looked around, seeing others also moving their bodies as their joints began to stiffen.

    "It''s so cold! Is this the doing of the Elemental Beast?" Brenda, standing beside Nox,ined.

    ''Is it an Ice-type Elemental Beast?'' Nox wondered.

    "desong Academy, stand guard!" Brolly, the leader of desong, shouted at the top of his voice, his eyes never leaving the forest where the aura wasing from, mming into them like a tidal wave.

    Unlike the Awakened, who had mana to keep themselves warm, the trees weren''t so lucky¡ªthey were freezing before everyone''s eyes.

    "Solders, get ready! The beast is close!" Captain Bofan shouted as his soldiers spread out, summoning their weapons from their inventory.

    "Scavengers! Get ready! This Elemental Beast holds the ticket to a better life! We''ll no longer risk our lives in the wilds hunting monsters and preying on travelers¡ªwe''ll be rich!!" The leader of the Slim Ouws shouted while pumping his fist in the air.

    "Hurray!"

    "We''ll be rich!"

    Simrly, the other groups were also preparing.

    ~WHOOOOOOSH~

    Nox felt the cold, bestial aura smash against his face, his skin bing firmer. He frowned, thinking:

    ''These fools¡­ I thought they would take down the beast and then kill each other for the Elemental Crystal. Just what are they thinking?'' Nox felt like the only sensible person there.

    "Maverick Guild, you know the drill. We stand by and let them do all the work, then we quickly extract the crystal from its chest and escape!" Reyes grinned like a schemer.

    Nox had always known this man was very cunning, which he suspected was the reason he had be a guild master at such a young age. Traditional guild masters in Eos were usually in their 50s. Guild masters Reyes'' age were rare. Despite his youth, Reyes had a good head on his shoulders and was always calm and calctive.

    Nox admired his personality; it was a shame he would have to snatch the Elemental Crystal for himself.

    "Understood!" the Mavericks Guild echoed with mischievous smiles.

    The ferocious aura continued to ssh out like a great wave, and all the people who had been shouting earlier began to frown. The reason for their frowns was the sight of the thin, undernourished men freezing into statues.

    ''The heck!''

    This was something none of them had anticipated!

    Soon, another one of the thin men froze solid.

    The atmosphere became even chillier as the presumed Elemental Beast drew closer.

    ''Is it because they don''t have enough blood?'' Nox wondered why only the undernourished people were turning into statues.

    Looking around, he noticed that some fire mages, who were attempting to warm themselves with their mes, saw their fireballs disperse. Their expressions immediately changed. They hadn''t even shed with the beast, yet they couldn''t use their fire-rted skills anymore?

    More and more people began to freeze. Nox frowned as he felt the ice creeping up from his legs. "Dammit, this Elemental Beast is really strong¡­ Can we even defeat it?"

    ---

    **Mission Board:**

    - 50 Golden Tickets for 2 Chapters.

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    - 1000 Win-Win Unlocks for 2 Chapters (Every chapter priv readers unlock counts towards this goal).

    I know I still owe you two chapters, and I haven''t forgotten! But who wants to see Nox start a guild full of powerful beasts? For that to happen, this author needs your support!

 Chapter 118: Skills Not Working?

    Panic spread like wildfire through the forest as everyone looked at the looming threat with palpitating hearts. They were scared yet thrilled at the same time, but no one was foolish enough to rush headlong into what could be their doom.

    The cold grew fiercer as the beast approached. Reyes instructed his guild to move their bodies to prevent freezing, and it seemed to work.

    Momentster, there was rustling in the trees. Magical beasts often destroyed everything in their path, but this creature moved with measured steps, almost human-like.

    Noticing this, Nox grew more rmed.

    "It''s here!" Captain Bofan shouted.

    As if on cue, the trees parted, revealing the creature in all its fearsome glory. A collective gasp escaped the onlookers as the beast''s pale blue eyes fixed on each of them in turn, momentarily freezing them in ce.

    Everyone collectively sucked in at the sight, the beast''s pale blue eyes locking onto each person and stunning them for a split second.

    The elemental beast was arge, hairy creature standing about eight feet tall. Its fur was white with a blue tint, and its eyes were a pale blue color. Its massive arms ended in sharp, ice-like ws, with frosty spikes running along its neck and shoulders. As it moved forward, its fur caught the light and glowed slightly.

    As everyone watched the beast approach, they began to snap out of their daze, a hundred plus awakened with a spark of determination in their eyes.

    But the Mavericks Guild held back as nned.

    Meanwhile, Nox activated his Analyze skill.

    [ciator]

    Only the name appeared; no further information followed.

    ''Strange.'' Nox thought. ''Is it a bug?'' He tried again.

    [ciator]

    "W-why isn''t it working?" Confused, he tried once more, but the result was the same ¡ª no additional information, just the name. Panic began to creep in as he attempted to use his Beast Sense, which also only revealed the name. No weaknesses, no strengths, nothing.

    This was the first time something like this had happened. There had been no hups in past years, so why now?

    ''Is it a bug?'' Nox frowned. ''Why now of all times! This fight is very important to me.''

    Analyze and Beast Sense were his edge over the others, allowing him to see the skills and weaknesses of a beast. With this recent development, everyone was now on equal footing.

    He tried using Analyze and Beast Sense a couple more times, but the results were the same, deepening the frown on Nox''s face with each passing second. In hisst attempt, a new screen popped up and Nox became ecstatic, but that smile turned to a frown when he saw the glimmering message.

    [Analyze and Beast Sense Too Low]

    [Use Skill Consistently to level it up]

    "Shit! I didn''t know the skills were low level!"

    It hadn''t been visible in the system after all.

    ''I need to level these as fast as I can.'' Nox stared at the ongoing fight with a me of determination in his eyes.

    The humans were still on the losing end as they shed with the two-meter-tall elemental beast. The beast opened its mouth, letting out a primal roar. A chilling st of icy energy was unleashed, encasing the humans.

    With a swipe of its hands, the encased ice shattered into several fragments.

    Captain Bofan, hovering in the air, unleashed a barrage of wind des at the elemental beast, his face darkening.

    "Damn it, we greatly underestimated this beast."

    To his dismay, the des that could cut through solid metal bounced off the creature''s fur as if it were stic. The stray des scattered, injuring several unlucky fighters, and groans filled the air, some even cursing at the captain.

    "Sigh, this is just messed up." Captain Bofan didn''t curse much, viewing it as a sign of irresponsibility, but today he couldn''t help but break one of his moral codes.

    The elemental beast was already very formidable, and the cold atmosphere could freeze anyone not moving their body, making the fight even more difficult. Though he was a citizen of Coastal City and had grown used to the cold, even for him, this was too much.

    "Bastard, eat my fist!" Brolly, the berserker leader of desong Academy, roared as heunched himself at the beast, mming his fists together with a force that echoed through the forest. For a moment, everyone paused, watching to see if he had made a dent.

    BANG!

    A deafening bang echoed throughout the forest, and the fighting momentarily stopped as everyone turned their gaze to Brolly, who had a maniacal smile on his face, feeling proud that he was the first tond a hit.

    However, the others felt pity for him when they saw the intense anger the elemental beast directed at him. A momentter, the beast made its move, and Brolly found himself flying through the air, spitting and teeth flying from his mouth.

    As his body levitated mid-air, therge youth couldn''t help but shudder. Just now, the elemental beast could have killed him with its ws, but it decided only to deliver a fatal blow that would immobilize him for a while.

    Why was that? It was very perplexing; shouldn''t enemies try to kill each other in a fight? That was exactly what he was trying to do. Did this beast have other ns for him?

    Meanwhile, on the ground, things were bing more difficult. The Silver Mist Guild was the only group faring better than the others as they used ranged attacks.

    Nox noticed that the cloaked person who had given him the death vibe had yet to make a move. The Mavericks Guild also remained on standby, observing everything, as did Ren and his group.

    After witnessing the losing fight, Reyes frowned and looked at his group. "Guys, it seems we have to change our ns. I''ve been watching this fight for a while now, and from what I can tell, if we don''t join, things might only get worse."

    "Count us in!" Adin and Adam took to the air, Brenda summoned arge sword, Hex, unfazed by the cold due to his ice mage affinity, lifted his hand and summoned an icence.

    Nahim Wong, the spectral archer, conjured a bow pulsing with white energy.

    Arge shield that covered his entire build appeared in Cormach''s grasp.

    Of all of them, Nox was curious to see how Reyes, the guild master, would fare against the elemental beast.

    ---

    Meanwhile, on a nearby mountain overlooking theke, a tall, handsome youth with a cross-shaped scar just beneath his eyes watched the unfolding battle with intense interest.

    ...

    **Mission Board:**

    - 50 Golden Tickets for 2 Chapters.

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    - 500 Power Stones for 2 Chapters.

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    - 1000 Win-Win Unlocks for 2 Chapters (Every chapter priv readers unlock counts towards this goal).

 Chapter 119: Very Powerful Beast

    Adin and Adam from the Mavericks Guild were the first to attack the Elemental Beast. They raised their hands, and the air around them began to swirl with electricity. Blue lightning crackled at their fingertips, and they unleashed a simultaneous st of magic.

    "Storm Surge!" they shouted in unison, a burst of electricity shooting forth from their outstretched hands. The bolt struck the Elemental Beast with incredible force.

    ROOOOAR!

    The beast roared and stumbled back from its initial spot. Although the normal attack couldn''t cause damage, it was momentarily electrocuted, causing its fur to stand on end.

    The beast''s pale blue eyes red at the twins responsible for its torment. It charged forward, but before it could reach them, Reyes appeared and intercepted it.

    A low rumbling echoed as a sturdy wall rose from the ground, obstructing the Elemental Beast. However, the beast burst through the wall.

    Reyes raised more walls, but they failed to hold the Elemental Beast back. Its massive paws swiped at the air mere inches from Reyes'' face. He leapt back, narrowly avoiding the blow.

    Enraged, the Elemental Beast fired a concentrated st of ice shards in all directions. The twins failed to block the shards, which pierced their arms again.

    Fortunately, before more shards could reach them, a wall rose up and intercepted the ice projectiles. Though the wall showed signs of crumbling, it held firm.

    Cormach, with his round shield, stepped in front of Nox, Brenda, and Hex.

    When the barrage of ice subsided, Reyes charged in with fierce light. Nox watched as rocks slowly encased the guild master''s legs and arms while he shed with the Elemental Beast, trading blow after blow.

    But Reyes struggled; the Elemental Beast''s fist, encased in ice, pummeled him with a crushing blow that shattered his rocky armor. It was so fierce that Reyes had to disengage briefly to catch his breath.

    Seeing that the others weren''t faring any better against the beast, Nox sprang into action.

    "Should I use Shadow Oblivion?" Nox wondered aloud. However, if the attack went through, the Elemental Beast would explode into several fragments, and the crystal could fall into anyone''s hands.

    "They could just hide it and escape without anyone knowing," Nox narrowed his eyes. He doubted the destructive power of [Shadow Oblivion]; against a normal magic beast, it might be usible, but this was an Elemental Beast, and Nox knew little about such creatures.

    "Alright, let''s test the waters first!" Nox jogged a few steps before bolting forward with explosive speed. His body was covered in a golden glow that radiated fiercely under the night sky, drawing everyone''s attention.

    "Some shy skill; you can never stay hidden with this," Nox sighed. In a sense, even his talents were like this.

    With a talent like his, staying low-key from the beginning was never an option. He was someone meant to attract attention wherever he went, and Nox was slowly getting used to it.

    "No matter how hard I try to blend in, I''m always pushed into the limelight... So why not ept it?"

    "If this were a novel, the main character would probably attract trouble by standing out too much... Honestly, I was nning to go that route too because of the people back in the Barony... But I figured I''ll just get stronger and deal with all the problems. Yes, I only need strength to handle any problem."

    Gripping his fanged daggers, Nox attacked the Elemental Beast, finding it difficult to keep up with its movements.

    "Huh?" Nox frowned as he stared at his broken dagger, realizing he had struck the beast''s hide; the de of his dagger had snapped in two.

    He felt a pang in his heart; it was his first weapon, but he didn''t dwell on it too much. The Elemental Beast grabbed Nox with its massive arm, yet with Divine Velocity still activated, Nox managed to slip out of its grasp mid-air.

    As Noxnded on the ground, he summoned both Fluffington and Thirteen. As they fell from the air, the two beasts exchanged a nce and smiled.

    Fluffington had spoken with the panda earlier, and the two had settled their disagreement. Their bond had strengthened tremendously. With just a look, they knew what to do.

    Shing! Shing!

    Fluffington''s ws extended.

    "Its hide is strong. I need you both to focus on attacking it."

    [Panda: ept!]

    [Fluffington: Okay, let''s do this!]

    Fluffington leaped up, his ws shing through the air toward the elemental beast. However, before he could strike, the elemental beast, seemingly aware of their n, roared and unleashed a st of chilling energy from its mouth.

    That st had already turned others into ice statues, which hadter shattered. Nox couldn''t allow the same fate to befall his beasts. With Divine Velocity still active, he managed to pull the two out of harm''s way just in time.

    Reyes surveyed the situation, frowning. Things were looking grim; a few of the others were already dead. He looked at Captain Bofan and the others, shouting, "If we want to take this beast down, we have to work together!"

    Captain Bofan nodded. Though he had hoped to settle things with the Maverick Guild, he realized they needed to unite to defeat this foe. "Let''s do it!"

    "Count me in!" Brolly chimed in, having found his way back. He had lost two students and was determined not to lose any more.

    "After we take down the beast, what happens next?" asked the leader of the Silvermist Guild, a dark-haired woman with an intellectual demeanor.

    "We kill each other for the crystal," Ren replied with a smirk.

    "The kid''s right," Reyes nodded.

    "Alright, let''s do this," said the cloaked figure, who had yet to join the fight until now.

    ---

    Thanks to all Those who supports Supreme BeastTamer; I really appriaciate.

    **Mission Board:**

    - 50 Golden Tickets for 2 Chapters.

    - 100 Golden Tickets for 3 Chapters.

    - 500 Power Stones for 2 Chapters.

    - Castle for 5 Chapters.

    - Dragon for 1 Chapter.

    - 1000 Win-Win Unlocks for 2 Chapters (Every chapter priv readers unlock counts towards this goal).

 Chapter 120: [Bonus Chapter] Defeating The Elemental Beast?

    [Bonuse Chapter for Last Month Golden Ticket Goal]

    ----

    After reaching a tactical agreement, all the factions stood in front of a massive earth wall. The sound of rocks shattering echoed as the elemental beast, trapped by Reyes within a series of earth walls, charged forward, eager to destroy the remaining humans.

    Nox frowned as he examined his broken dagger. ''How am I going to rece this?''

    Though he had no problem using his bare fists, he was most adept with daggers. After using it for over four years, he had mastered it. He made a mental note to find a new high-quality dagger¡ªif they survived this fight.

    "So what''s the n?" Captain Bofan inquired, his gaze fixed on the rock wall. Though he couldn''t see through the imposing structure, he could tell the elemental beast was close, and they needed a foolproof n as quickly as possible.

    "We surround it and attack from all sides," Reyes calmly stated, a calctive glint in his eyes. "Attacking from all directions will confuse it about who to target. No matter how durable its hide is, it will eventually give out. We just need to increase the power of our attacks."

    "Not a bad n," the leader of the Silvermist Guild said, and Captain Bofan and Brolly nodded in agreement.

    Meanwhile, Nox knelt down to Thirteen and Fluffington''s height. By now, everyone had noticed that the dark-haired kid with unusually lightless eyes could control the two beasts to some extent. They were curious and wanted to ask questions, but the fight was far more important.

    "Fluffington, I need you to make sure nothing interrupts Thirteen for the next few seconds," Nox instructed, ncing at the panda, whose gaze kept darting between the wall and his master.

    The panda was eager to fight! He didn''t get to battle such powerful opponents every day. Now that he had the opportunity, he intended to make the most of it and enjoy the battle.

    "Thirteen, I need you to perform the Dragon Requiem skill!"

    Nod! Nod!

    The panda and cat stepped forward, the first to break the formation, causing a bit of an uproar among the survivors.

    "What is he doing, sending the cat and the panda forward? Does he want them to die?"

    "Stupid kid! Why is a kid here again?" the leader of the Skin Men, who looked slightly bulkier than the others,mented, casting a disdainful gaze toward Nox.

    ''Stupid... if only they knew,'' the silver-haired youth Ren thought, still getting goosebumps thinking about what the panda had done back in Frostburg.

    "Shouldn''t you stop the kid?" Captain Bofan frowned when he saw the panda and cat advancing.

    "Let them be," Reyes said, narrowing his eyes. He also knew what the beasts were capable of. Moreover, his curiosity about Nox had been growing recently. He was beginning to doubt whether the kid was really a mercenary or some big shot from a noble family. After all, how did he get his hands on a powerful movement skill that allowed him to move at the speed of light?

    Meanwhile, Thirteen adopted a very serious expression. Fluffington stood beside him, eyes fixed on the wall. If his guess was right, that was thest of the walls.

    Just then, the wall crumbled as the elemental beast burst out from the wreckage. Fluffington quickly dashed forward to engage the beast, buying time for Thirteen.

    At that moment, Thirteen began his attack! His paws glowed with blue light as he charged forward and struck the air. Blue, green, purple, gold, and crimson energy trails appeared in the midair and merged into a vortex.

    [Hurry up!] Fluffington shouted as he was sent flying like a rag doll by the elemental beast.

    "I need you all to buy me time!" Nox turned to the others, his voice serious. He looked specifically at Reyes, knowing he was the strategist here.

    "Do as the kid says!" Reyes quickly ordered.

    "What about the original n?" The leader of the desong Academy hesitated.

    "Dummy, you can buy time for whatever the panda is nning and still follow the n," Reyes said, feeling a massive headacheing on. Are these students all muscle and no brain?

    Soon after, the others went to assist Fluffington. They spread out, trapping the elemental beast in a circle-like formation, bombarding it with all kinds of abilities.

    Nahim Wong, the Spectral Archer, pulled on her bowstring, and a conjured arrow materialized on it. She shot the arrow, which split into dozens, aiming at the elemental beast.

    However, an ice wall rose up, intercepting all the arrows.

    "Aghh!!" With a battle cry, both Cormach and Brenda charged at the beast where the fight was most intense. Closing the distance, Cormach mercilessly mmed his shield into the elemental beast''s face, while Brenda''srge sword shed through the air.

    BANG!

    A loud bang echoed, but there was still no dent on the beast, causing the warrior to frown. She began shing at the same spot where she hadnded the first hit, her thought process simple: by focusing on that particr ce, she could weaken the durability of its sturdy hide.

    Captain Bofan, standing a bit farther away, raised his hand into the air and brought it down, mming the ground with power. As he did, a massive gust of wind erupted from the point of impact, sending dust and debris swirling into the air. The wind st was so powerful that it created a visible shockwave, rippling outward like a stone thrown into a still pond.

    As the shockwave reached the elemental beast, it was lifted and suspended midair, leaving it momentarily vulnerable to any attack.

    It was the perfect moment tond a powerful blow.

    "Kid, whatever you''re doing, do it now!" Captain Bofan shouted through gritted teeth. This skill was one of his most powerful, and it consumed mana by the second.

    Fortunately, Thirteen was ready at that moment, and Nox shouted for everyone to fall back, which they quickly did.

    ''Time to end this,'' Nox thought with a grin.

    ****

    AN: Phew. Just one more bonus chapter to go... now how do I convince myself to sit down and write another?

    As always, thanks to everyone who supports *Supreme BeastTamer*! Feed me more golden tickets and power stones¡ªthose little things keep me motivated, you know.

 Chapter 121: Freezing Everyone

    From a distance, the red-skinned girl watched the intense battle alongside her group. Her eyes were sharp as she carefully scrutinized each participant, especially those who would prove difficult to deal with.

    Their initial n was simple: wait for the Awakened to take down the beast, then swoop in and finish them off when they were at their weakest. The red-skinned girl was eager toplete this mission swiftly, rendezvous with her team back at base, and im her rewards.

    However, as she observed the escting fight, her gaze narrowed on a dark-haired boy with unnervingly lightless eyes. Although she had seen him before, she hadn''t paid him much attention. But now, after witnessing him move at the speed of light and summon a beast to aid in the fight against the Elemental Beast, her curiosity was piqued.

    ---

    Meanwhile, the swirling vortex of purple, green, blue, crimson, and gold energy continued to grow, yet Thirteen pressed on with his assault. With each punch that struck the air, the vortex expanded, pulsating with power. The others could feel it too, their eyes filled with hope as they watched the panda.

    Perhaps, it could truly defeat the powerful Elemental Beast?

    Reyes and Captain Bofan watched anxiously from the sidelines. Captain Bofan had a nagging feeling that he had seen this skill before, but couldn''t quite ce it.

    Sensing the wild power of the swirling colors, the Elemental Beast began to struggle, desperate to free itself from the binding winds. However, Captain Bofan was no pushover. If he didn''t possess strength, he wouldn''t be a military captain in the first ce. He maintained the swirling winds for a few more minutes, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

    Fortunately, at that moment, Thirteen expertly directed the vortex to engulf the Elemental Beast. The task was demanding, requiring intense focus to control the energy, even for a beast as powerful as Thirteen.

    Soon after, the Elemental Beast, now suspended in the air, waspletely engulfed by the swirling colors. The vortex revolved around the creature with such intensity that it seemed determined to devour every fiber of the beast. Then, it imploded!

    A thunderous sound echoed, and a devastating shockwave rippled outward, mming into everyone like a tsunami. The fierce wave was so strong that it sent everyone flying like ragdolls.

    ''That''s it! I refuse to believe this kid is just a mercenary!'' Reyes thought as he skidded to a stop. He and a few others managed to control theirndings, but the rest weren''t so lucky, crashing through the frozen trees and injuring themselves.

    ''Someone with a beast like this could easily solo a dimensional rift,'' Captain Bofan thought, his mind racing as he looked at the panting panda, clearly exhausted after the powerful attack.

    ''I''ve never heard of a ss like this. Is it from a new patron god?''

    "Good job, time for you to rest," Nox said, approaching Thirteen and gently patting the beast on the forehead. After using Requiem, an extremely thick snowstorm had enveloped the spot where the Elemental Beast hadst been seen.

    [No! Panda fight!] Thirteen shook his head vigorously. He could still fight; this was nothing!

    "But," Nox nced at the Panda''s stats.

    [Thirteen]

    Dragon Requiem had consumed a tremendous amount of energy. It was meant to be a trump card, but the dire situation had forced Nox to use it early. After all, if they all died, there would be no point in saving the skill.

    ''Alright then, but if your mana drops lower than this, I''ll definitely put you back in the taming space.''

    Nod! Nod!

    [Is the beast dead?] Fluffington asked as he approached, in far better condition than Thirteen.

    "I doubt it," Nox replied. He hadn''t received any notification of the beast''s death, which meant it was likely injured at best. But to what extent? That was a question that would only be answered when the fog cleared.

    ''Though that attack was strong, the Elemental Beast is still alive,'' Reyes thought, frowning. He had been hoping for a miracle, but now, thinking more clearly, he realized: how could a panda easily defeat a beast that had overwhelmed them for hours?

    ''At least it should be badly injured.''

    Everyone hoped it was badly injured.

    But reality proved crueler than expected. At that moment, everyone heard the slight shuffling of feet. They stared at the snowstorm, anxiety tightening their chests. After what felt like an eternity, the beast''s head finally emerged from the storm.

    ''Its head is fine, which means its body must have taken the brunt of the attack,'' Nox thought, his gaze fixed on the beast, which hesitated to reveal its entire form, as if afraid.

    Each second dragged on, the tension squeezing everyone''s hearts. It had only been a few seconds, but to them, it felt like hours had passed.

    "Should we just attack it and end this already?" Brokky whispered anxiously, more nervous than he''d ever been in his life.

    "No, wait," Reyes whispered back. And as if on cue, the Elemental Beast fully emerged from the snowstorm, leaving everyone speechless.

    "Impossible!" Bofan shouted, his gaze darting between the exposed beast and the little panda.

    "I knew there was a slight chance of something like this happening," Reyes muttered, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

    Nox wore a confused expression. ''I thought it would be badly injured, but this... this is crazy! It didn''t even sustain any damage! Dammit, we underestimated this creature!''

    Indeed, the Elemental Beast stood before them, perfectly fine. Everyone struggled to believe what they were seeing. They were so stunned that they failed to notice something peculiar.

    The spikes running along the beast''s spine glowed with an ethereal blue light, and even its eyes began to shine brightly, illuminating the dim night. Then, the beast mmed both feet into the ground.

    As it did, several thick ice columns emerged from the ground in a circr formation. The columns extended outward before converging in midair, forming a dome.

    "A dome!" Reyes eximed, but it was toote. Dome-rted skills allowed the caster to be immensely powerful for a short duration while within the dome. The already powerful beast had just be more formidable, Reyes realized in horror.

    But the most horrifying part was that his legs wouldn''t move; they were stuck to the ground. ncing around, he saw he wasn''t the only one.

    Trapped inside the dome, the beast merely waved its arm, and a blizzard surged forward, turning everyone it touched into frozen statues.

    ''This bastard has been toying with us all along. Did we ever even have a fighting chance?'' Nox thought as he raised his hands. ''Maybe I have no choice but to use this.''

    But using this skill at such close proximity wouldn''t just hurt the Elemental Beast; it would also severely injure Nox and everyone else inside the dome. It could even kill them. Was it worth it?

    Shadow Oblivion was most effective when the target was far away.

    However, before Nox could cast the skill, the Elemental Beast seemed to sense his intent and red at him, momentarily paralyzing him. The blizzard struck him as well, and like the others, Nox turned into an ice statue.

    The beast didn''t lunge forward to destroy the statues of its enemies. Instead, it did something unexpected.

    The beast studied the frozen statues, then walked away. It didn''t harm any of them, as Nox had anticipated. Shouldn''t the beast kill them? They were in a fight, after all.

    Instead of killing them, Nox noticed something else. Within the pale blue eyes of the Elemental Beast, he saw... disappointment. The beast''s blue gaze locked with Nox''s for a moment, then it vanished.

    ''None of this makes sense.''

    But why was it disappointed? Was it upset that they couldn''t kill it?

    Meanwhile, the red-skinned girl smiled as she looked at the countless frozen statues within the transparent dome. "It seems the Elemental Beast just made things much more easier for us."

 Chapter 122: Meeting Again

    Trapped within the ice, Nox strained with all his might, attempting to shatter the statue encasing him and free himself, but it was in vain. He couldn''t even move a single muscle. His eyes rolled in their sockets as he looked around; indeed, the others were also struggling, but it was futile.

    ''It feels as if the ice is restricting our powers,'' Nox thought, feeling slightly dizzy. The freezing cold was almost unbearable, and he couldn''t help but curse the Elemental Beast in his mind.

    Was it a hidden psychopath that preferred to give its enemies a slow, painful death? Nox couldn''t help but wonder.

    Slowly, the world started to blur, and Nox, along with everyone else, lost consciousness.

    As they slipped into unconsciousness, the icy dome began to melt away. At first, the process was slow, but it soon picked up speed. The reason was simple: the Elemental Beast was no longer inside the dome.

    Within seconds, the domepletely melted, turning into a puddle of water. However, the statues remained intact, showing no sign of melting anytime soon.

    Meanwhile, the red-skinned girl smiled as she looked at the countless frozen statues within the now-transparent dome. "It seems the Elemental Beast just made things much easier for us."

    "Destroy all the statues, but leave that one for me," the red-skinned girl ordered sternly, pointing at Nox''s frozen statue.

    The rest of the girls followed her gaze and nodded in unison. "Yes, leader," they echoed.

    Not wanting to prolong the mission any further, the girls charged forward with their weapons drawn. This was the easiest fight they''d ever had. If someone had told them the mission would take such an unpredictable turn, they wouldn''t have believed it.

    However, just before the girls could reach the statues, a giant ice wall burst out of the ground, blocking their path.

    "Huh?" The girls skidded to a stop, confused. Where did this walle from? Hadn''t the Elemental Beast already left? So who was responsible for this?

    The red-skinned girl, still standing where she had been observing the fight, noticed this as well. However, unlike the others, she didn''t show any signs of panic.

    She leaped down from the elevated hill where she had been watching and rushed over to the wall. cing her hand on the ice, a chilling aura permeated through her body.

    A frown emerged on her face. "Come out! Whoever you are,e out this instant!"

    Immediately after she spoke, a beast that looked very simr to the Elemental Beast the Awakened had been fighting walked through the solid wall as if it were intangible. But the red-skinned girl had knocked on the ice wall and confirmed it was very solid.

    This only meant that this beast was the one stopping her. The red-skinned girl could tell the beast was rted to the Elemental Beast, perhaps a clone or something simr, though its aura was several times weaker.

    Still, she wondered, why stop them?

    The beast''s actions, not killing the Awakened, had already puzzled the red-skinned girl... but this was even more confusing.

    Regardless, she wouldn''t stand by and let the beast be an obstacle topleting her mission.

    "Take them down!" she shouted, charging headlong toward the sturdy ice wall. The beast tried to stop her, but her speed outmatched theirs as she weaved between them, avoiding all attacks. As the distance between her and the wall shortened, she mmed a fierce fist into it.

    BANG!

    A thunderous sound reverberated, but the wall stood firm. There were no cracks, no tremors... nothing happened!

    The red-skinned girl frowned and continued to bombard the wall with a barrage of lightning-fast blows capable of shattering a brick wall into fragments.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    For the next few minutes, she continued her assault uninterrupted, as the beasts were upied dealing with her subordinates. Yet, despite her efforts, she made no progress.

    The wall didn''t falter for even a second.

    "T-this is the beast protecting the Awakened?" The girl was perplexed; this was the first time she had witnessed something like this.

    ---

    ''Even if I had joined the fight, it wouldn''t have changed the oue,'' Jack thought as he watched the battle from the mountain overlooking theke area. He slowly made his way toward the frozen statues.

    Like everyone else, he had seen the signal and rushed over. But like Reyes''s n, he had decided to take a backseat and let the others do the work, nning to swoop in and steal the Elemental Crystal afterward.

    That had been the initial n until everything went sideways. Jack could have chosen to return to hiding and think of other ways to get the Elemental Beast, but he decided against it... because he saw a familiar face among the frozen statues.

    Someone he had never expected to see here.

    The same interesting boy he had met inside the tunnel!

    Walking through the frozen statues, Jack''s gaze scanned the area for a specific person. He didn''t really care about the others; they could remain like this for eternity.

    Soon, he smiled as he stumbled upon the frozen statue of a handsome, dark-haired boy. "Found you!"

    Jack then proceeded to carefully carve the ice around the statue with his trusty odachi. He worked diligently, carving as carefully as he could. If he smashed it too hard, it could result in the person inside turning into shattered fragments of ice.

    After what seemed like an eternity, he finally got rid of the ice. As soon as he was free, Nox fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His body felt so cold that if he had been encased for even a second longer, he was certain he would have entered the circle of reincarnation once again.

    "There, let it all out," Jack said, continuing to pat Nox on the back as thetter tried to catch his breath.

    Curious to know who had saved him, Nox lifted his head and looked up and saw youth with ck hair falling down his forehead and crossed shaped scar undeneath his eyes. Jack simply offered a carefree smile.

    "You!" Nox wanted to exim, but he was too out of breath.

    "I knew we''d meet again, but I never thought it would be like this... as a statue. How''ve you been, Sully?"

 Chapter 123: Breaking Free[Bonus Chapter]

    [Last Bonus Chapter for Last Month Golden Ticket Goal!]

    ----

    Having regained a bit of strength, Nox staggered to his feet. "I''m...fine, I guess. Thank you."

    "So, you were after the Elemental Beast too, huh? Why didn''t you tell me? We could''ve worked together," Jack said.

    "Let''s talk about thister," Nox replied, waving off the conversation as he focused on the frozen statues. His eyes scanned for Fluffington and Thirteen, and after spotting them, he rushed over, using his split daggers to carve them out just as Jack had done with his odachi.

    It was a bit tasking, but Nox persisted, eventually freeing his twopanions. Seeing how cold they were, he hurriedly ced them in his taming space. Though it was an extremely boring ce, it was the best option for them to recuperate.

    After handling that, Nox turned his attention to Reyes and the rest of the Mavericks Guild. The Elemental Beast was still atrge, and though Nox didn''t know why it had spared them, he knew he still needed the guild''s help to hunt it down.

    In fact, he needed the help of everyone here. The Elemental Beast was immensely powerful, so much so that the others couldn''t even see its level, only its name, just like Nox. Though they didn''t know its exact level, they could tell it was above the King Tier... some even suspected it was at the Emperor Tier, which exined why it was so difficult to deal with.

    ''Master mentioned that Elemental Beasts are unusually powerful... Is that why Dragon Requiem failed to inflict any damage?'' Nox wondered.

    Little did he know, Thirteen''s skill had caused significant damage to the Elemental Beast, but its powerful regenerative abilities had saved it. Half of its body had been blown off by the attack, but the beast had stayed back, only bringing out its head to show that it was perfectly fine while it regenerated its injured body.

    The beast knew the threat it posed would be greatly diminished if the Awakened had seen it in that state. However, this was something Nox might never learn. Pushing all thoughts aside, he approached Reyes''s statue.

    But before he could start carving, the frozen statue began to crack. Nox was rmed at first, knowing how fragile human skin was when frozen, but he noticed that Reyes was still somehow conscious. An armor made out of earth was slowly covering his body.

    Once fully covered, the ice shattered, and the blue-haired youth fell to his knees, the earth armor slowly fading away. Just like Nox, he was out of breath and needed time to recover.

    ''As expected of this man, he broke free easily,'' Nox thought. Due to the Elemental Beast''s unusual strength, the guild master hadn''t been able to demonstrate his full power, but Nox knew that wouldn''t be the case if he were facing a normal magical beast.

    Seeing that Reyes was fine, Nox moved on to the other members of the Mavericks Guild and began carving them out.

    "Let me help you with that," Jack offered, rushing over.

    "No, it''s fin¡ª"

    Before Nox could finish, Jack waved him off. "I insist." He then started carving Brenda''s statue. Nox narrowed his eyes, noticing Jack was taking longer on the chest area, but he didn''t dwell on the thought for long.

    At first, when Nox had encountered Jack in the tunnel, he didn''t know his intentions, so he always kept his guard up around him. Now that he knew the youth was also after the Elemental Beast, his guard had only heightened.

    Yes, he needed to be vignt. Who knew when Jack might stab him in the back? Honestly, Nox would''ve preferred to distance himself from the talkative boy, but thetter was like a persistent pest.

    ''And I thought I finally got rid of him in that tunnel,'' Nox sighed. He was grateful for Jack''s help here, though, and promised himself he would repay this favor.

    Soon, Reyes recovered enough to join them in carving out the others. During the process, a few more people broke free on their own. To no one''s surprise, it was Captain Bofan and the leader of the Silvermist Guild.

    Then, the cloaked figure. Nox narrowed his eyes at the person, but his gaze didn''t linger long. That person''s aura was very simr to his master''s.

    Though it would have been a good time to take out the rest of the frozen statues to reduce thepetition, Captain Bofan and the leader of the Silvermist Guild were wise enough to understand that one group alone couldn''t take down the beast. They needed all the help they could get.

    A few hourster, everyone was finally freed, and they began to leave the Iceborn Forest one after the other.

    "Captain, are we just going to let them go?" one of Bofan''s men whispered in his ear as they watched the Mavericks Guild leave.

    "If you want to, go apprehend them. As for me, I''m very tired and need to think about a lot of things... I need to find out why that Elemental Beast spared us." Saying these words, Captain Bofan took to the air and flew off.

    The soldier''s gaze alternated between the Mavericks'' disappearing backs and then the captain before he shook his head and started to leave as well. This wasn''t a family job; if the others weren''t serious, then he wouldn''t be serious either.

    As they exited the forest, Nox turned to Jack, who wasgging behind them. Shouldn''t he be heading in a different direction? Why was he following them?

    "Look, I appreciate what you did for me back there, but can I know why you''re following us?" Nox asked.

    "Who is he? Are you both rted?" Reyes asked.

    "We''re brothers," Jack eximed with a smile.

    "No, we''re not," Nox stated tly.

    "Of course, I didn''t mean biological brothers, silly¡ªbrothers in arms. Remember how we took down that spider? If I had a recording crystal, I''d rewatch that moment over and over again. That was peak! We should do that a couple more times."

    ''This talkative... we''re back at this again,'' Nox frowned.

    "You still haven''t stated your reason for following us." Reyes halted and looked at Jack, who started scratching his head.

    ----

    **Mission Board:**

    - 50 Golden Tickets for 2 Chapters.

    - 100 Golden Tickets for 3 Chapters.

    - 500 Power Stones for 2 Chapters.

    - Castle for 5 Chapters.

    - Dragon for 1 Chapter.

    - 1000 Win-Win Unlocks for 2 Chapters (Every chapter priv readers unlock counts towards this goal).

 Chapter 124: Dimensional Key

    "So you''re saying you want to join our guild as a temporary member?" Reyes asked, thinking he had heard wrong. Jack had just offered to join the Mavericks Guild to hunt the Elemental Beast, iming he no longer wanted the crystal and only desired payment in return.

    However, this didn''t make sense. Had Jack abandoned the crystal because he realized he couldn''t obtain it alone, considering the beast was too powerful?

    "Yes." Jack disyed a kind, amiable smile.

    But Reyes''s next words caused that smile to vanish. "No!"

    "B-but," Jack stuttered.

    "How can I be sure you''re not from a rival faction nning to backstab us once we get the crystal?" Reyes stated, continuing to walk. The only reason they had even epted Nox into their team was because he was clueless about the Elemental Beast''s existence, which wasn''t the case for Jack.

    "And..." Reyes paused, locking eyes with Jack. "Are you even an Awakened?"

    Few people knew, but Reyes possessed a special skill that allowed him to differentiate an Awakened from a mundane. This skill manifested as mes¡ªblue and red¡ªlocated near a person''s heart. The blue me signified an ordinary person, while the red me indicated an Awakened.

    To gauge potential, Reyes often paid attention to the velocity at which these mes burned. It wasn''t a useful skill in battle, hence why he rarely talked about it, but it was ideal for recruiting members to his guild.

    This was the very reason Reyes had recruited Nox without much hesitation.

    However...

    Jack''s me was blue, indicating he was an ordinary human...

    ''But why is his me so intense?'' Reyes wondered. The mes of other mundanes only burned slightly, yet this boy''s me burned so fiercely that it seemed to want to devour everything in its path.

    After a brief silence, Jack responded to Reyes''s question. "I''m not an Awakened...but I''m very special." He drew out the word "special" with a smirk.

    "Indeed, you''re special." Reyes nodded, causing the smirk to vanish from Jack''s face. The boy narrowed his eyes.

    "How did you know?"

    "Just instincts...but advertising yourself won''t change my decision. I still think you''re a spy."

    "Hey, brother, put in some words for me...are you just going to stand here and watch?" Reyes turned to Nox.

    "He''s right. You could be a spy, who knows." Nox shrugged, then continued pestering Reyes, telling him how important the money was for him. The guild master was slowly beginning to be convinced. Then, a mischievous n formed in Reyes''s mind, causing a smirk to curl up on his face. Jack didn''t see this smile as he was walking behind the group.

    "Okay, you''re hired," Reyes stated.

    "Huh?" Jack frowned. The man who had strongly refused him just moments ago had suddenly epted? It was perplexing and suspicious.

    ''Did he see through my n?'' Jack thought. ''Well, whatever, phase one isplete...''

    After his guards had been killed by the red-skinned girl, Jack knew his chances of getting the Elemental Beast were slim. Witnessing the beast''s prowess firsthand, he knew he needed to align himself with a faction as quickly as possible.

    Now that the problem was solved, all he needed to do was aid them in hunting the beast. Then, when the right time came...he''d snatch the beast crystal and flee. His only regret was that he would have to steal the crystal from Nox.

    ''That won''t happen,'' Nox, who had clearly seen through Jack''s n, thought. He could tell that Jack was in a simr situation as him and that they both needed the crystal for their own reasons.

    Though he didn''t know if Reyes was aware of his true intentions, he was almost certain the guild master knew about Jack''s ns.

    ''This raises the question, why ept him then?'' Nox wondered as he looked at the guild master''s unreadable expression. Just what was Reyes scheming this time?

    The Mavericks Guild arrived at the abandoned ship. Nox didn''t know what Reyes was thinking, but the guild leader allocated a room to Jack while the others retreated to their respective quarters.

    When he was alone, Nox shut the door to his room. His mind was full of thoughts, mostly about why his Analyze and Beast Sense skills had failed.

    ''The system did mention that the only way to increase their level is to continuously use them,'' Nox pondered, pacing back and forth in his room. This meant he needed to find more beasts and use his skills on them while also defeating them to increase his experience points.

    Nox knew the key to defeating the Elemental Beastrgely depended on Beast Sense. So far, nothing seemed to work against the beast. While he hadn''t yet used Shadow Oblivion, it was only convenient to use that skill when he was alone with the Elemental Beast. That way, he wouldn''t have to worry about the crystal falling into someone else''s hands.

    ''So the best approach is finding its weakness... At first, I thought it was fire, but that doesn''t seem to be the case.'' Nox recalled the time when the me mages used their fire against the beast, yet it had little effect.

    Thus, fire was ruled out.

    ''Luckily, there''s a way for me to level these skills.'' Nox brought out the dimensional key from his inventory and stared at it for a while. It had been ages since hest used the key. The first time he used it, he had appeared in a dimension filled with demons; the other dimensions that followed were low-level ones that didn''t pose much threat, and he had made sure to avoid others.

    Nox was hoping that this time, he would appear in a high-level dimension that didn''tck monsters. That way, he could continuously use Analyze and Beast Sense to upgrade his skills.

    ''Hopefully, then I''ll be able to see the Elemental Beast''s stats and weaknesses.'' Nox rubbed the key, and like before, a door materialized before him.

    ''Alright, let''s see what awaits me on the other side.''

 Chapter 125: No Land

    "Hmmm... this is..." Nox was at a loss for words as he took in the view before him.

    After using the [Dimensional Key], Nox had expected to appear on solid ground. Instead, the door opened in mid-air above a ck sea. The moment he stepped out, he found himself plummeting into the dark waters below.

    ''Dammit, why are these dimensions always so weird?'' Nox cursed as he braced for impact. Falling from such a height would really hurt, and he couldn''t help but imagine the worst.

    What if he used the [Dimensional Key] and a simr situation urred, but instead of a sea, it was a raging volcano? Nox momentarily forgot he was still falling from a great altitude.

    ''This thing is going to get me killed one day,'' he thought, just as his body mmed into the ck sea, causing a surge of water to shoot upward. As expected, Nox felt intense pain.

    Though he fell into the sea, it felt as if he had mmed into concrete. Though he couldn''t see, Nox was certain that a few of his internal organs had shifted from their usual ces.

    Despite the pain, Nox pursed his lips and swam upward with all his might. His body had sunk rtively deep into the water. While it wasn''t as deep as the ocean, it still required at least five minutes of intense swimming before he could reach the surface.

    Having swum in the Luminary River several times before, Nox was adept at swimming, so the swimming itself wasn''t much of an issue. The real problemy in his ribs, which hurt badly.

    After what felt like an eternity, Nox finally broke through the surface and spat out blood. He coughed for a few seconds before looking around.

    There was nond in sight. All that greeted him was an endless expanse of water.

    ''I hope there''snd somewhere. If this entire dimension is made up of water, then I''m doomed,'' Nox thought in horror as he started swimming south.

    Unbeknownst to him, a shark-like beast with a glowing green crystal on its forehead was following the trail of blood he had left behind.

    Thirty minutes flew by, and Nox was still swimming, his stamina depleting by the second.

    [80%/100%]

    And there was still nond in sight.

    "Okay, let''s go a bit more," Nox muttered, still trying to stay optimistic. One hourter:

    [60%/100%]

    ''Dammit...my arms are getting sore,'' Nox''s expression began to turn grim. ''When will this end? Could it be that this ce is entirely made of water?''

    If that was the case, he had wasted the [Dimensional Key] usage, and now he''d have to wait three more days to use it again.

    ''I can''t wait three more days,'' Nox thought as he watched his stamina gradually decrease. Fortunately, just then, he spotted an ind.

    As soon as he saw it, adrenaline coursed through him, and he picked up his pace. Eventually, he reached the shores of the ind.

    Gasp! Gasp!

    Noxy on his stomach, gasping for breath. For a moment, he had thought he would continue swimming in circles until the two-hour duration passed, allowing him to use the key once more to leave the dimension. But fortunately, it didn''te to that.

    Nox continued lying on the sandy ground for a few more minutes. His muscles were sore, desperately pleading for him to sleep...something he couldn''t afford to do. Who knew what kind of dangerous beasts lurked on this ind?

    Staggering to his feet, Nox stiffly turned around to look at the ind where he hadnded, but what he saw made him gasp in shock.

    ---

    Somewhere in Coastal City, an elderly couple was tending to a girl with white hair. The girly motionless on a mattress, her face extremely pale and her lips dry. The only indication that she was alive was the steady beating of her heart.

    "Darling, are you sure she''ll be fine?" the elderly woman asked her husband, watching the white-haired girl with concern. A few days earlier, they had found the girl near their home.

    Since their house was on the lower side of Coastal City, close to the cliff, they suspected she had fallen from there. After all, it wasn''t umon. When they found her, she was almost frozen.

    Later, they discovered a gaping hole in her stomach. Being mundanes unustomed to fighting, they were extremely horrified.

    But seeing that she was still alive, the wife had insisted they take her in, despite her husband''s vehement protests. After bringing her home, they called for a healer to close the wound on her stomach, yet the girl had yet to awaken from heratose state.

    The elderly woman was beginning to worry that the girl might die.

    "The healer said she''ll be fine in a few days. Let''s just wait a little longer," the elderly man with white hair and a beard replied, stroking his wife''s naturally white hair. His words seemed to work, and she visibly rxed.

    "You know, if Anna were alive, she''d be the same age as this girl," the woman said, staring at the white-haired girl, who bore a striking resemnce to someone she once knew.

    "Yes, they would be the same age," the man agreed, flicking a tear from his eye. He didn''t like talking about this topic.

    A few years ago, a magical beast had killed their daughter. The elderly man suspected this was why his wife had insisted on saving the girl; she reminded her so much of their lost daughter.

    The stranger even had their family''s white hair, a trait inherited from the woman''s sister, whom she hadn''t heard from in decades.

    ---

    **Mission Board:**

    - 50 Golden Tickets for 2 Chapters.

    - 100 Golden Tickets for 3 Chapters.

    - 500 Power Stones for 2 Chapters.

    - Castle for 5 Chapters.

    - Dragon for 1 Chapter.

    - 1000 Win-Win Unlocks for 2 Chapters (Every chapter priv readers unlock counts towards this goal)

    As always thank you for supporting supreme BeastTamer! Through we seemed to be cking a bit.

 Chapter 126: Jack Vs Reyes

    "Hmmm, not a bad ce for a temporary base," Jack muttered as he walked through the hallways of the abandoned ship. He could see other members of the Mavericks Guild training among themselves, perhaps trying to improve after suffering a brutal defeat at the hands of the Elemental Beast.

    "Lightning st!" Adin shouted, unleashing a st of lightning at his twin, Adams, who retaliated with an equally powerful attack. The two forces collided mid-air, producing a powerful explosion.

    "Thus far, your lightning skills seem to be the most effective against the Elemental Beast," Reyesmented, watching the fight with a calcting glint in his eyes. "I want you two to develop an even betterbo attack¡ªsomething that can stun the Elemental Beast for a while!"

    The twins clenched their fists and nodded vigorously, their faces serious. "Yes, Guild Master!"

    On another side, Hex and Nahim Wong, the Spectral Archer, were exchanging projectiles¡ªone firing ice spikes while the other shot spectral arrows at quick intervals. The arrows zipped through the air at a rapid pace, but they were ultimately blocked by Hex''s ice shield, which he followed up with an attack of his own.

    Nahim, a girl with Asian features, was unique. Her ss didn''t limit her to just firing arrows; she could also manipte spectral energy into any shape she wanted, allowing her to deflect Hex''s attacks. Watching the two, Jack couldn''t help but feel they were evenly matched.

    Even Brenda and Cormach were engaged in a sparring session.

    ''Something tells me that the next time the Elemental Beast shows up, it might actually be its end,'' Jack thought, his eyes narrowing as he observed the ongoing training.

    Just as he was watching, he heard a series of footsteps behind him. The steps didn''t sound like those of someone with ill intentions¡ªthey were very noticeable. Jack didn''t panic and simply turned around to find Reyes staring at him.

    "Since you''re a temporary member of our guild, isn''t it right for you to train as well? We wouldn''t want any burdens on our team, you know," Reyes said, holding Jack''s gaze with an intense stare.

    Jack disyed a carefree smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Of course, I''d like to spar against my brother. Where is he? I haven''t seen him around. Is he always this busy?" Jack inquired. He had been walking around the ship for the past few minutes, hoping to find Nox, yet he couldn''t even spot a shadow of the boy.

    Nox had earlier informed Reyes that he needed some time to himself and preferred not to be disturbed. Considering the significant contribution Nox''s panda had made in thest battle, Reyes readily agreed, thinking the boy needed time to recuperate after the panda''s tide-changing attacks.

    Reyes ryed this information to Jack, who had a disappointed expression on his face. After seeing Nox''s moves, Jack wanted to test how far he could go against the dark-haired boy. He wanted to gauge the strength gap between them.

    "Since the kid isn''t here, why don''t we spar instead?" Reyes smiled, his face calm, though his mind was swirling with thoughts. ''If I want to use you, I must first confirm if you''re really as strong as your me suggests.''

    Reyes had agreed despite seeing through Jack''s intentions because he wanted to use thetter as extra aid in acquiring the Elemental Crystal, then dispose of him afterward. It was very simr to hiring a mercenary.

    ''The only difference is that he''ll be disposed of instead of being paid,'' Reyesughed evilly in his mind. He was no saint¡ªno Guild Master was. Most importantly, he knew this scarred boy wouldn''t hesitate to do the same.

    Jack''s eyes shed with apetitive gleam as his odachi, crackling with lightning, materialized in his arms. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the odachi, and the lightning began to pulse more fiercely than before.

    If he wanted to earn this man''s trust and prove that he was reliable, he had to perform well in this spar.

    "Hmm," Reyes stroked his chin, a hint of confusion shining in his eyes. "You''re not Awakened, so how did you summon that swor¡ª"

    Before Reyes could finish, Jack interrupted, "Spatial storage." He raised his hand, and a shiny red ring on his finger shed briefly.

    "Makes sense," Reyes muttered, clenching his fist as both of his arms became covered in solid gray rocks. Then he kicked the ground, charging towards Jack with narrowed eyes.

    In the blink of an eye, Reyes effortlessly closed the distance. Jack wasn''t surprised by his speed¡ªafter all, there were people in his family much faster than this. With lightning speed, Jack brought his sword forward to parry the attack.

    However, his face soon contorted into a frown as he felt the powerful force of the attack. His hand, gripping the sword, trembled, and he was sent flying, bursting through the ship''s walls and out onto the frozen river.

    Jack skidded to a stop by striking the ground with his sword. "Alright, he''s strong," Jack muttered, tightening his grasp on the warm hilt of the odachi as he watched Reyes, who was leaping through the broken portion of the ship with aplicated expression.

    "I can''t beat him," Jack whispered under his breath. "Why don''t we swap ces? You have better swordsmanship than me."

    "I''m d you asked," the voice in his head immediately responded. The carefree aura surrounding Jack shifted into something more serious¡ªsomething more focused. He stood like a de, and even his gaze became sharper.

    "Another me?" Reyes''s expression slowly shifted into one of confusion. Why was he seeing a second me all of a sudden?

    ''Who is this kid... where is he from?'' This was the first time Reyes had seen a human with two mes.

    ---

    **In an unknown location.**

    The Elemental Beast shuffled around a frozen cavern with several beast cores embedded in the walls. The recent battle had dealt more damage than the beast could have ever imagined. Despite its powerful regenerative ability, half of the beast''s energy had been depleted, and it would need a few days to recuperate before making another appearance.

    Yes, no matter what, it mustplete its goal. It had been decades since it had sessfullypleted all the other goals. Only this one remained, and then it would be unstoppable. This was the major reason the beast hadn''t killed the humans.

    It needed them for its goal.

    As it contemted this, the Elemental Beast''s gaze drifted to the elevated tform within the frozen cavern.

    Lying harmlessly atop the tform, amidst several beast cores and other treasures that would make Nox drool with greed, were two shiny blue crystals emitting a freezing aura and another emitting a shadowy aura.

    But these weren''t just any crystals.

    These were Elemental Crystals.

 Chapter 127: Space Type Elemental Beast

    Nox gasped in shock at what he saw, his heart thudding loudly against his chest, as if it would jump out at any momt. His eyes gleamed with an incredulous light. He wasn''t scared; on the contrary, he was astonished by what was behind him.

    The ind was a massive sandy surface with several rocks of varied sizes¡ªsome roughly the size of a truck back on Earth, while others were like mini hills. The sun''s rays beat down on these rocks, causing them to shimmer slightly. Behind the rocks, Nox could see towering trees that stretched into the sky like stinel monumts.

    However, the rocks were not Nox''s focus. Instead, it was what was lounging on the rocks, bathing in the sun with its eye closed and a peaceful expression on its face.

    The strange  yellow creature had a transluct, gtinous body with awork of glowing, blue-gre veins. Its ttacles were long, slder, and covered in sparkling, star-like suckers that could create miniature wormholes. Looking at it, Nox noticed that the beast seemed smilliar to jellyfish/octopus type beast

    Yes, it was a beast.

    But not just any beast... it was...

    "An Elemtal Beast!" Nox''s body was literally trembling, his breath quicking; he held back the urge to shout those words, afraid that the beast would be startled awake from its slumber. Nobody liked being jolted out of their sleep, and thest thing he wanted was for this beast to go on a rampage.

    Nox had already witnessed the strgth of an Elemtal Beast firsthand, so he acted with caution. He knew this was an elemtal creature because of the bluish scre that gleamed in his retina.

    ---

    [Astralux - Cosmic Entity - LV Wildin]

    Elemtal Type: Psychic/Water

    [Progress: /0%]

    Energy: [0%/0%]

    Description: Astralux is a mystical, aquatic beast that dwells in the depths of space-time. Its ethereal, jellyfish-like body is sured by a halo of shimmering, iridesct ttacles that can manipte the fabric of reality.

    Special Skills:

    - Spatial Ttacles: Astralux can extd its ttacles across vast distances, manipting objects and ev bding the fabric of space-time.

    - Reality Distortion: Astralux can create localized distortions in reality, making it difficult for opponts tond attacks or maintain their footing.

    - Ster Regeration: Astralux can regerate its body and ttacles using stardust and cosmic ergy.

    - Levitation: Astralux can levitate itself and nearby objects, allowing it to move through the air with ease and avoid attacks.

    Evolution Path (/8): Astralux ¡ú Steluna:

    *Requiremts:*

    - Complete the "Cosmic Awaking" quest (a simple quest that introduces Astralux to the concept of evolution)

    - Collect  "Stardust Shards" (dropped by defeated emies or found in treasure chests)

    Description: [Steluna is the first evolved form of Astralux, granting it new abilities and hanced powers. Its celestial body shines brighter, illuminating the path to further evolution.]

    ---

    "Yes, this one is low level! It''s just a wildin''!" Nox did a silt punch to the air, his eyes gleaming with excitemt. He calmed his rapid breathing and assessed the situation with a bit of rity shing in his eyes.

    "The system scre of this beast is a bit differt from the others," Nox pointed out. For one, the beast didn''t have any stats like the Magical Beasts. It showed only the beast''s skills and avable evolution path, which, by the way, didn''t look impossible to fulfill like the Magical Beasts.

    It also had a progression bar, which could be filled up if Nox continued to feed it Beast Cores.

    Afterward, Nox used Beast Sse on the elemtal beast, and its weaknesses and strgths cascaded down Nox''s view.

    ---

    [Astralux - Cosmic Entity - Level  Wildin.]

    Currt State: peaceful, Dreaming

    Likes:

    - Shimmering, iridesct lights

    - Celestial music and vibrations

    - Cosmic ergy sources

    - Mystical, ancit artifacts

    - Whispered secrets and mysteries

    Dislikes:

    - Shark-type monsters (schophobia)

    - Bright, shing lights

    - Discordant, jarring sounds

    - Cosmic ergy disruptions

    - Being confined or restricted

    Strgths:

    - Reality maniption

    - Spatial awaress and ttacles

    - Regerative abilities

    - Cosmic adaptability

    - Colony mind (telepathic connection with allies)

    Weaknesses:

    - Vulnerable to sonic attacks

    - Depdt on cosmic ergy

    - Gullibility (easily deceived)

    - Fear of shark-type monsters (schophobia)

    - Disoritation (confusion and loss of focus)

    - Smile-induced trust (easily trusts those who smile)

    ---

    "Great!" Nox''s first instinct wasn''t to kill the beast. No, that would be a pure waste with all these powerful skills. Instead, he decided he''d tame it. Though Nox didn''t know the sess rate of his taming attempt since it wasn''t depicted on his scre, he decided to take a leap of faith.

    Besides, he noticed from Thirte that it was much easier to tame baby creatures, and this beast could be idtified in that category.

    "Hmmm, let''s see," Nox muttered, slowly making his way behind the beast. The creature was two meters in height, and its ttacles seemed ev longer.

    "I doubt that an ice Elemtal Beast would let me tame it easily, so I can''t miss this chance," Nox thought as he ced his hand on the beast, feeling its soft, jelly-like flesh.

    Suddly, a huge mountain of water surged up, revealing a massive shark-like beast over four meters in lgth, with scales running down its back. The beast seemed to levitate in the air for a bit as its red eyes red at Nox with ravous glints... Th it fell back into the water, causing a huge wave to ssh out in all directions.

    As the water sshed on him, Nox balled his fists in anger as his eyes darted betwe the elemtal beast and the shark; as expected, a momtter, the elemtal beast''s single closed eye twitched, causing Nox''s forehead to crease with anxiety.

    If the beast woke up, it would definitely be much harder for him to tame it, but this shark just had to ruin it all! As he cursed the beast, Nox noticed that the elemtal beast''s eyelid had stopped twitching, and its breathing was steady once more.

    "It''s gone back to sleep." Nox exhaled in relief as he brought his hand back to continue the process once more.

    Th the shark leaped out of the waters again, this time seeming to have increased its power, and directlynded on the g just a few meters from Nox and the elemtal beast.

    ''Curse you!''

    Nox''s eyelid twitched as he stared at the shark that was squirming on the sandy g, approaching the now-awake elemtal beast. The elemtal beast''s eyes were a sight to behold¡ªmesmerizing red with a ck circle in the middle. Those eyes at first seemed lost and confused.

    But as soon as the beast''s re fell on the shark that was dragging itself through the g, its razor-sharp teeth macingly revealed, the elemtal beast flinched back, frighted.

    Wh Nox saw this sce, he recalled the elemtal beast''s weakness!

    "Yes! They''re afraid of sharks!" he eximed as he looked at the shark, and sure ough, the peaceful calm had changed to frighted tsion. Despite its size, the elemtal beast was still just a child, so this fear was ev more palpable.

    "Damn it, this shark will scare away my beast!" Annoyed, Nox raised his hand and pointed a finger at the shark that was at the Intermediate tier.

    ''Stay still. I''ll protect you.'' Nox telepathically ryed to the elemtal beast, whose eyes shed with confusion. How was it hearing a voice in its head? The beast looked a but couldn''t find anyone, th its gaze narrowed at the squishy human who offered a reassuring smile at it.

    That smile. The elemtal beast was perplexed. Why did it bring so much warmth? Why did it feel secure in this human''s presce? The elemtal beast had never met a human before, but its brethr had and had said they were a really wicked species.

    So why did this one feel so differt?

 Chapter 128: A Very Guilibe Beast

    Nox red at the shark monster with fierce intsity, his outstretched fingers pulsing with dark ergy that grew stronger with each passing second. A cruel smile yed on his lips as a single thought echoed in his mind: "Since no one is here, I can go all out."

    [Shadow Oblivion (Ultimate Skill): Unleashes an apocalyptic st of dark ergy, dealing annihtion damage to all emies within a massive radius, stunning them for  seconds, and absorbing their life force. Consumes 0 mana points per use.]

    Nox nned to use Shadow Oblivion. Creatures like beasts had emotions, much like humans. He needed to show Astralux that he could be relied upon for protection. If he faltered now, the elemtal beast would never ept him as its master.

    "How convit for the natural emy of Astralux to show up now," Nox thought, the smile on his face widing. "The emy of my frid is my emy... now die!"

    As he screamed these words, the dark ergy on his fingers swelled, growingrger and more vtile. The ck ergy ball pulsed wildly, resembling a miniature sun, radiating sizzling heat that scorched parts of the sandy ind, turning patches of it into an ash desert.

    The shark''s instincts screamed at it to flee, and it attempted to retreat to the water, hoping to escape. But just as it squirmed toward safety, the massive dark ergy swallowed it whole. A cataclysmic bang echoed across the ind, and the shark exploded into fragmts. Parts of its body fell into the dark sea, while other piecesy scattered across the ind.

    [MP: 50/60]

    Nox''s gaze swept over the surings. "Now, where''s that beast core?" he muttered, walking across the sandy surface of the ind.

    Before long, his eyes caught a gleam of light reflecting off something partially buried in the  sand. The sunlight caused the object to shimmer.

    "Found it." Nox picked it up, finding a blue intermediate-tier beast core.

    "[Give me!]" [Panda!]

    Fluffington''s and Panda''s voices boomed like a loudspeaker in Nox''s head, and he was forced to cover his ears for a split second. But that didn''t help, as the beasts kept shouting in his mind.

    Left with no choice, Nox bellowed at them, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Would you two keep quiet!"

    His shout worked, and the two beasts immediately fell silt. Satisfied, Nox telepathically added, "This beast core is not for either of you."

    As soon as he said those words, Nox felt sadness from his beasts. He could ev subconsciously see Thirte looking at him with sad eyes. That might have worked at other times, but right now Nox had an ev more important use for the beast cores.

    He couldn''t allow his power-hungry pets to influce his decision.

    Nox nced at Astralux, which was staring at the body fragmts, its ruby eyes shining in disbelief. Did the human just deal with its mortal emy in one attack? The beast''s mind became chaotic.

    On one hand, it was pleased that the annoying shark was no more, but on the other hand, it was frighted that the human would turn against it.

    As it pondered possible scarios, the elemtal beast noticed something. The human was speaking to it again, ev offering something in his hand.

    Its eyes fell on the shiny blue beast core in Nox''s hands, a brief gleam of interest flickering through its single eye.

    "Don''t be shy, you can have it." Nox didn''t hesitate to use the beast''s weakness as he offered another charming smile that would make several hearts tremble.

    Astralux slowly turned shades of pink; the elemtal beast also had inherited traits. It changes color depding on its emotions. Pink meant it was flushed, and why was it flushed? Because Astralux was female. Nox''s smile beckoned it forward, and it stretched its pink ttacles, wrapping a the blue crystal and snatching it. Th it brought it close to its mouth and devoured it.

    [Progress: 00%/0%]

    Fluffington and Thirte felt heartbrok as they saw the core vanish into Astralux''s mouth, but they could do nothing¡ªNox had temporarily severed their connection. His focus was now solely on Astralux.

    The beast stared at Nox with a hopeful, eager expression, as if asking for more cores. Initially, she had kept her distance, still not fully trusting him, but now, after his gesture of gerosity, their bond had strgthed.

    "Such a gullible creature," Nox chuckled, watching the elemtal beast''s eagerness. Luckily, he had a few more beast cores stashed in his invtory. He pulled another one out and fed it to Astralux.

    After consuming the second core, Astralux''s body began to shrink. It continued shrinking until it was slightlyrger than a ser ball. Hovering before Nox, she stared at him with yful, mischievous eyes.

    Astralux, now hovering before Nox, stared at him, its beautiful eyes shing with mischievousness and eagerness to y.

    At first, Nox was confused and rmed. There was no skill such as shrinking in Astralux''s profile.

    Th he remembered something like this writt in his father''s book.

    "Well, it has be four years since Ist read that book; it''s only natural for me to forget some things."

    ording to the book, elemtal beasts had two primary appearances:bat mode and nonbat appearance. Wh they were in their nonbat appearance, they were much weaker and could easily be killed.

    "For it to take its nonbat form, it could only mean one thing." Nox thought in excitemt as he used Beast Sse on Astralux again, and this time her currt state showed yful andfortable.

    "It trusts me!" Nox eximed as the beast hovered a him, as if taking a good look at him. Th it stopped before Nox and gtly rubbed its head against Nox''s cheek.

    Nox stroked the creature''s head and proceeded to tame the elemtal beast. He hade into this dimsion without much thought, just to level his Beast Sse and analyze, however, he found a gold mine!

    ---

    Thanks to those who supports Supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 129: Astralux

    Astralux didn''t resist as Nox began the taming ritual. During the process, they seemed to connect on a deeper level, ssing each other''s true feelings and inttions. Nox felt that Astralux was a shy, curious, and yful orphan. He also learned the tragic story of how her water-type parts had be killed and devoured by sharks right before her eyes.

    Since that day, she''d be traumatized and constantly fleeing from sharks, who were determined to hunt her down as well.

    This news exined Astralux''s rtively low tier despite her impressive skills¡ªshe was still just a baby. However, her abilities made up for the low level, showing pottial far beyond what Nox had first expected.

    Nox telepathically promised to take care of her, assuring the little elemtal beast that she would be safe. Astralux, who had glimpsed into Nox''s mind during the ritual, knew his promise was guine. She had se how he treated his other pets with care and love, and they, in turn, were deeply loyal to him.

    If only one of them had such devotion, she might have be skeptical, but with all three feeling the same way, Astralux readily epted Nox as her master. A glowing mark of infinity appeared briefly on her body before dissipating, sealing their bond.

    As the taming process concluded, a blue gate oped, and Fluffington and Thirte emerged, their eyes filled with curiosity as they gazed at Astralux. She stared back, feeling the faint connection she now shared with them, as well as with two other beasts who were not here. The bond was weak for now, but it was there.

    "Asta, meet Thirte and Fluffington," Nox said, a smile ying on his lips. "They''ll be your sior siblings from now on."

    [Panda!] Thirte eximed, puffing his chest and flexing his muscles as he proudly pointed at himself. [Panda strong! Panda protect you!]

    Astralux turned a soft shade of pink in response to Thirte''s introduction. Her ttacles stretched out and gtly patted the panda''s head. She was guinely touched by the sincerity in Thirte''s voice.

    Next, Fluffington stepped forward with a dramatic ir. "And I am the gre¡ª" he began, but stopped wh he saw Nox''s stern gaze, and he recalled the promise he''d made not to be arrogant again. Fluffington cleared his throat and continued, this time more humbly. [I am Fluffington, your elder brother, and like Panda said, we''ll protect you!]

    Astralux felt a swell of emotion as she looked at her new family. After losing her parts, these creatures were the first to ever promise her safety. And from the deep bond she shared with them, she knew their words were guine.

    Now, it was her turn to introduce herself.

    ---

    While Nox was busy in the unknown dimsion, R, the Alpha studt and leader of the Vermilion Kingdom group, had just received a visitor. It was a tall, athletic studt with gre hair and vibrant eyes, a toothpick in his mouth. He wore a jacket and ck pants. Merely standing there, the studt exuded a confidt aura. There was no arrogance; it was just pure confidce.

    ''So, they think I''m ipett and decided to sd him,'' R thought bitterly, massaging his temples. He shot a nce at the neer, feeling a mix of frustration and unease. ''Sding a special ss studt to babysit me?''

    Brandon Ch.

    Because he had tak too long toplete the mission of getting the Elemtal Crystal, the academy had st a special ss studt over.

    Special ss studts were the future prodigies of the Vermilion Kingdom. All of them were freaking monsters in their own right. They were handpicked by the academy for their extraordinary talts and pottial.

    Brandon Chai''s arrival st a ripple of excitemt through the Vermilion Kingdom group. As a special ss studt, he possessed exceptional abilities and knowledge that could elevate the group''s performance. The group was ted, except for R, as he felt the special ss studt would take all the glory of this mission.

    Adding to R''s frustration was a mysterious letter he''d received, detailing the exact location of the elemtal beast. Just as he thought he had gained the upper hand in the mission, Brandon had appeared to im the spotlight.

    ''I couldn''t have tak down that beast on my own anyway,'' R admitted to himself, begrudgingly handing the letter to Brandon. He exined everything, from the beast''s power to the letter''s suspicious origin.

    However, before they left, Brandon turned to R. "Also, what happed to the studt Wdy Chai?"

    R stammered, his voice trembling at first. "Ah¡ªs-she passed away¡­ The elemtal beast killed her." His tone steadied,ced with disdain as he continued, "But she was just amoner. Why ask? Ev if she survived, I''m sure the academy would''ve disposed of her another way."

    "Is that so?" Brandon''s eyes shed for a brief momt before his expression returned to its usual calm.

    After that short exchange, the two left for the Iceborn Forest. ording to the writer, the Elemtal beast dwelled inside a froz cavern and there was ev a map.

    R didn''t know how this person had gott information about the whereabouts of the Elemtal Beast, but he decided to check it out. With Brandon beside him, at the slight chance of this being a trap by the people who got rid of Wdy, he was confidt that they could get out of any situation.

    Soon, Brandon and R paused in front of the ice cavern; they stared into the oping, and the fierce bestial aura washed over them. Having witnessed the power of the Elemtal beast once, R shivered, and his eyes shed with uncertainty. He threw a nce at Brandon.

    As expected, the sior studt seemed unaffected by the aura, at least on the outside. R stared at Brandon in admiration. What he didn''t know was that Brandon felt a bit uneasy too; that aura clearly belonged to a creature that was either at the King Tier or above.

    One thing was clear though¡ªthe mysterious person who had informed them was indeed correct because the aura was as fierce and savage as the one R remembered from that night. They were in the right ce.

    Brandon''s gaze met R''s, and he nodded. "Let''s head inside," he said in a voice dripping with confidce; ev his stride was measured, as if he wasn''t walking into a lion''s d, but his home.

    "Are all special ss studts like this?" R wondered aloud as he hurriedly followed behind Brandon.

    The ice cavern was filled with protruding spikes, and the cold was intse and biting. But the duo gritted through, and soon they appeared in an op chamber. However, the formidable Elemtal beast was abst.

    "Heavs!" R''s eyes shone with disbelief wh he saw the things in this portion of the froz cave. His breath quicked, and his hands trembled.

    "T-this!" Brandon''s eyelids twitched. He usually kept his cool in almost every situation; however, this was just too huge... there was no way he could keep hisposure after seeing the countless treasures littered inside this cavern, with froz spikes pointing down as if they would fall at any momt.

    Inside the room, there were beast cores embedded on the walls, while somey scattered throughout the g, along with various magic items. The multiple treasures emitting multicolored lights made the ce appear beautiful.

    But both R and Brandon''s gazes were drawn to something else: an elevated tform in the cter of the chamber, upon which two crystals rested. One emitted a radiant blue light, while the other radiated a shadowy, mysterious aura.

    The two made their way to the elevated tform and took a better look at the crystals that they felt were the most important and valuable treasures inside this chamber.

    "Elemtal Crystals!" The two eximed at the same time, their hearts almost jumping out of their chests.

 Chapter 130: Special

    The rest of the Mavericks Guild had stopped their training and stood outside the abandoned ship to watch the fight despite the freezing cold. They had be focused on their own training wh suddly they were attracted by the deafing sound of two people fighting. Rushing over, they expected to face emies, thinking their base had be exposed.

    However, the only people they saw fighting were their guild master and the new recruit. The two were gaged in a bloody fight, shing repeatedly. Cracks had appeared on the froz g and only increased with each sh.

    "The new recruit is not that bad," Cormachmted, his giant shield on his back as he watched the fight with interest. The new recruit was using a sword while the guild master fought with his hands cased in solid rock.

    "The guild master seems to be joying himself," Nahim observed. "He''s rarely this excited."

    Everyone prest nodded their heads in agreemt as they heeded the Spectral Asher''s words.

    In the distance, the fight continued to rage on. Jack''s swings were wild and filled with power. The de of the odachi shed repeatedly in the air, and whever it shed with Reyes'' rocky-covered hands, fragmts of rocks would be chipped away.

    "His swordsmanship was only subpar a few minutes ago, but wh that me appeared, it''s as if he''s a differt person tirely," Reyes narrowed his eyes as he was pushed back a bit, his feet digging into the g.

    Though the youth was stronger than wh they started, Reyes could finish the fight easily. The only reason he was extding the fight was that he wanted to confirm if he was still fighting the same boy or a differt person tirely.

    As he was lost in his thoughts, a booming, boisterous voice that didn''t sound like the easy-going Jack resonated. "Hahahaha! You seemed cocky a few minutes ago; why do you look surprised?"

    [Keep quiet! Don''t speak too much. Do you want him to suspect we''re differt people tirely?] the family carefree voice reprimanded in Jack''s mind.

    The boisterous voice, filled with scorn, responded dismissively, "It''s my turn! You stand back like the others and watch!"

    [Sigh, that''s why I don''t like swapping with you; you always seem to make things worse.]

    [Hmpf, says the weakest one among us], the arrogant voice harrumphed.

    "Alright, that kid doesn''t sound like this," Reyes concluded in his mind. With his eyes shing sharply, he added, "Unlike the mundane me, the second me is red, meaning it belongs to awaking. This is the first time something like this has happed wh I use this skill."

    Reyes was really confused, but he tried not to show it on his face. It didn''t make sse to him at all. How could one person have two mes? This was unheard of! Could it be he has be possessed? Reyes wondered but dismissed this thought.

    "Was this what he meant by being special?" Reyes wondered as he readied to d the training he had be purposely stalling to study the battle style of his oppont.

    With a sudd bolt of speed tearing across the froz g, Reyes closed the distance betwe himself and Jack. His rocky fists glowed with fierce intsity as he aimed at Jack''s ribs. Jack tried to parry the attack; however, Reyes was much faster, and the attack impacted, the cracking of bones reverberating.

    Jack stumbled back, his face turning as pale as paper, and his vision clouded as he felt intse pain from his ribs.

    [Serves you right!] the carefree voice spoke in delight and a chuckle that caused Jack''s eyebrows to twitch in annoyance.

    [Watch me as I beat him, you coward!] the arrogant voice spat out, its tone dripping with vom. Jack''s eyes shed with fierce determination, his grip on the odachi tighting.

    [You fool, I know you''re strong, but have you be paying atttion?] the carefree voice shouted. [Though I can''t see his levels, I can tell this guild master is very strong; he''s just be messing with you all this while.]

    The arrogant voiceughed coldly, "Shut up! You know nothing!"

    With a sudd burst of speed, Jack charged at Reyes, the odachi shing with electricity. Reyes'' eyes gleamed with defiance as he countered with a swift punch, but Jack dodged easily.

    The Mavericks Guild watched astonished as the two shed, their movemts lightning-fast. Cormach''s eyes wided in surprise. "He''s fast, but the guild master is much faster."

    Hex nodded in agreemt. "But Jack''s got power. And that blue light¡ªis it actually lightning?" Because they were standing a bit further away, they couldn''t see the crackling ergy, just the blue lights.

    As the fight raged on, Reyes began to push Jack back, his rocky fists pounding mercilessly against the youth. Jack stumbled, his eyes shing with fear, but the arrogant voiceughed again.

    "Fool! You think you can beat me? I''ll show you my true power!"

    With a sudd surge of strgth, Jack swung the odachi in a wide arc, the de slicing through the air, leaving a zing trail. However, Reyes countered with a swift kick that st the youth flying through the air and copsing to the g.

    Jack''s eyes shined with a mad gleam as he rose to his feet, ring at Reyes as if he were a delicate meal.

    [He''s losing his mind again! Guys, help me rein him in!] the carefree voice, which belonged to the original Jack, shouted.

    Reyes took a step back. He had noticed something strange too. Why was the boy suddly radiating a bestial aura? Things didn''t make sse. This boy was filled with lots of secrets.

    Pushing all these thoughts to the back of his head, Reyes was ready to d this before Jack lost controlpletely. Raising his fist, he was ready to deliver the final blow; however, at that momt, the familiar voice he was used to reverberated.

    "You win, alright, I forfeit... and isn''t this just training? Why are you so serious?"

    Reyes observed the boy for a momt. He could feel the carefree, talkative boy was back, so he dropped his fist. "I was not serious; trust me, I only used 0% of my strgth in this fight. Anyways, I''m d you''ve returned to your sses."

    "Now I realize you''re really special." Reyes stretched a hand towards Jack, who held it and helped himself stand on his feet. "Because everyone has their own secrets, I''ll refrain from asking about the strange things that were happing to you during our spar."

    "I appreciat-" Jack trailed off as his eyes darted to a crow that was slowly descding. He was not the only person who saw the bird; the others also directed their atttion to the crow, which was heading towards Reyes.

    Reyes stretched his hands outward, and the crow perched on it. Checking the bird''s legs, he found a parchmt carefully fasted to it.

 Chapter 131: Birds In The Sky

    Simr to Reyes, all the other factions hunting for the Elemtal Beast also received a parchmt. If one were to pay atttion to the sky in Coastal City, they''d notice several birds flying in all directions. It was a rare sight because, due to the cold atmosphere, birds could hardly be se in Coastal City.

    However, for some reason, the sky was suddly filled with birds. Entirely ck, the crows'' wings beat in unison as they flew in differt directions. The residts of Coastal City pointed and gasped, their faces filled with a mix of confusion and amazemt.

    A kid, seeing the crows for the first time, asked his parts what they were.

    "They''re crows, sweetie," she replied, her eyes fixed on the sky. "But I''ve never se so many before. And in this cold weather, it''s ev stranger."

    Hushed whispers and gasps filled the streets of Coastal City that day, and the citizs would continue to talk about the crows for several days.

    One of the crows perched on a woman with vibrant dark hair and mesmerizing ruby eyes. She wore a deep, dark gown that cast shadows on the g. She unfasted the parchmt unhurriedly and read it with her signature indiffert look. After carefully reading it, her eyes shed as she looked at the crow.

    ''This crow seems to be handing these letters to all visitors, but how did it know I don''t belong here?'' The Necromancer thought as she walked in a bustling street in Coastal City, filled with people.

    As the crows perched on her, some were curious to ask the woman what it was, but something about her unsettled them. She was giving off a deadly aura they had never felt before.

    Because of this aura, they instinctively distanced themselves from her. Of course, if they were more expericed, they might have connected the dots and figured out who she was... However, necromancers were very rare; most had never se one before! They only knew it was the most feared ss among Monster sses.

    ''Unfortunately for whoever you are, I''m not interested in fighting for the Elemtal Beast,'' Eve thought and squeezed the paper. ''I''m more interested in seeing how my disciples will fare against all these people... though he''s no longer naive, he still has a long way to go.''

    What Eve failed to realize was that... the crows couldn''t differtiate betwe citizs and foreigners... instead, they were doing something ev more unbelievable. They only handed the parchmt to those with strgth and pottial.

    As such, ev people who were unaware of the Elemtal Beast''s existce became informed. It felt as if someone was deliberately sding out a message to all the powerful people in Coastal City, both Mundanes and Awaked!

    ...

    Brolly, from the desong Academy in the Valerian Kingdom, narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he read through the contt.

    "The Elemtal Beast stirs. Meet at the ancit Cave of Iceborn if you wish to im its power."

    He turned the parchmt over and saw a detailed map showing the cave''s location. Brolly was skeptical at first but decided to report this to the others. After all, they had agreed to work together to take down the Elemtal Beast. Yes, he couldn''t be greedy.

    Simrly, the leader of the slim m with his small group also received a crow. He grinned, looking at his fellow scavgers, and they soon left as well.

    Elsewhere, the Silvermist Guild leader, with her intellectual appearance, unfasted the parchmt from the crow''s feet and read the contt. Like desong Academy, she wt to meet with the others.

    ---

    "Coastal City, our beloved kingdom, is and of ancit magic and forgott lore. But few know of the terror that lies beath its froz surface." A middle-aged man with a receding hairline and sses stood in front of studts. He wore ck clothing and seemed to be a teacher, addressing teagers who stared at him with focused interest.

    Laughter and whispers filled the ssroom as the teacher, Professor Orion, began his lesson: "Many years ago, Coastal City was once a hav for ships and travelers who wished to travel the world... the city bustled with people of all races and businesses that gerated over  million gold coins monthly."

    "Gasp!" Several gasps filled the ssroom wh the studts heard the absurd amount their professor mtioned.

    Adjusting his sses, he continued, "However, all this changed wh a powerful beast, still shrouded in shadows, arrived in our city. At first, the Awaked of the time shed with the Beast, but they were all overwhelmingly defeated."

    "T days. They fought for t days, but the oue remained the same, and the Awaked had no choice but to let the Beast be since it wasn''t killing humans. However, that decision came at a great price."

    Orion paused, speaking in a grim voice: "The Beast''s presce turned our seas and terrain into a frozndscape, making our city the most inhospitable ce in all of Snowhelm."

    The studts had be pestering Oriontely, asking why the seas,kes, and sometimes ev the streets were froz. Of course, Snowhelm Kingdom had always had chilling temperatures, with snow falling almost every day, but the situation in Coastal City was differt. If one stayed outside overnight, they could be ice statues. It was that bad.

    After much insistce, Orion decided to tell them the history of the city, a tale many didn''t share with their childr, fearing that if the Beast still lurked, it might attack.

    As he spoke, amotion outside caught the studts'' atttion. They nced out the window to see crows filling the sky, their ck wings beating in unison. The ssroom erupted into chaos as the studts pointed and gasped.

    "What''s that? Are those... birds?"

    "I think so."

    "Yeah, I''ve never se one before."

    Professor Orion''s eyes wided in surprise, but he quickly regained hisposure... This was the first time he had se a crow in Coastal City. His eyes briefly shed as he tertained a certain prospect.

    ''Perhaps the Beast has left, and the birds have returned?'' But as he looked outside at the frozndscape, he quickly dismissed that thought.

    "Everyone, get back to your seats!" Orion reprimanded the studts, their eyes still filled with amazemt.

    As if on cue, a crow perched on the windowsill, dropping a parchmt onto the professor''s desk.

    "Huh?" Orion and the studts were surprised by this new developmt. The professor quickly regained hisposure and unfasted it, scanning the contt.

    "This... this is an invitation!" Orion clched the letter tightly as he prepared to leave the ssroom.

    ---

    "Dear, do you know what this is?" The elderly, -haired woman disyed a warm smile, capable of putting anyone at ease, as she handed the parchmt¡ªrectly unfasted from the crow¡ªto the girl who was sweating profusely while swinging a wood stick.

    "Thank you." The girl returned the smile as she took the letter from the woman who had nursed her back to health.

    She read through the contt and crushed it into a ball, her eyes narrowing.

    ''Is this another ploy?'' Wdy thought with a frown.

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their Gold tickets and power Stone;  I really appreciate. But we need more gold tickets guys!

 Chapter 132: Meeting

    [AN: Thank you so much guys, we hit the first Gold Tickets Target! The two chapters woulde soon!]

    ---

    After receiving the letters, all the factions that had made a truce to fight the Elemtal Beast decided to meet up to discuss their currt course of action. Knowing the Elemtal Beast''s power, it was nearly impossible for a single faction to take out the Beast; therefore, everyone was very cooperative.

    At least for now.

    Moreover, the Awaked were also curious to know where the letters hade from. They suspected it could be from one of them, though they wer''t too sure. However, they believed they''d find their answers at the meeting.

    Inside avishly decorated room with ornate marble tiles and walls and a long table nked by several chairs, located inside one of the most expsive inns in Coastal City¡ªa four-story building¡ªthe leaders of the various factions were meeting up, gradually filling the seats.

    Captain Bofan had arranged this meeting spot, agreed upon in case the Elemtal Beast was spotted again. It was costly, but the walls had special runes that prevted sound from escaping, making it well worth the expse.

    With two military m standing guard behind him, Captain Bofan tapped the wood table, creating a pleasant rhythm as he looked at the faces of everyone. All the leaders of the various factions hade with two trusted people standing beside them.

    The reason was pretty obvious. There wasn''tplete trust among them. While they had agreed to work together, human nature is fickle, and loyalty can shift if the rewards are ticing ough.

    Captain Bofan hadn''t instructed them to do this, but they had done it out of instinct, suggesting that this wasn''t the first time they had attded such a gathering.

    Soon, Captain Bofan ceased his tapping on the wood table, his beady eyes bing more serious. Whether it was due to his age or some other factor, Captain Bofan had be the unofficial leader of this union. He brought out a parchmt and dropped it on the table as he said, "Since everyone is here, shall the meeting begin?"

    At the table were Reyes, who had Cormach and Hex standing beside him with serious expressions, their gazes constantly darting through the room as if they were expecting something to happ. Th there was Brolly, who also had two studts behind him, the leader of the Silvermist Guild, the leader of the scavgers, and a few more individuals.

    However, out of everyone, the one who stood out the most was the cloaked figure. The reason was that they were the only one alone at the table; the others noticed that she seemed very calm.

    Th, they noticed something else: the Vermilion Kingdom Academy was abst.

    ''Did they bail out already? Among everyone, they were the least promising lot, after all,'' Captain Bofan mused.

    As he dropped his letter onto the table, the others followed, cing theirs down one by one. The captain nodded. "As expected, I wasn''t the only one who received this letter."

    A brief look of disappointmt shed across his face. He had thought the letter was exclusive to him. In fact, everyone at the table had shared that thought¡ªuntil now. Over 0 individuals had received the same message.

    Each person briefly reviewed the letters to confirm they were idtical.

    Reyes looked up at Captain Bofan and asked in a very skeptical voice, "Do you think this is real?"

    "That''s why we''re here¡­ doofus," the leader of the Silvermist sneered, a satisfied look on her face as she added, "But I think it''s legit."

    Reyes ignored herpletely.

    "Well, we won''t know for sure until we check it out," Brolly chimed in, fiddling with his parchmt. If not for the Elemtal Beast''s destructive power, he might have gone to the location on the map by himself.

    He had a habit of charging into fights without thinking¡ªreflection came after the deed was done. However, after losing some studts, he had be forced to change his methods. It wasn''t easy, and he was already feeling the strain, with migraines forming.

    "I think the most important question should be: who st the crows, and how did they know all of us are participating in the hunt?" The cloaked person voiced their opinion. Their voice was sweet, yet itcked emotion.

    From the few words she had spok, the others could tell she was a woman. The room grew silt as everyone focused on her. Captain Bofan''s expression turned thoughtful, and he nodded in agreemt.

    "She''s right," he stated. Subconsciously, he addressed her as a woman because of her voice. Th, with a puzzled, lost look, he added, "But I can''t think of anyone who could be responsible."

    Who could control that many crows? The leaders all pondered this, but no one coulde up with a name. Just th, Captain Bofan''s eyes lit up as he thought of a possibility. He leaned toward Reyes and asked, "Could this be the work of that kid who can control beasts?"

    There was a hint of hope in his voice. Perhaps the kid with unusual powers of controlling beasts had found the hideout and st a message to everyone.

    "It could be," the leader of the scavgers said, his eyes sparkling. "If he could control the panda and cat, controlling a couple of crows shouldn''t be that hard, right?"

    "The slim guy is right."

    Everyone stared at Reyes with expectant gleams in their eyes, some ev ying with their fingers as they anxiously awaited his response. It was just a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity for them. The only thing they could hear was the distant voices of citizs gossiping among themselves.

    Reyes, who had be carefully studying the parchmt with furrowed brows, didn''t answer them yet, as his mind was currtly upied by something else. While everyone was thinking about the sder of the parchmt, his mind had drifted to the store where the owner had died, and they''d found the Lich Court signature symbol.

    Could it be that the same person was responsible for this letter as well? No matter how hard he thought about it, he felt as if they were pawns in some game orchestrated by an intelligt being.

    Just wh they concluded that the blue beacon was a false signal, they actually spotted the Elemtal Beast; it felt as if someone was purposely messing with them. Reyes suspected that the same person, whoever they were, was also responsible.

    Ssing the others'' growing impatice, Reyes sighed audibly before saying, "No, the kid has no idea about this. But I think it''s someone else."

    "Who?" Everyone''s eyes sparkled with curiosity as they leaned forward.

    Reyes wt on to exin everything about his counter in the store. Everyone listed inttly, and as he spoke, he paused for a momt, gripping the parchmt tightly. The room was silt, the leaders watching him closely, waiting for his next move. He reached into his coat and pulled out the Lich Court symbol.

    As soon as the symbol was dropped, everyone''s faces turned grave immediately. Because they were so focused on the symbol, they failed to notice that the cloaked person''s chair scraped the g and shifted ufortably.

    ---

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 Chapter 133: Level Up

    Astralux closed her eyes for a while, turning into a beautiful baby blue color that indicated she was extremely shy. It had be a few minutes since Nox asked his new pet to introduce herself to her brothers, yet the elemtal beast had yet to speak any words.

    "Come on, stop being shy." Nox disyed a warm smile that was like the sunset during spring as he tried to coax Astralux. Still, there was no answer from her. He tertained the thought that she hadn''t learned how to speak very well, hce her silce.

    Th his eyes shed as he thought about something he had read in his father''s *Guide to Beast Taming* book. "Well, not all beasts could speak like Fluffington and Thirte. Some of them could only make sounds, while some would only be able to make gestures. Perhaps Astralux falls under one of these categories."

    Just wh Nox was thinking of cing all his beasts inside and starting to look for beasts to use his *Analyze* and *Beast Sse* skills to upgrade them, Astralux evtually snapped her eyes op. She blinked her big red eyes a couple of times. She had returned to her natural color--a warm shade of yellow.

    Th she oped her mouth and spoke, pointing one of her ttacles just as Thirte had done. "Asta!" she managed to say, her voice as sweet and pleasant to list to as the singing of birds on a spring day.

    Nox suspected she''d be a very good singer if she was on Earth... He seriously doubted if ev the bards whose sses were rted to singing had voices as pleasant as Astralux.

    "So she can talk. Hmmm, it won''t take long before she feels free a us," Nox reasoned.

    "Asta, lovely name," he praised as he gtly caressed the beast''s bubbly head. Asta''s eyes shone in delight as she joyed her master''s pat, and she turned a soft shade of pink.

    Watching his sister, a powerful urge to protect her welled in Thirte''s heart. Asta, in her small form, hovered to the panda and cat''s height and started circling a the two as if she was etching each of their details in her mind. Th she stretched out her ttacles and pulled Thirte and Fluffington for a hug.

    Nox watched this wholesome sce with a smile on his face... but there were much more important things at hand, and he couldn''t continue to waste more time, though he didn''t consider gaining a rare elemtal beast a waste of time.

    "Alright, time to do what I came for." Nox called Astralux over and asked in a polite voice, "Asta, could you return to yourbat form?"

    The elemtal beast nodded vigorously, and a delightful expression crossed her face. She was more than happy to take on herbat form at her master/father''s request. Gradually, the beautiful beast, who was the same size as a ser ball a few seconds ago, grew in size.

    Nox watched in amazemt as the beast grew before his very eyes. "How convit," he couldn''t help but exim in delight. He could sneak this elemtal beast into emy camps and have herrge, causing damage.

    In the blink of an eye, Astralux took on her original size of over two meters. Though she wasn''t gigantic, she was equallyrge in her own right and looked much more fearsome now, but was equally cute as well.

    "Good." Nox nodded his head in approval as he telepathically told the elemtal beast to lower herself so he could mount her head. Asta was more than happy as she flew over, and Nox carefully sat down on her head. It wasn''t thatfortable, but it was good for the meantime, pding wh he got his hands on a dragon.

    "I wonder if an elemtal dragon exists," Nox thought as he waved his hands. To their dismay, Thirte and Fluffington appeared back in the beast taming space. Their master was eager to improve because of how busy he had be.

    "Alright, let''s go!" Nox gtly patted Asta''s head. The elemtal beast, thanks to its levitation ability, slowly flew up. The wind tousled Nox''s hair and reminded him a lot of the time he had mounted Doombringer for the first time in the Barony.

    The reason he decided to mount the beast was that he wanted a good vantage point to see this dimsion better. This way, he could spot beasts more easily and use his *Analyze* and *Beast Sse* skills.

    "Let''s head in that direction." Nox pointed at the forest, and Asta flew towards it. Nox held tightly to Asta''s slightly slimy head because she was moving fast, though she wasn''t as fast as Doombringer.

    As they continued their flight, Nox noticed that the elemtal beast couldn''t surpass a certain altitude in the sky. She was just flying slightly above the trees... Nox shrugged this thought off as he caught sight of his first beast.

    To his dismay, it wasn''t another elemtal beast but just the same old boring magical beasts. He quickly used his skills and passed over.

    For the next few hours, Nox continued to use his *Analyze* and *Beast Sse* skills. He didn''t gage with the beasts and simply continued to fly a the ind. Wh he got hungry, he took out the food that his mother had meticulously prepared for him and devoured it with a smile. He also gave some to Astralux and Fluffington. Thirte still had ough bamboo reserves, so he was good.

    As he ate the food, Nox couldn''t help but picture his mother''s face. "I guess she was right, this journey could indeed take more time than I originally thought, and I''m missing home more and more." There was wistfulness in his eyes, but he had to constantly remind himself that everything he was going through now was for the greater good.

    Two dayster...

    [Ding!]

    [*Analyze* has leveled up.]

    [*Beast Sse* has leveled up.]

    [You can now view the information of higher-level beasts.]

    "Phew, finally!" Nox breathed a sigh of relief. He was currtly taking a bath on the beach, butt naked. He had scanned the tire ind and was confidt that there was no one a, hce his recklessness.

    Swimming in the water were Asta and Thirte. Fluffington stood a good distance away. He didn''t like the color of the water, and he didn''t like big bodies of water that could easily swallow him, such as this.

    After seeing the message, Nox stepped out of the beach, water rolling off his well-toned body, which had be forged through fire because of the non-stop training in the past years and the use of *Shadow Oblivion*, which seemed to mold his physique.

    He magically put on fresh clothing from his invtory and took onest look at the ind. There were more craters as he had killed a few more sharks that had targeted Asta in the past few days.

    "Alright, guys, I promise to develop the taming space wh we''re done with this whole hunt, but for now, please manage." Nox said, and Fluffington and Thirte tered the taming space. Asta looked at him with hesitant eyes, as if he''d run away. He had to spd  minutes convincing the elemtal beast to ter the blue portal as the familiar door that led to the real world oped up to him.

    "Hope this level up will be ough for me to see the weaknesses and strgths of that elemtal beast," Nox thought as he passed through the door.

    A few minutes after Nox left and the dimsional door faded away, a massive armored ship, over a thousand feet long, emerged from the horizon. Its ck steel hull glinted in the fading light, with jagged spires and finials piercing the sky. The ship''s surface was etched with pulsing gre lines, giving off a calm glow.

    As the ship approached the small ind, the sound of the gine grew louder. Inside the control room, a middle-aged man with silver hair and blue eyes squinted, taking in the deep craters on the shore of the ind. There was something strange about this man. Unlike humans, his skin was wless, and he looked extremely handsome.

    However, what stood out most about him were his two pointy ears and the bow and quiver that were firmly strapped behind his back.

    "Is the holy maid of the world tree hunting again?" The elv man muttered to himself. However, his expression morphed into a frown as he added, "No, the holy maid is usually careful, especially since this is the personal rift of the emperor... Could it be someone else?"

 Chapter 134: Final Clash [1]

    On the parchmt was a symbol that involuntarily caused everyone in the room to shiver. As soon as Reyes dropped it, the temperature plummeted ev further, turning the room freezing cold. The silce was suffocating as everyone''s gaze lingered on the ominous symbol, one that belonged to one of the most powerful factions in the human domain.

    The symbol itself was dark and twisted, jagged lines forming curves that seemed to writhe on the paper. At its cter was a single eye with a ck pupil that absorbed the light a it. Below the eye, in elegant script, were the letters **Lich Court¡ªLC**.

    Captain Bofan''s gaze lingered longest on the symbol. His eyes shed with realization before he turned toward Reyes.

    "A part of me always knew you people wouldn''t kill a store owner for no reason," he stated tly. "So it was their doing."

    ''What do you take us for? Psychopaths?'' Reyes wanted to say, but instead he kept quiet, siltly observing the captain, who now had a thoughtful look on his face.

    Captain Bofan clched his fists as old memories he had tried to bury began to resurface. As a military man, he had dealt with his fair share of threats from monster-ss individuals. However,  were as chilling as the Lich Court, a group of the most powerful necromancers.

    With their legions of undead, they could reduce tire cities to ruins. Bofan had fought them several times, losing a significant portion of his squad each time. Hearing their involvemt soured his mood considerably.

    He th turned to face the others, his expression grim. "We''ll go to this location... but we''ll need a foolproof n. This could be a trap."

    Fixing his gaze on Reyes, the blue-haired guild master of the Mavericks, Bofan added, "Reyes, do you have a n? Your guild may only be Bronze-ranked, but you''re in the top t of Valerian Kingdom, known for your strategy. I trust you''ve got something in mind?"

    Reyes wasn''t sure if that was aplimt or a thinly veiled reminder to get  the elemtal crystal at all cost¨C¨C the key to his guild''s Silver-rank quest. Either way, he responded.

    "Yes, I''ve got a n." His gaze swept across the room before he added, "But I''ll need everyone''s help, especially from Silvermist Guild and the desong Academy studts."

    "We''ll cooperate!" Brolly lounged back, a loud thud echoing as his massive legs, twice the size of Nox''s, hit the table. Impulsivess ran in his blood, and while it had solved many problems in the past, this one required strategy.

    Critical thinking wasn''t Brolly''s strong suit, so he decided to let the others handle it. Of course, he had his own ns¡ªns to snatch the elemtal crystal wh the time came.

    "We''ll agree," the Silvermist Guild leader said coolly, adjusting her sses and flicking her long, flowing ck hair as she locked eyes with Reyes. They stared at each other for a momt before she sneered and turned away.

    "Annoying... always annoying," she muttered under her breath.

    Like the Mavericks, Silvermist was also a Bronze-ranked guild in Valerian Kingdom. The two were fierce rivals, both vying for the coveted Silver-rank.

    "Now that the troublesome ones are settled, let''s go through the n." Reyes nodded toward Brolly and the Silvermist leader, both of whom shot him res in response.

    Ignoring them, Reyes stood up and began pacing as heid out his strategy. The exnationsted a solid thirty minutes, during which everyone listed inttly. The n required absolute cooperation¡ªone mistake, and the whole operation could crumble.

    The Silvermist leader stared at Reyes with aplicated expression. For a brief momt, a glint of admiration shed in her eyes. Despite their differces, she had to admit Reyes was a capable strategist. She would never say that out loud, though.

    "Alright, th," Reyes said, mming the desk. Everyone stood up. "Remember, we take out the elemtal beast first, and afterward, we can kill each other for the crystal. Understood?"

    Everyone nodded. Reyes spoke of killing each other so casually, it sounded like any other topic of conversation.

    With the n in ce, the various leaders returned to their groups to prepare. They aimed to reach the location specified in the letter as soon as possible.

    Of course,  of them knew that another group had received the letter a day earlier, giving them a significant advantage.

    ---

    Meanwhile, back at the abandoned ship, the gold door oped in the middle of the shabby room. Nox stepped out, instantly feeling the stuffy air again. Compared to the fresh air of the other dimsion, filled with ocean breeze and trees, Coastal City''s atmosphere felt stifling.

    If only he could idtally return to that dimsion. He would spd more time there with his pets, but that wasn''t an option. Sometimes, Nox wondered if he would ever have that luxury.

    Sighing, he waited for the door to disappear before leaving. Nox shivered slightly as he recalled the time a powerful demon had passed through the door. Though he had be half-conscious at the time, he had ssed that this demon was far stronger than Goliath, the second-ranked demon.

    "Luckily, Mom was there to stop him in time." Nox smiled as the door finally faded away. He ced the dimsional key back into his invtory. Th, his fingers tinkered with the old rusty lock on the door, oping it.

    "Hmm." His eyes immediately fell on something: a piece of  parchmt lying on the g.

    ----

    AN: Thank you for Supporting Supreme BeastTamer with gold Tickets and power Stones I really appriaciate! It''s just the 8th and we''re in the top00 of GT ranking, I hope we can keep this up.

    **Mission Board:**

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 Chapter 135: Final Clash [2]

    Inside the Froz Cavern, Brandon and R stared at the Elemtal Crystals with wide eyes, struggling to believe what they were seeing.

    "It can''t be... is this some trap?" was the first thought that came to Brandon''s mind as he scanned the vast froz cavern. His gaze swept over the bountiful treasures scattered a, searching for some sort of booby trap. Yet, no matter how hard he looked, his eyes couldn''t spot anything.

    "Come on, let''s take the crystal and leave already!" R shouted, his tire body trembling with excitemt. With two elemtal crystals like these, there''d be no need to hunt the elemtal beast again. He could ev be promoted to the special ss, where all the academy''s giuses were.

    R''s eyes sparkled as he imagined the academy''s reaction wh he handed over not one, but two crystals. The glory, the des¡ªhis mind raced with thoughts of the recognition he''d receive. In his daydream, he failed to notice the anxious expression on Brandon''s face.

    Brandon squinted, his eyes fixed on the ticing crystals beckoning him. Like R, he knew the immse value and importance of these crystals. Elemtal beasts were far more powerful and rare than the magical beasts that roamed Eos and the dimsional rifts. Their crystals were vital for crafting destructive items.

    Two crystals would undoubtedly elevate the influce of the Vermilion Royal Academy, possibly breaking the natural power equilibrium and surpassing ev the noble households in the kingdom.

    Considering all of this, one might wonder why Brandon hesitated to snatch the crystals. The reason was simple.

    "This... is too easy!" Brandon''s thoughts churned as he nced behind him, half expecting the elemtal beast to be lurking. But there was nothing.

    ''Am I overthinking?'' Brandon wondered, giving a sidelong nce to R, who was practically salivating as he stared at the crystals, his eyes gleaming with glee. R stretched his hand out, ready to snatch the crystals.

    As a special ss studt, Brandon had be on his fair share of missions. From those missions, he learned one crucial thing: nothing was ever this easy¡ªunless you had invisible luck 0 times over.

    Whever things seemed too simple, either someone got horribly injured or killed. It was the reason Brandon was always cautious, never reacting with greed like the pampered scions of noble households.

    "Wait!" Brandon shouted, pping R''s hand just inches away from the elemtal crystal. He applied ough force to make R wince in pain, earning an extremely irritated re.

    "What was that for?" R yelled, his voice higher than usual. Under any other circumstances, he wouldn''t dare speak to a special ss studt like that. But the crystal was right there, wasn''t it their job to take it and leave this inhospitable ce? Why was Brandon stopping him?

    "Can''t you see it?" Brandon said in a calm voice. Though he could easily crush R if he wanted to, Branson wasn''t someone who lost hisposure over petty matters like R''s antics.

    "See what?" R snapped, still visibly annoyed but restraining his anger. He wanted to grab the crystal again and stow it away in his invtory, iming all the glory for himself. But something made him pause and list to Brandon.

    ''He must have a reason,'' R thought as Brandon began to exin.

    "I''ve be on many missions, and  of them are this easy¡ªespecially not an A-ranked mission like this," Brandon said, his eyes scanning the cavern again. His gaze lingered on the crystals, th moved to the shadows. "Something feels off. Think about it. Why would the sder leave such valuable crystals behind for us? What good did we do to deserve this?"

    R''s eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he listed. "Pathetic!" R sneered, his eyes fixed on the crystals. "You''re telling me we finally found the crystals, and you''re still hesitating? Ar''t special ss studts supposed to take risks? Why are you so differt..."

    Th, in a low voice, he added, "Or is it because your father is just a mere viscount?"

    Though R spoke quietly, Brandon heard him clearly. His calm expression faltered for a momt, and he took a step back. He didn''t say anything, but R knew that was all the permission he needed.

    "Thank you," R said with a grin, stretching his hand out to snatch the crystals. Time seemed to slow as Brandon watched with a careful gaze. Whatever happed next wouldn''t be his problem; R had chos recklessness, so let him face the consequces.

    As R''s hand drew closer to the beautiful crystals, gleaming with an irresistible allure, neither of them noticed the faint flickering shadow on the froz walls. Ev Brandon, cautious as he was, remained oblivious. All he felt was the temperature in the cavern dropping, the air growing colder.

    Th, Brandon saw it¡ªa massive shadow shifting along the wall. Ev though it was dark, he could make out the terrifying pale blue eyes staring at them. He had promised himself to sit back and watch this y out, but the oppressive aura bearing down on him made him reconsider.

    "R, wait!" Brandon''s voice rang with urgcy. "Don''t touch that!"

    But it was toote. R''s hand made contact with the crystal, and a glittering ice formation lit up. The sound of shifting ice echoed through the cavern...

    ---

    Meanwhile, the various factions had arrived in the Iceborn Forest, where the cave was located. Their faces were deadly serious. If the rumors were true, this would be their final counter with the elemtal beast, and they had to kill it this time.

    As they collectively thought about the mission, a powerful aura burst forth. They were not the only group in the forest¡ªothers had arrived as well, drawn by the news of the elemtal beast''s appearance.

    Among them was Professor Orion, a middle-aged man who nced at the parchmt in his hand and nodded to himself. ''I''m at the right ce.''

    Elsewhere, a red-skinned girl stood with her squad, calmly cleaning her wrapped sword before sheathed it behind her back. She headed deeper into the forest.

    Reyes nced at the members of their temporary alliance, and they all nodded, following him deeper into the forest.

    Hearts pounded like a drumroll, and the air became electric. Ev the froz trees seemed to dance as gusts of wind swept through the forest. Something monumtal was about to happ... ev the forest knew.

    Amidst themotion, a snake slithered through the underbrush to a deserted spot. ck mist erupted a the serpt, shifting it into the form of a humanoid figure. They watched the hundred-plus individuals rushing into the forest.

    d in a ck cloak, they smiled to themselves, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. "The time of reckoning approaches," they whispered. "Let them sh, and the strongest shall im the prize."

    ----

    **Mission Board:**

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    - 00 Win-Win Unlocks for  Chapters (Every chapter priv readers unlock counts towards this goal)

 Chapter 136: Final Clash [3]

    *Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!*

    Several figures arrived at the mouth of a massive frozen cavern. Earlier, Reyes had instructed the Silvermist Guild to scout the entire terrain to ensure there were no traps or members of the Lich Court lurking about. So far, they had found nothing suspicious.

    They had suspected a trap might be hidden, so they purposely halted and observed the other individuals who were not part of their faction. As these people blindly ran towards the location, Reyes expected some hidden traps or worse, instant death traps, to activate.

    However, nothing of the sort urred.

    Reyes furrowed his brows, pondering to himself with a thoughtful expression. "If it''s not outsiders, then it should be inside the frozen cave," Reyes noted, giving a sidelong nce towards Jack, who was breathing heavily, fog forming in the cold air.

    Oblivious to the look, Jack gripped his odachi tightly as he scanned the forest, observing all the people pouring into it from every direction. The sound of marching footsteps and shouting echoed, and asional shes urred at the forefront.

    These people probably knew how vital Elemental Crystals were and hade to im them for themselves.

    But unlike the alliance, they didn''t have any grand goals for the crystals... their main aim was to auction them off and make money that wouldst them for decades.

    "If it were merely for money, I wouldn''t be here," Jack sneered in his mind as he thought about the people waiting at home for him to bring back the Elemental Crystal. His family was wealthy; money was the least of his problems, and the Elemental Beast was also not his concern.

    ''Apparently, it''s very important to that man.''

    ''And by a stroke of luck, today happened to be thest day.''

    A few days ago, Jack had received a call from his father, who gave him exactly seven days to retrieve the Elemental Crystal. If he failed, he would be disowned. In Jack''s bizarre family, being disowned had a much darker meaning. The thought alone made his stomach churn.

    "We''re all pawns for that man,'' Jack gripped his odachi, a determined glint shing across his eyes. The cross beneath his eyes lit up with a dim white light that was extremely difficult for anyone to spot unless they paid meticulous attention to him. ''And who knows what he''ll do to Mother... no matter what, I must get that crystal.''

    He looked at everyone and added in a cold voice, ''Even if I have to let the wicked one take control...''

    Thest time, Jack hadn''t fought the Elemental Beast alongside the others¡ªhe had only observed. From that, he could tell that most of the people here would only get themselves killed. That was why Reyes was also watching them, rather than stopping them.

    They were nothing more than cannon fodder.

    "I just hope they weaken it considerably," Reyes muttered in a low voice that everyone around him could hear. However, he soon shook his head. "They won''t be enough."

    The beast was far too powerful. It had frozen professional Awakened who had graduated from academies¡ªwhat chance did these rogue Awakened, who probably didn''t even have licenses from the Adventurers'' Guild, stand?

    "So what should we do?" Captain Bofan inquired, staring at Reyes, the brains behind this operation.

    "We wait for them to enter the cavern first. If nothing happens, then we wait for the Elemental Beast to deal with them, and then we join the fight," Reyes stated tly, his voice devoid of emotion.

    Captain Bofan nced around anxiously, ying with his fingers. He seemed to want to say something but was holding back, and everyone noticed this. Sensing their collective gaze, Bofan exhaled deeply, mist escaping his mouth as he pointed at the people.

    "Those people... they''re all my citizens. Could we at least include them in the n? I know we''ve prepared, but I''d like to avoid as many deaths as possible," the sheriff in Bofan¡ªthe man who had sworn to protect Coastal City¡ªcouldn''t help but speak up.

    Reyes massaged his temple upon hearing this. Knowing Bofan''s personality, he had expected something like this to happen and had already thought of what to say.

    "Captain, I hope you understand that it would be nearly impossible to control these people." Reyes spoke calmly. "Look at their faces¡ªthey''re blinded by greed. They haven''t faced the Elemental Beast before, so they''re hot-blooded. Do you think they''d listen to us?"

    Reyes paused, and Captain Bofan looked around. As he observed the faces of people rushing into the forest, he could see greed shining in their eyes, practically reflecting gold coins. He realized that Reyes was indeed right.

    "Wait, let me try first," Captain Bofan insisted.

    "Sure," Reyes simply responded, taking a step back. If Bofan could convince them to join, it would be beneficial as they would have more help, but he seriously doubted it would be possible.

    Nodding, Bofan took to the air and flew to a higher altitude. Everyone saw him flying in the sky, but he was ignored as if he were the wind. Reyes pursed his lips into a tight frown as he shouted at the top of his voice.

    "Listen up, everyone!" Captain Bofan''s voice boomed through the air. "I know you''re all here for the Elemental Crystal, but I implore you, do not rush in blindly! The Elemental Beast is very powerful! You''ll all get hurt!"

    Just as Reyes had anticipated, Captain Bofan''s words were met with scorn and ridicule from the crowd.

    "Mind your own business, Sheriff!" someone jeered.

    "Yeah, we don''t need your help!" another person chimed in.

    Ignoring Captain Bofan, the crowd continued to surge forward, their eyes sparkling with greed and desire for the crystal.

    Reyes shook his head, his expression grim. "I told you, Captain. They won''t listen."

    Captain Bofan flew back down, aplicated expression on his face. "I''ve done my part. If anything happens to them, then it''s their fault..."

    ROOOOAR!

    Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the surroundings, and an overwhelming chilling aura poured from the mouth of the cavern. The fierce energy washed over the crowd, causing those rushing toward the cave to tremble like leaves in the wind. Several of them, frozen in fear, formed wet patches on their pants.

    Reyes'' eyes shed sharply as he recognized the aura. "The beast... it''s truly here."

 Chapter 137: Final Clash [4]

    **Whoosh** **Whoosh**

    As the powerful aura surged out of the frozen cave like a tsunami, everyone found themselves trembling uncontrobly, their bodies reacting as if they were fish floundering onnd.

    "I-I can''t move," one manined under his breath, his eyes wide in horror as he tried to move his limbs, which had be immobile at this crucial moment. He stiffly turned his neck around and noticed that he wasn''t the only one struck with fear... all the others were in the same state.

    "W-why! Why can''t we move!"

    "Do something, Sheriff!"

    "T-this pressure... it''s forcing me to my knees!"

    "I don''t want to die!"

    Captain Bofan stared at the people, cold glints shing across his eyes. Despite their pleas for him to act, Bofan looked away, his attention fixed on the mouth of the cavern where he believed the powerful Elemental beast was.

    He had warned these people about the dangers of the Elemental Beast, and instead of heeding his advice, they had hurled insults at him. Offended, he didn''t spare them a second nce. What they were experiencing now was a result of their own greed and foolishness.

    Unlike the panicked crowd, the members of the temporary alliance were mostly unaffected. Having already faced the elemental beast''s aura before, their reactions were far more restrained. The only issue was the drastic drop in temperature, which made their breath turn into mist.

    "Should we head in?" Brolly asked, his eyes alight with fierce determination. "Judging from the direction of the aura, the beast is definitely inside the cavern."

    Reyes shook his head as he watched some brave or reckless individuals slowly advancing despite the chilling aura. He nced at Brolly and responded quietly, "Not yet. Let''s see how far they''ll go. In fact, if possible, I want them to draw the beast out. Our n requires us to be in an open space without hindrance. Fighting inside that cave would only hinder us."

    Nods of agreement circted amongst the group. They stood back, their attention suddenly caught by a middle-aged man leading those who had mustered enough willpower to advance. Unlike the others sweating profusely in the cold, he seemed unaffected.

    Captain Bofan narrowed his eyes at the man, who didn''t appear to be an Awakened at all. He wore sses and had a receding hairline. Dressed entirely in ck, he looked more like someone who should be working in education.

    "Who is he?" Captain Bofan whispered, and one of his subordinates who was familiar with the middle-aged man, rushed over and briefed him.

    "So his name is Orion?" Bofan wondered, his expression thoughtful. He knew most of the powerful Awakened in Coastal City, but this was the first time he had heard of this person.

    ---

    Professor Orion felt the strain in his muscles as he drew closer. The cold intensified, and the chilling aura pressed down on him like a mountain. But he pressed on, his eyes shining with determination.

    Unlike the others driven by mary gain, Orion sought the beast for a different reason: he wanted to confirm if the historical ounts were true. He wanted to see if there truly was a powerful beast capable of turning an entire city into a frozenndscape.

    This was a dangerous endeavor that could get him killed, but it wasn''t his first time taking such risks. As an archaeologist, he always felt a strong urge to explore ancient ruins and touch history. As an Awakened with power, he was confident he could emerge unscathed.

    Soon enough, he stepped into the cavern where the aura was strongest. His expression gradually changed as difort set in, but as he pushed deeper into the cavern, he couldn''t bear it any longer. Sweat rolled off his body, and his knees buckled as he copsed to the ground.

    Fortunately, he had reached arge opening. Orion''s eyes lit up immediately when he saw numerous beast cores scattered carelessly around the room.

    Orion didn''t consider himself materialistic, but seeing these treasures pulled the strings of greed in his heart. However, he soon noticed he wasn''t alone. Ahead, Orion spotted two youths in a prison-like structure made entirely of ice.

    "Hey, you! Help us get out of here!" Ren called out to Orion, his voice barely above a whisper. It carried a mix ofmand and fear, as if he feared being overheard.

    Not noticing the looming shadow behind him, Orion didn''t bother replying; his focus was elsewhere.

    Just inches away from the ice prisony two beautiful Elemental Crystals, faintly illuminating the dark cavern.

    Given his knowledge, Orion needed only a nce to confirm they were Elemental Crystals.

    Orion quickly deduced that the reason these two were trapped was likely their attempt to take the crystals. ''They probably tried to take the crystals,'' he noted, shaking his head in disappointment. Because of his vast experience, Orion knew that If treasure was easily visible, there would always be hidden mechanisms activated upon attempted theft¡ªa lesson he had learned the hard way.

    "Hey, get us out of here before it returns!" Ren shouted, his voice louder. Ignoring them, Orion hesitated; he didn''t know these people and wouldn''t risk getting trapped by ying hero.

    His intention was to grab the crystals and escape. He would have to abandon the beast cores, as they might also be trapped, but the Elemental Crystals were within reach.

    Since the trap had already been triggered, Orion was certain there wouldn''t be another. The crystals were now his!

    ***

    AN Thanks to all those who supports Supreme BeastTamer with Holden Tickets, Power Stones and Gifts; Bonuse Chapters for the 50 golden ticket goal would being in few hours

    **Mission Board:**

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 Chapter 138: Destructive Huricane [Bonus Chapter

    After Orion had entered the mouth of the cave, two more people followed. Reyes and the others had expected loud, bestial roars from the Elemental Beast or the cries of humans, but it was eerily quiet. So quiet that Reyes began to doubt if there was actually a beast inside, or if this was all a ploy by the Lich Court.

    Reyes squinted his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening at the entrance of the cavern, but he failed to notice anything unusual. He then turned toward Captain Bofan and said respectfully, "Captain, can you check the outer perimeter of the cave and report back to me?"

    The reason he specifically asked Captain Bofan was because thetter had the ability to fly and could escape if the Elemental Beast ever appeared.

    Captain Bofan understood this and gave a simple nod. He slowly ascended into the air, flying in the direction of the frozen cavern where the pressure was at its peak. His expression was cold as he ignored the pleading of the people below.

    It was now that they realized their mistakes; the majority of them had horrified expressions and no longer wanted to participate in the hunt, but it was toote. Even if Captain Bofan wanted to help them, he couldn''t, as he did not possess a skill that could disrupt the beast''s pressure and allow them to move their limbs once more.

    "Everything that is happening to them is their fault... If they survive this, maybe they''ll finally learn their lesson," Bofan muttered under his breath as he picked up pace, much to the dismay of the people below.

    Covering a distance of one hundred and fifty meters, Captain Bofan advanced through the air like a rocket, creating a wind current behind him.

    However, when he reached a distance of one hundred meters, very close to the mouth of the frozen cavern, he suddenly noticed that the pressure had intensified, and he was actually being pushed back.

    Captain Bofan''s brows knitted in confusion. Previously, the pressure wasn''t this strong, so what had changed? A pain-filled shout soon caught his attention, and he nced down.

    Below, one of the brave Awakened who was only a few meters away from the cave''s entrance was shaking uncontrobly. He was drenched from head to toe as if someone had emptied a bucket of water on him. His mouth opened and closed, but no words seemed toe out.

    Bofan didn''t know it, but the Awakened was facing the same increased pressure. However, since he was much weaker, his bones were slowly turning to dust. He tried to cry out in pain, but even his vocal cords had been shattered by the furious aura.

    Then, before Bofan''s eyes, that Awakened exploded into a mist of blood.

    Several more people followed, exploding into blood mist as well.

    Panic ensued!

    While witnessing this horrific sight, Captain Bofan saw two pale, shimmering blue eyes ring at him from the depths of the cave. The blue eyes suddenly blinked, and a gust of chilling bluish wind coalesced in front of the cave, quickly transforming into two hurricanes.

    Recognizing that this was probably the Elemental Beast''s skill, Captain Bofan''s stoic expression faltered.

    Before his eyes, the two hurricanes were slowly forming into a single, massive hurricane brimming with power¡ªit was an ultimate rank attack!

    ''The hurricane is an ultimate attack!'' Cold shivers ran down Captain Bofan''s spine as he hurriedly turned around. Ultimate Skills were coveted for one reason: they could tip the scale of any battle. They could shatter the natural equilibrium!

    "Dammit, has this beast been secretly nning this attack from the start and deliberately waited for someone powerful to approach?" Captain Bofan cursed under his breath as he swiftly flew in the opposite direction of the powerful ice hurricane.

    Below, the others wanted to escape from the hurricane, but since they couldn''t move their limbs, they were effortlessly devoured and turned into blood mist. The blood mist merged with the bluish-colored hurricane, giving it a slight reddish tinge.

    But this change in color wasn''t just for show.

    The hurricane''s speed seemed to double tenfold and was now closing in on Captain Bofan. He tried to fly upward, but the hurricane seemed to stretch upward as if it were a missile locked onto its target. Bofan couldn''t fly past a certain altitude in the air¡ªif he did, the natural mana in Eos'' atmosphere would suffocate him to death.

    "Dammit!"

    Even those who seemed to be the strongest in the alliance couldn''t avoid being fatally injured or killed by an ultimate skill, let alone Captain Bofan, who was only Level 50.

    Noticing the powerful skill, everyone''s faces immediately turned pale, like sheets of paper. The destructive aura was consuming everything in its path. All the frozen trees were swept up. Reyes knew it was only a matter of time before the hurricane devoured them as well.

    ''I have to do something.'' Reyes thought, his gaze fixed on the approaching hurricane. Like a hungry beast, the hurricane had devoured half of the Awakened, and it seemed to be relentlessly chasing Bofan, who was gliding through the air with a determined expression on his face.

    The wind mmed against his face; Bofan felt himself being sucked into the hurricane, but he fought against the strong current.

    ''Dammit, I wasn''t nning to use this skill now!'' Bofan cursed in his mind as he briefly reviewed one of his trump cards.

    [Galeforce Dash (intermediate rank): Unleash a burst of wind to propel yourself forward, increasing speed by 30% for 5 seconds, leaving a trail of whirlwinds as you sprint like a tempest! Cooldown: 1 hour]

    Every skill with a one-hour cooldown or high mana cost was the lifeblood of the Awakened. They didn''t use it casually because mana points took 24 hours to regenerate, and in the world of Eos, no one knew what might happen next.

    However, at this moment, his life was on the line, so he activated the skill.

    As soon as Galeforce Dash was activated, Bofan''s body was suddenly enveloped in a swirling aura of wind, with tiny tornadoes forming around his feet. Then, the air distorted and rippled as he burst forward with incredible speed.

    Bofan''s hair and clothes streamed behind him, and his footsteps left behind small whirlwinds that dissipated quickly.

    However, even with the boost in speed, the destructive hurricane was still closing in on Bofan, and he realized the imminent danger to his life.

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer! I really appreciate! Here is the first bonus Chapter for hitting 50 golden tickets!

 Chapter 139: Captain Bofans Death

    "T-this is not part of the n... dammit!" Reyes clenched his fist as he watched Bofan run for his life. How was he supposed to lend a helping hand in this situation? He had even asked the others earlier if there was a way to rescue Bofan from the rampaging hurricane, but their replies weren''t satisfactory.

    "Hurry, speed up!" Reyes became even more anxious. The hurricane was only a few meters away from Captain Bofan, and once it closed within twenty meters, the wind force around the destructive hurricane would be enough to sweep the old man away.

    He shuddered as he thought of Captain Bofan being torn to shreds inside the powerful hurricane, which was a mixture of blue and red!

    ''No matter what, I need him to be alive... he''ll y an important role in killing this elemental beast.'' Reyes'' heart constricted at the hopeless situation. Captain Bofan, a level 50 Awakened, had a crucial part to y in the n.

    He was one of the trump cards! If anything happened to him, there would be a loophole in the n, and it would definitely affect everyone.

    Ten meters!!

    The powerful ice hurricane was like a brutal, rampaging beast as it continued its mad chase after Captain Bofan. Wherever the hurricane passed, the frozen ground was sted into powder that quickly merged with the hurricane, increasing its power tremendously.

    A boundless aura of an ultimate skill burst outward as the hurricane''s speed increased tenfold, bing even more ravenous!

    Five meters!

    Captain Bofan''s heart squeezed when he felt that the powerful hurricane was catching up to him, even with his skill activated. Was he going to die? Of all the scenarios he had in mind, there was never one that involved him being devoured by a monstrous hurricane!

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Captain Bofan''s expression suddenly darkened when he felt the hairs on his neck stand on edge. Instinctively, he glided to the side as a razor-sharp ice projectile, over 1.5 meters long, flew past his ears with incredible speed!

    Looking behind him, Captain Bofan''s eyes constricted as he saw a pair of pale, shimmering blue eyes inside the hurricane staring intently at him. The gaze was petrifying!

    The figure inside the hurricane made a slight movement, and several more ice projectiles shot out like missiles, forcing Bofan to make countless maneuvers and flips in the air as the projectiles bolted past him. He sessfully dodged all the projectiles but momentarily forgot that the hurricane was still in pursuit.

    During his dodging, the hurricane had closed the distance.

    It was now three meters!

    The cold bit into his skin. He could feel the air being pulled from his lungs, the winds tugging at his clothes, trying to drag him into the storm.

    Bofan pushed harder, but it was useless. The wind roared in his ears, deafening. His body felt like it was being crushed by the pressure.

    Standing at a rtively far distance of about 500 meters, Reyes'' expression darkened more and more. His brain started to work at the speed of light as he tried toe up with a way to save Captain Bofan.

    "Dammit, Captain! Move!" One of Bofan''s subordinates shouted in a voice filled with desperation, his face as pale as a sheet of paper. "It''s going to catch up to you!"

    "Hurry up, Captain!"

    "Sir, we have to do something!" one of the soldiers eximed as he looked at Reyes. The soldiers under Captain Bofan couldn''t bear to witness their leader being devoured by the powerful hurricane, so they immediately turned to the only person who could rescue him.

    "Captain Bofan can''t outrun it forever!" Another one spoke, on the verge of tears. "If it were any one of us out there, I''m very sure Captain Bofan would''ve gone out to save us... please, Sir Reyes, do something."

    "We can''t just stand here and watch, sir! We have to try something!"

    Sensing the collective gazes of all the soldiers staring at him with pleading looks, Reyes'' expression darkened, his mind racing with options. "I know, I know... although he is mypetition, I still want him alive... Do you guys think if I could do something, I''d just stand here and watch? The truth is, I don''t even know what to do in this situation."

    "If any of us get even an inch closer to that hurricane, we''ll suffer the same fate as the others." Reyes spoke in a defeated tone, his eyes fixed on the rampaging hurricane. The older man was slowly being sucked into the chaotic wind, and despite his efforts, everyone could tell he couldn''t make it.

    The situation was really hopeless, and Reyes couldn''t help but watch Captain Bofan in pity, knowing it was only a matter of time before the hurricane caught up to him.

    ''As expected, this elemental beast didn''t show all its cards that night.'' Reyes thought through gritted teeth. Then he shuddered, fear crossing his face. ''If it had wanted, it could have killed all of us with this skill that night.''

    "I have an idea!"

    As he was deep in thought, Reyes suddenly heard the familiar irritating voice that belonged to the leader of the Silvermist Guild. But for some reason, after hearing that she might have an idea in this situation, her voice didn''t sound too irritating... in fact, it could be considered quite pleasant.

    Reyes looked at the Silvermist guild leader with a hopeful glint in his eyes as he asked in a serious voice, "What is the idea?"

    The dark-haired woman with an intellectual appearance flicked her hair behind her and pointed at the approaching hurricane. As Reyes followed her gaze, she began to exin her n.

    "We need to create a trench, a deep chasm that will funnel the hurricane''s energy and divert its course," the Silvermist leader exined, her eyes fixed intently on the approaching storm. "If we can create a wide enough trench, we can redirect the hurricane''s path and give Captain Bofan a chance to escape."

    Reyes'' eyes widened as he grasped the n. "That''s it! I can use my earth maniption skills to create a trench... why didn''t I think of this?"

    "Maybe because you aren''t as smart as you think you are?" Even in this tense situation, she didn''t miss the opportunity to give a silent jab at her rival.

    Ignoring her, Reyes thought to himself, ''But I need to create a trench that is deep and wide enough to divert the hurricane''s energy.''

    Reyes walked in front of the alliance and ced his hands on the ground. He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, the veins in his muscles bulged as if they wanted to burst out of his skin.

    Then, under everyone''s hopeful eyes, the frozen ground started to ripple like a wave in water. Big beads of sweat rolled off Reyes as he gritted his teeth. Controlling the entirendscape didn''t only deplete his mana, but it also expended arge portion of his stamina points.

    [50%/100%]

    It had only been a few seconds, but his stamina points were already halved. If Reyes continued a few more seconds, without a doubt, it would hit zero, and he would be forced to rest for an hour or two before his stamina replenished.

    Soon, Reyes'' hard work paid off as the frozen ground started to split in the direction of the hurricane. Captain Bofan, still in the air, noticed what Reyes was trying to do, so he tried to fly out of the way of the chasm. But still, the hurricane pulverized the edge of the chasm and continued its relentless pursuit of Bofan.

    "It''s gaining on me!" the older man shouted amidst the fierce roar of the hurricane. By now, his face had be extremely pale, and he was walking a thin line between life and death.

    "It''s not wide enough!" one soldier shouted with a horrified expression.

    "Make it deeper!"

    ''I''m trying!'' Gritting his teeth, Reyes redoubled his efforts, and the earth shuddered as if an earthquake were about to ur. Even the citizens in the city were beginning to feel the vibration of the ground. While Bofan was flying to the left, the chasm was directed to the right.

    However, it was not going in the direction that Reyes wanted. He expended more mana and stamina, making the chasm over 500 meters deep. However, it still didn''t have any effect on the raging hurricane, which effortlessly shattered the walls of the chasm and charged toward the left.

    ''Dammit, it seems this elemental beast is really hell-bent on devouring me.'' At that moment, his skill Galeforce came to an end. Captain Bofan felt his entire world crumble. It was because of Galeforce that he had evensted this long... now that its duration was over, he was done.

    Simrly, at the same time, Reyes also copsed to the ground, soaked in sweat.

    [Stamina: 0%/100%]

    ''It''s an ultimate skill! Of course my intermediate tier won''t have any effect on it.'' Reyes'' eyes widened as he stared at the sky. Because he had used all his stamina, he was temporarily paralyzed. Though he still had arge reserve of mana, to use skills, he would need stamina, which hecked right now. In this state, even a level 1 Awakened could easily deal with him.

    ''Dammit, we failed!'' These thoughts echoed in the heads of everyone as they stared at Bofan, who was slowly being pulled into the hurricane.

    "Sigh, we tried our best," the Silvermist guild leader sighed as she looked away.

    Tears pooled in the eyes of the soldiers as they watched their charismatic leader inch closer and closer to the bloodthirsty hurricane.

    Seeing that he couldn''t escape the inevitable, Captain Bofan disyed a smile and did a salute to his soldiers in mid-air. Though he wouldn''t be able to see his kids again, the military man had no regrets... after all, sooner orter, he would die in service. His only regret was not being able to uplift Coastal City''s military to the great heights he had always dreamed of.

    Finally, the destructive hurricane got closer. Chaotic windspletely engulfed Bofan''s figure.

    And he was gone!

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    Or so they thought... until space warped and distorted as a lengthy tentacles burst out of thin air, stretching into the powerful ice hurricane.

    ....

    AN: Shower Me with More Golden Tickets; it would be nice if we can get to 80 golden tickets.

 Chapter 140: Taking Advantage of The Situation

    "Did all of them leave without me?" Nox spoke aloud as he picked up the parchment lying casually just outside his temporary room. Nox picked up the letter, but he didn''t hurriedly open it to read.

    On Earth, there had been more than one case where people were killed through letters such as this... Though he had crossed over to this fantasy world, with all the powerful tunesmiths who could breathe life into anything, it was within the realm of possibility.

    This was even more true because of the current war with the elemental beasts; this letter could be from any of the other factions. You might wonder why they would target Nox? It was pretty simple. He was one of the biggestpetitors likely to get the elemental crystal with the help of his beastpanions.

    Considering all this, Nox walked through the abandoned ship, his steps silent like those of an assassin, a habit he had learned after staying so close to Eve.

    Nox checked all the rooms one after the other, yet he still didn''t find anyone. The ship was so silent that he could hear the creaking of the doors and rodents running around.

    [Hey human, you want a piece of me?]

    [Come catch me if you''re man enough!] One rodent stood on its legs and balled its fists as if it were challenging him. Nox briefly used *Analyze* on the magical beast but frowned in disappointment as he squatted down to the rodent''s level.

    The red-eyed rodent flinched back with a terrified expression. Humans wererge, and one stomp was all it would take to crush it into paste. The rodent didn''t think the human would be petty enough to take offense at its little thought and was ready to run for its dear life.

    However...

    "Little guy...where are the others?"

    Huh? Who said that?! The red-eyed rodent heard a booming voice in its head and jumped up in fright. It looked around with a panicked expression crossing its face. Where did that voicee from? It sounded so divine, like that of a higher being.

    Seeing the beast''s frightened expression, Noxughed in an amused voice. "I''m the one speaking to you, doofus." He was now ustomed to beasts'' reactions whenever he used his ss utility skill¡ªtelepathy¡ªtomunicate with them. Still, he found it quite funny.

    "Y-you...how are you talking to me?" the rodent stuttered uncontrobly. Could it be that the human had heard the degrading words he had just spoken? What sort of strange human was this?

    "I''m just like every other human, but a bit special," Nox exined as he heard the thoughts of the rodent.

    "H-how are you talking to me?"

    "It''s a little trick of mine," Nox responded and looked at the rodent with a serious expression on his face. "Now, seriously, where are the others? Did they really leave without me, and what is this letter?"

    The red-eyed rodent, still visibly shaken but now curious, cautiously pointed a tiny paw down the corridor. "They... they went that way," it squeaked, trying to sound brave despite its obvious fear of the towering human before it.

    "I think it''s about the elemental beast you guys are after?"

    "H-how did you know about the elemental beast?"

    The rodent''s face squeezed up in an annoyed yet cute way. "I live here, remember? I overhear everything you guys discuss." He sounded as if he was stating the obvious, and a look of understanding shed through Nox''s midnight eyes.

    The rodent, now much morefortable with Nox, leaned forward, its red eyes sparkling with mischief as it whispered in a quiet voice, as if it didn''t want anyone to overhear, even though no one was close by.

    Nox thought the rodent was about to tell him important information about the Maverick Guild that he didn''t know about. ?§à??*§ä!?#??-?

    However...

    "Do you want to know what the big man¡ªwhat''s his name again? Cormach?¡ªoh, and that beast¡ªI mean Brenda¡ªdo every night?"

    "I don''t care and don''t wish to know...did they leave this behind for me?" Nox asked as he showed the gossipy rat the parchment, to which it nodded.

    "Thanks, little guy," Nox said with a grin, patting the rodent gently on its head. "You should probablyy off the challenges, though. Some humans might not be as friendly as I am." With that, he opened the letter without hesitation and started to read through it.

    "Hey, this is your brother Jack! So, we found the location of the elemental beast and will be heading there... there''s a map behind this parchment...when you''re done with your self-care¡ªI mean whatever you''re doing¡ªyou cane over!"

    ''They found the elemental beast''s location?'' Nox didn''t jump up in excitement like other times. After witnessing the terrifying power of the elemental beast, there was no way he could be excited.

    Instead of rushing over like the others, Nox decided to spend a bit of time formting a n, a foolproof n that would let him defeat the elemental beast and steal the coveted elemental crystal right under the noses of all the factions.

    Yes, their alliance or whatever they called it didn''t apply to him. He wouldn''t engage in a bloody fight for the crystal unless things escted.

    It took a while, but Nox finally thought of something as he flipped the paper and studied the map. It wasn''t tooplicated, unlike the maps on Earth Nox was used to... Those things were soplicated that he sometimes wondered how people studied them.

    Fortunately, this map was noob-friendly.

    Before he left, though, the red-eyed rodent called out, "Hey, can I join you?"

    "Sure!" Nox didn''t see anything wrong with it. If the rat got itself killed on the battlefield, then it was its fault.

    Activating [Divine Velocity], Nox moved at the speed of light through the streets of Coastal City. His eyes were fixed on the map, but he still expertly dodged all obstacles in his path.

    "Dammit, this is the second time this hateful wind has destroyed my shade this week!"

    "Dammit my roof."

    "Curse you wind!"

    Though he could dodge all obstacles, the wind current was just out of his control.

    Soon enough, he arrived at the indicated spot just in time.

    "Asta," Nox narrowed his eyes as he watched the fierce blue ice hurricane that was devouring everything in its path and called forth his new pet, who appeared with a radiant expression on her beautiful face.

    ----

    Don''t give up on this poor Authur. He needs your support to stay motivated.

 Chapter 141: He Arives

    The alliance watched in horror as the fierce ice hurricane devoured Captain Bofan. Though they were greatly saddened by what happened, especially the soldiers from Bofan''s squad, they knew they had to escape the trajectory of the hurricane before suffering a simr fate as the military man.

    There was still a massive distance between them and the hurricane, and for some reason, the speed of the hurricane that was bulldozing everything in its path had reduced. So escaping was very feasible.

    The only question in their minds was: Would they be able to continue this fight after regrouping? Looking at the exhausted Reyes, they highly doubted it was possible.

    Cormach quickly rushed over to his guild master and helped him up, but thetter could barely stand on his feet; therefore, he had no choice but to carry the blue-haired youth on his shoulder.

    Brolly red at the hurricane with clenched fists, a flicker of hatred shining in his eyes. He seemed to be having an internal debate before he shook his head and muttered under his breath, "It''s not worth it." He then turned to his faction and gestured for them to leave the Iceborn Forest.

    As if on cue, everyone started to prepare to leave the forest... except Jack, who was standing in a daze as he watched the hurricane in the distance, sweeping everything into the air. His head was full of thoughts.

    They could have had a chance if the beast hadn''t disyed this skill. The n was perfect; it required theirbined effort. However, looking at the hurricane that resembled a god of destruction pulverizing everything in its path, the youth strongly doubted they could take it down.

    The appearance of this one skill had spoiled everything, leaving the scared youth with only one option¡ªan option he didn''t like resorting to.

    Most of the time, after using this option, he always regretted it afterward.

    "We''ve already sinned a lot, one more sin won''t cause any harm..." Jack whispered as he started to walk toward the ice hurricane. He clenched his fist and said in a convincing tone, "Besides, I''m still better than most in that family... yes, I should always remember this... I''m nowhere close to the level of those disgusting monsters."

    This was his defense mechanism, and he used it to convince himself anytime he wanted to do this. And it only worked for a while. Later, after thinking about the deeds done in the process, he would regret it. It was just the same unending cycle.

    "Hey, what are you doing?" Hex called out when he saw the new recruit walking toward the ice hurricane with a fearless expression. Everyone wondered if he had gone mad and shouted at him to stop, but their voices were drowned by the chaotic wind.

    With a small portion of his stamina recovered, Reyes weakly raised his head and looked at the straight back of the mysterious youth. He seemed so confident despite looking like an antpared to the colossal hurricane. Aplicated light shone in Reyes'' eyes. ''During the spar, I could tell he was holding back. Is he going to show his trump card?''

    Except for a fool, no one would approach this dangerous entity without a n in mind. From the few hours he had spent with the boy, Reyes knew he was anything but foolish, which could only mean that he had an ace up his sleeve... something that might stop this catastrophe.

    When the others tried to stop Jack from encountering an easy death, they attempted to get a hold of him.

    "Let him be," Reyes weakly said. "He has seen for himself how dangerous the hurricane is. For him to approach it like that only means he has a n in mind."

    Reyes'' thinking was spot on because, at that moment, the cross-shaped scar shone with a bright white light as Jack started speaking.

    "Are you there?" He sent his subconscious to the deepest part of his soul. He tried calling out to the powerful entity that dwelled there, but it was eerily silent. Jack was beginning to get impatient, feeling as if the other person was ignoring him.

    "As you can see, this elemental crystal is very important to me... are you just going to take a back seat and watch me fail? If I fall, you know what would happen to all of us." Jack shouted in a voiceced with frustration, not even noticing when he shouted at the existence that could easily snuff him out if it wanted.

    "Fine then! I''ll just go get us killed." Jack threatened, and the others protested vehemently against it.

    "You don''t need my help. The interesting one will handle it."

    After what felt like an eternity, a mature voice brimming with authority spoke. The authoritative voice silenced the noisy voices of all the others, and they all scrambled away in fear. That voice sent shivers down their spines. The unidentified beings couldn''t even afford to breathe the same air as this ancient being.

    The only one who could still somewhat stand his ground was the voice belonging to Jack.

    Jack stared into the darker part of his subconscious and spoke in a slightly confused voice, "The interesting one? But I don''t see hi¡ª"

    "My god! What is that?"

    "Is that another Elemental Beast? And is that a human on top of it?"

    "Wait, those eyes... I recognize that kid!"

    Jack was suddenly jolted out of his subconscious to witness the members of the alliance excitedly pointing at him with glints of amazement shing in their eyes. Jack was confused¡ªwhy were they pointing at him?

    Just then, he noticed their attention was not on him but on what was behind him. He turned around and saw a sight that made his breath quicken... However, that surprise soon turned into a loud, boisterous chuckle as he recognized the person riding the giant tentacled creaturethat had a dazed Captain Bofan wrapped around its cold, squishy tentacles.

    "This kid, he always knows how to make an entrance!" Reyes smiled, his pale face seeming to have regained life.

    "Good job, girl!" Nox gently patted the head of Astralux. The elemental beast turned a bright pink, but its gaze was still focused on the hurricane¡ªspecifically, on the pale, shimmering blue eyes within the chaotic wind.

 Chapter 142: Noxs Plan

    "I... I''m still alive!" Captain Bofan stammered with wide eyes as he struggled to believe it. A moment ago, he had given up on life after being sucked into the hurricane. He had stared into those blue eyes that seemed to belong to the God of Death himself.

    As he drifted closer to the elemental beast, surrounded by gales of frigid wind des capable of tearing even metal, Bofan noticed something¡ªdisappointment in those blue eyes. Why... why was the beast disappointed? Was it upset that he couldn''t kill it? Bofan was confused, his thoughts chaotic in that final moment.

    But did it really matter? He was going to die anyway. Heck, he doubted he could even get past the gales of frigid des¡ªthey''d effortlessly tear him to shreds. Though high-level Awakened had tougher skin, Bofan wasn''t confident he would survive.

    Just then, he noticed the blue eyes of the elemental beast shift from confusion to joy before returning to their original pale, empty state. And they weren''t looking at him¡ªthey were focused behind him.

    In his confusion, Bofan, now very close to the fierce wind gales, suddenly felt something wrap around his stomach and pull him out of the hurricane with incredible force, almost knocking the air out of him.

    With a dazed expression, his eyes wandered upward. and they fell on a familiar boy with eyes as dark as the night itself. With his hair hovering in the air, Bofan couldn''t help but feel the boy looked even more handsome today. A tear slid down his cheek. He wanted to say thank you, but no words came out.

    Ignoring the cheering of the alliance members, Nox ordered Asta to drop Captain Bofan off with the others. The distance was over 300 meters, but thanks to Asta''s Spatial Tentacles, she could extend them across vast distances.

    After gently dropping Bofan with the others, the tentacles unwrapped themselves and gave Bofan a soft pat on the head as if he were a child before retracting like an stic band.

    "Captain!" Bofan''s soldiers eximed as soon as the tentacles released him. They wanted to rush over and give their captain a hug, but the older man gestured for them to stand back. He nodded at them and then turned to look at Reyes, who was exhausted and barely standing on his feet.

    "Thank you for trying to save me." Captain Bofan bowed low, his eyes shining with gratitude.

    "You''re wee," Reyes simply responded, his gaze fixed on the hurricane, which hade to a stop. His attention then shifted to the giant yellow creature, its several tentacles dangling menacingly in the air. "Our major priority is to help the kid."

    Meanwhile, seated on Astralux''s head, Nox stared intently at the hurricane, his gaze locked onto those blue eyes. He didn''t look away, even when the elemental beast acknowledged his fearlessness by nodding its head.

    Their stare-offsted only a couple of minutes before Nox proceeded to use his Analyze and Beast Sense skills. His heart pounded loudly in his chest, lingering doubts guing his mind as he feared the skills might not work. When he used them, however, instead of the name being disyed as it had been before, a new message appeared¡ªa red message.

    Nox''s expression changed. This wasn''t what he expected to see.

    [Error]

    [Error]

    [Error]

    [No Target Found]

    "No target found?" A wave of realization washed over Nox. ''Could it be...?''

    Before Nox could finish his thought, the figure inside the frozen cavern began to dissipate, turning into mist as though it had never been there in the first ce. As soon as the mist disappeared, so too did the ice hurricane, flowing back into the frozen cave.

    The reason the skill didn''t work was because the figure with the blue eyes inside the hurricane was never the elemental beast. It had been a mere illusion.

    ''It seems this beast wants us to fight it inside,'' Nox mused, his gaze lingering on the mouth of the frozen cave. Of course, he didn''t blindly rush in. Instead, he telepathically willed Asta to drop him off with the others, and the beastplied.

    All the members of the alliance stared at the giant creature in awe and admiration. Just by looking at the beast, they could tell it was an Elemental Beast, a rare and powerful entity. But who was this kid? How did he manage to control such a creature? There were so many questions swirling in their minds, yet they knew there wasn''t time to ask¡ªthere were more pressing matters at hand.

    Still, the likes of the slim men from the scavengers group and members of desong Academy couldn''t help but throw envious nces at Nox.

    "I have a n," Nox stated as he jumped down from Asta''s back,nding on the ground without his knees buckling. He could see that the others wanted to thank him, especially the military men, but they paused after spotting the serious expression on the handsome youth''s face.

    ''I know you already have a n, but I have a better one that might actually work against this beast,'' Nox said confidently, his clear voice unfaltering as he addressed the alliance members.

    "What is the n?" Reyes, having recovered a bit of stamina, was the first to speak up. Though he already had a n in mind, he didn''t mind hearing Nox out. After all, the kid had disyed more than enough skill to be trusted.

    Despite his rtively young age, no one opposed him and simply nodded, eager to hear what he had to say.

    "Kid, do you have a way to stop the hurricane?" The leader of the Silvermist asked skeptically, scrutinizing the boy who wasn''t even fifteen. Aside from his rtively high level for someone his age, his attractive face, and his unique ss, he didn''t strike her as a deep thinker.

    Nox nced at the woman with an intellectual appearance and responded, "Yes, I''ve considered all of this in my n."

    "Ignore her, she''s not important. What''s important is this n of yours," Reyes stepped forward. "So, what is it?"

    "As long as it helps us defeat the elemental beast, I won''t object," Reyes added, sensing the confidence radiating from Nox.

    Nox grinned. "It''s very simple."

    ****

    AN thanks for supposed Supreme BeastTamer with your Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appriaciate. Would probably upload the bonus Chapter this night or tomorrow.

 Chapter 143: A Leader

    Everyone''s attention was fixated on Nox, the collective gaze of the alliance resting heavily on him. Such scrutiny could easily overwhelm a teenager, or even an adult, but there wasn''t the slightest hint of anxiety in Nox''s midnight eyes.

    "But before I start, let me hear your own ns." Nox nced at Reyes, who nodded his head. Though he didn''t know it, by asking to hear Reyes'' ns, Nox had subtly increased his standing in everyone''s eyes.

    Even the leader of the Silvermist Guild couldn''t help but look at him strangely, the skepticism in her eyes gradually fading. ''Maybe he isn''t that bad... If we could defeat this beast, I''ll try poaching him over to my guild... After all, I heard he''s merely a temporary agent for this doofus.''

    Feeling a re at the back of his head, Reyes proceeded to exin his n. His n had several steps. The first step was preparation for the unknown. The guild master was aware that they might be walking into a trap, so he had sent out a group made up of scavengers and a few of Captain Bofan''s squad to scout the area for any potential traps set by the Lich Court or even the Elemental Beast.

    "However, we found out that there were no traps..." Reyes exined, his appearance once again vibrant as a huge chunk of his stamina had replenished. "So we proceeded to the next phase, which was the use of group strength."

    Each group and faction had its own strength. Reyes'' n was to leverage those abilities without forcing everyone into the same role. Because of desong Academy''s impulsiveness, they would face the Elemental Beast head-on along with Reyes and Captain Bofan, while the Silvermist Guild would focus on defensive magic. After all, they didn''tck mage-type Awakened.

    As for the scavengers, because of their fragile build, they''d only assist with long-range attacks.

    It took a while for Reyes to exin the entire n, and Nox listened intently. When the young guild master was done, he finally spoke, and everyone stared at him with full attention.

    "Guild master, your n is sound, but you''re missing one key detail," Nox pointed out. "The beast''s energy is concentrated in its core. Hitting it from all sides won''t work."

    "Huh, the kid is right." The Silvermist Guild leader''s eyes sparkled. "All this while, we''ve just been targeting the hide of the Elemental Beast, but what if we attack its chest area where beast cores are usually located?"

    In Eos, beast cores/crystals were the life essence or force of beasts; the energy that kept them alive was radiated by this core. It was just like a human heart¡ªtake that out, and they''ll die.

    If they concentrated their attack there, wouldn''t it mean that it would disrupt the flow of energy, forcing the beast to lose control?

    Everyone''s eyes shone in realization. This wasn''tmon knowledge in Eos; it was only known by those schrs who were obsessed with studying beast anatomy. Still, it was an obvious fact that the beast cores were the life essence! So all they had to do was concentrate all their attacks there.

    Elemental crystals were very sturdy, and there would be no way theirbined attack would destroy it, but it was more than enough to disrupt the energy. How did this kid think of this? Everyone shared the same thought process, unaware that Nox had read a book about beasts and their weaknesses.

    The real genius wasn''t him but his father.

    Seeing the excited look on everyone''s face, Nox pointed out with a serious expression, "Of course, the beast won''t stand by and watch us attack its core. That''s why we''ll split up!" He then looked at the terrain that was now littered with craters and icy ridges and added:

    "We''ll take advantage of the surroundings."

    "What do you mean?" Brolly asked, confused. He was struggling to follow everything Nox was saying, and his head was starting to ache badly.

    Nox pointed at the ridges and craters. "We''ll force the beast out of that cave; it''s trying to lure us in for some reason, but we won''t rush in, as that might be a trap."

    "How are we going to force it out of the cave without getting in?" Captain Bofan asked with a thoughtful expression as he stared at the huge frozen mountain where the Elemental Beast dwelled.

    Nox merely disyed a confident grin. "Leave that to me."

    Captain Bofan wanted to ask more, but that confident smile assured him, so he decided to keep quiet and listen as Nox went through the rest of the n.

    ----

    "Guild master, you and Captain Bofan, with your respective teams, will take the front line..."

    Reyes and Captain Bofan stood on a crater that had formed a slight frozen hill a hundred meters away from the mouth of the cave. Behind them were the likes of Cormach with his round shield, Brenda Nahim, Hex, Adin, Adam, and the military men belonging to Bofan''s squad.

    Cold wind tousled their hair, and the fierce pressure mmed into them, but they didn''t falter and red into the mouth of the cave where they could see a pair of eyes watching them.

    "Since it''s an ultimate skill, I doubt the Elemental Beast will be able to summon that hurricane anytime soon... If you two can stall it with your earth and wind des, it would buy us time."

    "As for Brolly, the rest of the desongs, and scavengers, you guys will take on the most dangerous position in this fight. You''ll attack the beast''s sharp spikes from behind."

    "We''re fine with this!" Brolly disyed a toothy grin. In a sense, there was nothing dangerous about attacking the beast from behind; the most dangerous position was already taken by Bofan and Reyes, as they''d face the powerful Elemental Beast head-on, but Brolly didn''t notice this.

    "Andst but not least, the Silvermist Guild." Nox turned to the intellectual woman, who had a charming smile on her face as if she wanted to bewitch Nox. She was a real beauty, and everyone would be pleased and even aroused, but it had no effect on Nox whatsoever.

    Instead, he felt slight disgust that the woman was looking at a minor with that kind of look. Yes, he was not a minor mentally, but physically, he was.

    A slight glint of disappointment shed across her eyes when she noticed that Nox didn''t seem to appreciate her beauty. She covered it up with a smile and said, "Boy, so what is my role?"

    "The reason the previous fire attacks hadn''t worked was because the attacks weren''t intense enough." always-on-MvLeMpYr

    "You want it to be intense? You got it," the woman spoke in a filthy voice, her cat-like eyes shining. "But how intense?"

    "Very intense. It should be hot enough to prate an alloy wall with ease... I want you and your team to focus this attack on the core of the beast, to not only weaken but disrupt the energy flow."

    Reyes nodded his head, impressed, but then he thought of something. "Do you have a way to deal with the ice domain thingy?"

    "Naturally," Nox nodded his head. "I''vee very prepared this time."

    "Which position will you take?" Hex, the cryomancer, asked.

    "Me and my beasts wille inter," Nox assured as he told everybody to stand back. He held his hand out.

    ****

    AN: Great Job You guys Hit the Hundred Golden Ticket! Which means I''m currently owning four chapters

 Chapter 144: The Elemental Beasts Weakness

    A faint dark aura pulsed in Nox''s fingertips.

    Then, before everyone''s eyes, the dark pulse began to increase in size gradually.

    Standing behind Nox, Reyes, Captain Bofan, and the leader of the guild, their eyes widened as they felt the tremendous aura emanating from the dark pulse in Nox''s fingertips. The aura was simr to the same one they had felt from the destructive hurricane.

    It was... an ultimate skill!

    **BOOOOOM!**

    A cataclysmic sound rang out in all directions as a powerful dark st, almost as huge as the sun, descended on the frozen mountains. Countless fragments of ice were blown into the air, and several cracks and fissures webbed through the ground.

    A smoke screen made of frost covered the entire area where the apocalyptic st had descended. For a moment, no one could see the current state of the towering mountain, but they could vaguely make out the craters that had appeared in the surroundings.

    The hurricane had already destroyed arge portion of the ice-born forest, but Shadow Oblivion had obliterated everything in its path. The once quite forest was now a chaotic wastnd of shattered ice and debris.

    The sheer scale of devastation was staggering; the powerful dark st had torn through thendscape with such force that the frozen ground was shattered into jagged, unrecognizable fragments.

    Captain Bofan and the leader of the Silvermist Guild gawked at Nox, who seemed to be in a daze, their jaws almost hitting the ground. Was this kid the heir to some noble household or what?

    "No, it can''t be. Even nobles don''t carelessly hand out an ultimate skill to someone as young as this," Bofan shook his head, his mind spinning as he tried toe up with an exnation. "Could it be that he''s the hidden prince who always stays indoors?"

    One of the princes of Snowhelm Kingdom was rumored to be a genius, but not many people knew about him because he always stayed indoors... Could this be the hidden prince? Perhaps he had heard about the Elemental Beast and came in disguise to hunt it down? It was a wild thought, but the only one that made sense. There was no way amoner like this could get their hands on such a powerful skill.

    ''I must poach him!'' The leader of the Silvermist Guild''s eyes practically sparkled as she stared at Nox, a ravenous glint in her eyes. Unlike Captain Bofan, she didn''t think about Nox''s potential¡ªher mind was only filled with the heights Nox would take her guild to.

    With someone like this on her side, she was very certain that it was only a matter of time before her guildpleted the promotion quest and became Silver Rank. The only obstacle in her way was Reyes.

    She strongly doubted her rival would let go of Nox after witnessing this. However, she had an interesting offer that would surely sway him.

    Meanwhile, several questions swirled in Reyes'' mind. Unlike the leader of the Silvermist Guild and Bofan, his thoughts were much clearer.

    After witnessing the destructive power of *Shadow Oblivion*, only one thought came to his mind.

    ''This kid is not a mere mercenary, he''s something more!''

    When he had first witnessed Nox''s speed, he had felt a trace of an ultimate skill, but because the kid was moving at an intense speed, he hadn''t been too sure.

    content-source-MVLeMpYr

    However, after witnessing [Shadow Oblivion], he could confirm that this was indeed an ultimate-tier skill.

    ''... I knew there was something strange about this kid from the beginning. The powerful beast, the speed, everything... I was blinded by his talent all this while... Could it be he''s after the Elemental Crystal as well?''

    Unaware of the countless gazes staring at his back, a deluge of text crowded Nox''s peripheral vision.

    [Ding! You have killed Level 2 Wildin.]

    [Ding! You have received experience points.]

    [Ding! You have received experience points.]

    [Ding! You have received experience points.]

    ''It seems the Shadow Oblivion annihted some small fry nearby.'' Nox noted as he dismissed the screen from his face. The experience points he received were far too small to make any significant impact on his experience bar. Almost eight months had passed since Nox had been stuck at Level 14.

    After getting the Elemental Crystal, his next n was to increase his level and expand his taming and skill slots.

    ncing at his mana points, Nox winced as he saw that *Shadow Oblivion* had consumed 100 mana points, as usual. Now, he could only use it four or five more times.

    While he was mulling this over, a string of ominous red messages caught Nox''s attention.

    [Ding! You have killed a Level 16 Awakened.]

    [Ding! You have killed a Level 20 Awakened.]

    [Ding! You have killed a Level 30 Awakened.]

    "Wait.'' Nox''s heart sped up as he reread the message. An Awakened? People were inside¡ª''

    Before he could finish the thought, the thick veil of snow mist that was covering Shadow Oblivion''s point of impact began to clear up. Nox''s attention, along with everyone else''s, was diverted to the front. While the members of the alliance watched with bated breath, Nox was in an internal dilemma.

    ''I k-killed someone. Why am I so calm?'' Nox thought, genuinely frightened of himself. It was right there. He knew the system could never deceive him. He had really killed two people, yet he was unfazed, as if he had merely taken the life of a beast.

    What was worse was that he didn''t even feel a semnce of remorse. It was very frightening, considering that he was a transmigrator... Could it be because he had spent too much time with Eve?

    Just then, everyone made out the faint figure of the towering Elemental Beast in the distance.

    "As expected, it''s still alive! For a brief moment back there, I thought it was dead," one personmented with a bleak look on their face.

    Meanwhile, the likes of Captain Bofan and Reyes stepped forward. Though they wanted to ask the kid many questions, dealing with the beast was more important.

    Not too long after, the remnants of the ice mist disappeared, revealing the yeti-like Elemental Beast in all its full glory.

    As soon as the beast appeared, Nox activated his skills.

    [Analyze Activated!]

    [Beast Sense Activated!]

 Chapter 145: The Elemental Beast Weaknesses[2]

    Once again, the elemental beast loomed before everyone in all its full glory. With those menacing frosty spikes that glinted under the re of the sun, the beast was as imposing and petrifying as it wasst time. Those shimmering blue eyes swept over the humans. Its eyes settled on Nox, and a cold light shed in them.

    Behind the beast was a mountain that was partially destroyed. Though it was still standing, it would at most remain so for a few more days or weeks before copsingpletely to ruin.

    The sight of the destroyed cave made the elemental beast seethe in anger. The cave had been its home for over a hundred years, holding countless memories and treasures. Its anger was palpable, and the temperature of the surroundings had dropped considerably.

    "W-we really pissed it off this time," one manmented, trembling. In fact, under the security of those piercing eyes, the Awakened found it difficult to move their limbs.

    They had made a foolproof n that had a 50% possibility of working, and yet... they couldn''t even move? The only ones who could still somehow move freely were the likes of Reyes, Captain Bofan, and a few powerful Awakens.

    At that moment, when everyone was feeling despair, Nox''s stern yet confident voice rang out for all to hear.

    "Everyone, avoid the eyes of the beast; it''s the reason you can''t move!"

    Hearing that clear voice, the Awakened, who were temporarily frozen, forcefully looked away, and as if by magic, they all became mobile again.

    The elemental beast shot a hateful re at Nox, who was slowly moving further away from the battlefront. It wanted to squash this kid so badly, but before it could charge forward, Reyes made a gesture with his hands. A low rumbling sound was heard, and an earth column with jagged edges burst from the ground, heading towards the elemental beast, ready to impale it.

    However, the terrifying-looking earth column met an extremely thick ice wall.

    **BANG!**

    As if on cue, the others in the forefront charged forward and started to unleash their attacks on the elemental beast. Nox''s n was fully in motion.

    Adina and Adam, tempest mages, fired series of destructive lightning bolts, halting it.

    While Captain Bofan and the rest of the Maverick Guild engaged the beast in a fierce confrontation, Brolly and the desong snuck up behind the beast and started to pummel it with attacks from all sides.

    Meanwhile, the leader of the Silver Mist Guild, who was standing a few meters away from the raging obscurity of the fight, watched with intense focus. Above them, a pir of pulsating blue and yellow mes loomed, its violent hues creating an otherworldly glow. The mes were condensed, forming a dense column that seemed to pulse with raw energy.

    Maintaining the pulsing me ate into their mana reserves, but it was worth it. Immediately, they saw an opening, the pir of me would struck the core of the elemental beast.

    "It''s working," Nox muttered under his breath, standing at a rtive distance from the intense fight. One of the Awakened had been impaled by an ice projectile, and a few were injured, butpared to the first and second encounters, they were doing far better.

    And Nox''s idea of attacking the core of the elemental beast was very effective. He noticed that whenever an attacknded there, the elemental beast''s speed stalled slightly, and it let out a painful roar from time to time.

    Because of the multiple attacks from all sides, Nox noticed that the beast was finding it hard to multitask. It should have been very angry; however, its eyes were twinkling with mirth as if it were enjoying every moment. Nox was perplexed by this.

    And why wasn''t it using the ice dome type of skill? Was there a cooldown?

    There was always something off about this beast, but Nox couldn''t pinpoint it.

    Fortunately, Annalize and Beast Sense worked this time around, and the information about the elemental beast cascaded down in front of Nox, covering his entire view.

    [Frostfang Yeti-ciator -Lv9 King Tier]

    Elemental Type: Ice

    Progress: 95%/100%

    Energy: 300%/300%

    Description: Frostfang Yeti is a hulking colossus of the frozen wilderness, with thick furced with jagged shards of ice and a gaze that can freeze the blood of even the most battle-hardened warriors. It stands as the embodiment of winter''s relentless ferocity.

    Special Skills:

    - Ice Hurricane (Ultimate Skill): Unleashes a devastating storm of icy wind and frozen shards that ravage everything within range. The storm grows in intensity the more foes it consumes, turning the battlefield into a frozen tundra. (Cooldown: 2 hours)

    - Petrifying Gaze: The Yeti''s stare freezes opponents in their tracks, encasing them in ice that grows the longer they remain under its gaze. Entire armies can be immobilized if caught within its line of sight for too long. (No cooldown)

    - Avnche Stomp(Advanced skill): A thunderous stomp sends shockwaves through the ground, causing avnches of ice and snow to crash down, burying enemies and altering the terrain to the Yeti''s advantage. (Cooldown: 2 minutes)

    - cial Resilience (Ultimate Skill): The Yeti''s body can regenerate rapidly when in cold environments, absorbing ice and frost to heal wounds and reinforce its defenses, making it nearly unkible in freezing conditions. (No cooldown)

    - Frigid Expanse(Advanced skill): The Yeti can expand its Ice Domain to a massive radius, draining heat from the air and lowering the temperature to sub-zero levels, freezing everything in its path and amplifying the effects of all its abilities. (Cooldown: 30 hours)

    - Ice Maniption(Advanced Skill): Grants the Yeti the ability to manipte ice at will. It can shape, move, and control existing ice to form barriers, weapons, or traps. The Yeti can even condense moisture in the air to create new ice structures, giving it versatile control over its environment. (No cooldown)

    Evolution Path (3/8): Frostfang Yeti ¡ú Eternal cier King

    Requirements:

    - Absorb the "Heart of the Frozen Conqueror," an ancient relic that grants control over the most extreme levels of ice and cold. (Completed)

    - Endure the "Eternal Frost Trial": Survive a hundred-year-long blizzard in the Frozen Wastes, relying on ice maniption and resilience without external heat or sustenance, while facing elemental storms and hostile creatures. (Completed)

    - Enlightenment Through Trials: The Frostfang Yeti must undergo a series of rigorous trials known as the "Path of the Eternal Frost." This involves facing and oveing hundreds of Awakened entities, each presenting unique challenges. Each trial tests the Yeti''s ice powers, mental fortitude, and strategic acumen, pushing it to achieve a higher state of enlightenment.

    By conquering these trials, the Yeti will transcend its current form, unlocking the profound wisdom and strength required to evolve into the Eternal cier King. (Iplete)

    Description: Upon evolution, the Yeti transforms into the Eternal cier King, a colossal ruler of the frozen realms. Its size increases dramatically, and it gains the ability to manipte ice on a massive scale, creating ciers and summoning deadly blizzards. Its body bes an imprable fortress of ice, and its aura alone is enough to freeze enemies in their tracks.

    ---

    Because Nox''s main goal was to find out the weaknesses of the elemental beast so that he could exploit them, he had missed a crucial detail. Scrolling down, he arrived at the section he had been looking forward to all this time.

    [Frostfang Yeti-ciator -Lv9 King Tier]

    Current State: Furious

    Likes: -exclusive-content

    - Dominating frozenndscapes and forging ice-based creations

    - Battle-hardened challengers who test its limits

    - Cold, deste ces where only the strongest survive

    Dislikes:

    - Being confined or hunted for sport

    - Enemies that rely on trickery or underhanded tactics

    - Excessive heat or unnatural climates

    Strengths:

    - Supreme battlefield control with Frigid Expanse

    - Can take on hundreds of enemies at once with Ice Hurricane and Avnche Stomp

    - Near-invincibility in cold environments with cial Resilience

    Weaknesses:

    - Vulnerable when forced out of its icy domain or when in hot environments

    - Slow to adapt in rapidly changing battle conditions

    - Elemental attacks that bypass its ice defenses (especially fire and lightning, though in an extremely cold environment, fire would likely be useless.)

    - Crystalline Structures: Attacking the crystalline structures on the Yeti, such as ice-covered horns or spiked protrusions, can disrupt its ice maniption abilities and weaken its defenses.

    "Vulnerable when forced out of its icy domain?" Nox shook his head and dismissed this weakness. The entirety of Coastal City was freezing; heck, the entire kingdom was, which left him with elemental attacks. So far, even those didn''t seem to have any impact.

    Therefore, everything narrowed down to thest option: the spikes on the back of the Yeti.

    Those spikes that ran through the beast''s neck and shoulders were the weakness all this while. In truth, attacking the core of the beast wouldn''t really kill it; it would only disrupt its energy. Nox had known this from the start, but he needed to give the others something to hope for.

    However, with this new discovery, taking down the elemental beast was now feasible!

 Chapter 146: A different way of using Shadow Oblivion

    "Thirteen, Fluffington,e out." Nox summoned his two pets from the taming space, and just momentster, the two beasts appeared.

    Thirteen nced at the raging battle in the distance and watched Nox with an eager expression, his eyes twinkling with excitement. Even without saying anything, Nox could tell that the panda was very eager to join the fight, but unfortunately, that wasn''t the reason Nox had summoned them.

    "No fighting," Nox stated, and a crestfallen expression crossed Thirteen''s face. Seeing this, Nox added, "At least not yet."

    As soon as he said this, excitement returned to Thirteen''s eyes. Though the fighting was dyed, as long as he could keep himself busy, it was fine.

    Nox then proceeded to exin the mission to them. "I want the two of you to head inside the cave." Nox pointed at the ruined mountain, and the two followed his gaze. "I have a feeling that there might be something important inside there."

    This was just a hunch, and Nox wasn''t too sure about it. He only suspected that there might be something important inside. The beast was protective, hence the reason it had red at Nox as if he had killed its children or something. Fluffington and Thirteen''s task was to search through the cavern and bring back any valuable items while he joined the others to deal with the elemental beast.

    After instructing his pets on what to do, Nox stared at Astral and whispered something to her. At first, the beast seemed hesitant as she wanted to always be close to her master; however, after a few more convincing words, she finally decided to levitate her way.

    Alone, Nox started to walk towards the fight.

    "Finally, you decide to join!" Jack eximed as he avoided a series of ice projectiles fired at him. His sword crackling with lightning as he jumped up, his de shing in the air and leaving a trail of lingering blue energy.

    Jack''s odachi bit into the hide of the elemental beast. Because that attack contained his full power, he managed to cause a small gash on the beast''s arm. To Jack''s frustration, before he couldnd back on his feet, the wound covered up as though it was merely a scar. The beast didn''t even retaliate against his assant and instead tried to get rid of the pest behind it.

    "Damn it, this regenerative skill is so annoying," Jack sneered in his mind. But behind him, Nox''s eyes glowed with interest when he saw this skill.

    With a wave of its arm, the elemental beast froze a few members of the desong Academy behind it and snapped its hands, turning them into fragments that cascaded down like snow. Brolly gulped as he thanked his lucky stars; if he had not gotten away at that right moment, he would have suffered a horrible death just like hisrades.

    Captain Bofan and Reyes continued to bombard the core of the yeti-like creature with powerful attacks. Nahin didn''t ck either. With her expert control in archery, she fired bolt after bolt of spectral arrows at the core of the beast.

    Just as Nox had said, each attack on the beast''s core disrupted the energy in it, and the once-confident eyes started to show slight traces of fear. At first, the beast''s eyes were filled with glee; however, seeing that the humans were attacking from all directions, it became conflicted about what to do.

    The most annoying of the bunch were the tempest mages, who were dropping pir after pir of lightning, all targeted at its core.

    Seeing the current situation, Nox shouted at the top of his voice, "Now!"

    That was their signal!

    Immediately, everyone fell back. The elemental beast was initially confused as to why the humans were retreating, but then it felt a searing heat emitting from above. The heat was unlike anything the beast had felt before, and it roared in pain.

    Looking up, a zing pir of mes reflected in its blue eyes. The pir of me was almost as tall as the creature, and its tip was condensed into sharp points. ncing at the pir of destructioning its way, the beast attempted to dodge, but that was when it noticed that both its arms and legs were trapped by solid earth.

    It tried to break through the earth that was binding it to one ce, but it was difficult.

    Reyes stared at the struggling elemental beast with a cruel expression on his face, his eyes burning with determination as he resisted the elemental beast''s attempts to break free. Though it was very doubtful that he could keep the beast bound in one ce, Reyes was determined not to let go.

    The elemental beast could only watch in horror as the pir of mes descended upon its chest area. Because of the condensed tip, the pir drilled into its chest. The sheer heat made the air sizzle, and the ice covering the elemental beast''s body began to melt rapidly, steam rising in violent clouds around it. MVLeMpYr-your-novel-source

    The creature thrashed wildly, but the bindings Reyes had conjured with his earth maniption held firm.

    However, Nox noticed something frightening.

    Though it seemed to be melting, it was healing back at the same pace.

    Nox shuddered; the beast''s regenerative skill was truly worthy of being an ultimate skill. But Nox wouldn''t stand by and watch it regenerate. What if he bombarded it with Shadow Oblivion until there was no body left to regenerate? He figured that as long as the beast didn''t have any body, it wouldn''t be able to regenerate.

    Just then, a piercing roar echoed through the battlefield. The elemental beast, desperate and enraged, mmed its fists into the ground. Ice spikes erupted from the earth in every direction. Though the Awakened were rtively far away, the attack still pierced a few, though it was not fatal.

    Cormach, who was standing close to Nox, used hisrge round shield to block a few of the ice spikes heading towards him. When the rain of ice spikes stopped, Nox aimed both of his arms at the elemental beast as if he was about to shoot a gun. He was about to try something he had never done with Shadow Oblivion before.

 Chapter 147: One of Them Is Still Alive[Bonus Chapter]

    Following Nox''s instructions, both Thirteen and Fluffington had sneaked past the ongoing battles and were now heading into the cave. However, there was an obstruction in their path¡ªa huge boulder blocking the entrance.

    It was the result of Nox''s destructive Shadow Oblivion. Fluffington looked at the structure with a slight trace of fear in his eyes. Most of the frozen mountain was slowly falling off, and the cat was scared that the mountains might copse and bury them under its crushing weight.

    Thirteen, however, didn''t disy any sign of fear. The panda confidently walked towards therge boulder, lifted it off the ground, and threw it to the side effortlessly as though the boulder, which weighed several tons, was nothing more than a pebble. His immense strength and calm demeanor made quick work of the obstacle.

    Fluffington''s eyelid twitched slightly. Why did it feel as if this panda was showing off? Dismissing this thought, the duo stepped into what appeared to be a tunnel; a wave of biting cold poured out from the depths of the cave, causing Thirteen to shiver slightly. There was no powerful aura or anything of the sort, but the cold was so intense that it could force anyone to their knees.

    Regardless, the panda and the cat pressed forward, and as they headed deeper into the cave, the sound of the intense fighting that was going on outside gradually faded into the background. What apanied them was the asional ttering of falling ice.

    [Umu?] After what appeared to be twenty minutes, Thirteen and Fluffington arrived at an opening that was over a hundred feet wide and seemed to extend endlessly into the heart of the mountain.

    Fluffington, who was much older and experienced, paused in his steps, frozen in shock.

    [This¡ªso many beast cores!] The cat''s eyes sparkled when he saw the shimmering blue crystals adorning the walls and scattered throughout on the ground. Though the room was partially destroyed with rocky outcroppings everywhere, it couldn''t hide the treasures that seemed to be announcing themselves to the world.

    Even the panda''s eyes lit up when he saw this scene!

    [Beast cores!] Thirteen jumped up in excitement. Although the panda didn''t know many things, it knew what beast cores were... after all, it was these shiny things that had increased his strength tremendously.

    Thirteen began to salivate, imagining how strong he''d be if he absorbed all these beast cores... perhaps he could even break through the bottleneck he had been stuck at for years.

    [Nox, you were right!] Fluffington telepathically ryed what he had seen to Nox, his voice filled with excitement. [There are indeed treasures inside this ce... from my estimation, I think there should be over 300 beast cores and some magical items.]

    [If there is a way, I want you to take everything... oh wait, you don''t have inventory like me.] Nox''s clear voice rang in both Thirteen and Fluffington''s heads. He was speaking a bit fast, and the two beasts could tell he was in the middle of something. -verified

    This was even more apparent because the connection line disconnected as a ring noise, far louder than anything they had heard before in their lives, boomed in their heads. It was so loud that the two were forced to disconnect from the connection.

    [I guess it''s up to us now.] Fluffington turned to Thirteen, and a brief glint of understanding shed across their eyes as a mischievous thought invaded their heads.

    [Since there is no ce to store them, why don''t we store them in our bellies?] Fluffington suggested with a slightly mischievous grin. He looked like a rebellious older brother trying to convince his younger sibling to go against their parents. [You know, like how some animals store food forter. It''s not like we''ll be needing those snacks anytime soon, right?]

    Thirteen''s gaze swept over the beast cores; he seemed to be having an inner conflict. One part of him wanted to absorb the beast cores, while another part wanted to bring them to Nox, as he could also have use for them. The panda thought long and hard, and then he thought of someone.

    [Asta.] Thirteen spoke up.

    [Of course, we''ll bring some for her too... besides, I think she needs them more than us because she''s just a LV1 Wilding.]

    Nod! Nod!

    Thirteen nodded in agreement.

    Far away, Astralux, who heard her brother''s ns for her, smiled sweetly.

    While the two were lost in thought, Fluffington noticed a boulder that had fallen on a man. Though he was dead, his eyes remained open, showing the confusion from his final moments.

    This man was one of the powerful Awakened who had bypassed the elemental beast''s terrifying ability. Fluffington and Thirteen ignored the man and headed deeper. Soon, they spotted something¡ªor, more specifically, someone.

    It was a middle-aged man, who was also crushed by a giant frozen rock, but in his grasp were two crystals...

    Thirteen and Fluffington paused, captivated by the crystals. They had never seen such beautiful ones before. Even though the middle-aged man held the crystals tightly, the freezing blue aura blending with a shadowy glow was clearly visible.

    [T-this.] Fluffington and Thirteen didn''t know what these crystals could do, but their instincts screamed that these were the most important treasures here. If they didn''t take them, they''d surely regret it in the future. The two looked at each other and shared an unspoken agreement that they''d take these two shiny things back to their master.

    Unlike the beast cores, this wasn''t something they could absorb casually; it needed to be taken to Nox to be examined.

    Fluffington nodded at Thirteen, and the panda squatted down to pry the dead man''s hands open. As soon as they did, the intense glow of the crystals bathed their faces, casting shadows on the walls. Thirteen felt the intense power radiating from the crystals and swallowed saliva. He was tempted to absorb them but resisted.

    "Stop!"

    Before they could put the crystals away, a voice called out.

    Thirteen and Fluffington looked further ahead and saw a tall, green-haired youth with an athletic building out of what used to be an ice prison.

 Chapter 148: Trapped With The Elemental Beast

    From Nox''s outstretched hands, a familiar dark pulse began to form again. This time, it wasn''t just on one finger¡ªit surged from both. Having seen this skill once before, many onlookers took a few more steps back, fearing they might get caught in the destructive aftermath.

    Reyes and Captain Bofan had different thoughts as they watched what Nox was about to do.

    "Isn''t there a cooldown on that skill?" Captain Bofan muttered, unable to hide his concern. "And how much mana does this kid even have?"

    Meanwhile, Nox focused entirely on the two dark beams growing just inches from his fingertips. Though cracks were beginning to show, the yeti-like elemental beast was still engulfed in mes, its legs and limbs still bound by the earth.

    "Kid, whatever you''re going to do, do it fast!" Reyes shouted through gritted teeth. It was only a matter of time before the elemental beast escaped his grasp.

    With intense concentration, Nox tried to merge the two massive dark sts, casting a long shadow behind him. The shadow didn''t just look menacing¡ªit sparked admiration from the onlookers.

    "Damn it!" Nox''s hair whipped in the air as the dark pulses resisted merging. It was as if they were enemies, and Nox feared that forcing them together could result in a devastating explosion in his face, which would leave him seriously injured.

    After several attempts, Nox finally seeded in merging the pulses. The effort drained his stamina, but there was no sign of fatigue in his eyes. Instead, his gaze locked onto the elemental beast, which was slowly breaking free of its shackles.

    With the merging done, Nox began condensing the dark st, now twice the size of the sun. A red vein bulged on his temple, and his entire body felt as though it were on fire as hepressed the dark energy into the size of a ser ball¡ªjust like one from back on Earth.

    With the ball-sized dark beam pulsating with power, ready to bring the world into shambles, Nox strained his legs, activated Divine Velocity, and appeared behind the creature. He nced up at its back, particrly the spikes running along it, and unleashed the beam.

    Just then, the elemental beast broke free from the earth shackles, and as it was about to create an ice armor around its skin to reduce the damage from the mes, the dark st mmed into the spikes.

    The moment the dark ball made contact with the creature''s spikes, the world seemed to hold its breath. All the onlookers watched in anticipation, their hearts beating like wild drums. For a fraction of a second, everything stood still¡ªthe tension was so thick it was palpable. Then, with an earth-shattering roar, the explosion erupted.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    A blinding sh of darkness¡ªan almost paradoxical light¡ªexpanded outward in all directions. The core of the impact pulsed like a ck star, rapidly consuming the beast like a hungry creature. The devastating st carved a deep crater into the earth, flinging rocks, debris, and chunks of ice from the beast''s half-formed armor.

    The shockwave sent Nox and the others skidding back. Because of the intense heat, he was forced to regroup with the others. However, his eyes twitched when he noticed the elemental beast rapidly regenerating its body as if it were in apetition with the dark vortex trying to devour it.

    Both Shadow Oblivion and the beast''s regenerative skills were ultimate abilities; hence, the two powers seemed to have reached a tie.

    "T-this is unbelievable!" Nox felt frustrated. This skill was the perfect counter for his destructive Shadow Oblivion. As long as there were body parts, the yeti-like beast would always regenerate.

    "Then I''ll just turn it to dust," Nox said, his eyes narrowing. He noticed that the beast''s health had decreased slightly¡ªhe had hit a weak spot. If he could use Shadow Oblivion once or twice more, he might be able to finish it off.

    "Silvermist Guild!" Nox shouted. "Fill the craters with fire¡ªI needva!"

    The Silvermist Guild quickly responded, condensing fire and creating liquid. From their spot, the strands of liquid flew out and settled into the various craters strewn across the battlefield. They didn''t know what Nox was nning, but they decided to believe in him.

    Though it drained their mana, the mages of the Silvermist Guildpleted the task, and soon smoke began to rise as the frozen forest started to thaw. From a distance, they continued feeding theva to keep it from being extinguished by the cold.

    "Guide Masters," Nox called to Reyes. "I need you to build a wall enclosing me and the beast. Make sure it''s 450 meters wide and stay at least 500 meters away." brought-to-you-by-MvLeMpYr

    "B-but!" Reyes hesitated, but before he could continue, Nox assured him, his voice calm.

    "Trust me, I''ve got this."

    Feeling the confidence in those words, Reyes nodded.

    So far, all of Nox''s predictions had been right. Even though the kid was a potential spy, Reyes was beginning to trust him. He could feel it¡ªif they wanted to get rid of this terrifying beast, they needed to follow the kid''s lead.

    The guild master watched Nox''s back, a brief glint of admiration shing across his eyes.

    He then nodded to the rest of the group to distance themselves from the battle. Nox had specifically suggested that they stay about 500 meters away and that the earth wall should be over 440 meters in width and length. Reyes felt the wall was excessive and would eat into his mana reserve. However, he didn''tin.

    From Nox''s confident gaze alone, he knew the kid had found a way to defeat the elemental beast.

    "As long as this beast is defeated, I don''t mind," Reyesmented as he mmed his palm onto the ground, causing an intense vibration felt by everyone. Reyes''s gaze was focused; manipting the earth on such a scale required intense concentration, and a distraction could cause disaster.

    BANG! BANG!

    Soon, loud sounds rang out as towering earth walls began to erupt from the ground, boxing Nox in the middle.

    At that moment, the elemental beast jumped out of the swirling vortex that was now fading away, unharmed¡ªthough Nox could tell it was several times weaker.

    The yeti-like elemental beast stared at what was happening¡ªthe earth wall rising into the air reflected in its clear blue eyes. Despite knowing that it would be stuck with the annoying human, the beast didn''t escape. Instead, it red at Nox with a gleam in its eyes.

    Then, for the first time, Nox, who had been trying tomunicate with the beast, heard its ancient voice filled with power in his head.

    "Young one, I hope you''re the worthy one... I hope you''ll be the one to give me that final push... so don''t die early."

    The beast''s low yet powerful voice boomed in Nox''s head like a loudspeaker, and before he could even give a proper answer, the towering walls finally reached their estimated height. The voices of the others ceased, and now Nox was all alone with the elemental beast.

    ****

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 Chapter 149: The Elemental Beast.....

    "Are you sure it''s okay to leave him alone with that elemental beast?" Brenda asked, her voice trembling with worry. Though they couldn''t see inside the towering walls, the deafening crashes and roars told the tale of an intense battle.

    "Haven''t you noticed?" Hex''s gaze remained fixed on the walls. "That kid is special... As much as I hate to admit it, he''s the strongest person here. He''s the only one capable of taking down that beast."

    The others exchanged uneasy nces, nodding in silent agreement. Brenda bit her lip, her eyes glued to the towering barrier, while Hex''s fingers twitched, itching to see the oue.

    "Could it really be the Crown Prince?" Captain Bofan wondered.

    In Eos, Awakened individuals like Nox were categorized by their strengths¡ªsome possessed high mana reserves and durability, while others excelled with deadly skills despite weaker health and mana pools. It was a bncing act.

    The youngest Prince was always rumored to belong to the weaker category of Awakened, his power lying in his skills, not his endurance. But Bofan couldn''t shake the feeling¡ªwas this really him, disguised in in sight? No one else his age could fight like that. No one else could strategize so coldly. Everything pointed to the truth... but if it was him, what was he doing here?

    Meanwhile, inside the towering walls, the elemental beast was beginning to grow ufortable from the heat generated by numerous pits ofva strewn across the battlefield.

    Its skills¡ªIce Hurricane and Frigid Expanse¡ªwere currently on cooldown.

    The only skill the beast could rely on in this situation was Avnche Stomp and its ice maniption.

    As the beast attempted to freeze the bubbling pits ofva, clouds of smoke rose into the air. Nox acted swiftly. He raised his hand, dark energy surging through his veins to his fingertips, and unleashed another attack.

    "Shadow Oblivion!" he shouted, releasing a torrent of destructive power. The st hit the elemental beast with a violent crack, sending chunks of its icy flesh scattering into the air. Before it could recover, he unleashed another st, then another, each one more devastating than thest. The beast''s form was disintegrating before his eyes.

    Yet every time, the beast''s skill cial Resilience came to its rescue. However, Nox noticed that the beast was taking longer to regenerate due to the presence of theva pits.

    The skill [cial Resilience] thrived in cold environments. Now, the atmosphere was a mixture of both cold and warmth, making the regeneration process much slower¡ªa deliberate strategy by Nox.

    He knew it would be easier to defeat the elemental beast if its regenerative skill slowed down. Since it  only worked faster in cold environments, Nox had brought heat to the battlefield.

    Nox sensed a turning point in the battle. Theva pits'' heat was slowing the beast''s regeneration, making it vulnerable. His heart quickened with excitement, not fear. He saw a chance to end this.

    "This is it," he thought. "Just a little more." this-chapter-is-MVLeMpYr

    Taking a deep breath, Nox raised his hand and unleashed Shadow Oblivion again. The attack''s raw power sent dark energy waves crashing into the beast. He wouldn''t hold back now, not when victory was so close.

    BOOOOM!

    BOOOOM!

    With each st, the icyndscape became increasingly unrecognizable, resembling a testing site for bombs back on Earth.

    Seeing these dark sts, the creature didn''t simply stand idle as Nox''s attacks rained down upon it. It tried to shield itself from the onught, but it was futile.

    After a while, Nox nced at his Mana points and felt a pang in his heart.

    120/620.

    At most, he could only use Shadow Oblivion one more time. The beast''s energy, akin to its health points, had decreased considerably. He weakly raised his finger and aimed at the towering ice colossus that stood eight meters tall.

    Those blue eyes stared back at him, the previous glee reced by fear and desperation to survive. The beast was too weak to move its limbs. It couldn''t believe it was about to lose to a mere Level Fourteen.

    If the beast had known, it wouldn''t have used its Frigid Expanse skill that night. Perhaps it could have frozen everyone and gotten rid of them for good.

    All because the yeti-like beast wanted to push itself to its limits and gain enlightenment, it had purposely ced its most powerful skills on cooldown.

    While the beast regretted its life choices, a screen that only it could see glimmered to life before it.

    [Ding! You have sessfullypleted thest requirement: Enlightenment trial.]

    [Enlightenment Through Trials: The Frostfang Yeti must undergo a series of rigorous trials known as the "Path of the Eternal Frost." This involves facing and oveing hundreds of Awakened entities, each presenting unique challenges. Each trial tests the Yeti''s ice powers, mental fortitude, and strategic acumen, pushing it to achieve a higher state of enlightenment.

    By conquering these trials, the Yeti will transcend its current form, unlocking the profound wisdom and strength required to evolve into the Eternal cier King. Iplete ? Complete ?]

    The elemental beast froze upon seeing the awaited message. It was finally here! With this, the beast could change the tide of the fight!

    [Would you like to evolve into the Eternal cier King?]

    Another message appeared.

    Nox''s face paled. A message appeared before him, a new update in the beast''s information on his retina. Focused on the elemental beast''s weakness, he had overlooked the evolution requirement amidst the intense battle. It wasn''t his fault; he simply hadn''t had time to decipher the cluster.

    The elemental beast''s massive form shuddered as it selected the evolution option. Its icy skin began to glow, not with the familiar cold blue, but with a radiant, blinding pulse. The air around it vibrated with power, the temperature dropping further as ice crystals formed in the air. The beast''s body expanded, muscles shifting beneath its frozen exterior, growing stronger and more imposing.

    A shockwave of raw power followed, hitting Nox like a wall and forcing him back. For the first time in the fight, the beast seemed to be transforming into something far more dangerous.

    With panic rising in his chest, Nox shouted at the top of his voice, his arm shaking as he aimed at the beast. "Shadow Oblivion!"

    Before the elemental beast could sessfully evolve, the dark st engulfed it, exploding it into countless fragments. In thatst moment, a defeated look crossed its face; the beast nodded slightly towards Nox before its body exploded into fragments.

    Having depleted his mana, Nox copsed to the ground. Several messages shed in his retina, confirming the beast''s demise. Exhausted, he was tempted toy back and sleep, but the glowing blue crystaly just inches away, ready to be picked up.

    ****

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 Chapter 150: Red Skin

    Fluffington and Thirteen red at the handsome green-haired youth who was approaching them with his hands on his ribs. Behind him was a silver-haired youth with arge chunk of his chest missing. If Nox were here, he might have recognized the youth as the leader of the Vermilion group, Ren.

    Unlike the injuries of the other two men, Ren''s injuries didn''t look like something caused by Nox''s destructive Shadow Oblivion. Instead, it seemed as if it was done by something¡ªor someone¡ªas if the person had ripped the silver-haired boy apart...

    ''But I don''t sense any other creature here, so who would do something like this?''

    Fluffington''s tail twitched as an unsettling thought crept into his mind. There was no sign of another creature, yet the silver-haired youth''s injuries... they didn''t match any of Nox''s attacks. A slow shudder rolled through his body. What if... the thing that did this was still here, watching?

    ''No, it can''t be... if something like that were inside here, this human wouldn''t be alive,'' the cat reasoned. Then a sharp light shed through his beautiful green eyes as he thought of another possibility: could it be that this youth was responsible for the silver-haired boy''s injuries?

    "I said, don''t touch that!" Brandon shouted when he saw that the stubborn panda was about to pick up the elemental crystals despite his warning.

    The green-haired youth grimaced, feeling a burning sensation in his ribs. The pain was numbing and could easily overwhelm low-level Awakened, but for a special-ss student like him, it was nothing; he had suffered injuries far worse than this, so he could cope. Besides, there were still the two elemental crystals waiting to be imed.

    Earlier, when Ren had tried to take the elemental crystals from the elevated tform, a hidden mechanism had activated, and an ice prison burst forth from the ground, enclosing the two in its chilly embrace. No matter how hard they tried to break free, their attempts were futile, and the ice prison remained intact.

    However, thanks to the blinding attack that mmed into the mountain, the seemingly indestructible ice bars shattered, and the debris started falling off one after another. Knowing it was only a matter of time before the mountain copsed into shambles, Brandon''s goal was to take the elemental crystals and leave this freezing kingdom.

    However, before he could even get to the crystals, two beasts beat him to it.

    Meanwhile, Thirteen ignored Brandon''s words as if no one were talking to him and picked up the two crystals, holding them behind him like they were his most valuable treasure, as he red at the green-haired youth with a defiant expression.

    "This is how you want to y, huh?" Brandon''s eyes shed with anger as his feet carried him forward, closing the distance with the two beasts. He had already sensed that the two beasts were just at Wildin and Intermediate Tier; they should be pretty easy to deal with.

    To Brandon''s annoyance, as he walked forward, even the panda was approaching with a mocking smile on its white furry face... was this beast challenging him? A mixture of irritation and frustration surged through Brandon, and he wanted to beat the panda up and prolong its suffering. Usually, he wasn''t like this, always having control of his emotions.

    However, the pain from his injured ribs throbbed, clouding his thoughts.

    [Panda, don''t use your Dragon Requiem skill here,] Fluffington spoke in an urgent voice after seeing the crazy gleam in Thirteen''s ck eyes. This silly panda was about to engage in a fight, which was true because it had already taken a martial arts stance... he had to stop it; if not, they''d be buried here.

    Thirteen paused in his step and nced at the massive cat beside him, confusion shing in his eyes. [Panda fight!]

    At the same time, Brandon also paused, narrowing his eyes, thinking the cat and panda were about to unleash a powerful attack.

    [No, no fighting, it''s not worth it. Let''s just get out of here.]

    [Beast cores?] Thirteen pointed at the cores, asking if they''d leave those behind as well.

    Fluffington nodded bitterly. Besides, he could feel that the green-haired youth was very powerful. Then a mischievous glint appeared in Fluffington''s eyes. The two beasts shared a knowing nce and turned their backs toward Brandon, bolted toward the exit of the frozen cave.

    ''T-this!'' Brandon was perplexed. He didn''t expect the fearless panda to be shameless all of a sudden. However, he didn''t stand idle. The ground beneath Brandon exploded as he bolted forward, covering several meters with one step.

    Sensing that the green-haired youth was closing in on them, Thirteen and Fluffington gritted their teeth and increased their pace. As they saw the mouth of the cave, Fluffington shouted at the top of his voice: [Now!]

    Meanwhile, Brandon continued to charge forward. One step. Then another. His eyes locked onto the panda, and for a moment, it seemed as though the entire cave held its breath. Thirteen spun around and opened his mouth wide. His eyes gleamed, and before Brandon could react¡ª[Oceanic Torrent Activated!]

    A deep rolling rumble echoed, and...

    ROOOOAAAR!

    "Heaven!" Brandon froze in shock at what he saw.

    ---

    Meanwhile, outside the frozen cave, Nox was grappling with his thoughts.

    He struggled to his feet, his thoughts chaotic, mostly about thest message he had seen before the elemental beast had finally sumbed to the power of Shadow Oblivion.

    Things were starting to make sense... those eyes filled with disappointment, the signals... everything seemed to be the doing of the elemental beast, Nox realized.

    All this while, all the Awakened had been yed.

    The beast was never spotted... it had purposely shown itself to attract the strongest of warriors¡ªwarriors that could push it to its limits so that it could receive enlightenment to evolve to the next evolution path. read-more-on-MVLeMpYr

    ''I''ve always wondered why the beast spared us that day... so it was because we were mere pawns,'' Nox thought bitterly as he walked toward the crystal. The walls were slowly retracting back to the ground.

    Was it also responsible for the shopkeeper''s death? Those disappointed gazes¡ªwas it because the Awakened didn''t reach its expectations? Things didn''t make sense; Nox needed to know more.

    ''If my guess is right, it had purposely ced its most powerful skills on cooldown, thinking that with that, it would be on equal standing with the Awakened... how unfortunate.'' Nox smiled as he squatted to pick up the chilling blue crystal that was emitting a freezing aura.

    Nox''s hand hovered above the crystal, cold radiating from it, but before he could touch it, a booted foot stepped on his hand. A sharp crack echoed through the frozenndscape, and pain shot up Nox''s arm like fire. He gasped, yanking his hand back instinctively, but the weight of the foot pressed harder. Confusion shed in Nox''s eyes as he looked around.

    The walls had retracted back to the ground, but the alliance members should still be far away. Surely, it would have taken them some time before they arrived here... so who was this person?

    Nox directed his gaze at the figure standing before him.

    Though the sun was obstructing him from seeing the person''s face clearly, the individual''s skin was unmistakable.

    ... It was red.

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer; I really appreciate it!

    ---

 Chapter 151: Fighting The Red Skinned Girl [Bonus Chapter]

    "Who are you?" Nox growled, his voice edged with anger as his ck eyes burned with annoyance. His HP and Stamina were dangerously low, making it nearly impossible to stay on his feet. His body screamed for rest, but his mind refused to relent, not with a potential enemy in sight.

    He staggered slightly, eyeing the red-skinned girl warily. This was the first time he had seen someone with such an appearance, but he wasn''t surprised¡ªthis was a fantasy world with countless races.

    ''She''s not from the alliance,'' Nox thought, narrowing his eyes as a cold glint shed. He knew the faces of everyone in the alliance, and someone with red skin would certainly stand out. It could only mean one thing... ''Is she here for the crystal as well?''

    The red-skinned girl met Nox''s gaze, her crimson eyes seeming to pierce through him. Her mouth parted slightly.

    "Who am I?" she repeated, her voice smooth but with an underlying edge. "I could ask you the same, boy. But it seems you''re in no condition to answer anything... so why don''t you follow me quietly, or the hard way?"

    Nox frowned, but before he could even respond, the girl''s hand shot out with lightning speed, grabbing the hilt of the wrapped de on her back. In an instant, he felt a sharp pain pierce his chest. He gasped as his strength drained and his HP plummeted rapidly.

    Nox stared down in disbelief.

    The wrapped sword had punctured his chest, but as he looked at the de, confusion clouded his mind. There was no blood, no tearing of flesh¡ªjust an intense, soul-crushing pain radiating from the point of contact. The girl''s de wasn''t physically harming him but seemed to be draining his very essence.

    [-20HP]

    [-10HP]

    [-5HP]

    "You''ll be dead in three minutes," the girl said coldly, drawing out her sword. Blood gushed from Nox''s chest, and his vision blurred immediately.

    "Let him go!"

    An angry voice roared, and a sword shed behind the red-skinned girl, inches from her neck. But with a simple twirl of her foot, the de only sliced through the air. Regaining her bnce, the red-skinned girl red at her attacker.

    It was a white-haired girl.

    A very familiar one.

    One she thought she had killed.

    "It seems I didn''tplete the job the first time, well, I''ll just finish it this time." The red-skinned girl sneered and charged forward. Both girls shed, des shing through the air. They moved with bursts of energy, but it was clear the white-haired girl was on the losing end. The red-skinned girl was just too skillful... as if she had been training since birth.

    What was even more rming was that her sword was still wrapped in cloth... she was basically fighting with a handicapped weapon, yet still dominating the fight.

    "Wendy?" Nox muttered faintly. To his side, Thirteen and Fluffington rushed out of the frozen cave but halted upon seeing Nox''s condition. On the other side, the alliance was also rushing over.

    The crystal was just a few inches away from him.

    No! He hade too far to let all his hard work go to waste. Though the pain was blinding and made it difficult for him to think, the attention-splitting training with Eve proved useful. "Asta, now!" Nox shouted in his mind.

    Immediately, the air rippled as long tentacles burst forth. One wrapped around Nox, another around the shiny blue crystal, and another around Thirteen and Fluffington.

    "Foolish girl, you should have stayed hidden. Now you''ll die again... this time for good." Before the red-skinned girl could strike Wendy down, one of Astralux''s tentacles wrapped around her waist and flung her into the distance, grabbing Wendy.

    The tentacles moved with incredible speed, scooping up Nox, Wendy, Thirteen, Fluffington, and the elemental crystal. Astralux, who had been hidden in the sky, had acted just in time.

    This was Nox''s initial n from the start!

    The red-skinned girl, thrown far into the distance, tumbled across the frozen ground but quickly recovered, her crimson eyes zing with fury. She was about to give chase but stopped.

    Because the other Awakened had also arrived!

    "Where is little bro going? Isn''t that the elemental crystal?" Brendamented, her ck eyes confused.

    "Can''t you see he''s escaping with the elemental crystal?" Hex sneered at Brenda''s ignorance.

    "B-but..." Brenda was at a loss for words. She hadn''t expected this from Brutus.

    "Hey, isn''t he a member of your guild?" Brolly shouted, turning to Reyes. "Is this part of the n?"

    "He is hired," Cormach replied in a daze, struggling to believe they had been deceived. Was his name even Brutus?

    "T-this..." Captain Bofan felt a mix of gratitude and betrayal as he stared at the yellow tentacles in the sky. Gratitude for being saved, but now he wondered if the kid had deliberately waited for him to be devoured by the volcano before rescuing him.

    Under the re of the Awakened, the giant creature flew away. Some fired attacks hoping to bring it down, but it was futile as Astralux was high in the air.

    "Damn it!" Jack cursed as he watched Nox slowly disappear. His eyes were filled with longing. Among everyone, he believed the elemental crystal was crucial because... his life was on the line.

    Failing to return with the crystal meant certain death. How could he return knowing he had failed the mission and would be killed? Jack had been certain he would secure the crystal.

    The reason?

    It was simple. He nned to use his trump card when everyone fought fiercely for the crystal. However, who would have thought the youngest among them had been scheming all along?

    Reyes'' fists trembled slightly as realization dawned. ''That wall? The strange distance... this kid.''

    He knew there was something suspicious about the wall''s length and the distance Nox had mentioned from the start. He had thought the kid was preparing to use destructive skills, not wanting the other members of the alliance to get injured.

    ''So he was buying time to escape with the crystal?''

    Reyes suspected the kid was after the elemental crystals, something he nned to deal with after securing the crystal for his guild.

    But...

    ''He was one step ahead of me.'' A flicker of admiration appeared in Reyes'' eyes. Yes, he was still angry, but he couldn''t help but acknowledge the boy''s guts. If they knew the boy was much younger but appeared older due to constant use of Shadow Oblivion, they''d be even more shocked.

    Meanwhile, the leaders of the various factions exchanged bittersweet smiles. Their eyes were aze with anger, and tension crackled in the air. The first to speak was Brolly.

    your-NovelBin-story

    The muscr stud nced at everyone. His usual impulsive demeanor was gone. He spoke with a defeated tone: "Now what?"

    This was the question on everyone''s mind. With the elemental crystal stolen right under their noses, there was no point in continuing the fight.

    "Let me rify something," the leader of the Silvermist Guild said, staring at the sky. Though Astralux had long vanished, her gaze lingered, her eyes gleaming with obsession. "The kid never stole the elemental crystal. He deserved it... he fought for it. It''s just unfortunate that we were pawns in his victory."

    Slowly, everyone departed from the ruinedndscape that had once been a beautiful frozen forest.

    When everyone had left, Brandon emerged from behind arge rock and looked towards the distance where Astralux had flown. He had witnessed everything and recognized the white-haired girl whom Ren had imed was dead.

    From the concern in Wendy''s eyes, it was easy for Brandon to deduce her connection to the boy. Those eyes showed too much familiarity, as if the boy was someone very close to her. Brandon had always been adept at spotting when people were hiding something.

    "The panda and the cat are his allies?" Brandon muttered to himself, his voice low and calcting. He tucked his hands into his pockets, his green hair swaying in the breeze as he turned his gaze towards the direction where Astralux had flown. "And they''re from the Vermilion Kingdom¡­ very good. It seems I have the perfect excuse for the principal."

    ---

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    New week!

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    [GT Bonus Chapter: 1/3]

 Chapter 152: Meeting Her Again [1]

    "Damnit," Nox gritted his teeth, the strong gust of wind causing strands of his hair to flutter wildly in the air. He was trying his best to stay awake, but with each passing second, his HP bar continued to plummet. He looked beside him and could vaguely make out the figure of Wendy shouting.

    Though he couldn''t hear her voice, he could see her lips moving.

    "Nox, stay with me!"

    "Nox, stay with me!"

    A horrified expression appeared on Wendy''s face as she watched Nox''s pale face that was slowly turning as white as a sheet of paper. His red lips were dry and shivering slightly. Although he was staring at her, those beautiful ck eyes seemed very dull, as if they were looking past her.

    Wendy''s heart ached at Nox''s miserable sight. She had used her cloth as a makeshift bandage around his wound, but because she wasn''t an experienced healer like her mother, it didn''tpletely stop the bleeding.

    She feared that Nox might die from blood loss before she arrived at the destination. Her head was clouded with thoughts, and she didn''t even notice when she turned towards Fluffington, who was dangling in one of the tentacle''s hands. She spoke in an urgent tone filled with anxiety:

    "Is there a way for this thing to go any faster?" She had heard from others back at the Barony about Nox''s unique ss, which enabled him to tame beasts and use them aspanions.

    Wendy hoped deep in her heart that the cat could understand her too.

    Wendy wasn''t the only one who was anxious. Thirteen, Fluffington, and Astralux were even more worried than she was. Unlike Wendy, they had a connection with Nox and could feel the connection disappearing bit by bit.

    [Wuwuwwuw!] Tears pooled in Thirteen''s eyes as the panda saw Nox''s miserable state. He could feel that their connection was being severed gradually. He didn''t know what would happen if the connection was cut offpletely, but he instinctively knew it would be something very terrible.

    Fluffington tried to keep a straight face, but it was very difficult. He had heard what Wendy had said and had telepathicallymunicated with Astralux to hasten her pace.

    Feeling the gravity and weight of the situation, Astralux took on a gloomy shade, suggesting that she was very sad. Tears had pooled in her eyes. She had already lost her parents and didn''t want to lose Nox too.

    The only reason she wasn''t outright crying like Thirteen was that Fluffington had told her there was still time for Nox to be saved if she hurried towards the direction Wendy pointed at.

    However, this was a very difficult task because Astralux didn''t possess flight¡ªher skill was called Levitation, a much weaker version of flight.

    Regardless, burning through her energy reserve, she tried to elerate her speed to the best of her ability.

    While a giant octopus/jellyfish-like creature was speeding through the air, a woman with dark hair and mesmerizing ruby eyes followed them at the same pace on the ground.

    Soon enough, the jellyfish arrived outside a small cottage-like building.

    Attracted by the sudden sound, the couple who had nursed Wendy back to life rushed outside with frightened expressions on their faces when they saw the giant creature outside their home.

    "Heavens! What is that?" the wife eximed, rushing behind her husband, who, despite being an old man, tried to stand his ground against the creature, though his legs were wobbling.

    "Aunt, Uncle Bradford, it''s me, Wendy!"

    At that moment, Astralux freed Wendy from her tentacles, and she rushed towards the frightened couple. Wendy urgently exined the situation to them, and the couple immediately brought Nox into the house,ying him in the same bed Wendy had upied a few days prior.

    Then they called for the same healer who had nursed Wendy back to life.

    The couple watched from a rtive distance as the healer attended to Nox. Beside the healer was Wendy, who was repeatedly asking a series of questions about Nox''s condition.

    The couple could see that Wendy really cared about the boy she imed to be her brother. After Wendy had woken up, the white-haired girl had cleaned their house and even gave them a huge chunk of money as thanks.

    While treating her, the healer had already confirmed that she was Awakened, so they weren''t surprised she had such arge amount with her. Still, they had rejected her money and told her that they weren''t doing it for the money.

    Cleaning up the house was already enough. During the first few days they spent together, the couple discovered that the girl was very respectful and had a kind, gentle heart.

    At that moment, the healer''s expression turned grim. For the past hour, she had been expending mana trying to cover the gaping wound on Nox''s stomach; however, the wound refused to close, and Nox''s breathing had be shallow, barely perceptible. His once sharp and vibrant ck eyes now stared nkly at the ceiling.

    Wendy asked in a worried tone, "What is it?"

    The healer hesitated for a while, then stammered, "T-this... I can''t heal him."

    "What do you mean you can''t heal him?!" Wendy shouted in a slightly heightened voice. Wasn''t she a healer? Isn''t it her job to heal people? Wendy was perplexed; her mother was a healer, after all, and she had never said something like this.

    After some time, the healer spoke, "It seems a cursed weapon has been used on him."

    "Cursed weapons? The ones crafted by dark mages?" Wendy''s eyes widened.

    Cursed weapons were crafted by some of the most malevolent dark mages, imbued with a sinister energy that resisted normal healing methods. The effects of these weapons weren''t just physical¡ªthey corrupted the victim''s life force, making it nearly impossible for conventional healing to work. Wendy''s mind raced.

    She had heard about such weapons before, but seeing their effects firsthand on someone she cared for was an entirely different ordeal.

    "Yes," the healer confirmed grimly, her eyes heavy with the weight of the situation. "Even if I can close the wound, the curse will keep festering inside him. Only a special antidote or purification spell can save him now... and those are usually with the one responsible for the curse."

    "Wait, does that mean?" Wendy stammered.

    "He''s going to die if the antidote isn''t administered quickly," the healer spoke in a somber tone. "It''s still a surprise that he''s still alive; he should have been dead a few minutes ago."

    "Don''t say something like that!" Wendy retorted as she grabbed Nox''s pulse but then she froze... the pulse was gone.

    Wendy''s hand trembled, her eyes widening in shock. She pressed her fingers harder against Nox''s wrist, desperate to find even the faintest sign of life, but there was nothing. The cold, still skin beneath her fingertips told her what she didn''t want to ept.

    "No¡­ no, no, no¡­" Wendy''s voice broke, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned to the healer, her face a mixture of disbelief and despair. "You have to do something! He can''t¡ªhe won''t¡ª"

    "I''m sorry," the healer said softly, her gaze falling to the floor. "There''s nothing more I can do... I''m truly sorry."

    Wendy''s body went cold. She stumbled backward, clutching her head as though the world was copsing around her. However, before she could fall, the couple held her.

    Fluffington, who had been standing silently by the bedside, slowly approached Nox. His normally sharp and mischievous eyes were clouded with sorrow, his tail limp. story-at-NovelBin

    The cat hopped onto the bed beside his master, pressing his head against Nox''s chest, trying to find any semnce of the connection they once shared. But all he felt was emptiness.

    [Nox... Brat] Fluffington whispered through their bond onest time, but there was no answer. The bond, once so strong, had beenpletely severed.

    [Wuwwuwuw!] Thirteen let out a pitiful cry from the corner of the room, hisrge, round eyes filled with tears. Even Astralux, who had returned to her nonbat form, turned an even darker shade as all the tears she had been holding back poured out like a deluge. Was she just bad luck?

    "He can''t be gone¡­ what would I tell aunty Aina and uncle Nathan...what would I tell mother?" Wendy sobbed as she gently squeezed Nox''s hand as if somehow her touch could bring him back. But there was no response, no warmth. Just the cold, empty reality that Nox was gone. "He can''t¡­ we were supposed to save him¡­"

    The healer stepped back, giving the group space to grieve. She had seen death before, but there was something especially tragic about this one. The boy had been so strong, had fought so hard, but in the end, even strength couldn''t save him from the curse.

    While the small cottage was filled with sorrow, somewhere else, a beautiful woman with piercing, sparkling blue eyes and feline ears sticking out of snowy hair looked at a dark-haired boy with lightless eyes in amusement.

    "When are you nning on using that skill, stupid Versal?They''re starting to believe you''re actually gone."

 Chapter 153: Eternal Rebirth

    Nox blinked his eyes a couple of times, trying to adjust to the intense light shining down on his face. He could vaguely make out the shadow of a woman''s face staring at him, but with the light behind her, it was nearly impossible for him to discern her features¡ªonly the hair cascading down her face.

    Despite that, the person had a very pleasant scent that Nox thought was familiar. It was reminiscent of jasmine and sandalwood, with a hint of lotus blossom. The scent was very intoxicating, and Nox thought he would never get bored of it.

    Just then, before he could ask where he was, a familiar melodious voice rang out.

    "When are you nning on using that skill, stupid Varsal? They''re starting to believe you''re actually gone."

    Gradually, Nox became ustomed to the light and could make out more of the woman''s features.

    Her long, silken snow-white hair flowed gracefully over her shoulders, shimmering in the light. Her sparkling blue eyes were sharp, filled with both annoyance and amusement as she gazed down at him. There was an ethereal beauty about her, otherworldly yet undeniably powerful.

    It took some moments for him to recognize the woman, as he had not seen her for five years, but Nox''s thoughts eventually clicked into ce. A glint of confusion shone in Nox''s eyes as he stuttered:

    "Tera." His tone sounded uncertain, as if he couldn''t believe the goddess he had met in the pantheon of Mythical Beasts was standing in front of him. What had happened to him? What was he doing here? Nox felt there was a hole in his memory, as he couldn''t actually remember what had brought him here.

    "Ah, you''re finally waking up," she said, folding her arms as a small smirk yed on her lips. "Took you long enough."

    Tera''s smirk soon turned into a pout that nearly made Nox''s heart tremble. That simple gesture could make virgin boys swoon. She said in a slightly soft voice:

    "I thought you had forgotten me in all your worldly adventures... you didn''t evene and check on me after awakening your ss."

    "Sigh, we''re at this again," Nox thought, struggling to keep his gaze on the beautiful goddess who wore only a toga. All his hormones were acting up, and it took all his willpower not to pounce on the woman.

    With slight difficulty, he managed to say, "I didn''t forget about you. I... was just very busy in the past years. Also, how was I going to check on you? Thest time I checked, the Pantheons of Mythical Beasts weren''t located on the mortal ne."

    "Hmm, that''s true." Tera reasoned and nodded her head in understanding. "I know you must be confused and want to know the reason you''re here... let me refresh your memory a little."

    A few minutester, Nox was seething with anger as he remembered what had led to his death.

    "That girl... she really did kill me," he clenched his fists, the image of the red-skinned girl ingrained in his heart. If only he had been at full strength, Nox was certain he wouldn''t be dead now.

    As unbelievable as it sounded, Nox was truly dead at the moment. However, he disyed a frightening level of calmness, as if he was unbothered by the revtion.

    Tera watched him closely, her expression a mix of amusement and curiosity, as if testing how he would handle the revtion. "Yes, you''re dead," she confirmed in a matter-of-fact tone, as if discussing the weather. "There are only two choices: either go through another circle of reincarnation, or you could use the skill you copied earlier."

    "What skill?" Nox asked, hiding a grin on his face.

    "Hmpf, don''t act dumb, you scoundrel," Terra scoffed. "Did you think I didn''t notice that you copied the elemental beast''s regenerative skill during the fight?"

    A few hours earlier...

    "Finally, you decide to join!" Jack had eximed as he avoided a series of ice projectiles fired at him. His sword crackled with lightning as he jumped up, his de shing in the air and leaving a trail of lingering blue energy.

    Jack''s odachi bit into the hide of the elemental beast. Because that attack contained his full power, he managed to cause a small gash on the beast''s arm. To Jack''s frustration, before he couldnd back on his feet, the wound covered up as though it was merely a scar. The beast didn''t even retaliate against his assant and instead tried to get rid of the pest behind it.

    "Damn it, this regenerative skill is so annoying," Jack had muttered through his teeth, frustration evident in his voice.

    But behind him, Nox''s eyes glowed with interest when he saw this skill.

    He saw potential.

    He saw opportunity.

    He would regret it if he let a skill as powerful as this pass by.

    With a powerful skill like this, wouldn''t it mean he would be immortal?

    In Eos, the reason Awakened put themselves in harm''s way was that everyone was seeking immortality.

    The higher one''s level, the longer their lifespan.

    With this skill, he would be closer to bing an immortal.

    Yes, at that moment, Nox had activated his skills.

    [Mimicry Activated!]

    [Target: ciator, cial Resilience sessfully copied skill]

    [cial Resilience (Ultimate Skill): The Yeti''s body can regenerate rapidly when in cold environments, absorbing ice and frost to heal wounds and reinforce its defenses, making it nearly unkible in freezing conditions. (No cooldown)]

    [10x upgrade detected, new skill]

    [Upgrading cial Resilience x10!]

    [Ding! You''ve awakened Eternal Rebirth]

    Eternal Rebirth Description (Ultimate Skill): Upon death, the user is resurrected with 100% health and all debuffs removed. Their physical and magical power is enhanced by 200% for 5 minutes after resurrection. In addition, they gain a temporary shield that absorbs 50% of all iing damage for the same duration.

    If the user is killed again during this time, they can trigger the resurrection once more within the 5-minute period.

    Note: This skill can only be used once a year. If the user is killed after the first use, they''ll be permanently dead.

    Cooldown: 8,760 hours.

    [Do you wish to keep this technique or bestow it to a pet?]

    ---

    The present...

    "So, are you going to use the skill?" Terra said. "In normal cases, you''d wake up instantly. However, it seems that cursed weapon did quite the damage to your soul, so you''ll remain here for some time."

    Nox nodded and activated [Eternal Rebirth]. Even though he wouldn''t wake up instantly, he needed to assure the others that he was alive to stop them from crying.

    ----

    Back in the small cottage, the atmosphere was still heavy with sorrow. Wendy''s mind was filled with thoughts of how she would transport Nox''s body back to the Cromwell Barony, but if she got there, what exnation could she give the Cromwells?

    source-at-NovelBin

    The couples, having experienced the feeling of losing a loved one, tried to console Wendy. While the couples were speaking to the white-haired girl, Thirteen, who was still bawling and looking at Nox''s pale body, suddenly jumped up, his ck eyes wide with shock.

    Something strange was happening to Nox.

    The panda''s sudden reaction caught the attention of everyone. They all instinctively followed the panda''s gaze, and their breath immediately quickened, their hearts starting to beat so loudly that one might think it would jump out of their chest.

    Wendy''s eyes immediately lit up. So did Asta''s and Fluffington''s.

    "I-it''s healing!" Wendy stammered, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of excitement and incredulity.

    Before their eyes, a strand of blue light wove through the deep wound as if it were sewing it together. This was the same wound that the healer had failed to heal, now closing right in front of their eyes at a rapid pace.

    A pulsing blue halo washed over Nox''s body, and the once-pale skin began to look more radiant. When the lights subsided, they could see that Nox''s skin had returned to its normal color; one could argue it was even more beautiful.

    Nox''s heart, which had stopped beating a few minutes earlier, was now beating in a slow, gentle rhythm again.

    At the same time, the severed connection between Nox and his beast also returned.

    A momentter, Thirteen, Fluffington, and Astralux heard the familiar, loving voice of their master in their heads.

    "Guys... I''m fine."

    ----

    A big thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer!

 Chapter 154: Pantheon Of Mythical Beast

    "Sigh, what do I do now?"

    A handsome youth with ck hair cascading down his temples muttered to himself in a defeated voice. He was standing before a frozen river, staring at an abandoned ship, part of which was submerged in the ice.

    Naturally, this person was Jack.

    After failing to secure the elemental crystal, the Maverick Guild had gone back to the Valerian Kingdom, where they were from. Though they didn''t get the crystal, Reyes still made sure to pay off Jack.

    The youth stared at the five gold coins in his grasp, but there was no excitement in his eyes. No, a measly five gold coins wouldn''t make him excited, not when he had dozens in his spatial storage.

    Though he was staring at the ship, Jack''s mind was upied with thoughts. He was contemting... contemting whether he should return to his family or run away. He wanted to ask Reyes if it was possible for him to join the Maverick Guild.

    However, he held back.

    The reason was because...

    ''With the influence and resources that bastard has, it''d be much easier for him to find me.'' Jack reasoned as he slowly turned his back on the now-empty ship.

    ''The rats must be happy now.'' Jack let out a chuckle that didn''t match the emotionless gleam in his eyes, his effort to lighten the mood futile.

    ''What should I do?'' he asked.

    ''Stay hidden,'' a voice responded in his head. ''If you return there, you''ll be a part of him.''

    ''One of the numerous people,'' another voice added.

    ''Hide, hide where?'' Jack asked, his voiceced with frustration. What possible ces could he hide that that old monster wouldn''t be able to find him? The normal mundanes wouldn''t know, but all the major powerhouses in the human domain/Far West would never go against that man.

    The moment they found out any information about him, they''d immediately capture him and take him back to that godforsaken ce.

    "You have to change your identity, then." An intelligent voice suggested. "Only then could you truly disappear."

    Of all the voices in Jack''s mind, this was by far the most intelligent one; the others had a variety of personalities. He often confided in this voice for advice.

    Jack pondered over what he had heard. ''Change my identity?''

    -verified

    ''Yes...'' the voice confirmed, filled with certainty. ''Then you can hide in in sight.''

    "in sight?" Jack was still a bit slow.

    ''You''ll hide in the kingdom where Grandpa has the most influence.''

    ''He would think I''ll probably go to the Elven Empire, the Orcs, or somewhere else.'' Jack''s eyes shed as realization dawned on him. ''Not knowing that I''m just right under his nose.''

    ''But how would I change my identity?''

    ''The first step is very difficult. Are you sure you want to do it?''

    "Whatever it takes," Jack said, conviction filling his eyes. "I''ll stay hidden for now, but when I get stronger, I''m definitely paying that old man a visit."

    ---

    Meanwhile, back at the small cottage...

    Nox hadmunicated to all his pets, assuring them that he would be fine. Though he was still yet to open his eyes, feeling the strength in their bond was already enough assurance.

    Of course, the couple and Wendy didn''t hear this voice for obvious reasons. Wendy went outside and called the healer back into the room. She quickly checked his pulse, confusion shing in her eyes.

    "This... how is this possible?" The healer was at a loss for words; this was the first time she had witnessed something like this.

    "Cursed attacks don''t work like this... did you guys find the antidote or something?" Then she shook her head. Even if they found the antidote, there was no way it could heal him, as the kid was already dead.

    "We don''t know," Wendy exined, the tears gone from her eyes, her voice sharp. "All we saw was a bright light envelope him and..."

    Wendy went on to exin the whole ordeal... Even after her detailed exnation, the healer was still perplexed. The more she thought about it, the more she felt a light migraine. Hence, she could only check Nox''s condition and looked at Wendy with a serious tone.

    "His condition is stable, but he seems to be in aatose state," the healer imed. "But he should be up and running in days or weeks."

    The healer''s words calmed everyone''s hearts. Some timeter, the healer left. Wendy offered her money, but she refused, saying she hadn''t done anything to warrant payment.

    Wendy, Fluffington, Thirteen, and Astralux returned to Nox''s bedside, watching the handsome boy sleep peacefully. Thirteen gently pulled the bedsheets covering Nox''s body and squeezed himself onto the bed, watching Nox''s face.

    Fluffington and Astralux also hopped onto the bed, rubbing their faces against him. Wendy smiled softly at this sight. Even though she wasn''t part of the connection, she could feel that the beasts truly loved their master.

    ***

    Meanwhile, in an unknown location...

    "Is everything done?" Terra asked.

    Nox, who had just finished assuring his pets that he was perfectly fine, nodded at the beautiful feline goddess.

    "Then let''s go," Terra said, her tail flicking behind her as she turned and began walking forward without waiting for his response.

    Nox took a nce at his surroundings and realized that they seemed to be in an open field, the horizon painted in hues of gold and purple as the sun set behind distant mountains. The grass was tall, brushing against his legs as he followed Terra''s light footsteps.

    Nox forcefully looked away from Terra''s sensual waist, which was swaying from side to side, and said after a long stretch of silence:

    "Where are we going?"

    "Somewhere," Terra simply whispered and started to whistle. It was a clear signal that she didn''t want to indulge in any more conversations, and Nox quickly got the hint.

    The two walked through the field. Nox was a bit wary as he looked around. They seemed to be in a wild area of some sort, which meant there could be magical beasts.

    After walking for over an hour, they soon arrived at a giant gate... Looming in front of the door was a towering golden ape, watching with vignt eyes.

    "We''re here," Terra smiled. "Wee to the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts."

 Chapter 155: Pantheon Of Mythical Beast [2]

    Nox stared at the giant gate, admiration flickering in his eyes. The two double golden doors were bathed in a vibrant white glow and seemed to beckon Nox to step inside.

    Nox allowed his gaze to drift towards the Golden Ape that was looming beside the gate. Out of instinct, he activated *Analyze* and *Beast Sense*.

    But no information came up.

    Not even the name.

    Nox was perplexed.

    Was his *Analyze* level still too low, or was this Beast just too powerful for his current skill level?

    "Wee back!" The towering beast, which stood over 4 meters tall, bowed as soon as Terra approached the gate, its tone filled with respect, its eyes shing with reverence.

    The current scene would have looked strange to some people. The Golden Ape had a more furious outer appearance and gave off the aura of a battle-hardened warrior who had fought many battles. On the other hand, Terra had a delicate, beautiful appearance; some might not take her seriously. She didn''t give off the aura of a seasoned fighter.

    However, after witnessing the authority this beauty exercised that day in the grand hall, Nox didn''t doubt the goddess one bit. Though she looked delicate and harmless, as if she couldn''t even harm a fly, deep down he believed she was as powerful and ruthless as any other beast inside those gates.

    Terra simply nodded at the Golden Ape, who acted as a watchman, and thetter opened the gate, letting them in.

    "Is he the new vassal?" the ape wondered as it looked at Nox disappearing through the bars of the golden gate. "It''s been a long time since another human came here. It must be him," the ape thought, then went back to his duty.

    "Terra," Nox suddenly called out as soon as they entered the gate. He parted his lips, wanting to say something.

    "What is it?" Terra smiled as she nced at Nox''s face, but her gaze shifted forward when she noticed that the poor mortal''s cheeks were beginning to flush.

    "Say... I used my *Analyze* skill on the beast outside, but it was useless. Is there a reason for this?" Nox inquired, the blush on his face gradually fading.

    Terra let out a soft chuckle that was very pleasant to hear, like the melodic chime of a bell. "Ah, you must be referring to Argos, the Guardian of the Gate." Terra''s smile widened slightly as she continued, "Your skills are powerful for your current level, but there are some entities that exist outside the limits of what mortal senses and abilities can grasp."

    Nox''s brows furrowed in thought, but he stayed silent, absorbing her words.

    Terra continued, her tone gentle yet filled with wisdom. "Argos is one such being. His strength and nature are tied to forces that transcend mere mortalprehension. The reason you couldn''t analyze him is that your skills haven''t evolved to a point where you can perceive such beings yet."

    "A word of advice," Terra added just when Nox thought she was finished. "Don''t use your skills on any beast here because it won''t work."

    Nox nodded his head in understanding.

    "It seems I still need to continuously use these skills to increase their level," Nox made a mental note, then his ck eyes shone with confusion as he looked at Terra. He said in a soft voice, "Guardian? Is that his job?"

    "Yes, Argos is our first line of defense against intruders," Terra exined, her tone growing more serious. "He''s been here for eons; in fact, he is almost as old as me. His power is vast, and he''s fought in countless battles. Even the arrogant gods of the other pantheons show him some respect."

    Nox noticed that Terra''s voice wasced with disdain towards the end, but he didn''tment on it. Instead, he caught something from Terra''s dialogue.

    "He''s been here for eons, and he''s almost as old as you?" Nox repeated, a slight shiver running down his spine. "Say, Miss Goddess, how old are you again?"

    Could it be that she was an old hag who took the appearance of a beautiful youngdy? Nox wondered. This thought wasn''t far-fetched, but he didn''t say it out loud.

    "Hmph!" A fake annoyed look appeared on Terra''s face as she pouted, "How rude! Didn''t your mother tell you that it isn''t appropriate to ask ady her age?"

    "I... She did," Nox responded, recalling the time when his mother had tried lecturing him about women, but he had never paid attention to most of the things she was saying.

    In this dog-eat-dog world, he''d be damned if women were his major priority.

    "Well." Terra nced ahead. Although they had passed through the gate, there was still a considerable distance before they could enter the Sanctuary of Beasts, which was the sole capital and city in the pantheon of Mythical Beasts. Then she said in a much more serious tone, "It''s better you don''t know my real age...Let''s just say, it''s far older than you''d ever guess.

    Also, this is my real appearance, not the old hag you probably think I am."

    Nox was at a loss for words. "How did you know?"

    Could she read his mind?

    "Tsk, it''s written all over your face." Terra sneered, though even that was very appealing to watch. How could someone look this effortlessly beautiful? Nox was in a daze as he watched that ethereal face. Soon, Terra''s blue eyes sparkled as she added to rify some things.

    "We gods don''t age," she imed, a hint of pride in her voice. "However, we can choose whatever appearance we wish to have. I, unlike my sisters, prefer to look like this... trust me,pared to the others, I''m still very young."

    Nox nodded slightly, adjusting himself to the gravity that was vastly different from the one back on Eos. Seeing his struggle, Terra waved her hand, and Nox was suddenly alleviated from the crushing gravity.

    The beasts here were very powerful; they wouldn''t have any problems with the gravity, but the same couldn''t be said for Nox, who was just a mere mortal.

    "Thank you," he smiled at her.

    "You''re wee, and oh... we''re here."

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 Chapter 156: Pantheon Of Mythical Beast [3]

    Nox stepped into a city unlike any he had ever seen¡ªa vast metropolis that sprawled across the horizon, shimmering beneath a golden sky.

    "Amazing," Nox gasped, his dark eyes sparkling in admiration. It was the first time he had seen a city as beautiful as this in both of his lives.

    Towers carved from dark stone rose into the sky, their surfaces covered in intricate runes that pulsed with a faint, otherworldly energy. Each building was unique in its own way, and vines as thick as tree trunks twisted around the structures, sprouting vibrant flowers that glowed in hues of deep purple and fiery red.

    Looking ahead, Nox could see massive statues of legendary creatures¡ªdragons, griffins, and others¡ªstanding at key intersections. Their eyes gleamed with gemstones that gave off a faint glow, almost as though they were watching the inhabitants.

    The streets of this beautiful city were filled with a variety of beasts. Gigantic creatures like the Irond Rhinox, towering over buildings with their armored hides, moved through the streets slowly, while nimble, more predatory beasts like the Shadoww Lynx leaped from rooftop to rooftop, always on the hunt.

    Above the ground, floating inds orbited above the city, home to aerial beasts like the Thunderwing Falcons and the Sky Serpents, casting long shadows across the streets. These creatures swooped down from time to time, interacting with the other beasts before going about their day.

    "So many elemental beasts," Nox gasped. Elemental beasts were very rare, but in just a few seconds of being here, he had already spotted more than one.

    This ce was amazing!

    Nox looked at Terra beside him with a sparkling gleam in his eye as he alternated his gaze between the beasts and the feline goddess.

    Before he could say anything, Terra beat him to it.

    "No, you can''t have them." Terra''s voice shattered Nox''s fantasy of taming all these creatures like a broken vase.

    "There are several reasons why this is impossible," Terra stated after seeing the confusion in Nox''s eyes. "First, your taming space would copse because of your rtively low level... second, you''re currently in your spirit form, which limits you to only basic skills like *Analyze* and *Beast Sense*."

    Nox curiously checked his system status and confirmed that most of his skills were blurred out, with blinking red text stating "Restricted" hovering above them.

    Nox felt depressed, but then an idea suddenly struck him, and his eyes sparkled once more as he asked in an eager tone, like a child, "What if I increase my levels and return here physically... would I have a chance?"

    Terra hesitated, her mind drifting back to the past. Gustavo had also asked this question. She seemed dazed for a while before snapping out of it and gave the same answer she had given multiple times before:

    powered by mvl|empyr

    "Mortals can''t step into this ce," she exined in a soft voice. "It''s a rule set by the All-Fathers since time immemorial... the only way you can step into this ce is by ascending and bing a god, which is no easy feat."

    "Bing a god, huh?" Nox contemted. If even Terra said it was hard, then truly it was hard.

    "Don''t be dejected." Terra winked and added in a low voice, "If you search wisely, you might find cities like this in the lower nes."

    Nox put the thought in the back of his head as he continued into the city.

    "Everyone, the vassal is here!"

    A booming voice immediately called out as soon as Nox started walking through the streets. Several beasts of all sizes and shapes emerged from thefort of their homes and rushed outside to look at the one who carried the fate of them all on his shoulders.

    Nox was a bit rmed when he saw all the creatures suddenly lunge at him, but they merely stopped in front of him, scrutinizing him to see if he was worthy of being the vassal.

    These beasts were the normal citizens of the Sanctuary of Beasts, so they hadn''t witnessed Nox''s selection. The only ones allowed to witness such important events were the administrative body who aided the goddess in governing the pantheon.

    "Such a handsome human."

    "Although he''s just a kid, I can feel the raw power emitting from him."

    "He must be a hard worker... it''s rare to see a human kid with such a toned body," one fox-like beastmented, feasting her yellow eyes on the boy.

    Terra, who was standing close to Nox, nced at him to see his reaction to the beasts'' praises.

    There wasn''t even a single trace of nervousness on his face. Nox knew this was the right time to disy his unwavering confidence. If he faltered here or showed any sign of nervousness, the beasts would lose faith in him.

    Yes, he needed to be their beacon of hope.

    Someone they could be proud of and brag about to the other pantheons.

    His ck eyes held the collective gaze of all the beasts, including the ones subtly releasing their aura, testing to see if he''d be intimidated.

    "Thank you foring out to receive me," Nox said, his voice steady and confident. "I''m truly honored to represent esteemed, noble creatures such as yourselves."

    Immediately after hearing this, the beasts'' eyes sparkled as they began to murmur amongst themselves once more. This time their voices were high-pitched and filled with excitement.

    "Esteemed!"

    "He called us noble! It has been centuries since someone called us that."

    "I like him already."

    "This kid." Standing at the top of a tower, a fox woman was watching everything y out with a twinkle in her eyes. "With just a few simple words, he has won over the hearts of the citizens."

    "Tsk, these validation-seeking beasts are always easily swindled with words," a huge panda, standing beside the woman,mented. Beside the panda was a short, sturdy creature that looked at Nox with an irritated expression.

    "Look who decided to show up," the short creature smiled mischievously.

 Chapter 157: Brandons Secret

    Inside a rtivelyrge room with golden details on the walls and white pristine marble floors, a young man stood before a beautiful purple-haired woman with eyes of the same color. She was wearing a ck gown with golden ents.

    The beautiful woman sat behind a desk, her elbows ced on the ebony desk, those purple eyes¡ªbelonging to someone who seemed like an experienced killer¡ªstaring directly at the green-haired youth.

    Naturally, this youth was Brandon. After the ordeal in the Kingdom of Snowhelm, he had returned as fast as he could since he had nothing else to do in Snowhelm, and staying longer could expose his true identity as a citizen of the Vermilion Kingdom.

    The person in front of him was none other than Bridget Lockheart.

    She was the current vice principal of the Vermilion Royal Academy and was also a high-level Awakened. She was one of the few people you didn''t want to provoke in the capital city of the Vermilion Kingdom.

    Being in her presence alone was overbearing.

    "You sought an audience with me?" Bridget spoke in a soft voice. Though low, it was domineering and assertive, leaving no room for dy.

    Brandon nodded and started, "Y-yes, Vice Principal." His calmposure broke slightly.

    Clearing his throat, he began.

    "Just as instructed, I went to Snowhelm to assist Ren Silver..." Brandon went on to exin the mysterious letter Ren had received and what happened in the cave.

    "After stumbling upon the two elemental crystals, I warned Ren about the dangers associated with caves such as this, but because of his stubbornness, he got us trapped in a frozen prison."

    "That''s something that arrogant noble would do," Bridgetmented in a quiet voice that didn''t interrupt Brandon''s exnation.

    Brandon continued exining about the other factions outside the cave.

    He hesitated for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "After returning from Snowhelm, I did some digging. It turns out that the person who initiated the attack that led to Ren''s death was none other than Nox Aegis Cromwell, the grandson of the mad dog in the west."

    Bridget''s hand, which had been tapping lightly on the desk, ceased. Her sharp purple eyes locked onto Brandon; the weight of her attention made Brandon swallow nervously.

    "Is that so?" she murmured, as a dangerous glint sparked in her gaze.

    "The one who has been making waves in recent years?" Bridget furrowed her brows. The capital had been buzzing with rumors of the uing tournament, and Nox''s name was on everyone''s lips. The vice principal leaned back slightly in her chair, her fingers steepling as her mind began to turn.

    Hendrix Armstrong,

    Dean Armstrong,

    Maria Armstrong,

    Ss Armstrong,

    Nox Aegis Cromwell,

    and Jared Landon.

    These people were the main dark horses of the tournament. Three of them were already enrolled in the Vermilion Royal Academy, while the others had yet to be admitted into any school.

    The vice principal had already made ns to attend this tournament and personally hand over invitations to the most promising talents to bring to her academy before the other schools snatched them up. Therefore, she was very familiar with Nox.

    Bridget narrowed her eyes, her purple irises shing. She also knew about his unique ss, which was one of the reasons why she had paid the most attention to himpared to the other participants.

    As she thought, Bridget was oblivious to Brandon''s twitching fingers and the nervous beating of his heart. Brandon noticed the slight change in the vice principal''s expression¡ªher calcting look. He clenched his fist to chase the nervousness away. He couldn''t afford to mess up here and arouse suspicions.

    After a while, Bridget finally broke the silence, gazing straight at Brandon as she said, "The elemental crystals... what of them?" check out m-v-l-e-m-p-y-r

    This was very important information. For some reason, Brandon hadn''t included it in his exnation.

    Brandon straightened his back and quickly responded in a rushed voice, "He took all three. Right under everyone''s noses."

    "T-this..." Bridget''s eyes sparkled with interest as she heard this. If the other noble households learned about this, they would probably bully the Cromwells into giving up the crystals. However, Bridget was only filled with growing interest and curiosity.

    "I see." Bridget leaned back and a flicker of interest crossed her features. She wanted to know how the kid had done it. How was he able to snatch not one but three elemental crystals from several powerful Awakened?

    Coming out of her thoughts, she asked, "You said Wendy Chai is with him, right?"

    "Yes, Vice Principal." Brandon nodded respectfully.

    "Hmm, good. We need to find a way to contact her." She nodded with a thoughtful expression. "We need to find out everything about that kid. You''re dismissed."

    "If that''s all, I''ll leave, ma''am," Brandon spoke as he saw the contemtive look on the principal''s face. Bridget nodded without even looking at the green-haired boy, her head full of thoughts.

    She was pondering a way to appease the Silver noble household. It was rare for students to lose their lives during missions, but there was always a possibility, and every parent was well aware of this before sending their children to the academy.

    However...

    ''The nobles will always make a ruckus,'' Bridget thought. ''I wonder how the Silver household will react to this.''

    Bridget wasn''t frightened by them... in fact, there were only a handful of people in the capital who could beat her. The Silver noble household, though noble, was not among these people. She was mostly worried that the Silver family would try to demandpensation, just like other nobles.

    ''And if we don''t concede, they''ll try to nder the academy''s name.''

    "Old man Nathan, you must be cursed," Bridget muttered to herself, a bitter smile curling up on her lips as she recalled the past. Then she added with a soft, pleasant chuckle, "It seems even your grandson inherited your temper."

    Outside, Brandon walked along the long hallway, his boots clicking softly on the red luxurious rug that had cost thousands of gold coins. The walls of the hallway were adorned with intricate golden details, and a series of chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, giving the space a vibe of royalty.

    From the windows on the walls, Brandon spotted several castle-like European buildings of all shapes... some with towering spires, others with grand domes. The structures were scattered across thendscape. Even the grounds were cobblestone, and students wearing the Vermilion uniform¡ªcrimson zers with gold trim¡ªwalked and gossiped amongst themselves.

    Vermilion Royal Academy, just like the name suggested, was breathtaking... it was an academy that was supposed to be meant only for noble children; hence, millions of gold coins had been expended to bring this beautiful school to life.

    However, as of this moment, Ren wasn''t taking in this beautiful scene... though he was looking outside, his gaze was vacant.

    Brandon''s mind shed back to the events that urred in the frozen cavern. The images were vivid, as if they had only happened seconds ago, and he clenched his fist, his eyes burning with determination.

    ''What happened inside that cave will forever be a secret... it''s just so unfortunate that the me will fall on the Cromwells.''

 Chapter 158: Repaying Debt[Bonus Chapter]

    The panda who was watching Nox from a distance suddenly moved its spot. He was so swift that the only thing the others noticed was a gust of breeze, and he was already gone.

    Nox took a slight step back when he saw the massive panda suddenly appear before him with a loud bang, causing a slight crack on the cobblestone ground. From the point of impact, a shockwave spread outward, forcing Nox several steps back and almost making him trip over.

    Terra''s beautiful blue eyes shed sharply with anger as she regarded the massive panda, which was over two meters tall, with an annoyed look.

    Nox, who had somehow gained his footing, had a confused expression on his face. He thought everyone loved him, so why was this panda attacking him... in front of their goddess?

    "Rufus, what is th mea--" Terra opened her mouth to speak, but the words were caught in her throat when she noticed the panda kowtowing before Nox.

    "Thank you, Vassal!" The Panda''s voice boomed with gratitude, his eyes filled with a sincere, almost reverent, light. Nox''s confusion deepened. What had he done to deserve such a response from a creature of this stature?

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    Though Nox couldn''t see their statuses, he knew the panda, who had a slight resemnce to Thirteen, was powerful just from its aura alone, despite it being suppressed.

    "Oh." Terra''s eyes gleamed in understanding, then she frowned and reprimanded, "But you shouldn''t have approached him like that."

    "What is this about?" Nox threw a confused look toward Terra.

    "That day in that forest, you saved thest of my ''direct'' descendants." It was the panda known as Rufus who answered. His big ck eyes shone with gratitude as he looked into Nox''s eyes, which were much darker and more ominouspared to his.

    "If not for you... thest of my lineage would have been wiped out from the face of Eos. Thank you very much. How can I repay this favor?"

    "I..." Nox was at a loss for words as he looked at the panda, which seemed like it would not get up anytime soon. Things had already clicked in his head, and he could tell the muscr panda was referring to Thirteen. When Nox had recklessly run out that day, risking his life, he hadn''t expected anyone to reward him.

    He had only rescued Thirteen because he couldn''t watch the poor panda being crushed under the hooves of the beast horde. He never thought a day woulde when he would be rewarded for his good deeds.

    Of course, Nox wasn''t nning to take any reward; after all, Thirteen had helped him a lot... he was totally worth the risk that day.

    Seeing the interested look in Nox''s eyes, Rufus hurriedly stated, "You currentlyck a dagger, right?"

    "Y-yes." Nox drew out his response with furrowed brows. Terra shot a stern look at Rufus.

    "What are you intending to do?" she asked.

    "I want to grant the Vassal a gift," Rufus stated, slowly getting up on his feet, resolution palpable in his voice.

    "You know what that means, right?" Terra narrowed her eyes.

    "I know we promised each other not to spoon-feed the Vassal and make him work hard toward his goal, but..." Rufus''s eyes gleamed with determination as he stood to his full height, towering over Nox. "This is not spoon-feeding, goddess," he said calmly, his deep voice echoing in the area. "This is repaying a debt of gratitude..."

    A series of whispers erupted among the onlookers.

    "Is Rufus seriously nning on sacrificing his ##### for a human kid? If he does that, doesn''t it mean he wouldn''t live for long?"

    "Maybe with time he could recover it, but it all depends on the Vassal. If we had limited energy like the other factions, even I wouldn''t hesitate to give him a gift because he would need it on his journey."

    It was hard to point out who was speaking as they were all talking in the same time.

    Terra sighed, her stern demeanor softening just a bit. "Very well," she relented, crossing her arms. "But remember, Rufus, his path is one of strength and perseverance. Don''t undermine that."

    "I understand." Rufus nodded, happiness in his eyes. "The Vassal deserves more than just words for saving one of my own. I offer him something that will help him on his journey."

    "Come, let me craft you a weapon that will make mortals shake in their boots."

    Nox didn''t refuse this time. He wascking a dagger, after all... without one, he felt a bit naked. His only worry was his system features. Nox briefly nced through his system and noticed that the inventory wasn''t restricted like the others.

    This meant that he could take the dagger back to Eos.

    "Alright, if you say so then." Nox smiled.

    The other beasts wanted to spend more time with their Vassal; unfortunately for them, Terra dismissed everyone, and they all begrudgingly went back to what they were doing.

    After that, Nox, Rufus, and Terra walked into a building made out of bamboo sticks fastened together. Upon stepping into Rufus'' bamboo home, Nox took in the simplicity of the ce. The walls were made of tightly bound bamboo sticks, with small gaps allowing beams of sunlight to seep through. The scent of fresh leaves and earth filled the air.

    It was a humble ce, in contrast to the imposing presence of the muscr panda.

    At the center of the room hung a single hammock, suspended by thick vines tied to sturdy beams. The hammock swayed gently in the breeze that filtered through the open windows, its woven texture showing signs of long use.

    Nox nced at the hammock and then back to Rufus, curiosity bubbling within him. "You live here alone?" he asked, his voice low as if not to disturb the quiet peace of the home.

    Rufus nodded, hisrge frame seeming almost out of ce in the small space. "Yes," he replied. "After I ascended from Eos, this ce became my sanctuary. It''s simple but more than enough for me." He disyed a contented smile at the end.

    Terra took a step inside, her presence seeming to light up the room in a different way. Her blue eyes scanned the space before theynded on the hammock.

    ****

    Last of the Bonus chapter for The golden Ticket goal.

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 Chapter 159: Repaying Debt [2]

    Terra took a step inside, her presence seeing to light up the room in a different way. Her blue eyes scanned the space before theynded on the hammock.

    "It''s been a long time since I visited your home. Do you still use this thing?" she asked, a yful tone in her voice. "How do you even fit in that?"

    Rufus chuckled, a low rumbling sounding from his stomach. "It''s stronger than it looks," he said. "And it''s surprisinglyfortable. You''d be amazed what one can grow used to when they live in the wild."

    After that short exchange, Rufus didn''t stay there for long and led Terra and Nox into another room.

    The walls in this room were made of ckened metal, giving off a faint metallic smell. Nox''s gaze scanned around, and he saw countless crude irons hung all around. There were hammers, tongs, and other forging instruments. There were also several tables with beast cores, metal tes, and sturdy durable bones that once belonged to powerful beasts.

    The only source of light came from the corner of the room where the forging furnace was set. Within the furnace, a crackling inferno of red and blue mes danced wildly, casting beautiful lights in the room. Nox found the way the mes burned strange but didn''t think much of it.

    "Alright." Rufus eximed and took a deep sniff of the room as if getting himself familiar with the scent. He then went on to pick up a heavily built hammer, swinging it onto his shoulder easily. "It has been decades since I forged a weaponst. I hope I haven''t gotten rusty."

    Nox''s gaze lingered on the hammer, imagining how many tons that thing weighed.

    "This will take some time. You can explore the city ande backter... By the time you return, I''ll probably be done," Rufus advised.

    Nox shook his head. "I want to watch. I have never seen a cksmith craft items before."

    "I''ll stay for some time. I still have some things to attend to," Terra stated.

    "Then have a seat." Rufus wasn''t shy about showing off his craft and gestured for the two to sit down and watch. He then said in a confident tone: "Your time will be worth it, I promise."

    The muscr panda then moved to his forging table, brought out ink, and drew the size and appearance of the dagger, showing it to Nox, who nodded in satisfaction.

    A few minutester... .

    ng! ng!

    Sparks of blue and red mes flew about in the air as Rufus''s right arm moved up and down as the heavy hammer mmed into the metal pieces. Nox''s eyes shed; the sight was breathtaking, and he felt that he could continue to watch Rufus for hours without getting bored.

    Several more hours passed, and Rufus was still busy hammering away. Nox hadn''t noticed the passage of time. Because Terra had gone to attend to something important, they were the only ones in the workshop.

    Soon, Rufus stopped hammering and moved to a different table where the monster cores were ced on a t metal te. Unhurriedly, he put on special gloves that resisted fire and any heat-rted energy. His big ck eyes were slightly narrowed as he brought the metal te to the forge funnel, where zing blue and red mes were burning intensely, ready to devour anything in its path.

    As he brought the crystals closer to the funnel,

    The mes surged up, seemed to stretch out, and licked the shiny blue core.

    ''What the heck, does that me have a life of its own?'' Nox was stunned, speechless at this sight.

    The figure of Rufus pushing the metal te into the zing fire reflected in his ck eyes. Beast cores were very sturdy; however, as soon as they were ced into the fire, the mes became several times brighter and, with a roar, devoured the blue cores hungrily.

    That roar confirmed Nox''s suspicions... the me seemed to possess a life of its own. It was very difficult to believe but seemed to be the only logical exnation.

    Just a few secondster, the shiny crystal that wouldn''t break even if one used a hammer on itpletely turned into liquid, and Rufus brought out the liquefied beast core, pouring it into a container.

    Nox''s gaze continued to linger on the me, which gradually dimmed down considerably after the crystal was taken out. It was like a baby going to sleep after a meal.

    Nox''s gaze drifted back to Rufus, who was now making a series of engravings on the hilt of the dagger. His white furry face was extremely serious. Nox noticed that the panda seemed to be engraving some sort of runes on the de and hilt. A few minutester, he ced the dagger, which was over 30-35 cm, back into the forge tunnel and brought it back.

    Carefully, Rufus then applied the liquefied beast cores to the engravings on the de and hilt. The unfinished dagger shone with a beautiful blue light as the core energy was channeled into the metal.

    "Here. This is an appreciation for preserving my legacy... It isn''t much, but it should give you an edge over most humans."

    Some timeter, Rufus was done forging the dagger. He brought the dagger, which was wrapped in a piece of cloth, to the young boy who couldn''t take his eyes off it.

    "Thank you." Nox nodded his head, his heart beating wildly with excitement as he received the dagger. Like a kid eager to open their Christmas present, Nox quickly unwrapped the dagger and observed the de that Rufus had worked on for so many hours without even taking a rest.

    The de of the dagger was dark and had a smooth, polished surface with faint runes etched along its spine, glowing with a subtle blue light. The hilt was ergonomically crafted with a crossguard that curves slightly, providing enhanced control and protection for the user''s hand. It was wrapped in ck leather that offered bothfort and a secure grip.

    After admiring the appearance, Nox proceeded to check the effects of the dagger. The first string of texts that appeared in his retina made his heart skip a beat.

    Support Supreme BeastTamer with Golden tickets and power stones... let us climb the rankings!

 Chapter 160: Commander Of The Valkyrie

    In a ruinedndscape with seeral craters and wolf-like beasts strewn across the ground, several powerful-looking women wearing armor and winged helmets stood, their focus fixed in the distance. These warriors all had stoic expressions crossing their serious yet beautiful features.

    There was a wild look about them, and they gave off the aura of seasoned warriors who had fought through and survived bloody wars.

    Despite not saying anything, there was palpable tension in the air. In the trajectory of their gaze, nothing could be seen, only the severely destroyedndscape.

    Just then, the loud, thunderous sound of hooves pounding on the ground broke the silence.

    "It''sing, Commander!" a blonde-haired woman announced, her eyes filled with burning resolve, her voice filled with determination.

    "It seems their entire army has decided to arrive," another womanmented, her fingers drumming against her thighs. She looked at the confident back of the one known as the Commander with a spark of reverence in her eyes.

    An army that had brought down several cities and nations was approaching, yet there wasn''t even a semnce of fear. Her posture was as straight as a sword.

    The Commander stood at the forefront of the army of over 500. Just like the others, the woman possessed a fit build, chiseled for battle, yet it didn''t hinder her beautifully endowed curves that couldn''t be hidden by her ck armor. Her raven hair whipped about her face, and her beautiful dark eyes, far darker than normal, burned with an inner me.

    In her grasp was a sword whose de glinted under the re of the sun.

    The Commander gripped the hilt of her sword firmly and shouted in amanding voice that easily cut through the noise generated by the approaching hooves.

    "Formation!"

    As soon as the order was given, the army scattered and reformed into a majestic curved line, resembling a crimson moon with the Commander at its center. The heavy infantry, d in dark-steel armor, formed a shield wall, their long spears and swords at the ready.

    The strong gust of wind generated by the approaching beast horde caused their hair to whip about their faces.

    At the middle of the formation, the Commander''s eyes shed sharply as she grasped her sword firmly. Its de, etched with runes, shimmered with a soft lunar glow. Soon, the enemy''s army was reflected in her dark eyes.

    Contrary to their expectations, it was no army.

    But a single entity.

    Immediately upon seeing this entity, the women felt a collective shiver down their spines and instinctively shot a nce at their Commander, whose fingers were twitching slightly.

    Confusion crossed her face, and her eyes trembled. She had perfect control of her emotions, as disyed since the beginning, but this was an entity that was far beyond their league.

    The entity was a monstrous wolf, over 5 meters tall. Its fur was dark, and its eyes zed with an otherworldly glow. The wolf''s massive paws glowed with faint light as it approached the now-trembling army.

    This beast was none other than the Apocalyptic Wolf!

    They had initially prepared to face its army. Who would have thought the leader woulde to the battlefield himself? A beast that was just one rank away from Sovereign Tier!

    Under the menacing presence of the Apocalyptic Wolf, the brave warriors were beginning to falter, their faces filled with uncertainty because their Commander had yet to give anymand or make any move.

    Sensing the unease, the Commander turned to her subordinates. Her ck eyes seemed to peer into the soul of everyone as she said in a loud voice:

    "We have two options." She stated, returning her gaze to the approaching monster. "Run back like cowards or weaken the creature before our sisters arrive."

    Everyone listened intently, the uncertainty slowly fading from their faces.

    The Commander nodded in satisfaction, a rare smile curling up on her lips as her eyes burned intensely. Without them saying anything, the Commander could already tell where they stood in this fight.

    Then she raised her sword and shouted in a booming voice:

    "Valkyries, hear me! Today we fight, not just for victory, but for our right! To protect our realm, our people dear, we''ll face the darkness, and banish fear!"

    The Commander''s words were like a highly intoxicating drug¡­ from her speech alone, everybody felt their blood boiling. The uncertaintypletely faded from their faces.

    Now, Death strangely seemed enticing.

    Badump! Badump! Badump!

    Countless hearts beat in unison, and the warriors raised their weapons to the heavens and roared in a booming voice:

    "SK?L! SK?L! For Goddess Aurora! For the Valkyries! We''ll conquer darkness, with hearts full of pride! SK?L!

    SK?L! For honor! For glory! We''ll stand as one until victory''s story!"

    The collective voice struck fear in the Apocalyptic Wolf''s heart, but it shook the fear away. A malevolent gleam returned to its eyes.

    "For honor! For glory! We stand as one! Against the Devourer, our hearts are won! With steel and shield, we''ll hold the line, for our sisters, our brothers, we''ll make it shine!" the Commander chanted, approaching the beast, a fierce expression on her face.

    "FOR VALHALLA!"

    "Ahhhhhhhh!"

    That single sentence was like a button that detonated the bomb, and the warriors charged in.

    A few hourster¡­

    "We failed¡­" The Commander staggered, a pool of blood beneath her, her armor broken in countless ces. Strewn across the battlefield were her¡­ sisters.

    Yes, she was the only one left.

    Though they had made up their minds to die here, the Commander still felt a pang in her heart. She nced ahead at the creature who had single-handedly massacred her army.

    The enormous beast prowled toward the Commander¡­ with every step it took, the ground rumbled as though an ancient leviathan was approaching.

    The battlefield seemed to hold its breath. The Commander locked eyes with the beast, her sword arm trembling, and her heart beating wildly. Like an unstoppable force, the beast gradually closed the distance.

    It was now just 5 meters away.

    Time seemed to slow down.

    ''All my sisters¡­ all of them killed,'' the Commander thought, her eyes, once full of sadness, now shing with defiance as she thought back to the sacrifice of herrades. These were people who had fought in countless battles with her.

    But today, they were no more.

    She was the only one left. your m,v,l,e,m,p,y,r story

    Was there even a need to keep on living?

    "Not like I can survive this cmity." She chuckled, a bitter look in her eyes, as she held her sword firmly in her hand. A pulsing purple glow descended from the sky and mmed into her with a thunderous sound.

    The Commander''s eyes became aze. With the sword securely ced on her shoulder, she started to stride forward, her eyes shining with an intense purple glow.

    "You evil vermin, I shall cast you back to the treacherous hellhole you came from," her voice boomed in all directions as if it were the voice of a divine being about to give judgment on the mortal ne.

    The giant wolf''s glowing eyes shed with a hint of fear, but this fear was only brief. The ravenous gleam returned a split secondter. Saliva dripped from its mouth as it charged forward, leaving a supersonic speed trail behind it. As it disappeared, a rtively deep crater was left in its wake, plumes of smoke rising into the air.

    The beast and the Commander locked eyes, and the air grew heavier. There was no fear in the Commander''s eyes. She was ready to sacrifice her life to bring down this cmity that shouldn''t exist.

    "Die!"

    With her sword glowing like a purple inferno ready to destroy the world, the Commander''s de shed through the air. Simultaneously, the beast''s ws, glowing with an eerie green light, shed forward, ripping through the air. However, before the attacks couldnd, the world seemed to shatter into countless fragments.

    At the same time, a beautiful girl with vibrant dark hair, neatly tied behind her, opened her mesmerizing dark eyes as she was jolted from her bed with a startled cry. Beads of sweat umted on her temples, and confusion crossed her delicate, beautiful features.

    ****

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 Chapter 161: The Unseen Force

    A beautiful girl with vibrant dark hair, neatly tied behind her, opened her mesmerizing dark eyes as she jolted up from her bed with a startled cry. Beads of sweat umted on her temples, and confusion crossed her delicate, beautiful features.

    Boom! A loud noise reverberated as the oak door of the room flung open. The next moment, Nyx was startled and quickly summoned the sword her mother had given her for her 9th birthday. Her eyes shed sharply as her head jerked toward the door.

    Nyx thought it was an intruder and was ready to strike, but seeing that it was her mother, she visibly rxed. She returned the sword and stared at her mother, who was approaching with creases on her forehead and a worried expression on her face.

    "Nyx, what is it?" she inquired softly, her hands moving to wipe the sweat from Nyx''s temples. "This is the third time you''ve shouted in the middle of the night... Is it another dream again?"

    Nyx licked her dry lips and nodded. "Yes... but I can only remember small fragments."

    Aina forced a smile, her eyes filled with worry. "That''s progress," she said. "So, what did you remember?"

    For the past month, Nyx had been waking up in the middle of the night with a startled cry, drenched in sweat as if a bucket of water had been emptied on her, her face and lips looking extremely dry, as though she had seen a ghost.

    At first, Aina had thought it was just a nightmare that would gradually go away with time. However, Nyx''s continuous screams in the middle of the night were beginning to worry her.

    Nyx took a deep breath, an expression suggesting she was trying to recall something crossing her face. Then she spoke:

    "It was very vague, but I can tell we were fighting a war. Me, along with several people, but something happened that left me deeply saddened..." Nyx trembled slightly as she attempted to recall the dream that had been so vivid. She shook her head and added, "I can''t even recall the details, but it was very vivid."

    Aina let out a sigh. Since she didn''t know the content of the dream, there was virtually no way she could help. All she could offer was a simple hug.

    "Come here." Aina called out, and Nyx shifted closer to her mother. The two hugged for a few minutes without sharing a single word.

    In her mother''s embrace, Nyx felt at peace, and the sadness she had been feeling slowly faded away. Because her eyes were tightly closed, she didn''t notice the soft, luminous glow emitted from Aina, enveloping the two of them. This glow was one of Aina''s skills, allowing her to siphon negative emotions from others, making them feel calm and at peace.

    Aina''s gentle hum, a soothing melody, apanied the glow, further easing Nyx''s troubled mind.

    As the glow intensified, Nyx''s thoughts became clearer, and she opened her eyes.

    Simultaneously, the glow disappeared. It was well-timed, and Nyx hadn''t even noticed.

    "Feel better?" Aina asked, managing a warm, gentle smile. After siphoning the negative emotions from her daughter, Aina was now filled with negativity, her thoughts constantly drifting to her husband, who was somewhere in the world.

    Every day she wondered where he could be, and she was greatly saddened. However, today, the emotions were intensified, a result of taking the negative emotions from her daughter. Aina didn''t regret it, though; as long as her daughter''s burden was alleviated, she didn''t mind repeating the process. .

    "I''m fine now." Nyx exhibited a smile¡ªso beautiful that it would make many hearts beat wildly, stirring a desire to protect her with their lives.

    Aina''s eyes sparkled with warmth as she watched her daughter''s radiant smile. Sometimes, she couldn''t help but wonder who would be the lucky man to capture her daughter''s heart in the future... Sometimes, she felt Nyx was too perfect, and no man could ever be worthy of her.

    "Mom," Nyx spoke up.

    "Yes, darling, what is it?"

    "Have you heard any news about my stupid brother?"

    "Oh, Eve told me he''s perfectly fine, but I don''t think he''ll return anytime soon." A wistful expression crossed Aina''s face, chasing the negativity away. "It''s been over a month since he left, and I already miss him so badly."

    "You miss him too, don''t you?" Aina turned to Nyx, who scowled in response.

    "Obviously not."

    "Then why did you ask about him?"

    "T-that..."

    ...

    In the massive meeting room of the Cromwell Barony, the soft glow of shimmering moonlight filtered through the high windows, illuminating therge wooden table.

    Seated at the head of the table was none other than Nathan Aegis Cromwell. On both sides sat Celine, Aina Elvin the archer, Gordon the druid, and Hans, the short, sturdy warrior. Eve would have been here if not for her special circumstances.

    Everyone''s expression was extremely serious, and the air was heavy. Nathan cleared his throat, and the meeting officially started.

    "I have received news from the other towns. It seems we aren''t the only ones experiencing unusually strong monsters," Nathan said, drumming his fingers on the table. It was very rare to see the old man so serious, which spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.

    "At first, we thought it was the doing of the Armstrong Duchy, but from the reports, they''re also facing the same problem. The beasts keeping close to the walls, as if something is attracting them."

    After the blue-fanged python that tried to breach the wall, there had been several more cases of unusually strong beasts attempting to breach the walls. After facing several more beasts, Nathan decided it was enough, and they needed to take drastic measures before these beasts infiltrated the town.

    "So what''s the n?" Celine spoke, and everyone opened their ears.

    ...

    Swoosh. Swoosh.

    While the meeting was going on, red figures darted through the outskirts of the Cromwell Barony with blinding speed. They moved so rapidly that it was very difficult for the eye to follow. The only thing detectable in their wake was the reddish afterimage and the dust trail that followed wherever they went.

    The approaching beasts¡ªstealthy, panther-like creatures¡ªgrowled menacingly, their red eyes glowing in the dark as they sensed the presence of countless figures. These figures radiated killing intent, which only meant they were enemies.

    From the shadows, the red figures emerged and lunged at the panther-like beasts, their steps almost undetectable. Hundreds of red shes cut through the darkness in the blink of an eye.

    Then the red figures disappeared, heading toward another direction of the walls.

    In their wake, the panther-like beasts remained standing, but they were motionless as stone statues. A thin trickle of blood seeped from their bodies, the only sign of life extinguished. Then, in an instant, the creatures copsed, their forms disintegrating.

    Meanwhile, the red figures continued to dart around the outskirts of the walls, maintaining close proximity and easily handling any beasts attempting to infiltrate the Cromwell Barony. Some intelligent creatures tried to burrow underground tunnels that would link into the town.

    However, the red figures arrived just in time and easily eliminated them.

    Unbeknownst to the citizens, an unseen force was protecting the town, getting rid of the beasts attempting to infiltrate the walls.

    Yet no one knew about it.

 Chapter 162: The Unseen Force [1]

    "T-this... who is responsible for this?" Celine eximed, her wrinkled face filled with confusion.

    It was the next day, and after a report from a patrol guard, she, along with the key figures of the Barony, had rushed over here, only to be met with the sight of dozens of beasts sliced into several parts, their beast cores missing.

    "Do you think it''s the work of a human? Perhaps one of the citizens?" Gordon wondered aloud, his eyes never leaving the carcasses of the beasts.

    "I doubt it," Nathan responded, scratching his chin. "Apart from us, there is no one skilled enough to execute such precise shes."

    He was right. Awakened individuals weren''t abundant in the Barony because most had either gone to the capital to work for a guild or as mercenaries. Even being a servant in a noble household allowed them to live morefortably than staying here.

    "Then who would do something like this? Are you sure of what you''re saying?" Celine furrowed her brows, a cold shiver running down her spine. The deadliest enemies were the ones you had no information about.

    "Everyone, I think I found something." Hans, squatting and observing one of the beasts, called out, attracting everyone''s attention.

    ---

    *Swing! Swing!*

    Early in the morning, Nyx was sweating profusely, a sword that glinted in the sunlight in her grasp. She expertly swung the sword, cutting through the air and causing the air around her to vibrate slightly.

    ''Not enough!'' Nyx gritted her teeth, shing the air once more. Her swings intensified with each motion, bing more deadly. With her narrowed eyes and raven hair, streaked with red, dancing wildly in the wind, she looked like a fierce, beautiful demoness.

    Because she was so engrossed, she hadn''t noticed someone approaching from behind... at least that''s what the person thought, until she twirled her feet just in time. Spinning her body, her sword shed toward the neck of the person sneaking up on her.

    "Heok, it''s me!" A beautiful light-skinned girl with mesmerizing chocte eyes eximed in fright, feeling the cold de at her neck. This girl was Serena.

    "You know I don''t like it when someone sneaks up on me like that." A sharp sound tore through the air as Nyx withdrew the sword from Serena''s neck.

    Serena felt her throat hurt slightly, yet she didn''t seem bothered. Instead, she was taking deep, rapid breaths as though she had just run a marathon.

    "Are you okay?" A worried expression crossed Nyx''s face.

    With a flushed and pale face, Serena eximed, "B-beast! The other kids and I spotted a beast close to Miss Eve''s house. Where''s Grandpa Nathan? We have to report this to him immediately!"

    "A beast inside the town?" Nyx repeated with an incredulous expression. How did a monster manage to bypass the town''s towering walls and infiltrate without anyone noticing?

    Nyx''s confusionsted only a second before she grasped her sword tightly and grabbed Serena''s hand, pulling her behind as she sprinted toward the direction Serena hade from.

    "W-what are you doing?" Serenained, being effortlessly pulled along as if she weighed nothing. It was really embarrassing, but she was more confused as to why they were running toward the monsters instead of seeking help.

    "Take me to the ce!" Nyx shouted as the breeze whipped against her serious face. "Besides, Grandpa, my mom, and all the important people are currently outside the town. Who knows how many lives that thing could take before help arrives."

    "Y-you!" Serena wanted to argue, but she knew Nyx wouldn''t change her mind when she wore that expression.

    Soon they arrived at the ce. It was the pathway that led to the gloomy mountain belonging to the "red-eyed witch," as the children fondly called her.

    Indeed, Serena was right¡ªthere was a beast.

    It was a four-legged creature with a muscr frame radiating power. Its brownish hide was filled with scars, as if it had been in many fights. The beast''s features were a blend of wolf and bear, with razor-sharp ws and teeth extending from its maw. Its piercing yellow eyes gleamed with a fierce inner light.

    [Bearwolf - LV 9 Wildin]

    Because they were both Awakened, the two saw the red string of text hovering slightly above the beast, disying its MP and HP.

    Nyx grasped her sword tightly and took a step forward, ready to engage the beast in a fight. Serena was conflicted and had a bad feeling about this¡ªthe beast was on the cusp of leveling up and bing an intermediate tier. She doubted Nyx could inflict harm on it; after all, she had tried the same with arrows, but the hide of the beast was too sturdy.

    Eight metres.

    Seven Meters.

    Five  meters.

    Four  meters.

    Three  meters .

    Two meters.

    Nyx drew closer, taking a fighting stance. The beast also stepped forward, a snarl on its face, saliva dripping from its mouth.

    Yet, before the beast and the young girl could sh, a blinding reddish trail passed between them. Nyx stumbled back, shielding her eyes from the intense colors.

    She thought it was an attack by the beast and forcefully opened her eyes, only to witness a sight she had never anticipated. She stood there, unmoving.

    "What was that?" Serena eximed, rushing forward, only to be met by the sight of the beast split in two.

    "H-how?" Serena was stunned. She hadn''t seen Nyx move, yet somehow the beast was... No, it must have been the red sh. But where did the she from?

    ---

    "Hmmm." Inside Eve''s mansion, Skully, the butler, had been watching the beast outside all this time. Thanks to his vastwork, he had also noticed the strange movement outside the walls of the town, but he wanted to observe more before making any decisions.

    ---

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    The reddish trail zed through the town. A few observant citizens caught fleeting glimpses of the scarlet blur that vanished before their eyes could fully register it.

    "Damn, the sun''s too bright¡ªI must be imagining things again."

    "Yeah, I thought something passed me."

    Because of the blinding speed and the swift disappearance of the afterimage, most of them felt they were hallucinating and continued about their day, unbothered. .

    ---

    Behind the Cromwell Manor, roughly 500 meters from the mansion''s bright lights, the reddish trail suddenly stopped in front of a wall concealed by thick foliage and twisted branches.

    The wall, made of rough-hewn stone, merged with its surroundings, its surface obscured by vine and moss. If one were to stand here, they''d not notice anything out of ce.

    However, as soon as the reddish trail parted, it revealed a long tunnel stretching inward, with shimmering blue monster cores in the ceiling casting warm light on the passage. Inside this massive tunnel, mutated red-caparaced ants worked together, meticulously carrying food and other supplies.

    The reddish trail entered the tunnel. The ants inside gave a simple nod and continued with their tasks. They were creatures that didn''t dwell on mindless conversation, preferring to focus on getting their jobs done¡ªa truly hardworking bunch.

    The reddish figure sauntered through the tunnel, taking several turns while greeting any ants it passed along the way. Finally, it came to a stop in front of two golden double doors. Pushing them open, the figure stepped into a luxurious chamber and kneeled in front of a humanoid ant lounging on a throne-like seat. Beside her was another humanoid ant with dark, carapaced skin.

    The ant spoke in a deep respectful, almost reverent tone: "My queen, it is done."

    The Ant Queen''s eyes softened for a moment, reflecting both pride and resolve, before they zed with determination. She clenched the armrest of her throne, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "Good. While Master is away, we are his shield. No harm will touch those he loves¡ªnot while we still breathe. For his sake, we will protect all that he holds dear."

    Meanwhile, back at Eve''s Manor, the flickering green orb in Skully''s eye socket shed sharply. The undead, with its enhanced vision, had just witnessed the wall parting behind the Cromwell Manor and had even caught a glimpse of the inside.

    ....

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 Chapter 163: The Unseen Force [3]

    "I-It wasn''t your doing, right?" Serena stammered, unable to believe her eyes. Perhaps this was one of Nyx''s hidden moves she wasn''t aware of; after all, it was no secret that Nyx liked to keep her abilities hidden, only revealing them at crucial moments.

    This was a habit only Nyx had adopted because all the other kids openly used their skills.

    "It wasn''t me. I didn''t even make a move," Nyx responded, her gaze still fixed in the direction the zing red trail had headed. She briefly thought about her brother, recalling the speed he had used to overwhelm Wendy.

    ''But... he''s much faster than this,'' Nyx thought. ''And he''s still far away, so it''s definitely not him... then who? Who could move at such speed?''

    "Whatever that thing is, it could''ve hurt me if it wanted to," Nyx said aloud in a serious voice. She then looked at Serena, whose gaze was still fixed on the beast, unable to take her eyes off it.

    "Come, let''s go report to Grandpa!" The two girls nodded at each other and disappeared from their spot.

    ---

    "Look at this," Hans pointed at the tiny, precise cut on the beast''s body.

    The others, now squatting, were at first confused because they couldn''t spot anything unusual about the beast. What stared back at them was the red innards of the creature, which weren''t appealing to look at.

    "You fool, are you joking around again?" Elvin, the archer, eximed, his features twisting in annoyance.

    "I''m not," Hans responded in a calm voice. "Can''t you see it..."

    At that moment, Nathan''s eyes shed. "T-these aren''t sword wounds."

    Gordon leaned in closely. "Nor are they w marks."

    "Indeed, now that I look closely, they''re too precise and tiny," Celine nodded, her eyes shining in realization. "It''s definitely not the handiwork of a human."

    "Sigh, I''m confused. If it''s not a beast or human, then what?" Nathan felt a splitting headache the more he tried to think about the situation. "And why kill the beast? What''s their end goal?"

    "Maybe to lure more beasts to our walls?" Hans shrugged. "I mean, isn''t itmon knowledge that magical beasts can sense blood from afar?"

    Nathan seriously considered Hans'' words for a split second before shaking his head in denial. "It can''t be. Without the need for the blood, the beast had already beening close to the walls... I don''t see the need for the extra effort."

    Hans'' expression gradually shifted into one of annoyance, then he said in a tone filled with sarcasm: "I hope you''re not delusional enough to think some sort of hidden entity is helping us?"

    "That''s exactly what I''m thinking," Nathan nodded with a serious expression.

    "Y-you--" Before Hans could retort, a gust of wind hit everyone, and both Nyx and Serena appeared. Everyone''s attention was momentarily drawn to the two girls. While Serena was panting heavily, Nyx proceeded to exin everything they had witnessed.

    "Didn''t I tell you?" Nathan turned to Hans, an irritatingly triumphant smile on his face.

    "Don''t say it," Hans'' eyebrows twitched.

    "I... was... right. There is indeed something protecting us." Then he paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "But what?"

    ---

    While the conversation was going on...

    "Don''t let them breach the gate!" The booming voice of a man echoed, his eyes shining fiercely. He coldly red at the horde of goblins and flicked his wrist.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    A series of thick green vines the size of pirs burst out of the ground with a deafening sound capable of making blood spew from one''s ears.

    As if the vines had a life of their own, they quickly lunged toward the beasts. The vines, thick as ship ropes, wrapped around the goblins, constraining their iling limbs. The man''s gaze never wavered, his eyes burning with unyielding intensity as he bellowed at the other armored Awakened who were fighting the goblins in fiercebat.

    "Hold the line!"

    The goblins'' shrill screams pierced the air.

    The vines constricted, their tendrils digging deep into the goblins'' scrawny flesh. The sound of cracking bones and tearing sinew filled the air, apanied by the sickly sweet stench of crushed vegetation.

    To the man''s left, a goblin managed to slip free, its eyes zing with fury. But before it could do anything, a spear hurtled through the air and impaled it, spraying green blood on the ground.

    The green-haired man looked in the direction the spear hade from and saw a boy with green hair and eyes, a carrot in his mouth.

    "Thank you, Jared," the Baron of Landon Barony nodded to his son, a brief sh of pride in his eyes as he charged in to join the fight.

    "T-ten people have died already. How are these monsters so strong?" the man wondered aloud, his fist clenched, his nails digging into his skin, drawing blood.

    As the blood dripped one after another like tears, the man clenched his fist even tighter.

    ---

    The Cromwell and Landon Baronies weren''t the only ones experiencing beasts drawing close to the walls. All the towns in the western region were experiencing the same thing; although the beasts came in smaller groups and they managed to get rid of them, many people were still injured.

    This was moremon in towns that weren''t as developed as the Astrong Duchy, the Cromwell Barony, and the Landon Barony.

    The Luminary River was connected to several smaller bodies of water in the Vermilion Kingdom, a few even branching into other kingdoms. It was the main source of water for magical beasts and even some humans, hence this river was pristine and kept in good condition.

    Inside the Luminary Forest, in the same cavern where Nox had awakened his ss, arge man in a ck cloak with a giant ming rose on his back was standing at the edge of the underground river. In his hands was a vial of milky substance that seemed to bubble.

    The man gently knocked the cover off this vial and emptied its contents into the river. As soon as the liquid entered the water, it bubbled slightly before merging as if a harmful substance that would forcefully evolve beasts, making them more ravenous, hadn''t just been added. thank you for using NovelBin _l _e _mpy _r

 Chapter 164: Skullys Investigation

    "What do the injuries look like?" Aina, who was also present, turned to Nyx and Serena with a serious expression. She then pointed at the mutted panther-like beast, to which both girls nodded, erasing any lingering doubts from everyone.

    Something was indeed helping them.

    Naturally, they didn''t suspect it could be one of Nox''s beasts. After all, he was away¡ªa fact known by everyone in the barony¡ªand he went everywhere with his beastpanions. Clearly, whatever this thing was, it was on their side. It was both good and terrifying at the same time.

    Good because this mysterious entity was helping them.

    Terrifying because they didn''t know anything about this entity. What were its intentions and goals? It was a mystery, as Celine thought. The unknown was the most frightening existence.

    What they didn''t know was that this was not the first time the mysterious entity had eliminated beasts that wereing close to the Cromwell Barony. If only they had walked some distance, they could''ve witnessed a trail of dozens of beasts strewn across thendscape like discarded toys.

    "Now, what do we do?" Elvin asked, scratching his head with furrowed brows. It had been confirmed that something was helping them out, but they''d be foolish to ce their trust in an entity they had no knowledge of.

    The entity had even somehow snuck into the town... what if it had a change of heart and attacked the children and elderly? These thoughts weren''t far-fetched. After all, there had been times when even protectors had turned into destroyers.

    If Nox were here, he wouldpare this situation to aic book back on Earth, where a caped vignte was always cautious of the alien, evening up with ns to eliminate it if it ever turned against humanity.

    Nathan sensed the weight of the collective gazes of the others. He shifted, locking eyes with everyone. The baron knew he had to make a decision. Fortunately, he had already made one in the meeting the previous day. Now he only needed to tweak the n, which wasn''t too hard to do.

    "I''ll head to the capital as nned, but I want the rest of you to keep a close watch on those helping us. If possible, find them."

    Everyone nodded in agreement, a serious expression crossing their features.

    Then Nathan whistled. A momentter, a piercing shriek was heard through the sky as a powerfully built wyvern descended from the sky andnded on the ground, raising a brief dust storm all around.

    Doombringer''s yellow eyes shed as it bent its neck in submission and respect before Nathan. Nathan gently patted the scaly wyvern''s head, and the beast closed its eyes, pleased.

    Before Nathan could jump on the wyvern and take off, Nyx called out.

    "Grandpa, can I apany you?" Her crisp voice cut through the air. Nathan stared at his granddaughter for a while before looking at Aina, who shrugged.

    "Alright, climb on," he relented eventually with a nod.

    A few minutester, Nathan and Nyx mounted the wyvern and took off in the direction of the capital.

    "I hope he doesn''t cause trouble there," Aina muttered in a low voice that was audible enough for the others, and they nodded in agreement.

    ---

    That same night, behind the Cromwell Manor, a tall figure wearing suspiciously thick clothes with a hood was looming before a wall covered with moss and vines. The figure''s oversized clothes fluttered in the wind. Underneath the hood, a pair of shimmering, orb-like eyes gleamed.

    "Now, how do I open this wall?" Skully muttered to himself. After discovering the hideout, Skully hadn''t reported to Nathan immediately because he wanted to carry out his own investigation... after all, he had his suspicions.

    story at NovelBin,mp|y|r

    For the next thirty minutes, Skully attempted to open the wall, but it was futile.

    When it crossed an hour, Skully was starting to be annoyed. He had witnessed the strange way the reddish figure had entered¡ªit had simply stood there, and the walls had effortlessly parted.

    "Maybe someone opened it from the inside. Let''s try a different approach, then." Skully''s eyes glowed intensely, and a beam of greenser shot out. Using theser as a cutting tool, he aimed to carve through the moss-covered stone. The greenser hissed as it made contact with the wall, creating a trail of scorched earth and dust in its wake.

    Within minutes, the wall copsed, revealing a wide circr impression asrge as Skully''s frame.

    "I knew it!" Skully eximed as he immediately passed through the opening and stepped into a tunnel crowded with red, carapace-covered ants.

    Zttt-Zttt

    As soon as Skully stepped into the tunnel, the ants threw hostile looks at him, their massive mandibles snapping together with audible clicks. These monsters were the size of full-grown humans, with gleaming red carapaces and fierce red eyes.

    Sensing the hostility, Skully raised his hand and spoke in a neutral tone. "I mean no harm. I just want to have a conversation with you¡ª"

    Skully wasn''t able to finish as one of the ants lunged forward with the intention of crushing him with its mandibles. With a heavy sigh, a sword made of bone materialized in his skeletal hand.

    The second ant lunged at him, but Skully swiftly sidestepped, his movements fluid and controlled. Hended an urate, non-lethal strike with his bony de, slicing through the tendons of the ant''s legs, causing it to copse without harm. The others shrieked, charging at him recklessly.

    Shing! Shing!

    Skully''s eyes shed with a green pulse, and with a swift motion, he spun through the swarm, using his de''s t edge to deflect strikes and disarm the ants without causing permanent damage. His strikes were swift, cutting just deep enough to weaken the creatures'' mobility but not enough to end their lives.

    "I don''t want to fight you guys! I just want to have a word with your master!" the skeleton shouted, but the ants didn''t pay attention and threw themselves at him. Skully was slowly getting irritated as the entire tunnel trembled as if it would soon copse.

    "What did I even expect from these mindless savages? I thought they were supposed to be one of the most intelligent species!" Skully couldn''t help butin.

    ---

    "Mydy, you don''t have to do everything yourself."

    "There''s a reason I''m your husband."

    Inside thevish chamber, the ck carapace-covered Ant King had long heard the disruption. The humanoid insect looked at his wife with an affectionate gaze. She was pregnant yet again; the Ant King didn''t want her to burden herself with the colony''s affairs.

    The Ant Queen smiled warmly at her husband''s words. Her delicate insectoid features softened, and her usually sharp mandibles rxed. "You always worry about me, my love," she said, her voice like a gentle hum. "But I am fine. The eggs are developing well, and our children will be strong."

    The Ant King''s gaze lingered on the queen''s swollen abdomen, adorned with intricate, gemstone-encrusted armor. "I know you''re capable, but I''m here to share the burden," he said, his antennae twitching as he stood up and started to stride toward themotion. His eyes shone with an intense light, eager to face the creature that had dared to infiltrate their nest.

    The Ant King''s booted feet carried him through the tunnels. He could hear the distant boom that suggested fierce fighting. The Ant King increased his pace and soon arrived at the tunnel where the intense fight was going on.

    The tunnel floor was littered with countless groaning ants. They weren''t dead but had received heavy blows that left them temporarily paralyzed. Standing in the midst of the groaning ants was a single creature.

    A creature the Ant King had never seen before in his life.

    A skeleton.

    Regardless, this didn''t quell his anger, and a powerful aura exploded from his body.

    Meanwhile, Skully narrowed his green, orb-like eyes as a sense of realization washed over him. "This ant looks like the one belonging to that pipsqueak," his eyes widened further in realization. All this while, he had just been fighting overgrown ants.

    "Could it be..."

    ****

    A big thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and gifts I really really appreciate. 300 Golden tickets for mass release is still on!!!

 Chapter 165: Skully Vs Ant King

    Feeling the powerful aura pouring out of the ant king like a broken dam, Skully didn''t flinch, much to the annoyance of the ant king.

    The creature had expected the skeleton to tremble and shatter into countless fragments before its presence; after all, it was a fragile being¡ªliterally constructed from bones.

    Contrary to the ant king''s expectations, Skully didn''t shatter or tremble. He lookedpletely fine and was now even working his bony jaws to convey something.

    The reason Skully didn''t feel intimidated by the ant king''s aura was because the beast was only King Tier, and he had faced countless opponents of that rank.

    ''Besides, nothing could be more powerful than Mistress'' crazy aura,'' Skully thought, snapping out of his thoughts.

    "You seem to be smarter than the others. Don''t make me take back my words¡ªlet''s discuss like normal human beings... or in this case, an ant and a skeleton," Skully coughed, the sound resembling bones grinding together. It was unpleasant to hear.

    "I have nothing to say to a disgusting creature such as yourself," the ant king bellowed as it took a step forward, its fist cracking with ck energy that surged throughout its body.

    Seeing the energy, Skully''s green orb-like eyes dimmed. He grasped his bone sword tightly, his green eyes locking with the ant king''s red pair. Their gazes shed mid-air, and the atmosphere became electric with tension.

    "I take back my words," Skully stated, his voiceing out as a growl. "It seems I''ll have to beat the answer out of you like the others."

    "Hmph!" The ant king sneered. A *bang* sounded as it surged forward, leaving a ckish trail behind it. The spot where it previously stood caved in.

    Within mere seconds, the ant king appeared in front of Skully, delivering a crushing punch.

    **BANG!**

    The explosive attack was met head-on by the skeleton, who stopped it with his sword.

    The ant king''s expression darkened at this¡ªit had expected the bone to be obliterated by that punch alone, yet there wasn''t even a crack on its surface.

    Seeing the confusion in the ant king''s eyes, a smirk appeared on Skully''s bony features as he taunted in a mocking tone: "Though these things look like this, they''re as sturdy as iron. You''ll have to put more effort into breaking it."

    The skeleton''s mocking words were like a detonator that triggered a hidden bomb inside the ant king''s body, and anger surged within the ant king like wildfire.

    "Lowly skeleton," the ant king stated in a calm voice, but the tone alone revealed that this was the final straw... Further provocation and all hell would break loose.

    "Don''t even say it," Skully''s orbs flickered dangerously.

    "You dare!" The beast exploded, its attacks bing more wild and savage. Its punches left ckish afterimages in the air as it pounded on the skeleton. Each attack was filled with the intention of obliterating Skully.

    **Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Bang! Bang! Bang!**

    **Rumble! Rumble!**

    The tunnel began to tremble, the green monster cores tumbling down from the ceiling, apanied by rocks.

    Despite all these attacks, Skully expertly danced between them with incredible speed that seemed impossible for his build. The ant king''s expression grew more furious with each passing second. Skully''s sword strikes were lightning fast, biting into the ant king''s joints and even slicing off one of its antennae in half.

    Slowly, the ant king became disoriented. While it was dishing out blows, Skully seemed to calcte his every move.

    -mp _y,r.

    **Shing!**

    The ant king shrieked in pain as one of Skully''s attacks severed one of its limbs.

    "You can end this quickly," Skully whispered as he dove in for another strike. "All you have to do is take me to the one in charge!"

    A loud ng sounded as the ant king lifted its arm to parry the attack. Its eyes shone with defiance as it red at Skully and growled, "Never!"

    *Sigh* If only it had paid attention, it could have noticed that I didn''t actually hurt its brethren, Skully sighed inwardly.

    The ant''s irritation was building up¡ªit felt embarrassed that it hadn''t evennded a single attack on the skeleton, who seemed so out of ce in this environment. Consumed by rage, the ant king ced its hands on the ground.

    A buzzing sound, almost disorienting, filled the air, and the ground trembled beneath their feet as the ant king''s actions took effect. The earth cracked open, revealing a rtively deep crater.

    A sea of armored bodies poured out from the opening, their shiny exoskeletons gleaming in the blue light that shone down from the beast cores embedded in the tunnels. These were worker ants, humanoid in appearance, very simr to the ant king but unique in their own way.

    The main difference was¡­

    Wings!

    These ants had wings.

    "These annoying bugs," Skully muttered, worry briefly crossing his expression at the sight. He hated facing area-type creatures because they were very troublesome to deal with.

    "Go forth! Crush our foes, my loyal workers!" the ant kingmanded with a wave of its hand.

    The ants'' buzzing increased tremendously as their wings beat in unison and they surged forward, their mandibles snapping, yellow energy bubbling between them.

    The yellow energy sts erupted forward all at once, aimed squarely at the skeleton. The countless sts reflected in Skully''s green orbs. His instincts screamed at him, warning that he would be in terrible condition if that energy hit him.

    In the next instant, the skeleton exploded into motion, his body a blur as he twisted into unnatural angles, avoiding the dozens of yellow energy sts headed his way. Skully ducked, jumped, and flipped through the air, disying stunning acrobatic skills that would put even athletes to shame.

    One could argue that it was because he was made of bones, which wasn''t far-fetched. Skully''s flexible joints enabled him to dodge all the yellow energy. He briefly looked around and saw sizzling, noxious bubbles rising from the stone ground.

    "I was right¡­ Argh!!!!"

    Just then, one of the poisonous energy sts caught Skully off guard when he wasn''t paying attention. The skeleton only noticed when it was toote. Desperate, he blocked it with his hand. To Skully''s horror, the hand started to disintegrate and was spreading toward his shoulder, then his head.

    The speed was incredible, like a raging inferno consuming dry wood.

 Chapter 166: Ant Queen

    If that me reached the skeleton''s head, it would be done for. Skully''s bony chest rose up and down as panicked breaths escaped its skeletal frame. Left with no choice, Skully forcefully ripped out his hand, throwing it to the ground.

    Skully suspected the poisonous yellow energy was in some sort of cooldown as the aerial worker ants descended on him after seeing that he was vulnerable.

    Fortunately, it was his good hand that was wielding the sword. He still had a fighting chance. The skeleton no longer held back its strength. All this while, he had been controlling it because he simply wanted answers, but since the other party didn''t want toply, he would have to resort to drastic measures.

    "Hmpff, even if you guys were to cut off both of my hands, I''d still win this fight!" The skeleton sneered, its voice filled with disdain. He lunged forward at the closest worker ant that was swooping down, its mandibles snapping, ready to tear the skeleton apart.

    *Shing!*

    *Bang!*

    Skully''s bony sword shed in the air, striking the worker ants. The skeleton then charged at another one, leaving the previous ant with a cracked exoskeleton. When the ant tried to move its wings, concentrated thin green blood oozed out from the numerous cracks that had spider-webbed through its exoskeleton. A momentter, that ant''s body fell apart as if it had been held together by a thread.

    Skully''s body was a blur as he moved past another ant, then another. Another and another. Any ant that he passed by immediately fell, all that remained in his wake was a fountain of blood.

    Some timeter, the only ones left were Skully and the ant king.

    The ant king''s eyes zed with anger as it watched this scene, its powerful mandibles glowing with a brilliant purple light that seeped into the surroundings, casting a regal eerie aura. The ant king''s body trembled in rage, but before it could explode forward, a feminine yetmanding voice boomed through the cavern.

    "That''s enough! Both of you, stop!"

    The two who were about to sh once more looked in the direction of the voice and saw the red-carapaced ant queen standing, her expression unamused. Her gaze briefly shifted to the ground, where she could see several red-carapaced ants lying and groaning.

    She sighed softly in relief when she saw they were all fine, just temporarily immobile. Then her gaze shifted back to Skully.

    "Master Skully, what brings you here?" she said in a rather respectful tone. After all, this skeleton was one of the people who had trained her, along with Mistress Eve.

    "Ah, finally a reasonable person," Skully eximed as he also recognized the familiar ant queen that belonged to a certain pipsqueak who was currently away.

    ---

    "Grandpa, why are you so tense?" Nyx asked, staring at the back of her grandfather, whose shoulders were tense. They were currently flying through the air over the Western Region.

    The Vermilion Kingdom capital was located in the Eastern Region, but they were currently above the ancient Dragon Spine Range, a towering mountain range that stretched across the western horizon, its rugged peaks shrouded in mist.

    Nathan''s gaze remained fixed on thendscape below for a while before he responded in a low voice, "Just keeping watch."

    Of course, he couldn''t outright tell the young girl about his history with those in the capital.

    "But we''re so high, I doubt anything could attack us from here," Nyx replied, her gaze fixed ahead. Though she said this, she was still alert herself.

    Yes, just like Nyx, she didn''t think Grandpa could fend for himself in case an area-type beast attacked them... she had to be vignt.

    Nathan nced down at the Dragon Spine Range, which was shaped like a literal dragon spine. "You see that mountain?" he pointed out a momentter.

    "What about it?" Nyx asked, her brows knitting together as the wind caused her lustrous ck hair with streaks of red to flutter.

    Nathan spoke in a strangely wise tone that the little girl wasn''t used to: "Even those who soar among the clouds can plummet to the earth, my granddaughter. No height is safe from the shadows that seek to destroy us."

    Nyx was momentarily confused. A lost expression crossed her features as she asked, "What do you mean?"

    "Because of its flight ability, this dragon might''ve been extremely cocky in its prime, but see what happened to it."

    Nyx''s eyes widened slightly. "Wa-wait, this range is an actual dragon?"

    Nathan didn''t say anything, but his silence spoke volumes. She was shocked. This mist-covered range she had thought was just a rocky formation was actually a literal dragon.

    "But I thought those were rare," Nyx''s mind raced as Doombringer sped up, passing the Dragon Spine Range, unaware of the pair of yellow eyes watching them from the mist. If one paid attention, they would see bitterness in those beautiful eyes.

    ---

    A whileter, Doombringer was soaring past a town, one of the ten baronies in the Western Region. This was Landon Barony.

    From their high vantage point, Nathan and Nox witnessed a group of Awakened battling goblin-like creatures just outside the towering town walls.

    ''Sigh, what is triggering these beasts? Why are they so strong?'' Nathan thought, watching the Awakened struggle against goblins that were just Wild and Intermediate Tier at best.

    ''But it feels as if they''re facing a beast at the King Tier,'' Nathan thought, thick vines rampaging through the horde of goblins, crushing them one after the other.

    Nathan gazed at the one controlling the demonic vines. A dark shadow suddenly covered the battlefield, and the green-haired man gazed up.

    The two men''s eyes met, and they gave a mutual nod before moving on. Although no words were shared between them, one could tell both men respected each other greatly.

    Meanwhile, Jared was momentarily in a daze as he stared at the beautiful girl mounted on the wyvern, and his heart sped up. The girl didn''t look at him; she seemed indifferent, as always. The wind whipping her hair made her more stunning.

    "It''s her again," he whispered, his eyes sparkling, unaware that a goblin with malicious eyes was sneaking behind him.

    *SHING!*

    *REEEEEK!*

    A piercing scream woke Jared from his stupor. He hurriedly turned around to witness the goblin being pierced by a spear through the heart.

    "Stay focused, young master," the soldier advised before joining the fight once more. Jared scratched his head embarrassedly, his gaze still fixed on the disappearing wyvern.

    ---

    A dayter, the wyvern finally arrived at the royal capital.

    --

 Chapter 167: The Capital [1]

    By the time Doombringer arrived at the eastern regions, the sky was beginning to get dark, only softly illuminated by the crimson-shaped moon.

    As they passed over the towns in this region, Nyx couldn''t help but notice the size, buildings, and overall appearance of the walled towns.

    Each and every one of them was thrice the size of the town back in the western region. The walls were much higher, and the buildings seemed to be made out of solid stone, adorned with intricate carvings and gleaming silver ents. The town''s architecture was fortified and looked pleasing to the eye.

    ...unlike the crudely built ones found in the western region. Even their clothing seemed very luxurious, made out of the finest cotton. The only town that came close to these towns was the Armstrong duchy.

    Nyx had learned from her grandpa that the reason this ce looked more developed was that the Royal capital was located in this region. Most of the powerful noble households also resided here. It was the main hub and strength of the Vermilion kingdom. All the kingdom''s armory and the headquarters of the Adventure Guild were located here.

    "Take the east, and the red crown is yours," Nathan chuckled, recalling an old phrase the enemies liked to use.

    Nyx''s gaze lingered on a bustling market square, grand fountains, and ornate temples dedicated to the various pantheon gods. Down below, some devoted Awakened were praying.

    There was this belief among citizens of Eos that if they prayed diligently to their patron gods, they could grant them a level increase and even awaken rare abilities.

    Of course, Nyx didn''t know if this worked or not, as she had not tried it herself.

    One devotee, a young girl with piercing blue eyes, caught Nox''s attention. She wore an elegant white robe embroidered with silver thread, and her silvery-white hair was adorned with a delicate crescent moon clip. The girl seemed to be the same age as Nyx.

    Her lips moved in silent supplication, and Nyx sensed a faint glow emanating from her. Suddenly, the girl''s eyes snapped open, and she gazed upward, as if sensing Nyx''s presence.

    The two girls'' eyes met before they passed each other, not knowing that fate had something grander in store for both of them.

    The grandpa and granddaughter duo soon flew past the town and approached an imposing city wall in the heart of the eastern region... however, the wall was shortpared to the towers that could be seen from the outside, piercing the skies.

    As they approached the walls, the soldiers who were patrolling there became tense. It was the first time most of them were seeing a wyvern. They thought the flying creature wanted to attack the capital, so they hurriedly reported to the captain in charge of protecting the walls.

    "How long has it been since I visited this ce? Don''t they recognize me?" Nathan''s eyes shed with displeasure as Doombringer''s speed decreased greatly. The old man pulled out a golden-ted symbol and shed it at the guard.

    "He''s a baron of the kingdom." The soldier there nodded to his friend; still, they didn''t allow Nathan to enter the capital freely with his powerful-looking wyvern.

    "Bunch of idiots!"

    At that moment, a booming voice filled with disappointment pierced the ears of the two guards, startling them. The two guards gulped nervously, staring at their captain and wondering what they''d done wrong.

    "You fools, don''t you recognize who he is?" The captain, a tall, broad-chested old man, bellowed as he strode forward to the front. He wore a navy blue military uniform with a couple of stars on it. The two guards there received a re filled with disappointment from him.

    "This man there is Nathan Aegis Cromwell, the mad dog!" The captain pointed out, his voice filled with reverence as he added, in a voice filled with raw emotion, "If not for him, most of us would have lost our lives in the war."

    "It''s the legendary mad dog?"

    "Is that him?"

    "It''s the first time I''m seeing him!"

    Attracted by themotion, the other guards who were patrolling the walls rushed over and started whispering in hushed voices. These guards were rtively new; they hadn''t participated in the war but had heard tales about it from the veterans.

    And in all of those tales, this man''s name and his son had been mentioned repeatedly. The veterans always talked about them with admiration and reverence.

    Now witnessing this living legend riding atop a powerful creature, the guards'' whispers grew louder, their eyes sparkling with fascination.

    "The mad dog of the west!"

    "Nathan Cromwell, the hero of the great war."

    "His son was a legend too, but he disappeared. There is a whisper that he died either in the war or after something like that."

    Ignoring the whispers of his subordinates, the captain stepped forward.

    "Wee, Lord Cromwell!" The captain bowed deeply, his voice filled with respect.

    "Captain Ortega. It''s been a long time." Nathan nodded, a smile on his bony face. He was very familiar with this man because he had been a guard for a long time and also participated in the war.

    Ortega''s eyes widened. "We didn''t expect your return, Lord Cromwell. What brings you to the capital?"

    "I''vee to discuss urgent matters with the king. Prepare an escort," Nathan spoke in a serious voice.

    Nyx watched the interaction with a lost expression on her face. Why were these guards being so respectful to her grandpa? It didn''t make sense. Yes, she knew he was a baron, but that didn''t warrant this level of respect.

    Unable to shake off her curiosity, she asked in a low voice, "Grandpa, you''re famous?"

    Nathan chuckled. "Infamous, perhaps."

    She wanted to ask more, but she noticed her grandfather''s focus on the front. She looked ahead and saw that they had entered the capital.

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support *Supreme BeastTamer* with golden tickets and power stones. I really appreciate it... it keeps me motivated to write more chapters.

    ---

 Chapter 168: The Capital [2]

    Dominating the royal capital''s air were several flying carriages, the same carriages they had used during the Awakening.

    The city walls were high, but the towers within rose even higher, cutting into the sky. The buildings, made of solid stone, looked sturdy but not in. Each structure came in various shapes and had small, precise carvings, and the silver details on the rooftops caught the fading light.

    Every street they passed was filled with luxurious carriages that moved in a coordinated line, with pedestrians walking at the sides.

    A particr dome-like building loomed in the heart of the city, surrounded by smaller structures. It was unmistakable even from a distance. The dome rose over 180 feet tall, with the top of its grand, sweeping dome piercing the skyline. The structure sprawled across a width of nearly 700 feet, its sheer size making it one of thergestndmarks in the capital.

    Because of the structure''s imposing appearance, it was difficult not to notice it. Nyx asked her grandpa, and Nathan exined that the dome was the royal coliseum where fights and other events were held. One other notable sight that caught Nyx''s attention was the adventure guild¡ªarge hexagonal structure with sturdy stone towers.

    Several Awakened were entering anding out of there. Nyx''s gaze lingered there a little before looking ahead.

    Further ahead, there was a rushing river with clear crystal water. An ornate arched bridge stretched over this river to the other side, where two castle-like buildings were located on what appeared to be mini inds. Dozens of golden flying carriages rotated around the castles like clockwork; there were magical cannons installed in these, and the operators would fire at any intruders.

    Fortunately, Captain Ortega had informed the others in time, and most of them recognized the familiar wyvern. Hence, Doombringernded just outside the wide courtyard of the castle beside a shimmering waterfall.

    As soon as theynded, a butler approached them from inside and did a courteous bow. "His Majesty awaits you, Lord Cromwell."

    Some timeter, Nathan and Nyx were being led through wide hallways. Several armored knights stood at every corner, keeping a watchful gaze from the visors of their helmets.

    Click¡ªclick¡ª

    The light sound of feet echoed as the three walked in silence.

    At the same time, a blond-haired teen wasing from the opposite direction in thepany of a knight. The youth was tall for his age, with sharp, angr features that gave him a serious, almost cold expression. His golden hair was slightly tousled, falling just above his piercing green eyes, which seemed to take in everything around him.

    Nathan and the butler recognized this kid as the fourth prince of the Vermilion Kingdom and bowed slightly. He was Prince Ainsworth Vermilion. The prince''s green eyes swept over everyone before settling on Nyx, who held her head high. Those mesmerizing ck eyes were fixed ahead, not even acknowledging the presence of the prince. It was only when Nathan tugged on her that she bowed.

    The prince''s green eyes shed sharply. It was customary in the Vermilion Kingdom for all citizens to bow to the members of the royal family if they ever came across one. It was a punishable offense, and before Nathan could apologize, the prince simply waved his hand and moved past the three.

    As Nyx and Nathan headed deeper into the hallways, Prince Ainsworth continued to stare at the young girl''s straight back, her head held high. Even though she was amazed by the interior of the Vermilion Royal Castle, it didn''t reflect in her eyes. There was a certain pride about her that fascinated Ainsworth.

    ''I need to know everything about her.'' The young prince clenched his fist and nced at his personal knight, who was standing humbly beside him.

    "Who is that man?" Though he didn''t sound like the practical young master, there was amanding edge in his tone.

    "Your Highness, not many people know him, but that man is the baron of Cromwell Town close to the Armstrong Duchy in the western region," the knight replied in a respectful tone.

    "Just a baron." Ainsworth''s eyes flickered with a peculiar gleam as he thought, a small smile at the corner of his lips. He rubbed his palms together. ''If he''s just a baron, then it shouldn''t be that hard to get that girl... I like it when they''re prideful and arrogant.''

    The prince continued to smile until...

    "However," the knight continued, earning a look from the prince. "That man is quite the character..."

    Ainsworth raised an inquisitive brow, then asked with narrowed eyes, "What do you mean by that?"

    The knight spoke in a serious tone. "That man is one of the war heroes of the Great War of Rebirth."

    A bad premonition began to surge within Ainsworth; he had a feeling his ns wouldn''t proceed smoothly.

    The knight continued, "Though he''s merely a baron, he is very well respected by soldiers in particr... there is thismon saying among the soldiers that the mad dog could start a coup if he wished."

    Ainsworth felt a slight shiver down his spine. Starting a coup was no child''s y¡ªnothing even the nobles in the capital could do.

    ''He must be exaggerating.'' Ainsworth narrowed his eyes. ''Now that I think more about it, isn''t he a soldier too? Does he admire that old man as well?''

    Feeling the weight of Ainsworth''s gaze, the knight shifted ufortably. The prince overlooked this behavior and asked in a nonchnt tone, "What about the girl, and why can''t Father get rid of him? Knowing him, he would get rid of anyone who threatens his reign. Why hasn''t he done it yet?"

    "That?" There was silence for some time before the knight spoke in a quiet voice as if he were scared of someone overhearing him. "That is because of his son... Arthur Aegis Cromwell."

    "Have I not heard of him before?"

    "I didn''t expect you to... but he''smonly referred to as the strongest human in the whole of the Far West!" The knight''s voice was filled with reverence, and his eyes sparkled with admiration. Ainsworth was slightly taken aback because the knight didn''t even look at the king like that.

    "If Arthur wished, the whole Vermilion Kingdom would be reduced to ruins within an hour," the knight added.

 Chapter 169: Too Prideful

    The grand hallways of the Vermilion Kingdom echoed softly with the footsteps of Nyx, Nathan, and the butler after the silent encounter with the fourth prince, Ainsworth Vermilion. There was tension in the air, and the butler had long noticed this, so he gave the grandfather and granddaughter some space.

    Seeing the considerable distance between them, Nathan turned to Nyx, his expression serious as he spoke in a disappointed tone, "You were too prideful back there. I guess it''s partly my fault for not telling you earlier. You see, in the entire kingdom, it''s a custom to always bow to members of the royal family. It''s a sign of resp¡ª"

    "Or a weakness?" Nyx sneered, a hint of disgust in her eyes. Her steps didn''t falter as she kept her gaze ahead, the opulent castle decorations reflecting in her beautiful ck eyes.

    "Child..." Nathan stared at Nyx with a lost expression, feeling a light headache. Why did it feel as if an adult had spoken just now? Regardless, he needed to talk sense into her.

    The other nobles were scared of the Cromwell family because of Arthur; however, the major issue was... no, Nathan didn''t know the whereabouts of Arthur. He didn''t know if his son was alive or not. Even if he was alive, Nathan figured he would be somewhere very far away.

    ''If it was the former king... I wouldn''t be worried, but this... his son...'' Nathan thought as he stepped in front of Nyx, his hands gripping her shoulders. Nyx was a bit taken aback by this and stepped back, a concerned expression appearing on her indifferent face.

    "Listen..." he spoke, his voice heavy. "There are powers in the capital... this is not the Cromwell Barony... there are powerful Awakened here. With this attitude, you''ll make all these powerful people our enemies. If all of them ganged up against us, it would be very difficult for me to protect you...

    If something happens to you, your mother would skin me alive."

    Nyx felt the raw emotions in her grandfather''s words as he added, "One misstep could bring down trouble... could you promise this old man that you won''t cause¡ªcough, cough!"

    Just then, a violent bout of coughing assaulted Nathan. His face became as pale as a sheet of paper, and his entire body trembled. Looking at her grandfather, Nyx''s face contorted with worry, and she felt her heart being squeezed by a pair of cruel hands.

    She hugged him and said in a soft voice, "I''ll try, I''ll try." She repeated it again to convince herself. It would be difficult for her to change her personality, but she would try for the sake of her grandfather, whom she loved with all her heart.

    Nyx''s hug seemed to have a magical effect on Nathan, and the violent bout of coughing subsided. Nathan hugged his granddaughter with one hand while he used the other to wipe his hands.

    On his hand, there was blood. Nathan''s eyes shed strangely, and he closed them, not wanting his granddaughter to see it.

    Call him a coward, spineless, or whatever... the truth was, Nathan was someone who cared about his family a lot. His health had been deteriorating recently. Thest thing he wanted was to make enemies he couldn''t deal with in the future and endanger the lives of his family and everyone in the barony.

    "Although I''d bow to him next time we meet," Nyx spoke, her eyes shing sharply, "in my heart, he''s still just another passerby on the road."

    "T-that, there''s nothing wrong with that," Nathan shrugged. Not many people liked the royal family, but they still respected them for fear of being targeted.

    Nyx and Nathan joined the butler shortly after. A series of turnster, they arrived in a hallway noticeably crowded with more knights. Unlike the other areas, the knights here were dressed in borate royal attire: polished silver armor adorned with intricate gold engravings, symbolizing their allegiance to the crown.

    Each knight wore a dark blue cape fastened at the shoulder with an ornate brooch bearing the royal family''s crest¡ªa vibrant red bird. Their faces were hidden behind helmets with tinted visors, giving them an air of anonymity, and they carried beautifully crafted swords at their sides.

    These were the ones referred to as Royal Knights; they were the king''s personal sword and shield. A very powerful and talented group of Awakened and the first line of defense in case a war broke out. It was rumored that all Royal Knights had levels that exceeded 60. They were that powerful, and every single one of them could easily massacre a small enemy battalion by themselves.

    From the visors, those shimmering white eyes stared intensely at Nathan, their hands wrapped firmly around the swords strapped to their waists... the weight of their gaze was capable of making a grown man''s legs wobbly, even causing him to wet himself.

    Before entering this hallway, Nathan turned toward his granddaughter and told her to wait for him while he discussed important matters. Nyx simply nodded and did as instructed.

    The butler led Nathan to a set of double doors with a detailed, ornate design. He pushed the doors open, and Nathan stepped into arge chamber. The room was spacious yet understated, with tall windows allowing natural light to pour in. A grand desk sat near the center, neatly organized with papers and maps. Shelves lined the walls, filled with books, scrolls, and a few decorative items.

    Arge, finely woven rug covered the floor, and the faint smell of polished wood hung in the air.

    Seated behind the opulent desk was none other than Aldrich Vermilion, a middle-aged man in his early 30s with dirty blond hair and a pair of scheming green eyes. He was dressed in a regal light golden robe and seemed to be busy reading a parchment.

    Nathan stood there for a few seconds, yet the king remained engrossed with whatever he was reading. It was tant disrespect, but Nathan didn''t let it show on his face. After all, he...

 Chapter 170: The Head of the Silver Family

    Nathan stood there for a few seconds, yet the king remained engrossed in whatever he was reading. It was tant disrespect, but Nathan didn''t let it show on his face. After all, he was used to it.

    After some time, King Aldrich nced up and gestured for Nathan to take a seat, then went straight to the point: "Wee, Lord Cromwell. I hear you have something urgent to speak with me about. What is it?"

    From his tone alone, it was easy to detect that King Aldrich didn''t seem interested in whatever the baron had to say, appearing preupied with more important matters... but Nathan knew very well that this wasn''t the case.

    This new king was simply disrespecting him. Though Nathan was just a mere baron, even the former king had respected and treated him with importance.

    His son, however, was different.

    Because of the history between Arthur and the royal family, the Cromwell and Vermilion families didn''t get along well.

    "Yes, something very important," Nathan spoke, emphasizing the word *important.*

    "Something *very* important?" The king raised an eyebrow, stopping his pretense by cing the parchment on the desk and holding Nathan''s gaze. In truth, he had been curious to know what had brought the ''mad dog'' to the capital.

    It wasmon knowledge that Nathan disliked visiting the capital or seeking an audience with the king due to their differences. Even as king, though he wasn''t on good terms with Nathan or his son, he decided to listen to what the baron had to say.

    ---

    **Meanwhile, elsewhere in the capital...**

    In one of the most influential areas of the Vermilion Royal Capital, a vast estate spanning several acres stood proudly. The estate bore a striking resemnce to the royal castle, though it was a smaller version. Towering spires and intricately carved stone facades surrounded meticulouslyndscaped gardens bursting with vibrant flowers.

    In the courtyard, youths with silvery-white hair¡ªeach looking identical to one another¡ªwere training intensely under the strict supervision of an old, bald man. The youngsters sparred, disying exceptional magical abilities and swordsmanship, far superior to most children their age back in the barony. It was evident that the kids from the west couldn''t hold a candle to them.

    This was the Silver family household, the same family Ren Silver belonged to.

    Inside avishly designed room with a marble floor, a man was swimming in a freezing pool with cubes of ice floating on the surface. The air in the room was chilly, and fragments of frost filled the space. A woman stood at the edge of the pool, her eyes closed and one hand on the ground. From her palm, freezing ice spread across the floor, walls, and the pool itself.

    It was clear that the icy atmosphere was a result of her efforts. She was expending a great deal of mana to keep the temperature extremely cold.

    A whileter, the man swam to the edge of the pool. As he stepped out, droplets of freezing water rolled off his well-toned, pale skin, revealing drenched silvery-white hair. He looked as if he were in his early twenties, but those who knew him were aware that he was one of the oldest nobles around.

    This man was Lucas Silver, the head of the Silver family and one of the strongest individuals in the capital.

    A few days ago, Lucas had learned about the death of his son, Ren. The news had devastated him. Though Ren wasn''t the most talented youth in the Silver household, Lucas had always held a soft spot for him.

    The reason? Ren was simr to him. They were both ruthless, the type who would sacrifice anyone to achieve their goals.

    Lucas believed Ren would have made a great advisor or even a leader. The young-looking noble clenched his fists, his blue eyes shing with anger.

    "Those damn Cromwells!" Lucas spat through gritted teeth, blood dripping from his palms. The Vermilion Royal Academy had informed him that the ones responsible for Ren''s death were none other than those country bumpkins from the western region.

    The only reason he hadn''t mobilized a small force to deal with the Cromwells was because he didn''t want to provoke the sleeping dragon named Arthur. Thest time they had attempted something like this, it had ended badly for all the nobles in the capital.

    That event had instilled fear of the Cromwell family in the hearts of many nobles.

    Still, this didn''t mean Lucas wasn''t plotting revenge against the Cromwells. His ritualistic swimming sessions helped him clear his head and improve his abilities.

    With a deep breath, Lucas submerged himself into the freezing pool once more. The cold sharpened his mind. Although he was furious and wanted to raze the Cromwells from existence, Lucas had good control over his emotions, not allowing them to cloud his judgment.

    ---

    **Knock, knock.**

    As the family head swam back and forth, footsteps echoed against the marble floor, and a man d in milky armor stepped into the chilly chamber. Like the other members of the family, this man had shoulder-length silver hair. However, what was unsettling about him was his eyes, which were concealed behind a white blindfold with runic engravings glowing intermittently with golden light.

    Despite being blindfolded, the man walked with precision, as if he knew exactly where he was going. He briefly nced at the woman in the corner before shifting his attention to Lucas, who was still submerged in the freezing pool¡ªan environment that could turn a low-level Awakened into a frozen statue.

    Though Lucas wasn''t paying attention to the door, he had long since sensed the presence of the blindfolded man. Emerging from the pool, Lucas wrapped himself in a chilled towel and spoke in a low,manding voice: "Zarek."

    "Family head, I bring good news," the blindfolded man replied, his voice low and firm.

    "Good news?" Lucas'' eyes lit up, then dimmed slightly as silence fell over the room. Drying himself off, Lucas stared at Zarek. "What is this good news?" he asked, a hint of skepticism in his tone.

    "The mad dog is currently in the capital," Zarek said. "Except for his granddaughter and wyvern, he''s all alone."

    Lucas'' gaze narrowed. "How reliable is this information?"

    "Very reliable, sir." Zarek''s lips curled into a confident smile, revealing elongated, canine-like teeth.

 Chapter 171: Meeting With The King

    Ainsworth was pacing back and forth inside his room, his head clouded with thought. The blond youth had been pondering what his personal knight had told him.

    "If Arthur wished, the whole Vermilion Kingdom would be reduced to ruins within an hour."

    Ainsworth thought back to what the knight had said a few minutes earlier.

    ''Father is a high-level Awakened; he is the strongest person I know¡­ How could there be someone stronger than him?''

    Some years back, a young Ainsworth had watched Aldric take down a King-tier beast with his bare hands. A young Ainsworth had been fascinated, proud, and even believed his father was the strongest person in the human domain. How naive he had been. Who would have thought there was an entity countless times stronger than his father?

    The reason Ainsworth believed Arthur was countless times stronger was that it was impossible for his father to deal with the powerful experts in the kingdom alone. He recognized that his father, despite being a high-level Awakened, relied on alliances and strategies to maintain his position.

    Aldric had to tread carefully around the powerful noble houses and even the royal family, always weighing his decisions. But¡­

    Arthur was different¡ªhe operated beyond those political limitations.

    It was safe to say Ainsworth''s pride was wounded. How could someone like Arthur exist in the same world as his father? And if Arthur could do such things, where did that leave the rest of them?

    Was that the reason that girl was so arrogant? Because her father was the strongest human?

    Ainsworth clenched his fists, and his pacing grew more intense. Then he stopped as a smile slowly appeared on his face, and his eyes gleamed with sadistic delight. "That''s all the more reason I want her so badly."

    "There''s nothing quite like putting an arrogant girl in her ce." The smile on Ainsworth''s face widened. "Fortunately, theing-of-age ceremony is just around the corner¡­ That will be the perfect stage."

    ---

    The atmosphere inside the king''s office was tense as two men stared at each other. After taking a deep breath, Nathan finally began, his gaze never leaving King Aldric''s eyes.

    "Something strange is happening in the west," Nathan spoke in a low but firm voice. "The magic beasts of the west have been bing more and more restless over the past few years."

    Aldric furrowed his brows when he heard this. At first, he hadn''t seemed enthusiastic about receiving the ''mad dog of the west.'' Now that it was revealed that the reason for Nathan''s visit concerned his kingdom, Aldric paid the old man his full attention.

    Tapping the armrests with his long, elegant fingers, he listened intently.

    Nathan continued, his tone grim. "For some strange reason, they''reing closer to the towns. At first, I thought it was only our barony, but that wasn''t the case. All the other towns are facing the same predicament."

    "In fact, they''re in a much worse situationpared to our town, and¡ª"

    Before Nathan could continue, King Aldric interjected.

    "They''re just magical beasts. Are the people of the west so weak that they can''t deal with those beasts by themselves?" The king hid a smirk on his face, his tone filled with thinly veiled disdain. Then he added with undisguised mockery, "This is nothing like the legendary mad dog I''ve heard about¡­ Could it be all those legends are fabricated?"

    Nathan tightened his grip on the armrest, a low crunch echoing as his eyes flickered with a spark of anger. He calmed himself down a momentter, his thoughts drifting back to the former king, Aldric''s father.

    That man would never have mocked him. They wererades who had fought together in the war. It was so unfortunate he had died some years back under a series of strange circumstances, giving the throne to this self-entitled brat. Nathan sneered in disdain. This so-called king didn''t evene close to his peak.

    To the king''s dismay, Nathan controlled himself and didn''tsh out.

    ''Tsk, I would''ve finally had a reason to imprison him. Stupid old man.'' Aldric sneered inwardly.

    "These aren''t just ordinary magical beasts," Nathan snapped, forcing himself to maintainposure. "They''re organized and are stronger than usual. An intermediate-tier beast is almost as strong as a King-tier beast."

    Aldric''s finger ceased tapping, the smirk slowly fading from his face, reced by a contemtive look.

    An intermediate-tier beast that was as strong as a King-tier? It was the first time he had heard something like this. The only beasts he knew of that were more powerful than their ranks suggested were elemental beasts.

    Seeing the king''s attention, Nathan pressed on, striking while the iron was hot. "If we don''t act soon, we could be looking at a beast invasion¡ªone that even the nobles of the east won''t be able to stop. From the beasts'' movement patterns, I have a hunch something or someone is luring them to the settlements."

    A momentter, he added in a sharp, urgent tone, "If we can figure out the source, we might have a chance to stop it before it esctes."

    Aldric leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He still wasn''t entirely convinced, but Nathan''s reputation as the ''Mad Dog of the West'' wasn''t built on baseless warnings. If Nathan was concerned, it meant the situation was far more severe than he had initially thought.

    "If it''s as you say, then I''ll submit it as a quest to the Adventurer''s Guild for them to check it out and conduct the necessary investigation," King Aldric casually stated. "You''re dismissed."

    "Thank you." Nathan stood and made a low bow before walking toward the door. Before he could open it, the king''s voice called out from behind, drawing Nathan''s attention.

    "Ah, I forgot to tell you," the king said, his scheming green eyes gleaming. "There is an uing event in the grand arena a few days from now. I was nning to invite all the important nobles to attend it, but since you''re here, would you consider attending?"

    Staring into those eyes, Nathan knew the king was probably scheming something again. And since he still had unfinished business in the capital, he nodded.

    "I''ll be there."

    Then he left, closing the door behind him.

    "The ceremony is the best ce to show all these nobles andmoners that the royal family is still superior to everyone," King Aldric muttered to himself, his eyes burning with determination.

 Chapter 172: The Royal Family is Superior

    Ever since the former king passed away, the royal family was gradually losing its grip over the kingdom. On the surface, everything looked fine, but there was internal turmoil.

    The nobles had always opposed Aldric''s rule, believing he wasn''t aspetent as his father. Several of them had even tried to start a coup to snatch the throne from the Vermilion royal lineage but had failed numerous times.

    ''Twice! These fucking nobles have done this twice, and both times they almost came close to taking the throne.''

    Although Aldric had set an example by eliminating those noble households, the rest of the powerhouses were beginning to grow more defiant. These nobles were bold enough to remodel their estates into mini versions of the royal castle.

    ...the audacity!

    This wasn''t even the least of Aldric''s greatest worries... his greatest fear was none other than Arthur.

    Arthur was someone who was loved by the residents of the capital and loathed heavily by the nobles. The reason for this was simple.

    It was because Arthur was amoner, just like them.

    Themoners respected Arthur more than the king himself, something that made Aldric''s blood boil with anger every time.

    "Those low lives. Those pompous nobles!" The king''s handsome face twisted into a frown, those scheming green eyes twinkling with sadistic gleams. "I''ll show all of them why we''re the founders of this kingdom."

    He clenched his fist, a smile spreading on his face as he sauntered to the arched windows, looking at the lovely town that was still lit up, his gaze reflecting the massive dome in the middle of the capital. "I''ll show all of them that my lineage is better than that of Arthur''s."

    "Guards!" he called out, and one of the royal knights rushed into the room and bowed. Aldric''s gaze swept over that knight as he spoke in amanding tone. "Go and fetch me my son, Ainsworth."

    "Yes, Your Majesty!" The man responded in a voice filled with respect and hurried to the prince''s quarters.

    Though the first, second, and third princes, along with the princess, were far away carrying out a mission for the Vermilion Royal Academy, Aldric felt that his youngest son was more than enough for the job.

    After all... he possessed the royal family''s unique ss... a ss that was exclusive only to the royal family.

    ....

    Back in the hallways, the butler was leading Nyx and Nathan in the opposite direction they hade from.

    Nyx''s ck eyes, filled with confusion, looked at her grandfather and asked in a quiet tone, "Grandpa, where are we going?"

    Nathan tightened his grasp on his granddaughter''s hand and replied softly, "There''s an eventing up. The king personally invited us to attend, so we''ll stay for some time before returning to the barony."

    "What about the beasts and the mysterious thing killing them?" Nyx furrowed her brows. Though she didn''t want to show it, just like her twin brother, she also cared about the barony a lot.

    The little girl wasn''t confident that the others could handle the threat alone. Though she was curious to explore the capital as she had been stuck in the barony all her life, she didn''t n on staying too long.

    Sensing the concern in his granddaughter''s voice, Nathan gently stroked her head, a warm smile appearing on his face. "Have faith. I''ve known Hans, Elvin, Celine, and your mother for a long time." A cocky grin soon appeared on his face; Nyx sensed that her grandpa was about to say something outrageous, like he always did.

    And she was right.

    "Those people could even beat me if they ganged up together."

    "Tsk, stop bluffing; you aren''t that strong. Aunty Celine could easily beat you up." Nyx sneered, an irritated expression on her face.

    "You think I''m lying?"

    "Grandpa, you can barely walk, and you''re so skinny that sometimes I''m afraid the breeze could carry you along."

    "You brat! Is this how lowly you think of your grandfather?" Nathan let out a heartyugh, his boisterous voice echoing through the quiet hallways as he held Nyx''s hand a little tighter.

    "It seems you and that stupid brother of yours like to underestimate your old grandpa. I might be skinny, but there''s still fight left in me!" Nathan winked, feigning a show of strength by flexing his arm, though it barely made a difference.

    Nyx rolled her eyes, a small rare smile that was only shown to those she really cared about emerging on her face. "Sure, you''re practically invisible." She said, her voice filled with sarcasm.

    "Hmpff, watch me! One day I''ll show you and Nox how great I am." Nathan harrumphed with mischievous glints in his eyes. His steps slowed, and he nced down at his granddaughter. "And when that happens, you''ll owe me a te of those honey cakes you love so much."

    Nyx raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "Honey cakes? What happened to proving you''re still strong? Shouldn''t you ask for something a little more... respectable?"

    "I would''ve, but fortunately, that''s the only thing you can prepare very well... also, have you forgotten this old man lost all his teeth in the countless battles he fought and survived?"

    Hearing the subtle praise from her grandpa, Nyx''s cheeks warmed up a little, but she brushed it off, keeping her focus ahead. "I see, so you''re just buttering me up to prepare chocte cakes for you."

    Nathan chuckled softly, his voice lowering as they continued walking. "Perhaps, but I speak only the truth. You remind me so much of your father. He had the same determination and fiery spirit, always looking out for others... just like you do... it''s just so unfortunate that..." His tone softened, turning a little more sad, and Nyx could feel the weight of his words.

    Before he could say more, she raised her hand. "Don''t say it."

    Nathan was taken aback a little.

    "Let''s not spoil the atmosphere."

    "Ah, true, my bad." Nathan chuckled, scratching his bum. "But I''m always grateful to be blessed with loving grandkids like you and Nox."

    For a moment, she looked up at her grandfather, her eyes softer now, though she quickly masked it with her usual indifferent expression. "Well, someone has to make sure you don''t get blown away by the breeze."

    "Hmpff, I''m not that weak, you know."

    Nyx scoffed. "Story for the gods."

    Meanwhile, inside the king''s office, Ainsworth was standing with his hands behind him, a serious expression on his face.

    "Take a seat," King Aldric gestured to the chair.

    Ainsworth''s gaze lingered on the armrest that seemed to have been charred by mes. Dismissing any thoughts from his head, the fourth prince sat down.

    "What could be so important that he''d call me out in the middle of the night?" Ainsworth wondered.

 Chapter 173: Cociedental Meeting

    The next day...

    The Royal family had given Nyx and Nathan two separatevish rooms to stay in during their time at the castle. The rooms were adorned with golden curtains, polished wooden furniture, and huge chandeliers that cast a soft, warm glow across the expansive space.

    Despite the indifference between them, King Aldric didn''t shy away from making his guestsfortable. He wasn''t a stingy man at heart and wasn''t petty enough to inconvenience his guests. In his own way, this was another way of showing his grandeur and superiority to the Cromwell family.

    Of course, Nathan knew this as well, but he didn''tment on it and left the king to his scheming devices.

    Meanwhile, just outside the door of a certain room, a blond-haired youth of about 13-14 was pacing back and forth, his hands held behind his back. The youth was none other than Prince Ainsworth, and he had been outside this door for quite some time now, making the servants gossip quietly among themselves.

    "Why do you think he''s staying out there?" one maid asked.

    "No idea," the other one shrugged. "But I suspect it''s because of the visitor."

    "Ah yes." A man''s eyes glittered with reverence as he took big steps away from the hallway the prince was currently pacing back and forth in. He then whispered softly in a quiet voice to the man beside him, "I heard the legendary mad dog is currently in the capital."

    That man disyed a small mischievous smile on his face, his eyes sparkling strangely as he whispered back in an even lower voice, "Of course I know." He added, in an even softer tone, "After all, I''ve been told to keep an eye on him and his daughter."

    "Huh? Did you say something again?"

    "No, nothing," the man stated and continued walking in big strides.

    In one of the rooms, the morning sunlight filtered through the arched windows, casting long shadows on the bed. A beautiful raven-haired girl with strands of red was sleeping peacefully.

    Under the glow of the sunlight, she was extremely beautiful, though her face was tightly squeezed into a frown even though she was asleep. A momentter, she woke up with a yawn. Though this room was dozens of times more luxurious than the one in the barony, Nyx remained indifferent and wasn''t amazed like the usual country bumpkins. Materialistic things barely had any effect on her.

    After cleaning herself up, some maids served Nyx breakfast; however, out of curiosity, she ended up gobbling down food specially prepared by her mother.

    Some timeter, she went to look for her grandfather. As she left, the same maid that had served the food came in and saw that it was untouched. A strange glint passed through her eyes. She then picked up the food and left, disposing of it.

    Communication crystals were very expensive, but thanks to the influence and wealth of the Royal family, it was very easy to get their hands on one. The maid turned into a corner, and hermunication crystal buzzed.

    "Sir, she didn''t eat the food," the woman said, her tone remarkably low and suspicious.

    The other person remained quiet for a while before hanging up.

    "n B it is then," the mysterious man thought, rubbing his hands together.

    Meanwhile, Nyx knocked on the door to her grandfather''s room, which was only a few steps away from her own; however, there was no answer. She knocked a few more times, yet the same thing happened. A small frown appeared on Nyx''s face as she pushed the door open.

    When she entered thevishly decorated chambers, she found no one there.

    "Strange," she muttered, her eyes scanning the massive room as a thoughtful expression crossed her beautiful features. "Where did he go? Maybe he''s gone for a walk or something."

    While she was thinking, Nyx spotted a parchment lying on the rumpled soft bed with slightly deep impressions, suggesting that someone had left just a few seconds ago. She approached the bed, picked up the parchment, and read it.

    A momentter, she folded it and ced it inside her inventory. From the letter, Nyx learned that her grandfather had gone to meet up with an important acquaintance. He had strictly told her to remain in the pce and never wander out. As long as she was in the pce, Nathan was confident that nothing would ever happen to her.

    Only a fool would touch Arthur''s daughter.

    "Hmm, what do I do?" A contemtive glint appeared in her eyes as she began to leave. Since she was bored, Nyx decided to tour the pce. Without any direction, she followed her instincts and navigated through the hallways of the pce. After a few detours, she arrived at a spacious balcony and, ncing down below, she saw a courtyard with a glittering waterfall in the middle.

    In this courtyard, the ngs of steel and grunts of warriors filled the air as noble-looking Awakened trained with swords, spears, and other weapons. There were a few mages here and there, but the dominant ss seemed to be swordsmen and warriors.

    These Awakened were fighting intensely, with sweat dripping down from their muscr builds as if they had juste out of the shower.

    Nyx stood at the balcony, leaning against the railing, her sharp eyes fixed on the fighters below. Despite the noise and activity, her expression remained indifferent. The sunlight glinted off her dark hair, and her ck eyes seemed to absorb the battle styles of everyone below.

    There was always something about fighting that fascinated Nyx, and there was always this hunger to learn new battle styles. It seemed because of this hunger she had subconsciously found this ce.

    From the entrance to the golden double doors, someone watched her in silence for a moment. He had arranged this ''coincidental'' meeting carefully, ensuring their paths would cross at the perfect time. He had been waiting outside for her for hours now. Finally, they were alone. The figure adjusted his cloak, straightened his posture, and approached her with a confident stride.

    "What a coincidence."

    Nyx, who was observing the fight, suddenly heard a voice behind her. She furrowed her brows and looked behind, confusion shing in her eyes.

    Standing behind her with a gentlemanly smile was none other than Prince Ainsworth, and there was something unsettling about the way he smiled.

 Chapter 174: Silent Whispers

    (New months Guys, I once again call for you help to climb the Golden Rankings)

    ....

    An old man was flying through the air over Vermilion''s Royal Capital. Down below, the streets were bustling with life and carriages moved back and forth. The old man held the reins of his Wyvern tightly and gently used his legs to kick it, whispering, "Faster, Doombringer."

    Of course, this skinny old man was none other than Nathan. The wind mmed against his face as Doombringer picked up speed. Below, some people were pointing at the beast with sparkling eyes. Even among folks in the capital, Wyverns were rare¡ªonly the Royal Aerial Knights possessed flying mounts like this.

    In the Vermilion kingdom, being a Royal Knight was the dream of many children because the knights were treated with respect and reverence. Not only did they apany the king, who was an unreachable existence, but they also carried the weight of the kingdom''s pride and power. The Royal Knights were symbols of honor, justice, and strength, making them the envy of the entire kingdom.

    Even a glimpse of a Wyvern in flight was enough to spark awe in the hearts of the people.

    Seeing the fearsome Wyvern cutting through the air, the first thought that came to the people''s minds was that the rider belonged to the Vermilion Royal Knight Order.

    Oblivious to the ruckus he was causing down below, Nathan furrowed his beady eyes in concentration. After a while of flying, he arrived at an area that was slightly desertedpared to the other parts of the Royal city. Here, there was only a single towering building. Doombringernded in the courtyard.

    As soon as it did, a group of men in armor rushed out and performed a low bow to Nathan. "Wee, Vice Guild Master Nathan," the group greeted in unison in a respectful voice, as if they were addressing someone countless times superior to them.

    Nathan nodded at them and asked in a neutral tone, "Where is the guild leader?"

    One of them spoke up. "He is inside. He has been waiting for you for a while now."

    "Lead the way," Nathan said and started to walk forward, leaving Doombringer in the care of the armored men.

    ''I won''t depend on that king alone,'' he thought, hastening his steps to catch up with the person in front of him. ''I must seek all the help I can.''

    The king had only been Nathan''s first choice; his second choice was the man he was going to meet. Nathan didn''t have too much faith in the king. Though thetter had said he would check out the matter, Nathan couldn''t just watch idly. He needed a backup n in case the king failed to keep his promises.

    As he entered through the door, several high-leveled Awakened men and women greeted Nathan, who only gave a faint nod at them. From their tone, it was pretty easy to detect that both parties had known each other for years; there was even an undisguised glint of respect in their eyes.

    "It has been years since the Vice Guild Master visited here. Do you think something bad happened?"

    "Thest time, I heard he retired because of his health."

    "Something huge must''ve happened."

    Several murmurs filled the building as the Awakened, who were all dressed in strange ck armor, discussed amongst themselves. Though it was gossiping, it was too difficult for one not to hear them.

    Soon, the two arrived Infront of an intense golden portal. This was a Level 4 Dimension, and from the rippling surface, it was pretty clear that someone¡ªor some people¡ªwere inside. It might seem strange that such a high-level dimension was situated in a building, but this was fairlymon practice among guilds.

    They had a license for this dimension and could prevent anyone from entering or leaving without proper authorization. The man leading Nathan stopped before the swirling portal and gestured toward it. "The Guild Leader is inside, Vice Guild Master. He insisted on not being disturbed, but I''m sure he will make an exception for you."

    Without a moment of hesitation, Nathan nced at the golden portal, nodded at the man, and passed through. The moment he crossed the threshold, the familiar sensation of being pulled through space tugged at him, and the world around him warped.

    When the swirling stopped, Nathan found himself in a vast open valley nked by towering mountains. The ce seemed to be a training ground, or perhaps a battlefield, as there was scorched earth with several beasts sprawled around, their cores missing. A metallic scent lingered in the air as Nathan looked ahead.

    There, at the center of the space, stood a towering man d in silver armor, his face concealed by a fearsome helmet. His broad shoulders andmanding presence made it clear who he was.

    This man was none other than Nathan''s best friend and the Guild Leader of the Silent Whispers, the most fearsome assassination guild in the Vermilion kingdom.

    "Nathan," the deep voice resonated as the armored figure turned to face him, his helmet''s visor reflecting Nathan''s figure. "It''s been too long since we''ve had the pleasure of meeting... how are you, my friend?"

    "Hahahaha, this old man is still kicking." Arge grin spread across Nathan''s face. "And how are you still looking this young?"

    "Hehehe, that''s a secret." The guild leader, known as Brawn Collins, chuckled heartily as he stabbed his sword into the ground and took off his helmet, revealing a wrinkled, silvery-haired man. The man''s brown eyes shed with joy as he embraced Nathan in a bear hug.

    "So, you finally remembered you have a friend." Brawn Collinsughed as the two men separated from each other.

    "I didn''t forget you, this old man has just been too busy." Nathan chuckled. The two old friends exchanged pleasantries. Thest time they''d seen each other was years back. The Cromwells were once residents of the Royal Capital with close ties to the Royal family. But because Arthur wanted somewhere quieter, somewhere not many people knew about, he had relocated the entire family to the West.

    Thus, several acquaintances were temporarily cut off.

    "So, what brings you here, old friend?" Brawn Collins asked as he walked back, pulled his sword from the ground, and rested it against his shoulder with a casual but dangerous ease.

    Nathan met the guild leader''s gaze unflinchingly as he said in a low yet firm voice, "I need the help of the Silent Whispers."

    ---

    50 Golden Tickets: 1 extra chapter

    500 power stones for 2 chapters

    100 Golden Tickets 2 chapters

    200 Golden Tickets 4 Extra chapters

    1 Castle 5 extra chapters

 Chapter 175: The Silent Whisper

    (New months Guys, I once again call for you help to climb the Golden Rankings)

    ....

    During the Great War, the entire Far West/Human domain had been left in devastation. Millions ofmoners died, and thousands of nobles perished.

    It was the darkest era in the Human domain, especially for the Vermilion kingdom. Starvation ran rampant everywhere. Themoners went hungry for numerous days, while the nobles could barely afford to eat once daily.

    The situation was so bad that some corrupt nobles took advantage of the period tomit heinous crimes: stealing, turningmoners into their personal ves, and more, with too many incidents to ount for.

    Because of the ongoing war, the king at the time, King Cedric Vermilion IV, hadn''t paid much attention to them, though he was greatly disgusted.

    But driving the invaders back was much more important.

    After several losses and a decade of intense fighting, the Humans were finally able to drive the invaders back to their world. After the war ended, it took a few more years before things slightly improved, and the Vermilion kingdom began to prosper once more.

    It was then that the king decided to discard the corrupt moles who had taken advantage of the ongoing wars. But doing this was easier said than done.

    These nobles were high-ranking officials and Awakened in the military, the kingdom''s treasury, and logistics. They had amassed wealth by plundering the royal treasury during the war.

    Therefore, they were very wealthy and even had private forces under theirmand. The king eventually discovered that these nobles were secretly nning a coup to take over the throne.

    The kingdom had already suffered a lot, and the citizens were only starting to recover. King Cedric was a man who had the welfare of his kingdom at heart. Thest thing he wanted was for a full-blown civil war to ur.

    The best approach was to deal with the threat swiftly without the public knowing about it... He turned to two of his most trusted generals, who had contributed greatly in the war: Nathan Aegis Cromwell and Brawn Collins.

    Among everyone in his cab, it could be argued that these two were the ones the king trusted the most, and he didn''t hide it, making them the envy of the others.

    Together, the two founded the Silent Whisper Assassination Guild, recruiting promising Awakened who would assist them in cleaning up the filth that had tainted their once noble kingdom.

    The Silent Whisper followed a hierarchy. That hierarchy was the Spider, the Web, the Silken Thread, and the Shadows.

    The Web consisted of senior members overseeing operations and strategies. The Shadows were made up of new recruits in training, while the Silken Thread were skilled assassins who had undergone rigorous training during the Shadow stage and were tasked with carrying out contract hits.

    They were powerful Awakened and nightmares to their victims; since their creation, only a few people had survived them once. However, those people wereter dealt with by even more powerful assassins, earning the guild a terrifying reputation that spread like wildfire throughout the Far West and even into neighboring kingdoms.

    Andstly, the Spiders... this was the Guild Leader and Vice Leader. They were the most powerful individuals in the organization and were respected by everyone.

    With the help of the Silent Whispers, King Cedric was able to eliminate all the nobles who had their eyes on the throne. Major nobles that could''ve been too troublesome for the current king were dealt with.

    If those nobles were still alive today, they''d have probably snatched the throne from Aldric. Unfortunately, in the following years, the noble king passed away, and now his power-hungry son, obsessed with making everyone submit to him at all costs, reigns.

    After the passing of the king, the new King Aldric disbanded the Silent Whispers, stating that they were putting holes in the kingdom''s treasury. He gave them two ultimate choices: to disband or fund their own operations.

    Naturally, they went with thetter, while imposing their own condition¡ªthat they would no longer be employees of the royal family but an independent assassin guild.

    The king agreed without hesitation.

    Since then, the Silent Whisper was no longer limited to killing only those who sought to usurp the throne. They descended into the underworld, carrying out hit jobs for the highest bidder.

    Nathan had cut all ties with the Guild because of the hundreds of innocent lives on his hands. But he no longer had any choice; he had to seek the help of the Guild once more if he wanted to take care of the growing unrest in the western region.

    ...

    Inside this dimension, in a building constructed out of sturdy materials, Nathan and Brawn Collins were staring at each other.

    Nathan had just narrated everything to the Guild Leader of the Silent Whispers, who had a thoughtful expression on his face as he pondered this great dilemma.

    After a while, he spoke: "There are two likely scenarios," he said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

    Nathan listened with a serious expression. He had long since cut ties with the Silent Whispers, so most of the information he had was outdated, but Brawn Collins had fresh information. While Nathan was busy in his barony, running the town, his old friend had been upied with running one of the most powerful guilds that were even feared by the Adventure Guild.

    Surely, he must have some information. The Silent Whispers also had countless spies ced all over the world.

    "It''s either the beasts have found a way to evolve through unconventional methods or..." Brawn narrowed his eyes, a sharp sh flickering in them as his tone became more certain towards the end. "Or it could be the handiwork of someone... someone who wants to destroy the Vermilion kingdom."

    Nathan''s eyes widened, then dimmed as a sense of realization washed over him. "I should''ve noticed," he muttered in a low voice. From the look of things, it seemed whatever these people were nning, they had decided to start in the western region.

    Brawn Collins adopted an even more serious expression. "I personally think it''s thetter."

    Nathan leaned forward, eyes narrowing in suspicion, his hands sped together: "Who could be behind this? Someone from the nobility?"

    "I doubt it." Brawn shook his head as he leaned back in his seat. "Foreign..."

    Badump! Badump!

    This was much more serious than Nathan had thought.

    "To be specific," Brawn''s eyes locked onto Nathan''s. "My major suspects are the Lich Court, the Order of the ming Rose, or... the Church of False Hope."

    ---

    50 Golden Tickets: 1 extra chapter

    500 power stones for 2 chapters

    100 Golden Tickets 2 chapters

    200 Golden Tickets 4 Extra chapters

    Castle For 5 extra chapters

 Chapter 176: Disrespect To The Royal Family

    ''What is he doing here?'' A frown crossed Nyx''s features as she saw Prince Ainsworth watching her beside the door. She wanted to ask what he was doing here but figured that would be a very dumb question to ask, considering that Ainsworth was the prince and this castle belonged to him.

    In the end, she could only ignore him by turning her attention to the Awakened training below, hoping he would receive the signal and leave. It was only after she had turned her back to the prince that she recalled her promise to her grandpa.

    A wry smile appeared on her face, but there was nothing she could do... it was already toote. If she were to bow now, it''d look strange.

    ''This girl...'' Ainsworth clenched his fist, not in anger but in excitement as he watched Nyx''s back. He had expected her to say something, even if it wasn''t pleasant¡ªat least to acknowledge his presence¡ªbut she had ignored him for the second time, acting as if no one was there.

    It should have made Ainsworth angry. Instead, the urge to conquer this girl and make her his fianc¨¦e only increased. For obvious reasons, they wouldn''t get married right away, as the age of maturity in Eos was 16. Ainsworth''s n was to make her his fianc¨¦e and get married when they matured.

    This was amon practice among nobles. Because of alliances and influence, some even went the extra mile to immediately engage their children as infants without giving them the opportunity to choose their future partners.

    ''Let''s see how long you''ll keep up this facade.'' A dangerous yet charming smile appeared on Ainsworth''s face as he approached Nyx and stood beside her, his gaze fixed below at the knights who were training.

    Nyx had long noticed his presence but didn''tment. If she hadn''t been learning a few things from the fight below, she would have left already... merely being in his presence irritated her.

    There was an awkward silence between the two for a while until Ainsworth broke it.

    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Ainsworth began, his voice smooth and calcted, carrying just enough charm to sound natural. He shifted closer to Nyx, catching a whiff of her jasmine scent that only made him more excited. He pointed at the fighters down below. "Some of the best warriors in the kingdom. What do you think of them?"

    Nyx didn''t immediately respond. Her eyes remained fixed on the fighters, her fingers idly tracing the cool rail of the balcony. After a long pause, she offered a brief nce in Ainsworth''s direction before returning her focus to the training below.

    "They''re adequate," she replied, her tone devoid of any real interest.

    She hadn''t wanted to say anything but merely answered him because of her grandfather, not knowing that she had practically set Ainsworth''s soul on fire.

    The prince''s heart almost leaped out of his chest when he saw Nyx''s face at such close proximity. His face burned red before he looked away.

    "Adequate?" Having regained hisposure, he echoed with a soft chuckle. "You''ve got high standards. But then again," he nced at Nyx with a sideways smile, "someone like you would."

    Silence.

    Nyx still remained silent, the disinterest very clear in her eyes¡ªa hint that the prince had failed to catch. Throughout his life, Ainsworth had nevercked attention from the opposite gender.

    At royal banquets, many mistresses from noble families would willingly throw themselves at him, always wanting to catch his attention. This was the first time someone ignored him like this.

    At that moment, Nyx shifted slightly as if preparing to leave.

    ''No, I can''t let her leave yet,'' he thought as he quickly started another conversation.

    "I heard a lot about you, Nyx Aegis Cromwell," he stated, then added in a ttering voice, "I heard you and your twin brother are very powerful Awakened."

    His green eyes gleamed as he angled his body toward her. "I heard the two of you practically dominated the mock tournament in your hometown... and in case you don''t know, most of us in the capital are aware of the uing tournament in the western region."

    There was a flicker of interest in Nyx''s eyes, and the prince thought he had her where he wanted. He then whispered in a soft voice, "I heard the duke''s son, Hendrix, is very powerful. You and your brother might have a tough time facing him. How about I help you? You can take it as a little gift from me."

    Hearing the prince''s enticing offer, Nyx''s expression barely shifted. She didn''t turn to face him, instead offering a quiet, indifferent response. "I''m not interested in whatever you''re trying to sell, Your Highness."

    Her words stung more than Ainsworth expected. His smile tightened. "What I''m about to offer you costs a fortune," he pressed on, his tone slightly arrogant. "Not even your grandpa could afford it. I say, think about it before you make any rash decisions you''lle to regretter."

    Nyx finally turned to him, her gaze cold and unyielding. "My decision is final, Your Highness... I''m very confident that my brother will beat Hendrix without your or anyone''s help."

    "The same brother that got his face smashed into the ground some years back?" Ainsworth chuckled mockingly as he smirked. "If you think your brother trains hard, let me tell you, I heard Hendrix trains several times more than that."

    Nyx briefly tightened her grasp on the railings, thoughts she had been trying to forget resurfacing in her mind. But she didn''t answer him. Nyx turned her back to him, her gaze once again fixed on the fighters below. She watched them with the same dispassionate focus she''d given Ainsworth, as though his presence was an inconvenience, nothing more.

    "So, what do you say? After today, the offer will be null," Ainsworth said.

    Silence.

    "Hey?"

    Another silence.

    "You''re really going to ignore me?" Ainsworth''s tone shifted, the edge of frustration creeping in despite his efforts to keep it cool.

    "I have nothing to say to despicable people like you." Nyx didn''t look at him, her voice as calm and unmoved as ever. It was only after the words had already left her mouth that she realized she''d broken the promise to her grandpa.

    His voice dropped, a hint of anger entering his tone. "You''re quite bold, you know. Not many would speak to a prince like that."

    "Perhaps they should start." A faint smirk curled up on Nyx''s face, and Prince Ainsworth didn''t find it so attractive anymore. Instead, it looked very punchable. The urge to dominate her only intensified.

    The tension between them thickened in the air. For a moment, the charming prince was gone, reced by something darker, more dangerous. His lips twitched into a humorless smile. "You''re going to regret crossing me."

    "I doubt it." Nyx never wavered as she stormed out of the balcony, leaving a word behind. "This ce was quiet before, but because of you... it suddenly reeks."

    "Y-you!" Ainsworth''s face turned purple with anger. Before he could say anything, Nyx walked away, leaving him standing alone on the balcony. The sound of the fighters below now seemed distant in his ears. As he watched her retreating figure, the urge to conquer her burned even stronger within him.

    "In the arena, everything will be settled." A dangerous gleam shed in Ainsworth''s eyes. "It won''t be long before I make you my fianc¨¦e!"

 Chapter 177: The Event[1]

    The next day...

    Loud chatter filled the streets of the Royal capital; everyone wore excited expressions on their faces as they discussed animatedly among themselves.

    "I heard the prince will fight over 100 opponents."

    "True, I wonder how he''ll beat all of them... but who knows what miracle he''ll pull off."

    "Yeah, no one has ever seen him in action, but I heard he''s pretty powerful."

    Events weren''t rare in the Royal capital, but this was the first time in the history of the Kingdom that a young prince was about to battle 100-plus Awakened. Some thought the prince was too full of himself, biting off more than he could chew. These people, who had this thought, were mostlyizens who disliked the Royal family.

    "Ah, I can''t wait to watch that pompous brat make a fool out of himself," one manmented, rubbing his palms together with a smirk curled up on his face.

    His friend''s fingers twitched anxiously as his gaze scanned around for any patrol guard before he reprimanded his friend. "Hey, don''t let anyone hear you."

    "What? We have freedom of speech!" The man shouted, annoyance evident in his tone.

    "Yes, it''s true, but..." The man paused, whispering in a quieter voice, "Those scummy Royals could frame you and throw you into prison. You know how terrible that ce is, don''t you?"

    A slight shiver passed through the man as he trembled slightly.

    His friend only fanned the fire, seeing the man''s reaction as he added, "Whenever you''re about to badmouth the Royal family, always remember these words: never drop the soap. I heard the people there are like wild, untamed beasts."

    "Ah, why didn''t you tell me this sooner?" The man chuckled as he yfully smacked his friend''s shoulder quite hard. "Come,e, let''s grab some seats in the front row... let''s go watch our great prince dominate those hundred-plus Awakened."

    "Tsk, this idiot." His friend shook his head in disappointment at how swiftly the man, who loathed the prince with passion, suddenly started ttering him.

    "So shameless."

    Then there were a few who thought the prince had some hidden trump card up his sleeve to face the hundred Awakened, and they were excited to watch what miracles thest prince of the king could perform.

    "The first, second, and third princes are very talented. Without a doubt, I know the fourth will be equally talented."

    "Yeah, those Awakened are in for a rude awakening."

    Meanwhile, a few nobles and high-ranking officials in the capital only sneered at the king''s tactic. They had known him for a long time and could tell that this was one of his ways of showing dominance. He had done simr things in the past.

    Despite this, even the nobles were still preparing to attend the event... not showing up could be considered disrespect to the king.

    ---

    Vermilion Royal Castle, inside Prince Ainsworth''s chambers...

    Countless maids dressed in matching uniforms were helping the prince into golden armor.

    Despite the armor''s regal appearance that screamed royalty, the prince''s face was twisted into a dangerous frown. His green eyes, narrowed into slits, trembled from time to time as he recalled Nyx''s disrespectful words.

    ...

    "This ce was quiet before, but because of you... it suddenly reeks."

    ...

    Sensing the tension in the air, the maids who were diligently working on the prince, making sure he appeared noble, were tense, and all their gestures were filled with nervousness. At this moment, the prince seemed no different from a volcano about to erupt and eliminate everything from existence.

    After he was dressed, the maids rushed out of thevishly decorated chambers with golden details on the walls and a pristine marble floor. They were thankful the prince hadn''t channeled his anger toward them.

    Left alone, the prince began to walk towards the arched window where sunlight streamed in. His footsteps echoed softly as he arrived. Under the radiance of the sun, the prince''s entire body began to glow intensely with a sunny aura. He stretched his hand out, and a condensed yellow ball, the size of a ping pong ball, materialized in his palm. The ball was spinning at a terrifying speed.

    The next moment!

    BOOOOM!

    A deafening sound reverberated in the air as Prince Ainsworth hurled the spinning yellow ball, which looked like a mini sun, into the sky. It exploded, attracting the attention of almost everyone in the Royal Castle and the Vermilion Kingdom.

    ---

    Knock-knock -

    Nyx was lying in her room when someone knocked on the door. Opening it, she saw a maid standing outside with a luxurious dress neatly folded in her hand. The maid disyed a friendly smile upon seeing Nyx.

    "Young miss, this is your dress for the event," she said kindly. "It was selected by His Highness himself."

    Nyx''s face remained expressionless when she heard this, though her mind was filled with questions. Shouldn''t he be upset?

    She remembered speaking to him very rudely. A part of her had expected to be punished, not to receive a gift in return. Dismissing the thought, her ck eyes briefly scanned the clothing.

    It was a milky-colored gown with intricate golden details. Though she hadn''t touched it, she could tell it was very luxurious.

    However...

    "I''m sorry, but I''ll have to reject this," Nyx responded tly. "I already have something to wear. Thank the prince on my behalf."

    "B-but¡ª"

    BANG!

    The door was shut closed.

    "Sigh, how do I tell the prince she refused to wear the dress?" The maid sweated bullets as she started pacing. "No one has ever rejected a gift from the prince. He won''t take it lightly... What should I do? The prince won''t be happy."

    After a moment of contemtion, the maid left. As soon as she did, Nathan''s bony figure staggered into the hallway. He had just concluded a meeting with the guild leader of the Silent Whispers and hade to meet his daughter to prepare for the event at the coliseum.

    Before he could twist the handle, the door opened, revealing Nyx, now dressed in casual attire¡ªa stark contrast to the luxurious gown offered earlier. She wore slim-fitting trousers tucked into dark boots, a loose dark tunic with silver thread lining, and a leather jacket thrown over her shoulders.

    Nathan raised an eyebrow at her attire and sighed heavily. "Sigh, Nyx, could you please put on somethingdylike?"

    Nyx shrugged, her eyes scanning him from top to bottom. "No... I figured it would be best to stayfortable. It''s not like I''m here to y dress-up." She adjusted her jacket and looked out into the hallway, her usual sharp gaze assessing everyone, especially the guards. "Besides, if something does go down, I''d rather be dressed for action than suffocated by that gown."

    As she said this, Nyx recalled the expression of Prince Ainsworth.

    Yup, this event won''t go smoothly.

 Chapter 178: The Event [2]

    The Royal Coliseum at the heart of the city was slowly filling up. Dozens of guards stood at the entrance, observing everyone with sharp gazes, ensuring that nomotion urred that would disrupt the gathering.

    The ce was extremely crowded, and everyone seemed to be talking at once, making it very difficult to hear oneself. Parents held their children''s hands tightly, as cases of children going missing or being trampled in such gatherings were prettymon.

    In the midst of this, a massive wyvern descended from the sky, casting an ominous shadow over everyone. They nced up, spotting two people mounted on the muscr wyvern. Their eyes sparkled in amazement.

    "Who is he? Is he a noble?"

    "Is he a knight?"

    "I doubt it, he isn''t dressed like a knight," one man pointed out. "Also, no one from the four noble households possesses magical beasts like this."

    The man then stroked his beard, a pondering expression crossing his features. "I heard these wyverns are very rare. In fact, all the wyverns in the human domain have either gone extinct or migrated elsewhere. One of them costs a fortune. So this begs the question: how did this nobody get their hands on one?"

    "Wait, now I remember," someone chimed in. "I saw this wyvern heading towards the Royal Ind. I think it belongs to a high dignitary who resides there."

    While the others were busy whispering among themselves, the wyvern descended to a separate corner where no one was present. All eyes immediately turned to that spot, eager to see the people flying such a powerful creature.

    The first person that caught their eyes was a beautiful raven-haired girl dressed in tomboyish fashion. Her clothes seemed to be made of expensive materials, yet they found her style a bit strange. Overall, they didn''t get a bad impression of her¡ªsome people in the crowd couldn''t help but praise her beauty.

    Then it happened.

    Their eyes fell on Nathan.

    The first thing they noticed was his undernourished build. The people''s expressions changed into frowns as they watched the man dismount the wyvern with great difficulty.

    Some were even terrified that the skinny man might be blown away by the wind. Even though his choice of clothing¡ªa silk purple robe¡ªdidn''t seem out of ce in terms of style, Nathan''s undernourished physique contrasted starkly with the imposing wyvern and the morous girl beside him.

    "He looks so frail."

    "Is he even capable of being here?"

    Whispers of skepticism and concern rippled through the crowd as Nathan struggled to dismount the wyvern. Despite the initial awe inspired by the wyvern''s arrival, all eyes now scrutinized the skinny man, who seemed out of ce in his surroundings.

    "He''s not from a noble family, that''s for sure."

    "I wonder how he managed to get his hands on such a creature."

    "Could he be a guard? No, that doesn''t sound right. How would any sane person entrust their child to a fragile old man who seems to have not eaten in days?"

    Hearing their whispers, which weren''t difficult to make out, Nyx threw them a sharp gaze. Although they didn''t feel oppressed by her, there was something threatening about her eyes; it felt as if a demoness was ring at them. They feared that if they stared longer, they''d be devoured.

    "So scary."

    "How old is that girl? She seems young, but those eyes¡­"

    "Phew!" After sessfully dismounting the wyvern with great difficulty, Nathan eximed as he held his back, a loud cracking sound reverberating through the air. The sound was so unmistakable that the people were forced to look at Nyx and Nathan again before looking ahead, recalling those chilling eyes.

    "Come on, let''s get going already," Nyx said as she held her grandpa''s hand, her attention focused forward. "I''ll guide you."

    Nathan chuckled. "Ah, this old man is fine¡­ he can move around just fine¡­"

    "Hmph!" Nyx sneered, her eyes gleaming with annoyance. "You took more than two minutes to get down from the wyvern¡­ what if someone identally knocked you over?"

    "I¡­" Nathan stammered as Nyx tightened her grasp on his hand. Her beautiful little face was as indifferent as always, and her gaze was sharp. A tear escaped Nathan''s eye as he flicked it away. Heavens, he really loved his naughty granddaughter a lot. Resisting the urge to pinch her cheeks, he nodded with a warm smile.

    "Alright, I''ll be under your car¡ª"

    However, Nathan wasn''t able to finish his sentence asmotion arose within the crowd, diverting his attention to the direction everyone was ncing at with sparkling eyes.

    "Look, those carriages seem familiar!"

    "Aren''t those from the Four Noble Households?"

    "Yeah, it''s truly them."

    What everyone was pointing at were four luxurious carriages heading towards the entrance of the Royal Coliseum, each adorned with the distinct sigils and colors of the four noble households of the Vermilion Kingdom. Each carriage had knights riding powerful armored horses guarding them.

    As they approached, the air around them seemed to shimmer with an aura of authority, drawing the attention of all present.

    There were smaller noble families all over the Vermilion Kingdom, but these four weremonly referred to as the Big Four. Each and every one of them was somehow rted to royalty, their history dating back to the creation of the kingdom.

    They were almost as powerful as the king himself and had private armies of their own. There were even rumors that if something terrible happened to the Royal family, the throne would be passed to one of these families.

    Nathan''s eyes, which had been filled with happiness a few seconds ago, became dangerously narrowed as he saw the sigils of the Big Four. Nyx noticed the change in her grandfather''s expression and looked at the carriages that had nowe to a halt.

    Inside one of the carriages, two men with silvery-white hair were seated¡ªone of them was blindfold while the other had short hair that cascaded down his temples.

    "You were right," the man with the short hair said, peering outside at the old man and the little girl standing close to the imposing wyvern. "The mad dog is really in the capital," he added with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 179: The Big Four

    "Who are they?" Nyx turned to her grandpa, eager to know what would make him react like this. Her grandfather was mostly a calm, easy-going person. There had only been two times Nyx had witnessed him being angry.

    The encounter with Kron and Hendrix.

    Nyx knew the reason for his anger then... but what was the reason this time?

    Because everyone was speaking at the same time, it was very hard to make out who was speaking. She only heard a few people mention the term "Big Four" from time to time, but that was too vague.

    After a while, the thick bloodlust that was emitted from Nathan gradually subsided, rity returning to his eyes as he briefly nced at his granddaughter and said in a tone filled with undisguised disdain:

    "Those are the four most powerful noble families... they''re also known as the four biggest scums." His face darkened as he added thest part in a lower tone, hate evident in his voice.

    Despite his effort to prevent Nyx from hearing, she still clearly heard. The hate was heavy in his voice, and the raven-haired girl was forced to look at the carriage once more.

    As if on cue, before Nathan could speak, someone close to Nyx spoke.

    "House Vrius," whispered a well-dressed woman, her eyes fixed on the carriage embellished with a golden sunburst crest. "They always make a grand entrance."

    "House Silver," murmured another, nodding towards the carriage draped in deep hues of midnight blue, decorated with silver moon motifs. "They''re known for their mysterious ways and ancient knowledge."

    "House Ironcrest," chimed in a man, pointing to the carriage adorned with intricate patterns resembling gears and swords. "Their wealth and technological advancements are unmatched."

    "And House Duskwood," added a nobleman, gesturing towards the carriage adorned with pristine white stones and a flowing river emblem. "The bastion of justice and cultural refinement."

    Nyx briefly nced at the people speaking and noticed they were telling their clueless children about the Big Four. Like her, most children didn''t know about them, so they turned to their parents for answers.

    As the carriages finally came to a halt, various knights rushed to attend to the upants. From House Vrius, a tall, dignified figure with dark hair streaked with strands of grey emerged from the carriage. His piercing grey eyes seemed to hold a lifetime of wisdom and diplomacy.

    This man was none other than Lord ric Vrius, the chief treasurer of the kingdom. He was d in robes of gold and crimson, embroidered with symbols of the sun and sky, exuding a regal air thatmanded respect. Around his neck hung a pendant with a in design.

    However, this pendant was rumored to contain a fragment of a fallen star.

    Of course, not many believed this as it had never been confirmed.

    Beside him was a young girl who seemed to be the same age as Nyx and Nox. She was Lady Elowen, dressed in a long, flowing deep blue gown.

    From House Ironcrest, a short man with arge stomach stepped out with braided hair. His attire, a blend of sturdy fabrics and refined craftsmanship, bore subtle motifs of gears and swords. Despite hisrge stomach, his gaze was sharp and calcting. In his arm, a gauntlet adorned with intricate mechanisms gleamed.

    This man was Lord Cedric Ironcrest! The Ironcrest family was famous for their cksmithing. From selling their products to foreign nations, they had earned millions of gold coins.

    The third noble that came out was from House Duskwood. A beautiful woman emerged with ethereal grace, her attire in midnight blues and shimmering silver threads that seemed to capture and reflect the light around her. Her dark hair cascaded in waves over her shoulders, adorned with delicate crystals that glinted softly.

    Eyes of deep amethyst gazed out from beneath a hood and she carried an ornate staff adorned with runes.

    This woman was Lady Seraphina Duskwood. Not only did her family boast the most powerful mages in the Vermilion Kingdom, but she was also the guild leader of Duskwood Guild, a Gold-Ranked guild and one of the top five strongest guilds in the Vermilion Kingdom.

    Thest was none other than Lucas Silver. With his silver-white hair and piercing blue eyes, he was as intimidating as ever. There was no knight beside him; instead, the one standing behind him was a blindfolded man with long silvery hair.

    No one really knew what role the Silver family yed in the kingdom, but they were among the top three most powerful, wealthy, and influential families in the Vermilion Kingdom.

    They were also known as the most isted and secretive family. Unlike the other families, no one knew how the Silver family operated.

    Because of the status of the big four, no one present was foolish enough to stand in their way. They all moved to the side, making a clear path for the Big Four to pass by, their knights looming menacingly behind them. Although they were not obligated to bow their heads as they did to the Royal Family, the crowd subconsciously lowered theirs.

    Most of those outside were merelymoners. In the past, amoner had simply bumped into a noble, and their legs were cut off. As usual, the king did nothing about it. Ever since then, themoners always showed great respect to any noble they came across.

    Click! Click!

    The once rowdy gathering was now as silent as a graveyard, only the clicking of the nobles'' footsteps echoed throughout the surroundings. Time seemed to slow, and most present appeared to hold their breath. These nobles were known foring up with the pettiest reasons to make amoner''s life miserable.

    It wouldn''te as a surprise if they beat up amoner for tainting the air.

    Hence, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    "Hmmm." Lucas Silver suddenly came to a stop, his eyes scanning the crowd, making the people in the direction of his gaze nervous, their heartbeats elerating.

    Lucas''s gaze continued to roam through the surroundings before it settled on the old man and the little girl standing beside a powerful wyvern emitting the aura of a King-tier Beast.

    Those people were standing straight and looking ahead as if the nobles were not present in the gathering.

    Then Lucas started approaching Nathan, and at that moment, the onlookers nced at Nathan with a pitiful gaze, silently offering a prayer for the old man.

 Chapter 180: Lucas Silver Vs Nathan Cromwell

    "Oh, he''s done for!" one manmented, making a prayer sign as they watched Lucas Silver approach the old, frail-looking man who was now standing like a sword.

    "I knew it, these nobles would find the silliest of reasons to make amoner''s life miserable," another person whispered quietly.

    "Well, it''s his fault. Why didn''t he bow like the others?" one person sneered in disdain. "He deserves anything that''ll happen to him."

    "Sigh, how will the little girl get to her parents now?"

    "Stop talking as if he''ll kill him. At most, he''ll only teach him a lesson."

    Hearing the hushed whispers of the crowd, even the other nobles who were about to enter the coliseum stopped and looked in the direction Lucas was heading.

    Cedric, the head of the Ironcrest noble household, narrowed his eyes as he stared at the old man that seemed familiar. Just a few secondster, he recognized him.

    The other heads of the Velearuoie and Duskwood households had also recognized him.

    "I wonder what Lucas will do," Serepahina, the leader of the Duskwood household,mented with a small, pleasant chuckle. "I heard Nathan''s grandson killed Lucas'' son... Do you think Lucas wants to take revenge?"

    ric Vrius nced at Lucas'' tense back, those eyes that seemed to hold hundreds of years of experience gleamed strangely as he shook his head and responded to Serepahina''s question, "I doubt he''d be that stupid."

    "You think so?" Cedric chimed in, stroking his chubby cheeks. "Have you all forgotten how fearless and stupid Lucas could be at times? It wouldn''t evene as a shock to me if he actually punched Nathan in the face."

    A dark expression appeared on Lady Serepahina''s face as she spoke in a very quiet tone. "Then the same thing that happened with the Han Lee family would repeat itself."

    Though she said it quietly, all the heads of the noble households present were high-level Awakened and had extremely sharp ears. It was very difficult for them *not* to hear her.

    And as they did, a shiver momentarily passed through their spines. That was a very dark memory they didn''t wish to recall.

    A momentter, Lord ric shook his head. "I still stand by my words. Well, let''s see how this ys out."

    Meanwhile, Nathan was tense, wondering why the head of the Silver family was heading his way with the towering blindfolded man walking beside him. Nathan didn''t bend forward like he usually did. A series of cracking bones resonated throughout as Nathan stood tall at his full height of 6''4".

    Because of the pin-drop silence that descended outside the coliseum, everyone heard the sound of bones snapping. Their gaze was at first fixed on Lucas, waiting for what he''d do next, but now it was fixed on Nathan, who was standing quite dominantly. Even though he still seemed like someone that could be easily blown away by the wind, he seemed slightly different.

    However, no matter how hard they tried to wrap their heads around it, they couldn''t seem to discern what was different about him.

    Subconsciously, Nathan tightened his grasp on his granddaughter''s hand. Nyx was a bit perplexed too when she saw how intense her grandfather''s gaze was. It was as though those eyes could cut steel. She wanted to ask questions but chose not to.

    From the look of things, she could guess her grandfather knew this man, but they seemed to have bad blood between them.

    Although his expression was stoic, Nathan was also having an inner dilemma. He briefly nced at Lucas, then shifted his attention to the blindfolded man beside him.

    A strange, indescribable feeling washed over him as his gaze lingered on the man''s handsome face.

    ''If anything happens, I should be more cautious of this person instead of Lucas.'' Nathan''s years of experience screamed at him. ''I can''t sense even a tiny bit of aura from him... he seems no different from an ordinary human... but... why is he so unsettling?''

    At that moment, the distance between Nathan and Lucas shortened considerably, and the two were only within arm''s length. Both men''s gazes shed in mid-air, the tension rippling out to the onlookers.

    Even the expressions of the three other leaders had changed slightly. At such close proximity, anything could happen.

    Just then, Lucas spoke in a firm tone. "I didn''te here to fight."

    "I don''t remember offending you in any way, Lord Lucas," Nathan replied in an equally firm voice. Not even a hint of fear could be spotted. Then he added, "Thest time I checked, bowing down to the four noble households is a matter of choice."

    "Tsk." Lucas waved a dismissive hand. "Don''t y dumb with me, young man. You and I both know what your grandson did in Snowhelm... I''m only here to warn you to keep those you love safe."

    Lucas paused, and Nathan''s heart sped up as his thoughts raced. ''What did that little brat do this time, and what is he saying?''

    Regardless of his thoughts, Nathan couldn''t stand by and watch this man threaten his loved ones.

    "Is this a threat?" Exiting his swirling mess of thoughts, Nathan uttered coldly, his eyes narrowed, a hint of me dancing wildly in his eyes.

    Lucas met his gaze unflinchingly. "No, it''s just a friendly piece of advice from an oldrade." As he said this, he gently ruffled Nyx''s hair, who became visibly annoyed. "Like I said before... protect the ones you love... thest thing you''d want is to wake up one day and discover they''re gone."

    "Y-you, you''re really threatening me," Nathan gritted his teeth as he watched Lucas, who had now turned his back on him.

    After Lucas left, the blindfolded man remained there for some time. He briefly nced at Nathan, then shifted his attention to the little girl, who was staring at him with an indifferent expression. Zarek disyed an unsettling smile, then turned back without saying anything.

    "What was that about?" Nyx asked when the unsettling man had left.

    Nathan, his gaze still fixed on Lucas, shook his head. "It''s nothing. Come on, let''s get going. The event will soon start."

 Chapter 181: The Event (1)

    (New months Guys, I once again call for you help to climb the Golden Rankings)

    ---

    Nyx remained standing for some time, her gaze fixed on the back of the blindfolded man. There was something off about him, but she couldn''t figure it out. Was it his strange actions? Or was it something else? Though she wasn''t sure, she was certain that the blindfolded man was a dangerous entity.

    ''And why did I feel disgusted by his pressure?'' she thought, recalling how suffocated she''d been just being in the blindfolded man''s presence. ''His entire aura disgusted me... it felt like something I had felt before in the past... but where?''

    "Phew, that old man got lucky," one spectatormented, a bit of disappointment flickering in his eyes.

    "It''s the first time I''m seeing a no-name stand against a noble... not just anyone, but one of the big four. Guys, I think this man is more special than we think."

    Most of the people here were only in their twenties, and most of them hadn''t been born when the great war descended on the human domain. They only heard the stories and knew the notable names of all those who contributed greatly to the war.

    One name that was always thrown into every conversation was... Nathan Aegis Cromwell.

    However, just like the guards back at the wall, they''d never seen this legendary figure in person. Also, the king and nobles made sure that no information about him spread and even belittled some of his achievements, as they didn''t want a meremoner to overshadow them.

    The heads of the big four easily gained ess to the colosseum. Because of their status, they directly cut the line to the front, and there wasn''t even a single bit ofint from the others, treating it as something normal.

    Soon after, the other citizens were also led inside.

    Crack! Crack!

    "Ouch, my back hurts!" Nathanined with a grimace as the sound of his bones cracking reverberated. He was back to his slouching posture. He ced one of his hands on his waist and looked at his granddaughter as if asking for assistance.

    Nyx looked at him, at a loss for words, before she held his hand.

    "Aren''t you going to say something?" Nathan asked in a low voice, finding it weird that Nyx didn''t make a snarky remark or reprimand him like usual for his actions.

    The beautiful girl just shook her head, her gaze forward. "I figured I''ll save lots of brain cells if I keep quiet."

    Soon the two entered the arena.

    As Nyx and Nathan stepped into the coliseum, they were immediately overwhelmed by the sheer size of the arena. Towering stone walls stretched upward, enclosing the vast battleground below. Rows of tightly packed seats surrounded the arena, filled with excited spectators, all eager to witness the uing events.

    Every seat provided a perfect view of the elevated tform that was in the middle of the arena.

    The arena floor itself was filled with beautiful white sand that gleamed under the sunlight, designed to absorb the blood and dust ofbat. Scattered around the perimeter were ancient stone pirs that stretched into the sky, adding a sense of grandeur. High above, a series of massive banners bearing the sigils of the four noble households fluttered in the breeze wildly.

    ''This ce... it''s beautiful,'' Nyx thought, a strange gleam in her eyes. Very few things fascinated her, especially the luxuries and splendor that captured the hearts of others her age. But this ce... this ce excited her simply because...

    Because It was filled with bloodshed and countless battles. The mere thought thrilled her.

    Just as Nathan was pondering where to sit, a man dressed like a knight approached him from behind. Due to the noisy atmosphere, even Nathan had failed to detect the footsteps of the knight.

    "Sir."

    Nathan heard a deep voice behind him. Turning around, he found an armored knight bowing to him. A perplexed expression crossed Nathan''s wrinkled face.

    "I was sent by His Royal Majesty to escort you over there," the knight, now standing straight once more, pointed at a row in the spectator section crowded with high-ranking dignitaries. Seated there on mini throne-like seats were the heads of the four noble households, some military generals, and other dignitaries. One person that caught Nathan by surprise was none other than Brawn Collins.

    ''It seems they even invited him... just how important is this event?'' Nathan couldn''t help but ponder, a bit wary in his eyes. ''That green-eyed bastard must be scheming something again... but what?''

    All Nathan knew was that Prince Ainsworth would fight against 100-plus Awakened today. ording to him, it was aing-of-age ceremony to prepare Ainsworth to join the Vermilion Royal Academy.

    Dismissing the thought, Nathan and Nyx followed the knight, who led them through a flight of steps, taking them to the elevated area where the high officials were.

    Nathan and Nyx sat down beside Brawn Collins. Though the two men had only parted ways a few hours ago, they exchanged pleasantries, disregarding the other nobles present. Though their gazes were fixed on the arena below, they couldn''t help but sneak a nce at the two friends from time to time.

    When the two men were done greeting each other, Brawn Collins'' gaze fell on Nyx.

    "Ohohoho. Who is this youngdy?" Brawn asked, his brown eyes shing sharply as he found the girl''s features very, very familiar. Nathan was about to introduce his granddaughter to the Spider of the Silent Whisper, but thetter connected the dots quite easily.

    "You must be Arthur''s daughter!" he eximed, eyes sparkling in excitement as he picked up Nyx and gave her a warm bear hug. Nyx pouted, visibly annoyed.

    Ignoring her cute, indifferent face, Brawn spoke in a lively tone: "In case this senile bastard hasn''t told you about me, I''m your uncle... Uncle Brawn."

    Nyx struggled a little, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment. Then she said in a slightly strained voice: "U-Uncle Brawn, you''re suffocating me."

    "Oh, I''m sorry." Brawn let out an embarrassed chuckle as he released Nyx from his embrace and pinched her cheeks.

    From the side, Nathan chuckled lightly as he watched Brawn release Nyx, the look of exasperation on her face unmistakable. Despite her outwardposure, Nathan could tell she wasn''t fond of these sudden disys of affection, especially from someone she''d only just met.

    "She takes after her father in that regard," Nathan said in an amused tone.

    Brawn grinned, ruffling Nyx''s hair yfully. "Arthur was always serious too, but don''t worry, little Nyx, you''ll get used to me."

    Nyx quickly smoothed her hair back into ce, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "I''ll keep that in mind, Uncle Brawn," she said politely, though the undertone of annoyance was clear.

    "Ohohoho, a feisty one like your mother, aren''t you?" Brawn chuckled loudly.

    While the three were engrossed among themselves, a man stepped up onto the elevated tform.

    The event was about to begin.

    ---

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 Chapter 182: The Event [2]

    "Ladies and gentlemen, we wee you all to this special event," the man spoke, his voice booming through the coliseum. Despite theck of any magical amplification, everyone in the arena heard him as clearly as if he stood right beside them.

    The spectators, who had been murmuring and shifting restlessly, immediately fell silent, all eyes turning toward the speaker. He was an imposing figure, draped in a regal cloak that swayed gently with his movements. His voice held authority, the kind thatmanded respect effortlessly.

    Most of those present recognized the red-haired man dressed in silver armor. His piercing red eyes were filled with wildness as he red at the crowd, the sheer intensity of his gaze causing several people to gulp nervously.

    This man was Sir Ignatius meheart,mander of King Aldric''s Royal Knights and one of the strongest Awakened in the entire Kingdom. It was rumored that his strength was at the same level as the leaders of the Big Four. Not only that, he was also fondly called the Guardian of the East.

    Nathan''s eyes narrowed as he studied the man. ''The King''s right-hand man. So, he''s overseeing the event?''

    "This year," Ignatius continued, his tone serious, "marks an important milestone for the future of our kingdom. Today, we will witness a disy of strength, courage, and the indomitable will of our young fighters who will soon be pirs of the Vermilion Kingdom!"

    Several cheers erupted from the spectators. Excitement filled the air as the citizens waited eagerly for the event to begin.

    In the reserved area for the dignitaries, King Aldric gripped the armrest of his seat, his eyes gleaming with wickedness. He looked like a demon straight from the depths of darkness. His thought process at this moment was even more rming.

    "It''s about to begin," Aldric whispered, his voice barely able to contain the excitement coursing through his entire being.

    The others also noticed his out-of-ce behavior and briefly nced at him, wondering what was causing the king to be so excited. Had he perhaps lost his mind?

    Nathan and Brawn Collins exchanged nces, both of them sharing the same thought, wondering what the scheming king was nning. Though no words were spoken between them, they both decided to be prepared in case of any emergency.

    Nyx, as observant as ever, had noticed the unspoken interaction between her grandfather and her "uncle." She returned her gaze to the man the next moment.

    "Let the fight begin!" the head knightmanded, and with a wave of his hand, numerous figures began ascending the elevated tform.

    Nathan noticed something wrong.

    He wasn''t the only one.

    Even the others noticed.

    Nyx''s eyes flickered as she focused on the clothing of the individuals climbing the tform. They were all between 10 to 15 at most.

    But there was something odd about them.

    Nyx briefly nced at Elowen, the daughter of the Vrius family; her attire was luxurious and pristine. Then she looked at the children on the tform.

    Why did they look so unkempt?

    Why did they look so undernourished?

    The mood in the coliseum plummeted considerably; the previous excitement was now gone. Most of the audience''s eyes were filled with confusion and resentment.

    "What are they doing there?"

    "Don''t tell me it''s what I''m thinking? Are they the ones who will fight against the prince?"

    "Aren''t they all low-level?" one woman pointed out, a frown crossing her features.

    Perhaps the only people who maintained nonchnt expressions were the nobles.

    "Hehehe, so this was his n all along," Seraphinamented, her voice filled with amusement, a light chuckle escaping her lips as she observed the reactions of bothmoners and nobles alike.

    "I should''ve expected it," Nathan muttered through gritted teeth, his voice barely audible over the murmurs of the crowd. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the box where King Aldric was seated.

    "To think he''d go as far as banding severalmoners together. What is this bastard hoping to achieve?" Brawn clenched his fist, a red vein pulsing on his temple. Like Nathan, he too was amoner. No matter which angle he looked at it from, he found the king''s actions to be despicable.

    What point was he trying to prove?

    On the elevated tform, Sir Ignatius remained expressionless as he regarded themoners with an indifferent gleam in his eye. Themoners'' expressions were a mixture of nervousness and burning determination. Most of them had trembling hands, barely keeping their weapons still.

    The eyes of the determined ones flickered from time to time as they muttered silent prayers to their patron gods, unaware that the gods had much more important matters to attend to.

    The knightmander sneered disdainfully as he saw them. He had long known about the king''s n and had aided him every step ¡ª he was the one who had even gathered themoners. At that moment, Prince Ainsworth stepped onto the fighting tform. He was d in golden armor that reflected a blinding radiance under the afternoon sun.

    Ainsworth''s features were concealed by a winged golden helmet with burning slits for eyes, giving him an imposing and almost otherworldly appearance. The prince''s presence on the tform drew immediate attention, and themoners all scrambled to find their positions. Because the tform was several hundred meters long, it could amodate all the 101 Awakened.

    Shing!

    A sharp ng pierced the air as the prince unsheathed his weapon. Themoners flinched, fear shing across their faces, but they quickly regained theirposure.

    "Come on, he''s just one person!" shouted a voice from the crowd, the speaker tightening their grip on a spear. "If we work together, we could overpower him!"

    Themoners on the tform exchanged determined looks, their initial fear slowly fading in front of Prince Ainsworth''s imposing presence. The one who had spoken, a young man with a spear, stood tall despite his trembling hands. He seemed to have be the unofficial leader of themoners.

    "He''s right! We can do this if we stand together!" another shouted, rallying their spirits. The group ofmoners, now galvanized by their shared courage, spread out on the tform, forming a circle around the golden-armored prince.

    From the royal box, King Aldric''s eyes glimmered with amusement, a fleeting smile curling his lips as he emitted a low, humorless chuckle. "These mongrels," he mused, his voice carrying a trace of disdain, "did they truly believe they stood a chance against Ainsworth, who is already at level..."

    ---

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 Chapter 183: The Event [3]

    Ainsworth stood proudly in the middle of themoners, regarding each and every one of them with a sharp gaze that was filled with disdain. It was as if they were filth, and merely being in their presence made him disgusted. Ainsworth''s lips tightened as though simply breathing the same air as them was an unbearable offense to his pride.

    "Tsk, lowly scum." He sneered under his breath, his gaze locked on the least of themoners¡ªthe one with the spear. A gold gleam shed briefly in his visor. "Let''s start by taking care of this one."

    Sensing the heavy gaze of the prince, the young man who had spoken earlier raised his spear, pointing it at Ainsworth with trembling hands. "We won''t go down without a fight!"

    "Oh... are you threatening me?" Prince Ainsworth''s cold voice rang out, cutting through the silence. Because of the tense silence all over the arena, everyone present heard the prince''s threatening words.

    "This bastard... even in such a fight, he is still using his status to intimidate his opponent... how despicable." Brawn looked at the prince with eyes full of disdain, and his voice was quite loud¡ªso loud that the others who were close to him heard him.

    They briefly nced at him before moving their attention back to the tform. It was no secret that the leader of the Silent Whispers was fearless; he was one of the few who could tantly speak ill of the royal family and go scot-free.

    Nyx watched the prince with an unreadable expression on her face. She never felt anything for him from the beginning, but this single act made her even more disgusted by him. She briefly shifted her gaze from the prince to themoners.

    On the tform, the tension had reached its breaking point.

    That youth stammered with a horrified expression on his face as if he had forgotten how to breathe. He clenched his spear tighter, trying to summon courage from within, but his voice trembled as he spoke again. "We¡­ we are not threatening you, Your Highness... it is just that..."

    "Keep your exnation to yourself, lowly scum," Ainsworth sneered.

    Then, without warning, he moved.

    He was a blur of gold and fire, too fast for most eyes to follow. One moment he stood still, the next he was in front of thatmoner, his sword already drawn.

    Without a moment of hesitation, the prince''s de shed forward, a silvery arc slicing through the air with deadly uracy.

    Shing!

    "Shit!" Themoner cursed as his spear collided with the sword, the sharp metallic ring resonating through the arena. The sheer intensity of the prince''s strike sent him staggering back, the force going up his arm like a shockwave. Themoner felt his arm go numb and noticed a lingering metallic scent in the air. Stiffly, he nced down at his arm and was horrified.

    His spear had broken in two, and one of his hand had been severed.

    They were all lying on the ground, staring back at him. How is this possible? Thatmoner was confused; the prince had only executed one attack. Could it be that he was mistaken?

    "Such speed, just as I expected from the prince," one of the dignitaries in the reserved areamented, his tone a mixture of admiration and surprise. He shifted in his seat, leaning forward as he watched the prince with a mix of respect and envy, clearly captivated by the disy of such royal prowess. "If I wasn''t a high-level Awakened, even I would''ve failed to see his second strike."

    Yes, indeed, thatmoner''s suspicion was correct. After the first strike, the prince had swiftly followed with another.

    Despite seeing blood, there were no chants or cheers from the crowd. They all watched in silence as if they were witnessing a tragic movie unfolding before them. As Ainsworth shook the blood from his de, both the fighters and the spectators closer to the fighting tform flinched back.

    The morale of all themoners took a massive plunge, and they were all taking several steps back. The trembling increased several times; most of them had even urinated on themselves. Among everyone, themoner who had spoken had the highest level among everyone there.

    He was a level 10 Awakened, and somehow even he was taken out quite easily like this. Then where did that leave them, who were mostly level 5 to 7? The best they could do was forfeit.

    "That smell." At that moment, Prince Ainsworth''s expression turned ugly as he caught a whiff of the urine from themoners. "How dare you! How dare you urinate in my presence?"

    "P-please, have mercy, Your Highness--!"

    Shing!

    Arge arc of blood flew into the air as that person''s head thudded to the ground, rolling a couple of times beforeing to a stop.

    Nathan and Brawn jumped up to their feet when they saw this sight! Their expressions filled with shock! Even Nyx''s indifferent eyes trembled slightly as she witnessed this.

    "I can''t detect any life signals from him." Brawn narrowed his eyes; those brown eyes were filled with confusion and surprise.

    "There is a runic barrier, right? The prince couldn''t just behead him like that, could he?" Nathan asked in an incredulous tone, still struggling to believe what was happening before him. Oftentimes in arenas like this, there were runic barriers that would activate, healing the fighters back to their full health.

    A few seconds flew by, and nothing happened.

    Nathan''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "There is none." King Aldric''s voice rang out from the royal box. His tone was indifferent. "All thesemoners are prisoners; they were all originally issued a death sentence..." He paused, then added in a tone filled with glee, "Prince Ainsworth is simply doing his duty to the kingdom by getting rid of them."

    "Y-you sick bastard!" Nathan cursed as he sat back in his seat, his face as pale as a sheet of paper. "They''re just kids."

    Nathan knew very well that thesemoners were innocent. The king most likely had framed all of them... just... just to prove what?

    That themoners'' lives were no different from ants? That they could be squashed whenever the nobles wanted?

    Whatever message the king was hoping to pass, he had seeded.

    ***

    AN: Hmmm, it seemed we Still haven''t reach 50 Golden Tickets

    ---

    50 Golden Tickets: 1 extra chapter

    500 power stones for 2 chapters

    100 Golden Tickets 2 chapters

    200 Golden Tickets 4 Extra chapters

    Castle for 5 extra chapters

 Chapter 184: The Event [4]

    As expected, the nobles were as expressionless as usual. There wasn''t even a slight change of expression on their faces. Their frighteningposure led Nathan to believe they either knew about this or had done something like this before.

    ''The former king would never do something like this,'' Nathan thought, recalling the past. During the era of the previous king, there was a disparity between nobles andmoners, but it was subtle. The previous king had done a good job of keeping the bnce, not allowing the nobles to mistreat themoners as they pleased. It was one of the reasons he was hated by the nobles.

    With the previous king''s death, the delicate bnce that had kept the nobles in check was thrown into disarray. No longer was there a powerful figure who dared to stand against the greedy nobles. Instead, King Aldric embraced the nobles'' disdain for themon folk. He was even cruelerpared to others.

    Nyx, seated beside Nathan, kept her sharp gaze fixed on Ainsworth. Her face remained impassive, but her eyes flickered with thought. "This isn''t about the fight, is it?" she asked quietly.

    Even for someone like Nyx, this was simply too far¡­ how could a king watch his subjects being in like that?

    Nathan didn''t respond immediately. His gaze was fixed on the audience, who were trying to shield their eyes. This was beyond their expectations. All of them hade here with the mindset of witnessing a thrilling, blood-pumping battle between the prince and the Awakened, not to see their kind being beheaded before their eyes.

    Some of them even attempted to leave the arena, but the stern, overbearing gazes of the guards caused them to abandon any thoughts of fleeing.

    "No," Nathan finally responded to Nyx''s question. "It''s a message... it''s about showing everyone, especially themoners, where they stand in this kingdom."

    Nyx fell into deep thought. She hadn''t met the king before, but she hated him already. In fact, she strongly disliked all members of the royal family.

    Meanwhile, Brawn''s hands clenched at his sides as he watched the headless body fall. His jaw tightened as he saw the horrified expressions on themoners. ''These kids, they have parents... but.''

    A strange gleam shed in his eyes. ''It seems we really need some changes in this kingdom.''

    "Hmmm." Seraphina''s eyes narrowed slightly when she saw that gleam in Brawn''s eyes. She found it very rming. She suspected the guild leader of the notorious Silent Whispers might be nning something but didn''tment on it.

    In the arena, all themoners had dropped their weapons and were now banging their heads on the hard fighting tform, fear crossing their faces.

    "Please, your Highness, forgive us!"

    "We surrender!"

    The boy who had led the charge stumbled to his knees, his spear broken, his body trembling. He looked up at Ainsworth, a mixture of fear and anger in his eyes. "Why¡­ why are you doing this? What did we do to deserve such treatment?"

    The boy couldn''t help but exim, tears streaming down his cheeks. He had just been abducted by some knights in the marketce¡­ and the next moment, he found himself in the presence of the red-headed Knight Commander, who had given all of them weapons.

    He didn''tmit any crime at all! This was simply too unfair!

    Ainsworth paused, his burning gaze meeting the boy''s. For a moment, there was silence. Then, he spoke, his voice low and cold. "Because you dared. You dared to taint my presence with your disgusting waste¡­ now you shall suffer the consequences."

    "Fuck you!" The boy stared at the prince, a burning hatred in his eyes, so intense that it could carve a hole in the prince''s armor. He got up from his kneeling position, picked up the de of his broken spear with his good hand, and charged forward, kicking up dust.

    Boom!

    "Just even a scratch." The boy''s eyes were filled with mad resolve. "I only need to injure him."

    "Those eyes... he would kill all of us," the boy thought, the distance between him and the prince shortening. "I''d rather die fighting than die like a coward!" he screamed at the top of his voice.

    Though he didn''t have any skills because [Skill Books] cost dozens of gold coins, he still had natural training from the streets.

    Nathan shook his head lightly as he saw the boy running blindly to what could very well be his death.

    At that moment, the prince''s sword shed again.

    Another head fell, sttering blood on the ground.

    Under the horrified expressions of themoners in the spectator seats and the amused expressions of the noble dignitaries, Prince Ainsworth raised his sword high above his head, and the crowd gasped as a brilliant aura of golden light erupted around him. Themoners on the tform flinched, raising their arms defensively, but it was toote.

    "A Sun Knight!" Nyx''s eyes gleamed in recognition as she saw the golden light shining behind Prince Ainsworth. She had read a few things about the various sses in Eos, so she had a vast pool of knowledge about them. In Eos, except for broken characters like Nox, skills could only be learned if they werepatible with the said ss.

    "This skill is definitely Divine Judgement... and it''s onlypatible with the Sun Knight ss... a unique ss!" Hearing Nyx''s silent whisper, Brawn nodded, confirming her suspicions.

    The Sun Knight ss was powerful for several reasons, but the main reason was mostly because... they were at their strongest whenever they were under the sun. In an ever-sunny kingdom like Vermilion, anyone with the Sun Knight ss was very difficult to defeat.

    At that moment, the prince''s sharp words reverberated as he activated his skill.

    "[Divine Judgment]!"

    BOOOOOOOOM!

    A massive pir of light descended from the heavens, engulfing the entire tform in its radiance. The blinding brilliance forced the spectators to shield their eyes, the roar of energy deafening.

    When the light finally faded, the tform was left scorched and barren. Themoners who had stood there moments ago were all lying on the ground... motionless.

    The crowd was stunned silent, still trying toprehend what had just happened.

    "H-he killed them." A man stammered with trembling hands.

    "Is he going to kill us now?" another asked.

    "Wuwuwuwuwwu!" Children started to cry as a sense of unease rippled through the crowd.

    Amidst the restlessness, Prince Ainsworth stood alone, his armor still gleaming. His gaze, cold and indifferent, swept over the broken figures before turning to the royal box where King Aldric sat, grinning like a predator satisfied with its hunt.

    The prince made brief eye contact with the king, who nodded faintly at him, his scheming green eyes glittering.

    Ainsworth nodded at his father and raised his sword into the air.

    The spectators flinched back.

    Everyone was dead... why was he still raising his sword again?

    Even the nobles showed perplexed expressions on their faces. Did the king have other ns? He had already shown his dominance; what more did he hope to achieve?

    Confusion crossed the faces of everyone there.

    Just then, the prince pointed his sword at the direction where the dignitaries stood.

    ...specifically, it was pointed at Nyx.

    ---

    50 Golden Tickets: 1 extra chapter

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 Chapter 185: The Event [5]

    "Wait, is he challenging someone from that area? I thought that ce was only filled with nobles! Is he challenging a noble?"

    Hushed whispers swept through the coliseum as the spectators noticed where the prince was aiming his sword. Soon, many recognized the dark-haired girl.

    "She''s the one with that old man."

    "Oh my god, don''t tell me he''s nning to behead her like the others... What did she do? She''s so young."

    "This prince is a demon. He''s even crueler than his father." The murmurs were low, barely audible to the guards. Despite their quietness, the crowd was united in cursing the king, Ainsworth, and the entire royal family.

    "What is the meaning of this?!" Nathan''s voice boomed like thunder through the coliseum as he jumped to his feet, ring down at the prince. If looks could kill, the prince would have died a million times over. Intense mes swirled in Nathan''s eyes, his expression twisted in anger.

    "I repeat: what is the meaning of this? Why are you pointing your sword at my granddaughter?!" Nathan''s tone was calmer, yet anyone listening could easily detect the barely contained rage simmering beneath.

    Brawn''s expression had also transformed dramatically. Fury zed in his eyes as he stood beside his friend. Pointing a weapon at someone after ying hundreds of Awakened was a tant challenge!

    What was Ainsworth nning? y Nyx like the rest? Unlike the others, Nyx hadn''tmitted any crime, as the king imed. What could be his reason?

    Nyx narrowed her eyes at this sudden development. She suspected things wouldn''t go smoothly, but she didn''t think the prince would challenge her out of the blue like this. Still, she remained unfazed.

    What was his reason? Nyx wondered. Was it because of her disrespectful words the other day? That was the only exnation she could think of.

    "Whatever decision you make, my friend, I''ll stand by you..." Brawn said in a deep voice filled with conviction. "The Silent Whisper will stand by you."

    King Aldric took a sip from his drink, unfazed by Nathan''s eyes, which practically screamed murder. He seemed rxed, his gestures measured and elegant, as though he were enjoying a luxurious meal.

    With each passing second, Nathan''s anger shimmered more intensely.

    A few days ago¡­

    "Father, you summoned me?" Princess Ainsworth spoke respectfully, bowing his head low.

    Aldric stood by the giant window, his gaze fixed on the coliseum. Despite the greeting, he didn''t hurriedly turn to respond. In his grasp was a familiar scroll.

    But this wasn''t just any scroll!

    This was a skill book!

    An advanced skill!

    Ainsworth''s eyes shed as he saw the rtively high-level skill, wondering why his father was holding it. Mild excitement coursed through his body, but he maintained hisposure.

    "My son," Aldric spoke in a firm voice, finally turning to face Prince Ainsworth. "Have you heard about the legendary Arthur?"

    Ainsworth narrowed his eyes, confusion crossing his features. Of course, he knew who this person was... Who didn''t? He was one of the most famous figures in the entire Far West/Human domain. "Yes, I know of him... What about him?"

    "Then you must''ve met his father and daughter."

    Ainsworth nodded solemnly, his mind briefly recalling the girl who had shown him no regard. Anger washed over him for a split moment. Aldric Vermilion noticed and shifted slightly. "From your expression, it seems you have indeed met them... I take it your encounter was unpleasant."

    "Yes... very unpleasant." Ainsworth nodded, his gaze nk, fists clenched to the point where his nails dug into his palm. He uttered bitterly, "That girl wounded my pride."

    He then proceeded to recount all his encounters with Nyx and her tant disrespect. King Aldric''s eyebrow twitched from time to time.

    When Ainsworth finished, the king said, "Well, it seems there''s even more reason to disgrace her." His chuckle was dark.

    Ainsworth''s eyes widened slightly as confusion crossed his expression. "What do you mean?"

    "You see," King Aldric stated, holding his son''s gaze. "I''ve been looking for ways to humiliate Arthur and the entire Cromwell family. I heard Duke Felix''s son, Hendrix, already did it in the West... but..."

    He paused and added, "I want to do the same thing in the capital. I want everyone to know that Arthur is nothing special, nor are his children."

    Aldric leaned forward, whispering like a devil on Ainsworth''s shoulder: "She hurt you, right?"

    Ainsworth nodded stiffly, fists clenched.

    Seeing his reaction, King Aldric nodded in satisfaction. "Then I want you to wound her pride in the Royal Coliseum in front of all the nobles andmoners..."

    Ainsworth''s eyes glowed.

    "Yes... I like that look," Aldricmented with a chuckle, handing the skills to Ainsworth. "I know with your current level you can deal with her easily, so this is your reward in advance."

    "B-but..." Ainsworth stammered, his heart racing as he saw the description of the skills.

    Aldric ced a hand on his shoulder. "I trust you. None of my children are weaklings. Go out there and show the people that our bloodline is the superior bloodline in the whole of the Vermilion kingdom."

    In the present...

    Finally, the king spoke, wiping his lips. "Be at ease, Lord Cromwell. Prince Ainsworth just wants to spar a little with the young miss... it''s nothing to lose your mind over."

    "No!" Nathan''s voice rose sharply, shocking the others. It was the first time they witnessed someone defiantly raising their voice at the king without a hint of fear.

    Some admired his courage, while others thought him foolish, biting off more than he could chew. With his frail body, just one of the knights could easily deal with him.

    "Don''t tell me the mad dog has be so weak that he''s scared of a little spar?" King Aldric mocked, hoping to provoke Nathan.

    Before Nathan could reply, he felt a soft hand grasp his own. Looking to the side, he saw Nyx, already on her feet.

    "W-what are you doing?" Nathan asked, rmed.

    "It''s okay, Grandpa," she said, a cold gleam in her eyes. "I''ve been training a lot these past four years, but I don''t really know how much I''ve improved."

    "What do you mean?" A bad feeling began to rise within Nathan.

    Nyx fixed Ainsworth with a burning gaze as she uttered the words Nathan didn''t want to hear: "I want to fight him."

    ....

    AN: Hmm 50 Golden Tickets Hit!

    Common guys let''s hit the 100 Goal Target as well!

 Chapter 186: The Event [6]

    "Nyx... no one is forcing you to fight him," Nathan whispered, cing his arm on Nyx''s shoulder. His temples creased slightly, and his eyes were full of worry.

    Though Prince Ainsworth seemed to be concealing his level with an artifact, old, experienced Awakened like Nathan could tell the young prince was a high-level Awakened, a very powerful one at that.

    ''From the aura alone, I can tell he''s several times more powerful than Nyx,'' Nathan thought.

    Of course, Nathan knew very well that the king wasn''t foolish enough to kill Nyx like he did with the othermoners, but he knew very well that he would definitely hurt her considerably.

    The old man couldn''t help but shift ufortably, thinking, "He must''ve taken offense because of her tant disrespect the other day."

    Thest thing Nathan wanted was for his granddaughter to be hurt or embarrassed in front of everyone.

    Despite Nathan''s pleading, Nyx''s gaze never wavered, mad resolve burning in those beautiful dark eyes that were fixed on the crown prince. She looked at her grandfather and smiled softly. "I''ll be fine... I have some personal scores to settle with him as well."

    Elowen, who had overheard the conversation, stared at Nyx with aplicated expression before shifting her attention back to the stage, where the prince was looming menacingly. Her eyes shed briefly, but she didn''tment and just watched the show that was about to unfold.

    As he heard Nyx''s words, Nathan opened his mouth to speak, but the words were caught in his throat. He had already seen the mad resolve in Nyx''s eyes and knew that no amount of convincing would work, so he decided to support her.

    "Beat him up! Show no respect for his title!" Nathan spoke, his voice booming quite loudly, his eyes alight with madness. His loud voice had been intentional, and the king, who had heard it, shifted in annoyance at the tant disrespect, but he couldn''t do anything.

    "I wasn''t nning on going easy on you," Nyx responded, a dangerous smile curling up on her lips. Those ck eyes mirrored her grandfather''s own. Those who were close to her felt a tremendous aura that shouldn''t have belonged to someone her age billowing out.

    "Hahahahahahaha! That''s my granddaughter!" Nathan''s loud voice boomed, resonating in the eardrums of all the nobles present, a terror crossing their faces. Cold shivers pierced their spines as though a  storm had suddenly swept into the surrounding unsettling the air around them.

    "T-thatugh... it had been a long time since I heard it," Serepahinamented, and all the other nobles nodded in agreement, their faces grim.

    Thisugh was very familiar for so many reasons, but the main reason was that it reminded them of the legendary mad dog at his peak, the one that could snap bones with his bare hands.

    Even though they were not aware of his identity, even the spectators felt shivers down their spines. Why did it feel as if thatughter was a... omen of doom?

    After receiving the permission, Nyx nodded and directly leaped off from the dignitary area, which was at the sixth row. It was a rtively towering height, and a normal human would probably have broken their legs and fractured their ribs, but Nyx was unfazed.

    To the shock of the spectators, she plunged down from that deadly height, her hair whipping against her face, her eyes locked on Ainsworth as if he were her snack to chomp on.

    The dignitaries all had varied expressions that ranged from mild surprise to curiosity as they saw the girl jump off like that. Subconsciously, they used their limited appraisal skills, which were essible to all Awakened.

    "Heavens... she''s level 20 already! How is this possible?" Lord Cedric Ironcrest jumped to his feet and pointed with trembling fingers.

    "How old is she? This is the first time I''m witnessing something like this."

    "She''s stronger than me... with so many levels too." At the corner, Elowen pondered quietly to herself. "Was this the reason I felt threatened by her earlier?" Aplicated gleam appeared in her eyes.

    "Hmph... that''s not shocking," King Aldric Vermilion sneered from his royal box, his voice filled with disdain. "Prince Ainsworth is already level 28. There is only one person that I know of who could fight someone at a higher level than him, and he is not here..."

    "In other words, even though she has a high level for her age, her fate is already sealed."

    BANG!

    With a thunderous bang, dust rose up as Nyxnded in the fighting tform just a few meters away from Prince Ainsworth. Despite the point of impact showing slight signs of cracks, Nyx''s feet didn''t even buckle in the slightest. She stood like sword sharpened for war.

    Tension crackled in the air as the two locked gazes.

    "Mydy, I heard you refused the dress I sent you," a sharp golden light shed with the prince''s voice. "Were you expecting something like this would happen?"

    "Yes..." Nyx spoke tly, a sword materializing in her grasp as she took a fighting stance. "Scum like you are very easy to predict, you know." She added, her tone and voice dripping with disgust; even her expression was filled with disgust.

    Prince Ainsworth seethed in rage as he swallowed saliva, also swallowing his anger in the process. Then he said, his tone dark and filled with malice,

    "You have be bolder. I wonder where this strange confidence ising from."

    The first time they had met, her insults had been much more subtle. After his disy of strength, she should be frightened and show respect. Why was she more bold instead and even insulting him directly?

    "Because that''s what you are... a mere coward who could only oppress those who are weaker than you... an idiot who could only hide behind his status as a prince. Take that away, and you''re nothing."

    "I''ll kill you." Ainsworth''s eyes went bloodshot.

    "Come and try." Nyx taunted, a derisive smirk ying on her face. The arena became electric, and the tension was palpable in the air.

    Sensing that a fight could break out any time soon, even before the official matchmenced, the knightmander, Sir Ignatius meheart, stepped in between the two and exined the rules of the fight.

    "Listen closely, everyone!" his voice boomed, resonating through the crowd. "As the officiator of this duel, I willy out the rules clearly to ensure a fair fight."

    "First," Sir Ignatius continued, "no interference. This is a one-on-one duel. Anyone who attempts to interfere will be disqualified."

    "Second," Sir Ignatius said, his tone firm, "you are permitted to use all lethal skills. The protective barrier is active, so you may go all out. There will be no disqualifications for lethal intent in this match."

    Nathan frowned, clearly seeing through the king''s n.

    "Third," Sir Ignatius added, "stay within the boundaries of the arena. If you step outside three times, you will forfeit."

    "And finally," Sir Ignatius concluded, "there is a five-minute time limit. If neither of you is dered the victor by then, it will be deemed a draw unless a clear winner emerges."

    After finishing his exnation, Sir Ignatius looked at both Nyx and Ainsworth.

    "Do you both understand and ept these rules?"

    Nyx nodded. Ainsworth hesitated but eventually grunted in agreement, a smirk ying on his lips.

    "Very well!" Sir Ignatius announced, stepping back. "Begin!"

    Immediately, the knightmander stepped back. Ainsworth hid a smirk on his face as he brought his hands behind him. In his palm, a mini sun appeared.

    "Father, thank you for the gift..." He smirked. "It wille in good use."

 Chapter 187: The Event [7]

    The first person to make a move was Nyx. She sprang into motion, charging forward at the golden-armored prince, her sword shing several times.

    Shing! Shing!

    No trace of fear could be seen on him; in fact, he hadn''t even unsheathed his sword. The prince looked so calm that it was rming. Just as everyone thought the de would bite into his flesh through the armor, he finally made his move.

    He moved like a ghost, twirling his feet and spinning his body at angles that weren''t supposed to be possible for a normal human, effortlessly dodging all the attacks. Then he stood with a taunting smirk that would provoke most people to punch him to death. Yes, he was wearing a helmet, but one could sense the smugness he exuded.

    "You''re so predictable," he spoke, his voice filled with mockery. Then he unsheathed his sword. Grinning, he said, "It''s my turn. Prepare to suffer, you bitch."

    Boom!

    The armored prince turned into a flicker of golden mirage as he charged at Nyx, his de encased in brilliant golden light, cutting through the air and leaving a golden trail that made the air shimmer.

    ''Hmph! This fool. If I told you I want you to think I''m predictable, you''d probably not believe it,'' Nyx thought as the golden trail grewrger within her mesmerizing, lightless eyes.

    From the stands, King Aldric held his armrests tightly, excitement coursing through his body. He had purposely instructed the knightmander to include the ''you may go all out'' and non-interference rule; that way, not even Nathan could assist his granddaughter.

    Aldric''s eyes turned bloodshot... he needed to see this little girl bleed.

    He needed to see Arthur''s child bleed.

    "If I can''t make her father bleed... then she will suffer for his sins," he thought.

    Brawn''s expression wavered slightly as he saw the approaching golden trail... he was anxious that the little girl wouldn''t be able to stop the attack. Then he looked at Nathan, but the old man didn''t seem as restless as he was. Instead, his expression was unreadable. Though he wasn''t saying anything, Brawn could feel the unwavering belief Nathan was emitting.

    At first, even Nathan had doubted his granddaughter''s fighting prowess, but after she assured him, the little strings in his heart had been pulled. For some strange reason, he believed his granddaughter could beat the domineering Sun Knight.

    At that moment, Nyx made her move. She ducked to the side; however, the zing golden sword seemed to follow her as if it were alive, trailing just behind. With a quick twist of her body, she evaded the fiery arc, but the heat brushed against her skin. Her white skin was slightly burned.

    Nyx tightened her lips into a frown and assessed the situation with clearer eyes. Nyx was very observant. From their few shes alone, she could tell the prince was faster than her, his astonishing speed beyond her own.

    ''If I use speed-rted skills, we should be even,'' Nyx thought, then frowned, a contemtive expression crossing her delicate, serious face. She couldn''t just blindly use skills like *Holy Speed.*

    ---

    [Holy Speed (Intermediate): Increases the user''s movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds. Cost: 10 MP to activate, plus -1 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 1 minute]

    ---

    Seeing her pondering expression, Ainsworth smirked, saying, "Where did that sharp tongue go? Where did that fearless girl go?" he taunted as his deshed out again.

    "I know your kind!"

    Shing!

    "In front of real strength, you''ll always crumble and kneel!" As he said this, Prince Ainsworth went to strike again, his eyes shining with a calctive gleam.

    Seeing the approaching de, Nyx ducked. She thought she had sessfully dodged the attack. However, at that moment, an elbow mmed into her face with crushing force.

    Bam!

    Blood and spit flew from Nyx''s mouth as she staggered back. Pinning her sword to the ground, she regained her footing, then shot a re at the prince, who was about to follow with a sword strike.

    "Hahahaha. All is fair in war!" King Aldric chuckled loudly as he saw Nyx''s blood on the ground.

    "I''ll drag this fight out as long as I can! I''ll make sure you suffer!" The golden light encasing the sword seemed to grow bigger with each passing second and started to pulse as though it was about to explode.

    Simrly, the sword in Nyx''s grasp also began to pulse with white holy light, sharply contrasting the golden glow. This was Nyx''s skill!

    Holy energy!

    It was a skill that she had found in the dimensions back in the Barony. Though it was just an intermediate-tier skill, it was verypatible with the Pdin ss, so she had learned it. As the name suggested, the skill allowed her to manipte holy energies.

    Nyx had initially nned to use this skill when the battle reached its peak because she could only use it for 1 minute and 50 seconds, and it took -5 mana points for each second.

    ''But... it seems this is the only skill that could counter this golden energy,'' she thought as she nced at the sword in her grasp.

    It was now shimmering intensely with pure white light, pulsating in time with her heartbeat. The glow was rivaling that of the golden light. Ainsworth''s eyes briefly shed with worry.

    "A Pdin! She''s a Pdin?"

    Whispers spread through the dignitary area when they saw the skill in use.

    "She... how? I heard the patron goddess of the Pdin ss is very selective. How did she ept this fake noble?" Seraphina couldn''t help but look at Nyx with a mixture of confusion and envy.

    "Hey, old man, how did you do it?" one of the nobles seated there called out, still struggling to believe what he was witnessing.

    Nathan didn''t say anything. Arthur had made sure to hide all traces of Aina''s heritage and bloodline from the nobles... except for people like Brawn, no one else knew that the twins were only half-human and something more. They''d kept the secret for all these years, and he wouldn''t expose it now.

    Looking at the noble, a sneer on his face, Nathan said, "And you think I''ll tell you? Get lost!"

    "Y-you!" the noble stuttered, rage crossing his features. Before he could say anything, Nathan shifted his gaze to the tform...

    Meanwhile, inside the Royal box...

 Chapter 188: The Event: Arthurs Daughter

    King Aldric leaned back in his ornate throne, his fingers clenched tightly around the armrests as he watched the fierce duel unfolding before him. No longer was he smiling; now his brows were furrowed in anxiety.

    ''The pdin ss... that holy energy is the counter to the Sun Knight ss,'' King Aldric thought, a dark expression on his face. ''The holy energy is on par with the sun energy. This fight won''t be as easy as I thought.''

    Most people didn''t know, but the holy energy could nullify the attacks of the Sun Knight ss. The royal family had made sure this weakness didn''t spread throughout the kingdom, but experienced Awakened like the Big Four, Nathan, and Brawn knew this secret.

    King Aldric nced at Ainsworth, whose golden armor glinted in the sunlight, his confidence radiating like a beacon. Yet, even from his vantage point, Aldric could see the flicker of uncertainty in his prince''s eyes through the visor.

    In the dignitary seat, the leader of the Silent Whispers couldn''t help but nce at Nathan, who had a smirk on his face.

    "You¡ªis this the reason for your earlier confidence?" he asked softly, to which Nathan nodded, his eyes never leaving the fighting tform.

    Nathan had figured that Prince Ainsworth would definitely follow the steps of his ancestors by choosing the Sun Knight ss, also known as the Sunde Pdin ss. He had been worried at first, knowing the powerful nature of this skill; however, he then recalled the natural counter to the skill.

    This was the reason he was confident that his granddaughter woulde out as the winner in this fight.

    Back on the stage, the two shed. A blinding golden light and a pure white energy collided.

    BOOOOM!

    A thunderous shockwave, as if a bomb had gone off, reverberated through the surroundings as a shockwave swept out from the point of contact. The two stumbled back slightly, both struggling to regain their footing.

    Ainsworth''s expression shifted more and more. When they had shed, he had felt the shockwave rattling through his veins like an electric current and had actually thought he would be swept off the fighting tform.

    His golden eyes shed briefly as a sense of realization washed over him. He realized that with the help of the holy energy, the gap in their strength wasn''t as massive as he had thought.

    Before the golden prince could gather his thoughts, Nyx charged forward.

    "Phantom sh!" she uttered, and a series of countless strikes shed through the air, each attack leaving a mirage in its wake, creating tears in the air.

    "I only have some time left; I''ll make use of all the chances I get," she dered.

    Shing! Shing!

    Phantom sh was a technique meant to deal with opponents at astonishing speed. Nyx''s shes were countless times faster, and the prince had a difficult time deflecting each and every one. In the end, he was left with some internal bruises.

    "Gasp!" Someone from the audience gasped in shock

    "This girl isn''t bad,"  Another personmented. "Maybe... just maybe she could beat this prince."

    "From the look of things, the prince is a high-level Awakened... I doubt this girl has what it takes."

    Seeing the light pool of blood underneath his fist, Prince Ainsworth''s arm, which was holding the sword, trembled slightly. He had underestimated this girl! She wasn''t just sharp-tongued; she actually had the strength to back up her attitude.

    Still, Ainsworth remained confident... after all, he still hadn''t used that skill. He clenched his fist, though he had been nning to use the skill from the beginning. He hadn''t envisioned it like this.

    The n was to use the skill after beating Nyx brutally... He never anticipated that he would need to use it to save himself.

    While he was pondering, Nyx activated another of her skills again.

    "Holy Speed!" she shouted, her voice slicing through the tension like her de through the air. With a burst of energy, sheunched herself toward Ainsworth, her sword gleaming with holy light. The holy energy''s duration would soon be over, but before that, she wanted to injure the prince as badly as she could.

    Ainsworth barely had time to react. He pivoted, raising his sword in defense. The impact sent shockwaves through his body as Nyx''s de met his own.

    "You''ve gotten faster, but speed alone won''t save you!" he retorted, trying to mask the surprise in his voice. He went for a strike of his own, targeting her midsection, but with Holy Speed still active, Nyx was like a ghost, flickering away from the direction of the attack to Ainsworth''s frustration.

    Then she closed the distance once more, engaging the armored prince in an intense disy of swordsmanship. The audience watched in fascination as golden and white energy shed repeatedly, electrifying the air.

    The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers to the frustration of the king, as they saw the unknown girl winning against the tyrannical prince.

    "She''s really holding her own against the prince."

    "I wonder how strong she''ll be when she grows up."

    "Who is she? Is she also a noble?"

    "Damn it, the referee didn''t even announce her name."

    The spectator seats became noisy as everyone spected about who Nyx was. They wereing up with wild theories.

    "Maybe she''s a secret daughter of a fallen noble," suggested one onlooker, his eyes wide with intrigue. "You know, someone from a family that was wiped out in thest war."

    "No way!" a woman countered, shaking her head. "She''s too strong to be just any noble''s daughter. Look at how she''s holding her own against Ainsworth! She must be a trained warrior from a powerful lineage."

    Another voice chimed in, "What if she''s the granddaughter of a legendary hero? That would exin her skills!" The crowd murmured in agreement, and a few even began to specte on the details of this supposed hero''s epic battles.

    Hearing these theories, King Aldric grew more restless and anxious. ''If they learn that she''s the daughter of Arthur, it won''t be good. Why isn''t he using the skill yet? End this already!''

    Sensing the king''s restlessness, Nathan suddenly thought of something and whispered to Brawn, who was beside him. Brawn''s eyes lit up for a brief moment, and he pulled out amunication crystal, contacting someone amidst the crowd of spectators. That person nodded and put hismunication crystal away.

    Amidst the spection, a tall man in fine clothes suddenly chimed in. "I heard from a reliable source that that girl has quite the background."

    "What do you mean?" Several people turned to the man, who looked out of ce in the midst of themoners.

    The tall man only grinned. "I heard she''s none other than the daughter of Arthur Aegis Cromwell, the Human Champion!"

    ****

    AN: Thanks to All Those Who Support Supreme BeastTamer, I really appreciate!

 Chapter 189: The Event[9]

    A hushed silence descended on the crowd as soon as those words left the tall man''s mouth. King Aldric Vermilion had clearly heard those words too. He shifted ufortably, his face contorting into a mixture of anger and worry. This was what he feared most!

    It had been a long time since Arthur made an appearance, and many people had even forgotten how he looked¡ªonly his legend remained. He was loved by themoners, and his influence was so strong that, if he wanted, he could easily sway public opinion and snatch the throne.

    Because of his immense strength, there was virtually nothing Aldric could do if such a situation arose.

    For years now, he had stopped worrying about the threat called Arthur, but now that his name was mentioned again... things wouldn''t be peaceful anymore.

    As if on cue, the arena below became enveloped in hushed, excited whispers, and Aldric''s greatest fear came to pass.

    "Arthur... that name sounds familiar," someone in the crowd pointed out with a slightly dazed expression.

    "Arthur Aegis Cromwell?" someone eximed, wide-eyed. "The Human Champion? Is she truly his daughter?"

    "Is it the same Arthur who bested all the youngsters in the kingdom summit decades ago?" an old hunched man, who seemed to have experienced life, asked, trembling in excitement. "Is this girl truly his daughter?"

    "Yes, you''re right," the tall man nodded in confirmation, and the old man burst into tears.

    "I¡ªI was there! He was like a one-man army! He single-handedly beat all the prodigies of the other kingdoms! Who would have thought I''d one day witness his daughter fighting?" the man said, recalling the event from decades ago. It was so surreal, as if he were still there¡­ he couldn''t help but burst out in tears, but not out of sadness¡ªout of pure joy.

    "No wonder she''s so strong! She has the blood of a hero!" another chimed in.

    "If she''s Arthur''s daughter, does that mean... she is amoner?"

    "No, she used to be... I heard Nathan Cromwell, the Mad Dog, was made a baron several years back."

    "Yes, but still, she''s amoner by blood!"

    "Wait... if Arthur''s daughter is here," a sh of realization shone in one of the spectators'' eyes as he raised his gaze to the area where the dignitaries were seated. Everyone followed his gaze. "Could it be... that man is the Mad Dog?"

    Nathan had very sensitive hearing, so it was easy for him to overhear the gossip of the spectators. To their questions, he simply disyed a smile. Those broken teeth gleamed¡ªa silent confirmation.

    Another wave of excitement rippled through the crowd, and the spectators entered a frenzy.

    Aldric''s handsome face was now very unpleasant to look at. He was beyond angry when he saw the tant actions of Nathan. All these years, he had tried to keep the name of the legendary Mad Dog from the mouths of the citizens in the capital.

    All that... all that would be ruined because of this single event!

    It was meant to showcase his dominance, not to revive the name of his biggest rivals.

    "Crush her!" Aldric locked eyes with his son. The two gazes met, and he mouthed the words, "Make her bleed!"

    Despite the distance, Prince Ainsworth could urately read his father''s lips. As he parried a sword attack from Nyx, Ainsworth kicked the ground and threw his body backward. He spun in the air andnded on the ground with a loud *bang*! There was now a considerable distance between them.

    From the sheer intensity of her attacks, Ainsworth had figured that his opponent seemed to be in a hurry to finish him off¡­ hence, he deduced that there was a cooldown in Nyx''s skill. He could simply run around in circles until the duration was over.

    ''But that would only tarnish the pride of the royal family,'' Ainsworth clenched his fist. ''That''s why I will use the skill now! I''ll change the tide of this fight.''

    With a mighty roar, the pulsing mini sun appeared in Ainsworth''s arms. A bad feeling began to stir within Nyx when she saw the mini sun pulsing in Ainsworth''s palm. She briefly nced at the duration time that flickered in her retina.

    There were only seconds before the holy energy woulde to an end... Holy Speed had already ended a few seconds ago, and she was back to her normal speed. From the shes, Nyx knew her holy energy seemed to have a canceling effect against the sun energy... if that came to an end, she would find herself in a tough spot once more.

    Before she could make her move, the mini sun shot out of Ainsworth''s palm like a blinding arrow, soaring into the air with a radiant burst of light. It climbed higher, illuminating the arena and casting long shadows that danced across the faces of the stunned spectators below. The atmosphere crackled with tension as everyone, including King Aldric, watched in awe.

    Nathan furrowed his brows in worry as he felt the aura of the skill, which was without a doubt an advanced skill¡ªjust a rank away from being an ultimate-ranked skill.

    Higher-ranked skills could only be found in higher dimensions. The holy energy was from the barony, and it was only an intermediate skill. It wouldn''t fare well against an advanced skill.

    "She''s done for!" a noblemented with a small smile on their face.

    Another noble, who was familiar with the skill, added, "This is where her luck runs out. There''s no way she will survive this attack with a measly intermediate-tier skill."

    Amidst the crowd, a mysterious cloaked woman with piercing purple eyes watched the battle unfold with increasing intensity. "She''s stronger than I expected," she muttered, as strands of violet hair peeked out from beneath her hood. "But it seems this is where her journey ends."

    No sooner had the words left her lips, a deafening roar shattered the air as the mini sun exploded into hundreds of fiery shards, raining down as though fragments of the sun were plummeting like aet. Each fragment glimmered with fierce energy, and they were all concentrated on Nyx.

    This sight caused a murmur to ripple through the crowd as they prepared to witness her downfall. King Aldric smiled smugly, already envisioning stories of Ainsworth''s victory spreading throughout the capital.

    As the fiery meteors hurtled toward her, Nyx''s gaze remained steady, a flicker of cold determination in her eyes. She gripped her sword tighter, lifting it with purpose, the metal reflecting the fiery sky above. nting her feet firmly on the ground, she took a deep breath, bracing herself. Her posture was sharp, like a de that was ready to be unsheathed.

    At thest moment, she manipted the remnants of her holy energy, and a pure white radiant barrier enveloped her.

    "That won''t stop me!" Ainsworth shouted as heughed, as though he had gone mad. At this moment, he felt like a god who was giving divine judgment.

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones!

 Chapter 190: The Event [10]

    BOOOOOOM!

    BOOOOOOM!

    "At this rate, won''t the coliseum copse?" a spectator cried out in terror as the ming meteor crashed into the fighting tform. Each crash sent a fiery shockwave toward the spectators, and even the building trembled.

    "Nonsense! This coliseum has stood for centuries; this fight won''t bring it to ruin!" another person retorted, using his hands to shield his eyes from the intense heat spreading from the fighting tform.

    Though the fire fragments only crashed into the tform, the entire coliseum was in utter chaos! Whenever the gold descended, smoke billowed up, and heat surged out. Everyone was immediately drenched in sweat; it felt as though they were in a furnace.

    The entire fighting arena was now obscured by smoke. Apart from high-level Awakened, who had good eyesight, the other mundanes and low-level Awakened could barely make out anything beyond the thick smoke and the blistering heat radiating from the battlefield. Some even retreated further up the coliseum stands, seeking respite from the intensity of the fight.

    "T-this prince is really going all out," one spectator cried.

    "He''s lost it! What if she doesn''t survive this?" another voice shouted, barely audible over the chaos. "Is he nning to kill her?"

    "The runic barrier is activated. I think we have nothing to fear... but still, I must admit that she will feel quite the pain."

    Seeing the devastatingets that were descending like rain from a storm, Nathan clenched his fists tightly, his gaze piercing through the thick smoke.

    Within the thick smoke, Nyx was having a hard time keeping up the barrier that rippled every time theet smashed into it with violent force. The heat was overwhelming, searing the air around her, but the shield held for the moment. Nyx gritted her teeth, pouring her remaining energy into maintaining the barrier as Ainsworth''s attack raged on.

    "You think that can protect you?" Ainsworth shouted as another mini sun shot into the sky. Like the first one, the sun exploded like a bomb, raining more zingets.

    BOOOOOOM!

    BOOOOM!

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    The two energies shed! The golden fire collided with the holy white light of her shield, creating a blinding scene. For a moment, it seemed as if both forces might tear each other apart!

    High above, the nobles exchanged worried nces, their previous confidence shaken. "Ainsworth needs to control this! It''s getting out of hand!" one nobleman hissed, his face pale.

    "Perhaps it''s toote," another replied, his voice low. "If he continues this way... they''ll have no choice but to intervene."

    "Rules are rules... no one will intervene in this fight!" Hearing the whispers, King Aldric shouted from the royal box, finding pleasure in Nyx''s torment. His voice was firm and authoritative, leaving no room for disobedience.

    All that remained was that golden barrier... if Ainsworth could get rid of it, then this fight would be over. Merely imagining the scene of Nyx being enveloped in zing judgment mes sent a surge of excitement through him.

    Just then, loud chanting came from the crowd.

    "Nyx! Nyx! Nyx! Show them your might!"

    "Show them the might of a Cromwell!"

    "Fight for your honor! Fight for your name!"

    No one knew who started it, but the chant quickly spread like wildfire through the audience. Even though the majority couldn''t see what was happening, they could feel Nyx''s struggle. The air was thick with tension, but they understood one thing: she was fighting for allmoners, for her family, and for her future.

    And most importantly... for themoners that had wrongly been used and ughtered.

    Since they couldn''t fight alongside her, the best they could do was provide support!

    "Just a little longer," Nathan murmured, a tear slipping down his cheek as he saw the support the people had for his granddaughter. He was moved. "You''re stronger than you think, Nyx. Show him the strength of our family!"

    "T-they''re all rooting for me," Nyx thought. A tear nearly escaped her eyes as she felt the warmth of their chants wash over her like aforting embrace, igniting a spark of determination in her heart.

    Nyx had always kept her emotions in check, but this support... this support was just too overwhelming. She had built walls around herself, only allowing a few people to enter. Yet, as she stood amidst the crowd, the warmth of their unwavering support seeped into the cracks of her carefully constructed walls.

    She could feel the weight of their faith in her, the sheer volume of cheers and well-wishes from people who believed in her strength. It was foreign¡ªalmost unnerving. For someone who had long believed that strength came from within, everything felt very strange... but she liked it.

    For a moment, time slowed down, all the noise canceled out. From within the thick smoke, she briefly stared at everyone shouting her name and rooting for her. The barrier was flickering, showing signs of giving way. This was because the duration of her holy energy was about toe to an end.

    However...

    "I won''t lose this fight!" She clenched her fist, feeling intense strain in her shoulders. "I won''t let them down... not again."

    For some reason, the whole scenario felt like something that had happened in the past, but she couldn''t wrap her head around it. It felt like d¨¦j¨¤ vu, hence she hadn''t even noticed when she said thest part of her dialogue.

    At that moment, someone from the crowd shouted, "Cromwell''s blood runs fierce and true! Nyx, we believe in you!"

    "Yes... the Cromwell blood runs deep within me..." she repeated, her eyes burning with determination. Her gaze was so fierce that it frightened Ainsworth for a moment. Then oddly, a smirk curled up on her beautiful, determined face.

    Shatter! The barrier finally gave way, and as it did, Ainsworth''s confidence seemed to return. He roared, summoning yet another rain of fiery sts, the golden light swirling around him, growing brighter and more intense.

    This was the time to finish her off before she pulled out any more trump cards.

    With a sudden surge of power, Ainsworth directed the fire downward, fully intending to burn his opponent into oblivion. "Feel the wrath of the sun!" he shouted.

    Nyx was now exposed. She felt vulnerable as she saw the mingets descending toward her. She grasped her de tightly.

    Bolstered by the sheer support of the audience, Nyx began to weave between the ming sts. She didn''t activate any skill¡­this was just pure martial arts. Yes, zing Judgment was powerful, but at the end of the day, it required the user to be focused to utilize the skill to its full potential, something Ainsworth hadn''t yet achieved.

    His father had only given him this skill some days ago, hence he hadn''t learned how to fully control it.

    What was worse¡­there were only some seconds left before his skill entered cooldown.

    ''T-this is bad,'' Ainsworth thought as anxiety slowly crept in.

    * * *

    More Golden Tickets Guys!!!!

 Chapter 191: The End

    "Wow, she''s fast!"

    "Hahaha, with the way the prince is frowning, he might just shit himself out of anger!"

    "Dude, just look at his face, it seems he''s already doing it."

    The ground trembled beneath the force of the sts, and the coliseum reverberated with the sound of destruction. However, despite the intense fire sts raining down, the audience remained rtively calm. They were no longer shouting; instead, their eyes were sparkling with admiration as they watched Nyx weave between the golden meteorites.

    Ainsworth''s face was now ghostly pale, almost as white as a sheet of paper. For the past minute, he had been raining down ming sts, and the duration of the skill would soone to an end. A minute and some seconds had already passed since the holy barrier shattered under Ainsworth''s relentless barrage of attacks.

    Ainsworth had initially thought the fight would be easier. Who would have thought this girl would be so slippery, even after the duration of her skill?

    Gradually, his frustration was building up. Since the golden meteorites were not working, he charged forward to engage Nyx in closebat. This was a mistake on his part. He didn''t know that he had been tricked. Momentarily, the rain of fire stopped, and only golden light and white light shed repeatedly.

    ng! ng!

    A mixture of white and golden mes flew out from their sh, casting a rather beautiful yet dangerous spectacle. The smoke had now cleared, but the sparks made it difficult for the audience to watch the exchange clearly.

    ''I refuse to believe my swordsmanship is inferior to hers,'' Ainsworth thought as he saw that Nyx was gaining the upper hand in the fight. They were now fighting without any skills, just brute strength and swordsmanship.

    As they shed repeatedly, Ainsworth failed to realize that Nyx was counting down. Soon, a smirk curled up on her face, and her eyes suddenly ignited with a white glow. This sudden change caught Ainsworth off guard, and the confident expression on his face faltered as he took a step back.

    His eyes shed with worry. ''I thought the skill had ended already.'' His sword arm trembled slightly as he recalled the smirk she had before the holy barrier shattered. Could... could it be the skill hadn''t ended then?

    While the golden prince''s thoughts were in shambles, Nyx began gathering the familiar white energy around her sword, causing the de to shimmer with radiant light.

    Ainsworth''s eyes widened in realization. "She really tricked me," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

    His confidence faltered as he saw the determination etched on her face. "No! You can''t¡ª"

    But before he could finish, Nyx charged forward and...

    "Holy sh!" she cried out, sending a brilliant wave of energy slicing through the air toward Ainsworth.

    In response, Ainsworth thrust his sword, encased in golden light, to parry her attack.

    BOOOOOOM!

    The two swords collided, and the resulting explosion sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, rattling the coliseum''s ancient structure. But because of the natural canceling effects of the pure holy energy, Ainsworth was sent staggering back.

    ''Only five seconds remaining!'' Nyx thought as sheunched herself forward like a bolt of lightning. Her sword was still radiating intense holy energy, but it was flickering slightly, slowly fading away. Indeed, Nyx had intentionally allowed her barrier to shatter, tricking Ainsworth into thinking her skill''s duration had ended when she actually had 40 more seconds left.

    At that moment, the armrest caved in as King Aldric saw Ainsworth''s helpless situation. The young girl had tricked all of them. He briefly looked away just in time for Nyx''s zing sword to sh Ainsworth a dozen times in just five seconds.

    The prince felt blinding pain surge throughout his body. His sword fell from his arm as he copsed to his knees with a loud thud, blood dripping from his mouth due to the countless internal injuries he had sustained in this fight. Though the barrier was actively healing the fighters, the pain was still ever-present.

    "You... you really beat me," Ainsworth muttered in an incredulous tone, still struggling to believe he had actually lost. Nyx didn''t respond; instead, she spun her body and mmed her foot into his helmet with crushing force.

    BANG!

    The prince remained kneeling for a while before eventually falling backward.

    Silence.

    Absolute silence descended in the arena. There were no chants. Themoners'' eyes were fixed on the prince, waiting for him to stand up and continue the fight once more. No matter how they looked at it, they couldn''t believe that the arrogant prince who had in hundreds ofmoners had been defeated just like that.

    "It must be a fluke. Tell me this is just a hallucination?" one man whispered to himself as he pinched his arm. Silent whispers began to spread like wildfire through the crowd, filling the once-silent coliseum. The tension was palpable as the reality of what had just transpired slowly sank in.

    In the dignitary area, the nobles shifted ufortably in their seats. They suddenly became restless... none of them had expected this oue.

    "This girl... she really beat Ainsworth," Lucas, who had been silent all this while, thought, folding his arms, eyes narrowed. He wondered to himself with aplicated expression on his face. "Doesn''t this mean she''s a prodigy? If we let her grow, would she be someone like her father?"

    Lady Seraphina''s eyes shed with a strange glint as her gaze alternated between the motionless, golden-armored prince and the young girl of just nine years and some months. But she didn''tment. However, if one were to look at her face, they''d notice the ghostly paleness and dry lips.

    Meanwhile, King Aldric, seated inside the royal box, his eyes burned with fury. His mind raced as the nobles'' conversations grew louder. His worst fears hade true¡ªNyx had not only exposed Ainsworth''s vulnerability, but she had also made a mockery of the royal family''s dominance.

    If it wasn''t for her background, the king could have ordered the girl to be killed on the spot. The humiliation was just too great!

    "The Cromwells are truly a frightening existence," Brawnmented with a smile as he looked at Nathan, who seemed to be suppressing himself, waiting for the announcement from the knightmander. "As expected of Arthur''s daughter."

    Meanwhile, on the fighting tform...

    Click, click.

    The footsteps of the knightmander echoed softly as he approached the prince and squatted close to him, checking his condition. The protective barrier had already done its work by fixing all the internal injuries, but the prince was still unconscious.

    The knightmander hesitated slightly, but in the end, he announced Nyx as the victor of the fight!

    Immediately, the announcement was given. The coliseum erupted in thunderous apuse, the echo of their cheers reverberating through the arena walls. Themoners, who had once feared Ainsworth''s wrath, now cheered for the young girl who had defied all expectations.

    Of everyone, it could be argued that the loudest was none other than Nathan, who wasughing boisterously, to the annoyance of the nobles who were slowly leaving the arena with their heads held low.

    Behind Lucas... the mysterious blindfolded man continued to watch Nyx, who was standing proudly in the fighting arena, and his lips curled up into a smirk before he left the arena as well.

    That day, news of Ainsworth''s defeat spread through the capital and to the neighboring cities. In every nook and cranny, themoners had one name on their lips:

    ...Nyx Aegis Cromwell... the daughter of the human champion!

 Chapter 192: The Royal Capital Explode

    The next day, the Vermilion Royal Capital didn''t implode from the king''s anger, much to everyone''s surprise. The sun rose, birds sang, and the streets still bustled with life. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business, only the asional whisper of a certain fight that took ce yesterday filled the air.

    Ever since the fight, the entire capital had been wide awake, gossiping about it with fascination as if it was the most intense battle they''d ever witnessed. Like with every event, some people hadn''t been able to attend, causing them to gnash their teeth and curse their past selves for being toozy to go.

    Now they had missed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the miserable defeat of the crown prince. Formoners, this was a big deal¡ªit was rare for the royal bloodline to suffer humiliation. Most of the time, it was the other way around.

    In an alley, a group ofmoners wearing fairly good clothing were watching another of their brethren, who was exining the fight with an animatedly excited expression. It seemed as if he had been the one fighting, as he executed a series of crude, unrefined fighting techniques.

    However, to the others who hadn''t attended, it was the most fascinating thing, as their eyes were practically sparkling with awe and amazement.

    In another gathering just a few meters across the cobblestone street, where several luxurious carriages drove past, there was another group yet again.

    "My god, thest kick at the end was totally unnecessary!" one man eximed, holding his stomach fromughing too much.

    "Yeah, that girl is a menace!" another chimed in, yfully smacking his friend''s shoulder.

    "I say we change his name to ''Trashy Prince,''" one man smirked. "After that beating, I doubt he''ll ever lift his head arrogantly again."

    "Pfft! Forget about lifting his head, can he even step out of the castle again?"

    Although a hundred Commoner Awakened had perished, strangely enough, apart from the mourning parents of the unfortunate youths, the atmosphere was filled with excitement.

    Atop the towering walls, Captain Ortega, the same man who had recognized Nathan and allowed him ess into the capital, had attended the event and was now narrating the ordeal to his subordinate, his tone filled with excitement and praise¡ªa very rare urrence, especially from someone as strict as Captain Ortega.

    For him to be excited like this, then it could only mean that the seemingly ordinary girl, who seemed to have only beauty, was not just looks... she was instead a fierce warrior. Subconsciously, all the frontier guards were filled with excitement, anticipating when the girl, along with her grandfather, would pass by again.

    ---

    **Royal Ind, The Vermilion Royal Academy**

    The air was filled with electric energy as students neatly sauntered about the academic premises that screamed royalty. Like the outside world, the students here were also discussing the fight. A few of them had witnessed it, and the story had spread throughout the entire academy.

    At first, most of them struggled to believe it, but after hearing even the professionals talk about it, they did their research and confirmed that the prince had lost to the granddaughter of amoner who had been turned baroness.

    The most shocking part was the fact that the girl in question was not only younger than Ainsworth but also lower in level.

    In a garden filled with vibrant flora, a group of students from the Vermilion Royal Academy gathered.

    "Maybe she used some sort of trick," a girl with silvery blonde hair suggested, her eyes narrowing. "Ainsworth is far too skilled to lose like that. She must have cheated."

    "Cheating? In a public duel?" a calm voice interjected, causing the small group to turn. The speaker was a young man with sharp, observant eyes. "Even if you dislike the oue, you can''t deny that Ainsworth was outmatched. I saw the fight. That girl wasn''t using tricks¡ªshe was just better."

    "I still can''t believe the granddaughter  of a Commoner defeated the prince," one of the students, a tall boy with fiery red hair, muttered in disbelief. His expression was a mix of confusion and frustration. "It''s unheard of!"

    "Apparently, she''s not just anymon name," another student nearby chimed in. "Ever heard of the Human Champion, Arthur Aegis Cromwell? She''s the daughter of that man."

    "Yeah, I know about him... isn''t he some kind of living legend?"

    Just as the students were discussing among themselves, a certain student with green hair was walking by and overheard them talking about Nyx. The student halted in his steps as he looked at the group discussing the legend of Arthur.

    This student was none other than Brandon Chai. "I guess I was just scared for nothing," he smirked, recalling the meeting he had with the Silver family. "At least the attention will be diverted from me for a while."

    ---

    Inside the luxurious offices, the vice principal tucked a strand of her purple hair behind her ear as she watched the students whispering among themselves. Her eyes lingered especially on Brandon, who was currently smirking, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched. Her eyes narrowed slightly, noticing how the confident student seemed more guarded and courteous.

    She didn''t dwell on this thought much and simply looked past him; after all, her mind was still filled with the fight she had witnessed in the coliseum. Because of their differences, the king hadn''t invited her, but she had attended, disguised as amoner in cloak and blended into the crowd. She had only done this out of curiosity, to know what the king was scheming this time.

    Who would''ve thought she would witness one of the talents on her radar take down the prince?

    The vice principal of one of the top academies in the Vermilion Kingdom clenched her fist, her purple eyes shing with greed. "No matter what, I won''t let the other schools get her before me," she dered.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who sent Their valuable Golden tickets and power stones to this Novel I really really appreciate it.

 Chapter 193: Arthur Is Dead

    Click! Click!

    The sound of footsteps reverberated through the long hallways.

    The atmosphere in the Royal castle was rather silent... no, it was always silent because the guards didn''t chit-chat with each other and always focused on the job at hand... however, today there was something different about the silence... it was oppressive and suffocating.

    Apart from the footsteps, there was virtually no sound. The silence was very unsettling, and if one were to pay attention to the faces of the maids, they would notice that their faces were ghostly pale, and their eyes constantly flickered as though they were scared of something... or, more specifically, someone.

    As he walked the hallways, Nathan felt the heavy gazes of the knights directed his way; through the visor, he could almost perceive their hostility, but he wasn''t too bothered. He was confident that these knights wouldn''t be foolish enough to attack him.

    There had not been any sign of Ainsworth after that fight, not even the king. Nathan heard from the gossip of some castle maids that the prince and king were embarrassed and that he had been angry, evenshing out against the maids and knights at the slightest offense.

    ''Though he''s grown up, he''s very immature and petty,'' Nathan thought, his eyes shing with disappointment. A king was meant to be a symbol of strength, wisdom, andposure, yet the king seemed tock all three.

    Such trivial matters shouldn''t have riled him up to the level that it would affect the entirety of the castle.

    Dismissing the thought, Nathan focused on the task; he was currently heading towards the king''s study as he had been summoned. If possible, Nathan didn''t want to return to this capital, which was beautiful yet filled with annoying, arrogant nobles that made him hold himself back from punching them in the face whenever he came across one.

    ''Sigh, I''ve really changed in the past four years,'' Nathan sighed heavily, reflecting on his life. ''I miss my old self... that reckless man who wouldn''t hesitate to punch a noble in the face even in the presence of the king. Where did that man go?''

    How had he gotten his title? It was because he was fearless! He was the type who would charge into any fight, disregarding his safety, a true battle maniac. He was the type who would willingly get hurt if it meant inflicting even greater damage on those unlucky enough to cross his path.

    It was precisely because of this disregard that he had earned the title of the mad dog of the west.

    Yet in recent times, that mad dog had be more tamed and always calcted his moves, which wasn''t his style... it was the style of Arthur.

    A whileter, Nathan arrived at the double doors leading to the king''s study. The familiar knights were standing just outside the door as usual, their eyes sharp and ever vignt from the visors of their helmets.

    As they noticed the presence of Nathan, the two men bowed slightly and opened the door for him.

    Entering the luxurious study room, King Aldric Vermilion was seated on his throne-like seat. His expression was unreadable; there was neither anger nor happiness... it was just neutral. Disying an obviously forced smile, King Aldric said, "Wee, Lord Ainsworth, take a seat." His tone sounded a bit robotic, but Nathan didn''t pay any heed and just sat down.

    "You asked for me, your majesty?" Nathan said, struggling to pronounce ''your majesty'' after his disdainful actions in the Royal Coliseum. All the respect Nathan had for this man had vanished into thin air... the only reason his tone even sounded respectful was out of custom.

    "Indeed." King Aldric sped his hands together, and his lips curled into a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. Then he said, "I have been thinking." He paused. "Thinking about what you told me, and I''vee to a decision."

    Nathan''s eyes narrowed, and a frown crossed his expression when he heard what the king said. ''Is he nning to send the promised adventurers back with me?'' he couldn''t help but think to himself as he shifted in his seat.

    "I''ve decided not to help you," he stated with an emotionless expression on his face as he leaned back on his luxurious throne, ying with the expensive golden ring on his little finger.

    It took Nathan a moment to fully grasp what the king had just said, and for a second, he wondered if he''d misheard. Wasn''t the west still part of his kingdom? Was the king nning to abandon it? Why was he suddenly going back on his word?

    "Your majesty¡ª"

    Before Nathan could voice his opinion, King Aldric cut him off with a wave of his hand, speaking in a tone that allowed no argument. "My decision is final," Aldric''smanding voice rang out.

    "After watching the fight yesterday, I figured the people of the west are strong enough to deal with the beast problem by themselves... besides, I have much more important matters to attend to... surely it won''t cost much if Lord Nathan and the other barons take care of the matter in the west by themselves.... besides, why don''t you ask for the help of Arthur?

    I''m sure it won''t take someone like him a day to deal with the troubles in the west."

    ''Y-you!'' Nathan was at a loss for words as he heard the king''s words. Anger surged through him, his fists trembling in hisp. How could someone be this petty and immature?

    A bit of rity returned, and Nathan thought, ''He knows... he knows that I''ll never let anything happen to the Cromwell Barony, so he''s trying to use that leverage on me... this selfish bastard... I can''t believe I ever respected him in the past.''

    A momentter, Nathan rose to his feet. "If that''s your decision, I''ll be on my way then... His majesty isn''t the only one with important things to do.... I also have a barony to attend to. Thank you for amodating me."

    Then he spun around and began to leave... despite the tant rudeness, King Aldric didn''t seem triggered like he usually was... instead, a smirk was the only thing that could be spotted on his face... as he confirmed a theory that he had been harboring for a long time now.

    If Arthur was really alive, why would Nathan ask for his help? King Aldric wondered absentmindedly to himself... his eyes narrowed on Nathan''s back as he approached the door. Before he could step out, the king''s voice broke the silence. "So, Arthur is truly gone, then?"

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones

 Chapter 194: Being Trailed

    Nathan''s hand hesitated on the door handle for the briefest moment. His posture stiffened, but he quicklyposed himself, masking the flicker of tension that had shed through his eyes. Without turning around, he forced calmness into his voice.

    "I''m saying, Your Majesty, that the west will take care of itself."

    "You didn''t answer my question," King Aldric asked in a sharp voice.

    ''This bastard... did he notice?'' Nathan''s jaw clenched, but he still didn''t turn around. The king was fishing for something, but Nathan wouldn''t give him the satisfaction. Taking a slow breath, he forced the muscles in his shoulders to rx, though the flicker of irritation remained in his eyes.

    Now that he thought about it, it was only natural for the king to suspect that something was wrong. Most of the higher nobles actually believed that Arthur was in the Cromwell Barony, spending time with his family... If a threat of this magnitude wasing, it was only natural for him to deal with it, not even letting the king catch a wisp of it.

    For me to ask him for help is no different from saying that Arthur is not with them. Of course, Nathan wasn''t nning on telling the king that he had no idea of his son''s whereabouts; that would be pure foolishness.

    "I don''t see how it''s relevant, Your Majesty," Nathan replied, his voice steady. Then he added with conviction, "Whether Arthur is alive or not changes nothing about the west... Also, aren''t you the king? Last time I checked, it''s your duty as the king to keep the kingdom safe."

    Nathan''s words were sharp, with not even a semnce of respect, as though he was lecturing the king. The king''s expression twitched slightly as he heard Nathan''s harsh words.

    Before the king could say anything, Nathan added in a cold tone, "Also, I have no reason to seek Arthur''s help, Your Majesty. The west will take care of itself. We always have."

    Without waiting for a response, Nathan pushed open the heavy doors and left, leaving the king in stunned silence. As the doors closed behind him, King Aldric leaned back in his chair, the golden ring on his finger catching the light as he idly twirled it.

    "He''s hiding something..." Aldric muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing with a new sense of intrigue. "Or could it really be that Arthur is dead?"

    The king pondered this with a thoughtful expression... This thought process wasn''t far-fetched. After all, Arthur was notorious for having numerous enemies... enemies that were several times more powerful than the experts in the Vermilion Kingdom.

    "Could it be that one of them has finally hunted him down?" Thinking about this, the king suddenly called out a name.

    If someone had witnessed him speak to the air, they might''ve thought he had gone mad. However, that was far from the truth because, the next moment, a shadowy figure with indescribable features materialized in the king''s office and gently bowed its head.

    "You summoned me, my liege?" The figure''s voice was deep yet filled with unwavering loyalty.

    "I have a mission for you," King Aldric stated as he rose from his seat, his footsteps echoing as he approached the shadowy figure that constantly whirled and distorted. It was emitting an aura of doom and death simr to Eve''s aura, only this one was much fiercer and more dangerous.

    "I once again seek your help." King Aldric spoke, his voice filled with respect, a stark contrast to the way he addressed his citizens or even the nobles, which spoke volumes about who this entity was.

    "Ask away," the shadowy figure stated. "I am at your service."

    "Great." A smile spread across the king''s features as he gave his orders.

    ---

    Nathan walked through the castle hallways with long, purposeful strides. The oppressive atmosphere that had settled in earlier was still there, but it no longer bothered him. His mind raced, not with anger, but with the previous meeting he had had with his good friend Brawn Collins.

    "Good thing I asked for his help," Nathan thought. The Silent Whispers were usually an assassin organization, and they thrived in this area with vast knowledge... but that didn''t mean they couldn''t handle the west''s current situation.

    Their main job wasn''t tobat the beasts... Instead, it was to gather information if this really was the doing of the three biggest organizations in Eos.

    After gathering the necessary information, they''d proceed to the next phase of the n. Nathan was done with the capital, the nobles, and the king''s petty games. It was time to return to the west. It was time to deal with the pressing issues at hand.

    Soon after meeting up with Nyx, the granddaughter and grandfather duo mounted the back of the Doombringer. The wyvern seemed pissed off, perhaps sensing the mood of its master, but after a head pat from Nathan, it calmed down and gently pped its wings, taking to the air.

    As they flew, Nyx''s gaze couldn''t help but linger on the capital, and a sh of disdain shone in those beautiful eyes. She couldn''t believe kids in the Barony were eager toe to this ce... this ce that was filled with disgusting nobles who wouldn''t bat an eye to y dozens ofmoners.

    Nyx''s gaze briefly flickered as she recalled the scene of the people chanting her name back in the coliseum. A soft, rare smile appeared on her features.

    Doombringer flew at an astonishing speed... Those down below only saw a shadow zoom past them. It was as if even the wyvern was in a hurry to leave the capital. Soon, they arrived at the frontier where Captain Ortega and his soldiers were stationed.

    Though the soldiers wanted to bombard Nathan and his daughter with several questions, they couldn''t, as the speed at which Doombringer was flying was too frightening.

    Not long after, Doombringer was out of the capital and into the wastnds, where several ravenous mutated beasts roamed about.

    A few more hourster, they arrived in the western region... but little did they know that a shadowy figure was shing between the trees on the ground, raising a dust storm and following closely.

 Chapter 195: Protectors of Cromwell Barony [1]

    "Everything seemed alright," Nathan noted as Doombringer descended just outside the Cromwell manor. Before entering the town, he had observed outside the walls and saw that everything appeared just as he had left it.

    Waiting outside, in front of the manor, were the high-ranking dignitaries of the Cromwell Barony: Aina, Celine, Hans, Gordon, Elvin, and Cam. Nathan briefly studied their faces to catch any glints of worry or anxiety. However, there was nothing of the sort... their faces appeared natural, and even a smile could be spotted on their faces.

    "How did it go?" Elvin, the archer, was the first person to speak up, a hopeful gleam shining in his eyes. Nathan remained silent for a while as he jumped down from Doombringer. He raised his hand, offering to assist Nyx, but the little girl lightly smacked his hand away and jumped down. Then, she courteously greeted the elders and left the scene to find her best friend, Serena.

    Nyx was very intelligent. She knew the elders were about to discuss something important, and her being there would only inconvenience them.

    After his granddaughter left, clearing his throat awkwardly, Nathan turned to the others and said in a serious tone, "The king has refused to assist us."

    "That bastard!" Elvin''s face twisted into a frown as he clenched his fist. "I foresaw thising."

    "But why? Why won''t he lend a helping hand to his kingdom?" Celine inquired, her brows knitted together, confusion in her eyes.

    Nathan nced at Celine and spoke, his tone filled with disdain and irritation. "Apparently, the king is a very petty person."

    He paused for a moment, recalling the conversation he had with the king. The anger was visible for all to see. Then he added in a confident voice, "However, we have nothing to fear."

    "What do you mean?" Aina narrowed her eyes slightly, noting Nathan''s upbeat tone.

    Nathan nodded with a smile, puffing his chest out as he spoke in a proud, arrogant voice, "Yes, I asked for help from an old acquaintance of mine. Trust me, their help is several times better than what the king could''ve offered us. Come on, praise me."

    ''Huh?''

    Nathan had expected the others to jump up in excitement. Maybe not... but they should have shown some level of enthusiasm.

    *Whistle! Whistle.*

    "Why aren''t you guys excited?" Nathan couldn''t help but frown.

    Celine crossed her arms, giving Nathan a sharp look. "Because something else already seems to be taking care of the beast problem."

    The others then proceeded to exin the recent events that transpired during his time away. Apparently, the reddish entities had been appearing more and more in and outside the town, swiftly taking care of the beasts.

    Though it had only been a few days since Nathan left for the capital, the other towns and baronies had reported countless cases of beasts breaking into the walls and killing citizens, but nothing of the sort had happened in the Cromwell Barony, all because of the hidden existence helping them.

    "It''s truly on our side, then." All lingering doubts were ''almost'' erased from Nathan''s mind... yet there was still worry in his heart. If this mysterious entity was really an ally, then why were they hidden?

    At that moment, he recalled that he had asked the others to investigate the beasts. "How was the investigation?" Nathan asked, his voice low and measured. Even though these mysterious existences were helping them, it was only right to know their basic appearance.

    Hans stepped forward, his expression neutral. "Nothing. They show up, deal with the threats swiftly, and disappear just as fast. No one has been able tomunicate with them directly. But as little Nyx and Serena reported, they''re indeed reddish."

    At that moment, Gordon the druid spoke. "The citizens have also noticed the red shes as they appeared before them and dealt with any beasts that breached the wall... and they''re starting toe up with wild theories."

    Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Like what?" he asked. He hadn''t wanted the citizens to know about the beasts'' strange behavior because he didn''t want them to panic and be restless. Because of this, he had earlier ordered the others not to let anyone leave the town. Due to the presence of the level 1 dimension, the town was doing pretty well. Some parts of the dimensions had been turned into farnd.

    Because mana was much denser in dimensions, the ntations grew rapidly, producing food much faster and even more nutritious. And with the beasts the local Awakened hunted in the dimensions from time to time, there was really no need for the townsfolk to buy food from other towns.

    "Some say they''re spirits or magical constructs," Celine exined. "While others believe they are ancient guardians sent by the gods to protect the town. It''s bing a popr rumor among the citizens, and they''re starting to rely on these entities more and more."

    Aina furrowed her brows. "We can''t rely solely on them. We need to stay prepared for any possible turn of events. Their assistance is appreciated, but we shouldn''t becent."

    Though they had confirmed that the beasts were indeed helping them, Aina was still worried. After all, help from unknown forces, especially ones that avoided contact, was not something to be easily trusted. For now, they needed to keep the beasts at bay, but they needed to be ready in case the mysterious entity had its own agenda.

    Nathan sighed, rubbing his temples. His daughter-inw was right. "Looks like we''ll have to thank these strangers for now, but keep a close eye on them. Meanwhile, my contact should be arriving soon. When they do, we''ll have a backup n if things go south."

    Celine''s eyes softened slightly. "At least that thick bald head of yours was useful this time around..."

    Nathan''s expression changed. "What do you mean by that?"

    "Oh, nothing." Celine justughed it off. "It''s just reassuring to know that we have more options."

    Meanwhile, in Eves Manor...

    Skully and the Ant Queen, along with the King, watched the elders debate among themselves, unaware that the ones actually helping them were none other than Nox.

 Chapter 196: Order of Flaming Rose

    An unknown location...

    A group of figures walked across the desert, their bare feet sinking into the hot sand with each step. The dunes stretched for miles in every direction, waves of sand under a bright, harsh sun. Sweat glistened on their foreheads, but they kept moving, their eyes fixed ahead.

    In the group, a particr girl with a strapped sword stood out. Her dark hair hung loose around her shoulders, shifting slightly with the dry wind. There was no shade, no sign of life, just the heat and the endless sand, but she didn''t slow down. Though she wasn''t alone, she was alert, as if expecting something to happen at any moment.

    The clothes wrapped around the de were stained¡ªnot just with any blood, but with the blood of the victims of her de.

    The girl''s eyes shed briefly as she recalled what had happened back in Snowhelm after Nox had escaped with the elemental crystals.

    ----

    A few days ago...

    "Who are you!" Brolly, the head of the desong group, eximed immediately when he saw a red-skinned girl appear in front of him. After losing the crystal that same night, he and his group were preparing to leave the coastal city when this mysterious girl appeared before him.

    The entire desong squad, at least what was left of them, immediately pulled out their weapons and pointed them at the red-skinned girl, who had yet to unsheathe her own de. But merely standing there, she radiated a fierce aura that caused the other students to tremble.

    The red-skinned girl looked like someone who was in her early teenage years, but there was something rming about her; her mere presence seemed to scream danger. Her uniqueplexion didn''t help matters either.

    Brolly was usually impulsive, but in the presence of this person, he was forced to ponder his choices. Besides, his MP and stamina were frighteningly low due to the fighting with the elemental beasts.

    "I say, who are you! I thought we all agreed to go our own separate ways, so why are you here!" Brolly shouted as he saw the unreadable expression of the frightening beauty; her eyes were listless.

    Those eyes sent cold shivers down the spines of the students of the desong Academy. They were all trembling like leaves in the wind, unsure of what to do next. The red-skinned girl remained silent, her gaze sweeping across the group with a calm, almost disinterested look. Her hand slightly moved to the hilt of her sword, still wrapped in cloth, as if the de itself was waiting to be unleashed.

    This sudden action made the others flinch back in fear.

    "W-why does she have to show up now that I''m at my lowest?" Brolly cried internally, unaware that this was carefully nned.

    After what felt like an eternity, the girl eventually opened her mouth and said, "I am...death." She spoke her voice cold and sharp, and then in the next instant, she disappeared from her spot at an astonishing speed towards the clueless group of students.

    A few momentster, the ground was dyed blood red, with only the red-skinned girl standing.

    ----

    "Thatd! If I evere across him, I''ll make sure to squash him!" The leader of the scavengers sneered in anger as he and his group slowly left the coastal city, returning to the wilds where they would continue their banditry.

    They''d thought that with the sales they would make from selling the elemental crystals, they could stop their ouw ways and do something much more meaningful with their lives. However, because of a certain boy, they could only go back to their old way.

    "Aye, who are yo¡ª" Before the leader could finish his sentence, he found himself in the air and the world upside down as an arc of blood appeared in the air. The leader''s head thudded to the ground, then the others followed suit.

    ---

    The Silvermist Guild. Captain Bofan and the Maverick Guild. They all suffered the same fate¡ªthey were all killed when they were at their weakest.

    Under the re of the scorching sun, the red-skinned girl''s eyes flickered sharply as she continued to trudge through the desert.

    She could havepleted her mission assigned to her by the Order of the ming Order with top scores; however, two people got away.

    Nox and Jack.

    ''That boy! How did he escape me a second time?'' The girl thought to herself as Jack''s face shed in her mind. Somehow, the boy had escaped her a second time. She could clearly tell he was tired; however, just as she was about to kill him, it seemed as if he was reced with a different person, and he suddenly got faster.

    ''That woman...'' She thought about Nox, and cold shivers ran down her spine. A pair of red eyes that she didn''t wish to recall resurfaced in her mind. ''It''s such a shame that I couldn''t bring him back to the base.... If I had tried, I could have found myself in the afterlife.'' Just then, her eyes flickered as she arrived at a spot with a single tree sprouting out.

    Beside the tree, a lone figure dressed in a ck cloak with the familiar ming rose was standing there as if waiting for someone.

    ''We''re here.'' She smiled softly. After so many days, they finally arrived at the base.

    "Well done, Agent 99," the cloaked figure said in a feminine tone as she brought a medal and pinned a blue emblem that had "lv100" on the red-skinned girl''s chest. "You''re now promoted to level 100 agent."

    "Thank you, Agent 70," the red-skinned girl bowed her head lightly, eyes sparkling with respect and reverence.

    The cloaked woman then waved her hand as a portal appeared. One after the other, the rest of the members entered through this portal and disappeared. The process continued unhindered until it reached Kira, the red-skinned girl''s turn; however, the cloaked woman stopped her.

    "Wait, Kira." The cloaked woman''s voice was low but firm. Kira paused and turned her head, confusion crossing her expression.

    "What is it, Agent 70?" Kira asked, trying to keep herposure.

    "You did well in Snowhelm, and you should rest...but the Order has another mission for you. This time in the Vermilion Kingdom. The mission is..." The cloaked woman leaned forward and dyed the details of the mission, causing Kira''s eyes to widen briefly.

    Then she pulled back and instructed, "You leave at dawn. Prepare yourself. We''ll provide you with a false identity and the necessary resources."

 Chapter 197: An Agent

    An unknown location...

    A group of figures walked across the desert, their bare feet sinking into the hot sand with each step. The dunes stretched for miles in every direction, waves of sand under a bright, harsh sun. Sweat glistened on their foreheads, but they kept moving, their eyes fixed ahead.

    In the group, a particr girl with a strapped sword stood out. Her dark hair hung loose around her shoulders, shifting slightly with the dry wind. There was no shade, no sign of life, just the heat and the endless sand, but she didn''t slow down. Though she wasn''t alone, she was alert, as if expecting something to happen at any moment.

    The clothes wrapped around the de were stained¡ªnot just with any blood, but with the blood of the victims of her de.

    The girl''s eyes shed briefly as she recalled what had happened back in Snowhelm after Nox had escaped with the elemental crystals.

    ----

    A few days ago...

    "Who are you!" Brolly, the head of the desong group, eximed immediately when he saw a red-skinned girl appear in front of him. After losing the crystal that same night, he and his group were preparing to leave the coastal city when this mysterious girl appeared before him.

    The entire desong squad, at least what was left of them, immediately pulled out their weapons and pointed them at the red-skinned girl, who had yet to unsheathe her own de. But merely standing there, she radiated a fierce aura that caused the other students to tremble.

    The red-skinned girl looked like someone who was in her early teenage years, but there was something rming about her; her mere presence seemed to scream danger. Her uniqueplexion didn''t help matters either.

    Brolly was usually impulsive, but in the presence of this person, he was forced to ponder his choices. Besides, his MP and stamina were frighteningly low due to the fighting with the elemental beasts.

    "I say, who are you! I thought we all agreed to go our own separate ways, so why are you here!" Brolly shouted as he saw the unreadable expression of the frightening beauty; her eyes were listless.

    Those eyes sent cold shivers down the spines of the students of the desong Academy. They were all trembling like leaves in the wind, unsure of what to do next. The red-skinned girl remained silent, her gaze sweeping across the group with a calm, almost disinterested look. Her hand slightly moved to the hilt of her sword, still wrapped in cloth, as if the de itself was waiting to be unleashed.

    This sudden action made the others flinch back in fear.

    "W-why does she have to show up now that I''m at my lowest?" Brolly cried internally, unaware that this was carefully nned.

    After what felt like an eternity, the girl eventually opened her mouth and said, "I am...death." She spoke her voice cold and sharp, and then in the next instant, she disappeared from her spot at an astonishing speed towards the clueless group of students.

    A few momentster, the ground was dyed blood red, with only the red-skinned girl standing.

    ----

    "Thatd! If I evere across him, I''ll make sure to squash him!" The leader of the scavengers sneered in anger as he and his group slowly left the coastal city, returning to the wilds where they would continue their banditry.

    They''d thought that with the sales they would make from selling the elemental crystals, they could stop their ouw ways and do something much more meaningful with their lives. However, because of a certain boy, they could only go back to their old way.

    "Aye, who are yo¡ª" Before the leader could finish his sentence, he found himself in the air and the world upside down as an arc of blood appeared in the air. The leader''s head thudded to the ground, then the others followed suit.

    ---

    The Silvermist Guild. Captain Bofan and the Maverick Guild. They all suffered the same fate¡ªthey were all killed when they were at their weakest.

    Under the re of the scorching sun, the red-skinned girl''s eyes flickered sharply as she continued to trudge through the desert.

    She could havepleted her mission assigned to her by the Order of the ming Order with top scores; however, two people got away.

    Nox and Jack.

    ''That boy! How did he escape me a second time?'' The girl thought to herself as Jack''s face shed in her mind. Somehow, the boy had escaped her a second time. She could clearly tell he was tired; however, just as she was about to kill him, it seemed as if he was reced with a different person, and he suddenly got faster.

    ''That woman...'' She thought about Nox, and cold shivers ran down her spine. A pair of red eyes that she didn''t wish to recall resurfaced in her mind. ''It''s such a shame that I couldn''t bring him back to the base.... If I had tried, I could have found myself in the afterlife.'' Just then, her eyes flickered as she arrived at a spot with a single tree sprouting out.

    Beside the tree, a lone figure dressed in a ck cloak with the familiar ming rose was standing there as if waiting for someone.

    ''We''re here.'' She smiled softly. After so many days, they finally arrived at the base.

    "Well done, Agent Kira," the cloaked figure said in a feminine tone as she brought a medal and pinned a blue emblem that had "lv100" on the red-skinned girl''s chest. "You''re now promoted to level 100 agent."

    "Thank you, Agent 70," the red-skinned girl bowed her head lightly, eyes sparkling with respect and reverence.

    The cloaked woman then waved her hand as a portal appeared. One after the other, the rest of the members entered through this portal and disappeared. The process continued unhindered until it reached Kira, the red-skinned girl''s turn; however, the cloaked woman stopped her.

    "Wait, Kira." The cloaked woman''s voice was low but firm. Kira paused and turned her head, confusion crossing her expression.

    "What is it, squad leader?" Kira asked, trying to keep herposure.

    "You did well in Snowhelm, and you should rest...but the Order has another mission for you. This time in the Vermilion Kingdom. The mission is..." The cloaked woman leaned forward and dyed the details of the mission, causing Kira''s eyes to widen briefly.

    Then she pulled back and instructed, "You leave at dawn. Prepare yourself. We''ll provide you with a false identity and the necessary resources."

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones!

 Chapter 198: Five Years

    Nathan and the others had decided to observe the reddish figures'' strange actions for some time beforeing to a decision. A week passed quickly, and the mysterious entities continued to deal with the beasts without causing harm to any citizens of the Cromwell Barony.

    Despite this, the townspeople were bing more curious and spective. Some were convinced these figures were divine protectors, while others believed they were powerful Awakened hired by their baron. Nathan and his council, however, remained cautious and didn''t say anything to stop the rumors from spreading, afraid that it might only make things escte further.

    During the second week, reports came in from nearby towns and baronies about escting beast attacks and loss of life. While the other towns were struggling, the Cromwell Barony stood as a safe haven, untouched thanks to the mysterious reddish figures that were appearing more and more often.

    This raised tensions in the surrounding areas, and refugees began arriving at the Cromwell Barony, seeking protection.

    Nathan gathered the elders once more to discuss how to handle the increasing pressure.

    Celine, the voice of reason, spoke first. "We can''t keep this up forever. The other towns are beginning to notice our strange luck, and they''re bound to get suspicious. If these refugees keeping, we''ll run out of resources."

    "You''re right." Nathan nodded in agreement. Although he wanted to amodate all these people, he needed to be sensible and put his citizens as his first priority.

    In the end, after epting the children, pregnant women, and the elderly, the rest¡ªthose who seemed capable of defending themselves¡ªwere told to return to their various towns and help the local Awakened there.

    By the third week, word had spread far and wide that the Cromwell Barony was seemingly protected by unknown forces. This led to more attention, including from the Armstrong Duchy and other regional powers. Nathan knew this would bring trouble. While Brawn and his Silent Whispers hadn''t arrived yet, he began preparing for potential confrontations.

    In the fourth week, however, the Silent Whispers finally arrived along with Brawn himself. However, something strange happened...

    The beasts stopped attacking the Cromwell Barony and even the neighboring towns. Still, Brawn and his men conducted their investigation and didn''t find anything odd with the beasts. The guild master of the Silent Whispers turned to Nathan and asked in a low voice, "Are you sure these beasts were acting unusually?"

    An annoyed expression crossed Nathan''s wrinkled face as he crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly. "We wouldn''t have called you here for nothing. They were attacking more frequently, almost coordinated. But now... it''s like they''ve vanished."

    Brawn looked at his old friend for a while before sighing. He had already given his friend his word, and he wasn''t the kind to take back his word. "Alright, we''ll stay for some time to see if there''s any unusual behavior," he said.

    However, more weeks passed, and nothing happened.

    By the time the fifth week rolled around, the tension in the Cromwell Barony had reached an uneasy calm. Brawn and his Silent Whispers had set up temporary posts around the town, keeping a close eye on any strange activity, but the beasts remained absent, and the mysterious red entities hadn''t reappeared. The townspeople, though still cautious, had started to believe that the worst was over.

    "Another week has passed, and still nothing," Brawnmented, a thoughtful look crossing his features. "It''s like whatever was happening just stopped the moment we showed up. Makes you wonder if they were scared off... anyway, let''s continue watching for some time."

    Another month passed, and still nothing. Because they still had missions and other things to do in the capital, the Silent Whispers packed up their things and had no choice but to return. Brawn had left, saying that the beasts'' recent behavior could be due to mana affecting them, and that they had returned to normal.

    Nathan pondered over this for some time and thought it actually made sense. In the weeks that followed, life in the Cromwell Barony returned to normal. The mysterious reddish figures never reappeared, and the beasts that had once terrorized the region were nowhere to be found.

    Word came from neighboring baronies that their own beast troubles had all but disappeared, leading to spection that the creatures had migrated elsewhere or had been driven off by some unseen force.

    Most of the immigrants had returned to their various towns, and the west had... ironically, taken care of itself.

    ---

    Aina was sitting in her usual spot, her expression filled with worry. It had been exactly five months, and she still hadn''t seen her child Nox. Though Eve had written some letters to her, she was beginning to grow bored of them. The same could be said for Nathan, but because of the issues with the beasts, he hadn''t really had time to think about his family.

    "Why do I have this feeling that something terrible has happened to my Nox?" Aina said to Cam one night while holding her chest.

    ''Should I tell her this is what they call mother''s instinct?'' Cam silently wondered to herself. Thest thing she wanted was to make Aina even more worried than she already was, so the best she could do was keep her thoughts to herself.

    "He''s fine... Eve is very reliable and strong, trust me." Cam stated, her tone filled with unwavering confidence as she added in a voice filled with admiration: "She''s the strongest female Awakened I have ever seen."

    "Is that so?" Aina narrowed her eyes slightly. She personally hadn''t seen Eve fight before, but she had heard most of the citizens of the town praise her as someone who was very skilled. In the past, even the love of her life had said the same thing. He was full of praise and respect for her, something that had made Aina a bit jealous.

    "I guess he''s really safe if he''s with her," she thought and pushed the worry out of her mind.

    A few monthster... five years passed, and the most anticipated tournament to determine the overlord of the Duchy was just around the corner.

 Chapter 199: Arriving In Armstrong Dutchy

    "Wendy is not here, and even Nox. Where did those two run off to?" Hans, who was in charge of looking after the participants for the uing tournament, felt a massive headache as he watched over the group of kids that would be participating in the tournament in the Armstrong duchy.

    The ones present at this moment were Chris Cole, Nyx, and Rab Damian. Since the worry of a beast tide had been dealt with, most of the towns had focused their attention on the looming tournaments that would determine the fate of their town. Slowly, they were even making their way to the Armstrong duchy.

    The only group that had yet to make any move was the Cromwell barony. All of this was because the two star dark horses that shouldered half of the responsibility for this tournament were nowhere to be found.

    Hans'' face was filled with worry as he turned to Celine, who was standing beside him. "Have you heard any news from Wendy?" he asked, a trace of hope entering his voice.

    Celine, the town healer, nodded faintly. "Yes, she wrote to me a few times." As she said this, a parchment materialized in her grasp, and she proceeded to hand it over to Hans, who unfolded it unhurriedly. With furrowed brows, he began to read.

    _Mom, I''m fine in case you''re worried about me. I''m currently away carrying out a mission for the Academy¡­ will return before the tournament starts. Don''t miss me too much. Love you, your one and only daughter, Wendy._

    Hans folded the letter and gave it back to Celine, his expression filled with confusion as he muttered in a low voice, "Strangely, even little Nox said the same thing." Then his eyes narrowed slightly as a wild thought, one he didn''t think was too far-fetched, appeared in his mind. "Could it be that they''re in the same ce... I mean, they all seemed to be saying the same thing."

    "What if their letters have been intercepted?" Gordon chimed in, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "For all we know, it could be the doing of the other barony or..." The sky briefly turned dark due to the change in weather, casting a dark shadow on Gordon''s face. "The doing of the Armstrongs... perhaps they''ve noticed those two''s potential."

    "I doubt that''s the case," Celine shook her head in denial. "I know my daughter''s writing very well. I don''t know about little Nox, but I''m very certain she''s the one, and that carefree tone... it''s only her."

    "Hmm, alright..." Hans nodded. "We''ll head to the duchy first and wait for their arrival... hopefully, nothing bad happens to them."

    "Do you think something happened to Nyx?" As they walked towards the carriage parked at a distance, there were some armored Awakened on both sides of this carriage, a necessary arrangement by the barony to fight against beasts and protect themselves in case things went south inside the Armstrong duchy.

    Serena who had dicided to apany them flicked her hair backward, causing several boys to gasp in amazement. Most of them were around the age of 10-13. Their feelings were starting to develop more and more. In a pleasant voice, the others could never get enough of, Serena spoke: "Nox is perfectly fine... he''s very strong, you know. He''s probably training and preparing for the tournament."

    "That''s some confidence there," Cole, the pyromancer and the personal student of Nathan,mented with a chuckle as he teased. "It''s as if you''re there with him... could it be that you guys are actually connected somehow?"

    Serena''s face immediately turned a shade of red as she stammered iprehensibly. "N-no, we''re not connected in any way... at least not the way you''re probably thinking... we just have a friendly connection."

    Everyone present paused and stared at Serena, their gazes seeming to say, "Who are you deceiving? Could you be even more obvious?"

    "My stupid brother is fine." Nyx''s cold voice cut through the conversation. "You guys don''t have anything to worry about... what we should be thinking about is how to crush the bastards from the Armstrong duchy."

    As they watched Nyx board the carriage, the others couldn''t help but nod their heads in agreement and step inside the carriage. There were over ten carriages, one of them for the participants, while the others were for the few citizens who wanted to watch the tournament. Almost all of them wanted to attend, but they couldn''t really abandon the town.

    Because of this, the likes of Elvin and his strike team had decided to stay behind and watch over the town. Even though there was peace now, who knows when something terrible would happen.

    Fortunately for the rest of the town, Nathan had promised them the event would be transmitted from the Armstrong duchy for them to watch. Though it wouldn''t have the same feeling as being present, they were happy.

    Soon, the carriages began to move in a straight line. The Awakened kept their vignce and rode ahead on the backs of powerful-built horses to deal with bandits or beasts.

    Above them, Doombringer soared, casting a shadow over the other carriages like a divine guardian. The kids felt safe in the presence of the powerful wyvern, though some of them wished a beast would show up for them to deal with. Their young blood was always pumping for a fight.

    Watching them, the Awakened who had experienced life couldn''t help but shake their heads. Well, the children couldn''t really be med... once upon a time, they were also like this, hot-blooded, but the reality of life in Eos had long humbled them.

    Before night arrived, the carriages neared the walls of the Armstrong duchy. It was the first time most of the kids were going out of the barony, and they were fascinated by the sheer size of the walls and the towering buildings that peeked through them.

    In front of the gate, there were several more carriages lined up, entering one after the other. Soon, it reached the Cromwell Barony''s turn.

 Chapter 200: The Vice Principal Arrives

    The streets of Armstrong Duchy were overflowing with hundreds of people from all over the western region, causing traffic on the road. This was because the tournament would be held in Armstrong Duchy, as per Duke Felix''s wish.

    Since they didn''t find anything wrong with this decision, the other barons hadn''t opposed it. Besides, it was only right for the tournament to be held in Armstrong Duchy because it was not only vast in size but also much more developedpared to the other towns.

    At the moment, the carriages belonging to the Cromwell baron were moving along the wide cobblestone streets. There were still three days left before the tournament officially kicked off, so their main agenda was to find an inn for everyone.

    Of course, above their heads, Doombringer was soaring in the air, earning looks from the citizens of Armstrong Duchy and the neighboring towns.

    They were all pointing at the menacing wyvern,ing up with wild theories about who it belonged to. "This never gets old, huh?" Nathan thought as he stroked Doombringer''s head. "How rare is your kind to get these people excited every time?"

    Growl!

    Doombringer only growled in response, a lost expression appearing on his face. Unlike Nox, Nathan couldn''tmunicate with beasts, but he figured that the wyvern was probably stating that its kind was very rare.

    Down below, a green-haired boy with a carrot in his mouth watched the familiar wyvern fly past from the window of his carriage.

    "She''s not up there..." he thought with a frown on his face, then looked below at the carriages. Because the wyvern''s shadow covered the carriages, it was easy to tell that the beast with the menacing presence was overlooking them as if daring anyone to attack.

    "Perhaps she''s inside there," Jared thought, his eyes shining. "Coach, follow those carriages," he quickly ordered the driver.

    "Young master, are you sure? Your father personally instructed me to take you all to an inn to spend the night." Because the lord of Landon Barony was busy with some issues back in town, the children, under the lead of some Awakened and Jared, were made the temporary leaders of Landon Barony.

    "I''m very certain that we''ll find an inn if we follow them," Jared imed, pushing thest bit of carrot into his mouth. After chomping on the carrot, he said in a slightly wiser tone, "Also, we''ve no idea about this city...from the looks of things, those guys seem to know their way around...I say we stick to them."

    "Indeed, the young master is right. That g actually belongs to the Cromwell barony..st I checked, we don''t have any bad blood with them. They''re the best people to follow." The coachman agreed as he steered the horse, controlling the carriage to follow behind the Cromwell carriages.

    "Nice try, I saw what you did there," Jared''s friend whispered in his ear, causing thetter''s ears to burn with embarrassment.

    ***

    It didn''t take long for Hans and Aina to find a two-story inn. Because of the crowd they''d brought with them, they had no choice but to rent half of the hotel''s total space, which wasn''t a problem, considering the barony was no longer poor as before.

    In total, over a hundred citizens had apanied the fighters to provide support, and they paired up in groups of two to share one room each. Still, despite this arrangement, half of the inn was almost filled.

    Outside Armstrong Duchy, more and more people were slowly entering the town. These people were no ordinary figures¡ªthey were powerful Awakened who hade to witness the tournament, each with their own motivation.

    "Good thing I arrived early." Inside one of the carriages, a purple-haired woman with eyes of the same color thought as she slowly entered Armstrong Duchy. Because she had announced her presence beforehand, someone from the duke himself had personallye out to apany her.

    "Wee, Vice Principal." Kron, the right-hand man of the duke, bowed slightly when he saw the woman who was said to be one of the strongest in the kingdom step out gracefully from her carriage. His gaze lingered on her well-sculpted face down to her bountiful build. She was simply too beautiful and could stun any man.

    A cold light shed in Bridget''s purple eyes as she saw Kron tantly ogling at her.

    "I''m sorry, miss." Kron hurriedly apologized, his ears burning red as he added, hoping to salvage the situation, "It''s just that the mistress is just too beautiful."

    Bridget had already heard this countless times, hence it barely had any effect on her. She swept her gaze over Kron before starting to walk away.

    "Ah, mistress!" Kron was confused when he saw her action. He was instructed by the duke to take her to his vi personally, so where was she heading? Thinking about this, he hurriedly called out, but she was already long gone.

    Kron was slightly shocked, as he hadn''t even seen when the purple-haired woman had disappeared from his side.

    At that moment, he saw the giant wyvern flying past overhead. Kron nced up, his ck eyes meeting the fierce blood-red eyes of the wyvern, and a shiver passed through his spine. "Right." His expression darkened slightly. "That man is also here."

    Alone, Bridget looked around the vast town that was no different from a city. "Now, which road would lead me to the Heavenly Pce Inn?" she thought with a soft frown on her beautiful yet fierce face, capable of striking fear into the hearts of men.

    ***

    Elsewhere, a woman with beautiful ruby-like eyes was watching the figure of a young man who was currently sparring with a white-haired girl of a simr age. The dark-haired boy, with a strand of red in his hair, was wielding a dagger, while his opponent wielded a longsword. However, it was easy to detect that the girl with the longsword was on the losing end.

    "Mm, it seems his dagger arts have improved once again," Eve thought, a subtle smile on her face.

 Chapter 201: Elemental Crystals [1]

    A beautiful woman with glittering red eyes stood at a considerable distance, her sharp gaze fixed on the small cottages that were slightly covered in frost and snow.

    From her vantage point, the woman could see Wendy and the couple taking care of a young boy with a vibrantplexion, despite lying down motionlessly. She noted his rhythmic beating heart, and a look of relief crossed her features.

    Of course, this woman was none other than Eve. Because she had promised herself not to involve herself in the fight against the elemental beast, she had watched from about 500 meters away. It was a long distance for most people, but because she was a high-level Awakened, it felt as if she was watching up close.

    When Nox had finally dealt with the elemental beast by spamming *Shadow Oblivion*, a surge of pride washed over her body, and a beautiful, radiant smile capable of turning wise men into fools curled up on her face. There was nothing more fulfilling than seeing her disciple defy all odds ande out on top despite the challenges stacked against him.

    "It seems little Nox has really grown up and is no longer naive... to think he''d outsmart everyone," she thought, feeling pleased.

    As she was watching, her eyes flickered as she caught sight of the red-skinned girl approaching Nyx. A bad feeling welled in the pit of Eve''s stomach. Merely watching the girl, she could tell she carried malevolent intent.

    She sped up, casting a *Shadow Afterimage* and raising a dust storm. Her expression darkened more and more as dread filled the air. The distance that had provided her a safe vantage point was now an obstacle.

    Before she could arrive, the red-skinned girl had stabbed the weakened Nox. She still wanted to help, but someone else had beaten her to it, eventually flying away with the giant jellyfish-like creature she was seeing for the first time.

    Eve didn''t linger long and quickly followed on the ground. On the way, her expression was filled with worry. The feeling was strange¡ªit was the first time in a long time she felt this overwhelming emotion. Her eyes continued to tremble as she picked up her pace.

    Eventually, she tracked Astralux to this cottage.

    "I nearly thought he died," she muttered. Then her eyes shed again as she recalled another memory. The red-skinned girl appeared in her head.

    Yes, she''d also tracked the jellyfish/octopus to the cottage. It seemed she was really trying... to end Nox''s life.

    Unfortunately for her, Eve was around. The two females locked gazes. Eve''s eyes sharpened and narrowed, and the red-skinned girl instinctively shifted into a more defensive stance. A look of fear briefly appeared in the red-skinned girl''s glowing eyes, reflecting the faint light from the frosted cottages behind her. Though Eve hadn''t made any movement, her entire frame seemed to scream danger.

    For a moment, silence reigned.

    Then the red-skinned girl sighed heavily and disappeared. She was wise... she knew how to choose her battles, and fighting this woman was pure foolishness. The aura Eve gave off was the kind that belonged to the top agents back at the base.

    Eve had suspicions about who the girl was, but she didn''t dwell on it and returned her focus to the oblivious people inside the cottage, unaware that they''d just dodged a bullet. After that strange encounter, Eveter revealed herself to the others.

    The couple was at first frightened, suddenly seeing a red-eyed woman pop out of the darkness. Fortunately, Wendy recognized Eve and exined the situation to the couple, who eventually calmed down.

    Later on, Eve bought arger house in a less deserted area of the coastal city, and everyone moved there. The house was much warmer and more spacious. Despite their refusal, Eve gave the house to the couple as a sign of appreciation for what they''d done.

    Presently, she was watching Nox and Wendy spar, aiming to improve themselves. Astralux, Thirteen, and Fluffington were watching from the side, cheering for the two fighters. The two continued to sh, sparks flew, and each seemed to be pushing the other to their limits.

    "Mmm, it seems his dagger arts have improved once again," Eve thought, a subtle smile on her face as she saw Nox utilize a series of quick steps and press his dagger against Wendy''s neck.

    "Ugh, is it that you keep getting stronger, or am I the one getting weaker?" Wendy couldn''t help butin with a pout on her beautiful face, strands of her hair sticking to it. She currently had her back against the wall. Despite being older than Nox by a few years, the two were the same height¡ªone could even argue that Nox was a head taller.

    A smile curled up on Nox''s lips as he pulled his dagger back, then cleaned the hilt of the de with a soft cloth with delicate precision, as if it were the most important treasure in his possession. His eyes glinted with satisfaction as he put the dagger in his inventory. He nced at Nyx and said, "Would you believe me if I told you I''m blessed by the gods?"

    "Obviously not," Wendy responded, fixing her hair and wiping her face.

    "I thought as much," Nox sighed, seemingly losing interest in the conversation as he briefly excused himself and walked out of therge hall that seemed to be some sort of banquet hall. Meanwhile, Wendy went on to y with Astralux and Thirteen.

    During thest few weeks, she had be ustomed to the three pets and was smitten by their cuteness, especially Astralux''s unique trait of changing colors depending on her current emotions.

    As Nox walked through the hallway, he couldn''t help but notice Eve''s taste for luxury and ancient antiques. Even her manor back in the barony was simr. This was just a fleeting thought, however.

    Nox arrived at the door to the room shortly after and pushed it open. He closed the door and went to sit on therge bed.

    Then, he summoned three gleaming crystals...

 Chapter 202: Kindness

    Then he summoned three gleaming crystals, which hovered in front of him, each emitting its own distinct aura. Two of the crystals glowed with a freezing blue light, their surface crackling with icy energy that seemed to suck the warmth from the air around them.

    The cold emanating from them was so intense that the room''s temperature dropped noticeably, causing a thinyer of frost to form on the bed and nearby furniture.

    The third crystal was different. It gave off a deep, shadowy glow, almost as if it were absorbing the light around the room. The shadows in the room stretched toward the crystal as if drawn by an invisible force. Looking at the crystal that was emitting an oppressive dark aura, Nox couldn''t help but think the crystal gave off a simr aura to his master Eve.

    Nox studied the glowing crystals for a while. He hade on this trip hunting for one elemental crystal to level up one of his pets; however, by a stroke of luck, he earned three elemental crystals at once.

    Mind you, a single elemental crystal cost a fortune, and the fact that he now possessed three only meant he was extremely wealthy. Nox could pretty much livefortably for the rest of his life if he sold this crystal and used the money wisely.

    However, money wasn''t the ultimate goal for Nox. The goal was strength; with strength in Eos, wealth would naturally follow.

    Nox brushed the surface of the crystal, feeling the cold on his fingers as he pondered with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Thirteen and Fluffington had said these elemental crystals were found inside the frozen cave¡­ makes me wonder why the elemental beast kept them there and what it wanted to do with them?"

    There were still a lot of unanswered questions in his mind rted to the elemental beast... there were so many mysteries, and there was still the situation with the shopkeepers. All this led Nox to believe that there was more to the elemental beast to unearth.

    Did the beast kill other elemental beasts and take the crystals? But for what purpose? From the requirements he had seen back then, there was nothing of such. Could it be that there was another hidden way to use the crystals that Arthur wasn''t aware of?

    The more he thought about it, the more confusing everything seemed.

    "Well, since I got what I wanted, there''s no need to think about it." Nox sighed, dismissing the thought and focusing on the main objective at hand. His gaze settled on the crystals as he assumed a calctive expression.

    There were two ice elemental crystals and one shadow elemental crystal. Of course, Nox didn''t want his beast army to be filled with creatures with the same elemental affinity, so he was subconsciously making ns to trade the second ice elemental crystal for another element. That way, he could diversify his options and strengthen his army with a range of elemental abilities.

    Nox''s mind raced as he pondered how he''d trade the crystal off and ultimately decided to speak to Eve about it since she seemed much more knowledgeable about the crystals. She was the one who had even discovered the elemental crystals¡­ surely, she would also know how to trade it off.

    ''I must admit, Master is very resourceful,'' Nox thought. ''It''s almost as if she has knowledge of everything.''

    Nox then brought out the book his father had left behind for future beast tamers and briefly read through the chapter that contained details on turning normal magical beasts into elemental beasts.

    Later, he left his room and came outside to therge hall just in time to see Wendy ying with the beasts. Even the fat Fluffington was on his feet, running in circles.

    Though Wendy couldn''t understand them, it was very clear that they were having a good time, and Nox didn''t want to disrupt them, so he sneakily left to go look for Eve.

    On his way to meet Eve, Nox stumbled across the couple Ann and Bradford, who seemed engrossed, looking at sculptures with fascination in their eyes. Their fingers grazed the polished marble, tracing the intricate details etched into the stone. They had never imagined being in a ce so opulent, so filled with luxury that even the artwork seemed beyond reach for people like them.

    "This ce¡­ it''s really beautiful," Ann whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. She nced at Bradford, her husband, who nodded, equally overwhelmed by the grandeur.

    "I''ve never heard of non-Awakened staying somewhere as luxurious as this before," Bradford added, his voice low with a mix of awe and gratitude. "To think our good deed that day would actually be this rewarding."

    Ann leaned into Bradford, her eyes misting over as she gazed at the chandelier above, its crystals sparkling in the soft light. "Say, darling, should we adopt some kids from the orphanage to stay with us? After all, this house is too big for us."

    "Yes, yes." Bradford nodded vigorously with conviction and determination. His voice, though calm, carried an undeniable weight. "We must continue to help others, no matter the cost."

    Nox, having paused to observe them, couldn''t help but feel warmth growing in his chest. He had heard from Wendy how these people had nurtured her back to health without asking for anything. Without them, Wendy could''ve really died that day. They were good people, and they deserved only the best.

    Nox cleared his throat softly to get their attention, not wanting to startle them. "Ann, Bradford," Nox greeted them with a gentle smile, "enjoying the mansion?"

    "Nox! We¡ªuh¡ªdidn''t expect to see you," Ann stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, as if they had been caught trespassing.

    "No need to be shy," Nox said, waving a hand dismissively. "This is your home now too, at least for as long as you want it to be."

    "I know." Bradford scratched his head, a sly smile on his wrinkled face. "It''s just a bit¡­ what''s the word again?" He asked toward the end with a lost expression.

    "Overwhelming." Ann frowned and lightly pinched her husband. "You''re not that old, Bradford, stop forgetting things."

    "Ouch, my bad¡­" He winced.

    Nox watched the two bicker back and forth for some time. ''Such a healthy rtionship,'' he thought, and his mind briefly drifted to a certain bony old man.

    A glint of sudden realization shed in his eyes. "This reminds me, Grandpa never told us anything about Grandma¡­ where could she be?"

 Chapter 203: The Lich Court

    Nox pondered for a while, wondering if there had been an instance where his grandpa mentioned his wife. He thought hard but couldn''t recall any moment like that.

    ''Did she pass away and he was so sad that he didn''t even talk about her?'' Nox wondered. ''Meh, if I return, I''ll ask that old bag of bones.'' He snapped back to the present and coughed lightly to get the attention of the bickering couple.

    "I just wanted to greet you guys. I''ll be on my way then," he said, a smile on his face as he continued his walk. However, before he left, he paused, his gaze softening as he added, "And if there''s anything you need, don''t hesitate to ask."

    Ann''s eyes filled with tears, and she gave Bradford''s hand a tight squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "We''ve never had anything like this before. It means the world to us."

    Bradford nodded in agreement, his usually stoic expression softening into a rare smile. "We won''t forget this kindness, Nox."

    Nox nodded, not one for long-winded speeches. "Just take care of each other. That''s all that matters."

    With that, he gave them a respectful nod and continued down the hallway, leaving the couple to their moment. As he walked away, he could still hear the quiet murmur of their voices, filled with excitement and gratitude. They were marveling over every little detail, from the intricate designs on the walls to the softness of the rugs beneath their feet.

    It was a wholesome sight, and Nox couldn''t help but feel a sense of satisfaction knowing he had contributed to their happiness. In a world where strength and power ruled, it was moments like these that reminded him of what truly mattered¡ªpeople, and the small joys that kept them going.

    After several turns, he eventually found Eve on the balcony, staring absentmindedly into the distance. Nox silently approached her; he could sense that she had already detected his presence but acted oblivious.

    "Master," he said,ing to stand close to her. Eve was 6 ft tall, towering over Nox... but Nox wasn''t depressed. With Shadow Oblivion, it was only a matter of time before he became a six-footer as well.

    In his past life, Nox would''ve never thought he would grow to be a six-footer, but in this world, even 7 ft was within reach.

    "What do you want to talk about?" Eve asked, her gaze fixed on the night sky. Nox''s expression changed slightly, as he noted that her voice wasn''t as indifferent as usual.

    "So many things actually... but mostly rted to this," Nox said as he summoned the three glowing elemental crystals. He wasn''t frightened that Eve would be blinded by greed and snatch the crystals away from him. He trusted her... though she seemed to love luxurious things, Eve didn''t seem like someone who would steal from a kid.

    "I was wondering if there is a way for me to trade one of these crystals?" Nox asked, with a hopeful gleam sparkling in his eyes.

    "Yes." Eve turned towards Nox and stated. Her voice softened, an unfamiliar warmth slipping into her words, almost as if she were trying to sound... kinder. It was very awkward to hear.

    A strange expression appeared on Nox''s face as he voiced out, "Um, Master, I think there is something wrong with your tone?"

    ''This little bastard.'' Eve''s eyelid twitched as her ears burned in embarrassment. She had tried speaking to Nox in a softer and nicer tone, sharply contrasting her usual indifferent tone.

    "It''s possible," Eve repeated in her familiar voice, and Nox nodded in acknowledgment.

    "Now that''s more like it."

    ''This boy...'' Eve was speechless.

    "So, how?" Nox asked with a serious expression on his face.

    "It''s much easier than you thought," Eve imed, returning her attention to the front. She found it weird staring into Nox''s abyssal eyes that were slowly sucking her entire existence in. She then added, "All we have to do is go to an auction and trade it off... I know plenty of those ces."

    "Great." Nox smiled and asked eagerly, "Where is this auction?"

    "Hmmm. It''s very far, and they don''t have definite locations," Eve imed. "Though we''ll have to pay an exorbitant amount to get a ticket to participate in the auction."

    Nox nodded his head. "Figured... an auction that can easily swap elemental crystals should be owned by a powerful family."

    "Yes, you''re not wrong. It''s indeed owned by one of the most powerful families in the entire human domain, the Vanderleigh family," Eve revealed. "They''re not associated with any kingdom; they''re what we call... wanderers."

    After their short exchange, an oppressive silence reigned between the two for a while, each person deep in thought. At that moment, Nox''s mind was suddenly invaded by a fleeting thought, and he turned to Eve.

    "Master, by chance, have you heard about the Lich Court?" he asked. His master had proved to be very resourceful and knowledgeable; he was hoping she also knew about the organization that had made his teammates react like that.

    Eve stiffened immediately at Nox''s question. The calm fa?ade she often maintained flickered, revealing a shadow of anxiety that briefly clouded her expression. "The Lich Court?" she eventually spoke in a voice that was barely audible. "Why do you want to know about them?"

    Nox noticed the change in her demeanor. Her shoulders tensed, and her gaze shifted to the horizon. It was rare for Eve to show such vulnerability, and it sent a chill down Nox''s spine. Something that could cause Eve to react like this was definitely frightening.

    "I overheard some of the others talking about them," Nox answered after a while. "They seemed concerned."

    Eve''s eyes narrowed, her features hardening. "Concerned is an understatement," she said. "The Lich Court is not something you want to take lightly. They are powerful beings, beings like me; masters of dark magic, and they don''t just y with the lives of mortals¡ªthey toy with them."

    Nox felt a wave of unease wash over him at her words.

    Eve paused, turned, leaned forward, and said, "I''d advise you to stop asking any further questions. It''s dangerous to tread too close to their affairs. They have ears everywhere, and even the slightest hint of curiosity can draw unwanted attention."

    "I understand, I''ll forget about them," Nox nodded, but in his mind... ''Now I''m even more curious about them. I want to know everything about them!''

    ''Good, I don''t know the reason for their sudden interest in you... but you must stay far away from them... no matter what, I won''t let them use you for their delusional goals,'' Eve''s eyes flickered with determination as she looked at the horizon.

    Later that day, Nox gathered hispanions and brought out the elemental crystals. It was time to evolve his beasts.

 Chapter 204: Powerful Transformation

    In the courtyard of therge gated mansion, Nox was staring at Fluffington and Thirteen, his expression serious. Astralux was still inside ying with Wendy, so it was only the boys who were present.

    Sensing the serious expression of his master, Thirteen stood upright, hands behind his back. His adorable face was also filled with seriousness, making it difficult for Nox to keep a straight face.

    With a hand movement, two glowing orbs appeared in Nox''s grasp¡ªthese were the elemental crystals. The two creatures'' eyes lit up immediately upon seeing the crystals again.

    It had taken all of their willpower not to devour these crystals when they found them in the cave that day. However, now that the crystals were once again in sight, the urge had returned, this time much fiercer.

    Immediately, both Fluffington and Thirteen began to salivate.

    "Calm yourselves, guys." Nox, sensing their hunger, couldn''t help but chuckle as he patted the two furry heads. "After all, the two of you will still eat."

    Really?!

    Fluffington and Thirteen''s eyes widened in surprise. They could feel the palpable energy stored inside the crystals, waiting to be unleashed upon the world. They could tell it would greatly enhance their abilities. Was their master really giving them something as valuable as this?

    ''What? You think I can''t give you something valuable?'' Nox thought, feigning a light frown.

    "No, we know you can. It''s just a bit strange because we can feel the intense power radiating from that thing," Fluffington spoke, his cat-like eyes fixed on the crystal levitating just a few inches away from Nox. Thirteen nodded his head in agreement¡ªhis senior brother was very right!

    "Well," Nox sighed, "I know you guys don''t know this, but the reason I came to this ce was to get these crystals for you two. Personally, I don''t have any use for them... they''ll be much more useful for you."

    "What will happen if we eat them?" Fluffington asked, curiosity finding its way into his voice.

    Nox winked and smiled mischievously. "It''s a secret," he whispered, then paused and pped his hands as a look of excitement appeared on his face. "Now it''s the moment of truth. As the senior, it''s only right for you to choose first." Nox turned to Fluffington and then looked at Thirteen. The cute panda merely shrugged, not finding anything wrong with this proposal.

    "Alright then." Fluffington, on all paws, stepped forward as a thoughtful expression crossed his feline features. The cat stared at the two gleaming elemental crystals, his mind torn in two.

    "Which one should I take?" the cat pondered. His gaze moved between the two elemental crystals¡ªone shimmering with a cold, icy blue aura, and the other exuding a deep, mysterious shadowy energy. Fluffington narrowed his eyes, feeling the power pulsing from both. Each crystal radiated with strength, but he sensed a deeper connection with the dark energy of the shadow crystal.

    The ice crystal, though powerful, felt foreign to him. Fluffington was fast and agile; the ice elemental skill would be more suitable for someone like Thirteen.

    Thinking about this, Fluffington paced around the crystals, his tail swishing thoughtfully. Nox''s calm gaze never left the cat. He knew this was a very important decision, one that would influence how the cat lived for the rest of his life, so he remained patient and understanding. Thirteen also watched with curiosity, but he respected seniority, standing back without any sign of impatience.

    "I choose..." Fluffington began as he approached the shadow crystal, "the shadow crystal."

    "Good choice," Nox nodded with a smile. After observing Fluffington and Thirteen''s fighting styles, Nox had also thought about giving the shadow crystal to the feline since he was more agile in battle. He nned to give the other crystal to Thirteen but, not wanting his pets to feel forced, he had let the eldest one choose first.

    "Alright, it''s your turn." Nox looked at Thirteen, who was already cradling the ice crystal in his hands. The panda was staring at the crystal in amazement, even licking it. Like Fluffington, this had also been his first choice from the beginning. The panda nced up at Nox as if asking if he could eat the crystal already.

    Nox pondered for a moment. ording to the books, after consuming the crystal, a magical beast would undergo a transformation. However, Nox didn''t know how long the transformation wouldst or if it would be painful. Because of this, he rushed over to Eve, who was engrossed in studying a book.

    "Master, could you keep an eye out for me just in case something goes wrong?" he asked.

    Eve stared out of the window, her eyes locking on Fluffington and Thirteen, who were licking their respective elemental crystals. She shrugged, not finding anything wrong with her disciple''s request. From her spot on the top floor, she could see everything happening in the courtyard. If things went south, she would be there in seconds.

    After sorting that out, Nox returned to his pets, who were already dying of anticipation... Why was their master taking so long? Why couldn''t he just give them the green light?

    Nox chuckled at their impatient expressions. "Alright, you two. Go ahead."

    At his words, both Fluffington and Thirteen wasted no time. The shadow crystal hovered toward Fluffington, while the ice crystal floated toward Thirteen. Their eyes gleamed with excitement, hunger practically radiating from their bodies as the crystals approached their mouths.

    As soon as the crystals touched their lips, they shattered into energy, instantly enveloping both creatures. Shadowy mist swirled around Fluffington, dark tendrils creeping across his body, while a frosty mist encased Thirteen, dropping the temperature around him. Both of them were swallowed by their respective elements¡ªshadow and ice¡ªfilling the courtyard with thick, swirling fog.

    Nox watched silently, his expression filled with both anticipation and concern. The power radiating from both transformations was immense. Even from his distance, he could feel the oppressive force of the shadow and the freezing chill of the ice. He was forced back a few steps as frost began to cover the cobblestone ground.

    At that moment, the fog grew denser, hiding both creatures from view. The energy within the courtyard became suffocating¡ªbut not enough to force Nox out. He could sense that, unlike when his beasts leveled up by absorbing beast cores, this was no ordinary transformation. It was much more powerful.

    Minutes passed, and a gust of powerful aura poured out from the fog as if something was about to emerge.

    Just as the shapes of Fluffington and Thirteen started to be visible through the haze, the energy spiked suddenly¡ª

    And then everything went still.

    The next moment, the haze began to clear.

 Chapter 205: The Representative Of Silver Houshold

    Bridgett had earlier sighted which way the Doombringer was heading. She knew about the beef between the Cromwell Barony, which was the reason for this tournament in the first ce; hence, she never once thought Nathan would head there.

    ''Most likely, they''ll head to an inn,'' she pondered and nced at the distance where the Doombringer had flown. A momentter, she flickered from her spot, leaving a light crater that wasn''t too visible on the ground.

    The beautiful purple-haired woman sped through the alleys of the Armstrong dutchy at an astonishing speed¡ªso fast that most citizens in the Armstrong Duchy didn''t even notice anything strange, just a sudden gust of breeze passing them. Her speed was almost on par with, or perhaps even greater than, Nox''s when he used Divine Velocity.

    She continued navigating through the city before eventually stopping at the front door of Blossoms Inn and Tavern, the same inn where the Cromwell Barony had decided to lodge for the duration of their time in the Armstrong Duchy. She knew this because the carriages bearing the emblem of the Cromwell Barony were parked just outside the inn.

    Bridgett stepped into the reception area, her steps making light clicks on the wooden floor as she approached the receptionist.

    The receptionist disyed a warm smile and spoke in a professional tone: "Good day, miss. What brings you to our tavern?"

    Bridgett disyed a smile of her own¡ªa smile that made the receptionist blush slightly, even though they were the same gender. "Do you have any rooms avable?" she asked in a friendly tone.

    "Y-yes... you''re in luck," the receptionist stammered, feeling suddenly nervous in this woman''s presence. There was only one room left, which had been reserved for an important guest. The manager had practically told her not to give it away.

    Before she could stop herself, however, the words had already left her mouth. Bridgett pulled out two golden tickets from midair and slipped them toward the wide-eyed receptionist. "I''ll be taking the room," Bridgett said smoothly. She nced at the receptionist''s stunned face and added, "Also, I know the rooms aren''t this expensive, but you can keep the change as a little gift from me."

    "Yes, thank you, miss." The receptionist bowed her head as she handed over the key. As the beautiful, curvy, purple-haired woman climbed the stairs, the receptionist, still stunned, couldn''t help but call after her, "Enjoy your stay!"

    "Oh, I will." Bridgett smiled mischievously as she searched for her assigned room. Not long after, she found it¡ªbut before entering, she bumped into someone.

    "Vice Principal... what are you doing here?" the person called out.

    "Oh, Lord Nathan. I didn''t expect to meet you here," Bridgett said, performing a low bow. Despite her position as Vice Principal of the prestigious Vermilion Royal Academy, which ranked higher than a baron in terms of status, she still showed respect because Nathan was one of the few she admired.

    After all, he was the Mad Dog of the West.

    Nathan raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You''re far from the academy, Vice Principal. What brings you here?" His eyes shed with realization as he added, "Could it be you''re here for the tournament as well?"

    Bridgett gave a light chuckle, brushing a strand of her purple hair behind her ear. "Yes... apparently, I was invited by Duke Felix as well. Anyway, don''t mind me; I''m just here to enjoy the tournament. If you''ll excuse me, I''ll continue with my business."

    Bridgett stepped around Nathan and continued toward her room, her soft footsteps echoing down the wooden hallway. Nathan stood still for a moment, watching her disappear.

    "If she''s here, that means more of those arrogant nobles will be here as well," he thought as he resumed walking.

    Just as Nathan had predicted, powerful Awakened from all over the kingdom began converging on the Armstrong Duchy. Their arrival brought tension that crackled through the air. Representatives from the big four noble households were sent out, each with their own agendas.

    The big four weren''t the only onesing to witness the tournament¡ªtop guilds in the Vermilion Kingdom also attended, aiming to sponsor promising students in the academy and recruit them upon graduation.

    By the second day before the tournament, the tension in the air had grown even more intense. The streets of the Armstrong Duchy were now filled with excited chatter from thebined citizens of all ten towns in the west.

    "Have you heard?" one of the locals asked his friend. "The Cromwell Barony is bringing their best fighters. They say Nox is going to face Young Master Hendrix. It''s going to be a ughter!"

    A citizen from the Cromwell Barony, passing by, couldn''t help but sneer when he heard this. "You think Hendrix stands a chance against Nox?" His voice dripped with disdain. He had watched Nox dominate the mock tournament. That speed and those skills!

    "I''d be surprised if Hendrix even makes it past the first strike," the man sneered coldly.

    Boisterousughter erupted from Connor. "Hahaha, I can''t believe you said that with a straight face!" A rather plump man stepped out, holding his stomach fromughing too hard, tears streaming from his eyes. "Have you forgotten how Young Master Hendrix beat up all the kids in your town? It''s only been five years¡ªhow did you forget so soon?"

    "Like you said, it''s been five years!" another citizen from the Cromwell Barony chimed in, his eyes burning with belief. "Our little Nox has improved by leaps and bounds!"

    "Hmph, and what do you think Young Master Hendrix has been doing? He''s been training just as hard, if not harder!"

    "Well, tomorrow in the arena, we''ll see who''s really the strongest!"

    While the streets were bustling with chatter, in the distance, a carriage adorned with the golden sigil of the noble Silver Household arrived at the gates of the Armstrong Duchy.

    Hidden behind thick velvet curtains was a single silver-haired man with an eye concealed by an eyepatch. Zarek, the representative of the Silver Household, had arrived...

    Thanks to all those who support *Supreme BeastTamer* with their valuable golden tickets and power stones. I really appreciate it!

 Chapter 206: Nathans Worries

    Nathan''s footsteps echoed in his room as he paced back and forth, anxiety crossing his features. Today was the day of the tournament, and the stars Nox and Wendy were nowhere to be found. He had even tried contacting Eve through hermunication crystal; she had assured him that they would be there, saying they had some matters to take care of.

    A soft knock resounded on Nathan''s door, jolting him out of his thoughts. Opening the door, he found Hans outside, looking at him with a serious expression.

    "What is it?" Nathan asked.

    "The other towns have started moving toward the arena. We''re the only ones left," Hans said in a gruff tone, his arms crossed as he studied Nathan''s expression.

    Nathan clenched his jaw. "Do we have any word from Wendy?" he asked, trying to sound calm, though his heart was racing.

    Though the other kids also showed great potential, without a doubt, the three stars of Cromwell Barony were Nox, Nyx, and Wendy. It was what had given the people of the Cromwell Barony hope for winning this tournament. Sure, Nyx was a prodigy in her own right, but could she carry the entire town by herself?

    For them to have a fighting chance, they needed all three stars. Hans shook his head in response to Nathan''s question. "No, but she insists she''ll make it in time."

    "Exactly the same thing Eve said." Nathan muttered a curse under his breath. He knew his grandson very well and knew how much he loved the barony. Nox was not the type to abandon them, knowing what was at stake. His absence made Nathan seriously ponder if he was alright¡ªor was whatever he was dealing with just that important?

    "I guess we''ll have to move without them for now." Nathan ran a hand over his bald head, sighing in frustration. "Tell the others to prepare. We need to make our way to the arena."

    Hans nodded and turned to leave but paused and said, "Nathan, calm down. Sooner orter, little Nox and Wendy will show up."

    Nathan disyed a tight smile that didn''t reach his eyes. "Yeah, I know." But as the door clicked shut, he wasn''t sure if he believed his own words.

    With onest nce at the emptymunication crystal on his desk, Nathan took a series of deep breaths. He really hoped Nox and Wendy would show up, just as Hans had said.

    As he stepped out to their carriage, the others quickly came up to Nathan, bombarding him with several questions.

    "Grandpa, where is Nox?" Serena was the first to ask.

    "Yeah, it''s just a few hours until the tournament starts," Rab said with a worried look.

    Although they were all participating in the tournament, they knew very well that winning greatly depended on Nox and Wendy. After all, the two were first and second in the mock tournament.

    Even Nyx''s indifferent expression faltered slightly. ''Stupid. Why is he taking so long? He''d better have a good reason for this.''

    Nearby, even the citizens of the Cromwell Barony had started whispering among themselves when they noticed Nox was missing.

    "Where is Nox? This isn''t like him," one of the older men murmured, his brow furrowed in worry.

    "Maybe he''s injured?" a young woman whispered to her friend. "He''s always pushing himself too hard."

    "Without Nox and Wendy, we''re done for," someone else muttered darkly. "Nyx is talented, sure, but she can''t carry the whole barony on her shoulders."

    The collective murmurs were affecting Nathan negatively. The team needed to be in the right mindset before the fight started, or it would impact them badly¡ªthey wouldn''t be able to focus well. At that moment, Nathan raised his hand to calm the growing panic among the group.

    "I know you''re all worried," he began, his voice steady despite his own nerves. "Nox and Wendy are handling something important, but they''ll be here. I know they''ll be here. For now, we focus on what we can control."

    Though she wasn''t participating in the fight, Serena still felt nervous because the oue of this tournament would determine the lives of everyone in the barony. In thest few years, everyone had been enjoying the benefits brought by the resources from the dimension.

    However, if they failed to secure the top ce in this tournament, half of that luxury would go to the already-wealthy Armstrong Duchy.

    "But what if they don''t make it? What if something happened to them?" Serena frowned, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

    Before Nathan could respond to Serena, someone else chimed in, "But without them¡­ can we really¡ª"

    "Stop." Seeing the rain of questions, Nathan had no choice but to interrupt them in an aggressive tone. "We''re not giving up just because things aren''t going ording to n. You''ve all trained for this. Nox and Wendy may be our strongest, but they''re not the only ones capable of leading us to victory."

    As he said this, his gaze swept over the group, lingering longer on Nyx. He could tell his granddaughter had improved by leaps and bounds after her performance in the royal capital. Maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªshe could actually carry the team.

    Hans, standing off to the side, nodded in agreement. "Nathan''s right. All of you are here because you''ve earned your ce. You''re not just riding on their coattails."

    The tension in the air seemed to ease as the group dispersed, heading toward their carriages. Nathan watched them go, the tightness in his chest not fully disappearing. He could only hope that Nox and Wendy would arrive before it was toote. He had heard that the other duchy had been training as hard as they had.

    No matter how much he tried to convince himself, there was virtually no way Nyx could carry the team alone.

    Soon, the carriage arrived at the arena, which was already bustling with people. Seeing how packed the ce was, Nathan became even more anxious.

    ...Time was running out.

 Chapter 207: Nox, a Coward?

    All ten towns, including the Armstrong Duchy, had arrived with their team of ten members, and the air was electric. The crowd''s roars were deafening, and some of the kids, not used to such attention, shifted nervously.

    Each town stood some meters apart, and just behind them were their supporters, who had traveled all the way from their hometowns. The crowds pointed at the participants and whispered excitedly.

    "Damn, five fucking years! I waited for this for five years! The tension¡ªfinally, we''re here!" a woman from the Armstrong Duchy eximed.

    "Hahaha, I can''t wait for Young Master Felix to destroy them all! I wonder how long they''llst against him."

    "True, though this tournament will be a one-sided massacre with our barony on top, it''ll still be exciting to watch."

    In the Landon Barony, Jared, with his green hair, shifted ufortably. He was only a few meters away from Nyx, but the girl''s attention was focused on the front, not even acknowledging him¡ªunlike the others who had dubbed him the "Mountain of Ascension" during the ss awakening some years back.

    "Sigh, she''s really unreachable, just like the others said," Jared thought, slightly depressed as he moved his gaze to the front. However, he quickly turned back to the group when he noticed something strange.

    "Three... Why are they only three?" A confused light shone in Jared''s green eyes. All the other teams had tenpetitors, so why did the Cromwell Barony only have five? Were they that confident about winning?

    A grim expression appeared on Jared''s face as a sudden realization washed over him. "They''ll be the first eliminated... This is bad... I thought I''d fight them, but..."

    While Jared was lost in thought, someone from the crowd pointed out the obvious.

    "Why does the Cromwell Barony only have three participants? This isn''t right," someone from a neighboring town whispered.

    "Now that you mention it, I don''t see the one called the anomaly anywhere," another person added with a nod. "ording to the rumors, they said he has ck hair and... but except for that girl, I don''t see anyone like him."

    "Could it be he... chickened out?" another person said, incredulous, though their words didn''t sound too far-fetched.

    "Hahaha! All that hype, and for what? A coward?" Someone from the Armstrong Duchy burst out in hystericalughter, clutching their stomach. "And that backwater Cromwell Barony actually dared topare him to Young Master Hendrix. How disrespectful!"

    "Hahaha! Who would''ve thought the mad dog''s grandson would be so cowardly? This is a disgrace, not just to the Cromwell family, but to the entire barony!"

    The harsh words stabbed the hearts of the Cromwell Barony''s citizens, who tried to hide their faces in shame. All eyes were on them, and every town that bore a grudge against Cromwell didn''t miss the chance to ridicule them.

    The otherpetitors, noticing Cromwell''s small numbers, couldn''t help but smirk. Their eyes gleamed with predatory intent. Though no words were exchanged, they had already made the Cromwell Barony their number one target. With such a disadvantage, they were no different from walking points.

    Among the Armstrong Duchy, the gaze of a masked boy lingered on the Cromwell group. "He really did chicken out," Hendrix thought. Suddenly, the tournament felt exciting again¡ªthere was only one person he found pleasure in defeating. Sure, Nyx was here, but she wouldn''t evoke the same satisfaction.

    "It''s not like him... Those determined eyes..." Nox''s bloodied face from a few years ago resurfaced in his mind.

    "No, he wouldn''t back out just like that," Hendrix muttered, shaking his head in denial. At that moment, his gaze met Nyx''s, and he saw the burning determination for revenge gleaming in her eyes. His belief was reinforced¡ªNox was up to something, and the thought sent a thrill of excitement through Hendrix.

    A stern-looking officiator approached the Cromwell Barony and inquired, "You''re short two participants. There are only a few minutes left before the tournament officially begins. I advise you to fix the issue with your team, or you''ll be forced topete as is."

    The man didn''t wait for a response and walked away without a second nce. Nathan watched him go, his gaze drifting to the crowd and settling on Serena, who wore an anxious expression.

    "Should I use her to rece one of them?" he pondered, recalling Serena''s rigorous training over the past years, even though she hadn''t qualified for the tournament. However, Nathan hesitated¡ªwhat if Nox and Wendy showed up right after he reced one of his key yers?

    Deep down, Nathan still hoped they would arrive. "Just a little more... Let''s wait a little longer," he told himself.

    At that moment, a man stepped onto the fighting tform, drawing everyone''s attention. Behind him, a swirling portal appeared, immediately captivating the audience.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, nobles andmoners, wee to the grand event you''ve all been waiting for¡ªthe Western Region Overlord Tournament!" the man announced into an amplifying crystal. The crowd erupted in cheers, waving banners with enthusiasm.

    Thementator let the noise swell before raising a hand to signal for silence.

    "My name is Klein Dante, and I''ll be your host for today''s event. This is no ordinary tournament. Today, ten teams, each representing their proud homes, will step into the mysterious Realm together¡ªa realm filled with danger and fiercebat. Only one team will emerge victorious¡ªthe rest may not be so lucky."

    He paused for dramatic effect, lowering his voice slightly. "Now, for the rules¡ªlisten closely,petitors, because your lives depend on it."

    The crystal amplified his voice even further, ensuring no one missed a single word.

    "First, all ten teams will enter the Shadow Realm simultaneously! No dys, no staggered starts! It''s going to be chaos from the moment they step inside."

    "The goal? Simple! Be thest team standing! Eliminate your opponents by any means necessary. When all other teams are wiped out, victory is yours."

    The crowd exploded into cheers once more, the arena vibrating with their excitement. They had expected one-on-one fights, but the organizers had delivered something far more thrilling.

    Klein grinned as the cheers subsided. He raised his hand again, capturing everyone''s attention.

    "Now, let''s introduce our esteemed judges for this special event!"

    Therge magical screen above the arena flickered to life, disying images of the judges with their names beneath them.

    "First up, representing the prestigious Vermilion Royal Academy¡ªsomeone known for her intellect and discipline¡ªlet''s wee Bridget of the Vermilion Royal Academy!"

    Bridget''s beautiful figure appeared on the giant magical screen, constructed by tunesmiths. Seated at the judges'' table, her elegant features and purple eyes captivated the audience. Her crimson robes, embroidered with intricate gold patterns, made her even more stunning. Bridget nodded with an enchanting smile that made hearts race across the arena.

    "She has overseen countless tournaments and examinations at the Royal Academy," Klein continued. "Competitors, impressing her might just earn you a chance to attend the Academy, which has nurtured many prodigies."

    Thepetitors nced at her and sucked in a deep breath, realizing the opportunity before them.

    "And next, representing one of the most powerful noble families in the region¡ªZarek of the Silver Family!"

    The screen shifted to a man seated next to Bridget. His silver hair fell neatly to his shoulders, matching the shining armor he wore. However, what unsettled everyone was the ck blindfold covering his eyes.

    The audience knew the Silver family was among the strongest in the Vermilion Kingdom, but it was the first time many had seen this man.

    Nyx shifted ufortably.

    "This man again..." she thought, recalling the unsettling grin he had given her in the capital. She wasn''t sure if making him a judge was a wise decision.

 Chapter 208: He Came?

    After thementator introduced the judges for the tournament, they all went to their respective seats, just a few meters away from the elevated fighting tform. Meanwhile, the various barons of each town and the duke were ushered to designated areas in the stands.

    Entering the area, the first person Nathan saw was the baron of Landon Barony. The two shared a simple greeting and went to their respective seats. Among the other towns, the only one Nathan had a good rtionship with was the lord of Landon Barony. The rest harbored a grudge against him because he hadn''t provided help during the beast attacks.

    Because of Nox and Wendy''s absence, Nathan barely noticed their presence andpletely ignored them, taking a seat on the left side of Duke Felix, who, as usual, had a curtain covering him, revealing only a faint outline of his figure.

    Seeing how Nathan ignored thempletely, one of the barons present gritted his teeth and smirked as he spoke mockingly. "I wonder how long the Cromwell Barony willst with just threepetitors."

    "I say they save face and pull out now, while it''s still early," another, who disliked Nathan, added with ridicule.

    "Hahaha, just like the rumors say. That Nox is truly a coward! To think he would chicken out of the tournament so early. Is he that scared of young master Hendrix?" another sneered, a hint of mockery in his voice.

    Nathan heard their mockery but made no effort to respond, which irritated the barons even more. Their eyes twitched at being so tantly ignored, but they wisely chose not to press further, knowing they would only embarrass themselves.

    Meanwhile, down below, the various towns were beginning to enter the portal one after the other. Now, only Nyx remained. She lingered intentionally, hoping Nox and Wendy would show up.

    "Miss, we don''t have all day," the officiator''s impatient voice echoed in her head.

    Nyx clenched her fists and nced around onest time. Her gaze swept across the surroundings, but there was no sign of her silly brother.

    "You''re our hope now, Nyx. The barony is depending on you," Nathan muttered as he observed his granddaughter''s features, which showed a hint of anxiety and relentlessness. Despite her best efforts to hide it, Nathan could tell she was deeply conflicted.

    "Miss," the officiator growled, his voice deeper now.

    "Let''s get this over with," Nyx muttered, her eyes burning with determination as she stepped toward the portal.

    Her footsteps echoed on the tform floor. The crowd held their breath, knowing that as soon as Nyx entered the portal, all hell would break loose. They were silent, their hearts beating in unison. The only sound was the thud of Nyx''s boots.

    Nyx''s eyes zed as she drew closer to the portal. Like her grandpa had said, with or without Nox and Wendy, they would win this tournament. *She had to*¡ªthe future of the barony she loved was at stake. Just as she was about to enter the portal, a sudden cold wind swept through the arena, making everyone pause. The sky darkened without warning, casting a heavy shadow over the tform.

    ''Huh?'' People looked around, confused, trying to figure out what was happening.

    All the barons, along with Felix¡ªstill behind his curtain¡ªtilted their heads slightly when they sensed the oppressive shadow. Despite their enhanced eyesight as Awakened, it took some time before they finally saw the creature blocking the sun, like an ominous omen.

    "Is that¡­?"

    "An Elemental Beast?" The duke, hidden behind the curtain, jumped to his feet, shock written all over his face.

    "No way. It can''t be¡­" another baron shouted.

    High above their heads was a gigantic, jellyfish-like creature with tentacles dangling in the air.

    Nyx froze mid-step, her eyes turning skyward as she tried to figure out what had darkened the arena. Even the judges exchanged uneasy nces. The barons who had mocked the Cromwell Barony moments earlier fell silent, their faces pale with fear.

    It was no secret that Elemental Beasts were terrifyingly powerful. How could they not be frightened?

    "An Elemental Beast... here?" Bridget, the vice principal of the Vermilion Kingdom, muttered, her eyes narrowing. "This isn''t right."

    While the others had ashen faces, Zarek smiled. *''Could this continent get any more exciting?''*

    "What''s happening?" someone in the crowd shouted.

    "Why can''t I see anything?"

    *Shing! Shing!*

    Awakened individuals in the arena began summoning their weapons, their collective aura bursting forth, ready to engage the Elemental Beast if it came to that.

    The representatives from the other household, along with Bridget, looked excited. This was a rare opportunity to obtain an elemental crystal.

    ''This¡­'' Nathan was at a loss for words. He didn''t know whether to feel grateful or saddened that the beast had disrupted the tournament.

    At the Cromwell Barony stand, two people stood at the front, ring at the beast menacingly. They were Aina and Hans, both radiating an intense aura. Their postures were sharp as des, and merely watching them made the citizens feel a surge of security.

    Suddenly, the creature let out a shriek-like roar, shaking the entire arena. It dived down without warning, causing several people to flinch, some even making a break for the exits.

    Then¡­ *BOOOOM!*

    Just inches beforending, the tentacled creature stopped abruptly, though the pressure from its descent caused a loud boom like the sound of a bomb all around. Now that it was no longer blocking the sun, the crowd could finally see clearly.

    Standing on the head of the tentacled creature were two figures: an extremely handsome ck-haired boy with a strand of red, and a white-haired girl whose skin seemed to glow slightly. Their hair fluttered in the wind, making them look like a young, powerful couple.

    Gasps spread across the Cromwell Barony stand as they recognized the figures.

    "Oh, I didn''t expect this," Bridget said, covering her mouth as she giggled seductively. These two¡ªWendy and Nox¡ªwere the ones at the top of her radar!

    Nathan trembled as he looked at the figures standing on the terrifying yet oddly cute creature. He couldn''t help but mutter, "This brat¡­"

    Like the crowd, Aina and Hans had mixed expressions of relief and disbelief. As for Nyx, she couldn''t stop her lips from twitching, her eyes shing with annoyance. Her gaze seemed to ughter Nox over and over again at least a hundred times.

    Nox ignored her expression. He and Wendy dismounted the beast with practiced ease, his gaze sweeping over the arena beforending on the officiator. He nodded at the frightened man who had trembling lips as he stared at Astralux. He looked like someone who had seen his dead great grandmother.

    "I hope we weren''t toote?" Nox said with a smile.

    The officiator, still in shock, fumbled with his words before finally managing to announce, "The Cromwell Barony¡­ is nowplete."

 Chapter 209: It begins

    The crowd was in a daze, their eyes fixed on Astralux. They still couldn''t understand why the elemental beast had yet to start a massacre, killing all the people present here... From the look of things, the beast even seemed very loyal to Nox, which was strange.

    Whispers suddenly filled the crowd as they all pointed at the beast and spoke in hushed voices,ing up with different theories about it... After seeing that the elemental beast had yet to make any move, the various Awakened and lords of other baronies released their tense muscles, though they remained alert. Their eyes were full of confusion.

    They checked around the beast''s neck for a runic ve cor¡ªthose usually ced on beasts to turn them into mounts¡ªbut there was none. This only made the Awakened even more perplexed.

    If there was no cor on the beast''s neck, didn''t it mean it was a free wild creature? But how did it look so tame?

    Kron, standing beside the duke''s curtain, stared at Nox with a strange expression. Among the lords, only he and the duke knew that Nox possessed the ability to make beasts do his bidding, and they suspected it had something to do with his ss.

    *To think this kid would also be able to make an elemental beast his puppet... It''s frightening.*

    Kron''s expression changed instantly, and seeds of doubt began to form in his heart. He nced at the boy again. Nox seemed very different from how he looked five years ago, when Hendrix had beaten him along with the other kids. Now, he seemed much taller, his body refined, and his face no longer appeared naive.

    *Why do I have the feeling that this fight won''t be as easy as it seems?* Kron thought, anxiety crawling onto his features. As he watched Nox''s calm and confident gestures, the worry only grew in his heart. His thoughts were soon interrupted by the loud cheers of the crowd.

    "Hahahaha, fucking bastards! The Dark Eyes Menace is finally here!"

    A loud voice came from the stands of the Cromwell Barony, shattering the silence. That voice snapped everyone out of their trance, and they started shouting Nyx''s name at the top of their lungs. The towns that had been mocking them minutes ago shrank in their seats.

    The amount of vulgar wordsing from the Cromwell stands was so intense that Aina, who was close by, had no choice but to cover Serena''s ears.

    "Y-you..." Klein stammered, pointing a trembling finger at Astralux. "That thing doesn''t bite, right?"

    "It does," Nox smiled darkly, "if you have bad intentions."

    Klein''s expression turned pale as he saw those lightless eyes. In that moment, Nox looked like a handsome devil from hell.

    "Ah, don''t mind me. I''m just joking with you." Noxughed as he lightly patted Klein''s shoulder, though the yful grin never reached his cold, calcting eyes. Klein''s legs nearly gave out beneath him, his forcedughter sounding more like a nervous wheeze.

    A momentter, Nox telepathically instructed Astralux to take her nonbat form, which she dly did, causing a series of gasps from the crowd.

    "Damn, so it can also change size."

    It was only themon folk and some newbie Awakened who were surprised by Astralux''s transformation. The likes of Bridget, Nathan, Zarek, and various lords maintained theirposure... Well, not all of them.

    Nathan disyed a wide grin stretching from one side of his face to the other. "Oi, bastards, what were you saying?!" He turned to the other lords, who felt their scalps go numb with embarrassment. They were tongue-tied and had no retort.

    "Hahahaha, cat got your tongue?" Nathanughed loudly, causing the ears of those nearby to hurt terribly. They couldn''t do anything and could only curse Nathan''s ancestors silently.

    Because of his grandson''s presence, the anger Nox had felt was slowly fading away.

    Back in the arena, thementator cleared his throat, color returning to his face. "Since you weren''t here before, I''ll go through the rules once more." He sounded more confident now that Astralux had taken a rtively small form.

    Nox and Wendy paid strict attention to what was being said, absorbing everything like sponges. It took barely twenty minutes for Klein to exin everything, and under the loud cheers of the Cromwell Barony, the two stepped forward.

    "I know you want to say it... You can let it all out," Nox teased with a slight smile hanging on his lips. His gaze was fixed on Nyx, who was balling her fists and looking at Nox as if she''d murder him. Then, with sheer willpower, she spat:

    "I didn''t miss you, you dumbskull."

    "Guilty conscience," Nox smirked.

    "What did you say?" Nyx threatened, losing her calm fa?ade slightly. Though she was indifferent to others, her twin brother always ruined this when he was around.

    "I said guilty conscience," Nox repeated provocatively. "I never said anything about missing me, and you jumped to conclusions by yourself... which means you were actually missing me. Now, say ''I miss you.''"

    "How about I give you a punch to the face?" Nyx suggested with a mad grin splitting her face.

    "Hmph, you''re no fun."

    "Hey, guys!" Wendy suddenly called out from the side, attracting both Nox and Nyx''s attention. She pointed at thementator, the officiator, and the crowd, all of whom were looking at the twins with annoyance stered across their faces.

    "We''re the only ones left. I know you two really missed each other and would like to continue your sibling bonding banter, but..." She paused, gesturing to the portal. "We should probably step inside the portal before the crowd does it for us."

    "The young miss is right," Klein nodded in agreement.

    Nox went to the Cromwell Barony stand and performed a low bow. The citizens stood on their feet and started cheering and pping. Their collective cheers numbed the ears of the others, who had annoyed looks on their faces.

    Nox then winked at his mom, Aina, who was all smiles, her eyes filled with longing. After all, she had not seen her son in months now. But she''ll wait until the tournament ends before giving him a long hug.

    Nox then nodded at his grandfather before approaching the portal.

    However, before entering, he turned around and made a cutthroat gesture at Duke Felix. His gaze lingered on Kron as well before he passed through the portal alongside Nyx and Wendy.

    Duke Felix was immediately consumed with anger, while Kron felt a shiver down his spine. For a moment, he thought he saw a dagger impale him.

    As soon as the three passed through the portal, variousndscapes flickered to life on the massive screens hovering in the air. It was the live feed of the mysterious realm. Simrly, the recording crystal installed there activated, transmitting the live feed to the Cromwell Barony. The Cromwells weren''t the only ones who had thought of this; the other towns did something simr.

    A momentter, the tournament that would determine the fate of all the towns in the west officially kicked off.

    But as soon as they entered the mysterious realm, Klein''s voice rang out.

    "You guys are free to go all out and kill each other." Then he smiled darkly. "Oh, and one more thing... You''re not the only ones in the mysterious realm."

 Chapter 210: [Bonus Chapter] Vine Master

    Nox felt the world warp and distort around him as he stepped through the portal. The feeling was very simr to the time he had passed through the Level 1 portal back in the Barony. He felt the world spin for a couple of seconds, and when he regained rity, he found himself in a wastnd. In the distance, there was a forest with towering trees and mountains.

    ording to thementator, this realm was artificial, unlike the dimensions. It was created by runesmiths. Nox still didn''t know how something like this was possible. Once again, he realized that this world, though it seemed to be in the medieval era, was several times more advanced than the modern world.

    Nox briefly imagined a situation where the two worlds went to war and couldn''t help but shiver; it would be a massacre.

    "Hey, let''s meet up with the others." Wendy''s voice brought Nox back to reality, and he looked into the distance just in time to see Rab and Cole, the pyromancer, running toward him with excitement in their eyes while screaming:

    "Nox!!!!!!!!!"

    "Wendy!!!!!!!"

    Nox almost felt his ears bleed from the intense screaming. The two of them covered the distance in seconds and immediately pounced on both Wendy and Nox.

    "Alright, calm down, I''m here. Don''t get too emotional now," Nox said as he pushed Rab away, who was on the verge of tears.

    "For a moment, I thought you wouldn''t make it. Good to see you, Commander," Cole smiled, causing Nox''s ears to redden in embarrassment.

    "With you here, those Armstrong Dutch bastards better watch their backs!" Rab shouted, his eyes sparkling with belief.

    "Yes, they better watch their backs," Nox repeated coldly. His lightless eyes were filled with raw malevolence, and even those present felt the thick killing intent emanating from him, catching them off guard.

    "This killing intent¡ªdid he kill someone while he was away?" Nyx narrowed her eyes, suspicion gleaming within them. In Eos, one could only acquire murderous intent by killing either beasts or humans.

    But there was a way to differentiate between them.

    The intent acquired from beasts was light and less oppressive, but the intent acquired from humans was vastly different¡ªthicker and more overwhelming.

    Nyx didn''t dwell too much on it, though.

    Meanwhile, outside the realm, Nox''s words echoed clearly, and his tone carried the promise of murder.

    "Big words..." Duke Felix sneered as a look of disdain crossed his features. Though he was concealed by the curtain, almost everyone could feel the anger radiating from him. Why wouldn''t he be angry? Just seconds after the tournament started, the kids from the Cromwell Barony were already insulting them.

    ---

    "Shall we go hunt some prey?" Nox suggested with a smile, and the group of five headed deeper into the wilds.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, it has finally begun!" Klein''s voice boomed through the surroundings. The massive magical screen now disyed the location and live footage of all ten teams that had started searching for their opponents.

    "I wonder if the Cromwell Barony has the guts to back up their words," Kleinmented. Suddenly, he eximed in an excited voice, "Oh, it seems we''ll soon witness our first contact!"

    The audience instinctively focused on the box disying a green haired youth leading his team north. At the same time, another team was heading in their direction.

    "Oh, it''s the Landon Barony against Ashfield Town. I didn''t think these two would meet so early!"

    "Hahaha, Landon, it seems you''ll be the first to head home," the lord of Ashfield chuckled as he shot a mocking gaze at Landon, whose expression remained unreadable.

    "How delusional," Landon eventually muttered as the Ashfield and Landon teams came face to face.

    Before the lord of Ashfield could speak, Jared burst forward like a whirlwind, causing Lord Ashfield''s eyes to widen. He hadn''t expected thenky, carrot-chewing kid to possess such muscle strength.

    The speed alone shocked Ashfield, but what happened next was even more astonishing.

    Jared appeared in front of the Ashfield leader and grabbed his head, following up with a brutal knee strike to the boy''s face. The loud crack resonated through the crowd, making them subconsciously flinch as they imagined themselves in the victim''s shoes.

    The other four members of Ashfield''s team immediately activated their skills andunched attacks on Jared. However, the Landon team reacted quickly, engaging the opponents in fiercebat. Swords, spears, and magic shed repeatedly, and trees snapped in half¡ªsome zing with fire.

    The fight was intense, and within 20 minutes, the rest of the Ashfield team was eliminated along with their captain. After being overpowered by Jared''s brute strength, the bodies of the five flickered and reappeared on the fighting tform.

    The crowd erupted in boos, hurling vulgar insults at the Ashfield team. Humiliated, the teenagers covered their faces and rushed out of the arena in shame.

    ---

    "T-this..." Lord Ashfield''s face turned ashen, and his lips became dry. The fight had ended too fast. His team hadn''t evennded a single attack; they had been utterly overwhelmed. This was frightening¡ªsuch wless teamwork!

    "You were about to say something?" Lord Landon mocked, enjoying Ashfield''s speechless expression. The sight was priceless, and Landon made a mental note tomission an artist to capture this moment in a portrait and send it to Ashfield as a gift.

    "My son didn''t even use his ss, *Vine Master,*" Landon smirked, his gaze fixed on the screen disying his team. "And still, he took out your son like the worthless trash he is."

    "Y-you..." A lump formed in Lord Ashfield''s throat. He wanted to retort, but the words wouldn''te out. In the end, he could only storm out of the VIP area. There was no point in watching the tournament any further, knowing that 50% of his revenue would now go to the winner.

    As Ashfield stormed off, a smirk spread across Landon''s face.

    ''Many thought the winner of this tournament would be the Armstrong Duchy or the Cromwells.'' His grin widened as he thought, ''What a naive thought process.''

    ******

    Bonuse Chapter for Hitting Golden Tickets first goal.

    50 Golden Tickets(Hit)

 Chapter 211: First Encounter [1]

    It had only been a few minutes since the tournament began, and there had already been a change in the unofficial rankings for the top kills.

    Yes, the organizers had also decided to make an unofficial rankings to determine the best performing team.

    The Landon Barony was now upying the top spot of this ranking. If they could survive and hold this position until the end, they could very well be the winners and highlights of the tournament. This ranking was very important because it clearly showed that the top team had not only survived by luck but by skill and strategy.

    Despite the changes in the rankings, however, the other barons and the duke remained calm, not panicked. After all, the tournament had just begun, and there was still plenty of time. They were confident in their teams making aeback.

    "The first to engage isn''t always the winner, you know?" Duke Felix''s slightly arrogant voice rang out from behind the curtain, causing the smirk to disappear from Lord Landon''s face.

    ...

    Just as it was disyed outside, a giant holographic screen flickered in the mysterious realm, disying the Landon Team''s current position for all to see, sparking determination in the hearts of everyone present.

    Nox nced at the ranking, but he wasn''t as eager as the others; after all, there was still time. But there was a dilemma. Nox stroked his chin as he pondered which direction would lead him to the nearest team.

    He couldn''t even split the team. Why? Because the other teams could gang up against his and eliminate them. After hearing the rules of the tournament, Nox had already sworn in his heart to make sure everyone survived until the end.

    ''They need to take turns smashing that bastard''s head into the ground, after all.'' A deadly glint appeared in his midnight eyes as he pointed west.

    "Let''s head there," he spoke, and before anyone could say anything, he kicked off the ground and exploded forward. This was no skill¡ªjust pure physical stats.

    "Well, what are you guys waiting for?" Nyx sneered as *she* dashed forward. Cole and Rab briefly nced at each other with helpless expressions. How were they supposed to match that speed?

    As he sped through the forest, Nox called out Astralux. A blue portal opened high above the trees, and the jellyfish flew out, taking an aerial view of the entire forest.

    "T-this... is this allowed? Isn''t this cheating?" one of the lords cried out in panic when he saw the scene. He was not the only one¡ªeven the other lords and the audience below became restless, and murmurs enveloped the entire arena.

    ''This kid could end everything with that elemental beast if he wanted.'' Bridget''s eyes twinkled strangely, her gaze fixed on therge screens. Though there were promising kids, none of them were strong enough to take down an elemental beast, even if it was just a level 1 wildling.

    The shadow on Duke Felix''s face grew denser as he saw what Nox had done. He shifted restlessly and was about to say something, but Nathan had already anticipated this, so he quickly spoke.

    "This is not cheating," he said loudly for everyone to hear. "My grandson has a unique ss that allows him tomunicate with beasts and make them do his bidding. He''s not viting any rules... if the mages are allowed to use their magic, why isn''t he allowed to use apanion?!"

    Everyone heard Nathan''s booming voice and couldn''t help but think it made sense. As if to reinforce his words, Bridget''s pleasant voice echoed.

    "Lord Nathan is right," she said. Even without the help of the amplifying crystal, her voice rivaled Klein''s own. "Nox is free to use any skills rted to his ss, and this includes his pet as well."

    Duke Felix clicked his tongue in irritation but said nothing further as he watched, clenching his armrest. The other lords and their citizens bit their lips, hopeless expressions crossing their faces. How would their youngsters contend with an elemental beast? This was not fair.

    Seeing the crowd''s reaction, Bridget, on the other hand, chuckled softly, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest of her seat. "Well, this just got interesting," she whispered to herself. Her eyes briefly scanned the surroundings, and she spotted some familiar faces in the crowd.

    They were people from the other academies who had alsoe to scout for talents. She could already see the ravenous gleams in their eyes as they stared at Nox and the powerful elemental beast hovering above his head.

    She already knew their intentions... if they could sessfully poach Nox to their academy, they would gain not only a talented beast tamer but also an edge over the other academies in future events. The academy representatives exchanged meaningful nces, already nning how to approach the young prodigy.

    "Hehehe, in your dreams." A chuckle full of murderous intent escaped Bridget''s lips¡ªit was pleasant, yet equally chilling. Zarek briefly nced at her, then returned his focus, his fingertips twitching. Staring at Nox brought back... unpleasant memories.

    At that moment, thementator''s voice echoed through the arena, pulling the audience back into the action.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, there you have; it''s officially fair y! No disqualifications today, folks."

    "Dammit! No matter how I look at this, it''s clear cheating!"

    "Yeah, how are the kids going to fare against an elemental beast?"

    "An elemental beast is practically invincible at this stage¡ªit''s like handing him victory on a silver tter!" another man hissed under his breath, drawing murmurs of agreement from his peers.

    It was safe to say Astralux''s appearance had greatly dampened the others'' spirits.

    The holographic disy zoomed in on Nox, sprinting through the forest with his team in tow. Contrary to their thoughts, Nox wasn''t nning on using his beast to fight the other teams... he was merely using it as a guide. After all, his goal was to show the nobles and everyone here how powerful the Cromwell Barony was!

    Just then, Astraluxmunicated with Nox through their link. Nox raised his hand, causing everyone to halt on the spot, kicking up dust.

    "What?" Nyx asked.

    A deadly smile curled up on Nox''s lips as he said, "Two teams are heading this way."

    Back in the arena, the holographic disy magnified the rival teams'' approach, showing them moving blindly through the forest.

    "And here we go, folks!" Klein shouted at the top of his voice. "Two teams closing in on Nox Cromwell''s position! Are they about to pin him down, or is he two steps ahead as usual?"

    The arena buzzed with excitement, and nobles leaned forward in their seats. Even Duke Felix''s knuckles turned white from gripping the armrest too tightly.

    A cold smile stretched across Nathan''s face as he shouted, "Show them the might of the Cromwell!!!!"

 Chapter 212: First Encounter [2]

    "I hear footsteps." A boy with frengies on his nose and cheeks whispered to his team of four.

    This group was from the Windsor Barony. The group consisted of two warriors, one mage, an archer, and a healer. A pretty bnced team that was carefully picked by the lord himself.

    The one that spoke earlier was a warrior and the leader of the team, and his name was Gerald Windsor. Gerald signaled for the others to stop, which they quickly did.

    "Let''s hide and ambush them," he suggested, with a wicked smirk ying on his face as he brought out an axe that weighed a ton. Thanks to Gerald''s muscr build, which was slightly too robust for his frame, it was pretty easy.

    The others nodded and quickly dispersed into the forest; the mages activated their spells, and the warriors summoned their weapons... however, the healer remained standing in her position.

    Her expression had been fearless just moments ago; however, just a momentter, her face became deathly pale, her eyes filled with nervousness, and she began to tremble.

    "Hohohohoho, looks like the Windsor team is up to something here." Klein on the outside couldn''t help but exim when he saw the tactics the healer girl was employing.

    The entire crowd was on the edge of their seats as they saw the three teams draw closer and closer to each other. Their blood was already boiling from the anticipation. The healer girl''s pretentious actions only increased the restlessness, as some were beginning to make countdowns until all hell erupted.

    "Earlier, before the fight officially started, the Windsor team was discussing something; apparently, it seemed they wereing up with a n to bait the other teams. They came prepared, it seemed." Someone from the crowdmented.

    Back in the mysterious realm, Astralux had already ryed what the Windsor team was up to, and Nox, to the disappointment of all the audience watching outside, ordered his team to retreat back slightly.

    Meanwhile, the third team was an all-warrior team and was headed by a fiery red-headed boy who had gleams of impulsiveness in his eyes. His hair was spiky, and merely looking at him, one could tell he was the hot-blooded type; hence, he couldn''t tell the footsteps... it was even more difficult because the other teams had stopped all movement.

    Soon, the fiery red-headed youth stumbled upon the healer girl, and a grin appeared on his face.

    "Hahahaha, seems like someone got abandoned by their team, or could it be they''re all dead?" he taunted with a mockingugh. Hearing theughter, the girl trembled more, and her heart began to thud so loudly that the others could hear the sound, which only made them more excited.

    "Leader, let me handle her; I''ll be fast," a girl with a slightly muscr build suggested as she summoned her weapons, her eyes filled with a blend of wild and envious gleam.

    "Hahah, Becky, could it be you''re envious of this girl''s beauty?" another taunted.

    "Hmpff, who said I''m jealous?" the girl sneered, but her tone betrayed her.

    "No, I''ll kill her," the leader''s slightly loud voice boomed as he started spinning hisrge hammer while approaching the trembling girl. Unaware of the smirk she was hiding, he grinned. "Killing this girl would be a nice start."

    Because no one really died in the mysterious realm, most of the teams were going all out and indulging in their inner sadistic nature. From the few exchanges already, the other towns could tell that the Ironw townspeople were made up of a bunch of sadists and couldn''t wait for their downfall.

    As he drew closer, the grin on the red-haired boy widened more and more, and the speed at which his axe was spinning increased, picking up the wind and forming a current.

    When he was just a few steps away, the fear in the healer disappeared instantly, and her skin retained its radiant color. The red-haired boy stopped in his tracks, his muscles tensed as the grin on his face faltered. Something was wrong... why was the frightening girl smiling all of a sudden?

    Before the red-haired boy could do anything, the girl took a step back while shouting in a booming voice, "Now!"

    A low piercing whistle sliced through the air, causing the red-haired boy to stop in his tracks. His eyes darted around, sensing something was wrong. Even his teammates became tense, their eyes filled with wariness.

    Swoooosh!

    Suddenly, following the swoosh sound, a sharp arrow cut through the air toward the oblivious red-haired boy. It whizzed past him and embedded itself into one of his teammates behind him with a sickening thud.

    The teammate let out a pained gasp, clutching his shoulder as he staggered back. "What the¡ª?" he yelled, eyes wide with shock.

    The red-haired boy turned just in time to see his friend drop to the ground, blood seeping through his fingers. Panic surged through him as he realized that they were being attacked from all sides... the girl was bait!

    "How could I have been this foolish!" He gritted his teeth as another arrow shot forward again; this time it struck the ground just beside him, sending dirt flying.

    This was a clear indication that the enemies knew his location.

    Cold sweat umted on the boy''s back; this was bad! Fighting an invisible awakened was very dangerous.

    At that moment, dozens more arrows shot out from the bushes. However, now that they were aware they were being targeted, the rest of the teammates had be more alert, so they deflected the arrows, even using the less vital parts of their bodies to stop the rain of arrows.

    Though they were injured, none of them were eliminated, but they were greatly weakened.

    "Ah! My arrows are finished, sleepy bastards!" an annoyed voice rang out from within the bushes, and the red-haired boy finally saw his attackers.

    "Looks like your little ambush just turned into a disaster," Gerald taunted, stepping forward with his axe ready. The other teammates fanned out around the red-haired boy, cutting off any chance of escape.

    "Y-you bastard!" The red-haired boy''s expression morphed into anger as he charged forward at Gerald with incredible speed, kicking up dirt. "If I''m dying, I''m definitely making sure you''reing with me!"

    "Hmpff! You wish!" Gerald also charged forward. Gerald swung his axe, intent on finishing the fight.

    Despite their weakened state, the other team didn''t give up and fought with their lives on the line, knowing that their respective towns were waiting for them outside. The lords of Windsor and the Ironw Barony clenched their fists as they watched this scene.

    Minutes passed, and even Gerald, despite being in full health, was beginning to get drained. This was because the red-haired boy was stronger than him. Blood had now filled the clearing as the two teams shed. So far, none from either side had fallen, though their movements were beginning to be sluggish, a clear indication that fatigue was setting in gradually.

    "Y-you''re really a tough nut to crack, aren''t you?" Gerald hissed as he weakly swung his axe at the red-haired boy.

    "Didn''t I tell you, I''ll take you along with me?" The red-haired boy sneered, adrenaline coursing through him, and he increased his pace once more. Gerald was forced to push himself as well.

    Just as their weapons shed and the tension reached its peak, a figure suddenly burst through the bushes, drawing everyone''s attention. The fighting stopped for a moment as everyone looked at this person who had now appeared.

    They hadn''t seen him in gatherings before the tournament officially began. Those dark eyes were filled withziness that merely looking at him was irritating to the people who were fighting each other.

    Of course, this person was none other than Nox, and at that moment, he yawned. His nonchnt demeanor caught the others off guard for a moment before irritation crossed their faces once more.

    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" Gerald and the red-haired boy spat simultaneously, irritation shing across their faces.

    "I was intending to wait for one of you guys to kill each other before I stepped in, but at this rate, you''ll take forever... so," Nox said, raising his hand weakly, and a dark energy slowly converged at his fingertip. Thick suffocating silence reigned for a few seconds, then he said in a dark malevolent voice:

    "Shadow Oblivion..."

    ****

    Thanks To All Those Who Support Supreme BeastTamer, I really Appreciate!!

 Chapter 213: Bonus Chapter

    A dark energy pulsed in Nox''s fingertips, and the two teams flinched back, their eyes filled with dread. Though the dark energy was only pulsating slightly, Gerald and the red-haired boy, alongside their teammates, felt an ominous aura emanating from it.

    "Why are they reacting like this?" one man from the audience stands couldn''t help but frown, seeing the scene from their point of view, which only showed Nox extending his arm. For a moment, they even thought this was some sort of mind-control skill.

    The lord of Windsor Town narrowed his eyes, anger shing across his face as he spat in a disappointed voice, "This bastard... it''s just one person! Why are they all scared¡ª" The lord trailed off as he noticed the dark pulse slowly converging on Nox''s fingertip. Because of the distance between the screen and the spectator seats, most others couldn''t see the screen clearly.

    But as the shadowy pulse grewrger, they began to see what was happening. Cold shivers ran down their spines. The condensed dark energy was pulsing like a steady, foreboding heartbeat. Thousands of hearts thudded in unison with the pulse, as everyone sat on the edge of their seats.

    Bridget''s eyes were practically sparkling with excitement, and even Zarek, who had kept hisposure all this time, shifted ufortably, his fingers tapping anxiously on the desk.

    Though he couldn''t sense the aura of the skill physically, Zarek and Bridget could tell it was very powerful... at least an advanced rank.

    Back in the mysterious realm, a loud boom, simr to the sound of roaring thunder, echoed, and in an instant, the dark spherical energy shot forward.

    "What is this?!" the red-haired boy shouted, panic creeping into his voice as he saw the growing st heading toward them at breakneck speed.

    "Run!!" one of the others shouted, trying to escape the trajectory of the devastating st, which was approaching like a meteor, ready to turn the world upside down and annihte everything nearby. Some tried to flee, but a few were too stunned to react... it was as if the st had a bewitching effect, stopping their muscles from responding.

    "Dammit!" the healer cried, her expression filled with fear, her face now a shade of purple. She was among those who couldn''t move a single muscle. "What do we do?!" she shouted, looking at Gerald, whose legs were shaking.

    Through gritted teeth, he shouted, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "I don''t know... I guess this is the end."

    **BOOOOOOM!**

    The dark st reflected in the eyes of Gerald, the red-haired boy, and the healer. Their faces were filled with horror as the dark stnded in the middle of the battlefield, engulfing the entire area.

    The life field on the magical screen went nk for a moment, and silence swallowed the entire arena. The screens showing the other teams were still live, but because of the intensity of the fight, everyone''s attention had been solely focused on the one showing the sh between the three teams.

    Now that the screen had gone nk, the crowd grew restless, and nervous whispers filled the air.

    "Was that it?"

    "Are they... dead? All of them?" one spectator whispered, his hands clutching the railing tightly.

    "They can''t all die just like that, right?"

    Bridget''s eyes widened, her earlier excitement turning to stunned disbelief, then shifting back to excitement. Even she hadn''t expected this. "They were¡ªThey couldn''t have been wiped out... just like that." Because of the stunned silence, everyone heard her voice.

    "Pathetic!" The lord of Ironw Townughed at the nervousness on the faces of his people. "There''s no way a ten-year-old would take out nine Awakened like that!" he shouted confidently.

    "Then why is the magical screen malfunctioning?" someone called out.

    "That''s because the life-feed crystal on the other side was affected by the st," the Windsor baron answered confidently, as if he were in the mysterious realm himself.

    His words seemed to quench Bridget''s excitement. For a moment, she had thought Nox had single-handedly wiped out the other teams. ''How silly of me... it seems I have too many expectations for this boy.'' Bridget sighed and quietly berated herself.

    The duke''s confidence seemed to ease the crowd¡ªuntil the next moment, when their faces turned pale, and they jumped to their feet.

    "No way!"

    "He really did kill all of them!"

    "Heavens!"

    Over fifteen figures materialized outside the tform, emerging from thin air. They were disheveled, their bodies battered. Some were confused¡ªthey had just been exploring the mysterious realm when suddenly, dark energy engulfed them, and they found themselves outside. They were still oblivious to the fact that they had been eliminated.

    At that moment, the nk screen flickered back to life. Immediately, the audience saw the now-devastated battlefield, and gasps filled the air.

    At first, the audience saw nothing but countless hollow cratersrge, dark, and lifeless. The battlefield was scorched, the ground cracked as though it had been a testing site for nuclear weapons. There were no signs of life. No bodies. No movement.

    ...The only person standing there was none other than Nox, who blew on his fingertip, chasing away the lingering dark energies.

    At that moment, the crowd''s stunned whispers turned to horrified gasps.

    "He killed them... all of them."

    "But I thought it was only nine people in that area... how did he?"

    "Could it be his attack affected nearby areas as well?"

    The words spread through the stands like wildfire, disbelief turning into pure panic.

    Klein, thementator, choked mid-sentence, struggling to maintain hisposure. His hand holding the amplifying crystal trembled as he announced:

    "L-Ladies and gentlemen¡­ I¡ªWhat we''ve just witnessed... All fifteen of them¡ªeliminated. Wiped out! Not a single survivor!" His voice cracked. "Nox Cromwell¡­ has killed them all."

    ****

    Second Bonus Chapter for Golden Ticket Goal.

    Thanks to all those who support *Supreme BeastTamer* with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones... I really appreciate it! It keeps me motivated to write more chapters, XD

    ---

 Chapter 214: Shocking Everyone

    "Impossible!" Both Lord Windsor and Inronckaw bellowed, shooting to their feet. "How¡ªhow did he do it? He must''ve cheated!"

    "Dammit, how do we kill this kid?" another lord shouted, anger shing on his face. This was the lord of the unfortunate third team caught in Nox''s crossfire. His eyes zed and seemed to bore a hole into Nox''s body. If not for the rules and Nathan''s presence, the baron would have stormed inside to give Nox the beating of his life.

    Meanwhile, Kron, standing beside the dukes, frowned tightly, his gaze fixed on Nox, who was slowly reuniting with his teammates.

    ''I knew something was wrong... It wasn''t just his appearance¡ªhe had indeed gotten stronger.'' Fear crossed Kron''s features. He wasn''t the only one; even the duke shifted ufortably. He had thought it would be easy for Hendrix to deal with Nyx, but after this overwhelming disy of strength, a seed of doubt began to form in his stomach.

    He nced at Duke Felix. However, in contrast to him, the duke maintained his calmposure. Though Kron couldn''t see the duke''s face clearly, he sensed no trace of concern or anger, as if everything was unfolding exactly as the duke had foreseen.

    ''This.'' Kron felt a shiver run down his spine. The duke''sposure was almost too unsettling. Such confidence could only mean one thing¡ªeven Hendrix might pull off something like this... if not on an even grander scale.

    Subconsciously, the duke''sposure began to have a calming effect on Kron.

    In the Cromwell Barony, the entire town had gathered in the arena¡ªthe same ce where the mock tournament had been held¡ªand they all stared at the massive screen with wide eyes. They had just witnessed Nox''s attack, and the arena practically exploded into chaos.

    "Son of a bitch!" Elvin the archer eximed in shock. "When did little Nox be this strong?"

    "Hahaha! Show them the might of the Cromwell Barony, motherfuckers!"

    The excited chants from the townsfolk were so loud that even neighboring towns could hear them. A great shame had fallen on the town after Hendrix beat everyone, but after this disy of strength, the townspeople regained their confidence.

    Celine, the town healer, stared at the screen, her gaze fixed particrly on Wendy. She had missed her daughter and was d that she was safe. Then her gaze shifted to Nox, and a smile appeared on her face. Just like Wendy, she had missed the silly boy.

    However, as she stared at him, the older woman couldn''t help but notice something different about him.

    "T-this..." A bitter smile spread across her face as she realized what was different. "He''s no longer the silly, stupid little boy who would do chores for me. Now, he seems like a pragmatic mastermind who would kill to achieve his goals. I hope this doesn''t backfire someday."

    Meanwhile, in Eve''s Manor, a massive screen disyed the ongoing tournament. Watching it was none other than Skully, the ant queen, along with her husband, the ant king.

    "This pipsqueak¡ªI don''t even recognize him anymore," Skully cried out, noticing how Nox''s features had matured slightly. "How did he get so strong in such a short time? I hunted lots of beasts over the past few months, but even I didn''t improve like this!"

    "Master is strong!" the ant queen interjected with a proud smile, admiration gleaming in her eyes. "Don''t usemon standards to measure him."

    The ant king remained silent, briefly ncing at the admiration in his wife''s expression. A mixture of fear and envy washed over him. He clenched his fists behind his back as he continued to watch the fight.

    Back in the Armstrong Barony, the wind whipped against Eve''s face as she observed the battle. Her robe fluttered in the breeze, and her beautiful, ruby-like eyes gleamed with pride. A smile capable of melting anyone''s heart crossed her features.

    Back in the arena, the crowd slowly began to settle down, but the whispers persisted as people gossiped about Nox. The clear disy of strength left the Armstrong duchy silent, their faces filled with anxiety.

    Because they made up the majority of those present in the arena, their silence didn''t go unnoticed. The Cromwells seized the opportunity to hurl insulting words at them.

    Meanwhile, in the VIP area, three more lords left, bringing the total number of remaining lords to 4.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, the rankings have changed once again!" Klein''s voice boomed across the arena. "The Cromwell Barony is now leading the rankings!"

    Back in the mysterious realm, the official rankings appeared before everyone once more.

    "Damn! They''re really as strong as the rumors said," Jared thought to himself as he saw the shift in the rankings. He noticed three teams simultaneously disappear, which meant that the Cromwell Barony had somehow taken out three teams at once! Only six teams remained.

    "Could it be... her doing?" Nyx''s indifferent face briefly shed through his mind. "Or was it the one they callmander?"

    Back on the mountain of ascension, the other children had mentioned that Nyx was themander''s twin. Jared had done his research and discovered that themander was Nox¡ªsomeone rumored to be second only to Hendrix in strength.

    ''If he''s really here...'' An excited grin spread across Jared''s face. ''I''d really like to face him... Let''s see if he''s worth the hype.''

    In another location, Hendrix stood in front of four other youths, all noticeably older than him. These were his elder siblings, prodigies from the Vermilion Royal Academy.

    Since the tournament began, they hadn''t made a move due to Hendrix''smand. Despite being the youngest, he had be the leader of the group. Behind him, his four siblings stared at his back with disdain. Although they tried to mask it, their hatred and envy were evident.

    Their father, Duke Felix, had once cherished and loved all of them equally. However, that changed when the duke''s youngest wife gave birth to Hendrix.

    At just a few months old, Hendrix had started crawling. By the age of one, he could walk perfectly and even read. He wielded a wooden sword by the age of two, disying a level of talent that outshone his older siblings. Over time, their father''s affection shifted entirely to Hendrix, and his mother was promoted to head of the duke''s harem.

    No matter how hard they trained or excelled in their studies, it was never enough¡ªHendrix was always one step ahead.

    This created a silent rift within the family. Each sibling, in their own way, tried to regain their father''s favor, but it became painfully clear that the youngest was untouchable in his eyes.

    Hendrix wasn''t just raw talent¡ªit was something more, as if he were destined to seed. Even his eyes didn''t seem like those of a child. There were many theories and conspiracies surrounding Hendrix''s strange birth, and it had once been amon topic in the king''s household until the duke issued a decree to stop all further discussion.

    Despite their hidden animosity, none of the siblings dared challenge Hendrix outright. Every time they had tried, they were thoroughly defeated. All they could do was curse him in their hearts.

    Due to his overwhelming strength, Hendrix had also be the firstborn and was rumored to be the next duke.

    Hendrix, however, paid no attention to the rumors. At this moment, his eyes were fixed on therge screens.

    "I guess it''s time to make our move," he grinned as he adjusted the mask on his face. This mask wasn''t just a disguise, it...

 Chapter 215: Hendrix Makes his move

    It also gave him an edge over the others. Before Hendrix could give themand, a thunderous explosion shook the area where the Armstrong team was.

    All of their heads snapped toward that direction¡ªsomething¡ªor someone¡ªwasing. But they didn''t seem panicked at all. Instead, under the lead of Hendrix, they started to approach the direction where the loud noises hade from.

    ''Arrogant bastard, I hope he gets killed,'' one of the eldest siblings couldn''t help but think in disdain as she shot daggers at Hendrix''s back. Of course, she knew this thought was wistful...a fantasy.

    Even though they all hated him with a passion, they subconsciously respected his strength. If even they, second-year students of the prestigious Vermilion Royal Academy, couldn''tnd a single scratch on Hendrix''s body, how were others supposed to fare against him?

    "Honestly, I don''t see any point in uspeting in this silly tournament," the firstborn, a tall white-haired youth with gaunt features and hollow eyes, spoke in a barely audible voice that was too low for Hendrix, who was several meters ahead, to hear but loud enough for the others.

    "Why don''t we watch him?" he added. "After all, Father only brought him here to showcase his strength to the other towns and the nobles from the capital."

    "First Brother is right," the third  sister, who had a simr appearance to Hendrix, nodded in agreement.

    "Or better yet, why don''t we break off from him?" the fourth brother suggested, his eyes sparkling like a kid who had juste up with a genius idea.

    "What do you mean?" the oldest asked curiously.

    Still maintaining his ''genius'' aura, the fourth brother rubbed his nose and said, "I say we split up from Fifth Brother, hunt the other teams ourselves, gain merits, and, if possible, snag all the attention from him."

    The others'' eyes sparkled as they heard this idea.

    "This could be a good way to repay that arrogant bastard for all he has done," the third sister spoke with a cruel, vengeful smile.

    "Better yet," the eldest smiled as a calcting gleam flickered in his eyes, "we could go after the Cromwell or Landon Barony... After us, they''re the favorites. I bet taking them out would raise an uproar outside."

    The four siblings nodded their heads and finalized their ns in their minds. Meanwhile, in the distance, Hendrix had finally seen the cause of the loud noise. He found himself staring at a chaotic battlefield filled with deep craters and broken trees strewn all around, with traces of magic lingering in the air.

    At a nce, Hendrix could tell a fight had taken ce here, and the presence of a group of five people, who appeared unscathed but had low stamina, only confirmed his thought process.

    Hendrix''s gaze lingered on the group, particrly on the one who seemed to be their leader¡ªa slick-looking blond boy in loose clothing and white gloves. His hair was thick and curly, as if he had used an unhealthy dose of hair gel. The youth''s eyes shed sharply as he noticed Hendrix''s presence... After all, Hendrix had visited his town five years ago andpletely bested everyone there.

    Because the other siblings had decided to stay back and watch, Hendrix was all alone.

    Realizing this, a smirk slowly rose on the blond youth''s face¡ªhis name was Leon. "Well, well... If it isn''t the pride of the Armstrong household," Leon said slowly, his voice carrying a hint of mockery as he mmed his fists together, causing the air to vibrate slightly from the sheer force of the sh.

    As Leon stepped forward, his teammates slowly surrounded Hendrix from all sides, a predatory gleam in their eyes. They summoned their weapons, which hummed with life as if announcing their presence.

    "You know a little secret?" Leon''s voice boomed throughout the surroundings as he mmed his arms together again, and blue energy rippled out from the point of impact. "Everyone believes either you or that no-name Nox brat will win this summit, but I''ll prove to everyone how wrong they are!"

    "Attack!" Leon shouted at the top of his voice, and everyone simultaneously exploded forward, weapons at the ready. Leon, being a martial artist, wielded his fists as sharp and powerful as swords.

    As he drew closer, Leon''s handsome face twisted as he shouted, the vibrations from his gloves intensifying as arcs of faint energy rippled outward. "You remember what happened thest time you came to my town, don''t you?" Leon sneered. "You walked away without a scratch, humiliating everyone. But today''s different!"

    As he closed the final distance, he mmed his fists together once more, causing a sharp crack that echoed through the clearing. He unleashed a powerful punch that rippled through the air. "This time, you''re not getting out of here unscathed."

    "Ladies and gentlemen, the tournament favorite has finally made his move!" Klein''s voice reverberated through the surroundings, causing the audience to stand on the edge of their seats. They were eager to see what the tournament favorite was capable of.

    After witnessing Nox''s overwhelming power, they were now eager to see Hendrix''s andpare the two. Nathan, Zarek, and Bridget stared intensely at the screen, not wanting to miss a single detail.

    Naturally, Hendrix was also on Bridget''s radar, but since his enrollment in the Vermilion Royal Academy was already predetermined, she didn''t pursue him much and focused on poaching Nox instead. But now that she had witnessed Nox''s power, the vice principal couldn''t wait to see what Hendrix was capable of. Her eyes practically shone with excitement.

    Back in the mysterious realm, Hendrix remained motionless. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted Leon''s teammates unleashing their various skills on him, yet not even a trace of fear could be found beneath his mask. This team was strong¡ªstrong enough to force another group to retreat in defeat. But there was one critical w.

    They thought numbers would save them.

    ***

    Thanks To All Those Who Support Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones...

 Chapter 216: Hendrix Makes his Move [2]

    Boom!

    "I''ll kill you!!" Leon''s face twisted into an ugly sneer as his fist mmed heavily on Hendrix like a hammer striking an anvil. The impact of his attack reverberated through the surroundings. Following Leon''s attack, the others also exploded into motion and rained their attacks on Hendrix.

    Because of their previous encounters with Hendrix, they knew he was not someone to be taken lightly. It was the reason they''d gone all out from the get-go, knowing that even a small misstep could end them.

    Due to the intense usage of skills all at once, the area was filled with the blinding light of magic and the shing of energy. The sparks flying everywhere made it difficult for the audience to see what was happening, but the resounding bangs were more than enough to keep them at the edge of their seats.

    After the continuous assault for a full ten minutes, Leon took a step back while raising his hand, gesturing for the others to fall back as well. There were lingering traces of magical energy coalescing in the spot... the energy shifted and distorted as it slowly drifted skyward.

    A wide grin spread across Leon''s face, and his eyes sparkled with a crazed gleam. He had repeatedly pounded Hendrix with the most powerful skills in his arsenal¡ª[Thousand Strike Art].

    As the name suggested, it was an attack that enabled him to bombard his opponent with thousands of lightning-fast strikes, each carrying half of his full strength stat in just a couple of minutes. The attack was capable of reducing any Awakened to nothing more than a stain on the ground.

    Leon had poured every ounce of strength into that relentless onught. If one looked closely, they''d notice the deep crater that had spider-webbed across the ground from the collective attacks.

    Outside the mysterious realm, the audience''s eyes were glued to the screen. Themittee had made sure to expand the panel disying the most intense fights, blurring out all other battles just enough so that viewers could focus on them if they wished.

    "Damn, do you think he''ll survive that attack?" one man whispered to his friend nearby. He was from the Armstrong Duchy, as was hispanion.

    "Of course, young master Hendrix will survive," the friend responded confidently, his eyes gleaming with belief.

    Nathan briefly nced at Duke Felix, then at the lord whose team was currently facing Hendrix. The duke hadn''t lost hisposure for a second, while the other baron shifted ufortably, anxiety slowly creeping across his face.

    This raised the question¡ªwhy was he anxious? Nathan''s expression turned serious as he observed the fidgeting lord. There could only be one exnation: the baron was not confident in his team''s strength to defeat Hendrix.

    At that moment, someone in the crowd shouted, "Look!" breaking the heavy silence.

    All eyes locked on the screen as the lingering traces of magical energies cleared, revealing...

    Nothing!

    A series of gasps spread through the audience.

    Sensing the crowd''s astonishment, Duke Felix''s lips curled into a smirk under the curtain. ''It would take these fools a long time to realize that I am always a step ahead of them. Did they actually think it would be over just like that? Tsk, pathetic.''

    "The fight has taken an unexpected turn, folks! Hendrix haspletely vanished from where he was," the announcer dered, struggling to believe his own eyes.

    "Was that a teleportation ability or something?" someone in the crowd asked.

    "Aren''t those rare and expensive?" another responded.

    "Indeed, but you''re forgetting who Duke Felix is," a woman chimed in. "He''s the richest person in the west. He could afford more than one teleportation skill."

    "Damn!"

    The audience began to pity the unfortunate teams who might cross paths with Hendrix.

    Inside the realm, Leon''s confidence faltered momentarily. He took a step back, surprise shing across his face. "How is this possible?" he demanded, clenching his fists tightly.

    "Where is he?" Leon shouted, though the question was directed at no one in particr. His scalp tingled with unease.

    Leon''s four teammates immediately went on high alert, scanning the surroundings. ''This bastard, he was right here... h-how did he disappear all of a sudden?'' Leon was still in disbelief. The [Thousand Strike Art] had consumed 40 MP. He couldn''t believe he''d wasted all those points on empty air.

    "Then w-what were we hitting?" one youth cried out, his voice trembling as he began to shudder uncontrobly.

    Indeed, during the assault, they''d felt their attacks make contact with something solid... Could it... could it have all been an illusion?

    Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught the corner of Leon''s eye. He turned just in time to see a shadow darting toward him at supersonic speed. His instincts kicked in, and he barely managed to sidestep as Hendrix re-emerged from behind a cluster of twisted and broken trees, a smug grin stered on his face.

    As if they''d seen a ghost, Leon and his teammates flinched. With his strange mask and confident stance, Hendrix projected an air of superiority that sent shivers down their spines.

    "Surprised to see me?" he taunted, his voiceced with mockery. Though his face was hidden by the mask, Leon could tell Hendrix was smirking.

    "Damn you!" Leon spat, his face contorted with rage. "What sort of trickery is this?"

    "Just a little misdirection," Hendrix replied coolly, taking a casual step forward. "You should know by now that underestimating your opponent can be fatal."

    Leon tensed as Hendrix approached. Color drained from his face as he realized he couldn''t move a single muscle. It felt as though invisible chains bound him in ce. Wide-eyed, Leon watched helplessly as Hendrix ced a hand on his head and...

    ****

    Thanks to all Those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones, I caught a fever, hence the reason I didn''t release an extra chapter yesterday. If recover I promise to upload the extra chapter, but if I don''t it might he dyed for while.

 Chapter 217: Hendrixs Power

    "What is he doing?"

    This was the thought in everyone''s mind as they saw Hendrix ce his hand on Leon''s head. What was even stranger was that Leon just stood there without making any attempt to stop what Hendrix was nning to do.

    "Why isn''t he doing anything?" someone spoke out loud, seeing this bizarre scene. It wasmon knowledge that when death came, one should run¡ªso why was the opposite happening?

    "It''s not like he doesn''t want to move," one man said, a grim shadow crossing his features. He was from the same town as Leon and his team. The man added in a heavy tone, "It''s more like he can''t move."

    "Damn, isn''t Leon Level 21?" another shouted with wide eyes. "What sort of skill did he use? No, what level is Hendrix?!"

    A wave of unease spread through the audience¡ªno, among the other towns that were up against the Armstrong Duchy. Their faces darkened as they imagined the grim fate that awaited their youngsters in the hands of this monster.

    At the judging tables, Zarek leaned forward. "This kid... he is a monster," the mysterious silver-haired man whispered to himself in a low voice but loud enough for Bridget, who was beside him, to hear.

    This man hadn''t shown much interest until now. Even the curiosity he disyed during Nox''s overwhelming performance seemed mildpared to this. Like the others, Bridget didn''t know much about him. She had only seen him a couple of times around Lucas Silver.

    Because of his mysterious demeanor, she¡ªlike the other powerhouses¡ªhad tried to dig into his past, but it was a clean te, as if he hadn''t existed before. In the end, she had ceased further investigation.

    Though she hadn''t fought him before, she could sense that he was concealing his aura. Despite this, Bridget strongly doubted whether she could beat him in battle.

    "Good thing he''sing to my academy," Bridget smiled, her eyes shining like those of a greedy dragon obsessed with hoarding treasures.

    A trace of anxiety shed across Lord Landon''s eyes as he witnessed the scene. Initially, he had thought that Nox and Hendrix were just overhyped, especially after witnessing how his son, Jared, hadpletely dominated the other team. His suspicions seemed further confirmed then.

    However, after watching Nox single-handedly eliminate three teams at once, he grew sweaty and restless. Perhaps Nox had merely been lucky, he thought.

    But after witnessing Hendrix survive the collective attack of Leon''s team and stun everyone, every lingering doubt vanished from his mind.

    Cold shivers ran down Landon''s spine as he thought, "Damn... the hype was real¡­"

    How was Jared supposed to fare against these monsters? The thought loomed over his head like a dark storm cloud.

    ---

    Back inside the mysterious realm.

    "W-what did you do to me?" Leon stammered. He willed every muscle in his body to move, but they refused to budge. It was as if he was paralyzed while standing. From the corner of his eye, he could see even his teammates in the same situation, all of them struggling to move¡ªbut it was a futile attempt.

    "Nothing much," Hendrix stated coolly. "You''re all just under one of the weakest skills in my arsenal."

    Gasp! Gasp!

    His weakest skill?! Leon''s eyes went bloodshot, and the same reaction showed on his teammates'' faces. Even the audience outside looked stunned, shock written across their faces.

    "Hahahaha!" Duke Felix''sughter rang out, like a haunting reminder of the grim fate awaiting those trapped inside with Hendrix. Their youngsters were locked in there with a monster... an abomination!

    "This pressure! It''s the first time I''m witnessing something like this from a kid!" Klein was literally trembling in his booth. He couldn''t believe what he was witnessing. "All the hype... it''s worth it!"

    "Before you threw your first punch, you had already lost," Hendrix stated as he ced his hand on Leon''s head. A strange purple glow erupted from his fingertips, and the next moment¡ª

    Under the stunned gazes of everyone, Leon''s head exploded, sending fragments raining across the area.

    Then, Hendrix moved to the next person.

    "Monsters, stay away from me!" the person shouted, mustering all the strength in his jaw. If it were possible, they would have piled their bodies together to block Hendrix. There was something chilling about witnessing arade die gruesomely, knowing you were next in line.

    Hendrix took slow, deliberate steps, as if savoring every moment of his victim''s fear. Beneath his mask, a smirk crept across his face as he said, "Scream more, please."

    "H-he''s sadistic! A psychopath!"

    "No wonder his siblings didn''t lend a hand," one man pointed out, realization dawning in his eyes. "They knew he was more than enough to handle the threat alone."

    "I don''t care about the tournament. All I want is for my son to get out of there!"

    "Silly, they won''t really die," a chilling voice interrupted.

    "B-but the trauma... I know it isn''t real, but the trauma will definitely affect them."

    "Well, it''s not our decision... we can only watch."

    ---

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Boom!

    One after another, Hendrix ced his hand on the heads of the others, and the same gruesome fate that befell Leon repeated itself. At this point, most of the audience turned away, unable to watch. Though the scene wasn''t real, it was too visceral. The calm,posed gestures meant one thing¡ª

    Hendrix was capable of replicating this in real life. People sighed in relief, thankful for the existence of the mysterious realm. Without it, the massacre would have unfolded here and now, in front of everyone.

    ---

    One by one, Leon and his teammates materialized on the fighting tform. Their faces were pale, as if drained of blood, and their eyes were wide, as if they''d seen a ghost. The crowd didn''t boo; they just watched silently as Leon and his teammates made their way off the stage.

    Even though they were powerful Awakened, at the end of the day, they were still children who had yet to experience real life-and-death situations.

    Back inside the mysterious realm, Hendrix soon sensed series of familiar presence behind him.

 Chapter 218: First Target

    "Fifth brother," Hendrix heard a slightly deep voice call him from behind. Despite the owner''s attempt to conceal it, a hint of malice found its way into the voice.

    Hendrix knew this voice too well. However, he didn''t turn right away. From the crude pipes in his mask, he inhaled sharply as though he were inhaling the lingering scent of blood in the air. Though Leon and his teammates had already been teleported from the mysterious realm, the remnants of blood still lingered.

    Though these humans are stupid at times, I must say they''re talented, Hendrix thought, a brief gleam of fascination crossing his eyes at how the runesmiths had managed to create such a vivid realm. The next moment, his expression darkened. The fascination was soon reced by regret.

    Too bad it wasn''t real... that would''ve been more fun.

    Meanwhile, the four siblings behind him were beginning to grow restless and impatient at Hendrix''s tant disrespect for not acknowledging their presence. An irritated expression crossed their features. Though they were used to it, it always stung as if it were the first time.

    "Fifth brother," the eldest son called out, his voice resembling more of a growl. However, Hendrix remained lost in thought.

    "I think we should just tell him. This psychopath is doing his weird stuff again," the only girl in the group whispered to the eldest son in a low voice, so low that even the person she was whispering to didn''t hear it well. She didn''t want Hendrix to catch a whiff of what she was saying.

    The eldest son nodded and looked at Hendrix''s back. He said in a slightly hurried voice, "Fifth brother, we''ve decided to split into two teams... that way, we could effectively hunt down the other teams faster¡ª"

    Before he could finish, Hendrix started to walk ahead purposefully, as if he had spotted something of interest in the distance. As he slowly left the area, his nonchnt voice rang out. "I don''t care. Do whatever you want, but I work alone." Then, he disappeared into the forest.

    "That went easier than anticipated," the fourth brothermented, scratching his cheek.

    "Arrogant bastard," the first brother muttered, standing still for a little while, fists clenched and eyes bloodshot. He should have been the one to lead the team and make all the decisions. The mere thought of taking permission from the youngest disgusted him.

    "I know you want to murder him, but trust me, I''ve poisoned that bastard countless times, and he still survives," the third sister said, stepping closer to him. "It''s as if he''s unkible."

    "It''s not just about wanting to murder him, sister," the eldest muttered, voice cold and measured, his jaw tightening. Rage barely contained, he clenched his fists. "I can feel it... he doesn''t belong in our family. It''s so obvious, but I don''t know why Father is too blind to realize it."

    "You know what Father always says, right?" the fourth brother chimed in.

    "That he''s the lucky charm?"

    "Nonsense." The firstborn sneered.

    "Although I don''t want to admit it," the third sister paused briefly, her face darkening as she added in a solemn tone, "there might be a bit of truth to that theory."

    "Sister is right," the fourth brother chimed in reluctantly, a bitter smile on his face. "After Hendrix''s birth, two dimensional rifts appeared in our barony. Both times, Father came out victorious with treasures that changed the course of our baron''s fate. Then, a few yearster, the barony was promoted to a duchy, and Father became a duke. It''s hard to deny that there''s...

    something strange about him."

    "That''s just coincidence. Don''t tell me you''ve fallen for Father''s stupid superstitions too." The first brother''s scowl deepened. "Hendrix is not a lucky charm. He''s a curse."

    The third sister shrugged. "Call it what you will. All I know is that no matter how many times we try to get rid of him, something always brings him back¡ªstronger, more dangerous, and always ahead of us."

    The first brother''s eyes glowed with a wicked gleam. "That''s why we''ll snag all the attention from him. I can sense it¡ªhe''s very eager to get rid of the Cromwell Barony, but we''ll beat him to it." He waved his hand a momentter. "Come on, let''s go hunt some prey."

    "I have a bad feeling about this," the fourth brother whispered with furrowed brows. "If we eliminate the Cromwell Barony, isn''t it the same as going against Brother?"

    "Hmph! Stop being a coward. Since we can''t get rid of him, this is the only way to pay him back!" the second brother said and soon followed after the first brother, then the third. The fourth brother looked around and shook his head onest time before reluctantly following after his siblings.

    ---

    Meanwhile In a valley inside the mysterious realm, Nox and his teammates were walking, sweat glistening on their foreheads. After the announcement of Leon''s team being disqualified, there had not been any more announcements, meaning that, just like them, the other teams had yet to encounter a rival team.

    Nox had even sent Astralux to soar through the surroundings, but because of the sheer size of the mysterious realm, the jellyfish had a difficult time detecting any team. The only team she detected was on the other side of the realm. Nox pondered riding on Astralux''srge head but dismissed the thought, as he would have to leave the rest of his teammates behind.

    Despite his urge to hasten the tournament, he didn''t want to be selfish. He wanted their achievements in this tournament to be a result of teamwork. Since keeping Astralux in herbat form consumed additional energy, he had no choice but to call her back into the taming space.

    If only he had kept Astralux out a bit longer, he could have spotted the figures standing on the peak of one of the valley''s cliffs.

    "I see them," one of the figures smiled.

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones, I really appreciate

 Chapter 219: The Armstrong Attack

    "I see them," the second brother smiled. With his enhanced eyesight, he could spot five figures heading in their direction. At first, they hadn''t been sure about the group, but with a clearer look, it was indeed the Cromwell Barony.

    "If my guess is right, the one leading the team should be the one called Nox?" the first brother asked, his eyes sparkling like those of a hawk that had spotted harmless prey.

    "Yes, Kron said they were the twins," the third sister spoke, brushing her white hair behind her ear. "Nox and Nyx Cromwell. The boy is known for being extremely silly and stupid, but after his encounter with the fifth brother five years ago, he somehow became calm and calcting. The girl, on the other hand, is prideful, unpredictable, and fierce. We should be careful with both."

    The first brother was usually a bit impulsive, but he listened to what his junior sister said. There was a reason Nox was the second favorite to win this tournament, and there was also a reason Hendrix was obsessed with beating him. Somebody like that was definitely not to be taken lightly.

    "Hmmm, the white-haired girl," the second brother muttered, his gaze fixed on Wendy. "She looks familiar."

    "Well, that''s because she''s a student of our academy," the third sister responded, walking towards the edge and pointing out. "Though I don''t know her exact position, I know she''s in the top 100."

    "Which makes her stronger than an average student," the fourth brother rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a mischievous grin ying on his lips. "A top 100 student traveling with the Cromwell twins? This group isn''t ordinary."

    The first brother''s eyes flicked toward the mountainside. "Let''s not waste time. If they''re as good as we think, we shouldn''t give them an open path. We''ll force them into a disadvantage... but before anything." He paused and looked at the fourth brother. Their eyes met, and in that brief moment, they shared unspoken words.

    "On it," the fourth brother nodded and made hand signals in the air. An instantter, a glowing glyph appeared beneath his feet, encircling him and the first brother in a blinding light. Then they vanished. A momentter, the fourth brother appeared again, this time alone.

    He nodded at the second brother, who was a mage specializing in earth magic. The second brother cracked his knuckles with a grin; they had already nned everything in advance.

    The second brother nted his feet, his hands glowing faintly as he invoked his earth-element ability. The ground beneath him rumbled, cracks spreading through the packed slope like jagged veins. Then, with a sharp thrust of his arms, he punched the mountain.

    BANG! BOOOOOM!!

    A thunderous crack echoed as tons of rock and debris began to tumble down the mountain. The avnche surged forward like a wicked white tidal wave aimed to bury the group of five below.

    "Hahahahahahahaha!" The third sisterughed like a maniac, her eyes shining with cruel anticipation. With a loud bang, she leaped off the mountain, tearing a huge chunk of ground with her. She expertlynded on a t b of rock, using it like a skateboard. She surfed the avnche, riding the wave of rock and debris with a wild look in her eyes.

    Her long white hair whipped behind her as the b skidded across the chaotic surge, gaining speed with every second.

    Meanwhile, on the ground, Rab''s expression darkened slightly when he saw the avncheing towards them. The only ones that were calm were Nox, Wendy, and Nyx. Of course, they didn''t think this was a natural urrence. It was an ambush!

    "Fall back!" Nox''s loud voice boomed as he saw the wave of rocks and debris crashing towards them. But his shout wasn''t really needed; the others were already running back in the opposite direction. However, they abruptly came to a stop, their eyes shining in horror as they saw another avnche from the opposite side, trapping them in the middle.

    Surfing down the avnche were none other than the second and fourth brothers.

    "Damn it, this is a carefully nned ambush!" Rab shouted with a grim expression on his face as he saw the maniacal look on the faces of the two siblings.

    "Looks like the Cromwells got themselves cornered. Is this the end of the road for them?" Klein''s voice rang out, putting the Cromwell citizens on edge.

    Although the duke didn''t approve of what his children had nned at the beginning, after witnessing their carefully nned ambush, a gleam of pride shed across his features. Seeing the restlessness of the Cromwell Barony only added anotheryer of satisfaction.

    In the spectator seats, the citizens of the Cromwell Barony could be seen clenching their fists, their eyes bloodshot as they watched the avnche approach their youngsters. Some were even offering silent prayers, while others were on the verge of tears.

    "Dammit, this is unfair!" one Cromwell citizen cursed through gritted teeth.

    "All is fair in war, my friend," someone from the Armstrong Duchy retorted. "If you want to me anyone, me your team for being so weak."

    "Bastard, I dare you guys to face our team one-on-one!" another Cromwell citizen shouted. The Armstrong Duchy citizen was right, but the mere thought of losing aftering this far left a bad taste in his mouth, making him slightly irrational.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems this is really the end of the Cromwell Barony!" Kelen said in a grim voice. After witnessing Nox''s Shadow Oblivion, there had been a lot of expectations, but in such a precarious situation, even Shadow Oblivion couldn''t change their fate.

    Back in the Cromwell Barony, the spectators sat in stunned silence as they watched the impending disaster. Tears filled their eyes, and many looked away, unable to endure the sight of their champions facing such overwhelming odds. The atmosphere was tense, filled with murmurs of worry that spread quickly through the crowd.

    "I guess things will return back to the way they were before." One man sighed, his voice barely a whisper as the flicker of hope vanished from his eyes.

    "Damn, the mere thought of giving 50% of our revenue to those greedy bastards makes my heart ache badly," another added, his voice filled with bitterness.

    In the arena, the fluttering banners of the Cromwell Barony started to drop one after the other as the avnche drew closer and closer, extinguishing the little flicker of hope in their hearts.

    However, suddenly...

    "Wait!" Klein shouted, his voice trembling.

    His sudden outburst snapped everyone''s attention back to therge screen.

    With wide eyes, Klein pointed at the disy and stammered, "I-it... it seems Nox is making a move!"

 Chapter 220: A Monster

    "Stand back, everyone," Nox calmly stated as he stepped in front of the others. His expression was serene and calm; not even a flicker of anxiety could be spotted on his handsome features.

    After facing the powerful elemental beast in Snowhelm, avnches like this were nothing new to him. The audience and Nox''s teammates were stunned as they stared at him, wondering just what he was up to. As for the Cromwell barony, a flicker of hope returned to their eyes.

    "Just what are you up to?" Bridget''s eyes flickered with interest as she saw Nox approaching the avnche. She had already made up her mind that even if he didn''t win the tournament, she would recruit him to the Academy. She, like the others, didn''t think there was a way for Nox to escape this ambush.

    "You jumped to conclusions too soon, Vice Principal," Zarek spoke in a confident tone as he leaned back in his seat and ced his legs on the table.

    "What do you mean?" Bridget shot an inquisitive gaze at the blindfolded man. She couldn''t help but briefly wonder how he was even able to see the ongoing tournament with that blindfold on, but she didn''t think too much. The most pressing issue was this mysterious man''s confidence in Nox.

    ''If I''m right, the Silver family should hate Nox and make ns to kill him because of what he did to Ren Snowhelm,'' she thought back to Brandon''s report with a thoughtful expression on her face. ''Could it be that the Silver family has more insider information about Nox that even I don''t know?''

    Zarek didn''t respond to Bridget and simply focused on the screen. The vice principal was irritated by this tant disrespect. There were only a few people who could disrespect her¡ªnot even Lucas, the head of the Silver family, could do something like this... yet this man...

    Sigh, Bridget took a deep breath to calm the rising volcano in her heart. Despite her nation-topping beauty, Bridget was very petty at heart.

    Meanwhile, inside the mysterious realm,

    "What are you nning on doing?" Nyx asked with a furrowed brow, a hint of worry finding its way into her usually indifferent voice.

    "Nothing," Nox responded without turning back, his voice nonchnt. "Just a trick I''m hoping works."

    "What''s the trick?" Wendy asked.

    "If I tell you... then it''ll no longer be a trick." Nox replied, and before anyone could speak further, his body started to flicker. A fierce expression appeared on his face as he locked eyes with the third sister, who was still surfing on the avnche, an exhrating look on her face.

    "Tsk, such a shame I won''t be the one fighting you... I''d have liked to have some fun." The third sister grinned wickedly as the avnche roared behind her. She leaned forward, ready to crash into Nox with the force of nature itself. However, the moment her eyes met his, her grin faltered.

    Something in Nox''s gaze sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn''t fear or anger¡ªit was sheer, overwhelming confidence, as if he knew something she didn''t.

    [Divine Velocity Activated!]

    Just then, Nox''s figure shimmered like a mirage. In an instant, he vanished.

    "What!?" The third sister''s eyes widened, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. One moment Nox stood in her path, and the next, he was gone, like a ghost.

    The audience gasped, and even Bridget leaned forward in her seat, her previous irritation momentarily forgotten. Zarek''s smile deepened as he remained rxed, watching with amusement.

    When Nox reappeared, he was running in circles at an impossible speed, forming a tight spiral between the two iing avnches.

    ''He didn''t disappear... that was his speed!'' Bridget''s mind raced, her eyes wide. ''But it felt as if he teleported. Could... could this be an ultimate skill? Just how many ultimate skills does this kid have?''

    The shadow on the duke''s face grew denser. Even he hadn''t expected this oue!

    ''Such speed!'' Kron muttered with wide eyes. Seeing the astonishing speed, Kron was beginning to realize why he had felt uneasy about Nox... it was because the silly kid from a few years ago had grown stronger! Far stronger than he had ever imagined.

    Without engaging in a fight with Nox, he could tell thetter was countless times stronger than him. How did he know this? It was simple¡ªhe couldn''t follow Nox''s speed with his eyes. If the two were to fight, he wouldn''t even know how he died.

    In the Cromwell barony, everyone stood on their feet, their eyes sparkling with belief and hope as they started to chant Nox''s name.

    Their collective voice was so loud that it reached all the way to the Armstrong Duchy. The citizens in the duchy heard the echoes in their heads, and one after another, they began to chant Nox''s name as well.

    As if he could hear them, Nox''s movement increased severalfold. He was a rocket! His movements were so fast that the air around him began to distort, generating a powerful vortex. Rocks and debris were swept into the swirling wind, pulled into a rising cyclone.

    "The fuck!"

    "This is not going ording to n!"

    Both the second and fourth brothers cursed simultaneously, color fading from their faces, making them look extremely pale. The speed generated by Nox caused a giant wave of wind to m into the avnches, disrupting their momentum. The once unstoppable waves of rock splintered into fragmented streams, scattering in all directions.

    Soon, the powerful gust knocked the fourth and second brothers off the makeshift skateboards they were using, and they became part of the growing cyclone.

    Meanwhile, the third sister, atop the avnche, still maintained her bnce. However, her heart thudded loudly in her chest. She was fighting the inevitable... the wind Nox generated was just too strong, and soon, she lost her footing. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she was flung backward, her confident grin reced by a look of panic.

    "No... way!" she gasped, tumbling helplessly into the chaotic cyclone.

    "Heavens!" Everyone erupted in disbelief as the chaotic cyclone consumed the siblings. The once-cocky Armstrong team, who had unleashed the avnche with arrogance, was now swirling helplessly within the storm Nox had created.

    There was pin-drop silence all around. Zarek clenched the armrests of his seat, a grin spreading across his face, revealing his pearly white teeth. "This... this is the difference between ordinary geniuses and monsters born once in a lifetime. All these years I thought he was a true monster, but this kid...

    he is the true monster!" Zarek muttered in a barely audible voice as the face of someone he hadn''t seen in years shed in his mind.

 Chapter 221: Teleported

    Back inside, Nox''s heart pounded, and his muscles burned, but he maintained the perfect speed. Any slower, and the rocks would fall¡ªany faster, and he risked losing control of the vortex. Sweat dripped down his face.

    The force of Nox''s Divine Velocity had deflected the avnche''s momentum. Rocks that would have crushed them were redirected, circling helplessly within the storm. The swirling air pushed the debris upward, forming a protective dome around his team.

    Meanwhile, the siblings were tumbling through the chaotic storm helplessly.

    "Ugh! Kuuuuk!" The third sister groaned as her body mmed into a huge chunk of rock. Her entire body burned with pain, and her once-beautiful face was filled with bruises. It had only been a minute, yet her HP had reduced significantly.

    "Such creativity! Ladies and gentlemen, this is beyond mastery¡ªthis is sheer brilliance! Nox isn''t just controlling the storm; he''s dancing with it! I wonder how long Nox can keep this going!" Klein''s voice boomed throughout the area, his eyes sparkling. He was inwardly pleased to have epted this job.

    Usually, he was hired for more importantpetitions within the eastern regions, the most prosperous area in the Vermilion Kingdom. Initially, he had been skeptical abouting to Vermilion.

    But... who would have thought he''d witness such overwhelming creativity and power? Even the other towns were fascinated by this disy, and respect gradually grew in their hearts.

    At this moment, all doubts they had about Noxpletely vanished, reced by a mixture of awe and fear.

    Wendy stared at the cyclone with wide eyes, admiration flickering within them. She clenched her fists to stop her body from trembling with excitement. "Just... just when I thought he''d shown me everything, he surpasses my expectations again." Her heart raced as if she were caught in the storm herself.

    "Hahahaha! Bastard, this is what you get for sneaking up on us! How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine, huh?" Rab shouted, flipping the middle finger at the Armstrong siblings, who were still swirling helplessly inside the cyclone. Seeing the pain they were going through made him very excited.

    "It would''ve been even more fun if that white-haired bastard was with them," he thought, referring to Hendrix¡ªthe same kid who had smashed his head into the cobblestones a few years ago. Determined to repay that humiliation, Rab had trained diligently over the years. Though he wasn''t as strong as Nox, he was confident that he wouldn''t be vulnerable again. Now, he stood a fighting chance!

    There was a strange gleam in Nyx''s eyes as she followed the flickering figure of her brother, who was gradually increasing his speed. Each turn was faster than thest. If not for the afterimages he left behind, she wouldn''t have been able to keep track of his movement.

    Nyx didn''t feel jealous; instead, pride crossed her features. She had bragged about her brother back in the capital, but now she realized her boasting hadn''t even scratched the surface of Nox''s abilities.

    "Faster! I need to be faster!" Nox shouted internally. He pushed himself harder, shifting his spiral to intercept the secondary avnche rushing from the opposite side.

    "Is he going to run like this forever?" someone from the audience shouted.

    "He must have a n!" another added.

    "Fool, he''s just fighting the inevitable... no matter what happens, that avnche will still crash on them," a cold voice sneered from the Armstrong Duchy.

    "Hmph, seems like someone''s trying to be optimistic!" a man from the Cromwell Barony retorted.

    Meanwhile, inside the eye of the storm, the Armstrong siblings fought to stay conscious. Their bodies mmed into rocks and debris as they were flung mercilessly through the vortex.

    "Get a grip!" the third sister shouted as she clutched a jagged stone, trying to stabilize herself. Her face was pale, bruises covering every inch of her skin. The once-arrogant scion, who had worn a wild grin just moments ago, now looked like a ragdoll caught in a hurricane.

    "Do something, fourth brother!" the second brother shouted in frustration. Despite his affinity with earth, which allowed him to manipte some debris, it didn''t stop his health from gradually hitting rock bottom.

    "You¡ªouch! Fuck!" The fourth brother tried to retort, but he mmed into another rock. This one was jagged and stabbed into his flesh, making him groan in pain. He gritted his teeth, extracted himself, and started making hand signs in the air.

    However, he kept mming into more rocks, and his teleportation skill failed over and over again, leaving his swollen face red with frustration. They had thought this n through... but they forgot one crucial thing¡ªNox was an anomaly! Now, they were suffering the consequences.

    "He''s slowing down!" someone from the crowd suddenly pointed out, snapping everyone''s attention in that direction.

    Indeed, Nox''s speed had decreased slightlypared to before. At that moment, the two avnches collided at the edge of his windstorm, crashing harmlessly into each other and shattering into smaller, manageable chunks that were swallowed by the swirling vortex.

    With a final burst of speed, Noxunched himself upward, using the force of his own storm to propel himself into the air. As he reached the peak of his jump, he twisted midair and stopped the vortex entirely. The collected debris fell harmlessly around his team in a light shower of small rocks.

    "Hahahaha!" Wendy''s pleasant voice filled the air as she spun around like a child ying in the rain.

    "This tickles!" Colemented, his eyes shining with admiration as he gazed at Nox, who hadnded gracefully on his feet, breathing heavily but with a satisfied smirk.

    "Is themander even human?" Cole wondered aloud.

    "Of course not." Rab, known as Nox''s biggest supporter, didn''t miss the opportunity to chime in. "He''s something more!"

    Slowly, the group started to approach Nox, who was panting heavily. However, before they could reach him, a teleportation circle suddenly appeared between them, and the three Armstrong siblings materialized, barely standing on their feet.

    "You bastards!" the second brother groaned, his face purple with anger as he made a hand signal. "You''ll all pay for what you did to us!" As he shouted, a teleportation circle appeared beneath Nox''s feet and enveloped him. His body instinctively tensed, and his dark eyes shed dangerously.

    Before he could react, a powerful force yanked him from the ground, and the familiar valley vanished in a blinding sh of light.

    "Nox!" the group of three shouted as they witnessed the scene.

    "Now that he''s gone, let''s see who will save you!" the third sister dered coldly as she stepped forward, activating her skills. "I''ll make sure you feel twice the pain that little bastard made me go through!"

 Chapter 222: Clash

    "Now that he''s gone, let''s see who will save you!" the third sister dered coldly as she stepped forward, activating her skills. "I''ll make sure you feel twice the pain that little bastard made me go through!"

    "Where did you take him to?" Nyx demanded in a cold, emotionless voice as she stepped forward to meet the girl who had a striking resemnce to Hendrix. Her dark eyes were filled with madness. As she drew closer, a sword bathed in glorious white light materialized in her grasp.

    "Somewhere very far," the fourth brother, who had initiated the teleportation, smirked. He was hoping to appear cocky and annoying but failed miserably as his face was extremely bruised and battered.

    "I didn''t speak to you, ugly." Nyx narrowed her eyes as she pointed her sword at the third sister, who seemed to be in charge of this little team. "I''m talking to you!"

    "How dare you!" It was the first time someone had insulted him by calling him ugly; his face became even more horrifying. What was even more disrespectful was that Nyx was younger than him.

    "Third sister, let me fight her!" he growled with bloodshot eyes.

    "Don''t." The third born raised her hand, then added with narrowed eyes, "It''s what she wants, can''t you tell?"

    "Huh?"

    "She wants you to lose your mind and make rash decisions," the third sister stated calmly.

    "Stopforting yourself, sick bastards. She only spoke the truth." Wendy stepped forward along with the rest of the team. She was very familiar with this group of people; after all, they attended the same academy. She knew they were very powerful; after all, they were in the rankings and pretty famous too.

    Though she hadn''t fought with them before, she had heard that they were very powerful when they were all together.

    "Hmpff, I didn''t know even the fake noble had the right to speak in the presence of real nobles now." A mocking smile hung on the third born''s lips as she taunted.

    Wendy''s expression faltered slightly, and she clenched her little fist.

    "That''s right, keep your mouth shut." The second brother chimed in.

    "You don''t have any right to say this to her!" Rab shouted as he summoned his shield and mmed it into the ground; a slightly deep crater appeared. The sheer force behind this attack sent dirt flying about. He was a tank, after all, a ss that was known for their immense strength.

    "Yes, no one has the right to speak to our Wendy like that!" Cole added, conjuring ming balls in his hands.

    "They''re right. Don''t speak to our Wendy like that," Nyx stated calmly. Wendy looked up at her, aplicated gleam shing in her eyes. Wendy had thought Nyx disliked her because of the little incident during the mock tournament. This thought was further reinforced because of her different attitude toward everyone.

    "B-but..." Wendy thought, her fist gradually loosening, drops of tears streaming down her cheeks. It was the first time someone was standing up for her apart from her mother. She flicked the teardrop from her cheeks before anyone could see it. Her eyes became sharp, murder gleaming within them. Her sword appeared in her grasp as she walked forward.

    "Enough chit-chat!" the second born roared as he charged forward, and the fourth also banished from his spot.

    "Leave that brat sister for me," the third sister said. "I need to make her feel the pain I go through personally!"

    Just like them, even the Cromwell Team sprang into motion. The fourth born appeared in front of Wendy like a ghost and thrust his dagger, aiming for her heart.

    Wendy''s eyes narrowed as the dagger sped toward her. After her encounter with the red-skinned girl back in Snowhelm, Wendy had worked on her skills, realizing that she could have lost her life if not for the intervention of the couple. The instinct she had honed throughout the years kicked in, and with a flick of her wrist, she deflected the dagger with the t of her sword.

    CLANG!

    Sparks flew from their sh, and a metallic ring echoed in the air. Wendy twisted her wrist and followed up with a powerful sh aimed at the fourth brother''s neck. However, the fourth brother grinned, disappearing into thin air.

    "Slippery bastard!" Wendy muttered under her breath, her grip tightening as she nced around. She already knew about the fourth brother''s annoying skill, hence theck of surprise on her face. Inwardly, she was d that he hade after her instead of the others because she knew his attack pattern very well.

    Just as she had predicted, the fourth born reappeared behind her, dagger poised to strike at her spine. But Wendy had already anticipated this¡ªwithout turning her head, she sidestepped the attack at thest second, pivoting gracefully as her sword hummed through the air in an arc.

    CLANG!

    The fourth brother managed to block with the edge of his dagger, but the impact drove him back several steps.

    While Wendy was fighting the fourth born, Rab and Cole were also locked in intensebat with the second brother, whose body was encased in solid rock, forming a sort of armor on his skin.

    From the left side, Cole unleashed a barrage of fireballs at the second brother, who raised an earth wall to shield himself just in time.

    BOOM!

    The condensed fireball exploded against the wall, sending embers flying all about. From the front, Rab roared as he charged forward, mming his shield into the earthen wall. The ground quaked under the impact, and cracks splintered across the wall.

    "Keep hitting him! I''ll find an opening!" Cole shouted, conjuring another wave of fire in his hands.

    "Fools, I can''t believe bumpkins like you think you can defeat me," the second brother taunted as he pushed against the ground, using the earth to propel himself upward, evading Rab''s shield charge whileunching stones toward Cole.

    Cole dodged to the side as the rocks whizzed past him. He retaliated byunching another barrage of fireballs, lighting up the battlefield.

    Meanwhile, the third sister smirked as she slowly covered the distance, her eyes and arm crackling with lightning.

    "A lightning mage!" Klein''s voice rang through the arena. "This won''t be an easy fight for the Cromwells!"

    ....

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable golden tickets, power stones, and gifts; I really, really appreciate it. It keeps me motivated to write.

 Chapter 223: A Lightening Mage

    Lighting magic. Why was it one of the most feared elements in Eos? The reason was pretty simple. It struck faster than the eye could follow, giving enemies no time to react. A powerful thunderbolt skill was capable of vaporizing even the strongest of Awakened.

    Seeing that the third sister specialized in Lightning magic, unease swept through the Cromwell Barony. If Nox was here, they wouldn''t have been this worried.

    Unlike the crowd behind her, Aina''s expression didn''t falter as she observed her daughter, who was now slowly approaching the third sister. Nyx was strong, strong for her age; she could go against the top prodigies back on the ind. Sometimes her calmness even baffled Aina.

    She had evene up with some weird thoughts about Nyx being possessed by an elderly person, hence her calm, collected mannerisms.

    Butter on, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her head and even berated herself for thinking such things. However, looking at those midnight empty eyes, that thought had somehow resurfaced again, this time even stronger.

    Step! Step!

    Though Cole, Rab, and Wendy were still engaged in their fights, everyone''s attention had shifted toward the section currently disying Nyx and the third sister.

    Tension filled the air, and time seemed to slow down. The only sound was Nyx''s confident steps. Meanwhile, the third sister, white-haired, whipped against her bloodied face, her eyes filled with wildness and the lightning that was cracking around her bing violently snaking through her body. Coupled with her fluttering wild hair, she appeared like an evil lightning goddess!

    "Lightning or not, the one losing here is you," Nyx dered in a strong, confident voice that boomed throughout the outside and the arena. Her gaze was unwavering, and her sword shimmered, pulsing with radiant energy as she adjusted her stance.

    The blinding light reflected in her midnight eyes, causing them to glow strongly with radiant holy light while her dark hair flew wildly in the wind. If the third sister was an evil lightning goddess, Nyx was the goddess of light that had descended to the mortal ne to rid it of darkness.

    The third sister sneered, electricity arcing between her fingers. "We''ll see how smug you are after I fry you to ash." She thrust her hand forward, unleashing a bolt of lightning aimed directly at Nyx''s chest.

    As she watched the lightning arc approach with blinding speed, time seemed to slow down, and Nyx''s mouth slowly parted, involuntary words she had never spoken or heard before came out of her mouth.

    "Sha! Sha!"

    Aina''s eyes trembled when she heard this. Her expression faltered, and a gleam of surprise shed across her beautiful eyes. ''H-how did she learn about this chant?''

    Because she didn''t want her daughter to suffer the same fate as her, she had intentionally kept everything rted to her heritage a secret, only teaching her basic things like their fighting style.

    ''So... how! Just how did she learn about this?'' Aina''s heart sped up, and a certain grim prospect she didn''t want to ept resurfaced in her head.

    ''C-could it be that Nyx is really possessed?''

    "Folks, and here we go!!!" Kleins roared, and his voice boomed through the surrounding area. "This is the moment of truth: is Nyx as strong as her twin brother!!"

    Just then...

    BOOOM!

    The lightning streaked through the air, crackling with dangerous power, but Nyx didn''t flinch. With a swift movement, she twirled her sword in a calcted arc, deflecting the bolt just inches from her body. Sparks exploded in the air, the force sending tremors across the ground.

    "She stopped the attack!" The Cromwell Barony erupted into cheers. Though it was only one win for them, it was worth celebrating, and it boosted their morale that had crashed to the ground after Nox was teleported away.

    ''Interesting... hahaha, this is good!'' Bridget''s eyes were sparkling, and the hungry gleam in her eyes could no longer be concealed at this moment. As if to warn the others representative who had blended into the crowd, she unleashed a tiny fragment of aura, and cold shivers instantly ran down their spines.

    A few fools decided to retaliate, but that was the biggest mistake they made as she increased her aura, making those representatives convulse like people having a seizure.

    One of the men who could still somehow move his muscles hastily pulled out amunication crystal and called for backup.

    Unaware of the silent war between the academy from the Royal capital, the crowd''s gaze was fixated on the spectacle unfolding before them.

    Meanwhile, back in the mysterious arena, Nyx stood firm, her sword still humming from the impact. She had only taken a couple of steps back to the frustration of the third sister, who had initially thought Nyx would be vaporized easily.

    The third sister''s eyes shed sharply, her wild hair dancing in the wind. "Don''t get too cocky, brat. I didn''t even use my full power in that attack."

    "You can''t even say that with a straight face," Nyx sneered.

    "Y-you!" The third sister''s eyes zed with fury. But before she could speak, Nyx interjected again. "How does it feel to know that your lightning isn''t anything special?"

    "You''re the first one to tell me this," the third sister stated calmly, though from her voice, it was easy to tell that she was on the verge of exploding. Though Hendrix was an anomaly, she was also special because mages who possessed lightning affinity were rare and valued; they could tip the scale of any battle.

    Because of this, it could be said that she was the second person most favored by the duke after Hendrix.

    Even the academy professors respected her! The words of this little girl had wounded her pride.

    "Little brat, I''ll show you the true power of lightning!" She roared, charging forward, apanied by tendrils of lightning that made the air around her crackle with electricity.

    ''Yes, lose your mind.'' Nyx hid a smirk on her face as she charged forward, her sword shining with an intense, holy light. The third sister sneered, unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts.

    BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOM!

    Nyx dodged and weaved in between the bolts of lightning. Each strike was either met with her sword, which was covered in holy radiance, or the ground.

    ....

    Inside the mysterious realm, in an unknown location.

    "Where the hell am I?" Nox muttered under his breath, scanning the environment with sharp, calctive eyes. Thest thing he remembered was being teleported away, and now he...

    Suddenly, Nox''s thought was interrupted by a slow p.

    "Well, well, I see they''ve delivered you straight to me," came a mocking voice.

    Nox snapped towards the direction the voice hade from in a sh, and his eyes narrowed, a dangerous light flickering within them as he recognized the person.

 Chapter 224: Everyone Is Here [1]

    "Die!" Hendrix dered as he brought his hand down against the skull of the wide-eyed youth. He squeezed the skull of that youth, and an arc of blood sprayed out along with fragments of brains.

    The other teammates'' faces immediately went pale, and they hesitated. The leader, a swordsman, was literally trembling as he struggled to keep hisposure after witnessing this bloody sight.

    Though he knew his teammates weren''t really dying, it was too visceral and traumatizing for the swordsman, who was only sixteen years old. After dealing with that youth, Hendrix calmly turned toward the swordsman. From the slit of his mask, those dangerous eyes were locked on the swordsman, and he immediately went paralyzed for a moment. It felt as if he were staring at death.

    Hendrix was so terrifying that it was almost diabolical.

    Just then, the swordsman snapped out of his daze. He summoned thest bit of his strength and charged forward, sword poised for a strike. However, he was already toote because during his hesitation, Hendrix had already made his move.

    Hesitation was fatal against someone like Hendrix. That little moment was what allowed Hendrix to pivot on his heels and lunge toward the swordsman. The leader''s limbs moved on autopilot as he hurriedly raised his sword to defend himself, but Hendrix smashed into him with brute force.

    The swordsman staggered, momentarily disoriented. Hendrix swatted the sword with his bare hands as if it were made of paper, closing his grip around the man''s throat.

    "Very fragile!" Hendrix hissed as he lifted the swordsman off the ground with frightening ease. The man''s face turned purple as he gasped for breath and kicked wildly. Without even sparing him a nce, Hendrix hurled him like a ragdoll onto another teammate.

    A few minutester, the bodies of the five teammates disappeared in bursts of white light.

    Hendrix clenched his fists and stared into the distance. It had been over 30 minutes since he had separated from his siblings. During this time, he had encountered three teams and dismissed them with ease, solidifying the Armstrong position at the top of the list, though the others hadn''t contributed much.

    "Where are you?" Hendrix muttered under his breath as he clenched his jaw, Nox''s face resurfacing in his mind. All this while, he had been searching for the boy with lightless eyes.

    However, his search had been futile, and the only ones he found were these little fries who were way below his league.

    Just then, a thunderous noise echoed in the distance. Beneath the mask, Hendrix''s eyes shed sharply as he recognized that sound.

    It was lightning!

    Curious, Hendrix immediately sped toward that direction.

    Simrly, in another location, Jared raised his hands, halting his team in their steps.

    "Did you guys hear that?" he asked, unsure of what he was hearing.

    One of his teammates, a burly boy with a bandaged arm, nodded slowly. "It sounded like lightning," he replied, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

    Soon, the thunderous sound resounded once more, this time louder, startling them.

    "It must be another team!" Jared eximed, excitement bubbling in his voice. "Let''s check it out!"

    After their first battle, they hadn''t encountered any other teams. Naturally, learning that there was another team nearby made them excited, and they rushed in that direction.

    Meanwhile, in another ce, a girl crouched low behind a rock, her keen senses heightened. "I heard it too," she whispered, ncing at her team. "That was definitely lightning."

    Her teammates nodded, anxiety etched on their faces. "What if it''s a trap?" one of them murmured.

    The leader shook her head. "No. This could be our chance. If we''re lucky, it''s another team already weakened. We can''t miss this opportunity."

    In another ce, one after the other, all the remaining teams began to head toward the direction of the thunderous lightning.

    Meanwhile, back in the battlefield, blue, red, and white light shed in the air as Nyx and the third sister continued to sh. Whenever they unleashed an attack, the surrounding area trembled, and fragments of the valley began to fall. Several craters had spiderwebbed through the ground, yet both sides were relentless! Each strike of theirs was powerful enough to blow away low-level Awakened!

    ''T-this! How is this girl so strong!'' the third born was confused. Nyx was clearly weaker than her, yet she was matching her in terms of strength, speed, and skill! She briefly nced at her siblings and saw even they weren''t having an easy time.

    ''T-this is not good,'' she thought as the confident grin slowly vanished from her features.

    Rab and Cole continued their assault on the second brother. Rab''s shield smashed throughyers of rock as Cole''s fireballs detonated against the brother''s makeshift armor.

    "You''re like bugs that won''t stay down!" the second brother roared, mming his fists into the ground. Spikes of jagged earth erupted, forcing Rab and Cole to dodge in opposite directions.

    "Is that the best you''ve got?" Cole shouted, unleashing a massive fireball that incinerated the spikes in midair.

    Rab grinned as he charged forward again, mming his shield into the second brother''s chest. The impact was so powerful that cracks spread across the earthen armor, and the second brother stumbled, gasping for air.

    On the other side of the battlefield, Wendy continued her fight with the slippery fourth brother. He vanished and reappeared like a ghost, each time attempting a fatal strike with his dagger.

    CLANG!

    But Wendy was always a step ahead. Every time he appeared, her de was already waiting, forcing him to retreat.

    "Dammit!" the fourth brother grunted in pain. Each teleportation consumed a mana point; he knew he couldn''t continue to teleport like this forever. He was an assassin-type Awaken, and his expertise was in sneak attacks, not one-on-one fights, an area that Wendy seemed very good at.

    While his mind raced with ways to win this fight, he suddenly spotted dozens of people rushing toward their direction.

    Among them... there was Hendrix.

 Chapter 225: Everyone Is Here [2]

    "Hahahaha, so you guys were the cause of themotion!" A loud voice echoed across the battlefield, attracting the attention of everyone.

    Sensing the presence of these newmoners, Nyx momentarily disengaged from the fight with the third-born and nced in the direction the loud voice hade from.

    Meanwhile, the third sister panted in relief. Though she hated to admit it, she was inwardly d that she could catch her breath from the intense fight that was burning through her stamina. If she had gone any further, she would have ended up being eliminated.

    But there was no time for her to rest because the dozens of Awakened men that had appeared had malicious intent. They were all ogling at the Cromwell and Armstrong teams like candy ready to be snacked on.

    "The Armstrong Duchy and Cromwell! This is very, very interesting!" The same youth who had spoken earlier chuckled as he stepped forward. He was a bulky-looking youth with muscles packed in all the right ces, his face shaped like a brick, and his nose wide, making him appear dominating and menacing.

    The boy was just 18, but he looked like someone in his early 20s. He wielded giant dual des with intricate symbols etched on them¡ªprobably the work of a runesmith.

    "Why don''t we make this easy for us?" The bulky youth, who seemed to be the leader of his team, shouted as he pointed one of the des at Nyx and the third sister. The tip of the de shed dangerously as he ordered, "Surrender, and I will make your death painless!"

    "No! Our team will be the one to y the tournament favorites!" another one suggested, his eyes shining with defiance as he clenched his weapon tightly.

    "Idiots." The leader of a girl-dominated group stepped forward. She had blonde hair and a pair of sparkling blue eyes. Her beauty was just below Nyx and Serena''s, yet she still drew lustful nces from others in the valley.

    Due to her charm, everyone was forced to look at her. Sensing the collective gaze of everyone present, the girl nodded in satisfaction and said in a loud, clear voice:

    "Don''t be fooled by their appearance. Though they appear weak, they still have enough strength to take us out. If we get cocky and let our guard down, it''ll be our heads on the ground instead of theirs." The blonde-haired girl''s voice was sharp and confident.

    The impulsive Awakened briefly pondered her words, but then someone spoke up. "How do you know this?"

    The blonde girl turned to that person and stated calmly, "Because I studied them. I made it my goal to study the tournament''s favorites over thest five years. I realized that they are the most dangerous participants in this tournament." She paused before adding, "The only way for us to stand a chance against them is to go all out."

    "Tch, so you''re suggesting we band together to take care of them?" The bulky youth sneered, irritation shing across his eyes. He brandished his de, and the runes glowed.

    The bulky youth was one of the oldest in the tournament and very skilled, yet no one even seemed to talk about him! Subconsciously, his irritation had been building. Just like the others, he had been itching to fight these so-called favorites and see how strong they were.

    "Watch me as I beat them!" the bulky youth roared as he charged forward, swinging his de. However, before he couldnd a hit, a bolt of lightning sted through his chest, bursting out from the other side.

    The bulky youth''s eyes widened, disbelief washing over him. He hadn''t even seen the fourth sister make a move... yet... yet... He wasn''t able to finish his thought as he staggered, his knees buckling before copsing to the ground with a thud.

    The fourth sister blew on her fingers, chasing the remaining tendrils of lightning away. She then looked at the others as if daring them to make a move as well.

    Seeing this sight, the others became silent, instinctively turning to the blonde girl, who wore a cocky grin. Her entire expression seemed to scream, I told you so.

    "What do we do?" one of the youths from the bulky boy''s team asked the blonde girl, his hands trembling.

    "We band together and deal with them!" the blonde girl stated as her fingers moved through the air, preparing her skill.

    The others didn''t stand idly by; they sprang into action, activating their own skills, and the entire battlefield started to hum with energy.

    "Hmph! Lucky bastards!" Cole and Rab sneered as they disengaged from the second brother and came to stand beside Nyx. Wendy also joined them. They stood with their backs against each other, facing the dozens of Awakened who were ready to unleash their skills.

    Standing a few meters away were the three Armstrong siblings, who also had their backs against each other. They momentarily forgot about the Cromwells, focusing entirely on the Awakened who had formed a giant circle, trapping them in the middle.

    Though they were clearly outnumbered, there was hardly any trace of fear on their faces.

    "Folks! Almost everyone is here! It''s an all-out war!" Klein''s voice boomed through the surroundings. "This fight will be epic!"

    Meanwhile, on one side of the valley, a green-haired boy was watching the fight about to unfold with aplicated expression. Naturally, this boy was Jared, who had arrived not too long ago. Jared was pondering whether he should lend a helping hand.

    This was the perfect time to show his love for his crush, but Jared was conflicted. A lot was at stake. If he won this tournament, the collective resources from the neighboring towns would greatly improve his barony.

    "Should we help them?" Longy, Jared''s tall, slim friend, asked in a quiet voice. He was one of the few people who knew how Jared truly felt about Nyx. Ever since Jared had seen her at the Mountain of Ascension, he had been mesmerized by her beauty and couldn''t stop talking about her.

    Longy imagined the sheer willpower his best friend was using to restrain himself from rushing in blindly to help the Cromwells.

    "No," Jared finally whispered, clenching his fists. "The barony is more important than some girl who doesn''t even know about me... Also, sooner orter, we''ll still face each other. This is for the best."

    For some reason, Jared''s heart ached badly as he said these words, and even his tone didn''t match them. It was a tough decision. Jared knew that his chances with Nyx would increase if he lent a helping hand now, but deep down, he also understood that the battlefield had no room for hesitation or personal desires. His loyalty to his barony had toe first.

    Clenching his fists even tighter, he forced himself to stay rooted in ce, watching as tension filled the air and reached a boiling point.

    It was now only a moment before all hell broke loose. Thus far, it had only been a standoff, with both sides hesitating to make the first bold move.

    The blonde girl, who had somehow be the unofficial leader of the temporary alliance forged by the other towns, wore an extremely serious expression as a gigantic blood-red runic pattern with indescribable symbols appeared in the air. It began spinning, kicking up a cloud of dust.

    "Heavens, a runesmith! She''s a freaking runesmith!" Klein''s voice boomed throughout the arena. "The runesmith ss is very rare and extremely dangerous inbat. This just got way more interesting!"

    "I didn''t know the daughter of the ckstone Barony was actually a runesmith!"

    As usual, excited whispers filled the crowd, with the Cromwell Barony growing anxious once again.

    "This is going to be bloody! I wonder how the Cromwells will get out of this one!"

    "Yeah, the Cromwells are in deep trouble now!"

    "Runesmith? I''ve never seen one before!"

    "ckstone Baron''s daughter, huh? I heard she attended the Ignis Academy in the Royal Capital," one man said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

    The eyes of those around him immediately widened.

    "That academy that only epts runesmiths? No wonder she''s strong!"

    Back in the mysterious realm, Nyx narrowed her eyes as she analyzed the swirling blood-red runic pattern emitting an ominous aura. She could sense the gathering power and didn''t underestimate the calcting blonde girl, who seemed to have nned this attack from the beginning. The energy from the runic symbol made the air hum¡ªit wasn''t something to brush off lightly.

    Even the Armstrong siblings, who had been fearless moments ago, exchanged uneasy nces. They hadn''t moved an inch, not knowing the nature of the blood-red pattern.

    They had underestimated the Cromwells and learned their lesson. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake with the blonde girl, they decided to stay still and watch everything unfold.

    At that moment, the runic pattern, which had been gathering energy, suddenly came to an abrupt stop. The blonde girl''s eyes trembled in fear.

    Even Jared abruptly jumped from his crouching position, his fists trembling as a red vein bulged on his forehead, memories he desperately wanted to forget resurfacing.

    ---

    Thank you to everyone supporting Supreme BeastTamer! I really appreciate it. Apologies for only uploading one chapter today¡ªwriter''s block hit me hard, but hopefully, it''ll be gone by tomorrow. Once again

 Chapter 226: Mutant Class?

    Inside the mysterious realm, at the peak of a mountain where the wind roared fiercely.

    "Where the hell am I?" Nox muttered under his breath, scanning the environment with sharp, calctive eyes. Thest thing he remembered was being teleported away, and now he...

    Suddenly, Nox''s thoughts were interrupted by a slow p.

    "Well, well, I see they''ve delivered you straight to me," came a mocking voice.

    Nox snapped toward the direction the voice hade from in a sh, and his eyes narrowed, a dangerous light flickering within them as he recognized the person.

    Appearing from the direction of the mocking voice was a figure d in blue robes that fluttered in the wind. A cocky grin yed on his features, and his eyes shed with irritation, as if he were staring down at someone far beneath him¡ªlike one would look at an ant.

    For a moment, I thought it was him because of their appearance, Nox thought, narrowing his eyes. Are they rted?

    At that moment, his eyes sparkled with realization. Now that I remember, even those three looked very simr.

    It was the only thought that came to mind after seeing this uncanny resemnce. Though he still had lingering doubts about who this person was, as they hadn''t met before entering the mysterious realm, one thing was certain.

    This person was an enemy.

    "I won''t ask your name or your goal for this. I only have one simple request." The aura around Nox changed drastically at that moment, bing more dangerous as he added in a cold, dark tone, "Take me back to my teammates, or do you want me to force you myself?"

    "Hmph, big words for someone who got beaten up badly by my little brother." Adam, the firstborn, sneered as he took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. "I was told you''re the second-strongest person in this tournament¡ªsecond only to Hendrix, of course."

    Nox narrowed his eyes as Adam continued. "That little bastard also seemed obsessed with you for some strange reason... so I thought I''d see what all the fuss was about myself," Adam finished, his sneer deepening as he rolled his shoulders. "But from where I''m standing, you don''t look so impressive."

    So he is rted to him. Nox''s suspicion was right. This person was not only Hendrix''s rtive but his eldest brother... which made him an enemy! Nox didn''t care if this brother had no hand in what happened to him and his people back in the barony.

    To him, anyone who shared the same blood as Hendrix was as vile and cruel as Hendrix himself, and they would all receive equal treatment! At first, Nox''s aura had been slightly contained, but after realizing who Adam was, a tremendous wave of energy burst forth from him and mmed into Adam.

    "So you''re just here to stroke your ego? Or is this some twisted family bonding exercise?" Nox asked, his gaze unwavering as he closed the little distance between them.

    The thick, suffocating murderous aura forced Adam a couple of steps back, and a mixture of confusion and surprise crossed his features.

    T-This... is this killing intent? he thought, an incredulous glint in his eyes. Nox was just ten¡ªcould it be this little boy had already made his first kill? That was the only exnation that came to mind as he felt the aura.

    "Why?" Nox''s calm, cold voice echoed through the surroundings. "Why do you look so scared all of a sudden, as if you''ve seen a ghost?"

    The confusion and surprise vanished from Adam''s face in an instant as he bellowed, "Who said I''m scared? Your fickle amount of killing intent doesn''t scare me! I''ll admit I was surprised for a little bit there, but don''t think for a second that I fear you, kid!" Adam''s sneer twisted into a grin as his own aura red, shing with Nox''s.

    Adam''s aura was overwhelming. It made the air crack with tension and could force most people to their knees, spitting blood. It was several times more powerful than Nox''s, yet Nox remained calm andposed, as if Adam''s aura were nothing more than a breeze grazing his face.

    "What?!" Adam''s eyes widened in shock as he saw this! He had expected Nox to crawl on his knees and beg, but... he was perfectly fine. T-There was even a smile on his face! How was this possible?

    "Your aura is nothingpared to what I faced in Snowhelm," Nox stated, his voice cutting through the silence. He took one big step and appeared in front of the stunned Adam, as if he had stepped straight out of a horror movie! Then, his fist shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

    Therge fist reflected in Adam''s wide eyes. The speed! It was too blinding! Adam hadn''t even noticed when Nox made a move.

    The next moment, Adam found himself flying through the air, an arc of blood escaping from his mouth.

    "T-This!"

    A resounding BOOM echoed throughout the area as Adam''s body crashed hard into the ground, forming a rtively deep crater with him at the core. A cloud of dust briefly shrouded the crater.

    "H-How? He''s clearly lower level than me, and I''m already level 20! This doesn''t make sense!" Within the dust cloud, Adam struggled to make sense of what had just happened, his eyes full of confusion.

    As the dust slowly cleared, he saw Nox looming over him like a giant statue, blocking the sunlight. His figure cast a long shadow across the ground, making Adam gulp down a mouthful of saliva. Those dark eyes, filled with malevolence, only added to his unease. The previous arrogance hadpletely vanished from Adam''s face without a trace.

    Without saying a word, Nox stretched his hand and wrapped it around the skull of the dazed Adam, pulling him out of the crater. With a swift kick to Nox''s midsection, Adam loosened Nox''s grip slightly and distanced himself.

    "Hmph, bastard! Let''s see how cocky you''ll be after I activate my skill!" Adam sneered. His initial n had been to beat Nox without relying on his ss skills, but... things had changed. He needed to stop underestimating Nox and take this fight seriously.

    "You can take your time," Nox simply yawned, waving his hand dismissively.

    "Hahaha! I bet you''ve never witnessed a mutant-ss awakening in action! If you had, you wouldn''t be this confident!" Adamughed.

 Chapter 227: Blood Pillar!

    "Oh shit!" An Awakened with light blue hair gasped as the masked boy, who had a streak of white in his hair, appeared in the middle of the battlefield¡ªright between the temporary Awakened faction and the Cromwell and Armstrong factions.

    Everyone immediately tensed as Hendrix appeared out of thin air. The giant, spherical, blood-red pattern also came to an abrupt stop. Her fingers, which had been outstretched, trembled slightly, her face pale.

    "Damn it, he just has to show up now of all times!" one Awakened cursed under his breath, clenching his weapon so tightly that his knuckles looked ready to pop out from his skin.

    The Awakened present in the valley all shared one thing inmon: fear of the white-haired boy, who scanned the surroundings as if searching for someone. Hendrix had visited every town in the western region and humiliated everyone present, giving them a form of trauma¡ªhence their hesitance.

    "What should we do?! Crap! I hate the way my body reacts around this kid!" one boy shouted. "How can he be so intimidating without doing anything?"

    The Armstrong siblings woreplicated expressions. On one hand, they were grateful that Hendrix''s arrival had brought the fight to a temporary halt, giving them a brief respite. But they were also frustrated that, once again, Hendrix had stolen the spotlight without even trying.

    "Where is he?" Hendrix asked in a low, measured tone that reverberated through the area, loud enough for everyone to hear. His gaze fixed on the Cromwell barony, making it clear they were the ones he was addressing. This caused a wave of whispers to sweep through the ranks of the Awakened.

    "Phew, it seems the Cromwells are his targets for now. But who is he looking for?"

    "How the heck do you expect me to know?"

    "The one he''s looking for isn''t here."

    At that moment, a voice rang out. Everyone''s attention snapped toward the source¡ªa blonde-haired girl who had somehow managed to calm her nerves. Her eyes shed sharply as she added, "He''s looking for Nox."

    "The one rumored to be the second strongest? Did he finally show up?"

    "It seems so," the blonde girl nodded.

    "But why Nox?" whispered one of the Awakened, wiping the sweat from his brow. "What did he do to attract Hendrix''s attention?"

    "There''s a personal grudge between those two," the blonde girl answered as the blood-red pattern began glowing faintly once more.

    "Should we run, then?" one girl asked, her eyes filled with uncertainty. Since Hendrix wasn''t after them for now, the best option seemed to be to retreat, regroup, and take him downter.

    The others nodded in agreement, with some already making preparations to leave.

    However, the blonde girl spoke again, her eyes gleaming with confidence. "Or we could just take all of them out."

    "Huh? Take Hendrix out?" one of them gasped.

    Because of Hendrix''s overwhelming strength, no one had even considered eliminating him. The memory of the beatings they''d endured from him was still fresh in their minds.

    As she said this, someone from the Cromwell faction stepped forward to confront Hendrix.

    "Nox isn''t here... because you ugly siblings took him away. But fret not, I''m more than enough to deal with you!" Nyx dered as her sword hummed with life, radiating a blinding light.

    The Armstrong siblings shifted ufortably, sweating bullets beneath their armor at her words. If Hendrix realized they were trying to steal the spotlight from him... their scalps tingled with fear, unwilling to imagine what he might do.

    Fortunately, their youngest brother''s gaze remained fixed on the Cromwells, so he didn''t notice therge beads of sweat on their foreheads.

    "It''s been five years since west saw each other. I hope you won''t disappoint me," Hendrix stated, hiding a grin beneath his mask. He had originally nned to "identally" kill Nox and Nyx during the tournament as revenge for what their mother had done to him five years ago. But since no one could truly die in this mysterious realm, he decided on a different approach.

    He intended to make the twins suffer maximum pain before finishing them off. After winning the tournament, he''d have more than enough time to deal with the Cromwells.

    As Nyx stepped forward to confront Hendrix, the rest of her teammates also moved up, their eyes gleaming with eagerness.

    ''Just one m of my shield, and I can take him down,'' Rab thought, his bloodshot eyes wide with excitement, saliva almost dripping from his mouth. This was it! This was the reason he''d trained non-stop for the past year¡ªit all led to this moment!

    However, before he could act...

    "Stand back!" Nyx ordered, noticing her teammates'' actions. "I want to fight him alone."

    "B-but..." Rab protested, clenching his fists as tears pooled in his eyes. "I want to fight him too! I want to pay him back for everything he did to me and the others!"

    "I know... but," Nyx took a deep breath and stated calmly, "let me be selfish just this once. After that humiliation five years ago, my pride was wounded. It took me so much effort to raise my head again after that encounter... but even now, it''s just a facade I use to hide my true feelings." Nyx''s voice trembled slightly.

    All the grueling training she''d endured over the past five years resurfaced in her mind, and her eyes burned with intense determination.

    "This fight is personal." The glow from her sword skyrocketed. "I need to face him myself, Rab. If I don''t, that wound will never heal."

    Rab stared at Nyx with aplicated expression. He sucked in a deep breath. "I''m sorry," he muttered. "For a moment, I forgot that you and Nox suffered the most at this bastard''s hands... If anyone deserves to make him suffer, it''s you two."

    After saying this, he stepped back to join Wendy and Cole. "Just don''t lose, Nyx... This fight isn''t just for you¡ªit''s for everyone he humiliated that day."

    "I don''t intend to." Nyx turned back to Hendrix, the glow radiating from her sword intensifying and wrapping it in a holy aura.

    "Five years." Hendrix''s voice dripped with mockery. "I wonder¡ªhave you truly grown stronger, or is this just another hollow attempt to redeem your pride?"

    Nyx''s eyes shed with defiance as she tightened her grip on her sword and stepped forward.

    Hendrix''s eyes gleamed with malevolence beneath his mask. "Good. Show me how much pain you can bear¡ªhuh?"

    BOOOOM!

    Suddenly, a blinding pir of blood shot out from the swirling runic pattern. The giant, blood-red pir¡ªover ten meters wide¡ªtowered above them, surging toward Nyx and Hendrix like an attack unleashed by a powerful god to end the world.

    "The arrogance!" the blonde girl sneered, her voice filled with rage. "You bastards are so full of yourselves that you fail to acknowledge our presence? What do you take us for¡ªmere background characters?! Well, this background character will be the end of you both!"

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones, gifts andments, I really approaciate. It gives me motivation to write more chapters...oh the writer block is still there but more bearable now.

 Chapter 228: A Divine Judge

    Before Nox''s eyes, something strange was happening.

    Immediately, he clicked his fingers. Adam''s muscles swirled, expanding beneath his skin, and his veins pulsed with raw power. He was emitting radiant heat, and a fierce aura burst from his body. Nox didn''t know if his eyes were ying tricks on him, but he could see that Adam was growingrger andrger at a rapid pace within a couple of seconds.

    BANG!

    The ground beneath his feet caved and cracked, unable to withstand his strength. Merely looking at him, Nox could tell the monstrosity standing before him was much more powerful than the Adam he had thoroughly trashed just a few minutes ago.

    Now there was something bestial and unrestrained about the two-meter-tall figure. The aura he emitted was wild and chaotic, kicking up dust and debris in the air. Curved des protruded from where his arms were supposed to be, gleaming under the re of sunlight. His face looked more bestial, with curved horns, and his eyes were purple and slit-like, simr to those belonging to predators.

    ''So this is the mutant-ss Awaken?'' Nox thought calmly as he stared at the mini-giant looming in front of him. ''This ss... shouldn''t it be considered a monster ss as well?''

    With that grotesque appearance, Nox wondered how the people in charge of grading hadn''t included it in the monster ss. After all, as of this moment, Adam was no different from any wild monster¡ªonly that he appeared more dominating.

    "Still not scared, huh?" Adam sneered, irritation shing in his bestial eyes as he charged forward. His sudden movement caused a resounding bang as the cracked ground caved in further. Nox''sposure was rubbing him the wrong way.

    Nox remained standing and summoned his dagger. Adam''s feet carried him closer, and he thrust his ded arms forward, aiming to slice Nox in two.

    ng!

    A resounding ng echoed through the air as Nox parried the attack with his dagger. The ground beneath him broke apart, and he skidded backward, leaving a trail on the ground.

    "With the help of gigantism, even my strength increases exponentially!" Adam grinned as one of his knees shot forward, with precision, toward Nox''s midsection.

    "Too slow," Nox muttered. He kicked the ground with a loud boom, generating a mini sonic boom beneath his feet as he executed a graceful acrobatic maneuver in the air.

    A sneer crossed Adam''s monstrous face as he leaped forward and shed his ded arm down.

    However, Nox twisted his body midair, causing Adam''s eyes to widen in surprise. H-how is he controlling his body midair?!

    Distracted by his disbelief, Adam failed to notice the leg that mmed into the side of his elbow. His de ended up biting into his other arm.

    "ARGHHHH!" A pained, bestial cry escaped Adam''s lips as he staggered back, clutching his now-bloody arm dripping with dark blood.

    Noxnded lightly on his feet and charged in again. In a blink of an eye, he crossed the distance, and the dagger in his grasp shed.

    "Let me help you with that!"

    This was thest thing Adam heard before his left arm thudded to the ground, and an arc of blood shot out. For a moment, he didn''t feel the pain as he nced at Nox, whose dagger dripped with dark blood¡ªhis blood.

    "You... you bastard!" Adam shouted. "You think you can kill me so easily? Watch this!"

    Adam''s severed limb began to grow back at a rapid pace. Nox''s eyes shed sharply as he recognized the skill.

    Regeneration.

    "Well, I guess I''ll go with my initial n," Nox yawned.

    Adam''s eyes trembled in fear. Before he could ask what was wrong, Nox''s dagger bit into his chest, spilling blood onto the ground. Adam kicked off the ground, forcing a disengagement from the dagger, and lifted his arm to attack.

    But his opponent was too nimble.

    Thud!

    His limbs were severed again!

    Adam let out another enraged roar, staggering backward as his freshly regenerated limbs fell to the ground once more. Sure, he could regenerate, but the pain... the pain was intense and could drive anyone mad.

    "Tsk. Weakling. I actually thought you''d be something special." Nox sneered, his tone cold and detached. He flicked the blood from his dagger with a casual motion, the dark liquid flying off in neat lines. "You''ll regenerate, sure. But regeneration doesn''t mean much when I can cut faster than you can heal."

    I need to attack from a distance, Adam thought, his eyes shing with a calctive gleam. He''s clearly an expert in meleebat... If I attack from range, I might win this fight.

    Fortunately, he didn''t just possess mutation-based skills. Being the son of a wealthy duke came with other advantages.

    "Argh! Bone Spike!" Adam shouted as he aimed his arm at Nox. The bones twisted strangely, forming gun barrels. A sharp whoosh sounded as numerous bone spikes exploded out from his arms.

    The meter-long spikes hummed through the air toward Nox, but Nox charged headlong at them.

    "He''s getting closer, dammit!" Adam''s expression faltered.

    Suddenly, his scalp tingled as Nox''s body flickered from sight. The bone spikes stabbed into the ground, missing their mark.

    Adam''s white hair stood on end. A momentter, Nox seemed to pop out of thin air, and Adam''s barrel-shaped arms were severed.

    "You sleepy little..." Adam, blinded by pain, charged again, swinging his de wildly.

    Swish!

    With the help of Divine Velocity, it seemed as if Nox had teleported.

    Swish!

    Nox ducked beneath Adam''s sh and swept his legs out from under him. The mutant staggered backward, nearly tripping.

    "It seems you''d rather die than speak," Nox''s voice echoed, cold and calm. "Since that''s the case, I''ll just get rid of you and find my teammates myself."

    Before Adam could recover, Nox was upon him again. With terrifying speed, Nox''s daggers sliced through Adam''s body over a dozen times per second. Divine Velocity was fully activated!

    Adam could only see a blur¡ªthe afterimage of Nox''s dagger. He tried desperately to parry, but his reaction time wascking. He attempted to retreat and gain distance, but Nox read his intentions and followed closely.

    Damn it! Damn it! Adam''s mind raced. He had more tricks up his sleeve, but there was no chance to use them!

    Slice! Slice! Slice!

    Nox was just too fast!

    Another arm fell, followed by a leg. A sharp shing echoed as Adam''s torso was dismembered entirely. Nox''s new dagger was this powerful¡ªsharp enough to cut through bone like a hot knife through butter.

    "ARGH!" Adam writhed in pain, his glowing purple slit-like eyes burning with fury. His torso crashed to the ground, and the mysterious realm offered no relief from the pain.

    Luckily, regeneration kicked in.

    Shing!

    "You''re just dying the inevitable." Nox stood over Adam, his dagger dripping with blood. His eyes were cold, dark, and unforgiving¡ªlike those of a divine judge about to deliver a final verdict.

    "I-I''ll tear you apart!" Adam roared, trying to rise with his stumps.

    But he was silenced as the dagger sliced through the air. His purple eyes reflected the cold steel just before blood erupted, and his horns thudded to the ground.

    Before Adam could register the pain, the dagger descended, shattering his skull into countless fragments.

    Nox flicked the remaining blood from his dagger and turned just in time to see Adam''s body burst into a shower of white light.

    "Now, let''s find my teammates," Nox muttered. He walked to the edge of the mountain and listened carefully. The sound of intense fighting echoed in the distance.

    "I hope I''m not toote." With that, Nox zoomed toward the noise, leaving an afterimage in his wake.

    ....

    Thanks to all those who support support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really appreciate. Also please point out inconsistencies and potholes if you spot anyone...thank you.

 Chapter 229: Eliminated...

    Time seemed to slow down for a moment. The bright blood pir bathed both Nyx and Hendrix in an ominous reddish light. The two stood in the middle of the looming disaster. No one moved¡ªnot because they didn''t want to, but because their muscles wouldn''t allow them to.

    They''d been so engrossed, so consumed with themselves, that they hadpletely forgotten about the blond girl. Nyx''s eyes trembled as the vengeful bloody pir reflected in her mesmerizing drake-like gaze. Within his mask, a look of surprise shed through Hendrix''s eyes as well. Even with his frightening levels of perception, he hadn''t seen this attacking.

    This...this spoke volumes!

    There was absolute silence¡ªboth outside and inside the mysterious realm. Their expressions varied. Everyone in the Cromwell Barony jumped to their feet, eyes wide in horror and hearts pounding as if they''d jump out any second. Even Klein had forgotten to do his job for a moment, his arm holding themunion crystal trembling.

    Aina, Hans, and Nathan were no exception. Even the duke was gripping the armrest of his seat, clearly forcing himself to stay grounded.

    Because all their focus was fixed on the screen disying all the factions, they hadpletely missed Nox and Adam''s fight. Even when Adam materialized out of thin air, no one noticed his presence.

    Back inside, everyone seemed frozen in a time loop. The blond girl''s face twisted into a sneer of disdain, while the temporary factions'' eyes were filled with anticipation.

    Across from them, Rab, Cole, and Wendy wore widened eyes and paleplexions. Rab''s mouth hung open as if he were shouting for Nyx to get out of the way... Meanwhile, the Armstrong siblings'' eyes twinkled, smiles on their faces as they witnessed this unpredictable development.

    "Die!" the blond girl roared. Her voice seemed to shatter the time loop as the bloody pir engulfed the two. Before the pir descended, however, Hendrix''s lips tugged up slightly¡ªand then his eyes lit up in surprise as he noticed something on Nyx.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    A catastrophic sound rumbled through the mysterious realm as the bloody pir mmed into the ground. A violent reddish shockwave exploded outward in all directions, sending everyone¡ªincluding the blond girl who had initiated the attack¡ªflying like broken kites. They were not the only ones affected; even the surroundings couldn''t escape the destructive shockwave!

    Rocks disintegrated mid-air, and a number of trees situated near the valley wall evaporated.

    The powerful crimson light continued to ripple across the mysterious realm, even disturbing the magical screen that projected the live feed of what was happening inside.

    "Cough!" The blond girl spat blood, having mmed into the valley wall during the attack. Her entire body was covered in dust and rubble. She staggered to her feet, causing debris to fall from her body. She nced into the distance, toward the spot where Nyx and Hendrix hadst been, but she couldn''t see clearly; everything was still obscured because of the thick mist in the air.

    The only thing she could vaguely make out was the deep crater at the point of impact.

    "Nyx!" Wendy shouted as she quickly got up, her heart pounding wildly as she frantically scanned the surroundings for Nyx. She coughed as the red haze, mixed with dust, invaded her nostrils.

    "Nyx! Dammit!"

    "Nyx!"

    Both Rab and Cole also staggered to their feet, frantically searching. A gaping wound marred the back of Rab''s bald head, but he didn''t care... What mattered now was whether Nyx had survived.

    They all rushed toward the massive chasm, which was as wide as a skyscraper foundation back on Earth. They couldn''t see a thing¡ªonly lingering crimson energy made it hard to peer inside.

    "Did the attack take them out?"

    "I can''t see a single thing!"

    "Hey, watch where you''re going!"

    At that moment, the blond girl''smanding voice boomed throughout the surroundings. "All those with wind-rted magic, clear the air!" she ordered sharply.

    About three members from different teams immediately sprang into action, instinctively raising their hands. Whirling gusts of wind erupted as the three wind elemental users synchronized their powers. The heavy bloody haze slowly dissipated into the air.

    As the scene revealed itself, everyone gasped. The valley was unrecognizable, littered with chunks of rock that seemed to have been carved from the earth.

    As visibility improved further, everyone sucked in a deep breath.

    At the heart of the battle, a giant chasm loomed¡ªits width farrger than it had initially appeared in the haze. It was like a ck hole! Many people even flinched, afraid that the massive hole would suck them in or that tendrils would burst out and drag them inside.

    Some brave souls¡ªlike the blond girl, the Cromwells, and the Armstrong siblings¡ªstepped closer to get a better look at the chasm. If their guess was right, Nyx and Hendrix were most likely inside.

    As if by prior agreement, none of them attacked each other as they drew closer. However, when they nced down, all they saw was the same crimson haze. The wind elemental users had only cleared the air above, not the actual crater.

    The blond girl was about to call the wind elementalists to clear the haze inside the crater as well when suddenly a cough echoed from the side. Instantly, everyone''s attention snapped toward the sound.

    In that direction, they saw a raven-haired girl with strands of red, tightly wrapped in the arms of a green-haired youth. The girl''s eyes were tightly shut, as if expecting the worst. But several seconds passed, and she could still feel her heart beating softly in her chest.

    Confusion crossed her features, and she briefly wondered if she had somehow appeared outside the mysterious realm. Yes, that could be it. How else could she have survived such a powerful attack?

    With a heavy heart, her thick eyshes fluttered open...

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really really appreciate! It gives me motivation to write more chapters!

 Chapter 230: Hendrix.... Eliminated?

    A few minutes ago...

    "I have to do something," Jared thought as Hendrix appeared in the midst of the battlefield. His fists shook violently, and his handsome face was filled with anger.

    "Jared." Sensing the intense killing intent Jared was emitting, one of his teammates called out, their voice filled with worry.

    "I''m alright." Jared exhaled sharply. His father had told him it was not good to rush into a fight with an irrational mindset¡ªdoing so was equivalent to setting yourself up for failure before the fight even started.

    "What should we do?" Longy asked, staring at Jared, who was the leader and decision-maker of their team.

    "I¡ª" Jared started, but then trailed off, lost in his own thoughts. Of course, Jared knew the time woulde when he and Nyx¡ªthe love of his life¡ªwould face each other. But he''d rather eliminate her painlessly than allow Hendrix to do it.

    The white-haired boy was notorious for his sadistic tendencies. Knowing him¡ªand the history between the Cromwells and Armstrongs, the main reason this summit started in the first ce¡ªHendrix would probably inflict as much pain as possible before finishing her off.

    ...This was something Jared couldn''t bear to witness.

    With this thought in mind, Jared stared at his teammates, his eyes shing with defiance as he said, "We''ll join the fight! I know every one of you wants to pay back Hendrix for what he did. The only way to do this is toe out of hiding.

    "If we leave everything to the others and they manage to defeat him, that ache in our hearts will never be relieved."

    Jared''s words stirred a myriad of emotions in the others. He was beyond right. The only way to redeem their pride was by joining the fight, not by acting cowardly and staying in the dark, waiting to swoop in and reap the benefits after the others had done the work.

    "We''re at your disposal, Leader!" The healer girl was the first to speak up. She was always the first to step forward, even if she was nervous. Her soft, feminine voice snapping the others out of their daze. They began activating their various skills, one by one¡ªa clear sign that they had made up their minds to join the fight.

    "Good." Jared smiled and lifted his hand, pointing into the distance. "But first, we have to save someone important."

    Before the others could reply, Jared leaped off the peak of the mountain, plummeting down at an astonishing speed, the wind whipping against his face.

    "W-what is he doing?"

    Frightened that he was about tomit suicide, the rest of the four teammates immediately rushed to the edge, ncing below. They arrived just in time to witness a spectacr scene.

    Instead of the terrible sight of Jared crashing into the ground and turning into a pile of bones, a giant green tendril burst out of the earth, sending rocks flying. The tendril cushioned Jared''s fall, allowing him tond softly on it.

    Using the tendril as a bridge, Jared sped toward the heart of the battlefield. At that time, the bloody pir was still approaching like a missile.

    Seeing how close it was, Jared increased his speed... and flicked his hand. A twist of green tendrils wrapped around the leg of the unsuspecting Nyx, who had momentarily frozen. With another flick, he yanked her away from the trajectory of the explosion with tremendous force, just a split second before the thunderous bomb rocked the entire area.

    ---

    In the present...

    "Y-you!" Nyx''s face was filled with confusion as she looked at the green-haired boy. Though handsome, he wore a stupid expression. She didn''t waste a second staying on top of him and immediately jumped to her feet. Her first action was to scan her surroundings, sensing the confused, angry, and relieved nces of various people.

    Her gaze then drifted toward the massive chasm that had formed where she had been standing moments before.

    "You saved me," Nyx murmured in confusion as she nced at the boy, who was slowly getting up and scratching his head, his ears burning intensely as he stammered, "I¡ªum¡ªI guess I meant to. Damn, I don''t even know."

    Nyx''s sharp gaze softened slightly as she looked at the awkward boy speaking iprehensible gibberish. For a split second, she felt a warmth she wasn''t used to... only for it to vanish behind her usual indifference "Why?" she asked. "I don''t even know you."

    "Right." Jared stopped scratching his head, feeling a slight ache in his heart. She didn''t even remember me. Dad was right. I''m so stupid. All this time, I thought she''d at least recognize me after our meeting in the Mountain of Ascension... only for her to forget me so soon.

    That moment had meant everything to him, even if it seemed like a passing encounter to her.

    Jared forced a smile and said, "Well, um, we met in the Mountain of Ascension. Did you forget?"

    Nyx still stared at him with a lost expression.

    An awkward silence fell between them.

    "Although I don''t know your goal in saving me today, I swear on my life that I''ll fulfill one favor of yours, as long as it''s within my capabilities," Nyx stated.

    Jared waved his hand. "I didn''t save you for a reward or anything. I just felt like doing it, so you don''t need to repay me."

    "I hate being indebted to others. So, as I said, I''ll fulfill one favor of yours in the near future. But for now..." Her gaze sharpened as she red at the blonde girl, who immediately flinched back at the sight of those lightless eyes. The invisible pressure they exuded weighed down on her like a mountain.

    "I''ll deal with you!"

    The others quickly rushed to the blonde girl''s side, readying their weapons as Nyx''s gaze grew more dangerous by the second.

    Simrly, Rab, Wendy, and Cole came to stand by Nyx''s side. The only ones left stranded were the Armstrongs and the rest of the Landon Barony team, now standing awkwardly beside their leader.

    Tension filled the air... but it was soon shattered by someone''s voice.

    "Look!" someone shouted, pointing at the deep chasm.

    Instinctively, everyone¡ªincluding those who had been initially scared¡ªrushed over and nced down.

    At the bottom, they spotted a figure.

    Hendrix.

    But...

    Something was strange about him.

    He was slowly turning into bursts of white light.

    "H-how?" Everyone stared in disbelief, unable toprehend what they were witnessing.

 Chapter 231: Not Eliminated

    "I-I didn''t think we''d actually pull it off," the blonde girl stuttered, her eyes wide with disbelief as she watched the burst of white lights.

    What does that mean? It was the sign! The sign of an elimination!

    The others were also stunned! They were supposed to be happy that the tournament favorite had been eliminated just like that, but they were surprised because the tournament was still in its early stages, with a few more teams left. Yet somehow...the one with the biggest hype around his name had already been eliminated!

    Thepetitors weren''t the only ones who were shocked! Klein was literally trembling...

    "F-folks, it seems something unpredictable has happened in this tournament! Hendrix Armstrong has been eliminated!" he stuttered, still struggling to believe his eyestely, since the start of this tournament, this sensation had be familiar.

    A wave of whispers spread through the arena.

    "Are my eyes deceiving me? Did the young master really get eliminated?" one of the spectators from the Armstrong side voiced, his voice filled with incredulity.

    "Dammit! That little bitch! How dare she!"

    "If she ever steps out of that ce, I swear I''ll break her legs into two!"

    "All hope is not lost! At least we still have the rest of the Armstrong siblings inside," the citizens of the Armstrong duchy tried to be optimistic.

    "Yeah, you''re right. We can still win this with or without young master Hendrix!"

    Meanwhile, in the VIP Area...

    The shadow on the duke''s face had darkened more and more; he nced at the father of the blonde girl, who had a proud smile on his face. He had never been this proud of his daughter before; enrolling in the prestigious Runesmith Academy back in the capital was the best decision he had ever made in his life.

    While he was momentarily relishing in joy, a thick, suffocating aura pressed down on him, and he immediately broke into cold sweats. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the Duke ring at him. The smile instantly vanished, reced by fear.

    Even Nathan''s eyes shed with confusion. Just like the others, he hadn''t anticipated the oue. He had always thought Hendrix and his grandson would be thest people standing and fight in an epic showdown.

    There was a sh of surprise on Bridget''s face as well, but this didn''t change her mind about enrolling Hendrix in the academy.

    "This is a good thing, right?" a woman belonging to one of the teams left in the mysterious realm asked her husband in a quiet tone.

    "Y-yeah." The husband stuttered, his eyes never leaving the screen. From his voice, it was evident that he was still in disbelief.

    Even the others had simr expressions on their faces. Usually, they were supposed to be jumping up and dancing because one of the biggest threats had been eliminated; instead, their faces were filled with surprise and confusion.

    Back inside the mysterious realm, the others were still struggling toe to terms with what had happened. Slowly, they were starting to shift back from the huge chasms.

    The Armstrong siblings were, at first, surprised; they had witnessed how powerful he was firsthand! Before the tournament even started, they knew he wouldpletely dominate everyone. It was one of the reasons they had decided to join the first brother to snatch the spotlight.

    Soon, the surprise turned into a pleasant smile, and they briefly spared each other a knowing nce. Their thought process was pretty simple: now that Hendrix was gone and Nox had probably been dealt with by the second brother, they were now the favorites!

    ''Hahahaha, by the time the first brother shows up, we''ll go all out!'' the third sister thought mischievously. Just like Wendy had thought, the Armstrong siblings were stronger together...there was a reason for this.

    Now...all they had to do was wait...wait for the second brother to show up!

    Meanwhile, Nyx remained standing there, her fist clenched, her gaze fixed on the chasms below. She didn''t like this oue. She should have been the one to eliminate Hendrix by herself! She had trained rigorously throughout the years for this moment, to repay the humiliation she had gone through that day.

    ''I trained for years...this...I should''ve been the one to beat him.'' Instinctively, Nyx''s eyes shot toward the one who had caused this.

    Before she could make a move, a figure soon descended on the battlefield like a phantom,nding gracefully amidst the scattered remains of the battlefield.

    BOOOOOOM!

    A thunderous bang echoed throughout the surroundings as the figurended on the battlefield, and a dust storm rose. From the dust, they could spot a figure. Everyone''s attention, both in and outside the mysterious realm, snapped toward that direction.

    Most of the spectators also jumped up on the edge of their seats as they recognized the figure.

    "Is that who I think it is?"

    "It''s him!"

    "No way! I knew he couldn''t be dealt with just like that!"

    The Awakened closest to the point of impact flinched back as they felt an oppressive auraing out of the dust storm. They immediately brandished their weapons and activated their skills.

    Even Nyx''s eyes shed sharply as holy radiant light glowed in her sword once more.

    The blonde girl barked at her temporary alliance, informing them that the fight wasn''t over as they had thought. They immediately activated their various skills, and the blonde girl started to weave her fingers in the air, drawing intricate patterns, ready to unleash yet another devastating attack.

    Her eyes gleamed dangerously, and for a moment, she didn''t look pretty. "I can do this all day!!!" she eximed.

    As for the Armstrong siblings, they were clenching their fists, and their faces were twisted into deep frowns. All their fantasies were shattered just like that! It was the first time in their lives when they were about to be in the main spotlight and im all the glory and honor, yet...yet it all had to crumble before their eyes.

    "If you guys want to get rid of me, you''ve got to be more creative." An arrogant voice rang out from the dust, and everyone stiffened and gripped their weapons even more tightly.

    Just momentster, the dust finally began to settle, revealing...

    ---

    Today is my birthday, guys! I''ll be very shameless and ask for gifts!!!

 Chapter 232: Micmickry Activated!

    Just momentster, the dust finally began to settle slowly, and the hearts of everyone present sped up a notch, their grips on their weapons tightening. The blond girl hastily moved her fingers in the air, pouring her mana into the runic symbol, which now shimmered faintly.

    Eventually, the dust subsided, and the silhouette in the fog stepped out.

    It was... Nox.

    "Hahahaha, I''m starting to believe themander is intentionally doing this dramatic entrance," Cole, the pyromancer, couldn''t help butugh quietly, and both Wendy and Rab nodded in agreement.

    There was momentary silence all around; the only noise came from the humming of various skills that were activated. Just a few momentster, the silence was broken by someone.

    "So he truly survived!"

    It was the third sister of the Armstrong duchy. Her face was now purple with anger, but a momentter, her furious expression faltered as she suddenly felt her legs turn to jelly.

    ''If he''s here! Then what happened to first brother?'' she thought, her heart pounding heavily against her chest.

    Even the second and fourth brothers had pale expressions on their faces; they shared the same thought as their sister.

    Hendrix was gone. The first brother was gone... and they were struggling to even fight the Cromwells. Just how would they survive? Out of habit, the fourth brother, who also yed the role of thest-born, started chewing on his fingers.

    He couldn''t fathom what expression his father, the duke, was making outside. Whatever it was, he was certain it was anything but pleasant.

    ---

    Meanwhile, outside...

    "Damn it, am I the only one who''s feeling hot?" one of the spectatorsined, sweating bullets.

    "Me too. Why does it feel as if my entire body is on fire?" another responded, scratching his itching skin.

    "Look." Someone suddenly pointed at the VIP area, stuttering with trembling fingers. "I... I think it''s from the duke! He must be angry!"

    Indeed, even from below, everyone could sense the overwhelming aura pouring out from the duke''s box.

    "Why wouldn''t he be! The Armstrong siblings were nearly overwhelmed by the Cromwells... At this rate, they don''t even stand a chance. With Nox here as well, I think the winners of this tournament will be the Cromwells."

    ---

    Back inside the mysterious realm, the tension was still palpable as Nox silently observed everything. His eyes shimmered with confusion when he saw the massive crater in the middle of the battlefield, but this was none of his concern as his gaze continued to scan.

    There were over twenty people here. Nox wasn''t that good with math, but he did quick calctions and figured that all the various teams had gathered. But someone was missing.

    ''Interesting,'' he thought, the side of his lips tugging up slightly. ''This makes my job much easier. I''ll deal with them and search for Hendrix.''

    The first people Nox''s gaze fell upon were the Armstrong siblings. Those cold, dark eyes left them momentarily vulnerable, as if they were being gazed upon by some higher being who could manipte their lives with ease.

    ''In the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts, I didn''t just go on vacation... I''d be a fool if I ever did something like that. What I did was train with the best fighters.'' All his training sessions with Terra shed through his mind at that moment.

    Though it was short, what he had learned far exceeded his expectations. The intense sessions with Terra, the goddess of the mythical beast pantheon, had sharpened his skills and honed his instincts to an extraordinary level.

    "You were the ones that separated me from my teammates, right?" Nox spoke as he stepped forward.

    He immediately vanished from his spot, appearing before the Armstrong siblings. His speed was so blinding that none of them saw him move; all they saw was an afterimage and a slight crack where he had stood.

    Shing! Shing! Shing!

    Nox''s dagger shed three times, sttering blood, and three heads thudded to the ground.

    "J-just like that... He dealt with the Armstrong siblings so easily? How is this even possible?"

    "If even the powerful Armstrongs were defeated like that, where does that leave us?"

    The others had been motivated just seconds ago, but after witnessing Nox''s disy, they plunged back to square one, now having second thoughts about fighting the monster in human skin.

    The blond girl shivered slightly at the sight, but she expertly masked it behind her calm facade, as usual. Sensing the low morale of the others, she flicked her wrist, and several daggers bolted out from the square-shaped runic symbol.

    "Attack!" she shouted in amanding, thunderous voice.

    Her n was simple: take out Nox while he was battling the Armstrong siblings. Nox sensed the presence of dozens of powerful skills heading toward him. However, the most dangerous among them were the five mini blood daggers whizzing through the air, leaving a slight reddish trail.

    "Hmph!" Rab was about to jump and shield Nox, but Wendy quickly held him back. He was confused and wanted to protest, but without saying a word, she motioned toward the front. He followed her gaze, and a look of realization shone in his eyes.

    Without even flinching, Nox activated Phantom Cloak.

    [Phantom Cloak Description (Ultimate Skill): The user bes pletely" invisible for up to 5 minutes. While in this state, they gain a +10 increase in Agility and can pass through solid objects. The user also gains the ability to turn any object invisible. MP Cost: 20 MP to activate, plus -5 MP per second active. Cooldown: 3 minutes.]

    With Phantom Cloak activated, Nox phased through all the attacks. Great confusion appeared in the eyes of everyone, especially the blond girl.

    ''How does he have an assassin-type skill?'' she thought. ''When I investigated Nox, I found that his ss was rted tomunicating with beasts... So how is he disying assassination-type skills?''

    "Did he disappear?"

    "No," a cold voice whispered directly behind the blond girl.

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    Nox had reappeared in a blink, standing inches from her. His expression was unreadable, but his dark eyes were cold and filled with darkness. Before she could react, the sharp edge of his dagger rested against her throat.

    "You made a mistake attacking me," Nox''s voice was calm but filled with menace.

    Panic crossed the blond girl''s expression as she felt the cold dagger pressing against her skin. She clenched her jaw and forced herself to stay still. Any unnecessary movement would result in her neck being slit open. She could feel the intense aura pressing down on her, as if it were designed to dismantle everything in its path.

    "That skill of yours is very interesting," Nox whispered in a low voice that felt like it belonged to the devil. His breath made the blond girl''s skin tingle, and her legs grow weak. With glowing eyes, Nox activated his talent.

    "Mimicry Activated."

 Chapter 233: If Only They Knew

    [Mimicry Activated!]

    [Target: Helen, Runic Arsenal - Sessfully copied skill]

    [Runic Arsenal(Intermediate): Summon and manipte a variety of blood weapons through runic symbols. Weapons can be enhanced with elemental or curse effects. Allows simultaneous control of up to 10 weapons. MP Cost: 30 MP per activation.]

    [10x upgrade detected, new skill]

    [Upgrading Runic Arsenal x10!]

    [Ding! You''ve awakened Runic Dominion!]

    [Runic Dominion (Ultimate skill): Unlocks the true power of runic magic, granting control over endless weapon constructs that move with precision and autonomy. Summon and control up to 1,000 blood weapons simultaneously for over a 100m radius. MP Cost: 199 MP per activation.

    Additional Effects: Grant weapons temporary conscience and create weapon-based traps and constructs (e.g., de storms, energy barriers, etc.).

    Cooldown: 1 hour.

    [Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to a pet?]

    ...

    ''Keep.''

    A satisfied smile spread across Nox''s features as he saw the upgraded skill flickering across his retina. It had been such a long time since he had used mimicry since the incident in Snowhelm.

    The reason for this was that he hadn''t encountered anyone with a powerful skill to copy. He had tried copying the skills of some of the gods in the pantheon of mythical beasts, but because of his mortal restrictions, it had been impossible.

    Since then, Nox had been itching to use his talent once more. Fortunately, he met this unknown blonde girl who had surprisingly be one of the biggest threats in this tournament, all because of her skill...

    Now...he had this skill, but the best part was that he now possessed a more powerful version of this skill!

    "Leader!"

    Helen''s teammates finally snapped out of their daze and shouted with a panic expression on their faces as they wielded their weapons against Nox.

    Before the others could unleash their attacks, Nox tilted his head slightly. "Stand down," he ordered. His voice wasn''t loud, but it carried amanding force that halted everyone from making any movement.

    The other Awakened who weren''t part of Helen''s team were conflicted about what to do; after all, they were in a temporary alliance. Sooner orter, they''ll turn against each other. At this moment, they were seriously contemting breaking the alliance and raining attacks on Nox and Helen, eliminating them swiftly!

    ''That would be stupid,'' one of them, a tough-looking youth over 17 years old, thought. ''He could just use that assassin-type skill from before again.''

    Phantom Cloak was still on cooldown, and Nox couldn''t enter his invisible state, but of course, the others didn''t know this.

    Then the tough-looking guy suddenly had an idea, and a mischievous smile crossed his features.

    "Since you want to y, let''s y like this." The youth sneered as he signaled the others to direct their weapons at the rest of the Cromwell group.

    Nox''s midnight eyes turned several shades darker when he saw this scene; the smile of satisfaction on his face immediately vanished as a raw primal aura burst out of him.

    The tough-looking youth trembled slightly. Nox was clearly several years younger than him, yet why did it feel as if he was staring into the eyes of someone much older, and what was this powerful aura?

    "The thing I hate most in this world is someone threatening my loved ones." Nyx''s voice was calm, but something about the calmness made the others feel unsettled.

    "B-but!" The tough-looking youth stuttered to speak under Nox''s intense gaze. It could be said that after the blonde girl, he was the second strongest person here. The tough-looking youth forced himself to look away with great difficulty, and he noticed... he noticed that Nox wasn''t that overbearing again.

    ''It''s his eyes,'' he thought. ''There is something wrong with his eyes.''

    He was about to tell the others this, but it was toote as Nox beat him to it.

    "In the past, someone harmed my loved ones and I was helpless... did you know what I promised myself?" Nox asked as he kicked Helen and added: "I promised myself to get strong, strong to the point that the mere mention of my name would cause my enemies to tremble."

    The kick was quite hard, and the blonde stumbled forward, almost tripping over but was caught by the tough-looking youth. Her eyes turned bloodshot as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. This sensation... it was the second time she had felt it... the first was with Hendrix and now...

    She clenched her arms and then stood upright like a sword and gave a defiant shout, irritation shing across her eyes. "Hmpff! You could have finished me when you had the chance, you little bastards!" she shouted as she began to weave her hands through the air, slowly forming the runic pattern.

    Because the others had surrounded Nox in a circle, some of them were just opposite Helen, and they immediately flinched back as they recalled the devastating bloody pir.

    "Too slow, let me show you the ropes," Nox said unflinchingly as he drew intricate lines in the air.

    The blonde girl paused in her tracks for a moment and stared at Nox with confusion flickering in her eyes. She recognized this gesture... it was something only runesmiths do; it was onlypatible with them... so, so...

    Suddenly, a series of symbols appeared in the air. At first, they were dull; however, as Nox continued to move his hand in the air, they shimmered to life with each passing second, and the expression on Helen''s face crumbled like a brick house that was slowly copsing.

    "W-what! What is happening?!" The blonde girl couldn''t believe her eyes. Her runes scattered into fragments. She rubbed her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing.

    Even the others outside jumped up on their feet.

    "He also has runesmithing skills... how is this possible?!" one man said with wide, bloodshot eyes.

    "He also has runesmithing skill... how? It must be a fluke." Bridget almost fell off from her seat, and Zarek clenched the table, leaving a deep handprint.

    Of course, they didn''t ever think Nox copied the skill at that moment because... because it was just too absurd.

    "Could it be his ss allows him to learn all types of skills?" a bald-headed man in a white robe pondered with a thoughtful expression on his face. It was the only conclusion that came to mind.

    "That could be it."

    "If that''s the case, he is blessed by the gods themselves!" The spectators on the Cromwell stand exploded into cheers, causing the faces of the neighboring towns to darken.

    In the distance, Eve''s ruby eyes glittered as she saw the reaction of the others, and she couldn''t help but shake her head. "Ignorance is truly bliss... if only they knew."

 Chapter 234: Overwhelming Everyone

    Unlike the others, Helen, the blonde girl, didn''t think Nox had runesmithing skills from the start. The aura¡ªthis sensation¡ªshe could easily tell that these were her skills.

    As she thought of this, the blonde girl took a step back, her confidence faltering. Panic swirled in her chest as she struggled to believe her own thoughts, but the longer she stood and watched Nox''s fingers moving with purpose, the more the lingering doubts evaporated from her mind.

    ''H-how could he?'' As she wrestled with her thoughts, she noticed something... something was different about the runes glimmering in the air. They were purer, more precise, filled with an energy that made hers appear inferior inparison.

    "You little bastard," Helen whispered. "What did you do to me?"

    Nox didn''t respond immediately. His midnight eyes were still fixed on the symbols that were growing brighter with each passing second. His silence and the intense light radiating from the runes made the others grow more restless.

    This was even more so because, during the time Helen had conjured the bloody pir, the glow hadn''t been this intense.

    ''J-just what is he doing?'' The tough-looking youth thought, the rune casting a blinding, ominous red glow across their faces. It seemed as if the runes had a bewitching effect, as they momentarily forgot to activate their skills.

    At that moment, as Nox flicked his wrist, the final sigil burst into life, and a deafening hum filled the air as hundreds of bloody weapons materialized¡ªdes, spears, and chains swirling in a chaotic vortex, causing a storm of dust to rise into the air.

    The surge of energy pouring out from the runes mmed into the others, forcing them a couple of steps back. Within the swirling vortex of weapons, Nox was levitating at the center, exuding a terrifying presence.

    Those lightless eyes were staring down at the others as though they were insignificant humans. Though they could hardly see anything because of the intense glow emitted from the storm of crimson des, those eyes stood out like a sore thumb.

    Helen stumbled backward, her eyes widening even more. "This is indeed my skill, but why... why is it so powerful and different? All these weapons at once! Heavens!" Helen''s breath caught in her throat, and she struggled to breathe, her eyes widening and her expression turning pale with each passing second.

    ''This aura... could it be an ultimate skill?''

    Though she had never seen an ultimate skill in action because of their rarity, this was the only thought that came to mind! She had felt the aura of advanced skills before, and it was several times weaker than this skill!

    Helen''s thoughts raced. Now she was beginning to doubt herself¡ªcould it really be that Nox had this skill prior to the tournament?

    "Run! We need to run!" The tough-looking youth''s breath caught in his throat as he shouted in a panicked voice. The crimson des were circling Nox in an intricate dance, as if they recognized him as their master.

    "Run! Cowards!" Nox''s voice boomed out from the vortex of crimson des. They didn''t know if their eyes were ying tricks on them, but Nox''s voice was much louder and more powerful, like that belonging to a monarch, causing shivers to run down their spines.

    "So beautiful!" Wendy couldn''t help but exim as she saw this powerful sight, her eyes filled with admiration.

    A strange light twinkled in Nyx''s eyes as well¡ªa sense of pride washing over her in the moment.

    "Tsk, themander and show-off are like five and six." Rab eximed, his lips twitching, yet even his eyes were filled with admiration and reverence.

    Nox''s dark hair fluttered in the wind, and his midnight eyes gleamed with cold, unyielding focus. Every movement of his fingers sent gusts of shockwaves rippling through the vortex, adjusting the orbit of the weapons.

    "You can run," Nox calmly stated, his demeanor standing in stark contrast to the chaos around him. This... this further unsettled everyone. He then added in a cold tone filled with mockery, "But how fast can you run?"

    Those seemingly harmless words, spoken as mere threats, stopped all those about to flee. For a moment, they forgot they weren''t going to die and started trembling.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    At that moment, several blood projectiles shot out toward the swirling vortex. From the corner of his eye, Nox spotted Helen with her arms extended, a faint rune flickering in front of her. Her eyes were filled with defiance.

    Nox felt a pang of admiration in his heart; he saw a lot of himself in Helen. That day, he had also been relentless, even though Hendrix had seemed like an unbeatable foe.

    "I''ll remember you," Nox thought silently to himself as he flicked his hand. To the shock of the blonde girl, as soon as the iing blood weapons hit the vortex, they immediately merged with it.

    "Ho¡ª"

    Swoosh!

    The rune shimmering in front of Helen dissipated, and her eyes widened, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed down at the bloody spear that had impaled her stomach.

    Helen forced a smile as she slowly faded into sparks of white light. As she disappeared, her words lingered in the air.

    "So, this... this was my purpose all along."

    Nox was confused as he heard what she said but he didn''t think too much and turned his gaze toward the tough-looking youth, who was peeing his pants and trembling.

    "I-I''m sor¡ª" he tried to work his jaw, but his words were cut short as a a barrage of bloodied projectiles streaked toward him.

    He summoned a shield to deflect the barrage, but the bloody projectiles shattered the shield effortlessly, as though it wasn''t an obstruction in the first ce.

    "This will be a warning to all of you! Inside and outside," Nox''s voice boomed as dozens of swords pierced the youth. A razor-thin spear impaled his legs, followed by a curved dagger embedded deep into his shoulder.

    "Argh!!!" Painful screams filled the air.

    Before the youth could make any unnecessary movements, bloody chains wrapped around him, tightening with crushing force. Then two massive blood axes materialized above his head. With a flick of Nox''s wrist, they descended, cutting through the air.

    Shink!

    "Never mess with a Cromwell," he finished his sentence. Without waiting for the axes to pierce the unfortunate youth, Nox turned to the others.

    Before they could react, the blood weapons turned toward them, and a storm of des and spears flew through the air, piercing one after another. No weapon missed its mark. Heads rolled, bodies copsed, and blood sprayed across the battlefield.

    Outside, the other towns had solemn expressions as they witnessed their kind being massacred. Meanwhile, the Cromwells were jumping and jubting, both on the duchy grounds and in the barony...

    But instead of smiling like the others, Nathan''s face was grim, because... because Hendrix had yet to appear on the fighting tform like the others.

 Chapter 235: The finals [1]

    "Impossible... how!" one youngster muttered as he watched the others fall one after the other. He raised his sword, desperately attempting to block an attack, only to be pierced by three phantom daggers mid-motion.

    Within seconds, the valley was littered with corpses that slowly disintegrated into showers of sparks.

    "Have mercy on us!" The remaining fighters took a step back, trembling in fear as the myriad of blood weapons continued to hover in the air. The two strongest people, Helen and the bulky youth, had already been eliminated¡ªthere was certainly no chance of surviving this. The best they could do was surrender.

    Thud! Thud!

    One by one, they started to drop their weapons on the ground, slowly going to their knees and banging their heads on the ground while pleading.

    "Spare us! We were wrong! Please have mercy!"

    They pleaded in unison as blood slid down from their temples due to repeatedly pounding their heads against the ground, hoping to earn even the slightest bit of forgiveness.

    Seeing Nox dy, they thought the pleadings weren''t enough and banged their heads even harder, their faces bloody.

    Nyx, Wendy, Rab, and Cole stared at this scene with myriad emotions. There were wide smiles on their faces. Though they were not the ones who hadpletely dominated the tournament, they felt a sense of pride swirling in their hearts¡ªafter all, it was one of their own. They couldn''t help but imagine the proud faces of the Cromwell citizens in the Barony and Duchy!

    Right now, Nox wasn''t just fighting for himself; he was representing the entire barony.

    Just as they predicted, there was an uproar throughout the western region. This was even more true in the Armstrong Duchy. Although the Armstrong citizens were the majority since this was their home, they had shrunk considerably in presence because the Cromwells couldn''t stop shouting.

    The other towns had already lost all hope, looking at the Cromwells with envious gleams in their eyes, imagining how prosperous the Cromwells would be in the near future.

    ---

    Back inside the mysterious realm...

    "You guys..." Nox was at a loss for words as he saw the expressions of the Awakened and silently thought to himself, Did these guys forget that they wouldn''t really die?

    Had his little disy traumatized them so much that they forgot something this crucial?

    "If I don''t kill you guys, how will I win the tournament? Or did you expect me to forfeit?"

    "We didn''t mean it like that," one of them spoke up. In every situation, there was always someone who would step up to take the mantle of leadership. In this case, it was a beautiful girl with gray hair and piercing orange eyes.

    The gray-haired girl was originally from Helen''s team. She pointed at a blood spear that was stabbed into the ground¡ªthe same weapon that had killed Helen. The girl stuttered in a barely audible voice, "We''d really appreciate it if you kill us like Helen."

    "Like Helen?" Nox asked, then added in a cold, dark tone, "If any of you had even a tiny amount of the courage she possessed, I''d have spared you."

    Hearing his cold words, the gray-haired girl slowly rose to her feet and held her sword, a flicker of defiance in her features.

    Nox looked at her with bored indifference, not buying her tactics at all. She was trying to appear courageous, but he noticed her trembling hands. He felt slightly disgusted by this and flicked his wrist. The shimmering runes pulsed even more fiercely, the swirling weapons intensifying, electrifying the air.

    Seeing the gray-haired girl''s tactics, the remaining weakened fighters tried to copy her. However, the death they received was anything but painless, as the weapons descended the next moment.

    The youngsters'' eyes shed with horror, but it was toote. The crimson storm whipped through them all in one devastating strike.

    Nox waved his hand again, and all the blood weapons coalesced into several crimson tendrils, which floated into the runic pattern still glowing faintly in the air. As the tendrils entered the symbols, Nyx, Rab, Wendy, and Cole witnessed several white sparks fill the air, drifting into the distance.

    Just then, rain started to pelt down, as if to cleanse the world of any trace of Nox''s massacre. Silence filled the valley, which had been noisy just moments ago. The only sound was the calming patter of rain hitting the ground.

    Wendy extended her hand, touched the rain, and couldn''t help but whisper with a twinkle in her eyes, "I know this is out of ce, but... this scene is beautiful. I wish we could stay here a little longer."

    "True. What''s even funnier is that they used to be humans," Rabmented from the side, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon at the white sparks slowly drifting away.

    "So... does this mean we won the tournament?" Cole, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up, his voiceced with incredulity.

    Nox, who hadnded back on his feet and closed the runic symbol, frowned as he caught snippets of the others'' conversation. Why were they speaking as if the tournament was already over?

    "It seems you guys are forgetting someone," he said. "We still haven''t beaten Hendrix, remember?"

    When the others heard Nox, they immediately went silent and exchanged nces. They were all contemting how to tell Nox that Hendrix had already been killed by Helen earlier.

    They knew how Nox had trained for years just for this moment. They didn''t know how he would feel if they told him that Hendrix was already dead.

    "What is it?" Nox asked, sensing something was wrong. His voice carried a hint of concern.

    Nyx took a deep breath. Though it hurt her as well, she decided it was best to tell Nox and get it over with.

    As she turned to speak, however, her eyes widened in shock. Someone was standing behind Nox, and her heart rate sped up.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones

 Chapter 236: Meeting Again

    "What is it?" Wendy asked in confusion as she saw Nyx''s widened eyes, which looked like those of someone who had seen a ghost. Wendy had never seen Nyx so shocked; the raven-haired girl usually masked her emotions and always walked around with an indifferent expression.

    Seeing her like this, Wendy, Nox, Rab, and Cole couldn''t help but turn toward the direction Nyx was staring at so intensely.

    As soon as they saw Hendrix in the distance, Wendy, Cole, and Rab''s mouths hung open, their eyes also widening in shock. Nox was slightly confused by their reactions¡ªwhy were they acting as if they had seen a ghost?

    He inwardly pondered this before locking eyes with the masked figure, his gaze sharpening. Though he couldn''t see the figure''s face, Nox noticed the familiar white hair sticking out from the side of the mask and the wild, dark aura pouring from him effortlessly.

    Step! Step!

    For a brief moment, silence reigned, broken only by the sound of raindrops and Hendrix''s footsteps. Tension filled the air, and the rain suddenly became more intense. A strong gust of wind swept through the surroundings, making everyone''s clothes flutter wildly.

    "How?" Nyx''s stammering voice broke the heavy silence, filled with disbelief and confusion.

    "Those sparks... I''m very sure he was eliminated," Wendy murmured with trembling lips. She briefly wondered if her eyes were deceiving her.

    Rab''s lips quivered as he pointed out, "If he''s here... then who did the pir eliminate?" The memory of the massive bloody pir descending on Hendrix, along with the deep crater it left, shed in his mind. A wave of fear momentarily washed over Rab, and his legs began trembling slightly.

    If he can survive a powerful attack like that... is he even beatable? This unsettling thought was silently shared among the four of them.

    Hearing their words left Nox confused again. He turned his gaze away from Hendrix, still a few meters away, and asked his teammates in a slightly deep voice, "Did something happen when I was away?"

    "Y-yes," Wendy stuttered, taking a breath to steady herself before continuing. "While you were gone, we got ambushed by the Armstrong siblings. We fought as hard as we could and managed to push them back. But then, the other teams¡ªand Hendrix¡ªshowed up too..."

    While Wendy exined to Nox, the audience outside the mysterious realm was in turmoil. The Cromwells, who had been loud just moments ago, were now silent, their faces a mixture of horror and confusion.

    "How? I thought he was eliminated," one spectator voiced with disbelief.

    "Damn it, I thought we''d already won this tournament," another added with a crestfallen expression.

    "Wait... now that I think about it, he never appeared on the fighting tform like the others."

    "Slowpokes. I noticed that from the beginning, but I wasn''t sure because so many people were popping out of the mysterious realm," one man muttered with narrowed eyes.

    Helen, who had stayed to watch the tournament after being eliminated¡ªmostly because of Nox¡ªfound her expression shifting as well. The overwhelming disy Nox had shown earlier had sparked something within her, but seeing Hendrix unscathed changed everything.

    The next moment, however, a smile crept onto her face. She eagerly awaited the showdown between Nox and Hendrix. She wasn''t sure what trick Hendrix had used to survive, but she knew that he would be a powerful foe to ovee.

    "I wonder how you''ll fare, little Nox," she whispered with a light smile. Her other teammates, who had also stayed behind, shivered slightly as they recalled their gruesome deaths inside the mysterious realm. To them, it didn''t matter who won this tournament, but they would appreciate if Nox suffered a death far worse than theirs to quench the resentment they held against him.

    While the Cromwells looked pale and uneasy, a flicker of hope lit up the eyes of the Armstrongs. With Jared, they were confident about aeback. With anxious faces, their hearts pounded collectively, adding to the tension that was already crackling in the air.

    In the judges'' seats, their expressions remained neutral. Zarek and Briget, the vice principal of Vermilion Royal Academy, weren''t surprised. As a judge, Briget had been closely monitoring the tournament and knew that Hendrix had never left the realm. Still, she couldn''t help but wonder what trick he had used to avoid elimination.

    Instead of surprise, excitement gleamed in Briget''s purple eyes, and her bountiful chest rose with anticipation.

    Back inside the mysterious realm, Nox had just finished listening to Wendy''s exnation.

    "Is that so?" he muttered to no one in particr as his gaze returned to Hendrix, who had stopped moving. Droplets of rain slid down his mask, and his white robe¡ªthough wet¡ªfluttered wildly in the wind.

    "Though I don''t know what trick you used to survive and fool everyone, I''m d you didn''t die," Nox said calmly, locking eyes with Hendrix. Those dark eyes gleamed as he added with a smirk, "Let me guess... the one who got eliminated was a clone of you, right?"

    Hendrix made a subtle movement, a shift that didn''t escape Nox and the others.

    "I thought as much," Nox said with a slight smirk. "People with skills like yours are always annoying to deal with." He briefly recalled the incident in Snowhelm. "But don''t worry, I know how to deal with your kind."

    "You''ve changed a lot," Hendrix eventually spoke, his voice low and rough. "And I see you''ve taken lives." He paused, then chuckled, a sound that sent chills through the audience. Even Nox was momentarily caught off guard, but he regainedposure very quickly; so fast that no one even noticed.

    Hendrix pped his hands, the sound echoing ominously. "This is great. Very great. I thought you''d break after a few attacks from me¡ªbut here you are, standing tall. Impressive."

    "But that alone won''t save you from my wrath," he added, his voice dark and dangerous: "Let''s not keep them waiting any longer. Show me what kind of monster you''ve be."

    ___

    Like usually Thanks for Reading Supreme BeastTamer! More Golden Tickets and Power Stones please ??

 Chapter 237: Betting Everything

    As if sensing the impending battle, the storm raged across the skies of the mysterious realm, and thunder roared like a beast hungry for destruction. This wasn''t prenned by the organizers of the tournament; it was pure coincidence. The spectacle only made everyone outside restless as they watched with bated breath.

    With each second that passed, the tension in the air only built up. The Cromwell and Armstrong families offered silent prayers to various Pantheon gods of Eos, knowing full well the stakes at hand. Even the others, though no longer participating in the tournament as all their towns had been wiped out, watched anxiously, fidgeting among themselves.

    Deep inside, they silently prayed for the Cromwells to emerge victorious. Between two evils, they chose the lesser, for Hendrix had brutally beaten everyone in their barony, including children and the elderly. Though the Cromwells hadn''t offered refuge during the beast tide, they were known to mind their own business. The others thought it wouldn''t be so bad to give their resources to these people.

    Of course, Hendrix was only one person surrounded by five Awakened. No one underestimated him; they had done so once and learned the hard way, and they had no intention of repeating that mistake.

    At the Landon stand, Jared wore aplicated expression as he watched the massive screen.

    "So strong," he muttered, his gaze fixed on Nox''s handsome features. Those green eyes gleamed with reverence as Jared thought back to Nox''s devastating bloodstorm that had wiped out his team. Jared had tried to fight the blood weapons with his Vine Master ss but waspletely overwhelmed.

    At that moment, Jared realized that he never stood a chance against Nox from the beginning. If they had fought each other, Jared wouldn''t have even known how he had died. Yet he had no regrets¡ªthis entire tournament hadn''t been a waste.

    Though he didn''t win, he had gained the attention of the love of his life. Now, all he wanted to do was watch the sh between the tournament''s two favorites.

    "There have been several ups and downs in this tournament¡ªseveral surprises¡ªbut here we are, folks. This is the final showdown! The fight that will determine the fate of the western region!" Klein''s voice boomed. He had witnessed so many surprises that there was no longer any surprise left on his face.

    "Hey, Nathan, want to ce a bet?" The duke''s voice rang out from his curtain, carrying a confidence that could be felt by all the lords present. "Or are you too scared?"

    Nathan gave the duke a defiant stare. "Scared? Pfft." He burst into hystericalughter, holding his stomach, his crazy personality resurfacing. In a strong, self-assured voice, he said, "Of course my grandkid will win this fight."

    "Very well then." The duke smiled, noting the confidence in Nathan''s voice. The shadows on the duke''s face grew darker as he said, "If your grandkid loses, you''ll give up not just 50% of your monthly resources, but 100%."

    "What?!" The other lords eximed in shock. The duke was truly heartless! How could he propose such a bet? Even Kron, standing beside the duke, widened his eyes in disbelief at the audacity.

    Kron pondered whether to advise the duke but wisely kept his mouth shut. The duke wasn''t someone who made blind decisions. For him to propose something like this only meant he was confident in Hendrix''s victory.

    But this level of confidence in another person was just... too much. Considering Nox''s outstanding performance so far, even Kron wouldn''t bet that much on himself if he were the one fighting.

    Whispers spread among the lords.

    "He''s mad... the duke''s lost it," the lord of the Landon barony spat. "One hundred percent? That''s suicide."

    "100% resources... wouldn''t that leave the town in crisis?" one lordmented, unable to imagine how a town could survive if it had to hand over all of its ie every month.

    "With 50%, they could still livefortably and afford two meals a day, but 100%? They''d barely scrape by."

    "If Nathan epts, his town is finished. What kind of wager is this?"

    "I thought Nox had this in the bag... but for the duke to be this confident¡ªdoes Hendrix have a hidden card?"

    "Damn it, does the duke know something we don''t? Maybe Hendrix is even more dangerous than we thought."

    "Nathan, although I don''t like you much, I advise you to reject this offer," one lord said to Nathan.

    "He''s right," the lord of the Landon barony chimed in. Unlike the others, he had a good rtionship with the Cromwells because of Han, whose sister was his wife. He couldn''t bear to see the people of his wife''s town starve to death.

    Augh came from the duke''s direction, filled with scorn and ridicule. "Go ahead and submit. After all, cowards submit together. It seems your earlier confidence was just a facade. Tch, What a disgrace."

    "Don''t listen to him," Lord Landon advised in a very strong voice.

    Nathan''s arms trembled as a grin slowly spread across his bony face.

    ''This stubborn man...'' Lord Landon thought bitterly as he saw that look on Nathan''s face. He knew it too well¡ªit was the look Nathan wore whenever he was about to make a reckless decision. As if reading his thoughts, Nathan looked at the duke with a burning gaze and shouted:

    "I ept!" His voice echoed.

    "This fool!" the other lords cursed.

    "I knew this bastard wouldn''t fold easily. Now I regret even advising him," one lord muttered bitterly.

    Even Lord Landon shook his head in exasperation. He had tried his best; now, all he could do was pity the Cromwells for having a crazy man as their leader.

    ''Tsk, unfortunate souls,'' he thought.

    "Good." The duke nodded in satisfaction. "I knew you were no cow¡ª"

    Nathan interrupted suddenly: "But why don''t we make it even more interesting?"

    "What is it? I''m all ears."

    "You relinquish your title as duke and hand it over to Nox," Nathan said with a smile.

    "Huh? A ten-year-old duke?" the lords eximed, shocked. What they heard next left them even more stunned.

    "I ept!" the duke''s voice echoed.

    "Damn it, they''ve both lost their minds," one lord muttered.

    Inside the mysterious realm, unaware of the heightened stakes, Nox and Hendrix stood only a few feet apart, the air between them crackling with suffocating tension.

    A momentter, both of them moved from their positions.

    ----

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones, I really appreciate!

 Chapter 238: The Final Fight [1]

    "Let me fight him!"

    "Panda fight!"

    "Please, his cockiness is irritating me already."

    A series of chaotic voices all talking at once filled Nox''s mind. These voices belonged to none other than Fluffington and Thirteen. Their collective voice was enough to make one go mad, but Nox had long gotten used to it; he could even shut them up if he wished to, and that was what he did.

    The attention-splitting training he had with his master Eve enabled him topletely shut the voices in his head.

    ''Not now, I need to beat him myself,'' Nox convinced himself, eyes burning with determination.

    He nced to the side, staring at Wendy, Nyx, Rab, and Cole. He had earlier instructed them to give him and Hendrix some space, and although they were reluctant at first, they eventually listened to him.

    "They''re still too close," Nox muttered to himself as a brief gleam of worry shed through his mind. Their eyes were fierce, and it seemed as though they were telling Nox that they''d jump into the fight if things escted.

    He sighed helplessly, then returned his gaze to Hendrix''s masked face, which was still shrouded. His white hair was slick with rain; his arms were now covered by ck jagged gauntlets with golden details like runes inscribed all over them. Nox''s gaze lingered on those gauntlets that were slowly giving off a silent hum and held his dagger firmly; the hilt briefly shed with a sharp light.

    Then, as if by prior agreement, following a resounding boom, both of them disappeared from their spots.

    BOOOM!

    A mini explosion urred at the spot they previously stood, sting chunks of the muddy earth, due to the rain, into the air.

    "Here it is! The fight has officially begun!" Klein''s voice boomed through the surroundings, causing everyone to clench the arms of their seats, eyes widened with nervous expressions.

    Both their bodies were a blur of motion, and within just a few seconds, the two met at the center and shed! A loud explosion rang out as they began to trade blows. Nox''s eyes were fierce as his daggers shed like lightning in a cold night through the air, targeting vital parts of Hendrix''s body.

    Shing! Shing! Shing!

    "Nice, very nice!" Hendrixughed as gold and white shes shed repeatedly in the air as his gauntlets met each of Nox''s shes, as if he could see some seconds into the future. The two were shing at such astonishing speed that Nyx and the others could vaguely follow what was happening.

    The only thing that they saw and heard were several white and golden shes that illuminated the mysterious realm due to the roaring dark clouds above them.

    "I can''t see a thing!" Cole couldn''t help but squint his eyes.

    "Is Nox winning?" Rab asked.

    Wendy shook her head. Because she was at a much higher level than the other two, her eyesight was slightly better; as such, she could see more clearlypared to the others. Without taking her gaze off the fight, she said in a dark voice, "They''re evenly matched for now."

    "It''s as if they''re both testing each other," Nyxmented, flicking a strand of wet hair that had stuck to her face behind her ears. Then she walked forward with eyes filled with worry as she added, "But that would soon change."

    As if on cue, the two increased the tempo of their fight, and the sounds of metal shing against each other reverberated. Every swing from Nox was faster than thest, building momentum until his attacks became literally a hurricane; however, Hendrix''s gauntlets glowed even more fiercely as he deflected each and every attack.

    Nox felt his muscles burn as he tightened his grasp on the hilt of his weapon. He was beginning to get irritated because of Hendrix''s fast reflexes, but he calmed the anger as soon as it appeared. He channeled that anger into his sh, making the air sizzle as the bowling wind echoed.

    Golden and white shes appeared in Nathan''s eyes as he watched the scene intensely, without looking away even for a split second. Though he didn''t show it on his face, his heart was beating quite loudly; in contrast, the duke sat calmly watching the fight with a slight smirk on his face.

    "I can''t watch this!" Someone from the Cromwell duchy couldn''t help but exim as he turned his face from the fight.

    "I can''t believe this! Nox is truly on par with young master Hendrix," another said with an incredulous look on his face. Nox and Hendrix were moving and exchanging blows at the same speed! A mini-explosion rocked the mysterious realm whenever they met.

    CLANG! CLANG!

    Though the fight was taking ce inside the mysterious realm, the intensity of their shes caused even the massive magical screen to flicker as if it would go off!

    Hearing that, some Amstrong citizens sneered from their side. "On par?" That person clicked his tongue in disdain as he pointed out, "If you noticed, young master Hendrix has yet to make any attack; the bumpkin is the one exhausting his strength."

    "True, you''re right." The eyes of the person who spoke first lit up. "Hahahaha, how was I so blind to see this? The young master probably wants to drain the bumpkin of all his stamina first."

    Whether it was done purposely or a coincidence, the Cromwells and the Amstrongs were ced side by side. There had already been a few verbal altercations between both sides since the fight started, but it had not escted to fights. As they heard the words of the Amstrong Duchy, unease began to spread in the hearts of the Cromwells.

    If this was Hendrix''s n from the start, then... then the fight wouldn''t be as easy as they thought.

    Inside the mysterious realm, things were getting more heated, and the rain had also be more intense. A trail of sharp white light shimmered in the air, splitting a drop of rain apart. Nox''s narrowed as he saw the line of sh heading toward Hendrix''s throat.

    Nox''s dark eyes glowed intensely. ''This is it!!!'' he screamed internally as he saw the dagger biting into Hendrix''s throat.

    However...

    ''W-what?'' Nox''s eyes shrank a little as he saw Hendrix spin and twist his head awkwardly in a way that shouldn''t even be possible for humans, evading the vicious swing. Sidestepping, he didn''t waste even a second and followed up with an attack of his own.

    BANG!

    Nox staggered back as Hendrix''s gauntlet mmed into his face, forcing him a couple of steps back, rainwater sshing beneath his feet.

    "Now, it''s my turn to attack!" Hendrix growled as he charged in.

    "The tables have changed; Hendrix has finally decided to make his move," Klein announced, excitement tingling in his voice, and immediately an uproar arose through the crowd, causing their collective heartbeats to speed up by a notch.

    While the Cromwells had ashen expressions on their faces, the Amstrongs were livid.

    "Hahahaha, I can feel it! The bumpkin is about to experience a whole world of pain!" one of themughed as he saw the dazed expression on Nox''s face upon being caught off guard.

    At the Amstrong stand, in a designated area, the Amstrong siblings stared at the unfolding fight with dark expressions on their faces. Their faces, which had been injured badly just a couple of seconds ago, had now regained their previous radiant look. This was another effect of the mysterious realm.

    All injuries and pain were only temporary. Immediately upon exit, they returned to the state they had been in when they had entered the mysterious realm.

    "He''s done for," the first brother, Adam, muttered under his breath as he saw the concussive shockwave bursting outward from Hendrix''s body. He knew this action too well; after all, he had been a victim of it once in the past, and the memories of it hadn''t been pleasant at all.

    "So bad, for some reason, I want that Nox to win this fight," the third sistermented.

    "You''re not the only one," the second brother growled with bloodshot eyes. "I hope he loses so that father would finally see that he isn''t anything special."

    "We all want him to lose," the fourth brother added, unpleasant memories surfacing. Of all the Armstrongs, he had suffered the most at Hendrix''s hands.

    Inside the mysterious realm...

    "Damn it!" Nox cursed, his vision spinning. It felt like a brick had hit his face. For a moment, he saw two Hendrixes, though it was just the disorienting effect of the attack. Shaking his head, he forced the dizziness away.

    When rity returned, Nox felt suffocated. A powerful forcefield mmed into him, making his body weaken slightly. Hendrix''s body hummed with golden light, the gauntlets glowing fiercely.

    "What kind of weapon is that?" Nox wondered, confusion flickering across his face.

    Dismissing the thought, he activated [Divine Velocity!]. A golden glow enveloped his body, and his dark eyes shed with sharp light.

    ''I''ve learned his fighting pattern. With Divine Velocity, I can counter his attacks!'' Nox thought, clenching his fist.

    He exploded forward.

    But mid-step, his expression darkened as Hendrix mmed his gauntlets together, releasing another forcefield. The st halted Nox''s momentum.

    "W-why can''t I move?" Nox stammered, staring at Hendrix, who smirked.

    "You''d be a fool to think I ever underestimated you," Hendrix said, closing the distance. His voice dripped with confidence as he dered, "The same thing that happened five years ago will happen again today!"

 Chapter 239: Final Fight [2]

    Nox felt an invisible, suffocating force weigh down on him like a mountain, making his knees buckle. Confusion flickered across Nox''s eyes as he tried to understand what was going on.

    ''What kind of skill is this?'' he thought in horror but didn''t let it show in his eyes. Each step he took felt like dragging himself through wet cement. ''Is this some sort of time-warp skill?'' Nox pondered, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead.

    "Something is wrong!" Rab pointed out with a horrified expression. Even the others had noticed that something was indeed wrong.

    "Why is he so slow? It''s as if he''s struggling," Cole muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes. Though the rain beat down furiously, they could still see the fight clearly thanks to being Awakened.

    Because of this, they were able to see Nox''s painfully slow movements, and their eyes were immediately filled with worry.

    "S-should we help him?" Wendy, who had been fidgeting with her hands all this time, couldn''t help but speak up, her eyes fixed on Hendrix, who was taking slow, deliberate steps towards Nox, water sshing beneath him.

    Wendy suddenly felt cold and rubbed her arms as she added in a low voice, "I know he said he wants to do this alone, but¡ª"

    "No ''but''." Nyx interrupted her without a moment''s hesitation. Her words briefly stunned the others, and they couldn''t help but turn to her.

    Nyx sensed their collective gaze, but she didn''t respond immediately, her eyes remaining fixed on Nox. Then she said, "If we help him, Nox would hate us for life."

    "But he''s going to lose at this rate," Wendy protested. "I''d rather let Nox be angry at me than see him get brutally beaten by that white-haired freak a second time."

    During their time in Snowhelm, Wendy and Nox had grown very familiar with each other; the fights and training together had forged a certain level of bond between them. She now saw him as her reliable younger brother.

    Nyx briefly nced at Wendy and exhaled a deep sigh. She didn''t really know how to convince the white-haired girl. Nyx had never seen Nox with such a burning gaze before. Just like Wendy, her fists were clenched, flickering with pulses of white light, and she was barely holding herself back from rushing over to fight Hendrix. But she knew this was Nox''s fight.

    If they lent a helping hand, he would be very angry and disappointed in himself.

    "Let''s wait," she said aftering up with a way to temporarily calm Wendy. "If things get too dangerous, we''ll step in."

    "If things get too dangerous," Wendy repeated, as if trying to hold Nyx ountable for her words. To this, Nyx nodded.

    "I told you, Nathan going through with that bet was a terrible decision. Now look!" a baron shouted when he saw Nox moving at a snail''s pace.

    "He deserves it. Next time, he won''t be so cocky," another added.

    "Hmph." Nathan merely sneered, his gaze fixed on the massive magical screen. His eyes burned with intensity, a wide smile still stered on his face.

    "He''s truly lost it," someone eximed, noticing Nathan''s slightly crazed expression.

    In the designated area for the Armstrong siblings, the fourth brother frowned and asked in an inquisitive voice, "I still don''t understand how Fifth Brother''s skill works. Is there a way to counter it?"

    The eldest brother, who had the most experience with the skill after fighting Hendrix countless times, shook his head bitterly. "Sadly, no... at least, not that I know of," he said. "Fifth Brother''s Aegis Burst is in the Ultimate rank, after all."

    "U-Ultimate rank?" The fourth brother''s eyes widened. He wasn''t the only one shocked; even the third sister and second brother were wide-eyed at this revtion.

    Ultimate skills were very expensive and rare. Though they knew their father, the duke, was wealthy, purchasing something like this would put a significant dent in the duchy''s finances.

    A grim expression crossed the eldest brother''s face as he nodded. "I only found out about this recently... and I don''t think Father gave it to him."

    "Then who did? Did he find it in a dimension or something?"

    "I think someone is spoon-feeding Hendrix, giving him resources to aid him with something," the eldest brother said in a very low voice, as if afraid someone might overhear him. "I''ve been observing him for some time, and I''ve seen himmunicate through a crystal... with someone he treats very respectfully¡ªmore so than he treats Father."

    The weight of this revtion cast a heavy silence over them, giving them much to ponder. Now that they thought about it, there had always been someone watching over Hendrix.

    "Are you saying Fifth Brother is a... mole? And that person gave him an ultimate skill?" the third sister whispered, her voice barely audible, though her heart pounded in her chest. If their theory was right, whoever was backing Hendrix wasn''t someone to be trifled with.

    Someone who could casually hand out an ultimate skill had to be at the level of the king or a guild leader from the capital.

    "Most likely," the eldest brother said with confidence.

    "Shouldn''t we report this to Father? We finally have something to use against him!" the fourth brother eximed, his eyes lighting up with excitement. However, his expression darkened as he sat back down. "Right... no concrete evidence. Father probably wouldn''t believe us."

    "Soon," the eldest brother nodded with determination. "We''ll eventually find evidence and bring it to Father. Then he''ll see that Hendrix isn''t anything special."

    The four siblings shared a silent agreement and turned their focus back to the massive screen.

    "Nox has found himself in a very troublesome position! Can he get out of this?" Klein announced.

    ---

    Inside the mysterious realm:

    "Don''t bother fighting," Hendrix said, his voice cutting through the rain as the golden details on his gauntleted arms glowed fiercely.

    ''A skill that could counter my ultimate skill could only be an ultimate skill as well,'' Nox thought grimly, bringing his arms together to shield himself from a crushing punch that made him stagger backward.

    Unlike Nox, Hendrix''s movements weren''t restricted. He was fluid and swift. Water sshed beneath him as he charged at Nox like a whirlwind, his gauntleted fists swinging wildly with precision.

    The powerful blows caused the air around them to distort slightly.

    BANG! BANG!

    Though the barrage of punches flew at lightning-fast speed, Nox managed to deflect and dodge the fatal hits¡ªjust barely¡ªas the devastating strikes mmed into him.

    ''How?!'' Hendrix thought, confused. ''How is he moving despite being under Aegis Burst?'' He clenched his fist andunched another punch, but the same thing happened again.

    ''This confirms it,'' Hendrix''s eyes gleamed with realization. ''This kid also possesses an ultimate skill.''

    In Eos, it was widely known that ultimate skills could never fully cancel each other out.

    "Then I''ll just have to increase my speed!" Hendrix shouted, charging again. The two shed in a storm of punches, kicks, and daggers, causing the ground beneath them to split apart. But it was clear Nox was on the losing end.

    Each of Hendrix''s punches was not only painful¡ªlike a colossal hammer¡ªbut also drained arge portion of Nox''s HP.

    ''Distance! I need distance to use Shadow Oblivion!'' Nox thought through gritted teeth. That was the weakness of Shadow Oblivion¡ªalthough powerful, it couldn''t be used at close range. He needed space between him and his target.

    At such close range, the skill would eliminate both the target and himself.

    Nox immediately ruled out Shadow Oblivion and tried to think of another skill, but he didn''t have the luxury. Hendrix''s fist came crashing down again, forcing Nox to twist his body at an awkward angle to dodge.

    BOOOOOM!

    The sheer force of the missed punch shattered the ground beneath them, sending fragments of stone flying. Nox gritted his teeth, his muscles burning from the constant strain. His heart pounded like a war drum, and his stamina was depleting fast.

    If this continued, he wouldn''tst much longer.

    From the sidelines, Nyx''s hands twitched. She clenched her fists harder, every instinct screaming at her to intervene. Wendy bit her lip, and both Cole and Rab were as pale as sheets of paper.

    Outside the mysterious realm, the confidence in Nathan''s eyes began to falter.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones and gifts, I really appreciate. If you noticed I have been uploading only 1 chapter for two days now, this is because I''m not feeling too well, there would likely be no chapter tomorrow, but I''ll try my best to ulooad if possible.

 Chapter 240: Final Fight [3]

    Bridget watched Nox and Hendrix duke it out, her wide eyes flickering with craziness. She didn''t want to miss a second of this fight. Unlike the others, she didn''t care about the oue; all she wanted was to see how far these two could push themselves.

    "The two of them should be able to get into the Alpha ss quite easily," Bridget smiled, her gaze shifting to Hendrix, who had shown the most promise since the beginning of the fight. Her eyes shed with greed as she muttered softly to herself, "But he... he should be able to get into the special ss."

    The special ss of the Vermilion Royal Academy was made up of prodigies that appeared once in a hundred years. They were the kingdom''s most valuable assets and were often referred to as the kingdom''s crouching tigers.

    As the name suggests, none of these people were ordinary in any way; each was exceptional, equivalent to a one-man army, possessing the ability to decimate the enemy''s frontline.

    Bridget decided not to draw any conclusions just yet and resolved to watch how the fight would y out.

    ---

    Back inside the mysterious realm.

    "Why don''t we take it a step further?" Hendrix dered in a booming voice as the golden details on his gauntlet burned intensely, like a zing me ready to devour anything in its path.

    ''I''m not letting him hit me with this,'' Nox thought. Just by gazing at the roaring golden me, he could tell it would chip away a huge chunk of health. His mind began to race as he thought of ways to counter it.

    Under Nox''s calcting gaze, Hendrix charged forward and punched the air. A thunderous explosion, simr to a cannon st, detonated in the air, and Nox saw a tunnel of mes heading toward him at breakneck speed. The wind howled fiercely, and the air crackled with energy.

    When the roaring me tunnel entered a one-meter radius, a smirk crawled up Nox''s features.

    Those watching outside the mysterious realm saw the smile on Nox''s face. They thought he had gone mad, overwhelmed by the situation¡ªuntil their eyes widened in shock at what they saw.

    Just a couple of seconds before the ming golden tunnel could devour Nox, he vanished.

    "He used it again!" someone from the crowd eximed, recalling that Nox had used the same skill while facing the firstborn of the Armstrong Duchy.

    "But how will that help him against Hendrix?" a member of the Cromwell family stammered with an ashen expression. That man was an experienced Awakened who had ventured into the Portal in the Cromwell barony a few times. Because of his vast experience, he could easily point out the problem.

    "From the look of things, Hendrix seems to be using a gravitational skill to hinder little Nox''s movement. I don''t think turning invisible will help him in this situation."

    "You''re right. I''ve faced a couple of Assassin-type Awakened in the past, and one thing I realized is that they could still get hurt if you know where they are."

    This was the consensus among the experienced Awakened and the barons.

    But they were wrong!

    ---

    [Phantom''s Cloak activated!]

    [Phantom''s Cloak Description (Ultimate Skill): The user bespletely invisible for up to 5 minutes. While in this state, they gain a +10 increase in Agility, can pass through solid objects, and gain the ability to turn any object invisible. MP Cost: 20 MP to activate, plus -5 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 3 minutes]

    ''I hope Phantom''s Cloak will work against this strange force,'' Nox thought, but a grimace soon crossed his face. Though he could still feel the strain of Aegis Burst, it was much more tolerable. He didn''t know why, but he figured it was probably because he was in an incorporeal state and had additional stats added to his agility.

    ''Alright, let''s do this,'' Nox thought and moved from his spot.

    A brief gleam of confusion flickered in Hendrix''s eyes when he saw Nox vanish into thin air. Before he could fully register everything, a red line shed through the air, followed by a fountain of blood.

    Hendrix''s eyes shrank as he looked at his chest, now split open slightly and dripping with blood.

    Then another line shed horizontally through the air, creating yet another gash on Hendrix''s chest, spilling even more blood onto the ground, which was quickly washed away by the heavy downpour of rain.

    Confusion and brief worry appeared on Hendrix''s previously confident face. He was no fool. He knew Nox had somehow turned invisible, and this was no good sign. Hendrix felt exposed in the presence of his unseen opponent. What was worse was that the duration of Aegis Burst hade to an end.

    Still keeping the golden glow on his gauntlet active, Hendrix took a fighting stance and scanned the area, though his vision was slightly blurry due to blood loss and rain.

    ''Damn it,'' Hendrix cursed in frustration. The heavy downpour made it hard for him to detect Nox. Usually, Awakened with invisibility-type skills made sounds, and experienced fighters could detect them.

    But with this chaotic downpour, it was nearly impossible to detect any sound. Blood dripped from Hendrix''s chest, blending into the puddles below, as the familiar red screen announcing HP loss glimmered in his vision.

    ''I need to find a way to draw him out.''

    Meanwhile, still invisible, Nox continued to circle Hendrix. ''I need to find the right spot to use this skill,'' he thought, looking at the dagger in his hands. His eyes shed with murderous intent as he focused on Hendrix, who was desperately searching for any sign of him. Through his visor, Nox saw Hendrix''s eyes.

    The fury in them bordered on desperation.

    Seeing this sight, Nox dered in a confidence voice:  "I need to strike somewhere fatal... then it will all be over!"

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones, I I really appreciate.

 Chapter 241: Final Fight: A Backup?

    ''His heart,'' Nox thought, clenching his dagger tightly. "That''s the ce I need to attack... and I need to make it as deep as I can if I want this bastard to feel maximum pain, something far more intense."

    As he thought about the cruelest way to kill Hendrix, his thoughts briefly drifted back to what had happened five years ago.

    Nox''s eyes became aze as he lunged in again. Though he was expending a lot of MP points to keep Phantom Cloak active, he didn''t mind. With movements that almost felt imperceptible, he quickly covered the distance between him and Hendrix. A faint ripple of air announced his position just before the de of his dagger skimmed Hendrix''s arm, leaving a thin bleeding line.

    "Curses!" Hendrix sucked in a deep breath through gritted teeth as he felt an intense pain in his arm; his patience was slowly wearing thin.

    "Hahahaha! I knew themander couldn''t be defeated so easily," Rab shouted in joy from the sidelines, his previously gloomy face lighting up once more.

    The anxiety on Wendy''s face was starting to gradually dissipate, as was Nyx''s, who slowly unclenched her fist. A rare soft smile appeared on her face as she saw the tables turn in this fight. Even Nathan''s confidence was slowly returning.

    Meanwhile, the duke''s expression darkened more and more, and an aggressive aura poured out from his box. Even from his position, he could sense that Hendrix had really found himself in a tough spot.

    ...

    "Little bastard, I won''t let you keep sneaking around!" Hendrix shouted, awkwardly raising his gauntlet high.

    "Nice try," Nox smirked, clearly seeing through Hendrix''s n to draw out his location. In that moment, a mischievous n formed in his mind, and he darted behind Hendrix, saying in a cold voice, "Your trick won''t work on me."

    A cruel smirk appeared on Hendrix''s face as he spun his body with incredible speed, as if he were made of stic. His gauntlet glowed intensely as he struck forward. "Bastard, you just fell for¡ª"

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Hendrix''s fist collided with something; he could feel it, but at the same time, he felt as if he had punched nothing. The feeling was so perplexing that Hendrix didn''t even know how to describe it.

    Meanwhile, Nox stared at the fist that had passed through his stomach. He executed another sh movement and made another cut¡ªthis time across Hendrix''s thigh. Hendrix stumbled backward, gritting his teeth as the wound sent a jolt of pain through his body.

    Shing!

    Another cut was made on his other thigh!

    Then another one was made on his chest, spilling blood on Nox''s invisible face. A frown appeared on Nox''s face as he retrieved his dagger. "It isn''t deep enough."

    Hendrix''s eyes went bloodshot; the pain nearly drove him mad, and his strikes became erratic, throwing punches into empty air as he tried to force Nox out of his invisible state. During their exchanges, Nox attacked Hendrix''s chest, but Hendrix seemed to have figured out what he was doing, so he sacrificed his blood to parry the de''s attack.

    He could tell Nox was aiming for something by repeatedly attacking him there, and he wouldn''t allow him to achieve that.

    "Ahhhhhh!!!!!" he shouted in desperation as Nox continued his barrage of shes. Several thin lines appeared across Hendrix''s body like... A huge puddle of blood had umted below their feet.

    In the audience, Bridget''s eyes were wide,pletely entranced. A momentter, a bitter expression flickered across her face as she muttered, "It seems I drew my conclusion too early... they both belong in the special ss."

    As the shes became even more evident, the spectators leaned forward in their seats, holding their breath. Helen''s smile widened. "So this is what he''s capable of... with all this blood, I''m sure I could''ve passed..." Helen''s breath hitched slightly as she realized something. "They''re both monsters in their own right!"

    "Hahahaha, this is such a rare sight." The second brotherughed heartily as he saw the desperation in Hendrix''s fighting style. "I never thought I''d see this day."

    "Something about the pain he''s going through is just so satisfying," the third sister chimed in, but then her eyes shed with fear. "If Hendrix is in such a condition, does this mean this kid could beat all of us together?"

    A cold shiver passed through all the siblings present. Though they were eliminated, deep down they still thought they could defeat him together. But now, witnessing this sight, a seed of doubt was beginning to form in their hearts.

    "Damn it, this kid is really going to win!" a lord eximed from the VIP area.

    "Is this the reason this mad dog was so confident?"

    "Oi, old man, what did you give your grandson to make him this strong at such a young age?"

    As the others were whispering among themselves, the duke''s voice, cold, confident, and ominous, rang out. "It''s not over yet."

    "Not over yet?" The others were shocked, and one of them couldn''t help but exim, "Hendrix can hardly stand on his feet! What do you mean it''s not over yet?"

    "Over?" The duke clicked his tongue in disdain. "I would be crazy to bet everything if I wasn''t confident in winning."

    At that moment, the duke pointed at the screen. "Look."

    Everyone''s gaze snapped toward the screen.

    Just then, they witnessed Hendrix drop to one knee, his breathing ragged, rain pouring down his mask as he looked around wildly. But Nox was already one step ahead, his Phantom Cloak now deactivated. He positioned himself directly behind Hendrix, his de ready for one final devastating strike.

    The other lords were perplexed. Hendrix was clearly about to lose; what was the duke hoping to show them? Could it be he had be delusional because of the weight of the stakes on the line?

    ''Though I was aiming for his heart, even his back won''t be so bad,'' Nox thought as he gripped his dagger tightly, and in one swift movement, he delivered a decisive cut across Hendrix''s back.

    Staaab!

    The impact forced Hendrix to copse, his gauntlet finally dimming as his strength faded.

    The other lords turned to the duke, about to tell him to just give up, but he beat them to it, saying, his voice still as confident as before, "Look closely."

    Though reluctant, they looked and...

    ***

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 Chapter 242: Final Fight: Overload?

    Though reluctant, they looked, and their eyes widened at what they saw.

    "No way!" a lord eximed.

    "What is happening to him?"

    Nathan''s eyes shrank as well at what he saw, and worry flickered across his face. "This bastard¡ªwhat sort of abominable skill is that?"

    Seeing the scene unfolding inside the mysterious realm, even the spectators had jumped to their feet, especially the citizens of Cromwell Brony, who were beginning to celebrate after seeing Nox gain the upper hand.

    "What is happening to him?" Serena, who had been sitting quietly all this time, bit her lip as she turned to Aina, who was standing just a few feet away. Even the other citizens around that area instinctively turned their gazes to the tall woman''s back, their eyes filled with curiosity.

    Aina''s red hair fluttered in the wind as a sharp glint shone in her eyes. Her expression was also solemn. "It''s a skill," she responded in a dark tone, even without ncing at the worried Nox.

    Then she added in a low voice, as if not wanting the others to hear, "From the look of things, it''s a pretty powerful skill."

    "First brother, did you know about this?" the third sister inquired as she witnessed the transformation taking ce within the mysterious realm, her fingers and lips trembling. This... this was the first time she was seeing this skill. Though she wasn''t present there, she could already feel the raw, primal power Hendrix was emitting at this moment.

    Seeing the confused expression on Nox''s face only solidified these thoughts in her mind.

    The same was true for the others; it was the first time they were seeing this skill! Hendrix had never used it in any of his one-sided beat-down sessions with them.

    "No," Adam, the firstborn, spoke with a dark expression on his face, his fingers twitching. "It''s the first time I''m seeing this skill as well... but it seems Father knows about it." He paused and nced at the VIP area, where the duke was currently standing on his feet, though still covered by the curtain, which obstructed anyone from seeing his features.

    "Could it be Father gave him this skill?" the sister scratched her chin as she turned to the massive magical screen, anger briefly shing through her eyes. "Or is it the one you spoke about?"

    "I¡ªI honestly don''t know," the firstborn stammered in an unsure voice as he pointed out. "But at this point, I''m no longer sure if that Nox kid could defeat him again."

    ---

    Back inside the mysterious realm, Nox looked behind Hendrix, the de of his trusty dagger gleaming ominously under the dark sky. The loud rumble of thunder reverberated, followed by streaks of lightning that caused the mysterious realm to light up briefly.

    With his dark red hair fluttering in the heavy storm and those glowing, lightless eyes, Nox wrapped his arms tightly around his dagger.

    His gaze briefly shifted to the retinal disy shing across his eyes.

    ''If I continue to keep Phantom Cloak active, I''ll run out of mana at this rate, and I still need it for the attack,'' Nox thought as he deactivated Phantom Cloak, raised his dagger, and shed down furiously.

    *Shing!*

    The de tore through the air, shing toward Hendrix, who was now on his knees, gasping for breath. Hendrix felt his scalp numb as he sensed danger approaching. He tried to move out of the way; however, it was toote.

    Nox''s attack was fast and brutal, with no unnecessary shiness. It bit into Hendrix''s back, and a shower of blood sprayed out, sttering Nox''s face.

    "Aghhhhhh!" Hendrix roared at the top of his voice, but the roar sounded strangely like augh, which went unnoticed by Nox.

    ''Hmmm,'' Nox nced at the gaping wound through Hendrix''s thin robes. The gash the dagger inflicted was rtively deep and should have made anyone happy, but Nox frowned.

    ''It isn''t enough!'' Those dark eyes burned furiously again as he unleashed a series of dagger strikes.

    *Shing! Shing! Shing!*

    "Hahahaha! More!!!!!"

    Instead of roaring in pain as Nox had anticipated, Hendrix let out booming, maniacalughter, capable of causing non-mundane Awakened to lose their hearing. Naturally, this wasn''t a concern to Nox; however, what was rming was...

    ''Why is heughing?'' Nox thought with narrowed eyes as he clenched the dagger even more tightly. ''He''s up to something; I need to finish him as fast as I can before it''s toote.''

    However, before Nox could sh again, he noticed something unusual. Hendrix''s muscles and veins were bulging. At first, it was only subtle, but within a couple of minutes, the swelling picked up pace, and now his whole body looked like it was on the brink of bursting into fragments.

    "This!" Nox dashed forward, his de shing through the air, creating a white arc that shimmered brightly under the dark sky. However, his de bounced back as if he had struck an invisible protective shield.

    The confusion on Nox''s face grew; he went in for another sh, but he was forced back once more. Hendrix''s body wasn''t growingrger like Adam''s had; instead, it seemed as if Hendrix''s entire being was transforming from within, his skin pulsing with an unnatural light as though it were about to split open.

    Even the ground had cracked as if it couldn''t withstand the sheer force of the transformation.

    ''What sort of skill is this?'' Nox pondered as he stood some meters away, observing the transformation. There was only one way to find this skill''s description.

    "Mimicry Activated!"

    "If it''s a powerful skill, then I''ll keep it," he thought. However, before the familiar screen could appear in his retina, Nox felt a shift in the air, and the next thing he saw was that Hendrix was no longer on his knees.

    "Let''s see you stop me in my Overload state!" Hendrix sneered, charging forward with blinding speed. His pulsing fist blurred toward Nox, and Nox barely had time to dodge. He tried to shift his weight to the side, but Hendrix was simply too fast.

    *BAM!*

    Hendrix''s fist mmed into Nox''s chest, sending him hurtling backward. He crashed into the giant circr pit in the middle of the valley. As he plunged deep into the crater, he couldn''t help but recall thest thing he had heard before Hendrix''s pulsing fist mmed into him.

    "O-overload?"

    As if responding to him, the system screen also flickered to life before him.

 Chapter 243: Final Fight: New Skll?

    "Dammit!" Nyx gritted her teeth when she saw Nox being mmed into the deep crater. The others were also stunned at the drastic turn of the fight; what was even more shocking was Nyx cursing!

    Nyx was known for her fine etiquette and manners. Though she behaved like a tomboy at times, she never spoke vulgar words. If not for the situation, they could haveughed at the rarity of hearing such words from her lips.

    However, because their attention was solely focused on Nox, they didn''t even notice this.

    "Is this a good time to help now?" Rab stammered, feeling his insides heat up despite being under the rain.

    "No!" Nyx was firm in her decision. She resumed her indifferent expression, clenched her fist, and uttered in a resolute voice filled with faith, "Nox hasn''t lost yet. I know it; he''ll win this fight."

    "B-but," Wendy tried to work her jaw as she pointed at the deep crater. "How are we sure he''s even still alive inside there? That punch seemed very powerful."

    "Trust me," Nyx stated, and at that moment, by coincidence, another round of lightning lit up the mysterious realm, briefly casting a shadow across Nyx''s beautiful features. Her voice turned cold and dark as if influenced by the storm, as she said to Wendy, "And remember, he''s my brother as well.

    I also want to rush in there and lend him a helping hand, but, like I said, that stupid boy would be angry. This is his fight; we''ll not move an inch and will just watch."

    Wendy frowned as she sensed the subtle threat in Nyx''s voice. She still wanted to retort. She wanted to remind Nyx that Nyx was merely a kid and that she, Wendy, was the senior. As the senior, she naturally knew best! Yes, she knew revenge was very important for Nox, but she couldn''t afford to see the Barony lose aftering all this way, all because of some revenge.

    Her lips twitched, and she was about to say something, but Cole, who had noticed this, quickly ced a hand on her shoulder and said:

    "I know you''re worried, but like Nyx said: believe in themander."

    "Yeah." Rab also chimed in with a chuckle. "You know, there was once a time when we went on a dangerous mission."

    "D-dangerous mission?" Wendy stuttered, her eyes filled with confusion.

    "Yes, a very dangerous mission," Rab nodded with a smile on his face as he proceeded to exin with an animated expression. "That day, when we were about to steal those eggs from the mother chicken, she stood like a colossal guardian..."

    "All of us were scared, but do you know what themander did?"

    Confusion still shone in Wendy''s eyes. What was this baldy talking about?

    Nyx stared at Rab from the corner of her eye; a brief look of gratitude shed in her gaze. Who would have thought her brother''s silly shenanigans in the past would one day lighten the mood of a tense situation such as this?

    Seeing what Rab was doing, even Cole joined in the conversation.

    ---

    Falling into the giant crater, Nox didn''t hit hard, solid ground as anticipated. Instead, he found himself inside shallow water, albeit deep enough for someone to drown if they weren''t good at swimming. The water was nowhere near as pristine as the beach he had swum in back in Snowhelm when he had used his dimensional key.

    This one was filled with rocks, and Nox mmed into one of them. The jagged rocks¡ªremnants of Helen''s Blood Pir attack¡ªsent a searing pain shooting through Nox''s body. He clenched his teeth as he resisted the urge to groan in pain.

    Nox felt his ribs sting as well, but he gritted his teeth and swung his arms, swimming to the shore. However, from above, he saw a figure jumping into the crater.

    A deluge of water sshed out, and Nox hastily turned around. As expected, there was none other than Hendrix. The water rippled as Hendrix''s fist shot forward underwater.

    Boom!

    Nox hastily brought his hands forward, sessfully parrying the attack, but the overbearing force of the punch sent him reeling. He shot backward like a bullet through the water, mming hard into the wall of the pit.

    Crack! Crack!

    Spiderweb-like fractures appeared on the wall.

    "This..." Nox''s eyes shone with a mixture of fascination and slight frustration as he saw the description of the skill in his retina.

    [Overload Frenzy (Ultimate Skill): Upon reaching critical HP, the user enters a "frenzied state," pushing their body beyond normal limits at the cost of self-damage. For 60 seconds, the user gains a +50 Strength and +30 Agility boost, with each strike doubling in power but also draining HP by 5 per hit.

    This state enhances physical endurance and senses to near-superhuman levels, amplifying pain resistance and reflexes. However, the Overload Frenzy skill leaves the user weakened for 3 hours after deactivation, reducing all stats by 20%. HP Requirement: 5% or lower. Cooldown: 24 hours.]

    Of course, Nox didn''t miss the chance to get the upgraded version of this skill, which was Limit Breaker, but the drawbacks loomed ominously in his mind. Simrly to Overload Frenzy, his health was required to hit 2% or lower before he could activate the skill, and he couldn''t ignore the fact that his maximum HP would be permanently reduced.

    [Limit Breaker (Divine Ultimate Skill): Upon reaching critical HP, the user unleashes the true Abyssal Overload Frenzy, achieving an unstoppable state of power. For 90 seconds, the user''s Strength and Agility surge by +500%, and each strike generates shockwaves capable of tearing through barriers and armor.

    In this state, physical endurance, senses, and pain resistance are maximized, granting near-immunity to most debuffs. Additionally, the user can ignore lethal damage once per activation, continuing the attack despite mortal wounds.

    Special Effects:

    Dread Aura: Emits a field of intense pressure, lowering enemy Strength and Agility by 40% within a 20-meter radius.

    Reckless Empowerment: Each attack costs 2% HP, but critical hits restore HP by 1% of the damage dealt, allowing for a potentially endless assault.

    Time Distortion: Slows down the user''s perception of time by 200%, amplifying reflexes and reaction time to superhuman levels.

    Drawbacks: After the effect ends, the user''s HP drops to 1%, and all stats are halved for the next 24 hours. Each activation permanently reduces maximum HP by 5%. HP Requirement: 2% or lower. Cooldown: 72 hours.]

    As much as Nox craved strength right now, he couldn''t use this skill¡­ not yet.

    "I''ll only use this skill when all hope is lost," Nox thought, shaking off the pain. "But right now, all hope is not lost... To win this fight, I need to focus on getting out of this pit." Nox''s dagger glowed faintly underwater as he recalled the conversation he had with Rufus in the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts.

 Chapter 244: The Moment Of Truth[1]

    "Die!!!" Hendrix''s roar snapped Nox out of his thoughts. The white-haired youth was barreling through the water, causing ripples to form.

    Nox hastily swam out of the way, narrowly avoiding the crushing attack!

    BANG! Hendrix''s bulging fist mmed into the wall of the pit, sending a wave of tremors through the structure. The spider cracks expanded more in all directions, and the debris began to fall off, causing mini sshes as they entered the water.

    ''I only have 60 second. If not, I''ll be extremely weakened,'' Hendrix thought with a pale expression on his face as he nced at the towering pit walls that were now copsing.

    Just then, a huge chunk of rock that seemed to have been cut off from the pit wall plunged down. Hendrix swiftly turned around, causing a mini shockwave beneath the water as he bolted out of the way.

    BOOOM!

    A wave of water surged up as soon as therge rock made impact with the pit water. The wave rose above the rtively deep crater, causing a series of gasps in the arena.

    Because the tournament organizers hadn''t considered that a massive pit such as this would appear, there were no recording crystals installed in the pit; hence, the audience wasn''t able to see anything. All they saw was the colossal water rising up and falling back.

    The mere sight of the monstrous water made the hearts of the audience beat wildly, especially for the Cromwells. Before the fight had started, they''d witnessed Hendrix''s monstrous power, and they couldn''t imagine just what was happening inside the crater.

    BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOOOM!

    Following the first giant chunk of rock, a cascade of rocks came crashing down as though they were an avnche. Massive rocks tumbled from the pit walls with thunderous sshes.

    Hendrix was caught in the crossfire. While he was maneuvering through the waters, he spotted Nox, who was effortlessly climbing the jagged pit walls. He used the uneven walls to propel himself from one ledge to another, moving with an agility that seemed impossible given the chaotic surroundings.

    Hendrix clenched his teeth as his face darkened more and more. Time was ticking by, and Nox was getting away. He was running out of stamina and strength; he needed to finish this fight as fast as he could.

    At that moment, Hendrix shot out of the pit and bolted skyward like a supersonic rocket.

    BOOOM!

    ''T-this skill really enhances all his physical attributes,'' Nox thought as he strained the muscles in his legs and jumped out of the pit,nding just outside. He nced up just in time to see Hendrix flipping his body mid-air and shooting down like a meteor.

    The air around him rippled as Hendrix descended; the heavy gust of wind caused the air to whip against his face. There was a snarl beneath his mask, and his eyes were bloodshot. There were barely 20 seconds left before the overload frenzy came to an end.

    ''Faster! I need to be faster!'' Hendrix roared, his fists clenched tightly, veins bulging as he focused all his remaining strength into his descent. The speed at which he plunged also picked up pace; it was as if he was channeling every ounce of his anger into that free fall. The air howled around him, tearing at his skin and making his bloodshot eyes water, but Hendrix didn''t flinch.

    ''I greatly underestimated him. I can''t believe I''m struggling against him with all the assistance.'' As he drew closer to the group, about the height of a two- to three-story building, his eyes burned with determination. The only thought echoing in his mind was...

    ''I need to be faster!''

    As he saw the falling meteor, Nox, his hair whipping against his face under the stormy sky, remained unmoving from where he was and stared at Hendrix with a fearlessly expression on his face, something that greatly confused everyone. Because of the weight of the situation, they failed to notice the gleaming dagger at the side of Nox''s arm.

    ''Rufus said I just need one powerful attack, right?'' Nox distributed his weight evenly on all sides, his silver light shing across his eyes as the familiar screen describing the weapon in his grasp materialized:

    Item: Oblivion Edge (Legendary Tier)

    Description: [A wickedly curved dagger with a dark, reflective de. It was forged by Rufus Bamboozus as a way to repay his kindness to the Versal of the pantheon of mythical beasts. Forged inside the eternal blue lotus me, its hilt is adorned with intricate runes, pulsating with ominous energy. The Oblivion Edge inflicts the Eclipse Binding curse, requiring 200 MP to activate, which ces the target in a time loop, causing wounds to reopen repeatedly, draining vitality and HP with each cycle. It enhances the wielder''s agility, allowing for swift strikes in battle, and increases overall damage dealt with each sessful hit. 60% chance of critical hit.]

    There were eight tiers of magical items: Basic, Intermediate, King, Emperor, Legendary, Ascended, Demi-God, and Sovereign.

    Legendary... legendary was just three steps away from being a Sovereign tier. Nox had been so excited when he first read the description of the dagger back in the pantheon of beasts, yet even now he couldn''t help but disy a smile on his face as he saw the description again.

    This attack was the reason he had been saving all his mana points! Nox felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins as Hendrix drew closer mid-air.

    With Hendrix in free fall, even the crowds outside the mysterious realm held their breaths and watched with wide eyes filled with anticipation.

    Nox''s grip tightened on the hilt of the Oblivion Edge, the dagger''s aura glowing in response. With a deep breath, Nox channeled his mana into the dagger. A wave of pulsing purple glow transmitted from his veins, lighting up the weapon in his grasp as he activated thetent power of the dagger.

    "This... this is the moment of truth."

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appreciate it, and I don''t mean to drag the fight for too long, but I can''t fit everything in this chapter as it would be too expensive for readers

 Chapter 245: The Moment Of Truth [2] Final

    "This... this is the moment of truth," Nox muttered to himself. Time seemed to slow; for a moment, the arena was void of the usual spections. Everyone simply watched as Hendrix''s body tore through space... It had only been seconds, not even a minute since Hendrix started descending, but to the spectators, the time was painstakingly slow, feeling like an eternity.

    Simrly to the viewers, even Nyx, Wendy, Rab, and Cole held their breaths. Rab and Cole had long stopped their rambling when they sensed the weight of the current situation. Wendy bit her beautiful red lips hard, drawing blood... yet she didn''t even notice.

    As for Nyx, she tightened her grasp on her sword. Her sharp ck eyes were unblinking. Though she was not the one fighting out there, just from Nox''s expression and Hendrix''s desperate attack, she could tell their final sh would determine the fight''s winner.

    Rab and Cole silently offered prayers to their various pantheon gods.

    "Come at me!" Nox shouted, his voice steady despite the storm that had grown much darker. The rain beat down furiously as if sensing the tension in the air, and it was so thick that the pool of water below his feet, a result of the heavy downpour, churned violently.

    ''Even till the end, your cockiness still irritates me,'' Hendrix sneered in his mind as he crossed the final distance, his gauntleted fist, pulsing with a golden glow, blurring forward toward Nox.

    The pulsing fist caused tiny explosions in the air, making the audience gasp in surprise and amazement. For the punch to cause such phenomena mid-air, there was no way this was an ordinary attack! It was a devastating blow meant to finish Nox in one hit.

    Can he even survive it? This was the thought the others had; however, the next moment, they witnessed something that left them shocked!

    Instead of dodging the attack, as most of the spectators had anticipated, Nox leaped into the air, meeting Hendrix''s descent head-on.

    "W-what is he doing?" Klein, who had momentarily forgotten his job, whispered to himself, confusion flickering across his eyes.

    As they reached within arm''s length, Nox aimed the Oblivion Edge directly at Hendrix''s hurtling body, his heart racing. Just as they were about to m into each other, Nox twisted his body, using the momentum of his jump to add force to his attack.

    "Eclipse Binding!" he cried out as the familiar runes along the hilt glowed brighter, casting an ominous light on Nox''s determined face.

    What is this skill? Why is my hair standing on end? Hendrix''s eyes widened in disbelief as he felt the air shift around him. The dagger''s edge sliced through the space between them, creating a moment of suspended time. A momentter, Nox''s strike connected with Hendrix''s chest just as Hendrix reached his peak velocity. The world around them blurred, and for a moment, everything was silent.

    Then...

    BOOM!

    A violent explosion of energy erupted from the point of impact, sending a shockwave that rippled through the arena. The impact of Nox''s attack caused even the giant magical screen to flicker and go off for a couple of seconds, causing a wave of unease through the audience.

    "Damn it! What happened?"

    "What''s the oue of the fight?" Hans, with big beads of sweat rolling down his bald head, demanded. Because he was from the Cromwell Barony, the oue of the fight was even more important to him.

    "For a moment, I even forgot to breathe," Serene said, flicking a bead of sweat from her glistening forehead. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "But what happened to the live screen?"

    Her words immediately started a chain reaction throughout the arena.

    Just as the crowd was about to fully erupt into an uproar, a series of robed men recognized as runesmiths rushed over to the massive magical screen and tinkered with it. The screen flickered ck and white for a couple of minutes before disying the live feed of the mysterious realm again.

    When the feed returned, they saw a shocking scene.

    "Huh?"

    "What is happening to him?"

    "His chest... there''s something strange."

    "Heavens, I''ve never seen anything like this in my life!"

    Hendrix was staggering back, trying to regain his bnce. From the small opening below his nose, blood dripped from his mouth. He was no longer in his buffed-up form; now, it seemed as if he had aged within a couple of minutes. Even his eyes were slowly closing, though he tried his best to stay awake. No, he couldn''t lose! No matter what, he couldn''t lose. But just then, Hendrix felt an intense paining from his chest. The mind-numbing pain immediately chased away the drowsiness.

    He weakly nced down and saw a deep horizontal cut that stretched from his chest to his lower abdomen. The cut was expected; after all, Nox hadnded a solid hit on his chest. But what Hendrix couldn''t understand was...

    What sort of trickery is this? he thought in confusion.

    Right before his eyes, the cut along his ribs opened, then sealed, then opened again, repeating over and over. Blood poured from the wound like a broken tap.

    Nox, who hadnded gracefully, watched the scene. Though he was exhausted, it wasn''t visible on his face. He stood straight, dagger in hand. A look of satisfaction crossed his features when he saw the confusion in Hendrix''s eyes behind his mask.

    At first, the pain was bearable, but with each passing second, it grew more intense. Hendrix brought his hands to cover the wound, but the cut opened and sealed again. Just a couple more seconds, and Hendrix copsed to his knees, his vision going hazy. It was the first time he''d experienced such pain, and it felt as if his bones were melting.

    Hendrix felt as if he was just seconds away from going mad, and he let out a strangled cry, clutching his side.

    "Aghhhhhh!" he roared as he shot Nox a look of desperation. "What¡­ what did you do?!"

    "It''s a secret," Nox said in a low voice. "But what isn''t a secret is that wound... It''s gonna reopen. Over. And over. And over again."

    Hendrix''s eyes, along with everyone else''s, widened. This was exactly what was happening.

    Then Nox added, calm and cold with a gleam of malevolence in his eyes, "Wee to eternity, Hendrix."

 Chapter 246: The Winners [1]

    Despite the heavy downpour of rain and dark storm looming in the air, Nox''s words echoed both in the mysterious realm and the arena.

    The duke''s expression, though hidden by the veil, had darkened considerably. If one were able to see his face, they might have even noticed a trace of hurt in his eyes.

    "W-what sort of weapon is that?" the duke thought, his arms trembling as he realized something. "I lost... I lost the tournament."

    Duke Felix didn''t need to wait for the fight to end. From Hendrix''s current state, he could tell the Cromwells had already won the tournament. However, losing the tournament and giving up one hundred percent of all the resources from his dukedom didn''t hurt nearly as much as... losing his title as a duke!

    The duke clenched his fist as the weight of the situation pressed down on him. He muttered under his breath, "Things would have been much easier with this title... Now it seems I have to start from scratch all over again. Tsk."

    His tone was quite nonchnt, and Kron, who was standing just behind him, was stunned. The duke''s voicecked any emotion; it felt as if he didn''t even care about the stakes of the bet.

    "T-this..." Kron gritted his teeth as the faces of children and the elderly shed in his mind. "So many will die of starvation, and all he cares about is his title? I knew the duke was cruel, but this is another level of cruelty."

    At that moment, the respect and reverence he held for the duke, whom he had served for years, gradually faded away. He clenched his fist as arge, red vein throbbed in his temples.

    "I have carried out so many uwful acts for him in the past... even as far as killing those children." His gaze shifted to the magic screen, where others were starting to surround Hendrix from all sides. Disgust surged within Kron, and his eyes shed with irritation. "I can''t believe I was willing to go this far for this scum... I... I need to apologize to those children."

    As he thought about this, unnoticed, Kron slipped away from the duke''s side, determined to repent for his sins. Others might think he was doing this because the duke had lost his status, but in reality, it was from the bottom of his heart.

    It was just so unfortunate that someone wouldn''t care about this.

    Meanwhile, an uproar had arisen among the lords.

    "Hahahahahahahaha! Oi, Nathan, why didn''t you tell me your grandson was this powerful?"

    "Damn it, does this mean young Nox will be a duke? The youngest duke in the history of the kingdom! This is unheard of!"

    "This kid is destined for greatness."

    An old man with profound eyes stroked his beard as he nced into the distance. "If I remember correctly, the Armstrong Duchy has two dimensional rifts, and the Cromwells also have one. With the collective resources of all the towns, the Cromwells might just be a powerful force in the entire Vermilion kingdom."

    "Yes, the Cromwell Barony could be a city, just like the other towns in the eastern region."

    Most of the kingdom''s elite resided in the eastern regions, and they all owned cities andmanded legions of powerful forces. Who would have thought a mere barony from the ckwater western region would one day join those elites?

    If Nathan yed his cards well, he could even surpass them because, unlike them, he had the collective wealth of all the towns in the west. Now that he was a duke, he could continue this tournament... With such vast resources, even the next generation would be incredibly powerful.

    Nathan, who had also thought of this, couldn''t help but shift in his seat. Sensing the collective gaze of everyone present and their ttery, the old man resisted the powerful urge to burst into hystericalughter. This... this feeling of pride¡ªit was only the second time he had felt this. The first was with his son Arthur, and now with Nox.

    Below the VIP area, the Cromwells were even more excited.

    "Hahaha! We won, right? We actually won!"

    "I never thought it was possible, but little Nox actually pulled it off!"

    "Hahaha, Hendrix was a tough one, but our Nox is even stronger!"

    Their collective cheers made the other baronies shrink in despair and envy. Some of them were even starting to leave the arena, while a few were bawling their eyes out because from this day onward... their suffering had begun.

    Back inside the mysterious realm.

    "Hahaha, didn''t I tell you? Themander always makes the impossible possible!" Rab eximed in excitement as he watched the horrifying scene unfold before them. Despite the heavy downpour, they could still hear Hendrix''s cries of pain from several meters away.

    Wendy''s cheeks turned a slight shade of red as she hid a smile on her face.

    Nyx inwardly scowled when she saw Wendy''s expression; it was very simr to the one Serena made anytime she was close to her silly brother. "Come on, let''s go meet him!" Nyx spoke a momentter, and the group quickly leaped off the valley.

    Below, Nox shook the remnants of blood off his daggers as he regarded Hendrix with a cold look, his dark eyes shing with murderous intent.

    "It''s over!" he dered.

    "Aghhhhhh!" Hendrix''s roar echoed as the painful cycle of his wound opening and sealing again continued.

    Nox watched this scene with an indifferent expression on his face. A few years ago, he had witnessed one of the members of the Elven strike team get crushed to death by a giant blue-fanged python and had thrown up his entire meal afterward.

    That sight had traumatized him for days. Who would have thought that a few yearster, he would not only kill people but also inflict such devastating pain on another?

    "How does it feel?" Nox stated as he stepped closer to Hendrix. He had long since sensed the presence of four people behind him. "It hurts, right?" Nox continued, a smirk creeping onto his face as he added, "Don''t worry, this is just the beginning of your torment. Let''s see how much pain you can bear."

    Then he turned to the others and said with a dark look on his face, "Who wants to go first?"

 Chapter 247: The Winners [2]

    Outside the mysterious realm, a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious attire with golden details wore an anxious expression on his face as he watched the gruesome scene that was about to take ce. This man was none other than the runesmith who had built the mysterious realm.

    His name was Ivan, and he was pretty famous throughout the eastern region, known for crafting pocket dimensions for high-ss nobles. He was invited here by the duke and paid handsomely to create the mysterious realm to host the tournament.

    Currently, Ivan was pacing back and forth with furrowed brows. ''I didn''t include something like this happening when I created this realm,'' he thought. ''If that kid doesn''t stop his attack anytime soon, I''m afraid the other one will suffer major damage by the time he''s evicted from the realm.''

    When one stepped into the mysterious realm, they inherited artificial/fake Health Points. When a participant took damage, it would only affect their fake HP. Once that HP hit zero, the realm would eject them safely, leaving their real body unharmed. It was a clever system, meant to make fights intense without putting lives at risk.

    ''But¡­who would have thought this kid would show up with such abominable weapon?'' Ivan thought. ''I need to act fast before things get even messier... that wouldn''t be good for my business.''

    However, there was a loophole in this mechanism. Ivan knew about this, but he hadn''t thought about it before and never anticipated something like this happening.

    Even though Hendrix''s fake HP had already dropped to zero, he wasn''t ejected. Instead, he was stuck in a loop, his wounds opening and closing repeatedly, each cycle causing real pain. Somehow, Nox''s attack was bypassing the realm''s protections, slowly eating away at Hendrix''s real HP instead.

    If even his real HP hit zero, then...Hendrix would really die for real.

    Ivan had several customers inside and outside the Vermilion kingdom, especially the academies. If Hendrix died here and word about it spread, he would be in big trouble.

    ''I need to find a way to eject him out,'' Ivan thought as he strode forward.

    However, before he could reach the tform where the swirling portal¡ªthe gateway to the mysterious realm¡ªwas located, someone stepped in front of him. It was a tall, beautiful woman with ruby-like glittering eyes.

    Her beauty momentarily stunned Ivan, but as soon as he recognized who this person was, his breathing became fast. W-what was this person doing here?

    "Calm down. I''m not here to hurt you," the woman said.

    "Ldy Eve, fancy meeting you again," Ivan stuttered with great difficulty. Thest time he had met this woman was when she hadmissioned him to make the inside of her manorrger than it actually appeared. It was the reason arge training arena could be fitted inside her castle. He had seen some strange stuff in her manor and had a vague idea of who she might be.

    Even with all his wealth, this person was someone he couldn''t afford to mess with. The warning she had given him was still very vivid in his mind, after all.

    "I have been watching you for a while, and from your expression alone, I can tell you''re about to interfere with the pocket realm."

    "Y-yes, that''s true." Ivan stammered as he proceeded to exin everything.

    Eve listened attentively, and when she was done, she said, "I don''t care. Wait a couple more minutes, and they''ll be done." As she said this, she began to walk away, leaving Ivan standing there.

    "But¡­" He wanted to say something, but he immediately kept quiet as he remembered those red eyes. Ivan let out a heavy sigh and walked back to his seat, holding his head down.

    He could only pray that Hendrix survives.

    ---

    Inside the mysterious realm¡­

    "I''ll go first." The first person to speak up was Rab. Nyx and Cole wanted to go first, but they held back, knowing that Rab had a personal history with Hendrix.

    After all, he was the one who had bumped into Hendrix and apologized, even offering to watch his clothes, which thetter turned down and gave him the beating of his life.

    "Here, have this." Nox handed his Oblivion Edge dagger to Rab, who took it without hesitation. Then he said with a light smile, "Channel a bit of your mana into it and watch him suffer."

    Towards the end, Nox''s voice was dark and even scared Rab slightly.

    "Thank you." Rab took the weapon, his eyes widened when he saw the description of the dagger, and he turned to Nox, who simply smiled. Rab wanted to ask how Nox had gotten his hands on something as powerful as this, but he put it aside and focused on the task at hand.

    Coming close to Hendrix, Rab channeled his mana into the dagger as Nox had instructed him. Because he hadn''t fought much, he still had more than enough mana points to activate the dagger.

    With the dagger shining with a purple glow, Rab lifted his gaze and met Hendrix. Thetter stood awkwardly, as if having a seizure while standing, as the wound running down his chest to stomach opened and closed.

    "That day, I begged you, but what did you do?" Rab roared in anger as he thrust forward, burying the dagger into Hendrix''s abdomen before pulling it out.

    "Aghhhhhh!!!!!" Hendrix roared in pain. Simr to what had happened before, the injuries began to close and open once more, each time it opened, it dyed the ground with blood. Beneath his mask, Hendrix''s eyes were bloodshot as he roared in pain. There was now only a thin line away from madness.

    After mutting his cut, Rab turned around and handed the weapon to Cole, who took it and strode forward. "This is for my grandma, Percy!" he shouted as he buried the weapon in Hendrix''s ribs.

    Wendy chose not to participate and simply watched, and then it reached Nyx''s turn¡­ A cruel, macabre gleam appeared in her lightless eyes.

    While the torture session was taking ce¡­ In an underground cavern with murky water pooling around the stone floor, thousands of beasts had gathered. Each beast was restless, as if the final restraint holding them back would break and they''d trample everything in their path. At the center of this swarm was a cloaked figure, their robe adorned with a ming rose symbol that glowed faintly. The beasts sniffed the air, shuffling and growling as they surrounded the cloaked figure.

    Growl! Growl!

    The beasts let out guttural growls as their eyes flickered with madness. Normally, they would have torn through any barrier to devour this human, but something about this figure kept them in line. At that moment, the figure raised one gloved hand and silenced the growls of the beasts. Then he stared into the glowing eyes of the beasts and dered, "It''s time."

 Chapter 248: Mad Men

    "Here." Cole, the pyromancer, handed the Oblivion Edge to Nyx, and she began to approach Hendrix.

    "This won''t end too well," Rab couldn''t help butment as he saw the madness in Nyx''s eyes¡ªeyes that belonged to someone capable of murder.

    "Yes, she won''t go easy on him," Wendy murmured with aplicated expression on her face. Though she hadn''t witnessed Hendrix''s encounter with the others, she could tell it must''ve hurt them deeply for them to go as far as torturing Hendrix. It was one of the reasons she didn''t stop them.

    "I want to see your face," Nyx stated as she brought her hands to remove the mask on Hendrix''s face. Despite being caught in a time loop, Hendrix tried to move his head away, but it was futile. The pain was too intense for him to control his body, and Nyx effortlessly took the mask off. Immediately, he felt as if he couldn''t breathe.

    The mask was the reason he had survived this long after having his mana lungs crippled by Aina. Now that it was removed, Hendrix felt his lungs being strangled by cruel hands. He gasped and immediately turned pale.

    Watching hisplexion, a sadistic smile crept onto Nyx''s face as the dagger in her grasp shed forward, burying itself deep in Hendrix''s eye.

    Then, a whole new level of pain assaulted him!

    Each strike required one to channel mana points into the dagger. As a high-level Awakened of Level 20, Nyx naturally hadrge reserves of mana. She didn''t hesitate in channeling it into her dagger again and struck Hendrix''s left eye.

    "Aghhhhhh! Bastards, I''ll kill you all!" Hendrix roared.

    "So cruel!" the spectators couldn''t help but gasp when they witnessed Nyx''s actions. They couldn''t believe that a young girl of her age could be this ruthless.

    Some even covered the eyes of minors nearby, not wanting them to witness this gruesome sight.

    Another man from the Armstrong Duchy spat out in a voice filled with hatred, "I swear, the Cromwells...all of them are madmen! They inherited it from that psycho!"

    "Yeah, I heard that a few years ago, he literally burned bandits alive. Although he''s much tamer these days, I can still see the madness in his eyes."

    A series of whispers began to spread throughout the arena as the once exciting tournament turned into a public torture show.

    "Nathan, your grandkids are going a bit too far, don''t you think?" the Duke''s slightly angry voice reverberated through the area.

    Nathan didn''t respond for a while, his gaze fixed on the massive screens. Like Nyx, there was madness in his eyes. If one were to see him now, they''d know where Nyx had inherited those murderous eyes from. After a moment, he turned towards the Duke and chuckled. "I don''t see anything wrong with what they''re doing," he said, smiling. "Thest time I checked, the tournament isn''t over yet."

    "Y-you!" The shadow on the Duke''s face grew several shades darker as the handles of his seat caved in. Nathan''s words were true¡ªthe tournament wasn''t over yet, so Nathan couldn''t interfere even if he wanted to.

    Perhaps the only ones enjoying this show were the Armstrong siblings...they wereughing so hard that even the citizens close to them couldn''t help but look at them in confusion, wondering why they were deriving pleasure from their youngest sibling''s pain.

    Back inside the mysterious realm, Nox stepped forward and ced a hand on Nyx''s shoulder. "It''s enough," he said.

    She huffed for a couple of minutes, fury still visible in her eyes. But after ncing at her handiwork, a satisfied gleam appeared in her eyes, and she stepped back.

    "It hurts, right?" Nox whispered. Hendrix red at him, wanting to say something but couldn''t due to the searing pain ravaging his insides. Though he didn''t speak, his eyes alone seemed to scream murder.

    "Well, we''ll continue this session in the outside world, where you''ll die for real. For now, die!" Nox dered as his dagger shed in the air and severed Hendrix''s neck. A fountain of blood shot out, creating a bloody arc in midair. However, before it could hit the ground, Hendrix''s head and body turned into white particles.

    Nox watched the remnants of the beautiful white particles drift away, a smile on his handsome face. Moments of silence followed. The heavy downpour of rain had subsided; what was left was a soft, misty drizzle that gently coated the surroundings.

    "Did we really win?" Rab''s voice, filled with incredulity, shattered the silence. He couldn''t believe his eyes...he couldn''t believe the unbeatable Hendrix was actually defeated just like that. He pinched himself, but the pain was very real, which meant he hadn''t been daydreaming.

    "Hahaha, we won, alright! You don''t have to pinch yourself. I''d be annoyed if all this were a dream, trust me," Nox said as he patted Rab on the shoulder.

    "Yeah, that would be messed up." Wendy thought about it as well and nodded.

    "Hahaha, I finally avenged Grandma Percy along with everyone who got hurt that day!" Cole flicked a tear from his face as he muttered under his breath for a moment, "I thought we wouldn''t pull it off...all that training was worth it!"

    "I knew we would win." As usual, Nyx maintained herposure and didn''t shed tears of joy like Rab and Cole, though the corners of her lips twitched a couple of times. And when no one was looking, a beautiful smile spread across her face.

    "Bad master!"

    "Panda angry!"

    "Asta!"

    Nox suddenly heard a series of angry voices screaming in his mind. A wary smile appeared on his face; he knew Thirteen and Fluffington were itching to fight after bing elemental beasts. Clearing his throat, he telepathicallymunicated with them.

    ''I''m sorry, guys, but I needed to do this one on my own to prove a point...but next time, I promise we''ll fight together.''

    It took a lot of convincing, but Nox was finally able to calm his pets. And as he did, their bodies slowly started to turn into white particles.

    ...it was time for them to return to the outside world.

 Chapter 249: They Arrive!

    Nox, Wendy, Rab, Cole, and Nyx found themselves outside the mysterious realm. All eyes were fixed on them, and there was a bit of silence that confused Nox and the others, leading them to think something was wrong or the tournament wasn''t over yet.

    However, this wasn''t the case. The reason for the silence was that everyone was still trying to process everything that had taken ce inside the mysterious realm. Their gazes were particrly fixated on Nox.

    The overwhelming strength he had disyed was still very much vivid in their minds. A momentter, a thunderous roar exploded from the Cromwell seats as they began to p enthusiastically while giving a standing ovation for the Cromwell team.

    Nathan''s eyes were filled with pride, and hisughter alone dwarfed the voices of all the others present there.

    At first, the others were silent, simply watching, but slowly they began to p and stand up on their feet. Though they were not on good terms, they had to admit the youngsters of Cromwell were very powerful and talented.

    It was not only Nox; Wendy, Nyx, and Rab had held their own against the Cromwell siblings, who were students of the prestigious Vermilion Royal Academy, rumored to house the kingdom''s finest youngsters... yet even they had nearly lost against them.

    Klein walked confidently to the front of the tform, a smile on his face. "This, folks, is one of the most exciting tournaments I have witnessed in the whole of my life!"

    In response to Klein''s words, the audience roared in excitement, their collective voices reaching far and wide. Klein had to raise a hand to quiet them before continuing. He nced at the judges and asked,

    "Miss Bridget and Sir Zarek Silver, what do you think about this tournament? Do they deserve to be the winners?"

    The hearts of the Cromwell citizens began to pound in their chests when they heard Klein ask this question, and their eyes shed with anxiety. The reason for their worries was that one negative word from the judges could change the oue of this tournament.

    Bridget opened her beautifully purple-glossed lips; she hesitated, something that made a wave of whispers spread through the crowd. A momentter, her beautiful voice echoed through the arena. "Yes, they deserve to be the winners! This is indeed one of the most exciting tournaments I have seen in recent years!"

    A sigh of relief escaped the lips of the others. One judge down; now they just needed the judgment of the mysterious blindfolded man.

    When this man''s name was called, Nathan''s heart sped up a bit, and a silver sh even passed over Nyx''s usually indifferent features. They had gotten into a little scuffle with the Silver household back in the capital, and from what they had seen, this man seemed to be a member of the Silver household¡ªa very important one at that, as he often stayed close to Lucas Silver.

    It wouldn''t even be a shock to them if the blindfolded man judged them harshly.

    However, a momentter, to the surprise of both Nyx and Nathan, Zarek announced, "I also agree with Bridget over here."

    Aplicated look appeared in Nathan''s eyes. These nobles were known for being very petty; it came as quite the surprise that Zarek didn''t hold a grudge or try to turn the situation against them.

    ''Is this another n of theirs? Something is definitely fishy... I refuse to believe the Silver household would send him here to give an honest judgment.'' Nathan stroked his chin as his gaze lingered a little on Zarek before moving on to Klein, who was about to make another announcement.

    "Ladies and gentlemen," Klein''s voice boomed, rising above the crowd''s murmurs and filling the vast arena. A silence fell over the audience, anticipation thick in the air. "Not only are they the top rankers in the elimination rankings, they are also the sole survivors of this tournament. Folks, the winners of the western region fight summit are¡ª"

    Klein wasn''t able to finish his speech as a ring horn echoed through the air.

    "That sound!" The eyes of the barons widened as they jumped to their feet. "It can''t be!"

    The lords simultaneously pulled out theirmunication crystals and began to issue a series of orders to the people in the other towns.

    "Assemble all able Awakened! Don''t let anything breach the walls!"

    "Secure the western gate!"

    "Protect my family!"

    Orders like these flew in all directions, making some citizens restless and confused. Why was everyone suddenly acting as if it were the end of the world? Even Nox and the others wore bewildered expressions on their faces and couldn''t help but turn to Klein, who was cursing under his breath and murmuring iprehensible gibberish.

    "Damn it, why am I so unlucky? I should''ve never epted this deal. I''m not even Awakened; how am I supposed to survive this... Damn! Damn! Damn!"

    "Mister." Nox walked up to the man and asked, his voiceced with curiosity, "Could you tell us what''s wrong?"

    Hearing this, Klein was first shocked, then a look of understanding shone in his eyes. "You guys are just kids, so I won''t me you if you don''t know about this."

    "Know about what?" Nyx asked. She had read a lot about the Vermilion Kingdom and knew a fair share of things, but she hadn''t read anything about a coded horn that could throw everyone into disarray.

    "It''s very rare for this signal to sound," Klein exined in a grim voice. "Thest time this horn sounded in the southern region, a monster horde invaded the entire south, bringing it intoplete ruin!"

    Gasp! Wendy, Cole, and Rab gasped in horror as they heard Klein''s words, which carried more weight than they sounded. In the same grim voice, he continued, "Two-thirds of the southern region was destroyed because of the monster stampede, and to this day they''re still struggling to stand back on their feet. It''s the reason they are the least sessful region."

    "It''s the first time I''m hearing this story," Wendy frowned. "As a student of the Vermilion Royal Academy, they should have taught us this."

    Klein gave a bitter smile. "That''s because they don''t want you guys to know about it... thousands of lives were lost, you know... the kingdom wouldn''t want young ones to know about such a gloomy history."

    "T-thousands of lives were... lost?" Nox''s voice echoed, his eyes widening. "The barony, shit!"

    Meanwhile, on the walls of the Armstrong Duchy, the soldiers there all wore pale expressions.

    In the far distance, they could see thousands of beasts with glowing, ravenous red eyes surging forward like a wave of ck tide, causing the ground to tremble as if ancient titans were approaching.

    "Damn it! T-this is bad," one of the soldiers on the walls eximed with a horrified pale, ashen expression.

 Chapter 250: Nox...A Duke?

    "What is the current situation?" Nathan shouted through his crystal, his face filled with worry and anxieties. Although, because of the dimensional rift in the Cromwell barony, the walls of the towns were considerably stronger.

    Still, Nathan knew the walls'' difference would prove ineffective against a stampede of furious beasts.

    Elvin, who had remained behind, spoke out with a grim voice.

    "They''re still some distance away, but... in the next couple of hours... I''m, I''m afraid."

    "Afraid of what?" Nathan shouted with slight impatience and panic in his voice.

    "In the next couple of hours, I''m afraid they might breach the walls... right now, my strike team and I will try to keep them away, but with their current size, I doubt we''ll hold on for long."

    Nathan hung up themunication crystal, clenching his fist, his eyes zing with fury. "I knew it!" he spat out. "I knew there was something fishy when the beasts suddenly stopped attacking. Did they go into hiding and..."

    "...cultivate their strength to attack with full force to catch us off guard?" Lord Landon approached Nathan, finishing what he was about to say. His expression was dark.

    Quickly, without a moment of hesitation, Nathan brought out a special whistle with trembling hands and blew it. The action confused some of those around him, as they hadn''t heard any sound, but Nathan didn''t care. The one he wanted tomunicate with had heard the message perfectly.

    Meanwhile, in the crowd, heads swirled around as the spectators exchanged wary, uneasy nces.

    "What is happening?"

    "Why is everyone so restless all of a sudden?"

    "This is bad!" Kron''s face was filled with worry as he rushed to the duke''s side again. After pushing through crowds of people, he arrived, but was met with an empty seat.

    Duke Felix was long gone!

    "This bastard!" Kron seethed with rage, his face turning red. "Where did he go? Don''t tell me he abandoned everyone."

    Kron''s words were highly unlikely, but it was the only thing that came to his mind. After all, it was only logical for a duke to stay behind and keep things in order, even though he was technically no longer the duke.

    "Who do I run to?" Kron clenched his jaw, arge vein throbbing on his temple as his mind raced. Unlike the duke, he couldn''t abandon the duchy. Why? Because his father was the original Duke of Armstrong Duchy, but he had died under mysterious circumstances.

    A couple of dayster, the king appointed Felix as the new duke.

    Just then, a certain person shed in his mind, and he hastily rushed over to the ce he hadst seen that person; however, even he was nowhere to be found.

    "Shit!" Kron cursed as he channeled mana into his lungs and shouted in a thunderous voice.

    "All citizens, fall back! Go back to your homes!"

    The arena was very close to the walls, so Kron needed to get everyone out of there as fast as he could.

    An uproar arose! The arena was suddenly engulfed in screams and chaos, and the Armstrong citizens were running deeper into the towns. Though most of them, like the youths, didn''t know the reason for the horn, they could tell it was ominous, and the urgency in Kron''s voice only solidified this thought process.

    "All Cromwell citizens, stay right where you are!" Seeing themotion, Aina and Hans immediately gave a series ofmands, which they obeyed, though they were very anxious.

    Meanwhile, in the other towns...

    "Get out of my way!"

    "You''re the one in my way!"

    "Argh!!! Stop! Stop trampling on me!"

    Kron''s expression turned ashen as he saw what was unfolding below. Aina and Hans had already anticipated this, which was the reason they had told every single one of their members to remain in their spots.

    Just as his citizens were rushing to safety, the other towns'' citizens were rushing out of the arena toward the giant gates to leave and go protect their towns.

    This... this causedmotion at the town entrance. The watchkeepers there were sweating bullets. They nced onest time into the distance, and the massive ck wave of monsters was still encroaching.

    They were conflicted on whether to open the gate or not. They were frightened that before all these people could leave sessfully, the beasts would arrive.

    After seeing through the gatekeepers'' thoughts, anger surged through the crowd, and they started to bombard the gates with attacks. The other side proved stubborn and fought back, yet they were overwhelmed due to the collective strength of over ten towns.

    BOOM!

    A thunderous boom echoed, and a cloud of dust rose into the air as the double gate copsed on the ground, forming a deep impression. Then, like a wave of raging floodwaters, they all rushed out!

    Just like that, the first line of defense of Armstrong Duchy, the most wealthy town in the western region, was already breached!

    "This is..." Nathan, who had also arrived at the gate, couldn''t help but frown. Technically, he was now in charge of the Armstrong Duchy as well, since Nox was now the duke, though he was still oblivious to these facts.

    "What do I do? I can''t just abandon them, but at the same time, I need to protect the barony as well." Nathan felt a massive headache. He needed to make a decision¡ªand fast. With the beasts approaching at an rming rate, every second wasted could mean the destruction of lives and the death of countless people.

    "Father." Just then, Aina swiftly appeared beside him like a ghost, her red hair fluttering in the wind.

    "Come on, let''s get going already," she said with urgency.

    "I can''t."

    "What do you mean you can''t?" Aina asked.

    Nathan took a heavy sigh and exined everything. After hearing his reasons, Aina was speechless.

    "Nox... a duke?" she muttered, still finding it hard to believe what she had just heard. Then her surprise soon turned to anger as she realized the weight of the gamble Nathan had made.

    Knowing that this was not the time to lecture her silly father-inw, she said, "Then here''s the n: You head over there along with Hans and Gordon; the kids, the soldiers here, and I will protect the duchy."

    "Thank you, Aina." Nathan disyed a warm smile. Aina simply nodded before disappearing into the crowd.

    As she left, though, the smile gradually faded from Nathan''s face. ''Strange, Doombringer should be here already.''

 Chapter 251: The Poisonous Snake

    A few hours ago, Doombringer was flying through the wildnds of the western region, waiting for the tournament toe to an end before returning to pick up Nathan and head back to the barony. But something happened!

    Roar! Roar!

    The wyvern''s red eyes shed as it saw countless beasts heading towards the direction of the Cromwell Barony. There were a variety of monsters among the ranks of magical beasts; fierce Sabertooth Tigers, enormous Dire Wolves with razor-sharp fangs, hulking Rock Golems, a few Winged Serpents, and even giant bug-like creatures. The air was filled with a mixture of growls and buzzing sounds¡ªvery unpleasant for the ears.

    Unlike most beasts, Doombringer was smart and easily recognized these monsters as threats to its hometown. With a powerful flip of its wings, Doombringer changed direction, soaring low to the ground, and opened its maw wide. A thunderous roar sounded as a mixture of blue and red mes surged wildly within its mouth.

    Then¡­

    BOOOOOM!

    The mes erupted like a volcano, engulfing the ground below in fierce, destructive fire. The me scattered the coordinated monster horde, ckening the brown rocky ground. Several shrieks of pain filled the air as the raging me consumed everything in its path as though it was the advent of destruction.

    Doombringer''s eyes were especially terrifying at this moment. If any of the kids back at the barony saw it, they''d be shaking in their boots. This was a side of the powerful wyvern rarely shown.

    Though no verbal words were shared between the wyvern and the horde of monsters, they could feel from those intense red eyes that the wyvern was passing a clear warning not to advance any further!

    ---

    Meanwhile, back in the Armstrong Duchy, the other towns were almost done evacuating the arena, and a few were already nearing their respective towns. In the judging area, Bridget had a mild look of annoyance on her face.

    "This is supposed to be the time I approach him," she muttered as she nced at Nox in the distance.

    "Oh well, now that I''m caught in this mess, I should offer a helping hand," she thought and immediately disappeared from her spot, leaving Zarek still seated. Despite the chaos around him, he was strangely calm and peaceful, his blindfolded face filled with such deep serenity that it was unsettling.

    "What do we do?" Rab asked, clenching his shield tightly. His father and mother were in the barony. They weren''t Awakened; they wouldn''t stand a chance against these monsters. They''d be dead within seconds.

    "Grandma Percy," Cole also muttered under his breath. Unlike Rab, he only had his grandma.

    There was a brief look of worry in Wendy''s eyes, though she wasn''t panicking like the others. Her mother was Awakened and quite powerful.

    Just as the group was conversing among themselves, Aina suddenly appeared in their midst. It felt as if she hade crashing from the heavens.

    "Mo-" Nox was about to speak. It had been several months, almost a year, since hest saw his mother. However, before he couldplete his sentence, he was enveloped in a motherly embrace. The two remained like this for a few seconds, with no one saying anything.

    Though the others were still anxious, they decided to respect the mother and son reunion.

    As she hugged her son, the forced expression Aina had projected all this while crumpled as a tear slid down her cheek. She had truly missed him. Flicking away the tear, she pulled back, a stern expression crossing her features.

    "Young man, don''t think I have forgiven you just yet," Aina said. "You still have a lot of exining to doter."

    Nox disyed a bitter smile. He knew very well that his mother would be angry at him. After all, he had spent considerable time away from her.

    "But for now... I have something important to tell all of you," Aina said, assuming a serious expression as her gaze swept across everyone present.

    "Is it about the monsters? We already know that," Nyx said, but Aina waved her hand dismissively and looked at Nox.

    "Nox, you''re now a duke."

    "Yes," Nox nodded his head, still not registering what his mother had said. A few secondster, his eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what?"

    Aina smiled. "I was waiting for that expression."

    "Mom, what did you say? I didn''t hear you well," Nox said in an incredulous tone.

    Even Nyx, Wendy, Cole, and Rab turned towards Aina. They, too, felt something was off, and Rab had already started wiggling his finger in his ear to clear out any dirt.

    "Yes... it surprised me as well, but it''s the truth."

    "This doesn''t make sense," Wendy was the one who spoke up, her face filled with great confusion. "How old is Nox, like ten?"

    "I think what we should be asking is... how did he be a duke?" Nyx asked.

    Aina cleared her throat. "Well, here''s how it happened."

    ---

    Some minutester,

    "That sick old bastard!" Nox didn''t know whether tough or cry when he heard his mother''s exnation.

    Even the rest of the group gritted their teeth, imagining how life would''ve been if they had lost.

    "No need to fuss about that anyway," Nox waved his hands. "So that means we have to protect the duchy as well as the barony."

    "Yes," Aina nodded. "Father, Hans, and Gordon will head back to the town, while some of us will stay here."

    At that moment, Cole raised his hand. "Can I be part of the people returning to the barony?"

    "Yes, you can," Aina understood Cole''s situation well and didn''t stop him from leaving.

    After some time, Aina left the group and went to meet up with Hans to inform him of thetest development.

    "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

    "Panda fight!"

    "Fight!"

    And as soon as Aina left, several voices echoed in Nox''s head.

    ---

    In the wilds¡­

    Despite Doombringer''s devastating torrent of mes, the beasts were relentless. For every creature that fell, two more seemed to take its ce. Doombringer''s red eyes narrowed in frustration.

    For the past few minutes, it had been fighting the horde, preventing them from breaching the walls of its home and hurting its ''people,'' but because of the overwhelming numbers, it seemed as if it wasn''t making any progress.

    Just then, as things were bing too chaotic, a massive ck, scaly, milky-eyed python with a muscr build and stretching several meters long shot skyward from the horde of monsters and...

 Chapter 252: Summoning?

    Nathan waited for some time and blew his special whistle a couple of times, but still, there was no sign of Doombringer.

    ''What could be wrong?'' he thought, feeling a sense of dread washing over him. This was the first time something like this had happened. Often, as soon as he blew the whistle, Doombringer would arrive within a couple of minutes.

    His dy today was unsettling, and Nathan had a bad feeling about it. There were a couple of scenarios that resurfaced in his mind, but he tried to stay positive, shaking the thoughts as he turned back to Hans, Cole, Gordon, and a few Awakened who had apanied them.

    Because of the presence of monsters outside the walls, most of the non-Awakened were told to stay back and seek shelter here in the Armstrong Duchy. Traveling with so many people could only be inviting trouble; thest thing Nathan wanted was for a beast horde to attack them on their way.

    If something like that were to happen, it would stall them.

    "For some reason, Doombringer is dyed, but don''t worry, we''ll use horses!"

    "B-but that would take days," Cole stuttered, recalling their journey to the Armstrong Duchy.

    "We can only hope Elvin can hold on against the horde until we arrive!" Hans exhaled deeply as he turned to Cole and assured him that they''d do their best to reach the Barony as fast as they could.

    "Besides, the reason we took that long was because we camped some days." Gordon hummed. "If we ride non-stop, we could reach the town in, at the earliest... a day and a half."

    Gordon''s words brought a bit of hope to Cole, and then they looked at Nathan, who was staring absentmindedly into the distance, a hint of mes dancing wildly in his eyes.

    Gordon and Hans could vaguely tell what was going on in their fiery friend''s mind. The next moment, this thought proved correct as Nathan turned towards the others, his gaze specifically settling on Cole.

    "Come. There is a faster way to reach the Barony." Nathan stretched out a hand to Cole. "It''s been a long time since I manipted my mes like that, but I''m certain I can do it."

    Cole was a bit lost as he listened to Nathan''s words, which he could only describe as random ramblings, as he didn''t understand anything. Still, he decided to take his master''s hand.

    Before Cole could react, Nathan swept him off his feet, carrying him in a princess style.

    Things had happened a bit too fast, but the next thing Cole knew, he found himself in the sky.

    Huh? How did he get here? The young pyromancer thought as he nced up at Nathan''s face, which was fixed on the direction of Cromwell Barony.

    Then his gaze fell downward, and his eyes widened slightly.

    From the soles of Nathan''s feet, a torrent of mes surged out like the thrust of a rocket back on Earth. With the help of the mes, Nathan was hovering in the air like a sword. He didn''t waver; he was steady, and even his usually hunched back was straight.

    Cole was shocked! He was a pyromancer too, but he never knew mes could be manipted in such a manner.

    "Hold tight, brat," Nathan warned, and then a supersonic boom echoed as they bolted toward the direction of the Barony, leaving nothing but smoke in their wake.

    Hans and Gordon watched this sight and exhaled deeply. With that speed, as long as Nathan didn''t run out of mana¡ªwhich was highly unlikely¡ªthe two were certain the mad dog could arrive in a couple of hours.

    "Come on, let''s go!" Hans roared, and the shriek of horses was heard as they rode into the distance, leaving a cloud of dust.

    ---

    "Listen up, all of you." Aina''s feminine yet strong voice echoed. She was currently facing a group of Awakened who were the private force of the Duchy. Despite their massive, dominating appearance, these men were shivering as they stared at the red-haired woman before them.

    She was tall, beautiful, and most importantly, she was a warrior. From her fierce eyes alone, the Awakened could tell she had fought countless wars. Her mere presence alone screamed danger, and there was a strange power in her voice thatpelled them to listen to her.

    Earlier, she had informed them that the Duke had disappeared after gambling away his position in the tournament. Though it came as a great shock at first, they quickly epted the new changes.

    Within the midst of soldiers was Kron. Kron held his head low, avoiding eye contact with the red-haired woman. He was praying to whatever god that cared to listen to not be detected by her. This woman had, after all, nearly crippled Hendrix, despite him being the son of the Duke.

    Kron couldn''t even begin to imagine what she might do to him. Though he was grateful to the Cromwells for taking the initiative, he wasn''t foolish enough to show himself.

    Unfortunately, he expertly blended into the crowd, and because Aina had more pressing issues on the ground, she didn''t notice him.

    While Aina was assembling the private force, Nox and the group weren''t cking either. Nox stood on the walls of the Duchy, staring into the distance, his hair whipping in the air. Beside him was none other than Nyx, Wendy, and Rab. Further away were some archers.

    The city gate had been rebuilt and further reinforced with earth magic by Awakened with earth-rted affinity. Still, Aina knew the reinforced walls would only buy them time. So while the town was evacuating, she had ordered Nox and his friends to be the first line of defense.

    After witnessing their prowess in the mysterious realm, Aina wasn''t scared that something would happen to the kids. She was confident they could take care of themselves.

    Soon, the beast horde reached a hundred meters, and their mutated, monstrous appearances became visible, making the soldiers tense and tighten their grasp on their weapons.

    However, in contrast to them, there was a wide, dangerous smile on Nox''s face.

    Unlike the others, Nox saw this as an opportunity.

    "I have been stagnant at level 15 for a while now," he thought, his eyes shing sharply. "With this monster horde, I wonder how many levels I''ll attain."

    He paused, then added, "Of course, I won''t forget my pets as well... speaking of them... I think it''s time I summon them."

 Chapter 253: First Target: The Cromwell Barony

    The giant scaly python was several meters long. Its long, stretched body coiled around Doombringer''s neck, then, with immense strength, it attempted to pull Doombringer down.

    Roar! Roar!

    The wyvern roared as it pped its wings wildly, seeing the hungry beasts all baring their fangs, waiting for the hateful wyvern that had killed many of their brethren to descend so they could tear it apart.

    The giant python was a powerful magic beast at the King rank, just like Doombringer. Naturally, its tail was very sturdy and powerful, capable of crushing a brick wall. With such immense strength, the python tightened its hold on Doombringer''s neck.

    Grrrr! Grrrr!

    Due to the intense grip on Doombringer''s neck, the wyvern now struggled to let out a roar; even the powerful me surging inside its mouth began to dim before eventually being extinguished, turning into fumes of smoke that slithered out from its fangs.

    Though Doombringer''s mes had been extinguished, it still had a lot of fight left in it. Yet, if one looked closely, they''d notice that the initial ferocity Doombringer had disyed had reduced greatly.

    Now, it was only fighting a losing war. With each second that passed, even its wings became dull.

    Growl! Doombringer let out onest defiant groan, but it sounded more like a whimper¡ªa far cry from the majestic roar that was capable of stunning even powerful Awakened.

    Doombringer''s red eyes were filled with pain as it drew closer to the ground. Was this the end of it?

    In a distant mountain, two cloaked figures with the ming rose emblem were watching everything unfold. One of them had strands of long hair sticking out from her hood, indicating that she was a woman.

    The other had a slightly muscr build and was taller, suggesting a male.

    "The drop of Ivor is much more powerful than I anticipated," the woman spoke in a quiet voice, her tone filled with surprise and fascination. "To think it would not only force them to grow powerful but also increase their intelligence."

    The man nodded. "Yes, I overheard a rumor that the high-ups ordered the elven and dwarven alchemists to make the serum much more powerfulpared to the one used in the southern region."

    "Hmmm. That exins that python''s intelligence to hinder that overgrown lizard wyvern''s fire breath." There was a slight disdain in the woman''s voice as she thought back to the times she and her squad had been forced to take cover whenever Doombringer was patrolling the western region.

    That had hindered a lot of their ns, as they feared the beast would report back to its owner about their activities.

    At that moment, the cloaked figure pulled out a small vial with murky water and shook it slightly. A clinking sound reverberated in the air, attracting the attention of the woman, whose gaze was still fixed forward. Hearing the sound, she nced at the vial, and a smile appeared on her face.

    She could already tell what was on the man''s mind.

    Hiding a smirk, the man said, "I wonder what faces these people would make if the friendly neighborhood wyvern started attacking everyone."

    "Hahaha, it would be quite a hrious sight." The woman''s pleasant yet wicked chuckle echoed in the air. "We don''t have powerful aerial beasts in our monster ranks¡ªa fire-breathing lizard will be very helpful."

    Then the two shared a knowing nce and jumped down from the mountain. The wind blew fiercely against their robes as they jumped from rock to rock beforending expertly on the ground.

    In the distance, Doombringer had already copsed to the ground. Several more vines and reptilian creatures had wrapped around all of Doombringer''s limbs, maw, and even its wings, rendering itpletely helpless. It could only let out a soft growl as the furious beasts approached with triumphant gleams in their eyes.

    However, before they could pounce on the wyvern, they suddenly sensed the presence of the cloaked figures. Frightened, all the beasts immediately shuffled back, creating a path for the two. However, the giant ck python still held Doombringer in ce.

    Step! Step!

    The two cloaked figures walked up to the beast, the ominous bottle in their grasp.

    As Doombringer''s gaze settled upon the vial, its body trembled in fear. Its instincts screamed at it to stay as far away from that thing as possible, but it had already exhausted a considerable amount of energy resisting the ck python in the air.

    "It will all be over soon, big guy." The cloaked woman knocked the lid of the vial open, releasing a trail of whitish energy. As soon as the other beasts caught a whiff of the contents, their eyes grew fiercer, and guttural growls filled the air.

    Yes, this was how powerful the drop of Ivor was. A single whiff could stir the primal instincts within any beast, driving them into a frenzy.

    Doombringer''s body quivered even more as it caught scent of the contents as well. Its body began to react strangely to it. The cloaked woman disyed a smile as she emptied the vial''s contents into Doombringer''s mouth through the gaps in its fangs.

    As soon as the liquid slithered down the wyvern''s throat, something strange happened.

    The beast''s eyes went ck.

    Then several images appeared in a ck space.

    In these images, there were Nathan, Nox, Nyx, Serena, Aina, Celine, Hans, Elvin, Gordon, and Cam, along with several more people from the barony.

    One by one, the images started to disappear in bursts of dark me.

    A couple of secondster, all the images disappeared, leaving only one.

    A single bony figure with broken teeth.

    Unlike the others, this image didn''t disappear swiftly.

    A pair of voices sounded in the background.

    "This one is a tough one."

    "Hmph, let''s see how it can handle two doses of the drop of Ivor."

    As soon as these words were shared, the sound of a vial being opened was heard.

    After a moment of silence, even that image was engulfed in mes.

    "Good... it''s done," the man said as he looked at Doombringer, whose gaze had now somewhat turned lifeless.

    "Your first target is..." The woman paused as a cruel smile appeared on her face, then she added, "the Cromwell Barony."

 Chapter 254: Three Figures: Powerful Aura

    On the walls, the air was filled with tension, and the faces of the soldiers were marked with anxiety.

    They stared at the back of the confident youths and couldn''t help but wonder how these children could maintain suchposure, especially the likes of Wendy, Nox, and Nyx. Their current state gave the soldiers the impression that these children had fought beasts like this before.

    However, this was far from the truth. Except for Wendy and Nox, the rest hadn''t even fought a real battle in their lives before. But after witnessing Nox''s overwhelming prowess in the fight against Hendrix, the team''s confidence was significantly boosted.

    Adrenaline was flowing through their veins, and at this moment, they felt invincible. To the likes of Rab, Hendrix was a greater threat than the horde of beasts, but that was something he would regret a few moments from now.

    "I envy these kids. Are they stupid, or do they just not understand the severity of this situation?" one soldier whispered, shaking his head.

    "If only they knew what they''re getting themselves into." Another soldier shook his head with a bitter chuckle. "Don''t worry, they''ll learn the harsh reality very soon."

    "You''re right; sooner orter, they''ll run back to us like a bunch of scaredy-cats." A manughed, but hisughter, meant to ease the others, came across awkward due to the underlying fear.

    Just then, Nox''s voice cut through their muttering, cold and sharp. "Instead of gossiping, why don''t you activate your skills? Worry about yourselves, not us."

    The guards immediately shut their mouths. In the heat of the moment, they had forgotten that the kids standing in front of them were Awakened and could hear their whispers due to their enhanced hearing.

    Moreover, Nox was now the duke. As absurd as it sounded, one word from him could mean the end of them.

    "Yes, sir!" the guards echoed and rushed forward to the edge of the walls. Archers drew their bows, and the tips of the arrows gleamed ominously, ready to be released. Meanwhile, the Awakened with long-range skills held their arms out.

    Rab held his shield tightly, Wendy tightened her grip on her weapon, and Nyx''s body glowed with a blinding, holy light. She emitted a fiery aura that stung the soldiers close to her, forcing them to move a few meters away.

    "At mymand, fire away!" Nox shouted, his voice filled with authority,pelling the others to listen.

    "5!" Nox began to count down, and the muscles of the archers grew tense.

    "4!"

    "3!"

    "2!"

    "1!"

    "Fire!"

    As soon as these words left his mouth, a rain of arrows and magical skills descended on the beasts. The battlefield lit up in a kaleidoscope of colors as the arrows whistled through the air and hit their respective targets. Among the rain of magical skills, there were fire, ice, earth, and many more.

    These collective attacks mmed into the beasts with terrifying velocity.

    BOOM! BANG! BANG!

    A cloud of dust rose up for a split second, but the Awakened didn''t remain idle; they continued to bombard the beasts blindly with their skills.

    After a few more intense volleys, Nox raised a hand to halt them, which the soldiers obeyed.

    A brief silence filled the air as the soldiers stared at the dust cloud.

    "It had no effect on them," Nox said, his voice low but loud enough for the others to hear.

    "Huh? No effect on them?" one of the soldiers eximed. Before he could speak further, a strong gust of wind blew the dust away, revealing the unhurt beasts, still growling with the same ferocity as before.

    Nyx narrowed her eyes. "It seems these beasts are unusually powerful, just like the ones that attacked the barony."

    "Huh." Nox turned to his sister and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

    "Right, you weren''t around, so you probably didn''t notice," Rab responded, his bald head shining under the re of the sun as he exined everything that had happened in recent months.

    After Nox listened to everything, he briefly recalled events from a few years ago. ''From his description, it seems the beasts possess abnormal strength like the Blue Fang Python.''

    As he thought, Nox stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the horde of monsters.

    ''Makes you wonder if someone is messing with the beasts.''

    Then, under the stunned gazes of everyone, Nox jumped down from the towering walls, his expression unfazed as though several gleaming fangs weren''t waiting below to tear his flesh away.

    Has that kid gone mad?" one soldier shouted, his voice cracking slightly. "I know he''s strong, but with that many beasts down there... does he have a death wish or something?"

    Before the soldier couldin further, Rab, Wendy, and Nyx also jumped down, further shocking the guards.

    "These kids... they''ve all lost it!"

    "I knew that madman was beginning to rub off on them."

    "What is this? Is it stupidity or bravery?"

    The guards were perplexed.

    What they saw next left them even more stunned.

    At that moment, a massive blue portal appeared in the sky.

    The soldiers'' heads jerked toward it, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

    "What is that?"

    "Don''t tell me more beasts will pour out of that thing!" a soldier shuddered.

    The beasts, who were about to attack the group of humans who had foolishly jumped down from the walls, also froze. For a moment, they disregarded the humans as they sensed an even greater threat: the blue portal.

    Its surface crackled with power, and the beasts subconsciously stepped back, some even tucking their tails behind their legs. From the portal, the beasts could feel three terrifying auras unlike anything they''d felt before. The aura was overwhelming, forcing them to stiffen.

    If... if whatever was in there could elicit such a reaction, then... how terrifying would it be if they actually emerged?

    The intense battle temporarily stalled, and the soldiers grew even more confused.

    Just then, three figures stepped out of the portal.

    ***

    Another chaptering up in few hours.

 Chapter 255: Three Elemental Beast!

    The first figure was a sleek, mysterious creature with fur as dark as night itself. The eyes of this creature glowed with an eerie, luminescent purple, making it look frightening yet mesmerizing at the same time. The creature''s paws were sharp and gleamed dangerously, ready to tear flesh, and its tail was curved into a lethal arc.

    However, what unsettled the beast and the others was the soft, shadowy mist emitted from the cat-like creature that looked more like a fox due to its sleek build.

    [Fluffington- LV8 Wildin]

    Elemental Type: Shadow

    [Progress: 90/100%]

    Energy: [100%/100%]

    Description: A swift, elusive creature, Fluffington''s form is shrouded in shadows that ripple with every movement. Its sleek build and piercing purple eyes make it a master of speed and stealth, slipping through darkness with uncanny agility.

    Special Skills: Enhanced Speed (Active), Wallwalker (Active), Monarch Aura (Passive), Humanoid (Active)

    Evolution Path (1/8): Fluffington ¡ú Shadewisp

    Evolution Requirements:

    Reach Intermediate Tier

    Evolve under the light of a full moon to harness lunar energy

    Collect 2 vials of Lunar Dew, a rare substance that forms on nts under the full moon

    Obtain an Ancient Rune that resonates with shadow energy

    Gather 5 Mystic Shadow Herbs, typically found on the Dark Continent

    Description: Shadewisp is the first evolution of Fluffington, granting it greater power and agility. Its body bes more streamlined, and its dark fur takes on a soft, smoky haze with silver streaks shimmering along its back. Shadewisp''s glowing purple eyes and faint misty aura make it even more elusive. This form unlocks new shadow elemental abilities and enhances existing skills.

    The next creature was a majestic white, furry beast with captivating icy-blue eyes that flickered with a cold gleam. Its fur was like freshly fallen snow, with icy details all over it.

    [Thirteen-LV5]

    Elemental Type: Ice

    [Progress: 80/100%]

    Energy: [100%/100%]

    Description: A very disciplined and hardworking panda who will one day rule the world. Right now, it only shows a glimpse of its potential.

    Special Skills: Roll with it (Passive), Cute Factor (Passive), Iron Teeth (Active), Martial Awareness, Oceanic Torrent, Dragon''s Requiem (Active)

    Evolution Path (1/8): Thirteen ¡ú Frostpaw

    Evolution Requirements:

    Reach Intermediate Tier

    Collect 3 vials of cial Water, a rare substance found in ancient ciers

    Gather 10 Arctic Herbs, typically found in frozen forests or mystical locations

    Evolve at the summit of a frozen mountain to harness the purest ice energy

    Description: Frostpaw is the first evolved form of Thirteen, channeling its discipline and strength into a more powerful icy form. It growsrger and more imposing, with a thicker, white-tinted icy coat that gives off a faint frost. This form unlocks new ice elemental skills and enhances existing ones.

    Unlike Fluffington, there wasn''t a massive change in Thirteen''s appearance, aside from its lustrous, snow-like fur and eyes. The panda didn''t look too different from its original form; only now, its cute face appeared fiercer. However, even this fierceness was subtle, as it still retained a hint of innocence.

    Nox figured Thirteen would grow fiercer with each evolution. For now, he had simply turned it from a magical beast into an elemental creature by feeding it ice elemental crystals and exposing it to cold environments.

    Thirteen directed its fierce gaze toward the horde of monsters, which immediately flinched back in fear.

    Thest creature was Astralux, hovering above the ranks of beasts, its long, octopus-like tentacles dangling ominously in the air. The others were familiar with this beast, so it didn''t shock them.

    But the panda and cat were different cases entirely! Both were beautiful and frightening at the same time.

    "I-is that Fluffington and that weird panda?" A blend of confusion and shock crossed Nyx''s face as she blurted out, breaking her indifferent character.

    And why wouldn''t she be shocked! Nyx had just recently learned about elemental beasts; they were supposed to be very rare creatures. So how¡­ just how did Nox turn his two pets into one of them?

    "Dammit, if not for its arrogant posture, even I wouldn''t have known that was fat,zy Fluffington," Rab gasped in shock.

    "Hey, baldy, watch your tongue!" Fluffington retorted in anger at being called fat andzy¡­ that was his disgraceful past. The cat didn''t want to be associated with that anymore.

    Now it was fit and sleek.

    The only person who wasn''t shocked was Wendy. After all, she had seen them before, and ording to Nox, he had used some special trick to transform them. He didn''t go into full detail, but she suspected it had to do with elemental crystals.

    "Dammit, so this kid has more elemental beasts!" The guards on the walls were speechless.

    "Was this the reason for his earlier confidence?" one guard said. "With beasts like that, even I would be cocky."

    The materials from elemental beasts could be used by cksmiths and runesmiths to forge powerful weapons of mass destruction. The guards couldn''t help but let their eyes sh with greed as they imagined the monstrous fortune they could amass.

    Of course, these thoughts were merely fantasies; they didn''t dare act on them. However, there were people who would. The guards inwardly felt pity for Nox, as the powerful nobles in the east would try to snatch these beasts at all costs.

    Back on the ground¡­

    "Although I''d like to ask a lot of questions, dealing with the monsters is more important," Nyx spoke up.

    The group had been so absorbed in the moment that they''d almost forgotten about the furious beasts, which were now slowlying out of their trance and advancing forward.

    ''Alright, guys, it''s time for you to shine!'' Nox telepathicallymunicated to his beasts.

    "Time to let loose. I hope you won''t break easily," Fluffington sneered in a condescending tone, his purple eyes gleaming wickedly as he moved from his spot!

    Swoosh!

    Fluffington was a blur of motion! With incredible speed, he bolted into the horde of monsters fearlessly, leaving a shadowy trail behind. Fluffington was very difficult to follow with the naked eye¡ªeven Nox was having a hard time keeping track. The only way they could detect the cat was by the trail it left behind.

    Seeing Fluffington charge in, Thirteen curled itself into a ball andunched into the ranks of monsters as well.

    Then all hell broke loose! Thirteen and Fluffington were true menaces, leaving the guards on the walls with their mouths hanging open.

    The first beast that dared to lunge at Fluffington¡ªa towering, spiked creature with ws like scythes¡ªmet an unfortunate end.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Fluffington darted under its swipe and, with a graceful leap,nded on the creature''s back. Digging in his ws, the cat shed a series of deep, bloody lines across its neck before springing away, leaving the monster stumbling and roaring in pain.

    Then he moved to another. Fluffington''s movements were swift and soundless. The beast was like a trained assassin!

    Fluffington had always been fast, but with his new, sleek form, the cat became even deadlier! The other beasts couldn''t even follow his movements before they found themselves lying dead on the ground.

    Some hesitated because of Fluffington''s Monarch Aura skill, which instilled fear¡­ and that slight hesitation was all the cat needed to slit their throats!

    Bang! Bang!

    Thirteen wasn''t far behind in terms of speed. Compared to Fluffington, the others could follow his movement.

    Thirteen''s paws flew out in quick session, mming into the bodies of other beasts¡­ each strike packed incredible power behind it, like a sledgehammer. The fierce punch directly sent the beasts flying into the air.

    Thirteen was like a whirlwind, knocking the beasts into the air as if they weighed nothing while creating a pathway through their ranks.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Seeing what the beasts were doing, the others were amazed, and a spark of courage flickered to life within them.

    "Kill all of them!" one of the guards roared in a thunderous voice as powerful magic sts filled the air.

    Meanwhile...Eve

 Chapter 256: Eve Vs Aina

    After sensing the presence of monsters in the distance, Eve was at first shocked and surprised because there had not been any prior warning.

    Of course, she had been away with Nox, so she didn''t know about the frequent monster attacks in the western region.

    Standing on the east side of the Armstrong Duchy''s walls, Eve''s glittering ruby eyes shed with suspicion. "These beasts look too coordinated," she said aloud. Then anger crossed her features as the faces of certain people appeared in her mind. "Don''t tell me this is their doing. But they know very well that I stay here."

    By "them," Eve was referring to the Lich Courts.

    "They''re the only group capable of pulling off something like this." The anger in Eve''s eyes gradually faded, reced by confusion. Why would they attack the western region?

    The goal of the Lich Courts was to protect other necromancers, though Eve knew very well this was just on the surface; they often followed this only when it served their interests.

    "Also, they''re interested in the kid, so it''s highly likely that they''re the ones orchestrating this attack." A sh of silver passed through the necromancer''s eyes. "But who?"

    The only way to find her answer was...

    Eve stared into the distance, her viewpointrgely upied by furious monsters.

    "If I want to find answers, I need to head there," she thought, ncing in the direction where the monsters were pouring from.

    When she and Nox had returned to the west, the beasts they''d encountered were very few. This made Eve think the beasts might have been stored somewhere, and the easiest way to deal with the threat was by finding that ce.

    Usually, Eve wouldn''t be bothered much, but the west was her home now... she was nning to stay here for a long time before returning.

    "Till then, I need to keep it safe." With this thought in mind, Eve proceeded to jump off the towering walls.

    "Wait!"

    Just before she could jump, someone called out from behind.

    "I didn''t even sense them." Eve''s eyes became sharp. Someone who could easily trespass on her seasoned senses was no joke. However, she knew very well that for this person to call out, it could only mean one thing:

    They weren''t here to fight.

    Turning around, Eve found herself face to face with a tall woman d in milky armor, her red hair whipping in the air due to the furious wind. Behind her were soldiers dressed in the Armstrong Duchy attire.

    A slight surprise appeared on Eve''s face. "Miss Aina," she greeted politely, then her gaze swept over the guards, who immediately felt uneasy under her scrutiny.

    "I know you must be confused. Well, here is a short version of everything." Aina then proceeded to tell Eve everything that had happened.

    "So the kid became a duke? And now we must protect this ce as well. If I heard correctly, you and this squad are here to protect this part of the walls."

    "Yes," Aina nodded.

    "How? This doesn''t even make sense." Eve blurted out her thoughts. It was truly a rare sight, seeing the stoic woman in such dilemma and confusion.

    "Yes, I felt exactly the same way too, but there is something even more important!" Aina said, her voice containing a hint of urgency.

    "What is it?" Eve eventually came out of her shock and asked.

    "Since you were not around, I guess you wouldn''t know about this. But after you and Nox left, the western region has been suffering attacks from magical beasts. They''ve been drawing close to our walls and even prating them. But unlike normal magical beasts, these ones are special..."

    "They''re unusually powerful?" Eve interjected, recalling the blue-fanged python some years back. Aina nodded, confirming her words, her expression turning serious.

    Aina went on to give a shorter exnation of everything that had happened.

    ''So They stopped attacking for some months just after Nathan asked for help and then suddenly showed up when everyone was distracted.'' Eve eyes narrowed. She was right! This was indeed a carefully orchestrated n by someone!

    Seeing Eve''s pondering expression, Aina spoke up. "I have a feeling if we head toward that direction..." Aina pointed toward the Luminary Forest. "We''ll be able to find where the beasts have temporarily gone into hiding and see if there''s a way to stop this horde."

    "I thought the same thing," Eve stated as she stared at the horde of monsters that were now very close to the walls.

    Then she leaped off without any warning, causing the soldiers behind Aina to gasp in shock.

    Watching her plummet to the ground, Aina silently said to herself, "This is the longest we''ve ever had a conversation." It was strange; it was a known fact that Eve was a very brief person. "Did something happen to them when they were away? Now that I think about it, even Nox seemed a little different." Aina shook her head, chasing these unimportant thoughts away.

    These fleeting thoughtssted for only a couple of seconds before Aina turned to the group of soldiers. "I want one of you to take care of things here," she said in a strict voice. "I''ll deal with the beasts on the ground, while you attack from here."

    "I''ll be in charge!" an awkward voice came from the crowd, and a helmeted Awakened stepped forward.

    Click! Click!

    The armored boots of that Awakened reverberated, attracting Aina''s attention.

    Aina narrowed her eyes, finding this person a bit suspicious, and used her Inspect skill. Apart from seeing the person''s level, which was in the 40s, there wasn''t much information, mostly because the person was using an item to hide it.

    "Alright, you''re in charge," Aina said, as this person was the strongest Awakened here. Then she jumped off to the ground.

    "Phew," Kron exhaled deeply. "For a moment, I thought she''d find out."

    At first, he didn''t want to step out; however, nobody here was capable of taking charge. Being the leader of the guards and also because of his love for the duchy, he had stepped forward, taking a huge risk.

    Straightening his posture, he looked at the soldiers. "Alright, straighten up, everyone."

    Meanwhile, Ainanded gracefully beside Eve.

    "How about we make this more interesting?" Aina suggested, expecting Eve to say "not interested" as usual. But surprisingly, she said:

    "What do you propose?" Eve asked.

    "How about this," Aina smiled. "The one with the highest kill count gets a gift from the loser?"

    There was a moment of silence. Then Eve nodded with a smile on her face. "Deal!"

    That smile... Aina was stunned inwardly. Did Eve just smile?

 Chapter 257: Two Demoness

    The first person to make a move was Eve. Holding out her hand, a sound that felt like a gunshot echoed through the air, and a concentrated beam of dark energy left Eve''s fingers.

    The concentrated beam streaked across the air, leaving a trail of shadow. It was lightning-fast, and before the first creature, a mountain cyclops, could react, it struck it squarely in the chest.

    However, this was not the end.

    The beam exploded out from that creature and lodged itself into another beast in its path. The first beast thudded to the ground, then the second!

    "Hmm, not bad," Aina thought, watching. She assumed the attack had ended but was dead wrong! Like a terrifying bullet, the dark st burst through the chests and skulls of all creatures in its path, as if it had a life of its own.

    Amotion arose in the beasts'' ranks as they watched their brethren fall one after another.

    Just a few secondster, all the beasts in the dark st''s trajectory fell, creating a straight path through the horde of monsters that were packed tightly together.

    "That''s over a hundred beasts in one attack," Aina said, slightly impressed. She summoned her sword, which was shrouded in radiant light. "Now, watch this!" she shouted and leaped into the horde of beasts.

    Her de shed repeatedly in the air, creating an arc of blinding light. Aina moved with grace and precision, like someone who had attained the peak level of swordsmanship. Each strike was fluid and perfectly timed, slicing through the monsters'' ranks.

    Each time her sword shed, the monsters'' body parts flew through the air. At one point, even Eve and the soldiers on the walls couldn''t see anything clearly.

    The only thing they saw was a streak of white light dashing through the mass of monsters and body parts flying through the air, creating beautiful arcs.

    "She''s powerful," Eve muttered under her breath. "Is this the reason Arthur chose her?"

    Eve''s eyes soon burned with fierce intensity as she clenched her fists, a psychopathic smile slowly spreading across her face. Anyone who saw her now would be terrified and haunted by nightmares for days.

    "At first, I didn''t take this too seriously, but now, game on!"

    "I''ve never seen such fine swordsmanship in my life," Kron gasped in shock as he watched the one-sided massacre unfolding before his eyes.

    "I always knew there was something strange about these two... but to think they''re this terrifying."

    They hadn''t evenunched a single attack towards the main horde, yet the number of monsters was dwindling at an rming pace, shocking the soldiers to their cores.

    "I think it would be much better if we go assist the others," one soldiermented with a yawn. "Because we''re clearly not needed here."

    "Yes, you''re right!"

    "Damn, I didn''t know the Cromwells were this powerful."

    "Yeah, I don''t feel so bad about them taking over again."

    The whispers of the guards were distant noise to Kron, whose eyes were fixated on the two women advancing further into the distance.

    "Good thing I didn''t attack her," Kron thought, recalling the time Aina had crushed Hendrix lungs. "I wouldn''t even know how I ended up in the afterlife."

    "It seems they''re hell-bent on finding this monsters''ir at all costs," Kron said, turning to the soldiers. After ordering some of them to stay back to handle any monsters that slipped through the attacks of the two demonesses, he left with some men to assist the other sections of the walls.

    Though he strongly doubted the men left behind would be of any real use.

    ---

    Swoosh!

    Cole felt the rush of wind in his face as Nathan sped through the air. They were moving at an intense speed, so fast that Cole had no choice but to close his eyes as they began to tear up.

    Unaffected by the wind, Nathan gazed down, a frown appearing on his face. Below, he could see the ground covered with thousands of ck dots of all shapes, roaming about, attacking any human settlement in sight.

    "They''re everywhere!" Nathan thought, his eyes shing with horror. "These monsters are countless times more than the ones that attacked the southern region."

    As he flew through the air, Nathan passed by several towns, their walls slowly crumbling as the monsters gradually entered.

    "I need to hurry!"

    A loud BOOM echoed as mes burst from Nathan''s feet, propelling him forward like a streak of light. The intense heat left a trail of smoke in the air as he surged with all his strength.

    Nathan couldn''t even begin to imagine the state of the Cromwell Barony.

    ---

    In the Cromwell Barony!

    "Darn it, fire!"

    "If you stop firing those arrows, I''ll castrate you!"

    Elvin shouted at the top of his lungs. In front of him were a series of archers firing nonstop at the horde of beasts. The archers'' eyes were narrowed with concentration as they felt the weight of the situation.

    However, despite this intense focus, they were failing horribly. Only a few arrows managed to pierce the defenses of the beasts; the majority just bounced off, inflicting no damage.

    Elvin''s strike team consisted mostly of archers personally trained by him, though there were a few warriors and mages as well. Yet none of them were brave enough to jump down and fight the beasts one-on-one.

    "Damn it!" Elvin''s expression shifted more and more with each passing second. He had lost count of how many times he had cursed today.

    "I guess I''m doing this," he thought. Taking a deep breath, he jumped down from the wall,nding expertly on the ground. cing three specially crafted arrows on his string, he fired away.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    The arrows split the air and lodged themselves deep in the eyes of three beasts, which simultaneously fell to the ground.

    Most of the Awakened went with Nathan to the Armstrong Duchy, hence the number of Awakened stationed in the barony was limited. Thanks to the appearance of the dimensional rift, most of the rusty Awakened had improved their skills. These Awakened were stationed on other parts of the walls.

    But Elvin knew it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.

    "Shit!" Elvin cursed as he evaded a beast that had broken free from the horde and attacked, grazing his shoulder with its ws. "This would be a good time for those red figures to show up! Darn it!"

 Chapter 258: Let Her Fight

    The horses of the Cromwell barony were galloping at an incredible pace, kicking up dust in the air.

    All the soldiers had grim, serious expressions on their faces. Hans, who was leading the charge, kicked his horse quite hard; the force was so powerful that the horse shrieked in pain and bolted forward with all its might.

    "At this pace, I''ll overwork the horse, and it will be extremely tired," Hans furrowed his brows in worry as he nced at the horse running at full speed, its eyes filled with pain.

    It had only been an hour since they left the Armstrong Duchy, and although they had covered a considerable distance, they were still far from reaching the Cromwell Barony.

    Behind the galloping horses, there was a carriage. This was one of the carriages belonging to the Cromwells. Inside the carriage was a beautiful light-skinned girl with raven hair and an enchanting pair of chocte-colored eyes.

    She was the only one upying the fairlyrge carriage, which was capable of amodating five or more passengers. This girl was, of course, Serena. After seeing the beast tides like Cole, she had also insisted on returning to the barony to help out.

    Serena gently touched her heart, her mind recalling the moment Nox had shown up in a princely manner. "It has been over a year since Ist saw him." Serena''s cheeks turned slightly red. "He has grown taller and more handsome."

    After he came out of the mystery realm, Serena had really wanted to run and hug him, but the arena was too crowded, and before she could make a move, Nox had long blended into the crowd because of the rm, disappearing from her view.

    Still, Serena knew that saving the barony was much more important. As painfully as it hurt, she had no choice but to follow her father and Hans back to the barony, prolonging her reunion with Nox.

    At that moment, Serena frowned as she stared outside at the world flying past her.

    Just then, she heard a thunderous voice: "Beast ahead! Everyone get ready!"

    Serena jolted from her seat with an anxious expression on her face. "That voice... it belongs to Uncle Hans."

    A momentter, even her carriage came to a halt.

    Then the sound of weapons and growling beasts filled the air.

    "Die!"

    "Stay in formation!" Hans shouted. "Two to one, beast!"

    "Watch out!"

    While the outside was chaotic, inside the carriage was quiet. Serena was silent, her fists shaking and her eyes filled with anger. A few moments ago, as if knowing something like this would happen, Gordon, her father, had instructed her to stay indoors no matter what.

    She hadn''t thought much about it then, but now that the clear sounds of fighting outside were ringing, things now made sense.

    "I have trained with Nyx in the dimensions," Serena thought, balling her fists hard. "I can fight. If I''m not going to fight, what is the reason foring in the first ce?"

    As she thought about this, Serena couldn''t help but recall her promise back at the Mountain of Ascension when she was about to awaken her ss.

    "My body hurts; I just want to take a nap. Ugh!"

    "Hey, why did you do that?" Nyx had said with a tight frown on her beautiful face as she helped her friend up. Although there was a frown, she was deeply worried that Serena might have exhausted and pushed herself to the limit.

    "Maybe because I don''t want to be left behind," Serena said, looking to the side. "I also want to protect others like you and Nox, not be the one who always needs protection."

    In the present, her eyes burned intensely as she got up. "I''m sorry, Father." She summoned her bow, the quiver already on her back, filled with arrows. "But I also want to protect others."

    Saying this, she jumped out of the carriage and found herself face to face with a red-eyed wolf who immediately leaped at her.

    Without even a hint of panic in her eyes, she expertly retrieved an arrow from the quiver, then, with lightning speed, the arrowhead blurred towards the red-eyed wolf and buried itself deep in the wolf''s eye.

    Howl!

    The wolf howled in pain, making it easy for Serena to deal with it as she continuously bashed the beast''s head until it eventually cracked open.

    "Tsk, stupid wildlings," Serena spat on the beast and raised her head, only to be met with her father''s angry gaze.

    "Youngdy... you disobeyed me," he started calmly.

    "I had to," Serena retorted. "I... I can fight too. I''m an Awakened, don''t you remember? I''ve been training a lot with Nyx in the past year."

    "I know... but you see, Nyx is built differently... she''s special," Gordon said. "These beasts... they''re unusually powerful. You can''t¡ª"

    At that moment, Gordon trailed off as he suddenly saw his daughter retrieving an arrow with calcted ease and cing it on the string. Then a sharp silver light passed through her eyes as the arrow shot forward.

    Whoosh!

    Gordon felt the arrow pass his cheek, almost grazing it, and then he heard it stab into something, followed by a painful howl.

    His daughter''s action had been too fast, and for a moment, he even thought she was aiming at him. He turned around hastily and saw a red-eyed wolf lying on the ground in its own pool of blood.

    The wolf had tried to sneak up on Gordon but had paid dearly with its life.

    "That uracy," Gordon stuttered, his gaze still lingering on the beast. "That calmness... usually kids her age would be terrified, but this girl, not only was she calm, she also reacted with quick reflexes." He looked up at his daughter. It felt as if he was looking at someone else entirely.

    Serena disyed a smug smile as she said, "Who said I can''t fight them?"

    "I..." Gordon tried to work his jaw, lost for what to say.

    Then, at that moment, Hans, who had watched everything unfold, chimed in:  "If she can fight, let her."

 Chapter 259 : A Vassal?

    Back in the Armstrong Duchy, the fight was kept at bay. With the presence of the three terrifying Elemental Beasts, the beasts, who were mostly between the Wilding and Intermediate tiers, were having a tough time.

    The likes of Wendy, Nyx, and Rab only poured more salt in their wounds. Wendy and Nyx were carving a path through the ranks of monsters.

    The two briefly looked at each other. Nyx shook the blood off her sword, seemingly irritated that it was tainting her de. Her gaze then swept past Wendy,nding on the carcass of a beast.

    "Hmm, not bad," shemented.

    Wendy smiled smugly as she flicked a strand of her white hair behind her, then nced around Nyx, and her eyes widened in shock.

    ''That''s twice as many as my beast!'' she thought, shock written across her face. At that moment, she felt embarrassed for being prideful.

    "It seems you''ve improved a lot since our fight," Wendymented as she cut down a beast. The hide of the creature was unusually tough, so she had no choice but to sh twice.

    This was what she and the others had been doing all along.

    "I trained," Nyx responded, her de biting into the neck of a beast. With her sword radiating pure holy light, it effortlessly sliced through the monsters.

    Most of them were even terrified to get close due to the glow emanating from her sword.

    "I can see that," Wendy nodded with a bitter smile, ncing at the monsters onest time. She wondered who would win if the two of them were to fight. ''Monsters, they''re both monsters!''

    On the other side of the battlefield, Nox was observing Fluffington and Thirteen, who seemed to bepeting to see who could hoard the most kills. Meanwhile, Astralux hovered in the air, killing the monsters at her own pace.

    "Things seem alright for now," Nox nodded, watching as the soldiers fired their weapons, taking down any creatures that slipped through the kids'' formation.

    Thanks to their coordination, Nox hadn''t made a move yet. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to fight; it was mostly because he wanted to give them a fair chance. If he jumped in now, he''d only hoard all the kills for himself.

    ''I need to head further then,'' he thought, his eyes shining. ''I''m also curious where these monsters areing from.''

    With this thought in mind, Nox finally made his move. With a fierce kick off the ground, he propelled himself into the air, passing over the heads of countless monsters.

    Hended in the midst of a group of beasts and punched forward.

    BOOOM!

    A loud boom sounded as several beasts were sent flying from his front. Then, Nox stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he sized up the beasts, who were snarling and circling him, realizing he was a huge threat.

    Nox''s fist shot forward, and three beasts were blown apart. The reason he was easily dispatching all the creatures was that they were mostly Wilding and Intermediate tier.

    With each kill, Nox was advancing deeper into the horde of monsters. As he continued to kill the beasts, Nox realized something.

    "These things are too organized for a random attack." Nox frowned, thinking back to his mother''s exnation. "Could it be they''re really being controlled?"

    There was only one way to find out, and that was to head deeper.

    Nox pushed further through the battlefield. Behind him, he could hear Fluffington''s taunts as the demonic cat dispatched another beast, and Thirteen''s loud victory roars echoed each time it imed another kill. They were both holding their own, so Nox felt confident in leaving the wall.

    After getting far from the wall, Nox cracked his neck, a smile on his face as he saw hundreds of beasts snarling at him.

    Now he could let loose.

    A momentter, he lunged into the horde of monsters, his trusty dagger shing through the air. Every swing of his de imed a life. The creatures'' hides were tougher than usual, but this only affected others with mediocre weapons!

    Nox''s dagger was at the pinnacle of craftsmanship; it easily dispatched the monsters as if it were cutting through air.

    [Ding! You received Experience Points]

    [Ding! You received Experience Points]

    [Ding! You received Experience Points]

    [Ding! You received Experience Points]

    ''Hahaha, I wonder what level I''ll be by the time all these monsters are dead,'' Nox grinned.

    Meanwhile, in the Duke''s residence inside the Armstrong Duchy, a masked figure was staring outside. The streets were void of life as all the residents were indoors while the Awakened defended the walls against the beasts.

    Hendrix adjusted his mask, then looked behind him at the Duke, who was seated behind a veil as usual.

    "What now?" Hendrix''s voice echoed in the vast chamber.

    "We relocate somewhere far," the Duke stated in a solemn voice, shifting slightly in his seat as he recalled Nox''s face. The shadow on his face grew several shades darker.

    "If I had known that kid would have such tricks up his sleeve, I wouldn''t have blindly made that bet," the Duke sighed, regret evident in his voice.

    "Don''t worry, it''s not your fault." Hendrix waved his hand dismissively, a sharp glint crossing his eyes. "I overestimated myself and underestimated the kid. If I had known what he was, I wouldn''t have given you the order to suggest that bet"

    "Huh? What do you mean?" the Duke questioned, his voice filled with confusion.

    Hendrix didn''t respond immediately; he shifted his gaze outside. From here, he could hear the sound of the fighting raging on. If someone were to see his current actions, they''d think Felix Armstrong wasn''t the Duke but a mere subordinate, given the careful manner in which he spoke to Hendrix.

    All this while, his words had been measured, and despite the dy, he waited patiently. If Kron had seen this sight, he would have been shocked by the Duke''s docile attitude; after all, the Duke was a very impatient and authoritative man.

    "At first, I didn''t notice it." After a while, Hendrix finally spoke. "The reason I was always interested and obsessed with beating him. The reason I thought he was special, that aura¡­ it all points to one thing."

    Hendrix slowly turned to the Duke. After a moment of silence that felt like an eternity, he said, "That kid Nox¡­ is a Vassal."

 Chapter 260 : A Discovery

    "Shadow Oblivion!" Nox shouted at the top of his voice as a dark pulse left his fingers and descended in the midst of a curious pack of monsters.

    As soon as the stnded there, a powerful explosion urred upon impact, and a blinding shadowy light illuminated the whole area in the following second, almost like a shbang the size of a nuke had detonated.

    BOOOOM!

    The body parts of over 100 monsters were immediately blown apart into countless fragments, and the familiar screen announcing experience points flooded Nox''s retina.

    [You''ve leveled up!]

    With a smile on his face, Nox dismissed the screen and looked at his handiwork. The point of Shadow Oblivion''s impact was now covered with thick fumes of smoke, and the monsters nearby were reeling back, as if scared they''d be caught in the crossfire.

    However, while the beasts were squirming away, other monsters farther away were attracted by the sound.

    Massive beasts came in all sizes with fangs that stretched out of their mouths menacingly. Among these beasts, there was a massive ck python in the middle. This python was the same one that had taken down Doombringer.

    From the look of things, the python was the leader of this group of beasts, as it gave off an authoritative aura befitting a monarch. All the other beasts held their heads low as if waiting for the ck python''s instructions, whose size rivaled that of an anaconda from Earth.

    After drinking from the drop of Ivor, the other beasts had initially ganged up against the ck python... however, they got too cocky; they were mostly at intermediate ranks. A king-tier beast, especially one whose strength had spiked consistently due to the drop of Ivor, was almost an untouchable existence.

    Hence, it easily overwhelmed and humbled them.

    Sheess.

    The ck python, with its forked tongue dangling in the air and letting out venom that carved holes in the ground, nced at the distance just in time to see the dark shbang!

    Sheess. Sheess!

    An excited gleam appeared in the python''s eyes. It could sense a terrifying enemy close by! Without a moment of hesitation, the python lunged in that direction.

    Right behind the python was the rest of the horde.

    ---

    Shing! Shing!

    Aina was still in her peak form; usually, if normal Awakened were to fight at this speed, they''d expend all their stamina and grow tired!

    "But it had been over an hour, and she''s still fighting at the same pace," Kron thought, his eyes flickering with admiration. Though the distance between them was veryrge, because of the zing white lights bulldozing anything in its path, everyone could tell she wasn''t getting exhausted anytime soon.

    "It''s as if she has endless stamina," one soldiermented, then a silly smile appeared on his face as he suddenly had a lewd thought and added, "How terrifying."

    The others, who seemed to have thought the same thing, couldn''t help but chuckle. Kron spared them a nce, and they immediately stiffened.

    Though Aina couldn''t tell who he was, the other guards knew exactly who this man was.

    "Thank your stars she didn''t overhear you," he said, turning around. As he did, he added, "Because you''d find your head rolling on the ground by now."

    That soldier, along with the others whoughed, immediately stiffened, their faces pale as they imagined their heads being cut off by the terrifying sword that was like the Grim Reaper''s scythe, eager to guide people to the afterlife.

    ---

    "It''s as if the horde is unending," Ainained, cutting down a series of beasts in her path. "Such a shame this news would hardly make any impact on my experience bar."

    "The same for me," Eve responded.

    Both of them were high-level Awakened; if all the beasts were at the king-tier level, a huge change could have been reflected in their experience bars. Unfortunately, this was the bane of all Awakened, because after attaining higher ranks, it bes increasingly difficult to level up.

    After their initial exchange, the two powerful women didn''t speak anymore. Instead of exhausting themselves with speaking, they ced all their focus into ying the monsters in their path.

    After two hours and some minutes, the two had long disappeared into the distance. Kron and the rest could no longer see their backs or the white and dark shes of light.

    As he watched the countless beast carcasses lying everywhere, he couldn''t help but feel a bad premonition in the pit of his stomach. So far, not even a single soldier had lost their life. He should''ve been happy, yet it was unsettling.

    "I heard hundreds of people died already in the first wave in the southern region," Kron thought, rubbing his palms together. "And from the look of things, this horde seems much more powerful than the beasts that attacked the south."

    The next moment, he shook his head. Perhaps he was overthinking things. The reason there hadn''t been any casualties was because of the two women.

    "Yes... it''s because of them," he tried to convince himself.

    ---

    [Hehehe, so delicious!] Fluffington eximed as he threw a monster core into his mouth. The shadow cat was currently in the midst of dozens of beasts, yet none of them had evennded a strike on him.

    Fluffington was just too elusive!

    Even the manner he used to kill the beasts was annoying. Unlike Thirteen and Astralus, who killed their prey swiftly and efficiently before extracting the monster cores.

    Fluffington ate directly from the source! His ws shed across the chest, then with lightning speed, he snatched the core from the beast''s chest and threw it into his mouth. As they fell down, the beasts red at Fluffington with murderous intent.

    If eyes could kill, the cat would have perished over and over again.

    As if this wasn''t enough, Fluffington would then p the beasts on the face with his paws while insulting them.

    It was truly a very disrespectful method of killing his prey.

    Thirteen couldn''t help but sneer in his heart. He would definitely talk to his big brother about this habit.

    At the other side of the battlefield, Aina and Eve soon made a discovery.

 Chapter 261: Why Do You Reek So much Of Her

    The plumes of smoke eventually drifted into the air, revealing a deep crater at the spot where Shadow''s Oblivion had mmed into.

    Nox stared at the several carcasses piling inside the pit and couldn''t help but feel regret. "If I had known, I could have brought Astralux. She''d have extracted all the monsters'' cores."

    He sighed and jumped into the crater a momentter. ''I guess I''ll do the hard work myself. It''s times like this I wish I had telekinesis.''

    Nox ced the first monster core into his inventory and rested a hand on his cheek. ''When this whole thing is over, I think I''ll go on a little vacation and just look for powerful skills to copy. Yes, I''ll do jus¡ª''

    While Nox was absentmindedly thinking and retrieving the beast cores from the carcasses, the surroundings began to tremble.

    Rumble! Rumble!

    Nox''s expression changed slightly.

    The sound felt like the marching of a thousand-man army rushing to war.

    Fortunately, during the time he spent in his head, he had already retrieved a hefty amount of beast cores. Though there were still some left, he decided to put those aside and check out the current situation.

    Jumping out of the crater, Noxnded with a soft thud on the rough ground, finding himself face to face with hundreds of beasts.

    But among them, the one that stood out to him was a coiled ck-scaled python staring at him like a delicious meal, its forked tongue dangling in the air.

    Seeing this beast, for some reason, reminded Nox a lot of the blue-fanged python back in the barony.

    [ck Scale Python - King Tier - Lv8]

    ''What a coincidence that they''re both in the King Tier.'' A silver light flickered across his features. Nox could still vividly remember the difficulty Elvin and his strike team had gone through the other day.

    Looking at the intimidating beast that could have scared the living daylight out of him if he were still back on Earth, Nox felt confident in beating it.

    "Alright, big man, let''s do this!" A wide smile very simr to Nathan''s spread across Nox''s features.

    As if sensing Nox''s intention, the python''s eyes also burned furiously as its ck scales shimmered under the re of the sun. It was about to lunge forward and swallow the tasty human.

    BOOM!

    A loud boom echoed in the air as the beast bolted forward from its spot. Though it was literally crawling on its stomach, the force was so powerful that it ripped the earth apart, creating a mini chasm on the ground.

    The other beasts that had apanied the python knew its intentions and stepped back.

    Nox gripped his dagger tightly and dashed forward as well, a fearless expression on his face. While the King Tier ck-scaled python was thinking of devouring him, he was calcting the amount of experience points he''d obtain from a creature of this caliber.

    Tension filled the air as the two closed in on each other. However, just before their sh, something unexpected happened.

    The beast suddenly came to a stop!

    "Huh, why did it stop?" Its actions confused Nox as well.

    Even the other beasts were stunned!

    The python''s eyes gleamed strangely, and the next moment, Nox heard a voice in his head.

    "You."

    Nox''s eyes shed sharply as he recognized the voice in his head. It had been a long time since he had heard the voice of another beast, so he was naturally courteous.

    "Sup," Nox responded casually, to the python''s shock.

    "Huh, you can hear me, human?!" The python''s eyes widened in shock, and its entire body trembled.

    Nox covered his ears and winced slightly. "Yes, I can hear you, and stop screaming; you''re hurting my brain."

    Growl! Growl!

    The other beastsmunicated among themselves, clearly confused about what was going on. Since the python wasmunicating solely with Nox, the others weren''t able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

    "Great!" the python eximed again.

    "Agh! Damn, what happened to ''stop screaming''?" Nox covered his ears again, feeling as though blood woulde out anytime soon.

    "I don''t know how you can hear me, but I don''t care," the python said. "What''s important is why you reek so much of her."

    "Huh, what are you on about?" Nox raised a brow, confusion flickering across his face. He couldn''t understand what this overgrown python was saying.

    "Reek so much of who?" he asked, the grip on his dagger loosening a bit.

    "Hmph, contemptuous human," the python hissed, its emerald eyes narrowing as it seemed to stare through Nox''s very soul. "You reek of her¡ªyou reek of the person who caused me so much pain! The one I have been waiting for all these years!"

    Nox didn''t know if his ears were ying tricks on him, but he could sense raw emotions in those words. It felt like the python''s voice heldyers of pain and anger that spanned years, maybe even centuries.

    Then the creature''s eyes glistened with anger as it said in a deep voice:

    "Now tell me, why do you reek so much of her? You have 30 seconds to give me an answer; if not, I''ll tear you to shreds."

    "Look," Nox said, trying to keep his voice casual as he cautiously eyed the beast''s coiled, massive body, "I don''t know who you''re talking about, but if you think you''re scaring me with a few cryptic lines, think again."

    As he said this, Nox tightened his grasp on his weapon again, a clear indication that he was done speaking.

    Seeing Nox''s actions, the python''s eyes red up, burning with intense anger as it spat: "You bastard, you have my wife''s scent on you, yet you act clueless! How shameless can you be!"

    Nox froze when he picked up on specific words from the python.

    "Y-your wife?" he blurted out.

    As if in response, inside his taming space, a certain beautiful egg started to fall apart.

    ****

    Thanks To All Those Who Support Supreme BeastTamer I really appreciate !

 Chapter 262: Doombringer Arrives

    "Phew, finally, it''s over!"

    After several minutes of intense fighting, Hans and the others managed to eliminate the beast that had blocked their path. Though they were a bit exhausted, surprisingly, no one was killed or seriously injured.

    And all of this was thanks to the archer who was currently standing on top of the carriage roof.

    Swoosh!

    The arrow whistled through the air and embedded itself deep into the eyes of thest remaining beast.

    The two Awakened who had been battling that beast turned around and gave Serena a nod of appreciation. The beautiful girl smiled at them before jumping down from the carriage andnding gracefully.

    Gordon, who had been observing his daughter all this while, was still feeling a bit shocked by everything. Though he knew about Serena training with Nyx, he hadn''t known she would develop her marksmanship to such a terrifying level.

    Seeing the priceless expression on her father''s face, Serena couldn''t help but disy a smug smile. "It seems Father has forgotten that I also learned a few things from Uncle Elvin. Of course, I''d be this good."

    "Yes, I guess." Gordon smiled as he hugged Serena and ruffled her head. "I''m proud of you...from now on, I won''t underestimate you again."

    Serena could feel the raw emotions from these words, and it felt good...it reminded her a lot of her mother''s eyes during the mock tournament.

    Thinking about her mother, Serena''s eyes snapped open.

    Of course, her mother, Cam, was still back in the Barony! She gripped her bow tightly.

    "Alright, let''s keep going!" At the same time, Hans''s voice echoed in the air, breaking the father-daughter moment.

    After clearing the beasts from their path, the Awakened and the carriages proceeded with their journey. However, this time, Serena didn''t stay inside.

    Shey down on the roof of the carriage and, like a sniper about to eliminate her targets, fired her arrows in quick session, blinding every beast that blocked their path.

    This made the journey much faster, and soon the carriage slowly entered the territory of the Cromwell Barony.

    "Damn, that''s really a lot," one soldier gasped in shock when he saw dozens of beasts heading toward the Cromwell Barony, each of them emitting a terrifying aura.

    Because of their numbers, the group immediately stopped all movement, afraid of attracting the beasts'' attention. If all these beasts were to attack now, they would certainly find themselves in a troublesome situation.

    "So, what do we do?" Serena asked her father.

    "We wait," Gordon responded, and for the next few hours, they did just that. After the horde passed, the group continued their journey and soon saw the towering walls in the distance.

    As soon as they saw the silhouette of the Cromwell walls, the eyes of the Awakened burned with even more intensity, and their speed also increased.

    Meanwhile, on the walls, the soldiers were having a very tough time fending off the beasts, whose numbers had suddenly tripled!

    The Awakened on the walls all had pale faces, their weapons trembling slightly in their hands, making it difficult for them to ce their arrows on the strings or activate their long-range skills.

    Because of the increased number, the collective roars of the beasts had be much more deafening. Hearing the terrifying roars of thousands of beasts made even the bravest Awakened feel a chill down their spine.

    They couldn''t imagine how Elvin was still able to fight in this situation.

    Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

    Down below, Elvin panted as his arrows pierced yet another beast. Over a hundred beastsy around him, each bearing the markings of arrows. Elvin''s breathing hitched as he felt his hands go slightly numb... He had been fighting nonstop for several hours now; naturally, even for a war veteran like him, it was really taxing for the body.

    [Stamina: 30/100%]

    "At this rate, I can only fight for another hour," Elvin thought as he saw the grim notification flickering across his retina.

    At that moment, a monster broke free from the lines and pounced on him. An arrow quickly materialized in Elvin''s grasp and blurred toward the beast, striking it down and piercing its chest.

    The beast copsed onto the ground with a final, resounding roar, but Elvin barely had time to catch his breath before the next wave surged toward him. His legs felt weak, his vision blurred, and his arms trembled as he nocked another arrow. His body was screaming for rest, but his mind refused to give in. He had to hold the line; the safety of the Barony depended on it.

    "Damn it, I''ll give all of them a beating of their lives after this." Elvin cursed as he saw the clumsy rain of arrows from below. Because of their trembling arms, their aim was terrible, oftennding on the ground or even near Elvin.

    Though he knew this was because the others had never experienced such arge-scale battle before, it still angered him greatly, especially when thousands of lives depended on them.

    "Just a little longer," Elvin muttered under his breath, trying to steady his shaking hands.

    He took aim once more, but before he could release the arrow, a sudden gust of wind swept over him, momentarily clearing his vision. From above, a flurry of fire meteors rained down, crashing into hundreds of beasts at the same time, and loud, painful roars echoed in the air.

    Roar! Roar!

    Like a tempest of destruction, the ming meteors descended on the monsters, instantly turning them to ashes. The beasts desperately tried to escape the tyrannical rain of mes but were toote. The barrage of fiery meteors obliterated their ranks, leaving a zing trail of destruction across the battlefield. Plumes of smoke immediately filled the battlefield.

    "Ah! What is happening?"

    "What is that massive shadow?"

    The soldiers were also perplexed and nced at the sky. Above, a giant figure loomed amidst the haze and fiery aftermath, blocking the sun and casting a long shadow on the battlefield.

    "Wait...is that?"

    Elvin''s eyes widened as he recognized the mes, and instinctively, he looked up. A rare smile of relief slowly appeared on his face as he saw the one responsible for the attack.

    It was...

    Doombringer.

 Chapter 263: Something Is Wrong With Doombringer

    As he stared at the mayhem unfolding before his eyes, Elvin had never been happier to see this wyvern!

    "Hahahaha, feel the wrath of the mighty Doombringer," Elvinughed heartily as he heard the painful shrieks of the beast, which sounded very pleasing to hear now.

    Simrly, even the Awakened on the walls had wide eyes as soon as they set their gaze on Doombringer''s massive form. With such terrifying creatures on their side, the situation didn''t look so bleak anymore.

    "Hahahaha! Kill all of them!" one of them shouted and immediately notched an arrow, firing at the beast.

    He was not the only one; the others followed as well. Surprisingly, even their aim had be perfect.

    As Elvin saw this, he couldn''t help but feel a surge of anger! When all hope was lost, they were shaking in their boots and making terrible shots. Then suddenly, when they were winning, their aim became perfect.

    Simply put, They were useless when things got tough. Now that Doombringer''s here, they act like heroes. He clenched his fists. In battle, these people were very unreliable. Shaking his head, Elvin redirected his gaze to the distance.

    There, Doombringer was continuing to breathe fire on the beasts like an evil tyrant terrorizing a vige. The wyvern''s ming breath was incredibly powerful! Upon contact, it obliterated two or more beasts at once. The only proof they once existed was the ash and beast cores left in the wake of destruction.

    Elvin''s gaze swept back to Doombringer. For a moment, he thought he saw the wyvern stagger slightly, as if thrown off bnce, but he dismissed it without much thought.

    Gradually, the ranks of the beasts were reducing at such an rming pace that it frightened Elvin slightly. For a split moment, he even thought he was experiencing some sort of hallucination, that perhaps this was just a near-death vision brought on by exhaustion and terror¡ªbut the smell of burnt flesh was vivid, eradicating all doubts from his mind.

    Inside Cromwell Barony, Eve Manor.

    On the top floor, Skully, the Scourge Ant Queen, and the Ant King were watching the one-sided massacre.

    "I guess our help will no longer be needed," Skully said. "That overgrown lizard is here."

    The Ant Queen didn''t respond, her yellow eyes simply fixed on the wyvern outside, her antennae twitching.

    ''Hmmm, why does it look a bit strange?'' the Ant Queen thought absentmindedly. She could sense that something was wrong with the beast; however, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn''t seem to pinpoint what it was.

    The Ant Queen wanted to ask her mate and the skeleton butler if they found anything weird, but she decided against it, thinking she was just being too paranoid.

    Simrly, to the Armstrong Duchy, the streets of the Cromwell Barony were void of any life as everyone was indoors. The citizens were trembling and shaking inwardly, praying for the Awakened to emerge victorious in this fight. From time to time, reddish figures would dash past the road, leaving a red trail in their wake.

    Of course, these reddish figures were the Ant Queen''s special force. Because of the limited Awakened present in the barony at the moment, some parts of the walls were not properly guarded.

    These reddish figures dashed past, heading straight for the unguarded sections of the walls. Their only objective was to fortify any weak spots where beasts might break through, and so far, they had eliminated a handful of such monsters.

    Outside the walls, while Doombringer was carving fiery lines through the beast horde, a certain figure carrying a young boy in a princess carry materialized in the air.

    ''So this is where you came to,'' Nathan thought with a soft smile on his face as he gradually descended.

    "Look, isn''t that the Baron?" a soldier suddenly cried out, pointing at the sky.

    "Yes, it''s truly him...but I thought he was back with the beasts."

    Hearing the loud whispers of the guards behind him, Elvin also nced up and saw Nathaning his way.

    "It seems we were not the only ones attacked?" Elvin asked bitterly as he saw his friend.

    Nathannded on the solid ground with a low thud, gently putting down Cole, who breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to Elvin and said in a solemn voice:

    "Yes...the entire region is now overrun by these stupid low-life beasts," Nathan cursed.

    "Damn it, the same thing that happened in the southern region."

    "Yes." Nathan''s face grew slightly dark as he added, "But more."

    "What do you mean there are more?" Elvin asked, his eyes narrowing.

    "While I wasing back, I saw thousands of these beasts charging from the hills and valleys!" Nathan spoke, frustration evident on his face. "It''s as if these damned beasts havee from every nook and cranny of the western region."

    "Then...this is just the first wave. Shit!" Elvin rubbed his temples, feeling a headacheing on.

    "What''s the current situation?" Calming himself, Nathan asked afterward, his eyes sweeping across the battlefield and the walls, seeing that no damage had been made.

    He had arrived just in time.

    "Everything is fine for now," Elvin said. "But if Doombringer had arrived anyter, the walls would have been breached."

    "Was it really that bad?" Nathan whispered as he stared at the massive wyvern. If someone like Elvin, a war veteran, was saying so, then it was very bad. He couldn''t even begin to imagine what would have happened¡ªthe countless lives that would have been lost.

    At that moment, the powerful wyvern obliterated thest of the beasts and began to head toward Nathan.

    Inside Cromwell Barony, Skully continued to watch with a grim sense of satisfaction.

    "It seems you no longer need to worry about revealing your forces to the others." He muttered, a dry chuckle escaping his bony frame. He shifted his gaze to the ant queen.

    One of the reasons they had not acted was because of this! How would they convince the people of the barony that they were on their side? The only one able tomunicate and understand beasts was Nox.

    The Ant King nodded and said in a voice filled with disdain and contempt, "It''s for the better...who knows what these puny, disgusting humans would do if they saw our forces."

    Skully only spared the Ant King a nce before looking away. He had long learned that the ck humanoid ant had some terrible history with humans and disliked them with a passion. The only one he seemed to like was a certain pipsqueak Skully hadn''t seen for years now.

    As he thought about that silly boy, Skully soon noticed the Ant Queen''s intense gaze. She seemed lost, as if deep in thought.

    ''Something is off,'' the Ant Queen thought; at first, she hadn''t thought much of it, but the more she watched Doombringer, the more uneasy she felt.

    The wyvern''s movements seemed...off. For a creature of its size, Doombringer was moving erratically, as if struggling with some unseen force. And its eyes¡ªglowing with an unusual intensity¡ªalmost seemed tock the rity and purpose she would have expected from a beast of its caliber.

    "Skully, are you noticing anything...strange about Doombringer?" she finally asked, keeping her voice low.

    Skully tilted his head, taking a closer look. After some time, he noticed it as well. "Now that you mention it¡­" He trailed off, studying the wyvern''s movements. "It''s almost as if the lizard is fighting¡­something inside?"

    "Exactly," the Ant Queen said, her antennae twitching in difort. Now that Skully had confirmed it, she became even more uneasy. She clenched her fist, pondering if she should warn the others or not. Nathan and the others had seen her before during the mock tournament, after all... The only people they should be scared of should be the others. But what if she was wrong and just being paranoid? Narrowing her eyes, she took one closer look at the wyvern. "It''s as if..."

    However, before she could investigate further, they witnessed a shocking sight.

 Chapter 264: Entering The Cavern

    "This ce..." Eve trailed off as she stared at the massive mountain looming in front of them.

    "You know about this ce?" Aina asked, looking at Eve, whose gaze was still fixed ahead.

    After battling monsters nonstop for hours and moving forward at a frightening pace, the two surprisingly found themselves in the luminary forest of all ces, in front of a mountain with a giant opening in the front.

    Just beside the opening, there was a marking. However, this wasn''t just any marking¡ªit was a rune, one Eve was too familiar with.

    "Yes." Eve nodded, responding to Aina''s earlier question. "I do know about this ce... in fact," she paused, not knowing if she should include this part or not.

    "In fact, what?" Aina raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    "Nox has been in there before," Eve decided to say it anyway. She exined further, "He also awakened his ss inside that cavern... However, when Nathan and I tried to get inside, the runes embedded on the walls prevented us."

    Aina narrowed her eyes as she pondered what the necromancer had said. However, before they could converse any further, the sound of monsters hooves beating the ground echoed in the air.

    The two women simply nced at each other and instantly moved from their spot. Their speed was blinding, and they left only an afterimage where they had been. Even their steps were silent, like those of assassins.

    Just seconds after the two disappeared from the entrance of the cavern, hundreds of beasts poured out like a raging flood, spreading toward the northwest, south, and east of the western region, destroying everything in their path.

    "Such coordination. I have never seen anything like this," Aina stated, slightly amazed and shocked at what she was seeing. She was squatting on the branch of a towering oak tree, with none other than Eve beside her.

    Eve''s gaze turned fierce as she said, "So this is the ce the beasts areing from. It seems my previous intuition was right... these beasts are really being controlled by someone or a group of people."

    Eve narrowed her eyes. "I suspect the one who ced the runes there."

    At that moment, Aina spoke up, "Nox''s ss is somehow rted to beasts, right? Could this monster horde be connected to him?"

    "I strongly doubt it. Come, let''s go check this out." Eve shook her head as she jumped down from the tree, her body arched through the air, and shended gracefully just meters from the entrance of the mountain opening.

    A momentter, Aina appeared beside her. Eve wondered if she could enter this ce now that it seemed the restrictions had weakened. To this day, she still wondered how Nox had trespassed into this ce while high-level Awakened like she and Nathan had been prevented.

    Stretching her hand toward the cavern entrance, Eve felt an invisible wall that was stretchy and very sturdy at the same time. But...

    "It seems much weaker now," she muttered to herself. "Last time, it didn''t even budge for a second."

    Aina also did the same as Eve, cing her hand on the entrance, feeling the restrictions. She quietly walked toward the rune that was still gleaming slightly as if it had just been activated.

    Aina traced her fingers around the edges of the rune, a disappointed gleam in her eyes. Seeing that look, Eve asked:

    "Did you recognize it?"

    Eve knew Aina was from a very far-off ce and knew more than she was letting on; someone whose strength rivaled hers should certainly be very knowledgeable and influential.

    Aina shook her head, saying, "The rune''s symbols look familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I know I''ve seen something simr back on the ind in one of the training chambers... but this seems to be a more advanced form."

    Eve stared at the rune for a while, noting key words from Aina like "ind" and "training chambers." Eve was rarely interested in others, but after hearing these tidbits about where Aina might be from, she became curious.

    It took a bit of self-discipline not to ask intrusive questions. An awkward silence soon fell between them.

    "Maybe if we brought an actual runesmith, they''d be able to decipher it and even find a way to cancel its effect," Eve suggested as she thought about a runesmith she had encountered, wondering if she should go back and get him.

    While Eve was lost in thought, they soon heard another wave of beastly sounds. The two quickly hid themselves again.

    "It''s as if these monsters are unending," Ainained. "Makes you wonder if they''re being produced in there."

    The twonded outside the entrance once again and stretched their hands, feeling the stretchy wall.

    "I have an idea!" Aina suddenly eximed, an excited, mischievous gleam in her eyes. The smile on her face resembled someone about to y a silly prank.

    Eve had never seen this side of Aina. In fact, she didn''t even know the woman could be this carefree... but somehow, she liked it; it reminded her a lot of Nox from a few years ago before she started to influence him.

    Perhaps he took after her.

    Disying a smirk of her own, she asked, "What is it?"

    "This is something my sisters and I used to do whenever our training duration in the chambers was up," Aina exined her n. "So we''d usually use a special item to hide our presence and sneak in just before the barrier would close."

    "Hmm... that makes a lot of sense." Eve nodded, thinking back to how stretchy the barrier was. "If we could be a few seconds faster, I think we''d be able to get inside."

    "Correct," Aina nodded with excitement in her eyes. "We just need to create a briefpse in the barrier''s defenses. If we can catch it during the transition, we might just slip through."

    The two made a final agreement and waited for the beasts to surge out once more. Just a couple of minutester, the runes began to shimmer.

    "Alright, let''s do this."

 Chapter 265: Nox and The Black-Scaled Python [1]

    When the chaos erupted, Bridget from the Vermilion Kingdom Royal Academy didn''t stand back idly. She had disappeared from the judging table and observed Nox from a few meters away.

    Bridget knew this was the perfect opportunity to approach Nox and strike a deal with him; however, the weight of the situation was too overwhelming, and it would be a bit selfish for her to approach him now.

    While she was observing Nox again, though from the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure pushing through the crowd. It was a man with blue hair and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a green robe-like attire with intricate golden symbols on it.

    The man moved with purpose, his eyes fixed on Nox, who was currently conversing with Klein.

    "This is my chance!" the man muttered, his eyes burning with determination, and his movements became even more erratic.

    "Hey, mate, watch your steps!"

    "You''re stepping on me!"

    "Damn you!"

    The crowdined, but the man was almost in a daze, ignoring thempletely.

    A silver light passed through Bridget''s purple eyes as she recognized who this person was. Instantly, she moved from her spot and appeared in front of the man.

    The man, who was just some meters away from Nox, suddenly flinched back as a purple-eyed demoness appeared in front of him like a ghost.

    The man nearly had a heart attack when he saw her¡­ after all, he was a high-level Awakened, and only a handful of people should be stronger than him¡­ so just how¡­ just how did this person sneak past his seasoned senses?

    A momentter, he finally recognized the person clearly, and upon setting his eyes on the purple-haired woman, his breathing hitched, and his eyes widened.

    He was terrified! Why wouldn''t he be scared? Standing right in front of him was Bridget, the headmistress of one of the most prestigious academies and also the strongest female in the capital!

    Bridget was known for her wild and fearless personality! She didn''t even respect the king himself despite the Academy being located on the same ind as the royal castle.

    In truth, the man had noticed her presence from the beginning. However, he had decided to seize the chaos and strike a deal with the most outstanding participant in this tournament.

    Naturally, his first target was Nox.

    "A representative of the Ster Academy," Bridget''s voice was cold and sharp. With a cold gleam in her eyes, she dered, "The kid is mine¡­ do yourself a favor and scram." She paused, and a seductive smile appeared on her face.

    A smile so beautiful that it could topple powerful nations. However, the words that left her mouth the next moment were anything but beautiful.

    "If not, one of the Ster Academy staff ''might'' mysteriously pass away." She said it harmlessly, but the threat was very palpable.

    "Yes¡­ Lady Bridget." The man bowed, flicking away the cold beads of sweat that had formed on his temples. "If you''ll excuse me, I''ll take my leave."

    As he said this, he hurried out of the scene. He didn''t doubt Bridget even for a day. During this monster horde, she could easily kill him off and me it on the monsters.

    From different angles of the crowd, other figures had also noticed the subtle interaction between the two and were slowly disappearing into the crowd once more. Though the threat was directed only at the representative of the Ster Academy, all of them had received the message.

    "He''s starting to move." Bridget''s eyes flickered as she saw Nox move towards the outside and soon started stalking him.

    Behind her, she didn''t notice that someone else was following them as well.

    "Well, this could be a very good opportunity." Zarek adjusted his blindfold and licked his lips. "Let''s get this over with."

    ---

    Bridget followed Nox to the wall, and when Nox summoned both Fluffington and Thirteen, even someone of her caliber, who had seen a lot, couldn''t help but be stunned!

    "Three elemental beasts!" Bridget gasped and rubbed her eyes gently, perhaps thinking she was hallucinating, but that wasn''t the case. "He has three elemental beasts! How did he get his hands on three elemental beasts?"

    Being shocked was an understatement for Bridget''s current state. Elemental beasts were rare; it was a known fact throughout Eos, and they could only be found in high-ranking dimensions and deep parts of the wilds.

    Yet¡­ this boy had more than one!

    While she was shocked, she noticed Nox heading deeper into the beast horde and quickly followed him. Throughout the way, she grew more impressed and curious about Nox.

    Her eyes shone brightly with admiration and curiosity as she watched how Nox decapitated the monsters with ease. And when she saw him use Shadow Oblivion to eliminate hundreds of beasts simultaneously, she finally lost it!

    That¡­ that skill was an ultimate-rank skill!

    She had suspected as much when he used it during the tournament, but now that she felt the aura physically, all suspicions were gone!

    How did he get his hands on an ultimate skill? How is he so strong? What is his ss? How did he manage to control three elemental beasts? Bridget''s mind was filled with several questions.

    And at this point, the gleam in her eyes was bordering on obsession. If it wasn''t because she wanted to observe him more, she would have approached him and squeezed all his secrets out like a sponge.

    "Let''s watch a bit more," she convinced herself and watched from a distance. In the distance, she spotted a couple of interesting creatures heading towards Nox''s way and couldn''t help but wonder how he would deal with them.

    ¡­ after all, there was a King-ranked beast in the ranks of the monsters.

    In the present¡­

    A heavy silence fell, and tension crackled in the air. The beasts on the side shifted ufortably due to the weight of the situation.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Because of the heavy silence, the sound of the wind howling was especially noticeable, adding to the gravity of the situation.

    In the middle of it all were Nox and the ck-scaled python.

    The two locked in an intense stare, like a ticking time bomb, and it was evident that a fight would soon break out between them. Bridget was all for it, as the wide smile and excited gleam in her eyes showed.

    "Your wife," Nox eventually spoke. "Could you please give me a description?"

 Chapter 266: Heartless

    Nox and the Python gaze was locked in an intense stare, they were like a ticking time bomb and it was pretty evident that a fight would soon break out between the two and  Bridget was all for it because the wide smile and excited gleams in her eyes..

    "Your wife." Nox eventually spoke. "Could you please give me a description?"

    "You!" The ck scaled python felt a rush of anger surge though it''s body at Nox clueless question. It''s entire body was trembling and even the grounds cracked underneath the beast massive form bearing the brunts of its anger.

    Those red eyes became even more piercing and a fierce....it was clear that the ck scaled Python was holding back fromshing out on the human standing fearlesssly Infront of it.

    "You reek so much of her." A couple of secondster, The ck Scaled python finally spat out: "...It''s clear you have something with her disappearance...yet yoi act dumb! Do I look like someone who is joking to you!"

    As he said thatst line, the ck Scaled Python head lounged forward causing the air to ripple around it and it eyes were filled with murder.

    Fwoosh!

    It was going for the kill!

    "Huh...why is he standing there." Bridget was at lost of words as she she saw the blizzare scene unfolding before her. She has expected the Nox and the magical beast to sh immidiatly in an epic fight.

    She didn''t expect him to talk to the beast! Which was supposedly impossible for Humans be it Awakened or mundane.

    However Nox had simpley disyed too much illogical Actions that she didn''t even feel shocked... only biwirldmment flicker and acrose her eyes.

    What left her even more confused was why Nox stood there unmoving when the python lounged at him with the intention of kill.

    ''Has he gone mad? Or does this beats have some sort of paralysis skil?'' Eve couldn''t help but wonder aloud. She silently debated if she should rush in to save Nox or not. It would be really terrible if A talent like Nox perish here.

    However before she could make a move, a sudden thoughts resurfaced in her head.

    "This kid has disyed overwhelming control and strategic thinking during the tournament in the mysterious realm."

    "Also he had kept everyone in check in the walls as well...let''s wait a little, he must''ve have something on his sleeves."

    Bridget thought and decided to step back, it was big gamble and she could be wrong but she dicided to take a leap of fate and trust blindly on the kid she had only known for few hour''s now.

    As he watched the snakes forked tongue and those menacing red eyes grew closer, Nox was unflinchingly and remained calmed. This...this caused the ck scaled python eyes to tremble in shocked and it came to a puase.

    Drawing it''s head back, the initial shock faded away as the snake ridiculed. "You... you''re not only stubborn you''re also a fool for standing blindly when you''re about to killed."

    Nox simply smirked as he said: "Well, it''s only natural for me to be confident when I know you can''t really kill me."

    "You!" The ck scaled python eyes shed sharply.

    "You need me alive." The smirk on Nox face only became even more annoying that it irritated the snake to it''s bone as he added. "You need to know what happened to your wife after all... whoever she is."

    Hearing Nox at the side Bridget couldn''t help but disy a smoke. "I was right.....he did have reason for standing steel like this...but to think he would gamble alone on that is a bit... scary."

    "Hahahaha but I love it! I love this confidence!

    "Huh?" Nox and the ck scaled Python thought they suddenly heard a Crazy woman''sughter but they didn''t think much about it and returned their attention to each other.

    "You''re indeed right." The ck scaled python admitted quietly, but it''s eyes turned sharp the next moment as it added in a dark tone: "Which why I have dicided to tourture the answer out of you before throwing you to my army to devour you!"

    Rooar! Rooar!

    As soon as the beast heard these word they started jumping up and making gurutual growls. Their collective jump sent mild termor through the surunding.

    Nox shifted his gaze to the beast, those dark lightless eyes were even more frightening than those of the beast and they immidiatly flinched back slightly like rats. Nox then returned his gaze to the python and said: "Or you can just tell me a description of your wife. I meant plenty beast you know? How I''m I suppose to know which of them is your wife?"

    After a moment of contemtions the back Python-king realized what Nix said was right: "My wife was beautiful." It eventually spoke and it''s fierce eyes flickered bing more intimate and loving. It honestly weirded Nox a bit and his face twisted in irritation.

    ... irritation that he tried very hard to conceal yet it was just too obvious.

    Founatly the ck scaled python king didn''t notice it and continued with its tale. "With shimmering azure scales and mesnerizing eyes she was the wish of all male Pythons and the females greatest bane..."

    As the back Scaled python continued it''s ramblings Nox eyes shed....this description....it was the same snake that attacked the Barony a few years ago.

    A bitter smile appeared on his face but he didn''t interrupt the python king who continued to sing all sort of praise about his wife. Even the beast hord were bing bored, it was very evident in their eyes but they dared not show it.

    "Just what are they discussing about?" Bridget coundnt help but wonder aloud as she saw the magical beast animated gestures and Nox bored expression.

    Unaware of Nox thought the snake finally concluded his tail and said: "so have you met her before?"

    Nox hesitated for a while then said. "I have met her before...infact it was just some few years ago."

    "Great!" The python eyes lit up in excitement: "How was she? Where did you meet? Has she given birth to our child yet?"

    Nox listened to the rain of question patiently and when the python finally took a breath he said.

    "She... is dead."

    "Huh?" The Python''s coiled form froze, eyes widenninh "What did you say?"

    Nox''s gaze didn''t waver. "Your wife is dead," he repeated, each word deliberately cold and even. "My master wss the ones who blew her to smithereens. But," he paused, allowing the words to sink in, "I did assist them."

    There was a long, charged silence before the Python''s entire body trembled with rage and it''s scaled gleamed dangerously.

    "You...vile human!" The snake sheethed with fury as it charged at Nox "You''ll pay for this! I''ll make you suffer tenfold!"

    "I''ll dly do it again if I have to!" Nox shouted as he charged forward to meet the beast headon.

    From the side, Bridget eyes lit up. "Finally the exciting part!

 Chapter 267: outrunning A High Level Awakened

    The ground trembled as Nox and the ck Python King collided in an epic sh that sent a thunderous **BOOM** throughout the ground. The sheer force sent a shockwave rippling outward, kicking a dust storm into the air.

    "Achoo!" Bridget, watching with an intense look in her eyes, emitted a soft sneeze as the dust hit her. But she didn''t move from her spot. A beast that had heard the sneeze sneaked up on her without alerting itsrades. However, it was met with a gruesome fate as a single punch from the headmistress decapitated the beast, smashing it into smithereens.

    "Annoying bugs." She sneered in annoyance, returning her gaze to the ongoing fight.

    As they collided in the middle, Nox''s fist blurred forward and smashed into the head of the Python!

    **BANG!**

    The impact of the punch was so powerful that the massive Python nearly toppled over and mmed into the ground.

    **"Hissss!"** Anger zed like a volcano in the beast''s eyes as its tail snapped like a whip, aiming to crush Nox with brute strength.

    "Too slow," Nox taunted as he dodged the Python King''s tail, feeling the powerful gust in his face. Then he suddenly closed the little gap between him and the massive beast and countered with a lightning-fast punch!

    **BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**

    "This¡­ why is it so fast?" the Python King eximed in confusion as each blow mmed into its hard ck scales. It felt its insides ze with pain. Because of its extremely tough scales, Nox''s punches didn''t make noticeable impacts on the outside. However, the inside was a different case!

    Each blow seemed to shatter the internal organs of the ck Scaled Python. Within seconds, foams of blood were spilling from its mouth!

    "This hurts! I don''t understand, isn''t this human only a low-level Awakened?"

    "How is he moving so fast? Why does his punches hurt so much?"

    Just then, the ck Scaled Python King opened its mouth like a cobra about to spit venom.

    "Hmph, your wife did the same thing¡­ I''d be a fool if I allowed that attack to hit me." As Nox shouted this, Oblivion Edge, which he had put away, materialized in his grasp, glinting with a sharp light. At first, he wanted to test how he''d fare against the python using only brute strength, but the beast king''s scales were simply too strong for his current level and strength stats.

    Tightening his grasp on the weapon, Nox lunged forward and attacked the beast''s midsection.

    **Fwoosh!**

    Oblivion Edge sliced through the air and pierced the python''s obsidian scales!

    **Crack!**

    Under the powerful attack, cracks spread from the point of impact, shocking the ck Scaled Python as it swallowed its venomous poison. Soon enough, the crack extended in all directions before scales began falling off one after another.

    The ck Scaled Python was shocked!

    "I wonder what rank that dagger is," Bridget thought with a soft smile on her face, recalling the gruesome scene from the tournament when Nox had used the dagger on Hendrix.

    "So many mysteries," she whispered, rubbing her hands in excitement. "But I''m going to unearth all of them! Every single one of them!"

    "What kind of treacherous weapon is that, human?" the magical beast roared in anger, retaliating with venomous toxin from its mouth.

    "It was gifted to me by a god!" Nox dered, dodging the barrage of venom. Then he suddenly leaped up, covering several meters in mid-air and catching the Python mid-leap. "It will also be your end!"

    As soon as he finished thest sentence, Oblivion Edge descended like a meteoric hammer, mming into the head of the Python King and shattering it into countless fragments that rained throughout the battleground.

    Noxnded gracefully on the ground, just in time for a portion of the beast''s massive head tond at his feet. Even in death, one could still see the stunned look on the beast''s face.

    Nox simply kicked the beast''s head without even a shred of remorse and nced at the rest of the beasts, who also seemed to be in a shocked state!

    Because of his natural connection with beasts, Nox could feel their shock vividly.

    Under their stunned gazes, Nox turned his back to the beasts and went to pick up the monster core belonging to the defeated Python King, which was lying a few meters away from the deep crater caused by Oblivion Edge.

    "Dealing with a king-tier beast in a couple of moves... this is the first time I''m seeing a kid so powerful." Bridget''s eyes shone with fascination. "Turning your back on them... such disrespect and confidence!"

    **Growl! Growl!**

    Seeing Nox''s back turned, the beasts thought it was the right moment to attack, and they did just that, charging in all at once!

    What they didn''t know was that the Beast Master had already sensed their intentions before they made their move.

    Putting the beast cores away, he threw his dagger into the air, and it pierced the first creature closest to him, then burst out, piercing the second.

    Then the third¡­ the fourth¡­ the fifth, sixth, seventh.

    Finally, it struck down the tenth creature before stabbing into the hard ground, the sun gleaming on its de.

    However, out of the de''s trajectory, the beasts who were still unharmed jumped at Nox.

    Within a few minutes, Nox dealt with all the beasts in the area. Before he left, though, he made sure to pick up every single one of the beasts'' cores.

    When he was done collecting the beast cores, Nox activated Divine Velocity!

    "With Divine Velocity on, I should find the beast base within a couple of minutes!"

    Immediately, his body flickered, and he disappeared in a golden streak, leaving behind nothing but a rtively deep crater and a stunned Bridget.

    "Bloody hell!" she eximed with wide eyes, her gaze never leaving the previous spot Nox had stood just seconds ago. "Did this kid just outrun me?"

    ***

    Back in the Cromwell Barony, a scene the soldiers and all citizens thought would never ur was happening right in front of their eyes!

 Chapter 268: Cease Fire

    Doombringer pped its wings, generating a wind current around him. The sight of the majestic creature sent a wave of relief through everyone.

    "Hahaha, with Doombringer here, I think the town will dodge this bullet," one awakenedughed.

    "Yes, even though Doombringer won''t be able to deal with the beast alone, at least it will buy us time for the others to return to the barony. Then I can confidently say we''ll survive this cmity."

    These conversations bolstered the confidence of the others, and they couldn''t help but smile.

    Meanwhile, Doombringer grew closer to his master. Nathan watched, smiling despite his broken teeth. He didn''t know whether to be angry at the beast for not heeding his call, but on second thought, after seeing what it did, he felt happy instead.

    Nathan''s speed was almostparable to Doombringer''s, and even he had taken so long. He couldn''t even begin to imagine what would have happened if Doombringer had listened to his call and carried him here.

    "The walls would have been breached, and thousands of my citizens would have lost their lives." Nathan felt a chill run through his aged spine. The thought alone was gruesome.

    "Thankfully, Doombringer arrived earlier than I did." Coming out of his thoughts, the baron locked eyes with Doombringer, who had closed the final distance.

    ''Wait...'' At such close proximity, Nathan felt something odd. Something was strange about Doombringer. He tried hard to figure it out but to no avail.

    "What is wrong?" Elvin, noticing Nathan''s restlessness, couldn''t help but ask with slight worry.

    "S-something is wrong with Doombringer," Nathan responded, eyes narrowing.

    "W-w-" Elvin opened his mouth to say something, but before he could finish, Nathan suddenly eximed loudly, startling his friend and the guards on the walls.

    "Its eyes... they''re different!" Nathan shouted. Doombringer''s eyes were naturally red, but now they seemed even deeper and more intimidating. Looking at Doombringer, it felt as if he was staring at an entirely different creature.

    Elvin followed Nathan''s gaze, and his eyes widened as well. "Oh shit, you''re right!"

    Before the two could jump out of the way, Doombringer''s giant maw opened, revealing a furious ball of blue and red me!

    And then...

    KRAKA-BOOM

    A massive column of me shot out, engulfing the two men and raising a swirling cloud of dust.

    This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

    "What... just happened?" Someone eximed.

    "D-did Doombringer just kill the baron and themander?" Another whispered, still in shock.

    Just then, Hans and the others arrived and witnessed the devastating sight, all equally stunned.

    "Nooo!" Serena, who had been atop the carriage all this while, shouted as she saw two of her favorite uncles being burned alive by the friendly wyvern.

    "How!" Hans eximed, unable to believe his eyes. "How is this possible!"

    "We''ve known Doombringer for years, and he''s never harmed anyone in the barony," Gordon said. "So why would he hurt someone today...and not just anyone but his own master?"

    Everyone present felt a mix of shock and confusion.

    "We...we need to do something, or it''s going to kill Uncle Nathan!" Serena shouted, then her heart sank as she realized something. Her knees buckled, and she copsed to the ground. "H...he''s probably dead already!"

    All the fun moments she had spent with Nathan resurfaced in her head.

    Then she thought about Nox.

    "No! No! Nox would go crazy if he learns about this."

    ''Dammit! We''re toote!'' Even Gordon and Hans clenched their fists and ground their teeth.

    A heavy, oppressive silence descended on the battlefield, broken only by the intense crackling of the ming column reverberating through the air.

    At the top floor of Eve''s manor, the ant queen stared wide-eyed. The green mes that constantly flickered within Skully''s eyes stopped as if¡­

    "Ooof...I didn''t see thising," the ck-carapaced ant scourge king was also at a loss for words.

    "Does...does this mean¡­" an awakend stammered, tears almost streaming down his face.

    "Don''t say it!" another guard shouted, his eyes burning with determination. "He can''t be!"

    "No matter how hard I try to be positive, this...I just don''t see any way he could survive this."

    "Damn this beast!" Someone shouted, fury palpable in his voice as he nocked an arrow and fired it at Doombringer''s hard scales.

    That act of defiance set off a chain reaction, and they began unleashing a barrage of attacks on Doombringer. The pain and anger of losing their beloved baron andmander clouded their thoughts, and they forgot that Doombringer was once a friend.

    "Kill the beast!"

    "Don''t let it go scot-free!"

    Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

    Dozens of arrows shed through the air, piercing the beast''s scales.

    However, the arrows barely scratched Doombringer''s hard scales, as if they were striking solid stone.

    "Target its eyes! Its mouth! Everyone, go all out! Whatever you do, make sure you eliminate this monster!"

    A few minutes ago, the Awakened had been fearful, and their marksmanship was clumsy. But now, every single arrownded on the beast.

    "Come on! We can''t stand idle like this¡­" Hans growled, his eyes burning with anger as he charged into battle. The rest of the Awakened followed, charging with tears and weapons at the ready.

    ...

    "At this point...we have to get involved; if not, everyone will die here," Skully said solemnly. He had known Nathan for a long time and knew that he was a good man who had the barony in mind. Despite his wild personality, Nathan was willing to sacrifice anything¡ªeven his pride¡ªfor those he cared for.

    The ant queen nodded.

    "My queen," the ant king called out. "Think about this carefully...you know the huma¡ª"

    "Hold it, my love," the ant queen interrupted in a somber tone. "Those people...those people that just got killed are among the ones my master loves most in this world! We must take revenge!"

    On the battlefield, under the rain of arrows, sword shes, and magical attacks, a booming voice soon called out from the mes.

    "Everyone, cease fire!" The booming voice echoed through the air, and the attacks immediately stopped. Under the stunned gaze of everyone, Nathan stepped out d in glistening red armor with the Silent Whisper insignia on its chest.

 Chapter 269: Friends To Enemies

    "Huh, what is this?" a slightly younger version of Nathan asked, confusion flickering across his features. He nced at the massive egg and wondered why his son was giving him something like this.

    The egg was gray, oval-shaped, with countless glowing blue runes on it, giving off mysterious and intriguing vibes, almost tempting one to smash it open to find out what was inside.

    From its appearance, Nathan could tell this was a beast egg¡ªa very powerful one at that¡ªbecause even in its dormant stage, it was emitting a terrifying aura. Sure enough, he had seen his son with a couple of beasts before, but Nathan wasn''t a fan.

    He feared they might snap one day and attack everything in sight.

    "It''s a gift," the man smirked. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark purple hair and extremely lightless eyes¡ªbeautiful yet dangerous. A casual smile from this man could get any woman into his bed. That was how terrifyingly handsome he was.

    Nathan often wondered how he was able to father such a beautiful son. His friends liked to nag him about this most of the time. Apart from his height and some features, Arthur was almost a photocopy of his mother.

    "A gift... you''re giving me a monster egg as a gift?" Nathan asked.

    "Tsk, just take it and say thank you already, old man," Arthur crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Or do I need to remind you who''s stronger by kicking that old butt of yours?"

    "Tch... talking about beating your father so casually, how disrespectful." Nathan sighed with a wronged look on his face, then sighed again. "Okay, I ept it, but are you sure this thing... whatever''s inside won''t turn on me one day?"

    Arthur waved his arms dismissively. "That wouldn''t be a problem. I already tamed it and gave it a series ofmands."

    "Hmm... that''s a relief," Nathan said. "Makes me wonder, do you have something to do with the mounts the Royal Knights ride on?"

    Arthur simply winked. "That''s a secret."

    Although Arthur said it was a secret, Nathan already had an answer without much thought. He stepped through the portal, holding the gray egg.

    "What is that? Is that a monster egg?" Elvin and Hans, with Gordon, came over when they saw the egg.

    Gordon was a druid, more connected to nature. Simply cing his hand on the egg, he could tell it was a real egg.

    "You should smash that thing and kill it early. Don''t even think of taking it back to the capital," Celine strode forward, a calm irritation shing in her eyes. Celine''s dislike for wyverns started when she was an infant.

    "Get a grip, guys. This little fe here won''t hurt anyone," Nathan assured them with a smile. "Arthur did his little trick."

    "Are you sure about this?" Celine asked with narrowed eyes, eyeing the egg... she couldn''t help but imagine a situation where the egg would hatch and destroy everything in sight.

    "I''m very sure," Nathan nodded.

    After the short conversation with his friends, Nathan left the group and rushed to his mansion, located in the prestigious area of the royal capital... a few miles away from the royal ind where the former king and Nathan''s good friend resided.

    After arriving at his home, Nathan kept the egg in a warm ce and waited eagerly for it to hatch. At first, the waiting game was exciting; anytime he saw a crack on the egg, it made his heart beat fast as he anticipated what creature would emerge.

    But then it got boring fairly quickly. It had been months, and the egg had yet to hatch fully, with only several cracks running through its body.

    Some monthster, almost close to a year, when he had stopped paying the egg attention... one day while training his fire skills in the cobblestone courtyard, Nathan felt a beastly aura radiating from his mansion.

    Swoosh!

    A red-haired woman with beautiful eyes of the same color swiftly appeared in the courtyard. She looked at Nathan and asked, "Father, do you sense it too?"

    "Yes, I do," Nathan responded. "Come on, let''s go check it out."

    Following the beastly aura, the father and daughter-inw duo soon arrived at the stable where the horses were kept. Their eyes instinctivelynded on a strange creature that appeared like a crocodile but with short wings jutting out from its tough-looking scales.

    Seeing the beast struggling to walk and staring around cautiously, a smile broke out on Nathan!

    "Hahahaha, finally, my baby has been born!" he shouted and hurried over to pick the little wyvern up, spinning it around like a child who just got a new toy. The smile on his face was so huge that even Aina, who was at first confused, became amused.

    Meanwhile, the little wyvern felt slightly disoriented and dizzy as it watched the broken-toothed man spin it around. It was still trying to understand its surroundings when this man suddenly picked it up.

    Grrrr! (Let me down, you frail old man!)

    The wyvern let out an intimidating growl... at least, that''s what it thought. But Aina and Nathan merely smiled because it sounded so cute, almost like a cat.

    Just behind the door of the stables, a fluffy white kitten stared at the wyvern with a strange twinkle in its eyes. While Nathan was spinning it around, the wyvern had already caught a glimpse of the cat and was genuinely frightened for a moment.

    Finally, after a while, Nathan ced the little wyvern down. Its eyes spun, and it staggered before tripping over.

    "So, what would you name it?" Aina came over and picked it up. The wyvern let out a pleasant sound as it rested its head in Aina''s bountiful chest.

    "Damn, even the beasts discriminate against us men." Nathan felt an existential crisis as he witnessed this.

    After a moment, he stroked his goatee, then looked into the eyes of the wyvern, which stared back at him.

    Although the old man''s appearance was anything but saintly, the wyvern felt a strange connection with him and an urge to protect him at all costs, evenying down its life. It felt as if it had known him for a lifetime. The beast leaped out of Aina''s hands, jumping to Nathan, and looked up at the old man as if threatening to rip his head off if he bestowed a half-hearted name.

    Nathan stared into the beast''s eyes; the two locked gazes, as if they were staring into each other''s souls.

    The smile on Nathan''s face widened, and then he dered:

    "From this day onwards... your name is Doombringer!"

    Grrrr! (Good, good, I like it!)

    A few yearster...

    Years passed in the blink of an eye. Nathan and Doombringer''s bond grew stronger, solidified through countless adventures. Now, the wyvern was no longer the little hatchling that once struggled to walk but a mighty beast that soared through the skies.

    A giant wyvern flew high in the western region with an old man mounted on top of it.

    To the Barony, it was their staunch protector.

    To the bandits, it was their greatest curse.

    "Burn them alive, Doombringer!"

    "P-please, Lord Nathan, spare us!"

    Kra-kra-BOOM!

    "Aghhhhhh!!!!!"

    "That''s my boy! Come on, let''s go return their loot to the rightful owners," Nathan said with a righteous look on his face.

    Doombringer rolled its eyes, resisting the urge to throw the silly human off its back.

    ...

    In the present.

    Nathan locked eyes with Doombringer. The familiar warmth in the wyvern''s gaze was gone, reced by hostility. A single tear slid down his cheek as memories of their time together flooded his mind.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones...Also Thanks for hitting the 50 And 100  Golden Ticket!

    So ...

    [0/2 Bonus chapters]

 Chapter 270: They arrive (1)

    FWOOOOOSH!

    Nathan and Doombringer locked eyes, the powerful, raging mes still licking at him¡ªor rather, his ck armor. Behind Nathan stood Elvin, his face frozen in a mixture of confusion and shock. Anyone could easily tell that he hadn''t expected to survive the terrifying mes that had instantly obliterated countless beasts.

    In his dazed state, Elvin''s gaze fell on Nathan''s ck armor.

    That armor... I remember it! Elvin thought. It had been years since hest saw this armor, and he had long believed he''d never see it again.

    This armor was a Emperor-Tier artifact personally bestowed upon Nathan and Brawn by the former king as a gesture of gratitude for the Silent Whisper''s unwavering loyalty to the kingdom.

    With such powerful armor, Elvin began to understand the reason for his survival.

    Of course, unlike him, the rest of the guards on the walls had no idea about the significance of the armor and the history behind it.

    After seeing that its mes werepletely ineffective against Nathan, Doombringer closed its giant maws, staring deep into the old man''s eyes, which were burning with anger.

    "Those bastards... what have they done to you?" Nathan whispered, his voice barely audible.

    "You''re not the little beast I held several years back... now it''s as if I don''t even know what you''ve be." Nathan almost choked on his words. For some strange reason, the wyvern didn''t attack, as if waiting for the old man to pour out his heart before snuffing the life out of him.

    Nathan''s voice, although low, could be heard by everyone present, and they felt the raw emotions in it. The atmosphere suddenly became heavy. The others couldn''t even begin to fathom how devastated Nathan was in this moment.

    Some of them even had tears on their cheeks.

    Why wouldn''t they be emotional?

    Every one of them knew the wyvern was a good beast at heart. It had been a friend to all, and everyone loved it.

    The simple thought of fighting this friendly creature because of the twisted games of some being made their hearts sink.

    At that moment, Nathan suddenly straightened up with a determined gleam shing across his features. Flicking the tears off his face, he said, "I know you''re being controlled by someone or something... but until I find a way to cure this madness... I''m sorry."

    As he said this, the ground started to tremble as both dragon and human charged forward.

    RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

    Nathan, engulfed in ming armor, mmed his fist hard into Doombringer''s stomach.

    BANG!

    Upon impact, a loud bang echoed in the air as the wyvern flew backward, mming into the hard ground and forming a deep crater in its shape.

    ROOOAR!

    The massive beast thrashed its limbs as it struggled to get to its feet. However, before it could make any progress, Nathan was upon it.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Countless punches shed through the air like lightning strikes, smashing into the beast. Each blow forced the giant creature to shriek in pain. Nathan didn''t hold back! Each punch carried the weight of a crashing boulder.

    Whenever hended a hit, a single teardrop left his eyes, but they quickly dried off because of the ming armor coating his body.

    I''m sorry! Nathan thought as he saw Doombringer''s painful expression. "I promise... it will all be over soon!"

    "It must be really hard on him," Hans thought. He could still recall the day Nathan had shown them Doombringer''s egg. He had been very happy, like a little child.

    "Will Doombringer return to normal?" Serena asked with a worried look. A few minutes ago, she had been angry at Doombringer, but now that she knew the beast was most likely being controlled, her feelings wereplicated. She only felt pity for the beast.

    Hans sighed with furrowed brows. "We can only hope Nathan finds a way at this point."

    One Awakened nced at the severely burned beast lying outside the barony and couldn''t help but point out, "But... but why would it kill the other beasts... if it''s being controlled?"

    "That''s because of Doombringer''s nature. Since it was a child, it had a habit of hunting down other creatures... I think this habit didn''t die despite the thing tampering with its mind," Gordon responded. "But it could also mean something else."

    "What do you mean?" Hans turned towards Gordon, his eyes burning with curiosity.

    Gordon was a druid. Naturally, he was more knowledgeable when it came to beasts, nts, and anything rted to nature. Hans was hoping he''d have a logical exnation for Doombringer''s behavior and also a way to cure it.

    "I''m not really sure about this," Gordon admitted. "But I think the reason Doombringer killed the beasts attacking the walls was most likely because..."

    He paused, which caused everyone listening to be anxious.

    "Because what?"

    "Like I said... I''m not really sure about this... but I suspect it''s because, deep down inside... it still cared for the barony, and after seeing that the wall was about to be breached, its body moved on its own."

    Hans, Serena, and the Awakened present nodded their heads, thinking what Gordon said made a lot of sense.

    Soon, their attention was diverted when they saw Nathan forcefully mounting the Doombringer despite the wyvern resisting with all its might.

    ROOOAR! ROOOAR!

    "So strong," Serena''s eyes flickered with admiration as she saw how he was restraining the wyvern with his bare hands, forcefully controlling it against its will.

    "I didn''t know Grandpa Nathan was this powerful."

    "Don''t be fooled by his looks, child," Elvin said. "That man is one of the strongest experts in the far west... He has only been tamed all this while and bent his head because of his health, his people, and his family... but he''s anything but weak."

    Finally, at that moment, Nathan sessfully mounted the beast and soared into the sky before disappearing from their view.

    As soon as Doombringer was out of sight, a heavy silence descended on the battlefield. Everyone''s gaze remained fixed on the sky, wondering just what was about to unfold there.

    However, countless roars suddenly echoed through the air, and their eyes shot toward that direction.

    Everyone''s expression immediately turned dark.

    "The second wave," Elvin muttered grimly.

    This wave of monsters was several times more fearsome than the previous one.

    "Everyone, get rea¡ª" Elvin was about to give the order to attack, but before he could finish his sentence... Hundreds of reddish figures appeared on the battlefield.

 Chapter 271: They Arrived (2)

    As soon as Nathan disappeared into the sky, countless terrifying roars echoed throughout the air, and the ground trembled as if an earthquake was about to ur.

    Everyone''s heads quickly jerked in that direction, and they saw the furious tide of monsters pouring out from several directions. Their aura smashed through everything in their path.

    BOOOM! BOOOM!

    The air suddenly became suffocating, and a strong gust of wind howled throughout, signaling the advent of destruction upon the Cromwell Barony.

    "The second wave!" Elvin''s breath hitched as he saw the thousands of glowing red eyes locked on him.

    "Over 10 King-tier beasts and hundreds of intermediate tiers," Elvin deduced with a grim look on his face. Even with the reinforcements, he didn''t know if they could survive this. The tide approaching was several timesrger and contained more powerful creatures than the horde they had encountered before leaving the barony.

    Elvin tightened his grip on his bow as an arrow materialized in his grasp. As if knowing that something like this would ur one day, Elvin had stocked his spatial storage¡ªessible to all Awakened¡ªwith dozens of arrows.

    In fact, it could be argued that the majority of his spatial storage was upied by these arrows.

    ''This should be enough,'' he thought, sweeping his gaze through the stash of arrows. Then his gaze fell on a slot containing three specially crafted arrows. These arrows were ck with golden runes etched across them, and their tips gleamed softly with a blue light.

    "I hope we won''t have to use these," he muttered as he held his weapon. On the walls, the Awakened were tense, weapons at the ready. The fear they had disyed before Doombringer''s arrival was gone.

    Now their eyes were those of cold-blooded killing machines.

    Beside Elvin stood Hans, Gordon, Serena, and a few brave Awakened.

    Elvin''s gaze lingered on Serena for a while. The little girl held her head high, her grip on her bow firm, her arrow carefully nocked, and her eyes burning with fierce determination.

    "Is it okay for her to be here?" Elvin asked Hans. "I think it''d be better if she stays on the walls."

    "No!" Serena voiced out. "I''m staying here, and I''ll fight beside you. If I die here, then so be it... at least I died for a good cause. Nox would be proud of me."

    Elvin looked at Gordon as if asking for his consent. Thetter just shook his head with a helpless expression on his face.

    But of course, Gordon wasn''t nning on letting his daughter die here. He knew she was strong, but if things got out of hand, he''d make sure to get her off the battlefield.

    ROOOAR! ROOOAR!

    The beasts closed the final 400 meters, and everyone became tense.

    "Archers, aim!" an Awakened shouted at the top of his voice, and all the archers, including Serena, aimed their arrows skyward.

    The sound of roars and howling wind grew louder.

    Arms trembled, not out of fear but out of anticipation and the resolve to fight to the bitter end.

    "Everyone, get rea¡ª" Elvin was about to give the order to attack, but before he could finish his sentence, hundreds of reddish figures appeared on the battlefield.

    "Huh?"

    "What are those?" The appearance of the reddish figures caused the intense desire to fight to die down instantly.

    Due to their sudden arrival, a mini dust storm swirled through the air, shrouding the battlefield. The thick veil of dust made it hard for the Awakened to see the entities brimming with power. Their numbers were staggering, ranging from hundreds to thousands.

    ''Reddish figures...'' Elvin and Hans simultaneously thought, their eyes widening in realization as they exchanged a nce.

    "D-did they finally decide to show up?" Gordon''s voice trembled, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

    At that moment, the dust storm settled.

    Right in front of them stood the entire ant colony, their red-and-ck scales gleaming dangerously under the sky. Their yellow eyes brimmed with hostility. Some hovered in the air, their mandibles dripping with poison, their wings emitting a disorienting buzzing sound.

    Elvin sucked in a sharp breath, his hands trembling slightly as he tightened his grip on his bow. "So it''s true," he whispered. "It was them all along¡­ the beasts who''ve been protecting us."

    Even Hans wore aplicated look in his eyes.

    Atop the walls, the Awakened subconsciously loosened their grip on their weapons. From their position, they could clearly see that this new party was somehow on their side¡­ because their hostility was directed at the beast horde.

    "Can someone please tell me what the hell is happening?" one of the guards shouted, his voice filled with disbelief. "Are those creatures the ones who''ve been protecting us?"

    An Awakened pointed with trembling hands. "It''s very difficult to believe, but it seems so."

    "Are you fucking kidding me... how is something like this even possible?"

    Before anyone could answer, Serena''s voice suddenly rang out: "Wait! I know her!" She pointed directly at the majestic, towering figure of the ant queen.

    "You do?" Elvin and the others inquired, surprised.

    "Yes... I do." She nodded firmly. "She was with Nox during the tournament."

    As she said this, the beautiful ant queen turned gracefully toward Serena, disying a warm smile that filled the air with gasps. That beautiful smile sent a wave of murmurs through the ranks of the Awakened and caused the men''s faces to turn beet red with embarrassment, their hearts pounding for reasons they didn''t fully understand.

    "Serena is right," one of the Awakened muttered. "I remember her now... she was definitely with Nox."

    Another chimed in: "If she''s here, does this mean she''s little Nox''s pet as well? Are the others also¡ª"

    "Nox''s pets?" The crowd was stunned silent, unwilling to believe that Nox had amassed an army of ants!

    Seeing their doubts, the ant queen smiled and nodded at a tall figure dressed in an oversized ck overcoat, a pair of green orbs gleaming where its eyes should have been.

    The strange figure looked toward the Awakened and spoke in a booming voice:

    "Fret not, humans!" the figure dered, its tonemanding yet oddly casual. "We are the private force of that pipe¡ªI mean, young master Nox. We are the Scourge Colony!"

 Chapter 272: [Bonus Chapter]: Monster Army

    Silence filled the battlefield. Everyone was shocked at what they had just heard.

    However, before they could recover from their shock, the beast tide grew closer to the ants. The Ant Queen immediately lifted her hand and gave amand to her army.

    The ground shook violently as the red and ck-scaled ants took a spearhead formation.

    Then the Ant Queen shouted in amanding tone:

    "Scourge Colony, attack! Defend your home!"

    BOOM!

    A thunderous rumble echoed as the ants surged forward with military precision and mmed directly into the beast tide.

    BOOOOM!

    The impact of the sh obliterated several low-level monsters and sent a few high-level beasts flying through the air. Leading the charge were none other than Skully, the Ant Queen, the ck-scaled Ant King, and a few powerful humanoid ants. They were all powerful beasts at the King Tier level and above!

    Hence, they easily crushed all the weak monsters in their path.

    Under the stunned gaze of everyone, the Scourge Colony¡ªwhat they had imed to be their name¡ªcut through the horde, killing them at a rapid pace.

    Back on the walls, the silence was still thick in the air as they simply watched the one-sided massacre. Then, a deafening roar erupted¡ªnot from the horde, but from the defenders themselves. The Awakened raised their weapons high, their voices filling the air.

    "By the gods... they''re really on our side! Did you see that?! They just obliterated that first wave!"

    "Yes... Little Nox is protecting everyone even without being here!"

    "Damn, they''re tearing through them like paper¡ªthose mandibles, that acidic spray. What a terrifying army!"

    Enjoy exclusive content froNovelBin

    "Come on, we can''t just stand idly by! For Young Master Nox!" Hans'' voice echoed amidst the roars of the battlefield as he charged into the horde of beasts. He wasn''t the only one. Serena, Elvin, Gordon, and a few brave Awakened charged head-on. Meanwhile, at the same time, a rain of arrows and magical attacks struck the beasts as well.

    For the first time in the history of Eos, humans and beasts fought side by side and watched each other''s backs. With their united force, they drove the beasts out of their territory, chased them, and cut them apart.

    "He''s not here... but he is watching over us," repeated a ck-cloaked individual standing on a distant mountain, watching the raging fight. This man, unlike the others, didn''t have his hood up, revealing his red skin and lustrous ck hair that cascaded down his back. The man''s ck eyes were filled with anger.

    "Who... who is this Nox that is messing with my mission?"

    "Sir," another cloaked figure rushed over and bowed.

    "We did some research and found out who this Nox is," the figure imed.

    The red-skinned man gave a nod, and the subordinate continued.

    "Apparently, your daughter encountered him in Snowhelm several weeks ago and tried to eliminate him, but¡ª"

    Before the subordinate couldplete his report, the red-skinned man''s hate-filled tone rang out:

    "That useless girl... she failed, right? If she had dealt with him, our ns of slowly destroying the Vermilion Kingdom would have gone smoothly."

    "After conquering the west, I''d have headed to the north, the south, and finally the royal capital¡ªthe east! But all this just had to be ruined because of my ipetent daughter."

    The subordinate understood the anger of his superior and hoped he wouldn''t snap and kill him. Missions like destroying an entire kingdom or continent were only awarded to the Big Three in the ming Order organization. The rewards for eachpletion were massive, and the punishment for failure was even more severe¡ªespecially for the third most powerful man in the organization.

    The drop of Ivor was extremely rare and expensive toe by, only produced by the minority dwarven race.

    The red-skinned man clenched his fists.

    "The organization spent a huge amount, almost going bankrupt. If I don''tplete this mission, He won''t take it lightly with me."

    While he was deep in thought, the red-skinned man noticed that the subordinate was about to say something.

    "Sir, I have more reports," the subordinate stated, earning a sharp look from the red-skinned man. Those ck eyes, which stood out sharply against his red skin, almost made it difficult for the subordinate to breathe.

    "Go ahead," the man said in a deep voice.

    "From the information we gathered in Snowhelm and here, it seems this Nox somehow possesses a unique ss that lets him control beasts," the cloaked figure reported.

    "Hmm." The red-skinned man stroked his chin with a thoughtful expression.

    ''A unique ss that allows him to control beasts... that exins the ants, then. Such a powerful ss.''

    It was the first time the man had heard about a ss like this. At first, it sounded like a basic ss, but as he watched the military-like coordination of the skill, he began to realize how dangerous this hidden ss was.

    With his beast army, he could easily rule the Vermilion Kingdom...

    ''Wrong, the entire far west,'' the man corrected himself. He then asked with a bit of skepticism:

    "How old is he? Neen? Twenty?"

    The subordinate shook his head.

    "Thirty?"

    "No."

    "Forty?"

    "Fifty?"

    The red-skinned man frowned deeply.

    "How old is he then? Is he some old monster?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

    "Sir, he''s just ten."

    "Ten... hmm, not bad." The red-skinned man turned around, but then realization struck, and he lost his usualposure.

    "Wait, ten years?! Ten years... he''s just a child, not even a teenager!"

    The red-skinned man was shocked speechless.

    "Yes, sir," the subordinate affirmed.

    "A ten-year-old... with a monster army?" The red-skinned man''s voice trembled, disbelief taking over his anger as he struggled to process the absurdity of it all.

    "Sir, what do we do about him?"

    The red-skinned man pondered for a while, his expression dark and calcting. Then, he looked into the distance and spoke.

    "There are two ways to go about this," he said coldly. "With such a terrifying ss, he''ll be a valuable addition to the organization, or¡­"

    His eyes narrowed sharply as he dered:

    "We cleave his wings while he''s still young."

    ---

    Bonus chapter for this Month''s Golden Tickets.

    [Chapters: 2/1]

 Chapter 273 : Escape The Western Region

    Throughout the western region, small skirmishes andrge-scale fighting were urring. The other towns were trying their best to hold down the beast horde as much as they could, but because of the sheer beast numbers, these towns found themselves in a very difficult situation.

    Despite their best efforts, most of these towns were helpless against the horde, and their walls got breached! Hundreds of civilians and several brave Awakened perished. Some of these towns even sent for aid; however, it was then they discovered their magicalmunication crystals were totally useless.

    Whatever caused the beast attack had also tampered with theirmunication lines. Left with no choice, messages were sent on horses or other mounts.

    But... what was the guarantee that they''d even reach the capital safely when the entire region was practically overrun by furious beasts?

    In desperation, some towns turned to mercenaries and rogue Awakened for help, offering what little resources they had left in exchange for temporary protection. Meanwhile, others looked toward the rich households for support, but most received no answer.

    These people were merchants who had amassed a significant amount of fortune through trading, but even they were too preupied safeguarding their own territories or hoarding their forces for an inevitable assault on their strongholds.

    But when the second wave attacked, all hellpletely broke loose! Entire towns fell in mere hours, their citizens either ughtered or fleeing into the wilderness. Refugees began pouring into the safer towns, overwhelming local resources, and in turn, even those towns fell!

    The western region was mostly referred to as a backwater region. Even the Awakened here were all below several levels¡ªmost of them couldn''t even hold a candle against the beast tide.

    The royal capital was still eerily silent on the matter. Most people spected that the royal capital was gathering the royal army to reim the western region, while others believed the king had abandoned the west due to conflicts with the lords of the region.

    But for those who were struggling, hope was growing thinner and thinner.

    At this moment, outside a barony, an intense fight was unfolding!

    BOOOOM!

    "My mana will run out at this rate," an exhausted Helen muttered as she flicked a bead of sweat from her forehead. The blonde girl was battered, and her face was covered in blood. In front of her was a runic, bloody pattern.

    The patterns were very simr to the ones Nox had used against Hendrix. Hovering through the air was a storm of bloody weapons; however, in contrast to Nox, the storm was noticeably smaller and spiraled out in all directions.

    As a result, several Awakened had distanced themselves from her. Though her blood storms killed several creatures, it came at the cost of striking down a few Awakened as well.

    However, the Awakened didn''tin because the reason they had survived this long was because of her.

    With trembling arms and gritted teeth, Helen thought: "How... just how did Nox do it?"

    Because of the effectiveness of his attack in wiping out several Awakened at once, Helen had tried to replicate that pattern... but who would''ve thought it was so mentally and physically draining?

    "B-but he was calm... there wasn''t even a touch of fatigue on his face."

    Nox''s ck eyes, which felt like an ocean of darkness, resurfaced in her head. His calm, deliberate, collected movements shed through her mind.

    "H-he made it look so easy; does this mean he had better mastery than me or what?"

    Helen was honestly confused.

    "Helen, focus!"

    While she was in her thoughts, a voice snapped her out of her dazed state.

    Apart from this barony, one other town that was doing fairly well was the Landon Barony. The rest of the western region was inplete dismay!

    Currently, in the Armstrong Duchy, in the Duke''s residence...

    In the courtyard, the two Armstrong siblings had gathered and were having a serious discussion. At that moment, steps echoed in the air, and the third sister and fourth brother, who had been absent, walked into the courtyard.

    "Did you find anything?" the first brother asked immediately.

    "Nothing." The two shook their heads, and then the fourth brother said in a grim voice, "The treasury is empty, and some valuable artifacts are also gone."

    "Damn it! Father is gone as well," the first brother cursed, running his fingers through his white hair. After leaving the fighting arena, they had quickly rushed over to their residence because it was the safest ce.

    However, not only were there no guards present, but the fuel was gone, and the entire mansion seemed to have been ransacked.

    "That brat is also nowhere to be found," the third sister frowned.

    "Makes you wonder if those two escaped together."

    "Escape? Why would they escape?" the first brother asked, confused. Why would their father abandon the Duchy¡ªthe Duchy he had painstakingly built to be the powerhouse of the west?

    "On our way here, I kind of overheard theizens talking about Father betting his title on Fifth Brother''s fight with Nox," the fourth brother revealed grimly.

    "W-what!" The eyes of the others widened in shock at the revtion.

    "I was shocked too," the fourth brother disyed a bitter smile as he added, "My guess is that Father and Fifth Brother have escaped with all the treasures and powerful items."

    At the same time, in the wilds, two horses were galloping through the wastnd at an rming speed. Mounted on the horses were two masked figures¡ªone of them had arge physique, and the other seemed to be in his teens but was packed with muscles in all the right ces. Strands of white hair cascaded down their back.

    "Where are we going?" therger figure asked, their voice low and deep butced with respect.

    The teenage figure was silent for a while, then said emotionlessly, "Somewhere far from this backwater region... We''re going to the capital."

    "The capital?" the other figure asked, slightly surprised.

    "I have made the necessary arrangements," the teenager affirmed. Then their eyes burned intensely within the mask. "There, we''ll build ourselves once more and then... reim everything we have lost."

    "But h-how are we going to do that?" therger figure asked.

    "That shouldn''t be a problem." The other figure smiled. "Because my master awaits our arrival."

 Chapter 274 : The Temple Of Terra

    FWOOOOOSH!

    FWOOOOOSH!

    [Ding! You have in a King Tier Mantis.]

    [Ding! You have received experience points!]

    [Ding! You have leveled up!]

    Several system prompts shed across Nox''s retina. All around him, there were hundreds of in beasts. Not only that, but he even received half of the shared experience points from each kill that Thirteen and Astralus made.

    Right now, he was currently Level 18!

    When he saw the amount of experience points needed to reach the next level, Nox wasn''t bothered at all. The reason? This was just the first wave.

    If he had avoided all the monsters, perhaps he could have arrived at the source of the monsters. But he had stopped a couple of times to deal with the monsters along the way. By doing this, not only was he umting experience points, but he was also indirectly helping the other towns in the western region.

    ''Usually... if it''s ording to the countless novels, I should get a special reward or ss upgrade quest at Level 20,'' Nox thought with a serious expression on his face, picking up a monster core.

    There were about a thousand-plus monster cores in his Inventory, and they should be enough to upgrade all his pets by a rank. Nox felt conflicted. He didn''t know if he should be angry or happy. This monster horde had probably killed hundreds, if not thousands, and yet he had greatly benefited from it as well.

    ''I wonder how long it would have taken me to reach Level 18 and umte so many monster cores.''

    In his thoughts, the second beast wave arrived! A slightly crazy grin spread across his face. There was a mixture of hulking beasts and giant flying insects among this wave, and most of them were even in the King Tier.

    ROOOAR! ROOOAR!

    The deafening roars of the beasts echoed throughout the air, a ravenous gleam shining in their eyes.

    Rumble! Rumble!

    The ground trembled as the tide of monsters approached. Their speed was noticeably faster, and saliva was dripping from their maws as if they couldn''t wait to devour the human.

    A sneer crossed Nox''s face as he held out his hands, and...

    BOOOOM!

    A terrifying explosion urred in the midst of the beast horde, obliterating countless monsters at once. In its wake, a dark shbang erupted, resembling the aftermath of a nuclear explosion.

    [Ding!..]

    [Ding!...]

    [Ding!..]

    [Ding!...]

    [Ding!..]

    [Ding!...]

    Because of the flood of notifications, Nox had no choice but to temporarily put the system offline. Though it was offline, it didn''t affect his usage of skills in any way.

    Nox spent the next couple of minutes retrieving all the beast cores before proceeding forward once more.

    Far behind, Bridget trailed with azy yawn, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Because Nox had slowed down to deal with the beasts, Eve had finally caught up to him.

    "This is starting to get boring quickly." she nutterred in a disappointed tone.

    At first, it had been exciting watching Nox cut through the ranks of monsters because he had disyed a lot of shy skills at the beginning, as if enjoying himself. However, after some time, he started using brute force, just annihting the beasts in his path as if he wanted to get rid of them and reach his destination... wherever that was.

    "I guess... it''s high time I approach him," she thought and disappeared into the distance.

    At the same time, when she disappeared, Zarek materialized in her previous spot.

    "It will be difficult for me to carry out the mission with this annoyingdy here," he whispered to no one in particr as he narrowed his eyes, staring at the backs of the two dispersing figures.

    "I need to find a way to split them up." He stroked his chin with a pondering expression. "But how?"

    "If I were to do anything, that woman wouldn''t stand back and watch... she''d most likely attack me." Zarek''s mind raced. "It seems she''s using an item to restrict others from seeing her actual level."

    "But I learned from the patriarch that she''s one of the strongest experts in the capital, so killing her off is out of the picture."

    "This brings me back to splitting them up." At that moment, Zarek''s eyes widened when he noticed Bridget closing the distance between her and Nox. "It seems I''m already toote."

    ...

    As he sped through the wilnds, Nox soon felt a presence behind him. Though the other person was trying their best to conceal their aura, because of the experience he had amassed during his travels, it was quite easy to detect this person.

    "If I were you, I''d turn back," Nox warned in a cold, dark tone, not even bothering to nce at the person following closely behind him.

    "If I don''t, what would you do?" the voice teased with a low, pleasant chuckle that sounded like the purr of a predator toying with its prey. "Will you unleash one of your shy explosions, boy?"

    Nox noticed that there was no malice from this person, but that didn''t mean he lowered his guard even for a second.

    "Then don''t me me if your head gets blown off," he stated coolly.

    "Is that a threat?" The woman''s pleasant voice turned dark.

    Without even answering, he pointed his fingertips backward, a dark, ominous shadow gathering and pulsing with life.

    "It''s a fact."

    "Tsk, I''ve seen this before... would I be a fool to stand idly?" Bridget sneered as she stepped back just in time for the dark st to fly past her. As the st streaked by, time seemed to slow, her hair standing on end. For a fleeting moment, she truly believed she would lose her life.

    Fortunately for her, thanks to her quick reflexes, she dodged the lethal attack.

    Behind her, a huge explosion urred. Bridget was slightly shocked as she nced at the point of impact. What greeted her view was a devastating sight: several deep craters marred the ground, resembling andscape shattered by falling meteors.

    "This kid... he really could''ve killed me just now..." Bridget felt conflicted, and the smile on her face only grew more and more. The urge to poach this boy became stronger than ever.

    Of course, Nox could tell the woman was still alive and still following him. He didn''t really expect his attack to kill her in the first ce.

    Many might think Shadow Oblivion didn''t have any downsides except for the absurd mana consumption for each attack, but Nox knew this wasn''t the case.

    If one possessed fast reflexes, they could avoid the attack.

    But right now, this was the least of his worries. What he was most concerned about was...

    "This... the trees, the overgrowth... isn''t this the Luminary Forest?" A deep frown appeared on Nox''s face. The more he followed the trail of the beasts, the more he realized how right he was.

    And soon, he arrived right outside the cavern.

 Chapter 275: Underground Facility [1]

    A few minutes ago...

    After the first time, Aina and Eve waited for the invisible barrier to be uplifted again. However, for thest few hours, the barrier had not been lifted, making the two women frown deeply as they thought they had predicted wrong.

    "Perhaps that was thest wave?" Aina thought, a lost look on her face.

    "Yeah, it seemed so," Eve responded. "Then it seems I just need to get that runesmith and make him tamper with it. Maybe he''d be able to find a way to break this restriction."

    Aina nodded, considering the options. Since they couldn''t use brute force or risk damaging the structure, the best option was to contact a runesmith. However, just as they were about to agree for Eve to return to the Duchy, the runic patterns on the walls lit up, immediately drawing the attention of the two women.

    Aina and Eve''s eyes lit up! This phenomenon was very familiar!

    "It seems we were wrong," Aina muttered, ncing toward Eve. "Are you ready?"

    She nodded, her eyes fixed on the entrance of the cavern. Just secondster, beasts poured out from the entrance in all directions. From their vantage point, therge oak trees, the two sensed that this wave was fiercer and more powerfulpared to the previous one.

    With bated breath and pounding hearts, the two waited patiently for the right moment to dive into the entrance. One misstep and they''d have to wait for the next horde, if there was any.

    At that moment, Aina''s beautiful red eyes shimmered with fierce determination. "This is it," she imed in a calm, confident tone. "Thest wave."

    Eve shot her a nce, but there was not even a flicker of doubt in her eyes. She hade to trust Aina''s heightened senses, as strange as they were. During their fights with the monsters, Eve had noticed that Aina possessed frightening senses. She was able to detect beasts from several miles away, and even her predictions were spot on.

    Though she didn''t like to admit it, Eve had to acknowledge that the holy pdin''s senses far surpassed her own.

    Without another word, the necromancer and the holy pdin disappeared from the branches of the giant tree, their figures blurring toward the entrance of the cavern.

    And just as Aina had predicted, that beast wave was thest one. With a final burst of speed, they dove into the cavern just as the barrier began to solidify behind them, sealing off the outside world.

    "Huff," Aina sighed in relief. "That was close. Now, where are we..." She trailed off as she finally took in her surroundings.

    ncing around, the two discovered that they seemed to be inside a cavern with jagged stone projections pointing downward. The part connected to the ceiling of the cave was quite weak, and one could tell that any intense fighting could dislodge the projections and rain them down.

    The cavern was very spacious, though there were several broken rocks lying all around, and the footprints of the beasts were still very fresh.

    As their gaze swept around, Eve and Aina''s eyes soon settled on a statue of a beautiful feline woman. The woman had one arm on her hip while the other held an ornate staff. Her flowing, stone-carved hair cascaded down her back, and her feline ears and tail added an extra allure to her beauty.

    "I...is that?" Eve''s eyes narrowed. "A goddess?"

    The aura radiating from the statue was very simr to the statue in the Mountain of Ascension, where the kids in the barony had gone to awaken their sses. To be sure, they moved closer to the statue and confirmed their suspicions.

    Despite being carved out of stone, an almost divine aura was billowing out of the statue, forcing Aina to take a few steps back. The only one who could somehow bypass this aura was Eve.

    "This is the first time I''m seeing this goddess," Aina said as she stepped back.

    Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin

    "Me too," Eve nodded, a deep frown creasing her temples as she said, "But for some reason, it feels as though I''ve known her for a long time."

    There were numerous gods in Eos. Usually, children wouldn''t know about all of them, but it was a different case for experienced Awakened such as Eve and Aina. They racked their brains long and hard, yet they couldn''t recall this goddess.

    Suddenly, something clicked in Eve''s mind, and she turned toward Aina. "I think... I think this is the goddess that grants Nox his ss."

    How had shee to this conclusion? It was pretty simple. Not only was the goddess unknown, but she also possessed bestial features. It was easy for Eve to piece two and two together ande up with an answer.

    Yet she wasn''t that certain about it.

    However, what confused Eve Futher more was why she felt at peace in the presence of this goddess. Usually, whenever she got close to statues of other gods, she''d feel intense pressure, as if the divinity in the statue wanted toe back to life and snuff the life out of her. This was because of the nature of her ss, which yed with life and death.

    ''Then why was this statue so different could it really be the goddess of the beast taming ss?''

    At that moment, Aina spoke. "Say this statue was the one that gave Nox his ss. Do you think it''s also responsible for the beast tide... maybe bestowing the beasts with abnormal strength and controlling them to attack humans?"

    Eve furrowed her brows, her eyes remaining fixed on the statue. "Even if something like that was possible, why would it do something like that?"

    Aina shrugged. "Perhaps an evil god?"

    As soon as those words left her mouth, the red-haired woman didn''t know if her eyes were ying tricks on her, but she felt a slight mudrous intent from the feline goddess, but it was so weak that it was barely noticeable.

    "That..." Eve wore a pondering expression. "That could be it... I mean, for me to feel at peace with her, she must be an evil god."

    "B-but she looks too beautiful to be evil." Aina''s thoughts wereplicated. Apart from the woman''s feline features, she could almost swear on her life that she was identical to Aurora the goddess of dawn and light.

    With that lustrous stone hair that flowed to her waist, those cat-like ears and tail, this goddess was simply ethereal, and normal Eos beauty standards couldn''t measure her.

    "Nyx is also as beautiful as this woman," Eve pointed out, then added in a dark voice, "And yet she''s the goddess of death and life."

    "That makes a lot of sense," Aina muttered thoughtfully.

    The two stood in silence, engrossed in their thoughts as they stared at the statue. However, just as they were about to leave and search the other parts of the facility, they suddenly sensed a presence behind them.

 Chapter 276: Underground Facility [2]

    Though it had been several years, Nox could still vividly remember this ce. Over the years, the path leading to the mountain had changed slightly and grownrger, probably due to frequent travel by beasts and Awakened.

    At first, Nox had been confused, doubting that he could be right. However, the closer he got, the more his doubts began to fade. By the time he arrived outside the mountain, all lingering uncertainty was erased.

    Nox froze in his tracks and studied the entrance for a while. Aplicated gleam shed in his eyes. This ce held many memories. It was here that he had nearly lost his life¡ªand where his life had irrevocably changed.

    "This reminds me,  because of the heat of the moment, I''d forget to take the statue back then." Nox thought, his eyes shing with determination. "But this time, I''ll take it with me."

    As he thought about this, Nox''s gaze swept over the ground, his eyes fixing on the footprints that undoubtedly belonged to beasts, leading directly into the cavern''s entrance. His eyes narrowed.

    Behind him, he heard the sound of light, graceful steps¡ªpurposeful and measured. He caught the familiar jasmine scent that apanied the woman but didn''t bother turning around.

    "From your expression, I take it you''re familiar with this ce?" the woman asked,ing up to Nox. She stood just a few meters away, making it impossible for him to ignore her. ncing at the woman beside him, he noted her vibrant smile.

    The woman was beautiful. With flowing purple hair and mesmerizing, cat-like purple eyes that matched her hair, she exuded charm. She was well-endowed, with a generous chest that seemed to jiggle with every movement she made, and her thin, revealing purple gown clung to her body, showcasing all her assets.

    Nox recognized her from the judging seat at the tournament, though he''d been so focused on the uing fight that he hadn''t spared her a second nce. Having arrivedte, he was also clueless about her true identity.

    "Why are you following me?" he asked in an unfriendly tone. It felt strange being trailed by someone he had never met before. There were only two kinds of people who would do such a thing: those with malicious intentions and those with purposes too grand to ignore.

    Despite Nox''s clear animosity, the purple-haired woman chuckled softly, her pleasant voice filling the air. "Following you?" Bridget wore an innocent expression. "I merely happened to be heading in your direction. It''s fate, wouldn''t you agree?"

    "Tsk." Nox scoffed, recalling the time he had almost blown her head off with Shadow Oblivion, yet she still persisted. If this was a coincidence, then ck was probably white.

    Since he couldn''t get rid of her, Nox decided to let her be and focused on the entrance of the cavern. With slow, deliberate steps, he began to approach.

    "Tsk, you''re no fun. Normal ten-year-olds don''t behave like this," Bridgetined from behind.

    "Well, I''m not really a ten-year-old," Nox responded as he stepped into the cavern, unrestricted, without ncing back.

    "Funny." Bridget flicked a strand of purple hair behind her ear, watching as Nox''s back disappeared into the cavern. Then she froze, her gaze fixed on the footprints on the ground. Though she had masked it well, she was intrigued.

    "Makes me wonder if this horde is somehow rted to the one that attacked the southern region," the headmistress thought as she stepped forward. Initially, she had been solely focused on poaching Nox for her academy, but now she was genuinely curious about where these monsters wereing from.

    What if something like this happened in the western region as well? She had to be prepared.

    Then it happened.

    Bridget''s face morphed into a frown. Why¡­why couldn''t she pass through the entrance?

    Though Nox didn''t know it, the reason he was able to ess the cavern while others were restricted was because this was one of the abandoned temples of Terra. It had been here for centuries and was a ce of worship for followers of the pantheon of mythical beasts.

    A rune ced at the entrance restricted entry, but it didn''t apply to followers of Terra. The temple recognized those who carried the mark of Terra. Nox unknowingly bore such a mark, though it wasn''t a visible sign or brand.

    Bridget, however, was not so fortunate. She ced her palm on the entrance, feeling the invisible barrier. No matter how much force she applied, she couldn''t breach it.

    "Interesting." Bridget narrowed her eyes, a flicker of suspicion shing through them like lightning. "How many secrets¡­just how many secrets are you hiding, boy?"

    Meanwhile, inside the cavern, Nox found himself in the familiar, vast space. The ground was littered with fragments of rocks scattered everywhere, remnants of his fierce battle with Cerbargh.

    "Nothing seems to have changed. It''s as if this ce has been left untouched," Nox muttered to himself, silent as his feet carried him deeper into the cavern. Then, he suddenly stopped, rounding a towering boulder. His gaze settled on the giant statue of a feline woman.

    However, that wasn''t all. There were two other people there¡ªpeople he hadn''t expected to find¡ªand they seemed engrossed in the statue.

    ---

    In the deeper parts of the same cavern, several cloaked figures surrounded arge, murky pool, standing in a deliberate circle. Their robes were engraved with the emblem of a ming rose.

    Behind them, upying a significant portion of the walls, wererge, spacious prison-like cells carved out of the mountain. Inside these cells, thousands of furious beasts with glowing red eyes were confined, banging against the bars like caged demons desperate to break free.

    However, the cloaked figures outright ignored the furious beasts. Their attention was solely fixed on the pool.

    To be specific...on what was inside the pool.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones, I really appreciate! Also the Golden tickets and power stones goal is still on.

 Chapter 277: Underground Facility [3]

    When Aina and Eve sensed the presence behind them, the two immediately became alert. A dark energy coalesced in Eve''s palm, and the sword in Aina''s hands glowed brightly.

    With blinding speed that Nox could barely follow with his eyes, they spun. Aina''s sword shed towards the intruder, and the dark energy in Eve''s palm shot out!

    BOOOM!

    "Shit!" Nox cursed. Activating Divine Velocity, his body seemed to flicker as he moved out of the trajectory of both attacks simultaneously.

    Though he had escaped the attack, he felt the brush of death. One momentter, and he would''ve found himself back in the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts without fulfilling the reason foring to Eos in the first ce.

    It was only after the attack that the two women realized who the supposed intruder was.

    "Nox!"

    "Disciple."

    The two eximed at the same time.

    "Hi, Mom, Master." Nox disyed an awkward smile on his face. "I didn''t expect to find you two here."

    Of all the people he expected to see here, he never imagined it would be these two. But a question loomed in their minds... what were they doing here of all ces?

    Before he could ask, Aina beat him to it.

    "What are you doing here?" Aina shot an inquisitive look at her son.

    Nox responded calmly, "I was curious about where the beasts wereing from, so I decided to follow their trail and..." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the cavern.

    "I didn''t expect it toe from the same ce I awakened my ss," he concluded, a slightly dazed expression on his face. Five years ago, he hade here and could have sworn there was nothing strange or suspicious.

    Maybe it was because I was so focused on awakening my ss, he pondered seriously. That had to be it. If only he had explored the rest of the cavern, perhaps he could have warned others about this years ago.

    But there was also a bitter truth to consider. Even if he had discovered something wrong with this ce, who would have believed him?

    "Nox, I know you and your father possess simr sses, but he never told me about his pantheon god," Aina said, breaking the silence. "If you don''t mind, can you tell me about this statue? Is she really the beast-taming patron goddess?"

    Eve also nodded. She was just as curious, wondering why she felt such an unusual peace in this woman''s presence. Unlike the others who were clueless, she had little knowledge about the beast-taming ss and the rtionship between the Beast Taming Goddess and the Goddess of Death and Life.

    Her knowledge, however, was only a tidbit of information she had learned from the Supreme Queen. Even then, she didn''t know the exact appearance of the Beast Taming Goddess, nor did she think the Queen did either.

    After all, this ss was very rare, and only a handful of people knew about it. Though now, because of the peace she felt, she was beginning to suspect that this goddess could actually be the sister of Nyx.

    "You''re right. She''s indeed the beast-taming patron goddess," Nox said, seeing no point in hiding it anymore. He trusted these two with his life.

    So that''s why I felt at peace, Eve thought as she stepped closer to the statue and ran her hand over it, her eyes shining with reverence and admiration.

    This... this was indeed the sister of Nyx¡ªthe one she loved most.

    She''s the only god who didn''t despise the necromancy ss. Eve was usually stoic, but she felt a bit conflicted in her heart right now.

    Then Aina asked in a serious tone, "Do you think she has something to do with this beast tide?"

    "No," Nox shook his head. "She''s not the one... I mean, she has no reason to do something like this."

    Besides, if she were nning such a thing, she could have informed me in the Pantheon... Nox thought but didn''t speak aloud. If the two found out that he could somehow go to the divine realm and speak with the gods, it would arouse a chain of questions Nox wasn''t prepared for at the moment.

    "I think we should check out the rest of the cave. Maybe we''ll find the cause of this rampage," Nox suggested. Earlier, he had seen several tunnels branching into separate parts of the cavern.

    "Yes, we''ll split up and search each tunnel," Aina readily agreed. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the cavern suddenly trembled.

    Rumble! Rumble!

    The stctites on the roof of the cavern trembled, threatening to dislocate and rain down due to the intense shaking.

    Nox, Eve, and Aina quickly hid behind a huge boulder. Just a few secondster, a horde of beasts poured out from one of the tunnels in a uniform line, rushing towards the giant opening, which was also the entrance leading outside the cavern.

    The third wave, Nox thought with a dark expression as he detected the presence of over twenty King-tier beasts and thousands of intermediate-tier ones.

    Without a doubt, this wave contained the strongest beasts yet, and it took a lot of willpower for Nox not to jump in there.

    After what felt like a minute, the wave of beasts left the cavern.

    Outside, Bridget, who was still trying to breach the invisible barrier, froze as she recognized the hooves of the beasts. Without wasting a single second, she moved out of the way, standing on the same branch Eve and Aina had stood on moments ago.

    "So many King-tier beasts." Aina''s eyes shed sharply as she saw the horde of beasts. Then an idea struck her.

    "Maybe if I help get rid of the beasts, I can get that boy to owe me a favor," she thought, a mischievous smile on her face. With a burst of speed, she lunged into the beast horde.

    Meanwhile, inside the cavern, Eve, Aina, and Nox had split into the different tunnels.

    Just a couple of steps inside, Nox encountered a robed figure.

    ***

    Confused about The sister of the necromancy Goddess? Refer back to chapter 36: Beast Tamer and Necromancer.

 Chapter 278: Underground Facility [4]

    Eve had selected the tunnel on the left, and Aina decided to go with the tunnel on the right. Nox had chosen the middle tunnel. There were still about three more unexplored tunnels, but the group of three had decided to take their time exploring one at a time.

    As soon as the two women entered their respective tunnels, however, Nox returned to therge space once again and approached the statues of Terra.

    Summoning his Oblivion Edge, Nox droved the dagger into the wall sending a faint ripple through the stone statue. Because the statue was partly embedded in the wall, he had to be careful; otherwise, he might end up destroying thest remaining statue of Terra.

    For the past 30 minutes, Nox had meticulously carved out the statue and soon ced it in his inventory.

    ''If someone else finds out the true identity of this statue, they might destroy it,'' Nox thought, wiping glistening sweat from his forehead. ''Of course, I won''t keep this statue in my inventory forever.''

    Nox nned on building a befitting ce of worship with security for Terra.

    Nox''s eyes shed sharply. There, the new generation would awaken the beast-taming ss.

    "However, before then, I need to get as strong as I can, Nox clenched his fists, his eyes shining with determination. "So strong that anyone who thinks about attacking this temple would have to think twice."

    As he thought about this, he went back inside the tunnel he hade from, his back gradually fading into the distance.

    ---

    In the pantheon of mythical beasts...

    Terra, along with several beast gods, watched Nox''s deration and couldn''t help but smile. They were currently having a pic on a table that stretched endlessly into the horizon, upied by beasts of various sizes and shapes.

    On the surface of the table, a projection of Nox treading through the silent tunnel could be seen.

    A beautiful smile gently tugged at the corners of Terra''s lips. "The first step has already begun!"

    "But, Goddess... is this really a good idea?" Rufus asked anxiously, his brow furrowing deeply. Then he added, "I mean, isn''t it too early?"

    Terra gently moved a strand of her hair behind her and said, her eyes fixed on the table disying Nox, "It''s better he starts early... after all, there are still several steps to go before the pantheon can be known all over Eos again."

    "And as for those other bastards..." The aura around Terra immediately changed, a thick bloodlust emitting from her body. Her beautiful face darkened, slightly scaring the others at the table as she added in a cold tone, "We''ll be ready for them this time... we won''t go down without a fight."

    "And..." She paused. "That''s why we need to keep throwing hurdles and problems at him."

    "What... does this mean?" a god asked, their face filled with confusion.

    "We need to make him the best version of himself," Terra dered in a strong voice, but then her voice wavered, taking on a soft tone. "He''ll feel pain... but one day, he''ll look back and understand why it was necessary."

    "The road for the Vassal was never meant to be a straightforward path, after all."

    ---

    Thud. Thud.

    The tunnel was dark and cold, Nox''s steps bounced across the walls. There were no ming torches on the walls. Nox summoned a single purple monster core, the light from the core immediately illuminating his face and casting long shadows on the walls.

    "Now this is better." Nox emitted a satisfied smile as he strode forward.

    A couple of stepster, he froze. He heard voices.

    "I heard from one of the guys that the Cromwells and Armstrongs are holding up quite well," a man''s voice said. "At this rate, they might just survive this wave as well."

    The man''s voice trembled slightly as he added, "I also heard that reinforcements from the capital might be on their way... If that''s true, it could ruin everything."

    "Reinforcements or not, it doesn''t matter. The second wave was just the beginning; the third wave will deal with all of them," the other voice said. This one was much softer and feminine, belonging to a woman.

    The woman added in a confident tone: "If the third wave fails to deal with them, that thing will be released. If that happens¡ª"

    The man interjected, "The western region will be wiped out from the map of the Vermilion Kingdoms and the human domain... it will be missionplete."

    Nox listened to their conversation, pondering. What thing are they talking about? Something that could destroy an entire kingdom...

    "I need answers," Nox narrowed his eyes. He ced the spire-shaped monster core back inside his inventory because the two cloaked figures had ming torches that lit up the tunnels around them.

    Without hesitation, he activated Phantom Cloak, and the familiar description appeared in his retina.

    ---

    [Phantom Cloak Description (Ultimate Skill):

    The user bes pletely" invisible for up to 5 minutes. While in this state, they gain +10 Agility and can pass through solid objects; also gain the ability to turn any object invisible. MP Cost: 20 MP to activate, plus -5 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 3 minutes.]*

    ---

    ''If I need to know more about this beast tide, I need to confront them,'' Nox thought, dismissing the screen on his face.

    In his invisible state, Nox snuck behind the two figures. The two were still engrossed in their discussion, oblivious to the outline following closely just a few meters away.

    The tunnel was silent, the only soundsing from the crackling mes of the torches and the footsteps of the two. Naturally, Nox''s steps were soundless, his sharp gaze focused on the pair. At that moment, Nox was about to make his move but abruptly stopped.

    The two were talking about that "powerful entity" once more.

    "But do you really think the higher-ups would risk releasing it?" the man asked, his voice low butced with panic that didn''t go unnoticed by Nox.

    "They will if ites to that," the woman replied coldly. "The Vermilion Kingdoms are just an obstacle. If it takes wiping out the entire western region to achieve our goal, so be it."

    Nox''s mind became tumultuous. The more he heard about their conversation, the more curious he became about this weapon or beast they were talking about.

    In the end, he couldn''t wait any longer. His hands shot forward, grabbing both figures by their necks. The eyes of the pair widened as they frantically tried to turn around and fight off their unknown attacker, but they inevitably found their heads smashed into the wall.

    BANG!

    "What the bloody hell!" the man eximed in pain.

    "My head hurts!" the woman cried out as well.

    They nced behind them, hoping to find their attacker, but saw no one. This left them even more perplexed because they could still feel arms pressing their heads against the cold wall of the tunnel.

    Suddenly, at that moment, the outline of a figure slowly formed in front of them as if he had emerged from the darkness itself. Nox''s Phantom Cloak deactivated, revealing those glowing ck eyes darker than the tunnel itself. The ming torch shining on Nox''s face made him appear even more menacing.

    The two cloaked figures immediately shivered, their hair standing on end.

    "You two," Nox''s voice was cold and dark. "Start speaking."

 Chapter 279: Underground Facility [5]

    A burst of white light red up from Aina''s palm, illuminating her surroundings and casting shadows on the walls.

    The soft sound of footsteps echoed across the walls of the tunnels. Aina''s steps were measured, filled with confidence and purpose.

    It had been thirty minutes since she stepped into this tunnel, yet it seemed as if she had walked for ages because the tunnel was unending and seemed to stretch forever.

    Moreover, there were no other branching paths. It was simply straight.

    "I wonder if the other tunnels are also like this," Aina thought to herself, boredom slowly settling in.

    She froze in her steps, then pondered with a thoughtful expression. Just how many more steps will I need to take?

    Just as she stopped walking, though, she noticed a branching tunnel carved into the right side of the wall. The darkness in that one was several times thicker and almost suffocating.

    "What are the chances of me walking for another thirty minutes if I continue on this path?" Aina questioned herself. Just to be sure, she cast the white me forward, letting it drift down the dark tunnel like a guiding star.

    As the white me sped through the portal, it illuminated the rough, uneven walls like a torch thrown into a deep cave. It continued to travel further, revealing nothing but darkness.

    "That''s still some distance, for sure." Aina frowned. She could still see the faint glow of the me as it traveled further, gradually being swallowed by the darkness, which signified that it had yet to reach a dead end. If it did, then the ball of white me would be immediately extinguished.

    Left with no choice, Aina took the branching tunnel to her right.

    Unlike the first tunnel, she hadn''t made any significant progress. As soon as she stepped into the tunnel, she immediately heard a series of voices.

    Just a couple of steps further, the voices grew louder.

    "Hurry up!"

    "Why is it taking so long?"

    "Just a little more... then it will be free."

    "Those are human voices, without a doubt." Aina''s gaze became sharp. "Could it be that an organization is really behind this beast tide?" she wondered as she cautiously approached the source of the voices.

    And it didn''t take too long for her to find it. However, what she saw left her stunned and speechless.

    ---

    Just like Nox, Aina and Eve were navigating separate tunnels.

    But there was a noticeable difference between the two sides.

    Unlike Aina and Nox, who used torches to illuminate their paths, Eve treaded through the darkness. The only light came from her eyes. Those ruby eyes were especially frightening, glowing softly in the dark.

    With her towering height of six feet, the necromancer was like a demon, capable of scaring even the toughest men. What made her a bit more unsettling was her shadow.

    ...Eve''s shadow was strange. In contrast to the shadows of others, hers looked more disjointed, as if it had a life of its own.

    After walking for a while, Eve finally arrived in a much wider space that was lit up with a series of torches. In this space, she found about five cloaked figures.

    "What the hell is that?" One of the cloaked figures eximed in a trembling voice.

    "Is that a beast?" Another of them whispered, feeling their scalp tingle. "Did one of the beasts break free?"

    The group of five froze as a pair of red glowing eyes emerged from the darkness. They were almost reptilian and beautiful at the same time.

    "Quickly, sh the torch that way!"

    With shaky hands, one of them shuffled to the walls to quickly retrieve the torches and shed them at the towering silhouette. The flickering orange light revealed a beautiful yet terrifying woman.

    "Intruder!" Someone shouted. "Sound the rm!"

    A cold sneer appeared on Eve''s face as she said, "As if I''ll let that happen." Then she lunged forward at the one who had insisted on sounding the rm. A dagger shed in the air, and that unfortunate person''s head was decapitated, thudding to the ground, sttering blood everywhere.

    "I didn''t even see her move! This is terrible. We need to call the chi¡ª"

    Shing!

    That person was ughtered as well.

    There were now three people left. Eve easily killed off two, leaving just one alive.

    "If you don''t want to end up like them, start speaking." Eve''s voice gave no room for argument, and the remaining cloaked figure shuddered.

    Despite killing all these people, Eve''s expression remained rtively unreadable.

    At that moment, however, her eyes fell on the symbol of the ming rose, and her eyes shed with surprise.

    ---

    Meanwhile, Nox...

    There was a deep frown on Nox''s face as he stared at the two before him. These people... are they even Awakened? Nox thought. They''re very weak, and I''ve tried to sense it, but nothing seems toe up.

    "With such fragile builds, it would be pathetic if they''re actually Awakened."

    Currently, Nox held the pair down, their faces pressed hard into the cold wall. The pair exchanged terrified nces. The man tried to wriggle free, but Nox pressed him harder against the wall, making him wince in pain.

    The woman struggled as well, but the same thing happened, and she winced in pain. She was much more confident and outspoken than the man. "Whoever you are... if I were you, you''d better let us go... if not, you won''t be able to leave this ce alive!" she warned.

    Nox noticed the confident undertone in her voice. "What is the guarantee that I''d survive if I let you go?" he stated and mmed the woman''s face into the wall.

    BANG!

    Several cracks appeared on the walls.

    "It seems you forgot who is in charge here," Nox said firmly. "Now start speaking."

    "Y-you... how dare you¡ª"

    "You never seem to learn, huh? Then let me make you an example." As Nox said this, he grabbed the woman''s head and smashed it into the wall.

    BANG!

    "You¡ª" She tried to work her jaw but found her head being mmed into the wall again.

    She still seemed to have a lot more to say, so Nox continued to m her head into the wall.

    "P-please," she tried to beg at one point, but Nox was not having any of it. He continued to m her face with a frightening level of calmness that should have been impossible for someone his age to disy.

    Soon, the woman stopped moving. The familiar screen announcing experience points shed across his retina. Ignoring the screen, Nox let go of the woman, grabbed the man, and drove his face into the wall as well.

    BANG!

    "Dang it! I''ll tell you everything! Please, just don''t kill me!" The man, however, was much more cooperative.

 Chapter 280: Another Way of Trespassing The Barrier

    It took a bit longer, but Zarek, the blindfolded man, soon arrived outside the cavern, and as soon as he arrived, his interest was piqued.

    In front of the mountain, an intense fight was going on.

    ''So that''s why I didn''t encounter any beasts on the way,'' Zarek stroked his unshaven beard. His blindfolded eyes were fixed on the raging fight.

    Eve was simultaneously sending beast after beast to the afterlife. Her movements were fluid, and she didn''t utilize any skills¡ªit was pure martial arts. From his position, Zarek could see that Bridget had made quick work of about three King-Tier beasts. They were lying motionless on the ground, yet not even a single strand of exertion could be seen on her face.

    Currently, she was engaging three King-Tiers at the same time.

    "Die!" Bridget sneered as her fist shot forward, obliterating the head of a serpentine creature with a ted, scaly body.

    BOOM!

    Then she twisted her body at an unnatural angle, evading every single drop of blood from the long-fanged corpse with practiced, precise ease.

    "Hahaha, it''s been a long time since I let loose like this!" The smile on Bridget''s face was extremely terrifying as she tore through the horde of beasts. Each one of her attacks was devastating and left destruction in her wake.

    Now, several craters littered the area outside the cave, and they were all rtively deep. If one hadn''t witnessed the fight, they wouldn''t have believed it was all caused by the delicate, purple-haired beauty, who seemed utterly incapable of hurting even a fly.

    "A battle maniac, huh?" Zarek muttered to himself as he saw the ferocity with which Bridget was destroying the beasts. "And she hasn''t even disyed any skills yet¡­ She''s just fighting them with brute strength."

    "I wonder who would win if we were to fight." Beneath his blindfold, a wild look flickered across Zarek''s eyes.

    "Unfortunately, that''s not the reason for my presence here." He paused and shot a gaze toward the entrance of the cavern. "The boy is."

    As he said this, Zarek eventually moved from his spot.

    "I need to get in without anyone seeing me," he thought as he silently approached the mountain''s entrance while Bridget remained engrossed in her fight.

    "Hahaha! Tsk, though these King-Tiers are stronger than normal beasts, in the end, they''re just a bunch of weaklings," Bridget spat on the corpse of a beast that had a gaping hole in its chest.

    The beast''s eyes were still filled with disbelief, as if refusing to ept its loss.

    At that moment, from the corner of her eyes, she spotted a King-Tier beast sneaking past her and heading in another direction. The beast¡ªa shadow-furred panther with glowing crimson eyes and serrated ws¡ªjust like the ck-scaled python, was much more intelligent than the rest.

    No matter what, it had to escape this demoness. The beast had already foreseen its death if it remained here any longer.

    Bridget watched the back of the disappearing beast with a confident smile on her face. She was confident in her strength; a mere King-Tier beast could never outrun her.

    "Tsk," she sneered, and with a burst of speed, shot her body forward.

    BOOM!

    The sheer force generated from her speed was like a mini shockwave, throwing all the beasts closest to her into the air like ragdolls. Some of them plunged into a deep chasm over a hundred feet deep.

    As he watched Bridget charge into the distance, Zarek smiled. This wasn''t part of his n, but he was d the beast had decided to run away as it gave him more time to make his move.

    Some of the beasts left behind were relieved the terrifying woman had gone, but soon enough, they encountered another being. The beasts'' eyes glowed faintly with murderous intent as they moved closer to Zarek, who seemed oblivious to their approach¡ªor so they thought.

    The moment they closed a certain distance, a crushing pressure burst out from Zarek!

    FWOOSH!  FWOOSH!

    The pressure was heavy and suffocating, like the weight of a mountain copsing onto their very souls. Blood leaked from every orifice, and one after the other, they all copsed and died on the spot.

    Zarek arrived at the entrance and proceeded to step in. His face contorted slightly as he was met with the same resistance Bridget, Aina, and Eve had encountered. Zarek nced to the side and noticed the runic pattern glowing faintly.

    "A work of a runesmith," he muttered. He nced back and could still hear the sounds of fighting, but the beasts'' screams were growing weaker as time passed, meaning the fight would soon be over.

    "This is going to be difficult." A deep crease formed on Zarek''s forehead. He needed to act fast before Bridget returned. Taking a step back, his gaze lingered on the beast''s footpath that led into the mouth of the cave.

    He pondered for a moment before an idea struck. "Alright, let''s try this."

    Zarek grabbed a dead beast''s corpse by its neck and dragged it toward the barrier before throwing it. As suspected, the beast passed through with ease.

    "Seems the runes only allow beasts to pass through," he deduced, though he wasn''t so sure. Nox had clearly passed through the barrier, and he was human¡ªthough not exactly a full one.

    Still, he decided to try something else. He picked up another beast. This time, however, he didn''t throw it through the invisible barrier as he had before. Instead, he walked through the barrier himself while holding the beast. The surface rippled like waves on the ocean, easily granting the blindfolded man ess.

    A satisfied smile appeared on Zarek''s face as he threw the beast''s corpse back outside the barrier before sprinting deeper into the abyss.

    As he ran, there was a smile on his face. "Alright, let''s finally get this over with and return to the capital."

    A few secondster, Bridget arrived back at the mouth of the cavern and was shocked at what she saw.

 Chapter 281: The Terrefying Existence

    After the cloaked figure had agreed toply, Nox let him go. Now they stood face-to-face, the air thick with tension as Nox and the other man locked gazes.

    Yes, Nox had ordered the man to take off his cloak. At first, he didn''t want toply, but after ncing at the limp body of his partner, all hesitation vanished.

    Now, after removing the magically enchanted hood, what appeared before Nox was a middle-aged man with a short-cropped beard and sunken eyes.

    His face was a bit chubby, which confirmed Nox''s assumption of him being mundane.

    So young, the man couldn''t help but think as he observed Nox''s appearance. Because the boy had sneaked up on him, he hadn''t been able to see his face clearly. Now that he saw how young his attacker looked, he felt conflicted.

    This... this was the reality of being Awakened. Common sense and age didn''t apply to them. A hundred-year-old Awakened could still easily deal with hundreds of mundanes.

    Pushing the unimportant thoughts from his mind, he straightened his posture, trying to mask the fear that was slowly creeping into his heart.

    "Alright, tell me everything you know," Nox demanded in an authoritative tone. "Are you guys the cause of this beast tide? What is your goal? Which organization do you work for?"

    Nox fired several questions at once, overwhelming the man, who began to tremble. Nox''s tone was cold and detached. The man feared that if he dyed any longer, his head would be smashed to a pulp as well.

    With great difficulty, he managed to stutter, "Y-yes, we''re the cause of the beast tide. The name of our organization is the Order of the ming Rose."

    "Dammit, if they find out I revealed this much, they''ll kill me." The man held his head low and cursed under his breath. However, Nox could only hear him muttering gibberish, his eyes full of horror.

    "Continue," Nox ordered, without caring how the man felt at this moment. In his eyes, someone such as this man didn''t deserve pity. After all, he had just admitted they were the cause of the beast tide, which had killed hundreds, both adults and children.

    The man sucked in a cold breath that traveled through his lungs as he said through gritted teeth, "Our goal is to destroy the entire human domain."

    There was no use for the man to lie at this point. The coldness in Nox''s eyes pierced through him, making it clear that any attempt to lie would end in death.

    As he heard this, Nox slightly tilted his head to the side. His expression was unreadable as he asked, "Destroy the human domain?" There was a bit of ridicule in his voice. "You can''t even deal with me. How would you guys face the experts of the Far West? Also, what would you gain from destroying the human race?"

    Although he didn''t show it on his face, Nox was very perplexed. This man was also a human, so why would he want to destroy his fellow humans? It just didn''t make sense, and he swore to get to the bottom of this.

    The man hesitated, his chubby face pale and glistening with sweat. "W-we don''t really know... This information is only known by the higher-ups." He paused. "But I once overheard them say it''s the natural order."

    Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    Nox''s eyes narrowed, those ck eyes gleaming dangerously. His face, illuminated by the ming torchlight on the side, frightened the living daylights out of the man, who stumbled back in fear. It felt as if Nox would pounce on him at any moment.

    "Natural order?" Nox coldly said as he clenched his fist. "You call massacring innocent people ''natural''? You disgust me."

    Seeing the coldness in Nox''s eyes, the man hurriedly dropped to his knees, raising his hands in a cating gesture. "I-I''m just a pawn! I don''t make the decisions. I just follow orders!"

    "Then tell me," Nox asked, "who''s giving these orders? Who''s the leader of the Order of the ming Rose?"

    The man swallowed hard, struggling with whether to reveal more, but he soon realized he had already said too much. Finally, he exhaled and said, "There is only one I know about. He''s the leader of this operation, and we refer to him as No. 2."

    "No. 2?" Nox asked with a raised brow, not expecting such a vague name.

    The man continued, "He''s one of the higher-ups who orchestrates everything. I don''t know his true name or face, but hemands the entire organization. He''s the one who created the beast tide."

    Nox noticed how the man emphasized "the one." The man was fighting with everything he had to survive.

    But Nox still had two more questions.

    "Where can I find this No. 2?"

    "I-I don''t know," the man stammered. "Their location changes constantly. Only the inner circle knows where they are."

    Nox stared at the man for a long moment. The man felt uneasy being scrutinized like this, and one could notice his trembling arms. Just as the man was starting to get more anxious, Nox finally said, "Last question."

    The man swallowed for the second time since this interrogation. "Go ahead," he managed to say.

    "What is this entity you talked about? The one that could destroy the entire Far West?"

    "That..." The man nodded and began to exin everything he knew about the so-called entity.

    Just a few minutester, when the man was done revealing everything he knew, Nox walked through a tunnel under the man''s guidance.

    While he walked, he couldn''t help but contemte what he had heard.

    ording to the man, the entity capable of destroying the entire Far West was a mutated hybrid.

    He had described them with horror in his eyes: "Their strength surpasses even the strongest Awakened humans. They are apex predators... tools of destruction bred to annihte everything in their path."

    Even the man didn''t know the exact description of the beast or how it had been created, but he said it was the coboration of different alchemists all over Eos.

    When Nox had asked him to name specific kingdoms, he had called out one primary kingdom: the Eleven Empire.

    Soon, they arrived at arge opening with countless robed figures.

    "This is the ce," the man pointed with shaky hands. Following the man''s arm, Nox''s eyes fell on a chamber filled with countless robed figures.

 Chapter 282: Destroying The Hybrid [1]

    Nox''s nce lingered on that chamber for a while, specifically the pool, making the man ufortable. The man seriously contemted whether he should make noise to attract the others... however, at that moment, he saw the chilling smile on Nox''s face, and his heart began to tremble.

    "Good," Nox said in a cold voice that immediately made the man''s scalp tingle. "You''ve outlived your usefulness."

    "Huh." Before the man could react, Nox''s arms blurred forward mid-air. A dagger materialized and slit the throat of the man, killing him on the spot.

    The kill was so silent, like the work of an assassin. Not even the other robed figures sensed anything.

    After dealing with the man, Nox moved his gaze to the pool in the middle of the opening.

    "That must be where they''re keeping the hybrid."

    Nox didn''t outrightly attack them. He first took a mental note of the figures inside.

    From his vantage point, Nox noted that there were about 30-40 of them. Although Nox couldn''t see their stats, these people emitted much more terrifying energy. Still, it wasn''t to the point of making him break a sweat.

    From time to time, one of the figures would step forward and empty a vial into the pool. Nox couldn''t see the color of the vial because the chamber was very dark, only illuminated by glowing monster cores embedded in the walls.

    However, he could clearly see the effect of the contents of the vial. As soon as the liquid made contact with the surface of the murky water, it hissed and bubbled violently as though it were a ticking time bomb.

    "Seems like they''re hastening the process," Nox deduced and thought seriously. ''What are the chances of me killing whatever that thing is if I were to use Shadow Oblivion?''

    ording to the man, this hybrid was very powerful and stronger than the strongest of Awakened. Nox didn''t know if what the man was saying was actually true or if he had simply been manipted by his organization.

    One thing was for sure, however: He couldn''t afford to take chances. The western region was his home, filled with lots of people he held close to his heart. If something happened to them, he didn''t know how he''d live with himself.

    Just as he extended his arms to unleash Shadow Oblivion, Nox sensed two presences behind him. The presences were so powerful that they had escaped his senses; he had only noticed them when they were already too close.

    Nox summoned his dagger; however, he soon felt an arm touch his shoulder.

    "No need for that." A familiar emotionless voice imed. "It''s us."

    Nox''s grip on his dagger immediately loosened a bit. He turned around and found Aina and Eve staring at him. Looking further behind, he saw two dead bodies.

    ''It seems they also used my tactics,'' Nox thought to himself.

    Nox gave a brief nod before cing his dagger away. Then he asked in a low voice, "Did you find anything useful?"

    Perhaps the two had more inside information he wascking.

    "Not much," Aina admitted. Her eyes shed slightly at howposed and confident her son was. She couldn''t help but turn towards Eve.

    Experience new tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin

    ''Just what did these two go through in their ''vacation?''

    "Even me. The one I encountered was just as clueless. He seemed to not even know the full scope of things," Eve said as well. Then her gaze flickered to the direction of the pool, and a curious look appeared in her eyes. She turned to Nox and asked, "How about you?"

    "A bit," he responded and motioned towards the bubbling pool. "They''re creating something inside that pool, and ording to the guy... it''s supposedly stronger than any Awakened. If what I heard was true, that thing could easily wipe the entire human domain."

    "Stronger than any Awakened? Could wipe the entire human domain?" Both women were shocked when they heard this, and for a moment, they thought Nox must be bluffing. But knowing the weight of the current situation... they didn''t think he was simply bluffing.

    "But these guys are very weak... how would they pull off something like this?" Aina pointed out, confusion shing within her eyes.

    The robed figure she had encountered was weak... saying they were weak was even an understatement. A single blow from her had knocked the man out, and she had no choice but to wait until he woke up again. She didn''t think a group like that would be able to pull off such arge-scale extermination.

    "That''s because... these people are simply pawns," Nox said. "They all belong to an organization... called the ming Rose... or the Order of the ming Rose."

    "ming Rose," Eve repeated, attracting the attention of the mother and son duo. "I know about them and also learned about them recently from that girl Wendy back in Snowhelm."

    "She didn''t tell me anything about them," Nox thought but then remembered that he had been unconscious. Eve and Wendy had probably bonded together when he was unconscious.

    "That red-skinned girl that attacked you was from the same organization as the ming Rose."

    "ming Rose, I''ve heard about them as well," Aina nodded with a thoughtful expression. "But me and my sisters didn''t really investigate them since they weren''t a problem for the ind."

    "Yes... ording to this man, their goal is to destroy the entire Far West, and that thing inside the pool would y a major role," Nox said. "Their reason? I don''t really have any idea, but no matter what, we must stop them."

    An irritated look flickered across his face as he added, "From the horror in that man''s eyes, I don''t even want to imagine what that disgusting thing looks like."

    "The best thing now is to destroy it while it''s still dormant. What do you say?"

    Nod. Nod. The two women nodded. After getting the approvals of the two women, Nox stepped forward and extended his hand.

    Aina and Eve had seen Nox use this skill before, and from what they''d seen, this skill was very powerful and could eliminate all life within a certain radius. There was a high possibility that the entire cavern could be reduced to dust.

    Just to be on the safe side, she kept her [Holy Barrier] at the ready in case things went south.

    Meanwhile, a dark energy pulsed in Nox''s fingertip, and the next moment...

    ---

    I''m feeling very ill, hence thete chapter upload. Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer, I really appreciate it!

 Chapter 283: The Hybrid Awaken [1]

    The dark energy on Nox''s fingertips pulsed like a beating heart, and both Aina and Eve watched with tense expressions. After a while, the dark st surged forward through the air.

    SWOOOOOS!

    Unaware of the approaching cmity, the members of the Order of the ming Rose were still focused on the pool. They gazed at it with reverence as if it were the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

    And then it happened.

    Shadow Oblivion descended into the pool like aet and exploded with a deafening roar.

    BOOOM!

    The entire cavern trembled as the st unleashed a shadowy energy, obliterating everything in its path. A mountain of water rose from the pool, almost touching the ceiling of the cavern. When the water crashed down, a fierce shockwave spread out in all directions!

    "W-what is happening?"

    "Where did thise from?"

    As for the robed figures, they were too slow to act. Caughtpletely off guard, most of them were killed by the st, and some were flung through the air like ragdolls as the shockwave generated from the water mmed into them.

    Feeling the entire cave tremble as though it would copse, Aina channeled more mana into her [Holy Barrier], keeping it steady.

    Bang! Bang!

    Although giant rocks and debris plunged from the roof of the cavern and mmed into the transparent bluish holy barrier, causing faint ripples, the barrier held against the chaos.

    After a while, things settled slightly, and Aina took down her barrier, her gaze fixed on Nox, who was approaching the pool.

    A few seconds earlier, after using Shadow Oblivion, several system notifications announcing experience points had shed by, but these... these experience points were only from the robed figures.

    With a frown on his face, Nox rounded the rocks and the dead bodies of the robed figures,ing up to the murky pool and ncing inside. There, he could see the outline of humanoid creatures moving slowly within the still water.

    "It''s still alive," Nox muttered under his breath, turning to the two women that were with him.

    Although his voice was low, both Eve and Aina heard him perfectly and rushed over quickly, staring into the pool as well.

    "The more time passes, the more I''m starting to believe what that ming Rose member told me is actually true," Nox said, a grim look shing through his eyes.

    "Wait, let me try something," Eve suddenly said, pointing her fingers toward the pool. A flicker of dark magic appeared, and in the next moment, the dark magic arced through the air into the pool.

    It slithered through the still water, heading straight for the creature underneath. Upon impact, a mini shockwave urred, sending faint ripples through the air, but apart from that, nothing significant happened.

    In fact, the st was nowhere close to Nox''s Shadow Oblivion. This was because it was not supposed to be an offensive skill in the first ce.

    A deep frown appeared on Eve''s face as she saw this. "Usually, my skill [Dark Curse] should be able to invade the body of a beast and slowly corrupt the inside of said creature, making it decay, but this beast is very different. Even in its dormant state, it could still somehow fight against the curse."

    The others listened to Eve and fell into deep thought. If this beast was this powerful in its dormant state, how terrifying would it be when it was finally awakened?

    "It could be even stronger than the elemental beast in Snowhelm." Nox shivered. Because the entity was rtively deep inside, he couldn''t use [Analyze] or [Beast Senses].

    The condition to use this skill, after all, was for him to see the target face to face. Nox now had a strong urge to dive into the pool and check out this hybrid, but that would be in foolishness.

    He nced at the pool and shook his head. For all he knew, this pool could be the cause of the beast bing a hybrid. Thest thing he wanted was to turn into a monster and attack his loved ones. Thinking of all this, Nox threw any thoughts of entering the pool out of his head.

    "Wait, let me try something as well," Aina said. "Perhaps it''s because your skills are rted to darkness; hence, the reason they don''t have much effect against another creature of darkness."

    Eve and Nox thought what Aina said made a lot of sense.

    Conjuring pulsing white energy in her palm, Aina unleashed it into the pool.

    BOOOM!

    A mini explosion urred, and apart from the creatures squirming a bit faster, there was no noticeable reaction from the hybrid.

    "The holy energy does have an effect, but it''s minimal," Eve said.

    ''What do I do?'' Nox pondered seriously in his mind. ''Should I spam Shadow Oblivion until I get rid of it?''

    Tension filled the air, and time was ticking as the trio continued to rack their brains toe up with a n. The hybrid creature beneath the water seemed to sense their indecision, and its outline in the pool was bing more distinct, as if preparing to make its move.

    Nox noticed this and became even tenser.

    At that moment, an idea struck Eve, and she suddenly said, "The hybrid is drawing strength from the pool. That much is clear. I think if we can sever its connection to this water, we might weaken it significantly."

    "Sever its connection?" Nox raised a brow. How would they do that without diving in? The moment they touched that water, who knew what could happen?

    In mid-thought, Nox''s eyes gleamed with enlightenment as he understood what Eve was saying and recalled the mountain of water that had risen from his attack a few minutes ago.

    There was only one way to sever the hybrid''s connection with the pool...

    "We destroy the pool?" Nox asked. Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin

    A dark smile, very pleasing to look at, appeared on Eve''s face. "Exactly."

    "Two dark energies and one light. It should do." Catching the hang of things, Aina nodded as well.

    "Two dark energies and blood," Nox corrected. The runic pattern that had been on cooldown appeared in front of Nox.

    "Okay then." Eve nodded. "Let''s overload it with everything we''ve got¡ªlight, dark, whatever. If the hybrid remains inside the pool, breaking it will either kill it or weaken it enough for us to finish it off."

    Nox nodded and stepped back, raising his hands as shadowy tendrils coiled around his fingers. Aina followed suit, her hands glowing with radiant holy energy. Eve prepared her dark magic, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the target.

    "On my count," Nox said. "Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ NOW!"

    However, just before their attacks couldnd, inside the murky pool, a pair of eyes snapped open, causing the surface of the pool to ripple.

 Chapter 284: The Hybrid Awaken [2]

    BOOM! BOOM!

    The vast chamber was filled with light, shadow, and blood as their magicalbination shed with the pool. A terrifying roar filled the air as the water churned violently and sshed in all directions.

    "No matter what, don''t let the water touch you!" Aina warned, her voice echoing through the chaos.

    From the vantage point, Nox noticed the pool''s surface rippling and steam rising whenever an attack struck the water. Even the outline moving inside was beginning to be more restless.

    Dozens of blood sts shot out from the runic bloody pattern hovering in front of Nox, and Shadow Oblivion also left his fingertips at quick intervals. Thebination was devastating, and it could be said that his attacks didn''t pale inparison to Eve and Aina''s.

    Gradually, the pool was being destroyed, and the others could now see the outline of the creature as the water began to drain away, revealing a monstrous being in the depths.

    It was a colossal being over twenty meters tall. It was a strange fusion of serpent-like scales and massive, muscr limbs, with fangs that gleamed dangerously in the dark chamber. Its eyes were terrifyingly white. The beast raised its head slightly, and a pair of glowing white eyes pierced the haze, locking onto them with an intelligence that sent chills down the spines of the people who had disturbed its rest.

    Shaking the fear away, Nox didn''t hesitate to use Analyze on the beast, and its information cascaded down.

    [Abyssal Leviathan - Abysee - Lv2 Legendary Tier (60% Dormant)]

    Elemental Type: Water

    Progress: 40%/100%

    Energy: 50%/100%

    Descriptive: [The Abyssal Leviathan is a monstrous hybrid created from the fusion of a Magical Beast and a Water Elemental Beast. It''s an abomination that shouldn''t have existed, but because of the interference of the greatest alchemists from the Elven and Dwarven Empires, it was brought into being. Though its power is currently dormant, this abomination shouldn''t be taken lightly. Its presence heralds destruction, especially when submerged underneath water!]

    Skills: [Void Roar, Tidal Wraith, Eternal Abyss Armor, Soul Rend, Adaptive Barrier, Ethereal Crash]

    [Note: All skills are currently halved by 50%]

    "Two emperor-tier magical and elemental beasts fused together." When Nox saw the description of the hybrid, he was stunned!

    Even the Yeti back in Snowhelm was just king-tier, and it had been very difficult to deal with. They had to fight for days before eventually taking it down, and yet this was not only a hybrid, it was in the legendary tier, just two ranks away from the mythic sovereign rank.

    Aina and Eve also felt the terrifying poisonous aura from the beast. It was just lying there, but the profound aura was capable of crushing the mind of a weak-willed Awakened like paper.

    "The only good thing about this is that the beast still seems to be 60% dormant and 40% awakened," Nox told the others, and they didn''t doubt him for a bit, knowing that he possessed an ability that could allow him to see everything about a beast.

    "If it gets to 100%... this beast would be on par with a legendary-tier beast."

    "Do you see any weaknesses?" Eve asked.

    Nox activated Beast Sense instantly. He nced through his retina and informed Eve quickly without a breather: "It''s very slow, powerful in water, and it''s vulnerable to light-based attacks. But that doesn''t mean other attacks would be ineffective against it. Simr to the Yeti, a concentrated attack to its chest could also weaken it."

    "Then we attack from all sides," Eve said. "We''ll take advantage of its slow speed and dormant state."

    Just as they were nning their moves, the Abyssal Leviathan reared its head, anger zing within its eyes.

    Then...

    ROOOAR!

    Its jaws widened, and it unleashed a thunderous roar!

    It was its Void Roar!

    The air distorted, and immediately after that roar was unleashed, the sound wave carried powerful force and mmed into the walls of the vast chamber, causing stone pirs erected at the side to crumple.

    Rumble! Rumble!

    The entire cavern began to tremble.

    Nox dived to the side in time as a column crumbled where he had been just seconds ago. As he regained his bnce, he fired off barrages of Shadow Oblivion and blood projectiles.

    BOOOM! BOOOM!

    "Just now, if its Void Roar hadn''t been halved because of its dormant state, it could have easily obliterated this mountain, bringing it to ruins." A droplet of sweat glistened on Nox''s forehead.

    Nox wasn''t the only one bombarding the abominable beast with attacks.

    Eve also retaliated by firing a barrage of dark fireballs, each one colliding with the Leviathan''s scales in bursts of heat and light. But her attacks barely left scorch marks on its armored body.

    Seeing this, Eve waved her hand, and a Shadow Portal appeared on the ground. A momentter, under the stunned gazes of a certain observer, a swirling dark portal materialized on the ground.

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    ''Back in the Armstrong Duchy, I wasn''t able to use this... but with only Nox and Aina here... I''ll no longer hold back,'' Eve swore in her heart, her beautiful ruby eyes glowing with an unnatural light. Then she started to chant.

    As she chanted, the swirling portal seemed to growrger, the aura of death filling the chambers. Just momentster, a skeletal hand appeared, grabbing onto the edge of the portal.

    "Arise, Harbinger of Dread!" Evemanded, her voice echoing through the chambers.

    Using it as leverage, the skeleton pulled itself out, revealing its skeletal frame reinforced with dark iron ting, and its eyes burned with cold blue fire. Clutched in its bony hands was a massive scythe that seemed to consume the light around it.

    Nox stared at the undead with fascination in his eyes. After spending some time in Eve''s not-sofortable manor, Nox had grown familiar with the undead there. As strange as it sounded, he had even bonded with them quite a bit.

    Especially a certain skeleton butler whom he didn''t get along with too well. However... this was the first time he was seeing this particr undead. From the terrifying aura that emitted from its body, Nox could feel this undead was bred for battle! It was bred to ughter.

    A cold smirk appeared on Eve''s face as she regarded the towering skeleton that stood over 2 meters in height with a prideful look and sneered, "This abomination thinks itself invincible? Harbinger, strike its soul!"

    Meanwhile, in the deep parts of the chambers, a figure was silently observing the fight.

    "I always knew something was wrong with her," the figure muttered, a slight surprise finding its way into his voice. "So she''s a necromancer."

 Chapter 285: Sixty Percent Awake

    As soon as Eve gave her order, the harbinger of death burst into motion.

    Unlike the humans who were terrified of the water, it directly jumped into the pool, raising its scythe high before shing downward at the leviathan''s chest with immense strength!

    Ka-BOOOOM!

    Upon impact, a thunderous sound echoed throughout the chambers, and a crack appeared on the abyss leviathan''s chest. The beast roared in agony and thrashed about. Its enemy''s scythe attack had been quite lethal, and it had dug rtively deep into its chest.

    Seeing the exposed tender flesh, Aina didn''t hesitate. A burst of white light appeared in her hands, slowly extending in all directions before taking the shape of a luminous spear that shone radiantly!

    Inside this dim room filled with blood and dark magic, the radiant spear stood out like a sore thumb, emitting a holy aura.

    Drawing one foot backward, Aina strained her muscles, and the spear shot out from her grasp.

    FWOOSH!

    The holy spear cut through the air, and just before it struck the leviathan, those terrifying eyes suddenly stared in her direction. But Aina remained unfazed; not even a tinge of fear could be spotted on her face.

    The spear, however, was ineffective. Just as it was about to strike, the leviathan''s scales began to glow, the milky light spreading across its massive body and clinging to it like a second skin.

    The next barrage of attacks from the harbinger of death proved useless as well.

    DENG! DENG!

    The skeleton mmed its scythe repeatedly, but it felt as if it was hitting an anvil with armor, making the skeleton''s blue eyes sh with great confusion.

    "Guys, that''s one of its skills¡ªEternal Abyss Armor!" Nox informed the group and quickly ordered, "Master, call back your undead. Let me try something."

    With a mentalmand, the two-meter-tall skeleton jumped out of the half-dried pool, standing beside Eve like a protective guardian.

    "What are you nning to do?" Aina asked.

    "I''ll destroy its armor," Nox replied, his eyes glinting with determination. He held both hands out, a tendril of darkness coalescing there. "Mom, you might want to put up your barrier."

    Aina didn''t ask any further questions and quickly did as he said. Her radiant white barrier began to spread outward in all directions, trapping everyone present while leaving just enough space for Nox''s arms to remain outside.

    The harbinger of death shifted ufortably when it felt the aura of the holy barrier, but it remained stoic and impassive.

    Thest time I used abo, it had been very useful against the yeti... I hope this one will cause enough damage too, Nox thought inwardly.

    A small bloody pattern that could easily go unnoticed appeared beside him. Out of this portal, bloody tendrils started to extend onto each of Nox''s arms, reaching up to his fingertips, which were already pulsing with condensed dark energy.

    The red tendrils merged with the twin orbs, taking on a slightly darker shade. Their pulse grew more powerful, like the throbbing of hearts.

    Though it was condensed, one could almost feel the raw power emitting from the twin orbs.

    Aina and Eve were curious about what he was doing. Their gazes were momentarily taken off the beast and fixed on Nox, anticipation gripping their hearts.

    At that moment, the sound of a gunshot echoed in the air, and two dark, bloody orbs exploded forward.

    BOOOOM!!!

    The twin bloody orbs collided with the leviathan''s chest, and an eruption of magical energy spread outward. The force of the impact shook the chamber violently, sending shockwaves that cracked the ground.

    "It worked!" Nox''s eyes lit up as he saw the leviathan''s shimmering armor flickering slightly, exposing its real skin. The beast''s eyes were filled with anger as it started thrashing wildly.

    BOOOM! BOOOM!

    Rocks descended from the cavern''s ceiling, mming into the beast and making it even more furious. A few of them evennded on the holy barrier, but it had no effect; only a faint ripple appeared on the surface before it became more solid.

    Nox had suspected that his mother was very powerful after seeing her send that unknown demon back to its dimension a few years ago. Hence, he was confident that even if the entire mountain copsed, everyone would still survive.

    As he watched the beast thrash about, a soft smile appeared on his face, especially when the giant rocks mmed into the leviathan with crushing force anytime it tried to re at them.

    It was a veryical sight as the beast would have to wait for the rain of rocks to stop before expressing its anger.

    "Is it just me, or is the beast''s aura growing stronger?" Aina frowned.

    Eve nodded as well. "You''re not wrong. It''s really growing stronger."

    The smile that had been stered on Nox''s face quickly disappeared as he sensed it too.

    Just to be sure, he used Analyze, and his heart sank at what he saw...

    [50% Awake]

    "What the heck!" Nox shouted, stunned.

    Aina and Eve turned to him to ask what was the matter. Since they didn''t have advanced features like him, another screen soon shed before Nox again.

    [51% Awake]

    "We have to hurry!" Nox shouted. "It''s waking up!"

    [52%]

    [57%]

    What the fuck! I thought it was the pool that was hastening the process? Were we wrong? Nox''s mind was in shambles as he fired attack after attack.

    At Eve''s mentalmand, the harbinger of death jumped at the beast and began hacking away at the leviathan''s chest.

    CRACK! CRACK!

    ck blood spilled out from the beast''s chest. Before everyone''s eyes, they could see that the beast was aging and shrinking slowly... though at a snail''s pace, it was very noticeable.

    Was this what she meant by strike its soul?

    Seeing the skeleton''s noticeable progress, another radiant spear materialized in Aina''s grasp, but this time it burned brighter.

    FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

    She hurled it, and the spear streaked through the air like a zinget. The exposed chest of the leviathan provided no defense, and the spear embedded into its chest, causing excruciating pain to shoot throughout the beast.

    Eve, not to be outdone, unsheathed her de and jumped into the pool. Most of the water was gone, but to be on the safe side, shended on the beast''s body and plunged her dagger deep.

    SCHLUNK! SCHLUNK!

    ROOOAR!

    The beast roared in pain and thrashed about, but Eve skillfully threw her body backward, flipping through the air beforending back outside the pool.

    [60% Awake]

    "Dammit!"

    "Master, pull back your undead!" Noxmanded as he summoned another surge of dark energy into his fingertips. Eve nodded and flicked her wrist. Almost instantly, the towering undead vanished just before a tail swipe could m into it.

    Aina and Eve shared a nce. They could feel the terrifying aura from the beast. Although they couldn''t see its status screen, they could tell it was beginning to awaken from its dormant state.

 Chapter 286: Against The Unwanted Visitor

    Just from the seriousness in Nox''s voice, they knew they needed to end this now. That was probably what he wanted to do as well.

    Nodding their heads, both Eve and Aina prepared their finishing move.

    "Thank you," Aina whispered to Eve. "I don''t know what you did to him on that vacation, but I really appreciate it... he has be a man."

    Eve nodded and then smiled. "You''re wee."

    "You should smile more, you know?" Aina teased.

    "Come on, let''s end this quickly," Eve hurriedly changed the topic.

    "Okay."

    Arger, more radiant spear that seemed to hum with divine power appeared in Aina''s grasp, while a shadowy, ethereal staff materialized in Eve''s hands.

    Sensing what they were about to do, Nox shouted at the top of his voice, "Now!"

    With a synchronized attack, Nox unleashed another pair of bloody energy orbs aimed directly at the beast''s face, while Aina hurled her radiant spear straight at its heart. At the same moment, Eve raised her staff high and released a torrent of dark energy, firing it directly at the exposed side of the beast.

    BOOOOOM!!!

    Thebined attack obliterated the Leviathan''s remaining defenses. The radiant spear struck its core, sending a shockwave that illuminated the entire chamber. The beast let out one final painful roar before copsing into the pool.

    The giant chamber fell silent, save for the sound of rocks falling from the ceiling of the cavern and thebored breaths of the group.

    But the group didn''t outrightly jump up for joy and hug each other; the atmosphere was still very tense.

    It wasn''t until this message:

    [Ding! You''ve in Legendary Tier LV2 Hybrid]

    ...shed that they finally felt at peace.

    "It''s... over," Aina exhaled but hid a smile on her face.

    Nox wiped sweat from his brow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he paused to catch his breath. If he turned his notifications on, he was certain he would see a level-up message.

    Nox had exhausted arge amount of mana and stamina firing off thebined attack simultaneously. Condensing two Shadow Oblivion attacks into orbs was already draining enough, but then channeling explosive blood tendrils into it was even more taxing on his reserves.

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    However, in the end, the gamble had paid off. Though there was still a smile on his face, Nox''s body ached with fatigue, his muscles screaming from the effort. Unfortunately, he was in the wrong ce for that.

    While he rested, though, Nox''s gaze flickered around the cavern, and he couldn''t help but wonder how the entire thing had not copsed.

    ''This ce... I need to investigate more of this ce... how did the statue even get here in the first ce?'' Nox felt there was more to this ce that didn''t meet the eye.

    Just then, Aina''s voice reached his ears.

    "It seems the hybrid dropped a skill." Aina shouted as she jumped into the now-dried pool and picked up a scroll.

    Nox''s eyes shed, and for a second, the tiredness vanished from his face. He jumped into the pool as well. This was the first time he was seeing a skill scroll, after all.

    All his skills so far had been acquired because of his talent; it was safe to say that Nox had never learned a skill the traditional way.

    "What does it say?" Nox asked, ncing at the scroll.

    Aina unrolled the scroll carefully, and as soon as she did, the words on it shimmered, glowing with a radiant light. Nox was also looking into the parchment, so the information flowed directly into both of their minds.

    ---

    Abyssal Armour (Advanced): Coats the user''s body in an indestructibleyer of abyssal energy, reducing iing damage by 90%. The armor strengthens over time in battle and reflects a portion of absorbed damage.

    Consumes: 50MP)

    Cooldown: Three minutes

    [Do you wish to learn this skill?]

    ---

    "Take." Aina folded the scroll and handed it to Nox. "You did all the work, so you deserve it, right?"

    ''While Eve and I were just holding back...''

    ...was what she wanted to say but wisely kept her mouth shut.

    Aina nced at Eve, and she nodded as well.

    Seeing their approval, Nox disyed an appreciative smile and took the skill, cing it in his Inventory forter. "Thank you, then."

    After cing the skill away, Nox, having regained a bit of stamina, stated, "Alright, then let''s leave here befor¡ª"

    Step-step...

    He was suddenly interrupted by the sound of deliberate footsteps.

    Everyone''s attention snapped toward the sound, but there was no one there.

    This... this left them perplexed, and Nox, Eve, and Aina exchanged wary nces.

    ''I didn''t sense anyone.'' Aina thought with a frown on her face.

    Just when they thought the person would show up, the footsteps suddenly came to a stop.

    "Who is there?" Aina''s voice boomed throughout the chamber, her eyes shining with a white light. If she hadn''t been serious before, she was now.

    Why?

    It was because this person... she couldn''t sense their presence, which only meant one thing¡ªthey were a powerful Awakened.

    Eve''s eyes shed as well. She shared exactly the same thought.

    "Impressive," a voice said. "But I''m not here for you guys. I''m only here for one person."

    A towering man with a blindfold stepped out of the darkness.

    "You." Everyone present immediately recognized this man as the judge in the tournament.

    "What do you want?" Aina inquired in an unfriendly tone as she stepped forward in front of Nox.

    "Him." The man lifted an arm and pointed at Nox.

    "Why do you want him?" Eve asked, the Harbinger of Death mming the butt of its scythe to the ground, her cold blue eyes shing with contempt.

    "That''s something personal between me and him." Despite seeing the two-meter-tall skeleton, the man remained unfazed and approached the trio, who had immediately heightened their guard, the air almost sizzling around them.

    Nox didn''t say anything and simply studied the blindfolded man, wondering if he had ever offended this person in the past. Then he asked calmly, without showing any trace of animosity, "What do you want from me?"

    "Smart." Zarek smiled, and after getting closer by a few meters, he did something that surprised everyone.

    The blindfolded man fell to one knee and slowly brought his hands to take off the blindfold. As he did that, a shift urred in the atmosphere as though the air itself held its breath. The temperature seemed to drop, and an ominous energy burst forth from the man.

    "The humans know me as Zarek Silver... but my real name is..."

    The blindfold eventually slipped off, falling to the ground... revealing blood-red eyes.

    Yes, Eve''s eyes were ruby in color, and so were Aina''s, but theirs were lighter and beautiful. However, this man''s...

    ...his were several shades darker¡ªalmost unholy to look at.

    "...Alucard Tepes," the man dered, revealing a pair of cannon-like fangs. "I''m a faithful servant of Lord Arthur Aegis Cromwell."

 Chapter 287: Arthurs Servant [1]

    Everything happened so fast, Nox was confused. Even Aina and Eve were equally perplexed. What was this man saying?

    Arthur? Servant... why did he emit such demonic energy?

    There was a moment of silence, and everyone seemed to absorb everything that had been said. They were contemting if they should trust what the man said or if he was just bluffing.

    But then, they thought about it. Why would he do this? If only they knew about the scuffle that had happened in the royal capital, they might have had an idea of who this man was.

    Aina was the one who eventually spoke and shattered the silence:

    "Why should we believe anything you say?"

    When she heard Arthur''s name, her heart skipped a beat. It had been so long since she had heard someone mention that name. When the silver-haired man said he was a servant of her beloved husband, a brief hope shed through her eyes.

    Aina touched her chest, feeling it tighten with a mixture of longing and disbelief. Perhaps... perhaps if this man was her husband''s servant, did this mean Arthur was still alive? The thought was almost too much to bear, yet it sparked something deep within her¡ªa flicker of hope she hadn''t allowed herself to feel in years.

    Aina allowed herself to be delusional for some time, but then she quickly pushed all these emotions away. Her biggest weakness was Arthur. This person could be someone who knew about this weakness and decided to exploit her.

    Zarek stood up from his kneeling position, and as he did, a silver light passed through the eyes of everyone, and their arms shot toward the hilt of their various weapons.

    Harbinger''s cold blue eyes were locked on the silver-haired man. With a nce, it was quite easy to tell that the skeleton warrior wouldn''t hesitate to cut Zarek into two if he tried anything funny.

    But the question that loomed was: could the Harbinger really deal with Zarek that easily? Not even Eve and Aina had sensed this man''s presence, after all.

    And if they had witnessed the shocking sight outside the cave, they would have realized that they didn''t stand a chance against the silver-haired man.

    Fortunately for them, Zarek''s intentions were pure. Straightening up, he held Aina''s gaze and said in a firm voice:

    "I was sent by the head of the Silver household, Lucas Silver, to get rid of little Nox," Zarek exined.

    "What?" Aina and Eve''s expressions turned dark when they heard this.

    "Yes, why?" Nox furrowed his brows. Who was the Silver household? What had he done for them to send an assassin to eliminate him?

    Zarek exined further: "From a report by a certain boy known as Brandon Chai, it seems you killed a kid named Ren Silver in Snowhelm."

    ''Ren Silver?'' Nox pondered with a thoughtful expression. ''Isn''t he the one Wendy told me about? The leader of the Vermilion Royal Academy team!''

    Nox vaguely remembered when Wendy had told him something along the lines of how despicable her team leader was.

    ''So heter died? If I remember correctly, he wasn''t part of the final battle, so how exactly did he die?''

    "From the lost expression on your face, I can tell you know nothing about his death as well?" Zarek inquired.

    "I''m only hearing about it now." Nox nodded, then his gaze turned chillingly cold. "So if I heard you correctly, someone killed the kid and is trying to pin the me on me, and thus you were sent?"

    "That''s urate." Zarek merely nodded, admiration glinting in his eyes at how easily Nox pieced the puzzle together.

    ''Master, it seems my existence is unnecessary. Your family already has a protector,'' he thought with a subtle smile.

    "That Brandon boy," Nox suddenly said. "Where can I find him?"

    "He attends the Vermilion Kingdom Academy," Zarek responded.

    From the sides, Aina soon chimed in. "If I understand everything you''ve been saying to this point, you were sent to kill Nox, but because you are a servant of Arthur, you decided not to carry out the mission, right? Or am I missing anything?"

    "You''re right, Mistress."

    "So what proof do you have? What proof do you have that you''re truly Arthur''s servant and not just someone using his name to manipte us?" Aina''s voice was steady, but there was a sharp edge to her tone. A part of her was desperately wishing for this man to truly be rted to Arthur, while another part thought this was an borate n by one of Arthur''s enemies.

    Zarek sighed and said, "Mistress, I knew this would not be easy. Your trust cannot be gained with words alone."

    Zarek reached into a pouch, moving slowly to avoid provoking the skeletal Harbinger or the others, who watched him like hawks. From within, he pulled out a golden ring with intricate carvings.

    Aina''s breath hitched. Her eyes immediately shot to her own finger, where there was an identical ring. This... this ring was the symbol of their love.

    Without a doubt, the one on Zarek''s hand was the one she had given to Arthur on the day they swore to protect each other, no matter the odds.

    "This ring¡­" Aina whispered, tears slowly falling from her eyes. "How did you get it?"

    Zarek''s expression softened, and for the first time, he looked genuinely vulnerable. "He gave it to me before he vanished. He told me to keep it safe and to find you if I ever needed help or if¡­ if you were in danger."

    "That doesn''t prove you''re his servant. That only proves you met him," Nox said, his gaze cold. ncing at his mom, he could see she was in no state to make a clear judgment, so he had to be the logical one here.

    "You''re right," Zarek admitted. "But would Arthur entrust something this precious to someone unworthy?"

    He looked up, locking eyes with Aina. "I served him faithfully for years, Mistress. I was there when he fought against the demonic tide in the Northern Barrens. I was there when he saved the vigers of ckthorn Ridge single-handedly. And I was there when he¡­"

 Chapter 288: Arthurs Servant [2]

    Zarek hesitated, his voice cracking slightly, "When he vanished into the abyss, fighting the very existence that created the world."

    The chambers fell silent, and the tears in Aina''s eyes could no longer be held back. They flowed freely. Eve felt awkward; there was a storm of emotions in her heart as well, but she managed to keep her stoic expression and brought her hand to console Aina.

    Nox was also standing motionless, his fists clenched, thest words Zarek had said repeating in his head like a broken tape.

    ''Vanished into the abyss, fighting the very existence that created the world.''

    Of course, he wasn''t stupid.

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    He knew this existence was none other than the gods. At this moment, Nox no longer doubted the woman.

    Eve, who had been silent for most of the exchange, stepped forward, her sharp eyes narrowing as she scrutinized Zarek. "If you''re truly Arthur''s servant, then prove your loyalty here and now. What are your intentions toward Nox?"

    This question piqued Nox''s interest as well, and he looked forward. There were still a lot of questions he wanted to ask this man. If he was Arthur''s servant, why was he working for the noble family in the first ce?

    Zarek didn''t flinch under Eve''s piercing ruby gaze. "My mission was to kill him, but I will not harm him. Instead, I intend to protect him... I intend to protect all the Cromwells. It''s the reason why I infiltrated the Silver Household in the first ce, to keep an eye on the nobles in the capital."

    "If the Silver Household has marked him as a target, it''s only a matter of time before they send someone stronger. Allow me to serve as his shield from the inside."

    Nox raised an eyebrow. "And what''s in it for you?"

    Zarek smiled faintly. "Nothing. My loyalty to Arthur extends to his family. Protecting you is an extension of that loyalty."

    A glint of suspicion passed through Nox''s eyes as he thought, ''Could it be that this person is a tamed creature?''

    From those blood-red eyes, pale skin, and canine-like teeth, Nox had already figured that Zarek was a vampire.

    After a moment, Nox said, "If that''s the case, I''ll allow you to prove your worth. You can go back to the Silver family and, if possible, give me a weekly or monthly update of any of their ns."

    Then he narrowed his eyes and said in a dark tone, "However, if I ever sense any betrayal from you, I''ll go to the ends of the world to strike you down."

    "Fair," Zarek replied without hesitation. He dropped to one knee once again, this time before Nox. "From this moment forward, I pledge my life to your service, young master."

    ''Having an ally inside the capital isn''t a bad thing,'' Nox smiled inwardly. ''A powerful ally at that.''

    After a few more exchanges where Nox asked Zarek about the kind of man his father was, Zarek prepared to leave. He had already told Nox about the excuse he would give the leader of the Silver Household.

    "If that''s all, I''ll be leaving then." Zarek nodded and started to walk toward the door that led outside the giant chambers.

    Before he could leave, though, Aina, who had cleaned the tears from her face and seemed to have regained someposure, spoke up: "Is he still alive?"

    Zarek froze in his steps. ncing back, he replied with a smile, "He''s very much alive."

    Then he faded into the darkness. The trio stared at the direction where Zarek had disappeared for a while without saying a word.

    Aina tightened her hold on the ring and brought it close to her chest, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

    Since there was nothing else to do, Nox, Eve, and Aina made their way through the cave, from tunnel to tunnel and chamber to chamber, eliminating any beasts they came across. After finding out that this mountain was sturdier than usual, Nox didn''t hold back and continued to spam several Shadow Oblivion on the beasts.

    Within a span of two hours, the three had eliminated all the beasts and members of the Order of the ming Rose inside the cavern, including what could have been the fourth wave.

    "Phew." Nox flicked a sweat drop from his forehead as he stared at the absurd amount of experience points shing in his retina.

    After some time, the rays of the sun shined upon them as they stepped out of the cavern.

    What greeted their sight was nothing like the straight pathway they had envisioned. The outside now looked like a battlefield with monsters littered all over.

    Sitting on the branch of an oak tree at the side, her feet swinging back and forth, was none other than the purple-haired beauty.

    ''She single-handedly killed the third wave by herself.'' All of them understood.

    "You guys took longer than expected," Bridget said, jumping down from the tree branch. "I got bored and dealt with these small fries."

    Eve and Aina recognized this woman. Unlike with other nobles, there was no animosity in their eyes. "Miss Bridget, what brings you here?" Aina asked, her tone cautious but polite at the same time.

    As for Nox, though, he had almost forgotten about this woman after their encounter on the way here. Seeing the slightly lost look in Nox''s eyes, Eve whispered, "She''s the headmistress of the Vermilion Royal Academy."

    Bridget smiled as she brushed a lock of her vibrant purple hair aside. "Oh, nothing too serious. I was just waiting for the young man over there toe out so that we could have a proper discussion." Bridget gaze flickered to Nox, an alurring smile on her face.

    "Discussion about what?" Nox asked. Now that the beast threat was dealt with, he had the leisure to discuss with this woman. Besides, this woman wasn''t from the west, but she had helped wipe out a single wave of a beast horde that could have devastated the western region greatly.

    To not look like an ungrateful jerk, the best he could do was grant her an audience. Nox crossed his arms and gave her an expectant look.

    Bridget smiled again when she heard him. "I''m here to officially invite you to the Vermilion Royal Academy as a special ss student."

 Chapter 289: The Duke

    Because Headmistress Bridget had dealt with the third wave single-handedly, the Awakened in the Amstrong Duchy were having an easy time.

    From their perspective, it seemed as though the wave of beasts was gradually reducing before reaching the defensive lines. What should have been a bloody fight became an almost effortless defense. Many of the Awakened, especially those at the west wing who had witnessed Eve and Aina''s massacre, thought it was because of the two frightening women.

    It reached a point where even Wendy, Nyx, Rab, and the others fighting at the gate exchanged puzzled nces.

    "The beasts aren''t attacking in their usual numbers. Could it be something is dealing with them?" one Awakened voiced.

    "Now that you mention it, it could be Nox. I saw him heading into the distance a few hours ago. It could only be his doing," Rab imed confidently.

    "If I''d known, I could''ve followed him," Nyx muttered regretfully, her gaze shifting to her retina as she skimmed over her experience bar, which disyed LV23. She clenched her fists slightly, frustrated at the missed opportunity.

    She then nced into the distance. Some monsters slowly covered her view, and she wondered.

    Perhaps there is still time?

    Then she shook her head the next moment.

    The beasts there wouldn''t be enough to get her to level up or even close. In the end, she could only sigh.

    It felt a bit wrong to say it, but Nyx wished the beast horde hadn''te to an end so soon.

    ---

    In the distance, a certain shadowy cat was coursing as it struck down arger-than-average beast and dug out its gleaming monster core before throwing it into its mouth.

    However, confusion soon shone in those purple eyes.

    Where is the surge of strength from before? I didn''t feel anything. Fluffington''s feline heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

    Badump! Badump! The cat''s heart began to tremble fiercely. Thirteen, who was fighting two ferocious-looking, four-legged creatures with palm strikes, couldn''t help but pause and watch him with concern.

    Was Big Brother Fluffington alright? What was that sound?

    Alright, let''s calm down, Fluffington thought and proceeded to summon his status screen.

    ---

    [Fluffington - Intermediate Tier Lv1]

    Elemental Type: Shadow

    Progress: [0%/100%]

    Energy: [100%/100%]

    Description: Swift, elusive creature, Fluffington''s form is shrouded in shadows that ripple with every movement. Its sleek build and piercing purple eyes make it a master of speed and stealth, slipping through darkness with uncanny agility.

    Special Skills: Enhanced Speed (Active), Wallwalker (Active), Monarch Aura (Passive), Humanoid (Active)

    Evolution Path (1/8): Fluffington ¡ú Shadewisp

    ---

    After seeing that he had finally entered the intermediate ranks, Fluffington was beyond happy and started jumping around!

    Now that he had reached the intermediate rank, all he had to do wasplete the requirement and evolve once more!

    And evolution meant bing more powerful and gaining more skills! It was truly something worth celebrating.

    "Why is that cat jumping like that?"

    "Very strange."

    Since the pressure of the beasts had decreased, the Awakened now had leisure to gossip.

    "I sense the aura of intermediate-rank creatures from that beast," one of them pointed out. "I wonder how terrifying this demonic cat is now."

    "Yeah, he was already powerful."

    The crowd''s whispers grew louder as Fluffington continued to leap and spin in what seemed like a celebratory dance. As he heard their collective praise, the cat''s heart swelled with pride.

    "Continue to praise me, foolish humans¡ªoops, I mean good humans!" Fluffington brought his paws up and covered his mouth like a child caught in the middle of a lie.

    Astralux, hovering above, sensed her brother''s happiness and flew down, starting to fly around him. Because she wasn''t that inexperienced, she had only progressed to LV5 Wildlin.

    "I guess the threat is really over," Wendy whispered, her gaze on the setting sun on the horizon. Then it fell on Fluffington and Astralux, who had somewhat gathered a crowd to watch their dancing.

    Soon, a bard was invited from the ranks of the Awakened to sing a tune about the "Dancing Shadow Cat and the Flying Star."

    The bard quickly began ying his tune. The crowdughed and pped as Fluffington continued his crude dancing. The atmosphere was very lively.

    Nyx, who was watching from the side, crossed her arms, leaning against her sword as she furrowed her brows. "This is turning into a festival. We''re still on a battlefield, people."

    "Loosen up a bit. You don''t have to act all strong all the time, you know?" Wendy yfully smacked Nyx''s shoulder and took her hand.

    "Come, let''s go dance," she said, dragging Nyx''s hand.

    Nyx panicked with an embarrassed expression on her face. "Noooooo, I don''t know how to dance!"

    While the others were celebrating, in the distance, Thirteen chased after thest remaining beast that was fleeing. He plunged his ws into it, retrieved the beast core, and threw it into his mouth. Simr to Fluffington, a screen glimmered before his retina as well.

    ...

    [Thirteen- wildlin Lv9]

    Elemental Type: ice

    [Progress: 90%/100%]

    Energy: [100%/100%]

    [Description: A very diciplined and hardworking panda who will one day rule the world. Right now it only]

    Special Skills: Roll with it (Passive), Cute Factor (Passive), Iron Teeth (Active) martial awareness. Oceanic torrent. Dragons Requiem(Active)

    Evolution Path (1/8): Thirteen ¡ú Frostpaw

    ...

    A satisfied smile appeared on the panda''s face as he saw his hard work pay off. At the start of this beast tide, the panda had only been at the LV5 when the beast tide attacked.

    However because of its hardwork, the panda was able to achieve four more level. Now all it need was a simple push to reach the intermediate tier.

    "What are you doing here alone?"

    A voice echoed in the distance, startling Thirteen slightly. He nced up with a fierce expression at the shadow that had suddenly sneaked up on him.

    How dare this person? the panda thought.

    That fierce expression soon softened when he saw who it was.

    [Master!] Thirteen eximed and leaped up. Nox, the Shadow, caught him and smiled faintly, ruffling the fur of the small panda-like beast.

    "You''ve done well, Thirteen," Nox said in a warm voice. Then he nced at the distant battlefield, where the sounds of celebration echoed faintly. "It seems like the others are enjoying themselves."

    Thirteen nuzzled against Nox''s shoulder, his satisfaction evident, and pointed at the beast on the ground. The panda cleared his throat, then moved his gaze to the dancing circle. [Panda dance?]

    "Hmm, so cute." Bridget, along with Aina and Eve, slowly approached from the distance as well. After settling the matter at the cavern, they had all returned to the Amstrong Duchy.

    "Alright, let''s go and join them," Nox said.

    "Can I touch it?" Bridget asked with fascination as she stared at the cute icy panda resting in Nox''s arms.

    "No."

    "How rude of you, young man."

    ---

    A few hourster, all the citizens of the Amstrong Duchy had gathered in the grand arena. This time, it wasn''t for a fight but all because of one person: Nox, who was in thepany of Eve, Aina, Bridget, Nyx, Wendy, Rab, and a few others.

    murmurs rippled through the crowd:

    "What do you think he wants to say?"

    "I don''t know, but I heard a rumor that the duke fled the duchy. Maybe they want to address something rted to it."

    Among the citizens were the Amstrong siblings, disguised as normal townsfolk. They were curious about the new changes that would take ce now that the duke had abandoned the duchy after plundering its treasure.

    As the noises settled down, Nox stepped forward. Those midnight eyes swept through the crowd, silencing everyone. Most of the people there recognized Nox as the winner of the tournament. They wondered why he was the one stepping forward instead of the adults behind him.

    "Citizens of Amstrong Duchy!" Nox spoke in a clear, confident voice. "Your so-called duke has abandoned you in your time of need. He fled like a coward, taking with him the treasures meant to sustain this town and leaving you to face the beast tide alone."

    As soon as he said this, gasps rippled through the crowd.

    "So it''s true! That bastard!"

    "How can he be so heartless?"

    "I can''t believe I trusted and respected that man in the past."

    Nox let the citizens express their anger. He was also pissed at how shameless the duke was. After a while, he continued when the people had calmed down.

    "But you are not alone," Nox said firmly. "I have stood on the frontlines. I have faced the waves of beasts that sought to destroy the western region. And I will not abandon you."

    A murmur of hope began to spread, but Nox raised a hand, silencing it once more. Because of the elevated tform Nox and the others were standing on, his presence wasmanding and intimidating.

    "As of this moment," Nox dered, "the Cromwell Barony will be taking control of the Amstrong Duchy. We will restore order, rebuild what has been lost, and ensure that this duchy not only survives but thrives."

    Nox''s words echoed far and wide, and for a moment, everyone seemed to forget that the one speaking was still a teenager. They looked at him with reverence.

    "I am Nox Aegis Cromwell," he continued, his voice growing sharper, "and from this day forward, I am your duke!"

 Chapter 290: What is That Childish Voice?

    From the neighboring town as well, word hade in that the beast tide had ended. The southern region had been left in an unrecognizable state. Though lives were lost, the towns were still happy as they had not suffered as many casualties as the southern region.

    If one were to look from a bird''s-eye perspective, they''d witness the citizens of the western region cleaning up the blood and carcasses of the in monsters. These were brought to the mes outside the towns, burning them into ashes, which caused the air to linger with the smell of burnt flesh.

    Why were they doing this? The Awakened who had fought against the beast tide reported that the beasts were strange and abnormally powerful, as if they had been tampered with by some sort of external influence.

    Usually, the townsmen would never waste such abundant resources¡ªbeast carcasses, which could be used for food, materials, and alchemy. But in order to prevent anyone from contracting diseases, they strictly incinerated all the magical beasts.

    Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    "Dammit, these beasts could have been very delicious." In the Landon Barony, Jared couldn''t help but curse as the aroma of burning meat wafted through the air, teasing his senses. It was very hard to resist.

    In the Cromwell Barony, Elvin and the rest of the Awakened had taken a back seat, watching the Scourge Ant Colony pile up the bodies of the dead magical beasts one after the other. They moved efficiently and didn''t spare a single word; when they encountered each other on the same path, they simply nodded and continued their work.

    The Awakened couldn''t help but admire their work ethic.

    "If every single human could be as efficient as the ants, Eos would really be a better ce," Elvin thought, watching as the ant queen set the beasts on fire. A zing blue mountain of me rose into the air, surging with unrestrained power.

    The smell of burnt flesh immediately filled the air, and the stomachs of the Awakened grumbled in protest.

    Elvin''s gaze lingered a little before he nced up, a strange light gleaming in his eyes as he whispered softly to himself, "I wonder how Nathan is dealing with the wyvern."

    Meanwhile, at the same time in the air, far above the clouds, Nathan fastened his grasp on the reins of the giant wyvern. The wyvern thrashed about, wanting to get the human off its body. However, Nathan''s grip was just too strong. Itpletely overwhelmed therge creature.

    "Don''t worry," Nathan''s eyes burned with determination. "Even if I have to go to the ends of the world, I''ll make sure I find a way to cure you."

    While Nathan wrestled with Doombringer, In the Armstrong Duchy, Nox watched as the Awakened slowly piled up the carcasses of the beasts. He was standing on the walls, and beside him stood none other than Bridget.

    The purple-haired beast tamer had been talking nonstop for the past 20 minutes, listing the benefits of being a student of the Vermilion Kingdom.

    Nox had even forgotten a major chunk of what she was saying. All he knew was that she was pulling all her cards to poach him into her academy.

    From what he had learned, in Eos, it was mandatory for all children to attend an academy andplete four years of basic education. After finishing the academy, students would be rewarded with certificates or licenses depending on their performance during their stay.

    "With this license or certificate, I can then apply to work in the Adventurer''s Guild or any other guild," Nox thought. "Of course, there are illustrious rogue Awakened who didn''t attend any academy, but those people are usually discriminated against."

    "Being a special ss student has more perks than meets the eye," Bridget imed. She flipped her long purple hair dramatically, hoping to emphasize her point. "Listen carefully, because I don''t want you regretting thister."

    Hearing her, Nox couldn''t help but feel she sounded like one of those merchants who tried hard to sell their wares and got frustrated when the customer didn''t seem interested.

    "Okay, go ahead," Nox nodded and adopted a serious expression.

    "As a student of the special ss, you''ll be treated as the elite¡ªthe kingdom''s most promising students. Not only that, but you''ll also get ess to advanced training grounds powered by high-level beast cores, exclusive libraries filled with hundreds of powerful skills, and personal tutors who are veterans of the battlefield. No one else even gets to see these resources, let alone use them."

    "Hmm, not bad," Noxmented.

    "Not bad?" The headmistress smiled. "That''s all you have to say?"

    Nox''s nonchnt attitude was both interesting and annoying. It was like a wound to Bridget''s pride. Oftentimes, when others heard the benefits she mentioned, they''d be eager to join the academy.

    But it seemed this kid... he wanted to hear the full gist of everything.

    "Let''s see if you can continue to keep that look," Bridget''s eyes gleamed mischievously as she continued in an enthusiastic voice.

    "You won''t just be a student; you''ll be a prized investment of the academy. What does that mean?" She paused.

    "I don''t know. I mean, you''re the principal¡ªyou tell me."

    "Tsk, you weren''t supposed to say anything! This is the part where I take a dramatic pause and then continue to spice things up."

    "Are those really necessary?"

    "Hmm." Bridget cleared her throat. "What I mean is that you''ll get an annual ie to buy new magic items and skills. Also, the most important part of it all: missions."

    Nox''s eyes lit up when he heard the word missions.

    "Yes, being a special ss student gives you the privilege of traveling from continent to continent and carrying out various missions issued to you by the academy."

    "If I remember correctly, the evolution requirements for my pets require me to gather resources, and to do that, I''ll need to travel the world."

    "Andst but not least," Bridget wasn''t done, "being in the special ss automatically boosts your social standing. Nobles, merchants, and even royalty recognize special ss students as future powerhouses. Doors open for you¡ªliterally and figuratively."

    She tapped her chin thoughtfully as though recalling another benefit, but after pacing a few steps back and forth, she stopped, turned to Nox, and asked with an expectant gleam in her purple eyes, "So, what do you say?"

    Nox''s gaze drifted to the horizon, staring at his mom and Master Eve, who were helping the Awakened. Nox''s mind was still processing the sheer magnitude of what she had described. Though he maintained his usual calm demeanor, the perks she listed were far beyond anything he had imagined. He would be a fool to miss this opportunity.

    Nox knew very well that he needed to get a strong foothold in Eos, and the first step to achieving this was to be recognized by the kingdom''s elites.

    After a short bout of contemtion, he looked at the headmistress and gave her his word. "Alright, I''lle take the exams."

    "Smart." Bridget smiled, though in her heart, she had already done a victory jump. "I''ll be leaving then. I have some things to attend to... see you in five years." Bridget shed a wink and was about to leave.

    However, Nox suddenly asked, "That Brandon... he''s in the special ss, right?"

    "Yeah. Why are you asking about him?" Confusion flickered across Bridget''s face.

    "Nothing." Nox smiled. "Just wanted to be sure."

    "Alright then, bye, cutie!" Bridget didn''t think too much of it and flew away in a de of purple light.

    As soon as Bridget disappeared, Nox was about to leave as well. But just as he turned his back, a blue rift suddenly tore through the air and slowly took the shape of a portal.

    Attracted by the sudden blue glow, Nox hastily turned around.

    "Finally! That stupid panda. I''ll make sure I get my revenge."

    Confusion shone in Nox''s eyes.

    What was this childish voice?

 Chapter 291: Baby Blue Python

    "Finally! That wicked panda. I''ll make sure I get my revenge."

    Confusion shone in Nox''s eyes.

    What was this childish voice?

    Nox froze in his steps, his full attention focused on the glowing blue portal that had suddenly popped out of nowhere. The reason he was a bit confused was because...

    Nox''s gaze drifted below, and he could see that Fluffington, Thirteen, and Astralus were still outside helping the Awakened with cleanups and other activities.

    The Awakened had also grown fond of the beasts and appreciated theirpany. Among all of them, the one they loved most was Astralus because of her kind and gentle personality.

    But this wasn''t even important right now. Nox returned his gaze to the portal. All his pets and beasts were already outside, so what...

    At that moment, Nox''s eyes suddenly shed as he thought about something, at which his heartbeat also sped up. That childish voice grew much stronger in his head, like a ring speaker.

    ''Using me as a punching bag. Sleeping on me. Kicking me like a ball. Sitting on me. Wicked, evil panda! I''ll report him to my father.''

    "Could it be..." Nox''s eyes gleamed with excitement and anticipation. It had only been a few seconds since the portal appeared; however, to Nox, it seemed as if days had already flown by in the blink of an eye.

    After what felt like an eternity, and when it seemed as if Nox''s heart was about to jump out of his chest, the head of a small snake emerged from the portal.

    The scales of the snake were azure in color, with a pair of beautiful blue gem-like eyes that were filled with a mischievous twinkle. Merely staring at the beauty in front of him, Nox resisted the urge to pick it up and caress it to his heart''s content.

    He remained standing there,pletely smitten by the python''s otherworldly beauty.

    "So beautiful." He whispered under his breath as he slowly approached the portal. At the side of the scales, Nox could see the symbol of infinity, which was his official marking.

    The beautiful azure python, which looked more like its mother, who had died a few years prior, stared back at Nox. Those blue eyes radiated warmth. The look they gave Nox was the same affectionate gaze one would reserve for those they deeply cared about.

    It felt as if he had known the blue python for a long time, when in reality, he was only meeting it for the first time.

    Before Nox could reach the portal, however, the little snake lunged towards him and leaped up in the air, coiling itself around Nox''s neck. The snake''s action startled Nox slightly... its agility wasn''t something he had expected from a baby snake.

    [Father!] The python hissed and raised its head, rubbing its scales against Nox''s neck. Its voice was soft and melodic, and Nox felt he would never get bored of hearing it.

    But there was a nagging question in his heart: How did this little snake know that he was her father? Yes, the python was female¡ªNox had already confirmed it. Don''t ask him how he confirmed it.

    ''How did you know I''m your father?'' he asked, his voice echoing in the baby python''s mind.

    "Because I can sense it, silly." The baby python let out a long giggle as she pressed her head against Nox''s cheeks.

    If this were on Earth, Nox was very certain he wouldn''t be thisfortable with this snake. Hell, he would have probably sent it to the afterlife, but this one...

    This one, he wanted to protect with all his life!

    As if sensing the overwhelming love, the python tightened its coil around Nox''s neck, a way of reciprocating its love. Those blue eyes, full of innocence and trust, stared into his, and the urge to protect the beast only grew stronger.

    At that moment, Nox used Analyze on his new pet.

    ...

    [Baby Blue Fanged Python]

    "A young serpent with azure scales, still learning to harness its venom and strength."

    Rating: wildin Level 1

    Progress: 5%/100%

    MP: 20/100

    HP: 20/20

    Stamina: 50%/100%

    Strength: 5

    Agility: 10

    Intelligence: 12

    Special Skills: Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    Tiny Venomous Bite (Basic-tier): A weak venomous bite that can cause mild difort, still growing stronger.

    Camouge (Advanced-tier ): Can blend in with surroundings but only in close proximity.

    Light Constriction (Basic-tier): The python can coil around small objects or creatures, though itcks the strength for more significant constriction.

    Instinctive Reflexes (Intermediate-tier): Quick reaction time to sudden movements, though its instincts are still developing.

    Ultimate Evolution Path(1)

    Azure Serpent Empress :

    Requirements: Reach King Tier, obtain the Sapphire Fang of Serpent Kings.

    Description: As the python matures, it will gain immense strength and agility, with scales as hard as diamonds. It will learn to split into multiple serpentine forms, each with independent thought and action. It will also gain the power tomand sea creatures, forming an army to overwhelm enemies.

    ...

    Obviously, because it was a magical beast, it still had the physical attribute stat and the normal evolution path. The skills were also not bad.

    ''I guess I''ll need to find a elemental crystal for you as well.'' Nox thought as he looked at the evolution path for the python and the skills. But this would be forter.

    "What should I call you?" Nox stroked his chin with a pondering expression. The little python waited expectantly.

    Names were very important, and Nox didn''t want to mess it up, so he took his time. After a while, he smiled brightly as he eventually thought of something.

    "Your name is Sra." He dered.

    [I love it!] The blue python hissed in satisfaction, earning a pat from Nox.

    Nox suddenly froze and then asked, "This reminds me, what were you talking about? Who offended you?"

    [Ah.] Sra''s eyes didn''t look that pleasing anymore. They were now filled with anger, and even her form had turned rigid.

    [That stupid panda. He is a bit... mischievous. But don''t worry, Father. I will keep him in line.]

    "Thirteen?" Nox raised a brow. "Are you talking about Thirteen? What did he do to you?"

    [He''s evil!] The snake''s voice took on a dramatic tone, and Nox could almost imagine it puffing out its tiny chest in exaggerated indignation. [He keeps sitting on me and calling me a ''snack''!]

    [Wait, you remembered everything that happened during your egg stage??] Nox was speechless. Was that even possible?

    [Yes, that white and ck furball kicked me around and used me for his training. He''s the evilest creature in the world. I must take my revenge!]

    "But he''s your brother," Nox attempted to quell the little snake''s rage a little.

    [Harrumph, of course, I won''t kill him. I just want to make him feel a bit of pain, so that he''ll learn how to respect others in the future.] The little python''s tail flicked as she said this and tightened its hold on Nox''s neck as if she were strangling the panda.

    Nox chuckled as he stroked the python''s head. He could almost picture the baby snake ring at the imaginary panda in its mind.

    "You''re quite the troublemaker, aren''t you?"

    "Me, a troublemaker?" The python stared confusedly at Nox. "That fireball started it first."

    At that moment, Nox saw the furball in question approaching curiously, with both Fluffington and Astralus. It seemed they had finished helping the Awakened.

    Upon seeing Thirteen, the fiery spark in Sra''s eyes returned.

    "This won''t end well." Nox offered a silent prayer for Thirteen in his heart.

 Chapter 292: Nox Evolution and Demon Lords Arrival

    Astralux, Thirteen, and Fluffington stared at the snake coiling around Nox''s neck with a mixture of confusion and curiosity shining within their eyes. They courteously advanced forward.

    Though it was the first time they were seeing this blue snake with crystalline skin and mesmerizing eyes, the three felt a strange connection of familiarity, just as they felt with each other. Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    [Umu.] Thirteen tilted its head in confusion. Why does this snake seem so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time? The panda felt it had met this snake before but didn''t know where.

    Little did he know, it was because he was the one that had spent the most time with the egg¡ªthough not in a friendly way. It couldn''t be denied that they had truly bonded well.

    As the connection between them grew even stronger, Astralux''s eyes shone with excitement. She could feel it¡ªshe would get along well with this snake.

    The jellyfish, in its nonbat form, hastened its speed and was the first to arrive before Nox. The pink creature hovered around Nox, her single gaze never leaving the python even for a second.

    Solora sensed Astralux''s presence and gently raised her neck to meet the jellyfish, rubbing it against the bubbly head.

    [Sister!]

    [Sister!]

    Solora''s and Astralux''s beautiful voices, which sounded like chiming bells, ovepped.

    The two continued to rub against each other for a while, as if not wanting to let go. But because she still had something¡ªsomeone, to be specific¡ªto deal with, the baby blue python retracted her head once again and red at the panda, who was now very close.

    A fire burned in Solora''s eyes as she hissed, her tongue flicking. [You!]

    [Panda?????] Thirteen pointed at his chest with a lost expression. Those ck eyes, which now had a small trail of ice circling the pupils, were filled with great confusion.

    [Yes, you! Evil panda!] the baby blue python eximed as she slowly loosened her grip on Nox''s neck, adopting a lethal posture like a coiled viper about to strike. Solora lunged at Thirteen.

    Thirteen''s eyes flickered with shock¡ªhe was caught off guard! And before he could react, the little snake was already upon him,nding gracefully and wrapping her tail around his neck.

    [Gasp! Gasp!] Thirteen desperately gasped for air, tears almosting out of his eyes. With great difficulty, the panda nced at Nox, but thetter only stepped back, mouthing:

    I have no say in this!

    Damn! Thirteen felt betrayed. He brought his arms up to get the python off, but for some reason, her grip was terrifyingly strong.

    [Evil panda!] Solora hissed furiously as she bit into Thirteen, making the panda wince. [You drop-kicked me around for years! I''ll make you suffer!]

    Nox didn''t interfere and simply watched. There were two reasons why he decided to take a back seat. One was because he didn''t sense any killing intent from Solora. Although the baby blue python was biting Thirteen, her tiny fangs weren''t infused with venom. At most, it would only hurt the panda a bit.

    Second, it was because it was only right for the little snake to take her revenge. Thirteen had been a real bad boy.

    ''But I couldn''t help but admire him,'' a small smile tugged at the corner of Nox''s lips. "Even though he could easily get rid of her, he chooses to remain there and y along."

    Thirteen was very powerful, but because the baby blue python was still just an infant, it thought it was too powerful, and this somehow had gotten to her head.

    ''Welp, they''ll eventually find a way to settle their differences,'' Nox thought.

    At that moment, Astralux, unable to bear seeing Thirteen in any more pain, hovered over to Solora and started pleading with the baby python.

    Seeing that Astralux was almost on the verge of tears, Solora begrudgingly let go of Thirteen, who could now finally breathe once more. From the baby blue python''s words, Thirteen understood that she was the beautiful rock in the taming space.

    His onlypanion when a certain cat was being a jerk. There were a lot of fun memories Thirteen had with the egg. Thirteen felt a knot in his stomach at how he was treated by his little sister, but he knew he deserved it. After all, one mishap, and he could have identally killed her during his intense training periods.

    The panda swore in his little heart to make it up to his sister and be her shield and sword!

    Now that he thought about it, how did she even survive, and why did it take her so long to hatch?

    Even Nox was curious about this, but he had a vague theory: it was because of the cracks in her shell. Probably because the taming space was healing the cracks, it had taken much longer for the egg to mature.

    Nox took a brief pause and pondered seriously, then nodded. ''Yes, it must be the reason.''

    [Evil panda, you''re lucky good sister saved you.] Solora harrumphed and slithered to Fluffington, whose fur suddenly stood on end.

    [Dammit, I don''t like snakes! Don''t touch me¡ª] Fluffington panicked, but it was toote. Solora gently rubbed her head against Fluffington''s body.

    [Oh heavens, she''s touching me. Ahhh, why me!?] Fluffington wailed dramatically, his usualposure and elegancepletely gone as Solora continued to nuzzle him affectionately.

    [Big brother is so soft!] Solora hissed happily as she slithered around Fluffington''s neck like a scarf, her gaze gleaming with curiosity as she inspected his sleek fur with her tongue.

    After tormenting Fluffington a little, Solora looked at Astralux and said in a cheerful voice:

    [Come on, sister, let''s go scare some humans.]

    As they left, Nox could hear Astralux trying to convince Solora of how good of a brother Thirteen was, but the little baby snake remained angry, listening to none of it.

    "You''ll patch things with her, buddy, don''t worry." Nox came up to Thirteen, who was just standing there, sadness in his eyes, and stroked his head.

    Hearing Nox''s words, a familiar fire burned in Thirteen''s eyes.

    "That''s the spirit," he chuckled.

    ---

    An hourter, Nox was all alone inside a room. This was a temporary room in Duke Felix''s residence. Now that he was the duke, it was officially his, and he could choose to stay in the master bedroom if he wished, but Nox preferred somewhere much smaller¡ªsomewhere the servants didn''t frequent much.

    "Let''s see." He licked his lips as a screen glimmered before his view.

    [Ding! Congrattions on reaching Level 20]

    [You''re now eligible for Evolution]

    [All rewards will be granted after evolution]

    [Note: If the user doesn''t go through with evolution, they will not be able to receive any more experience points.]

    ''So I wasn''t hallucinating, huh,'' Nox thought, stroking his chin. He had first seen this screen back in the wild while returning after ying the Hybrid.

    It was the experience points from the Hybrid, which were shared among him, Eve, and Aina, that gave him this final boost to reach Level 20. After then, he had tried killing more beasts, but no matter how many he defeated, the experience points stopped umting, confirming the system''s warning.

    "Okay, proceed with evolution," Nox said without a moment of hesitation.

    However, the message that flickered across his retina stunned him!

    [Evolution has begun! The system will be offline for the next 43,848 hours.]

    "What the fuck!" Nox''s eyes shrank in horror.

    While Nox was grappling with this realization, a tall man with blue waist-length hair and a pair of different-colored eyes¡ªone blue and the other red¡ªstood at the entrance of the gate that led to the Royal Capital of the Vermilion Kingdom.

    "Finally, I''ll meet you again...my liege," Amos, the lord of Blight Castle in the first-ever dimension Nox had appeared in, smiled, his eyes shining with glee.

    Five yearster...

    ....

    End of Volume 1: Birth of the Strongest Beast Master

    ---

 Chapter 293: Evolution And Rewards

    Life without the system was much more difficult than Nox had expected. Since he arrived in Eos, the system had be an integral part of his life. The absence of the familiar blue screen took a huge toll on him.

    At first, he had thought the only thing he would lose was the interface, but he was wrong. Not only did he lose the interface, but he also lost ess to all his skills, something that left him devastated for weeks.

    Nox was really confused about this; he wondered if all Awakened were like this and asked Eve and others, but they all said it had not been like this for them. They told him they didn''t even receive a prompt for evolution, which meant the evolution was exclusive to his beast-taming ss.

    Left with no choice, Nox had lived through the days. To kill time and avoid getting rusty, he ventured into the dimension in Cromwell Barony and killed monsters with his dagger. Thankfully, he could still ess his inventory and taming space. Nox would have been even more heartbroken if he had been separated from his beloved pet.

    Inside the Level 1 dimension in the Cromwell Barony, the only magical beasts that could be found were all below the King Tier rank.

    It wasmon knowledge in Eos that higher-tier beasts could be found in higher-level dimensions. In this Level 1 dimension, the only beasts that could be found were Wildlin and Intermediate Tier, with extremely rare King Tier beasts.

    However, in higher dimensions, these rare beasts were much more rampant and easily spotted. This was what separated low-level dimensions from high-level ones.

    Currently, inside the dimension in a snow-coveredndscape, Nox, Serena, and Nyx were hunting beasts. Wendy had long returned to Vermilion Academy to continue her studies, telling them she couldn''t wait to meet them there when the time for entrance exams came, which was every five years.

    The reason for this was that Vermilion Academy wanted to maintain its prestigious reputation, keeping it exclusive only for the most talented individuals.

    After all, they weren''t looking for numbers like other schools; they only sought talent.

    At this moment, Nox stomped on the ground. A rtively deep crater spiderwebbed through the surroundings, causing snow dust to swirl as his body shot upward like a rocket. The speed at which he flew was terrific, and in the span of five seconds, 200 meters were covered. With a wide grin on his face, he shed his dagger at a flying bug-like creature.

    Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin

    Shing!

    The bug-like creature shrieked in pain as it copsed to the ground. It trembled slightly, as if fighting the attack, but eventually went still.

    In the distance, Serena watched with glowing eyes. "Nox keeps getting stronger by the day," she whispered under her breath. "Just now, he hadn''t activated any skills, yet he was able to cover such distance."

    Nyx narrowed her eyes, suspicion gleaming within them. She had noticed that her brother had not used any skills in a long time. All he did was fight with his physical strength.

    "It could be his experiment," the beautiful girl muttered to herself before going to deal with her monsters as well.

    A few hours from now, the clock would strike 12, and it would be five years since the beast tide attacked the western region. Nyx had reached Level 28! If it was possible, she wanted to achieve Level 29 before turning fifteen.

    Meanwhile, Nox approached the beast on the ground. Plunging his dagger and wiggling it a little, he retrieved the monster core before throwing it into his inventory.

    ''Just a few hours, and it will be 43,848 hours,'' Nox thought with a grin. ''I just hope this evolution reward is worth it.''

    Although he missed the system, Nox couldn''t help but admit that fighting without it also benefited him a lot. Fighting without magical skills forced him to hone his battle style and dagger art. With the aid of Hans and Eve, hisbat, which was already very impressive for his age, soared to heights never seen before.

    After hunting for a few more minutes, the three teenagers returned home just in time for dinner. Aina and Cam served a delicious meal.

    While they were eating, Nox looked at his grandfather, who was silently munching on his food. It was a very rare sight; the old man was usually boisterous, but everyone present understood why he was like this.

    It was because of Doombringer.

    Nox had learned what had happened: how the Order of the ming Rose had manipted the friendly wyvern, turning it into a savage beast out to devour anything in its path.

    He was greatly saddened by this. ording to his grandpa, the beast was restrained by magical chains within the Cromwell Barony, but no one knew where.

    Nathan was still looking for a cure for Doombringer, or so he had told everyone, but he had yet to make any progress.

    ''I swear, as soon as I get my system back, I''m definitely leaving to find this cure.'' Nox clenched his fist underneath the table, almost drawing blood due to how fierce his grip was.

    ''And this ming Order... they''ll pay.'' Nox''s eyes turned bloodshot as his mind briefly shed back to what had happened in the Armstrong Duchy.

    During the cleanup, Nox had identally stumbled upon someone.

    It was Kron.

    "Young master, I''m a changed man, please have mercy on me!" the man had pleaded, falling to his knees and banging his head on the ground repeatedly.

    However, despite his best efforts, Nox''s dark eyes were extremely chilling and distant, as if he was staring at an ant.

    "I don''t believe you," he had stated in a cold tone. "No matter how hard you plead, I''ll never forget that image of you chasing us to kill us children that day in the dimension. I don''t care if you were following orders or not¡ªyou could''ve done what was right, but you chose wrong."

    "Isn''t it only right you pay for your sins?"

    "I..." Kron stuttered, trying to work his jaw, struggling with what to say. In a desperate move, he cried out, "I have family, please! I have children!"

    Nox''s eyes shed, the little respect he had for this man fading away.

    "Well, condolences to your family," Nox stated calmly.

    Kron''s pupils shrank as he felt the weight of Nox''s words. Before he could speak anymore, the dagger in Nox''s grasp shed. Thest thing he heard was...

    "They''ll have to miss you."

    ...before his world shattered like ss.

    Whoever wronged him, it was only natural that they paid with their lives.

    In the present, Nox got up from his seat and left after dinner. After bidding his mom and grandfather goodnight, Nox stepped into his room.

    As he did a cascade of messages flooded his retina:

    [Ding! 43,848 hours have passed.]

    [The user has sessfully evolved.]

    [Rewards will now be calcted...]

 Chapter 294: The Rewards and System Status

    Upon seeing the message, a smile couldn''t help but form on Nox''s handsome face. He was now fifteen years old, and his features were much more refined. Though he still hadn''t achieved his maximum potential, it wasn''t wrong to say his looks were currently the best in the entire western region.

    "Finally." Nox exhaled sharply as he looked at the glimmering screen. Never had he thought he would be so happy to see this boring screen again. Reining in all his emotions, Nox returned his gaze to the screen.

    A visual countdown was running on the blue screen.

    [10...]

    [9...]

    [8...]

    [7...]

    This countdown made Nox''s heart beat loudly in his chest. Due to his past experiences, he could tell that after this countdown, he would receive his rewards.

    [6...]

    [5...]

    "What would it be?" Nox''s mind was nk. He tried toe up with different things the system could reward him with, but nothing seemed toe to mind. Finally, he decided to stop thinking and just wait for the countdown toe to an end.

    But this was easier said than done.

    [4...]

    The timer was counting at an extremely slow pace that Nox''s eyes nearly bled due to not blinking for a prolonged period of time. He bit his lips and couldn''t help but curse under his breath.

    [3...]

    "Are these gods messing with me?!" He clenched his fist. "I waited for five years, and you guys just have to shove this in my face."

    [2...]

    Just when Nox''s patience was wearing thin, the countdown eventually came to an end.

    [1...]

    [0...]

    Though the countdown had ended, Nox''s expression was still filled with anxiety.

    [Congrattions, you have...]

    "Come on!" Nox shouted eagerly, his voice so loud that Nyx, Aina, and Nathan, who were still in the dining area, heard him and wondered if he was alright. He sounded as if he was in agony; or more urately, like a kid who was being denied his present. In the end, they decided to go back to their food. Nox was very strong, and he could easily handle himself.

    Back in the room...

    [Congrattions, you have... Awakened a subss]

    "Huh?" Nox''s eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open when he saw the words in bright blue hovering above his eyes.

    "This... a subss?" Nox spoke in a slightly trembling voice. ''I can get a subss?''

    What was a subss? They were secondary roles or specializations that granted additional abilities or benefits,plementing one''s primary ss.

    Nox knew about the concept from Earth; however, based on his conversations with others, he learned that such things didn''t apply to the Awakened. In fact, most didn''t even know of the existence of something like this.

    After a moment of thinking about it, Nox concluded that this was yet another thing that was exclusive to him.

    ''Now what is this subss?'' Because Nox had stopped to think, even the system momentarily froze as it was connected to its host''s mind.

    As such, while Nox thought about learning more information about the subss, the frozen screen continued.

    [Ding! You have awakened the subss Spirit Tamer!]

    Spirit Tamer: Death is not the end but the beginning. The Spirit Tamer subss grants you the power to see and interact with spirits that roam the world of Eos. You can tame these ethereal creatures to be your sword and shield in battle. For your current level, you are restricted to a maximum of 20 spiritpanions!

    Nox paused for a moment after reading the description, then as if it had finished processing everything, his head exploded into a cloud of smoke.

    A maniacal grin spread across Nox''s face as he fell backward and startedughing like someone who had gone mad.

    "Spirit Tamer? Hahahaha! This five-year wait period was worth it!" Noxughed so hard that tears were starting toe out of his eyes. It was just too difficult for him not to be happy!

    The sheer thought of summoning an army of invisible specters to overwhelm his enemies was simply too thrilling! Yes, you heard him right, with this ability, Nox could amass his own private force of specters to do his bidding!

    A private force of ghosts! Important things must be said twice!

    And the most exciting part of it all was that his enemies wouldn''t even see them.

    Of course, if they invested in high-level magical items, but still, getting your hands on such powerful items costs a fortune and is very rare.

    And were there even items like that? Nox adopted an extremely serious expression and pondered like a schr who was about to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

    After a while, when he couldn''t think of anything, he stopped stressing about this and moved on.

    It took Nox extreme willpower not to run outside in the middle of the night to test this out already, but he had to rein himself in and return his focus to the screen. There were still some more rewards, after all.

    [Ding! You have earned the title Hybrid yer.]

    Hybrid yer Effect: Increases damage dealt to hybrid creatures by 20%. Grants a 10% chance to identify the weaknesses of hybrid enemies (Human/beast) upon engagement.

    ''Hmm, not bad.''

    Ding! You have awakened the title Anomaly.

    Anomaly

    Effect: Increases resistance to status effects by 15%.

    Boosts chance of triggering random skills or abilities during dire situations.

    Amplifies the unpredictability of your actions in battle, leaving enemies unable to anticipate your moves.

    [Ding! You have awakened a new ss skill.]

    [Command Chain (Active New): Issue coordinatedmands to all beasts at once, boosting their morale and stats for a short period.]

    [Ding! You have unlocked System Assistant.]

    Nox waited for some time, but no new messages seemed toe again, which meant that this was the end of the rewards.

    ''I wonder when my next evolution will be.'' Nox thought eagerly. If evolution was this rewarding, he couldn''t wait for his next evolution. Thinking of this, Nox decided to ask the newly unlocked function.

    [The next evolution will be at level 40, and no, it won''t take years.]

    "Phew, that''s a relief." Nox exhaled. He didn''t think he would be able to go another torturous five years without his system.

    Speaking of the system, he hadn''t seen his status screen in a long time. With a simple thought, the system interface appeared before him.

    < [Beast Tamer Level 20] >

    Name: Nox Aegis Cromwell

    Title: Fisherman, Hybrid yer, Anomaly

    Subss: Spirit Tamer (0/20)

    HP: 340/340

    Exp: /17,917 EXP

    MP: 1020/1020

    Stamina: 100/100%

    Strength: 70

    Agility: 60

    Intelligence: 80

    Talents: Mimicry, 10x Upgrade.

    ¡ºBeast Slot: 5/20

    ---

    < [ss Skill] >

    Tame (Active): Higher chance to tame higher-tier beasts.

    Telepathy (Passive): Range increased formunication with tamed beasts.

    Bestow/Teach (Active): Can bestow copied skills for pets.

    Analyze (Passive): Detects skills and evolution paths for beasts.

    Beast Sense (Passive): Detects weaknesses, likes, and dislikes of beasts.

    Command Chain (Active New): Issue coordinatedmands to all beasts at once, boosting their morale and stats for a short period.

    ¡ºCopied Skills: (7/20)¡»

    Shadow Oblivion (Ultimate Skill), Phantom Cloak (Ultimate Skill), Divine Velocity (Ultimate Skill), Eternal Rebirth (Ultimate Skill), Limit Breaker (Ultimate Skill)

    --

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really appreciate.

 Chapter 295: Spending Time With The Pets [1]

    In the Cromwell''s Courtyard.

    [Huff! Huff!] A panda was breathing heavily as it did a series of pushups. Nox stood at the side watching; he was currently counting the number of repetitions the panda had done.

    "And 1000, well done Thirteen," Nox said as the panda copsed to the ground. As soon as the pushups were over, a blue screen shed across Nox''s retina, detailing Thirteen''s progress. Experience new tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin

    Thirteen wasn''t the only one going through intense training. Astralux, Fluffington, and Solora were also undergoing a series of drills. This had been Nox''s routine over the past years.

    He woke up at four in the morning, trained in martial arts, trained his pets, and went hunting in the dimension. At first, it was very monotonous, but he grew used to it and even looked forward to the next day. The reason for this was improvement.

    Every session, he adapted, reformed, and refined his techniques.

    It was just too gratifying for him not to get excited when he saw visible improvement.

    [Ugh, tired, I want a break.] Solora, the beautiful pet,y t on her stomach, her luminous blue scales glimmering under the re of the sunlight. The baby blue python was extremely exhausted.

    Astralux was also beside her. The jellyfish had turned slightly grey, which suggested that she was also tired. The only one still with a bit of strength was Fluffington.

    The cat, with his new agile, lean build, was darting through a series of obstructions that Nox had ced. The gaps between the obstructions were intentionally narrow and irregr, designed to challenge Fluffington''s agility and reflexes.

    FWOOSH! Swoooosh!

    Each of Fluffington''s leaps, twists, and slides was calcted and precise. Fluffington moved so fast that to the untrained eye, the only thing they would be able to see was nothing but an afterimage of darkness.

    Nox grew a little worried; it was even a bit difficult for him to keep up with the cat''s movements. A small misstep and the shadow cat would bump into the log of wood that acted as the obstruction.

    ''This is improvement.'' Nox nodded his head in satisfaction. He could still remember the first time Fluffington had started this training drill. That time, the cat had repeatedly mmed into the wood.

    Nox watched for a while, and after some time, he decided that it was enough training for the day. He could feel that if he pushed them any further, they''d be burnt out.

    "Alright, that''s enough," Nox called out.

    Fluffington came to a halt mid-dash, just before he could m into a log.

    The cat smoothly turned around before walking toward Nox with an air of pride. His sleek, shadowy fur gleamed under the sunlight, and there was a smug look on his face.

    A look that Nox wanted to wipe off. Now he was regretting calling off the training.

    ''I could''ve made him beg to stop,'' Nox sighed, but it was toote.

    [You say that, but I could go for another round if you insist,] Fluffington said, raising his head a little.

    "Not today," Nox replied, smirking. "Besides, I can already see your paw trembling slightly. You don''t have to prove your toughness."

    The cat huffed but didn''t argue, settling down beside Nox.

    Nox''s gaze then shifted to Solora and Astralux, who were sprawled out on the ground. Solora''s iridescent blue scales shimmered faintly, while Astralux''s usually radiant form was noticeably dimmed. They had truly given it their all, and it showed.

    Nox felt proud in his heart. ''All my pets are hardworking!''

    "Good work, everyone," Nox said in a soft tone as he walked over to his tiredpanions. He crouched down and gently stroked Solora''s head. The baby python hissed softly in appreciation, her long body coilingzily.

    Solora was tired, but upon feeling Nox''s touch, it seemed as if she had suddenly regained her strength. With an agility that would make other snakes cry in jealousy, the baby blue python leaped up, smoothlynding on Nox''s shoulder, cooling her body.

    Yes, this was her favorite spot!

    [Yawn] The baby blue python yawned cutely and fell asleep. Asleep, she seemed so peaceful and vulnerable that Nox would protect her with his life.

    Astralux floated up slightly, its jelly-like form wobbling. It felt as if she didn''t want to be left out, so she perched on top of Nox''s head with a satisfied smile.

    "I''ll make sure to prepare some nutrient-rich solutions for all of youter," Nox said with a smile.

    Some timeter,

    "Everyone, gather up!" Nox announced as he pulled out nutrients from his inventory. Nox had done a little more research on beasts and discovered that if he could improve their growth and lifespan, he could feed them nutrient-rich solutions.

    Nox held up a transparent vial and shook it a little. The vial was filled with green liquid that was slightly foamy. This serum was brewed by Nox and was for Thirteen.

    The ingredients used to brew this serum were granted bamboo shoots and mana-infused honey, allbined with powdered Spirit Root. Nox had first stumbled across the Spirit Root in the dimension along with Eve.

    Back then, a group of four savage creatures had fought each other over the roots of the yellow-colored nt, which was in the middle of the conflict like a delicate princess waiting to be swept off her feet by her prince charming.

    The fight was intense, but the beasts were extremely careful not to trample on it.

    Curious, Nox had asked Eve, and she said that, simr to monster cores, the Spirit nt improves muscle density and bone strength in beasts. It also boosts resistance to physical attacks, making beasts more resilient in battle.

    Andstly, it elerates physical and magical growth in beasts, allowing them to reach maturity or evolve faster.

    The benefits were just too huge to overlook, so Nox had plucked the delicate princess, earning the ire of all the beasts present that day.

    But unlike its beautiful appearance, this princess was bitter. Hence, Nox had included honey in the serum for easier consumption.

    Thirteen sniffed the vial eagerly, his panda instincts recognizing the sweet aroma of bamboo shoots and honey.

    "Here you go, big guy," Nox said as he handed the vial to the exhausted panda.

    Gulp! Gulp!

    Thirteen gulped it down in one go, licking his lips afterward. A faint green glow surrounded him for a moment as the serum took effect, rejuvenating his body. The panda clenched his fist and felt like he could do another 1000 push-ups!

    After giving Thirteen his dose, Nox turned to Astralux and Solora. He pulled out two different vials containing a glowing blue liquid for Solora. This mixture also contained the Spirit Roots, honey, and crushed blueberries.

    Honestly, the only effective ingredient here was the Spirit Roots, but Nox had included the berries and honey just for it to be very delicious for Solora and Astralux.

    And no, he wasn''t being biased because the two were girls!

    After feeding both Astralux and Solora, Nox turned to the cat and handed him the white liquid. It was the Spirit Roots with rich milk and honey.

    After feeding all his pets, Nox pulled up their respective status screens to view the progress they had made over the years.

 Chapter 296: Eve, The Necromancer

    During thest five years, Nox had fed all his pets with the beast cores he had obtained during the beast tide, bringing every one of them to intermediate tier, and the ant scourge queen to king tier.

    Though she didn''t spend much time with them because she was busy running the ant colony and managing Nox''s private security force that protected both the Cromwell Barony and the Armstrong Duchy.

    Yes, the Armstrong family was now one of Nox''s top priorities. Nathan was only a duke in name, but he was the one who ruled and handled all the affairs.

    Even though the ant queen didn''t fight beside him, Nox felt it was a worthwhile investment and had already promised himself to continue supplying the ant queen with resources, eventually turning her into an Elemental Beast.

    After all, he was certain that somewhere, sometime in the future, he would call for her help, and when that time arrived, he wanted her to be the best version of herself.

    "And now my stock is depleted." Nox felt his heart clench as he saw that there were only a few hundred beast cores left in his inventory. If it had been possible, he would''ve liked to increase his beasts'' ranks further, but to do that, he would have toplete the rest of the evolution requirements before the beasts could consume any more beast cores.

    If not for me losing ess to the system, I would''ve set out already to startpleting these quests, Nox pondered. After all, he had sessfully evolved the beasts for a while now.

    Unfortunately, I''ll have to put the journey on hold for now because of the uing Academy entrance exams.

    Yes, the entrance exam was only a few days away, and Nox, along with Nyx and Serena, had to prepare to journey to the eastern region.

    ---

    The Next Day

    Read exclusive chapters at m|v-l''-NovelBin

    Nox woke up early and headed towards the deserted parts of the Cromwell Barony. His destination was the gloomy, castle-like mansion that looked as if it belonged to an evil empress.

    Of course, there was only one such castle in the whole western region.

    Eve''s manor!

    Arriving at the door, Nox knocked softly, and a momentter, the door creaked open slightly.

    "Tch, Pipsqueak, why are you here?" The one who opened the door was Skully. He was dressed in his usual butler attire, and as expected, his tone was anything but friendly.

    "Hi, Skully, I''m here to see Master Eve," Nox said, his voice polite. Even a smile could be spotted on his handsome face, capable of making the hearts of hundreds of maidens flutter and their cheeks go red.

    However...

    "Eww, why are you acting all nice to me and even smiling? It''s disgusting." Skully flinched back, his face filled with repulsion. Usually, this Pipsqueak would always throw subtle jabs and insults at him.

    He and that panda! Both of them were evil!

    "Why? My smile is very beautiful," Nox said and widened his smile even more. If it would repulse this skeleton, he was all for it.

    With an irritated expression, Skully stepped aside and said in a begrudging tone, "Tsk, just get in already."

    "Thank you, Skully," Nox said as he stepped in. The familiar sight of skeletons in the hallways greeted him. Nox didn''t know if his eyes were ying tricks on him, but he noticed that the gloomy atmosphere suddenly became brighter.

    "Seems even the undead like having you around."

    Nox suddenly heard a familiar voice. He nced into the distance and saw Eve approaching. She was dressed in a ck gown that hugged her curvaceous build. Those ruby eyes, unlike other times, seemed full of life.

    During the past years, Nox had spent more time with Eve, and he hade to realize that the Necromancer was no longer as distant as she had been when he first met her.

    It was no longer rare to see a smile on her face or find her rambling, and Nox wholeheartedly appreciated these changes. What he didn''t know, however, was that the cold Necromancer only showed this side to a few close people.

    To strangers and her enemies, she was still the heartless red-eyed demon who wouldn''t bat an eye before plunging a knife into her enemies'' chests.

    "Good day, Master Eve," Nox smiled warmly. "How have you been?"

    "I''m fine," Eve responded with a smile so beautiful that it made it difficult for Nox to look her straight in the eyes. Clearing his throat, he hurriedly said, shattering the awkward silence, "I came because I have something to tell you."

    "Hmm, you seem very serious. Why don''t we talk this over tea?" Eve suggested.

    "Sure." Nox nodded and followed Eve to her study, which was filled with shelves holding hundreds of books. They made their way to the polished mahogany table and sat down.

    Soon, Skully staggered in with a tray holding two cups of tea. He served the tea and stood beside Eve.

    Nox nced at the ck tea. Seeing his reflection in it, he couldn''t help but grimace.

    Tsk, this thing is as ck as the first time he served me, Nox thought, recalling the first time he hade to this manor roughly ten years ago.

    How time flies.

    But.

    Nox looked from the corner of his eye and saw Skully looking at him with an expectant glint.

    It''d be very cruel of me to reject his tea this time too, Nox thought. Closing his eyes, he brought the cup to his mouth, ready to gulp it down.

    But just before he emptied the contents into his mouth, he paused.

    A ck tea such as this should be very bitter. I should gulp it down in one go.

    "Do not judge a book by its cover," Nox heard his grandpa''s voice in his head at that moment.

    Okay, maybe for Master to love it so much, it must be delicious. Nox made up his mind and brought the tea to his lips, sipping it.

    And then...

    Damn it, this is bad! He nearly spat out the rest of the contents. The tea was so bitter that seeing the triumphant look on Skully''s face¡ªlike someone who had sessfully scammed his target¡ªNox couldn''t help but curse the skeleton''s entire lineage.

    "So, what do you want to talk about?" Eve asked at that moment.

    Nox sat up straight and said, "Oh, it''s about..."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 297: Leaving The Barony

    Nox ced the tea back on the table, deciding that his taste buds had suffered enough. His serious demeanor returned as he leaned forward slightly, meeting Eve''s gaze.

    "It''s about the academy," Nox said in a low voice. "I''ll be leaving in a few days for the entrance exam, and if I pass¡ªwhich I''m confident I will¡ªthere is a high possibility that I won''t be returning here for a long time."

    As soon as Nox said this, there was a slight shift in the atmosphere of the room. Eve''s expressions, which had remained calm all this while, shifted ever so slightly; a flicker of sadness or disappointment passed through her eyes. The beautiful woman stared outside her arched windows.

    In truth, she had expected that this day woulde but...

    ''It was so soon,'' she thought, clenching her fist beneath her desk. Eve already knew about this, but she''d thought there was still enough time to spend with Nox before he left the western region.

    Was this what they say¡ªtime flies faster when you''re with someone you care about? So this saying was really true?

    The Necromancer was conflicted deep in her heart.

    "I see," she said after a moment. Though she attempted to sound neutral, one could almost sense the sadness in her voice. Then she added in a slightly cheerful tone,

    "This is wonderful news. The academy is the best ce for someone like you." She forced a smile. Though forced, the smile instantly lit up the room. "Congrattions in advance. Knowing you, those otherpetitors will be in for a rude awakening."

    "I''m ttered," Nox responded with a warm smile of his own. Then he paused, the smile disappearing from his face. "Leaving here is not the only reason for mying today. I want to thank you, Master. Thank you for your teaching. You''ve been an important part of my life. I don''t know what the future holds, but I''ll definitely find a way to repay you for everything you''ve done."

    The chair creaked slightly as Nox got up from his seat and made a low bow. "Thank you."

    Eve''s fingers traced the edge of her teacup, her gaze falling to the dark liquid inside. She thought back to the first time she had met Nox, as if it was yesterday she started hearing voices in her head.

    That day, Eve''s life was bleak, and her heart was still filled with resentment for a certain person. Due to her tumultuous emotions, she had not even known when she had said these words:

    "Keep looking, and you won''t have eyes anymore," she had uttered in a cold, unfriendly voice.

    "S-sorry, miss, I didn''t see you." That day, the boy hurriedly apologized as he squatted and picked up the thing she had mistakenly dropped. "Here you go."

    It... it felt like fate. Who would have thought after that encounter, her rtionship with the little tyrant of the Cromwell barony would evolve so much?

    To the point where her heart ached at the thought of not seeing him for a long time?

    ''Because of him, even the resentment I felt for that man is almost gone. Now I don''t hate him anymore. If fate allows us to meet again, we''ll only be strangers... no more animosity.'' Eve''s eyes shed with joy, sadness, relief, longing, and several otherplicated emotions.

    She let out a sigh, slowly raised her head, and said, "You''re being unusually sentimental today," she remarked, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "But I appreciate it. It''s not often I hear such words from people."

    ''How many people have appreciated me like this?'' Eve couldn''t remember, but it had certainly been a long time.

    Nox smiled faintly, though his chest tightened. "I don''t think I''d be where I am today without you. Or Skully." He turned to the skeleton, who was standing stiffly, clearly trying to act disinterested but failing miserably.

    "Hmph," Skully huffed, crossing his bony arms. "Of course, you wouldn''t be where you are without me. I''m the one who keeps this ce running. And don''t you forget it!"

    "Yes, I won''t forget. I''ll miss your nagging, Skully," Nox chuckled. "I just hope you won''t fall apart before I return."

    "Hmph, you wish," Skully sneered.

    After that, the room fell into a brief silence, broken only by the faint rustle of the wind against the windows. Almost an eternityter, Eve finally looked up, her eyes locking onto Nox''s.

    "I''ll miss you, too," she said softly. "I''ve grown used to having you around, Nox. But I won''t stop you. You''re destined for great things, and the academy will help you get there."

    Nox bowed to both Eve and Skully onest time. "Thank you both."

    "Tch, get going already, pipsqueak. How many times are you going to thank us?" Skully spoke gruffly, but one could hear the bittersweet undertone in his voice as well.

    No matter how hard he tried to hide it, there was no denying that he would miss the boy as well.

    Eve walked him to the door, her steps slower than usual. When they reached the threshold, she paused, as if searching for the right words.

    "Stay safe," she said finally and then smiled. "Also, when you finally return, I''ll have a nice surprise for you."

    "I''ll be looking forward to it," Nox replied, walking into the lonely path that led to the bustling part of the barony.

    Eve remained standing there for a while.

    Then a single drop of tear escaped her eye.

    ---

    Few dayster...

    "My babies, I''ll miss you both so much." Aina was all tears as she hugged both Nox and Nyx. Both hugged their mother back, though Nyx tried to remain indifferent; a single drop of tear escaped her eye as well.

    Nox withdrew himself and wiped the tears off his mom. While he was at it, he said, "Take care of yourself, alright, Mom? I''ll try to visit. Though it would be years, I''ll make sure to visit you." He nted a kiss on her cheek. "So please take care of yourself for me and this stupid girl''s sake."

    "Bastard! Who are you calling a stupid girl?"

    After sharing their goodbyes with almost everyone in the barony who hade to gather at the Cromwell manor, Nox, Serena, and Nyx boarded a coach and left.

    "Unfortunately, I couldn''t greet Grandpa because he''s away running the Armstrong Duchy, but we''ll certainly meet again very soon, and by that time, I''ll have the cure for Doombringer."

    From the roof of a building, Eve watched as the carriage slowly left the barony, her fist clenched. While she was in her thoughts, a familiar voice called out behind her.

    "Mistress, you have a letter."

    Turning around, Eve quickly maintained herposure. "It''s from whom?" she asked, but then her eyes fell on the seal that was on the letter.

    It was the seal of a horned demon, one she hadn''t seen in a long time. Eve froze, her gaze lingering on the letter for a long time. Her eyes shed withplicated emotions as she tore open the paper and read through it.

    "My fateful daughter, the time of peace ising to an end. The Demonic Empire calls upon you once again."

    The letter was brief, but what mattered was the weight this brief content held, as well as the sender, who was...

    Lord Unus Graham, the Demon Emperor.

    ***

    Support with Golden tickets and power stones in other to keep author motivated! Thanks for reading.

 Chapter 298: Someone That Shouldnt Be Here [1]

    "How long has it been, twenty years?" Eve mumbled to herself as she clutched the letter in her grasp, trying to recall thest time she had ever received something like this.

    Though she couldn''t remember, she was certain that it had certainly been a very long time.

    "What does it say, mistress?" Skull inquired. He knew the demonic seal too well; after all, he had been with his master from the moment she had Awakened her ss.

    He was, after all, her first undead. Though his memories were now vague because of the passage of time, Skully remembered that he was a higher demon who had served Eve''s mother when he was alive.

    Due to a series of unfortunate events, he lost his life but was brought back to life by Eve. As such, their bond was powerful, so powerful that he could freely ask her personal questions.

    "That man is up to something again," Eve replied in a cold voice, her eyes narrowing. "And it''s going to involve all the Kingdoms in the human domain."

    "He finally wants to make a move?" Skully wasn''t surprised; instead, he was confused as to why it had taken so long for the tyrannical Demon Emperor to finally act.

    "But, mistress..." Skully suddenly spoke, earning a look from Eve. His green eyes were filled with hesitation, and the skeleton butler seemed to struggle with what to say.

    "Go ahead," Eve nodded her head.

    Taking in a deep breath that rattled his bony ribs, Skully stated, "If ites to that, what side would you be on?"

    Eve turned to the distance, watching the carriage galloping east. Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    "I don''t know," she said a momentter, her voice filled with uncertainty . "But when the timees, I''ll make a decision."

    "You have to hurry, mistress," Skully said in a serious voice. "The emperor isn''t one to ept betrayal, regardless of family or not; after all, that concept is only a name in the empire."

    Despite hearing the serious tone and the hidden warning in the message, Eve remained silent and continued to watch the carriage go. Her expression was calm on the surface, but in her heart, a tumultuous battle raged on.

    ---

    Inside the carriage...

    "How long will it take us to arrive at the capital?" Serena yawned, tears in her eyes.

    "Thest time I went there with Doombringer, it barely took a day and half," Nyx responded. "With the carriage, if we don''t stop, I think it should take us a few days to reach."

    "Ugh, sitting down in one position for so long will be very tiresome," Serena sighed. "Times like this, I wish Doombringer was here. Grandpa Nathan could''ve taken us to the capital and returned quickly."

    At that moment, hearing Serena''s words, Nox pondered seriously to himself, "I should find a way to get a flying mount for journeys like this, but they say those are nonexistent in the western region. I wonder if I''d be able to find one in the east."

    ''I doubt it.'' Nox shook his head. ording to what he had learned in the past years, the east was much more developed with cities, not towns. He was certain that it was nearly impossible to find wyverns or any other flying mounts there.

    ''This narrows everything back to dimensions. ording to grandpa, there are several high-level dimensions there. Certainly, one of them should contain a flying mount if I search seriously.''

    If that doesn''t work, he could also use the dimensional key in his possession to hop from dimension to dimension. After all, it only had a three-day cooldown after each use. With time, he''d definitely find a mount.

    "Well, we won''t stop, so we should make it to the east in three days, four at most, but I''m sure it won''t take longer than that," Nox chimed in, sitting upright from his leaning position.

    "I''ll try to make myself asfortable as I can then," Serena murmured and snuggled closer, cing her head on Nox''s shoulder and closing her eyes, a soft smile on her face.

    She seemed so peaceful and beautiful asleep. This was because the beautiful, chocte-skinned girl felt secure when she was with Nox and Nyx.

    Now that she was much older, Serena no longer hid her feelings and made actual advances. It was just so unfortunate that Nox was too preupied to notice any of it.

    Just as Nox had said, the carriage continued unhindered. A day flew past in the blink of an eye. They didn''t encounter any monsters on their path. In fact, after the killing spree five years ago because of the beast tide, it seemed as if almost all the beasts in the west had gone instinct.

    This was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because mundanes felt much safer in the wild, and a curse because it forced almost all Awakened in the west to pay huge chunks of money to Nathan to ess the dimensional rift in the Cromwell barony and the Duchy in order to increase their level.

    And of course, the mad dog didn''t shy away from taking their precious golden coins. In fact, he even charged his enemies double. Yes, he was that petty. He was never one to forget a grudge easily.

    On the second day of their journey, however, the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop, confusing the travelers. After all, they''d just stopped a few minutes ago to clean up; they shouldn''t have stopped anytime soon.

    Nox excused himself from thedies and stepped out of the carriage. As he did, he realized their carriage wasn''t the only one that hade to a halt, as there were several more carriages that had arrived earlier with impatient coachmen and passengers.

    "What''s the matter?" Nox asked their coachman, who had just finished talking to another coachman.

    "It seems there''s a fight going on ahead," the coachman replied.

    "A fight?" Nox mumbled to himself as he strode ahead, passing several more carriages before arriving at the front.

    There, he witnessed a girl no younger than fifteen years battling a massive boar. She seemed to be having an easy time and was actually forcing therge creature with brown fur backward. Without a moment of hesitation, Nox used [Analyze] on the beast.

    [Ravenous Kretus Boar - King Tier - LV7]

    Then he nced at the girl fighting the massive boar that towered over her, and his eyes shed when he...

 Chapter 299: Someone That Shouldnt Be Here [2]

    [Ravenous Kretus Boar - King Tier - LV7]

    Then he nced at the girl fighting the massive boar that towered over her, and his eyes shed when he saw the features of the girl battling the boar.

    She had crystalline blue eyes, sky-blue hair that gleamed under the sunlight like freshly fallen snow. Her hair was oddly tied into two buns at the sides, as if it were a deliberate act to cover something.

    Dressed in fitted blue armor that hugged her slender frame, the girl wore a pair of wed blue gauntlets, the edges of which glowed slightly with a radiant light.

    With a burst of speed, the blue-haired girl charged at the boar, kicking up dust in the air. When she closed the gap between herself and the beast, she leaped up and shed across the Kretus boar''s chest in a wide arc.

    The girl was moving too fast for the Kretus boar, whichcked speed due to its massive size. Therefore, the ws bit deep into its flesh.

    sh!

    ROOOAR! The massive boar shrieked loudly in pain, its eyes going bloodshot as it engaged the girl in a fierce fight of ws and attempted to bite off her head. But the girl was just too nimble and fast.

    "What is happening?" At that moment, Serena and Nyx stepped out of the carriage, taking a look at the ongoing fight. The two girls briefly exchanged shocked nces when they saw a girl around their age battling a King-tier beast!

    This was something not even they, with all their training, could pull off! Just as the name suggested, a King-tier beast was very fearsome and required a party of Awakened to deal with!

    The only person they suspected could hold his own against a King-tier beast was Nox, but that was because everyone hade to realize that Nox was an anomaly.

    He had trained twice as hard as anyone in the barony, risked his life, and even disciplined himself not to use any skills for five years, relying solely on his hand-to-handbat.

    ¡­At least, that was what they thought.

    Serena''s eyes flickered as she pointed out in a slightly trembling voice, "Does this mean she''s as strong as Nox?"

    Though she hadn''t seen the rest of the world, there was this belief within Serena that Nox was the strongest fifteen-year-old. Simply thinking of this made her feel proud and her heart flutter.

    But now, seeing this girl, Serena didn''t think this was the case anymore. Looking at the beautiful girl, whose beauty far surpassed hers and was at the same level as Nyx, Serena felt threatened.

    She nced out of the corner of her eye and noticed that Nox was staring at the said girl, fascination shining in his eyes.

    ''She must be a high-level Awakened.'' Nyx didn''t feel threatened by this girl; instead, she became curious. It was very rare for her to be interested in someone else¡­ This alone went to show that this girl was no ordinary person.

    Nyx suspected that she was a high-level Awakened and used the basic appraisal skill; however, nothing came up. The young girl frowned. Usually, if one were using artifacts, there would be a series of question marks in their information.

    However, there was nothing of the sort. It felt as if she was staring at a mundane.

    ''Mundane.'' Nyx mumbled to herself. Then, as if struck by lightning, her eyes widened. "Don''t tell me she''s mundane?!"

    Even Serena had the same confused expression on her face as she had just appraised the girl.

    The two girls were about to approach Nox, who had yet to use his own appraisal skill. However, before they could get to him, they felt a rush of wind on their faces, followed by a dust storm.

    "Dammit! Where did this duste from?"

    "Agh, my dress is ruined!"

    Some unlucky folks, however, weren''t safe from the dust storms.

    When the storm eventually settled, Nyx and Serena saw that Nox had disappeared from his spot and was now standing just a few meters away from the ongoing battle.

    ''Did he notice as well?'' the two thought. Usually, they wouldn''t fuss this much over a mundane. However, in recent years, they had learned that any mundane who disyed overwhelming capabilities was several times more deadly and dangerous than a normal Awakened.

    The sh between the massive Kretus boar and the girl continued, drawing the attention of everyone. The blue-haired girl moved with blinding speed, causing a whistling sound as her gauntlets cut through the air. From time to time, her wed gauntleted arms parried the jagged ws of the beast.

    CLANG!

    The sound of two metals shing echoed every time, sending shockwaves rippling in all directions. Nox stood just a few meters away, feeling the rush of wind in his face, which caused his hair to flutter wildly in the air.

    His arms were crossed, and his midnight eyes were fixed on the battle.

    Every strike, every dodge, he watched closely. There was something mesmerizing about how the girl moved¡ªnot just the grace, but the way her attacks hit with perfect calction. She wasn''t using raw power; instead, she was taking advantage of the boar''s slow reactions,nding every blow with rtive ease.

    Nox didn''t doubt that she could fight the beast with her eyes closed. This alone was very terrifying! Not even he would do something like this, and he was the one loaded with powerful skills!

    Of course, Nox was confident in defeating this beast, and he might''ve exaggerated a little, but the main point was that this girl was absurdly powerful.

    This made him wonder why she was drawing out the fight so much. He nced to the side, thinking she was dying them for an ambush by bandits, but nothing of the sort happened.

    "Miss, we''ve important matters to attend to. If you don''t mind, can you kill the beast already?" Nox asked in a clear voice that cut through the chaos. It was loud enough for everyone present to hear.

    However, he was ignored, and the blue-haired girl acted as if no one was speaking to her. This made Nox angry, and he summoned his dagger, ready to take matters into his own hands.

    Step! Step!

    He approached the beast calmly, his steps measured and unhurried.

    However, just before he could make a move, Nox froze in his steps, and his eyes narrowed. Now that he was in such close proximity, he was beginning to feel a certain aura that he could only sense from a certain group of beings.

    ''Why does she feel so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time?'' Nox''s curiosity peaked, and he didn''t even know when he activated the [Analyze] skill.

    As he activated the ability, a silver light passed through his eyes. A soft glow enveloped the girl for a brief moment, and then information flooded into his mind.

    [Zara - Frost Dragonoid - King Tier Lv6]

 Chapter 300: Someone That Shouldnt Be Here [3]

    There were moments of silence as Nox saw the flickering screen on his retina. He was shocked, but more than that, a smile couldn''t help but tug at his lips.

    "A dragonoid, not only that but a King Tier," Nox mumbled. His ck eyes were literally shining like those of an evil dragon god who had seen a treasure.

    "And here I was thinking about a dragon mount a few hours ago... could this be mere coincidence or fate?" Nox couldn''t tell, but there was one thing for sure: he needed to talk to this girl. What was she doing in the human domain?

    As far as Nox''s memory served him, a dragon shouldn''t be in the human domain, especially not in a backwater ce like the western region.

    "Damnit, I thought he told her to hasten the fight. Don''t tell me he got smitten by her beauty like a fool." A fat woman beside Nox and Nyxmented while crossing her arms, displeasure written across her chubby face.

    She was the only oneining, though others were beginning to speak out loud, and some were even considering taking a different route. Just as they were beginning to get fed up, the fight finally reached its zenith.

    After several back-and-forth exchanges, the excitement that had been shining in Zara''s eyes disappeared, and she mumbled in a low voice that only she could hear:

    "I guess even the beast is fed up." Her eyes shed. "Let''s end this."

    Following these words, the blue-haired girl charged in once again and delivered a killing blow right to the chest of the boar. Those jagged wed gauntlets dug deep as she twisted from side to side, making the beast shriek in terror. Then, simr to what Fluffington liked doing, she retrieved the gleaming beast core.

    As soon as she removed the core, the boar''s body trembled slightly before copsing to the ground, forming a mini-crater with its body as an outline.

    "Finally!"

    "Come on, let''s get going!"

    Behind, several sighs of relief were heard, and the various coachmen went back to their carriages, continuing their journey as if a King Tier beast hadn''t just been dealt with so easily.

    The reason they didn''t grasp the significance of this event was because, apart from Nox, Serena, and Nyx, everyone present there was mundane! If an Awakened had witnessed this overwhelming disy of skill, they would have certainly tried to find out more about her.

    After all, it wasn''t an everyday urrence for a teenager to defeat a king-tier Beast.

    Soon, all the carriages were out of sight. The only carriage left was the one belonging to Nox. Serena and Nyx were naturally curious as to why they had yet to continue their journey, but they decided to trust Nox. From their vantage point, they could see he was talking to the mysterious girl.

    Over the past years, they hade to realize that Nox had undergone serious development; he was no longer the boy who would engage in silly conversations just for fun. Everything he did had motives behind it, with benefits.

    For him to approach this girl meant he saw something in her.

    "Are you traveling alone?" Nox inquired as he watched the back of the girl who was ogling the beast core with shining eyes as if it were the rarest treasure she had seen in her life.

    She was about to take a slight kick at the beast core when she heard a voice that made her heart jump a little, though it didn''t show on her face. She turned around and looked at the tall, handsome ck-haired youth with sparse red strands standing before her.

    "What are you still doing here?" the girl said in an unfriendly voice. It was the first time she noticed his presence. However, all her instincts were screaming at her to stay away from the boy for some reason she couldn''t understand.

    She didn''t feel this way when she was near other humans, so why... why did he feel terrifying without doing anything?

    Though her thoughts were tumultuous, Zara''s face remained indifferent.

    "Oh, I thought it was strange for you to be traveling alone on foot and decided to offer you a ride in our carriage." Nox said with a smile on his face. This smile was capable of making the hearts of several girls flutter, but Zara remained disinterested and a bit distant.

    "Thanks for your goodwill, but I travel alone. Have a nice day." She said, and without waiting for a response, she turned around and started walking away.

    Nox didn''tment or try to stop her. That was beneath him. He simply watched as she slowly disappeared into the distance.

    "This one will be really difficult," he thought to himself.

    However, before returning to the carriage, Nox summoned Fluffington and Solora.

    "I have a job for both of you."

    [What is it?] Fluffington asked excitedly.

    [A mission with big brother Fluffington? Yay!] Solora hissed, excitement shining in her gem-like eyes. Solora and Astralus were usually treated like princesses, so it was rare for Nox to send her on a mission. Thus, the reason for her excitement.

    "I want you both to follow that girl," Nox said, pointing at Zara''s disappearing back.

    Both Solora and Fluffington turned to Nox after taking a nce at their target.

    [A human, but why does she smell like us?] Solora asked.

    "That''s because she''s a beast just like you two, but a bit special," Nox exined and leaned in closer. "I want you two to discreetly follow her and report whatever you find to me."

    The reason Nox selected these two for this mission was because of their species. Fluffington was a Shadow Cat and could easily meld into the darkness. Nox was certain that with this, the powerful dragon girl would find it hard to detect Fluffington''s presence, especially at night.

    As for Solora, it was because she was literally a python and could easily blend into the surroundings and observe their target.

    After giving his two pets the orders, Nox returned to the carriage, and their journey resumed.

    "I wonder if she''s the only one here," Nox thought as he looked out the window. "But I''m sure with Fluffington and Solora there, I should get feedback soon."

 Chapter 301: Someone That Shouldnt Be Here [4]

    Oblivious to the two presences trailing behind her, Zara continued to walk. Though she tried to keep a straight face, her mind couldn''t help but drift back to the boy from earlier.

    "He''s clearly a low-level Awakened, yet why did I feel like a ve in the presence of its master?" Zara mumbled. She had been trying to avoid saying this for a while because it was a wound to her dragon pride, but this was the exact feeling she got from the youth.

    Hence the reason she wanted to stay as far away as she could from him. The mere feeling of being underneath someone, especially a human of all creatures, didn''t quite sit well with her. If the others back in the empire heard she had be the ve of a human, she couldn''t even imagine the look on their faces, especially her mother''s.

    Zara clenched her fists, and her eyes burned with determination as she mumbled to herself in a voice filled with resolve, "I just need to retrieve the treasure and escape from this ce... better still, if I encounter him again, I''ll get rid of him, just in case."

    Even though she had a powerful bloodline and felt threatened by the presence of that boy, Zara didn''t doubt for a second that the others would also feel the same. To avoidplications in the future, she swore to get rid of him if the chance presented itself.

    As she continued her solitary journey, Zara suddenly sensed rustling behind her. Her heightened senses were on high alert as she froze in her steps and briefly scanned her surroundings. She was currently treading through a field with no trees in sight.

    If there was something or someone following her, it should''ve been easy to spot them, but she didn''t, which probably meant she was merely imagining things.

    "Hmmm." Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, Zara continued.

    Behind her, a baby blue python hissed in relief and stared at Fluffington, who was crouching beside her, using the grass as a shield to hide himself.

    [Sorry,] Solora apologized with a sheepish expression on her face. Because she wanted to get a closer look at Zara, she had identally elerated her pace, causing the field to rustle. Fortunately, Fluffington quickly stopped her; if not, the two pets would''ve been exposed even before their mission began.

    [It''s alright,] Fluffington said softly, like a responsible older brother. [Just be careful.]

    The baby blue python nodded her head cutely before slowly slithering beneath the grass once more. Fluffington followed behind.

    "Why do I feel as if I''m being watched?" Zara thought as she froze in her steps once again. The dragon-wed gauntlet on her arms twitched as she warned in a voice that almost sounded like a growl, "If you don''t reveal yourself, don''t me me for being merciless."

    [D-Did she discover us?] Solora whispered telepathically, her body beginning to stiffen. This was her first-ever mission for her father; she didn''t want to mess it up.

    During the past years, Nox had shown her nothing but care. She didn''t want to see him disappointed.

    [Calm down,] Fluffington responded with a sigh, one could almost sense the exasperation in his voice. It was obvious that he didn''t like the idea of Solora tagging along, but the cat understood this was the best way for the python to develop.

    [She''s sharp, but she can''t pinpoint us unless we give her a reason,] Fluffington added with confidence.

    Zara took a step forward, her gaze narrowing as she stared into the distance. She inhaled deeply. "A snake... and something else." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it sent a shiver down Solora''s spine.

    The python turned towards Fluffington, who quickly reassured her. [She''s guessing. She doesn''t know exactly where we are.]

    Zara watched for a while, and then she smirked. "Is this how you want to y? So be it!" Zara dered and flicked her wrist. Dozens of ice shards materialized in the air and shot out in all directions.

    Swish! Swish!

    The dozens of ice projectiles whistled through the air and scattered across the field. The ice projectiles weren''t a problem for both Fluffington and Solora. They easily slithered and moved from side to side, evading each and every attack!

    Zara watched the countless ice projectiles pinned throughout the field and sighed.

    "I''m probably overthinking."

    She continued her journey. She was very confident in that attack; if anyone had been following her, one or more of the ice projectiles would have found its mark, and they''d have revealed their position.

    Fluffington and Solora both sighed in relief and continued trailing the blue-haired girl, who had hastened her speed for some reason.

    After a couple of minutes, she eventually arrived at the mouth of a cave. Upon secretly following her into this cave, both Fluffington and Solora were stunned.

    Inside the dim cave, there were mountains of beast cores stacked on top of each other, casting beautiful blue shadows on the walls of the cave. Both Fluffington and Solora''s eyes shed with greed, but the light soon dimmed as they remembered that the beast cores wouldn''t have any effect on them if they didn''tplete their evolution requirements.

    However, Zara wasn''t like that. She was yet to hit a bottleneck. As she stared at the mountain of monster cores, she began to salivate. Her eyes shone with immense greed, so intense that it would make even the fiercest of dragons wary.

    Under the watchful eyes of both Solora and Fluffington, she did something very strange. Like a hungry beast, the blue-haired girl pounced on the mountain of beast cores, causing them to fly everywhere.

    Zara''s actions left both Fluffington and Solora momentarily stunned. The once graceful girl now appeared wild, almost primal, as she grabbed handfuls of beast cores and started to devour them.

    [She''s growing more powerful. We''ve seen enough. I think we should leave,] Solora whispered telepathically, her forked tongue flicking nervously. Her body trembled slightly as a wave of powerful aura sshed out from Zara. It was intoxicating yet terrifying.

    Fluffington nodded as well. The blue-haired girl was growing more powerful with each second. At this pace, she might reach a threshold where her instincts sharpened enough, and she could grow powerful enough to sense their presence.

    If that happened, it would be a one-sided bloodshed.

    "Come on, let''s go report our findings," Fluffington said. However, before they could leave the scene, something unexpected happened.

    ***

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 Chapter 302: The Capital [1]

    "A cave filled with beast cores, huh?" Nox mumbled to himself as he looked at Fluffington and Solora, who had just finished reporting their findings while trailing Zara.

    The baby blue python had described the beautiful blue-haired girl as an extreme savage who devoured dozens of beast cores in one go.

    In her words: [All my life, I thought Brother Thirteen was a big eater, but that girl... she''s a monster! Yes, I know she''s a monster, but she''s the monster''s monster!] Solora hissed, visibly trembling as she remembered the fierceness in Zara''s face.

    For a moment, she had thought the dragonoid would lunge at her, rip out her beast cores, and devour them.

    "Monster''s monster..." That didn''t make much sense, but Nox recognized what she meant. He crouched low and gently petted the baby python, visibly calming her nerves. Solora slithered onto Nox''s arms and coiled herself around his neck like a fashionable ne.

    [There is something more,] Fluffington suddenly spoke, earning a look from Nox, who furrowed his brows and asked curiously,

    "What is it?"

    [I think that girl has reached King Tier Level 9 and has hit a bottleneck of sorts,] Fluffington reported, slightly tense. Even for a beast as arrogant as he, he knew the threat that girl posed. Beneath her graceful and beautiful exterior was unimaginable power.

    "She''s just one step away from the King Tier, huh?" Nox said with a pondering look on his face. "Just how many beast cores were really there, and how long has she been stacking those?"

    There were so many questions but so few answers. For a moment, Nox thought both Solora and Fluffington were exaggerating the amount of beast cores Zara possessed.

    If it could increase her level from seven to nine, then there were definitely a lot. This made Nox wonder if she had acquired this many cores during the beast tide.

    An Emperor Rank Elemental Beast. Nox felt slightly uneasy as he thought about this and recalled the hybrid he, along with Eve and his mom, had faced. That beast had been extremely powerful, and yet it was only Level 9.

    If that girl somehowpletes her evolution requirements, she''ll be very troublesome to deal with.

    ''Should I visit this cave myself? But if I go there, what would I even say¡ªwalk up to her and tell her I want to make her my pet?''

    "Hey, are you okay? Don''t tell me you''re still thinking about that girl." Nox felt a slight nudge on his ribs and, ncing beside him, found Serena ring at him with her arms folded, her foot tapping on the ground impatiently.

    The group had taken their usual fifteen-minute break to stretch their limbs before resuming their journey. Yes, Nox had said they''d ride nonstop, but sitting for so long made even Awakened bodies feel numb.

    The only one who was still inside was Nyx.

    Serena had been observing Nox for a while, and she noticed he had been zoning out a lot since encountering that girl. Quite frankly, she didn''t like it at all. Unable to hold herself back, she confronted him with a straightforward approach.

    "Yeah," Nox replied, almost absentmindedly. "I''m trying toe up with a way to tame her. She''s pretty powerful and a bit prideful. It will probably take some time, but I''ll eventually figure out something."

    "T-tame her?" Serena''s ears burned as she heard Nox''s words. While they sounded innocent, there was something a bit suggestive about them that made her cheeks flush. What does he mean by tame her?

    "Ah, I forgot to tell you and Nyx," Nox said, facepalming as if just remembering something important. He then proceeded to exin, "The reason I''m so interested in that girl is because she''s a beast."

    Serena''s mouth hung open in surprise, but before she could say anything, Nox, seeing the shock on her face, quickly rified.

    "She''s a bit like the Ant Queen back in the barony, but much more special and more powerful."

    "Honestly, if we were to fight, she''d probably give me a run for my money, and she''d certainly push me to the absolute limit. Infact, If I''m not careful, I might even lose. But this is the main reason I want her among my pets." Nox clenched his fist, envisioning what it would be like to have a dragonoid by his side.

    "She''s that powerful?" Serena suddenly felt helpless as she saw the intense determination in Nox''s eyes. Those eyes shone like those of a hunter who had set his sights on the grand prize and would do anything to im it.

    It was terrifying.

    Then, a thought suddenly struck Serena, and before she could stop herself, the words left her mouth.

    "If she''s so difficult to tame, you can always tame me?"

    "Huh?" A bewildered expression crossed Nox''s face, and he blinked as though he''d misheard her.

    "Nooo! That''s not what I meant to say. I mean¡ªit was supposed to stay in my mind! I wasn''t supposed to say it out loud!" Serena hurriedly exined, her cheeks turning more beet red. She buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed with embarrassment, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

    To save some face, she hurriedly rushed off to join Nyx inside the carriage.

    Nox looked at her retreating back and shook his head. He wasn''t dumb. He knew about Serena''s feelings for him, but right now, at this point in his life, he didn''t want to be in any serious rtionship¡ªnot until he had achieved some of his long-term goals.

    And what were those goals?

    To be as powerful as he could.

    To build temples and slowly spread the Beast Taming ss all throughout Eos.

    Most importantly, to find his father.

    This was pretty much it. If he could somehowplete one or more of these goals, he might entertain the thought of settling down.

    Some timeter, the carriages continued without stopping. The following day, Nox sent Fluffington and Solora to spy on Zara again. Unfortunately, they discovered that the cave was empty, and the frost dragon had cleaned all traces of her presence, including her scent.

    Nox was disheartened, but thanks to Fluffington and Solora''s heightened senses, they were able to find her again.

    However, this time, the frost dragon sensed their presence without much trouble due to her rising rank. She easily shook them off her trail and went on her way.

    Amid all this, the carriage finally arrived at the Vermilion Royal Capital.

 Chapter 303: Law Breakers [1]

    After days of traveling, the towering walls of the castle slowly came into view. Nox and Serena were slightly amazed at the sheer height of the walls and the majestic structure standing proudly before them.

    Because she had visited the Royal Capital before, Nyx''s face remained indifferent. Seeing the uninterested look in her eyes, Nox couldn''t help but ask.

    "Nyx, you don''t seem impressed by this ce. Isn''t it your first time seeing such towering walls?" he asked, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "Like Wendy said, you don''t have to act stoic all the time. Sometimes, when you see something beautiful, appreciate it."

    Nyx nced at him, an amused light passing through her eyes, and said in a calm yet slightly smug tone, "I''m not impressed because this is not the first time I''vee here."

    "Oh," Nox said, nodding slightly. "That makes sense." Not wanting to tease her further, he returned his gaze to the road ahead.

    But Nyx wasn''t done.

    "In fact, I have a lot of memories here... and I''m a bit famous in this ce," she added suddenly, with a tone of mystery in her voice.

    "Famous? Tsk. What did you do to be famous?" Nox sneered skeptically, then raised his head arrogantly as he added in a condescending voice, "If there should be anyone famous here, it should be me."

    While the two siblings were having their usual argument, they arrived at the entrance of the city. However, they weren''t alone. Dozens of carriages stretched into what seemed like eternity. Eventually, their turn came, and they were granted ess into the city.

    The first thing that caught Nox and Serena''s eyes was the wide cobblestone street and the beautifully arranged shops lining both sides.

    On the wide cobblestone roads themselves, luxurious carriages moved in an orderly fashion, as if the coachmen had been trained for this precision all their lives. On the pedestrian walkways, knights in silver-ted armor patrolled with an air of authority. Above the city, several banners fluttered in the wind, their vibrant colors and sigils catching everyone''s attention.

    "Once every five years! The No. 1 Academy in the Vermilion Kingdom Entrance exam will be held a few days from now! Everyone from age 13-20 is eligible for participation!" Nox read the advertisement on the banner aloud.

    "We still have a day before the exams, so I think we should head over to an inn," Serena suggested. "We''ll take two rooms¡ªme and Nox will share one... no, I mean, what am I even saying?"

    Serena felt her cheeks be hot as she quickly said, "What I meant to say is... me and Nyx will share one room, while Nox will take one because he''s a boy, and boys are not meant..."

    This bitch... was what Nyx wanted to say, but cursing wasn''t in her nature.

    "How about we tour the city first in the meantime?" Nox suggested, breaking the silence. Your next read awaits at mvl

    "That isn''t a bad idea," both girls agreed, much to the coachman''s dismay.

    The poor man yawned, rubbing his eyes. He had been traveling nonstop for days, and now, instead of resting, these inconsiderate brats wanted to sightsee.

    The group''s first stop was the Adventurer''s Guild, arge hexagonal structure with sturdy stone towers. Right outside the building, a magnificent fountain greeted visitors. This fountain was carved from pristine white marble and depicted a heroic figure holding a sword aloft as water cascaded gracefully from beneath their feet.

    Adventurers walked in and out of the guild, each one different. Some carried swords, others staffs, and a few were armed with bows and quivers. Many more wielded strange and unique weapons. A handful of adventurers sat around the fountain reading quest parchments, their expressions ranging from excitement to dread.

    "Who is that?" Nox asked, gesturing toward the statue. He had seen this same figure repeatedly throughout the capital¡ªat almost every junction, square, and za. It was irritating. Whoever this person was, they seemed desperate to assert their dominance, as if screaming, "Look at me! I''m important!"

    But more than that, Nox found the statue''s face very punchable. His brow twitched as he muttered, "I can already tell we wouldn''t get along if we ever crossed paths."

    "That''s the current king of the Vermilion Kingdom, Aldrich Vermilion," the coachman said, his tone neutral but informative. Thankfully, this wasn''t his first trip from the western region to the capital, so he was very informed.

    In a hushed voice, as if scared someone could hear him, he whispered, "But there''s a rumor that, a long time ago, there were only statues of the legendary Awakened who participated in the Great War of Rebirth."

    "Then where did he keep those statues?" Nyx asked with a furrowed brow. This was what Nox wanted to ask as well. All this while, the only statues they''d been seeing were those of the annoying king.

    In thest few years, Nox had learned more about the Great War of Rebirth, a history most didn''t know much about because the elders rarely spoke of it. The memories of that time were anything but pleasant.

    ording to his grandfather, several decades ago, strange rifts had torn open in various parts of the human domain.

    Humans initially thought these were just dimensional rifts or portal breaks, phenomena that typically urred when monsters overloaded a dimensional rift.

    Contrary to their expectations, what emerged from the rifts weren''t beasts but humanoids who possessed an intelligence that rivaled that of humans. In fact, his grandpa had vividly described them in high-level armor, their bodies pale, almost gray, with pulsing green and blue veins running through them, wielding advanced weapons¡ªweapons none of them had ever seen before. These beings exuded an aura of authority and danger, as if their very presence signaled the end of an era.

    On top of their frightening appearance, these beings were immensely powerful, and two or more Awakened were required to take down a single one of them.

    For years, the humans fought these invaders, who were hell-bent on wiping any sentient being from the world. It was bloodshed! A one-sided massacre and millions lost their lives.

    These beings nketed the sun with their advanced weapons, plunging the entire world into darkness, making it extremely difficult for the human Awakened to see and fight their enemies, who were attuned to darkness and could see as though it was daytime.

    The killings continued, while the other countless races in Eos did nothing to help the humans, as they didn''t want to get entangled in the conflict.

    It was at this moment, Arthur, who had just returned from an expedition,unched a counterattack on these beings!

    Along with his beastpanions, he was a force of nature, simply unstoppable, and eventually pushed them back to the rift where they came from, though they vowed to return. Till this day, they''ve never been spotted again.

    After a brief moment of silence, the coachman answered Nox''s earlier question. "All those statues were destroyed by the current king and reced with this one."

    "Did he participate in the war?" Nox asked. Perhaps it was because he felt he yed a major role in the war, so he decided to ce his statues everywhere. That could be it... it was the only thing Nox could think of. There''s no one so shameless as to im credit for a battle they never fought... right?

    But...

    "No, he didn''t," the coachman responded, hate palpable in his voice. "He was a coward and hid behind the walls of the castle until the war came to an end."

    Just as the coachman finished speaking, a white light shed, and the head of the statue plunged into the pool, sshing everywhere, shocking all the Awakened present there.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer! I really appreciate!

 Chapter 304: Law Breakers [2]

    Ssh!

    As the massive head of the statue fell into the pool beneath the waterfall, all the Awakened present were startled and quickly jumped to their feet. Each summoned their weapons, looking around with wary gazes.

    "What happened? Is the Adventurer''s Guild under attack?!"

    "I didn''t even sense any magical energies!"

    "Who did this? The person had better show themselves!"

    "Dammit, dammit." While the Awakened were furiously searching for the one who had attacked the statue, the coachman was cursing in his mind. His entire body trembled, and sweat soaked his clothes, trickling down his forehead.

    Why wouldn''t he be terrified? The one who had attacked the statue was right in front of him! It was none other than Nyx! He hadn''t even seen her make a move.

    But what was even more important was how she had severed the head of the statue while standing several meters away. The coachman wouldn''t have believed it, but the sword still in Nyx''s grasp, along with the trace of holy light engulfing it, was all the proof he needed.

    Even Nox and Serena hadn''t seen Nyx make a move, but somehow, they felt proud of what she had done. In fact, out of anger, Nox had been about to do the exact same thing.

    In contrast to them, however, the coachman was still sweating bullets. These kids are going to get me in trouble!

    At that moment, the coachman''s worst fear became reality as one of the Awakened shouted: "Brats! Were you the ones who destroyed the statue?" Continue your journey with mvl

    The middle-aged Awakened found it hard to believe that something like this could be done from such a distance. However, the girl was still holding her sword, and traces of the white light they had seen lingered on the de.

    As unbelievable as it sounded, it had to be them. Seeing that neither the girl nor herpanions refuted the usation, their silence only served to confirm their guilt.

    The middle-aged man frowned as he approached the group of four standing beside the carriage. "Kids, none of us like having this statue here either, but this is an offense ording to the Vermilion Kingdom''s royal decree. As such, you muste with us."

    Many people had wanted to do what Nyx had just done for years, but they didn''t have the guts and were too scared to offend the king. Although they felt admiration for the kids, they also pitied them at the same time.

    "Dammit, the Guild Master must know about this. Someone, quickly go fetch him."

    Inside the Adventurer''s Guild building, a man with gray hair and eyes of the same color sat, dressed in a dark crimson robe adorned with intricate silver patterns. Despite his aged appearance, the sharpness in his eyes and the fierceness within them were undeniable.

    This man was none other than Guild Master Boris Fanum, one of the most powerful experts in the royal capital. He stood on the same level as figures like Briget and the heads of the Big Four, who were just beneath the king in influence and strength.

    At the moment, Boris was speaking to a simrly aged man dressed in armor bearing a striking emblem on his chest. If Nathan were here, he would have recognized the symbol with a single nce.

    While the two were engrossed in their meeting, a heavy fist mmed into the door.

    BANG! BANG!

    "Who in the zing hell wants to bring down my door?!" the gray-haired man shouted angrily, his eyes burning with rage. He had instructed not to be disturbed, as the person he was meeting with was not only an old acquaintance but also very important.

    Sensing the anger in the Guild Master''s voice, the individual on the other side hurriedly reported without catching a breath. "Sir, there''s an emergency! A group of kids just destroyed the king''s statue at the entrance!"

    The fire in Boris''s eyes dimmed as his brows furrowed. "What?"

    ---

    Outside, the situation had only escted.

    "Dammit, we could''ve just gone to the inn like Serena suggested," the coachman mumbled under his breath as he nced at the Awakened, who were reluctantly pointing their swords at the group. He could tell they didn''t want to do it, but it felt like a formality they needed to uphold until the higher-ups arrived to assess the situation.

    "Where are they?" Just then, a powerful voice echoed from behind, and the Awakened stepped to the side one by one. Guild Master Boris Fanum stepped forward, staring at the culprits who had broken one of thews in the capital.

    He briefly appraised them and thought they were very powerful for their age. However, apart from that, he didn''t find them remarkable, nor did their attire suggest they belonged to a powerful family.

    "Which one of you did it?" the Guild Master asked in an authoritative voice that was powerful enough to make even a high-level Awakened tremble. However, apart from the trembling coachman, the three teenagers wore defiant expressions, which slightly shocked not only Boris but everyone present.

    "It was all of us," Nox said, holding the man''s gaze. "I didn''t want to do it, but after hearing a certain piece of news, we were triggered, and I couldn''t hold myself back. I''m sorry to say this, but if I could go back in time, I''d still do the same thing."

    The Guild Master remained silent for a while, simply staring at Nox. He didn''t know if he should call the teenager brave or simply too hot-tempered. After a moment, the old man''s lips parted as he said in a deep voice, "Bold words, kid, but bravery without foresight leads to destruction." He then moved his gaze to Nyx. ording to the Awakened who had fetched him, it was this girl who had initiated the attack.

    "You must be the one who struck the statue. Care to exin your actions?" he asked in a calm voice.

    Nox shrugged and said in a tone devoid of emotion, "Like my brother said, I got triggered, and that''s it."

    The Guild Master let out a heavy puff of air, as if he were both frustrated and resigned. "Very well then. We''ll take you to the royal prison, where you''ll face trial. Before that senil¡ª I mean, the king thinks we were the ones who destroyed the statue."

    Gesturing toward the Awakened, he gave the order. "Take them to the royal prison. The king will decide their fate."

    After giving this order, Boris Fanum was about to return to his abruptly suspended meeting when someone said:

    "Hold up!"

 Chapter 305: The Entrance Exam [1]

    Boris Fanum frowned. The voice that echoed from behind was firm and powerful. Some high-level Awakened found it familiar, but they weren''t sure why, as this person had no reason to interfere with the situation.

    The Awakened present slowly turned their heads toward the direction of the voice. However, due to the crowd, they couldn''t yet see the speaker. Those at the front, though, caught a glimpse of him. Boris Fanum, along with the others pointing their swords at the group, froze as they noticed the figure approaching. The only sound audible was that of light, confident steps.

    For some reason, the speaker''s prolonged appearance made the others restless. It had only been a few seconds since the voice sounded, but to them, it felt like an hour had passed.

    Just then, the person in question came into view, and a gasp of shock escaped the lips of everyone. Even Boris Fanum narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand why this person, who didn''t seem bothered by most of the things happening in the capital, would suddenly step up.

    Nox and Serena were also curious about this person''s motives. With a single nce, Nox could tell the man was extremely powerful. If they hadn''t been so focused on him, they might have noticed the surprised gleam in Nyx''s eyes upon seeing the man.

    "Uncle." She didn''t even realize when the word left her mouth.

    "Huh?" At this moment, Nox and Serena turned their gazes to Nyx. What did she mean by uncle? Beside Nyx and Serena, all the Awakened, along with the guild master, also stared at the girl, waiting for some sort of exnation.

    Could she be bluffing? Or had she mistaken this man for someone else?

    Just then, the bald man who had just appeared smiled softly and said in a calm yet teasing tone, "Brat, nice to see you as well."

    This man was, of course, Brawn Collins, the leader of the Silent Whispers and the one who had told Nyx to refer to him as ''uncle'' in the Grand Colosseum just before her fight with Ainsworth. Almost ten years had passed since then, yet the man looked no different from the day Nyx had first met him.

    "They really did know each other."

    Sensing the warmth, which was rare in Brawn''s voice, the Awakened began to murmur among themselves.

    Nox peered at the man and looked from all angles to see if there was any resemnce to Nathan or his mother, but he found nothing, leaving him even more confused. Seeing the confusion, Nyx whispered, "It''splicated."

    "You must be Nox." Sensing Nox''s scrutinizing gaze, Brawn said as he approached, ruffling Nox''s hair and even pinching his stick-like arm as if to check if he was sturdy enough.

    Nox was confused by this action but did nothing to stop it. This man seemed like a powerful person around here, and if he was truly their uncle, he was their best bet at getting away from this trouble.

    "Your grandfather told me a lot about you," the man said. "He said you were very strong. Now that I''m meeting you in person, I can see he wasn''t bluffing."

    "Well, I trained and worked hard a lot," Nox responded with a smile, thinking to himself, So it''s from Grandfather''s side, huh?

    Seeing the interaction between his important guest and thewbreakers, the guild master couldn''t hold back anymore and asked, "Guild Master Brawn, from the looks of things, it seems you''re familiar with these kids."

    "Of course, these kids are Nathan''s grandchildren," Brawn said without taking his gaze from Nyx, adding, "and Arthur''s children."

    Gasp! Gasp!

    The breathing of every single person hitched as soon as they heard Arthur''s and Nathan''s names, and they suddenly looked at Nox and Nyx in a different light. Saying they were stunned would be an understatement.

    Arthur was a legend! He was like a myth that many didn''t believe in because of his grandiose tales, but the Awakened and Boris Fanum of the Adventurer''s Guild knew better. They knew that all the rumors about Arthur were actually true. After all, the likes of the guild master had also participated in the Great War of Rebirth!

    Seeing the stunned expressions, Brawn''s gray eyes gleamed, and his lips curved upwards slightly as he decided to strike while the iron was hot, saying, "Also, if you look closely, you''ll recognize her as the one who bested Prince Ainsworth a few years ago."

    "You''re right!"

    "It''s been so long, but it''s truly her! She''s the one who avenged those hundreds ofmoners that day! My little brother was among them!" One of them broke into tears right there and then.

    Several people were speaking at once, some praising Nyx while others were thanking her for beating Ainsworth that day. The collective noise almost made Boris numb.

    After learning the true identities of these kids, the guild master was in a state of dilemma. Like many others, he admired and respected Arthur. The rightful statues that should have adorned the capital should have been his.

    Finding out that their father wasn''t receiving the recognition he deserved might have truly triggered them, the guild master thought. He was beginning to understand their reasoning and could even see himself doing something simr if he were in their shoes.

    "You''re indeed famous," Nox mumbled to himself, slightly surprised when he saw the excited looks on the people''s faces. They were very simr to the ones he saw in the eyes of hardcore fans of celebrities.

    Nyx brushed her hair back and smugly said, "Tsk, you should know by now that bluffing is not in my nature. If I say I''m big, I''m truly big."

    "Tsk."

    "Guild Master! I have an Earth Maniption affinity¡ªI can reattach the head of the statue!" an Awakened from the crowd shouted.

    "Yes, nobody has to know what happened here today," another chimed in.

    "I''d rather die than watch Arthur''s son get sent to prison!"

    Hearing the collective voices of the crowd, Nox was both amused and surprised. He couldn''t help but think with a sly grin, Damn, should I start a coup d''¨¦tat?

    Though he was only joking, there was actually a possibility¡ªif he acquired enough strength and took advantage of the people''s admiration for his father.

    "Very well then," the guild master sighed and gestured to the Awakened with the Earth Maniption affinity to get to work. After fixing the statue, for added security, the guild master made everyone swear an oath to never reveal anything that happened today.

    "Butds." Before thewbreakers were finally freed, Boris Fanum still had something to say. "You lot should learn how to control your anger. At this pace, I wouldn''t be surprised if you attacked the king if you came across him."

    Your next chapter is on mvl

    "Well, never!" Both Serena and the coachman bowed their heads slightly and said. Although Nox and Nyx also bowed their heads, there were different thoughts in their minds.

    Oh, we''re going to attack him, alright, the two thought. Just not now.

    After thanking Brawn Collins and the guild master to the relief of the coachman, they left the Adventurer''s Guild in their carriage.

    As he watched the disappearing back of the carriage, Boris Fanum walked toward Brawn Collins.

    "The boy¡­ is he the one?" Boris asked in a low voice, not wanting the others nearby to hear.

    "Yes, he''s the one we have to keep an eye on." Boris nodded with a solemn expression. "After all, I heard members of the ming Rose have already infiltrated the capital, and they''ll certainly not rest until they take their revenge."

    ...

    The following day, the entrance exam officially began.

 Chapter 306: The Entrance Exam [2]

    The sun slowly rose into the sky, casting a golden radiance all over the capital! The city was especially active today as several carriages moved back and forth towards the eastern direction of a royal ind where the prestigious Vermilion Academy was located.

    The gold- and silver-crested gates that were usually closed and restricted only to a few people were opened, revealing the beautiful spiraling bridge and the clear, flowing blue water below.

    "Woah, so beautiful!"

    "I''ve always dreamed ofing to the royal ind. I can''t believe we''re finally here!"

    From the carriages, several of the examinees pointed at the towering castles and cried out in ecstasy. Some of them were even hugging each other. With the twin beautiful castles and flying carriages with cannons patrolling the air, the ind was simply magnificent.

    A determined look appeared in the eyes of the examinees as they swore to pass the exam. If they had pushed themselves to their limits before, this breathtaking view ignited a fire within them, and they swore to pour their entire soul into this exam.

    "Yawn."

    From one of the carriages, Nox yawned as he nced outside. Beside him were, of course, Nyx and Serena. After leaving the Adventure Guild, they had checked into an expensive inn!

    Yes, the Cromwells were now very wealthy after iming the two-dimensional rifts on the Amstrong Duchy and the one in their Cromwell Barony! Now they could even go toe-to-toe with some of the noble families in the capital, though not the big four.

    "I wonder if the students are allowed to leave this ind... feels like a prison," Nox muttered with a slightly dazed expression on his face as he looked out the windows of the carriage.

    Being holed up in the academy all the time would be boring, so Nox had already made ns to go out into the city and explore more. Not only that, there was still the ice elemental crystal that he was yet to trade. In the capital, he was certain that he would definitely find an auction.

    After the first gate that led to the ind, there was yet another gate at the entrance of the Academy. Nox''s carriage parked outside this gate along with several more carriages.

    There were over a thousand people gathered here, and the air was filled with a cacophony of noise as everyone stepped out of their respective carriages.

    They were all talking at once like excited children who had juste across their favorite toys in a grand store. It was so loud that Nox doubted how anyone could possibly understand one another with the volume of their voices being so high, because he couldn''t make out what they were saying. They sounded like broken TV static.

    Suddenly, at that moment, the gates leading to the academy opened wide invitingly, and like ants, the examinees all rushed in, some even tripping and being stomped on the ground. But thanks to being Awakened, apart from minimal injuries, they didn''t die.

    Of course, Nox and his group weren''t foolish enough to rush in. It wasn''t like the academy was disappearing or something like that. They''d wait until the entrance was free enough.

    "Fools, I bet they''ll be among the first batch to be eliminated."

    Nox heard someone standing a few meters away say. Their voice was deep, intimidating, and tough, the kind women found pleasing to hear.

    The voice belonged to a golden-haired youth of about 18-19. He was dressed in light ck armor that hugged his fit, bulging form¡ªa result of rigorous training from a rtively young age. Just like his golden hair, even his eyes were of a simr color.

    However, unlike the naive eyes of the others, this boy''s gaze was full of maturity¡ªsharp and piercing, much like the heavy sledgehammer that rested on his shoulders.

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    Just out of curiosity, Nox wished to know the basic information about this individual, and their information cascaded down in his retina.

    [Kali - LV 50]

    Nox wasn''t the only one who had used the basic appraisal. Several people around the surrounding area had also tried it, and the blood drained from their faces, theirplexions turning as white as a sheet of paper.

    "He looks around our age, but how is he already so strong?"

    "Lv 50, this is insane! Who is this person?"

    "I hope we won''t be paired up with him," a student said in a trembling voice. "I pity the person who''ll face him."

    The academy entrance exam was unpredictable every five years. A few years back, some exams repeated, catching unprepared examinees off guard. In thest five years, it had been one-on-one battles. Most of the examinees were praying such a situation wouldn''t happen today.

    Just then...

    "Ah, it seems I''m not the only mature one here," Nox mumbled to himself. Though his voice was low, it was still loud enough for everyone to hear. Simultaneously, Serena and Nyx felt countless gazes piercing their backs like arrows aimed with intent.

    Because of the sheer confidence, most people thought he was powerful too. After all, he was surrounded by two exquisite, beautiful girls, capable of triggering the desires and admiration of young adults.

    However, upon seeing that Nox was just level 20¡ªno different from the level most of them were¡ªthey lost all interest in him and even scowled in disdain. How dare he speak so arrogantly with his measly strength?

    Level 20 was just the threshold for neers here. Even the weakest person here was around level 18-19. Apart from his handsome looks and his height, there wasn''t anything special about him. Some even believed that he would be among the first batch to be eliminated in thispetition.

    Suddenly, the hooves of horses and the tires of a carriage sounded, silencing the whispers of the crowd. Wondering who wasing sote, heads turned toward the direction of a luxurious carriage. A single nce was all they needed to know who this carriage belonged to, as they saw the sword and shield insignia, which belonged to the Adventure Guild!

    "Is that...?" one of the students murmured in a trembling voice, a mixture of awe and fear.

    "It''s Theo Fanum, the guild master''s son!" someone else eximed, causing a wave of whispers to spread through the crowd all over again.

    Nox, along with Nyx and Serena, narrowed their eyes, a sharp silver light gleaming within them. The name Fanum was very familiar... was this person rted to the guild master of the Adventure Guild?

    From within the carriage, the youth in question stepped out with confident, refined steps.

    Theo was striking. In terms of handsomeness, he was only below Nox. His ck hair was neatly styled back, and his grey eyes shimmered with a predatory gleam that seemed to pierce through anyone who dared meet his gaze. Wearing ornate white and golden armor, the elegant youth held a sheathed, jewel-encrusted longsword.

    "Level 55...!" And of course, those present didn''t hesitate to appraise the neer. After seeing his ring level, their faces immediately went pale as they realized the huge gap between themselves and the young man.

    Theo''s lips curled into a slight smirk as he scanned the crowd, clearly enjoying the reaction of everyone. As he stepped forward, just as he was about to enter the gate, his sharp gaze fell on Nyx, and he stopped in his tracks.

 Chapter 307: The Entrance Exam 3

    Looking at the elegant youth, Nox was wondering why he had decided to stop right in front of them, of all ces.

    He was not the only one confused; even the other examinees were also confused. They briefly wondered if the youth was an acquaintance or if he was in a rtionship with the girl. All eyes were now fixed in Cromwell''s direction, waiting for what would unfold.

    As for Nox, he didn''t outright do anything. He was not stupid enough to kill someone just because they looked at his sister. Perhaps Nyx knew him as well; after all, she had been here.

    "Sorry for intruding on your personal space," Theo said in a soft, almost feminine voice as he looked at Nyx and praised in a genuine tone: "I know you might not know me, but I witnessed your fight against Ainsworth, and I couldn''t help but be impressed by your skills. You were remarkable, truly."

    "What is he on about?"

    "It seems they are meeting each other for the first time as well, but what fight is he talking about?"

    Because it had been over five years since the fight with Ainsworth, most people had already forgotten about it. In the past years, Nyx had also grown more mature and refined, shedding her childish look. Enjoy new stories from mvl

    Hearing Theo''s words, Nyx raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by the praise but didn''t let it show on her face. She said coolly with a neutral expression, "Thank you."

    Nox didn''t say anything else, and an awkward silence fell. Seeing this, Theo smiled faintly and introduced himself. "By the way, I''m Theo Fanum. I look forward to meeting you in the exam. I hope you''ve improved a lot sincest time."

    Then, after a graceful bow and a nod to Nox and Serena, acknowledging their presence, the elegant, armored youth walked away. Nox''s gaze lingered on Theo''s back for a while; he found this boy very interesting.

    He wasn''t rude like the typical young masters who believed everyone was beneath them. But Nox didn''t think too much about it, as it could all be a facade to get into Nyx''s good books. He didn''t find this idea far-fetched.

    Though he didn''t dwell on it, the same couldn''t be said for a certain green-haired boy who was quietly observing everything from a rtively far distance.

    "She''s be even more beautiful," the green-haired youth clenched his fists as he stared daggers at Theo''s back as he made his way toward the academy gate.

    ---

    Inside the Academy, in the staff room, a group of figures was watching the thousand-plus students on a magical screen. Seated at the center of this group was none other than Bridgett.

    The stunning purple-haired woman gently moved her hair behind her ear, a faint and sensual smile curling up on her delicate, cupid-shaped lips. Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of anticipation and excitement for what was about to unfold.

    In the other seats sat the powerful instructors of the academy. They were all Awakened individuals, dressed in a mix of armor and light robes, with their weapons by their sides despite being on Royal Ind¡ªthe safest ce in the entire Vermilion kingdom.

    But this was not out of paranoia. For the Awakened, carrying their weapons at all times was simply a way of life.

    Among the familiar faces, there were one or two that Nox and Nyx would have recognized if they were present: Brawn Collins of the Silent Whispers and Boris Fanum of the Adventure Guild.

    Both men had not been invited but decided to watch the examination, curious to see how the next generation performed and if there were outstanding talents to keep their eyes on.

    Unfortunately, the other various guilds in the Capital didn''t have a good rtionship with the Academy. So even if they wanted to observe, they couldn''t.

    "Miss Bridgett, who would you say are the most promising examinees likely toe out first?" Boris asked curiously as he leaned back in his seat.

    Bridgett tilted her head, her piercing gaze flickering briefly over the crowd of examinees before settling on Boris. Her lips curled into a faint, knowing smile as she straightened her posture.

    It wasmon knowledge that some of these examinees had been personally scouted by Bridgett. If anyone had an urate estimate of their strength and potential, it was her.

    "If it was before, I would have said it was Theo, Kali, or Ainsworth." She paused and nced at the screen again, and by coincidence, it showed a handsome boy entering the academy premises apanied by two beautifuldies. She said, "But not anymore."

    "What do you mean?" one of the academy instructors pointed out. "If I remember correctly, Theo is level 55 and is just 18. Not only that, butst time I checked, he''s your personal disciple. If anyone should clinch first ce, it should be him."

    Everyone present nodded in agreement. Even Boris Fanum had a slightly confused expression on his face. He believed his son was the strongest person here. This was because Bridgett owed him a favor, and in return, he had made her train Theo from a young age.

    Theo was without a doubt a special ss student!

    "Not even Kali?" Boris mumbled in a low voice. Kali was just 18 as well but was already under the Duskwood Guild, which belonged to Lady Seraphina Duskwood¡ªone of the Big Four in the Vermilion Kingdom.

    For him to be recruited by a top 5 powerhouse meant only one thing: he was immensely talented! These two were the favorites for this tournament. If anyone should take first and second ce, it should be these two.

    Yet¡­ yet Bridgett, the most knowledgeable person regarding the examinees, had ruled these two out.

    "Then who?" Boris and Brawn''s voices ovepped as they simultaneously asked at once.

    ---

    Meanwhile, Nox, Serena, and Nyx finally essed the Academy premises as well. They were currently standing in one of the numerous lines to register basic information on a parchment before the exams started.

    Because of the presence of guards, the examinees were much more silent¡ªa silence that Nox appreciated. But just as it was about to reach his turn, his eyes shed as he saw someone from the corner.

    "What a pleasant surprise." Nox smiled. He didn''t think he woulde across this person again in the Academy''s entrance exam, of all ces.

    It seemed even the said person had noticed his presence and had frozen as if they''d seen a ghost.

    This person was none other than a crystal-blue-eyed girl with sky-blue hair, which was purposely styled into two buns, seemingly hiding something.

 Chapter 308: Entrance Exam: Meeting Again

    Nox was more than surprised to see Zara here, of all ces. Was she here to take part in the entrance exam as well?

    "Things don''t make sense. Why would a Dragon attend a human academy?" Nox mumbled to himself. It was very strange and baffling. Wasn''t she afraid that her identity could get exposed?

    Humans were very avaricious. Nox had already witnessed firsthand this greed during the battle with the elemental beast in Snowhelm. They had literally made a truce to ughter each other after the beast was killed. Thest person standing would then walk away with the elemental crystal.

    "If I heard correctly, Wendy had said even the academy needed the elemental crystal at that time. If she''s exposed, not only would the nobles and the Awakened hunt her down, even the academy that''s supposed to shelter her would turn its back on her."

    Thinking of this, Nox wondered how no one had identified her as a beast yet. In Eos, though they couldn''t see the skills and evolution paths of beasts, Awakened could easily identify beasts.

    Though he didn''t know it, this was because of a special item in Zara''s possession. Not only was it able to mask her status, it also got rid of any traces of her bestial aura as well.

    ''Either way, this is a good thing. All I have to do is hurry up and make her my pet before her identity is exposed.''

    Zara''s heart pounded in her chest as she saw the dark-haired boy who was smiling at her as if he had seen a long-lost friend.

    ''What is he doing here?''

    In the western region, she had noticed that someone was trailing her. She strongly suspected that it was Nox because he was the only one who had shown interest in her. Taking several turns and hiding, she had sessfully shaken her pursuer off her tail.

    Who would''ve thought this boy, who gave her chills on her skin, woulde to the academy as well? She felt a dilemma. Should she return to hiding and find another alternative?

    ''No!'' When she thought about this, Zara clenched her fist, her eyes shining with determination. Zara, like all dragons, was a being that viewed humans as a lesser species in the first ce. Usually, she wouldn''t even spare a nce at humans and simply ignored them. The only one who had made her doubt her convictions was Nox.

    ''I havee a long way. I won''t abandon my mission just because I feel ufortable in the presence of a lowly mortal.''

    The words were like a spark and seemed to have boosted Zara''s already big ego as she held her head high, walking towards the academy instructor who was in charge of the registration. Her expression was so stoic that Nox almost doubted if she was the one with the pale expression just a few seconds ago.

    "What''s your name?" The woman with rimmed sses asked.

    "Zara. My name is Zara Frostpire." Zara said in a formal voice, void of any emotions.

    "Age?"

    "15."

    "Are you even an Awakened?" The woman frowned when she tried to gauge Zara''s level; however, nothing came up, which gave her the impression that the blue-haired girl was one of those rich kids who liked hiding their status with an item. Stay updated via mvl

    The reason for this thought process was pretty simple: they wanted to hide their actual level and catch their opponents off guard, or to make them courteous. It was an old trick and always worked, but the thing was...

    Zara wasn''t really hiding her status with any magic items. But of course, she didn''t have to tell the woman that.

    "Yes." She responded with a faint nod.

    "Which ss are you?" She asked for proof. This wasn''t a basic procedure, and the academy epted both mundanes and Awakened.

    However, they were still required to keep an estimate of the total mundanes and Awakened in the academy.

    Zara opened her palm, and the air around her began to sizzle, growing colder with each passing moment as a white mist swirled in her open palm before bing solid, taking the form of a crystalline ice ball.

    "A frost mage. Not bad and pretty good control as well." The instructor nodded, impressed. Sheter handed a white emblem, which Zara pinned on the left side of her chest before walking towards a gathering in the distance.

    Meanwhile, in the other line, soon it was Nox''s turn, and the same procedure was repeated all over again. When they asked about his ss, Nox said he had a unique ss that allowed him to control beasts to do his bidding.

    When the instructor heard this, they were confused and would have said Nox was bluffing if not for his name, level, HP, and stamina hovering above his head.

    "Could you show us a demonstration?" The instructor asked.

    "Sure." Nox shrugged and proceeded to summon thirteen. The air crackled as a bluish portal appeared. Though the beast didn''t step out, the instructor could clearly see the panda with ice details on the other side.

    ''Is it a new pantheon?'' the instructor thought but didn''t stress over it too much as there were several sses in Eos; it was natural that he wouldn''t know all of them.

    Granted ess, Nox, Serena, and Nyx joined the gathering. They were told to wait here for further information before the entrance exam officially began.

    While he was standing, Nox was actively taking note of his surroundings, trying to identify potential threats. Though Bridget had promised him a special ss, this was more like bait to make him join the academy. Whether he would actually join the special ss depended on his performance.

    As he was looking around, Nox spotted some pretty interesting people with rtively high levels. There were also a few who wore masks covering their entire face, and others who wore full-body armor as if not wanting any part of their body to be seen.

    Nox''s gaze lingered on one who had sheathed a sword on their back. He couldn''t tell if that person was male or female, but there was something familiar about them. It felt as if they''d met in the past, but he couldn''t recall the time or the ce.

    As if sensing his gaze, the full-bodied armored Awakened nced at him. The two gazes collided for a brief moment, which felt like several minutes, before both simultaneously looked away.

    Soon, there was a sudden gust of wind, which caused the hairs of almost everyone to be disheveled. On the elevated tform, a stunning purple-haired beauty with eyes of the same color appeared, her silk-colored gown fluttering in the wind.

    "Gasp! So beautiful!"

    The youths were immediately smitten by her look and started whispering in hushed voices.

    "Most of you know me already, but my name is Bridget Lockheart Vermilion. I''m the Headmistress of the Vermilion Royal Academy... I wee all of you to this year''s entrance exam!" Bridget announced in a clear, confident voice that reverberated in the air as she added, "The rules of this year''s entrance exam are as follows..."

 Chapter 309: The Entrance Exam: Snatching First Place?

    Bridget''s voice was like a ma, instantly attracting the attention of everyone present. Furthermore, the examinees were very silent, listening with strict attention as if they didn''t want to miss a single detail.

    There had been times in the past when examinees had failed the exam because they had been too excited. The youths didn''t want to suffer the same fate as their predecessors.

    Because of the silence, the audible beating of hearts was palpable in the air. Examinees clenched their fists, the females clutching the hems of their dresses, their eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation. The nature of the entrance exam would determine how well they performed, as it would dictate their standing among their peers and in Eos!

    Attending a prestigious academy like this would easily secure a spot in top-ranking guilds and even positions in the king''s court, if one were lucky enough. Failure was simply out of the question. Among the throng of examinees, only a few remained calm, their gazes nonchnt.

    They were: Nox, Nyx, Zara, Theo, and Kali, along with the fully-armored Awakened. Not even a hint of anxiety or restlessness could be detected on their serene faces, which were like masks of indifference. Instead, they seemed bored, as if they just wanted to get the test over with.

    Bridget took a deliberate pause, letting the tension build further. Her sharp gaze swept across the crowd, lingering on a few faces, then she said in a clear, firm voice: "For this year''s exam, you''ll all be granted ess to a level four dimension!"

    Gasp! Gasp!

    A Level Four Dimension! Most of the students'' faces went pale, and dread crawled through their skin. Though such dimensions held bountiful treasures, Level Four Dimensions were ssified as high-level¡ªdangerous ces teeming with high-level beasts!

    If one was not Fortunate enough they might even encounter an Emperor Tier beast!

    Under normal circumstances, as long as you were below Level 40, you were not required to enter one.

    "A Level Four Dimension, huh?" Nox mumbled to himself, his lips curving upward into a mischievous smirk. This would be his first time entering a golden-colored Level Four Dimension as well. Initially, he hadn''t thought much of the exam, but now, he was genuinely excited.

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    What was a dimension? It was a ce popted with endless magical beasts, which meant experience points and opportunities to level up!

    Though the majority of examinees wore bitter expressions, as if they were suffering from a terrible stomach ache, the eyes of a few shone with excitement!

    "That''s not all." Sensing the excitement of the students, Bridget spoke again, a dazzling yet terrifying smile on her face that made her look like an evil witch.

    The smile made the students think things weren''t as easy as they seemed.

    And her next words confirmed their suspicions.

    "Each examinee would be handed a base token worth one point," she continued. "Over the course of one day, you''ll have to steal tokens from each other throughbat or whatever means that''s convenient for you."

    At the end of the day, the total size of the tokens would determine the winner, with a timer of 19 hours.

    "After the timer is up, anyone with a low token count will be disqualified. The total number of examinees that will pass this round is 500 out of two thousand!"

    After the announcement, the students were soon led through the cobblestone streets of the academy. From the windows of the European-styled castle, Nox felt the gaze of the students staring down at them.

    "The academy restrictions are really strict this time around; only five hundred students will pass," Serena said, rubbing her palms together, feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed.

    "Cheer up, knowing you, I know you''ll be among the top 100," Nox said with a genuine smile as he casually ced his arm around Serena. The cheeks of the beautiful girl turned a slight shade of red, and her heart raced so loudly that she could hear it. She quickly looked away.

    Serena panicked internally. She couldn''t let him notice! ''Stay calm, Serena. Don''t let him see how flustered you are!''

    Though she was a bit nervous, she feltfortable being so close to Nox. Summoning her courage, she nced up. Serena was not short in any way, but because of Nox''s height, she appeared much smaller.

    "You think too highly of me," she said in a low, timid voice.

    "Of course, why wouldn''t I?" Nox asked in a casual tone. "I have seen your improvement. Though their levels are high, a high level doesn''t necessarily mean strength or guarantee you would win. Take me for example... most of the levels of most of these guys here are much higher than mine, but because of my skills, in the end, I''ll end up snatching first ce."

    "Huh, who said that?"

    Because everyone was walking in silence, Nox''s words had echoed far and wide, and everyone''s attention shifted to him. This level of confidence!

    But before they could even say a single word, Bridget said, cutting through the tension and drawing the attention back to her. "We''re here."

    Soon, they arrived at the back of the academy, in front of a giant iron double gate. Bridget didn''t hesitate and pushed the door open. Inside was a single swirling bright, zing golden-colored portal that radiated a powerful aura, causing most of the students to be uneasy, and a few to lick their lips in excitement.

    Bridget stood at the forefront of the portal and said, "Your tokens are now being distributed. Once inside, you''re on your own. No alliances, no mercy. This is your first step into greatness," then she paused and added with a charming smile, "Or failure."

    The blue tokens appeared in their hands, glowing faintly, and everyone gripped them tightly, knowing that this was their lifeline! If they lost it, they might as well say goodbye to the academy and staying on the royal ind.

    Bridget nced at Nox, who was examining his token with a calcting expression, and thought with a sigh, "I hope you won''t disappoint me, Nox."

    One by one, the students stepped into the portal. The first thing that caught their attention was the heavy scent of wood, and as they nced around, they found themselves in a dense forest with towering trees that were as tall as skyscrapers back on Earth, and trunks that were as thick as a small house.

    The wind howled fiercely, and Nox, along with the others, could hear the distant roars of beasts who sounded extremely hungry, as if they hadn''t eaten for days.

    Just in front of the portal, there was a teleportation circle. The examinees stepped on this circle one after the other and were all teleported randomly. This was done on purpose to avoid all-out confrontation from the get-go!

    When all the examinees were sessfully teleported randomly, the exam began!

 Chapter 310: Did We Just Got Robbed?

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Atop the thick trees, which were approximately the height of a fifteen-story building, the wind howled fiercely as figures swooshed through the air! They were moving so fast that it would be difficult for the eyes to follow them.

    These were not examinees who wanted to participate in the entrance exam; they were instructors of the Royal Vermilion Academy, and high-level ones at that! The Awakened with the lowest level here was at level 60!

    Because of the nature of the entrance exam, Bridget, along with the other instructors, had allocated countless healers and other utility-type Awakened to carefully observe everything and step in if things got too serious, to the point of an examinee losing their life.

    The instructors were well aware that this kind of exam was anything but peaceful. These hot-blooded teenagers wouldn''t give up their token without putting up a fight; anyhow you looked at it, there was bound to be casualties.

    Fortunately, with their presence, the instructors hoped to reduce these casualties so that an examinee wouldn''t lose their life.

    Below the trees, near ake, a ck-haired youth with strands of red, dressed in a fit bluish attire, popped out of thin air like a ghost.

    "This teleportation can be very disgusting." Nox''s face twisted in disgust as he fought the urge to throw up his breakfast. He had been using teleportation back in Cromwell Barony, but this was the first time he had used it in quick session, which made him feel slightly unwell.

    It took only a few seconds for Nox to regain hisposure, and his gaze swept through his surroundings. What appeared in his view were rows of thick trunks. However, he was in a clearing with broken trees andrge footprints that he suspected belonged to a Beast. Just a few meters away from him, there was ake with clear water.

    As he sensed the thick scent of the forest, Nox couldn''t help butment in a low tone, "This ce reminds me a lot of the Luminary Forest."

    "Alright, guys,e out!" Nox called out, and the air seemed to hum as countless blue portals popped out, casting shadows on the ground. There were a total of four portals, and from these portals, Fluffington, Solora, Thirteen, and Astralux appeared.

    [Some beasts inside the taming space would be nice] Solora hissed, her forked tongue exposed as she stared around with a curious light shining in her gem-like eyes.

    [I second that, Solora is right] Fluffington imed as he stretched his body. It seemed he had been in a curled-up form for too long.

    Thirteen and Astralux, though not as vocal as the other two, nodded in agreement as well. In the past years, Nox had developed the taming space, improving it significantly. He had cleared the usual fog and ced more trees to make the ce much more habitable for his pets.

    ''But it seems like I have to make it more like a forest by cing high-tier level beasts. That way, it could also improve theirbat awareness,'' Nox thought with a serious expression.

    At that moment, Nox nodded and looked at his pets as he said seriously, "Alright, we''ll do that, but for now, I have a job for you guys."

    A job! Whenever Nox said he had a job or a mission for them, it automatically tranted to fighting! The eyes of all the pets shone with excitement¡­ even Astralux!

    Over the past years, Astralux had been influenced by both Thirteen and Fluffington, and she began to crave battling just like them. As for Solora, she grew up with her three siblings, who were battle maniacs, and thought it was natural for all beasts.

    "I''m far behind because of the system upgrade. I want to use this opportunity to level up as well... so," Nox paused as he whispered the rest of the job details.

    The level of excitement seemed to have soared to new heights, and with a burst of speed, Fluffington, Thirteen, Solora, and Astralux exploded in different directions, causing a powerful gust of wind to sweep through the surrounding area. The des of grass were blown into the air, along with dust. Continue your journey at §Þ??

    When the dust settled, the only one left in the scene was Nox. A momentter, he began to leave.

    "Because of the shared experience points and with the experience I''m going to receive, I should gain some new levels. Now, let''s get to work."

    A few stepster, a fierce roar reverberated. The aura smashed into him like a crushing wave. The power behind the roar was terrific! The trees shook, and a few were bent into awkward shapes before eventually snapping to the ground with a thunderous sound. A single roar had simultaneously destroyed several trees in its trajectory!

    "King tier!" Nox''s eyes gleamed as his clothes billowed in the wind as he rushed toward the direction of the beast.

    Meanwhile, in another part of the level four dimensional rift, the air was filled with tension as two Awakened, one level twenty-five and the other level twenty-three, faced off against each other.

    One of the Awakened was a girl with above-average appearance. She held a staff, suggesting that she was a mage, while the other was a spear-man. In his grasp was a sharp spear that reflected the sun in its gleaming steel.

    "Hand over your token, I don''t want to hurt a girl!" The boy pointed his spear at the girl. "But if you don''t, I''ll be forced to use force!"

    "Do your worst!" The girl''s eyes shed with defiance. This was her dream, and she hade a long way. She wouldn''t go down without a fight, even though her opponent surpassed her in levels.

    "Very well then!" The boy sneered as he shot forward, his spear poised for a strike.

    BANG!

    The girl also charged forward, the tip of her staff pulsing with a dangerous reddish glow that made her opponent slightly cautious in his heart. However, this was perfectly masked as he didn''t want to show any sign of weakness to the enemy.

    But just before the two could sh in what would have been a bloody epic fight, a creature with fur as dark as night appeared between them. The two noticed the presence of this neer and their eyes trembled! Because of the unexpected entrance, the two hesitated for a bit.

    That little time frame cost them dearly!

    Swoosh!

    ws shed in the air, and severe pain shot through their bodies as they copsed. A terrible w-shaped wound ran from their chests to their stomachs. The two were confused, wanting to speak, but the pain was just too unbearable.

    Under their terrified gaze, the ck creature elegantly strode forward to the girl with measured steps, as though it owned the forest. The girl held her breath as the creature roamed around her body before eventually picking the token she had carefully kept in her pocket with its mouth.

    The beast did the same thing with the spear-man as well before disappearing back into the bushes, as if nothing had happened.

    "What... just happened?" The two previous enemies asked each other with dumbfounded expressions. Did they just get robbed by a beast?

 Chapter 311: The One Who Would Dominate The Exam

    The two Awakened were dumbfounded at what had just happened. They even rubbed their eyes, wondering if they had been hallucinating. Because the creature, for some reason, didn''t target their vitals, the two Awakened were still very much alive.

    However, if left unattended for too long, they might lose their lives. Still, it gave them a moment to think about what had just transpired.

    "Is this a hidden part of the entrance exam?" The female Awakened mumbled to herself in a slightly dazed voice.

    "It must be, because why would a beast attack us and only steal our tokens?" The other boy nodded his head, and the previous battle intensity on his face was gone. The two even momentarily forgot that they were about to engage in a brutal, bloody fight. Your next read awaits at §Þ??

    Above them, on top of the branch of a tree that was several diameters wide, even the instructors who had been keeping an eye on the two had a dumbfounded expression as he tried to register what had just happened.

    This instructor had noticed the sleek ck-furred creature from afar. However, he had thought it was just another creature from the dimensions, so he decided to just watch.

    But who would''ve thought the creature would rub the examinees instead of devouring them and eating their flesh? What would that beast do with the tokens? It wasn''t a beast core, the only known object all monsters crave and are willing to murder each other for.

    A suspicion gleamed in the instructor''s eyes as he narrowed his gaze, pondering seriously with a thoughtful expression. "Is this a hidden addition to the entrance exam to make it more difficult for the examinees to pass, but we weren''t briefed about this during the meeting?"

    At that moment, the instructor nced at the distance where the sleek creature had fled to, contemting if he should follow it and find out what it nned to do with the two tokens. But he couldn''t¡ªthere were two bleeding students below.

    Without a moment''s hesitation, the instructor jumped down from the tree, which was about the height of a 12-story building, plunging down with unstoppable force!

    BANG!

    The air howled fiercely as the instructor made impact with the ground, a powerful bang echoing, and a slight shockwave expanded from hisnding point. Then he proceeded to handle the injuries of the students.

    Elsewhere...

    The same scene repeated itself!

    Astralux, hovering in her nonbat form, trailed an inspecting Awakened who was following another oblivious individual. That Awakened''s eyes were filled with calction as he waited for the right time to make his move.

    He had been trailing this Awakened for quite some time, even watching as they dealt with two more Awakened, bringing their total tokens to three.

    ''He''s pretty powerful,'' the Awakened thought and licked his dry lips. ''I need to find the right time to knock him out in one hit¡ª''

    Or what''s this sleekly...''

    The Awakened suddenly froze in his steps when he felt a squishy thing wrap around him in a tight grip, and before he could act, the Awakened found his feet dangling in the air, still unable to see the one responsible for it.

    As if his feet hovering in the air weren''t enough, he suddenly found himself upside down. "What the fuck is happening?!" The Awakened cursed loudly as he struggled to nce up. His gaze met a single-eyed creature with several tentacles dangling in the air.

    Those eyes were innocent yet terrifying at the same time, draining all the blood from the face of the Awakened and making his hair stand on end.

    "T-this! I didn''t even sense it!" the youth panicked inwardly. The silky grip on his body was fierce; no matter how hard he tried to free himself, it was futile and only served to drain more of his strength.

    Rattle! Rattle!

    Then Astralux began to shake the poor Awakened as if he were a bag, and she wanted to empty all the contents hidden in his body. One after another, things fell out, like keys, monster cores, and crumpled parchment.

    Eventually, a token came out as well. As soon as the token fell on the ground, an excited look appeared in her eyes as she flung the Awakened away, much to thetter''s relief, and swiftly wrapped her tentacles around the token, sweeping it away. Then she moved to her next target.

    Inside the Academy, Bridget, along with the others, were watching everything unfold. There were different sections in the magical runic screen disying the examinees and their shuffle; however, most of the staff were only focused on two screens.

    Kali and Theo.

    As expected, they were doing splendidly well, already stealing about twenty and thirteen tokens each. So far, they had the highest token countspared to others who only had about five to ten tokens. This further confirmed the belief of everyone there that the ones who would emerge first and second were these two.

    Meanwhile, Bridget and Brawn Collins, unlike the others, had their eyes fixed on Nox. Bridget was naturally focused because of her obsession, but Brawn was because his good friend had been singing praises nonstop about his grandkid.

    He wanted to know what was so special about the boy who had be a duke. Though it was only in name, he was still a duke, nevertheless.

    At that moment, they both noticed the portals opening around Nox, and his loyal pets came out one after the other. The two weren''t shocked, as they knew about Nox''s unique case, but the same couldn''t be said for the others who, by coincidence, saw what had just happened.

    Under their confused gazes, they witnessed the panda, jellyfish, cat, and python spread towards different directions in the dimensional realm and start attacking the other examinees.

    Every examinee they came across was quickly overwhelmed without putting up even a fight, and their tokens were stolen! The action was almost simr to taking candy from helpless children. The confusion...the confusion on their faces gradually began to fade away, reced with extreme disbelief!

    "Who is that kid?!" one of the instructors couldn''t help but cry out, looking at the headmistress, whose lips were curled upwards into a charming smile. "Is this even allowed?"

    Bridget didn''t respond immediately. The smile on her face seemed to grow more pronounced with each second, and then she spoke in a firm, confident voice filled with absolute certainty. "That''s Duke Nox Regis Cromwell, the one who will dominate this exam."

 Chapter 312: Jackpot!

    Bridget''s words echoed across the room with such unshakable faith that it made the likes of Boris Fanum shift ufortably in his seat. One of the examinees fighting in there was, after all, his son.

    Despite the immense talent Theo had disyed in recent years, there had never been a time when the headmistress of the academy had said such powerful words about him! For this kid to be acknowledged by one of the strongest experts in the capital... it only meant one thing!

    He was a monster, someone who was on par with the students of the elite ss.

    A thin line of sweat slid down Boris''s face as he recalled Nox''s fierce gaze back at the Adventure Guild. Although his level was nothing to write home about, I strongly suspected something was wrong. I know it¡ªmy instincts hadn''t been lying then... is it because he''s the son of Arthur?

    Boris paused, his eyes constricting to the size of a needle as he remembered something extremely crucial: Wait, this... this scene¡ªfighting alongside monsters... hadn''t Arthur done a simr thing before?

    The instructors, their eyes trembling with disbelief, peeled their eyes to the magical screen as they watched the beasts continue to steal more and more tokens from the other participants, who were either caught off guard or brutally defeated in one-on-onebat.

    Among them, a particr creature caught their eyes¡ªit was a panda with icy details running through its body. Though the panda appeared extremely cute, its eyes were fierce, belonging to those who had fought countless battles. Moreover, unlike the sleek, dark creature, the panda didn''t sneak up on the examinees.

    Instead, it engaged them in frontalbat! At first, most of the participants had dismissed the panda as a weakling because it was at the intermediate tier and because of the nature of these beasts, which were known for being extremelyzy. Your adventure continues at §Þ??

    But these ignorant fools paid with their bodies, as the panda seemed to greatly disdain being looked down upon. It took all its anger out on them, making the examinees beg for their lives.

    In the span of a few minutes, the pets had collectively umted over 50 tokens!

    Finally, with a slightly shaky voice and dread-filled eyes, one of the instructors spoke: "Isn''t this against the rules? He''s clearly not doing anything!"

    The other instructors also seemed to agree, and some even voiced their thoughts aloud, demanding that Nox be disqualified. In their eyes, this was nothing but a cheap trick that undermined the whole purpose of the entrance exam.

    Brawn, who had remained silent all this while, chuckled deeply before addressing them: "You''re all ignorant. I''m sorry to say this, Bridget, but it seems your instructors are far too narrow-minded."

    Narrow-minded? If it were any other person, the instructors¡ªwho were all powerful Awakened¡ªwould have jumped up in anger. But this person... this person was even more powerful than the headmistress, who was, in turn, a peak-level Awakened. It would just be pure foolishness to even show their displeasure, as just one attack from the guild master of the infamous Silent Whisper would send them to the afterlife to meet their pantheon god.

    "I understand. We encountered a simr thing even in the Western Region Fight Summit," Bridget responded coolly, not taking the words to heart, knowing that Brawn was right. Then she said in a respectful voice, "Allow me to enlighten them."

    "Go ahead." Brawn waved dismissively as he watched the ongoing fights on the screen.

    Bridget then proceeded to exin to them that the beasts were part of Nox''s ss and, in Eos, just like Awakened were not restricted to only some ss skills, Nox was also allowed to utilize everything rted to his ss, which focused on using pets in battles.

    With a bitter expression on his face, the leader of the Adventure Guild nodded in agreement with what Bridget said. "Unfortunately, the headmistress is right... there is nothing wrong with the boy''s actions. The painful truth is that his ss gives him an edge over others."

    With this ss, he doesn''t even need any party members to participate in the Dimension!

    Think about the special examinee who was in possession of this powerful beast. Everyone''s eyes shifted to the panel that disyed Nox dashing through the forest with unmatched, lightning-fast speed that left some instructors struggling to keep up.

    ---

    Nox had been running for quite a while now. Of course, this sprint didn''t put any physical strain on him, as he was already used to such endurance-based tasks.

    Despite not finding any issue with this, however, there was a frown on Nox''s face. The tremendous roar from a few minutes ago had felt as if the beast was close by. The more he ran, the more he realized that there was a massive distance between them, and the roar had been powerful enough that the shockwave had spread far and wide.

    This realization made Nox abruptlye to a halt, and his feet slid across the ground, carving a deep, friction-filled gouge in the earth beneath him.

    The sound of the fighting was still very intense as the ground trembled, the trees wavered, threatening to fall, a few already lying defeatedly on the ground. There were constant booms and bangs, each capable of making one lose their hearing. Moreover, with each sh, the wave of bestial aura, which was apanied by a ferocious gust of wind, seemed to explode outward.

    "That beast..." he murmured, his voice low, almost reverent. "It''s not still close, is it? Did I underestimate the level of the beast?"

    This thought only made the smile on Nox''s face grow, and his expression distort! A higher-level beast meant more experience points!

    "Heh, must be a big one to make that much noise from so far away." He stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles, his movements deliberate and almost ceremonial as he proceeded to activate [Divine Velocity], which he had avoided all this while.

    A feeling simr to an electric current charging through his veins coursed through him, as his form flickered into the distance.

    With Divine Velocity, it took merely a second for Nox to arrive at the battlefield! Quickly deactivating the skill, Nox found himself in a clearing the size of two ser fields back on Earth.

    There were light gashes and deep chasms etched into the rocky ground, and all the trees seemed to have been obliterated. In the midst of this destruction, an ape-like beast with white, glistening fur, standing over two meters tall, was fighting a wolf with deep purple fur and a pair of glowing, menacing eyes.

    "Two Level Nine King-Tier Beasts! What a pleasant surprise!"

 Chapter 313: The Most Dangerous Person!

    At this moment, in another part of the forest, in a clearing, a ck-haired youth with grey eyes dressed in ornate white and golden armor was locked in a fierce confrontation with two others, who were clumsily pointing their weapons at him.

    Wrong, this was no confrontation... Instead, it was! The youth in gold and white armor had a rxed posture with a hint of boredom flickering in those grey eyes. His expression alone seemed to say, This is futile, just give up!

    The other two Awakened, however, weren''t so rxed. Their eyes, arms, and legs were trembling with an unstoppable force. They were even struggling to stay on their feet as they tried to mask their tearful gazes with defiance, but they were failing horribly.

    The scalps of the two tingled as they cursed their terrible luck. Why! Why does it have to be him? The two examinees thought in dread. Of all the people they could run into, it just had to be the entrance exam favorite!

    What was worse, one of the examinees was the one who had said he''d pity whoever would be paired up with Theo. That youth bit his lips, almost drawing blood. Perhaps he could''ve just kept his mouth shut then.

    "You guys really want to do this the hard way, don''t you?" Theo Fanum yawned, tears streaming down from his eyes. Theo wasn''t hot-headed like most of the teenagers present here. He was someone who liked to avoid a fight if it could be resolved through dialogue.

    Unfortunately, not everyone was like him. Though terrified because of their enemy''s intimidating level, they were no cowards. They wouldn''t give up their dream to attend the prestigious academy and make a name for themselves in the kingdom and the human domain as a whole.

    Their eyes seemed to burn with resolve, as if that moment and their grasp on their weapons tightened! Initially, both were about to fight each other, but they figured that taking out the most dangerous person in the scene was the best thing to do! With a subtle nod at each other, the two examinees kicked the ground and shot forward like a pair of unleashed arrows.

    "So you want to y it like this? Very well then." A resigned expression appeared on Theo''s face as he shifted one foot backward and brought one of his arms to the hilt of his jewel-encrusted sword.

    "I''d avoid a fight if I could, but that doesn''t mean I''m a kind person." Theo''s voice echoed again as he locked his eyes on his opponents. Then, in a lightning-fast arm movement¡ªwhich was too fast for the advancing examinees to see¡ªTheo sheathed and unsheathed his sword... At least, this was what his opponents had seen.

    They knew something was wrong, but they threw all their thoughts aside and continued to charge forward in reckless abandon. If only they''d been more observant, they''d have noticed the trail of silver lights expanding out from Theo.

    Just when they were a few meters away from reaching the white-gold armored knight, the two abruptly fell face-t to the hard ground. They hurriedly tried to get up, but then their eyes widened as they realized that their lower halves had been separated from their torsos, and blood was flowing out like a broken tap.

    "W-what! Are you trying to kill us?!" The two shouted as they felt the cold embrace of death. Many questions passed through their minds. Wasn''t this an entrance exam? Why would he go to such lengths just for a token? And how can he remain so calm as if this wasn''t the first time he was doing something like this?

    But what was most terrifying about Theo was that they hadn''t even seen him fully draw his sword. From their point of view, they had only seen him pull the sword slightly back from the sheath and unsheathe it. So how...?

    Just then, Theo said calmly as he walked forward, "I''m not trying to kill you, but I''d do it if you don''t give me the token."

    "Dang it, it''s not worth it!" The two quickly handed their tokens to Theo, who epted them, then turned his back and walked away.

    As he left, they heard him click his tongue in disdain. "This is getting too easy. Perhaps that musclehead or that Nyx girl would be interesting."

    Elsewhere, the full-bodied armored warrior whom Nox had found a bit odd was engaging three examinees in what appeared to be a one-sided beatdown!

    It was as if the person found it beneath themselves to touch the swords behind them and simply used their feet to deal massive damage to their opponents. Because of the helmet, which perfectly hid their face, it was difficult for the three examinees to discern if their attacker was male or female.

    However, from the way this person moved and the overwhelming power, they strongly suspected that the person was male!

    Before long, the three examinees were beaten into a pulp and hesitantly handed over their tokens, which totaled eleven, to the armored figure with a dejected expression. Though there was still enough time for them to target weaker people, it still made their hearts bleed, knowing that they''d be left far behind by their peers.

    But their wallowing was none of the armored figure''s concern as they began to leave the scene. Plus the eleven tokens, the armored figure now had 49 tokens, cing them among the current top five!

    "At first, I didn''t think too much about this entrance exam, but now that you''re here as well, I might as well win this thing," the figure thought.

    Just then, their danger senses red in their head, and they swiftly turned around¡ªjust in time to sidestep a massive iron sledgehammer, which was about to m into their helmet.

    BANG!

    The de of the sledgehammer, after missing its target, struck the ground and lodged there. The sheer power behind the attack caused slight cracks to appear in the surroundings.

    "I knew there was something odd about you." A deep masculine voice echoed, and a youth with golden eyes made his way from behind a tree trunk. The armored figure stared at this person with no apparent emotion in their eyes, despite knowing that this person was one of the favorites to win the entrance exam.

    Kali nodded his head slightly as he saw the rxed posture of this mysterious person, which contrasted against the other examinees he had encountered.

    "I thought as much," Kali whispered as he stretched his arms. The sledgehammer trembled, and the cracks on the ground seemed to expand outward. Then, as if it possessed a subconscious of its own, it flew back into his grasp.

    "The others think Theo is the most dangerous person in this exam, but... I beg to disagree!"

    Although the armored figure didn''t respond right away, a momentter, the sides of their lips curled upward, and they dered in a confident, arrogant voice, "You''re not wrong, and now you''ll see just how dangerous I am!"

 Chapter 314: Farming Experience Points During Exam!

    While the other examinees were battling amongst themselves and obtaining tokens, Nox, who had yet to stumble upon a single person, was quietly observing the intense brawl between an ape-like beast with white, glistening fur, standing over two meters tall, and a wolf with deep purple fur and a pair of glowing, menacing eyes.

    BANG! BANG!

    The ape was like a rampaging juggernaut, unleashing a barrage of reckless palm strikes on the massive wolf. Its eyes were a mixture of desperation and frenzy, with a hint of fatigue. The King-Tier furious ape had received a healthy dose of damage. Its white fur, now stained crimson from blood loss, was riddled with deep sh marks that exposed the tender flesh within.

    The ck Ravenous Wolf wasn''t faring any better. Though it tried to put on a brave face to taunt its opponent, the exhaustion was just too overwhelming to conceal in its eyes. Just as the ape continued its assault, the wolf shed with its ws, which were over half a meter in length.

    Both magical beasts had thrown defenses out the window and were outright fighting with everything they had! There was no effort to block or dodge! It was a full brawl. This was because both creatures had been fighting for over an hour now, but since the fight wasn''t progressing anywhere, they had decided to go all out!

    It was out of sheer will that they could even manage to stay on their feet! Their thought process was rather simple...

    Thest one standing would be the winner!

    Because he wanted a much clearer view to witness this epic fight, Nox had made his way onto one of the surviving trees that had yet to fall! This tree was a mutant-type tree and was over hundreds of meters away from the battlefield, one of the reasons it had survived this long.

    Still, with every sh, the strong shockwave, which senselessly synchronized into a single st, rippled outward, causing the tree to waver, threatening to uproot from the very soil. Despite the tremendous force capable of hurling debris through the air, Nox plunged Oblivion Edge into the mutant tree, maintaining his bnce.

    If not, even he would''ve been flung away like a ragdoll! Two peak King-Tier beasts were no different from fighting a middle-ranked Emperor Beast!

    From such a vantage point, Nox could clearly see the raging battle and the effect it had on the surrounding area, which looked like a scene straight out of a natural disaster movie.

    Nox''s gaze lingered on the savage battle for a while. It was usual for magical beasts to fight amongst themselves, but this fight seemed much more personal. At that moment, Nox''s eyes caught something.

    Because of the distance, he had to squint, and when he did, he noticed a small infant ape lying just a few meters away from the sh. Nox realized that the ape was dead and understood the reason for the fight. It seemed the wolf had killed the baby ape in an attempt to devour its flesh, and now the mother was seeking revenge.

    Even though he had learned this, there was no hint of empathy in his cold ck eyes. As he started to weave his arms in the air, a giant blood circle appeared mid-air above the two magical beasts.

    Runic Dominion Activated!

    A wide grin appeared on his face, his expression slightly distorted, and he seemed to appear more like his grandfather¡ªthough a more handsome version. Yes, you guessed it right, Nox wanted to take advantage of the fight to farm experience points!

    Runic Dominion (Ultimate Skill) was the ultimate skill he had copied from Helen back in the Western Region Fight Summit! It was a skill that granted him control over endless weapon constructs that moved with precision and autonomy.

    He could summon and control up to 1,000 blood weapons simultaneously for over a 100m radius. Though the MP cost was 199 MP per activation, Nox didn''t shy away from activating this attack, as he had 1,020 mana points.

    ....

    "What is he nning to do?" an instructor whispered, seeing the dreadful bloody magical circle that gave him a feeling of dread even though he was not there and could only witness the fight through the transmitting crystals ced in the dimension.

    "Is he nning to attack two peak King-Tier monsters?! He''s insane," another eximed with wide eyes.

    Nox was just level 20, which was impressive for his age, but to go against two King-Tier beasts who were just a level away from entering Emperor-Tier was pure insanity!

    Boris tightly frowned, deep creases on his temples. He rubbed his palms together and thought darkly: "Even back at the guild, we usually assign a party of Level 50+ Awakened to deal with an Emperor-Tier beast... this boy is getting too ahead of himself!"

    Boris''s chest seemed to clench, and he couldn''t help but say, "Miss Bridget, could you order the Awakened nearby to get that kid out of there? It would be a shame if something terrible happened to a promising Awakened. Moreover, he''s Arthur''s son; we can''t let anything happen to him."

    "Guild master, you don''t have to worry." Bridget''s eyes twinkled like those of a fox as she smiled. "Let''s just watch."

    Has the headmistress gone mad? This was the thought of everyone present there! Where was she even having this unshakable faith from? What Nox was about to do was clearly suicidal! If his attack failed the first time, the attention of the two King-Tier beasts would snap toward him!

    These beasts would find an excuse to break out of the fight to kill him before continuing again!

    ...

    "Come on, weaken each other more!" Nox muttered to himself repeatedly, his eyes fixed on the red blinking string of texts above the two magical beasts, specifically their Health Points and Stamina Points, which were gleaming with dangerous red.

    Down below, the fight was beginning to reach its zenith.

    The furious ape, whose fur was now coated in a deep shade of red, suddenly roared like a raging storm as it swung its palm wildly. The force behind its attack caused the air to hum with a pressure that seemed to distort reality itself.

    The Ravenous ck Wolf growled furiously in return, and its deep purple fur glowed with dark energy. At first, the glow was subtle, but it gradually skyrocketed and became extremely bright. With murderous intent, the wolf lunged forward, aiming to tear through the ape''s chest.

    BOOM!

    Their final blow collided with earth-shattering force, and the resulting shockwaves exploded outward, shaking the entire battlefield. Dust clouds shot into the air, and one of the branches of the tree Nox was standing on snapped. The main trunk tilted to the side as well.

    When the dust settled, Nox saw it¡ªthe two beasts were wasted! They were panting heavily and swaying. It was as if every atom of strength had been sucked out from them.

    The two beasts red and growled, wanting to continue but were simply too weak.

    Nox, who was observing the scene with sharp eyes, smirked. "Perfect timing."

    And under hismand, the blood circle hummed!

    Danger! The fur of both creatures stood on end! Something was terribly wrong! Then they felt a terrifying presence above them. The two creatures'' heads snapped toward that direction just in time to see a blood pir, the height and breadth of a skyscraper, descend!

    BOOM!

    ¡ª78

    ¡ª68

    [Critical Hit]

    [Critical Hit]

    [Ding! You''ve leveled up!]

    [Ding! You''ve leveled up!]

    [Ding! You''ve leveled up!]

    [Ding! You''ve leveled up!]

    [Ding! You''ve obtained a...]

    Meanwhile, back inside the academy, all the instructors were stunned, speechless!

    A heavy, almost suffocating silence seemed to nket the room. All the instructors were present, their eyes wide in disbelief as they looked at the bodies of the Furious Ape and the Ravenous ck Wolf, which were disintegrating into specks of ck and white light in mere microseconds!

    "He... he really killed the beasts! What rank is that skill?!" Boris Fanum eximed in shock, finding it hard to stop his body from trembling. Though the beasts had already been greatly weakened due to their all-out brawl, it still came as a great shock to the guild master and everyone present!

    After all, even in their weakened state, the two beasts could easily snuff the life out of a Level 20 Awakened!

    "That skill... it can''t be," Boris muttered in a slightly shaky voice, knowing that it was because of the skill that Nox was able to shatter the world''s logic and overturn the natural order.

    Sweat trickled down his temples, rolling to his cheeks. The guild master had his suspicions about what rank the skill could be, but he didn''t want to ept it! No, he refused to.

    Those skills were very rare; it was just too absurd for a 15-year-old to possess one! The only people that could afford such skills were the Big Four and the extremely wealthy! As far as he remembered, the Cromwells weren''t that wealthy.

    ''Even with the ie generated from the Adventure Guild, we were only able to get our hands on one of such skills,'' Boris thought with a grim expression.

    "Or could it be that Arthur gave him this skill?" he mumbled, and though his theory wasn''t too far-fetched, ultimate skills were rare toe by. This applied to normal Awakened, but Arthur was anything but normal.

    "This makes a lot more sense."

    "That old bastard was really telling the truth, huh." Brawn''s eyes were practically shining with greed, as if he was looking at the rarest treasure in the world. Then, a cunning smile appeared on the old assassin''s face.

    No one knew what he was thinking about at this moment, but from the mischievous gleam in his eyes, one could tell he was nning something... something that involved Nox.

    Seeing their reaction, the corner of Bridget''s lips twitched, threatening to break into a stunning smile. "I told you... just watch."

    Meanwhile, back in the level four dimension, Nox made his way toward the loots. There was one particr loot that had caught his attention, after all.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 315: Endless Enemies?

    "What was that?"

    "Why does it feel as if an earthquake is about to ur?"

    In other parts of the Level Four dimensions, the examinees momentarily stopped their fighting, and terrified looks appeared in their eyes the moment the gigantic blood pir made contact with the ground.

    The fierce blood pir sent waves of tremors spreading outward in all directions, making the knees of some low-level awakened tremble as they struggled to stay on their feet.

    The trees swayed, and small cracks appeared beneath the feet of the examinees, who were shaking like leaves in the wind. The cracks in the ground filled them with dread, and they thought it would divide into two, burying them in rubble.

    At that moment, their heads whipped toward the far distance, where they could see a thick nket of dust with a gaseous reddish substance rising into the air.

    The noses of the examinees scrunched, their expressions turning disgusted as they caught a whiff of the metallic and dusty smell. It was then they realized that this wasn''t a mere earthquake, but something much more!

    Growl! Growl!

    Suddenly, as they were temporarily lost in thought, bestial roars pierced the air. Although it was still daytime, countless pairs of glowing eyes appeared from the bushes. Those eyes were fixed on the humans, with a hint of murder within them.

    "Shit! Whatever caused that has drawn all the beasts out!" someone yelled at the top of his voice, snapping the others out of their daze.

    "We have to deal with the beasts first!"

    "Attack!"

    ---

    Unaware of the misfortune he had brought to the other examinees, Nox leaped past a rtively deep chasm as he made his way to the spot where the blood pir had impacted.

    But it was a bit difficult to see clearly, as the air was especially thick with clouds of dust and gaseous blood. Everywhere, there were deep craters and rocks protruding at unnatural angles. With his limited vision, if one wasn''t careful, they could seriously injure themselves.

    However, Nox simply disregarded this and pushed forward. In a split moment, he arrived at the point of impact. Though the air was thick with clouds, he was able to make out the vague outline of the two beasts, whose eyes were still wide in horror. They had not expected to die like this, even in their dreams!

    Of course, they were well aware that one of them would die here today, but they never thought it would be both of them.

    "This dimension is very strange," Nox mumbled to himself as he scanned around for the loot that had dropped. "Sometimes the beastspletely disintegrate, and sometimes they just remain here. Truly strange."

    At that moment, his eyes gleamed with excitement as he spotted what he was looking for. The things the Furious Ape and Ravenous Wolf had dropped were two items!

    A ring and a skill scroll.

    Nox picked up the ring, and all its information appeared before him.

    [Item: Ring of Vital Replenishment (King Tier)

    Description: [A finely crafted silver ring adorned with a vibrant emerald at its center. Ancient inscriptions encircle the band, glowing faintly when activated. The Ring of Vital Replenishment harnesses the power of rejuvenation, instantly restoring 100% of the wearer''s stamina. Known as a lifesaver among warriors and adventurers, this ring allows its wielder to push through fatigue and remain in peak condition during critical moments. Cooldown: 24 Hours]

    Nox read through the description and smiled as he slid it onto his finger. Stamina was very important in battle, and this had been one of Nox''s biggest weaknesses in the fight against the Elemental Beast in Snowhelm.

    Nox clenched his fist, and his eyes shed sharply. With this, he wouldn''t be left in such a miserable state again. Though the cooldown period was once a day, it was still a game-changer!

    After cing the ring on his finger, he picked up the skill scroll and looked at it with a strange glint in his eyes. "I already have one of these in my inventory, but because of the system upgrade, I refrained from using it."

    The description of the skill scroll unfolded before him a momentter.

    Furious Ape''s Enhanced Strength (Intermediate)

    An enhancement-type skill that temporarily augments the user''s physical strength to monstrous levels. When activated, the skill temporarily increases the user''s Strength stat by +60%. Consumes 40 MP to activate andsts for 1 minute. Cooldown: 60 seconds.

    "+60% strength... this skill is pretty useful, but I could get a better version of this if I simply copied it," Nox thought as he paced back and forth with his arms behind him. This was a habit he liked doing as it immersed him in his thoughts. "Should I give it to someone and then copy it?"

    This was the only way. He didn''t want to have any mediocre skills in his possession. Nox knew very well that the reason he could win his fights was because of his broken skills, which were all at the highest tier known to humanity.

    Learning this skill as it was, was simply a waste of time.

    Just then, Nox had a brief moment of realization as he remembered that he could now ask the system questions. "Hey, is there another way to upgrade this skill 10X?"

    [The only way for the host to upgrade skills is by witnessing it being used! During the fight, although the host didn''t notice it, the Furious Ape had used the skill in the final sh with the Ravenous Wolf, and I recorded it. Do you wish to learn the upgraded version of this skill?]

    "You can do that?" Nox''s eyes shot wide open in excitement.

    [Yes]

    "Bring it up!" Nox didn''t hesitate, as he wished to learn the upgraded version.

    [Barbarian Strength (Ultimate)]

    An enhancement-type skill that temporarily elevates the user''s physical strength to unprecedented heights. Upon activation, the user''s Strength stat is increased by +600, transforming their physical power into an unstoppable force. Consumes 400 MP per activation andsts for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]

    Nox clicked his tongue, slightly annoyed at the absurd mana points needed, but he decided to learn it anyway. His mana reserve was steadily increasing, after all! And besides, the only skill missing from his arsenal was a strength-based skill.

    As he learned the skill, a feeling of euphoria washed over him. His entire being was brimming with power. It was both thrilling and intoxicating, as if he could never get used to it.

    "From now on, I want you to record every skill!" Nox ordered with a smirk on his face. "When I''m less busy, I''ll be able to go through it that way."

    The system agreed. [Recording willmence, but skills can only be recorded for twenty-four hours. After that, they will all disappear.]

    "That won''t be an issue."

    After looking around onest time, there were no more drops, so Nox decided to head deeper. Just as he came out of the fog of dust and blood mist, he was met with an endless sea of wolves with glowing blue eyes ring at him as if he had murdered their loved ones. Chapter Stay:

    "So that was the Alpha, huh?" Nox connected the dots quite easily; no hint of remorse or whatsoever in his voice. A smile was all that could be seen on his face. "Well, you guys just presented me with a chance to test out my new skills and farm experience points!"

    As Nox prepared to engage the beasts in a fight, hundreds of examinees who were curious about the blood and dust mist were heading toward his direction.

 Chapter 316: The Exam Favourite In Trouble

    From a young age, Kali had been trained by the elites of the Duskwood Guild because of his immense potential and knack for fighting. A few years ago, Seraphina Duskwood herself had stumbled across him in the wilds, battling two Intermediate-Tier beasts with rtive ease.

    Moreover, his level also surpassed those of his peers, which made the patriarch interested in him. If there was one good thing about the Big Four and Guild Masters, it was their exceptional eye for talent! This was a very important aspect, after all, because it was only with such talents that their families could expand and continue to thrive.

    Seraphina knew that the golden-eyed boy had immense potential from a single nce, and she had recruited him on the get-go, assigning the top instructors in the Duskwood Guild to train him personally. It was one of the biggest investments they made, as Kali wasn''t only talented but also hardworking.

    The only person that was oftentimespared to him was Theo. The two were yet to fight, but there was amon consensus that their battle would likely end in a stalemate.

    "That confidence... So I was right, you''re indeed the most dangerous person here," Kali muttered under his breath, a strange light flickering across his golden eyes before they became chillingly cold the next moment. "But I''m curious to see just how big the gap is between us!" Chapter Enjoy:

    BOOOM!

    Kali stomped the ground and charged forward at the armored figure who had yet to make any movement. His golden eyes narrowed like those of a reptile as he zeroed all his attention on his target. Just when the momentum was decreasing, he spontaneously pivoted mid-step, propelling himself forward with explosive force, causing the des of grass to bend and scatter under the pressure of his movement.

    When the gap was rtively covered, he swung the sledgehammer at the enemy. The weapon whistled through the air, tiny air explosions echoing with each elerating swing! Kali''s eyes were wide open with ferocity and anticipation as he watched the de of the sledgehammer inch closer to its mark.

    Yes! The enemy was in the right spot! All he had to do was let the attack¡ª

    "Huh!" Confusion shone in Kali''s eyes. Just before his attack could connect, the enemy had brought their hands into an X-shape to take the brunt of the attack head-on.

    "Have they gone insane?!" The confusion soon turned into loud, mockingughter. His sledgehammer was at the King-Tier! It granted him an absurd amount of strength. Trying to block his attack was just suicidal!

    "Maybe you''re not as smart as I thought you were!" Kali''s powerful, boisterous voice echoed!

    All this had happened within a split second.

    Then...

    BOOOM!

    Upon impact, ming sparks exploded out, and the ground beneath their feet caved in as if it couldn''t withstand the full force of their sh. The attack created a vacuum that sent grass and dust spiraling away in its wake. The surrounding area and the air becamepletely clear, free of any pollutants!

    There was absolute silence. The only sounds came from Kali, who was panting like a dog afterpleting a marathon. His weapon arm trembled, and his eyes were wide open!

    "Dammit, it didn''t cut through as I thought!"

    Yes, Kali''s attack had met resistance. There was no open flesh, nor was his opponent''s body thrown back like a ragdoll; on the contrary, the one who seemed to be in pain was him, as the shockwave from the attack rebounded, vibrating violently through his body.

    "W...what tier is that armor?" Kali stuttered as he broke away from the fight, sliding across the ground to a stop. His chest heaved up and down, sweat rolling off his muscr body.

    On the other hand, the golden-armored figure approached with calm, measured steps as if they had not just endured the full brunt of a King-Tier weapon.

    "I did a bit of research, and I learned that you''re one of the most promising students. Now, now, it would be a shame if this is all you''ve got." The armored figure''s voice was strange; it was slightly distorted and very difficult to tell whether it was male or female.

    "This is not all! I still have a few tricks up my sleeve!" Kali shouted, charging in. With each step, his feet seemed to sink deep into the ground, and a golden glow slowly engulfed his entire body like a raging inferno. "I refuse to believe the gap between us is thisrge! Who the heck are you, anyway?!"

    "Heh, someone that is not supposed to be here." The golden knight smirked as their body seemed to turn into a blur and shot forward as well!

    BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

    The two shed in a blur of motion! Kali swung his sledgehammer in a wide arc, causing the very air to vibrate, but his opponent was like a phantom, easily maneuvering past the attack and countering with equally devastating blows of their own. The strikes moved at an unprecedented speed¡ªso fast that Kali''s eyes could hardly follow¡ªresulting in his internal organs shifting violently and blood spilling from his mouth. The storm of punches descended upon him like a hammer striking a metal te; each blow was pure destruction!

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    But what was more infuriating, his opponent''s sword was still unsheathed all this while. This further annoyed and frustrated Kali.

    "Are you looking down on me?! Why aren''t you using your sword?!" he shouted in a hoarse, enraged voice.

    "You can barely survive my blows. If I touch my sword, you''d be long dead!" His opponent casually remarked as if they were stating a matter of fact.

    The words stung Kali''s chest like daggers, but deep down, he knew it was simply the truth. He had never felt this overwhelmed. There was no respite; his opponent was a whirlwind of attacks, giving him no time to activate any of his skills, which pissed Kali off greatly.

    Whenever he took a step back, his opponent seemed to predict it and would cover the gap immediately!

    "Kali is in trouble!" an instructor who was observing the fight pointed out in a shaky voice. "First it was Nox, now this person... Could we have mistaken the real favorites of this exam?"

    So many interesting fights were happening at once that the instructors were conflicted on which one to watch. On one screen, it disyed Nox massacring a horde of magical beasts; on another, it showed the fight between Kali and the mysterious armored figure.

    Kali''s fight especially left everyone stunned, as they had not expected some random armored figure topletely overwhelm him!

    Seeing their reaction, in the darker part of the room, a man with two different-colored eyes chuckled. "These humans are much more interesting than I thought."

 Chapter 317: Escape

    "Who is she?" Bridget whispered in a soft voice, her eyes narrowed, glinting with intrigued light.

    As the headmistress of the number one academy in the Vermilion Kingdom and one of the best in the entire human domains, which consisted of six  kingdoms, Bridget was well informed about herpetition and always tried to stay several steps ahead of them in scouting talents.

    It was one of the reasons the Vermilion Kingdom, despite its academic section being as short as three years, had maintained its prestige over the years. It was the first time in a long time that someone as talented as the golden-armored examinee was showing up in the entrance exam without being scouted by her.

    Naturally, she became curious. She was not the only one; everyone in the monitoring room was equally intrigued. As soon as they heard the headmistress''s voice, one of the instructors quickly left the room to gather information from the staff in charge of registration.

    A whileter, that instructor returned with a parchment, handing it to the headmistress whose purple eyes scanned through the contents with an extremely serious expression on her delicate face.

    "Glen, 17 years old, a swordsman from the Windmere town of the southern region. Started learning swordsmanship at a young age. When she was 15, she lost her parents to a Furioso King-Tier beast in the southern forest. Ever since then, she has been training and honing her swordsmanship in hopes of getting rid of all the beasts in the world."

    Bridget finished reading the parchment aloud for everyone, and her lips pursed into a tight frown. She nced at the parchment again and said in a dry voice: "Ignoring her goal, which is so grand and almost impossible, why does this seem like something pulled straight out of a fantasy book?"

    "Yes, but in a world such as ours, it''s very much possible," Brawn remarked with a serious expression, and the others present all nodded their heads in agreement, finding nothing wrong with the backstory.

    Bridget''s gaze continued to linger on the parchment, her eyes filled with suspicion. Unlike the others, she thought this backstory was too borate, as if it were meant for the main character of some novel. Thinking that she could just be overthinking it, the headmistress decided to focus on the entrance exam.

    ---

    In the dimension, Kali was panting heavily, a terrible pain coursing through his body, his HP depleting at an rming rate. What was worse, his gaze was beginning to be clouded, making his vision extremely blurry, and he was seeing triple of his attacker who was responsible for this great torment.

    The pain was maddening, and all Kali wanted was brief respite and water! Gritting his teeth and feeling an intense searing headache, he thought: ''I can''t win this fight. If I remain here, I''ll lose, and all the tokens I have collected will be stolen!''

    ''I need to break out of this fight. But how? Think, think! Agh, my entire body hurts... it feels as if I''ll fall apart any time soon.''

    Kali''s thoughts were a whirlwind; it was even a miracle that he still had the strength to think in this desperate situation. Briefly sacrificing his body and HP, he nced through his system and realized that he still had a bit of stamina left.

    Channeling all his muscles and activating all his strength-rted skills, temporarily undoing his King-Tier sledgehammer, he stomped on the ground viciously. A mini earth explosion urred just beneath him, and a crater over 50 meters deep appeared. The force of his stomp sent his body flying back like aunched cannonball.

    BOOM!

    He crashed into the first tree in his trajectory and burst through it, then into another and another, resulting in about five trees, whose trunks were as thick as ancient pirs, toppling with thunderous cracks.

    When he mmed into the sixth tree, he didn''t burst through like the others, as the force had greatly diminished. What didn''t diminish, however, was the pain! At this point, Kali''s eyes were bloodshot, but he gritted through the agony and shot into the distance just in time for his opponent to descend on the spot where he had been mere seconds ago.

    Yes, Kali was fleeing. Never in his life did he think this day woulde when he would run from a fight¡ªespecially not against someone from his own age group.

    But he had to. It was the only way for him to keep his tokens. He had promised to make the Duskwood Guild proud by entering the special ss so that he could finish his academic section much faster.

    "We''ll meet again, definitely, but the circumstances will be much different." Kali swore in his heart as he disappeared into the distance.

    "Such a coward." Glen, the armored figure, looked at Kali''s disappearing back and clicked their tongue in disappointment. However, Glen didn''t pursue. After all, the tokens in their possession were already abundant. Without a doubt, they were in the top three.

    ---

    Meanwhile, Nyx.

    Nyx''s skills had improved by several leaps during the past years because of her resilience and relentless training. Not only that, she had also acquired skills from constantly exploring the dimensions in the Cromwell Barony and Amstrong Duchy.

    One of such skills was [Divine Chains!]

    It was a skill that consumed 90 mana points but granted her the ability to summon holy chains from the ground, binding her enemies, dealing damage to them, and siphoning health points to replenish her HP. This skill was at the advanced rank, hence the high amount of MP consumption, but it was a pretty useful skill nevertheless.

    At this moment, over twenty examinees were trembling, and some were peeing themselves as the radiant divine chains coiled around their bodies. Not only did the chains seep away their Health Points, but they also burned with holy white fire.

    The air was filled with the agonized screams and yells of the unfortunate examinees who ran into this demon. Initially, most of them had thought she was easy-peasy, but now they were suffering the consequences of their ignorance.

    In the midst of all this, Nyx watched with a chilling look in her midnight eyes, unfazed by the ear-splitting roars of pain. The serene look on her face was almost unsettling.

    "Please!"

    "I give up, just take all my tokens and let me go!"

    "I can''t breathe! Dammit, she''s a demon! She''s really going to kill us!"

    After a couple more moments, Nyx eventually spoke in a cold, indifferent voice: "You know what I want. Bring out every single token with you."

    As she said this, under hermand, the chains that bound the arms of her enemies were released, and one after the other, they started to bring out their tokens, forming a small pile.

    Calm and collected, Nyx approached the pile and waved her hand, cing it in her inventory. But as soon as she turned around to head deeper into the dimension and secure more tokens, she was met with a very familiar face.

    Too familiar.

    "Hand over all the tokens!" that person demanded. "If not, I''ll be forced to use force."

 Chapter 318: A Mistake [1]

    "Handover all the tokens!" That person demanded. "If not, I''ll be forced to use force."

    The voice was filled with arrogance and pride, but if one paid attention closely, they''d notice the slight trembling. It was as if the owner of the voice was forcing themselves to appear dominant but failing miserably.

    Of course, Nyx was anything but panicked. She was calm andposed, looking at the neer with disinterest in her eyes, as if this person wasn''t even worth her time, something that greatly irritated the other person. Anger filled their eyes, they gritted their teeth and shouted in a deeper voice.

    "Didn''t you hear me! I said hand over all your tokens this moment." He summoned his golden-encrusted sword and pointed it threateningly at Nyx. The sword was encased in golden light, and the golden light seemed to pulse from the de to their body, forming a sort of protective armor.

    This person was none other than Prince Ainsworth, the fought Prince of the Vermilion Kingdom. His polished golden armor gleamed under the re of the sunlight, and those blue eyes were filled with coldness as he red at his opponent. It felt as if she had killed someone close to him, but this was far from the truth!

    The reason for this unfathomable anger was what had happened five years ago¡ªit was still vivid, as if it had merely happened yesterday.

    Ainsworth clenched his armored fist. Just looking at the arrogance and indifferent expression on her beautiful face, which, although beautiful, was very infuriating, made his blood boil.

    "I didn''t expect to run into you," Nyx said after a while. The characteristic indifference was very much palpable, with a hint of disgust in her voice. She recalled his actions against thosemoners and only became even more disdainful.

    "Me neither." Ainsworth scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk that didn''t reach his eyes as he said in a firm, confident voice: "But it seems fate itself wants me to rewrite the past."

    "Hmpff, you lost once, what made you think you stand a chance?" In a whirlwind of sparks, a long sword, which seemed to be made purely out of white radiant energy, appeared in the pdin''s grasp. Then she added: "Just as you improved over the years, I also did the same."

    The words struck harder than they should have. Ainsworth''s jaw tightened. Because of the humiliation he had faced that day, his father had never looked at him with that loving gaze. It was disappointment.

    Wanting to prove himself once again, Ainsworth had stayed indoors, training with the best Awakened the kingdom could offer, exploring dungeons, putting himself in life-and-death situations, and everything led to this moment.

    "Such a shame, I''ll destroy that beautiful face of yours!" Ainsworth growled with a fierce roar as he stepped forward. That first step was like a thunderp, and it sent his body shooting forward, appearing like a golden streak of lightning.

    BANG!

    Truly, his movement was lightning-fast, befitting someone who had trained under the best in the kingdom. It was terrific, blowing dust and des of grass apart, and the leaves of the trees shook fiercely.

    However, just as he had improved, Nyx had also sharpened herself, perfecting her techniques. She had trained for days without rest. She had fought against hundreds of beasts in the dimension, even when her stamina was dangerously low. She put her life in harm''s way, and all of this was for one single reason: to be as strong as she could!

    Training was like a second nature to her!

    "The only thing that will be bruised here today is your ego." Activating [Holy Speed], Nyx scoffed with arrogance, which seemed to make Ainsworth''s blood bubble as her body moved on its own.

    Within a moment, the gap between them was covered, and the swords of the two¡ªone radiant white, the other golden in color¡ªshed in the air before shing violently in the middle of the clearing.

    CLANG!

    The impact of their swords sent vibrations up their arms, and because of the fierce sh of the conflicting energies, shockwaves rippled outward, causing the ground to crack and the surrounding trees to sway violently.

    Most of the examinees, who had regained a bit of their HP and stamina, were seriously contemting taking advantage of the situation to reim their tokens. However, they were met with the powerful shockwave, which sent their bodies flying backward, suffering additional damage.

    Realizing that they couldn''t even get close to the two, the examinees wisely decided to flee the scene.

    "You''ve improved," Nyx said in a calm voice as each exerted power in their weapon to overwhelm the other, white and golden sparks shooting out in the middle. With a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, she said sweetly: "But you stillck control."

    "Shut up! I learned from the best in the Capital, while you learned in that backwater region, you''ve got nothing to teach me!" Ainsworth barked in anger as he pulled back and went in again. His strikes grew more aggressive. He swung in rapid session, sparks flying each time their swords met.

    ''He''s angry. Good.'' Nyx had learned long ago that an opponent blinded by rage was easier to defeat. She had experienced this firsthand in her fight against Wendy. Her mother had also told her the same. All she had to do was poke the proud, arrogant prince to achieve this.

    In this angry state, he became reckless and seemed to have forgotten everything he had learned during the past years.

    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

    Ainsworth panted heavily as he struck and struck, his usual refined fighting style gone, and now he fought more like a berserker¡ªa terrible one at that.

    Nyx blocked his next overhead swing and sidestepped again, forcing him to stumble forward.

    "Stop running!" Ainsworth yelled, his face flushed with frustration.

    Nyx spun on her heel, her sword shing through the air with precision. The t of her de struck his side, and he gasped, stumbling to his knees. Ainsworth''s eyes were wide as he stared down at the blood slowly pooling on the ground.

    "That''s your problem, Ainsworth," Nyx said, circling him. "You fight to prove something, not to win."

    Ainsworth''s eyes zed as his gaze shot upward again. "Don''t talk to me like you''re better than I am!"

    Nyx stopped, her expression turning serious. "I don''t think I''m better, Your Highness." She smiled. "I know I am."

    In another part of the Level Four Dimension, Serena, lying atop the branch of a tree that was the size of a castle tower, narrowed her eyes with an extremely focused expression, as if she were tracking something invisible in the distance.

    Her bow was held firmly in her hands, and on the strings was a single arrow whose head pulsed with a faint milky energy.

    Her target? It was none other than the Dragonoid, Zara.

    "One strike, that''s all I need!" She dered and...

 Chapter 319: A Rival

    There were so many coincidences happening in the entrance exam. This was not predetermined; it was just bound to happen at times since a thousand examinees had been thrown into the dimension.

    Serena had been faring several times better than the rest, and all this was because of her Archer ss, which gave her the advantage of attacking her opponents from a rtive distance. After striking them down, she woulde out from her hiding and take their Tokens.

    This was very effective as she didn''t have to sh in a frontal brawl and sustain injuries. After all, she wasn''t that proficient in one-on-onebat. This method had allowed her to enter the top 10 effortlessly.

    After dealing with another batch of examinees, Serena had stumbled upon Zara, the mysterious girl that Nox seemed to be very interested in. However, the blue-haired girl seemed to have encountered a powerful rock golem-type beast, and they were currently locked in deadlybat.

    Serena''s eyes gleamed with a cold light when she saw this God-presented opportunity. This girl was the first person Nox had showed genuine interest in. Serena had never seen him so lost in thought, ogling at another person or even to the point of bing a stalker.

    ''Though he sent Solora and Thirteen, it''s still the same thing. This is my chance to get rid of her.'' A smirk appeared on her beautiful face as she mumbled in a sweet voice, which sharply contrasted her thoughts. This was the first time she was about to try something such as this, and she felt a pang in her heart.

    However, this hesitation was quickly dismissed as she said in a not-so-convincing voice, "I''ll just take her out. Yes, that''s what we''re meant to do anyway." She thought, quickly climbing a tree to get a better vantage point.

    In the middle of the dense forest, a massive King Tier rocky golem magical beast roared, its golden eyes locked onto Zara. The massive creature easily towered over the trees, and its body was covered by spiky rocks, which gleamed dangerously under the re of the sun as if eager to impale the person before it.

    In contrast to the petite, framed blue-haired girl who seemed more like an ant waiting to be crushed, the beast was literally a giant and exuded a crushing presence.

    A few meters away from the giant, the ant stood, her blue dress fluttering wildly in the wind. Not even a hint of fear could be detected on her pretty face; the only thing that could be seen was wildness and excitement in her eyes.

    Zara was surrounded by countless snowkes swirling around her small lithe body, which made her appear very stunning and terrifying at the same time. She was the kind that her enemies would willingly throw themselves onto her sword just to catch a whiff of her scent and a glimpse of her face.

    From her vantage point, Serena couldn''t help but click her tongue in disdain as she tightened her grasp on her bow and nocked her arrow. The determination to get rid of her grew even stronger. Little did Serena know, this was the effect of Zara''s [Charm Heart], which clouded the thoughts of her opponents with lust.

    Though the skill was primarily focused on the King-tier beast, the residual effect affected her slightly as well.

    At that moment, with a flick of her wrist, the swirling snowkes turned into shards of crystalline ice like a fan of daggers. Sheunched them at the beast, each shard gleaming brilliantly under the faint sunlight.

    FWISh! FWISh!

    The shards of ice swooshed through the air, heading towards the King Tier golem. An ugly expression crossed the rock golem''s unsightly features at the sight of the ice shards that were keeping it away from iming the delicate woman before it.

    There was no hatred; instead, it was pure lust! The golem wanted her to be his wife. The beast swatted the ice away with a swipe of its massive ws. The forest floor trembled under its steps as it lunged forward with a gleeful expression, swinging its arms out.

    Since the woman was hotheaded, he decided to discipline her!

    BOOM!

    Zara''s beautiful features scrunched up in disgust; sometimes she hated the nature of this skill. At the nick of time, her feet glided along the ground, barely making a sound as she danced around the beast, evading its attacks. With every movement, bursts of frost trailed behind her, painting the battlefield in icy white.

    From above, on the thick tree branch, Serena watched intently. Her bow was already drawn, the arrow glowing faintly as it absorbed mana from the air. Tiny insects crawled up at her, making her feel extremely ufortable, but she held on, not wanting to miss her opportunity.

    "Dammit¡­" Serena whispered nervously, sweat glistening on her forehead.

    Zara dashed left and right, her body spinning as a massive spike of ice erupted from the ground, impaling the beast''s leg. The creature let out a roar of pain.

    CRACK!

    The spike shattered as the beast tore itself free, but Zara wasn''t surprised. She had already foreseen this, as the beast was powerful.

    The beast roared again and lunged forward, and at the same time, Zara''s hands came together.

    [Ice Wall.]

    A towering wall of frozen energy split the air and shot up between her and the monster. As a result, the ground beneath Zara frosted over.

    "Break already!" she shouted, thrusting both palms forward at the wall, with a light but powerful tap.

    However¡ª

    Boom!

    The ice wall exploded into shards, flying toward the beast in a violent storm that smashed into the golem with tremendous force.

    From the branch above, Serena''s aim trembled. Her fingers were unsteady, unable to release the arrow. She had been in this posture for minutes now, and it was beginning to get exhausting.

    "She''s too fast¡­" Serena muttered, eyes flickering with frustration. Her arms shook under the strain.

    "Stay still, dammit!" Serena shouted, and as if hearing her, the blue-haired girl also came to an abrupt stop at that moment.

    Zara raised her hand, her mana ring again.

    A massive spike of ice¡ªten times her size¡ªbegan forming above her, spinning and crackling with power.

    "Holding back my strength and fighting has already eaten into my energy reserves a lot."

    Just like humans used Mana Points, the fuel for an elemental beast''s skill was energy. Though the other examinees didn''t pose that much of a threat, her energy points had depleted a little.

    "I need to conserve more energy."

    Though she loved fighting, winning this tournament was more important. And so, with a flick of her wrist, the spike plummeted.

    BOOM!

    The impact shook the forest. The beast let out one final roar before copsing. Its bodyy still, frost spreading across its wounds.

    After dealing with the beast, out of habit, Zara proceeded to retrieve the monster cores.

    But just before she could get close¡ª

    Fwoosh! Swoosh!

    An arrow shot through the air.

    Zara''s instincts red.

    Her head snapped upward. "¡­!"

    But it was...

 Chapter 320: A Newcomer!

    But it was...toote, as the arrow sliced past her cheek, plunging itself into the ground beside her.

    "Who¡ª?!" Watching her blood on the ground, Zara eximed, her face twisting in anger.

    From the trees above, Serena exhaled. Her hands were much more steady now, and with a wicked, charming smile on her face, she summoned another arrow from her inventory. cing it in the strings of the bow, she fired again.

    Meanwhile, Zara was still trying to process where the arrow hade from when her danger sense red. By instinct, she attempted to dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding an arrow aimed at her torso. Although she sessfully evaded the full impact, it still managed to graze the side of her arm.

    "Tch!" Zara hissed, her blue eyes ring with anger. She pressed a hand to the wound. Blood stained her pale skin, but she didn''t stop moving.

    Confusion and anger glinted in herke-like blue eyes as she frantically searched around for the hidden enemy. Yes, she was a peak king-tier beast, but she still greatly disliked those who fought from the shadows. One fatal attack, and even if they were weaker than her, they could easily deal with her.

    "Coward, show yourself!" she taunted in a mocking tone, hoping to draw her attacker out. However, they were eerily silent, unmoved by her trick.

    ''This person, if I don''t find them soon, they might hurt me badly,'' Zara thought, keeping her expression calm on the surface as she knew whoever her attacker was, they could see her clearly.

    On the branch, her beautiful chocte eyes were cold and focused. The sight of her seriousness was capable of making most men weak in the knees. Maturity had improved her looks by leaps and bounds, and so had her skills!

    Nyx had influenced her greatly, and hence, she had be a training freak. It was no exaggeration to say that in this year''s batch, Serena was the most skilled archer.

    She had mastered the art of confusing her enemies by ying with the wind. To detect an arrow, one needed to pay attention to the subtle whistle of the air before dodging.

    Even with her heightened senses, Zara was struggling to detect these sounds, which goes to show how impable Serena''s archery mastery was.

    "She''s dodging too much," Serena muttered under her breath, drawing another arrow. Her muscles burned, but she ignored the pain. "But if I continue at this pace, I''ll be able to draw out more blood, eventually weakening her."

    Thwip!

    The next arrow came faster, whistling through the air. Zara threw her palm forward, summoning a jagged wall of ice.

    "Got you!" Zara smirked, thinking she had sessfully deflected the arrow, but then her eyes widened at what she saw next.

    CRACK!

    The arrow shattered through the brittle ice like it was ss, grazing Zara''s cheek as it embedded itself into the ground.

    "Again?!" Zara''s voice shook with irritation. Her twin buns bounced as she turned her head toward the trees, scanning for her attacker. "Coward! Come out and fight me properly!"

    Serena didn''t answer.

    She nocked another arrow, her hand steady despite her trembling arms. "Keep talking. You''ll stand still soon enough."

    Thwip-thwip-thwip!

    Three arrows in quick session. Zara''s eyes widened.

    "Ice Shield!"

    A round barrier of frosty energy appeared in front of her, the surface gleaming. The first two arrows nged off harmlessly, bouncing into the forest floor. The third, however, found a crack in her hastily summoned shield.

    THUD!

    The arrow sank into her shoulder.

    "AHHH!" Zara cried out, stumbling back. Her hand shot to the injury, teeth gritted in rage and pain. Frost began spreading instinctively around the wound, slowing the bleeding.

    "You¡­!" Zara finally lost all her cool, as her chest rose and fell in heavy, ragged breaths. Her eyes didn''t seem pretty anymore; they looked like those belonging to a pissed-off ice goddess who wanted nothing more than to drown her enemies in the embrace of her ice!

    Zara''s eyes narrowed. "You want to y? Fine." Her voice trembled, her breath forming mist in the chilled air. "Let''s y."

    As she said this, she mmed her palms into the ground.

    WHOOSH!

    Sharp spikes of ice erupted from the forest floor, spreading outward in every direction. The temperature plummeted. Branches snapped as the frost climbed the trees, threatening to reach Serena. The atmosphere became chilly, scaring all the little creatures close by.

    Feeling the choking cold that was almost painful, Serena''s smirk disappeared, and fear shone in her eyes as she saw the spikes climbing higher. "What¡ª?"

    At the nick of time, just before the spike could reach her, she snapped out of her daze and leapt to another branch, narrowly avoiding the ice piercing where she had stood.

    Crack!

    The branch beneath her splintered. Serena lost her bnce for a moment but twisted mid-air in a beautiful disy of acrobatics andnded on another branch. But then she sucked in a breath; she had already made a lot of noise, and when she realized this, Serena couldn''t help but smile bitterly.

    As expected, Zara had sensed her presence and was gazing at her with a smile that promised a whole world of pain. Serena saw her life sh before her.

    "Tch, so be it then." Serena didn''t see any more reason to stay on the branch and leaped down. As her body plunged, three arrows appeared on her bow, and she fired all three at once.

    FWISH! FWISH! FWISH!

    The arrows shot forward, creating a bluish arc in mid-air. Zaraunched forward with a fearless expression. Now that she saw the archer responsible for her torment, she could easily dance between the attacks and was steadily covering the distance.

    Serena''s arms shook, and her eyes trembled as she fired more and more arrows. Her pretty face was extremely fierce and indifferent. Instead of fleeing, she steadily advanced forward as well.

    Gradually, the distance closed, and Zara''s blood was boiling as she imagined all the things she would do to Serena before snatching her tokens. Just then, she saw Serena abruptly stop firing, looking behind her with wide eyes.

    That was when she finally noticed a presence just a step behind her, and her face turned as pale as a sheet when she identified the aura of this neer.

    An aura that felt so identical to the one who had made her restless in thest couple of days.

 Chapter 321: An Enemy Of Nox Is Also My Enemy

    Zara''s eyes shrank  in horror as she froze in her steps. The aura behind her sent a shiver down her spine. The feeling made her stomach twist ufortably. The aura behind was extremely domineering and made her instincts scream danger.

    Every time she felt it, it was as if she was in the presence of her Master. The feeling was very strange, but it was the only way she could describe it, and the mere thought of thinking about it made her eyes sh with great disgust.

    Zara''s instincts had never failed her in the past. For her to feel ufortable in this person''s presence only meant one thing: they were a threat just like the Scourge Beasts to the dragon''s.

    Zara breathed mist in the freezing air as she gritted her teeth. Thinking about those wretched creatures made her even more angry. If she was to choose between the mysterious boy who gave her chills and this unknown monster, she''d definitely choose thetter, but for now¡­

    The dragonoid clenched her fist. "There is nothing to be scared about. This...this is the right time to take him out of the exam, so that he wouldn''t be a trouble in the future."

    Just as the domineering presence drew closer, about a dozen meters, Zara''s palm flicked downward, and a sharp de of ice materialized. The edges gleamed under the sunlight and were sharp enough to slice through metal with practical ease. With all her strength, Zara ignored Serena and twisted on her heels as she shed backward!

    FWOOSH!

    The force behind the attack was immense, and sharp whistling sounds echoed in the forest that was now frozen due to Zara''s previous attack.

    CLANG!

    The strike connected but didn''tnd clearly, which made Zara frown. Her opponent had blocked the attack with brute force, sliding back slightly.

    Zara frowned. She had not seen the person who snuck up on her. She had only attacked with the intention to deal him a fatal blow that would leave him unable topete in the entrance exam anymore. Her de¡­ it was meant to dig into flesh, so just how¡­?

    Just then, her sharp blue eyes settled on the one who had blocked her attack, and her eyes couldn''t help but tremble in rage and disbelief.

    "You!"

    Standing there with frozen detail on its white and ck fur was a small creature. It was Thirteen, and the panda had an extremely pissed-off expression on its face. Those round eyes, though deceptively cute, held a choking murderous intent at that moment.

    Zara only knew about the python and obsidian-furred cat as she had noticed them during her journey trailing her, but this was the first time she was seeing this particr beast.

    Zara stiffened. Though it was the first time she was seeing this panda, one thing was very familiar about it¡ªand that was the aura! It was very simr to the two she had encountered, which was very simr to that boy''s. It was as if...they all reeked of him.

    ''Did he send it toe and attack me?'' Zara wondered as she stared at the panda who, despite itspact size, was exuding an overwhelming aura. Though it wasn''t the kind that weighed down in battle like a mountain, it was still plenty powerful.

    Thirteen stared at Zara, his chest heaving up and down in anger. Earlier, he had sensed the powerful murderous intent this person was directing towards Serena.

    Serena was a friend! And all friends must be protected!

    BANG!

    Dust clouds shot up as Thirteen stomped the ground and charged in like a cannonball. Just behind, Serena watched with a strange glint in her chocte eyes. There was relief on her face, but then that relief vanished as she recalled the panda''s temperament.

    It was cute on the surface but a battle maniac underneath.

    But the reason for Serena''s worries was because she recalled how the enemy had taken down peak King-Tier beasts with ease. And what level was Thirteen? From its aura, Serena could tell he was an Intermediate tier creature. In other words¡­

    "He doesn''t stand a chance." Serena''s admitted despite not wanting to ept it, and realizing this, Serena¡ªwho has a soft spot for all of Nox''s pets¡ªcouldn''t help but shout aloud, "Thirteen, get out of here!"

    Her voice, however, seemed to only fade into the background, not even reaching the panda whose eyes were only fixed on the blue-haired girl who was about to hurt one of the people Nox cared about most.

    [Enemies! Die!] the panda growled and was about to attack, but the charging beast came to an abrupt halt as it sensed something strange in the air.

    ZZZZZT!

    Suddenly, the air crackled, and a deep rumble of thunder rolled through the frozen forest. Out of nowhere, a figure appeared between Zara and Thirteen, causing both Thirteen and Zara to flinch back.

    The person that had appeared before them was tall and wore ck, tight-fitted armor. A mask was ced on his face, which hid his features but not those sharp eyes. In his hand, an odachi¡ªabsurdly long and wide¡ªcrackled with arcs of lightning, sparks dancing on its de. The sword hummed with energy, like it could tear through the very ground.

    Serena froze mid-step, her bow half-raised.

    Zara narrowed her eyes.

    There was absolute silence, and for a moment, everyone just looked at each other as if waiting for the first person to make a move. The masked person was obviously an examinee after all.

    At that moment, the masked figure turned to Thirteen and said in a soft, light voice that was filled with familiarity, as if he had known the panda for a lifetime, "You''re still as hot-blooded as I remembered. Nice seeing you again, panda."

    Thirteen''s round eyes widened in confusion. He tilted his head. What was this person talking about? More importantly, why did his scent seem so familiar? The panda wanted to ask more questions; however, the only person that couldmunicate with it wasn''t here.

    The figure ignored him and Serena, who held her bow tightly and her grasp on her arrows. He turned to face Zara, who appeared calm in contrast to the tense atmosphere. The odachi''s tip crackled as it pointed straight at her.

    "An enemy of Nox is also my enemy," the figure dered coldly. "I''ll be taking the fight from here."

 Chapter 322: Encounter With The Other Examinees [1]

    Nox''s eyes gleamed with a predatory excitement as he watched the sea of wolves before him. He looked from left to right, and all he could see were dark-furred wolves who were snarling all at once with glowing blue eyes filled with animosity. In their hearts, the hateful humans had been murdered over and over again.

    "So that was the Alpha, huh?" Nox connected the dots quite easily; no hint of remorse or whatsoever in his voice. A smile was all that could be seen on his face. "Well, you guys just presented me with a chance to test out my new skills and farm experience points!"

    At that moment, he stepped forward, and a low growl rippled through the horde, and suddenly ¡ª

    Growl! Howl!

    All the wolves pounced forward at once like a tsunami. Their blue eyes were filled with bloodthirstiness and savageness. Dozens, no, hundreds, closed the distance in the blink of an eye towards the enemies.

    Seeing the sharp fangs that gleamed dangerously, Nox didn''t flinch. The reason for this was because a majority of the beasts here were only at the intermediate tier, while a handful was at the early stages of King-tier. Intermediate-tier and beginning-stage King-tier beasts were naturally not a threat!

    With a wide grin on his handsome face, Nox called out in a loud, powerful voice: "[Barbarian Strength] ¡ª Activate!"

    A golden light surged around his body like a roaring me, and the earth beneath him trembled. Nox bulged slightly, his being glowing faintly as raw power coursed through his body.

    With his midnight eyes burning with a terrifying radiance, Nox charged forward. The ground where he previously stood copsed, forming a crater over three meters deep.

    The first wolf in Nox''s trajectory opened its jaws wide to tear into his skin, but before it could reach him¡ª

    BOOOM!

    Nox''s fist smashed into the beast with the force of a thunderbolt, pulverizing it in an instant. The only thing left behind was the blue glowing beast core. Nox''s eyes widened in shock.

    He knew the Barbarian Strength was powerful, but to easily pulverize a peak intermediate-tier beast with one attack was something he had never imagined. It seemed he had greatly underestimated the effect of his talent.

    All of Nox''s thoughts had happened in a millisecond. Another wolf pounced at his side, but Nox spun and delivered a powerful backhand. The unfortunate creature flew unnaturally as it soared into the sky before disappearing into the dust-filled mist above.

    "This--!" Nox wasn''t the only one who was shocked. The rest of the wolf pack hesitated as well, their glowing blue eyes filled with great confusion. What was happening? Why was the human so powerful?

    Several thoughts shed through their minds in an instant, and they didn''t dare underestimate the human again. Because of the absence of their Alpha, they were disorganized and attacking solely by listening to their instincts. But in the presence of such a terrifying existence, they were beginning to seriously reconsider their next steps.

    They began to circle Nox, and seeing this, Nox couldn''t resist the urge to taunt them. "Tsk, don''t tell me you guys are scared already? Your Alpha must be rolling in his grave in shame if this is all you''ve got to show."

    Nox''s words stung, and the cautiousness in their eyes disappeared. This time, dozens swarmed in from all sides as they all attacked from every angle. Although their Alpha was no more, the wolves were naturally intelligent. They knew it would be difficult for anyone to survive an all-side attack such as this unscathed.

    BOOOM!

    nting his foot forward with a deep thud, the ground cracked beneath Nox as he lunged at the beasts in front of him. Nox was like an unstoppable hurricane as he tore through them mercilessly, disintegrating them in a shower of ck embers.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANGGG! BANGGG!

    A single punch obliterated three wolves at once. Then, he grabbed another by the throat and hurled it into its brethren, sending them tumbling. If one punch wasn''t able to do the deed, then definitely the following one would.

    Swoosh!

    When a group tried to nk him from behind, Nox leaped into the air like an arrow shot from a bowstring. As his body soared through the air, he brought both fists together mid-air and plunged down with explosive force, feeling the rush of wind in the air.

    GROWL! GROWL!

    The wolves red at the descending enemy with a ravenous glint in their eyes. Their fangs were exposed to tear the enemies apart.

    "Heh." That split second before he hit the ground, Nox smirked as both of his fists came crashing down like a falling mountain.

    BOOOM!

    A devastating shockwave erupted from the impact, ttening everything in a twenty-meter radius. The trees on this side snapped, and the ground cracked. Countless boulders were sent flying into the air.

    ---

    In the academy, the instructors didn''t peel their eyes from the screen, their mouths hanging open. The battle was bloody, yet there was something fascinating about it, as if they''d never get bored of watching.

    "Still think Theo or Kali is the strongest in this bunch?" Bridget said sweetly as she looked at Boris Fanum and Brawn Collins, who were all staring at the magical screen with trembling eyes. But because they were too entranced with the fight, her words faded into the background.

    "What sort of monster is this? Obliterating a beast with a single attack? Yes, the feat was possible for high-level Awakened above level sixty with a sufficient amount of strength stats. So how was this kid in the level twenties able to pull off something simr? Does he have a hidden artifact that boosted his strength or what?"

    The more questions that popped up in their heads, the more difficult it was to understand.

    Inside the dimension, just like that, Nox had dealt with all the beasts that had attacked him. The few survivors, after seeing that the enemy was a demon in human skin, scrambled to their feet and, with fear-filled eyes, attempted to flee.

    Of course, Nox didn''t intend on letting his precious experience points escape and immediately charged forward. But just as he covered some distance, he narrowed his eyes as he sensed the presence of several examinees pouring out from the direction he was charging toward.

 Chapter 323: End of The Exam [1]

    The blood and dust mist generated from Nox''s attack had slowly spread out in all directions, shrouding the air in a thick veil that made it difficult for one to clearly see where they were heading. Coupled with the dust, the visibility waspletely obstructed. It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that if the attack had been initiated in the middle of the Vermillion Royal Capital, the air would be polluted for days even with the help of wind affinity mages.

    Currently, a group of examinees moved cautiously through the forest, their feet stepping on twigs from time to time, causing a slight crack to ring out in the eerie forest. Naturally, the reason for their cautiousness was the thick red veil that obstructed their view.

    They could only see a few meters into the distance, hence their slow, hesitant steps. Still, they pressed forward, believing that they were bound to get more tokens from the ce of the earth-shattering explosion. The examinees strongly suspected it was a sh between two powerful participants.

    "An attack of their magnitude should definitely leave them all drained. We''ll be able to snoop in and snatch their tokens," said a boy with sharp eyes, clutching his swords with white-knuckled hands. He appeared to be the leader of this group.

    Despite the strict warning of the headmistress, this group of students seemed to have forgotten the rule forbidding alliances. Now, all they wanted was to grab a share of the tokens.

    Soon, a girl frowned deeply and pointed out, "But at this rate, it might take us forever to find this ce if we don''t get rid of the¡ª"

    The girl''s words were cut off.

    GROWL!

    HOWL!

    A low growl echoed through the trees from the deeper part of the blood veil.

    "That''s a beast!" The expression of everyone went pale as soon as they heard the sounds, and as if their minds were connected, everyone flinched back, their grip on their weapons tightening.

    "Could we have mistaken that explosion?" The sharp-eyed leader muttered in a trembling voice as he scanned the surroundings. They were truly in a disadvantageous situation. The reason for their restlessness wasn''t because they were scared of facing the beasts¡ªit was because of the unfavorable terrain they were in.

    Fighting in this ce would be a death trap, while their enemies would have an easier time attacking them. The leader contemted if they should retreat, but the problem was, they had alreadye a long way. Even if they were to run, the beasts would eventually catch up to them.

    At that moment, from the red mist, glowing blue eyes appeared. One pair. Two pairs, then ten.

    "Dammit, they outnumber us!" An examinee sucked in a sharp breath, a horrified expression flickering across his eyes.

    At that moment, dark-furred wolves stepped into view, but because of the weight of the situation, the examinees weren''t able to detect that the beasts'' eyes were filled with desperation and fear¡ªas if they didn''t want to be here. In fact, they saw the humans as an obstruction from escaping the monster behind them.

    "Peak intermediate tier..." The leader muttered with a grim expression on his face, panic filling his voice despite his attempts to appear calm. "Some of them are even in the king tier. Guys, be careful."

    AWOOOO!

    As if on cue, one of the wolves let out a deafening howl and the pack lunged forward at once, their eyes burning with the desire to get rid of the obstacles in their path.

    "Run!" someone shouted. Fighting such powerful creatures with almost zero visibility was no different from a suicide attempt.

    Screams erupted as the examinees scattered, weapons swinging wildly. But the wolves were too fast and had super vision. It was just too difficult for the examinees to match their speed. The leader, the boy with sharp eyes, swung his sword, only for a wolf to sidestep and tackle him to the ground, opening its maw to take a bite of his flesh, which drained all the blood from the boy''s face.

    With a firm snap of its jaws, the beast was about to rip the examinee''s head off, but he quickly ced his arm in front of him. Blood sttered across the dirt.

    "Dammit, my arm!" he cried as he felt a blinding pain. "They''re too strong!"

    Above the trees, one of the academy instructors was watching the scene unfold.

    "Tsk, these kids have bitten off more than they can chew. I better help them," he said as he proceeded to jump to the ground and provide assistance. However, before he could even move a fiber of his muscles, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air, followed by a sickening thud.

    FWOOSH! Squelch!

    The wolf that was about to pounce on the leader froze mid-air. A sharp blood-red spike pierced through its chest, sttering blood on the boy''s face before it copsed lifelessly to the ground.

    "What...?"

    More spikes erupted.

    Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!

    Blood spears shot out of the blood mist, skewering the wolves one after another. Their pained howls were silenced almost instantly, confusing the examinees as they suddenly saw the powerful wolves¡ªwho were about to overwhelm them a few minutes ago¡ªfalling like flies.

    The examinees, along with the remaining wolves, stood frozen, too shocked to move as they looked in the direction where the rain of blood spikes hade from.

    From the depths of the blood mist, a figure appeared.

    The examinees clutched their weapons tightly, wondering if it was a beast, but soon rxed their grasp as they saw the human outline.

    Step by step, Nox emerged, the faint red mist swirling around him. His expression was calm, almost bored, as he walked forward. In front of him hovered a blood-red pattern, glowing faintly like some kind of runic circle.

    As soon as Nox was fully visible, shocked gasps rippled through the air.

    "Wait, isn''t he that cocky boy from the entrance?" an examinee pointed out.

    "It''s truly him."

    "How did he get rid of all the beasts so easily? The same beasts thatpletely overwhelmed us!"

    One of the examinees finally gathered enough courage to speak. "D-did you do this?" he stammered, pointing at the wolves'' lifeless bodies, but Nox ignored him and looked behind.

    They followed his gaze and then noticed that the remaining wolves¡ªwho had been fierce some minutes ago¡ªwere now trembling with their tails tucked between their legs.

    "Th-they''re scared of him?"

    "This doesn''t make sense. Why are they scared of him?"

    Nox waved his arms and several spikes erupted out from the runic pattern again. Within moments, the entire pack had been wiped out.

    Now everyone knew why the beasts were scared of him.

    After seeing Nox''s disy of power, no one dared to speak again, and the silence seemed to drag forever, broken only by the faint rustling of the breeze through the forest.

    "Thank you for saving us!" The silence was soon broken by a blonde girl with a striking face free of any blemish. Her every movement caused her bountiful chest to bounce slightly, drawing attention to her model-like beauty. In her grasp was a staff, suggesting that she was a mage.

    Nox, who was engrossed in the flood of experience points he had gained, looked at the girl with a confused expression. Seeing his gaze, the girl pushed her chest outward as if screaming: Look!

    "Save?" Nox asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Who said I was saving you guys?"

    How was he supposed to tell these people that he simply didn''t want to let his experience points go that easily?

    The girl''s eyes shed as she noticed Nox''s calm expression despite her advances, and her pride took critical damage. This was the first time she had been ignored like this, and for someone who prided herself on her beauty, it was nothing short of humiliating.

    "Wait, are you nning to fight us?" the sharp-eyed boy asked.

    "What a dumb question to ask," Nox replied, and everyone collectively sighed in relief. Then he stretched his hands outward with a smile simr to that of a debt collector. "I won''t fight you guys. You can just hand over your tokens, and we''ll move our separate ways peacefully."

    This bastard! was what the examinees wanted to say, but they gritted their teeth instead.

    Minutester, after Nox had robbed the others of their tokens, a sweet, lovely voice, which undoubtedly belonged to Headmistress Bridget, echoed across the dimension.

    "Attention examinees! The entrance examination has concluded. All participants are instructed to exit the testing grounds immediately. Results will be disyed shortly."

    ****

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones, I really approaciate!

 Chapter 324: End Of Exam [2]

    Bridget''s voice echoed throughout the Level Four Dimension, and one by one, students began to exit the Dimension. Even those in the midst of battle had no choice but to obey themand. A few had sessfully defeated their opponents and were about to make them submit their tokens when the announcement was made.

    For those students, the timing was even more crucial and nearly made them drag their hair in frustration, but they had no choice but to let their opponents go, who sighed in relief.

    Nox came out from the portal as well and was quickly led to another section of the academy where their tokens would be counted. After the announcement, Nox had stayed behind and regrouped with his pets, so he was one of thest few to step outside.

    Because of Astralux''s spatial attribute, Nox had instructed Thirteen, Fluffington, and Solora to submit all tokens to the jellyfish, who would then store them in her spatial space.

    "Strange." Nox narrowed his eyes; he didn''t see any flicker of surprise in the woman''s eyes despite counting his impressive pile of tokens on the table, which made him think he hadn''t performed as well as he had thought he would.

    "There were really some strong people, it seemed," Nox mumbled to himself as he went to look for Nyx and Serena. Just a few stepster, however, he bumped into a green-haired boy.

    "I''m sorry, my bad." The boy hurriedly apologized.

    "It''s alright." Nox nodded and was about to proceed when suddenly the boy spoke again, his voice filled with urgency: "Wait!"

    "I know you might not know me, but my name is Jared Landon from the Landon barony. We participated in the fight summit together." Jared introduced himself, stretching his hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Duke Nox."

    Nox hesitated, nearly making Jared put back his arm in disappointment, but soon Nox''s eyes glinted in realization. "Oh, I remember you," he said, taking the handshake.

    "You do?" Jared was surprised. Nox, the most powerful youth in the entire Western region, actually knew him? Although he didn''t know, Nox was considered a celebrity throughout the Western region and was an unreachable existence among the youths. It came as a great surprise to Jared that someone of such calibre knew him.

    "Yes, my teammates told me what you did for my sister. It''s a bit stupid considering that we were all meant to eliminate each other, but thank you." Nox nodded and then proceeded to walk away. "If you have any problem in the future, you can always ask for my help."

    "Alright, thanks." Jared shouted while hiding a smirk as he rushed away, heading to the courtyard. In the near future, he wouldter realize that purposely bumping into the one blessed by the gods was the best decision he ever made in his life.

    After submitting their tokens, all the examinees were led to the academy courtyard, which was buzzing with nervous energy. The courtyard was arge cobblestone ground with arge tform at the center.

    "I didn''t get enough points." One student clenched his fist. "What if I fail? I didn''t steal enough tokens... this is bad."

    His friend standing beside him shook his head with a bitter expression as he said in a low, weary voice: "I barely survived too. Who would have thought there would be so many monsters in this year''s exam?"

    Immediately when they heard the word "monster," all the examinees present instinctively looked at the warrior who was dressed in gold and white armor. He was standing alone, and everyone seemed to be avoiding him like some sort of gue. Naturally, this person was Theo Fanum.

    Cold sweat trickling down their spines and temples, they quickly looked away. Though a few students gazed at him with admiration, a majority of them looked at him with fear and envy. Fear because of his strength, and envy because the gap was too overwhelming.

    Just some meters away was Kali. He was the second favorite of this exam, and a fair share of ice was also fixed on him, but thed was oblivious to all these looks as he continued to peep at the golden swordsman¡ªor swordswoman¡ªwho was looking ahead at the elevated tform, ignoring all others as if they weren''t worth her time.

    Kali''s finger twitched. It was rare for him to feel fear, but now he couldn''t even look this person in the face. Anytime he did, the overwhelming defeat he had faced at their hands seemed to rey in his mind, along with those cold words:

    "You can barely survive my blows. If I touch my sword, you''d be long dead!"

    ''I was defeated even without my opponent touching their sword. What sort of absurd gap in strength is that?''

    On the other side of the courtyard, there was another figure who was garnering some looks as well.

    "Why do I feel as if my life is in danger?" the masked examinee thought as he looked behind, only to be met by a pair of chilling blue eyes that burned with hatred so intense that it could carve a hole in his back.

    ''Oh, it''s her. She''s stronger than I thought. If only the exam hadn''t ended so soon... maybe, just maybe, I could have defeated her and taken those tokens.''

    Zara could barely control the volcano that was rising in her chest. If it wasn''t for his interference, she would''ve easily taken down Serena and made her go through a whole world of pain. Dragons weren''t just avaricious; they could also keep malice for eons.

    Then there was Nox.

    The moment the examinees he had dealt with caught sight of him, they froze and began to whisper among themselves.

    "That''s him."

    "The guy from the mist."

    "Did you see those blood spikes? What kind of power is that?"

    "Monstrous. He killed those wolves like it was nothing."

    A sly grin almost broke out on Nox''s face, but he kept a nonchnt expression.

    Even the instructors who were standing close by were shooting him uneasy nces.

    Soon the voices of all the examinees fell silent when the figure of the headmistress stepped onto the elevated tform. She walked with grace. Though she wasn''t purposely teasing them¡ªbecause most of them were still minors¡ªher beauty still had an effect on them, especially when all their attention was focused on her.

    "Quiet down," Bridget said in a clear and authoritative voice. "You''ve all worked hard, and today we''ll determine who has earned a ce in the prestigious Beta ss, Alpha ss, and the... Special ss."

 Chapter 325: He failed?

    The hearts of a thousand students beat wildly as soon as they heard that the results were about to be announced. Some examinees clutched their chests while others muttered prayers to the gods.

    Bridget''s eyes glinted with a mischievous light as she observed the scene. "Remember, regardless of the results, you all have proven yourselves worthy of standing here. If you don''t make the cut, you mustn''t lose hope. This is just one step in your journey."

    Clearing her throat, Bridget continued, "Now, I will begin announcing the results. As you know, there are three tiers: Beta ss, Alpha ss, and the¡­ Special ss."

    Of course, all of those present knew about these three tiers. The Beta ss was for the majority of students who did not reach the top 100 but demonstrated sufficient potential during the entrance exam.

    They were at the bottom of the food chain and were usually nurtured to bepetent adventurers or mid-tier guild members with limited resources.

    None of the examinees liked this ss.

    Meanwhile, the Alpha ss. These students were usually several times more talented than the Beta ss students and even had ess to premium training facilities and perks. The goal of most of the students here was to enter this ss.

    Then the Special ss! The Special ss represented the absolute cream of the crop, reserved for only 20 students who dominated the exam and showed unmatched skills, talents, and potential. They were treated like VIPs within the academy and the entire Vermilion Kingdom!

    The way Bridget said "Special ss" sent shivers down their spines. Everyone wanted to be there, but only the best of the best could make it.

    Bridget paused, letting the suspense build. The slight curve of her smile showed she knew exactly what she was doing. After allowing the examinees to fantasize enough, she said, "We''ll start with the Beta ss."

    The courtyard felt like it collectively exhaled. At least they weren''t starting with the top; that would''ve been too cruel. The earlier they knew their fate, the better¡ªor else they might just die from suspense.

    "The following students will join the Beta ss," Bridget announced. "Mark Weaver."

    A boy near the front staggered forward, disbelief written all over his face. His friends patted him on the back, whispering congrattions.

    "Lina Craven."

    A girl with short red hair gasped before quickly covering her mouth. She nearly stumbled over her own feet as she tried to look calm.

    Bridget continued listing names¡ªone after another, each apanied by a mixture of relief, tears, or silent frustration. Some clenched their fists because they hadn''t heard their names and were scared that they might''ve failed the exam¡ªespecially those who knew they hadn''t performed well.

    The ones who felt they performed well were all filled with confidence. Since they didn''t make it into the Beta ss, that could only mean they made it to the Alpha ss.

    "That concludes the Beta ss."

    "And now," Bridget said in an excited voice, "we move on to the Alpha ss."

    Fists of several students could be seen clenched, exposing their white knuckles. The courtyard froze. This was it. The ones who had stood out. The ones everyone would envy. The heartbeats of even the confident examinees elerated as well.

    "Cyrus Vale."

    A tall boy with a spear strapped to his back smirked, crossing his arms as if he''d known all along. A few jealous res were shot his way, but he ignored them.

    Beside Nox, Serena was fidgeting with her hands, her face filled with anxiety. She hadn''t heard her name in therge batch, and the names of the Alpha ss were reaching the end as well. Tears almost threatened to spill from her eyes, but fortunately, at that moment, she heard her name.

    "Serena Gordons."

    "Phew." Serena exhaled deeply, a wave of relief washing over her.

    Nox simply looked at her and smiled. Seeing howposed Nox and Nyx were, Serena couldn''t help but ask in a bewildered voice:

    "How are you two this calm?"

    "Because we know we''ll get into the Special ss?" Nox raised a brow as if he was stating the obvious, which was very clear for everyone to see¡ªnot knowing that his seemingly harmless words were earning him contemptuous looks from those behind.

    "Ah, I thought as much. Anyway, I''m happy I made it through as well," Serena said and hugged Nox.

    "I''m d you passed. I knew you would." Nox sighed as he hugged her back. Yes, this was what he had to deal with from time to time. What he didn''t know was that Serena was actually doing this because she had seen Zara looking at him, and this was a way to send a message .

    Soon, the Alpha ss was rounded up as well, and it was time for the Special ss students. All the students looked up with anticipation.

    "Those who qualify for the Special ss have demonstrated extraordinary skill, talent, or power. These students will receive privileges far above the Alpha and Beta sses."

    Gasps rippled through the crowd.

    "I will begin now."

    Bridget unfurled a smaller parchment.

    She didn''t call the names immediately. Instead, her gaze lingered on the paper for some time.

    "The first name for the Special ss¡ª"

    A silence so deep fell that even breathing seemed loud.

    "¡­Theo Fanum."

    All eyes turned to the golden-armored boy.

    Theo''s expression didn''t change. He remained stoic, as if he expected nothing less.

    "Of course," someone muttered bitterly.

    "He''s a monster," another whispered.

    Bridget continued.

    "Glen¡­"

    "Zara Frostpire¡­"

    "Kali Wren¡­"

    "Ainsworth Vermilion¡­"

    "Nyx Aegis Cromwell."

    "¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­"

    "Why haven''t they called my name yet?" Nox narrowed his eyes when the 19th name was called. He was not the only confused one¡ªeven Nyx, Serena, and Zara were puzzled.

    Although she hadn''t fought Nox, Zara was certain he was strong. A weakling could never give her chills. No matter what, he should be in the Alpha ss at least.

    The examinees Nox had encountered were also confused. The blood-spike guy who was capable of frightening beasts should''ve been in the Special ss. They found it hard to believe that he hadn''t even passed the exams.

 Chapter 326: A Unique Position

    "Maybe he''s thest person," someone said.

    At that moment, the headmistress looked at the scroll, then raised her eyes.

    "¡­Jared Landon."

    The courtyard fell silent.

    "Who?"

    "Jared¡­ who''s that?"

    In the middle of the crowd, a green-haired boy froze, his eyes going wide.

    "Me?" Jared stammered, pointing at himself as if it couldn''t be true.

    Bridget''s lips curled into a faint smile. "Step forward."

    Jared stumbled, his legs wobbling as he walked toward the front. Students stared at him in disbelief, many whispering loudly.

    "How did he make it?"

    "He must''ve cheated."

    "I don''t even know who he is¡­"

    "So does this mean?" Glen mumbled under her breath as she looked at Nox, who was standing, as well as Jared.

    "Hahahaha, this is good." Zara giggled in her heart. "It seems there is no need to worry about him sabotaging my mission."

    "This doesn''t make sense." Nox frowned, recalling the expression on the woman who had counted his tokens.

    "That''s not all." Bridget''s voice echoed again as she moved her gaze to someone in the crowd. All the examinees followed her gaze.

    It was Nox.

    "There''s an examinee that has far outperformed everyone else, and the Academy board has decided to grant him a unique position within the Special ss," Bridget announced, her voice steady but filled with intrigue. Gasps erupted as the students craned their necks to look at Nox.

    "A unique position?" The murmurs grew louder.

    "What does that mean?"

    "Did he not get into the Special ss?"

    "Wait¡­ outperformed everyone else?!"

    Several whispers and questions filled the air. It was not the first time that the examinees had heard about this unique position; it was usually reserved only for the top scorers in the exam. Thinking of this, their eyes widened, and someone couldn''t help but speak up.

    "Does this mean he''s¡­"

    "Nox Aegis Cromwell." Bridget finally dered, her tone deliberately slow as if savoring the moment. At the mention of his name, silence suddenly enveloped the entire area.

    However, from the look of things, it seemed the headmistress was not done and still had something else to say.

    The headmistress''s gaze remained fixed on him as she continued, "You''re not just part of the Special ss¡­ you''re hereby recognized as the Rank 1 student of the Special ss and the entire Academy as a whole."

    Gasps erupted like an explosion.

    Rank 1?!

    "Rank 1? That''s impossible!" someone muttered.

    "I thought Theo would have been Rank 1?"

    "Who even is he?" someone else asked.

    "I think I heard some group of losers calling him the blood spike guy."

    The normal students weren''t the only ones who were shocked. The Special ss students also narrowed their eyes.

    This was simply too much!

    Zara clenched her fists, the ground beneath her freezing over. Theo and Kali were shocked as well and were actually struggling to keep theirposure, but it was very difficult. After all, they didn''t even know about this boy prior to the exam.

    The only ones who strangely seemed excited were the tall masked youth with a smile stered on his face and the full-bodied golden sword woman. If one could see through her helmet, they''d have noticed the wicked glint in her eyes.

    ''At first, I didn''t pay attention to this boy¡ªonly his sister, because she defeated that smug arrogant cock,'' Theo thought as he looked at Nox from the corner of his eyes. ''It seems I''ve misjudged. I wonder if he could be a good training partner.''

    "These people¡­ they''re making a huge mistake," Kali mumbled as he shook his head. No matter what, he couldn''t get rid of the image of the armored examinee that attacked him. He waspletely overwhelmed. Kali was certain even Theo wouldn''t fare that much better against them.

    In his heart, the real Rank 1 was Glen, who was standing just a few meters away from him. He didn''t consider Nox as someone strong, considering that he had never seen the boy in action.

    The only person he had seen who gave him chills was¡­ Looking at that broad armored back, Kali shuddered and looked away.

    "As expected of the anomaly." Jared nodded his head with a faint smile, almost resisting the urge to shout, I know him! We''re from the same ce!

    Bridget still wasn''t done yet. There was a charming glint in her face as her sweet voice echoed once more:

    "There''s something else," she said, raising her voice to regain control of the stunned crowd. "Nox Aegis Cromwell not only defeated multiple King-Tier beasts during the examination but acquired the most tokens and even disyed unparalleledbat ability, strategy, and resourcefulness. His performance has set a new record for this academy''s history."

    The silence that followed was suffocating.

    A new record?!

    "That exins it," one of the instructors who had not been part of the exam monitors muttered to his colleague, eyes wide with disbelief. "I heard about the two peak King-Tier beasts being killed, but I assumed it was a group effort."

    "Killing two King-Tier beasts? Damn, truly befitting of the Rank 1 student." His colleague nodded his head.

    Meanwhile, Nox''s lips curled into a subtle smile. He would be a hypocrite to say he wasn''t enjoying all this attention.

    Seeing this, Bridget nced at him, eyes twinkling as though amused, before turning to address the crowd as a whole. "And with that, the Special ss students have been finalized. Each of you¡ªwhether Beta, Alpha, or Special ss¡ªhas earned your ce here. Your journey at the academy begins now."

    "And for those that didn''t pass the exam, kindly leave the premises. You can always check out other academies in the capital, though I must warn you¡ªthey''re not as good as the Vermilion Royal Academy. After all, there is a reason for the Royalty in our name," Bridget said smugly.

    Nobody knew what Bridget was aiming for, but she had sessfully seeded, and all the students left the premises, balling their fists with dejected expressions on their faces.

    As the losers left, a roar of voices erupted across the courtyard. Beta students moped about their "bad luck," Alpha students stood proud, and Special ss students exchanged nces filled with unspoken rivalries.

    But most importantly, everyone was sneaking nces at Nox. Just then, they noticed that a certain person was approaching him.

    It was¡­ Theo Fanum.

 Chapter 327: Graduated?

    After the announcement had ended, the newly admitted students were gossiping among themselves with animated expressions. Everyone was speaking at once, making it extremely noisy and hurtful to the ears.

    Because the headmistress had yet to give any more instructions, everyone remained in their positions. Nox was already tired; all he wanted was to get out of here and go farm experience points or something else.

    ''Something that would let me leave this noisy ce,'' he thought.

    Suddenly, while the crowd gossiped and whispered, someone started walking toward Nox, who narrowed his eyes.

    ''Is this the typical young master moment?''

    The person approaching him was none other than Theo Fanum.

    The moment people noticed Theo approaching, the atmosphere seemed to shift, and the voices grew even louder.

    "Are they gonna fight?" someone whispered eagerly.

    "This will be insane!" another added.

    The students quieted down, their eyes glued to the scene. Theo was the strongest student in the Special ss and, to the students, in the entire academy. Even though Nox was ranked first, they thought Theo might be feeling angry about losing his position and were expecting a confrontation¡ªmaybe even a brawl.

    But what happened next shocked them.

    Theo stopped in front of Nox and smiled.

    "Congrattions," Theo said, his tone surprisingly casual. "You''ve earned the title of Rank 1, and it''s not just anyone who can pull that off."

    "Thank you," Nox replied, not sensing even a hint of animositying from thetter. Because of his looks, Nox had expected Theo to possess a condescending personality and look down on everyone. It shocked Nox a little.

    ''Maybe I consumed too many cultivation novels.''

    At that moment, Theo spoke again, his arms crossed. "But you should know¡ªthis academy has a strength ranking system. Rank 1 isn''t just a title here. It''s something you need to prove over and over again. You''ll have to defend it."

    At this, some students gasped.

    "So he''s challenging him, after all!" someone blurted out.

    But Theo shook his head, looking straight at Nox. "Rx, I''m not here to fight. I just wanted to let you know¡­ I look forward to some friendly rivalry. Don''t lose that title too quickly."

    "Tsk, rx? I wasn''t panicking in the slightest," Noxughed.

    "You¡ªI like you," Theo smiled, feeling as if he would get along with the boy just fine.

    Meanwhile, the crowd collectively groaned. It seemed that the fight they so badly wanted to see wouldn''t happen today, and some were even beginning to resume their earlier conversations.

    Nox''s lips curled into a small, confident smile as he said in a voice filled with seriousness, "But I''ll keep that in mind. I''ll hold this position till I graduate."

    Theo grinned in return and patted him on the shoulder. "Good. Don''t disappoint me." Then, with a final nod at Nyx and Serena, who had been watching as well, he turned and walked away, leaving the students murmuring in disappointment.

    Because the two were standing far from Nox, Nyx and Serena came up to him. Nyx narrowed her eyes, watching Theo''s back as it slowly disappeared into the distance. A cold silver glint passed through her eyes as she said, "Do you think he''ll be a nuisance?"

    Thinking back to Ainsworth, she added in a voice filled with disgust, "These nobles can be very irritating and unreasonable. This is me speaking from experience."

    "But he doesn''t seem like that," Serena chimed in. She, too, had been observing everyone, taking note of people she should keep her distance from and those she should get close to.

    The number one person she nned on keeping her distance from was the sky-blue-haired girl who seemed to make her feel chills¡ªfiguratively and literally speaking.

    But Theo¡­ Theo gave off the vibe of that cool, rich kid. A chill guy.

    "He''s not like them," Nox said. "I''m a good judge of character." Then he looked at Kali, who had a sledgehammer, and Ainsworth. He had already heard from Nyx about what this guy did and was already pissed off with him.

    He would definitely not get along with that guy.

    "Those two would be the problem," he said. "Of course, I could be wrong." Nox shrugged.

    Just as they were speaking, Bridget came up to the tform after sorting out some matters. Under hermands, several instructors came up to the Beta and Alpha students to lead them to their dorm rooms.

    "I''ll be the one leading you guys," Bridget said to the Special ss students softly, with a sweet smile on her face.

    At this, the hearts of the Alpha and Beta ss students couldn''t help but squeeze in pain. Thorough VIP treatment!

    "Man, I would kill to see that smile on her face always."

    "I heard she''d also be one of their homeroom instructors."

    "Damn, that means they get to spend more time with the headmistress. I''m jealous."

    ---

    Nox, along with the 19 other students, followed Bridget out of the courtyard and into one of the academy''s quieter hallways. As he walked, he didn''t encounter any students, and the overall vibe of the academy was much quieter.

    Nox wasn''t the only one who had noticed this, butpared to him, the others were much more chill about it, as if it was something normal.

    "Where is everyone?" Nox finally couldn''t hold back and asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "This ce feels¡­ deserted."

    Bridget nced at him and chuckled softly. "The academy isn''t always this full. Most of the graduates leave afterpleting their studies."

    "Graduates?" Nox frowned. What did she mean by graduates? What about Brandon Chai, the one who caused the Silver family to send an assassin after his life?

    Brandon was one of the main reasons he hade to the academy in the first ce. He turned to the headmistress to ask a question.

    She smiled, already anticipating his question as she said, "..."

    ****

    Thanks to all Those Who Support Supreme BeastTamer! I really Approaciate! It motivates me alot!

 Chapter 328: Luxurious Dorm Room

    "Brandon? He graduated a while ago, but he''s still here," Bridget exined as they continued to walk. She and Nox were walking several steps ahead of the others, so they weren''t able to hear the content of their conversation.

    A few of the students who hadn''t seen Nox fighting before scowled, shooting daggers at his back.

    Their eyes were literally burning with jealousy, and of course, Nox could sense this as well, but he didn''t mind. All his attention was fixed on what the headmistress was saying.

    "That''s a relief." Nox sighed. Awakened were adventurers, and they hardly stayed in one ce; they always traveled around the world seeking ways to grow their strength.

    As a special student, Brandon was bound to leave the Vermilion Kingdom, travel to the other five kingdoms, or even the non-human continent where the other races dwell to gather more resources and grow stronger.

    Nox didn''t want to waste his time searching for someone; he''d rather use that time to grow stronger. So, hearing that the person he was looking for was still present in the academy was a very big relief.

    But this did make him a bit curious, and with furrowed brows, he asked, "What do you mean, graduated but still here?"

    Bridget exined, "Many graduates choose to remain at the academy as instructors. It''smon here. They can live their lives as Awakened, take quests from the Adventurers'' Guild, and still teach here on the side."

    "Really?" Nox asked, intrigued.

    "Yes," Bridget replied, and with a smugness in her voice, she added, "Being an instructor here is a prestigious position. The academy pays handsomely¡ªmuch more than most quests do. For many graduates, it''s an easy way to earn money while maintaining their status."

    "So the academy uses its reputation to keep their best students and turn them into tutors? What a shady business strategy."

    Bridget chuckled softly, her melodious voice echoing through the streets of the academy, and Nox earned a couple more murderous res that were capable of piercing holes through his body.

    A majority, however, felt respect for him. To make someone in the higher echelons of the Vermilion Kingdomugh like this was impressive, and he wasn''t even trying.

    While the others were either envious or bewildered, Nox had a thoughtful expression on his face.

    ''Like a side hustle, a very lucrative one at that,'' Nox thought. If it weren''t for his grand goals, he would''ve definitely considered doing the same as well, but unfortunately, he was not someone meant to stay in one ce in the first ce.

    To spread the pantheon of beast taming, he would need to travel around the human domain and the non-human continent. Nox had heard a lot of rumors that the people there didn''t despise humans because of their weaker constitution; however, they were known to hold deep grudges and distrust toward humans due to past conflicts and betrayals.

    "You said mostly?" Nox then asked again. "What does that mean?"

    "Yes, some Special ss students fail to pass their final exams," Bridget said, her tone turning serious. "Those students are allowed to remain in the academy, but not as instructors. Instead, they train to retake the exams. Most of them never leave."

    "Is the exam that hard?"

    "Definitely. The exams for the Beta and Alpha sses are much easierpared to the Special ss. All the Special ss students that passed the exam went on to be generals, high-level adventurers, and some even started their own guilds."

    "Interesting," Nox murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly. He couldn''t imagine himself failing like that. The usual academy duration was three years, but for Special ss students, it was two years.

    Nox didn''t want to spend any extra years here.

    ---

    A whileter, they arrived at the Special ss dormitory.

    The building for the Special ss students was massive¡ªalmost like a small pce. Compared to the standard dorms he had seen earlier, this one was on apletely different level. A few cleaning staff were even attending to the garden and wiping the windows, despite the ce already looking spotless.

    "I can get used to this," a student whispered, his eyes shining in excitement.

    "Rumor has it that some of the remaining Special ss students deliberately gained weight just to enjoy this luxury."

    "That, that doesn''t make sense."

    When Bridget opened the door, all the Special ss students rushed in to select their dorm rooms. Although most of them wanted to take the top floor, Bridget sternly warned them not to go to the top floor, as it was upied by a group of unfriendly people.

    As Nox went to look for his room, little did he know that Glen, the full-bodied armored swordwoman, was silently trailing him from behind.

    Soon, Nox stopped at a door marked "Room 200" and pushed it open. The first thing that struck him was a delicate, refreshing fragrance.

    The room was enormous. There was a luxurious bed with silk sheets, a polished wooden desk with amp, and even a small seating area with cushioned chairs. A window at the far end gave him a clear view of the academy grounds.

    "Alright, everyone,e outside," Nox said as several portals popped out. One after another, all his pets stepped out, and upon seeing the spacious room¡ªwhich was countless times better than the one in the barony¡ªthey became excited.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere, two newly admitted Special ss students were discussing among themselves, with visible bruises on their faces and other body parts.

    "Dammit, how is that masked guy so strong?" one of them cursed under his breath. "For a moment, I thought he wanted to rob me. Who would have thought all he wanted was to swap the room card?"

    "Yes, the same thing happened to me, but I only saw a blur of that person before I was knocked out." The students looked at his room key card, which showed Room 100. It had been Room 201, while his friend''s Room 2003 was reced by Room 101.

    "Do you think we should report?" one of them suggested.

    The other scowled and said in disdain, "And tell them we Special ss students were attacked and we didn''t even see the faces of our attackers? To save face, let''s just keep quiet."

    Back in the dorm, while Nox was trying to make himself feel at home, a knock soon sounded on his door. When he opened it, he found...

 Chapter 329: First Class

    Nox adjusted his belongings in the luxurious dorm room. It was the next day, and morning sunlight poured through the towering windows, casting a warm radiance in the room.

    In therge bed, Fluffington, Thirteen, Solora, and Astralux were fast asleep with peaceful expressions on their faces.

    ''They really liked the real world. I should probably leave them here for a bit,'' Nox thought. Today was the first day of his academic journey.

    Nox hadn''t attended a school in his previous life; as such, he was very excited to attend ss today. Though he was certain that the sses would look morebat-rted than the teaching on Earth, he was still looking forward to it nevertheless.

    Besides, he would choose abat ss over a long boring lecture any day.

    Just as he was in his thoughts, a series of knocks sounded on his door.

    Knock knock

    "I''m not expecting anyone. Who could it be? Maybe it''s the instructors," Nox mumbled to himself as he went to open the door.

    However, upon opening the door, he didn''t find any instructor. Instead, who he saw was a student, but not just any student.

    It was a student with a mask covering his upper face. He was leaning casually against the hallway wall, arms crossed. ck leather gloves. A simple dark mask that covered half his face. His demeanor was rxed... perhaps too rxed.

    Nox frowned. He didn''t have any appointments with this person.

    "Who are you?" Nox raised a brow, his tone t.

    Sensing the slight sharpness in Nox''s voice, the figure said, "Hi, I''m your neighbor, room 201. I thought as neighbors that would be staying here for some time, it''s only logical for us to know each other."

    "The name is ke." The masked boy straightened up and strolled toward him, hand extended. "I have this nagging feeling that we would make a great pair of friends here."

    Nox didn''t shake his hand. "Friend? I don''t even know you."

    ke chuckled, unbothered. "Not yet, but you will."

    Suspicious. Who approaches like that? And why the mask? Most importantly, this confidence and chill attitude?

    Nox stared at him for a moment and asked straightforwardly, "What do you want?"

    "To attend sses together," ke replied, breezy as ever. "It''s boring alone, don''t you think?"

    "...We''re not friends."

    "Not yet." ke grinned behind the mask. "But we could be."

    Nox frowned. Something about this guy was off. Too familiar, too confident. But there wasn''t any malice. Just¡­ strangeness.

    ''There is only one person I know that liked talking too much, confident, and easy to get along with. But that person, ording to him, stays in the furthest human kingdom.''

    Nox had a pretty good impression of this person. Not only was it because he had helped break him out of the ice block caused by the yeti, but it was also because he knew that that person didn''t hold any intent against him and just wanted to be his friend.

    Nox sighed. ''What''s the harm? Besides, I need allies too, not just beasts. The best ce for me to get these allies would be the special ss... I shall as well start with him.''

    "Fine," Nox muttered. "But don''t bother me during ss."

    ke pped his hands once, as if celebrating. "Deal!"

    After that, the two proceeded to walk towards the ss.

    On the way, Nox noticed that several students had formed some sort of cliques and were heading to ss together. The only people he had seen walking alone were Zara, Theo, Kali, and Glen, the full-bodied sword woman who had never taken off her mask.

    Naturally, as soon as Nox hit the cobblestone streets of the academy, he drew a couple of nces and loud whispers. Nox ignored these whispers and soon arrived at the building that acted as the special ssroom.

    The special ssroom was nothing short of extravagant.

    Gold-trimmed windows. Velvet chairs arranged in neat rows. The polished mahogany floor gleamed under the sunlight filtering through stained ss.

    There were already some students sitting down, waiting for the homeroom teacher toe.

    And as soon as Nox walked in, all eyes turned to him.

    "This is how it feels to be rank 1, huh? Must be amazing," ke whispered. "You''re like a celebrity at this point."

    "Yeah, it must feel good with all the eyes on you," Nox said sarcastically and thought cruelly in his heart, ''But I don''t mind. With great reputation and power, I''ll swindle them all to be my pawns...''

    "Over here!"

    Nox heard someone wave their hands. He nced in that direction and saw Nyx. He quickly went and sat down beside her.

    Nox had thought ke would find somewhere else to sit down, but surprisingly, the thick-skinned masked boy came up to them to introduce himself to Nyx.

    "Hi, my name''s ke. From your looks, I take it you''re Nox''s sister."

    Nyx nced at Nox with the "Who the fuck is this one?" look.

    "It''s a long story," was all Nox could say.

    Nyx was usually rude and indifferent to strangers. If it was any other time, she would''ve outright ignored this stranger, but since this was a new environment, she decided to give him some face by introducing herself to him.

    If only he knew that the unreachable goddess of the western region, who barely gave anyone a second nce, looked at him, he would have fainted.

    At the other side of the ssroom, Jared felt his heart squeeze as he saw this scene and looked away.

    In another part of the room, Ainsworth was staring daggers at Nox, Nyx, and ke. His fists were balled.

    "The second time. She humiliated me for the second time." He mumbled these words like a broken tape as he seethed with rage, his eyes turning bloodshot with each passing moment.

    "Should I ask uncle for a little help?" Ainsworth thought about his doting uncle, who happened to be the vice principal of this academy, and a wicked n started to circte in his head.

    At that moment, the door flung open, and the instructor stepped inside the academy.

    "Huh? What is she doing here? Don''t tell me she''s the instructor?" Nox''s eyes immediately widened as he saw this person.

 Chapter 330: The Demons Make Thier Move?

    The Vermilion Royal Capital was thergest city in the Vermilion Kingdom and the entire human domain as a whole. There were about thirty districts and hidden underground tunnels and shelters that were unknown to the public.

    It was rumored that these tunnels were built by the second king of the Vermilion Kingdom, Bloodbane Vermilion II, also known as the most ruthless king in the world.

    The people of the human domainmonly referred to him as the Demon Lord of the Human Continent.

    During his reign, the kingdom waged so many wars with the neighboring five kingdoms. Though millions didn''t die in this war like the Great War of Rebirth, the deaths easily surpassed five hundred thousand.

    The wars had be so intense that King Bloodbane had instructed the kingdom''s [builders] and [architects] to build the tunnels and underground cities to safeguard the kingdom''s valuable treasures and relics.

    In order to keep the tunnels and cities secret, King Bloodbane had ughtered all the builders, leaving the secrets to remain only with his trusted subordinates.

    Hence, for generations, the citizens had remained clueless about the tunnels and cities beneath them. The only ones who had information about these ces were the royal family and a very limited circle of experts.

    Inside one of these tunnels, a group of cloaked figures moved silently, their feet echoing against the cobblestone floor that had withstood the test of time and now had several cracks on its surface.

    The figures shared no words and soon arrived at a double door with golden engravings at the sides. Upon entering the door, they were greeted by a long table with eight figures already seated.

    As the door shut close, the red mes on the wall flickered before bing still again, casting shadows on the crimson banners embroidered with the ming rose insignia.

    When the two neers sat in the remaining seats, the meeting officially began.

    "The demons have moved again," said a man cloaked in ck, his features obscured by a hood as he sat at the end of the table. Though they all looked the same technically, this man emitted a profound aura, one like a raging infernopared to the others.

    As soon as the words left the man''s lips, low, uneasy murmurs erupted.

    "The demons¡­ so they finally fell to their greed."

    "I knew it was a matter of time. It''s still surprising that they took this long to make their move."

    The hooded man mmed his fist on the table, immediately silencing the others. He said in a sharp voice, "But this is actually to our advantage. It would be the perfect revenge for destroying one of our strongest trump cards."

    The room darkened further, and eyes darted toward thergest figure.

    The hooded figure who seemed to be the leader stood, towering over the table. A giant 2 was burned into the back of his ck cloak. His entire presence was intimidating, like a ticking nuclear weapon.

    "Let the demons advance," he said, calm and calcted, with a hint of amusement. "We''ll let them stir chaos in the human domain. Let them kill themselves."

    "And then?" one of the figures asked, their eyes practically glowing.

    A cruel smirk appeared on the leader''s face as he coldly uttered, "Then we strike. Directly."

    Silence. Heavy silence swallowed the entire chamber, the only sounding from the flickering shadows. Then one of the figures asked:

    "To the Vermilion Kingdom?"

    The man with the 2 turned. He ced a massive hand on the table, leaning forward.

    "The Vermilion Kingdom would be vulnerable. They''ll be busy fortifying against demons, no doubt."

    "And you suggest we attack while they''re distracted?"

    "Isn''t that obvious?" The figure''s tone turned mocking. "We wait for the demons to reduce their forces. To open their gates. Then, we burn it to the ground."

    A figure mmed his fist on the table. "That''s dangerous! The demons might turn on us just as easily!"

    "Fools," the man with the 2 snapped. "The demons don''t care who dies. They care only for carnage. They only want to conquer the human domain. Let them wreak havoc¡­ and we''ll sweep in and do our thing."

    A pause.

    Everyone present exchanged nces across the table, calctions and hesitations flickering within them.

    The hooded man leaned back andughed. "The kingdom won''t see iting."

    Then he turned to the banners on the wall. ming roses glowed beneath the mes. He stared at them without blinking.

    "Vermilion has been untouchable for too long," he growled. "Arrogant. Comcent. We''ll carve through theirnds before they even know we''re there. If their very best show up, we''ll cut them down."

    "But what if the Big Four show up?"

    "Let theme. I''ll cut them down." He paused and added, "If they don''t die at the hands of the Five Great Demon Generals."

    A chill swept through the chamber despite the heat emitted from the mes on the wall.

    No one opposed what the man with 2 said, and every one of them nodded in agreement. The death of the Emperor-tier hybrid five years ago had dealt a devastating blow to the entire organization.

    The ming Rose had sent targets to the culprits: a Valkyrie, a mysterious woman who gave off the aura of death, and most importantly, one of their organization''s most wanted individuals¡ªNox Aegis Cromwell.

    However, every time they tried to assassinate these people, a man with silver hair and a blindfold always showed up like a ghost, spoiling their ns.

    Maybe with this event, they''d finally have a chance to get their revenge.

    "So, it''s settled," the hooded man said, folding his arms. "We let the demons press forward. We ready our forces. When Vermilion''s walls crumble, we strike."

    The man with the 2 turned away, his crimson cloak ring behind him.

    "Prepare the troops," he said over his shoulder. "This time, we take no prisoners."

    But before he finally left, he had one more thing to say.

    "Also, my useless daughter has already infiltrated the most prestigious academy in the kingdom."

    Inside the academy''s special ssroom, the full-bodied swordsmen watched the neer, a strange glint in their eyes.

    Back in the dark chambers, the man with the 2 turned to his subordinate and dered, "She alone will be able to deal with the students."

 Chapter 331: Using The Dimensional Key? [Bonus Chapter!]

    The ssroom, just like any other ssroom, was filled with loud chatter, which was expected considering the ss contained twenty students who were still in their teenage years.

    But this noise... this noise was something Nox greatly disliked. However, for once, a group of students seemed to be saying something useful, so he decided to pay attention.

    "Who is this special instructor supposed to be?"

    "I heard it''s an adventurer."

    "Hope she''s a beauty like the headmistress." The boys giggled, their eyes glinting with mischief and anticipation.

    At this point, it was no longer a secret that the majority of the students had a crush on the charming headmistress, who could easily make one blush with a single wink of her eyes.

    Nox furrowed his brows as he yed with the Oblivion Edge in his grasp, spinning it around absentmindedly. Now that he thought about it, he couldn''t me them. The headmistress was indeed a nation-topping beauty, and even he couldn''t help but sneak a nce at her from time to time, though he wasn''t as obsessed as the others.

    I have more important things to deal with, after all.

    There was only one rule Nox abided by: seek power and wealth. Fame and women would naturally follow. This was what he believed in. Apart from his tremendously powerful talents, this mindset had set him apart from others in his age group.

    Just as he was lost in thought, the heavy door of the ssroom opened.

    Thud. Thud. Thud.

    A rhythmic set of confident, measured steps echoed in the ssroom as a figure dressed in a purple dress that clung to her body stepped inside. After seeing the distinct white hair and that beautiful face, Nox''s fingers froze mid-spin. His ck eyes widened.

    "Huh? What is she doing here? Don''t tell me she''s the instructor."

    Standing at the front of the room was someone Nox thought he wouldn''t see in a long time, especially after hearing that most of the students had already left. Deep inside, he had wanted to meet this person again. After all, he was very indebted to her.

    This person was one of the few Nox genuinely cared about.

    Standing at the front of the room, wearing a confident smile, was Wendy.

    Nox wasn''t the only one surprised. The others were also dumbfounded, though for entirely different reasons. One after another, the students began to speak in hushed voices.

    "She... she looks so young."

    "Is she really qualified to teach us special-ss students?"

    "Is she in the wrong ss?"

    Wendypletely ignored all the murmurs. When her gaze fell on Nox, the side of her lips twitched, threatening to erupt into a charming smile, but she didn''t react further. Though their gazes met for only a split second, it felt like minutes.

    Wendy turned to the ss. Her demeanor was not only rxed but also authoritative, which made some smart students like Theo, Kali, Zara, and Glen reevaluate her before jumping to conclusions.

    To show such calmness in the presence of so many geniuses could only mean one thing: she was equally as powerful or even more so. The reason they believed she was more powerful was that the headmistress wouldn''t assign a weakling to oversee special-ss students.

    "Morning," Wendy said. Her voice was soft yet authoritative. "I''m Wendy, your new assistant sword mastery instructor."

    "I''ll save you the theatrics," she continued, walking slowly across the front of the room. Her boots clicked against the wooden floor. "I''m not here to teach you how to swing a sword or recite fancybat techniques. If you''re looking for that, go cry to one of the old men down the hall."

    Several students shifted ufortably.

    "I''m here to make sure you can actually fight," Wendy added sharply, her emerald gaze sweeping over them like a hawk. "Out there, no one cares about your noble titles or your fancy ranks. Either you''re alive, or you''re not. Simple as that."

    Her tone was slightly arrogant, but everything she said was the truth, though only a few grasped it.

    One brave student raised his hand and asked, "Aren''t you still an adventurer? Why are you even here?"

    Wendy''s smirk returned, her gaze flickering to Nox briefly before she answered. "Good question. The academy pays well, and unlike you lot, I enjoy a challenge." She leaned back against the desk, crossing her legs. "Besides, what better way to keep my skills sharp?"

    At the far corner of the room, Glen''s eyes shed strangely. So she''s here as well, the swordswoman muttered to herself.

    But unlike the rest of the ss, behind her visor, Glen''s focus wasn''t on Wendy''s introduction. It was an entirely different reason altogether.

    Wendy wrapped up the briefing shortly after, dismissing the ss with a wave of her hand. "That''s it for today. The main teacher is currently out of town, but tomorrow he should be back, and we''ll hold our first ss.

    "Today is more like a briefing. You''re dismissed."

    One after another, the students started to exit the ss. Nyx and Wendy briefly shared a nod before the former left as well.

    ke wanted to remain behind but decided to give the two some privacy. When he was gone, Nox approached Wendy.

    She looked up, and for the first time that day, her face softened as she said in a teasing voice, "Long time no see."

    "Nice to see you too, Wendy," Nox smiled as hemented. "You''re looking more like a woman now, and I didn''t take you to be the kind to be an instructor."

    Wendy''s smirk twitched, her expression flickering for the briefest moment before settling back into her usual calm. "Hahaha, I''ve always wanted to be an instructor. Didn''t I tell you before? I thought I did in Coastal City."

    "No, you didn''t." Nox didn''t buy it. He had this feeling that there was more to Wendy being here. He wasn''t so sure, but he could sense it. Nox opened his mouth to argue further, but Wendy stopped him with a raised hand. "Not here, alright? Talkter. I''ve got work to do."

    "Alright then, we''ll talkter, a few days from now." Nox nodded and proceeded to walk away when Wendy called out.

    "A few days from now? Where are you going?"

    "I have something to settle. Oh, and since you''re our assistant instructor, I''m asking permission from you for a leave."

    "Huh?" Wendy shouted back. "But you just started ss!"

    "It''s important," was all Wendy heard before Nox disappeared into the crowd of students.

    When he was gone, Wendy mumbled to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "It''s good he doesn''t know I''m here because of him."

    An hourter, Nox stood alone in his room.

    "Let''s get stronger," Nox muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the swirling portal forming before him. In his hands was the familiar, unnerving dimensional key.

    ****

    Thanks for supporting Supreme BeastTamer! This is the bonus chapter for 100 Gt target! Lets continue!!!

 Chapter 332: Far From Home

    Behind the academy, a figure was staring into the darkness. This part of the academy was hardly frequented, and most people would think this student was just another person who was simply daydreaming. But in reality, something much more was going on.

    From the darkness, a voice whispered: "You''rete."

    The figure smirked faintly and tilted their head as they responded: "I had to keep appearances. The academy security is bing more annoying these days."

    "Did you find it?" the unseen voice asked.

    "The perfect distraction? Oh, yes." the figure chuckled.

    "Just make sure you''re ready when the signales. I''ll handle the rest."

    The voice faded into the mist. The figure exhaled slowly, and after a quick nce to make sure nobody was watching and a brief stretch, they turned on their heels and left.

    Inside Room 200, the special ss dormitory.

    Nox was staring at the space that was twisting in front of him. He needed to test out his new subss, increase his experience points, and more importantly, empower his beast.

    ''To do that, I have to go somewhere I can go all out without worrying about anything.''

    Unfortunately, he couldn''t do this in the dimension at the back of the academy. That would not only draw too much attention to himself but also reveal all his trump cards.

    The best approach was going somewhere that he was not known.

    As he came out of his thoughts, Nox was met with the sight of a familiar blue portal, which was crackling with power and casting shadows on the nearby walls.

    With deep breaths, Nox approached the portal. It sucked him in, and then he was gone. The portal didn''t immediately disappear¡ªit lingered a little while longer.

    Knock, knock.

    "Hey, Nox, are you there?" A series of knocks pounded against the door of the room; the voice belonged to ke. After receiving no response, he left. After all, the door was locked, and even if he wanted to, he couldn''t step in as it was reinforced with powerful enchantments.

    Meanwhile¡­ Far across dimensions.

    Nox stepped through a shimmering portal. His boots struck solid ground, but instead of the battlefield filled with magical beasts that he''d anticipated, the scenery was¡­ surreal.

    A golden sun loomed high above, flooding thend with perpetual daylight. Towering trees, their trunks wide as fortresses, stretched into the sky. The air was filled with energy, and piercing bestial roars echoed, but it wasn''t the beasts that stunned him.

    No, it was the people.

    Nox froze, eyes narrowing as he scanned the clearing ahead. Tall¡ªno, towering¡ªwomen moved like apex predators. Their bodies were packed with muscles, rippling under well-crafted white armor stained with blood and sweat. Their faces were concealed by white winged helmets with gleaming visors.

    Weaponsrger than Nox himself rested casually on their shoulders, and their piercing gazes could make one''s knees tremble in dread.

    One armored woman tore through the chest of a giant beast with her bare hands, letting out a guttural roar of triumph. Another sprinted like a gale, swinging a double-headed axe.

    FWOOSH!

    The attack severed a mammoth''s leg clean off.

    Nox blinked as he stared around. All around him, he could only see women¡ªpowerfully built women. While some had helmets on, a few revealed their delicate faces with high cheekbones and a sharp light in their deep-set eyes.

    The women gave off a vibe of both femininity and masculinity, which was strangely captivating.

    Nox observed more. The dimensional key didn''t have any fixed coordinates¡ªthis much he was aware of. He could be redirected to anywhere. But this wasn''t just absurd; it was dangerous. These women weren''t ordinary. Each of them radiated power that was both holy and primal.

    Nox decided to find a way to hide his mask''s hideous appearance. He felt it would taint this ce''s purity and make him stand out like a sore thumb.

    Item: [Mask of the Hound (Legendary Tier)]

    Description: [A mask that allows the wearer to project any desired level, shrouding their true strength in mystery. It emanates an aura of fear, causing unease and dread in onlookers.]

    But of course, he wasn''t going to take off his mask. Nox retrieved white clothes and covered the mask''s features, appearing more like a ninja. One thing Nox had noticed in this world was that the inhabitants didn''t care much about one''s appearance and even valued privacy.

    It was one of the reasons that ke guy could move around with a mask, and there was even that full-bodied sword woman¡­ or man. Nox wasn''t really sure about their identity because of the distorted voice.

    After that, Nox adjusted his level to 50. He could have gone higher, but his previous experience had taught him that having a high level was a double-edged sword.

    It was what had cost him his life thest time. Besides, most of the women here were all around the level 50 range, so he could easily blend into the crowd.

    Nox crouched behind a dense thicket, keeping his breathing steady. His sharp midnight eyes swept the area, analyzing the people.

    Although the people looked like humans, there was something striking about them¡ªas if they were a higher version. The feeling was very familiar. It was¡­ simr to what Nox felt anytime he looked at his mom or even his stupid sister.

    Nox found himself ogling them. The sweat glistening on their toned, athletic bodies was very appealing to look at. Unconsciously, even a glint of lust shone in his eyes. Did he like this kind of woman? Nox was conflicted.

    There was a captivating mix of femininity and muscrity. On top of that, they were several times more beautiful than the average human woman.

    At that moment, Nox froze. An indescribable feeling coursed through his body. His eyes trembled as he scanned his surroundings once more, realization dawning on him. Those lean muscles, the radiant armor, and the indistinguishable holy energy¡­

    With quivering lips, Nox muttered, "Could¡­ could this be the ce Mom is from?"

 Chapter 333 Where Aina Came From?

    For some reason, Aina didn''t like talking about the distantnd she hade from. It was as if something terrible had happened there, and she wanted to forget about it.

    Even though she didn''t like to talk about this ce, Nox had been curious. Visiting this ce was among his bucket list goals as he wanted to learn more about his mother''s heritage.

    Most importantly, he wanted to discover what had happened in this ce that made her cut ties with the people here. If not for his grandfather, Nox would have never even learned about his mother''s true heritage.

    ''Although I want to learn more about this ce, for now, the main reason I''m here is to increase my strength and that of my beasts... also, I need to test this Sprite Tamer subss on beasts,'' Nox thought as he got up from his position.

    He knew he couldn''t hide forever, and if he wanted to achieve his goals, he would need to show himself sooner orter.

    "At 15, I''m quite tall, standing at 6ft. Since almost all of them are within this range, I doubt they''ll notice anything strange. Should I put clothes on my chest, though, to look like a girl?" Nox mumbled to himself with a thoughtful expression, but then he shook his head. "That would be too silly."

    ''How should I approach them, then?'' he wondered as he slowly made his way out of the bush.

    In the distance, he could see the powerfully built women rounding up the creatures one after the other. From the beginning, the magical beasts hadn''t disyed much strength and appeared more like stepping stones for them.

    It seemed as if they were testing their skills, which made Nox wonder what level of dimension he had appeared in. This was one of the downsides of the dimensional key¡ªhe wouldn''t know the level of dimension he entered.

    At that moment, one of the women leaped up, and a radiant white energy the size of a ser ball conjured in her hand.

    FWOOSH!

    The energy ball shot out from her grasp, moving through the air with incredible speed before engulfing the beast amidst its painful shrieks.

    "Good job, Akira," one of the women said as she approached the one who had just killed the magical beast.

    Akira took off her helmet, revealing lush silver hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her big eyes were vivid violet orbs, framed by thick eyshes.

    The sweat that glistened on her forehead only made her appear even more striking and pleasing to look at. Although she appeared to be around 15-16, Akira had a body that would put most girls in the Vermilion Kingdom to shame. Her armor basically hugged her figure, entuating her curves and toned physique. The metal ting, though scratched from battle, still gleamed faintly in the sunlight, giving her an imposing yet alluring presence.

    She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, letting out a small breath of relief before turning to the woman who had spoken. "It wasn''t that hard," Akira said, her voice calm but with a hint of pride.

    The woman who approached her smiled slightly, folding her arms as she surveyed the scene. "You make it look easy, but don''t get too cocky. Overconfidence will get you killed out here."

    Akira rolled her eyes but nodded, her expression shifting to something more serious as she looked down at the remains of the magical beast. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

    The other woman sighed before shifting her attention to the rest of their group, who were gathering nearby. "Alright, let''s keep moving. This area isn''t safe, and more beasts could show up at any moment."

    Akira took a final nce at the destroyed beast before securing her helmet back on. Her lush hair was hidden once again, but before she could move, she caught a faint ripple in the bushes nearby.

    Akira narrowed her eyes and pondered to herself, Could it be another beast again?

    After staring for some time, there was no longer any sound, which made the beautiful silver-haired girl doubt her eyes.

    "Akira, don''tg behind!" the woman, who seemed to be the leader of the group, shouted, her powerful voice snapping the teenager from her daze. Akira rushed to catch up with them.

    "She''s beautiful," Nox thought. Lately, he had beening across more and more beautiful girls. At first, Nox hadn''t noticed them because he was focused on his goal, but these days, it was bing more distracting.

    "Anyways, she''ll be my guide now. How do I approach her?" Nox pondered for a while, his mind racing as he formted a n. The reason he wanted to approach her was simple¡ªAkira was much youngerpared to the others. Naturally, she should be easier to swindle.

    "Hopefully." Nox wasn''t too sure if his n would work out, but there was only one way to find out.

    Some timeter, Nox was trailing the group of five women through a valley. Apart from small talk from time to time, the group practically traveled in silence. Then they came to a stop, setting up a makeshift camp.

    When the others were preparing to rest, Akira sneaked¡ªI mean, excused herself quietly¡ªfrom the camp, her sword slung loosely at her side. The other women were too busy setting up to notice her leave.

    On their way here, she had caught a glimpse of a beautifulke with crystal-clear water. Because of the dirt and blood she had umted, Akira decided to clean herself up before joining the others.

    Some timeter, she arrived at the spot.

    Unknown to her, a figure had been following her all this while.

    "The perfect opportunity." Nox grinned as he got ready to approach the beautiful girl whose gaze was transfixed on theke as if it was the most beautiful thing she had seen.

    But before he could strike up a conversation with her, something shocking happened.

 Chapter 334 Akira, Fierce and Powerful Beauty

    The moment she saw the water, Akira''s lips curved into a faint smile. Theke''s surface shimmered, reflecting the soft light of the evening sun. Trees surrounded the clearing, their shadows stretching long over the grass. It was peaceful here.

    Akira reached the water''s edge, ncing back once to make sure no one had followed. Satisfied, she began to undress. Her armor clinked softly as she unsped the tes and set them down. Beneath the metal, her undershirt and trousers clung to her sweaty skin.

    "Finally," she muttered, pulling her shirt over her head. Her toned shoulders flexed with the movement. The cool air brushed her skin, sending a small shiver down her spine.

    One by one, the rest of her clothes fell to the ground. She was careful, folding each item into a neat pile beside her boots. By the time she stepped toward theke, the sun''s light caught the faint sheen of sweat on her bare skin, highlighting her curves. Akira barely noticed¡ªher mind was on the water.

    She walked in slowly. Theke was cold at first in contrast to her warm body. Goosebumps rose along her arms, but she kept moving forward. The water rippled softly, wrapping around her legs and waist as she sank deeper. Her breath hitched when the chill reached her chest, but she didn''t stop.

    Once the water covered her up to her shoulders, Akira let out a sigh as she whispered with her head back and closing her eyes, "This feels so good."

    Her long hair floated out around her like silver threads.

    For a while, Akira let herself rx. Even back at the castle, this was her favorite part of the day¡ªbathing in a cool bathtub after a long day of work. Not only did it calm her nerves, it also allowed her to think very well.

    As she was lost in thought, though, Akira soon heard a soft rustle, and her eyes shot open.

    "Who is there?!" Akira said, her voiceing out like a growl, but there was no reply from whatever had made that sound.

    "Was it a beast?" she mumbled to herself.

    But something didn''t feel right.

    Slowly, Akira lowered herself further into the water, just enough that her shoulders disappeared beneath the surface.

    Her gaze stayed locked on the trees as she thought, ''If it''s a beast, I''ll deal with it.''

    Akira was far from scared. She''d fought enough monsters today to know how to handle another one.

    But then, instead of a beast, a figure emerged.

    Akira froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him step out from the shadows of the trees. It wasn''t a beast. It was a boy.

    Tall, with sharp features and dark hair, he looked like he''d stepped out of nowhere. His midnight eyes were locked onto her almost immediately.

    ''A male! What is a male doing here?!'' Akira''s heart pounded. Heat red across her face, and she instinctively sank lower into the water, using it as a shield.

    Male? She only knew about them but had never seen one in her life. However, she knew that the enigmatic beings were not present in their Kingdom. They could only be found in the Human Domain or the Non-Human Continent, which was very far from here.

    It would take months or even years by ship if one wanted to travel to the Human Domain.

    At that moment, Nox blinked, as if surprised to see her, and said in a clearly feigned voice, "Uh¡­ I didn''t mean to find you here."

    Akira red and said in a sharp, angry voice, "You''re trespassing."

    Although she projected a fierce attitude, Akira''s heart was beating wildly in her chest. This... this creature was the most beautiful thing she had seen in her short life!

    Of course, she wouldn''t say this out loud.

    Nox raised his hands in mock surrender, though his lips curved into a small, sheepish smile. "I didn''t know anyone would be here. Honestly. If there''s anyone trespassing here, it''s you."

    Akira narrowed her eyes, her cheeks still burning. "What do you mean? Wait¡ªwhat are you even doing here?" she demanded in an irritated tone.

    "Like I said, you''re the trespasser, as this ce is my usual spot," Nox responded casually, lying through his teeth with a very straight face. So straight that it would put the best conmen to shame.

    "Your spot?" Akira asked, looking around. She clenched her teeth. This person... he''s not supposed to be in this Kingdom or dimension in the first ce, so how could this be his spot?

    "When I called you trespasser, I didn''t just meaning to this space," Akira said coldly. "I''m very sure you''re not supposed to be here in the first ce. Hence the reason I called you a trespasser."

    Was taking off my mask really the best idea? Nox pondered to himself. Isn''t she smitten by my looks or something? The reason he had decided to take off his mask was because he thought, like any other teenage girl, she would be immediately attracted to him.

    I guess I was wrong. This makes me wonder, are they even straight?

    "I say you leave before I report you to my sister," Akira said in an unfriendly voice.

    Nox sighed in his heart. His gaze lingered a little longer on the pool. He contemted if he should use force or not, but eventually decided against it. He turned around to leave, but before he could¡ª

    "Wait!"

    Nox suddenly came to a stop when he heard the girl''s voice behind him. A smile curled upwards on his lips. He had half expected the girl to call him back. Naturally, Nox didn''t turn around immediately, as that would make him appear desperate. He deliberately took his time. So slow for Akira''s liking, and her heart sped up even more.

    "What?" Nox asked, looking a bit impatient.

    Akira looked at him with her big ck eyes as her lips parted. "How is it?"

    "How is what?" Nox raised a brow.

    "The ce you''re from."

    "Oh." Nox smiled. "It''s beautiful."

    ''It seems the first phase of the n is a sess.''

 Chapter 335 Spreading The Beast Taming Class

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    "Beautiful? I have always dreamed of traveling the world," Akira muttered in a low voice, but it traveled all the way to Nox, who was standing several feet apart from the edge of theke.

    Nox noticed that her posture was much more rxed and that she was even more exposed now. Her upper torso was in the air, with strands of water sliding down her toned body.

    Nox maintained his eyes on her face, not daring to nce below. He wondered how she could be this bold. If it were a female in the human domain, Nox was 99 percent sure they would have hurriedly covered themselves up.

    But this... this Akira girl was a different case entirely. It seemed she didn''t really care if Nox feasted his eyes on her generous chest.

    With a bit more thinking, Nox realized that this was because the Valkyries didn''t follow the same logic as humans. The Valkyries were often depicted as a warrior race, forged by centuries of battle and a culture where strength mattered far more than modesty. Their priorities were entirely different. To them, the body was a vessel of power, not something to be hidden or shielded from gazes. A sign of confidence, not vulnerability.

    "Also, they probably walk around naked among each other and she''s already used to it. Or is it that they don''t know the concept of shame?"

    "Could you describe it for me?" Akira''s voice didn''t sound fierce anymore. It was much softer, sweet, and pleasing to the ears¡ªcalm and steady, almost soothing.

    If he hadn''t stayed around a beauty like Eve, the Necromancer, Nox was certain he''d be struggling to keep his attention on Akira''s face and not sumb to his lustful urges that were like the devil whispering to him to take a sneaky look.

    Nox was no saint... don''t forget he hade to this world practicing self-care.

    "Uh, we have two genders," was the first thing that came out of Nox''s mouth. "We have males and females, just like the way we are," he said, pointing at the two of them.

    Akira furrowed her brows; her expression was extremely serious, as if she was about to listen to a great schr.

    "We have six different kingdoms in the human domain. There''s the Vermilion Kingdom, Snowhelm, Valeria, Imperia, Aetherai, and Tristan Kingdom."

    "We have only a single city here," Akira chimed in, her clear voice filled with disdain. "Our closest neighbors are the giants. But even to go see those ugly things, we have to travel for a month or more."

    Akira''s big eyes were glinting with fascination at the mere thought of having more than one kingdom with the same race of people.

    Sometimes, she felt the Valkyries might go extinct because of their rtively small numbers, but she doubted that would happen to the humans.

    Then a thought struck her. The Valkyries weren''t really on good terms with their distant neighbors, the giants. She wondered if humans were like that with each other.

    Ignoring Akira''s interruption, Nox continued, "Also, unlike your race, we are not restricted to the holy pdin ss."

    Nox then proceeded to summon Solora, who quickly came out of the shimmering blue portal, wrapping herself around Nox''s neck in a protective manner while ring at Akira with her forked tongue dangling.

    The baby blue python appeared very intimidating and cute at the same time.

    "A magical beast!" Akira''s senses red as she felt the bestial aura the python emitted.

    Nox gave a faint chuckle when he saw her reaction and calmly rified, "This is my ss. I''m a beast tamer. Like the ss suggests, I can control beasts to do my bidding. A very powerful skill. It''s never a one-on-one fight against a beast tamer. I think among all the sses in Eos, this is the best."

    Towards the end, Nox sounded like a shady merchant who was about to sell his wares. After instructing Solora to do a couple of circus-like moves mid-air, Akira knitted her brows together, seriously pondering her life choices.

    Did she select the wrong ss?

    In the pantheon of beast taming...

    Terra, Rufus, along with the other gods, had an extremely proud expression on their faces.

    "And we also have this concept called marriage," Nox said afterward, then raised a curious brow. "You know what they call marriage, right?"

    "Yeah, but we often refer to our betrothed as partners."

    "Oh, I see..." Nox nodded his head in understanding, but why did it feel as if he didn''t understand at the same time? He knew he had heard perfectly well, although he didn''t know why he felt something was wrong with what he heard.

    It was at that moment that his eyes widened a little, and he asked, "Partner?"

    "Yeah, my mom also has her own partner. When I turn 18, I''ll be betrothed as well to my breeding partner."

    "Breeding partner, oh, that makes more sense... For a moment, I thought you girls married each other."

    "Oh, a few of our sisters actually prefer to do this than being betrothed to those disgusting giants all because of their superior bloodlines."

    "So the giants are the breeding partners?" Nox frowned. Though the Valkyries were well-built,pared to giants, they were very petite. He could only imagine the pain the Valkyries would go through during the breeding process.

    "No wonder Mom ran away with Dad," Nox mumbled to himself. From Akira''s tone alone, Nox could tell that she disliked the giants, and the mere thought of being betrothed to one repulsed her to the core.

    Nox continued speaking to Akira for some time. As time passed, although they had only known each other briefly, Akira was much more open. He realized she was actually 17 years old and already a level 50 holy pdin.

    She even went as far as revealing her dream to travel the world of Eos and go on adventures. While they were talking, a powerful feminine voice soon echoed from behind.

    "Princess, I have been looking for you... so this is where you are."

    ---

    Author''s Note:

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones. I really appreciate it!

 Chapter 336 The Princes Is Gone

    Akira''s eyes widened as soon as she sensed the presence of someone nearby, and the pace at which her heart pounded against her chest elerated¡ªso loudly that she could hear the sound.

    Why was she scared?

    There was a sacred rule the Valkyries had followed for eons: no male was ever allowed to set foot on theirnd. In order to mate with their betrothed, Valkyries would travel to their chosen mate''s kingdom.

    After consummating the union, if their offspring happened to be a girl, she would be taken back to Valha, where she would awaken the holy pdin ss and train in the ways of their ancestors.

    This ritual urred only once every five years, ensuring that the Valkyrie race did not go extinct. The males chosen to be their mates were not ordinary humans. Instead, they were powerful beings with pure and formidable bloodlines¡ªthe giants, rumored to be direct descendants of the gods.

    Even these giants were forbidden from stepping onto Valkyrie soil. In fact, the exact coordinates of Valha were unknown to outsiders, hidden by powerful ancient magic. The Valkyries believed that a male presence would not only distract their warriors but also taint their sacrednd.

    Once upon a time, a group of male explorers had mistakenly stumbled into Valha, and the warriors of that time had in them all under the guise of keeping the kingdom''s location a secret.

    And yet¡­ here was Nox.

    Not Erin, Akira''s breath hitched. Erin is very strict and has a strong dislike for males. If she sees him here, she''ll definitely report him to the council, and if that happens... if that happens...

    Akira didn''t want to think about what would happen. She was slightly surprised at herself because she wanted to protect Nox at all costs when she had only known him for a few hours at most.

    Akira''s heart squeezed a bit because she could see the shadow of Erin slowly making her way toward theke. The only reason her eyes hadn''t fallen on Nox yet was because it was dark.

    But Akira could see she was only a step away.

    Just then, as she was panicking in her heart, Nox''s lips curled up into a smirk. That smile oozed confidence and assurance, which made the beautiful grey-haired girl perplexed.

    Suddenly, at that moment, he whispered in a low voice:

    "Phantom Cloak."

    ---

    [Phantom Cloak Description (Ultimate Skill): The user bespletely invisible for up to 5 minutes. While in this state, they gain a +10 increase in Agility and can pass through solid objects; they also gain the ability to turn any object invisible. MP Cost: 20 MP to activate, plus -5 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 3 minutes.]

    ---

    Akira''s eyes widened in shock as the boy standing in front of her vanished into thin air in a millisecond.

    "Was that a skill?" she mumbled to herself in a dazed voice.

    "Princess, I have been looking for you¡­ so this is where you are," said Erin, the leader of the hunting group, as she approached the water''s edge.

    Erin was 6''3, d in gleaming silver armor, with jet-ck hair and a pair of piercing, deep-set emerald eyes. They were fierce and possessed a certain wildness about them.

    Erin was not someone to be trifled with. Her aura radiated strength and discipline, and her presence alone felt heavy¡ªlike a seasoned warrior who had seen countless battles, which was not far from the truth.

    As Erin walked forward, she felt a strange sensation, as if passing through something unseen. She knitted her brows together but dismissed the feeling as itsted only a split second.

    "I felt a bit sticky, so I came to wash myself," Akira responded cheekily, dipping herself into the water and acting as if she was washing her body.

    Erin narrowed her eyes, her sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings. Something felt off; the air didn''t seem right.

    Erin narrowed her eyes as she asked in a suspicious voice: "Is everything alright, Princess?"

    "Yes, everything''s fine," Akira replied, forcing a smile. "Just needed a quick refresh."

    Erin remained unconvinced, her instincts telling her there was more to the situation than met the eye.

    "If you say so," Erin said slowly, her eyes lingering on the spot where Nox had stood moments before. What was this strange scent in the air?

    Akira''s heart pounded heavily against her chest as she hoped that Nox remained hidden and that Erin wouldn''t probe further.

    "Shall we head back?" Akira suggested, trying to divert Erin''s attention.

    Erin hesitated but finally nodded. "Very well, Princess. Let''s return."

    As they walked away, Akira couldn''t help but nce back, wondering where Nox had gone and if he was safe. Before she focused on the front though, Nox materialized and winked at her, making the cheeks of the Valkyrie heat intensely before he turned invisible again.

    "Level 100," Nox mumbled to himself, staring at Erin''s powerful back. Then a smile broke out on his face as he thought, I''ve never fought a level 100 Awakened before.

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    ---

    Back in the Valkyrie camp, the night was still young. Most of the women were inside resting while a few remained outside, looking out for any beasts. From time to time, the guards outside would switch positions.

    But even with their experience, they failed to notice the outline of a figure moving through their midst. The outline moved with purpose, as if it knew what it was doing, before it came to a stop in front of a particr tent. The outline slithered into the tent and gently tapped on the shoulder of a beautiful girl who was sleeping with a peaceful expression.

    The girl jolted awake, summoning her sword and about to attack the intruder, but the intruder hastily held her weapon hand and ced a hand over her mouth.

    "It''s me."

    Naturally, the figure was Nox, and the one before him was Akira. He removed his palm from her delicate lips and said in a serious voice:

    "I need your help."

    ---

    The next day, Erin rushed out from Akira''s tent, her face twisted in anger as she shouted at the top of her voice:

    "The princess is gone!"

    She had arrived at this conclusion after asking all the warriors present, and they had all said they didn''t see her. Just as she was pacing back and forth with a furious expression, one of the women stepped forward.

    "General, I think I might know what happened to the Princess."

 Chapter 337 A Male?

    A woman stood in front of Erin, the leader of the hunting groups that Akira belonged to. When Erin was asking the others about Akira, this woman had not been around, and there was a reason for this.

    After hearing Erin''s rm, all the powerful women had abandoned whatever they were doing and formed a rtively small circle with Erin and the woman in question. They were all equally curious because they had spread out and thoroughly searched their surroundings, including theke she had been at the other day. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

    Yet the search had yielded no results, which led them to believe that something terrible had happened to Akira.

    Erin folded her arms across her chest, her emerald eyes as sharp as des as she demanded in a tone that left no room for hesitation: "Go on, tell me what you saw."

    The woman hesitated for a brief moment, her expression uneasy as all eyes fell on her. She swallowed hard under Erin''s piercing gaze but steeled herself and said, her voice shaky but clear enough for everyone to hear:

    "General... I¡ª I was in my tentst night, not far from Princess Akira''s tent," she began, fidgeting slightly with her fingers. "At some point in the night, I woke up... because I thought I heard something outside. I looked out to check, and..." She paused, her eyes darting around nervously before settling on Erin. "...I saw an outline."

    "An outline?" Erin repeated, her brows knitting together.

    "Yes!" The woman nodded firmly. "It was faint, but it was clearly a figure. It looked... human. The way it moved, it was as though it knew exactly where it was going. It passed through the shadows, heading in the direction of the Princess''s tent."

    Gasp! Gasp!

    "A human, in our Kingdom? This doesn''t make sense."

    "How did they get into the dimension? How did they bypass the security at the entrance?"

    A collective gasp rippled through the circle of Valkyries. Some exchanged nces, while others began whispering among themselves. Erin was equally shocked in her heart; however, she stood rooted to the spot, her expression dark and contemtive.

    "A human figure?" Erin muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing as fragments of memory pieced together in her mind.

    It was that strange feeling...

    When she had gone to find Akira by theke the night before, Erin remembered feeling a faint, almost imperceptible disturbance in the air¡ªas if something unseen had brushed past her. It was brief, so she dismissed it as nothing. But now...

    Her jaw clenched, and she turned sharply to the woman. "Are you certain of what you saw?"

    "Yes, General," the woman replied, nodding again. "I didn''t think much of it at first. I thought it might have been my imagination, but now the Princess is missing..."

    Silence fell again, heavier than before, as everyone tried to register what had been said. Some of the Valkyries were still in doubt. How did she see this outline, and they didn''t? It just didn''t make sense... Was she indirectly trying to say their senses were much weaker?

    The woman sensed their doubts and hurriedly said, "Also, my ss, Seer, grants me the ability to see spirits or those who use invisibility skills. Usually, I can see them clearly as my skill is at the Advanced level, but for some reason, I could only see the outline of that figure."

    Hearing this, Erin''s eyes burned with determination as her voice echoed across the circle. "If what you say is true, then there''s no doubt someone infiltrated our camp and kidnapped the Princess."

    "How could this happen?!" one of the women eximed.

    "Whoever it was must be extremely powerful," another added grimly. "To bypass our security unnoticed..."

    Erin raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. Her face was calm, but her eyes glinted with a dangerous light.

    "No matter who or what they are, they''ve made a grave mistake," Erin said coldly. "We will find this intruder, and we will bring the Princess back."

    With that being said, the Valkyries dispatched to find this intruder.

    ---

    Meanwhile, far from the Valkyrie camp, Nox and Akira stood on an open in bathed in the soft glow of dawn. The golden hues of the rising sun stretched across the horizon, casting long shadows across the tall grass.

    Akira looked slightly disheveled, her silver-grey hair falling loosely over her shoulders, her cheeks still tinted pink from the events of the night before. She folded her arms and stared at Nox, her expression caught somewhere between fascination and irritation.

    "Are you always this reckless?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as Nox stretched his armszily.

    "I wouldn''t call it reckless," Nox replied with a casual grin, his dangerous dark eyes glinting with confidence. "I''d call it... efficient."

    Akira let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "We''re lucky Erin didn''t catch you back there. If she had..." She shuddered. "I don''t even want to think about what she would''ve done to you."

    Nox chuckled softly, unfazed. "You worry too much. I had everything under control."

    Akira narrowed her eyes at him, but her expression softened slightly. She couldn''t deny that there was something... mesmerizing about him. He carried himself with an air of self-assurance that most people didn''t have¡ªlike someone who was always one step ahead.

    She liked this a lot! Or were all humans just like this?

    ---

    Meanwhile,

    "General, I see footprints!" one of the women reported their findings to Erin, who had an extremely dangerous expression on her face.

    The woman added with her brows furrowed: "And from the footprints, it doesn''t belong to a Valkyrie. Cassandra is right; a male has infiltrated ournd."

    "Good, let''s keep moving in that direction. This male has a lot of exining to do." She narrowed her eyes as she said dangerously, "If his exnation isn''t tangible enough, I''ll be forced to use him to set another exam for those lowly beings."

    ***

    Thanks for supporting this novel I really approaciate!

 Chapter 338 The Ultimate Champion [1]

    Back in the in...

    "Anyway," Akira said, pushing those thoughts aside. "This in isn''t just any ce. Monsters often roam here¡ªbeasts that emerge at dawn to hunt for food. You should be careful."

    "Perfect," Nox said, cracking his knuckles. "I needed some warm-up anyway."

    Akira tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "Warm-up? For what?"

    Nox didn''t answer. Instead, he summoned Oblivion Edge from his inventory and strode confidently into the center of the in. Akira followed a few paces behind, curious and somewhat wary.

    It wasn''t long before the first monsters appeared¡ªwolf-like beasts with blood-red fur and eyes that glowed like embers. Their growls echoed ominously across the open field.

    "These are Crimson Wolves," Akira exined quickly, her voice steady but watchful. "They''re not too strong on their own, but they hunt in packs. If you''re not careful, they''ll overwhelm you."

    Nox smirked, his grip on his dagger tightening. "Sounds fun."

    Akira blinked in surprise as Nox lunged forward without hesitation. His movements were swift and precise¡ªunnaturally so. He dodged the first wolf''s leap with ease, twisting his body at thest second before driving his dagger into its side. The beast let out a pained howl before copsing into a heap. Continue reading at empire

    "That was..." Akira muttered, her eyes widening. "He''s fast."

    Stop it, Akira, you''re almost as fast as he is! Akira scolded herself. Why was everything Nox did so fascinating to her? She didn''t know why, and it would take time for her to understand.

    [Tsk! Tsk, she''s going to eat him up very soon,] Solora scowled from the side as she red at Akira. Then she narrowed her snake-like eyes. [Is she going to snatch Master from us?]

    [Nonsense. That won''t ever happen.]

    [Panda! Agree!] Thirteen nodded vigorously.

    [She''s a threat.] Solora''s eyes glinted as she bopped her snaky head. She nced at Astralux, who was in her nonbat form, and the two had a silent agreement.

    From their looks alone, Thirteen could tell they were nning something.

    Back on the battlefield, Nox didn''t stop. Another wolf lunged at him from behind, but Nox ducked, rolling across the grass and slicing its throat in a single fluid motion. Hisbat style was graceful yet brutal¡ªevery move was deliberate.

    [Ding! Exp....]

    [Ding! Exp....]

    [Ding! Exp....]

    [Ding! Exp....]

    Akira found herself mesmerized as she watched him. Who is this guy? she thought, her heart pounding slightly as Nox finished off thest wolf.

    I wonder who''d win if we fought together. She pursed her lips thoughtfully and pondered.

    "Not bad," Nox muttered to himself, ncing at the experience points disyed in his mind. All the beasts he had killed were at the King-Tier middle levels. Naturally, after fighting non-stop for over 10 years, Nox''s skills were unprecedented.

    And because of his arsenal of skills, the only beasts that could prove troublesome to deal with were Peak King-Tier Level 9, Emperor-Tier, and above.

    There''s just something so satisfying about seeing your strengths rise gradually. A grin split across Nox''s features as he nced at his experience bar.

    He was now level 28.

    At this pace, I should get to level 30 before I return to the academy. Well, let''s hunt more. Nox thought. He was about to head deeper into the distance when his dark eyes suddenly flickered, and he froze.

    "What is it?" Akira asked, sensing his sudden change in demeanor, her brows knitting together.

    Nox didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as he concentrated. He had finally decided to use his subss.

    "I can feel them," Nox said quietly. "Countless spirits... the remnants of these beasts."

    Akira frowned, hearing the strange words. "Spirits? You mean the souls of the monsters?"

    Nox nodded slowly, a strange gleam in his eyes. "Yes. And I can use them."

    Use them? The frown on Akira''s face deepened as her gaze swept through the surroundings, but she couldn''t sense anything strange in the air, which made her doubt Nox''s words.

    However, from his expression, he didn''t seem like someone who was joking around. Before Akira could question him further, Nox extended his hand and whispered under his breath:

    "Tame."

    A faint, eerie glow enveloped him as ghostly figures began to materialize around him¡ªthe lingering spirits of the Crimson Wolves. Akira gasped softly, taking a step back as a chill ran down her spine.

    "What... what is this?" she stammered, her wide eyes fixed on Nox.

    Nox opened his eyes, and for a brief moment, they seemed to glow even brighter. "It''s my subss," he said with a faint smile. "Like I told you before, the beast taming ss is a really wonderful ss."

    "Beast taming, huh..." Akira stared at him, her heart pounding as she saw the translucent spirit bodies of the twenty-plus deceased Crimson Wolves.

    The reason she was even able to see them was because Nox used the system inquiry function and discovered that he could choose who he wanted to see his tamed spirit pets.

    "Just who are you?" Akira mumbled to herself in a quiet voice. There was something about Nox¡ªsomething otherworldly¡ªthat both intrigued and terrified her at the same time.

    At the side, Solora, Thirteen, Fluffington, and Astralux also looked at the Spirit Wolves with fascination and curiosity. Because of their connection, the pets could see and feel that another presence had been added to their link.

    Meanwhile, Nox''s gaze settled on the spectral form of the Crimson Wolf before him. The Crimson Wolf was staring around in confusion. Didn''t it just get killed by this hateful human a few minutes ago? So why... why was it still here? The wolf tilted its head, its translucent form shimmering faintly.

    Although it didn''t want to admit it, it could feel a powerful connection to the strange human before it. The beast felt intense anger because of its death, but for some reason, even that anger was being diminished gradually.

    What was happening? It was supposed to be angry! It should be angry... so what was this kindred connection?

    While the Crimson Wolf was going through a dilemma, a screen materialized in front of Nox, sending a wave of excitement coursing through his entire being.

    [Ding! Hidden Quest: Tame a Spirit Creature¡ªCompleted.]

    [You have Awakened Spirit Fusion.]

    [Arge number of spirits has been detected.]

    [Do you wish to fuse spirits together and create the ultimate champion?]

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 339 The Ultimate Champion [2]

    The crimson wolf stared at the human with its predatory blood-red eyes. It tilted its head, seemingly confused as to why the human was suddenly grinning as if he were about to carry out an evil n. The wolf started to feel a bad premonition in its heart.

    Nox read the glimmering words once again, his entire body trembling with excitement. He was so excited that even Akira noticed as she craned her neck and asked in a curious voice, "What is it? Did you get anything special?"

    As an Awakened, though she couldn''t see it, Akira knew that Nox was currently staring at his system''s message, and he seemed to have gotten an interesting reward.

    Nox didn''t answer immediately. Then, with a sly grin, he said in a quiet voice, "I just awakened a new ss-rted skill."

    Akira ced her hand on her hips and tilted her head in mock jealousy and curiosity as she sighed, "Dammit, now you''re seriously making me consider changing my ss if that''s even possible."

    "Is that possible?" Nox stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression crossing his handsome features. Eos was a vast world with lots of mysteries and possibilities, and he was sure that something as changing a ss should be possible.

    But this meant that the individual would most likely have to start from scratch, lose their levels, and their skills. Unlike Nox, Awakened were strictly limited to skills rted to their ss. Their body would reject any skill rted to any other ss.

    ''If only I could get my hands on several high-level Beast Tamer ss skills, the loss of skills shouldn''t be a problem,'' Nox pondered to himself.

    In Eos, most Awakened believed that strength was determined solely by level. However, from his personal experience, Nox realized that this was not the case. If only he could offset the loss of level and ss with high-level skills, he might be able to entice a few people into bing Beast Masters.

    Deciding not to dwell on his thoughts any longer, as he still wasn''t certain if one could change their ss, Nox returned his focus to the spectral crimson wolf whose eyes were filled with aggravation.

    Then Nox''s gaze swept through the surroundings. Because of his subss, he could sense all the furious gazes of the other beasts he had in. Some of them even attempted to attack him, but all attacks passed through his body.

    It was then that the dreadful realization settled in: they were no longer in thend of the living.

    ''This subss is a bit diabolical, but I like it,'' Nox emitted a light chuckle as he thought. ''To use Spirit Fusion, I''d need to tame all the beasts present here.''

    His current Spirit taming capacity was 27 as of the moment. Nox intended on using all his taming slots on the crimson wolves. Then, he would fuse them together.

    Without hesitation, a fierce glint shone in Nox''s eyes as he repeatedly cast Tame over and over again. All the irate beasts suddenly felt themselves linked to the one they loathed most.

    "Alright," Nox nodded his head in satisfaction as he felt the pulsating connection with the crimson wolves, who were staring at him, their eyes filled with anger and confusion clouding their hearts.

    [Spirit Fusion activated!]

    As soon as Nox activated his skill, an invisible wind swept through the surroundings, kicking up dust and debris into the air. The invisible wind caused Akira''s hair to flutter wildly in the breeze.

    From her perspective, all she could see was a windstorm coalescing in the middle of the clearing, and the shockwave that expanded from it forced her to stumble back a few steps. Read exclusive content at empire

    Meanwhile, from Nox''s perspective, he watched as a swirling vortex began to form above the spectral crimson wolves. The vortex was unlike anything he''d ever seen. It was dark, ethereal, and pulsated with an eerie glow. The vortex sucked in the spirits with an almost maic force, dragging them upward despite their unwillingness.

    The crimson wolves roared and snapped as they tried to fight the maic force. Some tried to w at the ground while others turned their anger toward Nox, their eyes filled with fury.

    "This is insane," Nox muttered under his breath, his grin widening as the energy around him grew more intense. The force was so fierce that other Awakened who were hunting several meters away saw the cloud of dust rising into the air from their position.

    "What is happening there?"

    "Are they fighting?"

    In another part, Erin and her group paused on their track as they suddenly saw the dust clouds in the air.

    "Let''s head in that direction!" She ordered, and the group moved swiftly towards the source. As they did, Erin silently prayed in her heart, "Keep the princes safe from the hands of the vile male, Godess. At least until I arrive and cut them down."

    Back in the ne, thergest of the crimson wolves suddenly let out a defiant howl as its spectral body glowed brighter in an attempt to break free.

    "Oh, the alpha, huh?" Nox chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Well, let''s see what you''ve got."

    The vortex tightened, pulling harder as the wolves were dragged closer together. The alpha, who was trying to fight the pull, was yanked away despite its resilience. Nox felt a bit of respect for the beast''s strong will and was d that this wolf would be hispanion very soon.

    The collective ghostly forms of the crimson wolves began to merge, blending into a swirling mass of crimson light. Nox could feel their emotions¡ªrage, confusion, fear¡ªall melding into one overwhelming surge of energy that rushed to his brain.

    ''This is wild. I didn''t think it''d be this intense. Fusing them together... it''s like their very essence is fighting to stay separate,'' Nox thought as he licked his dry lips in anticipation. ''But the system doesn''t care¡ªit''s forcing them to be something new. Something stronger. I wonder... what kind of monster wille out of this?''

    At that moment, the wind picked up considerably, and the crimson light grew brighter, almost blinding, as thest of the wolves disappeared into the vortex. For a moment, everything went still¡ªthe wind stopped, the glow faded, and a silence descended over the ne.

    Then, with a deafening boom, the vortex copsed, and a massive form began to materialize before Nox.

    [Ding! Spirit Fusion was sessful!]

    [You have sessfully created a...]

 Chapter 340 Potential Enemies?

    [Ding! Congrattions! You have sessfully fused 28 Spirit Wolves into an Emperor Tier LV5 Supreme Spirit Wolf.]

    [New Skill Unlocked: Spirit Howl¡ªUnleashes a devastating sonic attack that can incapacitate all enemies within a 50-meter radius.]

    [New Skill Unlocked: Pack Manifestation¡ªSummon spectral wolves to fight alongside you for 3 minutes.]

    Standing before Nox was a colossal spectral wolf, farrger than any of its original forms. Its translucent body shimmered with an otherworldly glow, and its eyes burned with a deep, piercing crimson light. Its fur seemed to ripple like liquid fire.

    However, what stood out most was the faint murderous aura the spirit beast was emitting. Although Akira couldn''t see the giant spectral wolf, as Nox had temporarily restricted her vision of it, she could sense the powerful aura, which made her shift ufortably.

    Despite the unease, for some strange reason, she felt that nothing bad could happen to her. Akira knew she was being very naive, but this was something she couldn''t help.

    Akira wasn''t the only one who felt ufortable in the presence of the spectral wolf. Solora had slithered behind Fluffington and Astralux hid behind Thirteen, peering at the menacing beast with both fascination and fear.

    Thirteen and Fluffington red at the massive spectral wolf. Not even a hint of fear could be detected in their eyes, which gave both Solora and Astralux an inexplicable feeling of security.

    From their connection, both Thirteen and Fluffington could tell that this beast was very powerful and dangerous.

    As much as he didn''t want to admit it, even Fluffington felt a threating from the spectral wolf and knew he couldn''t defeat it in a one-on-one fight.

    Thirteen, on the contrary, was rubbing his paws together as he looked at the big creature with an excited glint in his eyes.

    A new sparring partner, yay! And a very powerful one at that!

    At that moment, the wolf let out a low growl. Its gaze swept through the surroundings as if it was looking for something before it locked onto Nox. Despite its intimidating presence, Nox felt no fear. Instead, he felt exhration.

    "You''re beautiful," Nox said, his eyes glowing in awe. "Let''s see what you can do."

    Akira stepped closer to Nox and whispered in an eager voice, "What is it? Let me see it as well."

    Although Nox didn''t sense any ill intent from Akira, he still didn''t trust herpletely. Hence, he had temporarily restricted her from seeing the fusion process. But now, he found nothing strange in letting her see the Supreme Spirit Wolf.

    "This." As soon as she was granted ess, Akira''s face seemed to lose all color as the burning gaze of the Supreme Spirit Wolf settled on her. Because of the beast''srge size, which was over three meters, Akira felt very small in its presence and subconsciously summoned her radiant sword.

    That single action seemed to anger the beast, and the fire in its eyes became fiercer and more dangerous as it growled at the Valkyrie.

    Growl!

    But this wasn''t just any growl! This was its new skill, Spirit Howl, and as the description suggested, it immediately sent an unstoppable tremble through Akira''s knees. She struggled to stay on her feet, sweat umting on her forehead.

    Nox was shocked when he saw this. Akira was a Level 50 Awakened, yet even she was struggling against the Supreme Spirit Wolf''s skill.

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    Nox didn''t think too much and ordered the Spirit Wolf to withdraw its skill, which the beast obediently did and stepped back.

    Akira exhaled sharply, steadying herself as the oppressive force of Spirit Howl receded. Her radiant sword dimmed as she lowered it, and in a trembling voice, she muttered under her breath, "What... what kind of monster is this? Is this still the power of beast taming?"

    "Yes, it is." Nox smirked, his dark eyes gleaming with pride as he ced a reassuring hand on the wolf''s ethereal mane. "But this is no ordinary monster¡ªit''s my creation. The Supreme Spirit Wolf. And it doesn''t take kindly to threats."

    Though Nox''s voice was rtively calm, the warning in his tone was very clear.

    "I wasn''t threatening it! My sword appeared instinctively. It''s... a reflex." Akira nced uneasily at the wolf, which now stood motionless, its fiery eyes still fixed on her. "But it''s plenty strong. I can feel it. The fact that your enemies wouldn''t be able to see it makes it even more dangerous."

    Meanwhile, Thirteen pped his paws excitedly and chirped, [Panda! Fight!!]

    [You? Fight it?] Solora hissed incredulously. The baby blue python coiled around herself tightly, clearly unnerved. [Thirteen, that thing could crush you in an instant!]

    Although Solora hadn''t forgiven Thirteen for what he did to her while she was still an egg, their connection made the python care about the panda¡ªeven though she would never admit it.

    "Yes, Solora is right. This is not the time to fight among yourselves. Remember, one of the reasons we''re here is to empower all of you, and we''ll do just that," Nox said, much to the dismay of Thirteen, who could do nothing but step back with a dejected look on his face.

    Before the conversation could escte, Nox sensed countless presences approaching from all directions. He quickly ordered Astralux to check it out, and the jellyfish took to the sky. Its single gaze scanned the surroundings before it descended and whispered its findings to Nox.

    Powerful potential enemies pouring from the east, huh? Nox turned to the Supreme Spirit Wolf. "You sense it too, don''t you?"

    The wolf''s growl was low but affirmative. Its eyes burned brighter as it fixed its gaze toward the horizon, hackles raised.

    "Well, as a wee initiation to the family, you''ll be the one to deal with the iing ''potential enemies,''" Nox said to the wolf, which growled in response as it faced the east, murderous intent pouring out of its entire being.

    Akira subconsciously looked in that direction as well, but then she frowned and turned her gaze to Nox. "Who are the potential enemies again?"

 Chapter 341 Unwanted Visitors

    The Cromwell Barony was not how it used to be before. The walls and cobblestoned roads had been expanded considerably, and new clean streets and rows of bustling shops had been built. All the wooden houses had been reced with brick, and a modest but efficient sewer system kept the air fresh. Although it was not as grand as the cities of the eastern region, the barony no longer paled inparison.

    The citizens walked freely, chatting andughing as if there was no care in the world. One of the strangest scenes, however, was children ying on the streets with reddish figures.

    Naturally, these reddish figures were the humanoid ants belonging to the Crimson Scourge colony, which was under themand of Nox''s pet, the Ant Queen.

    With their chitinous red exoskeletons and spindly limbs, the ants were now patrolling the town like human guards back on Earth. They stopped small disputes among citizens and ensured the town was free of any dirt.

    The ants, despite their intimidating appearance, received smiles and casual greetings from the humans. After the beast tide, Nox had introduced them as his beast pets. Because of their contributions during the beast tide¡ªand the citizens'' trust in Nox¡ªthey readily epted the ants.

    At this moment, at the city gates, Hans leaned against the stone archway with a scowl on his face. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he stared at three cloaked figures standing before him with a disapproving gaze.

    Their faces were hidden beneath dark hoods, and their ck cloaks fluttered in the midday breeze.

    "I already told you," Hans growled in a stern voice. "No entry without proper identification. Especially not for people like you."

    One of the cloaked figures took a step forward with measured, calm steps. A low, gravelly voice escaped from under the hood. "We don''t need identification. Let us through."

    Hans didn''t flinch. "Oh, you need it, all right. We don''t trust strangers anymore, not after what happened five years ago." As he said this, Hans tightened his grasp on the hilt of his sword.

    The Order of the ming Rose taught us that lesson the hard way, was what he wanted to say, but he wisely decided to keep quiet. It was better to make enemies feel that they were one step ahead before pulling the rug out from under their feet.

    Another reason Hans couldn''t trust them was that he couldn''t see their levels, yet they gave off such a dangerous aura as if they were not human.

    The air grew heavy with tension. The second figure tilted their head slightly, revealing a sliver of pale skin and piercing red eyes. "Do you know who you''re speaking to?" they said in a voice filled with anger.

    Hans smirked, though his hand twitched. "I don''t care if you''re the emperor''s long-lost cousin. Orders are orders."

    The third figure stepped forward, and a faint murderous intent seeped into the air, making Hans''s breathing hitch as big beads of sweat umted on his forehead.

    I knew it. These guys are not normal.

    For a moment, it seemed violence was inevitable. But before the tension could explode, and Hans would face a fight, a voice rang out from behind.

    "Enough."

    The cloaked figures turned their heads sharply, their postures rigid. Hans nced in the direction of the voice and inwardly sighed in relief when he saw who it was.

    It was his old friend Nathan, who was also the baron of this town. Nathan looked very sickly and pale, as if the wind could knock him over. Despite his appearance, though, his gaze was fierce and vicious, like those belonging to a seasoned warrior.

    At his side stood a tall figure wrapped in heavy ck clothing. This figure''s face was concealed by a hood, and the only visible feature was a faint, glowing, orb-like green light peeking from the shadows of their hood.

    Nathan stopped a few paces away, folding his arms across his chest. His gaze swept over the cloaked figures, and he frowned. "Hans, stand down."

    "But¡ª" Hans was confused. Seeing his confusion, Nathan whispered in Hans''s ear, and he hesitantly released his grasp from his sword, though he couldn''t help but shoot a suspicious nce at the three figures. For some reason, he could sense their triumphant looks, even though their features were concealed by the hoods.

    Nathan then looked at the cloaked figures, his eyes narrowed. A few minutes ago, Skully had ryed critical information about the three figures to him, emphasizing that he should allow them entry into the town.

    Though he didn''t want to agree at first, he trusted Skully, the Skeleno butler and the necromancer who lived in the deserted part of the barony.

    "So, you''re Eve''s visitors?" Nathan cleared his throat. "If you are here for Eve, I''ll allow you to enter under one condition." He raised a hand, gesturing to Skully. "He will escort you."

    The three figures exchanged nces, their faces still hidden. The tallest of the three finally nodded. "Fine."

    Nathan motioned to Hans, who reluctantly stepped aside. "Let them through," he ordered before turning to the strangers onest time. "Don''t make me regret this."

    Skully stepped forward without a word, leading the three figures into the barony. Nathan watched them go, feeling uneasy. He trusted Skully''s judgment, but something about the strangers unsettled him.

    The streets of Cromwell Barony grew quieter as Skully led the trio toward the outskirts of the town. The cloaked figures said nothing, but their sharp eyes scanned everything around them. Humans and beasts moved about in harmony, a sight that seemed to intrigue and confuse them.

    Eventually, they reached a secluded manor on the edge of the barony.

    Skully stopped at the entrance and turned to the trio. His glowing green eye locked onto them. "Eve is inside. But be warned¡ªshe does not tolerate liars."

    The tallest of the cloaked figures chuckled. "We''ll see about that."

    Skully didn''t respond, simply pushing the door open and stepping aside to let them in.

    A woman stood at the far end of the room, her back to them. She was tall and graceful, with long raven hair cascading down her back. She turned slowly, her piercing ruby eyes locking onto the visitors.

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    "Eve," the tallest figure said.

    Eve crossed her arms, her gaze cold and calcting. She didn''t need to ask who they were¡ªshe could feel it. That disgusting aura.

    "Demons," she said tly, with no emotion in her voice.

    The shortest of the cloaked figures flinched, but the tallest one stepped forward. "Wee in peace," he said. "We were sent by your father."

    For a moment, Eve''s expression didn''t change. But her hands clenched slightly, and her voice turned icy.

    "What does he want?"

    The figure hesitated before responding. "We''re here to bring you back."

 Chapter 342 The Might of the Supreme Spirit Wolfe

    Nox didn''t reply right away, making Akira more anxious, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. Who could the potential enemies be? Of course, the first people that came to her mind were her sisters, the ones she had left behind.

    ''They must have noticed my absence and sent Cole to look for me,'' Akira thought with a bitter look, ncing at Nox and contemting whether they should run. Even though she could tell Nox was powerful, he was no match for Erin, a general and one of the strongest Valkyries alive.

    Finally, her lips parted, and she said in a voice filled with concern: "I think we should leave before these potential enemies show up."

    "Calm down," Nox assured her in a firm, confident voice. "Our potential enemies are not your sisters¡ªat least, not yet."

    Akira narrowed her eyes and asked in a sharp tone: "Then who is it?"

    Nox didn''t get to respond, as at that moment, the potential enemies made their appearance¡ªa horde of furious crimson wolves, all emitting a profound murderous aura.

    Akira held her chest and let out a heavy sigh of relief when she saw the hundreds of crimson wolves. She would have preferred to face triple this number of monsters rather than her sisters, who were even more savage.

    Although she had been trying to act like them, deep down inside, she was still a shy little girl, trying to prove herself worthy of their respect.

    The new crimson wolves stopped a hundred meters away from Nox and his group, hesitant to make a move. Their fur tingled, and they could sense that something was off.

    The air didn''t feel right, and... what was this intense gaze boring down on them? It certainly wasn''t the humans. Then who¡­ where was this fierce gazeing from? All they could see were the humans, who didn''t seem to pose much of a threat.

    Moving their gaze a bit further, they noticed the presence of Fluffington, Astralux, Thirteen, and Solora. Yet, none of them seemed to be the source of the intense gaze.

    There was a stalemate. Neither the humans nor the beasts made a move. Nox briefly nced at his pet beast''s status first:

    [Supreme Spirit Wolf]

    The King of All Wolves!

    Rating: Emperor Tier Lv5

    HP: 680 Enjoy more content from empire

    MP: 1,360

    Stamina: 345

    Strength: 262

    Agility: 393

    Intelligence: 335

    [Special Skills]

    Spirit Howl (Advanced): Releases a devastating sonic attack that paralyzes enemies within a 50-meter radius for 5 seconds. Weaker enemies may lose consciousness. Cost: 500 MP. Cooldown: 3 minutes.

    Pack Manifestation (Ultimate): Summons up to 5 spectral wolves to fight alongside the Supreme Spirit Wolf for 3 minutes. These wolves have 50% of the Supreme Spirit Wolf''s stats. Cost: 1,200 MP. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

    Crimson ze w (Advanced): Summons ming ws that inflict a burning status, causing damage over 10 seconds. Cost: 800 MP. Cooldown: 1 minute.

    Spectral Ward (Intermediate): Reduces all iing magical damage by 30% and grants immunity to mind-control effects. Cost: 500 MP.

    Dominance Aura (Basic): Instills fear in nearby enemies, reducing their attack and defense by 10% within a 20-meter radius. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

    Evolution Paths: None

    ...

    After taking note of all the skills, he shouted in a loud voice: "Go!!!"

    As soon as themand was given, the Supreme Spirit Wolf responded with Spirit Howl!

    Howl!

    The sound was deafening, and a powerful shockwave rippled through the ranks of monsters. The crimson wolves staggered back; some felt their knees tremble, copsing to the ground.

    The crimson wolves'' eyes were filled with confusion as they squirmed on the ground, blood leaking from their ears. They hadn''t seen any of the humans make a move, and yet¡­ yet they suddenly felt a crushing presence, as if a mountain had descended on them.

    This... this howl was capable of crushing thebined force of two wolf packs who had formed a temporary alliance to take out the powerful existence that had attracted them here in the first ce.

    Although they weren''t able to see anything, the crimson wolves could tell the cause of this attack was this powerful existence.

    At that moment, the Supreme Spirit Wolf canceled its Spirit Howl. The attack served only to incapacitate its enemies, not to outright kill them.

    In the brief moment the skill was canceled, a few high-level crimson wolves managed to stumble to their feet. Following their instincts, which told them the enemy was invisible, they began swiping their ws in the air.

    The Supreme Spirit Wolf nced down at them as if it were a god staring at lowly mortals. Because all the beasts attacking it were only at the King Tier, they posed no threat to the Spectral Wolf.

    With eerie grace, the Spectral Wolf dodged their attacks, causing the jaws of the poor wolves to snap at empty air. The Supreme Spirit Wolf then retaliated with another skill:

    [Crimson ze ws!]

    A zing, ethereal w appeared in the air. The w radiated intense heat as it tore through the crimson wolves, leaving smoke in its wake.

    Watching the one-sided massacre, Nox wore an extremely wide smile. He wasn''t just smiling because of the powerfulpanion he now had¡ªhe was also smiling because of this:

    [Ding! You have received experience points!]

    [Ding! You have received experience points!]

    [Ding! You have received experience points!]

    By the time the Spirit Wolf dealt with thest beast, this message appeared:

    [Ding! You have reached Level 29!]

    [You have received two free stat points for all attributes!]

    "Hahahaha, alright, next stop is Level 30!" Although levels alone weren''t important, the benefits they brought certainly were.

    "Well done," Nox said as he stroked the rippling fur of the Supreme Spirit Wolf. There were more skills he wanted to test out, but unfortunately, all the beasts were already dead.

    ''I also told the system to record any useful skill, but all these beasts only had simr skills, and none of them were suitable for the pets. Well, I guess we''ll have to go to another location.''

    Moments after Nox left with his pets, Erin and her squad arrived.

    "Dang! We were toote," one of the Valkyriesined as they witnessed the gruesome battlefield, with the blood of the crimson wolves sttered everywhere.

    "These attacks weren''t made by the princess or a human," Erin said as she kicked one of the beasts, revealing w marks on its body. "But I can feel it¡ªthey were here before."

    At that moment, Erin pointed at the footprints as she said with a fierce glint in her eyes: "If it''s what I''m thinking, I believe the princess is leading him to that ce."

 Chapter 343 Empowerment The Pets become stronger [1]

    The Vermilion Royal Academy¡­

    The Vermilion Royal Academy was bustling with activity as the new students eagerly explored parts of the academy and made themselvesfortable; after all, they''d be spending three years at the academy.

    In the first few days, things went smoothly with no conflicts among the students, but this was only on the surface. Despite the academic section not even starting for a week yet, there were some specific students who wanted to establish themselves as the top dogs of the academy, recruitingckeys underneath them to do their bidding and gradually control the entire academy.

    The leaders of these factions weren''t just any no-names; they were wealthy and influential, and all of them were from the special ss and alpha ss. With wealth, it was pretty easy to entice most of the students to their side.

    Inside the special ss dormitory, a certain boy with a mask on his face was standing in front of a room, tapping his feet impatiently on the rug.

    Knock! Knock!

    ''Still no answer?'' ke thought, worried slightly. A day had already passed since Nox took leave from Wendy. On the first day, ke hade knocking but there was no answer, just like today. At first, he thought it was because maybe Nox wasn''t feeling fine, perhaps a bad stomach ache or something. Hence, he decided to let him go.

    And yet today, the same thing happened again.

    "Is he even still alive in there?" ke ced his palm on the door. He had long discovered that it was locked, but he was confident that with just a little bit of his strength, he could force his way through. Clenching his fist, he was about to barge in, but suddenly he sensed a presence behind him and hurriedly turned around.

    Nyx was staring at him with her midnight eyes, an indifferent expression crossing her features. She was dressed in the Vermilion academy uniform and appeared stunningly beautiful in it as it clung to her lithe but attractive curves.

    Despite her lovely appearance, her eyes told a different story entirely. They were filled with hostility. In a sharp tone, Nyx demanded, "What are you doing?"

    "I uh..." ke stammered, scratching his head as he fumbled for words to say. Nyx''s eyes became even more slit-like, and the profound mass of darkness within them made her very intimidating.

    Several big beads of sweat umted on ke''s forehead. He exhaled deeply, calming his nerves as he managed to say, "I was just worried. I wanted to check on him."

    Nyx stared at him for some time before speaking. "He took a leave from the Academy, and next time don''t try to barge into my brother''s room like that."

    With that, she walked away.

    ke watched the door for some more time before leaving to attend ss. Today was an important ss because the main instructor, who was a big shot in the royal capital, would be attending.

    After ke left the scene, Glen, the full-bodied armored figure, stepped out of her room, nced at room 200, and pulled amunication crystal out before going back inside.

    In the unknown dimension, Nox and Akira had been traveling for quite some time now. They had yet to encounter any more Valkyries, something thetter was very grateful for, because currently, he was traveling without a mask on. He tried putting on the mask of the hound, but he had to pull it off, as his body shape was a dead giveaway that he was a male.

    Of course, the Valkyries were a bit masculine, but their walking pattern still had a certain ir that could only be associated with women. Except Nox was to dress and walk like a woman, there was no way he could fool anyone with just his mask on. Therefore, he came up with an idea.

    ''If I sight a presence from afar, I''d immediately use Phantom Cloak. Since humans were also ssified as objects, I could also then make Akira invisible.''

    The two continued to travel and soon arrived at a valley. Nox came to an abrupt stop. The valley stretched out under the bright sun, and strange trees andrge chunks of rock covered the ground.

    Nox, Akira, and the pets stood at the edge, scanning the area. Nox narrowed his eyes; at first, it was confusing because of the huge chunks of rocks that seemed to have been carved out of the valley, but as he looked closely, he discovered that there was something else!

    Rock golems with orb-like blue eyes. They seemed dumb and silly, yet powerful at the same time. A majority of them were sunbathing, while a few were splitting the rocks apart and eating, causing a crunchy sound to echo throughout the air.

    ''I have a job for you guys.'' Nox turned to his pets, whose eyes immediately lit up. ''I want you guys to kill all the weak golems and leave the strongest one alive.''

    [Fight!] Thirteen spoke up, his eyes shining with eagerness.

    As soon as he granted them permission, all the pets lunged forward at once like a storm, and a one-sided massacre unfolded before Nox and Akira.

    As he watched them, Nox silently contemted in his heart. So far, he had note across any beast or Valkyrie with good skills to copy and bestow to his pets, which was one of his original goals foring here.

    Nox had this nagging feeling that something terrible would soon happen. It was pure instinct, and his instincts had rarely failed him in both of his lives. He knew he needed to prepare for whatever would happen so that he wouldn''t be caught off guard and die like a fool.

    Though he was very powerful, a beast tamer wasn''t one who fought alone; he needed his pets, and he needed them to be at their strongest form.

    As he was absentmindedly watching the fight, he noticed Astralux used one of her abilities, Levitation.

    [Levitation (Basic): Astralux can levitate itself and nearby objects, allowing it to move through the air with ease and avoid attacks.]

    The spatial jellyfish lifted a massive chunk of rock and dropped it on a golem. That golem looked up, its orb-like eyes filled with horror, but it was toote as it was crushed under the giant boulder.

    As Nox watched this, he thought of something. ''This is something new. I have never tried to copy the skills of my pets.''

    [Micmicky and 10x upgrade activated!]

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    [Levitation ?? Gravity Field!]

    [Gravity Field (Ultimate Tier): The ability to control gravity, allowing it to increase or decrease its own weight, pull or repel objects, and create a gravity field to crush or disorient enemies. Consumes 20% of Energy.]

    "Do you wish to bestow this skill to your pet?"

    ''Wait a minute.'' Nox''s eyes lit up as he suddenly thought of something... something that he had never thought about in thest 15 years of his life! The prospect alone gave him chills down his skin!

 Chapter 344 Empowerment! Astralux Power Ups?

    All this while, Nox had only used his talent in one way: by copying skills after witnessing them and bestowing them either to himself or his pets. This was how he had gradually increased his strength, bing so formidable.

    However, never had he thought about copying the skills of his pets, upgrading them tenfold, and bestowing them back. Nox wasn''t so sure that this would work¡ªthere were two likely scenarios.

    Nox stroked his chin as he mumbled with a thoughtful expression, "Either the skill gets reced by the upgraded skill, or the beast gains yet another skill."

    There was no harm in trying. Either of the two scenarios mentioned above was already pretty favorable.

    "What is he thinking now?" Akira mumbled to herself as she watched Nox contemte with a slightly dazed expression. Then she whispered, "Why does it feel as if he''s always thinking about something or making a n?" Read new adventures at empire

    Akira liked this quality about him. For years, she had only seen women taking charge and fending for themselves. There was just this strange feeling that made Akira''s heart flutter with joy to see a man take the lead and shoulder all the responsibilities.

    "Was this what all the women in the human continent feel like?"

    "Excuse me, but I have to tend to something. I promise you I''ll be back," Nox said, snapping Akira out of her trance. With a wink at her, he directly leaped down from the edge of the valley they were standing on.

    Akira watched as he plunged down at an incredible pace, the wind whipping against his face and causing his hair to float about in the air. As if this was not the first time he had jumped from such a height, Noxnded amidst the raging battle.

    When his feet made contact with the ground, there was no sound¡ªalmost as if he were a seasoned assassin. Because he barely made a noise, it took the rock golems a while to sense his presence. As soon as they did, their blue orb-like eyes glinted in horror.

    Someone who could appear like a phantom out of thin air was probably the biggest threat among all the enemies present here. But Nox had no intention of fighting them; he wouldn''t kill or steal from his pets. He directly ignored the rock golems as if they were nonexistent and stopped in front of Astralux. He called her from the sky and ced his hands on her body.

    "Bestow!" Nox said, and brilliant silver light bathed the jellyfish. Nox noticed that the golems were focused only on the others, totally ignoring him. He didn''t know if they were trying to be smart and avoid him, like the saying:

    Even fools know not to wake a sleeping dragon.

    Or were they just as dumb as the rocks they were made of?

    When the silver light subsided, Astralux could feel that her records had been altered. Instinctively, she learned how to use this new skill even without Nox instructing her on what to do.

    Nox briefly nced through his pet''s stats and realized that the skill had indeed been reced, which made his face light up with a smile.

    Nox clenched his fist and looked at the other pets. "Alright, system, record all their skills!" hemanded in his mind, stepping some meters back to avoid the rock debris that resulted from the rock golems exploding into fragments due to Thirteen''s punches or Fluffington''s ws.

    With her new skill, Astralux felt her body much lighter, and even the pace at which she levitated had reached a monstrous level. Then she red at the rock-type monsters with a fierce glint in her eyes. Nox''s voice echoed in her mind, firm and clear: "Bring down the gravity!"

    That was all she needed because, the next moment, the air around the jellyfish grew heavy, and the faint hum of energy resonated through the valley.

    The fight momentarily stopped as all the golems nced up at Astralux.

    [Gravity Field Activated!]

    The ground beneath the massive golems cracked as a crushing force descended, sending unstoppable vibrations throughout their bodies. Strangely enough, this attack was concentrated only on the enemies. Astralux''s allies didn''t feel anything unusual, but they knew it was her doing.

    Meanwhile, the orb-like eyes of the golems darted around in panic as they tried to fight the unseen force. With a thunderous roar that echoed across the valley, one of the golems swung, trying to smash whatever was attacking it, but it only hit empty air.

    Seeing their futile attempts, Astralux sneered, floated even higher, and unleashed the full extent of her power. The golems suddenly felt as if a huge mountain had been ced on their heads, grounding them in ce. Even their body parts started to fall off one after the other.

    With a subtle maniption of the air, Astralux forced all the golems into a single spot, creating a heap of rock monsters despite their struggles.

    However, one of the golems, which was over two meters in height, remained rooted to the spot¡ªnot because it wanted to be there, but because it couldn''t move.

    "This... impressive," Nox watched in amazement, pride swelling in his heart. The gravity field was powerful, but he didn''t regret bestowing it on Astralux. Some people might think it was such a waste, but for a Beast Tamer, their beast was nothing short of an extension of themselves!

    Suddenly, Astralux''s tendrils emitted a powerful silver light, so bright that it was almost blinding, forcing allies to step back and enemies to retreat as it was almost painful to the eyes. A vortex of rocks and debris appeared, tightening andpressing into a single massive projectile made of solid rock.

    With a subtle flick of her tendrils, the spatial jellyfish hurled the rocky projectile at the pile of golems whose eyes were filled with horror.

    The projectile struck the mass of golems, and...

    ...

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones. I really appreciate!

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 345 A Male?

    The valley trembled violently as Astralux''s attack reached its peak. The massive projectile ofpressed rock, glowing faintly under her silver light, hurtled toward the pile of golems. When it struck, the explosion sent shockwaves rippling through the valley, a deafening boom resonating in every corner. Fragments of rock sted outward, leaving deep scars across the ground.

    As the dust settled, the battlefield became quiet. The powerful rock golems were nothing more than rubble scattered across the valley floor.

    Akira, who was standing on the cliff above, stared down with wide eyes. Her heart pounded fiercely as she watched the aftermath of Astralux''s attack.

    "She¡­ she did that?" Akira whispered, barely able to believe what she had just witnessed. She never thought the beautiful, harmless-looking jellyfish could be capable of such devastating attacks. Akira clenched her fist tightly, her lips parting in awe. "Is there anything he and his beasts can''t do?"

    Meanwhile, Astralux floated down gracefully, her silver tendrils still glowing faintly. She exuded an aura of calm satisfaction, though from the faint flicker in her glow, one could tell that attack had taken a toll on her.

    Before Nox could step forward, Solora, Fluffington, and Thirteen swarmed around Astralux.

    [Amazing, simply amazing!] Fluffington purred, his shadowy fur bristling with excitement. His deep purple eyes sparkled as he circled her.

    [Panda proud!] Thirteen rumbled, his massive fists mming into the ground in excitement. He nced at the rubble and let out a huff of admiration.

    Astralux dipped slightly in acknowledgment, her tendrils swaying with pride. But before she could respond, a small voice sounded.

    [Big sister Astralux is so amazing!] Solora, the baby blue python, slithered forward, her tiny body winding toward the group. She gazed up at Astralux with wide, innocent eyes. [I want to be strong like you, too!]

    Clearing his throat, Nox stepped forward. "Alright," he said in a calm voice, "Who wants to upgrade their skills again?"

    All three beasts immediately turned to him, their bodies trembling with excitement. Solora''s eyes shone the brightest, her small tail wagging in anticipation.

    [Me! Me first!] she squeaked, wiggling toward him with an air of innocence that was almost too perfect.

    Fluffington and Thirteen immediately turned their attention to Solora, stepping aside almost instinctively. They wanted to get the skills first too, but Solora was just too cute for them to fight her over such a small advantage. Beside, she was the youngest.

    Nox, who was standing a few paces away, couldn''t help but sigh. His dark eyes twitched as he crossed his arms, watching the mischievous snake who had used her small stature to her advantage once again.

    But he couldn''t really me them.

    Nox shook his head but didn''tment further. After sorting out the suitable skills, he ced a hand on Solora''s sleek body, activating his talent. A soft glow enveloped her as the system worked its magic.

    "Bestow!" he said, and a ripple of energy flowed into the baby python.

    Several screens shed before Solora and Nox.

    Nox narrowed his eyes when he noticed something. My slots are still 7/29. It seems because the skill already belonged to my beast, it didn''t take up slots...this is good, meaning I can upgrade all my beasts'' skills for free.

    After seeing the skills, Solora let out a delighted hiss, her scales shimmering as the skill settled within her. She twisted and turned, testing her newfound power.

    Although just intermediate tier, with this new skill, she could easily go against King Tier beasts. Nox smiled in satisfaction as he saw the new skills.

    Next, Nox turned to Thirteen and Fluffington. He bestowed the upgraded versions of their skills as well. He tried being sneaky by using 10x upgrades on already upgraded skills like [Oceanic Torrent] and [Dragon Requiem]. However, a giant error screen greeted him.

    Of course, he didn''t forget to upgrade the rest of Astralux''s skills as well.

    Sensing the newfound power flowing through them, the beasts roared with enthusiasm, their excitement contagious. Stay connected through empire

    "Alright, calm down," Nox said, raising a hand to silence them. His tone was stern, but the faint smile on his lips betrayed his amusement. "Save the energy for the next fight."

    [AN: Skills will be revealedter in order to avoid inting the chapter price with system screens.]

    ---

    A few minutester, the group continued through the valley. Akira walked beside Nox, her earlier awe still lingering. She nced at him out of the corner of her eye, her expression thoughtful. Like always, he seemed soposed, so in control.

    It''s like nothing fazes him.

    Her musings were interrupted when Nox suddenly stopped. His sharp gaze locked onto something in the distance. Following his line of sight, Akira''s eyesnded on a bloodied figure lying in the dirt¡ªa monster, its body riddled with wounds.

    "That''s¡­" Akira began, but Nox held up a hand to silence her. He approached the creature cautiously, his footsteps silent against the rocky ground.

    As he drew closer, Nox narrowed his eyes.

    "King Tier, Level 9!"

    The monster, a Crimson Horned Basilisk, also sensed him and let out a weak growl as Nox drew closer. Its eyes, filled with both pain and defiance, locked onto him.

    "Sorry, big guy," Nox murmured, with no hint of sympathy in his cold, listless dark eyes. "Can''t let you live."

    "Your death will help me level up!"

    With a swift motion, Nox ended the creature''s suffering. Blood pooled around the lifeless body as Nox straightened, wiping his dagger clean.

    [Ding! You have leveled up!]

    Heh. A sly smile appeared on Nox''s face. Finally, Level 30!

    Nox picked up the beast cores and threw them into his inventory.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Before they could continue their journey, the sound of footsteps echoed through the valley. Nox''s eyes narrowed as a group of armored figures appeared on the horizon. They emitted a fierce, powerful aura and appeared very coordinated, as if they were a squad of well-trained soldiers.

    Naturally, these people were Valkyries.

    The leader of the group stepped forward, her piercing gaze scanning the scene before settling on the dead King Tier beast. Her expression darkened as she demanded in a sharp, authoritative voice:

    "What happened here?"

    Before Nox could respond, another Valkyrie, younger and seemingly less experienced, gasped. Her wide eyes locked onto him, her voice trembling with disbelief.

    "Is that¡­ is that a male?"

 Chapter 346 Nox Vs...

    The crimson-horned basilisk was actually wounded by a group of Valkyries. However, just when they were about to deal the finishing blow after draining the beast of its health, it suddenly made an escape for its dear life.

    Because the crimson-horned basilisk was a rtively high-level creature, the Valkyries had given it an intense chase.

    But who would''ve thought that... their prized monster wouldn''t only be killed but by a human? What was a human doing here in the first ce?

    It wasmon knowledge that humans weren''t allowed to step foot inside this kingdom.

    The leader of the Valkyries wasted no time. Her de gleamed with holy light as she pointed it toward Nox, her voice ringing with authority. "A male in our sacrednd? You must be eliminated!"

    All the Valkyries present exchanged a nce, and without hesitation, the squad surged forward, their weapons raised.

    ''This is bad,'' Akira thought as she quickly hid behind a giant rock at the side. She watched what would soon be a sh between her sisters and her new friend.

    Nox''s dark eyes narrowed. He stepped to the side, dodging the first sword strike easily. His calmposure never wavered, even as beams of radiant energy cut through the air around him.

    ''They''re coordinated,'' Nox noted, his mind working like aputer as he analyzed them. ''But they''re not that skilled. Their levels arecking.''

    All the Valkyries were between levels 30 and 40.

    A Valkyrie on his left lunged at him at that moment, forcing him out of his thoughts. The Valkyrie''s spear was glowing with golden fire. Nox ducked under the strike, his body moving fluidly as if he were predicting her every move¡ªwhich, in a way, he was.

    "You''ll need more than shy light tricks to keep up with me," Nox whispered in a low voice as he kicked the ground and threw his body backward, just in time to avoid a white energy beam that struck the ground where he had stood.

    Boom!

    The strike blew the earth open, and a 50-meter-deep crater appeared, the edges crackling with white energy.

    "Be careful! This male is dangerous," one of the Valkyries whispered to the others as they regrouped, forming a triangle-shaped formation.

    "Tsk. Since you attacked me first, don''t me me for going all out," Nox sneered. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he activated [Runic Dominion]. Blood-red patterns appeared before him, and weapon constructs made of blood materialized around him, their serrated edges glinting menacingly.

    The Valkyries faltered for a brief moment when they saw this skill, their grips tightening on their weapons.

    The leader gritted her teeth. "Focus! He''s just one man!"

    But their confidence was quickly eroded as Nox''s weapons shot forward, cutting through their defenses like a knife through butter. One by one, the Valkyries were forced to retreat.

    Nox''s eyes were practically glowing as the blood weapons spun around him like a tornado, slowly lifting him into the air and making him appear like a warrior god. With a simple flick of his arm, the blood weapons attacked the Valkyries.

    Akira was wide-eyed as she watched the battle unfold from behind the rock. She had seen her fair share of powerful warriors, but the monstrous precision and ruthlessness with which Nox dismantled the Valkyries left her speechless.

    Her gaze lingered on his form¡ªcalm,posed, and utterly dominant. The way he moved, the way he controlled the flow of the fight¡­ it was almost mesmerizing.

    Meanwhile, the Valkyries were growing desperate. They still couldn''t believe they were about to be overwhelmed by this human male.

    The leader clenched her fist and called out to her squad in a strained voice: "Reform! Use the Divine Aegis!"

    The remaining Valkyries rallied together, their auras ring as they formed a barrier of holy light around themselves. At that moment, they finally recognized the presence hiding behind the rock.

    "It''s the princess! Lady Akira! Help us!" one of them cried out, her voice trembling with desperation.

    But Akira didn''t respond. Her focus remained solely on Nox, her lips parted slightly as if in awe.

    "Damn it, she''s ignoring us!" another Valkyrie shouted, her shield arm shaking under the strain of the battle.

    Nox''s blood weapon constructsunched forward again, mming into the barrier with unstoppable force. Cracks began to form, and the Valkyries'' expressions shifted from determination to fear.

    The leader gritted her teeth, sweat rolling down her temple.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ''How is this possible? He''s not even at a high level!'' she thought, her mind tumultuous. ''His power¡­ it''s unnatural. Is he even human?''

    When the barrier finally shattered, the Valkyries were sent flying back like ragdolls, some mming into the ground.

    Nox stepped forward, his gaze cold and calcting. His constructs hovered menacingly above the fallen women.

    "I guess I need to get rid of them to cover all my tracks and not put Akira in trouble," Nox mumbled to himself quietly. He raised one arm, and the glow on the blood weapons skyrocketed as a soft hum filled the air.

    "No, wait¡ª!" The leader''s eyes trembled as she opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut off as Nox raised his hand, preparing to deliver the final blow.

    "Stop!"

    Before he could deliver the killing blow, Akira''s voice rang out. She finally came out of her daze and stepped out from behind the rock she had been hiding behind.

    Nox turned to her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he said in a deep voice that sounded like a growl, "What are you doing?" Explore new worlds at empire

    "Please don''t kill them," she pleaded, sping her hands together.

    "They attacked me first," Nox pointed out, his tone calm but dangerous. "Also, they''ll probably bring more harm than good, so¡­"

    ---

    Thank you to everyone who supports Supreme BeastTamer with your valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appreciate it¡ªit keeps me motivated to write more chapters. Thank you! And merry Christmas enjoy your day. Also there might be no chapters tomorrow.

 Chapter 347 Why Is She Smirking?

    "They attacked me first," Nox pointed out, his tone calm but dangerous. "Also, they''ll probably bring more harm than good, so the best course of action is to kill them off."

    The calmness and absoluteness in Nox''s voice sent a biting chill through the spines of everyone present. His dark eyes, which seemed to stare at them but not truly see them, frightened them, making their bodies tremble and cold sweat bead on their temples.

    Looking at the resolute expression in Nox''s eyes, all the Valkyries felt that their deaths were only a matter of time. They subconsciously turned their pleading gazes toward Akira, knowing she was the only one who could intervene and save them.

    Akira bit her lip, feeling the weight of their desperate stares. The Valkyries were one of the most peaceful races on Eos; there was barely any conflict among them, and the thought of such bloodshed was unbearable to her.

    No matter what, Akira couldn''t let Nox kill them. With determination brimming in her delicate features, she nced up at Nox, who stood several inches taller than her, and said in a soft yet resolute voice, "Let them go. I''ll do anything you want me to."

    "Anything?" Nox tilted his head slightly as he asked in a skeptical tone. His eyes narrowed, shing with a fierce glint. "Anything is a strong word, mydy. Are you sure you can stand by your words?"

    There was silence for a moment as everyone locked their eyes on Akira. The faces of the Valkyries burned with anger. Anything... they couldn''t even begin to imagine what demand this vile, perverted male would make.

    Knowing the kind of species this male was, the Valkyries could almost bet that it would be a sexual demand. The mere thought of their young, delicate princess satiating the urges of this male riled them up, and they began to slowly rise to their feet.

    The Supreme Spirit Wolf, who had been standing behind Nox like a guardian, red at them with its burning crimson eyes as it activated its skill [Dominance Aura].

    A crushing pressure mmed into them with a powerful bang, forcing them back to the ground; the force made spiderweb cracks spread through the earth.

    With trembling arms, veins bulging as if they might burst, the leader of the Valkyries stammered in a shaky voice, "H-how?"

    How is he emitting such a powerful aura? This aura¡­ it feels like it belongs to a beast, but I can''t see any beast nearby. And yet¡­ it seems to being from him.

    "Anything." Akira nodded her head vigorously, making a decision in her heart. "I''ll do anything for you¡ªjust let my sister go."

    Then, with her cheeks burning as hot as molten mes, she whispered in a soft, sweet voice that was barely audible, "I can even be your wife."

    "No, Lady Akira!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Don''t sacrifice your body for this human; he doesn''t deserve you."

    Despite the powerful pressure, the Valkyries summoned the courage to speak up, grinding their teeth together, veins throbbing on their foreheads.

    For a long moment, Nox didn''t move. His blood weapons hovered in the air, ready to descend and pierce the women. Then, with a faint sigh, he waved his hand, and the weapons dissolved into red mist. He slowly descended to the ground beforending with a soft thud.

    Seeing this, the eyes of the Valkyries lit up, but a sneer appeared on Nox''s features as he regarded them with disdain. "I used to think the Valkyries were a proud, noble race that would rather die than bow their heads, but I guess I expected too much. Or is it because you girls are still teenagers?"

    Nox''s words stung them, and they lowered their heads in shame. A few wanted to protest, to say they weren''t all like this¡ªthat the adults who had witnessed countless bloodsheds were much more resilient and experienced¡ªbut they couldn''t even summon the strength to look up at Nox''s face.

    "I''ll let you girls go, but there won''t be a next time," Nox said a momentter. He was no monster. Akira had helped him a lot. The least he could do for her was grant this wish. After all, he would soon leave this dimension and return to the academy, having aplished his goal of reaching level 30.

    I''ve been away for too long. If I leave, anything that happens won''t be my concern. After all, I''ve already tried my best.

    As he thought this, Nox began to leave the scene. Akira exhaled in relief as Nox turned and began walking away. The Valkyries, still dazed, watched him go, their expressions nk with disbelief.

    The eyes of the leader of the hunting squad shed as she felt something strange about Nox but couldn''t quite wrap her head around it.

    Was it his aura? Why does he seem different?

    Momentster, another squad of Valkyries arrived, led by a tall woman with an imposing presence. Her silver armor gleamed in the sunlight, and her piercing gaze swept over the battlefield with a cold gleam in her eyes.

    "Erin," one of the injured Valkyries gasped, her voice weak. "You''re here¡­"

    "What happened?" Erin demanded sharply, her eyesnding on the leader of the defeated squad. "Speak."

    The leader hesitated, ncing in the direction Nox had gone. "It was a male," she finally said in a trembling voice. "He¡­ he overwhelmed us."

    "So he was here as well," Erin muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing as she nced at the footprints of Nox, Akira, and¡­ beast-like hooves, which was strange.

    At that moment, the leader of the hunting squad''s expression darkened as she said to Erin, "But there''s something strange about this male."

    "What is it?"

    "His aura¡­ it''s as if he''s not fully human. I can sense a trace of our scent on him."

    "A trace of our scent? The more time passes, the more curious and intrigued I be about him."

    ---

    Meanwhile...

    After journeying for a while, Akira and Nox came to a stop in front of an ominous cave.

    "That''s it," she said, her tone shifting to something more serious. "The boss room of this dimension."

    Nox stopped, his eyes scanning the cave entrance. The air around it was thick with oppressive energy, and faint growls echoed from within.

    Read thetest on empire

    "Did you just say boss room?" Nox raised an eyebrow. A smirk appeared on Akira''s face. Something wasn''t right. He frowned. Why is she smirking?

 Chapter 348 Betrayal....?

    Nox and Akira had been journeying for quite a while now. After the encounter with the Valkyries, there had been silence between the two, and neither took the initiative to break it.

    From time to time, Akira sneaked a look at Nox from the corner of her eye and bit her lip. So far, they had note across any monsters, which made the walk feel extremely long and boring. Akira nced at the horizon, noticing the nket of darkness slowly chasing the sun away.

    Night wasing.

    And it would be frigidly cold.

    Akira cursed in her heart at the absence of any beasts. If one of those vile creatures had shown up, at least they''d have something to upy themselves with.

    After a while, her chest rose and fell as she exhaled deeply, suddenly stopping in her tracks.

    "Thank you." Akira''s voice was soft and hesitant.

    "It''s nothing," Nox replied casually, his tone dismissive yet calm. "You''ve helped me a lot, so it''s only natural that I help you as well." Continue reading on empire

    After the short conversation, Akira felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her chest. They resumed walking shortly after, and if one paid attention, they''d notice the slight hop in Akira''s steps.

    It didn''t take long before they arrived at the base of a jagged, half-snapped mountain that stretched into the dark sky.

    Akira suddenly came to a stop. Nox also did, raising an eyebrow as he sensed a powerful presence nearby, but after ncing around, he couldn''t spot anything, which made his eyes sh with confusion.

    Nox narrowed his eyes. Something is wrong, he thought to himself, still ncing around. After attuning all his senses, he noticed that the disturbance wasing from the path leading to the cave located at the base of the mountain.

    "That''s it." At that moment, Akira suddenly spoke, her tone shifting into something more serious. "The boss room of this dimension."

    No wonder.

    Nox stopped, his eyes scanning the cave entrance. After Akira''s revtion, the air around it seemed to grow thick with oppressive energy, and faint growls became much more audible.

    "Did you just say boss room?" Nox raised an eyebrow as a grin split his face. He had never fought a dimensional boss before in his life. But why would Akira bring him here? Nox turned to the nation-topping beauty beside him and saw a smirk on her pretty face.

    Something wasn''t right. He frowned. Why was she smirking?

    Sensing Nox''s gaze, Akira said with a confident posture, "I''m curious about how you''re going to deal with a dimensional boss. I know you''re strong, but how strong are you really?"

    An oppressive aura poured out of the cave and lingered in the air like an unweing guest. Although Nox and Akira stood several meters away, they could sense a pair of menacing, blood-red eyes staring at them from within the cave.

    Nox chuckled and said in a confident tone that almost sounded arrogant, "All this while, I''ve not even used 50 percent of my true power."

    Akira''s eyes trembled in shock as she heard this. Not even 50 percent? How strong was this kid? she mused to herself. Gradually, her shock morphed into a wide smile on her beautiful face.

    "Good then, that means you''ll be able to pull it off," Akira suddenly said, her eyes curving into crescent shapes as a beautiful, mysterious smile appeared on her face.

    Dimensional bosses were very rare and terrifying creatures. Their very existence was a mystery, which people believed was tied to the system statuses all Awakened could see.

    When one beast was defeated in a dimension, it didn''t simply die¡ªit dissolved into a burst of dimensional energy. When this happened, a ce known as the reward room would be unlocked. In here, one could find a powerful treasure trove of rewards: magical items, skill books, rare materials, and sometimes even fragments of the boss''s power that could be absorbed by the victor.

    But there was more to the story.

    Dimensional bosses, also known as gatekeepers, were preserved for a reason. ording to his grandpa, they were anchors, stabilizing the delicate bnce of the dimension. Killing one could potentially lead to catastrophic events¡ªcopsing rifts or even theplete disappearance of the dimension. For that reason, killing a dimensional boss was heavily frowned upon unless absolutely necessary.

    A frown appeared on Nox''s handsome features. "Pull off what?" After learning this, one could understand Nox''s confusion and why Akira would bring him here.

    The dimension wasn''t only a livelihood for most towns and cities¡ªit also aided Awakened in growing their strength. Although Nox didn''t know how Valha, the Valkyrie kingdom, worked, he figured it was most likely the same for them.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    So why would Akira want to cut off their livelihood? It just didn''t make sense.

    "I know the dimension would cease to exist if the boss is killed, which is why I want you to beat it and make it your pet. That way, we could not only preserve the dimension but also get the rewards." Akira exined with shining eyes, as if this was the brightest idea. "No worries, I''ll aid you even if you can''t defeat it."

    She summoned her radiant sword, and her aura red. "I''ve always wanted to feel the thrill of facing a dimensional boss and see what this reward room looks like."

    "What dimension level is this?" Nox asked. The mostmon beasts he had encountered here were King-Tier, which meant this dimension was most likely a Level Three or Four.

    "This is a Level Four dimension," Akira imed, her expression unreadable. She pointed out in a serious voice, "The dimensional beast in there is no joke. It''s likely an Emperor-Tier at minimum. Even with your strength, it''s a gamble."

    "Life is all about risks." Nox chuckled. In truth, he had also thought about taming the boss of the dimension. If he did this, wouldn''t the dimension literally belong to him?

    Akira opened her mouth to say something, but a sudden, almost imperceptible shift in the air around them made her freeze.

    Nox sensed it as well. His smirk disappeared, reced by a hard, focused expression. At first, he thought it came from the boss room, but that wasn''t the case.

    "Someone''s here," Nox said in a low voice, a fierce light in his eyes.

    Before Akira could respond, figures began to emerge from every side. One by one, armored warriors stepped forward, each wearing silver armor that gleamed under the night sky. The radiant holy glow radiating from their weapons made it clear they were Valkyries.

    At their center was Erin, her jet-ck hair tied into a tight braid that fell over her shoulder. Her piercing, deep-set emerald eyes locked onto Nox with an intensity that made Akira instinctively step back.

    Nox remained motionless, not even a trace of surprise visible on his face. Although his expression was unreadable, his sharp gaze darted between Erin and her squad, assessing their numbers, positioning, and auras.

    Erin raised a hand, signaling her squad to stop. The faint scrape of their boots on the ground ceased instantly as she said with a smirk on her face, "Princess, thank you for luring this vile intruder to this ce."

 Chapter 349 First Time Against A Level 100

    Erin''s smirk deepened as she crossed her arms over her armored chest, her piercing emerald eyes gleaming with triumph. Her voice rang with authority: "Princess, thank you for luring him here. You''ve done well."

    Akira froze, her eyes widening in shock as the words registered in her head. "Lured him here?" she repeated in disbelief. "What are you talking about, Erin? I didn''t lure him here!"

    She had onlye here because she wanted to face the Guidian beast and see what the reward room was like after hearing about it. All she wanted was to satiate her curiosity¡ªnothing else!

    Instinctively, Akira looked at Nox from the corner of her eyes, noticing his nonchnt expression.

    Meanwhile, Erin raised a brow, her smirk still very much present as she said in a tone dripping with mockery, "Oh? Is that so?"

    Erin gestured toward the cave in front of them with azy flick of her armored hand. "Then why else would you bring him to the entrance of a dimensional boss''sir? Convenient, isn''t it?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Akira turned to Nox, her face growing paler with each passing second. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Akira felt her heart squeeze.

    "Nox, you have to believe me," she said quickly, her voice trembling slightly. "I didn''t know she''d be here. I swear, this wasn''t my intention. I just thought¡ª"

    "I believe you," Nox interrupted calmly, his dark eyes locked onto Erin. His voice was steady, but there was a subtle edge to it which went unnoticed. The reason he didn''t think Akira had lured him here was because her eyes didn''t seem like those of someone who was lying.

    And why would she try to deny it now? It just didn''t make sense. Now that Erin and her squad had arrived, wasn''t it only natural for her to join them and attack him?

    But there was something else.

    "Eh?" Akira blinked, her eyes widened in surprise before a smile spread on her face as relief flooded her. "Thank you. Thank you for believing me."

    At that moment, Erin let out a sharpugh as she said, stepping forward, "Touching, really. But it changes nothing."

    The moonlight glinted off Akira''s silver armor, casting her in an almost ethereal glow. Her braid swayed behind her as she advanced forward, each of her steps deliberate and filled with purpose and confidence.

    Nox tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "So this was a setup," he said in a voice thatcked surprise.

    This was the something else. He had purposely said he believed Akira to gauge Erin''s reaction, and as expected, she didn''t disappoint.

    Erin stopped a few paces away, her emerald eyes narrowing. "It was supposed to be. I thought separating the two of you would make things easier. But the princess here," she cast a pointed look at Akira, "turned out to be more stubborn and uncooperative than I expected."

    Akira''s fist clenched at her sides, the other gripping her radiant sword. "I don''t know what you''re trying to pull, Erin, but I won''t let you harm him," she said, her voice firm now, a vicious glint shining in her eyes.

    Erin was slightly taken aback by her resolve. She had never seen such an expression on the timid princess before. She clenched her arms and thought with a dark expression, This is the reason why the males are kept very far away. They''ll distract our young ones and make them forget their purposes and our ultimate goal, which was passed down from generation to generation.

    Though she didn''t like the intimacy Akira was showing Nox, she didn''t let it show on her face. Erin raised a hand to her mouth, feigning a yawn. "Harm him?" she said, her expression growing darker. "Oh, princess, you misunderstand. I''m not here to harm him. I''m here to eliminate him."

    Erin summoned her sword, the de catching the faint light and gleaming like molten silver. The air around her seemed to hum with energy as her aura red, and an oppressive force began to emit from her body.

    Nox''s eyes narrowed as he studied her, his sharp gaze taking in every detail. The way her stance shifted, the subtle confidence in her movements¡ªit all pointed to someone who was very experienced and had witnessed several wars.

    But what was perhaps most important¡­

    "Level 100," he murmured under his breath. This will be my toughest fight yet.

    A few years back, Nox had encountered a Level 100 Awakened in the Demonic Dimension. At that time, he hadn''t even known when he had lost one of his arms.

    Level 100 Awakened were in a different league entirely! They were like walking nukes capable of disarming an army of Awakened below Level 50¡ªor even higher¡ªunscathed.

    In Eos, as long as one stepped into Level 100, they were ssified as ''Expert,'' and these experts were highly valuable and well-respected. Each of them possessed power so immense that their very presence could inspire armies or decimate them.

    "A Level 100 Awakened, huh," Nox said louder this time, in a calm voice.

    Erin''s smirk widened, and she pointed her sword directly at Nox, her eyes shing with a strange glint. "Such confidence. If only you were strong and masculine like the giants, I''d have taken you in as my boy toy. So unfortunate that you''ll die here today."

    "You''re wasting your time," Nox said in a low voice.

    Erin tilted her head, her expression curious. "Oh? And why''s that?"

    "Because you''re underestimating me," Nox replied tly.

    For a moment, Erin''s emerald eyes searched his, her smirk faltering just slightly. Then sheughed, a rich, mocking sound that sent a chill down Akira''s spine.

    "You think so, do you?" she said condescendingly as she raised her sword higher. The de glowed faintly, and the oppressive aura around her intensified. "Let''s see how long that confidencests."

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appreciate it as it keeps me motivated to write more chapters. Stay updated with empire

 Chapter 350 I Dont Fight Alone

    Akira''s heart pounded in her chest, her breath quick and shallow. She gripped her radiant sword tightly, her eyes darting between Nox and Erin. The tension in the air was suffocating, and she didn''t know if her mind was ying tricks on her, but dark clouds seemed to have gathered above them.

    I can''t let him fight Erin; she''s a monster, Akira thought to herself, but then her heart sank as she saw the look in Erin''s eyes.

    "Nox," Akira said urgently, stepping closer to him, "we need to get out of here. Erin¡ªshe''s not someone you can just¡ª"

    Nox raised a hand, cutting her off. His calm, measured gaze locked onto Erin, who stood a few paces ahead, her smirk as sharp as the de she held. Nox said simply, "I''m not running."

    Akira''s eyes widened, her grip on her sword tightening as she shouted, "But she''s¡ªshe''s level 100! Do you even understand what that means?!"

    Nox turned his head slightly, his piercing dark eyes meeting hers. "I understand perfectly. I just want to see how far I''d go against a level 100 Awakened."

    Akira opened her mouth to protest again, but the look in his eyes stopped her. There was no hesitation, no doubt¡ªonly a cold, unshakable confidence with a bit of nonchnce that was almost frightening.

    Why did he appear so calm? Akira was perplexed.

    "If I see that he''s losing, I''ll step in," she silently mumbled, her gaze fixed on Nox''s straight back.

    Erinughed, the sound echoing through the air. She took a step forward, her heavy boots crunching against the ground. Her emerald eyes gleamed with a dangerous light as she gestured to the others behind her and ordered in an authoritative voice:

    "Stay back."

    The other valkyries exchanged nces but obeyed, retreating a few steps. None of them dared question hermand.

    The valkyries shot looks filled with disgust at Nox. They had been following Erin for years now, and they knew how powerful she was. In their minds, the human male was just being too cocky and wouldn''t even know how he arrived in the afterlife.

    But he deserves it! All the valkyries seethed with rage. How dare he bewitch their princess? The only thing he deserved was total elimination.

    "Kill him, Commander!"

    "You wanna bet how long he''llst?"

    Most of them were even beginning to wager bets amongst themselves, which showed the level of confidence and belief they had in theirmander.

    Erin turned her attention back to Nox, her smirk widening as she chuckled in a mocking tone. "You''re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Do you really think you stand a chance against me?"

    Nox didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped forward, a wide grin splitting his handsome face. "Like I said, I''m curious to know how strong a level 100 is. Don''t disappoint me."

    Erin raised an eyebrow, her smirk faltering for just a moment as she saw the wide smile and Nox''s eyes that didn''t show even a hint of fear. But her smirk soon returned with renewed intensity as she smiled. "Is that so? Then this should be entertaining."

    She lowered her stance slightly, her grip on her sword firm. Her aura red again, a wave of energy radiating from her that made the air around them crackle. Small cracks formed beneath her feet. Not only that, but even the surrounding atmosphere seemed to tremble.

    Akira had made up her mind not to interfere. However, sensing the monstrous aura and the images of Erin carving through enemy lines with her sword filled her with dread, and her mouth parted open once more.

    "Nox!" she shouted, reaching out a hand as if to pull him back, but he stepped further away from her, cing himself directly in front of Erin.

    "The more you try to hold me back, the more curious and excited I be," Nox said, and he suddenly felt like advertising the human race. So, with a mischievous, charming smile, he added, "Besides, let me show you guys the might of the human race."

    Akira froze, her outstretched hand trembling. "But¡ª"

    Nox interrupted her, cutting her words short. "Let me open your eyes to the truth. Let me show you that the giants aren''t the only ideal partners for the valkyrie race."

    Erin chuckled, shaking her head. "Touching," she said mockingly. "But it won''t matter. You''ll regret not listening to her when you''re lying at my feet."

    Nox tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "We''ll see."

    The atmosphere was eerily silent, the only sound the faint hum of holy energy surrounding Erin. The oppressive weight of her aura pressed against Nox, but he stood his ground, his dark eyes locked onto hers.

    Erin''s smirk faded, reced by a more serious expression. She straightened slightly, her emerald eyes narrowing. "You''re different," she admitted, "Most people would be groveling by now. But you''re standing there like you actually believe you can win."

    Nox''s lips twitched into a smile. "That''s because I do."

    Erin''s eyes narrowed further, her grip tightening on her sword. "Bold words," she said, her tone icy. "Let''s see if you can back them up."

    The ground beneath them began to tremble more violently, small rocks breaking free from the ground. The air grew heavier, the tension so thick it was almost tangible.

    Akira took a step back, her heart pounding against her chest as she watched the two of them. The valkyries watched with throbbing hearts, their anticipation growing; even their voices seemed to rise as they ced more bets on Erin.

    Despite this and the thick, suffocating air, Nox''s entire posture was rxed. He opened his mouth and waved his arms. Several blue portals opened behind him, catching Erin off guard, her eyes narrowing as she thought Nox had already initiated the fight.

    Under the dark sky, the blue portals stood out vividly. Even the valkyries momentarily paused and looked at the portals with slight confusion and curiosity shining in their eyes.

    Then, one after the other, Nox''s pets started to step out of the portals.

    "What''s happening?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Are those beasts? What''s the meaning of this?"

    "Before we start, let me enlighten you," Nox spoke in a clear voice amidst their confusion. "I''m a beast tamer, and my ss allows me to control beasts to do my bidding."

    As he said this, a giant rock golem with gleaming, orb-like blue eyes stepped out of one of the portals and stood beside Nox, along with Fluffington, Thirteen, Astralux, Solora, and the invisible Supreme Spirit Wolf. They were all ring at Erin with a fierce gleam in their eyes.

    With a grin, Nox continued as he spread his arms. "In other words, I don''t fight alone. Attack!"

 Chapter 351 A Painful Memory

    The reason Nox had instructed his pets to keep the golem alive was because he wanted to include it in his growing monster army. Therefore, after Astralux used her gravity field to crush the golems, giving him experience points, Nox had approached the golem leader shortly after.

    At first, the golem had shown a defiant attitude, its orb-like eyes burning with intense hate for Nox and his pets. Hence, the taming process hadn''t been smooth, and Nox was forced to use a method he normally didn''t like using.

    But it was necessary. This method was to make the golem submit against its will using sheer force. With a little bit of his strength, Nox had forced the leader of the golems to submit and tamed it against its will.

    One of the reasons he was hellbent on taming this creature was because of the golem''s skills and evolution path.

    ---

    [Granite Colossus]

    "An unyielding fortress of stone!"

    Rating: Emperor Tier Lv1

    HP: 1,050

    MP: 520

    Stamina: 100%/100%

    Strength: 400

    Agility: 120n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Intelligence: 180

    ---

    [Special Skills]

    Earthquake m (Advanced)

    Delivers a powerful ground-shaking strike, creating a 30-meter radius shockwave. Enemies caught in the shockwave are knocked back, stunned for 3 seconds, and take 350% Strength-based damage.

    Cost: 200 MP.

    Cooldown: 2 minutes

    Granite Barrier (Intermediate)

    Forms an imprable wall of stone that blocks all physical attacks in a 20-meter radius for 10 seconds. Grants allies inside a 20% defense boost during the duration.

    Cost: 300 MP.

    Cooldown: 3 minutes

    Stone Spikes (Advanced)

    Summons sharp rock spikes from the ground in a 15-meter line, dealing piercing damage and impaling enemies for 5 seconds, immobilizing them.

    Cost: 250 MP.

    Cooldown: 1.5 minutes

    Colossus Form (Ultimate)

    Temporarily grows in size by 50%, doubling HP and Strength while reducing iing damage by 40%. Lasts for 3 minutes.

    Cost: 500 MP.

    Cooldown: 5 minutes

    Tremor Pulse (Basic)

    Releases a pulse of seismic energy in a 10-meter radius, knocking enemies off bnce and reducing their Agility by 20% for 10 seconds.

    Cost: 100 MP.

    Cooldown: 30 seconds

    ---

    Ultimate Evolution Path (1): Mountain Sovereign.

    Requirement: Reach Legendary Tier and obtain the Eyes of Osiris.

    Mountain Sovereign: Gains the ability to manipte mountains and summon rock avnches.

    ---

    ''One of the reasons was because this beast was an Emperor Tier beast.'' Nox smirked, his gaze fixed on Erin, who was looking at the beast before Nox, her mouth hanging open slightly, and her eyes seemed dazed.

    "B-Beast Tamer," she mumbled to herself, still rooted in the same spot. Her eyes twitched, and her fingers trembled.

    The others looked confused, wondering why theirmander was not attacking and just standing there as if she were under a trance-like spell.

    Erin''s chest was beating at a rapid pace. It was not because of anticipation or the thrill of battle, but something else. The twitching in her eyes became more intense, and the trembling in her hands increased as she muttered in a shaky voice, "Beast Tamer, it can''t be... how?"

    A distant memory that she had tried to forget for years surfaced in her mind. There was a tall male who had oncee to Valha, with eyes as dark as midnight.

    That male... that male had defeated everyone, including the Queen.

    "And," the trembling increased, "he also imed to be a Beast Tamer. Although a long time has passed and I have forgotten his appearance, now that I look closely, this boy''s eyes are as dark as his, and the aura... the aura, just like that Valkyrie had said, is a bit simr to ours. Could... could it be?"

    "It seems you underestimate me so much that you want me to attack first." At that, Nox''s voice reached Erin''s ears. He had been observing her for a while and knew that she was not an easy opponent. That was the reason he had decided not to take chances and summoned his pets from the get-go.

    "Since it''s so, I''ll make the first move!"

    Nox quickly made use of his new [Command Chain] skill, seamlessly giving multiplemands to his pets.

    The first to surge forward was the Granite Colossus. Its 120 Agility points kicked in, and it crossed the distance between Erin and itself in a matter of seconds.

    BOOM!

    The spot where it had previously stood was obliterated, as though a bomb had detonated there, sending fragments of dust and debris into the air. Nox stared at the over 20-meter-deep crater with a slightly amazed expression before shifting his gaze back to the front.

    The colossus, after arriving before Erin, mmed its massive arms down as if it wanted to rip her head apart. Even the air crackled because of the sheer intensity of that attack, which contained the golem''s 400 Strength points!

    Erin seemed to snap out of her dazed state, her aura bursting to life as she raised her left arm to block the attack. A shimmering white barrier with trails of gold running through the edges absorbed the attack with a brilliant sh of light that made the Valkyries shield their eyes and gasp in shock.

    When the brilliant sh of gold and white light subsided, the barrier held firm, with a faint ripple through its surface.

    The golem''s blue eyes shed with anger as it smashed again!

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    For a straight minute, the golem continued to smash the barrier, but apart from ripples, there was no sign of the barrier crumbling, which infuriated the golem.

    "A mere Level 1 Emperor Tier beast dares to act so cocky around me." Erin sneered with a chuckle as she watched the golem futilely attempt to shatter the holy barrier.

    "Huh, that golem looks so powerful, but as expected, not even it could shatter Lady Erin''s barrier."

    "It''s as expected. After all, Lady Erin''s barrier is an Ultimate Tier. The only way to shatter it is to attack with another Ultimate Tier skill, which is highly unlik¡ª"

    That Valkyrie wasn''t able to finish her words as, at that one moment, they saw a dark st approaching from the spot where Nox was standing at breakneck speed.

    When the Valkyries sensed the aura of that st, their entire existence trembled at that moment.

 Chapter 352 Going All Out [1]

    Each time the rock golem struck the barrier, a faint ripple spread through the surface like a stone cast into a stillke. There was a cocky expression on Erin''s face as she watched the golem struggle against her barrier.

    Naturally, as a Level 100 Awakened, a Level 1 Emperor-tier beast was not too much of a threat for her. But she also didn''t want to take chances with Nox because of the mysteries surrounding him.

    Discover exclusive tales at empire

    All she wanted to do was drain the golem of all its stamina before going all out again. From the barrier, Erin could see that the other beasts were staying just a few meters away from her barrier.

    She could see the eager look in their eyes. It was clear they wanted to join the fight as well, but there seemed to be something holding them back. Perhaps they were waiting for the golem to smash her barrier to shambles before pouncing on her.

    If that''s their n, then they better prepare for a rude awa¡ª Eh? Erin froze mid-sentence. Suddenly, the other pets and the rock golem retreated several meters back.

    Confusion filled her eyes, but that confusion soon turned to shock as her eyes widened in pure disbelief. She saw a dark energy pir heading in her direction.

    "What the..." The dark energy was moving at the speed of light, and before Erin could react, the energy st struck the barrier with monstrous precision.

    BOOM!

    Upon impact, the effect of the dark st was almost instantaneous. A huge explosion urred, apanied by a blinding sh that engulfed everything within 200 meters in a violent shockwave. The ground shook hard, as if an earthquake had started. The barrier, once glowing and strong, now looked like cracked ss. The cracks spread quickly, and the light from the barrier flickered weakly, like a candle about to go out.

    The st sent dirt and rocks flying everywhere. Large trees fell down with loud crashes, and the air was full of dust, making it hard to see or breathe. Broken pieces of the ground scattered, leaving deep holes and cracks in the soil.

    Erin struggled. Her face was no longer calm. She was sweating as she used all her power to keep the barrier up. Her hands trembled, and the glowing shield around her started to break apart piece by piece.

    She nced back beside her and noticed that half of her squad had been sent flying.

    "An ultimate skill!" Erin shouted, struggling to believe her own words. But the aura was unmistakable. At that moment, her barrier crumpled into pieces, and although she wasn''t sent flying like her squad members, she was pushed back several feet.

    She, a Level 100 Awakened, had been pushed back! Erin''s sword arm trembled with anger as she locked eyes with Nox, who still had his arm outstretched like a gun, dark tendrils of smoke billowing out from his hand.

    "You!!" she seethed, her face turning red in fury¡ªa stark contrast to the calmness she had disyed all this while.

    Suddenly, she was forced to sidestep as a w shed toward her eyes. After narrowly dodging the attack, Erin''s gaze fell on a dark-furred cat with dangerous purple eyes that looked like a predator out for blood.

    It was one of the beasts that had emerged from the blue gate. Before she knew it, more of these creatures had circled her, their glowing eyes locked on her like hunters sizing up prey. They watched her as if she were a delicious piece of meat, ready to tear her flesh apart and feast.

    Because of the intense anger surging through her at that moment, Erin didn''t even know when she attacked the shadowy cat. But it was fluid and dodged to the side. However, Erin wasn''t just a Level 100 Awakened in name. Even her stats were very high, so it was easy to follow the cat, appearing in front of it and proceeding to swing her radiant sword in hopes of cutting it apart.

    However, it was then she noticed a blue python coiled around her sword arm, restricting her movements.

    [No! Not my favorite brother!] Sra hissed as she activated the upgraded version of her skills.

    [Light Constriction (Basic Tier): The python can coil around small objects or creatures, though itcks the strength for more significant constriction.]

    [Crushing Coil (Ultimate Tier): The python''s constriction bes formidable, capable of breaking through armor or immobilizingrge beasts. Constriction now drains the target''s stamina and mana with each passing second. Cost: None. Cooldown: None.]

    "What the hell now?" An aggravated expression crossed Erin''s features. When did this python coil around my arm? Is it because I was so focused on killing these beasts?

    Regardless of the reasons, Erin knew she had to get rid of it... Her thoughts shattered like ss as she felt the python''s coils constrict. It felt as if a steel vice had been ced on her arm as it became very numb and cold.

    Erin gritted her teeth, eyes turning red with pain and anger as she felt her bones being squeezed. What was worse, her mana and stamina were depleting at a rapid pace. It became so intense that Erin was beginning to fear her arm would fall off.

    "Ultimate tier... even the beasts?" Despite the intense pain, Erin could still vividly recognize the level of the skill this beautiful yet dangerous python was using against her at this moment.

    As she struggled to free herself from the python''s relentless grip, Erin suddenly felt a w scratch across her back. She staggered forward, wincing in pain, and quickly turned around, only to find no one there. The absence of a visible attacker left her utterly perplexed.

    As if that was not enough, she soon saw a big ball with icy details mming into her.

    All the beasts were attacking her at once, leaving her disoriented about whom to attack and whom to block. Her head began to spin, and soon she reached a boiling point and couldn''t take it anymore.

    "This... exactly the same thing that happened to the Queen all those years ago is happening all over again!" Erin clenched her teeth and sacrificed her body to suffer damage as she stabbed the python on her arm with her sword.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But Sra had sensed her intention for some time now and quickly used her---

    [Instinctive Reflexes (Intermediate): Quick reaction time to sudden movements, though its instincts are still developing.]

    ---which was now...

    [Predatory Insight(ultimate Tier): Lightning-fast reflexes so powerful that the user can predict an opponent''s movement, enabling preemptive dodges and counters. Additionally, time appears to slow slightly in critical moments, enhancing decision-making. Cost: 200 MP per activation.]

    Erin swallowed her anger as she watched the python escape. However, now that her other arm was free, she easily dealt with the beasts, kicked the ground, and distanced herself several meters away from them, including the invisible enemy, which was by far the most troublesome to deal with.

    After gaining a bit of breathing space, she pointed her sword at Nox and shouted in irritation: "Coward, stop hiding behind your beasts and fight me like the man you im to be!"

    Nox didn''t respond. How was he supposed to convince her that this was how Beast Tamers fought? In fact, there were some who did nothing and only allowed their beasts to do all the work, but Nox was not like that.

    "Tsk, if it''s so, then." Erin nced back, seeing that her squad was back on their feet once more, and they were all looking at Nox with intense hate. Erin raised her voice,manding her squad, "Attack! Take them down!"

    The Valkyries didn''t hesitate as they charged forward in a burst of blinding speed.

    Nox smirked at Erin, his gaze sharp. "So much for honor," he said mockingly. "But if that''s how you want to y, I''m more than happy to oblige."

    Without waiting for her response, Nox turned to his beasts andmanded, "Hold them off!"

    At hismand, Astralux, Fluffington, the Supreme Spirit Wolf, the golems, Sra, and Thirteen all shed with the Valkyries.

    Satisfied that his pets could handle the squad, Nox focused his attention back on Erin. She was already charging toward him, her de radiating with divine energy. Her expression was fierce, her teeth clenched in determination.

    "I''ll rip you to shreds, you vile male!" she screamed, eyes bloodshot.

    "Hehehe, this daddy would p your ass cheeks!" Nox chuckled loudly with a crazed expression on his face.

    Excitement coursed through his body as he charged forward, a fearless look in his eyes.

 Chapter 353 A Power Up [1]

    Oblivion Edge and the Radiant Sword in Erin''s grasp shed in the middle. Upon impact, a burst of dark and radiant white shockwave spread outward, and the air suddenly became clear and free of any pollutants as all dust within a hundred-meter radius was swept far away.

    The shockwave mmed into the Valkyries, who were upied with the beast. They had no choice but to momentarily stop their fighting to look at the cause of the powerful shockwave just now, their eyes shing with shock.

    "H-he withstood against themander!"

    "Isn''t he just level 30?!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Shocked gasps immediately filled the battlefield. The Valkyries couldn''t believe that Nox was able to withstand a sh with theirmander, a level 100 Holy Pdin! Read thetest on empire

    How was this possible? Their faces were filled with great shock.

    But their shock was nothingpared to what Erin was feeling in this moment. Erin''s eyes were wide as she felt an unstoppable tremble in her sword arm, which vibrated through the rest of her body.

    "How?" Erin''s eyes trembled as she whispered in a barely audible voice.

    A crack had appeared beneath their feet, and Erin''s feet had sunk several feet into the ground. Her entire body was trembling because of the sheer force of their sh.

    However, in contrast to her trembling, her opponent, Nox, was rtively calm. His expression was serene, and the only thing that could be spotted was the intense wilderness and eagerness to continue the fight.

    Erin moved her gaze below and saw that he didn''t even move an inch back, and his feet didn''t sink into the ground. The disbelief in Erin''s eyes only grew more and more. For a moment, not even a trace of anger could be spotted on her features.

    All that could be seen was great confusion and disbelief.

    This was the most perplexing thing Erin had witnessed in all her life. She, a level 100 Awakened, was actually pushed back by a level 30 Awakened? It just didn''t make sense. She attempted to search his body to see if this strength was a result of magical items, but except for the dagger in his grasp, she sensed nothing.

    The confusion painted across Erin''s face made a smile break out on Nox''s lips, a sight that immediately irritated her. Her face scrunched up, hate zing in her eyes as she shouted angrily, "What sorcery is this?! How can you, a Level 30 scumbag, withstand my attack?!"

    "I... I knew he had to be powerful in some way, but... but this is way out of my expectations!"

    To her furious question, Nox merely tilted his head and shed an infuriating smile, one capable of provoking even the most patient person in the world, as he replied arrogantly:

    "Um, because you''re not all that?"

    His voice, although low, traveled far and wide, and everyone in the vicinity heard it.

    A fresh wave of anger washed through Erin as she gritted her teeth, kicked the ground, and threw her body backward, creating a sufficient distance between herself and Nox.

    She screeched to a stop. "I don''t know whatever trick you pulled off there, but I assure you it won''t happen again."

    "You think so?" Noxughed as he advanced forward. Of course, the only reason he had withstood that sh was because Barbarian Strength was activated!

    [Barbarian Strength (Ultimate)]

    An enhancement-type skill that temporarily elevates the user''s physical strength to unprecedented heights. Upon activation, the user''s Strength stat is increased by +600, transforming their physical power into an unstoppable force. Consumes 300 MP per activation andsts for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

    Without it, his body would have been blown apart as if a bomb had been dropped on him, because there was virtually no way he could have withstood the attacks of a level 100 Awakened with his meager level 30 stats.

    With Barbarian Strength activated and Nox''s physical strength, Nox didn''t know what the strength stat for a level 100 Awakened was, but he knew his stats were more than hers, considering that each Awakened only gets plus two stats for each level-up.

    "I have only five minutes; let''s make the best use of this strength," Nox mumbled to himself as he kicked the ground. His body shot forward, breaking the sound barrier as he appeared like a ghost in front of Erin. He stretched a hand forward, momentarily unsummoning his Oblivion Edge, to grab her neck, but Erin shed her sword.

    Shing!

    The de shed through the air, forcing Nox to retract his arms just in time before the attack could graze his skin. But Erin wasn''t done. She spun gracefully, her sword creating a whirlwind of light as she unleashed a flurry of attacks.

    Countless blinding arcs of radiant energy shot toward Nox, each one capable of splitting a boulder in half. Nox dodged and ducked all the attacks. In the process of dodging, Erin swiftly appeared before him and shed viciously again.

    As Nox continued to dodge the attack, a burst of radiant energy exploded from Erin''s de, forcing him to leap backward. The shockwave carved a deep crater into the ground and sent debris flying in every direction. Noxnded with cat-like grace, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Erin''s movements.

    "She''s not holding back anymore," he muttered under his breath, his lips curling into a sly grin. "Good. This will be more fun."

    "I see all you have is that absurd strength, but don''t worry, I have speed to match you!" Erin smirked and said in a confident voice, which reverberated through the surroundings. Her entire body was now glowing in divine aura, which seemed to chase the darkness away.

    "Speed? Did you just say speed?" Nox said as he took a step forward. At the same time, he activated Divine Velocity! Instantly, he seemed to vanish from his spot and appeared behind the unsuspecting Erin, delivering a powerful punch to the back of her head.

    BANG!

    The punch, infused with Nox''s 600-plus stat, sent Erin crashing to the ground several meters away. She staggered to her feet and nced down at her chest area. The armor protecting her there had been crushed and was falling off piece by piece. She raised her head, her emerald eyes zing with disbelief and fury, and locked her gaze onto Nox as...

 Chapter 354 A Power Up [2]

    The punch, which contained Nox''s 600-plus stats, sent Erin crashing several meters to the ground. She staggered to her feet and nced at her chest area. The armor protecting her there had been crushed and was falling off one by one. She raised her hand and looked at Nox with her emerald eyes as she brought her arm close to her chest and began to tear the rest of her armor off.

    This greatly confused Nox, but he was much more alert now. He didn''t make any stupid moves. There was just something about Erin''s eyes and gestures that made her seem very unsettling and dangerous at this moment.

    Nox''s danger senses red. Forget about her gesture¡ªwhy was she taking off her armor? After all, it was meant to act as protection.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    With a seemingly lifeless gaze, Erin tore the pieces of armor off one after another, and they fell to the ground. For a moment, time seemed to slow down. But despite knowing something was wrong, Nox made no effort to stop her.

    The reason? It was very simple. He wanted to know how long he wouldst against a level 100 Awakened.

    At that moment, Erin''s emerald eyes glowed with an unearthly brilliance as thest piece of her armor fell to the ground with a heavy ng. The battlefield fell silent. Every Valkyrie who witnessed the scene immediately stopped what they were doing, their expressions shifting from determination to awe and fear. Even the beasts paused for a second as they sensed the overwhelming shift in the atmosphere.

    Nox''s dark eyes narrowed as he took a step forward and a grin broke out on his features. He could feel it¡ªan immense power welling up within Erin, a power unlike anything he had encountered before.

    And this made him excited!

    "What are you nning?" Nox asked in a low voice. Yet Erin heard him, her lips curling into a smile.

    But she didn''t answer immediately. Instead, she threw thest piece of her broken armor aside, letting it tter to the ground. She stood there, unarmored, yet radiating a terrifying presence. Her eyes, now glowing with an ethereal light, locked onto Nox with an intensity that nearly made the smile vanish from his face.

    "You..." Erin''s voice was low but echoed across the battlefield. "You''re stronger than I expected. I made a mistake¡ªunderestimating you. But that ends now."

    Nox''s brows furrowed, his senses ring. Now that the top half of her armor had been ripped off, her hot, well-sculpted body was on disy. It was capable of making men''s lower regions restless, but Nox had no time to be distracted because...

    ...A surge of power erupted from Erin, washing over the battlefield like a tidal wave. The surge of power made the air grow heavy, and even the ground beneath him seemed to tremble, as if aware that a fierce sh was about to ur.

    Just then, Aurora raised her arms toward the sky, and the world seemed to respond to hermand. A pir of blinding white light descended.

    BOOM!

    The pir of light mmed into the spot where Erin had been standing and enveloped her entirely. The sheer intensity of it forced Nox to shield his eyes, gritting his teeth as he felt the raw power radiating from within.

    The blinding light temporarily blinded everyone, and when it eventually cleared, a strange flicker passed across Nox''s eyes.

    Standing before him was Erin, but...

    ''She was different now,'' he muttered.

    A pair of majestic, glowing wings now extended from Erin''s back, each feather shimmering with a divine glow. Golden markings adorned her skin, pulsating rhythmically with energy.

    Her radiant sword had transformed into a radiant spear that seemed to hum with divine power. With her fierce, burning emerald eyes, Erin looked like an angel who had descended to earth to cleanse it of all evil.

    "This," Erin began, her voice resonating throughout the battlefield, "is the power of a Valkyrie blessed by the goddess herself. A form reserved for the chosen few. You should consider yourself lucky, male. Not many live long enough to witness it." Explore more stories at empire

    At her words, Nox tilted his head slightly and scowled. "Hmph. All this drama, just for me? I must say, I''m ttered."

    "Do not mistake this for arrogance," Erin imed. "I acknowledge your strength, Nox. Your power surpasses anything I''ve seen at your level. But that''s precisely why I cannot afford to hold back anymore."

    Her wings spread wide, and a gust of wind swept across the battlefield, sending waves of dust and debris flying. Nox nted his feet firmly to avoid being blown back, and with his 600-plus stats, it wasn''t too much of a problem.

    "You''re strong," Erin admitted, her voice softer now, almost contemtive. "Far stronger than me in my normal state. Your brute strength, your speed¡ªthey far surpass mine. But this form... this form is different." Her lips curled into a confident smile. "The goddess''s blessing multiplies all my stats by five hundred for one minute. In this state, I am invincible."

    Nox''s eyes gleamed with interest. "Five hundred, you say?" He chuckled, shaking his head. He wasn''t foolish enough to believe that Erin would straight-up tell him how long her skill or blessingsts. I mean, who does that? It was unheard of!

    It was quite easy for Nox to understand this might actually be a trick, but he decided to y along for now.

    Erin didn''t respond to Nox. Instead, she raised her hand to the sky once more. The heavens seemed to respond to her call as the dark clouds parted, revealing an endless expanse of golden light. From within, a radiant holy spear descended, its tip glowing with celestial energy. It hovered in the air for a moment before one more appeared.

    Then another... and another!

    Before Nox''s eyes, countless golden spears, which were humming with divine power, appeared, all aimed at him as though he were the greatest sinner in the world and the spears were his punishment.

    "You''ve proven yourself a worthy opponent," Erin said with some respect. This was the second time she was showing a male respect, and it felt strange, but she had to admit that Nox was indeed special.

    Suddenly, Erin''s emerald gaze hardened and she spoke in a voice filled with finality. "But this is where it ends."

    Nox''s eyes shed. ''Plus 500 to all stats, huh? Considering that barbarian strength only increases my strength stats, it''s safe to say she''s a lot stronger than me,'' Nox admitted.

    On the sidelines, Akira watched the scene unfold with growing dread. Her hands clenched into fists, her heart pounding in her chest. She had seen Erin''s transformed state before and knew exactly what it meant.

    "This is bad," Akira murmured in a trembling voice. "In this form, she''s nearly unstoppable. Her strength, her speed¡ªit''s all on apletely different level now. Even with his abilities, I don''t think Nox can keep this up for long."

 Chapter 355 Youll Have To Try Harder Lady!

    Erin hovered above the battlefield, her radiant wings beating against the fierce wind, which caused her hair to float in the breeze.

    Her emerald eyes were sharp, her jaw tight as she red down at Nox. In her hand, the holy spear pulsed with divine energy as though it was the scythe of a goddess, ready to obliterate everything in its path.

    From her elevated position, Erin could see everything¡ªNox''s every move, every twitch of his muscles.

    Nox stared at the hovering Valkyrie, who, despite her terrible attitude, appeared extremely stunning amidst the dozens of holy spears around her.

    With a swift motion, Erin pped her wings, and her body shot higher into the night sky. At the same time, the spear in her hand shot forward at Nox with incredible speed.

    Following behind that spear were the remaining spears, which had been suspended midair all this time.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Each one burned with holy energy, streaking toward him like falling stars. Erin''s lips curled into a tight line as she watched him below.

    Nox, with his [Divine Velocity] still activated, moved from side to side, dodging the barrage of holy spears.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    What wasn''t luck, however, was the ground. Anytime a spear crashed to the earth, a mini explosion sent fragments of rock flying everywhere.

    "That annoying skill?!?" Erin''s mind raced with frustration. Her brows knitted together as she conjured another wave of divine weapons with her spear. "Tsk, let''s see how long you canst."

    Below, Nox darted through the rain of golden spears, his body moving with monstrous precision. His dark eyes remained focused, his expression calm, but his eyes were filled with slight amusement.

    Despite the danger, a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he mumbled to himself, "She''s really trying to kill me... I''ll give her credit; she''smitted." Then he narrowed his eyes and red at the Valkyrie in the sky, whispering with a dark expression on his face,

    "But this can''t go on forever. I need to bring her down."

    Erin pped her wings harder, rising higher as she hurled another barrage of spears at him. Her breathing grew heavier, but she didn''t falter. "Stay still!" she shouted, her frustration bubbling over. "Why can''t you just stand still and take your punishment like a man?"

    Nox nced up at her, his smirk widening. "Why would I do that?" he shouted back. "You''ll have to try harder if you want to hit me,dy!"

    Her teeth clenched, her glowing emerald eyes narrowing. "Infuriating!" she thought, gripping her spear tighter. "Why does he have to be so... slippery?"

    Nox, meanwhile, deactivated Divine Velocity and stopped dodging for a moment as he nted his feet firmly on the ground. His mind worked quickly, analyzing her movements.

    "She''s fast and has the advantage in the air," he pondered with a thoughtful expression on his face. "To be on equal footing, I need to bring her down."

    With a deep breath, Nox bent his knees and stomped hard on the ground with all his 600-plus extra strength in stats.

    BANG!

    Barbarian strength was no joke. The ground beneath Nox shattered, leaving a deep footprint in the middle as his body shot upward into the air. The wind whipped against his face, and within a matter of seconds, the distance between him and Erin was closed.

    Brief confusion shed across Erin''s eyes as she had not expected Nox to suddenly lunge at her like this.

    Meanwhile, Nox''s dark dagger, Oblivion Edge, appeared in his grasp, glinting ominously in the light as he shed forward.

    Shing! Find exclusive stories on empire

    Erin''s eyes widened as the de approached, but she didn''t panic. Her lips curled into a cold smile as she dered in a firm voice, "The air is mine."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With a single, calcted motion, she tilted her wings, narrowly dodging his strike. The wind around her seemed to bend to her will, pushing Nox back toward the ground.

    "You don''t belong up here."

    Nox crashed back to the earth. He had covered over 300 meters in the air. A fall from this height would be devastating, and he would certainly lose a significant chunk of health points if he didn''t act quickly.

    As he fell, a deep frown appeared on Nox''s face. "She wasn''t kidding. This air advantage is a problem."

    Erin, hovering above, settled her gaze on Nox, and a mischievous glint flickered across her eyes. She stretched her hand out, summoning a swirling mass of holy energy.

    "Holy Whirlwind!"

    The mass of holy energy soon became a whirlwind, growingrger andrger, spinning with terrifying force. She thrust her arm forward, sending the holy tornado hurtling toward Nox.

    "Let''s see you dodge this!"

    Midair, Nox''s eyes narrowed as the whirlwind approached. He quickly activated his skill.

    "Runic Dominion," he shouted amidst his descent. Blood-red runes materialized around him, swirling in the air like a storm of their own. From the runes, a blood thread shot out, snaking upward with incredible speed.

    Erin''s confident smirk threatened to crumble as the thread broke the sound barrier andshed onto her ankle. Her wings fluttered, and she tried to kick it off, but it clung to her like a leech.

    "What is this?!" she thought, panic shing in her eyes. She swung her spear downward, aiming to sever the thread, but it held firm.

    Below, Nox gritted his teeth, his muscles straining as he poured more mana into the blood thread.

    "The only way to get rid of an ultimate skill is to use another ultimate skill, and although her weapon is King Tier, I doubt she can escape from this," Nox thought. Thanks to the thread now clinging to Erin''s leg, his descent had temporarily ceased and he was able to avoid the  holy whirlwind.

    Soon, another thread shot out from the blood runes, this time wrapping around her other leg.

    "This..." she shouted, her voice trembling. Erin''s emerald eyes widened in horror. She pped her wings harder, trying to break free, but the threads tightened around her limbs. One by one, more threads emerged, wrapping around her arms and finally her wings. Her glowing feathers dimmed slightly as the threads restricted her movements.

    "What''s happening?!" Erin''s mind raced, her breathing bingbored. "This can''t be... I''m supposed to be invincible in this form!"

    Nox smirked, his dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He could feel the resistance¡ªthe raw power coursing through Erin''s body as she fought against him. Gripping the blood thread, Nox gently lowered himself to the ground with a light thud.

    Meanwhile, Erin''s struggles grew more frantic. With her wings restricted, it was only a matter of time...

 Chapter 356 Leaving The Dimension and Unexpected Declaration

    Meanwhile, Erin''s struggles grew more frantic. With her wings restricted, it was only a matter of time before she plunged down from over 300 meters to the ground.

    Dread clouded Erin''s eyes as she squirmed midair to get rid of the blood threads that were no different from thick chains.

    Watching her struggle, Nox took a deep breath as he dug his heels into the ground and pulled hard on the threads downward. Erin''s wings faltered, and for the first time, she began to descend. Her emerald eyes glinted. "Dammit¡­ such mostou¡ª"

    Before she could finish, Nox pulled down with all his might.

    Swoosh!

    Despite her attempt to stay afloat, Erin found herself crashing to the ground against her will at frightening speed. As she drew closer to the ground, Erin gritted her teeth and tried to shatter the threads.

    However, it was futile, and¡­

    BOOOM!

    Erin''s radiant form came crashing down. However, instead of falling onto the ground as expected, shended squarely on Nox''s chest with a resounding impact. The force of the collision sent both of them tumbling to the ground, the air knocked from their lungs.

    For a moment, there was silence. Eriny sprawled across Nox, her face inches from his. Her glowing emerald eyes locked onto his dark ones. A mixture of rage and disbelief crossed her features.

    How did the trajectory change? She was so certain that she would have mmed into the ground, but¡­ but¡­ at that moment, she red at Nox.

    "You¡­" she whispered in a trembling voice. "How dare you¡­"

    Nox, who was still pinned beneath her, chuckled softly. "Took you long enough toe down," he said in a light voice.

    Erin''s cheeks flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment as she struggled to push herself off him. "Get your filthy hands off me!" she snapped, her voice trembling.

    There was nothing in between them; her upper torso was bare, and she could feel the heating from Nox''s body and catch a whiff of his intoxicating masculine scent. That heat¡­ and that scent made her body react in a strange way that disgusted Erin.

    To her request, Nox smirked, his grip on the threads tightening as he whispered in a low voice in her ear, "Not until you admit defeat," he teased, his tone mocking.

    Erin''s fists clenched as a strange, pleasant sensation washed through her body the moment Nox whispered in her ear.

    What was happening? Why couldn''t she think straight?

    With great difficulty, she snarled, "Get your hands off me, male!"

    Her wings twitched and threatened to shatter the blood threads fastened across her body.

    But Nox wasn''t about to give her the chance. With a swift motion, he summoned more blood threads, tightening them around her limbs and pinning her downpletely. Erin''s struggles grew weaker as the realization of her predicament set in.

    "This¡­ can''t be happening," she thought, her mind swirling with disbelief. "How did he¡ªhow could I let this happen?"

    Erin was strong! Deep down inside her, she knew she could still keep on fighting for some minutes; after all, her Divine form couldst for over five minutes!

    But¡­ because of this male, she felt so distracted.

    On the sidelines, the worry in Akira''s eyes was now gone, reced by a mixture of shock, perplexity, and, strangely, anger.

    She had been concerned just moments ago, thinking Erin would suffer devastating damage from falling from such a frightening height. Akira had even been preparing to intervene and save her. But at thest moment, Nox had made some kind of hand gesture, altering Erin''s trajectory. And now¡­ this had happened.

    Akira furrowed her eyebrows, a tight line on her lips. She didn''t like the position they were in currently. It was too intimate!

    Meanwhile, Nox''s expression softened slightly as he looked down at Erin. "You''re strong, Erin," he said, his voice low and steady. "I know there are still a lot of things you want to show me, but unfortunately, I have somewhere to be."

    Erin red up at him, her emerald eyes zing. "You think this is over? You perverted male!"

    Nox only chuckled at her words as he controlled the blood threads, pulling Erin away from his body, though he would have liked to remain in that position for some time.

    I mean, who wouldn''t want such a hot woman lying on top of them?

    The blood threads lifted Erin into the air. She gritted her teeth and tried to get rid of them. Her eyes glinted in satisfaction as she saw that the threads were breaking apart gradually.

    "Good. When I get rid of this, you''ll pay!" she gritted her teeth and returned all her focus to the blood threads.

    Meanwhile, Nox walked up to Erin, who was looking at him with a pout. The other Valkyries were still upied with Nox''s pets, so they had no time to help theirmander. Stay updated via empire

    "Thank you for not hurting her," Akira said.

    "Although you won''t believe me, I have some rtion to your race, and I really have no enmity with anyone here," Nox responded with a wave of his arm. "Besides, they''re not really my enemies."

    Nox paused and nced at his beasts, who were not going all out attacking the Valkyries. "That''s why I told them to hold back as well."

    "Why does it sound as if you want to go somewhere?" Akira trailed off, her gaze narrowing suspiciously as she looked at Nox.

    "Unfortunately, yes, I have to. I''ve been gone for too long," Nox said.

    A crestfallen expression appeared on Akira''s face, and she clenched her fist tightly, holding her head down.

    Seeing her expression, Nox sighed and raised her chin to look up at him. "I still have some unfinished business and lots of answers to find, so I''ll definitely return here in the future."

    Akira''s eyes lit up at these words.

    Erin, still suspended midair by the blood threads, scoffed. "Coward! Leaving before facing the consequences of your actions! Typical male behavior."

    Nox nced at her, his smirk widening into a grin. "Erin, if I wanted to crush you, I would have done so already. But I think you''ve learned enough for one day. Consider this a lesson in humility."

    Erin''s emerald eyes burned with fury, but before she could retort, Nox flicked his wrist, loosening the blood threads just enough for her to regain some control over her movements.

    "You''ll regret this, male," Erin spat, her wings ring as she struggled to stay afloat.

    "I look forward to it," Nox replied with a casual shrug. He turned to Akira, his expression softening slightly. "Take care then."

    With that, Nox turned away and gently rubbed the Dimensional Key. A familiar door appeared, and he called all his pets back into the taming space.

    The Valkyries, after witnessing the monsters disappear, stared at the surroundings with confusion flickering across their eyes.

    "Where¡­ where did they go?"

    "Ah, look! The male¡ªhe''s escaping!"

    "Akira." Before Nox stepped into the door, he turned and said, "Can you help me hold them back for a bit until the door closes?"

    "Okay, just don''t die somewhere before we meet again!" Akira shouted back while clenching her heart. Only the Great Goddess knew how hard it was for her to say those words.

    "Hehehe." Nox chuckled. "That won''t be possible."

    With that, Nox stepped into the dimensional door, its shimmering light swallowing him whole.

    Erin finally broke free of the  ultimate tier blood threads with a fierce snap, her wings ring dramatically as shended on the ground. She immediately turned toward the door, about to rush in, but a radiant sword blocked her path.

    Her gaze followed the sword to its wielder, and Erin''s face flushed red in anger. "Princess, you dare side with a male!" she seethed with rage.

    "Move this instant!" Erin bellowed, but Akira stood there with a determined expression on her face.

    "I won''t," she said, her calm voice ringing through the battlefield.

    "You¡­" Erin''s entire body trembled as she saw the dimensional door close. "You let him escape!"

    But only silence met Erin''s outbursts.

    Akira seemed to be in a daze. Her eyes were filled with intense happiness as images of the short time they''d spent¡ªNox''s confidence, his proactive nature, that masculine energy, the care he had for his pets¡ªall shed in her head.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    At that moment, she came out of her trance, locked gazes with Erin, and with a determined expression on her face, she dered, "I have made a decision¡­ that male shall be my breeding partner, and I will go to the ends of the world to find him!"

 Chapter 357 Report To The Queen!

    After the dimensional door disappeared, Erin remained standing for some time, staring at the ce where the door had been a few seconds ago.

    Akira gazed at the spot too, and for some minutes, an absolute silence filled the air. No one said anything as everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

    The Valkyries were in a trance. They couldn''t believe that the low-level male had actually held his own against Erin and even escaped. This was something they thought they''d never witness in their lifetime, considering the kind of fierce and dominating reputation Erin held in the whole of Valha.

    As for Akira, her thoughts were much more turbulent. Although it had only been a few seconds, she already missed him dearly. Akira clenched her fist.

    "I have to believe in what he said," she muttered to herself. Even though their time together was rtively short, she felt that Nox was a man of his word. She didn''t know where she was getting the confidence from, but she believed that Nox would return just as he had said.

    Erin''s gaze lingered on the distance for a while before she let out a heavy sigh. She turned to the others and informed them that they were leaving. The Valkyries nodded their heads and sprang into motion.

    The journey to the gate that led to the outside world was quiet. Erin''s emerald eyes narrowed as she walked beside Akira. She was still in a sour mood from the fight with Nox.

    Her fists clenched as the memory of Nox''s parting smirk resurfaced in her mind. She tried to stop thinking about him.

    Yet, no matter how hard she tried to shove it aside, the lingering warmth of his body against hers refused to fade from her mind.

    ''What''s wrong with me?'' she scolded herself, shaking her head fiercely. Her cheeks burned as the vivid memory surfaced once again, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to snap herself out of it.

    Beside her, Akira was unusually quiet, but no one disturbed or bothered her to speak as they knew the reason very well. They could only curse the hateful human male that had broken their princess''s delicate heart.

    Erin stole a nce at her, noting the subtle tremor in her movements and the way her eyes darted nervously.

    "With time, you''ll get over him. Don''t worry," Erin said, but the next moment she bit her lip, realizing that she sounded like a hypocrite saying this.

    Akira didn''t respond. She didn''t think she could ever forget about Nox. It was just impossible.

    Erin''s brows furrowed, but she decided not to press further. Besides, she had her own swirling emotions to deal with.

    Soon, they exited the golden-colored gate and stepped onto a wilnd, with mountains and pure serenekes creating the perfect backdrop for a fantasy movie if it were back on Earth. Close to the base of the mountain, several tents were stationed.

    These tents were upied by Valkyries. Some of them were training with swords, while a few were bathing in theke, the golden sunlight casting a beautiful radiance across their wet, well-sculpted, and blemish-free bodies.

    A momentter, a Valkyrie approached Akira and Erin. Bowing slightly, the Valkyrie reported:

    "Princess, Lady Erin," she greeted in a respectful voice. "I have a message from the Queen."

    "What message?" Akira asked in a trembling voice. She recognized the person standing in front of her as one of her mother''s most trusted. If this person was here, it meant the message was serious.

    "Prince Gideon has arrived. He''s currently in the royal castle and is very eager to meet you." Find more chapters on empire

    "Prince Gideon?" Akira''s eyes shed with anger as she heard this name, and with a dark expression on her face, she couldn''t help but think, That disgusting giant. What does he want this time now?

    "Princess, the carriage is waiting for you," the Valkyrie gestured to the carriage waiting before the portal.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With a heavy sigh and a bit of reluctance, Erin dragged her feet to the carriage.

    Erin and Akira boarded the flying carriage shortly after, while the rest of the Valkyries went to join the others.

    As the flying carriage glided gracefully through the skies, the magnificent sight of Valha spread out below them. Silver and golden towers pierced the skies, their tips glinting in the sunlight.

    This city was capable of making most people open their mouths in awe, but for someone like Erin, who had grown up and spent almost her entire life here, it had no effect.

    Akira, however, seemed even more unsettled as they neared the royal pce. Her nervousness became more evident.

    The carriagended softly on the pce''s grand tform, where a servant informed them of the Queen''s summons. Akira''s face paled further, but she nodded briskly and excused herself.

    "I''ll freshen up first," Akira said, her voice quieter than usual.

    Erin tilted her head, watching as the princess hurried down one of the marble corridors.

    "Strange," she murmured to herself, but she let it slide. Everyone had their burdens to bear.

    Left alone, Erin wandered through the castle''s opulent halls, her boots clicking against the polished floors. She tried to focus on the task at hand¡ªreporting to the Queen about the male and how he had infiltrated the dimension.

    What was that strange door? There were lots of questions.

    But her traitorous mind kept drifting back to something else.

    "Why can''t I stop thinking about him?" Erin muttered, clenching her fists. The memory of his mocking grin, his infuriatingly calm demeanor, and the way he had pinned her down with his threads. Her cheeks flushed again, and she pped herself lightly on both cheeks.

    "Get a grip, Erin! He''s just a male. An arrogant, insufferable male!"

    Hours passed, and Erin decided it was time to check on Akira. The princess should have finished by now, but she was nowhere to be found. Erin grew concerned and searched through the pce, asking servants if they''d seen Akira.

    Finally, one servant hesitated before replying, "The princess left some time ago. She seemed¡­ troubled."

    Erin''s heart skipped a beat. "Left? Where did she go?"

    The servant shook his head. "I''m sorry, mydy, but I don''t know."

    A sinking feeling settled in Erin''s stomach. Something wasn''t right. She rushed to Akira''s room and pushed the door open.

    Her gaze swept through the room and finally fell on a piece of parchment lying on the queen-sized bed. Erin approached the parchment and picked it up to read.

    However, what she read made her blood run cold.

    The princess was gone!

 Chapter 358 The Queen and Information About Nox

    After Erin discovered that the Princess was missing, she immediately raised an rm, and the entire castle went into an uproar with Valkyries moving back and forth, searching for the Princess.

    The entire castle was ced on lockdown almost instantly, and all the various checkpoints in the whole of Valha were blocked by powerful Valkyries. Erin knew that the Princess was powerful and had a lot of potential, but she didn''t want to take any chances.

    Not only had she blocked the exit points of the city, but Erin had also contacted the Adventurer''s Guild situated at the heart of Valha. Unlike other kingdoms, Valha was a single city with about ten districts, each overseen by Valkyries referred to as district governors.

    These districts didn''t have any fancy names and were instead numbered from District One to Ten.

    At this precise moment, in District One, which was situated at the heart of Valha, arge dome-like building resembling a giant crystal orb with a ss roof could be seen. This building was the Adventurer''s Guild, and inside, all the adventurers were gathered in front of the section where quests were posted.

    "Find Princess Akira ¡ª reward: one Ultimate Tier skill," one Valkyrie read with a slightly dazed expression on her face, as if she couldn''t believe what she was reading.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Holy crap, is this for real?" one Valkyrie shouted in disbelief, rubbing her eyes and peeping through the gaps in her fingers.

    An Ultimate Skill? This must be a prank! At that moment, the Valkyries noticed the presence of one of the Guild staff and immediately pulled her over a bit too hard, almost making the petite-looking Valkyrie trip and tumble all over.

    "Is this for real?" asked one Valkyrie with red spiky hair and piercings all over her face, making her look like a gangster.

    The staff member used her fingertip to adjust the sses on her face as she exined in a clear voice, "Yes, it''s indeed true. We received a request from Commander Erin herself. Just as it states on the board, as long as you capture the Princess, you''ll be rewarded."

    "T-this¡­" Everyone present in the Guild was shocked. What was an Ultimate Tier skill? They were skills that could tip the scale of any battle if used correctly. They were skills that enabled one to fight Awakened and beasts far beyond their levels.

    That kind of skill was being handed out for a simple quest to find a teenage Princess? The adventurers'' bodies were almost trembling with excitement; they saw the quest as too easy. One after another, they began to leave to get a head start on theirpetitors.

    "Hahaha, with our strength, if she refuses toply, it would be easy to capture her," a Valkyrieughed.

    "What was Commander Erin thinking when she handed out a quest such as this? I mean, this is the easiest quest I''ve seen in my short life of 100 years!"

    ---

    Inside the castle, Erin gazed through the windows, watching as countless Valkyries headed out to start their search. Her eyes shed strangely, and she squeezed the parchment containing Akira''s letter in her grasp.

    "That bastard," she growled between clenched teeth, her eyes zing with anger. "What will I tell the Queen now?"

    The content of the letter had been brief yet held so much weight that it felt heavy for Erin, who was holding it.

    "I''m sorry, Aunt Erin, but I can''t marry that disgusting Prince. The mere thought of being touched by him repulses me. So, I''ve made a decision to venture across the seven seas and look for him... Nox. Don''t even bother searching for me, because by the time you''re here, I''ll be long gone."

    Erin sighed. She never expected Akira''s feelings for the male named Nox to be so powerful that she would abandon her royal duty and escape. Sometimeter, Erin left the Princess''s room.

    Erin walked through the hallways of the castle and soon arrived before a white door with golden engravings on the walls. She hesitated for a while, and after a series of deep breaths, she pushed the door open.

    Upon entering, Erin found herself in a vast, marble-floored room. The throne room looked grand and important. Light shone softly through tall windows with colorful stained ss, each depicting famous Valkyries. If Nox were here, he would''ve recognized one of the figures on the stained ss.

    Erin looked further into the room, noticing the presence of a powerful figure seated on the throne. To that figure''s side stood another person, easily five times the size of a normal human.

    The figure seated on the throne exuded amanding aura, her flowing silver hair cascading like a river of moonlight. The Queen of Valha, Valkyrie Supreme Freya, looked up from the parchment she had been reading. Her golden eyes fell on Erin, who knelt before her with her head held low.

    The Queen of over 100,000 powerful Valkyries under hermand¡ªValkyries who would massacre her enemies at the slightest offense andy down their lives¡ªspoke:

    "What is themotion outside? Are the rumors true?" Freya''s voice was calm, yet it carried an undertone of authority.

    Erin''s gaze darkened as she nodded her head, saying in a solemn voice, "It is true, Your Highness. The Princess has indeed fled from the city. Although I have already blocked all exits out of the kingdom, I suspect she''s already gone."

    "But why?" Freya furrowed her brows. She knew her daughter didn''t want to marry the giants, but she hadn''t thought much of it, dismissing it as something trivial. After all, teenagers were like that.

    "She fled?" the giant standing beside her muttered under his breath, a sharp glint flickering across his eyes.

    Erin clearly heard him but felt no obligation to answer. She hesitated, then held up the crumpled parchment Akira had left behind and handed it to the Queen, who took it and read through it.

    She took a few seconds to read the content before lifting her head, her expression unreadable. "So it''s true?" she said in a rtively low voice, but if one stared into her eyes, they would notice the zing fury within them.

    "Who is this male?" she asked. "I want all information about him, and if possible, a description."

 Chapter 359 The Giant Prince Make His Move

    Erin went on to exin everything that had happened in the dimension. The further she listened, the more her expression changed.

    "Infiltrate the dimension?" Freya narrowed her eyes. How was that even possible? There were checkpoints at the entrance, and all Valkyries were often checked before they entered or exited the portal.

    She found it extremely hard to believe that the male had bypassed this security. Forget about entering the dimension¡ªhow had he infiltrated Valha, one of the safest ces in all of Eos?

    It just didn''t make sense.

    Seeing theplicated expression on the queen''s face, Erin exined in a somewhat uncertain voice, "I''m not too sure about this, but I think he entered the dimension through some magical door or something because I saw him escap¡ªahm, leave."

    A thoughtful expression appeared on Freya''s face as she rested her head on her knuckles and said with slightly narrowed eyes, "Could it be that the door enables him to travel to different locations? Like some sort of teleportation?"

    Erin''s eyes glinted as she heard this. She felt that what the queen said could be urate. Perhaps that was the reason he was able to bypass all the guards.

    "You mean to say that male..." Erin was about to continue, but Freya cut her off as she spoke with certainty and confidence.

    "Since, ording to you, no one spotted him in the whole of Valha, I think the door enabled him to travel into the dimension and escape again. If my guess is right, there could only be two reasons it worked like this."

    "It could either be a relic of immense power," she began, her voice steady but heavy with meaning, "one capable of bending thews of space and time¡ªan artifact so ancient and potent that it defies even the divine protections of Valha."

    "Or..." Freya leaned forward. "He possesses an ability that allows him to travel between dimensions. If this is true, he isn''t just any man but something far more dangerous."

    Erin looked at the queen with awe and admiration in her eyes. The queen had easily connected the dots. At first, she had been very confused, but now that she listened to the queen''s theory, she was more than certain that it was one of the two.

    "As for the description..." The queen waved her arm, and a mirror that exuded divinity appeared, suspended mid-air by invisible holy threads.

    Erin looked at the mirror. On it, she could see a sketch of Nox, almost identical to the real thing. She sucked in a deep breath; it was frightening how the queen had easily gotten all the details right, even the subtle sharpness in his bone structure.

    It was as if she had seen him before, but Erin highly doubted this as she was certain that the queen hadn''t been present in the dimension. All this simply attributed to one of the powerful skills in the queen''s arsenal.

    ''Are all ultimate skills just that terrifyingly powerful?'' she thought, a light shiver passing through her body.

    "Yes," Erin quickly came out of her thoughts and nodded her head confidently. "He looks exactly like this."

    The giant named Gideon frowned, his face looking hideous as if he had chewed on bitter food the moment his gaze fell on Nox, who was a thousand times more handsome than him.

    Although he hadn''t met the human before, merely looking at his face seemed to aggravate him, and he suddenly had the urge to stomp him to death with his massive foot.

    Everyone in the room sensed the murderous intent emitted from the giant prince,monly referred to as the second most powerful warrior among the giant king''s 100 children. But they weren''t threatened by this in the slightest, even though he was a Level 110 Awakened.

    "You also said he''s very powerful despite his rtively low level, right?" Queen Freya suddenly asked, the mirror turning into a shower of golden lights.

    "Yes," Erin said and paused as she thought about her battle with Nox. She knew she could have fought for some more time, but those ultimate-tier skills were very troublesome. It was what had allowed him to even fight her in the first ce.

    Without them, Erin was more than certain she would have crushed that male, and he wouldn''t even know how he arrived in the afterlife.

    In an attempt to salvage her pride and not appear as an incapable warrior before the queen, Erin suddenly said through gritted teeth, her voice like a growl of a beast, "The reason he was that powerful was because he possessed several ultimate-tier skills. Not only that, but there was also a powerful beast under his control. He called himself a Beast Tamer."

    Freya''s expression froze for a moment, her golden eyes narrowing as she mumbled to herself, "A Beast Tamer? I thought... That boy¡­ he seems¡­ familiar. Not only does he look like Arthur, but he also possesses that same terrifying ss."

    The queen leaned back in her seat. Despite the overwhelming information, her expression remained rtively calm and unreadable.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Also, his aura, Your Majesty," Erin said after hesitating for a while. "It carries a strange mixture of Valkyrie essence and human vitality."

    Freya''s hand rested lightly on her chin, deep in thought. "A Valkyrie aura in a human?" She chuckled. "I think this kid is from the union of that man and that woman."

    "Really?"

    "Of course. Or have you forgotten that she''s the first person to abandon her sacred duty and flee into the human domain?" Queen Freya said, and for the first time in this conversation, there was slight anger in her voice¡ªand something else... care. She had not even reacted like this when she learned about her daughter''s disappearance.

    The atmosphere became oppressively awkward, but unfortunately, at that moment, the giant standing silently beside her shifted. The ground beneath his massive feet trembled slightly as he spoke in a voice as deep as thunder. "My Queen, if I may¡­"

    Freya turned her attention to the giant, who towered over even the tallest Valkyries. His muscles rippled like stone, and his face was chiseled with sharp, stern features. He didn''t particrly look ugly, but neither was he handsome. Still, he was one of the most attractive men among the giants in the Skyrend Kingdom.

    "Speak, Gideon," the queen said.

    "I request permission to pursue the princess," Gideon rumbled. "If she seeks this boy, she may notprehend the dangers she''ll face. I will bring her back safely."

    Freya considered his request for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with a nod, she gave her consent. "Go. Bring her back unharmed. And should you find this boy¡­ bring him to me as well."

    Gideon bowed low. "As youmand, my queen."

    But as he turned his back and began to leave, a wicked smirk crossed his face as he thought to himself, ''Ultimate-tier skills and pets, huh? That won''t be a problem. With my army, I will crush him!''

 Chapter 360 The Human Domain

    The human domain, Vermilion Kingdom, and the Royal Capital...

    In the Royal Capital, the Royal Ind was recognized as the most luxurious and safest district in the entire kingdom, and one of the most secure in the entire human domain. This reputation was thanks to the powerful Dwarven-altered flying carriages.

    Each of these carriages possessed an inbuilt magical cannon, and although it wasn''t as destructive as nuclear weapons back on Earth, the sheer firepower was capable of obliterating Awakened beings ranging from Level 50 to 100 with a single st. About 20 of these destructive carriages patrolled the airspace of the ind.

    Rumors imed that the carriages had cost a fortune¡ªenough that, if given to a poor man, it could feed his family for fifteen generations.

    Though the public thought these were mere rumors, the elites¡ªthe Big Four along with several other nobles¡ªknew the truth. Despite their immense wealth and their knack for alwayspeting with the Royal Family, they could at most afford three or four of such carriages. This fact alone highlighted the staggering wealth of the Royal Family.

    Currently, behind the massive castle, about 500 meters away, there was a small building resembling a temple nestled at the peak of a hill. Four Dwarven-powered flying carriages rotated around it in a clockwise manner.

    In the vast courtyard of the building, a young man could be seen training profusely with a longsword. This young man was bare-chested, and the afternoon sunlight illuminated his body, entuating his well-sculpted muscles that seemed to ripple whenever he took a step forward.

    The young man wore a wired mask that seemed like something that didn''t belong to this world and had a head full of neat white hair that shone like silver under the sun''s rays, adding an ethereal quality to his appearance.

    After swinging his sword for a couple more minutes, the young man finally stopped and stabbed the ground, pinning the sword there as he looked at the entrance of the temple-like building where a figure, who Nyx would have recognized as the king of the Vermilion Kingdom, stepped out with a concerned expression on his face.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He briefly looked at the young man before heading towards the castle in brisk steps while muttering under his breath, "This... this demand is too atrocious. How does he expect me to fulfill this sort of mission? Dammit, if I knew things would turn out like this, I wouldn''t have made this devilish deal."

    As soon as the king left amidst his ramblings, the space twisted, and a formation appeared on the ground. Then, with a burst of golden light, another young man with white hair and a body resembling the masked young man appeared.

    "Hmmm... the king seemed very troubled," the young man said in a low voice as he watched the departing back of the king. At a nce, one would think this young man was Hendrix, the fifth son of Duke Felix Armstrong, but in reality, this was far from the truth.

    The young man was merely an identity copy of Hendrix and was also the one that had served as Duke of Armstrong Duchy in the western region all these years. After killing the real Felix, and in an attempt to hide his identity, a fake rumor that the duke was seriously injured on his face to the point that not even a healer could regenerate it was spread.

    Hence, the reason why the duke''s cab and citizens of the Armstrong Duchy didn''t find it strange that the duke always hid behind a veil.

    The masked young man, Hendrix, looked at his clone. He didn''t respond immediately and shifted his gaze to the entrance of the mansion. "The lord must''ve made a very heavy request," he said with a strange glint in his eyes.

    The clone narrowed his eyes, a glint of suspicion shining within them as he whispered in a somewhat uncertain voice, "You think he willply?"

    "Mm, definitely." Hendrix nodded, striding toward the mansion. "The Lord has invested a lot in him. Now it''s time for him to repay that debt."

    Just like he invested in every one of us, Hendrix thought absentmindedly.

    ---

    After stepping inside the mansion, Hendrix came to a stop in a dark room. At the furthest end of the room, there was a holographic disy. Within the disy, a single figure could be seen sitting on a towering throne in a red mist-filled background.

    "My liege, this humble servant pledges his loyalty," Hendrix said as he went on one knee.

    A couple of moments passed, and Hendrix remained in his kneeling position. Then, a distorted voice came from the figure in the reddish background. "Hendrix, your failure in the western region still lingers in my memory," the voice said in a low tone. "Do you understand the consequences of disappointing me again?"

    Although this was not the first time he had seen this powerful entity, the mere sound of his voice and that gaze sent an unstoppable tremble through his entire being.

    Hendrix clenched his fists, his head bowed low. "I do, my lord. I have no excuse for my failure."

    The figure chuckled ominously: "No excuses, indeed. But I am not without mercy. Redemption is possible¡ªif you prove yourself worthy."

    The room seemed to darken further as the figure''s powerful presence seemed to swallow all the light around the room. "In theing war, you will capture the vassal and deliver him to me personally. Only then will you regain your honor."

    Within his mask, Hendrix''s eyes burned with determination. The vassal was obviously Nox, who left a bitter taste in his mouth. After delivering the news that Nox was the vassal after the western region fight summit, Hendrix had reported to his master.

    Hendrix would have preferred to kill Nox with his own hands, but now that his lord asked for him to be captured and delivered alive, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and obey the request, which was like thew of a god himself!

    "I will not fail you again, my lord. The vassal''s head will be yours."

    The figure leaned back into the throne and said in a heavy tone: "Good. But let this be your final chance, Hendrix. Do not make me regret my generosity."

    The screen flickered and disappeared a momentter, and Hendrix stood up.

    So this is how it''s going to be, huh? As he left the dark room, the side of his lips curled up. He didn''t instruct me on what state to leave him in. This means as long as he''s alive, then the lord will be satisfied.

    "In the uing war, I will not restrict myself to only my human powers, unlike the tournament... I shall let all of them know the true power of a demon prince!"

    ---

    Meanwhile, in the Royal Castle.

    The king paced anxiously within his chamber, as the demands of the powerful figure in the red world resurfaced in his mind. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

    "That devil..." he muttered. "What he''s asking for... it''s impossible. How can I possibly..."

    He stopped abruptly, his reflection staring back at him from a polished mirror. His eyes, which were once proud and filled with scheming, were now filled with stress and fear.

    "If I refuse him, the kingdom is doomed. If I obey, I may lose everything anyway."

    He mmed a fist against the wall, his voice trembling. "Damn it! Why did I ever make that deal?"

    While the king felt conflicted and the enemies gradually made their moves in the shadows, in room 200 of the Special ss student dormitory, Nox stepped out.

    But the sight he encountered was something he had never expected.

 Chapter 361 Special Class [1]

    Inside room 200 of the special ss student dormitory, a door suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, and secondster, Nox stepped out.

    "Home sweet home," he said quite loudly as he stretched his body. He was about to approach his massive bed to take a nap, having spent several days without even closing his eyes. However, just a few steps from his bed, Nox suddenly noticed countless gazes piercing his back.

    "Huh?" Nox paused, sweeping his gaze around, and finally took note of the presence of several individuals inside his room.

    Inside were Wendy, Bridget, Nyx, and Serena, all staring at the dimensional door that was slowly disintegrating into nothingness, their eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

    The four women didn''t take their eyes off the door until it finally disappeared in a burst of blue light. Then, they turned to him.

    "What is that?" Wendy was the first to ask, with the other two backing her up. They were equally curious. From the door''s brief appearance, they could tell it was the reason for Nox''s absence over thest few days.

    What did it do? Did it allow him to teleport or travel to different worlds? Everyone had so many questions, eagerly waiting for Nox to exin.

    "That door is not really that important," Nox said with a light chuckle, waving his hands dismissively. He didn''t want anyone to know he possessed a magical item capable of illegally entering dimensions across Eos.

    Although he trusted Wendy, Serena, and Nyx, he didn''t fully trust Bridget. He had only known her for a short time. Apart from her being extremely obsessed with him for reasons he couldn''t fully understand, he knew almost nothing about her. Therefore, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

    So what if they saw him use it? As long as they didn''t know its exact use or effect, it was almost the same as not seeing it.

    "Is that so?" Bridget, the headmistress, narrowed her beautiful, purple-like eyes slightly as she watched Nox with a subtly sultry look.

    "Yes, it''s so," Nox nodded, effortlessly adding with a straight face, "Apart from allowing me to train more effectively by slowing down time, it''s basically useless."

    "Hmmm." Bridget didn''t buy his lie and continued to look at him. Her intense gaze was capable of making full-grown adults restless and anxious¡ªnot because they feared for their lives, but because of the stunning beauty ogling at them.

    ''This boy doesn''t want to talk about it,'' she thought. Bridget could clearly see that Nox was now a Level 30 Awakened. He had been in the early Level 20s during the entrance exam, so how had he jumped to Level 30 in just three days?

    The answer was obviously that door.

    "Since he doesn''t want to talk about it, I think we shouldn''t force him," Nyx said. She noticed that, for some reason, her brother didn''t want to discuss the door. He was usually very open with her and Serena. No matter how straight Nox kept his face, Nyx could easily tell if he was lying¡ªafter all, he was her twin brother, and if anyone knew him best, it was her.

    Nyx reasoned that he didn''t want to divulge information because of the headmistress''s presence. She didn''t fully trust Bridget either, sensing she had a hidden agenda. Therefore, she quickly dismissed the topic.

    Wendy and Serena also seemed to get the signal and didn''tment.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "So, why are you guys here?" Nox inquired. "I distinctly remember locking my door and informing Instructor Wendy that I''d be taking some time off."

    "You were gone for too long, and we got worried," Serena said in a somewhat concerned voice, a tinge of redness coloring her cheeks.

    "Point of correction: you were worried," Nyx pointed out. "I knew this silly boy would be fine. I only came because Wendy dragged me here."

    "Yeah, like Serena said, you were gone too long and already missed several sses," Wendy shrugged.

    Bridget cleared her throat at that moment and said, "Well, I''m here because I came to personally inform you about the special ss taking ce today."

    "Special ss?" Nox murmured. He assumed the ss must be significant¡ªthe name itself suggested as much¡ªbut what exactly was so special about it?

    "You''ll find out," Bridget pped her hands excitedly. Her red eyes curved into a crescent shape and glinted with mischief as a beautiful smile grew on her face.

    Nox looked at her and couldn''t help but think she resembled a mischievous fox that was always up to something.

    He then shifted his gaze to Wendy, hoping for some rification, but she only smiled. No matter how much he tried to pester her, she kept her lips sealed, as if revealing details about the special ss was forbidden.

    "Alright, since you''re fine, I''ll go attend my sses as well," Serena suddenly announced. She tiptoed forward and ced a quick peck on the cheek of an unsuspecting Nox before bolting out the door without looking back.

    An awkward silence filled the room. Bridget''s expression remained neutral, while Nyx seemed visibly irritated. Wendy''s eyes, however, shed with a hint of annoyance.

    "This girl¡­ she''s getting bolder by the day," Nox muttered, shaking his head as he prepared to leave his room.

    As soon as he stepped out, Nox found several special ss students in the hallway. The moment their eyes fell on him, loud whispers erupted.

    "Damn, if I''d known pulling beauties was one of the perks of being the rank 1 student, I would''ve taken the entrance exam more seriously."

    "Me too..."

    "Yo, buddy, you finally decided toe out of your crib! But how the heck did you spend three days indoors?" someone called out behind Nox. Without turning, he could tell it was the talkative ke.

    After a few exchanges with ke, Nox made his way toward the "special ss," apanied by a talkative peer and three jaw-dropping beauties, unaware that the peaceful academy would soon turn into a ughterhouse.

    ***

    It''s a new month Guys!!! Help supreme BeastTamer with Golden Tickets and power strones to climb the Rankin!

 Chapter 362 The Temple Atop a Hill

    There were several European-styled buildings spread across the academyplex, and although each of them looked exactly the same, they were all for different purposes.

    For the ss today, Nox and the rest of the special ss students were heading to the far end of the academy, where he suspected the building or area for the Special ss would be located.

    Along the way, Nox realized that he wasn''t the only one clueless about the test; the rest of the students were equally oblivious.

    "Hey, do you know what the test is about?" ke asked a student.

    "I don''t know."

    "Me neither, though I suspect it must be something special."

    A student rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Of course, it''s literally called the Special ss."

    "Perhaps... the ranked students might know more about it."

    "Unfortunately, I have no idea as well," Nox said as he elerated his stride. Soon enough, he, along with everyone else, arrived before a massive double gate. It was only after seeing the gate and the absence of any students or instructors that the group realized they were actually at the back of the academyplex.

    Standing in front of the gate was a single individual.

    "Guild Master!"

    "What is he doing here?"

    The individual with broad shoulders and amanding presence was none other than the Guild Master, Boris Fanum. He stood in an upright posture, his stern look enhanced by sharp glints in his eyes that suggested he was a no-nonsense man. As soon as their eyes fell on him, the quiet chatter of the studentspletely ceased, and everyone wondered why he was here.

    The Guild Master of the Adventurer''s Guild in the royal capital was very famous and recognized as one of the strongest experts in the capital, just below the Big Four in terms of strength. Therefore, the students quickly recognized him.

    Boris Fanum swept his gaze across all the students and didn''t say anything for a full minute. Despite spotting his son amidst the students, his gaze didn''t linger, nor was there any glint of familiarity as he looked past him.

    Wendy stepped forward at that moment and announced in a clear, loud voice: "Students, as you all know already, this man is Boris Fanum, and he will be your main sword  mastery instructor!"

    "Our instructor?" The students'' eyes widened in both shock and amazement as they registered what Instructor Wendy had said. It was at this moment they truly realized the prestige and grandeur of the Vermilion Royal Academy. To think they could even get a noble, powerful, and well-respected expert to teach in the academy...

    "Damn!" The students cried out in ecstasy and joy, grateful that they were fortunate enough to attend the academy.

    However, a few people, like Nox, Nyx, Theo, Kali, Zara, and the full-bodied figure, watched with neutral expressions; not even a flicker of excitement could be seen on their faces. This was not because they weren''t impressed by Boris''s reputation, but because their standards and expectations were already sky-high.

    This was especially true for Nox, who had witnessed and experienced a lot in his short life of fifteen years. Right now, in his mind, he was analyzing how long he wouldst against Boris Fanum if the two were to battle.

    Just from the expert''s title, it was easy to understand that Boris was above Level 100, but Nox didn''t dare act cocky as he didn''t really know the kind of skills the Guild Master possessed.

    ''For all I know, it could be one that directly counters my skills.''

    Just then, the Guild Master, who had been silent all this while, stepped forward and spoke in a deep, authoritative voice, "Wee, students. You''ve been chosen for the Special ss not because of your potential, but because of what you''ve already proven. From this moment on, you will be expected to surpass yourselves at every turn."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Boris''s brief but powerful words seemed to stir something in the hearts of the students present, and they nodded their heads with determination.

    "Our first ss for today is behind these gates, in the academy''s backyard," Boris gestured at the gate behind him.

    "What are we going to do there?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? The Special ss would be held there."

    While the students whispered amongst themselves, Nox narrowed his eyes as he looked through the bars of the gate at the dirt path that led straight ahead. Even without going through the gates, he could tell that the ind was veryrge.

    "For today, your first lesson will be to acquire soul fruits." Boris held up a blue berry-like fruit with ck stripes all over it. The strange fruit was surrounded by a faint aura that made it seem very appealing to the eyes.

    The students suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to take a bite of the blue-and-ck-striped berry.

    Boris exined when he saw their salivating expressions, "These fruits are also referred to as EXP Fruits, and as the name suggests, upon consumption, they can grant experience points."

    "Huh, is there really something like that?"

    Apart from some nobles, most students were extremely shocked when they learned about this.

    "The reason most of you don''t know about this fruit is because these soul fruits are very rare and were purposely kept a secret by the higher echelons in the Vermilion Kingdom. Fortunately, as special students, you have the privilege of essing this fruit."

    Pointing at the gate, Boris said, "Beyond this gate, you''ll find these fruits. Your task is simple: enter, survive, and acquire as many soul fruits as you can."

    "Fruits that can grant experience points?" The students gasped in excitement and couldn''t help but think the task was too easy.

    This is a very convenient way to level up... it seems there''s still so much I have yet to know about this world, Nox silently mumbled to himself.

    A momentter, after speaking for some time, Boris Fanum opened the gates, and the students flocked in under the guidance of Wendy.

    As they all left, Bridget silently approached the Guild Master and, folding her arms, said in a somewhat concerned voice, "Is it really wise to not tell them about the Titan Skyripper that guards the soul fruits?"

    "Heh," Boris chuckled evilly as he said without a hint of care in his voice, "If they think anything is handed for free in this world, it would be best if the Titan Skyripper gets rid of them first."

    Meanwhile, as soon as Nox passed through the double gate, his eyes immediately fell on a temple-like building atop a hill.

    **

    It''s a new month Guys!!! Help supreme BeastTamer with Golden Tickets and power strones to climb the Rankin!

 Chapter 363 The Guardians Of the Soul Fruit

    After passing through the gates, Nox and the students stepped onto the dirt path that led straight up. In front of them was Wendy, acting as their guide upfront.

    On both sides of the dirt path, there were towering mutated trees with massive trunks. Further ahead, one could even see mountains and hills shrouded in thick fog. The weather here was cool and sent a soothing sensation whenever it grazed their skin.

    After walking for several more minutes, the students began to think this whole special ss was a joke. Their experience so far was no different from going on a vacation in the wilds for hiking. But so far, none of them hade across the divine soul fruits said to possess the power to grant experience points.

    Soon, the patience of the students started to wear thin, and one of them couldn''t help but question in a slightly agitated tone: "Instructors, shouldn''t we be looking for the soul fruits now? How far do we need to go before we start looking for the fruit?"

    All the students nodded their heads in agreement with what their ssmate had said.

    Wendy nced at them and, while sighing, exined, "You''ll not find soul fruits in this part of the forest. A bit further, that''s where the test will take ce."

    Hearing Wendy, the students were relieved that they hadn''t been scammed by the academy and continued. They didn''t ask any more questions, and the journey proceeded in silence.

    Just a couple of minutester, they came to a stop in front of a cliff. At the edge of the cliff was a wooden bridge that seemed to have withstood the test of time and emitted a creaking sound whenever the breeze blew. Beneath the bridge was a rushing river that roared as if a terrifying beast lived there.

    ke, who was among the students in the front, stepped forward, nced down, and his expression went pale as he flinched back and gulped, the saliva sliding down his throat noisily.

    "Damn, a fall from such a height is death."

    A few students thought ke was only bluffing, but when they took a nce too, all the blood drained from their faces. A girl pointed out in a trembling voice:

    "Are we going to cross this bridge? This shaky bridge that seems like it could fall apart at any moment?"

    "Yes... just across this bridge, that''s where the soul fruits are located. Now, one after the other, start crossing," Wendy said sternly, stepping back.

    "What? You''re noting with us?" one student asked, panicked.

    "This is as far as I can go. Now stop whining and get moving already," Wendy snapped as she pushed the student in front of her. The push was quite hard, almost sending the student tumbling off the cliff and plunging into the roaring river below, where jagged rock outcroppings jutted out menacingly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    That student received the shock of his life and, for a full twenty seconds, didn''t even breathe as he held the rope of the bridge with a tenacious grip, as if his entire life depended on it.

    Just as that student wasing out of his shock, a figure suddenly zoomed past him.

    "Eh?" Everyone stared at the back of the figure, realizing it belonged to the beautiful dark-red-haired girl with cold, empty eyes who bore a striking resemnce to the rank one student.

    Nyx.

    Seeing how Nyx was confidently walking on the bridge, even running from time to time, the others quickly followed behind, not wanting to be left behind. In their minds, if Nyx crossed to the other side first, she would hoard all the soul fruits for herself, and trying to steal from her would be very difficult.

    The reason? In the special ss, Nyx was among the strongest students. Apart from people like Nox, Theo, Kali, Zara, and Glen, the others didn''t even hold a candle to her.

    Soon, everyone crossed over. As soon as Nox stepped on the other side, his eyes immediately fell on a temple-like building atop a hill in the distance, a few meters away from the giant river that cut through the middle of the forest.

    "A building in the middle of nowhere," Nox muttered, genuinely curious when he saw this structure. There was a negative and slightly disgusting aura that seemed to emit from the temple. If the temple was close by, Nox would have definitely checked it out, but because of the significant distance, he wasn''t curious enough to venture there.

    As soon as the students safely made it across, they spread out in all directions to start searching for the soul fruits. Nox was no different and went his separate way.

    He searched for about twenty minutes before he eventually found a tree the size of an adult human. On the branches of this tree with an unnaturally slim trunk, Nox found two delicate soul fruits waiting to be plucked. Their lustrous blue appearance glinted and seemed to call out to Nox to take a bite.

    "What was the reason for this ss again? Gathering the fruits, right?" Nox mumbled to himself as he stretched his arms and plucked the first fruit, feeling its soft, supple texture in his palm. "They did say it would belong to us after the end of the ss."

    Nox brought the slightly cold fruit to his lips and took a bite, feeling the rush of juice entering his mouth. It tasted like a mix of honey and citrus, causing his eyes to glint with delight.

    "This isn''t bad. It''s even more delicious than it looks," he mumbled to himself. Then suddenly, a message appeared in his retina:

    [You have consumed a Level 1 Soul Fruit.]

    [Ding! You received +100 experience points.]

    Nox''s eyes shed when he saw this message. This was not bad at all. How many levels were these things? If just a Level 1 Soul Fruit could grant this amount of experience points, what about the higher levels?

    "I better stack them." Although he wanted to eat more of these fruits, Nox knew he needed to tame his avarice, so he decided to pluck the remaining soul fruits on the tree and store them in his inventory. However, just mere inches away, he felt a terrifying existence behind him, and Nox''s danger senses red!

    ***

    It''s a new month Guys!!! Help supreme BeastTamer with Golden Tickets and power strones to climb the Rankin!

 Chapter 364 Treasures [1]

    Across the wooden bridge at the back of the Academy, Wendy stood with her arms folded against her generous chest, which had developed considerably over the past years. There was a slight frown on her face, and her eyes shone with a glint of concern.

    Just some minutester, a couple of steps resounded from behind. From the aura alone, Wendy didn''t need to look back to know that the person wasn''t a threat. In fact, it was someone she had be very acquainted with over time.

    "Don''t tell me you''re worried about the students?" Boris Fanum said teasingly as he came to stand beside Wendy, also looking across the bridge. From their position, faint shrieks and screams of students and beasts could be heard, meaning the guardians protecting the soul fruits had begun attacking the students who wanted to steal their precious prizes.

    "Mhmm, they''re very inexperienced. It''s natural for me to worry," Wendy replied, her arms tightening slightly as if she were bracing herself against an invisible chill.

    The Guildmaster sighed. He didn''t respond for some time, just staring off into the distance. Boris Fanum was one of the few people who knew about Wendy''s circumstances as the outcast daughter of the Chai family.

    The Chai family was a rtively small noble ss of merchants who were considered one of the wealthiest families in the Vermilion Kingdom. But they hadn''t been a noble family their entire lives. They had only attained this status after a hidden agreement with the king, which led to Wendy''s father marrying a member of the Vermilion royal family.

    From their union came Brandon Chai, Wendy''s half-brother and the most favored child of the Chai household. He was also one of the reasons why, no matter how hard Wendy worked, the Chai family, with its ties to the royal family, ensured she never became a special ss student.

    Boris wondered how someone like her could still be so soft-hearted when she could have simply turned her back on the world. After all, there were plenty of reasons for her to do so, yet here she was, concerned about a bunch of students who held no rtion to her.

    "Like I said before, if they can''t fend off the protectors of the soul fruits, then they don''t belong here," Boris said a momentter.

    Meanwhile, on the other side, Nox''s hair stood on end, and his skull tingled as he felt something sharp and dangerous charging forward to pierce his head. Even the air seemed to ripple and distort due to the monstrous speed.

    Nox''s fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, and he spontaneously kicked the ground, forming a dent as he moved to the side. At the same time, a gust of wind whipped past his face, and from the corner of his eye, he saw something sh by and pierce the slim trunk of the soul fruit tree, causing it to tremble fiercely as thest soul fruit fell off.

    A sharp glint appeared in Nox''s features as he finally saw his attacker. As expected, it was a magical beast, albeit one he had never seen before.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    [Titan Skyripper King Tier Level 9]

    The Titan Skyripper shook as it tried to unstick its horn from the trunk of the soul fruit tree, which was supposedly sturdy despite its appearance. After a couple of tries, it finally freed itself and red at Nox.

    The beast was an obsidian-ck armored beetle the size of a teenage human. Glowing runes were etched across its carapace, and its translucent wings emitted a faint golden hue.

    "Tsk." Nox''s eyes filled with annoyance as he took a step forward. Even without wasting a second, the beetle seemed slightly shocked to see the human charging in. However, within moments, it recovered and charged forward as well, its expression menacing.

    Nox appeared mere inches away from the beetle in the blink of an eye and struck forward with his clenched fist. It was raw strength, unboosted by any skills, and it mmed into the beetle''s carapace.

    Boom!

    A devastating sound rang out as Nox''s crushing punchnded. However, apart from moving back a few meters, the beetle''s carapace didn''t shatter as expected. Instead, his punch seemed to trigger something, and a shockwave exploded out from the beetle, scattering debris and rock fragments in a wide radius.

    Nox felt the slight push from the shockwave, making his clothes flutter slightly. If not for his sheer will and the beetle''s rtively weaker prowess, he might have been sent flying as well.

    ''No use wasting time with this monster. Its skills and evolution path are terrible.'' Nox shook his head in disappointment as he charged in once again. This time, he bombarded the beetle with a flurry of punches until its powerful carapace cracked.

    The carapace was all that had been protecting the beast because, momentster, it exploded, leaving behind a monster core.

    Nox picked up the core and the soul fruit from the ground, cing them in his inventory before heading out to search for more soul fruits.

    While searching, Nox couldn''t help but ponder how the soul fruits came into existence. Were they natural or man-made? If one were to consume thousands of these soul fruits, their experience points would quickly shoot through the roof without much struggle.

    Nox thought about it for some time but eventually dismissed the notion when he encountered another tree. The same scenario as before urred, and Nox swiftly dealt with it, retrieving the soul fruits and cing them inside his inventory despite their allure.

    He continued this process for a while. Perhaps because of the size of the area, he didn''t encounter any other students.

    After acquiring a sufficient amount of soul fruits, Nox decided to head deeper into the forest. Little did he know, something interesting was waiting for him in this part of the forest.

    ***

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 Chapter 365 Treasures [2]

    Just as Nox had suspected, the forest behind the Vermillion Royal Academy was massive, covering several square kilometers.

    The vastness was one of the reasons the other students barely crossed each other''s paths. Nox had been walking for approximately 30 minutes, and during this time, he had note across any soul fruits again.

    This made him realize that this test wasn''t as easy as the others thought. There were two obstacles they''d have to ovee if they wanted to obtain the soul fruits. The first was searching for it; he had meticulously scanned around, yet he hadn''t found a single one, which made him suspect that the academy had purposely ced the trees in strategic locations.

    The second was battling the beast that acted as a protector of the soul fruits. Though it wasn''t much of a threat to him, the same couldn''t be said for the average students.

    In order to make his search more efficient, Nox had summoned all his pets and spread them out in all directions.

    All alone, he continued to walk, but after a few minutes, he came to a stop in front of ake with shimmering water and petals floating atop it. Theke seemed beautiful, peaceful, and tranquil. Furthermore, it was inviting, as if calling out to Nox to dive in.

    Nox had not taken a bath for the past three days; naturally, he felt an intense urge to strip buck naked and jump in. No, he didn''t have to¡ªhe had fresh clothes stored in his inventory.

    However, despite this, Nox didn''t dare be careless and jump in, as he didn''t know what sort of monstrous creatures dwelled beneath the peaceful-lookingke. So far, none of his beasts had reported back, which meant that they were yet toe across any soul fruit trees again.

    "Could it be that those two soul fruits were thest in this particr area of the forest?" Nox absentmindedly wondered, looking at the clear surface of theke.

    Suddenly, while he was dazed, something stirred beneath the surface of theke. Nox''s eyes shed as he caught the subtle yet unmistakable ripple on the surface of the water.

    "I knew it. Something must be in there," he said aloud as he continued to watch.

    Some seconds passed, and nothing happened, which made Nox narrow his eyes in confusion. He was certain that something was about to pop out from the water some seconds ago, so why had it suddenly stopped?

    Was it a very intelligent creature? Did it notice his presence and decide to stay back? Nox''s head was filled with lots of thoughts.

    When he thought nothing would happen, a sleek creature with frightening speed rose from the water, charging toward thend where Nox was standing, its body aplete blur!

    Nox''s body involuntarily moved on its own, and Oblivion Edge appeared in his grasp. His muscles tensed, and he was about to sh the approaching creature in two. Just before his dagger arm could make a full swing, he suddenly came to an abrupt stop as his eyes glinted in recognition.

    "When did it..." Nox said in disbelief as he looked at the sleek creature with a somewhat dumbfounded expression, not expecting it toe out from the water of all ces.

    Meanwhile, the sleek creaturended before him, an extremely excited glint in those beautiful blue eyes that held an indistinguishable warmth within them.

    The sleek creature was naturally Solora, and the baby blue python quickly leaped up and coiled around Nox''s neck, her small chest rising and falling as she was out of breath.

    "Tre-" Solora stammered as she struggled to speak. "T-ther... a-"

    "Calm down. Take some breaths first." Although he was very curious to know why Solora had gone into theke in the first ce and what she had seen there that had gotten her so excited, Nox remained calm.

    After some time, Solora regained her ability to speak once more.

    "Why did you go into theke?" Nox asked in a somewhat stern voice that made him seem like a father scolding his child.

    "I-I''m sorry, but the water looked so nice and inviting that I couldn''t help but take a dive in," Solora, who was the most vocal among all the pets after Fluffington, said in a quiet, fearful voice as she felt Nox''s intense gaze.

    Nox exhaled slowly when he heard Solora''s reason, and his gaze softened considerably. He reminded himself that the baby blue python was still a child and liked to y, but he didn''t forget to scold her a little, telling her that she shouldn''t be reckless.

    ''So ironic,'' Noxughed in his mind as he remembered the time Nyx would scold him for being reckless.

    Seeing that her master was noticeably calmer, Solora proceeded to tell him what she had seen under theke. Nox listened with a shocked expression.

    "Are you sure of what you''re saying?" he asked, just to be sure.

    Solora bobbed her head and said in a voice bing filled with certainty and confidence, "Yes!"

    "If it''s so..." A fierce glint shone in Nox''s eyes as he sent amand to his pets to gather in front of theke. After sending themand, he looked at Solora and said, "Lead the way."

    The python, without wasting a single second, jumped into theke. Nox followed shortly after, causing a wave of water to ssh everywhere. When he jumped in, he realized theke wasn''t as shallow as it appeared.

    Holding his breath underneath the water, he followed Solora, who was swimming deeper into theke. After swimming for over two and a half minutes, they arrived at a tunnel at the deepest part of theke.

    Thanks to being Awakened, Nox had no problem holding his breath for a long time.

    Looking at the tunnel, Nox felt an ominous aura billowing out from there, but if what Solora had told him was really true, he would me himself for the rest of his life if he turned back now just because of the dark aura.

    Not thinking about it too much, Nox followed Solora into the tunnel. After swimming for some time, Nox felt a pressure pulling him downward slightly. Though the pressure was strong, it wasn''t overwhelming, so Nox decided to go with the flow.

    Not long after, Nox found a spherical opening where all the water was pouring in like a waterfall or sorts, but inside was a straight long pool that led further down, probably where all the water was going out.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As soon as he climbed out of the pool, Nox stepped on solid ground. He helped Solora out as well. In the process, his eyes fell on a mountain of shiny things!

    "Holy moly, it''s really true!" Nox gasped in shock when he eventually saw the dozens of gold and silver coins, magical items, and most importantly and valuable of all, dozens of soul fruits!

    "How did... who does all this belong to?" Nox was truly shocked and excited at the same time.

    However, little did he know that he was currently below the temple that sat atop a hill, the residence of the owners of the treasures.

    ---

    Book is currentlycking Golden Tickets Guys!!!

 Chapter 366 Underneath The Temple

    In another part of the forests behind the academy.

    Shing!

    A blinding silver light arc shed in the air as Theo sheathed and unsheathed his sword, and the big flying beetle, Titan Skyripper, fell into two halves, sttering the ground with thick dark blood.

    Behind Theo, standing some meters away, were about three students who seemed to be in a very bad condition, their clothes ripped in some ces, exposing their bruised, injured skin. As soon as they confirmed that the beast had been killed, the eyes of those three students lit up with gratitude.

    Though Nox didn''t know it, because of how easily he had dealt with the Titan Skyripper that attacked him, for the majority of the students, the Titan Skyripper was very powerful, and the three students had experienced this firsthand.

    If it was not for the intervention of Theo, who was passing by, they would have almost lost their lives.

    "Thank you, we really appreciate it!" one of the students, a short square-faced fellow, said in a voice filled with relief. "We don''t mind if you keep the fruits."

    On the tree beside the split-apart Titan Skyripper, there was a Soul Fruit Tree, and on it, four Soul Fruits hung glistening in the light.

    Theo shook his head and said, "I already have so many with me; you lot can divide them amongst yourselves."

    "R-really?!" the three students eximed at once, their eyes wide in disbelief. They couldn''t believe that Theo was giving away such treasured fruits with a nonchnt expression. Even if he were to take all the Soul Fruits, the three wouldn''t haveined, as they had given up all hope of acquiring them in the first ce.

    "Yes. You can keep them. Trust me, I have a lot on me." Theo smirked, and after telling his ssmates to be more careful, he went deeper into the forest, leaving the three staring at his back with undying reverence.

    "He''s too benevolent," they echoed with shining eyes, watching his back, which seemed to be illuminated by a divine light.

    ---

    In a sand-like terrain with two Soul Fruit Trees...

    Several students could be seen lying on the ground, which was partly soaked with ck and red blood. Just like the previous students, these students were also injured, but they weren''t injured by the Titan Skyripper protecting the fruits.

    Instead, it was someone even more cruel and wicked!

    Zara!

    The beautiful light blue-haired girl with mesmerizing eyes was a true menace. All the students present there red at her with intense hatred burning in their eyes. This collective anger, channeled into one person, was overwhelming, palpable, and powerful enough to make them clench their fists in frustration.

    A few minutes ago, they had been the ones that had found the trees. However, shortly after, Zara had shown up and ordered them to scram from here and find another tree. The sheer confidence and arrogance seemed to infuriate the students, and they collectively attacked her, hoping to put her in her ce.

    Long story short, they were all brutally defeated and now found themselves in this miserable condition where they couldn''t do anything but watch as Zara imed the precious Soul Fruits.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Cold, heartless bitch!" they cursed with dark expressions on their faces.

    ---

    Meanwhile...

    Kali, who had been hunting his fair share of monsters for some time now, stumbled upon someone, and all his muscles tensed just like they would whenever he encountered a powerful existence.

    "Not her... or him... or whatever they are!" Kali''s body trembled immediately as his eyes fell on Glen, who was d in her full-bodied armor as usual and was decimating hordes of Titan Skyrippers as if she were taking a stroll through a park.

    The beatdown Kali had suffered during the entrance exam day was still fresh in his head. He gripped the handle of his axe even tighter and said with a pale expression, "And I know this isn''t all... it''s as if she hasn''t even shown a fragment of her true power."

    The forest was filled with the sounds of battle, the shrieks of beasts, and the screams of students from time to time. Across the wooden bridge, Wendy grew more worried, while Boris''s face was as calm and serene as ever, as if he didn''t care whether the students were dying or alive.

    ---

    Below the temple...

    Hundreds of meters deep, where there was hardly any noise, a young man with dark hair was looking at a pile of treasures with glowing eyes.

    "Heavens!" Nox''s body was literally trembling as he saw the treasures. From his position, he could spot thousands of golden coins, magical items, and Soul Fruits¡ªthere were hundreds of Soul Fruits, and they seemed to be calling out for him to pick them up.

    At that moment, Nox swept his gaze through therge room and noticed several more treasures in different corners of the room. In the middle of the room, on the surface of the straight pool, there was a stone tform, and on top of the tform, there was a single item.

    Because of the distance, Nox wasn''t able to see the item clearly, but he could tell that it was a magical item, and because of its location, he suspected it to be a power Item or Relic.

    "This... this looks like a carefully packed treasury," Nox couldn''t help but whisper to himself as he walked around the room, taking note of everything.

    Nox came across strange-looking statues with horns and fangs. He lingered a little, sensing a dark auraing from the demonic-looking statues. The aura was very simr to the one he had felt in theke.

    It didn''t take long for Nox to understand that this was a statue of a god, because normal statues didn''t possess an aura.

    There were so many gods in Eos, but Nox didn''t know about this god or its ss. After observing for a while, he moved along and noticed a long dark path.

    "Let''s first take the treasures, then I''ll contemte whether I''ll explore this ce some more," Nox mumbled to himself as he started to ce the treasures in his spatial inventory one after the other.

    But little did he know, beside the pool, a pair of red eyes were ring at him. At the same time, in the temple, Clone Hendrix was descending a flight of steps, heading towards the room where the treasure was located.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 367 Fight With the Centipede!

    After cing all his treasures in his inventory, Nox dusted his hands as if he had just finished taking care of the trash. He looked around, and after seeing how clean everything looked, he grimaced and felt pity for whosoever owned these treasures. Nox briefly thought that they might belong to the Royal family since this was technically their ind.

    However, Nox didn''t really give a damn about it. Only 0.001 percent of people in the world would stumble across such fortune and leave it untouched. In fact, Nox believed even that 0.001 percent would be tempted to ste¡ª I mean, im these bountiful treasures for themselves.

    "Well, if it belongs to the Royal family, then it''s the perfect revenge for ughtering all those innocentmoners five years ago," Nox smirked with an evil glint in his eyes. "And if it''s someone else, then bad luck for them."

    Nox didn''t believe the people who owned these treasures were good. Though he didn''t have any information about the countless demonic statues around him, he could tell from their appearance that they represented evil gods. Nox believed it was only right to steal from the evil!

    Perhaps he was justing up with reasons to take the treasure, but he was more than certain that he didn''t care. After making sure there were no treasures left, Nox returned his focus to the single treasure on the stone tform atop the flowing water.

    Without a moment of hesitation, Nox was about to dive in and swim to the tform when suddenly, a massive creature emerged from the depths of the water. It was a centipede with a ck-scaled body and about twenty long legs.

    There was a pair of antennae on its head, red eyes on the sides, and pincer-like appendages near its mouth, which was filled with sharp teeth.

    [Abyssal Centipede: Emperor Tier Lv.7!]

    "Emperor Tier!" Nox eximed in shock when he saw the high level of the centipede.

    ---n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Meanwhile, after descending down the flight of stairs, Clone Hendrix arrived in a dark corridor. There were no windows on either side of the walls, which seemed to stretch forever. There was also no light, which made one wonder how Hendrix could navigate properly in such a dark and suffocating ce.

    "We''ve been storing these treasures for years now," Clone Hendrix muttered as he walked down the long, dark corridor, his boots clicking against the cold stone floor.

    "All those years of collecting treasures..." A wide, wicked grin split across his features. "Years of nning, of patience... and now, it''s alling together. Soon, these treasures will make us unstoppable."

    He stopped for a moment, running a hand along the wall as though imagining the power he would soon unleash. "With these artifacts, we''ll destroy anyone who stands in our way. The kingdom? They''ll never see using. They''ll crumble beneath our feet."

    A crooked grin spread across his face as he started walking again, speaking louder now as if he needed to hear the sound of his own voice. "And that so-called Vassal... hehehe. Oh, I can already see his face. Confused, panicking, realizing our strength. It''s going to be glorious."

    Hendrixughed loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls of the dark corridor. Explore stories on empire

    He quickened his pace, his excitement building as he approached a door at the end of the corridor. The door was old, made of dark wood with strange glowing runes carved into its surface. Hendrix stopped in front of it, cing a hand on it as if to feel the power hidden inside.

    "All the treasures we''ve hidden here... the weapons, the relics, the cursed items... they''ll be the key to winning this war. The kingdom will fall, that stupid Vassal will be crushed, and the Demon Empire will stand at the top."

    "They think they''re safe. They think their armies and castles will protect them. But they''re wrong. When the timees, we''ll unleash everything. And with the power of these treasures... we''ll make the humans bow."

    "Glory to the Demon Empire!" Clone Hendrixughed as he pushed the door open, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked forward to the day... the day all hell would break loose.

    ---

    Meanwhile, back in the wide room...

    The eyes of the centipede burned with anger as it red at Nox, as if he had stolen something very valuable from it.

    ''Technically here, but who gives a damn?'' Nox sneered in his mind. He wasn''t bothered by the way the centipede looked at him. What did bother him was why such a powerful beast was dwelling inside the Royal Ind!

    The beast continued to stare at Nox, wondering why the pathetic human seemed so calm and unfazed, as if this wasn''t the first time he had faced such a powerful creature. The calmness was almost irritating, and the beast couldn''t take it anymore as it prepared to attack.

    "If this beast leaves this ce and infiltrates the academy, I wonder what would happen," Nox pondered with a calm expression on his face, envisioning the horrified looks on the students'' faces.

    Special ss or not, an Emperor Tier beast was not something to be taken lightly. One wrong mistake and they might find themselves in the afterlife. Even though Nox appeared calm on the surface, he was actually contemting ways to deal with the beast without making too much noise. After all, he didn''t want to attract anyone else here if that was possible.

    Though he wasn''t sure, Nox wasn''t ready to take chances. Just then, at that moment, there was a sound.

    Nox immediately became alert and gripped Oblivion Edge, which had appeared in his grasp for some time now. He was ready to spring into motion and battle the beast.

    But he suddenly paused when he realized that the sound was noting from the beast but from somewhere else.

    Behind him!

    His danger senses red as he hurriedly turned around.

    ---

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 Chapter 368 Escape

    Hendrix stepped into the giant chamber, his boots clicking against the smooth stone floor. The sound seemed to bounce in the silence, causing his every movement to feel amplified. He stopped just past the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning the room for any signs of life.

    But there was no one.

    "I could''ve sworn¡­" Hendrix muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes. "I heard voices. Footsteps. Someone was here."

    The room felt off¡ªtoo quiet, too still. His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong. Hendrix advanced cautiously, his gaze sweeping over the chamber and settling on the stone tform that rose out of the water. Enjoy more content from empire

    The treasure was still there.

    Hendrix exhaled a sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "It seems I was just being too paranoid. This ce¡ª"

    Hendrix was about to continue, but at that moment, he suddenly looked around the chamber. A chill ran down his spine. What greeted him was an empty room. The first time, his mind had not registered it, but now¡­ now he realized that¡­

    The treasures were gone.

    "What the¡­?" Clone Hendrix whispered, his voice barely audible. His fists clenched tightly as anger and disbelief boiled within him. "No one could''ve¡­ No one should''ve been able to¡ª"

    Clone Hendrix stopped mid-sentence, the words catching in his throat. The seals, the traps, the Abyssal Centipede¡ªthey were meant to make this room imprable. The perfect defense.

    Unless someone had bypassed them entirely.

    "Who¡­" Hendrix muttered through gritted teeth. "Who could''ve done this?"

    "All the treasure!" Clone Hendrix gritted his teeth as he began to leave from where he hade in a brisk pace. "If I hurry, I might be able to close down the entire ind!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ---

    Deep beneath the surface of theke, Nox, who had climbed into the opening he hade from, swam with all his might. Just a few seconds before the presence had appeared, he had quickly activated Phantom Cloak, turning invisible.

    In his inventory, the treasures he''d managed to secure sat safely. Not all of them, unfortunately¡ªhe''d been forced to leave one behind. Thest moments in the chamber had been tense, and although he wasn''t scared, Nox didn''t dare spend another second there and quickly left the remaining item he was supposed to take. Hence, he had no idea about the clone that had entered the room moments after he left.

    Though he felt a bit of regret, as he suspected that the item on the elevated tform was the most powerful among all the treasures, he decided to console himself with the ones he had obtained.

    "Better a sessful thief than a dead one," Nox thought grimly.

    After making a considerable distance from the chamber, Nox deactivated Phantom Cloak. Swimming while invisible was a very strange feeling, and he didn''t feelfortable, which greatly reduced his overall speed.

    As soon as Nox deactivated Phantom Cloak, he felt the cold water pressing heavily against him as he swam against the current. It was powerful but not strong enough to restrict him.

    Nox finally broke the surface of the water, gasping for air as his head emerged near the edge of theke. He dragged himself onto the shore and copsed onto his back, his chest rising and falling.

    "It''s not wise to stay at the crime scene. I''d better leave before¡ª" Nox said as he got to his feet, noticing the presence of his beast, who arrived before theke as he had instructed.

    Momentster, a booming voice, which Nox recognized as Boris Fanum''s, echoed throughout the forest, announcing the end of the test.

    Nox began to make his way back to the bridge. There were slight hops in his steps and a sly smirk that threatened to break into a grin on his handsome face.

    "You seem excited. It looks like you got a lot of soul fruits."

    While he was walking, Nox suddenly heard a voice from behind. Turning around, he noticed it was Theo Fanum.

    "A lot, actually. You won''t believe me if I tell you," Nox said.

    "Hehehe, I doubt it''s as much as mine," Theo smirked, puffing out his chest in an arrogant manner. But the smile on his face made Nox realize that he was only messing around and not actually serious.

    Nox had been observing Theo for a while now, and he could easily tell that he was not the prideful, arrogant type. He seemed like a pretty good person, even if Nox had not known him for too long. But still, Nox wouldn''t consider him a friend yet.

    "Just watch and see," Nox responded with a smug smile. He was inwardlyughing in his mind. How was he supposed to tell this guy that he had hundreds of soul fruits lying in his spatial space?

    While Nox and the rest of the students were heading toward the wooden bridge, back in the temple atop a hill, Clone Hendrix had ascended the flight of stairs. Through a long corridor with windows on the sides, he arrived at the courtyard.

    In the courtyard, the real Hendrix was training as usual, and big beads of sweat rolled off his body. He continued to swing his weapon even after noticing his clone approaching silently from behind.

    The clone clenched his fists, his face filled with unease. Hendrix, even without turning around, sensed the uneasiness and asked,

    "What is it?"

    The clone didn''t respond immediately and only bit his lips. After a while and with a deep sigh, he said, "The treasures¡­ all of them have been stolen."

    Hendrix paused mid-swing, a sharp light shing across his eyes. "What did you say?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

    "The treasures¡­ someone has stolen all of them," the clone repeated after hesitating for a while.

    Hendrix''s grip on his weapon tightened, the veins on his forearm bulging.

    "All of them?" Hendrix asked calmly, but one could see the fury in his eyes. "Every single one?"

    The clone hesitated, then nodded, swallowing hard. "Except one, Master. The artifact on the stone tform¡ªwhoever it was didn''t take it."

    "Did you see anyone?" Hendrix demanded, his tone icy.

    The clone shook his head. "By the time I arrived, the chamber was empty. The thief must''ve escaped just before I entered."

    Hendrix, without saying anything, walked to the edge of the countryard and nced below. His gaze settled on the group of students who were slowly making their way across the wooden bridge to the other side, where the academy was located.

 Chapter 369 An Investigation

    "It''s definitely one of them," Hendrix said coldly as he watched the students cross over one after the other. Because of the rtively far distance, he could only see faint outlines of their figures.

    Furthermore, he could feel that none of the students were at an expert level, which made him slightly confused because, to bypass all the security and even the Guardian Centipede, one would have to be rtively high-level. He then nced at the other side, noting the two lone figures waiting for the students.

    ''It''s not even them,'' Hendrix thought. In truth, the moment the students stepped into the forest, he had already sensed their presence and was actually keeping his eyes on them. But the people he was most focused on were Boris and Wendy because of their tremendous power and high level. Therefore, he remained cautious and didn''t intervene directly.

    "I don''t know how they did it, but one of the students took the treasures," he said.

    The clone walked towards the edge as well, and while gazing at the students, he asked softly, "Should we ask for help from the king then?"

    Hendrix nodded and began to leave. "Mm, for now, I still can''t show myself, at least not yet. Besides, I heard that Nix is also a student of this academy."

    "If it''s so, then I''ll go inform the king." The clone bowed, and after straightening his back, several intricate runes lit up beneath him, and he disappeared in a burst of light. The runes faded gradually a momentter, appearing normal again.

    ---

    Boris and Wendy watched the students cross over one after the other. Wendy released a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no shortage of students. Although their clothes weren''t in the best shape, they seemed rtively fine with no serious injuries.

    "I told you they''d be fine," Boris whispered, a faint smile on his features. However, as soon as the students drew closer, that smile vanished, reced by his characteristic stern expression.

    Some timeter, everyone went back through the path they''de from. In a matter of minutes, they arrived at the academy.

    "You all have done well," Boris said while sweeping his gaze over everyone in a not-so-loud voice, which was still easily heard by all the students present. "Unfortunately, the results of this test don''t matter."

    "Huh?"

    "What does he mean?"

    "Is he saying the results didn''t matter after we risked our lives to get the fruit?"

    "Yes," Boris said and red at all the whispering students, who immediately kept quiet and swallowed nervously as they felt the weight of his gaze.

    Boris continued in a much louder voice than before. "From the beginning, the aim of this test was not about first ce orst ce. It was about your survival and to determine if you truly belonged to the special ss. And I must say, after seeing all of youe back in one piece, I''m very impressed."

    "Then what about the fruits?" someone asked out of the blue, interrupting Boris. Everyone secretly nced at that person from the side of their eyes, noticing that it was none other than ke.

    From the few interactions already, the students had realized that Boris was a stern, no-nonsense man. They were inwardly offering a silent prayer for the masked boy and looked forward to what the guild master would do to him.

    However, contrary to their expectations, Boris only cleared his throat as he said in a neutral voice, "The soul fruits are the rewards for participating."

    Nox smiled when he heard this. A part of him didn''t want to show all the soul fruits in his possession, as that would raise a lot of questions that he didn''t really want to answer. It was the reason why he had made ns to reveal only a portion of the soul fruits.

    "But thanks to thistest development, it seems I don''t have to worry too much about that."

    "That''s all for now. You''re all dismissed," Boris said after a while, and the students, who were excited about increasing their levels with the newly acquired soul fruits, began to return to their respective dormitories as it was already nighttime.

    That night, after returning to his room, Nox had a hard time falling asleep with so many treasures lying casually in his inventory. After returning home, he had already calcted the total amount of treasure in his current possession.

    There were approximately 12 soul fruits, a million gold coins, and 200 magical items, with the highest being in the Epic rank. With the remaining elemental crystals, Nox could be considered to be very wealthy¡ªone of the wealthiest people in the capital!

    But... Nox knew this wealth would be depleted in a blink of an eye because of what he nned to do.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "First thing tomorrow, I''ll meet up with Wendy and ask her about the auctions here."

    Nox went to sleep with a smile on his face, not aware that the current clone of Hendrix had arrived in the castle. The night felt much longer for some reason; eventually, the sun rose into the sky, and a stream of light filtered through the arched window on the walls.

    After taking his bath, Nox attended ss. It was still a ss by Boris Fanum. Yesterday''s test had been a sort of introduction, but in this ss, he had taught the students how to handle the sword.

    Though it was only the warriors¡ªswordsmen and women¡ªwho benefited the most from this ss, the others also learned something. For Nox, however, it was an extremely boring ss, as he was someone who liked to use daggers.

    Yet, even he was very impressed by Boris Fanum''s swordsmanship. It was without peer, the best he had seen. He was like a storm, both swift, graceful, and dangerous at the same time.

    Watching him, Nox realized that if he wanted to match that speed, he would have no choice but to use Divine Velocity.

    After ss, Nox didn''t linger for chit-chat like the other students and immediately made his way to Wendy, who had been observing the ss as well.

    Meanwhile, in the headmistress''s office, there was a frown on Bridget''s face as she looked at the person standing before her. It was the knightmander of the Vermilion Academy.

    "Could you please repeat what you said? I didn''t quite catch you the first time."

    The knightmander frowned, obviously not a fan of repeating himself, but he still answered, as the person in question was not only the headmistress of the prestigious Vermilion Academy but a powerhouse in the capital as well. Hence, he proceeded to repeat himself, saying..

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 370 Black Market Auction

    "Hey, can I speak to you?" Nox said to Wendy, who was just about to leave since ss hade to an end.

    "What is it?" Wendy asked with a slight frown on her face. Even her voice sounded a bit rude, as if she was not pleased to see Nox, which made him frown.

    "If you have anything to say, speak fast. I have something to attend to," she said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

    "Are you okay?" Nox asked in a concerned voice, raising an eyebrow slightly as he noticed Wendy''s attitude. Why was she acting as if he had offended her? He tried to think of anything he might have done wrong, but nothing came to mind.

    Is she on her... Nox thought with a thoughtful expression. He had learned from a source that didn''t need mentioning that girls tend to behave strangely during that time of the month.

    "Anyways," Nox said, deciding not to dwell on it and go straight to the main reason he had approached her in the first ce. "Do you know where I can get these items?"

    Nox then proceeded to mention the items his pet''s evolution required. Wendy listened with a somewhat confused expression because this was the first time she was hearing most of the things Nox was listing. Her nk stare made it obvious that it was difficult for her to visualize them.

    When Nox was done with his list, Wendy said with a slight shrug, "I don''t really know what you''re talking about, but from the way it sounds, I think the best ce for you to get these items is an auction¡ªthe ck market auction, to be specific."

    Nox''s eyes flickered with interest. "The ck market auction?"

    Wendy nodded, her expression softening slightly as she noticed the genuine curiosity in Nox''s voice. "Yeah, it''s where rare and difficult-to-find items end up. Things that the regr markets don''t deal with, and sometimes even things that shouldn''t be sold to the public. It''s risky, but if you''re looking for those types of items, that''s probably your best bet."

    Although he had not been to one before, Nox knew what an auction was. But it was the first time he was learning about ck market auctions. Was it simr to the underground businesses back on Earth?

    "Tell me more." Nox suddenly became more intrigued and leaned in as he asked.

    Wendy sighed and nced around, as though making sure no one was eavesdropping. "They operate under the radar, always moving, always hidden. Some are small and local. Others? Huge and international. They''re like... a mix of everything¡ªeverything you could possibly think of. Beasts, weapons, artifacts. Some items might not even belong to this world."

    Nox raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

    Wendy hesitated, her eyes darting to the side as a student passed by, ncing at them with a scowl. The student seemed envious of Nox.

    Once the student was gone, Wendy continued in a quieter voice. "I mean... things that are beyond normalprehension. Things that shouldn''t exist but do. Magic. Cursed items. And people... people with strange powers, too. You''d be surprised at the kind of buyers that show up."

    "And the sellers?" Nox wanted to know if he could trade some of the items in his inventory in case his gold coins weren''t enough.

    "Anyone can sell. Some are from noble houses; others are... well, not exactly people you''d want to trust. Criminal syndicates, mercenary groups, even rogue mages." Wendy gave a small, sardonicugh. "But they all have one thing inmon: desperation. They want something, and they''re willing to sell anything to get it."

    "One thing I love about them is that... usually, before you participate in the auction, you can send a request to the organizers about the goods you want. Then they''ll arrange for them to be present."

    "Really?" Nox was impressed. This... this was the perfect ce to get the items for his pet''s evolution. The items his pet required to evolve had a variety of uses; definitely, someone¡ªmaybe an alchemist¡ªwould need them as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Nox narrowed his eyes. "How do I get in? Where do these auctions take ce?"

    "Don''t be in a hurry, Nox," Wendy scolded. "You can''t just waltz in. These things are invite-only or require an entrance fee. And the entrance fee is very outrageous, so it''s only exclusive to high-ranking nobles or extremely wealthy individuals."

    "How much do you think the auction would cost?"

    "I dunno, but it should be in the thousands."

    "Where can I find them?"

    Wendy hesitated, then leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "There''s one auctioning up soon. It''s one of the biggest. They say it''s hosted in the capital. I don''t know the exact location, but there''s a contact who can get you in... for the right price, of course."

    ---

    When Nox and Wendyter went to the headmistress''s office, Bridget was seated elegantly in a purple gown that hugged her form. She sat with her legs crossed, wearing sses that didn''t hide her sharp, purple eyes.

    "You want to take a leave to head downtown?" Bridget asked.

    "Yes," Nox answered politely.

    "For what reason, if you don''t mind me asking?" Bridget''s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

    "Something important," was all that Nox said. He didn''t see any need to tell her about his ns.

    Bridget hesitated for a moment, seeming to think deeply. Then she looked at Wendy and Nox and said, "Alright, you''re free to go. However, don''t take more than two days."

    "Mmm," Nox nodded and left. The reason he was taking Wendy along was that he wasn''t too familiar with the capital and needed a guide he could trust. Naturally, the only person who met this criterion was Wendy.

    Moments after Wendy and Nox left the academy premises, another knock resounded on the door of the headmistress''s office. Bridget frowned as she recognized the person standing before her. It was the knightmander of the Vermilion Academy.

    "Long time no see, Bridget," he said in a casual tone as he went to sit down on the free seat, cing his legs on her desk without permission.

    Bridget''s purple eyes alternated between his legs and his face as she said in a cold, deep voice, devoid of her usual yfulness, "What are you doing here?"

    "Something important has gone missing, and the king suspects it''s the doing of one of your students," themander said. "In other words, I''m here to carry out an investigation."

 Chapter 371 The Lich Court

    The knightmander was a tall man with powerful, profound eyes, wearing the Vermilion Kingdom''s knight attire. If Nyx had been present, she would have recognized him as the same man who had officiated Ainsworth''s massacre against themoners five years ago.

    Bridget frowned, her gaze fixed on his legs, which were arrogantly propped up on her desk. The reason this man acted so brazenly was because, like Bridget, he was an expert and one of the most feared and respected Awakened in the capital.

    However, the headmistress overlooked his irritating attitude. Her mind was currently preupied with what she had just heard. Narrowing her eyes, Bridget inquired in a sharp voice:

    "Could you please repeat what you said? I didn''t quite catch that the first time."

    The knightmander frowned, clearly not a fan of repeating himself, but he relented. The headmistress of the prestigious Vermilion Academy and a powerhouse in her own rightmanded a level of respect, even from someone as arrogant as him.

    "One of your students is suspected of stealing royal treasures."

    "So, you want to carry out an investigation? If you don''t mind me asking, what exactly are these treasures?" Bridget questioned. There were more questions she wanted to ask, like where they had been stolen from and when.

    Bridget wasn''t on good terms with the royal family. In fact, her rtionship with the king and his rtives was strained at best. What if this was one of their petty games to mess with me? she thought.

    "You don''t need to know what the treasures are," the knightmander said firmly. "All you need to know is that they have been stolen, and we strongly suspect one of your students is involved."

    The frown on Bridget''s face deepened, her displeasure evident as she responded rudely:

    "Tsk, I''m no fool. Since you don''t want to tell me what was stolen, I''d assume it''s nothing significant. The door is right there. Get out!"

    "Y-you¡ª" The knightmander''s handsome face flushed beet red in anger. "How dare you speak to me like that?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Not many dared to speak to the knightmander in such a manner. Beyond his personal strength, hemanded a private army of knights and several powerful wyverns. Even experts within the Vermilion Kingdom and neighboring regions treated him with deference.

    But Bridget... she was always like this. He couldn''t decide whether she was brave or simply stupid for continually challenging him.

    "Tsk. Such a shame," themander sneered. "I don''t know what secrets you hold over the king that make him tolerate you, but if it were up to me, I''d have razed this ce to the ground."

    "I''d like to see you try," Bridget smirked, appearing calm on the surface. Yet, a vicious light that promised bloodshed gleamed in her purple eyes as she leaned forward.

    For two long minutes, the knightmander and the headmistress locked gazes. The room seemed to grow colder as their respective auras shed. The antiques lining the shelves began to rattle, and some even ttered to the ground.

    In the end, with a slightly pained expression, the knightmander clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair.

    "If it gets you to conduct the investigation, so be it," he grumbled.

    "I didn''t know you could be this smart," Bridget mocked. Then, her demeanor turned cold.

    "But unfortunately, for wasting my time and speaking disrespectfully to a member of the royal family, I''ve decided not to entertain your request. Help yourself out of my office, or I''ll be forced to assist you."

    "This is an order from the king himself! You dare defy the king?" the knightmander roared, mming his massive fist on her desk. The impact sent parchments flying and left cracks in the wood.

    "Do I look like I care?" Bridget replied calmly, her indifference further aggravating themander. His clenched fists and bulging veins betrayed his barely contained rage as he stormed out of the room.

    Bridget watched him leave with an unreadable expression. After some time, a woman emerged from the darkest corner of the room. She had flowing white hair, a lithe, alluring figure, and piercing violet eyes. Her gaze lingered on the door before she spoke.

    "Do you perhaps think one of your students took the treasure?"

    The white-haired woman''s voice was sweet and enticing, almost like a wicked seductress''s. Her very presence exuded a subtle, intoxicating allure. If the knightmander, known for his temper and lust, had been present, he would likely have tried to rip the revealing ck gown off her.

    "Think?" Bridget chuckled faintly, herughter echoing in the room. "I don''t think¡ªI''m certain one of them did. That''s why I refused his request. And I suspect it''s him."

    "Eve''s disciple?" the violet-eyed woman asked, her voice brimming with certainty.

    "Yes," Bridget confirmed. "All of a sudden, he wants to explore the capital. I think he either knew someone woulde looking for the treasures, or he''s gone to sell them."

    "I see. Well, since it''s him, you made the right decision," the woman replied.

    "I don''t mind," Bridget said, her expression hardening. "As long as you and your people help me get rid of those bastards in the castle, I''ll dlyy my life down for that boy."

    A wide grin spread across the white-haired woman''s face.

    "Good," she whispered, a dark aura enveloping her as she began to fade away. Her voice lingered in the air.

    "As long as you uphold your end of the deal, the Lich Court will forever stand by you."

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really appreciate. I''ll make try to start uploading characters images very soon.  Also please ?? author needs more Golden tickets and power stones to climb the Ranking it''s very important and bonus chapter would be rewarded for each goal.

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 Chapter 372 The Auction

    In the instructors'' lounge of the Vermilion Royal Academy, a dimly lit room remained untouched by the sun''s full warmth.

    Though the sun was still up and the entire capital was submerged in its warm embrace, this particr room was dark, with faint rays of light slipping through the gaps in the window blinds.

    Standing beside the window, with the silver strands of sunlight shining on his face, was a tall man with a pair of differently colored eyes¡ªone red and the other sapphire.

    Naturally, this person was Amon, the powerful Level 100 Demon who had traveled all the way from the Demonic Empire to the human domain in search of one person: his liege, the Hound of the sh Hope Church.

    Amon nced at his wrist, his gaze settling on the low-level bracelet securely wrapped there, and his eyes shed strangely.

    Although this item was only basic and very cheap toe by, it was the only reason he had been able to keep his identity a secret for all these years.

    ---

    Item: Concealment Bracelet (Basic Tier)

    Description: Allows the user to suppress their true aura and blend seamlessly among  humans. Effective only against individuals below Level 110.

    ---

    Dismissing the holographic screen, Amon sighed, a hint of mncholy shining within his eyes. Enrolling in an academy as prestigious as the Vermilion Kingdom''s with a fake identity hadn''t been easy, and Amon had witnessed just how difficult it was firsthand.

    To be an instructor in the Vermilion Kingdom, one needed to pass two types of tests: theory and practical. The theory test was a written exam, while the practical test involvedbat.

    The theory test had been where he struggled, as it mostly contained questions about the history of the Vermilion Kingdom and the right approach to teaching.

    Because the Demon Continent didn''t follow the concept of schools, as their hierarchy was more strength-based, for someone like Amon, it had been very tough, and he had done poorly.

    However, thebat test had been where he excelled. He already had prior knowledge of fighting and a vast number of techniques. Bridget and the other board members of the Academy had been very impressed. Therefore, they overlooked his results in the theory test and made him the instructor of both the Special ss and the Alpha ss.

    One might wonder: why did Amon choose to enroll in the Academy of all ces? It was rather simple. He joined for two main reasons.

    The first was that it allowed him to blend in with the rest of the citizens in the Vermilion Kingdom. The second was because of the connections and respect being an instructor of the Academy brought.

    Beforeing here, Amon''s informants had told him that the citizens of the Vermilion Kingdom and the entire human domain deeply respected instructors of the Academy. With this influence, it should have been much easier to search for the Hound.

    However...

    "How long...how long will I have to search for you, my liege?" Amon sighed. "Sometimes I feel I acted in too much of a hurry. I greatly underestimated the size and poption of the human domain...what made me even think I''d easily find the Hound if I came here?"

    Knock Knock

    Amon was snapped out of his thoughts by a knock on his door. Opening it, he found a parchment right outside. He didn''t immediately pick it up but first looked down both sides of the long corridor. Yet, he didn''t find whoever had knocked.

    "Strange," Amon muttered as he picked up the parchment. Up close, he realized it was actually an invitation. He quickly removed the ck crown seal on the letter and began reading.

    ---

    "The ck Market Auction cordially invites you, Amon Zaerus, to participate in our prestigious event, which will take ce tonight."

    ---

    Amon stroked his chin as he mumbled to himself in a low voice, "Hmm, I guess since I have nothing to do, I might as well attend this auction."

    Amon had been staying in the capital for a while now and had a few contacts here and there. As such, he knew about the ck Market Auction.

    The ck Market Auction was known for sending invitations to powerful individuals across the capital whenever they were about to host an event. Amon suspected that the other instructors had also received invitations.

    ---

    Currently, Nox and Wendy were inside a carriage heading downtown. The ride was silent, mostly because the two didn''t really have anything to talk about. Soon enough, they arrived at a two-story luxurious tavern located in the central hub of the royal capital.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Nox and Wendy stepped out of the carriage, and Nox swept his gaze around the district they had arrived in. What met his eyes were dozens of towering European-styled buildings. Merchants stood beside their carts and stalls, shouting at the top of their voices.

    "Fresh fruits, straight from the orchards of the Eastern ins! Sweet as honey and twice as juicy!"

    "Steel that never dulls! Swords, daggers, and spears¡ªcrafted by the finest cksmiths in the kingdom!"

    "Potions for every need! Healing elixirs, stamina boosters, and antidotes! Don''t fight your next battle unprepared!"

    "Man power! Makes youst longer in bed!"

    Nox and Wendy ignored the shouting merchants and followed Wendy''s lead. Meanwhile, Nox took note of his surroundings. The cobblestone ground was well-maintained.

    The towering European-styled buildings surrounding the square gleamed under the sun. gs bearing the Vermilion Kingdom''s crest fluttered from balconies, and armored guards patrolled the streets, their polished helmets glinting.

    The security here is tight, Nox noted, slightly impressed by how orderly everything was. Despite this being a marketce, everyone seemed well-organized.

    Momentster, Nox and Wendy stepped inside the tavern. The interior was well-furnished, with polished wooden tables, a firece, and chandeliers that cast a golden glow over the room. The scent of roasted meat and alcohol filled the air.

    Wendy stepped forward and looked around. She seemed to be searching for someone. After a moment, her gaze settled on a woman seated alone at a corner table.

    "There she is," Wendy said softly, with relief and anticipation. "She''s the one who will take us to the auction."

 Chapter 373 Petty Nobles: Need a Disguise? That shouldnt be an issue

    The woman was pretty tall despite being in a seated posture. Her raven hair flowed down her back in waves, and her piercing light brown eyes held a slight glint of boredom as she absentmindedly sipped on her ale. However, her expression brightened the moment her eyes settled on the neers who had entered the tavern.

    "Customers," she whispered, a faint smile forming on her face.

    Nox, who had clearly read her lips, was slightly confused as to how she had easily figured out who they were, considering that Wendy had not spoken to her prior to their arrival.

    The two made their way to her table a momentter, and the woman, who was fairly beautiful, gestured for them to take a seat. With a kind yet scheming smile on her face, she said, "I take it you want to attend the auction?"

    "Yes," Nox nodded in confirmation, grateful that he didn''t need to beat around the bush to get to the point. He liked this woman''s straightforwardness, though he feared she would try to scam him. He had learned from his grandfather that any merchant who smiled kindly at you often had ulterior motives.

    "Great!" the woman pped cheerfully, her eyes curving upward. "As usual, the fee is 200 gold coins for disclosing the location and taking you there."

    Wendy frowned, clearly not impressed with the amount. Two hundred gold coins was a lot! It could feed everyone in the Cromwell barony for weeks if spent wisely. Though the ck market auction was very prestigious, paying such an enormous amount felt like broad daylight robbery.

    Seeing the silver-haired girl about to speak, the raven-haired woman, whose name Nox didn''t bother to ask, added with a smile, "Of course, that should be peanuts for students of the prestigious Vermilion Kingdom Academy such as yourselves."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    It was at that moment that both of them realized they were still in their uniforms. Nox held her gaze and said in a deep, firm voice, "Nice try, but trying to y on our ego won''t work. I say 100 gold coins, and even that is me being generous. But I''llpromise for you."

    "Thisd..." the woman gnashed her teeth. She hadn''t expected this teenager to cut her initial price in half. Usually, during bargaining, people would only shave off a small amount. This was the first time she was encountering such a drastic drop.

    Wendy''s eyes shed strangely as she leaned back in her seat. She had initially nned on doing the bargaining herself, but it seemed she didn''t have to. Nox was no longer that na?ve country bumpkin. He now had a good head on his shoulders.

    "I can''t make such a deal," the woman said a momentter.

    Nox sighed and looked at Wendy as he said in a slightly loud voice, "I told you we could''ve just asked the headmistress. She would''ve willingly taken us there for free."

    Perplexity shone in Wendy''s eyes, but after a wink from Nox, she realized what he was doing. "It''s not toote. We can always return. But the thing is, we''d arrivete."

    "Arrivingte... All the precious items would be taken by then," Nox feigned disappointment. "But I guess it''s still better than paying 200 gold coins. Come, let''s go."

    Nox stood, and Wendy hesitated. She had an idea of what Nox was doing, and if it worked, it would be really good. However, she wanted to remind him that this woman was the only person she knew who could take them to the auction. If they left, it would be difficult to attend.

    Nox, who had his back turned to the woman, assured Wendy. For some reason, she decided to trust him. After all, they weren''t really losing anything here. The two then proceeded to leave.

    The woman remained calm, folding her arms as she watched them leave. There was a slight smirk on her face, but the farther Nox and Wendy advanced, the more that smirk began to fade.

    "They''re really leaving?" she murmured to herself, her tone a mix of disbelief and frustration. After a moment, she facepalmed. "Of course. The headmistress would''ve received an invitation as well."

    The ck market, because of the nature of its items, sent out invitations to all the experts in the capital. The woman was 100% certain that the headmistress had been invited.

    Soon, Wendy and Nox reached the door. Gritting her teeth, the woman stood up and shouted, "Okay, 50 gold coins! I''ll take you there for 50!"

    Nox''s hand froze on the door handle. A sudden silence filled the tavern as everyone present nced at the woman who had shouted before returning to their own business, as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Nox turned around and shed a smile.

    "That''s great."

    ''You little brat,'' the woman thought, feeling her heart squeezed by a pair of cruel hands. The grimace on her face was impossible to hide. The amount she had just offered¡ª50 gold coins¡ªwas half her initial price. She had no choice, though. She''d been waiting for customers for hours and couldn''t afford to let this one go.

    "Your little trick really paid off," Wendy whispered some timeter as she and Nox walked behind the woman, who was walking a few meters ahead at a strangely fast pace.

    "She was already bored and desperate. I was certain she''d fall for the trick," Nox replied with a hint of smugness, which earned him a slight jab on his shoulder.

    Some timeter, the trio boarded a carriage that headed toward the southern part of the capital. During the ride, the woman briefed them about the auction. Approximately thirty minutester, they arrived before a heavily guarded mansion that spanned several square feet.

    The mansion was massive¡ªfar bigger than anything Wendy or Nox had ever seen. It screamed wealth and power, the kind that made it clear whoever owned it wasn''t someone to mess with. The walls were made of dark, polished stone and stretched so far that it was hard to tell where they ended. Tall spires jutted into the sky, seemingly trying to pierce the clouds.

    Furthermore, the mansion was surrounded by a high wall adorned with carvings of strange beasts.

    "Alright," the raven-haired woman said, catching the attention of both Wendy and Nox. "For your own security, I''d advise you to go in disguise. Some of these rich nobles are so petty they''ll target you outside just to steal your items."

    "Thank you," Nox said as he retrieved a pouch and handed it to the woman.

    The woman took the pouch and counted it. She looked up with a slightly confused expression and asked, "There are 80 gold coins here. Did you make a mistake?"

    "No, I didn''t. This is just a thank-you for the tip," Nox smiled and added, "You''re a good person."

    "Huh. T-thank you," the woman stammered, unsure how to feel.

    "Okay then." With a subtle nod, both Wendy and Nox began to leave. As they advanced toward the gate, Wendy couldn''t help but ask, "Do you perhaps have a disguise? I only have a veil with me."

    "That shouldn''t be an issue." Nox smirked confidently as the Mask of the Hound appeared in his hands. Merely seeing the mask made Wendy''s body involuntarily shudder.

    Some minutester, another carriage arrived outside the mansion, and Amos stepped out.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 374 A Level 110 Expert and Anya Parker of the Black Market Auction

    "That mask... why does it look so diabolical?" Wendy couldn''t help but ask as she saw the horned mask in Nox''s grasp. It was terrifying, elegant, and fascinating at the same time. Especially the slit¡ªit seemed as if it wanted to suck in her entire existence the longer she stared at it.

    Though she couldn''t see the rank of the item as she needed to hold it to view the information, she could feel, without a doubt, that it was a high-level magical item.

    Nox didn''t respond to her immediately. Instead, a smirk curled up on his handsome face as he brought the mask to his face and wore it. He then made a series of hand gestures in the air.

    Wendy knew that he was probably tinkering with his system screen, but she was still confused.

    Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock as she noticed something different about Nox.

    [Nox - Level 110]

    "What did you do?" Wendy could swear on her life that Nox was only a level 30 Awakened. Her eyes glinted with understanding the next moment, and she smiled bitterly. "It''s the mask, isn''t it?"

    "Yes," Nox replied.

    Wendy noticed the slight change in his voice, and amazement reflected in her eyes. It sounded deeper, firmer, and more profound. Eos was vast and filled with powerful magical items capable of terrifying feats.

    Wendy only knew of an item with a simr effect, an artifact capable of hiding one''s level from other Awakened. However, this was the first time she had seen an advanced version of such an item, one capable of not just concealing but altering levels.

    The reason Nox had decided to set his level so high was simple. Earlier, he had heard from the guide that experts were much more respected at this auction and enjoyed special perks and privileges unavable to normal participants.

    The second reason was to avoid unnecessary trouble¡ªnot because he feared anyone present, but because he didn''t want to attract undue attention.@@novelbin@@

    The mask would not only grant him ess to the so-called privileges reserved for experts but also help him avoid conflicts after the auction, as experts were respected by lower-level Awakened and even among fellow experts.

    A momentter, after Wendy put on a veil over her head, she and Nox advanced toward the gate in front of the mansion.

    The gate was huge and made of ck iron, covered in intricate patterns that glowed faintly, as if enchanted. Guards stood in front of it, d in ck armor that glinted under thentern light hanging along the walls. They didn''t look decorative either¡ªtheir sharp, vignt gazes made it clear that nothing would pass unnoticed.

    Inside, a neatly paved stone path led to the front door, a massive structure made of dark wood with golden handles. Trimmed bushes lined the path, each meticulously shaped without a single stray branch. At the center of the courtyard was a fountain, water cascading in perfect arcs from a phoenix sculpture. It was extravagant, but Nox had to admit it was impressive.

    Wendy, now wearing the transparent veil, didn''t look impressed, but Nox certainly was. However, thanks to the mask, no one could see his dumbfounded expression. As they walked along the stone path, the two attracted curious stares from other guests wandering around the grounds.

    "An expert... as expected of a ck market auction," one manmented, his voice filled with admiration and respect.

    "Yeah, they''re the only ones who could gather so many experts in one ce."

    Behind the mask, Nox''s eyebrows twitched, and a smile threatened to appear on his face.

    "How can you be so smug for being a fraud? Tsk, shameless," Wendy sneered, an obviously faked disgust evident in her tone as she heard the whispers and noticed Nox''s confident, prideful gait.

    "Hehehe, I''m not a fraud if no one knows," Nox chuckled. Hisugh was strangely pleasant to Wendy, and her cheeks flushed like ripe apples.

    "Hmph, but I know about it, so technically, you''re a fraud," she replied.

    Nox suddenly stretched his arm and pulled Wendy by the waist, drawing her body closer to him. She looked at him, speechless. She had nearly tripped and fallen over just now. Before she could ask, "What''s wrong with you?"

    Nox said quietly, "We need to look like a couple. That way, we can stick together. Trust me."

    Wendy''s eyes glinted behind the veil. Soon, a flirty smirk appeared on her face as she teased, "But I''m your instructor. Or could it be you''re one of those types who fantasize about seducing their teachers?"

    "That..." Nox froze mid-step, his voice somewhat confused. "Doesn''t everyone fantasize about that? I mean, I can swear on my life that most students would die for a chance to spend a night with the Headmistress."

    "You''re not wrong there," Wendy said, chuckling.

    Soon, they arrived at the massive double doors where three guards were stationed.

    "Level 60, 70, and 80?" Nox noted, amazed at the guards'' levels.

    The leader of the guards¡ªat least the one Nox assumed to be the leader due to his level of 80¡ªstepped forward, ring at them. His hand rested on his sword, his demeanor suggesting he wasn''t fond of small talk. However, as soon as he saw Nox''s level, his grip on the weapon faltered, and a kind smile appeared on his face.

    "Esteemed guest, invite or entrance fee?"

    "Entrance fe¡ª"

    "Let him be."

    Suddenly, a powerful feminine voice echoed from inside. Nox turned his head toward the source. Several secondster, apanied by the sound of approaching footsteps, a young woman in a formal ck dress stepped forward. She appeared to be in her mid-teens.

    "Miss." The guards all bowed their heads respectfully as she approached. Her piercing gaze didn''t linger on the guards for long, settling instead on Nox and Wendy.

    This was Anya Parker, the young miss and sole inheritor of the Parker family, which owned the ck market auction.

    "An esteemed individual such as yourself need not pay any entrance fee," Anya said with a professional smile. "If you don''t mind, could you follow me to the VIP room where all the other experts are staying?"

    "Other experts? VIP room?" Wendy began to have a bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 375 The Auction Starts [1]

    "A VIP room?" Nox mumbled to himself in a low voice as he stared at the girl who wore a patient, kind smile, as if she wasn''t bothered by the passage of time. This was because the masked figure in question was an expert; otherwise, she wouldn''t have even stepped out in the first ce.

    ''Was this one of the privileges that woman was speaking about?'' Nox thought, recalling the words of their guide. But just to make sure, Nox asked Anya in a firm voice befitting an expert.

    "This is the first time I''m attending this auction. If you don''t mind, what privileges will I get for being in the VIP section?"

    Anya smiled kindly and pointed out, "Of course, I know this is your first time. After all, it''s our job to take note of distinguished individuals such as yourself. As for the benefits of being a VIP participant, they are quite numerous, but I''ll mention the important few."

    Her smile remained unwavering as she began listing the privileges.

    "Firstly," Anya began, "VIP guests enjoy priority seating, ensuring that you are always positioned in the most advantageous spot to observe the auction. No more standing in line or waiting for long periods. Your presence is immediately recognized, and we ensure that you are well taken care of."

    "Secondly," she continued, "VIP participants are granted ess to exclusive information regarding uing auction lots. You will receive detailed descriptions and assessments of the items before they are presented to the general audience, giving you the edge in bidding."

    Nox''s interest piqued at the mention of detailed information. That could be incredibly valuable in this environment, wherepetition for rare and powerful items would be fierce.

    "Thirdly," Anya added, "VIPs are provided with a personal attendant for the duration of the event. They will cater to your every need, whether it be procuring refreshments, offering assistance with your bids, or answering any questions you may have regarding the auction process. It ensures that you can focus on the auction itself without any distractions."

    "Lastly," she concluded, "VIP participants are granted ess to the VIP-only auction rooms after the main event. Here, you can negotiate and bid on even more exclusive items that are not avable to the general public. These items are often rare artifacts, powerful weapons, or other highly sought-after magical items."

    Anya''s voice was smooth, professional, and filled with assurance. She had clearly done this many times before. Her words made the offer seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone like Nox.

    ''She has good advertising skills,'' Nox thought with a bit of respect for the young girl, who seemed to be around 17-18 years of age. She would have sessfully convinced him to be a VIP if he wasn''t in disguise right now.

    Nox remained silent for a moment, taking in the information. The benefits were certainly tempting, especially the ess to exclusive information and the VIP-only auction. He was certain that without a doubt, the VIP-only auction would contain powerful items.

    As they stood there, Anya''s gaze remained calm andposed, waiting for Nox''s response. Nox nced at her for a moment and said, "I appreciate the exnation. It''s good to know what I can expect. I''ll follow your lead."

    Anya''s smile widened, pleased with his response. "Please, follow me. I''ll take you to the VIP room."

    Soon, Nox and Wendy followed Anya through a luxurious red-rug-covered corridor adorned with expensive vases and paintings ced along the sides.

    On their way, Nox took a moment to tell Anya about the items he was looking for, and sure enough, she told him that a few of the items were already present, but the rest would arrive in two hours before the auction began.

    Nox was really shocked when he heard this. In two hours! he thought inwardly. He suspected Anya might be bluffing, but from the short interaction, he felt she wasn''t the type to do so.

    Through a flight of stairs, Nox and Wendy entered a room. They were among the few to arrive early.

    The VIP room was grand, to say the least. The walls were painted a deep gold color, shimmering faintly under the light of the crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. Red carpets stretched across the floor, muffling Nox and Wendy''s footsteps. Each VIP box was separated by thick velvet curtains, giving its upantsplete privacy while still providing an unobstructed view of the auction hall below.@@novelbin@@

    Inside each box was a set offortable chairs with cushions so soft they seemed to sink under even the slightest weight. A small round table sat in the center of each box, holding an assortment of refreshments: fresh fruit, pastries, and sses of sparkling wine. The scent of the food mixed with the faint aroma of expensive incense that seemed to fill the room.

    "This ce is really... fancy," Nox muttered, plopping down into one of the chairs and testing its softness. "They really pull out all the stops for VIPs, don''t they?"

    Wendy nodded slightly as she observed the auction hall below. "It''s all about creating an illusion," she said in a low voice. "Make the VIPs feel special, and they''ll spend more without a second thought."

    Nox chuckled softly, reaching for a ss of wine on the table. "Well, I''m notining. I could get used to this kind of treatment."

    Soon, a woman stepped inside the box and bowed respectfully. She introduced herself as the personal assistant. Nox asked her about where he could put up goods for auction, and she soon took him away, leaving only Wendy to stare at the auction hall, which was gradually being filled by people from all walks of life.

    But soon, her eyes flickered as she caught sight of someone familiar.

    Down below, a girl with light blue hair styled into two buns, obviously hiding something, swept her mesmerizing blue eyes across the auction, her gaze lingering on the VIP area.

    "I hope they have that item," Zara thought as she went to take a seat in the front rows.

 Chapter 376 The Auction Start [2]

    "This way." The woman led Nox out of the private room into another room filled with people who wanted to sell their items to be auctioned.

    As soon as Nox entered, a man in a neatly pressed suit approached him with a polite yet professional demeanor. "Sir, are you here to sell an item directly, or do you wish to ce it in the auction?"

    Nox''s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the question. He remembered what the raven-haired woman who had acted as their guide had told them earlier: there were two distinct ways to sell an item in the ck Market Auction.

    The man seemed to notice his pause and continued, "If you''re unfamiliar, allow me to exin the two methods avable to sellers."

    Nox nodded slightly, gesturing for him to continue.

    "First," the man began, "there is the direct sale method. In this method, you negotiate directly with one of our appraisers here in this room. Once an agreement is reached, the ck Market purchases the item from you outright. You receive immediate payment based on the agreed-upon value. This method is quick and efficient, favored by those who want instant returns without waiting for the auction."

    Nox nced around the room, noting several appraisers seated behind ornate desks, speaking with various sellers. A few were carefully examining items with specialized tools, while others were meticulously recording notes in thick ledgers.

    "And the second method?" Nox asked, his tone calm but curious.

    "The second method," the man exined, "is the auction consignment method. In this case, you entrust your item to the ck Market Auction. It will then be listed as one of the lots in the auction itself. This method is more time-consuming, but ites with the potential for higher profits, as bidding wars can drive the price far beyond the item''s appraised value. However, the ck Market retains a percentage of the final sale price as amission."

    Nox''s dark eyes gleamed with interest. Both methods had their advantages, but the second option intrigued him more. The thought of skilled bidders fighting over an item, driving its price sky-high, had its appeal.

    "Of course," the man added, sensing Nox''s contemtion, "our appraisers will still assess your item before it''s ced in the auction to ensure its quality and starting bid are appropriate. Additionally, if you choose the auction consignment method, we provide you with a status update on the item''s cement and estimated bidding interest prior to the event."

    "Understood," Nox replied, his voice measured. "I''ll decide after speaking with one of your appraisers."

    The man bowed slightly. "Very well, sir. Please follow me, and I''ll take you to one of our best appraisers."

    Soon, Nox stopped before one of the desks and brought out the ice elemental crystal that had been with him all these years, along with the items he had found in that secret chamber beneath theke. Nox kept the three best items, which were at the Epic rank, and sold the remaining 197 items.

    ''It seems whoever owns that ce already took all the best items, but it''s fine.'' As for the 12 soul fruits, Nox didn''t sell them outright, as he had ns to consume them to increase his levels.

    In total, the 197 items were sold for 150,000 golden coins. Now Nox had about 1,150,000 golden coins, with a couple of silver coins lying around in his inventory.@@novelbin@@

    However, when it came time to sell the ice elemental crystal, he said to the appraiser, "How much would this cost?" Nox held up the gleaming blue crystal in his hands and handed it to the man.

    "T-this..." There was a bit of skepticism in the appraiser''s eyes when he first saw the crystal. However, as soon as he held it and felt the texture, the man''s expression lit up.

    At the same time, a charming smile appeared on Nox''s face. Just from the appraiser''s expression, he already made a decision in his heart about which of the two methods to take.

    Some timeter, Nox returned to the VIP room. He discovered that the VIP area was now filled up, and down below, it was even more rowdy. Staff of the ck Market Guild were actively trying to calm the crowd of people, who were all enthusiastically discussing the items that would be sold in the auction.

    The entire atmosphere was electric and filled with excitement. It would be a lie to say Nox wasn''t feeling excited at this moment.

    Why wouldn''t he be excited? Anya Parker had, after all, assured him that all the items he would need for his pet''s evolution would be arranged. Though he still had a bit of doubt in his heart, Nox couldn''t help but feel a bit hopeful for once.

    ''I have a million-plus to y with. I hope this so-called ck Market Auction lives up to the hype.'' A silver light passed through his eyes as he walked past the private boxes and entered his own private room.

    Meanwhile, in the room beside Nox, Amox was ncing down at the stage where the auction would be held with a bored expression, unaware that the one he had been searching for over thest five years was staying in the box beside him.

    Find adventures at empire

    "I wonder how rich these humans are? Can they keep up with all the wealth I''ve umted during my time as the Lord of the Blight Castle?" Amox mumbled to himself with a greedy glint in his eyes.

    Nox took a seat beside Wendy just in time before the lights were turned off. From the box, the auction hall below was in perfect view. The stage, lit by several brightmps, stood out like a beacon, ensuring that everyone could clearly see the items being disyed. The seats for the regr participants were lined up in neat rows beneath the VIP boxes, looking far less luxurious than where Nox sat.

    It didn''t take long for Nox''s gaze to settle on Anya Parker, who was making her way to the stage with confident and measured strides. Seeing her, the hall became even more charged with excitement!

    Nox smiled. The long-awaited auction was about to start.

 Chapter 377 The Auction Starts [3]

    The moment Anya stepped onto the lit-up stage, all eyes were immediately fixed on her, and the noisy atmosphere instantly quieted down. Hermanding presence,bined with her sharp features and graceful movements, exuded authority. Wearing an elegant ck gown that shimmered faintly under the stage lights, she looked every bit the orchestrator of the grand event. Discover exclusive content at empire

    Both the new and old participants of this auction were smitten by her beauty, but they knew she was an unreachable goddess as her parents were the owners of the prestigious auction. She was only an administrator of their empire.

    Seeing their reaction, Anya''s lips curved into a confident smile as she surveyed the crowd before saying in a firm and clear voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests of the ck Market Auction, I wee you to tonight''s grand event. It is an honor to host such a distinguished gathering of individuals from across thend."

    The audience responded with polite apuse, though the air was thick with anticipation. Nox leaned back in his chair, one hand resting casually on the armrest while his other drummed lightly on his knee. This was the only way to keep his excitement at bay.

    "In tonight''s auction," Anya said a momentter, "we have curated a selection of rare and extraordinary treasures. Some of these items are the only ones of their kind, and others hold the potential to change the very bnce of power for those who possess them."

    Anya''s eyes sparkled mischievously as she paused, letting the words sink into everyone. Then she pped her hands once, an obvious signal, as the next moment a staff member behind the stage wheeled out a podium covered with a velvet cloth. The shape beneath the fabric was deliberately ambiguous, adding to the mystery.

    In a dramatic fashion, the velvet cloth was removed, revealing a dazzling golden chalice encrusted with various gemstones. The hall was soon filled with murmurs as many recognized it immediately.@@novelbin@@

    "This," Anya said, gesturing toward the chalice, "is the Chalice of Aetherial Blessings, a King-Rank item said to have been used in ancient rituals. Its owner is said to gain heightened vitality and the ability to purify toxins. Starting bid: 50,000 golden coins."

    "This..." Nox''s eyes shed with a mixture of surprise and admiration for the ck Market Auction House when he heard the starting amount for the magical item. He knew they were prestigious because of the grandeur and all the talk from the raven-haired woman who had acted as their guide, but he never expected the first item to be so expensive.

    Oftentimes in these auctions, it usually started from low to highest...

    Suddenly, at that moment, Nox''s eyes flew open. Could it be that this 50,000 gold coins is actually the lowest starting amount?

    This was a very frightening thought, and if it was the case, Nox was beginning to think his million gold coins wouldn''t be enough for this auction.

    Just what kind of wealthy monsters are these? It feels as if I''ve been living in a shithole all my life.

    Soon, the personal assistant assigned to Nox stepped forward and handed him a parchment filled with information rted to the chalice that was about to be auctioned.

    When Nox unfolded the parchment, the first thing that caught his attention was the intricate runes scribbled on it. It was clear from a single nce that this was the work of a Runemsmith.

    "How does this wor¡ª" Before Nox could speak, a screen simr to his system screen appeared, floating just above the parchment.

    On the said parchment, the full details about the chalice appeared.

    "This is not bad." Nox''s eyes glinted. Anya had only provided a brief description for the regr audience, but floating above him were lore and different other ways to use the item.

    Unfortunately, while valuable, Nox wasn''t interested in it as it held no use for his current needs. Especially now that he knew how high the starting bids were, he needed to spend wisely and only focus on his needs, not his wants.

    In the box beside him, Amos tapped his fingers against the windowsill, his greedy eyes alight with interest.

    "Humans and their trinkets," he muttered to himself, though he couldn''t entirely hide his intrigue. "If this is just the first item, perhaps I should stick around a little longer."

    Meanwhile, on the stage, the auctioneer stepped forward, hammer in hand, and called out, "Bidding begins now! Who will offer the first bid?"

    A hand shot up in the crowd. "Fifty-five thousand!"

    "Sixty thousand!" another bidder countered.

    The bidding war for the chalice concluded at 150,000 golden coins, the artifact imed by a merchant in the third row. He puffed out his chest with pride as the crowd offered polite apuse.

    That''s the same amount I sold all my useless items for. Nox couldn''t help but feel that he had been cheated, but he realized this was the benefit of putting an item to be auctioned rather than outright selling it, because the price might spike up.

    Anya smiled. "Congrattions to our first winner of the evening. But this is just the beginning,dies and gentlemen. We have far more to reveal."

    As the next item was prepared, a faint knock sounded on Nox''s private box door. Wendy nced at him for confirmation before opening it. A young attendant stood there, bowing deeply. "Sir, I have a message from Miss Parker. She wanted to assure you that the item you''re interested in will appear shortly. She asked for your patience."

    Nox''s lips curved into a faint smirk. "Very well. Tell her I''ll be waiting."

    The attendant nodded and quickly departed.

    The next item was revealed momentster: it was a pair of daggers that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow. Their des were translucent, reflecting faint traces of moonlight despite theck of any direct source.

    Anya introduced them with her usual charisma.

    "These," she said, gesturing elegantly, "are Emperor-Tier Crescent Void Daggers, forged in the heart of the Azure Abyss. They are said to absorb a portion of the user''s mana to unleash devastating energy shes, capable of slicing through even enchanted armor. Starting bid: 80,000 golden coins."

    "A dual dagger, huh?" Nox pondered for a moment before opening his mouth to...

 Chapter 378 First Evolution Item Detected!

    "A dual dagger, huh?" Nox pondered for a moment before opening his mouth to speak, but he stopped short. His gaze fell back to the truculent screen, which contained the details of the dual daggers.

    These could be useful for closebat... but are they worth the investment? Nox pondered to himself, a thoughtful expression on his face. He already had the Oblivion Edge with him, and although it was very powerful and ranked at the Legendary tier, there was just something appealing about using dual daggers to fight.

    And apart from that, the effects weren''t bad as well. There was no strict rule that he could only use one weapon. Thanks to the inventory function, which was avable to all Awakened, one could easily change weapons. Continue your adventure with empire

    Nox turned to Wendy, who was sipping from her ss and looking at the auction below with a somewhat bored expression in her eyes, though Nox didn''t notice this because of the veil.

    "Wendy, do you mind checking this out?" Nox said, handing it to Wendy, who activated its embedded runic mechanism. A translucent screen shimmered into existence before her, disying the Crescent Void Daggers'' specifications:

    [Item: Crescent Void Daggers (Emperor tier)]

    Absorbs 20 MP of the user''s mana per attack to release an energy sh.

    Grants enhanced agility (+10%) to the wielder.@@novelbin@@

    Can bypass all armor below the Emperor tier.

    Limitations:

    Requires a minimum mana pool of 500 points.

    Overuse may result in mana exhaustion.

    "It''s not bad." Wendy nodded her head.

    "Then I''ll go with it." Nox''s lips curled into a faint smile. Though he had no problem with fighting close range, the energy sh skill of the dagger would allow him to fight even from a distance without relying so much on his skills, which were all powerful and destructive.

    Also, his mana pool was more than sufficient to wield the daggers, so he wasn''t worried that the mana consumption might be a drawback in prolonged battles. After making a silent decision in his heart, Nox nced at the ongoing bidding war.

    "Ny thousand!" called a stout, chubby man in the front row, a smug expression on his face.

    "One hundred thousand!" countered a woman in avish emerald dress with a cold expression on her face.

    "One hundred and twenty thousand!"

    "W-what?" The stout man hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The crowd murmured in anticipation, waiting to see if he would counter.

    There was a silence for some time, with no one making any bids. Anya nced at the audience and the VIP area, and after about 50 seconds passed, she said in a loud, clear voice,

    "Ladies and gentlemen, are there any higher bids? The Crescent Void Daggers are an Emperor-Tier artifact, a treasure that could turn the tide in battle."

    Anya, though young, had a very good head on her shoulders. She was no stranger to high-stakes auctions and knew how to keep the crowd on the edge of their seats. By highlighting the importance of the dual daggers, she had made the crowd restless again, especially the chubby man.

    The stout man, who had initially thrown out the ny thousand bid, wiped the sweat from his brow. He was clearly on the verge of losing, but he hesitated, clearly unwilling to back down. He shot daggers at the woman in the emerald gown.

    She simply met his gaze with a smirk on her face, as if daring him to bid again. The auction hall fell into a tense silence, all eyes fixed on the battle between the two bidders. This was without a doubt one of the most exciting parts of this auction!

    Oftentimes, most people go bankrupt all because of their ego. The crowd thought something like this would happen today as well.

    At that moment, a determined glint appeared in the eyes of the chubby man, and he was about to raise his paddle once more, but suddenly, a voice rang out from above.

    "One hundred and fifty thousand!"

    The hall fell silent for a moment as all eyes turned toward his private box. Whispers broke out.

    "Who is that?"

    "Someone bidding from a private box must be a VIP."

    "The woman in the emerald dress hesitated. She clenched her fists, her lips tightening in frustration. There was an unwritten rule in the ck market auction house, and that rule was never to mess with a VIP. There was a reason they were called VIPs in the first ce."

    Finally, with a heavy sigh, both the woman and chubby man lowered their paddles.

    Anya smiled, her gaze subtly shifting toward Nox''s box. "One hundred and fifty thousand golden coins, going once¡­ going twice¡­" She paused for dramatic effect, scanning the crowd. "Sold! To the gentleman in Box Seven!"

    A round of apuse filled the room as the daggers were carefully packaged and sent to Nox''s private box. Wendy epted them on his behalf, setting the elegantly carved box on the table beside him.

    "Down to 1 million golden coins." Nox grimaced as he reached out and grabbed the box holding the Crescent Void Daggers. The box felt cool and smooth under his fingers, and he could tell there was something powerful inside. When he opened the lid, he stared at the daggers, his eyes narrowing. The des glowed faintly, and the runes on them pulsed as if they were alive.

    "Nice," Nox muttered quietly, his fingers brushing the hilts to get a feel for their weight. There was something about these daggers that felt right. They were different from the Oblivion Edge¡ªless powerful, less destructive¡ªbut that was exactly what made them appealing. The versatility, especially with the energy sh, was something he could use right away in battle.

    Just as Nox closed the box and leaned back in his seat, a new item was unveiled on stage. It was wrapped in a dark velvet cloth, almost as though the very presence of the object demanded a sense of mystery. Anya, with delicate and gentle movements, took off the velvet cloth, and as soon as she did, Nox jumped up from his seat inside his box.

    [Ding! Evolution items detected!]

 Chapter 379 The Final Resources for the Pets Evolution!

    Anya stepped back onto the stage as another staff member wheeled out a frost-coated disy table covered with small ss cases. Each case held a unique herb, all emitting a faint, icy aura. A chill seemed to seep into the room, creating an air of mystery and anticipation.

    Just as the system had announced, the item in question was one of the items required for his pet''s evolution, but Nox didn''t know which one¡ªonly a suspicion because of the chill it emitted. However, that was more than enough to leave his chest pounding in a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

    Anya briefly nced in his direction, and with a smile on her face, she began in a confident and alluring voice:

    "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you ten arctic herbs, harvested from the most frigid and treacherous kingdom, Snowhelm. These nts are not only rare but essential for the greatest alchemists, healers, andbatants. Their effects range from enhancing potions to unlocking new realms of power."

    "So it''s the Arctic herbs, huh?" As if on cue, a holographic screen appeared above the parchment before him, detailing the uses of Arctic herbs.

    From the holographic disy, Nox learned that Arctic herbs were considered legendary-tier ingredients and were highly sought after by alchemists. Each herb had unique properties, capable of enhancing skills, crafting potions, and even being used as ingredients in food. However, there was no information about the herbs helping beasts to evolve.

    Of course, Nox never expected such information to be there in the first ce; after all, only a handful of people had knowledge about it.

    At that moment, Anya called out, "The starting bid for the 10 Arctic herbs is 5000 golden coins!"

    The room erupted into noise as people started shouting their bids.

    "Five thousand, five hundred gold coins!" someone yelled from the middle.

    "Six thousand!" another voice chimed in almost immediately.

    "Seven thousand!"

    The bids kept climbing, and more people joined in. Most of them looked like important alchemists, wearing fancy robes covered in weird symbols. They all seemed really serious about getting whatever was up for grabs.

    An old alchemist with a long silver beard stood up. "Ten thousand gold coins!" he said loudly, making everyone turn to look at him.

    Nox kept watching, not letting the tension distract him.

    Then a woman with sharp blue eyes and an icy expression raised her hand. "Twelve thousand!" she said, her voice just as firm. She pulled on her gloves like she was already getting ready to work with whatever was being sold.

    The bids kept rising.

    "Fourteen thousand gold coins!"

    "Fifteen thousand!"

    Nox stayed quiet, watching the tension between the bidders grow.

    The old man''s face tightened, and he raised his hand again. "Sixteen thousand gold coins!"

    The woman with the icy stare let out a small smirk. "Seventeen thousand," she said in her calm voice.

    "Eighteen thousand gold coins!"

    ''They''re really going all in for this one,'' Nox thought. "Thankfully, none of the VIPs are interested in this one."

    Clearing his throat, Nox said in a firm, powerful voice, "Twenty thousand gold coins!"

    The room went silent, and everyone''s eyes turned to the VIP area.

    "Him again? Dammit!"

    "Why can''t he just let small fries like us have the items?"

    As soon as they recognized the box the voice came from, the audience below started to curse in their hearts.

    And just like that, Nox imed the Arctic herbs.

    "That''s one down!" Nox felt like doing a happy jump at this moment. The Arctic herbs were one of the items Fluffington needed.

    As the item was delivered to his box, little did Nox know, a pair of beautiful blue eyes were fixated in his direction. Your adventure continues at empire

    ---

    "I wonder who he is in there, is he an alchemist?" Amos muttered as he stared at the box beside his. From his own box room, he could only see a shadowy outline.@@novelbin@@

    The reason Amos was curious about this person was that usually, the VIPs weren''t interested in the items sold for the public. They usually reserved their gold coins for VIP-only auctions where the main treasures would be auctioned.

    It was one of the reasons none of them had made any moves¡ªthey were waiting for the real prizes to be presented. However, the fact that this mysterious individual had bid so aggressively for something as mundane as Arctic herbs intrigued not only Amos but the rest of the VIPs.

    "Tsk, he will regret this decision by the time they bring in all the cool items," one of the VIPsughed to himself.

    "Maybe he''s an alchemist."

    The next items also happened to be evolution items, and of course, Nox imed them.

    The next couple of items were magic items, ranging from swords, shields, and armor pieces. However, Nox didn''t bid recklessly and simply waited for the rest of the resources for his pet''s evolution to show up.

    Several boring minutester, just as Anya had promised him, one after another, the resources needed for his evolution were soon introduced, and Nox bid fiercely for them.

    Because of his status as a VIP, not many dared to go against him. After all, they didn''t want to be on the receiving end of his wrath if they dared to outbid him for something that was clearly important to him. The atmosphere had changed, now crackling with an undercurrent of tension. Every time Nox raised his bid, the room grew quieter, as if everyone was waiting for the next move.

    The next item up was a crystal vial containing a glowing, ethereal liquid. Anya introduced it with a flourish. "This,dies and gentlemen, is a vial of cial Water¡ªextremely rare and sought after for its power to enhance both elemental and physical abilities!"

    The instant Nox heard "vial of cial Water," excitement coursed through his body. He couldn''t believe his eyes¡ªhe had gotten all the resources he had been looking for in the past years in one night!

    This cial vial was the final item that could help Thirteen evolve. But he didn''t let his excitement show. He kept his gaze steady, waiting for the bidding to start.

    But little did he know, things wouldn''t always go as nned.

 Chapter 380 The Auction: Going All Out!

    Thus far, Nox had gathered two vials of lunar dew, one Ancient Rune that resonates with shadow energy, five Mystic Shadow Herbs, Arctic Herbs, and 10 Stardust Shards.@@novelbin@@

    The vial of cial was thest item he needed, and in total, he had spent approximately 350,000 gold coins, bringing his total gold coins from 1,150,000 to 800,000.

    Nox felt a slight pang in his heart as he realized that he had lost his millionaire status as quickly as he had obtained it. Though it hurt slightly, Nox didn''t regret buying the necessary resources required for his pet''s evolution.

    Besides, he could always acquire more treasures.

    At that moment, Anya called the starting prices in a booming voice: "The starting price for the vial of cial is 10,000 gold coins!"

    "10,500!" Nox raised his paddle.

    Silence reigned for some time in the massive hall as the audience on the lower floor exchanged uneasy nces, while a few alchemists who knew the rightful use for the vial couldn''t help but curse the VIP in box seven and murder him in their hearts.

    ''Heh, this VIP really does have its peak.'' Nox chuckled to himself as he picked up the ss of red liquid, which he assumed was red wine, and sipped.

    Naturally, Nox knew the reason the others were hesitating to even bid was because of his status. He had long realized that the other VIPs didn''t seem interested in the items that were brought up in the regr auction, something he was very grateful for.

    Nox was more than certain that his wealth was meagerpared to the others here. If they''d shown any interest in any of these items, there could''ve been a fierce bidding war that Nox didn''t really want to participate in.

    In such scenarios, the items were often times sold for double their initial worth.

    ''I guess they''re preparing for the VIP-only auction.'' Nox thought. ''Now that I think about it, they haven''t sold my ice crystals. Are they perhaps keeping it for the VIP-only auction?''

    Nox didn''t think too much about it and fixed his attention back on the auction. As of this moment, Anya Parker was saying something.

    "10,500, is there any more bidders?" She said, her low yet firm voice traveling far and wide, reaching everyone.

    The eyes of the various alchemists, who wore distinguished robes, suggested that they wanted the item as well, but they shook their heads. Of course, Anya noticed this too, but it was simply out of her control.

    Anya''s voice rang out once again a few secondster: "Going once at 10,500 gold coins!"

    The room remained silent, save for the asional rustle of clothing and the soft whispers of attendees on the lower floor. Nox leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes glinting with amusement as he swirled the wine ss in his hand.

    Of course, he didn''t feel remorseful about indirectly oppressing the regr attendees.

    In his mind, the Vial of cial was more important to him. His pets were basically an extension of him! If they became stronger, he became stronger as well!!

    "Going twice¡ª" Anya began, but before she could finish, a cold voice cut through the hall.

    "15,000!"

    ''Huh?'' Nox nearly choked on his drink as he looked at the other VIP boxes, but then he realized that the voice hadn''te from there, but below.

    Gasps echoed throughout the auction!

    Nox wasn''t the only one who was shocked. Even the other attendees were stunned and looked at the person who had said it. The reason for their shock wasn''t because of the person bidding against the VIP, rather it was the price!

    They couldn''t believe that a regr attendee could have such confidence to raise the bid so drastically.

    Weren''t they aware that the reason one was ssified as VIP in the ck market auction house was because they were wealthier and more influential? Surely, if they were as wealthy as the VIP in box seven, they''d certainly be in there and not yet.

    "A regr participant challenging¡ªthis will be interesting," Amos chuckled and nced below, his gaze scanning for the bold individual. However, when he did, he froze for a split second and his eyes glinted strangely.

    ''Isn''t that one of the students from the academy?''

    At the same time, even Nox recognized the person.

    It was none other than Wendy, but he wasn''t surprised.

    Why? Because after using Analyze on her, he realized that just like Thirteen, who required the cial vial, even Zara needed it for her evolution to the next form as well.

    ''I didn''t anticipate this.'' Nox frowned deeply. He didn''t like this development at all. When it came to Zara, he had mixed feelings. After all, he was trying to make her his pet.

    "However," Nox held his paddle again. "I''m no simp, I''ll take this one and find her another in the future when she finally agrees to be my pet."

    "16,000!" Nox shouted.

    "17,000!" Zara''s voice rang out again, louder this time, demanding attention.

    "She''s really going toe to toe with that VIP."

    "Who do you think she is? Is she also an alchemist?"

    "I don''t know, but she seems so young, very bold to not even wear a mask or something to hide her identity. Isn''t she afraid that she would be targeted when she leaves the auction house?"

    "Do we have 17,000?" Anya''s voice wavered slightly as she tried to regain control of the auction. It was rare for such a bold move toe from someone without status, and she was clearly rattled.

    "18,000!"

    "Huh!!"

    Your next read awaits at empire

    The gasps came again, casting curious nces at the audacious bidder. Who was this person? Why was she willing to risk so much in front of the powerful VIPs? Nox felt a spark of amusement flicker within him. He was certain that Zara couldn''t see his face. If this was one of the experts, she either had a death wish or was exceptionally confident in her bargaining power.

    "Or just arrogant?" A spark of irritation flickered in Nox''s eyes. He leaned forward, his lips curving into a smirk. "20,000," he called out calmly. The price jumped, and Anya''s eyes, along with the other attendees, widened at the sudden esction.

    Even the VIPs were now curious about this person.

    Meanwhile, not even a hint of restlessness could be spotted on Zara''s face. She disyed a smirk, and what she did next left everyone stunned!

 Chapter 381 The Auction: Too Extreme!

    "50,000!" Zara called out with a fierce look on her face.

    She was not one to back down easily, especially when it came to something she desired. As a dragon, there was one thing she wasn''tcking¡ªwealth.

    Like all dragons, Zara was highly avaricious. Because of this greed, she had umted a frightening amount of gold coins and other valuable treasures, all carefully tucked away in her spatial storage.

    It was this amassed wealth that gave her the confidence and boldness to go toe-to-toe with the people in the VIP area.

    The auction hall was filled with tension. Nox sat in his VIP box, leaning back, his eyes fixed on the vial of cial in the center of the stage. He couldn''t help but wonder if he should continue bidding. The price was climbing fast, and his thoughts were tangled in indecision.

    Should I keep pushing for it? Nox thought. Or is it better to find it another way?

    He wasn''t sure if it was really worth the money, especially with his dwindling funds. He had only so much gold left, and there were other ways to acquire the vial.

    Furthermore, he wanted to participate in the VIP-only auction as well.

    Unlike the others, Nox knew about Zara''s true identity thanks to his special skill, Analyze. She was a dragon, after all, and when it came to wealth, there was no shortage for her species. He was certain that she hoarded hundreds, if not thousands, of treasures for herself.

    It was clear to Nox that this wouldn''t be easy. He wasn''t sure whether to keep pushing or just walk away.

    "This... the vial is rare toe by, but it certainly doesn''t warrant that much," a seasoned alchemist with deep gray eyes frowned.

    Another one nodded. "Though it would take some time and cost money, putting a request in the Adventurers'' Guild to find the vial would be much cheaper."

    When Nox heard bits of the ongoing conversation, the little doubts in his heart vanished, and he leaned back instead. Many might continue bidding because of pride or ego, but Nox wasn''t like that. He chose to be smart and spend wisely.

    "50,000! Is there any more bidder?" Anya called out.

    "Is that VIP finally chickening out?" someone whispered.

    "Chickening out? Tsk, I say he''s smart." Another spat out. "He''s smart enough to realize that it''s not worth it."

    "50,000 going twice! Going thric¡ª"

    "100,000!"

    Suddenly, a powerful voice reverberated through the entire auction house, startling everyone. Nox was momentarily distracted by the sudden move and turned to the VIP box beside him. It was there the voice hade from, after all.

    "This is madness!" Stay updated with empire

    "Why did he bid that much?"

    "They''re just throwing away money."

    The crowd grew restless, murmuring among themselves. Anya, the auctioneer, seemed a bit rattled but maintained herposure, even though she hadn''t expected the bid to jump up like this.

    "100,000 gold coins," she repeated, trying to keep control of the situation. "Any higher bids?"

    For a moment, no one dared to raise their paddles. It seemed like Zara was out of the game. But that was just a brief pause. Nox knew something was about to happen. It was Zara, after all.

    From his short interaction with her and his observations from afar, he hade to realize that she was arrogant, prideful, and unyielding. She didn''t flinch in the face ofpetition. The moment the price reached 100,000, Zara''s lips curled into a sly smile.

    "150,000," Zara said in a clear and crisp voice, the smirk never leaving her face as if she were daring Amos to continue. The atmosphere in the hall shifted, and the tension reached new heights.

    Everyone froze. Even the other VIPs in their boxes stared at the stage, unsure of what to do. Amos, still hidden in his box, however, didn''t seem bothered.

    "One of the things I got from being the lord of the Blight Castle is wealth," Amos chuckled. "Let''s see how far you can go, little kid."

    Did he want the cial vial? Not really, but during that critical moment, he didn''t know what hadpelled him to bid. Amos was someone who always listened to his instincts, which had guided him through dangerous situations in the past.

    Therefore, he decided to follow his instincts once again.

    "200,000!" Amos called out, raising the bid without hesitation.

    The crowd gasped. Everyone in the hall knew that the cial vial wasn''t worth this much. It wasn''t even close to that amount. Yet... here they were.

    Good thing I dropped out, Nox thought as he sipped his red wine.@@novelbin@@

    Meanwhile, Zara''s eyes gleamed with determination. She wasn''t going to back down. She had the means, and if anyone was going to own this vial, it was going to be her.

    "250,000!" Zara''s bid came quickly, shocking everyone again.

    Even Amos seemed to pause for a split second. But then, with a deep breath, he raised his paddle once more. "300,000," he said casually, almost like it was nothing. But even he knew this was getting ridiculous.

    Gulp!

    Nox forcefully swallowed his wine instead of spitting it out. He looked on with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Was this really necessary? He hadn''t expected this to escte so quickly.

    "At this point, this is just pure madness," Wendy, who had seemed disinterested all this while, finally spoke, her wide eyes betraying her surprise.

    "400,000!" Zara raised the stakes even higher, her expression unflinching.

    The whispers in the room grew louder.

    "What is going on? Is this really happening? Who would pay this much for the vial?"

    "Madness. The two of them are mad!"

    Anya was left in stunned silence, unsure of how to proceed. The auctioneer was supposed to keep the event smooth, but this was something entirely different. She had never expected this kind of esction.

    I hope they don''t use us of scamming themter, she thought, a bit concerned.

    But before Amos could speak again...

    "500,000!"

    Zara wasn''t done yet. She shouted, her voice ringing through the hall. The crowd collectively gasped.

    Amos''s hand trembled for a moment. But then, with a resigned smile, he raised his paddle again. "600,000," he called out, almost as if he were bored with the entire exchange.

    Nox couldn''t help butugh quietly to himself. This was getting out of hand; this auction was turning into a game of pride between two wealthy individuals.

    "700,000!" Zara responded almost immediately.

    The room was on edge, every eye on the two participants. The tension between Amos and Zara had turned into something far more intense than anyone had anticipated. It wasn''t just about the vial anymore; it was about who would win this war of pride and wealth.

    "800,000!"

    By now, even Nox was starting to wonder if these two were really in their right minds.

    "900,000," Zara dered.

    The crowd was stunned. No one could believe what they were hearing. The cial vial wasn''t worth a fraction of what they were bidding. This was bing pure madness.

    But more than that, everyone was curious about who woulde out on top in this war.

 Chapter 382 The VIP Auction [1]

    Anya tried her best to regain control of the situation, but her voice was shaky. "Going once... 900,000 gold coins..." She hesitated, unsure of what to say next. This was beyond the usual excitement of an auction.

    She should be happy, yes, but something just didn''t feel right. Unlike other shady businesswomen, Anya was not scummy and had never scammed any of her customers. Even the items auctioned here were priced just slightly above the initial amount they were purchased for, and this was because of the efforts the auction had gone through to find the said items.

    Seeing how the price was shooting through the roof like this didn''t sit well with her. However, it was out of her control, so all she could do was watch and see how things yed out.

    Anya looked toward the VIP section after not hearing a single word for some seconds and pondered to herself. ''Perhaps the expert in the box is deci¡ª''

    "1,000,000!"

    At that moment, Amos called out, his voice full of confidence. He wasn''t even blinking as he made the final bid.

    ''This bastard...'' Zara gritted her teeth. For a moment there, she had actually thought the person in the VIP box had given up because of his prolonged silence. However, who would have thought her momentary victory wouldn''t evenst a second?

    "It''s not worth it, miss," someone close to her whispered. "As an alchemist, I can tell you that the cial Vial is important, but it''s nowhere near as expensive as this. The wisest thing for you to do is drop out."

    Zara sighed and thought the man made a lot of sense. In the end, she decided to drop her paddle.

    The room fell intoplete silence. No one dared to say anything. No one dared to move. The experienced alchemists in the auction house looked at VIP Box Six as though they were staring at a fool for buying the cial Vial for such an outrageous amount.

    However, if they knew that the money didn''t even make a dent in Amos''s wealth, they''d be left speechless.

    Anya, who had been in shock the entire time, finally snapped back to reality. "Sold!" she eximed. "To the gentleman in the VIP box!"

    Zara leaned back in her chair, displeasure on her face. Amos, on the other hand, only smiled and shrugged, as if the money didn''t matter. To him, this was just another game.

    Nox, however, was now very curious about Zara. His eyes glinted wickedly. He couldn''t even begin to imagine the amount of riches he would amass if he were to tame Zara.

    ''Just now, I could tell she could''ve gone on if she wanted,'' Nox thought. His eyes sparkled even more, as though he had made a great realization. ''This could only mean she has over 1 million gold coins. Ah, such a greedy dragon.''

    The auction continued after that, and Nox participated more actively, to the dismay of the regr attendees. He bought a few items here and there¡ªnothing too significant. Some things for Serena, a few for Wendy, and some items for Nyx. But his mind was preupied with how he could acquire the cial Vial.

    The auction finally came to a close, and Anya''s voice rang out again. "Thank you all for attending. The VIP-only auction will now begin. After a short break, all VIP guests are requested to join the single room where we will proceed."

    Nox''s heart skipped a beat. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The real auction begins now.

    Everyone in the hall stood up, ready for the next phase. And Nox knew that this was where the realpetition would start.

    ---

    Meanwhile, in one of the VIP rooms, a handsome man with silvery white hair was absentmindedly staring at the hall below, watching as the regr attendees left one after the other. His silver eyes narrowed on the back of a girl with sky-blue hair, and a strange glint flickered across his eyes.

    "Such an intriguing youngster." Lucas, the head of the Silver family, chuckled. "Zarek, is she perhaps a member of a top family in the capital?"

    Even someone with generational wealth was intrigued by Zara''s actions today. It was notmon to see a youngster of around 16-17 go toe-to-toe with a Level 110 expert!

    Lucas suspected that this confidence was all because she had backing somewhere.

    "I doubt it, but from her attire, she''s definitely a student of the Vermilion Royal Academy," said another figure with silvery white hair. However, in contrast to Lucas, this man''s eyes were blindfolded.

    Yet the way he stood and stared around was filled with purpose, which made it seem as if he wasn''t really blind.

    "Hmmm, I see." Lucas stroked his chin. Then he said with a bit of excitement in his voice, "Come, let''s head to the VIP-only auction. I hope that Anya wasn''t joking when she said a special item would be unveiled today."

    "The Parker family is not known for deceit," Zarek said as he followed behind Lucas. His words were brief yet filled with confidence.

    "It better be, because I''m really curious about that special item."

    Lucas and Zarek weren''t the only ones discussing these special items; all the VIPs were speaking about it. Surprisingly, even the regr attendees who were leaving were buzzing with spection.

    "I heard it''s something revolutionary," someone whispered.

    "No, bigger. Much bigger. Word is, this thing''s been locked away for years, waiting for the right moment," the first voice replied, their tone hushed.

    "I heard it''s alive. It must be a creature. Could it be those special people with markings?"

    Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

    "Maybe it''s not... I don''t know, but I heard only the top bidders will even get to see it," a woman added, her voice a mix of frustration and longing. "Why else would they separate us regrs from the VIPs?"

    "Ah, times like this, I really wish I was VIP."

    Nox, who was currently heading to the next room along with Wendy, frowned when he heard these whispers. The raven-haired woman who had acted as his guide hadn''t told him about this special thing. Just to be certain, he hastened his pace and walked behind two men who were also discussing the special item that would be unveiled.

    "Anya really pulled out all the stops this time," one of the men said. "The Parker family never hypes anything up unless it''s worth it."@@novelbin@@

    "But what is it? A weapon? A treasure?" the other man asked.

    "No one knows," the first man sighed. "I guess the best way to find out is to attend the auction."

 Chapter 383 The VIP Auction [2]

    After the short break of about five minutes, Nox, along with the other VIP members, was led into a much smaller yetvishly adorned room. However, no one seemed to care about the opulence. All eyes were focused on the stage as the auction staff prepared for the final act.

    Just like before, each of them was ced in a different box. It seemed the ck market auction house was hell-bent on keeping the identity of their VIPs a secret. Nox didn''t know the reason they were doing this, but he appreciated it. After all, he was not here to attract unnecessary attention.

    By coincidence, Nox was also ced in Box Seven again for this auction. Shortly after he stepped inside his designated box, Amos entered the room as well. If only he had been a fraction of a second earlier, he could have encountered the person he had been looking for all these years.

    After everyone settled into their respective boxes, Anya stepped onto the mini stage. The stage was not extravagantly built like the first one; it was more modest, with nothing but a simple trolley covered by a piece of velvet cloth.

    However, the powerful aura emitted from the velvet cloth was too potent to be ignored, and as such, everyone''s attention was riveted to the trolley. Read new chapters at empire

    At that moment, Anya cleared her throat, her hand resting on the trolley. "Ladies and gentlemen," she began, her voice steady but carrying an undertone of excitement, "thank you for your patience. The VIP auction will now begin!"

    "The first item is¡­" Anya gently pulled off the cloth covering the item, revealing a stand where a sleek, midnight-ck armor rested, glowing faintly with a silvery sheen. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Eclipse Shard Armor. Forged from the fragments of a fallen celestial meteor, this armor is said to grant unparalleled protection. Its unique ability, Ethereal Fade, allows the wearer to phase out of physical reality for up to five seconds, making them immune to all physical and magical attacks during that time."

    The eyes of the crowd widened, and they started to murmur in amazement.

    Phase out of reality for up to five seconds? This unique ability was very powerful. Inbat, even a second could determine the victor. Five seconds could change the oue of a battle entirely, considering that the enemy would be left vulnerable.

    In Eos, teleportation and invisibility-type skills were very rare; therefore, they were highly coveted by the awakened. The Eclipse Shard Armor was no different from a spatial-type skill. Unsurprisingly, the crowd''s amazement quickly turned into a flurry of bids as the implications of such a treasure sank in.

    Sensing the excitement in the air, Anya smiled wickedly and dered, "The starting bid for the armor is 1,000,000 gold coins!"

    "1,200,000!"

    "1,300,000!" another voice shouted, and the bidding war escted as the numbers continued to climb rapidly.

    "1,500,000!"

    "2,000,000!"

    The room was electric with tension as VIPs battled fiercely for the armor. No one wanted to give away such a powerful artifact. It could be said that the only one who was not bidding for the armor was Nox, who was just casually chilling in his designated room.

    The Ethereal Fade ability was useful, yes, but it wasn''t worth the expenditure of his resources when he already had something more versatile.

    [Phantom Cloak Description (Ultimate Skill):

    The user bes pletely" invisible for up to 5 minutes. While in this state, they gain +10 Agility and can pass through solid objects; they also gain the ability to turn any object invisible.

    MP Cost: 20 MP to activate, plus -5 MP per second activated.

    Cooldown: 3 minutes.]

    "Pfft. I wonder how they''d react if they found out I have a simr skill that allows me to bepletely invisible," Nox chuckled, finding the entire auction amusing.

    However, he was slightly surprised by the starting price of the item.

    "Will all items here start from 1,000,000 gold coins?" Nox frowned. After buying treasures for his friends and sister, his wealth had dipped further down to 700,000. He was beginning to worry that, at this pace, he might not get any item from the VIP-only auction, which seemed to be the highlight of this event.@@novelbin@@

    "Let''s see how much the Ice Elemental Crystal fetches first," he mumbled to himself.

    "Hey, what are you thinking about?" Wendy asked after hearing him mumble.

    "Nothing, actually."

    Meanwhile, the bidding showed no signs of slowing down.

    "5,000,000!" a voice rang out from Box Three.

    A few hesitant bids followed, but it was clear that thepetition was thinning. Many VIPs recognized the deep pockets of Box Three and chose to save their coins forter items.

    "5,500,000!

    "6,000,000!" the voice from Box Three dered again, his tone final.

    Anya nced around the room, a knowing smile ying on her lips. "Six million gold coins going once¡­ going twice¡­

    ¡­Sold to Box Three!"

    The armor was soon wheeled to Box Three.

    Inside Box Three, Lucas smiled as he epted the armor. After examining it for a while, he ced it inside his inventory. Zarek, who was standing behind him, frowned slightly when he saw the calctive gleam in Lucas''s eyes.

    Lucas was not the kind to spend money uselessly.

    ''Is he finally nning on taking action by himself?''

    After returning from the Cromwell Barony, where he was tasked with killing Nox, Zarek had reported to Lucas, the head of the Silver family, that Arthur was still alive and was still protecting his family from the shadows.

    Since then, the Silver family had not made any advances on Nox, but¡­

    ''This is about to change. I need to act fast, or he will find out that I lied to him.''

    After the conclusion of the first bid, Anya swiftly moved to the next item. A staff member wheeled another trolley to the stage. However, even before she could unveil it, Nox smiled because he could already sense what it was.

 Chapter 384 Elemental Beast?

    The room, still buzzing with excitement, quieted down as Anya gestured toward the trolley being wheeled onto the stage. Unlike the previous items, this one exuded a cool, almost chilling aura that seemed to lower the temperature in the room.

    "This next item," she began, her voice carrying a hint of mystery, "is something that doesn''t just possess raw power¡ªit''s a treasure coveted by master artisans and mages alike."

    She gripped the edge of the velvet covering, pausing for dramatic effect before pulling it off with a flourish. Beneath it was a crystalline object, shimmering with a pale, icy blue glow. It was about the size of a baby''s fist.

    ''So they finally decided to bring it out?'' Nox smiled to himself as he recognized the item. Just a few minutes ago, he was pondering the next course of action, certain that the 700,000 golden coins in his spatial storage wouldn''t be enough to participate in this auction.

    ''I hope it sells for a hefty amount¡­'' Though he knew elemental crystals cost a fortune, Nox didn''t know the exact price and could only hope in his heart.

    Meanwhile, Anya continued: "This is the Frostheart Crystal. A pure Ice Elemental Core, extracted from the remains of a King-Tier Ice Elemental Beast. This core isn''t just a source of energy¡ªit''s a foundation for creation!"

    Because of the slightly dim lighting in the room, the elemental crystal bathed the entire space in a bluish glow. From their position, the VIPs could see frost forming around the base of its stand, creeping outward in delicate patterns as though the crystal were alive and iming its surroundings.

    "With this core," Anya continued, "you can forge unparalleled weapons, armor, or items imbued with the essence of frost. Imagine wielding a de that freezes anything it touches or wearing armor that renders you immune to mes! And for mages, the core can amplify ice magic to unimaginable levels, creating entire domains of eternal winter."

    She gestured to the frost-covered stand. "Its rarity cannot be overstated. Pure elemental cores of this grade are nearly impossible to acquire, as they require not only the death of a King-Tier Elemental Beast but also perfect preservation to retain their potency."@@novelbin@@

    ''Perfect preservation? What kind of bullshittery is she spitting?'' Nox frowned. Over thest few years, the elemental crystal had been gathering dust in his inventory. Was there a special way to preserve it? Or was he just too ignorant to know about it?

    "The starting bid for this priceless artifact," she announced, her smile sharp, "is 8,000,000 gold coins!"

    Nox''s eyes flew open in shock at the amount.

    ''Eight million gold coins? Huh, that expensive?''

    But that shocksted only a split second before a wide-toothed grin split across his face. This was good! Too good!

    For a moment, there was silence, as if the sheer price stunned even the wealthiest attendees. Then someone broke it with a confident shout:

    "8,500,000!" "9,000,000!" "10,000,000!"

    If paired with the right craftsman, the possibilities for the elemental core were endless! And everyone here seemed aware of this, which was why they were going all out for it.

    While the others werepeting fiercely for the elemental core, Nox was over the moon. He was 10,000,000 coins richer!

    From the look of things, the bidding didn''t seem like it would stop anytime soon. Eventually, the elemental crystal was sold for 11,000,000 golden coins.

    Though Nox was happy, he realized there were mountains above mountains. He still couldn''t believe that the elemental crystal he had barely thought about could sell for such an outrageous amount. Truly, the elemental crystal was worth a fortune!

    Nox subconsciously stared at Box Three, wondering how rich the bidder must be to casually pull out that amount. Either way, now he had 11,700,000 gold coins, which gave him the confidence to participate in the auction.

    Anya wasted no time, stepping forward once more as the crowd settled. "Ladies and gentlemen, the next treasure of the evening is one that requires no introduction to those of you seeking power beyond mortal limits." Discover more content at empire

    She pulled back the velvet cloth, revealing a crystalline vial filled with a radiant mixture of gold and crimson hues. The liquid within seemed to pulse with life, giving off an intense energy that made even the most seasoned VIPs take notice.

    "This is the Soulfire Elixir!" Anya dered, her voice filled with dramatic ir. "A single sip of this elixir will triple your abilities for ten minutes¡ªstrength, speed, mana points, all enhanced to their peak. However, be warned! Such power does note without a price. After the effects wear off, the user will experience severe physical exhaustion for twenty-four hours, leaving them vulnerable. This item is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who aim to seize victory when it matters most!"

    Nox frowned. This was yet another item he didn''t need. He already had barbarian strength. Hence, he skipped this item as well. Unsurprisingly, however, the elixir was sold for a whopping 5,000,000 gold coins.

    After that, a few more interesting items came up, but they weren''t what Nox was looking for. Aside from that, their final prices were also outrageous.

    Not too long after, Anya finally introduced something that piqued his interest again.

    Anya gestured to a ck, cage-like structure that looked more decorative than practical. Inside, a massive bird sat perched, its feathers zing like an open fire. It was a hawk¡ªbut nothing like the ordinary ones found in the wild. mes rippled across its body, dancing between orange, red, and gold, while its glowing yellow eyes scanned the room as if sizing everyone up.

    Furthermore, the beast was constantly thrashing around, as if wanting to escape the cage and obliterate the humans with its powerful mes.

    "An elemental beast!" Nox jumped from his seat as soon as his gaze fell on the hawk, which was without a doubt a fire-type elemental beast.

 Chapter 385 Infernal Emberhawks Intense Hatred

    As soon as Anya revealed the hawk, all eyes turned toward it with a mixture of fascination and awe.

    The ming hawk was beautiful, graceful yet dangerous. Not only that, but the temperature of the room seemed to rise several degrees, causing big beads of sweat to slide down the faces of those present.

    A few even wondered why the cage hadn''t been incinerated. It was only after seeing the runic patterns embedded on the cage that they realized it wasn''t ordinary. The obsidian bars were reinforced with intricate fire-resistant runes, glowing faintly as they absorbed the intense heat radiating from the hawk. These runes not only contained the creature''s fierce ming aura but also ensured that its power didn''tsh out uncontrobly, potentially harming the audience.

    Whispers immediately enveloped the hall.

    "That aura¡­ an Emperor-Tier elemental beast!" someone eximed, their eyes widening in disbelief, though their voice was filled with awe.

    "I''ve heard stories about the ck market auction''s influence, but capturing a live elemental beast of this caliber? That''s a whole different level of power!" another person said.

    "Damn, this must be the special item!" another voice chimed in, brimming with certainty.

    Most of those present were regr attendees, and this was the first time a live elemental beast had been brought to the auction house.

    Among everyone present, it could be said that the most excited person was Nox. A wide smile spread across his handsome face as he quickly used Analyze on the beast.

    ---

    [Infernal Emberhawk - Emperor Tier Lv6]

    Elemental Type: Fire

    Progress: [72/100%]

    Energy: [100%/100%]

    Description:

    A regal and ferocious Emperor-Tier fire elemental beast with a burning hatred for its captors. It possesses immense power and has the potential to dominate the skies with its mes. Its body radiates heat so intense that it scorches the very air around it.

    Special Skills:

    Inferno Tempest (Ultimate Tier): Summons a fiery whirlwind that engulfs a 500-meter radius, dealing devastating fire damage over time.

    Phoenix Rebirth (Ultimate Tier): Resurrects the user from its ashes once per lunar cycle, restoring it to peak condition.

    me Veil (Advanced Tier): Surrounds the user with a barrier of mes, reducing iing damage and inflicting burn on melee attackers.

    zing Dive (Intermediate Tier): Dives at a target with explosive speed, creating a shockwave of fire upon impact. Stay tuned with empire

    Molten Gaze (Intermediate Tier): A paralyzing re that sears the target''s soul, rendering them immobile for a brief duration.

    Evolution Path (4/8): Infernal Emberhawk ¡ú Pyrosm Phoenix

    Requirements:

    Reach Legendary Tier.

    Absorb the Ember Core, found in the heart of active volcanoes.

    Consume three Fire Lotus petals, rare flowers that bloom in extreme heat.

    Bathe in the Eternal me, a sacred fire in ancient ruins, to unlock the true essence of fire.

    Description:

    The Pyrosm Phoenix is the evolved form of the Infernal Emberhawk, ascending to a mythical level of fire maniption. Its mes be purer and hotter, capable of reducing entirendscapes to ash. This form unlocks unparalleled destructive potential while gaining unmatched resilience.

    ---

    ''Such powerful skills and cool evolution paths.'' Nox''s entire body was now literally trembling. Wendy, who was seated close to him, looked at him with slight concern, even though she knew the reason for his excitement.

    One might wonder why the ck market auction decided to bring a live elemental beast when only its elemental core was needed. Nox knew the answer to this question too well.

    It was because of the experience points! Killing an elemental beast granted an insane amount of experience points¡ªenough to make one jump several levels! And the best part of all this was that the runes ced on the cage were restraining the beast, making it rtively easy to kill.

    Considering all this, Nox could already tell that the elemental beast would be sold for a staggering amount. His gaze lingered on the beast for a good two minutes before shifting back to Anya.

    "Behold!" Anya announced with an exaggerated wave of her hand, trying to sound as impressive as possible. "The Infernal Emberhawk! This is no mere bird¡ªit''s an Emperor-Tier Fire Elemental Beast! Look at it! Isn''t it magnificent?"

    The hawk let out a shrill cry, and its wings red open, releasing a gust of heat that spread outward. Trails of fire followed its movements, leaving faint scorch marks on the bars of the cage. It was both mesmerizing and terrifying.@@novelbin@@

    But the next moment, the runes on the cage bars lit up, and the scorch marks faded. The Infernal Emberhawk flinched back from the bars, its eyes filled with a mixture of agony and fear. However, this emotion was very brief, as the next moment, it red at Anya, who was closest to it, with cold murderous intent, as if it wanted to tear through the bars of the cage and incinerate her with its mes.

    Nox, who was several steps away, frowned as he sensed the intense hatred. "This much hate¡­ if it finds a way to free itself, it will certainly attack her first¡­"

    He narrowed his eyes and pondered thoughtfully. ''Could it be that she was the one who captured it?''

    In the end, Nox decided to stop thinking about it. It wasn''t important. His priority was to im this beast as his pet at all costs.

    "Now, let me tell you what makes this beast so special," Anya continued, clearly enjoying her moment in the spotlight. "The Infernal Emberhawk isn''t just about looks¡ªit has power! With its unique skill, Inferno Tempest, it can summon a whirlwind of fire, turning anything in a 500-meter radius to ash! And if you think killing it will stop it¡ªthink again! Its Phoenix Rebirth ability lets it rise from its own ashes, good as new, once every lunar cycle!"

    There was a pause as the hawk gave another screech, its mes ring brighter. The temperature in the room noticeably rose.

    Some people gasped, while others whispered excitedly. Clearly, many wanted it¡ªbut not everyone had the funds for a creature like this.

    Anya smiled, her tone bing yful as she added, "So, who will be the lucky¡ªor should I say, wealthy¡ªone to take this fiery marvel home?"

    "The starting bid is¡­ 5,000,000 gold coins!"

    Before she could even finish, someone yelled,

    "5,500,000!"

    "6,000,000!"

    The room quickly turned into a frenzy of shouting, with bidders fighting tooth and nail for the Emberhawk.

    ''As expected.'' Nox grimaced, his heart squeezing when he heard the starting price, even though he had anticipated it.

    The bidding war erupted like a storm.

    "6,500,000!" a loud, confident voice shouted from the main hall.

    "7,000,000!" another voice quickly followed, sharp and decisive, almost as if the bidder thought they were already victorious.

    The crowd was electric, their gazes darting from one bidder to the next. Some whispered in awe, others just shook their heads, knowing they didn''t stand a chance.

    "7,500,000!"

    "8,000,000!"

    The numbers rose rapidly, and the tension in the room thickened. Many who had hoped to participate earlier were now quietly retreating, realizing they were far out of their league.

    Meanwhile, inside the VIP box, Nox was beginning to get anxious as he watched the price climb rapidly. He couldn''t help but doubt if he would be able to obtain the powerful elemental beast and make it his pet.

 Chapter 386 End of Auction: Claiming The Elemental Beast?

    The small auction room was thick with tension as the bidding war for the Infernal Emberhawk raged on. As if that wasn''t enough, the mes on the hawk also seemed to flicker fiercely, mirroring the intensepetition.

    "Nine million golden coins!" Nox shouted in a slightly shaky voice.

    A collective gasp filled the hall, and for a moment, the hall fell into a brief, stunned silence. Nine million was a sum that not many could casually throw around.

    However, another bidder shouted almost immediately, breaking the brief silence. "Nine point five million!"

    "Damn these old monsters!" Nox clenched his fists, his palms already damp with sweat. His heart was pounding against his ribcage like a war drum. His eyes darted toward the hawk, which seemed to stare in his direction as well.

    ''This isn''t just a beast¡ªit''s a treasure,'' Nox thought, his heart squeezing at the mere thought of letting go of such a powerful creature. He wasn''t the only one who realized the Emberhawk''s true value. Everyone present knew!

    If given to the right cksmith or runesmith, they could craft a weapon containing all its skills.

    Inferno Tempest, Phoenix Rebirth... Skills like those in a weapon could turn the tide of any battle!

    This was one of the reasons Anya had mentioned the skills of the beast at the start of the auction. It was to reignite the passion of the bidders.

    Anya, standing on the auction tform, grinned from ear to ear. This was exactly the kind of energy she wanted. The higher the bids, the bigger hermission, and this crowd was delivering.

    "Nine point eight million!" another bidder called, his voice trembling slightly, as if he was already pushing his limits.

    "Ten million!" came another bid, loud andmanding.

    "Eleven million golden coins!" Nox dered, a fierce gleam in his eyes, though his heart was racing as he wasn''t sure how far his funds would carry him.

    Hearing Nox''s bid, the hall went silent again, the sheer weight of the bid settling over the crowd. Even Anya blinked in surprise at the audacity of the bid before breaking into a wide smile.

    "Eleven million! Do we have any higher?"

    Nox felt a bead of sweat trail down his temple, and his heart pounded so loudly that he was sure the entire room could hear it. ''Please... just let that be the final bid.''

    Eleven million, after all, was almost his entire wealth.

    A heavy silence hung in the air as everyone processed the number.

    But Nox''s prayers were short-lived.

    "Eleven point five million," came a calm, confident voice from Box Three.

    "Not this monster again!" Many people sucked in deep breaths as they recognized the voice. It belonged to the person who had imed the Elixir of Life, after all.

    It was Lucas Silver, the head of the Silver family. The man leaned back in his chair, a slight smirk on his face as he casually sipped his wine.

    Nox gritted his teeth. He couldn''t back down¡ªnot yet. "Eleven point six million!"

    Another bidder quickly chimed in, "Eleven point six one million!"

    The pool of bidders had dwindled significantly. Nox was prepared for this, but there was a problem¡ªhis funds were almost depleted at this point. With a grit of his teeth, he said:

    "Eleven point seven million!"

    This... this was all of Nox''s golden coins!

    In Box Three, Lucas frowned. He wasn''t a man who liked to lose, but his earlier purchases had already pushed his budget. He hesitated, ncing at Zarek on his side, and asked in a low voice:

    "Do I risk it?"

    Zarek didn''t respond immediately, as if he was thinking about something. Lucas swirled the wine in his ss.

    "That''s up to you, patriarch," Zarek said respectfully after a while. Even he could see the potential in the Emberhawk. However, he would be a fool to advise Lucas to im it because there was a 50 percent chance that this same elemental core would be used against him or his master''s son in the future.

    Hence, he left his answer vague.

    After a brief moment of deliberation, Lucas made his choice.

    "Twelve million."

    Nox''s fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His entire body tensed as he realized he couldn''t match that bid. His funds were simply not enough.

    Readtest chapters at empire

    He slumped back into his seat, defeated.

    "Damn it... so close."

    Just as the auctioneer began to dere Lucas the winner, a voice from beside him interrupted.

    "Thirteen million golden coins!"

    Nox''s head snapped toward the direction of the voice, his eyes wide in disbelief.

    "Wendy...?"

    Yes, the person who had spoken up was Wendy.

    But why? Did she have that much money? There were so many questions swirling in Nox''s head.

    She turned to him with a small smile. "You want this beast, don''t you? Then don''t give up so easily."

    The room erupted into chaos. Thirteen million was an astronomical number, and it was clear many had reached their limits.

    Even Lucas hesitated, the weight of his earlier purchases pressing heavily on his mind.

    "Just let it go," Zarek advised.

    Finally, he sighed, shaking his head. "I''m out."

    The other remaining bidders followed suit, one by one.

    "Thirteen million going once..."

    Anya''s voice rang out, cutting through the murmurs.

    "Thirteen million going twice..."

    Nox held his breath, his gaze fixed on the ming hawk.

    "Sold! To the gentleman in Box Seven!"

    The hall exploded with apuse and murmurs, but Nox barely heard any of it. He turned to Wendy, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

    "I... I don''t even know what to say."

    Wendy chuckled. "Don''t mention it. Just pay me back when you can."

    "But that''s¡ª"

    "Two million golden coins," she interrupted with a shrug. "It''s my life savings. I''m a tutor at the academy and took a lot of quests from the Adventure Guild. They pay well, you know."

    Her tone was light, but there was a glimmer of trust in her eyes. "Besides, with your strength, I know you''ll be able to pay me back in no time."

    Nox felt a lump form in his throat. He hadn''t expected such a gesture, and the weight of her trust hit him hard. Unable to find the words, he simply hugged her.

    Wendy froze for a moment before her face turned a deep shade of red. "Alright, alright! Let go already!"

    But deep down inside her, she wanted this moment tost as long as it could.@@novelbin@@

    Unfortunately for her, the moment was cut short as the auction staff wheeled the reinforced cage into their booth. The Infernal Emberhawk''s fiery gaze locked onto Nox''s, and for a brief moment, time seemed to stand still.

    Nox stepped closer, his heart pounding for an entirely different reason now.

    Suddenly, a system notification appeared in his mind.

    [Ding! Do you wish to tame the Infernal Emberhawk?]

 Chapter 387 Blazy, The Flaming Hawk!

    Despite the restraining effect on the cage, the taming process hadn''t gone as smoothly as Nox had expected.

    The Emberhawk still showed signs of defiance. Its gaze was filled with intense anger as it stared at Nox.

    Though humans couldn''t hear them, beasts could perfectly understand humannguage. The Emberhawk had long realized the human''s intention¡ªto murder it and extract its elemental core.

    So it fought with all its might to break out of the hellish steel cage. If only... if only it could break out, the Emberhawk was certain it could burn everyone here to oblivion.

    Even if it couldn''t, it was almost certain that it could at least escape and return.

    Nox felt the hatred and had mixed feelings. Times like this made him realize that even wild creatures had feelings and emotions. They were just like any human being.

    It was just so unfortunate that the natural order of this world was for humans to hunt down beasts to grow stronger and use their body parts to empower themselves. This was the reality of Eos.

    As long as Eos existed, humans and beasts would forever be locked in an endless war.

    [I hate them! I hate every single one of them!]

    [I wish I could kill them! If only I could break free, I''d burn all of them alive! I''d murder them! I''d murder them!]

    "Hey, if you don''t hold yourself back, I fear the anger will consume you even before you act."

    [Eh?]

    The Emberhawk suddenly paused and looked at Nox, its eyes filled with great confusion.

    Did... did the human just speak to it? No! It must be its imagination!

    "Hmmm."

    Wendy narrowed her eyes slightly. During her time with Nox in Snowhelm, she had longe to terms with Nox''s strange habit of speaking with monsters. The same, however, couldn''t be said for someone else.

    The personal attendant.

    She had been here all this while and was the one serving Nox and Wendy the refreshments. At this moment, she was staring at the scene with wide eyes, looking at Nox as if he were a freak.

    Nox, still engrossed with the Emberhawk, was oblivious to her stare.

    "Could you excuse us for some time?" Wendy politely said to the attendant.

    "Huh, y-yeah, okay."

    The attendant stammered, her gaze lingering on the human and beast duo for some time before she eventually stepped out.

    As she did, she couldn''t help but look back.

    "I''m very sure my eyes weren''t deceiving me. That beast was furious a few seconds ago, but the moment that expert spoke to it, it immediately calmed down," the attendant thought back to the moment the Emberhawk had frozen in ce. "I must report this to the young miss after the auction."

    Back inside the private booth, the Emberhawk remained frozen for a good two minutes before it said in a somewhat skeptical voice:

    Your next journey awaits at empire

    [Hateful human, you can understand me?]

    "No, I can''t." Nox replied almost instantly, shaking his head.

    [Huh! You hateful human, you can indeed hear me! How is this even possible?]

    The Emberhawk''s feelings were a mixture of confusion and relief. Relief, because there was someone who could finally hear it!

    It could intimidate the human!

    "It has to do with my ss, you see," Nox responded with a small smile on his face. "I''m a Beast Tamer, and I can make beasts my friends. We can go on adventures, battle wicked people, and grow stronger together."

    [Really? How is that even possible?]

    The Emberhawk temporarily put its ns of intimidating the human on hold. For some reason, it felt the human before it wasn''t lying. And what was this connection?

    So many mysteries!

    "Yes, I can."

    Nox disyed a confident smile and called out in a deep and firm voice:

    "Everyone,e out!"

    "Those auras! What''s happening?"

    "It''sing from Box Seven!"

    The auction suddenly came to an abrupt halt as everyone present felt a tremendous aura pouring out from Booth Seven.

    "Everything is under control!" Anya quickly called out, snapping everyone''s attention back to her. "Our expert is probably trying to extract the elemental crystals, so there''s nothing to worry about."

    [You weren''t lying,] the Emberhawk eximed, its fiery eyes trembling in shock.

    Thirteen, Fluffington, Astralux, Sra, Granite Colossus, and the Supreme Spirit Wolf all appeared beside Nox. Sra, the baby blue python, quickly leaped up and coiled itself around Nox''s neck, staring at the Emberhawk with fascination and curiosity.

    It could feel it... every one of these beasts had a connection to Nox. And unlike it, filled with anger, these beasts seemed happy and got along well.

    "If I hadn''t bought you, there could''ve been only one likely scenario waiting for you," Nox said as he stroked the jellyfish lying on hisp. Then he froze and said coldly:

    "Death. The humans would kill you and use your strength to empower themselves."

    The anger returned, this time even fiercer and more powerful.

    "But..."

    Nox wasn''t done.

    "I offer you another chance at life," he said with a smile. "Join my army. That way, not only will you continue to live, but you can bide your time and take revenge on the ones who captured you. I''ll give you some time to think about it."@@novelbin@@

    [Hey, my, join us! You won''t regret it!] Sra hissed.

    The Emberhawk didn''t respond for a while and simply looked at all the pets present. As a beast, it could perfectly sense others'' emotions, and thus far, all it sensed from Thirteen, Fluffington, Astralux, Sra, Granite Colossus, and the Supreme Spirit Wolf were love and reverence for the human.

    It was so powerful that the Emberhawk was startled.

    [They cany down their lives for him willingly, with a smile on their faces!]

    If this sentiment were simply shared by one or two creatures, the Emberhawk could have dismissed it as bias. But it was every single one of them! They couldn''t all be faking it, right? It was just not possible!

    The Emberhawk exhaled deeply, bowed its head, and said:

    [Surviving is better than dying... I''ll be your pet. Please take care of me well.]

    "Great your name shall be! zy!"

    ---

    The auction came to an end shortly after. Because of depleted funds, despite some cool items that really interested Nox, he was unable to purchase anything. But he swore to himself to return one day when he was rich!

    As he boarded the carriage to return to the academy grounds, little did he know that just up ahead, he would witness something that would forever change his destiny.

    Something that would lead him to the Kingdom of Dragons.

 Chapter 388 A Gift for The Girls

    Stay connected via empire

    After a long ride of about an hour, Nox and Wendy eventually arrived back at the academy. It was already night, and dark clouds had gathered, indicating that an intense downpour was moments away.

    Even the air was extremely chilly and cool.

    "Come, let''s go meet with the others. I have something for you guys," Nox said to Wendy as soon as they stepped out of the carriage.

    "What is it?" Wendy furrowed her brows. But Nox didn''t answer and simply pulled her hand as the duo headed to the Alpha dormitory.

    "Hah, shameless bastard. It hasn''t even been a full semester, and he''s openly showing his rtionship with Instructor Wendy!" a student voiced out, his tone filled with disdain and jealousy.

    "This is clearly an abuse of power as the rank-one student," another spat out, his tone equally venomous.

    A much more reasonable voice sounded not far from the group of students. "Well, he''s not to be med. Not only is he powerful, but he was also blessed with an exceptionally handsome face. I envy him. If I had even a tiny fragment of his handsomeness, my life would''ve been much better."

    The atmosphere in that area became extremely depressing as the others heard this.

    Just as the group of students gossiped about the rank-one student, in a two-story medieval European-style building, two individuals stood on a balcony, ncing below.

    Their eyes, however, were not fixed on the gossiping students. Instead, their piercing res were focused on the backs of Wendy and Nox.

    "So that''s the brother of the one you want to get rid of, huh?" Brandon asked, his blue eyes glinting. His gaze lingered a moment longer on Nox before he nced at Ainsworth, whose eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched, and veins throbbing on his forehead.

    "Yes, he''s the one," Ainsworth said through gritted teeth, his voice sounding more like a growl.

    Brandon didn''t respond immediately. His expression seemed like that of someone deep in thought.

    I thought the Silver family would have dealt with him. How is he still alive? Brandon narrowed his eyes. He had been away from the academy for weeks,pleting an A-rank mission for the Adventure Guild.

    He had only returned today and heard about the new batch of students. However, among them was one person he did not expect to see.

    Nox.

    Though five years had already passed, Brandon could still vividly remember how Nox and his pets had imed the Elemental Crystal back at Snowhelm.

    If he''s still alive, then that means... that means my secrets could be exposed. Brandon''s mind churned.

    "Uncle, what do we do?" Ainsworth''s voice, along with the cold evening breeze, snapped Brandon out of his inner dilemma.

    "What do you want again?" he asked calmly, his eyes shing like lightning in a stormy night.

    "I..." Ainsworth bit his lip and clenched his fists. He thought back to his fierce encounter with Nyx at the Vermilion Royal Castle¡ªthe disrespect, the humiliation he had suffered not once but twice at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and the Entrance Exam.

    Momentster, he exhaled and said slowly, as if drawing emphasis on each word, "I... want... you... to... get... rid... of... her... brother."

    "Why get rid of her brother when you can go for her directly?" Brandon tilted his head to the side and asked in confusion.

    "Because that Nyx girl loves her brother a lot," Ainsworth replied, his eyes gleaming with a wicked light. "I can see it in her eyes. The best way to hurt her is to get rid of her twin. Then, when she''s at her lowest, I''ll strike her."

    Ainsworth paused and then added, "Of course, after taking my sweet time with her."

    "Consider it done, then," Brandon responded without hesitation, his voice confident and determined. "After all, I need to get rid of him to cover some loopholes as well. Thest thing I want is for my secrets toe back and bite me."

    "What loopholes are you talking about?" Ainsworth asked, confused. What was his uncle referring to?

    Under Ainsworth''s confused gaze, Brandon began to walk away. But just as his back disappeared, he said:

    "Don''t worry. I already have the perfect n to get rid of him."

    ---

    "You got me an item?" Serena asked, her beautiful chocte eyes glinting with both surprise and happiness.

    "Yes," Nox nodded.

    Is Serena bing more attractive in my eyes, or is something wrong with me? Nox secretly thought. Her beauty was beginning to rival Nyx''s. Was it because she was bing more mature?

    "What did you get me?" Nyx asked, her voice indifferent as always.

    They were currently seated at a table in the academy cafeteria. The cafeteria was huge, with marble floors and luxurious chandeliers hanging in the air, casting a warm light. A gentle breeze flowed in through the arched windows, grazing the skin of those present. The atmosphere was serene yet lively, filled with the chatter of students enjoying their meals. Nox''s table, however, was the center of attention, as usual.@@novelbin@@

    I mean, why wouldn''t it be when he was the only guy at a table with three drop-dead beauties with extremely hot bodies?

    Nox leaned back in his chair, his demeanor calm and confident. He reached into his spatial ring, pulled out three wrapped packages, and ced them on the table. "I figured you''d both appreciate these," he said, sliding two of the packages toward Serena and Nyx.

    The third package was set aside for Wendy, who had excused herself momentarily to address some academy matters. A momentter, Wendy returned, and Nox handed her thest item.

    "Go ahead, unwrap it," Nox urged with a smile on his face.

    ---

    Thanks to everyone who supports Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appreciate it. I also want you guys to know that I''ll be uploading another pet evolution book, this one meticulously nned.

    Comment below if you want me to upload the first chapter here.

 Chapter 389 A Gift For The Girls [2]

    Wendy raised an eyebrow as she epted the neatly wrapped package. Is he giving me one of the items he purchased from the auction? she thought, ncing between the others, who were already eyeing their gifts with a mix of intrigue and excitement.

    Wrong. The only one excited was Serena. There was only a neutral expression on Nyx''s face. She eyed the package with a bit of skepticism in her eyes.

    Nyx carefully peeled back the wrapping with steady hands, taking her time. Serena, however, couldn''t contain her excitement and ripped into hers without a second thought. Wendy unwrapped hers more slowly; her movements were much more graceful and refined.

    Soon the three girls finally unwrapped their presents.

    Serena gasped as her eyes fell on a sleek, intricately crafted bow made of shimmering azure metal that seemed to ripple like liquid under the chandelier''s light. The limbs were adorned with faint runes that glowed softly, and its string radiated a faint chill.

    "This¡­ is beautiful," Serena whispered, running her fingers along the bow. She could feel the power resonating from it, as if the weapon were alive. "An Icebound Arcane Bow¡­" she read with a slightly dazed expression as the weapon description appeared before her eyes.

    Continue your journey on empire

    Item: Icebound Arcane Bow (Emperor Tier)

    Description: [A masterfully crafted bow forged from Starlight Frostwood and tempered in cial springs. The limbs are adorned with shimmering runes, enhancing precision and damage. When activated for 150 MP, the bow can unleash Frostbite Arrows that slow targets by 30% for 5 seconds and deal bonus ice damage. The bow passively increases the user''s agility and uracy by 15%. Its string is infused with a perpetual cold essence, making it virtually unbreakable and highly responsive to the user''s intent.]@@novelbin@@

    Serena''s hands trembled as she held the Icebound Arcane Bow, her eyes lighting up like stars as she eximed, "This is... incredible. I can feel its power even without activating it! Dammit, I want to test it out right now!"

    "Maybe tomorrow," Nox quickly said. "It''s already toote."

    On the other hand, even Nyx''s neutral expression cracked slightly as her sharp gaze fell on a radiant, gleaming shield. It wasrge but surprisingly light as she lifted it effortlessly.

    Item: Sanctified Aegis (Emperor Tier)

    Description: [This shield, forged from Celestial Mithril and blessed by the Light Pantheon, radiates an aura of protection. It absorbs 20% of iing damage and redirects it into a Holy Shockwave upon activation for 200 MP, dealing damage to nearby enemies. The shield also passively enhances the wielder''s stamina and regeneration rate by 25%. Intricate golden engravings depict the eternal battle between light and darkness, serving as a reminder of the pdin''s duty to uphold justice.]

    "Hmph, it''s not bad," Nyx said unimpressed, though a satisfied smile appeared on her face as she read the description of her item. From the description alone, she could tell Nox had selected this weapon with her ss in mind. She felt warmth in her heart, but of course, showing it to this silly brother of hers was thest thing she would do.

    "Huh, what did you say?" Nox feigned as if he didn''t hear her, which made Nyx''s cheeks burn.

    Nyx quickly shot Nox a re, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I said it''s not bad. Don''t make me repeat myself," she huffed, though the corners of her lips twitched as if suppressing a smile.

    Nox shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, very ungrateful."

    Meanwhile, Wendy unwrapped her package to reveal a striking set of armor that immediately captured everyone''s attention.

    The armor shone under the chandelier''s light, its dark red tes lined with simple gold and ck edges. Each piece looked solid and strong, built for both protection and battle. The shoulder tes had me-like patterns, while the chest piece glowed faintly with fiery symbols.

    Item: Infernal Vanguard Armor (Emperor Tier)

    Description: [This armor, forged in the volcanic forges of Mount Ignis, offers unparalleled protection and offensive capability for a swordfighter. It passively reduces physical damage by 25% and enhances strength and endurance by 15%. When activated for 200 MP, its ability meguard Barrier creates a protective shield of fire, damaging enemies in melee range and absorbing iing attacks for 10 seconds. The armor also provides resistance to fire-based attacks, ensuring the wearer can withstand even the fiercest infernos.]

    Wendy''s eyes softened as she ran a hand along the chest te, feeling the warmth that seemed to emanate from the armor itself. Despite her usualposure, a small smile crept across her face. "It''s perfect. Strong, reliable, and practical," she said, looking up at Nox with gratitude shining in her eyes.

    "It suits you," Nox said, a hint of pride in his voice. "As a swordswoman, you are always exposed, so I wanted to make sure you had something that could offer slight protection in case enemies slipped past your de."

    There was deep silence for a while. Then Wendy did something that shocked everyone. She suddenly hugged Nox.

    "Huh?" Nox''s eyes widened slightly as he suddenly felt Wendy''s chest press against his.

    "Thank you," she sniffed.

    Then, a momentter, he felt his clothes grow moist.

    He slightly raised Wendy''s head and saw tears in her eyes. Nox was confused and couldn''t help but blurt out in a low voice:

    "What is it? Why are you crying?"

    "I''m sorry," Wendy sniffed as she pulled herself back and wiped her tears with the back of her palm. Then she said while ncing down and gripping her clothes, "It''s just that, after my mom, you''re the first person to give me a gift without asking me for anything in return."

    "Well, I don''t want anything in return. All I want is for you to protect yourself with this," Nox said in a firm voice as he flicked a tear from Wendy''s cheek.

    "Nox, you remember what I told you about my father, right?" Wendy suddenly said out of the blue.

    The atmosphere changed all of a sudden. Wendy had told Nox about her sour rtionship with her father. He had learned about how she and her mom were abandoned and how he selected a wealthy woman with a royal background over them.

    "What about him?" Nox said with displeasure on his face.

 Chapter 390 Before Disaster [1]

    "Nothing."

    After a long while, Wendy said as she stuffed food into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she added, "I just suddenly thought of Jim."

    "Hmmm." Nox narrowed his eyes suspiciously but decided not toment further on the matter as he noticed the disinterested expression on Wendy''s face. However, he did wonder why she brought up the topic all of a sudden.

    Could it be that something happened to her father, or... more importantly, was Wendy about to take her revenge? Nox didn''t find the second theory too far-fetched.

    ''But from what I heard, although a merchant, Charles Xavier Chai, is a very powerful Awakened and is always protected, could she really handle them all alone?'' Nox thought darkly. ''Or worse, what if she gets caught in the act and is arrested?''

    ''Maybe I''m just being paranoid... just overthinking?''

    "Wendy," Nox suddenly said.

    "Hmm?" Wendy looked up at him with an inquisitive gaze. "What is it?"

    Nox sighed and said in a deep voice, "If you ever need help in the future, you know where to find me."@@novelbin@@

    Wendy smiled. "Of course, I will."

    Nyx and Serena watched the two exchange words with a confused look on their faces. Why did it feel as if those two were speaking in a codednguage that only they could understand?

    Soon after, because it was alreadyte, everyone went their separate ways. Wendy was the first person to leave, followed by Nyx and Serena, who had decided to go train in one of the academy''s training facilities.

    Although they said "train," Nox was very certain that they went out to test their new items.

    One of the benefits of being a special ss student was ess to state-of-the-art facilities. Not only that, but special ss students were also allowed to bring their friends from other sses to these training facilities.

    After realizing this, several Alpha ss students in recent days had been trying to befriend the special ss students, even going so far as to run errands for them.

    Fortunately for Serena, she didn''t have to deal with such ttery or scheming. Nyx''s invitation was purely based on true friendship. The two walked side by side through the academy''s dimly lit corridors, the rain tapping against the tall ss windows. The rhythmic sound of water cascading down the panes brought a calm serenity.

    "It''s that time of the season... what do they call it again?" Serena stroked her chin.

    "Tsk, you country bumpkin!" Nyx teased, rolling her eyes. "It''s called rainy season."

    "Ah, my bad." Serena blushed.

    Upon arriving at the training facility, Nyx scanned her student ID on the glowing runic console, unlocking the entrance. Serena followed closely behind, marveling at the state-of-the-art equipment that filled the expansive room. Holographic dummies, gravity chambers, and mana-feedback simtors stood ready for use.

    What stood out most were the various runic symbols scribbled across the equipment and walls. It was evident that runes powered everything here.

    "This ce is incredible," Serena whispered, her eyes sparkling.

    Nyx smirked. "Try not to get too distracted. We''re here to train, not sightsee."

    Serena rolled her eyes but nodded. They began their session with basic warm-ups before moving on to more intensive drills.

    As the session started, bothbatants summoned their newly acquired weapons. Notching an arrow on her ice-bound arcane bow, Serena aimed at Nyx.

    The bowstring glimmered with frost as it stretched taut under her grip.

    Nyx simply smirked and raised her shield.

    "Tsk, tsk, you underestimate me too much!" Serena quipped, her eyes narrowing. She released the arrow, and it shot forward, leaving a trail of icy mist.

    FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

    Nyx stepped forward at the same time, her shield glowing faintly as it absorbed the impact.

    BANG!

    A sharp bang sounded as frost splintered off the shield''s radiant surface.

    "Not bad," Nyx said, lowering her shield slightly. "But you''ll need to do better than that if you want to keep me on my toes."

    Serena grinned. "Oh, I wasn''t done."

    She activated the Frostbite ability, and the next arrow shimmered with an icy blue aura. As she released it, the air around the arrow seemed to freeze, leaving a chilling wake.

    Nyx nted her feet, the Sanctified Aegis emitting a golden barrier. The Frostbite Arrow mmed into the shield, and frost spread across the golden engravings, battling against the radiant warmth.

    "You think you''re clever, don''t you?" Nyx muttered, her voice steady despite the pressure.

    Serena tilted her head, feigning innocence. "I try."

    Nyx pressed a button on the shield''s inner grip, and with a sh of light, a Holy Shockwave burst forth, shattering the frost and forcing Serena to leap back.

    "Dammit!"

    While the two were engrossed in their sparring session, a series of footsteps sounded behind them. They abruptly stopped and quickly turned their heads toward the source of the sound, spotting a blue-haired man standing there.

    An instructor?

    Nyx and Serena discerned this from his attire alone.

    "Don''t mind me. Continue your spar. I''m only here to watch," Brandon Chai said with a wicked smile. "Maybe I''ll even show you girls some pointers."

    Meanwhile, Nox strolled through the academy grounds, the rain falling steadily around him. The darkened path was illuminated by faint streetlights, casting long shadows. As he approached the dormitory building, he spotted a familiar figure heading toward the library.

    Zara.

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    Her icy aura was unmistakable, though it seemed softened under the gentle rain.

    "Where is she going?" Nox thought to himself. She was walking in a hurry as if eager to catch up with something.

    "Very, very suspicious. First, it was the auction, now she''s heading toward the library."

    Lost in thought, Nox didn''t even realize when he started following her.

    She was walking through a long path, and Nox followed behind her.

    "I know you''re following me," she suddenly said without turning back. Her voice was chilling, like that of an evil goddess.

    "I know. I wasn''t trying to hide," Nox replied with a smile. He quickened his pace and caught up to her. Once he was within arm''s length, he asked, "Zara Frostpire, can we speak for a moment?"

 Chapter 391 Warrior Princes

    In the world of Eos, there were rivers and oceans everywhere, each with its own story. But none of them couldpare to the Great Seas. These waters were vast, stretching so far that no one could see the end. They weren''t just big¡ªthey were special. The Great Seas acted as a border, keeping humans on one continent and non-humans on the other.

    But more importantly, they hid something incredible: Valha, the legendary home of the Valkyries. The seas were said to be enchanted, with storms and currents that could tear apart anyone unworthy of crossing. Only the strongest or most determined could hope to make it through.

    Of course, the seas weren''t enchanted in any way; it was just the natural state of the Great Seas.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    The waves hit the side of a small ship cutting through the water. Standing at the helm was Akira. Her silver hair whipped wildly in the wind, glowing under the sunlight. Her bright violet eyes stared ahead with determination. It had been several days since she left Valha, yet she had yet to see anynd.

    ''Luckily, I have enough supplies in my storage ring, or else I''d be very hungry by now.'' Akira muttered to herself as she bit into a snack.

    Akira had been anxious in thest few days. Knowing the queen of Valha, her mother, she was certain that they''d started chasing her.

    It was one of the reasons why she kept looking behind from time to time, but she had yet to see any ship. It should''ve given her some relief; however, on the contrary, it only made her more worried.

    Did Akira regret her decision? No, she didn''t. She clenched the railings of the ship tightly, her knuckles turning white as she thought about the life she had left behind.

    ''If I had stayed behind, I''d probably have be a concubine for that disgusting prince and a breeding partner.'' Determination burned in Akira''s eyes. "That... that''s not the kind of life I envisioned for myself."

    "I want a life of adventure and to be truly loved. The giants can''t give that. They only see us as objects to quench their satisfaction, to be discarded when we''re no longer needed."

    ''Yes, I''m doing the right thing!''

    "Wait... What is that?"

    Akira snapped out of her thoughts as her gaze locked onto a monstrous ship cutting through the waves, towering over her own vessel like a predator over its prey. Her ship, dwarfed inparison, seemed as insignificant as an ant before the tyrannical behemoth.

    The eyes of the Valkyrie Princess shed dangerously as she recognized the banners fluttering on the ship.@@novelbin@@

    "Skyrend Kingdom."

    It was the giants.

    Inside the hold of the colossal ship, a man twice the height of a human was staring at the tiny ship with a smirk on his face. In his grasp was amunication crystal.

    "My lord, we have spotted the prince." He ryed to the person on the other side.

    "Good." A deep, satisfied voice echoed from the other side. "I''ll be there soon."

    Arnold, the one in charge of the ship, ced themunication crystal into his pocket and ordered the Captain to crush the smaller ship.

    "Tsk." Akira scowled as she saw through the intention and scowled.

    "You want to crush me?" The princess smirked. Then, in a cold voice, she uttered, "Come and get me!"

    At the same time, radiant wings, simr to Erin''s, started to sprout from her back. Discover exclusive content at empire

    "Unlike Aunt Erin, my time is much more limited. I only have two minutes to end this."

    A fierce gleam shone in Akira''s eyes. As she ced her hand on the ship, it disappeared in a burst of light, appearing inside her inventory.

    ''I wouldn''t have gone all out like that, but there are about 20 or even more giants inside there. I can''t afford to take any chances.''

    The radiant wings pped, and Akira''s body shot upwards, cutting through the wind barrier. Her lush silver hair floated in the air.

    "She''s getting away!" A giant shouted with a panicked expression. In his hands was a massive pir that seemed to be ripped off from a building; the edges were sharp and glinted ominously.

    "She isn''t." Arnold stated calmly. "If she could easily get away, she wouldn''t be using a ship in the first ce."

    After covering about 500 meters in mid-air, she suddenly came to a stop. Akira''s violet eyes narrowed as she hovered midair, her radiant wings glowing brighter with each passing second. She raised her hand high, her voice cold and resolute.

    "Celestial Wrath: Skybreaker!"

    The air around her crackled as the skies seemed to respond to hermand. A massive golden spear of light formed above her, stretching wider and taller than the colossal ship below. It pulsed with raw energy, radiating enough power to make the ocean tremble.

    Onboard the giant''s ship, chaos erupted.

    "What is that?!" A panicked giant shouted, clutching his weapon tightly.

    Arnold''s confident smirk twisted into a grimace as he stared up at the overwhelming force. "She''s just one Valkyrie! How can she¡ª"

    But before he could finish, Akira thrust her hand forward. The golden spear shot down like divine judgment, piercing through the ship with a deafening explosion.

    BOOM!

    The entire ship was engulfed in a zing white light, and the sea roared as waves surged violently outward.

    Akira stared at the ship onest time before descending back to the ground and continued her journey on her ship as if she had not single-handedly dealt with a fleet of giants.

    Some timeter, after Akira had left the scene, another ship arrived just in time before the giant ship could sink into the sea.

    "What happened here?" The giant prince, Gideon, asked in a deep voice, anger flickering across his eyes as he saw the state of his brethren.

    "T-the..." Arnold stammered, his arm trembling as he pointed towards the south where Akira had sailed.

    "Princess Akira." He managed to say. "She was... she was too..."

    Before he couldplete his words, Arnold''s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell back, his head hitting the ground with a light thud.

    "She was too powerful?" Gideon whispered to himself with aplicated glint in his eyes. Even though Arnold couldn''tplete his sentence before dying, he could perfectly guess what he was about to say.

    "All this for a male? The princess would go as far as making our kingdom an enemy?" Intense anger burned in Gideon''s eyes. He felt rage and jealousy¡ªrage for the death of his men. Surprisingly jealous... jealous because the princess would go to such dangerous lengths just for a human male.

    ''Such a lucky man,'' he thought silently in his heart as he walked toward the edge of his ship and looked southward. In the distance, he could see the sun copsing into the ocean and the moon rising.

    A malevolent light glinted in Gideon''s eyes as a smile that wasn''t a smile appeared on his fairly handsome face. "Continue the journey. I have an idea of which human kingdom the human male is from."

    "Captain, which kingdom?" Asked a giant with a deepwork-like scar on one side of his face, as he came up to Gideon.

    "There are six kingdoms in the far West: the Vermilion Kingdom, Snowhelm, Valeria Imperi, Aetherai, and Tristan. However, south of the Great Sea leads to only one kingdom... and that is the shores of the Vermilion Kingdom..."

 Chapter 392 Before Disaster [2]

    Inside one of the luxurious buildings, Amos stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the stormy sky. A cold breeze brushed against his face, sending a chill through his bones.

    "This rain," he muttered to himself, "there''s something strange about it."

    His eyes lingered on the dark clouds swirling ominously above, with asional shes of lightning rippling through the night sky.

    "Something terrible is about to happen," he whispered, a sense of dread creeping into his voice. It felt like an ill omen, one he could feel deep in every fiber of his being.

    Meanwhile,pletely unaware of the impending danger, Nyx and Serena were inside the special ss training facility. Both girls stood with irritated and unwavering expressions, staring at the neer who had interrupted their sparring session. The stranger had appeared out of nowhere to stop their fight, and it really annoyed them¡ªespecially Nyx, who had been enjoying herself.

    From his uniform, Nyx could tell he was most likely an instructor at the academy, but that didn''t stop her from speaking her mind.

    "Sir, could you please excuse us? We were in the middle of something, as you can see?"

    Serena''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Did she just say ''please''?" she muttered, astonished. It was hard to believe¡ªhow many times had Nyx ever used the word "please"? Serena couldn''t even count them on one hand!

    "You... how rude," Brandon spat, clearly offended by the way Nyx had addressed him.

    "Rude? She clearly said please," Serena retorted, not backing down as she stood beside her friend.

    "I''ll let this slide and call it a rookie mistake," Brandon said dismissively, waving his hand as he stepped closer, his boots clicking sharply against the ground as he closed the distance between himself and the two girls.

    "I was just passing by and heard you training," he exined. "I decided to watch a little, and I must say, I''m impressed. But you two are still clearlycking."

    "We''re perfectly fine, mi¡ª" Nyx began, but Brandon cut her off.

    "Ah, my bad. I forgot to introduce myself," he said with a smirk. "My name is Brandon Chai, and I''m the Field Instructor for the special ss students."

    "Field instructor? What''s that?" Serena asked, a puzzled expression on her face. Nyx, too, looked confused¡ªthis was the first time she had ever heard of a "Field Instructor."

    "Oh, I see you girls have a lot to learn... Allow me to enlighten you," Brandon said, smiling as his eyes swept over Nyx and Serena''s bodies, lingering particrly on their chest areas.

    ''Such beauty¡­ it''s almost divine!'' he thought inwardly, a look of admiration in his eyes.

    Nyx saw right through his thoughts, and a disgusted expression crossed her face.

    ---

    "Zara Frostpire, can we speak for a moment?"

    "What do you want to talk about?" Zara asked, her voice icy, though something in her seemed to pull her in despite every instinct telling her to stay far away from this person. She knew it was business, but a part of her couldn''t help but feel curious about whatever he had to say.

    Nox took a deep breath, then extended his senses, ensuring that no one was eavesdropping. Zara, who was acutely aware of his actions, furrowed her brows, confusion flickering in her ice-blue eyes.

    Why the need for such secrecy? Her instincts were on high alert, and a small part of her wondered if he nned to attack.

    After several seconds of silence, Nox spoke, his voice low and heavy. "What are you doing in the human domain?"

    The moment those words left his mouth, Zara''s eyes widened, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. Her entire being froze as Nox''s words hung in the air. The rain outside seemed to still, as though the world itself had paused in anticipation.

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    ''H-he knows!'' Zara thought, her heart pounding in her chest. ''My instincts... is that why they always warned me to stay far away from him? To keep my distance? But how does he know? Was I just misinterpreting his words?''

    "I know you''re not human, Zara," Nox continued, his words shattering any hope she had left.

    "You''re a long way from home."

    Suddenly, Zara clenched her fists, the air around her growing colder as frost began creeping along the ground. "Say another word, and I''ll¡ª"

    "You''ll what? Attack me?" Nox interrupted, his tone calm but firm. "You won''t win, Zara. I''m not saying this to provoke you¡ªI''m stating a fact. I know your weaknesses."

    With that, he began listing them off one by one, detailing not only her limits but also precise ways to exploit them. Each word felt like a sharp knife cutting deep into her chest¡ªthis was all due to his beastly senses and skills, of course.

    Zara, however, had no idea about that.

    Her breathing grew heavy as the reality of his words sank in. How did he know so much about her? Her usual calmposure was beginning to crack. For the first time in years, she felt genuine fear¡ªnot just of his strength, but of his intelligence and foresight.

    ''All this time¡­ I thought I was the only one who knew these weaknesses. So how did he? Could he be... a dragon disguised as a human?'' Zara''s mind spun with wild theories. But if that were true, why hadn''t she sensed anything from him? It should have been easy to detect.

    But there was nothing. This meant that a human had somehow learned the inherited weaknesses of all ice dragons.

    This was bad. Very bad. If this information were to spread, the entire Frost Dragon race could go extinct.

    Zara sighed, her thoughts swirling. She couldn''t afford to underestimate Nox.

    She would have to tread carefully.@@novelbin@@

    "Why¡­ why are you doing all this?" she asked, her voice colder than ever.

    Nox smiled. "I..."

    ---

    A big thank you to all those who have supported Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I truly appreciate it. Your support motivates me to write more chapters!

 Chapter 393 Before Disaster [4]

    Brandon smirked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the girls. Seeing their slightly confused expressions, a look of disappointment shone in his eyes as he crossed his arms and began to exin.

    "A Field Instructor isn''t just some glorified babysitter, if that''s what you''re thinking. My job is to ensure you special ss students don''t embarrass the academy¡ªor yourselves¡ªif you''re ever sent on an outside mission."

    Nyx raised an eyebrow, her expression unimpressed. She said with a frown on her face, "Outside mission? What exactly does that mean? Isn''t the academy supposed to prepare us before sending us out? So why would we need a babysitter?"

    Brandon chuckled, a low, condescending sound that seemed to irritate Nyx and Serena.

    "You''re right... it was like that in the past. But you see, five years ago, a high-profile student passed away on a mission, and the said family of the student has been on the academy''s neck since then. Because of that, the academy decided to tighten its grip on students'' safety, especially during external missions. That''s where wee in¡ªField Instructors. Think of us as your shields in dangerous situations and your evaluators in everything else. We''re here to make sure the academy''s reputation doesn''t sink along with any foolish mistakes you might make."

    Nyx''s disgust deepened. The way he talked, the way he carried himself¡ªit all screamed arrogance. And the way his eyes lingered on them made her stomach churn.

    At that moment, before things could escte further, Serena stepped up. "Alright, mister Field Instructor, as you can see, we''re not on a mission, so if you don''t mind, could you excuse us?"

    "I was just kinda busy, but then I saw you two unpolished gems," Brandon said. "And as a good instructor, my job is to turn you into warriors who can survive in the chaos outside these walls. Because if you don''t? You''ll die. And trust me, I''m not wasting my time babysitting corpses."

    Serena frowned, her hand instinctively moving to the bow slung over her shoulder. "You don''t need to be so dramatic. We''re perfectly capable of handling ourselves."

    Brandon''s smirk widened. "Oh? Is that what you think? Then why don''t we test that theory?"

    Nyx''s eyes glinted with irritation. She didn''t like the guts of this instructor. She could clearly tell this instructor was in the same age group as Wendy, so why did he act as if he was an adult?

    At that moment, a smirk appeared on Nyx''s lips as she suddenly thought of something. Tilting her head, she said, "Fine, let''s see what you''ve got, Field Instructor."

    Serena''s jaw dropped. "Nyx, are you serious? He''s¡ª"

    "He''s just another loudmouth," Nyx interrupted, stepping forward. "Let''s see if he can back it up."

    Brandonughed, the sound echoing through the training hall. "You¡ª" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver medallion. With a flick of his wrist, the medallion shimmered, activating a barrier that surrounded the three of them.

    "Safety barrier," he exined casually. "Wouldn''t want to destroy the facility now, would we?"

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    Nyx didn''t wait for him to finish his exnation. She lunged forward, a radiant sword in her hand. As soon as she covered the distance, her de shed through the air.

    But...@@novelbin@@

    Brandon dodged effortlessly, his movements fluid as water.

    "Hasty," he taunted. "First mistake."

    Nyx didn''t reply, spinning on her heel to sh at his side. He blocked with his forearm, the ng of steel against enchanted armor ringing out. He countered with a swift punch aimed at her ribs, but she twisted away just in time.

    Serena watched from the sidelines, her heart pounding. Something about the way Brandon moved sent a chill down her spine. This wasn''t just a spar. His eyes... that murderous glint... He was fighting with intent to kill.

    "Nyx, be careful!" Serena called out, but her warning was drowned out by the fight.

    Brandon''s smirk vanished, reced by a cold, calcting expression. He pressed the attack, forcing Nyx to retreat as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.

    "This is the difference between a student and a warrior," Brandon sneered. "Do you feel it? That weight in the air? That''s what it''s like to fight someone who doesn''t care whether you live or die."

    Nyx gritted her teeth, her disgust for the man fueling her movements. She ducked under a wide swing and retaliated with a sh of her own.

    CLANG!

    Sparks flew all around as the two des shed.

    "Cute trick, but it''s not enough."

    Brandon closed the distance in an instant, his swording down in an arc that Nyx barely blocked.

    Boom!

    The force of the blow sent her skidding back, her arms trembling.

    "Is that all you''ve got?" Brandon sneered. "Disappointing."

    Meanwhile, Serena couldn''t take it anymore. Brandon was a level 70 Awakened. Nyx was clearly no match for him. She had to do something, or things could get terrible.

    "Enough!" she shouted, stepping forward with her bow raised.

    Brandon stopped, his sword hovering inches from Nyx''s neck. He turned his head slowly, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Oh? Do you want to join her?"

    Nyx, breathing heavily, red at him. "Back off, Serena. I don''t need your help."

    Serena hesitated, but the determination in Nyx''s voice made her lower her bow.

    Brandon chuckled, stepping back and sheathing his sword.

    "Not bad," he said, though his tone was far from genuine. "You''ve got potential, but you''re nowhere near ready. If this had been a real fight, you''d already be dead."

    Nyx wiped the sweat from her brow, her disgust for the man reaching new heights. "If you''re done showing off, get out of our way."

    "Tsk." Brandon clicked his tongue as he turned around and started to leave.

    "Are you okay?"

    "I''m fine."

    As Brandon left, he heard the two talking amongst themselves. He took a turn and was soon walking down a hallway all alone.

    "She''s strong for her age, but her strength won''t be any trouble for what I''m about to do." Brandon smirked.

 Chapter 394 Before Disaster [5]

    "Because I''m a BeastTamer." Nox saw no reason to hide his ss and told her the truth right away. However, Zara was confused, and seeing this, Nox quickly added:

    "I know you won''t know about it, but my ss lies in taming beasts, forging bonds with them, and growing stronger together."

    "So how does that..." Zara was about to continue, but her eyes narrowed, an icy gleam dancing in them. Nox felt the temperature plummet.

    No, this wasn''t his imagination. All the raindrops surrounding them froze at that moment.

    "Y-you want me to be your ve!" she growled, her voice evolving into something that sounded like that of a dragon.

    However, despite the chill crawling out of her body, there was no sign of difort on Nox''s features. Instead, he facepalmed and sighed heavily:

    "Dammit, why do all of you instinctively think you''ll be my ve?"

    Even the Ant Queen had said the same thing!

    But he couldn''t really me them. If someone showed up at his door wanting to turn him into a pet, he''d be pissed off as well.

    However, Nox didn''t know any nicer way to go about this. There was another method that required him to beat her into a weakened state and force her to submit, but Nox wasn''t that heartless. It would be a big dent in his self-esteem.

    So he decided to be straightforward.

    Now, he would have to convince her.

    Nox dropped his hand from his face, his golden eyes meeting Zara''s icy gaze without flinching. The air between them crackled with tension, the frozen raindrops shimmering like suspended diamonds.

    "Listen, Zara," he said evenly, his voice calm but firm. "I don''t see taming as very. I see it as a partnership¡ªan alliance where both sides grow stronger together. I don''t force anyone into submission. Beasts who follow me do so willingly."

    Zara''s frosty aura red, and the frozen rain began to crack and fall as shards of ice.

    "Willingly? You think I''d willingly let myself be leashed like some mindless beast?"

    "I don''t leash anyone," Nox retorted in a sharp tone. "I offer power, growth, and a chance to surpass your limits. Do you think I''d waste my time on a simple-minded brute? No, Zara. I''m interested in you because of your strength, your potential, and your will. You''re no ordinary beast."@@novelbin@@

    ''Ah, will I have to bullshit all pets like this?''

    Her eyes narrowed further, but she didn''t interrupt him.

    "You misunderstand my intentions," Nox continued. "I don''t want to dominate you¡ªI want to fight alongside you. I want to help youplete your evolution requirement and evolve even further. I want you to be the best version of yourself."

    Nox paused, then added, "After all, if you''ll fight alongside me, I want you to be as strong as you can."

    Zara crossed her arms, her gaze softening slightly. She didn''t know if he was bluffing or not, but his words... why were they so sincere?

    "What would you gain from this?"

    "An army..." Nox said as if it was very obvious. "To go against a group of people. But for your own sanity, it''s better you don''t know."

    How was he supposed to tell her that he wanted to gather an army of beasts and go against the patron gods of all sses? She would probably think he was mentally ill.

    Zara''s expression faltered, her icy aura flickering. She didn''t speak, but Nox could see the conflict in her eyes. He pressed on, seizing the opportunity.

    "Now back to my question: Why are you here, Zara?" he asked, his voice softening but losing none of its intensity. "What brought you to the human domain? You''re far from home, and I doubt it''s by choice."

    She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line as she debated whether to reveal the truth.

    After a moment, she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.

    "Fine. You want to know why I''m here? My kingdom is in danger."

    Nox''s expression didn''t change, but she could sense his interest deepen.

    "Scourge Beasts," Zara continued in a heavy voice. "Creatures of pure chaos that corrupt and devour everything in their path. They''ve invaded my homnd, and now, a Legendary-tier Scourge Alpha has appeared. Our defenses are failing, and if I don''t evolve, my kingdom will fall."

    For a moment, silence filled the air.

    Nox studied her carefully, his golden eyes unreadable.

    A wistful expression appeared on Zara''s face as she added, "I''m here toplete my evolution. To grow stronger and return to help my people."

    Her gaze became even sharper as she growled, "And I won''t allow anyone to sto¡ª"

    "How about we make a wager?" Nox suddenly spoke, interrupting Zara''s emotional moment.

    "A wager?" Zara repeated, confusion flickering in her beautiful eyes.

    "Yes," Nox said, his dark eyes gleaming. "If I help you defeat the Scourge Alpha and you seed in your evolution, you''ll let me challenge you. And if I win, you''ll be my beast."

    Zara stared at Nox with a shocked expression as if she couldn''t believe what she had just heard. For a moment, the only sound was the soft patter of the rain.

    He would help me? Can he really go against the Alpha Scourge Beast? How strong was he? After hearing all these things, Zara was expecting him to chicken out, yet... yet he wanted to help instead? Where was he getting this confidence from?

    Zara knew that toe out on top in the entrance exam, Nox had to be pretty powerful, but to what extent? She didn''t really know as she had never fought him before. She was genuinely curious about how he would pull this off. Explore more adventures at empire

    After thinking for a while, she said in a somewhat skeptical voice:

    "Okay, if you help me deal with the Scourge Beasts, not only will I be your pet, I''ll also convince the rest of my people to join your army."

    Nox smiled. He could see the skepticism in Zara''s eyes. He could tell she didn''t really believe he could pull it off, but...

    "Deal, then," Nox said confidently and shook Zara''s icy palm. Zara looked at him with even more intensity. Could he really keep this promise?

    Why did he look like someone who had a hidden trump card to defeat the powerful Scourge Beasts?

    "So, when are we leaving for your kingdom?" Nox asked a momentter.

 Chapter 395 Before Disaster: The Real Threat of the Scourge Alpha Beast

    "When are we leaving?" Zara asked with a lost, dumbfounded expression, as if she were looking at a rare species. "You... you really are eager to die, aren''t you?"

    This was the only thing Zara could say when she saw the excited gleam in Nox''s eyes. Was he really underestimating the strength of an Alpha Scourge Beast? Didn''t he know how terrifyingly powerful those dragons were?

    "It seems you don''t really know much about the Scourge Beasts." Zara sighed, doubting if it was the right choice to trust this male.

    Nox nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face because, in truth, even he had no idea what the Scourge Beast looked like. All he knew was that the Scourge Alpha Beast leader was at the Legendary Tier¡ªa rank much higher than Emperor Tier and just two steps away from Sovereign Tier.

    Nox knew it would be tough battling a Legendary Tier beast, and he could lose his life, but the risk was worth it. An army of dragons at his disposal? That would be the most powerful force in all of Eos. This was the reason he was eager to start this journey right away.@@novelbin@@

    Besides, he could go on a copy-and-upgrade spree for both his pets and himself before heading to the Kingdom of Frostpire, where Zara came from. He would be armed to the teeth to avoid being at too much of a disadvantage.

    At that moment, Nox exited his thoughts as Zara began to inform him about the Scourge Beasts.

    "The Scourge Beasts are not your ordinary beasts... they''re dragons, just like me," Zara began, her icy gaze fixed on Nox, as if trying to drill some sense into him. "They are corrupted, tainted by chaos itself. Their bodies emit an aura of destruction, and their very presence corrupts thend. But as for the Scourge Alpha¡­ it''s on another level entirely. Its roar alone can shatter mountains, and its mes devour anything, even magic."

    Nox listened intently, but there was a flicker of excitement in his dark eyes that Zara couldn''t ignore. Was this boy insane, or was he truly confident in his abilities? She couldn''t tell.

    "And yet," Nox said, interrupting her, "you still think you can face it. You came here toplete your evolution so you could stand against it. Why is it so hard to believe that I want to help you?"

    "Because helping me means you''re putting your life on the line," Zara stated calmly. "Do you have any idea what a Legendary Tier beast is capable of? You might be strong, Nox, but this isn''t some entrance exam sparring match. This is life or death. And if you die, your ambitions, your dreams you spoke about will die along with you."

    Nox smirked. "Dreams are meant to be pursued, even if the path is dangerous. Besides¡­" He paused, his eyes glinting with determination. "I have no intention of dying. I''ve faced impossible odds before, and I''ll do it again."

    I thought I''d die several times in Snowhelm, but I still managed to survive, Nox thought.

    Zara let out an exasperated sigh, crossing her arms. "You''re either the bravest person I''ve ever met¡­ or the most reckless. Maybe both."

    "My sister would have said reckless, but I call it being brave," Nox replied with a confident smirk. "But I''m not backing down. If anything, you should be d I''m this stubborn. It means I''ll see this through to the end."

    Zara studied him for a long moment, her icy aura flickering around her. There was something about his confidence, his sheer audacity, that was both infuriating and oddly reassuring. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn''t as reckless as he seemed.

    "Fine," she said atst, her tone begrudging. "But don''t say I didn''t warn you. The Scourge Alpha is unlike anything you''ve ever faced."

    "Warnings noted," Nox said with a grin. "Now, tell me everything I need to know about these Scourge Beasts. If we''re going to do this, I need to be prepared."

    Zara hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright. The Scourge Alphamands an army of corrupted dragons. They''re not just mindless beasts; they''re intelligent, cunning, and fiercely loyal to their leader. Each one is a force to be reckoned with, even the weaker ones. And the Alpha¡­"

    Zara paused and shivered, a grim expression on her face as if she were reminiscing about a bad memory. A momentter, she said, "Its power... its mes can incinerate anything theye into contact with in seconds."

    Nox''s eyes shed when he heard this. Though he had not witnessed the skill being used, from Zara''s expression and the tension in her voice, he could tell that the skill would be very troublesome to deal with. However, thanks to learning this information, he would be able to make the necessary preparations in time.

    "This reminds me," Nox suddenly said, a thoughtful expression crossing his handsome features. "How long do we have before the Scourge Alpha makes its move?" he asked.

    "Not long," Zara admitted, her expression grim. "The corruption is spreading faster than we anticipated. Our ice walls are beginning to thaw. My people are barely holding the line, and the Alpha could attack at any moment."

    "Then we don''t have time to waste," Nox said firmly. "We''ll leave a few days from now. But first, I need to prepare. If I''m going to face a Legendary Tier beast, I need to be at my best."

    Zara raised an eyebrow. She was genuinely curious about the preparation Nox wanted to do beforehand and didn''t even know when the words left her mouth.

    "And how exactly do you n to prepare for something like this?" Discover more content at empire

    Nox smirked. "Let''s just say I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Trust me, by the time we reach your kingdom, I''ll be ready."

    Zara didn''t respond immediately, but she could see the determination in those beautiful dark eyes. Whether he was reckless or not, he wasmitted to this. And for some reason, that gave her a glimmer of hope.

    After making some ns, the two left, and the next day, Nox took yet another leave from the academy. This time it wasn''t for an auction but for the Adventure Guild.

 Chapter 396 Before Disaster: Adventure Guild!

    The next day, Nox left the academy grounds after taking a leave of absence from the headmistress herself. After putting on the mask of Hound and adjusting his level to 100, he boarded a carriage that carried him straight downtown.

    Nox had a pretty retentive memory. After going out two times, he was now a bit familiar with the capital and was confident he wouldn''t get lost. Besides, he could also ask the coachman for directions¡ªthey were, after all, very knowledgeable and knew all the routes to take.

    The bustling streets of the capital stretched out before him, filled with loud voices and the tter of hooves on cobblestones. Nox paid little attention to the surroundings, his mind focused on his destination: the Adventurer''s Guild.

    He had been nning to visit this ce for a while now.

    It didn''t take long for Nox to arrive at the Adventurer''s Guild. Naturally, the outside was filled with the Awakened. The fake statue of the king still loomed in front. Anger briefly clouded his mind, but he pushed all these thoughts away and stepped through the massive oak doors of the Adventurer''s Guild.

    Keeping his head low, Nox made his way to the counter, where a stern-looking receptionist greeted him with a sharp nod.

    "Wee to the Adventurer''s Guild," the woman said crisply. "How can I assist you?"

    "I''m here to take on a quest," Nox replied in a slightly deep voice. The receptionist''s eyes flickered with recognition¡ªlevel 100 was impressive.

    "An expert? Impressive. You''ll have ess to mid-to-high-tier quests," she said, though her tone remained professional. "Can I see your adventurer''s card?"@@novelbin@@

    "Adventurer''s card?" Nox smiled bitterly. What the hell was that? But he wisely said quickly, "I misced it some years back, so I decided to get a new one. I''m not from this kingdom, you see."

    Seeing his expression, the receptionist smiled. "It''s okay. You can always register a new one and start fresh. We can get you started with the process. Please follow me."

    Nox nodded, hiding his irritation behind the mask. He hadn''t anticipated needing an adventurer''s card, but it made sense. This world had its systems and bureaucracy, just like any other.

    The receptionist led him to a smaller chamber off to the side of the guild hall. It was a modest room with a desk, a couple of chairs, and shelves lined with scrolls and ledgers. Arge emblem of the Adventurer''s Guild hung on the wall, its polished surface reflecting the sunlight streaming in through a window.

    "Have a seat," she said, gesturing to a chair. Noxplied, leaning back slightly as she sat across from him and pulled out a nk form.

    "Before we begin, I''ll need your name."

    Nox hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying, "Hound."

    The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Hound? That''s it?"

    "For now," Nox said, his tone leaving no room for further questions.

    The receptionist proceeded to write down Nox''s name and level. As for his ss, Nox had simply stated he was an assassin, as he didn''t want toplicate things too much.

    Furthermore, it was quite easy to convince the receptionist, as he briefly used [Phantom Cloak] and [Divine Velocity], which were very simr to assassin-type skills.

    "Now, onto the formalities. Do you have anybat experience?" she smiled professionally.

    Nox''s lips curled into a faint smirk beneath the mask. "Plenty."

    "Care to borate?"

    "I''ve handled beasts, bandits, and worse. Do you really need the specifics?"

    The receptionist pursed her lips but didn''t press further.

    Find your next read at empire

    ''Why am I even asking an expert this sort of question? Of course, he would be very experienced!'' she scolded herself and proceeded to smile as she said, "Fine. Your proficiency in weapons or magic?"

    "Both," Nox replied simply.

    "Alright," she said, moving on. "We also need to know if you''ve ever been part of any mercenary groups, guilds, or noble factions."

    "No," Nox said curtly.

    "Good. That makes things simpler," she said, jotting it down. "Finally, a blood sample is required for the guild''s magical registry. It ensures authenticity and helps us track adventurers in case of emergencies. Do you consent?"

    Nox''s eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask. A blood sample? He hadn''t expected that, but refusing would only draw suspicion. "Fine."

    The receptionist reached for a small, ornate dagger and a crystal vial from a drawer. She handed them to Nox. "Just a small cut will do. Drop the blood into the vial."

    Taking the dagger, Nox made a shallow cut on his palm, letting a few drops of blood fall into the vial. The crimson liquid shimmered faintly as it mixed with a glowing substance inside.

    "Good," the receptionist said, taking the vial and cing it into a slot on a strange magical device. The device hummed softly, and a momentter, a card materialized in a sh of light. She handed it to Nox.

    "Here is your adventurer''s card," she said. "It contains your basic details and level. You''ll use this to ept quests and track your progress. Take care of it¡ªrecing one isn''t cheap."

    Nox examined the card. It was bronze, sleek, and metallic, with his name¡ªHound¡ªand level inscribed on the surface.

    "Anything else?" he asked, slipping the card into his pocket.

    "Just onest thing," the receptionist said. "Do you have any preferences for the types of quests you take? Hunting, escort missions, exploration?"

    "Hunting," Nox replied without hesitation.

    "Noted," she said, standing up. "Wee to the Adventurer''s Guild, Hound. If you have any questions or need assistance, don''t hesitate to ask. And by the way...your current rank is bronze."

    "How does the ranking system work?" Nox asked, to which the receptionist exined.

    The receptionist smiled politely, adjusting her posture as she began to exin. "The Adventurer''s Guild uses a tiered ranking system to categorize its members based on their skill level, experience, and achievements. It helps to ensure that quests are assigned appropriately, minimizing unnecessary risks."

    She gestured to a chart hanging on the wall, depicting various metals and gemstones arranged in ascending order.

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appreciate it. Thank you!

 Chapter 397 Before Disaster: The Right Quest

    The receptionist smiled politely, adjusting her posture as she began to exin. "The Adventurer''s Guild uses a tiered ranking system to categorize its members based on their skill level, experience, and achievements. It helps to ensure that quests are assigned appropriately, minimizing unnecessary risks."

    She gestured to a chart hanging on the wall, depicting various metals and gemstones arranged in ascending order.

    "The ranks are as follows:

    Bronze: This is the starting rank for all new adventurers. It grants ess to low-tier quests, such as basic hunting or resource gathering. It''s a probationary stage where adventurers prove their reliability andpetence.

    Silver: Once you''vepleted enough quests and shownpetence, you''ll advance to this rank. Silver adventurers handle mid-tier quests, including beast subjugation, escort missions, and small-scale exploration.

    Gold: This is where things be serious. Gold-ranked adventurers are often veterans with substantialbat experience. They are entrusted with high-tier quests, such as eliminating dangerous beasts, escorting nobles, or delving into perilous ruins.

    tinum: tinum is the elite rank. Adventurers at this level are highly respected and can undertake national-level quests, such as participating in military campaigns, investigating major threats, or leading expeditions into uncharted territories.

    Mithril: Reserved for legends in the making. Mithril adventurers are few and far between, tasked with world-altering quests like sealing catastrophic monsters, uncovering ancient secrets, or resolving kingdom-wide crises.

    Adamantite: The pinnacle of adventurer rankings. Adamantite-ranked individuals are considered walking disasters¡ªor saviors. They are only called upon in the direst situations, often involving apocalyptic threats. They operate independently of most guild protocols, answering directly to the highest authorities."

    She paused, letting the weight of the information settle. "Your current rank is Bronze, but considering your level, I wouldn''t be surprised if you rise quickly through the ranks. Just remember that advancement is based on both your performance and your contribution to the guild."

    Nox nodded thoughtfully, digesting the exnation. "How does one advance in rank? Is it purely based on the number of questspleted?"

    "Not just the number, but also the difficulty and impact of the quests," she rified. "For example,pleting a high-risk hunt or a quest that benefits a significant portion of the kingdom could fast-track your promotion. There''s also a periodic evaluation where guild officials assess your skills and conduct."

    "And the requirements for maintaining rank?" Nox inquired further.

    "Consistency," she said simply. "Adventurers must maintain an active presence and fulfill quests appropriate to their rank. Prolonged inactivity or repeated failures can result in demotion."

    Nox leaned back slightly, satisfied with the exnation. "Understood. I''ll keep that in mind."@@novelbin@@

    "Good," the receptionist replied with a small nod. "If you have no further questions, you''re free to start browsing the quest boards. Bronze-tier quests are on the left side. As you advance, more boards will be essible."

    Nox simply nodded and left, but he hoped deep down that the Bronze quests were actually worth it. The reason for himing here in the first ce was because he wanted to venture into a high-level dimensional rift.

    Though the effects of the dimensional key, which could teleport him to random dimensions, were still at his disposal, Nox preferred to enter a physical dimension this time. That way, he could choose the level of the dimensions rather than being teleported randomly.

    However, with him being only a Bronze-ranked adventurer, his ess would be restricted to lower-tier quests for now. Still, Nox was determined to find a way around these limitations.

    Leaving the small room, Nox entered a much bigger and busier hall. The noise was overwhelming¡ªpeople talking loudly, armor clinking as adventurers moved around, and guild staff shouting instructions here and there. The space was split into sections, each with a board for quests based on different ranks.

    Inside this hall, there were all sorts of adventurers moving back and forth. There were warriors in bulky armor, mages in long robes, rangers with bows, petite fragile-looking healers, and rogues and assassins d in light gear, whispering among themselves or silently eyeing the boards.

    Nox ignored the activity around him and made his way to the Bronze quest board. Despite the rtive chaos, he noticed that the Bronze area was slightly less poptedpared to the higher-rank sections, though it was still busy with adventurers examining avable quests.

    The Bronze board was split into several subsections, with quests categorized by difficulty, from E to A, with E being the simplest and A bordering on the difficulty of Silver-tier tasks.

    Read exclusive chapters at empire

    Nox scanned the board, quickly reading through some of the postings:

    1. E-Rank: Herb Gathering in Whispering Woods

    Difficulty: Low

    Task: Collect 10 bundles of Whisperroot herbs.

    Reward: 50 silver coins.

    Note: Minimal danger, though minor beasts may be present.

    2. D-Rank: Goblin Nest Cleanup

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Task: Eliminate a goblin nest near the outskirts of the eastern forest.

    Reward: 1 gold coin.

    Note: Reports indicate about 15 goblins with one possible goblin brute.

    3. C-Rank: Missing Caravan Investigation

    Difficulty: High

    Task: Investigate and recover a missing caravan rumored to be attacked by bandits.

    Reward: 3 gold coins.

    Note: Bandits are armed and potentially organized.

    4. B-Rank: Subjugation of a Lesser Direwolf Pack

    Difficulty: Very High

    Task: Subdue a pack of lesser direwolves terrorizing a vige.

    Reward: 10 gold coins and a rmendation for Silver rank.

    Note: The alpha is particrly dangerous.

    5. A-Rank: Dimensional Rift Exploration ¨C Level 5

    Difficulty: Extremely High

    Task: Explore a Level 5 dimensional rift recently discovered west of the capital. The rift has unstable energy fluctuations, and a team of three is mandatory for this mission.

    Reward: 1000 gold coins and high guild merit.

    Note: Potential danger includes spatial anomalies, mutated beasts, and unknown environmental hazards. All participants must be level 50 or above.

    Nox''s gaze lingered on thest quest. This is exactly what I was looking for, he thought, with a faint smirk tugging at his lips beneath the mask.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable power stones and golden tickets, I really approaciate. It motivates me to write more! Thank you!

 Chapter 398 Before Disaster: Blazy [1]

    Nox reached for the A-Rank quest notice, but his hand froze mid-air as his gaze fell on the rest of the requirements for the quest.

    "A team of three is mandatory for this mission, and they must all be level 50 and above." Read new chapters at empire

    (AN: I forgot to include this part in thest chapter.)

    He sighed as he scanned the bustling hall. He didn''t want to team up with strangers, especially since he nned to use some of his more secretive abilities. But if he wanted ess to the dimensional rift, he had no choice.

    He stepped back from the board and looked around, evaluating the adventurers nearby. Most of them were engaged in lively discussions, poring over their own quest options. A few lone individuals stood out, leaning against walls or observing the crowd.

    Nox soon approached a pair of adventurers who seemed less boisterous than the others. One was a lithe man with daggers strapped across his chest, his sharp eyes scanning the room. The other was a tall woman in light armor, her massive spear resting casually against her shoulder.

    He could already tell that she was a strength-type Awakener.

    "Excuse me," Nox began, his voice calm butmanding enough to catch their attention. The two turned to him. Initially, there was a frown on their faces; however, upon catching a glimpse of his high level, their displeasure immediately turned into excited smiles.

    "How may I help, Senior?"

    Tsk, high levels make life much easier. Nox smirked inwardly as he proceeded to state his reason for being there.

    "I''m looking for two people to join me on a quest," Nox said. "It''s an A-Rank dimensional rift exploration. You''ll be paid after thepletion of the mission, and all you have to do is follow me inside. I''ll handle the rest."

    The woman raised an eyebrow. "Handle the rest? We won''t have to participate?"

    Nox''s dark eyes glinted. "Yes, it''s a simple exploration, and we don''t need to battle the dimensional boss. But once we''re inside, stay put. I''ll take care of everything."

    The man''s eyes lit up. "Free money!"

    Nox''s lips curved into a smile. "You can call it that."

    The two exchanged excited nces. This was basically free money, just like the man had said! Because of his level, they were more than certain that he could truly handle himself in the dimension.

    "Alright, deal then!" The woman and man nodded their heads vigorously.

    "Noted," Nox said curtly. "Meet me at the western gate in an hour."

    He turned on his heel and walked away before they could ask any more questions.

    ---

    At the western gate, Nox found the two adventurers waiting. The man introduced himself as Kade, a rogue specializing in stealth and reconnaissance. The woman was Elena, a spearman.

    "Ready?" Nox asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

    "As ready as we''ll ever be," Elena replied, her spear resting casually across her shoulders.

    Kade gave a nonchnt shrug. "Lead the way, boss."

    The trio set off toward the rift site, which was located in a deste field several miles west of the capital. The journey was uneventful, but the tension in the air was palpable. Nox remained silent while Kade and Elena whispered among themselves.

    Are they a couple? Nox couldn''t help but wonder when he saw them getting too intimate.

    When they arrived, the sight of the rift made even Nox pause. The dimensional tear hovered in the air, a swirling vortex of deep red energy that pulsed with an ominous glow. Around it were the Adventurer Guild officials.

    Elena whistled low. "That''s¡­ bigger than I expected."

    Kade muttered under his breath. "This is A-Rank quest,  all right."

    Nox ignored theirments and approached the guild official stationed near the rift. After verifying their quest details, the group was granted permission to enter.

    "Remember," the official warned, "this is a critical-ranked dimension. Stick together, and don''t stray too far from your designated area."

    It was the second-highest rank, which was why the quest had stated explore instead of clear.

    "Furthermore," the official continued, "this rift operates differently from others. It''s a single, interconnected tunnel system. Your party will have to explore and report your findings to the Adventurer Guild."

    Nox had already been briefed about this beforehand, so he listened halfheartedly.

    After speaking some more, the official warned in a heavy tone, "Lastly, before you go, no matter what, don''t engage or provoke the boss."

    Nox nodded absently, his attention already on the swirling vortex. Without another word, he stepped forward and entered the rift, the others following close behind.

    ---

    The moment they crossed the threshold, the world around them changed. They found themselves in a dimly lit tunnel, the walls lined with glowing mushrooms and strange, luminescent petals. The air was thick and humid, carrying an otherworldly scent that was both sweet and nauseating.

    "This¡­ is different," Elena murmured, her eyes darting around.

    Kade said with a somewhat anxious expression, "I don''t like this. Too quiet."

    Nox stepped forward, his boots crunching softly against the mossy ground. His senses were on high alert, scanning for any signs of danger. The tunnel stretched endlessly in both directions, with no clear indication of where to go.

    The group moved cautiously, the dim light casting eerie shadows on the tunnel walls. After a few minutes, they reached a designated area, marked by glowing runes etched into the ground.

    "Here," Nox said, stopping. "This is where we begin."

    Elena and Kade exchanged uneasy nces. "What exactly are we looking for?" Kade asked.

    "Enemies," Nox replied simply. "Stay alert."@@novelbin@@

    As if on cue, a low growl echoed through the tunnel. The group tensed, weapons at the ready. Momentster, a hulking beast emerged from the shadows¡ªa mushroom-like creature with multiple limbs and glowing red eyes.

    "Emperor Tier, Level 5!" the duo eximed in unison as they gripped their weapons tightly.

    Nox smirked at their reaction and, after a moment of silence, said in a loud voice, "You stay back. zy,e out!"

    A blue portal appeared a momentter, and emerging from it was none other than the Emberhawk Nox had purchased at the auction!

 Chapter 399 Before Disaster: A High Level Meeting [1]

    As a level five dimension, the mostmon beasts among the lot were Emperor-tier, with the boss having the potential to reach Legendary rank or even higher.

    Nox had already learned about this beforehand some years back, hence the reason for his rtively calm expression. His eyes shed with a fierce light. Stay connected via empire

    Without even turning around, Nox said in amanding voice, "You both should stay bac¡ª"

    "On it!"

    Even before Nox couldplete his words, the two couples behind him shouted simultaneously, and thest thing he heard was the sound of scurrying footsteps. He nced behind and discovered that his two supposed party members had disappeared into the tunnel, staying a bit closer to the exit gate, which was known for being the most secure area in a dimensional rift.

    Nox smiled wryly. Though he knew he was the one who instructed them to stay behind, there was just something amusing about seeing them leave like this.

    "Well, this is good." Nox shook the unimportant thought from his head and proceeded to call out.

    "zy,e out!"

    The air hummed and twisted as a bluish portal, which cast shadows on the walls of the tunnel, appeared out of thin air. Nox stared at the portal with an expectant glint.

    Some secondster, which seemed to stretch endlessly, the Emberhawk emerged from the portal and stared at the mushroom-like creature. Its fiery eyes were filled with intrigue¡ªa stark contrast to thepetitive and maniacal look in Fluffington, Thirteen, and Solora''s eyes.

    From its expression alone, Nox could tell zy was genuinely curious about the mushroom-like monster, as it was seeing it for the first time. The same could be said for Nox; this was the first time he was encountering such a monster.

    Nox sighed in his heart, grateful that zy wasn''t a battle freak like his other pets. He was certain that if it had been any one of them¡ªespecially Thirteen¡ªthey might have rushed head-on to engage the beast in a fight.

    However, zy was much more observant, a trait that Nox wholeheartedly appreciated.

    Meanwhile, the hulking beast in front of Nox growled menacingly, its glowing red eyes ring as if to warn him of the impending danger. The creature''s mushroom-like body pulsed, and its multiple limbs twitched, ready for battle.

    "zy, deal with it," Nox said in a t yetmanding tone. "Show this pitiful creature what true power looks like."

    The Infernal Emberhawk, zy, pped its fiery wings and let out a screech that echoed through the tunnel. Its intense mes lit up the dim space, casting flickering shadows along the walls. zy''s body radiated pure heat, and the air around it shimmered from the scorching temperature.

    The Emperor-tier beast roared and charged forward, its limbs smashing against the mossy ground, sending vibrations through the tunnel.

    zy didn''t waste a moment. With a beat of its wings, it soared into the air, mes trailing behind it like aet. The beast tried to swipe at zy with one of its thick limbs, but the Emberhawk was far too agile.

    "zing Dive," Nox said softly, not bothering to raise his voice.

    zy''s body glowed brighter as it angled downward and dove at incredible speed, mes erupting in its wake. When it collided with the beast, a massive shockwave of fire exploded outward, scorching the ground and walls.

    Kree!

    The mushroom creature let out a guttural scream as the mes enveloped its entire body.

    However, from his vantage point, Nox could clearly see the health bar of the mushroom monster and could tell it was still plenty powerful. As if to confirm his thoughts, a momentter, the beast stumbled to its feet.

    With an enraged roar, it unleashed a flurry of attacks, its limbsshing out like whips.

    zy evaded all the mushroom beast''s long limbs effortlessly. Naturally, as an elemental beast and a Level Six Emperor-tier, the mushroom creature was no match for zy.

    At that moment, zy''s eyes glinted as it opened its beak, gathering fiery energy. The heat intensified, and the tunnel felt like it was about to melt.

    Inferno Tempest!@@novelbin@@

    zy unleashed its ultimate skill. A massive fiery whirlwind spun around the beast, growing bigger and hotter with each second. The Emperor-tier creature was caught right in the middle, its screams lost in the deafening roar of the mes. The fire kept growing, swallowing everything in its path, turning the ground into ash.

    When the mes finally died down, there was nothing left of the beast, just a pile of ashes with a glowing beast core lying there.

    [Ding! You have received experience points!] The system chimed in Nox''s mind as he gave a small nod of approval to zy.

    A momentter, after picking up the beast core, the two continued deeper into the tunnel.

    On their way, they encountered several more mushroom creatures. But Nox didn''t even need to lift a hand as zy dealt with them. The Emberhawk was like a me god, literally. Its mes lit up the tunnel like a zing torch, and every mushroom creature that came into sight was turned to ash before it could even blink. It was like watching a wildfire spread, unstoppable and relentless. Nox couldn''t help but smile, a little impressed.

    Because of the rtively high level of the dimension, even his level was steadily climbing. However, until now, Nox was yet toe across a powerful beast he could tame or copy skills from.

    "I still have about two days before I report back to the guild. Let''s do this." Nox''s eyes glinted with determination as he strode deeper into the tunnel.

    Meanwhile, at the back of the academy, Hendrix and Cooke Hendrix stood in the courtyard, their gaze fixed on the sprawling royal capital¡ªspecifically, the castle itself. In Hendrix''s arm was an object, a fist-sized red crystal pulsing with an ominous aura.

    After several seconds, he said in an excited voice, "The first phase of the n begins."

    At the same time, in the king''s chamber, a meeting was being held, and all high-ranking members of the Vermilion Kingdom, including the Big Four, were invited.

    King Aldrich Vermilion sat on his throne with an anxious expression as he thought back to the meeting he had in the temple behind the castle and shuddered.

    "This... this meeting will change the entirendscape of the Vermilion Kingdom. Is this the only way?" Aldrich sighed as he locked eyes with the high-ranking individuals present.

 Chapter 400 Before Disaster: A High Level Meeting [2]

    The grand hall of the Vermilion Kingdom''s royal pce was filled with tension. Whispers filled the air as noblemen, adventurers, merchants, and other dignitaries took their seats. The gleaming chandeliers above cast a golden glow, illuminating the anxious faces of those gathered.

    "What could this meeting be about?" one noble murmured to another.

    "The king hasn''t summoned a gathering thisrge in years," replied a woman dressed in elegant armor. Her badge marked her as a high-ranking member of the Duskwood Guild, owned by the Duskwood family.

    One other person that stood out in this crowd was a tall, handsome man with blue hair and eyes of the same color; he looked very simr to Brandon Chai, and one might even call him an older version of the field instructor.

    Well, they weren''t wrong because this man was Charles Xavier Chai, one of the wealthiest merchants in the kingdom. He leaned back in his chair, fanning himself. "If this is another tax hike, I swear, I''ll¡ª"

    "So noisy," Brawn Collins whispered to himself as he stroked his beard.

    Beside him was a bony figure who seemed as if even the breeze could knock him off his feet. This person was none other than Nathan, the Mad Dog of the West.

    Though he knew that this meeting was not for trivial matters, there was no interest in Nathan''s eyes. He still hadn''t forgotten what the king had done five years ago. The main reason he even attended the meeting in the first ce was because they were offering a free ride, and he also wanted to check on his grandkids.

    Seeing that some minutes had passed and the king was yet to show up, Brawn frowned, an irritated look crossing his features. "Tsk, how long is this bastard nning on keeping us here¡ª"

    Before he couldplete his words, the doors at the front of the hall swung open, and King Aldrich Vermilion entered. His crimson robes billowed as he strode to his throne. The crown on his head glinted ominously under the light, and his expression was unusually grim. Behind him followed several attendants, each carrying scrolls and documents, as well as a peculiar statue shrouded in thick ck cloth.

    The whispers died down as Aldrich raised his hand.

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    "Thank you all foring," he began, his tone serious. "This meeting is not one of politics, economy, or war. It concerns the very future of the Vermilion Kingdom."

    The crowd shifted uneasily, exchanging nces.

    "As you know, our kingdom has faced countless threats over the years," Aldrich continued. "But none have been as dire as what lies ahead. In the shadows, there is a force that has been watching us, guiding us. This force is a god¡ªa god who has chosen to reveal themselves to us."

    Murmurs broke out instantly, growing louder as the king paused. A god? Many were confused, and others were outright skeptical. Was the king talking about the same patron gods they worshipped? What did he mean? Which god had been protecting them from the shadows all this while?

    At that moment, one nobleman, a burly man with a scar across his face, stood abruptly.

    "Your Majesty," he said, his deep voice booming. "With all due respect, what god are you speaking of? Our kingdom already worships all the patron gods. Are you saying there is another?"

    "Yes," Aldrich replied firmly. "And this god has revealed their existence to me directly."

    At this, the attendants stepped forward and unveiled the statue. Gasps echoed through the hall.

    The figure was monstrous¡ªits eyes hollow, its face twisted in an eternal sneer. Horns curled from its head, and its wed hands reached out as if to grasp something unseen. It was unlike anything the people of Vermilion had ever seen. The aura it exuded was dark, oppressive, almost suffocating.

    If Nox were here, he would have recognized this statue as the one he had seen inside the chamber below theke at the back of the academy.

    "This," Aldrich said, gesturing to the statue, "is the embodiment of the new god who will protect our kingdom. His name is Volgrath, the Watcher of Shadows."

    A wave of unease swept through the room. One man froze, his face pale. "This... this doesn''t look like a protector," he muttered.

    "It looks demonic," someone else whispered.

    Aldrich ignored the murmurs. "Volgrath has been cast out by other gods, unfairlybeled as an evil deity. But they have chosen us, the people of Vermilion, to serve as their sanctuary. In return, they will grant us their power."

    "What are you up to again?" Nathan murmured to himself as he looked at the statue. The old monster wasn''t the only one who was suspicious of the king''s motive. The leaders of the Big Four n were also suspicious of him.

    They''d be fools to believe the bullshit King Aldrich was spitting. No one was a kid! All this while, no gods had protected them! Everything they''d achieved to this point was on their own!

    The Big Four were more than certain that even the king knew about this, which led them to believe this was yet another move by the king to solidify his power in the kingdom.

    King Aldrich paused, scanning the room, and in a heavy tone, he said, "Statues of Volgrath will be ced throughout the kingdom. Worship will be mandatory. Those who refuse... will be considered enemies of the kingdom."

    Gasps turned to shouts. Even the dignitaries who usually maintainedposure began to argue.

    "This is madness!" Boris Fanum, the Adventurer''s Guild head, roared. "You expect us to worship this... thing?"

    Brawn Collins narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping the table. "What sort of power does this god offer, Your Majesty? And at what cost?"

    Aldrich''s eyes glinted. "The power to protect ourselves from the cmities toe. As for the cost¡­ that is something we all must bear together."

    Nathan, who had been silent so far, also spoke up. "What proof do you have that this god is real? That they''ll help us?"

    Aldrich motioned to one of his attendants. The man brought forward a glowing red orb, pulsing with an ominous aura. "This is a fragment of Volgrath''s essence," the king said. "It was gifted to me as a sign of their favor. With it, I have already begun to unlock powers beyond imagination."

    He held the orb high, and for a moment, the air in the hall seemed to crackle. A few people flinched, feeling an unnatural chill run down their spines.

    ---

    Meanwhile, far from the Vermilion Kingdom, chaos erupted in the Tristan Kingdom.

    In the northern region near the town of Grendale, the sky above the town turned pitch ck, swirling with ominous clouds. A massive portal loomed over thend, spilling out hordes of monsters.

    The town''s guards were quickly overwhelmed as goblins, ogres, and other monstrous creatures flooded the streets. Houses burned, and screams filled the air as the townspeople fled for their lives.

    At the center of the chaos stood a towering beast, its body covered in jagged scales that shimmered with a sickly green hue. Its ws tore through stone and steel with ease, and its eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence.

    "This... a portal break!" shouted a mage as he hurled fireballs at the smaller monsters. "We need reinforcements, now!"

    But the reinforcements wouldn''t arrive in time. The monsters pouring out of the portal spread like wildfire, threatening to engulf the entire northern region.@@novelbin@@

    Back in the Vermilion Kingdom, King Aldrich stood before his people and dered in a loud, booming voice:

    "The world is changing. My intellects have revealed that the demons are beginning to make their move. And we all know how powerful the Demonic Empire is. Only by embracing Volgrath can we hope to survive."

    Whether his people believed him or not, one thing was certain¡ªthe kingdom of Vermilion was on the brink of a transformation, one that would test the resolve of every soul within its borders.

    Back at the temple atop the hill, Hendrix shook his head as he stared at the fist size crystal which was the '' real'' essence of volgrath. "If only they knew this transformation would be for the worst."

 Chapter 401 : Before Disaster: Portal Break!

    Nox came across a few more mushroom-like monsters, and they were all burnt to a crisp by zy.

    Currently, they were inside a tunnel farrger than all the rest.

    Nox stood with a somewhat bored expression on his face as he stared at the scene in front of him.

    As usual, zy was causing carnage, soaring above an army of beasts, mes erupting from its mouth and burning the monsters below.

    The monsters shrieked and red at the ming bird with intense hatred; however, unfortunately, that was all they could do.

    zy didn''t only have an aerial advantage; it was also very smart, swift, and reactive, making it nearly impossible for the beasts'' skills tond a hit.

    Soon enough, all the monsters were dealt with, and the familiar chime resonated in Nox''s head.

    [You''ve leveled up to Level 31.]

    Nox dismissed the interface on his retina and focused his gaze on the corpses of beasts still aze with zy''s fire.

    The mes oddly appeared very striking, yet Nox''s gaze wasn''t fixed on them; rather, it was on something else entirely.

    It was the spirits of the mushroom-like creatures.

    They hovered around their bodies, some even attempting to put out the mes, while a few red at Nox, outright attacking him.

    But all their attacks seemed to phase through him with absolutely no effect.

    Realizing this, the beasts, who had recognized Nox as the true mastermind behind their deaths, became even more enraged and started shrieking noisily.@@novelbin@@

    The sight...was strange and a bit dark.

    It wouldn''t have been so for others who couldn''t see it.

    However, for Nox, this was the closest description he coulde up with.

    "Should I merge them into another Ultimate Champion?" Nox stroked his chin as he pondered, a thoughtful expression on his face.

    Thus far, Nox had tamed only one spirit creature, so he had about thirty free spirit slots left.

    And Nox didn''t want to be stingy with his taming space again.

    Dragons were known to be very powerful beings. Even though he had very powerful skills in his arsenal, Nox still needed an army.

    Even with powerful skills, if the enemy forces far outnumbered him, he could lose his life.

    With these thoughts in mind, Nox whispered in a low voice that seemed to travel to the end of the tunnel.

    "Spirit Tame activated!"

    After taming the first spirit, Nox proceeded to use his next skill, Spirit Fusion, which allowed him to fuse countless spirits together to create the Ultimate Champion.

    As soon as he activated the skill, just like the first time he had used it in the dimension in Valha, an invisible wind swept through the surroundings, kicking up dust and debris into the air.

    The invisible wind caused Nox''s hair to flutter, but he never nced away, making sure to take in every moment of the fusion process.

    There was just something fascinating about seeing countless spirit beasts being pulled into each other despite their screams, as if they were a singr entity.

    The sight could be described as diabolical, but it was something Nox genuinely enjoyed watching.

    Soon enough, a single mushroom-like creature stood before him. However, unlike the others, this one was muscr and appeared intimidating.

    The mushroom creature was humanoid and had a bulbous cap for a head¡ªif it could even be called one.

    Explore more adventures at empire

    Its empty eye sockets glowed with an eerie green light, flickering like dimnterns in the dark. Below, a wide, gaping mouth stretched across the lower part of its cap, lined with jagged ridges that looked disturbingly like teeth.

    The humanoid mushroom''s limbs were grotesquely muscr, with wed, spore-encrusted hands capable of tearing through rock.

    Its torso was broader and more humanoid than the others Nox had encountered, with textured grooves resembling bark-like armor.

    Sharp fungal growths sprouted from its shoulders and back, each exuding a faint toxic mist that seemed to sizzle upon contact with the air.

    Momentster, the creature''s information appeared before Nox.

    [Toxic Spore Mycoloid]

    "A humanoid fungal creature born from countless fused mushroom spirits. Its toxic presence and raw strength make it a formidable foe."

    Rating: Emperor Tier Level 7

    Progress: 72%/100%

    MP: 500/500

    HP: 800/800

    Stamina: 85%/100%

    "They were all Emperor Tier Levels 1 and 2, so it''s not so strange that it''s in the high Emperor Tier," Nox muttered to himself as he proceeded to nce through the rest of the beast''s skills.

    Special Skills:

    Spore Cloud (Intermediate): Releases an immense, toxic cloud that spreads across arge area, causing confusion, debuffs, and rapid HP degeneration for enemies caught within.

    Fungal Regeneration (Advanced): Absorbs the nutrients from the surrounding environment, healing wounds and replenishing MP over time, even during battle.

    Venomous Swipe (Basic): Delivers a powerful w attack that injects paralyzing venom, causing temporary paralysis and damage over time.

    Hardened Cap Armor (Advanced): The creature''s bulbous cap bes nearly impervious to physical and magic-based attacks, reducing iing damage by 70%.

    Spore Eruption (Ultimate): The Mycoloid''s body erupts with explosive spore bursts that inflict AoE toxic damage, briefly blinding enemies in the area.

    Ultimate Evolution Path (1): Mycelium Overlord

    Requirements: Reach Legendary Tier, absorb the Core of a Primordial Spore King, conquer 5 hostile territories.

    Description: The Toxic Spore Mycoloid evolves into the terrifying Mycelium Overlord, capable of terraforming vast areas into spore-infested zones, enving lesser fungal creatures, and controlling the battlefield with its parasitic spores. The Overlord can summon fungal minions to overwhelm enemies and manipte thend itself to create lethal traps.

    Nox nodded his head as he noted the decent stats and skills of the beast. None of the mushroom-like creatures had skills up to the ultimate rank before, but Nox figured that the fusion process had forced the skills to evolve against their will, which was one of the benefits of the fusion process.

    "Now the most difficult part: choosing a name."

    While Nox was contemting which name to give his new pet, news of a portal break in Tristan Kingdom spread far and wide.

    Inside the headmistress''s office, Bridget was staring at Brandon with a serious expression on her face.

    "Why did you summon me, Headmistress?" Brandon asked.

 Chapter 402 : Before Disaster

    A day had passed since the meeting in the royal castle, and the status of Volgrath was beginning to be ced in key locations in the royal capital and the rest of the Vermilion Kingdom.

    When they first came across the statues, the adults were confused, and the children were outright frightened, hiding behind their parents.

    "W-what...what is the meaning of this?"

    "That thing looks so alive."

    "E, it''s close to our house!"

    Seeing the reaction of the citizens, an armored knight stepped forward. The citizens could almost feel his piercing gaze through the visor of his helmet.

    The stern gaze instinctively made them step back.

    "This is a new decree by the king himself. From this day onwards, all citizens must offer prayers and worship to the great god that protects from the shadows...Volgrath!"

    "Volgrath?"

    "A new god?"

    "This is the first time I''m hearing this name."

    With that said, the knight, along with the soldiers, left the scene, leaving the citizens stunned and confused.

    Despite their confusion, however, they knew that they had no choice but to follow the king''s royal decree.

    While the kingdom was trying to get used to this new change, though, another piece of news had quickly spread throughout the far West.

    It was none other than the level six portal break in the Tristan Kingdom.

    Because the Tristan Kingdom was one of the closest kingdoms to the Vermilion Kingdom, they were among the first to learn about the portal break that urred in the northern region of Tristan Kingdom.

    ording to the news, the portal break was nothing short of a disaster.

    A massive horde of powerful monsters burst out of the dungeon,pletely overwhelming the nearby towns and cities. People barely had time to escape as the creatures destroyed everything in their path.

    It was all anyone could talk about in markets, taverns, and guild halls.

    Because the Tristan Kingdom was very close to the Vermilion Kingdom, everyone was on edge. Rumors flew around, saying that the dimension wasn''t just unstable but might''ve been tampered with. Some even thought it was a sign of something bigger and more dangerous on the way. The thought of more breaks happening made people even more nervous.

    The Tristan Kingdom was barely holding on, and now the rest of the human domain was preparing for the worst, especially the Vermilion Kingdom, which was the closest kingdom.

    The people feared that after the beasts overran the Tristan Kingdom, the Vermilion Kingdom would be next.

    In the streets of the Vermilion Kingdom, whispers were spreading like wildfire.

    "Have you heard? Tristan Kingdom is on the brink of copse!"

    "Yes, and their royal family can barely handle the Level 6 portal break. It''s only a matter of time before those monsters spill into ournds!"

    A merchant shook his head grimly.

    "If the Vermilion Kingdom doesn''t bolster its defenses, we might face the same fate. I''ve already told my family to pack up and prepare to flee south."@@novelbin@@

    A younger man standing nearby frowned.

    "Flee? Where to? If Tristan falls, nowhere in the northern regions will be safe. We need to stand and fight!"

    "Fight?" The merchant scoffed. "With what? The Vermilion Kingdom isn''t prepared for this kind of disaster. And what about that nonsense with the god Volgrath? How will prayers protect us from a monster horde?"

    At that moment, a woman interjected.

    "Keep your voice down, fool! If the knights hear you speaking against the king''s decree, they''ll arrest you!"

    The merchant clicked his tongue but lowered his voice.

    "Mark my words, this so-called ''Volgrath'' won''t save us. Only proper military preparation will."

    Meanwhile, in the royal castle of the Vermilion Kingdom, a heated debate was taking ce in the grand council chamber. Key people like the king, Nathan, Boris Fanum of the Adventure Guild, Brawn of the Silent Whispers, Bridget of the Vermilion Royal Academy, and the Big Four were absent.

    However, the people present were in no way less important.

    "The Tristan Kingdom''s failure is no longer just their problem," a noble dered, mming his fist on the table. "Their disaster is knocking on our doors, and yet we''re sitting here wasting time on ceremonies and statues!"

    Another noble, older and dressed in regal purple, raised a hand to calm the room.

    "Careful. You speak as though His Majesty''s decisions are meaningless. Volgrath''s blessings are what will ensure our survival."

    "Blessings?" the first noble snapped. "Do you think blessings will stop an enraged wyvern? Or a swarm of Razorbeasts from a Level 6 dimension? We need Awakeners! We need soldiers, fortifications, and alliances!"

    The head of the knights, who was also present at this meeting, stepped forward, his polished armor reflecting the dim light.

    "This is not the time to fight amongst ourselves. We need unity! Besides, like His Majesty said, Volgrath will protect us."

    A younger noble, seated at the far end of the table, finally spoke up, his voice calm but cutting.

    "Unity will only matter if we survive. If Tristan falls, the monsters wille for us next¡ªand I doubt a single battalion can hold them back."

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    The knightmander hesitated but stood firm.

    "The king knows what he''s doing. I say we put all our trust in him!"

    The young noble clicked his tongue and leaned back in his seat.

    "Then let us pray Volgrath truly exists. Otherwise, we might as well start digging our graves now."

    Inside the headmistress''s office, Bridget was staring at Brandon with a serious expression on her face.

    "Why did you summon me, Headmistress?" Brandon asked. "Is it rted to the portal break in Tristan Kingdom?"

    "Yeah." Bridget nodded her head.

    "Special reports indicate that an overwhelming number of King-Tier and Emperor-Tier beasts have poured through. Because the Tristan Kingdom is the poorest kingdom in the human domain, most of our citizens believe it''s only a matter of time before the horde of beasts breaks through our borders."

    Brandon''s brow furrowed.

    "That''s troubling, Headmistress. But what does that have to do with our academy? Surely the kingdom''s military forces are better suited for such matters."

    "That bastard," Bridget cleared her throat and continued.

    "I mean, the king wants us to help them solve the issue. For some reason, he doesn''t want to send our military out."

    "You''re proposing we send the students?"

    "Not all of them," Bridget rified.

    "Only the special ss students. This is a rare opportunity for real-world experience, and their involvement could turn the tide of this battle. Besides," she added with a slight smirk, "it''s not just charity. If our students prove themselves, it will elevate the academy''s reputation to unprecedented heights."

    With a serious expression, she said,

    "I want you to gather all the special ss students. It''s time for their first mission."

    "But Nox is not currently in the academy," Brandon frowned.

    Bridget smiled. "That shouldn''t be a problem. Instructor Amos is outside the academy as well. I''ve already informed him to bring Nox back. After all, he will be instrumental in this mission."

 Chapter 403 The Hound?

    "Wow, he''s so handsome."

    "Damn, this is the first time I''m seeing someone with two different types of eyes."

    "Is he even human?"

    "Yes, he is. There are people with such features; they''re just rare."

    "Keep your voices low¡ªhe''s close."

    In one of the numerous streets of the Vermilion Royal Capital, a tall man with flowing dark hair and a pair of crimson and sapphire eyes was walking down a street. This man was, of course, none other than Amos.

    There was a look of annoyance on his face as he walked.

    ''These humans are too noisy. Their whispers are no different from talking out loud,'' he thought with a subtle frown on his face.

    One might wonder what he was doing outside the academy at this time when sses were ongoing.

    The answer to this question was rather simple: he was out here looking for his Liege.

    Amos''s informant had told him that the most likely ce the Hound of the Church of False Hope could be located was the Royal Capital.

    For the past five years, he had made it a habit to explore the capital every single day.

    His dedication was frightening. There was a 99 percent chance that most people would''ve given up, but Amos was verymitted.

    But even for someone like him, he could only staymitted for so long.

    After seeing no results for half a decade, he was beginning to think about going to another city or even a different kingdom to continue his search.

    No, he didn''t n on giving up; he only nned to change his location.

    "Tsk, I was nning to look for him a bit more seriously today since it''s thest day, but oh well, I need to find this Nox kid," Amos sighed with a defeated look on his face.

    ording to the Headmistress, he went to the Adventurer''s Guild, so if Amos wanted to look for him, his best bet was to head there.

    Just a few steps past the group of humans who were pointing and whispering about him, he began to notice something strange.

    A silver grin shed through his eyes when he noticed a dark demonic statue.

    He was at first skeptical about the statue, thinking it could just be the work of an artist. However, as he drew closer, his mouth hung open slightly, and his eyes trembled.

    "H-how." He stammered. "What is this statue doing in the human domain of all ces?"

    Even if Amos forgot his entire life, he could never forget this statue.

    This statue was none other than the statue of Volgrath, one of the three gods of the Demonic Empire and the Patron God for the Chaos ss!

    A ss that was only eligible for the Demonic Empire and other non-human races on Eos.

    ''The god of chaos, Volgrath, was known for destruction. That stupid king¡ªdoes he even know what he''s doing by cing this statue here? Is he not aware that all Awakened receive a boost in stats when they are close to the statue of their Patron God?''@@novelbin@@

    No matter which angle he looked at it from, all Amos could think was that this was pure stupidity.

    It was then that he suddenly had a wild but sensible idea. A strange light glinted in his eyes as he muttered under his breath.

    "Could it be that he has been possessed? Or is he being controlled by a high-ranking demon?"

    There were only two kinds of beings that could possess and control a human:

    Higher demons.

    Amos suspected that this could be the doing of a higher demon¡ªa very powerful one. Far more powerful than him as well.

    "Well, the human race doesn''t really concern me. I won''t meddle in their affairs," Amos thought as he left the scene.

    It didn''t take long for him to arrive at the Adventurer''s Guild.

    Amos stepped into the Adventurer''s Guild, the familiar noise of chatter, clinking weapons, and rowdyughter surrounding him. His crimson and sapphire eyes scanned the busy hall briefly before he approached the reception desk.

    A young woman with blonde hair tied into a neat bun greeted him with a practiced smile. "Good day, sir. How may I assist you?"

    ''Hmmm, this is the second expert for today. I wonder what he wants,'' the woman thought.

    "I''m looking for someone," Amos said bluntly, leaning against the counter. "His name is Nox. Dark hair with strands of red, around this tall." He gestured with his hand. "Dangerous dark eyes. He might''ve been here recently."

    The receptionist furrowed her brow, shaking her head. "I''m sorry, sir. I don''t recall anyone like that."

    Amos frowned. "Think harder. He''s not exactly the type you''d miss."

    It was very rare to find someone with eyes as dark and ominous as Nox.

    The woman hesitated but eventually shook her head again. "I''m sorry, sir. No one by that description has checked in or taken any quests today."

    Amos narrowed his eyes, his annoyance ring. "You''re certain?"

    "Yes," the receptionist replied firmly, before adding, "However, there was someone unusual earlier. A masked individual. He took on a quest under the name¡­ The Hound."

    The moment she uttered that name, Amos froze. His expression, usually calm andposed, darkened instantly.

    "The Hound?" he repeated, his voice low and cold. The receptionist flinched slightly, sensing the shift in his demeanor.

    "Yes," she said cautiously. "He came in not long ago. Took a quest involving a Level 5 rift close to the city walls. He was¡­ unusual. Wore a dark cloak, mask, didn''t say much."

    Amos''s mind raced. The Hound. That name wasn''t one people casually used. It wasn''t just a title¡ªit was a mark, a signifier of someone bound to the Church of False Hope. If this masked individual truly was the Hound, then it couldn''t be a coincidence.

    "Five years of searching¡­ Could it really be him?" Amos thought, his fists clenching tightly. His dedication had been met with countless dead ends, but now, a flicker of hope ignited within him.

    "Where exactly did he go?" Amos asked, his voice sharp.

    "Towards the west. He didn''t linger after taking the quest," the receptionist answered quickly.

    Without another word, Amos turned on his heel, his dark hair swaying as he strode toward the exit. His heart pounded in his chest, but his expression remained cold and calcting.

    "Nox can wait. If this Hound truly exists, then today is the day we''ll finally meet."

 Chapter 404 Before Disaster: Mushroom Man

    Unaware of themotion outside, Nox remained inside the level-five dimensional rift. He continued to stare at the mushroom-like creature.

    There was an extremely serious expression on his face, as if he were about to fight a great battle.

    It even made the mushroom champion frown as it tried to understand what was going through its new master''s mind.

    "What should I name it? Mushroom Man?" Nox thought as he looked at the hollow green eyes. Because the tunnel was slightly dim, the glow of the eyes was especially striking and one of the features one would notice about the beast.

    It was intimidating yet beautiful at the same time, but for some reason, the way it stared at Nox was filled with skepticism, as though it were looking at someone far weaker than itself¡ªwhich pissed Nox off slightly.

    Little did he know that this look was because of his terrible choice of name.@@novelbin@@

    "You''ve got some nerve staring me down like that," Nox said, arching an eyebrow. His arms were crossed, and his tone wasced with mock amusement. "I''m the one who just pieced you together, you know."

    The creature let out a low rumble, almost like a scoff, and thumped its chest again, sending a small shockwave through the ground. Its serrated maw twisted into what might have been a sneer.

    Nox tilted his head, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh? You think you''re hot stuff because you''ve got biceps now? Hate to break it to you, but you''re still a mushroom at the end of the day."

    The creature responded with a sharp roar, spores erupting from its jagged shoulders in a dramatic disy. The mist curled around Nox but dissipated harmlessly before reaching him. It gestured to itself with a wed hand, its posture filled with indignation.

    "Ah, I see," Nox said, nodding as if in deep thought. "You''re saying you''re more than just a mushroom. A ''fungal powerhouse,'' perhaps? Is that what you''re going for?"

    The creature huffed, the glowing green in its eyes ring brighter as it mmed its foot down. A cluster of sharp fungal spikes erupted from the ground a few feet away, narrowly missing Nox.

    Nox didn''t flinch. Instead, he let out a low chuckle. "Impressive. But let me make one thing clear." He stepped closer.

    His entire aura seemed to change as he spoke in a dangerous tone,

    "I don''t care how strong you think you are. You''re mine now. And if you don''t get that through your thick stalk, I''ll fuse you with a literal dung beetle next time. Got it?"

    The creature froze, its glowing eyes flickering uncertainly for a moment. Then, slowly, it lowered its head in what could only be interpreted as begrudging eptance.

    "Good," Nox said, smirking. "Now, that''s more like it. See? We''re going to get along just fine."

    "Come, let''s go!" Nox waved his hands, gesturing for the beast to follow him as he headed deeper into the tunnel. However, before he couldpletely disappear, his voice rang out.

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    "Oh, by the way, your name is Mushroom Man!"

    Hearing this, Mushroom Man stomped the soily ground angrily, and with a couple of huffs, it started to trail behind Nox and zy, who was illuminating the path ahead.

    Meanwhile, near the exit of the level-five dimension, the two couples who had followed Nox in were waiting casually, eating MRE food. It was a type of energizing snack that Awakened brought with them into dimensions.

    It was no different from stamina potions, only that it was packed with more nutrients, which could rece traditional meals, especially during long expeditions.

    "Should we go and check on him?" the woman asked. "I''m starting to get bored just waiting for him."

    The woman frowned, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Even though he''s powerful, it''s still strange for him to explore an unexplored rift alone. Either he''s reckless, overconfident, or he''s hiding something."

    There was a reason why the Adventure Guild had strictly suggested that three party members were needed, and all of them had to be above level 50. Level 100 Awakened, although rare, could still die inside dimensions.

    Even though he was an expert, there was a high chance that he might perish if he were ganged up on by several monsters. In fact, they were not confident that he alone could even deal with the boss if he came in contact with it.

    The man scoffed, leaning back against the jagged rock. "You didn''t see the way he carried himself? That''s not overconfidence; that''s power. People like him don''t need an entourage to explore a rift like this. He''ll be perfectly fine."

    Meanwhile, outside the dimensional rift.

    Amos soon arrived on the western side of the capital; however, there was a problem.

    After finding out that the hound had indeed entered this rift from the guards present, he was denied entry, which provoked him.

    Amos stood before the swirling vortex of the dimensional rift, his arms crossed as he red at the guards barring his way. His ck cloak billowed slightly from the energy radiating off his body, the air around him crackling faintly with power.

    "This is a restricted zone," one of the guards said firmly, his grip tightening on his spear. "Only authorized personnel¡ª"

    "Step aside," Amos interrupted, his tone low but menacing. His eyes gleamed dangerously, and the faint crackle of lightning danced along his fingertips. "I won''t repeat myself."

    A lightning mage! Shit!

    The guards exchanged uneasy nces. They were no strangers to Awakened individuals unting their strength, but the sheer weight of Amos''s presence made them hesitate. It was as if the air itself was pressing down on them.

    "Sir," the braver of the two guards said, trying to maintain hisposure, "we can''t allow anyone inside without proper¡ª"

    Amos raised his hand, and a thin arc of lightning shot past the guard''s face, scorching the rocky wall behind him. The guard flinched, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

    "I''m not here for your permission," Amos said coldly, his voice carrying an unspoken threat. "Someone I know is inside, and I''m going to find him. Unless you want to be the first obstacle I eliminate today, I suggest you move."

    "Dammit! Someone call the guild master!" one of the Awakened shouted, and the rest of the guards held their weapons tightly.

    "Tsk, humans and stupidity... five and six." Amos shook his head in disappointment. "Well, since you want the hard way, so be it!"

 Chapter 405 Before Disaster: A Level 100 Awakened Gone Rogue?

    Mushroom Man grunted and followed, its jagged feet cking against the stone floor. zy floated ahead, casting flickering light that danced across the damp walls of the tunnel.

    "Alright, Mushroom Man," Nox said, his voice bouncing off the damp walls. "Time to see if you''re actually useful or just for show." He stopped walking and turned to face the creature.

    Mushroom Man seemed to get the hint, its green eyes glowing a little brighter. Nox smirked, snapping his fingers. zy zipped over to him, its mes flickering as if ready for action.

    From somewhere up ahead, growls echoed, getting louder. A momentter, three creatures crept out of the darkness¡ªugly, wolf-like things with rough, rocky armor on their backs.

    There were two Emperor-tier Level 1 beasts and one Level 2.

    "Rockhounds," Nox muttered, excitement shing in his eyes.

    Inside his taming space, Nox could feel that even his other pets were agitated and wanted toe out to partake in the battle, but he kindly told them that he only wanted to test out Mushroom Man''s capabilities.

    Though they were disheartened, they understood that this was some sort of initiation ritual, so they could only sulk and watch.

    Meanwhile, the Rockhounds snarled, their sharp ws scratching the ground as they stared at their target. Mushroom Man let out a weird, low growl and crouched, glowing spores starting to spread around it like a fog.@@novelbin@@

    "Don''t hold back," Nox said, stepping aside to watch. "You''re gonna need to earn your spot on my team."

    One of the Rockhounds made the first move, leaping straight at Mushroom Man. Without hesitation, Mushroom Man swung its heavy arm, smacking the creature mid-air. A puff of glowing spores exploded on impact, and the Rockhound yelped as it hit the ground, fungal growth spreading over its cracked armor.

    "Spore attacks," Nox said, nodding, clearly impressed. "Not bad. But what about the other two?"

    The remaining Rockhounds charged at the same time, moving together like they''d nned it. Mushroom Man roared, mming its fists into the ground. Sharp fungal spikes shot up, forcing one Rockhound to jump back, but the other wasn''t quick enough. The spikes stabbed into its chest, and it crumpled to the ground, dead.

    "Two down."

    Thest Rockhound wasn''t giving up. It darted around Mushroom Man, zigzagging to confuse it. Then, it lunged at the creature''s back, ws tearing into its shoulder. Mushroom Man stumbled, dark green goo oozing from the wound.

    Nox watched emotionlessly when he saw this sight. His eyes narrowed as he came to a conclusion in his heart.

    "He''s a brute. His defense is stillcking greatly."

    However, despite realizing this, he didn''t rush in to help him, nor did he send zy, whose orange me continued to light up the tunnel.

    Mushroom Man let out a louder growl, its glowing eyes zing. The spores around it thickened into a cloud, hiding it from view. The Rockhound froze, sniffing the air, clearly confused. Suddenly, Mushroom Man burst out of the mist, smashing both fists down onto the beast.

    Crack!

    A loud crack echoed through the tunnel as the Level 2 Emperor-tier Rockhound copsed.

    The mist cleared, and Mushroom Man stood tall, looking right at Nox. It pounded its chest, like it was saying, "How''s that?"

    Nox grinned and patted its arm, his hand brushing against its rough surface. "Not bad, but we still need to work on your defenseter."

    Nox then nced at the items the beasts had dropped in their wake.

    ---

    1. Rockhound Fang (Intermediate-tier) (x3)

    Description: Jagged and sturdy, these fangs radiate faint traces of earth energy. Ideal for crafting sharp weapons or enhancing physical attack abilities.

    Nox held up one of the fangs, its edges gleaming in the dim light. "These could make some decent arrowheads or maybe even dagger tips," he murmured, tossing it into his storage bag.

    Naturally, he nned to sell these fangs to the Adventure Guild. He had little gold on him, after all.

    ---

    2. Fragmented Earth Core (King-tier) (x1)

    Description: A small, cracked core pulsing with earthy energy. Though not aplete core, it can be used for crafting basic defensive gear.

    ---

    3. Rockhound Hide (Emperor-tier) (x2)

    Description: Patches of rough, rock-like hide with excellent durability. Can be processed into light armor or used to reinforce existing gear.

    ---

    4. Skill Scroll: Stonewall (Advanced-tier) (x1)

    Description: A rare drop, this scroll teaches the defensive skill Stonewall, allowing the user to summon a temporary wall of earth to block attacks or create barriers.

    Nox''s eyes gleamed as he unrolled the parchment and whispered to himself,

    "So far, I don''t have any defensive skills. What if... what if I teach the skill to Mushroom Man and then copy and upgrade it?"

    When he thought of the giant wall that would erupt from the ground, stopping the attacks of an entire army, Nox''s body trembled in excitement.

    With a wide smile and a crazy gleam in his eyes, he sprang into motion, ready to test his theory.

    ---

    While Nox was grinding inside the dimension, the Adventure Guild...

    Inside the guild, Boris Fanum was absentmindedly staring through the window of his office. His thoughts were chaotic.

    They had been chaotic for some time now because of the king''s recent decree.

    Though nothing had happened yet, the Guildmaster could feel that something was terribly wrong.

    He had been on high alert ever since the statues had been ced around the capital.

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    "Rumors say the statues are slowly being erected in the other regions as well," Boris sighed heavily as he walked up to his window, his fist clenched and his body trembling. "In a couple of days, they''ll be everywhere."

    A glint of regret shone in his eyes. "If only we had known some years back, we''d have staged that coup and made Arthur the king."

    Knock, knock.

    Just then, someone knocked on his door. Boris frowned. However, before he could answer, the door flung open, and the blonde-haired receptionist stormed in with an agitated expression on her face.

    Her face appeared pale, as if all the blood had drained, and even her hands were fidgety.

    "What is it?" Boris asked when he saw the woman''s frightened expression.

    "Guildmaster, a Level 100 Awakened has gone rogue!" the receptionist reported.

 Chapter 406 Two Old Monsters Clash (1)

    Meanwhile, in the academy grounds of the Vermilion Kingdom,@@novelbin@@

    After the meeting, the following day, Nathan, who was still in the capital, decided to pay his grandkids a visit.

    "Long time no see." Bridget disyed a beautiful, warm smile when her eyes fell on Nathan''s bony figure slowly making his way through the front gates of the Vermilion Royal Academy.

    "Nice to see you too, headmistress Bridget." Nathan smiled kindly as well; however, Bridget could clearly tell that the smile didn''t reach his eyes.

    And she knew the reason for this.

    It was because of Doombringer.

    ''Oh, that poor thing. They still haven''t found a cure for it, huh,'' Bridget thought solemnly.

    "How have you been?" she asked a momentter.

    "Good. I came to see my grandkids," Nathan said.

    "Ah, Nox is currently out of the academy," Bridget exined. "But Nyx, Serena, and Wendy are present."

    "Okay, let''s go meet up with them. I might wait some time for Nox."

    "Alright then."

    With that, the two went to look for the kids.

    Bridget walked beside him, her gaze softening as they strolled through the academy grounds. The students were training amongst themselves, and conversation filled the air.

    ''None of them even recognize him.'' Bridget felt a slight pang when she noticed that none of the students seemed to pay attention to Nathan, the once-great warrior whose name was etched in the annals of Vermilion''s history.

    ''Well, they''re young, and that bastard king doesn''t want anyone to know about him or his son either.''

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    "I see the academy is thriving," Nathan said, his voice calm butced with subtle pride. His gaze swept over the bustling training grounds where aspiring Awakened sparred, their movements sharp but inexperienced. "A good foundation for the future."

    Bridget nodded. "Indeed, though none of them hold a candle to Nox. That boy is something else, Nathan. He''s¡­" She paused, searching for the right word. "Exceptional."

    A flicker of warmth crossed Nathan''s face, but it was fleeting. "He takes after his father," he smiled.

    Bridget hesitated before speaking again. "But why do I have this nagging feeling that he would be even more troublesome?"

    "You''re not wrong," Nathanughed.

    "Hey, we''re here."

    At that moment, the two arrived at the special ss dormitory.

    ---

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    A figure was moving at an unprecedented speed through the streets of the royal capital, heading toward the eastern direction.

    "I need to be faster!" Boris frowned. After hearing the news, he didn''t dare waste another second. An expert was a walking disaster, and for each second he wasted, there was a chance he could lose one of his guild workers.

    "Just who the heck are these bastards!" Boris seethed with rage as he burned into his stamina reserves, propelling his body forward.

    Meanwhile, at the waterside of the capital near the dimensional rift site:

    The Awakened were literally trembling as they watched Amos step forward, his towering figure exuding an overwhelming pressure. His cold, merciless eyes scanned the trembling Awakened before him, daring them to move.

    Each step he took seemed to send shivers down the spines of everyone present. The air itself seemed to thicken, making it difficult for anyone to even breathe properly.

    "Attack!" one of the braver ones shouted and sprinted forward. However, thest thing they heard was fools as the sky roared.

    RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

    A momentter, a concentrated beam of lightning struck the spot where the Awakened were gathered.

    BOOM!

    As the lightning struck the ground, all the Awakened were sent flying through the air like ragdolls, trails of lightning zapping through their bodies, causing them to shiver.

    A satisfied smile appeared on Amos''s face as he proceeded to take a step forward and enter the now unobstructed portal.

    Just as he was about to step inside and all seemed hopeless, a sudden gust of wind swept through the battlefield, followed by a blur of motion. Before anyone could react, Amos was sent flying backward, his massive form crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact.

    "Who¡ª?!" Amos growled, struggling to stand, his eyes darting around for the source of the attack.

    Standing where Amos had been moments before was Boris Fanum, his aura zing with raw power. His piercing gaze was locked on Amos, his expression one of pure anger.

    "You''ve caused enough trouble," Boris said coldly. "If you want a fight, then fight someone who can actually handle you."

    "Oh, it''s the guild master." Amos smiled when he saw the person that had attacked him. At the same time, even Boris''s eyes shed in recognition.

    Though he was not close with this man, he had seen him a couple of times in the academy and knew that he was an instructor.

    "Now that you''re here, could you please tell them to let me in?" Amos asked kindly.

    "Unfortunately, I can''t," Boris said firmly, his expression darkening. "This is guild protocol. No unauthorized personnel are allowed ess to a dimension rift without clearance. And judging by your actions, you''re anything but authorized."

    Amos''s polite smile twisted into a sneer, and without saying anything, he took a step forward.

    "Stay back, instructor Amos. I won''t repeat myself!" Boris growled, his voice sending shivers down the spines of the guards present. The sheer power emitting from his body caused the air to crackle, and his robe fluttered in the wind.

    The air was filled with tension, and one after the other, the guards began to take about 20 steps back. Wrong¡ªthey didn''t take steps back. Rather, it was the aura pouring out of the two like a wave that pushed them back.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    A dark cloud seemed to gather above the heads of the two powerful Awakened, with shes of lightning flickering within it.

    The sight was especially strange as the dark clouds and shes of lightning were only urring in this part of the capital.

    Without a doubt¡­ it was the doing of the two old monsters!

    And this sent rm bells ringing in the ears of everyone!

    "A fight between two experts¡ªthis ce is going to be a mess!" one guard shouted, literally trembling on his knees, big beads of sweat on his temple as if he had just used the shower.

    "Damn it, why can''t that other man just be reasonable! He could just wait till the Awakenede out of the rift!"

    "The guild leader is equally hot-headed too; he will never break the guild rules!"

    "What do we do then?"

    "We just watch!" the guard said, but then a mischievous smile blossomed on his face. "Low-key, I want to see two experts going all out like this."

    A gleaming silver sword appeared in Boris''s grasp. A fierce light shone in his deep, profound eyes as he uttered coldly, "Since you want to be senseless, I shall discipline you¡ªdrill some sense into your head."

    "Hehehe, don''t get too ahead of yourself, human!" Amosughed, spreading his arms wide as if inviting Boris to attack.

    "You talk as if you''re not human!" Boris shouted as he kicked the ground, and his body shot forward like a zinget, a deep crater appearing where he had previously stood.

    "That''s because I ain''t one, alright!" Amosughed as he intercepted Boris mid-air!

 Chapter 407 Two Old Monsters Clash [2]

    Inside the special ssroom, an instructor stood at the front, addressing the students with a rather disinterested expression. His monotone voice filled the room as he scribbledplicated diagrams of mana flow on the board.

    It was a theory ss¡ªa very boring one at that. In fact, none of the academy''s theory sses were particrly engaging. Most of the students believed their time would be better spent swinging swords or practicing magic spells rather than sitting idly for an hour listening to lectures about topics they already knew¡ªor at least thought they did.

    Today''s topic was no different. The instructor droned on about the principles of mana, a subject everyone had heard a hundred times before. "Mana," he began, pushing his sses up the bridge of his nose, "is the fundamental energy that fuels our abilities. It is drawn from the atmosphere, the body, and the spirit. Without proper understanding, one risks severe consequences¡ªmana burn, bacsh, or worse, permanent damage."

    A few students yawned, and others stared nkly at the ceiling. Only one or two appeared to take notes, though it was debatable whether they were truly paying attention or simply doodling in their notebooks.

    Nyx sat near the back, arms crossed and head tilted to the side. Her calcting eyes didn''t miss a single detail, even if she didn''t care much for the lesson. To her, these sses were a necessary evil¡ªa means to an end. But that didn''t mean she had to enjoy them.

    Next to her was ke, the masked figure with an annoying and clingy personality.

    Nyx really wanted to create some distance from this guy. However, for some reason, he kept trying to infiltrate her group¡ªNox, Seran, and, surprisingly, Jared.

    Yes, in recent days, Jared had gotten close to the group.

    The reason for this was rather simple: they came from the same region, and Jared''s father was also a friend of their grandfather Nathan.

    And... most importantly, Nyx still remembered how he had saved her from elimination during the flight summit.

    All this was more than enough to ept him into their circle. But this masked boy...

    There was just something strange about him.

    ke leaned over and whispered, "Does this guy ever say anything new? I could''ve taught this ss myself."

    Nyx didn''t respond, her focus seemingly elsewhere. Her thoughts were already drifting.

    "Where did he go now?" She thought about her silly brother before eventually shaking the thoughts off.

    The instructor, oblivious to theck of enthusiasm, continued his lecture. "Now, let''s discuss the importance of mana circuits and how their structure influences spell efficiency..."

    "Great," someone muttered under their breath. "Just what we needed¡ªanother lecture on how we''re all doing it wrong."

    As the instructorunched into an overlyplex exnation, the ssroom door creaked open. Everyone turned to look, hoping for a distraction, only to see the headmistress standing in the doorway.

    "Sorry for the interruption," she smiled kindly at the students, "but I need to borrow one of your students. Nyx Aegis Cromwell,e with me."

    ''Me?'' Nyx was a bit confused but still got up and went outside nevertheless.

    Nyx followed Bridget quietly through the door, her mind filled with several thoughts, wondering the reason for her being called out like this.

    It didn''t take too long for her to step out of the building and onto a corridor.

    As soon as she arrived, Nyx''s eyes lit up when she saw the familiar bony figure of her grandfather standing there with a wide smile on his face.

    "Grandpa!" Nyx shouted. Her voice was so loud that even the students back in the ss heard her. She rushed into her grandfather''s arms and hugged him.

    "Oi, brat, don''t make this old man trip!" Nathanughed heartily as he patted his granddaughter''s back.

    "Sorry." Nyx hurriedly apologized as she pulled back. "How have you been, old man?" She smiled, looking at him.

    "I''m fine. I was in the capital and thought I should check on you kids before I return to the west."

    "How is Mom, Aunt Eve, Celine, Cam, that baldy Rab, Cole¡ªall of them?"

    "They''re all fine." Nathanughed as he ruffled Nyx''s hair. One thing he loved most about his grandkids was that they all loved and cherished the barony.

    "Come, let''s go meet Serena!" Nyx said as she dragged her grandfather to the alpha ss building.

    Continue reading on empire

    Serena spotted them from several miles away and hurriedly excused herself from her ss, rushing out to hug Nathan.

    The two discussed animatedly about their time in the academy and even the entrance exam.

    Nathan listened with a smile on his face.@@novelbin@@

    Just as they were discussing among themselves, the trio soon sensed another presence from behind. Quickly turning around, their eyes fell on someone.

    A fellow student.

    Theo Fanum.

    Serena and Nyx raised an eyebrow as they exchanged nces. They were all thinking the same thing: what was he doing here?

    "Level 55 at such a young age, impressive." Nathan nodded in admiration. "The Vermilion Royal Academy is indeed no joke!"

    When he was only a few steps away, Theo came to a stop and did something surprising that made Nyx and Serena''s eyes widen.

    "Good day, sir. My name is Theo Fanum. I''m a big fan of you."

    Nyx''s eyes twinkled with understanding when she heard this. Even Nathan was slightly taken aback¡ªhe hadn''t expected one of the students to know about him.

    "My father told me a lot about you. It''s an honor to finally meet you."

    "Raise your head, kiddo," Nathan said. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he extended a hand toward Theo. "No need to bow. It''s always good to meet young talents like yourself."

    Theo straightened, a mix of nervousness and excitement flickering in his eyes as he shook Nathan''s hand firmly. "Thank you, sir. Your exploits in the Great War are legendary. My father often spoke of how you and your son contributed greatly to the war. He said it was thanks to your son that so many lives were spared."

    Nathan chuckled, waving his free hand dismissively. "Ah, those were different times. But I appreciate the sentiment. Tell me, who''s your father? He must be someone remarkable if he''s passing down tales of an old man like me."

    "Boris Fanum."

    "Ah, that old bastard!" Nathan eximed. "He''s your father?"

    "Yes." Theo smiled. From Nathan''s tone, he could already tell that Nathan and his father knew each other.

    Suddenly, as everyone was discussing among themselves, a thunderous boom rocked the entire royal capital, and everyone''s head snapped toward the eastern direction.

    "That aura... a battle is currently going on over there," Nathan thought with a frown on his face.

    Bridget appeared beside him like a ghost. "Not just any battle¡ªit''s between two experts!"

    "You kids wait right here," Nathan said to the children as he and Bridget dashed toward the eastern direction of the city.

 Chapter 408 Upgrade!

    There was something strange about Amos''s words, and for some seconds, they continued to y in Boris''s head on repeat.

    ''Because I ain''t one!''

    ''What did he mean by that?''

    The background information surrounding Amos was very suspicious indeed. ording to Bridget, he was from Imperia, which was widely recognized as the most powerful kingdom in the entire human domain because of its overwhelming military strength.

    Imperia was also famously known as the kingdom with the highest number of renowned experts. Amos had said that the main reason he came to the Vermilion Kingdom and applied for the role of an instructor was that he wanted to stand out and earn at the same time.

    Boris didn''t find it particrly strange then because Imperia was absolutely notorious for its cutthroat and ruthless environment. Even the most talented individuals often struggled to rise amidst the overwhelming and relentlesspetition. Seeking recognition in smaller and less prominent kingdoms was amon and practical practice.

    But now, he was slowly beginning to have doubts.

    Boris wasn''t able to finish his thought process as¡ª

    CLANG!

    Boris''s silver sword shed violently with Amos''s dark ws, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The force of the impact caused the cobblestone ground beneath them to crack and splinter.

    "Is that all you''ve got?" Amos sneered, his voice booming over the chaos. His eyes glowed, and before the eyes of everyone, the lightning surrounding him slowly transformed into a surge of ck lightning that coiled around his arms.

    "I haven''t even started!" Boris roared, mming his foot into the ground and releasing a shockwave. His sword glimmered with radiant energy, slicing through Amos''s lightning like butter.

    "Nova strike!"

    BOOM!

    A brilliant explosion of light engulfed the area, forcing the onlookers to shield their eyes.

    Amos snarled as he emerged from the light, a protective ck aura crackling around him. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a wall of dark lightning spikes that shot toward Boris at blinding speed.

    Boris spun his sword in a dazzling arc, sending out a crescent of energy that tore through the lightning spikes, dispersing them in an instant.

    Meanwhile, the guards watched with both fright and excitement! Their mouths hung open, and their eyes were wide.

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    Despite their lives being on the line, they couldn''t seem to tear their eyes away from the fight.

    "This¡­ this is insane!" one stammered.

    "Insane? This is a disaster!" another shouted, pointing to the distance. From where they stood, they could hear citizens screaming as they fled the area, leaving behind overturned market stalls and abandoned goods.

    In the middle of the chaos, Amos and Boris Fanum continued to sh. However, no one could see anything clearly.

    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

    The sound of des shing through the air and lightning crackling echoed continuously, but no one could pinpoint the exact location of thebatants. All they could see were streaks of silver and ck crisscrossing the battlefield, weaving through the air at breakneck speed.

    "Where are they?!" one Awakened shouted, his voice trembling with both fear and awe.

    "They''re moving too fast!" another Awakened replied, shielding his eyes from the shes. "It''s like watching twoets collide!"

    After approximately two minutes, the two broke apart, each skidding to a stop.

    "Not too shabby, I see," Amos nodded in admiration and respect.

    "Now try stopping this!" he suddenly eximed. mming his fists together, a vortex of ck lightning spiraled outward, ripping apart the ground and hurling chunks of earth into the sky.

    Boris leapt into the air, dodging the attack as if he had done this several times in his life.

    While mid-air, he couldn''t help but shout in anger, "You''re reckless! You''d destroy this entire area just to prove a point?"

    As he descended, his sword cut through the air, a powerful arc of silver light trailing behind the de.

    Amosughed maniacally, shattering the arc with sheer force.

    ''This is fun! It''s been so long since I''ve let loose like this!''

    The two shed again, their movements so fast they appeared as blurs to the onlookers. Each collision produced deafening BANGS! and CRACKS!, shaking the ground like an earthquake.

    One guard fell to his knees, clutching his helmet. "They''re going to bring down the entire district!"

    "Shut up and run if you''re scared!" another barked, though his trembling legs betrayed his own fear.

    Amos and Boris locked eyes, panting but grinning.@@novelbin@@

    "I could do this all day," Amos taunted.

    "Tsk, me too!"

    Not far from the chaos, a distant figure stared at the fight with narrowed eyes. This figure was a cloaked individual with arge "2" embroidered on the back of his cloak.

    From the little areas exposed beneath the cloak, one could see red skin.

    This man was none other than the second-inmand of the Order of the ming Rose.

    "And here I thought reinforcements had finally arrived," he sighed. He had only been passing by when he sensed the auras of the twobatants and decided to investigate.

    "Well, it''s none of my business," he muttered. He was about to turn and leave when he decided to observe them further.

    He recognized Boris as one of the most respected and influential individuals in the capital. However, he had absolutely no idea who the other person was.

    "If I want to ensure victory, I need to know all their tricks." His eyes glowed dangerously. "That way, we can deal with these two experts swiftly."

    While the fight raged on, showing no signs of ending soon, Nox handed the skill scroll to Mushroom Man andmanded it to learn it.

    Yes, that was it! One just needed to wish to learn the skill to use it!

    Mushroom Man did as instructed, and¡ª

    ---

    Thank you for supporting Supreme BeastTamer with your valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones! I really appreciate it. The goal for 200 Golden Tickets is still on, but at this pace, I doubt we''ll hit it before the month''s end. And of course, there is the Power Stone goal.

 Chapter 409 Titanrock Barrier activated!

    It wasn''t just about Mushroom Man. Nox''s own defense was a major issue as well.

    There were battles in the past where he had sustained injuries that could have been avoided. His high-damage skills did the job, but they left him exposed in prolonged fights. He couldn''t always rely on sheer destruction to win.

    This was one of the reasons Nox was so optimistic about the stone wall. With his Upgrade Talent, he was certain he could refine it into a top-tier defensive ability¡ªsomething that could finally cover his major weakness.

    Nox then handed the skill scroll to Mushroom Man, who stared at it with a dumb expression on its face. Those hollow green eyes flickered as if asking Nox what it should do with this.

    "Wish to learn it," Nox stated.

    In Eos, for Awakened humans, there was only one way to learn a skill, which was through a scroll. Of course, Nox was not included in this equation.

    However, for beasts, there were two methods.

    They could gain new skills with each evolution and also learn from skill scrolls, giving them an advantage over humans.

    Nox didn''t follow the scroll method, and the reason for this was pretty simple¡ªwhy learn some crappy skill when you could get a more powerful upgraded version of that same skill?

    Mushroom Man nodded its head vigorously as it understood what Nox meant. Without a moment of hesitation, it wished to learn the skill, and the scroll in its grasp turned into specks of light.

    Seeing the specks of light, Mushroom Man''s eyes flickered with fear. In its mind, it had destroyed the scroll.

    From Nox''s expression, Mushroom Man could tell that his master really valued the scroll thingy. However, it soon realized that Nox''s expression was still rtively calm, which meant that it was...

    "It''s fine. That''s natural," Nox said.

    As if on cue, Mushroom Man felt an influx of information rush into it. The knowledge wasplicated, especially for a primitive beast with no intellectual understanding, but somehow, it grasped everything.

    A glint of enlightenment flickered in Mushroom Man''s eyes.

    "You''ve learned it, right?" Nox asked when he saw the look.

    Nod! Nod!

    "Good. Now use it!" Nox said.

    Mushroom Man stepped back a couple of steps¡ªit was a signal for Nox as well, so he did the same.

    Without a moment of hesitation, Mushroom Man raised its thick arms, and the earth beneath it trembled.

    Rumble! Rumble!

    A deep rumble echoed through the tunnel as bs of stone burst from the ground, forming a sturdy wall three meters tall, two meters wide, and half a meter thick. Dust and debris settled around it, and the wall radiated a faint energy.

    Nox was not impressed when he saw the height and breadth of the wall, but he wasn''t really nning on settling for less to begin with.

    His dark eyes glowed as he activated Mimicry and 10x Upgrade!

    [Ding! You''ve copied the skill: Stone Wall!]

    [Ding! 10% upgrade detected. New skill acquired.] Find exclusive content at empire

    [Upgrading skill 10x!]

    (Stone Wall >> Titanrock Barrier)

    [Titanrock Barrier (Ultimate)]

    A defensive-type skill that conjures a colossal wall of Titanrock, an indestructible mineral infused with ancient earth energy. Upon activation, a 30-meter tall, 5-meter thick barrier emerges, capable of withstanding devastating attacks.

    Absolute Defense: Reduces all iing damage by 90%.

    Shockwave Pulse: Releases a seismic shockwave upon impact, knocking back enemies within a 20-meter radius.

    Regenerative Structure: Repairs minor cracks within 10 seconds, ensuring continuous durability.

    Fortress Mode: The wall can be expanded when reinforced with extra mana.

    Consumes 500 MP per activation. Lasts 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]

    "Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to a pet?"

    Nox smiled. Now that''s more like it. He selected the option to keep the skill for himself. Afterward, he upgraded Mushroom Man''s Stone Wall skill as well to Titanrock Barrier.

    "You might want to give me some space," Nox said to Mushroom Man as he prepared to test out his newly acquired skill.

    "Titanrock Barrier activated!"

    A surge of power flickered in his eyes, and immediately¡ª

    BOOM!

    The ground exploded as a wall emerged, growing ten times its original proportions. It shot up like a tower, now standing thirty meters tall, twenty meters wide, and five meters thick. Cracks ran up the ceiling as the tunnel struggled to contain its sudden growth.

    A powerful gust of wind rushed past them as rocks tumbled from above. Even Mushroom Man flinched, its hollow green eyes blinking in shock at what had just been created.

    Nox smirked. "Now, that''s a real wall."

    However, his little disy of power hadn''t gone unnoticed.

    Deep inside the dungeon, in the dark depths beyond the tunnels, something stirred.

    A massive fungal entity, buried underyers of bioluminescent mushrooms, trembled slightly. For years, it had rested in silence, undisturbed. But now¡­

    One of its milky, unblinking eyes slowly fluttered open.

    The ground shuddered. Thick, vine-like roots curled and twisted beneath the earth. The temperature in the dungeon dropped ever so slightly.

    Nox had awakened the boss monster.

    ---

    Near the exit portal, even the eyes of the two couples trembled in horror when they heard the thunderous sound.

    "What was that?!" they eximed simultaneously, fear gripping their hearts.

    "That¡­ that''s either the boss monster or something else... Just what is he doing?!"

    "If that thing is indeed the boss, we''re in big trouble. We need to do something!"

    ---

    Completely unaware, Nox continued to stare at the wall that had separated him from Mushroom Man.

    He would have liked to test out its durability, but there was just a day left before he needed to head back to report to the Adventurer''s Guild.

    Nox kept walking. A momentter, his boots crunched against the damp ground. The further he went, the worse the air got¡ªthicker, heavier. It smelled like wet earth mixed with something¡­ fungal. Like old mushrooms left to rot.

    The tunnel stretched on, twisting and turning, but one thing was clear¡ªmonsters were getting more frequent.

    Nox narrowed his eyes. That meant one thing.

    "I''m close," he muttered, dragging his fingers along the rough stone walls. The faint glow of bioluminescent fungi flickered in the distance, casting weird, shifting shadows.@@novelbin@@

    More monsters appeared.

    At first, it was just Rockhounds¡ªthose annoying, stone-covered beasts with their gnashing jaws. But then¡­ other things started crawling out of the darkness.

    Chitin-covered insects.

    Their bodies gleamed under the faint light, their sharp mandibles clicking as they moved. Some were spitting acid, the liquid sizzling as it hit the ground. Others had long, serrated ws, perfect for tearing through flesh.

    Nox exhaled. "Figures. The closer you get to the good stuff, the worse it gets."

    Yes... Nox was now very close to the reward room where the dimensional boss was currently resting.

    As if to prove him right...

    ROOOOAAAARRRR!

    A deep, ancient roar resounded from the darkness ahead.

    "Yup, I''m really here."

 Chapter 410 They Arrive!

    From the distant rooftop, the red-skinned figure continued to silently observe the ongoing chaotic fight, his glowing crimson eyes narrowing sharply as he carefully analyzed every single move. The brutal battle between Amos and Boris was fierce, with each ferocious sh sending violent shockwaves rippling through the entire area.

    Nearby buildings trembled violently, cobblestones cracked apart, and frightened citizens screamed as they ran desperately for cover.

    At that intense moment, Amos swiftly dodged a powerful downward swing from Boris''s massive sword, the gleaming silver de barely missing his face by an inch. In immediate response, Amos unleashed a sudden barrage of ck lightning, forcing Boris to leap backward with urgency.

    The seasoned guild master twisted sharply mid-air,nding gracefully upon the fractured ground before charging forward again without hesitation. His sword shimmered with crackling energy as he shed downward with immense force.

    Swoosh!

    Amos grinned wickedly and caught the massive de with his bare hand. Sparks flew wildly as ck lightning crackled menacingly around his palm,pletely neutralizing the devastating attack.

    Amos smirked. "That all you got, young man?" he taunted confidently.

    Boris gritted his teeth and pushed harder, forcing Amos to slide backward slightly. "I could ask you the exact same thing!" he retorted. Twisting his sword sharply, he broke free from Amos''s firm grip beforeunching another powerful, decisive strike.@@novelbin@@

    BOOM!

    The impact created a massive shockwave, sending debris flying wildly in all directions. The stationed guards watching from a distance quickly shielded their faces from the swirling dust.

    "This is getting way out of control!" one guard shouted nervously.

    "Should we step in?" another hesitantly asked, his voice uncertain.

    "Are both of you crazy? We''d be killed instantly!" a third guard snapped, shaking his head.

    Meanwhile, the red-skinned figure chuckled darkly under his breath.

    "Interesting. Both of them are strong¡­ but reckless," he murmured, his sharp eyes observing the way Amos fought, how he clearly relished the chaotic battle, how his unpredictable lightning continuously shifted colors. His gaze narrowed suspiciously.

    "That power¡­ it''s not normal."

    Yes, he waspletely certain. Lightning was always blue¡ªso why was Amos''s unnaturally ck?

    It was highly suspicious!

    His gaze then flickered toward Boris, who stood his ground firmly despite the widespread destruction surrounding him.

    "And Boris Fanum¡­ he''s holding back. Is he scared ofpletely destroying this district?"

    Number Two had done his research extensively. It was the very first thing he meticulously did when he was officially assigned this important mission.

    He had taken careful note of all the truly powerful experts in the Vermilion Kingdom and their respectivebat sses.

    Among all of them, Boris had stood out significantly.

    He was one of the few people the secretive Order of the ming Rose was most cautious of.

    However, so far, he was not living up to the high expectations, which only further confirmed that he was definitely holding back¡ªprobably because of the countless Awakened individuals and the densely popted district.

    "Hmm, let''s continue to carefully watch," he muttered, returning his sharp focus back to the chaotic fight.

    BOOM!

    Another violent collision sent destructive shockwaves rippling through the already devastated battlefield. The air crackled furiously with residual energy, and the fractured ground trembled under the sheer overwhelming force of their fierce battle.

    Boris skidded backward, his sturdy boots grinding against the shattered cobblestone. His grip tightened firmly around his glowing sword, his broad chest rising and falling rapidly. He had fought countless difficult battles before, but this waspletely different. Amos was utterly relentless¡ªhis brutal attacks, his rapid movements, his raw monstrous strength¡ªit was like fighting a raging storm given physical form.

    Meahwhike, Amos stood tall, his entire figure covered in flickering ck lightning. His ominous eyes glowed eerily, and a twisted smirk tugged at his lips. "Come on, old man," he taunted mockingly, rolling his shoulders. "You''re not done already, are you?"

    Boris gritted his teeth angrily. "Tch, cocky bastard," he muttered under his breath, steadying himself once again. His sword pulsed intensely with energy, its silver radiance barely holding against Amos''s strange, chaotic lightning.

    Then¡ª

    SWOOSH!

    Amos vanished instantly.

    Boris''s eyes widened. "Damn it¡ª!"

    CRACK!

    A fist wreathed in crackling ck lightning mmed brutally into his gut, sending him hurtling violently through the air. He crashed straight through a wooden wall, shattering it into countless splinters before rolling to an abrupt stop.

    "Shit¡­" Boris groaned painfully, coughing as he struggled to push himself upright.

    Amos chuckled, flexing his fingers. "You''re not bad. I''ll give you that," he mused, taking slow, deliberate steps toward his fallen opponent. "But this? This is barely even a proper warm-up."

    Boris wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze darkening with resolve. He was running out of valuable time. The widespread damage was rapidly getting out of hand. He needed to end this battle now.

    But before he could make a single move¡ª

    SWOOSH!

    A powerful gust of turbulent wind tore violently through the battlefield, forcing Amos to halt abruptly mid-step. The pressure in the atmosphere changed drastically in an instant.

    Boris''s head snapped up just as amanding voice rang through the thick air.

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    "Enough!"

    A figure descended gracefully from above,nding with elegance amidst the utter destruction.

    Bridget.

    Her long, flowing purple hair fluttered in the air her as she stood firmly between the two fighters, her piercing gaze locking onto them with intensity. Power radiated from her very being, and for the first time since the chaotic fight had begun, Amos''s confident expression faltered slightly.

    Another figure arrived just behind her. It was Nathan. His took in the entire scene and his lips pressed into a thin, disapproving line.

    "What the hell is going on here?" Nathan demanded coldly, scanning the battlefield. "The entire district is practically destroyed!"

    "Tsk, and they just spoiled the show," the red-skinned figure on the distant rooftop muttered irritably, shaking his head in both disappointment and frustration as he immediately recognized the two unexpected people who had suddenly arrived at the scene.

    **

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really appreciate!

 Chapter 411 The Boss

    This part of the tunnel was far more spacious and wider than the previous sections, yet, for some reason, it was also significantly colder. The chill that seeped through the stone walls was fierce and unrelenting, creeping into every crevice like an invisible mist.

    However, zy''s crackling mes wrapped around Nox like a protective barrier, shielding him from the biting cold and keeping his bodyfortably warm.

    The mushroom man, on the other hand, remained unaffected. It had long since adapted to such an environment, its thick fungal skin providing natural instion against the cold air. The creature showed no signs of difort, moving with the same unbothered pace as before, its stubby feet tapping lightly against the rocky ground.

    "In the Adventure Guild, they mentioned the possibility of finding spatial-type creatures here," Nox murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "But so far, I haven''te across one."

    His sharp gaze swept over the tunnel ahead, scanning for the slightest distortion in the air¡ªany flicker, ripple, or anomaly that could hint at the presence of a hidden creature. Yet, no matter how carefully he observed, nothing seemed out of ce.

    "Maybe they''re just not nearby," Nox concluded after a brief moment of thought, his brow furrowing slightly in contemtion.

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    So far, he had taken note of the general terrain of this dimension, and from what he had observed, it was noticeably smaller than most rifts he had encountered. However, that wasn''t unusual. Dimensional Rifts varied greatly in size, shape, andplexity¡ªsome were vast, openndscapes filled with towering cliffs and sprawling ruins, while others were narrow,byrinthine tunnels that twisted and turned unpredictably.

    Despite this particr rift being on the smaller side, it was stillrge enough to require several days of exploration to fully uncover its secrets. Numerous branching tunnels stretched into the unknown, each potentially leading to undiscovered dangers. However, Nox had no interest in exploring every inch of the dimension. He had already made up his mind.

    Instead of wandering aimlessly, he would follow the echoes of dimension boss roars that reverberated through the tunnel, guiding him toward the heart of the rift.

    To be honest, Nox wasn''t entirely sure why he was heading in the direction of the dimensional boss, especially when the Adventure Guild had explicitly advised against engaging it. Their warning had been firm¡ªboss-level creatures within rifts were extraordinarily powerful, capable of annihting reckless Awkakenend in mere moments. Even experienced parties often avoided them unless properly prepared.

    Yet, despite knowing this, Nox continued forward without hesitation.

    Was it curiosity? A reckless thirst for battle?

    No.

    Deep down, he knew the truth.

    It wasn''t caution that pushed him forward.

    It wasn''t recklessness either.

    It was greed.

    A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

    He wanted the dimensional boss for himself.

    "I mean¡­ I don''t need to kill it, right?" he pondered aloud, the thought settling into his mind like an irresistible temptation.

    This wasn''t the first time such an idea had surfaced in his thoughts. He had entertained it before¡ªmany times, in fact.

    If he couldn''t kill the boss¡­ then why not tame it?

    A Level Five Dimension was considered a national treasure, a resource that could be farmed for valuable items and experience for decades without being exhausted. If he were to kill the dimensional boss, he would not only face arrest but also be forced to pay a massivepensation fee. The guild had strictws regarding such creatures, as their continued existence was essential for maintaining the rift''s stability.

    However¡­ if he tamed the boss instead, the rift could remain intact.

    "In times of need, I could even call for its help," Nox murmured, his dark eyes glinting with ambition.

    The thought sent a thrill through him. The possibilities were endless.

    With renewed determination, his steps quickened, and before long, he found himself standing before a pair of massive double doors.

    zy''s orange mes flickered, casting a warm glow over the towering structure, revealing the intricate golden-ck engravings that spiraled across the ancient metal surface. The craftsmanship was exquisite, each carving imbued with an aura of mystery and power, as if the door itself held a story lost to time.

    Nox took a slow, deep breath, steadying himself.

    This¡­ This was his first time facing a boss monster.

    A mixture of nervousness and excitement coursed through him, making his pulse quicken. His heartbeat drummed in his ears, yet his mind remained sharp, clear, and unwavering.

    "Alright¡­ no turning back now," he muttered under his breath, his fingers curling into fists at his sides.

    Reaching forward, he pressed his palm against the cold metal. The surface was impossibly smooth, worn down over countless years, as though the touch of many hands had eroded away any imperfections.

    With a firm push, he forced the heavy doors open.

    A deep, resonating groan echoed through the tunnel as the ancient hinges, long untouched, groaned in protest. A rush of cold, mana-rich air spilled from within, swirling around him like an unseen tide, carrying an undeniable weight of power.

    Then, he saw it.

    At the center of the cavernous chamber stood a towering silhouette, its presence exuding sheer, overwhelming dominance. The oppressive aura in the air thickened, pressing down on his skin with the force of an invisible storm.

    Then¡ª@@novelbin@@

    Its eyes snapped open.

    A pair of glowing green irises flickered to life, burning like twin mes in the darkness.

    The mushroom man instinctively took a step back, its body trembling slightly as if sensing the sheer might of the entity before them.

    A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the cavern, shaking the very foundation of the stone beneath their feet. The sound alone was enough to make lesser creatures copse in terror.

    But Nox?

    He grinned.

    Adrenaline surged through his veins, sharpening his senses.

    He hade all this way for a reason.

    "Let''s see if you''re worth taming."

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really appreciate it!

 Chapter 412 The Meeting [1]

    The air was thick with tension, and for a full minute, only the rustling of wind echoed in the surrounding area.

    Bridget stood between Boris and Amos, her sharp eyes darting between the two men. Her usuallyposed expression was filled with confusion.

    ''Why is Amos fighting Boris?'' she thought with a frown on her face. "I sent him to retrieve Nox, not start a war in front of a dimensional rift."

    Her gaze flicked to Amos, who stood a few paces away, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable. The faint crackle of ck lightning still danced around his fingertips.

    Bridget''s lips pressed into a thin line. ''This doesn''t make sense. Amos isn''t one to act recklessly¡ªnot without a reason.''

    Nearby, Nathan stepped forward. He recognized Boris immediately¡ªthe guild master was an old friend, someone he had fought alongside in the past. Nathan''s sharp eyes scanned the scene, taking in the shattered cobblestones, the scorch marks, and the lingering energy in the air.

    Boris was not one to pick a fight unless it was absolutely necessary. For him to have a fallout with this person, something must''ve triggered him.

    Nathan turned to Boris and asked in a firm and calm voice, "What''s the meaning of this, old man?"

    Boris sighed, sheathing his massive sword with a metallic shing.

    "It''s not like I wanted this," Boris said in an annoyed, gruff voice.

    "Amos here decided to ignore guild protocols. He tried to force his way into the dimensional rift. You know the rules, Nathan. No unauthorized personnel are allowed near active rifts, let alone inside them."

    Nathan''s brow furrowed. He nced at Amos, who was now leaning casually against a nearby wall, his expression unbothered. Bridget leaned forward to him and whispered in his ear, telling him who Amos was.

    "Is that true?" Nathan asked with a frown on his face. "You know the rules as well as anyone. What were you thinking?"

    Amos shrugged nonchntly, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

    "Rules are rules, but sometimes they need to be bent. Someone very important to me is inside that rift. I wasn''t about to sit back and wait for permission."

    Bridget''s eyes narrowed. "Someone very important to you?" she repeated, her voice tinged with skepticism. "You didn''t mention anything about this when I sent you to retrieve Nox. What''s really going on, Amos? Could it be that the person inside this dimensional rift is Nox?"

    Amos''s smirk faded, reced by a more serious expression. He pushed off the wall and took a step forward, his ck lightning flickering faintly around him. "Look, I don''t have time to exin everything. All you need to know is that someone important to me is in there, and I wasn''t going to let bureaucracy stand in my way."

    Bridget was slightly taken aback by Amos''s attitude; he wasn''t usually like this. He always spoke calmly, with respect and an air of careful restraint. Little did she know that Amos had merely been living under a facade all this while.

    Just like all demonkind, he was prideful and arrogant by nature.

    The reason he was even showing this attitude now was because he had already made up his mind to leave the Vermilion Kingdom and continue his search elsewhere.

    Yes, over the past years, with his wealth, he had made a lot of contacts, and they had been scouting the entire kingdom for the Hound, yet there was no sign of his existence.

    If the person inside was truly the leader of the False Hope Church, then he would force his way through¡ªeven if he had to burn this ce to the ground.

    Of course, he could simply wait for his master to step out, but because of how long he had been searching, patience was no longer a luxury he could afford.

    Seeing that Amos didn''t look like someone who would back down anytime soon, Boris snorted, his arms crossing over his chest.

    "This guy is a lost case. He''s clearly not backing down anytime soon." Boris took a step forward. "If this is how he wants to y, then I might stop holding back."

    Amos''s eyes narrowed slightly. "You were holding back all this while?" His voice carried a hint of irritation, though his expression remained unreadable. He nced toward the rift, as if debating his next move.

    The air between the three of them grew thick with unspoken tension.

    Then, Amos scoffed. Without another word, he took a step forward, disregarding everyone around him.

    Before he could take another step, Bridget moved.

    "Amos!" she called, her purple eyes narrowing like a predator locking onto prey. "Step¡ª"

    Before she could finish, the air around the rift rippled violently. The portal shimmered, distorting like a mirage before their eyes. A heavy, unnatural energy pulsed outward, making the ground tremble.

    The three of them turned just in time to see three figures stepping through the portal.

    Leading them was a figure d in a hideous mask.

    The masked man emerged with a confident stride, exuding an aura of absolute dominance. If one could see beneath his mask, they would have noticed the satisfied smile on his lips, as if he had just achieved his greatest goal.

    Behind him trailed two others¡ªa man and a woman. Their faces were tense, their eyes darting around nervously as if expecting an ambush.

    Then¡ª

    Amos''s entire body froze.

    His eyes locked onto the masked figure, and in that instant, a tidal wave of emotions crashed over him. Shock. Excitement. Relief.

    His breathing hitched. His hands trembled. And then¡ª

    A single tear slipped down his cheek.

    Boris, Nathan, and Bridget watched in stunned silence.

    Then another tear fell.

    Then another.

    Amos¡­ was crying.

    The proud, arrogant demon stood before them, his entire being trembling¡ªnot with fear, but with overwhelming emotion.@@novelbin@@

    Then, his lips parted.

    "It''s¡­ it''s truly him¡­!"

    Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

    His voice cracked, raw and filled with disbelief. And then, like a man who had just discovered salvation, he let out a booming cry¡ª

    "After all these years¡­ I''ve finally found you, my liege!"

    ---

    Author''s Note:

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with your valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones! I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I''m currently feeling very sick, but I''ll do my best to upload another chapter. If I can''t meet the schedule, then it means my condition got worse.

 Chapter 413 Can You Make Me Stronger?

    A few minutes ago, Nox arrived inside the boss room where the dimensional boss was located, and the supposed boss monster had already stirred awake.

    To be on the safe side, Nox had called out every single one of his pets from the taming space¡ªThirteen, Fluffington, Astralux, Solora, Supreme Spirit Wolf, Granite Colossus, zy, and Mushroom Man, whose eyes were filled with eagerness to join the battle.

    It was a creature that stood over two meters tall, and its appearance¡ªhumanoid¡ªwas very simr to Mushroom Man, only that it radiated more power and a crushing presence seemed to surround it.

    [Fungal Mornach-Legendary Tier Lv 6]

    Nox swallowed hard, his saliva running noisily down his throat. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

    Yes, he was not scared.

    He was excited to face this monster.

    At that moment, the eyes of the creature, still hidden in the dark, blinked¡ªstaring at Nox for a full minute without making a move, which left the young boy perplexed.

    His thoughts swirled like a storm. Why is the boss monster just looking at me? Shouldn''t it attack by now?

    The more time passed, the more confused Nox grew. Beside him, even Mushroom Man tilted its head to the side, its green hollow eyes¡ªflickering like a crackling me in the dark¡ªgleaming with confusion.

    Mushroom Man knew its kind very well. They were intrusive and always took the initiative to attack. They had all inherited this trait from their boss.

    [Could it be he''s scared of Master?] Solora, the baby python, hissed.@@novelbin@@

    [It''s not fear. I don''t sense anything like that!] Fluffington purred, its purple eyes fixed on the creature still subtly cloaked in darkness.

    [Panda fight!] Thirteen eximed, beating its chest like a gori. When was thest time it fought? Thirteen couldn''t even remember.

    It wanted to enjoy this battle! Read thetest on My Virtual Library Empire

    It was also angry!

    Why was the big bad monster simply staring at them instead of attacking? Was it an ally?

    "zy, do you sense anything?" Nox asked. zy, its orange mes crackling in the darkness, flew further and closer to the boss monster¡ªyet there was still no movement. The mushroom creature simply stared at it.

    [None,] zy returned and reported, hovering just above Nox''s head.

    In the darkness, the collective eyes of all the pets gleamed, creating a very beautiful yet eerie scene filled with even more confusion.

    "Could it be that it''s waiting for us to attack?" Nox knitted his eyebrows together.

    This was the only logical thought he coulde to.

    However, just as Nox was about to tell his pets to attack, he sensed something¡ªsomething he had overlooked all this while.

    There was no animosity from the beast.

    "Maybe I can resolve this situation without the need for a fight," he mumbled to himself, and Nox could have sworn he heard several sighs of disappointment from behind him.

    "Hey." Nox raised his hands, his dagger still in them, but they vanished from his grasp mid-air in a burst of dark light. "Let''s talk."

    A moment of silence followed.

    Only the soft crackling of zy''s mes echoed.

    The silence was almost oppressive before Nox heard an ancient yet powerful voice that sent goosebumps prickling through his skin as if he had been stung by several needles at once.

    "Human, can you make me stronger?" A deep voice rumbled through the boss chambers, and Nox felt the ce tremble.

    All this while, Nox had been focused on the boss monster and hadn''t minded his surroundings. Now, because of the trembling, his attention was briefly pulled away from the boss monster to his surroundings.

    Nox looked around, finally paying attention to his environment. The boss chamber was big, its walls glowing faintly with a weird green light from the fungi growing all over. The ground was soft with moss, and for some reason, the ce didn''t feel dangerous. There was no killing intent, no pressure. Just¡­ something strange in the air, like the room itself was waiting for something to happen.

    At that moment, the boss monster stepped forward, and Nox finally had a clearer view of its appearance.

    The boss monster shifted in the darkness. It looked like Mushroom Man but was much bigger and stronger. Its body was covered in tough, armor-like fungus, and its sharp ws glinted under the dim light. The two glowing green eyes on its face weren''t just mindless¡ªthey looked smart, aware.

    It was at this moment that Nox dropped any thoughts of engaging it in a fight and decided to hear it out instead.

    He crossed his arms. "You want me to make you stronger?"

    The boss monster let out a low chuckle, its voice deep and rough. "Yes. I''ve been stuck here for too long. I want to evolve, but to get the necessary requirements, I''ll need to step out of this dimension."

    The boss monster sighed. "And you and I both know that''s impossible."

    It then looked at Nox with new fervor. "But you¡­ You can change that. I witnessed what you did to my brethren. I know your unique rtionship with beasts."

    It swept its gaze across the pets before returning to Nox.

    Nox frowned. "How do you know about that?"

    [It''s a secret, and I can sense your connection with all your pets,] the boss monster said matter-of-factly, as if it were the most natural thing to say.

    "Many beasts don''t know this, but the best way to be stronger is to form a genuine bond with a beast tamer."

    "You know about beast tamers?" Nox was slightly shocked.

    "Hehehe, I do. In fact, most beasts do, unlike the humans." The boss chuckled.

    "In the past, many beasts thrived and grew very powerful because of their bond with their master. All they had to do was act as the sword and shield for their master, and in return, they received resources, training, and new skills."

    Nox remained silent, analyzing the creature before him. The boss monster was no ordinary beast; it possessed intelligence far beyond what he expected. It had seen through him, understood his power, and now sought something that no other had dared to ask¡ªa true partnership.

    The creature shifted, its form crackling with suppressed energy. "Most beasts believe in brute force, in devouring cores and absorbing essence. But there is another way, a forgotten path¡­ One that requires trust." It scoffed. "Of course, that is why it is ignored. Trust is a weakness in this world, isn''t it?"

    Nox''s expression remained unreadable. "And what exactly are you offering?"

    The monster''s glowing eyes burned brighter. "I will serve you."

    "You trust me?"

    "Hehehe, I don''t sense any ill intent directed at you from the others. In return for my help, all I want is for you to help me evolve."

    Usually, dimensional bosses could never leave the rift unless there was a portal break. However, now that it was part of Nox''s pets, he could always call it out through his taming space.

    After taming the beast and going through its skills and evolution, Nox then shifted his gaze to the room. His eyes fixed on a door.

    "That¡­ that''s where the treasures are kept, right?"

    "Mmm." The boss monster nodded.

    "Can I take them?" Nox shamelessly asked as if it were the most normal thing to do.

 Chapter 414 Reward Room

    Usually, the only way one could ess the reward room was by ying the boss of a dimensional rift, which was a very difficult thing to do and required thebined force of an entire party.

    However, little did humans know that they could get the treasures even without killing the boss monster. To achieve this, they''d have to convince the boss monster.

    "Which is impossible," Nox mumbled to himself.

    The very reason they existed in the first ce was to guard the treasure room, so it was out of the question.

    However, Nox was an anomaly.

    Yes, thesemon rules didn''t apply to him.

    "Sure, you can have all of them." The fungal monarch didn''t see anything wrong and gave his permission rather quickly.

    "Thank you." Nox disyed a smile as he strode towards the door, his steps brisk. Before he disappeared through the door, Nox''s voice echoed.

    "You guys should keep your new brother... should I call him brother or uncle...pany."

    The pets slowly turned their attention and looked up at the two-meter-plus beast that was staring at them. Time seemed to stretch endlessly, with no one saying anything, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

    All the pets were waiting for the first person to speak up.

    [Hey, guys?] Eventually, the boss monster said, waving its hand.

    [Hi, new big brother!] Solora''s forked tongue dangled in the air as she slithered closer and circled the beast, her glimmering orb-like eyes filled with curiosity.

    [My name is Solora,] she introduced herself.

    "My name is Astralux." The jellyfish also hovered closely, staying on top of the boss monster''s head.

    "My name is..."

    "Master hasn''t bestowed a name upon you yet," Solora said. Then, her face suddenly turned serious, and she added, [A word of advice.]

    [Hmm?] The fungal monarch tilted its bulbous head in confusion.

    [Don''t ever rush him to name you.]

    The boss monster chuckled. [He can''t be that terrible.]

    [He''s alright,] Fluffington chimed in. [That guy over there... his name is Mushroom Man.]

    [Okay, that''s bad,] the boss monster admitted. [I''d never rush him to give me a name then.]

    [My name is Fluffington, by the way¡ªNox''s first pet!] Fluffington dered. The others present noticed his subtle emphasis on "first," but they didn''t pay attention.

    [Wee to the family,] Fluffington said.

    A momentter, one after the other, the pets started to introduce themselves.

    [Panda!] Thirteen said.

    [His name is actually Thirteen,] Solora chirped in. [Don''t know why he''s obsessed with that word.]

    While the others were introducing themselves, Nox had arrived inside the reward room, which was much smallerpared to the boss chamber.

    The room was smaller than the boss chamber but far more ornate. The walls were lined with shelves made of polished, dark wood, each one glowing faintly under the soft light emanating from the fungi growing on the ceiling. The air was cool and fresh, a stark contrast to the damp, mossy atmosphere of the boss chamber.

    The shelves on the walls and the heap of beast cores immediately attracted Nox''s attention because of the subtle glow and power radiating from them.

    Then, on the other side of the room, something caught his eye¡ªa small, glowing pool of golden liquid. It shimmered like melted sunlight, and although he was standing a bit far from it, he could feel the raw energying off it.

    Nox''s eyes glinted as he approached one of the shelves on the side of the room and started to hoard the items in his inventory. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

    However, from all the items, the ones that stood out most to him were these:

    ---

    1. Crown of the Fungal Sovereign (Legendary-Tier Relic)

    Description: A regal crown woven from golden mycelium, pulsating with an eerie luminescence. Ancient spores float around it, exuding a faint aura of dominance. The Crown of the Fungal Sovereign grants its wearer the ability [Domain of the Fungal King], allowing them to create a vast fungal biome where nt-based and poison-affiliated creatures grow stronger while enemies are weakened. It enhances the wearer''s mental resistance, making them immune to mind control and illusions, and significantly increases their affinity with nature-type beasts.

    Passive Effect: Boosts intelligence and mana regeneration.

    ---

    2. Sporemancer''s Grimoire (Legendary-Tier Tome)

    Description: An ancient tome bound in pulsating, root-like fibers. The pages shift like living fungus, rewriting themselves with every nce. The Sporemancer''s Grimoire contains the lost arts of fungal magic, granting its wielder ess to the devastating spell [gue Bloom], which spreads parasitic spores to consume enemies from the inside out. Holding the tome passively bestows [Elder Mycelium Network], allowing the user to telepathicallymunicate with and control nt-based creatures within a vast radius.@@novelbin@@

    Passive Effect: Greatly enhances intelligence and mana regeneration.

    ---

    3. Oblivion Bloom Seed (Demi-God Tier Artifact)

    Description: A small, ckened seed that hums with an unsettling power, seeming to pulse in anticipation. Once nted, the Oblivion Bloom Seed devours all life in the area, either transforming into a monstrous entity or granting the user a massive evolution boost. If fused with a beast, it grants them the ability [Endless Bloom], rendering them effectively immortal as long as their spores remain intact. If swallowed, the user undergoes a one-time transformation, dramatically enhancing their strength and abilities at an unknown cost.

    ---

    4. Fungal Paragon''s Heart (Ascended Tier Relic)

    Description: A crystallized heart, pulsating with deep emerald energy, radiating both life and decay. It beats faintly, as if still alive. The Fungal Paragon''s Heart grants the wielder the ability [Parasitic Assimtion], allowing them to infect and take control of weakened enemies, absorbing their abilities permanently. Holding the heart enhances lifespan and regeneration, making the user nearly immortal. If fused with a beast, it mutates them into a [Fungal Paragon], elevating their power drastically while granting them new, unpredictable abilities.

    ---

    After gathering all this, Nox reined in his excitement and traced his way back to the entrance of the rift, where the couple was waiting for him, looking tired.

    "Come on, let''s head outside," he said, hiding a satisfied grin on his face. Not only had he tamed the boss of this dimensional rift, but he had also imed all the treasures in the reward room!

    Unaware of the danger waiting for him on the other side, Nox passed through the gateway.

 Chapter 415 The Hound

    ''Headmistress, Grandpa, Guild Leader... what are they all doing here?'' Nox was about to blurt these words out, but he quickly remembered he was currently wearing a mask, so he decided to wisely think to himself instead.

    If he had only been a fraction of a secondte, he would''ve blown his cover. How was he supposed to exin to them how he knew their names?

    Nox nned to exploit his fake identity to the maximum. He wasn''t nning on revealing his true self just yet. Being a fake expert came with lots of perks!

    Quickly reorganizing his thoughts, Nox straightened his back, appearing more dominant¡ªthe kind of posture an expert would take. It was so swift that even Nox was slightly impressed.

    He was really getting used to impersonating expert Awakened.

    Then his gaze swept across the surroundings.

    It was not how he remembered the ce to be.

    Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    There were now deep craters, trails of silvery and ck lightning-like energy crackling in the air, making the atmosphere oppressive and heavy.

    "What happened here?" Nox asked in a slightly deep yet firm voice that echoed everywhere. This was a simple trick that all Awakened could use¡ªthey only needed to channel mana into their lungs.

    Although it made Awakened appear dominant, if used by a low-level Awakened, say a level 20 in the presence of a higher level, they''de across as nothing short of pathetic.

    In this case, however, because of Nox''s rtively high level, it held the charm and authority expected of an expert.

    Bridget, Nathan, and Boris looked at this neer, their sharp gazes scrutinizing him from head to toe. This was not because of his mask; rather, it was because this person was rtively unknown in their circles.

    Even though they didn''t all get along that much, they still knew most of the high-level figures in the region.

    For a moment, there was silence, and the air was thick with tension as everyone simply stared at the neer. It was at that moment that they heard heavy breaths from their side. ncing in that direction, they witnessed something that left them confused.

    It was the arrogant and prideful Amos.

    His hands were trembling.

    And then¡ª

    A single tear slipped down his cheek.

    Boris, Nathan, and Bridget watched in stunned silence.

    Then another tear fell.

    Then another.

    Amos¡­ was crying.

    The proud, arrogant demon stood before them, his entire being trembling¡ªnot with fear, but with overwhelming emotion.

    Then, his lips parted.

    "It''s¡­ it''s truly him¡­!"

    His voice cracked, raw and filled with disbelief. And then, like a man who had just discovered salvation, he let out a booming cry¡ª

    "After all these years¡­ I''ve finally found you, my liege!"

    Nox''s head snapped in that direction.

    "What is he saying?" He narrowed his eyes, but they widened the next moment. "Why is he running towards me?"

    Nox wanted to take a step back but decided to not show any sign of weakness, even though the person charging at him was an Awakened above level 100.

    However, he kept his guard up, but from the tears and posture, he strongly doubted that this man wanted to attack, as he didn''t sense any killing intent directed at him.

    A few secondster, he arrived before Nox and fell to his knees.

    Nox''s confusion grew.

    What was he doing? Why was he kneeling down?

    Amos knelt, his forehead pressed firmly against the cracked earth. His entire body trembled¡ªnot out of fear, but in raw, unfiltered devotion. His voice, once filled with arrogance and cruelty, now carried a reverence that stunned everyone present.

    "My liege¡­ I have searched for you¡­ for years!" Amos dered, his voice echoing in the ruined battlefield. "Through blood, through pain, through endless trials¡­ I never lost faith that I would one day stand before you again!"

    The air grew eerily still.

    Bridget, Boris, and Nathan exchanged bewildered nces.

    "Liege?" Nathan muttered under his breath. "What madness is this?"

    The proud and infamous Amos was kneeling? To this masked stranger?

    Even the Guildmaster, despite his battered state, struggled to process what he was witnessing. He had fought Amos countless times, but never had he seen the man disy anything other than bloodlust and arrogance.

    Nox, meanwhile, was experiencing a crisis of his own.

    ''What the hell is going on?!''

    This was the first time he had ever met Amos¡ªat least, he thought so. But the way this powerful figure trembled before him, speaking as if he were someone of great importance¡­ it was absurd!

    Nox wanted to deny it. To call this all a mistake, a case of mistaken identity.

    But¡ª

    ''Wait¡­ if I deny it, wouldn''t that be suspicious? He clearly thinks I''m someone else¡­ but if I say no, he might start asking questions. And that¡­ that could expose me.''

    A bead of sweat trickled down Nox''s neck beneath his mask.

    ''Damn it. What do I do? Do I y along?''

    He quickly weighed his options.

    ¡ªIf he denied it outright, he might blow his cover.

    ¡ªIf he epted it, he might be forced into a situation he didn''t understand.

    Then, he remembered something.

    The mask.@@novelbin@@

    The mysterious mask he had bought years ago.

    Could it be¡­ was this mask more significant than he had thought?

    ''No way. You''re telling me this cheap mask I randomly picked up is actually some kind of legendary artifact tied to a powerful organization?!''

    It sounded ridiculous.

    But looking at Amos, at his trembling shoulders, at the absolute devotion in his eyes¡­

    It was very real.

    ''¡­Screw it. I''ll y along for now.''

    Nox adjusted his posture, standing tall. He let out a slow, measured breath, ensuring his voice remained firm andmanding.

    "¡­Rise," he said simply.

    Amos jerked upright, his eyes shining with something terrifying¡ªfanaticism.

    "I am at your service, my liege!" he dered with absolute conviction.

    Nox nced at the still-disheveled Guildmaster, then back at Amos.

    ''¡­This guy is strong. He pushed one of the strongest figures in the Vermilion Kingdom to his limit. Having someone like that on my side¡­ might not be so bad.''

 Chapter 416 Mission Briefing [1]

    Silence.

    There was absolute silence.

    The once proud and ruthless Amos knelt before the mysterious masked figure with absolute reverence, his voice filled with devotion.

    Bridget, Boris, and Nathan stood frozen, struggling to process what had just happened.

    "Amos¡­ is calling him liege?" Boris finally spoke, his rough voice filled with disbelief. "This has to be some sort of joke, right?"

    Nathan crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. He was more curious about the masked figure than Amos kneeling down.

    Who was he? Experts were known to be very powerful and arrogant. They wore their pride on their faces. They''d never bow to another person! Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

    The sight of Amos¡ªthe same Amos who had fought the Guildmaster to a standstill¡ªkneeling before aplete unknown was beyond any of the Awakened''sprehension.

    Bridget remained silent, her intense gaze locked onto the masked figure, her mind already calcting the possibilities.

    Nox, on the other hand, was in a mental battlefield of his own.

    Damn it. They''re suspicious. I need to say something believable¡­ and fast.

    His thoughts spun at lightning speed before he finally spoke, keeping his voice firm andposed.

    "Amos is my¡­ apprentice."

    Silence.

    Dead silence.

    Then¡ª

    "WHAT?!"

    The exmation erupted from nearly every Awakened present.

    The tension in the air skyrocketed.

    The surrounding Awakened, who had witnessed Amos'' overwhelming strength firsthand, could not believe what they had just heard.

    Amos, an Awakened who had just pushed the Guildmaster to his limits¡­ was only an apprentice?

    If that was true¡­ then how strong was his master?!

    Murmurs spread like wildfire in the midst of the Awakened.

    "No way¡­ if that guy trained Amos, then he must be even stronger than the Guildmaster¡­"

    "Unbelievable! Who is he?"

    "Is he from the royal capital? Or maybe an unknown powerhouse?"

    Bridget''s eyes darkened with a dangerous glint as she analyzed the situation. Nathan''s fingers twitched slightly, a subtle sign of his rising curiosity.

    Amos, however, turned to Nox with fiery eyes, nodding furiously. Everyone in the False Hope Church had learned from the Hound himself, so technically, he was indeed their master!

    "Yes! That is correct!" he dered with conviction. "I have spent years searching for my master. My strength, my skills, everything I have gained was to prepare myself for this day!"

    Nox nearly flinched at the level of fanaticism in Amos'' voice.

    This guy is way too into this¡­

    But outwardly, he remainedposed.

    "¡­It''s good that you haven''t wasted your training," Nox said, deciding to lean into the role. "You''ve improved, but there is still more to learn."

    Amos'' expression lit up as if he had just been given divine validation.

    "Yes, my liege! I will dedicate myself to improving under your guidance!"

    Nox felt his headache worsen.

    I just wanted to turn in my damn quest, not start a cult¡­

    But there was no turning back now.

    Just then, Amos turned to Bridget and walked toward her.

    Bridget instinctively tensed, ready for a fight, but Amos simply bowed deeply.

    "Headmistress Bridget," he said sincerely, "I owe you my gratitude. You have provided me with many opportunities to meet my liege, and for that, I thank you."

    Bridget raised an eyebrow, her usual cold demeanor softening ever so slightly. "¡­Is that so?"

    "Yes," Amos said firmly. "But now that I have found my true master, I must resign from my position."

    Everything went still, and Bridget felt a cold wind on her face, clearly not expecting this.

    Amos was resigning?

    Bridget remained unreadable for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

    "You were a valuable asset, but I won''t stop you if this is your decision." She paused, then added, "Just don''t cause trouble."

    Amos nodded. "Thank you for understanding."

    Nox observed the interaction, mildly impressed. Though Bridget was clearly surprised, she handled the situation with theposure of an experienced leader.

    She''s sharp. If I say the wrong thing, she''ll see through me.

    Nox decided it was best to wrap things up quickly.

    He turned to the couple who had been watching the entire spectacle with their jaws practically on the floor.

    "I need to submit my quest," Nox announced, regaining his usualmanding tone.

    His teammates snapped out of their daze, quickly nodding. "R-Right! Let''s go."

    Before they left, Nox''s gaze lingered on his grandfather.

    Only he knew the amount of self-restraint he needed to not rush over there and hug his old man, but he knew there was another time for that.

    With that, the group finally left, leaving behind the stunned crowd.

    ---

    Later at the Adventurers'' Guild

    After returning to the Adventurers'' Guild, Nox efficiently submitted hispleted quest and received his rewards.

    The couple, still shaken by the earlier events, asionally shot him bewildered nces but wisely chose not to ask any questions.

    Good. The less they pry, the easier this is for me.

    Finally, after wrapping up the formalities, Nox turned to Amos.

    "We need a way tomunicate," Nox said.

    Amos immediately produced a small, rune-engraved crystal. "This is a directmunication stone, Master. It will allow us to stay in contact no matter where we are."

    Nox epted the crystal, noting its high quality. Not bad.

    After setting up their method of contact, Amos knelt once more.

    "I will be awaiting yourmand, my liege," he said solemnly.

    Nox resisted the urge to sigh.

    "Do what you must," he said, ying along onest time.

    With that, Amos left, vanishing into the shadows.

    Watching him go, Nox felt a mix of relief and exhaustion.

    This is ridiculous, he thought to himself.

    All he wanted was toplete his quest, and now he had somehow gained a powerful subordinate who thought he was a divine master?

    Still¡­@@novelbin@@

    He nced at the crystal in his hand, his thoughts turning strategic.

    Amos was very powerful¡ªno doubts about that. Someone who could rival the strongest figures in the kingdom.

    Having him as an ally, even temporarily¡­ could be a very useful card to y.

    A smirk slowly crept onto Nox''s face as he made his way to the academy grounds, unaware that he was about to be sent on his first mission.

    ---

    Somewhere else, at the same time¡­

    Inside a luxurious mansion, Amos pulled out amunication crystal and...

 Chapter 417 The Church Of False Hope

    The academy was not only his primary residence, but Amos had also purchased a luxurious mansion near the fortified walls of the grand royal capital, situated in the most influential noble districts amidst the wealthiest aristocrats.

    He had initially bought the magnificent mansion on the very first day he arrived in the grand Vermilion Kingdom. Originally, it was intended to serve merely as his temporary home before he formally applied to be an esteemed instructor at the prestigious academy.

    Most individuals might have believed that this was a reckless financial mistake on his part. However, Amos thought otherwise. He was an exceedingly wealthy individual, and, after all, a few thousand gold coins wouldn''t possibly make him go entirely bankrupt.

    Besides...

    It seems my supreme liege wishes to remain in this remarkable kingdom for an extended period. This ce will be significantly useful for a while then, Amos thought while he calmly strolled through the well-maintained courtyard, where an intricately designed fountain was prominently built at the grand front.

    As soon as he arrived at the enormous, luxurious entrance adorned with ornate carvings, a sharply dressed man, resembling an elite butler, gracefully stepped outside. Though he physically appeared much like any ordinary human, there was something unnervingly striking about him.

    The two protruding bumps on his peculiar head.

    Yes, this person was indeed a demon, just like Amos.

    However, he was no high-ranking noble¡ªhence, the clearly visible demonic characteristics.

    Apart from that, he was also a formidable level-60 Chaos-ss high-tier demon.

    If the foolish humans knew that dozens of demons were freely roaming their very streets, I genuinely wonder how they would react to such knowledge.

    "Wee, Master." The demonic butler respectfully bowed his head deeply, his dark eyes gleaming with an eerie reverence.

    "Raise your head, Dominic," Amos ordered, striding through the grand doors and emerging into a red-carpeted hallway, where golden rays of light streamed through the enormous arched windows.

    Step! Step!

    "I will be residing here for some time," he stated, pausing right in front of an elegant door. His fingers hovered briefly over the polished handle before he turned around and spoke in a firm,manding voice. "I require absolutely no disturbance whatsoever."

    "Yes, milord."

    "Good."

    Twisting the heavy doorknobs, Amos stepped into avishly furnished chamber. Without hesitation, he swiftly retrieved his glowingmunication crystal and proceeded to contact someone.

    "Hey, any leads regarding his whereabouts?" A powerful, deep voice rumbled ominously from the other end.

    "Yes!" Amos eximed, his voice brimming with excitement. "I have finally uncovered the precise whereabouts of the legendary Hound! In fact, I have even met up with him in person!"

    "Excellent!" The individual on the other end roared excitedly. Their thunderous voice resonated so powerfully that cracks rapidly formed upon the windows of the room, causing Amos''s arm to tremble involuntarily.

    But the demon truly couldn''t me that particr person. They had been desperately searching for the legendary Hound as well. Some even presumed he had perished long ago, but the majority firmly believed that he was still alive somewhere.

    After all, in their eyes, he was an invincible entity¡ªsomeone who stood on par with the most powerful monarch in Eos, the terrifying Demon Emperor himself.

    "Where exactly are you?" The voice, which unmistakably belonged to a top-ranking member of the notorious Church of False Hope, asked in an impatient tone. "Send me the exact coordinates of your current location. We areing immediately."

    Unaware that immensely powerful demonic entities were actively pursuing him, Nox¡ªwho had now taken off his mask¡ªwas currently seatedfortably inside an elegant carriage. The luxurious vehicle was steadily heading toward the prestigious Royal Ind, where both the highly esteemed academy and the grand royal castle were located.

    Several other carriages moved in perfect synchronization as the experienced coachmen skillfully maneuvered their respective horses with masterful precision. Nox, seated in deep contemtion, absentmindedly stared at the passing carriages when suddenly his sharp eyes gleamed with a strange realization.

    "The statue... how in the world did it get here?" he mumbled to himself when he instantly recognized the towering Volgrath statue¡ªthe same eerie statue he had previously seen within that mysterious chamber just a few days ago.

    The ominous statue had undoubtedly left quite an unforgettable impression on Nox, primarily because of its unsettling and terrifying appearance.

    "I know for certain that the king isn''t particrly intelligent, but why exactly would he nt something as horrifying as this in broad daylight? What exactly is his ultimate goal in doing this?"

    Crisis. Nox suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of crisis flood his mind as he desperately tried toprehend the true reason behind the king''s actions. What exactly was his hidden motive?@@novelbin@@

    Just momentster, Nox''s eyes widened significantly when he caught sight of one of the citizens reluctantly worshipping the ominous statue.

    Yes, their subtle body movements were filled with evident hesitation, as if they were being forciblypelled against their will.

    Suddenly, everything began clicking into ce within Nox''s mind.

    "He''s forcibly making them serve this terrifying god."

    This was the only conclusion that he could arrive at. Nox had numerous additional questions swirling in his thoughts¡ªpressing questions he deeply wanted to ask¡ªbut after some brief contemtion, he ultimately decided to let the matter go, at least for now.

    A whileter, he eventually arrived at the grand Royal Ind.

    The very first person his keen eyesnded on was¡­ his grandpa!

    "Old man!" Nox suddenly eximed, his loud voice drawing the immediate attention and curious gazes of everyone around him!

    "Hehehe, you little brat!" Nathan''s deep voice boomed across the open space as well.

    The lively grandson and spirited grandpa duo wasted no time before embracing each other in a strong, affectionate hug.

    "How is everyone back at home?" Nox eagerly inquired. However, before his grandfather could even begin to answer, he quickly shot out yet another storm of rapid-fire questions.

    "How is Mom? What about Aunt Cami, Aunt Celine, Rab, Uncle Han, Uncle Gordon, and that grumpy old man Elvin? And most importantly¡ªhow is Master Eve?"

    Nathan''s expression softened for a brief moment before suddenly darkening. He leaned in slightly and whispered in a grave, solemn tone.

    "Everyone is fine¡­" He paused briefly before continuing in a more serious manner. "But something has happened to your Master Eve."

 Chapter 418 Before Disaster: Eve

    Something happened to Master?

    Nox''s heart almost skipped a frantic beat when he saw the solemn expression resting on his grandfather''s aged face.

    What did he mean by something happened to his master? Was she terribly sick? Did she get badly injured? Or worse¡ªdid she... die?

    Nox''s face went through a variety of shifting expressions in that short yet intense timeframe. Nathan, clearly noticing everything, saw through all this and quickly said,

    "It''s not what you''re thinking."

    A wave of relief crossed Nox''s tense face.

    "Then what?" he asked firmly.

    If she was not sick or injured, then what exactly was the problem? Nox was beginning to feel increasingly anxious with every passing moment.

    Nathan exhaled deeply, rubbing at his aching temples as if trying to put his swirling thoughts in perfect order. His grandson''s dark eyes stared into him, seeming to ask for answers.

    "It''splicated, kid," Nathan finally said, his voiceced with a faint hint of quiet frustration.

    Nox crossed his arms, his expression now unreadable. "Then exin it to me. What happened to Master Eve?"

    Nathan hesitated for a lingering moment before finally nodding. "Listen carefully."

    ---

    Some Weeks Ago

    Inside the dimly lit, silent study of the Barony, Nathan sat rigidly across from Eve, his old friend and Nox''s esteemed mentor. A single candle flickered between them, casting eerie, dancing shadows against the stone walls. The woman before him looked the same as always¡ªcalm, calcting, and utterly untouchable in hermanding presence.

    But something was off. Different.

    Her usually cold ruby-red eyes seemed dulled, burdened with troubling thoughts she had yet to share.

    "You called me here," Nathan said, breaking the heavy silence. "What''s wrong?"

    Eve let out a slow, quiet sigh, leaning back into her sturdy chair. "Nathan... I might be leaving."

    His brows furrowed deeply. "Leaving? What do you mean?"

    Her fingers drummed absentmindedly against the wooden desk. "It''s not by choice."

    Nathan''s instincts red up instantly. "Who''s forcing you?"

    Eve didn''t answer immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the lone, cracked window, staring at the distant, glowing moon. "They came again."

    Nathan clenched his fists. He knew exactly who she was referring to. The cloaked figures.

    They had been visiting her for months now¡ªstrangers shrouded in thick mystery, always appearing and disappearing like elusive ghosts. Eve had always sent them away without a single second thought, but this time¡­

    "What did they say?" Nathan asked, his voice dangerously low.

    Eve hesitated, her lips slightly tightening. "They told me¡­ that if I don''t go with them willingly, they will make me."

    A thick, throbbing vein pulsed in Nathan''s tense temples as he shot to his feet. "And you''re just going to let them?"

    "I don''t have a choice."

    "How?" he snapped heatedly. "Since when do you follow someone else''s orders?"

    Eve smiled faintly, but it didn''t reach her eyes. "Since I realized that staying here would only bring danger to those I care about."

    Nathan''s anger wavered slightly. "You mean¡­?"

    Eve nodded solemnly. "If I stay, they''lle after me again. And if that happens, this entire Barony will be nothing but a battlefield."

    Nathan gritted his teeth tightly. He wanted to argue, to tell her that they would fight fiercely beside her, but he saw it in her unwavering eyes¡ªshe had already made up her mind.

    Then, she said something that sent an icy chill deep into his core.

    "If we ever meet again, Nathan¡­ it won''t be as allies."

    ---

    Present

    Nox stared hard at his grandfather, waiting for him to continue, but Nathan remained oddly silent, lost in lingering thought.

    "Then what happened?"

    Nathan looked up, his expression dark and grim. "She left."

    The words felt like a devastating punch to Nox''s gut.

    Master Eve¡­ left?

    Just like that?

    Nox clenched his trembling fists. "And you just let her go?"

    Nathan''s expression darkened further. "I tried to stop her. But she''s not someone you can just tie down."

    Nox fell silent. That much was undeniably true. His master was a woman of incredible strength, both in sheer power and iron will. If she had decided to leave, no one¡ªnot even him¡ªcould have possibly stopped her.

    But that didn''t make it any easier to ept.

    "What about the cloaked figures?" Nox asked, his voice quieter now, filled with uncertainty.

    Nathan''s tired eyes flickered. "I don''t know who they are, but they weren''t ordinary. Thest ones who visited were different from the rest¡ªstronger, more arrogant."

    "Stronger?" Nox narrowed his glowing eyes.

    Nathan nodded firmly. "I could feel it. Their presence alone was enough to suffocate the people around them."

    A heavy silence settled ufortably between them.

    Then, finally, Nox spoke.

    "I''ll find her."

    Nathan looked at him. "And then what?"

    "I don''t know yet," Nox admitted. "But I can''t just sit here and do nothing."

    Nathan exhaled deeply. "Kid, I know you want answers, but don''t go rushing into something you don''t understand."

    Nox smirked. "When have I ever done that?"

    Nathan shot him a deadpan look. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

    Nox chuckled lightly, but it faded quickly. His mind was already elsewhere. If his master had truly left, and if these mysterious figures were as powerful as Nathan imed, then things were far moreplicated than he initially thought.

    Who were they?@@novelbin@@

    Why did they want his master?

    And most importantly¡­

    Why would she say that they would meet again as enemies?

    ---

    As the deep evening sun began to set, casting long, eerie shadows over the grand Royal Ind, Nox stood opposite Nathan in front of the academy gate, lost in troubled thought.

    Meanwhile, the massive statue of Volgrath still loomed ominously on the distant horizon, its eerie presence more unsettling than ever.

    Then, at that moment, the eyes of Volgrath lit up, burning with intense anger. It was only for a brief moment, so no one noticed it.

    Something big was about to happen.

    Nox could feel it.

    ---

    ---

    Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden Tickets and power stones! I really appreciate it¡ªthank you!

 Chapter 419 Heading to the Tristan Kingdom [1]

    Although his mind was still filled with thoughts about his master, Eve, he had to temporarily push that thought away and walked steadily toward the special ss building, which was located on the other side of the academy.

    Nox''s mind was filled with several lingering thoughts. It was already quitete, and sses were supposed to be closed by now. So, what was this urgent gathering about?

    As Nox walked, he noticed that the crowd was thinning more and more, students heading back to their dorms. But Nox didn''t pay too much attention to that detail and soon arrived at the special ssroom.

    Inside, all the special ss students were present, along with Wendy, Headmistress Bridget, and¡­ Brandon.

    As soon as Nox stepped in, his sharp gaze shed mid-air with Brandon''s. Though itsted only three seconds, it felt as if they had been staring at each other for a full minute.

    Tension filled the atmosphere.

    The air inside the special ssroom was thick and heavy. No one spoke, but the tension was evident. It felt like a single wrong move could spark a dangerous conflict.

    ''So, it''s you¡­ You were the one that set me up?'' Nox thought, but there was no hostility in his expression. His dark eyes remainedpletely unreadable.

    Across from him, Brandon stared back, his face twisted with clear disdain. But there was something else in his gaze¡ªhesitation? Perhaps, even unease?

    For three long seconds, their eyes remained locked. Neither of them moved, neither of them spoke, yet the silent standoff was unmistakable.

    Then, without a word, Nox looked away, turning his attention toward Headmistress Bridget. "You called for me?"

    Bridget nodded and gestured toward a seat. "Take a seat, Nox. We have something important to discuss."

    Nox nced around the room. All the special ss students were present¡ªTheo, Kali, Glen, ke, Jared, Nyx, Zara. They were all here, and although the interaction had been brief, they had noticed it.

    Were they rivals? Words didn''t need to be spoken for everyone to realize that the Rank 1 student and one of the academy''s instructors didn''t get along.

    Seeing Nox enter, ke, the enthusiastic busybody, eagerly waved for him toe and sit with him. But Nox clicked his tongue in annoyance and went to sit down near Theo and Jared¡ªthe son of the Landon Barony, whom Nox had met the other time. The two nodded at him with neutral expressions.

    They exchanged warm greetings, meanwhile, ke seemed to be having an existential crisis as if he was grappling with a profound revtion.

    Wendy stood beside Bridget in her usual ce, her arms crossed as her sharp gaze swept through the ss.

    Nox leaned forward.

    He felt something was off.

    It was already quitete¡ªsses had long since ended. Why was everyone still gathered? And why did it feel like something had happened before he arrived?

    Nevertheless, Nox waited patiently for what appeared to be an important briefing to begin. His fingers lightly tapped against the desk. "What do you think they want to talk about?" he asked Theo beside him.

    "No idea. I doubt any of us knows," Theo stated evenly.

    "Wait it is then," Jared chimed in, barely able to keep hisposure in the presence of the academy''s two strongest students.

    Even the others shot him envious looks.

    At that moment, Headmistress Bridget cleared her throat.

    Bridget''s piercing purple gaze swept across the room,manding absolute silence without the need for words. When she finally spoke, her tone was calm yet carried an undeniable weight.

    Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

    "As you all know, the academy is not just a ce of learning¡ªit is a crucial part of the kingdom''s defense. Your status as special ss students means that you will not remain spectators when the kingdom is in danger."

    Her sharp gazended on each student before she continued.

    "A Level 6 portal break has urred in the Tristan Kingdom, in the northern region. The kingdom has formally requested aid, and as part of the alliance, we are obligated to send reinforcements. This will be your first real mission."

    A heavy silence followed. Some students stiffened in their seats, while others exchanged uneasy nces. Even the most confident among them couldn''t fully conceal their apprehension.

    A Level 6 portal break¡ªnone of them had ever encountered one before. The very thought of it sent a shiver down their spines. It was the highest recorded dimensional rift, one capable of unleashing monstrous creatures that could decimate entire armies.

    Theo leaned in slightly and muttered to Nox, "That''s¡­ not normal, right? I mean, we''re students."

    Nox tapped his fingers against the desk again, his expression as unreadable as ever. "No, it''s not."

    Bridget didn''t give them time to process it further.

    "You will be apanied by Instructor Wendy and Instructor Brandon. This is not a mere training exercise. This is a real mission. Expect casualties. Expect the absolute worst."

    Her words sent a wave of cold dread through the students. Some of them were still processing the enormity of the situation when Ainsworth scoffed and crossed his arms.

    "We''re supposed to handle a Level 6 break? Us? Students? Are you sending us to our deaths?"

    Brandon shot him a warning look, but Ainsworth ignored itpletely.

    Bridget, however, remainedposed. "You are not being sent to fight the break alone. The kingdom''s forces are already engaged. You are to assist, eliminate threats where possible, and provide support. This will test your skills in a real battlefield environment. If you are incapable of handling this, then you have no ce in the special ss."

    The weight of her words settled over the room.

    Ainsworth clicked his tongue in frustration but said nothing more.

    Then, Bridget turned her gaze to Nox.

    "Nox, I called you here because you will be joining this mission as well."

    The room shifted slightly. Several students turned to look at him, curiosity shing in their eyes.@@novelbin@@

    Nox, however, simply leaned back slightly in his seat, his expression still calm.

    "Was that ever a question?" He asked.

 Chapter 420 Heading To Tristan Kingdom [2]

    Brandon narrowed his eyes at him but said nothing whatsoever.@@novelbin@@

    Bridget gave a small nod. "Good. Then we move at dawn. You have the rest of the night to prepare thoroughly. Dismissed."

    The moment she finished speaking, murmurs broke out among the students. Some immediately gathered in small groups to discuss strategies together, while others sat in silence, still digesting the crucial information.

    Nox rose from his seat, Jared and Theo following right behind him as they were heading towards the same direction as well.

    "So, what do you think?" Jared asked curiously.

    "About what?"

    "The mission, obviously. A Level 6 portal break? That''s not something we should be dealing with yet."

    Theo, who had remained silent all this while, turned to Jared and answered. "It''s a test."

    Jared frowned deeply. "A test?"

    Theo''s eyes flickered with an unreadable glint. "We''re being thrown into the fire to see who burns and who survivespletely."

    Jared exhaled sharply. "That''s a hell of a way to test us."

    Nox shrugged, chiming in. "Reality doesn''t care if we''re ready or not."

    As the two walked toward the exit, ke suddenly appeared beside them.

    "Nox! Theo! Did you hear that? A Level 6 break! We''re all going to die, aren''t we? I mean, not literally, but¡ª"

    Nox sighed when he heard this. He wanted to tell the panicked boy that he was also present in the ssroom when the announcement was made but dismissed it.

    ke groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "I just knew something was up the moment I saw that blue-haired dude smirking earlier. I don''t trust that guy at all."

    Nox stopped walking. His eyes narrowed slightly.

    "You saw Brandon smirking?"

    ke nodded quickly. "Yeah, like he was enjoying something."

    Nox''s fingers twitched slightly. His instincts told him that this wasn''t just a simple mission.

    Something else was at y here.

    And he was going to find out what.

    ---

    Two days before the first light of dawn, the special ss students gathered together at the academy''s teleportation tform. Wendy and Brandon stood firmly at the front, their expressions serious andposedpletely.

    The air was thick with palpable tension.

    Bridget arrived shortly after, nodding briefly to Wendy before turning toward the gathered students.

    "Your mission is simple: support the Tristan Kingdom''s forces and eliminate any emerging threats. The portal remains unstable, and stronger creatures may emerge unpredictably at any moment. Do not let your guard falter."

    She gestured toward the teleportation circle behind her. "Your destination is the outer perimeter of the break. Move quickly, remain alert, and remember¡ªyour survival ultimately rests in your hands."

    With that final directive, Wendy and Brandon stepped into the teleportation circle first.

    One by one, the students followed suit, their gazes filled with determination.

    Nox was the veryst to step in.

    Just before the magic fully activated, his sharp eyes met Brandon''s unwavering gaze.

    Brandon smirked knowingly.

    Nox''s lips curled slightly in response.

    Although this was their first official meeting, it almost seemed as if they already knew each other too well.

    ---

    A day ago.

    The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the academy grounds. It had been a hectic day for Nox, filled with training, nning, and the ever-present weight of his uing mission. But before he could focus on his mission, he needed to prepare properly¡ªhe needed the right resources.

    Nox had been dying his pet''s evolution for a while now. He wanted to take care of this issue before heading to Zara''s kingdom.

    It was only one item needed, and Nox was pretty confident he could get it. It was then he thought about his new subordinate. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire

    He had contacted Amos through themunication crystal.

    The call was brief.

    "I need a cial Vial," Nox had said without much exnation, maintaining his powerful image.

    To his surprise, Amos had chuckled. "Funny. I actually have one. Bought it at thest auction on a whim."

    Nox didn''t believe in coincidences. Fate, luck, or whatever people called it¡ªnone of that mattered to him. What mattered was results. He didn''t even think too much about it and simply said in a firm tone.

    "I''ll take it."

    Later that evening, they met in a secluded part of the academy grounds. Nox wore his hound mask, adjusting its level before meeting up with Amos, who handed the cial Vial to him.

    "My liege, are you perhaps nning something big?" Amos asked in a respectful tone, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

    Nox examined the vial in the fading light. The liquid inside glowed faintly with a cold, icy shimmer.

    "Something like that," Nox replied after a moment, pocketing the vial. Whether it was the effect of the mask or something else, it was unknown, but Nox''s mannerisms were eerily filled with confidence andposure.

    This calm demeanor only made Amos''s reverence for him skyrocket to heights never seen before.

    Amos raised an eyebrow. He wanted to be a part of this so-called big thing his master was nning, but he didn''t press further, leaving him to his own devices.

    "Well, if you need anything else, let me know," he said and disappeared. For an expert like him, infiltrating and leaving the academy was a very easy task.

    Nox nodded and turned to leave.

    But as he walked away, his thoughts drifted¡ªback to his master, Eve.

    Even now, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. The unease in his chest only grew stronger.

    ''Focus,'' he reminded himself. There was nothing he could do about it now. First, he needed toplete his mission. Then.

    ---

    The present.

    Nox came back to reality, his gaze fixed on the portal, which was the work of a skilled tunesmith. The reason these portals weren''tmon was because they were expensive¡ªvery expensive. Only organizations as rich and influential as the Vermilion Kingdom and the royal family could afford them.

    At that moment, Zara approached Nox from the side. Nox looked at her and said, "Hey, about the situation with your home, we''ll deal with it after this mission."

    "It''s fine."

    "Uncle, I hope you won''t fail me," Ainsworth thought, his fists clenching as he observed the subtle interaction between the two before he passed through the portal.

    A momentter, Nox and Zara passed through the portal as well.

    And with that, the teleportation circle activated¡ªsending them straight into the heart of the battlefield.

 Chapter 421 Th Kings First Son

    Bridget watched as thest of the students stepped into the glowing portal before turning around and walking back toward her spacious office.

    Inside, there were surprisingly familiar faces already present. The likes of Nathan, Boris, and Brawn were seated, along with some other important nobles, their expressions incredibly serious.

    Due to the recent happenings in the Vermilion Kingdom, key individuals in the capital had decided to gather for a crucial discussion. The entire atmosphere was thick with tension.

    They were no fools. Every one of them could sense that the king''s recent orders made absolutely no sense. There was even a wild theory circting that the king might be under some form of control¡ªor worse,pletely possessed.

    And their number one suspect was none other than the Demonic Empire, which resided on the non-human continent. How had theye to this unsettling conclusion? Because the status of Volgrath bore all the telltale signs of demonic interference, almost as if it were their direct handiwork.

    Bridget took her seat, then cleared her throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. These were some of the most influential figures in the kingdom, and yet even they were struggling to make sense of the recent developments.

    Nathan was the first to break the silence, his expression dark. "We all know why we''re here. The king''stest actions aren''t just strange¡ªthey''re dangerous. Forcing the people to worship a demonic statue? That''s not just madness; it''s outright treason."

    Boris nodded. "The people are terrified. They don''t understand why the king is making them bow to a foreign god. And let''s be honest, neither do we."

    Brawn, the Guild Master of the Silent Whispers, leaned forward slightly. "There''s only one exnation that makes sense. The Demonic Empire is behind this."

    A murmur spread through the room like wildfire. No one dared contradict him. After all, Brawn, as an assassin, traveled a lot.

    He had even carried out a mission in the Demonic Empire once, so they thought his assumption was spot on.

    "If it''s them, then this is even more serious than we thought," one of the nobles muttered, swallowing hard, the sound of his saliva noisily passing through his throat.

    The Demonic Empire, the strongest empire on the non-human continent, was infamous for its corrupting influence. If they had somehow gotten to the king, then the entire Vermilion Kingdom was in grave danger.

    Bridget tapped a single finger against the polished wooden table. Her purple eyes narrowed as she said in a somewhat uncertain tone,

    "It''s not just the statues. The king has been amassing resources, moving troops in strange patterns, and silencing anyone who dares to question him. This isn''t preparation for defense. It''s preparation for war."

    Silence followed her words, heavier than before.

    Then Boris spoke again. "A war he''s trying to keep hidden from the public eye."

    Everyone exchanged nces. They all had the same thought in their minds¡ªhow the heck would the king keep a war under wraps?

    It was impossible.

    The implications were terrifying.

    If the king was preparing for war in secret, that meant he either expected an imminent invasion or¡ªworse¡ªwas nning one himself.

    "We need to act before it''s toote," Nathan said after pondering for a while. He thought Bridget''s words made a lot of sense.

    The Tristan Kingdom was clearly an allied nation. They had even helped the Vermilion Kingdom a couple of times in the past.

    However, when they asked for the Vermilion Kingdom''s help, the king refused to send the military and instead tasked the academy with aiding them.

    Was he scared that the kingdom would be attacked while the military was away?

    "I say we remove him," Nathan said all of a sudden.

    An oppressive silence filled the room.

    Most of the individuals visibly stiffened.

    A coup wasn''t something to suggest lightly. If they failed, their entire faction would be wiped out without hesitation.

    Boris exhaled sharply through his nose. "You''re suggesting treason, Nathan."

    "I''m suggesting survival," Nathan countered without missing a beat. "The king has already crossed the line. If we allow him to continue unchecked, the kingdom will burn¡ªeither to war or to demonic corruption."

    A heavy silence settled over the room as everyone pondered Nathan''s proposal. A full two minutes flew by, and soon the eyes of everyone burned with determination. Then, one by one, heads began to nod in agreement.

    "It''s high time we do the right thing."

    "Truth be told, we should''ve done this years ago¡ªever since he ughtered thosemoners."

    "We can''t act recklessly," Boris cautioned, his tone serious. "The king is powerful. We all know that. But the real problem isn''t just him¡ªit''s his son, Adrian."

    At the mere mention of the name, the tension in the room spiked like a de against stone.

    Adrian Vermilion. The first prince,mander of the kingdom''s navy, and one of the youngest recorded experts in history. At only twenty-five, he was already a force to be reckoned with.@@novelbin@@

    "He''s fiercely loyal to his father," Bridget said, eyes narrowing. She knew him very well. After all, he was the most promising student in his batch.

    "If we move against the king, he will retaliate without hesitation."

    "And if Adrian gets involved," someone muttered under his breath, "it will be extremely difficult to take down the king, who is also an expert."

    "There''s even a rumor that the king is closing in on Level 150. That means he has a massive mana pool to y with. It will be difficult to exhaust someone like that."

    "We should not forget¡ªhe might also have the backing of someone even more powerful."

    The grim reality of the situation pressed down on them.

    Even if they managed to overthrow the king, Adrian would not stand idly by and watch his father be killed.

    Nathan exhaled slowly.

    "Then we n for him, too."

    "You want to involve the kid as well?" someone asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, his father is the bad blood, not him..."

    "Tsk, nonsense." Nathan sneered, his eyes filled with anger. "Thosemoners were also innocent, but they were used for some stupid show of power."

    A murmur of agreement spread through the gathered nobles. It was a dangerous gamble, but at this point, there were no safe bets left.

    Bridget tapped the table once more. "Then let''s outline our options. If we''re going to do this, we need to be precise. We can''t afford any missteps."

    One by one, ns were proposed and then discarded. Possible allies were listed and evaluated. Weaknesses of both the king and Adrian were analyzed in painstaking detail.

    The night stretched on, and by the time they were done, a dangerous n had begun to take shape.

    ---

    Meanwhile, in the vast seas of the Vermilion Kingdom, a handsome, spiky dark-haired youth was staring through a spyss on one of the numerous naval ships belonging to the kingdom.

    The ship at the centre!

    The youth looked like an older version of Ainsworth, only he was more mature, more handsome, and radiated a powerful aura.

    He was none other than Adrian Vermilion, the firstborn and rightful heir to the throne. After Arthur, he held the record for being the youngest expert in the Vermilion Kingdom and one of the strongest in the entire far west human capital.

    Adrian gently took off his spyss and, without even looking at his subordinate, ordered in a deep voice, "Get ready to intercept the iing ship."

    Meanwhile, on the other side sea, Akira''s eyes shed with a hint of fear.

    After traveling for so long, she had finally entered the human domain and was very close to the Vermilion Kingdom...

    "I knew it would be difficult to get in, but this... all this." She was both dumbfounded, amazed, and frightened at the same time because...

    Because in front of her were dozens of armored ships.

    Furthermore, a powerful presence was radiating from the ship at the very center.

 Chapter 422 A Tight Schedule

    The moment the students stepped through the portal, nausea washed over them like a tidal wave. Many staggered, their faces turning green, their stomachs churning from the sudden shift in space. Some gagged, while others outright copsed, their bodies struggling to adjust.

    For many, this was their first experience with teleportation, hence their distress.

    It wasn''t just the disorientation; it was as if every molecule in their body had been scrambled and forcefully rearranged.

    Brandon merely scoffed at the others'' difort. Wendy, on the other hand, went to check on the others.

    Wendy moved through the group, crouching beside a student who had copsed, cing a steady hand on their back. She nced around, checking on the others, offering silent reassurance with a nod.

    A student groaned, clutching their stomach. "Ugh¡­ everything''s spinning¡­"

    Another gagged, barely managing to speak. "Felt like¡­ my insides got turned inside out¡­"

    The likes of Theo, Kali, Nox, Zara, Nyx, ke, and the rest of the top students barely flinched, as if this wasn''t the first time they had experienced it.

    Anyone constantly exposed to dimensional rifts would be used to it.

    The moment Nox''s feet touched solid ground, he scanned his surroundings.

    They were in the wilderness.@@novelbin@@

    The Wilnds stretched before them¡ªa deste expanse of dead grass and ruined structures.

    The air was thick with the scent of blood and decay, and the sound of battle rang loudly ahead.

    Not far from where they stood, Awakened soldiers shed desperately against hordes of monstrous creatures. Screams of pain mixed with the roars of beasts echoed from time to time.

    Countless Awakened soldiers fought desperately against an endless horde of monsters. shes of steel against fangs and ws echoed through the battlefield. Spells erupted like fireworks, illuminating the sky in bursts of fire, and  lightning.

    Even the sky had turned dark.

    In the distance, an enormous rift gaped open in the fabric of reality, and from there  a never-ending stream of monsters poured out.

    The swirling vortex pulsed with dark energy, and its presence alone sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest.

    A battle was unfolding before their very eyes, and the Tristan Kingdom''s forces were clearly struggling to hold the line.

    "Is that¡­" one of the students whispered, his voice faltering as he pointed toward the rift.

    "A Level 6 portal," Wendy confirmed grimly. "Everyone, be careful. One wrong move, and you''ll lose your life."

    Before anyone could react further, a group of Tristan military soldiers approached them, their armored forms streaked with dirt and blood. The leading officer, a broad-shouldered man with a thick beard and a scar across his left eye, narrowed his gaze at the students.

    "Who the hell are you lot?" he barked, eyes narrowing in suspicion, his face contorted with frustration.

    "We are from the..." Wendy took a step forward, ready to exin their presence¡ª

    ¡ªbut was abruptly shoved aside.

    Brandon stepped forward with a confident expression on his face.

    "We are the reinforcements sent from the Vermilion Kingdom," he dered, puffing out his chest as if expecting admiration. "We''re here to aid your forces."

    The soldier''s frustrated expression twisted into something close to fury.

    "Reinforcements?" His gaze swept over the students, his scowl deepening. "You look like a bunch of damn kids. How the heck are you guys reinforcements?!"

    The soldiers behind him sneered as well, some openly shaking their heads in disbelief.

    "Tch. This has to be a joke. First, they ignored us for days, and now they send us a bunch of kids?"

    "We''re barely holding the damn line, and they expect them to make a difference? Might as well hand the beasts a victory."

    "I give them an hour¡ªno, half an hour before they start begging to go home."

    "If they evenst that long. You saw what happened to thest batch."

    "Hah! They won''t even make it to the front before one of those bastards takes a bite out of ''em."

    Brandon''s smirk faltered slightly when he heard all this. They were right. He knew this very well, but he decided not to back down. There was something he wanted to achieve, and for him to aplish this, he needed to somehow convince this man.

    His lips parted, and he proceeded to say, "Don''t underestimate us. We¡ª"

    BOOOM!

    Before he could finish, a deafening roar tore through the battlefield.

    In the distance, a massive shockwave sent debris flying as an Emperor-tier monster¡ªa monstrous, scaled behemoth¡ªbroke free from an attempted encirclement. Its dark red eyes burned with primal fury as it swatted aside Tristan soldiers like insects.

    Screams filled the air.

    "Fall back!" one of the Tristan soldiers screamed. "It''s broken through the encirclement¡ª"

    The beast''s power was undeniable. The soldiers, despite their best efforts, were utterly outmatched.

    Fear gripped the battlefield.

    The creature''s maw opened wide, a sickly green light gathering at its throat as it prepared to unleash a devastating attack.

    Then, a shadow suddenly passed overhead.

    A massive bullet-like spear of crimson light streaked down from the sky, moving faster than the eye could follow.

    SCHLK!

    BOOM!

    The monstrous beast didn''t even have time to react.

    The spear impaled it straight through the skull, pinning its lifeless body to the cracked earth.

    For a long moment, there was nothing but stunned silence.

    Then, as one, everyone turned in the direction from which the attack hade.

    Standing a short distance away, Nox lowered his hand, the bloody glow of his tunic pattern slowly fading.

    Then, whispers broke out.

    "H-He killed it in one blow¡­"

    "Just what kind of skill was that?"

    "A single strike¡­ that thing was Emperor-Tier¡­"

    Even the hardened Tristan soldiers looked shaken.

    Nox''s expression was unreadable, but his presence was undeniable.

    The battlefield, the soldiers, the students¡ªeveryone watched him with awe and disbelief.

    The soldier who had berated them earlier simply stood frozen, mouth opening and closing as if trying to find words.

    Nox exhaled softly, stepping forward as though none of this was particrly noteworthy. His voice, calm andmanding, rang through the silence.

    "My schedule is pretty tight," he remarked coolly. "I don''t n on spending too much time here. Everyone,e out¡ªlet''s get rid of these monsters."

    His words weren''t loud, yet they carried weight.

    But he wasn''t speaking to anyone present.

    He was calling out his beast.

 Chapter 423 First victory

    When the Tristan Kingdom Awakened heard this, they were slightly confused. Who was this kid talking to, exactly?

    Just as they were doubting him, several shimmering blue portals popped out behind him. Under the stormy sky, the glow cast flickering shadows on the bloodstained ground.

    "What''s that?"

    "Is that another portal break?"

    The Tristan soldiers flinched back in fear when they saw the portals emerge. The special-ss students were the only ones who remained in their positions.

    They had already seen Nox summon this portal a couple of times; however, every time, there was just something mesmerizing and fascinating about it.

    "It''s just likest time in Snowhelm," Glen, the full-bodied armored figure, mumbled to herself in a low voice, not able to peel her gaze away from Nox''s presence.

    Meanwhile, Kali, his giant sledgehammer casually resting on his shoulder, also watched with a slightly agape mouth. This wasn''t because of the portals; rather, it was the terrifying power Nox had disyed just now.

    "Could he really be worth the hype?" he said in a daze, his voice barely above a whisper.

    Although Nox came in first ce in the entrance examination, Kali had never seen him as the strongest student. To him, it was the full-bodied figure, Glen, Zara, and Theo Fanum.

    But after witnessing this, he was seriously reconsidering his thoughts now.

    At that moment, one after the other, Nox''s pets began to step out of the portal.

    The first beast that stepped out was the golem, Granite Colossus; then zy, the supreme spirit wolf; Thirteen; Fluffington; Astralux; and Solora.

    "Beasts... Those are beasts!"

    "I knew it was another portal break!"

    "Everyone, stand on guard!"

    The moment the shock of Nox''s overwhelming disy settled, the battlefield fell into a tense silence. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and burning flesh, but now, a different kind of pressure weighed upon the Tristan Kingdom soldiers.

    The head soldier, a broad-shouldered man with a scar over his left eye, stomped toward the students, angry, his re locked onto Brandon.

    "You! Are your people the reason for this mess?!" he shouted, his voice sharp and unyielding.

    Brandon''s smug confidence cracked. "W-What do you mean?"

    "Don''t y dumb with me!" The soldier pointed a calloused finger toward Nox. "That kid¡ªhe called that thing out, didn''t he?!"

    Murmurs broke out among the soldiers. They were already struggling, barely holding the line, and now this? To them, it looked like the students had brought disaster instead of reinforcements.

    Several of the Tristan Awakened tightened their grips on their weapons, eyes flickering with barely concealed fear.

    Their apprehension wasn''t baseless¡ªamong the monsters, there were a handful of Elemental Beasts, creatures far deadlier than normal magical beasts.

    The mere thought of facing them sent shivers down their spines.

    Brandon opened his mouth, about to argue, but before he could say anything¡ª

    "Enough."

    A voice cut him off.

    Nox took a step forward. He didn''t even acknowledge the using res. Instead, he turned slightly, his fingers twitching.

    Then, he gave a singlemand.

    "Go."

    At that moment, the battlefield shifted.

    All his pets lunged forward, barreling past the students and straight into the enemy lines.

    The Tristan soldiers barely had time to react.

    "What¡ª?!"

    "They''re¡­ attacking the monsters?"

    Shock rippled through their ranks as they watched the creatures¡ªthe same ones they had feared¡ªtearing through the horde of beasts.

    The towering Granite Colossus mmed its massive fist down, crushing a monstrous centipede with a sickening crunch, while zy incinerated dozens of beasts with his raging mes.

    Below, Fluffington moved through the chaos, a pair of glowing eyes the only sign of its presence before it struck with deadly precision.

    One soldier stood frozen, his de raised defensively. He had been moments away from being torn apart by a mutated ogre¡ªuntil a panda appeared in front of him and mmed its fist into the monster. It effortlessly cleaved through the creature''s torso, cutting it clean in half.

    "W-What the hell?" that soldier gasped, stumbling backward.

    The others weren''t faring much better. The beasts weren''t just fighting¡ªthey were saving people.

    The battle had changedpletely.

    The Tristan Awakened exchanged confused nces. This wasn''t what they expected at all.

    One of them finally voiced what they were all thinking.

    "¡­Who the hell is this kid?"

    The answer came almost immediately.

    "He''s a beast tamer." Wendy smiled, her chest puffed out with pride. "It allows him to control beasts."

    They all looked at Nox again, blinking in disbelief.

    "There''s a ss like that?"

    At first, they were confused. However, when they thought back to how the beasts had stood by Nox''s side instead of attacking¡ª

    Waiting.

    For hismand.

    They realized the white-haired girl wasn''t lying to them.

    And this, more than anything, terrified the Tristan soldiers the most.

    Because it meant that he was indeed the one controlling them.

    The realization hit like a sledgehammer.

    This wasn''t just some overconfident student.

    This was something else entirely.

    "He''s gotten stronger," Brandon muttered in a low voice as he watched Nox, who stood in the middle of the battlefield, his hair hovering in the air, his expression unreadable.

    After a moment, he added, "It will be troublesome to get rid of him."

    The battle went on for hours. The monster horde got smaller and smaller as Nox''s beasts and the students of the Vermilion Kingdom kept fighting. At first, the Tristan soldiers were afraid of the creatures, but after seeing them in action, they started to fight side by side with them.

    The Granite Colossus stomped around, smashing anything in its way. zy burned through everything with fire. Thirteen dashed in between the monsters, appearing and disappearing as monsters fell around him. Astralux flew above, swooping up enemies from the sky with her tentacles.

    And Solora, with her venomous fangs, was also a menace.

    And then there was Fluffington.

    When the shadowy cat moved, it was terrifying. One second, an ogre was standing there. The next, its head was gone. Just like that.

    It was crazy.

    By the time the sun came up, most of the beasts had been pushed back. However, the fight was anything but over¡ªthey had only barely cleared the outer perimeters closest to human settlements.

    The real fight had not even begun yet!

    And the monsters they faced now were the weakest of the bunch. If they moved further down, they''d encounter more fearsome beasts.

    The first rays of sunlight painted the battlefield in hues of gold and crimson, illuminating the carnage left behind. Corpses of monsters and shattered weapons littered the blood-soaked ground.

    But despite the destruction, a strange sense of camaraderie had settled among the Tristan Kingdom Awakened.

    They no longer looked at Nox''s beasts with fear but with something closer to awe. These creatures, which had initially terrified them, had fought alongside them, turning the tide of battle.

    "Never thought I''d be d to have a monster watching my back," one soldier muttered, still shaken.

    Another soldier, a young woman with short auburn hair, nodded. "That beast with the tentacles¡ªwhat did you call it? Astralux? That thing saved my life."

    Brandon, who acted as the leader, let out a slow breath before turning to his students. "We set up camp here," he ordered. "Rest while you can." Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    The Vermilion Kingdom students nodded, immediately setting to work. ke and Kali took charge of fortifying the area, dragging debris to form a makeshift perimeter. The Tristan soldiers hesitated at first but, seeing no better option, began to assist.

    Meanwhile, Wendy walked over to Nox, a smirk ying on her lips. "You really enjoy making a dramatic entrance, don''t you?"

    Nox arched a brow but didn''t answer.@@novelbin@@

    Instead, the sounds of admiration and whispers from the Tristan Kingdom soldiers caught his attention.

    "That kid¡­ he controlled those beasts like it was nothing."

    "This beast tamer ss must be very powerful! If I could go back in time, I''d have definitely chosen it!"

    "No wonder he ced first in the entrance exam," a special-ss student sighed.

    "I still can''t believe he single-handedly killed that emperor-tier beast with one attack."

    A soldier who wasn''t present on the battlefield scoffed. "You''re joking. Someone his age?"

    The murmurs of astonishment only grew louder. A few of the soldiers even approached him hesitantly.

    One particrly bold man, still clutching his battle-worn spear, grinned. "Hey, kid. You just saved our asses back there. If you ever need an extra hand, let me know."

    Another soldier pounded his fist against his chest in a salute. "With you and those beasts on our side, we might actually survive this damn war."

    "They''re right," the broad-chested man with the scar on his face, who seemed to be the leader of the battalion, nodded his head in agreement. "Sorry for ever doubting you."

    Nox barely acknowledged them, his mind already moving ahead. He nced toward the horizon. How was he supposed to tell them that he really didn''t want to be here?

    ***

    Thanks for all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets...I''m currently having terrible writers block hench only one chapter for today.

 Chapter 424 Brandon Attack?

    The Tristan Kingdom was known across the human domain as the Jewel of Commerce, and where gold flowed more freely than blood. A nation of merchants, schrs, and diplomats, it had built its prosperity on trade, not war.

    Unlike the neighboring Vermilion Kingdom¡ªrenowned for its formidable military and warrior culture¡ªTristan had long abandoned the sword, choosing to master negotiation, diplomacy, and wealth umtion instead.

    At its height, Tristan controlled thergest trade routes in the region. Its merchant fleets dominated the seas, ferrying rare spices, enchanted gemstones, and luxury goods between nations. Its cities bustled with traders from every corner of the world, eager to exchange wares in markets famed for their variety and opulence.

    But where gold thrived, steel rusted.

    For generations, Tristan''s military had withered into little more than a ceremonial force, d in polished armor but untested in battle. Rather than training elite soldiers, the kingdom had relied on mercenary groups and adventurers to defend its borders¡ªa system that had worked well.

    Until now.

    A Level Six portal break in the northern regions had unleashed a horde of monstrous creatures into thend. At first, the attacks were dismissed as minor skirmishes. But soon, entire towns were wiped from existence overnight.

    The king had tried to lure mercenarypanies with mountains of gold. They answered the call. They fell like ants.

    Tristan''s greatest weakness had been exposed. Gold could not buy survival.

    Inside the royal pce, tension filled the air. Lavish chandeliers cast dim golden light over the grand hall, their glow failing to warm the cold atmosphere. High-ranking officials, militarymanders, and court mages stood in a semicircle before the long table, awaiting their king''s response.

    At the head of the room, King Darius Tristan sat, his piercing green eyes fixed on the aged parchment in his hands. His thick, graying beard twitched slightly as he frowned. A vein throbbed at his temple.

    His fingers tightened around the paper.@@novelbin@@

    "A shift in battle¡­ The monster horde pushed back?"

    His voice, though calm, sent chills through the room.

    For days, the kingdom had been in turmoil. The monster waves had been an unstoppable tide, swallowing entire settlements. Many feared the capital itself would be next.

    And yet¡ªagainst all expectations¡ªthe front lines had not only held.

    They had advanced.

    Darius lifted his gaze, his eyes sharp as steel.

    "Exin."

    Commander Luthair, a veteran warrior draped in a crimson cape, stepped forward and saluted.

    "Your Majesty, thetest reports confirm a significant decrease in enemy numbers. The monster horde has been reduced to a fraction of its former strength."

    The king''s fingers tapped against the armrest of his throne.

    "And what caused this¡­ sudden shift?"

    Luthair hesitated.

    "A group of elite students from the Vermilion Kingdom''s Academy yed a crucial role in turning the tide."

    Murmurs erupted among the court.

    "The Vermilion Kingdom?" one noble scoffed. "So those arrogant fools finally decided to help us?"

    Darius raised a hand, silencing the room with a single nce. His voice dropped to a dangerous calm.

    "Continue, Commander."

    Luthair''s face was grave.

    "ording to our scouts, the Vermilion students were led by one individual¡ªNox Aegis Cromwell."

    A hush fell over the court.

    Luthair pressed on.

    "He called himself a Beast Tamer, Your Majesty. And his strength¡­" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "It seems hemands creatures of immense power. When he entered the battlefield, the tide shifted instantly. His beasts tore through the horde, and the monsters¡ª" He hesitated before adding, "scattered. As if afraid."

    Shock rippled through the room.

    Darius leaned forward, eyes gleaming with interest.

    "Tell me more about this Nox Aegis Cromwell."

    Luthair cleared his throat. "He''s a student from the Vermilion Academy''s special ss and also happens to be the kingdom''s duke after winning a bet."

    A low murmur spread through the room when they heard this. Luthair then continued to reveal more information.

    Darius''s expression darkened with thought. This Nox Cromwell could be the key to turning the war around. But there were too many unknowns.

    Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    Darius exhaled sharply.

    The Vermilion Kingdom had never seen Tristan as an equal. To them, this was a kingdom of merchants, not warriors. Would they truly send help out of goodwill?

    Or was this merely the prelude to a greater y for power?

    One of the court mages swallowed hard. "Should we attempt to form an alliance with him? His strength could be invaluable¡ª"

    Darius cut him off with a raised hand.

    "We cannot afford to act blindly." His voice was steady, his years of rule evident in every syble. "But neither can we let this opportunity slip by."

    His gaze sharpened.

    "We need to know everything about Nox Aegis Cromwell¡ªhis goals, his allegiances¡­ and most importantly, his strength."

    Luthair gave a curt nod. "Understood, Your Majesty. I''ll send scouts for more intelligence. And I''ll instruct our diplomatic envoy to contact the Vermilion Kingdom, though they may be wary of an informal approach."

    Darius''s jaw tightened. "Ensure our current alliances remain intact. Our gold and resources have kept us afloat this long¡ªwe cannot afford to lose what few allies remain."

    The nobles exchanged uneasy nces.

    The treasury was stretched thin. Their wealth had bought swords, but it had not won battles.

    Darius turned to Luthair, his voice carrying the weight of finality.

    "I want you to personally lead an envoy to meet with Nox Cromwell and hire him. I figure if we give more gold and resources, he will work even harder."

    Luthair straightened. "And if he refuses to cooperate?"

    Darius sighed. "Then we let him be. You can''t force true alliances."

    A heavy silence settled over the court.

    The king stood, walking to the grand window overlooking the capital. Below, the capital city of Tristan Kingdom sprawled beneath him.

    "If this Nox Cromwell is as powerful as they say¡­ then he will note cheaply."

    He exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

    "But his strength may be what finally allows us to break free from our reliance on wealth¡­ and take back our kingdom''s future."

    In war, one either adapted¡ªor perished.

    And King Darius Tristan had no intention of being remembered as the ruler who let his kingdom fall.

    Back in the northern region of the Tristan Kingdom.

    The next day, the Tristan Kingdom soldiers and the special-ss students had barely rested before they were forced into battle again.

    A second wave of monstrous beasts had arrived¡ªstronger, more ferocious than before.

    In this wave, the weakest beast was at the Emperor Tier! Even with the aid of Nox''s pets, several soldiers had fallen.

    The only way they had a chance against these beasts was in a two-on-one format.

    "Hold the line!" the scarred battalion leader roared, swinging his greatsword with all his might, cutting through a three-headed serpent. "They just keeping!"

    Kali let out a deep breath, his giant sledgehammer crashing down onto the ground, sending several beasts flying. "This is insane," he muttered. "How many of these things are there?"

    ke fought beside him, his de slicing through a monstrous wolf with precision. "No idea, but we don''t stop fighting until we win!"

    Shing! Shing!

    Unlike the two, Theo didn''tin and instead worked in silence. He moved gracefully through the horde of monsters, his de shing through the air and cutting down any that crossed his path.

    Blood pooled everywhere. However, despite this, not even a speck of blood could be spotted on his armor.

    "Damn, these students are something else!" the soldiers couldn''t help but be amazed when they saw this sight.

    Meanwhile, in the distance...

    The Granite Colossus roared as it swung its massive arm, knocking down a group ofrge, mutated ogres that had been charging toward the students. The creature''s immense size made it nearly unstoppable, and each blow itnded sent shockwaves through the battlefield. One of the soldiers, a young man with short ck hair, looked up in awe as he saw the golem tear through the enemy lines with ease.

    Just beside the golem, Zara was already freezing the ground around her, creating barriers of ice to trap the monsters in ce. Her elemental magic was a perfect counter to the beasts that relied on speed and brute force. Ice shards rained down, piercing the hides of mutated beasts and freezing them where they stood.

    Then there was Nyx. The holy pdin swung her radiant sword with precision, cleaving through monsters in a series of deadly strikes. Each blow she delivered was a death sentence for whatever creature dared to get too close.

    Although this was a mission meant for the special-ss students, Wendy didn''t stand idly by and joined the fight. The only one who had yet to join the battle was Brandon.

    The blue-haired youth stared into the distance, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed as he red at Nox, who was currently fighting two Emperor-Tier monsters at once.

    He was skillfully dancing between their attacks and countering with his Wicked Oblivion Edge.

    Brandon''s eyes shed sharply, and he looked around as if making sure no one was paying attention. Then, he suddenly took a step forward and... vanished.

 Chapter 425 Danger Lurks in the Corner

    A few minutes ago, Nox had swiftly sent zy and Astralus, the two creatures with  area dominance, to head deeper into the monstrous horde to thoroughly scout for more powerful creatures¡ªspecifically speaking, the boss monster.

    In Eos, there were primarily two easy methods to efficiently end a dangerous portal break.

    The first method was purging all the ravenous monsters. This approach, however, would take weeks and even months because the monsters inside a dimension were almost endless, constantly respawning.

    Nox had several significantly more important matters to carefully attend to, and he simply couldn''t afford to remain here for that long. His busy schedule was packed.

    Evolving his beasts.

    Heading to the Frostpire Kingdom.

    Facing the terrifying Scourge Alpha.

    These were currently the most critical and pressing goals for him.

    Considering all this, he decisively chose the next approach, one that could effectively end the endless tide of monsters spewing out of the dimensional portal once and for all.

    And this was¡­

    ying the formidable dimensional boss itself.

    But, of course, this was much easier said than done.

    Nox estimated that the dimensional boss of a level-six dimension such as this would most likely be at the Demi-God rank, and quite honestly, even with all the ultimate-tier skills in his formidable arsenal, he wasn''t too confident in escaping this intense fightpletely unscathed. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    It was a Demi-God beast, after all. Nox wasn''t even really sure¡ªit could be higher.

    A monster of that caliber could ughter everyone here.

    It was the reason most kingdoms didn''t lend a helping hand to Tristan, as they felt this was a losing war.

    However, the important thing was that¡­ he wouldn''t be the only one engaging in battle against the monstrous boss. The elite special-ss students were right there with him, and then there were also the battle-hardened Tristan soldiers, along with the scared yetpetent battalion leader, who was at the Expert rank.

    The only Expert currently present on this battlefield.

    Not only that, but Nox had also overheard that reinforcements would be arriving soon as well. There were even rumors circting that one or perhaps even two level-100-plus awakened individuals would be joining these reinforcements.

    Nox didn''t n on recklessly engaging the boss monster just yet.

    This raised an important question then¡ªwhy search for the boss monster now?

    The answer was rather simple.

    He just wanted to keep a close eye on it so that when the timing was finally right, he wouldn''t have to waste precious time searching for it again.

    Swoosh!

    Nox spun his body around with precise agility, narrowly avoiding the sharp ws of an Emperor-tier monster.

    BOOM!

    The monster''s massive ws smashed violently into the ground, and arge crater instantly appeared, with rust-colored dust billowing out in every direction.

    The furious monster roared, visibly enraged, and proceeded to pull its ws out, preparing to strike at Nox again. However, it was already far toote, as its opponent was now upon it with terrifying speed.

    A gigantic, blood-forged pir with a constantly rotating tip materialized ominously above the monstrous creature and drilled downward with tremendous force.

    The very moment the blood-imbued pir made contact, it began spinning violently, burrowing deep into the monster''s thick hide like a relentless, merciless drill.

    Flesh was viciously ripped apart, bones shattered like brittle ss, and a fountain of dark crimson blood sprayed furiously into the air.

    The Emperor-tier beast let out a deafening, guttural roar of agony.

    It desperately tried to resist, thrashing violently, but the sheer overwhelming pressure from the spiraling weapon held itpletely in ce, twisting deeper into its very core.

    SHRRRRK!

    The drilling force intensified. The gruesome scene became significantly more horrifying to watch, and the surrounding Tristan soldiers were forced to peel their eyes away, unable to stomach the sight any longer.

    However, Nox watched with a bored, dismissive gaze, as if this was nothing more than a routine urrence for him¡ªsomething he did every single day.

    Then, with one final, violent crunch, the blood pir tore straight through the beast''s back, bursting out from the other side in a gruesome explosion of shredded organs and fractured bones.@@novelbin@@

    The Emperor-tier monster twitched once, its massive body convulsing. Then, it copsed with a sickening, resounding thud, its enormous form hitting the ground like a fallen titan.

    Nox didn''t even spare a second to nce at the screen announcing his gained experience points, as he swiftly moved on to engage the remaining beasts without pause.

    He employed the exact same devastating blood-drill tactic and, in mere moments, ughtered the other Emperor-tier beast just as effortlessly.

    The surrounding Tristan soldiers, who had just witnessed this entire shocking event, collectively sucked in a sharp breath. They stood frozen in ce for several seconds, their minds struggling to process what had just transpired before their eyes.

    For a moment, they momentarily forgot that they were still on the chaotic battlefield.

    The very same powerful Emperor-tier monster that they had been desperately struggling against for so long¡­ had just beenpletely annihted in mere seconds.

    "¡­Two Emperor-tier monsters gone, just like that¡­ a freaking Emperor-tier¡­" a soldier muttered, his voiceced with pure disbelief.

    "Holy hell¡­ this kid¡­ just what is he?"

    Even the experienced Expert-ranked battalion leader, still catching his breath from fending off a relentless wave of monsters, turned his gaze toward Nox, eyes narrowed with deep thought. Though he could replicate the incredible feat Nox had just aplished, that was only because he was an Expert-ranked individual. Nox, on the other hand, was still a low-level Awakened.

    His grip tightened around themunication crystal, and he silently made a mental note to report additional detailed information about Nox to Commander Luthair.

    Yes¡­ he was the informant.

    Nox exhaled calmly, retracting the blood pir. It dissolved into a thick crimson mist, gradually fading into nothingness as he straightened his posture.

    His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, taking in the exhausted expressions of the weary soldiers. It was clear that they were once again beginning to reach their limits.

    They had been fighting tirelessly since the early hours of the morning, and now, the darkened sky signaled that night was quickly approaching once again.

    This particr horde was significantly stronger than the one they had fought yesterday, which was entirely natural. They had advanced much deeper into the battlefield, and the deeper they ventured, the more powerful and formidable the monsters they encountered became.

    Snapping out of his thoughts, Nox''s piercing eyes glinted with sudden realization.

    He had juste up with a rather brilliant idea¡ªone that would provide a brief but much-needed respite for the soldiers.

    But little did he know that danger was just lurking in the corner.

 Chapter 426 A Human in Monster Skin

    "Everyone, fall back!"

    While the special ss students and Tristan''s soldiers were fighting, a loud voice boomed through the surroundings.

    It belonged to Nox.

    At first, the soldiers were confused. They looked at their leader, their eyes seeming to ask for permission. One could see the desperation and uncertainty in them.

    The scared leader peeled his eyes away from them and approached Nox.

    "Do you have any ns?" he asked. "We''d like to retreat too, as you can see, to take a little rest. But if we fall back right now, there''s a high chance that the horde will chase us."

    "I know." Nox nodded his head. "But you have to remember, rest is important. We''ll only take a pause if we must¡ªnot quit."

    "Y-you''re not wrong." The man was slightly taken aback by Nox''s deep words. He couldn''t help but admire Nox''s mindset.

    Brandon was just a leader in name. He operated like a supervisor, always standing on the side and watching everyone. It was as if he swore not to even touch a single monster, which was infuriating.

    All the soldiers red at him with disgust. He was clearly the one with the highest level among the reinforcements from the Vermilion Kingdom, yet he had watched as one of Tristan''s soldiers had fallen¡ªas if nothing had happened.

    It was as if he didn''t care about the soldiers'' lives and was here for an entirely different reason altogether.

    Unlike Brandon, who was the supposed leader of this operation, Nox was much more proactive and made active decisions on the battlefield.

    Because of his habit of taking charge, the leader of this battalion had acknowledged Nox as the second-inmand.

    "So what do you suggest?" the scared man named Luton asked eagerly.

    "Simple. For now, call back all soldiers and students," Nox stated without even looking at Luton.

    Without hesitation, Luton channeled mana into his lungs and gave themand. The next instant, they all disengaged from the monsters they were fighting and rushed back to their camp.

    Their sudden action took even the beasts by surprise, leaving them momentarily confused about what to do. It was only when the first monster gave chase that the others followed.

    "What now? Are we just going to run like this?" Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    "Those damn things are chasing us!"

    "Oh shit, fucking shit! They''ll catch up soon!"

    Meanwhile, as everyone was running back, Nox remained standing in his spot, his arms tucked into his pants pockets. His dark hair whipped around in the wind, and his midnight eyes were locked onto the approaching tide of beasts.

    This action was reckless in the eyes of the soldiers and students. Many turned their heads back in shock, their faces filled with confusion and panic.

    "What the hell is he doing?" someone shouted.

    "He''s not running?"

    "He''ll get torn apart!"

    Luton, who had just reached the fallback point, clenched his fists. "Damn it! Is he insane? Was this his genius n?"

    Nox exhaled slowly, his gaze calm. He could hear the thundering stampede, the snarls, and the roars growing louder. The horde of monsters¡ªdozens of them, ranging from mutated wolves to towering ogres¡ªrushed toward him with unrelenting ferocity.

    And yet, he stood there, unfazed.

    Then¡ª

    [Titanrock Barrier (Ultimate)]

    A defensive-type skill that conjures a colossal wall of Titanrock, an indestructible mineral infused with ancient earth energy.

    Absolute Defense: Reduces all iing damage by 90%.

    Shockwave Pulse: Releases a seismic shockwave upon impact, knocking back enemies within a 20-meter radius.

    Regenerative Structure: Repairs minor cracks within 10 seconds, ensuring continuous durability.

    Fortress Mode: The wall can be expanded when reinforced with extra mana.

    Consumes 500 MP per activation. Lasts 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

    "The Fortress Mode can expand the wall, right? I have enough MP points. Whenever the wall copses, I can always build another one several meters back. If I can do this for 30 minutes, the soldiers will be more than energized to fight."

    Nox mumbled to himself as the monstrous tide grew closer.

    All these thoughts barely consumed a second before Nox''s eyes snapped wide.

    "Yes... let''s do this. Let''s see how long I can keep this up!"

    "[Titanrock Barrier¡ªActivated!]"

    BOOM!

    The ground trembled violently as a colossal wall of Titanrock erupted from the earth, stretching across the battlefield like an indomitable fortress. A deafening rumble echoed as the 30-meter-high, 5-meter-thick barrier solidified, its surface gleaming with ancient runic inscriptions.

    The sheer scale of the wall left the soldiers and students in stunned silence.

    "W-what the hell!?"

    "A wall?! No way! That thing looks imprable!"

    Even Luton, who had questioned Nox''s n, was left speechless. His mouth hung open as he stared at the towering construct blocking the monster tide.

    The monsters, however, did not stop. Fueled by their beastial instincts, they crashed into the Titanrock Barrier.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    A massive ogre swung its club, sending shockwaves through the air. But instead of shattering the wall, a Shockwave Pulse rippled outward, sending the creature flying backward and knocking over several monsters behind it.

    Wolves wed at the rock, but their attacks barely left a scratch. A mutated scorpion attempted to climb, but the Regenerative Structure repaired any cracks before they could spread.

    The horde screeched and howled in frustration.

    Nox, standing at the base of the wall with his arms still tucked into his pockets, smirked. "Good. This should hold them for now."

    But he wasn''t done yet.@@novelbin@@

    "Fortress Mode¡ªExpand!"

    The Titanrock Barrier stretched even further, extending across the battlefield. The monsters that had tried to circle around were met with another impassable wall.

    They were trapped.

    The battlefield transformed into a cage of stone, sealing the horde within an unbreakable prison.

    Gasps echoed behind Nox.

    "He caged them in¡­"

    "He actually trapped all the monsters inside the wall!"

    "This is insane! How can a student do this?!"

    Even Luton, who had fought in countless battles, couldn''tprehend what he was witnessing. He turned to Wendy, who had also retreated, expecting her to say something.

    But Wendy''s face was pale. She had nothing to say.

    Nox, on the other hand, remained indifferent. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the mana drain from maintaining the wall.

    "500 MP per activation. If I maintain this for 30 minutes, it''ll cost me 30,000 MP. That''s impossible¡­ but if I cycle the cooldowns properly, reinforcing only when necessary, I can extend it far longer."

    His gaze sharpened.

    "Let''s see how long you bastards can struggle."

    The battlefield was no longer a desperate retreat.

    Now, Nox had turned the tide.

    And for the first time, the soldiers realized¡ª

    They weren''t following some student''s orders.

    They were following a monster in human skin.

 Chapter 427 The Boss Monster

    A few seconds ago, if anyone had told everyone present here that a colossal fortress made of thick walls would burst out of the ground and trap all the Ravenous Monsters, no one would have believed it.

    But it was the current reality.

    A wall as tall as the Great Wall of China loomed before the special ss students and the soldiers of the Tristan Kingdom, casting a shadow over them.

    It had been two minutes now, and still, everyone present couldn''t peel their eyes off the monstrous walls.

    The asional bestial roars and shrieks of monsters still resounded from time to time, but they weren''t terrified. The wall provided a sense of protection.

    They didn''t know where the confidence came from, but they felt that no matter what, nothing would prate the wall.

    "An Ultimate-Tier skill..." Luton, the battalion leader, muttered to himself. He stared at Nox with sparkling eyes.

    Yes, from the aura alone, anyone paying attention could easily tell that the wall was the result of a skill¡ªand a pretty powerful one at that.

    "Wow, I bet it must consume a ton of mana points," one soldier mumbled, his eyes gleaming with a blend of awe and amazement.

    "The important question is, how did someone his age stumble across such a powerful skill?"

    A lot of spection was beginning to spread among the soldiers. Some thought Nox was royalty or the scion of a wealthy family with massive reserves of gold coins. They couldn''t think of any other way someone as young as this could acquire a skill like this.

    "Yes, he was brought up with a silver spoon."

    This was themon consensus.

    But then, Luton stroked his chin as he thought about something.

    "But even that first attack was an Ultimate Skill¡­ could... could it be that this kid actually has two Ultimate-Ranked skills?"

    Luton''s heart elerated, so loud that even he could hear it.

    Two Ultimate-Tier skills at such a low level? This was simply overkill!

    Meanwhile, in a different area, Glen''s gaze, unlike the others, wasn''t on the walls. Instead, it was fixed on Nox''s back, her thoughts unknown. However, if one were able to peer through the visor of her helmet, they would have seen fear in the depths of her eyes.

    As for Kali, he no longer thought Zara was the scariest student in the special ss. Any little doubts he had were now gone. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

    For the likes of Theo and ke, apetitive spark was ignited in their hearts.

    Nox, unaware of the thoughts and conversations of the others, ced his palm on the wall. The texture was smooth and a bit cold. From time to time, a slight vibration transmitted from the wall to Nox''s arms whenever a monster mmed into it in an attempt to break through.

    Curious to see how things were on the other side, Nox soon activated [Barbarian Strength].

    [Barbarian Strength (Ultimate)]

    An enhancement-type skill that temporarily elevates the user''s physical strength to unprecedented heights. Upon activation, the user''s Strength stat is increased by +600, transforming their physical power into an unstoppable force. Consumes 300 MP per activation andsts for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

    Nox felt the veins on his legs constrict. Gritting his teeth, he stomped the ground.

    And...

    BOOM!

    A thunderous boom echoed, the ground cracked beneath his foot, sending shockwaves through the earth. The sheer force of his stomp sent a web of fissures sprawling outward, making the soldiers flinch at the raw disy of power.@@novelbin@@

    Then, with a slight bend of his knees, Nox leaped.

    In an instant, he soared high above the towering Titanrock Barrier, defying gravity with his newfound strength. His hair fluttered violently in the wind as he reached the peak of his jump, his midnight eyes scanning the battlefield below.

    And what he saw made his smirk widen.

    The trapped monsters were inplete chaos.

    The horde of beasts, ranging from mutated wolves to towering ogres, were frantically mming, wing, and biting at the indestructible wall. Their bloodshot eyes brimmed with primal fury, but no matter how hard they tried, the barrier remained strong.

    A massive, four-armed beast with bulging muscles and a horned head lifted a gigantic boulder, roaring as it hurled it at the wall.

    BANG!

    The impact sent out a dull shockwave, but the Titanrock Barrier stood firm, its regenerative properties already sealing the minor cracks.

    Descending back toward the ground, Nox twisted his body midair andnded gracefully atop the wall. From this vantage point, he could see the full extent of the battlefield, and a cunning glint shed in his eyes.

    "Not bad¡­ but it''s not enough," he muttered.

    He needed to make sure these creatures didn''t just survive in this cage¡ªhe needed them to wear themselves out.

    Turning slightly, he raised his hand. "[Titanrock Barrier¡ªFortress Mode: Elevate.]"

    RUMBLE!

    The entire structure shuddered as the walls expanded even further, growing taller and thicker. The monsters below screeched in rage, their escape route now even more impossible.

    The soldiers and students gasped from the other side.

    "H-He can still strengthen it?!"

    "Is there a limit to this guy?"

    "At this rate, the monsters will be trapped forever!"

    Back atop the wall, Nox crossed his arms, monitoring the beasts below. They were doing all they could to break free, but it was useless. He had them exactly where he wanted.

    His gaze shifted to the more powerful beasts¡ªones that stood out among the rest. The four-armed abomination, a scaled lizard the size of a small house, and a crimson-eyed dire wolf that seemed tomand a pack.

    Perfect targets.

    Raising his hand, Nox activated [Runic Dominion].

    A deep crimson glow surged from the runes before dozens of razor-sharp blood spikes materialized around him, suspended in the air like a crimson halo. The temperature seemed to drop, the very essence of death radiating from the lethal projectiles.

    Then¡ª

    Whoosh!

    The blood shards rained down like a storm of spears.

    Squelch!

    The first to fall was the four-armed beast. A dozen spikes impaled its massive body, piercing its thick hide as it let out a monstrous roar of agony. It staggered back, ck blood gushing from the wounds before it copsed, twitching violently.

    The scaled lizard tried to react, but Nox''s uracy was too precise. Two spikes shot straight through its skull, ending its struggle before it could even screech.

    The crimson-eyed dire wolf, however, managed to evade. Its sharp instincts allowed it to dodge several spikes, but one still lodged deep into its shoulder, making it snarl in pain.

    Nox narrowed his eyes.

    "That one''s a bit more clever," he murmured. "Let''s see how it handles this."

    "Supreme Spirit Wolfe out!"

    A chilling gust swept through the battlefield as a massive spectral wolf materialized beside him. Its translucent form shimmered under the moonlight, its glowing blue eyes locking onto the dire wolf below with an almost predatory hunger.

    "Go," Noxmanded.

    The Supreme Spirit Wolf leaped from the wall. The moment itnded, the dire wolf turned, but it was toote.

    Crunch!

    The spectral beast''s jaws mped down on the dire wolf''s neck, sinking its fangs deep. The enemy wolf howled in pain, trying to shake off its ethereal attacker, but the Supreme Spirit Wolf was relentless. With a brutal twist of its jaws¡ª

    Snap!

    The dire wolf''s spine shattered. It crumpled lifelessly.

    But Nox wasn''t done.

    The other beasts, enraged by his interference, had finally turned their attention to him. Dozens of monsters screeched and howled, their bloodlust now directed at the lone figure standing atop the wall.

    Grinding his knuckles, Nox smirked.

    "Good." He pointed his arms out like a gun, dark energy beginning to gather there. "Come at me."

    ---

    Meanwhile:

    zy and Astralux continued to hover through the battlefield.

    The deeper they ventured, the more vicious the creatures became. Mutated wolves with molten fangs ripped apart colossal centipedes, while towering ogres battered swarms of winged abominations with their crude clubs. The stench of blood and scorched flesh thickened in the air.

    "Found anything?" Nox asked telepathically.

    [No boss yet,] zy responded, barely dodging a boulder hurled by a three-headed beast below. [But the density of monsters is increasing. Won''t be long now.]

    At that moment, zy let out a shrill cry, signaling Astralux to veer right.

    A hulking, deformed chimera-like creature lunged at them from below, its mismatched limbs iling as it tried to catch them midair. zy twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the attack before retaliating with a burst of mes, scorching the beast.

    [We''re getting closer,] zy reported excitedly. [The energy in this area feels¡­ heavier.]

    Even Astralux felt like the air was particrly thick in this area... it felt as if something was lurking nearby.

    They pushed forward.

    Then, they saw it.

    At the heart of the battlefield, standing atop a massive pile of corpses, was the boss monster.

    [We found it!] zy quickly reported.

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really appreciate!

 Chapter 428 Something Happened to Blazy

    At the heart of the battlefield, standing atop a massive pile of corpses, was the boss monster.

    A towering behemoth, at least thirty feet tall, covered in jagged, obsidian-like armor. Its elongated head bore a twisted crown of horns, and its deep-set crimson eyes radiated pure malice. Its four muscr arms flexed as it clenched a pair of colossal, rune-etched axes, each one pulsing with an ominous glow.

    [Dreadfiend Tyrant - Legendary Lv1]

    As soon as their eyes fell on the beast, zy''s feathers bristled.

    The boss monster.

    Though zy was an Emperor-tier beast, being in the presence of a Legendary-tier creature was unbearable for him. It felt suffocating.

    Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

    The mission was not to engage the beast but rather to keep an eye on it. zy knew that his powerful mes stood no chance against the beast below.

    zy looked at Astralux and signaled for them to move a bit farther from the boss monster.

    But suddenly¡ª

    GROWL!

    A primal growl rumbled from the beast as it turned its monstrous head toward them. Its crimson, glowing eyes fixated on the two of them, filled with hunger.

    zy went paralyzed in midair for a full five seconds before snapping back to reality. When he did, he didn''t need to think twice.

    [Run!]

    Astralux nodded her bubbly head and zipped through the air without hesitation, moving at speeds that made her almost invisible. Yes, this was because of the tenfold effect of her skill.

    zy followed, his wings beating furiously.

    A deep rumbling sound came from behind.

    Then, without warning, the ground exploded.

    A massive boulder, easily the size of a house, came hurtling toward them.

    "Shit!" zy swerved, barely dodging it as the rock shot past him like aet.

    BOOOM!

    The rock crashed into the middle of several beasts, killing all of them at once!

    All the monsters in that area were Emperor-tier!

    And they had just been killed by a single boulder. This was the true strength of a Boss-ranked monster.

    zy and Astralux barely had a moment of respite as another boulder came shooting at them.

    Another one followed.

    Then another.

    The monster wasn''t just chasing them¡ªit wasunching massive chunks of earth at them while still on the ground.

    Astralux pulsed rapidly, dodging the attacks with quick bursts of movement. zy, however, was struggling. The constant barrage forced him to maneuver erratically, unable to gain proper altitude.

    Another boulder whizzed past, grazing his wingtip. He hissed in pain but kept flying.

    We''re not gonna make it!

    He had to report to Nox.

    zy pped his wings harder, pushing himself forward. His beak glowed faintly as he activated his telepathic link.

    "Nox! We found the boss monster! It''s at Legendary Rank!"

    There was a brief silence. Then, Nox''s voice came through, calm but sharp.

    "Understood. Return immediately."

    zy wanted to. He really did.

    But the monster had other ns.

    The ground beneath them erupted.

    The boss monster shot out of the earth like a living avnche, its shifting form growing evenrger. Its maw opened, revealing rows of jagged teeth.

    zy had no choice.

    If they ran, it would keep attacking.

    If they led it back to Nox, the others might get caught in the crossfire.

    So he made a decision.

    He would fight.

    zy turned midair, wings ring out. mes crackled around his body as he activated [me Veil]. A fiery aura surrounded him, making him look like aet.

    [You want me? Fine. Let''s see if you can handle this!]

    zy dove, activating [zing Dive]. His body became a streak of fire, crashing into the monster''s side with an explosion that sent shockwaves through the battlefield.

    The beast staggered, but it didn''t fall. Instead, it roared, its body twisting unnaturally as it absorbed the mes.

    zy''s eyes widened.

    It can consume energy too?!

    The monster didn''t waste time. One of the massive axes came swinging toward him. zy barely dodged, but the wind pressure alone sent him spiraling through the air.

    He regained his bnce quickly. If fire wouldn''t work, then¡ª

    [Molten Gaze!]

    His eyes glowed a deep crimson as he unleashed his paralyzing stare. The monster''s movements slowed, its limbs twitching as if resisting some unseen force.

    This was his chance.

    [Inferno Tempest!]

    A fiery whirlwind erupted around him, stretching out to engulf the monster in a zing inferno. The mes raged, consuming everything within a 500-meter radius.

    For a moment, it looked like it was working. The monster screeched, its form distorting under the heat.

    Then, it adapted.

    With a sickening crack, its body absorbed the firestorm, swelling in size.

    zy''s heart sank.@@novelbin@@

    The enemy was never affected by any of his skills. It was merely taunting him.

    As he realized this, zy sprang into motion once again, but before he could react, the beast lunged.

    A massive w mmed into him, sending him crashing into the ground with bone-rattling force. The impact created a crater, dust and debris flying everywhere.

    Pain exploded through zy''s body. He struggled to move, but his wings refused to respond.

    Above him, the monster loomed, its glowing eyes filled with satisfaction.

    zy had failed.

    And at that exact moment¡ªback at the wall, the Titanrock Barrier began to retract.

    The towering walls that had shielded the soldiers started sinking back into the ground as Nox''s skill entered its cooldown state once more. Nox skillfully jumped back to the ground and distanced himself from the retracting walls.

    The battlefield that had seemed safe moments ago was now open once more.

    Panic spread through the soldiers as they realized what was happening.

    The wall was gone once more.

    Although the wall was gone, Nox was more worried about zy. Their telepathic link had abruptly cut off, and he had this nagging feeling that something terrible had happened to zy.

    "The link was abruptly cut off a few seconds after he told me about the boss monster. I need to hurry and go check it over," Nox muttered to himself, his eyes filled with worry.

    He nced into the distance, taking note of the furious horde of monsters charging in like hungry dogs that had been caged for years.

    "Hey, can you put up the wall again?" Lutton shamelessly asked when he saw the horde of monsters. Behind him, the soldiers and students were now on their feet, clutching their weapons, ready to battle once more.

    Nox didn''t respond immediately. His mind was elsewhere¡ªspecifically, on zy.

    zy was strong, but if a Legendary-tier monster had overpowered him, then things were worse than expected.

    No time to waste.

    He turned to themander beside him. "Hold the line. I''m going in."

    Themander looked at him like he was crazy. "Wait, what?! You can''t¡ª"

    But Nox was already moving.

    He dashed forward, activating [Divine Velocity]. His body became a blur, weaving through the battlefield with inhuman speed. Every step sent shockwaves rippling through the ground.

    Monsters lunged at him, but he barely acknowledged them. His de shed, cutting through them like paper as he sprinted toward zy''sst known location.

    But little did he know, a shadow giving off faint killing intent was following just behind him.

    ¡­

    Only one chapter today as well. I tried to write the second one but I just couldn''t. I''m sorry, I''m burnt out.

 Chapter 429 A True Demon

    "A true demon is one with no heart."@@novelbin@@

    "No h-heart... Mother, how is that even possible?"

    Two figures were walking along a dirt path inside a beautiful forest. Tall trees loomed above them, their leaves rustling softly, while gleaming flowers glowed faintly in the night, creating a picturesque view.

    One of the figures was a little girl, around the age of 13-15. Her ruby-red eyes were filled with curiosity, and her lush dark hair swayed gently in the night breeze.

    The other figure stood at 6''0. She wore a dark cloak with a hood pulled over her head. Although it was impossible to see her features clearly¡ªdue to the hood''s enchanting effect, which made it difficult for others to perceive her face¡ªone could still catch glimpses of her mesmerizing ruby eyes that glowed softly under the moonlight.

    Despite the hood''s concealment, it was undeniable that the woman was an older version of the little girl. Both of them were stunningly beautiful¡ªso much so that even the creatures hiding inside the forest were entranced.

    At that moment, a group of bunnies was hopping through the bushes, squeaking among themselves as they followed the twodies, pointing and whispering.

    Just above, a flock of midnight-colored ravens perched on the tree branches, their glowing eyes watching the two figures with silent curiosity.

    "Of course, it''s figuratively speaking," the older woman said. Her voice was melodious and pleasant to listen to¡ªthe kind that anyone, regardless of gender, would love to hear often.

    She cleared her throat. "From the beginning of time, we demons have always been treated as outcasts by humans and other races. Even the gods have been biased against us."

    The woman chuckled bitterly, a brief flicker of sadness crossing her eyes before it vanished once more. "Our privileges are also more limited."

    At that precise moment, a frown of displeasure appeared on the little girl''s face, and she couldn''t help but ask curiously, "Is it because the gods dislike us that we''re onlypatible with sses that bring death, destruction, or chaos? Like the Chaos ss¡­ Necromancer?"

    "Yes... The other sses... they''re righteous." A sneer appeared on the woman''s face before she corrected herself. "Or at least, they pretend to be. But trust me, they''re the scummiest beings in the world. Even the Prince of the Underworld¡­ would hesitate to stoop as low as they do."

    The little girl''s red eyes shimmered with curiosity, frustration, and something else¡ªan unspoken emotion that burned quietly beneath her gaze. She clenched her small fists, her dark hair flowing in the wind as she walked beside her mother.

    "But Mother," she said, her voice firm yet uncertain. "If demons are truly the outcasts of the world, why don''t we just¡­ prove them wrong? Why must we be bound by what others think of us?"

    The older woman let out a low, knowing chuckle. "Prove them wrong?" she mused. "Oh, my dear child, you are still so young. The world does not allow demons to prove anything. It has already decided what we are."

    She came to a stop, and the little girl mirrored her actions. The glowing flowers around them swayed, casting soft hues of crimson and violet upon their faces. The bunnies that had been trailing them hesitated for a moment, their whiskers twitching as if sensing the shift in atmosphere.

    The woman turned to her daughter, finally lowering her hood just slightly, revealing more of her sharp yet elegant features. "Listen well," she said, her voice carrying a weight that felt ancient. "A true demon is one with no heart¡­ because a heart is a weakness. It is what binds us to false hopes, to dreams of eptance that will nevere."

    The little girl''s breath hitched. "But¡­ don''t we feel things too? Aren''t we capable of love, of kindness?"

    The woman''s eyes darkened. "That is exactly why we suffer."

    A heavy silence filled the air. The bunnies, once yfully following, suddenly twitched their noses and scurried away, disappearing into the underbrush as if something unseen had startled them.

    The woman sighed and continued walking, her cloak billowing behind her. "You will understand in time, my dear."

    The girl hesitated before trailing after her.

    ---

    "These memories are bing more and moremon with each passing day," a woman who looked like the little girl mumbled to herself.

    It was Eve.

    Her sharp eyes were focused ahead as she rode on a powerful, midnight-ck stallion. Beside her were cloaked figures¡ªthe envoys that had escorted her out of the barony.

    As she rode, the fierce breeze whipped against her face, but she barely noticed. Her mind was still lingering on the memories¡ªfragments of a past she had long tried to bury.

    "Mother..."

    Eve''s grip on the reins tightened slightly, but her expression remained unreadable. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

    The cloaked envoys riding beside her remained silent. Even though they weren''t loyal to her, they were efficient, and most importantly, they did not ask questions. That was how she preferred it.

    The path ahead was illuminated only by the dim light of the moon, casting shadows of the riders across the uneven ground. The further they rode, the more the wind howled.

    One of the envoys, a figure d in deep ck robes, suddenly spoke in a hushed tone. "Lady Eve, we are approaching the designated meeting point."

    Eve barely reacted, only nodding slightly. "Good."

    Suddenly, the world around Eve flickered again. One moment, she was atop her horse, and the next¡ªshe was somewhere else. It was another memory.

    This one was different from thest. It wasn''t cold, bitter, or filled with her mother''s harsh lessons. Instead, it was warm. Nostalgic.

    She was standing in a vast, open field bathed in golden sunlight. The sky stretched endlessly above, untainted by storm clouds. Flowers of deep violet and crimson swayed gently in the breeze, and in the distance, a massiveke shimmered under the sun''s glow.

    But what captured her attention most was the creature standing before her.

    A dragon.

 Chapter 430 The Demon Empire

    This was not just any dragon¡ªit was a giant one, with gleaming obsidian-ck scales, enormous wings that cast a shadow over the earth, and piercing golden eyes that locked onto her with sharp intensity.

    Eve had been younger back then, perhaps only fifteen. At the time, she had instinctively dropped into a battle stance, summoning dark energy into her palms. Her mother''s words had always been clear¡ªdemons had no allies, only enemies waiting to strike.

    "A dragon¡­ if I kill it, I wonder how many experience points I''ll get," she had thought naively, with a smile. She was about tounch an attack when she heard a voice.

    "Whoa, whoa! Don''t attack him!"

    A boy had stepped forward from behind the dragon. He was tall¡ªprobably a little older than her¡ªwith tousled dark hair that shimmered under the sun. His eyes were a sharp, dangerous shade of ck, like a dark hole that sucked all things around it, yet they held no malice. He wore simple yet elegant ck clothing with silver embroidery, and despite the imposing presence of the dragon behind him, he looked utterly rxed.

    Eve had hesitated for the first time, and her nose twitched.

    This boy! He was a human. What is he doing in the Demon Empire?@@novelbin@@

    Her magic crackled in her hands, but she didn''t release it.

    Humans were the sworn enemies of demons. She was supposed to attack him, but her curiosity made her hold back.

    "He''s mine," the boy had said with a smirk, patting the dragon''s side. The beast let out a deep rumbling noise, almost like a growl, but there was no hostility in its gaze anymore. "You''d lose if you fought him, you know."

    He''s not attacking despite knowing I''m a demon. Why is he not attacking? Mother said they''d attack on sight. Little Eve''s mind was in turmoil.

    "Hey, I''m very handsome, but don''t get too entranced." The boy smirked.

    Eve had scoffed. "Tch. You must think highly of yourself. This is just the first time I''m meeting you, but your face is already punchable."

    The boy only grinned. "You''re not the first one to say that."

    Something about his confidence irritated her. And yet¡­ it intrigued her too.

    Over the next few days, they kept running into each other, something that confused her greatly.

    He was a human in the Demon Empire, and no one had tried apprehending him? Was he hiding from the adult demons?

    Over the past days, Eve learned about the handsome, confident boy.

    He wasn''t afraid of her being a demon, nor did he treat her differently. Unlike the rumors about humans, he spoke to her directly, without hesitation.

    And somehow, without realizing it, she had enjoyed hispany.

    They sparred together, raced across the fields, and even yed by theke. His dragon¡ªwhom she had eventually grown to trust¡ªhad carried her on its back, letting her soar through the sky. It had been the first time she had ever flown.

    Somewhere along the way, she started to look forward to meeting him every day. She hadughed¡ªtrulyughed¡ªfor the first time in years.

    And then, before she even knew it¡ªshe had fallen in love.

    Not just with the boy, but with the world he showed her. A world that wasn''t just cruelty and survival.

    But those days were gone now.

    ---

    The memory shattered, and Eve''s consciousness snapped back to reality.

    She was once again atop her horse. They had arrived at their destination.

    Her fingers curled slightly around the reins. Her heart, which she had long thought to be cold and unfeeling, ached.

    "Arthur..."

    She hadn''t spoken his name in so long.

    And yet, it still felt like yesterday.

    Are you still alive!?

    "Miss, we''re here." One of the cloaked figures spoke, jolting Eve out of her thoughts. Her eyes darted ahead toward the group of simr robed men standing in the distance.

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    "Miss Eve, you finally decided to honor the Emperor''s call," one of the figures spoke.

    Eve didn''t respond, as if the people weren''t worth her time. She gracefully unmounted her horse and started to walk toward them.

    The figure that had spoken stiffened when he noticed that Eve was approaching him. A bead of sweat slid down from his temple.

    The others behind him stiffened as well, and when she grew closer, they became even more restless. The tension in the air thickened as Eve approached. The robed figures, though emissaries of the Demon Emperor himself, couldn''t hide their unease. Even among demons, Eve''s presence demanded respect¡ªno, fear.

    Eve''s ruby eyes gleamed under the moonlight, unreadable as she gazed at the emissaries. They were high-ranking officials, envoys of the most powerful entity in the empire, yet here they were¡ªvisibly stiff and restless before a single woman.

    Eve knew why.

    She was no ordinary demon.

    And though they wouldn''t dare speak it aloud, they all knew the stories. The rumors of what she was capable of.

    Her lips curled into the faintest smirk. "Honor?" she repeated in a soft voice. "Don''t misunderstand. I don''t want to be here, so don''t get toofortable."

    The lead emissary, a tall demon with sharp horns curling backward, flinched but quickly masked his reaction. "O-Of course, Lady Eve," he recovered swiftly, bowing slightly. "The Emperor awaits. He has been expecting you for some time now."

    Eve said nothing, merely stepping forward, forcing the man to shift aside. The others did the same.

    As soon as she stepped onto the elevated tform just behind the group of men, an intricate magic circle lit up beneath her. Eve''s world was briefly blinded by a brilliant white light.

    When she opened her eyes once again, she was no longer in the human domain.

    Gone was the pleasant and warm air. Now, the atmosphere was harsh and hot. Even the sky here was gray, as if something terrible was about to happen.

    "Home." Eve''s face twisted into a frown, her eyes filled with disgust. "I hate being here."

    ***

    Thanks to all those who support this novel I really appreciate!

 Chapter 431 The Comander Arrives

    FWISH! SWOOSH!

    A golden figure streaked across the battlefield like a bullet out of a gun.

    The figure moved so fast that it broke the natural sound barrier. Even the monsters only saw a blur¡ªan outline of a human¡ªbefore they found themselves falling apart.

    There was no pain. Some of them still couldn''t even understand how they died or what had killed them, but they were certain it had to do with the golden figure.

    But that was it.

    Knowing their killer didn''t change anything.

    Naturally, that golden figure was Nox, and currently, [Divine Velocity] was in full swing!

    [Ding! You''ve killed¡­]

    [Ding! You''ve leveled up¡­ You''ve reached Level 40!]

    Nox would have been very excited about this message if not for the dire situation. zy could be in danger¡ªhe needed to hurry!

    "It should be closer to the portal, but the distance is still quite far."

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    When Nox and the others had arrived, they had thought the portal was nearby. However, they couldn''t have been more wrong. The reason the portal had appeared closer was due to the sheer size of the battlefield and the distortion of space around it. The chaotic energy fluctuations made it seem much nearer than it actually was. Now, as Nox sped across the battlefield, carving a path through the horde, he realized the truth¡ªhe was still miles away.

    Nox barely took a step forward before he sensed two presences obstructing his path. These presences were noticeably stronger than all the monsters he had faced so far, so he had to temporarily slow down despite his eagerness to just rush past them.

    A trio of figures walked out from the horde of monsters, d in dark crimson armor adorned with jagged spikes. Despite their small, nimble frames, they exuded a dangerous aura. Unlike the mindless beasts that had fallen like wheat before a scythe, these creatures had intelligence, cunning, and¡ªmost irritatingly¡ªa sense of amusement.

    Three female red goblins stood before him, each brandishing curved daggers and leering at him with sharp-toothed grins. Their eyes glowed with eerie amusement as they took in the youth who had reduced the battlefield to a graveyard of monsters.

    One of them, the tallest, ran a wed hand through her short, spiky red hair and licked her lips as she said in a sultry voice, dripping with amusement, "Well, well, girls, what do we have here? A handsome one."

    The second goblin, who had a sharp scar running down her cheek, let out a giggle. "Mmm~ And so strong, too. How about it, handsome? You must be tired from all that running around. Why not let us¡­ take care of you?"

    The third, the shortest but most muscr, chuckled darkly, twirling her dagger between her fingers. "We could give you pleasure, wealth, whatever you desire. Join us, and we''ll make you a king among goblins."

    They sauntered forward, hips swaying seductively, their movements designed to entice.

    Nox, however, felt nothing but revulsion. His cold gaze bore into them, utterly unaffected by their pathetic disy.

    "Disgusting." His voice was t, void of emotion.

    The tallest goblin, clearly the leader, pouted. "Oh, don''t be like that, handsome¡ª"

    She didn''t get to finish.

    Nox moved.

    In less than a blink, he was behind them.

    FWISH! SQUELCH!

    The leader''s head flew from her shoulders, her body still stepping forward before it realized it was dead. A fountain of dark blood erupted into the air.

    The scarred one gasped, but before she could even process what had happened¡ª

    SLASH!

    Her torso was cleaved in two, entrails spilling onto the blood-soaked ground.

    The muscr goblin screamed in rage, swinging her dagger wildly¡ª

    CRACK!

    Nox''s hand shot out, gripping her skull. Before she could struggle, he crushed it like an overripe fruit.

    Her lifeless body slumped to the ground, twitching.

    [Ding! You''ve killed¡ª]

    Nox didn''t bother to listen. He simply flicked the goblin blood off his de and continued forward, his mind already on zy.

    These distractions were bing annoying.

    Fortunately for him, thanks to his absurd speed, he soon arrived at the spot.

    What he saw made his body tremble in anger.

    His suspicion was right.

    zy was indeed in danger, and he had to act fast.

    "I guess I''ll have to face this monster," Nox sighed.

    ---

    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, themander had arrived¡ªand he wasn''t alone. He had brought reinforcements.

    The soldiers began chanting in excitement when they saw them.

    "Commander Luthair!"

    As soon as Luton saw the man, he eximed, his voice a mixture of relief and shock. He hadn''t expected themander to show up just like that. He thought it was only the reinforcements that would arrive.

    Commander Luthair was the head of the Tristan Kingdom military. Not only that, but he was also a formidable expert at Level 120.

    His strength would have been instrumental against the beast, which brought up the question¡ªwhy had he been absent in the first ce?

    The reason was that Commander Luthair had been busy handling neighboring enemy factions who wanted to take advantage of the kingdom''s current predicament.

    After the portal broke open and hordes of terrifying monsters burst forth, several factions inside the kingdom had conspired to extort it while its full attention was onbating the monsters.

    Unfortunately for them, all of their efforts were wasted, as Luthair had intercepted them.

    "Where is Nox? From your description, I don''t see him anywhere."@@novelbin@@

    As he said this, Luthair''s eyes scanned the area, taking note of the Tristan soldiers, the students, and... something stranger.

    Beast fighting against beast.

    ''Those must be his minions.''

    "He went inside some minutes ago."

    "I see."

    Luthair was silent for some time, his sharp gaze on the horde of monsters. But at the same time, it felt as if he was overlooking the beasts and focusing on something else.

    Just a split secondter, Luton noticed themander''s eyes shrink in horror as if he had just witnessed something terrifying.

    "I''ve brought reinforcements, but I don''t think the reinforcements will be enough for the boss monster."

    "The¡­ the boss monster? You see it?" Luton stammered.

    "Yes, and we''ll need all the help we can get." Luthair stated, his brows knitted together and his expression serious. "Find me the best of the best here. I want us to assist that boy¡­ He''s strong, but can he handle a Legendary-tier monster all by himself?"

 Chapter 432 Something Is Wrong

    Nox arrived at the nick of time. He had never been so grateful for arriving in time because in front of him, a terrible sight was about to unfold.

    ---

    [Dreadfiend Tyrant - Legendary Lv1]

    HP: 100,000

    Skills: Absorption Core, Earth Sovereign, Seismic Rupture, Titan''s Grip, Earthen Reinforcement, Adaptive Predation, Monolithic Regeneration, Cataclysm Hammer, Worldshatter Tremor, Abyssal Devour, Ruinous Rebirth, Primordial Fortitude, Tyrant''s Dominion, Rewind.

    ---

    Nox barely had time to pay attention to the boss monster''s system panel; his gaze settled on one of the arms of the boss monster where zy was locked in an iron grip.

    The Emberhawk''s eyes burned with desperation as it tried to free itself from the cruel crush of the enemy. Its entire body was engulfed by mes as it tried to burn the arm of the beast.

    However, it seemed to have no effect. On the contrary, the boss monster seemed to be absorbing the orange mes, and in return, its presence grew more powerful as if it was getting stronger with each passing moment.

    Unbeknownst to Nox, the progress of the monster was slowly rising, a result of the Absorption Core skill. It allowed the boss monster to absorb all types of attacks and energy into something akin to a monster core.

    At that moment, zy''s terrified eyes pleaded for rescue as the creature''s dark, sinewy limbs coiled around her. The beast roared, a sound that shook the very air, and began to tighten its grip.

    It brought zy close to its mouth, razor-sharp teeth gleaming dangerously.

    Nox didn''t need to be told what would happen. He immediately sprang into motion.

    Swoosh!

    "Not on my watch!" he roared internally as adrenaline surged through him.

    FWISH! SWOOSH!

    Nox closed the distance in the blink of an eye. In one fluid motion, he lunged toward the beast''s arms that held zy captive. Oblivion Edge shed in the dim light as he shed at the creature''s grip.

    CRACK!

    With a precise and savage strike, Nox''s legendary-rank dagger sank into the arm of the monster. zy, who had finally noticed Nox''s presence, was filled with joy and couldn''t help but cry out as the creature''s hold weakened.

    Seizing the chance, Nox gripped zy and pulled with all his might. In that heartbeat, zy was freed from the monstrous clutches. The hawk tumbled backward, its body momentarily suspended in mid-air before it managed to fly into the rtive safety of the distance.

    Astralus, who had been trying to fight the monster from a distance to free zy, was filled with relief as she flew and hovered around zy as if to make sure he was fine.

    Back on the ground, the beast became enraged by Nox''s interference. It bellowed and shed down furiously with its seismic ws. Its eyes burned with a hungry gleam, anticipation evident as it waited for the attack to connect.

    Nox knew that boss monsters were no ordinary foes. So, instead of intercepting the attack, he wisely pushed himself backward several meters¡ªjust beyond the monster''s reach.@@novelbin@@

    BOOM!

    The weapon smashed into the ground with terrifying force, leaving a crater over 20 meters deep. Shards of rock and debris flew everywhere.

    Nox''s face twisted as he imagined his fate if he hadn''t distanced himself.

    "What even is the rank of those weapons?" Nox''s eyes gleamed with avaricious light.

    After sessfully distancing himself, he tapped into his mana reserves, stepped forward, and extended his hand.

    It had been a long time since he had used this skill.

    "Shadow Oblivion!" he dered in a deep, resonant voice.

    From his fingertips erupted a concentrated beam of pure, inky darkness¡ªan attack that obliterated everything in its path.

    SHOOOOSH!

    The beam struck the beast squarely in the chest.

    BOOM!

    For a split second, it seemed as if time itself halted; the boss monster staggered, its hide rippling as dark energy hungrily devoured it.

    But then something unexpected happened.

    Nox''s eyes contracted to pin size.

    The monstrous boss absorbed the dark energy like a bottomless pit, its body convulsing before surging with newfound strength. Its muscles swelled, its eyes glowed with even fiercer intensity, and the surrounding air vibrated with the raw power of the energy it had consumed.

    "Damn, what the fuck is this?" Nox was pissed as he saw this.

    [Be careful, there''s something weird about this monster,] zy reported telepathically.

    The Emberhawk had regained a bit of stamina and returned to fight alongside its master. zy didn''t flee¡ªit wanted revenge!

    "Weird...?" Nox mumbled to himself. Slightly dazed, he turned his gaze back to the monster''s system panel.

    As if it could read minds, the beast was upon Nox in an instant, giving him no respite.

    Nox activated Runic Dominion just in time, and blood-red runes red to life around him, glowing ominously.

    CRACK!

    Razor-sharp spikes of congealed blood erupted from the runes, shooting toward the monstrous fiend. The attacks shed, pierced, and tore into its reinforced hide.

    SPLAT!

    A crimson spear impaled one of the beast''s arms.

    CRUNCH!

    Another burst of energy shattered a chunk of its corrupted flesh.

    The creature roared, its four arms iling wildly. It swatted at the crimson onught, but the relentless barrage continued.

    BOOM!

    A massive limb swung, sending a shockwave that sted Nox''s attacks apart. The boss monster roared as it charged in with its twin earthforged hammers raised high.

    Nox skidded backward, dazed. Something wasn''t right.

    "Why is it so easy? Isn''t this a boss-ranked monster?" Nox''s confusion deepened. All his attacks hadnded, even if they hadn''t dealt significant damage.

    "Let''s see," Nox narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the mountain of muscle charging at him, weapons swinging menacingly.

    Barbarian Strength!

    A surge of power flooded Nox''s body. His muscles swelled, veins bulged, and his aura zed crimson.

    +600 Strength.

    For five minutes, he was unstoppable.

    "Now!" Nox roared, charging to meet the monster head-on.

    They collided in the middle, and then all hell broke loose.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! GWHOOSH! SLAM! CRASH!

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    At close proximity, the two engaged in a brutal brawl. Fists, ws, des, flesh¡ªit was a bloody, one-sided fight, with Nox surprisingly dominating.

    Each strike was thunder; each sh, an explosion. The air trembled with the force of their battle.

    From an observer''s perspective, Nox seemed to be winning. But that was wrong. If one studied the fight closely, they would notice the boss monster''s wicked smirk and its eyes glowing with malevolent intent.

    Whoosh! A fist crashed into the beast''s ribs.

    SLAM! Oblivion Edge cut through thick hide. A crack resounded as dark ichor sprayed and bones shattered.

    The fiend staggered, exposing an opening.

    "This is it!" Nox leaped forward to strike.

    Everything slowed.

    His eyes locked onto the target.

    One swing.

    SWOOSH! SLAM! CRUNCH!

    Oblivion Edge sank deep into the creature''s skull.

    The beast lurched. Its head tilted.

    Then¡ªTHUD.

    It copsed. Blood sprayed in a gruesome arc.

    Silence.

    Noxnded softly, but he wasn''t relieved. Confusion filled his eyes.

    "This can''t be... Don''t tell me the beast is dead?"

 Chapter 433 Rewind!

    "It can''t die just like that, could it?"

    An unsettling silence descended on the battlefield.

    Nox stared at the massive, unmoving corpse of the Dreadfiend Tyrant. His breaths were ragged, his muscles ached from the brutal fight, and his mind buzzed with confusion.

    ''That was¡­ too easy,'' he thought. A boss of this magnitude shouldn''t have gone down without more resistance. The fight, though intense, felt anticlimactic at the end. His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong.

    Nox clenched his fists and summoned his status panel, specifically reactivating his [Monster Kill Notification]. He had turned it off earlier to avoid distractions during the life-or-death encounter.

    [Monster Kill Notification: Activated.]

    He waited.

    Nothing.

    His eyes widened. No kill notification.

    A faint vibration rumbled beneath his feet.

    Nox''s heart raced.

    His grip tightened around the hilt of Oblivion Edge.

    The air grew heavy with an oppressive, familiar malice. Without hesitation, heunched himself backward.

    BOOOOOM!

    The ground where the monster had fallen exploded into a geyser of rock and debris. From the shattered crater, the Dreadfiend Tyrant rose once more. Its body, which had previously been riddled with deadly wounds, was now unblemished. The gaping skull wound was gone. Its crimson eyes reignited with a terrifying glow.

    The creature''s voice resonated through the air like grinding stone. The monster raised one of its limbs and pointed directly at Nox.

    "Dammit!" Nox whispered, his eyes narrowing.

    He triggered his skill [Analyze] and focused on the beast.

    ---

    [Dreadfiend Tyrant ¨C Legendary Lv1]

    HP: ???

    Skills: Absorption Core, Earth Sovereign, Seismic Rupture, Titan''s Grip, Earthen Reinforcement, Adaptive Predation, Monolithic Regeneration, Cataclysm Hammer, Worldshatter Tremor, Abyssal Devour, Ruinous Rebirth, Primordial Fortitude, Tyrant''s Dominion, [Rewind].

    Progress: 72%

    ---

    Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

    [Rewind] (ultimate  Skill)

    Description: The Dreadfiend Tyrant can activate [Rewind] to restore its body to a previous undamaged state, reversing any fatal or critical injuries sustained within thest 60 seconds. This skill does not restore expended energy or lost stamina but fully regenerates physical damage. [Rewind] requires the Absorption Core to reach full capacity, drawing power from absorbed attacks. Overuse strains the core, weakening subsequent regeneration.

    Cooldown: 10 minutes after each activation.

    ¡ª

    "Rewind¡­so it reversed the fatal blow?" Nox realized with a sinking feeling. The skill allowed the monster to undo lethal damage. Worse, its Absorption Core had been gathering energy throughout their fight, converting his attacks into power. The more damage it received, the stronger it became.@@novelbin@@

    It was never losing. It was preparing.

    The beast lunged at Nox with newfound speed, the runic axe seemingly vanishing as twin earthen hammers formed in its hands.

    "Shit!" Nox hissed.

    He activated Runic Dominion. Blood runes formed around him as crimson spikesunched toward the charging monster. The projectiles mmed into the creature''s torso.

    SPLAT!

    The Tyrant barely flinched.

    It swung its colossal hammer.

    Nox sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a strike that shattered the ground beneath him.

    BOOM!

    The earth cracked open into a jagged canyon. Shards of rock sliced through the air like deadly projectiles.

    The Tyrant followed with another hammer strike. Nox ducked and retaliated with a sh of Oblivion Edge, aiming for the creature''s knees.

    SLASH!

    Dark blood sprayed, but the monster absorbed the damage with eerie ease.

    The beast roared, its voice resonating across the battlefield.

    [Worldshatter Tremor]!

    The ground beneath Nox''s feet trembled violently.

    CRAAAACK!

    Jagged spikes erupted from the ground. One pierced his thigh.

    "Argh!" Nox groaned, staggering backward as pain shot through his leg.

    The Tyrant capitalized on his momentary weakness, raising a hammer twice Nox''s size.

    Too fast.

    Nox clenched his teeth.

    "Barbarian Strength!" he bellowed.

    Mana surged through his veins. His muscles expanded, and his veins pulsed with unnatural power.

    The hammer descended like a falling mountain.

    Nox caught it with both hands.

    BOOM!

    The ground beneath him cracked from the pressure. His arms trembled, but he held firm.

    "Grahhh!" He twisted his torso and hurled the weapon aside.

    The beast staggered.

    Nox didn''t waste the opportunity. He lunged, driving Oblivion Edge into the Tyrant''s abdomen.

    SCHLUNK!

    The monster bellowed in pain, dark ichor pouring from the wound.

    But the wound began closing almost immediately.

    Monolithic Regeneration.

    "Dammit, I hate facing monsters like this." Nox frowned, recalling the ice elemental beast back at Snowhelm. It was from that beast he had learned the ennyernak rebirth skills.

    High above, zy circled with Astralus. The emberhawk pped its wings, its mes burning brighter with renewed resolve.

    [Master, it''s absorbing all elemental damage. We need to strike with something different!] zy''s voice echoed telepathically.

    "I already know that." Nox grunted, slightly annoyed.

    At that precise moment, the Tyrantshed out again. Nox ducked beneath its swing, activating Shadow Oblivion out of habit¡­ he hadn''t intended to, but it had been instinctual, almost like a second nature.

    A beam of shadowy darkness shot from his palm.

    BOOM!

    The Tyrant absorbed it effortlessly.

    "Of course," Nox muttered, leaping backward.

    The monster''s Progress bar ticked upward.

    74%...75%...76%.

    Its aura swelled with increasing menace.

    Nox started to rack his brain; he needed to think of a way to beat the creature. But in his skill arsenal, he only had destructive skills.

    Nox''s thoughts were a mess as he stared at the monster. Hitting it just made it stronger, and nothing seemed to work. He was pretty sure that wasn''t how boss fights were supposed to go. Usually, you hit the big thing until it dies. Simple. But this thing was different.

    The skill [Rewind] was the problem. As long as that weird glowing core in its chest was intact, the monster could just undo any killing blow. But there had to be a catch. It couldn''t just rewind forever¡­ right?

    While he was lost in thought, suddenly, three streaks of light zed through the forest and mmed into the Tyrant''s nk.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    The monster stumbled, roaring in surprise.

    Nox''s eyes widened as he saw the figures.

    From the shadows, figures emerged.

    Lutton, Wendy, Nyx, Theo, Zara, Glen, ke, Jared, and Kali.

    They were all here!

    But the person that stood out the most was¡­

    Commander Luthair, an imposing figure in ck, rune-etched armor.

    Sensing Nox''s gaze, Commander Luthair looked at him and disyed a light smile as he said in a deep voice,

    "Well done, it''s not every day a level 40 Awakened survives this long against a legendary-tier monster. Good job, kid."

    Luthair nodded, with a hint of respect shining in his eyes.

    The runic energy in his armor glowed as he stepped forward, approaching Nox. "We saw the seismic shockwaves," Luthair said, stepping beside Nox without taking his eyes off the monster. "What''s the situation?"

    "It absorbs attacks and gets stronger. It''s at 76% progression. Elemental attacks are useless."

    Luthair grimaced. "That exins its resilience. We''ll focus on immobilizing it. You finish it off."

    The Tyrant roared and charged.

    "Positions!" Luthair barked at Lutton and the group of students.

    Meanwhile, a voice that didn''t belong to anyone present whispered excitedly:

    "This is my chance!"

 Chapter 434 Record the Skill?

    "The only way to beat this monster is by using brute strength," Nox exined. Because of his brief encounter with the dreadfiend tyrant, he felt that he was the most knowledgeable person here.

    The others thought the same. After seeing what he had done on the battlefield some minutes ago, nobody present doubted his leadership and simply listened with rapt attention.

    "My sword counts as brute strength, right?" Theo asked, retrieving his jewel-encrusted sword. The de gleamed dangerously, as if eager to drink the blood of its enemies.

    Nox had never paid much attention to Theo, but from their few encounters on the battlefield, he had learned that the swordsman was very powerful. His level 55 wasn''t just a number but held profound power behind it.

    Nox had noticed that Theo never struggled against any of the emperor-ranked beasts. This was evident just from the luxurious appearance of his armor.

    While the others were dyed with ck and red blood, Theo remained spotlessly clean, as if he had never participated in the fight¡ªlike a bystander. If not for his cheat, Nox honestly didn''t know who woulde out on top if they were to battle.

    That said, Nox figured that Theo Fanum would be one of the key yers in this fight.

    "Yes, your sword could be counted as brute strength," Nox responded to Theo. His gaze then settled on Kali.

    "You¡­ you''re a berserker, right?" he asked.

    Kali raised an eyebrow, not expecting Nox to talk to him at all. In fact, this was the first time they were speaking like this, and for some reason, he felt slightly nervous.

    If it were back when he still considered Zara the strongest student in the special ss, he would''ve been rtively calm.

    However, after witnessing Nox''s formidable power, he just couldn''t look at him the same way anymore.@@novelbin@@

    "Y-yes¡­ I''m a berserker," Kali managed to stutter after a moment.

    "Good." Nox nodded. "You''ll join me at the front."

    "T-the front?" Kali''s eyes widened, his pupils trembling as he pointed at the massive boss monster. "We''re going to fight that thing¡­ a legendary-tier beast¡­ at close range?"

    Nox nced at the boss monster.

    The creature stared back with an arrogant look on its face, not even bothering to attack. It flexed its twin rune-etched axes as if daring them to make a move.

    "Yes, we''ll face it at close range."

    "Count me in, kiddo!" Luthier mmed his hand on Nox''s shoulder, hard enough to send pain spiking through his arm.

    "I doubt you''ll know my ss," Luthier said. "It''s called Iron Legion Commander. It''s a military-type ss that specializes inmanding and enhancing the strength of a small, elite unit. I can bolster our defenses and coordinate our attacks, making us more effective in closebat. Plus, I''ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that''ll make that overgrown lizard think twice before swinging those rune-etched axes around."

    As he said this, he gently tapped his armor, causing it to glow faintly. It was clear that the trick was rted to his equipment.

    Nox nodded, appreciating Luthier''s confidence and expertise. "Good. We''ll need your coordination to keep this fight tight. Kali, you''ll be our main damage dealer up front. Your berserker rage should be able to chip away at its health, especially if we can keep it distracted."

    He paused, ncing at the rest of the group¡ªspecifically Zara, Glen, ke, Nyx, and some female soldiers wearing robes that marked them as healers.

    "The rest of you, focus on support. Healers, keep us alive. Zara, use your ice skills to freeze it when you can. Glen, from your sword, I take it your ss is rted to the warrior ss. Even though it can heal itself, I want you to aim for its weak points¡ªeyes, joints, anything that looks vulnerable."

    Glen didn''t speak for some reason and only nodded.

    Nox then returned his focus to the others. "Nyx, your attacks are energy-based."

    "I know," Nyx said through gritted teeth, irritated by the obvious statement.

    As a pdin, all of Nyx''s attacks were infused with holy energy, which would only empower the boss monster further.

    "I''ll just assist you guys with my barriers and holy shields," she added.

    Nox nodded, then looked at everyone and said in a firm voice, "And for the love of the gods, don''t let it nk us. If it breaks our formation, we''re done for."

    The group murmured in agreement, their earlier uncertainty reced by a steely resolve. They had seen Nox''s leadership in action, and now, with a clear n, they felt a glimmer of hope against the dreadfiend tyrant.

    "This kid¡­ he''s really exceptional," Luthier muttered, his eyes gleaming with admiration at how Nox had taken control without debate or opposition.

    Kali, still visibly nervous, clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Alright¡­ I''ll do my part. But if things go south, don''t expect me to hold back. Once I''m in berserker mode, I can''t guarantee I''ll be able to tell friend from foe."

    Nox gave him a grim smile. "Understood. Just make sure you save that rage for the boss. We''ll handle the rest."

    Theo twirled his jewel-encrusted sword, the de humming withtent power. "Let''s not waste any more time. That thing''s looking at us like we''re its next meal. I''d rather not be on the menu."

    Luthier chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "Agreed. Let''s show this overgrown lizard what happens when it messes with the wrong group."

    Nox turned to face the dreadfiend tyrant, his expression hardening. The beast loomed in the distance, its massive form casting a shadow over the battlefield. Its twin axes gleamed with an otherworldly light, and its eyes burned with a predatory gleam. It was a force of nature¡ªa living embodiment of destruction. But Nox knew they had no choice. They had to face it head-on. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    "Alright, everyone," Nox said, his voice steady andmanding. "Form up. Kali, Theo, Luthier¡ªwith me. The rest of you, stay behind us and follow the n. Remember, this isn''t about glory. It''s about dealing with this thing as quickly as possible. I have somewhere to be and things to do!"

    "Tsk. So it''s all about you, selfish bastard," ke chuckled yfully.

    The group fell into formation. Kali stepped up beside Nox, his breathing heavy but controlled. Theo took his ce on the other side, his sword held at the ready. Luthier positioned himself slightly behind them, alongside Lutton and Glen.

    As they advanced, the dreadfiend tyrant let out a deafening roar, its voice shaking the ground beneath their feet. It raised its axes, the runes on the des glowing brighter as it prepared to strike.

    Nox tightened his grip on his weapon, his mind focused and clear. "Here ites. Brace yourselves!"

    The beast charged, its massive form barreling toward them with terrifying speed. The battle had begun, and there was no turning back.

    However before they shed, Nox paused in his step, a smirk tugged at the side of his lips. "System did you record that skill?"

 Chapter 435 The Hidden Enemy Attacks [1]

    The dreadfiend tyrant''s roar echoed like thunder, shaking the very air around them, and its massive form loomed closer, each step causing the ground to tremble. The twin axes in its hands glowed with an eerie, runic light, promising destruction to anyone foolish enough to stand in its path.

    "System, did you record that skill?" Nox muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible over the noise of the battlefield.

    For a brief moment, the world seemed to slow. The system''s voice, cold and mechanical, echoed in his mind.

    [Skill Recorded!]

    Nox''s smirk widened when he heard the system''s mechanical words. Some weeks back, he had instructed the system to record any powerful skills his opponents used so that he could select from the list.

    Nox pushed the thought to the back of his head and focused on the current situation.

    "Kali, Theo, Luthier! On my mark, hit it with everything you''ve got!" Nox shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

    Kali, his berserker instincts already ring, let out a guttural roar. His muscles bulged, veins popping as his rage surged. Theo''s jewel-encrusted sword hummed with energy, the de glowing brighter with each passing second. Luthier, standing slightly behind them, raised his hand, and a faint golden aura enveloped the group, bolstering their defenses.

    At that moment, the dreadfiend tyrant swung its axes in a wide arc, the runes on the des ring to life. The air itself seemed to split as the axes came crashing down. Nox didn''t flinch.

    "Now!" he shouted.

    Kali lunged forward, his massive warhammer mming into the beast''s left leg with a sickening crunch.

    *BANG!*

    Theo''s sword shed, a blinding arc of light slicing through the air and striking the tyrant''s right arm. Simrly, Luthier''s golden aura red, and a barrier of energy materialized just in time to deflect the brunt of the axe''s impact.

    *BOOM!*

    "We have to finish this fight in 10 minutes!" Nox shouted, thinking back to the beast''s dreadful skill, *Rewind!*

    *Rewind* woulde out of cooldown in 10 minutes. If they couldn''t get rid of the monster before then, all of their efforts would be wasted.

    Nox snapped out of his thoughts and darted forward, his movements almost too fast to follow. This was because he had activated *Divine Velocity*.

    As he drew closer, a solid blood spear with a faint, otherworldly light at the tip formed in his hands.

    Nox aimed for the runes on the tyrant''s axes.

    The blood spear struck true, piercing one of the runes on the beast''s left axe. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the rune began to crack, its light flickering erratically. The dreadfiend tyrant roared in confusion, its massive form faltering as the rune''s energy spiraled out of control.

    "Fall back!" Nox shouted, already retreating.

    The group didn''t need to be told twice. They scrambled away just as the rune exploded, a blinding burst of energy engulfing the tyrant''s left arm. The beast howled in agony, its axe falling from its grasp as its arm was reduced to a smoldering stump.

    But the dreadfiend tyrant wasn''t finished. Its remaining axe glowed brighter, the runes on its de pulsing with a malevolent light. It swung wildly, its movements more erratic but no less deadly.

    "Zara, now!" Nox called out.

    Zara, who had been waiting in the rear, raised her hands. The air around her grew cold, frost forming on the ground as she summoned her ice magic. With a sharp motion, she sent a wave of freezing energy toward the tyrant. The beast''s movements slowed, its remaining axe encased in a thickyer of ice.

    "Glen, Nyx, ke! Hit it while it''s vulnerable!" Noxmanded.

    Glen darted forward, her sword aimed for the tyrant''s eyes. Nyx followed, her holy barriers forming a protective shield around her. ke charged in, his daggers shing as he aimed for the beast''s exposed nk.

    The dreadfiend tyrant roared, its remaining axe shattering the ice encasing it. But it was toote. Thebined assault had taken its toll. The beast staggered, its body swaying unsteadily.

    Seeing the beast in its weakened state, Kali, Theo, and Luthier didn''t hesitate as they charged in once more. Kali''s warhammer struck the tyrant''s chest, caving in its armor. Theo''s sword sliced through its stomach a hundred times in a couple of seconds.

    *Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!*

    The beast''s eyes shed with desperation as the attacks rained down on it. It tried to fight back, butpared to Theo, the beast was no different from a turtle.

    "It''s powerful, but it''s not a great fighter," Nox deduced.

    The dreadfiend tyrant was on itsst legs, its massive body swaying as it struggled to stay upright. Its remaining axe hung limply in its hand, the runes on the de flickering weakly.

    *ROOOAR!*

    The beast let out a guttural growl, its eyes burning with defiance. Nox stepped forward, his blood spear dissipating into mist as he drew a sleek, obsidian dagger from thin air.

    It was *Oblivion Edge*.

    By instinct, Kali, Theo, and Luthier stepped back, but they stood ready, their weapons still drawn in case the tyrant made onest desperate move. Zara''s ice magic lingered in the air, the ground beneath the tyrant still frozen solid. Glen, Nyx, and ke hovered nearby, their eyes locked on Nox as he closed the distance.

    This¡­ this was the moment of truth!

    The dreadfiend tyrant roared in an attempt to intimidate, but Nox didn''t flinch.

    As he neared the beast, he activated *Divine Velocity* once more, his body blurring as he shot forward like a bolt of lightning. The tyrant swung its remaining axe in a sluggish arc, but Nox was already behind it, his dagger gleaming in the dim light.

    With a fluid motion, Nox leaped onto the tyrant''s back, using its massive frame as a springboard. He flipped through the air, his movements almost poetic in their grace, andnded on the beast''s shoulders. The tyrant thrashed, trying to dislodge him, but Nox''s grip was powerful. He raised his dagger high, the de catching the light as it descended in a swift, decisive strike.

    *Ssshhhhhh!*@@novelbin@@

    The dagger plunged into the tyrant''s skull with a sickening crunch. *Oblivion Edge* was also at the legendary rank, so it was almost effortless to prate the hide of another legendary-tier beast.

    *ROOOOOAR!*

    The beast let out a final, ear-splitting roar before its body went rigid. Nox twisted the de, ensuring the kill, and the tyrant''s massive form crumpled to the ground with a thunderous crash. This time, he didn''t jump off the beast; he waited until he saw the kill confirmation before sighing in relief.

    *[Ding! You''ve in Dreadfiend Tyrant!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    Read thetest on My Virtual Library Empire

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

    *[Ding! You''ve leveled up!]*

 Chapter 436 The Hidden Enemy Attack [2]

    Nox wasn''t the only one who received a level-up notification; every other person who had participated received experience points as well from the fight.

    The battlefield fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the group as they processed what had just happened.

    "We really did it, didn''t we?" ke muttered with a dazed look on his face.

    "Yes, we really did it!" Commander Luthier responded with a hearty smile on his face.

    Nox stood atop the tyrant''s lifeless body, his dagger still embedded in its skull. He yanked the de free, wiping it clean on his sleeve before cing it back in his inventory.

    As he watched Luthier and the others jubte, a satisfied smile appeared on his face because he could now get the hell out of here and deal with more pressing issues.

    "The journey wasn''t a waste entirely¡­ Level 50, not bad," he said, hopping down from the tyrant''s corpse. The others stared at him, a mix of awe and disbelief on their faces.

    But before anyone could respond, a sharp, unnatural sound cut through the air. Nox''s eyes widened as he felt a sudden, searing pain in his chest. He looked down to see a deep gash forming across his torso, blood spilling from the wound. Before he could react, another sh appeared, then another, and another. Invisible des sliced through him with terrifying precision, cutting him into several pieces before he even had time to scream.

    The group froze in horror as Nox''s body fell to the ground in bloody chunks. His head rolled to a stop at Kali''s feet, his expression frozen in shock. The battlefield, once filled with the tension of victory, was now suffused with an eerie, oppressive silence.

    "What... what just happened?" Commander Luthier shouted, his voice trembling and his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

    He couldn''t believe his eyes! Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire

    However, among everyone, the one who was most stunned was Nyx. She was wide-eyed; it felt as if time stood still for a moment.

    "W-what¡­ how?" she stuttered iprehensible gibberish, but no one answered.

    Their eyes darted around, searching for the source of the attack, but there was nothing¡ªno enemy, no movement, no sign of what had just ughtered their temporary leader in an instant.

    Nyx''s legs gave out, and she crashed to the ground, her hands scraping against the dirt, but she didn''t care. Her eyes stayed locked on the mangled, blood-soaked pieces of her brother. Her chest felt tight, and her breath came in short, shaky gasps.

    "Who did this?!"

    Nyx''s scream echoed across the battlefield, but no answer came. She stumbled forward, her hands reaching out as if she could somehow piece him back together, but her body refused to move fast enough.

    Wendy, standing nearby, felt her stomach churn. Her face turned pale, and her legs felt weak. Two lines of tears streamed down her face as she shook her head. "This can''t be real!"

    But the answer stared right at her.

    There was no pulseing from Nox.

    He¡­ he was dead.

    Zara was confused; she was speechless. She still couldn''t believe that the confident, cocky boy was dead. It felt so unreal; she just couldn''t believe her eyes.

    Everyone else was too stunned to act. The only ones who were able to think properly were Theo and Luthier.

    "WHERE?!" Theo bellowed, his de shing as he spun, eyes zing and scanning every inch of the battlefield.

    "Who did this?! SHOW YOURSELF!" His hands trembled from the adrenaline, from the helplessness that twisted his gut.@@novelbin@@

    There was nothing.

    No enemy.

    No sound.

    No hint of an attack.

    "Kali! ke! Do you sense anything?!"

    Kali, usually a mountain of fury, stood frozen. His eyes¡ªwide and wild¡ªstared at Nox''s remains. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his body shaking with something he rarely felt.

    Fear.

    But then his voice, hoarse and low, escaped his lips: "There''s¡­ there''s nothing." His usually confident tone wasced with something foreign¡ªdread.

    No aura. No killing intent. Not even the faintest ripple of mana.

    It was as if the attacker had never existed.

    "Impossible¡­" Luthier''s voice cracked, sweat streaming down his face. "A strike like that without even a flicker of presence¡ª" His heart pounded violently. "¡ªwhat kind of monster¡­"

    Meanwhile, back at the outer perimeter of the battlefield where the soldiers and the rest of the special ss students were gathered, a strange spectacle was unfolding before them.

    The ravenous monsters that were hellbent on destroying everything in their path were beginning to turn into mist. It was clear proof that the boss monster had been defeated.

    "We did it!!"

    One of the soldiers shouted.

    Another joined in, then another, and another until the air trembled with the thunderous roar of victory.

    "VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!"

    The soldiers, bloodied and battered, raised their weapons high, their voices merging into a chant that shook the heavens.

    While they were chanting, Ainsworth had left the perimeter and gone inside. There was an anxious expression on his face.

    Soon, he arrived at his destination, and the first thing he saw was Nox''s mangled body lying in a pool of blood. Then his gaze fell on Nyx, who was crying close to the puddle, Wendy, who had passed out, Zara, who still seemed to be in shock, ke, Glen, Theo, Luthier, and Lutton, who were frantically looking around as if searching for someone.

    "Uncle!" Ainsworth gasped, his eyes widening in amazement. "You actually pulled it off!"

    Ainsworth couldn''t believe his eyes. For a moment, he had thought his uncle wouldn''t be able to assassinate Nox because of his overwhelming disy of strength.

    "But I was worried for nothing, hahahahahaha! This is what you get for messing with the royal family!" He roared,ughing like a madman, tears streaming from his eyes.

    Suddenly, while he wasughing.

    "Aghhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Ainsworth heard an agonizing scream filled with pain, and he abruptly stoppedughing, his pupils shrinking.

    "T-that voice," he mumbled with trembling arms. "That voice belongs to Uncle."

 Chapter 437 The Hidden Attacker [3]

    The demonic empire was very peculiarpared to the other kingdoms. There were no cities; instead, it was a single grand obsidian colossal tower that seemed to stretch endlessly, piercing the clouds as if eager to meet God¡ªif such a being existed.

    The tower stood on a deserted ind, in a dark sea where powerful Legendary-tier abominations dwelled. It took up two-thirds of the entire ind, leaving only small portions ofnd for dangerous beasts to roam about. If a level 50 Awakened were thrown out of the tower, they''d perish¡ªeither devoured by the monsters onnd or by the abominations beneath the dark sea.

    However, the outside was actually peacefulpared to the inside.

    There were about 100 floors in this tower, and the first floor was the smallest area in terms of size. However, even this area far exceeded the capital city of the Vermilion Kingdom, which was one of the biggest cities in the far west.

    Not only that...

    "The demons here are also akin to mindless beasts," Eve frowned, her ruby eyes glinting with disgust as her sharp gaze scanned around.

    She was currently standing under a dark, gloomy sky with arcs of lightning streaking across the thick clouds. A cacophony of voices belonging to demons filled the air. It was very aggravating for Eve, who frowned, a trace of displeasure gleaming in her eyes.

    "This is the reason I never descended here. They''re all barbarians and mindless."

    There was even a popr saying among the higher demons: "If you want to lose your senses, descend to the first floor."

    The first floor... was a chaotic, sprawlingndscape that resembled a destroyed city forged from crimson stone and jagged ck obsidian. Towering structures, half-shattered and crooked, were scattered in every direction, their windows flickering with eerie, hellish light. The ground was cracked and scorched, veins of moltenva threading through the crevices and releasing bursts of blistering heat and sulfuric fumes from time to time.

    Eve felt suffocated being here. She watched as hobgoblins stomped through the streets in packs. Red-skinned demons prowled about, their crimson eyes burning with malice. Some crawled on all fours, while others walked proudly.

    Just above, imps fluttered, cackling like naughty kids as they snatched treasures from each other.

    Eve felt irritated. Without wasting a moment, she hurriedly searched for the portal that could transport her to the 100th floor where she belonged¡ªwhere high demons with ss dwelled, not this shithole filled with mindless savages.

    While she was looking for the portal that would aid her ascent, a sudden shadow stepped in front of her.

    It was a massive hobgoblin-like demon, towering over her with its club raised high. It stank of blood and sweat.

    The club crashed down. But Eve was gone.

    She reappeared behind the creature, her face cold and unbothered. A thin red line glistened across its neck. Its head dropped with a heavy thud.

    The fighting around her stopped for a moment. Demon eyes turned toward her, filled with animalistic hunger and curiosity.

    Two horned demons stepped forward, grinning.@@novelbin@@

    "Nice face," one sneered. "Bet it''ll look better twisted in pain."

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    One thing Eve greatly disliked about the demons of this floor was their sheer brainlessness. All higher demons were respected by lower demons¡ªbut there was an exception.

    The first floors.

    Eve didn''t want to waste time here, so she simply dashed past them, ughtering anyone foolish enough to stand in her way.

    Several secondster, she found the portal, which was guarded by much more sensible demons. These demons were far stronger than all other beings here, and this was done on purpose¡ªto stop the stupid demons from essing the portal.

    "Miss!"

    "We didn''t expect to see you!"

    The two guards, with human-like figures yet demonic features, bowed their heads deeply, their eyes filled with respect as soon as they saw one of the princesses of the demonic empire.

    Eve barely acknowledged them. She stepped through the portal, her form flickering as though it was glitching before it disappeared.

    The first guard stared at the portal for a good minute before speaking in a low voice filled with curiosity,

    "You think the invasion is about to begin?"

    "Definitely," the other one nodded. "For them to invite her, I think the Emperor is about to make his move!"

    "Hahahaha, I''m so excited! Those puny humans... they''re doomed. Their grace period has finallye to an end."

    "The humans are very beautiful. I heard one of the rewards for joining the Emperor on this conquest is human ves¡ªpreferably women."

    "Hehehe, that will be great." The demon licked his lips, his eyes shing with lust.

    The Demon Emperor knew the nature of his people too well. It was the reason he would lead at the forefront of the invasion. The Emperor had promised his citizens that, depending on how much they contributed in the invasion, they''d be rewarded with spoils of war¡ªterritory, wealth, and most enticingly, human ves. Women for the male demons and human men for the female demons.

    The promise of indulging their primal desires without restraint had driven the entire demonic empire into a frenzy. Apart from the children below a certain age, it was safe to say the entire demon empire was heading for war.

    The human race was about to experience its most brutal and deadliest war¡ªa war that would be on the same level as the Great War of Rebirth or... even worse.

    It was either one side would win, sumb... or perish!

    The demons were notorious for their knack for battle. They were a race that would willingly sacrifice themselves to achieve victory at all costs. The humans, however, weren''t even united¡ªunlike the demons, who were under a single ruler.

    "Snowhelm and Vermilion Kingdom are still fighting each other. If they don''t set their differences aside, the demon empire will capture the human domain," Eve mumbled to herself.

    She had arrived at the door...

    Just beyond the door was the throne room.

    The Demon Emperor was waiting for her.

 Chapter 438 The Hidden Attacker [4]

    The sharp cry of pain¡ªAinsworth wasn''t the only one who heard it; everyone present did as well.

    The cry was filled with agony¡ªso much agony! They couldn''t even begin to imagine what the person must be going through to scream like that.

    "Agahhhh!!!"

    The voice cried out again, this time even louder.

    Nyx, who had been bawling her eyes out, leaped up. Even Jared, who had gone to console her, stood abruptly, looking around and trying to detect where the voice hade from.

    "Am I the only one hearing this?" ke asked, a dumb expression on his face.

    "You''re not the only one! And that voice... that voice seems very familiar," Kali stated, a tight frown on his face.

    "It must be an attacker!" Commander Lutton imed, his voice brimming with certainty. He looked around with sharp eyes, trying to detect any spatial tear in the fabric of reality.

    "Whoever they are, they seem to be in pain... a great deal of pain! That cry... it belongs to someone who has gone mad from experiencing agony."

    Time seemed to drag in that moment; confusion grew on everyone''s faces. In the distance, Ainsworth had fallen to his knees, his arms digging into the ground, his eyes bloodshot as he continued to scream like a broken tape recorder.

    "What is happening... what is happening... He killed him, right? Why is he screaming?! It''s not supposed to be like this! That bastard should be the one crying! Did something... go wrong?"

    "No!!!! What is happening to me?!"

    At that precise moment, everyone heard a muffled voice. It echoed far and wide, filled with unimaginable pain.

    Even though the voice was muffled, the special students recognized it. Especially Wendy, who had woken up the moment she heard the shriek.

    "That voice... it belongs to Instructor Brandon," Jared whispered, stating the obvious thoughts of everyone present.

    For a moment, there was just stillness.

    No one spoke.

    They were confused¡ªdeeply confused. They had never been this confused in their lives. Why... why would he attack a promising student such as Nox¡ªthe very reason they had undertaken this mission in the first ce? It just didn''t make sense. What could be the reason?

    "Look!" Lutton shouted at the top of his voice.

    Everyone saw something unexpected¡ªsomething terrifying, yet beautiful at the same time.

    Right before their eyes, the injuries on Nox''s body were closing. The sh mark on his chest vanished as if it had never been there, his head reattached, and the pool of blood slowly flowed back into his body. Even his skin, which had grown pale, regained its youthful, radiant glow once more.

    Nyx''s eyes widened in shock, a smile threatening to break out on her face.

    "Hahahaha!" Wendy had already burst into a fit of crazedughter as she heard Nox''s pulsing heartbeat.

    "This... this is unexpected," Glen muttered, with no apparent emotion in her voice. "Deep down inside, I knew you wouldn''t end just like that... The kid I witnessed in Snowhelm is just too strong to die, even without knowing his attacker. It seems... I was right after all."

    "I knew you wouldn''t die just like that!" Zara smiled. "For a moment, I thought all hope of me freeing my people from the Scourge Alpha was lost."

    "That''s an ultimate skill," Commander Lutheir and Lutton gasped, staring at each other in shock.

    In Eos, whenever one used a skill, other Awakened¡ªespecially those of high levels¡ªcould easily determine its rank.

    "Just how many ultimate-tier skills does this kid even possess?" Commander Lutheir was baffled. All the skills he had seen Nox use so far were at the ultimate tier. Suddenly, his eyes shed with a wild, crazy thought.

    "Could it be... all the skills in his arsenal... are ultimate tier?"

    "I think it''s highly possible," Lutton chimed in.

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    Time seemed to crawl slowly as everyone watched Nox''s body piece itself back together.

    While everyone else seemed relieved, Ainsworth looked as though his entire world was falling apart.

    Veins throbbed all over his body, and it seemed as if his eyes were about to pop out. He couldn''t believe the spectacle unfolding before him!

    Nox was supposed to be dead! Why... why was he healing?! It made absolutely no sense¡ªhe should stay dead! What kind of witchery was this?!

    "His head... it was separated... those cuts..." Ainsworth muttered, his voice trembling. "How did hee back to life all of a sudden?"

    He began stepping out from his hiding spot, walking towards the others. Usually, he would have stayed back, but Ainsworth''s mind was in disarray.

    Meanwhile, at that moment¡ª

    SNAP!

    Nox''s eyelids opened.

    Those dark, dangerous eyes were cold and filled with murder.

    Although everyone felt relieved that he was alive, even they instinctively flinched back in fear.

    Nox''s eyes were... inhuman, as if they belonged to a predator, and for a moment, they instinctively gripped their weapons.

    But Nox merely gazed past them¡ªas if searching for something.

    "Agahhhh!!!!"

    The agonized scream rang out once again.

    This one was sharper... rawer¡ªlike a beast being yed alive.

    It was loud¡ªfilled with desperation and hatred.

    "You... damn... brat!!!" the voice spat, each word trembling with pain.

    "What... have you... done to me?!"

    "You think... this is over?! I swear... I''ll make you suffer a thousand times worse!!!"

    Nox continued to look around with cold, mechanical eyes, as if he were a robot, unbothered by the screams and curses.

    All he wanted was to detect the source.

    Nothing else mattered.

    Though he liked fighting his enemies with Phantom Cloak, he didn''t like when someone used a simr skill against him.

    It left him at a big disadvantage.

    Right now, he was no different from being naked.

    If only his attacker could break free from this circle of pain... they might''ve actually put up a fight against him.

    But Nox wasn''t worried.

    No matter how strong they were... they wouldn''t be able to break free from the effect of his new skill.

    Suddenly¡ª

    The space around them trembled.

    Invisible cracks formed, twisting reality itself.

    The temperature dropped sharply, and an oppressive pressure bore down on everyone.

    Then¡ª

    CRACK!

    A white rift split through the air.

    It widened with a screeching wail¡ªlike the world itself was being torn apart.

    From within the tear, the voice shrieked in unbearable torment, then¡ª

    BOOM!

    Space shatteredpletely.

    From the rupture¡ªa figure was violently ejected, crashing into the ground with a deafening impact.

    Dust and debris exploded outward, obscuring the form.

    A heavy silence fell.

    Everyone stared at the person who had been cursing and screaming for the past few minutes¡ªunblinking.

    The dust slowly cleared¡ª@@novelbin@@

    Revealing a bloodied, blue-haired youth in a pool of his own blood.

    He was barely holding himself together¡ªyet his eyes still zed with hatred.

    Nox''s lips curled into a cold, knowing smirk.

    When he saw Brandon¡ª

    Staring at him with disbelief, hatred, and confusion¡ª

    "So... it''s you?"

 Chapter 439 The Hidden Attacker [5]

    Because it had only been the voice, the special ss students had shadows of doubt in their hearts.

    The world was a very vast ce; it was not a strange urrence for two or more people to have the same type of voice or appearance. The special ss students had thought this was the case here as well.

    They thought they could be wrong. I mean, why would Brandon attack Nox? What would he gain from it? It just didn''t add up.

    However, now that the attacker had been revealed, the lingering doubts they all felt were erased.

    "But why would he?" ke whispered under his breath.

    Why would he? This was the question that was on everyone''s mind. Since no one could answer, though, they all looked at the attacker.

    Feeling the piercing gaze of everyone present, Brandon coughed a mouthful of blood. He winced, clearly in severe pain.

    With sheer difficulty, he raised his head and nced at the students. "What are you guys doing standing there? Come help me already!"

    But no one moved as much as a muscle.

    They were all staring at him as if he was a rare animal.

    "You bastards," Brandon growled, anger shing through his eyes like lightning in a stormy night. "Is this how you treat your instructo¡ªarghhh!"

    He was about to continue, but a terrible pain shot through his heart.

    "And you," he then red at Nox, "how the heck are you still alive?"

    Nox''s expression had remained indifferent all this while, but upon hearing Brandon''s question, a smirk curled up on the side of his lips.

    "Look at your body," he stated.

    Brandon stared down at his body.

    Curious, even the bystanders followed his gaze, and they gasped at what they saw.

    "That... that''s exactly the same cut," someone cried out, their entire body trembling in dread.

    "Yes, only that it''s much more gruesome¡ªoh gawd, how did this happen?"

    "How..." Brandon stuttered, his voice a jumbled mess. His body seemed riddled with sh markings, and he understood the pattern too well, as he had done simr things to Nox.

    It was meant to inflict agonizing pain on the victim before eventually killing them.

    "He didn''t make any movement! No one should''ve been able to see me!" Brandon was greatly confused. More than that, he was curious... even if it was thest thing he did, he wanted to know how this kid had outsmarted him.@@novelbin@@

    "I knew something was up with him back in Snowhelm," Brandon clenched his teeth so hard that he could now taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He knew Nox was a threat¡ªa big one that could bring his downfall.

    ''That''s why I tried framing him for the death of Ren, setting a target on his back even though it was I who killed that arrogant, cocky bastard to keep the elemental crystals for myself!''

    ''But who would''ve thought even the Silver family would be so ipetent to deal with him?''

    Little did he know that the person who had stopped all advances against Nox was none other than the second-inmand of the Silver family himself¡ªZarek.

    "You... you want to know how I did it, right?" Nox''s voice suddenly sounded, snapping him from his train of thought.

    Nox saw the eagerness in Brandon''s eyes.

    "It''s because I''m an anomaly." His voice rang out in all directions. "I shouldn''t be here, but I''m here. You already lost when you chose to fight against me¡ªsomeone who is blessed by an entire Pantheon."

    "What is he saying?"

    Whispers broke out among the soldiers of the Tristan kingdom and special ss students. Nox''s words sounded profound, and even if theycked the full context of what he meant, they felt it made a lot of sense.

    It was only someone blessed by the gods that could survive a fatal and gruesome death like the one Nox had just experienced.

    Nox''s eyes glinted.

    Of course, he didn''t reveal that he had copied the Dreadfiend Tyrant''s Rewind skill, which allowed him to undo any attack from his opponent. After using it ten times, the skill had upgraded into this:

    ---

    [Vengeful Retribution (Ultimate Tier)]

    Description: The user can activate [Rewind: Vengeful Retribution] to restore their body to a previous undamaged state, reversing any fatal or critical injuries sustained within thest 60 seconds. This upgraded version enhances the effect tenfold, allowing the user to recover from catastrophic wounds and restore even destroyed limbs.

    While the skill is active, a vengeful aura surrounds the user. For the next 30 seconds, any damage inflicted upon them is reflected back to the attacker at ten times the original damage, bypassing physical and magical resistances. This retribution is instantaneous, turning the user''s pain into a lethal counterattack.

    Drawback: Activating this enhanced effect taxes the user''s core vitality, reducing stamina and mana regeneration by 50% for 5 minutes.

    Cooldown: 30 minutes after each activation.

    ---

    The Rewind skill was already powerful and would make even experts salivate, but after using his talents on it, the skill became even more broken!

    Yes, just like the description said, it had simply reversed all critical injuries onto Brandon tenfold, forcing him out of his invisible state.

    Nox was even slightly impressed that Brandon hadn''t fallen apart yet.

    ''I guess being a level 77 Awakened has its perks, huh? His health pool must be massive.''

    "Blessed by the gods? Tch, funny!" Brandon burst out in a fit ofughter. After a while, he began coughing blood and spitting as heughed.

    Brandon spat more blood, his fists trembling. "Don''t¡ªdon''t act high and mighty! You''re nothing but a damn student!"

    Nox''s eyes shed¡ªa glint of something ancient, something beyondprehension.

    "A student?" He tilted his head, his smirk sharpening into something almost sinister. "No, Brandon. I''m your consequence."

    A crackling silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by Brandon''s ragged breaths. Yet, the tension was deafening.

    "Thanks to a good friend of mine," Nox said, thinking of Zarek, "I learned of what you did in Snowhelm."

    "You thought killing Ren and framing me would tie my hands. But you underestimated one thing¡­" Nox''s gaze turned sharp as he added in a cold voice, "I don''t fight battles. I end them."

    Brandon felt his body weaken further, the shes burning hotter. His mind raced. ''When? How?!''

    "I used your own arrogance against you," Nox continued. "The moment you stepped into Snowhelm, you were already in my radar. Trust me, you were one of the reasons I came to the academy in the first ce."

    Brandon''s eyes flickered with panic, realization dawning like a final, cruel joke.

    Nox continued with a merciless glint in his dark, dangerous eyes. "You didn''t fail today, Brandon. You failed long before you ever struck me." Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    The other students watched, their faces growing pale, their hearts pounding.

    Brandon''s eyes darted frantically, then his gaze fell on Wendy. He called out hurriedly.

    "Sister... are you just going to..."

    Before he could continue, Wendy nced away.

    "Y-you! I''m your brother! Are you just going to abandon me as well?"

    "Thest time I checked, I don''t have any brother," Wendy replied calmly, not even bothering to look at Brandon. It was as if he were a peasant, not worth her gaze.

    Brandon clenched and unclenched his fists, seeming to be in an inner struggle with himself. Then his eyes shot open as if he hade to terms with something. He looked at Wendy and charged at her.

    "Tsk, if I''m dying, then I''m taking you with me!!!!"

    But before he could even reach his target, Brandon''s head rolled off his neck, and his body fell apart piece by piece in a bloody mess.

    ---

    [Ding! Level Up!]

    [Ding! Level Up!

    [Ding! Level Up!]

    [Ding! Level Up!]

    [System Notification]

    Congrattions! You have passed the evolution threshold (Level 40).

    [Warning: Current level exceeds the requirement for evolution.]

    Would you like to evolve now or postpone evolution forter?

    ---

    ''Level 54!'' A satisfied smile appeared on Nox''s face as he felt the surge of power through his veins.

    "You killed him! You''ll pay!"

    Just then, he heard an angry voice behind him, filled with malice and killing intent.

 Chapter 440 A Mistake?

    Nox''s eyes narrowed as he stared at the neer, a trace of anger shing through them when he recognized who it was.

    It was Prince Ainsworth Vermilion.

    Wendy had long told Nox about the rtionship between her stepmother, who was Brandon''s biological mother, and the royal family.

    She said Brandon was particrly close to Prince Ainsworth.

    From his reaction to Ainsworth''s death, it seemed this was especially true.

    "You killed him! Why! How dare you touch someone with royal bloodline!"

    "You... if this is how irrational the royal family behaves, I think you guys are not deserving of the crown," Nox said casually. He lifted his head and stared down at Ainsworth as if he were an ant. "And this doesn''t concern you. Stand back, if not, I''ll have to cut you down as well."

    "Cut me down?" Ainsworth burst into a fit ofughter as if he had heard the funniest thing in a long while. Then he pointed a finger at Nox and shouted at the top of his voice, spit flying about. "I''m royalty, you filthy fake noble! How dare you threaten me? Your father literally forced my grandfather to make you guys nobles.@@novelbin@@

    "You think you''re some big shot now... in my eyes, you are no different from the worthlessmoners. Your entire family is a frau¡ª"

    Shiiing!

    The sharp sound of a de tearing through the air was heard, followed by a painful shriek.

    "Did he attack a prince?"

    "He really attacked him¡ªoh my gawd, what does this mean? Isn''t this no different frommitting treason against the royal family?"

    Everyone was startled. Right in front of their eyes was Ainsworth''s outstretched arm.

    Theo frowned when he saw this scene. Ainsworth was very annoying¡ª even among their circles, no one really liked him¡ª but they never made an attempt to attack him. The reason was that he was a member of the royal family.

    And... it was no secret that the members of the royal family were treated like gods!

    "He knew about this¡ªI''m very sure of it¡ªand yet he still went ahead and attacked," Theo mumbled to himself. "Isn''t he afraid of the royal family''s wrath? If the royal family were to attack the Cromwell Duchy because of this action, so many lives would be lost."

    The king was not even meant to attack the Cromwell Duchy as it was still part of his kingdom, but Theo thought it was within the realm of possibility because King Aldric was known to be irrational.

    Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    After witnessing how Ainsworth ughtered those hundred-plusmoners at the coliseum, anything was sadly possible.

    "The guts of the kid," Commander Luthair mumbled to himself as well. As an allied nation, he knew how the Vermilion Kingdom worked. Unlike the intelligent King Darius Tristan, King Aldric Vermilion was a man driven by pride¡ªquick to anger and slow to forgive. His favoritism toward Ainsworth was well-known across kingdoms.

    Luthair''s eyes flickered with a hint of amusement. ''This boy... he doesn''t know what storm he''s inviting. Or perhaps... he knows and doesn''t care.''

    While everyone else seemed shocked, Nyx watched with a strange amusement flickering in her eyes. Despite knowing that her entire family could get into trouble, there was just something so exhrating about watching this arrogant prince in pain.

    A part of her even wished that she was the one inflicting the pain.

    Ainsworth clutched his bleeding arm, his face twisted in pain and disbelief. "You... you dared...!" His voice cracked from both agony and fury. The onlookers fell silent, their gazes darting between Nox and the prince. The tension in the air thickened, heavy and suffocating.

    Nox lowered his dagger, his expression cold, and in a soft, low voice, he said, "I warned you." His voice echoed. "I don''t care for your title. Royalty or not, insult me or my family again... and I''ll sever more than just your arm."

    Theo felt a chill crawl up his spine. This wasn''t arrogance¡ªit was conviction. He truly intends to fight the royal family if ites to that...

    Ainsworth''s eyes zed with hatred. "You''re finished! My father will wipe out your entire family¡ªeven your crazy grandfath¡ª"

    Shiiing!

    "Oh no, don''t tell me he did it again!"

    "Damn it! He cut off another arm!"

    "The royal family might''ve forgiven him for the first one¡ªmaybe killed only him¡ªbut now there''s no saving him!"

    Wendy frowned. She had to do something. She nced at Nox. Those dark eyes were unreadable¡ªthey seemed to have lost the spark in them. Now, what could be seen was a cold-blooded murderer ready to ughter anything that stood in his way.

    ''I have to do something.'' Wendy couldn''t afford to let Nox do something that would put him in danger and endanger the entire Duchy. She knew he really loved the people¡ªespecially the likes of her mother, Cam; Aina; Gordon; Hans; Elvin; and, most importantly, Grandpa Nathan.

    Considering all this, she took a step forward. However, a hand held her back. She followed the slender fingers and saw that it was Nyx.

    "I have to stop him!" she pleaded.

    "No, let him be," Nyx said, a serious expression on her face. "Nox has grown a lot in thest years. As much as I don''t want to admit it¡ªbecause, in my eyes, he will always be that silly, reckless boy."

    "What are you saying? You should be helping me here." Wendy felt Nyx had lost her mind.

    "He has a n. If he didn''t trust me, he wouldn''t attack the prince so tantly like that."

    Wendy paused.

    Nyx continued, "You''ve been with him for a long time now, right? I heard you guys traveled once." Nyx paused and looked into Wendy''s eyes. "What did you notice?"

    Wendy didn''t respond immediately, her thoughts drifting back to Snowhelm and all the events that happened there. "He always creates a miracle," she whispered. "Just like today. Sometimes I feel as if he''s unkible."

    "That settles it, then. Let''s trust him. My stupid brother loves his people a lot. He has a n¡ªtrust me."

    Meanwhile, Ainsworth stared at his remaining arm¡ªwhich was nowying on the ground¡ªwith a speechless expression on his face.

    Then he mustered the strength and shouted at the top of his voice, "You bastard..."

    But he couldn''t finish his words because¡ª

    Shiiing!

    His head flew into the air.

    A sharp arc of silver shed, and a fountain of crimson followed. The arena descended into an abyss of silence.

    Prince Ainsworth Vermilion was dead.

 Chapter 441 The Tristan Kingdom Has Other Plans

    Prince Ainsworth''s head hit the ground with a dull thud and rolled, his eyes frozen wide in disbelief. His body copsed a momentter, lifeless and still. The thick scent of blood permeated the air, and the world seemed to stop.

    Even after several tense seconds, Ainsworth''s eyes remained wide open, the disbelief still fresh. It was crystal clear that even in hisst moment, he had underestimated Nox and never expected him to go for the kill.

    No one expected him to, actually, considering the consequences of such an act. However, the scene unfolding before them was no dream.

    "He¡­ killed¡­ the prince¡­"

    Someone finally broke the silence.

    The whisper of disbelief swept through the crowd, quickly rising into a storm of gasps and horrified exmations.

    "He''s dead¡­"

    "Nox Cromwell killed Prince Ainsworth!"

    "He''s finished! This is treason¡ªwar!"

    A few minutes ago, just before Nox delivered the killing blow, the rest of the special ss students had arrived as well to celebrate with the others for sessfullypleting their first-ever special ss mission.

    However, they encountered a rather gruesome scene. They had expected casualties in this fight, but never did they expect to find their confident instructor''s butchered body submerged in his own pool of blood¡ªor to watch the rank-one student sever the head of Prince Ainsworth.

    "Monster!"

    "He killed him¡ªoh my god!"

    "Why would he kill the prince?!"

    "Those dark eyes¡­ I always knew there was something wrong with him!"

    The students recoiled, their faces growing pale, their fear palpable. They began to take several steps back because when looking at Nox, there wasn''t even a shred of humanity in the depths of those midnight eyes.

    All they saw was a cold, lifeless gaze. The blood dripping from his Oblivion Edge didn''t help matters either¡ªit gave the onlookers a sense of dread, a reminder, as if he was still hungry for blood.

    "He grew fearless too, huh?" Glen chuckled, her eyes glinting with mischief as she mumbled to herself. "You really grew up after that encounter, didn''t you? To think you''d be bold enough to go against the king himself... Let''s see how you survive this one¡ªor should I make my move now?"

    As for Theo, he wasn''t as amused as Glen. His thoughts were more chaotic.

    "Nox, I knew you were fearless, but to think you''d openly kill a member of the royal family¡­" Theo felt a chill run down his spine¡ªa rare urrence.

    His father, Boris Fanum, the guild leader of the Adventurer''s Guild, was a very powerful and respected man. However, even he, with such backing, could never openly attack royalty like that.

    He might have survived if he had taken out only Brandon, as Brandon had been the first person to attack... but killing Ainsworth was different. It was an outright challenge to the authority of the royal family¡ªa move that could not be ignored.

    Theo''s hands trembled slightly. Even if Nox had a n, even if he had ounted for every possible reaction from the kingdom, was this truly something he could handle?

    "The king¡­ he won''t let this slide," Theo muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

    "What should we do? Escape?" Wendy whispered to Nyx beside her, knowing that no matter what, the king would still hear news of this.

    There was one solution, though.

    Wendy bit her lip.@@novelbin@@

    That solution involved ughtering everyone here to silence the witnesses.

    Her fingers twitched instinctively toward the sword strapped to her thigh. It would be easy¡ªswift, clean, and efficient. But the thought sent a shiver down her spine.

    Could she really do that?

    Not really.

    Commander Luthier was an expert-level Awakened, then there was Lutton, the Tristan soldiers, and the special ss students.

    If they were to kill everyone here, it would onlyplicate things even further and put an even bigger target on their backs.

    "There has to be another way." Wendy scanned around. "Should we try convincing them?"

    "I doubt that will work," Nyx stated matter-of-factly. She didn''t even look half as worried as Wendy.

    Meanwhile, to the side, Commander Luthier had initially been shocked at Nox''s daring move and was even ready to apprehend him because the Tristan Kingdom and the Vermilion Kingdom were allied nations, but¡­

    Commander Luthier licked his lips, the sound of his lips smacking together echoing across the silent battlefield.

    A mischievous light flickered across his eyes.

    "I can take advantage of this."

    As he thought about it, the conversation he had with the king resurfaced in his head.

    "I want you to personally lead an envoy to meet with Nox Cromwell and hire him. I figure if we give him more gold and resources, he will work even harder," the king had said.

    "And if he refuses to cooperate?"

    Darius sighed. "Then we let him be. You can''t force true alliances."

    "If this Nox Cromwell is as powerful as they say¡­ then he will note cheaply."

    "But his strength may be what finally allows us to break free from our reliance on wealth¡­ and take back our kingdom''s future."

    "Hahahaha!" Luthierughed heartily in his heart, his eyes gleaming with glee. Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire

    The rightful opportunity had just presented itself.

    What he was about to do might have a deadly drawback, but it was worth the risk.

    Luthier wasn''t a fool¡ªhe knew that recruiting Nox now would be seen as an outright provocation to the Vermilion Kingdom. King Aldric would demand blood for his son''s death, and siding with the murderer would be equivalent to spitting in the king''s face.

    But Luthier didn''t care.

    Nox Cromwell was beyond valuable.

    He¡­ he was a one-man army!

    The battle against the beasts was no different from a war, and yet Nox had contributed greatly.

    It could be argued without a doubt that Nox had single-handedly won the battle. Yes, the soldiers and students had contributed, but their efforts were minimal.

    And all of this was because of his pets¡­

    "Just how many of those beasts does he have in his possession? Would the oue be simr to this if we were in a war against another kingdom?" Luthier''s thoughts raced. "Could he dominate the enemy just like this? He could be our surest ticket to bing a military power."

    After several moments, Luthier came to a decision.

    Under the tense gaze of everyone, the Commander¡ªthe man who was second only to the king of the Tristan Kingdom¡ªbegan to approach Nox.

    ***

    AN: The reason for theck of update was because I''m sick and was hospitalized but I''m feeling better now. Was on drip and still taking medications. Gosh I thought I''ll die but I''m okay now, thanks to all those that checked on me. Let me see if I can wing another chapter this night.

 Chapter 442 A One Man Army

    Luthier''s lips curled into a grin as he stepped forward, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a de.

    "Everyone, silence!" His voice boomed across the battlefield, his authority quelling the panicked murmurs. Eyes turned to him¡ªuncertain, wary. The Tristan soldiers straightened their backs instinctively, while the special ss students froze, some still trembling in shock.

    Then, he turned to Nox, his gaze sharp and probing. The young man stood there, utterly unbothered, his midnight eyes void of emotion. Blood dripped from his de, pooling at his feet, but his grip remained rxed, his stance unwavering. He wasn''t looking at Luthier with fear or uncertainty. He was looking at him as if waiting to see what move he would make next.

    That alone sent a thrill down Luthier''s spine.

    "A bold move, Nox Cromwell," Luthier finally said, his voice filled with something bordering on amusement. "I doubt even you have fully considered whates next."

    Nox met his gaze without flinching. "I never act without considering the consequences."

    That answer made Luthier chuckle. This boy¡ªno, this man¡ªwas something else. He wasn''t just powerful; he wasposed, sharp, and fearless. And most importantly, he had no hesitation in cutting down even a prince. That was a trait few warriors had, even among seasoned veterans.

    "Do you realize what you''ve done?" Luthier asked, though he already knew the answer.

    "I killed a nuisance," Nox replied bluntly. "Nothing more."

    The sheer audacity of that response sent a ripple through the crowd. Even Theo sucked in a sharp breath. This wasn''t just confidence¡ªthis was defiance on a scale none of them had ever seen before.

    Luthier couldn''t help butugh.

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    "Hahaha! You really are something." His eyes gleamed with something between admiration and ruthless intent. "Ainsworth was an arrogant fool, but he was still a prince. Killing him means you''ve openly dered war on the Vermilion Kingdom."

    Nox tilted his head slightly, as if unimpressed. "War was inevitable. Whether I killed him or not, they would havee for me eventually."

    Why did Nox say this? Because sooner orter, he nned on going against the Royal Family.

    Those bunch were not fit to rule.

    They were power-drunk.

    Even when the beast tide had struck in the western region, the foolish king had held back because of some grudges.

    He... he actually wanted everyone there to perish.

    A king that would let his own people die because of petty conflict was no different from a tyrant.

    ''Sooner orter, I would''ve gone against them. It was inevitable. I only hastened the process...

    Because I hastened the process, I also need to evolve my beast as quickly as I can and tame more creatures.''

    Meanwhile, Luthier''s smirk widened. He liked this answer.

    The truth was, if Nox had been an ordinary warrior, even a prodigious one, this would have been an entirely different matter. The Tristan Kingdom might have been forced to denounce him to avoid war. But Nox wasn''t ordinary. He was special.

    A Beast Tamer.

    It was a ss Luthier was hearing about for the first time.

    But he had witnessed the terrifying potential of this ss firsthand.

    Nox had proven himself capable of standing against legendary-tier beasts and ying royals without hesitation.

    Few forces in the world could match the sheer potential of someone as young as him. The creatures hemanded could turn the tide of battles,y waste to armies, and shape the course of history.

    He...he was the definition of a one man army.

    And Luthier wasn''t blind to that fact.

    He took a step forward, his tone shifting.

    "The way I see it, you have two options." His voice carried across the battlefield, ensuring everyone heard him. "You can run, be a fugitive, and spend the rest of your days looking over your shoulder as the Vermilion Kingdom hunts you down."

    He let that sink in before offering the second option.

    "Or¡­ you cane with me." Luthier spread his arms slightly, his smirk unwavering. "Join the Tristan Kingdom. We will not only protect you, but we will value you. You''ll have resources beyond your wildest imagination, a ce where no one can touch you, and the freedom to carve your own destiny."

    Gasps rippled through the crowd.

    The implications of Luthier''s words were clear¡ªTristan was willing to im Nox as their own, even at the cost of a political firestorm.

    One of the high-ranking soldiers clenched his fist and said through gritted teeth, "Commander Luthier, are you serious?! If you do this¡ª"

    "I know exactly what I''m doing," Luthier cut him off, his sharp gaze silencing any further protest. "Nox is not just some rogue warrior. He''s a game-changer. And the Tristan Kingdom needs game-changers."

    "For years, the Vermilion Kingdom has imed to be our ally, but in reality, it''s more like a ve contract. They dictate terms, impose their will, and expect us to kneel like obedient dogs." He scoffed, his expression darkening. "And what do we get in return? Crumbs. Insults. Suppression. The Tristan Kingdom has been bleeding under their rule, and yet we call them our ''allies''?"

    Murmurs spread among the soldiers. The truth in his words was undeniable. Many had long resented the way the Vermilion Kingdom treated them, but none had dared to speak out so openly.

    Luthier''s gaze flickered back to Nox.

    "But now, we have a chance to change everything." His voice softened, but it carried a dangerous edge. "With your strength, Nox, we could tip the scales. You don''t need to run. You don''t need to fight alone. Stand with us, and together, we''ll tear down the old order."

    He turned back to Nox, eyes gleaming. "So, what will it be?"

    There was silence.

    The lifeless look in Nox''s eyes slowly faded, reced by rity. Everyone''s gaze was fixed on Nox, wondering what his decision would be.

    This was a monumental moment for everyone.

    Why?

    His decision right here could start a potential war between two kingdoms. And if he refused, he would have to face an entire kingdom alone.

    "I..." Nox opened his mouth.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 443 Against The Special Class Students?

    "I..." Nox opened his mouth.

    He pondered what Luthier said with a thoughtful expression on his face.

    It was not a bad offer. On the contrary, it was a very good one. The royal family would definitelye after him¡ªthat much was already clear. And to be blunt, if the royal family were to attack now, Nox wasn''t confident he would be able to win against them.

    Why? They had an army.

    Left to him alone, he wouldn''t be bothered by this, but the thing was... Nox''s circle wasn''t particrly small.

    He had friends¡ªa lot of them. Many he had not spoken to in years, but they... they were still special to him.

    Not only that.

    There were also his family members and the people of the barony.

    The king would probably target them.

    Nox nced up at Luthier, who stood about 6''3", his hair fluttering in the wind. The older man had an expectant gleam in his eyes and a subtle smile on his face.

    He had Nox cornered.

    There was no way he would refuse such an offer.

    This tactic was cunning... but as amander, one needed to be cunning. In war, what mattered most was victory. As long as one secured victory, it didn''t matter what tactic was used.

    History only recorded the victors, after all.

    To Luthier, this was war.

    And no matter what, he needed to attain victory.

    Is he finally sumbing? Luthier thought, the smile on his face threatening to break into a wide grin when he saw Nox''s lips part.

    Come on, say it already, he thought impatiently, his entire body coursing with excitement. However, his exterior remained eerily calm, as expected of a veteran.

    Masking his emotions was one of his greatest assets.

    "I have something to say," Nox said.

    "Go ahead." Luthier nodded. "Feel free to say whatever you want. Just know that the Tristan Kingdom will ept whatever decision you make today."

    "Okay." Nox nodded. "Your protection¡ªis it only for me or everyone rted to me? Because I''ve got so many friends and an entire barony at home. We exceed over 10,000, maybe more. I''m not particrly good with stats, but you get my point, right?"

    There was a brief moment of silence. One thing the Tristan Kingdom didn''tck was wealth. Without a doubt, Luthier was confident they could harbor that amount.

    "Yes, we can," Luthier said without hesitation, and his chest seemed to swell as he spoke in a much louder voice. "We can even provide more! We can ensure their safety, their prosperity! You wouldn''t just be securing a ce for yourself, Nox, but for everyone you care about. The Tristan Kingdom values its people, unlike the Vermilion royals, who see lives as disposable."

    Luthier''s voice carried conviction, his sharp eyes locking onto Nox''s.

    "We have the resources, the manpower, the infrastructure. We''ll give you a territory. It wouldn''t just be protected¡ªit would thrive. With you at our side, we wouldn''t just hold back the Vermilion Kingdom; we''d push forward, take what''s rightfully ours." His words were impassioned, as if he could already see the future he envisioned. "You don''t have to walk this path alone, Nox. Join us, and we will stand together."

    The soldiers around them stiffened, some exchanging wary nces. What Luthier was proposing wasn''t just an alliance¡ªit was an outright deration that Tristan was willing to shelter the most wanted man in the Vermilion Kingdom. A high-risk, high-reward gamble.

    The offer was too good. Too perfect.

    Nox remained silent for a moment, weighing everything carefully.

    Luthier''s confidence wasn''t misced. The Tristan Kingdom was very wealthy and more than capable of housing thousands. But the problem wasn''t whether they could.

    It was why they would.

    No matter how much they dressed it up in ideals, this was a war move¡ªa calcted investment. Nox wasn''t an ally to them¡ªhe was a weapon. A valuable piece in their game of power. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

    Luthier wanted to wield him.

    What would happen when he became rusted?

    Would they throw him away?

    Nox had no intention of being wielded.

    He liked being in control and making decisions for himself.

    Not to be a pawn of someone else.

    A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

    "You make a tempting offer," Nox admitted, his voice smooth, deliberate. "One that would be foolish to reject outright."

    Luthier''s smirk widened. "Then¡ª"

    "But I won''t be making my decision today."

    There was silence.

    Then murmurs erupted.

    "He didn''t ept?"

    "Holy shit, he''s really nning on going against the Vermilion Kingdom!"

    Everyone present had expected Nox to ept this offer. Every logical person would.

    Even though the Tristan Kingdom''s military wasn''t as strong as the Vermilion Kingdom''s, it should''ve at least bought him time.

    Just... just what are you thinking?! they thought.

    Even Glen was confused at this point, and she prided herself on reading people very well.

    But even someone like her didn''t know Nox''s next move.@@novelbin@@

    Luthier''s expression remained frozen for a while, though his eyes flickered with something unreadable. After a moment, he said,

    "What?"

    "I''ll think about it," Nox said simply, cing Oblivion Edge away. "For now, I have my own matters to handle."

    Luthier''s fingers twitched at his sides. He thought this deal was already in the bag, but it seemed his expectations had been dashed.

    Luthier wasn''t used to hearing no.

    But this wasn''t a rejection. It was a dy.

    That made things interesting.

    He didn''t say no outright, right?

    That was a little win on its own.

    "Fair enough." He let out a low chuckle, masking whatever disappointment he might have felt. "I suppose I can''t rush genius. But know this¡ªopportunities like this don''tst forever."

    Nox gave him a knowing nce. "Neither do kingdoms."

    After his short conversation with the head of the Tristan military, Nox shifted his attention to the special ss students.

    "Good job, everyone. Sorry it has to end like this."

    They flinched back when they heard this, their eyes growing wide.

    Why is he saying, ''Sorry it has to end like this?''

    The safety bells began ringing in their heads.

 Chapter 444 Return to the Vermilion Kingdom

    Was he nning on attacking them?

    Their muscles tensed, and some instinctively reached for their weapons. Even those who had fought alongside Nox on the battlefield moments ago were unsure where they stood now.

    Nyx, however, stepped forward without hesitation.@@novelbin@@

    "Nox," she called firmly, her eyes searching his. "What are you about to do?"

    Nox raised an eyebrow as if taken aback. "What do you think I''m about to do?"

    "Are you going to attack us?" One of the special students spoke, wild bluish mana dancing around her arms. It was evident that she was ready to attack at any moment.

    "Huh?" Nox was slightly shocked because, when his gaze swept around, he noticed that all the students had their weapons and abilities activated as well¡ªexcept for a few like Nyx, Theo, ke, Glen, Zara, and Wendy.

    "What makes you think I''d want to attack you guys?"

    "To silence us, maybe? I mean, what other reasons would you be apologizing for?" Someone retorted, a fierce light shining in their eyes.

    "Ah." Nox face-palmed when he heard this and quickly rectified, "The reason I''m apologizing is because I won''t be following you all back."

    Beside Nyx, Wendy looked between them, then at Nox, her brows furrowing. "You''re not nning on running off alone again, are you?"

    Nox''s gaze flickered to them, his expression softening just a fraction. Then, just as quickly, the usual sharp glint returned to his midnight eyes.

    "What I''m about to do is important," he said. "And I can''t afford distractions."

    Nyx narrowed her eyes, a bit of annoyance shing within them. "You think we''d be a distraction?"

    "Not intentionally," Nox admitted. "But right now, I need absolute focus."

    Nyx clenched her fists. She knew her brother well enough to understand what he really meant¡ªhe didn''t want anyone else involved in whatever danger he was about to throw himself into.

    Wendy, on the other hand, frowned, clearly not satisfied. "At least tell us where you''re going."

    Nox exhaled. "I can''t."

    Silence stretched between them.

    Then, Nyx let out a frustrated sigh. She knew she could not force an answer out of his mouth. Besides¡ª

    Nox was plenty strong! That, she had witnessed over and over again. The gap between them was massive.

    And I used to be stronger than him, she thought with a wistful expression on her face. I miss the times when I could easily smack him around.

    "Fine." She broke out of her train of thought and muttered, crossing her arms. "But you better not do anything reckless."

    Nox chuckled. "When have I ever?"

    Nyx shot him a re.

    "Do you really want me to list all the times?"

    "I''d rather not."

    Wendy huffed but took a step back. "Be careful."

    "I will."

    "Hey, can I join you?" ke suddenly shouted.

    Nox looked back, and obvious exasperation shone in his eyes. "No!" His answer was rather fast.

    "Ouch, that was harsh."

    "Yeah, what do you expect him to say? Take you along with him?" Jared chimed in.

    "I mean, yeah? Aren''t we friends?"

    "Tsk. Creepy."

    After hearing Nox''s reasoning, the students visibly rxed and went back to their own discussions.

    The conversations were mostly about what they''d tell Headmistress Bridget when they returned.

    Nox ignored the banter, turned, and shifted his gaze to the figure in the distance.

    Zara had been watching all this while, her icy-blue eyes glowing under the sky, which was slowly growing dark. As soon as Nox moved, she stepped forward as well.

    "It''s time?" Zara asked. Now that the moment had arrived, she found her heart elerating wildly. Why did she feel so anxious, as if things could go south at any moment?

    Even though she had witnessed what Nox could do, there was still a glimmer of doubt in her heart.

    The Scourge Alpha was a peak Legendary-Tier Dragon.

    Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire

    The monster they had just dealt with was only a Level 1 Legendary-Tier beast.

    The difference was like heaven and earth.

    Who knew? Maybe the beast could have broken through to the Ascended rank¡ªafter all, that had been its n before Zara left.

    "It is..." Nox smiled and then asked with a slightly raised eyebrow, "You look anxious, though. What is it?"

    Zara, who was usually confident, fidgeted with her hands. She remained silent for thirty seconds, her eyes seeming to mirror her thoughts.

    She nced up at Nox, shook her head a momentter, and said with a forced smile, "Nothing. Come, let''s get going then."

    With one final nce at the battlefield,

    Nox retraced his steps to the frontline to rendezvous with his pets, leaving behind only the unsettled murmurs of those who remained.

    Nyx and Wendy exchanged looks.

    "What do you think he''s nning?" Wendy asked.

    Nyx''s eyes lingered on the spot where Nox disappeared.

    "I don''t know," she admitted.

    But she had a bad feeling.

    "What do we do?"

    The special ss students immediately turned to Wendy.

    Now that Brandon was gone, she was all they had.

    "Hmmm." At that moment, Commander Lutheir cleared his throat. "On behalf of the Tristan Kingdom, we want to thank you foring to our aid in this dire moment."

    He paused and made a low bow. "Rest assured, our kingdom will reward you handsomely."

    After saying this, he left and mobilized his soldiers to clear the region and begin rebuilding it so that the inhabitants who had fled could return.

    "Kid, why do I feel like our paths will cross again?" Lutheir mumbled as he stared in the direction Nox had disappeared into.

    ---

    "We''ll return to the Vermilion Kingdom. That''s what will happen," Wendy said, her sharp gaze scanning the students, noting that they were all ounted for. Except for the Tristan soldiers, there were no casualties on their side, which was good.

    This meant that this batch of special-ss students had passed with flying colors. If not for the unexpected situation, it could have been a joyful asion.

    "And as for what happens next..." Wendy wasn''t done. Her tone sounded cold and dangerous, making the students who had never heard her speak in such a manner think she was possessed. "I''ll personally report to the headmistress. All of you should keep your mouths shut."

    "Yes, Instructor!" they all echoed.

    After that, the special portal that had brought them here was activated once again.

    Meanwhile... in the Vermilion Royal Castle...

    ***

    Okay it''s been long since I do this but let''s try again.

    1 castle for five extra  chapters

    1  Dragon  for two extra chapters

    1 luxury car for one extra chapters.

    Goalst for two days!

 Chapter 445 Troubled Waters [1]

    "Captain, it''s been two days now, and the target has yet to make any move," a man dressed in the Vermilion Kingdom military uniform reported to Prince Adrian, who was lounging in his chambers.

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    The ship he was currently residing on was thergest of the war vessels, housing the elite forces of the Vermilion Kingdom.

    The name of this ship was the Crimson Leviathan. It was a behemoth of naval engineering¡ªthe pride of the royal fleet¡ªstretching over 300 meters in length with reinforced hulls forged from enchanted mithril and ck steel.

    The deck was popted with soldiers, each d in polished armor with the insignia of the kingdom on their chests. Rows of monster core powered cannons lined the sides, capable of firing explosive mana-infused projectiles that could shatter enemy ships with ease. The ship was also equipped with ballistae armed with piercing harpoons designed to cripple sea monsters or enemy vessels attempting to flee.

    Its sturdy appearance wasn''t all it had to offer. It also housed dozens of rooms, training centers, cafeterias, and leisure areas to keep the soldiers entertained.

    Rumors had it that the shores of the Vermilion Kingdom were the most fortified in the human domain due to its unmatched naval strength. No kingdom dared challenge Vermilion at sea, for to do so meant facing the wrath of the Crimson Leviathan and the armada that followed in its wake.

    Deep within the Crimson Leviathan, inside avish chamber lined with maps detailing the surrounding waters and enemy movements, arge ornate throne-like chair sat at the entrance of the room where Prince Adrian lounged, staring at the official giving his report.

    Though he appeared rxed on the outside, his sharp eyes reflected deep contemtion.

    Seeing the look in Adrian''s eyes, the officer hesitated slightly before continuing, "Your Highness, we''ve maintained our distance as per your orders, but the target remains eerily still. Our scouts report no significant movement aboard their ship."

    Adrian tapped the armrests of his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his handsome features.

    "No attack¡­ they''re not nning on staying in one spot, are they?" he mumbled to himself as he got up from his seat and walked toward the grand window that overlooked the sea.

    From this vantage point, the vast ocean stretched endlessly before him, but his attention was locked onto the distant silhouette of the unknown ship, which appeared like an antpared to the Crimson Leviathan.

    "At first, I thought they''d be foolish enough to attack, and I doubt they''re spies. If they were, they wouldn''t have traveled by sea, knowing that it''s our strongest point."@@novelbin@@

    Adrian''s mind raced as he considered various possibilities. Some of his theories were so wild that even he found them amusing. Perhaps they were a hidden faction testing Vermilion''s patience, a rogue force with unknown backing, or even a trapid by an enemy kingdom like Snowhelm, hoping to lure the Crimson Leviathan into a disadvantageous position.

    But none of those exnations fit perfectly. The ship was simply there, drifting like a ghost upon the waves,pletely unbothered by the overwhelming force stalking it. That was what truly unsettled him.

    "Could it be a diversion?" Adrian murmured, rubbing his chin. "A sacrificial pawn meant to hold our attention while something far more dangerous lurks beneath the surface?"

    The officer stiffened at his words. It made a lot of sense, so without hesitation, he suggested, "Sir, should we strike it down and scout around?"

    Adrian quickly shook his head. "No, not yet. If it is a decoy, then we mustn''t reveal our hand too soon." His gaze darkened as he watched the distant ship, his mind sharpening like a de.

    What if¡­ they were waiting for him specifically to act?

    A test? A challenge?

    Or worse¡ªbait.

    A slow smirk tugged at his lips, a mix of intrigue and irritation sparking in his eyes. Whoever was aboard that ship either had nerves of steel or a death wish. Either way, Adrian was done waiting.

    "Prepare the Storm Reapers," he ordered in a deep tone. "Let''s meet them since they''re too scared to meet us."

    The officer''s eyes widened slightly. The Storm Reapers were a specialized strike force¡ªelite warriors who excelled in both seabat and boarding maneuvers. Their squad leader was none other than Adrian himself.

    If they were being deployed, it only meant one thing: Adrian intended to seize control of the ship personally.

    "As youmand, Your Highness!" The officer bowed before hurrying out of the chamber to ry the orders.

    A short whileter, he returned.

    "I''ve gathered everyone and readied the skiffs. At yourmand, we''ll be ready."

    "Come on, let''s go then," Adrian said as he walked through the door.

    Down a hallway and a flight of stairs, he arrived at the lower parts of the ship, where there was an opening leading to smaller vessels.

    These sleek war skiffs were crafted from the same materials as the Crimson Leviathan and could be considered mini versions of it.

    A group of armored warriors stood in formation near the boarding tforms¡ªthe Storm Reapers. Dressed in ck and crimson, their capes fluttered slightly as the ocean breeze passed through the open chamber. Each soldier bore a special insignia on their shoulder, a crest showing a crashing wave wrapped around a de, marking them as part of the elite unit.

    Adrian''s presencemanded absolute attention. The moment he stepped forward, the warriors mmed their fists to their chests in unison.

    "All forces are prepared, Your Highness," the officer reported.

    "Good. We move now!" Adrian ordered.

    As soon as the order was given, the Crimson Leviathan let out a deep, reverberating groan as its lower bay doors creaked open, revealing the dark waters below. The war skiffs detached smoothly, dipping into the sea without a ssh. The warriors leaped aboard.

    Adrian stepped onto the lead vessel, gripping the railing as the skiff surged forward, cutting through the waves as they approached the lone ship.

    ---

    Meanwhile, on the lone ship...

    "What should I do...? I can''t possibly face all of them, can I?"

    Akira was anxious¡ªvery anxious.

    Why wouldn''t she be?

    A team led by an expert was approaching her...who was only a level 50 Awakened.

 Chapter 446 Bringing Back The Dreadfiend Tyrant

    After separating from the others, Nox met with the rest of his pets, cing them inside the portal. But he didn''t leave just yet¡ªthere was still something he needed to do.@@novelbin@@

    Nox activated his Spirit Tamer subss. His dark aura grew several shades darker, bing much more frightening, and the wind picked up around him, knocking dust and debris into the air, which caused his dark hair with red streaks to dance wildly.

    "What is he up to now?" Zara mumbled to herself, her blue eyes flickering with curiosity and concern.

    Though she had known Nox for only a short while, she hade to understand that he was someone she could never fully predict, as he was always doing something new at every moment. He was a bottomless pit of secrets¡ªsecrets she feared even one lifetime wouldn''t be enough to uncover.

    No matter how much she learned about him, there was always something more. Something deeper. Something terrifying.

    "I don''t see anything, but what is this powerful aura?" Zara took a cautious step back as the surge of wind generated from whatever Nox was doing pushed her backward. Her sky-blue hair was now dancing in the air as well.

    The sheer weight of his presence alone was enough to make her beast instincts scream at her to run.

    Then, suddenly¡ª

    A pulse of energy burst outward!

    The winds roared, trees creaked under the pressure, and the ground trembled. Zara barely held her footing as the force sent cracks racing through the ground beneath them.

    Then, as if the world itself was responding to Nox''s power¡ª

    ck mist erupted from the ground.

    It slithered like living tendrils, twisting and curling unnaturally before spreading across the battlefield.

    Zara''s eyes flickered to Nox.

    "What is he really doing?"

    Just now, apart from the ck mist and environmental reactions, she didn''t see a damn thing!

    While Zara''s thoughts were a jumbled mess, Nox looked ahead with an extremely focused expression¡ªso focused that even a thunderp wouldn''t have distracted him.

    Before him, hundreds of ck mist-like spirit creatures cried in anguish and anger as they were forced against their will to gather in one spot.

    Among them were twisted creatures, half-formed and writhing in pain as if resisting the force. Their forms flickered between solid and spectral¡ªsome resembling monstrous beasts, while others took the shapes of humanoid creatures.

    These were all the creatures that had been in on this battlefield.

    Nox''s dark eyes gleamed with an eerie light as he extended his hand. His aura pulsed again, sending out invisible chains of authority that wrapped around the summoned spirits, forcing them to kneel before him.

    Boom!

    The ground trembled and cracked as several beasts¡ªall at the Emperor level or higher¡ªcopsed to their knees at once.

    Zara felt even more confused as she sensed the incredible power just now.

    "Okay, I''m done! I''m done trying to figure out what he''s doing, or I might lose my remaining brain cells," she scolded herself. She folded her arms against her voluptuous chest and sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.

    A part of her wanted to ask him what he was doing, but because of how focused he seemed, she didn''t interrupt him, fearing she might disrupt and ruin whatever he was attempting.

    "Where are you?"

    She heard Nox mumble to himself, his gaze scanning the surroundings as if searching for something¡­ something important.

    And she wasn''t wrong.

    At this moment, Nox was searching for the boss monster¡ªthe Dreadfiend Tyrant¡ªthe one he had in. But even in death, the spirit of the creature was troublesome to deal with and stubbornly resisted sumbing.

    The monsters gathered here were those in by the Tristan soldiers and students¡ªit didn''t include the ones that had dissipated into mist upon the boss monster''s death.

    Since he was the one who had killed the boss monster, its spirit should be here as well!

    "It must be hiding," Nox deduced. "Time to pull it out from its hiding spot."

    "Pull what from its hiding spot?" Zara asked as she heard Nox mumbling to himself.

    Nox didn''t respond to her question and instead said, "Wait here." He dashed forward, activating Divine Velocity and vanishing in a blur, leaving a rush of wind in his wake.

    He streaked between the hordes of monsters.

    After searching for a while, Nox eventually found the boss monster.

    "There you are," he smirked.

    The Dreadfiend Tyrant looked terrified, as if it had seen a ghost when itid eyes on Nox, and immediately attempted to escape.

    However, it was futile!

    Spirit Fusion¡ªActivated!

    A whirlwind swept the Dreadfiend Tyrant off its feet, forcefully pulling it toward the other kneeling beasts.

    Right off the bat, the beasts began to fuse together, their cries reaching an all-time high.

    Zara staggered back, nausea rising in her throat. The overwhelming aura was suffocating, pressing down on her like an unmovable weight. She could barely breathe.

    Just as her knees threatened to buckle¡ª Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

    Nox stepped in front of her.

    The oppressive force vanished instantly.

    Naturally, the pressure had no effect on Nox, as he was the source of it. Therefore, it greatly benefited him.

    After a while, things settled down.

    When she was finally able to breathe again, Zara nced at Nox and asked between breaths, "Can you tell me what you''ve been up to now?"

    Nox didn''t respond. Instead, he simply held her hand¡ªa gesture that caught Zara slightly off guard.

    Then, as if she had been enlightened, her eyes shone.

    "T-that thing," Zara pointed with a trembling hand as she saw the giant looming before her, its shadow stretching far and wide. Its presence was terrifying and suffocating. The reanimated Dreadfiend Tyrant exuded an even more crushing pressurepared to when it was alive. Even its twin axes had returned, appearing muchrger and more menacing.

    Was this the reason for all the strange phenomena? The cracks, the winds¡ªit was all because Nox was trying to bring back this monstrosity!

    At that moment, a shocking scene unfolded once again¡ªthe beast suddenly went down on one knee, bowing before Nox, which left Zara utterly baffled.

    "Is he¡­ on our side?" Zara asked hesitantly.

    Seeing the speechless expression on Zara''s face, Nox smiled and nodded. "Yes, he''s on our side. And he will y a very crucial role in our mission."

    Zara''s eyes gleamed when she heard this.

    She was beginning to see where Nox''s confidence originated from.

    Just maybe¡­ just maybe, they could actually defeat the Scourge Alpha Dragon with an ally as terrifying as this.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 447 The Kings Anger [1]

    "Grandpa, Nathan, we''ve been moving from store to store¡ªwhat exactly are you looking for?" Serena asked with a dazed expression on her face.

    "Is it a new potion or elixir for something?"

    After Nox and Nyx went on their mission to the Tristan Kingdom, Nathan hadn''t returned just yet. This was because he still had some unfinished business to deal with in the capital.

    At this precise moment, he was in the heart of the capital, standing in front of a shop. From the windows, one could see several potions and herbs arranged on shelves, making it obvious that this was an alchemist''s shop.

    However, this wasn''t just any shop¡ªit was actually their fifth shop of the day, which left Serena slightly perplexed.

    Whenever her grandpa, Nathan, met with the shopkeeper, he didn''t allow her to listen to the content of their conversation for some reason. If she were much younger, the archer would''ve asked questions, but it was clear from Nathan''s actions that he didn''t really want her to know.

    The reason she was asking now was that she was fed up.

    "It''s for something important," Nathan said, stroking Serena''s head. The beautiful, light-skinned girl blinked, her chocolate eyes shining in delight.

    But the next moment, her eyes snapped back to normal.

    No, she refused to fall for this silly old man''s trick again. He had been doing this for the past hour.

    This time, she would get her answers.

    But before she could even speak, Serena felt a gentle pull on her hand, followed by Nathan''s old voice. "Come on, let''s go in."

    "But..."

    ---

    The familiar scent of herbs and alchemical reagents filled the air as Serena stepped inside the dimly lit shop. The scent was a mix of bitter roots, pungent spices, and the faintly sweet aroma of rare elixirs. The wooden shelves, covered in dust, were stacked with all manner of potions, powders, and preserved ingredients sealed in glass jars. Strange bubbling noises came from deeper within, where an old cauldron rested on a rune-engraved table.

    At the counter stood a hunched figure¡ªa gaunt, sharp-featured man with greasy black hair and a permanent scowl. His skin had the pallor of someone who rarely saw sunlight, and he seemed to be missing an eye. He looked like he hadn''t slept in days, or maybe he simply preferred looking unpleasant.

    "Ugly."

    Serena flinched as if she had seen a ghost the moment she laid eyes on the man. He was by far the ugliest person she had ever seen. She glanced at her grandpa Nathan and suddenly found him very pleasing to look at in comparison.

    "Let me tell you a secret," Nathan suddenly whispered.

    Because the figure was hunched, he either didn''t notice their presence or was outright ignoring them.

    Nathan leaned in, his spine cracking slightly. A flicker of worry crossed Serena''s chocolate eyes, but Nathan didn''t so much as grimace, meaning he was fine.

    "There''s a saying," he whispered. "The uglier the potion dealer, the stronger the effect."

    A frightened expression crossed her features, and she nearly stumbled if not for Nathan''s grip on her shoulders.

    So far, all the alchemists they had met weren''t good-looking. They were all ugly or disabled in one way or another.

    This guy¡­ he was not only ugly, but he also had poor skin, his face looked like it was falling apart, and to top it off, he was missing an eye.

    "Grandpa, are you planning to buy a drug from this man?" Serena gasped.

    "Yes. Hopefully, this will be our final stop."

    "No!" Serena protested, stepping back.

    "Why?" Nathan raised his nonexistent eyebrow.

    "You said it yourself¡ªthe uglier the potion dealer, the stronger the effect. What if¡­ what if..."

    "What if what, Serena?"

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    "What if you go mad after taking a potion from this man?"

    "Eh?" Nathan was about to speak when suddenly a voice sounded behind him.

    "Well, well, if it isn''t Nathan again," the alchemist sneered, his voice raspy and dripping with mockery. "Didn''t find what you were looking for in the last four shops? Or did they finally throw you out for wasting their time?" He let out a wheezing chuckle, rubbing his hands together like a vulture.

    Nathan wanted to ask the man how he had known, but he quickly remembered that almost all the alchemists in the capital were acquainted. One of them must have told him.

    "Grandpa is really famous," Serena muttered under her breath.

    So far, all the shopkeepers had known Nathan''s name. However, she could tell that Nathan wasn''t particularly pleased with this potion dealer.

    Nathan didn''t rise to the provocation. Instead, he met the alchemist''s gaze evenly and said, "I wouldn''t be here if the others had what I needed, Jarvis."

    Jarvis sneered. "Hah. Figures. You never come for the simple stuff. What are you after this time? Something to reverse time? A potion to make you young again?" He cackled before leaning in slightly. "Or is it something more¡­ discreet? Something to make you look more handsome than me?" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "No disrespect, old man, but you look hideous!" Serena blurted out, an annoyed look on her face.

    Then that annoyance soon crumpled into horror as she realized Jarvis''s face had turned beet red with anger.

    "Oops, that was supposed to stay in my head."

    "Ignore the kid," Nathan quickly said. "Why don''t we go discuss somewhere more private?"

    The two walked into a much smaller room. After shutting the door, Nathan began to explain.

    "It''s about Doombringer."

    Nathan exhaled through his nose, unimpressed.

    "The overgrown lizard?"

    His expression twisted slightly, but he sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Y-yes."

    Nathan began to explain the ordeal with the Order of the Flaming Rose and how they had corrupted Doombringer. Jarvis listened while wiggling his teeth with his long, dainty fingers.

    "So you want something that could bring back its memories?" Jarvis scratched his chin, then walked toward a shelf. After rummaging through several locked compartments, he finally produced a small, obsidian-glass vial filled with a swirling, silver liquid that shimmered like liquid moonlight.

    Nathan''s eyes lit up when he saw this.

    ---

    The Royal Castle, the King''s Chambers.

    "My King, you have a package!"

    King Aldric, who was submerged in a pool filled with cold enchanted water, opened his eyes.

    "Package?" His eyes shot open as he looked at the royal knights standing beside him. "What package? I''m not expecting anything from anyone, nor did I order one."

    "Your Highness..." The royal knight stuttered, fumbling with his words as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

    The king''s golden eyes narrowed in irritation. "Speak," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

    The knight swallowed hard and finally spoke. "The package, Your Majesty¡­ it''s¡­ dripping with blood."

 Chapter 448 The Special Class Student Return [Bonus Chapter]

    The Vermilion Royal Academy

    "Headmistress, the special class student has returned!" One of the instructors hurriedly barged into Bridget''s office and announced, shock evident on his face.

    Bridget, her purple hair catching the light shining through her arched window, looked up from the load of paperwork at the instructor.

    "Really?" The laziness and exhaustion from working disappeared instantly as she stood up abruptly from her seat.

    "Yes, Miss, I was shocked as well," the man said.

    "Did something bad happen?" The shock on Bridget''s face was replaced with concern. The mission should''ve taken a week or even a month! It was a Level 6 Dimension, for crying out loud.

    Bridget rushed over to the window. The administrative tower was the tallest structure on the royal island, overlooking the entire academy campus. Through the window, she gazed at the south side of the academy and saw the portal from which all the students who had gone on the mission were returning.

    "They''re truly here." Her eyes widened.

    ---

    Bridget didn''t wait for the students to arrive. She quickly left her office and went to meet up with them.

    Bridget moved swiftly, her long strides making quick work of the distance between her office and the academy''s teleportation ground. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of the situation.

    A Level 6 Dimension¡­ completed in just a few days? That was unheard of. Either something had gone terribly wrong, or¡­ someone had done something extraordinary.

    Bridget was leaning more toward the former.

    As she approached, the air was thick with tension. Instructors and students alike had gathered, murmuring in hushed voices as they watched the special class students step through the portal one by one.

    Her sharp gaze scanned the crowd. Most of them looked exhausted, battered, and worn. Some had injuries, others looked shaken, but none of them carried the look of absolute despair. That meant¡ª

    They had survived.

    But something still didn''t seem right. She felt something was wrong. It took Bridget barely a minute to figure out what it was.

    Someone was missing.

    No, not one.

    Four.

    Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. "Welcome back," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "I was expecting you all to return far later than this. What happened?"

    A heavy silence followed her question. The students exchanged glances, some looking unsure, others unwilling to be the first to speak.

    Bridget''s gaze swept over them. Some of them looked hesitant, casting wary glances toward Wendy, while others looked outright disturbed.

    Bridget''s stomach tightened. What exactly happened in there?

    It was Wendy who finally stepped forward.

    "¡­We completed the mission." Her voice was steady, but there was something else beneath it. Something unreadable.

    Bridget frowned. "So quickly?"

    "Yes."

    Bridget folded her arms. "Then explain. How?"

    Wendy hesitated, her eyes flickering toward Nyx for a brief moment before she spoke again. "Nox¡­ handled it."

    Bridget''s frown deepened. "Handled it?"

    One of the other students, a boy with a bloodied bandage wrapped around his arm, scoffed. "More like he was the mission."

    Bridget turned to him sharply. "Explain."

    The boy exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. "At first, it was very difficult. The beasts were all Emperor-Tier. We were supposed to investigate and clear threats, but before we even got a chance, things escalated. We thought we were done for. But then¡ª"

    Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire

    "Nox started doing things that shouldn''t even be possible," Blake chimed in, an animated expression on his face as he recalled the towering wall and the usage of powerful skills at the ultimate tier.

    With a frightening level of fascination shining in his eyes, Blake''s tale sounded like something straight out of a fairy tale. But this was Eos... everything was within the realm of possibility, so Bridget didn''t doubt him for a second. But this wasn''t what she wanted to hear.

    What she wanted to hear was...

    Why were Nox, Zara, Ainsworth, and Brandon not present?

    Those four were very powerful. No matter what, they should''ve been among the survivors¡ªespecially Nox.

    Wendy exhaled, rubbing her temples. "That''s not all."

    Bridget arched a brow.

    The atmosphere turned even heavier.

    Wendy hesitated for a brief moment before saying, "Brandon Chai¡­ tried to kill Nox."

    The reaction was instant.

    Gasps erupted from the gathered students and instructors. Bridget''s eyes darkened with immediate fury.

    "¡­What?"

    Nyx clenched his fists and continued, "That coward took advantage of the chaos in the dimension and tried to eliminate Nox. But¡­" she took a deep breath, "it didn''t end well for him."

    Bridget''s gaze snapped to her. "Did he¡ª?"

    "They''re dead." Wendy''s voice was devoid of emotion as she said this. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    A stunned silence followed.

    Bridget''s mind raced. Brandon Chai was from one of the noble families. If he had tried to kill Nox and ended up dead instead, this wasn''t going to end with just words.

    But¡­ if what Wendy was implying was true, then it wasn''t just an attempt¡ªit was an ambush.

    "What about Zara... and Nox? Where are they?"

    "He said he had something important to attend to," Wendy said.

    "I see." Bridget muttered.

    Wendy hesitated and looked at the headmistress with an expectant gleam in her eyes. Wasn''t she forgetting someone?

    Bridget''s eyes narrowed slightly. She had asked about Nox and Zara, but there was still one more name unaccounted for.

    "Prince Ainsworth... what about him?" she asked. One could tell she didn''t care about this name¡­ if not, he wouldn''t have been the last person she asked about. Nevertheless, he was still very important¡ªshe just didn''t care about him.

    The moment she asked, the air around Wendy seemed to tighten. Several students flinched, and an eerie silence fell over the group.

    Wendy hesitated, then finally spoke. "¡­He''s dead."

    Bridget''s breath hitched. "What?"

    She looked around, searching for someone to contradict those words, but no one did. The remaining students kept their heads down, unwilling to meet her gaze.

    Bridget''s heart pounded, and for the first time, the students present saw a frightened expression on their headmistress''s face.

    Bridget''s heart pounded. "How?"

    Wendy shifted uncomfortably before finally exhaling. "He¡­ challenged Nox."

    Bridget felt a chill run down her spine.

    Ainsworth was strong, but Nox¡­ was something else entirely.

    "¡­And Nox killed him," Wendy added.

    Bridget''s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. The prince... dead? Killed by Nox?

    "Damn it! This is bad!" she mumbled to herself after a while.

    At the same time, in the Vermilion Royal Castle, King Aldric received the bloodied package.

    "Open it," he ordered the royal knight.

    ***

    This Bonus Chapter was sponsored by Kyle_Hilbert. Thank you for the castle!

 Chapter 449 A Huge Distraction [Bonus Chapter]

    A heavy silence fell over the chamber. The faint sound of water dripping from the king''s wet skin was the only thing breaking the tension. King Aldric slowly sat up, his muscles tensed as he processed the knight''s words.

    "Dripping¡­ with blood?" His voice was dangerously quiet.

    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty," the knight confirmed, his face pale. "It was left at the castle gates, wrapped in black cloth. The guards dared not open it without your command."

    The king stood from the water, droplets cascading down his broad frame as a nearby attendant quickly rushed to drape a silk robe over his shoulders. He tied it loosely and stepped forward, his mind filled with several thoughts.

    What could it be? King Aldric knew that this was no mere message¡ªit was a statement. Leaving a bloodied package could only mean one thing: someone was declaring war on him.

    Aldric frowned as he considered which of his enemies could have sent such a package. He had only a handful of true adversaries, but none immediately came to mind.

    "Bring it to me," he commanded in a sharp tone.

    The knights hesitated for a brief moment before two of them turned and hurried to retrieve the package. Within minutes, a large wooden box was carried into the chamber, its bottom already staining the floor with dark red streaks. The stench of iron filled the air, making some of the weaker attendants shift uncomfortably.

    The king stepped closer, his eyes locked onto the ominous package. He reached out, gripping the lid, and with a swift motion, flung it open.

    Inside was a severed head.

    The moment the gruesome sight was revealed, gasps echoed around the chamber. Some attendants turned away, while others stifled cries of shock.

    Time seemed to pause.

    The king''s arms shook, his pupils trembling as his gaze fixated on the lifeless figure inside the box.

    It was Prince Ainsworth. His son.

    Those dead eyes stared back at him.

    "No!!!!" King Aldric''s whisper traveled across the chamber as his fists clenched, his nails digging into his skin. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The knights and attendants present dared not move, their heads bowed in fear of the king''s reaction. Most of them subtly distanced themselves, while some attempted to slip out of the room to escape the suffocating pressure pouring from Aldric.

    Under such an aura, they found it hard to breathe.

    "Who." King Aldric''s voice was hoarse, almost guttural. "Who did this?"

    The knight who had delivered the news hesitated, his throat bobbing as he swallowed his fear. "T-There was a note, Your Majesty."

    Aldric didn''t speak¡ªhe only extended his hand, demanding the evidence. The knight rushed to present the blood-stained parchment, his hands shaking as he held it out. The king snatched it and unfolded it with an almost unnatural calm.

    Then he began to read.

    "Your Majesty..."

    Some minutes later, King Aldric crushed the letter into a ball, his eyes bloodshot.

    "So they finally did it," he growled, rising to his feet. The anger and sadness faded from his face, his lips curling into a sharp, humorless smile.

    "Ainsworth was a fool..." His eyes glowed as a crushing aura poured from his entire being, slamming into the others. The attendants, mostly maids, collapsed, while the knights struggled to stay on their feet.

    "But he was my fool," King Aldric said, walking toward the door. "Nox Cromwell... your loved ones will be the ones to pay for your sin." Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    "Someone send a word to Adrian." Aldric eyes flashed. "He must know about this."

    ---

    The Chai Villa was one of the grandest estates in the noble district. Massive white marble pillars held up a luxurious mansion, its golden-trimmed balconies overlooking an enormous courtyard filled with exotic flowers and fountains. Everything about it screamed power and wealth¡ªjust like the family that lived inside.

    Inside the lavish dining hall, a blue-haired man, Charles Xavier Chai, sat at the head of an extravagant table. A glass of deep red wine rested in his hand, swirling slowly as he watched the golden chandelier lights reflect off its surface.

    Seated beside him was a beautiful woman with light green hair. She was Lady Beatrice Chai, the king''s sister and his wife. Beatrice radiated elegance; her gown was silk and unwrinkled.

    Everything was peaceful. The soft clinking of silverware, the gentle flickering of candlelight, the quiet whispers of servants attending their duties.

    Then¡ª

    BANG!

    The double doors slammed open, making the chandelier above sway slightly. A breathless steward stood at the entrance, his face pale, his hands shaking.

    Charles''s gaze slowly lifted from his wine, and he said in a sharp tone, "You better have a reason for this."

    The steward gulped, his legs trembling. "M-Master¡­ it''s about Young Master Brandon."

    The room seemed to grow colder. Beatrice''s hand, which had been gracefully holding her fork, suddenly froze midair. Charles, however, remained still, his piercing blue eyes narrowing slightly.

    "Go on." His voice was dangerously calm.

    The steward hesitated, but under the intense stare of his two masters, he had no choice but to speak.

    "Y-Young Master Brandon¡­ he''s dead."

    The words sounded like a thunderclap, and several shocked gasps were heard from the servants at the side.

    "What did you say?" Beatrice''s eyes widened in disbelief as she jumped to her feet. Her grip on her fork tightened, the silver bending slightly under the pressure. "Repeat what you just said... this must be a joke."

    Charles also narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure of this?"

    The steward, though terrified, continued, "The academy sent word. H-He was k-killed by a student named Nox Cromwell, the grandson of the Mad Dog."

    Beatrice suddenly shot to her feet. "No. No, that''s impossible!" Her voice wavered, panic setting in. "Brandon was strong! How could some student¡ª?"

    She snatched the parchment from the steward''s hands and read through it frantically, her breath growing uneven.

    Her son.

    Her only child.

    Gone.

    Her hands shook so violently that the letter slipped from her fingers and fluttered to the ground.

    Meanwhile, Charles picked up the letter and read it with a cold, calculating stare. His expression remained unreadable, but the way his fingers gripped the parchment tightly enough to crumple it spoke volumes.

    Brandon¡­ his son.

    The future of the Chai family.

    Dead.

    A long silence stretched through the hall. The servants held their breath, sensing the shift in the air.

    Then, Charles calmly placed the letter back on the table. He took another sip of wine, but this time, it did nothing to quench the growing rage bubbling beneath the surface.

    Beatrice''s breathing was ragged. "Charles¡­ we can''t let this go."

    Charles smirked, but there was no humor in it. Only cold, seething anger. "Of course we won''t let it go," he said in a dark tone. "Even if I have to spend the last of my wealth, I''ll make sure I hunt him down and kill everyone that has any relation to him!"

    ---

    As the Royal family and the Chai household prepared to attack the Cromwells, a lone cloaked figure stood atop a towering building, overlooking the entire capital and the lands beyond its walls.

    The figure''s cloak, emblazoned with the number II, billowed in the wind as he gazed upon the city. In his hand, he held a magical signal orb.

    "It''s time," the second-in-command of the Order of the Flaming Rose murmured, slowly raising the orb toward the sky.

    ***

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 Chapter 450 Troubled Waters [2] [Bonus Chapter]

    Back at the Shores of the Vermilion Kingdom...

    The Storm Reaper squad was made up of ten Awakened, including Adrian, their leader. The lowest-ranked member of this exclusive squad was at Level 70, surpassing 95 percent of the Awakened in the Vermilion Kingdom.

    Each member of the ten-man team had been with Adrian for a long time and attended the same academy as him. Most of them were actually his classmates, special-class students from the Vermilion Royal Academy. After graduation, they didn''t apply to work for any guild and instead chose to follow Adrian, who had been the rank-one student at the time.

    Over the years, their synergy had become terrifying. Whether facing human opponents or massive sea monsters, their coordination was seamless. No matter the situation, they always deployed in their skiffs¡ªjust like today.

    Back on the deck of the warships, the rest of the soldiers watched, amusement flashing across their eyes. They had all temporarily abandoned their duties to witness the spectacular scene about to unfold before them.

    "Heh, whoever that is, they picked the wrong day to mess with us," a middle-aged man with dark hair chuckled, leaning on the railing.

    "For some time now, the Storm Reapers have only been hunting sea monsters. They''ve been itching for a real fight," another soldier smirked. "I bet they''ll toy with the poor bastard before finishing them off."

    "What if it''s just a traveler who lost their way¡­ did you guys ever think of that?" a tall, lean woman with sharp eyes pointed out as she rested on the railing of the ship.

    A brief silence followed before someone scoffed.

    "I hope it''s not!" a younger soldier groaned. "That would be boring. I was looking forward to a good fight."

    "Nonsense," another snapped. "If they were just travelers, they could''ve approached us peacefully, and we''d have sorted them out. Everyone knows we don''t welcome visitors through the sea. The border is always open for that."

    "It was just a theory," the woman sneered. "Don''t bite my head off for it."

    "Look, they''re getting closer!"

    A sudden shout snapped everyone''s attention back to the ocean. The ten-man squad had already covered 500 meters, their skiffs gliding effortlessly over the waves. The enemy ship, however, remained completely still.

    "Don''t tell me they''re scared already," a bored man scoffed. "Tsk, I had my expectations up for nothing. This is going to be the most boring fight in these waters."

    Little did he know, he was about to swallow his words.

    "Hey, you see anyone?" one of the squad members, a short youth with spiky hair, asked his teammate closest to him.

    "Nothing yet¡­ strange. Usually, they''d make a move." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    They were all in a straight formation, their war skiffs cutting through the waves with practiced ease. The ocean beneath them churned softly, its surface shimmering under the sun. Unlike the chaotic tempests they often faced while hunting sea monsters, today the waters were strangely calm, as if the sea itself was anticipating the upcoming clash.

    Adrian stood at the helm of the lead skiff, his eyes locked onto the lone ship in the distance. Behind him, his squad exchanged murmurs.

    "Think they''re worth the trouble?" one of the Storm Reapers muttered, cracking his knuckles. "It''s been too long since we had a real fight."

    "Heh, if they''re strong, it''ll be fun. If not, well¡­ at least we get some exercise," another chuckled, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

    Adrian ignored their chatter. His instincts told him this wasn''t as simple as an unlucky traveler losing their way. The sheer confidence¡ªor perhaps arrogance¡ªof remaining motionless despite the approaching force unsettled him.

    Soon, the skiffs came to a stop.

    Adrian scanned the small ship, curiosity shining in his eyes. He had been in these waters for years now and knew how all the ships of the other kingdoms in the human domain looked, but this ship¡­ this ship didn''t look like any of the vessels from the six kingdoms.

    "Everyone stay on high alert," Adrian warned. "I suspect the target is not from the human domain."

    "You mean to say they''re from the non-human continent?"

    "Most likely." Adrian nodded, his voice brimming with certainty.

    "Could it be the elves? They''re the only ones who can openly make contact with us," Adrian muttered to himself. But the ship was white with color. The elves had an unhealthy fanaticism with the light green color.

    Adrian dismissed that thought.

    "Then who could it be?"

    He felt that simply trying to figure out where the ship came from was a waste of time, so he decided to call out in a loud voice.

    "Unknown vessel! Identify yourselves immediately!" Adrian''s voice rang out in all directions, loud and clear.

    Yet, there was no response. No crew appeared on deck, no flutter of sails adjusting course¡ªnothing but eerie stillness.

    A frown crept onto Adrian''s face.

    One of his men, a bald, broad-shouldered warrior with a scar across his cheek, shifted uneasily. "Captain¡­ this is weird. Even pirates would''ve fired warning shots by now. What do we do?"

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    Adrian didn''t answer immediately. His sharp gaze lingered on the ship''s hull, noticing the faint carvings that ran along its surface.

    "Approach with caution," he finally said. "We board the ship, but no one acts recklessly. Understood?"

    Everyone nodded, and the skiffs closed the final stretch of distance, drifting silently alongside the mysterious vessel. Adrian was the first to leap onto the deck, his boots landing with a firm thud. Three others followed swiftly, fanning out to secure the area.

    Just a few seconds later, they gathered at the deck once again.

    "No one is onboard."

    Adrian repeated, then his eyes widened as he bolted to the edge of the ship. His gaze fell on the water, but it wasn''t the surface he was looking at¡ªhis eyes seemed to pierce through it, as if staring at something hidden beneath.

    Then suddenly, his eyes glinted as if he had found what he was looking for. Adrian stretched his arm forward, and the water began to bubble.

    ***

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 Chapter 451 Troubled Water [3][Bonus Chapter]

    The members of the Storm Reapers watched intently at what their squad leader was attempting, a gleam of expectation shining in their eyes.

    They had been following him for a long time and could tell that he had found something intriguing.

    At that moment, the ocean trembled.

    Adrian''s outstretched hand trembled slightly, the water beneath the ship bubbling violently. A deep rumble echoed from below, like the roar of a waking beast. Then...

    BOOM!

    A towering column of water erupted from the ocean, spiraling into the sky like a serpent uncoiling. The air turned thick with moisture as the sea itself heeded Adrian''s call.

    Swoosh!

    A figure shot out from the depths, flipping midair before landing lightly on the deck¡ªdripping wet. It was a young teenage girl in radiant white armor, which was soaked with water.

    Drenched silver hair clung to her face, her bright violet eyes flickering with confusion. A few moments ago, she had been underneath the water. Her initial plan was to hold her breath for as long as she could and try to dive past the dozens of ships.

    As an Awakened individual, it was within the realm of possibility. Their bodies were more powerful and robust, capable of accomplishing feats mundane humans could only dream of.

    However, while she was underneath, an incredible force had ejected her from the water against her will. No matter how hard she struggled, it was futile¡ªit was as if the water itself didn''t want to let her through.

    Akira''s gaze swept through the surroundings and settled on the tall, handsome youth staring at her.

    "Found you," Adrian said, lowering his hand. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    So it''s him, she thought. The expert... It''s only someone like him who can pull off something as absurd as controlling the sea.

    Akira tilted her head slightly, the confusion fading from her eyes, replaced by a much braver expression. "I didn''t think I was so important."

    Adrian didn''t respond immediately, instead, his sharp gaze studied her for a moment. Then, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

    "Not what I was expecting," he mused.

    The men behind him stiffened.

    "A Valkyrie?" one of the Storm Reapers, an old man not part of Adrian''s classmates, muttered. "What''s she doing here?"

    "I knew there was something suspicious about the runes on the ships. They looked too holy. So it turns out you''re one of those flying, winged bitches," another one snickered.

    Akira''s gaze turned ice-cold at the degrading words.

    "Tch. Cocky one," a man with a scarred jaw laughed mockingly. "Wow, is she going to bite our heads off now?"

    Seeing the irritation on Akira''s beautiful face, Adrian raised a hand, silencing his men. His eyes never left Akira. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

    "A lone traveler standing against the Storm Reapers in the middle of the sea¡­" His voice was calm, almost amused. "Bold. Or foolish."

    Akira said nothing.

    The tension slowly thickened in the air.

    Adrian asked, "What brings you to our shores?"

    Adrian was intelligent. Though his men were eager to fight, he was a much more level-headed individual. He was the smartest and calmest among the entire royal lineage. He was not arrogant like the nobles; on the contrary, he was confident, charismatic, and hardworking.

    It was the reason he had amassed such a following and attained this position at such a young age. He was referred to as the number one prodigy in the entire Vermilion Kingdom.

    Besides¡­ Adrian narrowed his eyes. She''s a Valkyrie, even though she''s a low-level Awakened.

    After a while, Akira''s succulent lips parted, and words left her mouth.

    "I seek someone, and I wish for no fight."

    Adrian''s eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Who do you seek?" His tone was calm but laced with curiosity. "Your kind is known for not associating with humans. What business does a Valkyrie have here?"

    Akira hesitated for the briefest moment. Then, she answered.

    "His name is Nox..."

    "Never heard of him." Adrian shook his head.

    So did the others. They had been in the Crimson Leviathan for years without returning to the capital. From time to time, they received rations and other supplies, and with the facilities available at their disposal, they rarely returned home¡ªonly to visit their families.

    As such, none of them had learned about Nox, even though he was slightly popular among a particular group of people.

    "Are you sure?" Akira furrowed her brows and started making hand gestures. "He''s about this tall, handsome, dark eyes, he uses a dagger, and¡­ he smells nice."

    "Oi, are you trying to say we don''t smell nice?" Someone snickered, an annoyed expression crossing his face.

    "Guys, I think¡­ I think we have a situation here." A woman licked the blade of her dagger, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I think she left Valhalla to come search for the love of her life in the human domain."

    "Hmmm¡­ how did you just deduce all this from such a short interaction?"

    "Yup, don''t doubt a woman''s instincts."

    "The lady is right." Akira nodded her head.

    Adrian studied her for a while before exhaling. "I''m sorry, miss, but you''ll have to return to where you came from. We can''t afford to allow you into our kingdom. For all we know, this story could be made up, and you could actually be a spy!"

    As he said this, Adrian turned his back and continued. "As a gesture of goodwill, I''ll let you leave unharmed. Take my advice¡ªturn back while you still can."

    He took a step forward, intending to leave, but Akira''s voice rang out, sharp and unwavering.

    "No."

    Adrian paused mid-step. The air grew tense, his men shifting in place, sensing the change in atmosphere. Slowly, he turned back around.

    Akira raised her hand, and with a flicker of radiant energy, a gleaming sword manifested in her grip. The blade shimmered with a golden glow, droplets of water evaporating instantly from its surface.

    "You mistake me, mister." Akira''s voice carried a resolute edge. "I wasn''t asking for permission."

    ***

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 Chapter 452 Troubled Waters [4][Bonus Chapter]

    The Storm Reapers stiffened. A few chuckled, amused by her defiance, while others instinctively gripped their weapons, their bodies taut like coiled springs.

    Adrian''s smirk widened, though his gaze turned colder. "I was hoping you''d say that."

    I don''t have to fight them, Akira thought as she gripped her weapon tightly. I just need to buy time and make a break for it.

    "Tell me, Valkyrie, even if this so-called Nox exists," Adrian continued, his voice smooth as the sea before a storm, "why should we care? Why should we allow you access to our kingdom?"

    Akira tilted her head slightly. "You may not care," she said, "but you stand in my way."

    A slow chuckle left Adrian''s lips. "So that''s how it is."

    The Storm Reapers tensed. They knew that tone.

    Akira raised her sword slightly¡ªnot in outright aggression, but ready. "I won''t ask you to move. If you stand against me, I''ll break through."

    The air grew heavier.

    A pulse ran through the ocean, a response to Adrian''s growing amusement.

    "Confident." His smirk widened, flashing sharp teeth. "Do you even know where you are?"

    He lifted a hand.

    FWOOOSH!

    A whirlpool of water exploded into existence behind him, spiraling violently.

    "You''re in my domain." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Akira''s body twitched slightly, but she refused to let her anxiety show on her face. She needed to continue the facade for a bit longer. And so, with a provocative smile, she stepped forward.

    "And yet, I''m still standing here."

    Adrian let out an exhale, almost a laugh. "Brave words, Valkyrie." His gaze darkened. "Let''s see if you can back them up."

    Then he moved.

    BOOM!

    The whirlpool of water before him surged forward, taking the form of countless sharp projectiles.

    A water magi¡ª Akira barely completed her thought before the sharp water projectiles¡ªeach tip capable of piercing metal¡ªsurged toward her.

    "Fast!" she mumbled as she swung her blade fiercely, cutting them all down with surprising ease.

    A legendary sword sure has its perks, she thought, briefly glancing at the sword she had stolen from the Valhalla treasury before coming here. She could have gone for a higher-ranked sword; however, this was the only one she could steal, as the others were heavily secured, with only the queen having access to them.

    "Hahaha! Has it started? They''re actually fighting!" Back on the deck of the ships, the soldiers whispered excitedly.

    "It seems only the captain will go against her."

    "Are we just going to stand here and watch?" One of the Storm Reapers frowned as he watched the battle unfold.

    "That seems like it," another replied in a disappointed tone. "The captain seems to be enjoying himself."

    Meanwhile...

    Without warning, the ocean roared again, responding to Adrian''s unspoken command. Waves surged against the ship, and tendrils of water slithered onto the deck, forming jagged spears aimed at Akira.

    A flick of his wrist, and the ocean answered. The waves surged unnaturally fast, crashing against the ship''s hull with a deep, guttural roar. In an instant, a dozen water spears materialized in the air, glistening like shards of liquid glass.

    Akira''s pupils narrowed.

    Adrian didn''t hesitate¡ªhe thrust his arm forward.

    The water spears howled as they tore through the air, closing in on Akira from every direction. A normal fighter wouldn''t have even seen them coming.

    But Akira wasn''t normal.

    BOOM!

    The deck exploded as Akira moved, her body twisting through the barrage with inhuman precision. The spears slammed into the wood, puncturing deep holes where she had been moments ago.

    Akira landed smoothly, not a single scratch on her.

    Adrian arched a brow. "Not bad."

    He snapped his fingers.

    The shattered spears turned to mist¡ªthen instantly reformed into chains of water, lunging for Akira''s limbs like living serpents.

    This time, she couldn''t dodge.

    The chains wrapped around her wrists and ankles, yanking her down to her knees.

    "Did you think dodging would be enough?" Adrian''s voice was casual, but there was a sharp edge to it. "You''re standing in my domain. The sea bends to my will."

    The air around them crackled as the waves churned wildly, responding to his power. The once-calm ocean was now a writhing beast, under Adrian''s complete control.

    Akira clenched her jaw, testing the restraints. They didn''t budge.

    Adrian exhaled slowly, then raised his hand once more. The ocean quivered in response.

    CRASH!

    A towering wave rose behind him, rising higher, higher¡ªuntil it loomed over the entire deck like an open maw, ready to swallow everything whole.

    The soldiers on the warships watching from afar felt their stomachs drop.

    "He''s not playing around," one muttered.

    "Of course not," another grinned. "He''s Adrian. This is his battlefield."

    Adrian let his gaze drop back to Akira.

    "You should''ve stayed beneath the water," he said, his tone almost regretful. "It would''ve been a gentler end."

    And then he brought his hand down.

    The wave obeyed.

    It collapsed.

    A wall of water crashed onto the ship with terrifying force, swallowing Akira completely. The deck groaned under the sheer pressure, the wooden planks shattering easily.

    For several long seconds, nothing could be seen¡ªjust the raging torrent of the sea, twisting and churning.

    Then¡ªsilence.

    Adrian let out a quiet breath, lowering his arm.

    "It''s over," he murmured.

    But before he could turn away¡ª

    Drip.

    A single droplet fell from above.

    Then another.

    Then¡ªa shadow burst forth from the flood.

    Adrian''s eyes widened as Akira shot out of the water, her entire body wreathed in a strange, pulsing energy.

    The chains had been shattered.

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    Her bright violet eyes glowed fiercely, her expression still eerily calm.

    "You talk too much," Akira said flatly.

    Adrian barely had time to react before a pair of radiant wings burst from her back, and with one mighty flap¡ª

    BOOM!

    A shockwave blasted through the air as Akira''s body shot upward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

    "The ocean is your domain, right? Then the sky is my domain. Catch me if you can!" she declared, flying toward the fleet of ships near the Vermilion Kingdom. Her goal was to fly past the ships and force her way into the kingdom.

    But Adrian didn''t plan to just sit back and watch.

    He rolled his shoulders, then his eyes glowed with a milky radiance.

    And something spectacular began to unfold before everyone''s eyes.

    Even Akira, high in the air, felt her breath hitch as she saw it.

    Despair began to rise in her heart.

    ***

    This Bonus Chapter was sponsored by Kyle_Hilbert. Thank you for the castle!

    And I fulfilled my promise! The normal daily chapters will be updated soon! Thanks for reading.

 Chapter 453 Troubled Waters [5]

    Adrian''s eyes flashed sharply, a determined gleam shining as he activated his signature skill. The water beneath his feet churned violently; in an instant, jets of liquid energy burst upward like geysers, propelling him off the deck with explosive force.

    BOOOM!

    The Storm Reapers watched in stunned silence as their captain transformed into a streak of cerulean light, hurtling toward Akira, who was still high up in the air.

    "Run, Valkyrie¡ªif you can!" Adrian called, his voice echoing across the roaring wind.

    Up in the sky, Akira''s bright violet eyes widened in shock. The sudden display left her no time to think¡ªshe just pushed her wings harder, flying as fast as she could through the sky.

    With every flap of her wings, she soared through a turbulent sky, her silver hair streaming behind her. The legendary sword beside her glowed with intermittent bursts of lightning as she twisted and turned to evade the torrent of water projectiles Adrian hurled after her.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Akira glided from side to side, cutting down the attacks.

    "It''s just a 50-level gap¡ªI can do this!" she thought, gritting her teeth. "Just a little more!" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Below, the remaining nine-man squad of the Storm Reapers began to head back to the ship, following closely behind the two figures that were streaking across the sky as if it were their playground.

    "Shouldn''t we try helping the captain? She might just get away if we don''t intervene," someone spoke.

    "And how are we meant to do that?! We can''t fly like them! I say we just observe for now," another blurted. Because of the incredible speed at which they were moving and the loud sounds from above, the members of the Storm Reapers found it very difficult to hear each other properly.

    The only way they could communicate was by shouting at the top of their voices, which showed the intensity of the raging fight.

    Adrian''s feet, now encased in surging water rockets, pushed him forward with relentless power. Every explosive burst of water fired from his soles sent ripples across the sea below and propelled him even further.

    "The Valkyries are known for being brave. This is the first time I''ve encountered one as cowardly as you!" Adrian shouted.

    Akira saw through his ploy and didn''t respond. She focused every ounce of strength on her wings.

    In truth, Adrian wasn''t trying to mess with her mental state¡ªhe was simply expressing his honest opinion based on what he had learned about the Valkyries.

    Below, on the deck of the Crimson Leviathan, a soldier shouted,

    "Look at him go! The sea obeys his every command!"

    Their voices carried a mix of reverence and excitement. Even those who had seen many battles found themselves momentarily silent, captivated by the stunning spectacle unfolding before their eyes.

    It wasn''t every day you saw an Awakened fly through the sky. Even for advanced humans like them, skills that allowed flight were rare.

    Ignoring the noise around her, Akira''s mind raced.

    "I must find a way out of his grasp¡­" she thought as she banked sharply to the west.

    The wind slammed against her, but she pressed on, every muscle burning with exertion. The distance between them was shrinking¡ªAdrian''s water rocket propulsion was closing in with terrifying speed. He fired a series of water attacks with monstrous precision; each one was aimed directly at her vulnerable flank.

    "Is it really worth risking your life for this human, Valkyrie?!" Adrian''s voice boomed behind her. "If you turn back now, we can still have a peaceful dialogue!"

    Akira, like before, ignored him, her entire attention focused on the mountains and wilderness in the distance, which seemed so close yet so far at the same time.

    "I must reach there!"

    Akira''s violet eyes flicked to her surroundings as she sped through the mist created by Adrian''s overheated attacks, which evaporated into steam whenever she parried them with her radiant sword.

    The reason she was hellbent on reaching land was simple¡ªthis sea was Adrian''s domain. If she could just get out of it, she had a chance.

    The distant silhouette of a rugged coastline emerged ahead, and she angled her flight toward it. But Adrian, with a swift, fluid motion, kicked off the air again, sending a surge of water roaring from his feet like a speeding rocket.

    "Not so fast!" he shouted as he launched himself after her. The water beneath him twisted into a vortex of power that spurred him onward. In the blink of an eye, he was closing in, and his next attack materialized as a series of razor-sharp water lances¡ªeach one aimed with deadly intent.

    Akira swerved sharply, dodging the first lance by mere centimeters. She gritted her teeth as a second projectile grazed her wing, sending a spray of water and sparks into the air.

    "Dammit!" she hissed, her mind focused solely on survival.

    Adrian unleashed another volley¡ªthis time, his water attacks morphed into a spiraling barrage, each projectile a shimmering shard of liquid that sliced through the air like a scythe.

    Akira swung her sword, blocking the water blasts as best as she could. The spears of water kept coming, forcing her to twist and turn in the air, her wings flapping hard to keep her up. It was exhausting, but she didn''t stop. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

    Every time she dodged or blocked, she remembered the time she spent with Nox in Valhalla¡ªthe pleasant memories they shared¡ªand she pushed forward.

    Adrian fired more water attacks.

    Akira kept dodging, but her arms were getting heavy, and her wings ached from the constant strain. How much longer could she keep this up? She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus.

    Adrian was relentless. Every time Akira dodged, he came back with something faster, sharper. A new attack¡ªa set of water whips laced with electricity¡ªsnapped at the air around her.

    Akira''s mind raced. She needed to throw him off somehow. If she could just get him into a tighter space, she might stand a chance.

    At that moment, she drew closer to the dense forest in the distance. If she could just reach it¡­

    Adrian noticed her plan, and the water swirled beneath him as he picked up speed, leaving a shimmering trail in his wake.

    The chase intensified. Akira''s wings burned as she pushed forward, the rain pelting her like needles. The sky seemed to close in, dark and angry. Adrian, still unfazed, raised a hand, and a massive column of water shot up from below, spiraling toward her like a missile.

    "Come on, come on!" she gasped, banking hard to the side.

    The water rocket exploded behind her in a blinding flash of blue and white, lighting up the stormy sky. For a moment, both of them locked eyes¡ªone determined to escape, the other refusing to let go.

    At that exact moment, further away from the shores where the fight was raging on, two women were walking through a dense forest. When they saw the barrage of water and radiant attacks in the air, they came to an abrupt stop.

 Chapter 454 What is She Doing Here?

    The battle between Adrian and Akira was reaching its peak! Water and wind clashed, creating a spectacle that left everyone watching in awe!

    Adrian smirked confidently, watching Akira with a sharp gaze. She wasn''t like the others. There was something dangerous about her spirit¡ªsomething wild and untamed.

    Meanwhile, Akira gritted her teeth, pushing herself harder. I can''t let him catch me! I have to reach the forest... Nox is waiting for me! Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought of him¡ªNox, the mysterious boy who both terrified and inspired her at the same time.

    Adrian''s voice rang through the storm behind her: "Give up, Valkyrie. You''re only delaying the inevitable. The ocean''s power is absolute!"

    Akira shot him a glare. "You think I''ll surrender? I''d rather fall fighting than bow to a tyrant like you!"

    Adrian chuckled darkly. "Tyrant? You misunderstand. I''m simply reminding you of your limits."

    With a flick of his wrist, Adrian summoned water rockets that shot through the air like missiles! The force of the attacks sent waves crashing around them, making the battle even more intense. Akira twisted and turned, barely dodging as she slashed through the water with her glowing sword.

    The onlookers on the Crimson Leviathan were on edge!

    A grizzled warrior clenched his fists. "That''s our captain! He never goes easy on anyone!"

    A younger soldier swallowed nervously. "She''s strong... but can she really survive this?"

    Akira''s breath came in sharp gasps. The western forest was so close! If she could just make it there, she might have a chance! But Adrian wasn''t about to let her escape. He propelled himself forward with a powerful burst of water energy, closing the gap between them.

    "There''s no need to run," he said, his voice calm but firm, his body blurring as he moved faster than ever before! "You already know how this ends!"

    Akira''s eyes burned with anger when she heard the confident, slightly arrogant tone in his voice. The urge to prove him wrong rose in her heart.

    Desperate, she dove straight down toward the forest, knowing it was a dangerous move. The massive trees loomed ahead, their dark forms rising like ancient guardians. This is it... I have to risk it all!

    But Adrian wasn''t done yet! He raised his hands, gathering an enormous amount of water energy. "Your flight ends here!" he roared, firing a high-pressure beam of water straight at her! The attack was so powerful that it cut through the storm clouds, sending shockwaves through the air!

    Akira''s instincts screamed at her to move. With one final effort, she twisted her body at the last second! The water beam barely missed her, but it struck the treetops instead¡ªexploding on impact! Leaves and branches rained down like deadly shrapnel as the entire forest shook from the sheer force!

    She was almost there! But before she could react¡ª

    CRASH!

    Akira slammed into an ancient tree, the impact sending shockwaves through her body! Pain exploded through her limbs as she hit the ground, her sword flying from her grasp. Her vision blurred, and she could barely breathe.

    Above her, Adrian hovered, watching with narrowed eyes.

    For a long moment, everything was silent except for the rain from Adrian''s attack pattering against the broken leaves. Akira lay on the ground, barely conscious.

    Even though intense pain shot through her body, there was a wide smile on Akira''s face as she looked at the sky, raindrops falling onto her cheeks. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

    From the branches of the trees, Akira could see Adrian''s figure moving around, frantically searching for her. But there seemed to be trouble. The water exploding from the soles of his feet was now weaker, as if something was interfering with it.

    "I know she''s somewhere," Adrian muttered, narrowing his eyes as his gaze swept through the forest.

    "Come out! I know you can hear me!" His voice boomed across the forest, causing several tiny creatures to burrow into the ground, hiding.

    However, there was no response.

    Akira kept quiet. She wanted to scream and bawl her eyes out from the intense pain, but she couldn''t. She could only grind her teeth and suppress the screams, which made the pain feel even worse.

    Several tense moments passed, and Adrian clicked his tongue. "Tch." His sharp gaze swept the dense treetops once more.

    She was here. He knew she was. He had seen her crash. And yet¡­ nothing.

    For the first time in a long while, frustration twisted in Adrian''s gut. His instincts screamed that she was near, but the forest''s thick mana made it impossible to pinpoint her exact location. It was as if the land itself had swallowed her whole.

    "That''s why I hate this forest," he muttered, looking at the tabletop mountain in the distance.

    After a while, he left to rendezvous with the rest of the Storm Reapers.

    "I heard searching for anything inside this forest is like looking for a pin in a river," he mumbled to himself. "The best approach is to have her sketched and posted all over the kingdom."

    ---

    Meanwhile¡­

    "I did it! I outran an expert!" Akira let out a weak chuckle before coughing, blood slipping down her cheeks. She laughed even louder.

    "Hahahaha, all the training with Erin paid off!"

    The creatures roaming around found the scene particularly strange. They stared at her as if they were looking at a rare species.

    "Agh!" Akira grimaced. Laughing too much had reopened her injuries. She struggled to move, but then¡ª

    Rustle.

    A soft sound came from the underbrush.

    Akira''s eyes fluttered open as two figures stepped into view.

    One was a red-haired woman with eyes of the same color, and the other was an older white-haired woman with faint laugh lines on her face.

    "Miss Celine, you were right. It''s indeed someone!" The red-haired woman gasped, watching as the white-haired woman rushed forward and knelt beside Akira.

    Celine''s piercing eyes filled with concern as her palm glowed with a radiant light.

    "Can you hear me?" she asked gently. "You''re safe now." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Akira wanted to respond, but her body refused to move. Her mind swirled with exhaustion and pain.

    The red-haired woman, after taking a few steps closer, suddenly froze. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open in shock.

    "Those wings... What is she doing here in the Luminary Forest?"