Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

In the early morning hours, the City of Demondeath was bathed in the radiant glow of Labh Salem's three suns.

As the fourth sun began to ascend, anticipation filled the air, infusing the day with renewed energy and endless possibilities.

Nestled within an isolated dimension accessible only through a massive Dimensional Gate, the headquarters of the Kaaysaayan Demon Slayer Corps was placed apart from the city's original structure. This strategic seclusion aimed to safeguard the headquarters from potential demonic entities that might attempt to infiltrate Demondeath.

Eren approached the imposing doors serving as the Dimensional Gate, positioned in the center of a spacious ground. These were only doors that had been erected in the middle of the ground. Lacking a conventional structure to gate-keep, these doors featured intricate runic details and embedded crystals within small array formations.

A gathering of Practitioners awaited, engaged in discussions about the final round of tests conducted by the Kaaysaayan Demon Slayer Corps. There were murmurs that mentioned the aspirants who had failed in the initial rounds. And there were talks about promising candidates who had proved their mettle in the earlier tests.

The outcome of this test would determine which Practitioners would ascend to become official Demon Slayers, supported by the Kaaysaayan empire. Naturally, conversations among the Practitioners revolved around the test.

However, there were also hushed discussions about the recent message posted on Agora by the so-called True Inheritor of the Elder Ichor. Almost all of the candidates had gone through the recent changes in Menaka's Blessing and were aware that a certain someone in the mask had challenged the entire faith-centric society of Labh Salem.

"True Inheritor of the Elder Ichor, huh?" Vasco pondered aloud, his face expressing a mix of confusion and intrigue as he mentally reviewed Eren's message.

Turning to his companion, Horen, he inquired, "Who do you think this guy is, Horen? Seems like a clown to me."

The two men, having formed a bond during the preceding days, had decided to stick together for the final round unless the test dictated otherwise.

Horen, a skilled Body Cultivator, demonstrated proficiency in both broadswords and spears. The Weapon Proficiency in any weapon type came easily to him thanks to his elevated body stats, exceptional reflexes, and sharp senses.

His adeptness with dual weapons allowed him to employ a versatile battle style, keeping adversaries on their toes and unsure of his next move.

Looking to be in his early thirties by mortal standards, Horen stood tall, with a striking handsomeness complemented by his dark complexion, reminiscent of burnished copper. His chiseled face was framed by shoulder-length dark brown hair, presenting a visage sculpted to perfection. Notably, his well-defined muscles and imposing aura added to his overall intimidating presence.

Adorning his chest were abstract tattoos, visible to all as he eschewed any covering for his torso. These runes depicted the intricate details of some of his formidable Skills, ready to be unleashed upon his foes.

Clad in black pants and shoes tailored to enhance his movement-based Skills, Horen sported a necklace crafted from enchanted black beads, a creation possibly influenced by mage-type entities.

Skipping on traditional armor and support-type artifacts, Horen deemed them impractical. His mortal body, akin to an artifact itself, boasted exceptional strength and resilience, rendering additional protection unnecessary. In fact, it would only hinder his speed and reflexes, something that all the body cultivators wished to avoid at all costs.

***

The practitioners known as Body Sculptors, colloquially referred to as Body Cultivators or simply muscle heads, followed a unique Path to Power distinct from their counterparts. Rather than emphasizing the cultivation of mana cores or alternative sources of power, they dedicated themselves entirely to transforming their bodies into formidable weapons.

For Body Cultivators, the ranking of their Mana Cores, if they possessed any, rarely advanced beyond their initial formations. While their mana cores remained at lower ranks, their bodies underwent significant upgrades.

These cultivators' physical forms accumulated mana throughout every fiber, enhancing their resilience to the effects of Skills and physical damage inflicted by adversaries. They didn't even need to employ mana or use Skills to get rid of regular enemies. By using pure physical strength alone, they could tackle a lot of problems heading their way.

Body Cultivators boasted exceptionally robust mana defense layers compared to ordinary Rankers, and their body stats far surpassed those of their counterparts. This elevated physical prowess enabled them to execute remarkable feats relying solely on their bodies.

In some instances, certain Body Cultivators forwent having mana cores altogether. Instead, they utilized alternative mediums, tools, special Tantras, alchemical items, etc., to harness mana. Upon achieving proficiency in their Path, these practitioners could abandon external sources of power, concentrating solely on refining their mortal vessels.

As a result, the Mesh provided specific features tailored for Body Cultivators, allowing them to unlock the full potential of their bodies. For instance, nearly all Body Cultivators possessed varying levels of Blunt Force Resistance, Slash Resistance, and Elemental Mana Resistance. The proficiency of these resistance-type abilities varied among individuals, contingent on their unique practices and Tantras.

Body Cultivators with a high proficiency in the Blunt Force ability remained impervious to harm when facing opponents wielding hammers, fists, or other blunt force weapons. Those with elevated Slash Resistance could withstand attacks from weapons causing slashing wounds, while those with substantial Elemental Mana Resistance became immune to the elemental Skills of their adversaries.

However, it was crucial to acknowledge that Resistance-type abilities for Body Cultivators had their limits. Once the damage surpassed a certain threshold, these protective abilities would break down, rendering the practitioners susceptible to the corresponding damage inflicted by their enemies.

Fortunately, the Mesh provided an efficient means for Body Cultivators to utilize their Resistances. These Resistance-type abilities were quantified with numerical values displayed on the users' Spectral Screens. As long as the damage potential of attacks did not exceed these numerical values, the Resistances would remain active, allowing Body Cultivators to completely ignore their enemies' assaults.

To illustrate, if a Body Cultivator was immune to elemental damage under 100 units, Skills generating 90 units or fewer damage points per second would have no effect on them. Damage would only be inflicted if the damage points exceeded 100 units, a principle applicable to other forms of Resistance- type abilities as well.

Body Cultivators had the option to unlock specialized Resistances using the Mesh, such as poison damage resistance, flame damage resistance, sword damage resistance, and more. Unlike all-encompassing protections, these specific Resistance-type abilities provided immunity against specific types of damage, catering to individual preferences. They came with their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

In evaluating the prowess of Body Cultivators, emphasis wasn't placed on their mana cores but rather on the extent of mana infusion, their bodies underwent. As their bodies absorbed more compatible mana from their chosen Paths, they underwent transformative changes, enabling them to progress in ranks without the need to attend to their mana cores.

Body Cultivators enjoyed a simplified Path to Power in Labh Salem, with less concern for Elemental Attainments and Tantra selection during rank advancement. This streamlined approach contributed to a notable presence of Body Cultivators in Anfang.

Furthermore, the Path to Body Sculpting was often endorsed by certain gods, demons, and even the demonic cults associated with the Demon Prince of Gluttony, Beelzebub. The latter facilitated their followers with the appropriate environments and compatible Tantras, making it one of the easiest Paths to support.

Beelzebub's Skill Tree, in particular, streamlined the growth of demonic Body Cultivators, requiring them to focus primarily on securing the right resources as their food source while the rest was managed by Beelzebub's Skill Tree.

The Body Cultivators, who had just started their journey on their Path to Power and could go toe to toe against the F- Ranked entities, were called Brass Body Cultivators. Those who could deal with E-Ranked entities were called Bronze Body Cultivators.

A Body Cultivator had a Silver Body if they could handle D- Ranked Adept Rankers. They were referred to as Gold Body if they could battle on equal grounds with C-Ranked Expert Rankers.

The B-ranked-level Body Cultivators were referred to as Platinum Body Cultivators while the nomenclature of the Diamond Body was reserved for those who handle an A-ranked opponent in a duel.

The Crimson Body Cultivators would find their match in Sages. Lastly, a Body Cultivator was supposed to have an Iridescent Body if they could handle a single S-Plus-ranked Saints all by themselves.

Still, it was difficult to gauge the true strength of Body Cultivators. For example, a Diamond Body Cultivator with a D- Rank mana core could lose against a Platinum Body Cultivator with an A-Rank mana core because of the difference in the mana core. Similarly, a Silver Body could win against a Gold Body if the former had a very dense amount of mana infused in their bodies thanks to their top-tier Tantra.

In Labh Salem, no one dared to underestimate a Body Cultivator, especially those capable of challenging high-ranked entities.

Viewed as wildcard entries by most organizations, they garnered recognition and stood out in the masses.