RISE OF EROS

After the conversation with Crhono, all the demigods return to their territories, worried about the threat of the beast. In their minds, they only thought about how to eliminate it.

The mere fact that it possessed an energy force that was unknown to date, which allowed it to hide from their perception, was a danger, and they wanted to eliminate the threat as soon as possible.

That is why the moment they left, they sent their forces and allies to look for the beast. They could not let it develop, and it was better to eliminate it before it became powerful enough to hurt them.

Amidst all this situation, no one noticed anything about the rejuvenation of Crhono, Sohei, Draneg, and the others. Their disguises were perfect, to the point that they believed that everything was as usual.

They also did not notice anything about the divinity collecting matrix. Although Andrew had deactivated it, there was still a possibility that one of them could see the largest concentration of divinity in Cannes.

However, everyone believed that it was due to Andrew's Celestial Palace. As a temple of a god candidate, it is obvious that the concentration of energies is more powerful, so everything went unnoticed.

If there was something suspicious, it was the fact that Draneg, unlike in previous encounters, remained silent. He did not complain or say anything against Andrew or Crhono.

Kael, Asha, and the others who were previously in a group with him knew him well and found his attitude strange but not to the point of thinking that something extraordinary had happened that changed his attitude.

The topic they discussed did not have much to generate conflict since it was only Crhono reporting his experiences and encounter with the strange beast, so, although his attitude seemed strange to them, it was not to the point of generating suspicion.

In addition, Kael and the rest only valued Draneg since he was the voice of the things they wanted to say but were too hypocritical to say them. Although Andrew and Crhono had told him not to be so passive, they found no problem with his current attitude.

They indeed want to keep some things secret; the conversation now did not require Draneg to act as he always did, so they did not worry about him acting differently. On the other hand, some groups were faster than the demigods.

Since they did not have to hold long meetings and mobilize from different countries, they began to take action. The afternoon fell over the devastated region where silence had once reigned, but now the echo of fear reverberated.

In the shadows, the remnants of the organization known as Purgatory stirred. Their new leader, Calisto, had gathered his followers in a mist-covered clearing, a place where nature seemed to whisper secrets that only they could hear.

This was a mission they could not afford to fail: to find the beast that had managed to slip from the clutches of Crhono, the most powerful being in the world. Calisto stood at the center of the group, his robust figure standing out in the twilight.

His voice, deep and authoritative, penetrated the tense atmosphere. "The beast is not only a threat; it is a symbol of disorder. If Crhono fails to capture it, the world as we know it could succumb to chaos."

The words resonated in the hearts of his followers, who, although weakened by previous losses, burned with the desire to regain the power they had lost. "The searches will be conducted on three fronts," Calisto outlined his strategy.

"Exploration teams, mystical tracking units, and through infiltration into the parallel realms. We will leave no stone unturned." The members of Purgatorio, each with unique skills, began to split up.

Some were hardened warriors, others possessed arcane knowledge, and some were experts in manipulating dimensions. They prepared for a search that promised to be complicated and dangerous.

The first group, led by Vesper, a tracker with keen intuition, set out into the nearby woods. Each step was meticulously planned. "The beast left subtle footprints," Vesper said, watching the ground with almost obsessive attention.

"It doesn't move like an ordinary animal; its essence hangs in the air." Armed with tracking gadgets and advanced technology that reflected the ancient wisdom of Purgatory, they moved cautiously.

For days, they followed fleeting clues—a strange scent in the air, marks on trees that seemed to burn the bark with a trail of energy—yet as the week slipped into gloom, hope began to fade.

One night, camped by the light of a campfire, Vesper shared her frustration with the rest of the team. "We are faced with something we do not fully understand. The beast is not just a creature; it seems to defy the laws of nature."

In parallel, another group led by Lyar, a sorceress with mastery over invisible energies, employed mystical methods. In her camp, surrounded by candles that flickered with a spectral glow, Lyar conjured runes on the ground, drawing a circle of protection.

"We will search the alternate planes," she explained to her team. "If the beast has escaped, it may have penetrated a parallel dimension. We must find the rift," she continued. With an elegant gesture, Lyar activated the ritual.

A vortex of light emerged before them, projecting distorted images of alternate realities, yet although they glimpsed fragments of the beast in its various forms, each attempt to materialize it resulted in a void.

The nights became desperate, and with each hint they found, the certainty of its presence faded. "It's like it's mocking us," one of the apprentices commented, his face pale in the light of the flames. "These dimensions are a labyrinth with no way out."

The last group, made up of espionage experts, entered territories ruled by less benevolent creatures—where the beast was rumored to have made its home. Among them, Kade, a master of disguise and subterfuge, led with wit.

"We'll have to infiltrate the dark markets," he suggested, looking at them with determination. "That's where the most valuable information circulates." They ventured into the cities where the shadow of the beast was feared and revered.

For nights on end, they questioned merchants, secret dealers, and creatures of the night, but fear silenced any relevant clues. Yet Kade sensed a pattern in the air, a whisper that never died: the beast had left a trail of chaos and destruction, and those who dared to mention it did so with fear.

"Something is wrong," Kade warned his team. "The silence is overwhelming, as if everyone knows more than they are letting on." After weeks of searching, the groups met again, each bringing with them stories of frustration.

Hopes were fading in a sea of ​​uncertainty. Calisto listened intently, eager to absorb the knowledge of his followers. "We have searched in the wrong place," he said. "It is obvious that the beast does not want to be found."

In a low but convincing voice, Vesper suggested that perhaps overcoming brute force and magic would not be enough; perhaps they should appeal to the mind. "If the beast is self-aware, if it manages to evade us, it could be because it has a purpose or a mission that we do not understand."

Motivated by this new perspective, they decided to change their approach. Instead of seeking it out as an enemy, they would attempt to communicate. It was a risky step, but Purgatory's history had not been forged by fear but by understanding.

Lyar, with his magical prowess, began to create a portal to the heart of the beast's essence. With the support of his team, they prepared to summon its presence without resorting to violence.

One day at a time, the air in the region seemed to transform, marking the start of a new course in their search. What had begun as a hunt would soon become a journey into the unknown.

With each attempt, Purgatory came closer to the beast and the truth behind its existence. What the future would hold was uncertain, but the beast's fate was intertwined with that of the organization in ways none of them had imagined.

Thus, under the cover of the starry night, the remnants of Purgatory were preparing to discover not only the beast but also their own humanity. Although they had come there with bad intentions, they were empty-handed.

Their plan to use the beast as a weapon seemed to be fading, but they refused to give up. Now that they had lost so many members, especially their leaders, Purgatory was very weak.

They had to obtain this beast if they wanted to have any hope of facing Crhono and his alliance of demigods. They were clear that if they wanted to revive the fallen god, they had to obtain the remnants in the dragon territory.

Obtaining these remnants would not be easy, they had already experienced a defeat there when they were stronger than now, so the beast was their only hope, unless another opportunity manifested out of nowhere.

The frustration of the fruitless search was beginning to bother them, and the arrival of different groups to the area made them even more nervous. It was obvious that everyone was looking for the beast.

Some had the same intentions as them, and others just wanted to eliminate the abomination. The point is that anyone other than them who found it would be a problem, so their search was now more complex.

Now they were not only looking for the beast with different dark and mystical methods, but they were also keeping an eye on the other groups, trying to take advantage of them.