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They had arranged to meet at this very spot to assess the progress of the final fragment.

"Why is it taking you so long to get it ? " He asked 

Eager to hasten Elizabeth\'s awakening, he had unknowingly channeled his frustration towards Yuki.

Yuki couldn\'t help but roll her eyes, a rare slip from her typically composed demeanor.

She found his demands a bit overbearing, though she chose to keep this opinion to herself. Her mission at hand held more significance than engaging in a squabble with him.

"We faced difficulties with the last fragment," she admitted.

"What sort of challenge are we talking about?" he inquired.

He wanted to understand what could possibly pose a problem strong enough to stop even a Half Step God. Yuki alone should have been more than enough to handle that creature.

"A wretched guardian beast stood in our way. It had the nerve to defy us because of our restrictions," she admitted, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

She was confident she could defeat that creature if not for her limited power.

"What kind of creature is it ?"

She paused, her features twisting in distaste. 

"Its form is disgusting —it\'s akin to a vile black slime. We tried everything but that thing just kept on attacking without rest ," she answered.

Even Geju attempted to ensnare it within a spatial prison, yet all of his efforts inexplicably fell short.

The mere mention of "black slime" jogged Vincents memory like a jolt of lightning.

"Wait a second! Before I became a werewolf, a black slimy object also entered my body!" he muttered, connecting the dots.

As he traced back his memories, it became clear that the black slime wasn\'t the one responsible for his transformation into a werewolf at all.

So he couldn\'t shake off the question: How did that black slime manage to find him in the first place? And why ?

His knowledge of his situation only added more confusion. He was meant to be the reincarnation of Fenrir, his very existence tailored to bring the legendary wolf back to life with a stronger body and potential.

Plus the recollections of his conversations with Evangeline floated back to him, her words echoing in his mind. She had been clear that his true powers awakened after his death.

And he met his end on that day in Rome, when the tunnel collapsed, serving as the catalyst for his bloodline\'s awakening.

That meant the black liquid was not necessary to trigger his transformation into a werewolf to begin with. So, what was its role then?

"I need to check my body again ," He closed his eyes, mentally inspecting every inch of his body for remnants of the dark liquid.

In his mind, he envisioned the intricate pathways of his energy, tracing the currents as they flowed within him. Yet, despite his effort , not a single trace lingered within him.

"Did it disappear already?" he mused aloud. The mere idea of the possibility that the dark liquid might still be lingering within his body urged him to take this information even more seriously.

"Take me there," he requested, resolved to confront the black slime and solve the puzzle.

"Alright," Yuki conjured a portal with a talisman.

"Let\'s go," she gestured to him.

"You don\'t need to follow me. I can handle it myself," he reassured her.

"Don\'t underestimate that thing or you will get yourself killed," she sneered.

"Don\'t worry," he shot back with a grin.

"Please, your well-being is the least of my concerns. What I am concerned about is you screwing up and jeopardizing our deal," Yuki retorted, her arrogance regaining momentum.

Vincent merely smirked in response, stepping into the portal with confidence.

As he vanished into the swirling void, a casual voice cut through the air behind Yuki

"That guy has certainly grown powerful in just a few days," a male voice cut through Yuki\'s thoughts as she stood alone.

Turning, she spotted Geju, casually sipping a latte while walking towards her.

"That hardly matters. He\'ll ultimately become a pawn of Lord Hades," she replied, her tone oozing superiority.

"His pawn, you say?" A sly smirk curved Geju\'s lips.

"Are you questioning Lord Hades\' supremacy?" Yuki\'s voice turned icy.

"I\'m not underestimating Hades power. I\'m just saying that you should not judge people too quickly. " He shook his head as if trying to hint at something.

Yuki did not reply and simply ignored his comment. For her , Hades , her father was the epitome of true power.

\'You\'ll regret using that guy as a pawn in the future.\' he muttered to himself.

Unlike Yuki, he saw through Vincent\'s facade, recognizing his true strength. 

Geju knew that Yuki was now outmatched. Her misconception stemmed from the fact that Vincent was purposefully restraining his power, revealing only a fraction of his true potential. 

The gap between their abilities was simply too wide for her to fathom.

Geju, however, was still more powerful than Vincent, enabling him to discern the truth.

He could see that Vincent had already ascended to the pinnacle of a Half Step God. Just one step away from becoming a low God, the difference might seem like a single rank, but the gap between a half-step god and a low god was immense.

----

Within the massive, damp cavern, Vincent walked hurriedly his destination fixed—the source of the fragment.

After minutes of navigating, he reached the cavern\'s heart, greeted by a peculiar sight—a lake unlike any other. 

Instead of water, a viscous, odorless black substance filled the lake. His habit of checking for energy kicked in as he attempted to sense the power around it 

"Strange, no energy at all?" He was puzzled, the absence of energy was defying the normal logic of things.

[Come to me], a familiar voice echoed within his mind.

"That voice again!" Vincent\'s voice dripped with confusion.

He had initially thought it was Fenrir\'s voice calling out to him back then, but now he recognized it as something different.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

[Come to me ]

"Enough of these mind games! Show yourself!" He growled, his patience wearing thin. 

[Come to me]

But it was the same reply as before.Then out of nowhere black tindrils burst out to bind him .

He remained calm and immediately conjured a wind barrier to shield himself from the dark liquid. 

Aware of the potential dangers posed by the mysterious liquid, he erred on the side of caution.

The instant the dark liquid came into contact with his high-pressure wind barrier, it shattered and dispersed, its inky form scattering like shards of shattered glass against the force of his defense.

But the black tindrils attack was far from over.

As if responding to his actions the whole lake started vibrating and the number of black tindrils started to multiply.

And seeing the black liquid also flooding the ground he decided to use his wind power to hover in the air .

Then with precise movement he started utilizing his power more to endure the attack.

[Come to me ] the voice echoed again in his mind.

"Stop hiding and show yourself!" He roared and blue flames started to emerge in his body. 

This flames turned into long dragon shape and attack the tindrils but what happened next made him more annoyed.

The black liquid simply absorbed the blue flames .Then sent it back to him but double the power.

"This thing can absorbed and redirect attacked , " he clicked his tongue. No wonder Yuki said that it was hard to deal with.

However, it didn\'t pose a significant threat. Without hesitation, he conjured a water barrier to counter the flames.

BOOOM!

A loud boom echoed as water and fire clashed, shrouding the cave in a mist.

Amid the billowing mist, Vincent\'s senses heightened. He listened intently, waiting for any sign of movement. 

The mist was thick and heavy, dampening sound. Good thing that he could feel the residual energy in the air. So he was able to react in time when a sudden disturbance to his left caught his attention.

SWOOOOSH!

He whirled around just in time to dodge a whip-like tendril that shot out of the mist. The tendril cracked against the cavern wall, leaving behind a trail of slime.

"Too easy to read ," he did not waste a moment. He seized the opportunity, thrusting his palm forward. 

A sharp gust of wind followed his command, aiming to slice through the tendrils. 

As expected the wind cut through the mist, tearing the tendrils to shreds as they dissolved into the darkness.Yet, he knew it wouldn\'t be that simple. 

The mist began to recede, revealing the black slime\'s true form. 

The inky substance pulsated, its surface shifting and undulating like a living entity.

His instincts screamed at him to stay vigilant, to never underestimate this peculiar foe. Dismissing its threat would be nothing short of sheer idiocy.

[ Come to me ]