Echoes of the Abyssal Blade: Path to Free Will-Chapter 83: Malice

Jonan felt skeptical about the blessing, and he also felt uncomfortable about bowing to a spear, but considering it was the natives’ tradition, he knew better than to show any sign of disrespect.

These people were his only reliable lead to understand more about the ’Abyssal Ruins’, and for now, it meant abiding by their customs.

Raenir, the Chief of the colony, motioned to Jonan with an inviting hand gesture. "Please, make your way to the spear, and keep a small distance from it. For the next part, repeat the steps I will show you, and act accordingly."

Jonan inhaled deeply, steeling his thoughts. "Yes, Chief. I will be happy to do as you have told me."

With measured and careful steps, Jonan paced beside Raenir until he came to a stop, leaving a respectful gap between himself and the rusted spear planted upright in the center of the sanctuary.

The ordinary looking rusted spear radiated a faint pulse, as though it were alive, and the hair on Jonan’s nape bristled at its presence, despite his discomfort, he maintained a neutral expression.

Raenir began to chant, but the words he uttered, however, were foreign to Jonan and not of the native tongue Jonan had grown accustomed to hearing in the colony.

This incantation sounded more like a prayer than simple sentences; it had a strange rhythm to it, as if it was invoking something within the spear.

Jonan listened intently, and he was careful enough to observe every motion of the Chief of the colony. When Raenir bent forward in a low bow, Jonan did the same, mimicking him as precisely as he could.

The moment the ceremonial bow concluded, the spear erupted into a radiant light, flooding the small shrine with a blinding white aura. Jonan shielded his eyes, but before he could react further, and the world around him changed to a white space.

He felt weightless, his breath turned ragged, and he was disoriented.

The earth beneath his feet vanished, the air thickened, and a void of infinite whiteness surrounded him. Within that whiteness, countless spears materialized, suspended in midair, their edges were gleaming, and their points were honed and aimed straight for him.

Jonan’s instincts screamed, without much thought, he dodged himself aside as the first spear darted toward him like a streak of silver lightning, a second followed, then a third.

The spears weren’t idle projectiles; they turned mid-flight, curving, following, and hunting him.

He gritted his teeth while rolling around, leaping, and weaving between them, his heartbeat thundered against his ribs.

Jonan recalled the Chief’s warning: "In the blessing ceremony, your surroundings will change, and you will have very little time to prepare and pace yourself, so try your best to survive against the onslaught of the spears first."

No matter what, he would not allow these spears to successfully pierce him. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Another spear nearly grazed his shoulder, but he pivoted mid-step, and the edge came slicing through the air where his head had been.

He landed, as crouched low, as five more spears darted toward him from above; he again dashed sideways, feeling them whistle past his ears.

Minutes, perhaps seconds, passed; it was impossible to tell time in his current situation, yet the spears followed to attack him in relentless pursuit.

No matter how fast he moved, the spears moved faster, more relentlessly than wolves on a trail.

Sweat started appearing on his brow, his breaths started to turn shallow and ragged, and he understood that if this continued anymore, it would turn worse for him.

A thought surfaced amidst the chaos, "I can’t dodge these spears forever. What do I do?"

He remembered the Chief’s cryptic final words before the ceremony, "Try to confront and break only a single spear; it’s impossible to face two or more spears together, so find the one that you feel best to confront head on."

Jonan gritted his teeth and forced himself to slow, sidestepping an incoming spear and relaxing his posture. He let his mind slip into a meditative state, and tried using his perception to sense, which he felt was due to not practicing in aura, the native warriors do not have.

Using his perception, he started to dodge the oncoming spears more fluidly and with more efficiency, and he also started to feel the space that he was in.

Now that he was easily dodging the spears, he was spreading his perception, and he could feel different types of spears, but what made him curious was the auras surrounding the spears!!!

"No one in land uses aura, then how do these spears have auras included in them, and what is this spear that the natives of this colony are worshipping, for it to have such mystical space and abilities, I wonder what kind of blessing I will get."

He then calmed himself down, he inhaled, and then slowly exhaled.

And it was then that he felt it.

There was a faint distortion in the pulse of this space, amidst the countless spears, while some of them were radiating flaming energy, there were also some that radiated an earthen type aura.

Only one of them stood out among all of them, it was a spear which was radiating with a darkness that tugged at the edges of his perception, it was not like the others.

Jonan opened his eyes, and he could now clearly see it, there it was, but it was different and loner amongst the other spears, while others were shining with either a flaming aura, and an earthen aura, they were attacking as if part of a whole.

But the pitch black spear was attacking wildly and maliciously, It floated slightly apart from the rest, pitch black, its shaft was akin to a coiling dragon, its tip like the fang of a great serpent, its aura was suffocatingly heavy, and yet strangely familiar; it was also eerie.

Jonan’s pupils constricted. That presence, that oppressive, vicious ’Belief’, he had felt it before.

That was when Rhydian came to his mind.

It struck him as if a flood of memory washed over in his head, the battle with the abomination, where Rhydian unleashed the secret technique, ’The Domineering Baleful Aura’, a manifestation of pure malice forged into belief; this spear radiated the same essence.

Jonan’s stomach twisted in unease. "Why is this here?"

He didn’t have time to question it; the other spears circled and were ready to strike again.

He sprinted forward, zeroing in on the black spear, its aura clawing at his skin, an intangible weight pressing against his soul, with each step he felt heavier, but he forced himself through it.

The other spears shrieked toward him, he did not know why he was choosing the black spear, and what kind of blessing he would get after getting the black spear, but he felt he had to choose something he was familiar with rather than something he was not.

Just before they could reach, he dove for the black spear.

As his hand brushed its shaft, the world convulsed.

Jonan’s body froze in place, the pursuing spears halting mid-flight, and darkness swallowed everything.

In the abyss of his mind, a voice spoke, a deep, ancient thing, like stone grinding against stone.

"You bear the scent of the ’Hatred’. Why then do you seek another evil belief mortal?"

Jonan struggled to answer; his throat felt raw, his limbs were unresponsive, and his heart was beating rapidly, worst of all, he could not understand what the voice spoke about.

But the question demanded an answer.

"I... do not understand what you are talking about," Jonan forced out, his voice was a rasp against the air. "Please let me know, I really do not understand what you mean."

And then there was a pause.

Then there was laughter, it was mocking laughter.

"Ahh, looks like this mortal is not versed in the language of the abyss, well, mortal you are lucky, I have awoken in this space, so I will help you understand me," The voice mused.

The spear’s aura surged, a manifestation of a dragon form took shape: a black, long, coiling dragon appeared in front of him, its aura was heavy and massive.

It pointed at Jonan, and a light flowed between his brows, which made his face scrunched.

"Now, do you understand me, mortal?"

Jonan was astonished, just what was that light, now he could instantly understand the dragon looking being’s words.

"Now explain to me, mortal, why are you greedy for my ’Malice’, when you already have ’Hatred’."

Jonan’s eyes brightened with understanding, and he replied, "Respected Sir, I did not know what kind of power you have. I just came here for a blessing from the spear, it was a coincidence that I have encountered you, as for the ’Hatred’, you say, it is from an incomplete secret technique I got, it is called ’The Domineering Baleful Aura’."

The dragon was stunned, it coiled around and moved in a different direction, its eyes were restless, and it thought, "How is that possible, that mystical secret technique can only be practiced by the King of Abyss himself, even incomplete, it is a treasure, just how did this mortal get it, lets look at him closely."

The dragon stopped coiling, and two beams of light were released from its eyes, penetrating everything in Jonan; nothing could be hidden from the dragon now, but right at that moment, before the light could scan more, it was shredded.

Without warning, a colossal mouth of a fanged beast opened behind Jonan, which was not visible to him, but its majesty was visible to the dragon.

"What!!!, JUST WHAT IN THE NAME OF ABYSS IS THAT, HOW CAN THIS MORTAL POSSESS SUCH A BEING INSIDE HIM, THIS IS RIDICULOUS, NO NO NO, PLEASE SPARE ME, I APOLOGI....."

And with a snap, that regal dark dragon was eaten in despair without any struggle.