D-Damn it.. I can't even reach that thing!
Lilith's continuous barrage of light bolts harmlessly dissipated a few centimeters away from the ape's fur.
In reality, she had long since known that she wouldn't be able to reach the damned monster.
The ape had a thick layer of Avon coating its massive body almost at all times, dispersing all the hostile avon like it had never even existed.
It was a phenomenon that Blessed could recreate once they've reached their second stage of awakening.. but usually, a human's avon skin would only be able to absorb a certain amount before fizzling out of existence..
"Oi! Just focus on protecting those that can't fight anymore, your attacks only serve to annoy it more!"
Fuck!
Knowing that she simply wasn't a good match for this monster, she opted for what Vasil told her, she quickly moved over, standing in front of Yoel, Silenus and Connor.
She seemed kind of wary of Yoel as well, ever since a few minutes ago.. he had been excreting some kind of black mist out of his body, and instead of spilling out it only circled his own body.
Strangely, certain parts of his body had been cloaked more than the rest.
His eyes, his heart, and slightly above his abdomen.
The solar plexus… is this some sort of awakening?
Lilith knew that Enigma cores formed in that specific place. She also knew that when they formed, a formidable boost of power surged within the one awakening.
Maybe.. if Yoel awakened fast enough, they had some chance of getting out of there alive.
"Cole, Loki! Go help out Vasil! He won't be able to hold off that thing alone, now!"
Cole and Loki, who had also been protecting the injured, looked at her with a hint of surprise and confusion, but after a few moments, they nodded and ran forward.
Please, Yoel! Do something!
Lilith prayed to The Ones Above that whatever was happening right now, was something good. She really hoped that Yoel wouldn't turn into some kind of monster, and instead really awakened his core..
It really was weird, however.
Lilith had also experienced an awakening, but hers had been.. way different. She also saw others awakening their own abilities, but she had never seen a phenomenon like Yoel's.
Usually, according to her knowledge, whenever someone is about to awaken as Blessed, white light descends from the skies, as if proclaiming that deities themselves have chosen that person.
But what was happening to Yoel.. was quite different from her experiences.
No matter what element they awakened, that pure white light always descended from the skies.. so why was it different for Yoel's case?
Not only was the white light not descending from above, but also whatever that black mist was, was coming out of his own body.
While theorizing about what kind of phenomenon was happening to Yoel, she failed to notice that the ape was slowly moving closer to her.
And when she realized..
It had been way too late. She turned around and noticed that the ape was nowhere near where she last left it.
She saw Vasil, Loki and Cole all either motionless on the ground or barely standing, with terrible wounds decorating their bodies.
Before she realized it, the ape was standing in front of her.
It looked down on her with a mocking, maniacal smile..
And raised its fists in order to slam down at her.
At that moment, it froze, however.
At the moment it froze, crazed mumbling was heard from behind her.
It gave her.. unexplainable chills.
It took all her willpower to turn her head around, to make sure where the sound was coming from.
Yoel..?
***
As Yoel whispered that to himself, the black mist that had been oozing out of his body, was instantly absorbed by his eyes, heart, and solar plexus.
Yoel slowly rose from his seated position. Ever since he had returned to his actual body, he felt as if his body was being overloaded with extremely potent power..
He also felt something else. He was itching to bring swift revenge to that big ape.
Hah.. that dude seriously wasn't playing around.
As Yoel moved his limbs, he felt a clear difference in his body, he could feel his body much more clearly than before, even being able to precisely control very specific muscles..
'Hurry up now, would you? Do you know how straining this is for me?'
Right.
Yoel, finally looked up and observed the battlefield.
Even his senses had been enhanced, incredibly so.
He could see each and every battle happening right now. He felt as if he could reach each and every single one of them with just a simple flicker of his hand..
But there was something more important that he had to tend to, first.
He shifted his gaze to his companions, who had all been bloodied and beaten by that disgusting ape.
From Silenus, to Connor, to Loki, to Vasil, to Cole.. and finally, to Lilith.
All he could do is look at them awkwardly, and mustered a very awkward smile.
"Live for just a bit longer, alright?"
Without further ado, he looked in front of him.
Words did not need to be spoken, not anymore. He had said what he wanted to.
…
Yoel raised his hand and opened his palm.
And then, the shadows shifted.
Deep shadows, like tainted rays of light shot forward from the forest.
They fit into Yoel's hand, obeying his every command.
As if he had become their king.
[Spear].
And with just a single thought, they took on the shape he desired. Forming a menacing and deadly spear out of pure shadow.
..But that was not the end.
Even after Yoel's spear of shadows manifested, more and more rays of those shadows assaulted from deep within the forest.
Soon enough, barely any shadow remained in the forest.. it looked incredibly unrealistic, otherworldly..
The shadows that had been fully extracted out of the forest, formed into a singular orb in the middle of the battlefield.
[Kill].
The wind grew still, and as it did, each and every single battle going on had been halted..
The shadow orb, which had been squirming as if some horrid abomination was trying to break out, suddenly grew clear and still.
And then, an uncountable amount of weapons, tentacles and chains shot out of it.
Instantly, the fearsome battalion of the gigantic ape had been brought to an abrupt stop.
Each and every monster located near the middle of the field, had its weak spots pierced by the unfathomable shadows.
The shadow orb didn't reach all of the monsters, but it provided such overwhelming support to the teenagers near it that it caused a tidal effect, allowing the teenagers who weren't battling anyone to help their subordinates.
Instantly, the morale of the battlefield shot to the sky.
However, Yoel himself was not smiling.
He still hadn't finished his job.
His muscles strained, his eyes locked on a singular target, almost as if looking through its skin and flesh, pin-pointing its organs, Yoel began to move.
At first, he walked.. and in the next instant, he disappeared from sight.
The strained muscles he was holding up until now unleashed themselves with tremendous strength, unfitting for a skinny boy, of barely 17 years.
The spear flew true through the air, ignoring the wind trying to restrain it.
There was no restraining such force.
With not even a second passing, he had managed to appear in front of the gigantic ape without any trouble.
Even the ape, felt its hair stand on end, as a creature possessing an aura similar to itself had appeared.
The feeling of a predator.
Before he began fighting the ape, Yoel raised his free hand, and chanted within his mind once again.
[Dagger].
Near-instantaneously, shadow tendrils from the shadow orb sank into the ground like slippery ink, and slithered across it until it reached its master.
As per his will, the shadows manifested into a dagger.
Ah, I forgot something.
Looking at the shadow orb, he extended his hand towards it. He didn't move nor do anything until he felt a clear connection to it.
The moment he did..
[Infection].
The shadow orb sank to the ground, almost as if it never existed, just like the shadow tendrils previously.
A tide of shadows reached the rotting corpses of the abominations which it had killed before, and..
Swallowed them whole.
As it did, it coated them in absolute darkness.. and almost instantly, the rotting corpses rose.
Each of them, noticeably different. Now wearing a mantle made of pure darkness, and a faint, black string connecting the necks of each abomination to Yoel's fingers.
After doing so, Yoel looked at the beast that stood in front of him once again.
Immediately, he noticed one thing.
Its expression had contorted to that of.. pure despair.
It seemed that Yoel's display of power had worked.
As the ape stood in stunned silence, unable to lift even a finger to oppose this higher being that had appeared before it, Yoel dashed with all his might.
He brandished his spear and dagger and unleashed a flurry of stabs, slashes, and pierces.
His shadowy spear and dagger passed through its Avon skin without any resistance, as if slicing paper.
And every time he slashed, squirming blackness coated the fur of the ape.
Like a school of eels, it slithered and tainted the ape's body.
Until finally..
The crown of bone on its head broke, and the ape's heart had been absolutely destroyed.
The King of the Jungle had been slain, and by a human, of all things.
Yoel rested his leg on its body and spoke in a tone that did not quite match his age.
"Let it be known, beast. I was your Consequence."
{Prologue End: Awakening.}