Chapter 263

Srrrng-! Slash!

The sword traced a beautiful arc, gleaming like sunlight, as it split the magical beast cleanly in two.

It had been only a few hours since Theo crossed the boundary, yet the attacks from magical beasts showed no sign of slowing.

“This is getting tedious.”

Fifth-class, fourth-class, and even third-class beasts failed to stir any excitement in Theo. There was no need for elaborate footwork to dodge; a simple strike of his sword was enough to reduce the beasts to nothing but dust.

Behind him, the remains of the magical beasts hung on trees, and massive trunks were severed, leaving only their stumps.

The scene around him resembled a hellscape, but the path Theo walked remained pristine, with only his footprints gently dotting the untouched snow.

“The miasma is getting thicker.”

The deeper he ventured, the more the toxic air pricked at his skin.

The noxious fumes, mingling with the frigid chill of the winter mountains, made him grimace.

Though the toxicity was negligible to someone like Theo, the unpleasantness was undeniable.

“I get why people curse this place after returning.”

The venomous air, seeping into his skin and lungs, combined with the suffocating forest stretching before him, made him feel stifled.

Whoooosh—!

Jagged rocks and sharp, bone-white trees jutted out from the ground like thorns, painting the landscape an unwelcoming shade of hostility.

It was as if the forest itself resented intruders.

The oppressive atmosphere seemed to whisper: Tread carefully.

Theo’s eyes hardened, a hint of killing intent naturally seeping into his gaze.

“I didn’t expect this.”

Perhaps it was the scenery or the sheer tension in the air, but Theo found his body instinctively tensing, a rarity for him outside of direct combat.

Yet, just as he began to relax and stroll through the area with the casual air of a man on a walk, a chilling noise shattered the silence.

Crack, crack—

The sound echoed, unnatural and deeply unnerving, as if designed to provoke primal disgust.

The tension Theo had felt earlier now seemed almost prophetic, his skin prickling as a sinister presence announced itself.

It was a declaration: This is my domain.

“What a vile stench.”

A thick, pungent odor carried by the wind grew stronger as Theo moved closer.

With every step, the malicious energy emanating from “it” seemed to pierce his skin like needles.

Using his heightened senses, Theo pinpointed its location.

It wasn’t long before he came face-to-face with the source.

“So, that’s a second-class magical beast.”

The sight before him felt surreal, like he’d stumbled into a zoo exhibit. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful it might be.

The Giant Quatch.

Standing over five meters tall, its hulking frame was covered in thick, white fur and tough leather skin.

Its eyes glowed a ferocious red, and its sharp teeth, each as large as a human arm, glistened menacingly.

It hadn’t noticed Theo yet, too engrossed in devouring its prey with its monstrous jaws.

“Let’s see how far it’ll chase me.”

Though this wasn’t Theo’s first encounter with magical beasts, it was his first time facing a second-class beast. Naturally, curiosity got the better of him.

And...

“That fur would make a fine coat.”

The thought amused him. Giant Quatch pelts, rarely available on the market, were prized for crafting top-tier armor and luxurious noble attire.

“No other beasts around, huh.”

Expanding his senses to their limit, Theo confirmed that the surrounding area was devoid of other creatures—likely victims of the Quatch.

With a burst of movement, Theo leaped into the air.

Aiming for a clean kill, he directed his sword toward the beast’s neck.

Graugh?

The Quatch sensed the danger just as Theo’s blade, glowing with light, closed in on its throat.

Boom!

With a sharp crack, the Quatch vanished from its position in an instant.

“It’s fast!”

Theo marveled at the creature’s reflexes. Its movement, though purely instinctual, was extraordinary.

The Giant Quatch had evaded his attack with shocking agility, retreating a safe distance away.

The Quatch snarled, clinging to a massive tree as it finished the remnants of its meal.

It spat out the remains and turned its blood-red gaze toward Theo, drool dripping from its maw.

It had decided: Theo was prey.

“You think I’m food?”

The Quatch roared, pounding its chest with both hands, releasing waves of heat from its body.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Boom!

The ground shook as the Quatch charged, its massive claws hurtling toward Theo with terrifying speed.

“It really is fast.”

Theo drew Drake’s Fang Blade, meeting the Quatch’s claws head-on.

Screeech—!

The blade emitted a harsh, grinding sound as it clashed with the Quatch’s monstrous strength.

“It’s no wonder so many knights have fallen to these things.”

The Quatch’s movements were explosive, powered by densely packed muscles and unparalleled elasticity. Combined with its predatory aura, it truly embodied something beyond human.

Even the reports Theo had read failed to fully convey the beast’s wild, unpredictable nature.

“But it’s neither difficult nor impossible.”

Theo’s assessment was calm.

Since the moment he stepped into the realm of speed and precision, magical beasts like this were no longer a match for him.

Breaking away from the Quatch, Theo slipped through its defenses with a subtle sidestep.

Grurgh? Gruuhh?

Confused by its vanishing prey, the Quatch looked around frantically.

It never stood a chance.

Thud!

Theo drove his blade straight through the Quatch’s skull in a single, precise strike.

Crash!

The beast’s massive frame collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt.

“That was mildly entertaining.”

The sight of such a colossal creature moving so quickly had been intriguing, but beyond that, Theo felt little satisfaction.

“One down.”

The task was already beginning to feel like menial labor.

At that moment, Theo’s shadow rippled, and Umbra emerged, gazing at him with sparkling eyes.

“You’re hungry?”

Screech!

Umbra nodded vigorously, drooling at the sight of the fresh kill.

Theo set to work skinning the Quatch’s thick hide and preparing the carcass for Umbra to feast on.

As he removed the hide, something unusual caught his attention—a strange stone embedded in the Quatch’s chest.

“What’s this?”

The stone, soft for a mineral, was about the size of a fist and emitted a faint red glow.

Holding it in his hand, Theo felt dense mana circulating within it, like an intricate circuit.

“It’s not inherently malevolent, but what is it used for?”

After channeling purified mana into the stone, it pulsated before settling into a cleansed state.

Activating his Observation ability, Theo analyzed the item:

[Second-Class Beast Bloodstone]

Consumable

Effect: ???

“Another mystery.”

Without any immediate clues to its use, Theo’s interest quickly waned.

He was about to store it in his inventory when...

Gulp!

Umbra snatched the stone and swallowed it whole.

“Hey, you!”

Though the stone had been purified and posed no harm, Theo couldn’t help but feel irritated at Umbra’s audacity.

Screech?

Umbra tilted its head, oblivious to its transgression, before eagerly devouring the Quatch’s remains.

As Umbra ate, Theo noticed something strange: its form rippled, as if distorted by static.

Ding!

[Quest Received]

Umbra is preparing to evolve into a first-class beast, the ‘Half-Viper.’

Feed it a variety of beast bloodstones to complete the evolution.

Difficulty: B

Reward: Ownership of ‘Half-Viper.’

Failure: Loss of ownership.

Progress: 1/30.

“Evolution into a Half-Viper?”

As a hybrid of the Viper lineage, it wasn’t entirely surprising that Umbra might inherit some of that bloodline’s traits. However, the concept of a hybrid evolving was unprecedented. Theo had neither seen nor heard of such a phenomenon before.

The number of second-class magical beasts he needed to hunt had now increased tenfold, but that detail felt inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

“Am I really about to obtain a magical beast on par with a first-class entity?”

The true extent of a magical beast’s abilities remained a mystery. Even the abilities of Umbra’s progenitors—the legendary Viper—had never been fully observed.

“That’s the nature of first-class magical beasts. Only one has ever been fully documented.”

In the thousand-year history of the Ragnar clan, the details of a first-class magical beast had been confirmed only once. Moreover, there had only been a single instance of a first-class beast being defeated.

That event had occurred during the reign of the clan’s founder, Sigurd Ragnar.

Even Sigurd himself had not been able to subdue the beast easily, needing several days to bring it down. The event had cemented the reputation of first-class beasts as forces of nature—catastrophic and nearly insurmountable.

“Is Umbra about to gain strength comparable to that?”

The quest itself didn’t seem overly difficult, though it would take time to complete. After his battle with the Giant Quatch, Theo had already begun to understand the scale of the task.

Guuuurp—

Umbra, having finished its meal, let out a loud, satisfied belch and turned to look at Theo expectantly.

Theo smirked and asked with a glint in his eye, “Still hungry?”