The Crimson Eyed Beast

Chapter 61 — The Crimson-Eyed Beast

The two crimson eyes stared through the darkness.

Aether didn't move.

Neither did the wounded beast behind him.

For several seconds, the valley remained completely silent.

Then—

BOOM!

A massive foot descended from the mountainside.

The ground shook.

Another step.

BOOM!

Trees collapsed beneath the creature's weight.

Aether's eyes narrowed.

The silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness.

It was enormous.

Far larger than Gorn.

Its body was covered in dark metallic scales, while thick crimson lines ran across its chest like veins of molten energy.

Four horns extended from its head.

Its mouth opened slightly.

A low growl rolled through the valley.

Aether's system continued attempting to analyze it.

[Scanning...]

[Scanning...]

[Analysis failed.]

[Target exceeds current analysis parameters.]

Aether's expression became serious.

That was new.

The system had been able to identify the cultivation of everything he had encountered before.

Even the Blackridge Commander.

But this creature—

nothing.

Not its cultivation.

Not its potential.

Not its bloodline.

Nothing.

The creature suddenly looked toward the wounded Origin Beast.

Its crimson eyes narrowed.

Aether immediately understood.

It wasn't interested in him.

It wanted the beast.

Aether stepped between them.

The crimson-eyed creature growled.

The pressure exploded outward.

BOOOOOOM!

Aether's feet slid backward.

His body trembled.

His newly advanced Stage 6 cultivation struggled against the pressure.

Aether gritted his teeth.

"So you're targeting it."

The creature roared.

Aether raised his blade.

"You'll have to get through me first."

The beast behind him suddenly growled.

Aether glanced back.

"Stay."

The wounded beast hesitated.

Then it lowered its head.

Aether turned forward again.

The crimson-eyed creature suddenly vanished.

Aether's pupils contracted.

"Fast!"

BOOM!

A massive claw struck.

Stolen novel; please report.

Aether raised the Executioner's Blade.

CLAAAAANG!

The impact sent him flying.

He crashed through three trees before landing.

THUD!

Aether rolled and immediately stood.

Blood trickled from his mouth.

He looked at the creature.

The distance between them was nearly thirty meters.

Yet the attack had reached him almost instantly.

Aether smiled.

"Now that's speed."

The creature charged again.

Aether didn't meet it directly.

He moved sideways.

The claw smashed into the ground.

BOOM!

A crater appeared.

Aether rushed forward.

The Executioner's Blade flashed.

SLASH!

The blade struck the creature's scales.

CLANG!

Sparks flew.

Aether's expression changed.

"Hard."

The creature swung its tail.

Aether ducked.

WHOOSH!

The tail passed over his head.

He jumped backward.

The creature roared.

A wave of crimson Origin Energy erupted from its body.

Aether immediately raised his sword.

BOOM!

The energy blast struck.

Aether was forced backward.

His boots dug into the ground.

The wounded beast behind him was also pushed back.

Aether looked at the creature.

Then at the black crystal fragment inside the wounded beast.

The resonance had intensified.

[Warning.]

[Hostile entity is interacting with Northern Origin energy.]

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"You're connected to the seal too."

The creature's crimson eyes flashed.

It attacked again.

Aether moved.

This time, he didn't retreat.

He rushed straight toward it.

The creature swung its claw.

Aether slid underneath.

He drove his blade upward.

SLASH!

The Executioner's Blade cut through one of the creature's crimson energy veins.

The creature roared.

Blood spilled.

Aether immediately retreated.

[Damage detected.]

[Target regeneration detected.]

Aether watched.

The wound began closing.

Slowly—

but visibly.

"Regeneration too."

The creature's wound completely disappeared.

Aether's expression became serious.

"That's troublesome."

The beast charged.

Aether jumped.

The creature's horns passed beneath him.

Aether landed on its back.

The beast violently shook itself.

Aether grabbed one of its horns.

"Stay still."

The creature roared.

Aether raised his blade.

But before he could strike—

the wounded Origin Beast suddenly screamed.

Aether looked down.

The black crystal fragment inside its chest had begun glowing again.

[Critical resonance.]

[Northern Seal Integrity: 89%.]

[No further integrity loss detected.]

Aether narrowed his eyes.

At least the seal wasn't weakening further.

For now.

But the two beasts were reacting to each other.

The crimson-eyed creature suddenly stopped moving.

Its crimson eyes shifted toward the wounded beast.

Then—

it spoke.

"Give it."

Aether froze.

The voice was deep and ancient.

Not human.

But understandable.

Aether slowly looked at the creature.

"You can speak."

The beast ignored the question.

"Give me the fragment."

Aether glanced at the crystal.

"No."

The creature's eyes became colder.

"You don't understand what you possess."

Aether smiled faintly.

"Then explain."

The creature growled.

"That fragment belongs to the Northern Seal."

Aether's expression changed.

"The seal?"

"Yes."

The creature took one step forward.

"The seal is not protecting this land."

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"Then what is it protecting?"

The creature didn't answer immediately.

Instead, it looked toward the mountains.

"Something beneath it."

Aether became silent.

Something beneath the Northern Seal.

That was new.

He had assumed the seal was simply containing or protecting something.

But now—

there was confirmation.

Something existed underneath the mountains.

Something powerful enough to require an ancient seal.

The creature continued.

"The fragment was removed from the seal."

Aether looked at the black crystal embedded in the wounded beast.

"By whom?"

The crimson-eyed creature stared at him.

"Humans."

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"Blackridge?"

"No."

The creature's voice became colder.

"Long before them."

Aether's mind immediately began connecting the pieces.

The ruins.

The relic.

The Northern Seal.

The strange beast.

The Blackridge Group.

There was a much older story here.

Then—

the creature suddenly looked at Aether.

"And now you carry its resonance."

Aether's expression remained calm.

"What does that mean?"

"You touched the fragment."

"Yes."

"You awakened it."

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"How?"

The creature stepped closer.

"Your body."

Aether's expression changed slightly.

"My body?"

The creature stared directly at him.

"The energy within you does not belong to this world."

Aether's heart skipped for a fraction of a second.

His Infinite Origin Physique.

Could it be reacting to something from beyond this world?

The system suddenly activated.

[Foreign Origin classification detected.]

[Unable to verify.]

Aether's eyes sharpened.

The creature continued.

"That is why the relic responded to you."

Aether looked at his hand.

The hand that had touched the fragment.

"So what happens if I remove it?"

The creature's expression became grim.

"The seal will notice."

"It already did."

Aether glanced toward the mountains.

"Northern Seal Integrity: 89%."

The creature stared at him.

"You damaged it?"

"Only one percent."

The creature went silent.

Then—

for the first time—

fear appeared in its crimson eyes.

"One percent?"

Aether noticed immediately.

"You know something."

The creature didn't answer.

Aether stepped closer.

"Tell me."

The beast looked toward the mountains.

"If the seal falls below seventy percent..."

It paused.

"What?"

"The thing beneath the mountains will begin to wake."

Aether's expression became cold.

"How strong?"

The creature looked at him.

"Strong enough to destroy everything in this region."

Silence.

Aether glanced toward the distant mountains.

Then back at the wounded beast.

The situation had just become much more serious.

He wasn't dealing with a treasure.

He wasn't dealing with a simple beast.

He was standing beside a key to something capable of destroying an entire region.

The system suddenly displayed another notification.

[New information recorded.]

[Northern Seal — Current Integrity: 89%.]

[Estimated critical threshold: 70%.]

Aether's eyes narrowed.

Twenty percent.

Only twenty percentage points separated the current situation from catastrophe.

Then—

the wounded Origin Beast slowly stood.

Its body trembled.

It looked at Aether.

Then at the crimson-eyed creature.

The black crystal fragment began glowing.

The crimson-eyed creature's expression changed.

"It's starting."

Aether turned.

"What?"

The beast looked toward the mountains.

"The seal is reacting to the fragment."

BOOM!

A shockwave erupted from the northern mountains.

The sky darkened.

A massive crack appeared across the distant mountain range.

Aether's expression became serious.

The crimson-eyed creature roared.

"Move!"

Aether didn't hesitate.

He grabbed the wounded beast.

"Come."

The beast resisted.

Aether looked at it.

"If you want to survive, follow me."

The creature stared at him.

Then—

it followed.

Behind them, the mountain continued cracking.

Aether looked toward the direction of his territory.

Lyra.

Aria.

Seris.

Gorn.

Kael.

They were all still there.

Aether's expression hardened.

He had to get back.

Immediately.

Because whatever was beneath the Northern Seal—

had just begun to wake.