One after another, the Unicorn Rhinoceroses encircled Kael and his two companions. Each beast loomed like a small mountain, making the trio appear as insignificant as saplings before towering peaks.
"Humans daring to trespass?! Damn humans—boss, are they that Darkwing Mage?!" One of the Unicorn Rhinoceroses roared.
Kael's heart skipped a beat, but then a familiar voice boomed:
"Let me see! If it's the Darkwing Mage, we'll eat him!"
Eat him?! Damn this glutton!
Ethan tensed up, but Kael gave Amelia's hand a reassuring squeeze before calling out coolly:
"Alaric, it's me—Kael!"
The one who had just threatened to devour them was none other than the Unicorn Rhinoceros Alaric himself!
Hearing the other rhinos address Alaric as "boss," Kael relaxed. Seems he's successfully claimed leadership.
Sure enough, Alaric's massive frame pushed through the crowd, his kin parting obediently to let him pass.
"Kael! You came so soon! Are these two your friends?" Alaric grinned at Kael, then bellowed to his tribe after getting confirmation: "This is my best friend, Kael! The one who broke my seal!"
"So this is the Kael boss kept talking about! Heh heh!" Two equally colossal Unicorn Rhinoceroses beside Alaric shuffled forward, eyeing the trio with amused chuckles.
"Thank you, Kael, for saving our boss!"
"Thank you for saving our boss!"
One by one, the beasts crowded around, expressing their gratitude. Kael smiled. Helping Alaric really paid off.
He winked at Alaric, who responded with a self-satisfied blink and a knowing chuckle.
"Release them at once! Kael, let me introduce you properly!" Alaric declared enthusiastically, commanding his kin to clear a path as he personally guided Kael and the others on a tour.
"There are so many Unicorn Rhinoceroses here..." Kael's gaze swept across the tribe, momentarily overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.
Over a hundred Unicorn Rhinoceroses—each at least eighth-tier in strength. That's equivalent to a hundred eighth-tier powerhouses. This should be enough to handle the undead... Provided Leif hasn't reached his endgame yet. The tribe's might was truly staggering.
Amelia's eyes widened in awe, while Ethan gaped openly.
"This many Unicorn Rhinoceroses... All eighth-tier magical beasts?!" Ethan murmured, the reality far more reassuring than mere rumors.
"Alaric, you actually seized the throne this smoothly?" Kael couldn't hide his curiosity.
"Heh, of course! I'm the most talented genius in our tribe's history—the youngest king ever! Even my kin say I'm a once-in-a-century prodigy!" Alaric boasted, blinking smugly.
Kael fell silent. This glutton is their so-called prodigy? Unbelievable.
"By the way, Alaric, does your tribe agree with your decision?" Kael pressed, still slightly concerned.
"Relax! As you said, that Darkwing Mage Leif is our common enemy! Your fight is mine!" Alaric chuckled. "Truth is, we'd already noticed the undead activity, but never imagined the scale of their plot. Now that we know, we can't stand idle. This time, our entire tribe marches with you—we'll crush those undead and annihilate that Darkwing Mage!"
With this pledge, Kael finally relaxed.
The trump card is secured.
"And it's not just us—many nearby magical beast tribes have learned of this and will join the fight! Kael, you'll command us all when the time comes!" Alaric grinned, giving Kael a light pat with its massive claw. The sheer force behind the gesture sent Kael staggering, making him grimace.
Even more help from other magical beasts! Another stroke of luck!
"Don't worry. When the time comes, here's what we'll do..." Kael smiled, casting a Blink spell to appear on Alaric's shoulder, whispering his plan into the beast's ear.
As Kael spoke, Alaric's golden eyes gleamed brighter with each word. By the end, drool practically cascaded from its maw.
"Good! I'll follow your lead, Kael! Heh heh... And once this is over, my roasted meat..." Alaric licked its lips hungrily.
"Leave it to me," Kael chuckled reassuringly.
"Then let's go—now!" Alaric urged, excitement flashing in its eyes.
"Agreed, no time to waste. Amelia, about those undead fortresses you mentioned..." Kael turned to Amelia and Ethan.
"No worries. We know the way and can head there anytime!" Amelia smiled, unrolling a parchment. "I've mapped the entire ruins, marking all the undead fortresses. You can count on it!"
Kael nodded appreciatively. Amelia's thoughtfulness shines again—a map is priceless in these ruins.
"Perfect. Then we move out immediately!" Kael declared.
"Heh, no problem! I'll rally my brothers—you lead the way!" Alaric boomed, its colossal frame swaying with enthusiasm.
With a thunderous roar that sent flocks of birds scattering, Alaric summoned its kin. The ground trembled as over a hundred Unicorn Rhinoceroses gathered, bowing before their king. To Kael, the sight resembled a mountain range come to life—an awe-inspiring force.
"Let's move out! Follow me to crush those damned undead—there'll be meat for all!" Alaric roared, swinging its massive arm in command.
"Onward, with our leader!"
"Wipe out those cursed undead! Destroy that damned Darkwing Mage!"
The Unicorn Rhinoceroses erupted into frenzied bellows, their combined voices shaking the earth. Behind them, numerous other magical beasts followed at a distance.
Watching this formidable assembly, Kael's confidence surged. The only way forward is to eliminate Leif—otherwise, these ruins will truly become a paradise for the undead. We must fight... and we must win!
"Advance!"
Perched atop Alaric's broad back alongside Amelia and Ethan, Kael led the charge as the Unicorn Rhinoceros tribe and their allied beasts stormed toward the marked undead fortress.
With such overwhelming force, stealth was impossible—and Kael had no intention of hiding. We'll raze those undead strongholds in one sweep and end Leif!
The Unicorn Rhinoceroses moved with terrifying speed. In less than half a day, they neared the first fortress.
"Amelia, this is the place?" Standing on Alaric's back, Kael squinted into the distance, where a sinister castle loomed, its aura as gloomy as the last one they'd encountered—undoubtedly teeming with undead.
"Correct. Last time, we spotted hordes of undead here but lacked the strength to investigate further," Amelia replied calmly.
Suddenly, a burst of magical radiance erupted from one side of the fortress, painting the sky in dazzling light. The glow carried an overwhelming sacred aura—
Kael narrowed his eyes. "People from the Holy Temple? They're here too?"
A soft snort escaped him. While the Holy Temple wasn't currently his sworn enemy, their fierce rivalry with the Sacred Council meant caution was only natural.
"Even combined, those Holy Temple folks probably can't take an undead fortress alone. Each fortress holds at least hundreds of undead beasts—could something unexpected have happened?" Ethan sounded puzzled.
"We'll find out soon enough. Alaric, let's move!" Kael smiled, his confidence bolstered by the hundred-strong Unicorn Rhinoceros force at his back—his ultimate trump card.
Moreover, Kael himself had reached the peak of the seventh tier, becoming a formidable force capable of rivaling Leif. With his mysterious and potent lightning magic at his disposal, he feared nothing!
This might just be the perfect chance to test his lightning spells in battle!