Chapter 67: Ingredients for 1st Stage

It was already evening, so Akash planned to seek out Mystic Unicorn on the next day.

~Next day~

Akash didn't call for him but instead went to the unicorn himself. The latter was busy guiding the other beasts in the construction. He was of a peach colour, around 20-meters-long with silky hair and a 5-meter-long horn on the head. Akash opened his profile.

[ Species: Mystic Unicorn (Beast)

Realm: 2nd Moon, Star Captain

Bloodline: Star Emperor nobility rank

Learnt Laws: None

Inborn Laws: Water Law (Awakened), Life Law (Awakened), Divine Law (Awakened), Blood Law (Yet to Awaken)]

"No learned laws? Maybe he is a lazy horse. All his inborn laws show how powerful his healing ability could be."

Akash muttered as he moved towards the beast. Mystic Unicorn saw Akash coming and quickly greeted him.

"Good morning, Duke Akash, are you here to see the progress?"

"Hello."

Akash returned the greeting and looked at the construction of the palace.

"No, I have trust in all of you. No need to see the progress, I've come here for something else."

"What is it, duke?"

The unicorn asked.

"It's something which only you can help me with, it'll be up to you whether you want to help or not though."

Akash stated.

"Just tell me, I'll do whatever I possibly can."

"I need a few drops of your blood."

Akash said, surprising the unicorn. He was immediately hesitant over this strange request. A beast could be controlled even without a contract if an expert in the Blood Law gets their blood. After some contemplation, Mystic Unicorn asked out of concern.

"May I ask for what purpose?"

Akash understood his worry and explained.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to turn you into a puppet. I am practicing a technique that requires the blood of a Mystic Unicorn among some other things, I wouldn't have bothered you if there was another of your kind here but unfortunately, there isn't."

Tension was visible on Mystic Unicorn's face, he didn't reply to Akash and just kept gazing at him in silence before Akash sighed.

"Alright, I understand. Don't worry, I will not force you, it was your choice to begin with."

Akash turned around and started going somewhere else.

"Wait, duke!"

He heard the voice of Mystic Unicorn and halted his feet before turning his head.

"Yes, what happened?"

"How many drops will you need?"

The former asked.

"5 to 10 drops would suffice."

"Duke, I'm trusting you because you have treated us all well."

Mystic Unicorn said before biting his tongue. Then, as he pulled it out, peach- coloured gooey droplets fell. Akash quickly took out the glass tube he had prepared beforehand and stored the drops in it. After taking a quick look at it, he asked.

"Are you sure it's your blood? It looks more like your saliva."

"Haha, don't worry, duke. It's my blood."

Mystic Unicorn assured him.

"Thank you, I owe you for this."

"You don't owe me anything. You gave me a place to live in and something to do here, we are even now."

"Haha, alright then, we are even."

Akash replied and turned to move again.

"I have more ingredients to gather then, have a good day."

"Understood, farewell for now, duke."

"I'm not a duke anymore, call me king."

"King? But we have a dukedom, not a kingdom."

Unicorn questioned.

"You will know by this evening."

Akash said cryptically.

"I'll wait for it then. You can go now, duk... I mean king."

Akash nodded as the unicorn bid him farewell and he started to walk away. While doing so, Akash asked the System.

"System, where can I find the remaining two materials?"

*beep*

[The King can find the seeds from the forest of undead trees in the Ebony Kingdom and the Purple-Stripes Scorpion can be found in the Death Water Dukedom.]

"Can you give me their exact locations then?"

The System didn't reply this time and Akash sighed.

"At least, say no."

*beep*

"No."

Akash huffed and started searching for Red Mamba and Golden Panther. With the former's size, it wasn't difficult to find him. They were both ready to go to the other dukedom when they heard from someone that King Akash was searching for them. Before long, they met up.

"What's the matter, Your Majesty?"

Red Mamba asked.

"Do you guys know where the Ebony Kingdom and theDeath Water Dukedom are?"

Akash inquired.

"I do, My King."

Golden Panther answered.

"I have to visit both of them. Additionally, are there any Purple-Striped Scorpions in the dukedom?"

"It is ruled by them, their duke is also a Purple-Striped Scorpion."

The panther explained.

"Are they strong?"

Akash asked.

"Yes, very much so. Their dukedom is one of the few that never get attacked."

Red Mamba elaborated.

"I see."

Akash said as he rubbed his chin.

"Why do you have to go there, My King? Are you trying to make them allies or something?"

Red Mamba asked.

"I am in dire need of a Purple-Striped Scorpion's poison and the seeds of undead trees."

Akash revealed.

"Hmm, I have never been to the Ebony Kingdom or the Undead Forest, so I'm unaware of the threats there. However, I do know a bit about Purple-Striped Scorpions. They are very aggressive and their most potent attack is their highly venomous sting."

Golden Panther expounded as he continued.

"I wonder if they will let you have their venom? In this planet, their venom is counted amongst the most lethal ones. Even kingdoms wanted to make a hybrid race with them but the scorpions rejected their offer."

"We won't know unless we ask them."

Akash simply replied.

"So, what is your plan then, Your Majesty?"

Red Mamba asked.

"We should go..."

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

Golden Panther yelled, interrupting Akash's speech.

"Jeez, my eardrum almost burst."

Akash said as he massaged his ear.

"There was a Purple-Striped Scorpion in my dukedom."

The panther mentioned as his eyes glittered.

"Are you sure, where is it? Take me there right now!"

Akash ordered without paying any heed.

"Certainly, I will, but I don't know where she is living at the moment or whether she's even alive. She had come to my dukedom in the past when she was injured and weak. When I heard about it, I went to see her. Beasts are prohibited from trespassing into others' lands, after all. When I met her, she asked me to let her live there and because of her critical condition I let her."

Golden Panther elucidated.

"Let's go and search for her then."

Akash commanded and the three of them were ready to go, when suddenly Akash looked at someone in the crowd, people had gathered around them while they were speaking. They weren't talking about any important news, so Akash didn't say anything to them. At the same time, however, he saw the current head of the Tea Family, Razi Tea, in the crowd. Akash waved his hand and called him and the latter flew to him post-haste.

"Earl Razi, do you have any space for another beast in your dwelling?"

Akash asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty, just for one. I was about to cancel more contracts today with my previous beasts."

Razi answered.

"Follow us then."

Razi nodded and held himself from asking for the reason as the four went over the mountain and entered the forest.

"This forest is dense and there are many treasured fruits in here as well, many people wanted to claim this forest, including myself."

Red Mamba said as they entered the forest, the trees were 50 to 200 meters tall. Akash saw a 33-meter-long fox running around a tree, a small yellow tree of only 15meters, which looked more like a plant in front of the other trees.

Beneath the leaves and above the roots, there was a strange shining round fruit attached to the stem. As Razi noticed it, he immediately wanted to get it as it suddenly felt extremely appealing to him.

"My Liege, please wait for me. I'll go and grab that fruit first as it's emitting a crazy amount of cosmic power."

He spun in mid-air and went directly towards the plant.

"NO, STOP, YOU STUPID!"

Red Mamba shouted, causing Razi to flinch and stop.

~RUMBLE~

Just a slim moment after Razi Tea stopped, the forest started to quake and a giant mouth came out from the ground, engulfing the whole area with the plant at the center. The fox tried to run but it was eaten so quickly that no one could quite believe it.

Cold sweat ran all over Razi.

"I... I don't know why I went there."

"It was a psychic attack."

Akash replied and asked right after.

"What was that thing though?"

"We don't know, it's our first time seeing it as well. We have only heard about it before, Black Dragon used to call it 'The Spirit of the Forest'."

Red Mamba explained while Akash quickly tried to open its profile but it soon vanished before he could gleam its information, leaving a 50-meter-circle hole in the middle of the forest.

"We'll have to leave this forest for now then."

Akash looked at the two beasts and continued.

"Me and Razi won't die here but you two can, so stay alert at all cost. I cannot afford to lose either of you."

"Haha, Thank you, My King."

Golden Panther chuckled before expressing his gratitude, touched by his concern. Soon after, they all ran from the forest as fast as they could, finally reaching the mountain range. Akash looked at the mountains from up close for the first time. There were a few mountains even bigger than he had seen before. As they reached the top, Golden Panther commented.

"My King, this is the 2nd dukedom that now comes under your domain, previously ruled by myself."