Death... and me

Powered by Rank Four Spirit Stones, the airship began to make its way out of Koran Forest. Once again, the twins were reminded why this equipment couldn't be used for fleeing. The time it took to simply reach the speed of a Stage Five Demon Beast already passed ten minutes. If it was just Rean and Roan who were flying on their own, they would reach their maximum speed in mere seconds! Naturally, it was a terrible idea to use the airships for such a thing.

In any case, the airship was still fast. In just half an hour, it was already flying at the speed of an average Initial Stage Saint Realm expert. That was far faster than even Kentucky at his full speed. "Wow, this is the first time I've used Rank Four Spirit Stones to move the airship. As expected, this is freaking fast." Rean, obviously, couldn't help but become excited.

Well, Rean, Roan, and Kentucky were more or less the only ones able to appreciate this speed. That was because, for Malo, Burio, and everyone else, all they could see was a blur due to the high speed. Their cultivations were too low to discern their surroundings at this state.

The airship gained more and more altitude as they continued to move, soon surpassing the range a Nascent Soul Realm could watch through Spiritual Sense from the ground. Of course, they didn't stop there, though. Rean wanted to go high enough to the point that his own Spiritual Sense couldn't even reach the ground below. One must not misunderstand Rean's Anti-Spiritual Sense Formation. It didn't hide them from it. Instead, it only stopped Spiritual Senses from seeing what's inside. For anyone else outside, it would look like a giant black hole was moving around instead. They could see that something was there but wouldn't be able to tell what it is.

Fortunately, the necessary altitude was eventually achieved. At the same time, Rean verified the condition of the airship with his Spiritual Sense. Since he was inside, it wasn't blocked by the formation. "As expected of Heaven-level flying equipment. It's so sturdy that even moving at the speed of a Saint Realm expert can't make it strain itself."

High up in the sky, where the naked eye would have a hard time seeing due to the distance, a streak of light moved at high speeds. It moved out of Koran Forest and the region around it in just an hour. The airship continued to make its way to the Demon Beast Continent until, after a bit more time, the ground was replaced by the sea, leaving the Tribes' Zone behind.

If it took Rean's group one week to fly there with Kentucky, with the airship, only four days were needed. Every now and then, they would pass by some Nascent Soul Realm or some Stage Five Demon Beast that was flying as well. However, due to the speed of the airship, none of them thought about trying anything, nor could they try anything with their speed anyway. Even Stage Six Demon Beasts and Soul Transformation Realm experts would find it almost impossible to deal with.

Eventually, the sea disappeared as the ground replaced its place once again. Rean and Roan already knew very well where they were heading. Luti had told them that he lived close to the Demon Beast City on the southeast side of the continent. That being said, they took the opportunity to ask him about the place during another mission they had together.

It turns out that the majority of humans who lived in the Demon Beast Continent could be found there. Of course, they were still just miserably few compared to the number of demon beasts there. In any case, it was a lot easier to find humans in that place. With that said, Rean's group of humans would be able to merge in the mix as if nothing had changed.

By the time the city could be seen, the airship began to slow down once again as they approached it. Just like with its acceleration, the airship also needed a lot of time to stop. The sight of the airship made the demon beasts there a little confused, though. Unlike the Demon Beast City at the center of the continent, this one didn't receive many Zasfins for trade. Let alone now that the war was ongoing. No Zasfin would try to get close to the Demon Beast Continent to conduct business.

As the airship got closer to the city, a few high-level demon beasts came out to receive it. If there were really Zasfins inside, they wouldn't let it go that easily. However, the one who came out of it was none other than Kentucky. As he came out, he asked the demon beasts that greeted the airship, "Hey there. Do you know some nice place where I can settle myself down?"

The leader of those demon beasts narrowed his eyes for a moment when his expression changed all of a sudden. As a demon beast taking care of one of the few cities of the continent, he knew very well how to recognize the Demon Beast Alliance's mark. It was the same mark that Phex left inside Kentucky when they first met. "Ahem...a nice place to settle down, huh?"

He looked at the demon beasts around him and sent them a Spiritual Sense, telling them about the mark. Knowing that Kentucky was someone important for the Alliance, they immediately dropped any malicious thoughts and shook their heads in response as one of them replied, "The problem is that most of the areas around the Southeast Demon Beast City are already occupied."

Kentucky then playfully smiled as he replied, "That's not a problem. I can simply challenge the land's ruler to take it for myself. Just let me know the good ones that have Stage Five or Six Demon beasts ruling it."

They all looked at the leading demon beast, who nodded back at them. Soon after, they all sent Kentucky Spiritual Sense messages of places that they considered good. Of course, each demon beast liked a specific environment, so they weren't as good for others. There were swamps, deadlands, huge lakes with almost no land, and other places like that. It all depended on their own races.

Rean and Roan were also there, receiving those ideas. 'Well... we can't judge everyone's tastes,' Rean thought as he read through all of it.

At some point, however, the interest of Rean's group was piqued by a place mentioned by a Stripple Golden Bear. 'You might like the Fruzei Hills. It's mainly inhabited by Stage Three, Four, and Five Demon Beasts. The only Stage Six Demon Beast there is a Blood Rabbit, but he rarely cares about what happens around him, so much so that no one considers him a threat.'

Rean, Roan, and Kentucky looked at each other and nodded after hearing the place mentioned. That was indeed the best option for them. No, to be more exact, it was the best option for the teenagers and kids they had in the airship. A place where they can head out and train themselves. After going through all of the possible choices, Rean's group decided to look at the Fruzei Hills.

Once they entered the airship and left, the demon beasts couldn't help but look at their leader as one of them asked, "Did the Demon Bird really have the Phoenix's Mark of the Demon Beast Alliance?"

The guy immediately nodded, replying, "Yes. I wouldn't miss it at all since I already felt one in the past. That was definitely the Phoenix's Mark, which proves that he's an important asset of the Demon Beast Alliance."

He then looked at the other Demon beasts before continuing, "However, the rules in the Demon Beast Continent are the same for everyone. Once you're outside the cities, anyone can attack you, and you can attack anyone, no questions asked. We are demon beasts, don't forget that. In here, might is right!"

Everyone agreed with him. If that group with a Demon Bird and the two humans wanted to take a territory, they would need to fight for it.

Nevertheless, the news about the newcomer quickly spread in the city. Of course, it wasn't because a demon beast or humans' appearance was strange, but that the Demon Bird was an important member of the Alliance. Luti, who just so happened to be back after another mission, ended up hearing it from one of his team members. One must remember that Luti was paired with two other demon beasts, but he wasn't their master. "Oh, so they came here? I haven't seen those three in a while. Perhaps I'll pay a visit to those guys later."

On their way to Fruzei Hills, they looked around and saw a few demon beasts looking at them from a distance. After all, it wasn't every day an airship passed through a place like this after the war between the two races began. Nevertheless, those Stage Five Demon Beasts saw how they left the Southeast Demon Beast City without being held back, so it definitely didn't have Zasfins inside it. Well, they weren't wrong. There wasn't a single Zasfin there whatsoever.

Rean, Roan, and Kentucky didn't mind it too much. If not because the airship took time to accelerate, they would have left already, ignoring all of that. Then again, once it reached the speed of a Saint Realm expert, nothing mattered anymore.

Eventually, the airship began to slow down once again. In fact, it was only at full speed for ten minutes or so since Fruzei Hills wasn't that far away...errr...it's not far away when one considered their method of transportation. For Malo and the others, who knew how long it would take for them to make their way to the Demon Beast City without it?

After the airship stopped above the Fruzei Hills' entrance, Rean and Roan jumped on Kentucky and left. They were going to look for a good place to settle themselves down. Or better yet, look for someone's territory to steal.