"There are some abilities, or skills in Winter's case, that don't consume mana in their use," Ultima explained to himself. "For example, the 'commander's touch,' and 'shadow preservation'-" it continued- "Shadow Soldiers have already been preserved, so mana isn't necessary to summon them," Ultima reasoned, "But when they're destroyed, mana is required to regenerated their hp and rebuild themselves. Once mana is depleted, they are no longer capable of regeneration and return into Winter's shadow- '' it explained- "With it being so important to increase his intelligence stat, he can have increasingly more soldiers and mana. However, the strength these demons possess is often equal to or slightly weaker than the Shadow Soldiers," Ultima thought, "If Baran's abilities are how I think they are, summoning them again or even summoning more should be taking a toll on his reserves no matter how large they are!" It reasoned. Baran charged another beam attack, and blasted it at Winter. Leaping to the right, he rushed to close the distance between himself and the demon king. "Regenerating the strongest of my soldiers will take more mana from me, but I'm still unsure if I can fight this alone!" Winter thought, "I have to win this battle quickly!" he added as his strongest soldiers formed around him. Iron swung his battleaxe at Baran, but the demon king met the attack with his fist. Clashing with nearly equivalent strength, pushing Iron back. Baran readied the sword, but Igris met his and blocked it from attacking Iron. The demon king began building up another beam attack, but Ez forced her fist into Baran's jaw. Forcing his mouth shut, Ez stabbed her spear into the demon king. Baruka cuts through Baran's gray skin, speeding through his allies. Baran jabs Iron in the face, launching him back several yards, kicks Ez and launches her back as well. The demon king slams his fist into Igris' guard, pushing him back as he slides along the ground. Finally, Baran brought down his sword on Baruka's head. Finding themselves in a clash, Winter comes from the side.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Vital Strike] Has Been [Enabled]!"}>It rang<~
With immense speed, precise and hasty cuts are driven into Baran's body. He stumbles back, facing Winter, and reaches out his hand. The demon king grabs Winter by the head and attempts to cut him with the great long sword. It sped toward him, with immense magical energy building up along the edge as it traveled through the air. With only a foot left, Hellraiser blocks the attack with his halberd. Pushing it down to the ground and striking Baran with the butt-end of the staff, and with a flinch, the demon king dropped Winter. Without letting this free attack go to waste, Winter stabs both of his daggers into Baran's chest. Hellraiser kicked the demon king's wrist, forcing Baran to drop his sword. Baruka and Ez combined their strength, slamming their fists into the demon king and launching him back, while Baruka got some cuts at the demon king's arm. Skidding back against the ground, Baran dug his feet into the ground. With a mighty roar, an explosion of mana and cursed energy erupted from him. Launching everyone back to a reasonable distance for him to recover. Consuming him in a light of lightning, Baran covered himself in magical armor. He opened both hands, summoning two large black daggers with brown hilts and red blade guards that resemble a demon's mouth. Winter gripped his daggers tightly. The Left dagger had more pointed edges than the right, but both had the similar curved and pointed edge to them. While Baran's daggers were round at the edge and their edges glowed blood-red, with the blade itself having a strange shadow-like flow to them. Winter raised his daggers, his eyes glowing blood-red as lunar-black energy covered his face, forming a mask with the white cursed energy.
At once, they explosively launched themselves at each other. Clashing daggers with sparks coming off their blades. Baran pulled his right dagger back, and attempted to make precise and hasty attacks on Winter. With frightening precision, Winter narrowly avoided each attack, speeding between the blood-red and black after images of the demon king's right dagger. Making counter-attacks, Winter attempted to make a right hook on Baran. Raising his left dagger, he blocked the first attack but was too slow to notice the second attack that cut through the skin of his cut, narrowly unable to pierce his tense muscles. In the next moment, they exploded into a repeated clash of dagger edges that lit up the battlefield with sparks from the clashing weapons. Making hundreds of attacks each, they were equally matched. Holding their guards on equal ground, but Baran decided that was nonsense, building an electrical blast in his mouth. "From this distance?! You bastard!" Winter yelled, before he watched the torrent of electricity rush in his direction. He blocked with both forearms, resulting in an explosion of massive destruction. Leaving the earth eviscerated and displaced, and the demon king watched the dust settle in amusement. Winter stood among the dust and smoke, with smoke rising from not only his forearms but his body. The demon king tilted his head, "You're lucky you know how to protect yourself with mana and cursed energy!" Ultima commented, "Yes! We are," Winter replied.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Transformation] Has Been [Enabled]!"}>It rang as blood-red and lunar-black energy gathered around Winter<~
The white cursed energy spread through his body, following the energies while creating a layer of defense and offense. His body bulks up, ripping his shirt apart. Claws from on his hands and feet, his shoes broken by his growing, strangely clawed feet. Horns formed the side of his head, going out and up at an angle. They were sharp and unnaturally sword-like. They gripped the daggers tightly, with the additional layer of protection with his Gauntlets and scaly skin. "We really need to get used to this!" they thought, as powerful rage pulsated through their body. His eyes didn't pulsate as much as it did previously, and the pain crept out from his eyes slower than before.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Achieved] [Novice Transformation: Numen Homicidia]!"}>It rang<~
Baran came rushing in, swiping both daggers at Winter in a scissor formation. They lunged their body in, cutting at the demon kings' arms. Baran knees Winter in the stomach, launching him back and dropping the daggers to the ground. "My daggers!" They thought before being distracted by another attack. Winter grabs his wrists, their strength seemingly equally matched. Winter's arms bend as Baran pushes with his full weight against them, "Fuck! His strength is unbelievable!" They added in thought. Both struggling to overcome the other in pure strength, Baran opens his mouth and electricity begins to gather in front of his face. "Again?! Does this bastard have infinite mana?!" They yelled, "Follow my lead!" Ultima suggested, and Winter lets him take control. Blood-red and lunar-black energy began to build up around their sword-like horns, and they leaned their head forward, stabbing Baran in the eye with his horn. The demon king's flinches, leaning back as a torrent of electricity flew up into the sky. They launch a right hook into Baran's torso, striking him with an eruption of cursed energy following close behind. Stumbling back, the demon king attacks with his daggers again. They lunged in, avoiding the daggers as they launched a jab into Baran's face. The demon king roars, launching Winter and the daggers just behind Baran back. Digging in their claws into the ground, they slid across the ground. The demon king builds up another beam of torrent electricity, and in response Winter and Ultima condense blood-red and lunar-black energy between their horns. Both blast torrent energies of their respective kind. Both beams clash in the middle, entering a struggle. With a mighty, blood chilling, and deafeningly loud roar, the powerfully torrents of blood-red and lunar-black energy began to overcome the torrent of electricity. Baruak comes from behind, snatching Winter's daggers before quickly leaving, just as each beam turns into a death spiral. Spinning patterns of cyan, blood-red, and lunar-black energy cycles through a flow of wave-like energy reaching up into the sky before erupting into a near nuclear-like explosion.
Launched back, Baran's daggers land in the ground. His body contorted back against its will from the shear force of the explosion. "Now's our chance!" They broke through the explosion's base, speeding towards Baran with sound breaking speeds. "I'll use everything I've got!" They roared.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Commander's Touch, Speed, Great Ultima's Rage, And Spirit Cleave]. The [Skill: Spirit Cleave] Cleaves Forward in a [Massive Arc], Dealing a Portion of The [target]'s [Max Health]. After [Successfully] Hitting an [Enemy], The [Player] Gains a [Temporary Shield]. The [Shield]'s Power [Increases] by The [Number of Enemies] Struck,"}>it rang<~
Baran launches attacks of his own with his fists with explosive verocity. Bringing them both up and down on Winter's head, but the demon king could only barely strike Winter's after images. "Enough!" They grab both of the demon king's arms. Twisting and ripping them off as blood poured onto the ground, "It's time for this to end!" They roared, swinging their fist in a massive arc into Baran's jaw with all of their physical and spiritual might. With a shock wave of blood-red, lunar-black, and aquamarine, the demon king's head was launched up with immense force. Their first carried with it for a moment before Baran's head suddenly exploded into a misty cloud of demon blood and mana. Baran's hair flew up into the sky following the erupting flow of Winter and Ultima's attack that passed through the misty cloud. The body contorted and leaned up and back before the corpse fell to the ground.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Slain] The [Demon King, Baran],"}>it rang<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Leveled up] {x2}!"}>It rang<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Obtained [Demon King, Baran]'s Soul. [Quest: Slay The Demon King] Has Been [Completed]!"}>It rang<~
They Fall to the ground, exhausted, as their transformation metals away. The Shadow Soldiers get to work, gathering valuables and storing them away in backpacks. "Now we know where we stand," Ultima began, "Where is that?" Winter asks, "We transcend demons, and they're multidimensional," It explained. Winter laughs, "What else is out there?" He asks, "Too much to count," Ultima replied. "Do you think We'll exceed them all?" Winter asks, "Hard to tell, kid! Just take it one level at a time," it laughed. Winter turns to see the corpse of Baran beginning to decompose rapidly, "What's going on there?" He asks, "All Monarchs transform their vessels into their liking by composing their enslaved bodies of mana. So when they die, their bodies break down into pure mana," Ultima explained. "So I can't raise them?" Winter asks, "No, they have no physical body. Nor do they really have a shadow at times," It continued. Winter nods, "When will be your next lesson?" he asks, standing up. "Depends on when we get home," it replied. "Alright, I'll make this quick," he chuckled. Stepping toward the corpse, Winter collected his rewards.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Obtained The Following [Item(s): Demon King's Ring, Demon King's Long Sword, Demon King's Daggers, Baran's Horn, And Purified Blood of The Demon King],"}>it rang<~
~>System<{" The [Item: Demon King's Daggers], [Rank: S], [Type: Daggers], [Attack: +220]. The Demon King's Daggers. [Effect: Two as One] Both Daggers Receive Bonus [Attack: 50%] Based on [x2] The [Strength State] When Both Daggers Are Used at Once,"}>it displayed<~
"The ring finishes the set," Winter thought, sliding it on.
~>System<{" [Item: Demon King's Ring], [Rank: S], [Type: Accessory]. Additional [+20 Sense] And [Intelligence]. [Set Effect] Will be [Activated] When [Item: Demon King's Ring] is Worn With [Demon King's Earring] And [Demon King's Necklace]! [Set Effect 1: +5 All Stats], [Set Effect 2: Additional +10 All Stats],"}>it displayed<~
"These are more important," he added looking at the quest rewards, "Accept rewards!" He commanded.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Received: +30 Stat Points, [Title: Demon Slayer], [Rune Stone: Shadow Exchange], And [Rune Stone: Soul Unbound]]!"}>It rang<~
"Perfect," he smiled. Breaking the rune stones.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Obtained [Skill: Shadow Exchange], [Level: 1]. [Type: Job Specific Skill], [Cost: no Mana Required]. The [Player] May Swap Places With a [Selected: Shadow Soldier]. [Cooldown: 03h:00m:00s],"}>it displayed<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Obtained [Skill: Soul Unbound], [Level 1]. [Type: Technique], [Cost: 50 Cursed Energy]. The [Player] Enters Their [Spirit Form], Gaining [Movement Speed] When Leaving Their [Physical Body] Behind, And Surrounded by a Dense [Barrier] of [Cursed Energy]. When The [Skill: Soul Unbound] Expires After [5 Seconds] The [Player] Snaps Back Into Their Physical Body And Deal a [Percentage] of All [Damage] The [Player] Dealt While in [Spirit Form],"}>it displayed<~
"Awesome! I can go in for attacks without worrying how I'll get out, and I can swap places with a shadow soldier no matter where they are!" Winter celebrates. Iron drags the white wyvern behind him up to Winter. "Ahh, thank you, Iron. I would have forgotten if it wasn't for you," he smiles. "Arise!" Winter commands as shadows underneath the wyvern gather and condense with the pool of bloody mana. The shadows rise, rebuilding the body of the wyvern. "I can't turn Baran into a shadow soldier, but it seems like I can with you," Winter watched the wyvern stand up, spreading their wings out with a mighty roar.
~>System<{" [Shadow Soldier: Unnamed], [Rank: Elite Infantry]."}>it displayed<~
"Hm! What to name you," Winter began. "How about, Kaisel!" He decided, with joy, Kaisel roared again, flapping his wings. "He sure likes it," Winter laughs, "Now for the 'Purified Blood of the Demon King.' What can I do with you?" He asks, looking down at the item in his hand.
~>System<{" [Item: Purified Blood of The Demon King], [Rank: S], [Type: Material]. This Liquid is Made From The Purified Blood of The Demon King, Containing Powerful Magic. Although Purified, Poisonous Substances Still Remain. In Order to Use [Item: Purified Blood of The Demon King] Effectively, The [Player] Must Use [Item: Fragment of The World Tree] And The [Item: Spring Water From The Forest of Echoes] to Neutralize The Poisons."}>it displayed<~
"Hm," he thought. Watching a crafting pop up displays a circle with the three items previously mentioned along the boundary of the circle, and the crafted item holy water of life, in the middle of the circle. "Might as well, Craft," Winter commanded.
~>System<{" The [Crafting: Holy Water of Life] is in [Progress]!"}>It rang as a progress bar displayed over the crafting circle<~
~>System<{" The Probability of [Success] And The [Number of Items] Crafted Will [Depend] on The [Player]'s [Intelligence Points],"}>it displayed<~
The seconds left on the craft began counting down, "If I knew that it depends on my intelligence stat, I would have invested more points into it," Winter commented. "Are you talking about the level of skill required for crafting? My liege, I am sure you have the skill required to achieve what you deserve-" Ez explained, coming up to him on his right- "Thanks," he turned to face her briefly.
~>System<{" The [Item: Holy Water of Life] Has Been [Successfully] Crafted!"}>It rang<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Obtained [Item: Holy Water of Life] {x6},"}>it rang again<~
"Perfect! Oh, and I have six!" Winter smiled, "Huh? Some of the demon king's blood was used up, and a bit of the world tree fragment was chipped away-" he began- "The spring water is gone through," Winter thought. "Probably because the item you crafted only required that much to make, so you could probably use the other items for something else," Ultima reasoned. "Very well," he shrugged, summoning the holy water of life to his hand, "So this is it?" Winter asks.
~>System<{" [Item: Holy Water of Life], [Rank: S], [Type: Consumable]. A [Mysterious Potion] That Uses [Powerful Magic] to [Cure] All [Illnesses]. The Entire [Bottle] Must be [Consumed] For The [Full Effect],"}>it displayed over the item in his hand<~
"All illnesses? That should come in use," he thought. "Oh well, I should probably be getting home. Return!" Winter commanded. All the Shadow Soldiers summoned return to his shadow. "Good thing I left a soldier at the EWR tower. They're pretty weak, so I won't feel bad swapping places with them," he reasoned.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Shadow Exchange] Has Been [Activated],"}>it rang<~
Below Winter's feet, his shadow opened up and with four shadow-like pedals came up and over Winter, closing on him after shadows drew up onto his body, latching onto him tightly. Winds of cold air and dark energy rushed out from underneath before the shadow-like, flower bulb twisted down into the portal it created. It rose up into Winter's office, blooming as the portal underneath his feet closed. "I'm back," he thought. "It worked as it explained, but I have a feeling it's hiding something from me," Winter added, looking at the description of the skill. He stepped out toward the balcony of his office, "Kaisel!" Winter commanded, leaping off the EWR tower. Kaisel formed underneath his feet, and took flight. Soaring through the city, it quickly rose up into the sky.
Mr. Sears and Agent River were up late into the night, going through the data that Simón assured existed from the satellites in space. "This video was sent from the President, it was taken by the satellites that were placed in space by EWR and government efforts for planetary research in the years after our settlement. They're capable of not only detecting mana, but reading other forms of light and mana waves," Agent River explains, "Documentation of the first, second and third search and destroy missions, huh?" Mr. Sears asks, "Just as Simón assured us, it looks like all the ants do leave their tunnels and queen with her guards," he added. "The fact that the ants changed in appearance must be proof that they're evolving with each new generation-" Mr. Sears thought- "Each generation probably lasts a year, since that's their lifespan," he added. "I only worry about the ants guarding the queen, but there are always a few beasts guarding the boss in any high-ranking dungeon," Mr. Sears reasoned in his mind, "Once the ants learn their queen is in danger, what are the chances of them returning to the tunnels before we get the job done?" He asks, "The strike squad could possibly die, but that won't happen. Mr. President informed me that they have developed jammers that can influence mana receptors in magical beings," Agent River replied, "Jamming signals?" Mr. Sears asks for clarification, "Yes, the ants can communicate with each other using special mana wave frequencies, Using something similar to a radio signal to interrupt and block theirs should confuse them," he continued. "Good, now we only have to worry about the queen and her guards," Mr. Sears sighed.
Suddenly, a wave of mana rushes through the room, and Mr. Sears flinches. Looking out from where it came from. Seeing only the EWR tower. "Mr. Sears, What's the matter?" Agent River asks, "Just now! I felt a wave of dense mana," he explained, "It was from a distance, but it was still quite strong. What's happening?" He thought, shaking his head, "Have you been able to get in touch with Mr. Greats?" Mr. Sears asks, "I've been trying my best, sir," Agent River replied. Outside the MDA building, the streetlamps illuminated some streets and sidewalks. Several tents were pitched up in the MDA parking lot, "Did you feel that too?" Erik asked, sat at a table with plated food on top, "Yep, just because I'm retired doesn't mean I've lost my touch you know!" Michel replied, holding a shot glass in one hand. "What do you think it was?" Erik asks, "Probably Aaron and Macey fighting it out about schedules," Michel shrugged. "I have a feeling it's not that," Erik sighed, "Relax. Here, how about you have another glass?" Michel asks, pouring some alcohol into Erik's small glass. "Oh wow, alright. Thank you. How thoughtful," Erik jokes. "Come on. Loosen up a bit, bro-" Michel laughed- "You'll get wrinkles from scowling all the damn time," he joked back.