Reaper's Resurgence - Book 6 - Chapter 23 (Patreon)

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Table of Contents

Click the following link for Chapter 23:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJPnD_N-f6r_wXKQJz3IZcXFCZkm-AdtsvgOeCzkux8/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

Alexia

I grit my teeth as I return to the first part of the trial again upon dying for the ninth time. Leaving me at last on my final attempt for the trial.

This isn’t looking good…

I take a deep breath before trying to study the Quantum Enforcer’s movements and attacks as closely as possible in the first two trials. But I still don’t find anything new to explain the way to beat him.

Leaving me arriving at the third trial again, where I immediately dodge the Quantum Enforcer’s initial attack. Then the process begins again, just like the previous attempts to clear this trial.

The only difference this time so far is that I make sure to be ready to use my last fail-safes. I won’t get another chance if I die in this trial, so there’s no point in saving them for future use.

I currently have six energy resets through Energy Restoration, and I have a large amount of soul built up in my Cloak of Souls. Both of which should help.

The energy reset isn’t as much help in this trial, what with the Quantum Enforcer’s little anti-time-reversal effect. But it will still help with going on the offensive.

As for the soul built up in the Cloak of Souls, that will be extremely useful for this battle. Since it’ll let me recover from the crippling wounds faster.

I just have to force the extra soul into overdrive to heal me. Which isn’t particularly healthy, or easy, but it’ll work.

So I push forwards, trying to put as much power into my attacks as possible. Simply to try and cripple the Quantum Enforcer as fast as I can. Before he starts to use stronger attacks.

I repeatedly cut off chunks of him, his fingers, and even leave large gashes across his torso. Forcing him to recover it all by turning back time on his body, burning his energy in the process.

On another note, something I noticed over the course of my nine attempts at killing his older self is that he is different now than back then. In terms of his personality, to be specific.

It’s almost like he’s opened up more since the time this trial took his old self from.

The main reason for this thought is that he hasn’t said much of anything since my very first trial. And yet, he was speaking plenty outside of the trial tower.

I wonder what happened that caused this change? And when were these trials created anyway?

No one has ever told me just how old these versions are.

Now isn’t the time to think about it, though. Not as I’m teleporting from one place to another while avoiding the Quantum Enforcer’s attacks.

I gradually manage to whittle down the Quantum Enforcer enough that he begins to speed up his attacks. Clearly feeling threatened.

And the moment he does, I shift my method of battle to a survival focus instead of an offensive focus. Where I focus on being extremely careful. So careful that I don’t get anywhere near as many attacks in on the Quantum Enforcer as before. Much less attacks that actually manage to hit.

But that’s fine. What matters the most right now is survival.

Being a little reckless was fine at the start of the battle, while the Quantum Enforcer of this attempt is still looking down on me and not taking me seriously. But now it’s not fine. Not after he’s started getting serious.

This is what I have learned over time is the best way to deal with the Quantum Enforcer.

Start out big on the offensive, then shift to the defensive to avoid any damage and save up as much energy as possible. And it’s best not to use any strong, powerful attacks. Because all they end up doing is leading me to my own death when he takes advantage of my charge-up to attack me.

The Quantum Enforcer directly waits for any opening to attack. And my charging up powerful attacks is one of his favorite openings.

Which pretty much turns my battles against him into battles of attrition.

He can’t use incredibly powerful attacks thanks to me, either. Since I also take advantage of his openings just as quickly as he takes advantage of mine.

It’s just that I use Quantum Displacement to teleport straight to him, while he travels through the time-space passages.

My method is purely quantum, while his is time related.

 The two of us continue to dance around each other bit by bit, with us both dodging each other’s attacks and striking back whenever we can. Then healing after that.

Time begins to pass over the course of the trial.

First an hour. Then two hours.

Then five hours and seven hours.

All the way until an entire thirteen hours pass during our little back and forth. With neither of us scoring particularly powerful attacks on each other.

Over the course of this time, the two of us manage to use up all of the energy in the Quantum Realm within the trial. And even after that, I still end up having to use an instance of Energy Restoration to keep fighting. Leaving five uses of it remaining.

I wouldn’t exactly call the two of us even right now, though. Not when the Quantum Enforcer’s little anti-time-reversal effect is growing stronger and stronger. So strong that I can barely reverse time on my body anymore. Which makes my energy nearly useless for healing me at this point.

Damnit, I really wish I had more ways to heal than just time reversal…

I grit my teeth as I dodge another attack before returning it with a sweep of my scythe that barely grazes him. And I can somehow sense that Zal is still fighting the Quantum Enforcer outside of the trial on my behalf.

Which is very surprising. He doesn’t usually participate personally.

I don’t really blame him, though. Considering that, no matter how much he declares himself my father, we were still strangers before he forced me to kill him and reset the System.

I was just expecting him to help fight a little since he showed up, only for him to leave again after getting someone else to help or something like that.

But now he is risking his life to help me?

What is going on with him these days…

Well, whatever is going on, now isn’t the time to question it.

Now is the time to fight for my life.