Chapter 59: The Abyssal Lurker

Tom hadnt truly wanted Alephs warning to know that the Abyssal Lurker was coming for him. Or atleast, one thing equally as terrifying.

One thing that prompted the blood in his veins to go chilly. Triggered his senses to go haywire as they struggled to precisely transmit the character of the menace he was going through.

He had factored in the potential for the Abyssal Lurker concealing itself within the first room of the Theatre of Stone. He would probably even be ready for it, if he was given only a few extra minutes.

The timing it had chosen to make its transfer, mere seconds after Tom had slaughtered an Abyss Demon the second the place he was probably the most defenseless was too calculated, too good for him to organize towards.

The deceptiveness of an Abyssal Imp. The pure agility of a Bladeswalker. The protection and energy of an Abyss Demon.

To not point out the truth that it fully dwarfed him in stage.

This wasnt a struggle that Tom might win. This had by no means been a struggle that he couldve received, to start with.

The Abyssal Lurkers stage ranged from Stage 12-15 and with Toms luck it was in all probability on the upper finish of the spectrum.

He was stage 4.

Or atleast, he had been Stage 4 moments in the past.

Tom didnt contemplate himself a strategic genius, not by a protracted shot. However he wasnt going to step right into a battlefield Aleph had advised him to remain out of with out assurances.

[Congratulations, your Soul Card [The Fool] has reached Stage 5 (27,665/250,000). You have got acquired 10 attribute factors. You have got acquired one Talent improve level. Your soul energy has been elevated by 5. ]

[Name: Synrak Veralis Thomas Lowe.

Age: 18

Soul Card: The Flame [Level 6] The Idiot [Level 5] [27,665/250,000]

Feats: Nether Slayer I

Statistics:

Bodily: 14 (+1)

Psychological: 16 (+1)

Proprioception: 20 (+1)

Soul Energy: 27/47 [55]

Free Factors: 10

Talent Improve Level: 2]

There was a motive why Tom had stopped funneling expertise into his frequent playing cards and targeted solely on leveling [The Fool]. His flames touring slightly additional slightly faster or his water propulsion card taking pictures out pressurized jets of liquid with extra pressure wouldnt save his life not when he doggedly challenged opponents above his stage, repeatedly.

Neither would [The Fool]. At the very least not with its erratic, weird abilities that as a rule risked grievous hurt to himself earlier than it could hurt his opponent.

Tom and the Abyssal Lurker had been combating.

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

Besides Tom was truly going toe-to-toe with the Abyssal Lurker, crossing out its slashes with expert parries and permitting lunges to gratingly slide throughout the sting of his dagger as he shielded his vitals.

No, when Aleph regarded carefully she realized that the Abyssal Lurker had taken three gentle lacerations from Toms blade, whereas the latter regarded fully unscathed if slightly matted.

Although her eyes struggled to come back to phrases with what she was seeing, Aleph was nothing if not adaptable.

With out hesitation, Aleph allowed her rapier to fall as she introduced the guidelines of her fingers collectively, together with her thumbs; leading to a vaguely triangular form.

Her armor started to unweave itself at a tempo that was far better than the time it had taken to assemble it.

Shards of crystal lay suspended within the air, randomly positioned round Aleph. Each Tom and the Abyssal Lurker had been fully unaware of Alephs actions, as each discovered an equal match within the different.

Stretching her focus to its limits, Aleph redirected a 3rd of the shards behind her. A cascade of crystal shards rained down on any Abyss Demon that was making an attempt to sneak up the slope and strike at her unguarded again with their stone nice hammers. She laid waste to their formation, killing one other 4 Abyss Demons despite the fact that they weren’t the true object of her consideration; merely a gambit to purchase her a couple of moments.

Get again! She screamed out loud sufficient for the urgency in her tone to simply be conveyed to its meant recipient-though to the Abyssal Lurker, it probably sounded little greater than a panicked cry.

Tom and the Abyss Demon had been locked in a duel of razor skinny margins, however Aleph was positive of her evaluation her teammate was quicker, if a lot weaker than his opponent.

He wasnt positive why Aleph had made the demand of her, however Tom had come to belief his crystal-wielding companion; not less than till she achieved her aims.

As an alternative of leaping again and drawing the Abyssal Lurkers suspicion, Tom feigned a mistake blocking with the flat of his Nether Blade as an alternative of its edge. Because the blade wildly oscillated from the affect, Tom felt like it could go away his grasp and find yourself with a damaged wrist.

Regardless he held on and true to the Abyssal Lurkers monstrous energy, he discovered himself skidding again ten or so meters; helpless to struggle towards the sheer momentum that had been utilized upon his blade.

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

Crystal shards rained from the sky at a pace that was quick, even for the present Tom. The very first thing that stunned him was that it wasnt one or two shards that had been launched as an assault however dozens.

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

His ideas would have lingered on that query, if he wasnt baffled by the sight unfolding earlier than him.

The crystal shards didnt assault the stunned Abyssal Lurker as Tom had anticipated it to. No, they merely shaped round him, ensconcing him similar to. the primary time he had seen Aleph use her powers.

A Crystal Aegis that, as an alternative of fully defending Aleph prefer it had final time, was as an alternative used to entice her opponent in a spherical cage.

The blood had drained out of Alephs face as she shifted from one hand signal to the subsequent, extra for visualization functions than direct magical correlation. The information of her fingers slipped into the subsequent one, interlocking and becoming towards one another tightly, like a glove.

[Shardlock Execution]

Because the Abyssal Lurker wildly flailed towards the crystalline aegis, mere seconds away from breaking out from the encasement, the shards that had been trapping him shifted polarity after which

Started to rain down on the Abyssal Lurker from each conceivable course of assault.

Its on you now! Aleph referred to as out earlier than breaking out right into a heavy pant, choosing her rapier off the bottom and readying herself to defend towards the remaining Abyss Demons.

A second later all of the crystals apart from the lattice that made up Alephs rapier, shattered.