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Chapter 36: Ripples [Bonus Chapter]

The branch master, Eryx Vandergard, was in the center of it all, his long red hair tied back in a loose ponytail that swayed with his every movement.

His piercing purple eyes glinted with excitement as he sparred with some of the new recruits. Eryx was known for his battle junkie attitude, always eager to test his limits and push others to theirs much like the guild master of the Berserker Guild.

His unique talent, Counter, allowed him to anticipate and neutralize attacks with ease; it worked by redirecting the force of an attack nearly ten times more powerful than it originally

was.

Among the recruits was a tall, muscular man named Roland, whose brute strength was matched only by his clumsy footwork with a strength enhancement talent.

There was also Eliza, a swift and agile woman with short, cropped hair and a sharp gaze that missed nothing with a basic acceleration talent. Lastly, there was Kieran, a young prodigy with a natural affinity for physical combat, his talent 'Impact' allowed an attack to deal twice the amount of damage after it had made contact the first time. His movements were surprisingly fluid for someone of his age.

Eryx practically danced around their attacks effortlessly, his Counter talent making their every move seem sluggish in comparison.

With a smooth motion, he deflected Roland's heavy strike with his forearm, sidestepped Eliza's swift kick, and ducked under Kieran's punch. As Roland tried to follow up with a sweeping kick, Eryx leaped over it, landing behind him and tapping his shoulder lightly to signify a hit.

"Keep your balance, Roland," Eryx advised, spinning just in time to catch Eliza's punch, redirecting her momentum and sending her stumbling forward. He stepped aside and dodged Kieran's high kick, then used a gentle push to off-balance him as well.

Suddenly, the training room's doors burst open, and a woman with short, dark blue hair and a stern expression stepped in. It was Aria Valen, the vice branch master.

"Eryx, we need to talk. It's urgent," she called out, her voice her tone cold and commanding.

Eryx stopped mid-motion, narrowly avoiding another of Roland's strikes. He sighed and straightened up, waving a hand to signal the end of the sparring session. "Alright, recruits, that's enough for now. I hope to spar with you again soon."

As he walked over to Aria, the recruits slumped to the floor, panting and exchanging uneasy looks at each other.

"He's gonna kill us with hunger at this rate, we've been at this for the past three days, my legs are getting numb,"

Roland muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Yeah, should we even stick around? I know he says he's starving us so we can be prepared for the day we go out on a mission in the wilderness, but this is just overkill." Eliza said, stretching her sore muscles.

Kieran shrugged, a look of seriousness in his eyes, "Guys have to get better. If we quit now, we'll never improve. We just have to land one hit on him, and then he promised we would eat something."

The other two turned and looked at him intensly, suddenly Eliza spoke up, "In case you have forgotten... that was three days ago dumbass! How are we supposed to fight on an empty stomach? Don't tell me... are you in cahoots with him? Are you actually planning to get us killed?"

She said as she slowly walked up to him, she wasn't tall yet for some reason it looked like her shadow was towering over him.

Kieran shrugged, "Alright... Eliza... just calm down..."

Meanwhile, Eryx approached Aria with a playful grin. "Oh dear Aria, the way you called out to me earlier was so lovely. I'd like for you to call me one more time."

Aria clearly looked irritated as she pinched his arm. "Stop it, Eryx. This is serious."

Eryx winced but laughed, rubbing his arm. "Alright, alright. What's so urgent?"

Aria's expression softened slightly but remained serious. "We've received word about a summoner who managed to summon a giant class drake at the Union office. Here, take a look." She clicked a button in a watch she had on and a holographic window appeared, showing a recording of the incident.

Eryx watched the footage, his eyes widening with interest. The summoner in question was Alister, commanding the massive drake with an impressive display of power.

Eryx's lips curled into a knowing smile. "I see what you're getting at, Aria. Once this video spreads, all the branch masters in this Mega City will be on his case. We need to find his address and approach him first to join the Blue Seals."

Aria nodded but voiced her concern, crossing her arms and furrowing her brow. "What about Guild Master Anya of the Berserker Guild? She's still around and could cause some problems."

Eryx shrugged nonchalantly, stretching his arms above his head.

"I've never been one to worry about things beyond my control. If she snatches him before us, then it's unfortunate. We aren't at the level of the guild masters yet, so a duel for him would be pointless, although it would be lovely to try. But I'm not a fan of pointless effort. So if we can hurry and get to him first, then it's all good."

Aria tilted her head slightly, tapping her chin thoughtfully before nodding. "I'll get our best people on it. We'll track him down and make our move."

Eryx's playful demeanor returned for a moment as he winked at her, leaning in slightly. "Excellent. And, Aria, you really do have a lovely voice when you're serious."

Aria gritted her teeth, her face flushing slightly as she pinched him again, harder this time, twisting his skin. "Focus, Eryx. We have work to do."

"Ow, ow, ow, I get it! Just stop twisting! I can feel pain too, you know!" Eryx yelled, wincing and stepping back, rubbing the sore spot.