White Glimmer Jury’s stats were beyond anything Frost had ever seen. If a Glimmer in all its glory was level 400, then she could only imagine what a Star was like. Paradise Lost were already level 500 and beyond the capabilities of a Beholder.

She did not believe a Beholder, even in their prime, could hold a candle to a Glimmer. Thinking about it now, Beholders carried technology from a Star, unlike Glimmers which possessed Gifts of their own.

It was an oversimplification. Jury could not be used as a precedent since the Audition was not a reflection of reality, but possibilities. Still, the glimpse they were given of the Glimmer carried ineffable divinity despite being reduced to this pitiful state.

Strands twisted into tree-like fixtures. The plane that was exposed to the azure sky had become a white forest. Beating at the center of was the cocoon holding Jury. The dual ‘ba-dump’ of a heartbeat was one part heart, and the other a clock.

Tick

“Thoughts drag on the very dredges of our hearts. Quaff the burden of though whole!”

Heartbeat

“My thoughts are not going anywhere!”

Tock

“Then let it spill into the world, Angel of Gluttony!”

The Dregs of Gluttony spilled into reality through rotting tears in space. A continuous squelch came from the ever-building mound of maggots. Though they were slow on their own, they rode on each other like a wave, devouring thread along the way.

“It’ll keep Jury anchored. Cer, don’t stray too far away from me! We’ll handle the spires one by one! We only need to survive!”

“I’m with you!”

Frost quickly secured herself to the back of Cer using Steel Thread. So long as she was in direct contact with Cer, then Cer could not die. [Prolonged Stasis V]’s Mastery Skill was the [Black Dove’s Roost]. Neither Frost nor Cer could perish as long as this was active.

Relying on it would be a fatal mistake, however. If maintaining it was the only criteria for [Black Dove’s Roost] to work, then it was possible for it to fail in the event her head was removed. Intentions were required for Skills to work.

Furthermore, the Unlying Tablets could not be infused with Mastery Skills. It was a shame how many Skills White Star Jury had made obsolete. Healing, and even utility Corrupted Skills such as the Unlying Tablets were useless. Infusing them with offensive magic did not grant them nearly enough firepower to deal with cocoon.

If anything, it would only hamper them. The Dregs of Gluttony were a blessing in disguise. The strings were no longer a concern thanks to them.

“I’m sensing another one! Shit, I gotta duck lower because of you!” Cer shouted, seconds before horizontal slits formed across the cocoon. Blades suddenly flung out of them and dragged themselves around the cocoon before retracting with a mechanical click.

[AA] [Causality: Anointed Guard] [AA]

Sharpened feathers to prevent the curious from stepping out of line ever again

EFFECT: Slice your immediate surroundings with 20 blades simultaneously. Functions as a Passive Skill

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ATT : 100M MAG ATT : 50M

The very air vibrated in its wake. The distortion waves one would find above a flame distorted space around the cocoon. Cer had thrown herself far lower than required, and it was lucky that she did.

“Tch…”

Frost’s flank was left exposed. The attack had eaten through her Coat of Sanguine Prejudice without resistance, and she had not even been graded by the attack.

“The energy it creates becomes a secondary blade. I really want that Skill. Best I have to compare are my [Plasma Cutters].”

“Less about that, and more about this! If you’re so hungry, then gnaw on the crystals!” Cer bombarded the nearest spire of thread with electric fangs.

None were able to damage the spire, let alone move it.

It was surreal watching everything in her path disappear save for the light blue fragment. It mysteriously hovered in the air before it wrapped itself in another spire of strings.

Awakened Skills were immensely powerful. A single use of (A) [A Lamenter’s Hand] [OO] was more than enough to cleave the spires apart.

It had a 120-meter range, after all.

It was only unfortunate that she could not use the Stage 3 Absolution variant: (A) [Paw Dipped in Sin] [OOO] which could extend to over a thousand meters. The issue was that it was impossible to gain more Light than one could hold.

The only known exception was when Cer received the Fragment’s blessing. While Frost could grant extra temporarily Light and replenish it, Skills exceeding one’s limit were unavailable.

Had she been able to use her Awakened Stage 3 Absolution Skills, then the gap between her and White Star Jury would be…

It wouldn’t change anything. We’re lucky the White Star Jury’s attacks don’t extend that far. These strings on the other hand are everywhere!

A sudden barrage of strands descended for Cer. She reflexively slashed at the air, her claws extending meters from her fingers. She moved with weightless grace despite Frost’s presence. Her balance, and repositioning whilst in mid air would have one believe she had been training for this precice situation.

However, the truth was that this was one part instinct, and another calculation. After all, Cer saw the world differently from others. She had all the time in the world to assess her next moves. Even Frost with precognition did not have this luxury.

The strands exploded into tiny hairs. She had used (A) [Deconstructing Swipe] [OOO], an Awakened Skill that dealt 600,000 damage and ignored all DEF stats. Frost felt like she had no reason to be here, but that was far from the truth.

Without her, Cer would quickly run out of Light.

Thus, she was Cer’s battery pack.

“They’re still after you!?” Frost growled as Cer burst towards the spire. “I can keep some of them off!”

[OOO] [Progenitor Art: Sanguine Rupture]. Blood slithered out of her body and arranged itself to form vein-like structures in the air. Then, they flicked out and slashed at strings as crystalized blood spears flung in all directions.

Alongside it she cast ||Heliospheric Repulsion|| to block out the skies.

Frost was forced to seal her eyes as Cer pushed forward. Her speed easily outmatched Snap’s, and she could feel the strings digging into her back.

“We’ll finish this before it has a chance to grab me! And isn’t it funny!? First there was Uriel with the blood giants, and the Arbiter with the white statues all over Grandis! But I don’t get the symbolism about maggots!”

“[Origin of Gluttony]. It’s Jury’s Corrupted Skill! I’m guessing it has to do with that!”

While I hate to interrupt you two, I have a new Condition to reveal!

“You’re welcome to crash us at any time Nav! Unless you were waiting for me to say something!?”

I was waiting for you to call for me. You tend to start and end a lot of your queries with my name

CONDITION: ??? ??? ??? is attempting to expel White Glimmer Jury and the Awakened Cer. White Glimmer Jury takes immediate precedence. They no longer serve a purpose within the Audition

Cer soared through the air, flipped, and then sent an arc of electricity at the crystal. It was a broken crystal that radiated a faint light within its core. In total, there were three of these scattered around the ruins.

The shell was highly resistant to damage, resisting even Cer’s (A) [Deconstructing Swipe] [OOO]. It hummed with a slow ticking with each impact it received before deflecting the attack back at them.

Fragmented Crystal Timepiece

A piece of a teardrop formed by an eternal regret. The vow was made so they may never cry again

HP : 1,200,000ATT : ReflectiveMAG ATT : ReflectiveATT DEF : 200,000MAG DEF : 200,000RESIST : 300 EFFECT: Cannot be damaged through conventional methods. A weak form of a Primordial Shell protects it

But your maw will work. Think of it as an Aspect of Technology!