Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

In a blink, the chain vanished, and Darius' weapon shifted once more into a long, curved blade. He darted forward, striking at the werelion king's exposed side with deadly precision.

The blade cut deep, drawing a spray of blood from the king's flank. The werelion king roared in pain, swinging his massive arm in retaliation, but Darius ducked under the blow with fluid grace, his movements efficient, like water flowing around an obstacle.

Angered by the sting of pain, the werelion king's body surged with power, and he grew even larger, towering now like a mountain over the battlefield. His fur bristled as he swung his claws downward with a force that could crush mountains.

Darius barely moved, but his sword shifted once more—this time into a massive greatsword, large enough to block the incoming strike. The collision of claw and blade sent shockwaves through the ground and air, but Darius held firm. His feet dug slightly into the dirt, absorbing the force as if he were a wall of iron.

With a grunt, the werelion king leapt backward, taking a deep breath before unleashing a beam of dark red energy from his mouth. The beam tore across the battlefield, aimed directly at Darius.

Unfazed, Darius stepped forward, raising his sword, which shimmered and morphed into a massive shield just in time to intercept the beam. The force of the attack crashed into the shield, but it was absorbed albeitly, the ground beneath Darius unshaken by the blast.

As the energy dissipated, Darius flicked his hand, and the shield shifted into a long, slender lance, glowing with a sharp, deadly light. With a single step, Darius propelled himself toward the werelion king at breakneck speed, the lance aimed directly at the beast's chest.

The werelion king's eyes widened in shock at the sudden speed of the attack. He tried to bat the lance away, but Darius was faster, too efficient. The lance pierced through the werelion king's defenses, stabbing deep into his shoulder.

The werelion king roared in pain and fury, swiping wildly with his massive claw.

But Darius was already gone, pulling the lance free and shifting it once more into a pair of twin swords. He moved with surgical precision, slicing across the werelion king's arms and legs, leaving deep cuts in his wake. Every movement was calculated, every strike meant to weaken his opponent bit by bit.

The werelion king's strength was unmatched, but Darius was relentless, his attacks whittling down the beast's endurance. The more the werelion king grew in size, the more vulnerable he became to Darius' unyielding strikes.

With a final, desperate roar, the werelion king raised both of his massive fists, intending to crush Darius in one final blow. But Darius simply raised his hand, and the twin swords in his grip shifted once more—this time into a glowing, ethereal bow. Without hesitation, he pulled back the string, conjuring an arrow of pure aether.

Before the werelion king's fists could even begin their descent, Darius released the arrow. It streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning, striking the werelion king square in the chest. The force of the impact sent the massive beast crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom, the battlefield shaking beneath the weight of his fall.

Darius landed lightly on the ground beside the fallen king, his weapon dissolving into the air as he stood, silent and calm. The werelion king, now bleeding and panting heavily, struggled to rise, but his strength was gone.

The battle was over.

Darius looked down at the defeated beast, his expression unreadable. Then, with a nod of respect, he turned away, leaving the werelion king behind as he silently walked back toward the heart of the battlefield.

The true hunter had been revealed.

"..."

"!"

Darius sensed something and quickly turned back. But, he was a bit late.

"BOOM!"

An attack collided with his chest, causing him to be blown away.

Darius skidded back, his boots digging into the earth as he struggled to regain balance after an unexpected blow. He slammed into a group of smaller monsters, sending them flying like ragdolls before his momentum finally halted.

Before he could react, a shadow loomed over him. His eyes narrowed in an instant, but it was too late. The shadowy figure appeared in front of him again, moving faster than his eyes could track. It grabbed him by the collar of his armor and hurled him into the sky with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of him.

Darius twisted mid-air, his body instinctively readying for the counterattack, but again, the shadow was faster. It appeared above him as if teleporting, its fist already aimed at him. A brutal kick slammed into Darius' chest, propelling him downward at lightning speed.

"Boom!"

The ground exploded as Darius crashed into it, sending dust and debris flying into the air. A crater formed beneath him, the earth buckling under the sheer force of the impact.

Silence fell for a heartbeat as the dust slowly settled, but before anyone could react, a figure stepped forward from the smoke, landing gracefully beside the crater.

It was the werelion king.

But something had changed.

No longer the towering, monstrous beast from moments before, the werelion king now stood at the size of an average human. His once massive frame had shrunk to a well-proportioned, muscular build, each limb perfectly sculpted, his movements eerily graceful.

His golden fur gleamed in the sunlight, but the most astonishing detail was his unblemished skin—no trace of the injuries Darius had inflicted upon him remained.

It was as if they had never been there.

The werelion king's eyes, still glowing with that primal gold hue, locked onto Darius with a new kind of intensity. His lips curled into a feral grin as he stepped forward, the weight of his presence suddenly far more oppressive than before.

"Surprised?" the werelion king taunted, his voice low and menacing. "You thought you had me, didn't you? But this is only the beginning, human."

Darius slowly stood up from the crater, brushing the dirt off his armor, his sharp eyes never leaving the werelion king. His chest rose and fell steadily, though the weight of the previous blows was evident in the way he moved, slightly more measured, more deliberate.

"This form..." Darius muttered under his breath, studying the werelion king's new, smaller frame. "Condensing all that power into a single perfect body. Impressive."

The werelion king chuckled darkly. "You talk too much." (As if you don't.)

He raised a hand, clenching his fist as dark energy crackled around him. "Let's see how long you can last now."

Without warning, the werelion king vanished from sight, reappearing directly in front of Darius. A swift palm strike came at him like a bullet, but Darius reacted just in time, raising his arm to block the hit. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, but Darius managed to hold his ground—barely.

The werelion king followed up with a barrage of strikes, each blow fast and precise, a stark contrast to the brute strength he had relied on earlier. His new form was faster, more efficient, and every movement carried the weight of his condensed power.

Darius, gritting his teeth, dodged and parried with practiced skill, his body moving in perfect rhythm with his opponent's attacks. But the werelion king was relentless, his attacks coming faster and faster, pushing Darius back with each exchange.

"What's the matter, Weeeapon Mage?" the werelion king sneered, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "Losing your edge already?"

Darius' eyes narrowed.

He needed to shift the momentum.

He couldn't afford to stay on the defensive.

With a sudden burst of energy, Darius' weapon morphed into a long glaive, its blade gleaming with a deadly light.

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He spun it with precision, creating an arc of energy that slashed toward the werelion king. The king sidestepped, but Darius was already prepared, using the glaive's momentum to launch himself into the air. Twisting mid-air, he brought the blade down with a powerful overhead strike.

The werelion king raised his arm to block the blow, and the impact caused the ground beneath him to crack, but his smirk never wavered.

"Is that all?"

With a sudden surge of power, the werelion king pushed Darius back, his grin widening. "You don't understand, do you?" His voice was filled with dark amusement as he flexed his now perfectly sculpted muscles. "This form is not just about power. It's about perfection."

The werelion king cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the battlefield like thunder.

"I've become the perfect predator."