World of Beasts: I Can See Their Hidden Stats!

"A Stage 4 Beastmaster?"

Locke looked at the changes in the horizon, and with an ugly expression, he stated, "Hopefully, that force is not directed against us, otherwise, another dangerous situation might arise."

Ever since they stepped foot in Mountain City, Locke and Hathaway had not experienced a single moment of peace.

"What terrifying pressure."

Hathaway muttered.

It was rare to meet a Stage 4 Beastmaster in a second-rate city.

Due to how rare they were, Stage 4 powerhouses were important figures on the continent.

Even in a main city, Stage 4 Beastmasters would be able to live a luxurious lifestyle.

As such, there was no need for them to dwell in second-rate cities.

This was also the first time Locke and Hathaway had encountered a Stage 4 Beastmaster.

At the same time, the smell of blood and intense pressure had already permeated the entirety of Mountain City.

The citizens of Mountain City fell into a state of panic. They thought they had enraged God, and that they were about to be punished.

"Have we angered God?"

"We're just doing our job, we haven't done anything bad."

"Please, please calm down!"

The people of Mountain City were terrified.

However, the guards did not appear to comfort them.

In truth, the imperial guards themselves were also in chaos.

They had just received orders from the general that no matter what happened outside, they must not leave their barracks.

However, what they did not know was that the city lord and Accius had been killed, and the person who killed them was none other than Asgela, their general.

Meanwhile, Locke and Hathaway were already preparing to leave Mountain City.

They were not residents of mountain city, so there was no need for them to meddle in other people's business. They cared not about the lives of the residents of Mountain City, and Locke was certain that someone would clean up the situation there before long.

"Are we leaving just like this?" The Sentimental Hathaway looked back at Mountain City with a worried gaze.

"We can't afford to look out for the residents when facing off against a Stage 4 Beastmaster. The only thing we can do is to protect ourselves," Locke said coldly.

"Trying to leave? Not under my watch!"

At this time, an angry shout came from the sky.

The shout was as loud as thunder, and it almost caused almost caused their eardrums to bleed.

"Who's there!?"

Locke quickly circulated his mana.

"Hahaha!"

A sinister laugh rang out.

Following that, a gust of cold wind blew.

The cold wind blew over a cloud of black fog. There were two bloodthirsty rays of light within it, as if they were evil spirits from hell.

"It's only been two days, and you don't recognize me anymore?"

As the voice sounded, the black fog gradually dispersed.

The pair of scarlet rays in the black fog transformed into a pair of red eyes.

At the same time, an ugly face was revealed, and his skin was rotten.

However, Locke still recognized him.

This caused Locke to exclaim in shock.

"Aasgela!?"

Asgela let out an ear-piercing laugh, "Hahaha, Locke, how kind of you to remember me!"

The moment he saw him, Locke had a guess.

It seemed that the person who had just advanced to the Stage 4 was none other than Asgela.

However, Locke was not afraid, "Why are you looking for us?"

"To kill you, of course. What other reason could it be?" Asgela spoke casually, but it gave off a sinister feeling. His bloody face was even more disgusting.

"I have no grudge against you. What happened the other day was just a minor scuffle. Surely, there's no need to fight to the death, right?" Locke said with a smile that went against his will.

"Hmph. Indeed, I have no enmity with you. But since I already have the intention to kill you, do you think I'll let you go?" Asgela chuckled, and his tone became full of killing intent.

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the black fog around him surged towards Locke and Hathaway.

There seemed to be thousands of ghosts in the Black Fog, and they even let out wails and howls.

At the same time, Asgela revealed his figure.

It was not an exaggeration to call it hideous.

His armor was tattered, and his body was covered in rotten flesh.

There was barely any skin left. He looked no different from a zombie.

An idea came to Locke's mind upon noticing Asgela's appearance. The Divine Dragon immediately understood and immediately unleashed [ Divine Dragon Breath ] .

"Roar!"

An earth-shaking dragon roar was unleashed.

A hurricane shot forth from the Divine Dragon's mouth.

The hurricane, which was like thousands of sharp blades, collided with the black fog in an instant.

However, the dragon breath which had been unstoppable all the while, had failed to break through the black fog.

Just hours ago, the Divine Dragon's Breath had easily dissipated the city lord's Chain Lightning attack.

However, it was completely suppressed by the Black Fog, and it was unable to advance any further.

Moreover, Asgela had not even summoned his Battle Beast yet.

The difference in strength between a Stage 4 and Stage 3 Beastmaster was as clear as day.

"So Strong!"

Even Hathaway's expression changed when she saw this, and she could not help but exclaim in shock.

"Not good!"

Locke's expression suddenly changed.

He saw that the black fog had already broken the Divine Dragon's dragon breath.

He immediately lowered his head and ordered, "Dodge!"

The Divine Dragon immediately flapped its wings.

In an instant, its figure appeared 10 miles away.

After missing its first strike, the black fog locked onto the Divine Dragon's aura once more. In one swift motion, it pounced towards the direction of the Divine Dragon like a predator.

'Damn it, why is it still here?'

Locke saw the black fog chasing after him relentlessly and was a little angry. He could not help but curse in his heart.

"Looks like I can only use brute force against it."

Locke summoned Infinite Fire Element and Gale Wings.

After fusing into Cries of Wind and Flame, they attacked together with the Divine Dragon.

"Blazing Skies!"

"Divine Dragon's Roar!"

The combined attack had defeated Mountain City's city lord just moments ago. Despite this, Locke doubted that it was enough to deal with a Stage 4 powerhouse. Locke remained vigilant, and he was ready to retreat at the first sign of anything going wrong.

"What a cheap trick." Asgela laughed disdainfully when he saw Locke going all out.

He circulated the mana in his body and unleashed them to form a projection of a Six-winged Demonic Lion.

The projection of the demonic lion let out an angry roar. The mana contained in the sound waves turned into ripples, and it immediately disintegrated Locke's combined strike while injuring the Battle Beasts that had launched the attack.

Locke and Hathaway had also been struck by the attack. Their blood began to boil, and their mana fluctuated.

'Such terrifying power!'

The two exclaimed in their hearts.

They had never encountered a Stage 4 Beastmaster before.

Now that they were facing one, they realized just how outclassed they were.

Asgela had easily deflected Locke's strongest attack without even summoning his Battle Beast.

Had Asgela attacked with his full strength, ten Mountain Cities would instantly be reduced to ashes.

"What should we do?"

Hathaway's face was as white as paper, and blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her voice was weak as she asked.

A Stage 4 Beastmaster was disaster incarnated, and thus, there was nothing else they could do but run... Locke calmly said, "I'll cover your retreat. Now, go!"

"No!"

Hathaway hurriedly clasped Locke's right wrist.

"If we're fleeing, then we'll flee together."

Hathaway cried out in tears.

After all, they had been through together, how could she abandon Locke in the face of danger?

"I'll figure a way out. Your presence here would only hold me back! Now, leave!" Locke shouted.

While talking, Locke flung Hathaway's arm aside and used his magic to push her away.

"Nooo!"

Hathaway was powerless against Locke's magic, and all she could do was painfully watch with teary eyes as her lover gradually distanced himself away from her.

As bolts of thunder boomed deafeningly in the distance, the lovers gradually separated from one another.

Perhaps they would meet again in the future, or perhaps this would be the last time they would see each other.

"Promise me… Promise me that you'll come back to me alive!"

Hathaway closed her beautiful eyes, and a drop of her tear drifted down her cheeks and entered Locke's palms.

"Don't think that I'll let anyone of you escape!"

Asgela snarled sinisterly and shattered the lovely atmosphere between the two.

"You'll have to get through me first!" Locke retracted his gaze and clenched his fists tightly. The anguish from a moment ago was nowhere to be seen.

Locke's gaze was filled with determination, and it looked as if he was prepared to die.

"Can you stop me though?"

The moment Asgela's voice subsided, the projection of the Six-winged Lion behind him solidified.

Now that he had ascended to Stage 4, his Battle Beast had also improved as well. Its body had grown to over a thousand miles long, and when extended fully, the wingspan of all its six wings could cover half of Mountain City.

However, perhaps due to the blood sacrifice, the Six-winged Demonic Lion's appearance had also changed drastically.

It no longer possessed the gallant form from before, and instead, it was wreathed in a sinister aura and looked as if it was a beast that had come from the pits of hell.

In the face of such a sinister creature, Locke, his Divine Dragon, and his Cries of Wind and Flame were like mere specks of dust.

The Six-winged Demonic Lion was capable of slashing them into mincemeat in seconds.

"Come and try me, then!"

Although Locke was face-to-face against the sinister, gargantuan lion that was capable of crushing him in seconds, there was not a trace of fear to be found in Locke's heart.

Alright, perhaps there was a little, however, to protect his lover, he would not back down, even if it meant that he would be killed in the ensuing battle!

Even if he knew that the road ahead of him was a dead-end, Locke refused to back down.

"Divine Dragon! Cries of Wind and Flame!"

With a grim expression, Locke ordered, "Unleash your strongest combined move!"

"AAA~"

"GAA!"

After giving an empowered roar, both Battle Beasts unleashed a scintillating radiance that illuminated and enveloped their surroundings in a heavy atmosphere of mana.

Even though they were already quite a distance away from Mountain City, the citizens still felt vibrations in the air. It felt as if the gods of the sky were raining their divine judgment, and it filled the hearts of the citizens with terror.

"An impressive display, but let's see how powerful the attack actually is."

Asgela remarked snidely.

"Demonic Fire Prairie!"

Following Asgela's order, the Six-winged Demonic Lion spread its wings, opened its maws that were huge enough to swallow a mountain, and unleashed an intense beam of purple flames.

"FUUUUU!"

Even without the assistance of the wind, the Six-winged Demonic Lion's flames had still instantly set the mountains and rivers within a thousand miles ablaze.

For as far as the eyes can see, there were only flames.

Moreover, the combined illumination from the Divine Dragon and the Cries of Wind and Flame were like a Divine Radiance that purified the malicious flames consuming the land.

However, due to the Six-winged Demonic Lion's overwhelming might, the Divine Radiance of the two Battle Beasts gradually corroded, and the flames continued to spread.

Locke was certain that he would perish within those blazing flames.

'Dammit, is this the true might of a Stage 4 Beastmaster?'

A sense of powerlessness arose within Locke's heart.

Meanwhile, Asgela had not even used a fraction of his strength to completely overwhelm Locke's full-powered move.

If Asgela were to use his full strength, even 10 Lockes would be powerless to stop him.

"Hahahaha! Die!"

Asgela laughed out loud.

The Six-winged Demonic Lion exerted even more of its mana.

The divine radiance from both of Locke's beasts gradually weakened, and Locke feared that he would be in danger before long.

'What now? If this goes on, I'm going to die.'

Locke's heart was set aflame in desperation.

Remembering the promise that he had made to Hathaway, Locke had no intention to break his promise.

"AAA!"

"GAAAAHH!"

The Divine Dragon and the Cries of Wind and Flame let out pained cries.

Locke could feel that his Battle Beasts could not last for much longer.

Unless he figured out something quickly, his Battle Beasts would be reduced to ashes before long.

However, no matter how hard he racked his brains, Locke could not find a way out. The Stage 4 Beastmaster was way too powerful for him.

"Hahaha! So what if you've contracted a Divine Dragon, Locke!"

As the Six-winged Demonic Lion continued to press on the attack, Asgela's laughter became more and more crazed.

At the same time, Locke fell deeper and deeper into desperation.

"Hathaway… It seems that I'll have to go back on our promise."

Locke stared into the air and commented sadly.

"Aaargghhhh!"

Suddenly, a cry of agony brought Locke back to his senses.

Locke immediately noticed that the source of the cry. It was Asgela.

"What's up with him?"

Locke was confused.

Asgela was pushing the offensive just moments ago.

However, at that moment, the Six-winged Demonic Lion's flames were gradually retreating, and it looked as if it had exhausted its strength.

'Could the power he obtained from his blood sacrifice be unstable?"

Locke hypothesized upon noticing Asgela writhing in pain.

At the same time, Asgela constantly scratched his skin as if there were thousands of bugs crawling all over his skin.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

After a few minutes had passed, Asgela's cries became even more agonizing.

It was to the extent that he could no longer even exert his mana. As a result, his Demonic Lion had dissipated, and the purple flames had vanished as well.

"It looks like I'm saved… Time to go, Hathaway's still waiting for me."

Locke muttered silently and heaved a breath of relief.

Just as he was about to order the Divine Dragon and the Cries of Wind and Flame to leave…

Locke realized that they had been immobilized.

His Battle Beasts seemed to have just realized it as well.

'What happened?'

Locke was shocked.

There was nothing binding them, and yet, they were still unable to move.

The only possible reason would be that they were restrained by someone.

However, only Beastmasters who were Stage 5 and above were capable of doing so.

"Master?"

Asgela suddenly cried out, and Locke immediately looked back.

A man was floating right above Asgela.

'Who's that!?'

Locke was shocked.

'I didn't even notice their arrival!'

'They must be at least a Stage 5 Beastmaster!'