“Bring the scarlet maned one.” Adam ordered and his men went into the field. Some minutes later, they came out with a tall, dreadfully handsome centrak with pitch black body and burning red mane and feathers at its feet. It looked like an emperor of horses and had a certain air around it as it walked toward them.
“That’s a diamond-ranked centrak. It’s a gift.”
Asher was stunned.
How could Adam gift him a warmount worth over a thousand gold coins for free! The bone-like protrusions that came out of the red maned centrak’s knees were twice as big as the others, making it deadlier than others.
No matter how Asher looked at it, this warmount is worth more than everything he brought here to trade with.
“The red mane makes it a cursed creature. No one in Bashan would ride that horse because of that.” Katarina whispered into his ears.
‘I see.’ Asher nodded inwardly.
Adam still had to cough out 100 more centrak horses when he saw the number of weapons avaliable and the ‘Golden Fragrant Corn.’ After the trade, Asher had 300 powerful gold-ranked horses!
Both him and Adam stood outside the chief’s tent, looking at the barbarians scrambling for boiled corn. Once it was out of the large pot, there would be a small squirmish, the winning side takes all and the losing side would wait for the next batch.
In a twinkling of an eye, their view of Asher had a turn around. Instead of being cautious, they were trying to become his friend. Especially Chief Adam.
He could envision his clan rising to become stronger than the head clan if he continued this trade with Asher.
“Lord Asher, do you trade such fine armor?” Adam looked at the vanguard, who had remained standing all this time. Their backs never bent, neither did they do any other thing apart from giving intimidating looks at those that tried to approach Asher.
He yearned for such fine equipment and discipline in his military.
“Can you afford it?”
Asher glanced at him.
Adam squinted, though it was hard to see him squinting since he had not removed the bear skull and fur since they met.
“Lady Katarina informed me of your arrival five months ago.”
“What?”
Adam raised both brows.
That was the exact time he came into Boundless! This was the third week of the sixth month.
“What did she say?”
“Let me recall… She had that vision when the war between Beowulf and I began. She said someone is coming to unite the clan, a man who can communicate with the spirit but in his wrath, he might bring destruction and ashes of sorrow.”
“And how do you know that’s me?”
Adam went inside his tent and brought out a rolled up animal skin. “Open it.” He gave it to Asher.
When Asher unflured it, he saw a spitting image of his face on the animal skin. It was painted an unknown black substance but Asher knew that was him.
“She drew this?”
“Yes.”
Asher lifted up his head and looked at the old woman who was chatting with children with Eritrea by her side.
“Unfortunately, I won’t bow the knee to you. I have vowed to never bow to anyone again.”
Asher smiled.
“I see.”
After chatting some more, Asher went to the camp with the centraks.
……….
With his hands clasped behind him, he watched his cavalrymen tame the ferocious centraks and mount them. It was like giving a white tiger wings to fly.
The new mounts transformed the Bladebreaker cavalry completely. They looked so mighty and terrifying, and Asher was itching to increase their numbers to 300 instantly!
Neigh! Neigh!
His lips curled up.
“Your Lordship.”
Alex walked up to him with a red maned centrak. It had been equipped with a fur padded saddle, mail, and plate armor. It even had well refined horse shoes.
Looking at the horse, a name came into Asher’s mind. “I’ll call you Bezerk.”
Neigh!
He smiled.
A small stool was placed by the horse’s side and Asher stepped on it before mounting Bezerk. Atop Bezerk, he looked at everyone and held the reins tightly.
The moment he kicked the abdomen and yelled, “Heeyah!”
Bezerk blasted off, leaving a trail of dust and grass. It ran out of the camp into the plains.
“Your Lordship!”
His vanguards made their horses run after Asher but their ordinary mounts could not even beat a normal centrak not to mention the fiery maned emperor horse.
Asher smiled, exposing his white set of teeth as the wind whipped his hair about and made his coat flutter. As Bezerk increased its speed, Asher leaned down, urging it to run even faster.
Suddenly…
[Ding! Host has received a new quest.]
[Upgrade Quest: Conquer all the Bashan Clans in one week]
[Reward: Troop steles.]
[Host, these steles will appear in each troop barracks and shall grant each member of a troop a new talent that will groom a more powerful army. Grade of troops have been opened. Normal grade troops will be granted E ranked talent steles. Special grade troops will be granted D ranked talent steles. Unique grade troops will be granted C ranked talent steles.
Terror-grade troops will be granted B ranked talent steles. Guardian, Nightmare, and Champion troops are sealed.]
This was a revolutionary upgrade of his military troops. He would not need critical selection before a commoner could become a soldier because the stele would grant them another talent that would make them suitable for that troop!
But he could only gain this great advantage if he completed the task before a week.
The time limit was really small but he had to make do with it.
“Slow down, boy.”
He leaned back and drew the reins. Not with full force or both he and Bezerk would fall but he slowly increased the pressure until Bezerk stopped and began to walk.
He steered his warmount back toward the camp. At this point, he was already kilometres away.
‘I need to send scouts to other clans.’