The common knowledge currently was that only after more EPIC ranked beasts were born in the nest or the momentous rise of one of a higher rank beast occurred would they grow courageous enough to lead their packs out of the nest again.
Even though I was pretty confident of coming out in one piece even while taking on all three beasts, I would still over prepare if I can. I looked through the loot from taking down the disproportionately sized white-furred beast. I found EPIC ranked cores to start absorbing as well as two skill books.
One of the skill books was the spectacular [Iceberg] that the beast was casting. It manifested a freezing and nearly solid mass of ice that was more than 30 meters. Such a skill was already tremendously powerful in the hands of the beast, but to me who could cast it multiple times?
I couldn't wait to use this as soon as possible as I looked towards the next skill. It was [Absolute Zero- The heat near you is sapped away as ice elements reinforce your body and attacks. When active: All attacks carry the Freezing Touch effect. +100% Ice Element Resistance]
I had a wide grin as I viewed the two skill books disappear into particles of light. With even more editions of EPIC skills, I wanted to badly go back and have a go at the 3 new EPIC beasts that popped out, but there were still too many unknowns. I would find out more about just how many beasts of high rank were in each nest before finding myself surrounded. I had already taken down one of them, they wouldn't make it that easy for me to continue taking down more.
Another point was that I received the first EPIC skill that I could activate at all times and would continue to grow stronger as time passed, or so I thought. The moment I activated [Absolute Zero], the surroundings of 5 meters became deathly cold with ice being condensed all around visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.
Soon enough, a storm of ice elements could be seen rotating around me as just the outward effects of this skill were this powerful. I stopped myself from rushing back into the nest and went back to the Frozen Kingdom. I had to find out the new developments that occurred, as well as prepare for big moves soon.
I deactivated [Corrupted Sword Saint's Incarnation] and [Absolute Zero] as I neared the kingdom, and looked at the grim looks of guards that had vastly increased on the large fortress wall as well as the closed doors. Things seemed to be moving along as I passed the fortress wall and thought about the first EPIC skill I received.
The 'corrupted' in the skill name made me think quite a while as I replayed the scene of the mercenary swallowing that menacing red jewel, but I would solve the mystery in due time. My figure covertly passed through many buildings below, passing by the moving humans and beastmen as I went towards Snowy Peak.
Even the EPIC ranked beastman standing guard at the entrance of Snowy Peak was not able to catch a glimpse of my aura with the many covert skills I had active. It didn't take too long until I came across the huge manor at the center of the floating landmass and I found the Princess giving out commands to a few Shadow Guards.
I smiled at the fact that even with many skills that made it so that an EPIC individual wouldn't notice me, she was still able to see me the moment I came in through the use of her unique skill. This made me look forward to when I met the individuals who held such skills and they stood against me.
The Shadow Guards were quickly sent away with my appearance, and I got the chance to hear about the developments after she went to meet with the king. One of the major takeaways was how King Roark finally seemed to be acting against his crappy son after all this time. Being given clear proof didn't allow him to use the excuse of fatherly love anymore, and he had to bring to account everything else.
The other takeaway was the Grand Assembly that would be convened in a soon. The princess had an inkling of what things would be mentioned as she talked about her aging father, and the toll the war was taking on him. My mind was filled with curiosity as I thought of this man who was a rank above anything I have met so far.
LEGENDARY.
That was the rank that many of the top powers had in this large continent. The type of strength that they held made me extremely hopeful and excited to reach it myself. The only issue that presented itself was the Demon Kings that were running rampant across the continent of the Beast World currently.
Their powers were most likely LEGENDARY, or even worse, along with their strength being boosted by their Unique and sometimes Ultimate Skills for those that are of higher rank.
I was looking forward to possibly matching their strength with my continued stacking of many skills that have worked well to allow me to defeat people of the next rank so far. Would it be the same when they are of the next rank and also holding powerful categories of skills and magic?
This brought us to the other takeaway today, a Demon Legion that was slowly making its way towards the kingdom was now advancing at full force. This was why fear was in the air, with the battalions of the kingdom being put on standby, soon set to be sent to the defensive positions across the cold mountains to hold back the advancing demons.
I had to continue to move faster with this new information, and amass as many EPIC skills as I could before the clash. I thought about how I might not be the most powerful figure taking the role in this fight as the King himself would be moving, but only time would tell.
My blessing of nearly endless energy to work with made it so I could skip ranks, but I didn't know how wide the gaps were as I continued to rise higher and higher. So, while people are preparing for war by convening assemblies and troops, I would prepare by obtaining more loot from EPIC beasts.
The talks and discussions about possible ways everything could go continued as I found myself roasting a few types of meat to enjoy at the same time. The day finished like this, fairly fun and eventful.
The skills combined today were:
Guardian's Light + Healing Light ~ A+ Paladin's Blessing
Infernal Purge + Arc Lightning ~ A+ Pursuing Infernal Lightning
[Noah Osmont][Occupation: Hunter]
[Vitality: 375]
[Focus: - ]
[Strength: 388]
[Skill(s): [F][E][D][C][B][A: Flight-100, Instant Transfer-100, Area Expansion-22, Pain Resistance-100, Recorder-100, Language Comprehension-100, Lion's Roar-23,Water Barrier-100, Pierce-100, Executor's Speed-100, Sense Heat Source-100, Silent Communication-55, Regal Archer's Eyes-66, Cook-33]
[A+: Arctic Zone-100, Relegator's Spear-23, Immutable Regeneration-100, Abstruse Cover-23, Barrier of Illusion-23, Paladin's Blessing-1, Pursuing Infernal Lightning-1]
[S: Protection of the Wounded-100, Flash-18, Aura of Belligerence-31, Enfeeble-22, Phoenix Arrow-1, Shield Slam-1, Obfuscation-45, Rune of Defense-11, Dragon Scales-11, Budding Farmer-8, Ricocheting Shield-1, Bear's Fighting Style-1, Archer's Gamble-1, Lion's Heart-8, Speedster-8, Smouldering Sword Strike-, Earthen Spears-1, Thought Acceleration-8, Crisis Avoidance-8]
[S+: Saint's Return-69, Devastation-51, Plague Bearer-65]
[EPIC: Corrupted Sword Saint's Incarnation-8, Iceberg-1, Absolute Zero-3]
[Equipment: (3x B-Ring of Storage)(A-Ring of Storage)(S-Storage Pouch)(S-Veiled Suit)(S-Legion Armor)(S-Viridian Boots)(EPIC-Kingslayer]
Chapter 98 - A line of communication
Calm had returned to Aeneas's face as he sat down on a luxurious couch and took out the medal that had been blinking all this time. He had a sufficient period to think and prepare before having this very dangerous conversation.
Mana flowed into the medal and it shone briefly, a strong voice coming out not too long after.
"What happened?"
Hearing this voice, Aeneas's eyes turned into thin slits as the next words rolled out of him calmly.
"I underestimated someone I thought I had full information of. None of the plans we previously discussed have been disrupted."
"...Your underestimation was the cause of the death of an EPIC ranked powerhouse?"
Slight anger could be felt in the voice, causing a similar reaction to the listening Aeneas.
> "Is it my fault that you sent me such a weak powerhouse? You boasted that as long as she wasn't besieged by multiple EPIC individuals, she would be a pillar I could rely on."
"Tsk. She was a powerful mercenary, and even used a treasure I provided her before she died. She should have been at her most powerful when she fell, so I need to know which enemy you made that has so many individuals who likely besieged her to take her life."
At these words, Aeneas stalled as a dangerous light shone in his eyes.
"The enemy is not one you have to worry about. You just have to keep your side of the bargain. I do not want any deaths for the common people in this kingdom, and my father...as well as my siblings will be left untouched."
Yes. He had struck a deal with the devil for the preservation of his home. Months back, he had received a memory stone that showed terrifying things. Multiple Demon Legions under the commands of powerful Demon Kings that had powerful and unknown magic.
The Mythical Beast Kingdoms were the ones receiving the brunt of the attention of these Demon Kings as they held many powerhouses. But what about the small kingdom in the north? The safe haven that housed humans without persecution only had a single LEGENDARY individual in the lead.
How could they stand against a force that took down the strongest Draconic Kingdom in the span of a few months? Under such immense strength, would it not be better to swallow their pride and just wipe their chins?
His father knew they would fall as time passed, yet he did nothing. He fought a losing war, with soldiers continuing to die as time passed. He was a staunch man who considered honor and honesty, and they would all die because of it.
Honor. Would such a thing give them the sudden strength to withstand a rampaging Demon King or the many horrors that will come before it? This was why he both hated and loved his father. He was a powerful man that created a beautiful place for all people to live in, but he was a 'good man'.
Good men never win. It is not good men that conquer kingdoms and build legacies. It is merciless people that wage war and kill millions before they etch their name for the dynasties to come. With them in the rule, history is theirs to write.
The genocides they caused to obtain the lands and their resources? Erased and forgotten.
The natives they conquered to enslave them to work under them for hundreds of years? Just backward people who needed to be led to the prospering direction. This was how history always went. History was written by the victors, and it did not matter how cruel they were as long as they obtained victory and made the world what they wanted.
That was why he shook hands with the devil. To preserve the lives of his family and the many people that would face death at the hands of these demons. He would not be one of the droves of good men that valiantly die upholding some stupid beliefs.
He would not watch as the kingdom his father has created these past decades goes up in flames. Even if a few people had to die to achieve his goals, history won't remember that. During all this, if he can also get his hands on someone he's wanted all this time...well that was a thought for later.
The voice of the stern Demon King rang out once more.
"The terms we agreed on will certainly be adhered to. You just need to make sure that you continue administering the poison so that...unexpected casualties do not occur."
At the mention of this, a difficult expression showed on the Crown Prince's face. Feelings of shame and sadness could be seen on his face as he thought about his actions. He was weakening his own father.
This was something he found hard to do in the beginning, but as he continued to hear about the demon's continuing victories as they tore down more defenses of the beast kingdoms, he affirmed his beliefs.
'I will apologize to you later, but at least we will both live to see another few decades after this.'
He fought back against the feelings of shame and weakness as he replied to the waiting Demon King with a strong voice.
"I will keep my end of the deal, period. When will your forces be arriving?"
A few seconds of silence passed before a reply came, "A week at most, a few days at least."
The Crown Prince nodded as he confirmed this, rising up from his seat and preparing for the oncoming assembly as he cut off the communication medal.
---
Demon King Gremory had a wicked smile on his face as he finished conversing with a pitiful prince.
This was what he loved to do the most! A gleeful m.o.a.n escaped him as he was lost in his own fantasy. Yes, they had strong forces that would easily take over this small kingdom in the North. His power was equivalent to three LEGENDARY individuals because of his Unique Skill {Primal Conjurer} would be more than enough to take down the kingdom's forces, and yet he still made plans to lessen his work even more.
He created a play by showing a prince of this kingdom the deadly power that was coming for them, and making them fold into weakening their own forces on the promise that they would all not be killed or enslaved, leaving him to rule in the end.
The memory stone the prince received was tampered with long ago by a powerful Demon King who was a master of illusions and emotions. While the prince thought he was just watching the scenes of powerful Demon Legions, his mental defenses were torn down as he became completely susceptible to the communications after that.
A measly prince that was ranked S, how hard was it to put one under your influence? All that he did after was place a guard to watch him, but this guard had unexpectedly fallen.
There was still a question that many people would have asked this Demon King who went through all of this trouble when he had the power to easily take down the target. Was any of this necessary?
The answer was...No!
Gremory gleefully thought of the faces he would see at the end of this play. The encroached prince could only believe in a promise as they would face destruction anyways,and the lives of his people depended on it. Gremory couldn't wait to see their faces at the end of all of this!
He imagined the face of the king. Would he be saddened and depressed by his son's betrayal after the poison in his body is activated and he finds his power reducing? Would the prince be filled with despair when he finds all the promises made being broken? Even better, what expression would he have when he sees his family humiliated? Ah!
The Demon King had to cool himself down as he was getting too heated thinking about the conclusion of his play. The only thing he had to keep in mind was the possible disruption from an enemy that the prince chose not to mention.
After that, he could just sit back and watch the drama he created to play out.
No, he didn't have to do any of it. No, it would not affect the eventual end result. Yet, he did it anyway. Why?
Because it was fun!
Chapter 99 - A Tremendous Opportunity I
I kept in mind the Grand Assembly that would be taking place sometime later today as I made plans to go back to the Skypeak Nest.
The full information I received let me know that the last time a LEGENDARY beast arose in the nest and led an insurrection was decades ago when the kingdom was in its early beginnings. It took the strength of the powerful king along with the help of the EPIC Battalion Commanders to quell the beast's insurrection and slay the most powerful one, pushing the beasts back onto their floating landmass.
The only beasts currently propagating the dungeons were EPIC ranked, their numbers most likely not that high. The other two nests that were located further away from the kingdom were between frozen mountains that had a similar level of beasts, but were worried less about because of their locations.
Occasional checks were still made to be sure that no powerful beasts were rising and consolidating forces. Since I had already taken down one of the powerful beasts in this nearby nest, it would be easier to take down more of them, so this would continue to be my target. I would get as many EPIC skills as I could before all hell broke loose.
As for the assembly that I would most likely
be missing, I could make better use of my time getting stronger than listening in. I'll know all about what was discussed when I got back anyways. Amassing more strength before the battle fully starts was crucial.
Now, my full focus was placed on how to utilize the EPIC ranked skills I had to efficiently and safely hunt down the beasts that I could sense yesterday. I had already absorbed the EPIC cores that the beast dropped, giving me a significant boost in my attributes. The skills I liked the most currently were [Corrupted Sword Saint's Incarnation] and [Absolute Zero]. This was simply because their combination was killer.
My body received a huge buff and became exceedingly huge after calling down the incarnation, and I couldn't even begin to explain the thrill of moving around in it. As for why the skill had the corrupted tag in front of it, this was likely due to the powerful jewel the mercenary absorbed before she was about to transform.
I was not at all hesitant to use the skill when I saw the red light and long horn pointing out from the head, as strength was strength, no matter which forms it came in. Now, with the addition of [Absolute Zero], a piercing layer of ice elements danced on the surface of the large body, with even more of them collected on the edge of the outstretched long blade.
[Iceberg] was another killer skill with a tremendous amount of damage, and would work best to clear large droves of enemies. With this in mind, I neared the Skypeak Nest with full concentration. The death of even a single EPIC beast should have put all the other ones on the island on the edge.
Sure enough, [Crisis Avoidance] showed me that there were multiple powerful figures waiting to strike not too far inland of the Nest. Well, the threat was not showing to be too high, just that it would take a significant amount of work. I could feel a smile forming on my face with this thought, this little bit of work was nothing to grab more EPIC skills!
Before even landing on the floating Nest, the poisonous Plague Bearer was summoned, and [Corrupted Sword Saint's Incarnation] was cast as my body began to be enveloped all around. I could feel the tremendous boost of power rushing in as the Incarnation fully formed, making me enjoy this feeling just a tad bit too much.
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