The Inner Odyssey

Alden gasped as his vision cleared.

The sky and earth were no longer shattered, and he sensed the presence of a large, agitated crowd.

…He was back in the arena.

A sheen of sweat matted his forehead, and his chest heaved up and down.

He looked around and discovered that he was mere steps away from the boundary line. The sleeveless black mantle and the dark crimson tunic he wore underneath were also torn in several places, as well.

Abyssal decay flickered around him like a dying candle.

What in the Asterons had happened whilst he was in the illusion?

Cursing, the Keeper's Apprentice scrambled - suddenly, two ghostly figures formed in his mind's eye. Ghostly lightning covered one of their hands as they thrust it into his chest, while the other manipulated a strange energy that warped and twisted, decapitating him.

Alden reappeared in the middle of the arena, breathless from the close call.

The crowd's thunderous cries almost deafened him, and idly, he wondered what had caused them to be so restless. Alden launched himself to the right, eight abyssal tentacles sprouting from his back like carnivorous flowers.

He noticed he felt a little sluggish.

It seemed like some sort of side effect from the illusion lingered within his mind.

'That is one deceptive ability.'

Alden suppressed a shudder.

His plan to deal with Caelum's illusions had been pretty simple: allow the illusionist to suck him in and break the phantasm from the inside. Who knew that it would conjure some of his greatest fears, and bombard him with them?

…That was not all.

The nexus or core of the illusion was hidden quite well, so it had taken Alden some time to locate it. Time that he had spent trapped in his mind, unable to affect what his physical body was doing.

Thankfully, it seemed as if his frame had held up against Caelum and Varnel, if only just.

Still, it appeared he had underestimated his opponents slightly.

Alden's visage turned solemn.

Just then, his instincts screamed.

Alden lurched to the side just in time to evade a small bolt of lightning that streaked towards him. He honed his Mana Sense on Varnel and discovered the speed demon pointing a finger towards him, its tip glowing with a bright, purple light.

Alden immediately shifted his neck and another purple bolt whizzed past him.

Again and again, and again.

The Keeper's Apprentice twisted his body thrice in quick succession, just managing to avoid the lightning bolts that would have doubtless stunned him. Unfortunately, just when Alden thought he was in the clear, the illusionist's figure materialised in front of him.

Suddenly, the white-haired young man felt the surrounding space constrict, locked down. It was as if there were an incalculable number of invisible shackles restraining him.

Furthermore, just then, the wind howled and raged, battering Alden.

He gritted his teeth, unable to move and subjected to an immense blast of wind - his clothing tore and numerous lacerations marred his figure. Before Alden had a chance to do anything, the abyssal decay shrouding him abruptly hissed.

It was as if it was furious something as measly as space was daring to challenge it.

The dark energy roiled and seethed.

In the next moment, Alden sensed some of his restraints loosen.

…Enough to move, and sidestep Caelum's imminent strike.

'My turn.'

The eight tentacles sprouting from Alden's back shot towards the illusionist.

At the same time, the Keeper's Apprentice closed his good eye and paused, as if waiting for something. A moment later, his right brow twitched, and he abruptly leaned to the side, avoiding the purple blur that was Varnel.

In the same movement, Alden twisted his body and tensed his muscles. Inside, his mana flowed from the soles of his feet, up his legs, through his hips and shoulder, before rushing through his arm and gathering into his fist.

Like a coiled spring releasing all its tension, the white-haired young man hurtled towards his opponent, abyssal decay converging on his hand. Varnel, who was still in the midst of his previous attack, could only turn and stare at the Keeper's Apprentice with a startled look.

Alden grinned.

A heartbeat later, his fist slammed into Varnel.

He was a little dismayed to discover an invisible field of lightning shrouding the speed demon, but he was also relieved. Because if he hadn't enveloped his fist with decay, he would have most likely lost his right hand.

…It would have become charred, fried, black, and useless.

In any case, the invisible static only softened the blow by an infinitesmal amount. It also cancelled out the decay. Varnel's figure shot through the air, visible currents of air pressure forming from the sheer power contained in Alden's strike.

It was small, and nowhere near what an Expert could achieve, but it was a sign he was making good progress towards the next Rank.

…He was one step closer towards immediately channeling mana to any part of his body.

While the speed demon skidded to a stop halfway across the arena, his cheek red and tender and beginning to bruise, his teammate was having a slightly easier time. Caelum appeared relaxed as he fended off eight shadowy tentacles, his posture unperturbed.

Alden's gaze narrowed as he sensed the space encircling his [Dark Tentacles] freeze. The once roiling appendages came to a sudden halt, suspended in mid-air. Then, as if he had all the time in the world, the green-robed illusionist calmly touched them with a sole finger shrouded in green wind energy.

Alden's dark tentacles shattered.

It was as if they were shards of dark ice, broken from a stygian, albeit frozen effigy.

The Keeper's Apprentice clicked his tongue.

He stared at Caelum for a moment, the crimson in his gaze growing even deeper, before he suddenly disappeared - Varnel's lightning-wreathed frame obliterating his shadow.

The crowd roared.

The combined sum of their cries was akin to a gigantic wave, crashing into Alden. With his enhanced senses, it was as if the entire Haunted Archipelago had gathered into a single breaker and washed over him.

His focus, once cold and calculating, wavered for a brief moment.

However, that instant was enough.

…Just as Alden regained his concentration, Caelum and Varnel closed in on him from both sides.