Chapter 319 - Cages (Patreon)

Zeke trudged through the basin, his feet digging huge divots into the loose sand with every step. He felt as if he’d been climbing the latest dune for days, but he knew it had only been a few minutes. Rather, his frustration was borne on the wings of a trying week that had seen him traipsing across the Sea of Corruption and fighting various demonic monsters.

After breaking the second cage, Zeke had expected to encounter similar guardians at each stop. However, that had not been the case. Instead, the last three prisons had been completely unguarded. In one instance, Zeke had found a wasted skeleton that might’ve belonged to another Warden-like creature, but it had been too deteriorated to tell for sure.

“It’s almost like you wish you’d been fighting for your life all this time,” Eveline said, skipping along the surface of the black sand. She gave a little twirl, her robe twisting around her ankles. “You’re a glutton for punishment is what you are.”

“I’m just skeptical,” he growled, finally reaching the crest of the latest dune. It had been a veritable mountain of sand, and there were dozens more between him and his destination. “This shouldn’t be this easy.”

“I think you underestimate the dangers you’ve already faced,” she remarked.

Of course, she was right. Just because he hadn’t encountered anything else on the level of the Warden didn’t mean he hadn’t faced trials. He had, and dozens of them. Zeke had lost count of how many monsters he’d slain, and through it all, he’d slowly gained some familiarity with his newest skill. The demonic energy still felt like it was burning him from the inside out – an apt description, given that it always left him broken and in need of recovery – but he’d managed to keep from losing control. That had to count as a win, as far as he was concerned.

“Maintaining your sanity is always a good thing,” provided Eveline.

“Glad you approve,” he muttered, beginning his descent. It went much faster than the ascent, but he still had to be careful, lest he encounter one of the monsters that lived beneath the sands. Already he’d fought giant worms, a couple of huge scarabs, and a flock of demonic carrion birds wreathed in black flame.

His golems flanked him, each engaging in a controlled slide that made him feel clumsy by comparison. The minions were much slower than him, and far less dexterous, but what they lacked in raw stats, they made up for in machine-like efficiency. They always chose the proper path, as if they had a sixth sense for the terrain.

“They do.”

“What?” asked Zeke.

“They can sense the earth,” Eveline pointed out. “They are earth attuned, and they use that natural instinct to help them along. You could do the same if you just paid attention to your instincts.”

Zeke shook his head. Back beneath Min Ferilik – which felt like a lifetime ago, even if less than a month had passed – he had felt something like what she described.  That sense was one of the only reasons he’d been capable of trekking through the tunnels without getting lost. However, he’d never considered using it for anything else. Perhaps he needed to rethink things.

The problem was that he felt like he was being pulled in a hundred different directions. Not only did he need to acclimate himself to his attunements, but he also needed to continue exploring his paths. Runecrafting had already been put on the backburner, and his path of force had followed suit. It was a troubling development because he knew precisely how important they both were to his development.

After all, he constantly used his path of force to enforce his Will on the world. Sometimes, it was overt – like when he pushed the power into his weapon, enhancing the force he could bring to bear. But other times, it was subtle, as when he infused his body with the versatile power. Still, as often as he utilized it, Zeke knew that he wouldn’t progress unless he took the time to explore it properly.

“That’s what meditation is for,” Eveline stated. “I once knew a succubus – lovely girl, really – who spent almost a decade in seclusion so she could better understand desire. That was her path, you see? Most go for lust because it’s easier, but…well, she always saw things differently. I can’t even remember her name…”

Eveline trailed off, which was a common occurrence for her. When she wasn’t babbling about one thing or another, she often grew silent and adopted a faraway expression. Through the connection they shared, tenuous though it was, Zeke could feel thinly veiled alarm. Not being able to remember something had to be difficult for a mind spirit to accept.

“I wasn’t always a mind spirit,” she said quietly. “Once, I was a mighty demoness, tall and proud and fearsome to behold.”

Zeke ignored her, though he did wonder what would happen when the terms of their deal was satisfied. Per the contract, she couldn’t hurt him, but he knew demons well enough to recognize that that didn’t mitigate the damage as much as it might seem. They were tricky creatures who lived on lies and deceit, and no matter how helpful or innocent-looking Eveline was, she was still subject to her basic nature. So, he needed to remain on guard for what he considered her inevitable betrayal.

The Spear of Dominance loomed in the distance, and the closer they drew to the towering structure, the more intimidating it seemed. The carvings that decorated the façade had grown clearer, and they were enough to give Zeke nightmares – if he’d bothered to sleep in the past week or so, at least. Twisted demons, all in untold anguish, were inscribed along the bone-white surface, which stood in stark contrast to the black sands below and the raging, orange fire above.

“How long, do you think?” Zeke asked.

“A day. Maybe two. Are you prepared?” Eveline asked.

Zeke shrugged. “I have no idea,” he admitted. He had no clue what to expect when he went inside, and neither did Eveline. Perhaps there would be another guardian. Or maybe it would be a repeat of the last couple of cages. There was no telling, and so, preparation had proved elusive. “I figure if push comes to shove, I’ll just hit whatever’s there with my hammer. I’ve got a pretty big reservoir of momentum stored – more than I had against the big skullcrab – so whatever’s in there will get a pretty massive surprise.”

“Will you infuse it with the tri-weave?” she asked.

“I’m not calling it that,” Zeke said.

“It’s better than braid.”

“Agree to disagree,” he muttered. “But yes. If it comes to me using [Unleash Momentum], I’m going to have use everything at my disposal. You think the Pillar can take it?”

She shrugged her narrow, rounded shoulders, saying, “I think so? It has stood for hundreds of years. But…”

“But the braid doesn’t really follow normal rules about power,” Zeke supplied.

“It does not.”

“So, using it with [Unleash Momentum] could destroy the Pillar and bury us under tons of rubble,” he stated.

Eveline only nodded.

Indeed, Zeke had discovered a few things about the technique. First, so long as he didn’t infuse a skill, the braid – or tri-weave, if he went with Eveline’s name – was only slightly more powerful than [Unleash Momentum] alone. Of course, it brought that power to bear in a wildly different way, attacking the very nature of reality rather than merely pummeling the physical world with a ridiculous amount of force, but it wasn’t enough to rip the world apart. However, if he used it to augment a skill, especially [Unleash Momentum], that power grew exponentially, ripping apart everything it touched.

And Zeke suspected that it would only grow more powerful as he acclimated himself to the technique. Already, it had become easier to implement, and the only thing holding him back was fear that he would do irreparable damage to the world. After all, he hadn’t forgotten what had happened both times he’d used everything in conjunction.

“It’s not really going to end the world.”

“Huh?” asked Zeke.

“That power,” she said. “It would take a God – and not one of those pretenders your people seem to worship – to unmake the world. It’s far too stable for that.”

“So, you think I shouldn’t hold back anymore?” Zeke asked, finally reaching the bottom of the dune. It had taken a little more than thirty minutes, but he knew that climbing to the top of the next one would take significantly longer. Fortunately, with the trickle of earthen energy flowing through him via [Cambion’s Awakening], he wasn’t truly tired. Not physically, at least. From a mental standpoint, he just wanted to settle down somewhere safe and rest for a few days.

Or weeks. Maybe a month.

“I don’t think you’ve ever held back,” she said with a tight smile.

“I kind of have been,” he stated. “I could always just start every fight with the most powerful attack. Even if I don’t use a skill, the braid is enough to tear some things apart.”

“But at the cost of your sanity,” she said. “Remember – the demonic mana is corrosive for your kind.”

“How could I forget?” he responded.

Indeed, he still felt like the channels that carried his mana throughout his body were scarred. Some even felt like they were on the verge of collapse. What would happen if they continued to deteriorate, he had no idea, but he didn’t want to find out. As often as possible, he’d used the unattuned portion of [Cambion’s Awakening] to soothe his body, mind, and soul, but it was like throwing a bucket of water on a fire. Sure, it might provide some temporary, localized relief, but it wouldn’t do anything about the damage the fire left in its wake.

Hopefully, it would repair itself in time.

Even though Eveline doubtless heard the thoughts, she didn’t address them. Instead, she remained silent as they continued their journey. Silently, the golems followed, and whether it was luck or intimidation working in their favor, they remained unmolested until, hours later, they finally reached their destination.

Zeke gasped.

At more than a mile wide, the size of the Spear of Dominance beggared belief. How such a structure remained upright, Zeke had no idea. The lowest level was comprised of a ring of columns, each made of orange and black metal, with the interior of the tower completely bare. It was also flat. In the distance, around where Zeke thought the center might be located, he saw a spiral staircase made of the same white bone of the rest of the tower.

But that wasn’t the cause of Zeke’s surprise. Instead, he was absolutely astounded at the number of demons nestled beneath the towering pillar. And these weren’t beasts like he’d been fighting for the past week. No – they were the sorts of demons he’d fought back in the First Circle of Hell.

Hulking, horned, and humanoid – they reminded him of the demon he’d encountered at the top of the ziggurat that housed the portal between the demon realm and Jariq. If there was a single one below fifteen feet tall, Zeke would have been incredibly surprised.

And the moment the tower’s interior came into view, they all snapped their attention in his direction.

“Shit.”

“They are mindless,” Eveline said. “I sense…another will…”

“Can I use that against them?” he asked as the demons stirred. Before Eveline could answer, they’d let out a collective howl, followed by a charge. Some carried crude weapons, but others were armed only with teeth and claws. That didn’t make them seem any less dangerous, though. In fact, their bestial nature seemed unnerving, especially considering that each one of them had once been a sentient being.

“No. But it should make them less of a threat.”

“Fantastic,” Zeke mumbled, having already summoned his hammer. The three golems stepped up to surround him. Each bore the weapons they’d taken from his storage, but he’d discovered that if they lost them, the bronze automatons could grow matching cudgels from their bodies. “Alright, team. Two on the side, one behind. Keep me from being surrounded. This looks like it’s going to take a while.”

With that, his minions arrayed themselves according to his plan. Meanwhile, Zeke let his Will flow through him, augmenting his body with the concept of force. Each time he swung, he would have a little extra power. It wasn’t quite like using a skill, but it was better than nothing.

They strode forward as a group, completely in sync. Then, when the first demon came into range, Zeke embraced [Center of Gravity] and yanked the creature forward.  It was already moving at a pretty good speed, but it suddenly accelerated to the point where, when it collided with Zeke’s hammer, it practically exploded from the impact.

Zeke repeated the maneuver a couple of times, but the horde of demons closed too quickly to continue the tactic.

And just like that, the battle was joined.

The first demon to reach Zeke on its own two feet took a hammer to the knee as Zeke swept past it. Even as the creature collapsed, the two golems to Zeke’s sides pounced, stabbing and chopping until the thing died. By that point, Zeke had disabled a couple more. But his efforts hadn’t come without cost, and he’d already taken a couple of wounds from slashing claws.

He ignored them, drinking deeply from the earthen energy beneath his feet. A heavy, stable sensation suffused his body, and for a moment, he felt taller, more solid, and as enduring as a mountain. Claws glanced off his skin, and when they did pierce through him, the wounds were inconsequential enough that they quickly healed.

It wasn’t he burst of energy or the forceful mending that came with the demonic energy-fueled version of [Cambion’s Awakening]. Nor did it come with explosive strength. Still, in a lot of ways, it was even more effective.

He was a rock in the middle of an ocean, and the demons crashed upon him like waves. Eventually, they would wear him down, but for now, he stoically endured, attacking where he could and taking the hits he couldn’t avoid.

So it went. Seconds passed, soon becoming minutes. And before Zeke could blink, hours of pure carnage had landed on his shoulders. Still, he endured, dragging ever more earthen energy from the ground beneath his feet.

The golems proved invaluable, finishing off the creatures Zeke managed to cripple and protecting his flanks. He could take a lot of damage, but he wouldn’t last long if he was surrounded.

Then, suddenly, there were no more demons left.

During the course of the battle, Zeke had slowly and steadily moved past the columns and toward the spiraling staircase at the center of the pillar. Now, it stood only a few dozen feet away, and there was nothing barring his path.

He turned, blinking as the earthen energy continued to flow through [Cambion’s Awakening] and into his body. Behind him was a carpet of black and red corpses. Some had been dismembered. Others, crushed. But they were all dead, crippled, or dying.

He had won.

“As if there was ever any doubt,” remarked Eveline.

“It sounded like you doubted me at first,” Zeke said.

“That was encouragement! You always do better when you think your back is against a wall.”

Zeke sighed, but he didn’t dispute her assessment. She could see into his mind, and so, she knew him at least as well as anyone else ever had. Sure, it was filtered through her twisted perspective –

“Hey! My perspective isn’t twisted!”

“Sure it’s not.”

Then, he stepped forward and mounted the steps. Hopefully, that was the only obstacle he would have to overcome before he could complete his quest, satisfy the terms of his contract with Eveline, and head back to Min Ferilik.

Zeke shook his head. “Fat chance of that,” he muttered.