The Pendragon Book of Knowledge was one of the most valuable items in the Dragon Roar Faction's possession. This book held a vast amount of information about past events, ancient knowledge, and how people once lived.
Thanks to this book, Stan and his siblings had learned that all the mythical beings they had only read about—vampires, werewolves, unicorns, and many more creatures from bedtime stories—had actually existed at some point.
The book even revealed that their own bloodline was linked to a dragon who had transformed into a human, giving them a unique ancestry.
However, due to certain events that happened long ago, these mythical creatures had disappeared. The details of exactly what had occurred were still a mystery; the book refused to reveal that part of the story.
Recently, the faction had started searching for one of these mythical beings, hoping it could help them solve a particular problem. This being was said to possess the power to address the issue they were facing.
Back on Earth, ever since Stan had lost his evolution path, the faction had been searching for any trace of a unicorn. They scoured every corner of the planet, yet found nothing.
What Stan never expected was to encounter one here, on a distant, unknown planet far from Earth.
'Elder Rooney had once mentioned the possibility of discovering such beings in far-off worlds, but seeing it with my own eyes,' Stan was stunned.
And it wasn't just a unicorn—there was another mythical creature beside it. A Pegasus.
"Unicorn? You must be from Earth, young one."
A soft, angelic voice echoed in Stan's mind, breaking through his amazement. It didn't take long for Stan to figure out that this telepathic voice was coming from the unicorn.
"Yes, I am from Earth," Stan replied, his voice steady but filled with wonder.
"What brings you so far from home?" the unicorn asked, but before Stan could answer, it added, "Oh... wait... actually, it doesn't matter. No one is supposed to know about this planet, let alone set foot on it. Now that you're here, we cannot let you leave."
Before Stan could fully process those words, a powerful gust of wind struck. He barely saw it coming. Suddenly, he felt his body thrown backward, his vision blurring as he flew through the air. A loud crash followed as he landed hard on the ground, pain spreading across his stomach where he'd been hit.
Stan's body flew backward, crashing through several beasts on his path before he finally came to a stop. He could feel the bruising and strain across his entire torso from the impact.
"That cursed horse," Stan grunted, pressing a hand to his stomach. "I couldn't even see it move. Feels like my insides are about to spill out."
But he knew better than to relax. He was fully aware of the need to stay alert. Although he could still harness his Qi, he could only use it to reinforce his body. Any attempt to extend it beyond his body was impossible; the energy would dissipate immediately.
"Be cautious, Zarathul," the unicorn's voice echoed in the air, directed at the Pegasus now standing in Stan's previous spot.
"I sense his energy, but I can't seize control over it. I believe he's more dangerous than the others who came with him."
The Pegasus let out a sharp whinny, then flapped its wings with a mighty gust and launched itself into the sky.
Meanwhile, Stan had managed to steady himself after the first assault. He noticed how every beast charging his way was now veering off, clearing a path around him as if under some command.
Looking up, Stan spotted the Pegasus hovering in the air. From this angle, he could make out something unusual. The creature had four powerful, muscular legs in the front and four more at the back. This wasn't an ordinary horse, nor a typical Pegasus. It was something much more formidable.
'I can't use my Qi as a barrier or to attack from a distance right now, but there's something else that might help me,' Stan thought.
His body began to tremble, and soon he started to split. One by one, more copies of Stan appeared until there were five of him, each with wings, looking up at the Pegasus.
Just as Stan finished creating his copies, the Pegasus made its move, diving straight down with incredible speed. In a split second, it reached the ground, and a deafening explosion followed. The impact formed a massive crater beneath them, and parts of the ground had turned into bubbling magma.
'This horse is really trying to kill me,' Stan thought, watching the devastation. "But thankfully, using the Astral Body technique was a good idea."
Thanks to his level and the amount of Qi stored in his artificial core, Stan could create more Astral Bodies than Alex could. At higher stages, certain skills could develop greater potential, becoming more powerful than when used at lower stages.
If it weren't for the Qi restrictions right now, Stan's Astral Bodies would even be able to attack their enemies.
Immediately, Stan sent out his Astral Bodies, each one running in a different direction, spreading out across the battlefield. But he quickly noticed something—the Pegasus was focused on him alone, ignoring the others and chasing after him.
Seeing this, Stan swapped his position with one of the Astral Bodies. However, the Pegasus immediately adjusted its direction, heading straight for the real Stan again.
'Damn... it can tell which one is fake and which one is real,' Stan thought, startled. 'What level is this Pegasus?'
Realizing the Pegasus could distinguish him from his Astral Bodies, Stan stopped running, and his copies did the same. As the Pegasus charged toward him, three of the Astral Bodies converged around it. At just the right moment, Stan swapped his position with one of them, landing a hit on the Pegasus's side. Quickly swapping again, he struck from the other side, catching the Pegasus off-guard and finally sending it crashing to the ground.
Stan quickly swapped positions, moving away from the Pegasus.
"If I can't beat you my way, then I'll try it Alex's way," Stan thought.
The Pegasus rose to its feet and stomped hard on the ground. A loud rumble echoed, making it feel like the entire planet was trembling.
Suddenly, the Pegasus's body began to glow with flames. These weren't ordinary flames. They had a strange color—dark, almost like a mix of black and ash.
The flames spread out quickly, like a wildfire, and surrounded two of the Astral Bodies closest to the Pegasus. In an instant, the Astral Bodies vanished, their forms dissolving as if they'd never been there.
Stan looked at the approaching flames, and his mind raced.
"What is this power? What kind of ability is this?" he wondered, uncertain about his next move.
Meanwhile, the flames continued to spread outward, reaching the beasts nearby. Strangely, there was no heat coming from the flames. Yet, the moment a beast touched the flames, it turned to nothing but ash. Even their bones disintegrated, and their beast crystals vanished in the same way.
Stan watched in horror, realizing just how destructive the Pegasus's flames were.
Before Stan could react, the dark flame burst out, spreading in a wide circle, reaching both him and the Astral Bodies. The fire seemed to consume everything in its path.
The Astral Bodies vanished in an instant, while nearby beasts turned into nothing but ash. Yet, Stan stood in the flames, struggling to hold his ground.
"Come on… what is this? Why are you acting up on your own?" Stan grumbled, feeling veins bulging across his body as he resisted the flame's strange power.
Noticing that Stan wasn't disintegrating like the others, the Pegasus stomped its hooves on the ground and flapped its wings, soaring high into the air.
"Damn… I'm not sure I'll survive this," Stan thought, gritting his teeth.
"You've left me no other choice, beast!" Stan shouted, his voice echoing through the smoky air.
In the next instant, the Pegasus dived down at him, moving with unbelievable speed and force. Before Stan could blink, it was already upon him. But this time, Stan was ready. He raised his arms and caught the Pegasus mid-air, stopping it in its tracks. He felt the intense pressure in his muscles as he held the creature at bay.
The Pegasus glared at Stan with its fierce red eyes, and for a moment, their gazes locked. To Stan's surprise, he saw something unexpected in the Pegasus's eyes—a flicker of fear. It was as though the creature feared something unknown, something deeper than the battle itself.
Far off in the distance, watching everything unfold, was the unicorn. She looked worried, her eyes fixed on Stan with a deep frown of concern.
"What… what is someone with dragon energy doing here?" she whispered, panic rising in her voice. "I have to get Zarathul out of there immediately," she muttered.