Chapter 498 - Different Paths (Patreon)

Red mist hung in the air, obscuring Zeke’s vision as he stomped forward.  The path was uneven, and there were often chasms and crevices he’d had to jump, so he had remained in his titanic form.  Still, it felt like the path had adapted to his larger size, and the obstacles had grown accordingly.

“That’s precisely what happened,” Eveline remarked as he leaped a thirty-foot-wide crevasse.  “Dungeons are meant to be a challenge.  You know this.”

Zeke did.  His very first experience within one had slowly adapted to his unique gifts, digging into his memories for inspiration.  That had been a horrible experience that had left deep psychological scars – that he rarely acknowledged – so Zeke was at least happy that his current dungeon hadn’t tried to throw his own memories against him.  If he had to see another recreation of his father, he wasn’t sure how he might react.

But it would be quite destructive, he knew. 

That was one of the issues with growing closer to his path.  His first reaction to every problem was to destroy it, and with every evolution of his Path of Arcane Destruction, it became that much more difficult to ignore that tendency.  When he saw an obstacle, he wanted to break through it – even when logic told him that the better option was to simply go around.  Or to retreat.  It was a trait he needed to keep a constant eye on, lest he end up biting off more than he could chew. 

After all, not every problem could be solved via brute strength.  Some required logic.  Some challenges weren’t meant to be overcome.  In many cases, the better option was to simply avoid them. 

But Zeke had difficulty thinking in those terms.

“That’s why you have me.  I’m twisted enough for the both of us,” Eveline said.

“I guess,” Zeke responded, continuing forward.  The path itself was bordered by huge, jagged rocks that looked like miniature mountains in their own right, but the trail was mostly flat as it circled the mountain.  By comparison, Talia’s path had led upward.  “What kind of challenges do you think we’ll see?”

“The kind that will test your mind,” she said.  “I don’t –”

Just then, her voice was cut off by a harsh laugh as Zeke stepped into a wide, open space.  In the center was a pair of thrones.  Dark and menacing, both were made of blood mithril.  However, instead of the red-and-white metal Zeke was used to seeing, there was only the slightest hint of a pale gleam.  The rest was a crimson deep enough that it was almost black.  The chairs’ structure was twisted and beautiful, putting Zeke in mind of a master sculptor who’d gone slightly insane. 

But Zeke was less interested in the thrones themselves, but rather, the people seated upon them.

One was a hulking monstrosity of gleaming metal, with the surface of his skin broken only by a webwork of glowing, red-and-black cracks that pulsed with destructive power.  Of course, Zeke recognized him.  He was larger and clearly more powerful, with devastating energy wafting off of him in waves, but there were enough similarities that Zeke knew precisely what he was looking at. 

It was him, only further along the path of progression. 

More importantly, he was not alone. 

Next to the future version of Zeke was a woman with red skin.  She wore a low-cut, skintight black dress whose hem ended just above her cloven hooves.  Zeke recognized her, too, but instead of a slightly ephemeral projection, this version of Eveline was completely solid. 

What was even more disturbing was that her hand lay atop future Zeke’s in a clear display of intimacy. 

“What have we here, my love?” she purred. 

“Intruders.”

“Yes, but they are adorably lost, aren’t they?” she went on.  Future Zeke didn’t answer, aside from a grunt, and she went on.  “What ever shall we do with them?”

“Kill.  Crush.  Destroy.”

“Oh, come on,” Zeke muttered in his own mind.  “This is just insulting.”

“I think it’s rather accurate,” said the real Eveline.  “I’ve always been the brains behind this operation.”

“You’re a mind spirit.  You’re literally nothing but brains.”

“Well, thoughts, not brains.  But I can’t argue with that.  We look good together, though.  Very intimidating,” she responded. 

“It looks like you’ve got me on a leash,” Zeke said.

“I see nothing of the sort.”

“Not literally.  Figuratively,” Zeke said.

“Such a big word for a very big boy!”

“Please stop.”

“I’m only pointing out that…”

Zeke just shook his head as Eveline went on to praise his vocabulary, in a tone not unlike one would use when congratulating a child on learning the alphabet.

“Don’t be like that.  I’m only joking,” Eveline sighed.

Zeke ignored her.  Instead, he focused on the two figures on the twin thrones.  It was clear what they were meant to represent, and it was an issue that had worried Zeke ever since he’d let Eveline take up space in his mind.  She was a succubus, and one who’d dedicated her life to mental manipulation.  He wasn’t certain what her class had been before her soul had been shattered and the pieces used as mana batteries, but he suspected it was closely linked to controlling other people. 

And she was a permanent resident inside his mind.

As a result, Zeke had often worried that she’d exert undue influence upon him.  He didn’t know if she could ever take complete control, but the fact that there was a chance of that happening had certainly occupied at least some of his thoughts.  So, it wasn’t all that surprising that the future he saw before him centered around his relationship with the former demoness. 

“You know I would never try to control you,” Eveline said, sounding sincere for the first time in their current conversation.  “If anything, I want to see where your decisions will take you.  I won’t put my finger on the scale, lest I sully the results.”

“Glad I can be a source of amusement for you,” Zeke said inwardly, feeling like she’d just called him a lab rat. 

As he focused on the two figures ahead of him, he couldn’t help but feel further insulted.  He wasn’t the most articulate of people, but he was more than capable of stringing multiple words together.  Being painted as a monosyllabic brute definitely irritated him. 

But he pushed that aside, focusing instead on the connection between the two.  It took a second – during which the solid version of Eveline prattled on about how interesting their “guests” were – but he eventually saw a thin thread of mana stretched between them.  Meanwhile, the open space had begun to transform, becoming a magnificent throne room, complete with lifelike statues, masterfully woven tapestries, and accent trim made of precious metals.  It was all slightly transparent, but becoming more solid by the second. 

“Are you going to do what I think you’re going to do?” asked Eveline.

Zeke asked, “Think it’ll work?”

“Well, how would you react in this situation?”

That sealed it for him.  So, without further hesitation, Zeke reached out with his Path of Arcane Destruction – just a tiny tendril – and slashed through the connection between the couple seated on the throne.

The reaction was instant.

The giant, metal titan blinked – Zeke couldn’t actually do that in his own titan form, but apparently, facial expressions were on the table in the future – then snatched his hand away from the succubus’. 

“What is wrong, my dear?” she asked, reaching out with invisible tendril of mana.  However, when it reached the titan’s forehead, it did so like a wave crashing against a cliff.  She immediately pulled away, her face aghast.  “It is not what you think!”

Future Zeke didn’t wait to hear any excuses.  Instead, he reached out and grabbed the succubus, his hand large enough to envelope her narrow shoulders.  Then, he squeezed. 

The sound of breaking bones filled the throne room, though the demoness didn’t scream.  Instead, she just laughed, slithering from his grip a moment later.  She collapsed into a heap, then disappeared, only to manifest ten feet away from the increasingly enraged titan. 

“I always knew you would escape my clutches,” she said, all joviality gone from her voice.  “It was only a matter of time.  But do you think I was idle all these years?  Do you think I have no contingencies?  Please.  I laid the groundwork for your destruction the moment I burrowed into your mind.”

Then, she gestured. 

The titan screamed, clutching his head as he fell to his knees.

Although, that could never last.  The titan was meant to represent Zeke, and he would never let a little pain sideline him for more than a second.  As Zeke expected, the future version of him only let himself be affected for a moment before he let out a bestial growl and threw himself to his feet.  An instant later, he crashed into evil Eveline.  She burst into an explosion of confetti only to reappear a few feet away.

And she wasn’t alone, either.

A hundred other Evelines had appeared as well, and each one bore a condescending smile upon her face. 

“Really?  You think you can defeat me with sheer physical might?  Ha!” the crowd of Evelines crowed.  “I thought you knew me better than that!”

“Demon!” the titan growled, summoning his version of Voromir.  He swept it out wide, destroying Evelines in a wide arc.  “Die!”

“They really are one-note, aren’t they?” the real Eveline remarked in Zeke’s mind.  “It makes me seem like some storybook villainess.”

“Better that than a monosyllabic caveman,” Zeke mumbled. 

“True.  But at least the dungeon got your strength right,” she countered.

“Same with your condescension,” Zeke added.

“I’m not condescending!”

“Sure you’re not.”

“I find it offensive that you would even…you know what?  Fine.  Maybe there is some truth to this charade,” she admitted.  “But it’s not real!  It’s all so…two-dimensional.  We’re both far deeper than that.”

Zeke shrugged.  From the outside looking in, the depiction was probably fairly accurate.  Exaggerated, sure.  But it got the general themes right.  He did have a habit of destroying everything in his way, after all.  It felt almost like a parody, if one that represented no small degree of danger. 

The titan continued to attack evil Eveline’s copies, though he never seemed to make much headway.  Instead, each time his hammer made contact, they burst into shards of confetti that dissipated into nothing after only a few seconds.  To Zeke, it looked less like a part of a skill than a magician’s flourish, though the titan never noticed the difference.  Instead, he rampaged around like a loosed bull as he tried to annihilate the source of his ire. 

He was entirely unsuccessful.

“Not entirely,” Eveline said.  “Watch more closely.”

Zeke hadn’t gotten close enough to risk getting caught up in the wash, though he was near enough to the fight to study it in intimate detail.  And after only a few moments, he saw the detail that Eveline hinted at.  “She’s getting slower,” he said.  It was barely noticeable, but each time the titan destroyed one of the copies, the replacement was an instant slower in appearing.  “She’s running out of mana.”

“She is,” Eveline stated.  “What about the big guy?”

“He’s using his path,” Zeke answered. 

Already, he could see the evidence.  Not only did each swing of his hammer destroy one of the copies – which wouldn’t have been possible without the Path of Arcane Destruction – but every few seconds, bits of metal flaked off of his form.  Silvery blood came with those slabs of metal, and the destructive energies raging through him were perceptible from even fifty yards away. 

The message was clear.  He was destroying himself even as he destroyed Eveline. 

Was there a lesson there? 

“That if we turn on one another, the inevitable end is that we’ll both die?” suggested Eveline in his mind.

“Maybe,” Zeke agreed. 

They continued to watch the battle as the two figures duked it out.  It was an interesting fight, if only because it showed Zeke the extent of his current weakness.  Certainly, he had incredible power at his disposal, but that might came at a clear cost.  If he used the full extent of his power, he would destroy himself as much as his enemies.  Normally, he was able to survive largely because he ended fights as quickly as possible.  Yet, evil Eveline had employed a delaying strategy that exacerbated the cost of using his power. 

It was probably the only way she could win.

In fact, it was the most viable strategy for any enemy that found themselves facing off against him.  That knowledge was invaluable, because it showed Zeke precisely what he needed to do to shore up his own weaknesses. 

For Eveline, the opposite was clear.  She was powerful, too, though in an entirely different way.  If she was forced into a direct confrontation, she would surely be defeated. 

“I think we both need to get stronger, just in different ways,” Zeke said.

“Or maybe I need to avoid fighting at all,” Eveline suggested as the pair of combatants tired one another out. 

In the end, the battle’s conclusion was an anticlimactic one.  After destroying thousands of evil Eveline’s copies, the titan looked like a shell of his former self.  Little more than a metallic skeleton, he fought on, but it was obvious that he wouldn’t last much longer.  By comparison, Eveline was down to only two copies, both of which looked like a barely-held-together puzzle.

Then, with one last swing, the titan shattered them.

He fell to a knee, then collapsed onto his face.  The destructive power raging through him exploded, and when the dust settled, the titan was no more.

“That was…disturbing,” Zeke admitted.  It was like watching his own death.

“Indeed.  Shall we move on?” Eveline asked.

“Yeah.  I don’t want to be here any longer than necessary.”

With that, Zeke crossed the open area, giving the fallen fighters a wide berth before once again continuing along the mountain path.