Chapter 229 - 229: Monster tide
The woman remained seated, dreading the call. Minutes turned to hours, but she knew escape was impossible.
She took a deep breath and activated her bracelet, scrolling straight to the contact list. The Head's number sat at the very top.
She adjusted her clothes and tapped the number. As it chimed, she silently prayed the Head wouldn't pick up—but the chime was soon replaced by an indifferent voice.
"Has Cyra been found? I have given you and the rest enough time to find her."
"Madam, we have news on her, but..." The woman hesitated, already bracing for the Head's wrath.
"Don't mumble. What is it? Speak—I don't have time to waste." The voice on the other end was already sharp with impatience.
"Madam, we found her location—but only the aircraft was there. There's no sign of Cyra on the satellite feed.'' She said it all in one breath, eyes closed, bracing for the Head's shout. 'Three... two... one...' But nothing came.
Her brows furrowed. She peeked to see if the call was still connected. It was. Panic rose—maybe the Head was furious and simply too angry to respond.
Her hand trembled, dreading a call back for punishment—last time, that woman nearly added her brain to the menu.
Sweat beaded on her face, but before fear fully took over, the Head finally responded.
"Since she parked there, she must be nearby. You know what to do with the aircraft if you don't find her… Make sure she never goes back to Desire Island."
Her cold words echoed through the room, and the call ended before she could reply.
She slumped into her seat, drained. And that was just a call—facing the Head in person would be far worse.
A shudder rippled through her body as that thought flashed through her mind.
She hoped that encounter would never happen again—or she might just fake her death and vanish from the Dark Organization. With her position overseeing every hideout and operation, answering only to the Head—the founder herself—disappearing wouldn't be hard.
Someone else from the Circle could be elected in her place. But for now, she wasn't ready to give up the power. She liked it too much.
She steadied her emotions, masking them behind a calm exterior. Then she rose and left the room with a confident stride to carry out the orders.
….
In the Desolate Lands, Viktor stared blankly at the destroyed cactus, glanced at the creature splashing in the water, then collapsed against Zane.
"Be honest—if you're trying to kill me quietly, I'll understand. But how the hell does that look docile?!" Viktor's voice pitched high as he pointed accusingly at the catamel frolicking in the water.
"They're just playing, not attacking us. And for the last time, I'm not trying to kill you." Zane was exhausted by Viktor's train of thought.
Why would he go through the stress of taking his far away when he could just push him from the sky from the start of their journey?
Viktor folded his hands and eyed Zane with a pointed glance. "So are we returning now we have seen the monster?''
Zane hummed, spotting Greed frolicking in the water—his feather-covered body darkened by the soak.
"Greed, let's go!" he called out to his beast, striding toward the water.
Greed pretended not to hear, hoping to enjoy the cool water a little longer before facing the scorching desert sun.
"If you don't come out in three seconds, you'll stay in your beast form—with no food—for a day," Zane warned, stretching his sword toward Greed and giving him a light poke in the chest.
The warning worked. Greed shot to his feet. If he was stuck in beast form, how would he eat at the same table as them—or watch the movies saved on his master's bracelet?
"Master, I'm out, let's—" his voice was caught short by the trembling of the ground beneath them.
Zane froze, eyes widening. "We need to go back—now. Greed, fly at top speed or everyone at the camp will die."
Greed didn't waste a second. He shifted instantly, and Zane and Viktor climbed onto his back. With a powerful thrust of his wings, he soared into the sky, sending ripples across the water below.
"What's the situation?" Viktor asked, noticing the seriousness in Zane's brows.
"A monster tide." Zane's flat tone sent a chill down Viktor's spine. He swallowed hard, the thought of facing a horde making his expression turn grim.
Before, he wouldn't have hesitated—charging in recklessly without a second thought. But now… he didn't want to die. Not after finally finding a warmth he never thought he'd have.
"What are their weak points? Are they poisonous? I need all the details," Viktor pressed, firing off questions in rapid succession, hoping to learn everything he could about the monsters ahead.
Zane glanced at him and noticed the shift—Viktor's eyes were sharp now, his expression dead serious.
"They're hybrids—spawned from both the outer and inner layers of North Oasis," Zane explained. "They won't attack for long. You just need to hold out until they retreat. Aim for the head or the heart to kill them faster. And whatever you do—don't let their claws touch an open wound."
Zane's tone was firm, laying out everything he knew.
Viktor nodded, but one question lingered in his mind. "Monster breeding mix? What does that even mean?" His tone brimmed with curiosity, trying to picture the creature they'd soon face. From what he'd seen, North Oasis monsters already looked like patchworks—two or three beasts fused together.
Now that those things were breeding with others like themselves… what on earth would their offspring look like?
"I can't explain it; you'll see for yourself soon," Zane replied, unable to explain the monster in words.
"Alright, I hope we get there before the monster tide hits the camp," Viktor said, noticing a cloud of dust heading like a hurricane ahead.
Zane looked down, and his brows furrowed; he wasn't sure they could reach before the horde.
"Wake Cyra. I don't think we can hold them off on our own," Zane said firmly, having made up his mind. Too many would die before the horde passed.
These women didn't have the knowledge or experience of those who'd lived in the Desolate Lands—it was essential to wake Cyra now.
Viktor quickly flashed into his space and headed to her room in hurried steps.
Meanwhile, in the camp, the ground trembled beneath the women's feet. A sinking feeling gripped their hearts as they realized—they were alone. No sign of their boss. No sign of her husband.
"What's going on?!"
"The ground shook—just like it did before yesterday's attack!'' A woman spoke her thoughts with a trembling voice.
"No, it's much worse! What are we going to do?!"
Anxious murmurs rippled through the crowd as the growing tremors shook the earth, sending waves of fear through their hearts.
They were strong fighters—but this wasn't their battlefield. They were trained to face people, not monsters.
"We have to hold on until the boss gets here." Amelia's words echoed through the crowd, calming some women down.
But others panicked and fled, forgetting Zane's warning.