A great surfcasting energy had just entered the field. Everything around it seemed to nearly disappear as they trembled. The colorless flames surrounding Stan vanished. The nearby beasts shattered, fleeing in all directions, while the Pegasus, whose head Stan held, trembled violently.
Meanwhile, at a distance, Graham and his team struggled with a beast when suddenly, all the beasts heading toward them scattered and ran away.
It didn't take long for them to understand what was going on as they felt the surfcasting energy.
'Why... Why would you use your bloodline power?' Graham thought, now more concerned than ever.
The surfcasting aura around everyone was due to Stan having used his bloodline power, the Pendragon bloodline.
Right now, holding onto the Pegasus's head, Stan flapped his wings, lifting himself along with the Pegasus. The Pegasus froze like a statue as this happened.
After reaching a considerable height, Stan threw a punch, striking the Pegasus down, creating a large explosion beneath him.
Stan didn't stop there. He quickly turned to his surroundings, looking at the beasts around him. Opening his mouth, energy could be seen building up inside him. In seconds, it shot out, with Stan flying in a circle to ensure the energy spread all around.
As the energy touched any beast, they were cut in two, holes forming in their bodies as they fell dead.
Just like that, more than half of the beast horde had been slaughtered in a single attack.
Looking back at the direction where the Pegasus was thrown, Stan couldn't see it. Looking further into the distance, he saw the Pegasus running away, or so he thought.
However, in the direction the Pegasus was running, the unicorn could also be seen heading towards it.
Eventually, the two creatures clashed head-on. A bright light covered the entire surroundings, including the sky.
Seeing this, Stan knew immediately that he shouldn't let whatever was coming to happen. Almost instantly, another red energy gathered in his mouth and was fired at the bright light.
Boom!!!
A large explosion occurred as the energy collided with the bright light. Following it, the bodies of the unicorn and the Pegasus were thrown in two different directions.
They were not dead but their bodies now looked horrible.
The once white body of the unicorn was covered in burn marks, and from the look of things, it wasn't healing. Rather, a great amount of pain could be felt.
Meanwhile, the Pegasus looked even worse. Its skin was mostly peeled off, exposing red flesh with what appeared to be golden and red blood in several areas.
The two horse-like creatures were too weak to even stand up and move. However, Stan wasn't done yet.
Moving forward, Stan grabbed the Pegasus's head, lifting it a bit off the ground.
"No...!" the unicorn shouted out, ignoring her pain.
"Please don't kill him... Please, we can explain," the unicorn pleaded.
Stan didn't say anything and continued lifting the Pegasus's entire body.
"Wait... I know you won't listen, but I think I know who you are. You... You're a Pendragon!" the unicorn shouted out.
Immediately, Stan's grip loosened from the Pegasus's head, allowing its body to fall back to the ground.
"How.... How did you know that name?" Stan asked with a frown.
On an unknown planet far from Earth, a creature that wasn't human somehow knew his family name.
—
Outside the Mist Planet, an elderly man floated in the space, silently orbiting the mysterious, mist-covered world. His gaze was steady and sharp, scanning every inch of the planet as though he could see through its dense layers of mist.
Then, suddenly, he froze. His head tilted slightly, his brows furrowing as a flicker of something imperceptible crossed his face. He leaned closer to the viewport, his deep-set eyes narrowing. The atmosphere around him seemed to shift, a quiet tension filling the small his surroundings.
"I felt it again," he muttered under his breath. His voice was low, almost inaudible, as if he was speaking to himself. A few moments passed in silence before he straightened, his expression hardening with resolve.
'Alright,' he thought, his mind firm. "It's time to go into this planet and find out exactly what's going on." he said.
—
Back on the spaceship, the chaos of the recent attack had subsided, leaving an uneasy calm in its wake. The crew, battered and weary, moved sluggishly through the ship's passages.
Somehow, they had managed to survive the brutal assault without using their qi, an achievement that bordered on the miraculous. Even more remarkable, not a single life had been lost, though many bore the marks of exhaustion and strain.
Inside the ship, robots worked tirelessly, their mechanical limbs moving with precision. They navigated the corridors and storage bays, gathering beast crystals and the massive bodies of the creatures slain during the battle. These items were incredibly valuable to Paragons, containing energy and materials essential for their survival and growth.
Among the crew, Graham and Stan stood out. They were the only ones who hadn't taken a moment to rest since the fight ended. Graham, his face set in a determined frown, followed closely behind Stan as they moved through the ship's passages.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Graham asked, his voice tinged with concern. He kept pace with Stan, his steps hurried but purposeful. "You used your bloodline power. Any moment now, those divine beings might decide to come looking for the source. I think we should get out of here while we still can."
Stan didn't stop walking. His pace was steady, his expression calm but serious.
"I know the risks," he replied, his voice even. "But the unicorn promised that her power would be strong enough to prevent any being from entering the planet."
Graham halted in his tracks for a moment, staring at Stan in disbelief.
"What?" he exclaimed, his voice rising slightly. He quickly caught up to Stan, his tone more urgent now.
"Are you being serious right now? That's the same creature that sent all those beasts to attack us! And that other horse thing nearly killed you! And you're just going to trust their words?"
Stan stopped abruptly, turning to face Graham. His gaze was steady, unflinching. For a moment, the two men stood in silence, the hum of the ship's systems the only sound around them.
"Let me ask you a question," Stan said, his voice calm but firm. "How far are we from Earth right now?"
Graham frowned, confused by the sudden change in topic. "About four billion light-speed years away from Earth," he answered after a brief pause.
Stan nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "And you're telling me," he said, his tone growing sharper, "that on a planet this far from Earth, there's a creature that knows my family name? Not just my name, Graham—my main family name. And you think that's normal?"
"I'm not even sure the divine beings can come this far from Earth," Stan said firmly, his tone calm but resolute as they walked down the dimly lit corridor of the spaceship.
"That's the point," Graham replied, his voice edged with frustration. He quickened his steps to match Stan's pace, his boots echoing softly against the metallic floor. "What if those creatures are working for the so-called divine beings? Who knows—they might hand you over to them the moment they show up!" Graham's hands gestured emphatically, trying to drive his point home.
Stan stopped abruptly, turning to face Graham. His eyes locked onto his friend's with an intensity that made Graham pause mid-sentence. "Enough," Stan said sharply. "We're already here. This meeting is happening, and you're attending it. If you notice anything suspicious or foolish, I'm assigning it to you to handle the rest."
Graham opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. Instead, he nodded reluctantly, his brows furrowed in worry.
They turned a corner and approached a massive mechanical door. Its surface gleamed under the corridor's cold white lights, intricate patterns etched into the metal. Stan and Graham stood before it silently.
With a soft hiss, the door slid open, revealing a grand hall beyond.
The hall was expansive, its high ceilings adorned with intricate designs that resembled constellations. At the center was a large oval table, its polished surface gleaming under the light from a chandelier-like fixture above. Rows of chairs surrounded the table, their designs both regal and functional.
"This looks like one of those council chambers back on Earth," Graham muttered as he stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room.
Stan didn't respond. His focus was on the figures already seated around the table.
The first figure that caught Graham's attention was a tall, pale-skinned woman seated gracefully near the far end of the table. She was strikingly beautiful, her features almost otherworldly. Her white gown flowed elegantly around her, accentuating her regal presence. But the most noticeable feature was the spiraling horn protruding from her forehead.
"Seems like the books on Earth weren't exaggerating unicorns' beauty or abilities," Graham said, his voice filled with both awe and skepticism. "But can't you put your horn away?"
The woman turned her gaze to him, her expression calm but firm.
"I can," she replied in a melodious voice, "but I won't."
Graham frowned, clearly irritated by her response, but said nothing further.
As they moved further into the room, another striking figure came into view—a massive dark horse standing silently near the table. Its black coat shimmered faintly in the light, and its wings, folded neatly at its sides, hinted at its identity.
"That's the Pegasus," Graham murmured, his voice barely audible.
Stan nodded slightly, acknowledging the observation, but his focus had already shifted to the other occupants of the room.
Seated at various positions around the table were familiar faces: Stan's siblings—Peter, Caspian, Theron, and Cressida. Each of them carried an air of authority, their postures confident and expressions serious. Elder Rooney was also present, his presence commanding respect as he sat with a calm but watchful demeanor.
Without a word, Stan and Graham moved to take their seats. Stan chose one of the head seats at the table. Graham settled into a chair beside Caspian, his unease evident in the way he shifted in his seat.
"All right then," he said, his gaze sharp. "Let the questioning begin."