A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 512 The Boulder Crab - Part 10

a blow that earlier wouldn't even have cracked its carapace was the same blow that sent it skidding off the path.

by just the slightest amount, oliver had changed its direction. an overwhelming strike – a counterattack. a hero's strike. of course, claudia applauded. in that void where he'd felt only pain from her thought, he now felt something approaching elation, the promise of power, fingers reaching towards him.

if he'd looked, he might have seen the faint glow about his hands. the same glow that had afflicted jok as he ascended to the third boundary, and received his second blessing from varsharn.

it was faint, but there was something there. something beyond who oliver currently was. a door to a different world, the key to a box that likely should not have been opened.

"that's it," ingolsol cooed. he was afflicted by oliver's own excitement.

the boulder crab took a moment to recover. it seemed shocked. uncertain. perhaps it sensed something in oliver's eyes. those joints that it had were suddenly looking considerably weaker. oliver thought that if he levelled all his strength against one, then he could likely break it.

the beast must have sensed his intentions, for it lowered its body, making its legs harder to reach. but that also should have made it slower, or so oliver thought – else what would have been the advantage of keeping its legs so long earlier?

indeed, it didn't attack in that form. it scuttled along the bottom of the cliff, circling oliver, looking for a better opportunity. all the while oliver watched. even without swinging his sword, he was drinking it in, learning, evolving.

the poison water style. trickery, overwhelm, monstrosity. what more could he add to it? what more was there?

it was founded on flow. that idea that he attempted to imitate from dominus. but he didn't have a form that included flow specifically. that sense for flow had become a constant part of his battlefield attention. maybe he could add more in? another form, the form of mind?

everso faintly, he heard her. "beam!" she whispered.

"oliver now, wench. the game has changed," ingolsol said, though he didn't sound displeased to hear from her.

"dangerous... dangerous..." she told him, in a voice ever so faint, as though calling to him through a dream.

"that has been established," ingolsol said again, this time with the faintest trace of irritation.

it was working, whatever it was. oliver could feel it through him. a boundless energy. a sealing of the void within him, a bridging of that gap. it ran so strongly it almost seemed to want to burn his insides. but it was a good burning, at least for now.

"beam!" claudia said again, more strongly this time. oliver had recovered his footing, after returning to the ground. he continued to face off against the crab, as he used the form of mind to drink everything in. their positions had been reversed again, and now the form of mind extended out towards the adjacent plateau, where his friends still stood.

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was that an awed expression on the face of jorah? but there was fear tight in his jaw. what did blackthorn see, through those eyes of hers? she seemed to be gripping her sword rather tightly. even her retainers had recovered, they were on the very edge of the platform, watching with hands clasped as oliver did battle.

he imagined he must have looked quite a sight, with his upper body exposed to the elements, and that cut running down his bank.

galvin still had not moved to interfere. he stood with his sword between his legs, a grave expression on his face. he and verdant seemed to see what the others could not. the man was muttering gravely under his breath, whilst verdant shared a similar look. the priest was looking in his direction with enough intensity that oliver was certain he could see through him.