Legendary Beast Master: Starting with Contracting SSS Rank Dragon-Chapter 22: The Means of Communication

The first assassination went better than Kael had thought. He expected Kiona to hesitate or even make some mistakes, but she impressed him by showing her resolve.

'I guess I underestimated her hatred for these lions.'

Kael looked around the area briefly for something that the lions were going to use to alert others, but he found nothing.

He also didn't speak too much with Kiona because he could see that she was thinking about her new reality.

It didn't mean their assassination operation would slow down though, as he moved even faster than before toward the best location.

Kiona had also regained her focus as she began to search through their surroundings for the smell of death. It was a very important part of their operation, after all.

Soon, they found themselves in front of another Fanged Lion nestled between a boulder split in half. He was awake unlike the first Fanged Lion, which made them change their plans slightly.

Kiona moved to his left but still kept her distance so that she didn't get noticed. Her eyes were clear and concentrated on the task at hand.

As her boss, Kael didn't want to disappoint her, so he slid behind a hump of moss and took out another dart dripping with poison.

Then, using the winds to guide the dart, he threw it toward the Fanged Lion with all his force. The dart was silent as ever and alerted no one.

The air around it was manipulated in such a way that it gave way to the incoming dart, so it didn't make any sound or disturbance.

Kael had received the Storm Affinity from Drave, and storm was basically made from lightning and wind, making him a dual elementalist.

The dart hit right on his thigh, which jerked the lion forward. He didn't try to fight and instead tried to alert his kin as he opened his mouth to roar.

Less than a second had passed, and the poison was going to work, but Kael wasn't sure if the poison would take effect first or the lion would roar first.

But his worries were in vain as Kiona had already moved the moment the dart left his hand.

She appeared before the lion and delivered a powerful uppercut to its jaw. The impact threw his big head in the air, and the sound of bones cracking came from his jaws.

She didn't stop at that and proceeded to behead him, which was now easier because the poison had taken effect.

In one swift, brutal strike, she made the soul dye in crimson as the big head rolled over to her side.

"That was fast. Good job!" Kael praised her as he came close to the lion's body. "Something was wrong with this one, or am I just imagining things?"

[The poison took slightly longer to take effect.] ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

'The reason?'

[The lion was alert and keeping an eye on his surroundings, so the moment he sensed the danger inside him, he tried to stall for time by slowing the poison through his mana.]

'So, this happened because he had a brain? Heh,' Kael chuckled softly and began to look around. "He was going to roar to alert others, but I doubt it's the only way."

Kiona nodded and sniffed, "The smell of death is very mild here, so perhaps we can stay a bit longer."

He was in agreement with her, as the means of communication was necessary, and they needed to know everything about the lions.

They searched around the area where the Fanged Lion was resting for a few minutes but found nothing. He found it too suspicious, so he once again looked, but the results were the same.

"It doesn't make sense. They have a human with them, so why would they use a simple method like roaring to alert others?" Kael was confused.

"Maybe you are giving them too much credit?" Kiona said.

He shook his head and once again looked around. It was then his gaze fell on the dead body of the Fanged Lion, and a hypothesis formed in his mind.

'Alpha!'

[On it! Just touch the body and I'll run a thorough check.]

Kael crouched near the headless body and put his hand on the shoulder bones. A sliver of lightning passed through his hand into the body, and then he heard the pleasant voice of Alpha.

[There is a rune-based disk near his belly. The lion just needs to supply mana to that disk for over two seconds, and everyone who has a similar disk with them will be alerted.]

"Goddamn! He really prepared a lot for this, huh," Kael cursed and turned to look at the lioness standing beside him. "Do you have some treasure or something with you? Or maybe a high bounty?"

Kiona got confused and shook her head, "No! It's already a miracle I'm alive, so how would I have any treasures? And what's bounty?"

"Are you sure you aren't hiding anything?" he insisted.

"Master, I am hiding a few things from you, but I will never lie to you. It's a sign of disloyalty," Kiona also insisted. "Is something the matter?"

"Yeah, I just find it weird. Why would a human with so many things in his arsenal go after you so relentlessly?" Kael sighed.

Kiona's eyes widened as she asked with a shaky voice, "Is... is he after me? Does that mean my Pride..."

"Don't blame yourself. The world will come after you no matter what you do or have, so there is no point in blaming yourself," he said, while taking out a small disk from the lion's belly.

He examined it and found it pretty normal. It was just a simple copper disk with runic inscriptions engraved on it. Without mana, it looked like an old copper coin.

"Alright, we are targeting this from next time," Kael said, as he handed the disk to Kiona. "Don't send your mana into it, otherwise they will know they're being attacked."

Kiona nodded silently.

The two of them once again took off to kill their next target. Fortunately, even though Kiona seemed to have a lot to think about, it didn't distract her in her revenge.

In fact, it seemed to have turned her even colder. She was out for blood.