Shadow of the Abyss

Falling like a lone ghost, Altair landed without an echo of sound, looking at the twenty knights or so knights. And his eyes shimmered, scanning over the bodies of everyone, including the Herald. Sacriliage flashed through his stone-cold eyes.

"You—" The Herald was about to say when a pristine knight sword ran through her chest. Blood gushed from out of her mouth, and before she could echo her confusion, the blade twisted, ripping her in half. She toppled dead on the ground.

The knight who'd felled the Herald howled. "I killed a demon! Did you—" and similar to the Herald, he died all the same, cut down by his fellow knights who had begun hacking and slashing at their fellow brothers.

"...I ought to use [Schizophrenia] more often,' laughed Altair as they felled one another until there had only been one left standing. Altair executed him with his Dark Moon Blade, ending the battle with minimal effort.

He turned, finding Ren walking towards him, a sheen of red over the azure blue edge of 'Ice.' Behind her, Thanatos and Zag stood with half smiles.

Altair shifted his attention towards the demon gnawing at the cheeks of the dead Herald. He killed the thing with his Dark Moon Blade. "Let's get out of here. Where are the—" and his lips curled down, noticing Nia holding onto Laros while Olivia watched without emotion.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"We can't just leave him," said Nia, and Alyssa rolled her eyes. She'd tried to convince her not to bring him along, but Nia had been quite determined.

Reina snickered mischievously, "I'm sure it's fine, Altair. We can treat his limp body like a stool or table."

"I'd rather use wood."

"Then… perhaps a blood bag."

Altairs felt a knot catch in his throat. "You will not drink from that bastard!" he rasped, glaring at the laughing girl toying with him.

"Please…" Nia pleaded, staring with catlike eyes. "He's still a fellow human. Shouldn't we—"

Altair had no love for Laros, not even a sliver, but a sudden idea had come to him. He smiled and conjured a leash he'd bought for Ren and approached Laros, and with one hand he pressed on his forehead, the [Hands of Nirvana] shimmered its golden radiance, reconnecting tendons and mending damaged ligaments.

In but a fleeting second, Laros's eyes were open, and he was screaming, panicking, still thinking Olivia was stabbing him. Altair stomped his head into the dirt and held it there.

Blood mattered the boy's head, and his screams only seemed to deepen as Altair hooked the leash through the nape of his neck, tearing through flesh with pure mana. He tossed the leash to Olivia, who caught it surprised.

Altair looked down at Laros and, with a devilish grin, spoke with the throbbing of his pupils. "From now on, you'll walk, talk, and piss like a dog."

"Woof!" Laros's eyes went wide, and his cheeks bright red. "Woof!"

"What a good doggy." Said Reina, with stars in her eyes.

Terror slithered down Nia's spine as she backed away, covering her mouth, horrified by what she was seeing. Olivia, however, was beaming, finally finding her smile after so many months.

There'd been a savage gleam in the Prince's eye, watching Laros bark like a dog, tears weaning from his eyes as he tried to bolt but was jerked back by the leash. The tearing of flesh and muscles sent Laros into a bellowing wheeze as he whirled, returning to Olivia on all fours. Something dark stirred in her eyes then.

"Can we leave already?" Said Thanatos, unbothered by the little scene. "It'll take about five months to reach the Katops Vally if nothing stops us. However… without luck," He glanced at Altair and Reina, "I suspect these five months might be five years."

***

[Ding]

Name: Altair Blackwood

Mana Circle: [Third Circle 99%]

Class: [Prince of the Vale Lv 61]

Strength: 301

Dexterity: 297

Constitution: 304

Wisdom: 320

Charisma: 272

Mana: 60

Compulsion [F → D]

Proficiency: 0 → 12%

Dark Moon Blade [D]

Proficiency: 0.4 %

Sword Limit: 7

Dual Cultivation [F]

Proficiency: 7%

Enigmatic Step [D]

Proficiency: 14% → 87%

Eye of Sacrilege [C → B]

Proficiency: 1%

Fallen Necromancy [D]

Proficiency: 1.2% → 12%

Soul Storage: 31/45

Foresight [F]

Proficiency: 0 → 87%

Grave of Night [D]

Proficiency: 99.999%

Hands of Nirvana [E → D]

Proficiency: 97%

Hellish Rebuke [F]

Proficiency: 4%

Infernal Bane [D]

Proficiency: 0.01%

Effect: Madness

Infernal Lightning [D]

Proficiency: 0.5%

Rune Work [F]

Proficiency: 37%

Sovereigns Gale [F]

[Ten Meters]

Proficiency: 97%

Vale Manipulation [F → E]

Proficiency: 97%

Passive Skills

Mana Manipulation [D → C]

Proficiency: 14%

Ninth Form, Aeron [F → D]

Proficiency: 9%

Soul of the Indomitable [E→D]

Proficiency: 34%

Primal Instincts [F]

Proficiency: 87%

Altair had been staring at this process he'd had over the past few years, unsure where to start. Most of his gain had occurred during the battle on the Wall within Farwin. The constant battle had reshaped most of his stats, and six months of meditation had allowed him time to reflect on his next course of action.

He wanted to practice his [Sovereigns Gale]. He'd enjoyed that movement art but had been unable to practice a lot due to the heavy drain on his body. Now, with the recent changes, he was confident he would be able to practice without worrying about a heavy tax on his physical prowess.

In the days that followed, heading south towards the Katops Vally via carriage, Thanatos had procured and insisted Altair and Reina have their own carriage, claiming 'he didn't want to hear their moans and grunts in the dead of night.'. He did the same for Iliana while the rest shared a carriage of their own. Though most of the time, Altair was with Thanatos and Zag.

He had been quite interested in those two, and while they had been forbidden from speaking of their past, as per the law of the Shadow Procluomation, it did not stop them from instilling their near-infinite knowledge.

Thanatos had been quite proficient in spells, especially the Arcane School of Necromancy, while Zagreus was a sword master, though what that meant Altair couldn't say, as Zag refused to test his blade against Altairs, to his dismay.

He had been in a sort of block, and Zagreus felt it necessary for him to break through on his own, through his understanding of the sword.

Still, he diligently learned various types of magic from Thanatos, who was more than willing to teach Altair and Reina. While at night, the two were taught under Iliana, who had begun talking about Dao.

"Dao?" Altair said one night. Listening to the unfamiliar term.

"Dao is a sort of Path that is divided into two pillars: Mortal and Heavenly Dao." Said Iliana, folding her legs; she poured herself a drink from a Scotch Label and took a sip. "Your comprehension of the sword follows the path of the sword. A Mortal Dao, due to the fact it doesn't come from nature but from the invention of man. Heavenly Dao is the opposite.

It's fire and water, wind and earth, space and time."

Altair thought for a bit. "So… which one is stronger?"

"Mortal without question, in my opinion. Though it doesn't seem like it does it. Imagine yourself fighting someone who can stop time. How do you win?"

Altair and Reina exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.

"It's simple. You split time with your sword." Said Iliana, laughing. "Mortal Dao doesn't follow a set of laws like Heavenly Dao. It's open source, meaning it's what you make of it."

"Then what's the strongest Mortal Dao?"

"The Seven Sins and Virtues, of course." Iliana took a sip of her scotch, thinking. "We cultivate to break the Will of the Heavens that binds us. But in the end, we are forever slaves to the sins and virtues. No one can escape them. Try as they may."

And Altair was reminded of the Church of the Sepith, 'didn't they, too, have seven oaths.' he thought, frowning. 'Seven Oaths and Seven Virtues. Could there be some type of symmetry?'

"Heavenly Dao can only take you so far. But they're safe. Mortal Dao will screw with your mind, much like Madness. Although since you already suffer from madness, you should be good… maybe."

Later in the night, as the hours of twilight approached and their lesson came to an end, Altair laid within his carriage, wondering about his path. Iliana had given him a hint about how to break through in his sword path, but he didn't quite understand it.

"Aspects… What the hell is that?" He muttered, annoyed, aimlessly staring up at his carriage as he cycled mana through his meridians. Altair had never faced a bottleneck and was quite disappointed that his swordsmanship hadn't actually increased since his time within Edwin's Estate.

"What are you thinking about," asked Ren, pulling his gaze from off the ceiling. His eyes shone like black balls of fire flashing red as she stood bare. "It's been nearly Seven Months since we last dual cultivated."

She slithered up his waist, all cat-like, up to his lips; Ren's devious smile perked up over her lips. "Ren wants to see how bad you can mess her up down there." she nibbled on his low lip, her ruby red eyes watching him through her lashes, smiling, feeling something burning hot jerk right out of his trousers, striking against her garden.

She shuddered, stifling a moan as a bolt of pleasure shot through her. Quivering when she felt his large hands squeeze her bottom. Nectar spewed from between her legs, down his half-torn trousers.

"Whatcha think, Art?"