"Tell me about the current state of your clan."
After explaining the various Danger Beast races to Esdeath, Haruki turned to the Ice Phoenix and asked.
"Alright. Right now, I'm the only one in the clan who has surpassed the Super-Class Danger Beast level. Below me, there are five with Super-Class strength, around a dozen who are close to that level, and the rest—several hundred—are average clan members with ordinary strength."
Noticing the surprised looks on Esdeath and Gin's faces, the Ice Phoenix gave a satisfied nod, then continued after a brief pause.
"You must've seen it when you came up. Surrounding my snow peak are many snow-covered mountains of varying heights. Each mountain houses at least one of our clan members. The strength of a member can be judged by the height of the mountain they live on—the higher the mountain, the stronger the clan member."
"What about the snowfields below?" Esdeath interjected. "Why didn't I see a single large carnivorous Danger Beast down there?"
"That's our hunting ground. We don't allow any other hunters to intrude.
Many years ago, we drove out every carnivorous Super-Class Danger Beast and their kin from this entire region.
Moreover, by our rules, any Super-Class Danger Beast living near our territory must regularly deliver food to us. If they don't, the consequences are more than they can handle."
Hearing the Ice Phoenix's domineering declaration, Esdeath actually nodded in agreement.
To outsiders, the Ice Phoenix's behavior might seem unreasonable, but in the natural world—especially among Danger Beasts—it was completely normal. Survival of the fittest is an unchanging law of nature.
This method not only ensures a constant food supply and produces countless strong warriors for the Ice Phoenix clan, but also continually weakens the surrounding races, securing the clan's absolute dominance over the region.
"Alright, Ice Phoenix. You know why I'm here. Let's skip the small talk—bring them all out."
Haruki spoke again.
"Understood!"
"Cry—!"
With that, the Ice Phoenix let out a sharp cry to the sky.
"Cry—..."
While Esdeath and Gin were still puzzled by Haruki's and the Ice Phoenix's conversation and sudden actions, a series of powerful cries rang out from above in response—though not as commanding as the Ice Phoenix's, they still carried great strength.
Moments later, thousands of ice birds, much smaller than Haruki's Ice Phoenix, appeared before Haruki and the women.
Though they were significantly smaller than Haruki's companion, they were still considered large among Super-Class Danger Beasts. And from their aura, it was clear—they were powerful.
"Tribe Chief."
The five Ice Phoenixes approached Haruki's Ice Phoenix, bowed their heads, and spoke in unison.
Before this, the Ice Phoenix had already required that all clan members who reached Super-Class Danger Beast strength learn the human language.
"Haruki, what exactly did you bring me here for? Where's my gift?"
Still unable to figure out what Haruki was up to, Esdeath finally lost her patience and questioned him. Gin also looked at Haruki with a puzzled expression—after all, he had promised her a gift before they arrived.
"The gift? Isn't it right in front of you?"
Haruki pointed to the five Super-Class Danger Beasts standing before them, then pulled out two uniquely shaped, exquisitely crafted rings from his Storage Ring and tossed them to the two women.
"These are contract rings. Just place a drop of your blood and your chosen Ice Phoenix's blood on them at the same time, and the contract will be formed. From then on, no matter how far apart you are, as long as you focus your thoughts, you'll be able to summon your contracted Ice Phoenix through the ring to aid you in battle. Go ahead—each of you pick the one you get along with. From now on, they'll be your partners."
Haruki explained.
Before coming here, Haruki had already informed the Ice Phoenix of his intentions through their contract, and naturally, she had no objections. She had also notified her clan about his visit and the purpose of selecting contract beasts.
Initially, some of the clan members were reluctant—how could powerful Super-Class Danger Beasts become a human's contract beast? But once they learned that Haruki wasn't human, that the Ice Phoenix had been his pet for over a year, and that her breakthrough beyond the Super-Class limit was closely tied to Haruki's help, no one dared oppose the idea any longer.
Later, when word spread that one of the visitors wielded a Teigu forged with the blood of the Ice Phoenix Clan Chief and Haruki, and the other possessed power comparable to a top-tier Super-Class Danger Beast, even the strongest members of the clan couldn't help but feel excited.
At their level of strength, further progress depended entirely on opportunity. And after hearing their chief's words, they all recognized this as a rare chance to break through their limits.
In the end, Esdeath chose the strongest among them, while Gin picked the one who appeared the youngest. They signed their contracts on the spot. Notably, both of the chosen Ice Phoenixes were female.
Seeing the disappointed looks on the remaining Ice Phoenixes who hadn't been selected, Haruki offered some reassurance.
"Don't worry. Your chief has followed me for a thousand years—I won't abandon your clan. I promise, every one of you will have a chance to surpass the Super-Class threshold in the future."
After the five Super-Class Ice Phoenixes departed, the Ice Phoenix quickly spoke up.
"Master, you promised last time that you wouldn't leave me behind when you came to visit again. You better keep your word!"
"Relax. One of the reasons I came this month is to take you back. Look at you, getting all flustered."
Haruki couldn't help but laugh. Despite being stronger than even Esdeath and Gin, the Ice Phoenix's demeanor was more like a child's. Her strength was completely out of sync with her temperament.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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