The final gift given, Vaelthion led them to the exit portal, another great stone archway of glowing runes, similar to the one they had entered through days ago.
As the runes flared brighter, the air around the portal distorted, forming a swirling veil of golden energy.
Kaelred turned to Vaelthion. "Will we ever see you again?"
The Saint Beast's wings rustled slightly, its expression unreadable.
"If your journey brings you back to the ruins of the old world… then perhaps."
Argolaith and Kaelred exchanged a glance, then nodded in respect.
With one last breath, they stepped through the portal.
The sensation of being pulled through space was familiar—the twisting currents of ti and energy wrapping around them.
But when they erged on the other side, sothing was wrong.
The air was different, the temperature had changed. And most importantly—they were not where they had entered.
Kaelred imdiately scanned their surroundings, his sword half-drawn. "This isn't the Forsaken Forest."
Argolaith frowned, his senses sharpening. "No. It's sowhere else."
They stood at the edge of a vast canyon, stretching out into the distance. The landscape was rugged, the sky an eerie deep violet, as if night and day blurred together.
Strange stone monoliths, covered in runic inscriptions, dotted the landscape.
Argolaith's grip tightened around the ring Vaelthion had given him. "Looks like our journey just got more complicated."
Kaelred sighed, tucking the ancient to under his arm. "When does it not?"
Argolaith smirked. "Co on. Let's see where we are."
And with that, they set out into the unknown once more.
The violet sky stretched endlessly over the rugged canyon as Argolaith and Kaelred moved cautiously through the unfamiliar landscape.
The ancient stone monoliths, covered in glowing runes, lood around them like silent sentinels, their inscriptions pulsing faintly as if whispering secrets neither of them could understand.
The air felt heavier here, thick with the presence of sothing ancient. Every breath they took was charged with raw energy, as if the land itself was alive.
Kaelred kept his sword drawn as he scanned the rocky outcrops. "I don't like this place."
Argolaith nodded, gripping the Ring of Inscription that Vaelthion had given him. "Sothing tells we're not alone."
Then, from the distance, a deep, guttural roar shook the air, echoing through the canyon walls like a warning.
Kaelred's grip on his sword tightened. "That thing doesn't sound small."
Argolaith exhaled. "No. And if it's anything like what we fought on the mountain, this is going to be a problem."
Kaelred glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Wait. You're saying you don't even know how strong these things get?"
Argolaith gave him a blank stare. "…Should I?"
Kaelred groaned and rubbed his temples. "Are you serious? You've been traveling all this ti and you don't even know the strength ranking of beasts?"
Argolaith shrugged. "I never really thought about it. I just… fought whatever was in front of ."
Kaelred let out a slow breath. "You absolute nace. No wonder you take fights like a lunatic."
"Fine. Listen up—because if we're running into creatures as strong as the Guardian Primordial Beast we killed back on the mountain, you need to understand what we're dealing with."
Kaelred turned toward Argolaith and held up ten fingers, lowering them one by one as he explained.
1. Beasts (The Lowest Rank)
"These are your basic animals—wolves, bears, even the bigger ones with slight magical properties. They're dangerous if you're untrained, but nothing special."
2. Strange Beasts
"These are creatures that have absorbed so magic from their environnt. They're stronger than normal animals, faster, and sotis have weird abilities, like enhanced regeneration or elental resistance."
3. Primordial Beasts
"Now we're getting into the real threats. Primordial Beasts are powerful, ancient creatures that exist outside of natural evolution. They're huge, incredibly strong, and most of them have battle instincts that make them lethal."
4. Guardian Primordial Beasts
"These are the strongest of their kind—like the one we fought back on the mountain. Guardian Primordial Beasts are usually tasked with protecting sothing important, whether that's a location, a relic, or sothing much worse."
Kaelred gave Argolaith a pointed look. "You almost died fighting one of these, rember?"
Argolaith smirked. "I rember winning."
Kaelred groaned and continued.
5. Elite Primordial Beasts
"These are where things start getting ridiculous. They're rare, but they make Guardian Primordial Beasts look ta. Stronger, faster, and way more intelligent. You don't fight these alone unless you have a death wish."
6. War Beasts
"This is where things stop being 'natural.' War Beasts were created—either by ancient civilizations, experints, or gods-knows-what. They don't just fight with instincts, they fight with strategy."
7. Guardian War Beasts
Kaelred shook his head. "I've never even seen one of these, but I've heard stories. They command other beasts, lead entire armies, and are nearly impossible to kill. You don't fight one—you survive it."
Argolaith frowned. "And above that?"
Kaelred hesitated before speaking. "That's where we get into legendary territory."
8. Saint Beasts
"Saint Beasts are not just physical beings. They have ancient wisdom, divine energy, and a connection to the world that makes them nearly untouchable. Their power isn't just brute strength—it's reality itself bending around them."
9. Guardian Saint Beasts
"These are… monsters among legends. The protectors of things even Saint Beasts revere. They don't just guard—they control entire realms, possibly even shape them."
He exhaled. "Vaelthion? He's one of them."
10. Beyond That…
Kaelred's voice grew quieter. "There are whispers of things beyond Guardian Saint Beasts. Creatures that were never ant to be fought. Not by mortals. Not by anything."
Argolaith let the information sink in. The reality of how vast the world's dangers were finally settled into his mind.
"So, to summarize," Argolaith said, stretching his arms. "We're currently in a land where every creature is at least a Guardian Primordial Beast."
Kaelred nodded. "Yep."
Argolaith smirked. "Sounds fun."
Kaelred sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "Why do I even bother."
Before they could dwell further on the implications, the ground rumbled beneath their feet. Sothing was coming.
They turned toward the canyon's edge, where a massive, horned figure erged from the shadows.
It was colossal, easily forty feet tall, its body layered in crimson scales that shimred like molten tal. Its eyes burned with golden fire, and as it exhaled, the rocks beneath it cracked from sheer heat.
Kaelred imdiately tensed. "That… is a War Beast."
Argolaith smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Good thing we just had a lesson, then."
The War Beast snarled, its massive claws tearing into the stone as it advanced.
Kaelred drew his sword, his grip tightening. "What's the plan?"
Argolaith exhaled, his mind racing. They couldn't fight sothing this powerful head-on. Not yet.
He touched the Ring of Inscription, feeling the runes within pulse, waiting to be called upon.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"We don't fight it," Argolaith said. "We outmaneuver it."
Kaelred blinked. "Oh, great. This is going to be one of those fights, isn't it?"
Argolaith stepped forward, his blade gleaming under the violet sky.
"Let's see if we can survive our first real test."
The War Beast let out an earth-shaking roar.
In the realm beyond ti, where the runes pulsed with ancient wisdom and the sky shimred with hues unknown to mortals, two figures stood within the golden halls of Vaelthion's domain.
One was the towering form of the Saint Beast, Vaelthion, Guardian of the Lost Runes, his silver fur rippling in the ethereal wind, his massive wings half-spread as if they carried the weight of the past.
The other was a dark-cloaked figure, his skeletal fingers folded before him, his violet eyes burning with unreadable thought.
The Lich had entered the sacred domain of a Saint Beast—a realm only accessible to those deed worthy. And yet, Vaelthion had allowed it.
The two immortals regarded one another in silence before Vaelthion spoke.
"You have watched them long enough, Malakar."
The Lich's na echoed through the chamber, a na that had been long forgotten in the mortal world.
Malakar, the Undying Scholar, the Eternal Architect, the One Who Walks the Forgotten Path.
A slow, knowing smile curled across Malakar's skeletal lips. "Ah, so you do rember , Vaelthion. It has been… quite so ti."
The Saint Beast nodded, his golden eyes unblinking. "Ti does not move for us as it does for mortals. I have not forgotten you."
Malakar chuckled softly. "Few beings can claim such patience. Even fewer can claim such wisdom." His glowing gaze narrowed slightly. "And yet, here we stand, discussing two mortals as if they hold the fate of sothing greater."
Vaelthion lowered his head slightly, his voice resonating through the chamber. "Do they not?"
Malakar was silent for a long mont. His skeletal fingers twitched slightly as he considered the question. "Perhaps."
He let the word hang in the air before continuing. "You have granted them knowledge. Power. And yet, you let them walk their own path. Why?"
Vaelthion's wings rustled lightly, his expression unreadable. "Because to shape one's fate is the only true path to power. You know this."
Malakar sighed. "Indeed. But you also know that fate is a fragile thing. A single misstep can turn a king into a beggar, a warrior into a corpse."
Vaelthion exhaled deeply, the air around them shimring. "Then let us see if they falter."
Malakar's violet eyes glead. "I will be watching."
The Saint Beast inclined his head, his golden aura dimming slightly. "Then go, Malakar. See for yourself."
Without another word, Malakar turned and stepped through the portal, disappearing into the shifting mist.
Reviews
All reviews (0)