Abyssal Awakening

Keeping her eyes closed, Alice gritted her teeth as this was harder than what she had initially expected. The resistance of the disease and its progression was too hard to hinder.

Plus, with her spreading out her power like this, it reduces the effectiveness of her current 'solution'.

But she couldn't stop.

Egil wasn't the only one she wanted to help. If she were to drop her current skill, the progression of the disease would immediately end the capital.

Taking a deep breath, Alice forced herself to calm down. She needed to adjust her way of confronting the disease.

'Any updates?' Alice asked as Cayla was working hard on a solution.

[None. It's more resistant than I initially thought. Any changes I impose on it short of completely severing the connection to the spiritual heart is healed.] Cayla scratched her hair in frustration while tossing the sheets aside.

She didn't know how the Zenia's were able to make something so horrific but it essentially gives everyone Alice's physique. Even if its just for a brief period before they die.

Upon being infected by this outbreak, the disease latches onto the energy flowing through your body and connects itself to the spiritual heart. From there, it begins to drain you dry while your body suffers countless side effects.

[You have to think of it as dealing with your own body. The cure we're trying to concoct is like Abyss Blood. The moment we apply the cure, it dissolves.]

Furrowing her brows, Alice sighed before sitting upright.

'Wait a f*cking moment… There's no way… Would it work?' She muttered.

In her entire life, there was only one instance of a permanent change enacted onto her body. A change she couldn't get rid of until she 'updated' herself.

Single Sigil Resonance!

A dangerous method that causes an imbalance within the body, leading to a permanent change. If she was to forcefully activate this kind of resonance within the body of the victims then… a cure could be applied!

'Wait no… They still need a Sigil for this to work. If they don't have a Sigil then this method falls flat.'

Seeing as how Alice was beginning to piece together the clues, Cayla decided to stay silent.

In these types of situations, it was best to let Alice contemplate on her own.

'Sigils… Spiritual Heart… Permanent change… Spiritual Heart? Bloodline release… Two Spiritual Hearts… Catalyst? Maybe… No, that wouldn't work… Crown… Heart…' Alice continued to mumble away as her eyes darted from Egil to herself before back at the city then finally, at her own soul hovering behind her.

'Resonance… Artificial… Balance… One? No one would be too little for civilians… They'll die before the effect takes place. Three? Anchors…'

Taking up, Alice's eyes began to widen as a smile appeared on her face.

'F*cking hell I'm a genius.' Alice grinned.

'I've got it, the way to break this curse!'

Slamming her hands down, Sigils began to light up across her body. The crown began to manifest above her head while the Bloodline Release behind her started to bleed.

Chains of blood latched onto the spider lily as Alice took a deep breath.

In order to thoroughly dismantle this curse, there were certain requirements she had to first achieve.

First, a three link resonance. But not a traditional three link resonance, no. A resonance between the infected, 'herself' and the Bloodline Release.

With this, she can achieve the balance of a three way resonance while also getting the power of a one Sigil resonance within their body. A split moment, an opportunity to modify her target in order to carve out this curse.

But if it was just the resonance, it wouldn't work either. As she thought earlier, there was a chance of death before the resonance could end.

Which is why she needed her Bloodline Release, her own Spiritual Heart.

She needed a secondary heart for this curse to latch on so that it releases the grip on the civilians.

In essence, she was transferring this outbreak to herself.

However, as the source of this blood and the original host, it'll do nothing to her!

Not only that, but I'll also remove the side effects accumulated by the curse. With this, it'll be as though the outbreak never took place.

Unfortunately, this method only works with the outbreak since it's her own blood.

If she were to attempt to 'heal' people using the same method, it wouldn't work since the target now becomes their innate connection to the Abyss and the contracts that they've made.

But she couldn't be too greedy. The fact that she had a solution for this predicament was already a miracle.

Blood began to pour out of her hands as crimson symbols manifested around Alice.

A ritual to expand the targeted area to be this entire city.

Each infected Civilian will be Sigil A, she will be Sigil B and her Bloodline Release will be Sigil C.

For the Civilians, they're forming a connection with one person, Alice.

But for Alice, she's forming tens of thousands of connections.

But even if it's a connection with tens of thousands, Alice will do it. She'll dismantle this curse that the Zenia's have made with her blood!

###

"Heh~ that's a pretty interesting method." The blue haired woman muttered while observing Alice's movements from the top of the tree.

She had already retrieved a sample of this curse and she had to admit, it was far more potent than anything she had seen before. Even if she was given years, she might not have a good solution for it.

Her only answer would be to delay it as much as possible.

But this girl?

Using her own skill set, she formed a resonance between three targets.

While she wasn't sure what Alice was gunning for, she had to give points for her imagination.

That being said, her attention was captured by the crown above Alice's head.

It's no wonder what she thought back to her old destroyed home when the successor was right in front of her.

The question for her now was if she's a pawn of the Will.

'If Kaden went as far as to teach her, she should be her own individual rather than one serving the Will.' She adjusted her glasses.

After all these years, she finally saw the gears turning.

'Is it time to fulfil the promise?'

Thinking back to the pain she felt watching her home being destroyed by the Gods, the peace of the Abyss shattered and the expansion commanded by the Will, veins bulged on her neck as anger filled her mind.

However, she soon calmed down as she continued to watch Alice.

If the nation was going to fall, she'd leave as she had promised Verona in the past. The only reason why she was staying in the north was to see if a new God could rise from mortals like what Velouria did. Though her situation was a little unique.

But with Alice here resolving the curse, this nation would not fall. So there was no reason for her to leave.

All she had to do was to keep an eye on Alice and ensure that she wasn't interrupted.

Leaning back, the woman let out a sigh.

The wave of nostalgic memories continued to flood her mind without stop. A pain of longing stabbed her heart.

She missed the days where she would joke around with her assistants in the lab, causing trouble and asking Kaden for a raise in budget. They did everything they could to make life better in the Abyss, for those who sought to be human despite beings beasts.

To protect the paradise created by Velouria.

But it was futile when the army of Gods came crashing down on them.

None of the Lords in the city could fight against the Gods with Velouria dead and Kaden was in a panic saving Allura.

With their Goddess dead and the Apostles unable to help, the city couldn't hold on for long.

Almost everyone was killed with a few stragglers managing to survive thanks to the sacrifices of others, including herself.

Her assistants who held back the enemy from reaching her, their final farewell as she was thrown into the teleporter to the upper layers.

After all these years… she had forgotten their faces. Faceless silhouettes that smiled as they sacrificed themselves.

She had always thought of this as a curse. A curse of the Will to all those that survived the culling of Ayr. To continue living so long as the Abyss persists. To watch the invaders desecrate their beloved land.

But no more. With the appearance of the Successor, vengeance is at hand. A full Armageddon with no care of the casualties.

She wished destruction towards the followers of the three Gods.

She wanted to Alice to become the new God of the Abyss and kill the false idols who killed their beloved goddess out of jealousy and fear.

She will give the rightful successor everything she can give. Her theories, her creations, her genius, her soul, her body, everything.

Everything will given to the new Goddess in name of vengeance.

To kill the eclipse, to kill the sun and moon, to kill those who believe in them.

To bring hell upon them and make them feel the anger and fear they felt in the past.

She wanted Alice to bring down the wrath of Ayr!

"Ah~ How long as it been since I last felt alive? The beating of my heart~" The woman smiled as she raised her hands to the sky.

"I, Caera, will give you my everything. So that the world will bathe in the blood of Gods."