Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 11B3 - Crushed Will

The marble resting in his hand was beautiful, to say the least. It had a dark-violet touch to it and released tiny, black electricity currents that traveled across its perfect, unblemished surface. But as beautiful as it was, the pressure it emitted was just as dangerous.

"That is the Beast Core?" David inquired, glancing at the Tirac Artificer with uncertainty. The Artificer, however, looked confident and excited, her vigorous nods confusing him all the more.

Maybe Sacred Beasts have small Cores like this one? But why would the Core of such a big creature look this... pitiful?

"You’re sure?"

The Dwarven Blacksmith huffed angrily at his question, yet it was Zachariah who answered in the artisans’ stead. "That’s the right one. I’m not sure how an Artificer and Blacksmith made it work since this looks like the work of an Alchemist at the Diamond Rank, but the Earthen Union’s restrictions may have been helpful in the compression of the Beast Core. Still, I cannot fathom how they shrunk the Core further without an Alchemist’s help."

The Regressor looked at them, appearing like he had more to say, but he held back. The Artificer smiled back at Zachariah, looking more smug than ever.

"After my latest breakthrough, I was graced with my Patron God’s Guidance. Precisely, we both were, granting us temporary access to the Spirit Workshop to work on the Core." She was beaming, her scales clattering excitedly. "We modified it, added the armor pieces and the broadsword."

Her serpentine eyes lingered on David for a moment and continued when she couldn’t see any displeasure on his face. "I know you did not ask for that, but the opportunity was just too good to discard. The fang was perfectly attuned to the Sacred Beast’s Will as we completed it, so we decided to bind it to the Core as well. Though, as things turned out, binding both armor and weapon to the Core may have strengthened its Will even more."

The Artificer’s scales clattered again. However, this time not in excitement. Her smile faded for a moment, a look of discomfort replacing her earlier joy.

"This is a masterpiece. There is no doubt about that. But... I don’t know if your soul can handle it."

David nodded, ignoring the last bit. Others would have been concerned with that part, but it was of no concern for him. If anything, the Sacred Beast Core’s size was perfect for his plan and, while unexpected, David was happy to have another soulbound weapon. Even if the new soulbound weapon and armor would be different from the Obsidian Blade, they would come in handy.

"Thanks, but there is no need to worry about that," David commented, leaving the most important part out. Electra’s Will would not be sealed inside his soul after all. Not directly, at least.

"Do I have to wear the armor and sword or... where are they in the first place?"

The Blacksmith offered him one of his rare smiles, one filled with pride. He remained silent but looked at the Sacred Beast Core. The Artificer copied the dwarf’s antics and smiled at the Core like she’d just won the lottery.

Is it possible? He knitted his brows, his attention drawn back to the marble-sized Core.

Looking more intently, David located several tiny images. They appeared to be etched deeply into the Core, making it harder to tell the details, but he distinguished them. Several images displaying a pauldron, greaves, vambraces, and more armor pieces, all belonging to a full set of armor made of the Mythical Electra’s scales, as well as a magnificent-looking broadsword.

"They’re already stored inside the Beast Core? That’s even better!" David grinned, moving the Core to his left hand as he called upon the Relic.

The fingers of Deryadus’ Arm coiled smoothly around the marble-sized Core and closed shut. A wave of energy burst from his palm, swallowing the noises around David as he paid full attention to the task ahead. He stared intently at the Relic as it rippled and shifted. It expanded suddenly, sending waves of pain through his body, but he only watched the Sacred Beast Core via Bloodthrone Dominion as Deryadus’ Arm pulled it through the palm.

It was sucked into the Relic. Deryadus’ Arm shifted, making space for the newest addition as it sought the best location to integrate the Core of the Sacred Beast.

David grimaced through the pain but sighed in relief when Deryadus’ Arm shrunk to normal size once again. From the outside, it looked like nothing had changed, but David knew better. He opened his now-empty hand and smiled as the others drew in a cold breath of air.

The Dwarven Blacksmith gasped and muttered something in the dwarven tongue, while the Artificer’s scales clattered in fright rather than excitement. Even Zachariah stepped closer, one brow arched as he stared at David’s empty palm.

“Did your arm just…eat the Beast Core?” Maja asked in the meantime.

David snickered, offering Maja a vibrant smile. “Basically. And it’s digesting everything as we speak.”

But while the first step of his plan had turned out better than expected, the smile on his lips did not last. It faltered as Deryadus’ arm crackled and creaked.

Deryadus’ Arm is an Ancient Relic. A masterpiece of a Fallen. Why in the Pantheon’s name was it reacting like that if it had been wielded by a god for centuries? David cursed silently. Are you going to tell me that Deryadus’ Arm could contain the power of a literal god for hundreds of years, but the weakened Core of a Sacred Beast is too much? Stop kidding me and get your fucking facts straight!

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But even as a plethora of curses formed in his mind, David closed his eyes and attempted to enter his mind space, seeking Deryadus’ Arm to aid it in the integration process. However, he never appeared in his mind space.

Instead of appearing in the familiar space of his mind, David found himself standing atop a massive ocean of poisonous green water that threatened to pull him down, all while burning the soles of his feet.

The burning water seared his feet, making him feel like they had only seconds left before they would dissolve into the water underfoot, yet David was faced with something much worse than the potential loss of a mere pair of feet. His attention was drawn to the creature levitating in the sky before him.

It was a massive creature that weaved through the clouds, rising high above the poisonous ocean. At first, David caught only a glimpse of the creature’s body, but that was more than enough to recognize it. How could he not recognize the dark-violet scales covering the ginormous body of the creature that had destroyed Arc and nearly obliterated the Dwarven Sanctuary?

The Sacred Beast, the Mythical Electra, unraveled before him, its serpent-like form much grander than he remembered. It was hundreds of meters long, and its purple-feathered wings stretched even further, hiding the sky behind.

“So that’s how we meet again? I should have expected that when they mentioned your Will,” David said calmly, his attention drawn to the Sacred Beast’s vibrant eyes.

While it did not have a physical body—ripples revealed a semi-translucent sheen whenever the Mythical Electra flapped its wings—that didn’t mean Electra wasn’t imposing.

If its current form was how the Sacred Beast had looked before emerging on the Earthen Union, it was terrifying to say the least.

A thunderous screech rang throughout the poisoned ocean as Electra’s beak parted.

“I wouldn’t have been able to defeat you if you had been a little bit stronger. All you’d needed was a tiny trace of your old power, and you would have crushed me. But…” The corner of David’s lips perked up. “But you didn’t. Your father’s orders killed you. A little bit more patience, and the Earthen Union’s restrictions would have affected you less, unleashing more of your original power.”

A laugh escaped his lips even as a heavy pressure weighed down on him. Black lightning currents crashed into the poisoned ocean all around him, but they never struck him.

“Alas, you are now dead, and the man who killed you is absorbing your Core. Isn’t that funny?”

David swallowed hard, trying to read the Sacred Beast’s body language, but all he could tell was its anger. It was furious and unwilling to submit to its murderer. That was understandable and had been part of David’s calculations.

A crackling mass of darkness gathered in the Mythical Electra’s beak and burst forth. It whistled through the air and barreled toward David, who couldn’t move. No, he would not move, even as the lightning neared with shocking velocity. It was too fast to evade properly and struck him—phased through him.

“You’re truly humongous. All-consuming. A true powerhouse. Yet, you’re dead, and your Will cannot break mine,” David chortled. “Maybe you could have defeated me if my Mind had been a little bit weaker. Then again, you may look intimidating and all, releasing the pressure of a demigod and all, but you are still restrained by the System in accordance with the Earthen Union’s current Aether density and limitations.”

More lightning bolts came crashing down upon David, but they phased through him, leaving him unscathed. Waves of the poisoned oceans swamped him, burning through his skin and flesh, yet the pain was psychological rather than physical. In the first place, David had not entered the Beast Core with his real body. He was not locked into the Sacred Beast’s Will either, though he was certain Electra thought so.

David felt the strength of Deryadus’ Arm increase. It grew more resilient as the Sacred Beast’s Will wavered with every failed attempt at obliterating his mind, but it also grew more vicious. The Sacred Beast resisted the Ancient Relic’s attempts at consumption and succeeded, forcing Deryadus’ Arm to go at it again and again.

David pulled out of the space for a moment and focused on Deryadus’ Arm with a grim smile. The surrounding sounds were muffled, but he caught the droplet of blood trickling onto the Relic. His nose was wet, more blood pouring from it.

Looks like [Indomitable Will] is not perfect. The Sacred Beast’s Will is strong enough to push the Skill to its limit.

But while that may be the case, the Mythical Electra didn’t know that. All it could possibly know was that David was immune to its lightning and that the poisonous ocean barely did anything to harm him. Thus, he had to crush the Sacred Beast with the aid of his Ancient Relic while the farce still worked.

David returned to the Sacred Beast, which welcomed him with black lightning. David let them phase through him even though he started to feel the wear and tear. [Indomitable Will] pushed his willpower to new heights, but he was still faced with a Sacred Beast—weakened or not.

He considered his options for a moment and chose a simple tactic. The Obsidian Blade manifested in his hands, coated in gray as he used Rend. A crescent blade whipped through the air as he slashed at the Sacred Beast, and a second followed. Then a third, fourth, and fifth.

David released his Intent several times in quick succession. They did not harm the Sacred Beast but distracted the creature enough that [Blood Blast] struck the condensed Will of the Sacred Beast, leaving a mark of [Equivalent Exchange] behind. Not even a second passed before a new barrage of black lightning struck him. They phased through him, but the pressure descended nonetheless. And the wounds inflicted on David were shared with the target of [Equivalent Exchange].

The lightning bolts may have harmed David, inflicting more and more pain to his mind and soul, yet they also wounded the perpetrator as well. Electra screeched, the sound of pain chiming beautifully in his ears.

He cast [Herald’s Blessing] as he called upon [Origin Lightning], conjuring a sphere of pristine-white lightning in his hands.

“I don’t know what relationship you had with your father, but I can tell that the Poisonous Beast God never loved you. How about you join my ranks voluntarily? I would rather work alongside you instead of killing you. I’m sure that would be more beneficial.”

Electra clearly didn’t like what he said. The Sacred Beast’s body flinched and trembled violently as he mentioned the Poisonous Beast God, yet it did not stop attacking him. Instead, its attacks grew more violent.

More lightning bolts struck David, harming Electra just as much. Yet David endured the pain better as the Sacred Beast’s Will flickered. Its vibrant scales shimmered and faded, and it shrunk. The mighty powerhouse was growing weaker, its resistance failing.

David cast [Phantom Rush] and blinked out of existence. The poisoned ocean near him rippled outward. He appeared above it, a mixture of [Primeval Pulse] and enhanced [Origin Lightning] erupting from his hands.

“I might not be as strong as you, but this is a battle of wills.” David commented, releasing the accumulated power at once. “You are weakened, and I have [Indomitable Will] and an Ancient Relic that has been feasting on your willpower the whole time.”

The fused energies of [Primeval Pulse] and [Origin Lightning] struck true, piercing the Sacred Beast’s fading scales through and through.

“And you have only one more chance to submit to me.”

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