Interstellar Beast Master

Chapter 66: Anomaly! I

Purple flaming scales coiled over its titanic body, while bony wings, somehow, impossibly, held it aloft. It roared- a guttural, echoing sound of horror and power, and then scanned its surroundings as though even it had not expected to be here.

The moment it arrived, its gaze snapped downward, locking onto the Guardians standing near the glimmering portal they could not leave, trapped in the center of the malformed red mountains.

And when it did, its volatile presence shifted.

Invisible Entropic energy surged into it like breath after suffocation. Its cold, unblinking eyes settled and locked on to the figures of the Guardians.

The air thinned.

And Damian knew.

That gaze wasn’t for them. It was for him.

Or more precisely, for the little silver-furred beast clinging to his shoulders.

Kitsuul.

Her small body pulsed with a staggering influx of Entropic energy. Her paws twitched. Her form vibrated. She was about to break through- through an invisible wall and into something new.

An advancement.

But it was not a safe process. Not even close.

Whatever they’d triggered, the portal of this rift had stopped reacting normally. The sky had torn like fragile cloth, leaking something that should never have passed through.

A Symbiotic Resonance Interstellar Beast!

Damian confirmed it as his visor displayed glowing red numbers.

[5,224 Entropic Energy Value – Tier I Symbiotic Resonance Entropic Beast]

Crimson. Radiant. Unforgiving.

And when the Trial Guardians saw it, the color drained from their faces. Their expressions collapsed into dread, like they were staring at the end of the world.

If they hadn’t sent out that distress call...

If Guardian Flameborn wasn’t here...

They shook those thoughts off and turned to her instead, as if anchoring themselves to the last shred of control in this unraveling moment.

"Stay near me at all times. I’ve already alerted HQ—reinforcements are coming. For now..."

Her tone was steel, her posture unshakable. Her eyes lifted to the skies- still torn, still leaking. One beast had come through. But the tear hadn’t sealed.

And more might follow.

So, before they had to face the next horror...

"Rip that snake to shreds!"

Guardian Flameborn roared, and her Flaming Eagle Archaeopteryx launched into the sky like a blaze reborn.

At the same time, all the Initiate Entropic Beasts burst from their hiding places across the red earth and the mouths of the mountain crevices—moving in eerie synchrony.

...!

Nobody had expected this from a Basic Entropic Rift!

—

Far from the deep underground of a forgotten corner of the Ebonreach Metropolis where Damian and Kitsuul were.

Far from the glitter of the Skyglass Heights.

Nestled in the grime and fire of the Hollow Stacks...

Through alleyways where cybernetics and children disappeared in equal measure...

Lay the Rustblood Circuit Arena.

And within it, the Hostile Arena Operator’s voice oozed across the speaker system, seething with synthetic glee.

"Ladies and Gentleshits, can you believe it? We’ve got a masked contender tonight, calling herself the Blood Witch! I mean, looking at her- personally, I would’ve gone with Blood Bitch because damn, she looks like a bad bitch! Did you see her figure? That’s a ’DAMN’ in capital letters. But hey, what do I know? I’m just an AI!"

The words sparked laughter, but on the arena floor, a cybernetic man with spinning metal arms crumpled to the ground- out cold.

Standing over him was a woman in a black body suit, her face hidden behind a sleek mask etched with the image of a silver fox.

Anastasia.

While Damian faced trials as a Guardian of ZENTHRA, she was here- driven by rage, fueled by power, and high on the effects of the Natural Nanotech Blood Serum coursing through her veins.

She hadn’t come just to gather intel about this arena or the Beast Masters hiding here.

She came to bleed.

To make someone pay.

People always offered polite solutions for rage.

Meditate. Breathe. Forgive.

She wanted none of it.

She wanted blood for blood.

A hand for a hand.

A death for a death.

She’d watched her family die- slaughtered before her eyes.

And she’d done nothing.

Gone back to work a week later like a coward. Like a weakling.

Every night since, she reminded herself of how pathetic she was.

But not anymore.

Not tonight.

Now she had strength. And she wanted to use it.

She raised her hand high as the crowd roared, the arena floor trembling. HAO’s voice cracked with anticipation.

"As the Blood Bitch—I mean, Blood Witch- requested, the next battle begins right away! Her opponent tonight... The Widowmaker!"

OOOH!

Massive doors groaned open.

From the shadows emerged a mechanical monstrosity—eight-legged and lethal.

A cybernetic human perched atop it, hands manipulating gears as he grinned with sick delight. His mohawk glowed a hideous violet, a jagged scar slicing across his cheek.

"Girl, you sure you want me to ruin that pretty little body? We could take this fight somewhere more...intimate."

His voice slithered like oil.

Anastasia didn’t flinch.

Behind her black mask, her eyes were flat. Focused.

Her fists clenched.

The altered blood in her veins surged. Her muscles tensed. Her bones, reinforced by nanotech, begged to be used.

She had the power of an Initiate Interstellar Beast Master now, and she was done holding back.

She launched forward.

BOOM!

The arena floor shattered under her feet as she soared- graceful and lethal. The Widowmaker reacted instantly, guiding one of his eight limbs to swat her down.

Too slow.

Anastasia’s fist met metal.

It screamed.

Splinters flew as she shattered the limb. Her body twisted midair, riding the floating debris like stepping stones as she sped up across the air!

She appeared in front of the Widowmaker like a vengeful ghost, her leg whipping down as he stared in horror.

Her heel connected with his head.

And...

BOOM!

Blood exploded.

Brain matter painted the metal red.

The human half of the Widowmaker ceased to exist.

Anastasia remained, breathless in the aftermath.

...!

Silence.

Then...

"OOOOH!"

The crowd erupted.

The Hostile Arena Operator lost its mind.

Anastasia didn’t hear it. She stared at the blood. At the gore.

And raised her fist again.

Because her rage wasn’t done yet!