Chapter 13: Celesta
An underground arena in a sinister realm, shrouded in darkness and draped in an eerie mist that curled around the spectators' feet. The air is thick with anticipation as the crowd braced themselves for the ultimate main event: a Shadowmancer against an Omega Werewolf.
The stone walls of the arena were adorned with ancient runes, glowing faintly with an otherworldly luminescence. Torches flickered, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to whisper secrets of forgotten battles. The arena floor was a mix of rugged terrain, with jagged rocks and patches of damp earth, providing the perfect battleground for this supernatural encounter.
Witches and Half_demon, True demons and VIP Royale... we have finally arrived at the moment you all have been waiting for." The neatly dressed vampire proudly announced, "The fight of the night between the undefeated beauty White mist and the ultimate underdog... Regnard the Scavenger.
Amidst the expectant silence, the gates at opposite ends of the arena creaked open, releasing a chilling gust of wind that only helped to arouse the loud spectators.From one gate white shadows flowed into the arena and a figure shrouded in mystery emerged. Her flowing white hair cascades down her back like a waterfall of silk, and seems to glow with an otherworldly radiance. Her face is hidden behind a golden mask, which glimmers in the light and gives her an air of regal authority.
She is clad in white knight armour which is made of a thin, yet durable material that billows in the wind. The coat is a stark white, which contrasts sharply with her hair and mask, and is adorned with intricate golden filigree and symbols that seem to pulse with hidden meaning.
As she moves, she seems to glide effortlessly, her steps light and graceful. Her movements are fluid and precise, as if she is dancing to a silent melody that only she can hear. Her eyes are deep and piercing, and seem to look right through those who dare to meet her gaze.
Despite her intimidating appearance, there is a certain elegance and grace to her, which hints at a deeper, more complex personality beneath the surface. Her presence is both commanding and alluring, and those who encounter her are left with a sense of awe and wonder at the mystery.
From the other gate burst forth the Omega Werewolf – Regnard a man in his late thirties with deep blue eyes and bulky body, he wasted no time and transformed into a massive, hulking beast with fur as black as the void. His muscles rippled under the moonlight that streamed through the cracks above, and his eyes burned with an intense, primal ferocity. He let out a bone-chilling howl that echoed throughout the arena, challenging the figure to a battle to the death.
The crowd erupted into a cacophony of cheers and gasps as the two supernatural beings locked eyes, The mystery lady slender fingers flexed, extending into elongated claws, while the werewolf's massive paws dug into the ground, ready to pounce.
Without warning, she erupted into a swarm of white shadows, swirling around the werewolf, attempting to ensnare him within a vortex. The werewolf, guided by his heightened senses, leaped and rolled, evading the shadowy tendrils with agility and precision. With a powerful swipe of his claws, he shredded the shadows, forcing the vampire to reassemble.
Roaring with fury, the werewolf charged, his fangs bared and his claws slashing through the air. she dodged and weaved with uncanny speed, her movements fluid and mesmerizing. She retaliated with bursts of dark energy, hurling bolts of white shadow sword toward the werewolf, who deflected them with a swipe of his colossal paw.
As the battle raged on, the arena became a tempest of violence and darkness, each combatant unleashing their unique abilities. She summoned illusions, toying with the werewolf's senses, while the werewolf tapped into his primal instincts, channeling the power of the moon to increase his strength and endurance.
Some of the spectators were mumbling
" This isn't fair, Regnard has an advantage cause it's full moon"
" Well I trust my Lady White mist, she would spank his ass hard."
The clash between these Half_demons reached its climax as the werewolf, empowered by the moon's radiant light, lunged at the mystery lady, jaws wide open. Anticipating the attack, she melded into the shadows, narrowly avoiding the werewolf's bite. Seizing the opportunity, she materialized behind the werewolf, striking a swirling shadow drill down on it's head and knocking it out with a loud bang.
The howl of spectators shook the arena as the winner was announced.
"And the winner ....The half_demon.. White Mist"
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The whirring hum of the central air conditioning was the only sound permeating the silence of all the Masters academy dorms... the silence was mostly due to masters were taking various compulsory classes.
The evening sun had set, casting long shadows across the dormitory, and the masters had left their rooms, engrossed in their respective fields of study. Jack was hunched over his Academy study table, opening his mail for the day. As he sifted through the usual bills and advertisements, his eyes were drawn to a plain white envelope with no return address.
The envelope seemed ordinary, but a dark, crimson stain ominously smeared across its surface piqued his interest. The sight of the stain, undoubtedly blood, " is this supposed to be here?"
The envelope was heavier than it looked, and he could feel something solid within it. As he carefully peeled it open, a small, metallic object clinked onto the table - a bullet.
Unfolding the blood-stained letter that came with it, he saw the words scribed in a badly written, scrawled handwriting: "Stop chasing B_level goddess you trash, or the next bullet won't miss."
"Well out of the countless letters I've been getting since Celine made the masters think we kissed, this is the worst, this can't even scare a toddler..... just what will this freaks do when they find out we did that... well Celine did something to me to make me act that way and I will prove it... sooner or later.
The threat was unequivocal, its intent clear. Jackq was targeted for dating a B_level but how can he even date Celine.. That strange bitch that loves to manipulate everything.
Jack put on his Academy military uniform and headed towards the Sterv building for the compulsory class, is it potion classes today.
" Potion class.... Oh shit.."
He started dashing towards the Sterv building well he was already close so he got into class right on time to avoid getting scolded.
"let's get a bit serious about your studies nut brains, shall we?"
A woman who appeared to be in her late fifties was standing in front of them on a podium. She was about 5'9" tall with a hunched over back. She also had pale and wrinkly skin which further added to her old look along with her eyes that were closed shut as if the eyelids had been glued together.
Despite her old appearance, there was not a single strand of white hair on her head. Although, She might have dyed her hair as black as her curved back and support stick gave away her old age.
"I am professor Merlot Flintwood... I'm a Witch...You are free to call me by my first name or last name. I wouldn't mind at all.... but if I don't like you sorry face or your tone .. you will get Purnised." Professor remarked, "Now I must assume you know everything about potions.
"Miss Merlot we AAAAAAHHHH!
The scream of the transfer Master Charlotte as a part of her face burnt off was a testament to how uncaring the professor was using a high grade battle spell on a level 1 master.
" You don't talk unless I ask you to .. it that clear "
"Yes Ma AAAAAAHHHH!"
The smile on the professor face as she hurt another master that fell for her cunning shows how much she loves to hurt them and it didn't seem like she hated low level talent rank masters anymore than she hated the rest of them. The way she acted was more as if they weren't masters but intruders in her class and for the first time in Jack's life, it appeared the Masters and Jack had found a common ground to stand on... and hate Merlot.
"Soul corrosion potion....The one who will brew the best Soul corrosion potion would get a reward from me.. The hell are you, idiots, waiting for? The recipe has already been fed into your watches. Follow it and start brewing the potion.
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*BANG*
The potion class is filled with scorched up masters as their potion keeps blowing up in their faces cause they haven't brewed a potion before and the soul corrosion potion has a high explosion rate of about 25% why would the professor even allow amateur masters to brew such potion.
You call this a potion? Even amputated bastards can stir the pot better than you can." Merlot scolded yet another student, "What about you? The heck did you do to make a noise so loud? You had to add the root AFTER crushing it! It's a miracle this class is still in one piece because you idiots are no less than those terrorists!"
The same thing had been going on for a long time. Actually, ever since they started preparing the Soul corrosion potion. Everyone was doing something wrong, even though they were strictly following the recipe as it was mentioned.
Jack's luck was not any better either. Identifying ingredients and making a potion out of them were two entirely different things. On top of that, Merlot's constant gaze was not helping him either.
Even though so far Merlot had not scolded him, much to his surprise and the dismay of the rest, Jack had a feeling if he could not make the potion perfectly, the mad professor was going to do a lot more than just scold him since she expected that much from him considering his Academy digital watch shows no talent.
Half an hour remaining you dimwits! Pick up the pace! Does none of you wants the reward?" Merlot insinuated in a weird way, "Let's make this interesting. If you can't finish brewing the potion by the end of the class, you will be given some sort of punishment. So what's it gonna be suckers? A reward or a punishment?"
Upon hearing the word punishment, everyone panicked. While all of them wonder what kind of punishment the mad professor would give them, none of them wanted to be the ones to suffer just to know that.
'Judging by his personality, he would probably make us drink a shitload of potions created by him and treat us like lab rats.' Ashton shook his head and focused more on brewing the potion, 'Why the heck it isn't turning blue like it was supposed? What am I doing wrong?'
Jack could see most of the class make weird expressions upon hearing what Merlot had to say. The threat of punishment was making them work even harder. But simple hard work was not going to make any difference in potion-making. Suddenly Anna's hand shot up in the air. She had finished making her potion.
"Finally someone did something." Merlot sighed and rushed over to her table, "Step aside! How am I supposed to take a look if you keep hovering over me?"
She then proceeded to drop an azure gemstone inside Anna's pot. There was a string attached to the stone using which Merlot pulled the stone back. The gemstone had only been inside Anna's pot for a second and yet its colour had changed from blue to green and parts of it appeared to have decayed.
"What the hell is this... it is just a toxic poison, It would appear you being the brat you are, forgot to use a soul shard when making the potion." Merlot shook her head, "If someone had drunk this potion, it would've killed them in mere seconds. Stop being so careless. Start over again or put some soul shard in this potion!"
As soon as Jack heard the professor say that, he just like the rest of them realised the mistake all of them had made. In the rush of brewing the potion before everyone else, all of them had screwed up.
'Damn it! There's not a single step included in the recipe telling us to put soul shard in the damn thing!'
Jack re-read the recipe twice and sure enough, there wasn't a single mention of putting soul shard before using it. Instead, it was mentioned in the list of compulsory ingredients that they can't make a soul corrosion spell without soul shard in the first place, the higher the tier of the soul shard, the higher the potency.
'Fuck! We all got played by the professor!'
All of them had assumed that a soul shard was provided by the professor and there was not a single mention of how they could have conjured it themselves But that wasn't the case, None have them had been thought how to conjure a soul shard gotten from slaying a dark seal... at least learning that's was on next week classes
It was no wonder that neither of their potions was looking as they were supposed to. Upon completion, the potion was supposed to have a blue hue. Something that Jack was complaining about. But all of their potions had turned green, which symbolised that the potion was highly toxic.
While the others had given up getting the reward and continued brewing their toxic potion, Jack gave up on stirring his potion and started looking for ways he could conjure his soul shard... at least he got some of that in his first trial. However, he was short on time, just like the others were.
'Come on, come on... there has to be something that could help.'
Jack was madly flipping through the pages of the potion course e-book that was fed into their watches. But to no avail. There were way too many potion recipes that could have the answer he was looking for. But the constraint of time did not allow him to take a deep dive into the potions and look for answers.
"Twenty minutes remaining." Merlot reminded them while her eyes were fixated on Ashton, 'Looks like the kid is trying to conjure a soul shard from nothing...such impudence..well I hope he can do that within five minutes, If not... well then too bad. All of them would have to suffer.'..but his suffering would be doubled..the weak must be treated with a strong hand so they can mature.
Celine walked up to him with a glittering white pen in her hand and she secretly slipped it into his potion.
"Present the potion to the professor for a re-evaluation once the greenish colour disappears. It should take about fifteen minutes for that. Also, consider this a gift and I hope you can stop avoiding me."
Thanks..." Jack mumbled absentmindedly watching Celine retreat.
Jack was afraid of getting Purnised, he saw the way the professor looked at him, he could tell she Wanted to purnish so bad, and B_level talent rank master will receive next to no Purnishment so he wasn't worried about Celine.
Jack quickly dropped the seed inside his own concoction and began stirring it rapidly. As he had expected, the greenish colour of the potion soon began disappearing and within minutes, it turned blue.
Jack did not even need to call Merlot to check the potion. She rushed over to check it herself. she did the same thing again and to everyone's surprise this time the colour of the gemstone remained unchanged.
"Wonderful... ahem, I meant it's passable. The potion can be consumed without having any side effects... except straining a masters soul which would be regenerated after some days, Though it.... how... What shard tier did you use" That's all Merlot said before heading back to her seat.
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A lady sat in a compartment of her palace, her delicate frame draped in a flowing silk robe adorned with intricate embroidery. Her long, white hair was braided and piled atop her head in an elaborate bun, secured with a bejeweled hairpin. In front of her, a small table held a cup of steaming tea and a plate of delicate sweets.
As she sat in lotus position, her eyes closed in meditation, a maid entered the room, bowing deeply in respect. The lady opened her eyes and regarded the maid with a serene expression.
"What is it, my dear?" did you get the information? 'she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
The maid hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Lady White mist...uh... Lady Celesta , but I bring grave news."
The Lady's brow furrowed in concern as she motioned for the maid to continue.
"It is the other you" the maid said, her voice trembling. "She has fallen gravely for a young human lad and she followed him to the Masters Academy."
"Thank you for bringing me this news, my dear," she said to the maid. "Please inform the courtiers that I will be paying the other me a visit".
The maid bowed again and quickly left the room, leaving the lady alone with her thoughts. She closed her eyes once more and began to meditate.
[ Name: Celine Azareth. ( Celesta ) ]
[ Age: 1,667]
[ Race: Half_ Demon ]
[ Rank : True Origin ]
[ Class: Shadowmancer ]
[ Energy: Level 5 ] [ 10,000/10,000 ]
[ Talent Rank: B_Level ]
[ Talent: Shadow Control ]
[ Skill: Shadow Mist, Shadow Corruption, Shadow travel, Shadow Clone ]
[ Skill Rank ] [ B_level ] [ Shadow Mist ]
[ Shadow Corruption ]
[ Shadow travel ]
[ Shadow Clone ]
[ Transformation: True Form ]
[ Soul Bond: Active ]
[ Rank: Companion ]
True name: Victor ]
[ Name: Jack Quiton ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Human Rank: Master ]
[ Body constitution: C_level ]
[ Level 1 ] [ 9/100 point ]
[ Talent Rank: S—Level ]
[ Talent ] [ S_level:Endless plot, Endless extraction ]
[ B_level: Lighting (elemental) ]
[ 2/10000 shards ]
[ Skill: Imagine ]
[ Skill Rank ] [ F_level: Imagine ]
[ Human Rank Level limit: 5 ]
[ Potential: 16 ]
" Bonding with a human.... tsk! so despicable.
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