The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 173: Deranged

Marion dashed to the side, just in time to evade a set of horrifying claws.

The puppeteer sensed the earth beneath him shiver, the ground trembling from the force of the abomination's blow. He ignored the peculiar sensation, his mind too preoccupied with sifting through various points of views to care.

A slender blade lay in his grasp.

To Marion's right, an auburn-haired poet lashed out with the length of his halberd, shifting his feet to keep the leopard at bay. Devin's grey eyes swirled with a strange emotion, but the puppeteer did not have the time or presence of mind to question it.

Meanwhile, to his left, three other warriors danced around an abomination.

Marion sensed Conrad's mana fluctuate, his telekinetic power causing the Defiled's strike to stray from its original target - himself -, and hit empty air. The second warrior, Steel, lunged in front of Conrad and crossed his arms, gritting his teeth.

Steel's arms rippled with a silver light. In the next moment, they hardened, liquid metal solidifying to block the leopard's tail. The ground beneath the transmuter cracked, splinters running across the silver metal of his arms.

With the most pressing attack now dealt with, the last warrior, Sybil, took a step back, and yelled, her eyes glowing with a magical light:

"It's about to blow!"

Immediately after, Conrad and Steel retreated.

Above them, a dark phoenix suddenly streaked through the air, its yellow beak spraying a shower of pitch-black flame across the abomination.

The leopard roared, blinded.

The overall strength of the flame wasn't particularly strong, but it served its purpose, putting off the abomination briefly.

However, that brief moment was enough.

It had saved Marion and the others a few times already.

Tracking the bird's path, the puppeteer silently thanked Alden, the Keeper's Apprentice.

If not for him lending the aid of his familiar, they would have found themselves in a much more dire position. Perhaps they would have even received a few serious injuries as well, if it weren't for the phoenix.

'Not only is it incredibly cute, but also extremely clever!'

Marion allowed himself a heartbeat to grin.

Then, he swiftly plunged himself back into the cold embrace of battle clarity.

Flakes of ash drifted in his vision.

The enormous, arid trees cast long, dappled shadows.

In the light gloom, the leopards moved like silent predators. Sometimes, their figures disappeared entirely, blending with the environment. Other times, they would leap, their speed explosive, and their maws set permanently in a terrifying snarl.

That was also without mentioning their broken ability to absorb force!

It was beyond frustrating and rendered most, if not all of their efforts, useless.

Marion inhaled a dry, scorching breath, his mind attempting to piece together a way out of their stalemate. After their first exchange with the Dark Brood, which had almost cost them very dearly, Marion and others kept their distance as best as they could - especially because they had no way of knowing when an abomination would blow.

Sybil was very helpful in that regard, but she was limited by the fact she could only focus on one abomination at a time. In addition, it seemed like these Force-Devouring Leopards had stocked up on a well of force beforehand, allowing them to unleash violent shock-waves without absorbing any attacks.

To minimise the risk, the group of five constantly moved, scurrying like mice.

Suddenly, Marion turned around, just in time to block an abrupt blow.

His slender blade trembled, but held as he shot back across the ash-covered forest floor. Thanking his little sparrow, the puppeteer pulled on a mental string. At the same time, the mana within his body surged, launching him away from another Defiled's path.

Just then, two new presences entered the battlefield.

The first belonged to a lynx, lean corded muscle visible beneath yellow-brown spotty fur. Meanwhile, the second belonged to a young silver-grey wolf, its intense, ferocious gaze locked onto the leopards.

Both creatures dove into the fray.

…And both were amongst Marion's thralls.

Before the Paladin Exam, he had embarked on a journey to find new puppets, and there, he had discovered the young lynx and wolf inside Nature's Grove. Both of them were strangely alone and strangely devoid of corruption.

Marion did not let that stop him, though.

He promptly enthralled the two creatures, and vowed not to mistreat them. Unfortunately, to accommodate for his new additions, he had to sacrifice some of his other puppets and let them go.

In his opinion, though, the trade was worth it.

The handsome youth suppressed his instinctive worry, watching his thralls engage the abominations. Since they were connected to Marion through a bond, albeit one slightly different from what one would possess with a familiar, he was able to communicate with them very swiftly.

Which was how the lynx and wolf became aware of the leopards' strengths. Their actions reflected that; using their impressive agility to escape the Defileds' grasp.

Marion knew both creatures wouldn't last long in a direct confrontation, though.

…However, they did not need to.

The puppeteer's gaze drifted over to Devin, who calmly met his gaze. A sudden understanding travelled between them, and the auburn-haired youth nodded, flashing a conspiring grin.

Freed from an opponent, the poet swiftly got to work.

***

Devin's gaze darted across his surroundings, studying the three con-current fights.

Marion's thralls were doing a good job occupying two-thirds of the leopards, while Conrad, Steel, and Sybil remained in a tense stalemate, largely, in part, due to the former's swift reactions and the latter's timely warnings.

In his opinion, Sybil's ability to gain a glimpse of the true nature of things was invaluable. Devin had no doubt she would continue to pull her weight in the future, and he also had no doubt she would receive the title of Paladin.

…That was, of course, if they lived to see the end of this escort mission.

A strange unease lingered within Devin. It first began when they left the Barrier. Ever since then, it simmered quietly beneath the surface as if waiting for the most opportune moment to strike.

Ignoring his unease, Devin's eyes suddenly gleamed.

Following the plan, he launched himself forward with a burst of mana. Gripping his halberd tightly, the poet dove into the gap created by the young wolf and slashed upward, reminiscent of a diagonal upward cut.

Too preoccupied with Marion's thrall, the leopard did not sense him coming until it was too late. However, even if it was caught off-guard, Devin found its ability to absorb force still extremely troublesome.

He sensed the power within his strike dwindle, but he did not give up.

Instead…

Devin leaned into it.

Mana flooded his arms, muscles swelling.

Releasing an aggrieved roar, the poet thrust with all his might. The lengthy halberd fought against the suction force and sliced through the Defiled's ashen-grey hide, drawing a thin line of blood.

The abomination snarled.

But before it could turn its entire attention towards Devin, he sent a burst of mana to his feet and reached out, placing his palm on the creature's corrupted frame. Immediately after, the poet's pupils dilated and all the hair on his body stood on end.

…Ice-cold fear rooted him to the spot.

Suddenly, the abomination staggered backwards.

A vindictive smile marred Devin's lips, contrary to his fear-stricken face.

Since his powers centred around emotions - an intangible force -, the Force-Devouring Leopards had no way to stop him from affecting them. Unlike purely tangible force, Devin did not need to worry about his wave of emotion being absorbed.

The only downside was that Devin had to be in close proximity to touch the abomination, but Marion's thrall had given him the perfect opportunity to do just that.

His power…

It was the perfect counter.

Devin grinned.

He thrust his halberd, piercing the disorientated leopard's skull.

However, before he could fully celebrate, a terrifying aura suddenly burst to life in the distance.

The poet's head snapped towards its source.

'A Djinn…'

His expression turned extremely grave.

As worry pricked his heart, Devin saw the Keeper's Apprentice face off against the terrible beast. Suddenly, the horde of leopards grew restless and bellowed, as if celebrating the rise of their new leader.

Devin felt like the terrible roar could drown out the entire Forest of Ash.

It was his turn to stagger.

In the next moment, he shivered.

Because there, nestled within the yellow slits of each Defiled, the flames of a ravenous hunger burgeoned, intensified to a startling degree.

Subject to their voracious gazes, Devin paled.

…The abominations had become even more deranged.