Path

I felt my intense burgeoning power as a notification appeared. Battle form- All of the host's stats are tripled and all sword intents synergize for greater damage!

"Beast Tide!" I said swung the shadow sword activating magical devour. From my sword tip, flew off a small black dragon that rapidly expanded. It was soon hundreds of meters long, and the vivid features became more apparent.

The dragon opened its mouth, and from it came a black hole of devouring as it flew at Brian intent on devouring him. Then a legendary Kirin, Ouroboros, and Devil all formed accompanying the dragon!

"ARRRRRR." The dragon roared out as the other beasts joined in.

"Essence activate!" Brian yelled out, I saw in his body the mixing of four powers. Ice, Fire, Wind, and even the power of life.

'The essence of Sopulla?!?!' I looked on with extreme greed, such power would be extremely useful for me.

The fire and ice mixed and created a blue flame of freezing and burning quality. The freezing flame mixed with the air, creating a freezing hell of fire that drifts about. Then the surroundings quickly changed becoming the frozen hell, and the hell supplemented Brian's vitality. In my case, though the wind slowly corroded my vitality and even attempted to destroy my beasts.

But I had a dragon of devouring! My beasts consumed the frozen hell as it approached Brian intent on devouring him. I could see Brian's body start to crack, he was fusing too many powers and some that contradicted. He was essentially violating natural law, which even for an Elf with the essence of a god that in itself would just barely be possible, and the price would be an extremely dear one.

"True body transfer," Brian yelled out, at his call an immense fire with a deathly quality flowed into the realm from the outside. The energy signature was familiar it was Dante! The fire flew into his body, as he increased in his regeneration process. The cracks quickly repairing at a faster rate than he could crack!

'Lucas he's a clone, retreat right now!' Drrak warned in an anxious yelling voice

'What?' I said confused as my beast tide collided with Brian. A brilliant flash of lightning, devil qi, shadow force, sword qi, and draconic aura exploded out creating a massive explosion.

The power of fire outclassed all other powers, as it emanated immense power out and cut apart the beast tide. But it came at a significant price, the magical fire dissipated a significant amount. But the fire flew forward as a blast towards me, what remained was still immensely powerful.

'Lucas use you tattoos!' Drrak yelled out

I channeled the embers of my energy and vitality into the curse mark. I could feel the markings expand on my right arm, and from the power, I was able to generate a black flame in my palm.

"Curse Flames." I gripped the shadow flames as they burned my fist, and I punched out with my full battle form force! My punch was nearing 3 tons in strength and it collided with the fire beam.

My burning attack was able to slice the fire beam into two divergent beams, but I was still burned on my body and especially my knuckles. I could feel my skin peel off, and the meat on my bones burn off. I wanted to scream out in pain, but I channeled my willpower to resist.

The divergent fire beams missed the statue behind me, but they still affected the environment. The frozen hell created by Brian was easily melted by the power of these flames. I couldn't help but fall to one knee the moment the flames subsided. Around me was nothing but destruction and ash.

In front of me; Brian had collapsed he seemed unable to move. His body seemed a bit transient as if it was about to disappear.

'Drrak, What just happened.' I said as I stood myself up using the void sword. I looked over at my sabers which had fallen; during the battle.

They were cracked and scattered throughout the battlefield. Though they were high-quality swords for level 30 knights. But this fight transcended the realm of a level 30.

'He's a clone of Dante it seems, he had a way of sending him energy in a crisis.' Drrak said in uncertain terms

'A clone; that's possible?' I asked in confusion, I had read literature talking about cloning in anatomy. But it was all theoretical and the church of holy light didn't allow such experiments.

'Yes if you use special essences, and you split your true soul into a proper vessel.' Drrak said as he transmitted to my energy, my body started to recover. The burnt skin, and meet quickly regenerating at a noticeable speed.

'Why must you insist on a fight like that?' Drrak asked almost frustrated.

'I have to keep improving, I need risk, I need to battle, and I need blood.' I said as I walked to Brian

'I needed to cause Dante trouble so that they use my energy source, what if I use Brian to damage Dante's true soul. Then he wouldn't be able to carry out their magic ritual. They'll have to rely on my method and then follow my rhythm.; I explained to Drrak as I looked down at Brian's body

'That could work if you the power of space, and leverage that to track the soul. But that kind of power would require you to breakthrough to level 20 and higher.' Drrak intoned to ruin my parade

'You know how annoying that is going to be.....' I had felt a lack of inspiration for a breakthrough, I had an idea but unlike my last major breakthrough. I was given no direction by a great senior with many experiences on this path.

'Focus on these ruins, they are rather interesting. I didn't know that I had been fully corrupted into astral form at some point.' Drrak said unsurely.

'So what did you figure out from your memories?' I asked as I looked at the statue of Sopulla, she reminded of the Elven beauty in the temple that the First King built. The temple I saw in the ancestral treasury was based on this one. But what was the connection?

'It is as that temple showed, I was here to avenge his highness. It was the gods that killed him, and I came in hopes of fixing that wrong.....But then a powerful archangel fragmented me almost entirely.' I could feel Drrak's pulsing hatred.

'Calm yourself, I can assure you as long as the gods remain at the top. They are destined to become my dogs or die.' I chuckled as I felt my most sinister intentions uninhibited. At the moment I truly felt powerful.

'What of Sopulla is she the Elven god that you spoke of? The one you knew nothing of before?' I asked as I tapped the statue, I had explored a little and learned a bit about her from the inscription. I then laid my trap for the temple and absorbed the shadow force from the Minotaur.

'She is indeed the Elven Goddess, she is the origin of life and wind.' Drrak said hinting at something

'Then Juphine, she isn't the origin of life?' I asked as I remembered what the ice queen said. Mother Juphine the origin of all life.

'Juphine stole that title, but I do not know where the Elven Goddess has gone. There seems to still be traces of her existence such as this temple, and your First king's temple.' Drrak lectured to me

'This is well and good, but I have other things to attend to now. We can further untangle these mysteries later.' I said as I reached my hand out and grabbed Brian skull.

In it I saw a powerful and fiery consciousness, on it, I could see Dante's and Brian's features. This was the true soul of a Grand Mage even I would have reservations about fighting it. Luckily, Brian is isolated from his true body; and he is severely weakened to the point of death.

I released my devilish qi as it infected Brian giving his devil horns that quickly faded away. Inside of Brian the seed of bedevilment's powers rose significantly as it quickly branched throughout Brian. It proceeded to consume his consciousness, which resisted at first but slowly gave up. As the black lotus formed I heard the voice of the Lord of Shadows!

'I am content to watch your arrogance as you embark on your path for now. But if you ever falter I will appear to take your place.' The voice said as it disappeared and the black lotus returned to its unfurling.

"I have chosen my path thanks to you, Brian." I teased as Brian bowed down to me in complete subservience. I couldn't help but start chuckling, and my chuckling got louder and louder. Soon it was cackling, and finally, I was laughing maniacally to the heavens.

This path was so crazy, that it could even kill me. Brian tried it and he almost collapsed from its use and needed power from Dante to even survive it. I would try something even crazier and in exchange gain even more power.