Nine Tailed System 82 Serene Mind

They camped somewhere, and now Marco was trying to train with Alice.

Alice: Congratulations for you to reach Serene Mind, but 1 second isn't enough, maybe it's because of your mental status during the fight, but you need to reach at least 1 minute with Serene Mind.

Marco nodded and sat down.

Alice: Go on, close your eyes like usual. I'm going to slap you as hard as I can.

Marco: Yeah, why not? Kill me right now instead…

He mumbled but Alice ignored him and waited for him to close his eyes, which he did, he took a deep breath and with the help of Undine, he tried to imitate the feelings he got during that moment.

…

*Ding*

*Serene Mind activated, duration: 0:10*

It looks like 10 seconds were his current limit, he could extend it if he uses it more often, but it would be too tiring, both for Undine and for his mind.

Alice swung her tail at Marco, and he moved his head down, the tail was some millimeters away from his head, but he successfully dodged.

Alice: Oh? You already reached it a second time?

Then Alice continued to attack him, but he jumped away with closed eyes, and dodged, obviously Alice attacked with a speed that it made possible for Marco to dodge, and thanks to his willpower…

*Ding*

*Duration: 0:06*

*Ding*

*Duration: 0:07*

*Ding*

*Duration: 0:09*

*Ding*

*Duration: 0:12*

Serene Mind continued to evolve, until he was able to use it for 20 seconds, and in that moment his willpower was unable to keep up with the tiredness, and Marco got hit from Alice's palm, which sent him tumbling in the ground.

Alice: 20 seconds… This is a good result for someone who used Serene Mind for the second time. Maybe it's because you have a great willpower, from what I heard you need to have a certain amount of willpower to transform, otherwise you would go berserk, it's impressive…

Marco: Yeah, and soon I will reach the next gate.

Alice nodded, and started to remember something.

Alice: Now that I think about it, what were those techniques you used against that group? I didn't know your mastery over the spirits reached this point.

Marco: Oh, well, the first one was just using Gnome's powers to convert me in dirt, and enter in the ground, it's like the trick Gnome used against me.

Then there was the wind barrier, that one was tricky since I needed to form the image in my mind, and then there it was, same thing with the wind blade.

And for the last… That… It's not something I really like to use, draining a person's liquids from touching them… I know that it's really strong, but… It just feels wrong using it, maybe it's because I was p.i.s.sed off and I didn't think twice about using it, but I would normally never use it, not even against the enemy.

Alice: ...Yes, I understand… Something like that shouldn't never be used, so I hope you will not use it in future unless it's an emergency.

Marco: Yes, I already know and I agree… 'It's like I have control over life and death with a single touch… I don't like that feeling…'

Marco squeezed his hands before sighing.

Marco: Let's go to sleep…

Alice nodded and both of them took their places and slept.

[Tomorrow]

They entered in a cave of the volcano, they were going over a bridge made of stones while around them was lava, and Marco started sweating due to the heat in the area, since they were in a volcano…

Not even Sylph was able to help them. And it looks like this time Alice didn't had any difficulty with the heat around.

Marco: f.u.c.k… Hot… Where the f.u.c.k is Salamander…?

Alice: Salamander is famous as a powerful spirit among monsters. So it's common knowledge that she resides here. Many monsters using Cursed Sword techniques come here to seek her guidance…

For your information, Lightning Sword Flash and Demon Decapitation came from the Cursed Sword style.

Sylph: I can smell Mandy, you know!

Gnome: …

Sylph: *Sniff* Deeper… With your back to the door, go straight! Then you'll be able to meet her!

Marco: '...You really did it… Anyway, where is Undine?'

Sylph: It's so hot, she melted!

Gnome: …

Marco: 'Oi, oi, what do you mean melted?'

Sylph: Gnomey's all hot too, so she's all tired!

Gnome: ...!?

She slapped Sylph.

Sylph: Yaaay!

Marco sighed in exasperation and turned towards…

Marco: ...She disappeared… *Sigh*

He turned around, and found a woman in the middle of the lava, instead of hair she had fire, her skin was completely orange and really hot, and her legs were inside the lava.

Lava Girl: It can't be… A human? It has been decades since a human last came here…

Marco: ...Can you just let me go by, please? I need to pick up Salamander.

Lava Girl: It has been so long since I had a feast… Ouch!

Marco, with a poker face, pointed a palm at her and some water came out, which started to hurt her, he was unable to create things like water cannons or similar things, but soon he will be able to.

The Lava Girl was feeling pain all over her body, which slowly started to solidify, and gave up.

Lava Girl: Alright! Just stop that!

Marco stopped and walked in his way, while the Lava Girl left. While he made another step forward, he heard Alice's voice coming out of nowhere.

Alice: Be careful, another monster was drawn by your smell.

Marco: Huh? I smell that much?

Marco sniffed a bit his armpit and frowned.

Marco: s.h.i.+t, I really need a shower after this…

Marco turned towards where the monster should be, and found a c.o.c.katrice.

Marco: ...I didn't expected a c.o.c.katrice here…

c.o.c.katrice: c.o.c.katrice? I'm a Basilisk! (AN: Seriously, why they named her Basilisk? She's clearly a c.o.c.katrice)

Marco: No, no matter how you see it…

She had black charcoal skin, chicken eyes, she had white feathers on her arms and legs, and white hair with a red line across her head, behind her there was a lizard tail.

She was feared due to her ability to turn people into stone and her strength.

c.o.c.katrice: Whatever, I'll turn ya into stone, and make a nice toy out of ya.

Marco ignored her and used Chakra Gate, before sprinting at her and kicked on her chin, but she backed of one step, dodging it, then she charged at Marco, trying to bring him down.

But he immediately created chakra limbs which anch.o.r.ed him in the ground, and then he brought up his other foot, eventually kicking her chin for real this time.

She got a bit stunned, and Marco used this opportunity to create a third chakra limb and push her in the ground, she tried to struggle but it was too hard for her, and so, Marco used the third chakra limb as a grappling hook and used the Lightning Sword Flash where she had a softer skin.

He was able to pierce her, but he immediately used his wind manipulation to create small wind blades around his hand still inside her, which were making a mess of her insides, she eventually glowed and turned into a chicken.

Marco was so fast in the fights because he knew that somewhere nearby was a dragon, not like Granberia, Papi(AN: The Dragon Pup, not the Harpy), or her mom, but a real dragon, but instead of a proper tongue there was a girl…

Pretty strange, but this is the world now… And it looks like he wasn't noticed yet, better for hi-

?: UUUURRRGGGHHHH…...

Marco: ….f.u.c.k me…

He was noticed…

[SPECIAL QUESTS]

1st. Kick Gabriel's a.s.s

2nd. Achieve coexistence between Monsters and Humans

3rd. Kill Illias

4th. Return to Lucifina's grave

5th. Visit every places in Illias Continent, Sentora and h.e.l.lgondo

6th. Turn back to Sabasa Kingdom