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Chapter 20 - Chapter 20:The Apex Predator's Gambit

The words hung in the air, a declaration of intent that sent a shiver down Kael's spine. "The time for observation is over, Kael. Let's begin."

The chaos of the battlefield below was reaching its fever pitch, a furious symphony of clashing Rune-Beasts and desperate cries. The alliance, exhausted but emboldened by their perceived victory, was preparing to deliver the final blow. Sebastian, however, saw not a battle, but a chessboard in its endgame, and he was about to make a move no one had foreseen.

From his spatial ring, Sebastian withdrew a satchel filled with small, unassuming objects: glass spheres, each the size of a fist. He handed a portion to Kael. "These are paralyzing gas bombs and sleeping gas bombs, crafted from materials we gathered in the outer sectors," Sebastian explained, his voice a low, steady hum. "They are non-magical, a weakness none of these students, with all their advanced talents and Rune-Beasts, are prepared for."

He pointed to a small, nearly imperceptible fissure in the boulder they were hiding behind. "We will create an opening here. Kael, you take the right flank. I will take the left. We will bombard them non-stop until every last one of them, and their Rune-Beasts, is completely incapacitated. Do not hold back. Do not show mercy. Do not stop until we see no movement."

Kael's eyes widened, a flicker of shock in them, but it was quickly replaced by a fierce loyalty. "Yes, My Lord."

The first bombs, a synchronized volley from Sebastian and Kael, arced through the air with a soft hiss. They were small and swift, unnoticed amidst the roaring of the Tsunami Serpant and the thunderous charge of the Buildhorn Rhino. The bombs shattered upon impact with the wet sand, releasing two distinct clouds of gas. One was a sickly, pale yellow, almost invisible against the bright light of the sun, and the other a shimmering, ethereal purple.

The paralyzing gas, a neurotoxin crafted from rare herbs and minerals, worked instantly on the central nervous system. The sleeping gas, laced with a potent sedative from the Sleepwalker Lily, was designed to knock out even the most powerful creatures.

The initial confusion was subtle. Prince Thakin Zeyar Thanaviraj, mid-charge, suddenly stumbled, his movements turning sluggish. His Buildhorn Rhino, a beast of pure muscle and rage, seemed to lose its footing, its charge faltering into a desperate, staggering trot. "What is this?" he roared, his voice thick with anger and confusion. His Rune-Beasts were not responding. The commands were there, the magic was there, but the connection was like a broken line.

Princess Long Yuhua, witnessing her allies' sudden collapse, shrieked a command to her Tier IV: Verdanix to create a protective barrier of verdant energy. But the gas, an insidious cloud that defied magical barriers, seeped through the cracks and enveloped her Rune-Beast. The majestic Verdanix began to shudder, its leaves wilting and its movements becoming slow, as if it were a puppet with its strings cut.

The Sea folks, already at their breaking point, were no exception. Prince Tavita Moanali'i Talimafua, his body fatigued and his mind exhausted from the battle, suddenly found himself unable to move. His powerful Tier V: Tsunami Serpant uncoiled, its magnificent form slumping into a lifeless, shimmering puddle on the sand. The pride and strength that had carried them this far were now rendered meaningless by a simple, non-magical substance.

Sebastian and Kael did not stop. They were a relentless storm of silent destruction. The air was filled with the soft thuds of gas bombs landing on the sand, each one a whisper of doom. The yellow gas spread like a creeping fog, and the purple mist followed, blanketing the entire beach.

The furious curses of the princes and princesses were the only sounds piercing the air. "Who are you?! Show yourselves, cowards!" Prince Long Yulin roared, his voice laced with venom. He tried to activate his Spear Saint Dragon Piercer talent, to summon a final, powerful attack, but his muscles failed him. The paralysis was absolute. He could only watch as his Tier IV: Dracozen, its fiery breath faltering, collapsed into a whimpering pile of draconic exhaustion.

Prince Constantin Elias Von Albrechtstein, a man used to commanding respect and victory, was the most enraged. "You will pay for this! When I get my hands on you, I will make you beg for the sweet relief of death!" he spat, but even his angry words were beginning to slur as the sleeping gas took hold. His Tier IV: Astralion and Frostleo, once symbols of light and fury, were now lying on the beach, their forms inert.

The professors at the Mysticrium Academy's grand Assembly Hall watched in stunned silence. The Rune-screen, once filled with the glorious clash of a mythical battle, now showed a scene of utter, humiliating defeat. The professors who had been speculating on Sebastian and Kael's next move watched as their predictions came to pass.

"They did it," Professor Jian whispered, a gleam of pure, unadulterated admiration in his eyes. "They didn't intervene in the battle. They ended it. A clean, decisive move. A true master of strategy never fights a battle they can't win. They didn't fight at all. They used the right tool for the right job."

The water-based specialists, who had been drooling over the Seraphaquor, were now in a state of shock and disbelief. "The Seraphaquor!" Professor Elara cried out. "It's collapsing! Even its divine aura is no match for this..." She trailed off, utterly defeated. A Tier V mythical Rune-Beast, a creature of legend and raw power, was being defeated by a simple chemical weapon. It was an insult to the very concept of magic.

Back on the beach, the chaos was dying down. The gas had done its work. The groans of the students turned into snores, their bodies lying in various states of undignified collapse. The majestic Rune-Beasts, once proud and fierce, were now nothing more than sleeping, docile creatures.

Sebastian and Kael, their cloaks still hiding their forms, emerged from behind the boulder. The only sound was the gentle hiss of the remaining gas and the soft lapping of the waves against the shore. They walked through the field of the fallen, stepping over unconscious forms and the inert bodies of powerful Rune-Beasts as if they were nothing more than obstacles.

Sebastian's eyes, even through the visor of his helmet, were fixed on one prize: the Seraphaquor. He approached her carefully, his movements slow and deliberate. The creature's opaline scales, once shimmering with light, were now dull and lifeless, a testament to her terrible condition. Her six massive, angelic wings were tattered, one of them torn and hanging at an awkward angle. Her pearl-white eyes were closed, her breathing slow and shallow. She was not sleeping; she was in a state of deep, painful exhaustion.

Sebastian couldn't stop himself from touching her. He knelt down, his hand hovering over her head before gently stroking the flowing mane of liquid-like strands that fell from her head. The strands, once vibrant with shifting colors, were now a dull, milky white. He looked at her, truly looked at her, for a few moments, and in that gaze, there was no greed, only a deep and profound sense of respect. He had seen the way she fought, the way she used her power for her people, even in her injured state. She was a true legend, and she deserved to be saved.

Kael stood by, silent and respectful, watching his Lord. The Seraphaquor, in her state of deep unconsciousness, seemed to be breathing easier under Sebastian's gentle touch.

With a final, silent nod, Sebastian withdrew his hand. He looked at her one last time before reaching into his spatial ring. He had bought it from the academy's trading terminal with a single purpose in mind: to store a Rune-Beast of a great size. He activated the ring, and a powerful vortex of blue light swirled around the Seraphaquor.

The creature's massive form began to shrink, its body shimmering and condensing before it was fully absorbed into the ring, disappearing without a trace. The silent beach was now empty of its most valuable prize.

Without a word, Sebastian and Kael turned and ran, their movements quick and precise. The beach, once a stage for a world-changing battle, was now silent and desolate, a monument to the ultimate display of ruthless, pragmatic efficiency. They ran towards their hidden cave, leaving behind a group of angry, humiliated princes and princesses, and a story that would one day be told as a legend of a shadow that stole a god.

The air was thick with the scent of saltwater and the faint, sweet smell of the lingering sleeping gas. Sebastian and Kael stumbled into their hidden cave, their bodies heavy with exhaustion, their lungs burning from the frantic sprint. The adrenaline that had fueled their audacious heist was now fading, leaving behind a profound sense of relief and the heavy weight of their newfound treasure. They had run for their lives, carrying the immense responsibility of having stolen a Mythical Rune-Beast from under the noses of four powerful empires and a sovereign territory.

They collapsed against the cold, stone floor, breathing heavily, their chests heaving with each gasp. The silence of the cave was a welcome balm after the roar of battle and the furious curses of their incapacitated rivals. After a few moments, the rush of adrenaline finally subsided, replaced by a quiet, methodical resolve. Their act of daring was done; now came the work of survival.

"We need to get to work," Sebastian said, his voice a low, raspy whisper. He reached into his spatial ring and, with a subtle shift of his mana, brought out the Seraphaquor.

The cave was instantly filled with a shimmering, ethereal presence. The Seraphaquor appeared in a flash of light, its massive form lying on the ground. The sight of it in its terrible condition was a stark contrast to the divine beast Sebastian had seen on the beach. Its luminous opaline scales were dull and cracked in places, its magnificent wings were tattered and limp, and its body was riddled with bruises and deep gashes from the ferocious battle. A mournful, almost imperceptible sigh escaped its throat, a sound like a distant, underwater church bell.

Sebastian's heart went out to the creature. He knew what he had to do. "We have to heal him, immediately," he said, the urgency back in his voice. He called forth his Springshoot Panda, who emerged from its Beast-Ring with a sleepy yawn before its eyes widened in shock at the sight of the mythical serpent.

"Do your best," Sebastian told the panda, his voice gentle but firm. "I know you're tired, but this is a life-or-death situation. Use everything we have."

Kael, understanding the gravity of the situation, quickly emptied his own spatial ring. A pile of healing potions and rare herbs, gathered with painstaking effort from across the outer sectors, now lay at Sebastian's feet. The Springshoot Panda, a creature of incredible compassion, took one look at the injured Seraphaquor and nodded resolutely. It sat cross-legged and, with a profound hum of mana, began its work.

The air around it began to pulse with a vibrant, emerald-green light. It absorbed the healing potions, and the rare herbs dissolved into the air around it, their essences converting into a pure, concentrated floral energy that the panda absorbed.

The panda then let out a soft, melodic hum, and a torrent of green light washed over the Seraphaquor. The energy, warm and life-giving, began to slowly mend the beast's wounds. The cracked scales began to knit back together, the deep gashes slowly closed, and the tattered, semi-transparent wings began to regain their ethereal glow. The process was slow and methodical, and for what felt like an eternity, the only sounds in the cave were the soft, rhythmic hum of the panda and the deep, contented breathing of the injured serpent.

Hours passed. Kael, ever vigilant, took a position at the cave's entrance, his massive form a silent, immovable guardian. He listened for any sound, any tremor that might signal a pursuing party. His heart hammered in his chest with the knowledge that the enraged princes and princesses would be looking for them, and they would likely have called for reinforcements.

After what felt like an entire day, the Springshoot Panda finally stopped. The vibrant green glow faded, and its body slumped, utterly drained. It had poured every ounce of its energy into healing the Seraphaquor. The serpent's wounds were now completely gone. The scales were once again luminous, the wings were whole and shimmering, and its divine aura was once again a powerful, palpable presence in the cave.

Sebastian, seeing his loyal companion's exhaustion, quickly took him into his laps. He reached into his spatial ring and brought out a few rare, nature-aligned cores he had been saving. They pulsed with a soft, green light as Sebastian pressed them to the panda's body, using the cores to stabilize its energy. The panda, its body finally at peace, fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

While Sebastian was gently tending to his exhausted companion, he felt a gaze on him. He looked up, his eyes meeting the pearly-white gaze of the Seraphaquor. It was awake, and it had been watching the entire time. It had seen a human, a being of power, use his own resources and the well-being of his loyal companion to save a complete stranger, an act that defied the common logic of the Trial Island.

After a few moments of silent contemplation, Sebastian carefully placed the sleeping panda back into its Beast-Ring. The Seraphaquor remained motionless, its eyes fixed on Sebastian, a thousand questions lingering in its intelligent gaze.

Sebastian took a deep breath. "You have been awake for a while now," he said, his voice calm and clear. "You must have a lot of questions in your mind." He smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I own a talent called Beast Whisper. With its help, I can talk to you without any problems."

As if on cue, Kael, seeing the danger had passed, came back from his guarding position. He approached the Seraphaquor carefully, his posture respectful but wary.

Sebastian raised a hand to stop him. "Don't worry," he said. "The Seraphaquor won't harm anyone. Not now. Not when it understands." He turned back to the serpent. "At first," he began, his voice taking on a more serious tone, "when I saw you, I admit, I wanted to take you for myself. I saw a rare, Mythical-grade Rune-Beast, a prize of untold value. My initial thoughts were mercenary, nothing more."

The Seraphaquor remained silent, its gaze unchanging.

"But then," Sebastian continued, his voice softer, "I saw you suffer. You, a creature of such immense power and divine lineage, were being hunted and injured by those who had no respect for your kind. You were being treated as a trophy, a commodity. And I saw how desperately your kind fought for you, not for profit, but out of faith and reverence."

He paused, a flicker of emotion in his eyes as he remembered the brutal fight on the beach. "I couldn't stand it. The sight of your suffering, the way those arrogant princes and princesses were treating you... it was wrong. I decided then that I would not take you, but save you instead. The value of your life is far greater than any prize or title I could gain."

He then delved deeper, revealing a piece of his family's history, a truth that was not widely known. "There were many reasons for saving you," he said. "One of them was that your kind once aided my family, the Stormwrights. A long time ago, a powerful Seraphaquor aided my ancestors and saved many citizens in the Rainmere territory from a catastrophic deluge."

The Seraphaquor's pearl-white eyes seemed to shimmer with recognition at the mention of the name Stormwright.

Sebastian's gaze softened. "The tales of your kind's bravery and compassion were passed down through the generations. My mother also has a Tier VI: Seraphaquor as her companion, a being she cherishes and respects more than any other. So, you see," he concluded, a warmth entering his voice, "I have respected your kind ever since I was a child. To see you being so horribly abused, I simply could not stand idly by."

The Seraphaquor, a creature of immense wisdom and power, looked at the human who had so ruthlessly incapacitated its enemies, yet was now showing it such profound respect and kindness. It understood the unspoken promise: a bond born not of conquest or greed, but of mutual respect and shared history. The silent conversation between them was far more profound than any spoken words could ever be. The Seraphaquor had witnessed Sebastian's power, his cunning, and now, his true heart.

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