Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

The next day, at the crack of dawn.

Beside the great road outside the gates of the Royal Capital, Velin pulled on the reins, turning to look back at his guards.

He took a heavy coin purse from within his coat and tossed it to the Captain of the Guard in the lead.

"Here are twenty Golden Suns. You will return by land."

Velin’s voice carried an authority that brooked no argument.

"Don’t spare any expense on the journey. Ensure both the men and the cargo arrive safely at the Grey Marsh Territory."

"But, my lord, your safety..." The Captain clutched the coin purse, a troubled look on his face.

Velin waved his hand dismissively.

"I’m traveling by air."

A low growl rumbled deep in the throat of Nefarian beneath him, as if in response to his words.

The next second, its enormous, sky-blotting wings unfurled with a deafening boom!

WHOOSH—!

The powerful draft from its wings kicked up grass and dust, forming a whirlwind that forced the guards to stumble backward, barely able to keep their eyes open.

By the time they managed to regain their footing and look up, all they could see was a massive black shadow launching itself into the air.

Like a black arrow shot toward the heavens, it vanished into the clouds in an instant.

The wind howled in his ears.

The ground rapidly shrank in his field of vision.

The sprawling silhouette of the Royal Capital, Zelheim, quickly became a blurry patch of color before finally vanishing beneath the horizon.

The feeling of flight was intoxicating. The freedom of breaking the bonds of the earth was something no land-bound mount could ever offer.

Velin sat securely in the specialized saddle, enjoying the rare moment of tranquility.

Flying directly from the Royal Capital to the Grey Marsh Territory would take a day and a half at most—this was the unparalleled strategic value of a Flying Magical Beast.

The journey was smooth. Under their Magic Contract, Velin and Nefarian were in perfect sync, and he even practiced a few high-difficulty maneuvers.

On the second day, just as Velin was about to reach the airspace near Gray Bay, Nefarian’s body suddenly went rigid beneath him.

A faint sense of unease came through their psychic link.

Velin was instantly on alert. He focused his Spiritual Power and followed Nefarian’s line of sight.

At the edge of the clouds high ahead, a flock of enormous white shapes appeared.

There were a great many of them; a rough count put their number at no less than fifty.

Each had a wingspan of over ten meters, a body the size of a heavy carriage, and was covered in snow-white feathers. Their hook-like iron talons glinted coldly in the sunlight.

They flew in formation, patrolling the upper altitudes.

’What kind of Magical Beasts are those?’

Almost at the same instant Velin spotted them, the flock of giant white birds spotted him too.

"SCREEE—!"

They let out a series of sharp, piercing cries. Their loose formation instantly tightened, becoming like a moving storm cloud as they began to encircle Velin and Nefarian.

A powerful, oppressive pressure washed over them.

"Dive! Now!"

Velin gave the command without hesitation. He was no hot-headed fool.

They were far too numerous, and just from their size alone, he could tell each one was at least a Level 3 Magical Beast.

Fighting a flock of Flying Magical Beasts that held such an overwhelming advantage in the air would be sheer stupidity.

Receiving the command, Nefarian snapped its wings shut.

Its massive body accelerated, plummeting vertically toward the sea below!

The flock of giant white birds gave chase relentlessly, their sharp cries echoing behind them.

Several of the fastest giant birds dove down, opened their sharp beaks, and unleashed a volley of transparent Wind Blades—blades of compressed air that whistled as they slashed toward Velin’s back!

"Barrel roll left, evade!"

Nefarian understood instantly. Its massive body twisted sharply in mid-air, rolling sideways at an impossible angle.

Fortunately, the two had practiced plenty of aerial maneuvers recently, allowing them to narrowly dodge the dense barrage of Wind Blades.

Velin could even feel the sharp currents of air slicing past his cheek.

He didn’t panic, instead issuing another command.

"Into the clouds!"

Nefarian beat its wings to accelerate, plunging headfirst into a low-hanging cloud bank just before the next wave of attacks could hit.

They were instantly shrouded in a vast white mist, visibility dropping to almost zero.

After some time, the cries from behind them grew muffled, then faded into the distance.

Only then did Velin let out a small sigh of relief.

He quickly broke through the clouds. The azure sea expanded in his vision, a winding coastline now clearly visible.

Velin began to assess how far they had strayed from their flight path. He noticed a busy port nestled in a cove along the coastline below.

Tarry Port.

The image of a woman with long, silver hair instantly surfaced in Velin’s mind.

’Since it’s on the way,’ he thought, ’I might as well pay her a visit myself and deliver the bank draft from my pouch.’

He patted Nefarian’s neck, directing it toward the port.

...

Meanwhile, at the Golden Sail Commerce Association headquarters in Tarry Port.

In a luxurious office on the top floor, Caroline was drumming her fingers on the desk in frustration.

Her stunningly beautiful face was etched with displeasure.

"Are you telling me the mooring rights to the Pearl Island Chain were snatched away by the Sea Serpent Commerce Association?" Her voice was ice-cold, causing the branch manager standing before her desk to break out in a sweat.

"Yes, President." The manager’s face was flush with shame.

"The fee they offered was a full thirty percent higher than ours."

Caroline slammed her fist on the desk, making the inkwell jump.

"How did that pack of hyenas from the Sea Serpent Commerce Association, the kind who only dare to rob people in gutters, get the money to wage a price war against us!"

The manager hesitated before saying in a low voice, "President, the rumor is that the Sea Serpent Commerce Association has allied itself with the Pirate King, Blackbeard..."

"Enough!"

Caroline cut him off with a wave of her hand, dismissing him.

She was left alone in the massive office.

She walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at what should have been the Association’s busiest private docks.

But now, several ocean-faring cargo ships flying the Golden Sail banner were moored idly in their berths, going nowhere.

Without stopover ports for resupply, many of their long-distance shipping routes had to be rerouted.

Every day a ship sat idle was another day they were burning Golden Suns.

Every day the sailors sat idle, their morale would start to fray.

To support Velin’s plan in the Royal Capital, she had drained nearly all of the Association’s liquid capital, betting everything on him.

She’d won the bet, but the price was that the very foundation of the Golden Sail Commerce Association—its ocean fleet—was now being eroded by competitors.

’That bastard!’

’I wonder if he’s even sent the money yet!’

’Here I am, tearing my hair out holding down the fort for him, and what’s he doing? Living it up in the Royal Capital, probably wining and dining some noble lady under the moonlight!’

A surge of inexplicable anger rose in Caroline at the thought.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside the window.

A mixture of gasps, screams, and shouts was clearly audible even through the thick glass.

"What now?!" Caroline frowned.

A female assistant rushed in, her cheeks flushed. "President! You have to look outside!"

Before she could finish her sentence.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

The knocking was coming from the glass doors of the balcony.

"Pardon me, is Ms. Caroline Channing of the Golden Sail Commerce Association in?"

Caroline turned toward the sound of the voice.

Outside the glass doors, a familiar figure was smiling and greeting her.

The sunlight fell upon him, outlining his form in gold.

Behind him, a magnificent, grey-black beast was slowly folding its massive, leathery wings. The white mist of its breath stirred the fallen leaves on the balcony.

He and his mount looked like a Knight who had stepped right out of a heroic epic, instantly capturing the attention of the entire port.

In that moment, Caroline’s heart skipped a beat.