Following the rushing soldiers, Gumiho and Hana passed through several army tents and reached a large open ground filled with thousands of soldiers.

In front of them, on a raised platform, three figures stood—Aruma at the center, with Vyaghra and his father on either side.

Aruma took a step forward, reaching the edge.

"Ahm… ahm."

The beasts, who moments ago looked like an audience gathered for a concert, straightened their postures and organized themselves into disciplined lines. Every eye was fixed ahead, every hand placed parallel to their sides.

All of this happened from just a single low sound made by Aruma. It wasn't a request or a command—he simply cleared his throat, and this was the result. The amount of influence this man held was far greater than any monarch or dictator I'd ever read about in history books.

"You're all aware of why I have gathered the army today. I won't give you any motivational speech to boost your morale. This isn't a war against humans. This isn't your war. The ancestor of the fox clan possesses the Absolute Decree, which can completely subjugate any being carrying the blood of a fox. It can also greatly suppress beasts of other bloodlines as well. You don't need to risk your lives. You can turn back, and no one will blame you."

Aruma paused as he looked over the army. His glare sent a clear message: leave if you want, right now.

Forget about leaving—not a single soldier flinched. They didn't even blink.

"Since you're all here by your own accord, don't curse me when you die on the battlefield. And one more thing…"

Aruma took a brief pause and took out three books from his robe.

"These books were personally written by me. I have divided them into three parts. The first book contains the method to reach the peak of Low-Tier Beast Transformation."

Some of the beasts flinched at his words but quickly pulled themselves together.

"The second book can guide you to reach the peak of Mid-Tier Beast Transformation."

This time, even more lost their composure. One of them couldn't hold back his excitement and shouted, "A-a guide that can help us become Mythic Beasts!?"

Everyone's attention turned to the young, excited beast. He lowered his face and apologized embarrassedly before Aruma continued.

"And this last part contains everything I've managed to grasp about beast evolution. It won't help you as much as the previous two books since everyone follows a different path to reach this level. However, it can still serve as a reference if you wish to reach the initial stage of High-Tier Beast Transformation."

His words sent waves of gasps through the army of beasts. They began murmuring as excitement overtook their instincts.

"That-that book is worth more than the entire fox clan!"

"Are you an idiot? How can you compare a treasure of this level to a mere clan? Its worth must be the same as an epic-grade weapon!"

"The number of beasts who've reached the level of Sacred Beast can be counted on fingertips. No clan or weapon is worth such a priceless book!"

Aruma handed the books to Vyaghra's father before dropping another jaw-dropping statement.

"Every soldier who participates in the battle shall be given the first part of the book. Anyone who kills a member of the main family shall be awarded the second part. And if anyone manages to destroy or steal the Absolute Decree from the Ancestor, Lord Vyomendra will personally reward them with this final part."

The army of beasts went crazy upon hearing Aruma's announcement. They began chanting in unison—

"Long live Lord Aruma!"

"Long live Lord Aruma!"

…

While the army sang Aruma's name, I was immersed in my own thoughts.

"What exactly do these books contain that turned these disciplined soldiers into wild beasts?" I wondered.

"Vivi, tell me about this beast transformation thing."

"As humans use their dantian to store and manipulate Soulforce, beasts form a core inside their bodies which helps in their evolution and makes them stronger.

The evolution of a beast contains nine stages:

1. Awakened Beast

2. Lesser Soul Beast

3. Greater Soul Beast

4. Lesser Spirit Beast

5. Greater Spirit Beast

6. Mythic Beast

7. Sacred Beast

8. Divine Beast

9. Primordial Beast

Beasts in the first three stages are called Low-Tier, the middle three are called Mid-Tier, and the last three are known as High-Tier beasts."

"That's a whole lot to take in. But that still doesn't clear my confusion. How strong can these beasts become that they reacted so violently just for a guide to become a Sacred Beast, when it's not even the highest stage?"

"It's understandable that your infantile mind can't comprehend the greatness of this book. As a reference, when the Host fought Jambavan, his level had already dropped to Greater Soul Beast. As for Gumiho, she was at the realm of Lesser Spirit Beast—against whom you almost died fighting."

Consecutive gasps left my mouth as I read the screen. "She was that strong when she was only at the initial stage of Mid-Tier? Hmm, I get what you're trying to say, but did you really have to be a bitch explaining it that way?"

"…"

"Wait a minute! You said that beasts are the ones that form the core, so why do I also have one?" I asked as I touched my belly where my core was splitting apart.

"Error! Host doesn't have enough authority to access this information."

"This again? Really?"

"…"

I sighed and shifted my focus to the ruckus again. Vyaghra's father stepped up and shouted in a loud voice, "Lord Aruma has trusted me with the responsibility of sharing these books with you, but if you keep acting like savages I will take them to the tiger-clan."

The moment his words left his mouth, all the beasts were already standing in a straight formation.

"Thanks, Lord Vyomendra," Aruma nodded before taking the stage again. He drew a long, sharp katana from the side of his robe and declared, slicing his hand with the blade, "I, Aruma Kitsune, declare the war against fox-clan."

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