Chapter 603 - Lapin and Gandolf (Patreon)

Gandolf stared at Leyvi, his white eyebrows twitching repeatedly as yet another surprise was revealed.

A King Level Demonic Beast.

Every demonic beast that reached this level was an existence of immense power that had usually lived a life of absolute dominance. Unless it was a Spirit Beast that had grown alongside its partner from a young age, Gandolf had never heard of anyone successfully taming a demonic beast that had already reached the King Level. It was considered practically impossible.

Not to mention, it had been an extremely long time since a King Level Demonic Beast had appeared in the Cloud Continent.

If a General Level Demonic Beast evolved into the King Level, the resulting evolution energy would be incredibly powerful. The Protectors stationed across the Main Regions would have immediately detected such a disturbance within their territories.

Yet so many years had passed without anything like that happening.

So where had Leyvi even gotten this King Level Demonic Beast?

What puzzled Gandolf even more was Lapin's demeanor. Unlike the wild King Level Demonic Beasts he knew, Lapin didn't possess the same ferocity or bloodlust. Instead, he behaved as though he had always been a Spirit Beast rather than a powerful wild beast that had only recently been tamed.

There were simply too many questions running through Gandolf's mind, and he didn't even know which one to ask first.

Meanwhile, Leyvi's children were equally surprised to see their Carrot-Loving Uncle suddenly appear out of nowhere like a Spirit Beast. More importantly, he had revealed his long ears this time.

What was the meaning of this?

"Kekeke. Nice to meet you, Human Gandolf. My name is Lapin Blanco. I am an enlightened rabbit who awakened the Celestial Cloud Bloodline. So now, I am a Celestial Cloud Rabbit." Lapin introduced himself with gentlemanly composure.

"A rabbit?"

Gandolf looked at Lapin's long ears again, still somewhat surprised by the revelation.

"That's right. Surprised to see a rabbit of my caliber? Don't look down on rabbits. We can bite too. But don't worry, I only bite in self-defense. Kekeke."

Lapin joked as he pulled out a bushy carrot and began chewing on the carrot tops.

Gandolf scrutinized the harmless-looking King Level Demonic Rabbit with even greater curiosity. The fact that it could casually joke around was already something new to him.

Usually, the demonic beasts that reached the King Level were predators that had spent their lives hunting and fighting. By the time they reached such a level, their violent tendencies seemed almost ingrained in their nature. Forget joking around, it was rare to even see them smile. Most of the time, what greeted others was nothing but overwhelming killing intent.

Yet this rabbit didn't seem to possess any of that.

Gandolf couldn't help but wonder how it had managed to reach this level. Its lack of bloodlust suggested that it rarely killed others, which directly contradicted the existing theory regarding demonic beast evolution.

It had always been believed that demonic beasts needed to constantly experience battles and harsh environments in order to continue growing stronger.

But perhaps there were other ways for demonic beasts to reach the peak without such conditions.

Despite all the research scholars had conducted over the years, it was becoming increasingly obvious that there were still countless things they didn't understand about demonic beasts.

"Lapin Blanco, right? This old man is curious. How did you reach the King Level?" Gandolf asked.

"I'd say it was by surviving. I survived long enough and eventually reached this level. But honestly, if you want to know the specifics, I don't really have any idea. Kekeke." Lapin replied.

"Senior Gandolf, I'd like to add that Senior Lapin isn't actually from our world. He came from the previous Mystic Realm world and tried to escape from the Colossal Tree. I'm sure the Protectors know about the details of that Mystic Realm world, right?" Leyvi informed him.

"Ahem..."

Gandolf cleared his throat.

"Yes, I'm aware of the Colossal Tree from the reports. It's still unbelievable that something that gigantic existed. It could even control the Laws of the world. I see, so you came from there."

If Gandolf hadn't visited the headquarters several times in recent years, he probably wouldn't have known much about the events surrounding that Mystic Realm either.

Suddenly, Gandolf realized why Leyvi and Anda seemed relatively calm about the approaching calamity.

They had already experienced a near world-ending disaster in the Mystic Realm, something that even he, despite having lived for more than four thousand years, had never personally experienced. Going through something like that would naturally change a person's perspective and force them to mature.

The difference was obvious when he looked at his three disciples, who were now quietly panicking at the side. Even Domino, who had once proudly claimed that he would save the world one day, had stopped mentioning it entirely.

Gandolf couldn't really blame them. They had barely experienced anything beyond the Foundation Building Realm.

He himself had nearly drowned in despair earlier before managing to pull himself together. Some things simply had to be experienced and overcome before a person could truly grow stronger.

Gandolf turned his attention back to Lapin.

"After we arrive, would you mind undergoing an investigation for some time?"

Leyvi and Lapin didn't immediately respond. They simply waited for Gandolf to explain himself.

"We are the Protectors of the Cloud Continent, after all. Development aside, our first responsibility is to ensure the continent remains safe. With such a powerful being as yourself suddenly appearing here, we have to make sure that you aren't a threat to the continent."

"Kekeke. To be honest, I'm getting quite tired of living in hiding. If I pass your security check, can I live freely on this continent?" Lapin asked.

"Hohoho! Certainly. In fact, we'd be more than happy to have someone like you as an ally. Every King Level Demonic Beast we've tried to negotiate with in the past has been so hostile toward humans that we've had no choice but drive them away. But you seem like a nice fellow. Perhaps we can finally work something out this time."

Gandolf stroked his white beard with a pleased smile.

“Senior Lapin, are you leaving our family?” Leyvi asked.

Although it would be sad if Lapin chose to leave them, he had already promised that he would let the rabbit go if that was what he wished. Of course he would uphold that promise.

“Kekeke. That is not what I meant, Human Leyvi. I will continue serving the Leyan Family, but I want to be able to live in the sky again like before. Hiding in the clouds all the time is boring. It is no different from the way I lived in the past,” Lapin explained.

“Senior Lapin, do you want to make a sky island like before?” Anda chimed in.

She was the one among them who understood most clearly what Lapin meant, since she had personally visited his sky island.

“Kekeke. That’s right. I want to have an island high above Bara City. Human Lilian’s carrots are the best, but I also want to grow my own carrots again. Watching them grow is like a form of meditation for me. It cleanses my mind,” he elaborated further.

Leyvi let out a quiet sigh of relief. He was glad that Lapin had decided to stay. Having him around was extremely convenient. Those magical clouds of his truly deserved to be called celestial.

“Wait a minute. What do you mean by a sky island? Do you have a way to make an island float in the sky?” Gandolf asked.

"Kekeke! I am the bearer of the Celestial Cloud Bloodline. My celestial clouds can support heavy objects up to a certain limit, allowing them to float indefinitely as long as the clouds aren't destroyed. They don't require any other form of energy to maintain them. With my current power, making a small island float is easy."

Lapin explained proudly. This was something they would discover sooner or later anyway, so he saw no reason to hold back his bragging.

Gandolf's eyes immediately sparkled as though one of his lifelong wishes had suddenly come true.

"Hohoho! Brother Lapin, you possess such a wonderful bloodline power. It might be the best bloodline power I've ever seen an awakened demonic beast possess."

He moved closer to Lapin and praised him enthusiastically.

Leyvi and Anda were left dumbfounded as they exchanged a glance.

Brother Lapin?

And had the high and mighty Protector of the Cloud Continent just switched to such a flattering tone?

Even Gandolf's three disciples, who had been panicking only moments ago, became stunned. They had never seen their master behave like this before.

"Kekeke! Human Gandolf, you truly have excellent judgment. No wonder you're one of the leaders of this continent. There's no doubt about it, my bloodline power is definitely the best out there."

Lapin was clearly enjoying the praise.

"Hohoho! True, true. Brother Lapin, to tell you the truth, I've always dreamed of living high in the sky. Could you help me with that?" Gandolf shamelessly asked.