Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil
chapter-172

'What should I do? The guy is a tough nut to crack even with Renita's help.'

Thought Eren as he got away from the range of the next wave of quakes heading his way. Renita was providing him cover fire so the guy couldn't completely focus on the close combat expert trying to target him.

'You want to use Stacked Sedated Perception?'

Eren heard a voice in his head. It was from the gem. The butcher's eyes lit up when he understood how using the stacked time-element spell can become a key to making the tank leave the trio's formation.

But then he immediately thought of the spell's side effect and his mood was sour. The gem understood what the guy was thinking and replied:

'I can ease the side effects. But I can help you cast only about two Stacked Sedated Perception combos before I go into slumber. And easing your side effects will remove the possibility of enabling you to cast it for the second time.'

The ball was in Eren's court now. Should he face the repercussions and save another combo usage for himself? Or should he only use the combo once and face reduced side-effects of the spell?

Eren then remembered the combo spell's side effects again and chose to go with the first option. Reduce the side effects of the combo. He let his decision be known to the gem. And it obliged.

Stacked Sedated Perception made its comeback at that time!

Eren was barely able to manage the quakes from before. But he could now see the almost invisible quakes travelling through the air with ease. He now had the time to dodge them and approach the tank.

Eren smiled after experiencing the effects of the spell. He could feel that he was more in control in the almost frozen world than before. His senses were also keeping up with slowed down time around him.

Eren had figured out by now that the gem had an agenda to help him. There was no free meal in the world. The gem was probably helping him to get something from him when it asks for it.

But Eren didn't worry too much about that for now. Right now winning this match was more important than anything for him. Especially, when he had placed a bet on so many Merps in this match.

The tank saw that the enemy close combat expert who was till now dancing on the tunes of his quake spells disappeared in front of him. His quake waves seemed to have pierced the guy, but the instances indicated that all those were Eren's afterimages.

Then the tank felt a sharp pain in his guts. He was already lifted in the air before he saw who had hit him there. His body was flown about thirty meters away from his previous position. And his fall on the ground couldn't completely eradicate the momentum.

The tank was dragged on the ground by that momentum and was thrown a few meters away from his landing spot.

Eren was still in his stacked Sedated Perception. He had kicked the guy earlier in his stomach using the Blitz Steps on hyperdrive and running Blitz Bolt through his legs. But he didn't stop there.

He followed the tank as he flew in the air. And waited for his momentum to get killed. He performed the same action again as soon as the guy stopped moving.

Eren had created a sufficient distance for the dual berserkers to attack the mage and healer without worrying about the tank. Those two were most wary of the tank because of the effect quakes had on their metal skin spell after all.

Renita wasn't even given a chance to follow Eren. She was left behind even without her knowing she was left behind. She puffed up her cheeks after seeing Eren going full-throttle on the tank.

She thought she was special when Eren had used the same speed against her. But this tank had made her realize her assumption was wrong. And she was not happy because of it.

Renita soon followed Eren's direction. Her speed wasn't as great as the current Eren, but her wind element movement spell had allowed her to be plenty light on her feet.

The tank felt like throwing up after he received the second kick at the same spot the first kick had landed. He was kind of scared after realizing the terror of Eren's breakneck speed.

But the tank's high BTP value and his strengthened body because of it allowed him to keep his cool amid the pain. He had realized that the lightning element freak was soon going to attack him.

The guy immediately clapped his hands all around him to prevent Eren from fearlessly approaching him. The quakes were sent in almost all directions and that created a dead zone with the tank standing in the middle of it.

But Eren was nowhere to be found. The tank carefully looked around but only saw Renita who was approaching him from a distance. She had pointed her mana gun at him. Her figures were just about to press the triggers.

But Renita wasn't looking at him while she pointed the gun.

She was looking over the tank's head. The guy thought of a sudden possibility and his expressions darkened as a result.

Eren was descending on the tank right below him at a rapid pace. The latter had underestimated his current speed and his heightened perception.

The tank thought his all-around quake execution was a preemptive strike. And for the most part, it was. But Eren was still able to see there was no way to get near his target without facing the repercussions of his internal organs facing the brunt of it.

So Eren used the Blitz Steps to jump high in the air. He had already sent his mana circuits on hyperdrive. Hence, the output he had achieved was exceptional this time.

The tank saw Eren approaching him from above him. And he wanted to send another wave of quakes towards him. The guy was defenceless at this point even with his crazy speed due to him being unable to manoeuvre in the air.

But alas, Eren had Renita give him her much-needed support at this time. She had already fired her mana bullets which started making their presence known on the tank's arms and legs soon after.

The tank's quake execution failed because of the interruption from Renita's cover fire. And Eren got within the striking distance from his opponent as a result.

AN: Side effects of Stacked Sedated Perception have been explained in chapter 90.