Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 209: Celestina's Rant, Meeting the Targets

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 209: Celestina's Rant, Meeting the Targets

Oscar followed Celestina; the two rushed deeper into the Vermillion Mountain Range. Despite his feet keeping pace with Celestina energetically, his brows were tight, and his lips formed a frown because of Celestina's objective. He was confused about the nature of her goal.N/nêw n0vel chap/ers are published o/n n0v/e/(lb)i(n.)co/m

"Why is this Middle Elite Exalt so important that you must hunt it down yourself? To the point of wandering deeper in the Vermillion Mountain Range." Oscar asked as the speed of their sprint whipped his hair back. His obsidian eyes stayed on Celestina's figure that was speeding ahead.

Celestina glanced back at Oscar with a grin. "As I said, it's a surprise. It'll be something as good as the Preisn Observatory." Seeing Oscar's irked expression, she chuckled. "Just trust me."

"I trust you, but I'm worried you might be too reckless," Oscar recalled her wild last stand against Doyle back in the Floating Islands of Edin. For her friends, she took too much burden upon herself, which Oscar feared might happen here.

"Who do you think you're speaking of?" Celestina let out a mighty aura; the regal demeanor of a princess of a vast empire was in full display as her emerald eyes stared into Oscar's with great confidence and power. "The Thousand Serpent wasn't too bad of an opponent, but it was a stronger Lower Elite Exalt due to being one of the island's rulers, and I injured Doyle despite our difference of power."

"I wasn't disparaging your power. You're the strongest besides Gilbert. But I fear getting into a sticky situation like before." Oscar spoke honestly.

Celestina looked up and around. She stared back at Oscar with assuring eyes. "Don't worry. This time, I didn't give my guard the slip. I learned my lesson after that last ordeal. So we're being watched right now. However, they're not allowed to listen." Right after, her eyes narrowed to a scary degree. "But don't mention Lockwood. After everything I did, I still lost to him. How frustrating."

Oscar pondered as they traveled further. "I understand he irritates you to no end and does not seem to know about boundaries, but isn't he a useful asset for the empire? I wouldn't say you have to be nice to someone like him, but at least keep him at arm's length. I don't like him, but his grade nine is too big to ignore."

Celestina let out a tired sigh and stopped. "We're here. The Middle Exalt Beast should be close by. As for your suggestion, I did think of that initially, but his character was questionable. I saw nothing but endless greed spilling out of him. Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile. The moment I show a sliver of openness to him, he'll try to pry his way to have me like Aurora and Isabella. Though those two are just love-drunk fools."

Oscar did not speak. He allowed her to keep ranting.

"In the end, my instincts proved true when you told me about his past with Frederick. Not to mention that he isn't a reliable person. He always causes trouble with others and arrives late after his group has already suffered on missions like a fashionably late hero. If he never left, then they wouldn't be in such unfavorable situations." Celestina scoffed as she recalled all the people telling her of Gilbert's heroism even though he was simply late doing something else, leaving his party to themselves. "I can't tie him to the empire because he will certainly leave to pursue more. It's not bad to want to get stronger and explore the world, but he'll never have the Brilliant Drake Empire as the foremost of his priorities. The most important thing to me will always be the prosperity of my empire and the people. Understand?"

Oscar felt Celestina was pouring all her thoughts and grievances out. Indeed, as the empire's princess, Celestina had many responsibilities and things to consider, and Oscar could not begin to understand how much she was stressed. He reflected on the times they read books together, how she read on with a smile and talked with great passion.

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'Grade Two Lumin Bolt'

The arrowhead extended into a large bolt, similar to the ones used in a crossbow but many times larger. It flew out from the tip of Celestina's rapier, blowing away the air in front, toward another large rocky formation. Her spell was powerful and flashed to its destination.

The bolt created a loud shockwave as a high-pitched clang resounded; the bolt barely scratched into the rock before it fell to the floor. Oscar looked amazed both at her spell's power and the rock's incredible hardness. The rocks trembled and unraveled themselves as the scorpion had.

"On these mountain slopes, the Exalt Beasts are quite good at hiding themselves in plain sight. Their red rocky exterior is a great boon here." Celestina explained as the rocks parted to reveal their true form, a large red creature with ten sharp rocky legs and a large shell-encased body. But the front two legs were different, sporting a pair of large pincer-like claws with teeth-like protrusions in between them.

"This one is my target." Celestina's Ein burst in droves, but the powerful crab was not disturbed and skittered its legs, sounding like blades stabbing into the ground.

Middle Elite Exalt Scarlet Brachyura.

Lower Elite Exalt Petra Scorpion.

These two Exalt Beasts were no friends, but with the common prey in front of them, they opted to stay out of each other's way and devour the person that disturbed them. Their beady and glass-like eyes shuffled around unnaturally, reflecting the two humans.

Oscar and Celestina stood back to back. Their eyes focused on the prey in front of them.

The Exalt Beasts released screeches and rattling sounds and rushed toward the intruding humans. Their pincers and claws sounded like sharp blades.

"Fight!" Celestina shouted. Her Ein manifested her silver dragon anima, which roared and breathed out its signature light beam.

"No need to tell me." Oscar summoned his deer anima; its metal hooves crushed the rocky ground under it as it charged ahead with its antlers.

The mountain slope trembled from the collision of humans and beasts.