From there, Vir took his time. While the tunnels weren’t large enough to admit his whole body, he didn’t need to leave the shadows entirely. Long ago, he’d learned to ‘swim’ from shadow to shadow, only bringing part of his body out while he transitioned from one to the other. Underground, everywhere was shadow, making the entire network his domain.
And unlike in the Human Realm, there were no limits to how many times Vir could invoke it.
Biding his time, he mapped out the tunnel network while he waited for the unwitting enemies to return. The maze was far more complex than what he’d expected, plunging down a hundred paces into the turtle’s back. It just showed how absolutely massive the Mahakurma truly was. It wasn’t just the volcano and the forest—it had deep soil and supported a subterranean ecosystem, too.
When the first Tuskers entered, what waited for them was not the warm comfort of home, but the cold blade of an assassin of shadows.
Vir allowed the beasts to filter in, deeper and deeper. If he killed the first ones, the others would just flee. He bided his time until the majority had entered.
Only then did his katar emerge. It came from the ceiling, from the ground, and even midair from behind. This was his demesne, now, and he reaped methodically. The Tuskers boasted thin Prana Armor, but not nearly as much as the Shredder. They proved no issue for his blade.
The beasts flew into a panic, rampaging past each other, sometimes trampling, sometimes goring each other to get out.
Vir didn’t allow it. He jumped from tunnel to tunnel, skewering and killing one Tusker after the other. Their errant slashes did catch his bracer a handful of times, but there was nothing to be done about that. Vir was now sure his prized seric gear would fail him long before leaving the Ash. So long as it kept him alive, it’ll have done its job.
He didn’t have to kill many before their bodies clogged the tunnels, trapping their brethren behind them. In desperation, the ones behind clawed and even gnawed away at their dead kin, seeking to get away from the horror that hunted them.
Seventy. That was how many Dance of the Shadow Demon activations it took to kill the majority. Some stragglers escaped, but there was nothing to be done about those. Without their colony intact, the Tuskers couldn’t lay claim to the domain.
Vir finally emerged at the tunnel entrance to find a worried-looking Cirayus calling his name.
“By the gods, lad! Where have you been? Thought you’d fallen through that Ash Tear!”
Vir hadn’t ever seen the demon so distraught. Not even when they’d spotted the Wyrm.
“I did it,” he said. “I killed them, Cirayus!”
The giant’s worry changed to confusion, then surprise, with a hint of awe, then finally to exasperated disappointment.
“What’s wrong?” Vir asked with a frown. “I won, Cirayus! I’m not even injured.”
The demon sighed. “Lad, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood my advice.”
“Huh?”
24BLADE LAUNCH
He can’t be right, Vir thought. Strength isn’t everything.
The mighty Mahakurma took a step, shaking the ground under him.
Okay, maybe it can help, Vir relented. Besides, that wasn’t quite what Cirayus had said. Why is he always right?
Vir meditated cross-legged on the second Domain Lord’s lair, acclimating to the denser prana. Meditating in this environment accelerated the process, but even now—a full week later—his body hadn’t yet fully adjusted to the three-fold increase in density.
It had been a lonely process, with only Cirayus and his pet Ash Tear to keep him company. The Tear had grown bolder lately, edging closer, but never so close that Vir felt in danger.
One week, huh? Vir thought, keeping a wary eye on the Tear. Another month in the Human Realm, gone.
Vir shook off the thought, turning his mind to the lecture Cirayus had given him about his tactics. Or more accurately, for having relied on tactics to such an extent. While the demon made it clear he was a proponent of preparedness, he’d harped on the importance of strength.
‘Sound tactics and good technique can close the gap in power, but some chasms are simply too wide to cross. If you insist on fighting this way, you will find yourself outmatched by your foes before long.’
It hadn’t been long at all. The very next Domain Lord was in a league of its own. And, like the Tuskers, the beast was absent from the bestiaries Vir had read.
It resembled a cross between a crab and an armored gorilla, capped by an insect head. Twin metal-bladed trunks of forearms ended in powerful fists, while the rest of the beast stood on four primate legs the size of tree trunks, also covered in metal. A domed steel carapace covered its whole back, making the creature look more like an assemblage of metal parts than anything organic.
Vir wondered if its body could be harvested for use as weaponry, but that was putting the cart before the Ash’va. He’d have to kill the thing, first.
It was obvious at a glance that his existing offensive armament was insufficient. Even ignoring its Prana Armor, Vir doubted his attacks could penetrate its metal hide deep enough to matter. Nor could he rely on his chakras. Rather than rushing headlong into a fight he had no chance of winning, Vir spent the majority of his time with Cirayus, meditating on the Foundation Chakra while his body acclimated, except his progress felt glacial. Never had any ability taken so much time and effort to achieve. Though Cirayus assured Vir his progress was well above average, he still couldn’t stand it.
Even if I did open the Foundation Chakra, I don’t know how much good it would do.
It’d heighten his metaphysical senses and allow him to deflect mental chakra-based attacks, which, while invaluable against chakra-wielding enemies, didn’t sound nearly as useful as a new Talent would be.
The only area he seemed to have an advantage in was speed, and while Haste would serve him well in this fight, it wasn’t even close to enough. It didn’t matter how fast Vir moved if he couldn’t deal damage, and without Prana Armor of his own, he couldn’t risk taking a single hit.
He could picture it well—the battle would drag on, he’d eventually tire and make a mistake, and that would be the end of him.
Which was why long-range offense was foremost on Vir’s mind. Distance allowed him more options while also keeping him safe in a fight. When his enemies could end him in a single strike, that margin of safety was no longer a luxury; it became a necessity.
While his chakrams had still been of some use in the Human Realm, they simply weren’t strong enough anymore. Vir either needed a way to imbue his chakrams with prana, or some other means of attacking at range. Like a tattoo.
Based on his existing knowledge, the primary purpose of tattoos was not simply enhancing abilities—they allowed one to project power at a distance, like with Balancer of Scales. Vir wondered if tattoos may in fact tie in to the 144 minor chakra points around the body. It’d certainly explain why tattoo placement mattered so much.
Nevertheless, Vir didn’t have access to tattoos, so his chakrams remained his best bet.
There was, however, an obvious Talent waiting for him. Blade Launch. The Mythic Tier ability Kamna—Princess Mina’s bodyguard—used when he’d fled from Daha’s castle.
Prana Blade was the first step of this progression sequence. Vir had mastered that, and now he also had the Rare Tier Blade Projection, which doubled the length of his katar, sacrificing some of its deadliness.