Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

'.... So that's how it is, man.

I'll be honest with you, Eren. I am very happy with my body-strengthening art despite the restrictions it has placed on me.

So what if I had to stop practicing conventional ranking techniques? So what if I have fewer options as a Berserker when it comes to versatility?

In the end, what I do with whatever I have is more significant for me than the range of options I might have. I lost my advantages as a regular ranker. But I gained my edge as a berserker.'

Steve answered Eren's question right away. He saw no reason to hide anything from the butcher.

Eren had carefully listened to Steve's journey till here and he had to say that the berserker was gutsy for walking on his path. He pondered a bit before asking him another personal question.

'Who taught you this body-strengthening art?'

Steve answered right away, confirming Eren and Alephee's doubts.

'Hehe. It was my demon beast, Wilber. He told me to take this path.'

Wilber was a boar-type demon beast that Steve had tamed by accident. The demon beast couldn't assume a humanoid form like Argo despite becoming a C-rank entity. But he was still able to communicate with his master.

Steve wasn't appreciative of Ana for nothing. Like her, he had also started walking on a divergent path from that of a traditional ranker. He knew the difficulties and the mental burden of walking alone on a path one had to pave for themselves. So he could relate to Ana's struggles.

'The whispers of a demon are difficult to ignore. No wonder Steve followed the path blindly.

Anyway... I cannot say for sure since Wilber is occupying Steve's Beast Space and the soul fragment is slumbering. But the story holds up for the most part. There is a connection between this body-strengthening art and the demonic realm.

Plus, I can say that it is not the work of a lesser or higher demon to regulate body-strengthening art of this caliber. I'm guessing Wilber's demon soul fragment belongs to an archdemon.'

Alephee quickly came up with a conjecture of her own after Steve shared his experiences with Eren regarding the body-strengthening art he was practicing.

***

Steve's body-strengthening art had basically replaced the ranking technique normal rankers were supposed to follow. This art allowed him to break into the C-rank at an accelerated rate without compromising his potential as a berserker.

Since Steve started practicing his body-strengthening art, he did not have to worry about elemental attainments like the rest of the rankers. He also did not have to reserve a set amount of time every day for his ranking practice anymore. His body-centric technique could be practiced even while he was doing chores or simply taking a walk.

The more active he was, the better results he would get from his body-strengthening art. And the most remarkable thing about body-strengthening art was the fact that Steve never felt exhausted. He could go months on end without sleep and still function well without compromising any of his faculties.

Steve's body stats were through the roof for his rank. He hardly got tired even after engaging in gruesome combat with his opponents. Plus, his body's recovery rate was unparalleled. He had beaten Ramy Richards countless times while never having to use his full strength.

This was the reason Steve had dominated the ranking wars of LA and received his title as a Boar Berserker. Just like a boar, he would never get tired even after fighting multiple opponents back-to-back.

The legend of the Boar Berserker only grew as Steve kept on advancing in his ranking journey at an unbelievable rate. By the time he was in the last stage of the Adept rank, he could fight Becky, Ramy Richards, Ana, and Bel at the same time. And he had never tasted defeat fighting alone against them. Steve's progress made it impossible for ambitious Becky to have her way within the team and grab the leader's spot.

Steve had his own fanbase back at the academy before he even left for his on-field assignment. He would always generate hype within the borders of LA. Furthermore, he continued to refine his berserker physique using demonic art after taking the on-field assignment.

Body-strengthening art also had its drawbacks.

For example, Steve couldn't cast his earth-element spells with the same level of proficiency that was expected of his rank. He discovered that his mana circuits were becoming incompatible with the kind of heavy mid-range spells he was used to casting in the past.

Another drawback was the fact that he needed to consume expensive resources to practice his body-strengthening art. As a result, he had to always look for a constant source of nourishment for his body.

Steve's body had become a resource-burning machine ever since he had shifted to his new path. This was the reason he had taken the most amount of loans from Eren throughout his ranking journey till this point among all the White Raven members.

It was only now that the butcher realized what his team's berserker was doing with all those Extols he lent him with promissory notes. Steve had been allowed to borrow money from Eren at zero interest after all. And the berserker made full use of it throughout these years.

The body-strengthening art streamlined Steve's path as a berserker by cutting down on all that was unnecessary. It limited his options as a ranker and made him a purely physical force that couldn't be stopped by any normal means.

Eren could never imagine getting rid of his multi-elemental and multi-class compatibility just to strengthen his body beyond the normal standards set in the land of Anfang. But he had to admit that it made sense for a ranker like Steve. The guy was practically made for walking on this path.

Unbeknownst to both Eren and Steve, the latter's body-strengthening art would ascend him to new heights within the kingdom. One day, his academic moniker of Boar Berserker would become his kingdom-bonafide title.

==

AN: Chapters 251 and 252 titled "The Legend of the Boar Berserker" highlight Steve's growth potential. Eren offers Steve financial assistance with zero interest in chapter 253.

Chapter 195 showcases Steve's exceptional battle sense. Also, chapters 653 and 654 highlight Steve's growing legend. There are other chapters as well in which Steve's latent talent has been foreshadowed.

Had a minor riding accident a few days ago that has made typing a bit difficult for me. I think I should be able to write normally within a week or two. Will try my best to maintain my regular release schedule as much as I can. But expect a bit of delay or irregularity in chapter releases for this brief period just in case.