Manaless Mage-Chapter 318: Like the demons

[Kindly Check Author’s Thought Below, There’s an Important Information there.]

A sharp, violent gust of wind burst from Adolf’s body with explosive force.

The impact tore across the clearing, rustling the nearby trees.

Fortunately, Miranda was still being protected by the energy dome, if not, she would have been blown away by the wind.

The hoodie that had been clinging tightly to Adolf’s head finally gave way—flapping backward, before being completely ripped off and cast into the wind.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

The man’s face was revealed at last—a somewhat handsome countenance, strong jaw and high cheekbones—but it was heavily marred by two deep, grotesque scars slashing diagonally across both cheeks.

The lines looked almost burned into the flesh, like claw marks that never fully healed.

Roarrr!!

Then Adolf let out a guttural roar—half pain, half madness.

His body began to swell, the air around him shimmering with dense magical pressure.

His shoulders grew broader. His limbs lengthened with an audible crunch. Skin stretched taut over rippling muscle, pulsing with barely restrained energy.

Crack!

Two thick, curved horns erupted from the sides of his skull—jutting outward like those of a raging bull, curling slightly backward and glowing faintly with dark energy.

Harry’s frown deepened as the transformation continued.

Adolf’s teeth extended next, pushing past his lips to form jagged, fang-like protrusions. He snarled, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth, his jaw widening unnaturally.

His claws—already long and dangerous—elongated even further. They glistened like onyx blades under the faint moonlight, now long enough to scrape across the dirt as his fingers twitched involuntarily.

Suddenly—

Whoosh!

Two massive, bat-like wings burst from his back in a spray of blood and torn fabric.

They flapped once—twice—stirring another wave of wind that shook the battlefield.

The wings stretched wide, each nearly twice as long as Adolf was tall, formed from a leathery black membrane strung tightly between jointed bones.

Then came the aura.

The dark energy swirling around his body thickened rapidly—growing into a dense, almost tangible fog.

It pulsed, undulated, and twisted in on itself, until it was nearly impossible to see his physical form beneath it. Only the glow of his crimson eyes pierced through the inky mass.

Harry squinted through the haze.

Adolf was panting heavily now, his chest rising and falling in erratic rhythm. Each exhale sent twin jets of black smoke puffing out of his nostrils like a bull preparing to charge.

His hands curled into fists, claws twitching.

"This... is it..." Adolf growled, his voice guttural and distorted, echoing with something not entirely human. "My full transformation..."

Harry’s brows furrowed as he took a cautious step back.

He hadn’t expected the man to change even further. That first mutated form had already looked monstrous enough. But now?

Now... he looked like something straight out of a demonic nightmare.

Harry narrowed his eyes, fingers tightening around the hilt of his daggers.

"Still transforming, huh?" He muttered.

With a faint glow, a familiar blue interface flickered into existence before his eyes.

===========

[Name: Adolf Rashin]

[Race: Human]

[H/P: 489/600]

[Mana core: 5th Stage]

[Elements: Shadow (High-grade)]

[Mana: 81536 / 120000]

[Strength: 165{278}]

[Agility: 183{297}]

[Stamina: 130{231}]

[Perception: 140{210}]

[Endurance: 98{189}]

[Intelligence: 176{243}]

[Mental: 102{124}]

[Charm: 60]

===========

Harry’s gaze scanned the numbers, and his frown deepened further.

’His strength and agility... took another boost.’ He thought, eyes narrowing slightly. ’He’s probably at the level of a stage six mage in terms of physical power now... maybe even more.’

However, his mana pool and health had drastically reduced, meaning transforming like this also had its own side-effects on him.

[Do you know what that transformation reminds me of?] Leon’s voice echoed within his mind, calm but grim.

Harry didn’t hesitate.

’Yeah,’ he thought. ’He looks like them... like the demons.’

His grip on his daggers tightened instinctively.

That wasn’t a comparison he made lightly.

He remembered them clearly from Leon’s memories—those warped creatures that emerged from corrupted rifts.

The twisted horns, the wings, the aura that felt like a living shadow pressing against your skin. This man—Adolf—looked too similar to be a coincidence.

’Is he... being influenced by them?’ Harry wondered, his thoughts racing. ’Or did he... offer himself up?’

[Could be either,] Leon replied. [The Dark guild is an organisation that worships demons, but then... I’ve never seen anything like this.]

Harry didn’t like the sound of that.

Not at all.

Adolf let out another furious bellow, shattering the silence that had fallen.

"You see now?! Do you finally get it, boy?!" He roared, wings flaring wide behind him, the ground cracking beneath his feet. "You’re not the only one with secrets!!"

His claws scraped together with a sharp screech.

"I’ll show you the price of interfering with our mission!"

Harry didn’t flinch.

Instead, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, focusing himself.

’Alright,’ He thought, ’let’s test just how strong you’ve really become.’

Then he vanished.

Boom!!

The ground exploded as Harry shot forward like a bolt of thunder.

Adolf’s enhanced senses barely caught the motion—but he reacted, swinging one claw in a wide arc.

Clang!

Sparks flew as Harry’s dagger met the claw mid-strike.

But this time—Harry’s body skidded slightly from the impact.

He flipped backward, landed gracefully, and dashed again.

Their battle became a blur of motion.

Adolf roared, slashing wildly, each swing releasing dark shockwaves that tore gashes into the earth.

Harry danced between them—sliding, flipping, vanishing with short blinks, always staying just out of reach.

Then—

Swoosh!

Harry ducked under a wing swipe, twisted mid-air, and jammed both daggers toward Adolf’s gut.

Clang!!

This time, they were blocked by a wall of darkness that materialized instantly.

Harry clicked his tongue and jumped back.

Adolf laughed—deep and guttural.

"You can’t win now! Not against this power!" He boasted. "Your tricks won’t work on me anymore!!"

Harry’s expression remained blank, unreadable.

’He’s not wrong,’ He thought. ’His reaction speed and defense are much better now. But... he’s relying too much on brute force.’

[That’s right... he’s sloppy,] Leon agreed. [Too much smoke and fury. We can work around this.]

Harry’s lips twitched into a faint smirk.

Then he moved again.

This time, he zig-zagged at high speed, leaving afterimages as he sprinted around Adolf, building momentum.

Adolf turned, snarling.

"Running now?!" He shouted, gathering his thick dark aura around his fists.

"Don’t think... I’ll let you!!" He shouted, bumping his fists against each other, before slamming them into the ground.