Chapter Eighty-Nine: An Unexpected Turn of Events
But first, I need to eat.
Abyss Mud was flowing around me at breakneck speed, wrapping around my body like a mad river, surging with chaotic energy that was pouring into me. I could feel an intense heat accumulating and expanding within, as the chaotic power raced through my bloodstream, and I could hear myself making a sizzling sound like liquid evaporating at high temperatures.
Just a little bit, let’s take it slow…
Just a taste… let’s see how it goes…
It was the Little Girl’s words that reminded me.
She told me that this “mud” would listen to her wishes. Perhaps back then, she was just panicking, too afraid to leave the Abyss, and somehow, instinctively unleashed her power, much like I did when I first awakened.
When I woke up, I bolted out of the Abyss, clueless about everything. Once I was outside, I was abruptly cut off from the “supply” of Abyss Mud, the sensation of something seeping into me. So, my first instinct was to unleash “Dead Smoke,” which came from the chaotic power stored inside me… but the Little Girl was different.
She had already awakened but had no desire to leave. She was scared of the people outside and stayed hidden in the Abyss. When she unleashed her power while still in the Abyss, it didn’t draw from her own chaotic energy but rather from the “external” Abyss Mud… or maybe I should put it a different way.
When the Abyss dwelled in Abyss Mud, the entire chasm’s mud essentially became the Abyss’s essence.
At least, that’s what I think.
The words of the Abyss Little Girl, the Abyss Mud that dissolved in her mouth, and the fact that I don’t need to breathe here… all signs point to it being a “nutrient solution” that incubates the Abyss… I can’t be wrong in understanding it this way. These materials and my body are of the “origin” existence, much like the yolk and egg white in an egg, destined to eventually become a chick… it’s kind of like that.
Perhaps the familiar feeling I sensed initially was actually the essence left by the Abyss Mud. Though I still didn’t understand why I experienced that strange feeling of being “higher up,” whenever I was wrapped in Abyss Mud, the chaotic power continuously flowed into me, enhancing my strength, even when it wasn’t boiling anymore.
At this moment, I had melded with the Abyss Mud. I was slowly absorbing it, and maybe, just maybe, I could control it.
In that case… why not try to speed up the absorption?
The enemies outside were formidable.
Apart from the countless Church Knights, those robed elders gave me the impression… while they weren’t nearly as powerful as that old man who teamed up with Carlos to ambush me, their divine miracles seemed to be able to “stack.” Those guys unleashing feather miracles could definitely strip me of my vision again, rob my senses, and then rain down terrifying attacks that could k*ll me in an instant.
I had no idea how to deal with that.
An ice wall felt impossible to block, and running might be too late. The scope of the divine miracles was too vast; I had no clue where their boundaries lay… The best course of action would be to surprise them, scatter them with one swift attack, and if I was lucky, gobble up a few to instill fear… It would be best if I could flee, but even if I couldn’t, I’d have to make sure they were too busy protecting themselves to organize a counterattack. I absolutely couldn’t let them regroup.
It sounded simple, but actually pulling it off seemed quite hard… And the most problematic of all was that fat guy in the purple outfit…
The Cardinal named Nero.
He was incredibly strong, so strong it made me a bit anxious.
Whether human or Abyss, he was probably the strongest guy I had ever encountered. I’d never thought a human could be that powerful. Sure, I was ambushed first, and he tricked me with that round ball, making me seriously sluggish… But since I started to familiarize myself with my own powers and went through a few tough battles, it was still the first time I faced such a situation of being utterly defeated in the blink of an eye, with no ability to resist…
Just thinking about what happened before made the anger boil in my brain. My teeth tingled from resentment and my hands twitched slightly. My emotions were bottled up, my heart was tightly wound, as if someone had a firm grip on it, leaving me no release.
d*mn it, Mom…
I hadn’t done anything wrong… Why are you treating me like this…
What right do you have…
I nearly got killed… If I weren’t the Abyss… No, hold on… with the Abyss’s recovery abilities, a fatal wound probably wouldn’t suffice.
If the Abyss can recover from instant-d*ath injuries, then humans would have zero hopes of winning; they would never be able to compete. But the records so far show that even though the costs have been tremendous, humans have indeed been winning… I suppose it’s simply that no Abyss could recover like I do, even when submerged in Abyss Mud, because by then, I was already “dead.”
And the reason I survived might just be that I devoured the Teresa Monster.
Most likely.
Otherwise, I might have actually been dead…
Thinking about this, a chill named dread and afterthought quietly spread in my heart.
I was a bit scared of that Cardinal Nero…
So, I had to eat him first!
But I had no confidence in defeating him; I felt unsure.
Even though my injuries had healed, I still didn’t know how strong the enemy really was, or what their limits were. All I could do was figure out how to make myself a little stronger… I tried feeling out the control of the Dead Smoke and Black Flame, attempting to hasten the speed at which Abyss Mud “nurtured” me.
And I succeeded…
At this moment, I felt like an unfathomable black hole, voraciously devouring the Abyss Mud, sucking it all in, as the chaotic power surged into me.
I didn’t know the consequences of this action, but for now… I didn’t want to think too much.
I was nearly dead…
After all, there were no ordinary folks here; let’s just go wild… just a bit more… it’ll be fine… how else could I defeat a strong enemy…
I still needed to return to the Royal City and save people… Only by eating a bit more would my chances of winning become greater… There was no other choice; this was the last time…
As long as I devour that Cardinal, I wouldn’t have to use this power again… but right now…
After all, the Knights outside have seen everything…
In my mind, that middle-aged face, which seemed to admire me, flashed by. I remembered how he looked when he was struggling.
But maybe…
He already knew that someone wanted to k*ll me.
They all want to harm me…
…………
Rabeli Valley.
Under the hazy moonlight, within the massive chasm that spanned valleys and rivers, the once calm, dreadful black mud suddenly started bubbling. One bubble, two… bubbles popped up from the surface of the mud and then rapidly burst, only to rise up once more… In the blink of an eye, the Abyss Mud began to boil again.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…
Deep in the chasm, the petite Little Girl slowly relaxed her body in the mud, and with satisfaction, she squinted her eyes.
So comfortable…
Haha.
What a… long-lost feeling of fullness…
My body was filled with strength.
I could clearly sense the intense flow of the Abyss Mud. The cold, viscous liquid clung to my smooth skin, swirling around like a deep-sea whirlpool, merging into my body. It felt akin to controlling chaotic energy; under my will, the Abyss Mud seemed to transform into part of my being, or was in the process of becoming part of me.
… The Little Girl said she could turn Abyss Mud into little animals.
So, what can I do…?
Let’s give it a try.
I closed my eyes.
Calm my heart…
Silently feel them, then guide them… Ah! Wait!
I’m not wearing anything now! My black skirt and lining have all been eroded… How am I supposed to go out later?!
d*mn it!
I really don’t want to fight with my bare bottom; that would feel terrible…
Suddenly, the Abyss Mud stopped flowing in.
… Huh?
As I was puzzled, the cold liquid began to swirl around my body again. In an instant, I felt the Abyss Mud rapidly gather and compress on my chest, back, waist, arms, legs, and head… The density was increasing, and the sensation against my skin gradually shifted from smooth to hard.
Though hard, it didn’t cause me any discomfort.
Wait a minute…
This isn’t…
I lifted my hand to touch my chest. The surface felt icy, and the Abyss Mud adhered to my body felt a bit like grit, and as hard as rock, as if encased in an indestructible armor.
I seem to have wrapped myself up completely…
Could it be that the Abyss Mud just wants to become whatever it feels like?! How convenient!
To confirm this, I reached towards my backside to see if I was properly covered. But upon reaching the right side of my hips, I was blocked by the similarly hard-feeling Abyss Mud… Huh?
Huh-huh-huh…
Is this… is this a skirt?
Skirt armor?!
It seems I really turned the Abyss Mud into clothing…
It’s definitely me who did this, right?
Ah…
The Abyss Mud wrapped around my fingers and toes, leaving my face exposed…
The black liquid was boiling more and more.
The next moment, I felt a push from below, and I sensed my body starting to rise slowly.
I’m getting out…
I instinctively reached toward my back, but suddenly realized that Captain Gray wasn’t beside me. I then vaguely remembered that maybe during the moment I was hit by the Holy Lance, the strap of the trunk snapped, falling somewhere unknown…
Forget it, get a grip.
The force pushing me upwards was increasing. In no time, I was almost airborne… It felt strikingly similar to my first exit from the Abyss, but I was no longer panicking.
The Abyss Mud boiled again, but there was no sound from outside…
Whatever, I just need to take off from the Abyss Mud and fly up as high as I can… I need to keep a close eye out. If there’s an opportunity, I’ll go all out and catch them off guard with a lightning-fast strike. But if that Cardinal had already set up a dangerous trap, then I’ll just slip away and find another chance to devour…
Suddenly, I felt a lightness all over.
Blinding light made it hard for me to open my eyes.
I’m free!
“Whew—”
I immediately took a deep breath, inhaling the rich aroma of grass and trees, filled with the fragrance of nature that intoxicated me, unable to resist twitching my little nose, quickly taking several more breaths.
Breathing feels so good…
My eyes still couldn’t adjust to the brightness, making it impossible for me to check my surroundings… Never mind that, I need to fly up fast!
Boom!
The reddish-black flames with white light ignited on the body of the young girl who hadn’t landed yet, pausing in mid-air for half a second, before shooting upwards with a long tail like a cannon.
The wind was faint in my ears, and the black flames shielded me from all uncomfortable resistance.
Thirty meters, fifty meters… one hundred meters… after flying a distance, I felt my eyes were nearly adjusted to the brightness, and the blue sky and white clouds gradually appeared in my vision.
I slowed my ascent, doing a half turn in the air, manipulating the flames to change direction as I began to fly horizontally while swiftly scanning below.
The emerald valley dotted with crimson mountains came into view. I quickly spotted those white tents scattered among the valleys, looking like tiny lumps against the backdrop of green and red. However, strangely, I didn’t sense anyone’s presence.
Is it too quiet… wait!
Where’s the Sin Barrier?!
Down below, the grand valley that once surrounded the enormous chasm was supposed to be filled with a golden Sin Barrier, yet it had completely vanished.
No… something’s off…
I raised my sensing abilities to the max, focused with all my might in mid-air while maintaining high-speed movement to guard against any surprise Holy Lance attacks, and widened my eyes to carefully search for any clues down below in the valley.
What’s going on… is it a trap?
Doesn’t seem likely…
Unless… they really think I’m dead? Thinking the Abyss wouldn’t appear here again, so they all left?
…That’s unlikely. At least the Abyss Mud hasn’t been dealt with yet… Huh?
What is that…
Suddenly, down below, among the trees, I spotted a half-body wrapped in silver armor…
Ah, that’s a corpse.
