Black mana...

As the fight of Yman against the Noble Rat reached the peak, the meeting of the Elites was still ongoing.

After explaining to the Elites about the current situation of the academy, Elder Paan proceeds on discussing the shaded individuals that could be seen displayed in the holographic screens at the end of the clips.

"I'm sure you are wondering who those people on the screen..." the elder stopped then glanced at the Elites one by one. Noticing that all of them had no idea who those people are, she continued by snapping her fingers. After the elder snapped her fingers, the ten shaded in black figures suddenly revealed their real appearances.

The Elites noticed that each of those individuals was wearing academy uniforms of different academies.

They also noticed one specific person wearing an academy uniform from the Middle Region Magic Academy.

She has smart looking-eyes, a small nose, and rosy red lips. Her sky-colored pupils gleamed like the crescent moon reflected on it. And her shoulder-length silver hair was paired with a white headdress embroidered by black. She looks stunning and beautiful.

"That is our own Ice Queen, Miss Ice," said the elder after noticing that the Elite's eyes were focused on a specific person. "She was the top 8 strongest in the last year competition," she added.

"Wow..." one of the Elites muttered in amusement. She was a short girl with short sakura-colored hair. She looks cute with her big round eyes and rosy cheeks. Her figure was of that half-human half raccoon. But no one inside the room dared to belittle her. After all, all of them inside this room all possessed exceptional abilities and wielder of great mana.

"Amazing..." Kesha followed after the little girl.

Almina and the others also had the look of admiration towards the person on the screen.

"So, she is the mysterious Miss Ice," she and the blonde had the same thought at the moment.

Elder Paan proceeded on discussing who those people were and their backgrounds one by one. The Elites learned that those people on the screen were the top 10 strongest individuals in all the academies. Some of them were from the Outerworld and some from here in the Innerworld.

But this ranking was inconsistent, almost every year that new talents bound to rise and took a top spot.

She also explained that the Resource War would be starting early this year, about 3 months from the current date. It will be held in the early days of September.

The elder required the Elites to form a party, a team, group, or squad. This party was essential for the training in preparation for the upcoming Resource War.

She then added the details corresponding to the Resource War and training. And what they needed to do.

After the meeting, Elder Grenn left first the room which was followed by the Elites and their deities. Each of them had their own plans after it, but most of them went to the barracks to acquire their individual mission.

Before Almina could leave the room together with Kesha and their deities, she heard the blonde whisper some words when it passed her.

Inside the underground channel, Yman was staring at the Noble Rat in cold eyes.

On the other hand, the Noble Rat was staring at him like staring at a dying insect.

Yman who was tired and barely able to move had a face contrary to his situation even in the face of danger. Inwardly, he was grinning when his stamina was at 1% left only.

His enemy had some weird abilities. Every attack was deadly. He glanced on the pavement ground and saw some pit on it. Debris of concrete scattered everywhere, because of the Noble Rat's ability which its limbs would be enveloped by powerful mana.

It could even maneuver its body in the air! Which gave Yman difficulty in making a plan to defeat it.

He even was thinking of using the narrow alleyway as the last-ditch, but he disregarded the thought. The enemy was getting wiser as they fought. Yman was afraid that instead of trapping the enemy in that place, the opposite would happen.

He lifted his hand, but because of tiredness, he felt like he was lifting a stone brick, which is his hand.

Sistela's tense annoying voice of warning rang in his ears repeatedly. But he chose to ignore it. Before his stamina reached zero percent, he selected a hibernation option for his deity. Only through this that their battery can recharge.

Suddenly, after choosing hibernation mode, the floating Map suddenly went puff and gone which caused the place to suddenly turn dark and hinder his vision. But why did he do it? Even the brilliance that envelopes his body also fades at the same time.

The annoying tense voice of his deity was also quieted. Sometimes, he wished that his deity was like a computer. Would answer only if he ever asked, because he could not think clearly of a good plan whenever Sistela started to rapid-fire his ears.

But Yman could only sigh at that.

He thought. If only he could fully wield his real ability he was just fine going alone without a deity. But of course, he was doing it because of his Sister.

It was followed by a thud. Yman suddenly felt weak and fell down on his knees onto the ground after the resonance was canceled. After his knees landed on the ground, it followed by his face that smacked hard onto the ground.

He even had no more strength to stay on his ground.

Yman groaned from the pain of having his face hit the hard pavement ground. Right now, he was lying on the ground where his back was facing the ceiling of the underground channel.

The Noble Rat seemed to be puzzled by what happened.

Although the place suddenly turned dark, the Noble Rat was unaffected by it. In its vision, it just likes staring outside in a noontime, as bright as day.

He could even perceive the enemy's chest heaving deeply as sweats trailing on his body. The mask the enemy wore a while ago had long since torn to pieces from its claw. And even the clothes and cloak were in no good condition.

The enemy's action seems like he was giving up.

The Noble rat sneered. And smoke blows from the crevices of its face. It then stepped towards the human enemy to finish it but suddenly stopped on its feet when...

Something's wrong with the human body! It was enveloped by black thingy.

The Noble Rat immediately back stepped. It could feel his life was in danger.

The Noble Rat seemingly made the right decision. After it backstepped, from its supposed position, where it was standing just a moment ago, had now scratched marks of claws.

The Noble Rat stared at the enemy in puzzlement.

Yman's body was enveloped by black mana as he was slowly pushing his body to get up.

The Noble Rat wondered if this person just playing dead a moment ago.

Never did the Noble Rat expected for this human to hide such a card up his sleeves. He was dying just a moment ago, but now, his body had something weird on it.

The current Yman has ears the same as the Noble Rat but it colored like black smoke. His hands have black long nails but the sizes and forms were the same as that of the Noble Rat and his eyes had turned red, but in this state, his vision was unhindered in this dark surroundings. He even has a black tail grown on its back the same as the Noble rat.

He was imitating the Noble Rat. But not the face though.

Actually, not only some of its appearances were imitated by Yman.

He jumped into the air and maneuvered its body like dancing. Then he suddenly dove while swinging its hand that was wrapped by black mana.

Seeing the incoming attack. The Noble Rat scoffed. This attack coming from the human was the same attack he did a moment ago.

The Noble Rat's hand also was enveloped by mana and thrown an attack towards the incoming enemy.

He was the real user of this attack, he could not let anybody to imitate it without paying the price!

Booooooooooom!

When the two shining hands met each other, it was followed by a loud bang that shook the entirety of the underground channel.

Smoke was covering the entire area. But big cracks were visible on the ground and walls.

A minute later, the smoke finally dissipated and the surroundings finally cleared. Yet, only those individuals who could see in the dark were able to have a full picture inside this dark place.

A silhouette was standing in the middle. With the outreached hand pointing towards the wall where a hole in the form of a human-shaped one, where its two hands extended in opposite directions forming a letter 'T', while its legs forming a letter 'Y' invertedly.

And the owner of the silhouette who remained standing on the spot was no other than...

Yman.

In his extended hand, there were two gleaming objects. The other one was the Inner Core of the monster, and the second one was a Magic Cryst! These two objects could of course be sold at great prices! But Yman was more interested in the ability this Magic Cryst holds. He could use it to his armor or weapons to increase his fighting capability.

Actually, he could not use this black mana freely. To use it, he needed some preparations. He was a failed weapon they experimented from before.

In order to activate his black mana, his body must be in an exhausted state! But in good condition where no wounds even a scratch! And in fact, he could not increase his Combat Experience when using this ability. And because Yman had a weak physical body at the moment, he could not handle much longer his black mana and could only use it for a few seconds.

In order for him to use it freely, he needed to break through his body limiter first by using the System Deity and not the built-in system in him. That is why Yman could only eat those taunts about him being weak. He could not reveal such power with so much weakness.

And he was avoiding being discovered by those people who did the experimentation on him.

Although they might not know his real ability, he needed to be extra careful and wary somehow. He could not let himself be discovered before becoming stronger.

So he could only hide this power for now. He could not use it redundantly also. Because the after effect was too awful.

A fucking DIARRHEA!

After he looted the Noble Rat, he quickly left the area. And returned to the hotel where he and his sister stayed. He would sell the materials later. But before he could reach the hotel, he suffered many stops.

And Yman was really as tired as fuck! After all, he exhausted his stamina.

That time before his attack landed on the enemy's own attack, the tail on Yman's back abruptly bound the Noble Rat's arm then he quickly used Air Dance and increased his speed using his channeling talent. With the power of black mana, his channeling could be manipulated without a lag.

Then he shifted his body and landed on the enemy's back. Yman once again used the Hard Strike ability of the Noble Rat at the monster's back.

It resulted in it being thrown on the wall where the Noble Rat was facing. But on its chest area, where it was hit by Hard Strike, a palm-size hole was visible.

The exchange happened in an instant.