Rise of the Blood Weaver - Chapter 73 (Patreon)

Despite Merc’s need to move, Arlo managed to get her to stay put for a while. He had to get accustomed to the power provided by his new Remembrance. If he didn’t, and if he took one step too far; he’d go too far. It was dangerous. It would be an embarrassing death, not being in control of his own body.

So he spent around 30 minutes running back and forward, dodging side-to-side, or jumping. It was exhilarating. He caught himself giggling like a lunatic every now and then. It was an incredible feeling no longer being restricted. Although that would cancel the moment his Remembrance was back within his Core. Or if they were damaged beyond repair.

I wonder if there are more parts of the armour. If I can obtain armguards, it will even out my weakness.

Then all he would need would be a powerful chest armour piece to round out his defence.

Arlo patted his legs. It was difficult to gauge how fast he could move now, but if he had to take a guess, then it was at least over 5x than before. He had speed that an olympic sprinter could only dream of.

With him now comfortable with his new set of ‘legs’, the team got to moving down the passage straight ahead. Justin had already scouted both paths extensively by the time Arlo had finished. And it wasn’t good news, either.

All Justin found was more winding pathways that led to either dead-ends, spirit creatures, or both.

Well, it was time to face more monsters…

***

5 hours had passed and after 3 more waves of monsters, Arlo and the others returned back to the safe area that they had found.

Arlo gained 16 more Blood fragments, putting him at 159 in total.

Louis was rapidly changing. At first, Arlo attributed it to the fact that he was just coming out of his shell–becoming accustomed to this harsh environment. Just like he himself was doing. But Arlo had changed his mind. Louis was quick to anger. Quick to snap. And in battle, his movements were unlike anything he had seen before.

If that was all, then Arlo could live with it. This whole place was taking a toll. Not just physically, but mentally. Especially mentally. But there was a sinister glimmer within Louis’ eyes that couldn’t be hidden. It was the same eyes as Justin’s brother had when he threatened to kill him. And if Arlo could see it, there was no doubt that the others had detected it also.

Arlo collapsed to the floor by the luscious pool. The water shimmered. It was so clear that he could see his very, bloody reflection.

He turned and asked Justin, “You think it’s safe to drink?”

“With the amount of life energy in this place, yeah, I’d say so,” Justin said. He placed his finger in the pool and swirled it around. “Well, you’d be the best to try it, anyway. You know, with your healing factor. Just hope that you can heal faster than a corrosive poison. If there is one.”

“You’re a fountain of enthusiasm.”

“I try my best.”

“Here goes nothing,” Arlo said, scooping up a handful of the vitric water. He tasted it. It was pure. He didn’t know how to describe it. There was no taste, but it was the tastiest water he’d ever tried. Even better than Scottish tap water. And that was damned good.

“Well?” Justin asked. “You dying yet?”

“No, I’m not dying, Justin. It’s safe. Much better than Elian’s never-ending water flask, that’s for sure.”

“Hey,” Elian said from afar. “I take offence to that.”

Arlo smiled. But it didn’t last very long. By the minute, the light hanging overhead was turning a dark orange.

Soon after the world was plunged into a devouring darkness.

***

Louis was asleep. Justin made sure of it before the remainder of the team sat at the outer edge of the eternal lantern’s lingering light.

“What do we do?” Arlo asked, biting his lips. “Do you think it’s something to do with the red sand?”

“It’s possible,” said Elian as he stood with his arms crossed. “He was the weakest among us. Absorbing Essence doesn’t just strengthen our bodies, but our minds also. He must be under lingering effects of mind control. Maybe whatever it was, is now trying to gain dominance over Louis’ mind. As the hours pass, he is easier to agitate. And it’s getting worse. Those eyes–” Elian shook his head.

“Then Is there a way to remove it?” Arlo asked.

“Arlo, you were the one who broke us out of it,” Merc said. “You must have some clues. Or a notion as to how to break free.”

“I don’t,” Arlo said, shaking his head. “Me breaking free was a separate event. You all woke up when I led you out of the desert. Away from the red sand. Trust me, if I knew a secret to remove whatever it is tormenting Louis, I would.”

Merc wanted to ask more, but she stopped herself. Everyone had secrets. Especially if it had something to do with a Flaw. It wasn’t in Arlo’s case, but the fact still remained.

“Then we need to find a Mind Scrier,” She said. “Depending on the size of the Bastion once we get there, there is bound to be one.”

“If there is a Bastion at all,” Justin said.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Where we are–this place–is completely uncharted,” Justin said, leaning against the wall. “If it wasn’t, then a Strider would have documented it once they escaped through the Gateway. But they haven’t. We’ve never heard of this place. Not in nearly 100 years. Besides, the only people we’ve encountered have been us students. It doesn’t exactly fill me with much confidence that there is a safe city.”

“There has to be one.” Arlo clenched his hands. He looked over at Louis, and said, “We have to find a way. Maybe he’s just homesick. Or–”

Arlo stopped himself. He couldn’t say it without being stuck in a muddy pool of delusion.

He already knew it deep down. He just didn’t want to admit it. Louis’ mind was being overwritten by something beyond their understanding.

“There has to be,” Merc said. Maybe she was also saying it out of delusion. But Arlo felt better after hearing the words.

“Then for the time being,” Justin said, “what do we do about him? Have him fight at the vanguard? That way we wouldn’t have to worry about him slicing our backs.”

Merc nodded. “That’s right. He’ll fight alongside me. Whatever has taken grasp of his mind, has increased his fighting potential massively. He’s growing unstable. But if we harness him, it will further increase our speed at cleaving through the maze. Once again, we are in a battle of time.”

“So we need to escape from the maze before Louis succumbs to a brain-devouring demon,” Justin said, shrugging. “Just great.”