Chapter 54: Destiny's Path

Chapter 54: Destiny's Path

Is there really nothing else we can do besides picking out a path at random? Toms low voice disrupted the eerie stillness of the cavern, his expression a great deal more relaxed now that his spectral foes had been dealt with.

Aleph, whose visage had been a mask of scorching focus up until moments ago had fallen back upon her characteristic easy-going expression, a familiar hint of mischievousness twinkling in her eyes.

Certain combinations of alchemical reagents can lead to the creation of volatile potion mixes that explode on impact. If Nether wasnt known to adversely react with raw alchemical ingredients, that could have been a viable strategy. And indeed, some variations of it are possible, at great cost, Aleph paused after the explanation, her gaze flickering to the caves. But you wont get any experience for a kill like that. The divine system has no intention to help cowards, after all.

So.., Tom let out an exhale, pretty much having predicted the flow of the conversation. How do we pick the right cave?

Well, Aleph cocked her head thoughtfully, as her gaze flickered from one cave to the next. I thought there was a chance Id be able to gleam some hint but.., Aleph tossed her hands in the air with dramatic flair, ... I really cant tell.

Toms shoulders sagged a little.

So, are you lucky? Aleph asked, clearly having reverted to a playful mood.

Lucky?

Phase two is called destinys path for a reason, you know. We might not be able to control where destiny leads us, but at least we get to choose our own paths.

Toms thoughts instinctively flashed towards [The Fool] card, as he found an almost foreign urge welling up within him an urge to refute Alephs assertion the assertion that Destiny chose mans path instead of the opposite.

Am I lucky? Tom mused aloud. Well, I suppose I am pretty lucky when it comes to things that I dont want.

Are you particularly inclined to venture into a cave full of Nether Beasts? Aleph asked with a small chuckle. Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

Compared to the misshapen, revolting exterior of the Abyssal Imp, the Bladeswalker was a creature that balanced elegant precision with bloodthirsty deadliness. Tom got to witness the Phantasmal Skill, [Nether Crawl] in action as the creature came at him with an attack pattern he had never encountered before. The deep-purple skinned humanoid creature utilised its slender frame and tightly corded leg muscles to great effectiveness as it ran across the side of the right cave wall, its racing footfall rapidly covering distance.

Before Tom could get used to its movement style, it leapt, at least from its perspective, upwards, executing a forward roll mid-air that allowed it to land upon its feet on the other side of the cave wall. Three quick steps to build its momentum, and then it leapt directly for him.

Toms heart pounded in his chest as he spotted the distortion around the razor-sharp crystalline blades that the Bladeswalker possessed instead of regular arms. [Spatial Focus] allowed the Bladeswalker to temporarily phase its blade arms into, what Tom could only infer as a different dimension, for a few seconds.

The natural instinct when confronted with a bladed creature was to parry it with your blade; at least for Tom. Once again, he learned the importance of preparation and information-gathering first hand as [Control Glyph- Water Arrow] allowed him to fire two arrows in rapid succession.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the distortion around the bladed arms faded as the creature crossed his arms to shield its vitals. The impact of the water arrow was far more muted compared to the true potential of the [Water Propulsion] card, but it was enough to move the creatures nimble frame backwards.

The [Spatial Focus] skill had an absolute cooldown of ten minutes, which would let Tom breathe easy but only a few moments later he found himself grimacing.

The Bladeswalker borrowed momentum from his strike, landing upon the roof of the cave with an athletic flip. Without warning, it began to build momentum in the direction opposite to Tom.

It was retreating after its ambush had failed and Tom realized, as the creature repositioned itself to the caves left wall with another leapthat he was absolutely helpless to stop it.

A gust of wind washed over him, followed by a glimmer that trailed from the corner of his vision. By the time he had identified the thick, pointed crystal spear that was sent lancing forth across the air, it was already halfway to its destination.

A loud bang rang out as the crystal lance punctured through the Bladewalkers abdomen and continued forth until it slammed into the cave wall, impaling it on the very landscape it was used to so proudly navigating, merely a few meters away from the bend in the cave.

Tom blinked.

Note to self: Try not to get on Alephs bad side.