Chapter 792: Skully Their next destination wasn’t a full kingdom but a state located around the human continent’s central region. It was a strategic place—rich in trade, stubborn in politics, and extremely cautious of anything new. The place was the state of Hangrave, a settlement that, although not recognised as a kingdom, had its own governance. The moment they saw Nox’s dragon, all that caution vanished. Nox and Jack arrived during the afternoon. The sky darkened for a brief moment as a massive shadow covered the city walls. Guards pointed upward, mouths falling open, some dropping their weapons. A loud draconic roar echoed across the area. Nox didn’t even give a long speech. He just descended slowly on the dragon’s back, aura restrained, eyes calm. "I bring a new class," Nox had said when they met the state’s council. "One that will change your future." The council members were cautious. Some frowned. Some whispered. A few old men scoffed, thinking it was just another trick. Then Nox snapped his fingers. With a soft ripple of energy, three beasts appeared beside him—his dragon lowering its head, another beast pawing the ground, and a smaller one climbing onto his shoulder. The pressure that washed over the hall made even the most arrogant elder shut up. Nox ordered his dragon to roar again. The building shook just a little, nothing destructive but enough to remind everyone that he wasn’t bluffing. After that... the atmosphere changed sharply. The cautious elders suddenly smiled gently. The skeptical officials became respectful. The proud nobles lowered their heads slightly. In less than an hour, they agreed. Jack stared at them blankly. "That was too easy." Nox shrugged. "They’re practical people." The honest truth was that they weren’t just practical—they were easily swayed once they saw benefits. In a way... they were scammed. They thought they were the ones taking advantage of Nox’s gift. They didn’t realize that accepting the Beast Tamer class also meant accepting all the attention—and hostility—that would come later. However, because of this... Nox made a choice. He didn’t leave the statue with them. He pretended to. He had them prepare a "sacred chamber" beneath their administrative building. Runes were inscribed on the walls. Guards were placed at the entrance. A beautifully crafted crate was delivered and sealed in front of everyone. Inside? Nothing. Jack stared at him after they left the state. "You really didn’t put it there?" Nox shook his head. "No. The more places we awaken, the more targets we create. If someone sees Beast Tamers as a threat, the first thing they’ll do is hunt down the statues." "So where’s the real one?" Jack asked. Nox smirked. "Somewhere safe." Jack was still confused. He could remember that on their way to Hangrave, at the outskirts, they had found the statue in an area overgrown with moss and vines. After cleaning it up, Nox had placed it inside his inventory. Since the statue was found in Hangrave territory, they had decided to place it here. He had hidden Terra’s real statue in a spatial realm created by his spatial elemental beast, Astralux. It was right in the newly built temple, but it couldn’t be seen. To awaken, all that mattered was the presence of the statue. Even though it couldn’t be seen, its presence could still be felt. It wasn’t as perfect as seeing and being in front of the real thing, but it worked. And, more importantly, it reduced the chance of someone stealing or corrupting the actual statue. At this point, news of the Beast Tamer class was no longer something that could be contained. "Have you heard? There’s a class that lets you fight with beasts." "They say some kids awakened tigers and wolves!" "I heard one girl bonded with a phoenix chick!" "I heard if your talent is high enough, you can contract dragons!" Some people dismissed it as nonsense. Others laughed and called it exaggerated. But as the days passed and more caravans moved through the continent, transporting live beasts in cages for the Beast Tamers, the streets were now overflowing with Beast Tamers... denial became impossible. Everyone was talking about it. In taverns, in markets, inside noble mansions, even in underground black markets—Beast Taming became a hot topic. Kingdoms began sending out spies to confirm the rumours. Adventurers wanted to hunt for whatever "statue" was causing this. Secret organizations like the Order of Flaming Rose started adding "Beast Tamer" to their threat lists. ... A few days later, Nox and Jack moved toward their next stop. "The outskirts of Snowhelm," Jack said, glancing at the rough map in his hands. "Cold, isolated, lots of warriors with thick clothes and thicker skulls." Nox gave him a side-eye. "That’s a very biased description." "I heard it from someone reliable during the time I was hunting for the ice elemental beast," Jack countered. "Who?" "...A drunk trader at an inn." Nox simply stared. Jack coughed. "Anyway, the plan is still the same, right? Show them the class, do some awakening, don’t die?" "Something like that," Nox replied. The terrain gradually shifted as they approached Snowhelm’s surroundings. The air grew colder. Frost clung to the rocks. Their breaths became visible, floating in the wind. Jack rubbed his arms. "We should have brought thicker clothes." He Muttered. They walked over a snow-covered plain, their footsteps crunching softly. Then the ground trembled all of a sudden. "Did you feel that?" Jack halted mid-step. Before Nox could answer, the snow several meters ahead suddenly burst open. BOOM! A massive shape erupted from beneath the ground, sending ice and dust into the air. Jack almost jumped out of his skin. "WHAT THE—?!" As the snow settled, the sight in front of them became clear. An undead butler in a neat suit, sitting elegantly atop a gigantic purple ant-like creature with a metallic-looking carapace and blade-like mandibles. Nox squinted. "...Is that Skully?" It was. Skully adjusted his tie calmly, despite riding a monstrous ant drone that looked like it could crush a human with one step. "Master Nox," Skully said politely, bowing his head slightly while still mounted. "I apologize for the sudden appearance. I did not wish to waste time, so I used the underground tunnel route." "Tunnel route? You dug all the way here?!" Jack frowned. "The ants did most of the work," Skully corrected in a respectful tone. Nox stepped forward. "Skully... what happened? You wouldn’t come all the way here unless something serious happened." Skully’s orb-like blue eyes flickered. For the first time, there was a hint of heaviness in his tone. "It is regarding Cromwell Kingdom, Master," he said. "And... two particular individuals." Nox’s expression immediately darkened. "Cromwell? Did something happen to the Barony? To Nathan and the others?" "To a certain extent, the Barony is still standing," Skully replied carefully. "However, things have become... complicated." Jack frowned. "Complicated how?" Skully looked between the two of them, then continued. "Not long after you left, an incident occurred in Cromwell. Two individuals appeared... twins. A boy and a girl. They were strong—abnormally strong, even compared to current standards." Nox didn’t interrupt. His eyes turned cold. He believed everything Skully was saying, as the latter’s information network was very reliable, containing ants and an army of undead. Skully went on. "They claimed to be from a place most only hear about in legends. A kingdom that stood above others long ago. A land of monsters in human form." Skully paused, then said the name clearly. "They said they were from Imperia." The air suddenly felt colder than the Snowhelm wind. Nox’s eyes narrowed. A certain heaviness pressed down in his chest. ’I knew something was wrong,’ he thought. ...That name wasn’t something you just threw around as a joke. Skully added, "They showed interest in what happened in Vermilion. And once they heard about the Beast Tamer class... they started moving. If I am not wrong, Master... you and your class have entered their sights." Jack slowly raised his hand. "Wait..." he said, staring at Skully with a complicated expression. "Did you just say Imperia?"