Global Beast Mastery: Only I Can See the Hints

On the western side of the Stellar Empire vanguard’s temporary camp, Connell was quickly adjusting his gear.

As he worked, he barked furiously at the crown prince’s royal guards around him.

“Those damned Serpents from the Ancient Academy can never be trusted! They’ve fooled His Highness with their pretty lies. We must never listen to them!”

The royal guards all agreed at once. Each of them came from noble bloodlines, and before coming to the frontlines, none had ever faced so many people daring to challenge their authority.

“You’re right! We can’t trust them. That means we should strike on our own!” one guard quickly replied.

The others voiced their support one after another.

Connell’s lips finally curved into a smile.

“I knew you’d see it my way! Now hurry and get ready. As soon as you’re prepared, we’ll attack at once!”

His plan was finally working. He intended to lead the royal guards into an assault right away.

But with only the royal guards charging, there was no chance of taking Withered Tree Fortress. Instead, they would suffer heavy losses at the fortress walls.

That was exactly what Connell wanted. He planned to throw every single royal guard to their deaths, then escape alone. Afterward, he would shift all the blame onto Maxwell from the Ancient Academy and Aldany of the Serpents.

The crown prince would surely believe him. By now, Connell’s earlier actions had already won His Highness’s full trust.

As long as the crown prince clashed with the Ancient Academy and the Serpent tribes, the Stellar Empire would bleed even more.

“I won’t let a single royal guard make it back alive to Gold Fortress,” Connell muttered with an evil grin. His mind was made up.

At the same time, General Sost finally reached the edge of the vanguard’s defenses.

According to his agreement with Charles, he struck immediately.

The Stellar Empire’s fortifications were solid enough, but Sost’s strength was overwhelming.

With one furious assault, he tore through the defenses and cut down every soldier stationed there.

In an instant, the vanguard was thrown into chaos.

Closest to him was Aldany—and as the one who knew Sost best, Aldany realized the danger the very moment Sost’s attack began.

“Prepare for battle at once! Don’t step out of our camp, and don’t rush to support anyone else!”

Aldany quickly ordered his Serpent subordinates. He knew very well that in this situation, the last thing they could afford was reckless action.

If General Sost dared to launch an attack, it meant he had come with a well-laid plan. Aldany even suspected Charles was close by, waiting.

After giving his orders, the first thing he did was go looking for Connell. In his view, Connell was stronger than Maxwell and far calmer when things turned dangerous.

At the same time, Maxwell was also directing the members of the Ancient Academy. But unlike Aldany, he couldn’t keep a clear head.

He simply threw his people straight into the fight against Sost. That decision cost the Academy dearly in the moments that followed.

Of course, Maxwell himself didn’t go to the front line. Just like Aldany, he also chose to look for Connell, setting aside their earlier quarrel.

Connell was standing at the entrance of his tent. He had clearly felt Sost’s attack, but he made no move to act.

In truth, he was hoping Sost would wipe out the Stellar Empire’s entire vanguard.

Just then, Aldany rushed up to him, breathing hard.

“Why are you still standing here? Shouldn’t you be out there, meeting the enemy head-on?”

Connell’s reply was calm, almost indifferent.

“Weren’t you and Maxwell just boasting about your confidence? Then surely you can handle this attack on your own. His Highness gave me one order—take Withered Tree Fortress. So I’ll be leading the royal guards out to strike.”

With that, he turned and headed toward the guards.

Aldany froze in shock, staring at Connell’s back in disbelief. Then he roared in anger:

“You’re insane! The enemy is already at our gates, and you still refuse to abandon that reckless plan of yours!”

Connell paid no attention to his outburst. By then, the royal guards were already armed and ready for battle.

All the royal guards heard Aldany’s shout, but none of them were moved.

To them, Aldany was just a Serpent. Why should they listen to the advice of a Serpent?

“Are you all ready?” Connell called.

“Ready!” the guards roared back.

“Excellent! Forget everything else—our goal has always been to take Withered Tree Fortress! Follow me, all of you!”

With that, Connell charged toward the camp’s exit, leading the way.

His mystical beast soared at the very front. As a Beast Master, the best way to show his resolve in battle was to drive his beast straight into the fight ahead of him.

The royal guards rushed out close behind Connell.

Aldany, watching this, nearly fainted on the spot.

Just then, Maxwell arrived, breathless. He also saw the guards rushing out, but assumed they were responding to the sudden attack.

“Are you all right? Why are you collapsed here?” Maxwell quickly pulled Aldany back to his feet, confusion and concern written across his face.

Trembling, Aldany gasped out,

“Connell and the royal guards… they’ve gone to attack Withered Tree Fortress! That leaves only us to hold off this assault!”

Maxwell froze, stunned by the words.

The next instant, he exploded in a furious roar.

“How dare he?! Without our support, there’s no way he can take Withered Tree Fortress! He’s deliberately sabotaging our mission!”

Maxwell was truly angry—but at the same time, he saw an opportunity. He didn’t actually believe Connell was trying to ruin their plans, but he needed to say it this way. Only then could he build a case to destroy Connell later.

“It’s too late to argue now! Pull the lines tighter! As long as we hold together, we can still defend the core of the camp!” Aldany barked, his composure already recovered.

Under the two men’s orders, the members of the Ancient Academy and the elite Serpent warriors began a fighting retreat.

At last, they regrouped near the giant rock, where they managed to steady their defense.

General Sost did not press further. He wasn’t confident enough to wipe them all out now that they had gathered together. If he kept attacking, the danger to himself would only grow.

So he chose to hold back and watch. In his mind, Charles should already be preparing to make his next move.

And his guess was right—Charles was indeed ready.

But at that moment, Charles hesitated.

He had also seen Connell leading the royal guards charging out of the camp. He understood all too well that Connell did this on purpose—to create the appearance of a coordinated inside–outside strike.

And in truth, Connell’s move had helped him a great deal.

Yet, it also forced Charles to rethink every detail of his plan. He couldn’t let the Stellar Empire’s crown prince grow suspicious of Connell.

That meant he had to find a way to wipe out the rest of the vanguard while still keeping Connell safe, so the crown prince would continue to trust him.

Finding such a balance was anything but easy.

Charles frowned deeply, turning it over in his mind, but no perfect solution came to him.

Beside him, Zara was growing anxious.

She had assumed General Sost alone could never break through the vanguard’s defenses. That was why she had prepared to fight as soon as he launched his attack.

But Sost’s strength had far exceeded her expectations. Suddenly, the mission felt within easy reach.

From her perspective, all that was needed now was for Charles and her to strike together. If the enemy couldn’t even withstand Sost, then they certainly wouldn’t survive the combined power of all three of them.

Yet Charles’s behavior confused her.

He kept staring at the battlefield, brows furrowed, as if he were wrestling with a massive problem.

“What are you waiting for? General Sost’s attack was a huge success! We should be supporting him right now. If we both move, the vanguard will be crushed in no time!”

Unable to hold back her impatience, Zara’s voice carried a trace of urgency.

Charles glanced back at her.

“Don’t rush. I’m thinking of a way to use this chance to deliver an even greater blow to the Stellar Empire.”