Returning to the surface world was easier said than done. Jonathan and his allies had to make their way back to the portal, wait for a mage to turn it on and then step through. When they reached the ground, patches of living moss immediately attacked, reaching out to grab at arms and legs. Jonathan sent out a pulse of elemental energy that not only destroyed the closer patches of moss, but every single plant for a dozen miles in every direction. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the carnivorous plants this time around.
With that, the journey to Eventide’s resting place began. With there being little of note in Hollow Dream, Jonathan didn’t expect much in the way of obstacles. The only problem was the time dilation. A journey that should have only taken a few days at most was now potentially months or years of wasted time. With that in the way, travel was essentially impossible. Jonathan couldn’t afford to waste a year trekking across Hollow Dream. It would give the other Circle Lords of the Greater Circle of Sloth too much time to grow more powerful.
Taking this into account, Jonathan finally started something he should have a long time ago. Finding a new rune. There were runes for everything within the skill arrays that filled his body and soul, and he was sure that at least one of them would be somewhat useful in this case.
“I’m going to try and find a way to get rid of the spatial dilation,” Jonathan said as the party got on their way. “You’ll have to deal with defense in the meantime. I’m going in pretty deep in terms of Runecrafting.”
“Sounds good to me,” Eliza said. “Anything that will cut down on travel time is greatly appreciated.”
Jonathan nodded, before diving into his skill matrices. While his more complicated skills, like Limit Breaker, had a far higher number of runes contained within them, they were too intricate for him to glean much from their perusal. For what he needed, he instead looked towards an older and simpler skill. Void Slipstream. The skill was a passive ability that allowed him to ignore the effects of air pressure and friction to an extent, and it was exactly what he needed now. A way to pass through obstacles more easily.
Obviously, the mere Epic rarity skill wouldn’t be sufficient against the might of the Dream King. Instead, Jonathan needed to find the core set of runes that made it work, and extract one that corresponded to the purpose of the skill.
Jonathan sank into the skill matrix, everything else going dark as he used his Runecrafting Expertise to see deep into the layers of runs that made up Void Slipstream. At the core of the skill was a tight bundle of about a thousand different runes, each of which contributed equally to the skill. All around it were tens of thousands of lesser runes, ones that simply acted as the framework to execute the skill. Jonathan didn’t know much about coding, but he suspected that the way skills worked was quite similar in nature.
He started to look through the core runes, searching for one that was in line with his desires. To his surprise, almost half of them fit in some way shape or form. Jonathan could see this without even having to study the skill closely, as those five hundred or so runes were very similar in shape.
All of them had minor differences, but the overarching theme was very similar. All of them had something to do with either bypassing defenses, or ignoring any sorts of physical interaction with the world. Jonathan was pretty sure he even saw one that was related to neutrinos. He didn’t know much about the particles, but had learned enough on Earth in school to know that they were famous for their ability to pass through solid matter.
Although he recognized it, Jonathan knew that it wasn’t what he was looking for. While neutrinos were good at bypassing defenses, they were still bound by the laws of space and the speed of light. It wouldn’t make any difference here.
Instead, Jonathan kept going, looking through the other runes as quickly as he could. Eventually, nestled between two very similar runes, he found what he was looking for. The Rune of Penetration. It was on the same tier as his current runes, which meant that he had the ability to not just use it, but master it.
Using his skills, Jonathan transferred the rune into his mind, before reaching down to the ground and etching it into place. As he imbued it with Divinity, a sharp whoosh of air sounded out as a hole formed in the blink of an eye. The ground where the rune had been was simply gone, erased from existence.
Looking at this, Jonathan realized that he would have to create an array to achieve what he wanted. The Rune alone wouldn’t be able to do anything other than destroy whatever was in its way.
Jonathan went over his currently mastered runes in his mind, trying to find a way to combine them. Currently, not counting the Rune of Penetration, he had the Runes of Vengeance, Thrift, Hunger and Physicality. Upon first glance, there was no real way to combine them. None of the two rune combinations between one of them and the Rune of Penetration would do anything close to what Jonathan needed.
It was upon trying to combine three of them at a time that Jonathan finally had a breakthrough. About thirty minutes of experimentation had gone by, which wasn’t really all that much time compared to how long it normally took. Jonathan took this as a sign that he was getting better.
You have created a new Runic Array!
Wormhole Domain Array
Combining the Runes of Penetration, Thrift and Hunger into one allows the user to punch holes in the fabric of reality, and dispel localized spatial distortions. The potency and nature of the effect depends on how much Divinity is allocated. If in the presence of a zone of active spatial distortion, the array will suppress that distortion rather than breaking a hole in space.
Combining Penetration, Thrift and Hunger into one array warped the space around it, seemingly reaching for the reality beyond this one. In practice, it was able to force the spatial dilation into submission within a localized area. Unfortunately, that area was so small that it would inhibit travel speed. Because of how fast everyone in the group could move, there was a good chance that one of them would exit the area of effect and find themselves trapped in the spatial dilation, cut off from the rest of the party.
What that meant in practice was that whoever exited the safe zone would have to wait hours if not days for their allies to reach them, given the potency of the spatial dilation. In fact, using the new Runic Array increased the dilation at the edges of the area of effect, compressing it into an area that seemed to be about five feet wide, but in reality was hundreds of thousands of miles. It was an unforeseen consequence, but it wouldn’t be that bad as long as precautions were taken.
With the new Array in place, travel was a lot more manageable. Distances that would have taken weeks to navigate before now only took hours, and the difference between the space within the array and outside it ensured that monsters couldn’t enter it.
With the map of Hollow Dream in hand, it was trivial to plot a course towards Eventide’s resting place. Normally, Jonathan would have been concerned about a potential level difference between himself and the Circle Lord, necessitating more time to train in Tartarus, but in this case, Eventide hadn’t had the opportunity to level up since the merging of the realms. The only strength Jonathan needed was the strength to resist the Circle Lord’s opening strikes. As soon as Eventide faltered, Jonathan could easily overpower him.
The map itself was quite basic in design, though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There really wasn’t much in Hollow Dream. Just trees, moss and the occasional monster. The only differences were the cloud cities, and at the very center of the map, a hollow mountain within which a formless shape slumbered. It was clear from looking at it that the cartographer had never seen Eventide in the flesh, unless that was the Circle Lord’s true form.
Over a day, Jonathan and the others traversed Hollow Dream, the mountain slowly coming into view on the horizon. It was truly massive, at least twenty or thirty miles in height. Half of it was missing, opening up into a cavern that extended deep into the mountain. It was too dark to make out what was inside, but the occasional flashes of movement indicated that something was shifting around in there.
“That’s one big-ass monster,” Eliza said as she gazed at the mountain. “If Eventide is anything as powerful as he’s been hyped up to be, this will be a difficult fight.”
“Well, yeah,” Jonathan said. “Obviously he’s going to be powerful. He’s a damn Circle Lord.”
“You know what I meant,” Eliza replied, glaring at Jonathan. “Don’t be like that.”
Jonathan smiled, turning his head away slightly to hide it. “We’re in the final stretch now. There’s no room for error.”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Let’s finish this,” Arkanon said. “We’ve been stuck in this realm for long enough. Eventide’s time has come.”
“We need to plan this out first,” Edgar cautioned. “None of us save for Jonathan will be of any use in the initial stages of the battle. He will need to run down Eventide’s power for us to be able to make any sort of difference.
“You all should wait a few hundred miles from the battlefield,” Jonathan suggested. “Maybe even further. I don’t know how strong Eventide is going to be when he emerges from his slumber. I just know that he will be a lot stronger than me.”
“Let’s give it a few thousand miles,” Edgar said. “From what I have heard of Eventide, his power will be immense right after awakening. There’s a good chance just a casual strike will level this entire landscape.”
“I’ll give you the array then,” Jonathan said. “I’ll have to etch it onto something. Do any of you have something you’re willing to donate? It can’t be something you regularly wear, as it's going to collapse in on itself as soon as we leave Hollow Dream.”
“Why not just use a rock or a piece of bark?” Eliza suggested. She tore a long strip of bark off a nearby tree, throwing it towards Jonathan.
“There’s no reason why this shouldn’t work,” Jonathan said. He quickly etched the Wormhole Domain array into the wood, watching as it lit up with Divinity. He tossed it back to Eliza. “There you go. Make as much distance as you can now. I’m going to gather as much elemental energy as I can before this battle begins.”
Eliza nodded, turning on her heels. She sprinted back into the woods, closely followed by the others. Jonathan started towards the mountain, picking up the pace. As he went he opened the door to the Void that existed within his soul. Purple vapor gathered around him, but the majority of the energy condensed into two shimmering orbs held in his hands.
Every step felt like he was walking to his execution, the apprehension of the battle to come building and building in his mind. While Jonathan had heard a lot about Eventide’s strength, all of that was just rumors. He would learn the truth soon enough. Perhaps it would be his downfall.
Minutes passed, the orbs of elemental energy growing larger and larger until they dwarfed Jonathan himself. He tightened his control over them, seeking to maximise the damage he could deal with his opening salvo. Eventually he hit a limit, after which point the Void energy contained within the spheres would simply detonate, washing over the landscape.
Jonathan leaped into the air, getting a better vantage point to look deep into the mountain where Eventide slumbered. He still couldn’t make out many details, leading him to the conclusion that some sort of elemental array was preventing him from looking inside. His sight should have been sharp enough to make out individual pebbles lying on the floor of the cavern from this distance.
Aiming at the center of the shifting bulk that was Eventide, Jonathan let loose. The twin stars of Void energy sliced down through the air, perfectly aimed. They passed through the cavern mouth and landed a moment later, detonating with such force that the mountain vanished a split second later. A tidal wave of purple fire washed across the land, carving out a crater for almost ten miles in every direction. Where the bulk of the damage had been concentrated, within the mountain itself, a hole in the ground extended deep into the darkness of the earth, its bottom invisible even to him.
Jonathan gazed down at the destruction, knowing in his heart that it wouldn’t be enough. As the ground started to rumble, cracks spreading across the already devastated land, he used Wrath of the Void, Divinity filling every iota of his body.
A roar so loud that the air pressure alone nearly drove Jonathan backwards sounded out, rumbling upwards from the hole. When Eventide emerged, rather than being some vast, formless beast, he was in the form of a bald man, wearing a strange, shimmering robe that phased in and out of reality. His eyes were dark holes, completely black.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice surprisingly normal for a monster of such infamy. “Why did you disturb my rest? Do you not know the punishment for such a thing?”
“I have come here to kill you,” Jonathan declared. “To free Hollow Dream from your grasp.”
“Oh,” Eventide said, yawning as he did so. “How tiresome. I suppose I shall be sleeping again soon enough. Perhaps I can even preserve some of my power.”
Before Jonathan could respond, before he could even blink, Eventide was in front of him, the Circle Lord’s fist rammed through Jonathan’s chest. Eventide withdrew his hand, holding Jonathan’s heart within it. He smiled grimly and crushed it, blood splattering everywhere.
Jonathan let out a gasp, feeling an emptiness within him that he had never felt before. His vision started fading, even his regeneration struggling to keep up with the massive damage. While he was Tier 9, his body still functioned in the same way as a mortal’s. Losing his heart was fatal. The only exception was his Divinely enhanced neck.
With the last few shreds of reason, Jonathan used Limit Breaker, trusting in the skill to save him. A sudden rush of power, so intense that it felt like lightning crawling underneath his skin, filled Jonathan to the brim. He took a shuddering breath as the wound in his chest healed over in an instant.
“My turn,” he said, before lashing out. His punch caught Eventide unawares, slamming into the Circle Lord’s jaw. Bones snapped beneath the blow, but not Eventide’s. Jonathan withdrew his hand in shock, the appendage nothing more than a mess of bone fragments in a soup of blood and flesh.
Eventide tilted his head, a mocking smile on his face. “Really? I shouldn’t have even bothered waking up for this.”
A devastating slap crashed into Jonathan’s cheek with the force of a meteor, his head nearly exploding as he rocketed down to the ground below. His left cheek was gone, as well as half of his head. Only Limit Breaker was keeping him alive. The skill continued to feed power into his body, bringing it closer and closer to Eventide’s own might.
The Circle Lord was suddenly in front of Jonathan again, his index finger poised in front of his forehead. Eventide flicked, and Jonathan went flying away once more, his skull broken. Limit Breaker was struggling to keep up, unable to reach the same heights of power that Eventide boasted. The only thing it was able to do was keep Jonathan alive, and barely at that.
Eventide arrived once more, a foot lashing out and caving in Jonathan’s chest. The Circle Lord was trying to test Jonathan’s strength, finding out the easiest way to kill him with minimum effort. It felt like the battle had been going on for minutes, but it had barely been a few seconds.
Jonathan tried his best to fight back, using every skill he could think of. His weapon domain coated his fist, all of his various attack skills triggering in unison as he called upon his elemental like never before. All he achieved was a slight reddening of Eventide’s skin, which vanished before Jonathan could even blink.
Jonathan faltered, unable to fight back. Every attack led to an immediate counter and riposte, Eventide’s brute strength alone was enough to absolutely devastate Jonathan’s body. Still, he held on against all odds, knowing that if he could hold on, he could still win this.
“I am impressed with your durability if nothing else,” Eventide said. “I was not expecting to wake up to be given a punching bag, but I suppose it makes for some good post-nap exercise.”
“Fuck… you…” Jonathan spat from between broken teeth. He used the Vengefire array, counting upon the damage he had taken from the fight so far to empower it beyond its normal limits.
A gout of Divine flame erupted from his palms, searing across Eventide’s flesh. For the first time in the battle, Eventide suffered more than a few light scratches, his flesh burning beneath the flames.
Jonathan used that opportunity to make some distance, still waiting for his Limit Breaker skill to reach the zenith of its potential. It was about halfway there, but the next five seconds would be the longest of his life.
Eventide arrived in the blink of an eye, but for the first time in the battle, Jonathan actually had time to blink. Eventide was slightly slower than before, or at least, Jonathan had grown faster. He still failed completely to block or evade the incoming punch, but he managed to turn slightly, sending the brunt of the force away from his internal organs.
“You’re getting stronger,” Eventide observed. “Very well. Let us finish with this farce before it gets out of hand.”
Eventide slammed a palm into Jonathan’s chest, and a wave of pure energy exploded out, tearing a hole through Jonathan’s body. The attack went on, rampaging across the world. A series of booms rang out as a canyon formed in an instant, stretching all the way to the horizon. Jonathan gasped, or at least, he tried to. His lungs were gone, as well as his heart.
Once more, the darkness came swooping in to claim him, but he managed to fend it off again, the influx of power from Limit Breaker keeping him alive. The wounds healed over in less than a second. Jonathan grinned at his foe and struck back, an omnidirectional wave of elemental energy washing over Eventide.
The Circle Lord tilted his head, looking down at his reddened flesh. Then he looked back at Jonathan, a sneer on his face. Eventide clapped his hands together, and a wave of complete destruction swept out. Thus far in the battle, Jonathan had no way to tell what sort of fighting style Eventide used, other than simply brute strength. Likely the Circle Lord hadn’t seen any need to use more of his powers until now. Jonathan wasn’t sure if he should be proud that he was basically a glorified punching bag.
Now that he had teased out a bit more of Eventide’s abilities, he could analyze them with his elemental sight. Jonathan had been expecting something ephemeral, more in line with the realm of Hollow Dream, but to his surprise, Eventide was using a generic sort of Force elemental energy. Perhaps all of the eons of dreaming that the Circle Lord went through had made him tired of illusions.
Unfortunately for Jonathan, that meant that there was little he could do to combat Eventide in that regard. As long as the Circle Lord’s power eclipsed his own, there was nothing he could do save for surviving. Once the balance of power changed, however, Jonathan could start fighting back.
The next few seconds passed by like hours, Jonathan doing everything he could to simply tank all of the hits. His health kept dropping and dropping, only staying above zero due to Limit Breaker. If not for the dramatically enhanced regeneration rate that the skill had granted him, he would be dead a hundred times over.
As the final second passed, Jonathan felt the full power of his skill settle into his body. He pushed Eventide away with a sudden surge of strength, the Circle Lord blasted backwards at many times the speed of sound. Jonathan drew upon as much of his Divinity as he could, channeling it not into his physical strength, but into durability. For the next few minutes, he had to hold out against Eventide. Only then could he fight back.
