Chapter 462
Davey observed the young prince confidently asserting the undeniable existence of a witch. In contrast, the king hesitated to respond and deferred his decision. On the surface, their disagreement might not have seemed significant, but tensions were running high beneath the facade.
‘They sense an opportunity brewing. This could tip the balance of the nation's affairs. A power struggle between a king and his prince, how disgustingly cliché,’ Davey thought.
Surprisingly, both the prince and the king shared a common concern. While their approaches differed, they both genuinely cared for their kingdom and its subjects. It was an ironic touch. In the realm of political struggles, having a just cause was crucial. Since the suspected culprit behind the current situation was the alleged witch, the king, albeit reluctantly, issued orders to find her.
The heart of the matter, and the primary suspect, ultimately centered around this witch, primarily due to the prince's assertions. Following the initial attack, no further incidents had occurred. However, considering the uncertainty of when the next strike might happen, Davey opted to monitor the situation while launching his own investigation.
“This forest, huh?” Davey mused, squinting at the oddly contorted trees. “Its exterior is undeniably eerie. According to my research, there are three rumors associated with the witch in this place.”
The rumors were: a malevolent cannibal who abducted and devoured children, a demon that slaughtered countless individuals to harness and consume their souls for the witch's magic, and a spirit that loathed the world itself.
“The public sentiment certainly appears manipulated against her,” Davey observed. “Because no one has actually defended the witch.”
The witch's existence had been rumored for a considerable time. Decades ago, a massive incident shook the Kingdom of Briouk, resulting in the deaths of hundreds. The primary suspect at the time was said to be this very witch. Thus, it wasn't surprising that the prince was unwavering in his belief of her guilt.
What amused Davey was that, despite the accusations, the witch had never attempted to clear her name. Even with this knowledge, the king was committed to dealing with her fairly.
“But how do you locate someone you've never laid eyes upon?”
Davey slowly ventured into the depths of the forest. Nothing particularly stood out, possibly due to a mist-like barrier shrouding the woods.
"We should explore this side as well. Creatures can vary in appearance and nature based on their surroundings."
If Davey wasn't mistaken, the creatures he had seen emerging from the Mass Teleport were not native to the mainland. They resembled the types found in remote or polar regions, like the mutant wolves of the Pandora territory. This led him to feel the need for further investigation.
Despite their ominous appearance, these creatures appeared to possess considerable natural power. Davey muttered to himself, and his accompanying Fire Chicken cocked its head curiously.
"Fire Chicken, I will summon your friends."
In response to Davey's words, the creature's fiery red eyes darted around. Davey then found a suitable clearing at the forest's edge. With a light clap of his hands, he channeled power throughout his body. Simultaneously, the talismans he had prepared levitated, forming layers of circles in the air. Mana scrolls swiftly combined to create a massive pillar. Davey moved his hand slowly, very slowly, through the air.
A grand summoning ritual was in progress. The birth of a divine beast was always time-consuming, making it challenging to summon at a moment's notice. This time, Davey aimed to call forth the Silver Beast. Sensing his intentions, the Fire Chicken stepped back, flapping its wings.
As numerous magical circles resonated and amplified his power, Davey swiftly formed seals and whispered, "You symbolize earth, wind, and valor."
The earth appeared to respond to his chant, moving of its own accord. Though a significant portion of his energy was being consumed, having undergone rejuvenation before, Davey maintained a calm demeanor. He gazed at the spinning talismans and, using a sharp knife he had prepared, drew blood from his fingertip.
As one of the swirling talismans approached him, he marked it with his blood before sending it back.
“The sacrifice is my blood, and yours is your manifestation.”
A tremendous surge of energy rippled through the forest, affecting everything within its reach.
Particles of light converged before Davey, shaping into a massive figure. Soon, two talismans flew in, and Davey smeared his blood on them.
"Manifest at my command. Exist at my command. Benefit the world at my command. I summon the divine beast. Its name is White Tiger." As Davey finished speaking, the pure white light began to transform into the shape of a massive tiger, eventually taking on the form of an immense beast.
Rinne watched with interest, while the Fire Chicken observed with a wary expression. By nature, this creature was highly susceptible to rage, yet Davey's mere presence seemed to greatly influence its anger management. White Tiger, whose size appeared to be over 10 meters at first glance, stared down blankly. Davey approached it slowly.
In an honest assessment, White Tiger was the smallest among the divine beasts. The largest was the Azure Dragon, an undeniable presence with its hundred-meter length. However, despite White Tiger's reduced size to nearly one-tenth of 10 meters, its aura was no less intimidating than that of the Azure Dragon. Without a word, White Tiger sat down, surveying its surroundings, before turning its gaze to Davey. Even at 10 meters, its majestic stature was overwhelmingly large from a human perspective.
"Nice to meet you," Davey said with a leisurely smile.
The beast fell silent for a moment, then unexpectedly began to do something. It started grooming itself, using its paws to scrub its head and licking its front legs. Its behavior, as if Davey wasn't even there, grew increasingly amusing. Soon, White Tiger stretched out, extending its legs and bending down to meticulously clean itself with its tongue.
"Pfft..."
While ignoring Davey might have been one thing, considering the beast had just been summoned and was inherently proud, White Tiger appeared relatively docile. It wasn't the type of Divine Beast to recklessly smash or bite, but that wasn't to say it was entirely gentle either.
After watching White Tiger groom itself for a while, Davey approached, causing the beast to momentarily freeze. It then sprang up, putting some distance between itself and Davey, and raised a paw as if contemplating a swipe. If one had to describe White Tiger's expression in that moment, it might be: "I'll end you, meow."
But instead of striking, it slowly, very slowly, reached out and tapped Davey's cheek. Then, it stared at him. Davey had a hunch about what might come next. Before he could react, White Tiger playfully lunged forward with a punch.
Thud thud!
The blow, with weight far beyond that of a Grizzly's paw strike, would have decapitated an ordinary person. Davey, however, withstood the blow, looking back at the beast whose pride was evident in its actions. Normally, dealing with such arrogance in a Divine Beast would require various strategies. But Davey was not just anyone. He had tamed this damned creature twice already.
Davey quickly produced a small box from thin air, which made White Tiger freeze instantly. He remarked, "There's nothing quite like this to handle kittens since ancient times.”
The Divine Beast, dropping everything it was doing, lunged at Davey, who held the box in one hand and gathered mana in the other.
Smack!
As White Tiger lunged, Davey struck its nose, halting the creature in its tracks. Perfectly gauging the force needed, Davey ensured that White Tiger neither toppled over nor grew angry, but instead, the beast wriggled in place. Some pains, ironically less severe, feel more excruciating.
"Sit," commanded Davey.
Grr…
White Tiger showed no intention of obeying, instead moving closer as if demanding something. For most cats, such training would be utterly pointless. But White Tiger was a divine beast: one that understood human speech and was, perhaps, even more sagacious. So...
Even while flaunting his haughty attitude, Davey never halted his training. He slowly opened his mouth, addressing the White Tiger who tried to take away the box with brute force.
"From today, your name is White Pup."
Considering White Pup's silver fur with black stripes, another name might have been fitting, but this name felt familiar and more comfortable. The name 'White Pup' seemed to ignite anger on the creature's face.
Watching the creature display its anger and gearing up to attack, Davey calmly murmured, "Should I perhaps make White Tiger bone soup?"
At Davey's contemplative tone, White Pup flinched noticeably for a moment.
* * *
In conclusion, White Tiger could be said to have been soundly defeated. Although it possessed excellent basic abilities, having been summoned after reincarnation, it appeared to be somewhat lacking compared to other creatures like Fire Chicken and Azure Dragon.
Were the others more skilled? Yes, to some extent. But more than that, their experiences varied. Fire Chicken, being the first summoned divine beast, had absorbed a significant amount of power from the Forest of Trials. From the perspective of the newly summoned White Tiger, witnessing Fire Chicken’s rampage might have been overwhelming. Similarly, Azure Dragon, like Fire Chicken, was also challenging to control.
Grrr!!!
Watching the creature charge into his embrace, Davey chuckled softly, patting White Pup's head. Just a brief period of training was enough to establish the hierarchy clearly.
White Pup, the courageous Divine Beast, should not have been frightened by Fire Chicken’s flames, but reality was harsh. To get close to the constantly alert creature, more time was necessary. Divine Beasts would not follow a master they dislike.
While bonding with a Divine Beast is crucial, Davey did not care.
"Now, remember this scent."
White Tiger sniffed cautiously.
The forest, or rather the magic boundary to the north of the Kingdom of Briouk, was structured to make searching incredibly difficult. With the unique power enveloping the entire forest and given the near impossibility of investigating through Fire Chicken or Azure Dragon, Davey found a new approach: scent tracking. Though not a canine, the feline Divine Beast had a keen sense of smell that was well worth utilizing.
Once White Pup had taken in the scent and backed off, Davey destroyed the monster's fragment and looked around. "Let's search."
And just like that, White Pup began sniffing around, searching. Identifying the entity that caused the teleportation mess was the priority. As much as Davey worried about the witch, ensuring cleanup on this side was equally concerning.
Just in case, after sending Fire Chicken to scout from the sky, Davey reduced White Pup's size to that of a small cat for easier mobility. The decision was right. According to others, this magic boundary exerted a subtle force that kept intruders wandering aimlessly. But thanks to White Pup's keen sense of smell and its power, the forces that could confuse were unable to prevent them from entering.
Without any struggle, they made it inside. Probably, the knights of the Kingdom of Briouk who were searching might still be struggling outside. And then, suddenly, there was a strange noise. White Pup, who was leading the way, stopped, and Davey, lost in thought, halted at the call of something, or someone.
In White Pup's gaze stood a colossal creature. It was about the same size but carried a massive weapon that was a clear indicator that this creature was no ordinary monster. It was a two-headed monster wielding a club: a Twinhead Cyclops.
The monster's presence was evident as soon as they entered the magic boundary. Its aura had clearly transformed the surrounding atmosphere, almost as if the forest they had seen from the outside was an illusion. The creature began to swing its club, threatening them.
Naturally, the sheer size of the creature was intimidating. All the Cyclops could see was a tiny human and an even smaller white cat. Unaware of the actual prowess of the two beings in front of it, the Twinhead Cyclops continued its threats.
In response, Davey bent down slowly, patting White Pup's back. "He seems to be underestimating you, doesn't he?"
White Pup growled softly in reply.
"Exactly, being small doesn't mean being weak."
Davey thought, gazing at the haughty White Tiger.
The creature was brave, but as Davey remembered, it was consistently ranked 1st or 2nd as the most dim-witted entity among the divine beasts.
"How about it, are you angry or frustrated?"
At Davey's provocation, the creature's eyes began to turn a deep shade of red. Davey felt a growing desire to test the creature's combat capabilities properly.
That was when it happened.
With a swift motion, a red afterimage flashed from behind the Twin-headed Cyclops, and before the creature could even react, the Cyclops's body was slashed diagonally. In the midst of this bewildering situation, Davey could see a girl walking from the other side of the forest.
She was a familiar figure. She had black hair that reached her calves, a pure white dress, and finally, the girl with stunning beauty held a magic book in her arms. She gazed at Davey with deep black eyes and said, "A human and a cat in a forest teeming with monsters and a witch that devours humans... Little one, be afraid, for I am the witch who rules this forest and feasts on children."
Her threat was clear, but she did not seem to have any intention of attacking Davey at all.
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