There’s a large crevice that divides the area into half. I have no idea what could have created a fissure of this magnitude but I’m not too curious to find out right now. I’m in pursuit. Right at the edge of the wide gap that stretches as long as only god would know, I kick off into the air.

My heart begins pounding but fear isn’t the cause of it. It is excitement.

The hollow feeling below my feet is replace by a sense of solid ground despite still hovering in the air. With every step I took in the air, an invisible foothold which can only be perceive with its concomitant rippling effect manifests at a very precise timing. I am basically running in the air like I would on ground. This is the magic skill, Aerial Dance: Sky Step.

“Curious. You are truly committed. People fear what they cannot understand but it only thrills you to find out.”

Talia remarked in my right arm. I think she’s talking about how I’m not afraid to try out new things. I wish she’s more direct with her words. I’m having a hard time deciphering what she meant every time she opens her mouth.

“Shizu~! You won’t let go, right?!”

Lucy appears to be afraid of heights even though she often hops from trees to trees. Does she actually has a limit to how high of a height she can tolerate? Well, I don’t think it would be fair to call it a fear of heights considering what’s below us is pretty much an abyss.

When I landed on the other side, I instantly use Aerial Drive to accelerate off of the ground. The kickback force is a little bit too much as the ground cracked at where I kicked off. When I feel that my momentum has begun to drop, I use Aerial Drive again to keep me in the air. Traversing without touching the ground is really faster and much less taxing on the feet. It is by no means because it’s much thrilling this way, okay?

“What are those?” I asked Talia as I came across broken stone statues carved with weapons and armors. They are shaped with a humanoid figure. I saw these some similar statues too in the cathedral but I thought they were just some unfortunate diplays caught in the crossfire. It appears they were the crossfire. Since I’m picking up faint sense of Mana coming off from these broken remnants, I wager they are some kind of combat living statues. Of course, I didn’t stop to inspect it.

“Sentinels. They are the guardians of this place,” answered Talia.

“What are they guarding?”

“Me. The seal, to be exact.”

“But I got in though? And so did some Demons.”

“They here to prevent anything and anyone from leaving, not entering. Do you really think no one has stumbled into this place in the span of two thousand years?”

That does make sense if I think about it like that.

“What happened to those peoples? Did they ever get out?”

I hop over another gap in the path as I wait for an answer from the strangely silent Talia. This gap is dozen times shorter than the previous ones.

“No,” she answered after a brief silent. “The Sentinels slaughtered off everyone alike. They didn’t discriminate.”

Judging from her grim tone, she must have saw everything.

“Sentinels are formidable opponents. Do not let your guard down against them, they may not be much individually but they can prove to be a challenge in groups. The fallen Sentinels you saw at the cathedral, most of them fell to time not to their opponents. I don’t think you will have any difficulties against them but just be careful.”

I pass by more of these Sentinels but none of them are in functioning state. They are all broken. The “wounds” on these fallen Sentinels have faint traces of some dark purplish energy.

“Before you ask, yes, Valuma did all this.”

There must have been hundreds of those Sentinels we passed by. They were in groups and yet, they are now in shambles.

“And I’m supposed to have a hard time against these Sentinels in great numbers?” I stare at the sword in my right hand, “where does that put Valuma then?”

“That is indeed a curious matter. I fail to understand how does she still retains so much power considering she was imprisoned for over two thousand years. Time should have rusted her strength. Although she still has yet to attain half of her original strength, her current level of strength is still quite a concern.”

It is a concern. I thought Valuma and I will at least be on equal grounds now that I have Talia but her words are growing doubts in my mind.

“Don’t worry, Shizu is strong. She will definitely beat the Kino.” Lucy said so with a dazzling smile. She seems to be unable to properly pronounce “Q’nu” but that just made her adorable. I wonder what had I ever done to garner so much of her faith in me. All I ever did was rescue her from slavery. I do think that deserves appreciation but I don’t think my strength is included. I guess she’s a little bit naïve like a child after all.

“Careful, Shizuka. Enemies up ahead.”

Even before Talia told me, I already know of this from Abaddon. Even a legendary weapon is unable to best a Divine Art’s ability. A God’s power is truly frightening.

There are five of them. They are not Demons but Sentinels. Upon reaching their position, I see them cutting down a Demon. There are some of their fallen brethren not far from where they stand. All of them possess residues of dark purplish energy. Valuma definitely passed by here but seeing how she didn’t finish everyone off, she’s really in a hurry.

If she’s in a hurry, then so are we.

“Lucy, hang on to me!” I yelled.

She complies and climbs to my back where she wraps her delicate arms around my neck. Now my left arm is free.

There are boulders and rocks as the result of the previous battles. I’m surprised that the whole place is still standing after so much earth-shaking and shattering events. With Supreme Might that increases my physical strength by tenfold, I easily toss a boulder the size of a child at the Sentinels. To me, that boulder feels like it only weights a small portion of its size. Only after instantly crushing two of the Sentinels, the remaining three notice my presence.

Skill Point(s) gained +8

Ability Point(s) gained +4

Hmm. This is the first time I gained more ability points than skill points.

The Sentinel in the middle of the two is much taller and has a more intimidating overall appearance, this one must be the pseudo-leader.

Their Mana surged as an indicator of them casting a spell. Since I’m not hearing a chant coming from them, Sentinels must have Direct Mana Manipulation, a coined term by the researchers for those with the ability to cast spells without a chant.

The two smaller ones use Earth Shard and the larger variant uses Rock Blast. Both of these spells are under Earth Magic. Recalling my memories, this seem to be only my second time witnessing Earth Magic. Earth Shard is basically a spell to haul a large stone projectile at the target. Rock Blast is a cluster shot of stone projectiles about three forth the size of an Earth Shard.

I sheath Talia into a scabbard that magically appears on my waist. It isn’t an ethereal scabbard but an actual solid-feeling scabbard although it’s still a product of magic. The scabbard exists for the sake of when I’m not using Talia and for the skill, Vorpal Draw. As the name itself states, it is a sword-drawing technique. A Battojutsu, so to speak. I have never drawn a sword in this fashion but I’m somehow able to do it. I layer Storm Talons on top of Vorpal Draw. Despite its name, Storm Talons merely widen the range of my attack, not extend mind you. Basically, I’m swinging a claw instead of a single blade.

The combination of these two skills deflect and destroy most of the projectiles. Those that got through hit my body with zero effect since I have Mystic Skin on. Mystic Skin is an amazing ability but it feels odd to use it. It projects a thin magical membrane on top of my skin and gives a slimy feeling with it. It functions similar to elastic materials. It hardens upon physical impact and it also provides resistance against magic attacks. Dragon Mystic Arts is only level two but I have already gotten three abilities from it.

The three Sentinels are fazed by their inept offences.

I cast Spark on them before they can even ready their weapons when they realized spells are ineffective. The leader moves fast and avoided my lightning magic but the other two falls prey to it. I cut them down easily with Primed Edge while they are stunned in place by Spark.

Skill Point(s) gained +6

Ability Point(s) gained +3

Huh? It becomes less than what I gained just a few seconds ago. I wonder why.

The leader Sentinel who has leaped into the air begins its attack. It’s an aerial assault. It’s firing continuous shots of Earth Shard which I intercept with multiple Vorpal Draw and Storm Talons. In the middle of its firing, the Sentinel launches itself at me. As if my instincts have gotten better, I somehow figure out it was going to do that. I dodge its oversized sword by a hair’s breadth. I immediately counter with a slash which the Sentinel guards it with its sword. Despite its rocky body and size, it moves well and fast.

We traded blows afterwards. I intend to finish it off with a spell but it isn’t giving me a chance to do so. Unlike me, the Sentinel knows no exhaustion and it’s physically stronger than me. Our skills in swords are of the same.

The Sentinel isn’t exactly cornering me but it irks me to be losing in physical combat.

I converge Mystic Skin solely onto my left arm. I swing my arm back as I use Supreme Might. I then send a punch at the Sentinel who is guarding against Talia in my other arm. The punch didn’t break the sword nor the Sentinel but it did make it tumbled away. While the Sentinel struggles to regain its balance, I strike it with Wind Scars, locking its movements. From its toe to head, I cut it in half with Vorpal Draw.

Skill Point(s) gained +6

Ability Point(s) gained +3

I’m getting less and less experience with each kills. It might be something like the amount of experience required increases with levels or slaying the same enemies repeatedly yield less experiences.

And yes, I have been using magic spells without chants. I have successfully achieve Direct Mana Manipulation when I absorbed the Storm Emperor’s powers. I didn’t know about this until I tried to use Gale Rush. I was so surprise back then when Gale Rush activated upon the mere thoughts about it. It’s strange that Direct Mana Manipulation failed to appear in my notifications.

“Your instincts in battle are remarkable. Was it honed from the time you were able to stand and walk?”

“See, Shizu is strong.”

I replied no to Talia’s inquiry. I don’t think it was that amazing. Most of these skills and techniques are just inspirations from fictional pieces I have indulged in back on Earth.

“Well, I thought as much. You have a serene façade that has yet to be roughened. Perhaps you are indeed a fresh prodigy with exceptional talents. An unrefined ore.”

No matter how many times I denied, Talia isn’t having any of it. She’s sticking to the fact that I’m someone along the lines of an underdog protagonist in a story. To my own view, I was merely fortunate to have a Goddess’ backing me up. I won’t be so arrogant and conceited as to think that I’m some sort of main character in a story.

After the area where I slain the Sentinels, I come to a wider hallway. By wider, I mean about a quadruple times. The grandeur has faded along with time but judging from the capacious space and the worn-out carpet spread on the floor, this hallway must be some kind of reception area. First impressions are important for people of prestige after all.

Beyond the magnificent reception hall, there are a lot of detours and doors in this area. I have gone pass at least three cross junctions that it almost feels like a maze. My Divine Art is the only reason I’m not getting lost. At first, I thought I was just going back to the same place but my Divine Art said otherwise. This place is just that confusing.

Yet, Valuma appears to have no trouble navigating through here. From Abaddon, I can tell she’s moving like she knows exactly which path to take. Either she has a similar ability to my Divine Art or she’s simply too familiar with this place.

I meet a few more Sentinels on the way. I don’t think Valuma left them alive for any ulterior motives but she’s simply couldn’t care enough to kill everything in her path. She even left some of them half dead.

I dispatch all those Sentinels without any issues. It’s only easy because of Talia. Her Arcane Phantasm is just amazing. She can even conjure up armors on my body and extra limbs but the Mana cost is directly proportional to the number of conjuration and the size of the object of conjuration. Thank god she has her own Mana reserve. She can use mine if she wishes but it’s best to use hers for own spells unless a situation dictates otherwise.

I might have took down a dozen Sentinels by now but I’m not getting much out of it. I have only gained six skill points and four ability points from all the Sentinels I have slain in this area. I haven’t let Lucy contribute to any of the battles as I’m racing against time.

After the seventh cross junction which I took a right turn into, I arrive at the largest hall yet in this whole place. At the end of this hall, there’s a stair with flights of steps that look incredibly exhausting to climb for even an average person. At the peak of the stairs, there is a large door with a height that almost reaches the ceiling. Valuma is standing of that door. Her feet stomping the ground while giving frustrated groans at the door. Seeing the fresh stains on the door, she must have been trying to force her way out with violence but that’s obviously ineffective.

Before I approach any further, I let Lucy down and told her to go hide in the room that’s hidden behind a pillar. Given the inadequate space of the room with three cupboards, it must be a store room. I feel bad for leaving her here but I will definitely regret it if I bring her into the battle with Valuma. Before I leave her behind in the store room, I give her a Light Drop.

“I’ll be waiting here, Shizu. J-just… come back, okay?”

“Of course,” I said to her and took off flying.

Using the pillars as covers, I hover in the air swiftly and quietly to Valuma. Using Sky Step to sneak up on someone ain’t a bad idea since it doesn’t creak with every step.

With the upgraded version of Mana Vision, Dragonic Vision, my sight takes in the enrapturing view of unbelievable numbers of magic circuits embedded on the door. The intricate circuits are further enchanted with multiple layers of spell and these spells have melted into a singular magic that has essentially made the door impenetrable. If I’m not mistaken, the languages of those inscription written on the circuits must be Helix.

“How heedless of me,” Talia spoke. “I forgot that door exists.”

Since it will be boorish of me to roll my eyes, I didn’t. “So what kind of door is that?”

“It is only a simple door despite its size but what made it special are the enchantments and spells imbued into it. Sheer brute force are futile against it.”

“Can’t they just dug their way around the door?”

Talia chuckles. “The spell encumbers the whole vicinity. The door is merely the core of it all.”

“How do you open it?”

“The door opens to the ones acknowledged by the crafter of the Core.”

“And who would that be?” I asked.

“Yours truly.”

I can’t even begin to imagine how a weapon without limbs was able to craft something. Since this is a fantasy world, anything is possible, I guess.

“But that doesn’t mean the Q’nu can be left to her own devices.” Talia’s tone shifts on her next sentence. “These Void Demons are aberrations among aberrations. It is entirely plausible for them to develop an unforeseen method to bypass the spells set in place.”

“But that would take a long time, Lox.” The one who replied to Talia isn’t me but Valuma. She knows we’re here despite the hundred meter distance between us. Her voice is loud even though she isn’t shouting or yelling. It’s like she has a built-in microphone in her throat.

Without Abaddon, I wouldn’t be able to tell that Valuma’s just in front. The Magic Torches aren’t enough illuminate this vast area, the insufficient light is casting a lot of shadows. It’s kinda worrying. From the shrouds of darkness, Valuma emerges. She has made her way to within my range of sight in just seconds.

“Looks I’m applying force on the wrong place,” said Valuma while crackling her knuckles. She bares her arms, her hands slowly turning into blades. Lightning begins to sizzle, galvanizing up her powers like a generator starting up.

“Any advice?” I asked Talia.

“Beware of her swordsmanship and her nature. She’s called Berserker of the Void for a reason. Keep your distance if you can, she excels the most at close range. She--”

While Talia is still giving me advices, Valuma rushes up to me, crossing her blade-arms, ready to lob my head off. I stop the pincer attack by placing Talia in between her crossed blade-arms.

Her skills are as eccentric as her weapons of choice. Her blows and swings are just plain reckless but that’s only the first impressions. She’s good at hiding her elegance and precision under her brutality. At a glance, she seems mindless but she’s in fact, really calculating. Ninety percent of her attacks are feints.

Her weapons aren’t limited to her blade-arms but also her legs and anything she can find within her reach. She’s using the environment as a weapon. I’m only holding on to this battle due to Supreme Might and Body Strengthening. My enhanced physical strength is basically the only thing stalling my defeat.

Curiously enough, I’m staying woundless while Valuma’s being grazed lightly by my assaults but I’m still the one being pushed back. I used various Magic Melee Arts skills against her but none of them are giving any desirable results. In addition to her techniques, she’s really nimble and acrobatic. She has even managed to dodge a point blank Wind Slash and Aura Blade.

At last, my fatigue from before catches up to me. One of my swings slips from its path and a heavy blow from Valuma opens me up for a fatal strike. I use Aerial Drive to create some distance but she’s sticking to me. Her resolute slash comes. Aerial Drive has delayed my death long enough for me to launch a counter attack.

Valuma’s slash meets with my Primed Rupture. The space ripples violently at where our blade clashes and I come out victorious as I push her away from me. She finds her footing in the air and flings herself back at me.

“Look out, Shizuka!”

“I know!”

Valuma grew an extra pair of arms, blade-arms. Her flurry of attacks becomes a tempestuous barrage. Every blow and strike is aimed at disarming me. She’s no berserker, she’s a duelist. I try casting Shock at her but she tears through it like paper. She has been tearing through stuffs like paper or tofu. She’s not even giving me a room to breathe. This is her objective all along. To exhaust and disarm me. I know that from the start but our skills have a vast difference of level. There was nothing I could do.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill ya’. I need cha’ body.”

After saying that, she knees Talia from my grip. Since I’m still considered bound to Talia in my status information screen, my ethereal right arm is still persisting. I quickly take out Avent and conjure up a Shadow Blade in left and right hand respectively.

Avent shatters immediately when it clashes with Valuma’s blade arms. Before the splinters are carried away by the winds, I store every single broken pieces of Avent back into Arms Inventory, it works, surprisingly. Shadow Blade is also destroyed right away since I didn’t use a base for it. I evade a slash that looks like it could bisect me with Air Burst and Aerial Drive.

I survive Valuma’s relentless assault but not without a few wounds. I have lost thirty percent of my HP with just these wounds that looks light at a glance. Strangely, it doesn’t hurts like I have lost thirty percent of my health.

“I won’t ask why did cha’ think ya’ can beat me. Considering ya’ circumstances, ya’ doin’ great.”

“It isn’t a matter of what I think, it’s a matter of duty and obligation.”

Valuma guffaws at my words, I can understand why. It does sound silly without a context. “I see. Ya’ one of those peoples. I get cha’. Ain’t gonna judge.” She’s even grinning. “How about this? Give unto meh’ and I won’t make it hurt. How bout’ it?”

I point at Valuma with my left index finger. “No,” I answered. Mana surged to tip of my finger and lightning crackles around my hand. With Direct Mana Manipulation, I can cast spells secretly and I have been preparing this spell. For high level spells, the formation of a spell is also a factor in addition to the chant.

A concentrated beam of lightning shoots out at Valuma like it’s fired from a rail gun. The beam only has a diameter as wide as my palm but the damage and travel speed are nothing to scorn at. This is a forbidden-level Lightning Magic spell, Thunderlord’s Verdict.

In a flash, Valuma has her upper body blown away, leaving the wound on her lower body cauterized. This absurd magic spell costs me seventy percent of my MP. My MP is now sitting at around ten percent.

While Valuma was yapping off her taunts and offers, I have allocated fifty-four points into Lightning Magic and levelled it up all the way to level ten. I have also allocated nine ability points into the magic stat. I have heard that while Fire Magic gets all the wows and applause, Wind and Lightning Magic are the true contender in terms of destruction. I didn’t choose Dragon Mystic Arts is simply because I’m not familiar with this ability. I don’t know what I will get out of this ability if I pumped the points randomly. I at least have second-hand knowledge regarding the magic of the five elements.

As I go to pick back up Talia who’s stuck into the wall, two person enters my range of detection. One feels remotely human and the other has a strange flow of Mana. It’s like his whole body is encompassed of only Mana. As far as I can tell, I don’t sense any animosity from the two. They are still a hundred meter away from my position so I decide to mind them for later.

“You are truly worthy of Abaddon. Your facade did not betray your element of surprise. You masqueraded the formation of that spell by augmenting Supreme Might and Body Strengthening.”

It feels good to impress a legendary artifact but it just feels excessive and needless when it kept doing so. Besides,--

“Can you speed up my MP recovery?”

“I can.” And she did. Even without a face, I know she smirked. “So, you realized?” she asked.

I nod. “It’s merely a logical assumption. If someone of my level is able to defeat her so easily, I doubt anyone would have made such a big deal out of it.”

“Honestly Shizuka, you don’t cease to amaze me. You are really a natural born fighter.”

Even though I don’t want to believe it but the logic is already laid bare. If Valuma could be slain with such ease, they wouldn’t have needed to seal her up. And the most obvious of all, I didn’t gain any points when I blew away her upper body. As prove of that irrefutable logic, Valuma grows back the upper part of the body I blown off. It isn’t a perfect copy though. Her skin is wrinkled and dark purplish energy are leaking from the cracks on the wrinkled skin.

“Oh Shizu Shizu, ya’ making me so proud of ya’. I jus’ want ta’ wear ya skin right now.”

She now has six arms. The new pair is growing out from the back of her shoulders.

Her “Mana” fluctuates and her arms glow the color of her energy.

“Aura Blades! Dodged it!” Talia screamed out.

I don’t have enough MP to cast the appropriate spell to block it. My movements are still dull from the backlash of casting a forbidden-tier spell.

But I’m not afraid. I have come this far and I have been this fortunate. I don’t want to admit it but I do have the luck of a main character in a story. I refuse to believe I will meet my end right here.

Valuma swings her blade-arms as if she’s dancing, unleashing six Aura Blades at me.

Wait, didn’t you say you need me alive?

Before the Aura Blades can turn me into shreds, the six Aura Blades explode right in front of me. Some kind of projectiles had flew past me and intercepted them. When I look back, I find an odd pair. They are the two person I sensed entering my range of detection.

Why does everyone I meet are so goddamn quick on their feet?

“Citra is really accurate with her divination, ain’t she?” said a familiar girl. “I wish we brought her along.”

“Having you been sleeping the entire time we were fighting Aedrox?” said the boy walking alongside her. “You are already more than I can handle. It’s a good thing we left her back there, this is about to get real ugly.”

I recalled who the girl is due to the color of her hair and also when I saw her name and jumbled information on the status information screen. Nieumilin, a Dryad but… she’s now wearing a tunic with leather armor and a short skirt with long pants. The apparels are all of pale cyan colors. And—

--Are those guns she’s holding in her hands? There are firearms in this world but none of them came close in resembling anything like the firearms I know of. But the ones in the Dryad’s hands resemble too much of the guns back on Earth.

And the one who is accompanying the dual-wielding gunslinger Dryad is a plain-looking boy. I thought he’s the Dark Oni from back then but I seem to be wrong. He has whiter skin but the same face albeit looking younger and he’s almost bald. Unlike the Dryad, I can’t even see his name on the Status Information Screen (SIS) but that alone is enough to tell me that he’s not to be taken lightly.

For some reasons, my Divine Art Abaddon is reacting to him. Why?

“Who are ya two? Another lost--”

The Void Demon paused. Her spontaneous reaction is all too familiar. It’s the look of someone stumbling upon an epiphany.

“Ah… I see.” Valuma’s lips widen into a grin “Been waitin’ fer’ ya’. So, ya have finally come--”

Valuma grows another pair of arms, also from the back of shoulders. Just how much arms is she going to grow?

“—Harbinger!”

Hirano Shizuka's Status Information

Name

Hirano Shizuka

Status

Fatigue: High / Exhaustion: Moderate

Contracted: Talia Lox

HP

600

MP

300

Age

17

Class / Job

Scout Hero

Dragon Knght

Gender & Race

Female / Human

Standing

Hero of Zerogian

Arcane Arts

Magic Melee Arts – Lv. 5

Body Strengthening – Lv. 4

Wind Magic – Lv. 5

Spirit Magic – Lv. 2

Lightning Magic - Lv. 10 (Lv 1 -> Lv. 10)

Water Magic - Lv. 1

Aerial Dance - Lv. 3

Legacy

Dragon Mystic Arts - Lv. 2

Unique

Tempest Wings - Lv. 2

Title & Deeds

Abaddon’s Apostle

Scout Hero

The Elusive One

Demon Slayer

The Audacious One

Resolute One

Mondra's Companion

Dragon Blade

Overall Power Ranking

S

Effective Combat Strength

1990 (1900 -> 1990)

Attack - 400

Defense - 250

Magic - 340 (250 -> 340)

Resistance - 200

Speed - 600

Remaining Skill Points: 6

Remaining Ability Points: 25