Chapter 389: A missed case of soul corruption.

At Beast Valley, thirty minutes before they saw the mayhem that was happening at Eros Stadium live on their screens, things were surprisingly peaceful. Especially on the side of the main house where everyone was stuffing their stomachs with fresh warm food, taking a bath, or simply pulling the covers over their heads.

Zyra was shoveling food into her mouth like a person who had been starved in a dungeon for three days. Potatoes, fish, bread_ if it fit on the plate, it went into her mouth. She was thinking about her next plans: bath and then bed. She was certain that by the time she woke up the following day, the world would have changed.

More importantly, she could finally begin the search for her mother. All dungeon hunting would have to be put on hold.

Nero suddenly rushed into the dining room with a big grin plastered on his face. "Great news, Malia’s surviving relatives, all kids under twelve, have arrived. Nine in total."

As he sauntered out, Zyra shoveled food into her mouth faster, half sitting-half rising. The bread nearly choked her!

Hunter picked up the glass pitcher, poured her some warm water, and pushed it toward her with a sigh. "Slow down, Zyra. If you eat any faster, your stomach is going to start a civil war, and you’ll get indigestion. Let Malia have her family re-union, she doesn’t need us hovering and disturbing them. I am sure they have a lot to talk about."

Zyra sat down and slowed down her eating pace, but not because of the warning. She stopped chewing because Hunter looked like a walking corpse the more, she looked at him. His skin was paler than a sheet of blank paper, and he wouldn’t stop scratching himself. First his arm, then his neck, then his leg_ again and again.

"Is everything alright with you or something?" Zyra asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You look terrible with every second that passes."

Hunter twisted his mouth to the side, trying to look cool, though his twitching eye ruined the effect. "I’m fine! Just exhausted, okay? We spent the whole night in the Wild Lands clearing out those Sanctum fools. I haven’t slept in two days. I think some of those assassin ants crawled on me." He sighed. "Once I take a bath and get quality sleep, I’ll be back to my usual ridiculously handsome, charming self." He reached out and playfully pinched her cheek.

"Ow!" Zyra winced, slapping his hand away. "Keep dreaming. We are a long way from sleeping anyway. We still have to watch Trinity’s arrest on the live feed." She rubbed her cheek and looked at him, her tone turning serious. "By the way... how much do you actually trust Dravin?"

Hunter shrugged, leaned back in his wooden chair, and closed his eyes. His own plate of hot food sat in front of him completely untouched. "Dravin? We used to hunt together back in the day. Man’s a beast in a fight, but he’s only loyal to one person: himself. Oh, he did mention that Elliot went all the way to Waterhurst looking for me and told me not to trust anyone. Not even him! Can you imagine that?" A loud yawn came from him, announcing the exhaustion in his bones.

Zyra stared into space, her fork mid-air. Elliot went to Waterhurst right around the same time Hunter was there? That’s way too convenient.

"I need to have a long chat with Dravin," Zyra muttered. She turned her eyes back to Hunter. He was about to fall asleep while sitting upright, still absentmindedly scratching his neck.

Something is definitely wrong with him, since when has lack of sleep made him look like this? she thought.

"Beauty," Zyra called out in her mind. "Scan my alien beast. He keeps saying he’s fine just to look tough, but he’s acting weird."

[Checking Hunter’s health status now...]

Before the system could finish, a loud wave of screaming echoed from outside. It wasn’t just coming from the main house_ it was exploding from the lounge of the beast pavilion where some residents usually gathered to watch the stadium matches.

Zyra stuffed the last whole potato into her mouth, puffing her cheeks out like a hamster, and grabbed Hunter by the collar, shaking him awake. "Wake up! The Grand Elder must have made his entrance!"

Hunter gasped, blinking rapidly. "Alright let us go and see how this goes."

They sprinted straight to the living room where half of their small inner circle was sitting. They arrived just in time to hear Trinity’s live confession broadcast across the entire realm. But before they could even digest her words, chaos erupted on screen.

Gunshots shattered the VIP glass booths. A second later, the sky above Eros Stadium seemed to split open. Hordes of massive, terrifying beasts rained down from the sky straight into the crowd. The beasts began tearing through guard rails, smashing concrete, and instantly devouring anything that moved.

People were summoning their half-life beasts, but the creatures were weaker than lambs.

"Grand pa!" Hunter yelled. His sleepiness vanished instantly, fear taking over.

The Grand Elder was standing right in the middle of the open ring downstairs, directly in the drop zone. Hunter dashed out of the room like a lightning bolt. "I’m going!"

"Wait for me! I have to save my brother." Bianca screamed from the hallway, running so fast she nearly tripped over carpet. She paused for a split second, holding her chest as horror flashed in her eyes. Those gunshots... please, heavens, don’t let him be shot!

Zyra bolted out the front door right behind them. Outside, Nero and Bullet were already rallying men to arm themselves and grab their armor.

"Boss!" Bullet barked. "We are ready to roll."

"Good! Move out!" Zyra nodded fiercely. "Let the Soul maidens teleport out everyone that can fight in groups. Every group must go with a healer. We move in packs, like wolves. Nobody should run off on their own."

Suddenly, a sharp DING! echoed inside her head.

[Host... I have very unfortunate news.]

Zyra’s eyes tracked Hunter, who was already stepping through the portal ahead of them. "Spill it, Beauty! I don’t have time for a dramatic pause!"

[Hunter Magnus has been corrupted by dark energy.]

Zyra froze for half a second, her brain short-circuiting. "What! How!?"

[Well, he’s a beast man, Host!] Beauty explained in a frantic voice. [If I had to guess, he came into bloody, physical contact with those corrupted beasts in the cannibal territory. We can deal with it later, if it’s inconvenient right now.]

"Divine maiden! Why are you standing there like a statue?" Tessi shouted from the portal edge, grabbing Zyra’s arm and pulling her out of her daze. "We have to go now!"

"Right! Let’s go!" Zyra snapped back to reality and leaped straight into the swirling portal.