Gates of Penance

Chapter 41: Nefarious spy

"You want me to spy on them? And to not be seen on top of that?"

Apparently, his job was to gather information on the other camps while they were there. It was also obvious why they brought him along on the trip. They could gather information on a potential threat while also sizing up his own abilities.

Magi nodded.

What? Did you think he would do nothing and relax in our camp without having to put your butt on the line! Even if you are somewhat important. Magi and the others went through who knows how much nonsense to get to where we are now."

Nacht wasn’t bothered with the prospect of spying on the other camps. He actually thought it was a good opportunity since he was also interested in the extent of his abilities and this would be a good trial run. In fact, he was looking for any reasoning to use his newly attained enlightened power.

After all, he needed to know what he was capable of and where his limits were. He was even a little excited at the prospect of facing an abstract in battle. Last time he had faced an abstract he couldn’t even harm one let alone put up a decent fight. However, now that he was an enlightened he believed that he did indeed hold the might to kill one as long as it wasn’t above a tier II.

Nacht frowned as his thoughts were drawn back to his time in the crucible. His weakness back then had unsettled him, even almost getting him killed. What Alister had told him as he laid on the floor dying had constantly been echoing in his head.

’Weakness is another unforgivable sin."

How could he hope to achieve his goal of changing humanity if he could barely even keep himself alive? In order for the world to bend to his will he would need to be incredibly strong... stronger than anyone or maybe even anything. If he couldn’t do that then humanity would continue their despicable sins and strengthen the abstracts even more than they already have. No, he could not allow himself to remain so weak and feeble.

The fortress faded below the trees on the horizon as he ventured with Mirad and Magi across the land of the dead.

The forest they were currently traveling in swayed with the gusty winds which almost made the forest feel alive.

At one point, Magi activated her rune. A greenish brown light shown on her back and through her clothes. She seemed to be concentrating on something before she took the lead and motioned for them to follow her.

She led them through a clearing and across a flowing river. They were constantly changing directions, no doubt to avoid any abstracts along the way. But there was only so long a sinner could keep their rune active.

Her rune dimmed.

They took a short break before continuing but it didn’t take long for them to run into their first signs of trouble.

"Somethings following us."

Mirad frowned.

"Get in position"

Nacht turned his head. They didn’t have time.

Bang!

Something quick darted from behind the bushes and of course it was heading straight for him. He already had the death march in hand and swung the blade for what he thought was the abstract’s head. However, midway through the swing he realized that his attack was woefully underwhelming.

’It’s fast!’

He pivoted off his back leg and managed to make an escape with a small gash on his arm. Still, he was in a bad position. He was on his back foot and the abstract was already preparing to gut him with the long serrated knives it had for hands.

Thankfully, he wasn’t alone.

Mirad summoned a throwing axe and embedded it into the abstract’s side causing the abstract to let out an abhorrent shriek and quickly change targets. Magi meanwhile, summoned a giant hammer and swung it with enough force to momentarily cause the abstract to retreat.

Nacht was again reminded of the terrifying power of the abstracts. He hadn’t forgotten about his time in penance and how dreadful the infectious monsters were. He wasn’t an enlightened back then either, which only added to the fear he felt when coming into contact with them again.

However, now he had a rune and access to the same powers that made the enlightened so deadly. So why was he still so weak compared to a tier II blight? He knew the answer of course. Unless the abstract was a tier I of the same rank they possessed far superior physical abilities. This should have made him feel better about his lack of strength, but then how was Alister so strong?

Nacht knew that if Alister wanted too, he probably could have killed the tier III blight all the way back in crucible. He simply hadn’t, either due to not being able to see on that particular floor or to hide the full length of powers. Either way, he had killed numerous enlightened sinners all by himself while missing an arm at the very end. Nacht knew that if he was put in the same position, he wouldn’t have been able to do what Alister did. This made him feel inadequate.

This time he charged at the abstract. He thought it was about time he used his ghostly abilities. Mirad threw another one of his throwing axes and managed to distract the abstract momentarily with the blight having to redirect the axe cleaving it’s arm.

This was the opening Nacht was looking for.

He momentarily deactivated his rune and slipped underneath the abstracts razor sharp appendiges without it’s knowldege. He reactivated his rune, appearing behind the abstract and thrusted the death march into the abstracts center of mass, right where its infectious orren seemed to be the most dense.

Nacht heard something shatter like the sound of broken glass.

The abstract shuddered before it’s strange body toppled over.

A voice entered into his ear.

[You have slain a tier II blight.]

Suddenly, a rush of orren entered into his core and he felt something fundamental about his spectral body change.