The Rebirth Of The Beast Tamer
Chapter 104: Deep into Sovereignty 2

Chapter 104: Deep into Sovereignty 2

Lyra nodded, her eyes were fierce despite the pain, weaving a multi-layered rune net that pinned three bogstalkers, its tendrils were tightened. Salaris darted between them and her talons were slashing cores with surgical precision, her screeches were cutting through the chaos.

Darius steadied himself, his grin returned as he unleashed a radial soulstone blast, the gem-enhanced explosion that shattered the two cores in a blinding flash.

Rhoam roared, his iron plates were deflecting a tail strike, while his charge crushed another core and the beast collapsed in a heap of thorned scales.

Kelvin channeled a piercing fire lance with Xerion’s flames surging through the dark gauntlet, the beam lanced through a final bogstalker’s core.

The beast roared and its body dissolved in a burst of ash, the visions faded as the swamp fell silent. The trio collapsed, their breaths ragged and their beasts were battered but alive.

Kelvin’s leg bled, but he went to Lyra, checking her arm wound, as she leaned on Salaris with her face sad but determined, the raptor’s talons dripped with the bogstalker essence.

Darius clutched his arm with blood soaking his bandages, but Rhoam’s steady presence kept him upright, the panther’s plates gleamed despite the scratches.

"We beat her beasts," Kelvin said, the visions is gone from his mind. Lyra nodded, her gauntlet was dim but steady as she adjusted her bandage. "These runes are Cindy’s. She is close."

Darius tossed his soulstone, his grin was weak but sharp. "Let’s hunt her down."

They searched the swamp, scavenging loot from the wreckage: bogstalker scales pulsed with energy for armor reinforcement and psychic cores that glowed with mental resistance.

"Split it evenly," Kelvin said, dividing the scales among them for their gear and taking extra cores for his staff’s defenses against psychic attacks.

The act was a quiet affirmation of their unity, their Peaks loot were dark gauntlet, dark runes, soulstream gems and Hollow loot were griffon feathers, ritual runes and they were proving vital in the battle, their gear now enhanced for the fights ahead.

The monitoring device buzzed, its message was weak: "Cindy’s trail leads to Fenheart ruins. Traps are detected. Proceed with extreme caution."

They pressed toward the Fenheart ruins, a crumbled fortress half-sunk in the swamp, its stone walls were pulsing with Veil runes that matched Cindy’s from the Hollow.

Xerion’s scales were bristled, his hiss were sharp, sensing traps that were hidden in the mire. Salaris darted ahead, her talons clicked on the roots, scouting for threats.

Rhoam’s plates clinked, his massive form was guarding the rear, his scratches were slowing him but not stopping him.

The trio’s wounds throbbed—Kelvin’s leg and arm, Lyra’s arm and shoulder, Darius’s arm and side but their steps were steady and their resolve were unbroken.

The ruins loomed, their walls were etched with dark runes that glowed with malevolent energy.

As they crossed a sunken bridge, a trap that was triggered and rune-etched spikes erupted from the water, their tips glowed with Veil energy that aimed at the trio’s legs.

"Move!" Kelvin shouted, Xerion rearing and his flames ignited a spike, reducing it to ash. Lyra wove a shadow net, her gauntlet flared as tendrils bound another spike, Salaris’s talons slashed its glowing core.

Darius fired a soulstone blast, the green light shattered a third spike, while Rhoam’s charge crushed the remaining ones, his plates deflected a stray thorn.

The trap collapsed, the spikes were dissolved, but a new vision hit was Zack’s face, sneering: "You aree nothing. You will fail." Kelvin shook it off, as his staff blazed leading them deeper into the ruins.

They reached the ruins’ heart, a flooded courtyard where a towering obelisk pulsed with dark runes, its surface etched with Cindy’s signature.

Before they could approach, the shadows erupted. Shadowhounds, sleek, canine beasts with glowing claws and molten eyes.

They bursted from the darkness with their roars conjuring visions of the Sovereign, a cloaked figure with red eyes, its voice was a whisper: "You cannot stop the Veil." The hounds lunged with their claws slashing with deadly precision.

"Form up!" Kelvin shouted, Xerion reared with his flames igniting in a blazing arc. He channeled a fire Convergence, enhanced by ritual runes, a piercing fire lance slicing through a hound’s core, the beast dissolving in a burst of ash.

Lyra wove a shadow cage that pinned two hounds, her gauntlet trembled as Salaris’s talons rendered their cores, while her screeches echoed.

Darius fired a radial soulstone blast, the gem-enhanced light shattering three cores, while Rhoam’s charge crushed another and his plates deflected a claw strike.

The visions intensified with the Sovereign’s red eyes, the Sanctum seemed burning—but the trio fought through with their beasts in perfect synchronization.

A hound lunged at Kelvin, its claws grazing his chest, drawing blood. He cursed while channeling a fiery vortex, Xerion’s flames incinerated the beast with its core exploding.

Lyra took a hit, a claw raked her leg, but Salaris’s talons saved her, shredding the hound’s core. Darius dodged a swipe, but a hound’s claw struck his shoulder, his wounds flaring.

Rhoam’s charge crushed it with its core bursting. The hounds fell, their roars faded, the visions were dissolved as the courtyard were stilled.

They approached the obelisk, finding a carved tablet: "The Sovereign awaits at the Riftspire. Cindy serves. The traitor hides within the Sanctum."

Kelvin’s heart sank, the mention of a traitor confirming their fears, possibly linked to Zack or someone higher. They collected loot: shadow claws pulsing with speed and obelisk runes glowing with power amplification and split it among themselves evenly.

The monitoring device buzzed, its message urgent: "Riftspire rift active. Sovereign’s influence confirmed. Prepare for engagement." The warning set their path, the signal’s flickered while hinting at deeper sabotage.

They camped in the ruins, the obelisk’s runes were dim but ominous. Kelvin ignited a fire with Xerion’s breath, the flames were casting shadows across the courtyard.

Lyra bandaged her leg, her shadow runes sealed the wound and her movements were steady despite the pain. Darius tended his shoulder, tossing meat to Rhoam and the panther’s plates gleamed as he devoured it.

"The Sovereign’s real," Darius said, staring into the fire, his voice low. "Zack is just a pawn, but someone in the Sanctum is dirty."

Lyra’s voice was firm, her gauntlet glowed faintly. "Cindy used my sister’s memory. I will make her pay, together with the Sovereign too."

Kelvin gripped his staff as Xerion’s warmth pulsed through their bond. "The traitor is close. We will find them all." Xerion’s eyes gleamed, his hiss affirmed their strength.

Dawn broke, the ruins were silent. A shadow flickered—the cloaked figure, runes glowed and then gone. "They are watching," Kelvin said, with his staff ready. "We will face them."

The Tide’s Crest pressed on, though battered but unbroken, their unity was a flame against the Veil’s shadow.