Chimaera's Conquest: The Legend Of The Devourer
Chapter 214: New Trial, New Enemies (1)

Chapter 214: New Trial, New Enemies (1)

While Adrian was preoccupied with isolation training, the world was in an uproar. The news of the White Tiger’s defeat by a mystery man had taken everyone by surprise.

Even though the White Tigers weren’t in the top ten guilds, it was only because they rarely did things like a proper guild. They were only interested in fighting strong individuals and often sought bounties for the same reason.

Obviously, there were no records of their ’Bounty’ business, but everyone working in the field knew about their underhanded dealings and their extraordinary success rate.

That’s why it came as a surprise when a little over fifty members of their clan were nearly beaten to death by a certain individual whose name no one seemed to recall.

While the media debated who the individual could be, James had never been so tense in his life because he knew who was behind all the mess.

’...I should have known something like this would happen,’ James sighed, taking out a cigarette from his pocket.

After having given up smoking for over three years, Adrian had brought James on the verge of starting it again. But James crushed it before heading back inside.

James didn’t know if Adrian’s actions were intentional, but he knew it was only a matter of time before the media put two and two together and realised Adrian could have done it.

’The problem isn’t the media, but the guilds who’ll see the news and start hounding us for his details. Hm... It’s going to get a lot busier here.’

***

Meanwhile, at an unknown location...

The massive dark room stretched before the Clan Master, inspired by the master’s traditional Japanese heritage.

Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling, casting long shadows across the tatami mats that covered the floor. Swords owned by the clan’s former master lined the walls, their blades shining in the faint light that filtered through the paper screens.

Seated at a low table, the Clan Master sat in the shadows, his face hidden in the darkness. He held a delicate teacup in his hands, the steam rising as he sipped his favourite beverage, the green tea.

But even that simple action was enough to fill his attendant with fear as they didn’t know how to break the news to the master.

Finally, one of the attendants took a deep breath and stepped up, bowing low before the master.

"Master," the attendant said, his voice filled with reverence towards the master. "I bring news from the field."

Hearing the follower speak, the master set down his teacup and said, "Speak."

The attendant swallowed nervously before delivering his report.

"Our men have failed, Master," he said, trembling slightly. "Things... got of hand, and Adrian Fenrir has shown some incredible skills-"

"Failed?" the master interrupted. His voice was still calm but enough to scare everyone in the room. "How can five dozen people fail to stop one man?"

Everyone went silent. No one had the answer, and well, and honestly, no one wanted to piss the master anymore.

"Leave if you have nothing to say..." The clan master waved his attendants to leave him alone.

Adrian Fenrir was proving to be a formidable adversary, a thorn in the side of the White Tiger Clan. But the Clan Master was not one to be thwarted so easily. He would find a way to crush this upstart, reclaim his honour and restore order to his domain.

’Adrian Fenrir... He’s just like our father,’ the master got up, taking a sword from the rack with the name Adrian etched on it. ’So, I am destined to kill both my father and his favourite son. How amusing...’

"I, Vernian Fenrir, the eleventh master of the White Tiger Clan... will be your demise... dear brother," the master claimed with a smile. "Thanks to you, putting an end to the Fenrir bloodline just got more interesting."

***

"Atchuu~ looks like I’ve been in the cold storage for too long," Adrian mumbled, rubbing his nose.

Having equipped all his gear, including [Aphrodite’s Cloak], all the preparations were complete. All that was left was to get knocked out and tame the organs.

[Proceeding with Harming Trial level 6...]

[Begin.]

Soon, a forest stretched out before Adrian, a vast space of towering trees and tangled branches. The only sound was the distant hum of insects and the rustle of leaves in the warm breeze.

’Okay... so who is my opponent this time around?’

Adrian waited, hoping the enemy would show themselves. It had to be a minotaur or a kitsune because he was sure the arachnid queen’s domain would look far creepier than whatever he saw at the moment.

However, no one ever showed up. The place was dark, and visibility was an issue due to the fog, which was strange as this was the environment where a kitsune’s eyes would shine.

Adrian tried using [Analysis] on the fog, thinking it was messing with his senses—however, the prompt he got made him realise how deep in trouble he was.

[The User can not use any abilities associated with their eyes for the trial.]

"What?" Adrian yelled, taken aback by the system’s response.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound behind him. Turning around, he caught a glimpse of something moving through the trees. However, thanks to the fog and his ’human’ vision, the thing disappeared before he got a proper look.

Adrian’s heart raced as he gripped his sword tighter, his senses on high alert. It wasn’t until then that he realised how badly he had grown dependent on Kitsune’s eyes.

With what little visibility he had, Adrian scanned the shadows, searching for any sign of movement, but the forest remained eerily silent.

Then, without warning, something dropped from the trees above. Adrian barely had time to react before the creature slammed into him, knocking him to the ground with a forceful impact.

This time, Adrian could see her clearly: a woman with flowing red hair and eyes that glowed like molten lava.

"...fuck me, it’s a Kitsune."