Chapter 68: Second Hunt [2]

Craig stepped through the tall archway of Heaven’s Net Castle, emerging into the morning sunlight draped in his crimson battle suit.

The dark-steel plating gleamed along his chest and shoulders, perfectly accentuating his tall, commanding frame, while his arming sword rested securely at his hip.

Right behind him, Ser Hughway walked with measured, heavy strides, his massive longsword slung across his back and his cloak swaying in the gentle morning breeze.

Craig was completely ready for battle.

As he reached the high stone steps overlooking the expansive main courtyard, a proud, satisfied smirk curled across his lips.

The vanguard forces of the Myrain Viscounty were an incredible sight to behold.

Dozens of elite vanguard knights were already mounted atop their armored war stallions, forming immaculate, disciplined rows.

Their polished steel plates reflected the golden rays of dawn, and their hands rested firmly on the hilts of their sheathed blades or the shafts of their heavy lances.

Standing at the foot of the castle steps were Damian Blacksun, the three veteran commanders—General Gunther, Ser Hetos, and Ser Merlyn.

Their own fully armored warhorses stood nearby, held steady by pageboys, awaiting their riders.

The moment Craig’s foot touched the courtyard stone, the three Sword Sages bowed their heads sharply, speaking in flawless unison.

"Greetings, Lord Viscount!"

Simultaneously, every mounted vanguard knight across the courtyard slammed his right fist across his chestplate with a loud, metallic clank, bowing their heads deeply from atop their saddles.

Further back, hundreds of foot soldiers, spearmen, and archers who filled the courtyard instantly dropped to one knee upon the cobblestones.

The heavy rustle of chainmail echoed through the air as every single soldier bowed their head in absolute, reverent submission to the Seventh Successor.

"Rise," Craig spoke smoothly, his voice carrying effortlessly over the silent court.

He offered a subtle nod of approval and gestured for General Gunther to approach.

The grizzled middle aged Sword Sage stepped forward immediately, standing at attention before his young liege.

"Are all forces prepared for today’s operation, Gunther?" Craig asked, his dark golden eyes scanning the ranks.

"Everything is in absolute readiness, My Lord," Gunther replied with a confident smile.

"Just like our previous deployment, the vanguard has been organized into two primary strike divisions under the direct operational command of Ser Hetos and Ser Merlyn."

Gunther’s expression turned serious as he laid out the tactical adjustment. "However, because our primary target today is a 2nd-Tier Abomination—the Alpha Red-Scaled Deer—we will not be scattering our forces across the outer sectors.

Both divisions will maintain a tight, overlapping march formation directly into the heart of the Jeju Forest’s central region."

"Good," Craig nodded approvingly. He reached out and lightly patted the veteran General’s armored shoulder.

"I expect the main legion to arrive at the central zone boundary within the hour. Do not delay."

Gunther blinked, catching the phrasing. "Arrive within the hour? My Lord, are you not riding at the head of the column with us?"

"I am heading out right now," Craig answered calmly.

Before General Gunther could utter a single word of confusion, a sudden, intense pulse of magical energy flared beneath Craig’s sleeve.

"Inkido, Dark Sister" Craig whispered.

(Come, Dark Sister)

On the pale skin of Craig’s right forearm, the intricate black dragon tattoo flickered with an ethereal, violent crimson light.

It was the absolute bloodline summons of the Darkstar lineage—a command echoing directly resonating with the spiritual world.

Far away, soaring silently over the mist-shrouded canopy of the Old Valley, Dark Sister suddenly froze mid-flight.

The 4th-Tier Dragon raised her terrifying, violent and emerald-scaled head, her glowing slit pupils widening as her master’s voice resonated inside her mind.

Without a single microsecond of hesitation, the massive dragon banked hard to the left.

Folding her dark, leathery wings against her body, she plummeted through the clouds, accelerating at breakneck speed directly toward the distant spires of Heaven’s Net Castle.

Back in the main courtyard, the air abruptly grew thick, heavy, and suffocating.

A sudden, unnatural pressure descended from the sky, instantly crushing the ambient temperature.

Neigh!

In an instant, absolute chaos broke out among the warhorses!

The heavy war stallions—trained for months to remain calm amidst blood, fire, and steel—began rearing back in pure, instinctual terror.

They whinnied uncontrollably, stomping their hooves against the stone, their eyes rolling back as their ancestral instincts screamed a single, terrifying truth:

An apex predator is approaching!

"Hold the horses! Hold the reins!" the vanguard knights shouted, frantically wrestling with their leather reins to keep their terrified mounts from throwing them to the ground.

"Look up at the sky!" a soldier screamed, pointing a trembling finger toward the clouds.

The soldiers on foot scrambled backward in absolute panic, their boots sliding across the cobblestones as their hearts hammered violently against their ribs.

The sheer, overwhelming pressure of a 4th-Tier creature was simply too much for mundane mortals to bear.

A massive, sweeping shadow blotted out the morning sun, casting the entire courtyard into darkness.

ROAR!

A deafening, primal roar tore through the sky, shattering several glass windowpanes along the castle wall.

The massive black form of Dark Sister burst through the low-hanging clouds.

Her violet and emerald scales glinted like polished steel, and her long, razor-sharp tail swept through the air as she extended her gigantic wings, creating a violent, howling gust of wind that blew back the capes and banners of every knight present.

Dust and loose gravel whirled wildly into the air as Dark Sister descended directly into the center of the main courtyard.

BOOM!

The ground shook violently as her massive, heavy talons slammed into the stone floor, cracking the marble paving beneath her immense weight.

She folded her colossal wings back against her body, her long neck snaking forward as her glowing crimson eyes locked onto the solitary figure standing at the top of the castle steps.

She lowered her terrifying, spiked head until her snout hovered just inches above the cobblestones, letting out a low, vibrating rumble of deep affection and absolute submission.

The 4th-Tier dragon had arrived before her master.

Craig didn’t flinch for a second.

With an unreadable, sovereign smile on his face, he stepped off the stone platform and walked calmly up to the massive draconic beast, resting his hand gently against her cold, iron-hard scales.

He leaned close to her ear, his voice dropping into the ancient, guttural tongue of his bloodline.

"Tegros... Mor’vash Jeju Forest, Dark Sister," Craig whispered, his dark golden eyes burning with draconic authority.

(Fly, Take me to Jeju Forest, Dark Sister)

Dark Sister let out a low, approving growl. With effortless grace, Craig swung himself up, mounting the apex predator in a single, fluid motion.

He looked down at the pale, awestruck faces of General Gunther, Ser Hughway, and the hundreds of frozen knights below.

"I will clear the sky above the central zone," Craig declared, his voice echoing over the silent, terrified courtyard like a decree from the heavens.

"Do not keep your Viscount waiting!"