Niklos gazed at the Monster crawling towards Parachenko Village, an expression of hatred flashing through his eyes.
He watched as the other Elders, led by Elder Vova and Elder Anatol surrounded the monstrosity approaching their home, his eyes gazing at the numerous Rank 1 and Rank 2 Fae Masters retreating as the sounds of horrified screams and expressions of horror and pain marred the faces of those who didn't make it.
"Is the Kovacs Clan.... going to be destroyed under my watch?", he muttered.
Niklos let out a deep breath, meditating and focusing his life force and origin essence. He needed a short period of time in order to completely activate his Umbral Shadow Wolf Transformation, considering both his cultivation and his Law attainment weren't enough to bring out the Attribute Control Skills full power.
Elder Vova raised both of his arms, his eyes flashing green for half a second.
"Wood Attribute Control Skill: Untainted Flower Petals!".
Up from beneath the earth, an enormous vine, coloured in greenish-white petals emerged from out underneath Elder Vova. Within seconds the the almost forty metre long vine bloomed a radiant colourless white. The puss and blood that escaped from the Monster never once tainted the pure, white innocent of any of these flower petals.
They swerved, sliced and severed flesh from bone, causing waves upon waves of blood and pus to come leaking out, flooding the fields around the Village with its tainted Madness.
Elder Zarek noticed the birth and creation of these Monsters and monstrosities born from its bodily fluids, and slammed his hands down on the earth, creating a deep ravine within seconds. The spreading corruption that was born from this Monster fell down into this hundred metre abyss, before Elder Velika and Elder Sagan summoned lightning bolts from above, letting thunder and lightning rain down on the newly birthed monstrosities down below.
The power of Rank 3 Fae Masters were fully revealed to everyone. It was hard last time, considering they were all fighting or hiding from stray spirit beasts, but against this one target, that could grow and propagate itself over and over again, the Elders were the only ones who could fight it without having to worry about their own safety.
Arthur, from the rooftop of a nearby house, clutched his shoulder with his hand, letting a faint green radiance heal it, albeit slowly.
If he was fighting just about anything else, he would rain down Waning Silver Moons down from above, using his intent to twist the direction of the Attribute Control Skill to never miss his target.
But considering he was the target of this monstrosity, he didn't want to attract any attention to himself.
He watched on silently, as Elder Vova flourished his wrist, commanding his storm of innocent white petals to sweep over the figure of the enormous Monster, causing damage that would be fatal to just about any other spirit beast, spirit plant or Myriad Race member.
Monsters were born with the best parts of every other existence within the Thirty Three Heavens. They were born from Madness, which naturally possessed no structure or form. They only used what was best available to them, in order to craft a physical construct which they could use to interact with the World around them.
They didn't exist within the Thirty Three Heavens, but rather the empty space between them. An endless Madness, where the only way up was to go down. And where the only way to leave was to adopt the Laws and conventions of the Dao.
In a way.... they were similar to Foreigners. Which made them the easiest conduits to enter the Thirty Three Heavens with.
Of course, Arthur had yet to realize that fact.
Watching Elder Vova raise his arm above his head, The numerous flower petals gathered, forming the image of a sword, one illuminating the world, riding it of any vile contamination.
The "Untainted" of the Untainted Flower Petals wasn't just for show. It was something that couldn't be affected by anything other than itself. Considering that it was a Wood Attribute Control Skill, it could cut through anything other than the Wood Attribute. It couldn't cut through itself after all....
Swinging his arm down violently, Elder Vova, and all the other Fae Masters and Elders watched on as the glorious white coloured sword moved alongside Elder Vova's movements. It swung down beautifully, colliding with the top of the Monsters head, causing a melodic sound to echo throughout the Village.
Elder Vova's face paled instantly, as the white coloured sword unravelled unto itself, causing the old Rank 3 Fae Master to vomit up blood.
The top of the Monsters head, sprouted the tiniest, most minute flowers ever to be seen by Arthur. It possessed tiny, green coloured petals, reminiscent of a flower that had yet to bloom.
Yet... by sensing it with his attainment in Wood Laws, Arthur could tell just how much wood-type spiritual essence this thing was giving off.
If it was somehow converted, or compared to the Rank 2 Origin Essence Liquid Pond beneath the Village, it would at least be Rank 6, perhaps even a Rank 7 Immortal Origin Essence Liquid Pond.
It was absurd just how much spiritual essence physical existences exposed to Madness was to Arthur. Just a tiny little flower like that, no bigger than a human hand, was akin to a Immortal Fae material.
The seventeen year old closed his eyes for a second, ignoring the screams and shouts of the other Elders as they tried to save the falling Elder Vova. His mind becoming clear, as a certain level of understanding suddenly unravelled itself within Arthur's mind.
Even though the image of "that" thing that hid within Randolf's body still caused shivers to creep up Arthur's spine, he had understood what was happening within Randolf.
"The reason why Randolf of all people was chosen to be possessed by Madness was because he was a Foreigner. However, even facing something on the same level as a Fae Immortal, he can still retain his sanity and his Thoughts despite the growing corruption. The thing that keeps Randolf tethered must be the Foreign Treasure within him.....".
Arthur slapped his head, cursing himself internally.
'Why the fuck didn't I think of that earlier!? The reason why his Foreign Treasure isn't hidden anywhere in the Village or the Village surroundings is because it has been within Randolf all this fucking time! I don't know what it is, but it allows him to keep himself.... existing despite constantly being corrupted by the Madness.
'Once he completely vanishes, the Madness within him will be able to use the Foreign Treasure for itself, and use its powers to keep itself afloat in this World! How the "Madness" connects itself from whether "that" came from to Randolf is inconsequential right now! All I need to do, is take that damn Foreign Treasure away from it before Randolf is completely devoured!'.
Foreign Treasures didn't have any similarities in shape or usage, only in the fact that it was usually some sort of metal, or at the very least, was made from mostly metal. Since it was small enough to hide within Randolf's body before he had turned into a flesh mountain, it would be even harder to find it within his current physical state.
Except....
"When Randolf was still in control of his body earlier, only his head remained unaffected by the Madness within him....".
Arthur bit his lip. There were way to many variables which he hadn't yet fully understood, and yet, his heart was beating a thousand miles per hour.
Not out of fear, not out of hatred, not out or rage or despair or any emotion in particular....
Stretching his shoulder, Arthur ignored the tangs of pain coming from his upper body. He didn't have the Rank 2 Halberd Fae anymore, but he had the next best thing after it.
In one hand, his leafsword appeared, glowing a faint crimson as it pulsated with the combined powers of Wood Laws and origin essence. And in the other hand, a long, green coloured spear appeared. The tip was separated into two distinct points, appearing closet to a two-pronged fork more than anything else.
It was a type of variant weapon Fae. Rank 2 Wood Piercing Bident.
It's piercing power was much stronger than a normal Halberd Fae, although it lacked the heaviness that Arthur liked in polearms.
But.... it was a much better complimentary Fae for his Attribute Control Skill, than the Halberd Fae.
Leaping off the roof, Arthur jumped towards Elder Vova and the Monster, his expression somewhat happy, an indication of his desire to fight more than anything else.
One of the strongest Desires that Humanity possessed, was their desire for war and conflict.
Their desire, to fight.