Chapter 249: Two Beasts
In the middle of a dense forest, the air suddenly twisted into a silvery spatial distortion.
The next second, Priam emerged from the rift, planting his feet firmly on the dry leaves.
He clenched his fist. Safely stored inside his spatial ring, the Heavenly Shield rested silently—although it had confirmed that it could see, hear, and sense everything in the outside world.
Priam waited silently for a few seconds, until the relic’s resonant voice echoed directly in his mind:
’I can sense my two brothers in opposite directions. One of them is terribly far away right now... possibly crossing the outer region. That should be the Exalted Spear, aboard the Heavenly Vessel.’
The voice paused briefly before continuing:
’However, its trajectory is changing. I can sense that the vessel is sailing toward the inner region where we are, and it should pass by here in a few days. If we don’t take advantage of this window now, it might take a very long time for another opportunity to arise.’
Priam nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face.
His luck was really working in his favor! Although the other relic was geographically closer, missing the opportunity to intercept the flying fortress would be a huge mistake.
The shield indicated the direction, and Priam swiftly dashed through the forest.
---
As he cut through the vegetation at high speed, Priam used the travel time to ask for details about the Beast races the shield had mentioned earlier.
According to the relic, the ancient world was dominated by three major categories of beasts, each one guardian of one of the heroic relics.
The first category was the *Heavenly Beasts*. They were creatures endowed with overwhelming raw power, unquestionably the strongest in direct combat. However, they had a miserable reproduction rate and terribly limited intelligence.
Although they possessed the internal potential to master complex powers, they relied exclusively on their physical bodies and raw strength.
’They were like fish born with giant wings,’ the shield compared. ’Even though they theoretically had the ability to tear through the skies, they lived and died trapped in the ocean because of sheer mental limitations. A colossal waste.’
The second category consisted of the *Calamity Beasts*. Creatures that had evolved for the sole purpose of killing.
All of them could synthesize the dreaded *Calamity Poison*—a terribly corrosive toxin with no known cure. The price, however, was cruel: every drop of poison they expelled directly consumed the beast’s own life force.
Their destructive power was unmatched, their intelligence was reasonable, and their reproduction rate was average. However, their life expectancies were tragically short.
Finally, the third category was that of the *Impure Beasts*.
They were mutant beings resulting from the crossing of dozens of different races over the ages. They possessed the highest intelligence, the highest reproduction rate, and the greatest adaptability—although their base power was the lowest among the three.
In terms of power, the beasts of the three races were classified into 13 numerical levels.
Each race belonging to the three major categories was born with the genetic potential to reach a certain level. If a cub from a Level 13 race was properly nurtured, it would reach the peak upon reaching maturity. There were no exceptions.
The downside was the rigidity of this system: a member of a Level 12 race could never reach Level 13 through natural means.
Level 13 was the absolute pinnacle—the threshold just before Immortality. Only the few sovereign Level 13 races possessed unique bloodline methods to break through the barriers of the world’s laws and reach the immortal realm. Because of this, they were the supreme rulers of that era.
Originally, there were around twelve Level 13 races spread across the three categories. However, after the catastrophic war against the invaders, only a single race from each group had been preserved.
Priam absorbed every detail with fascination.
Suddenly, his steps came to a halt. The aura in the valley just ahead had changed drastically.
A dense smell of iron and fresh blood filled the air.
Approaching cautiously through the bushes, Priam spotted a bloodied figure lying on the damp ground.
The individual was already dead, but blood was still flowing from the open wounds. The death had occurred only a few minutes ago.
Priam narrowed his eyes. The corpse had a slender humanoid structure, with pointed ears and refined features that vaguely resembled an elf.
’That’s... an Elven Fox, an Impure Beast!’ the shield’s voice echoed in his mind, overflowing with surprise.
Priam raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me this guy was one of those Beasts you mentioned? He looks like a humanoid to me."
’Yes! I told you that the Impure Beasts emerged from the mixing of several races. In the past, there were humanoids like you in this world. Some impure bloodlines retained a humanoid appearance. I’m absolutely certain: this is an Elven Fox, an extremely ancient race.’
Priam moved forward, then crouched beside the male corpse.
To any ordinary observer, it looked like nothing more than an exotic humanoid. However, upon examining the body closely, he sensed the bloodline energy still lingering within the corpse—something chaotic, strange, and fundamentally different from anything he had ever encountered in his own world.
His eyes lit up. An opportunity.
Priam extended his palm over the corpse’s chest.
[Absorb?] [Yes / No]
Priam confirmed the command through the System, beginning the extraction of that bloodline.
Inside the spatial ring, the Heavenly Shield watched the scene in deep perplexity. However, realizing that Priam carried secrets beyond its comprehension, the relic chose to remain silent.
After collecting every trace of that unique bloodline, Priam stood up and examined the surroundings.
It didn’t take long for him to notice disordered footprints and drops of blood splattered across the leaves, forming a clear trail that came from deep within the forest.
"This man died while fleeing, slowly bleeding out until he collapsed here," Priam murmured, staring in the direction of the tracks. "The route he took is exactly the same one you pointed out for us to intercept the Heavenly Vessel. Let’s see where this trail of blood leads me."
With a swift movement, he dashed through the forest, following the dead man’s footprints.
...
...
...
Hours later, Priam emerged from the forest and reached an open area. The atmosphere on the horizon was dark and suffocating, filled with such a dense metallic smell of blood that the air almost felt tangible.
He climbed to the peak of a tall mountain ahead of him to analyze the terrain.
Looking down at the valley below, he was met with absolute chaos.
Savage roars and deafening booms echoed across the expanse of frozen land.
Two colossal armies of beasts clashed in a barbaric war. Thousands of creatures on each side exchanged lethal blows in a frenzied battle.
Severed limbs and mists of blood sprayed through the air. The smell of torn flesh awakened the most primitive and bloodthirsty instincts of those races, plunging them into a trance of pure destruction.
’The leaders of the battle... are the two sovereign Level 13 races!’ the shield’s voice echoed in Priam’s mind, filled with a serious and tense tone.
’On the side of the Impure Beasts are the *Arcane Astrapids*. On the side of the Calamity Beasts are the *Black Shadow Serpents*.’
Priam silently nodded, identifying the two sides at the epicenter of the massacre.
Marching on the Calamity flank were monstrous, colossal serpents. Their long, scaly bodies were such a deep black that they seemed to devour the surrounding light, creating a shocking contrast with their eyes, which glowed with a hypnotic celestial blue.
Sharp black horns protruded from their reptilian skulls. A viscous, steaming liquid dripped from the half-open jaws of these serpents. Priam felt an instinctive shiver run down his spine as he stared at the substance.
His instincts screamed a clear warning: if that poison touched him, there would be no cure or Magic Art in the world capable of saving him.
On the other side, leading the horde of Impure Beasts, advanced a troop of majestic quadrupeds, easily exceeding five meters in height.
They were imposing beasts with muscular bodies covered in flawless white fur, interspersed with dark scale plates. Large, curved black horns rose from their heads. They sported two pairs of gigantic wings and had their entire bodies covered in circular runic markings of blazing red.
As they moved, devastating electrical auras crackled around their bodies. With every beat of their four wings, storms of bluish lightning were conjured, incinerating everything they touched.
They were two truly terrifying races.
On one side, a poison that inspired absolute despair. On the other, a majestic splendor that ruled the skies and thunder.
However, something even more unusual caught Priam’s attention in the center of the carnage.
Fighting among the gigantic monsters, two small figures exchanged fierce blows.
One of them was a young man with white hair and gleaming green eyes, displaying an extremely refined humanoid appearance.
The other was a dark-skinned girl, with black scales covering her arms, a reptilian tail, and a pair of black horns framing her head like a crown.
Both fought using ordinary weapons: the young man wielded a swift spear, while the girl wielded a bone sword.
’Those two...’
The shield’s voice suddenly sounded surprised and thoughtful.
’Yes, they carry the *Ancient Immortal Mark*! They belong to the two sovereign races, but the mark sealed their bloodlines, forcing them to maintain their transformation into humanoid forms. This allows their bloodlines to be nurtured in their purest state, giving them a chance to break through their limits and reach Immortality in the future. They are the last hope of these two races!’
Priam let out a disdainful snort.
Those beast races were irrational and beyond saving. They had fought and destroyed their own world in the past, and now, instead of joining forces to survive, they continued slaughtering each other.
But that wasn’t his problem.
’Priam, please!’
When Priam turned around to go around the battle, the shield’s voice echoed in a pleading tone.
’I’m begging you... stop this battle! Those two young ones can’t die here!’
"And why the hell would I do that?" he retorted, with not the slightest interest in risking his neck for strangers.
’Think about it...’ The shield thought at maximum speed, trying to find something that would convince him. ’The Heavenly Vessel! If you have one of those two by your side, it’ll be much easier to break into the ship. The races that deposited their treasures there surely left defensive mechanisms that recognize their bloodlines!’
"Meh... I’ll figure out a way to get in without having to play babysitter," Priam shrugged, continuing on his way.
’Wait! Don’t leave!’ the relic exclaimed hurriedly.
’Didn’t you want resources to become stronger?! The two sovereign races keep these two young ones because they have stockpiles of *Great Mist Stones*. These stones contain the pure essence of the broken world and are used to nourish their Marks! I’m absolutely certain they have a reserve stored away. If you save them, you can demand an exorbitant payment.’
At that moment, Priam’s steps came to a halt. His eyes gleamed with undisguised greed.
He slowly turned his face back toward the burning valley.
"Now you’re speaking my language."