!!!!! Pr Credits To Draconis Von BloodTrap Who Constantly Helps With SR chapters, Please take the time to rep him for his work :)
A big thank you to my generous donators for sr especially Jason Webb^^ your support is always helpful.
Hello! i would have released this a bit earlier, but the weather here is crazy hot, and the heat makes me feel tired very quickly, that being said im not late at least :). so im sure some of you have been eager for this chapter, so here it is, enjoy!
p.s i hope i can coerce you guys into posting some comments here regarding if you think the plot for sr has improved somewhat, i know its quite early for a full post but im always looking to see if i am doing well or not.
other then that i hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)
1-chapter title = check
2- thank pr/donators = check.
3- quick message = check.
4- not mess up and post a nasty raw = check
5-double/tripple/quad check everything = check
good to go enjoy!
--------------
Avrin’s eyes opened and he awoke from his short training due to a sudden knock at the door followed by a hoarse voice. “Herth, I'm here to escort you to the Dark Abyss Chasm entrance.” These words filled Avrin with a sudden excitement. Thoughts and plans from the present to the hopeful future came to him.
He stood up and opened the door, seeing a large, brawny man with a few scars on his face. It was Avrin’s first time seeing someone with such a fierce aura.
“I apologize if I kept you waiting.” Avrin spoke respectfully. But the man didn't say anything more and began to walk off while gesturing towards Avrin to follow him. At this time, most students were in class, while the more serious students were training in isolation or seeking personal tutelage. It was not common to see a student slouching around for no good reason.
Avrin, of course, was following the man without speaking a word. This man wasn't talkative, and Avrin had no reason to strike up a conversation. They left the main dorm building and began to head towards another at the far end of the school grounds.
Avrin kept an eye out. He had been told earlier that the headmaster planned to upscale his room to where the Diamond ranked students were housed, and hopefully, if things went well and if he wasn't caught in his current plans, he would be able to keep his position and disguise without arousing suspicion allowing him a chance to live at those dorms.
The quiet, brawny man wearing a black staff uniform led Avrin to a circular dome building with two people who wore similar clothing. None of them uttered a word and both had serious expressions. Each was as strong as a mid stage Expert, which interested Avin.
“-This isn't the entrance to any sort of chasm. Could it be some sort of tunnel?-” Avrin began to think. As they neared, the two guards didn't stop either of them, and the man led Avrin inside the dome, only to arrive in a circular room with a runic circle in the middle.
“Step onto the rune formation.” The man ordered Avrin. Of course, Avrin didn't feel any ill intentions from the rune, which seemed to glow a faint white and blue. Avrin understood just what this room was used for, so he did as the man said and stepped onto the formation.
“The headmaster and the two others will be waiting on the other side. He will explain the rules. I trust you won't break any. And, just as a reminder, do not venture within the black temple. You will be killed.”
Those words had a threatening tone. Of course, this man was an early stage Master, so Avrin assumed he had quite an important role. Avrin didn't like to be threatened, but for this, he held himself back and only gazed expressionlessly at the man.
The man’s face twitched. He had always seen the expressions of individuals he had led to this array flicker when he warned them, but gazing at Avrin after he had given such a threat, it seemed as if he felt he was being held in a low position. As if this child saw him to not be worth his time. This annoyed the man, but he grunted and walked over to a small pedestal with a transparent, crystal sphere.
Once Avrin reached the middle of the formation, the man moved his hands around, each swipe causing a trail of mana to form. The man then pressed against these mana lines, that had formed a star shape. The star was pressed against the transparent sphere, which lit up and emitted a rumbling sound that filled the room.
The space around Avrin twisted and the rune beneath him flashed. He arrived at another rune formation almost instantly. The process itself seemed a bit familiar to Avrin. In fact, his biggest worry was that because he was not made up of mana, something may have gone awry, but it seemed to have gone perfectly.
“Ah, Herth. Welcome.” Avrin spotted the headmaster with two people standing beside him. One was Lazgen, while the other was, of course, Wynfa.
“Headmaster, this is the Dark Abyss Chasm?” Avrin seemed to ignore the nervous and annoyed look of Lazgen that was directed towards him. Wynfa, though, seemed to show pride. Even if Avrin was higher than him, he acted as if he was the strongest within the academy.
“Indeed.” The headmaster replied. The area smelt like sulfur and the ground seemed to crumble like parched earth. The chasm walls were dark and gave an ominous feel. If one looked up, they would see a black fog with red bolts of lightning roaring within. There was very little light, which made the many torches that littered around the area a god send.
“Now that Herth is here, I will not baby any of you and give you the rules. So, listen carefully.” The headmaster spoke with caution. He knew Lazgen and Wynfa had bright futures, and Avrin even more so when thinking of his Enigma ability and the craze the two officials from both Gaia and the Empire had shown.
Of course, the three of them were very serious. Both Lazgen and Wynfa knew of the dangers here, while Avrin couldn’t care less and wanted to know what the black temple was.
“-Could the former demon king be within? Hmm, if I break those formations, it could alert whoever set it up…-” Avrin was quite cautious, but he silenced his thoughts while listening to the headmaster.
“I will give you several warnings. The creatures here live in this harsh environment. It is kill or be killed. They were brought here to breed specifically for a task. As for what this task is, it's none of your concern. But I will say that you will have to be careful. I recommend working together, as these creatures will all be early Experts. Some are even as strong as Grandmasters, which act as guardians to keep the ecosystem balanced.”
Both Lazgen and Wynfa had somewhat nervous expressions, but neither wanted to show the other that they were weak. It seemed they were focusing on their rivalry first and Avrin second. “The east, west and south areas are all open to you.
East contains Expert ranked creatures, west contains Master ranked creatures, and south being where we are now. But, do not go north if you value your life. Not only is that area forbidden, but it is also the lair of the guardian creatures, who are all Grandmaster rank. As long as you do not enter that place, you will keep your lives.”
The headmaster not only didn't sugar coat things, but he purposely spoke in such a harsh tone in order to scare them.
“Headmaster, you can trust me. I will not bite off more than I can chew. I understand my limits, unlike a certain someone.” Wynfa elegantly said. Of course, he directed last words at Lazgen, who seemed angered. One could see he was clenching his fists, “If one can't surpass their limits, then they will always lag behind…” Lazgen rebuked, showing that he was not just all brawn and no brain.
The two glared daggers at each other while Avrin looked around. His Divine Sense had already been pushed out, but he was surprised. This entire chasm was enormous. It split off into four sections, each in different directions. From north to south, Avrin could see many creatures of varying strengths, most notably the six creatures at the Grandmaster level within the northern area.
But what caught his interest the most was a large, temple-like building etched into what seemed to be the canyon face. Avrin’s Divine Sense, at the moment, couldn't penetrate too deep inside, as the magic formations seemed to interfere.
“-Interesting. I'm certain Lilia’s father is being held there. The only problem is how to enter without causing a commotion-” Avrin began to plan for a moment before snapping out of it, as the headmaster had finished giving them time to argue and think things over.
“In one week, I will come back to collect you all. As for food and drinks, hahahaha,“ the headmaster began to laugh, which made Wynfa’s and Lazgen’s faces to pale. “You're on your own for this. If you can't survive this place for a week, what chance do you all have to reach the goals you have set? Remember, the north is forbidden.
Countless geniuses from the past have died trying to sneak inside. It would be annoying for me to explain your deaths. That will be all,” he started to walk towards the rune formation, before pausing and saying “Oh, yes. If you encounter an enemy too strong for you to handle, you may return here. This blue line across the ground is a marker. If the creatures put on foot inside, they will be attacked by the barrier that activates.
Not even Grandmasters are capable of withstanding it. I’ll give you a small tip. The angel king Abbadon had several angel elders set this barrier up to assist, so count your lucky stars if you are being chased and return here.”
After saying that, the headmaster stepped into the middle of the teleportation rune and disappeared.
Right after, the marker on the ground began to emit a heavy blue glow, as if it were activated the moment he left. The three were quiet for a moment, before Avrin began to walk off. But a voice stopped him. “Herth!” Avrin turned to see it was Lazgen, who gave a stern gaze towards Avrin. Of course, one wouldn't be able to tell that Lazgen had some fear of Avrin after the tournament.
“What's the matter?” Avrin asked curiously, “Hahaha, I wanted to apologize for my actions at the tournament. I will definitely make it up to you. Why don't you call me big brother from now on? I can help you out. Let’s stick together. Our chances of surviving will definitely increase if we do.“ Lazgen seemed to hold back his regret and spoke. Of course, another person present was not going to let him win.
“Lazgen, don't you have any shame? Clearly you are trying to rely on this powerful junior to help you profit. Truly despicable. Junior Herth, I can see you're a smart boy. Why don't you stick with me? We can both set our goals for the future and arrange our paths in life.”
Avrin’s image of Wynfa was a bit less than Lazgen. He seemed to think himself above and beyond. More intelligent than anyone present at all times. Of course, this boy seemed very careful with his words. Avrin felt he could be more dangerous than Lazgen just by his careful wording alone.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Of course, Lazgen was incredibly annoyed. “Irritating bastard….if it wasn't for that whore Fiora, I'm sure little brother Herth and me would be laughing at you right now….”
Avrin listened curiously and had to give Lazgen some points for his optimistic view. Wynfa’s body began to crackle, with a ripple of what seemed to be water that formed from the air. “Watch your tongue, Lazgen...I can only bear so much from you…”
Lazgen snickered as he emitted his own aura. A small, fiery tempest began to circle around him. “As usual, you think you can win against me..I have made some improvements since last time.. You're lucky I was injured during the tournament and had to drop out, or I would have beaten you to a pulp.”
Both their magical auras began to circulate around them as they tried to compete. “The headmaster never said fighting between us is forbidden, but it would be a shame if you were to suddenly die here… Of course, I will be sure to let them know when you tried to enter the north a Grandmaster ranked creature swiftly killed you.”
At Wynfa’s taunting words, Lazgen felt infuriated. Wynfa even planned to kill him and went as far as to plan a story for his death. “I'm going to rip you apart!!” Lazgen roared out.
Avrin, though, suddenly raised his hand and emitted his Phantom Pulse around the two. Both Lazgen’s and Wynfa’s eyes widened as they felt themselves drop to their knees. Their auras were instantly crushed and both began to sweat.
“L..Little brother Herth...what..is the meaning of this?” Lazgen cautiously spoke. “-So this...is his power...incredible-” Wynfa thought to himself. Avrin quietly gazed at the two before speaking. “Don't get me wrong, I don't really care if you both kill each other. But this has a chance of getting me drawn into the conflict. I don't want to explain to the headmaster and waste my time, so you're both forbidden from fighting one another.”
Avrin’s words were casual and soft, but clearly spoken. Wynfa began to emit his magic aura again as he felt the power of the gravity press to be incredible. He tried to stand on his legs. “Y...You can't interfere with our actions...this is between us!” Wynfa roared out.
Avrin nodded. “True. But I'll let you both know something. I am not friends of either of you. In fact, you both make me sick to the stomach. You there. Wynfa, was it? Well you are like the personification of arrogance, while Lazgen is one for ignorance. Both of you keep out of my way, or you won't need to rely on one another to get yourselves killed. I'll do it myself.”
Avrin’s voice carried heavy killing intent, which made both Wynfa and Lazgen shiver with fright. They could feel Avrin didn't take them seriously and held their lives in his hands. Despite being called such things, they didn't dare refute him.
Avrin didn't waste any more time with them. He removed the Phantom Pulse and vanished with enough speed to leave both their jaws dropped. Avrin didn't waste any time as he headed towards the north section. He made sure to take in details of his Divine Sense, which made him grin as he looked around.
The area within the north contained magical runes on the ground that were hidden from the naked eye. These were most likely sensors that would trigger to alert someone that an individual has entered the north. There were so many scattered about Avrin felt it was a bit overkill, but he easily dodged them.
Nearing the temple, he avoided many strange enemies, from large, four legged minotaur-like creatures, to large, spiky snakes that spanned several dozen meters.
These creatures often fought with each other. Of course, Avrin felt this was so that they could feed themselves, “-This place seems to be a forced eco system. I feel pity for these beasts, but if they got out into the central continent, I can only assume many lives would be lost. They’re much like the creatures in the Twisting Lands-”
Avrin gave a soft sigh, as he had enjoyed training in such a place. He was able to gather many Dark Cores to save for later. After thinking that, Avrin stopped, as he noticed the path and canyon walls got smaller.
He knew something was wrong, because now, in front of him, were skeletal corpses of dead creatures piled up and broken, and behind this small hill of skeletons was a narrow path. Avrin’s Divine Sense told him that beyond this path was an open space where several Grandmaster creatures lurked.
Avrin looked around and could see that no creature within his sight dared to even near this place. They all seemed to ignore it and treat it like a forbidden zone. “Perfect. I should be close enough now.” As Avrin spoke, he could feel his Divine Sense become stronger and penetrate deeper within the temple, despite it being hampered somewhat by the magical formations across it.
Avrin picked up a fist sized skull from the ground before shutting his eyes. The skull began to turn into a purplish ash before it vanished. Within the temple, in a well lit hall just beyond the entrance, the space rippled somewhat as purplish ash reformed a skull that dropped to the ground.
Using his Divine Sense, Avrin felt it was possible to enter. He didn't really have any other way to break through. He knew Lilia had done her best to get as much information as she could. As for whether him using his Void Step to enter through the formation not alerting whoever cast it, well he could only hope it would work.
After feeling satisfied from the result, Avrin’s body turned into ash as he Void Stepped and crossed the distance, passing through the hill of skeletal corpses and passing through the Grandmaster ranked creatures, entering the temple. Avrin reformed and silently dropped to the ground, where he remained motionless as he scanned the area.
“The only entry into this chasm is a teleportation formation that is guarded, than there are traps to notify that someone has entered the northern region, than Grandmaster creatures, and a formation of magic I doubt is weaker than the one capable of defeating Grandmaster level creatures. Why do I feel that this is still too easy?”
Avrin felt a little disappointed. Infiltrating was something he prided himself in and always enjoyed a challenge, but he felt that his Void Step made it too easy. Had it not been for plans he had made, he might have even purposely forbidden himself from using the Void Step to make it more challenging.
As Avrin’s Divine Sense was no longer hindered, it shot down the hall that spanned several hundred meters. After a brief moment, Avrin chuckled. “More useless obstacles.” With his Divine Sense, he spotted many magic formations, as well as traps, in all sorts of shapes and sizes. He knew there had to be at least several dozen different types for this hundred meter hall.
Of course, right now, before he progressed further, he needed to fix a minor detail. His body began to emit Nebula Mist and his short stature grew, his features changing and his hair growing longer and changing color. In moments, he assumed his original appearance, with his attire and all.
He didn't want to be caught if he messed up in freeing the former demon king. At least this way it gave him more options for returning. With that done, he Void Stepped and effortlessly passed the traps, magical runes and formations. He was now in front of a large door covered in runes that emitted several strange lights and a black fog similar to the one outside.
“This must be the final barrier before I reach the locks sealing Azrael.” Avrin quietly spoke to himself as he shut his eyes. He remembered that the device within Laymist that channels energy feeds the black clouds that engulf the Dark Abyss Chasm. The door itself emitted something similar. Avrin quietly began to put all he knew together.
From the headmaster, who was Lilias worry, Avrin managed to avert it by showing he was an Enigma ability user with importance. Avrin then managed to enter the Dark Abyss Chasm by showing his prowess.
He easily bypassed the majority of the defence with his Void Step, but now he was incapable of piercing through this room with his Divine Sense. It was as if it were blocked off. Avrin didn't doubt that the fog was the case. It seemed strange.
“One week is my time limit. I will trust in Lilia’s words for the most part, so the device should power down. I'm not sure for how long though. If this door does not power down, I will force my way through with Astaroth and abandon my plans within the capital for now.”
Avrin made a decision. He entered a meditative seated position in front of the door and his Divine Sense shot out with all his focus. Not even the front barrier was capable of completely blocking out his vision from it now that he had focused completely.
He was capable of seeing the black, cloud-like fog engulfing the entire sky of the Dark Abyss Chasm. Avrin opened his hand and Nebula Mist gathered before a round object formed. This object was a simple alarm clock, one he had used for his room.
He set the time and adjusted it to ring after six days pass by. Although Avrin could detect the cloud of black fog with his Divine Sense, he couldn't use it to tell how many days have gone by. He needed to be careful with his time management.
He closed his eyes and began to enter his inner workings to assist while still keeping his Divine Sense focused on changes between the black cloud and the door behind him.
While Avrin tended to his own matters, Wynfa and Lazgen had already decided to separate while cautiously taking Avrin’s words to heart. They didn’t dared provoke an enemy like him, and decided to just fight and gather as many resources as they could.
With each day that passed, they would sustain some injuries and even end up fleeing back to the south barrier and remain there for hours in fear, although both made significant progress in strength as well as obtained many rare materials that are unable to be found anywhere else, from special hides to stones capable of enhancing one's mana affinity for a duration of time.
Every part of the creatures they killed was usable. Although they were selective, the enchanted bags they had could only carry so much. They decided to just go with the more expensive parts of the creature they killed.
Not once did the device turn off, as it continuously fed the fog and door energy. But, when the time hit 12:00 am and the fifth day became the sixth, within an underground room that was located deep under Laymist Academy. A floating orb giving out lines of magic that were siphoned away through the ground suddenly stopped.
“QUICKLY!” With a tone of seriousness, this orb, that was surrounded by five people, each one with great status and as strong as a Grandmaster, suddenly rumbled as they all simultaneously emitted as much mana as they could before siphoning it inside the orb at a rapid pace. The man that had shouted before was the headmaster, who wore a serious expression.
----------
i'm expecting a few spelling mistakes or issues with someone calling avrin by his real name, neither me or my pr are perfect we do the best we can. :3