Balin and his alchemy group had been in the midst of conversation yet chose to remain silent. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression dark.
The gnashing of his teeth could be heard as they walked, his hatred for the Whip Princess was deepening with every passing second.
Then, all of a sudden—
Bamm!
The silence was disrupted as a massive tree tumbled through the air, hurtling toward them at breakneck speed.
Behind the uprooted trunk came a bull with dark horns and a flamboyant physique. Malice was burning in its eyes as it stomped the ground, as if demanding their attention.
Its short tail was bristled with hook‑like spikes, its massive head rising nearly two meters high. Each kick of its powerful legs dented the earth.
"Isn't that the Radiant‑Horn Bull?" one of the apprentices exclaimed in shock.
"Why does it have that eye? Did any of you provoke its race?" Gabon muttered with bitter humor; his scarred face twisted in unease.
"You've overlooked something." one of them said and continued, "Why would a Bronze Realm beast appear in the outer region?"
That was true indeed—a Bronze Realm beast would never enter the outer region so easily.
The beast, provoked by their gestures, stormed toward them, shaking the ground with its thunderous stride.
Weapons were drawn in haste as the group spread out, evading the flying tree and preparing for the clash.
The Radiant‑Horn Bull was a seventh‑stage Bronze Realm beast, while the strongest among them had only reached the fifth stage. Bulls of this kind were notoriously difficult to face, and this one stood two stages above their best.
Without waiting for it to close the distance, they attacked.
The beast's dark horn blazed, radiating a sinister light that split into many beams, shooting upward before descending upon them.
As the beams descended, they left long trails across the sky, twisting like the silhouette of serpents.
The group's expressions twisted in alarm—the force of each beam matched the full strike of a sixth‑stage Bronze Realm beast; each strike was a calamity in itself.
Hamizz immediately dove beneath the bull as its attack descended, narrowly escaping the blast.
With a swift slide past its bulk, Hamizz's blade tore across the beast's chest.
A frenzied roar erupted from the beast as it slammed the ground with such force that shockwaves rippled outward, shattering the nearby trees.
Others quickly unleashed their techniques to counter its relentless assault. Though they outnumbered it, the beast's single strike split into many beams, each one was capable of targeting them all at once.
The Radiant-Horn Bull ignored its wounds and charged at the group of apprentices.
The alchemy group had withdrawn to the edge of the battlefield, leaving the mercenaries to bear the brunt of the fight.
Gabon
The moment Hamizz dove beneath the beast, he sought out his right‑hand man, who already knew what to do.
Gabon was a scarred and seasoned warrior. He had already climbed a tree after evading the beams. He suddenly released a precise shot—
A gray streak flashed past, blending through the chaos before lodging itself in the beast. The force hurled the beast sideways for several meters, only regaining its footing after a strained moment.
Groowwll!
The beast was both furious and mad. Madness flashed across its eyes as a horrible scream tore from its maw as it staggered.
The arrow had pierced the beast's eyelid, weakening it severely and driving it into a frenzy.
Dark energy erupted from its tail, pin‑like bolts were shot toward the group.
Balin and his fellow alchemists quickly raised a transparent shield. The moment it shimmered into existence; the bolts struck against its surface with relentless force.
Shiva swept her hand through the air, raising an additional barrier to protect the apprentices.
The strike crashed against the defenses but failed to make them bulge. After a tense moment, the bolts dissolved, bursting apart into smoke that drifted into the wind.
When the tail's barrage finally stopped, she retrieved the shield and joined the fray, unleashing a gush of flame. The blaze struck the bull's head, forcing it back.
She followed by swinging her spear and dashed forward, aiming for its skull.
Her six warriors advanced with her, pressing the beast hard.
The Radiant‑Horn Bull's earlier attacks had already felled several mercenaries; their fate was uncertain.
Shiva thrust at its neck, but the bull evaded. Her team went around and struck from behind, targeting its tail.
Swift and relentless, Shiva circled the beast, her movements were faster than the beast's. Severing the tail would surely cripple it, stripping away one of its deadliest weapons.
Sensing danger from behind, the bull lashed out with a kick that smashed into one of Shiva's men, hurling her through the trees.
Struck down, she lay motionless. She wouldn't be rising anytime soon.
The mercenaries retreated at once, leaving Shiva's group to continue the assault. Energy beams reprised, scattering them. Shiva alone destroyed the barrage, driving her spear into the beast's nostrils.
The bull glared at her with fierce red eyes, hatred burning deep. She withdrew her spear and leapt back.
The beast's blood stained the earth as it stamped heavily, its life force waning.
___
Meanwhile, Blood had been searching for Ballock ever since losing sight of him. Along the way, he battled many beasts and emerged victorious in every clash. He marveled at his strength, which seemed to have deepened with every clash.
He stowed the carcass of a Twilight Bat and pressed onward, though he suspected Ballock might be hiding deliberately, watching him.
That thought amused him.
His time had not been wasted. He fought a ninth‑stage Iron Realm beast—the Grazing Falcon, a swift and aerial beast—and slew it with ease.
Compared to that, beasts below the Bronze Realm were child's play.
He was at the tenth stage of the Iron Realm. It was a height few had ever reached.
Suddenly, he halted. Ahead, a black‑robed woman viciously thrust her spear into the muzzle of a Radiant‑Horn Bull. The beast staggered, its agonized cries echoing as some figures encircled it.
Blood's eyes narrowed. The bull was clearly on its last leg.
He considered his options. This was no ordinary beast—it was a Bronze Realm beast. The exp it offered would be invaluable.
___
Balin felt reassured as he watched the bull grow weaker. It would not last much longer. He signaled Hamizz to deliver the finishing blow.
Shiva held her forces back, wary of the beast's resilience. Three of her warriors had already fallen.
Hamizz unleashed a flurry of strikes, enraging the bull further. It flipped its tail, unleashing another storm of energy pins.
Blood, watching from cover, was stunned. He didn't expect such deadly attack from the beast.
He slipped behind the trees, the storm of pins hissing past him. The others scream could be heard as the barrage struck, each pin was laden with the crushing might of a sixth‑stage Bronze Realm beast.
They had only survived earlier because the beast had been focused on the alchemy group.
It seemed that was its last attack as the beast gradually weakened from blood loss and staggered backward.
Blood crouched low after the attack stopped, pulling his hood over his head, and crept closer through the tall grasses. His heartbeat quickened as he steadied his breath.
Although it was dangerous, he couldn't let such free exp slip away.
The others remained oblivious, their focus locked entirely on the dying bull.
Blood hid behind a tree whose branches tangled like spider webs, barely five meters away. His eyes were cold, fixed on the beast. He knew the beast was strong—he would not underestimate it.
As the bull staggered in his direction, closing to three meters, Blood suddenly sprang forward, striking with ruthless precision.