Chapter 123: Demon’s Transformation
The pale blue aura enveloped Leon’s body. Yet he still didn’t open his eyes. He could feel it. There was more. More to dig deeper.
And so, he continued his comprehension.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield...
The demon’s severed legs lay several meters away from the rest of its body. Blood continued to pour from the wounds.
The blood began to move. Thin crimson threads formed between the separated body parts, connecting them together. Slowly but surely, the threads started pulling the pieces back toward one another just like before.
Hazel’s eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, she slashed her katana.
Schlk!
The blood threads were severed instantly and splattered across the ground.
But in the very next moment, the scattered droplets began trembling violently. They wriggled like living creatures, attempting to reconnect and pull the body back together once more.
The demon’s eyes were bloodshot with fury.
Stanley raised a hand. ’I hope it ends with this.’
"Light Domain."
The sky above them lit up. Thousands of swords forged from pure light materialized overhead, filling the sky.
Hazel immediately leaped backward. She had no intention of getting caught in the attack. ’Once he unleashes this spell, the demon will be too busy regenerating to fight back.’
Her grip tightened around her katana. ’That’s when I’ll go all out and finish it with a single strike.’
From the distance, Wren watched silently. The arrogance that had filled him earlier was nowhere to be seen.
Stanley slowly lowered his raised hand. It resembled the motion of a sword slash.
At the same time, the countless swords of light descended.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The air screamed as they rained down toward the demon.
But just before the first blade could strike...
The demon moved. Its arms crossed before its chest. Its body bent slightly forward.
Then...
ROAR!
It snapped its arms open and straightened its back. A terrifying wave of energy erupted outward.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The descending swords were blasted away in every direction.
Even Stanley and Hazel were forced backward.
Their feet dug deep furrows into the ground as they struggled to maintain their footing.
In the distance, Frenrir and the others watched in stunned silence.
The demon’s body slowly rose into the air.
Its severed legs shot upward and slammed back into place. The moment they connected, the wounds vanished completely.
The demon’s body began convulsing violently. Its skin rippled. Bones cracked and shattered beneath the flesh before rapidly rebuilding themselves.
The creature didn’t grow larger. But the changes were impossible to miss. White patches began spreading across its crimson skin. They grew wider and wider until every trace of crimson disappeared.
The demon’s entire body had turned white.
Then its eyes changed. Three became four.
Four became five. And finally, all five eyes merged together.
Flesh twisted and fused. A single, massive eye emerged in their place. More grotesque than anything before.
The transformation finally came to an end. The demon slowly descended from the air. Then its feet touched the ground.
Thud.
An overwhelming pressure swept across the battlefield.
Hazel’s face turned ghostly pale.
So did Wren’s. "So it was an Elite Rank Demon all along." Wren gritted his teeth. "No wonder I lost."
His expression twisted with humiliation. "This bastard deliberately hid its true strength and made a fool out of me in front of everyone."
The demon slowly turned its head toward Stanley.
Then...
It vanished. Not blurred. Vanished.
The speed was so overwhelming that nobody could even follow its movement.
BAM!
A heavy impact echoed across the battlefield.
Stanley’s body bent unnaturally before being sent flying into the distance. He crashed into the gate of the Delvan Tower.
Crack!
The sickening sound of breaking bones echoed through his body. "How did it become so strong all of a sudden?" he muttered through gritted teeth.
Pain shot through every inch of his body, but he still forced himself back to his feet.
But, just as he was about to charge forward once more...
The demon appeared before him as though it had materialized out of thin air. Stanley’s eyes widened. Before he could react, the demon’s knee buried itself deep into his stomach.
Thud!
"Urgh!"
His body doubled over instantly. The strength drained from his limbs, and he collapsed to his knees before falling face-first onto the ground.
The demon didn’t spare him another glance.
Slowly, it turned its head. Its massive eye locked onto Hazel.
"Damn...." Hazel didn’t even get the chance to finish speaking.
BOOM!
Her body was blasted away as well. The demon didn’t go after her. It didn’t have to. Not anymore. Everyone was down.
The demon reappeared in the center of the battlefield. The corner of its lips curled upward slightly.
A mocking smile.
In the distance, Stanley slowly pushed himself off the ground again. Pain surged through his entire body. He could feel it. Several ribs were definitely broken. Perhaps even some of his internal organs had suffered damage. Either way, he was in no condition to continue fighting.
A helpless smile appeared on his face. "At least I sent Jessica away with the others."
He coughed violently. "Blarrghhhhh!" A mouthful of blood spilled from his lips. His gaze locked on the demon.
"Is this... Is this how I’m going to die?"
Hazel wasn’t in any better condition. She couldn’t even lift her body off the ground.
As for Wren... His entire body was trembling.
Yet amidst the overwhelming despair...
Two people were smiling.
Frenrir.
And Noira.
"Can you feel it, Noira?" Frenrir whispered.
Noira was lying on the opposite side of the battlefield. There was no way she could hear him. Yet he still asked the question. As though he already knew the answer. As though he knew she could feel it too.
The demon had begun walking toward Wren.
One step.
Two steps.
But suddenly...
It stopped. Its massive eye widened. Fear appeared within it. Its head snapped toward a distant corner of the battlefield.
Toward Leon.
The pale blue aura surrounding him became dense. And by the looks of it, he wasn’t done. Not yet.
