Chapter 148 - Taming New Beginnings - 2

Published Mar 17, 2026, 07:37 AM

The castle of Yino was an imposing structure carved into living rock, its corridors illuminated by crystals that pulsed with a sickly purple glow. The very air seemed heavier here, weighted with power and secrets. Two guards practically dragged Hagen to the throne room, his bandaged stumps contrasting starkly with the elegance of the place. Each step echoed ominously through the ancient halls. The King of Yino awaited, his Nian beast manifesting as a horn that his crown accommodated perfectly. When Hagen finished most of his report... The King's eyes, normally calculating, burned with barely contained fury. "Do you know what you've done?" the monarch's voice was deceptively soft. "Not only did you lose the scorpion cores. Not only did you fail the most important mission I've given you in years." He rose slowly, his Nian's power making shadows dance across the walls. "You revealed to Yano that we can control abyssals!" Hagen remained silent, his stumps trembling slightly. "Do you have any idea," the King continued, rising from his throne and approaching, "how much you've delayed our plans? Without the scorpion cores to begin abyssal cultivation, the next phase is impossible." "My lord," Hagen spoke again, his voice hoarse. "Now that they're alert, we'd need to wait for things to calm down to try again. Or perhaps we could find another digging beast that supports abyssal injection as well as the scorpion and..." The King's beast's shadow extended, engulfing Hagen in darkness for a moment. "Perhaps I should cut off your head," whispered the King. "To match your arms." "I'll accept whatever you order, my lord," Hagen bowed his head. "I regret my failure." The King moved away, massaging his temples. "Manufacturing new abyssal control cores to deploy someone else will take months. And there aren't many willing to cross the gold depth barrier to complete the mission..." He turned abruptly. "Why the hell did you need to go up? What was so important that you risked leaving safety and ending up like this?" There was a moment of silence. The King studied Hagen; in twenty years of service, he had never lied. He was one of the few the King trusted completely, which made this failure even more frustrating. "Stupidity, I have no excuse, but at least," Hagen straightened with difficulty, "I got the hydra core you wanted for your daughter, majesty. Although..." he grimaced, "I couldn't turn it into an egg. They stole it, and that was largely why I left the safe zone." The King sighed deeply, fury giving way to resignation. "I suppose we can use you as a test subject for the next abyssal creature as punishment before sending you again." A twisted smile formed on his lips. "If you survive having 3 creatures in your body... Also… Maybe its hands will serve you better than the hippogriff's." He approached to take the core Hagen had protected so fiercely. "At least my little one will be happy with the hydra she's been asking for so long." His expression softened slightly. "Though we'll have to resort to plan B and buy some things soon. It's not long until her tenth birthday." "The princess is almost ten?" Hagen blinked in surprise. "Time flies..." "Indeed, and you took so long I thought you were already dead... And now, thanks to your little adventure, we'll have to hurry with the alternative preparations." The King carefully stored the core. "I know, my lord," Hagen lowered his head. "That's why I'll try to recover them as quickly as possible next time if you allow me." The King observed the bandaged stumps of his most loyal servant. Twenty years of impeccable service, and now this... "Go rest," he finally ordered. "When the new abyssal beast is ready, we'll discuss your next mission." Hagen nodded as the guards helped him stand. "Yes, my lord." ♢♢♢♢ "Slow down!" Taro's voice echoed through the hallway. "Your legs are sixty percent stronger too!" "Exactly!" Ren's laughter floated back to them. "Isn't it great?!" Min and Liu ran after their friends, barely managing to keep pace with the newly empowered Ren. Their beasts manifested partially, trying to help them match his enhanced speed. "At least tell us what we're going to do in the mines!" Liu panted as they ran. "We're going where we couldn't before!" Ren skillfully dodged a group of surprised students, his new reflexes making the movement seem effortless. "I have a Living Tunnel and a hydra on my side!" "I thought we were supposed to keep the hydra secret!" Liu nearly crashed into a column. "Secret from the nobles!" Ren corrected without slowing. "Not from the mines!" "Isn't that dangerous?" Taro asked while bouncing behind Ren like a puppet. "Not if they don't catch us!" Ren laughed, clearly enjoying his new capabilities. Min and Liu exchanged another look while continuing to run. A normal Ren was troublesome enough. A Ren with strength buff and avoiding training... "There are ancient ruins under the school!" Ren explained while running, his excitement infectious despite their reservations. This day was going to be interesting. ♢♢♢♢ Harold observed Klein strike the training post for the hundredth time… The kid was throwing movements, more aggressive but equally inefficient as before. Each impact sent vibrations through the ground that his mole beast translated into clear pictures of frustration. His mole stirred beneath his skin, like laughing. Continue your adventure with Freewebnovel 'How pathetic,' he thought while pretending to take notes. 'The Goldcrest heir reduced to this.' Klein had been like this since his defeat, alternating between periods of impotent rage and what he called "intensified training". In reality, he was just making the same mistakes with more force, like a child throwing a tantrum. His long-antennaed abyssal centipede, the special beast for his quest, stirred within him, its mana sensors capturing the erratic energy patterns emanating from the golden… no, yellow lion, as the beetle boy had correctly pointed out the other day. Harold suppressed a smile. As an orphan from Yino, he had seen true power, true determination. This spoiled noble's tantrums were almost insulting. His centipede perceived something deeper, far more interesting than Klein's frustrated strikes. Ancient energy patterns, firmly buried beneath the academy. The ruins that were his true mission to investigate. The centipede extended its ethereal antennae, invisible to all except those most sensitive to mana fluctuations. The ruins were fascinating, more complex than Yino had theorized. 'If you only knew, Klein,' he thought while pretending to admire another poorly executed strike. 'That your "new assigned companion" is a double tamer, sent not to watch you, but to uncover secrets your traitorous family wants to share with Yino...'

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