Carlin was speechless, staring blankly at the obliterated landscape caused by Kring.
If Kring had unleashed that explosion inside the barrier, everyone except him would’ve died.
The blast was that powerful.
Swallowing hard, Carlin descended from the tree.
“Uncle, that explosion…” Mild began.
“It seems he was testing something. Don’t worry about it,” Carlin replied, resuming his walk.
Mild, the knights, mage, and shaman hesitated before following.
Carlin quickened his pace, thinking, I need to rebuild ties immediately.
The Staren Ducal House and Gardion Tower once had strong relations, but after the second Tower Master, Rudi, died forty years ago, they drifted apart.
Now, contact was rare due to distance and differing paths.
But Gaon’s return—and Kring’s power—convinced Carlin to restore those ties urgently.
How strong has it become?
As Gaon returned to the carriage after parting with Carlin, he lifted Kring from his shoulder.
Krung?
Kring tilted its head.
Gaon fondled its soft cheeks, pondering, I should find out.
In his memory, Kring was a 5th-grade spirit beast, but now it was a top-tier 7th-grade, nearing 8th.
Its strength was incomparable.
Knowing its capabilities would prevent future issues.
Stopping, Gaon said, “Kring.”
Krung!
“Want to fire a beam for old times’ sake?”
Kr!!!
Kring nodded eagerly, and Gaon released its cheeks.
It flew upward, reverting to its massive form.
Even now, Gaon marveled at how the tiny creature had grown so large.
Krung!
Kring roared, crouching low and looking at Gaon.
“Ride you?”
Krung!
Kring nodded, and Gaon climbed onto its back.
It stood, facing forward.
Gaon scanned the area with his senses, detecting only goblin-like monsters.
“Fire that way,” he said.
Kring opened its maw, and Gaon felt its energy gather at its mouth.
Swish!
A pitch-black beam shot out, hitting its target.
BOOM!
The area was obliterated—nothing remained.
“Wow,” Gaon exclaimed.
It was so powerful that anyone below the wall would be annihilated.
Good thing I checked.
An unchecked beam could’ve caused a catastrophe.
Gaon patted Kring’s head.
Krrrng.
Kring purred happily.
“Can you fire another?”
Kr!
Kring fired another black beam.
BOOM!
The destruction matched the first.
Gaon didn’t ask for a third—Kring’s energy had noticeably weakened.
Another shot would be less powerful.
Two consecutive attacks of this level…
Satisfied, Gaon stroked Kring’s head.
“Well done.”
He leapt to the ground.
Swish!
Kring shrank back to its small form, settling on his shoulder.
Gaon scratched its head and looked at Rotes and Taylor, who stared at the devastation, stunned.
“Let’s go,” Gaon said, leading the way.
As he walked, he thought, This should speed things up.
Testing Kring’s beam wasn’t just for curiosity—it was a display for Carlin.
In three months, Gaon planned to visit the Staren Ducal House, not for any specific reason, but knowing it would spark change.
Carlin would report to the house, prompting them to act in ways beneficial to both them and Gaon.
They reached the carriage, and Gaon and Rotes entered while Taylor took the driver’s seat.
“Let’s move,” Taylor called, and the carriage started.
“Where’s the magic circle repair?” Gaon asked.
The spirit beast hunt ended unexpectedly, leaving two missions, starting with the magic circle repair.
“The Patrin Ducal House in the Bretan Kingdom,” Rotes answered.
“Bretan? Where’s that?”
Gaon was puzzled—he’d never heard of it.
“It’s a new kingdom, formed thirty years ago on the ruins of the Matilda Kingdom,” Rotes explained.
“Oh, Matilda’s old spot? Then we’ll arrive soon?”
“Yes, likely tomorrow.”
Krung…
Kring stirred on Gaon’s lap.
Rotes, glancing cautiously, asked, “Lord Gaon, do you plan to keep it with you?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Well…”
According to Gaon, Kring was a top-tier 7th-grade spirit beast, a dangerous entity.
Though it followed Gaon and hadn’t shown aggression, its presence could cause issues.
People might fear or covet it, leading to various reactions.
“It could cause trouble in Bretan,” Rotes said.
Bretan was unique—no Swordmasters or Archmages, yet it wasn’t underestimated, thanks to its numerous beast tamers.
They tamed not just beasts and monsters but spirit beasts too.
If Kring’s 7th-grade status became known, it could spark significant issues.
Rotes explained Bretan’s nature and his concerns.
“No worries,” Gaon said casually.
“It’s best to deal with anyone planning trouble beforehand.”
“Ah,” Rotes exhaled softly.
“I overthought it. My apologies.”
“No need to apologize. It’s a valid concern.”
It was reasonable—if Kring were weaker, Gaon might’ve avoided Bretan.
But Kring was a top-tier 7th-grade beast, stronger than Bretan’s strongest guardian beast, also 7th-grade.
Kring was unlikely to be harmed, and Gaon wouldn’t let it happen.
Astarek Mountains
“What the…”
Luhan surveyed the area, bewildered.
“What happened here?”
Tracking Gaon, his assassination target, Luhan faced a shocking sight.
Where there should’ve been foliage, there was nothing—not even rocks or pebbles.
Everything was gone, unnaturally so.
Examining the area, he deduced two things: the devastation was caused by an explosion, and it happened yesterday.
…Gaon’s doing?
The mountains held traces of knights, but such an explosion was typical of mages—likely Gaon, given its scale.
Luhan continued tracking, determining Gaon’s destination.
…Bretan Kingdom?
Bretan Kingdom, Patrin Ducal House’s Taming Chamber
Lamu trained with his spirit beast, Bresa.
The method was simple: channeling energy in a state of rapport.
Swish…
Purple energy from Lamu flowed into Bresa, and red energy from Bresa flowed back.
As they exchanged energy, Lamu opened his eyes, turning to the chamber’s entrance.
The head steward entered, looking urgent.
“What’s wrong?” Lamu asked.
“Mages have come to repair the magic circle,” the steward replied.
“What? From where?”
Lamu was surprised.
Many had tried and failed, deeming the circle too complex and risky to fix.
No one had attempted it in two years, leaving Lamu resigned to living with it broken.
Now, someone volunteered?
“Gardion Tower,” the steward said.
“Gardion again?”
Many Gardion mages had tried and failed.
“Who is it?”
“Elder Baren.”
“The mage with the broken circle?”
“Yes.”
“Is he skilled in magic circles?”
“I’m not sure…” the steward trailed off.
Lamu nodded, then noticed the steward’s expression.
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
“Well…” the steward hesitated, then said awkwardly, “A Gardion mage brought an unfamiliar spirit beast.”
“An unfamiliar beast?”
Bretan housed countless spirit beasts, and even those not present were cataloged.
An unknown beast meant it wasn’t local or documented.
“What grade?”
“We haven’t assessed it yet. The issue is Princess Jarha saw it.”
“What? How? Wasn’t she arriving tomorrow?”
Jarha, a troublesome princess, was greedy and ill-tempered, causing countless incidents.
Only the king’s favor kept her safe.
If she saw a new spirit beast, her reaction was predictable.
“Has she already caused trouble?” Lamu asked worriedly.
“Not yet. She’s waiting in your office.”
Lamu groaned inwardly, frowning.
She was likely demanding the beast.
If refused, she’d act on her own.
Cooked