Chapter 15: Chapter 11 – Alice Slater

I was born as nothing but a lost soul. I did not have a mother, much less a father. The warmth of being born and cradled was not something that I'd experienced. The only warmth that I felt was when I looked up at the stars glittered on the canvas that remains over our heads. 

No, that wasn't the only warmth that I'd felt. There was another warmth, the warmth that came from the woman who forged me into what I am. "You're broken, aren't you?" I remember her sweet voice, back when we were both children. We were the same age then. At that time, I recall my hair being quite pink. I couldn't recall ever meeting another person, only that I'd opened my eyes in an open field one day, and stayed.

I couldn't speak then, but she wrapped me in a tight cloth. "You and I are the same." She'd tell me with a reassuring smile. When I saw her smile, I felt like I'd found a lost piece of myself. "As long as we have each other, we'll never be broken again." This was more than a decade ago, in that lost, grim place. 

She taught me how to speak, and how to write, and trained me to use my ability. Not only that, but she said such odd things. "How can't you use it properly yet? You're hopeless, Alice." But even though she said those things, she never abandoned me. She didn't give up on me and throw me aside like I thought she would. Toy Cesta...

She is my savior. The person who I can give my life for without a second thought, and the one who tore me from that dark place.

When I was assigned to B-Rank, she looked a bit disappointed. "You know, you could've aimed higher, right? I mean, your ability is one of the strongest this world will ever get to see. You're a paradox compared to everyone else." But, I could only tell her how I really felt. 

"Sister," A name that I can only call her when we are alone, "I could never outshine you, who tore me from a dark place. If you are ranked A, then I will be ranked B. If you are ranked S, then I will be ranked A. No matter what, I will follow just behind you, content in the warmth of your shadow." Perhaps those aren't the words that she wanted to hear, but she didn't protest. She only frowned a bit, for such a short moment, she might've thought that I hadn't noticed.

It's impossible for me not to notice the discomfort in the face of the woman who I stare at every day. I was so confused when she told me that she'd taken interest in someone. "That girl is special, I can tell. Mother probably has something to do with it." I should've paid more attention to her words, but I was lost in thought about the interest she'd taken. Sister took an interest in everything, but for her to go as far as to tell me to watch over this 'Roshia' girl? She's trying to take my sister away from me! That wench seduced her, I know it!

My hatred built up until I saw her for the first time in the hospital. I didn't say too much to her, but something about her did feel... strange.

I decided to leave her alone and take out my anger on that swordsman boy. He's too enthusiastic, so I should beat some composure into him. All of the swordsmen who I've seen with his personality always end up dying young. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for someone like that in my team.

Then, I saw her the day later. She looked adorable in our uniform! This Roshia girl is fun to play with as well! I used my ability to tickle her in some places, but I can't go too far with my teasing. Sister's interest in her must not be sexual, though. She has never been the kind of person to strip the innocence from a person... I think.

When we got split up from Roshia and Lulu, I was responsible for keeping everyone safe, but this dungeon wasn't ordinary. I don't know what kind of dungeon it is, but it clearly isn't normal. As far as I'm concerned, there aren't a lot of things in this dungeon that can be described as 'normal', it's like it's been taken over. The compensation for slaying a monster in this dungeon, even for the weaklings, is remarkably low. And they just keep coming to us, an endless wave of fodder that'll overwhelm us eventually.

Just when I was thinking of using my ability to level the area, I got a message from Lulu as well as an arrow appearing in my vision. It was a simple 'SOS'. The arrow in my vision was clearly Lulu's ability, guiding me in a specific direction. But, the distance between us was unordinary. While I could probably get there in a few seconds, the distance continued to rapidly grow further and further. The location they were in was moving! I don't get it myself, but I don't have much time to look into it either. Although I now have a good idea of what's going on...

Then I saw it. Using my ability to drag everyone with me through what appears to be a spatial barrier, for only a moment I witness the white aura around that girl, Roshia. Standing in the clearing, she looks like she's been fighting for a long time, but is still standing with just enough energy to keep fighting a little longer. By just looking at her, I can see how much she's grown. 10? No, maybe 20 levels? 

I could barely estimate how much she'd grown in this short span of time. But one thing was clear, Tulod, Zaiden, Jade — she'd surpassed all of them in 20 minutes. Is this what my sister saw? Yes, I can fully understand now — this girl is completely extraordinary. She's like us.

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The lightning strikes down on top of the Shaman as Alice stands in the air, continuing to hold her arm up at the sky, as though she were daring the heavens to stop her. The dust settled, sparks rushing through the air following the assault on the Abysmal Shaman.

"You're finally ready to get serious?" Alice spoke down to the Shaman who was now revealed to be on the ground, his hand raised in front of him. A magical barrier was created between him and the attacks. "He could withstand that?!" Jade shouted out in disbelief, of course, this thing wouldn't be such a threat if he were helplessly defeated by an S-Rank. 

The Shaman rises into the air again, appearing unbothered by the attacks that'd bombarded him previously. I don't know what it is, but something's telling me that we need to make some distance. Tulod got the same idea as me, it seems. "We should move away from here, if those two start throwing nukes at one another, we'll die in the crossfire!"

Thank goodness Tulod is always a reasonable person! I don't want to stick around and find out the power that these two have been hiding! "Great idea!" I hear come from behind us. When I turn around, the usually stoic Zaiden has already run halfway up the hill that leads to the clearing. This is too much, even for him. 

While we run, the two powerhouses behind us begin to duke it out for the second time. I guess Alice won the first round, but I don't think this will stop with just one. Blinding lights shine throughout the entire dungeon, seen by any living being that existed inside of it.

"Typical tricks like those shards won't work on you, will they? I'll have to amp things up." The mere aura around the two was enough to overwhelm anyone who got close to the point of death, they were in a world of their own. The hands of the Shaman clap together in front of him, increasing the temperature around the two combatants. No, the entire dungeon is beginning to heat up! Around him, a fiery aura is created as the flameless heat is shot toward Alice.

Alice raises her hand in front of herself, seeming unfazed by the attack. "This is new..." Her tone is a lot more try compared to usual. Alice who seemed childish and overly eccentric when speaking about Toy now seems like a cold-hearted killer! "This was meant to burn me, right?" Alice asks curiously, starting to descend down towards the Shaman who looks startled by how calm she is, despite the attack!

"So, you possess a powerful defensive skill, do you? I didn't take that into account, a foolish blunder!" Clapping his hands in front of himself again, the heat of the dungeon only grows hotter while he prepares his newest attack. Spears constructed by mana begin to form around him, his hands raising just beneath the first two that were closest to him. "These are [Soul Splitting Spears], the moment that they hit you, they will damage not only your body but your soul as well!" 

Without wasting any more time, the Shaman unleashes the barrage of spears upon the approaching Alice who seems a bit more concerned by these attacks, her teeth gritting together for a moment. Maneuvering through the air, Alice is careful not to let herself be hit by the spears, swiftly moving around them at a speed greater than what most of us can keep track of. 

"That gave me a bit of a rush..." In that same dry tone, Alice watches the remaining spears fly by. "You're going to be annoying if I let you stay far away, aren't you?" Her feet land on an invisible platform, the sound of her feet touching the ground actually being made. She violently pushes herself off of the platform, commencing a burst in the direction of the Shaman who begins to laugh like a maniac. "You're approaching me so carelessly! Foolish girl!" Without clapping his hands, spears begin to form all around Alice, further away from him than before. "So your range can increase," Alice fairly deduces, keeping her eyes locked on the Shaman.

In the realm of the powerful, detection skills and automatic defense skills are common. The reason why neither of them are using their basic skills is because they can both acknowledge one another as strong! There is no point using the likes of 'Fireball' on a person who cannot be hurt by it. Both of them share the same level of complexity in their abilities. I don't know what the Shaman can do, but in my eyes, Alice's ability lets her do practically anything!

Then, Alice vanishes from within the Shaman's trap. The distance between the two of them was closed in an instant as she appears in front of him. When you can use magical abilities effortlessly and shoot lightning out at a person, the last thing you'd expect is for a punch to be thrown. Somehow, that is precisely what Alice does, though! 

Alice's fist smashes into the celestial face of the Shaman, sending him flying back. However, it is not without a consequence.

Slashes rush up Alice's arm that touched the Shaman's face. He must've had some sort of countermeasure to inflict damage on anything that comes into physical contact with him. "This is a serious pain." Alice is obviously irritated, but I watch as her wounds begin to disappear one after the other. "But this still isn't enough to beat me, you know?" Alice's words were brimming with confidence.

"Do you think that you can talk down on me over a few hits? You're an abnormality, girl. I'll admit that you're strong, but you will never be more powerful than me." The Shaman's words were just as confident. They are both completely confident in their words! But by the end of this, only one person will be left standing.

"I've given you a good sample, girl. Now I'll have you endure true pain!" Beams of light burst to life in the air, hastily slithering in Alice's direction. Alice, completely prepared for an attack, begins to launch herself around the beams as best as she can. "These are beams of light, typically, they do not pack much of a punch as compensation for their speed, but I've imbued a plethora of mana into them! Not only are they fast, but their power is in line with their speed as well!" 

Burns begin to develop on Alice's body as time progresses. Each time she goes to dodge them, she somehow finds herself being struck. It has to be the speed of the beams!

After she successfully evaded the last beam, Alice turns to find the Shaman right beside her face. A fist slammed into her torso, sending her flying down to the ground with the sound of an explosion being heard right after. She hit the ground like a bomb!

Alice is in the middle of getting up when the foot of the Shaman crashes into her chest, burying her deeper into the ground. "Ugh!" She groans, her body drilled deeper into the ground. "This isn't good! I can't process my surroundings!" The deeper Alice descends, the more abnormal the ground becomes. Sand, dirt, gravel, stone, and so many more things begin to become apparent. This was a part of the dungeon that wasn't made to be explored, clearly!

"Come now, what's wrong with your abilities?! Can't use them?!" The gloating Shaman shouts while pushing Alice deeper into the ground. Eventually, Alice's back slams down into some invisible barrier, expunging blood from her mouth as the wind is knocked out of her.

The two combatants fight themselves in a blank space, a void if you will, beneath the dungeon. The dirt and textures lie over their head, contained harshly inside a 'boundary' established. "This..." Alice begins to speak but feels her throat get caught violently, halting her words. For the first time in her life, Alice felt herself being completely dominated in a battle, if only for a moment. With one hand, she was held by the Abysmal Shaman who'd turned the fight around with just one move. 

The Shaman wasn't going to stop at just strangling the girl, though. That'd be far too lenient for someone who dared to step foot before him with so much confidence. She'd struck him with so many attacks, it's only fair that he return the favor to her tenfold! Swiping his arm to the side, he sends Alice flying back up through the earth above them, as far up as needed to have her reach the surface again.

Massive chunks of the ground rocket into the sky alongside Alice, finding that her uniform was becoming more and more damaged as the fight progresses. 

Alice's uniform is a bit different compared to the other uniforms. Hers provided her with much more protection since she'd been around longer than the others. She had time to get her clothes personalized. The same can be said for Lulu and Leopold. Dirt rains down to the ground as Alice finds herself suspended in the air, her blood bumping at a rate she'd never experienced.

"This is too much, Sister," Alice speaks to herself, as though she's expecting some sort of response. This response will never come, though. 

Another fist comes crashing into her head, sending her flying even further into the air. Halfway, the gravity shifts, pulling her up to the ceiling over the group. The dungeon was divided into two segments, and in order to reach the exit those who enter much be able to reach the ceiling for whichever side they're on. Halfway, the ceiling becomes the ground. In other words, Alice and the Shaman were now fighting on the ceiling for all of the spectators!

The Shaman hovers over Alice who's pushing herself out of the ground, something she's become far too comfortable with. "You haven't even noticed it, have you?" The Shaman remarks, chuckling beneath that durable cloak of his. "With every hit that I land on you, your ability becomes more and more unstable — I'm destroying your ability!" 

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In a dilemma where someone should feel distressed, a spark is lit in Alice's eyes. "She's had a revelation," Leopold comments, monitoring the battle from afar.

━━━━And without warning, all things pause.

Even the Shaman finds himself stuck in place, clueless about the events that led up to this. My body can't move either, in fact, I can't breathe! The air, everything's stopped! Everything's stopped but I still need to breathe! I can't force my body to breathe nor will the air move on its own! What is this?! It's like when you forget to breathe in your sleep, waking up and struggling to get a breath!

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Rising to her feet, at the place that Alice once was, there now stood a woman with fiery red hair, staring up at the Abysmal Shaman. "You," Tapping her foot against the ground, Alice rises up to the face of the Abysmal Shaman. She places her hand on the celestial darkness that made up the Shaman's face with a serene look in her eyes, unbefitting of someone who'd just been thrown back and forth across the battlefield.

"You talk way too much." Alice was finally granted enough time to put the plan that she'd been thinking of into action. "You've explained your ability, so I should explain mine, shouldn't I?" The Shaman could not move, but he could certainly understand and see everything. 

Floating up into the air, Alice drags the Shaman by his face, taking her sweet time to explain. She's too far for anyone besides the Shaman to hear, though. "My ability is [Cause and Effect]. Do you understand, Shaman?" Stopping for just a moment, her face became unbearably close to the Shaman's. A smug grin begins to form on her face, a shadow casting over her eyes. 

"No, I know that you don't. No one has ever been able to fully understand since I don't actually tell them. You'll be sleeping soon, forever. As a bedtime story, I'll tell you the tale of this wonderful ability of mine." She doesn't bother to hide the sarcasm and condescending tone in her words and continues to pull the Shaman up until they get to the "turning point" in the air. The Axis.

"There is a cause and effect for all things. If I stabbed you with a dagger, for instance, the cause of your injury would be from stabbing, the effect would be pain and bleeding, right?" The Shaman finds himself being held by the head, in front of Alice. Her cold eyes glare in his direction. There is an unexplainable pain coursing through his body, one that he can only think of while in pain.

"As long as I can understand the basics of what something is and what it can do, how it works, and what can be changed — I can change it. I can change the effects by altering their causes. You told me about your spears and what they could do, so I used that info to change their effects. The effect was simple — by exiting, the cause could not harm me." At some point, the spears had failed to actually strike Alice. This must be the reason why!

While the explanation of her ability was great in clearing up some confusion, it didn't help to explain how she managed to stop everything in the Dungeon.

Alice, the generous person that she is, decided to go about explaining it in the most simple way possible.

"I've essentially slowed the flow of time inside of this dungeon, but your body already looks like it's trying to hold itself together. You're going to be pushed and pulled all at the same time; your body is going to be torn apart from the inside out." A devious plan, but an effective one. If the two of them continued to fight for much longer, Alice might've either died or the two of them would be at an ultimate standstill. 

Changing the cause and effect of the space around her — while it doesn't make much sense — was well within her abilities.

This power of hers was completely broken! You expect me to believe that there's someone out there more powerful than her?! How could you even go about countering this ability other than not letting her know what your power is?! Why's she so powerful?

By all means, the Shaman was winning the battle up until this point! He turned the tide of the battle with a few simple plays, so how'd we end up here?! Don't skills have limitations?! Was this... not a skill? That shouldn't be possible for a person. It must be the Shaman's own fault that he's fallen victim to the ability.

The Shaman is wise but is undoubtedly overconfident as a downside. His knowledge of the world goes beyond the average mortal being's. There may be entities who are smarter than him, but none of them exist in this dungeon. 

While Roshia was unable to move, something appeared in front of her, a notice that didn't make sense.

✦ The [Abysmal Shaman] has been slain by [The Fragment]! ✦

✦ Due to the slaying of the [Abysmal Shaman] and reaching [Level 10], the quest [Awaken the Siblings] is completed! ✦

This didn't make sense, the Shaman from what anyone could tell was still alive! Sure, he apparently couldn't speak, but it makes no sense for the Shaman to die all of a sudden, without warning! 

Wait a second, Alice was holding the Shaman out at the place where everything flipped upside down, wasn't she? Then—

Finally, Alice's ability comes to an end. "You seemed like a big shot, so I shouldn't have killed you so easily." In Alice's hand, the Shaman didn't even get a word out before his body contorted grossly! His arms twisted in, the cloak overlapping, drawing out purple blood from beneath his cloak. It was for barely a second, but to the Shaman, this second felt like an eternity.

This wasn't due to any ability. The logic behind it was missing, but the second that it took for his body to become completely crushed and pulled into nothingness like he'd been sucked through the event horizon, a result of the dungeon's existence. "You—!" It sounded like the Shaman wanted to complain, but there was no time. Between his blood sprinkling down to the ground and Alice keeping him in what worked as a black hole to tear his body apart.

"You— are mere fragment—!" The pieces of the Shaman that were now absorbed into the axis become divided, up until only his hooded head remained. "Oooh." Alice drags out, coming to a realization. "That was your entire body, wasn't it?" Chuckling at the realization, Alice can't help but be amused. "So this hood is a part of your head too. Maybe hair?" Shrugging, Alice decides to finish this prolonged confrontation.

Inching the head a bit closer, the battle ends with cracks appearing on the cosmic cover that appeared as his head. And then, it completely shattered. "RRAAAAGHHHHH!" The head of the Shaman scatters around in pieces of fragments, a shockwave erupting throughout the dungeon that left the terrain shifting violently.

Deeper into the forest, further away from the battle, the party of Awakeners are escaping from the casualty that is soon to surpass the land.

The wind chimes discourteously against the staggering trees, daring to shove them from their roots. A delicate breeze brushes past the group of Awakeners, the calm before the storm. 

The trembling of the ground cannot be ignored, nor can the flash of white, which overtakes the vision of all life in the dungeon, blinding even those who weren't observing. When their vision returns, turning in the direction of where the battle reached its climax, there was a once-in-a-lifetime display set before them. 

An ethereal light, mixed with countless, beautiful colors overtakes the sky. A sight that you can only imagine through photo editing, the wallpapers you'd find online. So kindly, this view was offered to the Awakeners who'd managed to survive the event that was not for them.

. . . 

This did not include Roshia Qinlen, who found herself in a white void, floating in the air. 

"Now that I think about it, I don't think the penalty for refusing to fight the Shaman was death..." I open my eyes to find myself in a particular space, one that feels so familiar but foreign. "So, where am I, Anaphiel?" Floating in the sky above her, Anaphiel is biting on her fingers, staring down at her with a worried look on her face.

"I... I can't tell you that." Anaphiel answers, attempting to hide the discomfort beside her words. It looked like she was reclining on air, her arm held beneath her chest, one leg crossed over the other. "I just need to ask you something," Slowly getting to the point it seems.

Anaphiel continues, "How many times have you died, Roshia?" Anaphiel's eyes shine briefly. Why was she even bothering to ask me a question with such an obvious answer?

I've only died once, it's because of my great luck that I've managed to survive this long after all. 

"Twice." I answer tr-

Before my thought can even finish, I feel sweat running down my face. I must've misspoken, let me try that again.

"Twice." I definitely said once, didn't I? That's the only thing on my mind. I don't recall ever dying more than once, nor could I have died just now when the battle ended! The Shaman was dead!

Anaphiel sees the concern in my eyes and hesitantly gives me the explanation that I was hoping I wouldn't need. "Roshia, just now, you died."

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