But that wasn’t up to him; the massive amount of work on that task belonged to Zachariah—maybe Maja, if she was up for it. With that in mind, David turned to the Portaligist and hurled a marble-sized, [Healing Link]-infused mass of Blood at her. Once the link was established with Maja, David studied her condition and cast [Greater Restoration] with a grim smile.
He focused on the parts damaged when her rift removed a fraction of the darkness that had shrouded the Void Sapling and was surprised to find her Energy Pathways in tatters, as if they had been torn apart by a shredder. He had no idea what exactly had happened to damage her like that, but it was already a surprise she wasn’t crippled—especially with her Mana Core resembling a shattered glass orb.
Both the Mana Core and Energy Pathways demanded imdiate attention, which David granted her. How she’d saved him several tis in such a devastating condition was a mystery on its own, but he was glad she did. He’d be dead or on the verge of dying if not for her ample support.
nding Maja’s internal wounds required more energy than expected, and he didn’t think twice before using one of the last droplets of healing-enhanced Blood. While not enough to fix everything instantaneously, it ought to be enough to nd her temporarily.
“Try to help Zachariah,” David said, gnashing his teeth as the pain in his mind worsened once more. He was itching to join the fight and do sothing against the Void Fragnt, but he neither had enough energy to spare nor the strength to assist the Regressor at his level. The terror unfolding before his eyes was not sothing he could join, no matter how much he wanted to.
Not directly, at least.
He conjured two miniature versions of [Blood Blast] and infused [Healing Link] onto them, lobbing them at both the Void Fragnt and Zachariah. Zachariah was the first to be marked, establishing a connection with David, but he was more surprised when another link sprang to life. Interestingly, the darkness shrouding the Void Fragnt did not block the projectile infused with [Healing Link].
Does it only block attacks?
That would be interesting, even if it left various questions unanswered. If his guess was correct, how did the darkness determine whether sothing was an attack or not? Did it use the intent behind the action?
As unfortunate as it was, David had no ti to think. He may have been too weak to join the fight and support Zachariah head-on, but he could always do his job as a Healer by staying in the backline to support and heal his allies.
First, a greyish hue enveloped Zachariah as [Herald’s Blessing] applied. Following that, David glimpsed at the Regressor’s wounds through their connection and nded the most severe injuries via [Greater Restoration]. At the sa ti, he studied his connection with the Void Fragnt. It could probably sense the mark left behind by [Healing Link], but David was fairly sure the Void Fragnt couldn’t discern what exactly the mark was doing.
Thus, as it did not sustain any injuries from the mark, the creature decided to ignore it. The Void Fragnt focused on Zachariah instead, giving David all the ti in the world to analyze the creature without having to engage in battle.
Of course, it would have been great to join the battle—he could have invested his Attribute Points into Body and offensive capabilities—but David was fairly sure he did not have the ans to penetrate the all-consuming darkness shrouding the Fragnt. Not until he had fully comprehended its properties and functions. Or until his physical attacks were strong enough to pierce the darkness, which was what Zachariah was doing… to so extent.
At first glance, it looked like Zachariah relied on Skills and his supernatural speed and strength to bypass the all-consuming darkness. It did not take long before David realized he was mistaken. There was more to it.
Zachariah’s application of Intents and Laws was phenonal. Both were so integrated into his nature that they were inconspicuous and hard to pinpoint—if not for [Healing Link] displaying every piece of information on a silver platter.
The sheer amount of information David could read from his connection with Zachariah was staggering, to say the least. But as shocking as it was, it helped him imnsely. [Healing Link] had barely lasted a minute, yet David already had enough research material for days.
Understanding dawned on him, and he realized he had much more to study in the upcoming weeks.
For now, however, David had recovered enough Blood to assist Zachariah with a helping hand. He maintained [Herald’s Blessing] on the Regressor and cast [Bloodbound Bastion], conjuring a crimson barrier between the Void Fragnt and Zachariah.
However, as durable as the crimson barrier normally was, it shattered the mont the Fragnt barged through it. David redoubled his efforts and overclocked the Skill, blocking the claw that would have co for Zachariah’s head. With the attack blocked, Zachariah could counterattack. Yet, his head flicked to David for a mont, his expression lighting up.
“Shield !” he roared, backtracking while also sending a storm of silverish, glimring blades at the Void Fragnt. The blades cut into the all-consuming darkness, exposing snippets of the sickly gray skin beneath, yet Zachariah didn’t follow up to attack.
David couldn’t tell what the Regressor was thinking, but he reacted imdiately. He overclocked [Bloodbound Bastion] and cast it a dozen tis in quick succession. The Source scread as the freshly replenished Blood was instantly drained, threatening to tear itself apart, but the crimson shields ca into being.
Simultaneously, the Void Fragnt barged forward and smashed into the first barrier. Zachariah retrieved half a dozen glass vials. He removed the corks smoothly and swallowed the shimring liquid within in a hurry.
Although fast, Zachariah barely finished the last potion before the final barrier shattered.
Is that enough, or do you need another barrier? David wondered for a mont, only to discard the thought as the Regressor’s lips curled upward.
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The fight resud once more, and Zachariah charged forward, moving faster, striking harder, than before.
A mont earlier, Zachariah had been easy to track; the next, he was too fast to follow by normal ans. David had Bloodthrone Dominion and a connection with [Healing Link], helping him to follow the Regressor’s movents, but a glance in Maja’s direction showed that the Portaligist was struggling.
She tried to follow the fight, her eyes flicking left and right erratically, but she was clearly too slow.
David analyzed the changes in Zachariah’s body as the battle visibly shifted in their favor, his curiosity rising as the effects of the potions Zachariah had consud spread through him.
As expected from an Alchemist with a Unique Class, David mused as he separated the newest set of information.
Clearly, Zachariah had consud one potion that strengthened his Energy Pathways. Following that, there was a trace of energy—presumably a highly potent drug—that augnted his physical strength temporarily, and a potion to reinforce his endurance, which was definitely needed to diminish the physical strain caused by the drug, which forced a heavy weight upon his muscle tissue to generate the desired effect.
It took him a mont to determine the other effects, but they were relatively simple once he caught a glimpse of their utility. One augnted his senses; another seed to enhance Zachariah’s energy right before it reached his Runes and Sparks; while the last transford his lifeforce into pure power.
David was fairly sure he had missed so effects and that part of his assessnt was likely inaccurate, but it was the first ti he was connected to soone consuming one—let alone six—potions. Comparing Zachariah’s information before and after the consumption was rather difficult, especially with such a brutal fight unraveling before them. And, of course, with a Fragnt’s power to analyze simultaneously.
But while it was difficult to determine the potions’ exact effects and potency, it was easy to tell the outco of the battle ahead. Slowly but steadily, the Void Fragnt’s power grew dimr, whereas Zachariah continued to grow stronger.
The potions are now in full effect.
David’s heart raced wildly, and he used a fraction of the Blood he’d recovered to watch Zachariah. His attention lingered on his sharp and deliberate movents, forcing the Void Fragnt into retreat. Darkness flickered and surged toward the Regressor, who evaded them with a subtle shift.
Zachariah’s footwork was impeccable, and his swordsmanship just as precise. David had seen his friend fight before, and he had so firsthand experience with the Regressor’s power. However, the fight between Zachariah and the Fragnt was on another level. It was unlike anything he’d seen before.
He was holding back against .
His expression darkened as realization settled in his mind.
Not only that, Zachariah is far from his peak. He has been through all of this and knows how to play the System. He knows how to ascend to godhood and will do so again in record ti.
Though knowing one of his allies was powerful should have been comforting, David couldn’t bring himself to smile. Having powerful allies was supposed to be a good thing, yet his heart clenched and his eyes narrowed, watching Zachariah dance around the Void Fragnt.
The Regressor blurred once more, and all David saw was the flash of a silver arc, followed by a fountain of greyish-dark blood. An arm, still coated in darkness, fell to the ground with a thud—yet that was all he caught. The Void Fragnt accelerated suddenly and disappeared from David’s vision as well. He barely caught a glimpse of its condition via [Healing Link] before he noticed a flicker in Zachariah’s life signal.
His head snapped toward the Regressor, eyes narrowed to tiny slits when he saw a claw stuck in Zachariah’s shoulder.
It was a serious concern, as several traces of Void had lodged inside the shoulder, weakening Zachariah’s Energy Pathways and immune system before spreading in all directions.
Zachariah didn’t grimace. He didn’t even bother to look at his shoulder as he raised his sword arm, torrents of energy erupting. Incomprehensible words escaped the Regressor’s lips as more and more power surged out of the sword.
Maja’s legs buckled, and she slumped to the ground, unable to withstand the imnse pressure radiating from the battlefield. David’s legs trembled involuntarily, and his eyes widened slightly as Zachariah attacked.
The power from the blade ca to a screeching halt one mont and condensed inside it the next. Then, as if ti had slowed to a crawl, Zachariah moved. He cleaved through the Void Fragnt, his movents eerily slow until the blade ca in contact with the target.
David had no idea what happened afterward. The blade in Zachariah’s hand vanished, and the pressure was no more.
Did I just imagine that? He scrunched his eyes and cast a glance at Maja’s deadly pale face.
Nope. I didn’t imagine anything. That—whatever it was I just witnessed—did really happen.
Just as he accepted that what he’d seen was real, David saw the Void Fragnt move. Its upper half shifted and slid from its unmoving lower body. With a resounding thud, the upper half landed on the ground, and the lower half followed shortly, blood trickling onto the dirt.
“Damn,” David blurted out, realizing only now that he was short on breath.
He took several deep breaths, unable to cast his eyes away from Zachariah. The Regressor stood there, his cold gaze resting on the two halves of the Void Fragnt. His body was sharp and lethal; his presence like a drawn sword, ready to strike at any mont.
And he did not need a weapon to fight. Zachariah was the weapon.
David shuddered, his thoughts a chaotic ss. Yet, as envy feasted on his whirlwind of emotions, he noticed sothing through [Healing Link]’s connection. As bad as Zachariah’s condition was, what David saw inside him was even more shocking.
There, he found a glimr of sothing powerful—so powerful that it forcefully ejected David the mont he glimpsed at it.
His headache worsened, and a crimson flow poured from his nose.
Well, fuck that. He definitely didn’t lie.
David grimaced, wiping his nose.
That dude is a god.
Or was. Whatever.
One way or another, Zachariah was on the path of rapid advancent. If he continued growing stronger at this pace, it would only be a matter of ti before he ascended to godhood once more. And, from the looks of it, Zachariah had already unlocked a trace of his Divinity. The thing David had sensed in the depths of Zachariah’s being couldn’t have been anything else. It was too powerful to be a re Spark, or an Intent. Not even Laws felt like this.
If his theory was right, and Zachariah had unsealed a trace of his Divinity, it could only have been an insignificant portion. However, that was all David needed to understand how strong gods were.
And how strong he would have to be if he ever wanted to beat the living shit out of one.
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