Confrontation

As they continued to go deeper into the dark forest, Licht sat in a lotus position, trying to hone into his fragment, while Midas sat on his shadow hawk above, scouting and making sure they were not in any danger.

After moving for about an hour, there was movement ahead, Midas noticed it and descended to the carriage. As he got closer to the carriage, the hawk shrank and then went into Midas with a trail of light. Midas landed on the roof.

"Master, I spotted some people ahead. What should we do?" Midas asked as he stood on the roof of the carriage.

"Just ignore them, but still be on guard." Licht voice sounded from within the carriage.

Midas nodded and sat down while looking ahead as the horses treaded forward with clacking noises from their hooves.

After going forward for half a kilometer, they spotted the people ahead. There were over 20 people, garbed in purple and gold armor. They all looked like they had seen their fair share of bloodshed. There were several tents around and an even bigger one guarded by several knights mounted on horses that had scales and looked really bulky.

They were Dracohorses, it is said they share a tiny fraction of dragon bloodline but it is unknown if they are just rumors due to dragons dying out or migrating a long time ago. These dracohorses were 9th brown rank beasts.

"Halt. This place is under the jurisdiction of Chrysler Clan. We implore you to turn back or face the consequences" One of the knight like personnel declared as the carriage got closer.

"We have a business just further ahead and we cannot stop," Midas said while the carriage continued towards the place where the beast king resided.

"Okay, since you don't want to stop, do not blame me," The guard said while he unsheathed a huge sword from his back.

The man had a cultivation of 9th brown rank and he clearly had the earth attribute, as his forearms were covered with rocks and enhanced his strength, however, he was the weakest person here. The sword was heading towards the horses that were pulling the carriage. The horses feeling the aura bursting from the man and seeing the sword coming towards them were clearly spooked and were neighing and trying to escape. As the sword was less than a meter from the horses, a blue sword stopped it in midair. The blue sword had a fur-coated hilt and looked like the fang of a wolf. This was the weapon form of the sword-toothed Alpha wolf Midas had killed earlier.

The guard looked upwards to see who blocked his strike and was baffled even though he did not use his full strength, it was not something that should have been able to be blocked by a teenage boy. He immediately withdrew and was wary especially since it looked like the boy was guarding and clearly looked respectful to the person in the shabby wooden carriage.

"Who are you people and what do you want in this forest" The guard now asked apprehensively.

"As I said, we just want to go to the lair of the beast king. We have no business with you" Midas replied quite patiently.

"I am sorry but I cannot let you pass. I am under direct orders." The guard explained

While he explained, a burly man clearly above 2 meters tall came on a dracohorse. He was a bald man with a scar running from his forehead down to his chin.

"Who are these people and what is going on over here? You had direct orders to send anyone away from here and if they did not listen, use force on them" The bald man said coldly.

"Captain Ville, I already told them but this young man seems adamant about going in, and with my strength, I do not think I can stop him," The guard said

The bald man, known as Captain Ville was surprised because there should not have been anyone within this region that should be at peak brown rank, especially not a teenage boy that has barely gone through puberty.

He looked toward Midas and was surprised because he could feel his aura was reminiscent of someone in the yellow rank, which he was. As one of the guard captains of the Chrysler clan, he was already in basic yellow rank.

There was a ranking for organizations, the lowest was a haven, then a clan, then a sect, then a kingdom, and finally an empire.

So coming from a well-off clan, he was proud having reached yellow rank and easily suppressing havens as anyone as far as you are above 3rd brown rank could have their own haven or village.

"Young sir, may I ask which prestigious clan you are from?" Captain Ville probed so as to not offend a big clan due to arrogance.

Midas replied "I am not from any clan, my master and I just want to pass, we need to go onward to the lair of the beast king"

"I am sorry but our young master is currently searching for a mysterious artifact in the lair of the beast king we cannot allow you to pass" As Captain Ville said that, he unsheathed a claymore from his side and called out for the other guards to assemble together.

Now the carriage was surrounded by over 20 soldiers with their swords and spears pointed toward Midas and the carriage.

"You are surrounded. Retreat now or Die." Captain Ville spoke loudly

Midas sighed and said "Fine if you want it that way"

Midas threw the sword he had to the ground. The soldiers thought he was surrendering and about to beg then retreat till they saw the sword morph into a 2 meters wolf that was green with sharp canines that would chop a tree in half. Two lights exited from Midas's body and morphed into a giant spider and a snake with 6 eyes.

The aura emanating from the creatures were all peak brown rank and the guards were also all peak brown rank except the Captain.

"Be careful not to kill anyone. Now GO" Midas ordered and the 3 soul beasts burst into action.

The wolf mauled down the guards, biting into their legs and arms, leaving them incapacitated. The Spider shot out webs as strong as steel tying up several of the guards. The frost python used frost poison on the others leaving them cold and incapable of moving fast enough for an attack.

This happened in less than 10 seconds and before Captain Ville could jump into action, the guards were already down. As he looked towards Midas, he heard a phrase and could no longer move.

SOUL BIND

Midas walked to the Captain and knocked him out cold. Then they continued moving forward past the tents. Midas sensed someone in the tent shivering in fear but he just continued sitting on the carriage while the horses pulled it forward.