Northern’s desire for battle went unfulfilled. It was frustrating to him that just when he needed it the most, the war ceased.
Night after night, he would gaze at his profile, unchanged and devoid of any new information.
The [Formless] Attribute he had acquired seemed nothing more than a mere decoration. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t uncover any additional details about it.
To pass the time, he would take leisurely strolls around the area.
Judging by the respect the monsters showed him, he could surmise two things: either they feared him because of his battle alongside Night Terror, or he had achieved a higher rank after returning from the war.
However, Northern was certain that it was the latter.
There was an overwhelming aura of fear surrounding Night Terror. Anyone who came into contact with it would definitely feel it.
But when Northern thought about the lord of the castle and how Night Terror bowed before it, he couldn’t help but be filled with awe. Just how powerful was the lord of the castle?
Northern dismissed his profile and prepared himself. A sleeveless black leather armor with pauldrons that had spikes protruding from them weaved itself around his pale body.
The vambraces, boots, and armor bore intricate carvings, resembling a dense runic script.
He had tried before, but despite his attempts, Northern couldn’t decipher the meaning behind the carvings, nor could he glean any useful information from inspecting other items.
So far, the armor, dagger, and silver sword were the most impressive items he had acquired from the war. And considering he had managed to kill over fifty monsters, they were not forting enough but it wasn’t like he had anyone to plain to... these monsters?
’Who would have imagined that things would turn out like this?’ He mused as he descended the winding stairs of the tower. ’Does Shin even know? Judging by the number of clones he has, it seems he naturally chose the path of numbers.’
Northern’s gaze was fixated on the ground as he continued his walk.
’Or perhaps this pathway was only available to me because of my ability to evolve talents,’ he pondered, stroking his chin before clasping his hands behind his back.
He arrived at the castle’s pound and observed the monsters in the vicinity.
Each one seemed to be leisurely standing around... until the gate began to creak open.
In an instant, they repositioned themselves and turned their attention towards the gate.
Northern, taken aback by the sudden movement, followed suit.
His eyes widened as an immense creature crawled into his view. It towered over him, a colossal critter with six legs that seemed to effortlessly support its massive frame.
Its chitinous shell, round and imposing, covered its back, providing a shield of formidable protection. The shell gleamed with a dark sheen, its surface reflecting the ambient light in a mesmerizing dance of grey.
Four sets of pound eyes adorned the creature’s head, each pair glistening with an eerie luminescence.
The eyes, glowing with an intense, ethereal energy, seemed to hold ancient wisdom and unfathomable secrets.
They scanned the surroundings with uncanny precision as if the beast possessed a profound understanding of everything.
The creature moved with a deliberate grace, its six legs moving with a sinewy strength that belied its massive size.
Each step it took sent tremors through the ground, testifying to its raw power.
The chains connecting the wheels to the creature’s body clinked softly, the sound echoing through the air like a haunting melody.
The wheels themselves, adorned with heaps of red crystals, were a sight to behold.
The crystals sparkled with a sinister allure, casting an ominous glow that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Their deep crimson hue evoked a sense of danger and forbidden power.
Northern couldn’t tear his eyes away from the awe-inspiring spectacle before him. The sheer magnitude of the creature filled him with a mix of trepidation and curiosity.
It was as if he stood in the presence of a living embodiment of the supernatural, a being that transcended the boundaries of his previous understanding.
The creature was so huge that it almost perfectly fit the top of the twenty-meter-wide gate. It came to a halt within the pound, where all the monsters had gathered.
As the monsters diligently unloaded the red crystals and disappeared into the chamber, Northern watched in silence, his throat dry and heart pounding.
In a matter of minutes, they were gone, leaving Northern alone in the pound. He cast his gaze left and right, realizing that he was now standing by himself.
A wry smile curled up the corner of his lips. "... this is it," he murmured.
This was the break he had been waiting for, perhaps the clue he needed.
Suddenly, a second Northern materialized beside him, and they locked eyes.
One of them donned a frogmouth helmet that seemed to weave itself onto his head.
They exchanged a brief glance before one of them departed, following the path the other monsters had taken, while the other Northern stood resolutely at the center of the pound, patiently awaiting their return.
Northern stood alone in the pound, dwarfed by the colossal critter. He craned his neck to look into the eyes of the monster.
His eyes grew somber as he tried to understand the look in its eyes.
’It seems... disjointed from everything...sad?’
Even though those eyes shimmered with some level of wisdom that made the creature seem like some ancient sage, Northern couldn’t help but perceive a sense of disconnection from it.
In a few more minutes, the monsters were back with the carts; they linked it to the chains, and the monster, without being instructed, slowly picked itself up and turned around, its massive form almost occupying the whole castle pound.
Then it began to crawl out of the castle pound, Northern watched its form disappear as the gate closed.
But his heart palpitated.
’I wonder how many talent points killing that thing will fetch me?’
Suddenly his eyes widened—as his clone returned.
Northern tried to walk but staggered as an enormous pain engulfed his muscles.
’What? What is happening?!’
He wasn’t paying attention to the link because he was busy looking at the enormous critter.
His clone had engaged in bat with a creature at the depth. Northern rested his hands on his knees and tried to sort through the information in his head.
Suddenly, his pupils thinned and he began to quiver at what he found out.
"Uh...Night Terror...s?"
Just at that moment, a wild horn sounded, filling the air with vibrations.
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