CH212 Horse Dread

***

Picking up the armour had taken longer than the Dark Knight had planned. Without wasting more time, Jared led the way, walking briskly toward the fort's special stable.

Unlike the public stables where the garrison kept their normal, average warhorses, this one was reserved for rare and exotic mounts—beasts that, more often than not, belonged to the fort's officers.

Jared's own Nightmare steed, Terror, was temporarily housed here as well. The massive, fearsome horse had already made itself at home, firmly establishing its dominance as one of the rulers of the stable.

Even in a place where gryphons, wyverns, and other fantasy beast mounts resided, the Nightmare horse stood out so much that it drew Alex's attention instantly.

True to its name, the steed radiated a palpable aura of terror and bloodlust. Very few mounts in the stable dared to approach it.

Alex met the beast's gaze, and Terror stared back, snorting a sharp jet of steam from its nostrils. After a moment, Alex's eyes narrowed in realization.

"Terror progressed to Class 4?" he asked, glancing at Jared in surprise.

"Hmm." Jared gave a noncommittal nod. "I sent him into the inner regions of the Dankrot Forest while protecting you. He found an opportunity to progress."

He didn't seem to care about the details of how his steed had grown stronger—only that it had. Now, Terror was capable of accompanying him into far more dangerous battles.

While Alex was still studying the Dark Knight and his steed, he noticed the air around him grow subtly warmer.

His gaze shifted, and he spotted the source—standing just behind Terror was another Nightmare horse, smaller in size.

Of course, smaller was relative. True to its species, this Nightmare was still taller and more muscular than an average elite warhorse.

Unlike Terror's ink-black coat streaked with faint purple, this one's hide was a striking mix of deep red and black.

If Terror looked like the mount of a haunting horseman, this one seemed like a fire-breathing stallion straight from the depths of hell.

For some reason, Alex felt that if this red-black Nightmare reached Terror's size and age, its presence alone would inspire even greater fear than Terror could.

Unfortunately, it still carried a youthful, almost untested air—likely having just reached adulthood and not yet experienced a real battle.

"A fine horse, is he?" Jared's voice cut into Alex's thoughts.

Alex didn't respond right away. He studied the creature instead. The word fine was a little ambiguous. Aesthetically, it wasn't the word he would personally use.

Then again, beauty was subjective—and perhaps to a grim Dark Knight like Jared, this was exactly what counted as fine.

Jokes aside, Jared clearly wasn't referring to the horse's appearance.

Alex nodded seriously. "It looks like it's bred for battle. In fact… you can feel its impatience."

"Oh? You can tell?" Jared raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

"Isn't that obvious?" Alex raised an eyebrow back at him.

Jared didn't reply.

He studied the red-black Nightmare for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then, without warning, he turned back to Alex.

"He is my second gift to you," Jared said. "According to the beast master who oversees the secret grounds where the family breeds the Nightmare horses, this one is the most promising of his generation—perhaps even equal to, or surpassing, Terror."

He paused for emphasis before adding, "As long as you can tame him and make him follow you, he's yours."

Alex blinked, momentarily stunned.

Nightmare horses were already exceedingly rare. Those with the potential to rival Terror? Practically unheard of.

From what Alex knew, the finest Nightmare steeds were almost always assigned to Jared's Knight Brigade—especially to the premier Magic Armour Knight unit within it.

After all, only mounts at the level of Nightmare horses could carry a fully armoured magic knight into battle and still be able to fight fiercely alongside them.

This was no ordinary gift. Giving this horse to him meant delaying the day an elite Magic Armour Knight would get a worthy steed.

And was a knight really still a knight if they didn't have a competent mount?

Sure, Alex was Earl Drake's heir, but even that status shouldn't justify receiving such a prize over an elite warrior. There were countless other mounts Jared could have offered him, while steeds fit for Magic Armour Knights could be counted on the hands—and maybe a few toes.

For a moment, suspicion flickered in Alex's mind. But he shook it off. There was no sense in looking a gift horse in the mouth. What mattered was that he was being offered an exceptional mount.

After all, Fen didn't really count as a mount. The wolf was more of a hunting dog—well, a hunting wolf—than something you could saddle and ride into battle.

As a war mount, this Nightmare was undeniably superior.

[Rune Detection]

Alex activated his derivative of the Detection spell. His excitement spiked when he confirmed the horse could accept Rune Tattoos.

Three rune slots—each with above-average capacity.

Jared frowned as he saw Alex casting on the horse.

"I know mages have spells for taming beasts, but don't bother using them on a Nightmare horse. They won't work. Nightmare horses only respond to violence, superiority, and power. Those are the only ways you can make one obey," he warned.

As usual, Jared had misunderstood what Alex was doing. And as usual, Alex didn't bother correcting him—he simply nodded.

Jared gave a sharp command to Terror.

Neigh!

The older Nightmare called out to his younger kin, then led him toward a nearby exercise ring, pushing him inside.

Alex entered from the opposite side. He and the red-black steed locked eyes, their gazes clashing in a silent battle for dominance.

Alex's lips curled into a faint smile.

'If you want to catch a monkey, you have to act like one. If you want to catch a Nightmare… you have to become a bigger Nightmare.'

[Beast Intimidation]! [Solmir Concept: Regality and Dominion]! [Velkar Concept: Domination and Subjugation]! [Dragon Dignity]! [Abyssal Conqueror's steps; Fourth step: Tyrant's Descent]

In an instant, multiple forces fused into a single, oppressive aura that burst out from Alex's body, slamming down on the younger Nightmare as Alex walked closer, one slow purposeful step after another.

For the first time in its life, the beast felt true terror—one that clawed deep into its core, eclipsing even the fear its older Nightmare horse kins, Terror included, had ever inspired in him.

[Beast Intimidation] shredded through the stallion's mental defenses, allowing Alex's bloodline concepts to weigh directly upon its mind.

Resistance was impossible. His Velkar bloodline came from the Infernals—creatures that were living embodiments of negative energy. Against an existence that was the very quintessence of all negative emotions—not just fear or terror—a mere Nightmare horse stood no chance.

"Submit."

The cold, imperious voice rang inside the stallion's mind. Even the language barrier crumbled before it. The Nightmare instinctively understood the command.

It dropped to its knees, lowering its head.

"It's done. Walk up to it and place your forehead against his," Jared instructed.

Alex nodded, striding forward. His bloodline presence still pressed heavily on the steed, ensuring it dared not resist when he placed his forehead against its own.

A moment later, the stallion's taut muscles loosened, its body relaxing completely in surrender to its new master.

"Give him a name," Jared said.

Alex almost sighed. 'Another naming headache…'

His gaze swept over the horse. The reddish hue across its coat made it seem like a steed wreathed in red-hot flames.

It reminded him of one of his favorite comics—the tale of a cursed soul who became a burning-skulled agent of hell, forced to roam the earth hunting the damned. In one era, that burning-skulled rider had charged across the land atop a flaming red steed.

This Nightmare was just like that—a creature that would make the wicked tremble at a single glance.

Dread…

Alex's eyes lit up.

"Dread. Your name will be Dread."

**

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