Ancestral Lineage

The deafening roar of the beast horde reverberated through the air, the ground trembling beneath their stampede. Their path was clear—they were heading straight for Trevor's group or, more precisely, toward the second-year camp.

Sixtie, her sharp senses attuned to the chaos, quickly relayed the information to Trevor.

Trevor hovered mid-air, his smoky white wings beating slowly as he came to a halt. "Hmm... this feels off," he said, his crimson eyes narrowing. "You all go ahead. I'll take care of this."@@novelbin@@

"Trevor, are you insane?" Harley protested, her voice tinged with concern. "There's a Diamond-ranked beast among them—and countless Gold-ranked ones! You can't just—"

Trevor cut her off with a smirk, his confidence unshaken. "Relax, sis-in-law. I'm stronger than all of them combined. Ethan's been holding us back for far too long, and honestly? It's frustrating. I could use a good fight. The Diamond rank might be a challenge, but nothing I can't handle."

Emily leaned forward from her mount, her face etched with worry. "At least take someone with you. Facing that many beasts alone is reckless, even for you."

Trevor shook his head. "No. You'll need every ounce of strength to deal with Ethan. Besides..." He paused, sniffing the air, his eyes narrowing further. "There's something strange here. I smell it—a scent in the wind. It's not natural, and it's driving these beasts into a frenzy."

Jerry, his brow furrowed in thought, spoke up. "It's probably Frenzy Essence. I've heard about it—an alchemical concoction that throws beasts into a berserk state. They'll stop at nothing to get more of it. If it's in the air, they'll follow it blindly, no matter what stands in their way."

Trevor nodded. "Exactly. That's why I need to handle this. I'll figure out what's going on and stop it. Besides..." His crimson eyes gleamed with a newfound intensity. "Something's changing in me. I feel it—power surging with every second, like I'm claiming something that's been mine all along. Don't worry about me. Just focus on finding Ethan. I'll catch up."

Emily hesitated but eventually nodded. "Fine. Just promise me you'll come back," she said, her voice soft but firm.

Without warning, she leaped off her drake into Trevor's arms, pressing her lips to his in a passionate kiss. The world around them seemed to blur for a moment, their bond a silent promise of trust and hope.

"I'll be back," Trevor murmured as they parted, his voice steady and resolute.

Emily returned to her mount, her red eyes lingering on him. "Don't you dare die, Trevor? We'll be waiting."

With a final nod, Trevor turned to face the oncoming horde, his aura flaring like a storm. Smoke-like tendrils coiled around him as he prepared to unleash the full extent of his strength. The others reluctantly continued, their hearts heavy but trusting Trevor's words.

As they disappeared into the crimson horizon, Trevor smirked to himself, his wings flaring wide. "Alright, beasts... let's dance."

Red, vein-like tattoos crawled along Trevor's arms, stopping just below his chin, and pulsating with a rhythmic crimson glow. His hair became wild and untamed, radiating a smoky white luminescence that contrasted with his glowing, fiery red eyes, which burned with an otherworldly intensity. His hands morphed into razor-sharp claws, their dark crimson hue shimmering with a sinister, blood-red light that seemed to devour the air around them.

Behind him, smoke-like constructs materialized, forming an arsenal of ethereal weapons—spears, spikes, jagged blades, and more. Their colors ranged from pure, blinding white to a shadowy black, each edged with a faint crimson light that pulsed ominously. The constructs hovered like loyal sentinels, radiating an aura that blended divine beauty with a promise of destruction, their mere presence a testament to the overwhelming power he wielded.

As Trevor's aura surged outward, it became a storm of pure energy, rippling through the battlefield like an unleashed force of nature. The beasts halted their advance, their glowing eyes fixed on him, filled with a primal mix of terror and reverence. The oppressive power was undeniable, captivating the horde in a way that silenced their frenzied roars.

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Behind Trevor, a crystalline skull emerged, its surface translucent yet solid, glowing faintly with crimson sockets that burned like molten embers. Smoke flowed like liquid from the base of the skull, swirling and condensing into a massive, towering body of solidified smoke. The figure stood over seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and elongated, smoke-wreathed limbs that seemed both ethereal and tangible. Its form exuded a haunting majesty, the crimson glow from its sockets intensifying as its gaze swept over the horde. The creature's presence amplified Trevor's aura, a silent guardian embodying his unleashed power.

The Diamond-ranked drake at the forefront of the horde unleashed a deafening roar, its cry a mix of defiance, fury, and a challenge to the angelic yet menacing figure above. Its scales glimmered under the moonlight, and its sharp eyes burned with pride, refusing to yield despite the overwhelming force it faced.

Trevor hovered above the battlefield, his smoky wings beating with a deliberate rhythm, creating ripples in the charged air around him. His crimson eyes locked onto the drake, a smirk playing on his lips. His claws flexed as the constructs behind him shifted, poised to strike with lethal precision. The crystalline skull behind him raised a smoke-clad arm, its fingers curling as if mimicking Trevor's readiness for battle.

"Come then," Trevor said, his voice calm yet brimming with authority, reverberating like a thunderclap across the field. "Let's see if you can stand against me."

...

Atop a shadowed hill, Leon and his cronies watched with wicked delight as the beast horde surged toward the second-year camping area. Everything was unfolding exactly as planned, and Leon's elation was palpable. Soon, Ethan would be removed from the picture, and with his rival gone, Leon would claim Clara and the other girls for himself. The thought of Ethan's harem, which had become the talk of the academy, only fueled his twisted ambitions.

Leon's blue hair seemed to glimmer under the ominous red sky as his maniacal grin stretched wider. In his mind, he envisioned Ethan's lifeless body—or better yet, his broken, living form—forced to watch as Leon defiled his women in front of him. The mere thought of Ethan's anguished face sent a shiver of excitement down Leon's spine. He laughed softly, savoring the image, his arrogance blinding him to anything beyond his plans.

But his fantasies shattered when a thunderous roar of pain echoed across the battlefield. His head snapped toward the sound, his confidence replaced by a creeping sense of dread. It came from the Diamond-ranked Drake—his trump card in this carefully orchestrated chaos.

Leon's eyes widened in disbelief as the scene unfolded below. The colossal drake, a proud and powerful beast with mastery over sound, was being manhandled like a mere toy. Its mighty roars of defiance were cut short as it was slammed violently into tree after tree, the earth trembling with each impact. Holding the drake by its massive horns was a figure glowing with otherworldly power—a white-haired being with radiant white wings.

Leon's heart pounded as he took in the figure's features. The tattoos, the claws, the smoke-like constructs hovering ominously behind him—it could only be one person. Trevor Barnes.

Trevor's hair glowed faintly under the crimson sky, and his wings pulsed with ethereal light, giving him an almost angelic yet terrifying appearance. His expression was calm, a dangerous contrast to the chaos around him, as though this display of overwhelming strength was no more than an effortless warm-up. The drake thrashed wildly, its claws carving through trees, its sound-based attacks reverberating across the field, but none of it fazed Trevor.

Leon's breath hitched; his earlier euphoria was replaced by a primal, bone-deep fear. The image of Ethan's demise was gone, replaced by the horrifying realization that Trevor Barnes—unstoppable and unyielding—was now the biggest threat to his plans.

"Impossible…" Leon whispered, his voice trembling. His cronies, once smug and confident, exchanged nervous glances, their bravado crumbling as they watched Trevor bash the mighty drake into the ground like it was nothing.

For the first time, Leon felt the suffocating weight of helplessness. The predator had become prey.

...

Trevor inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as sweat trickled down his brow. Despite the terrifying image he projected, his energy reserves were nearly depleted. Each breath felt heavier than the last.

"This power…" Trevor muttered to himself, his glowing crimson eyes narrowing as he analyzed the situation. "It's incredible, but it's draining me dry. No wonder the system kept sealing things away. My physical strength is enough to go toe-to-toe with a Diamond-rank beast, but it's not enough to kill it outright. I'll need more… much more."

His gaze flicked toward the crystal skull hovering beside him—Apole, his spirit beast, now transformed into a towering construct of smoke and blood. Apole's new form was devastatingly effective, but Trevor could feel the strain. "Even Apole's power is tied to mine. This form is insane, though. I wonder what Sync would be like with him now…"

Trevor was forced from his thoughts by an earsplitting roar. The drake reared back, its body radiating with concentrated energy as it prepared its next assault. Around Trevor, his constructs and Apole tore through the lesser beasts like streaks of death, but the Diamond-ranked creature demanded his full attention.

The drake unleashed its attack. Massive whitish-grey disks shimmered ominously, humming with raw sound energy as they hurtled toward him at impossible speeds. Trevor's wings snapped open, propelling him through the air with blinding agility. He twisted and dove, narrowly avoiding the deadly disks as they shattered the ground and trees around him.

But not all of them missed.

Slash! A disk grazed his side, tearing through his smoky armor and leaving a deep gash that began to heal almost instantly. Another struck his leg, nearly throwing him off balance, but Trevor gritted his teeth and pressed on. The wounds mended quickly, yet the strain on his body was mounting.

A sudden, sharp rumble echoed—not from the drake or the battlefield, but from his own stomach.

"Damn it!" Trevor hissed, clutching his side. He was starving, and the rumbling of his empty stomach was a stark reminder of the blood fast he and Ethan had undertaken in preparation for their evolution. They'd gone days without consuming a single drop, their self-control stretched to the breaking point. It was nothing short of a miracle they hadn't attacked their comrades out of sheer hunger.

His vision wavered for a moment as the beast's next attack charged, the energy around it intensifying. Trevor clenched his fists, his claws glinting under the crimson sky. He could feel his body screaming for sustenance, for rest, but neither was an option.

"Just a little longer…" he muttered, his voice low but resolute.

The drake released another roar, louder and more ferocious than before. A blinding burst of light erupted from its mouth, a concentrated beam of sound and energy that tore through the battlefield like a storm. Trevor's instincts screamed at him to move, but his body hesitated for a fraction of a second, his depleted mana and growing hunger slowing his reaction time.

BOOM!

The explosion lit up the night, the shockwave rippling across the battlefield. Smoke and debris clouded the air, obscuring the scene. For a moment, there was silence.

Leon watched from the hill, his grin faltering as he strained to see through the chaos. His heart raced with anticipation.

"Did he—?" Leon began, but his words caught in his throat as a figure emerged from the smoke.

Trevor stood, blood dripping from his lips, his glowing crimson eyes burning with unrelenting defiance. His wings were tattered, his tattoos flickering dimly, and his aura faltered—but he was alive.

The drake, sensing its advantage, roared triumphantly, charging toward Trevor for a final, decisive strike.

Trevor clenched his fists, summoning the last remnants of his strength. "Not yet…" he whispered, his voice low but unyielding.

And then, from deep within, a sudden surge of power erupted—a primal, ancient energy that roared to life, flooding his veins with searing heat. His crimson eyes flared brighter, the tattoos on his body reigniting with a fiery glow.

Trevor smirked, his claws flexing as he prepared to meet the drake head-on.

"Let's end this."