Soul of Blades - Chapter 19: An Incursion of Mortals (Patreon)

A wave of dread washed over Alex, but he swallowed it down, eyes locked on the giant beast in front of him. His strength and stats were not enough, the old beast before him- now even stronger than before- had proven that. He had barely seen most of its blows, only relying on 'boundless dodge' to survive. He needed to use all of the tools available, all of his skills, and Skills, to secure victory. He needed to level the playing field. He focused, settling deeper into his stance. He was in the eye of the storm, and he had to move with the lightning. He eyed the electric bolts racing across the beasts arms. They were concerning.

But he still had an ace in the hole, skills he hadn’t used yet. And one of them would double his stats.

His voice swept across the clearing, resounding with determination. His hand tightened around his sword’s hilt as he muttered the words “Mana burn”.

[Mana burn (Duration: 30 sec): slowly Burns through the casters entire mana pool to double stats for a short period. A portion of your mana will be allocated to skill use during the time limit]

In response, the wolf’s lips curled into a vicious grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. It roared, a sound that seemed to shake the very ground beneath them, and charged, blurring towards him as a crack appeared where it once stood.

Alex prepared himself, steeling his nerves and attempting to channel his Dao into his blade. He activated Boundless Dodge as the beast descended upon him, its clawed hand whistling through the air. His blade came up to meet the attack, steel clashing against monstrous claws. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing, kicking up clouds of dust.

Blood poured down his arms and out of his mouth. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to run, to flee from this impossible enemy. But he couldn't - wouldn't. This was his fight. His Dao.

He would change, become impermanent. Ending and unending, and his blade would be the catalyst.

His grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles turning white. He activated Phoenix Leap, launching himself towards the beast. His blade sang true in his hands, slicing through the air towards the monstrous wolf.

The beast roared again, swinging its claw down in an attempt to crush him. Alex activated Boundless Dodge, and his body twisted unnaturally to evade the blow.

“Mawashi-Giri." Spinning slash he whispered, his voice unheard in the winds of combat.

He retaliated with a swift spinning cut towards the beast’s flank. His blade bit into the wolf’s hide, drawing a spurt of dark blood. In that moment, his body moved on its own, years of Kendo training seizing his muscles and guiding his actions.

The wolf howled in fury, an explosion of lightning engulfing its form, racing off it in arcs. The explosion knocked Alex backwards, sending him flying. Alex crashed into the empty ground in pain as streaks of burn scars arced throughout his body. Warbane the wolf, sped towards Alex in a burst of electric rage, its speed enhanced by the bolts, and retaliated with a swipe of its clawed hand. Alex rolled to his feet and dodged, shifting his body aside with the help of a Boundless Dodge. Another activation of the skill allowed him to dodge the errant bolts leaping off the wolfmans passing form. Alex retaliated with another slash, this one aimed at the beast’s arm. Again, his blade cut into the beast’s flesh, drawing more dark blood.

But the wolf didn’t seem to feel the pain. Instead, its fury grew, its eyes burning bright with a dangerous, predatory intensity. It roared and lunged again, its massive claws whistling through the air towards Alex. But Alex was already moving. He activated Phoenix Leap, shooting into the air above the beast.

He watched as the beast swiped at the empty air beneath him. Another Phoenix Leap. Alex brought down his sword in a powerful arc, aiming for the beast’s head. His blade cut through the air, closing in on its target.

But the beast was still fast. Faster than he’d anticipated. It raised a clawed hand, intercepting the blow. The impact reverberated through Alex’s arms, almost making him lose his grip on his sword. But he held on, gritting his teeth against the shock.

He dropped back to the ground, landing hard on the stone beneath. He studied the wolfman, Warbane, as his chest heaved, and a sheen of sweat coated his brow. The beast was right in front of Alex, a giant mass of grey fur and muscle. He could smell the beast’s rancid breath, could see the fury burning in its eyes.

And he was running out of time. Ten seconds. He had ten seconds left, and then he would be out of mana, out of skills, and out of strength. Reduced to his base stats and nothing else. He could do this. He had to do this.

“Not yet,” he pleaded in vain, whispering. His hand tightened around his sword’s hilt. “Not until I’ve won.”

A flame sparked within his eyes. The wisdom of his Dao flooded his senses. The world slowed around him, its ebb and flow clear as day. The wolf’s snarl, the streak of dark blood, the crackling arcs of lightning—everything seemed strangely detached, yet vivid.

Like a flame that flared in the wind, the wolf lunged.

Alex moved.

With a roar, this time coming from Alex's mouth, he leapt at the beast again, his sword raised high. His blade slashed through the air, descending towards the beast in a powerful arc. The beast raised its clawed hand, ready to meet his attack.

But Alex was faster.

Boundless Dodge, he thought. A force of mana seized him and shifted his body, instantly positioning his feet and sliding him unnaturally to the side. The world flashed by in a blurry whirl of grey and black. He saw the sharp teeth of the wolf, the twisted fury in its eyes as it flew past him. He breathed in, his breath mirroring the silent pulse of the world.

Phoenix Leap. His body shot forward like a bullet, and his blade flashed, cutting through the air with a whistle. His blade bit into the beast’s arm, and into its flank. Slicing through flesh and bone.

The wolf retaliated, but Alex was ready once more. Boundless Dodge.

Moving him just out of reach of the beast's grasp.

As the beast swiped, lightning burst and sprayed in all directions, erupting from its body and open mouth. It had used it's Trump card, and thick bolts shot forward, scorching the air, razing the ground beneath them and everything in-between- threatening to engulf Alex and end him. The wolf grinned in victory, assured that its bolts would consume and fry his opponent alive. In response, Alex called upon his final skill.

Duel of Corruption.

A strange field of influence erupted from Alex, engulfing the two combatants. Alex felt his body become sluggish and heavy, as if his connection to something greater had entirely vanished. As if his connection to the system and all of its magic had been completely erased. Acting on instinct, he called for his status.

Nothing happened.

[Inductee ‘Alex’ has afflicted you with the debuff ‘Duel of Corruption’ -  ̶̯͇̈́̈͛Error - System disengaging. disconnect immanent.]

The wolf commander's eyes widened as its movements stumbled and faltered, becoming sluggish. The lightning that had been moments away from securing its victory fizzled and faded to nothing in an instant.

They had both been severed from the system, all access to skills, feats, and boosts erased by Alex's twisted skill. Their stats had been forcibly aligned, altered by some greater power and made to match each-others perfectly, becoming even. Strength meant nothing, magic meant nothing, and the system meant nothing. Only technique remained. For a moment, they had been forced into a corrupted duel of equals.

At that instant, Alex acted.

His sword sang as he swung it in a swift arc, the blade a flash of instant movement.

There was a moment of silence.

And then his blade bit into flesh.

The beast roared in agony. Alex was relentless, his sword continuing its journey, cleaving through bone and hide. Blood sprayed in a waterfall, dark and thick, staining the pale earth below.

The wolfman fell.

Its enormous body hit the ground with a thunderous thud, shaking the very earth beneath them. Blood pooled around it, seeping into the rock, painting the ground a dark, foreboding crimson, a stain in the sea of white.

It lay there, its breath rattled, ragged and laboured.

The world returned to its normal pace. Alex landed lightly, his sword dropping from his hands, and the world spinning around him. He had timed it perfectly. Throughout the fight, he had felt an inkling of the skills capabilities- that it would render both himself and his target powerless in some way. As a result, he had been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment. It had been close. Too close, in fact. He hadn't expected the lighting to be so powerful. If he'd activated the skill even a second later it would've been him that lay defeated on the ground. He hacked blood and stumbled, attempting to use his sword to regain balance. His breathing was raw, ragged, and his body trembling. He gave in, and fell to his knees in exhaustion.

The battle was over. He’d won. His body sagged as he knelt, exhaustion finally creeping in as the adrenaline faded. He sat there, staring at the fallen wolf, the reality and cost of his victory slowly sinking in.

As the wolfman, Warbane, drew his final breaths, his eyes met Alex's. The fury had left his gaze, replaced with an eerie calm. "Very… Impressive… little one.” A smirk played upon his lips, a final act of defiance. His voice was a mere whisper, each word strained.

“But not enough.”

A spark of life flickered in the beast's eyes before it stilled, the light dimming until there was nothing but a cold, lifeless stare.

Alex stared at the fallen beast, as through his Dao, he watched and sensed its passing.

He felt something depart from the wolf; its soul, or life force. It left its body, and vanished beyond his senses, to begin a new journey.

The cold reality of mortality washed over him.

In the face of death, they were all the same - beasts and men.

All impermanent. All transient.

All mortal.

[You have defeated level 62 Apex Canid commander - additional experience points due to the level difference]

His skills sphere of corruptive influence receded, and notifications flashed before him.

[Level 27 > Level 32]

[Strength +20, Dexterity+20, intelligence+30, unassigned stats +20]

[Remaining inhabitants will be returned to their designated worlds.]

[Prepare for Dungeon Exit and closure. You will be teleported out shortly]

Alex was teleported outside of the dungeon as it collapsed, and into the mana-filled world of Pyra, for the first time.