The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 172 - 172: Evolved

Naturally, Alden knew what good leadership looked like.
After all. he had been part of many expeditions and excursions outside the Sanctuary over the years. What they all had in common was a clear strategy and a shared goal. The former was especially important in the case of a sudden ambush or unexpected event.
That was why, before the provisional Paladin squad had set off, Alden had made it a point to discuss each individual's roles and what they were responsible for. After some deliberation, it was agreed that Marion would serve as their lead scout, while the Stonewardens possessed the role of tanks and doubled as their vanguard.
Yuki, Isolde, and Sybil - the examinee with special eyes - were tasked with supporting Raphaela.
Lastly, Alden, Devin, Conrad and Steel were in charge of offense.
However…
There was no such thing as a fixed strategy.
Even the best, most foolproof plans were susceptible to going wrong, so it would be extremely foolish of Alden to remain stubborn and insist on only one single course of action.
Of course, if he had sufficient knowledge of the future, that would have been a different story. As it was, though, at his current level, he could only receive a brief glimpse.
The lack of foresight meant that he could not act with any real certainty. Thus, being adaptable was extremely paramount. From Alden's experience, a flexible strategy went a long way towards ensuring one's survival in an abomination-infested world.
So, taking all this into account, he had given his squad the necessary freedom and agency to make decisions on the spot. It proved to be a prudent call, considering how the horde of Dark Brood now surrounded them from all sides.
Returning his attention to his own clash, Alden whistled. Immediately after, a dark blur streaked through the light gloom, rushing to support Marion and Devin. Meanwhile, the Keeper's Apprentice slowly circled his foe, watching warily as it did the same.
Intense hunger and thirst flickered within the leopard's gaze.
Just then, one of the golden threads encompassing Alden's vision trembled. Following that, an image of the Defiled abomination raking its claws across him formed in the young man's mind.
Alden twitched.
That imperceptible movement triggered a reaction from the pseudo-Djinn. It leapt off the ground with ferocious force, splinters marring the ash-covered floor, its claws outstretched to end his life.
Time slowed.
Alden tracked the leopard's speed with his mana sense. It was actually quite swift, which was to be expected of an abomination on the brink of evolving into a Djinn.
Just before the Defiled reached him, the Keeper's Apprentice disappeared. Rather than materialising behind the creature, though, he stood on a branch, gazing down at the leopard.
Again, the abomination struck empty air.
It whirled, immediately catching his scent.
However, Alden did not give it a chance to react.
As a slight breeze ruffled his dirty-white hair and flakes of ash drifted beside him, wisps of a dark energy merged together in front of him to form an abyssal dirk.
The dark construct hovered in the air silently, roiling with the power of the void, as if fighting its own battle against the dry, scorching air.
With a wave of Alden's hand, the stygian blade shot forth, glistening with magic. Imbued with [Haste], the construct tore through the air, reaching the leopard in the span of a hurried breath.
The abomination's gaze remained trained on the Keeper's Apprentice, even as the abyssal dirk was inches from piercing it.
Alden frowned.
…And just like the previous time, his attack came to an abrupt halt.
He saw the dirk dim and lose all its momentum it had gained from [Haste].
In the next moment, the leopard shifted, ignoring the dark blade which clattered to the ground. It would have… had Alden not dismissed it at the last moment.
Meeting the abomination's bloodthirsty gaze, his frown deepened.
'How strange.'
What a peculiar bloodline these Dark Brood had.
Their powers seemingly allowed them to absorb any force headed their way. Not only that, but they were also capable of freezing attacks in place. Alden could only guess how they achieved the latter - perhaps it was a consequence of all his strikes losing their momentum.
Furthermore, there was also the strange explosion of force these creatures unleashed. It was as if they were releasing all the force they had absorbed back out in a violent shock-wave.
The Force-Devouring Leopards appeared like regular leopards at first glance, but as it turned out, they were more monstrous than he expected.
Still, Alden wasn't too discouraged.
The only problem, though… was that he wasn't fighting alone.
He was part of a squad, which meant that any change in another battle could affect his own. Not only that, but Alden was also the squad leader. In other words, he had to kill the abomination as soon as possible and quickly return to his team to back them up.
Alden cast an urgent glance towards the other clashes.
So far, the Stonewardens were holding their own, the two Experts in their midst slowly overpowering the predatory fiends. Similarly, Yuki and Isolde fought tenaciously against the Force-Devouring Leopards, albeit with slightly less success.
Finally, the group of ordinary examinees including Marion and Devin were locked in a fierce stalemate. Alden struggled to see a clear victor, even with Ignia in the mix.
Gritting his teeth, the crimson in Alden's eye shone, reflecting his urgency.
He leapt from the branch.
Mana burst beneath his feet.
Mirroring the Dark Brood's leap earlier, Alden plummeted, another burst of mana increasing his speed. It was as if he had now become the abomination, and the Defiled had become his prey.
Just before he slammed into the leopard, his figure faded, materialising in a sudden flood of motion from the other side.
'Die!'
Augmented with his bloodlust, Alden's abyssal blade shivered, barreling gleefully through the air.
However…
It met the same fate as his previous attempts, stripped bare of its force.
Just then, Alden teleported again, hurriedly escaping a debilitating shock-wave of exploding force. The Keeper's Apprentice reappeared a little distance away, gazing at the abominable creature, his expression dark and cold.
Alden thought that by putting everything he had into this last strike, there was a chance the abomination would reach its absorption limit and self-implode.
However, reality was cruel.
Suddenly, a vile energy, dark as night, erupted from the leopard.
In response, the world seemed to wilt. The jet black energy shot up into the withered canopy, infecting numerous flakes of ash that blackened and disintegrated as soon as the energy made contact.
The barks of several trees also rapidly withered.
For a brief moment, the leopard's eyes turned pitch-black. In the next, a hair-raising pressure compressed the space.
A heavy weight bore down on Alden's chest.
His expression darkened even further.
The situation had just changed drastically, now infinitely more precarious.
Because this Dark Brood…
This abominable leopard…
Had just evolved into a Djinn.