Incongruent. Disfigured. Misshapen.
The ghastly visage that had revealed itself could not accurately be described, or contained by any one of those definitions, yet it somehow managed to capture aspects of all three. An oversized, elliptical skull that was too unwieldy for the body it was housed in. A skinny frame leathered over by bronzed skin contrasted well with the network of opaque, deep-violet veins running underneath, leading to spindly, elongated arms that explained why the creature was so confident in its ability to assassinate a target mid-air. In juxtaposition, its legs were stout and incredibly well-muscled, allowing Tom to confirm that the Abyssal Imp had propelled itself through the air solely fueled by limb-strength instead of any appendages designed for flight.
Tom didn’t know the true reason for the conflict between the Divine System and these Phantasmal Beings, but he found himself leaning in favour of the former. These beings that drew their strength from the Nether were perversions of nature, standing in violation of the laws that governed evolution. Rather than seeming like a creature that had come into being naturally, the Abyssal Imp before him appeared to be a synthetic creation. Its leg strength allowed it propulsion. Its long arms gave it reach. Spectral Mist confounded its prey. And the Blood Curse inflicted a painful, traumatic end.
However, outside of the specific purpose of assassination, the creature looked like it could barely function. Unless it had no capability to feel pain or discomfort, the disparity and excesses in its features would make many aspects of life incredibly uncomfortable.
As Tom watched the lifeless grey eyes of the Abyssal Imp glaze over, it was not anger or hatred that he felt.
It was pity.
To these creatures, perhaps death itself was a form of release from the Nether’s corruption.
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Tom finished looting the Abyssal Imp in a matter of a minute, while Aleph stoically maintained a watch over the surroundings. No words were exchanged between the two, for their plans had already been drafted well in advance. In a dungeon, it was important not to draw unwarranted attention and communicating only when necessary helped ensure that the reaction to the threat would be met with full focus.
It was stifling and uncomfortable but it was also necessary.
There was also a different reason why Aleph had to be especially on guard, a reason that had to do with the uniqueness of sector six— commonly known as the Neophyte’s Desolation among dungeoneer circles. It was a moniker coined to keep the inexperienced away from the treacherous circle, but intimidating names were enough to hold the brave and the foolhardy at bay, they would not have chosen this profession to begin with.
Phase 1, Fog of Assassination of the Abyssal Lurker’s Dungeon was known for claiming the most casualties. While the Abyssal Imps were hardly a considerable threat once countered, the constant need to maintain focus and vigilance sapped away at his psyche. Minutes seemed to stretch into hours and after he had, in a close scrap, managed to slay his sixth Abyssal Imp.
Aleph had not interfered once, not from the very beginning. Tom knew that it was part of their strategy, but it was still tough to control the frustration bubbling up within him. It felt like he was fighting tooth and nail for his life whilst Aleph was simply on a leisurely stroll.
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However, that frustration ebbed away when Tom, drenched in sweat and alien blood, saw the notification hovering before him.
[Congratulations, your Soul Card [The Fool] has reached Level 4 (1619/100,000). You have received 10 attribute points. You have received one Skill upgrade point. Your soul power has been increased by 5. ]
[Name: Synrak Veralis Thomas Lowe.
Age: 18
Soul Card: The Flame [Level 6] The Fool [Level 4] [1619/100,000]
Feats: Nether Slayer I
Statistics:
Physical: 14 (+1)
Mental: 16 (+1)
Proprioception: 10 (+1)
Soul Power: 27/42 [50]
Free Points: 10
Skill Upgrade Point: 1]
A wry grin made its way onto Tom’s visage as he examined his statistics.
‘Invest all ten points in Proprioception,’ Tom thought-commanded, the grin on his face only getting wider.
[Proprioception: 20(+1)]
Aleph raised an eyebrow as she saw Tom pause in his steps, observed his muscles writhe and shift under his skin, a phenomenon that was most definitely linked to investing points in either the Physical or Proprioception stat.
The question was at the tip of her tongue, but Aleph reigned in her curiosity. She had not expected Tom to level up in a fight with the relatively low-levelled Abyssal Imps, but there were plenty of reasons that could explain that.
Tom’s eyes snapped open and with that any fear he carried in his heart towards the Abyssal Imps was dispelled.
At twenty one proprioception, he found himself able to discern the shifts in the air current as soon as the Abyssal Imp threw itself into fluid motion. Its trajectory was no longer a thing of near misses and narrow shaves for him as Tom traced its path with his gaze while he casually took a step back.
That, however, meant that it would miss him and strike Aleph, since the attack’s inception lay at his left flank.
Tom saw the subtle movements Aleph allowed herself, the way she shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet to allow for a quick retreat. But Tom wasn’t ready to let things escalate to the point where her assistance was needed.
This was his fight.
His right hand extended outwards, his lungs constricting as he let loose the deep breath he had been holding.
Water arrows burst forward from his hand, fired one after the next as Tom adjusted the trajectory of the arrow, the time lag between firing and striking the target and the Abyssal Imp’s trajectory.
The first missed. The second lanced into the Spectral Mist, but ended up striking the cavern wall without hitting the intended target. The third struck true, sending the Abyssal Imp tumbling onto the ground, the hypnotic fog ensconcing it rapidly fading.
And the fourth ended the fight.
Another forty five minutes of Abyssal Imp slaying later, Tom and Aleph successfully completed the first Phase of the Abyssal Lurker’s Dungeon.
Before them were four passageways that had been etched into the rock face that comprised the cavern’s end.
Phase Two- Destiny’s Path, awaited them.