Mind Demon's Path of Domination

Mask of the Savage.

"I am ready," Mark said, taking a stance, growing into his zone. "Let’s begin round two!"

To him, his Physique felt stronger, his Mindpower felt purer, and his demonic tricks felt more potent. He was a Pinnacle Middle Demon but at this moment, he was a bit beyond that.

He was suddenly as strong as a Tier 3 Low-level lifeform in body, mind, and soul. Of course, that was only due to the mask appearing on his body.

The Armor squinted, then said, "My inferior copy. Indeed, it is such great beauty." Its many eyes widened. "But do you think becoming the same Tier bridges the gap between us?"

Mark smiled, his figure emanating an aura that was the epitome of an elite, super successful youth. One who was climbing fast like nobody else. But in front of the Armor, he felt like a child waving chopsticks at its elder.

"What I lack, I will fix today," he said. "By putting my life on the line."

The Armor appeared behind him in a swift blur of teleportation, a double edged war blade appeared in its grip, and it swung down. Mark turned, barely catching upto the enemy’s speed, and touched the warblade with his bare hands.

Alchemic Shapeshifting!

The blade transformed into bubbles and Mark’s palm went straight for the enemy’s chest. To his surprise, he actually found purchase—his hand was on the enemy’s chest.

Alchemic Shapeshifting!

Suddenly, Mark’s face changed. Right before his attack had activated, the Armor teleported a bit into the air and instead of its chest, Mark found himself touching its greaves.

Fuck, he cursed inwardly and jumped back, while the Armor itself had its greave area transform into cotton clothes.

The Armor looked at him, standing on one leg with a sword in hand, if Mark hadn’t jumped back, he would have been split from the middle.

"You have quite a special Trick up your sleeve," it said, looking at its left greaves that had turned into cotton. It had lost one of its legs entirely—and that was beyond its own expectations.

Mark, on the other hand, had a vicious expression on his face.

"If you had used that Trick on my helmet instead, I would have become a cloth in my entirety. You truly did stand a chance of defeating me with that."

But now...

Any ability touched by its greaves, the Armor would gain complete Resistance to. And Mark couldn’t help but curse himself in his heart.

Now, the Armor has gained Resistance against Alchemic Shapeshifting. He had been wary about the Armor’s greaves, but he hadn’t expected it to move like it did.

As a result of that, he had lost one of his greatest weapons in this battle.

"Indeed, you are great," Mark said, staying still.

It could teleport, so speed was not on Mark’s side, moving around didn’t give him much of a benefit. Physical strength, they were both on equal terms. And when it came to offensive abilities, now that Mark had lost his Alchemic Shapeshifting, he was at a huge disadvantage. As for defence, Mark didn’t really have a superb defensive ability in the first place.

In this battle, his advantage laid in his Endurance. He had infinite Mindpower, and the enemy didn’t have that. Savages had infinite Mindpower but that was because of the Savage World Will’s help, and the Armor shouldn’t have such help.

Mark blinked. As long as he could make the Armor exhaust its Mindpower, he could win this.

"You are so naive, foolish," The enemy said. "I could guess your intention from a mile away. You want to exhaust my Mindpower, but for that, you have to survive for hours in a battle with me. My Weapon Creation doesn’t use much Mindpower and you are just going to suffer in due time."

It had seen Mark fight the Savage Lord and so, it did know many of Mark’s abilities. And that included knowledge about Mark’s infinite Mindpower.

Sweat beaded down Mark’s forehead.

Reol’ran warned him: "It’s trying to mess with your conviction to exhaust it. It is using words against you! Yes, it’s Weapon Creation might not take much Mindpower but Teleportation, Healing, and such must be very energy consuming. You won’t have to last for hours if it uses those powers once in a while."

Mark’s eyes cleared and he decided. Indeed, exhausting it was the most sound tactic in this battle. Yet, it had made that sound like a bad idea.

Truly, it was great.

Mark looked at it, then said, "You are quite gre—" He widened his eyes and used a Demonic Trick: Dream Shock!

But the Armor was unperturbed, a Glassy Dome surrounding itself. It was truly taking this seriously, even though it seemed to look down on him very much.

Mark felt nearly helpless. Was their difference that much?

Did it not have any weakness at all?

It had good—no—great defence, offence, movement, healing, and even greater experience. It had no particular weakness.

And my Defence sucks, movement is not even barely enough to match it, and the one advantage I had, offence, I have already ruined it. It still seems to be gauging things but when the Armor gets truly serious, everything might grow much more chaotic.

Mark stared at the multi-eyed Armor silently. He had never felt this helpless infront of an opponent—there was no chance of harming it anymore.

"I have a question," he said.

Surprisingly, the Armor tilted its head. "Does the Heaven Soul woman residing inside you don’t have answers for these questions?"

It has even seen through Reol’ran’s existence!

Mark reeled back and immediately, the Armor teleported beside him, it swung two swords in a cross. Immediately, Mark turned and touched both swords, transforming them into mist. They went through him harmlessly but using the chance, the Armor’s hand moved and clenched on his neck.

It raised him into the air like a chicken.

Mark struggled to breathe and touched its metallic hands, trying to use Alchemic Shapeshifting. But it didn’t work, it had Resistance. It tightened its hold over his neck.

"I thought you wouldn’t dare use that ability on my weapons anymore," it said.

Mark choked out. "Only you gained Resistance, not your weapons."

"Even in the face of death, you have not lost the will to survive. Admirable, but you chose your enemy’s without thinking, and for that, you deserve to die."

Vines moved out of Mark’s palm and sank into the Armor’s hand, sucking away at its Mindpower.

Demonic Trick—Parasite!

It created another sword in its other hand without any sound and swung it around twice. Mark looked at the enemy’s face with a pained expression as both of his arms suddenly had thin lines all over it.

Slump!

His two hands all fell onto the floor in small meaty pieces. He had lost both of his hands, his ability to use Alchemic Shapeshifting having been lost at the same time.

"Now, you can’t use those annoying Tricks, can you?" It asked. "And you also use it to heal, so what will you do now without your hands?"

"Are you going to kill me?" Mark asked, feeling pain overwhelm his senses.

"You still don’t seem hopeless, aren’t you going to use something else before I attack?" It seemed incredibly wary.

It knew Mark had used something weird to suddenly kill hundreds of Silver Savages and many Golden Savages all at once. And it didn’t know or understand what Clown’s Circus was, so obviously, it was wary of that.

So it hesitated.

Mark used another Ultimate Demonic Art, this one a more covert ability.

Ultimate Demonic Art—Heart Parasite!

He could now read the enemy’s emotions. And he felt only indifference, calmness, and killing intention behind that metal husk.

Mark grinned, face bloody.

Dream Shock!

The Armor was unperturbed. "I know your ability of sending people into dreams, but an Armor has no need for dreams. I’ve never seen one, and never will need one. I am the natural enemy of all Dream Demons—an unbeatable enemy for them. Is that all you have? I will give you another chance then, give me your Seal of Destiny and I will let you go."

Mark didn’t think so at all. If it got a Seal of Destiny, it will surely kill Mark and use it on him. Anyone would be greedy if they saw Alchemic Shapeshifting and if the Armor could gain that Trick, it would be even more powerful.

It wants that, too! Mark felt pain make his mind unclear. It has greed for something in my hand, and that makes it hesitate to kill me. It is also unsure about Clown’s Curcus, but so am I.

When Clown’s Circus activates, it would work in this entire area and stop everything in time. That included the Armor’s greave—Clown’s Circus’ effect would touch it for sure.

So, wouldn’t it gain a Resistance to that ability immediately after it touches the greave?

For a second, both the Armor and Mark didn’t move, they just stood still.

Mark opened his mouth, then said calmly: "You lose."

Heart Input!

He whispered into the enemy’s mind: "You lose."

Immediately, the Armor reeled slightly and its entire body creaked for a second. All of its Mindpower had been consumed!

When Mark uses Heart Input on his enemy, they would lose all their Mindpower in the process just like Mark himself would exhaust his own. But since Mark had Black Water to replenish himself, it didn’t matter, but for the Armor, now it was completely without a drop of Mindpower!