30 Advance Chapters on [email protected]/Saintbarbido.
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(Loth's P.O.V)
I sat cross-legged atop the canyon, eyes closed, breathing slow and steady.
The morning sun warmed my skin, but I barely felt it. My focus was turned inward, into my spirit world.
One entire night spent in meditation had changed it. Now my inner world was unrecognizable from what it had once been.
The black sea of corruption was gone, replaced by a sprawling forest of vibrant pink and violet trees. A blend of magnolias, cherrys and jacaranda, bursting with vigor like the onset of Spring.
A warm breeze ruffled my hair softly, carrying with it the scent of something familiar, though I couldn't quite place it. The closest comparison would be Ambrosia.
Overhead, two celestial bodies circled each other—one a radiant pink sun, the other a dark, looming moon. They moved in perfect sync, locked in a two-body system.
I lowered my gaze.
At the center of the forest was a small groove with soft blue grass, on which sat Blitz, the massive pink wolf that now represented my controlled Hellhound curse.
Its fur shimmered with Anodite magic, every movement exuding raw power. It watched me expectantly, golden eyes sharp and knowing.
At its feet was the last of the infection I had purged from my body—a writhing mass of black energy, condensed into an orb by my aura.
I smirked, pushing the floating orb his way. "You hungry, boy?"
Blitz let out a low growl before snapping up the dark sphere in one bite.
The moment it swallowed, it threw its head back and howled.
The entire inner world trembled in response. The pink sun flared brighter, its warmth cascading over the landscape, while the dark moon pulsed, as if acknowledging Blitz's power.
I watched, arms crossed. "Never in a million years did I think my wolf form would be an alien from Ben 10."
Especially Blitzwolfer, who wasn't a top 10 favorite alien for anyone, or even my first choice. I'd have gone with Van Helsing's version.
A breathy chuckle left me. "Then again, I should've known. My Anodite magic must have shaped the curse into something I was familiar with using memories of my favorite show. Talk about nostalgia."
Blitz flicked an ear, clearly listening.
"But…" I exhaled, flexing my fingers as I felt magical energy hum beneath my skin. "I'm still not in full control. I need more training before I can use my abilities like I used to."
Blitz huffed, as if agreeing. Despite this, with every pulse of the sun above, more power trickled into the warm core in my chest.
My reserves had increased so tremendously, that I was almost grateful for Ares and the Curse. Almost.
I ran a hand through my hair, casting one last glance at the celestial bodies above.
It was poetic.
The sun and moon circling each other, balancing the darkness and light in me.
I was cured. I was free. Harmonized.
With a relieved exhale, I opened my eyes in the physical world.
The desert stretched out before me, bathed in golden light.
Below, gathered at the base of the canyon, a pack of monsters howled and screeched. My magic must have attracted them after I dropped the mist veil to focus on meditation.
Their eyes locked onto me, hunger and malice radiating from them.
But none of them dared to attack.
I grinned, releasing the pink energy pulsing around my body. They cowered at my presence, kept at bay by the same instincts that pushed them to attack.
My stuff was down there. I couldn't go back naked right?
"Well," I muttered, standing up and rolling my shoulders. "Although my control still sucks, I can still do this."
I raised my hands, summoning two rotating pink energy discs, their razor-sharp edges gleaming.
Each was attached to a thin strand of energy that ran along my fingers, allowing me full control over their movement, otherwise they wouldn't be revolving anywhere near my exposed junk.
With a single step, I leapt from the canyon, the wind blowing past my bare ass.
I think I whooped before landing on the ground with Blitzwolfer's legs, right among the pack.
"And thus chaos reigns. Muhahaha!!!"
'Whiizz!!'
The discs spun through the air, cutting down anything that lunged at me.
I weaved between attacks effortlessly, my movements fluid and precise in partial Shifter form.
Every strike was calculated, every dodge smooth. This new body—Blitzwolfer's instincts and senses—I was finally starting to own it.
But I had no time to revel in my victory.
Las Vegas shimmered in the distance. And my friends waited.
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The Lotus Casino.
The moment I locked my enhanced eyes on it, I could see the magic—a thick, cloying shimmering enchantment that wrapped around the building like a hungry beast.
The whole place was designed to trap people inside, to make them forget why they had come.
Percy and Annabeth were in there because of me. Let's rectify that.
Gathering energy into my legs, I launched myself forward, leaping off car roofs and street poles under a veil of mist.
With one final burst of power off a bent pole, I soared through the air, aiming straight for the casino's towering glass windows.
A reinforcement spell wrapped around me just before impact.
The glass shattered as I crashed through, landing smoothly inside the lavish casino. Prehensile feet for the win.
I barely had a second to take in the flashing lights, ringing slot machines, and massive chandeliers before a group of guards surrounded me.
They were dressed oddly—almost too pristine for casino security. Their uniforms were deep black and their golden nameplates glowed faintly.
Each of them held crackling batons buzzing with contained energy.
One of them, an older man with sharp golden eyes, stepped forward. "You are in violation of the Lotus Hotel's rules on unauthorized magic."
I dusted myself off, glancing around. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to grant me an audience with the casino manager?"
The head guard's expression darkened. "Detain him."
They rushed me.
Except… I wasn't there.
From the second floor, I watched as the guards swung their batons at nothing—an illusion left behind by layering Mist on top of a simple energy construct.
They cursed and scanned the room, but by the time they realized they'd been tricked, I was already long gone.
Tracking Percy and Annabeth was almost laughably easy.
Even without my enhanced sense of smell, their scents stood out to my aura sense. Percy smelled like sea salt and fresh ink. Annabeth, like parchment and metal.
I followed their trails, weaving between oblivious casino guests until I reached the gaming floor.
The sight that greeted me made me scowl.
Percy sat in front of an arcade machine, his entire body tense, eyes glued to the screen. The game displayed an image of his mother trapped behind a gate of flames. He was completely lost in it, his hands gripping the controls as if his life depended on it.
Annabeth wasn't much better. She sat a few machines away, engrossed in a city-building simulation.
She moved with precision, stacking virtual buildings with the same focus she'd have while reading.
I clenched my fists.
"Percy," I called. No response.
I stepped forward, shaking his shoulder. "Percy, snap out of it."
He barely even blinked. "Almost there… just a little more Ma..."
I turned to Annabeth, waving a hand in front of her face. Nothing.
My jaw tightened.
Fine.
Without hesitation, I punched Percy's arcade machine.
The screen exploded, sparks flying as the machine let out a final, pitiful whine before shutting down. Percy jerked back as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over him.
"What the—?!"
I didn't wait for him to recover.
I spun and kicked Annabeth's machine. The screen cracked, simulation freezing before dissolving into a mess of pixels.
Annabeth gasped, blinking rapidly.
"What… what happened?"
"No time," I said, grabbing both of them by the wrists. "We're leaving. Now."
The moment I pulled them away, I felt the shift in my aura sense radar.
The guards had noticed.
I blasted through another window and we rode out of the casino on top of a construct.
After landing outside, Percy shook his head, still groggy. "How long were we in there?"
I didn't answer.
Annabeth's eyes widened in realization. She yanked Percy's wrist toward her, checking his watch.
Her breath hitched. "We've lost several days."
Percy paled. "The Summer Solstice—"
"Is tomorrow," Annabeth finished.
Percy cursed. "We need to get to L.A. now."
I grinned. "Don't worry. I've got an idea."
Raising my hands, I summoned another construct—a massive, pink paper plane which unfolded around us.
It took a lot more concentration but luckily, this construct relied more on power than precise magical energy control.
The Mist wrapped around it, concealing the pink glow from outside eyes.
Before Annabeth could protest, we were lifted off the ground.
The paper plane rose higher and higher, gliding out of Las Vegas and into the open sky.
Percy whooped in excitement. "This is awesome!"
On the other hand, Annabeth gripped the edges of her seat for dear life while screaming in fright.
I only grinned as the Entertainment Capital of the world shrank below us.
Los Angeles and the Underworld awaited.