A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway! Chapter 60: Night at the Zoo

Priam felt the difference in atmosphere as soon as he crossed the border. Technically, there was no real separation between the woods and the Earl's courtyard. The trees grew progressively taller, and the aether in the air beca more concentrated.

Yet Priam could have felt the difference with his eyes closed. His instincts told him that he was in the territory of a predator and being watched.

The change in atmosphere could, of course, be linked to a particular resource such as Spring. But most annoying of all was the mist, which seed to keep its distance. Like a stranger, his friend refused to speak to him, and he knew he couldn't ride it. It reminded him of a specific mory: his fight with Sphinx. There too, he had been prevented from riding the mist. The sensation was extrely unpleasant, and he felt part of his freedom had been taken away.

In this grove, his control over the mist had greatly diminished. Only the fog within a ten-ter radius was still sending him information - reluctantly.

The phenonon could have several explanations, but Priam was convinced he was in a Domain. An imnse Domain, belonging to a being capable of manipulating mist over hundreds of ters. It was unlikely to be the work of the Earl. He was undoubtedly powerful, but Priam refused to believe he could be much superior to Sphinx. Even the Lord of the Do's domain covered only two ters around her.

Walking alongside Blueberry, Priam theorized that the Earl had placed his court here for a reason. There was a potentially intelligent resource here, endowed with terrifying power. The Jubokko, Blueberry spoke of?

As he walked, Priam rembered one of the rits that interested him most.

Trees of rit

Each new Title opens a new Tree of rit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of rit once.

Upgrading a Tree of rit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade...

[Moon Viscount] - Tier 3: The mist protects you. You're not alone, Mistchild

7 Unused rit Points.

By upgrading his Title to Viscount, Priam had finally unlocked the rest of the Tree of rit. This one suited him, and he validated it without modifying it. Instantly, he felt the mist around him beco friendly again. He was still unable to ride the mist over long distances, but within a zone of about three ters around him, he was its master. I suppose it's better than nothing...

[Moon Viscount] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title.

6 Unused rit Points.

Priam took one last look at his rits and decided to choose them after seeing the Earl. With his new Titles, he had the opportunity to improve many of them. The question now was what he should prioritize...

Blueberry turned to glance behind him, prompting Priam to concentrate. The two companions had walked several hundred ters through the courtyard, taking detours, crossing suspension bridges, and passing under colossal tree roots. They now found themselves among nurous animals. Dogs, cats, pigs, horses, cows, and exotic animals were walking fast. With a glance, Priam knew that all the animals were wild.

Where Blueberry moved gracefully, stood up straight, and radiated pride, the animals that crossed their path were hunched over and focused on their task. They pushed bundles or carried resources - usually at or vegetables - walking with their heads down. Suddenly, Priam understood. The Earl didn't co from a human society. These animals weren't just an army destined to fight Anatole's Abominations. They were slaves!

The signs were all there. None of them looked at Priam or Blueberry, and all hurriedly moved aside as they passed. Seeing the at being transported, Priam wondered if they weren't regularly sacrificed to feed the Earl's officers.

"I see these animals don't have many rights," he said, wincing in pain. Talking with a punctured lung was not a pleasant experience.

Blueberry growled. "They're beasts. The law of nature remains in force. Those who deserve it will gain intelligence and can then be accepted into our ranks. For the rest... They're food on legs. If I didn't have to take you to the Earl, I'd have bitten one already."

The bear turned back to Priam. "But I think, as a human, you're in no position to talk about animal cruelty, right?"

Priam hesitated for a mont. "Indeed, so factories didn't respect animals, but that wasn't the case with most farrs. So really loved their animals and treated them well."

The bear snarled. "Who knows if there are good reasons to kill? Not , anyway. I was a wild bear, and frankly, I don't care. Whether you like animals or not, it makes no difference to . A wild animal does what it has to do to survive. Now hurry up, I'm hungry," Blueberry finished and started walking again.

Priam looked up at the Viscount. If this were the subordinate's way of thinking, it would certainly be the master's. The Earl was an intelligent animal with little respect for the life of his fellow man - or animal. Priam intended to keep this in mind during their discussion. If I don't show my usefulness, there's a good chance he'll try to kill ...

The human had just entered the Path of the Mist. The Earl growled. In his mind, he preferred to call it the Path of Blood. The tree's appetite was hard to keep at bay. However, every court mber had taken this path. It was one of two ways to get to the court and by far the most dangerous. It allowed the Earl to test his officers' abilities and determination.

At present, this gave him ti to decide the human's fate. A war was coming, and the noble lion had no intention of dying out of arrogance.

The Earl looked down at the bear bending his knee before him. Despite his injuries, Blueberry was aware that he had to be more respectful than ever about court etiquette. After all, the court was made up of monsters who, even a week earlier, would have pounced on the bear, sensing his weakness. At present, it was Blueberrys only ans of survival.

His subordinate was wounded, but despite the call of his stomach, the Earl had no intention of devouring him. On the one hand, the stench of the Depths made him want to vomit. On the other hand, the Viscount had shown intelligence and almost loyalty. Two qualities all too rare in this assembly. Moreover, with the imminent attack of the possessed human and his monstrous army, the Earl needed all his subjects.

But not all the bear's wounds were caused by the Abomination. His claws were broken, and that was the human's doing. Most of the n the Earl had seen from afar were weak, but this Priam seed powerful - for a human.

Suddenly, the noble lion roared to silence the murmurs of the dozen or so subjects surrounding him. A new scene had just appeared in the clear water of the Spring. A lady had just entered his courtyard. The lion Earl straightened up, obsessed with the majestic figure of the newcor. He had forgotten all about Priam.

"What stature. What beauty... I'll make her my wife!"

Sphinx frowned as she entered a Domain. More like a pseudo-Domain. The difference was slight to a neophyte, but Sphinx knew a copy when she saw one. The tree's Domain was spatially weak, but one of its skills was extending it over the entire surface of the grove. This pseudo-domain was a diluted version of the real thing, but it had the advantage of being massive.

Sphinx shook her head, and her beautiful mane shimred in the sunlight. She'd think about that after she'd found Priam. He was close, she could feel it.

Stepping towards the central tree, she shivered. Without knowing exactly why, Sphinx sensed that she wouldn't like the master of the house. I feel like I'm being watched?