VOLUME 11: CHAPTER 6

VOLUME 11: CHAPTER 6

Without losing momentum, the massive battle axe flew toward the seven-headed monster flying in the sky.

The attack of the Beast King was done mostly using brute force, making it hard for the Scylla, a creature highly sensitive to mana, to detect. Combined with the element of surprise, the Scylla failed to evade the attack on time.

The giant battle axe struck the Scylla’s belly, pierced its scales, and tore through its flesh. The Scylla flinched as it felt pain course through its body. Blood profusely flowed out its wound.

“Blackie?” said Lark.

Everything happened in mere seconds, and even Anandra, who had the sharpest senses among them, failed to react on time.

Noticing that something was wrong, Lark went down his throne and flew down. He frowned upon seeing the massive battle axe piercing the Scylla’s stomach.

Lark turned his gaze below, toward the direction where the attack came from. With his eyesight amplified with mana, he saw a white lion beastman gazing at them from the arena.

“Is it him?” said Lark.

Lark was certain that the white lion beastman was also looking at them right now.

“We’re fine, God Evander,” said Blackie. “We apologize for suddenly stopping. Although we’re lacking, please allow us to continue carrying you on our back.”

Lark noticed that Blackie made sure to remain as stationary as possible even after receiving the white lion’s attack. Despite the pain, the seven-headed creature made sure not to inconvenience Lark. It didn’t even wobble to make Lark’s journey as comfortable as possible.

It let go of its anger and pride, all for his sake. Currently, its only priority was fulfilling Lark’s command.

Lark felt anger rising up his chest when he thought of it.

That damn white lion.

How dare he hurt one of his people?

“I’m taking it out,” said Lark to the Scylla. “It’ll be painful, but endure it.”

Using a wind spell, Lark removed the battle axe that had pierced Blackie’s body. Blood spurted out, revealing a large, gaping wound on the Scylla’s stomach. Lark pointed his finger toward the ground, and the battle axe started spinning rapidly, before shooting toward the arena.

Within seconds, the battle axe struck the arena, embedding itself deep into the ground.

“The portal can wait,” said Lark in a cold voice. “And there’s no need to control your emotions, Blackie. We’re going down.”

Upon hearing those words, the Scylla no longer suppressed its emotions. Murderous intent that made even Chryselle and Anandra uncomfortable leaked out of its body. With murderous rage, it glared at the white lion below.

“As you command, My God,” growled the Scylla.

Lark honored the Scylla’s will to serve him. He went back on top of its body and sat on the golden throne. Slowly, the Scylla descended to the Coliseum below.

***

Hatch and Van were horrified upon seeing the seven-headed monster descending from the sky.

Looking at the wound on its stomach, they realized it was the creature targeted by the Beast King when he threw Hatch’s battle axe.

But what was the Beast King thinking?

Why did he provoke that thing?

Had he just left that thing alone, it would have probably passed through this city peacefully.

Although Hatch and Van were confident in their strengths, they knew with just a glance that it would be near impossible for them to win against that monster. And even if they did manage to suppress it, they would need to give up their lives in exchange. Just the mana leaking out of its body, coupled with its bloodlust, were enough to make the two of them tremble in fear. Even the audience in the Coliseum started panicking.

“Over there,” said Hatch. “There are humans riding on top of its body.”

Van looked at the four people riding on top of the seven-headed creature. Three males, one female. And one of them was sitting on an obnoxiously grand golden throne.

“You finally came down,” growled the Beast King. “I do not care if you’re a human or a seven-headed wyvern. No one is permitted to enter our territory without the Alliance’s permission.”

The human sitting on the golden throne spoke, “Is it you? The one who threw that axe?”

The Beast King fearlessly said, “That’s right. Intruders of the Alliance, introduce yourselves.”

Hatch and Van felt that the human sitting on the golden throne wasn’t ordinary, and their conjectures were proven correct by the human’s following words.

The human went down his throne and landed softly on the arena. Regally, he introduced himself, “I am Lark Marcus, the current King Regent of the Kingdom of Lukas.”

The beastmen who’d heard this were stupefied by the human’s identity.

The King of Lukas personally visited them?

Moreover, he came here while riding on top of that seven-headed creature.

What did he come here for?

Did he come here to wage war against their nation?

Several thoughts ran through the beastmen’s minds as they watched the situation in the arena unfold.

“I heard the news that the new king is from the Marcus Family,” said the Beast King. He gazed at Lark’s characteristic silver hair and blue eyes, particularly. “You don’t appear to be lying. Now, tell me. What is the king of a hostile nation doing here in our city?”

Lark gave a mocking smile. “How uncouth. The King of a neighboring nation has already introduced himself. At the very least, shouldn’t you give the same courtesy?”

The Beast King and Lark silently stared at each other for several seconds.

“Very well,” said the Beast King. “I am Gaorux, the White Lion. The current reigning Beast King of the United Grakas Alliance.”

The Beast King studied Lark’s expression, and realized that the human was already aware of his identity.

“You don’t seem surprised by my identity, human king.”

“It’s common knowledge that the current Beast King is a white lion,” said Lark. “Coupled with the strength you’ve shown earlier, it’s easy to deduce your identity.”

“Ha!” The Beast King growled and bared his fangs. “Now, enough with the pleasantries! Answer my question! What is the King of an enemy nation doing here in our city? Be warned that your fate will depend on how you answer, human king.”

The Scylla had been enduring its rage for quite some time now. But after hearing the Beast King threaten Lark, it could no longer contain its wrath.

The first head hissed angrily, “You damn mutt! You dare speak to God Evander in such manner?!”

“We’ve would have immediately slaughtered you under normal circumstances!” roared the fourth head. “But we’ve been enduring, all for the sake of God Evander!”

Even the third head, who was usually calm, was furious. “But you! You’ve been overstepping your bounds, lion!”

“God Evander! Please give us your orders!” snarled the fifth head.

Lark could understand the Scylla’s anger. Not only was it struck by a giant battle axe without warning, its master was also outright insulted and threatened before it.

It was already a feat that this mythical creature had managed to remain this calm until now.

“Keep quiet, lizard,” said the Beast King to the Scylla. There was no trace of fear within the Beast King’s voice, despite the massive size difference between him and the seven-headed creature. “That single strike from the battle axe I threw almost killed you. You should have realized the difference in strength between us by now.”

“Almost killed us?”

“Haaa! Don’t make us laugh!”

“This wound is just a scratch!”

“If we strengthen our scales with mana, it’ll be impossible for you to break through our defenses!”

“How about you try it, lion!”

While the Scylla and the Beast King were exchanging threats with each other, Lark carefully considered the consequences of his next decision.

Although the Scylla was deeply wounded by the battle axe the Beast King threw, the wound had already started closing by now. The attack wasn’t done with magic, and it would take only a few days at most before the scales broken by the attack to be fully healed.

Should he let go of the grudge and opt for peaceful negotiations? Carefully, he considered whether or not he should further the animosity between him and the Beast King.

In the end, Lark deemed that his people were more important than everything else. At the very least, he decided to make the Beast King pay for what he did to Blackie.

But first, he would divulge the information he held regarding the demons to the Beast King.

“Beast King,” said Lark. “Although the news probably hadn’t reached this place by now, you should have seen the rifts in the sky pass through this region.”

The Beast King silently listened as Lark spoke. He recalled the events he’d seen before. Indeed, veins of mana had passed over this city several days ago.

“Those rifts probably opened in the southernmost region of the United Grakas Alliance,” said Lark. “Although I could be wrong, there’s a high chance it opened near the mountains separating the nation of beastmen from the Wasteland.”

Hearing this, Van froze. The place the human king described was the Iron Mountains, the place where his little brother, Fior, was currently working as a slave.

“Get straight to the point, human,” said the Beast King.

“Demons are probably coming out of the portal that opened at the southern region of the United Grakas Alliance by now,” said Lark. “And we came here to help the beastmen stopper their advance.”

The Beast King found those words insulting and funny.

“Military aid from the Kingdom of Lukas,” sneered the Beast King, “from the very same humans who took the Aden Region from us. The same humans who enslaved our kin and slaughtered several minor tribes just to expand their territory. You expect us to believe that?”

Surprisingly, the Beast King didn’t outright refute Lark’s claim that a portal had opened in the Iron Mountains. Rather, he was suspicious that the Lukasians were offering them a helping hand.

“News regarding the demon’s advance will eventually reach this place,” said Lark. “By then, the number of casualties on your side would already be too great. You do not have a choice in this matter, Beast King. If you wish to protect your people, rally your army.”

“But before that,” Lark looked at the Scylla, then at the Beast King. “You should at least pay for what you’ve done to Blackie.”

Using those words as the cue, the Scylla roared. Using all seven heads, it started casting a single powerful spell at a tremendous speed.

The runes and formations formed and shattered in a second. It was a tenth tier, spiraling wind spell. The powerful wind spell spun in front of the Scylla and shot toward the Beast King who’d been standing at the center of the arena.

Although the Beast King crossed his arms in front of his body to block the attack, the wind spell proved more powerful than expected. It broke through the Beast King’s defenses, tore through his skin, and pierced his thick muscles. Even the ground around him was destroyed by the attack, sending rocks and dust flying about.

Although the Beast King wasn’t sent flying and rolling on the ground, the spell created a large wound on his stomach.

For the first time, the expression of the Beast King changed. When he threw the battle axe to the Scylla before, he’d been expecting the seven-headed monster to be similar to an oversized wyvern.

No matter how large it was, he was confident of slaying it.

But now, after receiving that spell, he realized that this was a creature probably on par with a dragon.

But how did the King of Lukas, a mere human, tame it?

The casting speed of the seven-headed monster was so absurdly fast that it felt as though several dozen shamans were working together to cast a single spell.

“You dare,” growled the Beast King. “Do you think that’s enough to faze me?!”

The Beast King gnashed his teeth. Quickly, massive amounts of mana oozed out of his body. His mane started glowing, and the muscles of his body started turning bulkier. His claws grew longer and sharper.

The Beast King was about to go all out in battle when Lark spoke.

“That’s enough,” said Lark. “Blackie, stand back.”

The Scylla immediately lowered its heads. “As you wish, God Evander.”

When the Beast King first heard the seven-headed creature call the human king a God before, he simply dismissed it as an exaggeration. But now, he started considering the authenticity of those words.

No matter how he listened, the Beast King could feel the reverence within the Scylla’s voice.

Lark said, “Beast King, with this, I hope you’ll consider us even.”

The Beast King understood why the human king was trying to compromise with him this way. If they fought any further, the Lukasians would earn the ire of all the beastmen watching here today. If that happened, mutual cooperation or a temporary alliance between their two nations would be nothing but a pipe dream.

If what the human king said regarding the portal and the demons were true, then such a scenario wouldn’t benefit both parties.

Still, despite understanding this, the Beast King disliked the feeling of being looked down on.

“And if I don’t?” said the Beast King.

“Then we’ll have no choice but to settle our grudges here.”

Lark pointed a finger at the sky. Quickly, a massive magic formation manifested itself, covering the entire Magna Coliseum. The runes within the formation spun and glowered threateningly.

Although the Beast King didn’t know what kind of spell it was, he was certain that if that spell was activated, tens of thousands of lives would perish here. Just the amount of mana contained in that magic formation surpassed the wind spell cast by seven-headed creature several fold.

The Beast King himself would probably survive, but the same wouldn’t be true for those who’d been watching the tournament.

The Beast King received the reports of the surviving warriors of the Third Legion almost four years ago. According to them, the Lord of Blackstone Town, a brat from the infamous Marcus Family, was the one who’d slain General Urkawi.

The Beast King was aware that that brat and the current King of Lukas was one and the same. He’d been expecting him to be somewhat a decent magician. A genius far above his peers.

But the Beast King didn’t expect him to be this powerful.

In the Beast King’s life, this was his first time seeing a human cast such a massive spell in mere seconds. No chants, no incantations.

Even the most powerful shaman in their nation shouldn’t be capable of that.

“As I’ve said before, we came here without any ill intentions,” said Lark. “Now, choose. Either we settle our enmity here—”

The massive magic formation above glowered even brighter.

“—Or you listen to my full story and rally your army to the Iron Mountains.”