Chapter 15
Morning came. When the two royalty and knights woke up, the cave was empty. No one was inside. They walked out only to find Theresa and Lucas relaxing under the shade of a large tree.
"Greetings..." Jessica greeted, and the rest followed.
Relaxed as they were, Theresa and Lucas only gave a nod, continuing their calm rest.
Curious as ever, Lucien asked, "Where are they?"
"Behind you," Ethen's voice came from the shadows.
Startled, they all turned, Chris instantly removing his sword and preparing for an attack.
"Even if you did that, you still wouldn't land a blow," Ethen said, walking past them with a dark deer slung across his shoulder. Its body was sleek, obsidian-black, and its horns glowed with crimson light as if burning from within.
"That's… a Crimson Horned Stag," Seraphine whispered in awe. "I've only read about this kind of beast and now it's right in front of me." She extended her hand, but froze when she felt Ethen's sharp gaze cut through her without him even looking directly.
"Jessica," Ethen called without turning.
"Yes, sir," she replied instantly.
"We will train you all but not here, and not without payments. Is that a deal?" His tone was final.
Lucien's face lit up, his excitement uncontainable as he hopped around.
Jessica pressed further. "What changed your mind, sir?"
Ethen only gave a sharp, dismissive "Hmph…" before walking deeper into the forest.
Deep Within the Forest
Ethen and his team soon found themselves surrounded by beasts close to 200 in number. These were not ordinary beasts but ranked No.1 and No.2.
The first were the Obsidian Panthers,sleek, black as midnight, with claws like polished blades. Their eyes glowed a sickly green, and their bodies radiated unstable energy as though mutated by unnatural forces. Their speed was beyond what the human eye could follow.
Above them all, reigning supreme, stood the Crimson Dreadmane,a lion-like beast, twice the size of a horse, with a mane burning like molten lava. Its every breath shimmered with heat, distorting the air itself.
"This is it," Ethen muttered, veins of blue light sparking across his hands. "The chance I've been waiting for… to see what I can really do."
He raised both hands,right blazing with blue flame, left swirling with wind currents sharp as blades.
"Leave fifty of both sides… they're mine," he commanded with a feral grin.
With a single sweep of his arm, the blue flames spread outward, forming a burning wall around his chosen enemies.
"In here… only one will walk out."
The first panther vanished in a blink, reappearing behind him with claws aimed at his spine. Ethen only flicked his eyes back with a smirk.
"Fast… but not fast enough."
Bang! The panther's skull burst in a flash of blue fire.
"Anything with only heat and no breath of air… will break in the end."
His gaze swept across the remaining 99, his grin widening.
"Who's next?"
Ten panthers vanished simultaneously, surrounding him in a deadly cross formation. Their claws slashed from every angle, forcing Ethen to move like water—dodging, weaving, bending as though gravity barely touched him.
From behind, the Crimson Dreadmane lowered its head, gathering fire in its throat.
Ethen caught sight too late. FWOOOSH! The beast unleashed a searing torrent of flame.
He smirked, grabbed one panther mid-leap by its skull, and hurled it into the blaze. The creature's death cry echoed as fire consumed it, while another unlucky panther was caught in the inferno.
Now, forty-eight remained.
The Apex Beasts decided it was time. Ten Crimson Dreadmanes stepped forward, their burning manes crackling with sparks. For the first time, the Obsidian Panthers fought in sync with them—speed and fire, claws and flame, weaving together in deadly coordination.
Ethen's breathing grew heavy. Sweat glistened on his bare chest, his vision threatening to blur.
"Defense won't cut it…" he muttered.
One Dreadmane lunged. Ethen seized it by the fang, his right hand blazing.
"Burn."
But instead of consuming, the beast resisted, its heat swallowing his blue flame and countering with a brutal slash across his chest.
SLASH!
Blood sprayed.
Ethen staggered, eyes wide, crimson streaks dripping down his torso. His team froze mid-battle, their fun gone, their eyes glued to him.
The 19 beasts still alive saw their chance, attacking all at once.
Ethen's lips curled into a chilling smile.
"My bad…" he whispered, half his face swallowed in shadow, the other half revealed with a devilish grin. His eyes glowed, crimson light burning like a predator's.
The Dreadmane in his grasp began to freeze, ice crawling across its molten mane. It thrashed desperately, but Ethen let go, turning to the others.
The attackers were already too close to escape. Ethen raised his left hand.
"Wind Cutter."
Blades of compressed air burst forth, slicing through the nineteen like paper, bodies shredded in an instant.
The frozen Dreadmane, in desperation, bolted into the flames to thaw itself but Ethen only chuckled.
"Now I see…" He lifted his hand, and the entire firestorm surrounding them shifted, dimmed, and froze into crystalline ice.
"Flames give you strength… but flames require time. That's why your movements dragged on. Those ten earlier...they weren't fighting. They were stalling, buying you the seconds you needed."
His bloody hand clenched, frost spreading down his arm.
"Let's see you 'boost' yourselves… from ice."
To be continued…