Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 173

Chapter 173: The Sandbox of Gods

The Neutral Zone was not a place people went on holiday.

It was a vast, endless ocean of white sand, sandwiched between the lush jungles of the Tiger Sector and the frozen peaks of the Wolf North. There were no trees. No water. No cover. Just wind, silence, and the bones of ancient beasts.

THUD.

The Abyssal Hunter touched down on a massive dune, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Rurik stepped out first. He sneezed immediately.

"I hate sand," Rurik grumbled, shaking his fur. "It gets in the ears. It gets in the boots. It takes weeks to get it out."

"Focus, fuzzball," Rajah said, jumping down beside him. He planted his greatsword in the sand. "This is the kill box. No civilians to save. No buildings to break. Just us and them."

Caspian stepped out, shielding his eyes from the purple glare of the sky. "It is dry," he noted unhappily. "My scales are already itching."

Cassian, the Serpent Warlord, descended the ramp. He adjusted his spectacles, his robes fluttering in the desert wind. Unlike the others who carried swords or axes, Cassian carried a staff made of twisted green wood and emeralds. He was a Mage of the highest order.

"Mana density is optimal," Cassian stated, tapping his staff. "The Leylines here are exposed. I can draw directly from the earth."

Primrose walked down the ramp. Her Nine Silver Tails were deactivated, looking like ordinary white fur to save energy, but the air around her shimmered with latent power.

"Set up the perimeter," Primrose ordered. "Kids, stay by the ship. Jax, keep the runes warm. If we signal, you take the kids and fly."

"You don’t have to tell me twice," Jax muttered, checking his crossbow. "I’m keeping the transport ready to launch."

Jasper sat cross-legged on the sand, placing Pickles (the Baby Imugi) in front of him. The little green snake was happily burrowing into the warm sand.

"Atmospheric conditions are stable," Jasper reported. "Pickles is charged. We wait for the target."

They didn’t have to wait long.

The wind stopped.

The sand stopped shifting.

Above them, the purple clouds swirled into a massive spiral.

CRACK.

The sky split open.

The Void Core didn’t descend. It simply deleted the sky. A massive, black sphere—the size of a small moon—pushed its way into the atmosphere. It was so heavy that the sand dunes beneath it began to flatten from the sheer gravitational pressure.

"It’s big," Vali whispered, clutching Clover’s hand.

From the bottom of the black sphere, a beam of solid darkness struck the desert floor, a mile away from them.

Figures began to emerge from the darkness.

First, the Void Sovereign. He walked calmly, his cane tapping on the compressed sand.

Then, his army.

Thousands of Void-Beasts scuttled out like ants. But they were just the fodder.

Behind the Sovereign, four massive shadows rose up. They were towering monstrosities made of black starlight and bone.

The Four Calamities.

A Void-Tiger, burning with black fire.

A Void-Wolf, dripping with liquid lightning.

A Void-Serpent, coiled and venomous.

A Void-Leviathan, floating in the air like a ghost ship.

The Sovereign stopped. He stood a hundred yards away. His single white eye focused on Primrose.

"You chose a scenic grave," the Sovereign’s voice boomed across the dunes. "Open space. Nowhere to hide. I appreciate the efficiency."

Primrose stepped forward. She stood alone in the middle of the dunes, looking small against the army of monsters.

"We didn’t come to hide," Primrose shouted back.

She raised her hand. The Silver Crest on her knuckles glowed.

"Jasper! Now!"

Behind her, Jasper touched the gem on Pickles’ forehead.

"Go, Pickles!" Jasper commanded. "Sanitize!"

The baby dragon shot into the air. He opened his three galaxy-eyes and let out a piercing, chiming cry.

Primrose flared her Nine Silver Tails. A beam of pure silver mana shot from her tails, hitting Pickles in the air.

PING.

The connection was made. Unity.

Pickles acted as the amplifier. The silver light exploded outward, forming a massive, translucent dome over the entire battlefield.

Green wind mixed with Silver light swept across the sand.

The Void-Beasts screamed. The black smoke leaking from their bodies vanished. The purple sky inside the dome turned a clear, bright blue.

"What is this?" the Sovereign hissed. He looked at his hand. The bubbling Void energy usually shielding him was gone. His skin looked solid. Vulnerable.

"It’s a Purification Field," Primrose explained, grinning wolfishly. "Inside this dome, the Void cannot regenerate. No healing. No respawning. If we cut you... you bleed."

She drew a sword she had borrowed from the armory—a sleek, silver rapier.

"And we plan to cut you a lot."

The Sovereign’s eye narrowed. "Kill them."

The Four Calamities roared and charged.

The Warlords didn’t wait. They launched themselves to meet the threat.

Rajah laughed, his blue flames igniting. He sprinted toward the burning black tiger.

"A copycat?" Rajah taunted. "Let me show you why the original is always better!"

CLASH. Sword met claw in an explosion of blue and black fire.

Rurik shifted into his Beast Form—a massive Werewolf with lightning crackling in his fur. He tackled the Void-Wolf mid-air.

"There’s only room for one Alpha in this desert!" Rurik howled, biting into the monster’s neck.

The giant snake lunged, dripping venom that melted the sand.

Lucien vanished into the shadows (which were now stable thanks to the dome) and appeared on its back, stabbing deep with twin daggers.

Cassian stood his ground, his eyes glowing neon green. He slammed his staff into the sand.

"Serpent Art: Venomous Chains!"

Green mana chains erupted from the ground, binding the giant snake. Cassian chanted a spell, his hands weaving complex runes.

"Alchemical Decay!"

A green cloud enveloped the beast, dissolving its Void-armor instantly.

"Finish it, Lucien!" Cassian commanded.

Lucien drove his blade into the exposed weak point.

The ghost-whale floated toward the ship.

Caspian stood on a dune. He didn’t have water. So he made some.

He slammed his trident into the sand. He pulled the groundwater from deep beneath the desert, geysers erupting to form water whips.

"You are a mockery of the sea," Caspian said coldly. "Drown."

The two Lion brothers stood back-to-back, facing the swarm of smaller Void-Beasts.

"Just like the old days, brother?" Leonis asked, his golden sword shining.

"Better," Bastion grinned, swinging his claymore. "We have an audience."

He pointed to Ellia and Arjun watching from the ship.

That left two.

Primrose floated in the air, her Silver Tails swirling around her.

The Sovereign floated opposite her, gripping his cane.

"You took away my regeneration," the Sovereign noted calmly. "Clever. But I am still an Elder God. And you are just a Nanny."

"I’m a Silver Sovereign," Primrose corrected.

She didn’t wait. She attacked.

She flicked her tails.

A lance of silver fire shot out.

A bolt of silver thunder struck from above.

A blade of pressurized silver water sliced horizontally.

THWACK. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

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