Divine Apostasy Book 7 - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Ruwen had seen Gem level creatures before. In fact, he’d fought two of them in the semi-final match of the Step Championship. Chip and Stump of team Apex had represented the Black Pyramid and had proven exceptionally talented at both the Steps and brewing toxic alcohol.

Ruwen and the shadow stared at each other, neither of them moving, although he couldn’t be sure the creature looked at him since it lacked visible eyes. After ten uncomfortable seconds, he headed toward the fortress, since it didn’t appear the shadow planned to attack him.

Checking the map, Ruwen confirmed what he’d guessed. The creature stood exactly between Ruwen and the fortress. He had no desire to fight a Gem level shadow with unknown abilities, so he strode forward thirty degrees to the right of its location.

The shadow disappeared and reappeared forty feet away, directly in Ruwen’s path once again. The teleport created a negative pressure wave at the origin, while the new location pushed a surge of displaced air and water. It appeared the creature wanted to intercept him.

Ruwen mentally prepared himself for a fight. The creature vaguely reminded him of the Mist Wraith talker, but only a little. This creature’s human shaped body had few features and appeared black with a flickering outline. The edges of its body wavered as if an invisible moving light source created chaotic shadows.

“Hello,” Ruwen said with a short wave.

The shadow didn’t respond.

“I’m not looking for trouble, and I apologize if I intruded on your territory.”

Again, the creature remained silent. Maybe it couldn’t talk. At twenty feet, Ruwen discovered the creature’s Disposition Aura appeared faintly green. The lack of defined edges made seeing the aura difficult, especially from a distance.

That surprised Ruwen. The creature didn’t appear to view him as an enemy. Then why did it act like it wanted to force a confrontation?

The friendly Disposition Aura opened another possibility. Ruwen wondered if, since the shadow had not responded, perhaps it lacked the ability to utter words.

Ruwen stopped and, using Sphere of Influence, repeated his intent directly in the creature’s thoughts. I’m not looking for trouble, and I apologize if I intruded on your territory.

The shadow shuddered and the flickering around its edges increased. Ruwen guessed he’d surprised it with the mental communication.

The Shadow didn’t respond, though, and Ruwen’s confusion increased.

Once again, Ruwen moved at an angle away from the creature. Or tried to. His body didn’t move, and a debuff appeared.

Superior Shadow Stake: Your shadow is pinned to the current location.

As Ruwen read the debuff, the shadow disappeared again and reappeared directly behind him.

The sudden appearance of the shadow triggered Last Breath, and time slowed. Ruwen had trained for something like this. He had spent months perfecting his Spirit based Blink spell. Now, when it finally had an actual use, the consequences of his previous decisions made it impossible.

Worse, it had never occurred to Ruwen that his shadow could influence his actual body. He’d seen Ky’s Shadow Stepping and knew his shadow provided the equivalent of an open door to such people. Now, he realized too late, his shadow also acted as a weapon against him. And if his shadow could anchor him in place, his Blink strategy might not have worked, anyway.

Dusk had literally just hours ago given Ruwen a method that should help with this issue.

Dusk has gifted you…

Name: Symbol of Lesser Command Shadow

Restriction: Bamboo Viper Clan Adept

Restriction: Rank Orange

Restriction: Shadow interaction impossible when stored.

Description: Dismiss your shadow at will, storing it in your mark. Not all shadows fear the light.

Ruwen willed his shadow into the Bamboo Viper Mark on his right arm, and immediately tried to move.

Nothing happened.

Ruwen guessed Superior Shadow Stakejust laughed at his Lesser Command Shadow.

The shadow circled around Ruwen and hovered two feet in front of him. Having someone in his personal space made him uncomfortable, especially since he couldn’t move. The creature appeared even more like a man up close. Two eyes, small ovals of the darkest grey studied him. Black tendrils stretched from the creature to nearby shadows, like supports.

Ruwen Analyzed the creature and wondered how much trouble he’d found.

Target: Gloom Stalker

Type: Creature (Gem)

Strengths: Shadow Manipulation, Shadow Teleportation, Physical Damage Mitigation

Weaknesses: Light

Disposition: Neutral

Ruwen had never heard of a Gloom Stalker before, but the neutral disposition reassured him a little. Curious, he focused on the creature to trigger his Perception.

Name: Gloom Stalker

Deity: Unknown

Class Type: Cultivator - Diamond

Level: 81

Health: 1,482

Mana: 0

Energy: 0

Spirit: 12,000,000

Armor Class: 947

In hindsight, Ruwen should have stored his own shadow earlier to prevent this from happening. He had only studied the Shadow Stepping abilities and not considered the other ways his shadow could harm him. He needed to break this Gloom Stalker’s Stake spell so he could remedy that problem.

“Hi” Ruwen tried again.

The creature tilted its head. “You speak Shroud? How?”

“Languages are a thing with me. Communicating is like a superpower.”

“You desire power?”

Ruwen would have waved his hands had his shadow not kept him pinned. “No, well maybe. I’m interested in the power to help.”

The Gloom Stalker floated a foot closer, and Ruwen’s uncomfortable meter pegged.

“Do you help?” the Gloom Stalker asked.

Ruwen frowned. “Usually.”

After a few moments, the creature continued. “You are peak?”

Ruwen guessed it meant his Fortification. “I am.”

“Yet you cast no shadow?”

“If I didn’t cast a shadow, how are you pinning me here?”

“Are you arrogant and prideful?”

The question surprised Ruwen. “I don’t think so. I try to stay humble. My friends help with that.”

“Yet you leave your light shadow unattended, as if inviting a confrontation to demonstrate your skills, and deflect my question regarding your true shadow with a foolish answer. Do you wish to fight?”

“Whoa, hold on. This shadow stuff is new to me. I didn’t even know you existed.”

The Gloom Stalker shifted the last foot and its nose touched Ruwen’s, or close enough, as a sensation like ice seeped through his Insect Repellent shield, making his skin crawl.

“You lie,” the Gloom Stalker hissed. “Your movements hold darkness, and your light shadow confirms it, yet you cast no true shadows. Such control, to hide them even from me, reveals your mastery. How am I to interpret then, the flagrant disregard of your light shadow, as anything other than an invitation?”

Ruwen’s eyes had nowhere to look but into the grey-black eyes of the Gloom Stalker. “I don’t know what you mean. Dusk gave me the Symbol of Lesser Command Shadow. Is that what you’re talking about? I just got that like an hour ago.”

The Disposition Aura in Ruwen’s peripheral vision took on a red tinge.

“Perhaps you need encouragement to tell the truth.”

“No, I’m good, and I already told you the truth.”

Ruwen triggered Last Breath to think through his options. As a last resort, to save his own life, he would use his Spells and Abilities. Dying here would be catastrophic. He would revive with the memories and body of eighteen months ago. The last time he’d synched with Uru had been the morning of the semi-final fight with Chip and Stub, sitting on the floor of the underwater safe house outside Malth.

The gains Ruwen would lose defied comprehension. All the knowledge and progress he’d made during his time alone, his internal world including Overlord, Uruziel, and Sivart, along with his Peak Diamond body. Catastrophic losses. Which was why, if forced into a corner, he would use all his resources to survive, even if that meant failing the Master’s trial.

Ruwen could use the Worker ability Glow to create enough light to disperse his shadow and free himself. The Worker spells Harden and Melt might work if the Gloom Stalker had an inorganic body. The level three Fighter spell Tunnel Vision would clear all impairing effects and granted brief immunity to them. If it worked on this debuff, it would give him time to free himself and retrieve his shadow.

As a last resort, Ruwen could access his Scarecrow Aspect for Cornfield of Despair, the area of effect confusion, or Infernal Panic, and its line-of-sight fear. Misjudging the Mana the Aspect’s spells consumed could cripple him, though, if he used all the Mana and the Aspect accessed his Spirit. Until he healed, the Aspect remained a dangerous choice.

Feeling better about the options, Ruwen let go of Last Breath.

The Shadow Stalker moved back two feet, and Ruwen almost sighed in relief.

A black shaft the size of Ruwen’s thumb, the tip sharp like a needle, shot out of the Gloom Stalker’s chest, and Last Breath triggered again. He could see the trajectory and calculate the point of impact, a point between his left armpit and shoulder.

A flood of understanding followed immediately by a surge of panic struck Ruwen. Because the Gloom Stalker had chosen the exact location that Ruwen would use to either briefly paralyze an opponent’s Air Meridian, or with enough force, damage or destroy it.

Based on the speed of attack, the creature only wanted to cause pain, not cripple Ruwen. But he no longer cared about keeping this exchange friendly. The Gloom Stalker had upped the stakes, because Ruwen knew exactly how deadly that attack could become.

Ruwen knew because he’d practiced that attack mentally tens of thousands of times as part of his discovery and understanding of the Shadow Steps. This creature, while not appearing to know the Steps, knew the secrets of Spiritual combat.

Instantly, Ruwen transitioned into focused combat.

Ruwen snapped his body forward in a Bamboo Step called Bowing to the Sun, used to flip an opponent that attacked from the rear. He tapped his Diamond Fortified strength, enhanced by all the Ascendancy Strength points from leveling, and strained against his own shadow.

Ruwen’s shadow shifted, and from the terrible sucking noise, it pulled the water and mud that pinned it in place. He completed Bowing to the Sun and the massive pillar of water and mud struck the Gloom Stalker like a brown tidal wave.

The water did no damage, but the Gloom Stalker’s focus faltered, and in that moment, Ruwen activated his Symbol of Lesser Command Shadow, pulling his shadow into his Clan marking, and removing it as an option to attack or manipulate him. To his surprise, his Mana dropped ten points.

Ruwen, the friendliness in his voice gone, locked gazes with the Gloom Stalker. “I have some questions of my own.”