Chapter 8 - Successful Ambush

In high-magic worlds such as Lethon (the Adept plane's real name), invisible forces such as Spirit and life force were capable of altering the world around them upon reaching a certain degree of density.

The most common form of this was the spirit radiation apprentices and adepts emitted constantly and unconsciously. 

Another, more potent effect, was the distortion of space and various background energy fields around creatures with inordinate amounts of these energies. 

In particular, their mere presence and congregation in a creature warped the world around it to generate a powerful defensive forcefield, one capable of repelling physical, magical, and spiritual attacks.

Being a Pseudo Adept masquerading as an Advanced one, were Greem to flare his forcefield to full capacity, he could pull the pin of two, maybe even three grenades and hug them close.

Be it the shrapnel, concussive force, or explosive flames, none of it would be able to leave a scratch on him or his clothes.

Sustained by his endless stamina, this forcefield that bore extreme similarity to a Kryptonian's bioelectric aura could defend him against attacks on the level described above for as long as he needed.

However, right now its reduced strength meant he had to be cautious of the attacks of other Advanced Apprentices.

Rather than letting them attack him outright, he had to avoid their spells and strikes or face them head on with attacks of his own.

Such as what he was doing against the invading body-refiner.

Looking at the huge, Dragonslayer-esque sword intending to split him in half with this overhead swing, Greem kept his Spirit, Strength, and life force emissions at the Advanced level and swung his gauntleted fist to meet the blade.

A metallic clang resounded through the surroundings as the compressed life energy released from the fist and the fist itself met the sharp blade and blasted it back.

Frowning and shooting Greem a wrathful glare, the blonde body apprentice stabilized his footing, tightened his grip, and raised his sword to try attacking again, letting out a loud battle cry.

He activated some sort of magical tool, a light green glow suffusing his being as he charged Greem, his Agility evidently higher.

Even though Greem could see the blue shadows highlighting the future moves of his opponent, he dismissed them and met the sword swings head on.

Clang!Clang!Clang!Clang! 

Multiple metallic collisions and gusts of wind suffused the area as the two large, overly muscled teenagers blurred and exchanged blows that could fell trees and reduce the skeletons of base humans to splinters.

Over the course of the "fight," Greem learned more about other body-refiners and how they fought, comparing them to his own methods to see where he could improve.

He also refined his use of the techniques he'd trained and developed over the years, even coming up with ideas for new ones. He couldn't wait to start testing them, but that would have to be later.

He needed to end this fight first.

Under the watchful and wary gaze of the panting and breathless apprentice, Greem, whose untouched and unruffled countenance suggested nothing about his participation in this intense bout, finished chanting his makeshift Agility enhancing spell and struck.

The brawling duo were already pretty close, novice body refiners like themselves unable to hurt their opponents with their physical blows from long ranges.

Despite this closeness however, Greem shrunk the distance between them even more and smacked the large sword wide with the back of his left hand.

Taking advantage of his opponent's forcefully opened defense, he entered the latter's personal space and struck, his other fist precise and deadly as it hit the wrist of the blonde teen's sword holding hand.

Life force, about half of it offset by the invader's own forcefield, rushed beneath skin and ravaged bone and tissue, causing the intruding apprentice to grunt and drop his sword, the heavy piece of metal clanking loudly against the ground.

What followed next could only be described as a severe thrashing.

Wham!Wham!Wham!Wham!

Greem's fists screamed through the air as they struck the helpless apprentice like rain drops. 

The latter tried to retaliate with his own bare handed strikes, the pain tolerance body-refiners were known for easing the agony in his mangled wrist.

But how could he compare to someone supremely skilled in a Method geared toward making the human body the ultimate killing machine?

All his blows struck air. Not a single one found purchase. Rather, he kept retreating, staggering backwards with each blow. 

Painful, repeated shockwaves thoroughly wracked his hardened body, reminding him of the ordeal he endured to forge it to this level. 

It got so bad the repeated strikes started to lift him off the ground. Once he went airborne, Greem refused to stop and rather adapted, angling his blows upward to keep him there. 

Not a single part of the boy was spared. Every major section, even his eyes and crotch, experienced at least one visit from Greem's fists.

Only when the latter grew satisfied with his deductions and progress did he stop and let the kid fall, catching him in the face with an unforgiving haymaker.

It dropped him hard, his unmoving and unconscious form splayed out on the ground and partially obscured by a small cloud of dust.

Right after that, the scene that occurred after snake boy's defeat ensued.

As the gulping and gurgling sounds filled the surroundings, Greem turned his head in the direction where he could sense wild elementium ripples that usually denoted a battle between apprentices.

His next target must've already been discovered by his tower mates.

They had his condolences.

 ☀☀☀ 

Magic was bullshit. 

Magical vampires were even more bullshit. 

Hidden in a tree not far from the battle currently taking place, Greem unslung the recurve bow from his shoulder and sent a silent message to the tiny bat perched on his shoulder. 

With Mary so close, he was forced to reevaluate what he knew about her race and their speed of progression. 

She'd been an Intermediate Apprentice when they left the tower, but just the two blood drinking sessions he facilitated had pushed and placed her firmly into Advanced territory.

The vampire seductress had advanced!

Again, magical vampires were bullshit.

Paying close attention to the fight taking place, Greem was assured of the decisions and plans he made for today.

That little girl, Alice, was utterly terrifying.

She was currently covered head to toe in scorpions the size of an average human hand, but he could only hear giggles and playful comments leave her lips.

With bright, childlike glee on her face, the girl just made a grasping motion in Acteon's—one of the Advanced Apprentices in the tower—direction and a withered heart appeared in her palm.

She actually had the decency to look surprised when the Bug apprentice remained standing, his enraged scream and following attack the only reward for her efforts.

Leaving her defense to the impenetrable spatial barrier surrounding her, the unbothered girl ignored the mass of scorpions climbing and stinging pointlessly all over her tiny form and clenched her fist.

A flash of dull silver ensconced the heart and crushed it into gray dust that dissipated with the wind. She then made another gesture towards Evil Bugs, her other hand coming up to join and engage in the ensuing rip-fest. 

Watching all this unfold, Greem and Mary communicated silently about the former's plan to take the girl down.

Having just advanced off the blood of two apprentices like her, Mary thirsted for more. The fact that Alice could shred her to pieces didn't phase her in the slightest.

So when Greem explained his plan to her, she accepted it without hesitation and flew off his shoulders to play her part.

While the fearless vampire took flight towards the ongoing, one-sided battle, Greem raised his bow as an arrow flew out of his quiver into his right hand.

He grabbed the 30 inch long piece of steel, scanned the special arrowhead with his Spirit and found nothing out of place. 

Quickly and smoothly, he nocked the arrow, drew back the string and took aim, his sights, the tiny back of the little girl's head. 

'Let's hope things are the same as in the novel…' 

Waiting until Mary reached the optimum, safe distance, he loosed the arrow and it covered the 70 meter distance in an instant, sailing over his subordinate's shrunken, bat form before slamming into the hopefully, weak point in Alice's "impenetrable" defense.

An explosion immediately engulfed the space apprentice, her shocked screams and angry exclamations putting a smile on Greem's face.

As for Mary, the explosion was her cue to act. Immediately it went off, she flapped her wings harder and dove into the flames, ignoring the burns and cuts she picked up along the way.

Taking advantage of her future meal's shock and confusion at the dissolution of her invincible shield, Mary hastily undid her bat transformation and latched onto the disoriented girl, sinking her eager fangs into the latter's small, exposed neck.

Being hit with one surprise one after another, Alice failed to stop Mary's actions. 

When the latter bit her and sent pure ecstasy rushing through her veins, she eased into the comfort and "up above the clouds" sensation, her arms lowering and eyes almost rolling into the back of her head. 

She felt so drowsy and good that she wanted to let everything go. She felt like she could sleep forever. But no matter what, she was still an Advanced Apprentice. 

After about 10 seconds of having her lifeblood drained forcefully, Alice blinked repeatedly as she regained conscious thought, rage unbefitting an eleven year old overtaking her features.

Sensing the metaphorical and literal bomb about to go off, Greem loosed two arrows in quick succession, one catching the loli in the arm and the other her abdomen.

The force of the projectiles violently jerked her small body, worsening the agony she currently experienced.

Yet, this did nothing to stop her from gathering every ounce of her strength to let out a primal, world-shaking scream.

Space responded to her will and shattered like glass, mincing and turning everything in a 50 meter radius to fine powder.

All around her, web-like cracks extended through reality, her tiny, enraged form and Mary's mangled, bloody one in the center.

Feeling herself grow weaker from the blood loss and the more-than-likely poison laced arrows, Alice swallowed her hate with every ounce of her will and canceled the attack. 

Instead of retaliating, she opened a spatial tunnel to escape.

Before she rushed into it, she shot the not-so-dead Mary a scathing glare before shifting it in Greem's direction, disappearing into the hole in space with cracked silver edges right after.

Confident she was truly gone, Greem dropped from his makeshift perch, slung the bow around his shoulder, and briskly made his way to ground zero.

One could tell Mary had been really put through the grinder when she hadn't finished healing by the time he arrived. She was nearly there though.

Greem came to a stop not far from the croaking and groaning bloodsucker and got to see her horribly split skin regrow and cover up her equally regrowing and squirming inner tissues. 

By the time she completely recovered, she was covered head to toe in crystallized blood. 

Cracking sounds emanated from her obscured form as a red glow washed over the thin cocoon and shattered it. 

The hardened pieces of blood fell off one by one, revealing the smooth skin of the vampiress' curvy, seductive, and incredibly naked body.

Did he not have such perfect control over himself, Greem might have actually blushed. Even with the experience of 2 lives, Mary's was a breathtaking and magnificent form. He had never seen anything like it.

It actually set his loins aflame. He wanted her. 

Making sure to burn the erotic image into his steel trap of a mind, Greem ran his calm but lustful gaze over every inch of the recovered vampire's sensual body.

Perhaps turned on by the unrestrained nature of her boss's gaze or intoxicated by the recent rush of power ups, Mary did not grow uncomfortable at all and rather smiled provocatively.

Her Charm on full blast, she didn't control the blood pooled beneath her to recreate her familiar red dress and instead lunged at Greem, her eyes red, fangs visible, and claws lengthened.

Knowing how much being subordinate to someone else rankled the traumatised girl, how could Greem have not seen this coming? She was now an Advanced Apprentice "like him" after all. 

He could almost spell out her thought process word for word. 'Beating him now shouldn't be hard right?'

If only she knew.