Chapter 429: Back To The Territory And Miho’s Beastcore Contract

After transporting all the Bisons to the territory, Ishan even offered to handle their teleportation back to the territory without charges as an apology for his previous misdemeanour.

Leo happily accepted. As the group was transported one by one, only Leo and Kaelion remained after Lily had just left. Taking the opportunity, Leo handed Kaelion the enhanced Frosthide Bison beastcore, asking him to pass it to Miho.

No words were exchanged; Kaelion simply took it without hesitation.

When everyone was gone, Ishan was left alone in the night forest. A cold breeze brushed past him as he looked up at the drifting clouds.

"Damn... never in my life did I think people below 30 could be this strong," he muttered, shaking his head. "And that territory... wow, that was a good place to live."

He had been surprised by the location he transported the Bisons to. Not only was it easy to defend, but the mana density there was also remarkably high.

"Wait... Bison? Bisons?!"

Only then did he truly register what he had transported.

"Don’t tell me they captured those Bisons themselves! Fuck... their milk would be such a great food source for mages if that’s true. Those beasts even looked so docile—completely unlike their usual behaviour. Someone must have tamed the leader of the herd for that to happen."

Ishan took out his phone and marked Leo’s territory location. Besides it, he added a short note: Bison Milk.

He nodded to himself before disappearing into space, teleporting away.

Back in the territory, people had already begun working to create a new space for the Bisons.

On the other hand, Leo headed toward the academy to take care of other matters—like getting a life bracelet for Relut and finally having the teleportation array built.

He chose the 1 million AC array, capable of transporting people and objects from anywhere. Once he finalised the process, a spatial array master arrived to begin the work.

Leo escorted the man to a location outside the plateau—somewhere accessible even to non-core members. The man noticed several other arrays scattered around the area but said nothing. He knew better than to ask unnecessary questions of someone who could commission a 1 million AC teleportation array on the very next day of the bounty.

Not to mention, Leo’s strength was imperceptible to him. That could only mean one of two things—Leo was at least 2 minor ranks above him... or had no strength at all.

And the latter was simply impossible, judging by the way Leo carried himself.

Without another word, the man began constructing the array within a 5 by 5 meter area, adding a small compartment beside it to serve as a power storage unit.

As Leo watched from the side, he noticed subtle differences in the patterns and symbols compared to the arrays Tavian had created.

Maybe different elements require different symbols... he thought, observing the strange formations drawn with mana crystal dust.

The structure was incredibly detailed. Every line was carved with precision, each connection perfectly aligned.

The man was clearly experienced. Within an hour, the work was complete—and the final result looked impressive.

A circular formation with a 5-pointed star at its centre, its edges extending beyond the circle. The man was finalising the power grid and storage when he spoke.

"I noticed a few arrays already built nearby. If you’d like, I can connect their power lines to a shared source so you won’t need to refill multiple locations with mana crystals." He paused briefly before adding, "No need for me to see the core system. Just take me to a waypoint set up by the previous builder."

Leo nodded. That would make things easier. As for waypoints, he knew they were invisible mana crystal nodes placed at key locations—not power sources, but directional anchors.

As they walked, the man continued explaining.

"Each teleportation consumes a different amount of energy based on the size of the person or object, as well as the distance."

"As a rough estimate, teleporting a 1-meter cube—living or non-living—across 1 kilometre requires around 1 to 2.5 units of mana, depending on the array’s integrity and the user’s mastery."

He glanced at Leo.

"For you—nearly 2 meters tall with a solid build—and a distance of 80 kilometres from the academy, a single teleportation would cost between 160 to 400 units. With the array I built, it will be about 300 mana units per trip, either way. Though I am not proud of it, it’s the best you can currently get in the academy from a fellow student service" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

He gestured lightly.

"That amount is stored in a Low 2-star to Mid 2-star mana crystal. That’s what you’ll consume per use."

Leo nodded slowly.

Too expensive...

In other words, each teleportation would cost him around 1000 to 2000 AC.

Sensing his thoughts, the man spoke again.

"I suggest investing in a mana generator and modified mana crystals—ones that don’t dissipate after use. They can generate and store mana continuously in tendem, providing a renewable power supply. The initial cost is high, but it will save you a lot in the long run."

By then, they had reached the waypoint. Though invisible to the naked eye, it was clearly visible to both Leo and the array expert.

The man immediately got to work, using mana crystal energy to link the teleportation array with the waypoint.

While he worked, chaos suddenly erupted from the direction where the Bison enclosures were being built. Leo’s head snapped toward the sound.

"You continue your work. I’ll be back," Leo said, already moving.

Even as he left, he silently instructed Shyra to keep watch over the man from the shadows.

RRRR—UUU—GGHHH!

When Leo arrived, the sight before him made him pause. The previously docile Bisons were bellowing loudly, their deep cries echoing through the area.

But they weren’t rampaging or resisting.

If anything... they sounded like they were cheering.

Frowning slightly, Leo turned toward the centre of the commotion—and immediately understood why.

Miho stood there, her body glowing softly as she underwent the process of contracting the Noble Frosthide Bison’s core. Behind her, a big 5 to 6 meters spectral silhouette of the Bison had formed—looming and majestic—as if projecting her will into the world.