Chapter 118: The Solar Celestial Steed

“Well, that was lucky.”

In that split-second of crisis, the knock-back from the Zephyr Steed’s Roaring Charge sent Marcus flying, creating just enough space between him and the four horses to buy him a precious moment to breathe.

“-390.”

The respite was short-lived. As Marcus was still airborne, the four steeds surged forward without hesitation. One of them landed a brutal kick before he could recover, tearing another 390 points from his Health.

“Good!”

The cry escaped his lips before he could stop himself. This time, the Zephyr Steed had not used Roaring Charge again. That decision, meant to be clever, had become its fatal mistake. A normal attack was not enough to finish him off.

Although the remaining three Zephyr Steeds were already charging toward him, hooves pounding the earth as they prepared to trample him, Marcus knew his situation had improved. He had survived.

Having been knocked back and struck again, the Stun effect finally wore off. Without wasting a second, Marcus recalled his Shadow-Stained Gryphon King, activated Run for Your Life to break away from the immediate combat zone, and then triggered Phantom, cloaking his presence as he slipped beyond the steeds’ attack range.

Only after he stopped did he dare glance at his status.

Less than 300 Health remained.

His heart slammed violently against his ribs. For a brief moment, he had truly felt death looming over him, cold and unavoidable. That was with Knight’s Prayer continuously restoring 50 Health per second. Without that super-skill, he would have already suffered his first death of the day.

’Damn it, this is infuriating.’

He had overestimated himself. To be driven into such a miserable state by a wild horse, a creature meant to be ridden rather than crushing him beneath its hooves, was nothing short of humiliation. The frustration burned deep, hardening into resolve.

Strength. He needed far more of it.

“You stinking horse,” Marcus muttered through clenched teeth as he watched the four Zephyr Steeds pacing around, confused and snorting as they searched for him. “You made me look like a fool. I’ll send you straight to hell.”

In truth, surviving at all already made him an anomaly. Both players and monsters gained significant power every ten levels. The difference between a Level 39 and a Level 40 creature was not a single step, but a massive leap. These Zephyr Steeds were Level 45, while Marcus was only Level 29.

Escaping with his life was already an achievement.

“I’m wiping out this whole damn herd.”

Unable to find him, the four Zephyr Steeds gradually relaxed. They began circling each other, snorting and nudging playfully. The one Marcus had nearly killed, its Health reduced to less than ten percent, suddenly let out a loud, triumphant whinny and pranced about as if celebrating victory.

As if it believed it had killed him.

The sight made Marcus’s blood boil.

Standing just outside their line of sight, he waited patiently for Phantom’s cooldown to finish. The instant it was ready, he activated Wraith, his body surging with speed, and charged straight toward the four steeds.

’Stupid animals. Time for payback’

The Zephyr Steeds noticed him at once and responded with a thunderous charge. The injured one took the lead, its hostility unmistakable, as if it had personally marked Marcus as its prey.

“Desperate Strike!”

This was exactly what Marcus had been waiting for.

The moment the Zephyr Steed entered his attack range, Marcus hurled the longsword already in his hand with all his strength. The weapon spun through the air in a deadly arc.

Thanks to Desperate Strike, Marcus always carried several Level 25 longswords in his inventory, kept solely for moments like this.

“-450.”

The Zephyr Steed screamed in pain as its legs buckled beneath it. Its massive body rolled across the ground like a broken doll before going completely still.

Dead.

It had already been critically wounded, with less than ten percent Health remaining. After the earlier damage from the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King, its Health had dropped below 400. The ambush left it no chance to survive.

’Hmph. That’s what you get.’

The satisfaction lasted only a heartbeat.

The other three Zephyr Steeds were still charging toward him, eyes blazing. Marcus immediately assessed the situation and knew the truth. No matter how monstrous his Knight build was, he could not withstand the combined assault of three Level 45 Zephyr Steeds.

“Phantom.”

With a swift activation, his figure vanished from sight once more. The steeds thundered past the spot where he had stood, striking only empty air.

Safe for now, Marcus turned away and resumed his search across the northern reaches of the Atlan Plains, determined to find a high-quality mount that he could actually handle.

’This is so frustrating.’

Marcus circled the area again and again, unwilling to give up so easily. No matter where he went, the situation remained the same. The only horses roaming these plains were the Level 30 Wild Steeds and the Level 45 Zephyr Steeds.

The Wild Steeds were trash-tier, not even worth a second glance. As for the Zephyr Steeds, he had already learned the hard way that they were far beyond what he could handle. He could not break through the herd to continue north, and even if he somehow managed it, the horses deeper in the region would surely be even stronger.

Stronger than creatures he already could not defeat.

’This is ridiculous.’

The top-ranked player in Dominion, number one on all Four Major Leaderboards, the powerful and anomalous Knight Stonehaven, was being completely stonewalled by a herd of wild horses. He could not advance, could not fight them head-on, and could not even find a suitable warhorse.

The truth was unavoidable.

His strength was still lacking.

After a long moment of hesitation, Marcus made a decision. He would abandon this area for now. This was the northern region of Pegasus Citadel, and forcing his way through would only end in failure. Instead, he would search for Star Lake, the place Pegasus Knight Mare had mentioned, where Pegasi were said to gather and soar through the skies.

Perhaps his luck would be better there.

According to Pegasus Knight Mare, Star Lake was a magical place, unlike anything else in the region. Marcus pulled out Silas the Wanderer’s map and carefully searched for its location. As he read the description recorded on the map, he could not help but feel a sense of awe.

The Solar Celestial Steed, a Super Divine Beast, once accidentally knocked a Water-element meteor from the sky while strolling through the heavens. The meteor crashed to the earth, forming a hexagonal lake. This lake became a blue oasis where flying Pegasi often rested and played. It was later named Star Lake.

Star Lake is surrounded by the strange magnetic field of the Water-element meteor. It has no fixed location or path. Only horses can easily reach it. For humans, there is no method other than luck. However, legend says that those who truly love horses can enter Star Lake more easily.

’Is this actually real?’

The description sounded less like geography and more like a myth. It was even more fantastical than most of the legends he had heard since entering Dominion.

A Solar Celestial Steed. A Super Divine Beast.

The official Dominion website had almost no concrete information on Divine Beasts. Everything about them was deliberately hidden, meant to be discovered by players themselves. Marcus had no idea what the attributes of a Solar Celestial Steed might be, nor what kind of power it truly possessed.

But the name alone was enough to stir his imagination.

’Solar Celestial Steed.’

Just hearing it made his blood stir. Any mount capable of knocking a meteor out of the sky had to be beyond extraordinary.

Marcus slowly lifted his head and looked up at the vast blue sky, his expression filled with longing. He imagined witnessing the Solar Celestial Steed with his own eyes, trying to picture what kind of existence could casually shatter something that fell from the heavens.

Magnificent did not even begin to describe it.

He continued staring upward, lost in thought, imagining himself riding the Solar Celestial Steed, soaring freely through the sky, then galloping across endless plains beneath the sun.

In the end, he let out a quiet breath.

For now, it was nothing more than a fantasy.

With his current strength, taming or capturing a Divine Beast was impossible. A Mythic Beast was already far beyond his reach, let alone a Super Divine Beast. What he needed now was something realistic. If he could find Star Lake, then perhaps, based on his current abilities, he could at least obtain a high-quality horse that truly suited him.

Still, fantasies had value.

They were goals.

He would work toward it, step by step. One day, he would stand strong enough to ride that magnificent Solar Celestial Steed, carving his name into legend as an existence that could never be replaced.

When it came to loving horses, Marcus felt he qualified.

He wanted every famous steed spoken of in the lore. The Shadowless, which ran without ever touching the ground. The Cloud-Rider, which soared through the clouds and chased the moon. The Light-Chaser, so fast it left ten afterimages behind. And above them all, the Super Divine Beast, the Solar Celestial Steed.

He wanted them all.

Did that count as loving horses?

Marcus thought it did.

He hoped that this love would allow him to find Star Lake, and that one day, every horse he desired would answer his call.

No creature flies like a Dragon, and no creature runs like a Horse.

Although he already possessed the Dark Violet Sky Dragon, Dragons and Horses were fundamentally different. Each type of pet had its own strengths and its own purpose. A warhorse was irreplaceable, and for a Knight, a truly great warhorse was no less valuable than a Dragon.

Perhaps even more so.

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