Chapter 86: When You Come at the King

Chapter 86: When You Come at the KingMelcin knocked on the door of the director's hotel room, the tension building in his chest.

He had been rehearsing his argument for days, preparing to defend himself and file his complaint against Eratz. His heart pounded as the door slowly creaked open.

Inside, the elder woman sat comfortably in a plush armchair by the window. The dim light of the evening filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the room.

She looked at him with a calm but stern expression, her wrinkled hands resting on her lap.

"Come in, Melcin," her voice was steady, but somehow it carried a weight that made him

nervous.

Melcin stepped into the room, trying to control his breathing. He swallowed hard, mentally preparing for what was about to unfold.

"Director," he began. "I'm here to formally request that action be taken against Eratz. He assaulted me in front of multiple students. They can all testify. This can't go unpunished." The old woman watched him with narrowed eyes, her face unreadable. She let the silence hang in the air, long enough for Melcin to shift uncomfortably.

"I see," she finally said, her voice low. "And you believe this is what you deserve, after everything?"

Melcin blinked, caught off guard.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Director. Eratz hit me unprovoked, in front of witnesses. I never touched him, even in retaliation. This academy should stand by its staff, and I expect you to take appropriate measures."

The director exhaled, leaning back in her chair, massaging her sinuses.

"You truly believe that, don't you? You think you've been wronged here?"

Melcin's confidence began to falter, a sliver of doubt creeping in.

"The students saw it," he repeated, his voice rising slightly. "They know what happened. They'll back me up."

The director's expression hardened, and the air in the room seemed to grow heavier.

"Melcin, the students will back him up, not you. They've seen how you treat people. They've seen how you've treated Eratz, your comments about people like him. Melcin, how could you proofer racial insults toward a child?"

Her words hit him like a cold gust of wind, but he tried to brush them off.

"That's not..."

"Your behavior has been nothing but a disgrace to this academy," she cut him off, her voice now laced with steel. "Your arrogance, your blatant racism, your inability to control yourself. And now, you stand here, demanding that we take action against someone who could have been our most talented students, while you've been the one driving this toxic environment. It's because of people like you that the academy has lost it's fame. We couldn't even form a talent for the regional league and we're trying desperately to bring back the only one person who worn our uniform and manage to perform at this level, but you want to make him antagonize us more?"

Melcin felt his heart sink, his hands shaking slightly. He hadn't expected this.

"Director, that's not..."

"You have brought nothing but problems," the director's voice rose, the calm exterior cracking to reveal frustration. "I've received complaint after complaint about your behavior, not just from students but from other staff. Do you think I haven't been paying attention?"

Melcin's face flushed with panic. His thoughts raced as he realized the conversation wasn't going in the direction he had planned.

He had thought he could defend himself, play the victim, but it was slipping through his fingers.

The director stood up slowly, her old body moving as she stepped closer to him. Her eyes were cold, unforgiving.

"You want to sue Eratz? Fine. But you'll lose. Because we're going to testimony against you. We'll bring your racial problem to the light and when you lose, you'll lost whatever is left of your career. You won't have a leg to stand on, you won't ever exist in this path."

Melcin's mouth opened, but no words came out. His chest tightened as the gravity of the situation crashed over him. This wasn't just about Eratz anymore. It was about him. His reputation, his future, everything was crumbling right in front of him.

"You've antagonized the best student we ever had, the staff, and now you want to bring this to the court? Even after knowing the purpose of our presence here?" The director's voice was now cold as ice. "You've pushed too far, Melcin. If cutting the weed could improve our chances of getting him back, then I'll gladly cut this weed now. You've lost any chance of redemption. This is where it ends for you."

The room felt like it was closing in around him. His vision blurred as the realization hit him, he was going to lose everything.

"Director, please," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper now. "I... I didn't mean for it to go this far. I was just... I was only trying to..."

The director shook her head, her expression unchanging.

"You were trying to satisfy your own ego, and now it's over. You're fired, Melcin. Pack your things and leave. I don't want to see you in this academy ever again."

Melcin's heart dropped, his face pale. Fired. The word echoed in his head, drowning out every other thought. He stumbled backward, his breath coming in shallow gasps. How had it come to this?

The director turned her back to him, walking slowly toward the window.

"You've done enough damage. Now it's time to go."

Melcin stood frozen in place, his mind spinning in disbelief. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He had been so sure, so confident. But now, in this small, dimly lit hotel room, he had lost absolutely everything, for a student who he had already gotten rid of.

With trembling hands, he turned and staggered out of the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Deep within the dark shadows of Lugina Forest, Kenny wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving from exhaustion.

He stood alone amidst the towering trees, his elemental spirits floating around him.

His hands clenched into fists as he stared the beasts ahead, their glowing eyes peering at him through the underbrush.

These creatures were stronger than he had anticipated. He had been trying to tame one for hours, but they were far too powerful for his current level.

He gritted his teeth, his frustration growing, a low growl escaping from his throat.

"This should be easy, I'm better than this."

He tried to focus on the hunt, but his mind was a battlefield.

He tried to focus on anything, but Mercury's image always seemed to seep into his Sёarᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

consciousness.

The more he thought about her, the more Crystal and Lisa's memories crumbled beneath his gaze, replaced by Mercury.

His body trembled with desire as he fantasized about seeing her on her knees, servicing him

with her mouth.

The image burned bright in his mind, leaving him weak-kneed and desperate for release.

The beast in front of him jumped forward, Kenny summoned his fire and water spirits again, directing them toward the creature with all the focus he could muster.

But the beast dodged the attack effortlessly, knocking him off with deadly precision. His elemental powers faltered, unable to keep up with the creature's agility and strength.

On his back, staring up at the towering trees above him. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, his mind spiraling into frustration and self-doubt, converging again into Mercury. The thought of touching her voluptuous breasts sent shivers down his spine, igniting a fire within him that he couldn't extinguish.

He let out a deep breath, his mind whispered in his ear the last conversation he had with Crystal after his humiliation.

"You're pathetic, why can't you be more like Eratz? Why can't you just train seriously?"

He groaned in frustration, squeezing his eyes shut as the doubt consumed him.

"I just want to see her again..." He sighed.

Far from Lugina Forest, in a remote canyon, Eratz stood at the edge of a cliff, facing his aces. Raijinara hovered above, its wings sending sparks of electricity through the air.

The Terrakrus, massive and imposing, stood steady, the Aetheri floated near the ground, and the Thunder Lycaon, with its dark fur and crackling blue veins, watched silently.

The wind howled through the canyon, kicking up dust and debris, but Eratz barely noticed. He was lost in thought, his eyes scanning the beasts before him.

"We've come far, but we're not done yet. Most of you have evolved, and become stronger...

but I feel like we can do better."

He looked at the Terrakrus.

"We've seen how the Aetheri and the Thunder Lycaon evolved. You're special, I can see it, so

now, we're focusing on you."

The Terrakrus growled lowly, Eratz continued.

"Next, each of you has your own elemental mastery, but we need to counter our weaknesses. Offensively, the Thunder Lycaon, you and Raijinara both lightning users, the aetheri is a spirit user and you, a soil. Our next goal will be to diversify our powers. But first, we're going to unlock your next form by pushing it to its limits."

The Terrakrus rumbled in response, its body already brimming with energy. Eratz stood before it, his body glowing with his own spiritual pressure.

He shared his power with the beast, the connection between them growing stronger as the Terrakrus absorbed his aura.

"I want you to give everything you've got, I won't retaliate, so your limit will be your exhaustion. Go crazy, and the rest, you're going to train differently, lycaon, physical, aetheri, spiritual. Channel the energy I'll send you as if it was your blood."

The earthen dragon roared, its powerful voice shaking the canyon walls. The ground cracked

beneath its feet, and it lunged at Eratz like a comet.

The clash began.

The Terrakrus swung its claws at Eratz, who deftly dodged, his body moving like lightning.

The earth trembled with each strike, debris flying everywhere. The beast's tail crashed into the canyon walls, sending chunks of rock tumbling down.

Above, Raijinara circled the skies, watching the battle unfold. Aetheri hovered in the distance, its eyes glowing as it absorbed the power of nature around it.

The Thunder Lycaon prowled along the cliffs, striking the walls with its claws, generating

sparks of electricity with each impact.

As the battle continued, Eratz felt the Aetheri's spiritual power flow into Terrakrus,

enhancing its strength.

The beast's aura surged, glowing brighter as it tapped into the energy shared by Eratz. The

Terrakrus' attacks became more precise, more powerful, the earth around them rumbling with each strike, and the intensity and the flow birthed an idea in Eratz's mind. "Focus on long-range attacks!" he shouted.

The challenge was pushing Terrakrus beyond its limits, and he could feel the beast growing

stronger with every passing second.

Suddenly, a brilliant light covered the canyon, followed by an explosion. The Terrakrus let out a deafening roar, its body glowing with a new power.

In the distance, the other beasts stopped to watch, their eyes fixed on Eratz and the beast.

When the light finally faded, Eratz stood in a massive crater, his clothes torn, but there was a wild grin on his face.

He let out a childish chuckle and moved forward to get a better view of his masterpiece. Before him stood the Terrakrus with it's new color.

Its form now larger, towering over the battlefield at 3 meters tall and 8 meters long, with its body now taking on a more draconic and fearsome appearance.

Its broad chest and muscular frame showed the weight of a moving mountain, yet its new

draconic limbs were more agile, with sharp claws. Its massive tail has a hardened club-like tip, which drags behind it.

Spikes of earth protrude from its back and shoulders, giving it a jagged, powerful silhouette.

Its broad, wing-like extensions seemed not for flight but to help stabilizing its massive form.

He took a deep breath, stepping forward to inspect the mighty creature.

[Name: Terrakrus,

Affinity: Dragon/Soil

Rank: Rare

Abilities:

Earthen Armor: channels the earth's energy to cover self in a layer of hardened rock,

increasing its defensive capabilities

Seismic Roar: Unleashes shockwaves that can create located earthquakes/ Rockbound Fury: Increase the attack with every physical attack received, cap at a certain

amount depending on the user]

A smile drawing on his lips, he chuckled again.

"Now we're talking."