The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 162: Greater Heights

Caelum ground his teeth.

How dare that Keeper’s Apprentice steal the spotlight from him!

He and Varnel were supposed to be more than enough to take him down, yet he seemed stronger than they... no, everyone had anticipated.

The white-haired young man was formidable enough that Caelum had no choice but to reveal his trump card - the latest boon he had received from his Sponsor, [Overseer of the Great Fissure].

Delight had coursed through the illusionist’s veins when he discovered that the Divine Sovereign had granted him the ability to control one of their lesser minions.

...Which made this whole situation even more infuriating!

Caelum had planned on keeping this card close to his chest, just like how he had suppressed the news of him contracting with a Divine Sovereign. It would serve him well as a hidden ace in the long run.

Who knew that he would have to use it so soon, and against someone of his own Rank, no less?

Careful not to grind his teeth too hard, lest it ruin his handsome image, Caelum’s heart burned. He had to let out his grievances, and what better target than a fool who was not worthy?

Grinning to himself, the Chosen of the Divine Sovereign locked gazes with Varnel.

The two young men lingered for a heartbeat, before nodding their heads and bursting into action. Both the illusionist and speed demon held nothing back. The lightning trident in the latter’s hand hummed, while the ghastly shape inside the former’s space fissure disappeared.

Caelum understood that for them to have any chance of winning - and winning dominantly - they had to go all out. Without a moment’s delay, the two of them shot for the Keeper’s Apprentice, who had just recovered from the lightning attack.

And so, the battle between three of the most promising youths in the Sanctuary continued.

...One, where each of them surpassed their own limits, and soared to greater heights.

***

Alden closed his good eye.

A bright flash lit up the Theatre of War. The purple bolt of lightning lashed down at him, its radiance intense - Alden could still sense its harsh glare even beneath his closed eyelid.

Doubtless it would have stunned him had he not shut his sole eye in time.

Still in the strange state, Alden’s hand swiped out at the approaching bolt. With his Mana Sense, he didn’t have to worry about its position at all - he could track it from the moment it left the clouds, as if it were suspended in a quagmire of slow-moving time.

Perhaps he was the one suspended in slow-moving time, instead.

In any case...

A dark lance intercepted the rapid bolt.

The two energies exploded upon impact. The sight was akin to a humming purple cloud stained by vile miasma. It was beautiful, bewitching, and deadly. The ferocity with which his abyssal energy and Varnel’s lightning consumed each other almost left him breathless.

There was a high chance it would have, had he not gained access to this profound and mysterious state.

Having nullified the attack from above, Alden shifted his attention back towards the purple and green-robed youths. However, before he could counter, Morrigan’s Art screamed.

From within the ghostly world, a misshapen shape lunged at him, its rippling, eerie flesh parting in the centre to swallow him whole.

At the same time, a menacing trident suddenly manifested behind him, pulsing with a harsh, ghostly light as it raced for his back.

Alden inhaled lightly, feeling as if that single moment stretched for eternity.

...Then, abruptly, he moved.

The surrounding space desperately clung onto him like a heartbroken lover - Caelum strained to restrict his movements as much as possible. However, Alden’s decay, concentrated around his limbs, loosened these invisible restraints enough for him to shift.

The magical restraint prevented him from teleporting, owing to the illusionist’s iron grip on the surrounding space. Still, Alden felt relatively unbothered. It was not the end of the world if he couldn’t teleport.

As mana raged like a deep, angry river within his body, Alden leaned towards the left. He did not know if Varnel’s trident grazed him, nor did he really care. Instead, he directed his attention towards something more urgent, more dire.

Quickly creating a lightless shield and shadowy dirk, the Keeper’s Apprentice gazed at the approaching monstrosity. It reminded him slightly of an Ice Wyrm, except it was far more ghastly, and far more deadly.

It also did not wield the power of ice; rather it possessed an ability that was a lot more subtle... yet no less insidious.

As the ghastly creature lunged at him from the fissure, Alden absorbed its blow with his shield. The dark buckler splintered, and the Keeper’s Apprentice sensed a tremor travel through his mangled body, the force behind the Rift Creature’s strike stronger than he had anticipated.

Yet, he remained firm, like a stalwart warrior.

Alden’s abyssal shield mended itself, while sharp, deadly spikes wreathed in black fire burst from it, hoping to skewer the Rift Creature. Unfortunately, before they could impale the misshapen creature, it released a silent screech and the shield, along with the pointed barbs shattered.

It was as if the space they had occupied ruptured, and the abyssal constructs had no choice but to splinter along with it.

Inwardly, Alden’s gaze turned solemn.

He hurled his shadowy dirk, imbued with [Haste], towards the Rift Creature.

At the last moment, tongues of abyssal fire ignited across its length.

There was considerable resistance, as if the ghastly abomination did not allow anything to travel within its immediate vicinity. However, Alden’s decay overpowered that effect, and the shadowy dirk slipped into the Rift Creature.

It flinched, unleashing a silent roar which washed over the Keeper’s Apprentice, causing him to stagger - he had lost all sense of direction and balance, as if the surrounding space had suddenly flipped; up became down, and left became right.

Not letting up, Caelum’s thrall pounced on him from another rift.

Its wriggling, flesh-like maw closed, and instead of swallowing him...

The Rift Creature crashed into the Keeper’s Apprentice, who just shifted in time.

Alden flew through the air like a projectile, feeling something crawl up his throat.

Before he could even breathe, or disgorge the metallic liquid, Varnel appeared behind him, eyes flickering with purple lightning.

Suddenly, a wave of purple bolts raced towards Alden.