Chapter 72 - Wonder

I slept more comfortably than I imagined, the denser concentration of energy in this world made it feel like you were in the best possible location anywhere you went. I went down the wooden stairs to see people already actively moving in and out of the inn.

The receptionist with the red hair was already up at the counter. I went towards her and ordered another Fiery Soup to have for breakfast before I went out. Thus, the morning began on a happy note

I moved outside into the town and saw the world during daytime for the first time. A blanket of snow covered the buildings and the paths, making for a beautiful sight as the rays of the sun shone through

I looked up to see the huge mountains surrounding us far in the distance as well as the four grand land masses that were stably positioned in the air without a single movement. I still couldn't even begin to understand how such a thing was possible

A few people could be seen every now and then ascending the long brides attached further inland from this town.

I looked away from the majestic sight of floating islands and went towards the [Mercenary's Hideout], where a collection of colorful rugged men and women were cl.u.s.tered

Putting energy into the medal I received the day before, most of the thin lines of people were grouped up in one location that allowed me to find them all very easily. There was a large space behind the grand building that had white winged beasts moving around. Someone was holding a large basin that he pulled out large chunks of meat from to feed the beasts

The people in the extermination task force were cl.u.s.tered in a group on the side talking amongst themselves as they all waited for the appointed time.

The minutes passed by quickly as a large man whose entire body emanated power came out to the clearing.

"Alright boys and girls, gather around!"

At these words, the mercenaries that were mostly rank A with a few rank S ones in the group all looked towards this figure with full attention.

"The mission this time is plain and simple. The Skypeak Nest is showing signs of rapid movements again, which means the beasts are increasing and getting more restless. We're not gonna spend too much time there, just clear out a few leaders and their groups before we return. I am Captain Ryner, and I'll be leading this excursion to make sure there are no deaths!"

The large man spoke out with a powerful voice that seemed to rouse the spirits of everyone here.

"After we successfully return, each person in attendance will receive 5,000 gold coins and keep any cores from the beasts they manage to take down."

At the mention of rewards, the mercenaries shouted out as we began moving towards the large groups of winged beasts. Each beast could take on more than five people, and I found myself soaring through the skies with three rank A mercenaries and one rank S. I would follow the lead of others for now as I learn more about these Nests and choose how to move from there

The winged beasts we were riding on had heads that looked similar to an eagle's, but their wide bodies that allowed more than 5 people to stand on showed they were something else. I found out they were called Whitewing Beasts, a type of beast that could easily be tamed as long as it was fed daily

We flew on these beasts and passed the huge wall of a fortress where guards with similar beasts were stationed. Mercenaries assigned to specific missions had the pass to fly over the town if they were using these beasts

We left the entry town of the Frozen Kingdom and went towards the huge floating landmass I had seen on the way here. I listened to the conversations of two of the mercenaries that seemed to be familiar with each other who were talking about this Nest

"Oy, remember to follow the lead of that Captain. I've heard some inflated nobodies ignored commands and went further into the beast nest only to never come out."

"Tsk, how many times do you have to give pointers eh? I know we'll definitely be staying in the outer ring of the nest this time around. There should be very few S rank beasts out there"

The two seemed to be arguing and giving each other tips to stay alive all at once. But their words indicated that there were powerful beasts congregated in this floating island. I wasn't sure how far into the Nest the beasts higher than rank S would start to appear

I kept my mouth shut just in case, as I didn't want there to be any possibility of me giving something about my identity away. I would learn as things progress and find some time to locate a library after this to spend some time there and see what more I can learn about this world.

The collection of memories that the System put together after absorbing the essence of many beasts was just that, mostly memories from low ranking beasts. I would have to do my own research to fully grasp the workings of a place like this kingdom where humans had control

We neared the floating landmass after twenty minutes, where the outline of the island became visible. Using [Eagle Eyes], I watched as I saw groups of beasts walking around near the edge of the landmass. Dense and extremely tall trees blanketed in snow began rising as my sight looked further in, where barely anything but a white outline of trees could be seen

The Whitewing Beasts landed on the edge of the land mass as they drew the attention of surrounding beasts that rushed over here. Beasts ranging from C and all the way to A were running about

Captain Ryner took the lead, jumping off the winged beast like a valiant warrior as his body seemed to be bubbling with energy. There was a large red broadsword that appeared in his arms, which he swung towards the coming beasts. A parabolic line of flames was drawn out, going forward and bisecting all the incoming beasts

"Alright lads, the battle begins now. When you see the ugly faces of rank S beasts appear, especially the larger Leaders, be on high alert!"

The leaders he was mentioning were what I considered BOSSes or TITANs back then, with them holding a denser collection of essence that allowed for skills and items to be farmed from. Many were large to correspond to their large amounts of energy, but the truly powerful ones could be small, as they held enough control over their energy to remain that size and use it to their advantage.

The mercenaries spread out as those of the S rank took the lead, with me following closely behind the captain as we went further into the Skypeak Nest.