Chapter 209

: Magical Beast, Rakyel (1)
 
Ian and Cervian hit it off quite well.
The biggest reason for that was because the characteristics of the two were similar.
They both endlessly studied and analyzed Familiars.
With just this one topic, the two people’s conversation could continue without end.
Although it was mainly a structure where Cervian solved Ian’s curiosities, that is.

So, Cervian. You’re saying that there’s something that exists in a similar form as ‘Potential’ with magical beasts as well, right?

• That’s right. There is not much difference in the bigger context with magical beasts and the Familiars that you have managed up until now.

What if you were to pick out a couple of points that were most prominently different?

• Hmm…
Cervian, who stroked his beard, slowly opened his mouth.
• Firstly, the fact that they have ‘Devil Energy’. And the fact that although they are the same level, their fighting abilities are about 10-15% more exceptional than normal Familiars. However, as they lack a considerable amount of intellect, they will be harder to control.
Ian slightly knitted his brows as he asked.

What do you mean when you say that they lack intellect? So then… Are you saying that they may not be able to really understand my command?

Cervian immediately shook his head as he replied.
• No, it’s not like that. Rather, they react more quickly and surely than normal Familiars when it comes to precise commands. However, the problem is that they don’t have any flexibility. As you are an amazing Summoner yourself, you probably know well, but even if a Summoner doesn’t give commands one after another to Familiars that have exceptional intellect, don’t they fight well on their own for you? On the other hand, it would be fine to think that magical beasts lack quite a bit of activity and flexibility compared to normal Familiars.
Simply put, he meant that their AI dropped compared to common Familiars.
This could approach other Summoners as a considerably critical weakness, but to Ian, that was not the case.
‘It’s possible that they fit my fighting style better instead.’
Ian’s style was to give commands to all of his Familiars one by one while controlling precisely.
To Ian, a battle was a process where he needed to activate a giant algorithm that was well-knit without any empty spaces and arrive at the result he wanted.
To Ian, who needed to have all of his Familiars movements under his control in order to be satisfied, the lack of AI for a Familiar wasn’t that big of a shortcoming.
‘Magical beasts… Huh. The more I learn about them, the more I like them.’
The magical beasts that appeared in Zone 100-110 had another level of power that was different from the magical beasts that appeared in Zone 110-120.
As that was the case, it was a situation where they couldn’t help but continue on with even harder hunts, but whenever they took a break, Ian was always sharing a conversation with Cervian.
‘For the duration that I can be with Cervian, I should absorb all of this old man’s knowledge as mine.’
Of course, Ian also had the Illustrated Book of Magical Beasts that Cervian wrote himself, but it felt different yet again hearing the explanation of the writer or author than for him to read the recordings that were made into a book.
Ian’s party, who proceeded through the map little by little like that, was finally able to arrive at Zone 107, where Cervian’s laboratory apparently was.

Cervian, which direction is your laboratory in? Zone 107 seriously looks like a maze.

Different from Zone 108, which was open in all directions, Zone 107 had a structure like a narrow and complicated cave.
While looking at Ian, who asked for directions with an embarrassed expression, Cervian slowly stepped forward.
• The structure of Zone 107 is incredibly complicated. I have no idea why they made it into this structure, but it’s because of this complicated structure that I made my laboratory in here.

Why’s that?

• It’s because I could be under the radar of the devils quite easily. The top-ranking devils didn’t really like me, when I was only Half-Devil yet was stronger than most decent Noblesse-ranking devils. There was even a need to hide my laboratory deliberately.
Cervian passed through the passageways adeptly as he began to guide Ian’s party to the laboratory.
Ian followed behind Cervian as he shook his head.
‘Ha… It will be easier memorizing the whole Illustrated Book of Magical Beasts or whatever than memorizing this path. If I was asked to find my way back out just on my own without Cervian, will I be able to?’
Ian still tried to memorize the path as much as possible, and while he did so, Cervian was able to arrive at his laboratory.
Although, of course, rather than a laboratory, it had a visual that was closer to ‘ruins’, that is.
• We’ve arrived, Ian. This place was where my laboratory was.
Ian laughed as he asked back.

Why do you say it in past tense?

At that, Cervian replied with a sullen expression.
• As you can see, hasn’t it been completely destroyed? It has now turned into a visual where it would suit being used as a junk yard or warehouse now instead.
As Cervian’s sullen expression was quite cute, Ian snickered.

Anyhow, it is quite amazing.

• What is?

Starting from the entrance of Zone 107, it seems like we’ve been on the move for 30 minutes until we got here, but we haven’t discovered even one magical beast.

• Ah, that?

How exactly is that possible?

Cervian explained with a proud expression.
• That’s since Zone 107 is basically like my front yard to me. It’s because we’ve only gone through shortcuts that magical beasts usually don’t go through and entered inside.
Ian nodded his head as he thought to himself.
‘In various ways, I’m proceeding through the quest easily thanks to Cervian. It’s to the point that I’m nervous instead because everything is going too smoothly.’
While the two were having a chat, the party arrived at the deserted house that was disguised as the laboratory, and Ian walked inside of there with big strides.
• Careful, Ian. There’s no knowing what kind of monster is inside the laboratory.

Hmm…?

Cervian warned him again.
• One of the biggest reasons why we didn’t meet any magical beasts on our way here was truthfully because of the existence of my laboratory.

Why’s that?

• It’s because it’s definite that the many magical beasts that would have smelled the Chaos Stone that is in my laboratory would have all gone inside of it.

Ahem… That thing called the Chaos Stone, is it a substance that magical beasts like?

Cervian, who thought about it for a moment, responded shortly.
• Rather than a substance that magical beasts like… If compared to humans, you could think of it as a substance similar to drugs. It destroys our body, but it’s a substance that has an incredibly high addiction level, that is.
Ian, who immediately understood Cervian’s words, began to carefully enter the laboratory.
And sure enough, before it had even been 3 minutes since he entered, Ian’s party was able to meet a group of intermediate-rank magical beasts made up of about five or six of them.
Ian immediately began to busily let out commands.

Move calmly! We just need to do as we’ve been doing up until now. Firstly, Bbakbbak, move forward!

As he did so, Celia, who was next to him, instantly summoned Ddukdae and had him follow right behind Bbakbbak.
And with that movement as the trigger, Ian’s Familiars and retainers began to move quickly and accurately.
While floating in the air, Cervian, who watched Ian do that, mumbled with a quiet voice.
• His Familiar commanding abilities are to the point it is amazing every time I watch him do it.
As expected of the source of the contamination, the magical beasts that appeared in the laboratory were all magical beasts that had a high level of contamination.
It was because of that they were also opponents that were even more fussy to face as well.

Ly, you’re going to ambush magical beasts that other Familiars or retainers are fighting with me. Since they’re easily distracted because of their madness, the effectiveness of stabbing them will be even better.

• Grr- Grr-! Understood, owner!
A moon was always up in the sky of the Devildom 365 days a year.
Thanks to that, Ly’s passive skill was shining incredibly brightly ever since they entered the Devildom.
That was one of the inherent abilities of the Sovereign Fenrir, the Heir of the Moon.
The inherent ability the ‘Heir of the Moon’ was a high-quality passive skill that made all movement speed increase by 30% and had them recover 3% of their maximum Vitality every second whenever they received moonlight.
However, the number of moons that were up in the sky of the Devildom was not just one, but three, and surprisingly, the effect of the Heir of the Moon was being applied with the overlap.
The top-ranking passive skill that was being tripled could simply be considered a cheat.
Ly’s movements had increased by 90% while he was in the Devildom, and his Vitality was recovering by a whopping 9% every second.
The description of a zombie assassin that didn’t die truly fit him.
While in the Devildom at least, Ly was showing off a fighting power that wasn’t the least bit inferior even when compared to Karceus.
• Grrr-! I can sense the thick scent of the magical beasts’ blood.
With Ly, who was leaping around like crazy, at the head, Ian slowly began to clean up the laboratory starting from the entrance.
‘Whew, even though it takes a bit of time, we need to proceed through safely. It looks like this place is swarming with strong monsters that can cause instant annihilation with just one mistake.’
If he just somehow successfully cleared this laboratory and completed all of the connected quests, he would be able to obtain a dual class.
Once that was the case, it was definite that Ian’s fighting power would be strengthened towards a level higher, so it would even be possible for him to enter into even deeper places in the Devildom then.
‘Alright. Let’s be cautious for a little longer and get through this place.’
Ian demonstrated his greatest concentration and began to hunt the magical beasts that swarmed the laboratory one by one, and he was eventually able to enter into the core part of the laboratory.
And as he arrived at the core, Cervian, who just watched Ian’s battle for a while without a word, finally opened his mouth.
• Ian, you see that blue light that’s leaking out from between the crack of that door over there, right?
At Cervian’s words, Ian’s gaze suddenly turned, and discovering the blue light, Ian nodded his head.

Yes, I can see it over there. Should I go over there?

Cervian nodded his head.
• Open that door and go inside. Inside there, the Chaos Stone gemstones that I had gathered before should be piled up there.
Ian slowly approached that door.

But that thing called Chaos Stone, is it an item that is no danger to my Familiars or myself?

At Ian’s question, Cervian nodded his head as he explained.
• That’s right. That item is one that only reacts to ‘Devil Energy’. There’s nothing for you to be careful about.

I see.

• Just, as it is possible that the strongest magical beasts amongst the ones that you’ve encountered up until now are inside there, I think you’ll have to be careful of that.

Understood, Cervian.

At Cervian’s warning, Ian stopped in his tracks and swept up all of the magical beasts nearby first.
To prepare for the ones inside that were difficult to handle to pop out, he had cleaned up all of the small fries that were nearby.

Alright, shall we go inside now?

Ian, who had gently put his hand between the ajar door, slowly pulled the door open and threw it back.
As he did so, a blue light that was bright to the point that it blinded his eyes leaked out, and within the wide space that was about as big as a small auditorium, a giant magical beast was coiled up.
With a size that was almost comparable to Karceus, it was a giant pterodactyl that was covered completely in black feathers.
Ian, who momentarily flinched at that sharp gaze and intense pressure, took a step back as he got into a battle stance, and Cervian, who was next to him, rounded his two eyes as he looked at the pterodactyl.
• Un, unbelievable!
Ian, who heard Cervian’s slightly out-of-the-blue words, wore a puzzled expression as he asked.

When you say unbelievable, what is?

Cervian slowly opened his mouth with a dazed expression.
• That one is…! Is a magical beast that I barely got my hands on thousands of years ago at the end of my persevering efforts called ‘Rakyel’.

Rakyel…?

Towards Ian, who still had on a perplexed expression, Cervian added to his explanation.
• On the topic of high-ranking magical beasts, they’re ones that are as rare as any decent Legendary-rank magical beast.
At the words high-ranking magical beast, Ian asked back with a little more nervous expression.

If it’s a high-ranking beast, it must be incredibly strong, right?

However, the response that returned to Ian’s question was one that was completely unexpected.
• The problem is not that one’s strength right now, Ian.

Then?

While the two conversed, the two eyes of the Rakyel, who was asleep in front of the Chaos Stone, slowly opened up.
• The spirit of the Rakyel is a magnificent ingredient in order to reconstruct magical beasts into Legendary-ranking ones!