Chapter 244: Danger Beasts
200 Km north of Blackwood City lay a vast desert.
Somewhere in that desert was a place called Oasis Town.
The town had a rather capable fortune teller. Up to now, that fortune teller had successfully predicted many events, and their reputation had spread far and wide.
That was Caelum’s destination this time.
A fortune teller of unknown truth or fraud.
He had plenty of time anyway, so he might as well give it a try.
The desert, however, was absurdly large.
Luckily, Caelum had brought a compass before setting out. Otherwise, it would have been all too easy to lose his way in the wind and sand.
Under a clear sky, with the wind quiet and the clouds still, endless yellow sand stretched toward the edge of the world.
Caelum stood among a forest of stone pillars, holding a map and comparing it again and again.
"I should not have taken the wrong path. After passing through this stone forest, another forty kilometers southwest should bring me to Oasis Town."
However, his rations seemed to be running out.
Just as Caelum was considering whether to catch some desert specialty to taste, a sharp sound tore through the sky above him.
A huge shadow fell across the ground and swallowed him.
A thunderous crash followed.
Something enormous dropped from the sky.
The stone forest shook violently, and several massive rocks were crushed to pieces in an instant.
Caelum retreated in time and opened the distance, taking in the giant creature before him.
Pale scales covered its skin.
Its powerful body held a terrifying force ready to burst.
When spread, its enormous wings measured more than ten meters long.
Its savage twin horns and razor sharp claws all revealed a fierce majesty.
It was a dragon.
"Roar!"
A brutal, almost playful light flashed through the pale dragon’s eyes.
When it studied Caelum, it seemed to be looking down at an ant.
Far too human.
"A dragon type Danger Beast?"
Delight appeared on Caelum’s face.
His luck was not bad.
This prey was rather considerate, even delivering itself to him.
With pleasant surprise, he drew Cloudrend.
The pale dragon froze.
This was the first time it had encountered a human who did not fear it.
After that brief confusion, its gaze turned vicious. By instinct, it opened its bloody maw and lunged forward to devour Caelum.
Danger Beasts were different from ordinary animals and wild beasts.
Although they had the appearance of beasts, their danger could not be compared with common animals.
Fifth class Danger Beasts were no more threatening than ordinary wild beasts.
Fourth class Danger Beasts were larger and stronger than common beasts.
Third class Danger Beasts were bigger still. Some were even larger than elephants.
Second class Danger Beasts had already surpassed ordinary fierce beasts. They were species that usually appeared only in legends, such as dragons.
First class Danger Beasts did not necessarily have enormous bodies, but their destructive power was formidable. They could easily destroy a town.
Above them were special class Danger Beasts and super class Danger Beasts.
Special class Danger Beasts generally possessed all kinds of unique abilities.
Some could command fierce winds.
Some could breathe fire.
Some could manipulate water.
There were many such examples.
Super class Danger Beasts were absolute apex predators.
They had no natural enemies and occupied fixed territories in the wild. Their bodies were often dozens of meters long, sometimes more.
Their power could easily destroy a city, or even sink an island.
The main materials used to create the thirty six Imperial Relics came from special class and super class Danger Beasts.
Judging by this standard, the pale dragon before Caelum should belong to the special class.
Not only did it possess extremely powerful defense and strength, it had also displayed a special attack method in the form of dragon breath.
Its scales were harder than steel.
Ordinary weapons could not harm it at all.
In this desert, it was the top predator.
Night fell.
A cold wind swept sand through the air.
A large section of the once intact stone forest had collapsed.
Caelum found a good spot sheltered from the wind, crouched inside it, and roasted meat.
The pale dragon curled up nearby.
A section of its tail had been chopped off by Caelum. Worse, it had no choice but to open its mouth and release a faint stream of flame to help him cook it.
The dragon meat sizzled with oil, like a steak in a pan.
The rich aroma was so tempting that even the pale dragon wanted a bite.
It looked at its own tail, and a thoughtful light passed through its eyes.
"That is enough."
The pale dragon immediately stopped its breath, then obediently crawled to the side.
It reached out, pulled its tail in front of itself, and sank into long contemplation.
No one knew what it was thinking.
It seemed to have opened the door to a whole new world.
After filling his stomach with dragon meat, Caelum sat quietly and began improving his Haki proficiency.
He had been traveling these past few days, but his proficiency gains had not slowed.
Less than a month had passed since he left Hartstead, so his swordsmanship and three forms of Haki had not changed by much.
To maintain his daily training progress, he had deliberately slowed his journey.
When the sky turned pale and the morning sun rose, Caelum abruptly gave the pale dragon another slash, cutting a small piece from its tail for breakfast.
"Roar!"
The pale dragon was jolted awake by the pain.
It scrambled up with ferocious momentum, ready to go berserk.
Then it saw Caelum, and its neck immediately shrank back.
"Awooo..."
It crouched down again and let out a low growl while breathing flame, roasting meat for Caelum.
A special class Danger Beast already possessed a certain degree of intelligence.
At the very least, this dragon understood when to bend and when to yield.
After breakfast, the pale dragon spread its enormous wings.
A violent wind rose as it shot into the sky.
It cut through the air like a blade and flew southwest.
Looking closely, Caelum was holding onto one of the dragon’s claws.
Oasis Town.
This was one of the few small oases in the desert.
Not only did some plants grow around it, it also had a freshwater lake with a decent amount of water.
In the early morning, the townspeople had just woken.
The merchant caravans passing through began gathering and setting out one after another.
Compared with the desolation of the desert, Oasis Town was full of life.
Before long, a black shadow appeared at the edge of the sky.
A drunkard had just walked out of the tavern. The sunlight made it difficult for him to open his eyes.
Through the glare, he faintly saw a black dot appear in the distance.
"What is that?"
The drunkard narrowed his eyes and tried to make it out.
The black dot moved incredibly fast.
In the blink of an eye, it had flown close.
Most of the drunkard’s drunkenness vanished at once, and his body began to tremble on its own.
"It is a dragon!"
He shouted in terror.
"A dragon is coming!"
Oasis Town first went quiet.
Then chaos spread rapidly.
The townspeople, experienced in such matters, quickly hid themselves away.
The merchant caravans, however, were at a loss.
"Forget the goods for now. Hide first!"
A violent crash rang out.
Wild wind swept past.
The pale dragon landed with brutal force, almost smashing straight into the ground.
The whole of Oasis Town shook.
Dust filled the air.
The townspeople trembled in hiding.
The pale dragon landed in front of the drunkard.
Its massive shadow completely covered him.
Facing the dragon head on, the drunkard’s courage shattered. His face turned ashen, and he dropped straight to the ground.
Caelum released the dragon’s claw and pushed open the door of the tavern beside him.
"Boss, give me a cup of water!"
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