Beast Hack: Customizing Beasts and Capturing Beauties - Chapter 332

Chapter 332: No Time to Think
Night Shade was in a fight with the mist dragon.

Thalia stood mid-field, chakrams spinning in wide circles.

She raised her arms, and opened her mouth.

“Dusk Screech!”

The sonic ripple tore through the dragon’s concentration.

Its claws jerked off-target, mist-shields misfired.

It screeched and twisted midair, momentarily blinded.

“Now!” Thalia called.

From the far ridge, Elliane was already cloaked.

Her body blurred in and out as her beast’s web threads dissolved her into the environment.

“Cloak-Web Field active.”

She aligned her sniper rifle calmly, fingers sharp on the trigger.

“Fog Snare Threads—round one.”

CRACK!

The mist split as a high-velocity bullet shot forward—laced with enchanted threads.

The second it struck the dragon’s flank, it detonated outward, binding mist to mist.

It forced the creature’s body to harden and pause in midair.

Tight threads bound around its legs and body like a cage.

Elliane’s voice came through the comms. “Target restricted.”

Kanos saw it. “Good shot.”

Down below, Orlen had already rushed forward.

Mistrock Cloak coated his body in dense grey mist armor.

He leapt straight toward the dragon’s trapped body.

“BREAKING THROUGH!”

He slammed both weapons into the side of the beast.

CRACK—BOOM!

Mist shattered off the dragon’s shell-like body in chunks, revealing a faint core deeper inside.

“Got something!”

Orlen shouted, flipping backward to dodge a counter swipe.

Kanos had already vanished.

Shadow Blink.

He stepped through the mist like a ghost, reappearing directly behind the dragon.

His whip-sword extended and lashed outward—segments slicing across the dragon’s back.

SLASH—SLASH—SLASH!

Each strike was precise—Kanos’s beast, Mistcoil, had marked the beast during his entrance.

Mist exploded from the impact zones.

“Marked!” Kanos barked.

“Anywhere I strike will track it—even if it vanishes again!”

Thalia’s chakrams spun back toward her hands.

“Resonant Curve—go!”

She launched them again, and they curved wide, dragging disorienting frequencies through the air.

The dragon screamed—then staggered mid-air, stunned by the rapid sequence of blows and control.

Elliane’s voice rang again.

“Snare Threads reloading. Ready for round two.”

Orlen charged again. “I’ll pin it for good this time!”

Kanos’s voice was cold and direct. “Keep pushing. It’s losing control.”

This was their moment.

He lunged forward, whip-sword slashing again.

But then—the air shifted.

The mist darkened.

Thickened.

Everything stopped moving.

A sudden pulse radiated out from the Mist Dragon’s core.

The threads that bound it, snapped.

Elliane’s voice cracked through comms. “—What?! Restraints failed!”

The Mist Dragon roared—its body shrunk and condensed.

The fog twisted tighter around it, and when it reformed—

It was faster.

Sharper.

Smaller and deadlier.

Kanos’ eyes widened. “It evolved.”

Orlen charged again.

“Let it try—!”

But the dragon was gone.

A blur.

It reappeared behind him, its mist blade slicing across his back.

“Gah—!”

Orlen crashed forward, rolling hard across the stone.

“Armor cracked!” he grunted.

Thalia’s chakrams launched again.

“Dusk Screech!”

But this time—the dragon didn’t flinch.

It moved through the sound.

Its claw lashed out and struck Thalia square in the chest—sending her flying back into the wall.

“Thalia—!” Kanos snapped.

Elliane fired two more sniper rounds, but the mist around the dragon bent the bullets mid-air.

“No good! It’s manipulating trajectory!”

Kanos vanished with Shadow Blink.

He reappeared above the dragon for an overhead strike.

But the dragon spun, perfectly timed, and slammed him with its tail mid-blink.

Kanos hit the ground with a thud, mist swirling around him.

He gritted his teeth, blood sliding down his temple.

“We’re outpaced—!”

Orlen pushed himself up. “We’ve still got one shot—!”

Kanos stood slowly.

His whip retracted, blade in hand now.

“Then we take it.”

“Final strike,” he said flatly.

“Everything we’ve got.”

Thalia coughed from the wall, already standing. “Say when.”

Elliane loaded one final round, glancing through her scope. “Target locked.”

Orlen tightened his cloak again, body shaking but ready. “Let’s end this.”

Kanos breathed deep once, then raised his weapon.

“All at once.”

The Mist Dragon hovered, watching them—unblinking.

Kanos raised his hand.

“GO!”

Thalia’s chakrams screamed through the air, slicing into the fog like twin crescents.

Elliane fired twice, and both rounds exploded mid-flight, releasing web-snare detonations.

The Mist Dragon dodged—just barely—

Right into Orlen, who slammed both tonfas into its core.

“MIST CRUSH!”

The dragon buckled—but didn’t fall.

Kanos stepped forward.

His blade began glowing dark silver.

He shot into the air, spinning into a final mid-air slash—

“SHADOW REND—!”

—

Alaric, Colan, and Dario stumbled forward, the thick fog finally beginning to clear.

They could see the silhouette of Luxoria Castle from the distance.

The Mist Dragon just vanished after being defeated.

Dario dropped to a knee, exhaling hard. “Damn it… that was really hard.”

Colan wiped blood off his chin. “We almost didn’t make it.”

Alaric grunted, still leaning on his spear.

“No ‘almost’ about it. We were one mistake from death.”

Dario looked around.

“I’ll take solid ground and no floating blades for a while, thanks.”

Then—

Voices.

Muffled at first, then clearer. Echoing from not far ahead.

“—We’re close!”

“Over here—!”

The three turned sharply, instincts kicking in.

But instead of more mist beasts, Kanos emerged from the fog.

He was dragging a half-limp Orlen with one arm.

Thalia followed behind, bruised but walking.

And Elliane was at the rear, still scanning with her rifle.

Dario blinked. “No way.”

Kanos locked eyes with him. “You’re alive?”

Dario grinned. “That’s my line.”

Orlen groaned. “Barely.”

Alaric stepped forward. “You made it through yours?”

Thalia gave a tired nod. “It wasn’t a beast. It was a damn nightmare.”

Colan looked around. “Where’s Jenavira’s team?”

Elliane adjusted her scope. “There.”

Another set of figures appeared through the mist.

Jenavira, Marek, Dravin, and Sirelia, weapons drawn, eyes wary.

Dario raised his hand. “We’re friendly.”

Jenavira’s eyes scanned each face. “You all made it?”

Kanos nodded. “Barely.”

Dravin chuckled dryly. “Then I guess we passed.”

Sirelia muttered, “If that was a pass, I don’t want to see failure.”

Dario looked back toward the castle. “Guess that’s the point.”

Colan nodded. “Only the worthy make it through.”

Alaric rested his spear against his shoulder. “So now what?”

Jenavira exhaled, blades finally sheathed.

“Now we find out why Lord L set all this up in the first place.”

Kanos glanced toward the castle, eyes narrowed.

“And what he’s planning next.”