Zhao’s owl manifested completely in his body as he advanced through the silver ring, its wings fusing with the professor’s arms to allow him to glide silently between the trees, each movement calculated to minimize detection.
A group of two-headed hyenas hunted below, their black bodies perfectly camouflaged but visible to Zhao’s owl eyes under the moonlight.
He easily avoided them, though he could defeat them, the noise of battle would attract unwanted attention and he needed to advance as fast as possible.
Further ahead, a nest of winged serpents occupied several treetops. The silver rank 3 creatures intertwined their bodies creating a living net, their scales gleaming with hypnotic patterns designed to trap flying prey.
Zhao descended. Flying in this zone would be suicide, the serpents had the advantage in the air and hunted in groups.
A distant roar made him stop.
The border with the beginning of the gold ring announced itself with a change in vegetation. The trees here were larger, older, their trunks marked by battles between superior beasts.
The roar was probably from a golden fox bear, common in the area ahead.
‘Dangerous territory,’ he thought while his owl eyes scanned the area. ‘From here on all beasts are stronger than me.’
♢♢♢♢
A fox bear dozed in a nearby clearing. Zhao carefully circled around it, a rank gold 1 predator was dangerous for someone of silver rank like him.
The ground trembled slightly. A herd of golden turtle trees moved in the distance, their massive bodies regenerating vegetation in their wake. Zhao was thankful they were far away enough.
A sharp screech cut through the air. Above, a giant horned crow made its rounds. Zhao pressed himself against a tree trunk, merging with the shadows thanks to his owl’s feathers.
‘I’ll die before reaching the platinum ring,’ he thought while continuing to advance with extreme caution. His enhanced senses caught every sound, every movement in the darkness.
♢♢♢♢
Upon reaching the platinum ring, alive but exhausted…
A clearing opened ahead. Moonlight revealed recent battle marks, fallen trees, disturbed earth, broken plates scattered across the ground.
Zhao’s owl caught movement. A figure moved among the shadows, its power making the air vibrate around it.
‘Found you,’ Zhao smiled slightly while preparing for the encounter. He just hoped the news he brought justified the risk of venturing so deep into hostile territory.
The figure seemed to sense his presence, turning slowly toward his position…
♢♢♢♢
Ignatius observed the city from his office window when he felt the familiar presence approaching. He didn’t need to turn to recognize his former student’s characteristic power.
“It’s been a while, Director,” Prince Julius’s voice sounded tired. “Though I would have preferred to visit under less… concerning circumstances.”
The Director turned to find the young noble practically collapsing into one of the seats. Work at the castle must be exhausting, but there was something more in his expression, a fatigue that went beyond the physical.
“They took their time responding,” Ignatius commented while pouring two glasses of wine.
“We took time finding someone who could respond,” Julius took the glass with a heavy sigh. “The council is… divided on how to handle the situation.”
“And your father?”
The Prince laughed without humor. “What do you think was his response when I suggested he should have returned already 3 months ago?”
Ignatius observed the liquid in his glass. “Let me guess… ‘I won’t abandon my mission for small trifles you can handle?'”
“‘The will of dragons cannot be interrupted by mortal machinations,'” Julius quoted bitterly. “As if Yino weren’t literally invading our territory while he searches for… what exactly is he searching for?”
The Director noticed how his former student avoided specifically mentioning the King’s mission. Even in private, some secrets were too dangerous to be named.
“Does the council know Yino is aware of his absence?”
“The council can barely agree on what to have for breakfast,” Julius rubbed his temples. “Half insist we must reinforce the army at the rift. The other half argue that any sudden movement will only confirm Yino’s suspicions.”
“While they discuss,” Ignatius set down his glass, “Yino advances. Their agents can navigate the abyss now, Julius. They’ve found a way to use the hordes to their advantage.”
“I know, I did read your message first,” the Prince straightened slightly. “And I don’t like the rest either. Their experiments with abyssal beasts, their double tamers… and now this about triples.”
“Do you think it’s possible?”
“Three beasts?” Julius frowned. “A year ago I would have said it’s impossible. But Yino…” he paused, carefully choosing his words. “They’re willing to cross lines we wouldn’t even consider.”
Ignatius noticed the subtle emphasis on “we.” Purity in the bond between tamer and beast was one of Yano’s fundamental principles. But how much were principles worth against raw power?
“Your father believes he’ll find the answer in his search,” the Director commented softly.
“My father believes many things,” Julius finished his glass in one gulp. “He believes he can abandon the kingdom indefinitely. He believes his personal power is sufficient deterrent. He believes the dragons will guide him to… to whatever he’s searching for.”
The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken words. The King, the only platinum rank tamer in the kingdom, chasing a legend while his nation teetered on the brink of a war that could end everything.
“Zhao reached the platinum ring,” the prince continued. “But father was no longer there.”
Ignatius nodded while pouring more wine. It wasn’t a surprise, the King never stayed long in one place during his searches.
“Zhao found my brother who father left behind,” continued the prince. “Though with him we have another gold double in the kingdom I don’t think it will be enough.”
The Director observed his former student. The young noble had matured quickly since his father’s obsession began affecting the kingdom’s stability.
“I’m sorry you had to come… but I understand why you couldn’t trust this to a message,” Ignatius commented. “With the abyssals able to emerge anywhere…”
“And I couldn’t ignore the situation either,” the prince straightened. “Especially not when my sister and my cousins are here.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Liora told me about the incident in a letter. About the hydra in the mine…”
“Your cousins have maintained excellent vigilance,” the Director tried to reassure him. “Their unexpected dangerous encounter was something…”