The ground crumbled beneath Allen's feet!
A massive hand, made of rock and earth, burst forth, carrying a damp, muddy smell!
It gripped Allen's ankle tightly and pulled him into the abysmal, bottomless fissure!
"Ravé!"
Alan, without hesitation, unleashed his "Thunder Wave"!
A tangible shockwave, accompanied by a deafening roar, suddenly spread out.
The strange hands beneath his feet were shaken, sending mud and sand flying everywhere.
He involuntarily loosened his grip.
Alan seized the opportunity to escape the grip and leaped onto the roof.
Away from the ground, he was temporarily out of danger.
His pounding heart gradually calmed.
A half-meter-wide gully on the ground continued to expand.
A massive, pitch-black hand gripped the gully.
A humanoid monster, constructed from rock and earth, slowly emerged.
It appeared in Allen's field of vision.
"Is that... an earth elemental?"
Allen's pupils shrank slightly as he muttered to himself.
The two-and-a-half-meter-tall humanoid earth elemental was transforming before his eyes.
Shedding its rocky outer shell, it regained its human form.
"Brother Locke..." Allen sighed. "I have no grudge against you. Why did you leave everyone else alone and go after me?"
"Because I admire you, Brother Allen."
Locke stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at Allen.
His gaze was calm, as if he were conversing with an old friend.
"Stop struggling, Junior Brother Allen. Just give me a bite and you'll be one of us. What's wrong with that?"
"One of us...you mean the Beast Cult?"
Alan gazed at the fiery red sunset glow and said calmly:
"Brother Locke, you can't even transform freely into a beast outside of moonlit nights right now. How can you be so confident as to say such things to me!"
His body suddenly swelled!
His shirt shattered, revealing his muscular build.
First-level atavism, ogre form!
"Hehe..."
Locke looked at the giant-sized Allen on the rooftop and smiled calmly.
"Junior Brother Allen, you don't think I have any other combat forms besides beast form, do you?"
With that, he transformed again.
First-level atavism, earth elemental form!
Bang!
Alan, standing over three meters tall, leaped from the roof.
The ground shook as his feet touched the ground.
Alan stared at Locke, a slightly shorter figure, and asked in a deep voice.
"Brother Locke, I can't understand why you've become a traitor."
"Once you embark on this path, your friends, family, and even your mentors at the Warlock Academy will become your sworn enemies."
"You'll become a homeless person, spending the rest of your life hiding and living in the gutter."
"You're a top student at the Warlock Academy. Why would you abandon your promising future and instead become part of this cult?"
Locke fell silent.
The earth elemental's eyes, like two topaz stones, shimmered with a complex light.
After several seconds, Locke finally spoke.
"For power, and even more for dignity!"
"Junior Brother Allen, even now, I still believe you can heal Jenny and me!"
"But you can't satisfy another desire of mine besides health."
"Retaining the ability to transform into a beast?" Allen speculated.
"Right!"
Locke clenched his fists.
"You can't do this, and I don't blame you. But the Beast Cult can! It's the key to shifting the balance in my heart!"
Alan shook his head and sighed, regretting his choice.
"You're too paranoid, Junior Brother Allen. There are many ways to become stronger. Why choose this path..."
"No! Junior Brother Allen, you don't understand!"
Locke suddenly became excited and interrupted him with a roar.
"There are many ways to become stronger, but none of them are free!"
"If I were the son of a wealthy family, if I had ample resources, I certainly wouldn't look down on a mere beast transformation!"
"Alas, I'm just a country bumpkin from a humble background. Even if I abandon my pride and endure humiliation to sell myself, I can't fetch a good price!"
"I don't have many choices, Junior Brother Allen. I don't have a better opportunity."
Locke's words tinged with bitterness.
"Beast worship... I know it's a cult, don't I?!"
"Yet, its members don't discriminate by bloodline or family background. Whoever is stronger has a higher status!"
"Junior Brother Allen, in my opinion, rather than serving as a dog for a 'tyrant' like Pamela, I'd rather join a cult. I'd live a more dignified life!"
As he spoke, Locke couldn't help but become excited again.
His topaz eyes stared at Allen, burning intensely.
"Junior Brother Allen, you come from a commoner background, not even from a poor family. You should understand my choice!"
Alan sighed inwardly.
Locke, having chosen this path, had in fact also endured immense pressure, uncertainty, and torment.
So, at this moment, Locke was particularly eager to seek recognition from his junior brother, who came from a similar background and faced a similar situation.
Alas, Allen couldn't offer him the comfort he sought.
"Junior Brother , I empathize with your difficulties," Allen said frankly. "I sympathize with you, but I cannot follow your path."
"Why?!"
Locke suddenly raised his voice, seething with anger.
"You're a man, a real man. Don't you have any dignity?!"
Alan responded with a wry smile.
"Brother Locke... don't you understand? The evil cult on Magic Stone Island will never defeat the Warlock Academy!"
"No matter your reasons, if you choose the wrong side, you will suffer the consequences."
"Before I gain the power to control my own destiny, my first priority is to survive in this ugly and cruel world!"
"In my eyes, neither the heartless Beast Cult, which spreads plague and harms people, nor the Warlock Academy, which has a strict hierarchy and exploits the children of the common people, are good things. It's worth sacrificing my life for."
"Two rotten apples, if I have to choose sides, I can only hold my nose and choose the side with the greater chance of winning."
"Brother Locke, I understand your choice, but unfortunately, that's not the path I choose."
"You and I have different paths, and we should have pursued our own paths, but you chose to hunt me down..."
"Now that things have come to this, I can only wish you a peaceful journey!"
"Turcafinwé!"
Alan chanted the spell.
A handful of iron powder slapped against his chest!
His body, in its atavistic state, grew even larger!
From three meters tall, it exploded to six meters.
Atavistic form, combined with the "Giant Transformation" technique.
At this moment, he had transformed into a true giant.
Physical attributes were enhanced to a terrifying 25 points.
His tattered clothes were completely ripped apart by his rapidly expanding body.
Leaving him with only a pair of stretchy blue shorts.
From his arms to his chest, and then to his bare thighs.
His bulging muscles resembled a bronze sculpture.