Chapter 175: Training Program: 11 [Is it....Lilith?]

Mana Breathing

"Terra Arts: 2nd Form"

/Domain/

Entering the 2nd Form, the mana swirled around him like a tempest.

His emerald green pupils glowed with an eerie light as a massive magic circle automatically inscribed around his feet,

'ttrrrrrrrr'

Then it expanded.

'tttnnnn, tttnnn'

Causing the ground to quake and transform into quicksand, but it did not pull him in or anyone.

The scene was undeniably ominous, and the other team could sense the impending danger.

They muttered in disbelief, "Domain" as they backed off as far as possible.

Yet, the black humanoid monsters remained unfazed by the immense power Eli displayed. They had only one thing on their minds....the sack that Eli held. They stared at it with blood-red eyes, their bodies radiating dark mana.

"..." Eli seriously thought Arlyne's group had taken something from them however, he recalled Arlyne's terrified expression when one of the monsters nearly caught it earlier.

'Whatever' Nevertheless, he shrugged, offered the sack to the monsters, and tauntingly asked,

"You want it?"

"ggrrrrr"

The monsters responded with growls and remained undeterred, eyes fixed on their coveted prize.

"Then come and take it" Eli beckoned to them and playfully threw the sack into the air.

'swoosh'

Their reaction was akin to cats zeroing in on a red laser dot.

Eli could sense every inch of their movement and their steps and....their next step.

Their movements were predatory and relentless.

However, as they leapt into the air, something unexpected occurred.

An eerie and ominous spectacle unfolded before everyone's eyes.

'Thud'

'Thud'

'Thud'

'Thud'

'Thud'

....

...

One by one, the goat-headed monsters began to lose their heads then it was swallowed by the Quicksand and their bodies fell to the ground motionlessly.

'clang, clang'

Chains of inky blackness swirled around the sack, yanking it back into Eli's possession

"Do you want it?" Eli inquired once more, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.

Fear started to appear on their face however after seeing how Eli swirled around the sack they lost their fear instead...Horny?

'What the hell is wrong with these monsters?' Eli screamed inwardly as he watched them with a mix of confusion and revulsion.

They continued their relentless pursuit with an unnerving intensity.

Just as he was about to swing his Ember to defend himself, a peculiar event unfolded.

"What the...?"

A small dark mana emanated from Celestria while trembling in his hand. Eli felt an unusual connection forming between himself and his weapons....reminiscent of when Lilith had named the weapon.

"Jealous?" Eli wondered aloud. The sensation was bizarre, as it seemed to suggest that the weapon had emotions or desires of its own.

Eli was perplexed but had little time to dwell on it further.

He lowered the sack and positioned Ember for a counterattack.

With expert precision, he spun Ember to gain momentum and twisted his body, poised for the impending onslaught.

'chuk'

'chuk'

'chuk'

'chuk'

'splurt'

'splurt'

Eli continued his relentless assault, cutting the monsters in half, black blood splattering across the scene.

'tttukkkk'

Celestria trembled even more.

"...."

"Yeah, yeah" He muttered in response to his weapon's apparent eagerness to be used. He found himself somewhat annoyed by its antics.

"I haven't even started yet" Eli said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. With a quick crack of his neck,

'Clang, clang'

He used Ember's chain to warp around the sack and spun it,

'splurt'

'splurt'

Black splurted everywhere like rain though there wasn't a single drop of their blood in his dress.

"104"

Eli suddenly stopped his moment when he mumbled a certain number and looked around to see how many were remaining.

"Let's finish this," Eli declared with an air of indifference.

He placed the sack on the ground and drove Celestria into the quicksand, causing the silver metal to disappear.

"Cyclone Arts: 2nd Form"

His emerald-green pupils changed into Cloudly white pupils and,

/Gale Blast/

'Boom'

'Boom'

'Boom'

'Boom'

'Boom'

.....

.....

A powerful, thunderous blast resonated through the area as Eli unleashed his abilities.

Arlyne and her team struggled to comprehend the sheer devastation and power that was being unleashed. They clamped their hands over their ears to shield themselves from the deafening noise.

'What the Hell is happening?' Everyone screamed in their hearts.

They never thought a one man could possibly annihilate the entire 100s of monsters.....they were truly beyond astonished.

Theo and Simon were left in awe by Eli's incredible display of strength and magic.

Arlyne and Kyra exchanged disbelieving glances, struggling to come to terms with the reality of what they were witnessing.

Kira, with her blindfold in place, turned her attention towards the endless sky, feeling a certain energy in the air.

"Sweat"

Hearing that everyone snapped out of their thoughts and looked at the current scenery.

Eli finally put down the sack and advanced toward the crouching monster, his deafness allowed him to remain ignorant of the cacophony he'd just created.

The trembling monster lifted its goat-like head, its eyes wide with terror as it beheld the gruesome spectacle before it.....

Beheaded heads of its fellow creatures were propelled from the ground with alarming speed, striking down roaming monsters with brutal precision. The impaling horns of the severed heads burst through the eyes of the victims, shattering their skulls in the process.

Even Arlyne's group, who had been witnessing the carnage, was left stunned by Eli's incomprehensible precision and brutality.

"Just what's going on in his mind?" Theo expressed his astonishment with a baffled mutter.

"Is this even possible for a mere mortal?" Kyra added with a sense of disbelief.

"...." Simon's expression twisted into a mix of shock and unease, leaving him at a loss for words.

'step, step'

Eli confronted the trembling monster, his voice void of emotion.

"Are you an Ex-Human or some other race?" he inquired.

The monster shuddered even more, gripping its injured forearm tightly and growling,

"Grrrr--"

'Ssshnngg'

But it abruptly stopped when Eli aimed his trident at its neck.

"Just shake your fucking head" he ordered.

'Nod, Nod'

The monster complied with quick nods.

Eli glanced at the sack, then turned toward Arlyne's group.

"Do you desire to procreate with individuals who have been affected by the Poison, correct?" he asked, noticing a slight hesitation from the creature.

"...rr--" it stammered, but a cut from on its neck, caused it to nod more fervently.

"Hmm" Eli pondered briefly.

A soft breeze swirled around them as he crouched down and whispered to the frightened monster, making sure his voice was too faint for spectators to hear.

"Are you being controlled by someone?" he asked in a hushed tone, concerned about keeping their conversation private.

'Nod, Nod'

"Is that person named... Lilith?" Eli inquired, despite some hesitation.

"..." Monster shook its head in disagreement.

"Hmm" Eli muttered to himself, eyes closed in thought. 'Could someone else have a similar mana signature? That impossible though.....' he wondered.

"Alright then, as former like us,

I will end you painlessly" Eli said as he stood, holding the creature's heart in his hand.

The monster, bewildered by the process, stared lifelessly at Eli and eventually fell to the ground.

'splurt'

'step, step'

With a splurt, Eli nonchalantly tossed the useless heart aside, ensuring to extract the Soul Crystal before he walked away.

'So, it is not Lilith....' He muttered.