The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 176: Immutable Foe

Contrary to his pledge of making the abomination regret its birth, Alden did not really have a way of enforcing that.

Sure, his decay was strong, but it was only as powerful as he was.

In other words, it all depended on his Rank.

And right now, once again, he was fighting an enemy above it.

Cognizant of his internal injury, the Keeper’s Apprentice dashed back, deciding against engaging the abomination in close combat... for the moment. Intermittent bursts of mana exploded beneath his feet, granting him a notable increase in speed.

The newly evolved leopard roared, giving pursuit.

The chase was on.

Alden weaved through the barren trees, just like he had when he fought against the Defiled Devil in Nature’s Grove, all those decades - months - ago.

Back then, all he had wanted to do was survive.

Now, he needed to thrive.

In the span of a couple of breaths, the Force-Devouring Leopard consumed most of the distance separating them. Suppressing a twinge of envy and cursing his luck, Alden shifted, evading the Djinn’s rapidly approaching maw.

Less than a heartbeat later, a tree snapped completely in half.

Flakes of ash whipped up into a frenzy, appearing like a cloud of angry locusts.

Alden shuddered. Both at the might of the Defiled and the horrible image.

Changing direction, he weaved past another tree. Immediately after, it too, succumbed to the same fate. As Alden’s heart beat rapidly in his chest, he failed to notice a particularly thick root.

A moment later, he tumbled painfully across the ash-covered floor.

Suddenly, a golden thread trembled in his vision.

Gritting his teeth, Alden sensed his mana reserves depleting as his figure disappeared. A breath later, he stood in the centre of a small glade, his entire frame covered in flakes of ash.

A slight breeze ruffled his dirty-white hair.

However, Alden could not enjoy the slightly cool sensation. For he had just realised he could not keep teleporting if he wanted to leave this clash alive - his reserves of mana were plummeting at an alarming rate, and using the Skill Kael taught him was not helping.

At most, he only had a few more teleportations.

Any more and he risked emptying what remained of his mana pool.

Panting from the exertion of the run, the Keeper’s Apprentice watched as his opponent stalked into view. As if sensing his desire to remain and fight, the Force-Devouring Leopard did not attack right away.

Instead, it slowly advanced, its movements unhurried and its gaze famished.

Alden remained still, reviewing what he knew about Djinns.

When an abomination evolved into one, it was often seen as a critical turning point, both for the creature and the warrior facing it.

...Why?

Because it was the threshold that separated the weak Defiled - Beasts and Devils -, from the truly strong Defiled - Generals, Titans and even Colossus. Not only did abominations receive a further increase to their physical strength in this rank, but they also finally gained access to what humans had from the very beginning - ’magic’.

Not only that...

They also began to have a greater influence over their surroundings, capable of destroying it if they so wished. That said, considering the fact that they were still Djinns, the damage dealt wouldn’t be too catastrophic.

...Relatively speaking, of course.

Still, battling a Djinn was a hallmark for any warrior. Simply because, the danger and the threat one now faced increased drastically, becoming truly grave, more than ever.

Glaring at his foe, Alden silently considered his options.

The abomination’s bloodline ability, which allowed it to devour force, was now stronger than ever. There was also the strange, near-invisible waves it could unleash without having to expel any absorbed force.

Alden swiftly arrived at a conclusion, the very one he had come to before his run.

...He had no sure-fire way of finishing the Defiled off.

In theory, Alden’s decay could bring it down, but he would be subject to intense danger while his Magic Class decomposed the blasted leopard. Everything pointed towards the fact he would have to stall until the rest of his squad arrived in order to slay this Defiled.

However, there was a slight issue with that. Alden had refused the help of the Expert Stonewardens and the rest of the squad. The Keeper’s Apprentice wouldn’t be surprised if they left him alone to rue the folly of his own choices.

Alden’s decision to prevent anybody from aiding him was not based on arrogance, disdain or even supreme belief in his combat prowess. No, the reason was much simpler. It was because, at the end of the day, Alden still struggled to rely on others for help.

He understood that it was extremely foolish of him to refuse aid in such a precarious situation, but something in his very being prohibited him from doing just that. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

It was not something he could fight.

Frustration bubbled within the Keeper’s Apprentice, but there was nothing he could do.

Inhaling a deep breath, Alden set his feet.

Not a heartbeat later, he shifted slightly, evading the harrowing claws of the leopard by a hair’s breadth.

A strong gale rushed past his cheek.

Ignoring it, Alden swiftly drew his arm back.

At the same time, his mana seethed, granting him a powerful physical boost.

Like the snap of an arrow, Alden’s fist shot forward. Visible currents of air pressure formed from the intensity of his strike, although they were still small and relatively unsubstantial.

...Nonetheless, Alden was confident his blow packed quite the punch.

Just before his fist hit the leopard, a wave of sudden, near-invisible force struck back.

Alden gritted his teeth, sensing his insides churn.

Abruptly, a golden thread vibrated, alerting him of the abomination’s next move.

With impressive nimbleness, the Keeper’s Apprentice arched backwards, dodging the Defiled’s rapid swipe. Then, eight dark tentacles pushed him away from the ground and thrust him back into an upright position.

As Alden’s world narrowed and his focus sharpened, stygian fire ignited along the length of the abyssal tentacles. They flowed and merged together to form a solid, scorching buckler.

The shield had just finished materialising when the leopard’s tail whipped forward, crunching into Alden from the side like an enormous mace. The white-haired young man’s frame shuddered, his bones creaking in protest, another trickle of blood spilling from his lips.

Angling his shield, Alden deflected most of the force away from his body - he was still in agony, but that action had saved his life.

Another dark buckler formed in place of the one which just shattered.

The ground beneath Alden cracked, a small crater exploding into existence from the impact, shattering the forest floor. He remained where he was, refusing to shoot through the air and slam into a tree; such was the immensity of the Djinn’s increased might.

Alden roared, his veins bulging.

His knees trembled, threatening to buckle.

However, just before Alden’s body collapsed under the immense strain, mana detonated beneath his feet, hurling him away from the leopard’s tail. Abyssal decay shrouded his right arm in a modified gauntlet as his figure flickered, fading from view.

Appearing in a flood of sudden motion from the Defiled’s opposite flank, the Keeper’s Apprentice adjusted his stance, drew his arm back and launched another devastating strike.

Flakes of ash danced wildly, swirling in his sped-up vision.

At the same time, the abyssal energy shrouding his tentacles flared. The pitch-black appendages appeared to release a silent scream, before they dove towards the Djinn, stygian fire converging on their tip.

However, no sooner had the dark tentacles approached the leopard did they come to an abrupt, sudden halt. In the next moment, Alden willed the eight protuberances wreathed in jet-black fire to explode.

They bloomed in the air like a morbid flower.

Alden’s decay devoured the wall of invisible force and the ensuing suction force like a starved beast, flickering as it danced with joy. The Force-Devouring Leopard bristled, snarling as it recognised the potential danger.

Alden moved, unwilling to give the creature a chance to react.

Instead of blindly attacking the abomination, he swept his mind through his Dimensional Bracelet. He did not wish to use this item at the beginning of the escort mission, but it seemed he had no choice.

Less than a breath later, Alden summoned the desired item.

A flawlessly hewn stone disk appeared in his hand, pulsing with an equally magical rune.

Inserting his mana into the Runic Item, Alden watched as the disk came to life.

A burst of bright light followed its activation, dazzling the Djinn.

Just as abruptly, a net of golden lightning enveloped the creature.

The leopard roared as it flinched.

It tried to absorb the golden lightning, but for some reason, it was unsuccessful. Alden’s theory was that the net sustained itself through the ambient mana in the air, and thus, the Force-Devouring Leopard could not win against such an immutable foe.

The beginning of a mad grin graced the Keeper’s Apprentice’s face.

However, it froze the next moment. For just as suddenly, the earth beneath the Djinn cracked. Shackles, spears and all manner of earthen projectiles abruptly assaulted it alongside a torrent of frost energy.

...Help had finally arrived.

Alden sighed.