Chapter 54: Thunder Approaches

Chapter 54: Thunder ApproachesIn the Crescent Moon Agency gym, Eratz was deep into his workout routine. He was on the treadmill, running at a relentless pace of 24 km/h.

The machine's timer blinked, nearing the hour mark. Eratz's breath was steady, feeling no fatigue. He moved seamlessly to lifting weights, then to shoulder training, and more. He didn't rely on his beast power, this training focused purely on his raw strength.

From afar, Victoria watched him, a proud smile on her lips.

"Seems like it was more effective than I thought," she murmured to herself.

The gym was filled with others beast masters doing their own routines. For them, it was a rare opportunity to watch Eratz's work ethic, but they soon regretted it and became more intimidated.

Adrian was among those struggling to keep up. He was on his own mat, breathing hard, exhausted. He glanced across the gym, his eyes catching sight of Mercury.

She was doing squats, weights loaded on her shoulders, her body barely showing signs of fatigue even after doing push-ups for an hour.

He let out a groan, laying on his back, feeling like he was on the verge of passing out.

"What's... the deal... with these two?" seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After a long and grueling workout, Eratz headed to the bathroom to clean up. With a towel wrapped around his waist, he stood in front of the mirror, his hair still wet, droplets of water dripping down his chest.

He reached for his phone, only to notice it had almost no battery left. He stared at the blinking low battery icon, wondering if it was time to buy a new one.

He scrolled through his messages and checked on Ryder's progress on the Beast Masters Website. Seeing that Ryder had won five matches today, Eratz smiled.

It felt good knowing that everyone was making waves, pushing themselves.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated, a message from Mercury.

Eratz glanced read it, then his fingers moved over the screen to type a response.

[Ok. I'll buy a new phone on the way too.]

In the girl's changing room, Mercury was sitting on a bench, her own towel wrapped around her. She had her phone in her hand, her eyes locked on the screen, waiting for Eratz's response.

When the reply finally came in, a grin spread across her face. She pumped her fist into the air, a quiet celebration that drew the attention of the other girls.

"What's with her?" one of them whispered.

"She's so different these days," another added.

At the same time, in an inn across town, Liora and Marcus sat on the edge of their bed, staring at Marcus's phone screen. The room was silent, the only sound the hum of the air conditioner. Both of them were in a state of disbelief.

"Is this for real?" Liora whispered, her eyes wide as she read the article about Eratz's achievements.

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, looking just as stunned.

"He's a well-known pro beast master now... and successful here. How did we not know about this?"

Liora's face twisted between shock and something else, anger, perhaps, or maybe confusion. She couldn't believe it. The boy they'd sent away, the one they believed had no future, was suddenly a success.

In the next room, Kian and Lila were equally dumbfounded. They looked at the screen, their faces scrunched up in disbelief.

"No way," Kian said, shaking his head.

"There's no way he's legit. He must have cheated."

"Yeah," Lila agreed, her expression mirroring her brother's disdain.

"There's no way he could do all that without cheating... we should report him."

Liora, blood had reached a wonderful temperature.

"We're going to find him. We'll see where his next matches are. We need to see this for ourselves."

Outside the agency, Mercury was waiting. She stood by the entrance, dressed in a cute, stylish outfit that caught the attention of several passersby.

She looked gorgeous, her fashion sense sharp, a blend of casual yet eye-catching. Some people glanced her way, admiring her elegance. Mercury, however, paid them no mind, her gaze turned skyward, lost in thought.

"Excuse me," a voice called out, pulling Mercury from her thoughts.

She turned, coming face to face with a woman she didn't recognize.

"Hello," the woman said, offering a polite smile.

"My name is Eliza. I'm a councilor at Genova Academy."

Mercury blinked, a little surprised.

"Oh, uh, hello."

Eliza studied Mercury for a moment, her smile never wavering.

"You're quite well-known in Lugina. I've seen your matches, and I must say, I'm very impressed by your abilities, miss Water Prodigy."

Mercury tilted her head slightly, unsure where this was going.

"Thank you," she replied cautiously.

Eliza took a small step closer, her eyes locking onto Mercury's.

"I'll get straight to the point. I'd like to invite you to enroll at Genova Academy. Your talent is remarkable, and I believe you could benefit greatly from the resources and opportunities we

can provide."

Mercury blinked again, taken aback by the offer. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding.

"I appreciate the offer, really. But I have a place here at Crescent Moon, and I'm happy with

where I am."

Eliza nodded, though Mercury could see the disappointment in her eyes.

"That Crescent Moon?" Eliza asked.

"I've heard... mixed things. A talent like yours deserves the best, and from what I've heard,

Crescent Moon isn't exactly thriving."

Mercury's expression hardened slightly.

"Crescent Moon is exactly where I want to be," she said firmly.

"I owe a lot to the people there. They've supported me, and I'm not interested in leaving."

Eliza could sense the shift in Mercury's tone, and she raised her hands slightly in a placating

gesture.

"I understand," she said.

"I didn't mean to offend you. Please, take my card, at least think about it. We'd be honored to

have you."

Mercury took the card, glancing at it briefly before slipping it into her bag.

"Thank you, but my answer is the same."

Eliza nodded, giving a polite smile.

"Of course. I'll be on my way, then. But do consider it, alright?" She turned and left, her figure

disappearing into the crowd.

As soon as she was out of sight, Mercury pulled out the card and tossed it into a nearby trash can. She hated people like that, coming in and assuming they knew what was best for her without understanding anything.

Suddenly, the agency door swung open, and Mercury's mood did a complete turnaround. Her eyes lit up as she saw Eratz stepping out, his expression relaxed.

"About time," Mercury called, her hands on her hips.

"What took you so long?"

Eratz raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing.

"Hey, I waited for you for so long that I ended up going back inside to chat with the janitor.

Did you know he had a very long life? Full of women and illegitimate children."

Mercury let out a laugh, shaking her head.

"You can save those stories for the after-party. Let's get going."

Eratz nodded, stepping beside her. Together, they began to walk away from the agency, the

evening stretching ahead of them.

But from afar, still like a statue among the crowd, Eliza watched them, her eyes wide with curiosity. She had good eyes, good enough to recognize someone.