............"Huh... this is... Shadowclaw, damn!" When Brian arrived near the creature and saw its appearance, a word suddenly appeared in his mind."By what is this creature doing here? It shouldn't be here to begin with. Who brought it? I need all the answers but can't get any in this situation!" Brian muttered in a low tone, his face filled with shock. He wasn't expecting to see this abomination.Brian remembered reading information about this creature.It's a creature born from the darkest depths of the forest, its appearance a grotesque fusion of various animals. Its body is sleek and muscular, covered in dark fur that seems to absorb light, giving it a shadowy appearance.Its eyes are glowing orbs of amber, piercing through the darkness with an otherworldly intensity.The Shadowclaw moves with a silent grace, its movements almost ethereal as it stalks its prey through the dense undergrowth of the forest. Its claws are razor-sharp and tipped with venom that can induce hallucina
............"Captain Thorn and Captain Lyra, you take the front and keep moving. I'll take the rear with my men to defend us from this beast," Captain Alaric ordered as they quickly moved into position.Captain Thorn carried their Commander, so he couldn't help clear the path of beasts. His men took on that task while Captain Lyra and her team focused on finding the shortest and safest route to the Quartzgate City's great wall.Even though Captain Alaric and his men were terrified by the nightmare creature chasing them, they kept their pace and defended their position to protect the rest of the team. Captain Alaric knew they couldn't confront the creature head-on without risking being wiped out. He instructed his men to set traps to slow down the beast.They could only stall for time. If even Commander Brian couldn't damage this nightmarish creature, how could they hope to achieve that?"Swiish...Booommn....Crashhh...Ahhhhhh!"Even though the plan was good, fatigue, the fear of the
............"There, its eyes!" He noticed the glowing amber eyes, identifying them as the only weak point he could see. The beast's hide looked as sturdy as a mountain, offering no obvious vulnerabilities."Swiish...Baaamn!!"Captain Alaric charged forward with everything he had, focusing solely on that part of the beast. He ignored the scratches and claw wounds on his body, even though they bled continuously. He had evaded just in time to avoid being paralyzed by its venom—so far."Swish... Swoooh... Chiiichiiii...!" Alaric somehow managed to reach its eyes and plunged his short dagger deep into its pupil. The beast cried out in pain, but then Alaric found himself impaled on its claws, his body filled with venom. Paralysis set in, and he was lost in a dream-like illusion, dying without even realizing it."Chiiichiii...!!"The Shadowclaw, hurt in the eyes, became furious. It aggressively pursued the other ants, determined to crush any hope they had of escaping after annoying it."Sw
............"This is really dangerous. I am not sure why this beast was chasing them, but from their condition, we can conclude that we lost those young, promising knights to its claws," Commander Roland said after assessing the situation and Commander Brian's condition."Hmm, it seems we might have poked a beehive this time," Commander Liam uttered in a serious tone, understanding they couldn't relax as long as the beast loomed over them."We need to at least check what kind of beast it is. Otherwise, we won't be able to make any countermeasures," Commander Anki suggested, and both Roland and Liam nodded, knowing they couldn't just wait indefinitely for the beast to emerge from the forest."Alright, for now let's keep watch on it. We can't do anything today since it's getting late. We need to keep an eye on the beast ourselves and take turns to watch it. We can't leave this to the other knights," Roland said, noting the sun going down and darkness approaching.He suggested monitori
............Back to Crystalbrook City, "How did you even end the vermin of Verdiara City?" Aarav asked as he sat across from Aeliana, with Eina and Astrid beside him.Phi had gone with Aria to drop her off at the university.After the previous night's celebration, everyone had let loose, so nobody was sober enough to have a conversation with Aeliana.After their morning headache tea, Aarav asked her about her experience in Verdiara City, how she cleaned up the city's trash, and what kind of people she met along the way."Well... it wasn't so difficult at first because none of them thought someone like me would directly start raiding their hideouts and capturing them. The only difficulty I had was with the last few rats who slipped through my clutches," Aeliana said as she shared her experience with her lord, Astrid, and Eina."You had quite the adventurous experience. What are your plans for Crystalbrook City?" Aarav asked, surprised at how she handled the black market in Verdiara
............"I'm off, Aeliana and Astrid!" Aarav waved at them, and they waved back as he left to attend the party organized by the Von family especially for him.A few moments later, Aarav arrived at the familiar place. He couldn't help but have a wry smile; each time he came to this restaurant, he had to face a troubling matter."Elite Epicurean..."Shaking his head, he gestured to the politely bowing guards and handed them his car keys to park it before he entered the restaurant.Arriving at the spot booked by Felix Von, who waved at him enthusiastically and gestured for him to take a seat beside him and Asher Von, Aarav greeted them, "Good day to you all!""Good day to you, Mr. Veridian," the trio greeted back politely."Thank you for taking the time to grace us with your presence!" Felix Von said with a happy smile."No, it's my pleasure to be here," Aarav replied, shaking his head at Felix Von's excitement and smiling.The table was soon filled with a sumptuous array of dishe
............"Fine, no need to worry. It's not like your words are wrong. It all happened because of my stupid parents." Bella waved her hand dismissively. Seeing Mrs. Von's apologetic look, Bella calmed down and spoke in a calmer tone, blaming her parents for everything."Oh, so there are still parents like those who can't judge what's best for their children. I'm really looking forward to seeing such parents who had the audacity to judge Mr. Veridian, such a great man, with arrogance!" Harsha Von commented, a little anger in her tone. Felix and Asher Von also showed anger in their eyes but remained composed.'Sorry, Mother and Father, I think you really need to learn a harsh lesson about your behavior towards my great brother-in-law!' Bella thought to herself as she crossed her arms and waited for her parents, also giving them a call.A short while later, Antonio and Sophia Rossi arrived at their table and noticed Bella sitting there.After Bella introduced Felix Von and Harsha Vo
............An hour before Aarav heard the disturbing news.Outside the great wall of Quartzgate City, facing the forest.“Boommn…Crasssshhh…!”Loud noises echoed everywhere as Commander Anki Valorcrest, Commander Liam Battlesteel, and Commander Roland Knightshield were flung around the field like rag dolls by the monstrous entity known as the Shadowbeast.“Cough…cough…damn it!” Roland cursed as he stood up after being thrown by the beast’s attack. He landed hard, making his insides churn, and he spat out blood.“How are we going to defeat this beast? I’m already worn out and injured. Luna and Anki aren’t in any better condition than me!” Roland muttered, gripping his sturdy shield with one hand and his sharp sword with the other.He observed his fellow commanders and saw their sluggish movements and bloodied bodies. It was clear they were in no better shape than he was."Chiiichiiii...!"The Shadowbeast roared, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light as it walked toward the comman