Chapter 54: Calm Ride?

"Peak 2-star?! And under thirty? Are they some kind of geniuses?" one instructor exclaimed.

"Old man, are you playing with us?" Hasker shot Brant a disbelieving look. "You expect me to believe that a pair of countryside brats are on par with elites from the central cities?"

"Don’t believe me then," Brant replied flatly, arms crossed. "You can test them yourself."

The two locked eyes for a moment before Hasker finally exhaled and backed down.

"Fine. But if that’s true, they won’t have a peaceful time out there," he muttered.

Another voice chimed in.

"Yeah, those elites never take kindly to having their position challenged."

"It’s even worse when two princes and one princess are going to be in the same session," someone whispered.

"Shh! You idiot!" a professor hissed. "That matter is not to be discussed. The Emperor ordered us to keep their identities hidden."

"Ah—sorry! Slipped my mind."

"Someday, I’ll make you slip off this eagle," another grumbled.

Brant had already tuned them out, his sharp gaze fixed on Leo.

The intensity of that sleep spell could make even a Peak 2-star drowsy... yet he’s completely fine. Interesting.

---

Damn... just what speed are these things flying at?

Leo thought, making his hold over Lily more firm in front of him.

And the strongest among them is only a High 4-star?

He could barely comprehend it.

If these were merely 4-star beasts, then what of 7-stars or higher? This world... it was far more dangerous than he’d imagined.

From his estimate, they were flying nearly five thousand meters above the ground—around sixteen thousand feet. Yet he could still breathe.

So oxygen remains stable even at this altitude... and at this speed—Mach ten, maybe? Faster than any jet back on Earth.

When he dared to look down, all he could see was a vast expanse of green, occasionally broken by serpentine rivers so huge they could easily be mistaken for oceans.Then, something caught his eye.

"The... the mountain is moving?" he whispered, disbelief lacing his voice.

Far below, a massive landmass—nearly five kilometres wide—was gliding across the earth. And funny thing, it didn’t crush the forests beneath it. The grass and trees simply bent aside, untouched.

Leo squinted, straining his eyes until a vessel burst red in the corner of his vision. Then the system text appeared.

[Cragveil Colossus – Peak 5★ – Super Bloodline]

That’s a 5-star beast?! Are you kidding me?!

A calm voice came from behind him."Curious? Want me to tell you what that moving mountain is?"

Leo jumped. Brant had appeared silently, as if he’d always been there.Without thinking, Leo nodded. By this time, his regeneration had already healed his eyes.

Brant smiled. "Then listen. That’s a Cragveil Colossus. The highest rank they’ve ever been recorded reaching is 6-star—at least, as far as anyone knows. You might wonder why it’s so massive. That’s their racial trait—they can grow indefinitely, until their own weight kills them, not able to generate enough energy to sustain themselves."

"Most people avoid fighting them. Even at 6-star, they can match the early 8-stars. How do we know? Because our mighty Emperor slew one personally. Took him nearly a month of continuous battle. The aftermath turned the entire region into a wasteland."

Brant’s tone dropped to a hushed reverence. "The creature wielded two elements: Fire and Earth. At first, the Emperor assumed it was pure Earth, since it used that to reshape the mountain on its back for smaller beasts to live in—a symbiotic relationship. They provide it with food, and it provides protection. But when the battle began..." Brant chuckled. "It started spewing fire out of nowhere. You should’ve seen the Emperor’s face when it happened."

"A moving mountain that protects others..." Leo murmured, a spark flashing behind his eyes.

Brant caught the thought immediately and laughed. "Thinking whether someone’s tamed one, aren’t you? Yes, they have—but none larger than a hundred square meters. The massive ones like this are called Ancient Savage Beasts. They first appeared during the apocalypse and never left. When they become too much of a threat, people gather to slay them—or leave them alone. Fighting one can level thousands of kilometres of land."

"Huh... hundreds of meters wide," Leo muttered. "One could live atop it and roam the world."

"Catching the positives, I see. Yes, that’s true. People already do it. Just like we travel by air, others build moving fortresses on beasts. It’s all a matter of preference."

Leo nodded thoughtfully, then side-eyed him. "So? You didn’t come here just to chat about wildlife, right?"

Brant grinned. "Hoho, sharp one. Alright, I won’t waste your time. Here—take this."

He held out a metallic token, etched with strange sigils. Before Leo could ask, Brant explained:

"This is a recommendation token for the Aurelius Beast Academy. After you both pass the trial—which I’m confident you will—consider joining us. We have the perfect departments for both your talents. I’ll stake my name on it—they’re among the best in the Empire. One of the top three academies of Velerath."

The moment he finished, Brant vanished—reappearing in the midst of the other instructors as if he’d never moved. None of them even noticed he’d gone. They still went back and forth, not realising the old man had already played his cards.

Leo stared at the token, a small smile tugging at his lips."Aurelius Beast Academy... even Si-Brother James said I should join if I get the chance. And now the professor himself offers it. Heh, nice."

His gaze drifted once more to the horizon—to the slow, regal movement of the Cragveil Colossus.

"A Super Bloodline and still that huge..." he whispered. "What if I evolve it into a Noble, or even a Royal Bloodline?"

"Wouldn’t it be great to a my own moving paradise around the world, haha, just thinking about it makes me giddy."

In the distant horizon, a new place awaited him. A place where a new beginning will start and a legend will be born.