An Illusion of Will

Chapter 31: Killing an Acolyte

Ellie approached Al with the intention of tending to his wound, but he halted her. "Stop, look," he said, pointing to his side and robe that, despite being soaked in blood, showed no signs of tearing. 

Al gave his injured side a firm punch, causing Ellie to wince. "The bleeding has already stopped," he explained. Ellie marveled at his resilience. "Wow, what an incredible ability. I don't see what's so common about it. Meanwhile, I felt utterly powerless against that creature," she remarked, turning her attention to Yusuf to assess his injuries.

Al, on the other hand, walked over to the lifeless creature, which had transformed into a dark mist that his etheric shell swiftly absorbed. Instantly, he noticed a difference. His ring felt noticeably sturdier, its connection to him strengthened. However, his knife remained unchanged. "Don't underestimate yourself," Al reassured Ellie. "I caught it off guard. If I had faced it alone, I doubt I would be able to escape with my life."

As Al sat down to perform his breathing exercises, his focus was on recovering as much of his Stubborn Will as possible before rushing out to find Cesar. He knew that the enemy Cesar was now fighting had to be the acolyte. 

Yusuf couldn't tear his eyes away from Al during this time. Despite suffering surface wounds from the creature's claws, Yusuf's steel-like Will had rendered him almost impervious to serious harm. At first, he had been able to grapple and struggle with the beast while Ellie provided a distraction. However, once the creature grew to its massive 8-foot size, Yusuf had become utterly helpless against it.

"How? How did you and Cesar manage to kill something like that without an etheric shell?" Yusuf questioned Al; his gaze filled with awe. Al rose from his seated position, a touch of color returning to his face. "You act and think later," he responded before reentering the tunnel. "I'm going to assist the others. Once you two have recovered, make your way to us as quickly as possible." With those words, Al propelled himself back into the tunnel, his speed as explosive as before.

"The acolyte Cesar is facing is in the upper trigram of the mental domain," Al thought, urgency gripping his mind. He figured Louise and Jin made initial contact. "If Yusuf and Ellie were in this condition, time is of the essence. I have to hurry!"

Al pushed himself to move as fast as he could, his body straining to keep pace. The absorbed mist residue hadn't granted him enhanced speed; rather, it had forged a stronger connection between his etheric shell and himself. 

He sprinted past the entrance, venturing deeper into the tunnel until it branched into three paths, forcing him to halt.

Staring at the trio of entrances, Al contemplated which one Cesar might have taken. Suddenly, a gust of wind struck his face, originating from the entrance on the right. Without hesitation, Al surged forward in the direction of the wind. 

In a matter of minutes, the clashing of metal against an object reached his ears. Mentally preparing himself for any situation, he raised his twisted knife, ready to seize the element of surprise once again.

"Hopefully, I can catch them off guard," Al swiftly pondered as he approached the exit, his eyes catching sight of a luminous green glow emanating from within. The wind grew colder, but Al pressed on, his determination unwavering. In the blink of an eye, he entered a colossal chamber, twice the size of the previous one. At the cave's edge, a fierce battle raged on. 

At the edge of the cave, a boy with straight black hair was clutching a stone emblem displaying a small crack as he lay discarded on the ground. Alongside him, a girl with fiery red curls held her left arm, while deftly picking up rocks to aid a tall, slender boy wielding an extraordinary spear.

Cesar appeared battered, his body soaring through the air like a guided airplane, propelled by an unseen wind. 

The creature he targeted possessed an almost human-like appearance, but as Al closed in, he discerned the dark fur that enveloped its body, its hands and feet retaining their human form. Clad in a scholarly purple robe, it exuded an aura of intellect, yet its demeanor exuded sheer ferocity.