Chapter 49: Summoner’s Chance to get stronger

Chapter 49: Summoner’s Chance to get stronger In the cold, suffocating interiors of the Caves, darkness reigned supreme—consuming every nook and cranny with an eerie silence that felt alive. Shadows crept like predators across the jagged walls, and within that abyss, where no sunlight dared to intrude, thrived abominations of nature—beasts twisted by evolution or something far worse. Among them lurked one of the most fearsome: the Abyssal Beast. But the darkness held more than monsters. Deep within a secluded chamber of the cave, one that arched high above the ground with a ceiling nearly fifty feet tall, a strange contrast unfolded. Here, illuminated by the sterile glow of flickering fluorescent lights, were lines of computer systems and humming equipment. The area looked bizarrely modern—almost like a hidden laboratory carved from stone. Digital monitors glowed with cascading data, their reflections dancing across the pale face of a man standing before them. He was dressed entirely in white—boots, gloves, coat, and even a wide-rimmed hat that cast a shadow over his sharp features. His eyes burned with obsession as he hovered over a metallic table. Upon it lay a beast, dissected completely, its innards organized with clinical precision across nearby trays. He chuckled to himself, a low, unsettling sound that echoed in the chamber. "It’s almost complete," he whispered with a note of manic satisfaction, dropping the blood-stained knives onto a steel tray beside him. With slow, practiced care, he pulled off his gloves, the sound of latex snapping softly in the silence. Then, he turned around. "I finally proved the impossible. Aren’t you excited, Ny’kara?" His voice climbed with unrestrained excitement as he addressed the massive creature standing nearby. It was the Abyssal-ranked beast that had massacred the group of academy students just hours ago. The beast stood still, its dark eyes locked on its master. In each of its claws, it held a dismembered part of a human body, blood still dripping from the remains. They dangled like trophies. The creature let out a guttural growl, lifting its grotesque prizes into the dim light for the scientist to see. "Oh, you killed more humans?" the man said with a laugh, utterly unbothered. "Must be that time of the year again. No worries—I’ll leave them to you. After all, we each have our roles to play." He turned his attention back to the body on the table, his glossy smile spreading wider. "I’m almost done. With a bit more time, I’ll be able to replicate you... create more Abyssal-ranked beasts. My dream is nearly at its peak." ** Meanwhile... Kairos and his group finally emerged from the treeline, the border of the Western Forest behind them. The hour was late, and the air was thick with humidity and the lingering smell of beasts. As they stepped into the clearing, they found the girls already waiting—Kaela and Lina stood near a fallen tree, arms crossed. "You guys are awfully late," Lina muttered, clicking her tongue in irritation. Carlos scowled at her tone. "We didn’t ask you to wait, did we? You could’ve just handed in what you had and left if you wanted." Lina shook her head, already tired of Carlos’ persistent attitude. No matter how many times they talked together, his rudeness toward her never faded. There was no changing that. "So... how did your hunt go?" Kairos cut in, uninterested in their banter. His focus was on their progress—specifically, how many beast cores they’d collected. Lina exchanged a brief look with Kaela, who stepped forward and raised a heavy sack. The fabric bulged in the middle, weighed down by its contents. "We got twenty-six," Lina reported. "All basic-ranked beasts. Birds, mostly." Darnell’s expression flattened with disappointment. "Same with us," he said. He lifted their own sack—a larger one—onto a nearby rock. "We hunted Tusks. Basic beasts. Got forty-eight cores total." Kairos thought within. "Would’ve had more if he hadn’t fed eight of them to his summon." But Kairos wasn’t listening. His thoughts drifted inward, his curiosity gnawing at him like a fever. As they began the walk back to base, he slipped silently into his mind space. The place felt off this time. Quieter than usual. The Shadow Wolf stood motionless, not reacting to Kairos’ presence—a rare thing. Normally, the creature stirred the moment he entered. His gaze followed the wolf’s, and then he saw it—the egg. Massive, dark, and almost pulsing, the egg had grown larger since the last time he’d seen it. Now, hairline cracks branched across its surface like lightning bolts, and dark wisps of smoke curled out from the fissures. ’So this is where the cores went,’ Kairos thought. ’It’s using them to hatch the second summon... and it’s working.’ He approached slowly, drawn by morbid curiosity. Placing a hand on the shell, he leaned in and pressed his ear to it. Silence. No heartbeat. No movement. Just the cold shell. Still... it was alive. He could feel it in his bones. That summon was coming—and it would be stronger than anything he had yet. The thought lit a fire in him. He needed to hunt more, stronger beasts. Not just for points or prestige—but to feed the egg. Time was running out. But it was too late for today. The base appeared in the distance, and the silhouettes of armed officials marked their return. They quickened their pace. When they arrived at the gate, Agent Tom stood there with five other officials. Their stance was firm, almost tense, as if something had shifted. "Please submit your cores here, along with your team name," Agent Tom instructed as they approached. "We’ll record your contributions and store the cores securely." "They may look harmless," another official added, "but each of those things could explode if mishandled." No one objected. The students passed their sacks of cores forward without complaint. "A name?" Tom whispered. None of them had thought that far. For a moment, they stood in awkward silence—until Darnell blurted out, "Let’s be called... Elite 5." A beat of stunned silence followed. And Agent Tom not caring anymore confirmed the name on his tab and went back to his station. Carlos let out a sigh of disbelief. "Seriously? Did you get that from the back of a cereal box?" He shoved past Darnell in frustration. Kaela followed without a word. Lina raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She didn’t care much for the name anyway. Kairos remained still. His mind was already drifting again, consumed by one thought. The egg. His second summon. He knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. A chance to grow strong without killing humans—just beasts. And if tomorrow offered another hunt, he wouldn’t waste it on basic-ranked creatures. He would go further, deeper... and kill whatever stood in his path. Because tomorrow, he wouldn’t hold back.