Asura's eyes narrowed as the blood-red light trailed through the air, adding an air of devilish danger to his atmosphere. He twisted his wrist, allowing the long shaft to twirl continuously, keeping momentum building as the wolves moved closer.
'Come on. I am waiting for you to attack me.'
He began to breathe slowly, the cool armour and mask helping him manage his breathing and mood due to the cooling temperature and how easily his Anima flowed wearing it.
'Form a small core of power.'
'Imagine the centre of the world a solid ball of pure mana and Anima merged, burning hotter than the burning sun.'
The words of Brian were slow, clear and concise as he explained everything.
Asura stepped forward as the Anima that formed a red and blue ball in his body began to swirl inside each of his organs, slowly merging both elements.
'That's right...! I am not just fire, but the gentle and deadly ice Mu Xue gave me.'
[Oh?]
Brian's voice sounded in Asura's mind as he could see the changes using the black monolith's information board, something that Asura had forgotten about.
This was something that the hologram would have spoken about, but as the blue and red Anima and mana began to dance inside his flesh, bones, muscles and organs, he remained quiet. Asura seemed to be natural like Brian imagined.
Except one thing...
Asura had no sense of what a core felt like due to his birth, and the two orbs began to orbit his heart, releasing and merging the huge amount of energy and power melding with it.
"Grrr!"
"Arrr!"
The wolves inched closer, their bodies low as sharp grey fur rustled along the ground and bushes before they locked onto Asura completely.
The moment Asura saw them lock on, he smiled beneath his mask.
"Now come."
He whispered gently as the wolves attacked, the leader, the largest and most powerful wolf, launching itself first.
A tight feeling was forming in Asura's chest as the changes began to happen; only a psychopath might turn their own heart into a core for their entire body, but his plan was different and beyond Brian's thoughts.
Asura only had his brain before, and hearing what a core did. He chose the heart for specific reasons!
The reason was simple!
His heart pumped blood around his body! The strongest muscle in his body other than his brain!
If he turned his brain into a core, it would be too risky, and there was no way for it to connect to all other organs in his body or his bones, flesh and skin! Even his hair could be affected by the heart being his core.
'Let's pray that my choice isn't suicidal!'
*Woosh*
Asura thrust Lumeris Nova towards the wolf, the long blade on its red body cleaving through the wind.
"Grrrr!!"
The wolf leapt back, dodging the strike as the rest charged forward, but Asura didn't stop moving Lumeris Nova, which continued to spin like a helicopter propeller, slicing through the air.
Asura's movements were smooth and precise as he spun the lance around his body, the wolves unable to get close without risking injury as the scarlet blade carved through the air.
"Grr!"
One wolf attempted to jump over Asura's spinning defence, but he raised Lumeris Nova above his head, blocking the wolf as the blade cut deeply into the grey fur, the wolf crashing down to the floor after jumping over him.
Blood sprayed into the air as the wolf rolled across the grassy area, struggling to stand up due to the pain caused by Lumeris Nova and the force behind Asura's counterattack.
The other wolves paused, giving Asura time to twist his lance and change the direction of his attacks, thrusting outwards as the wolf that jumped at him earlier struggled to stand up.
"Grrr!!"
The wolf screeched in pain as Lumeris Nova pierced through its skull, killing it instantly before Asura pulled the weapon free; blood dripping from the wound was devoured and absorbed by the scarlet blade as the black flames grew brighter.
A surge of strange mana was swallowed into Asura as he felt that sensation of ecstasy, like when fighting bandits or kissing Mu Xue. The mana quickly merged with his heart, now a strange crystal-like texture with half crimson red and the other half ice blue.
'Good! My theory works! Now...what's next?'
He leaned back, feeling that the air was strange, a green blade of wind tearing through the sky and trees past his face, dodging only a few centimetres as the largest wolf opened its mouth wide with green magic particles leaking from its snout.
[Until your core is complete, slowly gather energy inside. Remember, you can never reforge a core.]
[Your talent will decide the shape, size and limit!]
"Mu Xue... can I ask a big... Big favour?"
Asura stepped back, lightening his stance, hopping more fluidly than before, as he spoke to Mu Xue, who opened her eyes wide, wondering what he wanted.
"What's wrong? Do you need help? Is there an issue with the suit?"
He twirled to the side, dodging two wind blades fired from the wolf as he countered, swinging Lumeris Nova as the wind blades passed his body, cutting the leaves on some nearby trees and causing them to fall.
"No... Mu Xue... I need you to collect as many wolves and monsters of this level or even slightly higher and make them attack me in groups!"
"Now?"
Asura darted forward, his body narrow and leaning forward as his lance pierced forward, aiming towards the wolf leader.
It was faster than Asura expected, but his eyes were better seeing the wolf intend to move to the right; looking at his muscles' tensing movements, Asura lunged for the rear wolves instead.
The wolf leader snarled, watching Asura move away and attack the smaller wolves, causing it to become enraged. Its fur stood up as green magic particles leaked from its body, forming a whirlpool around the creature.
"GRRR!!"
⟪Devour Arts⟫
—Blood Reaper
A black wave of energy erupted from Asura's spare hand as his lance penetrated the heart of the small wolf, instantly sucking it dry of all mana, allowing it to start swirling around his body like a giant cyclone, slowly building momentum.
He grasped his hand tight as the vampiric grasp spread out, grabbed all the smaller wolves, and missed the leader.
"Please, now! I need a constant supply of enemies! I will reward you with anything you desire! This is truly my most important moment!"
[Mu Xue POV]
Asura asked for my help!
Mu Xue paused, listening to Asura's desperate tone as she realised he was serious. Her eyes widened as she nodded, disappearing from the branch like a ghost and appearing near a group of wolves a few kilometres away.
Her fingers glowed with shimmering ice before the small shards penetrated the bodies of the wolves, causing them to howl and rush after her.
She didn't stop.
Instead, her icy blue eyes filled with magic particles were searching for more and more monsters until she managed to create a mini stampede following her.
Over two hundred monsters, all between stages one and two.
Mu Xue used her excellent control of ice magic, slowly turning it into iced strands that pulled the monsters along. For those who fought back, she penetrated their non-lethal parts with ice lances, increasing their hatred.
"I will do anything for Asura. No matter how depraved or sinister!"
Her face was filled with a smile as she carried the baby of a Gram Bear, a rare and deadly monster that only spawned in the forest once a decade.
When she returned, Asura was standing on the wolf leader's head with his black sabatons; the red glow of his eyes was now bright like a crimson torch. She watched with dazzled eyes as his leg slammed down, and he crushed the skull under his foot.
The armour was stained red with the splash of blood, followed by a loud crack and bubbling squish that echoed the wolf's death cry.
'Asura... I will do anything for you.'
"To see you rise..."
With that, she sent a group of wolves towards him, their bloodthirsty eyes locked onto the human in black armour bathing in a blue and red glow, with the blood of their race oozing from his body.
"Asura! Next Group!" She chirped at him, locking the other monsters in a frozen cage to stop them from escaping. Her face filled with the smile of a little girl in love.