Chapter 59: The Abyssal Lurker

Chapter 59: The Abyssal Lurker

Tom hadnt actually needed Alephs warning to know that the Abyssal Lurker was coming for him. Or atleast, something equally as terrifying.

Something that caused the blood in his veins to go cold. Caused his senses to go haywire as they struggled to accurately transmit the nature of the threat he was facing.

He had factored in the possibility of the Abyssal Lurker concealing itself in the first room of the Theatre of Stone. He would likely even be prepared for it, if he was given just a few more minutes.

The timing it had chosen to make its move, mere seconds after Tom had slaughtered an Abyss Demon the moment where he was the most defenseless was too calculated, too perfect for him to prepare against.

The deceptiveness of an Abyssal Imp. The natural agility of a Bladeswalker. The defense and strength of an Abyss Demon.

Not to mention the fact that it completely dwarfed him in level.

This wasnt a fight that Tom could win. This had never been a fight that he couldve won, to begin with.

The Abyssal Lurkers level ranged from Level 12-15 and with Toms luck it was probably on the higher end of the spectrum.

He was level 4.

Or atleast, he had been Level 4 moments ago.

Tom didnt consider himself a strategic genius, not by a long shot. But he wasnt going to step into a battlefield Aleph had told him to stay out of without assurances.

[Congratulations, your Soul Card [The Fool] has reached Level 5 (27,665/250,000). 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 5] [27,665/250,000]

Feats: Nether Slayer I

Statistics:

Physical: 14 (+1)

Mental: 16 (+1)

Proprioception: 20 (+1)

Soul Power: 27/47 [55]

Free Points: 10

Skill Upgrade Point: 2]

There was a reason why Tom had stopped funneling experience into his common cards and focused entirely on leveling [The Fool]. His flames traveling a little further a little quicker or his water propulsion card shooting out pressurized jets of liquid with more force wouldnt save his life not when he doggedly challenged opponents above his level, repeatedly.

Neither would [The Fool]. At least not with its erratic, bizarre skills that more often than not risked grievous harm to himself before it would harm his opponent.

Tom and the Abyssal Lurker were fighting.

If that was all, Aleph would have rushed to his assistance.

Except Tom was actually going toe-to-toe with the Abyssal Lurker, crossing out its slashes with skilled parries and allowing lunges to gratingly slide across the edge of his dagger as he shielded his vitals.

No, when Aleph looked closely she realized that the Abyssal Lurker had taken three light lacerations from Toms blade, while the latter looked completely unscathed if a little disheveled.

Though her eyes struggled to come to terms with what she was seeing, Aleph was nothing if not adaptable.

Without hesitation, Aleph allowed her rapier to fall as she brought the tips of her fingers together, including her thumbs; resulting in a vaguely triangular shape.

Her armor began to unweave itself at a pace that was far greater than the time it had taken to assemble it.

Shards of crystal lay suspended in the air, randomly positioned around Aleph. Both Tom and the Abyssal Lurker were completely unaware of Alephs movements, as both found an equal match in the other.

Stretching her concentration to its limits, Aleph redirected a third of the shards behind her. A cascade of crystal shards rained down on any Abyss Demon that was trying to sneak up the slope and strike at her unguarded back with their stone great hammers. She laid waste to their formation, killing another four Abyss Demons even though they were not the true object of her attention; merely a gambit to buy her a few moments.

Get back! She screamed out loud enough for the urgency in her tone to easily be conveyed to its intended recipient-though to the Abyssal Lurker, it likely sounded little more than a panicked cry.

Tom and the Abyss Demon had been locked in a duel of razor thin margins, but Aleph was sure of her assessment her teammate was faster, if much weaker than his opponent.

He wasnt sure why Aleph had made the demand of her, but Tom had come to trust his crystal-wielding companion; at least until she achieved her objectives.

Instead of leaping back and drawing the Abyssal Lurkers suspicion, Tom feigned a mistake blocking with the flat of his Nether Blade instead of its edge. As the blade wildly oscillated from the impact, Tom felt like it would leave his grasp and end up with a broken wrist.

Regardless he held on and true to the Abyssal Lurkers monstrous strength, he found himself skidding back ten or so meters; helpless to fight against the sheer momentum that had been applied upon his blade.

And boy, was he glad that he had done so.

Crystal shards rained from the sky at a speed that was fast, even for the current Tom. The first thing that surprised him was that it wasnt one or two shards that had been launched as an attack but dozens.

When had Aleph gotten the time to form so many crystals undetected?

His thoughts would have lingered on that question, if he wasnt baffled by the sight unfolding before him.

The crystal shards didnt attack the surprised Abyssal Lurker as Tom had expected it to. No, they merely formed around him, ensconcing him just like. the first time he had seen Aleph use her powers.

A Crystal Aegis that, instead of completely protecting Aleph like it had last time, was instead used to trap her opponent in a spherical cage.

The blood had drained out of Alephs face as she shifted from one hand sign to the next, more for visualization purposes than direct magical correlation. The tips of her fingers slipped into the next one, interlocking and fitting against each other tightly, like a glove.

[Shardlock Execution]

As the Abyssal Lurker wildly flailed against the crystalline aegis, mere seconds away from breaking out from the encasement, the shards that had been trapping him shifted polarity and then

Began to rain down on the Abyssal Lurker from every conceivable direction of attack.

Its on you now! Aleph called out before breaking out into a heavy pant, picking her rapier off the ground and readying herself to defend against the remaining Abyss Demons.

A second later all the crystals besides the lattice that made up Alephs rapier, shattered.