The Magical Beast Mountain Range

Black Lion Kingdom's capital was Black Lion City. It was also home to the Dark Church's Holy Capital.

The Dark Church cathedral in Black Lion City was no smaller than the imperial palace. In fact, it occupied a better location, making the kingdom seem little more than an afterthought.

The cathedral was divided into three sections: front, middle, and rear.

The front section was where believers could come to pray at any time, and it was also the largest. The middle section was used to receive distinguished guests and served as the main activity area for Church personnel.

The rear section was the heart of the Church. It included the pope's residence, and even communication with the so-called "Lord of Darkness" took place there. Not even the royal family was allowed inside.

In the rear section stood a uniquely shaped, cone-like building.

A fair-skinned man with a woman's complexion stood quietly on a raised platform. Below him stood a black-robed cardinal in charge of the Church's external affairs.

"Your Holiness, the third squad's mission failed."

The black-robed cardinal spoke respectfully. "In Tumu-ke Kingdom, they encountered a Saint-level Tyrannosaurus, which took the two men away."

Tumu-ke Kingdom was one of the six kingdoms in the Dark Alliance, second in strength only to Black Lion Kingdom.

"A Saint-level Tyrannosaurus?"

Affleck, the pope of the Dark Church, frowned slightly and murmured, "Why would a Saint-level Tyrannosaurus appear in Tumu-ke Kingdom?"

Even the weakest Saint-level Tyrannosaurus was a peak Saint-level being. One such beast was troublesome for the Dark Church, but hardly an insurmountable problem.

But why had the Saint-level Tyrannosaurus suddenly taken their targets?

Affleck had naturally already learned the Doham brothers' identities. Otherwise, he would not have sent people after them in the first place.

To the Church, they were two Saint-level fighters. If the Church could find a way to strengthen their bodies further, perhaps even higher-ranked Fallen Angels could descend into them.

Two-winged Fallen Angels were only at the early Saint level, while four-winged Fallen Angels possessed the strength of the middle Saint Realm. A body of level-seven strength could fully withstand the descent of a middle-stage Saint-level angel.

Once a body reached level eight, it could host the terrifying six-winged Fallen Angels, who possessed peak Saint-level strength. They were among the strongest of their rank, second only to those at the Saint-level limit.

As for Affleck himself, he was only at the second tier of peak Saint-level strength, still short of the Saint-level limit.

It was easy to imagine what the Dark Church intended for the Doham brothers. There was a good chance the Church could gain two peak Saint-level fighters, so it naturally would not give up.

"Have Fudolin and Clem bring those two back."

Affleck gave the order without hesitation.

Whatever the Saint-level Tyrannosaurus's reason for appearing, those two men had to be brought back.

Since a Saint-level Tyrannosaurus had appeared, however, the people sent after it could hardly be weak. Fudolin was a special executive of the Dark Church, with peak Saint-level strength. He ranked among the Church's top five in power.

Clem, meanwhile, was a four-winged Fallen Angel.

Sending such powerful figures made it clear how seriously Affleck was taking this.

"Yes, Your Holiness."

The black-robed cardinal bowed respectfully, then carefully withdrew.

"A Saint-level Tyrannosaurus... Could it be the one from the Sunset Mountain Range?"

Affleck frowned slightly.

The Holy Union bordered the Magical Beast Mountain Range, but the Dark Alliance was different: it bordered the Sunset Mountain Range to the south and the Magical Beast Mountain Range to the east. Naturally, it paid close attention to the powerful beings in both ranges.

There were few Saint-level Tyrannosauruses, and the most powerful one lived in the Sunset Mountain Range.

But that beast mainly roamed the eastern part of the Sunset Mountain Range. Why would it come to the Dark Alliance?

Had something happened in the Sunset Mountain Range?

Holy Union, Fenlai Kingdom.

Ernst Institute.

The vice dean's office.

Delante looked at the letter delivered by a swift hawk, feeling somewhat puzzled. "An exchange between academies? Why has Wester Academy suddenly come up with this?"

Academies did not never hold exchanges, but they did not happen often. Wester Academy in particular, though a somewhat well-known magic academy, was simply too far from Ernst Institute. Even when it sought an exchange, it usually went to a magic academy in the Yulan Empire.

Vice Dean Delante fell into thought.

Whatever the reason Wester Academy had suddenly chosen Ernst Institute, as the continent's foremost magic academy, Ernst Institute could not afford to lose face.

So it had to accept the exchange and show off its strength.

He would have to think it over.

As vice dean of Ernst Institute, he wielded considerable authority.

The dean of Ernst Institute was a powerful Saint-level expert and the heart of the academy. But Saint-level experts generally did not let mundane affairs distract them, and the dean was often away from the institute. As a result, Delante handled most of its affairs.

Turning to the second page of the letter, Delante read the names on the exchange list. "Edita, Sorel? They're leading the group?"

Though Delante had also reached the ninth level, he could not help feeling surprised when he saw the names.

He knew Sorel, an ordinary instructor at Wester Academy. But Edita was different; she was a genius.

The greatest genius in the history of the Yulan Continent had been a Saint-level Magus from more than eight thousand years ago, who had reached the level of a seventh-level Grand Magus at sixteen. Three years ago, Edita had broken the record for the second-greatest genius in history by reaching the level of a seventh-level Grand Magus just after turning eighteen. Three years had passed since then; perhaps she had already become an eighth-level Magus.

Some even speculated that Edita might one day become the dean of Wester Academy.

Still, he was not especially worried. Even if Edita was a genius, academy exchanges were judged mainly by the students. No matter how capable the instructors were, it would make no difference.

Before long, Delante summoned the representatives for grades one through six.

He handed them the letter he had received. "Read it first. We'll discuss it afterward."

The representatives took the letter and began reading.

"Wester Academy?"

Someone looked surprised.

"What's Potter up to? Why pull a stunt like this all of a sudden?"

The sixth-grade representative frowned.

"Enough. Whatever their reason, since they want an exchange, Ernst Institute can't back down."

Delante waved for them to quiet down, then continued, "Pick out some promising geniuses from your respective grades. It's time to show everyone what Ernst Institute is like these days."

At that, the representatives all smiled. "Don't worry. We have plenty of geniuses at Ernst Institute these days. Especially Dixie, our newest student—he's a genius among geniuses. He hasn't even been here a year, and he's already reached the third level of a Mage. At this rate, even the fourth level isn't far off. A fourth-level Mage at nine years old!"

When it came to geniuses, they could not claim to have gathered every one on the continent, but a third of them were at Ernst Institute—and they were all among the most exceptional.

Delante nodded. He knew about Dixie, after all. Everyone at Ernst Institute recognized him as its greatest genius. "Good. Start preparing in advance. We'll offer prize money for this competition as well, to encourage the students."

During a first-year Wind magic class.

Trey, a sixth-year student with long blond hair, stood at the lectern. Sixth-year students at Ernst Institute were allowed to teach first- and second-year classes.

"Before we begin today's magic lesson, I have an announcement."

Trey glanced at the students and then spoke with a smile. "The older students already know this, but Ernst Institute has a tradition: every year, the grade tournaments are held during the last month or two. That's when the academy is at its liveliest. If you win your grade's tournament, you'll also have a better chance of being named an outstanding student when you graduate. Then even the Four Great Empires may invite you to join them."

"Grade tournaments?"

It was the first time the new students had heard about them, and they were excited. They were all geniuses, after all. Winning a grade tournament would prove they were geniuses among geniuses.

Some of the older students were surprised, though. The tournaments were still four or five months away. In previous years, the announcement had not come until two or three months beforehand.

Below, a brown-haired boy also looked surprised. It was Linley, who had been at the institute for half a year.

Linley had already reached the peak of the first level as a Mage and could advance to the second level at any time.

If he entered the first-year competition, he had a good chance of winning. But to him, this kind of competition was less useful than cultivating hard.

"Of course, this year's grade tournaments will be a little different. Along with you, students from Wester Academy in the Rhine Empire will be taking part."

Trey continued with the announcement.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was astonished. Even the older students looked over at Trey.

"The Rhine Empire? Wester Academy?"

"Why are Wester Academy students taking part in the grade tournaments?"

The students were surprised.

Some of them came from places far from Ernst Institute, but none were from the Rhine Empire. It was simply too far away—farther than the Yulan Empire. Traveling from the Rhine Empire to the Holy Union meant crossing the continent diagonally.

"The Rhine Empire."

"Wester Academy?"

Doehring emerged from the Coiling Dragon Ring. Wester Academy had not existed while he was alive. The Rhine Empire had not even existed.

"Quiet down."

Trey raised his voice to silence the class, then continued, "This year's tournament prizes are different, too. They're very generous. Third place will receive fifty gold coins, second place one hundred, and first place three hundred! If you want to sign up, come see me soon."

"Wow!"

"Three hundred gold coins!"

Most of the students were tempted by the prize. Not everyone at Ernst Institute was wealthy.

Three hundred gold coins would cover their expenses for a long time.

Linley was tempted, too.

He knew all too well how difficult things were for the Baruch Clan, which was why he had always worked so hard at cultivating. If there were no prize money, he certainly would not take part; for him, entering competitions was less useful than cultivating.

But first place came with three hundred gold coins. He was tempted!

With three hundred gold coins, he could ease his father's burden considerably.

Thinking this, Linley clenched his fist slightly. He was determined to win those three hundred gold coins.

"Linley, are you thinking of entering this year's grade tournament?"

Beside Linley sat Delia, her hair a bright golden blond.

She had been watching Linley closely. From his expressions, she could guess what he was thinking. She believed no one at Ernst Institute understood Linley better than she did.

Sometimes, even a glance from him was enough for her to guess what was on his mind.

Hearing Delia's question, Linley came back to himself. He did not bother hiding what he was thinking. "I'll give it a try."

Delia smiled sweetly. "You'll definitely take first place."

"Thanks."

Linley smiled, too.

At his current level, even without advancing to become a second-level Mage, he could easily defeat the other first-year students.

"All right, discuss this after class. Now, let's begin the lesson."

Trey quieted the students, then prepared to begin that day's lesson on Wind magic.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range.

More than half a year had passed.

The group from Wester Academy had crossed the Yulan Empire, then headed west through the buffer kingdom between the Yulan Empire and the O'Brien Empire. They had now reached the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Once they crossed the range to the west, they would enter the Holy Union.

At the head of the group were Edita, in a sky-blue mage's robe, and a man of about thirty wearing an earth-yellow mage's robe. The man was Sorel, an Earth Element instructor at Wester Academy and a seventh-level Grand Magus.

"So this is the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

Some of the students looked at the forest before them and spoke up. It was their first time in the range.

The Rhine Empire bordered the Sunset Mountain Range, so Wester Academy students who wanted to train usually went there. It was much like Ernst Institute students going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training.

"Be careful. The Magical Beast Mountain Range is every bit as dangerous as the Sunset Mountain Range. And for us, it may be even more dangerous."

Edita warned them.

The Sunset Mountain Range was certainly dangerous, but they often trained there and knew some of its regions well. Their knowledge of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, on the other hand, came entirely from records.

And unlike their trips to the Sunset Mountain Range, they needed to cross the Magical Beast Mountain Range to reach the Holy Union. They were very likely to encounter high-level magical beasts, so they had to be extremely careful.

"Let's rest for the night and set out tomorrow,"

Sorel said. "We've been traveling for a long time, and the students are tired. Besides, we wouldn't get far if we entered the mountains now. We might as well recover first."

Edita nodded at Sorel's suggestion. "All right, we'll rest for the night. I'll get the students to set up camp. See if you can find someone local who knows the area."

Finding a guide would reduce the danger. They were not here to train, so there was no need to seek out magical beasts to fight. It would be best to avoid them altogether.

Sorel understood and nodded. "All right."

The students began setting up camp and resting under Edita's direction, while Sorel went to look for people nearby.

Before long, Sorel returned with a man everyone called Uncle Pu.

Living near the Magical Beast Mountain Range was certainly dangerous, but it also offered plenty of opportunities. For example, he could earn a gold coin just by guiding them for a short stretch.

That kind of money would be almost impossible to make elsewhere.

"Let me make this clear first: I'll only guide you for one day."

Uncle Pu said this when he met Edita.

A gold coin for one day's work was definitely a generous wage.

"Don't worry. We won't have you go too far into the mountains."

Edita assured him.

Early the next morning, Edita and her group packed up and prepared to set out.

"Follow me."

Uncle Pu had gotten up early and already checked the surrounding area.

As a local, he knew the habits of magical beasts well. He could judge from the environment where some might appear and avoid them as much as possible.

They had not gone far before the trees in the Magical Beast Mountain Range began to grow dense. Many were enormous, so thick that even three or four people might not be able to encircle them with their arms.

"I've lived around here for more than twenty years, so I know this area very well. You made the right choice hiring me."

Uncle Pu spoke up. "This way."

Uncle Pu was an ordinary man, but he certainly had enough experience. So far, they had barely encountered any magical beasts.

Even Edita was impressed with Uncle Pu. It had nothing to do with strength; it was simply a matter of experience. No matter how powerful she was, she would find it hard to do what he did.

Suddenly, Uncle Pu raised a hand at the front of the group. "Wait."

Everyone stopped.

Uncle Pu cautiously moved ahead and inspected some plants and the faint traces on the ground. His expression grew serious.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Uncle Pu's grave expression, Sorel stepped up beside him and asked quietly.

Uncle Pu did not answer. Instead, he picked up a piece of animal dung from beneath a small clump of shrubs and sniffed it. His expression darkened further. "This is the dung of a level-four magical beast, a Wind Wolf!"

"A Wind Wolf?"

Sorel frowned slightly.

A single Wind Wolf was not particularly powerful. But they were pack animals and usually appeared in groups of dozens.

Of course, even if they showed up together, they still wouldn't be a threat to their group.

He could easily take care of the Wind Wolf pack by himself.

"There weren't any Wind Wolves here before."

Uncle Pu's voice was grave. He turned to Sorel and said, "You'll need to be more careful on the road ahead. The situation I mentioned yesterday may have changed."

After all, he'd been paid a gold coin, so the previous night he'd made a point of telling Edita and the others about places where high-level magical beasts might appear.

"Oh?"

Sorel looked puzzled.

"I just smelled the Wind Wolves' droppings. There's a distinct scent of urine on them, too. These droppings mark their territory. In other words, these aren't Wind Wolves passing through. It's very likely the pack has moved here."

Uncle Pu explained, "If the Wind Wolf pack moved here from deeper in the mountains, there's a good chance a more powerful magical beast took over its old territory. Magical beasts are highly territorial, and they won't give up their home unless something forces them to. That means a powerful beast may have appeared in the Magical Beast Mountain Range—one strong enough to drive off the Wind Wolves, at the very least."

"If that were all, we could simply go around them. But I'm worried a powerful magical beast has appeared deep in the range and taken over another beast's territory, forcing it to flee. That could have set off a chain reaction and driven the Wind Wolves here. If so, the situation I mentioned yesterday will definitely have changed."

Listening to his analysis, Sorel couldn't help admiring Uncle Pu's sharp eye. For an ordinary person, he was truly impressive. "Don't worry, Uncle Pu. We can handle it. Please keep leading the way."

Even if they encountered a high-level magical beast, they didn't need to worry too much unless it was a Saint-level beast.

Sorel knew just how powerful Edita was. An ordinary eighth-level mage was no match for her. In his eyes, she had probably already reached the peak of the eighth level.

With him and a few other tricks up their sleeves, even if they couldn't defeat a Level Nine Magical Beast, they could still escape without much trouble.

"All right."

Seeing how confident Sorel was, Uncle Pu didn't say anything more. He'd only been looking at things from an ordinary person's perspective, after all.

The group continued deeper into the mountains.

Far ahead of them, a little bird with scarlet feathers and golden plumes on its head flew by and landed atop the tallest tree.

Satisfaction flashed in the bird's eyes. "The Magical Beast Mountain Range really is something. Just as I expected, it's a paradise for magical beasts. Even the elemental energy here is much denser than on Mount Everest."

The little bird was the Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix, who had flown here from the Dark Forest.

Beirut hadn't restricted her movements, so after leaving the Metal Castle, she'd made inquiries along the way and eventually arrived at the Magical Beast Mountain Range.