Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 69: Apex Predator



The crowd erupted in cheers, Eratz remained calm, a subtle smile playing on his lips. He could feel the eyes of everyone on him, all watching with anticipation from the stands.

He cracked his neck and took a deep breath, his heart steady. This was the moment he loved, that rush of adrenaline before a fight. The world around him shifted as the sound of the start rang.

Darian unleashed his army of reptiles, large, agile creatures, each one a dangerous monster in its own right.

Massive snakes-like and crocodiles-like monsters surged through the water, their sharp teeth gleaming as they moved in on Eratz.

Eratz smirked, his red eyes flashing with amusement.

"So we're doing this..."

His shadow stretched and shifted, then, hundreds of beasts erupted from them, like a living wave of darkness.

The crowd roared, shocked at the sheer number of creatures Eratz had summoned.

"This... this is insane! That's more than usual." someone in the audience gasped. For the first time, they were witnessing the large number of Eratz's army.

Darian's reptiles collided with Eratz's swarm, and the battlefield turned into chaos. Snakes and crocodiles monsters slashed and bit, but despite their phenomenal defense, they were quickly overwhelmed. Eratz's monsters were faster, stronger, oozing aura, tearing through Darian's forces like a storm.

Darian, watching the battle unfold, clenched his fists. His monsters were falling too quickly, his strategy unraveling in front of him.

'I need to change this,' he thought. 'I can't win like this.'

With a fierce expression, Darian activated a field spell. The ground shifted, transforming into a thick, dark forest. Water filled the low points, creating a maze of roots, murky ponds, and dense vegetation.

The crowd gasped again.

"A field spell? It's a special one, like Catarina's," Zara commented, leaning forward.

Eratz's gaze remained calm, his eyes scanning the dense forest now surrounding him. A large snake slid through the water near his feet, its scales gleaming in the eerie light of the swamp. "This could traumatize someone."

Just as he said this, a massive, humanoid crocodile, Darian's ace monster, lunged from the shadows, aiming for Eratz, but before it could land the hit, a crack of lightning split the air, and the creature was thrown back, smoking from the impact.

Darian's eyes widened in shock.

"What just happened?"

The Thunder Lycaon materialized in front of Eratz, its body crackling with electricity, its eyes glowing with feral intensity.

"You can't reach the king that easily," Eratz said casually, his eyes on the side.

The Thunder Lycaon let out a powerful roar, sending ripples of energy through the swamp. The electricity crackled around it..

Darian's face twisted in frustration.

'I need to finish this. There's no time for games.'

With a deep breath, Darian entered his beastification form. His body morphed into that of an enormous humanoid reptile, his skin thick with scales, his eyes glowing like a predator's.

Without warning, he dove beneath the water, moving swiftly toward Eratz like a shadow beneath the surface.

Eratz, standing in the center of the swamp, watched calmly. He felt the shift in the water, the ripples spreading under his feet.

"Very bad choice of field," he mused to himself. "You're not the only one who knows how to play in the forest."

The water beneath him darkened, and a fresh wave of insectoids and reptilian monsters surged from his shadow. They spread across the field, attacking Darian's reptiles as they hid in the forest.

Darian emerged from the water, his claws aimed at Eratz, but Eratz was already gone. The arena around him was swarming with his beasts, Darian's own monsters being plucked out of the trees and dragged into the water.

'What... what is happening?' Darian thought, his heart racing.

No matter where Darian looked, Eratz's monsters were overwhelming his own. He tried to summon more, but they were immediately attacked, disappearing into the dark shadows of the trees and the swamp.

Zara leaned forward, watching the battle with wide eyes.

"His own field spell is turning against him," she murmured.

Darian flinched, sensing something dangerous closing in. He turned around, his instincts screaming at him to run.

'There's... something here... a predator?'

The atmosphere around him had changed. It was no longer a battle. It felt like a hunt, and Darian was the prey.

Without warning, he dove back into the water, hoping to escape. But as he swam deeper, he found himself face to face with the gaping jaws of the Terrakrus.

An explosion shook the water, and Darian was thrown out of the swamp, his body spinning through the air uncontrollably. He crashed into a tree, struggling to stay on it.

Pain shot through his chest, his breath ragged. He could barely move.

"This... this isn't normal... I... I can't fight like this," Darian thought, his mind racing with

panic.

"Even though this is your field?"

Darian's heart stopped. Eratz was standing right next to him, leaning casually against the tree.

Before Darian could react, a bolt of lightning shot from above, striking him directly. The Thunder Lycaon appeared pinned Darian's head into the mud, his vision going dark as he lost

consciousness.

"Winner, Eratz Pandora!"

The field spell dissolved, and the crowd roared as Eratz regained his footing, retrieving his

monsters.

Up in the stands, Zara let out a long breath.

"They did it, they really did it!" she whispered, a look of awe on her face.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Victoria smiled, her voice calm but filled with satisfaction.

"Yes, everyone won tonight."

As the night at Lugina Garden came to an end, the team gathered together, their victories solidifying their place as rising stars in the regional league. The future of Crescent Moon

shone brighter than ever.

The battles at Lugina Garden had ended, but the buzz of excitement didn't die down.

The streets of the city were alive with energy, and social media platforms were flooded with reactions to Crescent Moon's stellar performances.

People couldn't stop talking about the rising stars of the regional league.

As Eratz, Mercury, Kaida, Ryder, and Catarina made their way back to the locker room, the online world exploded with comments.

[Man, you've seen how Eratz moves in the arena? This guy's a predator, lol] one post read, already racking up hundreds of likes.

[Eratz Pandora? Dude's basically a one-man army. I wanted to see him fight like last time dammit!] another user added.

[Petition for him to only fight without his beasts]

The sheer number of creatures Eratz had summoned during his fight had left spectators

speechless. His control over strong monsters and his raw power in battle fuelled a new

nickname, Apex Predator, starting to gain traction.

[If he keeps this up, the Apex Predator is gonna be the most feared beast master in the league.

Hands down.]

[No one's taking down Eratz Pandora. He's the king of the battlefield.]

Mercury wasn't far behind in the growing wave of popularity. Her powerful water attacks and commanding presence in the arena had earned her a new nickname as well, Raging Wave. [That water attack was like something out of a dream. The poor guy didn't stand a chance!]

[Can we talk about how Mercury's field spell dominated the grass one? Water was supposed to lose, but she made it look easy. She's unstoppable.]

As they reached the locker room, Mercury noticed Ryder scrolling through his phone, grinning

widely.

"Ryder, what are you smiling about?"

He looked up, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Have you seen what they're saying about us? We're blowing up online!"

Ryder was quickly becoming a fan favorite for his impressive beastifications. His fair play and

ability to switch forms effortlessly had everyone talking.

[Yo, Ryder's beastifications are on another level. Did you see how fast he took her down?

Guy's a beast!]

[He's so cute with his monster ears, and he's so gentle in battle]

[Not tonight lol]

Kaida, who had left the arena in a blaze of fire, was also trending. Her fiery attacks and

unrelenting power had earned her the nickname Blazing Tempest.

[Flaming Fury is right. Kaida's fire attacks were insane. Dude never landed a hit!]

[Those flames... wow. She's like a volcano on the battlefield! I love how the arena change with

her, it feels so different. Can't wait to see more from her.]

Catarina, with her playful yet deadly style, had captivated the audience as well. Her mystic

field spell, with its eerie cat heads and dolls, was unlike anything people had seen before. She

had quickly gained the nickname Feline Phantom.

[Catarina's field spell is the coolest! Those cat heads and dolls? How did she do that?]

[Not gonna lie, that match was like watching a movie, she's so cool!]

Ryder showed his phone to Eratz, his grin growing wider. "Dude, you've gotta see this! They're calling you the Apex Predator!"

Eratz glanced at the screen and chuckled softly, his red eyes glinting with amusement.

"Apex Predator? Not bad."

Mercury smirked as she leaned against the wall, scrolling through her own phone. "Looks like we've got new nicknames. I'm apparently the Raging Wave now."

Kaida, overhearing, crossed her arms and gave a proud grin.

"Blazing Tempest. I like it, Fits me perfectly."

Catarina jumped in.

"And I'm the Feline Phantom! Nya~! They love me!"

Ryder scrolled to find his and quickly grimaced. "Hm?? The Furry Gentleman?! Where does that comes from???"

The group shared a moment of laugh, each of them realizing just how far they had come.

Soon they separated for the day, after that night, their schedule would differt and they would

split for weeks.

Eratz and Mercury were walking through the corridor, heading outside where their family

waited for them.

"So, what's next for us?"

Mercury asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. She already knew the answer but still wasn't

thrilled about it.

"We're splitting up for a while, huh?"

Eratz glanced at her, noticing the edge in her tone.

"Yeah, just for a bit," he said calmly. "Milo's staying with my family, so now you can go all out without problem."

Mercury nodded, her expression softening.

"I'm glad about that. Milo will have fun, but... I will miss training together,"

she admitted, though she tried to keep her tone casual.

Eratz raised an eyebrow, sensing the slight frustration behind her words. He smirked and

nodded.

"How about this? We meet here every Friday for Colin and Milo's training. Unless we've got a

fight over the weekend, of course."

Mercury's eyes lit up, though she tried to hide her excitement.

"Every Friday?"

she repeated, pretending to think it over.

"I guess... if you insist."

Eratz chuckled.

"Tomorrow's Friday, by the way."

Mercury shot him a sideways glance, unable to hold back her smile.

"Fine. But only because it's for Colin and Milo,"

she said, acting tough, though the happiness in her eyes betrayed her.

As they settled in for the night, outside the hotel, the streets were still buzzing with excitement. Social media continued to light up with comments and posts about the Crescent Moon fighters.

"Eratz, Mercury, Kaida, Ryder, Catarina... these guys are unstoppable."

"If they keep this up, I can't wait to see Crescent Moon in team tournaments, they're going to

break everyone!"

The next morning, the fame of Crescent Moon only grew. Everywhere they went, people

recognized them.

In the academy hotel where other students stayed, rumors about Eratz spread like wildfire.

In one of the hallways, a group of girls chatted excitedly.

"Did you hear? They're saying Eratz might be sponsored by some hotel agency. He could be -coming here!"

Another girl scoffed.

"No way. I doubt he'd come here. He's way too big now."

Meanwhile, in the lobby, Kenny stood with Julian, preparing to head out for their own battles.

Kenny's jaw tightened as he overheard the conversation. His fists clenched in frustration.

'Eratz... always Eratz,' Kenny thought bitterly. Suddenly, Rowan appeared, arms crossed.

"If you're going to fight, Kenny, then go. Standing around won't help you, or perhaps do you

need an audience to know you're heading out?"

Kenny shot him a glare.

"I don't need your advice. I've never needed anyone's help."

Rowan's eyes narrowed.

"Still stubborn as ever. You got plenty but You never listened."

Kenny's temper flared.

"There's no point talking. You should go cheer on your favorite, Eratz, instead."

Rowan's expression hardened.

"Eratz may have made mistakes, but he's earned everything he has today. You've had more

opportunities than him, and you've squandered them."

Kenny, face flushed with anger, leaned in. "He's a cheater. You know it."

Rowan met his gaze, the tension thick in the air.

"Is he, Kenny? Is that what truly happened? He was talented because he cheated, you exposed

him, but strangely now he is even better. Did he really cheat?"

Kenny hesitated for a brief moment, both locking eyes, then he stormed out of the lobby with

Julian following close behind.

Julian caught up to Kenny, his voice calm.

"You need to cool off, man. Getting worked up over Eratz won't help."

But Kenny's mind was already racing.

'I need to get stronger. If I stay here, I'll never reach his level.'

Determined to take matters into his own hands, Kenny made a decision. "We're not going to the arena, Julian. We're heading to the forest."

At the same time, in another part of the academy, a group of students was preparing for their

own expedition into the forest.

Among them were Lisa and Crystal, both quiet as they followed the guide. Melcin, demoted to

the role of an assistant, trudged behind them.

As dark clouds gathered in the sky, the day seemed to promise an immense surprise ahead.

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