Chapter 67: The Core of Power
Chapter 67: The Core of Power
The sun had just begun to rise, casting a soft, golden light over the dense forest. Eratz stood at the edge of a towering cliff, his white coat fluttering in the early breeze.
His hair, glowing faintly white, shimmered under the first rays of daylight, and his blue eyes, an effect of his beastification with the aetheri, looked calm but focused.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped off the edge and dove into the air below.
The wind rushed past him, pulling at his clothes, but his eyes stayed closed. He let go of control, trusting his instincts, feeling the air currents and the cliff walls. Everything around him seemed sharper, more vivid.
He allowed himself to fall, calm and relaxed.
Then, suddenly, a twinge of danger flickered in his senses.
His eyes snapped open.
With a swift movement, he conjured a glowing platform beneath his feet, slowing his descent just in time to avoid slamming into the rocks below. He pivoted on the platform, leaping off it and using the momentum to glide toward the forest.
His body twisted through the air, narrowly dodging branches and trees.
But then, he miscalculated.
As he swerved to the right, a tree loomed in front of him too quickly, and he couldn't avoid it in time.
He crashed into the trunk with a loud thud, tumbling to the ground.
"Damn it..." Eratz groaned, pulling himself up and brushing off the dirt.
He wasn't hurt, just irritated.
"I'm still not anywhere close to Catarina's level."
He thought back to how effortlessly Catarina had dodged his attacks during their fight.
He realized that his power meant nothing if his opponent could just dodge everything and now he was really interested in this power.
"This form is interesting, but I need more control... Hm? Maybe... Maybe it's the beast?"
He paused, thinking.
"Catarina uses felines... they're naturally agile. Maybe that's why she's so good at dodging. But then... if it's different for each beast... what if..."
A new idea sparked in his mind.
"What if I use stronger monsters? What if I use more monsters at once?"
His eyes brightened with excitement.
He remembered the chaotic power he had tapped into when he combined three beastifications at once.
"I need to try again... With this form!"
He stood up and took a deep breath.
Farther into the forest, the ground began to tremble.
Animals scattered in every direction, fleeing from what felt like an earthquake. Trees shook violently, their branches snapping, and the earth cracked beneath the force of the energy erupting from the center.
At the heart of the chaos stood Eratz, breathing heavily. His clothes were torn, and his body was tense.
He had been trying to control the power of multiple beasts in one form again, but the result had been more destructive than he anticipated.
He looked around at the wreckage, the trees uprooted, and the cracked earth.
Sitting down in the middle of the destruction, Eratz sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Hard to keep a permanent form with this."
But then, a small smile crept onto his face. He froze like a statue, his mind racing.
"It's strong... But not a mistake. This form is definitely a beastification. I need to do it with this form!"
The rest of the day was spent training, taking the control of the beastification with his aces and reducing the power until he could maintain it permanently.
But Eratz's mind kept birthing new ideas and he always found a way to improve his training. He summoned his three ace monsters, Thunder Lycaon, Aetheri, and Terrakrus, and stood before them.
"We're doing this together," he said quietly."
The beasts stood before him, their eyes gleaming with curiosity and hesitation.
"We're going to do this together, We are one entity, I share your power and I am your core, so you should also be able to use my power with it's exact attribute. I'll give you my power, and we'll hold this form as long as possible."
The beasts exchanged glances. Eratz focused, reaching deep within himself to draw out his
energy.
A surge of power flowed through him, and he extended it to his monsters, creating a strong bond of shared aura.
Their forms shimmered as the formidable energy courses through their veins.
Hours passed as they fought to maintain the state, their bodies growing weaker with each
attempt.
Eratz could feel his energy draining faster than expected, and his beasts were showing signs
of fatigue.
But then, his eyes flashed with excitement, a wild grin spreading across his face.
"I understand it now!" he shouted to no one in particular. "The link between us, the way to deepen it, it's through this! By sharing our power together like this!"
He spread his arms wide, summoning his entire army of beasts in one go. His shadow stretched out, and every monster under his command appeared before him.
"This day is going to be long."
Meanwhile, deep beneath the still waters of a lake, Mercury stood at the bottom, arms crossed. Her body was glowing faintly with the power of beastification, her aura blending seamlessly with the water around her.
She could feel every living creature within the lake, the movement of fish, the currents of the
water, the subtle shifts of the underwater plants.
Several aquatic monsters swam above her, circling like predators.
But Mercury remained calm, completely in control.
With a slight movement of her head, the monsters disintegrated, their bodies breaking apart
as they were absorbed into her aura.
Her power surged, filling the water with her presence.
Slowly, she lifted her head, her glowing blue eyes piercing through the darkness.
At the gym, Ryder was in the middle of a brutal workout, pushing his limits. His beastification form made him look like a human-tiger hybrid, his muscles bulging with raw power. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he lifted massive weights, his body straining with the effort. The gym-goers who stood at a distance exchanged worried glances.
But Ryder didn't notice. He was focused entirely on his training, determined to master his
new form.
The next day at Crescent Moon Agency, the atmosphere was electric.
The second round of the regional league was happening that night, and everyone could feel
the pressure building.
But instead of intense training, the day was more relaxed. The aces were saving their energy
for the battles ahead.
Adrian, leaning against a wall, was surrounded by a few girls, boasting as usual.
"You either have it, or you don't," he said with a cocky grin.
The girls giggled, pretending to be impressed.
But their attention quickly shifted as the door opened.
Mercury stepped into the room, and everything went silent.
She was taller now, much taller. Her body had become more imposing, her muscles more defined, and there was a raw power about her that hadn't been there before.
But what really caught everyone's attention was her chest, which had noticeably grown. The
boys in the room, though they tried to be respectful, couldn't help but stare, their jaws
dropping in shock.
"Is that... Mercury?" one boy whispered.
"Did she... work out all night?" another stammered.
"... What with all these... Weapons?"
Mercury sighed.
"I knew this was going to happen," she muttered, crossing her arms, an action that only made
the staring worse.
Behind her, Ryder entered, his beastification form bulkier than ever. His muscles bulged, and
his size was even more intimidating than before.
The room stayed silent as everyone took in their transformations.
Ryder, trying to close the door, accidentally gripped the handle too hard and snapped it off.
"Damn, again," he muttered, holding up the broken piece.
Mercury rolled her eyes.
"Careful, I broke my locker too this morning, we can't make the agency pay for everything."
"Yeah," Ryder sighed. "I also have to buy new earphones."
As they walked further into the gym, the crowd couldn't stop staring. Adrian, who had been boasting moments before, stood frozen, his confidence crushed. There was a crack in the
ranks of the agency and it was now unmistakable.
They entered the training room where Eratz, Kaida, and Catarina were waiting.
Catarina, a mischievous grin on her face, was the first to speak.
"Nya! Look at you two! You've definitely been playing all wrong with beastification, huh?"
Eratz, stunned, glanced at them.
"When I thought about changing the agency I wasn't thinking about a circus but..."
"Oh don't start." Mercury groaned.
Kaida crossed her arms.
"You're not in perfect phase with your beasts... And Mercury, what did you absorb to make
that happen?" she asked, nodding toward her chest.
Mercury groaned.
"It wasn't intentional. And it wasn't a problem until I got back to town."
Kaida raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of natural selection is that?!"
Eratz, watching with amusement, shook his head.
"It'll take time for you to adapt. It's all about the bottom and the feeling, like feeling happy
and returning your heart over your skin to be a 'happy body'."
Mercury shot him a puzzled look.
"What the.... And what's about you? You don't look different. Don't tell me you're not
training."
Eratz smiled.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"I am."
Kaida rolled her eyes.
"Let it go. He's an anomaly. I've stopped questioning myself about this guy."
They shared a laugh, though that Mercury and Ryder were still adjusting. They talked about
their progress, sharing tips and techniques.
Eratz clenched his fists.
"Tonight, we're going to show everyone what Crescent Moon is made of."
That night, the atmosphere at Lugina Garden was electric.
The stands were filled with excited fans, buzzing with anticipation for the battles ahead.
Victoria and Zara sat in the stands, their eyes focused on the arena below, while Cassie, Roger,
Colin, and Milo sat nearby, cheering for Crescent Moon.
The night had arrived.
The battles were about to begin.
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