Beast Hack: Customizing Beasts and Capturing Beauties - Chapter 479

Chapter 479: Biceps vs. Beakers
Hadrian stood at the edge of the abandoned square.

He glanced around at the worn-out structures and cracked stones.

Every corner was under his control, every shadow had been analyzed.

He was sure that Lucius would come.

But instead, a heavy footstep echoed across the square.

Vandred Valefor approached, towering and broad-shouldered.

His crimson eyes locked onto Hadrian with a cold focus.

Hadrian frowned. He tapped his scepter twice, activating a scanning rune.

The device whirred softly as it tried to identify any hidden threats.

His eyes narrowed.

Vandred stopped ten paces away.

He cracked his neck, rolling his massive shoulders.

His battle scars shifted beneath the reinforced armor, marks of countless fights.

He flexed his hands, the leather of his gloves creaking.

“Vandred,” Hadrian started, stepping forward, eyes unblinking.

“Why are you here? My business today is with Lucius, not with Valefor.”

Vandred’s lips twisted into a smirk.

He tilted his head, his crimson eyes gleaming with challenge.

“Hadrian,” Vandred said.

He shifted his stance, one foot forward, testing the ground like a fighter preparing to strike.

“Your business is with Luxoria, that’s true. But today I’m not Vandred from Valefor.”

He tapped his armored chest, leaving a dull thud.

“I’m Vandred from Luxoria. So your business is with me, too.”

Hadrian’s jaw tightened. His fingers drummed on the scepter’s handle.

He shifted his weight, adjusting his stance.

“That’s a poor joke.”

“You think you can just walk in and claim Luxoria’s interests?”

“This is between me and Luxoria. Step aside.”

Vandred’s eyes glinted.

He uncrossed his arms and cracked his knuckles one by one.

He rolled his neck again, the scars along his throat flexing as he did.

“Step aside?”

He laughed low and steady, shoulders shaking.

“Hadrian, you’ve always been good at hiding behind your beasts.”

“But you’ve never been good at facing a real fight.”

Hadrian lifted his scepter, its tip glowing faintly.

“Don’t test me, Vandred.”

“I didn’t come here to waste time on a second-rate brute. I came to challenge Luxoria’s power.”

Vandred’s grin widened.

He stomped the ground, the stone cracking beneath his boot.

“Then challenge me. You’ll find I’m harder to crack than any of your lab-grown toys.”

He reached back and rested one hand on the hilt of his heavy battle-axe.

Hadrian’s eyes flashed cold.

He raised the scepter, feeding power into its core.

He pivoted his foot, ready to unleash his chimera.

“I see. So this is your game. Fine.”

“Let’s see if you can handle my beasts on your own.”

Vandred’s laugh rumbled deep in his chest.

He bent his knees, lowering his center of gravity.

His eyes locked onto Hadrian’s, unflinching.

“No fancy tricks. Just you and me. Show me if you have any real strength left.”

Hadrian’s lips curled in disdain.

“So be it. Let’s end this quickly.”

He shifted his grip on the scepter, and a faint blue glow crawled up his arm.

Vandred straightened his posture, his broad chest rising with each breath.

He clenched his fists, the leather straining, and shifted his feet into a balanced stance.

“Quickly or slowly. Makes no difference. You’ll break either way.”

Hadrian’s eyes narrowed. His fingers tightened. “We’ll see.”

Vandred’s grin held. His crimson eyes burned with challenge.

“Come then. Let’s finish what you started.”

—

The air between them cracked. Hadrian’s eyes locked on Vandred.

He raised his scepter and pointed it at Chimaelith.

Circuits glowed bright, lines of energy running up his arm.

His breath was steady, and he stepped forward, one boot grinding stone beneath him.

“Chimaelith, time to show them real power.”

Chimaelith let out a low growl, metal wings flexing.

Its claws curled inward, retractable blades sliding into place.

Hadrian’s body merged with Chimaelith, armor plates shifting over his skin.

Metal feathers sprouted along his back, and a single crimson eye opened in the middle of his forehead.

His arms expanded, claws taking shape.

He flexed his fingers, each one ending in diamond-forged talons.

Vandred’s jaw tightened.

He stomped forward, his boots leaving deep cracks in the ground.

His eyes glowed red, the veins in his arms bulging.

“Gravalorn, with me.”

Gravalorn roared, a sound like grinding mountains.

Its bloodsteel limbs reshaped, plates sliding into place.

Vandred’s body merged with Gravalorn, jagged stone plates forming across his chest and arms.

His fists turned to massive gauntlets dripping molten iron blood.

His spine expanded, spines erupting down his back.

“Come,” Vandred said.

He lifted one arm, stone fingers flexing. “Let’s end this.”

Hadrian shifted his weight, claws scraping across the ground.

He crouched, wings angled low.

“Then let’s begin.”

The air trembled.

Hadrian lunged, activating [Adaptive Weapon Shift], claws becoming diamond-forged blades.

He swung both arms, aiming at Vandred’s chest.

Vandred twisted his body, activating [Valenite Armament].

His fists reshaped into blood-forged spiked clubs.

He blocked the strike, sparks flying. The ground shook with each clash.

Hadrian jumped back, wings spreading.

He launched forward, claws out, activating [Skyhunter Strike], driving down at Vandred from above.

Vandred braced himself, slamming both fists into the ground with [Titan Breaker Smash].

He sent a shockwave that cracked the earth.

Hadrian was thrown back, landing hard, claws digging furrows in the dirt.

Vandred advanced, his fists dripping iron blood, each step leaving deep prints.

“You think your machine can match me?”

Vandred’s arms tensed, plates shifting.

“Try me.”

Hadrian rose, his claws flexing. His crimson eye burned bright.

“You’re just a brute with rocks. Let’s see how you handle this.”

He lunged again, activating [Crushing Rampage], charging like a living battering ram.

Vandred met the charge head-on, his fists reshaping into serrated claws with [Valenite Armament].

He swung both arms, blocking and catching Hadrian’s claws.

Their arms locked, both straining, metal scraping against stone.

“Is this all you’ve got?” Vandred leaned forward, crimson veins glowing.

He lifted his head, activating [Bloodquake Roar], sending a seismic pulse that threw Hadrian backward.

Hadrian tumbled, landing on one knee. His claws dug deep to hold his ground.

He rose, wings spread wide, metal feathers rattling.

“You call that strength?” His crimson eye pulsed.

Vandred’s fists glowed, iron blood hardening over the stone.

He moved forward, each step a small quake.

“You’ve spent too long hiding behind lab glass.” Vandred’s breath came in steadily.

“Face me.”

Hadrian’s claws shifted, becoming long blades.

He crouched low, wings tense. “Fine.”

He lunged, activating [Rending Gore], his head splitting into a diamond-forged battering ram.

Vandred’s arms crossed, forming a shield of living rock with [Earthen Aegis].

The impact shook the air, stone, and metal, colliding with a deafening crack.

Vandred pushed forward, fists reshaping into bloodsteel spiked clubs.

He swung, each strike aimed at Hadrian’s chest.

Hadrian rolled to the side, claws lashing out, activating [Adaptive Weapon Shift].

He formed talons that slashed across Vandred’s stone plates.

Vandred staggered, but his bloodsteel shell glowed bright.

He clenched his fists tighter.

“Gravalorn grows stronger with every strike,” Vandred’s arms flexed.

“You’ll break before I do.”

Hadrian’s wings snapped open, metal feathers rattling.

His claws extended, crimson eyes glaring bright.

“Then I’ll just have to cut deeper.”

They stood facing each other, every muscle tensed, the ground between them cracked and torn.

The fight was far from over.