It didn’t take long for Davis and the others to arrive at their destination, at the northern periphery, just before one can enter the outermost area of the inner region. In this place, the ground was scorching red while lava flowed in a few ditches like a stream. Purple lightning still fell from the skies, but their prowess was no longer at the sixth stage but mainly at the seventh stage.
Seldom, a few eighth stage purple lightning bolts also fell, but due to the low density, unless one was really unlucky, they were unlikely to be hit by one.
Davis arrived at the place and looked around, managing to spot some shady colors over the many rock formations.
"There..." Sophie quickly found as she pointed, "That’s where one of the ores I’m looking for is situated, the Blazuk Ore."
Davis followed his gaze in her direction and saw that there reddish-grey spots over a tiny elevation thirty kilometers away. However, when he panned his gaze a bit towards the side, he saw a magical beast slowly making its way over to that place along with a few other magical beasts following it.
Except for the biggest one’s height, they all possessed an ape head with light-red eyes, a fifty-meter tall crimson-black body, and intense muscles that were scorching with a crimson crystal gleam.
"Mhm? That’s the Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape?"
Davis recalled these magical beasts’ features and matched them with a magical beast he had read about before.
"Mhmm..." Sophie nodded her head, "In the inner region, there’s a fire forest, and that is where they stay, claiming it as their territory... They are under our Alstreim Family’s tribute rule as they are just a King Rank Species, but they do not bother about the status quo just like the Twin-Shelled Earth Tortoise."
"If they want to, they could kill me as they see fit..." She warned.
"I see... But fire forest, you mean trees that are fire-attributed...?"
"Yes... Likely, this is a patrol team that is sent to collect these ores for their young ones’ growth. After all, specific magical beasts like the Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape can eat these ores for increasing their cultivation base."
"By the way, the crimson crystals located on their forehead, back of their nape, their arm and leg muscles are also used in forging. They are also helpful in creating a few fire-attributed decorations, as well as cultivation resources that help transform the heaven and earth energy into fire-attributed heaven and earth energy to be absorbed into our bodies."
"It is helpful to set up a cultivation room, specific to fire-attributed cultivators like me. Perhaps, at least eighty percent of the Elders have it their room to help with increasing their cultivation base while also aiding in improving their comprehension of Fire Laws."
Davis chuckled softly. He had complete resources for his breakthroughs in cultivation and comprehension, so he had no need for these kinds of resources in the past. If not, and he was broke, he would have to settle for this like those Elders.
"Alright, my luck is not bad this time... One Low-Level King Beast Stage and six Peak-Level Lord Beast Stage Magical Beasts. Perfect for me to test my Body Tempering Cultivation and Soul Forging Cultivation against multiple opponents, but this time, watch me assassinate the boss before taking down the lackeys."
Sophie grinned as she giggled while stretching her eyes, "This time, I’ll be watching with my two eyes widened!"
"Hehe... You won’t find me even if your eyes come out!" Davis disappeared into thin air, causing Sophie to blink.
No matter how she tried, she couldn’t sense or see him anymore, which made her a bit amazed. She felt that even if she saw it again, she would feel the same emotion. Turning her head, she saw the Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes slowly walking towards the Blazuk Ores as if they owned this place.
"Hmph! The resources here belong to the Alstreim Family! Why do they always take it back and give a few as a tribute?" Sophie couldn’t help but mumble reluctantly.
These magical beasts were also a problem since their strength proved to be far stronger for the younger generation to handle, and so they couldn’t obtain resources as they liked. As for the Elders, they’d rather not take it as there was the case of forceful acquisition from the mid-sized territories.
Their Ninth Stage Powerhouses were also down to one in these ten thousand years, leaving them with no choice but to behave a bit. Honestly, they were stifled, but they could do nothing about it unless a new Ninth Stage Powerhouse is born!
They were all waiting for it to happen! Then, with one Ancestor-level character taking care of the family as a defender, the other can act as a front to defy these righteous looters. After that, they would have no need to worry about those bigshots trying to take advantage of them as long as they don’t go overboard.
But to Sophie’s eyes, rather than her grandpa or any other individual, she felt that her man would be the second Ninth Stage Powerhouse in the family! Even if he wasn’t, she felt that he still would be the third!
After a minute, Davis appeared above the King Beast Stage Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape a few hundred meters above, looking at it with interest.
The Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape’s forehead was embedded with a diamond-shaped crystal that glowed with brilliant crimson color. Judging by its look and density alone, he felt that it should be comparable to the Violet Lightning Paralysis Beetle’s carapace and even thought that it should be a bit harder and durable. However, was the crimson crystal capable of blocking his soul attack?
Did the crimson crystal contain special properties that suppress soul attacks? He recalled reading something like that but wasn’t so sure as the writer of the book itself said that he or she wasn’t sure.
If so, then attacking right through its forehead, its nape, or its muscles wouldn’t do him any good as he would miss the chance to kill it with one-shot.
’My bad... I shouldn’t have bragged that I would be able to assassinate it...’ Davis felt his confidence waning.
However, he then saw that it was approaching the Blazuk Ore, finally starting to near it. He felt the urgency to quickly end its life, but an idea suddenly popped up in his mind as a smirk appeared on his lips.
’Oh well. It’s worth a try than simply making it do it but would end up warranting its confusion...’
Davis waited for them to reach the small elevation that seemed to be filled with Blazuk Ore.
Once they arrived, the seventy-meter tall Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape simply pointed, and the six Lord Beast Stage Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes scrambled as they jumped, all of them attacking the cliff at the same time while their elbows and fists were burning with flames!
*Boom!~*
*Boom!~*
*Boom!~*
The small elevation broke and crumbled into dust, revealing the reddish ore with yellow spots. These were the King Grade Ores, which was frequently used by the Alstreim Family to forge fire-attributed King Grade Armaments but had recently gone out of stock as the reserves were used up.
If Sophie waited for a few more years, she would manage to get it as the granddaughter of Grand Elder Krax Alstreim, but she had no chill and time to waste in wanting to be acknowledged by her crush. So, here she was looking at it be pried open by those Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes while Davis was nowhere to be seen.
Still, she believed that she had a plan in mind, awaiting his entrance with avid expectations.
Meanwhile, Davis calmly saw those Peak-Level Lord Beast Stage Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes carry the ores within their large hands, completely emptying out the mound from Blazuk Ores. Then, as if their job was over, they turned back to the direction of the inner region, walking back to where they came from.
It was obvious that it was their routine.
However, the King Beast Stage Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape suddenly felt its throat go dry, filling its tongue with drool. It simply reached out its hand as it took the Blazuk ores carried by the others in one fell swoop, bringing it to its face as it glanced up, looking as if it was going to swallow the ores as its jaws widened.
The other Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes were watching their boss with confusion.
’Why eat it when it wasn’t useful to you?’
They couldn’t help but feel like crying as their eyes were filled with reluctance!
*Puchi!~*
At this moment, the sound of piercing echoed like a clap of thunder, and blood splashed right out of the King Beast Stage Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape’s mouth, continuously flowing out from both its back head and mouth.
A bloody silhouette became visible in the air before it waved its hand.
Davis’s concealment came off as he held an emerald scythe in his hand, looking at it with a bit of excitement.
"How was that Yama? You managed to take out a King Beast Stage Magical Beast while being a Peak-Level King Grade Armament! Feeling proud?"
The Grieving Emerald Scythe trembled with satisfaction and excitement in response, causing Davis to grin as he looked at the light in the King Beast Stage Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape’s eyes disappear as it collapsed with a thud. It invoked a dust-storm, causing the other Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes to still appear stunned as they couldn’t comprehend what had happened in this short moment.
Why was their boss lying on its own pool of blood?
"Don’t worry. I need something from you magical beasts, and for that, you are all going to die one way or another..."
Davis coldly uttered as he pointed the scythe’s curved emerald blade towards the stunned Lord Beast Stage Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes. For these Peak-Level Lord Beast Stage Magical Beasts, he didn’t feel like using his concealment skills to battle.
Instead, he was going to let Yama have its due fun!