Interstellar Beast Master

Chapter 60: Entropic Rift I

Damian seemed to be the last to arrive. When he used the Identity Pass given to him as a Trial Guardian to enter the building this time, everything still felt off.

Like he shouldn’t be here, doing something like this.

And yet, here he was, adorned in the white ZENTHRA Suit of their Trial Guardians, greeted by smiles as he stepped in.

"The last one to make his entry, Therion Dark! Did the incident last night shock you that much?"

Ariana wore a bright smile, as if all the deaths they’d witnessed in Club Skyspire the night before meant absolutely nothing.

Her mood was nonchalant, actually filled with a sense of ease and expectancy, as if nothing had happened and she was looking forward to the mission at hand.

Beside her, a bouncing blue slime was cradled in Lyra’s hands. She gave Damian a light smile, a shared look passing between them like a secret no one else could know.

He glanced only at her as he arrived and gave a nod. Ariana raised her brows, glancing between the two of them curiously.

Off to the side, the Serpent Queen, Serena—was quietly stroking the scales of her Void Serpent, seemingly lost in thought.

Before any more greetings could unfold, a fuming aura made itself known.

Guardian Flameborn arrived, her presence unmistakable as she emerged surrounded by ZENTHRA employees and a few Beast Masters in white coats, shoving them aside with little patience.

Her face carried the weight of annoyance and fury. She looked over the Trial Guardians now gathered and beckoned them as she strode past.

"Follow me. We won’t have our normal debrief. I’ll speak with you all as we head down."

...!

Normally, they’d be shown towering frames of data displays, briefed with maps, footage, and expectations for the Rift ahead. Details of the Entropic Beasts. Tactical advisories. Risk levels.

All of that...gone.

With her mood burning like kindling, Flameborn waved them toward the wide freight elevator large enough for Interstellar Beasts and their handlers alike.

The scalding heat of her Flaming Eagle Archaeopteryx rolled in behind them, perching on the reinforced metal floor. The air itself seemed to blister as Damian and the others stepped inside.

Guardian Flameborn didn’t ease her gaze. If anything, it sharpened as she turned to her left and saw Lyra—humming.

"You’re humming? You’re happy your Aunt has to deal with a Breach within ZENTHRA for the first time in years?"

Her voice was edged, eyes probing. Why was her niece so unbothered?

Lyra cleared her throat, lowering her gaze a little.

"Sorry. I just got swept up in the excitement of the Entropic Rift..."

She sounded sheepish. Guardian Flameborn snorted, tapping the elevator’s keypad and flashing her badge multiple times before selecting the floor that Damian’s eyes locked onto.

[Restricted - Basic Rift Passageway #3]

...!

A restricted rift passageway!

Three green lights confirmed access. The elevator jolted slightly, then began descending rapidly.

"Yes, because a portal leading to a foreign landscape filled with beasts that want to kill you is definitely something to be excited about."

...!

Her irritation was palpable. Her tone silenced the group.

She shifted her attention away from Lyra and swept her gaze across the rest.

"For those of you who are new, we’re heading underground. It’s where you’ll go every time you need to dive into a rift under ZENTHRA control. Down there, you’ll be issued your AetherSight ZENTHRA Visors—pick either glasses or ocular lenses. With them, you’ll be able to scan Entropic Beasts and know whether you’re about to be shredded...or if you’ve got a fighting chance."

...!

She spoke rapidly, like this cramped elevator was her debriefing room now.

"They only allow AetherSight Visors inside Entropic Rifts. Only weak Beast Masters depend on them to stay alive long enough to matter. Initiate Interstellar Beast Masters and Symbiotic Resonance Beast Masters rely on them early on. But once you grow... the Entropic Energy levels become less relevant as you become powerhouses nothing can kill."

As her words echoed, the elevator stopped with a low hum and opened to a dim hallway aglow with purple light.

Predator Drones hovered ominously above. Armed. Alert.

A handful of ZENTHRA Beast Masters patrolled the corridor, each flanked by Synthetic Beasts- purple flaming hounds whose saliva sizzled against the metal floor.

Guardian Flameborn stepped out first.

Drones aligned themselves. Beast Masters saluted.

One approached in a lab coat, unlocking a sleek case that opened with a hiss—revealing rows of shimmering visors and lenses.

"Get your visors on and prepare. We board the shuttle leaving this research facility for the Basic Entropic Rift under ZENTHRA control in three minutes."

...!

AetherSight ZENTHRA Visors. Tools capable of gauging Beast Master and Beast power levels with eerie precision.

And now, confirmation: ZENTHRA had underground passageways linking their facilities directly to Entropic Rifts.

Damian’s eyes gleamed. He had already reached out to Kitsuul and communicated.

Even yesterday, she’d been limiting her aura, concealing over half of her strength.

He’d instructed her earlier to veil her presence upon entering the building—cap her output at 5% and mirror the same on his end.

Their recent breakthroughs from the Natural Nanotech Blood Serums and the Obsidian Entropic Soft Crystals Kitsuul devoured had pushed them forward rapidly.

Now wasn’t the time to flaunt it.

He stepped forward, ignoring the glasses. His hand reached for the thin lens. He retrieved it from its small plastic case, noting the faint shimmer etched across the surface.

He calmly placed it onto his right eye.

And...

BZZT!

An arc of electricity pulsed across his vision.

And just like that... the world changed.

One eye blinked. Calibrated.

He turned toward Lyra, who had just placed her own lens on.

She turned to him, and her jaw dropped in stunned disbelief.

And above her and the Blue Slime she held...

Lines of data flared into being.

Power signatures. Designations. Distinctions.

All being analyzed in real time.

On top of the Blue Slime on Lyra’s head, numbers and words appeared.

[157 Entropic Energy Value – Tier II Initiate Beast]

On top of Lyra Veyrin herself...

[110 Entropic Energy Value – Tier II Initiate Interstellar Beast Master (70%) Resonance]