Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil
chapter-1746

Horen Laal had a C-Rank mana core that he had cultivated within him inadvertently as he kept progressing further on his Path as a Body Cultivator.

However, his mana core was not an accurate indicator of his capabilities. He was a Diamond Body Cultivator who could go against an A-Ranked entity and win without breaking a sweat.

Horen's Laal's acquaintance, Vasco Joel was an equally qualified candidate that had still remained in the race to become a bonafide Demon Slayer. He had high aspirations to become a Demon Slayer so that he could get a better Tantra and compatible element-rich environment for his needs.

Vasco Joel looked to be in his mid-30s by mortal standards, possessing an enigmatic aura that drew attention among a sea of candidates. His rugged features told tales of experience, with eyes that flickered like dancing flames, revealing the fire that raged within his Soul Space. His fiery mane, resembling the untamed flames of an eternal forge, cascaded down his shoulders, a reflection of his affinity for fire-type mana.

Clad in intricately woven crimson robes adorned with shimmering patterns resembling dancing flames, Vasco carried a staff-type Hex Artifact that crackled with contained infernos. The staff, a conduit for his elemental prowess, resonated with the volatile energy that coursed through his veins.

Vasco's presence commanded both awe and respect, leaving behind a trail of smoldering embers. His mastery over fire magic was not merely a Skill. It was an extension of his very being, a manifestation of the relentless determination burning within and the profundity of his Path.

Unlike Horen, though, he was an Elementalist.

***

Elementalists' Path could be said to be completely opposite to Body Cultivators. Their Path to Power made them especially focus on their Spiritual Sense, Spiritual Force, and Elemental Attainments. They were the masters of wielding elemental magic and capable of dealing with multiple enemies all by themselves. That's why most of the Elmentalists were often compared with an army of people.

If the Body Cultivators had certain Resistances by default, the Elementalists had Bonuses whenever they used a certain set of element-type Skills. Their elemental-type attacks were much deadlier than the regular Practitioners, thanks to the element-type Bonuses they received.

Bonuses often included enhanced elemental-type damage points, elevated element-type defense points associated with respective Skills, and lower mana consummate rates when it came to using a certain set of elemental-type Skills.

Sometimes, the Bonuses could be transferred to the weapons and artifacts as well. The Elementalists with the right set of gears could unearth the true potential of their Path. Thus, Elementalists liked possessing Hex Artifacts. They often invested a great amount of their resources and time in getting the compatible artifacts they desired.

A high-level Elementalist with a complete set of Hex Artifacts was considered a force to be reckoned with. They were capable of summoning calamities in the region all by themselves with the control they had over nature's elements.

The Elementalists also sharpened their Spiritual Sense to the extent that they could summon multiple elemental clones of themselves easily. They often had various clone-type Skills that allowed them to deal with multiple enemies while protecting themselves.

Elementalists often had relatively weak constitutions. If caught off guard, they would be done in a mere slash by a regular Practitioner of their rank.

As such, they preferred keeping a distance from their enemies, wielding range-type weapons that allowed them to take advantage of their Bonuses and deal with their enemies. They often used elemental shells, being protected inside barrier-type Skills that were hard to break through.

Elementalists cultivated mana core within them. However, more often than not, it was not the only source of their power. If the Body Cultivators infused mana in every fiber of their muscles, the Elementalists took the same concept but applied it differently.

Elementalists also had mana points and mana veins in their bodies like Rankers. However, instead of just ranking up their mana cores, they preferred transforming their mana points and mana veins into mini-mana cores.

They accumulated compatible elemental mana in their bodies in certain mana points and mana veins, turning them into a source of power rather than merely acting as carriers. These strengthened mana points would then develop additional pathways.

Thus, Elementalists had more complex mana circuits than Rankers who only kept mana cores as the focal point of their source of power. This was the reason why it was difficult for Elementalists to execute their spells regularly. However, once learned, the Elmentalists were able to use their spells more profoundly.

Elementalists from Labh Salem would have had a hard time expressing their powers if it wasn't for the Mesh. The Skill execution allowed them to skip manually handling the complexities related to their mana circuits, enabling them to reap the rewards of their Path without having to suffer from the initial backlash.

Shallot Lancelot was an Elementalist when she was active in Anfang during the tumultuous Calamity Era. It was very difficult for her to contend with her enemies due to the lack of mastered spells she had in her arsenal.

Plus, the Land of the Faithless didn't have the Mesh as well, even during the Calamity Era when the Divine Isolation Array Formation was yet to be established. She wouldn't have been able to leave a mark in Anfang's history if it wasn't for the Elder Seed Artifact.

The approach of decentralizing the mana core also allowed the Elementalists to have higher mana reserves than their Ranker counterparts. It also enabled them to wield their Elementalist powers more efficiently and effectively. Some Elmentalists could leverage this capability of theirs to turn their bodies into pure Mana Bodies temporarily as well.

Elementalists, who could turn their fleshly bodies into Mana Bodies, were considered elites. When they were in this transformed state, they could break past their mortal limits and wield their Elementalist-centric powers with enhanced potency and control, enabling them to dominate their opponents.

One could say that a Ranker's Path was balanced in that they took care of their mortal vessels as well as their Elemental Attainments. Whereas, the Body Cultivators and Elementalists represented two extremes of the Ranker's Path.