The change Haku was undergoing sent shivers of fear down the shaman's spine. Scorching heat was breaking Haku's body apart, like glass cracking in a furnace. The cracks quickly covered his whole form until his body shattered.
The small pieces lay on the grass, completely white and silent. This gave the shaman a sliver of hope, thinking that it had failed.
Soon, that hope was completely destroyed.
The broken shards started to levitate, twirling around faster and faster until the intensity caused a whirlwind stuck in place, razing the grass beneath it.
It broke through the dome like a shredder shredding paper, becoming visible to Ryusei, who was still desperately dodging the Troll's onslaught. What followed was pressure, like a hand slowly squeezing their hearts. The fight immediately stopped as both of them struggled to breathe.
Both were now looking at the mini tornado eating through the dome until it finally crumbled, revealing what was happening inside.
Ryusei saw the shaman trembling in terror, but he was more worried about where Haku was.
The Troll also started to shake. It was desperately trying to run away, but it was as if dread had planted its feet into the ground.
Ryusei noticed this, but his eyes were focused on what was happening to the tornado.
The swirling wind got sucked inwards toward what looked like a white figure with a human body standing in the middle of it.
Its body was glowing white until a crack formed on what seemed to be a head.
A shard fell, dissipating before disappearing without touching the ground.
The being's closed eye was now visible. The moment it opened, a wave of energy or force rushed toward him and the Troll, pressing them to the ground.
Ryusei clenched his jaw. It was almost unbearable, but he kept his eyes open, staring into the piercing green eye. The color—he knew who it belonged to. Haku.
He continued watching as the white shell began cracking, the shards falling until the being inside—Haku—was visible.
His eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth lifted.
Haku... did he evolve?! A humanoid... it doesn't look any different from a human... Yes!
He could see a teenager, about eighteen years old, standing on the grass... na—naked. Short brown hair reached just above his emerald green eyes, and he had a strong-looking body with toned skin.
Their eyes met, and the pressure trying to kill him suddenly stopped—although it was a bit of an exaggeration, that was what it felt like.
Haku glanced back at the shaman, something still burning inside him, but he first inspected his body.
He looked down at his hands—five fingers. He curled them into fists. He could feel his strength had increased by a lot, and his mana also seemed much higher.
He curled his toes on the grass, feeling a prickly sensation, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
He opened his mouth.
"HELLO!!!"
His voice was so loud it generated a gust of wind, sending it throughout the space. The shaman stumbled down, falling backward, dropping his staff as his teeth started to chatter.
As he stared at Haku getting used to his new body, he knew he had to run, but his legs wouldn't follow what his brain was thinking.
Haku, on the other hand, felt eerily calm. As he stared at it. The rage he felt was still there but not influencing his thoughts. It was more like a blaze that's lost its rage
He cleared his throat, trying to talk softer this time.
"Hello... hmmm, so this is my voice, and this body... It's powerful. I can see why humans are strong."
A voice, sounding more elegant than it should, could be heard.
He blinked once before walking forward, each step he took sending small rippling shockwaves through the ground.
It was like his presence shaked the earth.
He stopped right in front of the quivering shaman, peering down into his eyes.
The shaman's voice shook as he struggled to get the words out.
"... No... Ple...ase... N...o."
Haku only looked at him with a straight face, no emotion visible, but he could feel the hate trying to claw its way out. His mind, however, was steady.
He crouched down to the shaman's level, placing his hand on its head.
He raised the shaman's head, glaring into its shaking eyes.
"Is this really the thing that killed my companion?"
His voice conveyed his disappointment. He couldn't believe how weak the shaman was compared to his current self—like a bug that could be killed at any moment.
The shaman began to beg.
"Please spare me! I'll do anything! No... I'll serve you for life!"
His voice was unnaturally steady. Not even a second later, Haku felt a gust of wind brush past his face. The Troll had used its Quick Step skill to move in behind him, ready to attack.
It somehow had an axe. It swung it down, aiming for his head, but within an inch of reaching it, the blade of the axe shattered, falling to the ground in pieces.
Haku took one look back, and immediately after, the Troll crumbled under its heavy body, falling to the ground—passed out.
The shaman's last efforts were in vain. It shook its head as tears started streaming down its face. Before it could open its mouth to speak, Haku placed his index finger on its lips.
He leaned in toward its ear before whispering the words:
"You'll die the same way you killed my companion. Fire Call, Firefall."
A faint crackle started filling the air before a sea of green flames danced above their heads, illuminating the whole area. The scene could only be described as beautiful, but what followed—not so much.
The flames fell, every single one targeting the shaman. It tried running, but with Haku's grip still holding its head, it was impossible.
The only thing waiting for it was a emerald inferno, burning up its whole body. The fire even spread to Haku, but it looked like it didn't harm him.
Haku spent that whole time watching as the shaman struggled and screamed in agony, his gaze fixed, etching the moment into his mind.
Ryusei was also watching this disturbing scene as he felt the heat even reaching him.
The shaman had completely burned up—ashes and all—not a trace that it was ever there.
After, Haku stood up, facing the bright sky flickering with stars, trying to hold in the tears that wanted to fall. His journey of revenge was now over—the grief and guilt in his chest extinguished like the burning flame he had felt earlier.
He was now currently the strongest being on the island. A Tyrant-ranked monster.
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Author's Note
Shaman's Status Menu
Name: Greul
Age: 23 years
Race: Troll
Species: Shaman
Rank: High King
Skills:
Common: Silent Command
Rare: Stats Down, Shadow Life
Legendary: Frozen Highland
Spells:
Fire Call, Firefall
Ice Shield, Dome
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Shaman Skills Description
Silent Command
Allows the user to designate a target and issue orders via telepathy. Can only be used on a single entity at a time.
Stats Down
Reduces all of the target's stats by 5. Can only be used on one target at a time.
Shadow Life
Grants temporary invincibility by transforming the user into a shadow. This skill cannot be used more than once against the same enemy.
Frozen Highland
Envelops the terrain in ice and triggers a snowstorm. The user is also affected by all negative environmental effects.
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Shaman Spell Descriptions
Ice Shield, Dome
Forms a dome of ice approximately the size of a basketball court, trapping both the caster and the target inside. The dome remains intact until the caster dispels it or the target breaks through.
Fire Call, Firefall (Improved)
Integrates with Ice Shield, Dome, generating flames within ice shards on the dome's ceiling. As the flames burn through the shards before being released, their intensity increases significantly.
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Author: That's all you need to know about the shaman. It was a formidable monster, but if Ryusei were to face it… who would win?
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