Lyrus woke up in the morning, and every beast he had caught the previous day had successfully evolved, promoted to new races, and broken through. He also named each and every one of them.
Langres for the Domboldon (Flame Boar), which he evolved into a humanoid beast. It looked like an orc due to its boar features but was far cooler, with tusks and red and yellow fur. He also looked strong and regal, like a noble high beast. His body was bulky but fit, exuding the power of red flame and red lightning. This red lightning could directly attack the spirit of his opponent. He could also reduce his mass and become slimmer, amplifying his power and abilities to the extreme, capable of mass destruction and supernatural capabilities beyond his natural self.
Rester for the Belega (Hunter Humanoid Bunny), who evolved into a more humanoid form—half-human, half-beast. He appeared noble and cool, with a martial-built body fit for physical combat. He had become a berserker capable of enhancing his physical abilities and had instant regeneration and existential reformation. Even if his body were destroyed, as long as a piece or even his blood remained, he could reform, reconstruct, and regenerate in no time. A fearsome creature.
August for the Forgosto (Mystic Frog), who evolved into a humanoid beast and high beast. He became highly intelligent, no longer just a psychic creature capable of illusions—now he could materialize his enemies' nightmares and illusions. This frog had even more hidden potential. His evolved state made him a formidable opponent, as his illusions no longer required energy to cast, only his imagination. A terrifying entity.
Valor for the Tampar (Bull Demon), who evolved into a fearsome warlord beast—a humanoid bull demon standing on two feet, tall and large. Like Rester, he was a martial-type beast, but Valor had the power to devour his prey's abilities and make them his own. His body also evolved to match the powers he absorbed. A beast that could grow infinitely on the battlefield—a true warlord. He could also enlarge himself, becoming a giant beast.
Remus for the Rubio (Shuttle Red Cock), who evolved into a humanoid high beast. His massive body reduced in size and became more humanoid, retaining beastial traits. His capabilities were enhanced—his speed was now like a flash, and his wings enabled fast flight.
Tyron for the Tristrikal (Big Thunder Spiky Leopard – Yellow). This beast did not evolve into a humanoid but became even larger and more regal-looking—a magnificent Legendary Beast.
Murus for the Sedevio (Giant Horned Ferocious Hunter Wolf). He also did not evolve into a humanoid but became a much stronger and more ferocious beast. His body became more defined, regal, and intricate. Currently, he was still asleep after his evolution. He gained new power through berserk—a power over chaos and sheer brute force.
Divana for the Servile (Mystical Cat – Variant Power Devil Shadow), who became a humanoid beast in the form of a young cat girl. Her shadow now functioned like a void, capable of summoning dark hands—not normal shadows, but ones that could touch the very existence of her opponents and attack them physically and spiritually.
Nuxar for the Roderma (Garuda Frost Devil Beast), who evolved into an even larger flying beast. His appearance became mythically majestic, radiating the presence of a high mythical creature. The area around him turned cold, and he could influence the weather.
Misery for the Lyfilia (Vine Queen). Like Vania's beast, she evolved into a fairy-like woman capable of nature manipulation and solar abilities. But she had a peculiar aura—unlike the green, elf-like appearance of Vania's Lyfilia, Misery had dark green hair and the stunning beauty of a villainess. Early that morning, when Maverick returned carrying a half-dead boar beast, Misery was delighted to watch it suffer and die slowly. That's why Lyrus named her Misery.
Ormis for the Revaris (Silver Armored Humanoid Rhino). His armored body changed into a humanoid knight form. Now capable of metal manipulation, his body was superhumanly durable. He also had the power of gravity and buoyancy, enabling him to fly. He could even summon black holes.
Metria for the Denegra (Crimson Dragon Centipede), who evolved into a humanoid form. Like Vigil, her appearance became that of a beautiful woman, but with violet venomous fangs beside her mouth. Her shadow housed a thousand abyssal draconic heads, which devoured prey and converted them into sustenance for her growth. These abyssal minions could learn the abilities of the creatures they devoured and evolve themselves. They could also attack their victims' spirits and souls—a truly insidious ability.
Maxel for the Cerdal (Humanoid Black Panther). He didn't change dramatically but became more humanoid, with a stronger physique. He could now blend into shadows and darkness—a ferocious assassin. Not only powerful in martial combat, but also magically gifted. By stepping on their shadows, he could freeze enemies in place. He could also create shadowy clones—not mere illusions, but materialized forms of himself. These shadows inflicted cursed wounds—and once inflicted, the curse would grow inside the host, eventually killing them, even if they fled.
Desmir for the Fordoleon (Red-Yellow Fanned Head Dinosaur), who evolved into a dragon beast—a red and yellow Western Dragon. A mental and poison dragon with flame abilities. But he had a unique trait—he could transform into a Dragonlord, a humanoid form, and even into a red mist that brought plagues and diseases. When Lyrus released him and he turned into a red mist, an entire forest began to wither and die. All life forms within range slowly dried up and perished. That's how Desmir feeds—a dangerously insidious creature.
Nigel for the Spalderus (Blue Crown Cyclone Eagle), now a humanoid birdman. He wielded the powers of storms and cyclones. What was peculiar about him was that the natural world seemed to spiral into chaos whenever he was present. When Lyrus released him, tornadoes formed naturally outside. He became the embodiment of storms. Even now, he was seen far in the horizon, within the eye of a tornado.
Rion for the Corseous (Balloon Fur Beast). This beast didn't evolve but became much stronger. It seemed to constantly absorb energy from its surroundings. Its abilities were still a mystery—aside from electricity and solar discharge. But according to Lyrus's white observation, the beast was slowly evolving internally. The more energy it absorbed, the more its body adapted and evolved. Once it reached a certain threshold, it would become a Mythical Beast.
Ruan had also reached Legendary Rank and was growing stronger. It appeared that he had also acquired the ability to evolve by devouring his prey.
With the addition of sixteen new beasts, Lyrus decided to venture further into the Wildlands. With multiple intelligent Legendary Beasts under his command, hunting became much easier. Now, Lyrus focused on hunting and reducing the number of wild beasts.
But strangely, the population of beasts seemed to have increased in just a day. Native beasts were seen evacuating, heading toward the outskirts of the Wildlands, into the grasslands and near the borders of Culvary. A beast horde was imminent.
Ding!
He received a message from Bill.
Bill: Don't worry about that. Go back to the city. The Culvary Nation has already dispatched forces to thin out the number of beasts in the Wildlands. Bulgaria is on the outskirts between Eisien and Nebelius, so it might take a while for dispatched forces to arrive. But the City Lord has been informed and will set up defensive formations along the borders. Go back to the city before things get more dangerous.
Lyrus: Yes.
(He replied—with a lie.)
Observing the situation, Lyrus saw his beasts already fighting side-by-side—explosions echoed in all directions, and elemental attacks raged with destructive power. The deeper they went into the Wildlands, the more crowded the beast population became. But compared to his beasts, they posed no threat.
Most of the beasts were just Beast Lords to Beast Emperors, with a few Overlords.
Divana and Maxel, a combination of a Catkin Beast King with Overlord Black Hands and a Legendary Humanoid Cerdal—both possessed supernatural abilities of darkness and void. Killing beasts in the shadowy forest was far more effective and efficient for them. They were brutal void-hand incarnations that massacred beasts below Overlord level and incapacitated powerful beasts, allowing Maxel to swiftly kill them with his darkness blades. These black double blades were conjured from shadows—an ability of his. The blades grew stronger the more Maxel killed.
Divana, on the other hand, also grew stronger the more her void hands killed and devoured beasts. Just this morning she was a Beast King, and now she had already become a Beast Emperor. Her growth skyrocketed the more she battled. This innocent-looking girl had turned into a savage devil on the battlefield. Upon becoming a Beast Emperor, she gained a transformation ability that allowed her to shift into a matured Catkin woman. Even though she didn't personally engage in combat, her void hands did all the work—yet she still grew stronger. A prime example of a queenly figure commanding her subjects to do her bidding. The shadows also acted as her shield and bodyguards.
Maxel, on the other hand, dealt with stronger beasts by blending into the shadows. He raised thorny shadow spikes, killing instantly. He could also travel through the void and shadows to assassinate his enemies faster than they could react. He was rarely present on the battlefield—always moving through the void—but when he emerged, more beasts died within seconds. A true assassin that killed without ever showing himself.
Nigel and Nuxar were far off on the horizon. The sky above them was black with storms—raining, thundering, hailing, and sometimes hurling blizzards. The chaotic weather was fierce. Flying beasts in the sky were easily frozen by Nuxar, then shattered into shards by Nigel. Rion was with them as well, and from time to time, the sky lit up with barrages of rays and energy cannons. The Wildlands had become a chaotic battlefield between beasts.
In another direction, Desmir, the Western Dragon, spewed green flames over hordes of land beasts while soaring through the skies. His fire was no ordinary fire—it carried draconic poison and venom through its flames and smoke. These toxins could not be cured unless Desmir retracted them himself. Fleeing beasts screamed in agony, their bodies burning and turning green with poison. Those who survived still suffered, only to eventually die.
Desmir: Roar!
He roared, and the green smoke and fire turned the beasts into masses of green mist. He then inhaled and absorbed the toxic gas, leaving no trace of the beasts on the land. Through this, he grew even stronger. His flames were not just potent—they transformed his prey into gaseous energy for his own growth. The green gas was highly toxic and only he could consume it.
Misery, farther away from Desmir, rode atop a colossal earth dragon chimera—a dragon incarnate she created from earth and trees. The nearby trees had also turned into monstrous minions under her command. While her minions and chimera hunted beasts, she sat elegantly on a throne atop the chimera's head like a queen, commanding her legions. Occasionally, she also launched barrages of nature power.
Misery: Curse of Nature.
Suddenly, the sky rained with glittering green and yellow lights. She cast a spell resembling a blessing.
But the "blessing" turned into a nightmare. All beasts fighting her minions—and even those fleeing nearby—were caught in the rain of glittering light. Their bodies began sprouting trees and nightmarish plants that devoured them alive. All perished in a slow, grotesque way.
Misery: Haha. This is so entertaining.
A mad woman who reveled in the suffering of others.
Ormis, meanwhile, fought wielding a giant silver hammer, smashing his prey into meat paste. The gravity in his surrounding area was multiplied, making it nearly impossible for beasts to move, let alone attack. Paired with his immense strength, his strikes with the silver hammer were fatal—instant death. With gravity-enhanced attacks, he was unmatched in one-on-one combat within his realm. He was nearly invincible to any beast below his tier.
Remus and Rester, both martial-capability beasts, fought side by side. Remus excelled in high-speed, low-altitude aerial and land combat. His strong claws, both on hands and feet, along with defensive wind abilities, made him a natural predator of slower opponents. Rester, although fast and agile, wasn't the most skilled in combat—but his regeneration was terrifying. He could instantly reform and regenerate his body no matter how it was destroyed. Against strong foes, if the battle dragged on, Rester would prevail by sheer persistence.
Tyron, on the other hand, moved like a golden streak across the battlefield, hunting at extreme speed. Using his thunder and electric powers, he smashed enemies with his golden claws, triggering explosive discharges of electricity. He could also unleash a Thunder Cannon with nuclear-level destructive power. Luckily, he only fired it into the air, hitting a Margai (Purple Giant Vulture)—a rare Legendary Beast that was reduced to nothing by the blast. Lyrus had forbidden him to use that ability on land due to its devastating nature.
Murus had ventured deeper into the Wildlands. No beast could match him in size or strength. He casually smacked enemies into pulp. His roar was thunderous, immobilizing all nearby beasts.
Langres fought using his flames and red lightning. After his evolution, he was overwhelming in power. His red lightning could shake an opponent's very soul, immobilizing them. He wielded an iron club forged from earth metal and compressed by Ormis's gravity. The weapon could instantly smash enemies to pulp. Paired with his flames and red lightning, Langres was a destructive force.
Metria remained at Lyrus's camp, but her thousand abyssal draconic centipede dragons hunted for her. This swarm regenerated endlessly and devoured prey alive. The more they fed, the stronger she became. She sat meditating, absorbing the knowledge of her humanoid evolution—adjusting from an insect lineage to a highly intelligent form.
August was casting true illusions, creating numerous clones of himself. These clones weren't mere illusions but embodied truth—each having 50% of his capabilities. They fought with magical power like a wizard army. Each clone could possess a different ability, some like August, others unique. They were all connected to his mind network. When a clone died, August absorbed its knowledge and essence, growing stronger and smarter. He was also responsible for collecting spoils from the massive Wildlands hunt.
Valor lounged near Lyrus's tent, acting as a guard while casually eating. He too possessed the devouring trait. Even while at leisure, he grew stronger the more he ate—especially if he consumed beast cores. August continued to send cores back to camp.
Inside the camp, a pool of white levitated. Lyrus remained in a state of sleep.
Vigil, deep in the forest, was also engaged in combat. The beasts had become saturated in the region, but with a wave of her hand, hordes were wiped out by towers of spatial webs, compressing them mid-air and reducing them to blood splatters. The surrounding area had become a gruesome scene of blood pools due to her insidious hunting method. She also commanded new beasts.
Cersie was now much like Vigil. Countless vines writhed through the forest, hunting beasts. Any caught by her vines were absorbed and reduced to dust. Those that escaped were cursed with rot and corruption, eventually dying from rapid decomposition. Through this, she created zombie beasts—undead puppets who spread corruption to others they attacked.
Homer was among them—a beast full of rage and battle frenzy. He grew stronger through combat. Like a demon lord on the battlefield, his mere presence terrified nearby beasts. The area around him was scorched with devil black flames—flames that burned vitality and life itself. All who were consumed by his fire became part of his strength.
Ishvel levitated on the horizon, observing the new beasts. He no longer participated in the hunt. His presence alone was overwhelming—enough to annihilate the weaker beasts.
Edeo, Achilles, and Dester were with him. Dester was hunting in the skies—a powerful sky predator moving at such extreme speed that he appeared as a streak of yellow light. Prey fell constantly mid-air. He could unleash tempest blades and lightning barrages. A group of Vurrow (Devil Crows) was completely wiped out by one of his lightning barrages. He could also manifest the lightning into a Trident of Thunders.
Edeo, on the ground, was running around like a fully armored knight wielding his spear. He had changed his axe into a spear. Achilles was also fighting alongside him, wielding two blades created from his own energy. Ishvel saw great potential in him. He was like a natural-born knight, so Ishvel adjusted their training into more humanoid and intelligent fighting styles—which were far more effective than simply battling through instinct. As evolved royal beasts with intelligence, they had to adapt, evolve, and become one with their new forms.
The wyrms nearby were also creating natural disasters, killing hordes of beasts in an instant. Especially Sauron—his rain of lightning resembled a divine tribulation descending from the heavens.
Devora had turned a mountainous region in the horizon into a domain of ice and frost, freezing everything. Blizzard storms now ravaged that entire area.
Silvio, on the other hand, had turned one of the forests into a sea of flames—burning everything in sight.
Agarez had seized control over a mineral vein governed by a hive of Arompos (Ant Legion Beasts), and it seemed like he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He was siphoning and absorbing the energy from the mineral vein deep beneath the earth. At the moment, he was leisurely lying around, taking his time cultivating. Teros, who was with him, had already gone into the mineral vein and was now killing the Ant Legion deep underground. The handsome elven elemental was manipulating the earth itself, eliminating the ants with ease as he delved deeper into the mineral vein.
In another location, Zakhar was together with Titus and Magnus. Like Ishvel, Zakhar lounged in the sky, sunbathing and absorbing energy. Titus, on the ground, had transformed into a Titan Djinn, brawling against a Bolsaizar (Black Thunder Bear Behemoth)—a legendary, giant behemoth beast. Magnus had also enlarged and was now grappling with the colossal creature.
Roar!
The beast bellowed and fired a Zap Cannon at Titus.
Titus raised his White Aegis, absorbing the Zap Cannon and reflecting the attack—amplified twofold.
Boom!
The bear crashed. Then Magnus leapt and rained down massive four-armed punches—an Asura Kong versus a Behemoth Bear.
Titus: Don't kill it.
Magnus: Roar.
He stopped attacking. The bear was already unconscious. They had been fighting it for hours, and now it had finally fallen, still in one piece—a very tough opponent.
Sedestro: Yawn.
He landed on the Behemoth Bear's head and took its soul into his black orb. He hadn't interfered with the fight earlier, as Titus and Magnus wanted to challenge themselves and train.
Suddenly, in the distant horizon, a massive red cannon was fired at a Margorio (Bahamut Giant Crocodile Dragon).
BOOM!
The Bahamut was dragged into the explosion, crashing through thirteen enormous mountains. The surrounding peaks were reduced to rubble, with lava trails scorching the earth. A fierce battle was underway.
Horus: Huff… Hmmm… It's not enough? What a tough beast.
Despite giving his all with that attack, the beast remained in one piece.
CRASH!
The Bahamut stood back up and let out a mighty roar.
Then, a light at the speed of lightning descended from the sky. Leonor bolted downward, smashing the Bahamut's head with her spear.
BOOM!
It crashed back to the ground, creating a massive shockwave and a deep crater.
Leonor: Tsk.
Her spear was reduced to dust, and she had only left a small dent on its head. She instantly turned into a bolt of light and retreated to a safer distance.
Suddenly, thousands of light rays rained from the sky. Lanfer had unleashed a massive barrage of light-based attacks capable of piercing even the toughest metal.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The area around the Bahamut turned into a sea of lava.
ROAR!
Despite all that, the attacks barely wounded it. Now the beast was retaliating. It unleashed a massive Dragon Breath, aimed directly at Horus, who was too tired and exhausted to escape.
Leonor: Horus!
Just then, a violet light intercepted the blast, saving him. It was Xukhar.
Horus: Oh, so you're still alive.
He looked at Xukhar, who had been hit by a similar attack earlier.
Xukhar: I managed to slip out and survive, but I was buried underground.
ROAR!
The Bahamut spread its wings and took off into the sky.
Horus: This beast is like the Dehedra… We can't take it down that easily. We need everyone's help.
Lanfer arrived at Horus and Xukhar.
Lanfer: Recover first. I've placed a tracking mark on it. We'll challenge it again later.
Leonor also descended and regrouped with them.
Leonor: Such an intense battle… and we only managed to scratch it.
Lanfer: This guy possesses powerful destructive prowess like the Dehedra. Its defense is top-notch. Compared to the Dehedra—who has absolute power and regeneration—this one has indestructible defense and overwhelming force. Even though it's only Legendary Rank, we Mythical Ranks can't face it head-on. If Master manages to bind it, it would become an unstoppable force in our ranks. Through shared knowledge, we could uncover the secrets of its power and evolve even further.
Horus: This guy is weaker compared to the Dehedra. If we exhaust it, we can capture it. It doesn't have an infinite energy supply like the Dehedra, who can siphon power from the surroundings. And we managed to make it flee—we still have a chance.
Suddenly, a light from the distance descended beside them. It was Zakhar.
Zakhar: (Gazing at the horizon and the retreating Bahamut) That beast is incredibly strong. It lives deep in the Wildlands.
He remembered the beast—he had always avoided it.
Zakhar: But that creature normally hunts in the Black Sea. Why is it here? Luckily, you all survived.
Lanfer: That beast has great potential. It must become one of us. We must capture it.
Zakhar: That would be impossible. Even though it's weaker than the Dehedra, its defense is indestructible. And it hasn't even used its full power yet. It can go berserk. In the past, it challenged the Dehedra and multiplied its strength tenfold. It almost won. If it weren't for the Dehedra's instant regeneration, that beast would have triumphed.
Leonor: Hmm… We've got Agarez with us. His power can match that beast by 70%. And with everyone else, we can take it down.
Zakhar: Yes, it's possible. But Agarez is currently absorbing the mineral vein's energy. He might break through soon. Even if we wait for him, by the time we venture into the Wildlands again, the Bahamut will have fully recovered. Our odds of winning will be fifty-fifty.
Lanfer: Then let's gather everyone nearby and harass it even more. Xukhar, you're the only one not exhausted. Go and call the others.
Xukhar: Yes.
He turned into violet light and vanished.
Horus: Those humans… I think they're in that horizon.
He was referring to Teo and the others.
Zakhar: Hmm. Master has evolved their beasts, and some are Mythicals now. This seems plausible. I'll go fetch them. You recover first, then we attack.
He turned into a bolt of light and vanished into the horizon.