Smoke corrosion obliteration and Sukmo Lawu

“Now you believe, don’t you…” Randiman whispered.

“You’re right. So, how do we bring them back…” Arjuna whispered in return.

“Use the Gonto Sero spell…” Randiman whispered.

Arjuna could do what Randiman suggested—but would the enemy let him succeed? Of course not. Arjuna knew that Gonto Sero was a mythical-class spell—one rank above majestic-level spells and one rank below celestial-level spells. He could cast it, and he already had the proper magic circle pattern for it. But the incantation for Gonto Sero was exceedingly long. It took a long time to recite and was extremely risky. Based on probability, most outcomes of this spell were disastrous. If he made even a single mistake in the incantation, it could give birth to a new demon.

While his opponents were still hesitating to attack, Sukmo Lawu had been waiting. For humans, usually waiting something danger. But for a demon, it was normal. Enemy attacks were a form of entertainment. He was waiting to be attacked. He could’ve completed his evolution into a Demon King by naming and giving magic to the life core behind him, which would’ve successfully triggered his evolution with the birth of a new demon. But he still wanted to have some fun. Once he granted the name and magic, the fun would end quickly—his powers would surge, and the newly born demon would immediately be of high rank. That wouldn’t be entertaining.

“Heh, bored,” Sukmo Lawu muttered, his boredom written clearly on his face. “Guess I’ll lower my power level.”

Sukmo Lawu’s body reverted to its previous form: his three eyes were no longer cracked, his three rhino horns reappeared, no black smoke leaked from his head, his claws shortened, and his glowing red skin returned.

“Attack now!” Randiman commanded.

There was no intention to defend or trap the enemy. That was Sukmo Lawu’s aim anyway.

Randiman closed his eyes—not randomly, but with clear purpose. He was about to use a technique he had developed: a technique that created a monster from water without transforming his own body into liquid.

This technique only worked as long as he was touching a sufficient amount of water. Enough to shape the monster he intended to summon.

The three dragons that had emerged from the ground earlier merged with the water. From it, a monster took form.

It was terrifyingly majestic: it had goat-like legs with extended hooves, eyes sharp like an eagle’s, antelope-like horns, a deer-shaped head, dragon-like fangs, and its entire body was scaled like a serpent.

Randiman tried to observe his surroundings—though his eyes were shut. Logically, especially using the logic of the Shadow Existers' origin world, it should have been impossible to see with closed eyes.

Randiman turned his head left—the monster’s head turned left.

He turned his head right—the monster’s head followed.

He had gained partial control over it. Only some motor control. As for sensory control—so far, only visual control over its eyes.

While Randiman focused on controlling the monster like a beginner mech pilot, Sukmo Lawu still waited to be attacked. He was so eager that his twisted grin was visible.

Arjuna didn’t remain idle. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, he flapped his wings.

Hundreds of arrows shot toward Sukmo Lawu.

“This time I’ll take them with my bare hands,” Sukmo Lawu muttered, discarding his black sword.

Dozens of arrows struck his body.

Did it hurt? Of course. But he was a demon.

Pain was pleasure.

Demons are a masochistic—

And destructive race.

“Ah damn, the cores have formed already,” Sukmo Lawu sighed. “If they hadn’t, I could’ve dragged them back from their fragthesis isolations. I’d destroy this core, but it feels like a waste.”

After a hard struggle, Randiman finally gained full control over the monster.

He charged at Sukmo Lawu—the monster lunged at him.

Its horn collided with Sukmo Lawu’s hand.

With just a slight push—

The monster was thrown away.

It shattered for a moment—along with Randiman’s control.

Everything was lost.

Once the monster reformed, Randiman had to regain control piece by piece—starting over from scratch.

But this time, the struggle was shorter than before. He regained full control quickly.

Despite the attacks from his enemies, Sukmo Lawu still wasn’t satisfied.

“Alright, I’ll let you use Gonto Sero,” Sukmo Lawu flicked his hand gently toward Arjuna, signaling that he wouldn’t interfere with the casting.

If Sukmo Lawu weren’t a demon, that would’ve been a fatal mistake. But he was a demon—and he was utterly bored. No meaningful resistance. Every attack was too predictable.

Arjuna prepared the magic circle.

A beautiful and complex pattern formed in the air: moss green intertwined with amethyst purple.

Not wanting to cause a catastrophe, Arjuna focused on recalling the Gonto Sero incantation. He tried to remember it fully before reciting it aloud.

“Sukmo nan lawas, sukmo nan akeh, lan pisah karo rupo, lan pisah karo rogo,lan sukma dadi rupo, lan asmo dadi rogo,lan wujud ing gaib, lan ra wujud,lan asma seng gaib karo ra wujud dadio rupa seng nyoto kan asma rupa,”Arjuna chanted.

The world trembled. Everything distorted.

Sensation, smell, color, direction, shape—all shifted.

The allied forces, previously separated by fragthesis, reappeared.

But many were wounded.

Their joint training—

Had been in vain.

During the fragthesis isolation, they had faced high-level monsters.

Each person was isolated into a separate fragthesis.

The loneliness alone was torment.

“That’s my cue,” Sukmo Lawu smirked.

A magic circle formed in the air: shaped like a circle with a hand holding an eye at its center. Its color—obsidian black.

It was unmistakably Sukmo Lawu’s magic circle.

His body transformed again.

His appearance turned horrifying: cracked eyes, elongated claw-like nails, black smoke billowing from his head, and a mouth full of crocodile-like teeth.

Randiman realized—his technique was no longer viable. If he kept using the formation, he would be absorbed and vanish. He immediately returned to his dormant body.

The three dragons dispersed once more—reverting to humanoid form.

Sudirja noticed something. The smoke rising from Sukmo Lawu’s head—it wasn’t ordinary.

He decided to observe further.

“Dion,” Sudirja signaled.

A magic circle formed on the ground: beautiful and complex in amethyst purple.

Randiman glanced toward Dion’s circle.

Exotic atom, its nucleon made of Hadron Kulibrum, he thought.

He knew that Kulibrum (K) was a type of hadron capable of absorbing other particles. When it absorbed other particles, it would produce two residues: δ (Dorvion particle) and ρ (Rhineon particle). He knew that one of them was extremely dangerous.

“We gain one advantage from that black smoke—but not without risk,” Sudirja warned.

“The advantage comes from the δ particle, classified as a magical neutrino under the materialis group. The danger comes from the ρ particle, classified as a scalar ruller,” added King Eldwäs.

“Yes, correct,” Sudirja confirmed.

“δ is a particle that, when interacting with others, produces Manneon. That means we don’t have to use our own Manna to activate magic. But the ρ particle gives strength radius values to other particles—causing gravitational pull to increase if our own radius differs too much from nearby objects,” added King Uves.

“For you indigenous folks, here’s the simple version: the fog gives us free Manna—but it also puts an invisible weight on us,” Sudirja explained.

Even though Sudirja’s explanation was highly technical, the indigenous alliance members still understood. Perhaps not as deeply as Sudirja, King Eldwäs, or King Uves—but they got the message.