Layla as soon as she woke up with her clothes still tattered by the [Water Balls], hugged Alderam and cried more than the first time she was tortured.
She tried to make her Black Qi go to Alderam and heal his lost arm like Alderam could heal her, but it didn’t work. The Black Qi is an energy created by the Devils fundamentally egotistical, selfish and solitary; Layla can be an anomaly in her Race, however, it doesn’t change the fact that beings from her Race can’t use Black Qi to heal others which is considered in their culture as a taboo and treason to the High Mother that created them.
Layla saw everything that occurred after she died while being in Alderam’s SP, her fists bleeding with the amount of Strength applied on them and with her eyes tightly trying to close themselves as more tears fell down. She cursed at her own weakness and how the reason for all Alderam’s suffering was because she let herself be captured by that priest.
If she hadn’t been captured and forcing Alderam to receive injuries to save her from eternal death, maybe she would be able to help him fight the Chimera and not ending up in this state, where his death is near.
She thought in despair and almost going mad at the death of the only being which accepted her for who she is and comforted through the last thirteen years. I’m so sorry, if possible I would trade anything for you not die. Why must you be the one to die? If only I had something miraculous-
Layla suddenly snapped back to reality and tears stopped flowing as hope was rekindled in her eyes once again. Didn’t the kind man that brought us here used a pill to knock me out? Could be he has a miraculous pill that can heal Ald?
I need to immediately find him on the Dungeon’s end, but will Ald survive until then?
The measly hope she had became weaker as she saw the constant flow of blood coming from Alderam, making her even wonder how he was still alive.
“Oh, sorry. I was so flabbergasted by Alderam’s way of winning that I forgot of stopping the bleeding, let me fix this, albeit only temporarily.” Shiro said despite the Chimera already being dead.
Layla's hairs straightened up and for the first time in her life she felt hatred against someone, she never felt like this even towards Ironcrest that tortured her for more than two hundred years.
“Relax, I won’t do anything more. I will be busy with other projects that aren’t the Chimera. This project was a complete failure, I have used a green low-quality core seen in Naturals of Rank E, but the prototype became weaker than a Natural with a red high-quality core.”
“Shut up. If you hadn’t attacked us, Ald won’t be in this situation.” Layla shouted.
“Well… true. But you will need this core to make the antidote to your lover, little Devil. So Laylasoderscim, stay still for a moment while I put the Core.”
A deep green round Core that comes from Naturals appeared and got stuck on the rest of Alderam’s left arm.
The bleeding strangely stopped and albeit Alderam was still with his face pale than ever, his breath stabilized and the expression of pain coming from him disappeared.
Layla felt so relieved seeing this with her hope coming back to her, but she still furrowed her brows. ”How do you know I am a Devil? Earlier you referred to me as a Half-Beast.”
“Come on, do you really think there is a [Hero] without [Appraisal]? I only said in that way because I didn’t know if Alderam Udalth knew you are a Devil or his exact Race. Actually, I just didn’t want to meddle in your relationship.” Shiro didn’t care about why Layla knew what happened after she ‘died’.
Why he used ‘actually’? I would still understand the phrase without it. ”I don’t have time to deal with you.” Layla picked Alderam’s body and later also her spear.
“If you are thinking of re-encountering with any friends of yours, give up. I’ve have killed everyone else on the Dungeon and if they were at the Dungeon’s end, they aren’t more there as one of the Divines claimed this place and expulsed them just now. You can’t feel it, but I as a [Hero] know it.” Shiro said with a map near him in the place where his true body is.
“Then…” Fate seemed to like to toy with her heart, giving her hope only to crush it immediately after. Those points in Luck never seem to work properly just like Ald said.
“If you come to my place-”
“No. I won’t trust Ald’s life to you.”
“I thought so. If you answer a question of mine I will give you a hint of how to save Alderam, he impressed me after all, with his fight and love for you.”
“Okay,” Layla answered, not seeing another alternative and trying to ignore the commentary about love.
“Was it true that Alderam’s village was destroyed by Bashaag?”
“...Yes.”
“...’#@&##@’...” Shiro used words that hadn’t meaning to Layla with a melancholic tone. ”Sorry, I accidentally deactivated [All-Language Translator]. Go to the Dungeon’s end, my theory is that after an heir to be Uphion’s avatar died she used that as an excuse to claim this Dungeon as her own. So now an Avatar of her is at the Dungeon’s end doing something that I, unfortunately, can’t see.”
“How meeting a Divine will help me? I’m a Devil and her priests just tried to murder me earlier.”
“Let me finish, these children nowadays… Uphion is a complete lunatic and don’t care much about ‘Evil’ or Races, she is the Master of Magic and with an Avatar is certain she is capable of helping you if you give a little sacrifice to her, although maybe she won’t be capable of completely healing Alderam, she should be capable of stabilizing him until you meet a Healer or Pill Concocter-”
She began to run as soon as she got the information she needed and didn’t even think about thanking the man that caused her Bond’s predicament.
Layla vaguely remembered the Dungeon’s layout from the map and didn't have much trouble to navigate herself in this primitive almost straight Dungeon. Her speed constantly increased as she got more worried about Alderam’s wellbeing and the power of [Familiar Bond] was activated with an intensity even higher than when Alderam was fighting the Uphion’s priests.
She ran like a mad beast with only a single thought of saving Alderam and her Devil’s mind degraded to its most primal state before even Gluttony corrupted her, Ald, Ald, Ald-
She repeated his name over and over but even this powerful state ended as she laid her eyes on the door to the Dungeon’s end and to who are guarding it, she gently placed Alderam down, knowing it would be impossible to get past her enemies without risking Alderam getting more injured.
The door was ethereal, constantly going between being a full white jeweled door to a normal wooden door while three Naturals were feasting on the bodies of wolves and scorpion-like-Naturals.
The three Naturals at the same size of a wolf had lustering blue exoskeletons covering their bodies and six legs, with two of the legs on their fronts being higher and curved than the others to be used as a support to lower their heads. They also had three soulless eyes on each side of their head and menacing three green mouthparts to eat their prey.
Before the Naturals could notice her while they were busy, Layla rushed raising her spear to strike the nearest Natural straight on one of its eyes.
The inattentive blue Natural savoring its previous prey, only noted Layla when was too late and received a full strike of Layla’s spear.
“I missed the brain.” Layla clicked her tongue in a way not belonging to her usual kind and meek self, retreating as the blue Natural pierced hasn’t died even though a spear was embed through its head and was roaring in pain while its comrades began to run after her with their abdomen dragging on the ground.
“Fight,” Layla shouted amidst blocking the advances of the forelegs of the Naturals that when attacking looked more to be sickles of death that would easily cut her head if not for the spear she held. ”I need to fight to save Ald. Analyze their movements and go beyond them.” One of the forelegs got past her defenses and injured the left side of her body as the wounded Natural joined the fray.
She continued to scream at the mindless Naturals to give herself more mental strength and forget the pain. “I can’t stop with only this. I need to stop being so coward and advance to my target.” Layla continued to shout to herself while receiving more wounds on her entire body.
Layla’s fight began to come close to Alderam’s position. She looked at Alderam with eyes that seemed to be screaming to him, ‘I will defeat them by myself, no matter what I will save you’.
The first injured Natural used its forelegs to attack Layla’s legs, she braced herself while receiving a gash on her legs and for the first time in this fight, she counterattacked.
Layla using her legs as a bait, stabbed at the side of the Natural’s jaw. ”If thrusting at your brain won’t kill you, let’s see if with the body split in two you would still be able to move.” She shouted as she used all her strength with Black Qi and Black Mana covering her arms, and moved forward with her spear cutting the Natural in two from the jaw to its tail.
Layla was so quick in her strike that only her spear had the venomous green blood of the Natural.
After her blow, she stopped in place and the other two blue Naturals plunged at her with their jaws opened while secreting venom.
Layla spun back with her movements completely different from her fights in this day, she dashed and dodged the jaw of the blue Natural on the right while ducking and hitting her spear on the exposed gut of the Natural on the left, making it squirm in pain and miss its bite.
The ability [Combat Arts] finally accepted her and gave its full power to her.
Layla retired the spear of the Natural on the left and kicked with her leg covered with Black Qi the side of the Natural’s head on the right that had lunged at her again.
Meanwhile the kicked blue Natural was stunned, she thrust her spear at the Natural with a hole in its gut and killed it in the same way she killed the first, by splitting it in two.
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When the last Natural rushed at her, she more used to fighting these Naturals, evaded its forelegs and spun her spear covered in Black Mana and Black Qi to sever its head, finishing the fight and cutting its body in two to make certain it wouldn’t be able to move even after losing its head.
Layla’s joy in finally defeating the same type of Naturals that defeated her was short as she remembered her important mission.
Save Ald.
She put him once again in her back and fearlessly opened the door to the Dungeon’s end, being almost blinded in the process by the pure and Divine light coming from the room where the Uphion’s Avatar was.
As soon she entered in the seemingly normal Dungeon Room and looked at the beautiful Uphion’s Avatar, from Alderam’s body came an endless amount of Black Elementals that covered his body and irradiated the maximum of their power in hatred of the Divine at their front.
They didn’t hurt Layla but didn’t protect her either. They wanted more than anything to kill Uphion’s Avatar yet knew they were too weak to do so, making them focus in only defending their current host.
“Welcome, Dede’s little child. I was expecting you.” Uphion’s current Avatar said without caring about the Black Elementals’ hostility and beaming at Layla. She had flowing blue-white hair and eyes so penetrating and golden that could only be described as otherworldly together with her beauty which Layla thought could only be compared at the Lord of the Lust Layer.
Although Uphion’s Avatar's ample bosom was being shown with her being naked, Layla felt no reverence or lust towards Uphion’s Avatar as many would do no matter the sex and gender, Layla also couldn’t understand why would Uphion have the title of Lunatic as her habits seem to be similar to many Devils.
“I know why you are here, I watched everything, after all. But stay still while I make you behold this wonder.” Uphion’s Avatar pointed to the floating enormous White Crystal near her that Layla ignored after entering. “This is what makes the sealing white land near the original Dungeons and is something that no human or any kind of being that isn’t a Divine ever saw thanks to its power of hiding itself. Aren’t you honored, Dede’s little child, Laylasoderscim?
“Had you never wondered why the original Dungeons seem so weak and primitive in relation to the artificial Dungeons despite them having power to unlimited evolution? If you have some brain cells in your head corrupted by love you should be capable of understanding, so I won’t explain more than this.”
Uphion’s Avatar clapped her hands when Layla’s urgency got bigger and wasn’t caring about the hint she was giving to her about this world’s secrets. “Now that I indulged you in my little habit of spoiling everyone’s plans, let’s get to business before I can’t control more my true self.
“What are you prepared to sacrifice to stabilize Alderam Udalth II’s life? Let me warn you that I’m not a gentle Divine or have the power to completely heal him as it's outside of my area of expertise.” Uphion’s Avatar extend her hand and gently touched Layla’s face as her eyes glowed and the might coming from a Divine appeared to subjugate Layla.
“...E-Everything.” Layla said without hesitation but stammering by the pain being brought on her by the Divine at her front. “Just take whatever you want and heal him already!”
“My, my, what change of actions in comparison to when you entered the Dungeon, I like it though. So I will ask you for only two things, you have to pray to Caelum, the Lord of the Ether and Spirits, and let me absorb a little of Alderam’s ‘lunacy’.” Uphion’s Avatar asked with a joking tone despite the severity of her requests.
If Layla pray to the archenemy of Asmolor, the Nether’s leader, she will feel pain beyond the scope of the [Pain Resistance] directly to her soul, having even a good chance of completely destroying her soul.
“I will do it.” Layla took a deep breath. “Even if I die, you will still save Alderam, right?”
“Of course, I’m called of a crazy bitch but never of a liar.”
“Then, I will begin.” She place Alderam down at her front between her and Uphion’s Avatar, Ald, for you I will do anything with exception of giving up in my dream. Even if I die, to save you is a small cost.
But....I don’t want.
I still want to live with you, travel, open a restaurant, start a f-
I need to stop, if not, I will lose the courage to do it.
“Almighty Caelum, I pray you would move my Spirit more boldly in my life.” Layla squirmed amidst light coming from Uphion’s Avatar, feeling her soul began to crack.
It is hurting!
Race: Devil 57%
“Grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day.” Blood began to flow from her wings.
The wings! No, stop! They are important to me.
Race: Devil 55%
“Be my protection against the wickedness-” She coughed blood all over the place and her soul cracked even more, ”and the snares of the Devils.” Her entire body unnaturally contorted.
It is hurting so much, why am I even doing this?! Please stop. I can’t endure anymore. I feel my insides burning!
Race: Devil 53%
If you continue you will lose your Existence.
“I pray against the temptation to sin.” She heard the sound of something important shattering while she felt her insides exploding and becoming a disgusting pulp.
I just wanted to be free, have friends, construct a place where I won’t ever feel hunger once again. How can be enduring this horrible pain be worth anything? I still haven’t yet started a family or even confess to Ald-
Yes, how could I forget?
I’m doing this for the one that set me free, corrupted himself for me and comforted me whenever I was feeling down.
I’m doing this for the Ald I know since he was a pure gentle child.
Race: Devil 50%
“Come on, spiritual bird of shit. Bring it on! Do your worst.” Layla lost the vision as her eyes melted and her sanity too. “When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going!” Her body and soul lost all the strength.
Layla’s body began to fall with her arm raised to her front as if her prayer was to someone special that wasn't the Lord of Aether’s upper part.
Impossible to drop even more the Race’s percentage because of the unbreakable vow that is the [Bond].
The [Bond] will only exist if Laylasoderscim is a Devil since the [Bond] is using the SP of Alderam.
By Bob’s standards below 50% is no more Devil.
Contradiction!
The prayer will drop the Devil’s Race percentage, but the [Bond] and Bob’s standards do not permit it.
Calculation resolution...
Please select a new Main Race to finish your prayer.
Three vertical options appeared on the front of Layla’s raised arm.
[so???]
[Eldling]
[Human]
Because of the angle she was falling, her pointed arm arrived close to the upper option, but her finger slid in the option as if she was not allowed to select it.
With the speed of her fall, her finger that had slid over the upper option ended up arriving at the middle option and the Gift considered as if she had selected it to urgently end the contraction that is messing up with the low-performance system.
You are now a Half-Eldling!
Please choose your new racial skills when you have time.
Layla’s body that was falling began to raise and was wrapped in a purple cocoon.
She felt her soul and body being mended, reshaped and rebuilt.
Uphion’s Avatar began to laugh, already seeing where this is going on and yearning for the future arrive soon.
Layla recovered her strength and shouted. “Let me rest and be refreshed. By the Holy name of Caelum.” Finishing the prayer.
Because you are part Devil, the effects of the prayer are negated and you didn’t receive the [Blessing of the Spirits].
“Wow, what a strange feeling.” Layla said emerging from the purple cocoon with her form transforming to of a grotesque abomination, but after less than a second, she transformed again as if that form never existed.
With her new form, her deep and large eyes now had violet vertical pupils and had their colors changed to pure jet black.
Stretching a little she perceived her small wings had grown enough to finally wrap herself and Alderam together. And that her wings had lost the black color of it and the inverted pentagrams covered by her Black Mana.
Now her wings are darkish purple and had spirals all over them. I don’t know what they mean, but for now is better to cover them.
What happened to me? Let me check the Gift… an Eldling? What are they? I have never heard of this Race, however, right now I am too happy to care for it.
She smiled touching her new wings, I finally lost the inverted pentagrams and wings’ black color. Now no one will be able to discover I am Devil because even the Gift is saying I am a Half-Eldling not a Half-Devil. Will Ald like this new form?
Apart from the Black Force and my Sin, I have lost all the characteristics of a Devil. So Ald will be more comfortable being at my side because he won’t anymore always remember of that Greed Devil when looking at me, I am sure he will love it. She tried to convince herself whilst Uphion’s Avatar went to touch Alderam.
The Black Elementals acted in defiance and two intertwined black serpents came from Alderam’s body and tried to bite Uphion’s Avatar. “How stupid, reacting in this way just makes want more to see what he is hiding.” Uphion’s Avatar drew more power from her nature that she hates the most, the Divine of Magic, and forced herself into Alderam’s body by destroying all the surrounding Black Elementals and the serpents.
She soon appeared into another world and briefly say many flashes of images together with Alderam’s Gift. “So it’s like I thought, splendid. I found the second one to fulfill my plans, this should be enough for the next phase. Dede’s little child, did you know that everything in this universe is just numbers?
“Even a strange concept like ‘lunacy’ is and you also know that everything also has a limit? So in this universe, if someone goes beyond that limit in anything, it actually goes back to normal at ‘state zero’.” She didn’t say that it wasn’t true in other worlds beyond this in which when someone goes beyond the madness, they sometimes just get madder or stupid.
Uphion’s Avatar randomically saw Alderam with his emotional damage and psyche breakdown amplified two times as he cut a small little girl, at six times with him decapitating a burnt body belonging to a girl of his age, at beyond numbers intelligible to even a Divine when hugging the body of a woman with ivory hair, and at three times when killing every mangled villager of Ironcrest that appeared at his way.
Finally Uphion’s Avatar reached the concept she wanted to absorb from Alderam, the one bearing the title of [The One Beyond Insanity], she tried to take everything but there was so much that even she felt like vomiting after a while and stopped the absorption with Alderam still bearing his title and having more lunacy that this simple low-performance universe can compute.
Nonetheless, she didn’t feel disheartened as her power grew and was a little more difficult to keep in check her true crazy self. “With this, the sacrifice is completed, time to do my part now.” Mystical azure water came from her and enveloped Alderam, curing all his injuries and stabilizing his health but not curing the venom still inside of him.
Uphion’s Avatar opened a door of light for Layla while the new Half-Eldling was crying tears of joy besides Alderam’s body. “Now you just need to get rid of the venom and he should be fine. One of the people I got out of my new Dungeon seemed to be someone capable of doing that, just follow my instructions and you should be able to find him after you leave the Dungeon, you need to…”
Layla attentively listened to the instruction and went into the door of light with Alderam’s unconscious body while thanking the Divine of Magic and Lunacy.
Uphion’s Avatar smiled and turned to the Dungeon’s White Crystal, her smile deepened, her eyes squinted and her hands trembled in excitement as her true crazy self took over. “Now, we are finally alone, little Fio and Regan. Don’t worry, I will be sure to take care of you two and also give a explanation to that annoying Wizcalen’s Empress.”
On the White Crystal appeared the intertwining bodies of the dead Fio and Regan in their soul forms and full of hatred against each other. At the base of the ‘floating’ White Crystal, there was the other two priests and the teenagers that were together with Fio who were dead, holding the White Crystal in their soul forms while full bent down towards the ground.
“Time to initiate Phase 2, it shouldn’t be long before you reveal your true worth.” The way Uphion’s Avatar looked at the souls, made them dread for their future and at least hope it isn’t bleak as some of the punishments the Goddess of Magic and Lunacy did in the past.