Chapter 787 What Rewards Should I Choose?

Chapter 787: What Rewards Should I Choose?

Night had already fallen, and Leo instructed Howl to rest.

In just around seven hours, Howl had travelled approximately 100 kilometres. Though it wasn’t much, it was impressive considering that Howl was moving at only 20% of his top speed to conserve energy while also taking numerous detours to avoid crushing the small territories beneath his feet.

Unfortunately, Howl’s feet couldn’t float above the ground unless there was enough vegetation. And since territories tended to clear out the surrounding areas, they were prone to being crushed, hence the detours.

In such a short time, they had already stumbled upon dozens of small territories belonging to freshmen and second-term students.

Though Leo realised all the territories were fairly new and weak, he had an inkling that stronger territories would only appear farther away.

As Howl rested, Leo and the others scrolled through their mobile phones, only to discover that Howl had already become famous.

Someone from Jialou’s team had recorded Howl and posted the video. Along the way, many other students had also followed Howl’s path to share livestreams of the enormous beast.

Reevor: WHHHAAATTTT?!!! An Ancient Savage Beast so close to the academy?!

Humaar: And someone had even built a territory on top of it! What bad luck!

Germana: Look! Even Sir Leo had to move his territory to avoid this beast’s path!

Huma: Alas, Sir Leo’s territory was in such a good location.

When people traced Howl’s path and marked it on a map, they realised that the beast had passed through Leo’s territory as well. Looking at the current ’Migrating’ status on Leo’s territory icon, they concluded Leo must have relocated to avoid being trampled.

Oyaka: Why does that tall tree on the beast’s back look kinda familiar?

Durma: Wait! Isn’t the forest on top of that beast incredibly lush? I bet there are countless treasures up there!

Fruna: Let’s go and take a look ourselves!

At Howl’s location...

"Huh? These idiots..." Leo was dumbfounded.

Did they really think they stood a chance against a beast nearly two kilometres tall?

First came Howl’s main body, around 1,300 metres tall. Then came his legs, adding another 400 metres, followed by the 200-metre-tall Titanbreath Lotus.

At that moment, Leo sensed a familiar presence in the distance once again.

"They still haven’t given up?" Leo muttered.

Jialou’s group had been following Howl since the beginning. They were doing so on foot, since using the Eagle Ferry would have cost them too much.

"I guess their journey became easier after Howl scared away all the beasts."

With Howl around, no beast weaker than him could stay outside or near unless he willed it, even at night, when beast activity was greater.

"Looks like a talk is inevitable." Lily walked over to his side.

"Do you want to recruit them or send them away?" she asked.

"Well, their strength isn’t bad. But ask them if they’re willing to fulfil the conditions and sign mana contracts. Only then will they be allowed to join us."

Leo closed his eyes and focused.

"No beasts? Looks like none of them is Beast Masters..." he muttered.

Their conditions were harsh. Simply put, they required absolute loyalty to Leo, ensuring that not even their own families could come between them and his orders.

---

At an Unknown Location...

"What in the world?!"

A man in black robes widened his eyes at the sight before him.

The person in question had three of his four limbs severed, with terrible frost covering the gruesome stumps.

Cold energy seeped into his body as he shuddered and convulsed uncontrollably, blood pouring profusely from his 7 orifiices. The one hand that remained intact held a crescent sickle-chained blade that had already clattered to the ground.

He was none other than Aric, the bounty hunter who had marked Leo.

"Quick! Call the healers—the highest-ranked ones there are! No, all of them!" the man in black robes shouted as his assistant hurried away.

"Holy crap! Which monster could deal such damage in a fraction of a second?" the man in black robes muttered.

He had teleported Aric away the moment Tarun appeared nearby, but he never imagined someone could be this fast.

"He... even suffered soul damage?"

The man in black robes slowly realised that Aric’s beast had been killed in that same fraction of a second.

In reality, the Mantis beast threw itself in front of Aric to keep the sharp attack from striking his abdomen and neck. Meanwhile, Aric had used all his strength to barely block a single attack, keeping one hand intact.

As for why the academy’s life bracelet hadn’t worked, the reason was simple. Aric wasn’t on Drakensoul Academy grounds and needed to use Aurelius Beast Academy’s facilities, since he was within their territory.

However, the moment Tarun learned Aric’s identity, he immediately contacted the spatial mage in charge and had Aric’s teleportation mechanism deactivated, resulting in his current condition.

"No way! The attack is too fierce—I can’t heal him!" the highest-ranked healer exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

The healing was proving even less effective because of the soul damage.

"Do something! He must have some important intel!" the man in black robes demanded.

The healer gritted his teeth, pulled out a high-ranking healing treasure his master had given him, and poured its contents into Aric’s mouth.

A few more treasures were used on the severed limbs, rapidly thawing the frozen stumps and closing the wounds.

"It will require a very high-ranking healer to regenerate his limbs... at least a King," the healer explained.

"Don’t bother. The Monarch has summoned him. If he has succeeded in completing the job, he’ll be rewarded accordingly."

Aric’s eyes fluttered open weakly, but a crooked smile appeared on his face. The satisfaction of achieving his goal made the pain almost bearable. Even if his beast had been sacrificed, the rewards would more than compensate him for the loss.

Soon enough, Aric was teleported away in the same condition. He appeared before a mysterious person, who healed him rapidly, restoring all his limbs as healing energy seeped into his body.

Aric immediately bowed deeply and relayed the intel he had gathered on Leo in a shaky voice. Not daring to look up.

The mysterious person smiled and quickly focused on Leo’s mark.

"Good. You will be compensated and rewarded generously."

After Aric was sent away, the mysterious person waved his hand, and a screen interface similar to Leo’s system appeared before him.

"There he is..." he muttered, looking at the list of marked individuals who weren’t his followers.

"What reward should I choose for his elimination...?"

The man pondered as he scrolled through the rewards section, which offered various skills, faith points, abilities, affinities, and even a talent.