Lord Of Beasts

Elara smiled, and it was oddly refreshing to be faced with monsters rather than the beasts she had grown used to around Ethan. Anyone seeing her would think she was crazy, and maybe she was, but she was even more powerful.

The orcs charged, the ground thundering beneath dozens of enormous feet.

Most Titled would’ve immediately retreated, but Elara simply stood there, watching calmly as the largest of the orcs attacked her.

Blink!

She vanished.

The lead orc’s axe crashed into empty ground, and she reappeared directly above its shoulders.

’Physical Augmentation.’

Crimson mana surged through every muscle in her body, and while it wasn’t as flashy as her ranged attacks, the power was no less. It was the same frightening physical enhancement she’d witnessed the demon use and had also subconsciously used herself countless times.

While facing the demon in close combat in that mental space, mana had reinforced her body, but it hadn’t been an active technique. Now that she was doing so intentionally, it was more efficient and effective.

Her fist came down.

BOOM!

The impact caved the orc’s skull inward before sending its enormous body crashing into three others.

Elara hovered and paused for a moment to admire her strength.

Another orc swung sideways.

Blink!

She disappeared before the axe reached her, reappearing behind it before dozens of crimson blades materialised around her. Her Mana Constructs weren’t as refined as Liora’s Aegis, but they were close and were arguably more useful for offence.

The floating blades shot forward simultaneously.

SHHKK!

SHHKK!

SHHKK!

Each construct pierced vital points with surgical precision before dissolving back into mana.

The monsters collapsed one after another.

A spear flew towards her, and rather than blinking away, she caught it.

Then she spun once in mid-air and threw it right back.

The weapon punched through two charging orcs before embedding itself into a cliffside dozens of metres away.

’Physical Augmentation really is a game changer.’

Close combat used to terrify her, and she naturally preferred distance, which made her feel safer. But with her enhanced reflexes and power, she found herself instinctively moving towards danger.

Her body flowed naturally through every movement as though she’d trained for decades. The demon hadn’t simply lent her power; it had also left behind its experience for her to effectively steal its abilities.

Blink!

She appeared atop another orc’s shoulders before casually stepping off its head as it collapsed lifelessly.

Another charged.

She simply sidestepped.

A crimson construct shaped like a gigantic hammer materialised above it.

CRASH!

The monster disappeared beneath the impact.

It wasn’t long before the battlefield grew quiet again. Massive bodies littered the ancient valley, and the cause was an ethereal beauty who brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Not a single drop of blood had landed on her oversized hoodie.

But she knew that as terrifying as the orcs she had just faced were, most of them were C Ranks, and things were just getting started. She looked towards the distant mountains, and somewhere beyond them, she could already feel it.

The boss.

Its mana dwarfed everything else inside the Gate.

A small smile appeared.

’I’m coming.’

But as she continued floating deeper into the ruined world, she couldn’t help wondering, ’What kind of trouble are Ethan and Kaela getting into this time?’

-

Ethan and Kaela arrived at the location Greg had sent them less than ten minutes after meeting him. The address led them to what had once been one of the largest shopping centres in the district.

Or at least, what remained of it.

Half the mall still stood, wrapped in scaffolding and construction netting, while the other half had clearly been torn apart by a Gate Break that had occurred weeks earlier. Massive sections of concrete had collapsed inward, twisted steel beams protruded like broken ribs, and heavy machinery sat idle around the fenced-off site.

Workers were nowhere to be seen.

The area seemed to have been closed for the day, likely thanks to Greg and his black suits. Tower cranes loomed overhead, while floodlights and temporary generators lined the perimeter.

It looked abandoned.

Almost.

Ethan slowly got off his bike and lit a cigarette while looking around.

"It’s the perfect place to lie low."

The constant drilling, machinery, and demolition work during the day would’ve drowned out almost any suspicious noise. People avoided the area, and police rarely patrolled it.

And that was all while remaining in the city, not far from the bank they were targeting.

’Someone among them has a head on their shoulders.’

Underneath the site lay several levels of underground parking that had survived the collapse, which made their hideout seemingly undetectable. Unfortunately for them, the Association’s surveillance network was anything but ordinary.

Satellite imaging, traffic cameras, mana sensors, financial records, phone activity - Greg’s people monitored them all.

They didn’t need to guess where they were.

They were certain.

Kaela cracked her knuckles.

"So, how do we sneak into this place?" Ethan questioned aloud while looking around. "There should be a ramp somewhere leading down."

He began casually walking around the perimeter, searching for an entrance. Kaela watched with an amused expression for exactly three seconds before...

BOOM!!

She punched straight through the ground.

Dust exploded outward.

Steel reinforcement bars snapped like dry twigs as sunlight poured through the massive hole she’d just created into the underground parking garage below.

Ethan slowly turned towards her.

"..."

She looked back innocently.

"What?"

He sighed.

"I was literally looking for the entrance."

"Well, I made one."

He couldn’t argue with that logic.

"Fair enough."

Without another word, Kaela stepped through the cloud of dust.

"The Enforcers are here!"

Her voice echoed throughout the entire underground structure.

There was silence, then...

"What the fuck’s an Enforcer?"

Heavy footsteps immediately erupted from every direction, as the duo casually took in their surroundings.

Concrete pillars stretched endlessly into the darkness, tarps concealed crates of goods, generators hummed, and makeshift living quarters occupied several parking bays.

They hadn’t simply been hiding here.

They’d built a base.

Ten figures quickly emerged from behind vehicles and pillars, alerted by the bang that was impossible to miss. Each radiated mana and was clearly a Titled, in line with Greg’s information.

Ethan’s sharp senses could gauge the rank of most Titled with a single glance.

’Five D Ranks, four C Ranks, and...’