Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Ruin acknowledged each notification. He’d certainly confused the System that ran this dungeon. He wondered if only one Notification would normally activate. If so, hopefully it would pick one of the first ones that welcomed him and not the last one that had maximized the difficulty. Worst case, all the Notifications would activate maximizing the obstacles and difficulty.

The last worry was easy to test, and Ruin cast Minor Prelude of Stillness. He felt the dungeon’s reaction immediately. Calling it a reaction wasn’t correct, as the response came instantly, as if the environment had already become immune to his Harmonic based abilities.

Ruin exerted more and more of his Mental Energy and eventually pushed the spell outward a few feet. He could probably force it out farther, but the cost in Mental Energy didn’t justify it. It might just be his imagination, but he thought he detected the dungeon strain toward the end of his test. If push came to shove, he felt confident he could overcome the dungeon if the situation called for it.

This response, however, meant all the Notifications had triggered. The loss of Soul and Chakra abilities didn’t matter since his Soul remained damaged and he had no idea how to access his Chakras. Although Rami had told him he’d likely “Activated” his Crown Chakra during an intense overthinking session after learning of the Outerverse factions.

Each Notification had referenced Ruin in a different fashion, and he activated Last Breath to give himself time to consider what that meant.

Ruin didn’t want to search out Deryssa again so soon, but she was the only person who could answer how common these Notifications were, and he willed himself to the Citadel platform in his mind.

To Ruin’s surprise, Deryssa and Sivart sat across from one another deep in conversation. They were both cross-legged in front of the throne Ruin had created earlier.

Sivart had some way of knowing when Ruin arrived because he immediately turned to face Ruin.

Ruin waved at them to remain seated, and quickly sat next to the pair. “Sorry to interrupt, I just have some quick questions for Deryssa. Specifically, about these Notifications I received when I stepped into the Dark Tower’s first sigil dungeon.”

With a thought, Ruin replicated the Notifications in the air. “I have an idea what most of these are referencing but wanted to discuss the first three where I’m called a child of void, remembrance, and destruction.”

Deryssa pointed to the third Notification. “Child of Destruction is what the vast majority of Realm citizens will receive. Since I wore the Band of Authority when I entered the Towers, I also got the Child of Remembrance. The Primal faction are loose allies of the Destruction Realm and some of them are allowed into the Towers. That’s what the Child of Blood refers to and why they are ‘acceptable’ instead of ‘welcomed.’ I don’t understand why you received so many Notifications.”

“Thanks,” Ruin responded. “What about Child of Void? The Notification said ‘sacred sigils unhidden.’”

“The bloodlines that escaped the Void and created the Destruction Realm are sometimes called Children of the Void, but those are from ancient texts, and no one uses that type of language now. I have no idea what sacred sigils are, but the prophecy says, ‘blue runes unlock the sacred hall.’ Maybe they’re related.”

Ruin considered Deryssa’s words for a few seconds. “What about ‘spire paths unlocked?’”

“That I do know. Most are given the standard sigil. Spire paths offer you a choice of sigils. They’re like specialized versions that enhance the Dark Meridian hardening a little. I recognize the others except Child of Conception.”

“All the factions are represented in those Notifications,” Ruin said. “So Child of Conception must be what the machine faction is researching. They call it psionics.” He thought of Hamma, Valora, and Nymthus who had all harnessed concepts like faith, courage, anger, and bitterness. “It’s a difficult type of magic for me and I still don’t understand how it works. What’s curious is the dungeon detected it within me though, just like it detected the other faction magics.”

No one spoke for five seconds as Ruin considered all this information. “Child of Void is the big mystery here. It’s listed first and has ‘revered’ as its descriptor. That seems like a big deal. It must be related to my Void Heritage.”

“Your what?” Deryssa asked.

Sivart raised his eyebrows and Ruin realized he’d skipped over that Heritage when speaking with Deryssa earlier. She’d been overwhelmed by all the enemies he’d made in the Outerverse, so he’d decided not to make it worse.

Ruin dismissed the Notifications and displayed the gem instead. “I have a fourth opened Array assigned to the Heritage of the Void. It only has one node open though and this is the gem that’s in it.”

Name: Voidwalker
Compatible Heritage: None
Tier: Gem
Description: Through an unknown mechanism, the Void has seeped into your personal essence without causing fatal damage.
Effect (Passive): Tolerance of the Void proportional to level.
Effect (Triggered): Void Purge - Once per day, vent the accumulated Void energies from your body in an area of effect with a radius in feet equal to level.

Deryssa studied the description in the air for thirty seconds before she slowly turned to stare at Ruin, clearly in shock.

“You opened twenty-five nodes?” Deryssa asked in a whisper. “That’s never happened. Ever.”

Ruin shrugged and looked down at his Saraph body. Odd that he hadn’t taken his human form when appearing here. “I don’t know how.” He looked up and met Deryssa’s gaze. “I just got here, remember, and I’m trying to figure all this out.”

“But how did you absorb the Void? It’s fatal. Only a few in the Primal faction can navigate its dangers.”

Ruin didn’t want to explain the complicated relationships around Rami’s parents that had resulted in Rami having the power of a Void Wyrm. A power that had bled into Ruin via their bond evidently.

“Thanks for the info,” Ruin said to Deryssa and then gave Sivart a nod. “I have a dungeon waiting for me.”

Then, before Deryssa could argue and demand more details about his Void Heritage, Ruin released Last Breath and returned to the outside world.

Of the nine Notifications Ruin had received, Deryssa had only gotten two of them. It demonstrated once again the complex experiment Aeonrial had created when he’d created their Universe.

Ruin studied his surroundings. The cool air seemed harder to breathe, as if it held invisible water or smoke. The floor consisted of black crystalline tiles each polished to a mirror surface. The tiles continued into the distance behind him and to both sides. No door existed that he could see.

The reflections on the tiles around Ruin rippled as his small movements sent vibrations outward. The tiles themselves didn’t change, just the reflections, which warped into strange, broken shapes.

Twenty feet ahead, jagged spires of obsidian jutted upward from the floor, forming irregular pillars that twisted like frozen tendrils of fog. Dull silver light flickered within them, giving the impression of movement. The ceiling didn’t exist. Only a dark expanse which swallowed the dim light of the pillars. An oppressive silence filled the space interrupted occasionally by snaps of Destruction energy coming from the stalagmite forest ahead.

Ruin stepped forward and a display appeared labeled “Time Dilation.” The lower half contained a slider, and with a mental finger, he swiped it to the right. To his disappointment, the maximum time dilation he could purchase at his current level of one, was ten percent. Hardly worth the cost of DeN.

With the Inklord Conclave a month away, Ruin had spare time. Soon he’d increase his level significantly and he could take advantage of the time dilation then.

Ruin dismissed the display and cautiously advanced ten feet, bringing him halfway to the twisted stalagmites. From Inventory, he withdrew the Bow Prism and placed it on the ground, activating it with a touch of his Will.

The air in front of Ruin warped, and a figure coalesced. It started as a formless blob of dark energy, but it quickly solidified into the shape of a Saraph after extending a black tendril and touching Ruin’s skin. Its form was comprised entirely of Destruction essence and the instructor’s face morphed into an elderly version of Ruin.

Ruin felt a little shock at seeing himself as an old man. Well, probably not old, but its hair had grey streaks, and the trimmed beard was grey around the chin.

“Overlord will be mad,” Ruin told the figure. “He called the beard.”

“State intent,” the instructor replied in a flat voice, ignoring Ruin’s statement.

“No chit-chat, then.”

“State intent.”

“To learn the bow,” Ruin replied.

The instructor bowed and then raised his hand. A bow materialized and then an identical weapon appeared in Ruin’s grasp. It had a marbled black and grey surface, with a faint silver thread of energy forming the bowstring. The weapon felt heavier than his Frostbite Bow.

The instructor stepped to the side and turned, facing away from Ruin.

“Ready stance,” the instructor stated.

Ruin copied the instructor’s movements, planting his feet shoulder-width apart. His feet, covered by the Shadow Ink Lord’s Wrap, slid silently across the tile as he adjusted his balance.

The instructor turned and glanced at Ruin’s form before giving a faint hum of approval.

“Ready stance is your foundation,” the instructor said. “Weak foundation, weak shot. Firm foundation, lethal strike.”

Ruin suppressed a smile. He knew all about the importance of strong foundations.

As the instructor continued, Ruin mimicked his posture—hips squared, knees slightly bent, left arm extended, right hand pulling the bowstring to his cheek. The instructor adjusted Ruin’s left elbow upward and shifted the angle of his grip.

“Wailing Fang,” the instructor said gesturing to Ruin’s stance. “It yields precision and focus. Begin.”

A human shaped target appeared fifty feet away, nestled between two pillars. As if sensing his desire to fire, a silver shaft appeared nocked and ready. It had black fletching and a viciously shaped head.

Ruin exhaled slowly, releasing his first arrow. It shot forward, a streak of silver light that struck the left pillar with a loud crack.

Ruin frowned, surprised he’d missed.

“Repeat,” the instructor ordered.

Ruin fired again, adjusting slightly with each shot. The Wailing Fang stance demanded precise movements, emphasizing patience and control. He might not have much experience with a bow, but he’d completely mastered his body, and each arrow came closer to perfection.

Ruin mastered the simple and basic form in less than twenty arrows and while he felt a little proud of himself, the instructor didn’t care. The man simply layered on additional techniques and soon Ruin knew how to shift his weight for shots on uneven ground, how to track a moving target, and even how to use the bow in close quarter fights.

“Dreadstring,” the instructor commanded.

Ruin immediately dashed to the left between imaginary cover points. His body, already honed by years of Step training, adapted quickly to the rhythm of the style. Dreadstring highlighted fluidity and instinct—each arrow fired in motion, each shot a seamless part of his movement.

“Well done,” the instructor stated.

Ruin had learned this meant he’d met the Bow Prism’s criteria for proficiency for a given activity. This counted as his eighth “Well done,” and he knew enough now to use his Frigid Bow with confidence.

Ruin swapped the Bow Prism for its Blade counterpart.

The Blade Prism materialized a new instructor—identical to the archer but armed with a curved blade of dark energy. A matching blade appeared in Ruin’s hand, and he automatically switched into a ready stance.

“State proficiency,” the new instructor said.

“Advanced beginner,” Ruin replied after a moment of thought. His training with Gunder had created a solid foundation, but he didn’t consider himself that great.

The instructor nodded. “We begin with Cinder Tooth.”

The first movements of Cinder Tooth felt familiar—deliberate cuts and thrusts, each designed to minimize wasted energy. Ruin mimicked the steps, his body recalling techniques he’d practiced with Gunder. The instructor corrected his form once, then increased the pace.

“Cinder Tooth: Second Sequence,” it said.

This sequence introduced spins and counters, each move chaining into the next with deadly efficiency. When Ruin received a “Well done,” the sword in his hand morphed into a longsword, and he repeated the first and second sequences. This happened three more times, each with a different type of blade.

“Consolidate,” the instructor ordered after an hour. “Advance to the Ashen Spiral.” Then the instructor attacked.

Ashen Spiral required Ruin to blend his offense and defense into a single, unbroken flow of movement. Each step forward became a strike; each retreat became a parry. His training in the Bamboo Viper Steps gave him an immense edge, allowing him to read the instructor’s movements and anticipate its corrections.

“Initial parameters exceeded,” the instructor stated. “Recalculating.”

This time when the instructor attacked, it required Ruin to push his Archangel body to its limits. The instructor not only moved like a peak deity, but it constantly created different swords forcing Ruin to concentrate completely.

After several cycles of Ashen Spiral, Ruin’s body resonated with the forms, his sword becoming an extension of his thoughts. Nothing accelerated training like battling another deity level opponent.

As Ruin practiced, he noticed gaps in the forms—tiny inefficiencies or movements that could be streamlined. His knowledge of martial arts took over, and his mind raced with ideas.

“What if I shift my weight here?” Ruin muttered, testing a variation of a thrust. The adjustment felt smoother, more natural.

The instructor paused, its blue eyes narrowing. “Deviation detected. Explain.”

Ruin grinned. “Just experimenting, old man.”

“Experimentation tolerated within form boundaries.”

Encouraged, Ruin pushed further. He adjusted the angle of a parry, making the transition into a counterattack more natural. Then, he integrated elements of the Bamboo Viper Steps—subtle footwork shifts that increased his speed without sacrificing stability.

By the time Ruin ended the session, the Ashen Spiral had evolved into the beginnings of something uniquely his own.

Ruin placed the Blade Prism into Inventory, his thoughts swirling. He’d had an inkling of this feeling when learning Staff forms from Hamma. The difference today had been the pace of the attacks. Fighting at the speed of deities highlighted every shortcoming.

Some weapons needed specific types of expertise, but weapons that Ruin could envision as just an extension of his body like a staff, sword, or spear overlapped enough with his Bamboo Viper training that he sensed an underlying set of forms that could be utilized regardless of which weapon he wielded.

 Ruin needed to speak with Deryssa again and learn how to utilize his Apocalypse Destruction Core. When he could summon the equivalent of Destruction Minions he would discuss it with Overlord and the two of them could experiment and create their own combined weapon form.