Killing a Dark Acolyte

Ellie approached Al, intending to tend to his wound, but he halted her. "Stop, look," he said, pointing to his side and robe that, despite being soaked in blood, showed no signs of tearing.

Al gave his injured side a firm punch, causing Ellie to wince. "The bleeding has already stopped," he explained. Ellie marveled at his resilience. "Wow, what an incredible ability. I don't see what's so common about it. Meanwhile, I felt utterly powerless against that creature," she remarked, turning her attention to Yusuf to assess his injuries.

Al, on the other hand, walked over to the lifeless creature, which had transformed into a dark mist that his etheric shell swiftly absorbed. Instantly, he noticed a difference. His ring felt noticeably sturdier, and its connection to him strengthened. However, his knife remained unchanged. "Don't underestimate yourself," Al reassured Ellie. "I caught it off guard. If I had faced it alone, I doubt I could escape with my life."

As Al sat down to perform his breathing exercises, he focused on recovering as much of his Stubborn Will as possible before rushing out to find Cesar. He knew that the enemy Cesar was now fighting had to be the acolyte.

Yusuf couldn't tear his eyes away from Al during this time. Despite suffering surface wounds from the creature's claws, Yusuf's steel-like Will had rendered him almost impervious to serious harm. At first, he could grapple and struggle with the beast while Ellie provided a distraction. However, once the creature grew to its massive 8-foot size, Yusuf had become utterly helpless against it.

"How? How did you and Cesar manage to kill something like that without an etheric shell?" Yusuf questioned Al; his gaze filled with awe. Al rose from his seated position, a touch of color returning to his face. "You act and think later," he responded before reentering the tunnel. "I'm going to assist the others. Once you two have recovered, reach us as quickly as possible." With those words, Al propelled himself back into the tunnel, his speed as explosive as before.

"The acolyte Cesar is facing is in the upper trigram of the mental domain," Al thought, urgency gripping his mind. He figured Louise and Jin had made initial contact. "If Yusuf and Ellie were in this condition, time is of the essence. I have to hurry!"

Al pushed himself to move as fast as he could, his body straining to keep pace. The absorbed mist residue hadn't granted him enhanced speed but had forged a stronger connection between his etheric shell and himself.

He sprinted past the entrance, venturing deeper into the tunnel until it branched into three paths, forcing him to halt.

Staring at the trio of entrances, Al contemplated which one Cesar might have taken. Suddenly, a gust of wind struck his face, originating from the entrance on the right. Without hesitation, Al surged forward in the direction of the wind.

In a matter of minutes, metal clashing against an object reached his ears. Mentally preparing himself for any situation, he raised his twisted knife, ready to seize the element of surprise again.

"Hopefully, I can catch them off guard," Al swiftly pondered as he approached the exit, his eyes catching a luminous green glow from within. The wind grew colder, but Al pressed on, his determination unwavering. In the blink of an eye, he entered a colossal chamber twice the size of the previous one. At the cave's edge, a fierce battle raged on.

At the edge of the cave, a boy with straight black hair clutched a stone emblem, displaying a small crack as he lay discarded on the ground. Alongside him, a girl with fiery red curls held her left arm while deftly picking up rocks to aid a tall, slender boy wielding an extraordinary spear.

Cesar appeared battered, his body soaring through the air like a guided airplane propelled by an unseen wind.

The creature he targeted possessed an almost human-like appearance, but as Al closed in, he discerned the dark fur that enveloped its body, its hands and feet retaining their human form. Clad in a scholarly purple robe, it exuded an aura of intellect, yet its demeanor exuded sheer ferocity.

Cesar launched himself at the creature, its malevolence evident. Swiftly, it gathered a handful of rocks and tossed them upward, the stones transforming into ethereal panthers of shadow that lunged toward Cesar. Though the shadows vanished upon impact, their bites inflicted nerve-damaging blows. Undeterred, Cesar moved with grace, systematically incapacitating one panther after another. Yet, one elusive panther managed to slip past his defenses, poised to strike from behind.

Just as the threat closed in on Cesar's opened side, Louise, steadfast and resourceful, hurled the rock she had been holding, and it shot off like a bullet fired from a gun. With unerring accuracy, she intercepted the panther, saving Cesar from harm. She had his back!

Meanwhile, seizing the opportunity, the dark acolyte completed another incantation, summoning two towering shadow apes, each standing 5 meters high. One was dispatched to engage Cesar head-on, while the other remained stationed, guarding the acolyte diligently.

At this pivotal moment, Al stealthily entered the scene, his movements so fast that no one noticed.

Al surged past Cesar, who found himself momentarily stunned by the Al shooting past him. As he closed in on the acolyte, the guarding shadow ape attempted to seize him, only to be swiftly cleaved in half by Al's knife. Slicing through the shadowy creature, Al stood directly before the acolyte, their eyes locked in a fateful confrontation.

Suddenly, a resounding boom reverberated through the air, and five runes blazed to life, encircling both of them in a pentagonal formation. An army of shadows materialized in an instant, manifesting as viscous maws that mercilessly clamped down on Al.

Blood sprayed in all directions as he was abruptly immobilized, subjected to a brutal and agonizing restraint. Louise's anguished cry filled the air as she frantically hurled rocks, desperately trying to free Al from the prison of shadows.

In a state of desperation, Cesar mustered every ounce of strength within him, ruthlessly demolishing the encroaching shadow that obstructed his path.

Al's lifeless form dropped to the ground, reduced to a grotesque pile of shattered bones and mangled flesh. The acolyte reveled in the sorrow that consumed the grieving group, a perverse smile adorning its countenance, relishing in their pain.

Driven by fury and resolve, Cesar launched himself at the creature, his spear guided by the howling wind aimed squarely at its head. Yet the hybrid countered, its hand transforming into the snarling visage of a ferocious panther, clamping down fiercely on Cesar's spear and thwarting his attack.

Acting on instinct, Cesar relinquished his grip on the spear, relying instead on his honed Muay Thai training. He caught the creature off guard with lightning-fast jabs, followed by sharp elbows and explosive knees. It had not anticipated encountering someone so adept at close-quarters combat. Until now, the humans it faced had relied heavily on channeling their Will through their etheric shells. But Cesar's relentless assault left the creature's face a battered, bloody mess.

Creating some distance from Cesar, the creature, unsure of how to wield the spear and unwilling to let Cesar utilize it, flung the weapon far away from the battle. It resorted to its most basic spell, conjuring a small wave of shadowy hands that propelled themselves toward Cesar.

Remarkably, Cesar's attacks seemed to manifest his Will with as much potency as his spear. In fact, the gusts of wind generated by his fists appeared even more formidable than the weapon itself. The acolyte grew increasingly perplexed, and fear crept into its heart.

Suddenly, a tremor shook the cave as the acolyte, overcome by desperation, beckoned all the shadows within to converge upon it. Transforming before their eyes, it underwent a rapid and grotesque metamorphosis. Two heads sprouted from its neck, resembling a devilish ape and a ferocious, roaring panther. Additional tails followed suit, and an extra set of limbs emerged. The creature's fur faded, exposing a deformed, expanding skeleton beneath.

Its heart split into two, preparing for further action. However, before it could enact its sinister plan, Al burst forth, erupting from the creature's first heart. His emergence left him drenched in a showery display of crimson.

"Cesar, catch!" Louise called out, throwing his spear toward him. Without a moment's hesitation, Cesar snatched it out of the air, summoning every last ounce of energy within him.

With a mighty heave, he unleashed a devastatingly powerful and precise throw. The spear transformed into a blur as it pierced through the creature's second heart, leaving nothing but a gaping hole in its wake.

The acolyte leader met its ultimate demise in a moment of transformation, unleashing a torrent of swirling residue that permeated Al and Cesar's etheric shells.

This time, Al keenly observed as the ring absorbed the residue. His disbelief etched across his face, Cesar stared at Al in utter astonishment. Meanwhile, Louise aided Jin in standing, equally amazed to witness Al's unexpected survival. Though Al appeared sickly and pale, he defied all odds by remaining alive after being broken like a toy by an army of shadowy maws.

"I told you my stubborn will comes in handy," Al gasped, struggling to breathe.

They retraced their steps through the tunnel, eventually regrouping with Yusuf and Ellie. As a united team, they returned to the Center for Task and Merit Exchange, they had barely survived their first task as a team. After dividing the reward they earned from the task and bidding farewell, Romann rendezvoused with Cesar. Together, they watched the recorded events captured by Cesar's C-stone.

Time passed swiftly, marked by their diligent training, an existence centered around studying the red book, dedicated breathwork, and profound meditation on the connection between their etheric shells and their minds. However, whenever the six of them encountered obstacles that stymied their progress, they sought the guidance of Romann, turning to him for invaluable insights and wisdom.

As they spent more and more time together as a group, their efficiency in completing tasks soared, enabling them to merge personal tasks with their collective efforts. Their accumulation of merits exploded, providing them not only with the means to survive but also to thrive.

The two months Romann had committed to their training swiftly drew close. On their final day together, he gathered the group, casting a contemplative gaze upon these six individuals whom he had regarded as his disciples. They would soon transition from being his wards to his younger brothers and sisters.

Moreover, they might eventually find themselves competing against him, directly or indirectly. Yet, this was the natural course of events, an integral part of the journey every Captain of a seed had to undertake every few decades.

"All of you face a crucial decision now: either remain a united and cohesive unit under Cesar's leadership or venture down separate paths. Remember that your collective goal is to reach the mental domain as swiftly as possible, increasing your chances of qualifying for the 301st Mortal Rings Tournament. While training is undoubtedly vital, remember that chance plays a significant role, as you have witnessed firsthand. Some individuals possess 14 or even 50 years ahead of you. However, due to the formidable team you have formed, I believe your ability to gather resources and fortify yourselves is far greater than most. This could potentially provide you with an advantage over others," Romann concluded his farewell, emphasizing that if they managed to avoid a premature demise, their paths would inevitably intersect once more. His gaze lingered on Cesar, conveying a look of tenderness.

With that, Romann disappeared without a trace, as was his habit. Left in silence, the six of them exchanged glances. As unrecognized disciples, they were mere visitors, granted a degree of freedom but also vulnerable to having their resources extracted.

Traditionally, it was customary for unrecognized disciples to journey through the various Mortal Rings of different God Leaves around the world. This practice fostered a global trading network between the rings of each God Leaf, enabling one to discover treasures from the Evergreen Leaf such as Ever-life stones in the 15th Mortal Ring of the Blood Leaf.