Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 263

Srrrng-! Slash!

The sword traced a beautiful arc, gleaming like sunlight, as it split the magical beast cleanly in two.

It had been only a few hours since Theo crossed the boundary, yet the attacks from magical beasts showed no sign of slowing.

“This is getting tedious.”

Fifth-class, fourth-class, and even third-class beasts failed to stir any excitement in Theo. There was no need for elaborate footwork to dodge; a simple strike of his sword was enough to reduce the beasts to nothing but dust.

Behind him, the remains of the magical beasts hung on trees, and massive trunks were severed, leaving only their stumps.

The scene around him resembled a hellscape, but the path Theo walked remained pristine, with only his footprints gently dotting the untouched snow.

“The miasma is getting thicker.”

The deeper he ventured, the more the toxic air pricked at his skin.

The noxious fumes, mingling with the frigid chill of the winter mountains, made him grimace.

Though the toxicity was negligible to someone like Theo, the unpleasantness was undeniable.

“I get why people curse this place after returning.”

The venomous air, seeping into his skin and lungs, combined with the suffocating forest stretching before him, made him feel stifled.

Whoooosh—!

Jagged rocks and sharp, bone-white trees jutted out from the ground like thorns, painting the landscape an unwelcoming shade of hostility.

It was as if the forest itself resented intruders.

The oppressive atmosphere seemed to whisper: Tread carefully.

Theo’s eyes hardened, a hint of killing intent naturally seeping into his gaze.

“I didn’t expect this.”

Perhaps it was the scenery or the sheer tension in the air, but Theo found his body instinctively tensing, a rarity for him outside of direct combat.

Yet, just as he began to relax and stroll through the area with the casual air of a man on a walk, a chilling noise shattered the silence.

Crack, crack—

The sound echoed, unnatural and deeply unnerving, as if designed to provoke primal disgust.

The tension Theo had felt earlier now seemed almost prophetic, his skin prickling as a sinister presence announced itself.

It was a declaration: This is my domain.

“What a vile stench.”

A thick, pungent odor carried by the wind grew stronger as Theo moved closer.

With every step, the malicious energy emanating from “it” seemed to pierce his skin like needles.

Using his heightened senses, Theo pinpointed its location.

It wasn’t long before he came face-to-face with the source.

“So, that’s a second-class magical beast.”

The sight before him felt surreal, like he’d stumbled into a zoo exhibit. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful it might be.

The Giant Quatch.

Standing over five meters tall, its hulking frame was covered in thick, white fur and tough leather skin.

Its eyes glowed a ferocious red, and its sharp teeth, each as large as a human arm, glistened menacingly.

It hadn’t noticed Theo yet, too engrossed in devouring its prey with its monstrous jaws.

“Let’s see how far it’ll chase me.”

Though this wasn’t Theo’s first encounter with magical beasts, it was his first time facing a second-class beast. Naturally, curiosity got the better of him.

And...

“That fur would make a fine coat.”

The thought amused him. Giant Quatch pelts, rarely available on the market, were prized for crafting top-tier armor and luxurious noble attire.

“No other beasts around, huh.”

“You’re hungry?”

Screech!

Umbra nodded vigorously, drooling at the sight of the fresh kill.

Theo set to work skinning the Quatch’s thick hide and preparing the carcass for Umbra to feast on.

As he removed the hide, something unusual caught his attention—a strange stone embedded in the Quatch’s chest.

“What’s this?”

The stone, soft for a mineral, was about the size of a fist and emitted a faint red glow.

Holding it in his hand, Theo felt dense mana circulating within it, like an intricate circuit.

“It’s not inherently malevolent, but what is it used for?”

After channeling purified mana into the stone, it pulsated before settling into a cleansed state.

Activating his Observation ability, Theo analyzed the item:

[Second-Class Beast Bloodstone]

ConsumableEffect: ???

“Another mystery.”

Without any immediate clues to its use, Theo’s interest quickly waned.

He was about to store it in his inventory when...

Gulp!

Umbra snatched the stone and swallowed it whole.

“Hey, you!”

Though the stone had been purified and posed no harm, Theo couldn’t help but feel irritated at Umbra’s audacity.

Screech?

Umbra tilted its head, oblivious to its transgression, before eagerly devouring the Quatch’s remains.

As Umbra ate, Theo noticed something strange: its form rippled, as if distorted by static.

Ding!

[Quest Received]

Umbra is preparing to evolve into a first-class beast, the ‘Half-Viper.’Feed it a variety of beast bloodstones to complete the evolution.Difficulty: BReward: Ownership of ‘Half-Viper.’Failure: Loss of ownership.Progress: 1/30.

“Evolution into a Half-Viper?”

As a hybrid of the Viper lineage, it wasn’t entirely surprising that Umbra might inherit some of that bloodline’s traits. However, the concept of a hybrid evolving was unprecedented. Theo had neither seen nor heard of such a phenomenon before.

The number of second-class magical beasts he needed to hunt had now increased tenfold, but that detail felt inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

“Am I really about to obtain a magical beast on par with a first-class entity?”

The true extent of a magical beast’s abilities remained a mystery. Even the abilities of Umbra’s progenitors—the legendary Viper—had never been fully observed.

“That’s the nature of first-class magical beasts. Only one has ever been fully documented.”

In the thousand-year history of the Ragnar clan, the details of a first-class magical beast had been confirmed only once. Moreover, there had only been a single instance of a first-class beast being defeated.

That event had occurred during the reign of the clan’s founder, Sigurd Ragnar.

Even Sigurd himself had not been able to subdue the beast easily, needing several days to bring it down. The event had cemented the reputation of first-class beasts as forces of nature—catastrophic and nearly insurmountable.

“Is Umbra about to gain strength comparable to that?”

The quest itself didn’t seem overly difficult, though it would take time to complete. After his battle with the Giant Quatch, Theo had already begun to understand the scale of the task.

Guuuurp—

Umbra, having finished its meal, let out a loud, satisfied belch and turned to look at Theo expectantly.

Theo smirked and asked with a glint in his eye, “Still hungry?”