Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

Chapter 286 Beast Arts

It has long been said that the Beast Arts were granted to the beastmen by the gods at the time of creation. The elves were gifted long lives filled with beauty. The humans were granted adaptability and bountiful lands.

However, the beastmen were left to fight in barren lands and relied upon strength to survive the harsh world and one another. The gods took pity on their struggle and granted them Arts meant only for their kind.

At least, this was the story that was passed down from generation to generation. None could say if this were truth or fanciful fiction, but there remained one truth regardless of which it was. Beast Arts were something that only those who shared in a bounty of their blood could access.

Many strong abilities were hidden within this branch of the Arts. They included abilities that would enlarge the user, strengthen their claws or limbs, and even enhance their senses. Each and every one of these was available to all beastmen.

However, among these skills, there remained one that was considered a myth. It was known as the peak of the Beast Arts, only ever being used by great kings and legendary warriors. This was the hidden skill, [Therianthropy].

Normally, all beastmen are capable of Shifting. This allows them to temporarily increase the strength of their bodies and senses outside of the use of Arts. They retained their human forms but often grew extra fur or scales for as long as they remained in that form. [Therianthropy] was different. This hidden skill allowed its user to transform their entire body into that of a beast.

Kalliope had just activated this ability. Her bones cracked and groaned as she grew to almost eight feet in height. The muscles in her arms bulged and the skin ripped itself apart from the rapid expansion. Blood splattered over the ground, wall, and Gett, who still had a firm grip on Kalliope's tail.

Metal clattered to the ground as the armor the Gray Wolf was wearing ripped itself free of her body. Where her skin had sloughed off was replaced with lustrous golden fur to match her blonde hair. Her face had elongated into a wolf snout, and her teeth were replaced with two rows of razor-sharp ones.

Kalliope released a howl into the air upon the completion of her transformation. Gett, who used to be larger than her, now had to look up at her standing almost a head and a half taller than her, though she was still slightly hunched over.

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The formerly beautiful warrior now resembled ancient werebeasts from ages long past. She leaned in closer to Gett's face, which was frozen in terror, and snarled while snapping her teeth. Gett let out a small whimper and attempted to retreat to reassess the situation.

Before the elf could get too far, Kalliope reached out her clawed hand as fast as lightning and wrapped her talons around his neck. She lifted him into the air before quickly slamming his face into the dirt.

While holding him in place, Kalliope began to run at a full sprint, plowing the cavern floor with the elf's head. Gett left a streak of red around the circumference of the arena, with Kalliope only stopping after making a full circuit.

The crowd above still sat in stunned silence. It was hard to tell if they were frozen out of excitement or fear. Kalliope could sense dozens of guards grouping themselves behind the gates leading into the arena.

Mana poured off of Kalliope, and her logical mind started to fade. At first, she wanted to turn the tide of battle, but now she was beginning to entertain other thoughts. Thoughts about what elf tasted like. Thoughts about how many warriors she could devour before they put her down. These were thoughts of the beast, not of the warrior within.

Not only had she managed to activate a hidden skill, but she had burst through the rank of Intermediate and into Advance. Right now, she was fighting at the peak of Advanced Rank. Gett stood no chance. The armor that controlled her had also been destroyed and lay in a pile near the wall.

"Bring in the Masters! Bring them in now!"

"They're on their way! Damnit what the hell is happening!"

"I don't know, we have to hold her back until they arrive from outside!"

The guards were in a panic and trying to figure out how to handle her increased power. Kalliope roared at the men who started to pour into the arena. Several attempted to attack her at once with a few wielding strange metal rods that sparkled with lightning.

A single swipe of an arm was enough to knock back the first wave. One of the smaller guards had the unfortunate fate of ducking under the swing and becoming the only target within reach. Unable to resist the urges her new form gave her, Kalliope eyed the young man hungrily.

His supple flesh caused her to drool, and she blocked out the other charging soldiers, focusing solely on him. The guard screamed and turned to run, but that only further exacerbated her new instincts.

Kalliope pounced on her fleeing target, sinking her teeth directly into the back of his neck, tearing out a chunk of his spine. The moment the blood touched her lips, all reason finally left her body. Kalliope's mind had gone into hibernation, and the body left behind operated for the sole purpose of feeding and destroying.

Screams and shouts filled the arena as the guards continued to attack the feral monster in front of them. Several members of the crowd began to flee, but many continued to watch the new blood sport that erupted before their eyes. Soon, their eyes were drawn to a group of five individuals that entered the arena.

These five people immediately locked onto the werebeast and charged toward it. Kalliope sensed the approach of the new opponents, who each far outclassed her in power. Instead of being wary of them, she saw their presence as a challenge and left the pile of gore she had created.

"Don't kill it! We have to keep it alive! Itorin's orders!" the leader shouted, "[Lux: Blinding Light]"

""Right!"" the other four agreed.

Kalliope found herself temporarily blinded but continued to charge at her enemies using her other senses. She made a wild swing and made contact with what felt like a shield.

"[Shield Arts: Shatter]!"

An explosion rocked the right side of Kalliope's body, and she felt her arm go limp and useless. A slight whistle to her left indicated a hammer was heading toward her face, and she ducked below it before countering with a slash that harmlessly bounced off the attacker's armor.

"Goodnight, wolf." A calm voice appeared out of thin air from behind her. "[Tempestas: Thunderclap]"

The clap of hands was swiftly followed by an explosion of force right next to her ear and rocked her to her core. Kalliope stumbled about for several moments, completely disoriented, before she fell into a slump on the ground. Just as her vision was returning from the spell, it was darkening once more from the loss of consciousness.

Itorin's voice called out, "Well, looks like we are going to have to rank up her fights. That was very, very impressive. Thank you, guys, for keeping her alive. Gods, I had no idea you would be this good of a money maker."