Complete Fusion
The moment Leon's hand touched the Essence, the world shifted.
"Aaaaaaah!"
His scream tore through the canyon, echoing loudly. But it wasn't a scream of pain. It was a cry of ecstasy.
The Essence seeped into his body through his palm. Black crystals and red liquid spread throughout his body, flowing through his veins. Leon's heart began to pound wildly.
"This is... this is real power!"
Leon's skin began to change rapidly. Dark red crystals erupted all over his body, glowing as if alive. His veins had not only turned completely black, but they now protruded prominently above his skin, covering his entire body like black roots.
His pupils were now completely stained with the color of chaos. A dark crimson light actually began to emanate from his eyes.
"Good... Perfect fusion..."
The voice of the first breaker of balance echoed in Leon's mind. But now, that voice wasn't coming from outside. It was becoming Leon's own voice.
"Ahahahaha!"
Leon's laughter shook the entire canyon. There were no longer any human emotions in that laughter. Only a pure desire for destruction, a craving for predation, and the madness of revenge remained.
The Awakening of Chaos
As Leon rose, dark crimson Aether surged from his body like black flames. These flames were completely different from ordinary Aether. They were the pure power of chaos, devouring, corrupting, and destroying everything.
"This power... this overwhelming power..."
As Leon raised his hand, the surrounding Chaos Aether rushed towards him as if drawn by a magnet. The Chaos Aether scattered throughout the canyon began to swirl around his body.
The Aether emanating from his body rippled like shadows. Sometimes it transformed into black tentacles, other times it unfurled like wings. Its form was not constant, but every manifestation was destructive and menacing.
"Aether level 2.8?" Leon muttered. "I suppose it can't be measured with such numbers anymore."
Even his voice had changed. It was still Leon's voice, but it was layered with multiple echoes. It was as if countless beings were speaking simultaneously.
Time for Revenge
Leon emerged from the canyon and headed towards the Aether Academy. But now he didn't walk. The Chaos Aether emanating from his body formed shadowy wings, lifting him into the air.
Leon, flying through the night sky, was the embodiment of a demon. The chaotic moonlight illuminated his mutated body, creating an even more terrifying silhouette.
"Ares... wait for me."
Upon arriving at the Aether Academy, Leon went straight to Ares's dormitory. His footsteps were silent, but black footprints were left on the floor wherever he passed. The Chaos Aether was slowly corroding the building itself.
Ares was sleeping in his room. He had spent a satisfying day, reveling in his superiority after tormenting his juniors.
The door quietly opened. Ares, feeling something cold, opened his eyes.
"Who's there?"
The moment he sat up and turned, his face turned pale.
"Le... Leon?"
Standing there was not the weak Leon he remembered, but a completely different being. Skin covered in dark crimson crystals, protruding black veins, and eyes blazing with the light of chaos.
"Long time no see, Ares." Leon's voice filled the room. "Do you remember? What you said at the training ground?"
Ares instinctively activated his golden Aether. But the moment his Aether met Leon's Chaos Aether, it extinguished like a candle encountering a hurricane.
"W-what is this?"
Cruel Judgment
"You said my Aether level was 3.2?" Leon approached slowly. "You said I was weaker than a common farmer, didn't you?"
Ares recoiled, but it was too late. Black, tentacle-like Chaos Aether extended from Leon's hand and wrapped around Ares's neck.
"Ugh..."
"You said I'd be shattered with one blow, didn't you?" A chilling smile appeared on Leon's lips. "Let's see for ourselves."
Leon swung his fist. The blow, imbued with Chaos Aether, struck Ares's abdomen.
"Aargh!"
Ares's body flew through the wall and tumbled into the hallway. Blood gushed from his mouth. But that was only the beginning.
"I told you it wasn't over yet, didn't I?" Leon walked through the hole in the wall. "Get up, Ares."
Ares desperately tried to get up. His golden Aether tried to flare up again, but Leon's Chaos Aether devoured it.
"Impossible... This can't be happening..."
"Impossible?" Leon laughed. "You all said I was impossible. Impossible with an Aether level of 2.8."
Leon grabbed Ares by the hair and lifted him. The Chaos Aether emanating from his hand began to burn Ares's scalp.
"Argh! Let go! Let me go!"
"Let go?" Madness deepened in Leon's eyes. "What did you do when I begged you?"
Leon slammed Ares to the floor. Then he began to stomp on his chest with his foot. With each stomp, Chaos Aether pierced Ares's body.
"Ughhhhh!"
The sound of Ares's ribs breaking echoed through the hallway. But Leon didn't stop.
The Birth of the Predator
"Now I understand," Leon said, looking down at Ares. "Power is everything. In the face of power, everything else is meaningless."
Ares was already on the verge of losing consciousness. His once proud golden Aether had completely vanished, and his entire body was being corroded by Chaos Aether.
"Save... save me..." Ares barely mumbled.
"Save you?" Leon tilted his head. "Interesting. But why should I save you?"
Black flames began to blaze from Leon's hand. It was not mere Aether, but the flames of chaos that burned even the soul.
"You were right, Ares. One blow is enough."
Leon's hand touched Ares's chest. Black flames engulfed Ares's body.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
Ares's scream shook the entire academy. But the scream quickly faded. Ares's body had turned to ash by the chaotic flames.
"One down," Leon murmured. "Next up..."
The Boundary of Light
At the same time, in the Sanctuary of Light far from the academy, Light von Einhart suddenly rose.
"This wavelength..."
Alarm appeared in his cold eyes. The concentration of Chaos Aether spreading in the air was rapidly increasing. And at its center was a powerful entity unlike any he had encountered before.
"Send the Watchers," Light ordered his subordinate. "Confirm what's happening at the Aether Academy."
Light walked to the window and gazed at the night sky. The Moon of Chaos shone redder than usual.
"A new threat has appeared," he muttered coldly. "And it is... very powerful."
Pure white Aether automatically formed a protective barrier around Light's body. That was how great the threat he felt was.
"Leon Drac..." Light murmured the name. "Could it be that outcast?"
But instinctively, he knew. There was a clear connection between what was happening at the Aether Academy now and the young man he had expelled a few days ago.
"Interesting." A cold smile appeared on Light's lips. "It seems a true opponent has appeared after a long time."
The true confrontation between Light and Chaos was about to begin.
Meanwhile, at the Aether Academy, Leon slowly walked out after dealing with Ares. His next target was already set in his eyes.
"Shall we begin in earnest now?"
His laughter sliced through the night air. The wild predator had awakened.