"Interesting," the monster rumbled, its multiple voices laced with a newfound respect. "So, you finally decided to show your true colors."

Vell did not respond with words. A low growl rumbled in his throat, a sound more akin to a beast than a man. He moved with a speed that defied the eye, blurring across the distance between them in an instant. His sword, now wreathed in dark energy, slashed through the air, leaving behind trails of black light.

The monster, caught slightly off guard by the sudden shift in power and speed, barely managed to raise its arm in defense. The clash of blade against flesh and bone sent shockwaves through the surrounding forest, uprooting trees and sending debris flying. A deep gash opened on the monster's arm, dark blood oozing out.

It recoiled, its eyes widening in surprise. "You… you can hurt me now?" It looked at its injured arm with a mix of fascination and anger.

"See that, me? That is how you use our power." He looked at the monster with a mocking grin on his face. "I cannot believe you are struggling with something like this… how low you have fallen." He crouched down, ready for another attack, but his body moved on its own, twisting to the side with a cold sweat on his forehead. Just seconds later, the ground where he stood got destroyed, leaving huge claw marks.

"Well, damn, guess it still has some tricks up its sleeve." He sprang back to his feet, the dark energy swirling around him like a shroud. The monster, its initial surprise replaced by a burning rage, roared, the sound echoing through the forest. It slammed its injured arm into the ground, the force of the impact sending tremors through the earth. Cracks spiderwebbed across the forest floor, and chunks of earth were flung into the air.

"That was a good attack, caught me completely off guard, but do not expect to get such a chance again." It vanished from sight, appearing in front of him with a punch wound up. It attacked, but Vell blocked it, though he still got sent sliding back.

He spit up blood. "Dammit, you need to work on your body more. At this rate, we will end up dying by our power instead of the monster." He sent a mana slash toward it, but the attack was easily dodged. He sent more and more, but they were all being evaded as the monster slowly closed the gap.

"Talk is cheap." It lunged, a blur of motion too fast for the eye to follow. Vell countered, the mana around his sword humming as it met the monster's claw. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, throwing up dust and debris. Vell's feet dug into the earth, slowing his forced retreat.

"You are right," he retorted, gritting his teeth against the strain. "But actions speak louder, right?" He let go of the sword and landed a devastating punch to its chin, knocking out a few teeth and sending it into the air. The monster was in a state of shock, it could not believe that such a punch came from a human.

He leaped up after it, appearing just right above it. "What is wrong? Scared?" He kicked it down, causing a massive crater in the ground. He landed, standing over it with a cocky expression. "Is this all you have got?" He taunted, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "I expected more from such a… 'unique' specimen."

The monster, enraged and humiliated, roared, a sound that shook the very foundations of the forest. Its form began to shift, the mana around it intensifying, swirling like a violent storm. Its muscles bulged, its bones creaked and shifted, and its features became more bestial, more monstrous. Spikes erupted from its back, its claws elongated into razor-sharp talons, and its eyes glowed with an infernal red light.

"This is no longer fun. A toy that hurts its owner should be destroyed and thrown away."

Vell, sensing the drastic change in the monster's power, felt a thrill of excitement mixed with a sliver of apprehension. "Now this is more like it!" he exclaimed, his own mana flaring brighter. He knew this was no longer a mere skirmish, this was a fight for survival.

It charged, and he met the attack head-on, their clash sending shockwaves through the surrounding area. The ground beneath them cracked and crumbled, trees were uprooted, and the air filled with the sound of tearing flesh and shattering bone. The monster was stronger, faster, more ferocious than before. Its attacks were relentless, each blow carrying the force of a battering ram. Vell, despite his new power-up, was forced onto the defensive, barely managing to parry and dodge the onslaught.

"Ugh, this might be bad." He was taking more blows than he wanted, his body would not last much longer.

Suddenly, a wave of red mana erupted from its mouth, engulfing him in a vortex of power. The force of the blast sent him flying backward, crashing into a massive tree. The impact shattered the tree trunk, sending splinters of wood flying in all directions.

He slumped to the ground, dazed and disoriented. "Well, shit, looks like I lost this one." He gave up, accepting the loss.

'Tch, how disappointing. I think I have seen enough.' The real Vell's voice echoed in his head. He knew the real one was there. 'So my performance was that bad, huh?' He smiled, closing his eyes.

'You have the power but lack the creativity to use it. Come to your master and let me show you how it is done.'

'Hmph, very well, I hope you can back those words up.'

The real Vell took back control, shot to his feet, and wasted no time. He used Shadow Flicker and appeared right above the monster, ready to attack. It sensed him. "Useless!" It tried to grab him, but he vanished again, this time appearing right under its nose.

"Monsters are still just monsters." He used Resonance, using Wren's claw skill, fused with his mana to land a deep cut in its abdomen. It jumped back in pain, clenching its wound while Vell was eyeing it like prey.

"That is how you fight."

He licked his lips, the look in his eyes sent chills down the monster's spiky spine.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.