NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: A Glimpse of Victory
The final two days until [Glimpse of a Path] was ready again were a blur of focused, almost feverish effort. Every bite of the Thorn-Viper Wolf's remaining meat, now tasting even worse as it aged, felt like it was being meticulously converted into raw potential by some unseen process inside me. It patched up my battered body and fueled the subtle but undeniable thrum of Mana now easily accessible in my core.
I practiced conjuring that fist-sized globe of light until I could summon it with barely a thought. I experimented with its intensity and how long I could keep it lit, pushing the limits of my control. It still drained my new Mana pool quickly if I tried to make it too bright or hold it too long, but I was recovering faster each time. My [Mana Manipulation] skill was clearly improving. The constant, grueling physical workouts, combined with the nutrient-rich, if disgusting, diet, had made a noticeable difference. I felt quicker on my feet, my strikes with the metal shard carried more weight, and I could keep going for longer. The quick checks I'd learned to do with the System confirmed my Body attribute had climbed to 170, my Mana capacity was around 150, and my Spirit, the source of my focus and willpower, had nudged up to 215. Small gains numerically, maybe, spread over days of effort, but they were precious foundations in this dangerous new universe. Each point earned through sweat and grim determination.
Finally, the internal timer in my soul, a sensation I couldn't quite describe but knew with absolute certainty, seemed to click over. [Glimpse of a Path] was ready. My heart began to pound with that familiar mix of nervousness and grim, almost cold determination. I went back to my usual spot under the alien tree. Its broad, waxy leaves offered little shade from the strangely angled sun. I looked out at the Umbral Matriarch Lurker's ominous cave. This time, my plan was more than just blind hope; it was based on a previous failure and a new strategy. I would use the light.
Instead of whispering the Soul Ability's name, a sudden thought, an intuitive leap, hit me. If the System responded to mental questions, maybe activating an ability so tied to my soul, my very essence, could also be done with focused intent, without having to speak out loud and make myself vulnerable. I closed my eyes, pictured the cave, the Matriarch, the desperate desire for foresight, and pushed with my will, calling on the Glimpse, focusing my entire Spirit on activating it. To my surprise, and a small, sharp surge of triumph, it worked. There was a subtle shift inside my head, a feeling of a lock disengaging, and the world warped, reality peeling away like old paint.
I was in the cave entrance again. The chill air and sharp stench were instantly familiar. My metal shard glinted faintly in the heavy gloom. This time, I didn't hesitate. I channeled my Mana, drawing it from my core, shaping it with the practiced ease of the last two days. I formed the brightest, most intense globe of light I could manage — a brilliant, miniature sun in my palm, pulsing with barely contained energy. Then, with a guttural yell, more adrenaline than tactics, I hurled it deeper into the passage. I followed a half-second behind its blinding path. The flash, even reflected from the damp cave walls, was stunning, momentarily whiting out my vision. The immediate, high-pitched, chittering shriek that echoed from the depths, laced with pain and fury, told me it had found its mark. I charged, a desperate sprint towards the larger cavern I knew the Matriarch favored, my boots skidding on the loose rock.
The visionary fight was a whirlwind of chaos and brutal efficiency. My initial flash had indeed disoriented the Tier 2 Boss. Its hulking form thrashed and hissed in the after-image of the blinding light, its eyeless head waving frantically. I reached it as it was still partially blinded, its movements erratic. My metal shard, guided by the memory of past failures, found a seam in its armored plating near a leg joint. The blow was true, powered by all my enhanced strength and desperate focus. There was a sickening crack, a sound like thick bamboo splitting. Black, thick ichor sprayed as the leg buckled uselessly beneath it. A crippling blow!
But before I could press the advantage, the broodlings, seemingly less affected by the flash or recovering faster, swarmed with terrifying speed. One tore at my arm, its needle-like teeth sinking deep. Another raked claws across my back, sending jolts of agony through me. The Matriarch, despite its terrible injury, fought back with furious, pain-driven strikes, its remaining legs scrabbling for a grip. I fought with a savagery I hadn't known I possessed. The world was a confusing, terrifying blur of darkness, chittering screeches, and the desperate glint of my weapon. I managed to down two of the broodlings with frantic, lucky strikes, but the third, and the wounded, enraged Matriarch, were relentless. My vision showed me landing the killing blow on the Matriarch after a long, desperate struggle. But not before its snapping mandibles sheared through my left shoulder, severing muscle and grating on bone, and a broodling's flanking attack left my leg a mangled, useless ruin. Victory, yes, a bloody, hard-won victory. But at the cost of crippling, potentially fatal injuries.
The Glimpse shattered, leaving me gasping under the real sun. Phantom pains racked my body with cruel intensity. My shoulder screamed, my leg throbbed with remembered agony. I lay there for a long time, the simulated pain a stark, visceral warning. That outcome… it wasn't good enough. Surviving by the skin of my teeth, too injured to even collect the reward properly or defend myself afterward from scavengers or other lurking threats, was no true victory. The taste of that Primal Essence, the power of the Mythic skill — they would be useless to a dead or crippled man. The flash was a good idea. The direct rush to use its blindness was sound. But I wasn't strong enough, not quite, to handle the fallout, especially with those relentless broodlings.
Another week. Another cycle of the Soul Ability's cooldown. Another round of self-improvement. Frustration warred with a grim, unyielding practicality. There was no rushing this. This world would punish impatience with death.
The next seven days were an intensified, almost obsessive version of the first. The remaining wolf meat, now truly vile, was eaten with methodical determination. Each bite was a testament to my willpower. My physical training became more rigorous, more focused. I pushed myself to the brink of collapse daily, running further, climbing higher, striking harder. I practiced the light flash repeatedly, trying to maximize its brightness and minimize the Mana cost, pushing my [Mana Manipulation] and my Spirit to their limits. I visualized the Matriarch's movements, the broodlings' attack patterns, replaying the Glimpse in my mind, searching for ways to be more efficient, for openings, for ways to conserve energy, to make every blow count. Slowly, painstakingly, I felt another subtle shift inside me, a hardening, a deepening of resolve and power. My status confirmed it: Body attribute rose to 180, Mana hit 160, and my Spirit, honed by the constant mental exertion and intense focus required for the Glimpses and Mana practice, settled around 218. These were not great leaps, but the hard-won gains of relentless, grinding effort. Each point was a testament to my refusal to give up.
When [Glimpse of a Path] became available once more, there was a different quality to my resolve. Less desperation, more cold, calculating focus. I settled into my usual spot, the alien sun warming my back. For the third time, I called up the vision with a silent, mental command, my Spirit reaching out, grasping the threads of potential futures.
This Glimpse was different from the start. My improved body and Mana control led to a more effective initial attack. The light flash I conjured was brighter, a piercing glare that seemed to last a crucial fraction of a second longer, burning into the visionary darkness. My rush was more sure-footed, my balance perfect even on the treacherous cave floor. I reached the disoriented Matriarch faster; its thrashing was more pronounced. My aim with the metal shard was truer, more confident, hitting the weakness I'd found with greater precision. The crippling blow to its leg was deeper, more decisive, causing an even louder shriek of agony. This time, anticipating the broodlings, I didn't overextend. I used the confined space to my advantage, weaving between their lunges, my movements more economical, my parries stronger. My enhanced stamina allowed me to sustain the fight longer, my greater strength making my desperate attacks more effective, each blow landing with more impact. The vision still showed a brutal, challenging fight. The air was filled with the shriek of metal on armor and the reek of ichor. But the dynamic had clearly shifted. I took injuries, yes — a deep gash on my forearm as a claw slipped past my guard, a bruising blow to my ribs that stole my breath for a moment — but nothing life-threatening, nothing that would prevent me from finishing the fight on my own terms. The final visionary strike that pierced the Matriarch's softer underbelly was delivered with a sense of grim, assured victory, the metal bar sinking deep.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The vision faded, and this time, a stark, almost predatory grin touched my lips. That. That was a path I could walk. That was a victory I could seize.
Wasting no time, adrenaline already thrumming, a cold fire in my veins, I pushed myself to my feet. The real cave beckoned, the musky scent of the Lurker a familiar, if still unsettling, presence in the air. I replicated the actions of my vision with meticulous, focused care. The Mana gathered, brighter than ever before, a searing ball in my hand. I launched the orb of light deep into the passage, then charged, my metal shard held ready, my heart a steady drum of deadly purpose.
The battle that followed was a chaotic, desperate dance in the gloom, almost perfectly mirroring the Glimpse. The blinding flash, the crippling first strike on the Matriarch that sent it reeling. The desperate defense against the enraged broodlings, now met with more assured movements and more impactful blows from me. The pain from the visionary forearm gash bloomed into reality as a broodling's claw raked me, hot and sharp. But it was manageable. My heightened resilience was already working to stop the worst of it, my mind blocking out the pain. My enhanced strength and stamina made the crucial difference. When the final, decisive moment came, as the Matriarch reared, exposing its vulnerable underside, I drove my metal shard upwards with all my force, a savage, two-handed thrust.
A deafening, ear-splitting shriek, so loud it made the very rock around me vibrate, echoed through the cavern. It was followed by a series of violent, thrashing convulsions that threw up clouds of dust. Then, silence. A heavy, profound silence, broken only by my own ragged, gasping breathing and the drip of ichor. The Umbral Matriarch Lurker lay still, a mountain of dark armor, black ichor pooling beneath its massive form. The remaining broodling, seeing its matriarch die, gave a final, mournful chitter before dissolving into the deeper shadows. A flicker of movement, then gone, unwilling to face me alone.
As the hulking creature stilled, an intense wave of energy, far more potent and refined than what I'd felt from the Thorn-Viper Wolf, surged from it and its spawns' rapidly cooling corpses. It rushed into me, not like a gentle warmth, but like a torrent of cool, invigorating power. It permeated every cell, every fiber of my being, almost overwhelming in its intensity. My body felt full, saturated with a refined Essence that buzzed just beneath my skin like a thousand tiny vibrations. It made my senses sharper, my mind clearer, pushing back the immediate exhaustion and the pain from my wounds as if they were trivial.
Then, the Prime System's interface flared to life. Its blue light cast eerie, dancing shadows in the gore-stained cavern.
[Objective Complete: Eradicate the Tier 2 Umbral Matriarch Lurker (Boss Variant).]
[Rewards Granted (Prime System Discretionary Grant):]
[- Mythic Skill Acquired: [Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil] (Occupies 1/10 System Skill Slots).]
[- Vital Energy and Stamina fully restored.]
[- Concentrated Reservoir of Primal Essence (Tier 2 Boss Variant – Composite) available for immediate harvest and cultivation from slain target(s). User integration initiated.]
A wave of warmth, separate from the absorbed Primal Essence, washed through me as my fatigue vanished as if it had never been. The gash on my arm knitted with astonishing speed. The torn flesh sealed, the pain receding, leaving only faintly pink new skin within seconds. The System's healing was instantaneous and complete.
And in that moment of clarity and relief, a late realization hit me: full restoration of Vital Energy and Stamina upon objective completion. That had been listed as a reward from the very first time the quest appeared. The second vision, the one where I'd been severely injured but victorious… if I had paid closer attention to the quest details, if I hadn't been so overwhelmed, I might have realized those injuries would have been healed anyway. Perhaps that extra week of grueling, monotonous training hadn't been strictly necessary for that specific plan to succeed. A flush of annoyance at my oversight washed over me. It was quickly followed by a grim resolve to scrutinize every piece of System information with meticulous care in the future. Though, I admitted silently, the extra strength and control I'd gained were undeniably beneficial regardless and had likely contributed to a cleaner kill. No wasted effort, then.
Then, the knowledge of the new skill settled into my mind — not a rush this time, but a gradual unfolding, like an intricate tapestry revealing its pattern. A vast, complex, yet intuitively understandable framework of stealth, misdirection, and perceptual manipulation. The [Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil] was mine. I could feel its passive effect already settling over me, a subtle shimmer around my soul, hiding my true nature.
I looked at the massive corpse of the Lurker. Its dark armor was no longer a threat, just inert matter. The surge of energy I had absorbed from it and its brood moments after their death still thrummed within me. A potent, invigorating presence far more intense than the faint echo I'd felt from the Tier 1 Thorn-Viper Wolf. My body felt full, almost saturated with a refined power that buzzed just beneath my skin. It made my senses sharper, my mind clearer, even as the System's restorative energies had worked their magic. Then I recalled the System's words: a "Concentrated Reservoir of Primal Essence (Tier 2 Boss Variant – Composite) available for immediate harvest and cultivation." Harvest… from slain target(s). User integration initiated. The phrasing was key. The energy wasn't in the corpse anymore, waiting to be carved out. It had already been harvested by my soul, integrated into me upon their deaths. And it was now this potent reservoir thrumming through my being — a finite but exceptionally rich source, distinct from the ambient Essence my Soul Gate processed constantly. The "cultivation," then, must be an internal process. Something I needed to do with this sudden influx of potent, concentrated Essence now residing within me. Unlike the slow trickle of ambient Essence, this felt like a direct, powerful boost I could consciously channel and direct.
The question was, how did one "cultivate" it? Could I direct it towards my Body for further physical enhancement? Towards my Mana to deepen that new pool and perhaps learn new spells? Or towards my Spirit to fortify my will and perhaps even enhance my Soul Gate's efficiency or the power of my Glimpse? The feeling of fullness was one thing, a temporary state of being supercharged. But this "Primal Essence" sounded like a more direct path to permanent power, a targeted investment into my growth.
My journey, it seemed, was only just beginning. But now, I acquired a shield woven from the universe's deepest secrets and a tantalizing new resource to explore and master within my own being.