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nSuddenly, we start to hear a deafening sound coming from the depths of the forest. The ground trembles beneath our feet as the sounds of many legs, hooves, and rustling leaves grow louder and closer. At the same time, the air fills with the beating of wings as hordes of creatures fly towards us.

n“Many beasts are charging towards us! It seems like the lizard let out a distress call before Stella killed it,” Arthur says, his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword.

nSure enough, we soon see them—countless beasts charging our way. Among them are creatures of various ranks: some at the king-rank level, others at the emperor-rank, and a few even at the legendary-rank level. Bats, snakes, bears, and a myriad of other ugly and menacing beasts form a fearsome horde, each with malicious intent in their eyes.

n“So, that lizard was their leader, huh…” I mutter, taking in the sight of the oncoming horde.

n“Kyu~ Kyu~ (I’ll kill all of them),” Gogo suddenly chimes in, tapping my shoulder with determination.

n“Jake, I’ll take care of them. We can make a lot of money from these beasts. And since I am a skilled traveler, it won’t take long before I finish carving out their crystals,” Arthur declares, taking a unique stance with his right knee bent forward, his hand on his sword, and a confident glint in his eye.

n“Alright, Arthur. I’ll leave it to you. Stella, stay close to me,” I say, turning to my Draugh companion, who nods in response, her eyes focused on the approaching horde.

n“Kyuuu~~~” Gogo lets out a sad voice as his antenna bob up and down, clearly disappointed that he didn’t get the chance to showcase his abilities.

n“Sorry, Gogo. I guess it’s not your time to shine. But I’ll allow you to consume their flesh, and I’ll also tell Arthur to spare you some crystals,” I say, attempting to console my loyal pet, while patting his head gently.

n“SHIM! SHIM! SHIM! SHIM!”

nWith lightning speed, Arthur moves so swiftly that the beasts are caught completely off guard. They don’t even have a chance to register his presence before he starts cleaving them in half with a single swing of his sword. The red aura trails behind him, leaving a zig-zag pattern in its wake as he swiftly eliminates the beasts.

nIt’s a breathtaking display of power and skill. Arthur’s swordsmanship is unmatched, and in a single move, he takes down all the approaching creatures, leaving them motionless on the forest floor.

nWithin a flash, he reappears beside us as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Stella and I stare at him with wide-eyed amazement.

n“Arthur, that was incredible!” Stella exclaims, her admiration evident in her voice.

nArthur chuckles and sheathes his sword, his red aura fading away. “Well, it’s just the result of years of training and experience,” he says nonchalantly, though a glint of pride gleams in his eyes.

n“I will like to spar with you someday. It seems like you’ll be a perfect match for me,” I say with a small smile, envisioning the thrill of a friendly battle with Arthur.

n“Me too. I can’t wait to whoop your cocky ass,” Arthur retorts playfully. “For some reason, my aura reserve just seems to have monstrously increased since the tournament, and I can feel that my body is about to evolve. I just need a little push.”

n“You too…? You’re about to evolve?” I ask, genuinely surprised by the revelation.

n“Yeah,” Arthur confirms with a nod. “And what do you mean about you too?”

n“Oh, well, it’s Roth. He is also about to evolve into the Vampire Lord stage,” I reply.

n“Ah, that muscle-head,” Arthur chuckles. “Even at the Noble stage, he has the body and aura reserve of a Vampire Lord or even stronger. Just how sturdy will that guy’s body become when he evolves to the Vampire Lord stage? I kinda feel jealous of him now.”

n“Well, I am also kinda jealous of him, you know? That guy is insanely strong,” I admit to Arthur, a touch of admiration in my voice. “If he was at the Vampire Lord stage when we fought, it’s possible that we might have been evenly matched. It would have been a tough battle. I only had the upper hand with his lower evolution because of my techniques. Furthermore, he has a hot wife that he hasn’t even touched yet. Tch,” I click my tongue in annoyance.

nArthur raises an eyebrow, looking at me suspiciously. “Just what are you thinking? He has one wife while you have a lot of wives, don’t tell me…bruh…” His eyes widen and turn hollow, as if he saw a ghost.

n“Waaaaaaah… What’s Master thinking?” Stella chimes in, also looking at me with suspicion.

n“Hey, hey, guys, calm down. I am just saying,” I assure them, feeling slightly embarrassed by their reactions. “It’s not like I have any lewd intentions towards the wife of my friend. I was just making an observation, that’s all.”

nArthur lets out a chuckle and shakes his head. “Alright, man, I believe you. I’ll go and farm the crystals of the beasts,” he says casually, and in the blink of an eye, he disappears from his position, moving around the dead bodies of the beasts like a blur. Using Gyo, I’m able to follow his swift movements as he cuts open the stomachs of the beasts and removes their crystals.

nMeanwhile, Stella looks at me with a mix of concern and curiosity. “Master, are you feeling alright? You seem a bit off today,” she says, her eyes filled with genuine worry.

n“I’m fine, Stella,” I reassure her with a smile, trying to hide my embarrassment. “Just a passing thought, that’s all. Let’s focus on the task at hand.”

nMeanwhile, I am still thinking about the suspicious gazes Arthur and Stella gave me. Man, it was embarrassing.

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