Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Skarvenstalkers, often called demon flies in Labh Salem, emerged from exposure to demonic energies.

These grotesque beings, with their monstrous proportions, struck terror into the hearts of all who encountered them. Encased in a robust exoskeleton that gleamed like darkened metal, they appeared as nightmarish amalgamations of insectoid terror.

Individually, most Skarvenstalkers were only as strong as E-Ranked Aces with very few of them being as strong as D-Ranked Adepts. However, these demon flies flew in swarms, blanketing the sky with their presence.

Their metallic exoskeletons, adorned with arcane patterns, were impervious to conventional attacks, rendering the Skarvenstalkers formidable adversaries. The weight of the exoskeletons and their gigantic size would have made the flies unable to fly if it wasn't for the fact that they were using intent-based magic in its purest form.

Razor-sharp fangs protruded menacingly from their mandibles, ready to tear through anything that dared cross their path. Each limb ended in cruel claws, capable of gripping and rending both flesh and armor with ease.

As these demonic flies unfurled their expansive, razor-edged wings, the air around them seemed to shudder. The wings, sharp as blades, cut through the atmosphere with a menacing hum, leaving a trail of ominous echoes in their wake. The agile and swift movements of the Skarvenstalkers made them formidable aerial predators, darting through the shadows with lethal precision.

The sight of these giant demonic flies would instill dread in even the bravest souls. Their presence signaled impending chaos, and the malevolent hum of their wings served as a sinister prelude to the relentless onslaught they would unleash upon those unfortunate enough to cross their path.

The reason why Horen hated dealing with these demon flies was because they were practically impervious to the blunt attacks unleashed by him, thanks to their sturdy exoskeletons. Being a body cultivator, Horen did not have much freedom to deal with the demon flies once his ability to deal physical blunt damage was taken away from him. Plus, they could fly away from him and use various group tactics to counter his battle style.

Much like Horen and his body cultivation skills, Skarvenstalkers also favored attacking without relying on elemental magic. Operating in coordinated packs, they utilized their physical prowess for offense with clever strategies.

As such, Horen's elemental resistances proved practically ineffective against the onslaught of these demon flies. Battling them felt akin to facing numerous miniature versions of himself, proving to be a nuisance due to their persistent buzzing and the challenge they posed in elimination.

No matter how many he defeated, more replaced them incessantly. It was like being trapped in a sprawling forest of large mosquitoes, incessantly biting him, and despite his efforts to swat them away, they kept multiplying.

Moreover, these demon flies didn't relent even when they recognized the strength of their adversaries. Regardless of their understanding that victory was unattainable, they persisted in unrelenting attacks, often pursuing their targets relentlessly for miles on end. The inclusion of "stalker" in their name wasn't without reason.

Therefore, attempting to escape from these airborne nuisances proved futile, especially within the confined test environment crafted by the panel of judges. Eren and his companions had no choice but to focus on eliminating the entire swarm of demon flies before they could catch a much-needed break.

***

The air crackled with tension as the swarm of Skarvenstalkers descended upon Eren, their menacing hum filling the atmosphere.

[Skill: Igni Steps ]

The butcher jumped in the air, meeting the incoming horde head-on. He swiftly activated his [Skill: Fireball], conjuring fiery orbs in his hands. With precise aim, he launched the blazing projectiles at the incoming demon flies, creating small explosions upon impact.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The fiery explosions scattered the swarm momentarily, but more quickly took their place. Unfazed, Eren unleashed his [Skill: Fire Breath], a torrent of flames that swept through the air like a dragon's roar.

'Unbelievable! Is he really a Ranker with such malleable Elemental Attainments? And I thought he was a close combat specialist with mastery in swords. Then how in the hell…'

Vasco thought to himself and produced many questions in his head as he looked at the way Eren executed his Skills.

He had never seen a Ranker with so much in-depth Elemental Attainment in fire-element that he could practically rival him in the said department. This was when he was supposed to have a superior hand in the Elemental Attainment because he was an Elementalist.

'I… I need to focus.'

Vasco snapped out of his state and focused on supporting Eren in his attacks. He aggregated Eren's fire-element attacks using his own Skills, making them have a larger impact area than before while enhancing their damage potential.

Vasco's support made Eren's attacks even more deadly, allowing him to cover the sky with a blanket of orange and red fire that just remained suspended in the air. The demon flies caught in the blaze screeched as their metallic exoskeletons heated up, slowing them down.

Hovering in the air with his [Unique Skill: Windfire Wings], Eren shifted his battle style. The dual swords were replaced by a crossbow. Drawing the string back, he unleashed a volley of [Skill: Fire Arrows], each arrow trailing flames in its wake. The fiery projectiles pierced the wings of the Skarvenstalkers, disrupting their flight patterns.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The arrows cut through the air, creating a symphony of fiery streaks. Eren then employed [Skill: Rain of Fire Arrows], showering the demon flies with a relentless barrage. The sky erupted in flames, causing chaos among the swarm.

With [ Skill: Blue Fire Domain ], Eren changed the Elemental Aspects of some of the Fire Arrows that he had previously shot. These arrows changed their Elemental Aspect mid-flight just before they were about to hit the target. They siphoned the heat from the bodies of the demon flies they pierced and froze them mid-air, forcing them to drop to the ground like a dead weight.

Eren had greater control of the Blue Fire Domain than ever before since he had managed to unlock it as a fire-element Skill in the Mesh. Compared to Enderflames, this Aspect of fire that he had obtained from Becky was certainly relatively less powerful. But it made up for it by being versatile.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Eren activated [Skill: Igni Chains], creating chains of fire that wrapped around the wings of the demon flies. The burning chains restricted their movements, making them easy targets for Horen on the ground.

Eren didn't waste time dealing with the demon flies personally after damaging their wings. He just let them lose their ability to fly so that Horen could deal with them in the most brutal way possible.

The demon flies, now grounded and disoriented, faced the wrath of Horen's devastating attacks. Horen, with his Body Cultivation skills, unleashed powerful strikes, crushing the metallic exoskeletons of the demon flies.

Crack! Smash! Crush!

Horen's attacks echoed through the air as the demon flies met their demise. Descending gracefully with his Windfire Wings, Eren landed beside Horen. Vasco joined them soon as the trio found themselves in the middle of a battleground littered with corpses of Skarvenstalkers and Emberfang Ironwolves– the horde of demon werewolves that they had killed just before the demon flies' arrival.

The trio's foreheads glistened with beads of sweat, weariness etched across their expressions, and their heartbeats pounding erratically. The demanding task had left them too exhausted for words.

As they were on the verge of silently relishing their consecutive triumphs, their attention shifted unanimously in a specific direction, and a shadow of concern clouded their faces.

It appeared they had an uninvited company. However, it wasn't another horde of creatures but a contingent of fellow aspirants engaged in the same test.