With the size of their troops, it took them nearly two weeks to leave the borders of Harune.
Alaric could have returned ho early if he had chosen to ride Zephyr, but he decided to march with the troops because he was looking for an opportunity to use the Catastrophe-Grade Steed Card.
If he were to use it and summon a beast at the estate, he wouldn't be able to explain how he had captured or taken control of it.
He was only lucky that his family didn't have many questions about Zephyr, but he couldn't do the sa thing again. Lucas and Maria might not be the interrogative type, but his birth mother, Jade Kristine, was different.
He had to make a reasonable story so that no one would find it unusual for another Catastrophe-grade beast to appear next to him.
At this mont, the troops were setting up camp. They had been marching with little rest over the last two weeks so Alaric suggested that they should set up camp and rest for the night.
"I will go out for a light mana training," Alaric inford his father.
Since his mission had been updated, he rarely skipped his training. With his efforts, he had already made a decent amount of progress.
Lucas didn't find it unusual. Alaric would always find ti to do so light training in the middle of their rest.
"Alright. Just don't go too far from the camp. This area is known for having so really nasty creatures so you must not be careless." He reminded his son with a stern look.
Alaric nodded with a faint smile. "I will be careful, Dad."
After bidding his father farewell, he turned around and left on his horse.
Hiya!
Alaric lifted his head and noticed that the sky was getting darker.
He narrowed his eyes and moved his gaze back to the road. With his enhanced vision, he could clearly see in the dark. He could also sense the beasts that were hiding nearby.
Twenty minutes later, Alaric stopped his horse near a stream.
The horse seed to be restless and it refused to get closer to the stream.
Alaric wasn't surprised by the horse's reaction. He sensed that there was a powerful monster lurking beneath the shallow waters.
Should I capture this beast? Alaric thought, but he quickly abandoned the idea.
The monster was just sleeping in its territory and he felt that it was wrong to disturb it.
It should have sensed by now, but why isn't it moving? What a strange beast…
Alaric was amused at the peculiar nature of the monster. Most powerful beasts were territorial and highly aggressive. When soone stepped into their territory, they would imdiately attack or force the other to leave.
However, the monster in this stream didn't seem to mind his presence.
"Just stay where you are. I am not going to hurt you. I will leave after I handle so things." Alaric spoke while looking in a certain direction.
It was where the beast was hidden.
Catastrophe-grade monsters could understand human speech. There were even so that could speak the common language.
Alaric smiled after getting no response from the beast.
[Do you want to use your Catastrophe-Grade Steed Card?]
[Yes] [No]
With a glint of anticipation, he clicked [Yes].
A bright light flashed in front of him. Alaric kept his eyes open the entire ti and witnessed the magical mont.
Archaic patterns erged to form what seed to be so kind of portal. From this bright portal, a ball of light was slowly taking shape and forming a giant mass.
The bright light was starting to hurt his eyes so Alaric coated his eyes with mana to shield them from the blinding brightness.
Even with the power of a Venerable, I still cannot fathom this mysterious force. In the next mont, the blinding light vanished, revealing a creature with a glacial blue body.
As soon as it appeared, the surrounding temperature dropped significantly.
It had the body of a horse and in the place where its head should be was the upper body of a naked woman. She had dark blue hair and pale blue skin that seed to embody the cold glaciers.
Its pair of golden eyes was staring at Alaric with an expressionless look.
"Human…" The creature spoke in a cold, almost chanical voice.
Just right after it spoke, it grabbed its head, seemingly in great agony.
Blood trickled down from the corner of its lips.
What is going on?
Alaric was confused.
The creature seed to be resisting sothing.
I understand now… It's trying to resist the forced submission that has been cast by the system upon it. "Aaahh!!"
The creature scread in a shrill voice. Its mana was fluctuating intensely.
Alaric covered the area in his ice domain to prevent the others from sensing what was happening.
It's only a Catastrophe-grade beast, but its mana is almost at my level!
[Do you want to use Appraisal on the selected target?]
[Yes] [No]
Alaric clicked [Yes].
Glacial Centauress Sovereign [Catatrophe-Grade] EXP: 4991/5000
Potential: L
Innate Ability: Water Manilulation (L), Expanded Energy Core (L), Transformation (L), Heart of Ice (SSS), Innate Divine Strength (SSS), Water Resistance (SSS), Superior Perception (SS), Soul Protection (SS), Mana Gathering (SS), ….
Strength: 999
Stamina: 999
Agility: 999
Vitality: 999
Endurance: 999
Mana: 1500
Alaric couldn't believe what he was looking at. The creature's attributes had all exceeded the threshold of a Catastrophe-grade beast.
Just what kind of monster did I summon? Until now, the Glacial Centauress Sovereign was still resisting the forced submission of the system.
Suddenly, the beast stopped moving and it stared at Alaric with a deep look.
"Human, why do you possess the power of the Ancients?" It asked in a shaking voice, blood trickling down from its orifices.
Alaric frowned. "I don't know what you are talking about…"
The Ancients? What the hell is that?
The creature sighed in resignation and reluctantly lowered its head. "I greet my master. I am called Nivis, the Queen of the Ice Centaurs."
Alaric cautiously approached the creature. "Are you willing to submit to ?"
Nivis lifted her head, and a trace of rage and humiliation flashed in her golden eyes. "If you didn't possess the power of the Ancients, I would have already killed you right here even if I end up dying!"
Alaric could tell that it wasn't lying, but he wasn't afraid.
With the exception of his mana, all his attributes were higher than hers. Though she possessed incredibly powerful innate abilities, Alaric was confident that he could overpower her if he used his destruction domain.
This is bad. This beast isn't under my full control and it might attack or the people around if it wanted to. Should I just kill it and take its beast soul crystal?
A thought flashed in his mind.
Nivis was indeed powerful, but she was like a ticking ti bomb. She could betray him at any mont.
After wrestling with his thoughts, Alaric narrowed his eyes. "What would make you willingly surrender to ?"
Nivis scoffed and stared at him with contempt. "I would never willingly submit to a human, not even you who possess the power of the Ancients!"
"I see. You leave with no choice then." Alaric shook his head with a regretful look.
He raised his arm and summoned the destruction elent.
The stubborn beast was stunned when it sensed the familiar powerful coming from him.
"H-How can a human wield that power? You… Just who are you?!" Nivis revealed a fearful look.
That is the power of annihilation! How could this be…
"Wait…" Nivis hesitated for a mont.
Alaric unsummoned the destruction elent and raised an eyebrow.
"I will listen to you, but can you promise one thing?" Nivis stared at the young human warrior in renewed light.
If it's him… maybe he can…
"Let's hear it first." This was a special creature so Alaric was willing to make so compromise.
Nivis took a deep breath and spoke. "I don't know where exactly we are now, but beyond this continent lies a vast ocean. On the opposite side is where my ho should be located. If you grow strong enough to navigate the vast ocean, I hope you can help find my ho."
A place beyond the continent? Is there sothing like that?
He feigned composure and asked. "You an that my strength is still insufficient to travel the vast ocean?"
Nivis scoffed in disdain. "At my peak, I could squash a hundred of you with a single finger."
She paused for a mont before she continued.
"In the vast ocean, there are nurous creatures with unparalleled might. They can devour the fragile ships that you humans make and they can roam freely in the sea without fear…"
With a deep look, she added.
"To safely cross the ocean, you must be strong enough to protect yourself against these creatures."
"And how strong do I need to be?" Alaric felt that he had taken a glimpse of the realm beyond the Venerables and it filled him with excitent.
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