Chapter 1074: False Hope
Hate.
That was the only emotion in Alice’s mind right now. The unyielding hate and sorrow that came with seeing Renna’s severed head.
With the danger of their job and the risks that come with trying to fight against the things they have, it’s only natural that casualties would arise.
However, even though it was always in the back of her mind, she had always tried to believe that she would be able to avoid such things.
To find a way to resolve things before anything truly went south.
But now that she saw Renna’s head, the reality of the situation finally set in.
The full scale of the accidents that could happen at a moment’s notice.
Death.
Somewhere, across the world, where she couldn’t see, one of her friends could be facing dangers like no other.
Just the thought of that alone...
Alice clenched her teeth.
A ringing echoed in her ear that blocked out all sound. She couldn’t hear Cayla, she couldn’t hear Alyss.
All she could think of was the fact that Renna’s death was her fault.
It was her request that had Renna investigate the Void.
It was her request for Renna to assist with resolving this issue.
It was HER request that put her drinking buddy in the line of danger.
It was HER fault that Renna lost her life.
She killed Renna...
Just as she did with Lilia.
Alice’s lips trembled.
This pain in her chest... This suffocating regret.
"ARGHHHH!!!!"
*RUMBLE!!!
An eruption of energy burst out from Alice’s body as her skin began to crack.
A flood of power like no other erupted as the Doctor was blown back just from the initial impact.
His eyes widened. The corner of his lips curved up as he captured everything he saw and engraved it into his mind.
Within Alice’s body, the different sources of energy started to run rampant.
Her heightened emotions caused the delicate balance to shatter as she was no longer controlling which source took priority.
Right now, as long as one of these sources could give her the power she needed to kill Nyer, she’d be satisfied!
*BANG!!!
Punching the air in front of her, Alice tore a hole through the different realms as her bloodshot eyes glared at Nyer.
"Ah, there she is." Nyer chuckled.
He had his foot on top of Renna’s head while a smirk hung on his lips.
Without care for the plans, Alice transformed two gravestones into a set of dual blades and rushed forward.
Since Void Steps couldn’t be used, there was something else she could do!
Her eyes darted. The connection between the two sides of her realm...
While the modification may cause her to lose speed overall, the finesse and choice of where she ’exits’ had increased!
Void Step Modified!
Alice’s body disappeared as the portal behind her faded.
In the first place, in order to use Void Steps, one would open a small rift between dimensions and use said portal to rapidly propel themselves forward.
Therefore, so long as she substituted the Void Realm with the ’other side’ of her Personal Realm, the same effect should be achieved!
Alice’s body flickered across the battlefield, blinking in and out of existence. Nyer simply closed his eyes and smiled.
There’s no need for him to keep his eyes on her. Regardless of the fancy tricks she wanted to use, she still had to get close for her attacks.
And that includes using her tricky illusions!
While Alice was still dashing through the air, Nyer suddenly whipped his hand to the right.
*BANG!!!
His fist slammed into something invisible as the figures around him faded away.
Alice had actually tried to use her illusions a second time in order to launch a sneak attack on Nyer, but it failed!
Clenching her teeth, Alice tightened her fingers around the weapons as the right sword erupted with a fire like no other.
Primordial Fire!
A gift from Gwen before they parted ways. The authority of a Lord who seeks to take down the sun!
The edges of Alice’s hair turned into fire as the Abyssal Crown above her head was set ablaze.
But she wasn’t done.
Forceful level up!
*RUMBLE!!!
Forced backwards, Nyer quickly dodged some of the sparks as a glimmer of interest could be seen in his eyes.
This was much better than what he had expected!
With the Primordial Flame now forcefully enhanced, even the partial authority she borrowed from Gwen was now reaching the level of the Original!
However...
With the rampaging energy inside her body, adding one more volatile source into the mix was akin to throwing fire into a pile of sparks!
Alice clenched her teeth until blood seeped from the gaps. The cracks spread across her body faster than what her regeneration could handle.
The burning sensation rushed through her veins, breaking down her body piece by piece.
If nothing was done, she’d die before she reached Nyer.
’Not enough!’
Alice refused to fall like this.
Not after causing Renna’s death.
The only thing she could do as an apology for Renna was kill the b*stard who took her life!
Tiamat’s wings ripped through the cracks in Alice’s back before being merged with the primordial flames.
What felt warm turned into a manifestation of malice and destruction.
Deep red and black flames tore through the flesh on her back as slight hints of dragon scales could be seen in patches across Alice’s body.
’She’s still adding more?!’ Gin and Karya looked at one another in disbelief.
At this point, with how much energy Alice was outputting, trying to approach her was practically asking to be destroyed as collateral.
Just the stray strands of energy were enough to make them worry!
"More!" Alice stabbed her left sword down.
This time, a different kind of divinity burst out from her blade.
A merger of Allura and Kaden’s abilities that she had obtained in the past!
A silver light coated her sword, the faint traces of their authority merging into one.
And for a brief moment, nothing happened.
That was until blood started to drip from Alice’s fingers.
Two of Velouria’s authorities mixed with the blood of the successor who could access all three relics, along with the remnants of her divinity.
*BANG!!!
Violet flames cracked through the blade, its form barely holding together as the aura of the Abyss dominated the area.
By this point, Nyer’s smile was uncontrollable.
How long had he walked this long path with no end in sight?
How long had he been wandering in this dark tunnel wishing this was the right direction?
And now, he finally saw a glimmer of light!
"Yes! Control it! Make it yours! Dominate, usurp! Transform your body into a vessel capable of holding the Essence of the Abyss!" Nyer urged her on.
This wasn’t a matter of battle anymore. This was a matter of letting Alice reach the stage he needed for his plans.
Just a little more...
A third sword dropped from above.
This one held the traces of Karya’s authority that formed a link with Alice’s body.
"No..." Nyer frowned.
This wasn’t the direction she should be moving towards.
She shouldn’t be trying to contain the destructive power. Instead, she needed it to reforge her body!
She needed to break and shatter before she could reach perfection!
And yet she’s stopping short?!
Anger filled Nyer’s veins.
So close.
So close and she stopped short!
The cracks around Alice’s body started to mend, retaining the current vessel and simply expanding it to become a larger reservoir for her power. To allow all the energy in her body to have a battlefield big enough for them to rampage without breaking her.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Alice could still feel the pain tearing across her body.
But with the healing factor of the Authority of Life being levelled up by her crown, it had become somewhat manageable.
In this state, she’ll be able to fight for a long time as long as she doesn’t take any heavy damage.
"You don’t understand, do you?" Nyer suddenly spoke.
The glimmer in his eyes disappeared, so did his smile.
The light he saw was snuffed out, and he fell just short.
He had always kept his expectations within reason, to make sure he didn’t dream of the impossible. To ensure that he wouldn’t hope for something clearly beyond reach.
But after seeing Alice’s talent born from her rage, he was blinded by the light and began to hope.
A foolish mistake.
The disappointment that now clouded his heart made itself known through his expression.
He who kept a calm and collected expression was now showing disappointment and disgust.
"You were so... so close. Just one more step was all it took for you to begin a new journey. But I suppose that’s what happens when you commit to a hands-off experiment."
Self-preservation.
That was the thing holding Alice back in his eyes.
She wasn’t willing to die for her desire.
To die for the kill no matter what.
To discard her own wellbeing to carry out her plan.
"It must’ve been Lua who drilled it into you. She’s always been a soft one. Making sure people looked after themselves." He mumbled.
While Allura had benefited Alice’s growth a lot, it had also caused a shift in mentality that would be detrimental to her fate as a vessel.
Therefore...
"So a re-education is required." Nyer tilted his head back and let out a deep sigh.
Perhaps sticking his nose into things right now would cause things to go awry. One must remain as an observer to certain experiments after all. To wait for the right moment before interfering.
However... when the experiment had clearly gone in a direction he did not desire, a correction must be carried out.
With the end of the tunnel being so close, Nyer was going to make this an exception.
He’ll make her deeply understand the reality of the situation.
Should she desire to kill him...
She must do so with the intention of sacrificing everything she has.
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