Hope born of solitus

*

"Haa~ haa~" (Lastia)

A single jump. That was all it took to get me out of breath, my legs felt like they were filled with lead. If possible, I didn't want to move at all. I always thought that perhaps in the midst of battle I could ignore my fatigue like some sort of cool adrenaline filled hero. However in reality... I just couldn't beat my weaknesses. I could move maybe one more time...

However I look at it, there is no way to physically beat that thing. I have a few times left, before my muscles stop working on me... And that... Thing... I don't know if it could even take physical damage. It's taking all I have to hang on this wall without dropping into the abyss, nevermind a few moves, I might only be able to make one more jump... It wouldn't be able to bring me into range either, the floating head was too far away. Assuming it's the main body I need to defeat.

Let's spread it out, I apply a thin layer of {Feed} over a large volume of air around me. There are obstructions, I could roughly make out where the invisible tentacles are... One, two.... Too many to count. Beyond the 6 that are floating around the skull, there is a massive wall of these tentacles behind it, likely an act to prevent any escape. The tentacle is physical, that's how they do so much damage. They even disintegrate whatever they touch, at least I think they do. The parts they make contact with completely vanish, it's impossible for me to know what they exactly do right now.

No time to think. All 6 of the tentacles come at once, preventing any escape. I leaped forward, using {Feed} to keep myself afloat while coating my body in it. I closed my eyes, ready to get crushed since I foolishly charged forward. I didn't think I had any other options left...

My body felt slightly invigorated. I open my eyes to see a massive jaw ready to close in on my head. I swung my right leg upwards, puncturing the roof of its mouth that could fit an entire adult. The shock waves spread throughout its head and sent it reeling back in pain. I turned around to see... A wide hole in the tentacles.

So that's what Sariel meant by compatibility. Then it should be fine... I got reenergised by the portion of the tentacle I absorbed... {Feed}'s ingestion supersedes whatever phenomena those tentacles emanate. Perhaps they have a similar function and they absorb and assimilate their victims. There was no obstruction to {Feed}, it was being absorbed by the tentacles.

The tentacles must act in a similar way to taste buds, they have to overlap the same volume of space to absorb things. I need occupy space with my magic to {Feed} too, but I can strengthen the potency of {Feed}, totally unlike organisms that can't just 'eat harder'. That's why, this will now be one sided. The cavern returns to complete darkness when I finish my realisation, thoroughly flooding the space with {Feed}. Whatever sort of energy I'm absorbing from this monster, it's only reenergising my mind. It's like... A buffet.

If applying {Feed} to my surroundings earlier is akin to drinking mineral water for as many nutrients as possible, then these tentacles are premium steak, fresh vegetables and supple shiny fruits. The density of energy alone was enough to fully heal my body, not only that, it wasn't normal magical energy...

I see... I'll name this incomprehensible currency: Eldritch energy. In the next instant, there were no more tentacles, at least none from this entity. Countless chains of {Feed} stretch from the unknown and clip into the flesh of the floating head, pouring energy into it... And forcing the entity's main body to materialise. Sariel said I might be compatible with this enemy, because it was energy based.

***

In an endless expanse of white, the floor was decorated with tiled smooth marble. Not even a speck of dust desecrated this place. A single chair layed on the ground, it knew it was there. It was sitting on the chair, a humanoid figure covered in pitch black. Rather, there was nothing there, a space devoid of even space... A higher being that resides outside the normal material realm... Tied up on a chair in chains of a similar make up. It's intestines might have been ripped out and fashioned into making these chains, ensuring its bindings were indestructible.

"Invader." (Lastia)

A voice calls out to it. It breaths faster, its nonexistent heart beating wildly into its ears and echoing into its mind. This blank world of nothing somehow felt nauseous, as if the sky was falling and the ground was wobbling laterally. Its vision couldn't settle at all, wavering around like a drunk's.

Fear. Who knows if that was the first time it felt it, genuine fear was stimulating its senses, seeping into its insecurity and grasping its heart with cold claws. Caressing its lungs with frigid boney fingers, sending reverberating shivers throughout its body.

"Good, tremble until you explode." (Lastia)

She felt awfully vindictive, her victory was practically handed on a silver platter, she couldn't feel like she earned it. At the same time, she didn't want to lose Sariel or anyone else, everytime she thought about it... Her agitation grew without any bounds. The entity's vision began to bounce in all directions, up and down, left and right, until... It could no longer distinguish any directions.

It grew faster. Faster. Even the clear marble tiling had now dissolved into a blur. When Lastia finished her last word, 'explode', everything stopped at once. Its vision returned to normal, it felt like its nose stung and its tongue was filled up with bile. Its flesh felt like it was being scalded and its ears rung so loudly it felt like its mind would vanish at any moment.

"Now that I weakened you enough, it's time." (Lastia)

To absorb the remaining eldritch energy from the being itself. It was the same energy that tore a hole in the sky and allowed it to invade our world. The same energy will be used to end it all as it had been to start it all.