---

  Chapter 6: Serpent's Warth (1)

  Dawn spilled over the horizon in streaks of amber and gold, casting long shadows across a battlefield scarred by raw power. The earth was fractured, deep fissures spiderwebbing through the rocky terrain. Some craters were wide enough to swallow entire beasts, their jagged edges crumbling under the morning breeze. The acrid scent of scorched stone mingled with the rich, metallic tang of disturbed soil—a lingering testament to the battle that had raged here.

  Throne Blackwind stood at the edge of the devastation, his golden eyes narrowing as he traced the chaotic destruction. He crouched, fingers brushing against a set of deep impressions in the hardened earth—footprints, large and deliberate. But the gouges around them told an even greater story.

  "These marks… Whatever fought here wielded monstrous power."

  His gaze followed the trail of disturbed earth, leading away from the battlefield. He didn't have to travel far.

  Up ahead, Garon Rage strode through the wilderness, his posture relaxed yet sharp, like a blade waiting to be drawn. Beside him, Flarecub prowled with a fluid, predatory grace, heat radiating from its ember-like fur, each step leaving faint scorch marks in the grass. A second figure loomed larger—a massive, quadrupedal beast encased in gleaming crystalline armor. With every step, the ground trembled beneath Stalacera, its stone plates shifting with the sound of grinding rock.

  Throne's lips curled into a grin. Now this is interesting.

  "Hey! Wait up!" he called, his voice carrying across the wind-swept plains.

  Garon turned sharply, his muscles tensing. His grip on his weapon tightened instinctively as Flarecub let out a low, warning growl, flames flickering along its body.

  Throne raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin never faltering. "Whoa, no need for that. I’m not your enemy."

  Garon’s sharp gaze studied the stranger—dark blue hair, a confident stance, and an aura of experience that was hard to ignore. This wasn’t some amateur summoner.

  "Who are you?" Garon asked coolly.

  "Throne Blackwind," he announced, crossing his arms with a hint of pride. "A Conquerer-grade summoner. Beastmaster class."

  At his words, three creatures emerged from the landscape around him.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  Aeroant hovered above, its iridescent wings beating with a rapid thwack-thwack-thwack, kicking up a swirling vortex of dust and pebbles. Wind Sparrow, sleek and sharp-eyed, perched lightly on Throne’s shoulder, its talons gripping his jacket as it observed Garon with piercing intelligence. Below them, Earth Spider skittered forward, its thick, rock-plated legs clicking against the hardened soil.

  Throne’s eyes flicked to Stalacera, and for the first time, his grin faltered.

  "That beast of yours… the stone-covered one. That’s not a recorded evolution."

  Garon smirked slightly. "Stalacera. A new evolution I unlocked."

  Throne’s fingers twitched with excitement. An undocumented evolution? That’s rare.

  His grin returned. "Now you’ve got me curious. How about a fight? I want to see how strong you really are."

  Garon exhaled. "I don’t waste time on meaningless fights." Then, after a pause, he added, "But if you’re serious, I wouldn’t mind testing Stalacera’s strength."

  Throne cracked his knuckles. "Then let’s—"

  The ground convulsed beneath them.

  A violent tremor split the earth, fissures opening like the gaping jaws of some unseen beast. A bone-chilling roar shattered the morning calm as something massive erupted from below.

  The ground cracked open with a sound like thunder, and a gargantuan serpent, easily thirty meters long, burst forth. Scales the color of polished obsidian gleamed under the rising sun, reflecting distorted, fractured light. Fangs as long as a man's arm dripped with caustic venom, the liquid sizzling as it hit the shattered ground.

  Throne took an involuntary step back, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

  "A Titanoconda?!" he breathed. His fingers clenched instinctively, adrenaline coursing through his veins. "I didn’t expect to run into one here."

  Garon stood firm, his gaze cool and assessing. The Titanoconda’s aura was overwhelming—stronger than even the Mountain Scorpio he had faced before.

  Throne exhaled sharply, his initial shock replaced with eager anticipation. "I like to tame it."

  Garon smirked. "Then let’s take it down first." His voice carried unwavering confidence. "A good chance to test Stalacera’s strength."

  The Titanoconda struck.

  Its tail, thick as an ancient tree trunk, whipped through the air with terrifying speed, slicing through stone like a blade through flesh.

  "Stalacera, defend!"

  The massive stone beast planted itself firmly, crystalline plates glowing as it absorbed the devastating impact. A deep tremor rippled outward, splitting the ground beneath it. Cracks spiderwebbed across Stalacera’s armor, but it held its ground, unyielding as a mountain.

  "Aeroant, take the skies!" Throne commanded. His rare-grade summon shot upward, wings beating furiously as violent gusts churned the battlefield.

  "Wind Sparrow, keep it off balance—wind blades!"

  The avian summon sliced through the air like a living arrow, unleashing crescent-shaped wind blades that struck the Titanoconda’s scales. The attacks connected—but barely left a scratch.

  "Earth Spider, immobilize it!"

  Thick, stone-infused webbing shot forth, wrapping around the serpent’s massive form. For a moment, the Titanoconda writhed against the bindings—then it flexed its coils, and the reinforced webs snapped like brittle twigs.

  Then, it counterattacked.

  Its tail swept in a devastating arc, catching Aeroant mid-flight. The rare-grade summon spiraled toward the earth, its wings struggling to stabilize. Wind Sparrow barely evaded a sudden spray of venom—the liquid sizzled as it melted through solid rock.

  "Damn," Throne growled, watching his summons struggle against the monster’s raw power. "This thing’s tougher than I thought!"

  Garon remained unfazed. His mind was already calculating their next move.

  "Flarecub—get on its back! Burn through its scales!"

  Flarecub leaped into action, flames roaring around its small body. Claws and fangs wreathed in fire, it latched onto the Titanoconda’s back, sinking its burning talons between its armor-like scales. The massive serpent let out a piercing hiss, the sound shaking the very air—but its response was just as vicious.

  With explosive force, it slammed its entire body into the ground.

  The earth shook violently, sending Stalacera skidding backward as dust and debris exploded into the air. The impact nearly dislodged Flarecub from its precarious position.

  "This thing is on another level!" Throne shouted.

  Garon’s grip on his weapon tightened. His eyes locked onto the Titanoconda’s gathering power—dark energy coiling around its fangs like a storm waiting to break.

  This isn’t over yet.

  To be continued...

  ---