Chapter 33

However, Kinaine couldn't think deeper about it. Through the dense trees, he could see a large lake.

As expected, the magical beast was there too.

Grrrr.

Half-submerged in the lake, a giant toad rolled its bright yellow eyes.

Eyes bulging as if about to pop out. Dark green skin marked with strange patterns.

The magical beast, Grimtoad.

"Shh."

As soon as he spotted the magical beast, Kinaine covered Rahu's mouth with one hand and hid behind a tree. He bent down to whisper quietly in Rahu's ear.

"If you don't want to die, stay quiet."

Fortunately, Rahu was obedient. Kinaine carefully released him.

However, the moment their bodies separated, Rahu grabbed Kinaine's hand again.

"What are you?"

"I said be quiet."

"Why are you so hot?"

However, Kinaine's attention was entirely focused on the magical beast.

Not hearing Rahu's muttering, Kinaine watched the magical beast's movements from behind the tree. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have noticed them.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kinaine whispered to Rahu in a small voice.

"You really don't listen. Anyway, I have something I need to do. If you don't want to get hurt needlessly, get away from here. This is the last warning."

After finishing his words, Kinaine removed Rahu's hand that was still holding his wrist and climbed up the tree. His movements were as skilled as someone who had climbed trees all his life.

When he looked down again, Rahu was nowhere to be seen. It was fortunate he hadn't persisted in being stubborn until the end.

Having put that worry aside, Kinaine focused entirely on the magical beast.

"Whew."

He nocked an arrow to his bow and took a deep breath.

He had already faced this magical beast, Grimtoad, once before.

'I have quite a history with this one.'

Indeed, Kinaine had been able to become a special class mercenary because he had subjugated Grimtoad alone.

Of course, he hadn't fought Grimtoad alone from the start. It was just that he had no choice when the entire subjugation team except for Kinaine had died. Then as now, Kinaine was strong against bad luck, somehow preserving just his life in situations where others would surely have died.

Anyway, thanks to that, Kinaine knew this magical beast quite well.

Like its toad-like appearance, Grimtoad's body structure was also similar. Just as toads secrete mucus from their skin to float in water, Grimtoad's skin was also covered in slick mucus.

Though it didn't have hard scales or sharp spines like other magical beasts, it was equally difficult to handle. Because sword blades didn't easily penetrate the thick skin covered in mucus.

That was why the subjugation team had struggled against Grimtoad. Attacks with swords were difficult, and its long tongue covered densely with hook-like spines was extremely threatening.

The panicked mercenaries were helplessly slaughtered. More than half the mercenaries disappeared in an instant.

Finally, after countless sacrifices, they discovered this magical beast's weakness.

Since most of the subjugation team had died by the time the battle ended, that weakness wouldn't be known outside, but the single survivor, Kinaine, remembered the magical beast's weakness.

* * *

Grrrr.

Grimtoad rolled its large eyes as if searching for prey. Having been asleep for a long time, the magical beast was very hungry.

A magical beast's food was the fear and despair of living beings.

That's why magical beasts were different beings from monsters, though both were enemies of humans.

Monsters, like other living beings, ate, slept, and reproduced.

However, magical beasts existed for only one purpose.

Killing and destruction. And magical beasts fed on the fear and despair of living beings that resulted from this.

Grimtoad was no different.

Even now, a low, dark voice echoed in Grimtoad's mind.

'Kill.'

'Destroy.'

'Curse.'

That voice belonged to the being that had created all magical beasts.

Grimtoad did not resist this voice. It simply moved as the voice commanded.

Grimtoad turned its body to look for something to destroy.

Whoosh!

Just then, something flew toward Grimtoad's right eye.

Though Grimtoad rarely took damage from blades thanks to its tough skin covered in mucus, the eyes were different. They were the only vulnerable parts of Grimtoad's body.

Just as the quickly shot arrow was about to pierce the eye.

Grimtoad opened its huge mouth. The inside was black and deep like darkness without a single ray of light.

Thwack!

From inside, a tongue covered in hook-like spines shot out and knocked away the object flying toward it.

Clatter!

Under the powerful strike like being hit by a mace, the wooden arrow instantly shattered into pieces and rolled on the ground.

It was a very agile movement despite its massive body. Particularly its long tongue that moved freely was fast enough to pierce an opponent's body in the blink of an eye.

Grrrrrr!

A roar full of rage echoed.

To find and tear apart whatever had attacked it, Grimtoad swam toward land.

Just as Grimtoad emerged from the water.

"There it is!"

"Lord Ilya, there's a magical beast!"

Along with noisy shouts, figures appeared in a rush. About fifteen figures with ears and tails were heavily armed with armor and weapons.

"Protect Lord Ilya!"

The tailed tribe guards closed their formation slightly after confirming the magical beast, to protect the one in the middle.

"Ugh, disgusting."

The tailed tribe bride candidate, Ilya, frowned.

Even without the unpleasant energy the magical beast emitted, its hideous appearance made his skin crawl. Ilya, who had been of noble birth since birth, had never laid eyes on anything so horrific.

Raising his five glossy tails stiffly, Ilya shook his head.

"Magical beast hunting... what trouble is this because of that human? I really don't like this."

Ilya had been greedy since childhood. He had to know whatever he wanted to know, had to have whatever he wanted to have.

What such an Ilya had coveted since childhood was magic.

A power that could change the world's rules and order at will - who wouldn't desire it?

That was why he had decided to participate in the selection. Moreover, the dragon he actually saw was exceptionally beautiful in appearance and exactly the alpha Ilya had dreamed of, making him even more satisfied.

The problem was that human. He didn't know where they had drifted in from, but they had come and ruined everything.

Magical beast hunting. Who could have imagined they would have to take such a test?

Not hiding his displeasure at the magical beast's aura, Ilya gestured to his guards.

"Deal with it quickly. Prim will probably take the 10-point magical beast anyway. Let's just avoid disqualification in this test."

"Yes!"

Though the tailed tribe's hunting skills were excellent, they couldn't match the horned tribe in combat. Though it was disappointing not to take first place in the first test, there were other tests remaining where they could make up points.

"Everyone attack the beast's eyes! That's its weakness!"

The tailed tribe guards immediately identified the magical beast's weakness and began their attack.

However, this was actually their first time facing a magical beast too.

When magical beasts appeared, the guardian corps protecting that territory responded first. The guardian corps that existed for each tribe were elites trained to protect their territory, and didn't leave their territories.

Therefore, bride candidates' guards were made up of those not belonging to the guardian corps. Since they hadn't anticipated the danger of encountering magical beasts in the dragon's territory, they hadn't received any specific training for it.

"Kuhek!"

"C-careful! It's coming!"

"It's too fast! Aagh!"

After coming onto land, Grimtoad stayed in place and instantly struck down the guards using its long tongue. At a speed too fast to see, no one could properly respond.

"Wh-what are you doing! Can't you do this properly?"

When Ilya panicked and urged the guards, as if responding to that voice, the magical beast's pupils slowly moved.

"Hik!"

Ilya's face turned white as he made direct eye contact with the magical beast. He tried to flee quickly but in his panic, his feet tangled.

"Aak!"

Grimtoad opened its mouth toward the fallen Ilya.

"Lord Ilya!"

The guards who grasped the situation screamed. It looked like the magical beast would cut Ilya in two with its horrible tongue at any moment.

Just then.

Whoosh!

Another arrow flew from somewhere.

However, had it been a mistake? The arrow missed the magical beast's weak point, the eye, by a large margin and headed toward its body instead.

"Ah..."

Despair settled in Ilya's eyes.

Grimtoad didn't dodge the arrow flying toward it. Because it knew that would cause no damage to its skin.

Instead, the cunning magical beast checked the direction the arrow had come from. A tall tree was reflected in its large eyes. Around it, unnaturally falling leaves could be seen.

Having confirmed the hidden enemy's location, Grimtoad kept its mouth open and raised its head.

Just as its tongue, more threatening than any weapon, was about to shoot out.

Whoosh!

Grimtoad's body caught fire.