In the Hollow Stacks, an Interstellar Beast Master burning with flas of rage and retribution finished his first battle in the Rustblood Circuit Arena.
All of this took place in the lower rungs of the glorious and vast Ebonreach tropolis, where the darkness, shadows, and stench of the stacks mostly remained trapped within their own miserable region.
But ugliness always found a way to spread, even into places that were the exact opposite of the Hollow Stacks.
If one followed the vast Guardian's Road that stretched across Ebonreach tropolis, they would quite literally be making a climb from the desolate Hollow Stacks into cleaner, fantastical places where those with enough Credits to splurge lived in luxury.
Guardian's Road started out simple enough near the Hollow Stacks, with smooth walkways and sidewalks that carried even the dirtiest Cybernetic Humans.
But the higher one climbed toward the center of Ebonreach, the Guardian's Road lifted like a bridge, suspended on Gravity-Stabilized Support Pylons.
It truly began this transformation once you passed the junction between the Hollow Stacks and crossed into a region known by many as Skyglass Heights.
This was where the corporations were based, alongside the wealthy researchers, Cyberelite families, Beast Master dynasties, and biotech entrepreneurs.
A Systems Analyst like Anastasia had to stay on an Aetherun Walkway of Guardian's Road for over 20 minutes as it slowly elevated her toward Skyglass Heights where the ZENTHRA Beast Corporation had its towering headquarters.
Here, Cybernetic Enforcers patrolled in modified exo-suits with weaponized implants, while Aetherborn Drones and Aether Skimrunners floated in the skies in shimring waves.
Most astonishing of all? A few buildings at the heart of Skyglass Heights actually floated off the ground.
Massive skyscrapers hovered in the skies- anchored and supported by Electromagnetic Aether Pylons.
They were called Skyglass Towers.
The Beast Corporation that represented the strongest Guardian of Vael'nir resided in one of such Towers.
But Skyglass Heights wasn't even the most pristine region in all of Ebonreach tropolis.
At its very core, the richest and most powerful place to be... was where the Interstellar Beast Masters lived.
The Astravion Spire.
A place of pure wonder and magnificence, made for the protectors and Guardians who kept Ebonreach and the world of Vael'nir safe from all threats.
A place filled with Beast Master Sanctums and transparent Skybridges pulsing with neon light, allowing only a select few to walk across them high above the city.
And at this mont, sowhere at the junction between Skyglass Heights and Astravion Spire...
There stood a place known as the Aetherion Institute of Beast and Cybernetic Ascendancy.
AIBCA!
Okay, so the acronym was not the freshest.
But it was still a grand institute where the brightest minds in Ebonreach researched, invented, and theorized.
The many research centers and buildings in the region of the Aetherion Institute were all called Neural Spires- structures that radiated wealth and productivity, made from Living Crystalline Alloys that could shift their shape based on evolving algorithms and academic demand.
Near the Neural Spire of Beastiary and Robotics...
Two students in sleek blue uniforms strolled across a perfectly trimd field of green grass.
Buildings of clear golden glass shimred in the distance around them, and their faces were lit with excitent as they chatted.
"Unbelievable, isn't it? Dr. Bodalan's breakthrough in creating the Natural Nanotech Blood Serum is going to empower Ebonreach even more! Just imagine once it's mass-produced and every Beast Master can undergo physiological Augntation? We'd be untouchable in the whole Star System!"
The young woman in her twenties spoke with obvious excitent, while the handso guy beside her just smiled calmly, gazing at her with smitten eyes before sighing.
"Yeah, yeah. I read his paper. Since the serum is made from Natural Nanotech that is ridiculously rare, even normal humans could use it to gain power that outclasses the most expensive Cybernetic Implants. But sothing like this... it's dangerous too, right? What if Vagrant Interstellar Beast Masters catch wind of—!"
BOOM!
As if his words had summoned it, a thunderous explosion ripped through the air. A building's thick golden glass shattered, and sothing was hurled from it as it ca crashing into the quiet, grassy field near the sleek white Aetherun Walkways.
It was...a Cybernetic Human, his body fully implanted, clutching multiple clear cases filled with glowing golden vials.
The two students froze in shock as the young woman scread.
"Dr. Bodalan!"
The sa researcher they'd been talking about was the one who had just been thrown from his own lab!
His cybernetic eye implants twitched, blood trickling down his head, but he clutched three clear cases of golden serum like they were his soul itself.
"You two—run!" he yelled at the stunned students as, up ahead...
ROAAR!
The kind of beastly roar that made one's skin go cold echoed from the building's remains.
From the shattered glass floated a Winged White Tiger, regal and glowing with silent white flas. Atop the beast stood a man wrapped in a black Nanosuit that completely obscured his identity.
The tiger's wings shimred, its eyes blazing with deadly focus.
This was...
"Vagrant! A Vagrant Interstellar Beast Master!"
The students gawked in disbelief as the young woman shouted again, not believing what she was seeing.
It was actually very, very easy to know when one was looking at a Guardian Interstellar Beast Master, or gazing upon a nefarious Vagrant Interstellar Beast Masters.
The latter would very likely be hiding their faces!
A Vagrant Beast Master was bold enough to openly attack a research building in Skyglass Heights in broad daylight?
Was the Natural Nanotech Blood Serum really that critical?
But even so, Vagrants shouldn't be this bold. Not here. Not now. Because...
WUU!
Suddenly, heavy winds whipped around them as a deep, commanding voice echoed from the sky.
"What the hell is this now? You all are getting this desperate?"
...!
That voice.
A voice that radiated confidence. It seed unshakeable. Unstoppable!
Descending on a glorious Rhino-Bat Interstellar Beast, the figure of Vex Talon, a high-caliber Interstellar Beast Master, made his entrance.
The nearby students stood starstruck, and the young woman shrieked in disbelief.
She hadn't expected to witness one of the Guardians of Ebonreach tropolis in person, certainly not today.
It was sothing glorious to see!
Sothing...glorious.
That's why it was such a sha.
Such a sha for how fucking bloody things were about to get.
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