Everyone woke up early in the morning. The pact of Daroke's had also retreated to the jungle. However, the tamed beasts of Teo and the gang did not go with the pact but remained in the camp—so did Maverick, who was still sleeping. Last night, Lyrus had commanded Maverick to sleep so that he would be active today.
Lyrus: Yawn.
(He had gone to sleep near midnight because he had to finish all the serums needed for Zakhar, Maverick, and also for Teo's Daroke, Ruan.)
Teo: You're up. Have some food.
Lyrus: Hmm. Where are the others?
(He noticed that everyone besides Teo and his beasts—Domas and Ruan—were not in the camp.)
Teo: They already left to regroup with Selso and the others deep in the jungle.
(Lyrus also noticed the three gigantic draconic heads of a serpent nearby.)
You were so busy last night that Sedestro, Lanfer, and Horus came back with those spoils for you. Lanfer said to give this to you when you woke up.
(He handed over a box.)
Lyrus:
(He opened it. Inside were three vials of blood, each labeled: gray head, red head, and black head—indicating that the blood came from those carcasses.)
Hmm. Good girl. I think this is a jackpot.
(He looked at the corpses—Zakhar was eating the red head and Lanfer 2 the gray head. He guessed that the beast might have dragon blood or elemental bloodlines he could extract. Teo then briefed him on what kind of beast it was. He was even more surprised.)
Hmm. I'm now more interested in that Denegra than in this sample. Hmm. I could use this blood to create something that could take it down. But it will take some time, he thought.
Lyrus ate his meal as well. Then Vasha arrived.
Teo: Will you go to the jungle?
Lyrus: Later. I still have something to do. By the way, leave Ruan with me here.
Teo: Hmm. Sure.
(Then he instructed Ruan to cooperate with Lyrus.)
Teo: Let's go, Vasha.
Lyrus: Yawn.
Ruan: Rawwr.
(He also wanted to go with his master.)
Lyrus: Relax, big boy. We'll catch up to them soon.
Lyrus had created four serums. He gave one each to Lanfer 2, Zakhar, and woke up Maverick to give him one as well.
Lyrus: Drink this.
(He instructed Ruan.)
Ruan: Rawwr.
(He opened his mouth and Lyrus poured the serum in. He drank it.)
ROOAAAR!
(The effect was instantaneous. He was evolving.)
Lanfer 2, on the other hand, also began to glow, undergoing a minimal transformation. Lyrus had extracted the light-speed trait from Zakhar and fused it with Lanfer 2's traits, granting her light-speed flight despite her large size.
Zakhar, meanwhile, was growing and changing in real time. Once again, Lyrus had forged a new evolutionary route for the Creatops. According to Teo, this type of Creatops wasn't originally like this, but had evolved into this variant. It was supposed to be its final form. Yet Lyrus changed it again, forging new bloodlines with unimaginable potential.
Zakhar: Rooarr.
(His voice had already changed.)
Maverick had also transformed, becoming a humanoid wolf beast—another forged evolution.
Ruan, however, was becoming bigger and more ferocious-looking. His black fur now had a crimson-red touch. His claws turned into crimson-black. The black horn on his forehead had grown longer and turned crimson-black as well. His black-silver eyes became red-gold. He now appeared as a regal beast, and his aura grew stronger by the second.
Lyrus: Is it evolving into a Mythical Beast now? Fuck, did I just mess up?
Zakhar, too, was getting stronger by the second. His body had transformed into a gigantic humanoid beast, around 10 meters tall. He was a bulky humanoid giant, armored in emerald and gold, with white markings on his body and white-gold horns. He now looked like a cool, armored titan.
Luckily, both of them only evolved to reach the peak of Legend Rank. Had they evolved into Mythical Beasts, it would have caused a commotion. But this transformation alone was already something else.
Lanfer 2, on the other hand, had now become a Legendary Beast. Her carapace armor had become more detailed and stronger-looking. There were no major changes, but she looked as if she had matured into her adult form. That change alone was already significant.
Ruan & Maverick: Roooaar.
(They had just finished their evolution—one becoming a more terrifying Legendary Beast of regal stature, and the other becoming a Royal Beast through humanoid evolution.)
Zakhar: Grooo. (I'm now more powerful.)
Roaar.
(He still couldn't speak, but the telepathic thoughts behind his roar were already humanlike.)
Lanfer 2: Hmm. I think I can move faster and fly much faster now. I can also harness the power of light much more efficiently now, Master.
Lyrus: That's a good thing, then. But I'm confused—are you still one with Lanfer?
Lanfer 2: We are one, Master, but we have different consciousnesses. If one of us is destroyed or dies, we can revive each other.
Lyrus: That's a special ability. So you're like twins now. Okay, I've decided: from now on, you are Leonor.
Leonor: Thank you for giving me my own name, Master.
Lyrus: You're welcome.
Teo, meanwhile, could feel a strong feedback from Ruan—his aura was skyrocketing. He was still riding Vasha.
Teo: This kid is really something.
Meanwhile, Lanfer could also feel a change in his power. His abilities were getting stronger, and he had now reached the Legendary Rank. He materialized hundreds of light spears in the air and unleashed a barrage, striking down a group of Saneons. All the Overlord serpents were killed instantly.
Then Lanfer turned into light and shot forward like a spear, striking one of the Saneons and killing it instantly.
Lanfer: Oh, seems like Master fed my other half something outrageous.
Vania: Such a ferocious royal beast.
Logan: They're already doing all the hunting, though.
Vania: Isn't that a good thing?
Selso: No, it's not. Look at that damage—we can't sell those beasts.
Vania: You're right.
(They were witnessing a savage massacre between beasts.)
Logan: However, Ishvel and Titus' way of hunting is much cleaner.
Titus directly attacked the very spirit and soul of the beasts, along with powerful physical strikes. Ishvel, on the other hand, possessed exceptional swordsmanship paired with ice. All the beasts she hunted were cleanly cut, and some were frozen.
Vigil's hunted beasts, however, were always reduced to blood splatter and corroded into acidic liquids. She was a mad opponent who seemed to feel ecstasy at her enemy's misfortune—a crazed woman who fought like a relentless killer, not stopping even when her opponents were dead, until she was satisfied with destroying their bodies.
Selso: That one is crazy.
Vania: I don't know if that's still a beast or a demon.
Meanwhile, Sedestro was sleeping soundly upside down on a tree like a bat, his tail coiled around a branch. Beneath the tree, Horus was eating raw beast meat. Not far away, Tristan, Luke, Denise, Mike, and Miguel were teaching the interns how to hunt cooperatively with other hunters. Luke had the best performance, thanks to his unification ability.
Selso, Vania, and Logan's beasts were also engaged in battle, hunting more Saneons while the group was busy managing the hunted bodies. They also had some Legendary Rank Darokes, and three of those were assisting with the hunt.
Logan: If this continues, we'll be finished in no time. We're almost halfway to meeting our quota.
(Lyrus's beasts are a crazy bunch. This hunt is progressing quickly and effectively thanks to their cooperation.)
Vania: You're right. This is also a good thing. We might be able to return ahead of schedule. With the sudden increase in high-rank beasts in this region, something must be happening deeper in the Wildlands.
Suddenly, Teo arrived on Vasha. They noticed his aura was a little unstable, but stronger than usual.
Selso: Hmm. Did you just have a breakthrough?
Logan: Getting ahead of us again, huh, Teo?
Vania: What a lucky bastard.
Teo: Sorry, I took a little while. Haha.
(He was proud of himself.)
I don't know what that kid did, but I'm getting stronger. The limit of Legend Rank is no longer a cap. I can cultivate even further.
I just got lucky.
Logan: Luck? That would be impossible. With our age and latent capabilities, we're only bound to reach S to SSS Rank. Without bonding to a Legendary Beast, we wouldn't be able to break through to higher realms. And all the beasts we've tamed are capped at Legendary Beast growth only. How did you manage to get this strong? We're already past 70. Supposedly, we should be weakening after 7 to 9 years of realm stagnation.
(They were already old hunters, but remained strong due to the vitality shared through their beast bonds.)
Vania: Hmm. You have a point.
Teo: I guess I can't hide it. But I also don't know what that kid did to Ruan.
(He trusted these people to keep it a secret. After all, it involved a prestigious clan. These clans had secrets that made them stronger than the rest.)
Vania: Kid…
(He noticed Ruan wasn't with him, nor was Lyrus.)
I see. Lyrus.
Logan: Whatever it is, that kid is part of the Eisien Clan. Let's not get into any trouble. Let's just call it Teo's luck.
Selso: But you do look a bit younger.
Teo: I do. I think I've returned to my prime—ten years ago. My body is full of vitality.
Back with Lyrus, Maverick had fully evolved into a humanoid Daroke, with crimson-black fur covering his body and streaks of red fur. A black horn protruded from his forehead. He was now a Beast Emperor.
Zakhar looked like a giant—fully armored, artistic in design, mighty, and grand. Leonor had also become more beast-like, more detailed and aesthetically majestic. She was now fully armored and more menacing, with three pairs of small wings. These wings didn't flap to make her fly—instead, they acted like boosters. Leonor could already levitate and fly naturally, but with these wings, she could accelerate to extreme speeds, transforming into a ball of light like Zakhar and flying at unimaginable velocity.
Ruan, too, had become regal and terrifying. If he was a true predator before his evolution, now he had become a monstrous force.
Lyrus packed up his tent into his spatial ring, along with all his belongings. He also stored the other serpent heads in his storage ring.
Lyrus: Alright, let's go.
(Lyrus hopped onto Leonor. Maverick rode on Ruan. Zakhar, having gained the ability of flight without turning into a ball of light, hovered beside them.)
Lyrus: Track your master, Ruan.
Ruan: Roar!
(He charged into the jungle.)
Leonor and Zakhar also boosted into the horizon. Ruan was incredibly fast on the ground, but Zakhar was even faster. His abilities had been upgraded. Leonor, too, kept up with the two of them. What amazed Lyrus most was Ruan's speed—despite running through the jungle filled with obstacles, he was still able to keep up with the others who were flying. Lyrus knew Zakhar was limiting his speed so the others wouldn't be left behind.
In just ten minutes, they could already see on the horizon a fierce hunt involving Lyrus's other beasts and all of Teo's group: Selso, Vania, Logan, Mike, Miguel, and the three interns. They were fighting in the territory of a gigantic serpent species called Saneons. These beasts were naturally born Beast Emperors and could grow up to Legendary Rank.
The ground was swarming with multiple Overlords, several Legendary Beasts, and a horde of Beast Emperors.
Lyrus: Did they just poke a hive of serpents?
(He could see in the distance that the interns were literally fighting for their lives, while the others were simply hunting.)
Lyrus arrived at the location where Logan, Teo, Selso, and Vania were busy collecting and storing hunted beasts into their storage rings. Horus was still eating under a tree, and Sedestro remained asleep on a branch.
Teo: Whoa. Ruan… Oh my god…
(He was stunned to see his beast looking so grand, menacing, strong, and cool.)
How can I repay you for this, Lyrus?
Vania: Oh my god… This appearance… No way—that's a Daroke at the peak of Legendary Rank!
They also noticed the humanoid black and crimson-red wolf beast riding Ruan, as well as the giant flying through the sky. The worm-beetle-like beast now looked even more grand and mighty.
Logan: They evolved.
Horus: This new brother is much stronger than us.
(He was referring to Zakhar, who was levitating above them, observing the hunt.)
Sedestro:
(He jumped down and landed on Horus's shoulders.)
Yawn.
(Then he looked up.)
Hmft.
Maverick got down and approached Horus and Sedestro. They already knew each other from the night before. Lanfer had already informed them that their master had tamed new beasts. Their master had also told them that the purpose of coming to the wilderness wasn't just training—it was also for subjugating and capturing potential powerful allies.
Lyrus was building his own beastial force and preparing to embark on a journey to find his mother.
Lyrus: Maybe help me hunt that Dehedra.
(He said to Teo.)
Vania: Are you crazy? That seven-headed draconic serpent is far more powerful than you can imagine. Do you know that the City Lord and several Mythical Ranks joined forces a year ago to subjugate it—and they failed? Despite being just a Legendary Beast, that serpent possesses strength far beyond its current realm. Even with your many Legendary Beasts and the help of Teo's beasts, that still wouldn't be enough.
Teo: She's right. Our beasts might end up dead if we go against it.
(Then Teo briefed him with more information.)
Also, it lives deeper in the wilderness. The Western Region wilderness is even larger than the Culvary Nation's territory. It would take a while to find it, especially now that it's roaming.
Lyrus: Hmm… Okay. How about this—help me look for potential powerful beasts in this region for now, while we continue to search for that Dehedra.
Teo: Then so be it.
(If they're only looking for strong beasts other than Dehedra, then it's possible.)
But that Dehedra is no joke. Please give up on that.
Logan: That beast is something we can't take on.
Lyrus: Nope. How about this—I'll make you all an offer. How about I give your beasts a boost—all of your beast companions? In exchange, you help me look for powerful beasts, and when the time comes, help me subjugate that Dehedra.
Also, Ruan just needs a little push and he'll break through to Mythical Beast rank—same with my new beast, Zakhar. And most of your beasts are already capped at Legendary Rank. Once I boost them, they'll evolve further and grow much stronger. The cap of Legendary Rank will no longer be a problem, and your beasts will easily break through to Mythical Beast level.
Don't say no right away—think about it first. If you agree, then give blood samples from all your beasts.
(Then he threw a box to Teo full of syringes and empty vials.)
Lyrus: Maverick, help them with the hunting. This will be the start of your training.
Maverick: Rooarr!
(Then he transformed into a Daroke again. This transformation resembled Ruan's regal form, but Maverick was smaller—though still nearly the size of an adult Daroke. He then ran to help Luke and Mike hunt some Overlords. Leonor also soared into the sky where Zakhar was. Horus and Sedestro flew along with them.)
Lyrus: Zakhar, you know this region, right? Help me look for powerful beasts—Legendary Rank and below—to tame.
Zakhar: Yes.
(He could already speak and form simple words.)
Then—Vroom! Vrooom!—a powerful shockwave of light burst in all directions.
Zakhar: That location has three Legendary Beasts.
(He pointed northeast.)
Lyrus: Let's go. Come with us, Horus and Sedestro.
Horus and Sedestro: Yes, Master.
Sedestro: By the way, Master, we also caught some beasts with peculiar abilities. They've been imprisoned by Ishvel in that area.
(He pointed to a distant forest where three differently sized ice cages were holding beasts.)
Lyrus: Good. Leave them for now.
(Then Vigil appeared in the sky.)
Vigil: Master.
(She greeted him.)
Lyrus: Stay here and help them clear out the remaining beasts. Set up a camp here. After that, rest and recover. Also, train Maverick.
(He pointed to the new beast companion.)
Vigil: Yes, Master.
Zakhar sped off into the horizon, followed by Leonor carrying Lyrus, along with Horus and Sedestro.
Vigil descended toward Ishvel's ice cages. Ishvel was also there. Inside the cages were:
A humanoid Legendary Beast—a vine woman. It was a Vendissa, a type of beast usually found deep in the wilderness.
A Tarfollio, also Legendary, but red and more regal-looking—a variant evolution. Unlike the typical gorilla-like Tarfollios, which reach ten meters in height with massive arms (like Teo's), this one was more humanoid in posture.
The third cage, much larger than the others, held a massive white and gold serpent—another Saneon variant and likely the reason all the Saneons had been attacking them. It seemed to be their leader. Though it was almost the size of Vasha, Ishvel had singlehandedly defeated it.
Meanwhile, the four elders were in deep thought.
Teo: How about we give it a try? We can flee if things get dangerous.
The four came to a conclusion and decided to go for it.
Lyrus arrived at a location and found a massive dinosaur-like beast. It was a Bouldevion—a colossal creature, the size of a small hill. It had a pair of large wings, though it couldn't fly due to its immense size and mass. Its wings were small compared to its body.
Bouldevion: Roaar!
(It was so massive it could be seen towering above the forest treetops. It covered a vast land area—about 5,000 meters in width, 25,000 meters in length, and stood 11,000 meters tall. Truly colossal.)
Lyrus: No way...
(He observed the beast. It had clearly come from deep in the wilderness—judging from the flattened trees and a path carved into the Wildlands.)
What's happening in this region?
The Bouldevion was currently resting, but it roared when it spotted them.
Lyrus: This one is huge... but it might be useful as a tank against the Dehedra. What do you think, Horus and Sedestro?
Horus: This guy could help us if we go up against the Dehedra. The problem is whether it can withstand that serpent's barrage of energy cannons.
Sedestro: And it might be too slow. That Dehedra, despite its size, is surprisingly nimble. Still, this guy could act as a shield and draw its attention while we focus on taking it down.
Lyrus: I see. How about we test its abilities?
Sedestro: Heheh. Leave it to us, Master.
Lyrus: Put a shield around them, Leonor.
Leonor: Yes.
(Vwing! A golden aegis blended into Horus's body and Zakhar.)
Sedestro: Hey, don't! Are you serious?
(He warned Leonor—he was a shadow and dark type, so having a light aegis around him was dangerous.)
Leonor: Scree!
(Laughing.)
Lyrus:
(Laughed.)
He had forgotten that the aegis would be harmful to Sedestro.
Go!
Vroom! Vroom! Zakhar shot into the sky like a meteor—spinning, glowing, a blazing sphere of light and flame.
Leonor placed an aegis around herself and Lyrus.
Horus: Hmmm...
Lyrus: This is much stronger than last time. And much bigger...
The Bouldevion noticed and roared into the sky.
Horus conjured powerful red-black crimson energy. Sedestro did the same. They launched a twin cannon of energy—but the Bouldevion's massive tail smashed the attack and deflected it. Then it manipulated the earth and fired a barrage of large earth chunks like bullets.
At the same time, the sky lit up with massive, terrifying energy descending—Zakhar's meteor attack.
Bouldevion: Roar!
Lyrus: Let's get away!
(Leonor flew higher into the sky, with Horus and Sedestro following.)
Bouldevion manipulated the earth, creating a dome around itself—layer upon layer, forming a mountain-like defense. The terrain was transformed completely.
BOOOOOM! A massive explosion erupted as the meteor crashed into the Bouldevion's domes. But the defense was useless—Zakhar's attack broke through and hit the Bouldevion directly on the head.
Bouldevion: ROOOOAAAR… RAWR…
(Then it fainted.)
Lyrus: Whoa… He took it down in one hit.
Horus: We didn't even get a chance to attack. This new guy is too strong.
Lyrus and the others descended. The earth dome had turned into molten lava—a result of Zakhar's immense power.
Zakhar: It's still alive.
(He checked if the attack had killed it. Luckily, Bouldevion's defense was strong enough. Though hit directly in the head, it had only suffered a black scorch mark. It was merely knocked out.)
Lyrus: Good. Let's bind it before it wakes up.
Lyrus released a wave of white power, cascading like an ocean across the Bouldevion's body. The white integration process took over an hour due to its massive size. After two hours, Lyrus had successfully bound it.
Lyrus: That was so tiring...
Meanwhile, Horus, Sedestro, and Zakhar had gone to three more locations to hunt other powerful beasts in the area.
BOOM!
A massive explosion echoed in the distance—they were likely facing another powerful opponent.
Sedestro returned with a Legendary Beast—an insect-like devil—contained in a cage of black energy.
Sedestro: Master, look what I found.
(A demonic, armored insect beast stood before them. It had demonic feathered wings, three horns, a purple carapace, and savage, ferocious features—but it looked lifeless.)
Lyrus: What have you done to it?
Sedestro: This one, Master.
(A black orb floated in Sedestro's hand. Inside it was a miniature version of the insect beast, trapped within.)
Every living thing has this inside their body—and I took it. This beast was originally sleeping, so I did it without a fight.
Lyrus: The soul of the beast...
(This is so insidious.)
What about mine?
Sedestro: Hmm. Four years ago, Master, you were like everyone else. But when you became white, you became everything. You're different now—you became one with all that you are. How do I explain it... hmm...
Lyrus: My very existence became one with my body, soul, and spirit. Everything I am has become one—is that what you're saying?
Sedestro: Yes.
Lyrus: Hmm. That's a good thing then.
(That means I succeeded.)
Lyrus: But taking its soul out of its body... wouldn't that kill it?
(He was referring to the body.)
Sedestro: No. I kept a small connection to it, enough for the body to function normally. Bind it now, Master.
(Then Lyrus integrated and bound both the beast's body and the soul within the orb in Sedestro's hand.)
A while later, Horus arrived, carrying an Overlord beast—a black centaur-like horse.
Crash! He dropped it onto the ground.
Horus: I found this beast, Master. I encountered a pact of black horses in the wild, but this one was different from all the others—so I decided to subdue it.
Lyrus: This is a good find. Well done.
(Then Lyrus also bound and tamed the creature.)
Lyrus: Go to Zakhar—it looks like he's found a tough opponent. Help him.
Sedestro and Horus: Yes.
(Then both of them flew off toward the direction where Zakhar's light-filled battle was raging on the horizon.)