Chapter 83: Wanted! I
Chapter 83: Wanted! I
Away from the chaos unraveling in the Hollow Stacks, in the pristine skies of Skyglass Heights, a ZENTHRA Model Z Corporate Aerial Vessel floated in quiet majesty.At its helm, a high-ranking Cybernetic Navigator steered the vessel smoothly through the skies above Ebonreach Metropolis- an elegant, silver-edged silhouette gliding above a world unraveling.
In the back of the vessel, nestled in sleek white leather seats, sat Lyra Veyrin and her father- Manager Park, one of ZENTHRA’s Directors of Operations. Their eyes weren’t on the skyline. They were locked on the sizable tablet screen mounted at the front of the cabin.
Lyra’s expression twisted in horror. The news coverage displayed a live feed of the nightmare unfolding in the Hollow Stacks. Blood. Fire. Screams. And then...
Her face paled further.
The footage showed the aftermath: a decapitated body identified as Guardian Theresa, and another- Guardian Dawn, chest torn wide open. The image blurred quickly after flashing on screen, but the truth had already been seen.
Real Guardians. From the Skyglass Heights. Had entered the Hollow Stacks and slaughtered thousands, hunting down any Vagrant Beast Masters they found.
Lyra couldn’t remember ever seeing or hearing anything like this. Her horror was carved into every inch of her face.
Beside her, her father remained unnervingly calm. Expression unreadable, gaze cold. His phone buzzed, and a video call lit up the screen. He answered it without hesitation.
A gruff man appeared on screen- his presence almost overwhelming. Power radiated from his eyes like it had nowhere else to go. He spoke casually.
"I hear someone’s killing Guardians in the Hollow Stacks. Want me to take a trip and clean it up?"
...!
The voice was heavy. Familiar. Unforgettable.
Lyra stiffened. She’d heard that voice the night before.
She turned from the screen on the vessel to her father’s phone, where the dazzling and dangerous face of Guardian Vex Talon stared back.
A terrifying Guardian.
And he was asking for permission- from her father, to enter the Hollow Stacks and "clean up" the mess.
Manager Park’s reply came cool and composed.
"If you actually go in, this whole powder keg is going to explode. The moment someone of your stature appears- whether you mean to escalate or not, there are others like you on the Stackborn side. If you show up, so will they. That’s when everything truly goes to hell. And then we’ll have the Council breathing down ZENTHRA’s neck. No one wants that. Stay put. I’m sure no one would permit a powerhouse like you to enter that mess right now."
...!
Every word struck like steel. Final. Certain.
Lyra watched as Vex Talon let out a slow breath, a bored expression overtaking his face as he nodded.
"Alright. Let me know when something fun happens."
CLICK.
The call ended.
Lyra sat in silence, still reeling, before whispering to her father.
"I... didn’t know you were managing Vex Talon too."
...!
Manager Park raised a brow, then chuckled softly, ruffling her hair with a thick hand.
"Of course, you didn’t. You barely spent any time with me at work. But now that you’ve become a Trial Guardian, you’ll be introduced to more and more connections. I’ll introduce you to Vex Talon—and other prominent Guardians soon. They’ll show you the ropes."
The ropes. With Vex Talon.
Lyra didn’t know what to feel. She only nodded, turning her gaze back to the screen at the front of the vessel.
Worry returned.
Therion. His little silver fox. Had they returned to the Hollow Stacks before this chaos began?
Would they mistake him for a Vagrant Beast Master?
Her thoughts spiraled. Her eyes grew frantic- until the Blue Slime beside her nudged her gently, sensing her distress.
"Don’t dwell on it. These events rise and fall like the tide. Ebonreach has stood for generations—it will weather this too. It always does. We’re arriving."
The Aerial Vessel descended, approaching a massive villa nestled in Skyglass Heights. Shimmering towers of glass and steel surrounded them, but this structure- this estate, stood apart.
A glass-and-metal palace.
A home fit for royalty. And yet, it was only one of Manager Park’s many residences.
As the doors slid open, he turned to her with a warm smile.
"Your mother invited Johnny and his parents. You two can catch up and—"
"Johnny?" Lyra’s frown deepened.
A so-called childhood friend. The son of a fellow Guardian on Vex Talon’s level—and a Director of Operations for the SUNBORN Beast Corporation. Wealthy. Powerful. Raised alongside her in ZENTHRA’s private academies.
"Mmm. He’s a good match," her father said with a shrug. "You should consider him seriously. In our world, connections are everything. With the right ones... anything is possible."
He walked ahead.
Lyra stood for a moment longer, expression shifting again and again before she exhaled softly.
Her thoughts weren’t on Johnny. Or the villa.
They were on Damian- the one she knew as Therion Dark.
’Please be safe... and don’t be involved in any of this madness.’
She whispered the silent prayer as she followed her father into the grand home.
Up front, multiple newest generation Guard Droids shining with sleek obsidian gold metal stood, and on various points across the Villa, Initiate Interstellar Beast Master could be seen with the same Synthetic Beasts- massive golden furred Hounds.
Past its glass walls, only luxury remained!
And in a place that was tremendously different in contrast.
Far from the glass walls of the Skyglass Heights.
At the junction between Skyglass Heights and Hollow Stacks.
Before, everyone knew when they crossed from one region to another, even if it was gradual.
Buildings became larger and more luxurious.
Roads were cleaner.
Even the air was different.
There was still an in between area that may not have entirely fit into a single designation of Skyglass Heights or Hollow Stacks!
Yet today.
At this moment.
Thousands of Enforcers began arriving and lining up a clear and distinct line between the Skyglass Heights and Hollow Stacks.
Armored Vehicles arrived carrying Enforcers adorned head to toe in gear, and there were even larger trucks carrying tall pylons crackling with electricity!
Pylons that began to be carried over by large electric attribute Beasts before they began to be placed across the line between Skyglass Heights and the Hollow Stacks that would extend for the few dozens of miles of an entry point between the lower Hollow Stacks, and the elevated Skyglass Heights.
As if a wall was being formed to ensure order after the blooming chaos...and separation!