425. Copycat

“Now, let’s try this again.”

Avaritia heard the silver-haired girl’s words. He wanted to scoff. Did this Salvos really think she could defeat him in this form? He had become his King!

No— Avaritia couldn’t encapsulate the full power of his King. Not even close. But while he was but an inferior copy, that was more than enough to deal with these weak, annoying Humans.

It was the power of his Grand Skill. As a [Changeling], it was in his nature to replicate and copy others. In this case, he’d drawn from the primal fear deep within all those present. The thing which kept them up at night— that which robbed them of their sleep.

This wasn’t mind magic. This was different from the kind of spells that that annoying Belzu cast. If Avaritia had to say so himself, it was far superior. It was soul magic. The magic of [Changelings] and those that were cut from the same cloth. The ilk of which could manipulate and reshape their essence into something that it was not.

Mortals weren’t creatures born with a malleable essence. Their souls were too rigid— their essence almost completely immutable from the moment of their birth. But Spirits and Demons were never born with a fixed essence. They were always evolving. Changing. Growing.

There were some Species of monsters and other mortal creatures that could also evolve and transform, but it wasn’t the same. Soul magic was innate to Demons and Spirits in a way it wasn’t to these mortals with their mostly limited lifespans. It was something inherent to these Spirits and Demons which most didn’t even realize they had mastery over it.

Yes, they couldn’t create a soul ball in the same way they could conjure up a fireball and hurl it at an enemy. But when learned and trained, as a [Changeling], Avaritia was able to steal bits of his enemy’s essence and emulate them. But more than that, right here, right now, he’d been able to draw from the fear of the Humans before him.

If he’d been faced with, say, Iivor or Gloria before him, he wouldn’t have taken this form. He didn’t even expect to become the Demon King, but this was only because of the targets of his Grand Skill.

The essence of their nightmares, breathed life, created through him. He served as a medium of that fear. A bridge between their dreams and reality. Avaritia himself couldn’t even grasp the full powers of the Demon King, but he made it real for them here.

The Humans should’ve quaked in their boots. They should’ve trembled at his very sight. Yet, here was Salvos, grinning at him, uncaring. Another thing the Archdemon of Greed couldn’t comprehend.

“Do you think this is a game?”

His lips quiver as he faced the silver-haired girl. She shrugged casually and tapped the Greaves of Alexander on her shin with the tip of her scythe.

“I mean, aren’t we competing for this? And the Crown of Alexander too, remember?”

She spoke as she gestured between both Mythical Grade artifacts she carried. Then she pointed at the Boots of Alexander at Avaritia’s feet.

“I’m doing it for the Boots of Alexander— although… are you even using it? You’re way too slow, you know?”

That made Avaritia snap. He swung at her again with his tail. The Boots of Alexander could fit into any feet. And with its powers, it gave him a passive boost to his [Agility]. Not just that, he’d always have [Greater Haste] active. Still, he somehow missed the silver-haired girl.

She flew up into the air as Avaritia reached for her. He tried to swat her out of the air like a bug. This time, he was ready. With his heightened speed, he caught her. But the moment his hand loomed over her, she struck out with the Greaves of Alexander. There was a flash of light, and the Archdemon of Green stumbled back.

“You…”

He growled in a low voice, the palm of his hand stinging in pain. He looked at his crimson skin, only to see a hole burned into it— from the strike she landed on him. Salvos grinned as she flew around a rising spike, the landscape still changing from his [Domain of the Demon King] copied Skill.

She avoided the black rain as Avaritia reached out for one of the spikes and yanked it out of the ground. It seemed to melt in his hands, before taking on the form of a spear. Spinning it around, the false Demon King bellowed.

“I will not let you escape, Human!”

He threw the giant spear at her like it was a javelin. It sped forward, catching Salvos off guard. She narrowed her eyes as the space around her twisted. Avaritia smirked. And she blinked as nothing happened.

“What…?”

She raised her scythe just in time to block the massive projectile in time. He laughed.

“Did you think that would work here? This is my domain. Your tricks and your little space magic will not work here.”

“How does that even work?”

She protested, but he didn’t care to respond. Avaritia ran forward, his booming footsteps shaking the earth. It sent ripples in the darkness flooding the ground, causing of these liquid spikes to rise up into the sky. Salvos ducked around those, flying away from the [Changeling].

He wasn’t going to let her get away.

[Copy Skill].

It wasn’t as easy to use as it sounded. Each time he’d activated the Skill, his mind was assailed by a variety of options. And even with his Grand Skill— even in this form he bore— he couldn’t possibly comprehend the full might of his King. All he could see was all he could understand.

Copy Skill [Demonic Zenith] is Available!

Copy Skill [Glory of Damnation] is Available!

Copy Skill [Unveiling Majesty] is Available!

Avaritia’s mind focused. He knew the consequence of casting even one of these Skills. But he drew power from it anyway, his body straining. The black aura wreathing around his body dug deep into his skin as his voice boomed with power.

“[Copy Skill: Demonic Zenith]!”

I watched as the black ooze at his feet clambered up his crimson skin, wrapping around him like a twisted coat. I clicked my tongue. This is the second Skill he used, and it exuded just as much false Divine Essence as before. This time, the power didn’t spread out. Instead, it wisped off him, covering him in darkness and might.

It was like every other Skill he’d used was close to a Grand Skill in level. It was really annoying. The Greaves of Alexander flashed in my legs as I spun around, breaking one of the ascending spikes and kicking it towards him. It splashed over him, merging with his body as he continued taking on this twisted form.

“Alright, then how about this?”

I flew straight at him as he reached out with renewed vigor and speed. I couldn’t teleport away, so I faced him head on. He swung one, and I once again repelled the attack with the Greaves of Alexander. This time, I could feel it trembling from the hit. This Skill made Avaritia far stronger, and I really didn’t want to be responsible for breaking another of the Treasures of Alexander again.

I spun around and kicked again, but this time, using the third Skill the Greaves of Alexander gave me.

“[Divine Wave]!”

And a blast of Divine Essence— pure power— blasted the false Demon King in the face. It clashed with his false Divine Essence, overwhelming it and for a moment washing away the black cloak around him.

I flapped my wings once, and with a burst of flaming energy, I swung for his neck. The Divine Nebular Scythe lodged itself into his skin, but didn’t pierce beyond that. Instantly, the black Divine Essence wreathed his body again, taking my weapon as I flew back. He swatted up for me, and without being able to teleport, I couldn’t dodge in time.

I braced myself with the Greaves of Alexander again, letting it front most of the damage.

“This is annoying.”

I crashed into the ground, only to feel the black liquid at my feet rising. I leapt out of the way as another spike jutted up. This landscape was his playing field, and that meant he ruled it. I had to get him away from this place.

I flew up, but Avaritia reached out. The black liquid coating his [Demonic Zenith] form shot up as he raised his hand, like an extension or an appendage made out of pure black liquid. I weaved around it, flying down its side as I drew closer to him.

He tried to catch me with his free arm, but I kicked it away with the Greaves of Alexander. Then as he spun around, swiping his tail at me, I flew up his side, reaching for my Divine Nebular Scythe still stuck in his neck.

“You can copy your king all you want—”

He roared as I grabbed the weapon, before swinging up with a Divine Radiant Slash. My Divine Essence once again dispersed this coat of black liquid over his body. At that moment, I saw his red skin— an unprotected part of his body. I pointed at him.

“But that’s all you’ll ever be!”

And I pressed the ring in my finger against his neck.

“Ring of the Forgotten Prison!”

“What—”

And there was a flash.

Avaritia covered his eyes, stumbling back as the black liquid coating his body vanished. He looked down at himself, no longer standing at the rubbles of the palace of Alyras. There was no excess of black liquid at his feet. The [Domain of the Demon King] was gone. All that surrounded him was a black expanse with twinkling stars like the night sky.

He narrowed his eyes and flexed an arm.

“A pocket dimension? I can break out of—”

And he paused. He saw the flicker in space before him. A portal cracked open as a silver-haired girl stepped forward. At first, Avaritia had thought it was the silver-haired Human girl following after him. Then he paused as he saw a pair of horns. Black claws. A set of sharp teeth bared his way.

“Meanwhile, me? I’m Salvos, no matter what I become.”

[Cambion - Lvl. 142]

The [Changeling] blinked.

“The girl…?”

And Salvos charged him.