Chapter 199: In the Shadow of the Pharaoh

Chapter 199: In the Shadow of the PharaohIn the dimly lit room of the Infinite Twilight Agency, the only glow came from a laptop

displaying a video. Seated in a plush chair, Kallistra lounged casually, a bowl of chips in her lap.

Her striking silver-gray hair fell over her shoulders as she watched the screen with faint amusement, occasionally crunching on a chip.

The door creaked open, and Leonidas entered, flanked by Sia and Arin. Their steps were heavy with frustration as they discussed something animatedly. Leonidas's brows furrowed the moment his gaze landed on Kallistra.

Sia and Arin froze in surprise at the sight of Kallistra. Their eyes widened momentarily before quickly composing themselves.

"Lady Kallistra," they greeted in unison, their tones formal, almost militaristic. They straightened their postures like soldiers before their commander.

Leonidas sighed, his voice tinged with irritation.

"You're still here? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Kallistra gestured to the screen, her tone nonchalant.

"This is exactly why I'm here. There won't be anything better."

She popped another chip into her mouth, chewing lazily before her gaze shifted to the trio.

"I heard you found three calamity beasts. How did it go?"

Leonidas's expression darkened as he shot a glare at Sia and Arin.

"False call," he said gruffly. "One was a Terrakrus, the other was some kind of fairy, but neither was a unique beast. Ridiculous."

Sia scowled, looking away in annoyance, while Arin's face tightened as she stared at the floor.

Kallistra remained silent for a moment, her expression unreadable as her gaze lingered on the screen. Then, she chuckled softly, a sound that carried an air of both amusement and exasperation.

"There's always a damn Terrakrus in my way," she muttered to herself.

"Amazing... Your hope, I mean. You were so confident about finding three calamity beasts,

but you couldn't even locate one before this. Why were you so confident?" She swallowed her mouthful and leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.

"By the way, speaking of Terrakrus... were the other beasts by chance an aetheri and a lycaon?"

Sia stiffened. Arin fidgeted, her voice quiet.

"We couldn't see them. The beasts disappeared. We only saw the Terrakrus. The fairy was just a passerby's description."

Leonidas's frustration flared, his voice sharp.

"Ridiculous. You were chasing shadows."

But Sia's expression changed. Her gaze flicked to Kallistra, who was studying them with a calculating smile.

"An aetheri and a lycaon? Why those beasts?" Sia asked cautiously. "Is there a link to..."

Kallistra cut her off with a smirk.

"You're at least smart, young girl."

She stood, turning her laptop toward them. On the screen was footage of the Greenridge League semifinals: Eratz vs. Sia.

Leonidas's brow furrowed.

"You're wasting time with this?"

Kallistra's smirk widened, mocking.

"And this is exactly why you're the one in debt, Leo."

The weight of her words pressed on the room, suffocating and absolute. Sia and Arin straightened further, their discomfort palpable under her gaze. Leonidas said nothing, his jaw tightening. Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"I gave you a unique beast as a token of our partnership," Kallistra began, her tone as sharp as

a blade. "A message, if you want. To understand who sits on the chair and who cleans the boots."

She pointed at the screen.

"So imagine my curiosity when I heard that unique beast lost. Naturally, I checked the match, but..." She chuckled, the sound chilling. "This is worse. This boy's beast didn't just win. It dominated Sia's. How come?"

Her question lingered, daring them to answer.

Leonidas frowned, staring at Eratz on the screen. He hesitated, his brow furrowing deeper. After a pause, his gaze hardened as he began to understand.

"This thing... is a unique beast? He has one???"

Sia flinched, her eyes locked on the beast. Arin joined her, both scrutinizing the footage.

Before anyone could speak, the door burst open, and Rex walked in, balancing several bags of snacks. He didn't look up as he muttered.

"Can I take my laptop back? My favorite romance show is about to..."

When he finally noticed the room's occupants, his heart nearly stopped. Everyone turned to him, their expressions confused.

"I'm... still downloading my movie," Kallistra said with a playful lilt, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Four more gigabytes. You wouldn't rush a lady's entertainment, would

you?"

Rex opened his mouth, hesitated, then caught Leonidas's glare and thought better of it. His gaze landed on the screen, where Eratz's match played.

"Oh," he said, narrowing his eyes. "That's the boy I was chasing and his strange bird. Caused such chaos in Ferindale I had to use all my power. Now I'm exhausted, so I'll deal with it...

with snacks."

Kallistra's eyes bore into him, gleaming with interest.

"You met him?" she asked, her voice calm.

The room tensed as they realized what she meant.

Leonidas's frown deepened.

"Wait, you met him? This boy and his beast? And you said nothing?! Do you realize what this

beast might be??"

Rex scoffed.

"Ah, this? It's just a stormtalon. Nothing special."

Everyone turned to him, their expressions a mix of disbelief and sheer bafflement. Leonidas's

voice dripped with incredulity.

"A... stormtalon?"

Rex shifted uncomfortably, stammering.

"It... that boy said it. A different breed or something."

Leonidas's eyes widened, then narrowed as he gently grabbed Rex by the shoulder. Rex

fumbled further, looking increasingly panicked.

"I don't know! Maybe it's a... special one?"

Leonidas's voice grew louder, laced with sarcasm.

"Oh, a special one? Are you sure? Tell me, my boy, do you eat well at home? do you have

enough nutrients for your brain?"

He took his phone from his pocket and tapped furiously, then thrust the screen directly into

Rex's face, showing a picture of a blue, ostrich-like creature.

"This? Is this the breed you're talking about? This thing can't fly Rex."

Rex leaned back slightly, his hands fumbling with his snacks.

"Uh... I... I don't know... I don't see anything," he murmured, eyes darting away.

Leonidas's brow twitched as his frustration mounted.

"You don't see anything? You have to choose, my boy. Are you blind or stupid?" He gestured aggressively at the screen. "How in the world is this a stormtalon?!"

Rex remained stiff, clearly questioning all his life choices up to this point, until Arin stepped

in firmly, her tone sharp.

"Enough. He doesn't know," she said, stepping between Rex and Leonidas. Her gaze was steady, almost defiant, as she added, "There's no point in grilling him like this. It's not his

fault."

Leonidas sneered, his frustration spilling over.

"Not his fault? The boy can't tell a terrestrial joke from a flying unique beast, and your 3

unique beasts were merely lost predators," He jabbed a finger toward Rex, who shrank back

nervously. "This is why we can't have nice things, you are all wasting your time on being

stupid!"

Kallistra, who had been silently watching, let out a soft chuckle, her eyes gleaming with

amusement.

"Oh, Leonidas, you're so dramatic. There's nothing wrong with being a failure, this is why

people like me exist to keep you on a leash."

Her gaze returned to the screen, her eyes narrowing.

"An Ishtarian with a unique beast... The Pharaoh... Isn't that too good to be true?" Meanwhile, under the moonlit plain, Eratz stood alone. The grass shimmered in shades of

blue beneath the celestial glow, swaying gently in the soft breeze. The world around him was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of distant leaves. He looked up at the sky, his expression

calm but contemplative, then, his ears twitched.

"Finally," he said softly.

From the distance, a figure approached, Victoria.

"I'm sorry for the delay," she said gently.

Eratz shook his head.

"It's fine."

They exchanged a brief smile before Victoria's expression turned serious.

"So, you wanted to train for the world tier?"

Eratz nodded.

"Yeah. I want to speed up things, so I need to prepare for your crazy friend. You said you were

on par with her and Tamara before they got their unique beasts, right? I need to know where I

stand, without my Calamity beasts."

Victoria's eyes gleamed with quiet excitement.

"Well, I'd say I'm a joke compared to them, and I haven't fought in years," she admitted.

"But... This thrill... This suspense... I missed it. I'll help you as much as I can."

Eratz raised an eyebrow.

"In years? Seriously?" he asked, leaning back slightly as if trying to process her words. The

idea of a beast master stepping away from battle seemed almost absurd and triggered a new interrogation. "Quick question, what do you even do with beasts you don't use?"

She chuckled softly.

"They're outside, everywhere around the world. My aces are usually at my house."

"Hm... Sound nice, I like that," Eratz replied, cracking a grin. "Ok, enough waiting. Let's

begin. A world-tier battle with a single rule: no calamity beast."

Victoria's gentle smile turned sharp. "Then bring it on."