Near the cemetery Mark was standing alone in an open space waiting for cultist. This time Austin was watching the show from shadows hiding behind tombstone.

“Come on asshole how long will you make me stand” slowly a figure highlighted itself. Throwing a fire ball blackish red as big as a head towards Mark. Mark responded with fire ball but a lot slower and smaller like a baseball without any colour effect. ‘fuck why is that over confident mad man so weak?... Lest believe in his over confidence for a bit’ Austin was dumbfounded but he knew how cunning his boss could be so he just watched thinking of ways he could help.

“Haha rank 1 mage? Looks like I was being careful for nothing. Let’s end things quickly.” said the cultist. Another fire ball came at him again but he just laughed and caught the fire ball with his bare hand little burnt but it was regenerating quickly. Suddenly cultist felt pain and burning sensation from inside his hands and when he looked carefully there was a dart inserting strange poison which was burning his nerves and blood vessels destroying every thing inside. ‘he threw dart inside the flame ball?’

Cultist panicked and quickly chanted strange words and a wave of demonic energy got released. Mark tried to stop him with some flame bullets but it had no effect in cultists body except leaving some black burned spots. Cultists body began transforming quickly. Small horn in his head, skin turning black and hard like bark of wood, yellow eyes with reddish tint, sharp teeth.

“lesser demon half transformation but it’s not perfect .. are you a newbie?” said Mark. The poison was destroying half demon from inside but his regeneration was keeping up well. Flame balls started forming around the demon small like water droplets but lethal than flame bullets of mark.

Every thing poured like rain towards Mark but he used an ice wall defensive scroll and took the attack head on spending half of his mana. Mark was trying to create more distance to throw spells and the cultist was closing that distance taking the rank one spells with his body.

‘Not good, amount of poison is not enough’ thought Mark but before anything could be done half demon moved fast and caught Mark’s throat. Only insanity could be seen in its eyes intoxicated by power and hungry for blood. Mark thought ‘I shouldn’t have trusted the poison so much even if it has killed a great mage before... Maybe I was just too much of a cheapskate.’ Mark grabbed the whole bottle ready to throw it in demons face even if some of it got on him. It was do or die moment but at that time a dart perished its eyes.

“Nice aim kid.” Without wasting the opportunity Mark emptied the poison bottle into demons screaming mouth . Using haste and sound barrier scroll he ran away. Using scroll was less mana and time consuming. The demon who was screeching loudly died slow and pain full death all his nerves were visible in his face and they started burning from inside. Due to barrier the screech was suppressed inside. Austin was staring at the corps with wide eyes when he saw how the cultist died ‘this is how people die in this world?’ he gulped and imagined himself in that pain but a voice pulled him out from his train of thoughts. “haha who is the winner now?”

“Winner my ass you were dead if I didn’t throw the dart u know. And why was your flame ball so weak compared to the cultist boss.” In Austin’s view all mark did was being reckless he was almost dead because of Mark. After all how assassins do there work was kill first talking later ‘is this how mages are?’

Mark knocked on Austin’s head “respect your seniors kid I told you I am an alchemist didn’t u see my poison burning his blood and nerves? And as for why I was weaker because the demon blood cultists have in there body they grow a lot stronger and have bodies like demons and there mana also gains property of curse that gives them chaotic nature. Now enough with the question let’s check the loot.”

Austin apologized after realising his mistake, he panicked too much because his life was totally dependent on Mark for few moments when cultist grabbed Mark’s throat. Austin took a deep breath ‘why can’t I control my body and emotions properly? Puberty?’. Shaking his head he digested all information about cultist gaining even more questions to ask but Mark already moved to loot the body. ‘ I will ask some other time maybe.’