Mind Demon's Path of Domination

The Eagle Youth transformed into something else entirely.

It was not a person, but a Demon. An Upper Demon. So many ants fused together to create its giant humanoid eagle body—with the face of an eagle and the body of a man; wings made of ants spreading out on its back.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Wasn't it not a demon? Mark wondered for the briefest of moments. How did it suddenly become a demon?

He felt his skin crawl at the sight of seemingly endless amounts of ants. And in that short second, he also came to understand the enemy's strongest ability—something that could threaten his life.

Costume of the Murdered!

A crazy, nasty ability!

But he had no time to think more as the Eagle Monster moved downward towards him with immense speed. An explosive punch of ants headed his way, but Mark barely dodged it. Yet, tons of ants got stuck all over him in the process.

"Fuck!" Mark cursed.

The ants bit into his skin—which even bazookas would find hard to hurt—and tore it off like it was tofu. Then, they easily dived into his body.

"If you don't have a way against this, I really would win in a single punch!" The Ant Demon laughed. "Each one of those ants is enough to kill a normal Middle Demon!"

Mark flew around the enemy and flapped his wings powerfully. The enemy looked around. It was a nearly gigantic creature and that made Mark, who was so much smaller, much harder to hit. But its whole body was made of dangerous ants.

Alchemic Shapeshifting!

Suddenly, Mark's whole upper torso became like water and in that short moment, he ejected all of the ants along with his internal organs. Before he could die and fallower, another Alchemic Shapeshifting put him back into perfect health.

And now, the enemy was aware of a Trick like Alchemic Shapeshifting.

"This is why you Mavericks are…" The Ant Demon laughed. "So. Fucking. Annoying." He clenched his hand made of ants. "But at the same time, so worthy of being killed. I will kill you and use you as my next costume! You will be my second collection among Demon Costumes!"

Mark scoffed. The enemy's Soul Weapon, Costume of the Murdered, could turn people that he killed into costumes that the Eagle Youth could wear. Wearing the costume will give all the abilities the murdered had, even their physicality, to the Eagle Youth.

Yet, one Costume only worked once.

"You killed an Upper Demon to get this costume," Mark said coldly, flying by the giant's ears. "But you never defeated one. You couldn't have with your lousy abilities. Upper Demons are stronger." He sniggered. "Aren't you a pampered little daddy's boy who got a defeated Upper Demon handed to him?"

The whole Ant Demon shook. It froze for a second.

Mark laughed. "Did I hit you on the nose?"

He was taking blind shots, but he could tell from a glance that the young man was narrow-minded and petty. And from the nature of his abilities, Mark knew he couldn't defeat an Upper Demon with great training.

It was cool, even great, to have the whole arsenal of abilities that your enemy had after slaying them. But since the Eagle Youth could only use it for once—that meant he didn't have much training with it beforehand.

How could you use borrowed abilities to kill people like Upper Demons?

As for the youth's other Soul Weapons—Emperor's Eyes was intimidating but not deadly, Lust Eagle's Wings was a defensive ability, and Earring of Hate was a healing ability. That meant the only way of true offense the youth had was from the Costume's abilities.

Of course, Mark had only half expected his taunt to work.

"You—what did you say just now?" The Ant Demon growled. "I am the genius of the Abyss Eagle clan. I am the strongest of my species! You think I reached my level with some daddy's help?"

It sent a blast of ants at Mark but before the attack could hit, Mark touched his own wings and transformed them into a wide metallic barrier that expanded in the span of a second.

Alchemic Shapeshifting!

When the ants were busy eating at the wings, he used Dream Wings next. Making his wings vanish. Then, he brought them back and began flying around once more.

The Ant Demon threw fists here and there but Mark kept doing the same thing to evade.

"You think you can read my life that easily?" The Eagle Youth chuckled. "You think I can't fight you while using abilities that I am inexperienced in using?"

Mark understood he had misinterpreted the man but took another jab. "Of course. Your ability lets you borrow others' power for a short time, but in the end, they are not your own abilities. You can't defeat me with that!"

The enemy grew utterly silent and Mark's expression grew grim. This was what worried him the most—Mark didn't know what abilities the Ant Demon had before it got killed. He couldn't read the Ant Demon's abilities using the system either, since it was just the effect of another demonic trick.

What power of the Ant Demon was the Eagle Youth going to use?

Ultimate Demonic Art—Soul Eating Ant Horde!

Thousands of illusory ants suddenly appeared out of nowhere around Mark.

Mark's heart dropped to the bottom of his gut. How had the ability hit without even giving him a chance to defend or dodge?

"It's a soul-type attack!" Reol'ran said. "It can only be blocked with Soul-type defense—just like how Clown's Circus works. Time can stop time, soul can stop soul."

Mark gritted his teeth as he whooshed through the air towards the Ant Demon. Without worrying about the ants, he plunged his hand into it and used Alchemic Shapeshifting but that only made some ants transform.

The main body of this creature was hidden deep inside.

This is only one of this guy's costumes, who knows how many more he has! Mark cursed his luck inwardly and flew back.

A Soul attack? What was going to happen to his Soul?