The Serpent's Roar

"I forgot to ask...what technique did Valens use to nullify everyone's abilities?" Livio asked, glancing at Ethan.

"Oh, you mean this?" Ethan replied, activating Shesha. A faint aura snake came from the ground and spread around him, forming a field with a ten-meter radius.

Livio stepped inside the Shesha and frowned. "Yours is small compared to his."

"Obviously. I'm not a pro like him," Ethan said, deactivating it.

Livio moved closer. "So, how does it work? And what was that sign you made while using it?"

Ethan answered calmly, "To do this, you need to form a contract with your PBV. The hand sign is necessary for activation, but once Shesha is established, you don't need it anymore. However, you still need constant concentration to maintain it."

"But the Elf didn't use any hand signs," Livio pointed out, looking puzzled.

"That's because he already formed an additional contract. Once a contract is in place, the hand sign is no longer required," Ethan explained, sitting down on the ground.

Livio's brows furrowed. "Is making a contract dangerous?"

Ethan met his gaze, his voice steady. "The more you sacrifice, the more you gain."

Livio absorbed the words before nodding. "Then let's begin. I need to learn this. Once I do, I'll awaken my ability." He stood up with determination.

"Good," Ethan said. "Now, activate your PBV and concentrate all of it in your mind. Think of nothing but your PBV. Since you've already awakened it, you should understand how it works. Once you reach the light, you'll be able to form a contract." He absentmindedly plucked some grass from the ground as he spoke.

Livio sat in his most comfortable position and closed his eyes. "What kind of contract should I make?"

Ethan's lips curled into a small smile as he recited,

"The time I spent, to carve my heart.

The time they spent, to carve their hearts.

Let the snake emerge, consume our hearts.

The time we shall spend, free of our pasts."

Livio took a deep breath. "Got it."

His PBV started glowing faintly before retracting from his body, slowly condensing at his forehead. The energy continued shrinking until it became a single concentrated point.

Ethan observed closely. Inside Livio's mind, he found himself drifting through a completely dark tunnel.

"Where....… am I?" he murmured, his pulse quickening. "Is this the source?"

Panic crept in, but he quickly steadied himself, inhaling deeply. He stopped resisting and let himself be carried by the force. Soon, he arrived in a vast, empty void—no sights, no sounds, nothing to touch. He was completely alone.

Then, suddenly, a fire ignited. The flames flickered and began to take shape, slowly forming into a sphere.

Outside, Ethan watched as the glowing point on Livio's forehead spread across his body. A mark appeared on Livio's left hand. His index finger and thumb touched, while the other fingers remained straight.

Ethan grinned. "It's about damn time."

A faintly blue, transparent snake slithered up from the ground. It coiled around both Livio and Ethan, encircling them in a protective sphere. It wasn't as large as the Elf's, but it was big enough to cover them both.

Livio's eyes fluttered open. He gazed at the serpent encasing them like a dome.

"Its radius is probably around four meters," Ethan noted, giving Livio a thumbs-up.

"Finally," Livio exhaled, then released the hand sign.

The snake shattered like glass.

"What?!" Livio grabbed Ethan by the shoulders. "You said I wouldn't need the hand sign once activated!"

Ethan pried himself free with a chuckle. "Yes, but maintaining it requires intense concentration. Don't forget.....you're still a newbie."

Livio gritted his teeth. "Then what should I do?"

Ethan smirked. The next scene cut to Livio, sitting under a roaring waterfall, meditating in deep concentration.

Days passed. They trained tirelessly under the moonlight and in the scorching afternoon sun. Ethan taught Livio everything he could, and Livio absorbed every lesson, practicing relentlessly like a madman.

A week later, the wind swirled around them as they sparred.

Just then, Oliver descended gracefully from the sky. "Hey guys, some soldiers are coming."

Ethan immediately shut his PBV, and Oliver followed suit.

"Let's wait until they pass," Ethan whispered.

The voices of the approaching group carried over to them.

"Hey, let's go visit the mermaids," one of them said.

"Yeah, man, I can't wait to make one of them mine," another muttered under his breath.

Livio, still holding his sword and keeping his PBV active, suddenly picked up on their conversation.

"Hey, I don't think they'll come this way," he said, switching off his PBV.

The voices instantly vanished. He glanced down at his sword thoughtfully.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "What makes you so sure?"

Livio smirked. "Just a hunch." He sheathed his katana and sat by the waterfall.

Minutes passed. The soldiers walked by without even noticing them.

Oliver exhaled. "Damn, Livio! That was amazing!" He shot up into the sky, summoning a barrage of wind arrows.

Livio exhaled sharply, forming the Shesha sign. A blue snake engulfed him as he stepped forward.

The moment the wind arrows touched the barrier of the snake, they vanished without a trace.

Livio rolled aside as Ethan leaped above him, his PBV-enhanced kick shattering a nearby rock.

Livio surged forward, his PBV amplifying his speed. Ethan countered by dodging it, But Livio, anticipating it, used his momentum to turn around towards Ethan.

Above them, Oliver conjured dozens of wind arrows that spiraled into a tornado. He unleashed them, but Livio clasped his fingers together, summoning Shesha once more. The transparent blue serpent coiled protectively around him, swallowing the arrows into nothingness.

Ethan lunged in, pivoting sharply to deliver a PBV-enhanced kick. Livio deflected with his forearm, sending a shockwave through the air.

Oliver dove between them, wielding two curved swords, It was made by the blacksmith he trusted, and he kept it in his inventory.

He slashed at Livio, but Livio dampened the attack with his katana, forcing him to backflip away.

Regaining their footing, all three locked eyes. Without a word, they charged.

Livio spun mid-step, dispersing his Shesha for enhanced mobility. He ducked under Ethan's jab and retaliated with a sword strike to Ethan's sternum. But Ethan turned to mist at last second, nullifying the attack upon contact.

Taking advantage, Ethan twisted into a sweeping kick, but Livio flipped backward, avoiding it.

Oliver re-entered, whipping his blade in a crescent motion. Two razor-thin wind crescents shot forward. Livio rolled beneath them while Ethan absorbed the energy into his Shesha field.

Oliver smirked, expecting it. He adjusted his stance.

With a burst of speed, he dashed in.