Region 32...
El'dan city...
The Manticore mountain...
While Adolph Li and Manuel Stunner where searching for the priestess to summon an arch mage in Duke city of Region 1, Josh Aratat and his men got to the foot of a mountain in El'dan city, in region 32, known as the manticore mountain.
Situated at the heart of El'dan, the mountain was the only pass connecting the city's major districts. That gave the Manticore who lived atop it an unfair advantage—anyone seeking to cross would have to pass his domain. Over the years, many had tried some had even dared to fight the manticore king, but most if not all never returned.
The Manticore king and his children once preyed on livestock, but the moment it tasted human flesh, its hunger evolved into obsession. Now, it didn't merely feed—it hoarded. His prison caves crawled with captives: warriors, mages, government officials—even children.
Josh stood at the mountain's base, peering into its unnerving silence. No birds. No wind. Not even the rustle of distant life. It was the kind of quiet that screamed trap.
"It's too quiet," muttered Conrad Stan as he dismounted his black steed beside Ralia Amia. "That creature's waiting for the right moment to snatch us alive."
The other generals also got down. Josh was already ahead of them at the foot of the mountain looking up, he had a thoughtful expression as a number of scenes played in his mind.
If his conjecture was right, then this wasn't just a hunt for a lone manticore—it was an invasion into a thriving civilization of them. A hidden colony nestled within the mountain's dark heart, possibly numbering in the thousands. Could his generals truly withstand that tide, especially with innocent prisoners still needing rescue? The thought weighed heavily on him, but it also sharpened his focus.
He straightened, resolve settling in his chest like iron.
"I'll go first," Josh said, his voice calm but edged with command, his black mask gleaming under the dim light. "Join me when the time is right."
"I'm coming with you..." Lola said as if she didn't hear what he just said.
Before Josh could dissuade her, Ah—Boss Black Dragon!" came a shout. It was Miko, voice sharp with panic. "Look!"
Josh turned.
From the mountain's peak, an unholy stampede thundered downward. Dozens—no, hundreds—of manticores surged like a flood of nightmare. Towering lion-like beasts with muscular haunches, scorpion tails lashing like whips, and jaws split by two colossal fangs that gleamed with dried blood. The earth trembled beneath their charge. Dust and debris flew into the air as claws raked stone and hide smashed rock.
For a fleeting moment, even Josh felt fear clutch at his heart. But he crushed it beneath the weight of responsibility. If I falter, they'll break. These men and women would die for him without hesitation—bound by Death-level loyalty. But loyalty alone was not enough. If they were to fall, better to fall fighting with courage than to crumble beneath fear sparked by a trembling leader.
He drew a steady breath, eyes blazing beneath his black mask, then roared across the field:
"Hold your ground! Remember your training—don't lose your heads now! Formation: Diamond Bend—activate!"
He pointed forward with commanding precision.
"Ralia, dive into their minds—twist their emotions, flood them with dread! Lola, whip through their flanks, tear them apart with thunder! Conrad, cleave a path down the center with your glaive. And the rest of you—cut these beasts up and set the table. Tonight, we dine on manticore!"
The air crackled. Morale surged like flame to dry wood.
"Sir, yes sir!" came the thunderous response, as steel met resolve.
Through the interface of the Kingly System, Josh felt their confidence spike. He smirked.
"Attack!" he bellowed.
In one motion, he summoned his rod—a length of dark metal etched with runes—and leapt into the air, intercepting the first manticore. Their collision was like stone striking stone. The beast's hide resisted the strike, sending tremors through Josh's arms.
Too thick, he thought. Damn it...
Around him, the battle had erupted into chaos. His generals fought valiantly—swords, spears, and spells colliding with monstrous muscle—but every blow bounced off leathery armor. Even Conrad's glaive, an Earth grade, high level weapon, barely left a bruise.
Ralia chanted in an ancient tongue, eyes glowing as she tried to instill terror into their attackers. Some beasts faltered—but not enough. Lola's whip cracked through the air. One strike coiled around a manticore's torso, and with a lightning surge, it exploded in a ball of flame and gore.
"Very good," Josh muttered, hope flickering.
But the tide was against them. There were too many. For every one that fell, five took its place. The air filled with the stench of blood and the roars of dying men and beasts alike. Conrad rolled aside just in time as a massive fist smashed into the ground beside him, shattering stone.
We won't last at this rate.
Josh's mind raced. He needed answers. He needed a weakness.
And so, through the Kingly Awareness System, he summoned the only being who might offer clarity: David Stormborn.
A vision flickered into his consciousness—a man cloaked in celestial white, standing in the mind-panel interface, the usual smugness absent from his tone.
"My future king," David said smoothly. "What may I help you with?"
Josh blinked. Respect? From him? Unusual. But no time for curiosity.
"Sir," Josh said quickly, "we're being overrun. The manticores are impervious. Our weapons aren't enough. How do we kill them?"
David's eyes glinted. "Cut off their stingers. It's the source of their power and balance. Specifically, the third digit of the stinger—it's soft, unarmoured. Sever it, and they'll fall. Good luck."
And like mist, he vanished.
Josh exhaled, then smirked. "Glad to see you still vanish after speaking..."
He turned, now filled with renewed resolve. Around him, his warriors were staggering, bruised, bloody, but still fighting. They needed a spark. He would give them fire.
"Strike their tails!" he bellowed. "Focus on the third segment! That's their weakness!"
Lola's whip wrapped around another manticore. She adjusted her aim—this time targeting the stinger. Thunder cracked—and the creature fell, twitching, never to rise again.
Conrad followed suit. With a mighty swing, he cleaved into the third digit of another manticore's tail. The beast shrieked, then crumpled.
One by one, the monsters began to fall. Hope returned to the battlefield.
And Josh Aratat—Black Dragon of Region 32—knew this was only the beginning.