[Rampaging Mutant Monsters!]
Rating: A
Description: Mutant monsters within the demon realm are exhibiting unusual behavior. Especially in the west of Rehinar, mutant monsters have already appeared, unlike in other places. The hostility of the Blood Tigers, in particular, is soaring. Stop the rampaging mutant monsters to stabilize Rehinar.
Reward for Success: Next chapter unlocked, new character unlocked, +10 million gold
Penalty for Failure: Rehinar's reputation drop, bankruptcy
—
"I thought the quest would come tomorrow or the day after. Is it because of this thing?" Kane looked down at the egg he was holding.
A pure-blooded Blood Tiger. A rare evil breed, born perhaps once every few hundred years.
Whomever it serves, will be in danger.
The entire Blood Tiger tribe has borne their fangs towards Rehinar.
"It's not bad that we can end this rampage earlier than expected."
He closed the quest window and turned to Sara.
"It's time for action."
"Huh? Where to?"
"You'll know if you follow me."
Before leaving the training ground, Kane called for Vice Commander Fabi.
"Vice Commander Fabi."
At his low call, Fabi Scheider appeared before him.
"Yes, sir."
"Even if something happens to the territory, the Guardian Knights must not go anywhere."
"Even if the Sir Cedric commands it?"
"I have already informed Sir Cedric."
"Is something going to happen in the territory?"
"It will get quite noisy." After saying that Kane started moving away.
Sara, unable to understand his words, called out to Kane.
"Brother, wait a moment. You need to explain in detail before you go!"
Despite her call, Kane didn't stop. She had no choice but to follow him.
Watching the two depart, Fabi and the Guardian Knights spoke among themselves.
"I can't understand what the Young Master is thinking."
"Wasn't he easier to understand before he changed?"
"Back then, what he was thinking was always clear."
"But… what could be happening in the territory?"
Fabi pointed to the youngest member of the Guardian Knights.
"You, find out what's going on."
"Leave it to me!"
A ponytailed Guardian Knight disappeared, following Kane and Sara.
* * *
When Kane arrived at the western territory, the guard captain Eric hurriedly ran over.
"Sir, I have a report!"
"Have the mutant monsters reached nearby?"
"There are quite a few of them."
"Blood Tigers and Dark Tribe Goblins… they've come in large numbers."
The thick fog that once obscured everything had significantly thinned out, revealing the mutant monsters. There were easily over 200 of them.
"Why are there so many in Rehinar!?" Sara was astonished, unable to close her mouth.
Kane turned to her and asked, "Can you handle them?"
"The Dark Tribe Goblins, maybe. But the Blood Tigers… that's too much."
The Dark Tribe Goblins were classified as a Beginner 3rd class monsters.
But to subdue a Blood Tiger, they need Mid-Tier 3rd Class or higher. It was tough enough to handle one, let alone a hundred of each. There were just too many.
"Don't worry about the Blood Tigers. They're injured and can't exert their full strength."
The Blood Tigers were already covered in wounds from the attack by Dark Sentinels. Despite their difficulty moving, they had come all the way here.
"And the Blood Tigers aren't enemies; they will soon to be allies."
"Explain it so I can understand."
"You'll just have to stay patient"
Kane smiled brightly. Despite the 200 mutant monsters before him, he wasn't tense at all.
'The Blood Tigers didn't come to attack Rehinar. They came to protect this egg. The egg has an awareness even before hatching. We can use this to turn the Blood Tigers to our side.'
With that, only the 100 Dark Tribe Goblins would be left. Although more would continue to come, the western territory could be easily managed. The main threat of the first rampage was just the Blood Tigers.
"Guard captain."
"Yes!"
"Inform the guards at the north and south gates."
"Tell them to defend, but if they can't hold out, retreat."
"Pardon?"
Eric, thinking he had misheard, asked again.
"You heard correctly."
"Should I really deliver this message?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
As Eric was about to leave, Sara also became busy.
"Guard captain, head to the south gate. I'll deliver the message to the north gate."
"Yes!"
Sara kicked off the ground and ran toward the north gate. There was no time to stop her.
"That's the reaction I expected."
[Status: Curious~]
The egg in Kane's arms wiggled.
"That one is different from me. She resembles Duke Carl. That's why she sacrificed herself to get engaged to that useless Rivan Dyer."
Kane descended the stairs below the castle wall.
"She'll grit her teeth and fight the mutant monsters, without thinking about her own body."
[Egg: So?]
For the first time, the egg spoke. Kane, seeing the status window, continued coldly.
"She'll eventually collapse. She might be able to handle around 50, but over 100 is too much. The demon forest isn't an easy place for someone who just reached Mid-Tier 3rd Class, like Sara."
There was a reason the quest was rated A-grade.
When he was Ray, the powerful military strength of Hatzfeld easily dealt with the mutant monsters.
But Rehinar was different. There was no powerful military, nor were there proper soldiers.
[Egg: Won't you help?]
"Someone else will help, not me."
[Egg: Who? Who?]
"It's a secret."
[Status: Angryyyyy]
It was a very curious creature. It immediately reacted to Kane's teasing.
"Besides, the Blood Tigers are desperately looking for you."
[Egg: Save all my kin. Then I'll let you tame them as you wish.]
When the topic was changed, the egg quickly responded.
"That's not a bad deal."
Reading Kane's thoughts, the egg proposed the deal first.
* * *
Kane stood outside the west gate. He carefully took the egg out from his arms and placed it on the ground.
[Egg's Status: Excitement]
The dark energy and demonic aura within the demon forest gradually flowed into the egg. The egg started to twitch and move.
"Let's finish this quickly."
Kane used his front teeth to inflict a wound on his finger.
[Blue Tiger's Breath has been activated.]
The blood mark gathered around his right hand.
"Blood Sword."
This Blood Sword was different from before. The Blood Sword technique involved using liquid to slash, or cut, or project a sharp energy toward the enemy.
But now, something was different. Blood was concentrating in his right hand. The condensed energy began to take form.
[Status: Surprised!]
The egg shuddered at the sight of the fully formed red sword. It was as if it was seeing something it had long forgotten.
"It feels like I'm drawing on my lifespan."
Kane smirked bitterly as he muttered to himself. The sword, created from the blood mark, radiated powerful energy.
"Who's gonna come first?" he said, pointing the Blood Sword forward.
The Blood Tigers lowered their bodies in response to the sword made from the Blood Mark.
"Stay like that if you don't want to die." Kane said to the goblins
The Dark Tribe Goblins felt threatened by the chilling energy emanating from the Blood Sword.
"Kiik!"
Some of the Dark Tribe Goblins drew their bowstring toward Kane. With a 'thwack,' the arrow, imbued with dark mana, soared through the air
"Blood Sword."
Kane swung the Blood Sword toward the sky. Wisps of blood dispersed in all directions, neutralizing the dark arrows.
Now it was Kane's turn to attack.
"Blood Flame."
[Warning! You have used an unacquired skill.]
The swords of blood transformed into flames and exploded among the mutant monsters.
Boom!
The front line was in chaos. The bodies of mutant monsters were scattered everywhere.
[You have flawlessly executed the unacquired skill 'Blood Flame'.]
[You have achieved a remarkable feat.]
[Warning! You have not completed the promotion quest for the hidden class Blood Knight and therefore have not fully acquired Blood Flame.]
So what if he hadn't acquired the skill? If he killed all the mutant monsters here, the promotion quest would be automatically completed.
[Quest: Who is the demon, and who is the savior!]
Difficulty: Extreme
Description: The Gods of the Celestial Realm began a purification process on the continent, deeming humanity evil. A Blood Knight appeared and disrupted the gods' plans, bringing stability to the continent after defeating the gods. However, a dormant threat is now stirring. Fight against this threat.
Reward for Success: Promotion to the hidden Class: Blood Knight, Blood Mark will be promoted to Blood Bond.
Penalty for Failure: Blood Knight promotion failure, story progression difficulty extreme, hostility from all families.
"Hah…"
He wiped out about 50 monsters in one go. In exchange, his mana was instantly depleted.
Having used such a powerful skill, he now had no mana.
Kane quickly began replenishing his empty mana.
"I guess I'll have to endure until my mana recovers."
Kane stomped the ground forcefully and leapt forward.
Kane soared through the air, bringing down his Blood Sword with immense power.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion reverberated through the midst of the mutant monsters. As Kane descended from the air, the Blood Sword struck the ground with a powerful impact, sweeping away the surrounding monsters.
"Kiik!"
"Kiik kiik!"
A warrior goblin about 2.5 meters tall, nearly as big as an orc, stood there growling at Kane.
Its fist, as large as a cauldron lid, swung toward Kane.
Thud!
But Kane wasn't about to take the hit. He ducked down and drove the Blood Sword into the warrior goblin's chest.
Thunk.
The Blood Sword instantly severed the warrior goblin's life.
The Dark Tribe Goblins shrieked in fury at Kane's intrusion. A shaman goblin waved its staff, and a small orb formed at its tip before shooting toward Kane.
"Annoying," Kane muttered.
He took cover behind a large warrior goblin's body.
Using the fallen goblin's body as a shield, Kane blocked the shaman goblin's attack. The corpse was riddled with holes after stopping ten dark orbs.
Slash.
Kane discarded the now useless corpse and sought another shield. The shaman goblin's dark orbs had shredded the warrior goblin's body, leaving the other goblins fuming with rage.