Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 450: Ryun

Oblivion

Ryun and the Grand Spirit of Change tumbled into his territory, the door opened exactly where he wanted it to. Together, they fell straight into the hole below.

Change had its tendrils stabbing into Ryun's body, tearing and piercing, but he was now much larger, in his wolf form, it took more to damage him. He pressed the spirit against the ground, suffering through the attacks, healing through them. He didn't have to wait long until his Avatar jumped through the door and Ryun closed it. He sharpened his Aura and blasted a {Final End} focusing it to destroy only the spirit's body. Like before, it changed its nature, and with it changed Ryun's target, making his attack useless. But that was alright, he had bought enough time.

He jumped back and out of the hole as his Avatar slammed down on top of the spirit, shaping techniques as it went. Walls of Qi surrounded the spirit, targeting not its body but the Essences around it. This place was inside Ryun's soul, a territory within him, but he had brought a literal territory into it, and with it he had brought other Essence.

Ryun landed on top of the hole and shifted back into his regular humanoid form. He equipped another copy of his armor and raised a hand as his Avatar kept the spirit from escaping.

With a touch of will, he activated the formations all around them. The hole, or rather the prison that used to hold Ra'azel activated.

Ryun and Grey Horde's smiths had altered it, built upon it. It was the prototype for the armor that they had eventually created, but it was still functional.

Immediately, everything inside the prison was suppressed. All Essence frozen in place. They had added a physical suppression as well as one that was deeper. He could feel the symbols on the walls heating up as they targeted the core of what the Grand Spirit was. The writhing tendrils froze, for a moment, and then they rippled, contracting as it changed its nature and Ryun felt it slip past the suppression of the prison.

His Avatar reacted, catching the Spirit, that now looked like a monster made out of flesh, by the ankles. Ryun shifted his stats into wisdom, then pushed his Aura into the hole increasing its force to constantly destroy any Momentum Essence that the Grand Spirit created, preventing it from moving. With another part of his mind, he tweaked the controls of the prison, tuning it to the new Essence that the Spirit was now made out of.

Again, it lasted for a short while before the Grand Spirit changed again, and Ryun had to follow. His Avatar kept it from jumping out, and Ryun's aura kept it in place, but he was losing ground. The suppression of the prison worked, but every time the spirit changed Ryun had to tune it again.

When they had made the suppression armor for War, it had been simpler. They knew the core of Essence of the Grand Spirit, and they had Grey Horde to help them tune it precisely to the heart of what War was.

This... Ryun realized that the only way to keep the Grand Spirit suppressed would be for him to stay and constantly react to what it was doing.

It changed again, and Ryun adjusted the target again. He could see the Essence, so it was easier for him to do quickly. Though the prison did have formations that could detect and react, just not fast enough.

He was burning through Qi, and he knew that eventually he would run out, and the Grand Spirit would be free inside his Soul. He could feel War at the edge of his perception, on the other side of his territory where he had sent it. The other Grand Spirit was completely suppressed, but if Change got out...

"I know what you want," Ryun spoke, allowing the sound Essence to pass through to the spirit, as he was trying to buy time. As he attempted to figure out a way out of this. "You want to break the natural order as much as War does. To allow spirits into the Real Realm."

It had already done something. It had allowed Shades into the Real Realm, and that wasn't supposed to be possible. Just like Ra'azel, the Grand Spirit of Change had altered the natural order.

The Grand Spirit stopped for a moment, then spoke. Ryun's Aura prevented Grand Spirit's words from reaching him, but with his skill he perceived them.

"I am Change," the Grand Spirit said, as if that explained everything.

"It doesn't have to be like this," Ryun spoke as the spirit changed once again and he altered the prison once again. "You are Change, you can decide to be different, to change."

"I can," the spirit said. "My nature is as shifting as the wind. Release me and I will not attempt to harm you or your Realm."

Ryun nearly fell for it. Its voice had no emotion to it that he could detect. It was completely monotone, and for some reason Ryun almost felt like that made its words the truth. And he was sure that they were. But the Grand Spirit of Change had a nature that always shifted. It could very well believe its words, but it didn't mean that it wouldn't change its mind later.

There was nothing that Ryun could do to get it to agree, he didn't think that a creature like the Grand Spirit of Change could ever keep its word. It was by its very nature a thing that constantly changed.

He remembered what the Grand Spirits of Transition and Mysteries have said about what would happen if one of the Grand Spirits was removed from the picture. It was why they had agreed to imprison War. But Ryun had made no such promise for Change.

Once, Ryun probably wouldn't have cared beyond what directly impacted him and what was his. Now, he understood the consequences of leaving threats undealt with. He had more to look after now, more to consider. Giving the spirit a chance to change again, to come up with another plan to fulfill its nature, that was not something that Ryun wanted to entertain.

"I'm going to need you for this," Ryun spoke inside his mind.

"Of course," Bright Star responded.

Ryun summoned Bright Star into his hand, the hammer appearing and resting in his palm comfortably. With a mental call, he pulled Anvil of Stars to him, and it appeared in front of him. Then with the effort of will he reached out to the Essence around him, and with his |Perfect Essence Manipulation| he moved the Essences around his territory.

It was easier here than in the Real Realm, this place was after all inside his Soul. He commanded Essence, and it moved, materials floating out of his workshop, flying toward him at great speeds.

The Grand Spirit of Change noticed, and it resumed its struggle.

"I won't take the risk," Ryun told the spirit. "You've already show a willingness to endanger others."

Before the Grand Spirit could break out again, Ryun smashed the hammer down on the Anvil of Stars. With Forged Memory, they shaped. Bright Star struck the material as he guided it onto the anvil, and in an instant it transformed into a plate etched with a formation. They had created many different formations as they refined the process. And Ryun had made sure to have Bright Star consume as many of them as they could spare. After all, with Forged Memory, they could craft a piece in an instant, costing them only Ryun's stamina. As soon as Ryun raised the hammer, the plate flew off under his guidance, smashing into the side of the prison and adding a new layer.

Essence pulsed inside of the prison, and the Grand Spirit slowed. Ryun crafted another plate, then a third, and fourth. His stamina dropping quickly, but regenerating just as fast. The prison altered as Ryun hurried to keep up with the Grand Spirit's nature. He wasn't quick enough, the Grand Spirit could change its nature faster than Ryun could readjust. With every new panel Ryun added to the prison, he attempted to brute force the suppression, but he could already see that the Grand Spirit was learning just as fast as Ryun was reacting. It was attacking his Avatar, and soon it would be free to move.

Ryun grimaced, and then reached out deep inside of himself.

Conclusion Dominance

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