Chapter 403: Welcome to the Silver Frontier

The first thing Arthur noticed about the Silver Frontier was the color of the mountains.

Enormous red cliffs stretched across the horizon, their surfaces carved into strange shapes by centuries of wind. Golden sand covered the roads between them, while patches of blue vegetation grew around pools of concentrated Mana. Farther away, ancient stone pillars rose from the desert like the remains of a forgotten kingdom.

Arthur leaned toward the carriage window. "Whoa. This place looks incredible!"

Sun glanced outside. "You’re saying that now. Give it an hour, and you’ll be complaining about the heat."

"Why would I complain? Look at those mountains!"

Kong pressed his face against the opposite window. "Big rocks."

"That’s your description?" Sun asked.

"Very big rocks," Kong corrected proudly.

Mithra laughed, while Athena examined the changing landscape with considerably more interest than Sun. Athy perched beside her, watching several flying Beasts circle above a distant canyon.

"The Mana concentration is already higher than what we recorded along the previous road," Athena observed. "And those creatures appear to be using the rising air currents to travel between cliffs."

Archivist Celia looked up from her expedition notes. "That’s one reason this region attracts researchers. The environment changes dramatically over short distances. You’ll find species here that rarely appear anywhere else."

Arthur’s eyes immediately brightened. "New species?"

Vedas looked at him. "We haven’t even reached the settlement."

"Exactly! Imagine what we’ll find when we do!"

Eden floated beside Arthur’s shoulder, watching the desert with wonder. "Do you think we’ll find somewhere that can help me evolve?"

Arthur smiled. "That’s part of the plan. Once we reach Stillwater Basin and you’re fully recovered, we’ll investigate those Mana currents properly."

Eden nodded happily, while Star bounced against the window as a small six-legged creature raced across the rocks outside.

Arthur noticed it immediately. "Wait! What’s that?"

...

The creature had sandy scales, long hind legs, and broad feet that barely seemed to touch the ground. It crossed a steep slope without disturbing the loose stones beneath it.

Arthur activated Evolution Path Vision.

[New Species Analyzed.]

[Species: Sandstride Lizard]

[Evolution Path Analysis Available.]

A branching set of possible evolutions appeared before him, including a sturdier form adapted to unstable ground and another suited to climbing sheer rock faces.

Arthur grinned. "Oh, that’s interesting!"

"Arthur," Vedas warned as he reached for the carriage door, "we have a scheduled arrival."

"I know. Just one more look."

The lizard disappeared behind a boulder. Arthur settled back, only for another creature to emerge from a nearby crevice, its crystalline shell shining beneath the sun.

"Wait, there’s another one!"

Sun threw his head back. "We’re never making it to town!"

Celia chuckled. "I’m beginning to understand why Principal Steven insisted on giving you a schedule."

Arthur laughed as another unfamiliar Beast appeared on a distant ridge. He examined it briefly before finally closing his vision.

Mithra leaned closer. "Find anything useful?"

"A few interesting evolution routes," Arthur replied. "These Beasts have adapted to conditions most ordinary species would struggle with."

Athena nodded. "Which means their evolutionary traits could tell us something about the region itself."

Arthur grinned. "Exactly! See? This is already a successful expedition."

Vedas sighed. "We haven’t started the expedition yet."

...

The frontier settlement of Redstone Crossing occupied a sheltered valley between two enormous cliffs. Its buildings were constructed from pale stone, with reinforced roofs and thick wooden doors to protect against desert storms.

Merchants crowded the central market, selling everything from Beast equipment to unusual crystals recovered from the surrounding highlands.

Arthur had barely stepped out of the carriage when a traveling merchant stopped in front of him.

"Excuse me," the man said, studying his face. "Are you Arthur Cronwall?"

Arthur blinked. "Yeah. Do I know you?"

The merchant’s eyes widened. "You’re the first-year champion from the Academy! The Gold Rank Beast Tamer!"

Several nearby travelers turned immediately.

"Arthur Cronwall?" one repeated. "The student who won One Above All?"

"He’s already Gold Rank?" another asked in disbelief.

Arthur scratched his cheek, looking pleased. "Wow. News travels pretty far."

The merchant laughed. "Farther than you think! My nephew studies at the Academy. He wrote an entire letter about your championship match."

Sun immediately stepped forward. "Did he mention the rest of us? Because I was there too."

The merchant looked at him thoughtfully. "Were you competing?"

Sun’s smile faltered. "Well, yes, but that’s not the important part."

Mithra covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

The merchant noticed Vedas standing beside Arthur. "And that’s the Goblin King, isn’t it? I heard he was quite remarkable during the tournament."

Vedas straightened proudly. "I am Vedas. A pleasure to meet you."

The merchant stared. "He talks!"

"Quite well, actually," Arthur replied cheerfully. "He’s also an excellent commander."

Vedas smiled at the praise, although Sun immediately leaned toward Kong.

"See? That’s what you should do. Impress people by speaking properly."

Kong looked at the merchant. "Food?"

Sun closed his eyes. "Never mind."

Then a little girl noticed Star sitting on Arthur’s shoulder.

"Mommy, look! That slime has stars inside it!"

Star stretched toward her, revealing the tiny glowing crown floating above its body.

The girl gasped. "Is the crown real?"

Arthur smiled and crouched slightly. "It sure is. This is Star, my third Beast."

Star puffed itself up proudly, its miniature night sky swirling beneath its translucent surface.

Several people gathered closer to admire it. Arthur happily explained Star’s ability to change its physical properties, demonstrating how the little slime could briefly harden after touching a stone.

The girl clapped excitedly when Star returned to its usual soft shape.

Mithra watched Arthur with an amused smile. "You realize they’re more interested in Star than your championship now, right?"

Arthur laughed. "That’s fine with me. Star deserves some fans too."

Star bounced happily at the compliment.

...

The merchant introduced himself as Garron, a trader who regularly traveled between Redstone Crossing and the deeper frontier settlements.

When he learned that Arthur’s group was investigating the ancient roads, his expression grew more serious.

"You picked an interesting time to come here. Some routes that used to be perfectly safe have become dangerous."

Athena immediately opened her notebook. "Because of the Mana fluctuations?"

Garron nodded. "That’s part of it. Stronger Beasts have been leaving their usual territories, and we’ve seen migrations in places they normally avoid."

"That sounds exciting," Kong remarked.

Sun turned toward him. "For us, maybe. Not for the merchants getting chased."

Garron gave a tired laugh. "Exactly. We’ve already delayed several caravans because of the movement."

Celia examined the map Garron provided. "These routes overlap with several old survey locations. Has anything unusual happened near Stillwater Basin?"

The merchant nodded again. "The observation station there has been recording stronger fluctuations lately. Nothing catastrophic, but researchers have been coming through town asking questions."

Eden perked up immediately. "That’s where we’re going!"

Arthur gently patted her head. "Eventually. We still need to make sure you’re ready."

Garron studied the little fairy curiously. "A Chrono Fairy? Then I can understand why that place interests you."

Celia thanked him for the information and copied the affected roads onto the expedition map.

Arthur looked toward the distant cliffs. "So the Beasts are moving, the Mana currents are changing, and there’s an ancient ruin nearby. This place really is interesting."

Vedas folded his arms. "I’m concerned about how happy that makes you."

...

Later, the group explored a rocky area outside the settlement while Celia inspected several old survey markers.

Arthur noticed another Sandstride Lizard racing along the cliffside. Unlike the one he’d seen earlier, this creature was considerably larger, with darker scales and hardened ridges along its back.

"That must be a more developed form," Arthur remarked, watching it leap between unstable ledges.

Three young Tamers nearby noticed him approaching the cliff.

"Hey, don’t get too close!" one warned. "Those things are fast. You’ll have to fight it if it feels threatened!"

Arthur examined the creature’s movement.

Its feet barely disturbed the rocks, but every few seconds it paused before crossing a particular section of the slope.

He followed its gaze and realized it was avoiding patches of loose stone that looked identical to the surrounding ground.

"Interesting," Arthur murmured. "It can tell which rocks are stable."

The creature suddenly changed direction, racing straight toward the group.

The young Tamers immediately reached for their weapons.

Arthur raised a hand. "Don’t attack. Just move away from that ledge."

They hesitated, but Vedas stepped forward and guided them aside. A moment later, the lizard bounded past their previous position and disappeared into a narrow crevice.

Several loose rocks collapsed behind it.

One student stared at the falling stones. "It wasn’t attacking us?"

"Nope," Arthur replied. "It was escaping that unstable section. We were standing in its path."

Athena smiled approvingly. "You recognized its movement pattern before it reached us."

Arthur grinned. "And we didn’t have to fight anything."

Sun looked disappointed. "I was hoping to see what that thing could do."

Kong nodded solemnly. "Me too."

Mithra laughed. "You two really do think alike."

Arthur’s Evolution Path Vision displayed the completed analysis of the larger creature.

[Evolution Path Analysis Completed.]

[Species: Sandstride Lizard]

[Additional Evolution Route Identified.]

He smiled as the information settled into his records.

Another useful discovery.

...

As afternoon approached, the group climbed a ridge overlooking the western road.

The view was magnificent. Red mountains stretched into the distance, with narrow valleys winding between them and ancient ruins scattered along the surrounding slopes.

Eden floated beside Arthur. "It’s beautiful!"

"It really is," Arthur agreed.

Then Athy suddenly spread her wings.

"Something’s moving across the highlands," she warned.

Athena followed her gaze. Several large Beasts were traveling through the distant valleys, all moving in roughly the same direction.

"Another migration?" Sun asked.

"Possibly," Athena answered. "But look at the smaller creatures."

Arthur followed her finger. Several groups of weaker Beasts were fleeing along the opposite slopes, moving away from the routes taken by the larger ones.

Vedas narrowed his eyes. "They’re avoiding the bigger Beasts."

"Or whatever disturbed them," Mithra added.

Celia checked the road map. "There’s a merchant route through the valley ahead. If these creatures keep moving, anyone traveling through it could be trapped."

Arthur climbed onto a nearby rock for a better view.

Far below, a long merchant caravan had stopped between two steep cliffs. Several wagons blocked the narrow road, while guards formed a defensive line around the travelers.

Large Beasts were approaching from the surrounding slopes.

Another group already stood across the road ahead, preventing the caravan from escaping.

Sun’s expression changed. "That’s bad. They’re surrounded."

Mithra studied the wagons and the narrow passage behind them. "And if those creatures attack together, the guards won’t have enough room to maneuver."

Kong clenched his fists, suddenly looking eager for a fight.

Arthur glanced toward Vedas, who was already examining the best approach to the valley.

Sun turned to him. "Arthur, should we help?"

Arthur smiled as he looked down at the trapped caravan.

"Of course."