CHAPTER 760: ASHCOIL ABERRANT

The ground beneath the burning mass of flesh seethed, bubbled and cracked. Splitting apart like rotting flesh peeling away from bone.

Unholy energy burst forth from the depths below, a spray of corruption that twisted the air itself, distorting it. The very fabric of space twisting, stretching then ripping.

"No. . . No, no no!" Gwen took a step back in disbelief.

*KRK!!!!

The earth screamed as it split open with a hideous crack mimicking the sound of shattering bones. A tsunami of baleful energy surged forth, forcing Gwen into a desperate retreat, avoiding the energy at all cost.

She wanted to hold it back with her radiant flames but they were drowned out in an instant!

All light was extinguished as the abyssal realm spilt out onto the surface.

Like ink bleeding into clear water, the darkness spread and corrupted even the sky itself. The pristine clear blue darkened into night.

An Abyssal passage. Gateways between the two realms allowing travel. Bridges that connected the Abyss and Surface.

These pathways aren’t something that can just be created on a whim considering the nature of the two realms that co exist.

While rare, natural passages do exist. A result where the boundaries of space wore thin, the friction between the two realms causing a tear.

On the other hand, man made passages are usually smaller and can only accommodate a small group. A method to pass between the layers bordering on simple teleportation rather than forming a gateway that remains.

Holes that would seal itself once the purpose was achieved.

Yet what she’s seeing before her was overturning her current knowledge on the subject matter.

This. . . thing, ripped open a passage to the Abyss! The miasma that’s spilling out, this pressure, this unholy aura, there was no doubt about it.

This wasn’t some temporary gate that closes after a while. No, this was a permanent gateway like the natural passages that exist.

Gritting her teeth, Gwen recalled her spear and wrapped it in a layer of purifying flames.

Now that things have gotten to this stage, the city had to be abandoned. No civilians can live near the Abyssal passage as the miasma alone was like poison to them.

Especially the miasma from the deeper layers.

Not only that, but with the gateway open so close to the city, beasts can crawl out at any moment to destroy whatever man has built.

Unless they were willing to allocate manpower to protect this village, anyone who stays is wishing for death.

And that’s assuming the manpower was enough. Gwen couldn’t tell how far this passage reached. If it reached deep into the howling depth then. . .

She quickly shook her head.

*RUMBLE!!!

Just as a claw reached out from the passage, arrows rained down from the sky, freezing everything in the area for the moment.

"Kaia!" Gwen turned, surprised that Kaia took the initiative to come over instead of staying by the gate.

Once again, she was surprised by Kaia’s technique of evading her Vision. It wasn’t until she was this close did her perception finally pick up on Kaia’s dim presence.

"Yo~ I thought you said we were just going to deal with some criminals. What in the f*ck is this?" Kaia asked, aiming another arrow as a second hand broke through the ice.

*BANG!!!

Another layer of ice was formed as Kaia shot her arrow.

"I don’t know either. The. . . flesh thing made a passage to the Abyss right as it died. We’re going to have to evacuate the city." Gwen dismissed her spear with an annoyed sigh.

"Huh? You’re joking right? Can’t we just like, seal this thing up?" Kaia frowned.

"Even if we do, do you think this city will remain functional with such a large passage outside their doorstep? If there was a large faction protecting this place then maybe. But it’s just a den for criminals. No Lords are here to keep a watch on it." Gwen explained while clenching her fist.

"Wait so you’re just going to abandon them? Without thinking about how you can help?" Kaia grabbed Gwen’s arm.

Gwen felt a moment of annoyance but paused. She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

Kaia wasn’t saying this to question her, she was saying this to ask if there was anything they can do.

She can’t just lose her cool if things aren’t going well.

"I don’t want to abandon them but there’s not much we can do. We can try a lot of things but. . . There’s no good method to properly seal up an Abyssal passage way right now. Especially one with such thick miasma." Gwen turned around with an apologetic look in her eyes.

Kaia opened her mouth but no words came out.

"I. . . understand."

Gwen could see the frustration in her eyes. That helpless feeling when you want to do something but can’t.

Just as she was about to walk away, she saw a flickering shadow by the ice that Kaia had created.

"!!!"

*CLANG!!!

Raising her spear, Gwen barely managed to block what seemed to be a tail as her body was flung backwards.

Kaia, on the other hand, tried to block but her bow was broken upon collision.

*CRACK!!!!

"!!!" The tail slammed into her arm, breaking it in the process as she was flung back.

"Kaia! Are you alright!?" Gwen shouted out, quickly rushing to Kaia’s side and winced seeing the broken arm.

Clasping her hands together, a green flame was conjured, transforming into wire that threaded through Kaia’s wounds, stitching the flesh together.

With her fire now healing Kaia, Gwen glared towards whatever crawled out from the Abyss.

Its form felt serpentine in nature yet the outline continuously shifted. What remained consistent, however, was the presence of nine tails wreathed in the glow of crimson veins.

Streaks that pulsed with vibrant orange as on the tips of each tail, a slitted eye of sorts could be seen. Each surrounded by searing red and blazing gold.

The creature’s head was jagged, crowned with makings that would make out its teeth and eyes.

Yet before Gwen could fully understand its form, it shifted once more.

From the form of a nine tailed fox, it changed to that of a burning dragon with two tails and a tattered set of wings.

Then from a dragon, it turned into a chimeric beast with ribcages lining its neck, crimson horns that protruded from its spine and tentacles that burst out from the gaps of its body.

But through it all, eyes continued to hover in its shadow, gazing upon Gwen.

"A child of the sun. . . Oh what a treat."

The creature’s voice was a wretched gurgle, like boiling tar choking through the gaps of what would be its throat. Every syllable that ’leaked’ out of its throat sounded as though it was distorted with the echoes of a thousand screams.

It didn’t speak no, it simply opened its mouth and the noise that escaped crudely replicated words.

The only reason why Gwen could understand it was because her brain was filling in the gaps. To recognise the pattern and estimate what it was trying to say.

Like seeing a word missing letters yet still being able to figure things out.

Gwen wasn’t able to speak.

This sickening aura, this pressure.

No doubt about it. . .

The beast in front of her is a Lord level beast!

###

[Alice I’m warning you, do not make a single move. The Apostles are near and if you even let a speck of energy leak out of you, you’re f*cked. Unbelievably so. Especially if that beast exposes who you are.] Cayla warned sternly.

She was already shocked by the fact that the half baked Outer God managed to rip open a passage to the Abyss.

But now that this creature has stepped out, the risk had just shot through the roof.

[Ashcoil Aberrant: Sealed Lord of A Hundred Beasts ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦]

A sealed lord of old with the Lord title of A Hundred Beasts.

[I don’t know how it’s unsealed but it’s not like we’ve been checking up on what’s happening deep in Terminus. My best bet is Tiamat.]

They already know that Tiamat managed to break out of her own binding. Knowing her anger towards the Will for sealing the old lords, the likelihood of her breaking them out was high.

’It’s not like I can do anything right now anyways.’ Alice squeezed out, trying her best to look fine.

Unfortunately, Gwen’s healing flame carried an aspect of purification. And considering her blood is essentially super concentrated Abyss blood. . .

Regardless, Alice had to put all her focus on stopping her energy from leaking out while also preventing her disguise from falling apart. All while this ’healing’ flame was burning her from the inside out.

Even if she wanted to fight, she couldn’t.

###

"Kaia, I’m going to buy a bit of time. Take this chance to run okay?" Gwen forced a brave smile.

She was strong. As someone who could summon the mythos of Solaris, she knew that. But at the end of the day, she is still just a Six Sigil Cardinal.

She might be able to hold her own against a weak Lord for a brief moment but this beast felt anything but weak.

Without giving Kaia a chance to argue, Gwen took a step forward as her Sigils lit up with a radiant flame.

"Yes. . . It wouldn’t fun if my food didn’t fight back. You have no idea how long I’ve been stuck down there. . . A bit of exercise is good for digestion don’t you agree little one?" Ashcoil curved its teeth into what would be a grin.

Gwen ignored its provocation and summoned her flaming spear.

Resonance!