Chapter 299: A Double Surprise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 299: A Double Surprise
"Target spotted."
Deep within the dark, gloomy jungle, Ariel lowered her body, crouching like a leopard. She used the dense thickets to mask her form.
Suppressing her aura, her keen eyes remained fixed on a spot not far away.
Right beneath a massive tree ahead, a giant tiger-like magical beast covered in pitch-black patterns had half its body tucked into a hollow in the trunk, while the other half lay exposed under the starlight. Its enormous head rested upon its crossed forepaws, and it let out thunderous snores from time to time, seemingly fast asleep.
"It’s roughly equivalent to an ordinary-class magical beast at the early Third-Tier. In this area, it should be at the very top of the food chain. Not just its core—its claws, fangs, and pelt should fetch a decent price."
Her teacher’s voice rang in Ariel’s ear. "Well? Are you confident?"
"It looks like it might be a bit of a hassle."
Ariel scrutinized the beast, her eyes narrowing instinctively.
The classification of magical beasts was relatively crude. Since these creatures didn't follow a formal cultivation system, they were simply categorized as Ordinary-class (equivalent to the first, second, and third tiers of a martial artist), Overlord-class (equivalent to the fourth tier), and Ruler-class (equivalent to the fifth tier).
And then, reigning above all magical beasts—with only four currently known to exist on the entire continent—were those dubbed the "Sources of Destruction"... the Calamity-level.
When the Silent Moon attacked the Shadow of Belland, the sea demon Leviathan that appeared was one of those Calamities.
Back then, just to briefly suppress Leviathan, several Crown Bearers had to join forces. Even after that battle ended with the fall of the Moon’s projection, the sea demon Leviathan still managed to retreat unscathed, and its current whereabouts remained unknown as it continued to stir up trouble elsewhere.
From this, one could see that when fighting at the same tier, a magical beast held an almost overwhelming advantage over a human.
"But it’s fine," Ariel muttered to herself, curling her lip. "As long as it’s not an Overlord-class, it won't pose much of a threat to me."
"Then finish it quickly."
"Understood."
Ariel gave a soft reply. The power she had been gathering suddenly released like an arrow from a bow. Her slender frame shot out from the bushes like a bolt of lightning, meeting no resistance.
She hadn't hidden herself for a sneak attack.
This beast was cautious; even in sleep, it kept the more vulnerable parts of its body tucked inside the tree hollow. There were no openings.
Therefore, she needed to build up her strength for a frontal breakthrough, and then...
A one-hit kill!
In an instant, a violent gale tore through the woods. Countless evergreen leaves were ripped from their branches, swirling into a chaotic storm.
Then, the storm was violently torn asunder. Ariel gripped her bandage-wrapped greatsword—a weapon much taller than herself—and, carrying the weight of a collapsing mountain, she swung it down with a ferocious—smash!
"Roar!"
The magical beast jolted awake and lunged upward. Its cold, feline eyes reflected Ariel’s indifferent face. Staring at this "ant" that dared to attack, it erupted with an indescribable fury.
The beast let out an ear-splitting roar. Beneath its needle-like fur, muscles like coiled dragons bulged instantly. Its limbs bent slightly, cracking the ground beneath it, as the pitch-black patterns on its body began to pulse with a brilliant, eerie light.
Mana and a blood-scented wind converged, threatening to shred everything in their path.
But in the next heartbeat...
The fury in the beast's eyes turned into sheer terror.
A section of the rune-engraved bandages on Ariel’s greatsword loosened, revealing a pitch-black blade.
It saw a flash of fire.
A searing fire.
A burning fire.
The greatsword trailed a long tail of flames, illuminating the forest as if it were broad daylight.
This wasn't a mountain collapsing; this was... a falling meteor!
The air in the forest let out a shriek as it was torn apart. Though it was a blunt sword that hadn't even been sharpened, it displayed a sharpness no less than that of a divine weapon.
The air was sliced. The mana was sliced. The patterns were sliced. The pelt was sliced...
And then the flesh, the bone, the internal organs...
Everything... was sliced through.
As Ariel exhaled a long breath of turbid air and gave her greatsword a stylish flick, the ferocious beast behind her... had already been neatly split into two halves.
A rain of blood fell, nourishing the earth.
Ariel, who had just finished her cool display, immediately shook her head miserably, flicking the bloody water off her hair. "It reeks."
"Who told you to keep showing off? There’s no one else here anyway."
"Hmph, being cool is an attitude, you know?" Ariel said, hands on her hips. "Master, you don't understand. Places like this are perfect for triggering 'hero saves the beauty' scenarios in the wilderness. If my moves aren't cool enough, how am I supposed to capture a girl's heart?"
"...How about you secure that childhood sweetheart of yours first?" Ariel’s master retorted.
"Hehe, isn't that already in the bag?"
Ariel muttered confidently, then pulled out a small knife from her waist and began harvesting materials from the beast's corpse.
She collected them meticulously: claws, teeth, pelt, and core. If it weren't for the fact that magical beast meat contained too many impurities to be edible, she probably would have hauled the entire carcass away.
Then she wouldn't have to keep eating black bread.
What a pity...
"Still, the hard days are almost over."
Ariel picked up the core and examined it closely under the starlight, an excited smile spreading across her face. "I thought picking up a valuable pure core for free last night was a stroke of luck, but I didn't expect tonight’s haul to be even better."
"Adding everything up, it should be enough to scrape together 200,000 Emiels."
"I'll use that 200,000 to buy materials in Arielze, make magic scrolls, and sell them. That 200,000 will double in no time!"
"That’ll be a full 400,000!"
"When the time comes, Liya will definitely be shocked!"
Ariel happily stowed away the materials, her gaze drifting toward the brilliant river of stars in the sky.
"The night sky in the south really is prettier than in Belland..." she mused. Then, as if thinking of something, her eyes lit up. "Oh, right! When I have time later, I should invite Liya to watch the stars with me!"
"Beautiful girls all love romantic stars. It’s the perfect chance to increase her affection!"
After indulging in a sweet fantasy of herself and Liya growing closer—both physically and spiritually—under the stunning starlight, Ariel felt a tingle of excitement. Her body, which had been a bit weary from a night of fighting, was suddenly filled with energy again.
"Are you going to continue?"
"Of course. There’s still some time before dawn. I’ll earn as much as I can."
"Suit yourself."
Ariel’s master didn't stop her. This kind of all-night practical combat was extremely beneficial for Ariel.
"It’s just a bit of a shame. There aren't many valuable magical beasts around here."
Ariel continued forward, her senses alert to her surroundings while she walked with her hands behind her head, sighing. "Saving up bit by bit like this is such a drag."
"Don't get too complacent. The more valuable a magical beast is, the more dangerous it becomes."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m just venting," Ariel pouted. "But after all, that ridiculous Pink Bear said that in this area, there are no—"
Her words cut off abruptly.
Her footsteps stopped just as suddenly.
In the jungle, aside from the whistling of the cold night wind and the rustling of leaves, everything went deathly quiet.
A different atmosphere began to spread.
"Ariel." Her master’s voice carried a hint of gravity.
"I know."
Ariel stared fixedly ahead, her hand reaching behind her to grip her sword hilt tightly.
"I see it."
Right in front of her.
Not far away.
Sitting quietly upon a prominent large rock exposed to the faint starlight... was a fox.
It was small in stature and ordinary in appearance.
Aside from the strange patterns on its body, it looked like a perfectly normal, common fox.
However...
"A magical beast," her master’s voice whispered in her ear. "Overlord-class."
Ariel felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy.
"Strange. Didn't that stinky bear with the weird hobbies say there weren't any beasts this powerful? Was he lying to me?"
"No, I think... this has something to do with that incredibly pure core you dug out of that weak magical beast last night."
"Which means..."
"This is probably that little beast's parent or something." Ariel’s master sighed. "The purity of a magical beast's core isn't just affected by its strength; it’s also determined by its bloodline."
"No wonder..."
Finally seeing the bone-deep hatred in the fox’s eyes, Ariel bared her teeth. "So, am I lucky or unlucky?"
"That depends on your choice." Her master asked, "Well? Are you going to run?"
"Run..."
Ariel narrowed her eyes.
That was indeed the best choice. With that Pink Bear around, as long as she made it back to camp, a mere Overlord-class beast wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
But for some reason, at this moment, that annoying face suddenly popped into Ariel’s mind.
Though she hated to admit it, that guy seemed like the type who would work himself to death. If he were facing this, what would he choose?
"Master."
"Yes?"
"What do you think my chances are?"
"Forty percent." The voice paused. "On paper, at least."
"On paper, huh?"
Staring at the beast whose aura was becoming increasingly dangerous, the corners of Ariel’s mouth slowly curled up. That signature, reckless smile that hadn't appeared for a long time resurfaced.
"Master just said that the more valuable a beast is, the more dangerous it is. The reverse should be true as well, right?"
"It is."
"Then there’s nothing to hesitate about."
Ariel raised the Heavenly Fire Greatsword, pointing it at the beast, and grinned. "Just you wait, Liya. This time, the surprise is going to be doubled!"
*
"Huh? I... how did I fall asleep?"
The horizon paled with the first light of dawn.
Liya opened her eyes from her slumber. After a moment of confusion, she fell into a panic.
She remembered that last night, she had accepted Muen’s invitation to watch the stars together.
Which meant...
Liya slowly turned her head.
On the breeze-swept grass, the faint scent of greenery drifted into her nose, making her feel strangely lightheaded.
And at the very center of her vision, the blond man lay with one hand on his stomach and the other pillowed behind his head. His eyes were closed, his expression serene, as if he were in the middle of a beautiful dream. An intoxicating smile played unconsciously on his lips.
"No, it wasn't a dream?"
Liya’s face instantly flushed red. Seeing that she had unknowingly moved very close to Muen, she suddenly hugged her knees and, ignoring the grass stains on her new clothes, hurriedly rolled away several times.
Once she was a bit further away, with her back to Muen, her heart began to settle slightly.
But her cheeks remained burning hot.
"It’s... it’s so strange. Why did I agree to an invitation like that?"
She clearly wanted to refuse at the time.
But somehow, she had still come out here to watch the stars with him.
"Could I have been hit by some strange magic?"
"But I have the protection of the Goddess’s Holy Light. Most magic with negative effects shouldn't work on me."
"Even Ariel’s sleep magic doesn't work."
"Ugh... so weird."
A few dim stars still flickered in the sky. The pure Saintess curled up, falling into a rare state of bewilderment.