Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 54: The Birth of a Demon II

Duke Garel had be frowning for months at the news of a child invading his domain. It was not something that had be done since Blue Cosmos had bombed his home decades ago, leaving nothing but wreckage in their wake. He had learned a lesson of ignorance th. One he felt he failed to instill in the new geration.

To leave a dungeon unattded, ev the weakest amongst House Aros assets, was undoubtedly a crime in itself, one he saw as a failure on not just his part but the tire family. But today, he was frowning for a new reason with the rare evolution of a dungeon that hasn't happed in over sev decades.

And as time progressed, the edges of his lips continued to droop as he stared through Tainia's eyes using the NAV towards the monstrosity that had laid dormant in the Serpt's Outreach. His fingers clched over his desk, alerting him to the dangers of the unknown.

"How did we miss this..." The Duke demanded.

Viscountess Maylar pressed her palm over his shoulder to calm his turbult emotions. "Red Dungeons bring about changes we can't imagine. This is one of them, my Lord."

"She right, Sire." The Master of Swords affirmed. "And it's not like we have capable m with experice to search this dungeon. Most of the m within the Outreach were slaves." he sighed. " Perhaps that was our mistake."

"Perhaps," Maylar said. "But there is no use reflecting over spilled milk. What's done is done."

"Aye." The Duke whispered, relaxing his palm beath the Viscountess's grip. He leaned back into his chair with a deep sigh fluttering over his fiery beard. "That kid got us. We were so hasty we forgot he was a normal kid."

"Normal is putting it lightly." The Master of swords rebutted. "Look at the wounds on the beast. Most of that damage was not done by our people."

The Viscountess scuffed. " Surely you don't believe Altair did it? That is utter nonsse."

"Is it?" Said the Master of Swords, closing his eyes. "Th tell me what could have caused it? Another beast? Do those scars seem like a Monster caused them?"

Viscountess seethed where she stood. "It's still far fetch. Really far fetch."

"As far fetch as your son receiving aid from a God?" The Master of Swords asked, arching a smile. "Or is it—"

"Enough." The Duke commanded, his atttion focussing on the intse battle. His voice turned hard. "This is not the time. Right now, we have a couple of assets in danger. Assets we've trained since birth. How long does it take to raise one such as Dillian?

A few hundred thousand? Have them re—"

His words came to a swift, heavy halt at the movemt of Tania's two fingers. He nearly rose through his feet at the scarlet arcs of lightning that traced her fingers. Fear coiled like a vicious snake on his heart as sweat dripped from his brow down his neck.

"Infernal Lightning," She said.

Everything had happed so fast from the instance that the slippery arc of death left her fingers from the shockwave that turned the Black Scorge member beside her to a mist with the shockwave alone. To the beam of light that tore a hole the size of a cannonball through the chimera's chest.

"Aidios!!" The Master of Swords blurted out.

A/N: Aidios is an Angel of Heav, which means eternal

"What manner of God blessed her with... this." The Viscountess blurted out. "No... What's going on? First Laros now... Tania, of all things? A low-grade asset is receiving aid from a god!"

...

...

...

Black Ooze drched the snow, leaving only the whimper of the Chimera to echo its cry beath the moon's glow.

Dillian turned his head to Tania, shell-shocked at what happed, and his mind wt blank at the deformity before his eyes. As if her arm had be inverted, gaining tumor-shaped masses throughout her right arm carrying elongated purple veins sprawled about. A desperate cry drched his spine with cold sweat. No longer did Tania look remotely human but rather an abomination.

"CUT IT OFF, CUT IT OFF!!!" She howled, flailing back and forth like a mad demon. "PLEASE!!!" She begged, bleeding from every orifice. "Please. Please!"

"How fun... I really got two birds with one stone." A child-like voice echoed through the battlefield, colder than a winter's breeze billowing against their flesh. Altair stepped out with Reina by his side, smiling. "Infernal Lightning sure does pack a price, doesn't it." He shook his head, approaching the Chimera, whimpering without strgth.

He looked at the only two left.."Are you two here to bring me back?"

"...why," Dillian whispered, staggering backward to Tania. Blow leaked from his mouth as his overtaxed body began to break down with a heavy backlash.

"AAAAHH~~"

"Bro... stay alive... One more time. I promise I'll kill you with this next swing. Oops... One more time."

Carving through Dillian till only shredded meat and the scarlet glow of the system notification remained. Altair sighed angrily.

[Dillian Aros Felled. Exp Gained]

[Circle of Gluttony Has Devoured Soul of Drillian Aros]

[Soul Storage: /]

[Slave Knight Kirr, Soul Absorption 8 days remaining]

[Dillian Aros, Soul Absorption 4 days remaining]

"Looks like I'll need some major practice. Thankfully, there is another here." The Prince giggled innoctly, his smile wet with blood. He turned to Tania and stepped to her. The dark moon blade trailed after him like a loyal knight, hovering through the air with a soft hum.

He stared at the brok girl, bearin' no gleam of humanity a child should wield. "Are they watching?" He asked, bding down to her spasaming expression. He pointed to her dilated pupils. "I hope they are."

"Kill me~" Tania pleaded, lost in the cruel backlash Archeon had not told her about.

"Nope." The Prince said, startling everyone watching. He laughed. "Nothing to gain killing you now." He leaned close, his scarlet eye gleaming a chilling insight. "You made a deal, didn't you? I wonder what god you prayed to."

Tania shuddered, the icy winds petrating her bones, leaving only a numbness that burned like fire. She clched her teeth. Wh, without rhyme or reason, Altair stabbed his sword through her deformed arm, watching as she squealed like a pig.

"Give me a name." He said, gorging his sword through the base of her palm. Puss and the same black ooze within the Chimera gushed out, drching the land with sin as she howled.

[Divine being, 'Titan Fall' frowns at your cruelty.]

[Divine being, 'She Who Hunts' is impressed.]

The Prince twisted his blade through her palm, trching his tunic with tainted blood. He stared at her, not losing his smile as slowly but surely the young man began to peel the young woman apart. From the skin on her arm to the very fingers she held till only her desolate whimpers for mercy echoed beath the moon.

"Archeon... Archeon...," She cried, over and over.

"Good." The Prince said, his voice now gtle as a lover. He wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked up with cloudy eyes. "Good job.Good Job. Now sleep for wh you wake. A new hell will await you. One where only Madness exists."

[Divine Sin, Archeon roils with laughter upon his Throne of Brimstone.]

****

Name: Altair

Mana Circle: [Second Circle .%]

Class: Young Prince Lv 5 [First Awaking]

Strgth:

Dexterity:4

Constitution:4--> 6

Wisdom: -->4

Charisma: -->4

Mana: 7