Chapter 318 - The Warden (Patreon)

Sorry about the double-post.  I guess I wasn't quite awake when I scheduled it yesterday morning.  This one should be right, though!

“I think these steps were made for bigger…ah…people,” said Eveline, floating beside Zeke as he arduously climbed the slowly winding crystalline stairs.

Just as levered himself up – each step came up to his chest – and rolled to his feet, he muttered, “You think?”

He probably could have just jumped, but with the state of his body, he didn’t want to strain himself. With every passing second, [Cambion’s Awakening] sent a surge of his personal mana flowing through him, healing his body and soul, but when that wave receded, the wounds returned. Each pulse left him a little better off, but it would be hours more – perhaps even days – before he was completely whole.

“Your body is not accustomed to the corrosive nature of demonic mana,” Eveline explained. “Real demons are immersed in the stuff from the moment they are reborn, but you…you spent your early years in Heaven’s soft embrace.”

Zeke snorted as he climbed the next step, and he mumbled, “Soft embrace? Didn’t feel so soft when I had a troll rip out my guts.”

“It’s a relative description.”

“Whatever.”

Behind him, the trio of golems soundlessly followed. They really hadn’t been much help against the swarm of juvenile leviathans, but the spear wielder had saved him when it had thrown its weapon like a javeline. Zeke probably would have survived, one way or another, but it wouldn’t have been pleasant. So, he was prepared to count the skill a success.

“Just a bad match-up,” Eveline said. “They are creatures of earth, so denizens of the sky will always have some advantage over them. That’s why your dual affinities are so important. Every attuned creature has disadvantages that run right down to their very cores. Earth-attuned beings are weak to those with wind attunement, just as fire is disadvantaged next to earth. But with two attunements…”

“Less blatant weaknesses,” Zeke grunted, glancing up. They’d reached past the halfway mark, and the fortress loomed even larger than before. More importantly, Zeke could feel the edges of an aura of power roiling within the structure. If it was so powerful this far away, then it would feel almost suffocating when he drew closer. “I get it.”

With that, he continued climbing. Of course, Eveline didn’t stop talking because she rarely did. In the back of his mind where he hoped she couldn’t hear, Zeke wondered if her constant chatter was an attempt to annoy him. If so, it was working.

“You try spending a century with nobody else to talk to,” she said, cutting through his thoughts. “I mean, maybe you’d be fine, but I’m a social butterfly that needs to spread her wings. I’ve got a lot of pent up conversation, I guess is what I’m saying.”

“Fair enough,” Zeke said, stifling his annoyance at once again having his mind read. It seemed like it wasn’t going to stop, and he certainly had no idea how to “think quieter,” as she kept advising him. In fact, Zeke didn’t particularly like the idea of doing anything quietly. Sneaking around like some sort of thief would doubtless leave him feeling dissatisfied and dishonest.

“I’ve known other people like you,” Eveline said. “It never ends well. But maybe you’ll be the first! Like I said – I believe in you!”

“Great. That means so much to me,” Zeke said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm. Hopefully, he could free her soon, get his black adamantite, and head back to the real world.

“It’s not any more real than this one,” Eveline remarked, looking around. “You realize that, right? They’re two sides of the same coin. Heaven and Hell, I mean. One can’t exist without the other. We’re diametrically opposed but completely dependent on one another.”

Zeke didn’t respond. Instead, he just kept climbing, letting the mind-numbing exercise scatter his thoughts to the wind. Slowly, he made his way up the winding staircase until, finally, after a few hours, he made it to the top. There, he was confronted by a huge gate made of carved, white coral and banded with black iron.

Throughout his climb, Zeke had felt the power in the atmosphere slowly building. According to Eveline, that was partially due to him getting closer to the roiling sea of corrupting flame above. However, the intensity had also increased because of the climbing proximity to the Warden. He was a powerful demon, and as such, the corruption swirled around him like a hurricane.

“Can I beat him?” Zeke asked without looking at Eveline.

“Yes.”

“Without using my braid?” he asked, looking up at the gate.

“Maybe. And we’re not calling it that,” she added.

“I’m open to suggestions,” Zeke said, but for once, Eveline had no response. He couldn’t be certain, but he felt a tremble in the small, childlike spirit that might’ve been fear.

“I’m not afraid,” she said haughtily, throwing her shoulders back and tilting her chin up. “I am merely excited.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” was Zeke’s response. In truth, he understood her fears. After all, if he failed to defeat the Warden, she would be cast adrift. If that happened, she would probably dissipate into nothing. Or be fed upon by some creature that ate spirits. Either way, without Zeke around, her death would grow from a possibility into an inevitability. He glanced at her, asking, “Any advice?”

“Do it quick, if you can,” she said. “If he gets going, he’ll be hard to stop, much less kill. But don’t worry. He’s not that strong. You should be fine.”

That really wasn’t the encouragement he wanted to hear, but Zeke appreciated the sentiment. So, he said, “I guess there’s nothing left but to do it.”

Zeke sighed, then stepped forward. Then, he summoned his mace to hand, reared back and aimed a kick at the gate. It splintered into a thousand shards, blasting inward with ferocious force. Zeke didn’t hesitate before pushing through the wreckage and entering the keep.

“You probably could have just opened the door,” Eveline said from her position behind him. “There was a latch and everything.”

“That would’ve been nice to know before I destroyed it,” Zeke said with a frustrated sigh. But his annoyance didn’t last long before he focused his mind on the coming battle. The interior of the keep was…

“Unimpressive,” Eveline said, looking around. In Zeke’s opinion, the description was apt. Certainly, the keep’s architecture was daunting, but the entire entryway was completely devoid of decoration or furniture. It was as if someone had yet to truly move in.

But Zeke was even more concerned with the horrible stench suffusing the place. It was equal parts death, decay, and sulfur, and if he’d been equipped with any less willpower, he’d have vomited on the crystal floor.

“I’m glad I can’t smell,” said Eveline.

“Yeah. I get that,” Zeke stated.

Without further ado, he stepped forward, his feet echoing in the expansive lobby. Fortunately, he didn’t need directions to recognize where to find his goal. The stench, as well as the whirling miasma of corruption and the castle’s straightforward design led him through the hall and to a huge throne room.

Columns of white coral sporting carvings of writhing demons lined the main path, at the end of which sat a hulking demon on a throne made of black bones. The demon himself looked to Zeke like an overgrown and overly muscular primate, but with a crown of thick horns and bone plating growing out of his body.

His face was disturbingly similar to a human, though.

The warden stood, towering over and looking down on Zeke. Then, he rumbled, “You feel wrong. What want?”

Zeke pointed to the box sitting behind the throne. Like the previous one, it was wrapped in black chains. “That,” he said. “Let me break the chains and free the spirit within, and we can –”

The demon’s face contorted in rage, and he leaped. As he sailed through the air, black lightning wreathed his arms and enveloping his meaty paws. Zeke hadn’t been taken by surprise, though. From the moment he’d stepped inside, he’d expected an attack. That it had finally come – after spending hours climbing the stairs – was almost a relief.

Or it would have been if the creature wasn’t so intimidating.

“Level fifty-nine, in case you were wondering,” came an intrusive thought from Eveline. There wasn’t time for verbal speech, so she’d resorted to mental communication. Which annoyed Zeke. After all, he could have used [Inspection] on his own. “Yes, but you often forget.”

Grunting, Zeke hefted his hammer and swung with all his might. The weapon met the demon-ape with a thunderous explosion of force that sent them both flying backwards. Zeke thudded against one of the columns, tearing through it like it was little more than paper. Meanwhile, the Warden hit his throne, tumbling over it and skidding to a stop a few feet shy of the chained box.

Both combatants rose to their feet. Neither had been harmed, save for a couple of superfluous abrasions, but in the wake of their clash, both were wary.

“Perfect opponent for you,” Eveline thought in his direction. “Just slug it out. I’m sure you’ll be okay.”

“What about the lightning?”

“Mostly harmless for you,” she said. “It might sting a bit, but it’s mostly there to augment him.”

“Great,” Zeke sighed. “Anything else I need to know?”

“Uh…nope. Good luck!”

The exchange happened in the space of an instant, but the Warden hadn’t remained idle. Instead, he grabbed hold of his throne – which was sized to accommodate his bulk – and with a mighty roar, ripped it free of its dais. Predictably, that’s when he threw it in Zeke’s direction.

Zeke dove to the side, trying to dodge, but the throne was moving far too quickly for a successful evasion. So, it clipped his lower half, sending him spinning into another column before it crashed into another one of the pillars. Its passage tore a huge chunk out of the column before skidding across the ground and colliding with another. Meanwhile, Zeke pushed himself to his feet, empowering himself with [Cambion’s Awakening]. Unattuned mana rushed through him, soothing his injuries as he once again faced off against the Warden.

The ape-demon charged in a four-limbed sprint that ate up the ground with frightening speed. Still, when it leaped upon Zeke, he was ready, and he met it with a vicious uppercut powered by his massive strength. Despite his bulk, the Warden flew high into the air and didn’t stop until it hit the throne room’s ceiling.

Zeke used [Center of Gravity] as the demon-ape started to fall, yanking the creature toward him with all the force he could muster. The Warden panicked, flailing his arms as he tried to gain some purchase, but it was to no avail. He once again met Zeke’s hammer with a vigorous explosion whose shockwaves cracked the floor.

Zeke’s aim was a little off, though, and instead of sending the creature straight back up, the warden flew away at an angle, crashing into the ground and skidding across the floor for almost forty yards.

He knew he couldn’t let up. Keeping the pressure on the Warden was the only reason he’d made it so far. So, he sprinted forward, hoping to reach the demon-ape before he had a chance to recover.

And it almost worked.

When Zeke was only a few feet away, the Warden erupted into dense black lightning that covered his entire body. Zeke’s hammer crashed down on his back, but it felt like he’d hit an immovable wall. The Warden roared in anger and lashed out, hitting Zeke with a vicious backhand that sent him rocketing back toward the entrance. When he collided with a wall, his body dug a huge divot into the structure.

As soon as he hit, Zeke felt bones crack. Instinctively, he tried to shift [Cambion’s Awakening] to using earthen energy, but so high above the ground, barely a trickle responded. Certainly, it wasn’t enough to heal his broken bones or what he suspected was a series of ruptured organs.

He fell from the crater, collapsing into a heap. The Warden roared in anger and aggression, beating his chest with his might fists. Then, with another surge of black lightning, he bounded forward.

Zeke knew he didn’t have many options.

The earth mana was thin, limiting his healing. He hadn’t built enough momentum to make [Unleash Momentum] worthwhile. And [Center of Gravity] would do nothing to help his situation.

That’s when his golems joined the fight.

Only a handful of seconds had passed since Zeke had entered the room; he and the ape moved quickly enough that they could pack a lot of action into a very short amount of time. So, the golems simply hadn’t had the chance to bring their strength to bear. However, they’d finally gotten their opportunity, and they made the most of it, crashing down on the Warden with implacable determination.

Weapons flashed, digging into the creature’s hide. He lashed out, trying to refocus on Zeke, but the golems were persistent as well as powerful. Even with the tenuous connection to earth energy, which weakened them considerably – they could not be ignored. However, their attacks, while annoying, were little more than that; they could have attacked for days and only caused a few shallow wounds. Still, they were an effect obstruction that gave Zeke a few seconds to think.

The way he saw it, he didn’t have much in the way of choice. He’d never gone in for flashy attacks, and as such, his options were extremely limited.

So, he chose the only one that made sense. With a mental shift, he embraced the demonic energy all around him. It flooded his body, flowing through it with ease as the nature of [Cambion’s Awakening] shifted from the placid, calming effect of unattuned mana to the raging inferno of demonic energy.

Almost instantly, his body knitted itself back together. More, he practically erupted with unspent strength. It begged to be used. To be let loose. And in his mental state, his thoughts muddled by alien anger, he and the mana were of one mind. He exploded into motion, his feet digging into the polished floor and leaving divots behind with every step. As he pushed himself forward, he naturally increased his weight until every footfall sent a tremor through the entire building.

Roaring and with conscious thought dissipating into the background of his mind, Zeke embraced [Weight of Two Worlds], sending a torrent of mana into the skill. Immediately, gravity increased a hundredfold, but with each step he took, it continued to climb. Higher and higher until the world trembled. But still, he kept going.

The demon-ape struggled against it, his movements slow and heavy. From a physical standpoint, he was an insanely powerful creature. However, his strength was nothing compared to the power of gravity, and in only a few seconds, he was flattened against the ground, his entire body shuddering with the struggle to keep breathing, much less move.

That’s when Zeke pounced on him with a herculean overhand strike from his hammer. With demon energy flowing through him, pushing his power to incredible levels, it fell with undeniable force. Just before it hit, Zeke shoved his Will into the blow, wreathing it in a green mist.

Still, when it hit, the demon-ape was not obliterated as Zeke might have expected. There was a sound of crunching bones, but the Warden continued to struggle. So, Zeke hit him again. And again. Each attack sent a jolt of fury through Zeke’s body and mind, spurring him further and further away from control. That anything could – or would – stand up to him was as laughable as it was infuriating, and he took his anger out on the helpless demon ape.

After a few long minutes, and with the demonic energy still roaring through his body, the demon-ape finally perished. But Zeke kept going long after it had died. He couldn’t stop. Nor did he want to. He needed to vent his anger and make the creature who dared to stand up to him pay.

It wasn’t until Eveline pierced his thoughts with a wordless scream that he started to come back to himself. No – it wasn’t wordless. He was just beyond understanding. Gradually, Zeke latched onto whatever part of his rational mind remained, and he with great effort, he pulled himself from the furious abyss.

“You must stop!” Eveline screeched. “The whole castle’s coming down!”

And it was true, Zeke saw. The stronghold had not been unaffected by his efforts. With the [Weight of Two Worlds] bearing down on the entire structure, the foundations had begun to crumble. And under the effects of his furious attacks? It had only gotten worse.

“Quickly!” Eveline said when he regained control. “You need to destroy the chains so we can flee!”

Zeke started to let [Cambion’s Awakening] drop, but he was brought up short by Eveline’s reminder that his body would need to heal after such a long exposure. That made sense to Zeke’s muddled mind, so he followed her advice and kept the skill running.

Reaching down, Zeke looted the Warden before rising and heading toward the chained box. Then, without further hesitation, he repeated his actions from the first cage, embracing his twin attunements and forcing them to come together with his Will. Then, before the energy could escape his control, he brought his hammer down on the chains.

They shattered under the enormous force.

But so did that side of the castle.

In an eruption of crystal and stone, the entire wall exploded. Zeke barely had time to gather his chains before Eveline screamed at him to flee. Once again, he followed her advice and raced through the castle. However, when he reached the gate, he was dismayed to see that the stairway had already crumbled into nothing.

“Jump!”

If Zeke’s thoughts hadn’t been so muddled by the influence of the demonic energy, he might have hesitated. But as it was, he could barely think straight, much less figure out another way. So, he leaped.

Belatedly, as he plummeted to the ground like a meteor, he realized that he probably should have let his increased weight dissipate. He couldn’t make his mind work, though. Not in time. So, he dropped like a ten-thousand pound stone.

When he landed, it was with a furious impact that sent black sand, rock, and white bone exploding into the air as his body dug a huge crater into the ground. For only a second, it knocked him unconscious, and the moment he blacked out, his connection to his skill severed and the pain of his decision descended upon him like a tidal wave of pure agony.

As he regained consciousness, Zeke embraced [Cambion’s Awakening] once again, though he didn’t fuel it with the abundant demonic energy in the atmosphere. Instead, he grabbled hold of the thin earth attuned mana. Stabile healing washed over him, knitting his ruined body back together. It did nothing for his ragged soul, but he could only worry about one thing at a time.

Lying there, he closed his eyes and said, “I think that went well. Don’t you?”

Eveline just snorted in disbelief before saying, “You think it went well? I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”