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Chapter 67: The Wind of Eutinus (2)

Demon King

The Wind of Eutinus (2)

I couldn't leave it be; it was too dangerous to let live. My body was already moving by the time I had come to this conclusion. Blood Shadow slashed out from my hand and into the head of the monster who was being absorbed, bloody flames and dark lightning flared out from the blade.

[Gigaaaaak!]

In the middle of its hideous union, it fiercely resisted the blade. Twisting against my blade, it deformed its melting body even further as it formed a sharp spear. The spear flew outward, piercing through me. It didn't matter how much defensive power Blood Baptism had; it would not last against this attack. This monster was too far above me in power, and when the fusion finished, it would only be stronger.

[Kyaaaagh!]

It was too late to withdraw. Even if my stomach was pierced and its tendrils snapped away at my soul, I had to see this through. My mind was weakening, one more wound engraved into my flesh. 'Focus!' I poured all of my mana into one point, at the tip of Blood Shadow. I had no time to think about the consequences.

[Aggggghhh!]

The monster's head, now twice as large as it had been, was consumed by the bloody flames and dark lightning. Blood Shadow squeezed through it's melding form, slicing into its vitals. Victory?

The wind blew through once more, a shock running through me. It strengthened this beast just as it sapped mine, amplifying the monster's power for just an instant. But that instant was enough for its spear to power through my Blood Baptism, fully piercing my stomach. I didn't have enough mana left to activate my stone skin—to defend against the spear in any way. Red blood flew through the air.

[You…you were…human. Just like me?]

I heard a voice through the haze. The will of the two monsters, once independent human souls, was pleading to me in a voice that I could barely understand. Was the effect of their union that brought reason to them? Or perhaps the danger they were in?

[Why are we fighting each other? The real enemy is that elf!]

I wasn't interested in what it was saying. This monster seemed to be worried about me, now that it knew what I was.

[You have to kill that elf! That one!]

I realized it was because he had touched my soul that he had known. It was unfortunate for him that I had to kill anyone who touched my soul.

[Pull the sword free, it's not too late! Do it now… Agggh!]

I pushed Blood Shadow in deeper, the body of the monsters that were so close to fully merging now engulfed in flame. The tendrils grasping onto me began to fall off in strands, the spear in my abdomen losing its edge. I slipped off the spear and collapsed onto the ground, listening to the monster's final screams.

"It's already too late," I muttered weakly.

[You gained 689,842 experience!]

[You received 2 gold and 10 silver.]

[You have obtained a Fragment of a Fallen Soul.]

Just because I killed that enemy didn't mean it was all over. The Wind of Eutinus would undoubtedly continue to empower the nearby monsters, perhaps even uniting them into even stronger beasts. It was too late to figure out why this was happening. Now, all I could do was survive with a giant hole in my stomach and my depleting mana.

'Can't help it now.' I glanced over at Mireina, who was sitting still in the field. I didn't want to show off my Predation in front of an elf, but now I had no choice.

"Thank you for the meal." At this moment, with the enemies closing in on me, I didn't have time to relax and eat the whole creature—especially not one this big. I swung my sword, cutting off the beast's head and putting my hand on the rest of the body to store it away in my inventory.

[Kiaaaah!]

[Kugagaaaa!]

The monsters screamed out louder, their hostility toward me palpable now. 'I thought they would go for Mireina first, but now they're ignoring her for me!' I was sure it was because I had stored the body of that monster in my inventory. Their merging didn't care for living monsters; even a corpse would serve to make them stronger. These monsters that had been focusing on the elves now only wanted to merge with other monsters. As long as that remained to be the case, they would go for me first.

Mireina was no longer a target, and she wouldn't die unless I did. 'I'll have to figure out what to do with her after this is all over.' With that grim thought, I bit into the monster's head. The flame-seared meat was greasy, tasting like a skewer of lamb cooked with way too much seasoning. A cheap place not far from my school came to mind. 'God I miss the beer there.'

My eyes strayed to my stomach, the hole in it beginning to close. I didn't have time to appreciate it, as I was forced to jump back to avoid three new monsters landing where I had been. They all looked up in unison, tears leaving their eyes as they opened their mouths to unleash that damned Madness noise.

[Kyaaaah!]

[Kiaaaah!]

[Kagagak!]

I ground my teeth, raising my tolerance against abnormal statuses. My thoughts began to calm, enough for me to notice something odd in their appearance. I was concerned that they would begin to merge, especially given how close they were to each other, but they appeared to have no intention of combining together. With my advanced sense, I could feel other monsters gathering beyond my field of vision. Far off, I could tell a union was already starting. 'These monsters… they're acting tactically. They're delaying me to give the others a chance to merge. Why?'

I thought these monsters had entered the Rookie's Battlefield to destroy the elves' souls and steal their bodies. So why were they now trying to merge into one being, even at the expense of their own individuality? If the Wind of Eutinus wasn't a new occurrence, and it had happened before, why hadn't they merged before? 'Does the wind give them back their sense of reason? How?' I leaped forward, appearing in front of the monster that looked like a zebra. My sword lashed out, cutting down the monster's body in front of me. I tried not to think about it, but the questions persisted in my head. 'No point in thinking about it. It won't matter if I cut them all down.'

I spared no mana, putting all my power into each attack. My Advanced Martial Arts skill sacrificed that mana to achieve a finishing blow, the zebra's neck flying off into the air.

[You gained 320,190 experience!]

[You received 1 gold and 5 silver.]

[You have obtained a Fragment of a Fallen Soul.]

I activated my detection to its max. Read their actions and slay them. Put them in your inventory to eat later. Evade their attacks. I had to be everywhere. A bloody flame stretched out from Blood Shadow, cutting off the legs of a monster that resembled a crocodile. At the same time, a whip of black roses stretched out from the blade to wrap around its neck.

[Crush!]

A monster slammed into me, fangs of blood sticking into its neck from my immediate retaliation. The fangs suck at its contaminated blood, sating my thirst.

'You're mad at yourself for being in this situation. You know you can do better, but you're mad because you're not.' I had to think of what I had seen on the second floor of Jinma's tower. There, I had to conserve my mana. Here, I could feast to my heart's content to supply my mana and stamina. 'I have to move faster with each attack, a finishing blow.'

"Something big is coming! Caesia, run away!" I ignored her warnings, focusing on cutting down the enemy in front of me and biting into its neck. I had to move fast with Predation, slaking my hunger as soon as I could. Something suddenly felt off; the torso of the monster in front of me was hollowed out. I didn't have time to register what was happening before a wave of energy and mana filled me. 'Did I…do that with Predation?'

This was the first time I had used Predation in this way, but maybe it had become possible because its level had risen? I certainly hoped so, rather than I had been going about it in the most inefficient way possible up until this point. 'No point in beating myself up either way, I just had to devour all the prey here.'

With a hunger that threatened to consume me, I tore into the monsters' bodies. Black smoke welled around me, chewing and digesting their bodies instead of my mouth. It filled me with power, more than enough to maintain the smoke. Their bodies were being converted into energy for me to use, directly delivered into my body. A smile crossed my lips as I remembered the taste similar to that lamb I ate before. I moved slowly, feeling as if I had all the time in the world, toward the monster's that were fusing.

It took less than fifteen seconds for the giant monster before me to be consumed entirely by the smoke, all of their power flowing into me. Their power was corrupted, capable of attacking the soul. A power that led to destruction.

[Strength has risen by 6.]

[Magic has risen by 3.]

[You have learned the special skill Demon's Claw.]

[Beginner Demon's Claw Lv1]

[You can use mana to manifest a part of your own soul to attack the souls of others.]

'Ah…I see.' It had taken me up until now to realize it. I had to come here, but the reason why was different than what Rain had thought. There was so much here that I could eat, so many things to devour and make me stronger. The reason behind this place or these monsters could be figured out later. I cleared my mind, feeling light as I stepped forward. I went ahead and devoured the monsters I had stored in my inventory, manifesting the demon's claws, which had already risen to level three.

Mireina sat there with a blank expression as fully fused monsters started appearing behind her.

'My prey.'

Chapter 68: The Wind of Eutinus (3)

Demon King

The Wind of Eutinus (3)

I teleported in rapid succession with Ubiquitous, moving from the ground to up into the air, from a monster's tail to their head. My skill was wreaking confusion through the monsters each time I teleport, all the while I kept my detection area increased to focus on the surrounding area. It felt like my head was going to explode, but I had to keep all of these skills up.

[Kagagak!]

My senses were focused on the entity created by the fusion of two monsters. The rest were running amok about me, assured of my destruction. They all were physically stronger than me, but this battle happening on the Rookie's Battlefield wasn't simply a collision of physical forms. These monsters didn't just attack physically; after all, their souls would collide violently with my own as they struck. 'If I can make even one of their souls collapse, it's enough.' I had to give it to them, their sheer tenacity to cling to life to the point where they were no longer recognizable as human.

I further expanded my detection range. My own body and soul were no exception. I had time to analyze the Demon's Claw protruding out of my left shoulder while I battled, beginning to understand its power. I only knew how to defend during my battle with L, but now I was learning how to attack. It made me realize how much my defense had been lacking. Now it was as if I had another body that I could move at will, a body that I had been leaving unprotected. Now I needed to learn how to deal with it.

I had to sharpen my soul, make it harder and deadlier. I focused on the Demon's Claw, moving it down from my shoulder to my hand, overlapping it with my sword. 'Now it'll be easier to actually use as a weapon.' The claw wasn't an object with a physical presence, something I confirmed as it began to overlap with Blood Shadow. A low vibration went through my arm for just a moment. It felt as if the part of my soul that I had been moving had assimilated into Blood Shadow.

[Beginner Demon's Claw has become Lv4.]

'Now this'll work.' It was still impossible for me to invade their souls by transforming it into those tendrils; its mobility was lacking compared to these monsters. They must have had intermediate, or even advanced, skills. But that was fine. The higher the opponent's skill level, the more effective Predation would be.

[Kiii!]

[This guy… is he one of us?]

I heard a human voice from one of the monsters but ignored it, leaping up once more into the air with my teleportation. Now that I had a better understanding of their skills, I could see why they were sensitive to my presence. They didn't have a proper body, their soul and body were becoming mixed, and now the boundary between the two was blurring. They now were in a form that shouldn't exist, and it granted them heightened senses and an ability to attack the soul directly.

I had only been attacking their bodies, but they had been attacking both my body and soul. I could sense their physical form, but they were able to sense my soul as well as my physical body. So, little by little, my detection was failing me, and attacks were slipping through my defenses. It had also been why they had seen right through me, knowing that I was a human.

But now, I could use my own soul to attack. Now the playing field was level. Even if I could move my soul's shape with as much power or finesse, it was still enough for me to take advantage of.

I was everywhere. I raised the power of my confusion and Shadow Walk, dark metal hung from my waist, shaking and silently crying. It was the second item Rain had given to me, Drops of Darkness.

[Drops of Darkness [500/500] – Ancient Rarity. It absorbs all noise that the wearer emits.]

Simple but incredibly useful. It made my biggest weapon, Surprise and Fairy Tale, even more powerful. I thought their abilities of detection were too powerful, so it didn't have any use. But now, it was different. Now that I could control my soul through these claws, I could hide it from them. I jumped again; my goal was the monster's head.

[Kiiiiiih!]

This monster, created by merging three animals, had its head split open, contaminated blood gushing out from the wound. I barely had time to think before someone unexpected popped up.

[Convergence successful. Traces of one's own soul are now hidden.]

[Superior Surprise became Lv10 and has evolved into Extraordinary Surprise. No matter how much you move, it is still as if you are not there. Surprise attacks will deal additional damage.

[Advanced Martial Arts became Lv7.]

I did it; I was able to hide my soul. It was hard not to feel elated by this progress, but I knew that this was no time to celebrate as I narrowly dodged an attack from another monster. 'It's almost funny, I was nearly hit by a monster because my plan worked, and it caught me off guard.' But it was all worth it regardless. I had mastered the art of stealth, but I had to remain vigilant and not let myself grow overconfident.

Now I could move forward and show my true strength against these monsters instead of being put on the ropes and struggling to kill them. My initial wound against this large beast in front of me didn't look as impressive as I had originally thought, but it was a start. Their souls were reinforcing their bodies. In addition to tough flesh, they had gained a lot of strength by projecting their souls outside their bodies. But by doing so, they also exposed their weaknesses.

[Kill him! Make him one of us!]

[He's devouring everything!]

I revealed my presence to them after my attack, watching as their soul tendrils filled the air and made their way toward me. I could've jumped away from it but stood my ground instead. I didn't have to run anymore. I swung my sword, enhanced by the Demon's Claw, and it easily cut through all the tendrils before they could reach me. Fragments of body and soul scattered in the air, fading from existence. 'If only I could eat that too.' But I suppose devouring pure fragments of a soul wouldn't be possible with Predation. It wouldn't have been necessary, anyway. The fact that I could block their attacks and hurt them was enough.

[Why?!]

[Kigaaaah!]

[He is like us. Join us!]

One of them rushed forward, only able to catch onto my alter ego I left behind as I jumped away. The alter ego only had physical strength, but it managed to jab into the monster's eyes before it vanished. I moved over to the head of the monster I had previously damaged with my initial surprise attack.

[Lower Ubiquitous became Lv4.]

My head was bursting with information as I read the movements on those who were united in soul and body, precisely controlling my powers all the while. It was an exhausting task, but if I didn't do it, I would die. I was dancing on needles, only a hair's width away from death at any moment. Blood Shadow was sharpened even further by the Demon's Claw. The monsters closed in around me, but all I could think about was taking their lives as my sword flashed out again and again.

With a firm grasp on their souls' trajectories, I jumped forward with Ubiquitous and attacked the giant monster again. Its head, shaped like a massive castle, was slowly split open from my repeated attacks. The spirit tried to grab onto me, to devour me, but I cut off its advance with my sharpened blade and riposted, driving my sword into its head again.

[Aggggh!]

[No, stop it!]

[I can't kill him…you guys, help me!]

The monster's strength, born only from hatred, was too weak to harm me now that I had a weapon that would hurt them. Their weapons were heavy but were much too slow and dull to pierce me now. Blood Shadow pierced deep into the monster's head, the sword belching out fire and lightning as it did.

[You gained 967,102 experience!]

[You received gold and 22 silver.]

[You have obtained a Fragment of a Fallen Soul.]

[Kieeeaaa!]

The notification window popped up in front of me, the sound of it drowned out by the monster's dying wails. 'If Lee Chan-yu was here, that Madness noise would probably be enough to knock him out.' It couldn't crush me with its powerful form or grab onto me with the soul tendrils. So now it was letting out one inevitable attack. It made sense, of course. It was a powerful attack that slammed against my resistance to abnormal statuses and threatened to overwhelm me.

But now I had a new source of food, and it was enough to stop me from falling to this final attack. By the time I had acquired this Demon's Claw, this battle was as good as over. Not to even mention my new form of Predation. I turned towards the collapsed form of this monster, raising Blood Shadow. Black smoke billowed out from my body, beginning to eat away at this massive body. I let power begin to build up in my sword, black roses forming around it. Dark lighting began to explode forth, making my sword look even larger than it was.

I could detect more monsters approaching the area. Not just one or two, but a massive wave of them closed in as if they had all promised to meet here. Most of them I could tell were already fused with at least one other. It occurred to me then that the purpose of that final Madness noise wasn't to incapacitate me, but rather to call for reinforcements.

The thought brought a grin to my face. Thinking about the time, I figured it was about three hours until I could return. 'This is almost a bit silly.' The monsters now were easy to kill, a delicious prey full of experience. It would be such a shame to go back home so quickly, especially when such an enticing hunting ground was coming to me.

"Come to me."

[Beginner Demon's Claw became Lv6.]

[Lower Madness Noise became Lv5.]

In time, my feast would end. But for now, I could be happy with this chance to run about and eat as much as I liked. I leaped into the air with Ubiquitous.

Two hours, forty-seven minutes, and fifty-three seconds had passed by the end.

All the monsters gathered were killed and consumed, and my level was now 110.