Chapter 237: The Servants
Kellar remained silent for a moment, analyzing the strengths of the Leviathan’s three former servants. However, his mind continued mapping the power dynamics of the entire territory.
"Little Green," asked Kellar, locking eyes with the bird’s golden gaze. "What about the Behemoth? Who are his guardians? I know that creature is still alive somewhere in the valley, even if we don’t know where he is hiding. His servants must be just as heavy and defensive."
The eagle closed her eyes, searching through the corners of the former Eagle King’s core.
"The Behemoth is the lord of earth and stone, master," revealed Little Green through their mental link. "His three guardians mirror his resilience and brute force."
Kellar nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
"The first is the Steel-Toothed Great Gorilla," explained the eagle. "He inhabits the stone forests to the west. His fangs and jaw can crush even refined bronze, and his hide repels physical attacks. His weaknesses are electric currents and venom targeting his joints. He is obsessed with fermented fruits and honey; the former Eagle King used to drop giant honeycombs for him to prevent him from tearing down his nesting trees."
"A juggernaut of physical power..." muttered Kellar. "Who are the other two?"
"The second is the Basalt-Plated Rhinoceros," proceeded Little Green. "A territorial beast that roams the lower hills. His body is encased in layers of volcanic rock fused into his hide, making him a battering ram immune to frontal impacts. His weakness is his lack of agility and poor eyesight; he is nearly blind and navigates through ground vibrations. He is drawn to the scent of mineral salt and sulfur veins."
The eagle paused before naming the last one.
"Finally, in the deep canyons, dwells the Granite Pangolin. He possesses the highest defensive capability among the local guardians; when curled into a ball, no ordinary weapon can pierce his stone scales. His weakness is high-pressure water and sonic attacks that resonate inside his shell. His secret is that he feeds on rare mineral veins, meaning locating his burrow is synonymous with discovering deposits of precious metals."
Kellar nodded, processing every detail before asking his question regarding the powers of the skies:
"And what of the servants of the Great Roc?"
"One of them was the former Eagle King whom you killed," revealed Little Green through their mental link. "The other two are the Golden-Crowned White Crane and the Shadow Falcon. The Crane rules over wind and healing arts from the northern snowy peaks; her weakness is her physical fragility. The Falcon, on the other hand, governs the night and air currents, operating as an assassin capable of blending into the shadows; his weakness is intense sunlight and fire-element mana bursts."
Kellar offered a smile. With the map of the Leviathan’s, the Behemoth’s, and the Great Roc’s guardians laid out in his mind, the Overlord tribe held a strategic advantage over the forces in the valley.
Kellar pressed further with curiosity:
"And what of their servants? Who follows them?"
Little Green shook her head, letting out a click from her beak.
"Of that, I know nothing, master. The old Eagle King never bothered to ask. He had zero interest in keeping servants; he was arrogant and tolerated no intruders in his domain."
Kellar nodded, fitting the pieces together in his mind.
"I see. So that is the layout of the forest... Is there anything else I should know?"
"According to the Eagle King’s memories, there is nothing else in this region," explained the bird, dropping her mental tone. "All the great beasts are forbidden from leaving the deep forest, without exception. However, several months’ journey from here, beyond the borders of this deep forest, lies a human settlement. It is the territory of a kingdom. The Great Dragon avoids going toward that area and demands that no one else approach it either. I do not know if some form of treaty or non-aggression pact exists; perhaps only the Greater Guardians are privy to that knowledge. Lesser beasts like the former Eagle King simply were not worthy of knowing such secrets."
Kellar rubbed his chin, staring out toward the horizon. The presence of a human kingdom several months away reshaped the long-term geopolitical landscape. For now, the isolation enforced by the Great Dragon granted him the window of time to consolidate power, advance his technology, and fortify the Overlord tribe before any contact with the outside world.
"Flawless intelligence," said Kellar, leaping into the transport basket alongside the silver-scaled fish. "Time to deliver this tribute to the Tiger King and get the limestone kilns burning."
Kellar and Little Green took to the skies once more, slicing through the air toward the Low Cliffs area. Within the giant bird’s talons hung the heavy transport basket, holding the Armored Silverscale fresh thanks to the ambient cold.
The journey took a couple of minutes from the clouds. Below, Mentz’s work crews continued advancing behind the steaming path Ignis cleared through the snow, forging ahead toward the limestone veins.
Little Green circled above the edge of the feline territory before gliding down, landing atop a cliff near where they had their initial encounter. The impact of her talons made the ice layer crack, and Kellar leaped to the ground before unhooking the basket.
Seconds later, the white blanket before them seemed to shift. The White Tiger King materialized, his golden eyes locking onto the wooden container before turning to Kellar.
"You return too soon, monkey," rumbled the beast in his cavernous voice, puffing clouds of vapor from his snout. "Have your workers finished cluttering my cliffs already?"
"We come not to bother, but to honor the etiquette of this valley," answered Kellar calmly, stepping aside to reveal the contents of the basket. "You mentioned your hunters required provisions during the Great Snowfall. Consider this the proof of our good faith."
The Tiger King took two steps forward, lowering his head to sniff the air. Upon identifying the metallic glint and scent of the Armored Silverscale—a deep-water prey uncatchable for a land-bound feline—the beast’s golden pupils dilated with surprise.
"An Armored Silverscale..." muttered the tiger, raising his gaze toward Little Green and then back to Kellar. "Creatures of the air do not usually share their river prey with hunters of the snow. You understand how rules work here, Shaman."
"In the Overlord tribe, we honor our pacts," said Kellar. "As long as my crews extract limestone and clay from the cliffs, the quota of cured meat and fish will continue to reach your domain without fail."
The Tiger King let out a huff that sounded like a nod of approval. He extended one of his paws and dragged the basket toward himself with ease.
"Your monkeys may chip away all the stone they desire," declared the feline sovereign, baring his fangs. "None of my hunters will touch a single hair on their heads as long as you keep this food flowing."