Chapter 324: Rebellion brewing.

The Beast Valley combat leaders were huddled inside the security room, practically breathing down each other’s necks over a large table covered in maps and half-eaten snacks.

"Look, I’m telling you, we go in at night," Nero said, slamming a heavy hand onto the table and causing everyone’s teacups to rattle. "Night attacks are classic! Darkness is our best friend. This is a town that is too big for us to take on if we go during the day. There are too many variables to consider. We are hunters, not some kind of freedom fighters. We must keep this quick...in and out within thirty minutes."

"Nero is right," Bianca muttered, rubbing his chin. "Night gives us the element of surprise. The guards will be sleepy, the beasts will be tired or sleepy too, and we can move like ghosts. We put them on beast pockets and vanish in the smoke."

Bullet winced. "We have the flash bangs too to weaken the guards and beast just in case. But they will be loud and attract attention. We have to use something that makes us invisible to detection. We knock out guards and any human that sees us. We drop explosives on timers in the prisons where the beasts are being kept, the market and the butchering houses. In the morning, when they go off, they won’t know what hit them."

The rest of the people nodded in agreement. One by one, they chipped in, tossing out ideas, shooting down bad ones, and arguing over who got to lead which team of four until they finally nailed down a solid, crystal-clear plan.

Satisfied, they stretched their stiff limbs and filed out of the room to prep their respective squads.

It was 2:00 PM. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, but inside the security room, the mood remained somber. Zyra and Hunter stayed behind, staring silently at the screen displaying images of Grimmark.

"You know_" Zyra spoke up, her voice dropping to a low whisper as she stared at a dark outline on the map. "I’m worried about this beast master. Apparently he’s called that because he can control the beasts. Which is supposed to be impossible! I wonder how he’s controlling them."

"Could they be corrupted? I mean corrupted beasts are like humans on drugs. They obey their master to get the drug." Hunter asked, stepping closer.

"I also worried about the King Bird," Zyra sighed, rubbing her temples. "That oversized flying beast only hunts at night. If it has set its sights on Grimmark, we might get caught in the fiery crosshairs."

Hunter stepped up behind her, placed his hands on her tense shoulders, and began gently massaging the knots out of her neck. "Hey. Relax a bit, will you? We’ve survived worse than a giant aggressive bird. When that feathered menace shows up, we’ll be ready to pluck it. At least we know what it is afraid of."

Zyra let out a long, heavy sigh, her shoulders finally dropping an inch. She leaned back slightly into his touch and nodded. It was afraid of salt water. Malia was leading a group pf women to mix gallons of it. Everyone would carry some in the beast pockets. Zyra planned to carry containers on the beast domain.

[You have this in the bag, host]

She snorted.

[You have this mission tighter than a wolf’s jaw on fresh prey.]

Zyra rolled her eyes. She wondered what Beauty was up to with all the comments.

[You are luckier than a snake finding a sunny rock--this mission is practically basking in success.]

Again, she rolled her eyes.

[Don’t sweat it. You have got the claws, the fangs and the Beauty. The mission is already begging for mercy.]

Suddenly she got the feeling that this would go on until she accomplished the mission successfully.

*****

The Beast Valley crew weren’t the only ones plotting that day. Far away in the capital, down in the lower districts, the air smelled of ash and fury. The low-borns were beyond furious, they were bloodthirsty. Two nights ago, the Sanctum guards had stormed into Alcania like rabid dogs, slaughtering innocent people left and right under the excuse of "punishing blasphemy."

The guards had torched homes, laughing as flames swallowed whole streets, cursing the low-borns for allegedly praising the Somnivores_ the ancient, sworn enemies of humanity. Those who survived the massacre had fled screaming into other districts or cities. Others were crazy enough to stay behind, clutching bloody daggers and begging for revenge.

Ava and her small team were currently creeping through the shadowy corridors of Alcania, doing what they did best: stirring the pot. They moved from house to house, handing out Somnivore weapons and catalyzing rebellion.

Right now, Ava’s group was crammed into a dimly lit, damp cellar, sitting across from the newly crowned rebel leader and listening to his plan.

"We strike during the last fight of the competition," announced Tyrese. He slammed his fist onto a wooden crate. "Every single arrogant first-class citizen and person with privilege in the world will be stuffed into that stadium, watching humans and beasts tear each other apart for their entertainment. They won’t see us coming."

Ava pulled the dark scarf tighter around her head, her sharp eyes glinting in the candlelight. "That’s actually perfect. Having all your targets gathered in one neat little box saves us the trouble of hunting them down one by one." Best of all, Trinity would be there.

She reached down, hoisted a heavy leather bag onto the table, and unzipped it with a loud drag. Inside lay a dozen metallic canisters, glowing with a faint, ominous green light. "Before you start shooting, spread these around the capital, especially inside the stadium ventilation. The gas inside is a special brew. It completely neutralizes the energy of half-life beasts."

Tyrese stared at the canisters, and a slow, terrifying grin spread across his bruised face. "The low-borns don’t own worthy half-life beasts. Most don’t own any at all and we can barely afford shoes! The nobles rely on those beasts for strength. If their beasts go limp, the battlefield will be even."

Sitting beside Tyrese, a fierce woman named Winnie, his most loyal supporter let out a sharp cackle. "Leave the stadium to us! The nobles think we’re only good for sweeping floors and scrubbing blood off the arena walls. My crew handles the cleaning at Eros Stadium every day. Planting these little toys will be as easy as eating pie."

While everyone was busy celebrating their upcoming riot, Leif stood quietly in the corner, leaning against a damp stone pillar. He wasn’t paying much attention to the noble-hating speech. He had his own secret agenda.

As Ava and Tyrese bickered over the details, Leif casually reached into his sleeve, pulled out a small, metallic object and dropped it into a crack in the wall.

It was an inactive Stasis Prism. Completely undetectable, totally silent, and waiting for the exact moment Leif decided to flip the switch.

He had been putting them in different districts and cities since Ava started her mission. He smirked to himself, casually twirling another hidden prism between his fingers. This one was meant for the Divine maiden herself.