CHAPTER 103

"Is it really here?"

"Yes, it is. The scouts have already confirmed it. This morning, a considerable number of the Royal Guard, including Tiger King Yul, were seen moving."

"Hehehe! I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when we ambush them."

Nairward, the second commander of the Fury tribe, chuckled gleefully at the imminent situation.

A few days ago, a report from a spy planted in Anthromorph had caused quite a stir in Fury.

The report stated that the Anthromorph tribe was gathering materials for the Fire Breath Pill to attack the Deathworm colony.

When Nairward heard that the preparations were almost complete and the attack was imminent, he couldn't help but clap his hands in excitement.

He saw this as the perfect opportunity to completely overturn the stagnant war situation with Anthromorph.

'The foolish other commanders say it's pointless to provoke Tiger King Yul while he's doing nothing, but... Hmph! What nonsense. If they actually settle down and build a city, it will lead to our downfall in the long run. Why can't they see that?'

Fury operated as a federation system with six commanders.

Each of them led their own army, so no one person could monopolize the decision-making, unlike in Anthromorph.

Nairward was always dissatisfied with this point.

He believed that Fury's inability to expand further despite its current strength and size was due to the other commanders' foolish and complacent attitudes.

'But if I can bring back Tiger King Yul's head and proudly present it, the other commanders will have no choice but to follow my lead.'

Nairward had one clear goal.

To place Fury under his control and ultimately become the king of all beastmen!

While his aim might seem similar to what Anthromorph claimed, his pursuit was purely driven by a desire for power.

'And now, the first step towards that goal is about to be realized.'

As Nairward and his subordinates approached, trying to conceal their presence as much as possible, he narrowed his eyes in determination.

'There they are!'

Nairward and his fighters discovered Tiger King Yul and Anthromorph's proud Royal Guard engaged in a fierce battle against the Deathworms.

Boom!

Rumble...

'Damn... he is skilled.'

Nairward swallowed dryly as he watched Tiger King Yul smash the Deathworms' heads and shake the ground with every punch.

Every time he saw it, he felt it—an immense power that was not easily challenged resided in Tiger King Yul.

The other fighters felt the same way; their tense expressions and stiffened faces showed their anxiety.

"Get ready."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir."

Following Nairward's command, they began to move in perfect unison.

Everyone prepared their beast forms and started activating the magic tools they had brought with them. These were all spoils they had taken from captured slave hunters.

All of these tools were lethal, and as soon as the signal was given, they would unleash them on Tiger King Yul.

No matter how quick Tiger King Yul was, it would be difficult for him to dodge while being tied up by the Deathworms.

The plan of the Second Corps was to eliminate Tiger King Yul first and then quickly take down the remaining Royal Guard.

"Si...!"

Just as Nairward was about to speak, a gust of wind blew towards them from somewhere.

It carried a damp, burnt smell.

It had a bitter aftertaste, suggesting the presence of demonic energy.

In that moment, Nairward instinctively realized that this was the smell of burning Fire Breath Pills, commonly used by Anthromorph, and tried to warn them that it was a trap.

Boom!

The ground beneath the Second Corps was already upheaving.

Screeech!

Screeech!

A horde of Deathworms, completely drawn by the scent of the Fire Breath Pills, appeared and began to sweep through the Second Corps.

***

"Hahaha! I can't believe it was this easy to sweep them away."

Tiger King Yul was laughing more heartily than Elric had ever seen.

Then, suddenly, he stopped laughing and looked sharply at Elric.

"Magic... it's quite fascinating."

The plan Elric had proposed to Tiger King Yul was very simple.

They would lure the Second Corps close to the colony, then use magic to waft the scent of the Fire Breath Pills towards them.

The final step was to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.

It was a very simple trick, but it would have been impossible without magic.

The Second Corps, not being fools, had approached from a position with the wind at their backs to avoid being caught by the Deathworms.

"I'm self-taught, so my level isn't very high. However, I believe that magic shouldn't be blindly rejected if it can help the beastmen advance."

"That's true. Other tribesmen would be shocked to hear it."

The beastmen tended to regard magic as an ominous art, believing it to be exclusive to humans.

But Tiger King Yul had always opposed that view.

If humans were their enemies, it was only natural to understand them well.

"Anyway, now that they're weakened, let's harvest the spoils."

Tiger King Yul rolled up his sleeves and prepared to leap towards Nairward.

"If possible, it would be better to capture them alive."

"Don't worry, I know."

Tiger King Yul waved his hand dismissively and launched himself forward.

Boom!

Screeech—

"T-Tiger King Yul is coming this way!"

"Damn it...!"

Nairward and the rest of Fury's Second Corps were pale with fear.

They were all exhausted from the relentless onslaught of the Deathworms. Many had already perished. Their magical tools had long since run out.

In such a situation, facing those enemies was tantamount to a death sentence, but there was no time to react.

Boom!

The first to die from Tiger King Yul's strike was Nairward. Having already lost an arm while fighting off four Deathworms, he had no means of resistance.

That was when Elric and the four members of the Royal Guard, including Ralph, stormed in.

With their already chaotic state compounded by the Royal Guard's sweep, the Second Corps quickly crumbled.

Because of this, Elric didn't actively participate in the battle.

He only engaged the beastmen just enough to avoid drawing attention, while keeping his eyes on Tiger King Yul.

The Body Strengthening Art displayed by Tiger King Yul was the original form, or rather, the original of what Elric had learned.

The more Elric observed, the better.

'The Body Strengthening Art, a secret technique of the Tiger King family, was established when Tiger King Yul mastered all existing body strengthening arts and unified them. So, it's impossible to know this in the current era.'

Elric's mind's eye shone brightly.

'But there must be some foundational elements... If I grasp them now, it will greatly aid in restoring the art.'

Indeed, many of the gaps in Elric's understanding were being filled. It also helped correct many misinterpretations he had.

By chance, he could also observe Ralph, who was fighting fiercely alongside Tiger King Yul.

Boom—

Each punch Ralph threw caused the air to explode. His technique was similar yet distinct from Tiger King Yul's.

'Is he also a successor of the Body Strengthening Art?'

No wonder the other subordinates followed Ralph so closely. He must be a direct descendant of the Black Wolf tribe's leader.

Then suddenly—

Wham!

A poisoned dart flew from somewhere and struck Ralph in the neck.

"Ugh!"

Caught off guard during the melee, Ralph inhaled sharply and collapsed to the ground.

"Die!"

"Lord Ralph!"

"Watch out, Ralph!"

The three subordinates belatedly noticed Ralph's danger and moved towards him, but the enemy was already upon Ralph.

Just when it seemed Ralph was doomed.

"...You?"

Ralph saw a shadow suddenly appear between him and the enemy.

His eyes widened as he recognized the face of the shadow.

It was Elric, the very person he had been hostile towards!

Body Strengthening Art.

Ferocious Tiger Rush.

Elric's movements were very simple.

But that was enough.

The whirlwind that followed him instantly tore the enemy apart.

Elric quickly checked on Ralph, who was gasping for breath.

"[Heal]."

Some of the beastmen flinched at the sight of Elric using magic, but rescuing their comrade was the priority, so they couldn't do anything about it.

Eventually, Ralph's pale complexion returned to normal.

"Thank...."

He muttered only that before collapsing.

"He's just fainted, so don't worry too much. Take him back to the camp and let him rest."

"Y-yes!"

The three subordinates, still in a daze, carried Ralph out of the colony.

[They seem very surprised and confused as to why you helped them.]

[The Black Wolf tribe is known for repaying their debts, so this will greatly help in gaining recognition as a fighter.]

Elric gave a light smile to the God of Camellias behind him and turned to look at Tiger King Yul, who had already subdued the enemies.

The battlefield had quieted down considerably, indicating that the hunt for the Deathworms was nearly complete.

The stench from the dozens of Deathworm carcasses was almost enough to numb his nose.

"Let's move on to the next operation before Fury finds out the truth."

"Agreed. And thank you for helping Ralph."

Elric could sense that Tiger King Yul's gaze toward him had changed significantly.

Tiger King Yul addressed the already surrendered Second Corps.

"From now on, we will follow these captives and advance directly to Fury's main base!"

***

The plan to disguise themselves as prisoners of the subdued Second Corps and launch a surprise attack deep within Fury's stronghold proceeded without delay.

Though there was a risk of being trapped and perishing in the enemy's main camp, Tiger King Yul judged that this was the only way to conquer Fury, which was usually difficult to attack due to its walls.

However, at this point, Elric stepped back, saying he would handle the aftermath.

"You devised the plan, but you're not coming with us?"

"If I go, they'll just talk about having a human involved. Besides, I'm the only one who can purify the toxins and demonic energy seeping from these corpses."

"That's true, but…."

Though not entirely incorrect, Tiger King Yul still looked dissatisfied.

He felt like they were taking all the credit for Elric's work.

"It's alright. Go ahead. I also need to keep checking on Ralph's condition."

"If that's the case, there's no choice. We'll be back soon."

In the end, Tiger King Yul couldn't resist the repeated urging and moved toward Fury tribe with the Royal Guard.

[The other beastmen also seem quite impressed with you... You've managed to completely change their perception in just two days. Though there's another reason for this, isn't there?]

[This is what you call killing two birds with one stone. Eating the pheasant and the egg.]

Elric gave a broad smile to the God of Camellias and activated the Seal of Maleficence.

Thanks to Tiger King Yul and others.

It was now time to level up explosively.

"[Devour]."

Szzz—

A shadow spread widely along the ground, rapidly consuming the demonic energy exuded by the Deathworm corpses.

Gulp.

Gulp.

Like a thirsty man desperately drinking water, the serrated teeth quickly absorbed the demonic energy.

Eventually, it wasn't enough, and the serrated teeth appeared, tearing apart the Deathworm corpses and consuming them.

'Maybe it's because it evolved once. Its gluttony is no joke.'

Elric chuckled dryly at the greed of the Seal of Maleficence, which seemed intent on devouring everything.

Of course, for him, it meant the dissolution rate of the mana core was increasing, which was good.

And then.

Whoosh!

The Seal of the Winter Wind also began to take shape. The wave patterns became clearer and more numerous, forming a swirling shape.

This was evidence of reaching the fourth star.

When all the numerous corpses had disappeared.

Burp.

The shadow, satisfied, let out a long belch and returned to its original position beside Elric.

[With the significant amount of demonic energy in the colony and dozens of Deathworms, it will take quite some time to digest it all.]

While the God of Camellias watched Elric's seals with fascination, Elric planted a seed in a relatively purified patch of ground.

He then looked at it with a face full of tension.

There was a chance that it could rewind again.

But

.

.

Even after a long time had passed, the rewind did not occur.

Pop!

Instead, a sprout emerged, as if greeting Elric, reaching for the light.

[You've finally taken the first step. Congratulations.]

'It worked!'

Elric clenched his fist, thinking that all his efforts had finally paid off.

At that moment, the stone tablet also began to shine.

[You have successfully met the requirements.]

[The third restriction will be lifted.]

[Desire Comprehension.]

Whoosh!

A bright light passed over Elric's pupils.

And after a moment.

Elric slowly opened his eyes and looked at the God of Camellias.

The God of Camellias looked back with a questioning expression.

Elric's face hardened as he asked.

"The Seal of the Winter Wind, was it originally yours, Lady Camellia?"

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