Chapter 88: Notification
Chapter 88: Notification
Zara paced back and forth, her boots clicking against the polished floor of Crescent Moon Agency's office.
Her brow furrowed in deep concern, she kept glancing at the calendar on the wall. Time was ticking, and every day that passed felt like a weight on her shoulders.
"We've barely got a month left before the finals, Victoria! We're running out of time to get Crescent Moon's name out there. We need more exposure! More fans!"
Zara's voice was a mix of frustration and worry as she stopped mid-stride, crossing her arms and glaring at Victoria, who sat calmly at her desk.
Victoria, as always, was unbothered by Zara's anxiety. She leaned back in her chair, swirling her cup of tea, her eyes half-closed as if Zara's concerns were nothing more than passing clouds.
"Zara, relax," she said in her usual calm tone. "We've got everything under control."
Zara's left eye twitched.
"Under control? We're barely making waves, Victoria! You can't just sit there drinking tea when the finals are around the corner and we haven't caught enough attention. We need to be everywhere! The fans, the media, the sponsors, they all need to know who our aces are! Do you expect another miracle to just fall into our lap like last time?"
Victoria raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. She placed her tea down and offered Zara a serene smile.
"Zara, you're overthinking this. Our fighters are doing what they do best. They're winning. The result will come."
Zara threw her hands up in exasperation.
"A month, Victoria! A month is all we had! It's not enough! We can't expect another miracle to just come out of nowhere like..."
Just then, Victoria's phone buzzed on the desk.
Victoria glanced at her phone then back at Zara, twitching her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth still curved in that infuriating mocking smug.
"Oh my, a miracle."
Zara's left eye twinkled slightly. She grabbed her head and let out a long, exasperated sigh.
Somewhere in the wild, Mercury was sitting in the middle of a vast lake, her legs crossed as if she were sitting on solid ground.
The air around her shimmered with energy. Soft ripples in the water emanated from her, though she hadn't moved a muscle.
Below the surface, shadows twisted and turned, the outlines of creatures swimming in a silent dance just beneath her feet.
Above her head, aquatic creatures floated as if the air had become water, their bodies gliding effortlessly, leaving trails of shimmering water droplets in their path.
Fish with scales of silver and blue swam lazily overhead, their movements slow and graceful.
Jellyfish monsters pulsed with light, their tendrils drifting behind them like glowing strands of silk.
Mercury's eyes were closed, her breathing calm. She was in tune with the lake, with everything around her.
She could feel the life below and above, the gentle currents of water and air brushing against her skin like a familiar whisper.
The world was quiet, a melody that kept her mind at peace.
But then, a ripple in the air broke the stillness. Beneath her, a dark shadow stirred, growing larger and larger.
A big water snake, began to rise from the depths, its massive form cutting through the water. Its scales shimmered, reflecting the light in brilliant flashes of blue and green as it coiled its body, preparing to strike.
It surged forward, its jaws wide, ready to swallow her whole. But as it neared Mercury, just inches away from her, the snake's body began to dissolve into mist, its body breaking apart like smoke caught in the wind.
The water around her didn't even ripple. She didn't flinch, didn't even open her eyes.
The snake reformed a moment later, its massive body winding through the air now, moving above the lake in defiance of gravity, now part of the strange environment among the other
monsters.
It was as though she had become one with the water itself, her very presence commanding the creatures around her to bend to her will.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, breaking the spell of serenity. Mercury's eyes fluttered open, and in that instant, the mystical shimmer of the lake seemed to fade slightly.
She reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. A soft smile drew on her lips as she read the message.
Meanwhile, in the heart of a bustling arena, Ryder stood victorious, his opponent lying unconscious on the ground.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, and Ryder grinned as the chants grew louder.
"Furry! Furry! Furry!"
Ryder puffed up his chest with pride.
"They're saying 'fury'! Finally, they recognize my savagery!"
He raised his hands high, basking in the glory of his misunderstood victory, an act that many saw as the hero wearing his title with pride.
He exited the arena to the locker room, feeling on top of the world. His phone buzzed. Ryder checked it, but before he could notice his nickame trending, he saw new notification.
Elsewhere, sitting among the smoldering ruins of a mountain she had just conquered, Kaida leaned back against a charred rock, catching her breath.
The ground still emanated heat from her intense battle with the wyvern. As she checked her phone, a smile crept across her lips.
"Oh? Guess who's going to rock the world earlier than expected?"
In a gym from a nearby town, Catarina was busy lifting weights with her tail, the metal clanging as she pushed herself harder. The moment her phone buzzed, she swiped it up with her free hand.
"Nyaaa.... NYA?! I MADE IT!" she shouted in delight, jumping everywhere, then, at the peak of her joy, she glanced over her shoulder, lowering her voice as a mischievous grin spread across
her face.
"Wait... Boss isn't around... I can finally swear normally."
She inhaled deeply, unaware of the children behind her that she was about to introduce to a
new world.
Standing at the edge of a vast ocean, Eratz took in the sight of the crashing waves.
The wind swept through his hair as he checked his phone. His eyes flicked across the screen as The read the message.
"Only one week? Hm... I wanted to hunt a rare water monster first," he muttered, staring out at the horizon. "But now that changes everything. That'll have to wait, we need to get the maximum of our abilities."
Just as he turned to leave, a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking him with a flash of brilliant light.
In the next instant, Eratz was no longer standing on the shore. He was high above the ocean, flying through the air on the back of Raijinara.
Across the region, the Crescent Moon aces were receiving the same notification on their
phones:
Finals Qualification Notification
"Congratulations! You've qualified for the elimination phase of the Greenridge League Finals."
In the Crescent Moon Agency, the atmosphere was fitting for celebrations. Trainees and staff members were gathered in the common room, many glued to their phones
as the notifications began rolling in.
There was joy, admiration. They celebrated the news as a team victory. Finally their name was breaking the roof and for the first time in their history they had reached the finals.
But amidst all the jubilation, Adrian stood frozen, staring at the same notification. His face was pale, his hands trembling slightly as the realization dawned on him.
He had been one of Crescent Moon's star fighters, one of the faces of the agency, but now... now he was being overshadowed.
The newer fighters Eratz, Kaida, Catarina, even Ryder, were rising fast. Too fast.
Adrian's mind raced, replaying the moments where he had once been the center of attention,
the one everyone looked to.
He was the Cool King, the fitting partner for the ice Queen, Mercury, but now, with the finals approaching, he could feel his relevance slipping away.
It wasn't just that he couldn't qualify for the finals, he didn't even see his tank increase, hen/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
remained in the category D. He was being... erased.
Adrian clenched his fists, staring hard at the notification.
"I won't let this happen," he whispered fiercely to himself. "Not without a fight." Back at the hotel in Lugina City, the director of Genova Academy gathered her staff. The mood
was somber, the weight of their fading reputation heavy on their shoulders. "The academy still has enough fame to see our students recommended for the finals," the director said. "But do we have students with enough potential to make it? Or are we just going
to be ridiculed like the two past time?"
One of the teachers sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair.
"Eliza was right. We should've trained personally more students than just Kenny."
An older teacher nodded.
"It would have been difficult, most of the talented third years have already left the academy
to join an agency. Our academy is a gate for big success, I don't even know why we participate
in these competitions." Another teacher, who had remained mostly silent during the meeting, finally spoke up.
"Have we tried reaching out to Eratz again? Even if he's successful, maybe he would consider helping us. Professor Rowan did mention that he wasn't the materialistic type."
Rowan, who had been unusually quiet, let out a long, weary sigh. The mere mention of Eratz brought back waves of guilt and regret.
Eratz was their best hope to rebound, and now, with his name placarded everywhere, he was
out of their reach.
Later that evening, as Rowan walked through the quiet hotel hallways, the conversation
echoed in his mind.
He thought about Eratz, how focused he had been, how relentless his pursuit of beast mastery
had been.
But somehow, Genova had let him slip through the cracks.
"Are you still the same? Or are you blinded by fame?" Rowan muttered under his breath, a
touch of sadness in his voice.
A voice from the shadows responded. "Don't worry, he never changed."
Startled, Rowan spun around. Out of the darkness stepped Crystal, her eyes glinting
mischievously.
"Good evening, professor. You look like you could use some help," she said, her lips curling
into a sly smile.