Bloomfire Terror

Blayz stood up from the long table, grabbed something from underneath, and put it on the table. It was covered with a black cloth, so Gris could not see what it was.

"Is that the magic beast I asked for?" Gris made a confident guess.

No answer from Blayz. His hand uncovered the cloth, revealing a small cage of woven bamboo.

Inside the cage, a butterfly was flying around among the flowering plants. It was twice the size of Gris's palm.

If Gris' calculation was correct, the butterfly had a wingspan of about 35 centimeters. Its wings were long with sharp tips. The body was covered in fine black feathers, and the main part of its wings was pitch black with a striking red pattern.

Under the dim light of the lab, the red pattern on the butterfly's wings shone brightly. The flowering plants in the cage also had a bright white glow.

"That butterfly doesn't look aggressive," Gris commented after observing the butterfly's behavior.

Blayz chuckled. "This is a passive monster found only in the Wildflower Valley in the kingdom of Floriana. People call this the Bloomfire Terror."

"Oh, is this monster's power related to fire?"

"Exactly. The Bloomfire Terror will go berserk if you, intentionally or not, touch it."

Gris pulled his hand from the cage, forgetting his curiosity to touch the Bloomfire Terror's shiny wings.

"What's the rank for this monster?" he asked curiously since the butterfly had a pretty scary name.

"Passive, extreme danger. If you touch Bloomfire Terror, it will increase in size by a hundred times. The flapping of its wings burns the air. Plus, it will keep on growing if you attack it."

Thirty-five centimeters multiplied by a hundred equaled 35 meters, nearly three times a school bus's length. Bloomfire Terror could grow even larger than that because attacks caused it to increase.

No wonder it was categorized as extreme danger, Gris thought. Fortunately, the Bloomfire Terror was a passive monster that only acted in self-defense and was not naturally active.

But still, it was a sensitive monster because even an accidental touch could make it berserk.

The people in Floriana must have encountered the monster's trigger by accident, leading to such a tremendous mess that they called it the Bloomfire Terror.

"This monster only eats the nectar of the plants found in Wildflower Valley," Blayz said as he picked up a jar from under the table. Inside were the plants he was talking about.

Gris did not take it and just looked at it. "I'm not strong enough to handle the problems it could cause. Do you have a solution?"

"Don't worry. A beast tamer captured the Bloomfire Terror and sealed it in a magic-protected cage. It can withstand its berserk up to ten times."

"How much... How much did you spend on the monster and slave?"

"I exchanged them for mission points. If those points are exchanged at the Magic Shop, you can buy high-level cursed weapons and divine runes."

Anything with a high rank in the Magic Shop was sold at a high price, so Gris could guess Blayz spent a lot of points.

Speaking of points, Gris remembered that point bartering existed in the original story. Although villains mostly got points from wrongdoing missions, it would not be revealed when exchanging was done.

The wealthy usually bought points to spend at the Magic Shop. People with many points could become richer than the rich if they are willing to sell their points.

"You can use a tool to put this plant into the cage. This plant is magical, so you don't need to take care of it," Blayz handed the jar to his son.

Gris finally accepted it. "I've done what you wanted. May I go to start my training with Alaric?"

"Do whatever you want. And you'd better choose a role immediately to collect mission points faster than others."

"Thank you for the advice and everything you've done, Father."

Before leaving the lab, Gris covered the cage with a black cloth and carried it in his left hand. 

Several children passed him as he walked to the pavilion. They were curious but did not dare to ask what he was carrying.

At the chosen training ground, Alaric showed Gris his new armor before they began their training.

"You don't intend to fight with me?" Alaric wondered after hearing the list of physical exercises Gris described.

"I want to build my strength first," Gris replied while stretching. "If I don't have a good physique, it's hard to learn to fight."

"I thought I'd fight with you. Then what's my role here?"

"You can join me in training but with more reps. When I start lifting weights, you will be my spotter. What that means is that you assist me and ensure my safety."

Alaric had already heard the weightlifting idea Gris was talking about. It started with something light like wood, and then Gris would move on to something heavier, like a hunk of metal, a sword, armor, and a vessel filled with water or sand if he could.

"You're physically stronger than me, so you're suited to be a spotter. I'm not asking anyone else to help since you're going to the academy with me," Gris explained before starting a plank.

Alaric planked beside him. "That means you will still train with me at the academy, and we can fight one day. But this exercise is easy for me."

"Maybe because you're a werewolf. Wolves do the plank position all their lives. You can increase the duration."

Thirty seconds passed, and Gris was done with his plank. He did not find it too difficult.

A fragment of memory flashed through his mind. It was a memory of how the real Griswalden used to crawl on his elbows to avoid the cemetery guards.

Gris continued to do push-ups while thinking about what he would eat later. Protein supports muscle growth, so he should ask Alberic for a chicken breast.

'It's been a day since Solnisca disappeared. How are things at the Palace?' he pondered while exercising.

Things in the Palace were as busy as ever, with Empress Lyora's workload increasing because Solnisca had mysteriously disappeared during the alchemists' gathering.

A special team had been mobilized, but they lost track due to a bomb thrown at Rising Star Peak. This added to the Empress's workload because the explosion caused casualties in the surrounding area of the mountain.

"Are you still unable to find our daughter?!" Slade suddenly barged into the bathhouse and exploded in anger.

Lyora glared at the knights who could not restrain Slade. She waved them off and then turned to her husband.

"If Solnisca is my only problem, I will assemble all the forces in the empire to find her!"

"Allocate more people in this search. She must have been kidnapped by the bastards who made a mess of the gathering and Rising Star Peak!"

Exasperated, Lyora rose from the bathtub, water splashing everywhere. Her curly golden hair looked tired and desperately needed a rinse, but Slade's arrival interrupted her chance to enjoy a relaxing bath.

The maids quickly wrapped linen around the Empress's body, concealing the curves and muscles outlined beneath the damp bathcloth.

"You're not the only one worried about Solnisca. Many people love her. But we can't be selfish and focus solely on her," Lyora counseled before leaving Slade in the bathhouse.

Her desire to bathe suddenly vanished, her frown deepening as Slade's presence made her feel dizzy.

She yanked the door open forcefully, but her expression softened when she noticed a brown-haired boy standing outside with a nervous expression on his face.

"Lux, what are you doing here?"