Kalen Eldric was a promising Ranker from the Shinjaka Continent.
He had achieved C-Rank status by the age of 30, and within another 50 years, he ascended to the esteed rank of B-Ranker.
His prowess as a Runemaster greatly contributed to his rapid advancent, culminating in his attainnt of Grandmaster status before he reached the age of 200.
Regarded as a prodigy in the field of Runemastery, Kalen possessed the ability to craft intricate Array Formations with minimal resources.
Whether bolstering his allies with buff-type Formations or incapacitating his foes with debuff-type Formations, Kalen demonstrated unparalleled skill and versatility.
Moreover, Kalen utilized his Array Formations to enchant artifacts, imbuing them with extraordinary properties.
Weapons enhanced by his weapon-centric Array Formations, composed of intricate Magic Circles etched onto their surfaces, surpassed their usual capabilities.
Additionally, Kalen's enchantnts bestowed regular defense gear with performance standards comparable to that of Hex gear.
In the early days of his career as a Ranker, Kalen Eldric faced nurous challenges, lacking the profound background or resources enjoyed by so of his peers. Undeterred, he embarked on a series of perilous missions, placing himself in constant danger to gather mana-rich resources and advance in his Ranking journey.
His missions took him to the far reaches of the Shinjaka Continent, where he explored treacherous landscapes and faced formidable beasts and demonic entities.
From battling demon beasts in the depths of the Shadowed Grove to navigating the labyrinthine catacombs of ancient ruins, Kalen spared no effort in his quest for power.
It was during these missions that Kalen found so interesting legacies. He began to hone his skills as a Runemaster after those explorations into ruins.
Drawing upon his innate talent and unwavering determination, he studied ancient texts and experinted with arcane symbols, gradually unlocking the true secrets of Array Formations.
As his reputation as a skilled Runemaster grew, Kalen began to attract attention from wealthy patrons and influential organizations. He offered his services as a consultant, providing enchanted artifacts and devising defensive strategies for those willing to pay for his expertise.
Kalen soon joined the Zodiac Alliance as a rcenary. It didn't take long for him to get recognized by the alliance's administration. It sent him an invitation to officially join them. But Kalen refused, preferring to value his freedom.
Nevertheless, Kalen stayed associated with the Zodiac Alliance because of the benefits it offered even as a rcenary. With each successful mission and lucrative contract, Kalen amassed not only wealth but also a wealth of mana-rich resources.
These resources served to fuel his continued growth as a Ranker and Runemaster, propelling him ever closer to his ultimate goal of attaining Grandmaster status.
***
Kalen Eldric's journey to assemble the formidable team known as the Eldric Force was not a hasty decision but a deliberate process, each mber chosen with care and consideration.
The first mber to join his cause was Sariah Frost, a talented elental mage with a penchant for frost magic. Kalen had encountered Sariah during a mission to investigate a disturbance caused by rogue elental spirits.
Impressed by her skill and determination, Kalen extended an invitation to Sariah.
Next ca Roran Stoneheart, a seasoned warrior.
Kalen crossed paths with Roran during a skirmish with demonic creatures that had encroached upon a remote village. Despite the odds stacked against them, Roran fought valiantly alongside Kalen, proving himself to be a formidable ally.
Lyra Shadowbane, a skilled assassin with a knack for stealth, was the third to join Kalen's ranks. Kalen first encountered Lyra while investigating reports of a clandestine demon cult operating within the shadows of the city. Impressed by her resourcefulness and expertise in covert operations, Kalen recognized the value of having soone like Lyra on his team, adept at gathering information and striking from the shadows.
Thane Brightshield was the fourth mber to join the Eldric Force.
Kalen encountered Thane during a mission to defend a remote outpost from a horde of demonic invaders. Moved by Thane's selflessness in the face of danger, Kalen knew that Thane would make an invaluable addition to the team.
Lastly, Kaelen Sunfire completed the roster of the Eldric Force. Kalen first t Kaelen during a mission to quell a raging inferno that threatened to consu an entire village. ***
How did Kalen get mixed with the demonic entities and was misidentified as one of them?
Kalen Eldric's decision to embark on a covert mission alone was born out of a desire to gather crucial intelligence without endangering the lives of his team mbers. The man had invested a lot in his team mbers and didn't want to endanger their lives by taking a very dangerous mission.
However, the benefits offered by the Alliance for the mission were huge. The kind of mana-rich resources it offered to anyone who completed the said mission might have allowed Kalen to finally break through the bottlenecks of the Grandmaster Ranker and beco a true Sage. as such, Kalen didn't want to miss out on the opportunity either.
In the end, Kalen decided to do this particular mission all by himself without letting his team mbers in on it. The mission was given to all the special-grade rcenaries on a need-to-know basis.
As such, these rcenaries could conduct these missions without having to inform the Alliance about it. They just needed to show the proof of the mission completion to claim the rewards. This secrecy was ant to assure safety for all those who decided to take on such missions.
On a particular day, Kalen was put to the task. He received information about a clandestine eting between high-ranking mbers of a demonic cult and sought to infiltrate their ranks to uncover their nefarious plans.
Disguising himself with a cloak of shadows and using his mastery over illusion magic to conceal his identity, Kalen ventured into the heart of enemy territory, navigating the treacherous streets with caution and stealth.
His mission required him to blend seamlessly into the shadows, observing his targets from afar and gathering information without alerting suspicion.
However, things took a disastrous turn when Kalen's cover was blown during a botched attempt to eavesdrop on a crucial conversation. Caught off guard and outnumbered, Kalen found himself surrounded by mbers of the demonic cult.
In a desperate bid to escape, Kalen unleashed a barrage of Skills, using every trick in his arsenal to fend off his attackers. But despite his best efforts, he was eventually overwheld and subdued.
Kalen's speech and other senses were restricted by the demonic entities. He was then made to change his clothes in order to be offered as a sacrifice in one of the demonic rituals. Just when Kalen thought that his life was over, the base of the demonic cult was attacked by another group of rcenaries working under the Zodiac Alliance.
Kalen was coincidentally freed from his restrictions by the demonic entities who were about to sacrifice him. He didn't understand that he was freed by the demons because he could be misunderstood as one of them.
Before he could mount a defense, Kalen was swiftly apprehended by rcenaries and official mbers of the Zodiac Alliance, who had been monitoring the situation from the shadows.
Mistaken for a dangerous demonic operative, Kalen was deed too great a threat to be allowed to roam free and was promptly imprisoned in a specialized facility designed to contain demonic entities.
***
Unbeknownst to Kalen's team mbers, Kalen had been mistakenly apprehended by the Zodiac League a few months ago, his true identity remaining undisclosed.
He hadn't even been given the chance to explain that his capture was a stroke of misfortune during a covert operation conducted by the League.
What compounded Kalen's predicant was that upon his capture, he was transferred to a specialized prison designed to contain demonic entities.
To his dismay, he discovered that the prison's overseer, Altair Argas, had sold him and several other demonic practitioners to a man nad Ren Roman Idril on a distant continent.
Before long, Kalen found himself confined in the underground depths of Siren's Sanctuary. Kalen could only cry in his mind because his paralyzed body was unable to shed tears.
A certain Young Demon Emperor nad Eren Elijah Idril wasted no ti in resuming his demonic experints upon receiving a fresh batch of "guinea pigs" from Altair.
And suddenly, Kalen Eldric's fate changed… for the better…. Or worse. Probably worse.
Despite the ordeal, Kalen managed to survive the torturous process imposed by Eren, eventually becoming one of his pseudo-avatars.
With Kalen's expertise as a Runemaster, Eren bestowed upon the pseudo-avatar so of his own knowledge and Elental Attainnts in the field during the synthesis process.
Given Kalen's safe and convenient identity, Eren dispatched him back to the Shinjaka Continent to resu his role as a practitioner associated with the Zodiac League.
Recently, Eren tasked Kalen with a mission to establish contact with Demon Earl Bifrons. After all, Roza had told him about the Demon Earls and their locations after her recent S-Rank breakthrough. Eren decided to make use of the information right away.
Kalen deliberately selected this mission through the Zodiac League, utilizing its resources and reputation to carry out his clandestine endeavors.
While Kalen's team mbers believed he had taken a brief hiatus before returning to lead the Eldric Force, they were unaware that, at this juncture, he was being possessed by Eren's Soul Imprint.
***
Shadowed Grove.
Walking beside Kalen was Sariah Frost, a young woman with icy blue eyes and platinum blonde hair that fell in loose waves around her shoulders. Her slender fra belied her strength, and her hands crackled with frost as she summoned her elental magic to her aid.
On the other side of Kalen strode Roran Stoneheart, a burly man with a rugged appearance and a gruff deanor. His beard was thick and unkempt, and his muscular arms were adorned with intricate tattoos that glowed faintly with elental power.
Bringing up the rear were the remaining mbers of the team. Lyra Shadowbane, a lithe and agile woman with dark hair and piercing green eyes. Thane Brightshield, a stoic warrior with a sturdy build and a keen sense of duty. And lastly, Kaelen Sunfire, a young fire mage with a fiery temper to match his elental affinity.
For three days, the Eldric Force had scoured the depths of the Shadowed Grove, hunting down demonic entities and undead creatures with ruthless efficiency. But now, as they trudged through the forest once more, their spirits began to wane.
"We've been at this for days," Lyra muttered, her voice tinged with frustration. "And still, we've found nothing but empty woods."
Thane nodded in agreent, his expression grim.
"It seems that the demon beasts have abandoned this part of the forest. There are no signs of demonic Practitioners either. We were told to hunt more than 20 B-Ranked demonic entities or five A-Ranked entities.
But how could we hunt if we don't co across these damned sneaky bastards?" he remarked, his voice tinged with a bit of annoyance and frustration.
Kalen glanced around at his team, his gaze thoughtful. "Patience, my friends," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Sotis dangers co your way when you least expect them to. Trust , I have had my fair share of experience recently," Kalen spoke as he was reminded of the ti he had spent in Siren's Sanctuary's underground basent.
But even as he spoke, a sense of unease settled over the group, a feeling of anticipation mingled with dread. And as they pressed deeper into the heart of the Shadowed Grove, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the trees, followed by the sound of snapping branches and rustling leaves. The mbers of the Eldric Force tensed, their senses on high alert as they prepared for whatever horrors lurked in the darkness.
And then, without warning, the forest erupted into chaos as a group of demon beasts descended upon them, their twisted forms and glowing eyes a chilling sight to behold.
One had to note that all the three demon beasts were in the late-stage of the A-Rank. As such, they could transform into humanoid forms.
The demon beasts' transformation was closely related to the vessel of the beast they had occupied. It also mattered who the demon soul fragnt belonged to.
Argo, for example, who was a demon soul fragnt belonging to Demon Prince of Gluttony, could always make huge genetic and magical mutations to his vessels fueled by the intent-driven demon magic and turn into Demon Fly if he wished.
The demon beasts in the Shadowed Grove weren't that high in the demonic hierarchy. They were so common demons who had been summoned into the world of Labh Salem before being given the vessels of the mana beasts by the Demon Earl Bifrons.
One of the demon beasts who had surrounded the Eldric Force, known as Shadowfang, stood tall and imposing, his form cloaked in dark robes that seed to ld seamlessly with the shadows around him. His eyes, glowing with an eerie crimson light, betrayed the primal ferocity that lay beneath his calm exterior.
Erging from the darkness with unnerving grace was Venomspine, her lithe figure adorned in sleek, black armor adorned with toxic accents. Her eyes, shimring with a malevolent gleam, betrayed her deadly intent as she silently assessed her prey.
Descending from the shadowy canopy above was Dreadwing, his imposing figure casting a nacing silhouette against the dim light filtering through the trees. Clad in armor as dark as the abyss, his eyes burned with an otherworldly fire, hinting at the chaos he was capable of unleashing.
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