Lord Of Beasts

They had already decided they would move together, and Elara and her group, after reuniting with them, had agreed.

The gate had escalated far beyond anything any of them had anticipated, and even the strongest among them understood that going alone now was little more than suicide dressed up as confidence.

Ethan glanced around at the squad as they stood on the small floating island, the remains of Kaela’s battle still echoing in their surroundings. Everyone present had proven themselves useful.

More than useful, in fact.

They were the only ones left who mattered, though no one said it.

There had been others when they entered alongside them, plenty of C Ranks, but now...

Ethan exhaled slowly.

"They’re probably dead," he stated, what everyone else was also thinking.

"Yeah..." Kaela eventually said, her voice dull.

It wasn’t cruelty or indifference, but the cold truth.

Against A Rank boss beasts, even B Ranks would struggle to be of much use. C Ranks that didn’t have exceptional abilities or experience stood no chance at all.

The gate had made that abundantly clear.

And after what they had all faced in Phase Two, it was very unlikely that there were any other survivors.

Ethan rolled his shoulders, his body stable and full of energy after using Beast Recovery and feeding on the fallen Lightning Dragonfly.

"We don’t need them anyway," he added casually, though there was a faint edge beneath his tone.

That earned him a glance from Liora, who said nothing but did not disagree either.

Kaela, who was recovering in real time, let out a low chuckle.

"That’s harsh," she said, brushing a strand of her dark hair back, her purple eyes glinting faintly. "But not wrong."

There was no argument after that, because there was nothing to argue about.

Five A Rank beasts awaited them, each one in its own base that was guarded by its own kind. Such creatures could level a small city if left to run rampant, let alone facing them five times over in less than twenty-four hours.

Ethan clicked his tongue.

"Yeah... this is fucked."

No one laughed, and he wasn’t amused either.

He wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.

Still, standing around was not going to solve anything.

Kaela stepped forward weakly, but she still carried that undeniable presence that made it clear she was far from finished.

"We move," she said simply.

There was no need for a grand speech or to overcomplicate their plan; they just needed to get moving.

And finally, that was exactly what they did...

-

Far beyond the distorted space of the gate, in the real world, things were not much calmer.

What had initially been classified as a B+ Rank gate had already begun to draw attention due to its unusual fluctuations. However, when the entrance suddenly vanished entirely, leaving behind only a violently unstable energy signature, that attention turned into alarm.

The gate still existed; that much was certain.

Its energy had not dissipated and, inversely, had even grown stronger, more volatile, and more dangerous.

This was no longer a question of classification.

It had become an anomaly.

And anomaly gates were never simple.

The comparison to the ant gate incident was immediate. Experts and officials alike began drawing parallels, noting the similarities in behaviour, the sudden escalation, and the isolation of the clearing squad within.

That alone was enough to trigger widespread concern.

Because everyone remembered what had happened last time, with only 3 Titled out of the entire clearing squad making it out alive.

Within hours, containment measures had been established around the area. Emergency response teams were deployed, boundaries reinforced, and evacuation protocols prepared in case of a worst-case scenario.

And then came the press conference outside the headquarters in New York.

Cameras flashed as Harold, the head of the Association, stepped up to the podium, his presence alone enough to command attention across every broadcast channel. Houston, Texas, a city teeming with life, now found itself holding its breath, waiting for the outcome of the clearing squad.

Tens of millions watched.

Harold adjusted his tie slightly before speaking.

"Yes," he began, his voice calm, steady, unwavering, "this gate is unstable and qualifies as an anomaly. The entrance has also closed, preventing external interference."

A pause followed, not out of hesitation, but to let the weight of his words settle.

"The clearing squad remains inside."

Murmurs spread among the reporters and crowd: fear, concern, and speculation.

Harold raised a hand slightly, silencing it all without needing to say a word.

"However," he continued, "we are confident that this gate will be cleared successfully without resulting in a Gate Break. And as always, we have our national treasure, Titan, ready on standby."

That was definitely reassuring, but Harold didn’t stop there.

"The squad consists of elite Titled individuals, including three A Ranks, three B Ranks, and multiple highly capable C Ranks."

He then spoke about each of the A Ranks and B Ranks, speaking of their accolades and highlighting that Elara had changed.

"And among the C Ranks, there is even a newly reassessed Titled, Ethan Crowe."

That name lingered.

It was the only C Rank he chose to mention and was also the last name stated on the broadcast that most hadn’t heard before.

Behind him, a screen lit up, with images appearing on it.

In the centre, there was Kaela, her purple aura blazing. To her left, there was Liora, suspended mid-air, constructs forming effortlessly around her. And on her right, Elara, crimson energy spilling from her like liquid fire.

It was like the cover of a superhero comic book, with each image carefully curated and designed to inspire confidence and project strength.

Then there was Ethan.

In stark contrast, he had a rough image, something resembling a mugshot more than a heroic portrait. There was no dramatic aura or polished presentation, just him standing there, as the marketing team didn’t exactly have much to use.

Ethan had no social media presence, and aside from a class photo from middle school, the only other images they could find of him were from his criminal record.

But in that clearing squad full of famous freaks, a new C Rank wasn’t that important.

Though being named in that broadcast would soon haunt Ethan and bring up many things left in the past, some of which would come as a massive surprise to the young man...

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