The plan was as follows. I alone would enter through the front door, drawing the Monster's focus. The others would enter through the open air windows along the sides of the building and strike while it was distracted. It was familiar with me at this point from my previous tests. Half the time, I'd be bombarded by an Aura attack the second I opened the door. Everyone got tired of the mosquito picking at them eventually.

Fortunately, my recent increase of Ki had also increased my ability to multitask. When the doors were opened, I could feel the moment the Aura surged towards me. Sharp blades of Ki, innumerable as they rushed towards me. It was still impossible for me to get out of this unscathed. A quick manipulation of my Ki had it form small shields around in front of my hands.

Sharpening my focus, I rushed forwards. I focused on the areas around my chest and head, protecting my vital organs from being destroyed by the Aura. My shields flicked forwards, deflecting the energy around my body as I performed small intricate steps to avoid the bigger bursts of energy. My mind was strained to the breaking point just on these movements alone, small scratches appearing on the parts of my body I wasn't defending.

I'd cleaved a path. With a twist of my body, my staff shot past me, aiming for the Monster's head. I saw it move for the first time since I'd seen this creature. There was no sign of movement. One moment its hand was resting on the arm of the throne and the next it was in reaching out of the staff as it flew towards it.

With a pulse of my energy, a thin blade of shadow appeared at the tip of the staff, piercing into the hand as they met. The blade that could pierce through stone as if it was water was only able to go in half way. It reached forwards with its other hand to grab the staff but I quickly called it back to me.

I underestimated this thing. A drop of blood was left on the tip of the shadow blade quickly jumped towards me. Before it could reach me, I pulled the mana from behind me, forming a ball of fire that quickly consumed the blood just as my Ki destroyed the Blood Ki within that drop. If something devoured then it could be devoured.

The energy required to destroy that single drop of Blood Ki was ridiculous. At least four times as much normal Ki. A shook my staff, dispelling the shadow blade as I took in a soft breath. Mana was continually flooding the room, refilling the empty space as the Monster drew its Aura back into its body. It seemed I'd peaked its interest in me after destroying the Blood Ki. Tapping the staff against the ground, several stones shot up to be caught by my Ki, slowly beginning to spin.

With a loud crack, the throne was suddenly destroyed.

"Shit!" I quickly dodged the large fist that appeared in front of me, rolling away before I could be caught up in a six armed attack. I was glad for my enhanced reflexes, I hadn't even had time to realize that it had moved. It was still maintaining efficiency, using short bursts of power to overwhelm an opponent.

I twisted my fingers and the stones left where I'd been standing quickly surrounded the Monster, sharp blades of shadow forming on their tips as they shot forwards, stabbing into its flesh and quickly exploded with a thought, causing dust to float through the air.

"Now!" I sent a sharp command towards my two animal companions. Adarna shot through a window, surging towards the Monster and using its shadow tipped claws to slash across the creature's neck before flying away. Given the danger of its blood, I got rid of the shadows I'd placed on his claws and recreated them as he landed on my shoulder.

Rein and Vivian came through another window. Unlike Adarna, I didn't need to coat Vivian's claws in shadow, she'd taken to the magic like a fish to water, using it like she'd always been able to. On her back, Rein was holding a bow we'd received from the Kobolds, made from the strong bark of the Ents. Everyone wanted to help out, knowing the danger of this creature.

Arrows tipped with shadow magic rained down onto the Monster, preventing it from moving for a short moment as Alice and Mary came in. Mary stayed in the rear and swung her staff, spears of Ice shooting through the air as Alice rushed underneath them, her fists blurring in a shotgun of punches as she circled around the Monster, sending it into the spears.

Directly above the Monster, the ceiling suddenly collapsed as Max used his concussive Ki to drop a load of stones onto the creatures head before coming down even harder with his own fists. The stones quickly exploded outwards, sending everyone skittering backwards as the Monster rose back up, bloody yet seemingly unfazed by the series of attacks that it had just suffered.

Frowning, I shook the magic wall of air away from my body, knocking away the errant stones that had nearly struck me. I'd noticed it before the stones had been sent out. It wasn't a random strike but a series of calculated impacts that were aimed towards us as its enemies.

Just because it was a puppet to the Blood Ki didn't meant that it wasn't smart. I readied myself for another round of battle before the Monster rushed towards Mary. She focused more on her magic than body refinement so she was currently the weakest of the rest of us physically.

I rushed forwards, but not to protect her. She had her own ways of doing that. The mana of the ground bubbled and responded to her Ki as I watched. The stone exploded outwards underneath the spot directly in front of her just as the Monster stepped onto it, sending it flying through the air.

A burst of air magic sent me into the air after it. I grinned when I was met by Alice and Max. I formed blades of Shadow along my staff as I quickly struck the Monster across the back, knocking towards Alice who quickly used a Ki empowered kick to send it upwards to my brother.

He pulled the large sword from his side and struck down at the monster, cutting a large gash across the Monster's chest as he slammed it back towards the ground where Vivian quickly formed several spikes of shadow a second before it hit them, spearing it through several points across its chest.

Rein took the initiative to leap onto the Monster and use her knives to slash at its eyes, avoiding the blood as it grabbed at her before returning to Vivian's back.

It was terrifying to watch as the Monster began to slowly remove itself from the spikes of shadow, a gruesome squelching sound filling the air as it stood up. It had no concern for its own body or its life, just a desire to kill us and consume us. It turned its body towards Rein and Vivian, ready to attack them next before I landed on its back, a fireball primed as I shoved it through one of the gaping holes and jumping away just as it exploded.

It blew the Monster apart with the force, blood and viscera everywhere. To my disgust, that wasn't the end. How could I think it would be. The Blood Ki wasn't destroyed. I watched as pieces of flesh, arms and legs, even a head quickly move towards one another, sewing themselves together using Blood Ki until I was staring at the Monster once more.

Then it vanished with even more speed before, sending Alice and Max careening into a wall before it vanished and my other companions were tossed aside like dolls. It was burning more energy to give itself more strength. This was a true Blood Ki user, not a single ounce of regular Ki inside of it. It wouldn't die unless the entire body was destroyed and even then, the Blood Ki would still remain to possess another person.

I created fireballs, as the others got back up before the Monster rushed me, several strikes hitting my sides before I even had a chance to block, sending me careening along the ground like a rock skipped over water. I quickly scrambled up as it appeared before me once again, large foot kicking me in the stomach. That single kick was enough to send me slamming into the ceiling. From my position, it looked like it was about to jump at me before Alex body checked the Monster as I pulled myself from the ceiling, using air magic to catch me as I fell to the ground.

By the time I reached the ground, it had already thrown off Alex and was in battle with Alice. She stayed light on her feet though, avoiding the attacks just barely. It learned her movements though and slammed its foot into the ground, cracking it and destabilizing her footwork. It was going to kill her with a powerful fist. But I was faster.

I rushed forwards, surrounding myself in earth and shadow as I crashed into the monster, sending us both into a nearby wall. I could feel, had been feeling it ever since I stepped into the room. The desire for power and the promise the Blood Ki offered. Still, I ignored it and pushed further until the Monster was in the wall.

A crumbling, cracking sound fill the air as six pairs of arms quickly enclosed me, breaking through my earth defense. It was aiming to crush me and I couldn't reach any Mana as its Aura quickly expanded to push away the nearby Mana. Fucking smart bastard!

So I focused on our shadows, willing my intent into the darkness quickly growing and shoving as much Ki as I could get into it. A blade shot upwards, slicing the Monster clean in half with as much force as I could possibly use. I was incapable of stopping it as blood poured all over me, squirming and drilling into my skin as if it was paper.

I screamed as it touched my own Ki, quickly burning into it. My eyes saw the energy of my allies and I knew that it would do the same to them, it would devour them. I wouldn't let it.

So I called to it. Called to the Blood Ki as it entered my body. I called it all. It couldn't fix the Monster's body if I was holding it up. Without a Host, it was just a devouring force, unable to realize my plans. All it knew was that I was accepting its gift. It was not a pleasant gift. It was painful, different from creating it myself, I was aware of it forming, aware of what it was doing to my own Ki. It burned, twisted, pulled, cut, and stabbed.

Destroying my Ki was its first goal.

"Burn the body!" I shouted as I quickly sunk down to meditate, completely pulling my Ki from every extremity, cutting off all senses to focus on suppressing the Blood Ki. It was much older than the Blood Ki from before. Despite falling for my trick, it was no slouch. It attacked in multiple directions, making it hard for me to focus my own Ki to contain it.

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Then I was standing in a field, green grass, little different colored flowers dotting the ground around me. I looked around and blinked, rubbing my eyes before gasping at the sight of my hands. They were darker than I remembered, the fur on my right arm a deep blue. It was really pretty. Was this what Vivian's fur looked like.

I shook my head and regained my focus. I could see, fine, I'd accept that. But where was I? I'd just been fighting the Blood Ki for control of my body. Now I was in a nice comfortable field?

An illusion? It was directly attacking my Ki, it was possible that it could make me experience things in an attempt to distract me, to make me lose my focus. Then I could feel it, at the back of my mind, the constant struggle between my Ki and the Blood Ki. It was different from before, I wasn't directly fighting it but I could also tell that my Ki had it in a stalemate.

"That is because I am helping" a soft voice floated through the air and I turned, seeing a large tree in the distance, though it hadn't been there before. What was ominous about it was that every single leaf on the tree was blood red. I walked towards it as there was nothing else to do in this field.

"And who are you?" I asked before stopping as a hand appeared from behind the tree, followed by the most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen. I'd hate to sound like an shallow guy, but she had curves in all the right places. No model on Earth could compare to this woman. Her eyes like rubies and her hair an equally deep shade of red. It wasn't sickening like Blood Ki, but like a rose caught in a sunset.

"Eliza, the owner of the body you've been so maliciously beating around" she said smiling at me. I think Cupid would have a hard time not falling for this woman.

I shook my head, ignoring her beauty "That was not your body, that body was...masculine" I said. I could clearly see it through the red lines of Blood Ki through its body. No femininity at all, also this woman clearly only had two arms as opposed to the six the other had.

She rolled her eyes and gave a soft scoff "Blood Ki, it doesn't just devour, it reshapes to a more suitable form. No need for the soft bits of a woman's body. Just raw strength and defense, anything else is excess" she shook her head "No elegance or finesse, just brute force"

I made a face, it was hard not to. Just by a quick observation, I could tell that this woman was strong in her own right, most likely stronger than the Blood Ki form she was now. Even without pure sight, I'd learned to judge another's strength. She probably lacked the raw strength her new body possessed but she certainly had the skill to overwhelm anyone.

"How did you get consumed by the Blood Ki? In fact, why are you even here?" I wondered. If I was right and Blood Ki was all consuming, there should be nothing left of the Ki of the previous person.

"Similar to you and your staff, I imbued my Ki into an object and then hid that object within a small pocket of space, connected to my original body." she sighed softly "I've basically been attached to my body for a long time, watching as it slaughtered and fed its Blood Ki." she shook her head "As for how...it was a moment when I was at my weakest the Blood Ki found me and consumed me"

She perked back up and smiled at me "Now you are here, attempting to defeat it. You were going to lose so I connected my Ki to you. I'm not going to let it keep going if we have the chance to stop it"

She waved her hand and an image appeared, lights flowing from the tree to form a window. The first thing I noticed was that I could now see my body. Well toned and well tanned, I was a little surprised at how I looked. Long hair and a partially well trimmed beard. I made a face, figuring I needed to get a proper haircut when I got home.

Then I saw Max. Looking just like me except he was clean cut. He'd definitely lived a more comfortable life before meeting me. The others looked a little different. Alice had cut her hair a bit shorter than I remembered and Mary was actually wearing a mages robe, her brown hair tucked into her hat.

Rein's short black hair had actually grown out a bit, her huntress, rogue armor looked pretty good.

Vivian was a beautiful wolf, deep blue fur and bright yellow eyes. She had a little moon crescent between her eyes and her form was filled with power.

Adarna was actually a silvery blue color, with bright green eyes. It was interesting to know. Though that beak looked just as terrifying as I imagined it to be.

A flash of movement caught me off gaurd as everyone quickly moved as a flurry of punches struck the ground where they'd gathered. The Monster was still alive!? It didn't look much more different than I'd seen. It's skin was deep red and its body bulged with powerful muscles. Despite its large size, it moved with a strange grace I hadn't noticed before.

"Why is it still alive?!" I growled.

"Instinct. My body is well trained and despite its current appearance, it still holds a lot of power." Eliza said softly "I trained until I could respond to the slightest danger, whether I was asleep or not. The Blood Ki managed to repair the damage before you called it into you, so now my body is fighting purely in self defense"

"Don't worry though" she smiled at me "Your friends are doing well and my body can't keep going forever, especially since the Blood Ki is no longer inside of it" she pointed behind me "Besides, we have more important things to handle at the moment.

I turned around and saw blood beginning to drip from the sky, pooling into various enemies I'd fought since I'd arrived in Olympus. I stretched a bit and grinned "So, this is the Blood Ki I take it?"

She nodded as she pulled a couple of sickle like swords from behind her back "As it consumes your Ki, it begins using your own experiences to wear you down. You've been quite busy, but this is a pale comparison to what I faced in the past. You are just going to fight more and more as you step into this world"

I waved my hand and a staff appeared. The wood was beautiful and I could really appreciate the carvings that the Kobolds had made for me. It was a deeper gray than I imagined, probably since it had been changed to ironwood.

We rushed into battle, my staff flashing in arcs, sending splashes of blood through the air. The monsters were weaker than I'd imagined. It wasn't as if they were all impossible to defeat, but there seemed to be an infinite amount of them, constantly being created just as quickly as we defeated them.

Eliza was no pushover either. Her graceful movements caught my attention as she flipped through the air, her blades slashing through heads. Whereas I could take a few beatings, she never gave them the chance to hit her. Like water, she swirled through the groups of monsters, blades flashing in the light as she took the monsters two at a time. The finesse she moved with was at least two levels higher than anything I'd experienced before and I was thankful that she wasn't my enemy, and that her actual body had been altered to such a degree that it couldn't use its full strength.

This fight was never ending though. I didn't really feel tired, but my body was becoming sluggish, not responding to my orders as fast as I would have liked. It seemed that fighting in this illusionary world was still using up my Ki. Fortunately, the monsters I was facing thinned out as they got stronger.

Until they became my brother and friends, even Vivian and Adarna were there. Of course, I'd fought against them too. When they came at me, I found myself in a defensive stance, avoiding actually attacking them in fear that I would kill them.

I could kill a lot of things, goblins, Ents, even a Kobold if I needed to, but I couldn't kill the ones I cared about. In a lot of stories, this was where the hero would man up and kill the illusions of their loved ones, realizing that the real ones were the ones that they needed to see again.

But I felt that was bullshit. To coldly kill those you loved, even if they were illusions, was the dumbest thing in the world. That meant that you were willing to abandon those feelings when it was a problem.

I'd still care about them, even if they were monsters. Unfortunately, I couldn't beat the Blood Ki without killing them.

However, I wasn't alone as Eliza cut through them without a care in the world. It was terrifying to watch but beautiful in its own way. I needed to find another way to beat the Blood Ki without fighting and killing my loved ones. I wasn't always going to have Eliza around to handle it.

I sighed as I sat on the ground "Please tell me that it is over" I rubbed my face gently. I wasn't physically exhausted, but my mind was fully strained.

Eliza looked around before nodding "You'll have to do the cleanup yourself, but the worst of it has passed" she said waving her hand and recreating the screen from before "It seems your allies have defeated my body as well" she said nodding.

She was right. From what I could see, the body basically ran out of juice, slowing down and losing strength. Still, it hadn't been an easy fight. All of them were pretty seriously harmed. Max looked like he was holding a broken arm and Alice was walking funny. I frowned before sighing. It was nice to see that they could handle themselves without me.

Then I was opening my eyes and looking around, back to the soft blue like light Mana gave off constantly.

"Alex!" Mary was the first to notice that I'd awoken as she moved over to me. I was still focusing on my Ki, eliminating any remaining Blood Ki I could find. It had dwindled down to a pathetic few drops but I knew that if left alone, it would devour my Ki and grow back to its full strength in due time.

"What happened?" Alice said as she and Max walked over to me, followed by Rein, Vivian, and Adarna.

"The Blood Ki entered me and I had to fight it off, sorry I couldn't help you all against that thing" I nodded towards the burning body of the Monster.

Max shook his head "No worries, it was much weaker after you began meditating" he winced as he moved his arm slightly "Still probably the most difficult thing we've faced"

I nodded "Tell me about it. When you get back to the other world, you need to make sure nothing like this exists there" the Deity of that world probably kept a close eye on things like that but it didn't hurt to keep them on their feet.

Alice nodded "We'll crush them before they get too powerful" she said firmly and I chuckled.

"You'll also have to make sure you don't fall prey to it" I said "It feeds on your desire for more power and will attack you at your weakest moments" I remembered Eliza. I was more and more aware of how lucky I'd been.

Slowly, I stood up "Lets get home, I don't want to stay here" the others nodded and we headed out before I stopped "Keep going, I'll just make sure the body actually completely burns away" I said watching them leave.

I stood before the body and sighed as I watched it burn "Sorry" I said softly. I was apologizing for a few things, first was destroying the body and second for her being consumed by it.

"You're sweet. Be careful, or some girl is going to eat you up" a soft voice entered my ears as a soft cloth fell across my shoulders "A gift, from me to you, for stopping the Blood Ki...I'm not going to remain without my body around..."

I felt a soft pair of lips on my cheek "Take care Alexander...you have a lot ahead of you" then I felt her vanish.

I removed the cloth from my shoulders and felt it. It was soft but tough. Examining it revealed it to be a cloak. It must've been the object she'd imbued her Ki into to survive. I swung it back onto my shoulders and fastened it before pulling up the hood. I felt it shroud my face in darkness, observing as the Void energy swirled up under the cloak, close to my body.

Then I felt the fibers of the cloak move, digging into my skin, from my head to my feet it held me close and reached in until it touched my Ki and began drinking it in. I dropped to my knees as I felt completely weak and unable to fight back.

After a few moments, the cloak was completely filled with my Ki. I frowned before I understood what had happened. It had been imbued with Eliza's Ki for so long that when it finally ran out, it was like a man in the desert, drinking up the closest source of Ki. It completely became mine as it took my Ki to sustain it.

Then I found the real use of the cloak. It wasn't just for hiding my appearance, it added to my defense, the outside like smooth steel. It was also as maneuverable as my staff and moved according to my will, flipping the hood off and on.

The material it was made of was malleable as well. This meant that it could shape shift into various types of defensive gear, more importantly, I actually had clothes now. No shoes though. I changed it into a simple shirt and a pair of pants before stretching.

I was both happy and sad now. We were all leaving tomorrow, me back to Earth (hopefully) and them back to Alfis.

I suddenly had an idea. Despite our injuries...we needed to have a party!