January 1, Year 10000 of the Yulan Calendar.
Linley stood on a hillside outside Fenlai City, watching the glow of fire in the distant city.
The blaze had reddened half the sky. It was not lamplight, but flames. Magical beasts poured out of the Magical Beast Mountain Range like a tide, sweeping over the walls, the streets, everything. Human screams, the roars of magical beasts, and the crash of collapsing buildings mingled together, audible even miles away.
Bebe crouched on his shoulder, his little eyes fixed on the fire in the city, his tail curled around Linley's collar.
"Boss, there really are a lot of magical beasts."
"Mm."
"Are we really going in?"
"Mm."
Linley touched Purple Blood at his waist and headed down the hill.
The city was in even greater chaos than he had expected.
Magical beasts filled the streets. Rank 3, Rank 4, Rank 5, with some Level Six beasts among them. They streamed through breaches in the walls and charged into homes, shops, anywhere there were people. Blood covered the ground, sticky underfoot.
Linley walked down the street, turning Purple Blood in his hand. A Rank 4 magical beast lunged at him from the side. He slashed, sending its head flying. Its body hit the ground, twitched twice, and went still. Another lunged, and he struck again. Another beast, another stroke.
He neither dodged nor took a detour, simply killing his way through. Purple Blood was covered in blood, which ran down the blade and dripped onto the snow, drop by drop.
Clayde's Royal Palace stood in the center of the city. By the time Linley arrived, everything outside it was in utter chaos. Guards fled, palace maids screamed, and several people in lavish clothes hurried toward the back gate surrounded by guards.
Clayde's children.
Linley