NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 15: Chapter 15: The Seven Sacred Beasts
Chapter 15: The Seven Sacred Beasts
Marceline cautiously opened the door and stepped inside, scanning her surroundings. After closing the door, her eyes darted around her home as if searching for someone.
"Are you done?" a familiar old voice startled her. It was Simon, standing at the kitchen entrance. She glanced at him briefly, her eyes dropping as a faint red blush crept over her cheeks.
"And now you're embarrassed?! Why didn't you feel that way when you were frolicking with that animal!" He slammed his hand on the table in front of him, his teeth grinding furiously.
"I... I wasn't—" she stammered.
"You're his slut, Marceline! That's all there is to it!" Simon roared, his bloodshot eyes glowing with rage.
This time, she had no response. Her gaze dropped to the floor in silence. Even if she spoke, Simon would never understand her feelings. So, she chose silence instead. He glared at her with intense anger, though the lingering love for her was still evident in his eyes.
"I can't, Marceline... I can't just leave you like this," his voice trembled as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.
"Simon, please. I'm fine—better than I've ever been. Believe me, this wasn't forced on me at all. In fact..." She hesitated, her voice trailing off before she could finish the sentence.
Simon waited for her to continue, his expression a mix of anticipation and disbelief. "I asked him to do it, Simon," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper, her face flushing even more deeply.
He stood still, his face blank with shock. "I... I'll kill him," he muttered. His body began to radiate a frosty blue light as he stormed toward the door, smashing it open with his icy aura.
Just as he was about to leave the cave-like house carved into the mountainside, a massive black bat with long limbs and thin wings seized him in its grip. Turning, he blew a blast of frost at its head, forcing the creature to release him and tumble backward.
"And you still defend him!" Simon shouted, his voice filled with fury.
The bat shook its head to break free of the ice before reverting to her original form—Marceline. Her weakened and vulnerable state was no match for Simon's overwhelming power. "S... Simon, please," she pleaded, extending a hand toward him.
"This is for your own good, Marcy. Once I deal with him, I'll find a way to break the spell he put on you." Simon turned and left the cave, beginning to freeze the entrance behind him to ensure she couldn't follow.
Marceline quickly stood up, but this time, she didn't transform. Instead, she knelt to the ground, picking up a sharp shard of ice from the shattered pieces. Gripping it with both hands, she pointed it toward her chest. All of this unfolded under Simon's horrified gaze as he froze in place.
"If you kill him... I swear I'll ask him to do the same for me, so I can follow him to the afterlife," she said calmly, her voice resolute.
Simon lowered his hand, ceasing the freezing of the entrance. His eyes remained fixed on the trickle of blood running down the shard of ice, which had already wounded her slightly. Her expression and calm demeanor terrified him; she wasn't bluffing.
A single tear escaped his frostbitten face, sliding down his cheek to the ground. It carried with it all his anger, shattering his ambitions as it fell.
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[The Sacred Beasts of Ooo]
- 7. The Great River Serpent: With a lifespan of 400 years, this elusive creature carved its place among the sacred beasts not through sheer strength, but through unparalleled cunning and deception. Its serpentine form could weave through the densest forests and most turbulent rivers, striking unseen. Though weaker in raw power, its intellect and guile made it a formidable adversary, feared and respected by all who dared cross its path.
- 6. The Cloud Raven: Soaring through the skies for 500 years, the Cloud Raven was the spirit of the heavens itself. This majestic bird wasn't the strongest of the sacred beasts, but its bond with the people of Ooo was unmatched. Revered as a bringer of peace and wisdom, it nested in the clouds, creating trial grounds that only the most daring could reach. Its serene yet commanding presence earned it a place in the hearts of all who gazed skyward.
- 5. The Two-Tailed Fox: A fiery legend that roamed for 600 years, this fox was a symbol of precision and power. With flames dancing at its command, it was an artist in battle, every movement calculated and devastating. Tales of its nobility and unyielding spirit spread far and wide, inspiring warriors and scholars alike. The Two-Tailed Fox wasn't just a fighter; it was a beacon of hope and resilience in the darkest times.
- 4. The White Cobra: Graceful and deadly, the White Cobra lived for 700 years and carried an aura of regality. Unlike its cunning counterpart, the River Serpent, the Cobra was bold and fearless, striking terror into even the strongest of foes. Known for its unmatched mastery of venom, a single drop could bring the mightiest to their knees. Legends say its poison was so potent that even those who outmatched it in strength avoided provoking its wrath.
- 3. The Blood Bat: Shrouded in mystery and darkness, the Blood Bat lived for 800 years, becoming a legend whispered in fear. Though it's often mistaken as the progenitor of vampires, they are the ones whose origins predate it. The bat's obsession with blood wasn't merely instinctual but seemed driven by an insatiable hunger for power, and its screeches echoed like a symphony of dread, leaving those who heard it paralyzed in terror.
- 2. The Red Wolf: A force of chaos and fury, the Red Wolf's rampage spanned nearly 900 years. It was a one-beast army, waging wars against entire nations and leaving rivers of blood in its wake. Its crimson nickname came not from its fur but from the seas of carnage it left behind. Fearless and untamable, the Red Wolf's wrath knew no bounds, and its battles reshaped the very landscapes it tore through.
- 1. The Mountain King: A being shrouded in myth and legend, the Mountain King's true appearance, age, nature of power, and even its gender remain unknown. Its existence was only confirmed in the aftermath of the Mushroom War, though its presence had long been whispered in ancient tales. The Mountain King rarely emerged from its hidden domain, appearing only in times of dire crisis. Notable interventions included stopping the rampages of the Red Wolf and the Blood Bat, both of which it subdued effortlessly. No force ever defeated it, as its mere arrival brought an end to any conflict, its overwhelming power rendering resistance futile. Witnesses described it as a golden light devoid of a physical form, though this could have been a method of concealing its true nature. Whether it was a guardian, a judge, or something far beyond comprehension, the Mountain King's influence cast a long shadow over the history of Ooo, its enigmatic presence inspiring both awe and fear.
[Note: Ranked from weakest to strongest]
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"Alright, I have so many questions," Finn said, lying atop the treehouse and gazing at the clouds.
"First, why do you talk about them as if they're people? They have weapons, reputations, and even genders. Second, what were these beasts doing in Ooo? Just showing off their power? Third, what armies did that wolf fight? Fourth, is the fox the only one with an elemental ability? And finally, you said they all died 200 years ago. It can't be a coincidence that the seven strongest beings in the world died at the same time," Finn summarized his questions, sitting up as he awaited answers.
[First, they were born as normal animals. However, as they evolved through the dimensional hierarchy, they gained strength, the ability to transform into human forms, and the use of weapons and techniques. Of course, they had genders: the River Serpent was female, the Raven was male, the Fox male, the Cobra female, the Bat male, the Wolf male, and the Mountain King's gender is unknown.]
"Can the females be... intimate, like regular people?" Finn asked with a deadly serious expression.
[...]
[Oh, absolutely. When in human form, there's no difference at all. Truly, an earth-shatteringly important question.]
[Second, they fought for dominion over Ooo, though not all of them. The Raven and the Mountain King were peaceful, but the others tore each other apart to expand their influence.]
[Third, those armies were the remaining humans and creatures whose lineage was mutated by the war. Humans were far more numerous after the war than commonly believed, but they attempted to exterminate the sacred beasts and perished, leaving behind only a small lineage, from which Finn Mertens descended.]
[Fourth, their abilities aren't referred to as elements but as the nature of their power. For instance, your power nature is magma—though it stems from the devil fruit you consumed, it altered your body so profoundly that your mana adapted to reflect this change. The River Serpent's nature is poison, the Raven's wind, the Fox's fire, the Cobra's poison, the Bat's darkness, the Wolf's earth, and the King's might be light, given its golden glow. The nature of power reflects how mana transforms into tangible attacks, shaped by the essence of the being or, in your case, the transformation brought about by the fruit.]
[Finally, their simultaneous disappearance wasn't a coincidence. Someone killed them all.]
"Killed them?! Who?" The thought of someone—or something—capable of eliminating beings that had ruled for nearly a millennium was terrifying and raised the possibility of another major obstacle in Finn's path to conquering Ooo.
[No one knows. But when a being of such power is killed and doesn't have time to leave trials, only the trials they created while alive remain. None of them created more than one, as they didn't expect such a sudden end.]
Finn wasn't interested in the last detail. The real terror lay in the fact that this mysterious force didn't even allow the sacred beasts time to create more trials, a sign of its overwhelming dominance.
"That's scary," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. As he pondered, he heard Jake calling out loudly. Sliding down the treehouse, he entered through the window.
"What is it?" he asked the dog, who was holding a small device Finn recognized as a communication gadget Princess Bubblegum had given them for emergencies.
"PB called. She wants to talk to you about something," Jake said, handing him the device.
"Is it important?" Finn asked.
"I don't know. She also gave me another task in the Berry Kingdom," Jake shrugged.
"I'll go alone, then," Finn said, taking the device from Jake's hand. He left the treehouse and headed toward the Candy Kingdom. After their last tense encounter, Finn never expected PB to summon him for any reason or to trust him with a task like before.
Finn couldn't deny he was surprised, though he also felt an unease gnawing at his thoughts. Something about this sudden summons felt dangerous, a notion reinforced by PB's very nature.
She was a woman who had ruled the greatest kingdom in Ooo for an indeterminate amount of time, bearing responsibilities and secrets no one else could understand. This had shaped her sharp and cunning personality.
But that didn't stop Finn. In the end, he was here to face every danger he could to achieve his goals. And every interaction with PB would make that mission easier.