The Dragonhawks charged forward, descending upon Linley…
“Smash!” A Dragonhawk’s sharp talons dealt Linley’s Earthguard armor a mighty blow. The Earthguard armor shuddered visibly, and specks of golden light began to gently flicker on top of it.
“I can’t take those hits head on!”
That clawed attack terrified Linley. He scurried deeper into the forest at the highest speed he could muster, charging into the densest, hardest-to-traverse area. Jumping, leaping, crawling… Linley went all out in his attempt to flee, but those Dragonhawks continued to strike viciously at his head with their vicious claws.
“Hissss!”
Bebe let out a fierce screech of his own, and then he rose on his hind legs, suddenly transforming in size from twenty centimeters to half a meter tall. But compared to the Dragonhawks, with their twenty-meter long wingspans, Bebe was still just a small speck.
“Swish!” Bebe leapt off of Linley’s shoulders, transforming into a black blur as he shot directly towards the closest attacking Dragonhawk.
The terrifying sound of bones splintering could suddenly be heard, along with the agonized cries of the Dragonhawk. That Dragonhawk directly fell from the sky, but before it did, Bebe used it as a launchpad to leap at the next closest Dragonhawk. With two vicious bites, he directly bit this one to death as well.
Dragonhawks were just beasts of the sixth rank, while Bebe was able to force a magical beast of the seventh rank, a Velocidragon, to flee in defeat.
What was more…
There was a huge gap in difficulty to advance, as well as in power, from the sixth rank to the seventh rank. Bebe wasn’t capable of flight, but once he got into physical contact with a Dragonhawk, it was as good as dead. In a few short moments, three of the ten-plus Dragonhawks were dead.
The other Dragonhawks all flew higher in terror. Seeing them fly higher, there was nothing that Bebe could do either, as he himself could not fly.
Those Dragonhawks hovered around Linley for a while, before finally letting out a few mournful cries as they began flying back towards the canyon.
“What a terrifying gorge.” Only now did Linley finally let out a sigh.
While collecting the magicite cores of the three dead Dragonhawks, Linley pondered the question of the Foggy Gorge.
“Grandpa Doehring.” Linley suddenly called out, and Doehring Cowart flew out of the Coiling Dragon ring. Still appearing to wear a pristine, moon-white robe, Doehring Cowart smiled as he spoke to Linley. “Linley, is there something you need?”
Linley had not yet calmed down.
“Grandpa Doehring, just now, I entered a foggy gorge. I didn’t expect the place to be brimming with magical beasts. There was a Green Tattooed Python there, and huge crawling creatures. I didn’t get a good look at them, but in terms of size, they definitely were not any smaller than a Velocidragon. There were Dragonhawks there as well… and I could tell that this was in just a small portion of the gorge. I have no idea how large the entirety of the Foggy Gorge was.”
Thinking back, Linley felt a surge of fear again. He had actually stumbled into such a gathering spot for magical beasts in that gorge.
“Oh?”
Doehring Cowart seemed rather surprised. “This Foggy Gorge had so many magical beasts? Interesting. Generally speaking, only magical beasts of the same type will gather together, but the magical beasts you just mentioned were all of different types. They actually all gathered together in this Foggy Gorge? Interesting. How interesting. If I were still alive, I would most likely go inside and take a look myself.”
Linley shook his head helplessly and laughed, “That gorge even contained Blueheart Grass. There was one patch that I didn’t have time to gather. I was only able to gather one.”
“Blueheart Grass?” Doehring Cowart’s eyes lit up. “Any place where Blueheart Grass can grow is definitely no ordinary place. There must definitely be some sort of precious treasure within that Foggy Gorge, or perhaps some extremely powerful magical beast, such as a magical beast of the ninth rank, or even a Saint-level magical beast. However…”
Doehring Cowart began to frown. “Generally speaking, powerful magical beasts are very territorial. If there was a powerful magical beast there, they probably wouldn’t permit creatures like Dragonhawks and Green Tattooed Pythons to live there as well.”
“But Dragonhawks, Green Tattooed Pythons, and those huge crawling beasts you mentioned are all able to live there together? Bizarre. How bizarre.” Doehring Cowart couldn’t understand either. This Foggy Gorge seemed to be full of contradictions.
Linley laughed. “Grandpa Doehring, don’t overthink it. When I become a magus of the seventh rank, I’ll be able to use the ‘Soaring Technique’. At that time, we’ll come for another investigation.”
Upon becoming a magus of the seventh rank, his Earthguard would have reached the level of generating jadestone armor. The additional speed granted by the Supersonic spell would also dramatically improve. By then, Linley would have full confidence in his ability to deal with the Dragonhawks. And with the ability to use the Soaring Technique to fly, Linley would be able to easily enter and leave the gorge.
“Magus of the seventh rank? You are only a magus of the fifth rank right now. You have a long way to go,” Doehring Cowart said, pouring cold water over Linley’s enthusiasm.
In his heart, Linley knew this as well.
Perhaps becoming a magus of the sixth rank wouldn’t be too hard, but there was a huge gap between the sixth rank and the seventh rank.
“All roads are traversed one step at a time.” Linley smiled. “It’s been about two months since I entered the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts. It is about time for me to go back. It’ll take several days to get back anyhow. I’ll use that time to do some more training.”
With Bebe on his shoulders, Linley embarked on his return trip back home.
42
Her Name Was Alice
On the return journey, the magical beasts which Linley encountered grew progressively weaker. By the time Linley stepped into the outer regions, all of the monsters he encountered were of the third and fourth ranks. They posed no threat to him at all. But despite this, Linley didn’t dare to relax his vigilance.
Doehring Cowart travelled alongside Linley, but in his mind, Doehring Cowart was worrying. Right now, Linley carried within him a steady, stable presence, but when he made his move, he showed no mercy at all. His eyes also carried within them a cold, forbidding aura.
Doehring Cowart still remembered how, when he had first entered the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, Linley’s eyes had been filled with sincerity. He had been a very trusting person.
After hesitating for a while, Doehring Cowart mentally spoke to Linley. “Linley.”
Making his way through the mountains, Linley turned his head to look questioningly at Doehring Cowart. “Grandpa Doehring, what is it?”
Doehring Cowart nodded as he spoke seriously. “Linley, before entering the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, I had warned you that people were not to be easily trusted, as people’s intentions are not easily understood. I told you to be wary of others, to have a cautious mind.”
Linley nodded. “Grandpa Doehring, your words were very correct. One really cannot easily trust others. If I had listened to Grandpa Doehring’s words early on, my chest most likely wouldn’t have this knife scar.”
Doehring Cowart shook his head. “Although one cannot easily trust others, one also cannot be over-cautious. The way you are currently, how will you be able to interact with people in the future? Remember, you can’t be too cold and callous towards others, even if you can’t be overly trusting either. Trust is something which is built up through a long period of time. Do not easily trust the words of others.”
Linley was very smart. Both at home and at the Ernst Institute, he had read many books. Upon hearing Doehring Cowart’s words, he somewhat understood. But the merciless life he had experienced over these past two months, the human c
ruelty he had witnessed and experienced, was something he had seen so clearly. For him to trust people again would be very hard.
“Doehring Cowart, I understand.” Linley nodded.
Doehring Cowart secretly sighed, but at the same time, he was also happy. “It’s a good thing that Linley has this little Shadowmouse, Bebe, for a companion, as well as those friends of his at the Ernst Institute. At least he shouldn’t become excessively unfeeling.”
Doehring Cowart could still remember how, thousands of years ago, when the Pouant Empire had still been around, there had been another Saint-level combatant of the Pouant Empire who had also dressed in white. That white-robed man had been a famous Sword Saint, and he had also been an extremely proud, reclusive person.
“Grandpa Doehring, when father sees all of these magicite cores, what do you think his reaction will be?” Linley suddenly looked at Doehring Cowart, smiling as he asked his question. At this moment, Linley’s eyes were filled with eagerness for his father’s praise.
He looked just like a kid who had just performed excellently on a test and was awaiting his father’s praise.
“Linley, are you planning to give all of this money to your father?” Doehring Cowart asked with a smile.
Linley nodded. “Of course. These magicite cores are worth around 70,000 gold coins. All I need is enough to feed myself. A few dozen coins each year is enough. But father needs to manage all of our clan’s affairs, and also provide for Wharton’s tuition. Of course I’ll give these magicite cores to father.”
Linley didn’t want to personally sell these magicite cores. After all, in terms of buying and selling, he had no experience at all. He probably wouldn’t even know if he got cheated.
“Haha, I trust your father will be so excited that he’ll be jumping up and down,” Doehring Cowart said, laughing loudly.
Linley couldn’t help but grin as well. He immediately sped up the pace on his journey back.
By now, Linley couldn’t even be bothered to kill magical beasts of the third and fourth ranks. He quickly made his way through the mountains. When he arrived next to a small creek, he paused as he heard the furious bellows of a magical beast, intermixed with the shouts of humans engaged in battle with it.
“Hrm? If they dare come to the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, they must be at least combatants of the fifth rank. But in the surrounding areas, the local beasts are of the third or fourth ranks at most. How could the battle sound so prolonged and frenetic?” Linley was rather curious.
Within the inner areas of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, where beasts of the fifth, sixth, and sometimes even the seventh rank would appear, there would often be many frantic battles. But in the outer areas, this was quite rare. Battles would generally end extremely quickly.
With a jump, Linley leapt seven to eight meters up. Landing on a tree, he began tree-walking his way towards the scene of the battle.
Upon arriving, Linley surveyed the battle from his position on the tree.
He saw that there were two young men and two young women engaged in a bloody battle with a Bloodthirsty Warpig. One of the youths wearing white armor was shouting out loudly while directing the course of battle. “Second bro, don’t run around so wildly! Protect Alice! I’ll draw this stupid pig’s attention away. Niya, don’t panic, aim your arrows at its vitals!”
These four people were clearly very inexperienced. Upon encountering danger, they had panicked. Only the leader wearing the white armor seemed a bit more capable.
“These four really have some guts. That youngster in white armor should be a warrior of the fifth rank, while the other three are just combatants of the fourth rank at best.” Linley shook his head. Those other three really were daring, to come here without even having reached the fifth rank.
A red-haired youngster began to shout frantically, “Big brother Kalan, didn’t you say that the outer regions only had magical beasts of the third or fourth ranks? This is a magical beast of the fifth rank!”
The leader of the group of four, the fifth ranked warrior Kalan, also felt helpless. As a warrior of the fifth rank, it shouldn’t have been a dangerous affair for him to bring a number of friends to the outer regions of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts. But he didn’t expect to run into a magical beast of the fifth rank.
“Whoosh!” More than ten earthen spears suddenly erupted from the ground beneath the Warpig, and three of them even pierced into the Warpig’s body, but they were all broken and shattered by the Warpig’s tough hide.
“Roar!”
The Bloodthirsty Warpig immediately turned its enraged attention upon the only magus in the group, before charging forward at the magus rapidly. The Warpig’s charge was truly too fearsome, and what was more, flicks of flame could be seen coming from its nostrils. Immediately, it caused the remaining youngster to panic.
“Run! Alice, quick, dodge!” Kalan shouted loudly.
The girl named Alice had a head full of long, golden hair and a pair of hazy eyes. Seeing the danger, Alice, too, tried to flee in panic, but the Bloodthirsty Warpig was a magical beast of the fifth rank, after all. Although it was not very intelligent, it was much smarter than a normal animal.
The Bloodthirsty Warpig chased after Alice.
Seeing the Warpig charge after her, Alice was going to flee, but as she did, she slipped and tripped on a vine and fell face-forward into the ground. Turning her head, she saw the furious eyes of the Warpig draw closer and closer to her. Based on Alice’s weak physical conditioning, the Bloodthirsty Warpig probably was capable of killing her with just one stomp.
Alice was struck dumb with terror.
The other two boys and the girl were also stupefied, not knowing what to do. There was no way they could rescue her in time.
“Alice!” The youngster called Kalan shouted loudly with anguish. Although he was a warrior of the fifth rank, he simply didn’t have enough experience.
“Rumble!”
Seven or eight sharp earthen spears suddenly jutted out of the ground. Although the Bloodthirsty Warpig, a magical beast of the fifth rank, did have thick skin, two of the spears still managed to penetrate its thick skin and sink into its flesh, causing fresh blood to flow from the wounds.
But alas…
The earthen spears only pierced its flesh. They didn’t actually cause any injury to its vitals or organs.
“Grrrrrrrrr!” The Bloodthirsty Warpig lifted its head and bellowed in pain.
“Swish!” A black dagger suddenly fell down from above, piercing into the Warpig’s eye like a bolt of lightning. The Warpig’s eyeball exploded, and the black dagger penetrated directly into the Warpig’s brain. Agonized, the Warpig’s entire body shuddered as it collapsed. Shortly afterwards, it no longer moved.
Kalan, Niya, and Alice were all so terrified that their hearts almost leapt out of their bodies.
They watched as a powerfully-built young warrior dressed in blue used the knife to extract the magicite core of the Warpig in a very practiced manner, and then turned to leave. But Kalan was the first amongst the four to recover, and he immediately shouted out, “Friend, please stay!”
“Hrm?” Linley turned around, frowning.
Kalan immediately walked over to thank Linley. “My name is Kalan. I would very much like to thank you for your support. If it weren’t for you, Alice most likely would’ve died just then.”
That girl named Alice ran over as well. Clearly, she was still panicked, and she was panting so heavily her chest rose and fell with each breath. But her soft, hazy eyes were fixed on Linley. “Thank you for saving my life. I’m Alice. My full name is Alice Straf. I’m also a magus of the earth-style.”
Linley’s gaze paused on Alice for a moment.
He had to admit, Alice was a very refined-looking young lady. She had an aura which would naturally make men want to cherish and protect her. She was the sort of girl who didn’t need to use her voice or cosmetics to improve herself.
“Linley, when you see peo
ple in danger in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, you usually don’t assist, right? What’s going on today?” Doehring Cowart’s jesting voice rang out in Linley’s head. “Oh, I get it, you must have taken a fancy to that Alice girl.”
Linley frowned.
“Grandpa Doehring, in the past, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to help them. It was that within the inner regions of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, the monsters which people were dealing with were at least magical beasts of the sixth rank, sometimes even the seventh rank. I didn’t have the ability to help them. Killing a beast of the fifth rank isn’t too hard, which is why I went ahead and helped.” Linley immediately explained to Doehring Cowart.
Doehring Cowart chuckled and no longer spoke.
“My name is Tony. Milord magus, what is your name?” The other male youth also spoke.
Linley calmly glanced at this group of people. “How long have you been in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts?”
“This is our first day,” Kalan admitted helplessly. “I didn’t expect that on our very first day, we would encounter a magical beast of the fifth rank. We really were too unlucky. Based on what the books said, the outer region should only have magical beasts of the third and fourth ranks. The four of us shouldn’t have been in any danger.”
“Foolish.” Linley shook his head and spoke.
That female archer named Niya immediately got angry. “Hey, why are you being so cocky? You saved Alice, but that doesn’t give you the right to insult people!”
“Niya!” Kalan immediately shouted.
Linley directly explained, “I really admire your courage very much, that all of you dare to barge into the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts like this. But at the same time, I have to say that you are very lucky. You didn’t run into any bandits on your way to the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts.”
“Bandits?” Kalan and the others looked at each other. They really hadn’t encountered any bandits.
Coiling Dragon_Book 1 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 38
