Chapter 6: The Arcane Beast
With the bulging sack of ingredients slung over his shoulder, Elliott wandered deeper into the market with light steps. He hoped that some real treasure, unnoticed by everyone else, might be hidden among the piles of garbage.
'I have the System, after all.'
Protagonists who entered other worlds often found ancient grimoires or Fortuitous Encounters among piles of worthless junk. There was no reason he could not do the same.
'Hmm… What about this?'
Elliott picked up a rusted bronze mirror and turned it over in his hands.
'Garbage.'
At that moment, a growing disturbance rolled in from the market entrance like a wave.
"Move! Everyone, clear the way!"
"W-what is that?"
Terrified merchants dragged their stalls backward, while the spectators parted to either side. A desperate shout erupted from among them.
"An Arcane Beast!"
'An Arcane Beast?'
The merchants hurriedly gathered their belongings and retreated. The Mercenaries carrying swords at their waists did the opposite, stepping forward to see what was happening.
Elliott joined the latter group. He had never seen an Arcane Beast before, nor even an ordinary predator native to this cultivation world. Curiosity outweighed fear, and the large number of people around him gave him a careless sense of safety.
Elliott slipped into the crowd and stretched his neck to see the center of the disturbance.
'That thing is an Arcane Beast?'
Its massive body was easily as tall as a three-story building. Black fur covered a torso resembling that of a bear, but eight spiderlike legs grew beneath it.
The head was the most revolting part. Every time the creature roared, countless eyes rolled independently across the writhing skin of its face. It looked as if someone had thrown a spider and a bear into a blender and carelessly fused the remains together.
The spectators swallowed at its overwhelming appearance, but the creature was not free. A group of Adepts wearing matching blue combat uniforms had surrounded the enormous beast. Their disciplined movements and the emblem embroidered on their collars immediately revealed that they belonged to an organized force.
"…The Azure Cloud Order?"
"They're Inner Initiates from the main headquarters."
The whispers of nearby Mercenaries reached Elliott's ears. As expected, the Adepts belonged to an established Order.
The Arcane Beast thrashed wildly and raised one of its front limbs, trying to break through the encirclement. At that moment, something shot from the robes of the man standing at the front.
Flash!
A blinding streak of light cut through the air.
That was all.
The enormous body stopped in place. A thick line of blood appeared diagonally across its neck.
Boom!
Its huge head struck the ground and sent a cloud of dust into the air.
The display of strength was overwhelming.
Before Elliott could finish admiring it, the Adepts climbed onto the corpse with practiced movements. They began skinning it and extracting the Beast Core with the ease of experienced butchers.
When the spectators continued standing there in a daze, the man who appeared to be their leader shouted coldly, "Is this a public show? The matter is finished, so get lost!"
The killing intent in his voice made the Mercenaries flinch and retreat. Elliott was pushed backward with the crowd, but his gaze remained fixed on the Arcane Beast's corpse.
'Is all of that worth money?'
His eyes narrowed.
The members of the Azure Cloud Order were like a swarm of locusts. They collected the hide, claws, and teeth, then scraped even the smallest drops of fluid released while cutting open the organs into special containers.
They did not leave behind so much as a clump of fur. The Mercenaries who had lingered in the hope of receiving a few scraps could not hide their disappointment.
"Greedy bastards. They left less than nothing."
"Damn…"
Elliott clicked his tongue as well.
'There's nothing more to see here. They won't leave a single scrap behind.'
Getting involved out of idle curiosity would bring him no benefit. Taking care of his own business was far more important.
Elliott adjusted the sack of herbs in his arms.
'Let's go. I still have too much to do.'
Without lingering, he turned away, left the crowd behind, and hurried back toward his residence.