Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 158

Chapter 158

Chapter 158

“Please, have a seat, elders,” Kael’s voice came from inside, sounding a bit too eager to please.

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“No need to be so formal, General Shawn,” a stranger replied, his voice carrying the distinctive Frostveil Planet accent.

“That must be one of the two elders,’ Dora thought.

Dora focused intently, straining to catch every word.

“Thanks for making the trip, elders,” Kael said.

The other elder chimed in, his voice carrying the sharp wit of a seasoned trader.

“General Shawn, let’s be straight with each other.

“How much sincerity are you ready to show us for the crystal ore deal?”

“Of course, my sincerity is genuine,” Kael replied with a smile. “Rest assured, elders. As long as we follow the plan we agreed on…

“Once we make the smuggling charges against the Blackflame Trading Guild stick, that batch of illegal ore can be sold openly on the market, no questions asked.”

Dora’s heart tightened. These two really are partners in crime, thick as thieves, a nest of vipers and rats, she thought.

Kael continued, “Once the Blackflame Trading Guild takes the fall for us, we can sell our crystal ore openly on the Core Planet, no one will question it.”

One of the elders hesitated, “Word is, Boss Clive from the Blackflame Trading Guild isn’t easy to deal with…”

“What’s there to be scared of?” Kael sneered. “We’ve already faked the procurement records for their crystal

ore.

“Once the news gets out, the military will jump right on it.

“No matter how fierce Boss Clive is, he can’t possibly take on the whole military, can he?

“You know how it is with the military, the higher-ups really care about working with you guys

“We’ve got our people sitting in all the right places,” Kael added with a grin.

The other elder chimed in. “We’ll spread the word on the Frostveil Planet that the Blackflame Trading Guild has been secretly dealing with us, and we’ll make sure the proof is rock solid, no one will be able to deny in

“By then, even if he had a hundred mouths, he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of it.”

The three of them burst out laughing.

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Chapter 158

Dora listened quietly, her fingers curling tighter.

Lioren was nestled in her arms, his amber eyes cold as ice.

‘These old bastards… Dora thought, scorn flickering in her eyes.

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“By the way,” Kael suddenly said, “after the Shawn family’s party, there’s another shipment coming in.

“Is everything set on your end?”

“Don’t worry,” the elder replied, sounding smug. “Our people are already on their way…”

Lioren felt a wave of fury boiling up inside him.

‘When did the crystal ore from the Frostveil Planet become something these elders could move around as they pleased?’ he thought, seething.

Dora could sense Lioren’s tension and fury in her arms.

She gave him a gentle pat to comfort him.

‘So it really is true, Kael has powerful backers, senior officials high up in the military, Dora thought.

As Dora turned to leave, she stepped on a loose tile.

Snap.

The sound was barely audible, but in the stillness of the hallway, it echoed like thunder.

The laughter in the study stopped abruptly.

“Who’s there?” Kael demanded, his voice suddenly sharp.

Kael’s footsteps suddenly drew near.

Dora’s heart nearly stopped.

She clutched Lioren and spun around to run, but barely made it two steps.

At the other end of the hallway, Cassian was walking toward them.

Both escape routes were blocked.

Dora’s mind raced, a thousand thoughts flashing through her head.

‘Should I go all out? Lioren’s got Lever 6 dual-type supernatural ability, but Kael’s at Lever 7 no way we’d win she thought.

Plus, with those Frostveil Planet elders in there, if Lioren reveals himself, it’s way too risky

“What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? Dora was freaking out.

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Chapter 158

She stood frozen, her heart pounding like a drum.

Dora was trapped, Cassian blocking her way ahead, with Kael closing in from behind.

‘If only I could disappear right here, Dora thought to herself.

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The next moment, everything spun wildly around Dora, as if the world had been turned upside down.

羽

The hardwood floor vanished beneath her, the ornate walls faded away, and even the lingering aroma unique to grand estates disappeared.

Instead, she found herself surrounded by a bed of soft petals, with a gentle, sweet floral scent filling the air.

Dora stumbled, barely managing to steady herself.

She opened her eyes, completely stunned.

In front of her stood a blossoming crabapple tree.

It was covered in pink and white flowers, petals drifting gently down, settling on her shoulders, in her hair. and on the stone path at her feet.

The petals were real, solid and tangible.

She could feel the soft, delicate touch of the petals as they landed on her skin, and the sweet but never cloying fragrance of the flowers filled the air.

A stone table stood nearby, with a wicker chair and a blue-and-white coffee set, delicate wisps of steam still rising from the cups.

Behind them stood a small wooden cabin, its door half ajar, with a bed and bookshelf just visible inside.

Beneath the tree, beside the stone table, the hourglass had at some point been flipped, its fine sand slipping steadily through.

Beside it, the timer’s digits were flashing rapidly, counting down.

19:59…….

19:58…..

19:57

Dora’s breath stopped for a split second.

Wait… this is the courtyard I saw in the depths of my consciousness after absorbing that Lever 3 crystal ore she thought, stunned.

“The courtyard I always thought was just a figment of my imagination”

And now, she was here.

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Chapter 158

She glanced down, her feet were planted firmly on the slate path, the cool, hard texture beneath her toes felt undeniably real.

Lioren was cradled in her arms, the solid weight pressing against her, there was no mistaking it, this was real

‘Did I really… come in here? Dora thought, her mind spinning in disbelief.

Lioren poked his head out from Dora’s arms, his amber eyes going wide in shock, cat ears standing straight up, and his tail frozen stiff in midair.

“This is…” His voice cracked with disbelief. “Where are we?”

Before Dora could answer, her gaze was immediately drawn to the items on the stone table.

An hourglass.

A timer.

The hourglass had been flipped without her noticing, and golden sand was flowing steadily downward.

The timer’s numbers were counting down.

19:59…….

19:58……

19:57…….

Twenty minutes.

Suddenly, it all clicked for Dora.

‘I can actually physically step into this space, Dora realized.

‘And each time, the amount of time I can stay here is exactly twenty minutes, the countdown starts as soon as the hourglass is flipped.’

She glanced down at Lioren in her arms, then at everything around her, so vividly real it was hard to believe. A wave of wild joy surged through her.

‘Not only can I come in myself, but I can even bring other living beings with me! Dora thought, her mind racing with possibilities.

‘If I use this in battle… she mused, her heart pounding with excitement.

Not wasting any time, Dora rushed up to the little wooden cabin and pushed the door open.

The place was pretty bare, just a bed, a table, a chair, and a traditional scroll painting hanging on the wall

She didn’t have time to take a closer look, she stepped back out and quickly scanned her surroundings.

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The crabapple tree was still shedding its petals, the stone table and wicker chair sat beneath it, and the coffee set remained untouched.

The whole courtyard was calm and tranquil, like an otherworldly sanctuary hidden away from the rest of existence.

Lioren jumped down from Dora’s arms and circled the courtyard, his cat paws pressing against the cold slate, yeah, the chill was real, no question.

He glanced up at the drifting crabapple petals, his amber eyes filled with pure astonishment.

“Sou Sou,” Lioren called her name, his tone more serious than usual. “Is this your space?”

“My planting space isn’t like this,” Dora replied, glancing around.

“That one, you can only go in with your mind, not your actual body.”

“And…” she pointed at her feet, “right now, we’re really standing here. We’re not just spirits or something.”

Lioren went quiet.

He lowered his head and pawed at the stone slab beneath his feet.

The stone’s pattern was clear, cool and hard, no doubt about it, it was real.

He looked up at the crabapple tree above him, lifting a paw to catch a drifting petal.

The petal was soft and weightless, its gentle touch unmistakably real.

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9:15 Mon, Jul 27