As the menacing aura drew closer, Fars did not hastily take to the skies. Instead, he gently flapped his wings to hover in mid-air. Feeling that this position was still somewhat precarious, he moved to the center of the cold pool, giving himself ample space to react to the approaching threat.
Under normal circumstances, Fars would have fled at the sight of such a clearly high-level magical beast. However, this time was different; he genuinely liked this place. If he fled in a hurry without even seeing the creature, he would have to remain on edge for future visits. For now, he felt secure, having discerned from the distant sounds that it was a non-flying beast. Moreover, his strength had significantly improved compared to before; he now had the capability to fight even against ordinary high-level magical beasts.
Fars typically preferred to avoid such laborious and time-consuming confrontations. After all, high-level magical beasts were formidable, and if he were to fall victim to one, it would be disastrous. Engaging in battle with them would undoubtedly create a ruckus, potentially attracting other beasts looking to take advantage of the situation. Even if he emerged victorious, he would likely be exhausted. Therefore, unless in special circumstances or if his strength increased dramatically, Fars would not actively provoke them.
As he pondered, the furious magical beast had arrived. Just as Fars had suspected, this cold pool was indeed its territory. However, since he had discovered such a prime location, he felt compelled to assert his claim. If the opponent proved strong, Fars wouldn't mind using the encounter to prove his own existence.
To his surprise, the beast was quite small compared to typical high-level magical beasts. However, it was still a massive creature in comparison to Fars. It sported a pair of horns resembling those of a goat, but its head was as fierce as that of a tiger. The scales on its back reflected a chilling light under the moon.
With Fars's current knowledge, he could not identify this creature. Hybrid mutations among magical beasts were common, leading to the emergence of unusual monsters that often went unnamed. However, if rare materials could be harvested from such a creature, it would inevitably attract the attention of hunters, and the beast would eventually earn a name among humans.
From mere observation, Fars still could not determine what type of magical beast this was. However, he noted that it had approached with surprising speed and minimal noise, indicating that it was quite fast—much faster than Fars. Of course, if Fars took to the air, he would likely outpace it.
Fars found agile magical beasts particularly troublesome, primarily because he struggled to match their speed, making hunting them quite challenging. Such creatures were typically very alert; even if Fars concealed his presence well, he would easily be detected as he approached.
While Fars scrutinized the unknown beast, it glared back at him with ferocity. Yet, Fars hovered above the water's surface, a good twenty to thirty meters from the shore, leaving the beast in a bit of a bind. It had rushed over in anger to eliminate this intruder in its territory, but now it found itself facing an opponent that could fly and was unwilling to leave.
Although the beast was not afraid of water, its speed—essential for survival—would be hampered in the pool. Furthermore, if it launched an attack, it would be forced to confront Fars in the air, complicating matters further. For now, it opted not to attack, wary of alarming other creatures. Fortunately, while the aura emanating from Fars was dark and bothersome, it was not overwhelmingly powerful.
The beast might have understood what a human was, but it clearly did not comprehend what a winged creature was. In its eyes, Fars was simply an annoying monster.
Fars, too, was reluctant to strike first. It was evident that if he initiated an attack, the beast would pursue him relentlessly. Moreover, if he left this relatively safe area, he would be met with a storm of attacks.
Now that he understood this territory belonged to the beast, things became simpler. Just as he had hoped, the creature seemed unable to approach him directly in the water, so it would not foolishly leap in to attack.
With this knowledge, Fars felt emboldened and adopted a haughty demeanor, casting a sidelong glance at the beast. The creature, not to be outdone, glared back at Fars, seemingly wishing it could pounce and devour him.
The situation grew somewhat awkward. Fars shifted his position slightly, rising higher to gain a better vantage point over the beast. This only served to infuriate the creature further, causing it to emit low growls and stomp its feet, startling birds a hundred meters away into flight.
Fars found this satisfying; easily enraged beasts were far simpler to deal with than cunning ones. He planned to return frequently, thinking of ways to eliminate it. After all, the esteemed Lord Fars could not bathe here while worrying about being spied on by wild beasts.
As night wore on, Fars decided not to prolong the standoff. He was eager to clean himself up and enjoy a refreshing bath. After all, vampires had all the time in the world. There would be plenty of opportunities to deal with the beast later; if necessary, he could return daily to harass it until it succumbed.
Generally, magical beasts with defined territories did not wander far, making them difficult to locate. It was fortunate that this one had chosen such a prime spot; with it around, other beasts were unlikely to disturb the area. Thus, Fars was disinclined to engage in a life-or-death battle just yet.
The unknown dangers were always the most terrifying. If the beast's presence were removed, other magical creatures might invade the area. If Fars were to return here one day without sufficient caution, he could easily find himself in dire straits.
With a casual flap of his wings, Fars soared into the sky, casually loosing an arrow at the beast. Enraged, it charged after him, but it was clear it could not keep up. Ultimately, it could only let out frustrated roars, causing a commotion in the area. However, this was merely a release of its anger and had no real effect on Fars.
As the furious beast began to retreat, Fars quietly circled back. He needed to ascertain whether this beast's lair was nearby, which would facilitate future plans to set traps for it.
The enraged creature, not particularly intelligent, failed to notice Fars's return. Once again, it unwittingly acted as a guide, leading Fars to its lair.
Fars was astonished at how adept this beast was at finding a suitable location. Its den was situated in a small valley, several miles from the cold pool, and appeared even more inviting. There were no towering ancient trees, making the area feel open and spacious. Low shrubs dominated the valley's vegetation, and the sound of leaves rustling in the night breeze was quite pleasing to Fars—provided the incessant growling of the beast was absent.
To Fars's surprise, there was not just one beast in the valley. It seemed that upon hearing its companion return, a chorus of roars echoed from within, as if responding to the creature Fars had been tracking.
This discovery sent a chill down Fars's spine. Thankfully, he had circled back to investigate the situation; otherwise, if two beasts had ambushed him unexpectedly, he would have been in serious trouble.
However, Fars was still curious and wanted to investigate further. If the creature's companion turned out to be equally powerful, he would have to avoid the cold pool altogether.
Due to the lack of tall cover in the valley, Fars found it easy to observe the happenings within. Another creature emerged, resembling the one from the cold pool but significantly larger. It appeared to be a pair; the one he had encountered earlier was likely the female. Fars couldn't help but feel relieved. If a more aggressive beast had been present at the cold pool, it might have charged at him without hesitation, leaving no room for stealthy reconnaissance.
This larger beast seemed to be in poor condition, limping as it emerged. A long sword wound marred its sharp horns, and one of its eyes was tightly shut. Fars was certain that this injury had been inflicted by humans; while magical beasts could deal severe damage, they could not replicate the precise cuts made by swords.
The wound appeared relatively fresh. Had adventurers passed through recently?
If a group had managed to injure two high-level magical beasts without killing them, they must have been a capable team adept at hunting such creatures. However, they likely encountered these two beasts by chance and had to retreat after failing to secure a kill. As for whether they had suffered any losses, Fars could not say.
This valley did not seem to be a battlefield, as there were no signs of fierce combat among the surrounding trees and terrain.
Regardless of the outcome, Fars needed to ascertain whether there were humans nearby. Vampires could view humans as food, and humans often hunted vampires. The stakes between them were even sharper than those between magical beasts and humans.
Fortunately, Fars always disposed of the bodies of the magical beasts he hunted, ensuring no traces remained to alert humans to his presence.
To be safe, he decided to patrol the area. If the adventurers were still nearby, he would need to avoid them or find a way to eliminate them. If they stumbled upon evidence of a vampire's presence, they would undoubtedly investigate, exposing Fars's whereabouts.
Fars hoped to avoid such a scenario. However, he was not inclined to hide indefinitely. Human blood was an immense temptation. Fars was not like those primitive magical beasts; if direct confrontation was not feasible, he would find a way to outsmart them.
Time was running short. After weighing the risks, Fars decided not to linger. Under the cover of moonlight, he swiftly returned to his lair.
Appendix: Classification of Magical Beasts
Savage Beasts (can be dealt with by ordinary hunters, though some are quite ferocious)
Low-level Magical Beasts
Mid-level Magical Beasts
High-level Magical Beasts
Top-tier Magical Beasts
Lord-level Magical Beasts
The strength of magical beasts varies significantly by species. Ordinary high-level magical beasts can contend with human professionals around levels six or seven, while some with strong bloodlines or mutations can overpower several level six or seven humans or even reach level eight. Top-tier magical beasts possess considerable intelligence and can rival human level nine professionals. Lord-level magical beasts are rare; they have fully evolved and can transform into human forms, akin to legendary beings. However, only those with exceptionally strong bloodlines have a chance to reach this level. Dragons and phoenixes are known to produce the most lord-level magical beasts. The strength of mage professions cannot be easily compared to other professions and can only be assessed in actual combat. Even legendary figures are wary of being struck by the instant-death spells cast by mid- to high-level mages, as these spells often have a chance of bypassing defenses. Generally, once a mage reaches a high level, possesses a solid magical shield, and can take to the skies, it is common for them to eliminate several level six or seven warriors.