Shadow Blood and Fire

[Transformation will now begin]

As soon as this message appeared, a searing pain coursed through Eli's body, as if his insides were ablaze. The whites of his eyes slowly turned black, and his teeth began to elongate. The agony didn't stop there; his body convulsed violently, as if something within was trying to break free. His nails grew longer, his skin tightened around his frame, and his bones became more pronounced. Clumps of hair fell from his head.

[Your mind is unstable]

[Your bloodlust has reached its maximum level]

[You are now a (Crazed) Reaper]

[All stats will be doubled]

[Health will be halved]

[While in this form, all blood skills are unavailable]

Although these messages flashed before him, Eli was beyond comprehension. His mind was no longer present.

What stood in the middle of the arena was no longer human. The creature was an imposing nine aberts tall, though its slight hunch made it appear shorter. Its scalp was smooth and hairless, a stark contrast to the intricate, glowing red markings that adorned its body. These markings pulsed rhythmically with each breath, casting an eerie glow.

The reaper's frame was skinny, yet every muscle was sharply defined. The artistic markings seemed to dance across its body, tracing the contours of its muscles and lending it an otherworldly aura.

Most striking of all were its four eyes, each a different color: red, blue, black, and white. These eyes, set symmetrically in its gaunt face, glowed with an unsettling intensity. They moved independently, scanning the surroundings with predatory vigilance.

On its back, two stumps protruded where wings might have once been. These stumps, barely formed and raw, hinted at a past or future transformation.

Startled by the light, the reaper stumbled to the ground, its senses now super heightened.

"REKKKKKKK!" it screeched, the sound echoing through the large training center. With its eyes closed, it ran forward at an inhuman speed, digging its claws into the wall and climbing up. It quickly reached the ceiling and smashed the light with its fist, plunging the room into darkness. With the light gone, the reaper opened its eyes, seeing as clearly as if it were day.

It let go of the ceiling, dropping 30 meters to the ground. It landed gracefully, bending its knees and walking off as if unscathed. The reaper roamed the training center, destroying lights in each room it entered. It had one thing on its mind: hunger, a thirst for blood.

After transforming into the reaper, Eli's thoughts and emotions—everything that made him human—were gone. His body acted on its own, driven by a single, primal urge. Finally, it returned to the arena, circling aimlessly, waiting for prey.

Moments later, Venok and Adrian entered the room. Though they were quiet, Eli could hear everything—their soft footsteps and whispered exchanges. His head turned, spotting two bright lights. Initially, the lights obscured the humans, but when they turned them off, he recognized his meal.

Venok and Adrian heard something running towards them but couldn't see what it was in the darkness. Venok reached for his belt to activate the light stone, but the beast was already upon him.

Their eyes had adjusted slightly to the dark, and the LED lights along the arena's edge provided minimal illumination. Close enough now, Venok could see the beast had a human-like figure.

As the beast extended its claws, Venok met it with his fists. "You want to battle with strength, then!"

The beast's hands wrapped around Venok's fists, stopping them cold. Its nails dug into Venok's flesh, breaking the advanced-tier gauntlet and drawing blood.

"What monstrous strength! Damn it, a humanoid beast of all things!"

The scent of Venok's blood drove the beast into a frenzy. It growled and screeched, revealing two huge fangs. It lunged forward, jaws snapping, but Venok, using all his strength, managed to hold it back momentarily.

Then the beast lifted both legs and kicked Venok, sending him flying into a nearby wall. It rushed forward to finish him, but a mountain of metal chairs from the stands flew out, knocking the beast away.

Adrian rushed to Venok's side, helping him up.

"Still protective of your kill?" the voice in Adrian's head taunted.

"Thanks" Venok smiled.

"What was that?" Adrian asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. It looked like a humanoid beast. They're among the most powerful types discovered on other planets. This is my first encounter with one," Venok replied.

The chairs didn't keep the beast down for long. The scent of blood was too strong. It got up and charged at them again.

"Turn on your light stone!" Venok shouted.

"Huh?"

"Quick, the light stone!"

As they activated their light stones, the beast recoiled, covering its eyes and backing away.

"I was right," Venok said. "That beast must have taken out all the lights. It's super sensitive."

But thinking the light stones would keep the reaper at bay was foolish. The beast didn't need its eyes to locate them; the scent of Venok's blood and their shadows were enough. It began ripping out chairs and hurling them at bullet speed.

Fortunately, the chairs were metal, and Venok and Adrian could repel them. The beast then rushed forward with its eyes closed, attacking with uncanny precision and footwork.

"How does it know where we are?" Venok exclaimed.

"Adrian, let me fight this interesting monster!" the voice in Adrian's head urged.

"What do you mean?" Adrian asked.

"Can't you see? The beast is only attacking Venok. Something is attracting it to him."

Adrian broke away from Venok, moving to the arena floor. Just as the voice said, the beast ignored Adrian and continued to attack Venok.

"Switch with me. This monster is invaluable for insights into the advanced battle arts you practice," the voice insisted.

"No!" Adrian replied.

Then a new voice, one that rarely spoke, echoed within Adrian's mind. This voice, the rightful owner of the body, had the authority to imprison Adrian or the other voice, regardless of the circumstances. Adrian trembled, knowing the weight of this voice's command.

"Try to gain as much as possible from this battle, irrespective of anything," the voice commanded.

Venok and the beast continued their fierce battle. Unfortunately for Venok, the only metal he could control in the arena were the chairs, and it took time to attract them. He was completely battered, the beast fighting with the precision of a war god rather than a crazed creature. It moved in unpredictable circles, landing lethal strikes, and Venok fell for perfectly executed feints time and again. Despite possessing C-rank advanced battle arts, he was utterly outmatched in this one-sided slaughter. He used two chairs as shields to block the beast's attacks, but each time the beast struck, it tore through the chairs with ease. The attacks were too powerful.

Suddenly, the beast's speed increased explosively, and it vanished from sight. Venok's danger premonition, a perk of his C-rank advanced battle arts, flared up with alarms. Without hesitation, he channeled 90% of his advanced-tier suit's energy. His eyes bulged as he barely perceived a blur phasing through him. Pivoting on his foot, he turned and threw a punch at the blur now behind him. Venok managed to keep up only because he had started moving immediately, sensing the attack would come from behind.

A sharp pain shot through him, blurring his vision with tears. The advanced-tier gauntlet on his right hand snapped as the beast's fangs dug into his flesh, drawing blood. He screamed in pain.

"ARRRGGGHH!

[Blood is being consumed]

[10/750 HP]

[14/750 HP]

Venok felt the beast sucking on his arm. He wanted to push it off, but as soon as the fangs penetrated his skin, he felt paralyzed, unable to move.

[25/750 HP]

As the beast feasted, it discerned the shadow of a flying sharp object coming toward it. Like a massive spear, a metal object hurtled toward the beast's shoulder. The beast skillfully evaded the blow, and the spear struck Venok with its blunt side, knocking him away.

Venok struggled to his feet and looked toward the center of the arena. There, he saw Adrian, surrounded by multiple metal chairs from the stands.