As Mane and the twins walked deeper into the Inner Region, Mane was finally able to sense two formidable auras ahead. The fact that he could sense them meant that they were within a 100 meter radius. The auras were closer to each other than he expected. It was more like the two Mythic Classes lived here together. Initially Mane thought they were close to each other. So he would quickly deal with one and then go handle the other one in its hideout. But he was wrong. The auras were similar, and from how close they were to each other it was more probable that they were mates.
"The Magical Beasts you said were close by, are they mates?" Mane asked Hildegarde.
"What? Mates? Why would you say that?" Hildegarde had a perplexed look on her face as she spoke.
"Well, their auras are very similar to each other. The only difference is that one is full of masculine energy and the other's aura is feminine." From Hildegarde's words and her tone Mane was able to tell that she was genuinely surprised with the discovery.
"I see. I can only sense their presence. I cannot sense the intricacies of their auras to be able to tell which is male and which is female." Hildegarde explained.
"I thought that they were in a standoff and would fight soon so…" she continued and trailed off.
"So that I can just hide and let them wear themselves out before quickly finishing them off and reaping the rewards," Mane smiled and guessed. Hildegarde nodded her head upon hearing Mane's words. That was exactly what she was thinking. Although a Mythic Class wouldn't be enough to hurt Mane, with the twins by his side it was going to be difficult to go all out. Take a wrong step, and the twins could die. So Hildegarde suggested what she thought was the most feasible thing.
"But you said they are mates?" Hildegarde asked.
"Yes. Their auras bear some resemblance to each other. And their auras are very serene. Clearly they enjoy each other's company." Mane explained. Speaking to Hildegarde about this allowed him to understand just how amazing Scholars were. Hildegarde could only sense the strength of the creatures around her and get a vague feel of their aura. Mane however, could do much more. Although he couldn't sense the strength and aura of every creature since Scout had a limit of a 100 meters, Scout was so detailed that he was able to identify similar species and even differentiate the genders. As long as he got stronger as a Scholar, Scout's circle of influence would increase, and things would be much better for him.
"I see. I finally understand why people envy yet fear Scholars so much," Hildegarde sighed and said. She hadn't really experienced the abilities of a Scholar before meeting Mane since Scholars were so rare. Plus, she would hardly be given the rights to such a Tested since she was a Low Ranked Fairy. So she didn't really understand how their skills worked. However, from what she had seen so far, be it Scout which made it difficult for anyone within a 100 meter radius to hide from Mane; Lock-On, which was letting Mane talk to her in the presence of the twins without their knowledge; or even Words of Power which had so much potential to be a deadly asset, Scholars were an impressive bunch.
"Mm. If I could tap into my Spiritualist skills I could have just hidden the twins with a lease and then gone off to deal with those two Mythic Classes." Mane chuckled bitterly.
"I don't know what you're so concerned about. You can easily ambush the two beasts, and kill one in the process. That way you would be able to deal with the other one pretty easily." Hildegarde shrugged and stated nonchalantly. If Mane was right and the two beasts were mates, it would be 5 times harder to face both of them at once than it would be to face them individually. The reason was simple. Since they were mates, they surely fought together and had great coordination and understanding with each other. That would make them several times stronger fighting as a unit than fighting as individuals.
"You say that like it is easy," Mane mumbled. Although he could handle a Mythic Class, it wasn't that easy to ambush one. Their acute senses and instincts made it difficult for one to get the better of them in an ambush.
"It is easy. If you use your full strength instead of trying to show them your techniques, it would be easy. At least dual wield if you wouldn't do anything else." Hildegarde snapped back.
Mane was silenced by her words. She was right in saying that as long as he went all out he would be able to finish things quickly. But he wanted the twins to see his techniques in action. It was better for them to see him using them in battle than for him to just pass it on to them in a safe environment. The former would help them to be able to easily integrate his techniques and make them their own faster, whilst the latter wasn't as effective a method as the former.
"I know you want to help them, but what happens if they get hurt because you refused to do everything in your power?" Hildegarde argued as she tried to unsettle Mane and get him to give it everything he had.
Mane turned to look at the twins who were walking with him. Both of them had small smiles on their faces as they reveled in the euphoria of becoming wielders. Lam's eyes were especially bright, and his gaze was filled with determination. Lily wasn't as hungry for power, but her smiling face caused Mane's heart to clench. What would he do if he couldn't see the twins smiling again? Especially if they got hurt or worse, died, because of him? He certainly wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
"You're right," Mane nodded his head and unsheathed his second light sword. He twirled both weapons in his hand with the movements and grace of a sword master as he recalled the teachings he had soaked up from his masters, the 7th and the 8th. The 7th was an expert of the sword whilst 8th was a master of blades.
Mane took a few deep breaths and conditioned himself. In less than a minute, his aura had spiked. His cold eyes were filled with the dominance of a king, and his power could be felt within his surroundings. The twins were taken aback by Mane's change. One minute he was docile and calm, yet in the next he was sharp and wild like an unsheathed blade. They could feel the power of Mane's aura. It felt as though they were several small swords the size of needles pricking their skins. Both of them involuntarily took a few steps back. Every creature within a 100 meter radius could feel the power of Mane's aura. The dominance of his aura was akin to that of a king who had no equal. It was an aura of dominance and challenge. It dominated every creature nearby, and they fled for their lives. They could feel a big battle coming and didn't want to be caught up in it. As for the challenge, it was issued to the absolute rulers of this region. Every Mythic Class Magical Beast was proud, and each of them had their own territory. Mane releasing his aura in such an unbridled way was nothing but a challenge.
"What are you doing? How would you be able to ambush them if you let your aura go wild like that? Do you want them to know you are here?" Hildegarde was flustered. What Mane was doing wasn't what she had suggested.
"Yes. I want them to know I am here. I would not fight a beast in its habitat. That's the basics of war. It is better to draw them out." Mane replied calmly.
"What about the twins?" Hildegarde asked.
"Nothing would happen to them. I would make sure of that. After all, I am going all out. Although these swords aren't quite up to standard, so they may possibly break after I unleash the Prideful Sword and Bloodied Blades techniques."
Less than 70 meters away from Mane's position was the dwelling place of a pair of Mythic Class Magical Beasts. These Magical Beasts were of the same species and people knew them as Apex Monkeys. They were large, towering over several other beasts with a height of nearly 4 meters. However, among Mythic Classes, this was nothing impressive. But Apex Monkeys weren't weak. They were powerful, agile with limitless stamina, had intelligence that seemed almost human and were highly ferocious. Amongst Mythic Classes, they were at the very top. Their skills, Speed Boost and Diamond Body, weren't as domineering as other skills but were very practical. They were capable of smashing apart any obstacle, and even Tigers formed part of this troupe. These beasts were usually lazy and didn't care to move a muscle, yet they had a side to them that many didn't know off. They were thirsty for challenges!
Unlike many Magical Beasts that hunted humans for food, Apex Monkeys just loved the thrill of a good fight. As long as they saw the chance for a good battle, they would take it even at the risk of their lives. And that was what was happening right now.
The two Apex Monkeys were lying lazily on their backs when they suddenly felt a strong aura explode from within their territory. Their drowsy eyes snapped open as their auras spiked upwards like a volcano. Their auras paled in comparison to the one they felt, yet all they felt was excitement.
*Roar*
They felt a surge of excitement and weren't able to contain their voices any longer. With powerful roars they dashed towards the location of the aura that forcefully shook them out of their sleep, intent on getting a good battle. After all, that was what they lived for. That was how they grew stronger and it was their only path to evolution. But if they failed, at least they would be comforted knowing that they
Died trying!