Chapter 309 Back in the Demon Continent, again?
Isadora Interlude Arc
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(POV: Akashic Records)
Isadora stumbled and stumbled, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the Abyssal Heights of Hell.
Despite the painstaking efforts she had put into fortifying the concealment rune over the past month, she knew it wouldn't be enough to elude Vyndariel.
In the case of high-level existences, they possessed an uncanny skill known as [World Acuity], capable of seeing through even the most skilled concealments, due to the fact that it can "sense" all that the world has to offer.
But that didn't stop Isadora from running.
She would run until her legs gave out.
Her only luck was that [World Acuity] functioned on different levels depending on experience in use of the skill and also the entity using it.
Breathless and weary, she pushed herself onward until a cruel twist of fate sent her careening to the ground. A misplaced rock, a fleeting misstep, and Isadora tumbled down a sheer cliff face. The snap of her leg caused her body contorted in agony. Pain shot through her every nerve, and an anguished scream escaped her lips. Her descent halted abruptly as her broken form collided with the very rocky ground below.
At the foot of the cliff, she had two painfully twisted arms, a snapped neck and a shattered leg.
Even with her regenerative capabilities, death seemed an inevitable outcome.
...
Yet, to her surprise, Isadora's eyes slowly opened, only to find herself face to face with a young man.
Curly ivory hair, blue eyes, smooth vanilla-colored skin and a calm expression.
He hovered above her, his breath warm upon her cheeks.
Their proximity was unnerving, but a gentle smile spread across his face as he greeted her.
"Oh, you're finally awake," he said.
Isadora, bewildered and disoriented, immediately voiced out her confusion.
"Well... This is an odd way to greet someone you don't know," she replied.
Normally, a good number of people would jump in fear, but for Isadora, her case was different. She was more uncomfortable than scared.
Suddenly realizing his closeness, the young man hastily drew back, putting some distance between them.
"I apologize," he stammered. "I was just worried you wouldn't wake up anytime soon. My intentions were only to help."
Isadora's brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the situation.
"I don't understand," she murmured.
But almost immediately, Isadora's memories flooded back, reminding her of the massive cliff dive she took earlier.
She frantically searched her body for any signs of injuries or broken bones, only to find them miraculously healed.
A gasp escaped her lips as she realized she was whole and unharmed.
"But how... How is this possible?" she whispered to herself.
Her thoughts raced, and a new realization hit her like a thunderclap.
Isadora abruptly leaped off the bed, startling the young man who had been watching over her.
"Is something wrong?" he asked with genuine concern.
Without wasting a moment, Isadora blurted out her fears.
"This is the Abyssal Heights, isn't it? Vyndariel must've already found me!"
The young man was lost. "No... Eh..." he tried to reach out to her.
Isadora jumped back even more.
"SYAY BACK! DON'T YOU DARE TAKE ANOTHER STEP! I'll burn myself, burn everyone and everything here! I don't care anymore!"
Her voice trembled with desperation.
The young man's eyes widened with alarm as he instinctively held out his hands, trying to calm her down.
"No, no! You've got it all wrong!" he exclaimed, desperately trying to make himself heard.
Their problem was communication.
Isadora was to quick to act when she received an information and the young man was a little too slow when giving information.
"I don't know who this Vyndariel is or what the Abyssal Heights are, but we're in the Shagura Region of the Demon Continent!"
Isadora froze, she was completely. "Wait, what? What's really going on here?" she demanded.
She had every reason to believe him.. Aside from the fact that the entire place felt nothing like the Abyssal Heights, she'd never seen anyone who looked like this young man before. Just mere looking at him, and she could tell that he wasn't a a denizen of the Abyssal Heights.
Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, the young man sheepishly replied, "I wish you'd started with that question."
"..."
There was no response from Isadora.
"..."
And soon after, there was no response from him either.
Getting slightly frustrated, Isadora swallowed down her pride and then told him, "Alright, I'm sorry... I shouldn't make baseless accusations, it's just I was being cautious, it's not like I know who you are..."
The young man smiled after hearing her apologize.
"It's fine..." he kept smiling. "All I know is that I found you injured and brought you here, to my territory."
Isadora became just slightly curious. "Hm? Your territory...?"
"Uh yeah, the Berijin Territory..."
After hearing that he was the one who brought her from the foot of the cliff she collapsed at, all the way here, Isadora sighed. She felt somewhat guilty for her outburst. "Again, I'm really sorry," she murmured. "Can we start over? I'm Leya, by the way."
The young man's eyes softened, and a relieved smile tugged at his lips. "I'm Belram Berijin," he introduced himself. "Now that we've got that settled, how about you sit down and I'll explain any other thing that I can remember."
After their initial introductions, Isadora and Belram began exchanging information. Belram revealed that he was the demon lord of this territory, responsible for overseeing and protecting his domain. He explained that while conducting his usual daily sweep of his territory, he stumbled upon Isadora at the foot of a cliff just outside their borders. At first, Belram assumed she was dead, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that she'd been utilizing a concealment rune, which suppressed her natural regenerative abilities as a demon.
As soon as Belram divulged this information, Isadora's reaction was immediate and intense.
She let out a sharp shout.
"N... NO! You shouldn't have taken off my rune...!"
Now, they'll find me, she thought.
Seeing how tense she was already getting, Belram sought to reassure her.
He informed Isadora that there was a powerful spatial distortion barrier encompassing the entire territory. This magical barrier had the unique ability to scramble the senses of even the most astute magical trackers, rendering them unable to detect their presence. Within the confines of this protective barrier, they'd be safe from any outside threats.
It also had an extra feature in which the spatial barrier bent space around it making the territory invisible to outsiders.
"Wait, you can really do that?"
"Of course," Belram smiled proudly, nodding gently.
Then, Isadora rubbed her chin. "Well honestly, that might just be better than my concealment rune..."
"That's the perk of [Spatial Magic] heh~"
Isadora's expression softened as she processed everything.
She really was... Safe.
"Oh, I... I see," she muttered.
Belram hesitated for a moment, however he went ahead in the end.
"I know it's not in my place to ask, but why exactly were you running on a cliff?"
Isadora's gaze shifted to the side, her demeanor changing. With a subtle change in tone, she replied, "It's... it's not important."
Belram, respecting her wish for privacy, nodded understandingly.
"O... Okay," he said with a gentle and supportive voice. "I won't press any further. Just know that you're safe here."
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