Chapter 327: An Unstable Belo
"He's returned?"
"Must be. There's no way he would die so easily."
Ayrin's loud shouts also attracted the attention of Morgan, Audrey, and everyone else as they quickly made their way over from the other side of Witch Hat Town.
"This guy?"
However, upon seeing Ayrin clearly for the first time, Morgan, Audrey, and the others stopped in their tracks.
How could this be?!
Ayrin was running normally atop the plain without any arcane skill, yet every single one of his steps seemingly contained an explosive strength!
They had all perceived the seemingly limitless strength contained within Ayrin's movements before in the past, but never had it caused them to feel such pressure.
Just how did he manage to increase his strength so much in such a short period of time? Just what breakthroughs did he make in his trainings?
"Even Stingham and Rinloran…"
The look of shock on Morgan's face became even greater as he watched Stingham and Rinloran easily following behind Ayrin.
"He's managed to open his third arcane gate?"
"How can his physical strength have increased even further?!"
Ayrin's appearance also incited cries of shock from Ivan's group.
"He's become even stronger than before?"
Charlotte's eyes widened as she observed at the approaching Ayrin. As she did so, she could feel the fear within her heart slowly fade and become replaced with a strong sense of security.
Without her realizing, this ever-growing youth had already become a pillar for her, someone she could rely on to protect her.
The powerful and skilled Goddess of Divine Shield Academy, she was still a girl. She dreamed about being protected, about having someone who would devote themselves to keeping her safe.
As Charlotte gazed at Ayrin's glowing face, a shy smile emerged on her own.
Boom!
A powerful blast of air containing limitless momentum swept across them as Ayrin stopped right before Charlotte, Moss, and the others who had come to welcome him.
"You've really managed to open your third gate?" Wilde asked as he playfully punched Ayrin's shoulder. From the arcane energy fluctuations radiating from Ayrin's body, it was clear that he had indeed opened the third gate.
"Yep! I've opened my third arcane gate!" Ayrin replied as he put his hand behind his head and laughed happily.
"Just what did you guys go and do?"
"How did you all suddenly experience such a growth in strength?"
Morgan and Audrey's voices rang out in quick succession as they bombarded Ayrin with questions.
Ayrin, Stingham, and Rinloran's progress had caused them to lose their calm as they ignored and interrupted Ayrin and Charlotte's reunion.
"Well first, we ran into the Abyss of Evil and encountered a powerful team of Evil Dragon Followers consisting of two brothers." Ayrin chuckled awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head and continued, "Afterwards, Teacher Liszt arranged a training for us which required us to absorb Poisonflame Emperor Eggs."
"Abyss of Evil… Poisonflame Emperor Egg?"
"Didn't the Undead Bishop release Apocalypse within the Abyss of Evil? Over fifty percent of the arcane teams there died… yet you guys actually survived?!"
"Poisonflame Emperor Egg? It's said that even fourth gate arcane masters cannot withstand its toxins to fully absorb it!"
Ayrin's proud expression turned shy as his words elicited a strong response from everyone around him.
"You three joined the battles within the Abyss of Evil?" Charlotte asked as the sense of security she felt right now became even greater.
In the Corps, those who returned from battle in extremely dangerous places were often light heartedly referred to as those whom even Death did not want to visit.
"Yep!" Ayrin nodded towards Charlotte. Afterwards, he turned towards Chris and the others and excitedly said, "Also, Dias, who was responsible for killing Ashur, was killed by Teacher Ciaran's own hands! We successfully took revenge for Teacher Ashur!"
"Dias has finally been killed?!" Chris repeated, her voice full of joy. She continued, "So how are Teacher Carter, Ciaran, and the others doing?"
"They are all doing just fine. None of them suffered any injuries," Ayrin replied with a smile. "Before we went our separate ways, we destroyed the altar which was creating the massive dark purple column of smoke together."
"It is true. The most dangerous places… will result in the greatest improvement. Detestable! To think that I got assigned here to execute some stupid encirclement mission!" Belo's voice abruptly rang out at this moment, breaking the harmonious atmosphere.
"Belo?"
Everyone stiffened as they turned their heads and saw Belo habitually pushing up his glasses, a look of impulse on his face. His veins bulged out atop his forehead, making him look frightening.
"Ayrin, let us have a match!" Belo abruptly shouted, instantly clearing up everyone's confusion.
"Right now?" Ayrin stuttered.
He felt as if Belo was being even more impulsive than normal.
"Are you sure Belo? We only just reunited? Are you sure you want to fight Ayrin right now?" As Stingham observed the red faced Belo, he couldn't help but add, "You won't be able to defeat Ayrin right now either. Right now, you are likely as strong as Abel Academy's Presley. However, Ayrin completely dominated Abel Academy's Presley, as well as Lotner. They weren't even able to fight back in their defeats."
"Belo, we have only just gotten back together. Even if you wish to train through sparring, you should let them rest for a bit first," Moss added as he endured the urge to say, "If anything else, you should let Ayrin and Charlotte have a nice long conversation to catch up with each other."
"Ayrin, are you not a brave warrior?! If you don't dare to fight me, then come and lick this grandfather's feet!" Belo shouted as he completely ignored Stingham and Moss and he pushed his glasses up once more.
"Lick this grandfather's feet… it's happening all over again."
Stingham and Rinloran silently exchanged looks.
This phrase was just so arrogant and characteristic of Belo. It was something the two of them had missed after having not been around him for so long.
"Brave warrior Belo, it seems like you are full of fighting intent. So alright then, let us fight!"
Ayrin apologetically looked at Charlotte and then turned and waved his fist at Belo as he said, "But you must be careful. I won't be going easy!"
"We fought for so many days, can't we just take a nice long break? How do we just keep running into new fights?" Stingham muttered to himself.
Rip!
The sound of cloth tearing apart abruptly rang out as Belo's body quickly grew larger and the hairs atop his body stiffened. In less than a second, Belo completely finished his Berserk Blood Transformation as he transformed into a monstrous werewolf.
However, the glasses were still present atop his nose, resulting in a somewhat comical sight. Stingham tried desperately to hold in his laughter.
"Roar!"
A fierce wind began to gust.
Belo completely ignored everyone else around him as he charged straight towards Ayrin.
Bang!
The ground trembled.
Everyone subconsciously blinked at this moment.
"This fellow has indeed gotten a lot stronger!" Morgan quietly whispered to himself under his breath.
For a split second, Belo and Ayrin's bodies seemed to be frozen in place.
Ayrin's hands were tightly clasped around Belo's several inches in front of his shoulders, preventing Belo from piercing his shoulders with his sharp, gleaming nails.
Ayrin stared straight into Belo's blood-red eyes as flames began to burn within his own eyes.
In the corner of his eye, he saw one of Belo's feet viciously striking towards his abdomen.
"Brave warrior Belo, something like that is not enough if you wish to defeat me!"
"Activate!"
Ayrin's body abruptly exerted even more strength, breaking the balance as he fiercely pushed Belo backwards.
Due to the change in his position, Belo's kick barely missed Ayrin's body.
"Evil Flaming Eye!"
At the same time, a flame emerged within Ayrin's palm and shot out towards him!
"Such swift invocation speed!"
"He's only just opened his third arcane gate, yet his invocation speed is already no slower than a normal fourth gate arcane master!" Looks of shock emerged on the faces of both Ivan and Morgan's groups as such a thought passed through their minds.
Boom!
Belo let out a fierce roar as his hands violently slammed into the Evil Flaming Eye, causing it to disintegrate into nothingness!
"Fist of the War God!"
But as the flames disappeared, Ayrin emerged from behind them. Like a bull, he thunderously slammed into Belo's chest.
Bang!
As Ayrin's fist landed onto Belo's body, the cloth on Belo's back, which had already been stretched to the limit, abruptly burst at its seams!
"So painful!" Stingham couldn't help but flinch and pat his own chest as he watched Ayrin's punch sink into Belo's chest.
Belo's pupils abruptly contracted as his arms moved and he tightly seized Ayrin's forearm with his hands!
Belo once again kicked out, this time with his right foot.
"He's actually fighting Ayrin using Ayrin's most favored style of fighting!" A look of surprise flickered through Rinloran's eyes.
Belo had clearly realized that he was at a disadvantage, so he had decided to use Ayrin's favorite tactic of mutual destruction and hoping to be the last one standing.
"Dragon Scale Absorption!"
The shimmer of dragon scales enveloped Ayrin's body.
Rip!
The cloth covering Ayrin's arm tore apart as several thin streaks of blood emerged on his arm.
Bang!
He also took a solid kick to the abdomen.
Boom!
But it seemed like Ayrin didn't feel any pain at all as his left fist violently slammed into Belo's chest without any pause.
Belo flew backwards through the sky and then crashed heavily into the ground.
"Evil Flaming Eye!"
Ayrin continued without hesitation as he used Evil Flaming Eye once more.
But this time, much to the surprise of everyone present, not one, but dozens of Evil Flaming Eyes appeared and shot towards Belo.
Upon seeing all these Evil Flaming Eyes, Belo, who had quickly clambered back up from the ground in a show of resistance, momentarily lost control of his body as he was unable to think of a way to defend against so many.
Boom!
Belo was sent flying backwards once more.
"Not his opponent at all…" Stingham's eyes were full of sympathy as he looked at Belo and silently shook his head.
"He still wishes to fight?"
In the eyes of everyone present, this battle had already shown a clear victor. Yet against their expectations, Belo climbed up from the ground once more. Blood streamed down from his nose and mouth as he let out yet another maddened roar and charged towards Ayrin once more.
"Water Dragon!"
Another loud boom rang out as a water dragon viciously slammed into Belo.
"Ayrin! You dare use my skill again!" Stingham shouted in annoyance.
Morgan and the others speechlessly watched on as Ayrin casually strode through the waves of water created by his skill and stopped right before Belo.
"Devour, Chaotic Blood!"
The countless streaks of red blood atop Belo's face abruptly separated from his body and descended over Ayrin's body.
"Evil Flaming Eye!"
"Holy Body Ignition!"
But Ayrin's body had never stopped moving. As Belo made his move, Ayrin had already made his. A fireball and a fist slammed into Belo's body once more.
Bang!
Belo flew backwards and bounced once before crashing to the ground yet again.
"Still?"
At this moment, even Ayrin had thought that the match was over, yet Belo got up once more. Blood continued to stream from his nose and mouth, as well as his chest, which now seemed to be slightly sunken inward, yet he still managed to unsteadily climb to his feet as if he was still able to and willing to fight.
"That's enough."
At this time, a massive and sturdy figure appeared before Belo and stopped him in place.
It was Minlur, who had been silently watching from the side this entire time.
"Ayrin, the remaining Poisonflame Emperor Eggs?" Minlur turned his head and asked after stopping Belo.
"Here they are, Teacher Minlur," Ayrin replied a moment after as he handed the bottle containing the Poisonflame Emperor Eggs over to Minlur.
"Belo, I understand you do not wish to admit defeat, but Ayrin and the other two have already conquered the Poisonflame Emperor Egg. Before you can become their equal once more, you too must do the same! So take one and survive before anything else!" Minlur shouted as he threw the bottle towards Belo.
The blood-red tint within Belo's eyes began gradually disappearing as his body slowly returned to its normal size.
Cough… cough…
Belo coughed up several mouthfuls of blood before taking out a Poisonflame Emperor Egg and immediately ingesting it.
"Hey! Belo, do you not know what that thing is? You are currently in such an injured state… do you have a death wish?" Stingham couldn't help but scream as he thought back to his own experience with the Poisonflame Emperor Egg. A chill swept through his body.
"So annoying! Want to come here and lick this grandfather's feet?" Belo fiercely responded as he glared at Stingham.
"Just what exactly has caused him to be like this?" Stingham, Chris, and the others felt perplexed as they watched Belo gradually limp off and prepare to conquer the poison of the Poisonflame Emperor Egg.
"Teacher Minlur, just what is going on with Belo?" Ayrin finally asked.
"I cannot say what exactly has caused him to be like this, but I can say for certain that he wishes to become stronger," Minlur seriously replied.
"Just what secret is Belo hiding? Why is he so eager to gain more power, and why did he become so mentally unstable upon seeing Ayrin, Stingham, and Rinloran stronger than before?" Chris, Charlotte, and the others thought to themselves as they looked towards Belo once more.
