The rest of the day, Thalion focused on purifying his blood. His progress filled him with satisfaction. Killing the shapeshifters earlier had netted him around 80,000 credits and brought Eagly to Level 40, with his other forms close behind at Level 39. Still, maintaining his concentration on blood cultivation proved challenging. The sanguine thorn pulsed with hunger, its presence tugging at his focus as it yearned for the blood stored in the vials nearby.
He shifted techniques, abandoning the manual process of pulling mana into the blood and holding it there until it fused. Instead, he used heart of the sanguine archon, a mythic skill that vastly accelerated the infusion process. The results were staggering. Using this ability, he could upgrade his blood permanently in less than half the ti it had taken before. Mythic skills truly lived up to their reputation, their terrifying efficiency reshaping the pace of his cultivation.
His ditation was interrupted by a ssage from Kael, requesting another eting to discuss Garrick’s impending arrival. There were also reports of strong beasts near the base that needed to be hunted. Thalion welcod the distraction. After briefly contemplating the tasks ahead, he returned to his cultivation.
As he worked, the progress beca tangible. Every breath seed to deepen his power; every heartbeat sent mana-infused blood coursing through his veins like a torrent, strengthening his body with each rhythmic surge. The sanguine thorn humd in harmony with his heartbeat, amplifying the flow of power. Hours passed in peaceful intensity as he tempered himself further, until it was ti for the eting.
To Thalion’s surprise, he was the last to arrive. Zyra was already seated, along with Sylas and Jakob, who were slurping down bowls of steaming noodles. Kargul and Evelyn sat nearby, drinking vodka.
“So,” Thalion asked as he settled into a chair, “what beasts have appeared?”
Zyra eyed him skeptically. “You’re really fine?” she asked, her tone sharp.
“Yeah, why shouldn’t I be?” Thalion replied, confused.
“She doesn’t think you could’ve handled the shapeshifters alone,” Kargul declared loudly, the alcohol thickening his voice. “Good job, by the way. Maybe you should give Evelyn so smashing tips—my teaching hasn’t done much yet.”
“Ah, yes,” Thalion said with a relaxed smile. “That did get a bit out of hand, but it was well deserved.” His attention flicked to Sylas, who was noisily devouring noodles. The rich, savory aroma—almost like spiced beef—drifted through the air, montarily distracting him.
“A bit out of hand?” Zyra exclaid, her voice rising. “Blood and body parts were everywhere!” She took a large sip of her drink, as if to steady herself.
Kael, ever calm, intervened. “We heard what happened. Good job. Thanks to you, our position is much stronger for Garrick’s arrival tomorrow. We’ll assign him to the second district; his n can’t be trusted after the shapeshifters screwed up this badly.”
Kael leaned forward, his expression serious. “Everyone knows what you did today. Now, most people are questioning how much help Garrick’s n really provided, seeing as you wiped out twenty-six of his so-called ‘best fighters’ without a scratch.”
“Sucks for Garrick,” Evelyn interjected with a laugh. “Those shapeshifters had been bragging everywhere that they were his elite—his trusted warriors, only deployed for the hardest missions.”
Kael smirked. “Yep, he’s going to curse their nas when he hears about this.”
“How many strong beasts are we hunting tonight?” Annie asked, cutting through the laughter.
Kael handed each of them a map, its surface marked with several red dots. “These maps are for the strongest fighters in the base. Each red mark represents sightings of strong beasts, reported by other fighters.”
Thalion examined the map. Three red dots clustered in one area, all labeled ants.
“Uh, do we have an insect problem?” Sylas asked, scratching the back of his neck.
Kael nodded. “It looks that way. I think it’s one big hive. We need to clear it before it gets too strong.”
“When you’re done with that,” Zyra said, turning to Thalion with an innocent expression, “could you bring one of those white crystals you ntioned last ti? Or, at least, so corpses of high-variant flying beasts? I gained almost four levels making elixirs from them.”
“Sure,” Thalion replied, intrigued. “What do these elixirs improve?”
“Strength, toughness, and agility,” Zyra said proudly.
“How long do the effects last?” Thalion asked, unimpressed.
“What are you talking about?” Zyra asked, blinking. “They improve your stats permanently.”
“Wait, you haven’t been using elixirs?” Jakob burst into laughter. “Monster. Absolute monster.”
“Wow,” Thalion said, shaking his head. “You’ve been buffing yourselves without telling .”
“Well, we thought you knew,” Kael said, shrugging. “Everyone in the base knows about elixirs.”
“You didn’t miss much,” Zyra added quickly. “They lose efficiency over ti, and you need higher-rarity ones for them to have an effect.”
“If you bring wind crystals, I can make elixirs that increase your wind affinity,” Zyra offered, throwing out the bait.
Thalion raised an eyebrow. “And do you know any alchemists who can make ones that improve lightning affinity?”
“Unfortunately not,” Zyra admitted. “We’d need beasts with a strong lightning affinity, or a specialized mana-attunent circle, but I don’t know anyone capable of setting one up.”
“Oh, can you bring a flying turtle?” Kargul interrupted suddenly. “I want one as a pet.”
Thalion stared at him, puzzled. “You want a sky turtle as a pet?”
“Yes! Most great chieftains have pets, like big wolves,” Kargul said eagerly. “So, can you bring a sky turtle?”
“I’ll try,” Thalion said slowly, “but don’t expect much.”
Evelyn frowned. “How are you going to make sure the turtle doesn’t just fly away?”
“Obviously, I’m going to train it very well,” Kargul declared, nodding sagely. “Only an idiot wouldn’t train such a mighty being like a sky turtle.”
Annie grinned. “I think what Evelyn ant was how you’re going to train the turtle.”
“I give commands to the turtle, and if it doesn’t obey, I smash its head,” Kargul explained with a self-assured grin. “When it follows orders, I reward it with vodka and head pats. Evelyn said turtles like water, so when the turtle behaves, I’ll give it a big vodka bath.”
“Okay, now I definitely have to bring you a sky turtle—no matter the cost,” Thalion laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. The others couldn’t help but join in, their laughter echoing in the room.
“Thank you!” Kargul exclaid, nodding eagerly. “Please bring the biggest one you can find!”
“I’ll do my best,” Thalion replied with a grin. “Though I might need a plan—and so equipnt—for that.” He glanced at the group. “Do we have beast tars in this base?”
“We’ve got three,” Kael replied with a chuckle, “but they’re weak, and I doubt they’ll be much help.”
“I guess I’ll need chains to bring the sky turtle back,” Thalion mused, half to himself.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve got you covered!” Kargul declared triumphantly. From seemingly nowhere, he produced several enormous chains, their links gleaming like dull silver under the dim light. Together, they must weighed over a hundred kilos.
“With that much chain, it won’t be a flying turtle anymore,” Jakob quipped, earning another round of laughter.
Thalion stored the chains in his spatial inventory. While they were functional, he couldn’t help but think they were overkill. He made a ntal note to visit Lucan, the smith, in the morning for sothing lighter versions.
After more lighthearted banter—and witnessing Evelyn completely drink Kargul under the table by healing herself mid-drinks—Thalion returned to his room. The sky outside had begun to darken, the last streaks of sunset fading into twilight. He spent the remaining hours practicing his fire skill and honing his mana barrier. The room filled with faint, fiery light as he pushed his control to its limits, the air shimring with heatwaves. By the ti the first rays of dawn peeked through the window, he was ready.
After a brief visit to the smiths, Thalion left with four sleek tal chains. They were sturdier and far lighter than Kargul’s cumberso links, their blackened finish designed to resist the wear of prolonged use. Confident in his preparations, he launched himself into the sky with a powerful beat of his wings.
As he ascended, Thalion summoned whirlwinds to temper himself. The air around him shimred with spiraling mana, and the winds howled in response to his command. However, the basic whirlwinds he could summon weren’t strong enough to challenge him anymore. Channeling more mana into them, he pushed the spirals of air to near hurricane strength, each one slamming against his body like a physical barrier.
Every pass through the enhanced whirlwinds felt like smashing into an invisible wall, the resistance forcing his muscles and mana pathways to adapt under pressure. It took nearly two hours to reach the mountain range where the wind crystals floated, but by then, he could feel the results of his training. His body thrumd with newfound strength, the mana flow within him sharper and more refined.
Thalion hovered among the massive wind crystals suspended in the sky, their surfaces shimring like frozen gusts. The air around them was alive with energy, crackling faintly and stirring his feathers. He scanned the area, searching for the elusive sky turtles.
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After so ti, he spotted his first swarm. A dozen turtles circled lazily around one of the larger crystals, their shells gleaming like polished stone. Thalion grinned but held back. Hunting would be cumberso with a sky turtle chained to him, so he decided to secure a crystal first.
He dove toward a crystal over a hundred ters below the turtles. The faint hum of the wind crystal grew louder as he approached, but his attention was on the four massive worms coiled around its base. He knew their tactics well—these creatures couldn’t touch him in the air, making them easy prey for his lightning.
The first bolt struck with precision, a flash of light splitting the sky as it tore into one of the worms. The creature writhed briefly before going still. The others responded sluggishly, their serpentine bodies wriggling as if to intimidate him. It didn’t work.
A few well-placed lightning strikes later, the battle was over. The last worm attempted to flee, its elongated form slithering frantically toward the edge of the floating crystal. It didn’t get far before a final bolt ended its struggle.
Thalion stored their remains in his spatial ring, leaving the crystal untouched for now. He glanced upward, already planning his next move.
After clearing the worms, Thalion encountered two eagles patrolling the area. The fight was laughably short—birds weren’t built for endurance. A single lightning bolt sent one tumbling to the ground, while the other barely had ti to react before it joined its companion in death. He stored their corpses in his ring, noting with so satisfaction that they were both over Level 40.
As he continued hunting, a new challenge presented itself: a swarm of aggressive seagulls. He spotted them descending on a hawk, their frenzied attacks overwhelming the larger bird until it fell from the sky. Thalion didn’t hesitate, unleashing a Skybolt Barrage to scatter the swarm. The air exploded with streaks of electric energy, and several gulls dropped instantly.
The battle took longer than expected. Catching the falling corpses was a tedious process, and the gulls’ erratic flight patterns forced him to expend more mana than usual. Still, by the end of the skirmish, the entire swarm was stored safely in his spatial ring.
When he returned to the first crystal, he noticed a new occupant: an owl, larger than any he’d seen before, circling possessively around the crystal.
Thalion narrowed his eyes. This wasn’t negotiable.
The owl noticed him too and dove to intercept, its talons gleaming like blades. But it underestimated him. Thalion’s lightning bolt struck before the owl could close the distance, a sharp crack echoing as the electricity coursed through its body. He followed up with a fierce dive, his claws tearing into the stunned bird and ending its struggle instantly.
With the owl dispatched, Thalion stored its remains in his spatial ring. Hovering above the crystal, he suppressed his aura completely, scanning for any other potential threats. Beasts rarely concealed their presence, but Thalion’s control over his own energy gave him a distinct advantage. Satisfied that the area was secure, he landed on the crystal, his sharp eyes already seeking his next prey.
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