Mythshaper
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Chapter 66: Anathema
🕑 Added 2025-02-04 16:36:07 +0000 UTCI had to falter as the last notification flashed before her eyes.
[You have received a trace of divinity.]
[Divinity is assimilating with your special attributes...]
[Attribute gained: Divinity.]
[The internal space of Inventory has reached 25 cubic metres with your advancement.]
[Congratulations, you have advanced to Eye of the Crusaders (Apprentice) Lvl 34.]
[+36 to all Primary attributes, +45 unallocated attribute points.]
What's the deal with Divinity? Fortune was already weird enough...
Well, the level was lower than I had expected. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to wonder why. At least the attribute points were worth it, and I wondered how far the percentage benefit had reached.
With that thought, I pulled my full status, not even bothering to stop in my tracks. My form had grown considerably—while it made crossing large distances easier, it had taken away my sneakiness. But most of all, my cuteness.
Weirdly, the mask I got from the spider was still on my head, its form shifted to cover only the crown, though it still provided its benefits.
________
[SYSTEM PAGE]
[Shai]
Rank: Copper (E)
Path: Eye of the Crusaders (Apprentice) Lvl 34
Laws: Concept of Hunger (intermediate), Concept of Light (Early)
Mark: Fatemarked. Blessed by Kismet (Lesser). Apex Predator. Wayseeker.
Attributes:
Primary Attribute:
Physique: 102 (+35%)
Mind: 115 (+70%)
Soul: 126 (+50%)
Recovery: 91 (+70%)
Special Attribute:
Divinity: 1
Unallocated points: 61
Aspect:
Eye of Insights (U)
↳ Figment (A)
↳ Mind Fortress (C)
Essence Eater (B)
Toxin Affinity (D)
Skills[8/12]:
Luminescent Tranquillity (C) - 1% | Apex intuition (B) - 27% | Arcane Shot (D) - 100% | Essence Weaving (D) - 11% | Force Shield (E) - 100% | Copper Empowerment (C) - 100% | Concealment (D) - 2% | Spellforging (D) - 27%
Boon:
Inventory | Lingual Comprehension
Remark:
Who are you calling fat, you motherfu—
[System Log] [Active Quest] [Skill Reservoir]
___________
A lot of improvement, some the system didn’t even explain well. Regrettably, it wasn’t the time for me to mull over all my gains and study them. No, it was time to put all my new abilities and power to the test.
With my Golden Eyes at full efficiency, I could already glimpse the halos of dark, oppressive auras. Those abominations had found their way here and raged against the whole of the spider clan. By how oppressive the aura I detected was, it felt more like a full-blown war than mere skirmishes.
Wasting not another breath, I trudged my way back to the camp. A cascade of twirling darkness greeted my sight, obstructing even my Golden Eyes. Hundreds of abhorrent creatures, from Copper rank all the way to Silver, surged on the wall of darkness. Only one lone figure stood between them and the wall.
Dark smoke wafted from Midnight’s oppressive form as she alone contended with six Silver-rank creatures, all over level one hundred. My eyes didn’t miss the humongous basilisk I had the misfortune of encountering when I received the Concept of Hunger. It was going head-to-head against the terrifying Arachnid.
Where is Marvel? Inside the dark wall?
Unprepared to be left behind, I entered the fray, guns blazing.
Although Arcane Shots hadn’t upgraded, it had become vastly easier to optimise—not to mention how far its power reached with all my attributes and advancements.
I fully committed to one single Arcane Shot and fired at the easiest Iron-rank target I found before my eyes.
[You have slain a Twisted Chilopod Level 61.]
The jagged beam gouged through the giant centipede’s head, biting through its exoskeleton to explode its ugly exterior. Well, nobody’s going to miss that thing.
That attack caught the attention of many of the abominations, as they turned in my direction before screeching their way towards me.
I prepared a barrage of Arcane Shots—not as overpowered as the first shot, but more than enough to fend them off while killing a bunch.
Before my attack could reach them, white flames blossomed from the other side, burning through the monsters in numbers almost reaching me. The figures of the witch and the elf came into view as they trudged their way through the monster-infested land. She seemed to have noted my presence as well, as nebulous white eyes widened.
“I have it under control here,” a voice thrummed into my mind as my attention flashed to where Midnight was fighting. “Help the others. Please! Many of these abominations entered through the veil.”
Well, if you ask so nicely, how could I turn it down?
With that, I shot towards the wall of darkness. Many creatures impeded my path. I snarled a hiss—half of their numbers froze in their spots as their souls understood who was the predator and who was the prey.
But the other half—the Iron-rankers—were more of a problem than they were worth. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one crossing towards the darkness. It seemed Midnight had instructed the witch as well, as she was clearing the numbers faster than more could appear.
She spared me a measured look before her form melted into the darkness.
I lunged and thrust straight into the veil, in the wake of her white flames still burning through the monsters. The elf followed after me.
Inside, the fight was tamer than I had anticipated—there were barely a dozen creatures rampaging.
Alarm bells rang in my mind when my eyes found Marvel.
She alone faced the bombardment of chaotic aura, her jagged appendages pinned deep into the ashen earth, barely standing as she shielded the fledglings from the aura’s assault. Her epidermis was peeling off, receiving the full brunt of it. Colour seemed too bleak, making her and everything in the range of the aura appear drained.
I snaked my way forward, preparing my most powerful Arcane Shot—but once again, the witch arrived before me. Her white flame flowed like an oceanic wave, looking more beautiful than threatening. Yet, when it crashed onto the creatures, it seeped into their skin, bringing their rampage to a halt.
While it was temporary, I leapt, firing the Arcane Shot at the cursewalker.
It tore through one of its eyes, stripping away half of its petrifying power—even if that power was not half as effective on an apex predator.
As the creature flailed backwards, I reached Marvel.
“Shai?” the spiderling asked. The aura had left her more disoriented than it appeared from the outside.
“Sorry, I’m late…”
“They killed them…” Marvel’s eyes flashed to her rear, to the siblings she had protected, as well as the few maimed corpses there. “I could not protect them…”
I didn’t know the right words to tell her.
“You did all you could,” was all I managed before turning my gaze to the basilisk. “Let me deal with this monstrosity.”
At level 87, even my full blast of Arcane Shot was not enough to put it to rest. With its eye gouged, bubbling with dark filth, its rage reached its ultimate form—the twisted aura that flared only evidenced that.
Predictably, it blasted it all onto me, tearing through the ensnarement.
With Mind Fortress, I had no trouble defending against the mental strain that came with being on the receiving end of a powerful aura, while my scales beamed with a copperish-golden light, Copper Empowerment taking effect with just a mere nudge.
At Copper rank, I should be able to manipulate my aura, give it a more physical presence. It had flared up instinctively to protect me from the cursewalker, but that was merely defence. I tentatively managed to manipulate it outwards when a figure landed beside me, white flames cascading all around her.
A white, more hallowed form of aura exploded from her form, lifting me from its pressure. She was unable to completely overpower the creature, though their contest had reached an impasse.
“Kill it,” she said to me.
Hissing, I spun on my tail and lunged. Although my form had practically quadrupled, the basilisk still towered over me, its maw wide enough to gulp down two of me.
As if I’d just let it.
Blasting another Arcane Shot at its head, I crashed into it, sinking my fangs deep. The arcane barely did any damage, grazing its thick skin. But with its aura thrust outward and its attention divided, it failed to counter me.
The hunger came within me, and I injected it all into the creature. As far as I could tell, Figment would not be useful here—the Concept of Light worked on creativity, not simple blunt force. Thankfully, I had the perfect blunt force in my arsenal.
Arcane Shot tore through its thick skin as I gouged into it. The creature had no possible chance of avoiding the attack from point blank. My toxin was not as fast as I needed it to be. The creature bucked, trampling me underfoot, forcing me to let go of its neck.
I flared with a blast of light.
The basilisk had probably lived its whole life in darkness, and the sudden illumination had no problem blinding it, disregarding its aura defences.
The creature flailed its head, fearing an attack. I used that time to escape from being trampled. Withdrawing a few metres, I prepared another full-force Arcane Shot and waited for it to turn.
Just as it did, its remaining eye recovering from blindness, I shot directly into the wound I had inflicted on its neck. The attack connected, leaving a rupture in its wake as dark, tar-like filth sprayed out.
“Light is anathema to their existence,” barked the witch from behind me. “Use it.”
I prepared another Arcane Shot, infusing Light into it, following her words. Arcane shots were usually translucent, with barely a faint glow, but this one flared with the intensity of a golden star.
As the creature thrust towards me for one last attack, I didn’t so much as twitch, releasing the blazing arrow of golden light.
The shot aimed true. An explosion of golden radiance followed, taking the monster with it.
[You have killed a Cursewalker Lvl 87.]
[Congratulations! You have advanced to Eye of the Crusader Level 35.]
[+4 to all Primary attributes, +5 unallocated points.]
