Damned Healer

"W-what the hell..."

All the High Elders turned completely pale, unable to even process what they were seeing.

On top of the colossal crocodile-shaped shadow, Darian gave a slight smile. "I'm not some maniac who kills for no reason. So I'll be straight with you: get the hell out. The whole eruption belongs to me. If anyone dares to stay, don't blame me for being cruel."

"Don't be stupid! The eruption is enough for a thousand people to fully absorb, and after that, everyone needs an entire day to assimilate it all." one High Elder snapped.

"So what?" Darian replied indifferently. "I'll take everything, and that has nothing to do with you or your sect. I won't repeat myself. When the next sign comes, I'll kill anyone still here."

"Just you?! Hahahahah!" a demon roared, spreading his wings and releasing a suffocating black aura. "You think these mindless shadows can stop us? Don't be pathetic."

Darian snorted. He was trying to keep his mind clear, not letting himself sink into the instinct of becoming a cold-blooded killer. That's why he gave a warning, even showing his army beforehand.

*BUZZ!*

Suddenly, the final warning of the eruption echoed. In just a few minutes, all that primordial power would erupt from the center of that place.

"Kill them all..." Darian didn't hesitate and ordered coldly.

"FINISH HIM!" At the same time, the demons drew their weapons and unleashed their powers.

Darian could clearly feel the difference compared to the enemies in the desert. First of all, these ones had been through a lot, they had experience — they weren't idiots or clueless. Second, he could sense traces of chaos power flowing inside their bodies.

Just like he had learned to burn that power to boost his strength, everyone in that world could channel it in different ways — still making them a lot stronger.

If, back during the events at the Battle Institute, Darian hadn't acted quickly and neutralized his enemies by surprise, he wouldn't have won so easily. Luckily, he had crushed them before they could burn that resource.

*BOOOM!*

The shadow army charged like an avalanche. But, unlike what the demons expected...

...the strongest ones physically moved up front like a wall, perfectly coordinated. Meanwhile, others focused on different tasks, being protected and striking at the exact right moment.

In seconds, the demons' courage was replaced by despair.

"NO!" screams of panic and death burst out among the weaker ones.

Darian stood on top of the crocodile, which hadn't moved an inch.

Through his mind, he could send orders to everyone, moving them like a cohesive army. Since he had to deeply alter the original demonic mark, he had added plenty of concepts from the Necromancer's technique.

Any self-respecting Necromancer needed to know how to deal with the lack of intelligence in their creations, while still pulling out as much collective power as possible. That's why there were tons of instructions on how to give simple orders and move an undead army efficiently.

Darian waved his hand, and almost fifty shadows moved swiftly, sealing off the exit and cutting off any chance for the demons to escape. Since there was only one entrance, they were now like turtles trapped in a jar.

"It's kinda boring just giving orders and controlling an army... but, I've gotta use everything at my disposal."

The High Elders were the only ones able to defend themselves and try to counterattack. But every passing second, more and more demons fell dead.

"!"

At that moment, Darian felt a massive amount of primordial Yin erupt. He turned and saw what looked like a black geyser shoot into the skies. The energy was so dense it almost seemed solid.

He turned back again and gave a signal.

Right away, countless shadows roared and lunged at the High Elders — but this time, it wasn't a normal attack.

**BOOOM!**

A violent blast of blood and power shook all the demons. Right after, the shadows started roaring and launching relentless attacks.

Horror took over them. Shadows were known for being mindless, and because of that, their power was limited. On top of that, there was one unbreakable rule: they had a natural survival instinct. Whenever something too powerful appeared, they would usually run.

That instinct was built into the system itself, and shadows would never self-destruct because of it. Not even the Leader of the Bloodnet Sect, heir to the shadow-control technique, could break that rule. If he even tried to order them to do it, the mark would weaken quickly and the shadow would break free.

Because of that, the demons never thought they could lose. But... Darian had them under complete control. And since shadows weren't living beings, he didn't hesitate to throw them away to end the fight quickly.

Violent explosions kept blasting nonstop, all targeting the ten High Elders. In less than a minute, after more than thirty explosions, all of them were gone — leaving not a single trace behind.

After that, the remaining shadows finished off the other demons trapped in the area.

Darian didn't bother to stick around and watch. He ordered his glorious mount to turn and take him straight to the main dish.

***

Inside the Wilding Kin Sect, at the top of a tower where the teleportation inscription was, Leader Mazur stood alongside the twenty High Elders.

The sect leader was in his true form, ready to fight. He stared fixedly at a crystal in front of him. Everyone around was tense, also watching and waiting for the moment of the signal.

The eruption had already started several minutes ago.

According to the records, it would take about half an hour for someone to absorb everything until they were completely full. The plan with Darian was that he'd get out as quickly as possible and use the crystal he'd been given to send a signal.

That signal would connect to the sect's crystal, creating a subtle spatial distortion. That way, the strongest ones could get there and forcibly bring him back. Of course... the demons would never allow something like that so easily, and a fierce battle was bound to happen.

That's why Mazur was prepared to burn a massive amount of the sect's resources, activating the diagrams that would bless his High Elders.

That would catch the demons off guard and, even if they were expecting something like it, with the blessing at full power, the High Elders would become practically immortal.

The problem was that the cost would be irreparable. This was all or nothing for the sect. If Darian didn't bring results within a decade, they'd be destroyed fast.

The minutes dragged on... and everyone's anxiety grew.

...

After almost an hour, everyone's expression shifted into near despair. If he hadn't given a signal until now... it could only mean one thing...

"Leader... he didn't make it..." One High Elder murmured painfully the words no one wanted to say.

The red leopard stayed silent, still focused on the crystal.

Unfortunately, for Darian to grow quickly, he had to seize the eruptions. There was no way to keep him safe inside the sect. Killing enemies was far too risky and, even then, a hundred kills might not even be enough to fully fill his core.

Ten minutes later, all the High Elders had already accepted the unchangeable truth. Their only hope and gamble was lost forever... maybe destruction really was the sect's fate...

Until...

*Buzz*

The leopard felt his leader's emblem vibrate. His expression of fury lit up, but he grabbed it and read the message. Then...

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"What? That's impossible!"