The Escape

The pain intensified over time, encompassing not only physical anguish but also the relentless onslaught of memories, each one a wave crashing upon his mind.

His bones creaked, aching with impurities seeping from his torn skin, mingling with his blood.

"Damn it," he exclaimed, realizing the barrier of darkness was faltering under the assault. An overwhelming surge of dark magic coursed through his entire being, his eyes turning bloodshot. His body fractured and reassembled in a perpetual cycle.

After a few agonizing minutes, the tumultuous process halted. Ron expelled a torrent of impurities, as he let out a third stage magic.

"But why can't I sense the presence of dark magic emanating from within me?" Ron pondered. Suddenly, a realization struck him remembering the devil's words about his blessed nature and the ineffectiveness of his dark spells against Ron.

Ron pondered, "Wait, so this is the purity skill that was given by the goddess."

He realized that the reason there was no dark magic detected was due to the purity skill, an ability to purify dark magic. His doubts surfaced when he transformed into a devil while fighting the Rockfang.

"That means, as long as I have this skill, I can remain undetected. No one will realize I am a dark magic user, let alone that I formed a pact with an archdevil," he mused.

Beads of sweat covered Ron's body, prompting him to tear off his shirt. As he examined his transformed physique, his muscles became more visible, and he sensed a fundamental change in his body structure.

Looking into the pool, he noticed that his facial features had changed significantly, and he was also much taller.

"Was I this handsome" said Ron as he admired his face.

He improvised, fashioning a makeshift mask from a piece of his torn shirt to conceal his face, wary of drawing attention.

"Time to run," Ron resolved, aware of the urgency to leave before anyone noticed the heart is missing.

Swiftly, he swam through the water, emerging on the other side of the door, cautiously surveying the surroundings to ensure no one was present.

In a sudden, seamless motion, an arrow hurtled towards Ron, but he gracefully sidestepped it, Ron sensed that the magic coming out of the arrows was of a third-class mage.

Among the assembled onlookers, one figure sparked a flicker of recognition within Ron's mind. "That little shit," he muttered under his breath, his gaze locked on the elf who had once been in his captivity.

The elf, bow still drawn, taunted him with a smug smile.

"Surrender now, you can't escape," they jeered, their voice dripping with misplaced confidence.

A mischievous smirk curled on Ron's lips as he coolly replied, "What if I simply refuse?"

In that instant, the elf unleashed a commanding gesture, signalling their comrades to act. "Disable his limbs, but leave him alive," the elf ordered with a flick of their wrist.

Without missing a beat, a volley of six arrows, each having different elements, surged toward Ron, intent on crippling him. But Ron's reflexes were honed to perfection. With a mere flick of his wrists, he conjured a fierce gust of wind, slicing through the air and effortlessly redirecting the onslaught, sending the arrows harmlessly astray.

Seizing the momentum, Ron summoned an inner inferno, a blazing torrent of fire coalescing in his hands. With a deft motion, he unleashed a dual barrage of searing fireballs, hurtling towards the encroaching elves blowing the whole Canyon up.

"Damn, I got pretty strong," Ron thought to himself.

Amidst the dispersing dust and smoke, Ron effortlessly leaped, erasing the advantage of higher ground.

Closing in on one of the male elves, he landed a powerful punch to the elf's chest, toppling him to the ground.

Seeing his comarde beater so easily, another elf fired an arrow infused with fire magic, resulting in a resounding explosion. Yet, Ron swiftly conjured a wall of mud, expertly shielding himself from the flames.

Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed a focused hydro burst, sending the elf hurtling into the canyon, swiftly taking care of him.

In an unexpected turn, a peculiar arrow whizzed past Ron, causing an instantaneous freeze to encase the surroundings. "Magic manipulation?" Ron mused, recognizing the unique skill behind the attack.

Undeterred, the fourth-class mage elf persisted, launching icy assaults aimed at freezing Ron's legs to the ground.

With a casual shrug, Ron inwardly remarked, "I don't have time for this. It's time to move away from here before more troublesome individuals show up. "

With a sly grin, Ron swiftly sidestepped the icy assault launched by the relentless fourth-class mage elf. Anticipating the elf's next move, he adeptly danced around the freezing spells, effortlessly evading their grasp.

As the elf continued to unleash frigid magic, Ron seamlessly weaved through the onslaught, displaying remarkable agility and an uncanny sense of timing. He ducked, dodged, and spun with finesse, narrowly escaping each freezing blast.

Drawing upon his heightened reflexes, Ron seized a moment of opportunity. As the elf conjured a particularly intricate ice formation, he capitalized on the split-second gap in their defence.

Using wind magic, Ron swiftly closed the distance between them, utilizing his nimble footwork to outmanoeuvre the elf's icy attacks. With a quick feint to the left, he swiftly changed direction and slipped past the elf's guard on the right.

Before the elf could react, Ron gracefully sidestepped and gracefully pirouetted behind them. Taking advantage of the momentary disorientation, he swiftly darted forward, leaving the elf momentarily stunned and bewildered.

With a smirk and a confident stride, Ron took the opportunity to increase the distance between himself and the perplexed elf. His agile movements had not only allowed him to evade the fourth-class mage's freezing spells but also granted him a strategic advantage in the pursuit of his escape.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" said the elf, his voice trailing as he continued to follow Ron, leaving the little elf behind.

"Ezra, go and fetch the elder," he commanded.

Ron sighed, realizing the situation was going to be troublesome. If he were caught, they would surely interrogate him about the black heart, but he couldn't reveal that secret, no matter what.

With a swift motion, Ron utilized his wind magic to leap into the air, soaring through the nearby forest.

"Now I have to juke or maybe kill this guy," muttered Ron as he swiftly maneuverer through the dense foliage, ensuring they remained unnoticed by any other elves in the tower.

Ron plotted his course away from the forest, heading towards the mountains to avoid detection from any pursuers.

Eventually, Ron halted his rapid pace and glanced back at the elf, who had also come to a stop behind him.

"What's your name?" inquired Ron.

Still wary of Ron, the elf replied, "It's Galen."

"Well, Galen, that's a nice name," Ron remarked.

Without warning, Ron conjured a hydro burst, aiming it directly at Galen.

Reacting swiftly, Galen managed to evade the attack.

In a desperate move, Ron sliced his palm with the blade he took from an elf, knowing that intense pain would allow more output of his devil power.

As darkness began to enshroud his crimson eyes, his nails transformed, two horns emerged prominently atop his head, and an aura of malice consumed his heart.

Fortunately, thanks to the protective effects of his purity buff, Ron didn't have to worry about succumbing to corruption or letting anyone know he was using dark magic. Moreover, he possessed the dark heart, making his output much higher and stronger than his previous transformation.

{Output - 8%}

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