Chapter 945 A Slip Of The Tongue
<As this is the user's first time turning someone in a sense, stronger, into a Werewolf, the user is not aware of the requirement or procedure needed to be done before initiating the transformation process>
<Turning someone into a Werewolf heavily relies on physical and mental resilience>
<It would be significantly easier to turn others if their physical and mental resilience are weakened, smoothing the transformation process, which could be done through beating the target, external weakening and strengthening items, or forcing the target to accept being transformed>
<For Caraptaros specifically, the second option is the best course of action>
<Determining materials to weaken Caraptaros...>
Rex and the others were making their way slowly through the swamp, heading back to the Dwarven Kingdom. Along the way, he asked the System whether it was normal for him to fail in turning Caraptaros like this. He was still in disbelief as he had never failed before.
But now, the answer has become clear.
It turns out turning others is not absolute, and is influenced by two detrimental factors.
Now that I think about it, the others were turned at the perfect moments. Adhara willingly embraced the change, Kyran, devastated by the loss of his family, was mentally vulnerable, Evelyn was on the brink of death, and both Gistella and Flunra were weakened from their defeat against me before being turned.
Upon reflection, Rex realized that the others already fulfilled the factors before turning.
He turned them without knowing that the factors were fulfilled.
On the other hand, Caraptaros, in addition to not having a full consciousness and not being defeated by him, is also made from a fragment of the Demon Origin. Just these factors alone show that its physical and mental resilience is very strong.
It's not a surprise that Rex found it hard to turn Caraptaros into a Werewolf.
Rex could try to beat it into submission as he did to Flunra back then, but Caraptaros' stats he saw earlier dissuade him from trying the rough route. Out of its physical stats, Caraptaros' endurance is stated in question marks.
Even if he wanted to, he doubted he would be able to do anything to it.
Currently, there were only Adhara and Ryze alongside Rex, walking through the swamp.
Just a few moments earlier, Rex already told Aructh and Mazel to go back to the Demon Kingdom and regroup with the remaining Rastrikan Demons that were spared. Assuming that Elder Tilrith knew already about his deeds, he decided that letting them go back was not a problem as in no way he's going to take care of those two.
Both were turned for display purposes and added bonus stats to himself.
Also, placing them in the outer pack members also helped detach them from the inner pack.
Not stopping at that, Rex also demotes them to the Iota-rank, giving them not spectacular benefits of a Werewolf's physical strengthening and also gave them no Werewolf form, similar to Rex when he was still a Half-Werewolf, and also made them conduits of the Minor Oustification.
It's one of the benefits of unlocking a Minor Oustification.
Fear and Death that were caused by Aructh and Mazel would serve as a boost for Rex.
Due to this specific reason, he intentionally spared some of the Rastrikan Demons, ensuring that Aructh and Mazel would instill terror in them through their forms, subsequently granting Rex a stat boost. However, there was a crucial limitation, the fear and death had to be directly connected to Rex, and the stat boost would only be triggered if the targets were Rastrikan Demons.
Only when the Minor Oustification reached Major Oustification that this effect spread.
<Minor Oustification boosts: +111>
<Minor Oustification boosts: +213>
<... +356>
Seeing the growing increase in the Minor Oustification boosts, Rex smiled elatedly.
When I get back, I'll assign them to the stats I need.
Meanwhile, Adhara glanced to the side and found Ryze walking slightly behind them dejectedly, she smiled wryly at the sight of this. He wanted to help and tried to carry Caraptaros, but he could barely stand on his feet.
Due to that, he was embarrassed before Rex took over again in carrying Caraptaros.
"Rex, I have a question..." Adhara suddenly asked, whisperingly.
Catching the sight of Rex smiling at his own thoughts, Adhara determined that he had already vented out his anger and was already back to his normal mood again. So she decided that this was the perfect time to ask, "Since when did you get your black mark back? I've never seen you use it for a while, and then you started using it again"
"I had a problem with it, but I resolved it and got it back" Rex replied nonchalantly.
However, he decided to leave an important detail.
Telling her that I went there to address the issue with Calidora would not be good, right? Especially considering she now possesses the Sin of Envy, I am not prepared for an argument with her in case it escalates.
Evelyn is very jealous and furious at what he is about to do.
It's understandable, but he wouldn't want to imagine what Adhara would do if she knew.
Upon hearing this, Adhara nodded a few times with her mouth shaping into an O letter. But then, her expression shifted as she posed another question, "Did something happen back at home that I'm not aware of?"
Rex's expression tightened as he remembered what he had done.
But he tries to keep a level head, he has to provide a good enough answer as when he first met with Adhara before departing for the fight against the Rastrikan Demons, he needed comfort from her so it would be easy for her to tell if he tries to lie.
Eventually, he decided to tell the truth as it would come out anyway.
"I was weakened from dealing with the issue surrounding my Banished Dark Moon King Mark. Then, my thoughts drifted to my parents, my real parents, the ones Ruston killed. Before I knew it, I lost control and went berserk" Rex admitted with a hushed tone, his expression clouded with dark emotions.
On the other hand, Adhara gasped as that explains why she was feeling uneasy earlier.
A sudden anger that arose in her heart.
Despite feeling worried for the others as Rex going berserk is not something easily handled, she assumed that the others were fine judging from him still being able to be playful earlier and smiled.
If even one of them is hurt, Rex wouldn't be able to do that. She knows him like that.
Meanwhile, just the mere recollection of that moment weighed on Rex's conscience, he had come dangerously close to causing serious harm to the others. Had he not weakened by the Treaty of Infernal Physique, things could've taken a much darker turn.
"Thankfully," he continued, "Calidora intervened from afar, snapping me out of my berserk state. He must've sensed me going berserk through the Eternal Curse. With her assistance, I managed to give Flunra a Herald Mark, similar to yours, to subdue me until I regained my composure"
"Calidora...?" Adhara uttered with an evident frown.
She was not expecting that name to be brought. And even though it's good that Calidora helped, Adhara feels a signal of doubt from her intuition. 'Rex could sometimes be dense when it comes to women. I don't trust her, she's trying to steal him, I'm sure of it'
"Do you stop to consider that she might have ulterior motives?" Adhara asked in concern.
But this made Rex chuckle, brushing off that comment.
Gazing ahead with a confident air, he responded, "Ulterior motives? Yeah, she wanted me because of the curse. Her assistance could have been a way to get closer to me, but is that really a problem? After all, she didn't harm anyone"
"Moreover, it was purely an accident. Not fabricated" He added firmly.
Adhara's expression twitched when she heard this, it was almost like Rex underestimated anything other than violence even though other things can be as destructive as violence, and he lowered his guard around Calidora.
"What if Calidora's purpose is to win your heart and sabotage us from within?" She asked.
Rex shook his head, a playful glint in his eye. "Impossible. Are you feeling jealous, Adhara? Or perhaps you're concerned because of what you did earlier?" He teased, not entirely serious. But then, his tone grew somber. "However, I will be distancing myself for a while and stay with Calidora. I haven't got the time to thank her, and it's also a precaution to avoid inadvertently harming you or the others while I address the matters with the Executor"
"Don't worry, I won't be with her all the time. But mostly, I wo-"
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, he stopped at a chilling air brushing against him.
It was only then that he realized he got carried away and talked about Calidora.
Ah, I fucked up. Rex pondered as he smiled acutely.
He slowly turned his head to his left and saw Adhara smiling at him. But the bulging veins and the chilling air emanating from her body showed clearly that her smile was a facade to the burning jealousy inside of her.
"Go on, continue what you are saying," Adhara said, cracking her knuckles.
Although he wanted to bring this matter up to Adhara slowly, he was carried away and told her blatantly. Now, he was forced to face the consequences. But before he could say anything, Adhara already beats him to it.
"I don't know about you, but what you're saying sounded like you want to be with Calidora..."
"W- What? Don't be mistaken, I'm doing this because I need her for something"
"Mistaken? You even have the guts to joke around with me when you're actually deliberating to stay with Calidora? Following her motives, underestimating what she can do through this, and lowering your guards...?"
With each passing word, Adhara's body started to gleam with a bright, unusual color.
It was not her violet fire, but a more pinkish, laser-like energy.
Rex could instantly tell that this was the energy from the Sin of Envy that was triggered from her emotions, coupled with her radiant violet flames and Herald Mark, her power reached an insurmountable degree that could even pose a threat.
Yes, a threat, Rex could actually feel threatened by her presence.
...
<Adhara Alpenore - Strengthened>
Race: Anti-Werewolf
Herald Mark: Blood Moon (Active)
Occupation: Female Alpha
Power: Seventh Rank(Peak) - Sin of Envy
Mental: 5,127
Strength: 9,750 (+1,500)
Agility: 14,350 (+500)
Endurance: 5,800 (+1,000)
Intelligence: 7,100
...
Holy... I've never seen her stats get this high, and it's still climbing higher!
Rex was dumbfounded when he saw Adhara's stats. She had not been this strong earlier, the First Breath had suppressed her to the early Seventh-rank realm, barely that is. However, the enhancements from her elements and the Sin of Envy had boosted her stats significantly.
"Calm down, I was only suggesting, it's not like I wil-"
Before he could defend himself, Adhara already swiped her fiery claws at him.
With his quick reflex, Rex threw Caraptaros high into the air and ducked down to dodge the fiery slash that was filled with power. "Why are you attacking me?! Just wait a minute, we can talk this one out!"
Despite his plea, Adhara didn't stop and moved in her assault again.
Knowing that he would need to let her vent first, he jumped and hid behind Caraptaros.
Upon looking at this from the side, Ryze wanted to say something but Adhara already glared at him with her sharp, burning eyes, "Don't say another word, Ryze. Stay there" She said with a commanding tone.
Ryze gulped and stood his ground when he heard this, frozen in his spot.
Following that, Adhara also jumped to the sky and coated her claws with even more spirit energy, forcing the violet fire to burn even brighter, and did another swipe at Caraptaros, wanting to knock it out of the way.
In a second, Rex widened his eyes when Caraptaros suddenly vanished from his front.
Now he was exposed once again.
Glancing to the side, he witnessed Caraptaros being hurled a mile away after Adhara's powerful strike. Rex gasped in astonishment, realizing the significant growth in Adhara's strength. Her body was now adorned with a beautiful spectacle of violet flames, transforming her into a mesmerizing purple Fire Goddess.
"A few hits to the head might knock some sense in you, Rex," she retorted, her voice laced with determination, and her face adorned a savage smile. "So stay put and brace yourself for the blows..."