Chapter 178: Burden

Chapter 178: BurdenThe team's hunt for calamity beasts continued with relentless intensity, each battle and assimilation shaping their skills and teamwork.

The rhythm remained the same: train, hunt, assimilate, but the challenges multiplied as they progressed.

With Mercury's new water beast, the team found it significantly easier to handle fire-type calamities.

They turned their focus to hunting a powerful fire calamity for Kaida.

During the battle, Kaida, tried to face the beast head-on in a one on one.

The confrontation was ferocious, with Kaida pushing her limits against a formidable opponent.

Despite her best efforts, the beast's strength overwhelmed her, forcing Mercury and Raya to intervene.

The battle became a grueling test of coordination and resilience. With great difficulty, the three barely managed to subdue the beast.

However, the victory came at a cost, Kaida was gravely injured and needed several days of rest to recover.

Her absence left a noticeable gap in the team's momentum.

The remaining hunts grew increasingly challenging.

The calamity beasts became harder to track, constantly on the move.

Eratz focused on targeting those that stayed in one location, reasoning that stationary beasts might be less dangerous.

Yet, this strategy troubled him, he couldn't shake the feeling that the elusive, roaming calamities were far more powerful.

The team soon faced another unexpected obstacle: assimilation required a bond between the tamer and the beast, normally through a battle.

Without this connection, the beast would resist being subdued, much like Eratz's initial encounter with the Thunder Lycaon.

For members like Ryder, Colin, Milo and Catarina, who were clearly outmatched in direct combat, this posed a significant problem.

They lacked the raw power to earn a calamity beast's respect through dominance.

Their only hope was to be "chosen," much like how the Aetheri had accepted Eratz without a fight.

Milo's assimilation attempt with the forest spirit was a real miracle.

For three exhausting days, he tried tirelessly to connect with the beast. During this time, the team remained close, ensuring the spirit calamity couldn't flee or recover its strength.

Kaida suggested weakening the beast further, arguing it would increase their chances of

success.

But Milo, refusing to attack a spirit in this state, stood in her way, defending it.

This act of compassion created a rare moment of synchronicity between Milo and the forest spirit. Sёarch* The ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

On the third day, the beast finally shared its energy with Milo, forging their bond.

The boy's perseverance paid off, and he successfully assimilated the calamity beast.

What followed was an unprecedented situation.

When a beast was assimilated without a dominant bond, the relationship between master and beast remained tenuous.

Kaida and Milo both struggled with their new calamity beasts.

The beasts consumed an immense amount of energy to use, leaving Milo drained after mere seconds and Kaida unable to activate her beastification at all since she couldn't dominate her beast.

Their incomplete bonds rendered the beasts more like unstable weapons than reliable partners.

To regain control, both Kaida and Milo temporarily stepped back from the hunts, focusing on intensive training under Raya's guidance.

This pause was necessary to build their strength and establish proper synchronization with their calamity beasts.

While Kaida and Milo adapted to their powerhouses, Eratz took on the daunting task of finding suitable calamities for Catarina, Ryder, and Colin.

Knowing their unique abilities required a visible link to their beasts, he meticulously scouted the elusive, moving calamities, focusing on one team member at a time.

This decision led to Eratz disappearing with each of them for weeks, taking on the hunts almost entirely on his own. Despite his determination, his efforts met with limited success, five hunts ended in failure, with the beasts either escaping or proving incompatible.

The grueling solo hunts stretched over two months, leaving the team worn with many up and down.

By the end of this period, Kaida and Milo had made significant progress, but there was still much to learn.

They had faced setbacks, made breakthroughs, and grown stronger together. Yet, the challenges ahead were bigger.

With the new season officially beginning, the team knew the real trials were about to start.

While Eratz was deep in the wilderness with Colin, Victoria gathered the team in a quiet room at Golden Cosmos' headquarters.

The atmosphere was heavy, a mix of unease and frustration lingering in the air.

Kaida leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. Milo fidgeted, his gaze flitting between his hands and the floor.

Mercury stood tall, her calm composure masking the concern in her eyes.

Victoria stood at the center of the room. Her gaze swept over them, her expression calm but thoughtful.

"I asked you all here because we need to have an honest conversation," she began, her tone measured. "I can see it in your faces, the frustration, the doubt. You thought we'd be collecting calamity beasts by now, moving forward. But here we are, struggling to control a single beast. It's not failure. It's a reflection of just how daunting this truly is."

She paused, her words sinking in. There was no judgment in her tone, only understanding.

"Right now, Mercury is the only one of you truly in sync with her beast," Victoria continued. "That's not an indictment of your skills. It's a reminder of the magnitude of what we're attempting. Calamity beasts are unlike anything else. What Eratz is leading us through is a challenge unlike any other."

Kaida leaned forward, her voice tinged with irritation.

"You're making it sound like we're doing it on purpose, you know how hard it is?"

Victoria shook her head, her voice softening.

"No, Kaida. That's not what I'm saying. I understand how ridiculous this might sound coming from me, someone who doesn't even have a unique beast of her own. But I've seen what happens when someone tries to carry the weight of something this big alone. What we're doing with Eratz now... it reminds me of what Kallistra did with Tamara."

Her words hung in the air, drawing the room into a tense silence.

Kaida frowned.

"Are you really associating us with your crazy old friend?"

Victoria's gaze softened.

"I'm saying you've leaned on him too much. Eratz is carrying this hunt because he believes in

all of you. But if you continue to let him carry everything, you'll lose the chance to grow with

him, and worse, you might lose him."

She stepped closer, her voice firm but encouraging.

"You're his team. His friends. His family. You need to rise with him, not behind him. Don't

wait for him to hand you the fruits of his labor. Prove to him, and to yourselves, that you can fight just as hard, push just as far, and lead when the time comes."

Victoria looked at them with a small smile.

"Eratz doesn't need followers, he needs equals. You've seen what he's capable of, and I know

how much potential each of you holds. Now it's time to show him, and yourselves, that you're

not just part of his journey. Build your own legacy."

The room was silent for a long moment. Then, one by one, their expressions shifted.

Kaida's fiery determination returned, her lips curving into a faint smirk. Ryder sat up straighter, his nervous energy replaced with resolve.

Catarina's ears twitched, her playful demeanor vanishing as she leaned forward.