Eren had outgrown his reliance on the Blood Seeds for shape-shifting.
This marked one of the most significant advantages he'd gained since ascending to the B-Rank. He now possessed the liberty to seamlessly morph into the various races he'd procured Blood Seeds from.
Though his Shapeshifting had been relatively seamless even during his time as an Adept Ranker, it had become even more refined following the evolution of his B-Rank mana core.
The Tank from the Layos squadron, sent to quell him, had met his end at Eren's hands. Yet, this was merely the inception of his onslaught; a multitude of adversaries lay before him, ripe to experience the full force of his newfound powers. Determined and ruthless, he advanced, choosing to confront them individually, while his summoned creatures held the others at bay.
The battlefield was a discordant symphony of spell detonations and weapon collisions, the gravity of the situation rendering any taunts or banter obsolete.
Eren seemed uninterested in exchanging words. He methodically engaged his enemies, taking them on one by one.
Dispelling the summoned entity engaged with a female elven Ranker, Eren opted for direct engagement. This particular adversary was an Expert Ranker specializing in time element, a rarity among her kind.
A Mage that was not a Glass Canon.
Using talismans to augment her physical attributes, she'd effectively countered her supposed frailty. Employing her time-element prowess, she could distort opponents' temporal perception, amplifying her speed and spellcasting abilities. These attributes, coupled with her talismans, enabled her to unleash a gamut of elemental assaults ranging from wind blades to fire projectiles.
The elven Mage's preparation had seemingly equipped her to face powerful opponents of all kinds, including Master Rankers who'd yet to transcend the Liquid Mana Core Stage. At least that's what she had thought. Her estimation, however, faltered when Eren personally entered the fray.
Eren's summoned creatures had been dispatched with ease by her time-based attacks, and it was clear that Eren found in her a genuine contender. So he decided to deal with her personally after the Tanker after confirming that there was no Healer present among them.
'No Healer, huh? Did they think they won't need one because they are dealing with a newly ascended Master Ranker with an unstable foundation? Keke. Good. Saves me the trouble anyway,' Eren thought as he concentrated on his next opponent.
Summoning an intricate trio of spells – Purple Blitz Steps, Blue Blitz Bolt, and Red Solid Spark – Eren confronted the female Mage. Executing these spells seamlessly, he fused them into a singular, complex sequence, making it nearly impossible to discern that they were individual incantations fueled by different elemental Aspects of lightning.
Eren's body became an electrifying canvas, arcs of lightning sinuously weaving around him like serpentine bolts of pure energy. His limbs were engulfed in the dazzling dance of lightning mana, rendering his extremities formless and ethereal.
It seemed as though the line between physical and ethereal had dissolved as he wielded his newfound abilities, as if his entire form had evolved into an enhanced conduit of mana. His control over his mana circuits had escalated, lending him unmatched mastery over his spells.
Yet, the female Ranker was far from idle. Utilizing her talismans and capitalizing on her time-element prowess, she counteracted his assault, her spells colliding with his in a vivid clash of sparks and energy, a vivid testament to the convergence of their powers.
'What manner of being is this man? How can he wield such a plethora of elemental spells with such finesse? And how can he manipulate time-element magic without conjuring the associated mana ripples?'
The female Ranker stood in shock, her astonishment palpable as she beheld Eren's overwhelming might.
Swiftly, the female Mage discerned that her time-element debuffs were futile against Eren. Whether his resistance was innate or he merely offset her debuffs by his own time-element abilities, it rendered her attempts at dominance fruitless.
Unbeknownst to her, this equilibrium was due to the Sansara Sage's space-element runes interplaying upon him; without these runes, Eren would have surged far beyond her grasp.
Her sole recourse was to employ a transcendent-grade artifact – a runic wand – to amplify her mid and close-range assaults. This, coupled with a vigilant deployment of augmented mana barriers, shielded her from Eren's potentially lethal strikes.
However, Eren's relentless barrages proved too potent for her defenses to entirely withstand. Amidst the cacophony of spells colliding, both combatants found themselves wounded, locked in a deadly dance of magical clashes.
The butcher's brow glistened with sweat, his breath labored, and his rhythm faltering. Though only a scant two minutes had transpired since severing Hamang's head, his mana reserves had dwindled precipitously.
The volatility of his nascent Rank had catalyzed an uncontrolled outpouring of his mana. He realized that further persistence in this frantic combat and experimental spellcasting would propel him into a perilous predicament.
'Playtime's over. I got to settle this quickly,' Eren cogitated, channeling his wood-element spell, Vicious Vines, to counteract the Aqua Whips launched by his female adversary. With calculated precision, he closed the gap anew and summoned a domain-type spell he'd acquired from Becky.
Blue Fire Domain.
In an instant, the voluminous flames conjured by the female Ranker dwindled as Eren's domain expanded to envelop both contenders. The azure inferno extinguished the ambient heat, plunging the surrounding area into icy submission. Within a blink of an eye, the Aqua Whips' movement froze, the arctic grip of Eren's spell immobilizing them.
'How is this possible? How can Grimdawn weave this intricate web of spells? How can he sustain such a relentless confrontation mere moments after ascending to Master Rank?'
Shock and fear flooded the female Mage's gaze as she found herself ensconced in the wave of azure flames, their frigid touch akin to infernal frost.
Aware that time was of the essence, Eren pressed forward not solely due to his waning mana reservoir but also due to the impending culmination of the interkingdom strife, as prescribed by the Anfang Alliance's regulations.
The butcher was resolute not to allow his enemies to slip through his grasp due to bureaucratic intricacies. Now that they had witnessed his might firsthand, he deemed it imperative to neutralize them.
A new Compound Elemental Fusion Spell was brought forth to life at this moment.
Fire Snake + Stellar Speed + Death Rot
AN: Blood Seed was first mentioned in chapter 429. Elemental Fusion was described in chapters 286, 591, 592, and 947. Compound Elemental Fusion was described in chapters 1163 and 1199. Spell Integration was described in chapters 801, 802, and 1134.
