Rak'Tharos

"How in the heavens do you know what beasts the Game Masters sent into planet Earth?" Void Walker asked Monkey King in surprise.

"Of course I know. My Clan supplied almost ten percent of the base beasts prior to their mutation." Monkey King replied. "The other ninety percent are supplied by the other Beast Clans. Unlike you Walkers, the Beast Clans share our information freely."

"Oh? Who says we Walkers don't share information? We share them too! We just like to give each other a little bit of a challenge by hiding them out of plain sight. In fact, I too have brand new information about the fugitives released into planet Earth." Void Walker said proudly.

"Oh? Pray tell." Monkey King said curiously.

"I can't say much. But I can say that one of the Void Clan's ten fugitive Kings would be released into planet Earth this time around."

"FUGITIVE KING?! Why? Why release a damned fugitive king on such a small game world?!" Monkey King asked in shock.

"Because! There is a secret Adamantium Sponsor also participating…" Void Walker whispered.

Monkey King's jaw dropped.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"So… All I have to do is to kill all of the natives?" A powerfully built, humanoid beast rumbled in a deep voice.

Standing tall and strong at over three meters, he towered over the small 1.5 meter tall Void Walkers that were talking to him through the bars from outside his prison cell.

His head resembled a lion's, with similar sharp teeth and a beautiful mane. However, instead of yellow, his eyes gleamed a deep sapphire blue.

His muscular body was covered in thick diamond-shaped scales like a dragon. Fearsome looking blades and spikes protruded in all the critical areas of his body, most notably his long elbow blades and a trio of wicked looking spikes on each knee. Two beautiful curved horns graced the top of his head, giving him an overall elegant yet deadly appearance.

He was a magnificent creature, even the Void Walkers had to give him that much.

However, the fact that he was behind bars and they were not, indicated the true nature of the power structure in that situation.

"Yes." The tallest Void Walker out of the five that were peering at him through their deep hoods replied in a gentle voice. "All day. Everyday. Except for one day each month during Race day."

"And after one year, I will be free?" The beast asked once more.

"Yes. That is the deal." The Void Walker said.

"Hahaha. Too good to be true." The beast laughed out loud. "What is the catch?"

"Kekeke. I knew he would notice." A Void Walker laughed as well and stretched out a slender hand towards another who grunted in irritation. However, currency of some sort was placed on the outstretched hand.

"You bet on my reaction to your offer?" The beast could feel the beginnings of his terrible anger start to awake from within his soul. However, a vastly more powerful surge of fear crashed down upon his anger and immediately killed it before it could amount to anything.

The Void Walkers had done their work well with the beast, and the beast had learnt to know fear. Of them at least, if not of anything else.

"Yes." The second Void Walker replied in a pleased voice. "I knew that you're much smarter than all of your clansmen. You didn't disappoint me. Well done. Here, a reward for pleasing me."

The second Void Walker fished out a small orb of some sort and threw it to the beast who caught it eagerly and with apparent great excitement. He threw the orb into his mouth and crunched on it loudly. After a few seconds, he swallowed it with a smile of satisfaction as he felt his power level increase slightly.

"Good beast core. Got anymore?" He asked shamelessly.

"Join the Games, and I'll immediately give you a hundred of them." The second Void Walker replied slyly.

"Hmmm." Unlike other beasts, this particular beast did not immediately agree. A clear sign of intellect and control over his baser beast nature. "Tell me about the catch."

"The catch, my dear Rak'Tharos, is that the natives will be given all sorts of powerful tools and powers by sponsors up to the King Level of each Empire and Kingdom who are participating." The first Void Walker explained. "You know what King Level means, don't you?"

"Kings." Rak'Tharos scoffed. "Your warriors who are over level 300?"

"Indeed." The first Void Walker replied. "Kings are warriors between level 300 - 399. Like yourself."

"That's hardly a catch. I can easily kill warriors at the King level, much less the natives only armed with their gifts." Rak'Tharos snorted. "Tell me the real catch."

"Kekeke. The real catch is that this time, there will be an Emperor who will be participating as a sponsor. A level 477 warrior who is able to grant gifts powering up one lucky native up to level 399. The Game Masters had granted us the privilege of sending in a Fugitive King to even out the playing field and to give the Emperor's little toy a little bit of a challenge." The second Void Walker said.

"Up to level 399?" Rak'Tharos' sapphire blue eyes gleamed with excitement and a hunger for battle. Years of captivity had dulled his senses, and he yearned for a bloody and glorious fight. "COUNT ME IN!"

"Kekekeke. Excellent. I will send the beast cores and a few women from your tribe to your cell tonight. Enjoy them well. You will enter the planet called Earth in the second month of the Games, exactly 30 days from today." The second Void Walker cackled. "Do not lose! I have a lot of money placed on your victory!"

"Hahahahaha! Lose? I, Rak'Tharos, am the glorious leader of the Golden Fang Tribe. I have killed and eaten over a thousand Kings! I will never lose! Hahahaha!" Rak'Tharos laughed out loud.

He was still laughing when the Void Walkers left the prison.

However, exactly ten seconds after the Void Walkers had left, Rak'Tharos abruptly stopped laughing.

His blue sapphire eyes slowly turned red and a vastly more powerful aura than he had shown the Void Walkers earlier leaked out of his body.

An Emperor Level beast's aura, to be exact.

"I never thought that I would not need to get out of this place by force. The Games, huh? Perfect. I will eat all of the beasts there and power up to level 500, the Hegemon Level! And then I will return here to free my tribe and get my revenge… Hahh... Haha… Hahaha… Hahahaha… HAHAHAHA!"

Rak'Tharos' laughter filled the prison once more. But this time, there was a tinge of insanity within it.

Author's Note

Happy New Year guys!! Hope you all have a great year ahead! Cheers to a much better year than 2021!

Power Levels and Names

Level 0 - 99 : Common

Level 100 - 199 : Elite

Level 200 - 299 : Lord

Level 300 - 399 : King

Level 400 - 499 : Emperor

Level 500 - 599 : Hegemon

Level 600 - 699 : Ancient

Level 700 - 799 : Primal

Level 800 - 899 : Saint

Level 900 - 999 : God