Tepo's face was pale. He pressed his body against the ground.
What… was this?
Suddenly a flurry of steps reached the young man's ears. Frightened roars rang out. Tepo was shocked. He buried his body into a ditch, peeking out carefully.
A cloud of dust appeared in Tepo's vision. The ground shook lightly as multiple beasts fled chaotically in panic. Tepo's eyes opened wide. He hastily pulled his head down, trying to make his body as small as possible.
A moment later dust covered the warrior's body. Beasts ran in terror all around him. Fortunately, none of them cared for the human right now. They only focused on getting away.
Gradually the steps grew quieter as the dust settled. A cough rang out. Tepo stood up again, smiling wryly as he patted his tattered clothes.
Dirty and bloodied the warrior didn't let the panicking beasts deter him. He carefully followed a natural path on the hillside. Roots cracked and stones rolled down from time to time but Tepo didn't meet with any big danger while slowly circling the small mountain.
Booming noises echoed through the bleak landscape, gradually getting louder.
Suddenly Tepo drew a sharp breath as he passed another big boulder. The palace he had been searching for finally fell into his eyes. And to the young man's surprise it was still in pristine condition.
But maybe this would change soon. The energy barrier surrounding the palace was covered by visible waves as a result of angry attacks.
A massive beast faced the palace built into a cliffside.
This. How? This beast has to be hundreds of meters in height…
Tepo shuddered as he mustered the gigantic predator. Standing on four legs rivalling the Web's tower in height and thickness, its black and red skin radiated danger. A broad tail hung to the ground, looking like an oversized piece of bork.
Its upper body stood erect with two massive, clawed arms and a row of black scales going down its back. Rage filled growls came from a toothless red beak on its thin face.
Tepo's chest tightened as he felt the beast's anger. Pressure filled the surroundings, suppressing all other beasts. This massive monster was definitely the apex predator in a large territory.
But I feel like I have seen this monster on the map. It shouldn't be close to the palace. What happened?
Suddenly a voice reached Tepo's ears as if to answer the young man's question. Mad laughter echoed out:
"Hahaha. Look at it! So big yet so stupid.
Hey! Little beast. We are here! Come and get us! HAHAHA!"
Tepo gulped as his eyes fell on the palace's balcony. From his position he could observe a burly man madly taunting the beast. Muscles bulged on his thick arm as he threw some object at the beast.
A woman stood behind him. From her pointing arms she was most likely berating the man, about to drag him into the palace.
The beast's eyes were filled with hate from the provocation. It raised its massive claw and swung down.
The energy barrier vibrated heavily, but it endured.
Not far away Tepo hid his body behind the boulder, contemplating his next steps.
What should I do now? Is it wise to enter the palace? Should I wait for my time protection to recover? Will I find allies or enemies in there?
The young man's forehead was wrinkled. He wasn't sure what the best course of action might be. But after a few seconds the warrior decided to try his luck in the palace.
He knew that risk brought rewards and experiences. In this world fraught with warriors, backing down was the first step to standing still.
Taking a deep breath Tepo scouted his surroundings. He counted on the madman to keep the beast distracted as he began taking a small detour.
Climbing over low cliffs the warrior went further up the hill for a bit. He soon reached a broad path. At its end the palace could already be seen in all its majesty.
Tall, snow-white spires reached into the air. Artful windows and murals sculpted by skillful masters adorned the wide walls. Even the garden was still only partially destroyed by some roots.
It would've been a picturesque scene worthy of an emperor if it weren't for the constantly vibrating energy barrier telling of the empire's situation.
Tepo sighed at the sheer luxury before his eyes as he walked towards the palace.
Suddenly all the hairs on Tepo's body stood on end. A shower ran down his back. His instincts screamed danger. The warrior immediately activated his [Chaotic Evasion].
Something black flashed through the air. It was way too fast for Tepo to evade. If this object reached him, his life would end immediately.
Fortunately, Tepo was already close to the palace. The energy barrier reacted to the attack. A white light shot out, deviating the black object's trajectory.
The entire mountain shook. Debris flew through the air. A small shockwave spread as rocks rolled down, a part of the cliff cut of entirely.
Slowly a black scale separated from the dust cloud and floated back to the beast.
Tepo didn't register anything of these. His body was in panic mode as he sprinted towards the palace. Only as he arrived before the massive wooden gate did the warrior turn around. His eyes shook, sweat pouring down his body as he looked at the destruction caused by the beast's attack.
F*ck!
The young man only had this one thought in his mind. He realized that he underestimated the beast. His lacking experience showed itself in these moments.
Only luck saved my life this time. But how often can I be lucky?! I have to remember not to treat high-level beings with normal standards!
Panting irregularly the young man did his best to get over the shock. A few seconds later he closed his eyes and opened them again, his focus restored.
Tepo kept his vigilance up as he entered the palace.
From close up the imposing building told a different tale. The massive gate stood open as a few hinges were lose. Marks of fighting covered the surroundings.
Tepo looked around as he entered an opulent hall. Finely crafted doors stood towards the left and right of a big double staircase. It framed another massive wooden door adorned with golden decorations.
Steps echoed in the hall as the warrior advanced on the stone floor covered in fine cracks. Since he had earlier seen people on the balcony, the young man decided to meet them directly. He went up the stairs, his eyes trailing the broken wooden railings.
Faced with the option of entering a door to the left or right Tepo didn't contemplate unnecessarily. He went towards the right, entering a large hallway. Past a few doors another set of stairs led upwards. Discussions already reached Tepo's ears as he made his way through the palace.
Within a large room multiple groups of people had gathered. An obvious division could be made out between a ragtag group of warriors and two dozen disciplined soldiers.
The luxurious room was mostly occupied by a long dining table. Its smooth surface was damaged in many places and some of the expensive chairs were shattered on the ground.
At its end sat two warriors, their faces every so often turning to the big glass door leading outside as they argued.
"Lao Ru! Get your brother under control! He's going to kill us all!"
A rough, stern face turned towards the man in silvern, metallic armor:
"My brother is his own person. He has his own ideas."
Suddenly a fist hit the table. The armored man gritted his teeth. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"B*stard. You think I don't know about you guys? It's well know that your brother only listens to you. Are you so eager to die?!"
Suddenly two pairs of steps sounded out. A man and woman entered from the balcony.
"Hey! Phirr! Are you insulting my brother?!"
Lao Ru only shrugged his shoulders as he met his opposite's fire-spewing eyes.
As tensions rose a surprisingly deep female voice chimed in:
"Lao De! If you think you're so tough I will kick your ass out! Let's see if you are still brave enough to provoke the beast then!"
Turning around, Lao De stared at the white armored woman behind him:
"Yeah? Come on, try it!"
The other warriors in the room watched the argument with varying expressions. But no one dared to interrupt as those four people were the strongest in the room.
Just as hands began to reach for weapons, more steps sounded out. The room's wooden door was pushed open. A figure appeared in everyone's eyes.
The four leaders turned their heads in surprise. They studied the newcomer.
A tattered black coat with a missing sleeve. Ripped open clothes stained with dust and blood. From his appearance the newcomer fit right in with the ragtag group of warriors. Only the confident smile on his face raised some eyebrows amongst the crowd.