B.F.HUUPS
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Chapter 38
🕑 Added 2025-07-21 20:58:16 +0000 UTCReappearing in the obsidian hallway, Aaron’s expression hardened with determination.
“Well, if that’s the way it’s going to be, then fine,” he muttered as he stuffed the strange, glowing radish that he had won from the quest into his pouch and engaged in the fourth stage of the trial.
Appearing before Yendal on a platform suspended in the sky, Aaron shot forward, passing through clouds as he closed the distance without a second to waste.
“Let’s fucking go!”
The battlefield was made up of hundreds of suspended tiles floating in the sky, and their fight broke out across them, sending the two dueling parties bouncing back and forth as they fought.
Once again, the battlefield showed the difference between the two. Despite all of his control and grace, Aaron looked heavy, sluggish, and well, mortal compared to the shadow. The shadow glided effortlessly across the tiles, and on several occasions, didn’t even touch down as he brought on an offensive barrage, leading Aaron to surmise that the shadow could fly if it wanted to, at least to some extent.
But he had little time to focus on minor details when he was pressed against Yendal. He had to be sharp. A missed step was all it would take to end a fight early.
Every move had to be planned perfectly, which was almost impossible without gazing into fate. In fact, Aaron did use his trait on the first couple of attempts out of habit. Whenever he did, she killed him immediately. He didn’t even see her move. She was clearly holding back immensely.
Yendal had the ability to push the pace if she wanted to. This was a fourth-stage trial now, and the shackles weakening her shadows had lessened; therefore, if Aaron was going to pass the trial, he would have to do it on her terms.
Huffing in frustration as another attempt ended early with a powerful fist, crushing his heart, Aaron closed his eyes. He needed to focus. Remember the lessons he had learned since arriving.
He had spent too long struggling through the early trials, massively underleveled and against the odds, to forget the foundations he put in place. Which he realized was the shadow’s point.
Aaron couldn’t allow himself to relax and lean on fate-weaving as a crutch. It was impossible to separate Fate Weaving from his Path, but as much as he relied on it, his foundation was still his precision and mastery of fundamentals. If he wanted to reach the highest heights, he would need to work on both, and he couldn’t afford to be dependent on his Alpha Trait for every dangerous situation. After all, he had now seen it at least somewhat countered twice, first by the games in the Trial of Survival, and now when Yendal somehow sensed him using it. Ditching it for the trial would put him at a disadvantage… but when had he not been at a disadvantage?
I can do this. This is what I put in all this hard work for.
Charging back into the trial, Aaron’s face was twisted with newfound determination. As useful as Fate Weaver was, he didn’t need it. He was going to beat this goddess and get that damn blessing if it was the last thing he did.
Fists clenched, he rushed forward, but it was anything but uncontrolled. He returned his focus to Yendal, reading every breath, muscle, and movement as he prepared his assault.
His attacks came fast but measured. Carefully positioning himself against her as he worked combinations and feints.
Back and forth they clashed, and the battle raged on, sending the two flying across the floating platforms and shockwaves rippling out every time they met. Individual skirmishes lasted for a little more than a couple of seconds before they broke.
Despite his progress, headlong charges were ended with flicks to the forehead. Long combinations ended with simple trips that sent him falling into the clouds below. Punches were countered by wrist grabs and arm twists, as if the shadow were Aaron’s older sibling toying with him. He was thrown by his ear and nose, slapped, and backhanded. And through this, many deaths followed, but each one was met with a mad rush back into the trial, and an ever-defiant gaze etched deeper and deeper into his face.
***
Through a magical link that connected the goddess to the trials, Yendal leaned forward in interest. Her shadow was limited to what she had been able to do as an E grade herself, but it was still making a fool of Aaron without even trying. And yet, her curiosity in the infant mortal only grew stronger.
Death after death, and yet his will takes no damage… No, it’s more than that. It strengthens. It’s as if his spirit actually grows stronger with each death, instead of weakening and fraying.
Countless eons had passed since she had seen a mortal with such potential. No, she doubted she had ever seen an F-grade mortal like this. And what’s more, he took a path so similar to her own.
She had blessed mortals in the past and had strong warriors come up beneath her. But so few appreciated the importance of control. They came in search of her blessings because of her name, but in truth, all they wanted was power. But he was different. He saw the value of this path.
She watched as the battle dragged on, the mortal dying and returning within seconds. In truth, she was already willing to give him her blessing, but she had to admit she was having a bit too much fun to give it up so soon. Besides, she had a feeling that withholding it might actually help him.
Any other mortal with the same level of skill, she might have blessed already. His mastery of fundamentals was more than enough for at least a Minor Blessing, and if he were anyone else, these repeated deaths would only serve to hurt his future as his soul took continuous minor damage. But Aaron was different. Not only did the deaths leave his soul unharmed, but each one somehow strengthened his already adamantium-strengthened resolve.
Come now, mortal. Show me what you can do.
With a thought, she sent her shadow racing forward, pressing the attack. It was faster and more skilled than Aaron, but the stubborn mortal actually looked like he was having fun. In this trial alone, he had undergone enough deaths to cause permanent soul damage, and yet he was enjoying himself. It was madness, so mad that it even tugged on the lips of the stern goddess, forming a smile ever so faint.
Now this was a specimen. For once, she was actually excited to bless a mortal, and eons of boredom and disinterest in the squabbling politics of the multiverse had brightened. She was going to be paying attention to the Integration of the hundredth and first universe, the first universe she had cared about in eons.
But none of that meant she wasn’t going to continue toying with the mortal, and she ended another of his attempts with a finger flick that sent him flying off the suspended platforms. After all, on top of being fun, her toying with him only seemed to make him stronger.
And as Aaron reentered the trail with an even deeper and fiercer determination etched into his face, her smile widened.
Oh, how I am going to enjoy playing with you, mortal.
Perhaps she was the one who had truly been blessed. Finally, a reason not to sleep through the passing eons had arrived, and she couldn’t wipe the invasive smile from her usually emotionless face.
“Is that all you have?” She provoked, her words carrying through to the shadow. “Are you going to prove yourself, or what?”
“Well, I’m not here to fuck spiders,” Aaron grunted and rushed forward once more, dragging another grin from the amused goddess.
“Oh, and just when I was getting excited,” the widow said, strolling up from behind.
Yendal’s smile melted away as she turned to face the other goddess.
“How did you get in here? How did I not detect you?”
“Looks like you were too busy playing with your boytoy,” said Widow. “Were you smiling? I didn’t think it was possible.”
“Get out!”
With a wave of her hand, Widow was ejected from Yendal’s divine realm. Yendal turned back to the fight between the mortal and the shadow, but her face was now troubled. Widow, managing to sneak up on her, was troubling. The other goddess was specialized in stealth and subterfuge, but she had never been able to hide from Yendal before. If she had ill intent…
No, Yendal would have sensed if she had ill intent. Still, the fact that anyone could get in meant that Yendal wasn’t good enough. She was lacking, and it was her own fault. As she watched the mortal die yet again after doing ever-so-slightly better, she realized that she might be getting a little too distracted with this mortal.
***
Aaron had lost count of how many times Yendal’s shadow had killed him, but it had to be well over a hundred by this point. However, something was beginning to change. He wasn’t sure if he was just imagining things at first, but after ten deaths in a row with the same experience, he knew he wasn’t. After he died, he didn’t wake up back in the hall. He instead floated up, watching his mutilated corpse disappear below him for just a split second, and only then did he wake up in the hall.
A chill ran down his spine, and his skin was damp to the touch. He spent a minute or so thinking about what that might have meant before shaking his head. He couldn’t afford to spend time on it yet. He was certain it was important, but he had a lot of momentum in the training of his fundamentals, and he didn’t want to waste it thinking about something like that. He would just have to ask Douglas later or something. He still had a goddess to best in combat, and he was determined to do just that.
Bouncing back to his feet, he re-entered the trial. The endless battles dragged on. Minutes rolled by as the two fought time and time again, clashing into one another, and soon hours had passed.
Aaron consumed food where he could, but the goddess seemed to have increased the pressure, and most exchanges now ended in his death. Not that he was deterred. But the increasingly long periods of time he spent in his shadowy, spectral form after dying were increasingly concerning. However, he didn’t feel his soul breaking, or anything like that. He still felt strong, and if anything, his mental state was improving. It was just creepy, and he didn’t exactly know what to make of it.
Focus on the task at hand. You can deal with that later.
As the fights dragged on, he had to admit that he was grateful for Sooty in a moment like this, since his little helper could collect food from the kitchen and dining hall and have it ready for Aaron to fill his pouch between fights.
Perhaps the focus stone would have helped as well, but he felt like he shouldn’t leave the goddess waiting. He wasn’t sure if it made any real difference, but it was just a feeling he got. He also felt like he was making steady progress, and despite his inability to defeat her, he had yet to hit a true wall that he needed to find a way over. He just needed to keep honing his skills until he was good enough. So, for now, he would keep grinding at it until he beat her.
And so their battles went on, hours rolling into days and days into weeks. Aaron tried everything in his desperation, determined to show the goddess what he was capable of.
Through this near-endless battle, his techniques and styles constantly grew. His moves were tighter and more rehearsed. In fact, if he was being honest, he was grateful for being toyed with by such a warrior. He doubted there were few others who would make for such valuable sparring partners in the entire multiverse.
Despite not getting even close to hitting her, he did notice something interesting as their battles dragged on. Her amused smirk was wearing away, and despite still not actually being able to see anything in her blank, shadowy face, Aaron swore the eyes that stared back at him held him with increasing regard. No, it wasn’t just regard. He was fairly certain it was interest, or curiosity, maybe?
No, your mind is getting the better of you. Aaron shook his head between one of his deaths. Gods didn’t revere mortals like that. It was a silly thought best kept from his mind.
Keep focused on the fight, dammit! You can do this. All this training can’t have been for nothing!
Once more, he charged back into battle, and once more he was humbled. But he wouldn’t let the goddess have the last laugh, and stubbornly pushed on. But it wasn’t a mindless battle that he was engaged in. Every fight, he studied his sparring partner, looking to learn. Her techniques were flawless, and the longer he was pressed against them, the tighter his own became.
What he had once thought of as supreme control and perfect efficiency soon felt lacking. He saw weaknesses in every aspect of his style, and dueling Yendal was the ideal scenario to work out the kinks.
And as the battles rolled into one after another, he did just that. On the surface, it mightn’t have looked like he was getting far, but every skirmish honed and tightened his fighting techniques little by little. And through it all, he was studying his goddess sparring partner. Every death brought his technique closer to hers, more precise, efficient, and more deadly.
He realized at that moment he had been given a great gift. The power granted by the System was remarkable, so remarkable that he believed many got used to it, and fell upon it as a crutch. Why bother working so hard to increase one’s innate ability when a few levels could provide so much power?
Even the difference between a level 1 and a level 10 would be insurmountable for most. How could you overpower someone with multiple times your strength and energy? Under any normal circumstances, it would be impossible. Even Aaron had only been able to best the mage because he had unlimited chances to redo the fight and study its movements. And even then, he could only do it because he had picked a shadow with a weakness he could exploit. If there hadn’t been a shadow as squishy as the mage, he’d never have been able to pass the trial.
Considering all of this, he imagined that the vast majority of people in this new multiverse would spend far more time grinding levels than they would honing their skills. Of course, Aaron would have to bridge this gap at some point, but when he did, his abilities would far exceed those who failed to master the basics.
And so he pushed on, forcing himself against the punishing battles that constantly ended in his demise.. Knowing that for every death the shadow handed him, he grew closer to greatness.
Aaron had lost track of how much time he had spent fighting Yendal, or how many times he had died to her. But the accumulation of his efforts was the fusing of styles into something greater. This, whatever it was, was greater than the sum of its parts, and Aaron’s deadly dance was one of constant movement. Constant feints. It was as if he were a grandmaster chess player, gradually cornering his foes with each movement until it was too late.
Checkmate.
It felt surreal, finally landing a powered-up blow against her chest. With each stage, her shadows grew more powerful, and Aaron had seriously considered the possibility that he just wouldn’t be able to land a strike against her ever again.
“Not bad. You’re improving.”
“Just improving? Understate much?”
“Don’t grow too confident, mortal. You have a long, long path ahead of you. Every talent you meet will have gone through countless challenges. They might not be the same as yours, but they will be impressive nonetheless. Do not forget that.”
“Noted,” Aaron grimaced. Yeah, maybe he had been a little cocky.
Yendal narrowed her gaze on Aaron and let the silence between them drag on before continuing. “I will bless you now. But remember, you’re more suited to me than that brute. His path is one of rough, unrefined abundance.”
Moderate Blessing offered: The Martial Goddess, Yendal the Empty-Handed, has offered you their blessing. Caution: Blessings are limited by the power of one’s bloodline. You may or may not be eligible for multiple blessings, and consideration should be taken when deciding whether or not to accept a god’s offer.
Accept the invitation to hear the god’s offer? Y/N?
Time remaining until offer expires: 00:00:59
Comments
Sleek Elite
Thanks Nick!
Nick Richie
Loving this! Was sad when I got caught up:)
