Taboo Online

Chapter 21: Fated Javelin

The Dread Devourer raised its claw.

Luke could throw the weapon without the skill, but the ordinary blade would never strike deeply enough to destroy the core.

Their successful future disappeared beneath a flood of failures. Yvonne saw the spear bounce from the core, the stomach close, and the monster kill her before Luke could reach it.

Fear returned so quickly that Luke’s arm began shaking. Gray mist gathered around him, and when the boss inhaled, its muscles swelled.

"Luke, look at me!"

Yvonne’s voice cut through the visions. Her blindfolded face remained turned toward him. She could not see him standing near the edge, but the violet thread still connected them.

"Forget what the skill says," she called.

The Dread Devourer started toward Luke while Yvonne held the glowing thread in both hands.

"I saw you throw it."

"The skill won’t activate."

"I saw it hit the core."

"The future changed."

"Then change it back!"

Luke tightened his grip around the broken spear.

The boss moved between them and blocked Yvonne from view, but her voice still reached him.

"The system doesn’t decide what you can do, Luke!"

The Dread Devourer charged, breaking the stone beneath every step.

"You chose the spear because you wanted to keep danger away from you!"

The monster closed the distance.

"You chose magic because you never wanted to feel powerless again!"

Luke drew back his arm. Blue sparks flickered around the spearhead, but Arcane Thrust still refused to activate.

The boss opened its claws.

Luke thought about everything waiting beyond this battle. He wanted to stay in Lauren’s home and repay everything she had done for him. More than that, he wanted to become strong enough that no group of thugs could ever leave him helpless again.

Powerforge Online had already given him a taste of that strength.

It had also given him Yvonne.

He did not want her to remain a mysterious partner he had met once during his first dungeon. Luke wanted to hear her tease him again, feel her arms around his neck, and discover how far she might go when there was no monster trying to kill them.

The Dread Devourer came closer.

Luke raised the broken spear.

"You’re dying right here!"

His voice echoed across the arena as the monster roared.

Luke fixed his eyes on the pulsing core inside its stomach.

"Because I’m not letting you end this before I get to spend more time with the gorgeous, incredibly hot Yvonne!"

For half a second, everything became quiet.

Yvonne’s mouth fell open.

A system message appeared between them.

[An absolute truth has been detected.]

[Core motivation and declared future are aligned.]

[Partner resonance condition fulfilled.]

[Oracle’s Glimpse has identified the chosen future.]

[Arcane Thrust has accepted an improvised application.]

[Linked Skill created.]

[Fated Javelin]

Blue light exploded around the weapon.

Violet energy traveled along the thread connecting Luke and Yvonne, wrapped around his arm, and merged with the magic gathering inside the spearhead.

The broken weapon transformed. A long lance of blue and violet energy extended from the blade, with symbols matching those on Yvonne’s blindfold glowing along its length.

The Dread Devourer swung its claw.

Luke threw.

The magical javelin left his hand with a deafening crack.

Its first obstacle was the boss’s descending claw, but the weapon curved around it. Following the violet path Yvonne had seen, the javelin slipped beneath the attack and changed direction in midair.

The Dread Devourer twisted its body, and the weapon adjusted once again.

Yvonne had seen where it needed to go, and Luke had committed himself to making that future real.

The javelin entered the open stomach and struck the center of the red core. For a moment, it stopped while violet cracks spread through the pulsing mass.

The Dread Devourer froze.

Luke clenched his empty hand.

"Arcane Thrust!"

The stored magic detonated.

A pillar of blue and violet energy tore through the monster’s body, erupted from its back, and climbed into the clouds. The Dread Devourer roared while its stomach-mouth stretched open, reaching toward Luke with claws that never touched him.

Glowing cracks spread through its stomach, chest, arms, throat, and burning eyes.

Then its body shattered.

Pieces of the monster dissolved into black smoke before they could hit the ground. Its hands broke apart first, followed by its shoulders, stomach, and screaming head.

The wind carried the smoke beyond the edge of the arena.

Luke remained in place with one arm extended. His mana had fallen to zero, and the strength granted by Reinforce and the truth bonuses vanished at once.

His knees gave out, sending him onto his back while notifications appeared above him.

[Dread Devourer defeated.]

[Dungeon boss eliminated.]

[Dungeon of Truth cleared.]

[First dungeon completed.]

[Unique linked skill discovered.]

[Fated Javelin has been recorded.]

[Warning: Fated Javelin requires maximum partner resonance and a jointly accepted future.]

Luke read the messages through blurred vision.

"We won."

Heels struck the stone as Yvonne hurried toward him. For one alarming moment, Luke worried that she might step on him because of the blindfold.

Instead, she dropped to her knees beside his waist and threw herself over him. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her hair spilled across his shoulders, and both arms tightened around his neck.

Luke grunted beneath her sudden weight.

"Yvonne?"

She buried her face against him while her body continued trembling. Luke managed to lift one tired arm and place it around her back.

"It’s gone," he said.

"I know."

"We won."

"I know."

Her voice sounded strained, but then Luke realized she was laughing. It started quietly before growing until her shoulders shook against him.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," she said. freeweɓnøvel.com

"I nearly gave myself one."

"You waited until the last possible second."

"The skill didn’t work."

"You shouted that ridiculous declaration in front of the entire dungeon."

Luke’s body stiffened as the final words he had yelled returned to him.

Gorgeous, incredibly hot Yvonne.

He closed his eyes.

"Adrenaline makes people say strange things."

A system window appeared.

[A lie has been detected.]

[Luke’s attributes have been reduced by 5%.]