Beast Hack: Customizing Beasts and Capturing Beauties - Chapter 210

Chapter 210: Lucius’ Bold Bet

Astorius narrowed his eyes as he fixed his glare on Lucius. “You must be lying. There’s no way you have reinforcements. You’re just bluffing.”

Lucius chuckled with amusement and it only seemed to infuriate Astorius further. “Of course not.”

He then glanced down at the watch on his arms as he counted down. “In fact, they’ll arrive in three… two… one…”

The air The air grew tense as everyone waited for something to happen, but nothing happened.

Astorius’ gaze flicked around the volcanic plain before returning to Lucius and smirking as he let out a loud laugh. “It seems that your bluff has been called, boy. There’s no one coming.”

Lucius, however, remained unfazed as he met Astorius’ gaze. “Oh? Are you sure about that?”

Before Astorius could respond, the ground beneath them rumbled faintly, a sudden surge of power washing over the field.

Astorius froze as he turned toward the source of the energy. The Empire’s soldiers shifted uneasily.

From within the Volcaria Estate, a group of figures emerged. Their auras were also so powerful that they could beat the auras of the empire armies.

The one who led them was a familiar figure to the people that had joined in the mission to exterminate the Red Dragon Order, who was Bryson.

Karion was surprised when he pointed his finger toward the newly appeared group. “Bryson? How can he be here? The leader of the Red Dragon Order…”

The Empire’s soldiers murmured nervously. Behind Bryson, the imposing figures of the Red Dragon Order elders stepped forward and unleashed their strong auras.

Anselm, who stood near Astorius, clenched his fists tightly as he recognized the group and growled. “Volcaria, you dared to work with the Red Dragon Order? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Ragnar chuckled, stepping forward with his arms crossed as he smirked at Anselm. “Of course we dare. The moment you decided to attack Volcaria, we made our choice. Working with the Red Dragon Order was the obvious move.”

Anselm frowned deeply as his gaze was shifted between Ragnar and Bryson. He was struggling to process the current situation.

Lucius turned to Ragnar and smirked. “See this, Astorius. I wasn’t bluffing. My other armies are here.”

Astorius clenched his fists in anger. “Even so, do you think this changes anything? We still have the numbers—”

Lucius raised his hand and silenced him with his hand gesture. “Look closely, Astorius. Bryson is a 7-Star tamer. Behind him, the elders of the Red Dragon Order are also here. And on your side?”

Lucius smirked as he revealed it. “You have, what, two or three 7-Star tamers at most? We also have three 7-Star tamers on our side. Are you really so sure you want to go to war?”

Astorius frowned when he heard what Lucius had just said. It was the truth, as 7-Star tamers were rare, as there were even only 3 in the empire beside Ragnar and Savra.

Lucius stepped forward and reminded him. “Even if you win, Astoriys, the cost will be devastating. Your armies will be shattered, your strength crippled.”

Lucius then gestured toward the other direction. “And let me remind you that other empires are watching. They’ll pounce on you the moment you’re weak.”

Astorius frowned deeply as he glared back at Lucius. “Then what do you suggest we do to handle this situation? Surely you have something in mind.”

Lucius smirked. “Of course. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed and victims in this pointless war, let’s settle this with a competition.”

Astorius tilted his head slightly in confusion. “A competition? What kind of competition are you proposing?”

Lucius chuckled as he locked onto Astorius and explained. “A knockout-style competition. We’ll have a 3 vs 3 team battle. Each side will select five fighters to represent them.”

He paused briefly, letting the weight of his proposal sink in before continuing. “The two teams will fight one by one, with the winner remaining in the arena. It will continue until one side is completely eliminated. The last group standing claims victory.”

Astorius narrowed his eyes as he considered the idea. “A knockout competition, huh?”

He glanced briefly at Anselm and Karion before returning to Lucius. “I see. The competition idea is straightforward enough. But what about the stakes?”

Lucius smirked as he explained the stakes. “Let’s make it simple. If you win, we’ll surrender everything—our lands, our treasures… and even ourselves. Volcaria will become your slaves.”

Astorius smirked with satisfaction as he heard that. “That’s a generous offer. I like it.”

But before the king could savor the thought further, Lucius’s smirk deepened. “Don’t get too comfortable just yet. If we win, not only will we create our new empire, but you will also be required to donate a huge area of volcano to us.”

Astorius’ smirk faded instantly as he frowned. “Donate all the volcanoes near you? That’s absurd.”

Lucius chuckled. “It’s only fair. After all, we’re wagering everything we have. Surely you wouldn’t hesitate to offer something of equal value, would you?”

Anselm and Karion exchanged uneasy glances as they processed the bold stakes.

Astorius clenched his fists tightly as he locked eyes with Lucius. “Fine, we accept your terms.”

Lucius’ smirk widened as he nodded his head slightly. “Excellent. Now, as for the time and place…”

He gestured toward a certain direction. “The competition will take place in the Death Land, exactly one week from now. It’s a barren, desolate field where we can fight freely without holding back.”

Astorius nodded as he agreed to the place and time. “Very well. A week from now, we’ll meet in the death land and settle this once and for all.”

Lucius chuckled as he took a step back. “Excellent. Prepare your best, Astorius. And don’t disappoint me.”

Astorius growled low in his throat as he clenched his fists. “We’ll see who’s disappointed.”

Lucius turned around and gestured to Ragnar and Savra. “Let’s go. We have preparations to make.”

As the Volcaria leaders and the Red Dragon Order began to retreat, Lucius glanced back briefly and locked his eyes onto Lucius one last time. “Goodbye then, Astorius. See you in a week.”

Astorius stood silently and growled as he watched them leave. The agreed competition had become a stage for a battle that would decide the fate of both sides.