Soul of Blades - Chapter 52: Body of Blades (Patreon)

Alex watched as a horde of figures, a maelstrom of red with flecks of white and black, swarmed into the town, now awash in a deep, ominous red. Explosions of light and flame erupted in their wake, walls buckled, and buildings crumbled beneath their onslaught. Among the chaos, the town's inhabitants clashed with the invaders, some fighting back fiercely, while others were swiftly overrun. Towering entities loomed over the fray, some rivalling the town's structures in height, with others so massive that rooftops barely brushed their necks.

He immediately summoned the bronze blade into his open palm. A weapon capable of increasing its length would be useful when facing the deadly waves of creatures. Alex crouched and placed a hand on the stone beneath, sensing his surroundings through the tremors in the ground. His mind was a blur of options. Within seconds, Alex mentally assessed the tools available to him.

He had just gained the ability to infuse his body with an endless amount of weapon enchantments. But I can merge with only one at a time for now. Which one would be the most useful?

He had the queen's golden blade that could shoot wickedly sharp metal shards.

The bronze blade that could stretch as long as a spear, or further depending on the amount of mana he injected into it.

Weightless, the blade that increased in weight the faster it was swung. That would be good for crowd control.

The FlameBlade, that could sear through flesh and bone with little resistance.

And his crystal blade that could steal any energy it came in contact with, though he was loath to use it in front of any prying eyes.

The energy-stealing limitless blade would be useful for its ability to co-opt any energy it came in contact with. But I would have to come into contact with the energy first, Alex thought with concern. That could mean having to get hit. Eventually he would have to find a way around that, but it wouldn’t help him now. Instead, he assessed the remaining options available to him.

He chose the FlameBlade for the instant defence and counter it would offer once stored within his body. The rest of his blades could be wielded with his hands, pulled from his inventory at a moment's notice, but none of them offered such a searing deterrent as the FlameBlade.

Alex sensed a gathering of mana in his chest, a venerable storm, a maelstrom of raging mana that rippled and bucked in his vision. It centred at his heart and extended to the surface of his chest. It seemed only those who could detect mana could sense it, but to Alex, it appeared as a beacon. The new instincts embedded by the skill told him to place a sword there, and that something significant would happen, but the thought seemed alien to Alex’s lifetime of experiences. Now or never, he thought. It had only been a second since his consciousness returned, but it was a second he couldn’t afford to waste.

Experimentally, he placed the tip of his FlameBlade against his chest, right above his heart as if to pierce himself. Following his new instincts, he tentatively pushed against the skin and witnessed his sword seamlessly vanish into the depth of his heart and disperse, breaking down to become one with his mana and flesh, infusing him. There was no pain, only the sensation of the sword dissolving and its essence spreading through him, merging with his mana, becoming part of his very essence.

[Grade F Skill: FlameBody (Active) gained!

So, I’ve got a hell of a lot of magical blades, defensive gear, my skills, and the Dao. Mana Burn and Duel of Corruption are out, depending on how strong the creatures are being without mana could be a death sentence.

The Dao’s probability cut is powerful but a double-edged sword, that's out too. His Dao’s most powerful attack would leave him spent and vulnerable, but the Dao was endlessly versatile. It would be exceptionally useful, but each use bore its toll. It was best saved for whatever boss lay at the centre of the incursion. He would only use it if he found himself without options.

And my sense skills will help with being surrounded.

Alright, let's do this.

***

Alex instantly leapt to his feet, his hand gripping the hilt of his summoned sword. He looked at Mira and John, both kneeling from the shockwave yet ready and eager to race into the fray. “Be careful.” He said. “Don’t die, and stay safe.” He shifted from one to the other. Their gazes met, and each nodded, their grips tightening on summoned weapons as they too rose to their feet.

Lyra soon followed "Finn, take the others and head for shelter.” She ordered, “Try to save as many people as you can. I'm going to try and draw their attention."

She turned to Alex, “Help them. Or flee. Or fight. I won't ask you to do anything you're not prepared to”

Alex scoffed. Does she really think I would give up on all the levels, and that reward? He thought.

He didn’t bother with a response, he simply smirked and leapt.

They split. Alex charged toward the red light. The others veered off in different directions under Lyra's orders. The red pillar of light in the distance swelled. Flames licked the sky. In only a moment, the area around the pillar of light had turned into a hellscape. Alex's sprint was a blur against the fiery chaos.

A woman, clutching her child, stumbled out of a flaming building into his path. A deep growl rumbled through a close by creature Alex could only describe as a demon. It lunged at the woman and child, jaws open in hunger. Alex intercepted, a whirling blade of fury. His flaming sword met the demon’s flesh with a sickening crunch. Ichor splattered, bubbling heat where it landed. A notification appeared, ignored without time.

“Run!” He pointed the path for her.

He fired himself off the ground, Phoenix Leap ripping him through the smoke's cover. His feet connected with nothing but air, his body riding on surges of raw mana.

He saw a man locked in combat, a demon behind him. He pointed the weapon and felt his bronze blade greedily connect with his body’s mana, like a starving child reaching for an oasis. His Inner Sense skill felt mana surging through him to ignite within the hungry blade, a soft hum visible to him alone. A flex of his will, and the blade stretched, shooting forward with unflattering aim.

A blur of elongation. Alex saw a flash of bronze, then red—then he heard an ear-piercing shriek.

The demon split. The blade touched it and its flesh parted like felled trees. It split into a whirl of red. Alex shifted aim, at the remaining demon locked in battle with the man.

Shadows shifted above as demons leapt from the surrounding rooftops, all intent on eviscerating the lone civilian locked in combat. The demons descended as if the night itself had taken form, cloaking the sky in their number.

Phoenix Leap, Boundless Dodge, Sovereign Executioner. Alex moved.

He cut between them, his sword slicing the first creature down, its flesh parting with the ease of a calm sea cleaved by a ship’s prow. In the same instance the apparition of the sovereign executioner appeared, stepping into reality above him, his movements mirrored. A swing, and the executioner's sword became the final word in a dialogue of violence, cutting short two of the demon's unchecked rage. With perfectly mirrored movements, the construct's ceremonial blade cleaved the two from the air, sending their infernal pieces falling to the ground in rains of gore.

At his back, a shadow, heat, waves of sound, and vibrations caused the hair on Alex’s neck to stand in alarm.

He sensed the air shift and the temperature spike behind him. He saw it clearly as if looking through a window; behind him, a creature with rippling muscles, long black teeth— impossibly sharp, and blood-dripped horns, descended on his neck, jaws wide open. It was milliseconds away from cleaving through his spine.

FlameBody, he thought, triggering his latest skill with a word.

The first blade emerged from his skin, not with pain, but as a natural extension of his being. The metal felt cool, seamless with his flesh—a literal part of him now. It felt like moving an arm. all he had to do was think, and the blade would appear. Like flexing a muscle he’d never known existed. The blade erupted from his back, through a gap in his armour,

Then it ignited.

It blazed with light and heat to meet no resistance, slicing through the creature's maw with ease. The dying fiend shrieked in pain and rage before its voice cut off forever.

Dead creatures fell from the sky, as Alex and the lone civilian warrior stood, one stood huffing in exhaustion, head raised to meet his saviour’s gaze. No words were exchanged, but a nod of understanding passed between them before the man disappeared into the darkness, stronger than he had once been.

Alex turned to face the pillar of light and headed deeper, towards the center. The flames and smoke of broken structures blurred past him with each step, as he raced closer to the distant and towering figures obscured by smoke. Each was larger than the last.

Alex pressed forward, undeterred, eyes fixed on the distant pillar of light.