Chapter 176: Resonance of the Abyss

Chapter 176: Resonance of the AbyssThe days that followed were intense for Eratz and his team.

Their ambitious plan to hunt calamity beasts and match each one to the team's abilities required precision and caution.

Eratz's flying beasts scouted tirelessly, identifying several targets at the end of the trails.

However, some calamity beasts had already destroy Eratz's flying beasts during reconnaissance.

Catarina tried negotiating with Eratz about an hypothetical "cat calamity," to which Eratz bet Milo's fatherhood that such a beast wouldn't exist.

Their training evolved as they traveled, blending endurance, aura control, field spell practice, and mock battles.

They would individually take breaks for sponsor obligations or matches, rejoining the hunt soon after.

For their first targets, Eratz chose a cautious approach: select beasts where elemental advantages were clear. Mercury, with her water abilities, would partner with Kaida to face a fire-type beast, while Eratz would be on water types. For plant types, he and Kaida would team up.

If the element was different, Eratz' presence was mandatory.

It was early one of these mornings when Eratz stood on a rocky outcrop above a vast, tranquil lake.

The air was crisp, the horizon painted with soft hues of dawn.

Behind him stood Mercury, Ryder, and Catarina, all watching in silence. The scene was serene, but tension lingered in the air.

This was their first direct confrontation with a calamity beast in this expedition.

Eratz inhaled deeply, his shoulders rising and falling.

The faint hum of Raijinara's energy surrounded him, flickering like static electricity across his body.

His eyes glowed faintly as he shifted into spiritual mode, channeling the aura of Raijinara. He raised his hand, and with a calm motion, unleashed a wave of pure aura into the lake. The energy surged forward, rippling across the surface like liquid lightning.

The lake's placid waters transformed as the energy struck. The wave expanded, glowing with a radiant, golden-yellow hue.

Trails of light danced across the surface, tracing intricate patterns.

The energy seemed to cover the lake in its embrace for a moment, illuminating every ripple and shadow, and then, the aura seeped into the depths, sending light pulses cascading downward like threads weaving into the deep.

The aftermath was stunning. The lake shimmered with residual lightning, arcs of golden energy sparking intermittently across its surface.

Shadows and light interplayed beneath the water, hinting at movement below.

Eratz observed the lake, his gaze scanning the surface.

His lips curled into a faint smile, though his eyes narrowed.

"There he is," he murmured with a smirk.

Behind him, Mercury stepped forward, Catarina tilted her head, her eyes fixed as if she could sense the tension in the air. Ryder observed the lake nervously.

The lake began to shift as if responding to Eratz's special greeting, the gentle ripples morphing into larger waves.

The arcs of lightning dancing across the water crackled more intensely, reflecting off the surface in dazzling patterns.

A low hum resonated through the air, deep and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of the lake itself. Suddenly, the stillness broke.

The water at the lake's center swirled violently, spiraling into a vortex. The vortex deepened, revealing an abyss of churning, glowing depths.

Lightning coiled around the edges of the whirlpool, casting brilliant flashes across the landscape.

Mist rose from the disturbance, shimmering with faint hues of blue and gold, catching the early morning light like a halo.

From the heart of the maelstrom, a form emerged.

At first, it was just a shadow, a dark silhouette gliding effortlessly through the chaos.

Then, with a burst, the creature breached the surface.

A massive form rose, breaking through the vortex with an elegance that defied its size.

The beast was a figure of wonder of nature, its long, sinuous neck arching gracefully like a living wave.

Its sleek, sapphire scales shimmered with a liquid brilliance, reflecting the sunlight in rippling hues of blue and silver.

Fins, wide and powerful, extended like translucent sails, glowing faintly as they cut through the water.

Its head was both elegant, with piercing blue eyes that shone like twin stars beneath the

surface.

As it rose higher, it let out a resonant, haunting cry that echoed across the valley. Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Mercury stepped closer, her breath catching as she stared at the creature.

"It's... so beautiful," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ryder looked wide-eyed and awestruck, his earlier nervousness replaced with pure wonder.

Catarina tilted her head slightly.

"That's... definitely not the fish I was expecting..." she murmured.

Eratz's smile widened, though his eyes remained sharp and calculating.

"Now," he said softly, "this looks like a unique beast."

The beast observed them for a moment, sending ripples of light across the water,

Then, with a fluid, sudden motion, it submerged, leaving only the sparkling remnants of its

trail.

The whirlpool began to reform, the lake shifting into a new pattern of movement.

Eratz turned to the group, his expression calm but intense, his voice unwavering.

"Mercury," he said, locking eyes with her, "get ready."

Mercury straightened, her awe giving way to focus. This was her moment.

The calamity beast broke through the water with a roar that rippled through the valley, its sapphire scales shimmering and its serpentine body swaying with an elegance, its glowing fins slicing through the air like translucent blades.

Eratz smirked, Raijinara's energy crackling around him.

Lightning began to envelop his body as he activated his beastification with Raijinara.

His body transformed, arcs of golden electricity surging across his skin. Lightning wings extended from his back, crackling with energy, and his eyes glowed fiercely.

The beast roared, its cry shaking the lake as its long, body rushed forward, sending massive waves crashing to the shore.

Eratz shot into the air, his glowing wings spreading behind him. Lightning crackled around him, pushing him upward like a flash of light.

The beast opened its huge jaws, firing a jet of water straight at him. The blast ripped through

the mist, sharp and fast. Eratz raised his hand, sending a bolt of lightning to meet it.

The two forces clashed, sending a shower of glowing droplets into the air. Without waiting, Eratz formed a ball of lightning in his hand. It glowed brighter as energy crackled around it.

The beast lunged again, its fins slicing through the water, but Eratz hurled the ball downward.

The glowing orb slammed into the beast's back with an explosion of light and sound.

The lake erupted, water shooting into the air as lightning danced across the beast's

shimmering scales.

It roared and thrashed, its tail swinging up to strike, but Eratz easily dodged, moving faster

than the beast could react.

The lake churned as the creature created a giant whirlpool.

Water twisted into spinning jets, firing at Eratz one after another. He moved with ease, dodging each attack, leaving streaks of golden light in his wake.

Each missed jet slammed into the cliffs around the lake, breaking rocks into pieces. Mercury's frown deepened. Her water marks began to shimmer faintly, her aura subtly rising

as she prepared herself.

Eratz pressed the advantage, darting across the battlefield like a living bolt of lightning.

His movements were fluid and precise, each strike landing with calculated force. The beast was strong, but the overwhelming speed and power of Raijinara's beastification left it

struggling to keep up.

Finally, the creature roared and began to retreat into the depths.

Eratz reacted immediately, his hand shot up, a surge of lightning crackling around him.

His field spell expanded outward, a brilliant web of lightning streaking across the lake's surface, illuminating the water with flashes of light.

Each arc of electricity raced toward the beast, trapping it in an intricate storm of electricity. The lake trembled as the beast thrashed violently against the electrified barrier. Waves surged in all directions, crashing against the rocky shores with deafening force.

Eratz stood firm, his gaze sharp, directing the storm with the precision of a maestro commanding an orchestra.

The golden light reflected in his eyes as he funneled his energy to keep the beast contained.

Suddenly, a shift in the air pulled his attention.

Eratz paused, lowering his arm slightly as he felt it, a powerful, rising energy approaching

from beneath him.

A faint smirk formed as he recognized the source.

Mercury.

Her aura was flaring with a fierce intensity. The storm around her seemed to bend and swirl in

tandem with her steps.

Eratz descended back to earth, taking a few steps back, his wings folding as he deactivated his

field spell, leaving the beast still thrashing in the electrified lake.

"The scene is yours," he murmured under his breath, stepping to the edge of the shore to

watch.

Ryder and Catarina, standing nearby, exchanged glances.

"Here we go," Ryder said. Catarina nodded, her ears twitching as she crouched, ready to jump

in if needed.

Mercury's aura surged with every step, the water rippling in waves around her. Her glowing

water marks pulsed in time with the rhythm of her breathing, spreading across her body as her

transformation began.

The air around her shifted, spiraling into controlled gusts that picked up speed with every

moment.

The beast roared again, its massive body twisting in the water, but its movements slowed as if it, too, felt the danger that was coming.

Mercury's water beastification emerged first, her body covered in glowing marks resembling

rippling tides.

Streams of water coiled around her arms, rising and falling with her movements like living extensions of her power.

Her hair shimmered, streaked with silver, moving like a current.

The beast lunged forward, its sapphire eyes glowing with renewed fury, but Mercury

remained unfazed.

Her aura flared brighter, the transformation reaching its peak.

The air and water around her merged into a storm of energy as Zephyraquiel's power

enveloped her.

Translucent wings formed on her back, their edges glowing with an mystical blue light.

The gusts around her sharpened into cutting winds, while the water surged into massive,

swirling torrents.

Mercury stepped onto the lake, her eyes glowing with a fierce mix of oceanic and stormy hues.

The beast roared again, but this time it was different, less defiance.

It surged forward to meet her, the water around it rising.

The two forces clashed, a storm of water and wind colliding with the beast's overwhelming

presence.

Ryder and Catarina's eyes tensed, Eratz watched attentively.

Mercury raised her arms, the storm around her intensifying as she prepared for her most

important battle till now.

The calamity beast let out a final, resonant cry, its glowing eyes locked on her as they faced each other in the heart of the storm.