Ascension Pool

A maze of crimson coral rushed into view; vast pools of crimson liquid drenched it from top to bottom, not to mention the depth of the liquid drastically increased.

It covered up to their ankles and they hadn't entered the maze yet.

"Hurry up!" Savana bit her lips at the horrific sight behind them.

The original 100 Corrupted Monsters?

Well.

It was closer to 200 now.

Cursing, she ripped out her daggers from their sheaths and stopped beside the entrance to the coral maze.

Silvia came to an abrupt stop beside her.

They let their passengers down and told them to hurry on in.

The 2nd Squadron knew they'd only be a hindrance in their condition so they ran on in, leaving behind the two girls to cover their backs.

Luliya and Randuin led the 2nd Squadron, they had to protect them in case of an emergency.

But, before they fully entered, Luliya clasped her hands together.

Her immensely powerful Divine Power rippled out, casting layers of supportive Magic upon the two girls.

Defence, agility, strength, even sight and reaction time.

She covered all aspects.

Nodding at them, Luliya turned back and chased after Randuin.

Silvia and Savana thanked her inwardly and brandished their weapons.

If they had to fight, might as well do it in the most advantageous location.

---

Scratch-

Her nails pushed into the layers of Mana coating her body; the itchiness was manifold worse.

The spasms-

Twitch.

Her entire body was aflame.

It burned.

"What's the issue, my Lord?" He stopped and looked back at Aranea with a worried face.

"Nothing, just another withdrawal."

His arms flailed with panic, "Sh-shall I get some for you?!"

Shaking her head, "No need. Just show me the results."

"I-if you say so-!"

Rubbing one of his grubby hands into the head in his other hand, Reynauld carried his hunched back through the laboratory floor.

They headed deeper and deeper.

And Aranea's symptoms grew worse and worse.

Her entire world was aflame.

---

Savana's daggers set ablaze, thrashing with ripples of burning white flames.

Crossing her daggers, the spider's head cracked open as its flesh burnt up into a steaming meal.

Swinging herself around the spider using her daggers as a placeholder, her foot smashed into the skull of the 8-Veined Spider behind it.

Crack-

The Corrupted brain juices burnt away before they could stick to her boots.

Her fires consistently surrounded her, keeping away the decay oozing from the blood that had mixed into the crimson liquid beneath them.

Silvia's sword slashed through the air, tearing apart two more spider skulls with one swing. Her body was clean of all impurities, every movement was efficient and consistent.

It was like a theatrical show was being played out in front of the coral maze entrance.

One girl with swaying blueish-silver hair danced amid the Corrupted Monsters, while another girl with blinding scarlet drowning in flames exploded like a firework through the flesh of each Monster.

The crimson-haired girl was dressed in a fiery, flexible, red leather outfit with light armour covering only the crucial parts; it pressed tight against her curvaceous body making it easier to move about.

As for the silver-haired girl, she truly looked like a Valkyrie in her silver armour; her slender body was toned, and if you peeked beneath you'd find the sleek outline of her muscles.

It was a magnificent sight.

Their strength had drastically increased in the last 20 days.

Savana was infinitely close to becoming 5-Star in both Aura and Magic while Silvia was on the precipice of her 6th Swirl.

On top of that, they had a lot of combat experience after wandering the Abyssal Frontlines alongside Instructor Florin.

However, that didn't mean they had infinite stamina.

200 Corrupted Monsters was still too much, more so when they were Lower-Medium Corrupted Monsters.

With the 3 16-Veined Spiders supporting them, the situation became more dangerous.

But.

Somehow.

No.

Not somehow.

It was to be expected of the main cast.

They were reaping away life after life like it was nothing, over 70 Corrupted Monsters have already been slain.

However:

"Silvia!"

"I agree!"

Sharing a mutual agreement, the girls abruptly switched directions.

They flew towards the coral mazes' entrance, burning and slashing everything in their way.

Jumping atop a spider, her serrated daggers sliced open its spine, instantly killing the Corrupted Monster; then, Savana slid over its corpse and slammed her daggers into the skull of the one behind it.

Fwoosh!

White flames burst it afire, ending its miserable life instantly.

Beside her, Silvia cut through spider legs and heads like butter; it was a majestic dance of steel.

Her scarlet Aura was like Death's Scythe, cutting apart everything in her way.

Side by side, they supported each other and carefully avoided the 16-Veined Spiders.

Rushing in, the horde of the Corrupted Monsters followed closely behind.

But after just a few turns, they completely lost them.

Soon enough, though, the Corrupted Monsters began their rampage; destroying and crushing all the corals around them as they tried to find them.

And this only agitated more Corrupted Monsters from afar.

That's why they escaped, more and more Corrupted Monsters would have arrived.

As for Silvia and Savana, they were in the belly of the maze already.

Their breaths were bated but steady.

"How much Mana is left in your Reservoir?"

"30%. Aura is 40%. You?"

"55% of my Aura."

Exchanging information with cold words, the tense atmosphere between them was palpable. But it didn't affect their performance.

They could work over their differences when it came to life and death.

"You have the 'tingles' for Luliya, just lead the way already."

Then Savana muttered an extra sentence under her breath, "Fucking weirdo..."

Silvia nodded, ignored that sentence, and walked through the coral maze.

The tall walls of coral surrounding them looked to be ancient. Fresh, young sprouts of corals bore past sections that looked like they had witnessed millennia, attempting to overtake the preexisting maze.

Savana wondered why a coral maze existed above ground; no, why was it even a maze in the first place?

That was a massive inconsistency.

Coral didn't grow into mazes naturally, someone had to have done this.

Walking with maximum caution, the pair gradually dove deeper and deeper into its belly.

Until, at some point, the depth of the liquid pressed into their knees.

The crimson waters were getting deeper, the coral walls surrounding them were becoming wilder, and the scent was becoming stronger.

Thicker.

SPLASH-!

A pillar of water suddenly exploded in front of them, a tentacle as tall as a building covered in scratches and marks towered above.

Then, slamming down, airwaves wrapped around the enormous tentacle as it whipped down onto the two girls.

Slamming their feet into the ground, Savana jumped to the left and Silvia to the right.

Bang!

A shower of water soared up as the ground tumbled beside them, the tentacle rapidly swept itself back up, preparing for another attack.

Just when they attempted to fight back, the coral maze rumbled.

An ancient bell noise echoed forth from the maze's heart; it crackled through Silvia and Savana's spines, bringing primordial fear.

Something was in there.

Something terrible.

-----

"Moglit, Aria!"

Charles screamed out in horror; the massive, pulsating heart before them squelched with appalling levels of Abyssal Power.

Surrounded by the Saintess' Divine Power, he, Yun, Lucas and Randuin were safe, but-

In front of that heart, Aria and Moglit were stuck.

A ball of Abyssal Power surrounded them, he could no longer see their figures.

The same Corruption rushed at them in waves, but the golden barrier around them gently dispersed it. Lucas offered Luliya his Divine Power but the Saintess declined him, she was more than capable of keeping it at bay.

Luliya's garb fluttered from the rustling winds, the waves of Corruption were held off but the pressure forced the winds to burst at rapid speeds.

She had to shut her wolf ears due to their sensitivity.

Randuin planted his shield down in front of her, blocking off the thrashing wind.

The group was left with no choice but to watch as the Abyssal Power, the Corruption, pushed Moglit and Aria down into the waters.

It pushed them deeper, and deeper.

Until eventually-

Splash-!

The crimson liquid beneath where the two stood exploded outwardly. The Abyssal Power previously surrounding them dissipated, revealing what occurred beneath the balls of Corruption.

Moglit and Aria...

Were gone.

Not even their bones were left.

Charles felt his blood run cold, and Yun had to support him before his feet crumbled from under him.

Luliya felt the shift in the atmosphere even though she couldn't see what was going on due to Randuin covering her sight.

"Now what?!"

Lucas shouted from behind; initially, he used the few moments of freedom to try and figure something out but there was nothing they could do.

Whatever that thing was, it was pumping out Abyssal Power like there was no tomorrow.

They couldn't move from their spot and he didn't know how long the Radiant Godess' Divine Power could last before they'd all die.

Ka-boom!!!

A noise loud enough to shatter glass from hundreds of meters away boomed from a part of the coral maze.

Looking up, past the enormous walls of the coral maze, Lucas caught sight of a scarlet and dark flame coloured explosion crackling into the sky.

The two energies mixed and synergized, pushing the air in the sky out in a shockwave.

The entire maze shook and rumbled; even the pulsating heart paused momentarily.

"What just happened-!"

-----

They stood in a cave lit in vermillion.

"My Lord, My Saintess; welcome!"

Reynauld flamboyantly introduced a pool full of a black substance to Aranea. Beyond the pool, connected to the ceiling and the walls via chains, a silent cacoon lay.

Pumps of black liquid oozed out of that cocoon via the chains, and those chains dripped down the liquid into the pool.

But, taking a closer look, the 'black' pool had a faint hint of red to it.

It was more accurate to say that it was a pool filled with highly concentrated crimson liquid.

"I see you have prepared the Ascension Pool for me."

"Of course, My Saintess!"

His decapitated head brimmed with smiles.

Aranea didn't take it to heart though.

Looking at the cacoon in front of her, she sensed a vague life form within it.

The black liquid was drained out via the chains every time its heart pulsed.

It was a perpetual Lacaris Ichor machine.

What Aranea was currently looking for wasn't inside that cacoon; an incomplete being like that wouldn't have sentience.

Looking into the Ascension Pool, at its unfathomable depth.

'She's down there.'

Aranea didn't remember precisely how many iterations it took for the players to figure out about her existence, but she only found out about it thanks to the forums.

[Throes of Fortune] had many hidden features, extra functions and easter eggs.

This one was a companion which acted like a ticking time bomb.

Aranea knew well how that existence felt towards her. And Aranea didn't mind.

Just as she didn't mind Instructor Florin.

She wouldn't mind her.

The truth wouldn't change.

Nor her role.

"My Saintess! Two more products have arrived, with them I can improve the concentration of the Ascension Pool!"

Aranea nodded at him, then, Reynauld scurried out. Leaving her behind down there.

It was as if he fully trusted her.

'What a great actor.'

Waiting for him to leave the room completely, she glanced up; at the translucent film separating this room and the infinite oceans of crimson liquid above.

She could faintly see the visage of the coral maze.

Aranea had to protect the two dumbasses who messed up there and fell down here too early.

That was the consequence of her not being with the 1st Squadron.

'Let's get to work.'

This shouldn't be that bad.

Right?

...

Sigh...

I know, I know.

I shouldn't act cocky when I know the outcome.

...

I get it-!

Shrugging, Aranea smiled.

It'll just hurt a bit.