Chapter 22: Deception

Vyrinox, feeling frustrated yet determined, sat cross-legged and carefully observed the stretching of space around him. Using his sharp intellect and mastery of the laws of deception, he realized that the effect of stretching was not absolute. He watched Vastoth closely as he moved through this warped space. Vyrinox understood that directly navigating the infinite stretching of space was beyond his ability. Instead, he relied on his skillful deception and analytical mind to study Vastoth's method of movement closely.

He studied the subtle distortions in space that Vastoth navigates."He's using the monolith's laws against itself," Vyrinox muses. "But what if I don't need to fight the laws at all?

Vyrinox's devious smile widened as his serpentine eyes gleamed with anticipation. He felt the weight of his plan pressing down on him, a mix of exhilarating risk and tantalizing reward. "If this works," he thought, "I'll rise above my current status and claim my place among the elite of the primordials." However, the shadow of failure loomed over him—vivid and unforgiving. He knew that turning Vastoth, a being with mastery over the laws of space and unmatched determination, into a bitter adversary was a risk he could not afford to ignore.

Still, Vyrinox thrived on risk. His thoughts churned as he calculated the odds. "It's a gamble," he muttered, his voice steady despite the stakes. "But the greatest victories often come from the boldest moves."

His hand hovered over his chest, feeling the faint pulse of his deceptive laws intertwining with his essence. He whispered to himself, almost as if trying to convince himself, "Illusion is truth when wielded with purpose. Vastoth's strength lies in comprehension, but I will use perception to twist reality itself."

He glanced briefly toward Vastoth, who stood wholly engrossed before the monolith, his form radiating focus and determination. Doubt flickered in Vyrinox's mind for a moment, but his insatiable greed and ambition quickly snuffed it out.

"The path to the top is never without enemies," he thought, his smile returning. "And if Vastoth becomes one, so be it. Power always demands sacrifice."

Taking a steady breath, he prepared to enact his intricate plan.

...

After minutes of observing the phenomenon, Vyrinox's mastery of deception laws offered him an unexpected insight, a perspective hidden from ordinary comprehension. His sharp eyes caught faint distortions in the patterns of space, subtle inconsistencies that revealed the truth beneath the illusion.

"The space doesn't stretch on its own," he murmured, his voice filled with astonishment and excitement. His gaze sharpened as he traced the invisible threads of the phenomenon. "It stretches for the observer; their perception shapes the distance. The more they believe in the gap, the more it becomes a reality."

A smile spread across his face, wicked yet triumphant. "This isn't a barrier of distance; it's a mirror reflecting belief. And belief can be manipulated."

Vyrinox took cautious, measured steps forward, his sharp gaze locked on the elusive monolith. Each step only seemed to push the monolith farther away, as though mocking his efforts. No matter how much ground he thought he had covered, the distance reset itself, stretching endlessly.

Growing more curious than frustrated, he extended a hand, gathering a small shard of his energy. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it hurtling toward the monolith. It seemed to travel as expected for a moment, a faint trail of shimmering energy marking its path. But then it slowed, faltering mid-air. The shard floated, caught in the warped tension of space itself, and hovered there as if bound by invisible threads.

His eyes narrowed, watching intently as the shard pulsed faintly before becoming completely suspended, motionless. The intricate dance of space around it became more apparent now, ripples, bends, and distortions that wove a silent barrier.

"So," he muttered to himself, stepping back slightly. "The space here doesn't just stretch. It reacts. It traps. It holds even energy itself in suspension."

Vyrinox stroked his chin thoughtfully, his mind racing as he pieced together what he had seen. "It's not the distance I'm fighting," he realized. "It's the space itself, twisting and rewriting its rules with every movement I make." A faint smirk tugged at his lips as the beginnings of a plan formed.

"This isn't a battle of strength. It's a battle of perception. And perception… that is my domain."

Using this realization, he devises a plan he calls shifting perception; Vyrinox doesn't try to traverse the space physically. Instead, he uses his Deception Laws to alter how the space itself perceives him.

"If space reacts to perception, then I shall give it something to perceive," Vyrinox muttered with a sly smirk, his eyes gleaming with cunning. He extended his hand, summoning a drop of his blood. The black droplet hovered for a moment before he flicked it toward the monolith.

After the drops stopped moving forward within the infinite stretching of space, he transformed it mid-flight into an illusionary presence of himself. The illusionary figures materialized at several key points between his position and the monolith, their forms indistinguishable from his own. They stood firm, exuding a presence that mirrored his aura, tricking the space into believing he had already crossed the impossible distance.

Reacting to the perceived progress, the space phenomenon eased its relentless stretching at each anchor point. Vyrinox smirked, his body shimmering faintly as he activated his innate ability, "Shift." With a flicker, he exchanged places with the nearest illusionary presence to the monolith, instantly cutting the distance between himself and the monolith.

Now, only 500 meters separated him from his goal.

Had Vastoth seen how he covered the vast distance so effortlessly, he would have screamed, "Cheating!" Fortunately for Vyrinox, Vastoth remained deeply immersed in his comprehension of the monolith, oblivious to the cunning strategy behind him.

Vyrinox stood still momentarily, his breathing calm despite the exhilaration coursing through him. His eyes locked onto the towering monolith. The final stretch awaited, and he could feel the strength of space stretching was becoming increasingly difficult.

Vyrinox threw drops of his blood toward the monolith again, watching as they arced through the distorted space. This time, the drops seemed to cover even less distance than before, as if the monolith resisted his progress. Despite this setback, he remained undeterred, his mind racing with strategies.

Each time he moved closer, he shifted places with his illusionary presence, navigating the warped space with calculated precision. The process was painstakingly slow, but compared to Vastoth's methodical comprehension of the laws, Vyrinox's approach was rapid, like a hare overtaking a tortoise. Yet, every step closer made the strain of the stretching space more apparent.

When he approached 80 meters of the monolith, the space seemed to push back harder than ever before. The monolith emitted a faint, low hum as though aware of his presence and intent. The vibrations resonated in the air, a subtle warning that he was encroaching upon something sacred.

Vyrinox gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his brow as the space stretching became almost unbearable. "It's resisting me," he muttered, his voice laced with both frustration and excitement. "But even resistance has its limits."

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and then his lips curved into a devious grin. "It's time," he whispered, his voice dripping confidently. He activated his trump card, his greatest deception, with a sharp gesture.

The air around him shimmered, bending like heat waves over a scorching desert. In an instant, Vyrinox's presence multiplied into countless indistinguishable clones, each mimicking his movements, expressions, and energy. The clones scattered across the distorted space, some advancing toward the monolith while others remained stationary, creating a chaotic, disorienting array of movements.

The monolith hummed louder, its vibrations intensifying as if confused by the sudden influx of presence. The space around it wavered, stretching in unpredictable patterns. Vyrinox smirked, sensing the subtle shifts. "Perception governs all," he murmured, his eyes gleaming triumphantly.

Using his ability to manipulate perception and reality, he created the illusion that space was stabilizing around one of his clones. At the same time, he concealed his actual presence, masking himself within the chaotic web of illusions. He appeared to be just another projection to any observer, even to the monolith.

Under cover of his deception, Vyrinox carefully shifted forward, inching closer to the monolith while the clones absorbed the brunt of the spatial distortion. His pace slowed as he approached the final meters, the tension in the air growing almost unbearable. The hum of the monolith deepened, vibrating through his very core, but Vyrinox pressed on, his confidence unwavering.

He whispered, "Vastoth might call this cheating… but all victories are fair in the name of survival."