The waves at sea grew rougher, and the sky turned heavy and dark, threatening an imminent storm.

"Sir, a storm is coming. We have to go back—"

Benjamin Morgan pushed up his glasses, gazing worriedly at the dark, heavy sky outside.

Alvin Morgan pressed his lips together, his gaze fixed on the turbulent waves outside. He gripped the railing tightly, his expression dangerously dark.

"Sir, we’re very close to the coast, and the wind is blowing ashore. They should be able to land safely..."

Benjamin Morgan fell silent, cowed by Alvin Morgan’s frigid glare.

The wind and waves outside grew stronger, and the ship rocked violently. The captain had no choice but to order a temporary return to port.

Alvin Morgan asked in a low voice, "What about The Shadow’s men?"

"They’re on shore, in the hands of The Phantom Trove’s people."

When Aurora Sinclair went to rescue Elias Lennox, the people on the speedboat had also taken the opportunity to jump into the sea and vanished. We’ve only caught the assassins from the cruise ship.

Meanwhile, on shore, The Phantom Trove’s Augustus Colby was pacing like a cat on a hot tin roof. If anything happened to the Young Master, his life would be forfeit.

"Mr. Colby, we found this." Suddenly, a masked man ran in.

In his hand was a soaking wet mask, clearly the one Aurora Sinclair had worn before.

"Who brought it?"

"I didn’t see anyone. Just the Young Master’s mask."

Augustus Colby’s gaze darkened. He clutched the mask, staring at it for a moment. "Report to headquarters."

"Yes, sir—"

At the same time, a figure carrying someone on their back was struggling to climb a seaside cliff.

After carrying the person ashore, the figure in front finally collapsed to the ground, their strength completely gone.

The icy rain finally began to pound down.

「The storm raged for a day and a night before finally subsiding.」

As the scorching sun bathed the land, the person with tightly shut eyes finally awoke.

The first thing she saw was a handsome face, magnified and up close.

"Senior Brother..."

But Elias Lennox was unconscious. She tried to move, but her body wouldn’t obey. She didn’t have a shred of strength.

"He’s more badly injured than you are..." a hoarse voice came from behind her.

Aurora Sinclair’s gaze sharpened. She licked her dry lips. "What do you want?"

The person chuckled, turning Aurora Sinclair around to face him. He said calmly, "My master is very interested in you. Naturally, he hopes you will join us."

"Impossible..."

The man in the silver mask paused briefly before saying lightly, "Then I’ll have to take you by force."

"You’re not Linden Grant. Who are you?" Aurora Sinclair’s gaze was ice-cold as she stared at him.

The man seemed taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. He removed his mask, revealing a somewhat familiar face.

Aurora Sinclair’s eyes widened. "It’s you?"

It was the Prince of the Ocrean Empire, Dick Oak.

Like Dees Oak, he had blonde hair and blue eyes, but he could speak fluent Veridian.

He gave Aurora Sinclair a gentlemanly bow. "As for painting, we can discuss that at our leisure later on."

Afterward, Aurora Sinclair and Elias Lennox were secretly taken to his palace by his men.

「Elias Lennox woke up two days later.」

"Junior Sister..."

As he tried to move, he discovered that his hands and feet were bound by iron chains.

On a bed not far from him, another person was also bound. Her hair was silver-white, and she was curled up, facing away from him.

"Junior Sister..."

Elias Lennox pushed himself up and slowly walked forward. His chest ached as if a fire was burning inside it; every breath was unbearable.

He stumbled over, the chains on his wrists long enough for him to reach Aurora Sinclair.

The person on the bed suddenly opened her eyes. The color of her irises had lightened, and her voice was glacial. "Go back—"

"Junior Sister, what’s wrong with you?"

"Go back—" She seemed to be suppressing something. Her voice was cold, but it sounded more like it was being squeezed from her throat.

"Why have you become like this?"

"Because she is a Son of God." Dick’s voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.

Elias Lennox turned to look and saw several people in hazmat suits walking in. He and Aurora Sinclair were locked in a glass room, transparent on three sides.

The man who spoke had blonde hair and blue eyes and was dressed in the attire of a Prince from the Ocrean Royal Family.

After entering, the people in hazmat suits immediately dragged him back to the bed on the side.

"What are you doing? Junior Sister—"

He watched as the people in hazmat suits injected two vials of clear liquid into Aurora Sinclair’s arm with a syringe.

Outside, Dick smiled and asked a nearby researcher, "When will she undergo Beastification?"

"Soon. As long as she reaches this critical threshold, her Beast Gene will be activated," the researcher said nonchalantly, pointing to a horizontal line above a peak on a monitor.

Only then did Elias Lennox notice that what Aurora Sinclair was wearing on her arm wasn’t a bracelet, but some kind of testing device.

After injecting Aurora Sinclair, they quickly withdrew from the room.

"Junior Sister..."

On the bed, Aurora Sinclair seemed to be in great pain. She clenched her fists tightly, veins popping on her face. A voice, as if squeezed from between her teeth, said, "Quick... leave..."

Before she could finish, the color of Aurora Sinclair’s pupils completely turned a pale gray. Her limp body suddenly went rigid, and she sat bolt upright.

The Power within her, which had not yet recovered, once again surged uncontrollably from her body. Her hands shot out, clawing violently at the person beside her.

"Junior Sister—"

Elias Lennox’s face paled, and he quickly dodged.

He called out her name as he dodged, but Aurora Sinclair was completely out of control, unable to command her own body.

Dick stood outside, watching the two of them in a frenzied chase. A strange light glinted in his eyes. "How much of her Beast Gene has been activated?"

"89%..."

"Administer more. I want to see 100%."

Soon, Aurora Sinclair’s strength gave out. Her body pitched forward and she fell heavily to the ground.

Elias Lennox immediately knelt down to lift her, but she bit down hard on his arm.

A sharp pain made Elias Lennox’s features contort.

"Junior Sister, let go—"

He used his other hand to try and pry her mouth open. Just as he was about to succeed, he saw a pair of bloodshot eyes. Her pupils were dilated and unfocused, her face twisted in agony.

Elias Lennox froze. He eventually lowered his arm, enduring the pain and letting her bite.

As if sensing her prey was no longer resisting, her ferocity lessened, and she slowly released her jaw.

"Junior Sister..."

The person in his arms stirred again. She sniffed the scent of blood on him like a wild animal. Seeming to sense he was not a threat, she relaxed and settled back into his embrace.

Elias Lennox’s arms tightened around her. He lowered his head, watching her intently until the people from outside entered again.

As if sensing danger, the person in his arms propped up her exhausted body and glared fiercely up at them.

"What are you planning to do now?" Elias Lennox asked, his head still lowered, his voice flat.

Dick laughed. "To make her a complete, perfect specimen."

They snatched Aurora Sinclair directly from Elias Lennox’s arms and injected her with a large dose of the serum again.

"93%... 96%... 98%... 99%... 99.8%..."

"AHHH—"

A pained scream tore from Aurora Sinclair’s throat. Elias Lennox began to tremble all over and collapsed to his knees. "Don’t—"

"100%... HAHAHA..."

The girl on the floor’s muscles swelled like balloons. Beneath her snow-white skin, blue-green veins bulged, looking as if they were about to burst.

Suddenly, her body began to convulse, and she started bleeding from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

On the monitor, her vital signs plummeted, and alarms began to blare.

"How could this be happening?"

Dick’s expression changed drastically. He roared frantically, "Quick... save her..."