The Inner Odyssey

Normally, Alden would have revelled in the kill.

Except, the Ice Wyrm did not die…

His tenebrous dagger froze at the last second, unable to pierce the inside of the abomination's maw.

He clicked his tongue, expression dark.

Alden spared a brief moment to sense for Ignia, aware she could be overwhelmed at any moment.

So far, his familiar was hanging on, but just barely…

'Hold on, little one. I'm coming.'

Alden gritted his teeth and burst into action. His feet kicked against the snow, displacing a few flakes. Then, ignoring his rapidly draining mana reserves, he augmented himself with [Haste] twice over.

Alden shot towards the Ice Wyrm, his crimson pupils turning a shade deeper.

…His lust for blood soared.

In response, he poured more mana into his dark tentacles, as well. The speed of the roiling protuberances increased, and they became more solid. As he neared the hateful Ice Wyrm, Alden braced himself. A pitch-black energy engulfed his right arm.

In the next second, another frosty beam crashed into him.

…Or rather, rammed into his outstretched hand.

The abyss and tundra clashed.

Alden resisted the icy attack, one slow, deliberate step at a time.

The veins on his neck bulged under the strain.

He roared, and continued inching forward.

The dark tentacles rushed to grab the Ice Wyrm, but they quickly froze.

Over and over again, the cycle repeated…

Until finally, at long last, Alden withstood the abomination's attack.

His whole body had turned stiff from the cold.

Yet, he could not afford to stay still.

A warm current travelled through Alden's frame as he circulated his mana, slowly negating the effects of the frigid ice. The Ice Wyrm, meanwhile, seemed to have exhausted most of its magical essence. Alden was also in a similar situation, albeit by his own estimations, he still had enough left to finish off the other two Defiled.

Probably.

In any case, he formed another tenebrous dagger, and took one final step towards the corrupted creature. He craned his neck down, meeting its gaze. There, he saw the usual demented fury and thirst for human blood its kind so deeply coveted.

The Ice Wyrm staggered forward, attempting to snap its needle-like maw shut around him. In response, eight tentacles restrained the abomination, eroding a few of its scales.

Alden sighed.

Then, in one smooth motion, he buried his knife deep into the creature's eye.

***

Once he confirmed the Ice Wyrm was actually dead, Alden immediately shifted his attention to the battle occurring behind him.

A large knot of worry formed in his chest.

How was Ignia faring?

Their bond was still there, which meant she wasn't dead.

However, her silence unnerved him, though.

Maybe she was just about to be overwhelmed?

With such thoughts swirling unabated inside his head, Alden rushed to Ignia's aid. Flakes of snow blurred into another obscure canvas as he used [Haste].

The moment he used the skill, however, he groaned.

'Blasted Asterons!'

Gritting his teeth, Alden did his best to ignore the backlash of using so many bursts of [Haste].

'...It hurts.'

Breathing in a lungful of ice-cold air, Alden continued his mad dash.

While the pain was quite high, it wasn't to the point where it reached very debilitating levels.

If he kept abusing the skill, however, that would soon change.

Shaking off the unhelpful thought, Alden focused.

Soon, he spotted Ignia.

A thick cloud of vapour surrounded the phoenix and two Ice Wyrms. It had only grown bigger and more viscous since he had last seen it. Vaguely, he sensed the torrent of pitch-black flame resisting the frosty rays slow down. Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

…It seemed Ignia was fast approaching her limit.

Alden's anxiety spiked.

Instinctively, another abyssal dagger materialised in his hand, tenebrous wisps coalescing into a tangible blade. Not wasting any time, the young man hurled it towards the two ice Wyrms, hoping it could put one of them off.

Alden unleashed another dirk a moment later.

'...Not enough.'

His teeth ached with the force he used to clench them together.

The pain sharpened his mind.

Spinning rapidly, Alden's brain whirred at great speed. His eyes flitted through his surroundings, taking note of every small detail.

...The rocks, the pebbles, the entire outcropping.

A spark of an idea slowly settled in his mind.

Alden's lips curled into a subtle grin.

The hue of his eye turned an even deeper shade of crimson, resembling a vast pool of blood.

It was as if it was predicting the outcome of the upcoming carnage.

Not giving himself a chance to hesitate, Alden launched forward. The backlash persisted in its attempts to slow him down. However, he was nonplussed. And for one simple reason.

….His dark tentacles.

Immediately, one latched onto a nearby rock. Before the stone had a chance to crumble into nothingness, Alden tugged. The shadowy appendage propelled him onward. In the next second, he used another protuberance, this time from his left side.

The same process repeated.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Alden timed each 'swing' to perfection, ensuring he did not waste precious momentum.

In a sense, this was just another exercise of parkour.

His grin widened.

A few seconds later, he reached Ignia just in time.

The little phoenix's flame sputtered out.

Her avian frame dimmed and she began to fall through the air.

Alden caught her just before she hit the ground. The young man breathed a silent sigh of relief. Upon first glance, his familiar appeared relatively unharmed.

'Great job, little one. Well done.'

He sent a burst of warm reassurance to her, one which she weakly accepted.

Alden raised his left arm, and a tenebrous shield manifested to block the remnants of the two icy rays heading his way. Once it died down, he fixed the abominations with a deathly glare, gently placed Ignia down and quickly got to work.

Four [Dark Tentacles] slammed into each Ice Wyrm, dazing them.

A couple of their scales showed signs of erosion.

The abominations roared, doubtless disturbed.

However, it was too late for regret.

Alden leapt into the air, using the shadow appendages to boost himself up even further.

Then, he shifted his body, tucking his legs to perform an aerial backflip.

His excitement soared.

As Alden's body surrendered to the whims of gravity, two tenebrous wisps of abyssal decay bloomed in his hands. In the next moment, they flourished into two dirks, and…

Swiftly ran down the back of the two Ice Wyrms, slicing a bloody path through.

The abominations froze, as if they had been struck by lightning.

Then, the spell broke, and their corrupted bodies slowly slumped to the ground with a satisfying thud.

A small cloud of snow kicked up.

… The sound was like a balm to Alden's soul.

Gazing at his gruesome handiwork, Alden lips curled into a small smirk.