Starting Out As The God of Beasts

Leaving the quiet mortal village behind, the three figures melted back into the shadows of the forest, continuing their silent journey across the vast outskirts of the Jura Eastern Continent.

As they glided effortlessly across the rugged terrain, Roy maintained a calm, impassive composure.

Deep down, however, he felt a quiet sense of relief.

He had successfully steered Eurenia away from slaughtering those helpless mortal villagers by appealing to her pragmatic, warrior mindset.

Making humans appear completely useless to her resource-driven instincts was the most efficient way to keep her lethal impulses in check.

Yet, Roy knew the profound truth of this world.

Before his transmigrative arrival into this reality, back when this world was merely a high-level digital game he played in his past life, Roy had spent countless hours studying the underlying mechanics of every playable race.

He understood better than anyone the boundless, terrifying potential that humanity possessed.

If guided down the correct path, human cultivation was practically flawless.

It was a cold, objective fact of this world: on average, a human Martial Warrior was fundamentally superior to a beastman Martial Warrior of the exact same rank.

Beastmen relied heavily on raw physical strength, inherent bloodline traits, and wild, instinctual combat—paths forged out of a desperate struggle to survive in a hostile world.

Humans, however, relied on a synthesis of intellect, strategic adaptability, and refined technique.

Human intelligence was so advanced that over thousands of years, ancient grandmasters had conceptualized, designed, and perfected complex combat disciplines known as Mana Manipulation Techniques.

Unlike primitive mana releases, these specialized martial arts allowed a cultivator to harmonize with their specific elemental mana, bending it precisely to their will—whether shaping it into impenetrable armor, lightning-fast strikes, or long-range physical manifestations.

Because a cultivator’s internal Dantian acted as a endless reservoir, it provided the perfect engine to fuel these complex techniques.

However, mastering these advanced martial arts required a specific, volatile catalyst.

To properly refine one’s internal channels for high-tier Mana Manipulation, a cultivator had to absorb the volatile, unrefined mana extracted directly from the cores of F-class Abominations—monstrous, mindless beasts born of corrupted spatial mana.

Because of this specific requirement, the hunting of F-class Abominations across the Ten Continents was an intense, blood-soaked industry.

Sects, noble clans, and royal dynasties fiercely monopolized these beasts, hoarding their cores to pass down secret manipulation manuals within their bloodlines or selling them for astronomical prices on the black market.

As a Divine Spirit—the living, breathing Apostle of the God of Beasts—Roy held no inherent allegiance or loyalty to the human race.

In his mind, his priority was the survival and elevation of the beastmen.

Yet, because he had once walked among humanity in another life, a small, subtle thread of leniency remained within his heart.

He held no desire to unleash unnecessary slaughters upon defenseless mortals who posed no threat to his grand campaign.

That was the primary reason he had reined in the wild, hot-headed Eurenia earlier.

Night descended swiftly over the Eastern Continent, covering the rugged landscape in a vast blanket of deep, starry darkness.

By midnight, Roy, Eurenia, and Alisa had successfully bypassed over a dozen human villages, moving like ghosts through the shadows to avoid the eyes of late-night patrols and traveling merchants.

They were drawing closer to their immediate objective: the wide, fast-flowing river that served as the natural border linking the lower plains to the mountain strongholds of the Eastern Hashian Mountains.

”Wait here, Lord Jarden,” Duchess Alisa had whispered earlier, slipping into the gloom with complete silence.

Utilizing her exceptional shadow-stepping stealth, Alisa had scouted the surrounding riverbanks.

Within less than twenty minutes, she returned, bowing her head respectfully as she delivered her report.

”Lord Jarden,” Alisa reported softly, her voice cool and composed. ”I have located a hidden, dry cave buried beneath the roots of an ancient banyan tree nearby.

It is completely isolated from main trade routes and offers absolute concealment for us to rest and recalibrate.”

Alisa stepped closer, her dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight. ”Furthermore... one of the deep sleeper cells I deployed into the Jura Eastern Continent months ago is currently embedded inside Yutao City—the fortress town resting just across the river.

We can use this cave as a brief staging ground while I establish contact, gather updated intelligence on the local sect movements, and assess the regional defenses before we push deeper.”

Roy listened quietly, weighing her proposal before giving a single nod.

”Lead the way.”

Eurenia offered no objections either. Guided by Alisa, the three turned off the main trail and slipped into the mouth of the small, secluded cavern.

Inside, the natural rock formation provided perfect cover from the chilly night wind. Sitting upon smooth stone outcrops, they prepared to pass the remaining hours of the night in silence.

However, as the quiet hours dragged on, an embarrassing, awkward sound broke the stillness of the cavern.

Grumble...

A quiet, hollow sound echoed off the damp stone walls.

Because they had been traveling at high speeds for hours, continuously pushing their physical limits through foreign terrain, the intense caloric burn had finally caught up with the two Duchesses.

Roy remained completely unaffected.

As an ascending Divine Spirit, his physical form was sustained entirely by ambient faith and primordial essence.

He held no physiological need for mortal food or water, partaking in meals purely out of personal enjoyment and nostalgia.

Grumble...

Eurenia sat up slowly, a slight, awkward flush touching her cheeks. She stretched her long, athletic arms, the joints of her Varanium steel armor clicking softly in the quiet cave.

The subtle movement immediately woke Alisa, whose sharp eyes snapped open instantly. She turned her head, looking at Eurenia with a raised eyebrow.

”What are you doing, Eurenia?” Alisa whispered barely above a breath, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb their master.

Eurenia stole a quick glance toward Roy, who lay resting against a large boulder with his eyes closed, his broad chest rising and falling in rhythmic breaths.

She leaned down, placing her lips near Alisa’s ear, and whispered back, ”My stomach is completely empty. The caloric drain from our sprint is irritating me. I’m slipping out into the wild for half an hour to hunt down an F-class Abomination. Fresh meat will restore my stamina.”

Alisa paused, looking over at the motionless figure of Roy once more. Her own stomach gave a tiny, subtle quiver.

”Wait,” Alisa whispered back, her voice laced with quiet urgency. ”I am coming with you. We cannot afford to make a mess near the cave and wake Lord Jarden. Two pairs of eyes will make the hunt faster and cleaner.”

Eurenia offered a wild, predatory grin, giving a silent nod of agreement.

With extreme care, suppressing their physical footprints and masking their mana signatures down to absolute zero, the two powerful Martial Generals silently slipped out of the cave entrance, vanishing into the pitch-black wilderness outside.

The moment their presence completely faded from the perimeter...

In the dark cave, Roy slowly opened his gold-crimson flecked eyes.