I Shall Devour Everything

"No!"

Mei had a startled look hearing his exaggerated 'No' and was about to ask when Arion continued, "I mean, there is no need to go to all that trouble. I am pretty sure that I have the Darkness Aspect. I can feel it in my heart. As for potential, I don't really care since it's something I will anyway find out on my own. All I want to do now is train and also register for the Ironheart Test."

Arion inwardly hoped that Mei wouldn't persuade him to take up the test and berated himself inwardly for almost making himself appear suspicious.

Mei had a confused expression wondering why he did not seem that excited about taking the Pranic Root test and guessed that it was because he was tired of the long waiting time.

Still, what he said made sense, and she also didn't feel that there was any special need for him to take the test. It was mostly for those whose Aspects were too weak to be detected or those who didn't have their Aspects awakened.

So she left that thought and said with a smile, "Alright, as you wish."

Her expression then became hesitant as her lips parted and closed a few times before saying, "By the way...do you really want to really take on the second trial?"

Arion's expression became thoughtful as he knew why she was asking that question. He had no idea what the trials exactly were since each year, they changed the rules and everything.

But one thing he was sure of was that the chance of passing even the first trial was too low to make one feel despair. Even he thanked the gods he did not believe in just because he easily skipped the first trial.

And he was also not sure if he could really pass the second trial, but he had faith in Mei and Old Zi's training, thinking that he should be well trained and prepared after a year.

Of course, he could take it easy for now and join a Rare tier school. But would he still be safe after joining? Would those schools train him well enough to face Dreadlings that had already killed a lot of Dreadslayers? Would those schools have enough resources to make him powerful within a short amount of time?

In fact, he knew that most of the aspiring Defiers took the Iron Heart Test at the young age of 15 since that was the minimum and also because the earlier they join a training school, the more time they get to train themselves and become powerful since even a few years of difference could make a large difference since the life spans of humans were inherently not that long.

Sometimes some people may be close to jumping to the next stage by just a few years, but if they die before that due to old age, then that's that. And this was considering that they survived long enough to not get killed by any Dreadlings.

He said with a sigh, "Sister Mei...I...do you trust me? Trust me to win the second trial?"

Mei took a deep breath and said with a soft smile, "I will trust you no matter what."

Arion's expression became a bit complicated hearing her words, but he just shook those thoughts away and said with a smile, "Then I won't disappoint you. I will pass not only for my sake but for you as well so that I can once again see my precious Sister Mei."

Mei smiled as she dipped her chin, hiding her bashfulness.

Arion's facial muscles suddenly tightened when he forgot to ask about one important thing. 

He asked with an evasive gaze, "I actually wanted to know something...You will be with me even after the training and the trials..right?"

Mei slowly looked up to see the chaotic ripples in his eyes while also the hidden expectation and worry behind them.

She felt heartened, but at the same time, certain thoughts that had been buried in the back of her mind started to prick her conscience.

Still, she replied with a smile, "Of course. Where else would I go without you?"

Arion felt like the final heavyweight from his heart had been lifted as he let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

"Great, that's all I needed to hear," Arion happily said as he laid on the mat with a serene smile.

Mei's smile slowly faded as she also laid down with a complicated expression.

She turned off the lantern as the whole room went dark while the two of them were lying on the mat, face-up, feeling a bit awkward.

Usually, the two would hug before going to sleep, but now both were feeling hesitant for their own reasons.

Arion badly wanted to hug her since he felt that he might not be able to sleep without basking in her familiar fragrance, though due to his enhanced senses, he could clearly smell the wet freshness from her body after the bath. But at the same time, he was afraid that his uncontrollable libido might cause some trouble for him and Mei again.

As for Mei, she didn't know if it was proper of her to hug a man especially considering the thoughts and emotions she had in her mind. She still clearly remembered how she felt when Arion accidentally 'bumped' into her.

She didn't know how to react if something like that happens next time and if she was causing Arion discomfort. Otherwise, she couldn't understand why his 'sword' would get so big only near her.

But at the same time, she felt a sort of emptiness in her heart, missing the warmth she always felt from him before going to sleep.

Arion decided to sleep like this for the time being rather than risk making things more awkward between them. 

He chose to think about random stuff when he suddenly remembered that he forgot to open the rest of the gifts.

But he felt that the other gifts wouldn't be more precious than the Vial of Blue Petals.

Soon before he knew it, his mind had already slipped into his subconsciousness…

'Damn...why is my stomach growling so much...this hunger...why is it so unbearable?'

'Let me get up and eat something…'

However, as he opened his eyes, he received the shock of his life,' What the fuck! My hands!!! Why do they look so weird....these claws...my skin...what the hell is going on??'

Arion twisted his hand around only to see long limbs with luminous black skin and ember-colored claws that seemed to shimmer in the darkness.

He then took a look at his body only to have his mouth hit the metaphorical ground when he saw his unfamiliar chest shimmering with a bright ember color while the rest of his skin was as black as the midnight sky.

He wanted to touch his body and feel them, making sure that this was all just an illusion and not his real body. But his limbs were not moving or listening to his mind strangely.

He then frantically looked around only to receive a heavier shock to his mind, 'Wait a second...this place...isn't this the Jawfiend's nest...I remember fighting them here...but...how am I even HERE??'

Arion panicked, seeing that this underground place was familiar, but when his gaze finally settled towards the front, his eyes became wide as saucers when he saw a horde of Jawfiends sticking around the Queen Jawfiend!

But the Queen Jawfiend seemed frozen in its place as if dead except for its fangs moving around a bit.

Arion's thoughts were in complete chaos as he was unable to make sense of anything at all.

But before he could connect his thoughts, he saw his hands moving on his own and intense energy welling up through his chest to let out an ear-rendering roar.

"ROAAAARRRRR!!!"

Even though he knew he wasn't the one who let out that roar, he felt as if that roar did escape from his own mouth.

And before he knew, he was already rushing towards the Jawfiends while they were also leaping towards them.

He wanted to close his eyes out of fright and shock at seeing a large horde of them jumping at him with their poisonous fangs, but strangely he was unable to close his eyes at all and saw helplessly how his 'own' claws were tearing those Jawfiends apart like paper.

But the next thing he saw made his heart write when his 'own' claws tore through a Jawfiend and plucked out its pranic heart before putting it in 'his' mouth.

'Ughhh...disgusting!' Arion wanted to spit it out, but 'his' teeth began to chew on it already, and he grimaced, hoping that his tongue falls out so that he doesn't have to taste it.

But after 'he' gulped it, he felt as if he ate something delectable while 'his' hunger pangs were becoming wilder.

Arion felt that as if he was in some horrifying nightmare as he desperately shouted, "GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"