Beast Hack: Customizing Beasts and Capturing Beauties - Chapter 338

Chapter 338: From 20 to 500 Cores
Donnie stared at his hands.

They looked the same.

But inside—he felt it.

He had crossed a threshold.

“…I really became a Beast King…”

He looked up at Liline, eyes still wide.

“But… how?”

Liline only smiled.

“Because the cultivation manual we provided isn’t ordinary.”

She stepped forward, hands behind her back.

“It’s designed to reshape the user’s body and essence—to perfectly synchronize with Vornis.”

“And since your Vornis are Sovereign-tier, the cultivation art naturally elevated your talent tier to match.”

She paused, letting that settle.

“In other words… your breakthrough was inevitable.”

Donnie burst out laughing, disbelief melting into elation.

“Hah! Worth it. Really… WORTH it!”

He turned in a circle, throwing his hands up.

“I came for an unknown upgrade, but I got a whole damn evolution!”

Several tamers in the crowd were staring, either stunned, amazed, or secretly jealous.

Liline smirked softly.

“Now then… shall we head to the auction?”

Her voice was calm.

But the air around them?

Crackling with anticipation.

—

Liline clapped her hands once.

A rumble echoed through the hall as a massive cage rose from beneath the stage.

Inside stood ten Vornis, lined in perfect formation.

They were silent like weapons waiting to be commanded.

Liline stepped forward and raised her voice clearly for all to hear.

“Now, let us begin the first auction round—ten units of Vornis, Sovereign-tier war beasts.”

She smirked lightly.

“The starting bid is twenty S-Rank beast cores.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“And let me remind you…” Liline added, eyes scanning them all,

“This includes full contract assistance and custom cultivation art, if desired.”

Before she even finished, a hand shot up.

“Twenty-five!”

Another voice followed.

“Thirty!”

“Thirty-five!”

It jumped rapidly.

But before the next bid could land—

A new voice cut in.

“Eighty-five S-Rank beast cores.”

The entire hall fell into silence.

Everyone turned.

The bidder stood tall near the back.

A few gasped.

Someone whispered, “Wait… is that—?”

Another tamer confirmed it, eyes wide.

“Raiven Valefor. That’s the Raiven. The one who bought Titanhoof from Beast Castle.”

Whispers broke out immediately.

“He’s switching sides?”

“He already has a Sovereign-Tier beast… and now he’s going for Vornis?”

“Why would he—?”

Raiven’s voice echoed again.

“I’ve analyzed the Vornis specs.”

He looked directly toward the cage.

“This beast is better than I thought.”

His lips curled slightly.

“Eighty-five is a bargain.”

Liline’s smile widened, amused and unshaken.

“Well then.”

She spread her arms gently.

“Do we have anyone who dares to challenge Mr. Valefor’s bid?”

The room hung in silence.

Until a calm, clear voice rang from the opposite side of the hall.

“Three hundred S-Rank beast cores.”

Heads turned instantly.

Standing elegantly near the eastern row was another female noble.

Someone gasped.

“Wait… that’s—”

“Sylvia Aurelius.”

“The Aurelius family?! What’s she doing here?”

Sylvia smirked faintly, folding her arms.

“My offer is for three Vornis units.”

Her gaze flicked briefly toward Raiven, then back to the stage.

“We’re allowed to bid in groups, aren’t we?”

Liline didn’t miss a beat.

“Of course,” she replied smoothly.

“Vornis is a war beast—designed to function best in packs.”

She extended her hand toward Sylvia.

“We encourage bulk purchases.”

Sylvia’s smirk deepened. “Then I’m simply playing smart.”

Raiven narrowed his eyes slightly but didn’t speak.

The crowd murmured louder now.

“Two nobles bidding against each other?”

“This is getting insane…”

But just as the tension peaked, another calm voice echoed across the auction hall.

“Let’s not pretend you’re the only nobles here.”

Heads turned again.

From the western balcony, a tall woman stepped into the light.

Her green robes flowed with forest-stitched patterns.

Someone gasped aloud.

“Elaris Myralis…?!”

“A Myralis is here too?”

She stopped at the rail, smiling with serene confidence.

“I’ll bid four hundred S-Rank beast cores for three Vornis units.”

Liline blinked once—then smiled smoothly.

“Well then… a third noble has entered the stage.”

She raised her hand, projecting her voice again.

“We now have three active bids.”

– “Three Vornis for 400 beast cores.”

– “Three Vornis for 300 beast cores.”

– “One Vornis for 85 beast cores.”

She looked over the crowd.

“Do we have any further bids?”

The hall buzzed with energy. Whispers, envy, calculation.

Tamers stared at each other, wondering if more nobles would step in…

Or if someone insane enough would try to outbid them all.

—

Raiven frowned.

He stepped forward slightly, voice raised.

“Elaris.”

Everyone turned as he pointed toward the Myralis noble.

“Your family deals in forest-type beasts. Graceful flyers, camouflaged hunters, spirit-attuned guardians.”

He gestured toward the caged Vornis behind Liline.

“These are war beasts. Steel-element, machine-precision, front-line killers.”

His brow furrowed.

“There’s not a single leaf or vine in their design.”

He turned slightly and scoffed.

“If it were Sylvia, I could somewhat understand.”

“The Aurelius family is scientific—obsessed with dissecting beasts and modifying behavior.”

“They’d tear these Vornis apart to study them.”

Then he locked eyes with Elaris again.

“But you?”

“You’re going to bid four hundred beast cores just to decorate them with moss?”

Some of the crowd chuckled.

But Elaris only smiled—unshaken.

“Hehe… they’re quite interesting to pass up.”

She stepped forward, resting her hand lightly on the railing.

“And strong. I like strong.”

Her eyes glimmered.

“Besides, I can make them into the guardians of my forest.”

“Iron trees, silver blades, silent executioners beneath the branches.”

Elaris tilted her head.

“And if it bothers you that much, Raiven… I’ll just give them forest-type steel to eat.”

She gave a small, teasing shrug.

“That’ll make them attuned to nature, right?”

The crowd burst into laughter again, a few tamers even clapping softly.

Raiven’s jaw tensed.

He glanced toward the Vornis still standing firm in the cage, silent and ready.

“…Damn it.”

His hand lifted sharply.

“I’ll take the last four.”

He paused—then let the full number hit.

“Five hundred S-Rank beast cores.”

The room exploded in gasps.

“Four beasts for five hundred?!”

“That’s more than Sylvia or Elaris offered for three!”

“Is he trying to prove a point?”

Raiven didn’t look at anyone.

He just stared straight ahead.

“They’re mine. That’s final.”

Elaris chuckled softly, barely loud enough for him to hear.

“Aw. Is that your pride talking… or your pocket?”

Raiven didn’t answer.

But the tension between them burned brighter than ever.