Chapter 24 - The Beastmen

Both Sam and Kate were taken aback by the sudden development. They didn't know why the beasts were not attacking and instead, they were circling him around like they were waiting for something. Kate was about to jump into the fray when she noticed Lucas's breakthrough get faster. "They're helping him?", she thought.

Sam was also stunned. "Could they be? But it makes no sense. I thought the Beastmen weren't alive", he thought. Sam knew a different type of people who were formed during the times when the Earth began its changes.

When Kate felt a hand on her shoulder, she saw Sam shaking his head sideways, but his hand was on the hilt of his sword. He was on edge, and he was watching very closely. "If they so much as disturb my brother, I will not spare them", he muttered. Kate nodded in sync and they watched the development.

Lucas's awareness was expanding, and he could now hear Sam and Kate talk. Even though his eyes were closed, he could feel the changes in the air and hear the heartbeats of the beasts. As Lucas was focused on meditating, he decided to inquire about what he heard from Sam. "Are you Beastmen?", he asked in a soft voice.

The heartbeat of the beasts changed rhythm for a second. Although it was faint, Lucas heard it. "If you are Beastmen, then I know you can communicate telepathically. Why are you helping me? Aren't we humans a threat to your race?", he asked. The Fiery Flame Alpha decided to answer his question.

"We were instructed by our Master, that we must fight honorably. We must not take advantage of our opponent when he didn't play dirty. And as far as I have watched you fight, you didn't play dirty. You used everything in your Arsenal to fight the pack", came a girl's voice into his head.

Lucas could not communicate telepathically. Hence, he decided to ask out loud. "I see. It is an honor, to fight two honorable Beastmen. If we meet in the future, I would like to repay you for your help. But unfortunately, I would have to kill you", he said.

"We are not here to kill you. We are here on our Master's orders, you little punk. You dare harm her, and I assure you, that I will rip off your body, limb to limb", came a deep voice in his mind. "You must be the Snow White Alpha?", he asked. "I have a name. The name is Anthony", he bellowed. "And I am Sally", said the girl.

Lucas was stunned. "Those are human names. They are Beastmen. But why are they wandering here?", he thought. He decided to ask this. "We are around here because we got some information that we have been searching about. We came to verify if it was true", he said. Lucas didn't want to pry too much, as he didn't know who they were. "I'm sorry about killing the other Wolves", he said.

"Don't mind, they were not Beastmen. They are just mere breeding wolves. We take them around so that we can intimidate you humans into fleeing", chuckled Sally. "You're quite interesting though. Deciding to take on all twenty-five with such puny little strength. And you've managed to break through", she said.

Just as she finished the sentence, a notification showed up.

[Aura has been promoted!]

[You are now a D Class!]

[Aura: D Class]

[Capabilities: SSS Class]

[New techniques have been learned]

[Aura Skin - Lvl 1]

[Aura Skin - Create a layer of skin using Aura. It can defend against attacks and will help in absorbing the Mana from the outside world quicker. Consumes 5 MP every five minutes]

[Rate of Increase - 25%]

[Durability - 100/100]

[Mana Vision - Lvl 1]

[Mana Vision - Inject Aura into your eyes and look at the world from a different perspective. No Mana Consumption]

"These are some cool skills. And I've also reached D-rank. This means I can use the Limit Breaker Potion. But for now, let me make it like a switch", he muttered.

"It seems you do have potential. We will battle after you've finished. Let us see how much you have improved after this breakthrough. Just don't kill us", said Sally in a pitiful voice. Lucas chuckled. "This is quite amusing. Although I am curious, I must not tell anyone about this", he thought. "This would not just endanger them but us too", he contemplated.

After thirty minutes, he stood up from the ground. He dusted off and brought his sword out. He swung his arm, and it made a slicing sound. "This wasn't there before. And yet, the numbers are still the same. Then what is my real number right now?", he thought. After he took his stance, he saw the Alphas still circle him. The needles that were piercing him fell to the ground.

There was a total of seventeen needles. Nine Ice needles and eight Fire needles. "So this is the technique, huh?", he thought. He was fascinated by the technique that could help him in his breakthrough. The Alphas both lunged at him, but this time they were faster than before. He activated [Mana Vision] to see their weakness.

"What is this? They have none!", he exclaimed. He was taken aback by this sudden development. He was still getting used to the speed at which his body was responding. It was a lot faster than before. "So, my number now must be nearing the real numbers", he thought. He wanted to use the Limit Breaker Potion right away, but he had a battle to complete. "From now on, it will be harder to breakthrough", said Anthony.

Lucas was taken aback. He also knew that fact, but to hear it from someone unrelated to him was quite shocking. He ramped up his speed and used [Aura Slash]. "The pain, it's gone", he thought. He swung his sword downwards, and a dark blue slash left from his sword.

Anthony dodged it quickly, and he tried to hit Lucas. Lucas began to get used to his speed, and he could react in time. "What Master told us was right. He is indeed a very quick learner", thought Anthony. After exchanging a few blows, he quickly parried his strike, deflecting it towards Sally.

Anthony's claws cut Sally's paw that was coming toward his back. "She is patient. The patient ones are the most dangerous ", he thought. After that move, both Sally and Anthony bowed their heads down and sat on the ground.

"We admit defeat", they said in unison. They turned around and walked into the woods. After they disappeared from his view, Lucas quickly used the sword as support and leaned on it. "I guess I still have to get used to using my Aura for a long time", he thought. Kate and Sam came running towards him, and they placed him on his shoulders.

"You did good, little brother. Now, let us take you back home", said Sam. Kate smiled at him. He looked at the both of them, and he smiled wide. He began to cough out black blood. "It seems that I have to make sure that every impurity is out of my system", he thought. He was slowly placed near a tree, and he sat in a meditative position, clearing every impurity out of his body.

"That was one hell of a fight! And those wolves, I'm sure of it now", said Sam. Kate nodded her head to his words, as what he said made sense to her now. "They are Beastmen", they said in unison.

Away from the place they fought, both Anthony and Sally were walking. As soon as they were out of Lucas's view, they changed back into their human forms. They quickly put on a mask and wore a black robe that covered their whole body. "I'm happy that we met our Junior. Aren't you?", she asked Anthony.

He was sulking under the mask. "That guy is handsome. Sally might have fallen for him if I was not her mate. I could just ask her too", he thought. He was about to ask, but his mouth said otherwise. "He's nothing but a pretty face", he snorted. They were walking deep into the forest.

Sally then pulled out a circular device and tapped it twice. A holographic image appeared. There was a man with a mask and wore the same robe on his body. "Master, We have met with Junior as you had requested. And it is as you had said, he has a lot of potential", they made their report. "I see. What kind of potential do you see?", he asked.

"I don't know what kind. But I do know this. We will be needing his strength in case 'that' happens in the future", Anthony said. "And the other investigation?", asked the Master. "It is still underway. Fear not, Master. We will complete our tasks and come back as swiftly as possible", replied Sally. After they hung up, Sally walked up to Anthony and removed his mask. He was deep in thought and he didn't notice Sally coming close to him.

Anthony had a chiseled face. He had a very thick beard, which was his fur. He trimmed it so it looks like a beard. His eyes were a deep blue like the ocean. He had a well-chiseled body, from his Beastmen genes. He was tall, and the aura around him was always commanding. He was the Alpha, even when he wasn't transformed.

Sally removed her mask, and Anthony was distracted from his thoughts when he saw her close to his face suddenly. She had a beautiful face, and her hair was a fiery red. She was a little shorter than Anthony, but her rosy cheeks and her hazel brown eyes were alluring him. She was a beauty in each way possible.

She placed both of her slender hands on his cheeks and leaned in for a kiss. She kissed on his lips and then pulled away. "No matter how many handsome men go by, you will always be the one for me", she said to him.

Anthony smiled. "Idiot", he muttered as he turned around. She then hugged him from behind.. "I think it's time we do our main task?", chuckled Anthony, as he held hands with Sally and disappeared like they were never there in the first place.