Chapter 28: Chapter 24 – The Knights of Aris (4)

I stare at Ascelin, who just idly stands in my space. I'm certain that I have not died, since it informed me when I died before. I've not yet been given a notification announcing my death. 

 

"You're Ascelin, aren't you?" I take the initiative to speak to him; he quietly stares at me in response.

 

I awkwardly rub the back of my head. "I guess I shouldn't ask obvious questions, sorry. Why are you in my soul? It should be impossible for anyone besides Anaphiel to enter this place as far as I'm concerned." Anaphiel is usually here to meet me when I die, she always meets me. I'm beginning to wonder what happened to her, this is a point where she'd usually make her appearance. Did something happen to her?

 

Ascelin finally speaks to me. "Anaphiel..."

 

"You've seen my memories, you know about her, don't you?" 

 

I'm stuck on what to think about Anaphiel after seeing that memory. I don't know what she did to Ascelin, but it looks like it turned him into a dungeon boss. Maybe she turned the entire world into a dungeon. Ascelin gives me a bit of an explanation, "You are the first person to meet me since the fall of Aria—since I was betrayed by Aris."

 

His words force me to feel a bit depressed. His memories were not my own, but I still sympathized with him. He was an innocent, selfless man who remained loyal to a scummy woman until the very end of his life. He gave his heart to someone who did not deserve it and suffered the consequences for it. He saw mankind grow and saw their end in this world—he'd witnessed the end of mankind at the hands of their own protector. 

 

"As for why I'm in your soul; it's because your soul is specifically designed to house existences. That is the only explanation I can think of."  Ascelin's said something that is very easy for him to understand, but not for me. Tilting my head in confusion, my brain is overheating just trying to understand. "You've used up your capacity, you shouldn't think too hard." Again, he's said something that I just can't understand.

 

"During our battle, although I was holding myself back, you were able to dodge attacks that should've damaged you. You possess something special, a special trait that you should not have. Your mind is not your own, and you possess a special soul—I've only heard of one other person who has the same kind as you."

 

As if he finally remembered an important detail (that should've been given to me sooner), Ascelin explains the meaning of 'capacity'. "Your 'capacity' is how much information you can consume before whatever took control of you gets irritated." 

 

I decide to ask a few more questions, "Who's the other person with this kind of soul?" If there is someone else like me, this can become troublesome. I'd hate to fight myself, although, if I become even a tad bit stronger, I don't think defeating my current self would be an issue.

 

"I do not remember her name, honestly. She is a young child with white hair—she's existed since before I was born. There would be stories about her in Aria, a woman with pure white hair. It is believed that she is the embodiment of a concept, a fragment left behind by the creator of all things. I do not know what to make of these theories, since even with my abilities, I could never find such a person. One of my allies met her, and what they said was concerning." Ascelin explains, striding about the space carelessly.

 

"What did they say about her?" A woman with white hair sounds familiar to me. Khuran mentioned a woman with white hair, I believe that I've considered avoiding this woman in the past as well.

 

Taking a moment to think, it's like Ascelin is hesitant to reveal this to me. 'If you're going to invade my soul, at least cooperate a little.'

 

"They said the following: 'If you ever meet her, don't you dare blink. If you feel yourself begin to falter, leave as quickly as you can. I do not believe that Goddess Aris can bring you back from the death that awaits when encountering her.'" I feel a cold breeze run through my vast soul, unsettled by this statement. Someone who a Knight was frightened by? Someone whose ability exceeded the power granted by Aris? This person couldn't be the same one from my world. Someone that powerful shouldn't exist.

 

"How did you end up in my soul? I didn't know I had an ability that messed with things to this degree." Besides the fact that Ascelin was supposedly holding back in that battle, my aim is to gain more details about myself. From what I can understand, Anaphiel and Ascelin share some kind of connection. Artemis and Apollo know something about Ascelin that they're refusing to tell me. "Maybe I should do some bonding with them..."

 

"What?" Ascelin tilts his head. I didn't even notice that I'd been speaking out loud again. That's a terrible habit that I need to work on.

 

"Nothing, sorry. I have a habit of thinking out loud." I wave my hand, waiting for him to explain.

 

Ascelin stares at me for a while, eventually shaking his head and moving on to his explanation. "Your soul can effectively contain anything. The issue is that you don't know how to properly absorb anything into your soul. When you sealed the chains that bound my soul, they became connected to your soul, much like Artemis and Apollo." I stop him there.

 

"How do you know about Artemis and Apollo...?" Artemis and Apollo, the two twins who have supposedly given their lives to me and have become one with me, did not tell me how they knew about Ascelin. I need to know what the connection between them is.

 

Ascelin takes a moment before he answers. "...I cannot tell you. As much as I'd like to tell you, I can't—even if I am in your soul, you are not powerful enough to resist its influence. You'll be killed."  So, I'm left back at square one again. I've gathered important details, but not enough to help me understand what the hell is going on.

 

I don't even know what I'm aiming for. What will I do once I discover whatever secret is lurking behind this world? Will I just go and kill everybody who did something wrong in the past? Why am I going this far? 

 

If I had no choice but to answer myself, the only logical answer I can think of is that I'll have fun along the way. I'll get stronger, I'll meet more people, and I'll have more fun. Life is like a game to me right now, to someone who cannot die.

 

"Tell me something that I should know then, tell me everything important right now. Lay it all out, anything you can give me." 

 

I cannot see if Ascelin is smiling, but I can feel that he is. "Very well, I will go over everything important just once, so listen carefully."

 

What followed was a lengthy explanation that hurt my fragile mind, despite how simple the details were.

 

• "Right now, you have over a thousand souls residing inside of yourself. Whenever you kill someone, you should be able to absorb their soul into your own. You haven't mastered your ability yet, so you only have my soul which is connecting you to the others."

 

• "If you take all of the details I've given you and my memories into consideration, you should understand that around your world, there are monsters who were once people. The Abysmal Shaman that you faced in your past life is one of them, the strongest of them."

 

• "You and I are connected now. Your memories, your emotions, your experiences... I, as well as every soul we share, will be aware of these things. There is no need to try to hide things from us."

 

• "Finally, I refuse to disclose any further information to you. Not until you are truly prepared to begin the real journey. You've been granted a fraction of my power, but you have not been given all of them. You haven't completely killed me, nor have you fully integrated me with your soul."

 

I scrunch my brows, questioning what methods of torture I could use to get Ascelin to disclose some more details.

 

"I know what you're thinking, you brat!" After hearing Ascelin's words, my body becomes weaker. My vision blurs, something that I didn't know was possible in my own soul. "Good, we're out of time. I didn't want to overwhelm you too much."

 

'Speak for yourself, you fucker. I'm already overwhelmed as is.'

 

"We'll meet again once you're ready—or the next time you die. A word of advice, be careful near those dungeons. Now that I am finally freed from my chains, my abilities are starting to function properly. I can tell you this much; a story is being written, and you're not in the body of the protagonist yet!" 

 

Halfway through his sentence, Ascelin's words become distant, quieter. I'm returning back to the real world.

 

---

 

❰ Day 7. ❱ 

 

I slowly regain my consciousness, though I am not greeted by the comforting warmth of a pillow and blanket. I'm instead met with what is similar to the backseat on a rocky road. My body is bouncing harshly as I am carried over the shoulder of a figure who I can make out as Malison.

 

"P...!" In my attempt at speaking, I fail to stop myself from vomiting down onto the ground as Malison runs at full speed.

 

"Quiet, I need to focus!" Malison's words aren't enough to snap me out of the daze I'm in. My head feels like it can collapse into two pieces at any moment.

 

When I finally gather myself, I feel like I'm going to vomit again. This time, my sickness does not come from the splitting headache I'm feeling, but instead from what is behind us. 

 

Something unexplainable—an existence that my brain cannot fathom. I glimpse at it, I only glimpse at the bottom of the fallen canvas that was once the sky. Something beyond my comprehension peaks out behind it, and if it were not for Malison's sharp turn, I might've been looking at it for much longer.

 

"What the fuck is going on?!" By the time I snap out of my trance, we've reached the outskirts of the kingdom. We've run a further distance than what should've been possible. Beneath us, there is no floor, there is only a blankness comparable to an incomplete section of a map.

 

Malison is too focused to respond to me. I wouldn't dare look up at the sky above a second time, though, at the corner of my eye, I can see white feathers descending down onto this blank space. "We're almost at the gate! Hang on tight!" I twist my body around to finally see what is ahead of us as Malison sprints with me over her shoulder.

 

A great distance away from us, there is a portal; the same portal that sucked us in before. It is now our ticket out of here.

 

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A feeling of dreadfulness washes over me, compelling me to turn around and witness an event that'd bring tears to the eyes of Ascelin, who I am certain is watching.

 

Aria, the great land that he once protected and knew, was collapsing. The walls, the buildings, the hill that once held the cathedral—they were all met with incomparable destruction. Fading into dust; a cloud of dust that blocked out the battle happening in the sky. 

 

[Guardians] were in the sky, an alarming number of them. There are dozens of them, each of which I can feel from afar. They are each incredibly powerful, and they seem to be facing off against the existence that I could not perceive behind the tear in space.

 

If they focus their attention on us, there's no way we'll get away. I don't know what they're fighting, but it's a second away from breaking into this world and bringing it merging it with nonexistence. An eldritch monster that is even greater than the Abysmal Shaman or Ascelin is lurking outside of this realm. Has such a thing always existed? Is this what Anaphiel meant when she said that there are powerful monsters too powerful for humanity to face? 

 

It is no longer safe for us to be here. I raise my hand into the air, trying to use whatever strength I have left to conjure [Time Manipulation]. Using any energy I'd gathered upon waking up, I was able to skip the time necessary for us to reach the portal. Thus, we were there in an instant. The fate of this world was never in our hands, to begin with, so we leave it to the angels to take care of whatever is trying to run rampant.

 

---

 

❰ The Present.This will be continuing from where Chapter 20 left off! ❱

 

Malison and I lost our minds the moment we returned to the human world. Viewing whatever atrocity was lurking behind the dungeon damaged our consciences, even if we wanted to deny it. It was a fact, and this fact is why our bodies were quick to act on their own.

 

Just like when we'd first entered the dungeon, powerful monsters were lurking around. These were once monsters that we'd rather avoid fighting since they were either too powerful or too troublesome to mess with. Now, a primal hunger surged through the two of us.

 

Before our eyes is a feast of monsters that have been graciously offered to us by the gods above.

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

Luck was not herself. Glaring down at the newcomers below, a sensation comparable to a predatory instinct surfaced. The only thought on her mind was killing them—it'd mean the world to her if every one of them could die.

 

✦ You've achieved [Corruption 10]... ✦
✦ You crazy bastard, how did this happen? ✦
✦ Due to achieving [Corruption 10], you will receive [The Red Mother's Blessing]... ✦
✦ Your growth has been multiplied accordingly. ✦
✦ In accordance with my orders, you will be given a special title: [The Anomaly]. ✦
✦ Artemis and Apollo's [Durability Negation] have been applied to you. ✦

 

'Such abilities are meaningless to me. I am strong enough as it is. I will continue to feast. My feast will remain unhindered—do you understand, system?'

 

[ "...Apologies." ]

 

The system finally speaks! It speaks directly! Though, this may be because of the intruder infesting the minds of the poor teens.

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

Tabitha stares at the scene in disbelief.

 

Throughout the world, 10 minutes before now, a notification was sent out. It announced the defeat of a [War Dungeon]. Everyone immediately knew that it was in Shoyca, but no one knew who was insane enough to take on one of these dungeons. Definitely not one of the [S-Ranks] who openly defied their orders to conquer them. 

 

Tabitha and Forrest were quick to head into the forest the moment they detected Malison and Luck's presence. The announcement could wait, but the two were certain that their unfortunate duo had something to do with it, in spite of how unrealistic the thought was.

 

It's been a week since their kids vanished, this was the final day before she completely levels the island, knowing that they were still alive.

 

And now the two are staring at the darkened shapes that they can barely identify as Malison and Luck. An unexplainable darkness has consumed them.

 

"They feel stronger," Forrest can't contain his smile, rolling his sleeves up in preparation for an impending battle. "They can't even contain their bloodlust," Tabitha responds, drawing a sword from her hip. The two most powerful Awakeners on the island are now preparing to face off against Malison and Luck, who've lost their sense of self since exiting the dungeon.

 

— Sadly, this fight won't happen today.

 

Tabitha and Forrest both collapse down onto their knees, feeling a familiar force dominate the area. The workers accompanying them have already fallen unconscious, while the two problematic teens stare down from the pile of corpses. Something is coming, something that they cannot handle in their current states! Even the corruption in their minds has become wary, but cannot escape.

 

"7 days. For over 100 hours, you've been gone." Even in their current corrupted state, both Luck and Malison felt fear upon hearing the voice. 'This woman should not be here!' Even with their inability to think on their own, they both share the same thought:

 

Tsukiko Tachibana should not be here!

 

The black-haired woman stares at the two for a moment, raising her finger in their direction. Every instinct in their body demands that they move, but their bodies will no longer listen to them.

 

Madam Tachibana opens her mouth to usher a single command...

 

"Kneel."

 

The corpses, the sky, the trees, and the two girls—all things in her line of sight are immediately crushed, compacted down to the ground. Showing mercy to the two girls by not turning them into a pool of blood will suffice, she does not care how rough she is as long as they're still alive.

 

The two cannot even will their bodies to move. Although they should be kneeling, they've truly been brought down to lie on the ground. It's like gravity has focused on them, pinning them down so that they cannot even raise their heads.

 

Under this intense pressure, despite their own great power which was recognized by Tabitha and Forrest, the two quickly fall unconscious.

 

---

 

Somewhere in the world, a woman is sitting down on a rooftop. Her face is shrouded by the darkness of the night sky, in whatever country she is in. The light from her phone allows her white strands of hair to be visible. "Oh? Someone from the Era of Aris has woken up?" There is some form of excitement in her words. 

 

The white-haired woman looks up at the sky, her stellar eyes piercing brighter than any twinkling star lurking in the sky overhead.

 

Behind her, there is another person, one with short red hair. If anyone sees her, they'd immediately recognize her as Toy Cesta, the [A-Rank] Examiner. "You shouldn't get your hopes up so quickly, bitch. You know I won't let you interfere, right?" Her words are harsh, much harsher than any tone she's publicly spoken with.

 

The white-haired woman doesn't bother looking in Toy's direction. She just smiles upon hearing her words. "Do you think you have what it takes to stop me? That's a job that your wicked mother couldn't accomplish, even with her Knights." These words don't get an apparent response from Toy, but one could reckon that she is irritated by this woman's rebuttal.

 

"You're a prodigy unlike any other, Toy Cesta. Though, in comparison to your mother's strongest servant, who I happened to kill—I don't think you're much of a problem." When the woman turns to look in Toy's direction, she offers the red-haired diva the most enraging smirk.

 

The most annoying part about this whole situation is how powerless Toy was. These two were seen as two combatants of the same caliber, but the white-haired woman in front of her was unlike anything this realm could handle. "If you're so much stronger, then I'll close that gap in no time. This is just my warning to you since it was you who played such a major role in our birth." 

 

Soon, Toy disappears into the night sky, presumably teleporting away. This left the white-haired woman alone again, staring out into the night sky.

 

"What a poor girl. She's the one who will inherit Aris's power? I do feel bad for her, though, my sympathy can only be extended so far. As the protagonist of this story, the fate of side characters should not concern me." The woman chuckles to herself but abruptly stops.

 

"I should really stop thinking out loud. It's an awful habit."

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