Chapter 49: Hunters

Chapter 49: HuntersThe car came to a halt near an empty sidewalk. Liora clenched her teeth as she dialed Cassie's number again, her knuckles trembling as she gripped her phone.

The line was silent, and after a few beeps, the call dropped. She glared at the phone, her eyes flashing with fury.

"Blocked again?" Marcus, asked, his voice tired as he glanced sideways at her.

Liora's lips were a tight line.

"She's blocked us. She must be keeping Eratz away from us on purpose, I knew it."

She threw the phone onto the dashboard, a frustrated growl escaping her lips.

Marcus sighed, rubbing his temples.

"We'll find him, Liora. We just have to keep trying."

Liora scoffed, crossing her arms.

"She's playing games, Marcus, but we won't stop. We need to know what's going on with that boy. We need him back. Without him, Kian and Lila won't get an opportunity to get into

Genova Academy... Cassie is ruining everything."

Marcus's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"We should have handled this differently. Maybe we should involve the authorities."

Liora's expression twisted with anger.

"If Cassie thinks she can take Eratz from us, she's got another thing coming. Maybe it's time we see the police."

It was late in the evening, and Kenny sat at the desk in his shared room, eyes glued to his tablet.

His gaze was locked on the screen as he scrolled through search results for the "Water Prodigy" online.

He had been searching for any information about Mercury, desperate to find out more about her.

After a while, his eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face.

"Got you," he muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming.

He had found her identity, and her next match details. He jumped up from his chair in excitement.

Julian, who was lounging on his bed, raised an eyebrow at Kenny's sudden outburst.

"What's got you all hyped up?"

Kenny turned to him, his grin widening.

"I found her, Mercury Banks, nineteen. I've got her match schedule, she's fighting tomorrow."

Julian rolled his eyes, a playful grin on his face.

"Oh, you're still on about her? Seriously, Kenny, what's the deal? You got shut down just today, and it wasn't pretty."

Kenny shrugged, trying to sound casual.

"You know me, Julian. I don't give up that easily. She's different."

He paused for a moment, picturing her, her confident aura, the way she carried herself with such power and elegance. It was intoxicating.

Julian snorted, leaning back on his pillow.

"Different, huh? Or maybe it's just her looks you're after. Let me guess, it's about those huge knockers isn't it? It's true we don't have that size in the academy." He smirked.

Kenny laughed, unabashed.

"Well, I mean, have you seen her? She's got everything at the good places. The looks, the attitude, the voice... The way she talked to me... she thinks she's untouchable? I gotta have her. Man... A sport girl is just the best."

Julian shook his head, amused.

"Typical Kenny. Always chasing after what you shouldn't have." He paused, then added with a sly grin, "But hey, you go ahead and try. I'll be right behind you, ready to swoop in when you mess it up again."

Kenny shot Julian a look, catching the hint of competition.

"Just watch, Julian. Tomorrow, I'll get her attention. You'll see."

Julian chuckled, patting Kenny on the shoulder mockingly.

"Sure thing, Kenny. You already have two girls stuck to you despite your losing streak, but go for a third one. Just don't say I didn't warn you when she shuts you down again." He gave Kenny a playful wink.

Deep down, though, Julian was interested in Mercury too. She wasn't like the girls back at the academy, she had something more, something they both craved.

Rowan and Eliza sat in yet another college director's office, the exhaustion visible in their

eyes.

The director, an old man with thinning hair, shook his head, his expression apologetic.

"I'm afraid we have no record of an Eratz Pandora enrolled here."

Rowan sighed, leaning back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes, his frustration barely contained.

"That's the fifth one today. Are we missing something here? He has to be somewhere."

Eliza leaned back, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Or maybe he's just hiding from us, Rowan. Did you ever think he might not want to be found?"

Rowan frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I don't get it. He was one of our best. Why disappear like this? It just doesn't make sense."

Eliza shrugged, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"He was one of the best because he cheated, professor. It sounds logic that he would run away from the world of beast masters, so maybe it's not impossible that he just decided to hide

forever?"

Rowan shot her a look.

"Even though, I mentored him for a while, the passion he had wasn't cheating."

Eliza rolled her eyes, sighing.

"I don't know, Rowan, the fox sing a swan song to the crow before stealing it." She paused, her eyes softening. "We really look desperate, I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be easier

to just give up on Kenny and form a better ace."

Rowan shook his head, determination in his eyes.

"It's only the first day, we have time."

Eliza sighed, looking at Rowan with a mixture of exasperation and pity.

"You're a fool, you know that? The other option would be to be a better tutor for Kenny,

maybe you should also suffer the consequences of his fall?"

Later at nightfall, the forest was silent, a deep darkness spread across its entirety as night descended.

Eratz stood at the edge, his red eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. He let out a slow breath, closing his eyes as his aura began to unfurl, the immense energy within him gradually spilling out, reaching every corner of the area.

His beasts emerged from his shadow, each one releasing a powerful aura, their presence filling the edge of the forest.

The Thunder Lycaon, its mane of electricity flickering with life, stood on Eratz's right. Beside him, the Aetheri, with its new form, glowed, radiating light that pushed back the dark. And to his left, the Terrakrus, its amber eyes piercing through the night.

As Eratz surveyed his surroundings, he could feel the connection between him and his beasts.

There was no need for words, they knew what they had to do, this was the beginning of a hunt, and they would leave no stone unturned.

He could sense each of his beasts' presence as clearly as his own heartbeat.

The Thunder Lycaon moved with an electric ferocity, its thoughts intertwining with Eratz's as

it led one division of the beast army.

Eratz felt its hunger for the thrill of battle, the way it reveled in the rush of lightning through its veins, and it made his own blood pump faster.

The Aetheri glided above, its energy connecting with Eratz's own aura in a meditative state.

It shared its clarity, keeping the forest in check, to protect its allies. Eratz felt its calmness flow into him, giving him a sense of control even in this chaos.

On the other side, the Terrakrus was a force of raw, unstoppable power. Eratz could feel the dragon's muscles coiling, ready to unleash devastation.

He could feel their strength like his own, and it made him want to prove himself worthy of leading such a powerful army.

He moved like a shadow, his beasts flanking him on all sides, each of them acting as an extension of his will. Searᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

They moved in perfect harmony, each creature responding to his thoughts before he even had

to give a command.

It was exhilarating, the way their connection worked. It was like he could feel every muscle in their bodies, every surge of energy as they moved, attacked, defended.

The ground shook beneath their combined steps, the sheer weight of their power making the

forest tremble.

Eratz could sense every shift in the environment, every movement of the creatures around him. It was as if the entire forest was an extension of his own body.

He continued deeper into the forest, and a powerful aura began to build within him as he initiated a beastification.

The spiritual energy of the Aetheri, the raw elemental power of the Thunder Lycaon, and the formidable strength of the Terrakrus converged within him, creating a force unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Eratz could feel the change, his aura growing, his power intensifying. The more he connected with a monster, the stronger the feeling grew in him.

He grinned, the thrill of the hunt filling him as he unleashed the fire burning him.

The forest responded in kind, creatures from all corners sensing the shift, feeling the pressure

that came with the presence of a true apex predator growing everywhere.

From a distance, the forest moved, a ripple of energy spreading outwards, shaking the

foundation of the trees.

The connection between Eratz and his beasts deepened, and it felt almost funny to him. He

was everywhere, he had no ceiling.

With a deep breath, he let out a burst of aura, an explosion of black and white energy crossed

with blue lightning.

The power surged out of him, causing the ground to shake and the air to vibrate.

It wasn't a massive explosion, but it was enough to send a shockwave through a part of the forest, the sheer force of it causing branches to sway and smaller creatures to scatter in fear. His aura flared brightly, surrounding him in a swirling storm of dark and light energy.

The blue lightning crackled around him, adding a raw, electric edge to the power he was

releasing.

His eyes glowed with intensity, and a grin spread across his face as he felt the surge of

strength.

This was a new form of Beastification.