Chapter 320 - Pitiful God (Patreon)

When Zeke reached the top of the spiraling staircase, he let out a sigh of relief. With his luck, he’d expected the thing to start crumbling the moment he’d set foot on the first step. But to his mild surprise, it had remained steady and sturdy, easily bearing his weight. However, with every step of ascension, Zeke had felt the corrosive influence of the demonic mana in the air further dissipate. It still swirled like a storm of corruption, but its density had dropped significantly.

“I don’t like this,” Eveline muttered, echoing Zeke’s own thoughts.

He agreed, adding a question, “What do you think is causing it?”

“Something powerful is draining the area of mana,” she said without question. “I…even at your strongest…I don’t know. This…this might not be a good idea.”

Zeke stopped before taking the last couple of steps that would bring him fully onto the first level. Then, he asked, “Really? You don’t want to regain the last piece of your soul?”

“Don’t be stupid,” she said, rolling her eyes petulantly. “Of course I do. It’s just that…well, I’d rather stay like this than cease to exist. I…I feel it, you know. Pulling at me, eating at my very essence. I don’t know…I don’t know what could even do that.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “This is so frustrating. I know I should know. If I was whole, I would know. It’s right on the tip of my brain, but…I just can’t see.”

Zeke could certainly see how that would be frustrating. He didn’t quite understand everything about Eveline’s fractured soul – in fact, he understood almost nothing – but as far as he could tell, it wasn’t just her soul that had been broken into pieces. Her mind – and her memories – had also been splintered, and though she tried to hide it beneath a veneer of childish banter, it frightened her. Zeke didn’t need to be a mind spirit to see that much.

“Don’t you dare feel sorry for me,” she muttered, her voice losing some of its tone of immaturity. “I don’t…I don’t need your pity.”

Zeke sighed. Even if he had a million years, he didn’t think he’d ever understand the formerly powerful demoness. Less so because he didn’t think she even understood herself anymore. If she couldn’t accomplish that feat, then what hope did he have?

“Plus, you’re not exactly smart to begin with,” she said. “So, you’re operating at a handicap.”

Shaking his head, Zeke let a small smile turn up the corners of his mouth, but he didn’t say anything else before ascending the final couple of steps. The moment he fully climbed free of the staircase, a wall of energy appeared behind him, cutting off his retreat. As soon as he felt it, he wheeled around to see a shimmering purple barrier of pure mana.

He had no idea what it was, but in times like those, he tended to go with his first instinct – which saw him swinging his hammer with all his strength. Voromir’s head hit the wall of energy with thunderous force, but it didn’t even elicit a ripple. So, he attacked it again. And a third time. But each subsequent attack accomplished no more than the first. Zeke was on the verge of sending a fourth attack at the wall when Eveline cut in, saying, “I don’t think that’s going to work.”

“Why not?” Zeke growled, hitting it again.

“This isn’t…there’s so much mana racing through that barrier that I don’t think it’s even possible to assail. Not with any power available in this Circle.”

“And if I use my braid?” he asked, already dragging energy from the air as well as the tiny trickle of earth mana he could feel so high above the ground. Curiously, he felt that each of his golems had a significant store of earthen energy in their cores. Could he access that? If so, what would it do to his minions?

Before Zeke could follow that thread of thought, Eveline said, “It might work. But to what end? Besides – I think you might be more worried about that…”

Zeke’s gaze followed the path indicated by her tiny, pointing finger, and he gasped when he saw what he first thought was a shark. Then, he saw the thing’s multitudinous, spindly legs, and he was forced to reassess the categorization. Before Eveline could beat him to it, Zeke used [Inspection]:

Arachniselachii – Level 52

“What the…”

The thing didn’t swim, as its shark-like body might have suggested. Instead, it crawled, its body suspended on fifteen-foot legs that reminded Zeke of a mosquito hawk or a particularly long-legged spider. But Zeke was more concerned with the thousands of teeth stuffed into the shark-spider’s mouth.

“I’d be more worried about its venom,” supplied Eveline.

Zeke was so focused on the monster in front of him that he barely even noticed his surroundings. The room was much smaller than the width of the tower, but it was still a grand chamber lined with columns that looked like someone had woven a bunch of black strands into three-foot thick ropes.

The floor tiles, which were mostly black, bore a repeating starburst pattern that glimmered like amethyst. And in the center of the room burned a huge, purple bonfire from which extended a similarly colored beam of light that went through the vaulted ceiling and, presumably, to the floor above.

But Zeke didn’t have time for more than a momentary glance before he forced himself to focus on the incoming threat. He would have plenty of time for sightseeing once the shark-spider was dead.

So, he hefted his hammer and ordered his golems to spread out to either side while he strode forward. The bronze automatons followed his lead, and when he accelerated into a jog, they did so as well. The metallic sound of bronze feet – accompanied by the muffled thud of his own boots – filled the air as the jog turned into a sprint. When Zeke drew within range of the shark-spider, he embraced [Center of Gravity], targeting the monster.

However, contrary to his usual tactic, he didn’t focus on the thing’s center mass. Instead, he aimed its foremost leg, right at the joint where it connected to the rest of its body. Then, he let the skill loose, commanding gravity to obey his will. Immediately, the monster flipped on its side, stumbling as its balance was ruined. But to Zeke’s surprise, rather than the creature being yanked in his direction, the leg detached, flying toward him like a segmented spear. He batted it aside just before it pierced him through the chest, but by that point, the creature was upon him.

Luckily, Zeke wasn’t alone.

A spear pierced through the monster’s left side while a sword hacked at its legs from the right. Meanwhile, a cudgel found its face. None of the attacks did much damage, but it was enough to give Zeke the split second he needed to bring his own abilities to bear. He leaped high into the air, then landed on the monster’s back. It bucked and writhed, but Zeke barely managed to maintain his balance long enough to pummel it with a vicious, two-handed blow that cracked bone and tore chunks of flesh from its body.

However, Zeke could only keep his balance for a second after that before he was thrown free. He tumbled across the tiles, ending up crashing into one of the braided pillars. It held fast, proving that its construction was incredibly durable, and Zeke felt his own bones creak under the impact.

Momentarily dazed, his mind lashed out, latching onto the three sources of earthen energy nearby. In only a second, he’d grabbed hold of those reservoirs and redirected the attuned mana in his direction. It flooded into him, stabilizing his body and mind. He only took a sip – or that was what he’d intended – but once the dam was broken, a torrent was the response.

In an instant, half of the reserves were drained, and he scrambled to cut it off, managing it when there were only a few thin drops left. The golems lagged, their movements ponderous and without energy. But still, they persisted, attacking the spider-shark with implacable tenacity.

Weakened by the lack of power as they were, they didn’t stand a chance, and before Zeke could even recover his footing, the creature had sent their durable bodies flying across the room. When they fell, they didn’t have the energy to rise. Finally, steadied by [Cambion’s Awakening], Zeke found his feet and faced off against the spider-shark.

It wheeled toward him, taking his measure. The lone hammer strike he’d managed to land had done some damage, but it wasn’t nearly enough to put it down. He’d killed much more powerful monsters – the huge skullcrab came to mind, but even the lesser versions of that same creature had been stronger – though that had been with the benefit of all his skills. This time was different. He didn’t want to use [Unleash Momentum] because he suspected he would have to fight a much more powerful creature when he reached the top of the pillar. Wasting it now would leave him vulnerable for the next fights.

In addition, [Cambion’s Awakening] was mostly useless. Sure, he could still activate it with his personal mana, but that had limited uses – mostly to soothe his soul and slowly heal the damage that came with letting the corruptive demonic mana flow through him. In a fight, it was only marginally useful.

He’d already used [Center of Gravity], and to minimal results as well. Sure, he could pull the monster in his direction, but he wasn’t certain that was a great idea – especially now that it probably expected as much.  And pulling the legs off, one by one? Already, the leg he’d already yanked free had regrown – or perhaps reattached; he had no way of knowing, save that a quick glance told him that the one-time projectile wasn’t anywhere in sight – so that strategy was a non-starter.

But he still had one skill available to him. Zeke could only hope it would be enough to turn the tables and quickly end the threat.

As the shark-spider skittered toward Zeke, it brought out another surprise when it shifted to the side, detached one of its bony fins, and sent it slicing through the air. Zeke was so surprised that he narrowly avoided being cut in half, but he still took a glancing blow that only stopped when it hit his ribs. After that, it careened out of control and slammed into one of the pillars, where it stuck fast.

But Zeke wasn’t paying attention to that. He was too focused on the enormous shark-spider bearing down on him. Time felt like it slowed down as the monster’s mouth gaped before him. Row after row of slimy teeth filled the cavernous orifice, and the smell of rotting meat mingled with a sulfurous stench to send Zeke’s stomach into rebellion.

He embraced [Weight of Two Worlds], flooding it with mana and letting loose. The effect was immediate, and the sound of snapping carapace filled the air. The creature’s legs buckled, shattering under the increased gravity. Still, the creature’s momentum was such that it managed to reach Zeke.

And he met it with a furious uppercut that tore through its bottom jaw and into the roof of its mouth. His arms were shredded by the ridiculously sharp teeth, and he was immediately beset by a wave of nausea. Dizziness rolled through him, and he remembered Eveline’s warning that the thing was venomous.

Which just didn’t seem fair.

Zeke marshalled his willpower and forced his body to move, spinning away from the monster’s charge. He was still thrown free, but other than a few bumps and bruises, he was unharmed. The spider-shark wasn’t so lucky. With half its face destroyed, it writhed in pain, filling the chamber with its unholy screech of agony.

But it wasn’t dead.

Not yet.

Already, Zeke could see the monster’s regenerative abilities going to work, and tendrils of flesh had begun snaking together in a grotesque mending. Vomit tickling his throat, Zeke poured mana into [Cambion’s Awakening], and he felt just enough relief that he could regain his feet. With that, he sprinted forward in an awkward stumble, and when he reached the spider-shark, he hefted his hammer and shoved as much Will as he could into the weapon.

Zeke shook with the effort, but he kept pushing until he felt as if he – as well as the weapon – would explode. Reality shimmered with the strain. But he kept going. He needed to end the thing with one strike. Otherwise, the venom would overwhelm him, and his journey would end, right then and there.

And Zeke hadn’t come so far – he hadn’t endured so much – to let some third-rate monster defeat him.

He pushed and he pushed until his mind felt like it would fracture into a thousand pieces. In the back of his mind, he knew Eveline was screaming at him, but with the strain, he couldn’t be bothered to listen. More and more, and he realized he was screaming. His body felt as if it was being ripped apart, and his mind wasn’t any better off.

Finally, Zeke swung.

And his world ended.

Only for an instant – or at least it seemed that way – Zeke floated in nothing. It was dissimilar from what he’d felt in the period between his death and rebirth, but for some reason, Zeke couldn’t quite figure out how. There was a lack of something vital, though what that was, he couldn’t even begin to know.

Then, before he had a chance to truly investigate, the world came rushing back, and he found himself lying spread-eagle in the center of a destroyed room. He tried to move, and he even made it a couple of inches before his body failed him. However, it was enough for him to recognize that he was lying half-submerged in a puddle of semi-congealed goop.

“Apt description. I would have called it pureed shark-spider, but that’s just me,” Eveline remarked, thrusting her own face close to his. “You seem better than I expected.”

“I can’t move.”

“Correct.”

“And I feel like I’m dying.”

“Also correct.”

“And this is…better than expected?”

“After temporarily shattering reality, yes,” she said. “Most people would have just dissipated into nothing, but your anchor is too strong. I blame the twin affinities.”

“Shattering…reality?” he asked, finally realizing that he wasn’t speaking aloud. That was currently impossible. Instead, he was engaged in purely mental conversation.

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch. It’s not that uncommon. Lots of people can do it. It’s just that they usually ramp up to it so they can control it,” she explained. “But you seem to love skipping steps, so…I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Either way, your body, mind, and soul are incapable of enduring that kind of thing, so…” She gestured to his crippled body, saying, “That.”

“Ugh.”

“Don’t worry too much, though. With your new skill, you should be up and about in a few weeks,” she said. “Maybe a month.”

“Too slow,” Zeke muttered, embracing his skill. He howled in pain – or he tried to, coming up short. Still, he pushed through, activating [Cambion’s Awakening] with his personal mana. Instantly, the triumvirate of his being felt soothed. His body didn’t immediately knit itself back together – this mode of the skill was incapable of that kind of rapid regeneration – but it did feel like the skill prepared him for it. It was almost like cutting out the rotting flesh from an infected wound.

His mind and soul were healed, though. It took hours, but eventually, his thoughts cleared and the pain subsided. That’s when he shifted his focus, dragging away whatever earth energy was left in the golems’ stores to fuel the regeneration of his body. It wasn’t enough, so he mentally commanded the golems to descend the steps and recharge their reserves.

“Cores. They have cores, just like people,” Eveline reminded him.

“Good to know,” he muttered, his body having recovered just enough to facilitate speech. He still couldn’t move, so he just lay there in that disgusting gunk.

Over the next day, the golems created a daisy chain of earth energy, and Zeke’s body responded to his skill’s regenerative capability. Finally, he managed to push himself to a sitting position and drag his body out of the goo.

A day later, he found his feet and descended the stairs.

“What are you doing?” asked Eveline.

“I think it’s time to show you the tower,” he mumbled, hobbling toward the edge of the Spear of Dominance. “It boasts some facilities that could help me heal much faster.”

Once he was free – almost an hour after he reached the bottom of the stairs – he concentrated on his connection to the Crimson Tower. An instant later, it grew from the earth, sprouting to an impressive and imposing height. It couldn’t even begin to compete with the Spear of Dominance, but still, it elicited a gasp of surprise from Eveline.

“You…you are the Lord of the Crimson Tower?” she breathed. “Truly?”

“I’ve told you this,” Zeke said, striding forward.

“I…I thought…I didn’t…do you know what this means?” she asked.

“That I have a nice place to live?” he suggested, managing a slight smirk that made his face erupt into fiery pain.

Eveline just shook her head, saying, “You have no idea.”