Zakhar is fighting a three-way battle. A while later, he found beasts fighting with each other. A draconic, serpentine Cobralisik with elemental powers of ice and poison. It was white and light blue in color, with a lavender tail and head, four lavender horns, and six ice-blue horns. It was fighting against a dragon serpent, with a golden sword horn, a golden armored head, and some golden scales, an emerald and blue-scaled body, four pairs of gold and red dragon wings, and a red-thorned body near the tail. The beast could fire dragon breath and dragon cannons. Its attacks were also laced with poison.
Zakhar successfully launched a sneak attack from the sky and landed a hit on the Cobralisik, but it survived. He was then attacked by both the dragon serpent and the Cobralisik. Luckily, since it was a three-way battle, and the Cobralisik was already injured by both the dragon serpent and Zakhar, it was eventually knocked unconscious. Now, Zakhar was fighting the dragon serpent alone. The fight had taken to the air, turning into a hard-fought chase filled with rapid attacks.
Zakhar: Surrender, dragon. Become one with us.
Dragon Serpent: [Roars.] Then fired a golden cannon—this one much more powerful than all its previous attacks. Luckily, Zakhar dodged. The surrounding area was destroyed, leaving a long crater that stretched across the horizon.
A while later, Horus and Sedestro arrived.
Horus: What do we have here?
Zakhar and the dragon serpent were already tired and weakened. Horus instantly arrived at the head of the dragon serpent and kicked it to the ground.
Crash! It landed heavily.
Sedestro landed on its head, extracted its soul, and placed it into his conjured black orb. Meanwhile, Zakhar, already too exhausted, fell to the ground, crashing into a small crater.
Sedestro: Let's bring these three to the master.
A black mass of shadowy fiends materialized, all with wings. They lifted and carried the two beasts. Horus also took Zakhar.
They returned to Lyrus a little while later. Mistoria (Demonic Insect Lord), Tundiga (Black Centaur Devil Horse), and Bouldevion had already awakened. With the power of white through integration, all of them had fully recovered.
Lyrus: Good job, everyone.
Lyrus filled the area with white energy, then integrated the two draconic beasts. The white energy also seeped into Zakhar, instantly healing all his injuries, though he remained unconscious. He successfully bound the beasts.
Lyrus: This is such a good find. (But all of these beasts are not native to this region—they came from the northern part of Culvary. Why are they here? Well, it's a good thing for me. I don't need to go north just to hunt these types of beasts.)
Bouldevion: Roooooaaaar! (Lyrus was currently on its back. The back of Bouldevion was massive.)
Lyrus: I guess it's time to name everyone. So from now on, big guy, you are Agarez.
Agarez: Rooar.
Lyrus: You will be Xukhar (Mistoria). And you will be Edeo (Tundiga).
Edeo: Ngeehiehei! (Neighing.)
Xukhar: I am not satisfied with this. I want to fight the black beast. (He was an intelligent beast who had seen many humans and fought alongside them in his life—but never had he thought he would be caught and tamed like this.)
Lyrus: Sure. After all, I also need to test your capabilities. (He called to Sedestro, who was flying in the sky.) This new brother of yours is not satisfied with his current state. Mind if you brawl with him?
Sedestro: Hehe. So, you want a beating? I would gladly pummel you down.
Xukhar: Let's see about that.
Then they vanished and clashed in the air—so fast that only black and violet streaks could be seen colliding in the sky. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a massive sphere of darkness enclosed the two. When the black sphere dissipated, Xukhar's body plummeted from the sky. Horus caught him and landed near Lyrus.
Sedestro: Hehehe. (This time, he didn't pull Xukhar's soul. But Xukhar's body was covered in black mass.)
Xukhar: What happened? (After being devoured by darkness, he blacked out.)
Sedestro: You lost.
Lyrus: Satisfied now?
Xukhar: No. I need a rematch.
(Sedestro's face twisted in bewilderment and annoyance.)
Sedestro: Hey, you just lost!
Xukhar: No way—again!
Then he burst forth toward Sedestro in the sky.
Sedestro: Hayz...
(A gigantic black arm materialized behind Sedestro and punched Xukhar, crashing him into a nearby forest.)
Xukhar: Again!
Sedestro: Huh? This guy is irritating me.
Lyrus: Don't kill him.
Sedestro: Yes.
Horus: This guy is a blockhead. Master, I think you need to develop his intelligence. He's a troublesome fellow.
Lyrus: At least he has tenacity. Despite failing, he rises up again and tries. This one is worth training. If he causes trouble, just beat some sense into him from time to time. You're big brothers now, okay?
Horus: Yes.
Lyrus and Horus watched the never-ending fight between Sedestro and Xukhar. Xukhar always lost—and it irritated Sedestro more and more. Even though Sedestro was technically weaker than Xukhar, he still overpowered him due to his conceptual power—black. Lyrus didn't know whether it was shadow or darkness, but he knew it wasn't ordinary. Darkness as a concept was already taken by a god. Shadow was questionable too, since Sedestro never blended into shadows. His power was a black mass—like Lyrus' white mass. Lyrus understood his own concept, but Sedestro's remained unclear.
Lyrus: (Smiles.)
Then he took out his materials and began analyzing the blood of Xukhar, Edeo, and Agarez. After an hour, he finished creating the serums for Xukhar and Edeo. He had already created the serum for Agarez, but due to Agarez's immense size, he needed to reproduce it in larger quantities. The serum production was now in the sky—the white mass serving both as container and reproducer.
Lyrus: This might take a while. Horus, give this to Edeo. (He handed the serum to Horus.)
At that time, Edeo was patrolling nearby. Despite being only an Overlord, he was incredibly fast. In the dense jungle, he maneuvered instantly around obstacles, making it hard for even Horus—with wings—to catch him.
Horus: Hey, speedy. The master has a present for you. Drink this.
Edeo: [Neighs.]
He drank the serum. With a single heartbeat, he fell to the ground unconscious. His body began to evolve.
Horus guarded him, made a bonfire, and took out some game from his storage, grilling meat. Lyrus had taught them cooking four years ago. Being stuck in the city for so long, they had to learn how humans lived. They also studied—something they hated—but it was a command from Lyrus, making them all intelligent and capable individuals.
Lyrus, on the other hand, let his white mass in the sky reproduce more of Agarez's serum. Then, he took blood samples from the two draconic serpents still lying unconscious despite being healed by the white energy. He knew that the power of white suppressed their beastly ferocity, increasing their intelligence. He then began analyzing them.
Lyrus: Hmmm… This is…
(While analyzing the beast blood, he discovered a dragon bloodline in their DNA. This explained their draconic features and why they had become draconic serpents. However, the bloodline was weak.)
For now, I'll do the same—reproduce this bloodline and saturate it all.
(All Lyrus had done with every beast he evolved so far was to first find the most powerful bloodline in their body, develop and evolve it, reproduce and concentrate it into a condensed serum. Once they ingested the serum, it would perfectly blend into their body, consume, and replace all their normal bloodlines until their whole system was saturated with that powerful bloodline—resulting in evolution into a stronger version of themselves. He also added human evolutionary traits to most of his beasts, which made them intelligent. But this time, he didn't add any human evolutionary traits to the dragons' serum—nor to Agarez's serum. Instead, he developed their bestial origins.)
Lyrus continued until he finished their serums as well. Sedestro and Xukhar also stopped fighting when Sedestro could no longer move and fainted. This guy didn't stop until he passed out unconscious.
Sedestro: Master, I'll go and roam around. Don't make this guy follow me when he wakes up.
(He dumped Xukhar on Agarez's back.)
Lyrus: Sure. Look for some beasts while you're at it.
Sedestro: Yes. (Then he left.) Argh, I'm exhausted.
(He wanted to find a place to sleep.)
A while later, the serum for Agarez was finally ready. This serum was special—because Lyrus had incorporated the dragon bloodline of the Dehedra into the Earth Dragon bloodline of Agarez. He let him drink a massive amount of the serum. An immense energy burst from Agarez's body, and his power surged. Leonor and Lyrus distanced themselves from Agarez and placed Xukhar near Horus's fire grill.
Lyrus: Leonor, enclose him with a barrier. Don't let his aura dissipate into the air—trap all of his energy within himself.
Leonor: Yes, master.
(It would be a waste if Agarez's aura and power kept leaking from his body during evolution. This was just an experiment Lyrus wanted to try: what would happen if the aura or power that usually leaked during evolution was prevented from escaping the body?)
Fortunately, Leonor could summon a colossal Aegis barrier around his body. Agarez began transforming inside. The nature of Leonor's Aegis was to trap outgoing energy—yet Agarez could still absorb energy from his surroundings. Any energy that entered the barrier would also stay trapped inside.
Edeo, on the other hand, had completely changed.
He was now a mighty-looking Black Centaur, with silver armor and two massive black horns. He could also manipulate metals. His horse head had completely changed into a devilish form. He was currently chopping meat with a conjured black-silver axe forged from metal extracted from the soil and surroundings. He was eating together with Horus. His body was now also covered with metallic armor that seemed to conduct electricity.
Agarez's situation was becoming quite astonishing. Earth energy continued building up within his body. Inside the barrier, he had turned rock-solid. His entire body was now encased like a mountain of stone. He might be stuck in this form for a while.
Verfeleon: Roaaar!
(He awoke and soared into the sky.)
Corgaleon: Rooaaar!
(She also woke up.)
They roared at each other—but now they were no longer enemies. Because of the bond, they realized they were now tamed and subjects of Lyrus.
Then Lyrus called both of them over and extracted their memories—and found the reason they were here.
Lyrus: I see… The Ursemia Nation has decided to send a full force to their western border to expand their territories. They're using many Legendary and Mythical beasts, which led to complete disarray in the wild—forcing all these beasts to migrate downward into this region. And Culvary Nation is also leading a charge westward, worsening the situation for beasts in the wild.
(Ursemia was a country north of Culvary. These two draconic serpents were fighting over new territory. That was the cause of the major influx of beasts in this region.)
Lyrus: I guess I need to report this to Bill and let him talk to the Eisien Clan about it. After all, this is the Eisien border.
(He pulled out his phone and emailed detailed information about the situation at the Bulgarian border—the major influx of beasts in the Wildlands.)
A beast horde might be expected.
(He also sent the email to Teo, explaining how he found out the information. Teo knew how to fabricate things, so he would sugarcoat the message when reporting to the Watchers.)
Lyrus: (Thinking) This is the best time to hunt more beasts.
He turned his attention to the two draconic serpents.
Lyrus: From now on, your name will be Silvio (Verfeleon), and you will be Devora (Corgaleon). Following me will make you stronger. I know you've realized it now that you're bound to me. You're no longer savage beasts to be hunted—but beings who have gained intelligence. But that's only the beginning. Drink this and be of use to me.
(He gave them massive amounts of serum stored in a white container floating in the air.)
They drank it—and roared as the effect began. They could already feel the changes to their bodies. Xukhar also woke up, and Lyrus gave him his own serum. He immediately turned into a violet cocoon. The four of them had begun their evolution.
A while later, Lanfer arrived at the location. It seemed the problem with the Saneons was already dealt with.
Lanfer: Master.
(She greeted him. Everyone had been worried back at camp because of the overwhelming powerful energies everywhere. The influx of beasts in the region was increasing rapidly.)
Lanfer: These are?
(She noticed five more beasts bound to Lyrus. He briefed her about the new beasts. He also informed her that he had named her beastial body. They weren't just one entity—but twins.)
Lyrus: This peculiarity in your evolution—both you and Leonor—has developed a concept of immortality. That is, as long as one of you remains alive. So it's important that both your bodies grow stronger. Don't take Leonor for granted. You are one—but also separate individuals. This unbreakable connection between the two of you must be worked out for you to become stronger.
(Lyrus had noticed that Lanfer wasn't getting stronger despite training and devouring beast cores, while Leonor was growing stronger just by eating. Her latent capabilities were superior to Lanfer's.)
Lyrus: Let me examine this problem.
(The white mass gushed out from Lyrus's body and surrounded both Lanfer and Leonor. As it integrated into them, he noticed a line connecting Leonor to Lanfer. Lanfer had no soul or spirit. She was just a medium—a body without a soul. A biological fighting weapon. Meanwhile, Leonor, the Swarm Mother Body, had seven hearts, two souls, and two brains.)
The white mass dissipated.
Lyrus: Now I understand.
Leonor and Lanfer: What is it, master?
Lyrus: Lanfer, your current body cannot grow unless your Swarm Mother Body grows stronger. The real "you" is still inside Leonor. Inside her, there are two souls and two brains—two consciousnesses. Lanfer, your consciousness has been given control of the auxiliary body. Your current form is merely a biological vessel. You know how games work, right? Imagine this body of yours is just a character—and you're the one playing and controlling it.
(They understood what games were.)
Lanfer: Then… what happens if I die?
Lyrus: If that vessel dies, you'll simply return to the Swarm Mother Body. When that happens, Leonor will be deprived of control—and it will be given to you. Then your body will generate a new auxiliary form, which Leonor will control. This is a cycle. I don't know if the two of you can control both bodies at the same time. You need to figure this out together.
Lanfer and Leonor: Yes, master.
Lanfer: Devour me, sister.
Lyrus: What are you doing?
Lanfer: You said I wouldn't die if this body was destroyed—because I'm only controlling it. I just thought of something. Also, this body has amassed a large amount of resources through hunting. It holds energy I cannot even harness, but it keeps being stored inside.
Lyrus: Hmm. I see.
Leonor: Don't worry, master. My instincts are telling me to devour Lanfer. Are you feeling the same, sister?
Lanfer: Yes.
Lyrus stepped away from Leonor and flew into the air. Then Leonor formed a barrier around herself and Lanfer. Zakhar, Horus, and Edeo observed from a distance. They could feel the odd—but intense—aura between the three.
Suddenly, Leonor swallowed and devoured Lanfer. Horus and Zakhar instantly flew toward Lyrus's position.
Horus: Master, what's happening? Why did Leonor devour Lanfer?
(He was confused, angry, and terrified.)
Lyrus: Argh. This is hard to explain.
(Then he held two fingers to his forehead and pulled out a white line from his head, then threw it to Horus and Zakhar. It was a memory of the situation between the two.)
Horus: This…
(They now understood the situation.)
Lyrus: No need to worry.
Suddenly, an outburst of golden energy exploded inside the Aegis barrier. Even though the energy wasn't leaking, the immense pressure could still be felt outside.
Zakhar: Hmmm…
(Then he looked up.)
Lyrus: This is…
(The clouds were gathering. The sky darkened.)
This is a tribulation of thunders.
Lyrus, Horus, and Zakhar fled toward the location of Agarez's mountain-like rock form. Nearby, the two draconic beasts were still unconscious, coiled far from each other.
Then thunder rained down, striking Leonor. But all of it was absorbed inside the Aegis barrier. A few minutes later, the tribulation ended—but the immense energy and pressure now emanating from the area was no longer that of a Legendary Beast. Leonor had become a Mythical Beast.
Lyrus: Fuck.
(He just realized he would be struck next. Then he brandished an ocean of white into the sky. The white materialized like water, forming a protective ocean to shield Agarez and the others beneath it.)
Thunder rained down again. The tribulation lightning was trapped inside the white ocean. Lyrus wasn't even hurt. He felt no change in his body—because his body was already a concept. He was omnipotent and invincible. The tribulation was nothing to him.
After a while, the thunderstorm ended. The tribulation lightning had been absorbed by the white. Instead of devouring it, Lyrus refrained—and instead passed it into Leonor, who was still inside the Aegis. The white bypassed the Aegis, and the tribulation energy flowed inside, intensifying the energy within.
After a while, all of the energy was absorbed by Leonor. Her appearance hadn't changed much, but she now appeared more regal, and her colors were brighter than usual. Her beast body was now much stronger.
Then she descended to the ground. Her body moved… and then she laid a humanoid individual. This body resembled Lanfer, but was far stronger-looking than before. It also had a different appearance—its hair was black, unlike Lanfer's yellowish-gold.
Leonor: Oh my… So this is how it feels to have a humanoid body.
(Lyrus descended to them.)
Lyrus: It seems like what I said was true. The two of you have swapped.
Lanfer: Yes. (Growling) Oh… I can feel endless hunger.
(She said this. Then Lyrus took the remaining three Dehedra heads and fed them to Lanfer.)
Horus: What will happen to our training? You've swapped. Doesn't that mean your battle experience has also reset?
Lanfer: No. When she devoured the auxiliary body, all its experience was imprinted into her memories. Both of us have acquired each other's mastery. Even now, I can still harness my previous barrage of abilities. But my fighting style cannot be imitated by my beast body. However, Leonor's skills are also mine now. We have swapped mastery of both beast and humanoid forms. And now, our pool of skills and abilities is much broader.
Leonor: She's right.
(Then she conjured her battle form. Her battle form was different from Lanfer's, which was white and gold. Leonor's was black and gold. Her wings were golden, and her spear was black and gold. She also had two horns shaped like a small crown.)
Leonor: Master, permit me to test this new body of mine.
Lyrus: Sure.
Leonor: Thank you.
(Then she vanished into the horizon in an instant. Her speed was now much greater. The auxiliary body was now Mythical Rank, and so was the beast body.)
Did I just get two in one? Lyrus thought.
Sedestro, who was returning, was surprised when Leonor passed by him.
Sedestro: Was that Lanfer? Why does she seem so strong now? Did she just evolve?
(Then, a little while later, he arrived.)
Sedestro: Master, something's wrong with Lanfer.
Horus: That's not Lanfer. That's Leonor. This is Lanfer.
Sedestro: Huh? Did you hit your head or something? What are you talking about?
Lanfer: I am indeed Lanfer. Leonor and I have swapped bodies now.
(Then Lanfer and Horus explained what had happened.)
Sedestro: This is crazy.
Then Lyrus set up a tent and rested.
Back at the camp:
Ishvel noticed that Lanfer's energy had vanished—but then returned, slightly different.
Ishvel: What's happening out there?
Vigil: Don't worry about Lanfer. If she died, she would be revived by her beast body. That might be what happened—she probably encountered a powerful opponent and died. That's why her aura vanished and came back. She must've revived from her beast body.
(Vigil already knew Lanfer's capabilities beforehand.)
Maverick: Huff… huff…
(He was doing push-ups with the enlarged body of Titus on his back. Titus had also increased his mass.)
Titus: What are you doing? Keep moving. 4567… Hey! Don't stop or I'll add more weight!
Maverick: Argh…
Titus: 4569… Keep moving! There's no room for weakness here.
The handsome, arrogant Titus was training Maverick in the most hellish way imaginable.
Maverick: (Roared)
(Then fainted.)
Titus: Hmm. That's it for today, kid.
(Speaking to the unconscious body.)
In the background, the number of ice cages behind Ishvel and Vigil had grown—now there were seven. Vania, Selso, Logan, Teo, and Lyrus's beasts had successfully captured four more beasts:
A Rhivoceran (Black Rhinoceros Beetle)
A Burwak (Black Minotaur)
A Mesaris (Humanoid Eagleman)
A Rougul (Rock Tree Golem – Earth Nature Variant)
Teo's employees—Mike, Miguel, and the others, including the interns—had already departed back to the city. Due to the sudden influx of beasts in the region, it was decided to send them home early. They had also reached their quota in just two days—something that normally took a week. The others would return to the city to reopen the beast market.
Meanwhile, Teo and the rest were resting after a long, non-stop day of beast hunting—especially after the beast horde of Saneons had swarmed them following their capture of the king. They were also busy storing all the beast carcasses.