Master of Dominion-Chapter 52:Core Beast
Splash
Iyvre dived head-first into a cutoff of the stream, her alluring, graceful form tracing seductive curves through the air before allowing the glittering water to embrace her heavenly body,
She remained submerged for several minutes, her pale white hair billowing like a silken shroud in the current, lending her the ethereal air of a water-sprite. Diving deeper into the crystalline depths, she reached for the sun-dappled floor to gather a handful of gleaming pebbles.
Before finally emerging, feeling refreshed, her eyes fell upon the alluring figure of Yasmin, who was perched gracefully by the banks of the stream, washing her own long red hair.
"Really guys? You started without me!" Ayobe called out as she leaped nimbly from a high branch, having clearly spent the morning scouting for the aether beasts they would need to hunt and capture to power the boundary ward sigil.
"What? You didn’t expect us to wait for you before cooling off, did you?" Yasmin scoffed with a playful grin, before plunging back into the water to join her sister.
"So, what did you find?" Iyvre asked as she moved with a casual elegance, using her palms to rub away the faint traces of grime from her naked, graceful body, her soft hands gliding over her skin beneath the shimmering surface of the water.
"Well, a few miles from here there’s a crawl-hawk nest. It seems to be a whole flock, but with only one ranked beast among them," Ayobe replied. She began pulling off her black mercenary tunic and undergarments, her movements deliberate and unhurried.
"Then, to the south, there’s a herd of fourteen brimstone oxens. That one would be a difficult hunt, there are five ranked ones, and the herd leader is not only mutated but likely a rank above the rest. Not a good idea."
Finished with her report, she stepped toward the bank and dove slowly into the stream
"Well, that would be a terrible idea," Yasmin muttered, her brow furrowing.
"Unless we could isolate the leader, but that would mean laying an ambush and we don’t have the necessary gear for that. We’d also need the help of that jerk, and we don’t even know what variant it mutated into," she hissed, the frustration clear in her voice.
"What does it look like?" Iyvre asked.
Knowing full well that Iyvre’s knowledge of fauna surpassed their own, Ayobe began describing its features.
"Well, it stands heights above any other ranked beast. Unlike the usual brown coat, its fur is pure black, but it has grey antlers," she explained.
Iyvre contemplated this for a moment, her gaze drifting.
"Hmm. And its hooves?"
"Grey too, slightly ashen I guess" Ayobe replied.
"That’s odd," Iyvre murmured, a sharp glint appearing in her eyes.
"Does the coat look slightly burnt?"
"I’m not sure; I couldn’t get close enough to tell."
"What variant do you think it is?" Yasmin asked, staring intently at Iyvre. She knew that look on Iyvre’s face .
"It shouldn’t be, for they are incredibly rare. I truly hope it isn’t," Iyvre murmured.
"Well, don’t keep us hanging! Which is it?" Yasmin pressed, her impatience cutting through the sound of the rushing water.
"An Inferno Ox," Iyvre muttered grimly.
"Wait, what?" Ayobe exclaimed, her voice cracking.
"You mean that... it could... no, it’s a Core Beast?" She stammered in a both fear and sudden relief.
She realized then that if she had ventured even a step closer while scouting, she would have been dead. Even though her warrior manuscript specialized in concealment, she knew she could never have escaped the heightened senses of a Rank 3 Aether Beast.
Yasmin swallowed hard, her playful demeanor vanishing.
"It seems that since meeting that jerk, we’ve completely forgotten that we are still in the Zodiac Woods."
Iyvre swam closer and laid a reassuring hand on Ayobe’s shoulder.
"I’m sorry for putting you in harm’s way. It’s my fault for sending you out there," she whispered.
"Nah, it’s fine, sis. You couldn’t have known," Ayobe replied, though a slight tremor remained in her voice.
"Hold up," Yasmin interrupted, her eyes narrowing as she processed the information.
"If I remember correctly, the Zodiac woods is supposed to have Red Zones, right?"
Iyvre nodded solemnly.
"Yes, with each corresponding to different elemental stars. I believe this is the Taurus domain not a place for a Core Beast of another element to wander freely."
"Wait, you mean—" Ayobe started, her eyes widening.
"It’s possible," Iyvre added, her expression unreadable.
"Or not," Yasmin countered, looking toward the horizon.
"With the Withered Nights closing in, I don’t think it’ll be that bothered by an intruder. Probably more worried about itself."
"Which is why we’ll probably have to look west," Iyvre suggested, her voice steady."Hopefully, we’ll find beasts that are easier to capture."
"Tsk. This just strengthens my belief that that jerk is nothing but a lunatic," Yasmin spat, splashing the water in irritation."Who the hell builds a home in these cursed woods, anyway?"
"Something tells me it’s not just the location that makes you dislike Rael," Ayobe joked, nudging her sister playfully.
"What’s there to like about that fool?" Yasmin began, ticking points off on her fingers.
"He’s annoying, overconfident, and obviously short-sighted, prioritizing the most unnecessary things."
"Too confident? Isn’t that a good thing in a world like ours?" Iyvre asked, tilting her head.
"No. Overconfidence leads to arrogance, and arrogance leads to pride, which ultimately leads to death," Yasmin snapped.
"You mean a downfall," Ayobe corrected with a grin.
"It’s still the same thing! Tsk."
"Well, all that plus his means clearly shows he was once a noble," Ayobe added, her tone turning more serious.
"Him? A noble? Come on," Yasmin scoffed."He doesn’t even fight like one."
"He fights like he wants to survive," Iyvre cut in, her eyes reflecting the sunlight."Survival doesn’t need the flair and ’sauce’ of the high and mighty nobles. He’s obviously an exile forced to adapt. The real questions are which family is he from, how powerful are they, and what grave sin did he commit to get expelled from behind the high walls?"
