There is a time when one has to choose between duty and personal desire. That was where Aurora found herself currently at.
Even when Rita was falling right in front of her, Aurora felt powerless to do anything to stop her fall.
It would be easy for Aurora to cast a spell and save Rita but it would mean letting go of the absorbing crystal. And if Aurora let go of it, then the corruption stored inside the crystal would explode.
It would reduce all her effort to zero and the Northern Continent would sink into the abyss.
‘But why does it matter to us? Rita is the important one, right? We should chase after her, or she’ll die. She’s human after all.’
The voice was clear and strong inside Aurora’s mind. It was a mixture of corruption but also her desire to save Rita.
It made Aurora’s will waver and her grip on the crystal lightened for just a second before a familiar voice rang inside her ear.
‘You have to see this ceremony though at all costs. For me.’
The voice was a command that had been cast using magic. The familiar feeling of Rita’s magic snapped Aurora back into focus and caused her to tighten her grip.
She could not let go now. Not after Rita’s words and wishes.
‘I’ll have to trust her to be alive. It’s not like it’s Rita’s first time in the abyss.’
The ceremony was about to be over anyway. Aurora had to only hold on for a little while longer and things would be over for real.
The transparent crystal was already a muddy color. It had done its best to absorb most of the corruption from the surroundings.
And what it could not absorb was being taken in by Aurora inside her. Since she was a major goddess, her divinity could be used to keep it in check.
The snow was raging all over the Northern Republic. Everyone could make out the cloud of reddish-black hanging over the royal palace.
The bluish-green flames were visible to naked eyes and everyone was paying attention to this historic event.
But those who were involved in this mess were quite busy with other things.
Witnesses foretold the horror that went on for hours. The fire did not diminish until the sun rose in the sky and the traces of the icy palace were gone once the fire was subdued.
The only remaining relic that was discovered was an ice-clad body of the Northern princess and a snowy lake.
===========================
Aurora’s body was in a worse condition than she had expected it to be. Her magic and corruption were running on a rampage inside her body and every step was agonizing to her.
And yet, she had to focus on taking a step further. Rita had fallen into the abyss and Aurora had followed after her as soon as she had been able to.
She had been sure she had seen where Rita had fallen but the place Rita should have been was empty.
It was like someone had deliberately moved her away from the main room.
The welcoming aura of the abyss was not soothing to Aurora right now. Rather, the numbness from her overexertion was the main force inside her body.
“RITA! CAN YOU HEAR ME?”
Aurora knew it was a futile effort on her part. Even if Rita could hear her, she would not be in a condition to be able to reply to Aurora.
Aurora would have to be the one to find the redhead first.
Her system beeped and gave Aurora a sense of relief. It had finally traced Rita’s magical aura and it was providing Aurora with a clear path to follow.
The walls of the abyss were cold and reminded Aurora of the Northern Palace in Natasha’s memories. Her current surroundings were influenced by the previous castle.
“Really? Here of all places?”
The place Aurora stood in front of was the throne room. The huge door with the intricate design was important.
But Aurora’s senses told her something else about this room. This was the chamber of the overlooker for the sixth floor of the abyss.
This was a place Aurora had not expected to end up in so early. Should she open the door and go in?
“Pardon my intrusion.”
In the end, the decision was already made up for Aurora. She could not abandon Rita to her fate in the abyss after all.
The chamber was empty when Aurora stepped in and Rita was lying out cold on the floor.
The red-haired girl looked relatively unharmed but Aurora could feel her magic fading away faster than it was being replenished.
Whatever magic Rita had used had been dangerous. Her current inexperienced body had not handled it well.
“Magic source. I need to look for a magic source.”
Aurora quickly accessed the situation and made a swift decision. She needed to find a source to supply Rita magic with external magic.
She could not use her magic due to the amount she had currently left. And then there was the issue of corruption inside her body as well.
It was by pure luck that Aurora found a magic stone nearby with enough complimentary magic to be able to cure Rita right away.
She placed the stone on Rita’s chest and cast the spell. Things certainly were starting to look up again.
“You have to live. Please live and be alright.”
Aurora’s wishes must have reached the magic since it reacted and began healing Rita. it would take some time for Rita to heal up completely but she’ll be out of the danger zone soon.
“I see. An insect managed to crawl inside this chamber. It looks like the Outlooker of this floor was lax. No matter, I shall take care of things in her stead.”
Aurora felt fear tickle her senses. It was a familiar sensation that she had felt before.
This aura, this magic, it felt like the same one Aurora had felt on the train before. It was so overwhelming that it was even making her shiver in fright.
“D-Don’t..”
Aurora placed her body over Rita’s to block the injured red-haired girl but the blue-haired man seemed not interested in Rita.
His glowing golden eyes looked uninterested in anything but he did raise his words and Aurora felt something wet touch her hand.
“Survive if you want to live and I will see you again. And next time, don’t steal from the outlooker’s chamber or you will die by my hands.”
Aurora fell to the ground with her wound bleeding. The last thing she saw was the golden eyes and blue hair of the stranger looking at her with a strange look on his face.
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