Chapter 241: Sudden Quest.
A Few Days Ago... The Pharaoh’s Vault...
After Aerith’s confrontation, Bahamut ignored his provocation and entered the massive vault. A lot of things caught his interest. Weapons, relics, artifacts, armor, but something caught his attention more. Subconsciously, he had used one of his beast traits, the eagle eyes, to zoom in on it. It was the same thing that had been calling him ever since he got there.
It was an egg inside a small compartment. It was blue in color, the size of a basketball. It floated in the compartment and shook every now and then. Bahamut unconsciously moved towards it and came across a beautiful egg. It was even more beautiful closer than from afar. The egg was actually white with blue designs like waves from an ocean.
"That is a water element beast..." The instructor who had seen Bahamut approach the egg followed him and informed him of it. He had been given specific instructions to attend to Bahamut by the Pharaoh. That only made him wonder about Bahamut’s true background.
"I’m taking it!" Bahamut immediately said with a smile, surprising the instructor.
"Are you sure?" He asked for clarification. He didn’t want to make any mistakes.
"One thousand percent!"
"Okay..."
He moved quickly to prepare a basket to keep the egg, while Bahamut continued to stare at the egg with the smile of a child who had seen a new toy. A toy he’d always wanted.
If only the instructor knew what Bahamut was seeing at the moment...
[System Identification!]
Beast Egg Identified!
Name: None
Type: Most likely a Wyvern
Elemental Affiliation: Water or Ice
Special Bloodline: Affirmative
Potential: Tier 5 (Upgradable)
...
Present Time...
Morning came quietly. For once, the skies above the Shadow Fang Sect were calm. It was just the soft golden glow of dawn spilling across the black stone architecture of the Obsidian Citadel.
Bahamut, however, was not enjoying the peace. He lay face-down on his bed, completely motionless, while Lily clung to his back like a satisfied predator guarding her prey. Her fluffy tails were wrapped around his waist possessively, and every few seconds, she would rub her cheek against the back of his neck with a dreamy smile.
"Mine..." she mumbled sleepily.
Bahamut groaned into the pillow.
"I can’t feel my spine anymore."
"That means it belongs to me now."
"That’s not how anatomy works."
Lily ignored him completely and tightened her grip.
The room was warm and quiet, carrying the faint scent of flowers and foxfire. The previous night had been... exhausting. Even Bahamut, with his monstrous physique and absurd stamina, felt slightly drained.
A knock suddenly echoed through the room.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Bahamut," Elder Silvia’s calm voice sounded from outside. "Come to the courtyard."
Bahamut blinked.
Lily immediately hissed softly like an annoyed cat.
"Why does she always call you when I’m happy?"
"Because, unlike you, she contributes to society."
Lily bit his shoulder lightly in retaliation.
"Traitor."
...
A few minutes later.
Bahamut walked through Elder Silvia’s residence with slightly damp hair and his blindfold tied neatly across his eyes again. He wore loose black trousers and a sleeveless dark shirt beneath a light outer robe. Lily walked beside him while holding his arm tightly, refusing to let go for even a second.
Ren sat atop Bahamut’s head in bunny form, half asleep.
"You smell sinful," Ren muttered lazily.
"Shut up."
"I’m serious. Even I’m feeling embarrassed."
"Why are you embarrassed?!"
"Secondhand shame."
Bahamut resisted the urge to throw him into a wall.
They soon arrived at the inner courtyard of Elder Silvia’s residence. The elegant woman sat beneath a tree with a cup of tea in hand. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above her, making her blue hair glow softly.
Sel was already there.
The moment Bahamut arrived, Sel looked up from his book, took one glance at Lily, practically glued to Bahamut’s side, then slowly closed the book.
"I don’t even want context."
"You are jealous," Lily replied instantly.
"I am begging the heavens for peace."
Elder Silvia chuckled softly before motioning Bahamut closer.
"You’ve received a quest request."
That immediately got everyone’s attention.
Bahamut tilted his head slightly.
"A direct request?"
"Yes."
That was unusual.
Normally, disciples selected quests themselves unless elders specifically assigned one. A direct request meant someone from outside the sect had either requested assistance specifically from the Shadow Fang Sect... or specifically from Bahamut’s group.
"The mission location is the Oasis Temple City," Elder Silvia continued. "The Oasis District, specifically."
Ren’s ears twitched instantly. Even Sel looked mildly surprised.
The Oasis Temple City was the main hub of the Shadow Fang Sect. Unlike the harsher military settlements of the Obsidian Citadel, the Oasis Temple City was vibrant, wealthy, and heavily populated. Merchants, nobles, pilgrims, adventurers, and cultivators all gathered there constantly.
It was a city overflowing with movement.
"What’s the mission?" Bahamut asked.
Elder Silvia placed a scroll on the table.
"There have been disappearances."
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
"The victims are mostly travelers and lower-ranked cultivators. According to reports, they disappear around the Oasis District during nighttime."
"Human trafficking?" Sel asked calmly.
"Possibly," Elder Silvia answered.
"But the details are inconsistent."
She tapped the scroll lightly.
"Some witnesses claim they saw shadows dragging people away. Others reported hearing music before the disappearances happened."
Bahamut frowned slightly beneath the blindfold.
Music?
"Three disciples previously accepted the mission."
Elder Silvia’s gaze sharpened slightly.
"They never returned."
"A three-day mission?" Bahamut asked.
"At most," Elder Silvia replied.
"You’re allowed to bring companions."
"Then I’m coming," Lily immediately declared.
"Obviously," Ren added.
Sel sighed.
"I already know I’m getting dragged into this."
"You say that like you weren’t planning to come anyway," Bahamut said.
Sel closed his book again.
"Fair."
Elder Silvia watched them quietly before speaking again.
"One more thing."
Her tone became more serious now.
"This request came from the city administration directly. It has high priority."
Bahamut tilted his head.
"And?"
Silvia’s blue eyes narrowed faintly.
"And I don’t like the timing."
The courtyard became quiet.
"You think something’s wrong?" Sel asked.
"I think," Elder Silvia said slowly, "That someone specifically wants capable disciples there."
A faint breeze moved through the courtyard. Ren’s ears twitched again. Bahamut remained silent for a few seconds before smiling slightly.
"Well..." Darkness flickered faintly around his fingers. "If it’s a trap, then we’ll just break it."
...
Somewhere far away, inside a luxurious inn within the Oasis District, Calil slowly opened his eyes. A faint smile spread across his face.
"They accepted."
