Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Ruin had gained the skill he needed to use the Frost Bow with confidence, so he stepped cautiously into the forest of stalagmites, and strained his Awareness to detect any danger. Now that he stood among the twisted pillars, he noticed the low hum they emitted along with their dim light.

Clicking bounced among the pillars, loud and threatening. Ruin paused, his eyes narrowing as movement flickered within the mass of shadows in front of him. Instead of advancing toward them, he paused, allowing his Archangel senses to detect nearby danger. The creatures in front of him were almost certainly trying to bait him into an ambush.

As if sensing their plan had failed. A four-foot beetle-like beast emerged from the twisted stalagmite to Ruin’s right and leaped at him.

Ruin willed the bow into his Apocalypse Core, utilizing one of the five spaces there. He summoned the Wrathful Crow Beater as he shifted his weight and spun, bringing the bo staff in a wide arc. The blunt weapon smashed into the creature’s front legs with a wet crack, sending it sprawling.

Before the creature could recover, Ruin jumped to it and delivered a downward strike to its exposed skull. The impact vibrated through his arms, suggesting the monster’s head had the durability of diamond. The creature twitched violently before going limp.

Ruin studied his attacker. It had six legs and a dull, obsidian-like carapace that didn’t reflect the faint light. The shell had jagged edges and short spiny protrusions covering its surface. Each limb ended in hooked talons, perfect for scaling the uneven terrain or rending flesh. The head was flat and angular, with multiple clusters of black eyes. Wide and vicious mandibles appeared capable of crushing stone or slicing a person in half.

The clicking grew louder. Ruin knew what to look for now and studied the tops of the surrounding stalagmites. As he’d guessed, it only took a moment for his Awareness to trigger Identify.

Name: Shardclaw Hunters

Description: Six-legged insectoid creatures with dull black exoskeletons covered in spiny ridges. Equipped with camouflage, razor-sharp talons, and powerful snapping mandibles, they are feared predators in any dungeon, capable of swarming prey with devastating consequences.

Estimated Power: Tier 2 Level 4

Strengths: Durability, Speed, Camouflage, Climbing, Swarm Tactics

Weaknesses: Joints, Cold, Solo Combat, Intelligence

So the bug hadn’t emerged from the stalagmite, it had camouflaged itself to match its color perfectly. And while Peak Diamond strength didn’t put him at much risk, if he got swarmed by hundreds of them it might pose an issue.

The forest of stalagmites seemed to quiver as Shardclaw Hunters separated from their ambush sites, no longer caring about stealth now that Ruin had killed one of them. He dismissed the Wrathful Crow Beater and summoned his Frost Bow.

The first arrow struck a charging beast in the chest, and ice spread instantly from the point of impact, freezing the creature mid-stride. It collapsed as three of its legs snapped from the cold.

Ruin struck a leaping attacker. The icy arrow punched through its torso, sending it careening into its comrades in a spray of frozen shards.

With incredible speed, Ruin released another ten arrows before pausing with confusion when an arrow didn’t appear as he pulled the bowstring back to fire. The issue was his Twilight Quiver which refilled every ten seconds, and he’d shot far faster than the refill rate.

Ruin dismissed the bow as the bugs closed in, resummoning his Wrathful Crow Beater and pivoting on his heel to deliver a sweeping strike with the staff. The weapon caught one creature in the side, shattering its exoskeleton with a loud crunch. In a graceful motion, he jabbed a second attacker in the face knocking it back into the swarm with a pulverized head.

Air disturbance from behind forced Ruin to twist. An airborne creature arced toward him, claws outstretched. He ducked under its swipe and drove the staff up into its abdomen. The force of the strike launched the beast into a nearby pillar, where it crumpled into a lifeless heap.

More poured in, surrounding him. Ruin’s movements became a blur, the staff whirling around him in tight arcs. He broke legs, crushed skulls, and deflected snapping jaws. A claw raked toward his ribs, but he stepped back, narrowly avoiding the strike. He retaliated with a quick jab, hitting the attacker square in the head and sending it reeling.

As the swarm pressed closer, Ruin released the Wrathful Crow Beater and summoned twin swords into his hands. The blades materialized and shimmered with a faint blue light. With a quick thrust, he drove the first sword into the chest of an approaching creature. The blade pierced the chitinous exoskeleton with ease, and he pulled it free just as effortlessly.

Ruin’s second sword slashed upward, severing the head of another attacker mid-leap. He whirled, creating a tempest of blades that obliterated every Shardclaw Hunter in range.

The monsters nearest Ruin hesitated, sensing the certain death before them, but the dozens behind forced them forward.

The mass of Shardclaws worked in Ruin’s favor, as they all couldn’t reach him at once. He capitalized on every wavering beast, leaping to new locations when the wall of bodies around him grew too high.

The bugs kept advancing with relentless determination, and Ruin’s blades carved through their ranks with ruthless efficiency.

The Shardclaw Hunters learned from their mistakes, their swarm mentality making every death an important lesson. As time went on their actions became harder to predict as they used each other as distractions.

One beast lunged from the side, jaws snapping, as Ruin stabbed its two brethren. Unable to get his swords there in time, he leaped into the air, twisting his body, and snapping his foot into the creature.

The air cracked like thunder as his kick ripped through it. The monster vaporized into a cloud of chitin and blood that caused the nearby Shardclaws to tumble backward from the force of the spray.

Another wave surged from the shadows, this time with larger, and stronger attackers. These had all entered the Divine tier. God bugs. Ruin guessed he was now experiencing what the Notifications had described as “maximum obstacles” and “maximum difficulty.”

Ruin's sharp gaze noted the thicker plating and heavier frames. He adjusted his stance, shifting his grip on the swords and bringing them together. The two summoned swords merged into a massive greatsword and the blue color intensified.

Using the unified style that had just recently revealed itself, Ruin harnessed the underlying forms for all movements to guide his attacks. He had only glimpsed the most basic similarities, but it was enough to wield the two-handed sword with competence.

When the first God Bug lunged, Ruin sidestepped, snapping the sword upward with such strength that the air screamed in protest. The blade severed the Divine creature’s head and before it hit the ground, he’d spun on his heel, delivering a kick to its collapsing body, propelling it into its comrades and breaking their momentum.

The God Bugs were undeterred and a second later a massive claw raked toward him. Ruin ducked, hearing the air split above his head as the powerful strike barely missed him. He retaliated with a horizontal slash, his sword slicing through both of his attacker’s rear legs. The beast stumbled, and Ruin followed up with a downward strike, splitting its body cleanly in two.

The creatures regrouped, their tactics shifting back to their swarming nature, and they stopped attacking separately. Evidently it had been a while since they’d faced someone who could handle them alone.

Two attacked from each flank while a fifth charged head-on. Ruin met the central attacker with a precise thrust, his broadsword sliding into the creature’s mouth. The shock of a sword in its throat made it pause long enough for his second attack.

Before the pierced God Bug could clamp down on Ruin with its mandibles, he separated the broadsword into two swords and spread his arms wide.

The central bug collapsed, the top half of its body sliding off the bottom.

With his arms spread, the flanking creatures found a sword in their path.

 An attacker on each side happily threw themselves on Ruin’s sword, aiming to tie him up long enough for their partner to rip him apart.

Instead of piercing the God Bugs though, Ruin dismissed the swords and jumped at the last moment.

The God Bugs who had prepared to sacrifice themselves smashed into each other the shockwave causing the nearby creatures to stumble. Ruin landed next to the two mangled beasts, reformed his greatsword, and lopped off their heads.

Ruin ran past the second attacker on the left flank, dragging the sword across its side and severing all its legs.

As the creature collapsed on its side, Ruin used it as a shield as the second attacker from the right smashed into the injured beast, killing it.

Ruin leaped over the now dead shield and slammed his greatsword down through the top of the fifth attacker’s head.

The stalagmite forest fell silent with only the dripping ichor from the dead Shardclaw Hunters to disturb it. Ruin scanned the room, his greatsword at the ready.