“Huh? Why should I?” asked Adrian.

“Because it’ll be good for your cultivation,” said Emma, sitting on the opposite seat in the carriage.

“No way it will. I have to break my bones and fix them up. How does it help?” he asked, “Even if it did, fighting Aural Beasts? That’s deadly. Hell, the only one among the younger generation that is qualified to take them on is Tristan, and he downed both me and Edna like we were nothing.”

Hunting Aural Beasts with the Steel Fang Company was possibly the most absurd idea that Emma came up with, and she came up with many of them.

“How do Aural Beasts come into existence?” asked Emma, completely disregarding his statement.

“They eat herbs and the Qi that they got from them empowers them,” said Adrian, “What about it?”

“That’s not quite correct. Beasts can eat herbs and they can naturally become Cultivators like us, growing as we would. But unlike humans, they are born with Cores. As you know, absorbing too much Qi after forming your Core can rupture it. What we call Aural Beasts are those that have a ruptured Core and are constantly bleeding Qi,” said Emma and raised a finger, “Crystals are the remains of their Cores, but that’s only one-tenth of the Qi they possess. Where do you reckon the rest goes?”

“The air?” asked Adrian, head slightly tilted.

“Yes, and what do you think happens when you’re around when they die?” asked Emma after she gave a small nod, as if affirming it.

“I could possibly absorb a bit of their Qi, but so what? We have enough of it around us,” said Adrian.

“You tried the method I taught you, didn’t you? It hurt, but that’s because you were processing the Qi that came from nature. And what do you reckon happens if you absorb the Qi that’s already been processed by the Aural Beasts?” she asked after another small nod of approval.

“It won’t hurt,” concluded Adrian and he scoffed, “It really won’t hurt?”

“It won’t, and it’ll seep right into your bones, which means you won’t necessarily have to break it as well,” said Emma and smiled. It was a proud one as if she’d achieved something impossible.

It really wouldn’t hurt!

“I’m in,” said Adrian.

“Then you’ll need an Aural Weapon to pierce through your hides. Since we’ll be registering today, we mightn’t have time to attend an auction. So if you have none, I wouldn’t mind providing you with one. After all, you are my bethro-” started Emma and pressed her chest with her fingers, as if gesturing at herself, but she was interrupted.

“I have one,” said Adrian.

“Huh? When did you get that? You shouldn’t have any,” said Emma, brows furrowed. Then she whispered after she finally realized it, “It’s from your treasure trove.”

He gave her a nod.

“Is it a Giant Slayer? It’s a Giant Slayer, isn’t it?” she asked, a large grin on her face, practically drooling, “Let me see.”

“It’s just an Aural Weapon. Nothing special at all,” said Adrian, and Emma visibly frowned. Her widened eyes narrowed until they reached their idle state and she slumped back, “It’s a longsword. The same as Joshua’s.”

“So you want classes from him?” she asked and puffed up her cheek.

“No. From the one that taught him,” said Adrian and she rolled her eyes.

“Old Man Richards is as busy as is. He won’t possibly teach you,” she said, “Even if he did agree, your talent with a weapon sucks.”

“And yet here you are, dragging me to hunt beasts that will rip me to shreds because you believe I’ll survive,” said Adrian.

“Surviving is different from being good at being alive, obviously,” said Emma and pulled out a pocket watch from her purse. It popped open after she clicked a button and she nodded as she looked at it, “We’re on time.”

“We’re late, is what you mean,” he said.

“Fashionably late,” she corrected, “I plan these out meticulously, you see? We can never be any more late than fashionably late.”

The carriage pulled to a stop, almost on cue.

Adrian groaned.

“I do that thing, right?” he asked, to which Emma eagerly nodded.

The chauffeur opened the door from the outside and the sharp light of the sun assailed Adrian’s eyes. The curtains of the carriage were kept closed at all times unless one of them was peering through it.

Adrian kicked down the extendable stairs that were packed into a box with a foot and it folded itself open, letting them get down without jumping, as you would from an ordinary carriage. How such a small thing could support all their weight was a mystery that he wasn’t feeling like thinking about.

He got down first and helped her down, supporting her by holding one of her hands, as unneeded as that was.

All for a show.

Everyone else was already there by the time they got there, including the Titan and his daughter. Adrian didn’t fancy her. After all, whoever beat up a mortal like that despite having far more effective means was sure to be an unsavory fellow.

There were a total of thirty Cultivators, which was almost all of them in the entire city. Among the ones that were left, that is. A vast majority of the Cultivators were nobles or in the service of nobles, and said nobles were attending the summit.

That left the commoners who were either too weak to serve the houses and the unsavory bunch that wasn’t good company, and the official members of the Steel Fang Company on top of that: there were ten of them.

If everyone was here…

“It’s him, isn’t it?” asked Emma as her eyes fell on a lad with dirty blond hair, wearing a rough shirt without sleeves that revealed his muscular arms. Arms that meant nothing now, that is.

“Not him,” said Adrian.

“I could always have him executed. For assault of a Noble Cultivator,” said Emma lightly as she pulled him close, and then crossed their elbows.

Adrian was far too used to this to be bothered.

“I told you, didn’t I? It’s not him,” said Adrian, a wry grin on his face and he looked straight into her eyes, “He was just a pawn, and pawns aren’t responsible for the actions of their king.”

Emma quieted down.

Everyone was standing in something of a circle around two horse-drawn carts, meant for transporting as many people as possible rather than convenience. Two horses each were at the front of the carts, and unlike the snow-white or dark horses that were at the front of most nobles’ carriages, these ones were either chestnut or dun in color.

Horses of sharp colors were often associated with Nobles, and that was understandable. Most of them liked standing out, and what better way to stand out than outlaw commoners from riding horses of the color that they fancied?

That’s when his eyes fell on the Titan, and Adrian could see that the man earned his name. It was apparent that he was taller than most men, even as he stood inside one of the carts, elevated so that everyone could see and hear him. If Adrian could estimate, then he would suppose that he was two heads taller than Tristan, who was already tall enough as is.

And he was muscular, impressively so. It was enough to prevail against any mortal if he, too, was a mortal. But muscle mass was nothing but an aesthetic at their level, especially at the level of the Titan, who was at the Mind Refinement Stage: a whole Stage beyond them.

“Now that everyone has arrived, let us get to the chase!” shouted the Titan, his voice gruff and it felt naturally loud as if he always spoke as loud as that. With eyes wide, he continued, “We’ll be going on a hunt, as you know. If it’s your first time, then brace yourselves. You ain’t ready for this yet.”

He jumped off the cart, carrying a massive box in his hand. It was long, enough to fit a spear, and most probably heavy enough that Adrian would suffer to hold it if it was filled to the brim with weapons.

Then the Titan threw it on the ground and pulled off its lid.

“But you’ll be ready with this,” said the Titan and gestured to the box, “Aural Weapons. The only things that can get through their thick hides. If you’re good at punching and kicking, great. You’ll annoy them and be our bait if you try that. They don’t care about that. Your punches and kicks? They’re nothing. You need to take this.”

He squatted down and grabbed a spear.

“Then stab it into their damned hearts or brains. That’s where it hurts the most. That’s where you have to hit to kill them. Anywhere else? Then tough luck, you’re out of the game,” said the Titan. He threw the spear back into the box and turned to the masses, then he asked as he bared his teeth, which was likely his idea of a smile, “So you in?”

“It’s fine. He’s just exaggerating it,” said Emma and gave Adrian a pat on the back, “I ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Literally, this time. You’ll be fine.”

When she was lost in the Cloud Mountains?

So that’s how she survived for so long.

He’d have to ask her about that at some point but now wasn’t the right time.

“Alright, grab one and hop in, whoever’s brave enough. If you’re pissing your pants and trying to keep it a secret, let me tell you, I can smell that. And the beasts will too. Don’t try your luck. Get in ready to slaughter those bastards or go home,” roared the Titan, and with every sentence that left the man’s mouth, Adrian got the feeling that he wanted to discourage as many people as possible.